Father James woke up suddenly by thundering. It was so loud that lightning seemed to have striked nearby. He glanced at the alarm clock placed on bedside table showing time 2:30 in the midnight. He sat up flinging blanket aside and went to kitchen to drink water.
While drinking water, his gaze fell upon cemetary on the hill visible Through the window. The largest tree on top of the hill was crooked and on fire.
Suddenly rain started. One more chore in the morning, thought Father James, to clean up the mess of fallen tree, atleast no need to call fire extinguisher van .(he was the incharge of both the church and cemetery).So he set up an alarm for early in morning and went to catch remaing sleep.
In the morning, after he phoned for some help to move the debris (aftermath of previous night) he went for detail inspection on the hill.
The tree wasn't crooked but entirely uprooted and beneath it lay a coffin.
Father james was no expert in coffins, being a part timer for both the church and the local health institution. But even he could tell the coffin was older than enormous tree sitting atop the hill (now past tense) since establishment of their tiny town in 1903.(just like how you can tell whether the tree slid onto adjecent rock or it grew atop that rock or if someone dug under and placed that rock there)
Being incharge of cemetery, father james was naturally curious about the coffin. also, he had to bury it again after cleanup.
Its lid was barely hanging by rusty hinges , its expensive ebony wood was rotting.
Father james gentally touched the casket, but it directly splintered apart into rubble by his feet.
He began sorting planks and remains one by one aside. Under a particular large plank, there was a wee baby, cradled in the hip bones. Curiously looking at father james, it raised its bluish tiny hands, as if saying "take me with you".