The old man’s hands were cold and frail. There was no escape from this. Today was the old man’s 80th birthday, as it was for the other people sitting at the table next to his own. The guard standing in the left corner watched the old man’s every move. The old man glanced over at the guard, in his hand was a shock baton. The guard caught the old man’s eyes in the act, causing fear to arise out of him. Immediately the old man looked back down at the rectangular platinum table he was sitting at. The table was old with over use and rust began to show at the corners of the table. The seats were a bit scratched as too many people have come and gone.

The guard walked over to the table. The old man’s nerves shook his whole body.

“Do you need anything sir ?”

“No. I’m fine,” the old man said.

“Here take this.” His hand withdrew a see-through orange pill from his thin metal case full of colorful products, offering it to the old man. A drink arose from the middle of the table. He didn’t want to take it because he didn’t want to know what would happen if he did. The old man slowly took the pill from the guard’s hand and put it in his mouth. The guard was waiting for him to take it. He then picked up the glass of water and took a sip. “There we go Franklin, now just relax. Look at the others, they’re all relaxed.”

Franklin looked at the table to his right. Sitting at the table were four old men and five old women. They were giggling and smiling dumbfounded, not knowing a thing.

“Thanks.” Franklin said. The guard smiled at him and then walked away. Franklin quickly withdrew the half dissolved orange pill from under his tongue and tossed the pill under the table. The pill was camouflaged on the floor with all the clutter. It hasn’t been cleaned for over 30 years. Franklin again looked back at the idiots sitting at the table next to him. They were all still laughing and smiling, smearing frosting and cake all over their face.

They must have been fed those pills. Must of. There is no way any normal person would act like that unless they were under the influence of something.

Frustrated, Franklin sat up. He was built like an ox, weighing 250 pounds, and stood 6 feet, 7 inches tall. His skin was very smooth, barely any wrinkles on his face, and his posture was as straight as a 2 by 4. Franklin walked toward the restroom in front of where he was sitting. The dark-gray metal door slid open. In the bathroom were seven rows of stalls, and across from it were seven rows of sinks and mirrors. The green tile floor was covered with water and toilet paper. It was like a maze for Franklin to find a good stall.

In the mirror was Franklin himself. His hair was bleach blonde, and he had a pair of ice cold blue eyes. His face cringed. The smell of the sewer came out of the all of the toilets. He first washed his hands then dabbed his face with water. He looked up at the mirror.
My name is Franklin Langston ID 64, I am Franklin Langston ID 64... I am nobody.

Franklin went back to the table where he originally sat. He looked back down at he platinum table. He thought of his youth, his mother and father, his brother, his dog Rex, his two children Richard ID 65 and Lucy ID 65, and his wife. Good thing there is family seating in the front row at this event, because his two children will be attending.

“ The moment has arrived, my young children, away we must go, they are celebrating for you. Our God Elja is waiting for you . So come, my children, come.” The voice of death. It came from the speakers in the preparation room. Everyone stood up. Franklin tried to hold back his fear and his tears. They walked to the door. There was a sign on the top of the door that read ‘Elja’s Elevator’. The guards picked up black robes with writing on them and handed it to the 10 old people. If death was a smell, it would be the smell of these overused and over worn robes. In a single file, the ten old men and women entered through the door. Franklin was last.

The crowd roared when the old people walked to the stage, each one sent to their own separate station. Underneath the station was a trap. To the left of each person was a big levitating white ball and a needle coming out of it. The needle revealed a slimy green texture in it, about 4 inches away from the neck. The crowd mass kept cheering and celebrating, holding up signs for their loved ones. Franklin and the others wore a festive black robe with shiny big yellow words which said ‘God Here I Come’.

The executioner jumped on to the stage and the crowd’s cheers grew louder. His smile was that of the devil’s. He had short, blonde greasy hair which was combed over, cynical bright blue eyes, and a sharp pointy nose. The executioner was quite tall and skinny, almost not human like. He was dressed in a long black robe with a big yellow arrow that was pointed up to the skies.

“Today is a great day!” he said. The crowd cheered even louder. “Our God, Elja, will forgive these people and give them a safe passage to the promised life.” The crowd kept cheering. “I’d like to thank you all for coming to this joyous event. After the celebration is over there will be a little get together at the Common Elja Hall Memorial building. And now, a word from the soon to be deceased.”

He put a hand out to the mouth of the first at the gallows. The first old man said with a smile, “ I’d just like to say hi to my family (he waved and the crowd gave a warm little laugh) and would finally like to say, God…Here I Come!” The crowd screamed with joy.

The second person in line was an old lady She was smiling. The executioner brought the microphone near her face and she said, “May Elja shine a light on us all”. The crowd cheered.

Next was another old man. Then another. Then yet another, all saying the same thing until the microphone was held under the Franklin Langston ID 64’s mouth. Tears flowed down his cheeks. He looked out in to the crowd. He turned his eyes to the executioner and stared.

“Go on old man, state your piece,” the executioner whispered.

Franklin Langston ID 64 looked back at the crowd and cried out, “Where is your sanity? Where is your humanity?” The crowd went silent. “God doesn’t want this. If this Elja truly wanted people to think it’s joyous when people die, and it’s ok to kill the innocent, or the weak, or even the old, then God is ev-”

The lever was pulled, needles were injected into necks, the trap door opened, and the bodies fell to the floor like sacks of meat being thrown away into a garbage can. The crowd cheered once again. There were only two tears flowing from the cheeks in the family seating section. The world has overpopulated and society has been driven to the point of insanity.