Thinking About You

Chapter 13: Norwich State Hospital

-Audrey's POV-
-the next morning-

I woke up, and I noticed I was intertwined with Dakota's legs and on top of his chest. I broke free and got up to change into leggings, a hoodie, and sneakers. I brushed my hair. We all packed up and headed to the final location. We were in the RV, and I knew now was my time to talk about the location and something else. 

"So, this last location is where Audrey told me to go because she has heard so much about it. I'll let her explain," Dakota started.  

"Yes, I know this is technically Dak's pick, but I wanted this pick because I have been dying to go to this location. This location screams our theme of darkness, so that's why I took over. I also want to mention something else. I know this will be our last location, but after this location, I am heading back to L.A. to pack up my bags and move to Vegas near Sam and Colby. I'm also taking a break from the paranormal for a while to focus on myself and my job. I don't know when I will be back; I just know I need a break. If you guys do another season or something paranormal, I might not join you four. I might down the future. I might join Sam and Colby for a video or two but only because I have never been in one of their videos," I explain as everyone looks shocked. 

Alex and Chelsea didn't look shocked, and Dakota questioned it. 

"Why are you two not sad?" Dakota asked. 

"That's because Audrey told us," Alex answered as Chelsea nodded. 

"Yep, they found out," I explained. 

"I'm going to miss you, Essence," Tanner said as I rolled my eyes. 

"I told you not to call me that," I laughed. 

-time skip-

We headed to a park to do the packet reading. 

I handed them the packet as they all read: "Norwich State Hospital." 

"Norwich State Hospital. Weathering along the side of Route 12 in southeast Connecticut are the decrepit remains of the most notorious mental hospital in the United States. Though most of the staff tried their best to treat those in their charge, the nearly 100 years of alleged mistreatment, radical procedures, and horrific deaths have cemented Norwich State Hospital in infamy. The majority of patients were for schizophrenia, depression, and epilepsy which they deemed as a mental illness at the time. There was also the criminally insane. Over its 90 years in operation, the campus grew to 900 acres with over 75 buildings. But while the acreage allowed them to take in more patients, it also spread the staff thin, allowing patients to be neglected and abuse to run rampant. In 1939, the state senator visited the facility and alleged that the hospital was mistreating patients. He noted that their food and clothing were woefully inadequate. The doctors were incompetent and it stunk to high heaven," Chelse started. 

"The treatments were experimental at best, and many of them were first administered on a grand scale in the Lippitt Building. There were lobotomies, hydrotherapy, and the first electric shock therapy treatments that were conducted causing such violent reactions from the patient that they would dislocate their spines and injure their shoulders. One truly brutal treatment was Metrazol shock therapy. Metrazol is a stimulant that they used to overdose a person into a coma. There were a lot of injuries as a result, and there were deaths. But the most heartbreaking and deplorable treatment to be carried out was forced sterilization known as eugenics. This horrific practice was designed to prevent psychologically or morally unfit people from reproducing in hopes of improving humanity through better breeding. From 1909 to 1963, Norwich State Hospital sterilized 559 people," Tanner continued. 

"The most active areas include the Nurses' Ward. This is across the Lippitt Building and this was the staff housing for nurses and their families. Many people report feeling watched and followed in this building. Booming, audible noises are heard, and people have been physically touched. The Bryant Building is a former tuberculosis ward, and it operated as an orphanage and geriatrics wing for the hospital. The basement has the darkest energy. People report feeling unbalanced and have an urgent need to flee the area. The darkest energy isn't fond of women being down in the basement. The Lippitt Building is the most notorious of the remaining buildings. This is where all of the treatments took place. Sounds of raspy whispers, children's giggles, and a woman violently screaming drift through the halls. But what is most strange is that some rooms randomly become soundproof. While one may hear a noise in the hallway, the moment they walk into one of the rooms, all noise stops," I explained.