Drawing by Judith Wolfe

G.Emil Reutter FAST FOOD


    He sat on the bench, looking out from the dock into the bay. His fishing pole set in place on the wood railing, not a bite all day. His legs propped up, he enjoyed the feel of the sun, his skin turning a bronze color. Watching the boats pass by with the girls in the bikinis he often waved, smiling when they waved back at him. The days at the shore came and went quickly for him, fishing, reading and dining out made the time pass. The hideous actions of his past only haunted him occasionally, little did he regret. He had learned years ago to escape reality and spend time at the shore. The calm water of the bay and sunshine took away the reality that haunted him. He had tried to show remorse, but couldn't. He was proud of his accomplishments, many men could not have committed the acts he did, many did not have the guts. There were times he felt special knowing other men would cower at having to do what he was sent to do. Then again he always knew he was special. He had heard the expressions that time heals all wounds, but he knew they would never forgive him, the ones he left behind. The televison reporter would be here soon and take him away from the shore he so loved. Reality would come back to him and so would be the anger that came with it. He hadn't spoken to anyone in more than five years, the need to speak was one he did not feel compelled to act on. The reporter had called numerous times agreeing to his conditions for the interview. The thumping on the metal door startled him, looking he knew it was his time once again. The guards opened the door, each entering the small cell one at a time. Shackles were placed on his legs and hands with a daisy chain holding them together.

    They led him from the cell along the long hallway to the empty room by the exit of the cell block. Entering the room he noticed a table and two chairs in the room. He held his hands out and the guards disconnected the daisy chain leaving his hand cuffed together and the leg shackles on. Smiling, he felt almost free without the chain on. The reporter had kept his word. He liked this one, he had followed his career on televison when they allowed him to watch.
    The televison van pulled in front of the prison gate. Anxious, the reporter pressured the driver to get them in quickly. It wasn't everyday a young reporter could scoop a story like this one. Reading his notes on John Lewis Williams added to the excitement of the event. Williams hadn't granted an interview to any reporter and he never admitted his guilt to the crimes he was convicted of. Williams had never said a word at his trial. The bodies were found in a lawn shed in the back of his home, the police estimated some had been there for over a decade. Each corpse examined had broken necks. This story would enhance his position to take over the network news when the opening came. Entering the prison door, the camera man and reporter made their way through checkpoints to the small interview room at the end of death row.
    Williams watched as the camera man and reporter entered the interview room. Sitting on the left side of the table, he waited for the reporter to take a seat.
    "Mr. Williams, I'm Andrew Glass from XBR news."
    Williams sat in silence watching Glass every movement.
    "You have to speak in order to be interviewed. I hope the camera doesn't make you shy"
    "Turn the camera on and we can begin. You have fifteen minutes and that is it."
    The cameraman started recording as Glass looked at Williams.
    "Many think because your victims were all male that you are a homosexual, would that be true?"
    "Right now I am sexual, I only have sex with myself"
    "Did you have sex with those men before you killed them?"
    Williams placed his hands on the table and leaned into Glass.
    "I have never said anything about sex or killing anyone!"
    Glass leaned into the table closer to Williams. He looked at the camera and back to Williams again.
    "How did you choose your victims?"
    "You know I have followed your career for some time now. I watch television when they let me and I always pick the time for the evening news."
    Williams moved his hands to the center of the table as Glass was leaning in.
    "How did you pick your victims?"
    "I normally would watch them for awhile, how they spoke and handled themselves and then would decide if I would speak to them."
    "You would stalk your victims?"
    "I said I would watch them and get to know them. You can tell a lot about a person by watching them."
    Williams raised his hand up and down from the table as if using them for expression, checking if the guards became alert. They did not.
    "Did you break all your victims' necks?"
    "Yes, it was quickest that way. I would just reach forward, looking them in the eye and snap their necks with one quick hand movement."
    "Do you have any remorse for killing these people?"
    "I did my job as I saw it. I enjoyed killing them. There is a challenge to it all. Most men wouldn't have the courage to do what I did"
    "You're proud of killing people?"
    "There is an art to it you know, snapping the neck quickly as to avert too much pain. Watching them slump and fall to the floor gives one a great feeling of power over life and death."
    "You are not sorry for what you have done. The great pain you caused many families?"
    Williams eyes blinked, he became red faced looking at the reporter.
    "Glass I've been watching you for a long time. You're a good reporter although a bit of a pansy"
    Glass was flustered by Williams comment. He regained himself quickly.
    "We agreed if I came here today you would admit to your crimes. Do you plan on keeping your word?"
    "Are you calling me a liar?"
    The guards stood by the door of the room watching. They were ready to jump in if Williams began to act out.
    "Of course not, I am asking you to keep our agreement"
    "Did I tell you I love the bay area, the feel of the sun and fishing?"
    "No, you did not but that is not what we are here for"
    Williams moved his hands around the table once more waiting for a reaction from the guards. They did not motion to come into the room.
    "Sure it is. I always went to the bay first and then made a decision of what I was going to do. You see everyone of them came to me. I did not motion for them to come to me."
    "You are admitting for the first time that you did murder those men?"
    Leaning over the table looking at Glass, Williams mouth began to water.
    "You see every one of them was late giving me my food. It pissed me off. I'm waiting in a fast food line and it takes fifteen minutes to get your food. Then it's cold and not warm. It just aggravated the hell out of me"
    "You killed them because of cold food?"
    "They all worked fast food take out windows, the clever District Attorney never figured that out. I would wait a year before killing the little bastards. They never made the connection."
    Williams slid his hands across the table almost touching Glass. The guards rushed in to grab him.
    Williams waited for the first guard to come close to him, turning in his chair he reached up and grabbed the guard by the neck. Snapping his neck, the guard fell in a slump. The other guards surrounded him as the camera man zoomed in on him. Williams looked into the camera.
    "See, that son of a bitch has been putting cold food under my door for ten years. It just pisses me off"
    Glass was stunned at the sudden explosion of anger from Williams. The camera man zoomed in on Glass. Looking into the camera, Glass paused.
    "John Lewis Williams has murdered again, it seems getting cold food really pisses him off"
    The camera stopped recording.


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