In the Deathroom

"In the Deathroom" is the fifth short story in Everything's Eventual: 14 Dark Tales, by Stephen King.

Authors Note.

This is a slightly Kafka-esque story about an interrogation room in the South American version of Hell. In such stories, the fellow being interrogated usually ends up spilling everything and then being killed (or losing him mind.) I wanted to write one with a happier ending, however unreal that might be. And here it is.

Plot.

Fletcher, an ex-reporter, has been captured by a South American government. The story begins with his interrogation. It turns out that he became involved with a Communist insurgency after his sister, a nun, was murdered.

During the course of his interrogation, Fletcher manages to keep calm, and hatches a half-baked plan, which, to his surprise, actually works. He kills all three of his capturers and escapes 'the deathroom.'

Quotes

(After Fletcher kills the Chief Minister, the Ministers secretary promises Fletcher money, gold, etc if he lets her live.)

When they saw their own death rising in your eyes like water, patriots made speeches. The thugs, on the other hand, gave you the number of their Swiss bank account and offered to put you on line.