Fibreglass Mummy

When I was told to clean myself inside and out I knew some long term mummification was possibly coming up. We both had a week off from work, time for some real long term wrapping. I lost the toss and my wife started by wrapping between my fingers and toes with cotton wool. Then she wrapped my legs separately and then pushed them together and wrapped a thin layer to hold them together. Then came the wrapping of my arms, which were fixed to the side of my body. My whole body was beginning to look like a cotton wool mummy. 

To finish the job my neck was wrapped and only a small area around my nose and mouth was left unwrapped. To stop everything from coming off, saran wrap was applied all over. I had become a cotton wool cocoon. Apart from my face area all I could feel was cotton wool. I hoped it would not get too hot, I might get dehydrated. But then I could at least drink if I was lucky.

Then I was placed on the floor inside a wooden frame, previously made just slightly larger than me. Then I was left for a short while, for the sand to settle. A large plastic sheet was then placed over me with a small hole lining up with my face. Then the fun started, the plastic was slowly made to follow the contours of the top half of my body. Fibreglass was then placed over the plastic to form a rigid shell of the top half of my body. Three layers deep minimum all over and left to harden for a short while. 

A few very narrow wooden strips were attached for strength. After a few hours the fibreglass top mould was removed and I wondered what was next. Silly me, the back half of course. This was again at least three layers thick but this time added supports where added to support the head. Now my whole body starts to get itchy and no chance of a scratch. After about four or five hours a fibreglass shell in two pieces, tight fitting was made. At the end of the day, relief at last, unwrapped for tonight at least.

Day two was spent sanding the two halves of the fibreglass shell to give it a smooth finish and lining the inside for comfort, with cotton wool for padding. Of course I had to try it for comfort and fit, adjusting where needed. The two halves had to be a good fit or I was in trouble.

Day three was spent making an outer case out of chicken wire and more fibreglass. This had a small overlap to secure the two halves together. Only a small gap was left this time for a breathing tube to be inserted. This was designed to look like one of the old Egyptian coffins with the join down the middle. Again it was carefully sanded to smooth out any marks, but this outer case was sprayed inside and out to look like it was ancient rather than a modern piece made within a few days.

Day four started with me climbing inside the two bottom pieces and getting myself comfortable before the first of the two top pieces was carefully lifted into place. Then came the second of the two top pieces, time to say goodbye to daylight for hopefully only a short while. But I have no control anymore. Will it be a few hours or days, we still have a few days of our holiday left. 

Then I heard a noise I recognised, she was sealing the outer halves together, with rivets. No chance for getting out easy today. All I could do now was relax and hope that enough air was getting through from the gap between the two cases or the small air hole to keep me alive. All I could see with my eyes was darkness, all I could feel over most of my body was cotton wool. Would I go crazy with sensory depravation or run out of air before my wife missed me and decided to drill out the rivets. Who knows?

02.05.06