Kissed

When you die, your life flashes...

and you disintegrate, radiating energy.

When a thing turns into its opposite,

when love becomes hate...

there are always sparks.

But when life turns into death...

it's explosive.

There are streaks of light...

magical and electrifying.

Everyone senses something,

some energy, some spirit...

some sort of illumination.

But I see it.

I've seen bodies shining like stars.

Some say there's no soul. No afterlife.

But life, like death,

is the straightest line on the compass.

And nothing more.

I say believe what you want.

Because no matter what you do,

cut everything up, burn it all down...

you're in the path

of something beyond your control.

I've always been fascinated by death.

The feel of it, the smell of it...

and the stillness.

I shroud the body. Shroud the body.

Shroud little sparrow with broken wing.

I lower the body. Lower the body.

I enter the night. Enter the night.

The anointment.

Hi!

Come on, guys, two minutes in the closet.

Carol was my first real friend.

She said she could see in the dark...

and talk to spirits and ghosts.

Puss-puss, what you got?

It's a mouse.

Sandra.

- Let's bury him.

- Okay.

Carry the body. Carry the body.

We carry the body.

- Let's bow our heads in prayer.

- All right.

For what we are about to receive,

may the Lord make us truly thankful. Amen.

That's grace.

It's religious, that's all that matters.

Come on.

- You're leaving already?

- Yeah.

Okay.

All summer long, we'd find dead animals...

shroud their bodies, chant, and bury them.

All by daylight.

After dark, I'd go back

and give them a proper burial.

It's a chipmunk.

- What's that?

- Baby chipmunks.

They're dead.

What'll we do with them?

We'll have a special ceremony.

And please, dear God, who art in heaven...

take care of the chipmunks.

In power and in glory,

thy kingdom come. Amen.

- What are you doing?

- What does it look like? Come on!

Oh, no, I hurt it.

I must have squeezed it too hard.

Carol.

Carol!

Oh, boy.

Mom said Carol's mother had phoned

and was very upset.

She said I had made her do

some sort of witchcraft dance out there.

Mom told me to stay away from Carol.

She said I was a lady now.

I never played with Carol again.

And for the first time

I saw myself the way others might.

I would like you all

to pay attention to the technique.

We start the incision from the abdomen, up.

Sandra Larson?

Do you have a problem with this?

No.

It's dead. Doesn't feel a thing.

Now we continue the process

by exposing major organs.

As you can see,

the heart is protected by the rib cage.

Cutting into the body

seemed dangerous and destructive.

But I had to get inside...

see the order...

understand the perfection.

Larson's Flowers.

Yeah, gladiolas are no problem.

We can deliver by 2:00. All right.

Sandra.

The Valley Forge...

and of course, the Monaco.

No, that can't be right.

God damn it.

Mr. Wallis? Hi.

Is it that time already?

Quick, follow me.

Anywhere is fine. The family is going

to rearrange them all anyway.

That's good. Now if you'll excuse me,

I have some work to do.

I'd like to work here.

Pardon?

I need a job.

I overheard you talking with Dad.

I'm really sorry about your assistant.

- Well, Sandra...

- The flower shop was just to help out.

- I have my chauffeur's license.

- Oh, I see.

What do you know about funerals?

What is there to know?

And here we have the office,

the showroom...

- three slumber rooms for viewing.

- Three?

Oh, yes. Remember that bus wreck

last summer? It was crazy.

But we managed to squeeze them all in.

And this is where it all happens.

Once we've worked our magic,

you'd think they were sleeping.

Comfortable repose,

that's what we're trying to achieve.

Now...

which one was it?

Yes. You can use this one.

What should I wear?

A simple dress with flats will do.

Oh, and one more thing.

Don't wear black. It's too depressing.

Okay.

Jan! Come and meet Sandy Larson.

She's taking over where Tony left off.

She is Tony's replacement, so to speak.

Hands like the Virgin.

He's Catholic.

I did the things I did to find the edge...

feel the end beginning.

Any thought you act on...

pushes you further out.

After you bring in all the flowers,

you can empty the ashtrays.

If you need a vacuum,

there's always one in the closet.

All right.

- Mr. Wallis, is there...

- Yes.

Do you know who?

Tony. Died on the job...

buried on the job.

- Should l...

- Right.

The parents will be here in half an hour.

Better open him up.

He was a good boy. Handsome.

He was. Very handsome.

You're so cold.

That's okay.

"And he that was dead came forth...

"bound hand and foot with graveclothes:

"And his face was bound about

with a napkin.

"Jesus saith unto them,

'Loose him, and let him go."'

Crossing over was glorious

and overwhelming.

It was absolutely addictive.

Mr. Wallis?

I want to study embalming.

I want to study the art.

Why?

- It's unique.

- Yes, it is, Sandra.

It is a profession apart from all others.

I really think I'd be good at it.

Welcome to embalming.

Now, if rigor mortis has begun...

then all these muscles

need to be broken up.

Because after a while,

they really don't listen.

That's more comfortable.

You have to pack up all these holes.

Otherwise, we'll have

a real mess on our hands.

There.

What's that?

It's something to make him smile.

That's a lot easier, and a lot faster,

than sewing the lips together.

These little gems hold the eyes shut.

Next, we raise the vessels.

Always remember:
Jugular is for draining...

and the carotid, for injecting.

One goes in...

and one comes out.

Sometimes they get clots. And sometimes

you have to cut into a few more places.

But our patient should be a piece of cake.

Came straight from the hospital. They were

probably thinning his blood to start with.

A trocar. Many see it

as the embalmer's sword.

And this is what you call cavity aspiration...

where we suck out all the goo,

and we replace it with more magic elixir.

That way our young friend

won't bloat up like a pig.

- Wait!

- What?

- Doesn't it...

- No, he's dead.

You get used to the smell.

All done.

That's it?

All you do is hose him down, dress him up,

and apply a little makeup.

Jan is gone for the day. Would you mind

giving the floor a quick mop?

And the front door locks behind you.

You didn't faint. That's always a good sign.

It's okay.

Don't worry.

- Jan?

- I'm polishing.

- She's beautiful.

- A real Madonna.

Not like today, all skin and bone.

In the '40s they were all Madonnas.

So womanly, so feminine.

Mr. Wallis calls them "patients."

Don't let him fool you.

He's weak, like everyone else.

All I hear is his dirty jokes.

He has no respect.

Mr. Wallis is a troubled man.

What do you mean?

He likes the boys.

I caught him once.

I asked him why.

He said, "What does it matter?

"It's all dead flesh.

They can't feel anything."

What do you think?

I think they can.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes