At 2 AM, Fred joined Marjorie, Willa, and Phil in a pure white room adjacent to Willis and Edith's suite. The room had a beautiful trompe l'oeil ceiling of blue sky with white puffy clouds that was held up by magnificent white and gold columns. The furniture consisted of several stuffed love seats, all white, surrounding a comfortable white couch designed for reclining.
Willis emerged from his suite clad in white silk pajamas. He held Edith's hand tightly, bracing for the ordeal ahead. He went in turn to his son, daughter, sister and brother, tearfully embracing each and lingering over each farewell. The sound of soft weeping now mingled with the barely audible piped-in music.
"Thanks for being here, Fred," Willis said as he hugged him tightly. "I love you."
"I love you too," Fred croaked, the tears beginning to well up.
Willis took his place on the reclining couch. He shuddered and clutched Edith's hand close to his chest, then held both his children's hands with his other hand.
A white-uniformed doctor emerged from a hidden door. She carried a rectangular bundle wrapped in a white towel. She smiled at Willis, sat beside him on the couch, unwrapped the parcel out of his view, and used the syringe contained within to give him an injection. Then she quietly rose and left the room.
Willis lay back, clutching his dear ones, and reminiscing about their lives together. He slowly fell asleep.
Half an hour later, he was dead.
***
The next day, in the afternoon, the room where Willis had died was enlarged by way of moveable partitions. Rows of stacking chairs had been set out facing a dais on which rested a rich walnut casket surrounded by beautiful sprays of flowers.
Fred stood at the rear of the room, marveling that this too was all part of the package that Willis had purchased.
--
"A Time to Die" by Todd R. Snow (excerpt) from "Twisted Tails V - Apocalypses Now and Then", J. Richard Jacobs (ed.), Double Dragon Publishing 2010 http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com/single.php?ISBN=1-55404-730-7
