Cursed ✔️

67. Six Letters

"Thank you, Mr. Shaw," David said shaking hands with Louis.

"Don't thank me, Mr. Jackson, all the credit goes to Camila. Even though she had a fever, she insisted to complete the embalming. I told her that we could get anyone else to do the job, that she should take rest, but she said that Mrs. Petunia was her responsibility. She can't leave it in the middle - it would be rude and disrespectful to her soul."

"That is really thoughtful and kind of her," David said. "But when I called her yesterday after you left, she sounded perfectly fine. Then suddenly what happened?"

"I don't know either. But strange things were happening to her," Louis began in a low voice like he was discussing something serious. David leaned in. "Last night, the power at the funeral house flickered and then suddenly went out. I went to check the fuse but the strange thing was that the fuse was alright."

"Did you check the connections? Sometimes, we have a faulty connection that can cause that." David suggested.

"I thought that too, Mr. Jackson," Louis said leaning in more. "But everything was in its proper place. And then when I stepped inside, the lights came on and then I found Camila near the door - her head was hit by the doorknob. And when I tried to help her, she said that she was calling out for me, but I swear Mr. Jackson, I didn't hear a thing and I wasn't that far from the embalming room."

"How is her head now? Hope she's alright." David asked and sympathized.

"Her head is a little better. But that wasn't the cause of her illness. After the light incident, I was in my office and a few hours later I heard Camila's scream. When I got there, I saw her unconscious on the floor with the trolley knocked over and her cracked phone and embalming cosmetic kit destroyed beside her. I was so clueless."

"Maybe she slipped?" David suggested politely.

"I thought that too at first, Mr. Jackson but then I saw that she had marks on her hand like someone's finger was gripping her too tight. If she slipped, then how did those appear?"

David ran out of suggestions.

"Dad!" It was John's voice calling for him from the inside.

"Let's go, Mr. Jackson," Louis said. "It's time."

With a deep breath, he walked inside.

The room was a mid-sized room with enough space to accommodate at least 50 people with enough space to move. With only David, Rose, John, and Louis, the room felt very empty. Only a few wooden foldable chairs were there - not more than six - arranged in a single row in a group of three with a walking space in between as the Jacksons didn't invite any of their family members. The walls were painted with a soothing color which gave calmness to the grieving family. The entire room was well lit with lights that were dimmed a little. A medium-sized chandelier hanged in the middle of the ceiling among other tiny ceiling lights. Equally spaced four windows - two on each opposite wall - with white shade curtains which were tied up on either side were opened for the air to flow.

In front of the chairs, there was the casket on an elevated platform in which Petunia's body rested. The lamps were placed on either end of the room between which there was the casket. Flower vases, bouquets, and floral wreaths of fresh flowers hung on the wall. There was also a wooden podium to the left of the casket and a cross on the wall exactly in the middle of where the casket was kept.

Petunia looked so peaceful like she was sleeping - asleep which she will never wake up from. Camila did her job perfectly in fixing the body just like she looked in her photograph which was kept in a frame beside her with a few white flowers around it. Her hands rested on her stomach, intertwined. The socket in which they're used to be her eyes now was a layer of wax and fixed with the help of cosmetics which made it looked like her eyelids were closed.

One by one the family paid her respect. After David had spoken his eulogy, he began to walk towards his seat.

Suddenly, one of the legs of the platform broke and the casket slid down.

"I'm really sorry," Louis apologized and rushed to somewhere which the family thought to be to replace the platform.

All four of them sat in their places as they waited for Louis. While they were waiting, something caught John's eyes near the casket. He squinted his eyes to get a better view. It appeared to be a piece of white paper. At first, he thought to ignore it. Maybe it belonged to Mr. Shaw or maybe it was something belonging to the funeral home. Either way, Mr. Shaw would be coming any minute and he would come and see himself what it is. He turned his face from the piece and looked outside the window. But something about that paper was drawing him towards itself. He couldn't sit still. He couldn't think of anything else. His whole mind was towards the paper laying near the casket which maybe fell when the platform broke and the casket had slid. He felt like that inanimate non-living piece of paper was calling him - like it wanted to be picked up.

He couldn't take it anymore.

"Mom, what's that?" John asked pointing towards the paper.

Rose looked where her son was pointing at but she looked around confused. "What's what?"

"Near the casket. Did you not see that piece of paper?"

Rose looked again but looked at John with a questioned look. "There's nothing there, John,"

"How can you not see that paper there?"

But when no response came, he finally got up from his seat and went towards the casket. "Now you see it?" John asked pointing to the paper near his neatly polished black shoes.

"I still don't know what you are talking about." She turned towards her husband. "David, do you see anything near John's shoes?"

David gave it a quick look but shook his head.

"Nevermind," A defeated tone came from John's mouth.

After a few seconds, Louis brought a new platform with the help of another two men - the same men who came to take Petunia's body from the home.

John picked up the folded piece of paper as the three men carefully placed the casket upon the new platform and apologized again.

"It never happened before," Louis said after the casket was placed on top of the new platform. "All our platforms are very sturdy and built to withstand weights of almost 5 caskets. I don't know why it happened."

"It's alright, Mr. Shaw," David said politely as Rose gave a quick smile.

John walked back towards his seat and unfolded the paper as he sat down.

David and Rose walked towards the casket while John was still in his seat. As soon as he opened the paper, he furrowed his brows in confusion as he read "Skylar" written on the white background. He turned the paper around. There was nothing else. Only a six-letter word.

"John," David called out.

John quickly placed the note in his pocket and got up to join his parents for the viewing.