II
He had a strong, square jaw and wore little in the way of accessories to his well cleaned and pressed Asylum orderly uniform. His flat-top haircut was of a vibrant flaxen color which made his excellent physical and mental health readily apparent. His stature and posture showcased a firm sturdy build. Standing sentry over the door leading out of the dayroom, he promptly noticed Carl attempting to leave the room and stopped him, holding out his hand in a halting gesture.
"Woah now there Carl! Where do you think you're going?"
A stony silence swept the room as the other occupants in the dayroom turned their attention towards the door. Carl, stopping a mere three feet short of the Asylum orderly, did not seem to acknowledge the staff members inquiry as he stared downward at the man's feet.
"Hey why don't you just sit down and en-"
" I gots to see em" Carl uttered interrupting the flaxen-haired man's command.
"You can't just walk out and do that now can you? Come on Carl you know the rules. If you want to make a phone call, you can do so on wed-". Carl immediately attempted to walk past the flaxen-haired man, brusquely nudging the orderly's shoulder on the way.
"Hey!" The guard exclaimed as he swiftly grabbed Carl's shoulder with his left hand, simultaneously reaching for his billy club situated on the right side of his belt. The orderlies' right hand never managed to reach that far. Before he knew it, an almost imperceptible force struck the flaxen-haired orderly in the jaw, propelling him halfway through the ceiling. The legs and half the torso of the square-jawed orderly dangled from the ceiling as fine bits of plaster trickled down onto Carl's upwardly extended fist. After a brief moment, the other mental patients, recovering from their state of amazement, began to cry out in fits of hysteria. Carl lowered his fist and momentarily gazed at his knuckles, bewildered by his inexplicable and new found power. Carl ceased hesitating and immediately exited the room, closing the door behind him in order to muffle the fevered howls and ravings of the other inmates.
The spotless tile floor and white-washed walls and ceiling of the immaculate hallway seethed with activity as various members of the orderly staff rushed about in a state of confusion and panic. Their wide-eyed gazes briefly met Carl's which only served to expedite their departure from the immediate vicinity. It did not take long for the sounds of several hurried footsteps to reach Carl's senses. Over half a dozen orderlies wielding billy clubs rushed directly into Carl's path from an adjacent hallway. In that same moment, another seven similarly armed orderlies dashed into the hallway behind Carl effectively obstructing any means of escape. They began to bark out commands immediately, attempting to compel Carl to lay face down on the ground with his legs and hands outstretched. Our protagonist, unperturbed, continued his stalwart advance. Two of the orderlies, on either side of Carl, charged towards him with their clubs raised overhead. Their clubs splintered upon Carl's forearms as he upraised them, blocking their blows from both directions. Before the assaulting orderlies could react, Carl grasped both of their heads and swiftly brought them together, knocking them out instantaneously. The mass of uniformed men hesitated as Carl lowered his arms and his gaze met theirs in an expression of defiance. Carl promptly proceeded towards the door at the end of the hall. The hallway immediately erupted into a cacophony of violence and mayhem as the remainder of the asylum staff fell upon Carl. Their blows rained down on him to little effect. Consequently, each attack was met with a powerful strike which sent each of the hapless aggressors through a nearby wall. As the Asylum staff numbers diminished, the remaining eight orderlies lunged at him in a concerted effort to take Carl to the ground in one massive dog pile. The first orderly within the amalgamation of struggling bodies quickly placed Carl into a firm headlock in a final desperate effort to subdue the offending patient. Carl, closing his eyes and tensing his muscles, violently jerked his torso, arms, and head upright with incredible force casting the surrounding orderlies into the air around them. Their bodies helplessly collided into the walls and ceiling of the immediate vicinity with such prodigious force that a section of the ceiling above them gave way sending a torrent of bodies and powdery plaster on top of Carl.
A thick, suffocating cloud of white obscured the hallway in complete silence. A few minutes later, the silence was broken by the frenzied patter of a single man arriving at the end of the hallway just shy of the exit. Hank panted with fear and excitement as he surveyed the carnage wrought before him. The plaster residue permeating the air began to collect on his glasses. Taking off his lenses, he hastily began to rub the lenses clean using the fabric of his shirt. As he replaced his glasses, he immediately caught sight of a figure emerging from the ivory haze. His gait and silhouette were unmistakable. "Carl!" Hank exclaimed as he witnessed his approach. Carl drew ever closer, his pace not slowing. Hank took two hastily executed steps backwards only to stumble to the floor. Looking up at Carl from his now seated position from the floor, Hank watched breathlessly as Carl opened the glass double doors leading outside. "Y-y-y-yeh ain't goin' to be hurtin' nobody else are ya now?!" Carl halted his step and turned his head to peer down at the seated guard, his beady eyes now affixed on Hank's half-panicked countenance. After a brief moment's hesitation, Carl simply replied " I don't reckon I got no reason to kill nobawdy mmm hmmm". Carl closed the door behind him. Hank quickly lost consciousness.