Dr Benjamin Sawyers

TW: Animal abuse and death, murder, abuse.

There was abuse and neglect from his parents when Benjamin was a child. Nothing over the top with lasting bruises and broken bones - but a slap and angry yelling when he did wrong, and even when he did right. To say that a frustration began to grow at an early age is an understatement. Benjamin was a cruel child with a short temper, was violent to his classmates and teachers, and even the family’s pet. Other small animals became victims to his both frustration and fascination with blood and death. He killed them and felt nothing except for excitement, performing various experiments and “artwork” with them.

With age, Benjamin actually calmed down a lot and learned how to behave more properly around others, imitating their behavior while figuring out what’s “right” and what’s “wrong”. In high school, he was even one of the popular kids, albeit still violent and an asshole - but a smooth one. His grades weren’t the best. He didn’t care. He had stopped hurting animals for the most part, but the fantasies of killing were always there whether he wanted them to or not.

At 15, Benjamin met his wife Angelina for the first time. She was 22 and studying to become a nurse. It didn’t take long for him to disown his parents, run away from home and home to Angelina. For whatever reason, she put up with this violent and angry kid, tried to teach him how to manage his anger with yoga and art, and she didn’t yell at him or slap him. Neither did she react much when Benjamin yelled at her or slapped her, and little by little, she learned how to handle him and his personality.

At 17 he became a father to his first child with Angelina. He didn’t want it. She said it didn’t matter, she would take care of it. “Fine,” he said with a shrug. A son named Anthony came to the world, and three years later the little brother Thomas. Benjamin and Angelina married shortly after this. He didn’t understand why she stayed with him or how she could love him, but she did. Despite him being detached and barely looking at the kids, Angelina loved him for who he was, and even put up with him being unfaithful. She taught him the importance of acting normal and how to navigate the world as someone being a little… different.

Much thanks to Angelina, Benjamin got into college and managed to finish it with a few struggles because of boredom. He continued to study in medical school, all the way to becoming an orthopedic surgeon like his parents.

Benjamin first acted on his fantasies about killing in college. He had planned it for years, and finally, the urge became too strong. Turns out, it was incredibly thrilling and made him feel extremely powerful. He seemed to go into a trance.

He knew it was wrong, but the killing continued. He didn’t care. Not often, though. Benjamin had a cool-down period with 2-4 years in between each kill. He had his studies, family, and a nice job to keep up with too. Not to mention he was a well-liked individual in the community, often helping out neighbors with whatever they needed help with. No one knew about his ‘hobby’. He was such a kind person after all. His family never suspected a thing.

Between ages 32 and 36 he killed a lot more often than he had before. The death count went up.

The last murder was committed when he was 38, his 16th victim. He lost interest and moved on. The police had, of course, tried to solve the cases since the very first murder and had even talked to Benjamin a couple of years before. It took another two years after the last murder for them to get Benjamin, but only for one of the murders. Benjamin confessed everything without the slightest regret or shame in his body, and could without a problem tell the court how he had done it and that he had killed 15 more people, what date, and where the bodies were. In court, he talked about it like any mundane thing, with a couple of amused laughs.

Benjamin was finally convicted for nine of his claimed 16 murders, and he was sentenced to death. The Alan B. Polunsky maximum security unit would become his new home, otherwise known as death row.

A cell no larger than a shoebox. 22 hours a day are spent inside of it, and during the weekends, 24 hours. No TV. In the beginning, not even a radio. Body visitations every day meant standing naked in front of others. Barely any social contact. People who scream in the cells during the night, who speak crazy talk, who throw shit at the guards, who commit suicide. Bad air. Bad food. Not such a great life, in other words, maybe not even for a serial killer. He also got diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder with narcissistic traits.

He did get visits at times. By his wife, his youngest son, by media, by psychologists, and by people within the judicial system. By producers, by writers, by journalists. He got letters from fans. He starred in documentaries, interviews, reportages, and books.

However, that’s not enough to keep you alive on death row. As time went by, Benjamin got worse and worse, and quieter with every visit. It took longer time to warm up and speak. Getting out of the cell caused anxiety. He turned down recreation time and spent months inside his cell, except when going to take a shower. The few inmates he had heard killing themselves were quite inspiring after a while, and Benjamin longed for the execution day.

Luckily for him, that day never came before the world turned to shit.

THE START OF THE APOCALYPSE UNTIL NOW

Who the hell prioritizes informing inmates on death row? No one, probably. Benjamin had no idea that something serious had gone down until a couple of months later. One by one, the staff seemed to disappear until the cells opened and the prison was empty but all the inmates. Of course, fights began to rise and some people died until they figured out how they should operate together, still unknowing of what had happened outside. It wasn’t until months later they managed to get the hell out, just to meet death.

More people died. Panic broke out. Even Benjamin became a bit nervous but managed to keep his cool as per usual in most situations. He mostly found the new world totally cool since it finally allowed him to go outside that crap place and he was free again. The dead smelled gross, but otherwise, he thought they were interesting.

Other survivors found the prison later on and joined the rest of the inmates that were still there. No one really recognized Benjamin out of them. In the end, he left the prison together with a group of survivors, and his skills as a surgeon were very appreciated.