The Clinically Sane

The year is 2015. Rebecca Steele is in Weston, West Virginia. She was here to investigate the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. Rebecca had investigated haunted places before. She was known around the ghost community as the “Woman made of Steel” for never getting flustered and doing solo investigations. She was fearless and viewed this place as another investigation and a major hook for her audience. Rebecca kept her gear limited. She knew what worked and that is what she stuck to. Given the troubled past of Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, Rebecca was certain that she would get a lot of action tonight.

The First Floor

Rebecca entered the Asylum with only the essentials. She had an infra-red camera, voice box, EVP device, and a flashlight. She knew that she could catch ghosts through these devices and had so in the past. She entered through the main doorway. The building had been turned into a tourist attraction so the front area was well put together and ready for visitors. Rebecca broke off for Ward One. Rebecca was going for a ghost right away that was supposed to be more active even though it was one of the more dangerous ghosts.

As Rebecca entered she felt a draft. Her nerves started to stand up as she entered the room. She felt like something was off. Like there was something evil living within the ward. Rebecca had a secret. The reason she didn’t get flustered was that she doesn’t believe in ghosts. She made up most of her findings by messing with her equipment. However, this night was far different than the rest. She could feel the evil. The hatred and anger coming from something that wasn’t there. As she walked into Ward One she turned on her voice box. She started asking questions into the empty Ward.

“Hello, is anyone there.”

Nothing.

“Can you talk to me through this box?”

Nothing, again.

“Is your name Ruth?”

The voice box crackled. Like something had been disturbed.

“Don’t….Say….That….” The box stuttered.

Rebecca was caught off guard by this. She knew how to short out the box to get it to say something, but this was different. Something was trying to warn her about Ruth.

“Why should I not say that?” Rebecca whispered into the darkness.

“....Might….Hear….” The box replied.

“Will Ruth hurt me?” Rebecca was truly curious now.

Suddenly there was a sharp crash from one of the rooms in the ward. Rebecca jumped at the sudden sound. Surely that couldn’t be a ghost doing something like that she thought to herself. While she walked through the hall of the Ward the voice box shouted out “....Stop….” Rebecca paused and looked down at the voice box.

“Why?” She asked.

“....Will….See….You….” The voice box said back.

At this moment Rebecca could feel a cold draft coming from a room that was just ahead of her. She felt like something was watching her. Rebecca turned around gathering that she had enough from this floor and headed for the second floor.

The Second Floor

As Rebecca made her way up the flight of stairs to the second floor she felt as if she was being followed. Like a spirit was coming with her up the stairs. As she reached the second-floor landing she peeked behind her to see if she was being followed. Nothing. She continued on to Ward Two. This ward was full of evil with being the place of a double suicide and a stabbing. Rebecca knew that there was a chance that the spirits would be hostile in this ward, but that is what she was hoping for. It would be a great piece to post about and really grow her following. Rebecca knew she had to keep on pushing. If this place was actually getting to her it would make for a great piece. As she entered Ward Two she got the same sense of evil as she did in Ward One. Only there was something more with it. Like it was directed towards her. And that it wasn’t alone. As she walked into the ward she held her camera up so that she could look through the little screen to see anything around her. That is when she saw it. A long cloaked shadow passed through the hallway from one room to the adjacent room. Something really was there. As she made her way down the hallway Rebecca could hear a creaking sound coming from the room that the shadow figure had gone into. As she neared the room she started to hear something that sounded as if someone was muttering to themselves. When she reached the doorway she could start to make out a few of the words and pulled out her EVP device.

“She’s there….where...there...in the door...yeah...she’s a fraud...doesn’t think we exist...she will now…”

Rebecca was stunned by what she was hearing. It seemed like the ghosts were talking about her. Her curiosity got the better of her. She peered around the corner. As she peered she could see the wheels of an old metal wheelchair. They were rocking back and forth. As she looked up the chair the color in her face started to fade. Sitting in the chair was an old woman in a hospital gown and her hands in her lap. The old woman was staring at the floor. Rebecca was frozen in place. She wanted to run, but her legs wouldn’t move.

The old woman’s head snapped around and Rebecca was horrified by what she saw. Two black eyes were staring back at her. It felt like the eyes were staring into Rebecca’s soul. The old woman then lunged at Rebecca! With the wheelchair lurching with her. Rebecca took off. Running for the stairs. She wasn’t concerned about the piece she was going to write at all. She was scared and feared for her life. As she reached the top of the stairs she overstepped the first step down and fell down the stairs. She tumbled head over heels and around the bend of the stairs. Landing with a hard thud on the first floor. Dazed and confused she picked her head up and looked back up the stairs. She didn’t feel any evil presence anymore. Was it only trying to scare her away. She turned her head back around and she saw a small child in a door frame with only its head sticking out. The child appeared sick. Rebecca started to crawl towards the child. Reaching out her hand. Her only thought was to get the child out of the asylum. It wasn’t safe for the child there. The child reached out its hand as Rebecca got close. As Rebecca grabbed the child’s hand the child started to morph. It grew taller and its eyes faded to black. Then Rebecca disappeared into the doorway as everything went black.

Sometimes to regain sanity we must steal it from others.

This is a story of fiction based on the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. There is no record of Steele ever existing and no knowledge of this story being based on an actual story or experience.