From outside the old Moose Lake Physiatric hospital radiates enough death and horror to bring a permanent halt to your step.
In the 30 years it ran before abandonment it was a place of utter regality. It's been empty for almost 15 years now however.
The grass had long died, turning an unnatural shade of gray. It was no longer maintained being 2 feet high, and growing an entire ecosystem of weeds with shrivelled brown bulbs of bluebell corpses.
The steps drooped down low making it almost necessary to jump onto the front porch. Which after many summers had itself be teeming with damp glistening cobwebs. The spiders had long left. The windows barred and in abundance were shattered; the steel bar grids were rusted and bent from force on the inside.
The integrity of the structure was compromised as well. The roof was still, well, standing. Even so bricks were scattered across the top. Light was pouring into the structure via a large hole in the roof. The ends of the planks from the wood structuring looked odd, as it were meant to support the gaping hole.
All of that worked together to make the hospital the scariest place in town but as Nathan stepped inside he realized that the outside was a perfumed bed of roses.
The Moose Lake Physiatric Hospital contrary to its name is not just a place to put away all those who couldn't hold into reality. Moose Lake isn't a big community so it was an asylum and a hospital mix.
Residents recovering, please look out for a lunatic with an axe! Thank you. Resume recovering.
Nathan approached to reception area. For being abandoned for 15 years it was in good shape. Nathan reflected this as he ran his hands over the peeling paint, once the colour of sun bleached honesty. He took note of the antique receptionist's desk.
Spying an attached room he entered. In it held four old green filing cabinets. Two marked, "Inmates" and two "patients". One of each with the slight added detail of "dead".
"Two entire cabinets for dead guys!" Nathan exclaimed out loud, slightly suprised, " sucks for the people staying here!"
Turning to leave the room Nathan noticed two rogue files occupying a shelf. Curiosity took over and he grabbed them. Wondering why they hadn't been filed, he dusted the cobwebs off and opened the faded brown organizer.
Two names looked back at the curious boy when the dust was vanquished;
Heather and Anamika Joseph.
Absentmindedly he flipped open the files; finding a peculiarity within. Heather's file contained only the reason for hospitalization, labour, and the date, November 23rd 2000. Anamika's was empty.
Nathan closed the files and set them back on the shelf.
I wonder why their files aren't finished. Nathan thought in passing.
Little did Nathan realize that the dates on the files were the answer to his question.
November 23rd, 2000 was the day the large hole was introduced to the roof.
The support beams had been worn down and unable to hold the pressure, collapsed. Falling into the floors below. Because of that incident the hospitals last patients, Heather & Anamika, never left that hospital.
Nathan walked idly through the door back to the reception area, unaware of the eyes following his every movement.
His main focus was finding a place to sleep. Thinking about staying the night in here the thought of leaving And returning again before Gill and his friends get back in the morning briefly crossed his mind. However he had to stay. If he was caught leaving he would be ridiculed more than if he had refused the dare in the first place!
Now here he was. Alone in an abandoned hospital, for the crazies and loonies of the world, at night! This Nathan was sure, would make for a great campfire story if he made it out.
Nathan pushed back the battered (an barred) door revealing a long hallway spawning lengths of corridors.
He took his first steps down. The lights falling out of the ceiling made odd shadows, making Nathan feel like he wasn't alone. The walls had something drip down them previously as the white, white walls were now a deep, deep burgundy.
Blood. No, no. That's crazy. It's rain that seeped in. Yeah, that's got to be it. Nathan confirmed with sweating palms.
With that last 'calming' thought Nathan dodged a cart full of various knives and needles to enter the 1st room in search of a bed.
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Wow, 700 & 51 words! This is a new record for me! (Although in actuality this is only 4 pages...)
So some foreshadowing happening here. :)
I can't wait to see myself what happens in these next few chapters!
(Oh! And p.s. I apoligize for the long wait. I have no excuse.)
(P.S.S. I finished writing this chapter about 2 weeks ago and COMPLETELY forgot to publish it! I'm so so SO sorry! Forgive me?)
:)
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Honour to Uphold
HorrorA boy gets dared into venturing into an old abandoned hospital just outside of his homely town. He can't bear to lose his pride so he ventures in. Only to discover that he's not alone; and they don't want to lose him.
