Shroud [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

"And here is where we keep the caskets," Wallace exclaimed as he gestured to his surroundings.

Levi groaned. Wallace had tricked him with the promise of getting some parts for his truck, and instead, brought him to the funeral parlor. Wallace gave him the 'grand' tour of the facility, from the dirty carpark to their current destination.

They were in a large room, with casket displays of different coffins placed in a specific pattern. It reminded Levi of a home department store, with different sections for the type of funeral you wanted.

Wallace touched a shiny casket. "This is out finest casket, made from 95% pure mahogany," he explained. He knocked against the lid. Levi pulled a face.

"Dad, can I go home?" Levi moaned. "I don't want to spend my day looking at coffins."

Wallace smiled and tutted him. "Uh, uh, uh. It's pronounced as 'caskets'. The word 'coffin' tend to repel against potential customers." He spread his arms wide. "This will be all yours fairly soon in the future, so you better know how everything works!"

Levi groaned again. "I told you like a million times Dad. No way in hell."

Wallace ignored him. "Next is the morgue."

Levi dawdled behind, his hands stuffed in his pockets. He walked past countless caskets, all with different prices on the side. He walked past the scenarios ranging from traditional cementary burials, to tossed into the ocean.

His dad pushed open two giant double doors that led out from the casket displays to the morgue. It was  a tiled room, from the floor to the walls. Levi looked around at the metal slabs and shivered at the cold.

"Why's it so cold?" he asked. His dad smiled.

"It's to make sure to slow down the rate of decomposition," Wallace explained as opened another door. 

He waved his hand to the contents of the next room. "You must remember son," Wallace said. "This room is designated the corpses involved in police cases. Everything besides this room is other clients. You must never get the two mixed up. Do you understand?"

Levi shrugged. "I don't need to. Since I'm not going to take over the shop."

Wallace sighed, and closed the door. He opened a nearby locker, and handed a suit to him.

"What's this?" Levi asked as stared at the brown suit. Wallace nudged the suit to him.

"Take it and put it on. You're going to learn the ropes today."

Levi smacked the suit to the ground.

"Fuck no!" he yelled and stormed out. He reached the front entrance and Wallace's hand grabbed his shoulder. Wallace puffed behind him.

"Wait!" he gasped. Levi stopped, and waited. Wallace straightened up, and moved around so he was in front.

"I understand you're young, and you still want to live in the moment," he said. "But this legacy, this honour, must be passed down to the one I choose is worthy and no one else. Levi," Wallace grabbed his shirt. "You have proven yourself worthy of this honour. Please accept it!" he begged.

Levi was shocked. He saw his father's grip shake, his eyes pleaded. He had never seen his father this desperate since his mother's death. Levi sighed, and removed his father's hands from his shirt.

"Give me the suit," he sighed. Wallace opened his mouth to speak.

"It doesn't mean I'm okay with this," Levi interrupted. "It's a test run. If I don't like it, you'll drop the subject. Deal?"