Page 28 of The Haunting of Lockton
“Exactly.” I moved my gaze along the corridor. “Well, according to my research, the doctors at Lockton were kind of like that, except they did it on live patients. They removed parts of the brain and observed how it changed the behavior. If it killed the patient, they would make note of it and move on to something else, treating them like less than human. They poked and prodded those poor people, used them for research and for their own sick curiosity.”
I hoped by knowing the true horror of the asylum that the twins would treat the place—and any ghosts residing there—with respect. The spirits had suffered enough while alive. They didn’t need to be studied like lab rats while dead as well.
Continuing the tour, I showed them the places with the highest level of activity and explained what each room had been used for in the past. Like the other times when I guided people through the asylum, I occasionally caught glimpses ofdark shapes out of my peripherals. Nothing out of the ordinary though.
When you lived with a ghost, things like shadowy figures didn’t really faze you anymore. So the dark figure at the end of the corridor that quickly flitted away upon our approach was just part of my normal, everyday life.
Skyler took notes on his phone and jotted down any name I mentioned of patients and doctors. I saw Samuel Howard, Victor Hale, and Roy Daniels, as well as another more well-known former patient, Christopher Beckham. The one who had escaped during the riot and finally blew the lid off the place.
“What happened to Christopher once Lockton was shut down?” Julian asked.
“Finally, I can tell you something happy,” I said. “He actually met a woman and got married. They had kids.”
Skyler seemed surprised. “She didn’t care that he’d come from an insane asylum?”
“Guess not. Records state Christopher was sent here for ‘talking to the voices in his head.’ But wouldn’t you know, he ended up writing a book? Some fantasy novel withLord of the Ringsvibes.”
“I’ll wait for the movie,” Skyler said.
Julian looked at me. “I feel sorry for him. Really. He’s missing out.”
“All I’m missing out on is the nap that reading a book will force me to take.”
I fought a smile for what felt like the hundredth time that day.
It was just after six o’clock when we left Lockton and drove back to Redwood. Skyler parked the SUV, and the three of us got out. Clouds had rolled back into the area, and the setting sun gave way to dusk. The chilly November air had me burrowing a bit more into my coat.
“Do you want to come in for dinner?” Skyler asked as we stood in the parking lot between their car and mine. “My treat.”
Tempting. And not just because of the food. I enjoyed spending time with the twins. Social interaction was so damn hard for me, but they made me feel comfortable. Well, more than I did around most other people.
“I should probably head home,” I said instead, letting my nerves win. “But thanks for the offer.”
“Anytime.” Skyler offered a tight smile. Was it just me, or did he seem a little disappointed?
“When are you going back to investigate?” I asked, not ready to say goodbye quite yet.
“Tomorrow night,” Julian answered, pocketing his phone. “I just messaged Valentina to confirm.”
A small gust of wind rustled the branches in the tree beside us and flicked my bangs around. The scent of wet leaves and earth lingered in the air, mingling with woodsmoke and the smells coming from Redwood’s kitchen as people gathered for dinner.
“I think I’ll look over Arthur Warren’s journal tonight,” Skyler said.
“Instead of crushing the little candies that live in your phone?” Julian asked in mock astonishment. “I’m shocked.”
“Hey, I can read when it’s something I’m interested in.”
“Sure it won’t force you to take a nap?” Julian asked, mocking his statement from earlier.
I pressed my lips together. “Just as a warning, some of the passages are disturbing. Warren brainstormed his experiments and included drawings, but he also goes into great detail about how those experiments affected the test subjects. One of them being his own wife.”
Poor Alice Parrish had suffered immensely at the hands of the one man who had vowed to love and cherish her forever.Little had she known Arthur Warren’s supposed love came in the form of a warped mind and sick cruelty fueled by his desire for knowledge. She had been the very first one to ever wear the sensory deprivation cage over her head that later became so popular at Lockton.
“Oh, great,” Skyler said. “Perfect bedtime reading, then.”
“Maybe I should read it first,” Julian suggested, but there didn’t seem to be an ounce of teasing in his tone. “I don’t want it to give you… never mind.”
Skyler averted his eyes.
