The Stench of Death

Walking into the house, we can sense the stench of death hanging over it. Someone died here. It may not necessarily have happened right in this house but the person had clearly been dying here for years. The listing confirms it: Estate of so-and-so, recently removed chair lift, etc.

The arch in the living room and peaked parabola cutouts in the wall make it look a little like an abandoned church. The linoleum in the dining room is torn up. There are unwashed dishes in the sink. Someone still lives here; probably a grieving child trying to get the house in order.

In the paneled basement is the smell of smoke and mildew. No wonder: There are ashtrays full of crushed cigarettes, just sitting on top of the piles of junk. Numerous lamps are scattered around the room on the floor. On the wall is a creepy old painting of kids or horses or something. I note that since this is an older house, it was built before separate basement entrances became required so there is no way to get out in case of a fire. I really feel like leaving this place right now, fire or not.

It’s the same story in the bedrooms: Piles of debris from decades of living. One bedroom has a pile of vinyl records. More old paintings. At the bottom of the entertainment center, there are blades that go to circular saws.

There are closed doors and I am afraid to open them.

The house is a maze. We walk into one bedroom that must have belonged to the deceased. It is huge and contains its own bathroom designed for a person who didn’t get around too well. There are clothes hanging on hangers from the ceiling that remind me of a horror movie. This is where the person was living and dying for who knows how long.

The house tells a story and it saddens me. Someone was happy here once, amid piles and piles of possessions, but got sick and died. The family lists the house but must be too grief-stricken or infighting or overwhelmed to clean it out before showing it.

It saddens me but it is not our story. The best is yet to come for us. I just know it.