Holder of the Remains

In any city, in any country, go to any graveyard or cemetery you can get yourself to. When you reach the site, find the gravedigger and ask to visit someone who calls himself "The Holder of the Remains". At first, the digger will ignore you. Do not say a word. Just stand there and watch him. Soon, the digger will grab a nearby shovel and lantern, and walk out onto the graveyard. Follow him, and be respectful to the graves as you walk; disturbing one will enrage the souls buried here. After a long walk, the digger will stop at an isolated, unmarked grave, and start digging. As he does, night will fall quickly, lights will douse themselves, and soon, it will be pitch black, with the only light coming from the lantern the digger brought.

If, for any reason, the digger stops digging, say, “It must be done! I just want to talk.” If the digging continues, you are in the clear. If the digger does not resume, run, and stop for no reason. Get as far away from the graveyard as you can. If morning comes, you managed to escape. If your world is forever dark, then they will not stop until they find you.

Several hours will pass as the digger finishes. He’ll crawl out of the now deep, unmarked grave. Inside, there will be a simple wooden coffin. Jump down and open it; within will be a beautiful woman. Her skin is cold as death and white as the palest moon. There is only one thing to ask: “What awaits them?” If you say or do anything else, the digger will knock you out with his shovel and bury you alive.

The moment you finish the question, her body will decay rapidly before your eyes. Do not turn your eyes in disgust; you must honor her and watch her return to the earth, even the coffin rots away into the ground and her bones disintegrate. Although it is dark, the light from the lantern is enough to see. When the process is complete, a white rose will grow from the ground. It is beautiful, with a pristine bleached bud and a long green stalk. The petals are cold to the touch. Be careful of its thorns. Pluck it and exit the grave. The digger will be nowhere to be found; his shovel and lantern have likewise disappeared. Smelling the flower yields a heavenly scent, warming your soul from within. If you examine the grave that you just exited from, you will find that it has been reburied, and looks as though it were completely undisturbed. Upon the once-blank tombstone, however, are the words, “They must never come together. Never.”

The white rose is Object 99 of 538. It was grown solely from the remains in the grave. Even after death, life persists.