Julian: Get her out of here! She's an escaped convict!
Clara: Marcus! Look at his face! Look how fast he wants her buried!
Marcus stepped down from the family pew, his eyes shifting from Clara's desperate face to his younger brother's clenched fists.
Marcus: Julian, why is her maid here in prison clothes? What is she talking about?
Julian: She's insane, Marcus! She stole Evelyn's jewelry last week, and now she's trying to ruin her funeral to get revenge!
Clara: I didn't steal any jewelry! Check Julian's coat pocket! He has the key to the estate safe right now!
Julian: Shut your mouth!
Julian kicked Clara's leg, pinning her down with his knee while looking around at the horrified crowd.
Julian: Don't just stand there! Someone help me hold her until the police arrive!
Marcus: Wait...
Julian: What are you waiting for, Marcus? Our brother-in-law is dead, your wife is gone, and this criminal is disrespecting her memory!
Marcus: Everyone stop talking right now. Quiet!
The sanctuary fell into absolute silence. The murmurs of the mourners faded. The air in the cathedral felt heavy and freezing cold.
Thump... thump... thump...
A soft sound vibrated through the church floorboards. It was faint, but unmistakable. Something was hit against the interior wall of the polished casket.
Marcus: My God...
Clara: Do you hear it now?! She's waking up! The paralyzing drug is wearing off!
Julian: It's just the cooling unit underneath! It's thermal expansion of the wood!
Marcus: Listen to the casket! She told the truth!
Marcus took a step closer to the altar. The thumping grew faster and more urgent, followed by the faint sound of fingernails dragging across satin fabric inside the sealed box.
Julian: Marcus, don't move! You can't open a sealed casket without legal permission from the coroner!
Marcus: You want me to wait for permission while my sister suffocates in a box?!
Julian: I am her lawful husband! I have the sole authority over her remains!
Marcus: You're a monster!
Marcus charged forward, swinging his right fist directly into Julian's jaw. Julian stumbled back into the floral arrangements, knocking over heavy brass vases filled with white lilies.
Marcus: You buried my wife alive for her fortune! Rot in federal prison!
Marcus grabbed Julian by his collar and threw him down the center aisle, where two police officers who had just entered the building tackled him to the floor.





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