as she felt an unexpected warmth emanating from his hand. Initially, she thought it was just her imagination or a trick of her own anxiety. In her desperation to acquire the ring, she brushed aside her apprehensions and attempted once more to pull the ring off. However, the warmth was undeniable, spreading from the ring to her fingertips, and then something even more terrifying occurred—she felt a faint pulse.
Anna yanked her hand back, eyes wide with horror. This was impossible. She had been in the morgue long enough to know the signs of life—or the absence thereof. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the sudden wave of panic. “It’s just a muscle spasm,” she whispered to herself, a common phenomenon in recently deceased bodies. That must have been it. She took a deep breath, attempting to calm her racing heart.
But the unease lingered, gnawing at her conscience. She hesitated, questioning the morality of her actions for the first time since she began her illicit exploits. The man’s face, serene and untroubled, seemed to judge her silently. A chill ran down her spine, and for the first time, the morgue felt oppressively cold.
As she stood there, frozen between her desire for the ring and an inexplicable sense of foreboding, she heard an eerie sound—a low, almost imperceptible sigh. Anna’s blood ran cold. She stared at the man’s chest but saw no movement. The room was silent again, yet the sound echoed in her mind. Could she have imagined it?
Anna reached for the ring again, her fingers trembling, determined to prove to herself that she was imagining things. But as soon as her skin touched the metal, the strange warmth returned, and this time, she felt a slight contraction of the man’s fingers around hers. The grip was weak but unmistakable. She stifled a scream, her instincts screaming at her to flee, but her legs felt like lead.
Suddenly, the door to the morgue creaked open, and the orderly returned to retrieve another gurney. The sound jolted Anna back to reality. She quickly withdrew her hand and stepped back, her heart pounding like a drum. She turned her back on the cadaver, trying to mask her fear under a guise of professionalism as the orderly gave her a quizzical look.
“Everything alright, Anna?” he asked, noticing her pale complexion.
“Y-yes, everything’s fine,” she stammered, avoiding eye contact. “Just… just tired.”
The orderly shrugged, oblivious to her internal turmoil, and went about his task. Anna seized the opportunity to leave the room, her mind swirling with questions and doubts. Once outside, she leaned against the wall, trying to steady her breathing.
That night, Anna couldn’t shake the experience. She lay in bed, haunted by the night’s events. Was it a warning? A sign? Or just her guilt manifesting in her imagination? Whatever it was, it forced her to confront her actions, to rethink the path she was on.
She never stole from the morgue again. Instead, she tried to find solace in the simple yet honest life she had, realizing that perhaps, her dreams of wealth and luxury weren’t worth the price of her peace of mind. And though she never spoke of that night to anyone, it left an indelible mark on her soul, a reminder of the thin line between life, death, and morality.