Crisis

Rogan remains immobilized by fear and grief.

• The very thought of handling gory matter nauseates him.

• He doesn’t know how he will escape captivity and leave his hometown.

• Rogan veers on the brink of madness.

• Paulette’s voice from her corpse first shocks then calms him.

Struggle

Oppressive acts against Rogan compound as the body count piles up.

• The sheriff and his henchmen force Rogan into hard labor to pay for Paulette’s thievery.

• Sheriff upgrades Rogan’s status to indentured servant.

• Sheriff declares Rogan’s release once he prepares the last body from the pit

• Rogan solicits help from Otis, a fellow mortuary student.

• Rogan improves in the proper procedures under Otis’ supervision.

• Otis openly opposes the town’s mistreatment of its “colored” citizens.

• Rogan fails to save Otis from the town’s sadistic reign of terror

• Ghosts of lynched corpses badger Rogan in their pitch for revenge.

• Rogan meets Emma who claims Paulette summoned her to help him.

• Emma appoints him to conduct the burial of an in-law.

• Ghosts' appearance at a burial foils Rogan’s presentation

• Emma volunteers to assist in Rogan’s quest

• Rogan reluctantly accepts Emma’s offer after considering himself bait for future lynchings.

• A tough-love intervention with the ghosts of Paulette and Otis urges Rogan to rebel against the town.

• Rogan refuses to acquiesce, relying on Sheriff’s promise.

Epiphany

Rogan and Emma work non-stop in transferring the lynched corpses from the pit to the slab and to the final resting place.

• Rogan ignores the taunts of these corpses' ghosts.

• Rogan confronts the Sheriff with a completion report.

• The sheriff doesn’t keep his promise.

• Rogan vows the Sheriff will regret his refusal.

Robert Lee

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