Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-25989964-20150109183145

October 31, 2014

So, since it is Halloween and I am finally back in town I figured you must be wanting to know what had happened to the asylum last June, right? I’m sure not everyone was actually informed so of course it’s understandable you’re curious. In all honesty I’m one of the few people who had witnessed it first hand and can still tell the story. Though I won’t just straight up say what happened, because if I’m gonna tell you this then you might as well get the full backstory. So you might as well relax and I’ll tell you what happened….

It all started about 8 years ago. I had been working at the asylum for a little over a year then and of course they had me on monitor duty. HE was admitted into the asylum in June of 2006. HE… was a ten year old boy. One who was found by the police, sitting in his parent’s room, covered in their blood, and playing with their mutilated bodies. There was no sign of a break in, there was no evidence pointing the investigators towards someone that could have possibly done it except for him… he being the only person in the house alive, the only person that had been inside the house during the incident and the only option was to assume it was him. Upon asking him who had done it he would only reply by saying that someone called ‘chimi’ did that to them. The investigators figured he was lying and with no evidence to say otherwise and because there was not a single scratch on him they dismissed it possibly being someone else’s doing. They arrested him for murder and among the oddest things about it was, even as a child he didn’t seem all that phased that his parents were dead. At the end of his trial the jury found him guilty and the judge deemed him too dangerous to keep in a normal juvenile prison so their only option was an asylum and they could just hope he would ‘heal’.

His name was Jack and at first glance you’d have to admit he was a pretty cute kid, though there was the fact that his hair was a natural blood red, which somewhat put people off. Upon closer inspection of young Jack you’d notice his pretty, orange eyes and seemingly innocent, adorable smile he had for just about everyone that caught eyes with him. He was very unique looking, one could say he looked like a young cosplayer, but it was all just how he looked and of course this made him appear to be very out of place during those years. Anyways. Having that job, having to monitor those inmates nearly every day, and watch so many men and women display such wild and over the top emotions almost drags you into their minds. Though, the job only somehow got worse once Jack got situated. Once he got comfortable he began to like his new home in that small twelve by twelve room. He would bounce around the room, giggling and laughing happily. Heh. Seeing someone like that, that wasn’t a 30 year old man, made those days easier for me. At least until one day he had accidentally slammed into the wall of his cell and caused his nose to bleed. The nurses of course helped fix his nose, but the sudden attention only caused this to happen again and again, because he only wanted more and more attention. The nurses were quickly getting sick of this and decided they’d put the straight jacket on him. I told them that wasn’t necessary and yet they only ignored me. It was supposed to be temporary but, since it kept Little Jack in line, they made him wear it 24/7. I thought it was cruel, and unusual to have put a child in a straight jacket like that, but I couldn’t risk losing my job over this little boy.

As the days went by, watching the still happy little boy sit in his room in his white jacket, I would look through the cameras and I would notice that it was almost like as if the asylum was somehow more dreadful than usual. Along with that dreadful feeling, things started happening, things that just didn’t seem possible that had indeed occurred. Things like wires for cameras in various rooms would be found disconnected, like as if someone had come into the room and unplugged it, later on this would escalate to the wires being bitten straight through. Before I continue, have you ever had the feeling of being watched, the feeling of “maybe you’re not actually alone”? I ask because along with the odd happenings with the cameras, a feeling of being watched constantly started washing over the whole building. Paranoia soon got to me, and I began getting antsy. The paranoia might have been a good thing though, seeing as how I began catching slight glimpses, out of the corners of my eyes, of shadows. I know what you’re thinking but, no, these aren’t just my eyes playing tricks on me. These things actually move out of your line of sight. I wasn’t the only person to see them either. Several inmates, Staff members, even just random guests would see them and just about everyone described the same thing: a creature that was darker than darkness itself, that seemed to be hunched forward and only about a foot tall, and most simply describe as demon-esque. As the months went by the 'shadows' seemed to get more ballsy, some of them would stand to what seemed to be directly next to someone, close enough for the person to make out the detail of the eyes. Like how the small creatures only had empty, bottomless white eyes placed properly on the head, the white eyes sometimes being the only thing that makes the creature visible in the dark …

By age 14 Jack had outgrown the first jacket they gave him… Upon his birthday, which we all just picked to be the day he got here, the 9th of June, he was given the option to keep the jacket off. This option he immediately declined and requested a newer one that fit. Upon this little decision he was given the nickname “Straight Jacket Jack” because of his love for the jacket. He was given his request later that day and, though it was a bit too big, he was happy. The week following his birthday was the first attack of many. An inmate had been found dead in their room and no one could be pegged for the crime. The cameras had inexplicably been destroyed, as in the whole metal camera had been crushed, so there was no such proof of what happened. All we knew about what happened to the victim was that the attack was caused by claws or maybe someone with a knife that really likes leaving that design. Anyways, upon exploring each cell after the incident, we had found Jack sitting in the center of his room, staring at his feet in a blank, almost unconscious like stare. It almost looked as if he was zoning out, but much further than that. Well as the days went by, the weeks passed, and the months disappeared, Jack started zoning out more and more often and soon he'd have a zone out every single day. Though these zone outs never really had a specific time of day it did seem odd that every time there was an attack he would be zoning out, though let’s keep in mind that the attacks were nearly months apart and luckily not every victim who was attacked died and each survivor would describe their attacker as the same shadowy creatures. Though as each attack happened the different ways they were killed or injured started occurring, such as deep bites taken out of the victims or attacks with what appeared to be a bludgeon about the size of a bowling ball. Though there was something oddly funny about some things, like how overly dreary it was even for an insane asylum. I found it funny because of how somewhat ironic it was, how an asylum was more dreary than it ever should have been. Anyways, I watched that boy grow up, it still amazes me how fast kids really grow. The years went by and it was same old same old, from the attacks, to the creatures in your peripheral, and so on.

Now that’s about it for backstory so we’re about caught up with when the shit hit the fan in June. That week was one hit of shit to the fan after another. I guess I did leave out something, as the years went by the staff started to fight about who would have to take care of Jack so on the week that this all happened I was in charge of him, because after hearing their bitching for that long I decided I'd be the one with the balls and take up the duty. The first hit of that week was when I went to bring him his dinner. I had walked into the room and he was again zoning out. I sorta just stared at him waiting for him to respond so I could feed him his meal of gruel. It took about 10 minutes of standing there waiting for him to finally resume blinking like normal and then look at me. The once small boy was now a tall, skinny 6 foot man and he was now quite intimidating, especially when he smiled. His smile was so… I guess manic would be the best word. It looked so wicked and yet cheerful at the same time, the look in his eyes made me think that he was going to try to kill me or possible try and give me a hug. Again, upon regaining consciousness he smiled at me and then just accepted the food. The whole situation was pretty normal but for some reason it spooked me, but this was nothing compared to the next day. Once again I came into his room with his lunch this time and played the usual waiting game. Now, before I go on, I’d like to point out that I’ve never had a very long conversation with Jack and that we never once exchanged names. Upon me winning the waiting game and smiling almost warmly as I watched him come back to earth he smiled at me like usual though this time he actually spoke to me “Hi again, Mike” he said before opening his mouth to receive the food I had brought for him. I only stood there, frozen in place and staring in horror after he said my name. I could only question over and over again in my head how he could have ever known my name. Eventually I just shook it off and gave him his meal and then went back to my proper work. Of course I was sitting in my chair, shaking like a leaf at how much it really chilled me to the bone. It really shouldn’t have, but it was something I couldn’t control.

The week went by and luckily one of the male nurses had finally manned up and took over taking care of Jack at least he did till the end of the week. By then the nurse chickened out, so again I was the one who was taking care of Jack. So the next time I brought his food and watched him once again come back to reality I had to ask “Jack...” I had to pause as if I had to be sure that’s what I should call him “... where do you go when you zone out like that?” I asked. It was a very simple question and I was surprised to say I actually got an answer “I’m in my happy place, mike” he seemed so happy to tell me this and yet hearing my own name once again sent chills down my spine “It’s where I go to watch over all my friends and family, like you mike” he said once again with a smile, though this one seemed a bit more endearing. I somewhat liked what he had said though I hadn’t taken into account what that could have meant until the 9th of June.

That day started like any other Monday, this one not filled with me feeding him his meals. Though of course like usual I was watching him carefully, because ever since the moments where I was feeding him his meals, I had somehow gotten even more fascination with that boy- I’m sorry, I mean man. That day I had moments of sympathy for him, since he had to constantly sit there by himself, alone. This quickly went away when I suddenly realized, he always seemed to be happy no matter how much attention he actually got. As noon slowly crept up to the day Jack soon found himself staring at his feet like usual. Though unlike usual he soon started moving, this was odd seeing as how he always had to be sitting or laying down, but here he was, moving his legs so that he could put his feet against the floor of his cell. I watched him with curious eyes that soon turned to shock as I watched him stand up with great ease, almost as if someone had helped him get to his feet. I watched as his shadow slowly seemed to grow darker underneath his feet, like as if there was a light growing brighter only shining on him. Soon his shadow slowly seemed to start producing a sort of mist that soon started taking shape in front of him, exactly where he was staring at the whole time. Slowly the creature took shape, it being exactly how everyone described. Soon the whole floor of the room was covered with the creatures and soon even the walls and ceiling too. After the creatures all filled up the room a small one appeared on his shoulder, this one appeared almost dwarfed compared to the others, only appearing to be about 5-7 inches in height and yet it appeared to be the one that answered directly to the unconscious red headed man. My eyes were wide with terror and curiosity. The curiosity being whether or not I had finally 'caught' the inmate's insanity. I could have only figured that perhaps that smaller one might have been the supposed Chimi he spoke of as a child, and that it might have been a bit more special than the other black creatures. I couldn’t help but watch exclusively on his monitor. I mean, how could I not when everything was starting to unfold.

The creatures all looked up at him, almost as if loyal pets…. No… more like they lived only to serve him, the creatures seemed to be his minions and they followed his voiceless commands to the letter. Upon the smaller minion’s point to the door the other minions all turned to face and then all proceeded to tear the door down… this door was a solid steel door and yet they tore it down, ripped it off its hinges and threw it into the corner of the room. Unfortunately since this wasn’t exactly I high-tech asylum, the other’s only alarm was the scream of a visiting family that just so happened to be on the other side of his door, having been passing by at the wrong time. Upon the scream, the family of four was quickly tackled to the ground by a set of 4 minions, each minion doing their own thing. I watched one physically bite the father’s head in half, another was cutting into his wife with 6 inch claws, another was beginning to smash the face in of the daughter with what looked like club like hands, and the last one had practically crucified the son against the wall with large black spikes. This all happening in one swift motion and was completed it about 5 seconds. I guess this was a good chance to see each type of minion jack had at least at that moment. There was an abundance of each kind, ones with normal hands but were the only ones with mouths, ones with clawed fingers, another with the hulking fists and a last one with what almost appeared to be a sort of arm cannon that launches black spikes. Upon the families mutilation Jack slowly walked out of his room, walking into the hallway with the minions at his heels. Soon the minions were all in the hallway and staring down both ends of the corridor. With a surprisingly loud snap, the one titled chimi sent the minions loose. I don’t know why but the snap almost forced me to blink and in that millisecond the minions were all off the screen, I looked throughout the different monitors, horrified to watch as every one of my co-workers, every single visitor that wasn’t behind locked doors was either being ripped apart, crushed, or eaten alive. I had felt almost lucky that I wasn’t down there that day and then that feeling of luck suddenly left upon feeling a set of small hands on the back of my shoulders. I could feel the panic set in as it used my chair as leverage to pull me back then push me forward, head first into the monitor that once belonged to Jack’s room. I had blacked out for at least 20 minutes and then regained consciousness, head throbbing from the painful impact, I glance over my shoulder in hopes to see no trace of minion and instead find a body of a fellow security worker, head bitten clean off and words written sloppily into the wall “Always watching, don’t tell” it was simply written in the wall but with the blood of the now headless corpse that sat under the large words...

I guess I should have felt lucky still but I soon felt sick to my stomach as I looked back to the monitors just in time to witness jack clearing out the lobby. The once peaceful visitors waiting to see their family members were all now in pieces. To my terrified delight I watched as they minions began struggling with the front double doors, a silent alarm having been activated by one of the other employees before their demise. The alarm locked down the exits, sealing them all with thick, reinforced steel bars. The door wouldn’t budge and I honestly couldn’t tell if I should be happy to see them unable to escape or more horrified that they couldn’t escape and leave me to live. Upon sitting back in my chair I sighed but I was celebrating too early, I watched as the miniature minion hopped off of Jack’s shoulders for what I assumed to be the first time since it appeared. I watched the small minion slowly approach the door and instantly thought it would be impossible for the smaller one to do anything to the door, especially if a whole mob of larger ones couldn’t do anything, this mindset changed the instant I saw the mob of larger minions cowering behind Jack, hiding from the miniature monster. Chimi lifted it small hand up and I’m not sure if it even touched the door but what happened almost seemed like something out of a movie. A ring of what I imagine to be dark energy appeared from right where it had touched, somewhat cascading outwards before lining up with the door, with another loud snap the ring seemed to almost burst and just blow the door away along with completely ripping the bars out of the ground. This door was designed to stop a semi-truck and yet I had just watched such a small creature knock it down with such ease. I was left dumbstruck. After a few seconds of pausing I finally was able to shake it off the best I could before watching Jack leave the building. The outside cameras having a good look on Jack’s face, something that still amazes me today and that was that he was still zoned out, he hadn’t yet come out of his happy place and yet he had orchestrated this whole endeavor. I closed my eyes and shook my head once again before cautiously looking up to see the other video feeds and to my horror I got to see the remains of Jack’s trail of destruction. That day there had been a little more than 100 people in for work today, the most the asylum can handle and after attempting to count all the bodies I could find that once belonged to my co-workers… I had come to the conclusion that about 30 bodies weren’t accounted for. I can only assume they had been completely devoured by the mouthed minions…. Well… there it is, there’s the story and honestly it’s good to get it off my chest. I had been haunted by what had happened and Jack was and is still keeping eyes on me with his minions. The shadows in the corners of my eyes never went away. As you probably hadn’t actually noticed, but I had left the state and crossed all over the country looking for sanctuary, I had even left the country and it still didn’t help. I returned here to celebrate my last Halloween in my home town. I’ll say this last thing, thank you for listening, happy Halloween, and don’t ignore the shadows you only partially see, because chances are they can see you pretty well. 