The Sentence

A short short I did after I was reeling from the Virginia/DC sniper thing a few years back. It was inspired by thoughts of how one can truly be adequately punished when they destroy so many lives �. kind of both an exercise in philosophy and therapy.

 

"The Sentence"

Billy was so excited to have the toy he'd been asking for finally in hand. He'll be the first of his peers to own the sniper soldier version of the Combat Carl. He beamed up at his mother to show his appreciation as they walked out the mall entrance then looked back down at the doll. He had already managed to rip it out of its package and attach the "u-view" eyepiece and cable to it.

On the way to the car, Billy eagerly held the eyepiece to his eye and pointed Carl in the direction of his mother. It was so cool, just like looking through the scope of a rifle. He managed to get his mom's head in the crosshairs when she turned and looked as if she was going to ask him to put it up but she didn't. Instead the left side of her head exploded in a red mist of hair, skull and skin. As if in slow motion, Billy could see her eyes hood over as she fell toward him. He dropped the toy and tried to catch her but he couldn't hold her and they both fell to the ground.

Billy tried to get her to open her eyes as he laid beside her and with one small hand attempted to put her head back together sobbing, "Mommy! Mommy! I'm so sorry, Mommy! I didn't mean to! Please! Mommy .... please!"
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"And that marks the end of another trauma episode."

"Doctor Latham, you've been monitoring the inmate throughout his C.O.M.A. sentence. Doesn't seeing these episodes bother you?"

The doctor turned to his colleague and started to answer but hesitated for a moment then finally said, "When they do I simply think about the victims he killed and their families. That gives me the strength to continue the execution of his sentence. Besides, I not only monitor the episodes, I also script them and help to program them. I am the author if this man's virtual
hell."

"Does the fact that you, too ..... ?"

"Yes, my being one of the surviving family members does, also, give me additional fortitude to carry through."

The other doctor looked pensive. Perhaps he thought he had breached propriety by having mentioned Dr. Latham's personal life.

"Dr. Phillips, you can be as straightforward as you want. I've run this program for a year and a half, personally handling the punishment of seven inmates so far. And I appreciate your volunteering to help with the case load. My original colleague dropped out of the program three months into it and you're the first person on the list of qualified specialists to accept the position. And if we're going to be working on this project together we may as well become less formal. You may call me by my first name, William. Do you feel comfortable being referred to as Samuel?"

"You can go so far as to call me, Sam. Frankly, Doc ..... frankly, William, I am actually a bit hesitant to accept the position right away. I mentioned to Mr. Wainwright that I wanted to see the operation first hand to observe not only the technical aspect but to meet you under working conditions so I could assess ...."

Dr Latham interrupts, "Yes, I understand. It's just that you're the first candidate that has expressed enough interest to come here in person."

"I'm still getting used to the idea of the judicial system rethinking ...."

"The legislation was passed, the judicial system upholds it."

"Something like this was considered cruel and unusual punishment not so long ago ..."

"It ….  is cruel. And it's still considered revolutionary, so that probably qualifies it as unusual as well. But when society becomes threatened with cruel and unusual psychopaths.... I'm sorry, Sam. I'm sounding like some sort of political lobbyist. True, I lobbied for this particular type of punishment but there's no need to rehash that with you when you're merely expressing your valid concerns and feelings."

"Yes. There's a part of me that still has reservations over whether I can do this."

"Is it a question of morals or a fear of the possible stress and strain involved having to live with the fact that you are a professional doctor torturing inmates who've been sentenced to experience the mental anguish and trauma of their victims?"

"A mixture of both. I'm not as personally involved as you are, William. I'm surprised they allowed you to take part in the project in such a personal capacity."

"Ahhhh! That must be what you've been avoiding mentioning!"

"I suppose it has been but there's also the issue of the possibility of you having to or deciding to step down and my having to take over with no ....."

"I assure you, Sam that I have no intention of stepping down anytime soon."

"Anytime soon meaning ........ ?" Sam glances at the inmate.

"Meaning anytime soon. If you decide to leave the project I'll still be here keeping it going."

"William, you script, program and monitor the traumatic episodes these inmates experience in a closed off virtual hell where you artificially control every input to their brains. It's real to them. And they're not even themselves ....."

"Yes they are! They are themselves! They are the same twisted, vile sadistic creatures they were when they shot, stabbed, drowned and strangled their victims for no more reason than personal satisfaction! I put them in their victim's place, that is all! I ...."

William stops and glares at Sam.

"Why are you here, Sam?"

"Don't you feel remorse?"

"Remorse? Remorse for what? Remorse for dishing out the punishment they deserve? Remorse for making them feel as much of the agony they've caused others in return?"

"No, William. Don't you feel remorse for your crimes?"

"MY crimes?! Do I feel remorse for MY CRIMES?!"

"Remember how you said that they were all themselves, William? Remember how you said they were the same twisted, vile sadistic creatures they were when they shot, stabbed, drowned and strangled their victims?"

William opened his mouth, veins protruding from his temples but not a sound came out.

"Remember how you shot my daughter, William? Remember looking through the scope and coldly, calculatingly pulling the trigger and blowing her brains out while my grandson looked on?"

William began to scream but the scream was in his head.

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"And that marks the end of another trauma episode."

 

Reviews

[Dianne]

While this kind of punishment in kind appeals to the sense of rightness, I have to wonder about what it would do to the individuals that have to carry it out. We already see that most of those involved in the prison system have become twisted and cruel in their own way. I'm not sure that the point of the judicial system should be to punish so much as to protect society from the depraved.

[Passion for Literature]

such a powerful beginning...it really draws a reader into the story...the beginning is very well written.