Helper

The helper arrived late.
We had waited, and waited and waited! But, finally, the helper stood before us (seven in all).

"Now, let's see," he thought out loud, " ... one, two, three, four," he counted, pointing at the last few. "Seven of you!" Helper shouted. "The most I've ever done at once is FOUR!"

Looking around the room, the task did look daunting.

Seven by One O'Clock was impossible! In polite society, Helper would have ... well ... a helper. But, not today.

So, he began working furiously as never before!

The first few took so much longer to finish. He always did the toughest first and finished with the easiest and less time-consuming. He pushed on.

Though a person can stop, time could not. By the time the fourth was finished, only 45 minutes remained!!!

Sweat poured down Helper's forehead. Sometimes the droplets would fall into his work! This slowed down the process, for he needed to redo those areas.

As with any timed endeavor, the minutes seemed to move on faster and faster!!!

Helper had been rushed before but not like this!

Tic, tic, tic. Seconds became minutes in seconds!! The sweat, impossible to control, was slowed by the application of a bandana around Helper's head. Soon, however, that became heavy with moisture!

"What to do! What to do!!" he panicked.

Just as he reached number seven (with only three minutes before One O'Clock), Helper got a curiously, strange look on his face, then smiled, and fell over, dead.

But, sure enough, he was soon discovered, and a new Helper finished number seven, and then she began on number eight, our friend, Helper.

"Do we even need to imbalm him, or should I just put on the suit and make-up?" she asked.