SHACK 144 MAUSOLEUM

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He lay panting, fearful and sweating, his family looking down at him, bidding their farewells. Various thoughts drifted through his mind. Regrets, unfinished business, grievances and realizing he never had a life of his own, he followed the traditions of generations of his wealthy and famous bloodline, he strayed once or twice and was severely admonished, threatened with  disinheritance and character assignation.   Blackmailed by guilt and shame.

He drifted slowly over a corpse in a bed after a reluctant struggle to free himself from this tight casket of flesh and looking at his wasted, white fleshy body, he shuddered and noticed his body did not.

He witnessed his former body being placed in a coffin of fine and elaborate carvings and wood, the church and eulogies, the crying he felt was not sincere but a mere show and status symbol, with a stern Grandfather saying to the male members 'pull yourself together, remember who you are dammit'. Only one sister who was really grieving, some brothers glad his share of the vast wealth would now fall to their lot.  However they managed to mumble a few words of condolence.

He was taken to the family mausoleum, a dark horrific place where his ancestors from many years past, a hundred or so, had been laid to rest.  He was taken from the coffin and put into a tomb and the lid shut tight.

He had the feeling that he was not buried or interred so much by Earth, Stones and a slab of granite but by the family 'religion and strict abeyance to procedure and behavior.'

He could feel the thoughts, nuances, resentments, quarrels, bitterness, hatred, bottled up emotions and passions on top of him, that was his coffin and filling of Earth and stone were not, and he knew he would never see these through and the thought that he might return to another Earthly flesh cocoon filled him with terror. His life flashed before him if only he had another chance.

The undertakers came to have a final look at the tomb after the family had gone and spared the sealing of the slab so as to make  it airtight and also the many other family tombs entombed there. They thought they heard a faint cry from the tomb and yes they did. They removed the slab and found him just barely alive.

Some weeks after, he was recovering well and could walk, and with a confidence none had seen.  He went to the family and gathered them in the great hall. ' Dear family I leave you now and go my way, for I have realized my way is my way.  I need to fulfill my destiny as my heart and passions lead me. I bid you farewell and wish you well. If you cut me out of the family heirlooms and inheritance that is fine by me, I shall not contest it'

The family offered no response for they had already buried him and he was as good as dead to them.  

To this day no one knew where he is only a sweet beautiful lady, his little sister and when she was old enough followed in her dearest brother's footsteps.

SHACK