The Murder Of Willowstream

Ch.05. Gimme Morgue (Part one)

Willowstream mortuary was a family run business, having been passed down from father to son by the Kelley's. While technically owned by the Santana family, which was bought in a time when the mortuary was about to go under, it is mostly self run and left to it's own business as one of two mortuaries in the town.

It was a small, boxed building that went further underground where it was easier to keep things cool. It was roughly five minutes on foot from the Kelley family home, and was as non-descript a building you could get. It's only significant detail being the small parking lot out front, and the evergreen, metal, sign with bronze lettering that detailed the purpose of this place. Mortician and medical examination. Thanatologist. All fancy words for: "Family with a fascination in the business of death". Which was seen more as a quirk of character around these parts, rather than something to be troubled by. The Kelley's themselves were respectable and reputable people, with a notoriously grim sense of humour and the darkest brown eyes being the defining traits that united them as family.

Alaric, Alice, and Lilly all pulled into the parking lot underneath the solitary and buzzing lamplight, discovering that Rhys and Marshal were already there. Nonchalantly chilling on an embankment of grass, as they stood up to come meet them.

"Hey guys" Marshal beamed cheerfully. He was practically vibrating with excitement. As if he was going on sparkling adventure and couldn't wait for what sights he would see. But then again, he always felt a rush when being particularly rebellious, and what's more rebellious than breaking in to a mortuary and examining the dead body of a dear friend?

Alaric proffered the ring of keys signalling their success, but despite the somewhat enthusiastic energy of Marshal, Rhys, and Lilly; there was a grim task that made the air heavy with begrudging anticipation. Dauntingly thickening the air as time caught up with them, and what they had decided to do meant it was now or probably never.

They went over the game plan one more time, just to be sure. Lilly was to park the car a little ways down the road so as not to raise suspicion to anyone driving passed, which she questioned the likelihood of considering it was approaching eleven o'clock at night, but inevitably agreed. Rhys and Marshal were to hide near by and keep look out, while Lilly, Alice, and Alaric were to enter the building and discover what they could about Yasmines murder.

With one final look of understanding to one other, they went to their positions and entered the building with the simple turning of a small, silver, key.

Quiet buildings always caused an uneasy feeling to spread over Lilly. Death she was fine with, but the unknown? The unknown terrified her, and unlike some of her more gifted companions, she could not see in the dark without the light on her phone. She huddled closer to the what she hoped were the walking frames of her friends, squeaking a little when she bumped into Alaric's muscular back.

"Sorry! I can't see in the dark" She yelped, as Alice gripped her hand warmly. Invisibly smiling through the dark with a kindness that Lilly could just sense.

They passed through what seemed to be some form of reception area. A desk sectioned off a piece of the back wall, held a computer and several pieces of disorganised paper that was strewn about the place. Several chairs were pushed up against the other walls, there was the gentle buzzing of electricity through old wires, and the place smelled like a strange concoction of sanitary products and cheap pot-pourri.

"How can they work like this?" Alice scoffed, tempted to go and tidy the place up, but was quickly reminded of the real reason they were here by the tugging Lilly at her side.

They turned a corner into a long hallway that held wooden walls, a well trafficked carpet that held track marks from thin wheels, and a single door at it's end. The door held a steel cage that opened into a simple elevator, or diverging off to the right to a set of hatched, metal stairs, leading downwards into the bowels of this building.