Page 31 of The Asylum
“Like what? How to die in squalor and agony?” Magic boomed.
“More like how we shouldn’t treat the insane. Do you think this shit has ended? There are places like this in existence today. This is a legacy when being mentally ill carried a death sentence. Our job isn’t to judge but to bring peace to those who suffer here and assist them in moving on if we can,” Phil stated.
“Well, damn, I thought it was to investigate,” Magic retorted.
“Yeah, it is. But it’s also to help. There are worse places than this; we’ve encountered them. Where patients were experimented on without permission, or a woman thrown in with a pack of men and raped. This isn’t the worst we’ve come across. But we try to find the light for the souls trapped and give them a voice and peace,” Phil added.
“That’s why we’ve the rule: don’t provoke. If we’re told to leave by a benign spirit, we do. We don’t risk anything that will cause more harm,” I said in a clear warning to Magic.
“Understood,” Magic snapped.
Huh, I guessed he felt a bit of an asshole right about now.
“My name’s Sunny, I’m sure you’ve been listening. Would you like to talk to us?” I called out. I peered around, not expecting anything; I’d be frightened of us, too.
“Can you tell us your name?” I asked. “Or how old you were when you died?”
“Why were you here?” Magic boomed, but made the sound friendly.
I rewound the recorder and pressed play. There weren’t any answers to our questions.
“Would someone like to talk to us? This is called a light sensor. It lets us know you’re here, and as you can see, it has two buttons. Green means yes, and red means no. Can you press green if you understand how to use it?” I asked.
We waited, and just as Magic went to open his mouth, the green light flashed.
“Wonderful!” Phil exclaimed. “Thank you for replying. Are you male?”
The light sensor turned red.
“You’re female?” I confirmed, and it lit up green. “Are you alone?”
Red.
“Are there two of you?” I counted until I hit twelve.
“Holy crap, twelve are here?” Phil murmured.
“That’s tragic,” Pyro muttered.
“Are you all female?” I inquired, and red flashed.
“This is a Ghost Box. It allows you to communicate with us. Can you tell me your name?” I asked as I pointed to what Magic held.
“Emma.”
“Hello, Emma. It’s nice to talk to you,” I said.
“Liar.”
“No. It is. I’m sorry you were imprisoned here.”
“Why? Death. Freedom.”
“You found freedom in death?” Pyro put the words together.
“Yes. You leave.”
“You’d like us to go? Can we stay and chat to someone else, maybe?” I inquired.
