Chasing Kate

1 that STUPID hospital

It all started when Lyra Rogers brought up that stupid hospital. Bryce Memorial Hospital. The whole campus was abandoned 1973 and left to rot.
"Oh come on it'll be fun!" She persisted with way too much excitement sparkling in her green eyes. Y/n sat up soon matching Lyras energy. "Hell yeah I'm down!" Both heads then swivel to Kate who paused a moment to think tucking a loose strand of long black hair behind her ear. "I mean as long as we're in a group and go during the day I don't see a problem" then all eyes were on Chris, Kate's boyfriend and the least willing to partake in this brand of shenanigans.

"I feel like this is a bad idea. What if we run into a squatter or something-"

"That's what we're bringing a big strong football player for~" Lyra smiled sweetly leaning over to look up at him. "Yeah are you really gonna let 3 defenseless girls wander around an abandoned building all alone?" Y/n chimes adjusting her lettermans jacket. "Isn't Lyra bringing her brother?" He asks "Toby? he's built like a Scarecrow" Kate scoffs. "Yeah he's my baby brother. If anything we'll be the ones protecting him" Lyra adds and Chris sighs in defeat. "Fine I'll go. But the second ONE other person agrees with me that we need to leave we leave no questions no arguing deal?" Lyra stays quiet while Kate gives a nod "Deal"

2 seniors a junior and 2 sophmores snooping around a hospital that's been falling to pieces since the 70s what could possibly go wrong? The 5 of them met up at the gas station near their school Saturday and piled into Chris's old beat up civic. Kate took shotgun leaving Y/n, Lyra, and Toby squished together in the back. Lyra fishes out a map and rattles off directions as if she's been there a thousand times, she must've really done her research. "Take a left up here and cross those railroad tracks then park at that church. We can walk from there."

Toby POV
Lyra looks so excited, anything involving history always seems to brighten her mood. Meanwhile I'm just here to get out of the house and away from dad. I'm sure that's the main reason Lyra invited me she probably figured the escape would be good for me. Well at least there's one other person my age. Too bad its someone I don't have a single class with. I shift forward slightly to glance at the brunette/blonde/ginger/(whatever your hair color was in high school) in question as she pulls her lettermans jacket tighter around her form. Shit she saw me staring. Probably gonna call me a freak or something. I keep my eyes locked on the ground and wait for the insult but nothing comes. My gaze slowly moves back up to her and now she's the one staring, once our eyes meet she smiles brightly and gives a small wave. I slowly lift my hand to mimic the motion before turning to look out the window instead.

Chris POV
I glance back at the rear view mirror to confirm with Lyra as I park in the empty lot of a First United Methodist Church. She only lets out a quiet giddy squeal in response before reaching over her brother to push his door open. His body gives a small jolt of a twitch before he climbs out and she practically throws herself out after him. Y/n and Kate follow suit and that just leaves me in the car. I wonder if they'll let me just wait out here and play 'get away driver' "Chris come ONNNN! don't be a big baby!" Lyra whines pulling my door open for me.

Damn I guess we're actually doing this. I take a deep breath and let it out before allowing the blonde to drag me out of the vehicle.

Lyra skips ahead and Y/n follows close behind while Kate, Toby, and I take up the rear. Those two nerds seem way too excited meanwhile I can't seem to quell this awful feeling in the pit of my stomach. My state of unease must've made its presence known to my girlfriend as her hand slips into mine giving it a small reassuring squeeze. I glance down at her. "Hey relax. Everything is gonna be ok" She shows a calm smile before returning her attention ahead of us to the broken road leading up to a concrete road barricade. Y/n and Lyra practically vault over the thing. Kate is fairly quick to follow, using one hand to hold the top before springing over gracefully. I swing one leg over and have to hop a little to clear it and nearly fall on my face in the process. That just leaves Toby. I turn to see he's already halfway over when his body jerks up in a tic causing him to topple forward as elegantly as I did. My arms shoot out to catch him as does Kate so he can't collide to the ground.

"Th-Thanks"

"No problem man" I hoist him up by the shoulder to set him upright on his feet. The other two are pretty far ahead so they probably don't even realize we're still back here. Almost as if she read my thoughts Kate starts walking forwards "come on we need to catch up to the other two before they manage to find trouble"

Narrator POV
The three continue the trek forward in silence for about a minute before its broken by the linebacker.

"Hey Toby some of the sophmores in the locker room said you can't feel pain is that true?"

Kates eyes widen as she shoots her boyfriend a 'i can't fucking believe you just asked this poor kid that' glare. He blinks twice realizing by her death stare he said SOMETHING wrong but he doesn't know what. Meanwhile Toby lowers his gaze to the ground "Yeah...." his body goes rigid after answering expecting him to 'test it' like most people do but he didn't. Instead the male gawked for a moment before saying "That's so badass! I bet you could kick ass at some high intensity interval training have you ever considered playing a sport?" Toby shakes his head. Truthfully most of the people who bully him are jocks so he has no interest in putting himself in an environment where he'd be surrounded by them.

"HEY WHAT'S TAKING YOU GUYS SO LONG?!" Lyra calls out waving both arms in the air. She's standing in front of a large ominous decrepit building beside Y/n who's already peeking in through the doorless entrance. Every hair on Chris's body stands on end as Kate and Toby stare unfazed. "This fucking sucks arent you guys worried about asbestos?!" he whines as Kate drags him in by the arm. Toby cant help a short snicker that creeps past his lips. He's usually not a people person but these guys arent so bad.

Lyras POV
Y/n is squatted over a pile of rubbish on the ground holding a piece of....something and examining it closely "I wonder if this is the original tile" I rush over to take a look. It looks white and glossy under the caked on layer of age and dust. "Could be. Maybe from a bathroom-" She let out an EEP! chucking the piece across the room as Toby let out a soft chuckle. At least he seems like he's having fun.

"Hey Lyra check it out I found a stairwe-"

Chris's hand clamps over Kates mouth before she could finish as he whisper scolds her "are you nuts?! Don't tell her she'll want to go up there and drag us with her" but its far too late. All I see is the blur of a (your high school colors) lettermans jacket and Y/n is already ahead of me examining the staircase. "They're concrete it should be safe to climb them let's go check out the next floor!" She chirps ascending the stairs not leaving time for a response from myself or the others. I crack a grin and motion Toby to follow as I head upstairs closing in the space behind us.