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The One Question He Shouldn’t Have Answered

A simple act of kindness turned into a living nightmare.

Not everyone has the courage to work in a morgue. Behind its cold steel doors lie the silent remains of those whose stories have already ended. The air is heavy with the scent of chemicals, the lights never seem bright enough, and every corner feels unnaturally still. They say the dead can’t hurt you… but those who work the night shift know that sometimes, the silence isn’t as empty as it seems.

For two months, Fairus had worked the night shift at the morgue.

By now, he was used to the strange noises — the unexplained footsteps, distant knocks, and whispers that echoed through the cold hallways after midnight. Everyone told him to ignore them.

So he did.

Until one night.

At exactly 11:00 PM, the morgue was unusually quiet. Most of the bodies arrived during the day, leaving the night shift with almost nothing to do. Fairus leaned back in his chair, letting his eyes close for just a moment.

Tap… tap… tap…

Footsteps.

His eyes snapped open. He thought it was his supervisor making rounds. If he got caught sleeping, he’d never hear the end of it.

But the corridor was empty.

Fairus frowned.

“Where’s that sound coming from?” he whispered.

He brushed it off and closed his eyes again.

Less than ten minutes later…

Tap… tap… tap…

This time, someone was actually there.

An elderly man stood at the entrance, gently holding the hand of a little girl who looked no older than ten.

The old man smiled politely.

“Excuse me… could you tell me where the Emergency Department is?”

Fairus pointed down the hallway.

“Go straight, then turn right. You’ll see it.”

The old man thanked him before walking away with the little girl. Afraid they might get lost, Fairus quietly followed them from a distance. He watched the pair walk into the Emergency Department.

A few moments later, he stepped inside. Only a young nurse sat behind the reception desk.

No old man.

No little girl.

Confused, Fairus asked, “The grandfather and his granddaughter… where did they go?”

The nurse stared at him.

“…No one came in.”

“You’ve been the only person to walk through that door.”

Before Fairus could process what she’d said, his walkie-talkie crackled.

“Fairus, where are you? A new case just arrived. There’s nobody in the morgue.”

He rushed back.

Two body bags rested silently on steel trolleys.

Without saying a word, he helped his coworker push them toward the cold storage.

Halfway there…

One of the body bags slipped open.

Fairus froze.

His blood turned to ice.

It was the old man.

The same man who had smiled at him only minutes earlier.

His hands trembled.

“Wait…”

He pulled back the zipper on the second body bag.

The little girl.

His legs nearly gave out.

His coworker frowned.

“You okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Forcing a weak smile, Fairus quietly replied, “It’s nothing,” before continuing to wheel the bodies toward the cold storage.

While his coworker prepared an empty compartment, Fairus couldn’t stop staring at the old man and the little girl.

Their faces were completely still.

Until…

The old man’s eyes slowly opened.

He looked directly at Fairus.

Then…

Both of their heads slowly turned…

At the exact same time.

They were looking straight at him.

Fairus couldn’t breathe.

His heart pounded so violently he thought it would burst through his chest.

Then…

Both of them blinked.

Fairus screamed —

And everything went black.