Owen Louise Burke: Carrying the Baby of a Stranger

Somebody promise to themselves to be the most perfect wife and husband ever. But this term is literally impossible for Marriel Barrientos, who grew up as an orphan but full of self love. Giving a perfect life to yourself is not always becoming rich or whatever.

For Marriel- being comfortable at home, eating three times a day, buying some wine, buying make-up, having a great adventure on Sunday are the best things happening in her life.

She's working in Funeral Home in Santa Cristina as a make-up artist. She's twenty years old at the age and no boyfriend since breaking up with Rankin Basil. The famous car racer, full of himself- narcissist, bad boy, playboy, and rich.

"Idiot," she exclaimed while putting some make up on her face.

"Hey, who's that idiot you're fooling around with! I kept quiet here, you're still being an idiot!" Her boss said.

"I'm talking about my ex-lover." Marriel's reasoning with her boss, Mang Tomas. It was once again fought with anger, because every time Marriel mentions about her ex, Rankin, Mang Tomas's heart is really on fire.

This is the only relative that Marriel can consider. Two decades since he took her in, Marriel's mother and father are no longer there so only Mang Tomas who is her uncle, her father's brother took care of her.

He also has a son, Tenner who is also twenty years old like him. But this is an architect so it is unlikely that he will take care of his uncle's business. While his daughter Joysie inherited the courage of her uncle Tomas. He took a special course on becoming an embalmer.

"Dad, where is brother?" Joysie asked and looked around, it was Monday and everyone seems busy. Marriel is the same. And today is going to be exciting because he's settled.

His uncle has bathed some people and all he has to do is put make-up on them. The routine of Marriel's life is just that, but she never gets bored, because she loves her job, and she is very happy every time someone dies. Not in the creepy way, but this is their business so he is only happy when their funeral home generates a lot of income.

His uncle's big building added creepy feelings, Santa Cristina has an old story that has been translated. Anyone who passes through their place in his car and the core of wealth will die, this will happen every day on Friday the 13th.

"Hmmm! That's not true!" Marriel said while walking to the make-up room of the deceased.

"Hello everyone, Marriel is here at your service." Marriel said even though no one could really hear her. Besides, there's no one alive in that room. But Marriel still dedicated to her work and treated all her clients as alive.

"This must be fun if you guys are alive, you're so beautiful! I really like your eyelashes!" Marriel praised her client who is in her mid thirties. Every day Marriel was training herself to be alone, there were dead clients, then there were those who didn't answer whenever she had questions.

"Hey, who are you talking to again? You look crazy, don't always be like that. People might think I don't feed you on time!" Sermon by his uncle Mang Tomas.

"I don't care uncle! Then what do they care if I talk to these dead people, even though they are dead once they became human too. What do I know if this person has never had anyone to talk to before, mind? Let's see if he doesn't want anyone to talk to him. At least once someone talks to him, that's all he won't respond to." Marriel said to her uncle who just scratched because of his very creepy attitude.

He tried to be happy in front of his uncle, but the truth also came out.

"Uncle! I'm not a virgin anymore! This is just like Rankin, he said that he loves me! I believe because I'm a woman and I loved Rankin too much. He seduced me all the time, I never thought it would happen again and again he will do that thing to me," Marriel was stunned when her uncle raised his hand and hugged her.

"He doesn't deserve you, and you don't deserve a man like Rankin even more. He's rich, has a well-known family, and most of all is a playboy. It will only hurt you every day if you see that he's with different women, then you're here at work busy fixing the dead." Mang Tomas said to Marriel.

"Sorry uncle!" He cried apologizing.

"Don't apologize to me! To yourself!" He said and left her in his arms. He was in the middle of emoting when suddenly someone spoke.

"Stop," his heart pounded even more because of the woman's voice he heard.

He slowly turned his back to see who spoke, his client's hand was exposed to him, cut off and pointing in the direction where the clock was. In addition to that, the eyes were looking at him, even his mouth was gaping as if there was air or his soul coming out of it.

He screamed because of what happened and his uncle panicked and immediately went to him.

"Marriel Barrientos! What's wrong with you, you're a child, maybe even the dead will wake up later because of the power of your mouth!" Mang Tomas said to Marriel.

"Look, uncle, it's scary! Then his hand was removed." Marriel said to her uncle.

"His hand is really amputated, because it was cut by the company where he works." Mang Tomas explained to Marriel.

"Ah, I was wondering what." Marriel said.

"I trained you and Joysie here when you were young, don't tell me you're still scared?" Mang Tomas said to Marriel.

Laughing, Marriel returned to fixing her client's appearance, and fixed his hand that had fallen to the floor.

**