A long, narrow hallway opened up before me. Moonlight shone through the barred windows, painting the floor and walls in a silver mesh. My nose twitched at the dry, slightly musty odor hanging in the air. The moment the door clicked shut; a deafening silence enveloped me.
Why was I doing this again?
Ah, right, because Suzy thought it was a good idea for me to practice being brave. And now, here I was. Alone. Walking through an abandoned asylum at one in the morning.
I couldn't help but wince each time my sneakers let out a faint squeak. With every corridor I passed, my nerves seemed to stretch tighter. Hadn't Rosalyn said there was a moving door?
A low rumble cut through the silence, and I jumped, a scream caught in my throat.
On the other side of the dirty glass, the clouds had drawn nearer.
Just great. What a perfect day to visit a "haunted" building.
My back broke out into a cold sweat. I stood perfectly still, listening, watching, but aside from the rustling leaves and distant thunder, there was nothing. The overwhelming lack of life was more disturbing than any possible encounters with the deceased.
Should I turn back?
No. Suzy was right. Maybe this was good for me. To face my fears. I could definitely use a bit more bravery in my life.
A shuffling noise came from an open doorway on my left and I jerked to a halt.
Holding my breath, I carefully peeked into the small room. A hospital bed was thrown on its side, the metal frame now twisted and out of shape. On the opposite side, a dusty, old desk stood in front of the window lined with thin curtains that swayed gently.
Not creepy at all.
Shit. I should just speed-run this. The faster I walked, the less I would see. Easy, right? Yet my feet remained rooted to the spot.
This whole place reminded me of a game I'd played about a year ago. Thief. One chapter led you into an abandoned asylum. It had taken me ages to progress, because even on screen, navigating those spooky hallways had made the hairs on the back of my neck rise. And of course, there had been ghosts. And worse.
But this wasn't a game.
The rustling sounded again and I tensed. My eyes darted around but the only things I could make out were spider webs and my weak, ghostly reflection on the faded glass.
A small squeak disrupted the stillness, and I lurched back. A rat skittered out of the bed and darted into a hole in the wall and out of sight.
Breathing out, I grasped at the edges of my shirt.
Just a rat. Nothing special.
I gritted my teeth and kept going. The walls seemed to emanate an icy breath that made me shudder. A wide staircase rose ahead, its washed-out concrete riddled with small cracks.
I carefully made my way up to the second floor, each sound causing me to flinch and freeze for a second. If Killian saw me now...Wait. Why the hell was I thinking of him? I shook my head.
Get a grip, Tay.
Besides, Cody had told me he was fine. That had to be enough. I should be glad the whole thing was over and dealt with.
My shoulders squared and I hurried my steps, rushing through the next corridors. After another turn, I stopped at a connecting passage that crossed over to the next building. At least I was going the right way.
Curtains were draped across the windows, and the once-white fabric ruffled softly. With every move, glittering particles of dust followed in their wake. A few wheelchairs blocked the way. I suspected the boys placed them this way on purpose to make it look haunted.
Sadly. It worked.
I couldn't help throwing glances over my shoulder but...so far, I was doing good. It was scary, sure, but it was mostly in my head. I just had to keep my composure and I'd be fine. Piece of cake.
I rounded the next corner and instantly braked. A long corridor stretched before me, the faded glass plunging the hallway in different shades of gray. At the other end, the curtains fluttered around a figure standing in front of a window.
My heart slammed against my ribs. What. The. Hell?
I opened my mouth to call them out, but no sound escaped. I could only roughly make out a large silhouette, but whoever, or whatever it was, stood immobile.
Maybe they had placed a puppet to scare us. That was some freaking huge puppet though.
My legs wobbled. Be brave, Tay. Challenge your fears, Tay—Yeah. What a great idea to do this on my own. Just great.
I quickly glanced outside and could vaguely make out the entrance hall across the overgrown garden where everyone should be gathered. If it was a puppet, there was only one way to find out. Unless I wanted to call them out. Which I definitely didn't.
I inched closer.
One step.
Two.
A crunching noise disturbed the silence as I stepped onto a few broken shards of glass spread over the floor. I held my breath.
The figure turned.
My stomach lurched and I stumbled. The figure had moved. It moved.
Judging by their height it should be a man, but his face was shrouded in shadows. He shifted slightly, and something in his hand reflected the light.
Was that... a pocketknife? Had they really placed someone here with a knife? They might have run the other way around and staged someone here... But only the two guys and Rose had been there when I left.
An acidic, stale smell mixed with sweat wafted up my nose. Something was wrong. My fight-or-flight response kicked in and adrenaline flooded my veins, but my feet refused to budge.
Suddenly, my surroundings dimmed as if a veil of darkness had been thrown over the world. Time seemed to slow down. Every fiber in my body tensed. Lightning flashed and for a brief second, the hallway was completely illuminated.
He was tall, maybe even around Killian's height, with a mop of dark, matted hair that reached past his shoulders and a long, unkempt beard.
A booming thunder shook the building, and I jolted back into motion. A scream slipped out as I whirled around and bolted. Heavy footsteps thudded behind me, and a quick look over my shoulder made my heart nearly jump out of my chest. He was running after me.
What the hell?
My mind went into overdrive. I sprinted down the corridor I'd come from, my feet tripping over overthrown chairs and other obstacles but somehow, I kept going. Left, right, and left again. I burst through another set of doors and raced down a flight of stairs.
Where to now? I spun in place, but all around me was darkness, only slightly disrupted by subtle shades that morphed into several doorways.
Fuck.
The wind howled beyond the building and something crashed.
I darted down the nearest passageway—and ran straight into a dead end.
Gasping for breath, I stopped and doubled over. My lungs burned and I pressed my palm against my chest as I tried to calm down. I didn't see anyone behind me. Then again, I didn't see much at all.
I scanned my surroundings and swiftly ducked into one of the adjacent rooms. I could just make out the shape of a large cupboard running along one side and squeezed myself into a small space between it and the bed.
One of my hands covered my mouth while I frantically searched my pockets. Wait. My phone was with the others at the entrance.
Shit.
Tremors rolled down my back and I squeezed my eyes shut. This wasn't the time to panic. I strained my ears and waited. The trees outside creaked under the pressure of the storm, so loud I didn't hear anything else aside from my own rapid breathing. Maybe I'd managed to shake him.
A bang sounded from somewhere down the hallway. Or maybe not.
Fuck. Should I just reveal myself?
My fists tightened. If the guys were playing a prank on me with this they were dead.
But if it wasn't the guys... I hesitated and pressed myself closer behind the furniture. Spiderwebs streaked my face, but for once I didn't care. I'd take spiders any day over this sort of thing.
A rusty creak rang out. Probably a door. Heavy footsteps drew closer until they stopped at the entrance to the room, I was hiding in. I held my breath, suddenly afraid that he could hear my pounding heartbeat. Seconds that felt like hours passed. Then the footsteps faded away.
I stayed still, completely immobile, and waited. And then I waited some more.
Damn it. I couldn't stay here forever. I pulled at my hair.
Come on, Tay. Face your fears.
With careful movements, I crept out from behind the cupboard, peeked around the doorway, and let out a breath. The dark hallway seemed empty.
I remained rooted to the spot until I finally scrapped up enough courage to start making my way back. I should be long over time by now. The others were probably looking for me. Right?
I tip-toed through the darkness, stopping every now and then to listen. I tried a few passages but for some reason, the stairs I had taken were nowhere to be found. My heart dropped and I blinked rapidly. It was just one corridor after another. Was I even still doing the circle or going back?
On the ground level, the windows were secured by thick metal bars partially obscured by vegetation, only letting me catch a few glimpses of the overgrown garden. I finally found an exit, leading to the outdoors. My hands closed around a doorknob, the cold metal a cool contrast to my flushed skin. I tried to twist it, but it was locked.
Thunder boomed again and then the pattering of rain against stone came together to form a loud white noise. I tried to glimpse through the smudged glass, but now my only orientation was covered in a grayish haze of rain.
Inside, the darkness had thickened so much, it was nearly pitch black. I kept one hand on the wall as I edged ahead. Every curtain that swayed, every creak, every rustling made me twitch. At this point, I was kind of hoping the others simply played a prank on me with this.
I carefully peered around the next corner. Another empty hallway, at least, as far as I could tell. A crow landed on outside on one of the window edges and cawed. I tripped and caught myself on a wheelchair which fell over with a loud clang.
My pulse raced as I scrambled back to my feet and balled my fists as I waited, straining my ears.
Nothing.
I let out a shaky breath and wiped my clammy hands on my jeans.
Somewhere, back where I came from, a door hinge groaned.
No. No. No.
Rushed footsteps approached, the sound growing louder with each step.