For Tomorrow We Die
Flash Fiction — Dark Tales Series
Caleb the Coffin Maker worked furiously through the night, every night for months. He assembled, carved, sanded and varnished coffin after coffin. His workshop was overcrowded with them. He barely had room to construct new ones, but this did not stop his fury.
Three times a day, Caleb’s wife Mary came to the workshop to check on him. She hadn’t seen him for weeks and since he kept his door locked, she would just sit his food outside the door, knock and leave. Sometimes he retrieved the food, but most of the time it would still be there when she arrived with the next meal. She didn’t understand why he suddenly felt the need to make so many coffins. There hadn’t been a death in Lone Springs for decades. The life span was at least ninety-five since the Government eradicated diseases a century ago and well, folks just weren’t that old in their small town.
Occasionally when Mary arrived at the workshop, she could hear Caleb talking to someone. Most of the time it was just whispering, but every once in a while she would hear him shouting. Today was one of those days.
“I’ve made you a thousand coffins! How many more do I need to make?”
Mary leaned against the door with her ear pressed against the wood. She hoped to hear a response. Just who was her husband…
