Chapter 1
Preparing the dead rarely took her very long. She had been working at a funeral home for a few months. She wasn’t used to everything yet, but she no longer had to think through each step of the job.
This one had to be ready by ten. The family had requested an open-casket service, and the woman’s husband had called to insist that she be dressed in her own peach-colored blouse.
She had dressed the woman in the blouse, straightened the collar, fastened the top button, arranged her hair, and finished her makeup. Only the eyes remained.
She leaned closer and lowered the woman’s eyelids with two fingers. She held them there for a few seconds, then drew her hand away.
The eyelids opened again.
She shifted her fingers slightly and tried once more. The eyes stayed closed for a moment, but as soon as she removed her hand, one of them opened.
She glanced at the clock. There was still time.
She took a clean cloth and gently wiped around the woman’s eyes. Then she lowered the eyelids again and held them a little longer. When she moved her hand away, both eyes opened, one more than the other.
She pressed her lips together. She tried once more, more carefully this time. She held the eyelids down and waited a few seconds before withdrawing her hand. But the result was the same.
“Damn it.”
She checked the clock again. There was still some time, but she didn’t want to keep repeating the same thing without getting anywhere.
She took off her gloves and threw them away. Then she picked up her phone and found the number of her more experienced coworker. Her finger hovered over the screen for a moment. Her coworker wasn’t on shift that day and was probably asleep. She lowered the phone and looked at the woman on the table again. Then she made the call.
The phone rang several times before a sleepy voice answered.
“Hello?”
“Sorry to wake you. I have a question.”
“What’s wrong?”
She looked at the woman’s face.
“Her eyes won’t stay closed. I’ve tried several times.”
“Did you try the usual method?”
“Yeah. They won’t stay closed.”
Her coworker paused briefly.
“Then use the adhesive the way you were trained. If that doesn’t work, let the shift supervisor know.”
She thanked her and ended the call.
She took the adhesive out of her supplies and read the instructions. After putting on a fresh pair of gloves, she used a small amount, following the procedure she had been taught, and held the eyelids closed.
A few seconds later, she withdrew her hand.
The eyes stayed closed.
She stepped away from the table. She hadn’t yet reached the counter when one eyelid slowly opened. A moment later, the other followed.
She checked the instructions again. She didn’t want to use more adhesive without being sure it was appropriate. She checked the time. There wasn’t much time left before the next shift came in.
For a moment, a thought crossed her mind: perhaps this woman didn’t want her eyes closed.
She looked at the woman’s face. Then she turned back to the counter, picked up the eyeliner, checked its tip, and sat down.
She carefully applied a thin line of eyeliner, then added a little eyeshadow. Every so often, she leaned back to examine the result before continuing. When she finished, she set the pencil down.
The eyes were still half-open.
There was a knock at the door.
“Is she ready?”
She looked toward the table.
“Almost. I need to let the shift supervisor know.”
The footsteps faded down the hall. She picked up her phone and called the supervisor. She explained that the eyelids wouldn’t stay closed and that the adhesive hadn’t worked either. The supervisor said they would take a look before the next shift came in.
She ended the call and gathered her supplies. The collar was straight, and the woman’s hair was still neat. She put the eyeliner and eyeshadow away.
Before leaving, she stopped beside the table once more.
She raised her hand. Her fingers hovered near the woman’s eyelids, but she didn’t touch them.
Then she lowered her hand.
