Finally realizing that John is innocent, Paul is distraught at the thought of executing him, and offers to let him go free. John, however, tells Paul that he wishes to die, as he views the world as a cruel place, and is in constant pain from the suffering people inflict upon each other. Mentioning that he had never seen a movie before, John watches "Top Hat" with the other guards as a last request. When executed later that night, he asks not to have a hood placed over his head, as he is afraid of the dark. Back in the present, Paul tells Elaine that John's was the last execution that he and Brutus witnessed, as they both subsequently resigned from the prison and took jobs in the juvenile system.