116

Nerthus

The flickering lights of the cold room give me harder goosebumps than the idea of being surrounded by corpses.

“Whenever you are ready, ma’am,” the coroner looks at me over his small glasses, and I nod, trying to keep the bile rising in my throat down.

With a swift movement, he lifts the cloth, revealing the pale face of a woman.

It might seem like a mundane action on his part, but I certainly wasn’t ready for it.

Even if they gave me all the time I needed to adjust and prepare myself for this sight, I must admit that I wasn’t ready for it.

And how could someone ever be?

Holding a hand in front of my mouth, I swallow hard.

“Take your time. If you need a break, let me know.” The detective, standing at the feet of the woman, talks in a calm voice, tearing me out of my abyss.

I blink my tears away as I take a deep breath and tear my eyes away from her. “No, no. It’s alright. Erm… I worked with her a few years ago.”

Making a little break, I appreciate the fact that the detective