'Euthanasia Island' When Stanley Rosenthal purchased Euthanasia Island, he had good intentions. Driven by concern for his terminally ill wife, he wanted a place where she could spend her final days in peace. This island fit his needs; it possessed pristine beauty, white sandy beaches, epic mountains and valleys, and a sunrise that could only be topped by the magnificent sunset. After his wife's death he decided to open the island to all the terminally ill that had a need and wish for a quick and painless death free of government interference. The concept worked well, as people from all over the world made reservations to stay on the island. A stay that lasted three days for a final adventure giving them the opportunity to live and die in peace, the way they wanted to. Then the concept was compromised: Fueled by the allure of money, Stanley Rosenthal realized that selling the guests' internal organs through the Black-Market could make a profit. He decided to place the would-be-dead bodies in suspended animation, medicating them to keep them alive as long as possible. The organs then would be offered to the highest bidder. Only when his guests became a hollow shell he would put them to death. One thing that Stanly Rosenthal didn't take into consideration was the souls of these bodies. He never considered what they might have to say about his 'Operation'.
About the Author: J. Bruno Born and raised in Northeast Pennsylvania, the Pocono Mountain area, in then, the small town of Hazleton. I grew up watching the landscape being strip-mined of the Natural Resource called Anthracite Coal. While the coal hauling tractors crisscrossed up and down Route 309, Route 924, and Diamond Avenue. I remained busy eating Jimmy's Hot Dogs, Third Base Hoagies, and Senape's pizza, (also known as Pitz). The usually cold days gave way to an even colder night where we gathered at "The Lot", The lot being a shopping center parking area fronting on the center strip of town, Broad Street. If Hazleton had an epicenter it would have been Broad Street. Broad Street, the place where we drove our American Made, make-shift Hot-rods aimlessly up and down in the mission to fight off boredom, (and occasionally to meet the new girl in town.) During this time we waited patiently for summer to arrive, this happened sometime in July, and departed sometime in August. The other general gathering places usually involved alcohol, places like; "The Warm-up Lounge", "The Roman Gate", "The Oscar", and "Shenanigans" (Really Original), to name a few of the taverns. The only requirement for entry into most establishments, you needed to be taller then Bugs Bunny's Ears. The advantages or disadvantages of frequenting the local establishments, you got to see the same people, day after day after day - - -. Then one day, they left the gate open . . . I now reside in Florida with my wife of 24 years, Annie. An Italian Gray Hound who is getting up in age, (he has one paw in the grave, and the other paw on a banana peel, and the other paw on a banana peel, and the other paw on a banana peel), and a Calico Cat with an Attention Deficit Disorder. We raised two wonderful children, a boy, Joey, and a girl, Ashley, now both in the Armed Forces. Oh yeah, we picked up a son-in-law along the way, Justin, who is also serving in the Armed Forces. God Bless Them All. Thank you for reading! Joe.