A Series of Short Stories

I Hear a Sound

"You can run, you can try, but you can't hide"

"Ah! Fuck!"

     I shouted as I quickly gathered myself from the ground and dusted myself off, recovering from an interesting fall.

     "I thought I was a bit more graceful than that." I joked as I walked up to my adoring boyfriend, Atter.

      He chuckled as he adjusted his top hat, "You're light on your feet, darling. That's honestly your only grace."

     I gasped as I began to pout, crossing my arms and turning away from him.

      He let out a laugh as I felt his arms wrap around me from behind, "Oh, come now, my love. It's all in good fun. Now, let's get on with our adventure for the day."

     He gently kissed the back of my head before releasing me and walking forward through the darkness.

     Currently, we were visiting an abandoned asylum. We snuck in through a window and climbing through a window in a skirt is NOT fun or easy. Hence why I fell, of course. We normally did daily adventures. We would wander around and pick the most interesting abandoned spots to explore.

Both of us were Carnies. My name is Carnie Clair, Clair for short. My boyfriend is Mad. H. Atter. We had worked for the circus that I had grown up in annnnd then some things went south with the Ring Master. And now, we're just nomads.

Atter turned to me with a smile, snapping his fingers and causing a blue flame to form in his hand. The flame entirely lit the room we were in and I couldn't help but smile as I took in the beauty of the rundown building. Sure, it was dusty, and there was probably a lot of spiders and things. But I found the entire aesthetic of it pleasing, and quite beautiful.

I blissfully followed Atter down a long and dark hallway, admiring the rooms as we walked by. I jumped though, as I heard a loud thudding sound.

"Um, I hear a sound, Atter." I said as I moved closer to him.

"It's probably just a mouse. Nothing to be afraid of, love. Since when are you afraid of the bumps in the night, anyways?" He asked with a grin as he turned to look at me.

I looked up at him and sighed, "Ever since we left the circus, I have been a little paranoid about things."

Atter stopped and fully turned his body to me, keeping his flame lit with one hand, and gently placing the other on my cheek.

"Darling, as long as you're with me, nothing will ever hurt you." He said with an endearing smile.

I returned the smile and motioned for us to continue. He led the way once again and I followed silently, taking in our surroundings again. As we walked down the hallway, there was a room with the door intact and entirely closed. Which, was a little weird considering all the doors down this hallway were either torn down or opened. I stopped walking and made my way to the door, slowly turning the handle and peering in. I couldn't see much due to it being so dark, but I could've sworn I saw something move around in the dark. I quickly closed the door and jogged back up to Atter.

"I'm pretty sure I saw something in the dark.." I said wearily.

"I only saw a spark of electrical wires, my dear. Don't let the darkness get to your head, we're safe." He said calmly, continuing his steady pace.

I took a slow deep breath and let it out, trailing behind him. We eventually came across a large opening that seemed to have been an old recreational room. There were board games left on tables, rocker chairs strewn about, a television, and some other things that kept the patients entertained. I walked over to a table that had an old board game, all of the pieces had been left on the board in the spots that had been played last.

"It's so strange how everything is just.. here. It's like everyone up and left all at once, leaving everything behind. What's the story to this place?" I asked as I eyed the table, then turning to look at Atter.

"Well..." He said as he leaned against a table across the room from me, "It was built in 1920, housed some of the most criminally insane, stayed open through the wars that took place on this godforsaken Earth. They continued housing PTSD veterans and those who suffered from schizophrenia up until about 1975, where the treatments and ways of the place were exposed to the public. It seems as if everyone was escorted out when news broke out."

I crossed my arms and sat down at the table in an old, wooden chair, "How did they treat the patients?"

"It seems as if a lot of the workers here wanted to play God. They would use electro-shock therapy, boiling, ice bathing, brain surgeries. Anything cynical you can think of, probably took place here. They were housing some scary criminals, but I personally believe that no living being deserves what was done to these patients." He said, a scowl slightly appearing on his face.

"What's worse, might I add, people like us, were considered insane. They were drugged, told they were crazy, and most of the time, were killed. It's disgusting and inhumane, and I hope everyone who ever did anything wrong to those people are rotting in the deepest parts of hell." Atter said harshly, biting the inside of his cheek.

I gave him a sad smile and stood up, walking over to him and gently grabbing his hand. "I know it's horrible, love. Mundies will never understand our people. But, they're not here, most are dead. I'm sure they've all been dealt with in whatever afterlife they believe in."

He looked up at me and relaxed his shoulders, letting out a breath. He smiled that dazzling smile of his and squeezed my hand, gently placing a kiss to my cheek. "You always know how to make me feel better, love. What would I do without you?"

"Go on a murderous rampage." I said with a laugh.

Atter paused for a moment, seemingly pondering, then let out a laugh himself. "Yeah, you are definitely right about that one, dear."

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I quickly turned around. Some dark figure darted across the room and I instinctively took a step back.

"Atter, I know there's someone there." I said quietly.

I could just feel someone in the room with us. It wasn't my mind playing tricks on me either, that I was certain of.

"Not as far as I'm aware, love. We do this all of the time, it's no different than any other place we've visited." He said, reassuringly.

"Why don't you believe me??" I asked and turned toward him, letting out a sigh as I saw the confused expression on his face. "Maybe you're right. The dark might be getting to my head."

"It's just another night, Clair. I promise there's nothing to be afraid of." He said as he gently set a hand on the small of my back.

A loud creak came from across the room and I snapped my head in the direction of the sound. "But I heard a creak!"

"Maybe we should go. I think you need to just go back to sleep. You may need more rest." He said gently.

I stepped away from him and moved to the middle of the room. "I'm not crazy."

"Darling, you're always quick to rage. Take it easy, you have been under immense stress lately. Stress does get to one's head." He said as he took a step closer, a pleading look on his face.

Another, very loud, creak emitted from the same spot and my body tensed.

"Wait... now I hear it." Atter muttered under his breath.

I stomped my foot to the ground and watched as a circle of flames surrounded me, lighting the entire room. My eyes widened as I saw a very disfigured....thing, in the corner of the room, hunched over and shielding itself from the flames. When the flames died down, I could see the figure lift it's head. A venomous smile creeped up on it's face.

"Run." Was all I heard before I was drug in the opposite direction.

To be continued...