[ WP ] A man convicted of murder is sentenced to death by having his consciousness sent back to live out the last 24 hours of the victims life , where he will see , hear and feel everything but can not interact or change what is about to happen

Garth looked around – or, rather, Shelly looked around, and Garth observed through her eyes. He felt a shiver of ecstasy, though, that he was sure belonged entirely to him. After all, Shelly was watching TV and eating a bowl of leftover chili from her last visit to Mom ’ s place. Only he knew what happened next. 
 
 This wasn ’ t a bad way to go at all. It was like having a retirement party. It was delectable. 
 
 He felt the experiences of her body, the tightness in her lower back from a long drive and bad posture. He felt the sensitivity in her breasts. He sensed the irritation in back of her mind. God, if only he could get out there and do it again. 
 
 Any prosecutors or police at the execution, any of Shelly ’ s family, would see Garth strapped down in that cold concrete room grinning like a bastard. This wasn ’ t torture. This was a joy. A treasure. A beautiful send off to a hideous life. 
 
 Shelly was looking down at a cut on her leg, but Garth was paying more attention to the lean, youthful, creamy strips of muscle. They were tight, the skin taut and fragrant. Being so close made him savor what would happen next. It was like a hunter, creeping through the brush, watching bambi pause to take a drink from the stream. It made him aroused. 
 
 Soon the knock on the door came. 
 
 Some uncertainty, some precursor to fear twinged inside Shelly. An alertness. He could feel her groping for names and events. Did she accidentally invite someone over? Of all her friends, who might show up now, at this hour, totally uninvited? 
 
 It was just the neighbor, asking her if knew the number of the people who lived upstairs. They had agreed to water her plants while she was away but lost her phone. Shelly gave the number and went back to the TV. 
 
 That was the real kicker because Garth never would have gotten in without that interaction. Shelly forgot to relock the door after that. Garth ’ s favorite strategy was to just walk around trying doors. Usually he just stole stuff, but sometimes he did other things. You ’ d be amazed at how trusting people are. 
 
 Garth came by later. He just opened the door and walked in. 
 
 Shelly heard the door creak, but it took her a long second to react. He knew why, now. She thought it was the wind blowing it open, the air pressure of the apartment. Even when he stood in the doorway she just sat and stared back at him. It took a good ten seconds for the panic to set in, and boy was it delicious. 
 
 Somewhere in the cold dark halls of the Florida Corrections Facility, Garth was rock hard. 
 
 Shelly screamed and jumped over the couch, scrambling for the bedroom. Garth aimed his silenced pistol and fired. The first bullet hit her in the back and she slammed into the wall. She tried to get up. He fired a second time, hitting her in the back of the leg. 
 
 Garth felt the pain. It felt like he had flown into the sun. It swallowed him up. 
 
 He and Shelly scrambled away from himself, scurrying backwards. The panic and pain battled for control. He watched himself lower the gun and fire a third time. 
 
 Only then did Garth begin to scream. 

