Cremation: Does it hurt?

By Brian Coyle

Most of us have been to a funeral, either at graveside or in a church. The experience is never pleasant and probably ranks a step below a visit to the dentist. Even though you are among a group of people, many of whom are family and friends, there is a feeling of isolation and fear. While standing in line, anxiety grows deep within you, realizing that it very easily could have been you in that coffin, laid out for the passing crowd to view. This is surely the basic fear behind E.A. Poe’s story, “The Premature Burial,” and it could be the impetus for other horror stories.

Imagine the scene: The line moves forward and suddenly your breathing deepens as beads of sweat start to sprout from your brow. Clothes which fit perfectly earlier in the day seem to be tightening like an elastic band around your chest, making it harder and harder to breathe. Glancing around to see if anyone has detected your predicament, you amazingly discover that no one even notices you, let alone that you are gasping for air.

Eventually, it’s your turn in line to pass by the deceased and your skin doesn’t have a spot on it without a bump or a bead of sweat. Stopping at the side of the coffin, you hesitate; it’s difficult to look down for fear of making eye contact with the dead. Taking a deep breath, you finally place a trembling hand gingerly on the side of the coffin to steady yourself. Quickly you glance down as fear rushes to your head, taking over all your thoughts.

Envisioning yourself in the coffin, you picture yourself being rudely shoved into the fiery inferno called cremation. You can feel the flames dancing across your crackling skin as the stench of burning hair fills your nostrils. Your muscles won’t respond to your cries for help as the heat from the flames intensifies and covers your entire body. Can you feel the pain or not? Only time will tell, but what a—dare I say it?—delightful proposition for a horror novel!