In a Coffin

Chapter 2: Best Fright in Centuries

I wander through the streets of London. The rain is beating heavily on the cloak I am holding above my head. I am looking for someone. Anyone. I move my gaze to a head of me and not the cobblestone below my feet. A girl was barely visible through the down pour. She looks sad. Her hand goes to pluck a black rose from the road. Before she gets there the petals fall and it dies.

"It will grow back." I try and make her feelings happy. She is startled and turns to me.

"Who are you?" I need to know her name. I have never seen her before and wonder why she is alone in the rain with no way to shield it from beating down on her shoulders and black hair.

"Who are you?" Say stuns me with the response. I can only stare at her. I don't know.

She steps closer to me and reaches to feel my forehead. Her hand quickly jerks back upon grazing my skin as if I burned her. I just look confused at her. She recovers and looks rushed, checking my neck chest and wrist. Once she's done with what looks like checking for a pulse, she backs away and I cry. The rain blending with my tears. I know I forgot to start my heart again. She probably thinks I am a monster. I turn and walk away, praying that she doesn't attack me.

"I am sorry." I apologize turning towards her then turning back and walking away.

I open my eyes. My vision looks blurry but I can't be sure because all I can see is black. I take a second to gather my thoughts and remember my encounter with that man and that strange girl. It feels like I can't breathe. I will my heart to begin working again and it beats softly. I suck in a gracious amount of air. After a moment, I realize I am supposed to be dead or on the floor in that ally, but I am standing. I feel around and conclude that I am confined in an odd shaped box. I begin to panic but calm. Someone must have found me. I begin to feel relief but once more panic because if anyone did they would think me dead.

I close my eyes and rely on my hearing to tell me if anyone is near me. I pick up a low shuffle and water being splashed around. A voice is barley auditable. So I am not able to make out the words. Then everything is silent.

"Sorry m'dear. Here I will clean that up. I do apologize." I hear the voice clearly now and I can tell it has moved closer and it is male, causing a rush of fear to bolt up my spine. Then I hear the sound of fabric shifting. I freeze unable to move.

The person on the outside of the box is right in front of me. I muster up all of my courage and get an idea.

"HELP!" I yell. At the sound of a small yelp and what I assume is a large stack of books hit the ground, I laugh. I can't help but laugh. I startled the poor guy. That was hilarious. I quickly shut up though. I remember he can easily kill me. Oh god, I should not have done that.

Undertakers Point of view…

I look over the body in front of me. She is once more beautiful. I turn and wash my hands off in the prefilled basin. I spot a bit of lipstick out of place on her lips and mentally kick myself for getting something so simple wrong.

"Sorry m'dear. Here I will clean that up. I do apologize." I pull a rag out of my robe and wipe it to perfection. Pick my guest up and lay her down in the coffin I prepared for her.

"HELP!" I yelp and topple over a stack of anatomy books laying on the floor. My heart pounding rapidly for being startled so heavenly. I summon my scythe into my hand and get up in a blink of an eye. I am ready to fight. A grin bleeding onto my face, that was the best freight I have had in centuries. I am surprised to see that laughter follows and am even more surprised that it came from a coffin standing against the wall in front of me.

It stops suddenly and abruptly. I realize I must have prepared a live guest. I rush over. Sympathy fills my heart for doing such a thing. I rip the lid off the coffin and dismiss my scythe while I do.

Avery's Point of View…

I hear a hand hit the side of the box and I shrink back when I notice the lid being ripped off. Oh no. I hold my breath excepting to be killed or at least hurt.

After a moment of complete silence I removed my hands from blocking my face. The man must have wanted to help me out not hurt me.

I open my eyes to a unique sight.

In front of me is a male. He is about my height but back he is hunched over I know he is taller than me. He has silver hair down to the back of his knees, with a small braid down the right side of his torso. He is wearing a worn top hat, which has a piece of fabric hanging down his back. From his neck to the floor he is covered in an overly large black robe, the sleeves hanging down past his hands. On his pale face is plastered an impressive smile giving off a grin the Cheshire cat would applaud. I can't see the top part of his face because silver bangs cover it. The complete look makes me want to hug him. However I also don't want to upset him. Who knows what he'll do. He tilts his head to the side.

"I am terribly sorry, m'dear. I can't even begin to apologize that I have laid my hands on a fair lady like yourself while you were unconscious. I misunderstood you for one of me guests, I have. Again my deepest apologize. Do allow me to help you out and return you to wherever it is you need to be." He does not seem to be a threat but I am still confused about where I am and who his guests may be as there is bon one else in the dark room but a beautiful young woman on the table. I gasp when the face clicks in my brain. The woman on the table is Mary Jane Kelly.

I put piece and piece together. This man is Jack and I am his next victim.