Finally a new Project Leglimensia room

First Draft Interrogatio Tabulatus Cell:

A tall wooden pole stands seemingly out of place at the far end of the bright white room. Though the room is crisp and white, the poll looks weather beaten and damp. A faint scent of sweat and urine lingers in the quiet room. Small flecks of orange litter the floor beneath the pole’s curved top. Upon closer inspection, a medium sized dark hook camouflages itself at the pinnacle of the sinister looking pole. The rusted orange screws of the hook cause the debris left on the floor, as if the pole had been shaken, releasing the encrusted rust. The lone pole faces the only exit to the northwest, allowing the interrogated to see the escape that cannot be reached.

Extended Descriptions:

Pole Hook: The hook placed at the curvature of the pole serves as a torture tool. Do not underestimate the simplicity of the hook. When chained to it, its victims are certain to die a tortured and painful death. In a traditional behind the back handcuff pose, the interrogated is hung by the wrists. Hours in this position will eventually dislocate the shoulders from the sockets. Only inches from the floor, the victim is helpless and cannot support him or herself.

White Walls Crisp Sweat Urine: Bewitched to beat the interrogated with rain, hail, and snow the walls provide the interrogator with elemental torture. Frostbite and bruises take over the victims as they hang helplessly for days. Naturally, the build up human excrement permeates the room. When the interrogation is complete the room resumes its pristine appearance.


Okay, so this isn't really my idea, well it sort of is. I got this idea from the Nazi death camp, Auschwitz. We saw poles like this in the camp in the same area as the shooting range. Jews would be hung with their arms behind their backs from hooks until they died. I had a really hard time writing this even though I had actually seen the object I'm trying to describe. This is partially because the image in my head is very painful. In order for me to put imagery into a piece, I of course, have to imagine it. So imagining someone hanging by their limbs till their death isn't something I like to think about right before bed.

I know that I did not do the scene justice, but I'm working on it. I've asked my editors for ideas. I'm hoping that since they weren't actually standing right in front of the pole, that they would be slightly desensitized to it and can come up with some way to describe it for others to see what I see in my head. Does that make sense? That's what writers do right? Tell you what's in their heads with their words?

This idea is actually one that I used to get the Project Leglimensia job in the first place. It was much easier to describe then because I actually used Harry on the pole. They wanted dark and sinister, so I gave them dark and sinister.


To help you understand what I'm trying to describe, the picture below shows the gates that were used to enclose the victims. The pole looks very similar to this, but with a hook at the top to hang someone from. The pole was much smaller. Probably about six feet tall or so.