Shanna Riley March 26th, 2007
Recently, I went on a quick graving trip to an indoor mausoleum at Greenoaks Memorial Park in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. There is, what I find to be, a fairly distasteful section inside of the Lakeside Chapel mausoleum that I wanted to snap a few photos in.
This part of the mausoleum has musty, faded red carpet throughout, and is lit by dim fluorescent lights high above; though most of the light comes filtered in through the oddly pink and yellow painted window panes at one end of the room. The entire room has a reddish and pink-toned hue which adds to it's overall unpleasantness. I've always found Lakeside Chapel unsettling, but this part - in particular - is decidedly eerie.
It never smells pleasant in the indoor mausoleums, I've found. There is always an odious, mildewed stench that permeates the air in all of them. It's always there; bothersome but tolerable.
It smelled foul when I walked in that day, but I attributed this to the normal moldy stink just explained. I ignored it; assuming, as always, that I'd eventually get used to it.
After snapping about ten photos, I knew something was not right. The smell began to effect me.
Such a thing had never happened with any smell before...not like this. I started to feel sick to my stomach, I broke out in a sweat, my head ached, and I felt as thought I would either faint or vomit at any moment.
The only way I can describe it is that it was a nauseatingly putrid smell with a sick sweetness to it.
I rushed outside and into the fresh air, yet I still felt queasy. Feeling sick to my stomach, I hurried home; no longer even interested in graving. As soon as I arrived, I dumped all of my clothes into the washing machine and took a scalding hot shower. Yet I could not rid myself of the smell - it remained in the back of my nose and my stomach was still very uneasy.
At this point, I think it prudent to mention that I rarely vomit and do not get queasy easily...if ever at all. I'm the kind of person that can discuss bodily fluids, insects, ghastly wounds, and surgical procedures at the dinner table and not lose my appetite.
It was different with this smell; I had no control over my body's reaction to it. It certainly wasn't the idea of what it could be that bothered me; I'm well aware of the stages of decay and purification a body goes through after death. The smell itself affected my body in such an intense way. I was quite taken aback, to be honest; one minute I'm snapping photos in a smelly room - the next I'm faint and running for fresh air. The effect was sudden and shocking.
I have no doubts that I what I smelled that day was a decaying body. I went back - about a week after the incident - and the smell was not as strong. Indeed, it had gone back to it's former stale and unpleasant fragrance, but it wasn't an overpowering, sickening scent any longer.
Perhaps the ventilation system for the mausoleums in Lakeside Chapel weren't working that day; it's more than possible. Though Greenoaks keeps its grounds beautiful and well-kept, I cannot say the same for their many mausoleums - some of which are downright dilapidated and filthy.
I did quite a lot of research on mausoleums after this incident, and have come to the firm conclusion that I do not want to be buried in a mausoleum; nor will any of my loved ones - if I have any say so in their final resting place. The reasons for that, however, are another post...
