I find death in my hands again. It happens so naturally, like a flawless act of nature passed down from the heavens. Even as the body fights with all its might for another breath and one last pump of warm blood to its vital organs, it fails; life escapes it at last.

The soul has passed on with the last breath and I must preserve the body for my company, and maybe for man to one day marvel at its prior existence. The beauty and perfection can not be lost, it is vital. First the blood must be completely drained from the body, as a missed drop on my neglect will bring rot to the outer flesh. I have to remove the brain as well, since it will deteriorate from within and eat away at the beauty that the God sculpted. To keep the face flawless it must be removed from the nose, in pieces or whole.

The internal organs, such as lungs, stomach and intestines have to be removed or the body will loose its stature over the years, as these organs will also bring decay. Perfection is my ultimate goal, as this is a rare form of art that I posses. The body is now ready to be filled with spices and begin its journey to immortality as its soul in heaven has. This journey begins in the sands from which the body was created, under the desert sun, where it will dry for forty days and nights; the same number of days and nights it took God to cleanse the world of evil with water.

I must fast with the body while it becomes immortal, and protect it from any scavengers that may wish to devour it. The process enlightens me, draws me closer to God, and brings me visions of my final rest.

After returning with the body I must wrap it over two dozen times in silk and linen; there is no expense spared in my perfection. After the delicate and tedious job of rolling the preserved body over and over is complete, it's time to place it in its tomb.

The body is a friend of mine, like the rest were. God has told me to gather them all and place them in the tomb I have prepared for us in my home. They will be there for me when I pass and will remain with me forever. I have taught my son this process and he will do the same for my body when it's time.

No, the lunatic part of this story isn't true. However the parts about mummification are somewhat consistent with the process though. Believe it or not, this process was actually practiced in Palermo until 1920 when Doctor Salofia performed the last legal mummification on a two year old girl named Rosalia Lombardo.

Rosalia is one of many children mummies that fill the walls of the Capuchin catacombs, along with about 8,000 others that date back to the 16th century. Dr Salofia's work is the most perfected mummification displayed in the catacombs, but his work was kept so secret that no one knows anything about his perfected procedure today. Strangely enough his life was as much of a mystery as his work and leaves little information about who he actually was.

The tomb is a maze of walkways with mummified corpses hanging from the walls, displayed in different positions, or nailed shut in coffins, depending upon the instructions given by the person who wished the service. Quite a creepy site compared to our typical cemeteries here in the U.S. The church, Convento Dei Cappuccini, was rebuilt over the tomb in 1623 and is still open for display today.

Remember though, just because mummification isn't legal today doesn't mean it's not possible to find yourself in the hands of a lunatic who wishes make you one...