Fatal Harbor

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In my home state of New Hampshire, death certificates are a formal-looking document, with a light watermark in the center outlining the shape of our fair state. There are seals in each corner, an elaborate light-blue border with lots of swirls and curls, and the official state seal in the center. The paper is thick and has a light pink background, to prevent counterfeiting, I’m sure.

Just below the words CERTIFICATE OF DEATH, in all capital letters, there are sections to be filled out.

Next to those four official words, a three-word name had been typed in:

Below the name, there are other sections of the death certificate to be filled out.

And the usual and customary information of one’s life, all filled out in clean, bureaucratic prose, from PLACE OF DEATH to RESIDENCE to PLACE OF DISPOSITION.

About halfway down the list is the phrase that sticks out: MANNER OF DEATH.

I looked at it again.

And typewritten simply is one word:

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