Page 9 of The Asylum
“Search!” the voice ordered, sounding slightly annoyed.
Callie bent to begin moving things around, but Sunny grabbed her. “Oh no, babe, not with the baby. Watch but don’t touch.”
Callie rolled her eyes. “Let’s place the bear and the ball down. Magic, want to come with me?”
“Sure,” I said as Sunny glowered.
I smirked and took the toys from him as he passed them over. “Is there anything special about these?” I asked as we walked away.
“The bear lights up if touched and doubles as a voice recorder. The balls make sounds when played with and also light up. Let’s put them here in front of the camera, which will monitor them,” Callie said.
I placed them back-to-back and returned to the office. Sunny and Connor had cleared the debris into a corner and were checking floorboards.
“It wouldn’t be nailed down. It would be obvious if someone kept ripping up nails. No, I think it’s a loose floorboard, but it’s snug enough with the others that it wouldn’t show up as a hiding space,” Connor was saying.
“Agreed,” Sunny replied, using his boot to tap the floor. The edge of a board slightly lifted, and Connor’s sharp eyes caught it. He and Sunny bent down, and Sunny pulled a knife to pry up the floorboard. It was a struggle, but it finally came loose, and we peered into the hole. A wooden box covered in dust lay there, just waiting to be discovered.
Connor pulled it out and wiped the dirt away. “It’s an old cigar container.”
“Open it,” Callie urged, and I felt the excitement coming from her.
“Holy shit!” Sunny exclaimed. He glanced over Connor’s shoulder and did as Callie ordered. He reached in and plucked out a piece of paper.
“Whoever finds this,
Know that I am a coward. So many wrongs were happening, and I was too afraid to speak. Most of my colleagues and the doctors here are murderous, soulless monsters. The last nurse to try and end this torturous existence for the children suspiciously died. I don’t want to die. But they will be given justice one day. I’ll continue to do my best and ease their suffering, but make no mistake, I might not have participated in this torture, but I did nothing to stop it. May God have mercy on my soul.
Nurse Catherine Rawlins.”
Sunny paused as his voice caught in his throat.
“Too little, too late,” I snapped.
Callie nodded. “But those kids can rest now.”
“Not until we find their graves,” I disagreed. “That’s why they’re still here. They’ve been forgotten and need to be remembered. They want justice!”
Sunny stared at me, surprised, no doubt, by my depth of feeling.
“You might be correct,” he murmured, and I puffed up.
Of course, I was right. I’m Magic.
Bunny
I was on edge and nervous. Jack had explained how things might happen as we entered the men’s wing. The upper floor was where shadow figures were seen, and I was both excited and wary about what we might possibly find.
Jack had what he called a spirit box with him, and I was carrying a voice recorder. Pyro hadn’t wanted anything, but my pout had made him pick up an EMF hybrid crossed with atemperature monitor. Phil was following on our heels, and we all had personal cameras strapped to us.
“Harry, we’re on the second floor of the men’s wing. Starting our investigation now,” Jack called in.
“Michelle is monitoring you,” Harry replied.
“Any further information we need?” Jack inquired.
“I’ve discovered eight recorded deaths on that floor. A patient went nuts and slaughtered three male nurses and four patients. A doctor shot and killed him,” Harry responded.
“Whoa, a doctor was armed?” Pyro asked, sounding incredulous.
