Ben lay on the cool dirt floor staring up at the ceiling. The stifling mid-August heat hung in the air like an unwanted wool blanket. The intolerable warmth caused the prisoners to spend their days lying on the floor of their cells, unmoving for movement would cause more heat.
Ben remembered a time, months ago, when he dreamed of summer's heat to warm him from the freezing winter's cold and frost bite. Now the intense heat was providing other problems. Heat stroke was ramped in the jail and water was scarce. There was nothing to do but dream of cooler weather.
The cells were quiet, the heat made the men to tired to talk. There was a strange hush in the room, with a constant sound of soft moaning and whispered voices. The days passed slowly, each day on the incarceration more unbearable than the previous.
It was during one such lazy day that one of the men in the cell closest to the door called out in a strangely invigorated voice, "Good news men! It sounds like the officers are planning a prisoner exchange! We may be soon out of here!"
A cheer went up among the prisoners as the chance of freedom breathed new life into the soldiers.
"Huzzah!" they cheered, tears of joy at the prospect of freedom streamed down the faces of many. The ruckus caused the warden to leave his office and check in on the soldiers.
"Be quite ye mongrels!" the warden growled, poking his head in to the jail. After one quick tour he went back to his desk, closing the door behind him.
As soon as the door shut, excited whispers flew throughout the air.
"Can you believe it? We can be out of here!"
"I can see my wife again!"
"Home cooked food!"
In the face of optimism, some were pessimistic.
"It could be just a rumor."
"Don't be getting' your hopes up, who knows how long it will be til we're free."
Nathaniel did a little jig in the cell,
Pumpkin at morning, pumpkin at noon;
If it was not for the pumpkin we should be undoon
He sang, looking forward to fresh food.
Zachary smiled weakly at Nathaniel's antics.
"You need to get yourself well, son. The Americans don't exchange for sickly prisoners." Stephen bent down to place his hand on the shivering Zachary's forehead.
"I've made my peace, Stephen. Do not worry about me." Zachary said.
"That is no way to talk, we will have you out of here and get you to a doctor soon enough and then you can go home to your bonny lass." Stephen scolded. Zachary just smiled and whispered one word, "Sarah." before closing his eyes to drift off to sleep.
The next few days passed particularly slowly as everyone was anxious about news of an exchange. Finally one afternoon the warden sauntered into the cell block, with two other guards. Reaching the middle row he unrolled a piece of parchment and read aloud;
On the 23rd day of August, 1781, representatives of the American Army seek to negotiate a prisoner exchange of one-hundred men to take place at 11 o'clock at the north field of the City of Charles Town, South Carolina.
A loud cry erupted from the prisoners, Nathaniel hugged a bewildered Ben and tears of joy moisten the faces of both John and Stephen who looked forwarded to seeing their wives and children again. The 23rd of August, that was less than a week away!
Ben bent down to where Zachary was sitting, propped up against the outer wall. "Aren't you excited to get out of here?" he questioned.
"Extremely." He answered with a sad smiled and turned his gaze to look out his cage's window.
But Zachary never did live to see freedom. Two mornings later the sun rose red in the sky. At light Zachary began coughing; his whole body shook with each intake of air. The men in his cell awoke with the noise, as did a few others surrounding them. Stephen sat Zachary up and gave him a few thumps on the back.
"We need a doctor in here!" John called, as did a few other men, but no one responded to their calls.
"I can't . . . I can't . . . . breath." Zachary wheezed, trying to catch his breath. One of the men in the cell closest to the door continued to call for help. John used his tattered handkerchief to wipe Zachary's mouth and noticed blood on the cloth, he looked at the boy and shook his head. When Zachary's coughing fit subsided he called weakly for Ben. Ben crawled over to his friend, knowing that the end was near.
"Promise me you will give this to Sarah." Zachary pulled a letter written on the butcher paper that the flag was written on out of his coat pocket. "Tell her that I love her and to smile again. I cannot bear to see her sad. Tell her we will be together again someday and that I love her. I love her more than anything in this world."
Fighting back tears, Ben assured him that he would.
"And, Ben, I saw your Felicity. I saw you with her. Go home to her and never leave her again, she is special."
Overhearing, Nathaniel muttered softly, "A true romantic"
Ben smiled at Zachary and promised him that he would. A sudden calmness came over Zachary's face and he took his final breaths, surrounded by the men who had become his family over the past few months.