"She's lying upstairs, God rest her soul," whispers the woman at the door. "Please do go up."
On by one, they file up the narrow staircase, enter the shabby bedroom, where the picture of the Blessed Virgin takes pride of place above the bed. The faded curtains are drawn (of course), and the room is lit by a single candle, whose light flickers pale shadows on the walls.
"Ah! Doesn't she look beautiful?" they murmur, as they stand by the open coffin. And certainly she looks very peaceful, lying there in her white gown, a rosary loosely threaded through her fingers. A woman stifles a sob; another stoops to kiss the pale forehead; someone places a single pink rosebud on the still bosom.
"Cut!" says the director. "Coffee break!"
The corpse sits up in her coffin. "Mine's white," she says. "Two sugars."
(An antidote to my last.)
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You got me there!
ReplyDeleteThat was the idea, L!
DeleteHa ha love it! x
ReplyDeleteBrilliant! You should send out some flash fiction - lots of sites for it these days! Even the Bridport has that category.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rosemary. I was long listed in the Fish competition once,, but I rarely write them. Maybe I should. At least they don't take too long!
DeleteI always admire those actors who, in the role of a dead body, can remain so perfectly still while the camera is on them! But I swear I have detected a very faint fluttering of eyelashes once or twice on "bodies" in Midsomer Murders.
ReplyDeleteMe too, Meike.
DeleteThat's more like it, Frances.
ReplyDeleteI didn't want to sound too miserable, Wendy!
DeleteI've heard of a short story before but.....
ReplyDeleteBut not this short? They're quite fashionable, GB!
DeleteThis I really enjoyed. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Adrian.
DeleteCoffee in a coffin. I guess it's different!
ReplyDeleteMakes a change, Fran.
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