Due Exchange

The guard yanked him up by his collar without a hint of respect.

"Hey! Relax… I’m commin"

Out into the hallway they followed after the warden, Collin’s eyes shifted around as they walked down the glum corridor of death row. He wondered where he was being taken, if this was part of his final arrangements he was oblivious to it.

"Say… Jack" said Collin to the guard. "Where we goin anyway?"

The guard just looked ahead, silent and stoic. Collin frowned at the silent sentinel and scratched his chin. The wardens office was on the highest level of the prison. The warden had taken a door to the right, but all prisoners had to be escorted through the hallways appointed to them, so they took the long way through the steel fortress and came finally to the north elevator.

A fellow prisoner in an orange jumpsuit mopped the floor just outside the elevator. His eyes fixed on Collin as they approached. His glare made Collin uneasy, the mans eyes seemed to penetrate through his soul.

"Why don’t you take a picture bub" he snapped.

The prisoner looked to the guard, then back to Collin. Then he simply nodded and smiled a disturbing grin.

Once in the elevator, Collin tried to loosen his collar as he was gradually feeling very anxious. Beads of sweat broke out along his brow and he was having trouble standing still.

"Why don’t ya just tell me what this is all about. I got a right to know."

Big Jack cocked a brow.

"The warden requires your presence, that’s all I know, that’s all I have to know. And as far as your rights, their buried in the graves of those boys."

Collins lips went tight, his anger at the boiling point, but he knew better than to try to deal any wrath to big Jack. They reached the top floor and stepped out into the hallway, three doors down and they were at the warden’s door. The guard knocked twice and immediately the warden called for him to let Collin inside.

Collin stepped inside the office, the warden was behind his desk lighting a cigar. Two other men in black suits stood on either side of the desk and another prisoner in the same type of prison shirt as Collin sat in a chair, his back to them. The warden puffed twice on the stogie and motioned for the guard to leave them be.

"Well now" said the warden. "Sit down, please."

Collin eyed the two other men with narrow eyes as he sat down in a corner chair. He still couldn’t see the face of the fellow inmate.

"So what is this warden? Who are these men?"

"Relax Collin, I’ll explain everything. That was a good right you nailed me with back there. You could have been a fighter, it’s a more noble profession than a criminal you know." the taunting smile had returned to the wardens face as he blew smoke.

"Yeah, I could have been a lot of things, and I have. I got buckets full more talent than you do, that’s for sure."

The warden chuckled.

"Indeed, indeed… you’ll make a most useful subject then."

"Subject… what is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, first things first Mr. Blake, I would like you to meet your replacement at the moment."

He looked to the other inmate.

"Please stand and shake Mr. Blake’s hand"

The prisoner stood and turned around. Collin’s eyes bulged out and he lost his breath as he starred into the face of the man, it was his own. Identical in every way, Collin sat staring at himself, as if he looked into a mirror. The other Collin held a blank expression, and stared back with vacant eyes. It sent a shiver up his spine and he fought to swallow the lump in his throat. The other Collin extended his hand as if to shake, but Collin could only sit paralyzed.

"Wh…what madness?" he uttered.