One day, quite a while after that time in the Chestnut Tree Café, Winston was called into work early. He wasn't used to this, of course, for he'd been getting up later and later ever since that incident in the Ministry of Love. But, anyways, with the glass of gin to rise him out of bed (he'd been trying to have it less, but still needed it's help occasionally) at nine hundred hours, he reported to work.

"Hey, Winston," said O'Brien, who was waiting outside the office for him.

"Hey," Winston said. "What are you doing here? Haven't seen you in a while." O'Brien had been moved to a different department some time before, and Winston rarely saw him nowadays.

"Well, you see, I was just coming down to inspect the progress you're making with your work," said O'Brien. "I do like to see what other people get up to. You'd be surprised how interesting it is. Anyways, why don't we head down to your office to inspect it?"

"Ummm sure," said Winston. He was a little confused, for this was a weird reason for O'Brien to make the trip down here, but he accepted the explanation without question, as he'd always been taught to do.

As they got to the office, Winston began showing O'Brien his work. He'd been making considerable progress on the assignment, to the point where it was almost complete. O'Brien was enthusiastic.

"Great!" said O'Brien. "This all looks excellent. Here, why don't I save you the trouble of finishing it? Feel free to head out early today, I think you've earned it."

Winston was suitably confused, for this didn't seem like O'Brien at all, but like all things he just went along with it. But on his way out of the Ministry, he somehow managed to get lost for the first time in years, if not decades (the front door was closed, and Winston, lost in his thoughts, walked right passed it).

After a while, he'd somehow gotten himself into an abandoned corner of the building, full of spiderwebs. But Winston, so lost in his thoughts about the majesty of Big Brother and the war which they would surely win, didn't even notice. Until he turned the corner.

Suddenly, Winston was looking down a hallway. It was clean, shining white, a stark contrast to the area he'd just been in. The hallway seemed to stretch on for miles, never turning, never wavering, always the pure, gleaming white.

"It's just like my dream!" Winston exclaimed. He didn't mean to say this aloud, of course, but he was so shocked he couldn't help himself. Looking behind in fright in case someone had heard, Winston started down the hallway.

As he walked, Winston's thoughts were racing. He knew, of course, that they planned to kill him. One knew these things, as easily as one knew the difference between day and night. He hadn't expected it to be so soon. But then, inspecting his innermost thoughts, Winston realized that he had finally been cured. All of the rebellious, cursed thoughts, were somehow gone! That was why O'Brien had shown up, that was why he had been acting strangely, that was why Winston was able to go early, that was why the front door was closed (Winston realized that now). Everything made sense! Winston's only lingering thought was how The Party had known, but he put that off to their majesty and excellence.

So then, as Winston walked down the corridor, his soul white as snow, thinking only of his love for Big Brother, he waited for the shot. It came.