Celestial

The hallways to the visiting rooms in prisons are terrible. First off, they’re always so cold, and for whatever reasons the fluorescent lights always flicker like a horror movie. You know, the one’s where the prison loses power and all the death row inmates escape and go on killing rampages? But the worst is that you know behind each and every door is a convict, dangerous or not, talking to maybe a lawyer, family, or someone like me. There is so much emotion, tears, hatred, love, it’s almost suffocating to be there.

Maybe that’s why when I opened the door to see Celeste Davis, serene as a Hindu cow, I was taken aback. Here was a woman who was scheduled to be executed at the end of the week for a triple homicide and she looked, well, bored. I couldn’t believe it as I looked through the small window in the door, watching her fiddle with her honey blonde hair.

“Are you ready?” I turned to the gruff guard next to me and nodded, notes in hand. I knew Celeste had refused to speak to press, even sending one woman home in tears, but I was hoping I might be different. I took a deep breath as the guard opened the door and Celeste lazily looked up, letting out a long sigh as she looked me over.

“I swear to Christ if you start off by asking me why I did it, I’ll fucking kill you.” She yawned, stretching as she flung her feet up on the table. Her comment caused me to cringe, knowing what the young woman was capable of, but I continued inside. She watched me as I sat down across from her, organizing my many notes and questions before pressing the ‘RECORD’ button on my tape recorder. “You look nervous.” She said softly.

Even in her bulky prison jumpsuit she was stunning, with deep blue eyes and a perfect silhouette. I could see why Mr. Snow had fallen so helplessly for her, she was beautiful. I blushed lightly, keeping my eyes down as I continued to shuffle papers.

“You’re my first interview.” I admitted. I had been told not to tell her that, but I couldn’t help it. She drew words from me like a succubus drew blood. She giggled softly, playing with her hair. I noticed a large chunk missing, the ends of the short piece jagged. She noticed my stare and laughed.

“My first day here some huge bulldog of a woman tried to slash my throat.” She answered calmly, holding up the sad strand of hair. “I dodged it but the bitch got my beautiful hair instead. So I took her shank and cut her face open.” Her smile put me on edge as she recalled the event, obviously quite fondly. “She bled like a stuck pig, ended up needing forty-six stiches. And now no one messes with me.” She ran her thumb over the split ends, pouting. “I need a good conditioning treatment, the stuff they sell is shit.” She looked up at me, giving me a puppy dog look. “I’ll suck your dick if you bring me some real stuff from a salon.”

I blanched at the comment, watching as she leaned back, chuckling. Her gaze drank me in as she chewed her thumb, a habit I’d seen before from her courtroom videos. “I’ll see if I can’t get you something, but how about for answering my questions instead?”

“Am I not pretty enough to suck you off mister…” She leaned over to read my visitor I.D. “Jacob Washington?”

“What? N-no, I just um… I have a girlfriend.”

“You are a shitty liar.” She snorted. “Besides, you’ve read my file. Significant others don’t mean a thing to me.”

“I think they do, but Harry was different.” I said boldly. She grinned mockingly at me.

“Ooh. Tough guy huh?” She chuckled. “Going to go right for the big questions.”

“I know you were abused in your foster home as a kid, and separated from your little brother.” I said, looking over a few notes I had taken. “Are you worried about what this is all doing to him? He made a statement saying-”

“Louis is perfectly alright thank you, I love him very much and I’m very proud of what he’s done with his life.” She interjected, her smile more forced.

“In his statement he agrees with them giving you the death penalty.” I said softly, not believing she would still stand by him. She simply shrugged.

“Who can resist getting some limelight when your sister is a convicted, and universally hated, murderer?” She answered quickly. “Besides, he has to hate me too or he won’t survive. And his little wifey isn’t exactly singing my praises, so he has to keep her happy.”

“I take it you’re not a big fan.” She scoffed.

“Of Martha? Perfect, Yale graduate, Doctor Martha who turned my brother into a stay-at-home little pussy? No, not really.” She snapped, drumming her fingers on the table. “She has poor Louis so whipped he won’t even come see me. Fucking bitch.” She sighed, running a hand through her hair. “If you ask me, I should have offed her too. Damn shame.”

“Speaking of offing people, tell me about the Snows.” Her eyes shot to mine, making my heart seize. There was a tense silence before she snickered.

“I don’t think Evel Knievel could have made that conversation jump.” She teased. I chuckled lightly at her joke. “But, since you’re losing your interview virginity to me and everything, I’ll humor you. What do you want to know?” I remembered her threat of asking why she’d killed them and swallowed nervously.

“I guess just… take me through everything, from your perspective.” She nodded.

“That’s a good way to avoid the why question I guess.” She chuckled, smiling at me. She just continued to stare at me for a moment, grinning softly. “You look like him you know, Harry.” She finally murmured. “I don’t suppose you’re related?”

“Not that I’m aware of.” I admitted. I had hoped my looking like her lover would help soften Celeste up, and my plan had worked. She leaned back, chewing her lip.

“Well before we get started, how about some refreshments?” She then turned towards the door, hollering loudly so the guard would hear her. “Hey Gigantor, can you get me and my buddy Mr. Washington some coffee?” The guard rolled his eyes before barking something to someone down the hallway. She giggled. “I’ve got him wrapped around my finger. She whispered to me. “I blew him my first week here.” She winked at me and I remembered her offer earlier and turned bright red. She giggled. “So shy.” She whispered. “Harry wasn’t shy at all.”

“What first drew you to him?” I asked.

“It was his eyes, even though his sexy accent helped a lot, believe me. But his eyes were so green and deep, God they were beautiful.” She admitted. “I was at the desk and he came up and I was so lost in them.” She paused. “I’m pretty sure that was the moment I fell in love with him actually. He just looked at me that very first time and that was it, I’d do anything for him.” Her face became sad as she looked at her hands. “I had seen his wedding ring, but I couldn’t help myself. I went into his office and told him his wife never had to know.”

“And then the affair started.” She nodded.

“I don’t regret it if that’s what you’re wondering.” I opened my mouth to speak, but Celeste read my mind. “The affair. Although his bitch wife did have everything coming to her.”

“Tell me about Abigail.” I leaned towards, her, entranced. She scoffed.

“If you look up ‘plain’ in the dictionary, Abigail’s picture is there.” She laughed cruelly. “Shit colored hair, muddy brown eyes, and it wouldn’t have killed the bitch to have lost twenty pounds. No tits, but a pretty nice ass.” Celeste shrugged. “Obviously a far cry from myself. And from what little I could pry from Harry, all she did was whine about how he needed to be home more, he was going to be a father.” She smiled. “I was his escape.”

“So the affair went on for six months?” Celeste nodded. “Did you know she was pregnant?” There was a small pause before she nodded again. “Do you regret it knowing she was?”

“I knew when I fucking killed that bitch.” She answered sharply. “And I still pulled the trigger. So no, I don’t.” There was a tense silence before the door opened, the guard walking in and handing both Celeste and I a Styrofoam cup filled with lukewarm coffee. Celeste caught my questioning glance and chuckled darkly. “It’s so I can’t throw it in your face and burn you.”

“Oh.” I said, my voice shaking slightly. She simply chuckled.

“But anyway, I had met her a few times, and between that and what Harry told me, she deserved it.” She sipped her coffee nonchalantly, as though we were talking about sports and not how she had shot her lover’s wife and unborn son thirteen times. I had read in the report that the number of bullets meant she had had to stop and reload not once, but twice. The last shot had ripped through Abigail’s stomach, killing her son that had been due this past December.

“Take me to the day of the murder.” She sighed, running a hand through her hair.

“Well, Harry had broken off the affair that morning, saying that he couldn’t leave his wife for me because he was too invested in her. Can you believe that? He talked about that stupid brat like she was a car.” She shook her head. “She didn’t deserve him, and I don’t know to this day what he saw in her.” She sighed. “So, I went home, told my boss I was sick. Harry figured I was just upset, but was worried I might tell dear little wifey, hence why he followed me.”

“Did you know he was following you?” She swallowed thickly.

“No.”

“Would you have still gone through with it had you known?” She looked up, a sadistic smile twisting her pretty face, and I swear to this day those icy eyes could see right through me.

“I wouldn’t take back a single fucking bullet.” She whispered. There was a stillness in the air and I felt as though there was no oxygen left, that Celeste had stolen it all and left me to suffocate. She leaned forward, her lips inches from mine. “Do you know why I changed my name to Celeste?”

“Because Rhonda doesn’t fit you?” I choked out weakly. She laughed, throwing her head back before returning to her seat and allowing my heart to beat again.

“I like you Jacob.” She giggled. “You’re not like those other twats.”

“Glad to hear it.” I laughed nervously. She watched me for a long time, her eyes freezing me down to my bones. “So, why did you pick Celeste?”

“Because I may be stuck in this body, but my mind is infinite, like a celestial body of stars.” I nodded, having read that Celeste- though her appearance would never suggest it- actually possessed an IQ of 156 and a love of astronomy. She could have been anything, an astronomer, a philosopher, but here she was, a murderer. It was enough to keep you up at night, wondering about all the things she could have been.

“So, when Harry walked in and saw you standing over Abigail’s body, did he say anything?” I murmured. It was the one thing no one had been able to get from her, but I had hoped maybe she would tell me. I saw her blink slowly, a tear rolling down her face. She had been so cold it was a bit unnerving to see any emotion from her.

“He asked me why.” She choked out. “Why did I kill her? What had I done? Then he ran over, cradling her body in his arms, sobbing as she bled all over him. She was dead, but he didn’t seem to notice as he begged her to stay with him. It was more than I could bear.”

“And that’s why you shot him.” She looked up at me, a light in her eyes I had never seen before.

“You understand.” She whispered. “I had to. I was about to kill myself when the police arrived and tackled me to the ground.” She chuckled. “They had to wipe pieces of Harry’s brain off my cheek because they weren’t looking where they threw me down.” She shook her head. “Fucking brutes.”

“Did they hurt you?” I whispered. She shook her head.

“Most of them were too busy throwing up.” She chuckled darkly. “Telling me I was a monster and that I would pay for this.” She shrugged. “And Friday, I will.”

“Are you scared?” I asked, she smiled, shaking her head.

“Nothing scares me anymore.” She whispered. “Harry was the only thing that got me through the day, and now he’s gone.” Her expression was breaking my heart as she turned back to me. “Will you be there?” She whispered. “When they finally put this monster down?” I blinked quickly, knowing Celeste had banned any and all media from being at her execution.

“Why me?” I muttered, Celeste simply shrugged.

“I need a friendly face to look at when I finally die.” She admitted. “At least, it would be nice.” Without thinking I nodded, promising her I would be the last thing she saw before she passed on. She smiled warmly, leaning over and kissing my cheek. “Thank you Jacob.”

“Visiting hours are over!” Her guard barked, walking into our room. “Time to go back to your cell Celeste.” She nodded, standing and turning to me.

“Three-Fifteen this Friday.” She reminded me. “Be there, please.”

“I will.” I murmured, watching her as she was escorted out. I quickly turned off my tape recorder, wondering what I had gotten myself into.



That Friday I was escorted back through those same halls, towards the last room Celeste would ever be in. I felt odd, being in there with Abigail and Harry’s families, along with the DA and a single police officer who was fiddling with the camera. But then I noticed a familiar face and walked over, sitting beside Louis Davis, Celeste’s brother. He seemed alarmed that I had approached him as I extended my hand.

“Jacob Washington.” I offered. “I interviewed your sister and she asked me to be here.”

“Louis Davis.” He said, shaking my hand and motioning for me to sit down. “I read your interview with my sister, it was… it was nice to see someone not just call her a monster.”

“I presume you read what she said about you then.” He laughed sadly.

“Oh yes. Martha was pissed.” He licked his lips nervously. “She didn’t want me to come today, even though I told her that Celeste is still my sister. And do you know what she said?”

“What?”

“It’s your fucking sister or me, Louis.” He shrugged. “So, here I am.”

“I’m sorry.” I offered, he simply shrugged.

“I knew she was fucking a few of her male nurses. Celeste had warned me a thousand times, but I didn’t listen.” He swallowed thickly. “She saved me from being miserable the rest of my life, I just wished I could have saved hers.” I set my hand on his shoulder, causing him to look up.

“She loved him, nothing in this universe or any other could have stopped what happened from happening, except Harry telling her no.” Louis nodded.

“Cheating bastard got what he deserved if you ask me.” Louis whispered, his icy eyes that so perfectly matched his sister’s on Harry’s family. “But I do feel bad for his wife.”

“Celeste was doing what she thought Harry wanted.” I tried. “But I agree, it is unfortunate.”

“Quiet please!” The DA hollered, I assumed the camera had started rolling as the curtains were pulled back, showing Celeste strapped to that God awful table. I felt my heart break, not knowing if she knew both me and her brother were here for here.

“Celeste Davis, you are to be executed today by lethal injection for the murder of Harold Snow, Abigail Snow, and their unborn child. Do you have any last words?” She chuckled lightly, a tear running down her face.

“This world could never contain me.” She whispered. “I am celestial. I am infinite.” With that she closed her eyes, accepting her fate as she was rotated onto her back and we watched the vials activate. She blinked quickly, and her laugh is something I will never soon forget. “God…” She whispered. “I can see God.”

And then she stopped moving.

A doctor walked up, taking her pulse in several different places before pronouncing her dead. The room filled with tears, both happy and sad, and the curtain closed as Celeste was being uncuffed. I turned to Louis, whose face was strong even though tears rolled freely down it.

“So that’s it.” He muttered. “She’s gone.” I nodded.

“Only for now.” He turned to me and I smiled sadly. “Like she said, this world was never meant for someone like her. She’s stardust now.” Louis smiled weakly at me, patting me on the back.

“Jacob, I think my sister deserves a drink in her memory, what do you say?”

“I’d be honored.”



Now, fourteen years later, here I am, still haunted by her ghost. I have interviewed countless rapists, murderers, thieves, and drug lords. My work has been celebrated and praised, but all I ever go back to is that one afternoon all those years ago. With lukewarm coffee and the most beautiful, terrifying woman I’ve ever known. And every night before I close my eyes, I still hear those words.

I am celestial. I am infinite.