Day 277 - Resurrectionists Story

Resurrectionists Story

Matthew Ryan Fischer

Avery made a great deal of money as a grave robber. He made his money because he did his job and he didn’t ask questions. Years ago, he had been a bouncer who freelanced as a bodyguard and as extra backroom muscle. He was well trained and extremely gifted at giving pain. Even back then, he was incredibly good at taking orders and not asking questions. It was the way he was raised. He was the way he was trained.

Avery never made a lot of money as a man of muscle, but he certainly wasn’t going to make any more as a man of the mind. Avery did make a lot of contacts though. A lot of men respected his physical ability and his ability to keep his mouth closed. One of these men offered him a chance to make more money and to stop putting his body in harm’s way. Avery was hired to perform deliveries and other odd jobs. Deliveries entailed transporting cadavers from point “A” to point “B,” and other odd jobs meant digging up said bodies and covering his tracks at the cemetery.

Avery didn’t ask any unnecessary questions. He didn’t want to know. He was smart enough to know he didn’t want to know. His client was obviously not a man of science. This was not some med student looking for extra anatomy practice. Whatever was going on, it wasn’t legal, and it hardly seemed normal or natural. Avery kept his mouth shut and did his job and got his money. And as an added bonus he got to keep most of the jewelry found on the bodies. His client only wanted lockets with pictures in them and wedding rings. Anything else, Avery could have and keep or sell as he saw fit.

Avery was put to work. His client wanted a lot done in a very short time. Avery worked every night for a month straight. Digging up graves and covering his tracks was not easy or fast. Especially when he had to on back-to-back-to-back-to-back nights. He was a strong man, but even his body had its limits. Avery considered getting a partner or outsourcing, but he didn’t know anyone he could trust like he could trust himself. Avery powered through it and pushed himself to the brink of collapse, physically and mentally. It was excellent money and he wasn’t about to miss out, but it was taking its toll. Everyday he slept longer and longer. Every night was harder and harder. The month was coming to a close and the job would be finished. He was secretly very glad. He was ready to go back to busting up bar fights and checking for fake IDs.

During the last week of the job Avery was near collapse. He was worn out as much as he could be. He couldn’t think straight anymore. He felt asleep all day. His body was drained, like a dead man walking. He would blink and suddenly lose half an hour. He would zone out and wake up driving the body to the drop off point. He was starting to lose it. His body was at the edge.

And then the whispered voices began. He didn’t hear them at first. It was a little too much like the wind. But they repeated themselves often enough that even in his near comatose sleepwalking state Avery couldn’t ignore it. He couldn’t tell what it was or what was going on, but if spooked him. A graveyard at night was creepy enough. He didn’t need whispering winds added into that mix.

But Avery was careful. He was the only one there. He knew that. He always checked to make sure. There was no security. No one following him. Nothing. He wasn’t a superstitious man, but even he had his limits.

On the penultimate evening of the assignment Avery heard his name called out. He had just reached the coffin and opened it when the whispered voices rose up and he could hear his name in the wind.

Avery freaked out. He spun to see who was there and at the same time tried to climb from the grave. He was doing too many things at once and thinking about none of them and ended up doing them all badly. He spun and lost his balance and missed the rope he had to climb out with and tripped himself back down.

Avery fell, face first into the coffin, landing face-to-face with the body. Avery screamed and then the lid to the coffin came crashing down on him, pinning him against the cadaver. Avery really screamed then. He normally had a strong disposition, but normal days didn’t include lying in a coffin with a dead man.

Avery caught his breath and calmed down.

And then the voice spoke, no longer a whisper.

“Hello Avery. You’ve been very busy…”

Avery fought against the lid and tried to get out. Something was weighing against the lid. He couldn’t budge it.

“We don’t appreciate what you’ve been doing…”

Avery pushed and pushed and pushed. Finally the coffin lid opened enough to allow dirt to start spilling into the coffin. Someone or something was burying him alive.

“We need our rest. We can’t do that with you disturbing our bodies all the time…”

“It wasn’t me! It was just a job.”

“But you’re the one that’s here. You’re the one we can get our hands on.”

And they did. The body reached up, grabbing him and holding Avery down. The dirt continued to pour into the coffin. Avery screamed and struggled for as long as he could. But the dirt piled on and soon all his oxygen would be gone.