Raise the dead (an Enoch O'Connor origin story)

Part 4

ENOCHS POV

I crept down the gloaming hallway leading to the embalming room. Not a speck of light glistened through the gaps in the moth eaten curtains concealing the windows lining the hall. However I didn't dare bring a lantern for fear of being caught. I clutched my teddy bear to my chest... I'll admit, I'm a little afraid of the dark.

A floorboard creaked as I stepped on it, hopefully my presence at such a late hour wouldn't be revealed by a groaning floorboard.

I reached the embalming room and the distinct and sour smell of formaldehyde greeted my nostrils. I coughed and persisted into the room.

I soon reached a relatively fresh corpse that was filled with the stinky formaldehyde. I reluctantly peeled back the blanket sheath concealing his repulsive dead body. I grabbed a marinating heart in a jar from a shelf opposite me (don't ask why we kept those... I don't know).

I then removed the organ from its detestable liquid and gulped. I stuffed it into the corpses chest.

I decided to perform such an act after much deliberation. I decided that bodies live off of the heart, it's their blood flow and life line. That's how I decided to reanimate the dead. Now I wasn't exactly prepared for it to work...

But I would be proved wrong.

The dead mans eyes flew open and his discolored chest started rising and falling. 

Could my power have worked? Was I really a dead riser?

I willed the man to sit up.

He did as I commanded, formaldehyde salt spilling out of his chest in the process.

I stood there in awe, completely entranced by what I had just achieved.

Then I decided to have a little fun... I willed the corpse to vacate the funeral home. Why I wanted this to happen, I will never be able to explain. I also won't be able to explain why ever I freed every other corpse in the building. I was a silly child...

After I was satisfied with my work, I made my way back down the inky black hallway, and into my room, and noticed that my teddy was gone. Oh well, best to just get it in the morning. Then I pulled my blanket over myself,  awaiting what was in store for the morning...

I awoke to screaming and cursing that belonged to my parents. I was oddly satisfied that I had aggravated them... 

I arose from my bed, fully clothed from the endeavor last night. I shuffled out of my room to the embalming room; where the commotion was coming from. 

"WHAT IN THE DEVIL HAPPENED IN HERE?? I DEMAND TO KNOW YOUNG MAN!" My mother screamed at me as I walked into the room. 

"What?? What happened here? To all the corpses? I don't know what is going on!" I lied.

"DONT ACT LIKE YOU DONT KNOW! I FOUND YOUR TEDDY BEAR LAYING ON THE FLOOR IN HERE! ONLY YOU POSSESS AN ITEM LIKE THIS, AND ONLY YOU ARE STUPID ENOUGH TO LEAVE IT HERE AND EXPECT US TO NOT KNOW!" She squawked 

Oh. That was where teddy went.

"I uh... uh...." I stuttered, unable to come up with a response. 

"That's exaclty what I thought. Now I don't know what you did with these bodies, nor do I want to know. Now go to your room. I'll be back for you later." Mother snickered.

I trodden dejectedly to my bedroom. I felt like a bloody idiot for leaving my stuffed animal there, and even bringing it in the first place. Maybe mum was right. I am stupid.

What felt like hours passed as I sat in my room and bawled my eyes out, cursing my powers I had so idiotically exercised. 

Then I heard a knock at my door... oh shit.

"OPEN UP YOUNG MAN!" I heard a voice screech.

I rushed to open my door. Mum stood outside and grabbed my by the shirt collar. 

"Ouch!" I protested.

"You'll know what's good for you! Snatching the corpses like that!" She howled as she threw me against the wall. 

   Her hand knocked against my face many times, leaving fire-red marks each time. Burning tears slid down my face as I tried to break free of her iron grasp that kept me frozen in pain and fear.

Her grasp was like human life, holding me down to earth and refusing to let me leave. 

Her bludgeons were my shortcomings, painfully reminding me that I was a screw-up, and idiot, and almost nothing at all.

She released me, and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. 

"Go before this happens to you again." She commanded.

I went.

I went as fast as I could.

I threw open the doors of my former home. 

I was done with this hell, and I was ready to fly away.

My feet carried me far into the heart of London, where the people were refined and proper, what a shock to see me, the bedraggled child with a busted lip, covered in blood and stinking of formaldehyde. 

However I persisted on into the city. Many people gave me a look, but I didn't care. Not a lick. 

I wiped my lip on my sleeve, and stopped to rest for a while. My messy blonde hair caught in the wind. 

I surveyed my surroundings... buildings, civilians, corpses.

Wait! Corpses?!

The corpses from last night... they were all dead in a pile... surrounded by a flock of people, not to mention journalists for the paper.

A sinking feeling began to build in my stomach. This commotion was all my fault! I had brought these dead bodies to London! Now the whole city would know, including my parents. What would they even think about this?

~~TIME SKIP~~