“Why are we stopping here?” Karen asked.

“I want to see something,” Matt said. “It'll just take a second.”

He got out. The air was cold, crisp, and dry. He pulled on his jacket. The sun had gone behind the mountain, throwing an icy shadow on the few centimeters of fresh snow that had fallen during the night.

As Matt got closer to the wooden coffin, his insides began to twist and churn. With the exception of the funerals, nothing about the events of the last two weeks had seemed real to him. The hazard still could have been a bunch of made-up stories for all he knew. The coffins could have contained dummies. But as Matt walked toward the wooden coffin, he knew that on the other side was one more chunk of the truth.

“I admire your nerve. But, but, in your situation perhaps it isn't wise.” Matt pirouetted quickly to see who had said that.


He saw a spooky creature. She pranced forward in her neon red boots and dark blue coat that had a skull sewn on the left side. She gazed deeply into his eyes.


“This is not a game”, she said, as she creaked open the coffin that lay adjacent to her. You can't believe how dead this town is. You could print all the news on a postage stamp.”

Matt chuckled nervously, while mumbling concerned.

Karen honked as she yelled, “Matt, lets go!”

Matt didn't bother to, but hell on his knees right in front of the spooky creature.