The Hangman's Lament

He loved the snap of the rope as it went taut; the crack of the victim's neck as they dangled and danced the jig of death at the end of the noose. It was the feeling of power, literally having someone's life in your hands - to see that life snuffed out with one push of a lever. Norman often fantasised about indulging his auto-asphyxiation fetish on the gallows: he was useless with knots, but it looked like fun.

Until government regulations were relaxed, he would continue teaching kids their lesson in his role as Official Schools & Colleges Hangman.