Exposed skeleton

  Today is April 5th, Qingming Festival, the memorial day for my parents. I started work early in the morning. The mortuary was somewhat dark due to the gloomy weather, and even with the lights on, it still felt dismal.

  Listening to the sound of rain hitting the glass outside the window, I let out a sigh and put down my powder puff, carefully using tweezers to repair the young man's face. This was the final step. I looked up at the young man standing beside me and smiled slightly, "How is it? Are you satisfied? Is there anything else that needs fixing?"

  He was a poor child, dead from a car accident. His pale face had clear streams of dark red blood flowing down, and his forehead didn't know what it hit, that seeping red color was the blood hole on his forehead flowing out. Time froze at that moment, he will always carry this mark to hell, waiting for reincarnation.

  And my job is to help him walk with dignity in the last journey of his life. Just because I'm a funeral makeup artist, also known as an encoffiner. And I have a special pair of eyes that can see ghosts and spirits that ordinary people can't see, which is what people usually call being psychic.

  The young man nodded his head in satisfaction, smiled at me with gratitude, and there was a hint of desolation in his smile. Because he wanted to invite me to attend his funeral, but I had to return to my hometown today to pay respects to my parents, so I could only decline politely. However, I promised him that when I returned, I would go to his grave and offer flowers to him, but by then, he probably wouldn't be lingering in this world anymore.

  Liu Lian glanced at his physical body, and finally reluctantly drifted towards the dark place.

  After he left, our department's Director Wang came in to arrange the chrysanthemum petals. Today, this child's parents are going to hold a farewell ceremony for him, otherwise they wouldn't have asked me to help with his makeup and dressing.

  After packing up the goods, I took a look at the gloomy sky outside the window, and the non-stop light rain. I don't know if my hometown is also having this kind of weather? If it's like this on Tomb Sweeping Day, wouldn't that be miserable!

  Director Wang understood me best and knew what I was worried about. Without waiting for me to speak, he waved goodbye after finishing his preparations.

  I am the smallest of Kory's. To do our line of work, apart from needing patience and a good conscience, one also needs to be bold and have no distractions in the heart.

  Because I was born with the ability to communicate with spirits, when facing the souls of the dead, no matter what requirements they put forward, I can help them fulfill their wishes. In conclusion, whether it's human relationships or ghostly relationships, both are quite good.

  Driving uncle's old Jetta, praying that it would give me some face and not break down halfway, I got on the highway under the light rain.

  I came to the county town with my uncle after my parents passed away when I was three years old. After graduating from high school, I didn't get into college, so I learned beauty and makeup. With my uncle's help, I got my current job.

  An hour's drive on the highway, and after another half an hour, I arrived at my hometown. Every year, I return with my uncle to pay respects to our ancestors, but this year I came back alone, without planning to visit the village, instead driving directly to the back mountain. The sky pitied me, as the light rain drizzled all along the way, finally stopping before I went up the mountain; however, the sunshine was still a bit shy, hiding behind the clouds and refusing to come out.

  I pulled out the weeds and then dug a hole in front of the tombstone with a shovel. I lit up the incense paper money and watched as they burned one by one. Every year, I come back once, from being an ignorant little kid to growing up now, I report my recent situation to them every time I come back. Although I can communicate with spirits, what makes me regret is that I haven't been able to see the souls of my parents, nor do I know if they have already reincarnated into new lives.

  After everything was burned out, buried in the soil, knocked his head and left down the mountain.

  The road up the mountain is very muddy, and my shoes are already covered in mud. I decided to take a detour on the way back and walk down another path. Actually, no matter which path you take, it's about the same, but this one has many trees that can be used for support, making it a bit safer.

  It was like that, and I almost fell to the ground, thinking it was a careless tree vine, but when I lowered my head to take a look, it turned out to be a human child's skeleton. I was so scared that I inhaled a mouthful of cold air and shouted, taking two steps back and almost falling again.

  I've seen a lot of ghosts, but this is the first time I've seen a real skull. To be honest, I was really scared and it took me a while to calm down.

  I walked over to take a look around, it's daytime so there shouldn't be any ghosts lurking about. I carefully put on my gloves and used the shovel in my hand to dig a hole from under a big tree nearby, then moved the skeleton to another spot planning to rebury it properly. But unexpectedly, my glove got caught on the bone, tearing a hole, the wound seemed quite deep, blood kept flowing out and even stained the skeleton.

  It doesn't hurt that much, so I just finished my work and then took out a clean tissue to press against the wound. I clasped my hands together, recited a few phrases of the mantra for the deceased, hoping this child could rest in peace. However, looking at his appearance, he's already been dead for many years, his soul should have reincarnated long ago, sigh!

  There was no incense or paper money, so I could only pick two dandelions nearby and put them on the grave, smiled with satisfaction, after all, it's also a good deed of accumulating virtue and doing good.

  Shouldering his shovel and humming a little tune, he left in high spirits.

  I don't know if it was an illusion or his soul still lingering, but before I got on the bus, I heard a "thank you", and when I turned back to look, there was only the mountain peak that had just turned green.