Asylum

Freaky Friday

March 2

The four of us stood hiding within the shrubbery of the agreed-upon meeting spot. Jonathan was nowhere to be found—yet.

"We should've gone eat before coming here," Becca whispered annoyed. "That's all I'll be thinking about for the next couple of hours."

"I didn't want to need to use a restroom while doing the ghost tour, Becca. We'll do it after," Leon voiced. "Hush. You'll be fine."

"I'm pretty sure once in there, food is the last thing you'll think about," I added.

"I—I think that's him guys. He's coming." Paul's voice shook while he pointed out in the distance at a figure strolling towards us with uttermost caution.

It was not yet dark and I was able to observe a silhouette across the street traveling apace, dressed in sky-blue. Like me, he was clothed in light colors. I had chosen all white. Something about dressing with a reflective color gave me a sense of peace and the crazy idea I could repel all evil, particularly if it tried to cling to me.

As he drew closer, I saw the massive backpack on his back. His thin face held pressed lips and serious deadset eyes that could swallow you whole. A couple of worry lines formed at his forehead, his full lips were pursed and the dirty-blond curls stuck close to his head.

"Ooh, hotty alert," chimed Rebecca close to my ear.

I chuckled but my expression changed back to solemn when he stood before us. That's when I noticed he was lean and towered above us all. The slim fingers stood out when he offered a firm shake hello.

"Paul?" his eyes turned to Leon.

Shaking his head he extended his hand. "No. I'm, Leon."

"Ah! The birthday adventurer. Nice to meet you." His face broke into a friendly grin.

I had imagined he'd be less—normal looking. A mix of gothic with bewildered eyes and a khaki jumpsuit similar to the one they wear in the movie Ghostbusters.

"This is, Paul." Leon pointed at his boyfriend, then us. "Liz and Becca."

"Hi." One by one, his eyes scanned us over.

"Hi." We gave our timid hellos and with a pressed simper I blinked a few times and briefly shifted my eyes to the ground before bringing them back to his face.

Looking satisfied, he smiled. "Glad to see you guys followed instructions." He motioned for us to scamper deeper into the shrubbery until night fell.

"While we wait for nightfall, I'll give a short account of this place. Do you guys know any Bin stories? Its history?" He lifted a brow.

Silence fell upon us. Half of us shook our heads afraid to speak. Except that it was creepy, a mental hospital and among locals known to be called The Bin, I knew nothing more.

His eyes brightened. "Good, I love talking about this place."

He looked in the distance toward the deserted building. The overgrown ivy plants clung to the tattered walls. As night descended, its face resembled one of a building in a scene of a black and white horror movie.

I gulped loudly. Jonathan's blue eyes softened when they shifted to mine. "You doing okay?"

I hastily nodded. His energy made me smile and warmed my cheeks.

"So, let's get to business." Rubbing his palms together he shifted his sight from one to the other.

"In 1896, 325 acres of land were designated for the construction of this psychiatric hospital. The hope was it would provide a healthy setting for patient rehabilitation in a remote area and most importantly, that it was self-sufficient. They grew their own food, produced electricity, and had a fire department so they could provide a normal life for their patients. But—with all that in mind, still, medical practices were brutal. To name a few, electric shock, ice baths, and lobotomies were performed here. Many people died unnecessarily."