Funeral homes are places of quiet respect — controlled environments where everything follows strict procedure. Or at least, that’s what I believed before my first night shift.
When I started working at this funeral home, I was handed four rules. Not guidelines. Not suggestions. Rules to survive the night. Never enter the viewing room after 1:13 a.m. If a toe tag is missing, leave the building immediately. If the embalming room light turns on by itself, do not investigate. And if a body sits upright — do not acknowledge it.
At first, I assumed it was dark humor meant to test new employees. But as the nights passed, doors opened on their own, cold spots lingered in empty halls, and security cameras captured movements no one could explain.
Some rules exist for a reason.