1 00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:06,400 I thought about calling the police, but I haven't figured out if I'm losing 2 00:00:06,480 --> 00:00:12,519 my mind or if my entire family has lost theirs. Maybe I'll wake up 3 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:19,320 soon and this will all have been a terrible nightmare. For context. I'm 4 00:00:19,359 --> 00:00:25,280 an only child and the only grandchild of my last living grandmother. A couple 5 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:28,960 weeks ago, while at work, I received a phone call from my mother 6 00:00:29,399 --> 00:00:34,759 informing me that my grandmother had taken a fall in a kitchen. Mom said 7 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:41,359 that my uncle Loo was with her and already in the ambulance. Paramedic suspected 8 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:46,920 she had a fractured hip and somehow sliced open her foot. She was edated 9 00:00:47,119 --> 00:00:53,600 due to the pain, but was otherwise responsive and fine. I immediately asked 10 00:00:53,719 --> 00:00:58,119 if I should meet them at the hospital, but Mom said, no, 11 00:00:58,119 --> 00:01:03,239 no, don't leave work. I'll update you once I know more, so 12 00:01:04,799 --> 00:01:12,000 I waited. I loved my grandmother, but she's probably the most stubborn woman 13 00:01:12,159 --> 00:01:18,439 I've ever met. She has a home remedy for just about anything and loathes 14 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:23,040 seeing doctors, so I'm sure she won't be fun to deal with. We'll 15 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:29,120 confined to a hospital bed. It doesn't help that Grandma absolutely refuses to use 16 00:01:29,159 --> 00:01:34,439 a walker or cane despite her debilitating age, and will not leave a house 17 00:01:34,519 --> 00:01:38,920 to live in a nursing home. Six months ago, Uncle Lou moved in 18 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:44,200 with her to help out. Not that he said it out loud, but 19 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:49,840 a voice suspected that he did it more for the free rent. With nothing 20 00:01:49,840 --> 00:01:53,439 else to do, I sat at work, distracted and waited for a phone 21 00:01:53,439 --> 00:02:00,560 call from Mom with news. That call didn't come through until long after I'd 22 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:07,319 gotten home and was brushing my teeth for bed. Apparently Grandma was awake now 23 00:02:07,439 --> 00:02:12,199 and doing fine. She would need surgery for the broken hip, but they 24 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:16,080 were able to get the laceration on her foot stitched up and bandaged. I 25 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:20,759 asked to speak with her, so Mom held the phone up to Grandma's ear 26 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:23,280 and I told her I loved her and would come see her once she was 27 00:02:23,319 --> 00:02:30,159 discharged. The hospital only allowed two visitors, and Mom and Lou refused to 28 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:36,800 leave her side. Hi, honey, Grandma said through the receiver, I'm 29 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:42,360 okay, but they won't let me leave. My Mom's voice in the background 30 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:47,960 exasperately explained that she needs surgery, so they tell me. She houghed, 31 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:53,199 I'm fine, Anna come see me when I'm home and we can play cards. 32 00:02:55,319 --> 00:03:01,199 I smiled, promised the visit, and said good bye. She was 33 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:07,159 discharged the following week and sent home. The hip replacement was successful, but 34 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:14,120 she developed a nasty infection on her foot. Between the two ailments, Grandma 35 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:19,240 was confined to a bed. Once she was comfortable at home, Mom gave 36 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:23,759 me the okay to come over, so I made some chicken dumpling soup and 37 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:27,759 sat on the chair beside her while Mom spoon fed it into Grandma's mouth. 38 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:32,400 There you go, mom, my, Mother encouraged. As Grandma sipped the 39 00:03:32,439 --> 00:03:38,439 broth off the spoon, I could tell Grandma was wildly out of it. 40 00:03:38,639 --> 00:03:43,919 I had been expecting an earful about having to use a bedpan, but due 41 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:49,599 to the cocktail of narcotics and antibiotics, she merely grumbled in annoyance at Mom's 42 00:03:49,599 --> 00:03:54,280 and loose constant hovering. For what it was, she seemed in good spirits, 43 00:03:54,840 --> 00:04:00,919 if not exceptionally tired. After about two hours and two small soup, 44 00:04:01,039 --> 00:04:06,080 misshaps and I got up to leave. Mom saw me to the door. 45 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:13,000 She'll be fine, Anna, Mom reassured Lou and I had taken care of 46 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:19,480 everything. Don't worry. I left feeling optimistic that my grandmother would be back 47 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:28,439 to a spit by herself relatively soon. That visit with a soup was over 48 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:32,240 two weeks ago, now, not long after Mom took a leave of absence 49 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:38,360 at work and holed up in Grandma's house with Uncle Lou. Each time I 50 00:04:38,439 --> 00:04:43,639 called Mom and gave a new excuse as to why I shouldn't visit. Risk 51 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:47,000 of infection, flu season, fatigue, bowel issues, you name it. 52 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:55,120 At first, I accepted these excuses at face value. They seemed legit. 53 00:04:56,399 --> 00:05:00,920 But I can't even get Mom to put Grandma on the phone anymore. I 54 00:05:00,959 --> 00:05:03,959 made more soup yesterday and dropped it off, but Uncle Lou met me at 55 00:05:03,959 --> 00:05:09,680 the door and said it wasn't a good time, but he'd make sure she 56 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:15,319 got it, and we'll always let her know when you call, he assured. 57 00:05:16,079 --> 00:05:20,920 I noticed there was an intense floral, yet antiseptic scent coming from the 58 00:05:20,959 --> 00:05:30,360 doorway. Your mom won't stop cleaning, he explained. Frustrated, I called 59 00:05:30,399 --> 00:05:33,720 and complained to my father on my way home, but he defended Mom. 60 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:41,399 Like always, She's always been like this, he reminded me. They're extremely 61 00:05:41,439 --> 00:05:46,879 close, your mom and Grandma and Lou well, this just seems like classic 62 00:05:46,959 --> 00:05:50,240 lou You know, this is the first time they really had to face the 63 00:05:50,319 --> 00:05:56,040 reality of the mother's age. They're just protective and scared to lose her. 64 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:01,720 I figured he was right, and I hung up the phone, feeling a 65 00:06:01,759 --> 00:06:10,319 little less unsettled. On Grandma's eighteen ninth birthday, however, I decided I 66 00:06:10,439 --> 00:06:14,839 wasn't going to take no for an answer. I would go over there and 67 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:18,319 give her the present I purchased for her, a new thriller by a favorite 68 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:25,879 author. I arrived at the house in late afternoon and noticed all the blinds 69 00:06:25,879 --> 00:06:30,759 were closed. Being that it was a warm spring day, it was common 70 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:34,600 for Grandma to have all the windows open and drapes open, letting in both 71 00:06:34,639 --> 00:06:41,959 the sunlight and fresh air. I knocked twice on the front door, but 72 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:48,040 no one came. I knocked again, no answer. I tried the knob, 73 00:06:48,199 --> 00:06:54,920 but the door was locked. I paused for a moment, considering that 74 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:59,560 maybe no one was home, maybe Grandma had her follow up with a surgeon. 75 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:03,920 But both cars were in the driveway, so I knocked again louder. 76 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:12,240 The door opened a crack, and a foul odor filtered out, nearly choking 77 00:07:12,319 --> 00:07:16,759 me, ma'am, I exclaimed, when a face appeared on the other side 78 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:23,680 of the door, What is that smell? Seeing it was only me, 79 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:30,480 she opened the door another inch. The infection's gotten worse, but we're monitoring 80 00:07:30,519 --> 00:07:33,519 it. Should I call an ambulance, I asked, in a panic, 81 00:07:33,959 --> 00:07:39,120 pulling my cell phone from my pocket. No, no, Anna, she 82 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:43,519 quickly reassured me. We have it handled. I stopped by and picked up 83 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:46,759 refills over antibartics earlier, and we've been on the phone to a surgeon. 84 00:07:48,079 --> 00:07:53,920 Relieved, I took a deep breath, but the smell was so overpowering. 85 00:07:55,399 --> 00:08:00,399 Mom. That smell is ungodly. Why don't you open the windows? We 86 00:08:00,639 --> 00:08:05,160 tried, she said, but she got so cold. Mom shrugged and didn't 87 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:11,399 move. Can I come in, I asked, attempting to look over her 88 00:08:11,399 --> 00:08:16,319 shoulder into the dim house. I really didn't want to go inside due to 89 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:20,920 the smell, but if Grandma wasn't doing well, I wanted to see her. 90 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:26,680 I don't think it's a good idea, she murmured. Where's Uncle Lou? 91 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:33,759 I asked up stairs in his room. Her voice was reassuring, but 92 00:08:33,919 --> 00:08:39,039 the smell turned my insides. Surely a smell like that could only mean bad 93 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:45,399 things. I pushed the door open, and Mom protested, just come back 94 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:48,440 another day when she's feeling better. I promise you that Lou and I have 95 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:54,240 this under control. In the kitchen, the odor was strong, but mixed 96 00:08:54,279 --> 00:08:58,519 with the smell of bleach. I couldn't tell if that made it better or 97 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:03,919 worse. At least, let me see her and give her a birthday present. 98 00:09:05,039 --> 00:09:09,360 Mom looked down to see the rapt gift in my hands and sighed. 99 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:15,600 Of course. She said, gosh, I'm sorry, we've just been so 100 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:22,120 preoccupied. I'm sure she'll love it. At that moment, Uncle Lou came 101 00:09:22,159 --> 00:09:28,519 trotting down the stairs and smiled at me. Annah, Mom will be so 102 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:35,559 happy you're here. I looked at my mother incredulously. She was staring at 103 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:41,279 her feet. Now what was going on? Uncle Lou continued down the hall, 104 00:09:41,639 --> 00:09:45,759 and I could hear him as he opened the door to Grandma's bedroom. 105 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:54,919 Mom, you have a visitor for your birthday. The smell of the house 106 00:09:54,360 --> 00:09:58,440 was searing my nostrils, but I wasn't going to let Grandma know. I 107 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:03,279 was a repulsed by it. Mom led me down the hall to Grandma's bedroom, 108 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:09,320 instructing me along the way to put on a brave face. I blasted 109 00:10:09,399 --> 00:10:15,159 a smile across my face as I turned the corner into the room. Grandma 110 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:18,120 was sitting up in bed, and Uncle Lou had taken a seat on the 111 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:24,000 mattress beside her. His body obscured most of the view, but I could 112 00:10:24,039 --> 00:10:28,360 see her feet where they stuck out from under the quilt. The toes and 113 00:10:28,399 --> 00:10:35,360 her right foot were black with crumbling toenails and festering saws. The sheets under 114 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:39,080 a heel stained yellow from dried puss. Lou was prattling on to her, 115 00:10:39,639 --> 00:10:45,799 but Grandma didn't respond. Isn't it nice for Hannah to come see you on 116 00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:48,600 your birthday? Mom? Goodness knows you've been through a lot this month. 117 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:56,360 She has a present for you. He turned expectantly to me, his profile 118 00:10:56,440 --> 00:11:03,039 moving just enough to reveal Grandma's form where she sat up against the pillows. 119 00:11:03,639 --> 00:11:09,799 Grandma's dull, lifeless eyes stared straight ahead at the wall, unblinking and glazed 120 00:11:09,840 --> 00:11:16,639 over. Her eyes were crusty and a jaw hung wildly agape, with sagging 121 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:22,799 lips revealing a gray fuzz that had begun to coat her tongue. Uncle Loo 122 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:26,159 patted her leg while Mom hastily pulled the quilt back down over her feet. 123 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:33,360 I barely heard as Lou explained how colch she's been from the infection. He 124 00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:37,320 picked up a tissue from the box on the night stand and began dabbing at 125 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:41,320 the corner of her mouth. She doesn't talk much due to the heavy sedation 126 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:48,240 she's under, he explained. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the pallid 127 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:52,279 gray skin of Grandma's face and how it was starting to sag in ways that 128 00:11:52,399 --> 00:11:58,720 had nothing to do with her rage. Flies buzzed overhead, and Mom picked 129 00:11:58,759 --> 00:12:03,519 up a fly swatter and began swatting wildly at them. Goddamn flies, she 130 00:12:03,639 --> 00:12:09,639 mumbled, They won't leave her alone. One of the flies circled Grandma's face 131 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:18,080 and landed in her open more. Uncle Lou merely shooted away. She's been 132 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:22,399 sleeping sitting up like this for the past week or so, Mum explained, 133 00:12:22,759 --> 00:12:26,519 patting Grandma's now covered feet. The pain is just too much for her to 134 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:31,720 lay down. We tried, but her muscle spasm and she can't move. 135 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:37,679 My knees were shaking and I could all but back out of the room, 136 00:12:39,279 --> 00:12:43,279 reaching and pressing myself against the opposite wall, vomit creeping up the back of 137 00:12:43,279 --> 00:12:48,679 my throat. Here it took heay Anna, Uncle Lou said from inside the 138 00:12:48,759 --> 00:12:52,039 room. I know it's hard to see her in such a state, but 139 00:12:52,759 --> 00:12:56,080 that's why your mom and I are here to take care of her. We 140 00:12:56,159 --> 00:13:01,639 agreed we wouldn't let her go back to that hospital. They've already messed up 141 00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:05,360 so much of a care. You saw a foot and what the doctors did 142 00:13:05,399 --> 00:13:09,080 to it. How a hospital could let gangreene go unnoticed is beyond me. 143 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:15,679 Mom agreed. We've been sponge bathing her regularly, airing her feet, and 144 00:13:15,759 --> 00:13:20,720 changing the bandages frequently. It seems to be helping, right, Mom, 145 00:13:20,279 --> 00:13:26,000 she asked, squeezing grandma's uncle. I tried to put my head between my 146 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:31,639 knees, but the smell was so overpowering. Mom stepped out in the hallway 147 00:13:31,799 --> 00:13:37,840 and touched my shoulder. I recoiled. Oh, Hannah, I am sorry. 148 00:13:39,639 --> 00:13:43,320 This is why I didn't want you to come over. The gangreene smell 149 00:13:43,399 --> 00:13:46,720 is hard to tolerate, and I didn't want you to have to see it 150 00:13:46,879 --> 00:13:52,200 like this. Not knowing what else to do, I pulled her into the 151 00:13:52,279 --> 00:13:58,039 kitchen and said, in my most steady voice, Mom, why didn't you 152 00:13:58,120 --> 00:14:07,279 tell me Grandma passed. Mom's face didn't change. She just looked at me. 153 00:14:07,639 --> 00:14:11,320 What are you talking about, Anna, She's right there. You saw 154 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:16,200 her? Yeah, I did see her, I agreed, pointing at the 155 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:20,679 bedroom down the hall, where the smell was so strong that I was close 156 00:14:20,759 --> 00:14:26,720 to passing out. But Grandma is dead, Mom, You know that right, 157 00:14:28,559 --> 00:14:35,879 She's very obviously passed away. Mom's eyebrows narrowed as she pursed her lips. 158 00:14:35,879 --> 00:14:39,440 Listen, Anna, I get that this is hard for you. Hell, 159 00:14:39,679 --> 00:14:43,799 it's hard for all of us. But if you're saying this just to 160 00:14:43,879 --> 00:14:48,600 hurt me, it's not going to work. Stop being a brat. Your 161 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:54,960 father is on the way over with a birthday cake. The room began to 162 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:58,799 spin, and I needed to get out of that house immediately. I tossed 163 00:14:58,799 --> 00:15:03,279 the on the kitchen table and grabbed my bag, fleeing out of the kitchen 164 00:15:03,320 --> 00:15:07,360 door and into my car, where I took deep gulps of fresh air. 165 00:15:09,559 --> 00:15:11,960 I could see my mom at the large bay window looking out at me. 166 00:15:13,279 --> 00:15:20,039 She looked angry and upset, but quickly turned and walked away. I pounded 167 00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:26,639 the steering wheel, yelling obscenities other than an open casket funeral. I had 168 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:31,159 never seen a dead body before, let alone one that had clearly been dead 169 00:15:31,159 --> 00:15:37,320 for weeks. But Grandma was undoubtedly dead, and my mother and uncle were 170 00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:41,919 staying in that house with a corpse, washing it, feeding it, and 171 00:15:43,039 --> 00:15:48,039 talking to it like nothing had changed. I threw open the car door and 172 00:15:48,120 --> 00:15:52,720 vomited all over Grandma's neglected shrubs. By the time the dry heaths kicked in, 173 00:15:54,399 --> 00:15:58,840 Dad's car pulled in the driveway. A sweetheart, he said. He 174 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:03,440 opened his car door, see me kneeling in the grass. Are you all 175 00:16:03,519 --> 00:16:08,600 right? Your mom called and told me you were quite upset? Dad, 176 00:16:10,679 --> 00:16:15,279 She's dead, I choked out, pointing at the house. Who's dead, 177 00:16:15,559 --> 00:16:21,960 he asked, his voice worried Grandma, I shouted, Grandma is dead. 178 00:16:22,399 --> 00:16:27,000 Mom and lou they're just sitting in there with a body. And calm down. 179 00:16:27,639 --> 00:16:33,399 Your mum mentioned you're in hysterics and talking nonsense, talking nonsense, What 180 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:37,679 are you saying? I choked out. Go look, Dad, I swear 181 00:16:37,919 --> 00:16:44,480 you'll see she's dead, and Mom and Luke have lost their minds, all 182 00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:48,039 right, he said, holding up his arms in surrender. Let me grub 183 00:16:48,080 --> 00:16:52,480 the cake and I'll go inside and see what's going on. Just stay here, 184 00:16:53,120 --> 00:17:00,399 okay. I collapsed back in the front seat of my car, lasting 185 00:17:00,399 --> 00:17:03,559 the ac in attempt to flush the smell of rotten flesh out of my nose. 186 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:08,559 It felt like an hour before the front door opened again, and Dad 187 00:17:08,599 --> 00:17:14,279 calmly walked over to my driver's side window. Hi, Anna, bear, 188 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:18,680 he said, cautiously. Did you see her, Dad, You saw her 189 00:17:18,759 --> 00:17:23,880 right, sh Anna, he said, placing her hand on my shoulder. 190 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:30,279 Calm down, Yes, I saw her, and she's very sick, but 191 00:17:32,079 --> 00:17:38,119 otherwise alive. You Mom and Lou had taken good care of her. What 192 00:17:38,960 --> 00:17:45,240 I nearly screamed, Come inside, Dad said, going for the door handle. 193 00:17:45,319 --> 00:17:49,599 I quickly logged the car. Dad threw up his hands in frustration. 194 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:56,200 Just come inside, Anna, Uncle Lou is getting Grandma into a wheelchair and 195 00:17:56,240 --> 00:18:00,319 we're going to have some cake. He glanced at the front wind go of 196 00:18:00,359 --> 00:18:07,319 the house. Ah, see there she is. I glanced up to see 197 00:18:07,319 --> 00:18:11,000 my grandmother's face at the window, her dead eyes looking blankly out over the 198 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:17,440 front yard. Brigamortis had made it so a body couldn't sit in the wheelchair 199 00:18:17,559 --> 00:18:22,599 just right, even from a distance and through a pane of glass, I 200 00:18:22,640 --> 00:18:29,079 could see death in her eyes and the shocking gape of her mouth. Her 201 00:18:29,079 --> 00:18:33,680 face looked even more twisted now, as if she had taken a last breath 202 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:38,440 in a tremendous amount of pain. For what made me scream in abject terror 203 00:18:40,799 --> 00:18:48,599 was that her cloudy pupils seemed to turn ever so slightly toward me. I 204 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:52,680 threw the car into drive and sped out of the driveway, ignoring the shout 205 00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:59,160 to my father and uncle Loo bursting out the front door. I didn't dare 206 00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:03,400 go home, where I was sure my father would follow. Were they right? 207 00:19:04,319 --> 00:19:08,200 Was she actually alive? It's not like a checked for a pulse or 208 00:19:08,279 --> 00:19:12,039 air and a lungs before I took off. I didn't touch her at all. 209 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:18,440 Could it be me then? Was either one having a nervous breakdown? 210 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:26,680 I don't know what to do now. I'm absolutely terrified. Rest of all, 211 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:36,519 When I closed my eyes, all I see is my grandmother's rotting face.