The Crooked Man

Scott & Lucy

"I've tried calling Ryan almost seven times this evening, and he hasn't answered a single one. What is that man up to?"

"Oh, Scott...What do we do? We should never have left him alone."

"Lucy calm down."

"How can I be calm? How can you just sit there and be calm, huh Scott? Your best friends run off for days without a word to anyone! He's worn out from things with his mother's passing and his girlfriend leaving! The poor man's even battling old scars...You can't tell me you were never scared for him? Scared that you knew, someday Ryan might do something there's no turning back from."

"I think what really got to him was living in that old house of Mark's. He was never like this until he moved there. It wasn't until he moved that all this stuff started happening to him..."

"Scott, what do you mean? There's something in the house?"

"Never mind. I'll just try and call again."

"Good God Scott! Don't be implying ghost stories at a time like this! Always saying about how you've been able to 'see things'..."

"Lucy the phones ringing! Hello? Ryan?! Ryan where are you?"

"...St. Crux Asylum..." Ryan answered. His voice was tired and dry, cracking a little.

"Why are you there? It doesn't matter, look I'm coming for you so don't move!"

"...No, don't come...please, don't. Leave me alone."

"Ryan?! Ryan?!?! Shit! Lucy, it'll take a few hours to get there provided traffic is easy on us and we don't take any breaks."

"Alright let's go!" She agreed and we rushed outside in the rain and piled into my small car. Lucy and I sped to the abandoned hospital and we were there in three hours flat.

"Look it's Ryan's car." Lucy said jumping out.

"He must be inside." I ran through the double front door, dragging Luce behind me.

"Stay close Scott, it's creepy in here." Lucy said softly as we walked around the cafeteria calling Ryan's name.

"Wait, listen!" I said. "Are those footsteps?"

"They seem to be coming from upstairs."

"Ryan!" I shouted running up to the second floor. "Ryan!? You here?" I shouted as we ran further up the stairs.

"There was a Crooked man, who walked a crooked mile...He found a crooked sixpence, upon a crooked stile..." I jumped as I heard singing and  we  approached the third floor. I saw a shadow facing the  wall near the stair case. "Hey who are you?" I asked intimidatingly as the figure turned to face me.

It was a attractive young woman, around 20 maybe. Light brown eyes and pretty dirty blonde hair. "Go see him." She said walking past Lucy and I.

"What's this about?!"

"Your friend is important to you right? Then find him, quickly." The woman left us.

"What the-?" I didn't bother to question anything in this old place, Lucy and I just moved on. We went further up the stairs and to the fourth floor. We walked to the end of the hall and another shadow figure stood in our way. It was an older woman. Light brown and gray hair, blue eyes. "Ryan's waiting for you, Scott. Go save him." She said before fading into nothing.

"Wait! Hey! What's with these people? How did they know Ryan? Never mind let's just find Ryan. C'mon Lucy."

"No."

"What? Lucy he's our friend we have to-"

"...Stop it...Why are you doing this? Now isn't the time for that!"

"Lucy, what are you talking about?"

"Who do you keep talking to Scott?! Stop trying to scare me! I know there's no one here! We just need to find Ryan! No jokes."

"Oh..." I hung my head, realizing. "Look Lucy why don't you leave the hospital? I'm sorry, about everything. I'll find Ryan, don't worry about it."

"No I wanna stay with you, Scott!"

"No, I'll just be putting us both in danger. Please, just go wait in the car. Trust me."

"Okay." She said taking a huge sigh. "Come back quickly." She kissed my cheek and ran out of the hospital. I gave a small smile of hope and proceeded onward to the very top of the stairs and to the roof of St. Crux Asylum.

"Wait for me Ryan. Just hold on. Please, my friend."