Decomposing Room

When I was a forensic medicine postgraduate, we had a really right schedule. One exam in the morning, an autopsy to conduct in the afternoon, a court attendance maybe, and another autopsy in the evening some days. We were really packed with cases. Suicides, homicide, road traffic accidents, any mysterious deaths from miles around wound up inside our mortuary at any odd time. And I enjoyed my job, I loved the mortuary. Its silence and the sombre feel made it seem like a mysterious temple to me. Now, in those days we had an attender in the mortuary, Mr. Parshu Ram. He was an old man who worked in the department since forever. He was in charge of the mortuary and he was very close as with the Head of the Department. He was a pleasant fellow, always helpful who was very religious and always discussed Hindu mythology with me in the middle of an autopsy. He was the one who gave me a tour of the mortuary when I first joined. He took me into the antechamber, where his small room was, and there was a small table, chair and a few registers opened and a picture on the wall depicting a Hindu goddess and an incense stick burning. He then showed me the antechamber where two doors opened. A twin door which opened to the autopsy room, and another room which contained coolers which held the bodies. Inside the large autopsy room, there was a dissection table, a large bright source and a few racks containing a few specimen. But in the far corner, there lay a small door which has the plaque above it ' DECOMPOSITION ROOM', which was padlocked from the outside. When I enquired about it, he just shrugged and told me that it was used in the past as a room where they did exhumations on severely decomposed bodies, but now, they did it elsewhere. He was very evasive about it and I could tell he was uncomfortable about it. I then thanked him and he just smiled and said that it was his pleasure, because he felt that this was like his second home after working here for many years. We soon became fast friends.

So one night, I got a call to perform an autopsy. It's isn't exactly unusual, but it isn't very common either. This would be my first time. My senior told me that it would be fine, because Parshu Ram would be there to help. So I informed him who told me he would be running a little late. But unknown to Parshu Ram, I had a spare key to the mortuary which my senior had given me, and so I decided I would go on without him. As I walked on to the mortuary, I felt the drab building, bathed in sad silence beckon me, I felt a little uneasy, because I never entered this building after dark and It just seemed like a different place altogether. The lights were on, thank God. I passed by Parshu Ram's office, which was dark and empty. I then entered the autopsy chamber where my 'patient' lay. A small boy who had died of a scorpion sting. He lay on his back on the stretcher, his eyes closed and mouth covered in froth. I winced slightly, and I decided to get to work. I would have to do this without Parshu Ram's help. As I stripped the boy and lay him on the table, I heard that noise. It was a small scratching noise, like a dog does on your door, begging to be let in. I followed the noise and it led to the decomposition room. I frowned slightly. Maybe rats? . I ignored it but it kept getting louder. The door began to rattle, like as if someone was on the other side. I stepped back from the body. Then, the lights died. The banging still continued, and I grabbed my phone to activate the flash. The light glittered on two eyes as they stared at me from the dissection table. My breath caught. His eyes were closed. Without a single though, I dashed for the exit, and then I froze, as from the light of my phone, I saw a reflection on the mirrored glass in front of me. It showed me what was behind me. I saw the reflection of the teenage girl who hung herself, the same girl I worked on last month. I saw her eyes flash as she saw me, as she raced towards me in unimaginable speed. I screamed as I just blindly pushed through the doors, my heart pumping fire trying to get me out of this room. I dropped my phone, but I somehow managed to guide myself into the entrance, where I collapsed on the steps, the sound of the rattling still present. I felt like I was going to die when I felt something touch my shoulder. It was Parshu Ram. He looked at me with a concerned expression. He then asked me. "You went in alone, didn't you? " I just nodded, too scared to speak. He sighed and shook his head. Madarchod. He then boldly walked into the building, like as if it was his grandmother's kitchen. I wanted to warn him, but he went so fast, I ended up following him. We stopped by his room, where I saw him light the incense stick on the picture of the Goddess and bow his head  with folded hands. He then strode into the autopsy chamber, and at the door, he beckoned me, saying it was alright. I slowly followed him into the chamber, where the body lay as I last saw it, eyes closed. The silence returned, and I got to work. Once in a while, I heard a scratching noise, and I quickly turned to Parshu Ram, who had a slight worried expression, but told me it was nothing and asked me to finish as fast as I could. After I finished, and we left the building, I asked him what was behind the decomposition room. He ignored me, humming a quiet religious song.

Parshu Ram passed away a few years later. Coincidentally, it was after that time a rule came into order, forbidding any autopsy being conducted after 7:00 pm.