Nightlife in the House of the Dead

<p>It is not easy living among the dead. Before they go in the ground they spend some time in a funeral parlor and use the occasion to get you if you are the Night Man the guy who runs the place from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 A.M. When they come at you they are always smiling unless their face was botched by the person who makes a living making them smile. They rarely move while you're watching. They hide their actions to fool the living but not me. I was always on my guard.</p><p>What a plush job I thought when I signed up. </p><p>1. Answer the phone then call the boss to report who died and where. (But eventually a call comes at 3:00 A.M. from a hysterical woman: My husband just hung himself in the shower and you're thinking How did he do it? Was he a midget?)</p><p>2. If there are any bodies downstairs take the bereaved to them. (But eventually a daughter hugs her mother for the last time and the coffin hits the floor and Mom rolls out and you call the boss and say real seriously There's a problem in the Chapel...)</p><p>You can handle these-but not the dead when they come at you in a thousand ways...</p>