The cold concrete was wet and slimy. He laid in the filth with his hands and feet bound. There were bodies stacked like cordwood, the room wreaked of rot and death. He felt anger, sadness, remorse, guilt, and finally acceptance of his situation. He realized his life was at its end. He could only control the manner in which he would die.
The final thoughts of a dead man ran through his mind. The joys, the regrets, the pains of life, the betrayals, and the love. The fleeting thoughts and recollections of a life cut short brought a tear to his eye. He stopped the tears because he was going to die a man’s death.
The killer walked in and raised him to his feet. The chains clattered as he winced from the sharp pain in his back. The killer had buried a hook into his back. He let a gasp of air out as he tried not to scream. The killer pulled a rope, which raised his body in the air. He closed his eyes to keep his composure.
He opened his eyes to see the killer with a metal stake in his hand. The killer plunged the stake into his leg. He couldn’t hold the scream back this time. The tears rolled down his face as the stake entered his other leg. His body shook as the killer picked a bat up off the floor. He closed his eyes and prayed for the first time in years as the killer swung the bat and broke his kneecaps. He whimpered as the killer took aim at his chest; the blow took his breath. He looked up as the killer lined up his last shot to the head. The killer smiled as the bat cut through the air and connected with his head.
The killer grabbed his chin and raised his head. “You died as all men do, with tears and regret.”