At first my curiosity subsided. I couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was in that folder. That the brown ribbon holding it shut had something more to tell. I felt my hand reaching for it, unaware that I was being watched, or rather, I forgot I was being watched. What was with the lettering that seemed so threatening to me? I began to panic inside. My dark brown hair fell into my face and pulling my hand back, I nervously turned around only to find the Warden standing in the doorway to his office, leaning on his cane with an awful look on his face.
"Your coffee is on your desk, sir." I spoke very fast being nervous. Did he know that I was panicking inside? I pushed my bangs out of my face and stood, waiting for him.
"Well thank you, Jared." He seemed to say this sarcastically to me, tipping his hat and walking over to his desk, taking a seat and propping his shiny shoes up. The Warden took a sip of the coffee and almost immediately spit it out back into its cup. "Cold." He chuckled. I began to say 'I'm sorry', but as soon as the words came into my head he wrapped his hand around the cup and it started to steam. Every day I learned something new about the Warden. It wasn't until he began touching the thick folder, did my astonishment subside.
"Jared," His tone changed a bit from before. "Would you say, that you have, 'helped' this jail?" He interrogated me and a lump formed in my throat.
"Well, I-I, uhm, I don't know. I-I guess I have?" I couldn't stop the stuttering and he smiled only a little, untying the brown ribbon, opening the folder.
"Jared how long have you been here?" He asked taking off his glasses and flipping through a few pages.
"Uhm…I-I don't really know exactly…"
"June 18th 2007." The Warden seemed to become upset because of this. "You were, impressive." He began reading silently the words in the folder, and I sat in the chair across from him, sinking like an abused dog. "No matter…let's just forget this old thing." He tossed it in the air and I sprung from my chair to try and catch it, papers flying everywhere. "Sit down Jared." He rolled his eyes and turned his chair around to view the outside. "Look at my prisoners, Jared."
"Y-yes sir."
"You could be down there, you know?" I became confused. I knew what he was hinting at. I'm a prisoner, just like the others. Only in my case, believe it or not, I'm innocent really.
"You aren't innocent, Jared." The Warden turned around. "No one is here. You're just smarter than the rest of them. I saved your brilliant mind from being slaughtered a long time ago. You attend to me."
How did he know what I was thinking? Is everything in this jail backwards and unworldly? Is it me that's crazy, or just everyone else, especially the Warden?
"You never know how far 'being crazy' can get you, Jared, you should try it sometime." He smiled crookedly again.
"No! I-I wasn't thinking that you-" There was a silence and he went back to peering out his window, only this time, he had a hurt look on his face.
"Sir?" I stammered. "Is everything alright with you?"
"Of course…I do enjoy thunderstorms every now and again." He didn't smile, or even look at me. "Jared, why don't you take the day off today," He uttered rudely and pulled out a cigarette from his coat pocket. "Go find Jailbot for me, please. I would like to see my darling." With this, I heard thunder from far away.
"Yes Warden, Sir." I left the room, leaving him to his mood.
