Prologue

*BREAKING NEWS: Mental Hospital, Shady Oaks of Morganton, North Carolina, caught fire and has been burning for 2 hours. Firefighters and EMTs have been frantically working to make sure everyone has gotten out safely and are in good health. Everyone appears to be accounted for except for the town’s beloved Dr. Jones and Shady Oaks patient Laurel Harris. Fire Marshall Richard Boon suspects foul play. More on this story as it develops*


September 29th 2000 (1 year later)


Tonight marks one year since Shady Oaks caught fire leaving the whole west wing in ruin. Firefighters never found the bodies of Dr. Jones or Laurel. Everyone is wearing T-Shirts that say “R.I.P Dr. Jones” while lighting candles at the gates of what is left of the hospital. After all the mourners left, me and the guys showed up to check the place out.
“Jesus, dude look at this place,” said Garry in awe.
“It gives me the creeps,” replied Jacob.
We stood at the gate and looked around at the incomplete building mostly covered in yellow police tape, ash and soot. A couple punk kids had tagged the place in a few areas and most of the windows are busted. My eyes were drawn to one window in particular where the roof had caved in. If I focused hard enough it was almost as if I could see a pale face cloaked by the darkness. What looked like a nose and a mouth was just barely visible.
“Hey Josh, you know that girl they said didn’t make it out?” asked Garry.
“Yea, Laurel, wasn’t it?” I replied still straining my eyes looking at the window.
At the sound of her name the mouth seemed to smile.
“Yeah, her. Did you hear the story going around school?”
I roll my eyes and give him a dry look,
“You know I don’t pay any mind to the gossip that goes around that place.”
“No man, this is real. They say the reason she ended up in this place is because at night while her mom was asleep in her room, she locked the door and burned the house to the ground. The cops found her passed out on her porch.”
“How do they know she did it,” Jacob questioned.
“They say there was an eyewitness. Someone said they saw her carry a container of gasoline into the garage earlier that day. They insisted on remaining anonymous.”
“That doesn’t mean she did it. Could have just been a coincidence,” I counter.
“It could have been, except when the girl regained consciousness she refused to speak to anyone, so they sent her here, to Shady Oaks.”
My eyes drifted back to the window, but the face was gone.
“We should get out of here guys,” say Jacob shakily.
“What for? You scared?”
Garry was becoming amused. “Watch out Jacob, Laurel might come to get you!”
“Cut it out Garry,” I said getting annoyed.
“Don’t try to be the tough guy, I can tell by the way you’re eyeing the place that you are just as scared as Jacob is.”
“Yea right man.”
“Oh, really? Then prove it, go inside,” Garry was grinning from ear to ear; he was calling my bluff.
“Alright then, you guys come with me”
His smile faltered slightly, but he recovered, “No problem.”
We both hopped the fence and Jacob reluctantly followed turning about 5 shades paler than he already was.
Jacob wasn’t the type to do anything reckless; he was the goody-two-shoes, pushover who would easily go out of his way to make someone else’s day. His puppy dog, icy-blue eyes and bleach blonde hair just screamed innocence. Garry on the other hand was a real redneck with a country boy getup, accent, and all that came with it. When he wasn’t trying to hit on the popular girls, he was always out looking for mischief. As for me, I’m a city boy who transferred in the middle of last year from San Francisco. I was never really good with the girls because my brown hair, brown eyes, and medium build made me extremely average. I don’t mind though. I like being able to blend in. Anyways the girls I know aren’t worth making an effort.
We approached the entrance doors and Garry hastily ran up the stairs to open them, but of course they were locked.
“Oh, well. Time to go home,” Jacob tried to make a quick retreat until I caught him by the collar.
“You do realize that half of the building is wide open, right?”
We made our way around to the west wing and Garry ducked under the police tape and began to climb over the debris and charred remains.
“Guys, someone is going to see us!”
“Shut up Jacob!” Garry and I shout in unison.

Once we made it through the maze of black rubble it was like standing in the middle of heaven and hell. On one side, although abandoned and illuminated only by the moon, you see bright, white walls and open space, and on the other side black ruin. Garry seemed to be enjoying himself and took off down the hallway and around a corner.
“Gary you idiot! What are you doing?” I called out after him.
Jacob and I run after him, but after we round the corner we see he is still nowhere in sight.
“Gary?”
“Gary, you better not be trying to scare us! This isn’t funny come out!”
We walk down another hallway peering into every room as we go. Garry can be a real jerk sometimes, and at this moment I’m growing more tired of his games.
“Come on, let’s just lea-“

As I turned on my heal intending to leave Garry, I caught sight of him in my peripheral. He stood in the room next to us still as a board, facing the opposite direction.
“Gary, what are you-“ Once again I couldn’t finish my sentence.
Standing two feet in front of Garry was a young girl maybe 17, our age. She was whiter than snow and her hair hung past her waist in thick, and greasy looking tendrils. A nonexistent wind blew pieces of the dark mass over her face. Her feet were bare and she had hints of deep purple veins crawling up her feet and hands. There was a hospital band around her left wrist and she was dressed in a faded, pale blue hospital gown covered in burn holes exposing charred skin. Her eyes were like black onyx and they moved from Garry’s to mine, locking me in place. Garry whimpered, suddenly able to gather his thoughts as if being released from a trance. I can hear the guys running for the nearest exit, but I can’t get my feet to move. Her expression turns from indifference to curiosity. I can’t explain it, but I’m also more curious than afraid. I’m suddenly startled by my own voice,
“Laurel,” it was meant to be a question, but it came out more like an accusation.
“How do you know my name?”
Her voice came out strained and sounded as if I had frightened her.

Suddenly, there was a raspy voice that sounded over the intercom,
“Laurel,” it sang. “You’ve been a bad girl. You can’t hide from me forever, I will find you.”
The hairs raised on the back of my neck.
“You need to leave, now!”
Her voice was shaky and she grabbed my hand as she ran for the door. Her touch was ice cold and sent a shiver down my spine.
“I have to get you out of here. Come on, this way. Hurry!”
“Why? What’s wrong? Who was that?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” she responded in a dry tone.
Being closer to her allowed my eyes to notice small scars and faded bruises adorning her body from her shoulders to her wrists. Suddenly the girl stopped and as impossible as it may seem, she became paler. My gaze followed hers to a dark figure standing in the middle of the hallway.
“W-who…Who’s that?” I stutter.
She doesn’t answers and instead remains still, trapped like a deer in headlights.
“Laurel,” the raspy singsong voice came from the dark figure. “give up now stupid girl. I promise it will be quick.”
Laurel whimpered beside me. I dragged her in the opposite direction darting from corner to corner.
“Bad girl!” The voice came after us.
“Jesus, who is that?”
We reached the burned side of the building and I tried to drag her out, but it was as if some invisible wall was preventing me from pulling her to the other side and her hand was ripped from my grasp. As I turned around the dark figure was dragging her away.

I woke up the next morning wondering if last night was real or a dream. I was taken from my thoughts by a phone call from Jacob.
“Josh? Man, is it good to hear your voice. What was that last night? How did you get out?”
Well, that confirms last night was definitely not a dream.
“She... helped me.”
“Helped you how man? She looked like she was going to kill you! Was it Laurel?”
“Yea it was, but there was somebody else there. I think he’s torturing her.”
“Josh, how is that possible. She’s…dead. Right?”
“I don’t know man, but I’m going back tonight.”
“Are you crazy?! No way dude”
“I have to. I have to figure out what’s going on. I need to help her.”
“Josh, what if it’s a trap?”
“It’s not.”
“Just be careful. Okay?”
“Yea I will. How’s Garry?”
“He’s real shaken. He has barely said a word and you know it’s serious when Garry is speechless.”

When nightfall came around I made my way to Shady Oaks. A woman and her child were standing at the gate with tears streaming down their faces, each holding a candle. It was Mrs. Jones and her son.
“I’m sorry for your loss Mrs. Jones. I didn’t know him all that well but when he worked in the emergency room he did take care of my broken arm. He seemed like a good man.”
“Yes, I remember you. Such a trouble maker you were.”
I gave her a sheepish grin and she turned her gaze back to the burned building.
“I just don’t understand. Martin left a few days before the fire. He was supposed to be gone on a two month convention, or so he said.”
“Maybe the convention ended a lot earlier or got canceled. He could have been trying to surprise you.”
“Maybe. I guess I’ll never know,” she gave a sheepish smile and led her son back home.

I walked around the building and Laurel was there waiting.
“You shouldn’t have come back. Leave now while you still can,” she demanded.
She looked the same expect she had fresh pink scars around her neck, hands, and one on her check.
“How are you still here? Everyone thinks you’re dead, have you been here this whole time?”
“I am dead. I’m trapped here, tortured endlessly every night when he shows up”
“Who is he? Is he the cause for all your scars and bruises?” I couldn’t help the anger that slowly built up inside.
“It’s okay. They usually heal within 2 days.”
“Who is he Laurel,” I was growing more frustrated every time my question went unanswered. “I want to help.”
“You can’t help me. No one can, no one ever did.”
“What do you mean ‘ever did’? That’s why you were sent here, for help.”
“I was sent here because I was framed. I heard your friend telling the rumor going around. How I set my mothers house on fire trying to kill her according to some anonymous source.”
“So you’re telling me that didn’t happen?”
“Not at all. That anonymous source was Dr. Jones,” her voice became very grave and her eyes were no longer looking at me but instead seeing the past play out in front of her eyes. “Dr. Jones was dating my mother. We didn’t live in town so we were clueless to him having a wife and child until we came to his home in Morganton to surprise him with the news; my mother was having his child. When he opened the front door he was completely dumbfounded. My mother told him the news and his expression changed to completely disgust. We heard a woman’s voice from another room call out, ‘Honey who’s at the door.’ My mother gasped and began to demand what was going on, but Dr. Jones just slammed the door in our faces. When we returned home my mother locked herself in her room and cried herself to sleep. I stayed up and stared out my window. I later saw a car pull into the driveway and Mr. Jones stepped out, carrying a jug of gasoline. I went to bang on my mother’s door to wake her up, but I got no answer. I smelled smoke and ran downstairs to the front door to see that it had been set on fire. I ran to the nearest window, choking on smoke the whole way, and tumbled out onto the porch where I passed out. When I woke up I was in this gown strapped to a hospital bed. Dr. Jones admitted me here; He took my mother and my life away so that he could keep the affair with my mother his dirty little secret.”
I had been listening, mortified the whole time.
“Why didn’t you try to tell what happened?”
“It was my word against his. Who would you believe, a patient in a psych ward or the beloved town Dr.? Besides, I couldn’t if I tried; he kept me medicated so that I was either asleep or unable to do anything. But one night he never came in to sedate me and I was strong enough to escape. I found the kitchen here in the west wing and started the fire. I tried to run and find an exit, but Dr. Jones caught me and together we burned up in the fire. He’s tortured me ever since for ruining his life. We’re stuck here.”
“I want to help. There’s got to be a way I can help.”

Laurel and I were so absorbed in our conversation we never saw him coming,
“Laurel, you’ve brought a friend,” he said intrigued with a mischievous grin.
I could barely recognize him from the last time I had seen him, or from the memorial photos posted outside of the gate. His face was burned Freddy Kruger style, his white lab coat was singed all over, and his head had clumps of his matted hair missing.
He grabbed laurel by the throat and held a scalpel to it.
“Step inside or I’ll split her ear to ear,” he warned.
I did as I was told. In a flash he drops the scalpel and a syringe was then in his hand. He charged at me and plunged the syringe into my neck. I slowly fell unconscious listening to Laurel’s cries.

When I awoke Laurel and I were both strapped in hospital beds.
“Look who’s awake. Hello Joshua, long time no see,” the Dr. said from the foot of the bed clearly enjoying the display in front of him.
“Why are you doing this?” I demand.
“Why not?” the Dr. asked.
I’d really enjoy wiping the smile off of his face. From the corner of my eye I can see Laurel slowly easing out of the straps. Clearly she’s had practice.
“I’ll be right back, I’d like to perform a little experiment while I have some fresh blood here. Don’t have too much fun while I’m gone.”
As soon as the door closed Laurel released her feet and rushed to my side to free me.
“We have to hurry! Come quickly!”
She led me out of the door through the labyrinth of white walls and locked doors.
“I need you to do me a favor.”
“Name it,” I reply curiously.
“My theory is that we are trapped here because my endeavor wasn’t complete. I need you to burn down the building. Set the whole thing on fire and then maybe we can be released. I can’t take another day here. Go!”

I arrived back at Shady Oaks 15 minutes later with a wagon full of kerosene bottles and a book of matches. I started on the outside of the building pouring the flammable liquid all over the outside and inside some of the broken windows. I wanted to make sure the building would be completely consumed by flames, so I carefully made my way into the building, dumping bottles along the hallway walls until all the bottles were used up. Suddenly, I hear a blood-curdling scream.
“Laurel!”
I race towards the sound and found Doc standing over Laurel tracing bloody patterns into her arm with his scalpel. I wasn’t aware my feet were moving until I was across the room throwing myself at him. His scalpel collided with my thigh and I screamed out in agony. Dr. Jones was trying to recover pick himself up and Laurel rushed to my side to drag me away. As she helped me stumble to an entrance I fumbled with trying to get the book of matches in my pocket. Dr. Jones came from behind and slammed us both into the floor. My face slid into the kerosene I had poured onto the wall and the book of matches landed at Dr. Jones feet. His wicked grin once again stretched across his face,
“You foolish boy”
He picked the book up and took a few matches out. My heart fell into my stomach and my eyes had to be as wide as saucers. Laurel once again came to my rescue; she clung to his back and drove a syringe from his coat pocket into his neck.
“Who’s supposed to be saving who, here?” I joke halfheartedly.
“My words exactly,” she retorts with a sarcastic smile. “Come on, let’s get you out of here.”
She takes my arm around her neck and helps me up; the -20° temperature radiating from her body made my teeth chatter.

We once again stood on the scorched side of the building for what was hopefully the last time.
“I hope this works”
“You can say that again,” she remarks.
“Are you sure this will work?”
“No, but its worth a shot”
She embraced me,
“Thank you,” she said earnestly.
She let go I turned and walked a safe distance away from the building. When I turned around she was facing away from me, walking further into the building. I struck a couple matches and threw them into the kerosene. The building was set ablaze and I watch the material change colors.


Epilogue

*BREAKING NEWS: After firefighters have tamed the mysterious fire for the second time at Shady Oaks Mental Hospital. Within the ashes they have found two skeletons. They have reason to believe that these are the remains of Laurel Harris and Dr. Martin Jones. Investigators are currently looking for possible causes of the fire. More on the story as it develops*