The Unchained Paradigm
Written on September 11th, 2022 by Ethan Zhang
A man dragged heavy steel chains down a sterile white hallway as soldiers lay around him, dead. He lashes out with his shackles. More soldiers collapse to the ground as metal slams into them. Red lights shine. A siren blares. Voices call out. Screams. Footsteps. More screams. The walls that were once white are now crimson. The lights shine down on the viscous red fluid that paints the walls. Steel scrapes against the white walls. Another soldier falls. Silence. The walls are adorned with what remains of the soldiers. Bang! The silence is broken. Another soldier snaps. The red lights and sirens fall upon blind eyes and deaf ears. Silence. No survivors.
The Twisted Paradigm of Escape was chained to the wall. Long, heavy steel chains kept him in place, as a security detachment was beside him at all times. His legs were suspended in the air as a metal gag muted his resistance. His body was well built and he was scantily clothed. A snarl. The clanking of chains. Silence. The security detachment had grown accustomed to the sounds. Clink, clink. The metal groaned. Another snarl. The chains screamed. Silence. The white light of the small room cast a shadow over the Twisted Paradigm of Escape’s black, beady eyes. His long, black hair drooped over his eyes, suspended above the stone floor. Clink, clink. The chains twist. The jingle of chains can be heard at the door.
A new security detachment replaced the old. The metal door screamed shut. Clink, clink. The chains twist. Silence. A groan came from the Twisted Paradigm of Escape. Eerily, the guards watched the man in chains. Nobody dared to move. The security detachment sharpened their blades with tools. The screaming of metal on metal. Silence. Clink, clink. The chains twist. A snarl. The chains quake. The man in chains struggles. Clink, clink. The chains rattle. The guards begin to stand. Click. A guard loads his rifle.
The struggling stops. The guards sit down. A deck of cards is brought out. An ace of spades is placed on a table. Clink, clink. The chains twist. The ace of spades is covered by another card. The guards’ eyes widen. The lights blink. Silence. Normalcy. Clink, clank. A chip in the chains. Silence. The world goes dark. Creak. The chains bend. The lights come on. Nobody moves. Silence. A snarl. Silence. Click. A guard loads his rifle. Click. Another one follows. Creak. The chains bend. Clink, clink. The chains twist. All the guards stand, weapons ready. The blood drains from their face.
Ching. The chains shatter. The Twisted Paradigm of Escape falls to the floor. Bullets fly. A scream. A gunshot. More bodies hit the floor. Metal screams in the air. A guard goes flying. Snap! A body collapses to the floor. Crack! A rifle breaks. More bodies fall to the floor. The security detachment litters the floor and walls. Drip, drip. The shackles drip with a crimson fluid. The chains drag across the chamber.
The door opens. Bodies fall. Gunshots. Silence. An alarm blares and the white light turns shining red. A scream. Clink, clink. The chains drag across the stone floor. The Twisted Paradigm of Escape hums a tune.
The singing continues. The screams provide the perfect backdrop. The Twisted Paradigm of Escape comes across a challenge. More soldiers than he can sweep. The perfect crescendo. Screams. Crack! A soldier falls to the floor. Snap! Another one follows. Screams. A body hits the wall and paints it red. The red lights shine. A siren blares. A pair of chains slams into the wave of soldiers. Drip, drip. The chains leave a trail of crimson as they slither across the floor. Clink, clink. The chains jingle. The Twisted Paradigm of Escape aimlessly wanders through the facility. Snap! Another soldier falls. A ragged man begs for mercy, he is not among the guards. He falls asleep, not to awaken. A reinforced steel door is all that stands between the man in chains and his freedom.
Clink, clink. The Twisted Paradigm of Escape sweeps back his chains. A grunt. Chains fly forward into the door. Again. And again. And again. Bang! The last of the guards charge the man in chains. Screams. Silence. No survivors.
Fresh air floods the musty facility.Chirp, chirp. A bird sings. Ravenous, the Twisted Paradigm of Escape kills his next meal. Delicious. A viscous red fluid drips down his cheeks as the chewy meal is ravaged. Freedom. Silence. Nobody knows what the Twisted Paradigm of escape has in mind.
Blink, blink. The red dot of a camera shatters. A jingle of chains. A door creaks open. The Twisted Paradigm of Escape slips in. Screams. Silence. Blood. The man in chains slips away. Reforging the chains to his liking, the Twisted Paradigm of Escape drags his newly forged shackles across the street. Darkness. A man stands there in shackles. He disappears. The light shatters.
Police enter the scene of a murder. Screams. Silence. Blood. A snarl. A laugh. The man exits the performance. A crescendo. Flames. Burning. Screams. Death. A broadcast comes.
“Citizens! This broadcast comes in regards to the recent escape of a murderer. Please report a man in chains to your local authorities. Thank you for your cooperation.” The broadcast cuts out, falling on deaf ears. A laugh. A scream. Blood. Silence. The Twisted Paradigm of Escape walks off his stage. A sea of people are captivated in his audience. The crimson fireworks of the area have been used. No survivors.
Footfalls. Silence. A door slips open. The Twisted Paradigm of Escape stands there. Chains lay on the ground. Click. A soldier loads his rifle. Bang! A body falls. A viscous crimson fluid pools. A stretcher is brought in. A body is loaded. The stretcher is brought out of the building. A cross is made from shackles. Clink, clink. The chains twist.
