" what am i gon be? who is it
up to? me, just me, doin it my
way till i see the sun rise, hey.
the sun will always shine, sun
will always shine, sun will
always shine on me. "
in which a group of graduating
students sneak into an old,
abandoned asyl...
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HORREBUNT AEGRUM Chapter Three: Echoes of the Past
**FLASHBACK**
THE SOFT SOUND of a lullaby drifted through the quiet corridors of Mia's childhood home. She was seven years old, tucked into bed with her favorite stuffed rabbit, but sleep wouldn't come. Outside, the wind rustled the leaves, and the faint sound of distant sirens echoed in the night.
Mia tossed and turned, her heart uneasy. She didn't know why, but something about the night felt wrong. Her parents' soft voices murmured in the living room below, too far away to make out the words, but their tone was serious, strained. But it wasn't that that was bothering her. It was the figure in the corner. It was a figure made entirely of shadows. Mia couldn't help but to stare at it, and it stared right back. The figure stood a step towards her, its limbs twisted and its steps staggered as if it was on uneven ground. She hugged her stuffed rabbit tighter.
"Mi", her mother's voice broke the silence as she peeked into the room. She showed no signs of seeing the dark figure that loomed in the corner. "You're still awake?"
Mia nodded, her wide eyes staring up at the ceiling as she rolled over onto her back. She always hoped that if she didn't look at the figures, they would go away. But they never did. "I heard the sirens again, Mama."
Her mother sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, brushing Mia's dark curls away from her face. "Don't worry, sweetheart. It's probably nothing."
"Is it the asylum again?" Mia's small voice trembled as she asked. The asylum had become a name whispered with fear in their town, a place everyone told stories about but no one dared to speak of openly. Even at seven, Mia had heard the rumors—the disappearances, the strange lights, and the shadowy figures. It didn't help that her grandmother often told her stories.
Her mother hesitated, her fingers pausing in Mia's hair. "It's just an old building, Mia. There's nothing to be scared of."
But Mia wasn't convinced. "Then why are people always talking about it? Why does grandma say it was so scary to work there?"
Her mother's lips pressed into a thin line, and for a moment, she seemed unsure of what to say. "Some places... they hold memories", she finally whispered. "Sometimes, they hold on to things that are better left forgotten."
Mia stared at her mother, her little heart pounding in her chest. "But what if it doesn't forget?"
Her mother kissed her forehead, though her eyes seemed distant. "That's why we stay away from it. Sleep now, Mi. No more talk of the asylum."
But as her mother left the room, closing the door softly behind her, Mia couldn't shake the unease that lingered in the air. She turned toward the window, the moonlight casting long shadows across her room. And then she saw it—a figure standing at the edge of her yard, just beyond the gate.
