A Chilling Tale for Halloween
Created | Updated Oct 20, 2010
There are many stories which surface as Halloween approaches, but not all of them are true...<BR/><BR/>
A young police trainee was being shown his new beat by an experienced officer.
As they walked past a windowless Victorian building one dark, damp October evening the older bobby saw that a light was showing through a crack in the solid wooden doors. "The kettle will be on if old Alf's still working" said the officer as he pushed open the creaky door.<BR/><BR/>
The young officer could not identify the strange smell in the chilly air as he was led through the silent tiled corridor. As he nervously glanced through an open door he saw a row of beds - no not beds - they were too high for beds. His eyes adjusted as he hesitated by the door; only one was occupied - a white sheet completely covered the figure lying there. Suddenly the truth struck him - he was in the public mortuary. He turned back to the corridor, hurrying his step to catch up with his mentor.<BR/><BR/>
The next turn took them into a small office. A white-coated man greeted the pair. As expected, the kettle was placed on the small hob in the corner as the teapot was emptied of its cold contents. The room was warm and cosy, the bars of an electric fire glowing from the wall. The young officer began to relax, looking for a chair to rest his weary feet.<BR/><BR/>
"Don't sit down just yet" said the older constable, "the sergeant says he wants you to see a dead-un. He reckons its better in here than when all the family's about." <BR/><BR/>
The office suddenly became cold as a chill went down the young lad's back. He'd joined straight from college, barely nineteen years old. He had never seen a human corpse.<BR/><BR/>
Reluctantly, though not wanting to appear afraid, he walked back along the corridor, following his colleague through the mortuary door. He stopped as the fluorescent lights flickered on. The older officer strode across the room to where the white sheet shrouded the body. He turned and beckoned the lad over "come on son, he won't bite - he's been dead two days."<BR/><BR/>
Slowly he walked the few yards to the shroud. Smiling nervously, he stood by the swathed head. His tutor grasped the sheets edge and drew it back to reveal the ashen face below.<BR/><BR/>
The youngster's fear was overtaken by curiosity as he leaned closer to the body. Curiosity was overtaken by shear terror as the corpse sat up. He turned and fled, running through the mortuary door, down the corridor and into the street.<BR/><BR/>
Back at the station the sergeant put a drop of scotch in the lad's tea. The shift all sat laughing - the probationer joined in, relieved that the corpse was an officer from a neighbouring station.<BR/><BR/>
Time passed, the young officer was now walking the beat alone. He had dealt with numerous incidents - including a sudden death. He had taken them all in his stride and was progressing well with his training.<BR/><BR/>
A few months later the sergeant called the constable into his office. He reminded him of the trick they had played on him that night in the mortuary. It appeared that another young officer, from a neighbouring station, was to receive the same induction. "We thought you would like to play dead this time" said the sergeant. Not wanting to blot his copybook with his supervisor, the youngster agreed. Pale make-up and a white sheet were found and the policeman driven to the mortuary by the sergeant.<BR/><BR/>
When he had stripped off to his underpants and put the make-up on his face in the cracked mirror on the back of the mortician's door, the sergeant walked with him to the mortuary. "We thought it would be better if you went in one of these" said the sergeant as he slid the drawer out. It was one of several large drawers lining one wall of the mortuary. They were obviously designed for the human form, so the young lad easily fitted as he lay in the drawer. The sergeant carefully arranged the sheet over his body, pulling it up over his face just before he slid the drawer back in place.<BR/><BR/>
He heard the footsteps of the sergeant receding and suddenly realised how dark it was. "still" he thought "they'll be here soon."<BR/><BR/>
Despite his encounters with a real corpse, he was still unsure. The waiting time in that dark drawer gave him too much time to think of the corpses that occupied the mortuary. <BR/><BR/>
As he lay, he began to lose track of time - how long had he been waiting? Two minutes; five minutes - longer? The darkness was impenetrable - even if there had been a crack of light, he couldn't have seen anything with the sheet across his face. <BR/><BR/>
The silence was oppressive. There was a sudden chill as a shiver went down his spine.<I><b>"Its bloody cold in here isn't it"</B></I> said a voice in his ear.<BR/><BR/>
There aren't any handles on the inside of mortuary drawers - but the banging soon brought his sergeant racing down the corridor. "What's up son" said the sergeant as he opened the drawer "you look as if you've seen a ghost."<BR/><BR/>
<BR/><BR/>
A young police trainee was being shown his new beat by an experienced officer.
As they walked past a windowless Victorian building one dark, damp October evening the older bobby saw that a light was showing through a crack in the solid wooden doors. "The kettle will be on if old Alf's still working" said the officer as he pushed open the creaky door.<BR/><BR/>
The young officer could not identify the strange smell in the chilly air as he was led through the silent tiled corridor. As he nervously glanced through an open door he saw a row of beds - no not beds - they were too high for beds. His eyes adjusted as he hesitated by the door; only one was occupied - a white sheet completely covered the figure lying there. Suddenly the truth struck him - he was in the public mortuary. He turned back to the corridor, hurrying his step to catch up with his mentor.<BR/><BR/>
The next turn took them into a small office. A white-coated man greeted the pair. As expected, the kettle was placed on the small hob in the corner as the teapot was emptied of its cold contents. The room was warm and cosy, the bars of an electric fire glowing from the wall. The young officer began to relax, looking for a chair to rest his weary feet.<BR/><BR/>
"Don't sit down just yet" said the older constable, "the sergeant says he wants you to see a dead-un. He reckons its better in here than when all the family's about." <BR/><BR/>
The office suddenly became cold as a chill went down the young lad's back. He'd joined straight from college, barely nineteen years old. He had never seen a human corpse.<BR/><BR/>
Reluctantly, though not wanting to appear afraid, he walked back along the corridor, following his colleague through the mortuary door. He stopped as the fluorescent lights flickered on. The older officer strode across the room to where the white sheet shrouded the body. He turned and beckoned the lad over "come on son, he won't bite - he's been dead two days."<BR/><BR/>
Slowly he walked the few yards to the shroud. Smiling nervously, he stood by the swathed head. His tutor grasped the sheets edge and drew it back to reveal the ashen face below.<BR/><BR/>
The youngster's fear was overtaken by curiosity as he leaned closer to the body. Curiosity was overtaken by shear terror as the corpse sat up. He turned and fled, running through the mortuary door, down the corridor and into the street.<BR/><BR/>
Back at the station the sergeant put a drop of scotch in the lad's tea. The shift all sat laughing - the probationer joined in, relieved that the corpse was an officer from a neighbouring station.<BR/><BR/>
Time passed, the young officer was now walking the beat alone. He had dealt with numerous incidents - including a sudden death. He had taken them all in his stride and was progressing well with his training.<BR/><BR/>
A few months later the sergeant called the constable into his office. He reminded him of the trick they had played on him that night in the mortuary. It appeared that another young officer, from a neighbouring station, was to receive the same induction. "We thought you would like to play dead this time" said the sergeant. Not wanting to blot his copybook with his supervisor, the youngster agreed. Pale make-up and a white sheet were found and the policeman driven to the mortuary by the sergeant.<BR/><BR/>
When he had stripped off to his underpants and put the make-up on his face in the cracked mirror on the back of the mortician's door, the sergeant walked with him to the mortuary. "We thought it would be better if you went in one of these" said the sergeant as he slid the drawer out. It was one of several large drawers lining one wall of the mortuary. They were obviously designed for the human form, so the young lad easily fitted as he lay in the drawer. The sergeant carefully arranged the sheet over his body, pulling it up over his face just before he slid the drawer back in place.<BR/><BR/>
He heard the footsteps of the sergeant receding and suddenly realised how dark it was. "still" he thought "they'll be here soon."<BR/><BR/>
Despite his encounters with a real corpse, he was still unsure. The waiting time in that dark drawer gave him too much time to think of the corpses that occupied the mortuary. <BR/><BR/>
As he lay, he began to lose track of time - how long had he been waiting? Two minutes; five minutes - longer? The darkness was impenetrable - even if there had been a crack of light, he couldn't have seen anything with the sheet across his face. <BR/><BR/>
The silence was oppressive. There was a sudden chill as a shiver went down his spine.<I><b>"Its bloody cold in here isn't it"</B></I> said a voice in his ear.<BR/><BR/>
There aren't any handles on the inside of mortuary drawers - but the banging soon brought his sergeant racing down the corridor. "What's up son" said the sergeant as he opened the drawer "you look as if you've seen a ghost."<BR/><BR/>
<BR/><BR/>
