The Asylum On Chestnut Street

Chapter-1

Not once in my sixteen years of living did I ever see someone at the old burnt down asylum on chestnut street. I rode my pink bicycle past that place every single day. It was filthy, dilapidated and uninhabitable. And with that being said, I found it very strange when there was a boy standing right outside it, staring at the burnt down asylum.

The boy was older and taller than me with blonde hair, light skin and a curious look tattooed on his face. It surprised me when he exhaled a puff of smoke out if his mouth, he had cigarette between his thumb and forefinger. I bike nearer. For some reason or another, I suddenly I had the audacity to park my bike a couple yards away, causing him to turn his head to me.

"You know that can kill you, right?" I said eye-balling his cigarette thinking about the discussion I had in school earlier in the health class. "One of ten smokers get lung cancer" I told him.

"Is that so?" he said, amused by my knowledge. A gentle smirk tugged on his lips "I've been smoking for years now" he informed me, taking another drag "--and I'm healthy as a horse"

I frowned, skeptically "but you can't be" I retorted.

He smiled "but I am" he said.

I decided to drop the subject for now, but I would bring it up later because it still is an unhealthy thing to do.

"What are you doing here?" I asked my curiosity getting the best of me. "-- nobody comes around this part of town. Especially not here."

"Really?" he looked down at me quizzically "--if I'm not mistaken, you're here rightnow. Unless, of course you're a figment of my imagination. But I guess then that what would make me crazy."

I didn't know what 'figment of my imagination' meant so not to look stupid I disregarded him. "What are you doing here?" I repeated.

He tossed his cigarette onto the concrete and twisted his shoe over it. "I don't know" he admitted "-- I'm here every morning. I guess, I find this place intriguing."

"You're not here every morning" I argued "I ride past this place every morning and I've never seen you. Not once."

"Maybe you haven't been looking" he shrugged.

"Why do you find this place intriguing" I asked.

"I told you, I don't know" he said "I don't even know the story behind this. What was it? A hotel?"

I shook my head "No. It was an asylum. A mental hospital. For crazy people, you know? "

"Yes I know what an asylum is, little girl"

"Don't call me little"

He put his hands up in mock surrender "okay"

"hmm.. So what's your name" I asked finally.

He stuck his hand out for me to shake "kyle" he said "kyle.. Ian La..."

I didn't hear the rest. His voice was drowned out by a noise. It was a disturbing noise originated from what seems to be the wind. It sounded like a human voice whispering through thin air, but that wasn't possible. Was it?

"Do you hear that?" I asked kyle,hugging myself. The whispering noises continued but the words were not intelligible.

"What?" he asked, genuinely perplexed.

"That noise! That whispering in the wind" I exclaimed.It was getting louder but I still couldn't figure out what it was saying "how can you not hear that"

Kyle looked at me as if I'd gone crazy and I thought maybe I had. But then I heard what was being said in the wind. It wasn't an actual sentence or even actual word. It was more of a funny menacing laugh that sent goosebumps down my arms.

heee heee heee

I looked up at kyle "did you hear that' I whisper-yelled.

He scratched the back of his neck looking anywhere but my eyes "Look kid, I think you should head home. It's pretty early, maybe you didn't get enough sleep last night and it's messing with your head"

"Yeah" I sighed. "--I mean I did go to sleep kinda late last night"

Kyle patted on my back "get some rest, maybe we'll see each other tomorrow"

I nodded "yeah, maybe" I kicked my kickstandup and climbed back on to my pink bicycle "bye kyle" I waved my hand.

"See ya, kid"

I rode home and on my way back I realized that I never stop kyle from smoking. I'd completely forgotten about it, actually, and decided if I saw him tomorrow I will convince him.