A Night in Mount Massive (Outlast Fanfiction)

Prologue

“Are you sure that you want to do this, sweetheart?” I looked up from my phone at the sound of my mother’s voice. Looking into her tired brown eyes, I could see her concern for me. As a mother myself, I couldn’t blame her. If my son, Noah, were an adult and was taking on a job like the one I was about to take, I would be just as worried, if even a little scared. Okay, very scared would be more accurate. I smiled tightly, if I was being honest, I was scared myself about this.

Placing my small hand on her equally small one, I replied, “Yes, Mom. It’s not so much a matter of want; I need this job.” She smiled somberly, nodding her gray head slowly.

“I understand, Lovelynn. But I do hope you know what you’re getting yourself into. You are aware that the Murkoff Corporation doesn’t have the best track record, right?” I dropped my hand from hers, releasing the breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. I was aware. I had done my fair share of research on them. They had, for years, been disguising the profits from their ill deeds as charity. The difference this time, though, was that they had never done so on American soil. Until now. I looked out the windshield at the tall, looming building before me. Mount Massive Asylum, settled in the remote mountains of Lake County, Colorado. They had been shut down amid scandal in 1971. Before that, however, they had started their misdeeds back in the 1940s. The OSS (Office of Strategic Services) collaborated with the Murkoff Corporation back in 1945. This introduced Project Paperclip, which they used to recruit scientists from Nazi Germany to conduct research for the USA.

Then, twenty-two years later, in 1967, Mount Massive Asylum for the Criminally Insane was established. During that time, three scientists were murdered by a patient, who remains unknown to this day. After this, authorities had ordered the asylum to cease all of their activities. Four years later, in 1971, Mount Massive Asylum was finally closed. In 1972, CIA Director Richard Helms ordered that all of the MKUltra files be destroyed. In 2009, Mount Massive Asylum was reopened (yet again) by the Murkoff Corporation. Claims of abuse and illegal experiments on the patients by the Murkoff Corporation began circulating around. All for the sole purpose of them gaining profit.

My reason for being here tonight was due to an email sent to Miles Upshur by Waylon Park, a Murkoff Corporation employee. He had said in his email that he had witnessed horrible things being done to the patients, claiming he couldn’t believe half of the things he had witnessed. He said it needed to be exposed, which I agreed with wholeheartedly. As an investigative journalist like Miles, this was the perfect opportunity. I had taken small-time jobs in my field, but never anything like this. I desperately needed the money. My parents helped me financially and with Noah whenever they could, but I needed to do that on my own. Miles himself had been fired from our journaling company, but he was promised his job back if he agreed to take this assignment on and complete it with me. I was still learning the ropes of my job, so I was agreeing to job-shadow, so to speak. If we were successful, we would both make bank for this assignment, which would help the both of us tremendously.

“Yes,” I said to my mother, “I am aware.”

“Okay,” she replied, smiling reassuringly at me. “Then you have my full support. Your father and I will look after Noah, as promised.” At the mention of my four-year-old’s name, I turned around, looking into the back seat. He had fallen asleep, tablet in hand, still playing videos of monster trucks on YouTube. I was so glad he looked like me instead of his biological father. He had my black hair, steel gray eyes, and pale skin. He even had my petite frame. His father had walked out the moment he found out I was pregnant, back when I was in college. I was now twenty-five, I had Noah when I was twenty-one. I smiled as I watched him, snoring gently, wrapped in his Ninja Turtles blanket.

“He loves you, you know. Make sure you come back to him.” My mother said sternly.

“I know, Mom. And I will.” I responded.

The sound of an approaching vehicle caught our attention. My mother and I watched as a red Jeep Wrangler pulled in next to us.

“That’s Miles,” I said to my mother. “I have to go.”

“Okay, baby. I love you. Be careful.” She replied, kissing my cheek. I hugged her tightly, suddenly feeling vulnerable and like I was going to cry. Kissing her cheek, I replied, “I love you too.” I leaned into the back seat and kissed Noah’s little nose gently, smiling when he wrinkled his face in his sleep.

“Mommy loves you, baby boy,” I whispered softly. Then, grabbing my bag and camcorder, I opened the passenger side door and got out of my mother’s car, where Miles was already waiting for me. Pulling out of the driveway, my mother looked at Miles.

“Take care of my girl, you hear?” She said to him.

“I will do my best,” Miles assured her. She nodded, driving away as we both waved. Once she was gone, Miles and I turned to face each other.

“Lovelynn McClaire,” I said, holding my hand out.

“Miles Upshur,” he replied, shaking my outstretched hand, “Are you ready for this?”

“As I’ll ever be,” I replied, as we walked up to the asylum’s iron gates.