?I have a story to tell you, so gather around and be silent so you can listen to the retelling of my anomalous past. While you may know nothing of what I used to do, it plays like an immutable movie in my mind’s eye. I can assure you my tale won’t cause you ennui, but I will warn you that you will never be able to think of me in the same way again. So if you wish to leave, go now; for once I start it will be too late to un-hear my horrific account.

?Many years ago when my face held no signs of wrinkles or worries, I worked as a defense lawyer in a bigger city. My position was far from a sinecure. It required long nights of research and many battles with the inner voices of my conscience. One luxurious summer day a file came across my desk that turned the sun into instant clouds, and the cool breeze to a deadly tornado. Though I did not know it at the time, this case would change my life forever.

?As I flipped through the pictures and documents contained in that manila folder, I was shown the evidence against Mr. Josh Clark. Apparently he was a serial killer who killed men in high ranking positions, much like myself at the time. Before I even met the man I knew this case would be tricky. The photos from each crime scene were so gruesome I almost couldn’t look at them. I counted each victim, one, two… six, seven… thirteen. Thirteen men were killed in his heinous spree. I was set to meet with this monster the following morning, and I dreaded every moment that seemed to lap by all too quickly that night.

?Early the next morning I dressed rather slowly in my usual suit and tie. When I made it to my office I was shocked to see that my guest was already there. I kindly invited him in and noticed that I felt like I knew the man. As I studied his face more thoroughly, I discovered that I did in fact know the man, he was a new employee at the coffee shop across the street. Although it was rather bizarre and quite coincidental, I thought nothing of it. After introducing ourselves and getting acquainted, we started discussing the crimes he was being accused of. Knowing whether he did it or not was going to help me largely in how to present his case to the jury, so that is where I started. Most of my clients in the past act rather sheepish in their answers; however, this man said rather brusquely and firmly, “Yes I did kill those men.”
?I was slightly taken aback by his lack of remorse, but what I never saw coming was the statement he made after that. He looked right into my eyes, put a little smirk on his face and said this, “And you, Mr. Johnson, were going to be my next victim.” I had learned by then to not show emotions when shocking things happen in the courtroom, so I mustered up all my strength and just stared back at him with a face of stone. Although, as soon as he left, that face of stone transmuted into a face of liquid that easily took the shape of it’s carrier. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine this could happen to a person like me who had their whole world in front of them. Oh but it did.

?Now I couldn’t drop the case because if I did I would never get the promotion I was striving for. How I wish I had just forgotten the promotion looking back on my foolish decision. So instead of psyching myself out I decided to just jump into my work. As a lawyer I was supposed to prove that Mr. Clark was innocent, but I couldn’t do that so I contrived a plan that would make it look like I was defending Mr. Clark when I was really trying to put him in jail.

?I started with the people closest to Clark hoping that one of his friends could perhaps give up valuable information. The more I spoke to the circle in which Clark ran, I learned that he was somewhat of a demagogue. They say that the quickest way to rally people is to find a common hatred. Well, that is exactly what Mr. Clark did. He used his hatred of the wealthy and formed a group of friends that shared this belief. They would get together every now and then and dream up plans to make things better. As far as they knew they were just a group of insurgents who despised the social order, but were never going to act on their feelings. They were in such disbelief that Clark could do such a thing that I found it utterly pointless to try and wiggle information from them.

?When I received the files from the prosecution, I learned that their star witness was victim fourteen who miraculously survived. I guess when Clark went to stab him, like he did all his victims, his blade just missed his heart by a fraction of an inch. This man’s name was Claud Florensen. When I went to speak with Claud I observed that he was a very cowardly little man. He really was debating whether or not he should testify because he was afraid that Clark would get back at him somehow. Once I realized Claud’s weakness, I played on it to get what I truly needed from him. I cajoled him, saying things about how Claud could make or break the prosecution’s case and tried desperately to disabuse him from the idea that Mr. Clark could somehow get him. If this were a normal case I would discourage Claud to testify because it might give my client a glimmer of hope. So I’m sure you can understand why I had to do this in a very surreptitious way. If the firm found out, I would surely be fired!

?After a few weeks it was finally time for my last meeting with Mr. Clark. We prepared for the trial and we practiced ways to answer questions. I warned him that the odds of him being found not guilty were slim due to the overwhelming evidence against him. He did not take kindly to this warning and with the same look in his eyes when he told me that I was to be his next victim he said, “Mr. Johnson, I assure you that if I find out that you did anything to sabotage this trial I will personally have you killed.” His whispered words chilled me to the point where I had to conjure up every strength in my body not to react. That night, however, I could not escape the terror of his aspersion. I knew full well he was a megalomaniac and fully capable of doing everything he said. I castigated myself severely that night wondering why on Earth I didn’t back down and transfer his case to someone else, but it was far too late now. I knew that I had transgressed the boundaries of being a lawyer and that I would surely have to pay for my mistake of medaling in the case.

?When the day came of Mr. Clark’s trial it went by rather quickly. After the evidence was presented and the points were argued we left it to the jury to deliberate. Once they came back with the verdict I wasn’t surprised, but a little relieved to hear that Mr. Clark was found guilty. That moment of relief quickly vanished when I saw the cold look of hatred coming from those harsh gray eyes of Mr. Clark directed right into my own terrified eyes. Even though they placed the fetters tightly around Mr. Clark’s hands and feet, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was going to get his revenge on me.

?Not only had I been the other victim that got away, I had helped put him in jail. I have never been able to figure out how he knew, maybe I wasn’t being as inconspicuous as I thought. This is far from the end of the story though, we still need to discuss how I have wound up here on what will inevitably be my death bed.

?It was a few months after the trial when I began to get back to my normal routine that I found out I had received the promotion I had been striving for. With the happy celebration and congratulation I almost forgot about Mr. Clark’s threat. That is until the next week when a letter came in the mail from the New York Penitentiary. My blood ran like ice water though my veins and I thought I was going to pass out when I saw that is was from one Josh Clark. I hesitated a long while before finally slitting the envelope open. I hurriedly studied the enclosed letter. This is what it read:

Mr. Johnson,
?I’m sure you haven’t forgotten me in our absence. Congratulations on your new promotion - I am glad that my case helped you climb that corporate ladder. However I still cannot forgive you for what you have done to me. Mr. Johnson I believe you remember the day I swore I would kill you if I found out you did anything to sabotage my trial. Well I know that you indeed tried to get me convicted instead of trying to set me free. Now granted if I were in your shoes I just might do the same, but the fact of the matter is I am not in your shoes. I am the serial killer and you are the lawyer, soon you will be my victim. I have friends, some of which I know you spoke to, outside of this prison. I’m sure I can get one of them to fulfill a man on death row’s last wish. You see you have put me in a prison cell that has ruined my life. Since you get to watch me rot away I will live vicariously through you but instead of watching myself rot I will watch you rot. You will soon find yourself in your own prison, not one with guards or bars but instead you own body.
???Mr. Josh Clark

?I dropped the tear stained letter and just sat there staring at my kitchen wall and shaking all over. After I finally composed myself I frantically called the police. They said it was probably just a hoax and that with Mr. Clark in custody there was nothing he could do to me. Oh how I hate cops! I managed to get about five minutes of nightmare-ridden sleep that night and started my day early the next morning. As I did every day, I went to make some coffee with my own special blend. After I had gulped the cup down I noticed a funny feeling in my stomach. Maybe it was because of my paranoia from the letter, but I decided to go to the doctor after it didn’t go away.

?My jaw hit the ugly tiled floor when the doctor said that I had received a large dose of poison that would now be in my system until it eventually killed me. So that brings us to today, five years later. Mr. Clark was executed two months ago and now I guess it is my turn. See the poison has made it almost impossible for me to control my own movement and I’m afraid it has greatly destroyed my immune system. I’m telling you this story so that you know what my life was like. Do not get mixed up in the corporate world. If I hadn’t been so concerned with getting a new position I might just have a family or have traveled the world by now. Instead I am lying here talking to the few people I know in the last hours of my life.