Chapter 1 – The Sledgehammer at the Funeral Home
Chapter 1 – The Sledgehammer at the Funeral Home
The first strike didn’t break the coffin.
It broke the silence.
The sledgehammer hit the polished oak lid with a thunderous crack, echoing through the funeral home like a gunshot.
People screamed.
Flowers fell.
A woman dropped to her knees near the front row.
“Stop him!” someone shouted.
But the man holding the sledgehammer didn’t stop.
His name was Daniel Mercer.
And the coffin he was destroying belonged to his brother.
The funeral director lunged forward.
“Sir, you can’t—!”
Another strike.
Wood splintered.
A thin fracture split across the coffin lid.
Daniel breathed heavily, eyes wild.
“Open it,” he said.
“He’s not inside.”
Gasps spread through the room.
The widow of the deceased stepped forward, shaking.
“What are you saying?”
Daniel turned toward her.
“I saw him yesterday.”
“He confessed.”
The room froze.
The funeral director stepped back slowly.
“Sir… the death certificate—”
“Was wrong,” Daniel interrupted.
May you like
Then he lifted the sledgehammer again.
And brought it down with everything he had.
