“You’re welcome Jacob.”

“Don why do you guys insist on always using a name? It seems well…unnecessary.”

“Because Jacob. It reminds us who we were. Who we are I mean. We never want to forget. We never want to lose ourselves here.”

Three more bangs. Don pulled his bucket away from Jacob and Will and Roger snapped into their subservient positions moments before the door opened again. The black haired attendant entered alone, this time carrying a metal pole with two leather loops at either ends, one much larger than the other.

“Just cooperate Jacob”, Don whispered. “He is going to take you to the stall and clean out your cell. Don’t do anything to provoke him. Please.”

The attendant opened Jacob’s cell door and moved towards him, the pole thrust towards him. His words were calming, soothing. Then with a quick motion, he slid the large loop over Jacob’s head and down around his neck. He pulled down on the smaller strap and the loop quickly tightened.

Jacob wrapped both hands around the strap and tried to loosen it, but it held firm. The more he struggled, the tighter the attendant pulled. His vision became blurred and his breath shallow. His grip on the straps began to fade and he collapsed to the floor.

“Stop struggling Jacob”, Don yelled.

“Better listen to him Jacob man” Roger said. “He doesn’t care about strangling you.”

“Come on Jacob! Let go”, Will said.