Mind's Echo

Mark

Upon entering the room that Shelly had suggested they investigate, Mark broke out his digital thermometer, and an EVP recorder. He placed the recorder on the desk, and started moving around the room with the thermometer. He meandered about, checking out the dusty piles of folders and boxes, really less interested in what they might contain than the readings on his devices. He sneaked a peek at the K2 meter in Alex's hand. The meter maintained a steady presence at 0 because the place had no electricity. He wasn't surprised. Disappointed, maybe, but not surprised.

At Shelly's excited gasp, "Oh, nice! I wonder if these are patient files!?" Mark glanced down at the digital thermometer. Noting that it read the same cool temperature as it had before they entered the room, he moved in close to Shelly to peer over her shoulder. He glanced at the file she was reading, but then looked away as he noticed the red light blinking on the K2 meter. The lights lit up across the screen, going from red to green. He had turned the noise down, so it wasn't letting off its usual blaring alert. Neither Shelly nor Alex seemed to notice the blinking lights. 

Mark tore his attention away from the blinking lights, focusing instead on what Shelly was saying about the file she held. He felt a thrill of excitement once he realized that the file must have belonged to the lady whose death had set off the downfall of Clarkmann. He told the others what he knew about the asylum's past. Shelly and Alex were understandably stunned. They were even more freaked out when they realized they were in the asylum on the anniversary of that night. Mark was pumped. He had chosen the anniversary in hopes of capturing something. He checked the digital thermometer again. He felt a thrill of excitement, and maybe just a little fear when he noticed the significant drop in temperature.

"I checked this when we topped the stairs, folks, and it seems as if it's saying that the temp just dropped 25 degrees!" he informed them. "Whoa!!!

He glanced back down at the K2 meter. It had started lighting up at a 3 and was now maxing out at a 5. He grinned. Something was happening. Something very cool was happening!

"Did y'all see that?" Shelly suddenly gasped.

Mark shook his head, looking back up at her. He noticed they were staring at the open doorway. Alex remained silent, his eyes wide and his mouth slack. Mark looked back and forth between them.

"There was ... There was a ... shadow? Mist?" Shelly shook her head in confusion. "You really didn't see it?"

Mark felt a warm buzz rushing up his spine. He leaped over to the digital recorder and picked it up. He started asking questions. "Hello, are you still here? If you are, please do not be afraid. We have come to cause you no harm. Feel free to speak into this device here if you wish. It's a recorder. If you talk into it, we can listen to it later and hear what you have to say."

He raised his eyebrows as he held out the recorder, giving whatever might be around time to speak.

"Can you tell us your name? Why are you here and why would you be roaming these halls and rooms?"

They all waited, silent as the grave.

After a few minutes, Shelly rolled her shoulders. "I don't feel anything now," she said, looking more relieved than disappointed.

Mark nodded in agreement. Consulting his devices, he saw that they confirmed there was no longer a presence or energy in the room. The K2 meter clutched in Alex's white-knuckled hand was dark and the thermometer was back to its normal base temperature.

From around his neck, Mark lifted his camera to his eyes. He made sure it was switched to night vision mode. "I'll be sure to look through this from time to time. We should be able to catch something if it moves."

Shelly and Alex nodded. Alex took his own camera and snapped a few shots of the empty room. Mark wondered if Alex would be able to get anything supernatural on his film. That would be cool. In silent mutual consent, they all exited the room, Shelly still clutching the patient file she had found in her hand.