West Park Asylum

Ian continues working on his jigsaw puzzle while the orderlies struggle to keep people away from the body. Jenny is still slumped on the floor with a large hole in her chest that matches the one in the wall. The people who were in the room during the attack could only say that the young woman had walked in and must have been impaled by an invisible force. One man even claims to have done the deed himself, but the way he vomits at the sight of blood ends his bid for attention. A solitary horseshoe print is in the pool of blood, but the staff guess that a patient stole one from the sports equipment shed. It takes an hour for them to clear the room of everyone that is causing trouble and get the body under a sheet, which steadily turns red.

Ian curses and bends one of his pieces when he sees Gina arrive with a gurney to take the corpse away. She notices his reaction and scowls before focusing on removing Jenny from the common room. The janitors hurry to clean the blood with sawdust and mops, neither of them wanting to tackle the gaping hole in the wall. Deciding that they have to do something, one of the men grabs a nail gun out of their cart and attaches a wooden puzzle to each side of the damage. It is ugly and results in pieces tumbling to the floor, but the janitors nod with pride at the makeshift patches. Confident that they have done all they can while the residents are awake, the pair pack up their gear and leave a warning sign over the area.

“Why didn’t you react to her?” Dawn asks as she takes a seat across from Ian. The brunette reaches out to move a puzzle piece into place and removes another from the border. “Something seems different about you, little puppy. You’re still broken, but not in the way you were when we first met. The fresh wounds have jagged edges that may never heal. Not sure I like it. Want to talk about it?”

“No,” he bluntly states, putting the stolen piece back. He sighs when he notices the woman’s pout reflected in the window. “I’m just tired and numb. Jenny isn’t the first person to die here and she won’t be the last. Even the method is very . . . normal for this place. I mean, my second day here included a man getting attacked by a phantom hand. A voice keeps playing games with me. I simply don’t have it in me to react anymore.”

“You’re an idiot for calling Raven’s Hold normal. This place is too much fun to be normal,” she replies while stretching her back like a cat. She clicks her bare heels three times before crouching on the chair. “I think you understand more than you realize. The voice talks to all of us, but only a few respond. You’re one of the fun ones, so stop being a sour puppy and get back into the game.”

“If this is a game then somebody dragged my sister into it,” Ian snaps before shoving the puzzle back in its box. When he tosses the container onto another table, he startles a mumbling patient who bolts from the room. “No matter what anyone says, I know that’s Carla. She can call herself Gina and claim that she doesn’t know me, but it’s her. Someone or something brought her here to torture me.”

Dawn scratches her head and bites her thumb in distress. She mumbles incoherently in a way that makes Ian think she is arguing with herself. With an angry shout, she slams her hands on the table and shakes it. None of the orderlies bother to approach or make any threatening motion toward the brunette, their energy already drained. A wordless howl escapes Dawn’s lips while she stomps her finger and punches the window frame. The entire building quivers in response to the outburst, which forces her to calm down and curl into a ball on the chair. The young woman peeks through her hair at Ian, the young man gazing at the ceiling. She unfurls her body and sits with her hands folded on the table, a serious expression on her face.

“It appears something happened that I was unaware of,” Dawn states in a business-like tone that chills the blood of everyone in earshot. “That is unacceptable and requires that I make a wave. Nothing that will get me sent away, but an action that will rattle those who think they run this island. I am the Queen and my King knows better than to bring a new player into the game without warning me.”

“What do you expect me to do about it?” Ian asks with a yawn. The woman takes his hands in hers and runs her thumbs around his palms. “I once asked Rich about you and he told me nothing. Instead, he said you’re the only one to tell me your story. The more I watch you, the less I want to know the truth. So leave me out of your madness because all I want is to be left alone and go home.”

Licking her lips, Dawn pulls her companion forward and leans in to whisper in his ear. “I’m going to tell you a secret. Peanut butter is not a lubricant. More importantly, I can tell you that Gina is really your sister. Maybe. It may take me a few days to get proof, but I wouldn’t be surprised. My dead father was a janitor until Dr. Rutherford had him walk the plank. That’s why we had to close the pool too.”

“Not interested.”

“But I need you to come with me tonight.”

“I don’t care. There’s too much I have to think about.”

“Have you noticed that nobody remembers Rich?”

A flicker of worry appears on Ian’s face before he regains control and replies, “Nope and I still don’t care.”

Dawn digs her fingernails into her companion’s palms, the sharp edges drawing blood. Ian tries to hide his reaction to the pain and meets the cold stare of the brunette. He is about to lash out when Gina reenters the room to retrieve another patient for a session with Dr. Rutherford. A pang in his heart weakens his resolve and his arms go limp, which causes Dawn to remove her nails from his flesh. Ian holds still while the young woman binds his hands with strips of cloth from her shirt, revealing her scarred midriff.

“I know you don’t trust me or like it here, but I only want to help,” Dawn promises as she follows his stare. A territorial hiss slips from her mouth when she sees the unfamiliar orderly leaving the room. “She doesn’t belong here. Help me make a statement and I’ll get your sister released from Raven’s Hold. This place listens to me because it loves me. One never wants to upset the one they love. All I ask is that you come with me to the forest after dinner and tell nobody. What do you say, little puppy?”

“After everything that’s happened here, I should say no and walk away,” Ian admits to the dismay of the brunette. Sliding off his chair and out of reach, he runs his hands through his knotted hair. “I’ll give you a hand, but only because I get the feeling that you’re not going to leave me alone. See you after dinner.”

With a gleeful squeal, Dawn excitedly kicks her legs and turns to kiss what Ian assume is her unicorn. She pays no attention to him leaving for the garden, her attention now focused on the invisible beast. Peering through the window, he watches her take a rag out of her pocket and wipe at the open air. Ian cannot muster any surprise when he sees the cloth turn red and a few drops of blood fall to the floor.

West Park Asylum

Ian’s eyes flutter open and he groans at the sight of the boring ceiling overhead. He can see the early afternoon shadows stretching across the walls of his room and hears other patients outside in the garden. A steady breeze is drifting through the window and heading out the open door, the sight of which gives him some relief. There is a dull pain in his arm and it gets worse whenever he tries to move the limb. It takes him a few seconds to notice the intravenous bag that he is connected to. A gentle hand touches his skin and carefully removes the needle, pressing the gauze to stop the minor bleeding.

“What happened to me?” Ian asks, his memories of the morning foggy and jumbled. A band of soreness across his stomach reminds him of the gurney, but he is unable to recall anything more than one hitting him. “I remember Rich having an episode at breakfast. Then I went into the hallway and . . . everything gets fuzzy after that. Maybe I got hit by something.”

“Mr. Garrett struck you in the head with his tray and you stumbled out of the cafeteria before falling into a gurney,” the orderly explains while she tapes the gauze down. Her dark brown hair acts as a curtain, preventing the patient from seeing her face. “It appears your time in the solitary ward and your stress have made you temporarily anemic. Probably something to do with your blood pressure, but I’m not really sure. I haven’t read much on it and I’m still trying to finish my degree. Try having some orange juice and a few cookies. Dr. Rutherford wants you to join the other residents for dinner in a few hours.”

“In that case, I’ll get some fresh-”

The pewter penguin dangling from the orderly’s neck causes Ian to lose his voice. When she turns to check him for signs of an anxiety attack, he gets a clear look at her familiar face. Even though there is no reason for her to be in Raven’s Hold, he has no doubt that he is looking at his sister. The staff uniform has a few indistinct stains and is frayed around the collar, signs that at least her clothing has been around for a while. The woman blushes at his piercing gaze and goes to clean up the medical supplies that are spread out on the floor.

“Why are you here, Carla?” Ian asks when he can talk again.

“I’m afraid you’re mistaken,” she responds while bringing him some water. She checks his pulse and frowns at the rapidly beat. “My name is Gina and we’ve met before. I’ve escorted you to some outdoor activities and watched you in the common room. It’s only been in passing, so I’m not surprised that you don’t remember me.”

“You look exactly like my sister,” the confused patient states before draining his glass. A dull pain starts behind his eyes, forcing him to lie down again. “She even has the same necklace, which I bought her when we were kids. This has to be some kind of trick. Are you in on some prank that’s meant to make me feel better?”

Gina takes a seat near his feet and puts some pills in his hand, tenderly closing his fingers around them. “You’re disoriented from having a difficult week and the blow to the head. If you think about what you’re saying then you will realize that it’s impossible for her to be in Raven’s Hold. All patients are invited and all staff members are handpicked by Dr. Rutherford. The location of this institution is a well-guarded secret. You sister could only get here if she was invited and we never allow family on the premises. There are too many liability risks. So you can see how you’re mistaken.”

“There is no way you look exactly like my sister and not be her.”

“I’m sure there are differences.”

Frustrated with the situation, Ian storms out of the room and slams the door behind him. He takes a final glance through the window at Gina, who is staring at him in disbelief. It is an expression that he remembers seeing countless times throughout his life. As nausea begins to overtake him, Ian wants to put as much distance between himself and his room as he possibly can. He jogs into the garden and takes a deep breath of the fresh air, the flowers filling his nose with a sweet scent. Taking a seat on the nearest bench, he puts his head between his legs and lets a panic attack overtake him.

“I have a new toy,” the ghost cackles, earning no reaction from its shuddering victim. “I guess this round goes to me.”

West Park Asylum

Rich flips the table to give himself some time to make a run for the door, but he is too panicked to watch where he is going. Banging into tables and stumbling over chairs, the gasping man barely makes it to the middle of the cafeteria before four orderlies surround him. He swings his battered camera at them, clipping the nearest one in the head and forcing her to back away. A brief moment of clarity comes over Rich when he sees the bleeding wound and he tries to stutter out an apology. The other three staff members tackle him while waving for a gurney to be brought over. Even with their combined weight, the adrenaline-fueled patient is able to break free and continue his retreat. He only gets a few more steps before Dawn whacks him in the head with a frying pan.

“What happened here?” Dr. Rutherford asks as she approaches with her clipboard. With a sigh, she takes the blunt object from Dawn and places it on a chair. “Thank you for the help, Ms. Addison. Now this is the second outburst from Mr. Garrett this week. Do we know what caused it this time?”

“He said his orange juice was turned to bile and death threats were appearing in his oatmeal,” the injured orderly reports while pressing a towel to her head. Leaning forward, she lets her boss take a look at the wound, which she is sure will require stitches. “According to his rants, the ghosts were angry at him for going into the forest last week. They have sworn to kill him and he wants to escape. Should we put him into the solitary wing until you’re sure he won’t be a danger to the others?”

“I’m afraid this is more severe,” Dr. Rutherford says as she flips through her notes. Putting a hand on Rich’s face, she lifts his eyelid to check for signs of a concussion. “Have Mrs. Warding meet me at the elevator with her equipment. We will have to do a full check of his body and mind, which can’t be done in the solitary ward. Mr. Garrett will have to be placed in the basement until he is better. It’s a shame because he was so close to throwing off his delusions and returning to his old life.”

“Can I come along?” Dawn asks while bouncing on her toes. “I want to see the basement again. It’s been too long and I think I left something there. Be a pal, Grace, and give me what I want.”

Dr. Rutherford sighs and waves for her staff to cart Rich away. “Maybe another time, Ms. Addison. This is too delicate a situation for you to be involved. I know this is upsetting, but I assure you that it’s for the best. You don’t want to get into any real trouble and be forced to go away, do you?”

Dawn’s face turns pale and her mouth opens slightly, a chortled squeak slipping out as she imagines leaving Raven’s Hold. Tears slipping down her cheeks, she backs away from the doctor and charges out of the cafeteria. The young woman shoves the gurney out of her path before ducking into a broom closet. Crashing and wailing can be heard inside as bleach seeps out from under the door.

“Ignore her and keep going,” the doctor tells her staff, snapping her fingers to highlight her impatience. “We don’t want Mr. Garrett to wake up in the elevator. He may get the wrong idea and panic again.”

Dr. Rutherford is so focused on her notes and the patient that she fails to notice Ian lurking around the corner. Ever since his release from the solitary ward, he has been trying to remain unseen by the staff and most of the patients. He quietly watches as his only friend on the island is carted away to the basement. The creaking of a door draws his attention to the opposite direction and he holds his breath when Dawn steps out of the broom closet. She is drenched in various cleaners and has an air freshener hanging from her neck. Something about the young woman puts Ian on edge and makes him crouch in an attempt to appear smaller. It is not until she dances away that he relaxes and returns his attention to his friend’s outburst.

Remembering Rich’s warnings about the mysterious lower level, Ian makes up his mind to follow them. Stretching his legs and taking several calming breaths, he slips into the hallway and creeps along the wall. With Dr. Rutherford and the orderlies already out of sight, he is able to move quickly, but he forces himself to walk at a casual pace. He knows there could be other patients peeking through windows or hiding behind doors. The last thing Ian wants is to get caught and be put back in the solitary ward.

“It isn’t like I’m causing trouble,” he whispers before ducking into an open door. He silently waits for the approaching guard to walk by and peeks around the corner to make sure the hallway is clear. “What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t try to check up on him? If Dr. Rutherford finds me then I’ll just say I’m concerned and hoping he’ll be okay. There’s no reason for her to be upset about that. Though I am talking to myself and acting like I’m doing something wrong. I should just remain calm and act like everything is fine.”

Ian stops when he hears wheels squeak to a stop nearby and he stands with his back to the wall. Using the glass windows in front of him, he watches Rich get carted onto the padded elevator. His friend is starting to stir and raise his hand, which one of the orderlies holds onto while whispering words of comfort. The clicking of the camera gets more rapid until the bald man is mildly sedated. Helping to move the gurney to the side, Dr. Rutherford squeezes into the corner of the elevator and presses the open door button to let an older woman to join them. The last thing Ian sees is the newcomer taking out a stethoscope to check Rich’s chest and the man weakly try to take her picture.

“I wonder why I’ve never been down here before,” the young man says while stepping into the open. He takes a few steps toward the elevator and grabs the wall as a wave of vertigo overtakes him. “Guess the stress is getting to me. Maybe Rich clipped me in the head with his tray when he flipped out. I was sitting right in front of him.”

A snake-like voice seeps from the walls to growl, “Or maybe you are where you don’t belong.”

“You again,” Ian groans as he slides to the floor. He massages his temples in a desperate hope to hold off a looming migraine. “You sound angry this time. Guess the resident ghost is territorial. I thought you wanted me to play your game. Well this definitely feels like a challenge since my only friend is in trouble.”

“I’m not in the mood to play. Go away.”

“Since you’re so adamant about that, I think I’ll check the elevator.”

“I’m warning you.”

“And what are you going to do?”

There is an eerie pause before the voice returns, sounding more bitter than enraged. “You are lucky that you are who you are. There is still fun to be had at your expense. I will forget that you’re overstepping your bounds and that your family has become an annoyance. Perhaps you need a lesson, little puppy.”

“My family?” Ian asks as the hallway begins to twist. “What do you mean by my family?”

Fire drips out of the ceiling lights and oozes along the rising floor while doors shatter from the pressure. Tiles crack and send splinters flying into the opposite walls, the holes bleeding like fresh bullet wounds. Ian closes his eyes in the hope of the hallucinations going away, but he still feels the world tilt around him. As if the building is being turned on its side, the ground becomes increasingly steep and impossible for the young man to maintain his balance. He clings to a door frame and looks down to see the elevator open like a hungry maw. There is nothing inside the lift and it patiently waits for Ian to lose his grip.

“I promise to behave if you stop this right now,” he begs while Raven’s Hold trembles. “Just leave my family alone.”

“Too late.”

The hallway violently spins and stops with a jolt that breaks Ian’s hold on the door. He tumbles down the hallway, his clothes slashed by jagged barbs that blend into the tiles. The hungry elevator gurgles as its potential meal builds speed and leaves a trail of blood along the floor. Curled into a ball and shivering in fear, Ian prepares to fall into the looming abyss. Instead, he slams into the elevator doors with enough force to daze him. Sprawled in the hallway, he gazes at his pristine surroundings and curses at the ghost’s faint laughter.

“That wasn’t funny,” Ian mutters while checking his clothes and skin for damage.

“I’m easily amused,” the voice states with another chuckle. “Though I don’t want you to see your present too early. Time to sleep again.”

The elevator opens to release the empty gurney that slams into Ian and shoves him down the hallway. He is rammed into the solid wall, which leaves him gasping for air. With the creak of metal and the popping of screws, the cart stands on its back wheels and flexes its front legs as if they are arms. It dances around like a boxer and throws a few feints, the roar of a crowd appearing out of a nearby intercom. More amused than scared, Ian can only make a nervous cough before he is punched in the face and knocked out.

West Park Asylum

From the dock of Raven’s Hold, Grace watches the tiny ship capsize and its riders get sucked beneath the gentle waves. A faint shimmer around the edge of the island tells her that something is going on beyond her senses. Sipping at a margarita, she fixes her glasses and lets this brief moment of calm wash over her. When the mysterious haze around her surroundings has evaporated, Grace places her drink on the ground and watches the sun quickly get back into its proper position.

A bobbing object catches her attention as it nears the island at a suspicious rate. Carried on a strong current, the waterlogged purse is tossed on the gentle waves until it hooks the top of the dock’s ladder. Grace tries to finish her drink, but the margarita turns salty and putrid in her mouth. Hurling the melting glass into the ocean, the blonde grabs the bag to search for anything that can identify the owner. Finding the leather wallet, she takes out the driver’s license and frowns at the familiar name. With a mild curse, the doctor rummages for her phone and casually dials the number for the front office.

“Send a staffer to the shore with a wheelchair,” Grace says while she watches the tide bring in pieces of the boat. A severed arm with teeth marks catches her attention, but she ignores it when she sees it is part of a male. “We’re going to have an unexpected guest. At least we didn’t know about her. I can only guess at how long he’s been waiting for this little toy. This does explain a few things that have happened recently. Look for a woman to wash up onshore and bring her to the basement. Her rebirth must be a top priority, so tell him not to play with his food for too long. I’ll visit after my rounds and another margarita. Things are going to get messy around here.”