"Well, here's my home. Make yourself comfortable. Or don't, I'm not your dad."

"Uh... thanks." The inside of the hut was comfier that you'd expect from a graveyard keeper's hut. I'd made sure it had plenty of comfortable things long before I got this old, and... I'd had a long time to gather stuff. "Nice place you got here."

"And I intend to keep it that way." I filled up and turned on the kettle, then sat down in one of my most comfortable chairs after moving it near Amanda. "That'll be a bit, unfortunately. But, we're up, so we might as well keep ourselves occupied until then."

"I'm not intruding on anything, right?"

"Course not. I invited you anyway." I put up my feet. "Now, if I may ask... who were your family? I don't remember seeing you before, so I don't imagine they were buried here."

"Uh, no. They're buried in... over by Westdam." I nodded, knowing full well that most of Westdam's corpses got redirected here.

"So... grandparents. Mom and dad. And then... did you have any siblings?" Amanda frowned.

"Do we have to talk about this? It's kind of not your business."

"I'm a mortician, it's my business to know about dead people. Don't wanna say, don't gotta." Amanda seemed to consider. If she didn't, it would be a little suspicious...

"I guess I can. It was... a really bad car crash a few months ago. They said it was a miracle I survived." She quickly changed the subject. "What about you?" I hadn't heard of any big car crashes recently, let alone ones that involved an entire family. Strike two. I shrugged.

"Don't got no family. Never had kids or a wife or whatever. Parents... well, I think my age says enough about them."

"Ah. Makes sense."

"Okay, one more question to satisfy an old man's curiosity."

"I really think that-"

"The water will be ready in two minutes. I'm just curious why you went to her grave."

"Huh?" I stood up, stretching before bending back over with a small grunt. Gosh that hurt.

"It's just a little strange, is all. Kid was... couldn't have been in fifth grade yet. You seem a little older than that, and it doesn't sound like you're related. But... then, if you were her teacher, I feel like you would have visited way earlier."

"Uh, no. I'm definitely not a teacher." I looked at her inquisitively.

"So... why did you head to her grave?" Amanda shifted uncomfortably, shrugging a bit.

"I mean... I just kinda did, I guess? Wasn't able to make the funeral, and I only now just got time."

"Huh. Ah... hmm. What was her name?"

"Umm... Ann... Annie?" Annabel. That was strike three for her. I couldn't deny that I was excited to be out of here after so long.

"Wasn't the funeral months ago...?" Amanda abruptly stood up.

"Look, I'm really sorry. I appreciate your generosity, but I really have to go." I grabbed her arm.

"Well, I'm sorry too." She tried to pull away, but my grip was deceptively strong.

"What?"

"Annabel told me you killed her. Rather nasty way too. Why would you strangle a kid?"

"I would never!"

"I saw the body, Amanda. I read the autopsy. No chemicals, but plenty of bruises on the neck."

"I'm... I'm pretty sure you need more sleep."

"I think you need to sleep. For much, much longer." I tapped her head, and Amanda slumped over. I grinned, my body dissolving as Amanda fell to the floor. For a few moments, there was just Amanda there.

After a bit, she got up, shaking her head a bit and grinning.

"This is much better," I said. "It's been forever since I got a new body. And such a young one too! I forgot how nice it is to be able to stretch properly!" I stood up, testing out my new body. She wasn't the first female I'd been in my line of work, but the first in a while. "Well... time to let Annabel know that she has been avenged. Maybe she'll stick around for a bit afterwards. I know I plan to."