January 13/365

….He was working alone that day. Hours later the homeowner found him. A heart attack caused by hundreds of stings, that’s what the coroner told Nann.

When the mortician let her see James, he said, “This’ll be hard for you, Mrs. Finn.” Then he kept his hand bracing her shoulder just in case.

The face was huge and covered in dark bumps. “Your poor lips, your poor eyes,” she whispered.

“You’ll want a closed casket.”

She nodded, and the mortician left her to gather up the paperwork. She held on to the casket edge until her knuckles turned white.

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