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At first, there was a shocked silence.
And why wouldn’t there be one? They were standing right over a dead body right now. What was there to say? Melly’s body was lying face up in the grass, her face twisted in a expression of fear. She lay in a splatter of her own blood, arms and legs kicked out like she had been tossed. Her throat had been cut open by a shard of glass, which now lay to the side of her face. The wound was no longer bleeding. Maggots and ants crawled all over her, feasting on her remains.
It was silent until someone spoke up. A young girl’s voice. Emma Woods.
”Ms. Plinius...” her voice was gentle. “Wonder what happened..”
A raspy woman’s voice spoke up next to her. Emily Dyer.
“She must have fell. Looks like an old death. Look, the maggots are already all over her.” She pointed. Quietly, she reached down and checked her pulse. “..Yeah, she seems long dead.. her body is cold. Pale.”
“Oh yeah, the manor window. It was broken from the inside...”
”Wonder why no one had found her body until now.”
Quietly, a hollow man’s voice spoke from the other side of Emma Woods.
”What should we do with her? I wouldn’t want the younger residents to see such a thing.”
They thought for a moment. It was a good question. What even happens when a resident of the manor died? It had never happened before.
“Well, obviously we should bury her.” Emily stated, quite dryly. Her hands itched to get a cigarette.
”Andrew would be suited. We should hold a funeral. I can arrange flowers.”
”A funeral huh... I somehow just think it wouldn’t be a good idea.”
”Isn’t that what people usually do when someone dies?” Emma tilted her head.
“Well... yes, but this no usual situation. Think about where we are.”
”He has a point.” Emily studied the body. “Though I don’t think we can cover this up.”
”Maybe we should ask?”
”But who should we ask..? I think it’s better we just bury her respectfully and quickly.”
”Ms. Plinius...” Emma sighed. “But what should we tell the others?”
“We’ll see if she comes back in the morning. If she doesn’t, we’ll say we found her body that night, and that she fell. It’s close enough to the truth.”
”Plinius... Coming back. Somehow, it doesn’t seem impossible here.”
“I will still decorate her grave with flowers. We wouldn’t want a ghost’s wrath.”
”Well, I hardly think ghosts exist but...”
”Oh Aesop. Just let her.”
”Mm... okay. Just don’t make it too noticeable.”
”Okay..! I’ll do a good job. Promise.”
”You will Emma. Now then, I’ll get Andrew yeah? You two wait here. Make sure no one sees.”
”Sure thing Emily.”
At last she pulled out a cigarette and lit it. She held it in her mouth, quickly walking away to retrieve the the gravekeeper. If it was the right choice or not, Emma and Aesop were left in silence, pondering. With interest, they looked at the body. Same as ever, a maggot wriggled it’s way into a gap in her eyelid. Maybe she won’t come back. But knowing the mystery of the manor... it probably wouldn’t ever let her leave.
When the sun finally fell on that evening Andrew looked at the body and almost screamed. They calmed him, and filled him in on the plan. He was hesitant. But he agreed anyway.
Melly’s body now rest in the dirt, her eyes closed by Aesop. Emma rested flowers on her hidden grave. The four of them looked down at the grave.
But really they were looking through the dirt, looking right through and staring at a body..
That would never be found.