In the crematorium's incineration area, staff member Jerris nodded respectfully at the body delivered to the conveyor belt, waited for about two minutes, and then pushed it into the corresponding cremation furnace based on its number. She then let out a bored yawn.
Years of industry experience made this job easy for her.
When she first started working at the crematorium, Jerris used to worry that the cold bodies lying on the conveyor belt might suddenly open their eyes and look at her, but now…
"You know, if a corpse really did open its eyes, it wouldn't be too bad. At least this job wouldn't be as monotonously boring as it is now."
The crematorium wasn't particularly busy, and being a government job meant there was no risk of unemployment. Years of repetitive and stable work had led Jerris to entertain some thoughts she probably shouldn't have.
Meanwhile, she had a work habit: she always waited a while before putting the bodies she was responsible for into the furnace.
This was to prevent someone who wasn't truly dead from being cremated.
With modern medical science so advanced, the likelihood of such an event happening was virtually zero.
Once, a colleague joked with Jerris, "Do you think waiting a minute or two can ensure someone will wake up?"
To this, Jerris always replied with a smile, "Give them a chance, and give myself a chance!"
This statement was quite straightforward: giving someone the opportunity to open their eyes also gave her a chance for some excitement!
As she yawned, Jerris found herself pondering: when would she get some excitement?
"Mom—"
"Mom, come back!"
The faint cries of a young boy, heart-wrenching and desperate, drifted from the front reception hall. Jerris, seasoned in the routines of cremation, had heard such cries countless times. As she watched a body being conveyed to her colleague's side on the conveyor belt, Jerris knew that she would soon be tasked with cremating the body that had elicited the boy's anguished cries.
"Mommy—"
"Mommy, come back!"
The weak but heartbreaking cries of a young boy echoed from the reception hall. As an experienced cremation worker, Jerris had heard such cries innumerable times. Watching another body being transported to her colleague on the conveyor belt, Jerris knew she would soon handle the cremation of the body causing the commotion outside.
The boy's cries continued, growing more intense, accompanied by commotion outside. Jerris even heard the shouts of her security colleagues, but it was of no concern to her. Her focus was on the body about to be delivered to her.
For cremation workers, imagining the age and demeanor of the deceased based on the cries heard from the reception hall was a rare pleasure.
Soon, with the humming of the conveyor belt, Jerris saw the body slowly approaching her.
A woman in her thirties or forties, dressed in a cheongsam adorned with flowers and coins. Due to the distance and angle, Jerris couldn't clearly see her face yet but sensed a unique aura about the body, lacking the indifference, silence, and stillness typical of most deceased.
Despite not speaking or moving, Jerris felt as though the person lying there was merely sleeping, not a lifeless body.
Years of experience and thousands of cremations had honed Jerris's professional intuition.
As the body neared, Jerris paused the conveyor belt. She bowed first, then began counting silently in her head.
When she reached fifty, Jerris glanced sideways at the conveyor belt.
"Hmm, good, no eyes open, everything's normal, no chance of accidents."
"Ah, hearing the cries outside, she has a child? That child must be so pitiful, ah, if only, if only..."
"If only she could open her eyes."
With a flurry of thoughts, Jerris continued counting.
At one hundred, she glanced at the conveyor belt again.
"Hmm, good, no—My God?!"
"Eyes, eyes open?!"
Jerris suddenly jolted, as if doused with a bucket of ice water, feeling a chilling sensation from her forehead to her toes.
"No, no! I must be seeing things! Seeing things!"
"Night shifts are harmful!"
She blinked hard, then slowly allowed her gaze to drift back to the conveyor belt...
This time, Jerris felt her hair stand on end!
It was the height of summer, and the cremation furnace was nearby, but at that moment, Jerris felt cold to the core!
She slowly turned her head, looking in terror at the "body" on the conveyor belt, which now blinked back at her.
"Buzzing"
In that second, Jerris felt deafened by a buzzing noise in her ears!
Her mouth slowly opened, wider and wider, as she desperately tried to scream, but in her extreme fear, she found herself utterly voiceless!
She wanted to turn and flee, forget the stable government job, she was done!
But her legs were weak as if glued to the spot, immobile!
Jerris's vision filled with stars, and she fainted to the ground.
In the last moment before losing consciousness, only one thought crossed Jerris's mind: Thrilling, truly thrilling!
Jerris's vision filled with stars, and she fainted to the ground.
In the last moment before losing consciousness, only one thought crossed Jerris's mind: Thrilling, truly thrilling!
On another conveyor belt, male cremation worker Leo heard the commotion and immediately asked, "Hey! Jerris? What happened to you?"
Receiving no response, Leo hurried over and helped her up, "Jerris?! Jerris?!"
"I'll take you to rest!"
As Leo attempted to carry Jerris to a rest area, a faint woman's voice said, "May I help you?"
Leo turned to see a pale woman in formal attire looking at him.
"Who, who are you?"
The woman, puzzled, said, "My name is Chiara, I, I don't know how—"
Before she could finish, Leo interrupted, "You must be a relative of the deceased, right?! How did you get here? That's not allowed!"
"Never mind, help me lift her onto my back!"
In the special situation, Leo wasn't too concerned. He turned to lift Jerris onto his back, but in that brief moment, he saw that the mat used for the deceased on Jerris's conveyor belt was still there, with flowers and coins scattered around!
Normally, these items would be cremated with the deceased.
Now, these items remaining indicated that Jerris's body had not yet been cremated!
In an instant, Leo's gaze towards Chiara changed.
Then, he saw the deceased's nameplate among the items scattered on the conveyor belt, clearly showing the name after a long series of numbers—
Chiara!
Leo was stunned!
A chill ran from his feet to his head, and his forehead was covered in sweat!
His gaze towards Chiara had changed, and now he dared not look at this Chiara at all!
"Oh, I'll help you put her on your back, right? Okay..."
As Chiara spoke, she reached out to push Jerris, who was hanging on Leo's back. Her voice was low, weak, and feeble, not sounding like that of a living person to Leo!
"Eh? Why are you shivering?"
"Do you feel cold?"
As Chiara's cool hand touched Leo's back, he had only one thought: Cold!
Damn cold!
No misunderstanding, really cold, damn it!
At that moment, Leo had forgotten that even a living person would feel cold all over after lying in a cold crystal coffin for a few hours, let alone Chiara, who had truly died once!
"Ah, ah, ah!!!"
"Ah!"
A hoarse, desperate scream erupted from Leo, followed by a woman's scream from behind him!
So, this thing isn't pretending at all?!
Leo, disregarding Jerris on his back, dropped her and hurriedly left!
He dared not look back!
Had he looked back, he would have seen Chiara also appearing frightened.
Leo ran, Jerris fainted, leaving Chiara alone in the cremation area.
She followed the path Leo had taken for a while, seeing a sign that read "Staff Passage."
"I'm not staff, so I probably shouldn't go this way."
Chiara returned to the cremation area, but besides the two conveyor belts, there were no other paths!
"Mommy, mommy!"
"I want my mommy!"
The voice from the front hall startled Chiara, "Is, is that Orle?! My son!"
"Orle?! Where are you?!"
"Mommy is here, Orle!"
Despite Chiara's loud calls, the boy's cries from the front didn't stop or respond to her!
"Mommy! Where are you, mommy!"
"I want my mommy!"
Hearing her son's cries filled with endless fear and panic, no mother at this moment could remain calm!
So, Chiara looked around, bit her lip, and climbed onto the conveyor belt towards the reception hall!