Asylum

Marlin Eller

On a hill top quite removed from the city’s noisy crowds, surrounded by serene gardens is a white building, a Shangri La, a haven of rest. Its clear paths, manicured lawns, and neatly arranged rooms offer a safe and secure asylum from the dark, dismal, unwashed, undulating shapes writhing on the lower plains. And deep within this sanctuary, in the strongest room, I am free of the torturing madness. I am in bliss.

Swaddled in the soft white asylum leather, I am safe from the demons and madmen that seek to do me harm. I can hear them screaming and clawing at the walls trying to get in, but the walls are strong and I am safe. I hug myself in joy at having escaped the madness and laugh out loud. So secure am I that I bellow taunts at the devils outside to enrage them, for I know that they cannot get to me.

I know because I have tested the bonds. See how the leather holds firm when I exert all my force. See! I can push and pull for hours, sweating and straining with all my might and it will not give, and if it will not yield to my great strength, surely it will keep them out, for they are much weaker. I am sure of that. They have not trained their minds as I have. They cannot focus all their thoughts on one task, whereas I can push so hard that I can damage the joints in my arm. This scares them so.

Oh, they try to hide their thoughts, practicing their calm, well modulated voices and unflinching faces but their minds and motives are transparent to one such as I. I can seem them sweat when I display my talents and I can smell the fear in them. But see, the leather still holds. I am free of them at last.

“I am free!” I yell and would jump about in joy were my legs not also safely bound. I’m so safe here that I can slam my head into the padding and do no harm. See – again and again. There is not pain, there is not hurt. They can do nothing to me, and I laugh and laugh in glee. Here, wrapped tightly in safe white asylum leather I am at last blissfully free.