Delirious

Street lamps illuminated the sidewalks of the neighborhood where children ran excitedly with their Jack-o-Lantern bags and little devil tridents. The wind blew slightly, rustling the dead leaves along the sidewalks- just enough to create goosebumps. Clouds began to roll in as the night drew closer to take over the day’s shift, and two teenage boys, around the age of 17, stood at the entrance to the neighborhood looking back to see the little children happily getting candy their parents would never imagine buying them, and held their arms close to their bodies as the wind blew. Shane and Mick looked over to the streetlamp closest to them; it held a paper stating “MISSING” with a picture of a young girl with beautiful eyes, one green and one blue. 

They stared for a few seconds, “She has been missing for three weeks now.” Mick said as they both reminiscenced on the past Halloweens when the trio would Trick-or-Treat together when they were little. They were unstoppable until the night their best friend, Maddie, disappeared a couple weeks back. The three would do everything and go everywhere together. Now, they had an empty seat at their lunch table, an empty seat on the bus, an empty seat in the car. It hadn’t been the same. 

   “You know, Mick, she started acting kinda weird before she disappeared,” Shane said warily. Shane had started to notice that Mick was acting like Maddie before she disappeared and had become worried about his friend’s safety, but Mick stood unfazed.

   “What do you mean weird?”

   “She started to wander out at night. She started to be curious about Cane Hills Asylum, and she told me she would run away someday- she has never, ever wanted to do that.” 

   “I don’t think it’s weird that she randomly started to take interest in something. I’m super interested in it, too, now. I mean, that’s why we’re out here,” Shane snapped his head up to look at Mick as he stared excitedly at the entrance to the woods.

   “I thought we were going over to Cambridge Farms for Alex’s party?”

   “No way, dude, that’s lame. That’s what I told you so you’d come. You’ve heard the legend of that crazy Dr. Cotton up in Cane Hills Asylum. People say you can still hear his drill being dug into someone’s skull. The building’s still there, and we’re going,” Mick pointed out into the deep woods. They could barely see past the first line of trees before it turned into complete darkness. The wind picked up dozens of leaves each time it blew. Shane’s mind raced because it was unlike Mick to just trick him like that.

   “What makes you think I’m doing that? You’ve gone crazy!” 

   “If you were a real friend, you’d come…” Mick said as he began walking towards the path leading into the woods. Guilt always worked. 

   “But the party, the candy, the food! Danggit Mick!” Shane picked up his pace to catch up with Mick who was already at the entrance to the woods.

   The night had fully taken over day, and the wind picked up, swaying the tall, lanky trees back and forth. With each step, dead leaves and stray twigs crunched under their feet. The path ahead was a dark, mysterious abyss they would inevitably enter. As they walked down the path, the only things Shane could hear was the leaves crunching under his feet and his heart beating. 

   Bdump. Bdump. Bdump. 

   About 125 beats per minute. 

   Wake up.

   ****

   “You’re acting kinda weird, Mick. You’ve picked up interest in this stupid urban legend, and now we’ve been walking for nearly 30 minutes, we’re in the middle of the woods, I’m cold, and I’m creeped out by this whole situation,” Shane rambled on until he ran out of breath. 

   “I’m not acting weird. Stop bugging me about this- you’re already here with me, so just stop complaining for Christ’s sake,” Mick’s temper shortened. Shane stopped walking and looked at Mick. 

   “You never talk to me like that. Why-” Mick raises his arms at Shane.

   “I just want you to shut your mouth, and-” A branch cracked in the distance within the dark abyss of the woods, and they both snapped their heads up towards the noise.

   “What the hell was that?”  

   Both of their hearts raced. Mick pinched Shane to see if it was just a dream.

   “Ouch!”

   Wake up.

   “Let’s go.” Mick started towards the crack.

   “No, no, no, no, no, no. Absolutely not. I forbid it. Nope. That’s a no-no. No, Mick. Stop. No. Why? Ugh!” Shane flailed his arms around to try and stop him. He didn’t want to be left alone in the woods, so he gave in once again and followed Mick.

   A little ways in, Mick pointed his flashlight towards a path to try to see what’s ahead. It was blocked off by chains and signs reading NO TRESPASSING. He grabbed Shane’s arm and pulled him past the chains and signs. Shane tried to resist, but his friend insisted on traveling further. Mick needed to keep going. 

   “This is how horror stories start! Why do you do this to me? Why do you care so much about this?”

   “Why do you keep complaining?” His eyes were unusually dark, and he looked menacing. “Let’s keep walking.”

The path seemed to be untraveled, and it was on a steep hill. They kept walking forward towards the unknown. Their flashlight’s beams were becoming more narrow, but they could see long, dead grass that grew alongside the path and a change between the tall trees to dead trees beyond the beam of light. Fear had already made its home in Shane’s mind as they continued to walk, and curiosity filled Mick’s. There were cracks and rustling leaves causing Shane to point his flashlight all around him as his breathing quickened and heartbeat raced. Mick was walking briskly as if he were late to class, and he paid attention to nothing. It was like he was taken over by something and that’s why he had to go.

Along the path they started to pass signs stating No Trespassing and Cane Hills Asylum. Long vines covered the corners of the signs. Mick and Shane finally reached the top of the path, and before them stood a tall, red-bricked, castle-like asylum with hundreds of windows barred on the outside. Instantly, by the looks of it, they assumed it was abandoned. Shane hunched over, rubbing his thighs in pain. The hill had been so steep, but Mick seemed untouched by it. 

“There it is! Wow, it’s just like I imagined it.”

“You imagined this? Like, in your brain?” Shane stood up straight and looked at Mick with a disgusted face. 

“First of all, yes. That’s typically where you imagine things, and secondly, yes. I feel connected somehow to this place. I want to know so much more about it, and the only way to do that is by going inside.” Mick started to walk towards the asylum.

“You’ve gone mad! I’m not going in there! No way. No. Way. In. This. Whole. Earth.” 

“Whatever you say. I’m going in.” Shane looked around at his surroundings, and in fear of having to walk back home alone in the dark, he ran after Mick.

Wake up.

Shane’s skin began to crawl as he hesitantly made his way to the tall black door to the asylum behind Mick. Both of their heartbeats quickened as they approached the door.

Bdump. Bdump. Bdump.

About 130 beats per minute.

Each stair Shane climbed creaked, making him hold his arms to his chest in fear as if holding himself tightly would keep him safe. They could hear noises from inside, but Mick couldn’t and wouldn’t stop. Something was drawing him in. Closer. Closer. He felt a pit in his stomach as they approached the door. It was like he was someone’s puppet, each movement hadn’t been out of his own will. His fingers were numb, and his legs were wobbly but he had to keep going. There’s something for him here. He reached for the doorknob, and before he could turn it, the door slowly creaked open. 

They entered a large atrium-like room. The ceiling was tall, and there was a chandelier hanging in the middle of the room from what looked like a thread. There were dozens of halls that lead off of the atrium and straight across the atrium was a tall staircase. The floor was dirty and covered with pieces of wallpaper that had peeled off the walls. The doors they could see were ajar, and graffiti scattered the walls. They both pointed their flashlights to the right; I’m not crazy, it read. 

“I don’t like this at all-”

“We get it, you’re freaked out! For the last time, stop complaining. You’ll drive yourself mad.” Shane was set uneasy by Mick’s remark. 

They continued to walk into the dark atrium, where more graffiti read GET OUT. They peeked into some of the rooms down the halls. They still had tables and equipment, beds and couches, chalk boards and desks. Rubble covered the ground making each step audible across the hall. Shane pointed his flashlight into a small room to his right; graffiti completely covered the walls, and in big, bold letters Everyone is dying and It was more fun in Hell stood out of all the drawings and words. 

“Dude, I’m really not okay right now. I don’t feel well, I’m freaked out, and my head is starting to hurt,” Shane said.

“This way. I think we should go this way.” Mick ignored Shane and started his way up the large staircase to the second floor. 

At the top of the stairs, the faint sound of a music box began to play, and its tune resembled Amazing Grace. This hall was different. It was narrow and every door was closed. Except the one at the end of the hall. Its door stood ajar, and Mick pushed Shane as they inched their way closer and closer to the room. With each step, the sound of the music box became clearer, and with each step, Shane could feel a pressure building up around him. When they reached the room, there was yellow wallpaper peeling, showing the brown wall underneath. There was a tall, round window that was boarded up and a lone chair in the middle of the room. It was red and the stuffing was showing. 

“I really, really don’t-” Shane collapsed on the ground just beside the red chair. 

Wake up.

Suddenly, the door slammed shut, the music box stopped, and a faint buzzing noise could be heard from the other side. A small round window was in the door allowing Mick to see down the hallway, and he saw a fast, dark shadow zoom past the window. He could hear screams and moans all around him as if he was going mad. He looked around frantically as if he didn’t know where he was- he didn’t know where he was. The pit in his stomach turned into a pit of fear, and his eyes started to well up with tears as he panicked. 

Bdump. Bdump. Bdump.

About 135 beats per minute.

“Shane! Shane! Wake up! Where are we?!” Shane lay unconscious as Mick shook him. 

He ran back up to the door and began to shake the handle violently, “Let me out! Let me out!” A face popped up into the window. It was a man with round, wire rimmed glasses and a doctor’s mask around his neck. He was pale. So pale you could almost see through him, and that’s all he could see. “Let me out!” 

   “You’re sick, my child. Let me make you better. I will make you better,” the doctor said in a calm, deep British accent as he smiled, staring deeply into Mick’s eyes. The doctor’s face was familiarly creepy. He had wrinkles all over, and the crows feet beside his eyes got deeper as he smiled with his rotten teeth. His eyes were dark. Evil surrounded him. “I’m Dr. Cotton.” 

   Mick’s eyes widened as he heard the name. “I’m not sick! You’re crazy!”

   “It seems as if your little friends are. I’ll make him better, too. Don’t you worry, my child,” he smiled as he walked away slowly to another room on the hall. He wore a long, dirty, what-used-to-be-white lab coat and long brown pants. His shoes were bloody, and he was missing his left hand. In place of his left hand was his drill, black in dried blood. He seemed to float instead of walk; each step was completely silent. Mick rushed around the small room, trying to figure a way out. 

   Wake up.

   “Shane! Wake up!” Still no response. Mick rushed back over to the door and started pounding and kicking the door. He began to hear the crying of a young woman. He looked through the window to see another door open, and he could see silhouettes of two people on the wall from another room on the hall. One body was trying to get away and the other was holding it down. He couldn’t distinguish the screams from the hall and the screams in his head.

One escaped, running across the hall to the door. She tried to open the door. Her body was skinny and her teeth were missing. She had scratches on her small arms and half of her hair was badly shaved giving her a deep scar on that side of her head. The woman lifted her head to say something, revealing her eyes. One green and one blue. 

Before she could speak, Dr. Cotton grabbed her with his right arm and pulled her to the ground, dragging her away back into her room while threatening her with his left hand. Mick stood still, unable to move. His throat went dry, and all feeling seemed to leave his body. His heart raced. 

Bdump. Bdump. Bdump.

   About 145 beats per minute.

Maddie? 

   “Maddie? Maddie! Maddie!!” Mick cried as he violently banged on the door. He could hear her screams and the sound of a drill buzzing. Mick pinched himself to wake himself up, “this has to be a dream! This can’t be real!” He tasted the salt from his tears as they ran down his cheeks. 

   Wake up.

   Mick looked at Shane, who still laid on the ground unconscious. 

   Wake up.

   “Shane, please! Wake up! We gotta get out of here!” Mick paced the room. His eyesight was blurry because of the tears. His lip quivered as he rubbed his hair back and forth searching for a solution. The red chair. The big window. 

   “Shane!” Mick fell to the floor beside his friend, shaking him vigorously, “Wake up! Wake up!” Mick could still hear screams and drill buzzing. He grabbed his head, and he wanted it to stop. He wanted it all to stop.

   Everything went quiet.

Wake up. 

“Mmmm? Whaa? Where-?” 

“Shane!” Mick grabs Shane and pulls him to stand up, “we need to get out of here, now!” 

“No…”

“No? What do you mean no?”

“I saw her. In my dream. I saw Maddie. We need to save her!” Shane moved towards the door, and Mick’s eyes welled up with tears once again, replays of her screams repeated over and over in his mind. 

“We can’t, dude. We have to leave now, or we’ll end up like her.”

“Like her? What do you mean? How long was I asleep?”

“She’s dead, bro. I heard her die! You passed out as soon as we came in this room, and now we’re trapped, Maddie’s dead, and we’ll be next if we keep standing here,” Mick motioned with big gestures and pointing fingers as tears continued to fall down his face. The red chair. The big window. “Grab the chair! We’re gonna jump.” 

Shane stood still, unable to move. She couldn’t be dead. Neither of them wanted it to be true, but Shane’s mind raced. How could she be dead? What killed her? Shane pinched himself, hoping that he would wake up from this nightmare.

Wake up.

“Help. Me. Grab this. Chair. Please.” Mick struggled to pick up the old, red chair that stood in the middle of the room. Shane moved to help him, and the pushed the chair through the window with a big crash. Mick pushed the glass from the frame where they needed to jump. 

“Come on, I’ll go first then I’ll catch you.” Mick mounted the window frame. Left leg, right leg. Jump! Mick hit the ground and rolled. As he gained back his sight and balance, he turned to see Shane at the window with a figure approaching him.

“Shane! Jump! Now!” The sound of a drill filled Mick’s ears, and he started to run. He followed the path they took at first, but each turn looked the same. All the trees looked the same. All the leaves laid the same way. Every crunch sounded the same. His heart raced.

Bdump. Bdump. Bdump.

About 150 beats per minute.

Wake up.

Mick raced in circles, weaving his way around tree after tree. Then he began to tumble down the hill, and hit his head on a rock. Everything went black.

Wake up.

***

   “Wake up.” Mick came back to consciousness, and took a gasp for air. He sat up quickly, clenching the sheets. He looked around the hospital room. His parents sat beside him, and his head ached badly. He reached for his head and felt a bandage. His couldn’t slow his breathing. 

   Beep. Beep. Beep.

   About 155 beats per minute.

   “Calm down, honey. You’re okay now.” Mick’s mother pulled him into her chest, rubbing his hair gently as she hummed Amazing Grace. He sobbed into her hair as he remembered his dream. 

   “Are Shane and Maddie okay? I need to know.” His parents paused and looked at each other worriedly. 

   “Mick…”