Death Has an Appointment

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law.

You, more than most, understand these words. You’ve heard them often enough. I’m surprised you didn’t keep your mouth shut. It came back to haunt you, didn’t it? You’re looking downward. You’re not going to talk to me, are you?

You are going to the gas chamber for what you did. A pellet will drop into a solution, and gas will slowly fill the room, although you’ll wish it was quicker. You'll hold your breath, but that will only delay the inevitable. When you finally can’t stand it anymore, you’ll inhale a breath so large, death will take you quickly. Death isn’t the worst part of dying, delaying death, anticipating death, fighting death is much worse.

You’ve gone pale. Are you not feeling well? You’re shaking your head. Does that mean you feel well or you don’t feel well? You look confused; perhaps it was the ambiguity of the question. Do you feel okay? Ah, a shake of the head. Now it’s clear. Lay your head on this cold steel table. The coolness will feel good against your blood drained skin.

Are you feeling better? Good. Now I want you to take a deep breath and hold it for two seconds. Okay, exhale through your mouth. Do this twice more.

Very good. Now, close your eyes and listen with your entire being. You are standing at the top of a marble staircase. Transport yourself there in your mind. As you take the first step, you feel yourself getting sleepy. The muscles in your face relax. You can even feel your scalp relaxing. The feeling is euphoric. You take another step, and your neck and shoulders turn to mush.

Oh, if only you could feel this good all the time. You are getting even sleepier. Go ahead and try opening your eyelids, you can’t. Struggle as you might, you just can’t open them, and that’s okay.

Be careful with the next step because your legs are going to turn to jelly. You notice a soft mattress just off to your right. The mattress is six feet thick and filled with down feathers. When you take your next step, you're going to fall through the handrail and land on that mattress.

Go ahead; you are safe. Take that step now. Your legs collapse, you fall through the railing and your whole body is enveloped in a cloud-like mattress. Just lie there. Don’t move. Enjoy it while you can. Your body is so engulfed you can’t move, but this is perfect. This is the perfect state of repose you are trying to achieve.

Seldom has any human being been so relaxed and in so much peace. You are now in a deep, hypnotic trance. Your memory is crystal clear and devoid of any emotion. In your mind, there is no hatred, anger, or fear. You can tell me anything and everything without feeling any remorse or retribution. Do you understand?

You’re nodding your head, that’s very good. Now, go back to the scene of the crime. You picked the lock on the woman’s house, is that right?

“You told the police you targeted this woman because she bumped you on the bus, is that right?”

“You said she made you feel invisible. You said you felt disrespected. You spoke as if she shunned you, but you had never met this woman before, isn’t that right?”

“What were you thinking?”

“Really, you don't know. So, you just killed her without further provocation?”

“Have you killed others before? You’re nodding."

“You'll need to talk about that. You want this dream to end, but it isn’t a dream. It’s a memory, and you promised the police you’d tell them everything they wanted to know before you entered the gas chamber in exchange for a favor. You were promised a hypnosis session to ease the anxiety of certain death. Most criminals never get this opportunity, but you had a bargaining chip.

Hypnosis will make the gas chamber feel like a picnic. Do you remember wanting to help the police?” Sure you do. You need to say the names of your other victims. It is the only way to find peace and to make up for what you did.

What are you asking for? A pen and paper? You can't bear to say their names, can you? I understand. At the count of three, you will open your eyes, but you will remain in your trance. One. Two. Three. Take your time and print clearly so that there can be no mistaking what you wrote.

“Okay, you held up your end of the bargain. You have done a beautiful thing for the families of those women. For years some of these parents wondered what happened to their little girls. When I hand over this paper to the authorities you will have brought closure to many lives. A lot of people are looking at you right now, that's a two-way mirror. Go ahead, you can turn and look. Some are angry for what you did, and some are sad that their children’s names might not be on that paper. it's a good thing you can't see their faces. Those families will have no closure today, and their nightmare will go on. But for the other families, you did a good thing.

Close your eyes again. You are minutes away from that gas chamber. This hypnosis session should make your final moments more comfortable. Through the breathing exercises we employed earlier you can make your passing quick and peaceful. It will be as if you are back in that down mattress, relaxed, happy, and guilt-free.

And now it’s time for you to come out of this memory. But before you do that, you have some amends to make to the police officers who spent years tracking you down, and who think death is too easy a way out for you.

In a few minutes, two things will happen. You will enter the gas chamber, and a medical license will be revoked. Listen closely. When you come out of this trance, you will feel excruciating anxiety; you will struggle to breathe, and sweat will pour off your forehead. Stop squirming. You are glued to that chair.

Ignore those sounds!

Those are the guards trying to pound their way in, but the door has been jimmied. You only have a few seconds left before they interrupt this session. You will get what you deserve, you pathetic, little man—killing women because they didn’t notice you.

When that pellet hits the solution, you will want to take one of those giant breaths we practiced, and end it quickly, but you won’t be able. Instead, you’ll take several shallow breaths, your lungs will blister with an unextinguishable fire, you will feel insufferable remorse, and death will take his sweet time with you. Now, wake up.”

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.”