This is definitely a world I’m going to explore further in some longer fiction. “Memento Mori” was written for the 31 October Flash Friday competition and received third runner up. The prompt was the photo and you have to include a monk.
Memento Mori
The monk-like caretaker of the captured souls met Gerhardt at the door.
“The procedure worked. We got to her deathbed just in time,” he grinned.
Gerhardt didn’t dare look at the photos they passed in the corridors. Whispers cluttered the air.
“She’s not in pain?”
“Not at all. Souls are extremely resilient,” the monk said. The whispers became louder until individual voices could be heard. “They wake up when people walk past. It takes a while for the eyes to adjust, you might say. Your… doctor gave you only a few months?”
Gerhardt felt a ghost walk over his grave as dozens of eyes turned to watch him. “Indeed. And then I will no longer require your services.”
“Here we go.”
Gerhardt stared at the photo of his wife. Her face moved slightly. “Gerhardt?” she whispered.
“When you die, we destroy the photo and the soul is freed immediately.”
Gerhardt smiled. “And then we will go to heaven together.”
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And this is why “Victorian corpse photos” are now part of my browser history. For more book reviews, mythology, and information about what writing stuff I’m busy with, click here to go to Hersenskim.
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