Windows to the Mind

The Sentinel School for Special Needs had a dark and chilling past. It had stood since 1930 and mental health had been quite different then. The Sentinel had once been known as Eternal Grace State Asylum. In the early 1900’s, the “mentally ill” or disabled were often treated as sub-human. It showed in their treatment. Lobotomies and shock therapy weren’t the worst of the regimens. They were only rumors, but there were stories of horrific tortures that happened at Eternal Grace.

Clara grew up hearing these stories. Her small town of Kingsville lived in the shadow of The Sentinel. As small town stories went, they became more exaggerated with each generation. She knew that old asylums were known for poor treatment of their patients, but all the stories couldn’t be true.

As it was in many small towns, jobs were hard to come by. The Sentinel was the largest employer in the region. This was mostly due to their high turnover rate. Working with disabled persons was difficult and often thankless work. Clara was desperate for employment, however. The pay was better than what she could get in town; though lower than it should be for such a stressful industry. Thanks to their high turnover, Clara was practically hired on the spot. She was then thrown into the fray with minimal training. Barely out of high school, Clara wasn’t prepared for the whirlwind that was patient care.

Clara had always had poor luck. Why they would assign a young, inexperienced woman to nightshift; she’d never know. She didn’t believe in the rumors, but they stuck with her as she walked the halls. Once or twice, her reflection in a window startled her. The third time had her frozen in her tracks.

On the grounds of The Sentinel were four abandoned buildings. These included the old hospital portion of Eternal Grace, as well as a treatment facility, a barracks, and the original offices. They’d been declared unsafe and condemned. That had been ten years ago, but the buildings still stood. A state-run facility, The Sentinel could never find the funds to tear them down. So, there they stood; blatant reminders of The Sentinel’s harrowed past.

Entry was prohibited... so why did Clara see a candle in the window of the old hospital? Chills went up her spine seconds before an alert sounded over the PA system. The alert made Clara’s blood go cold. It was her first night and a client had gone missing. Was that the candle she’d seen? She craned her neck, but couldn’t find it now.

One of the other staff practically threw a flashlight at her. “Go check the eastern buildings.” The night aide hissed. “But... we’re not allowed in those buildings.” Clara stuttered. “Do you think the patients care? Go!” The aide barked. Clara flinched and hurried to do as she was told. Her heart thumped in her chest. Why was she the one to check the abandoned buildings? If the alert lights weren’t flashing in the halls, she would think this was some sort of hazing.

Clara’s legs protested as she ran towards the old hospital. The air threatened rain and the ground was soft in anticipation. Her sneakers got stuck in the clay-heavy soil for a second. Or perhaps she was imagining it. She didn’t actually want to go into the building; maybe her mind was playing tricks on her. Regardless, she forged ahead. She was panting by the time she reached the old doors. Her hands shook as she looked through the keys on her belt. Sure enough, there was a key marked “hospital.” Ignoring the bold sign marking the building condemned, she opened the door. Her heart thrummed against her ribcage. Every instinct screamed at her not to go in. Forcefully, she shook her head. She needed this job and she was sure it was her imagination getting the best of her. With the bright light of the flashlight to guide her, she stepped inside.

It wasn’t as Clara had expected. The entire place had been gutted. There was a lot of empty space... which made her feel more uneasy, somehow. Carefully, she moved through the structure, head on a swivel. There were a few rooms still intact, but they, too, were gutted. Nowhere for anybody to hide. No doors on any of the rooms. She was about to give up and search the next building, when movement caught her eye. She barely contained a squeal as she whipped her flashlight around. There was a door, barely discernible from the rotting wall surrounding it. Her breathing went staccato as she approached. “You’re just being silly.” She admonished herself. That didn’t stop her hand from shaking as she turned the handle.

Clara had never seen anything as dark as the stairwell that lay beyond. She prayed that her flashlight had new batteries as she slowly descended. Every horror flick she’d ever seen flashed into her mind. It was crazy to go down those stairs. Maybe she belonged at Eternal Grace, because she did it anyway. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but nothing could prepare her for what she found.

There was still medical equipment in the basement. Things she’d never seen before and never wanted to see again. Trembling, Clara continued through the corridor with her flashlight going to and fro. She called out to the missing patient once, but the way her voice echoed terrified her. The corridor emptied into a large, round room. The light from her flashlight glinted off several metallic attachments on the walls. Curious, Clara moved closer, though she later wished she hadn’t. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Certainly those weren’t shackles on the walls? As though in a trance, she reached out and touched one. She would never know what idiotic impulse drove her to do so... but she would always remember the result. A blood curdling scream sounded in her ear and everything went black. Moments later, her eyes opened against a bright light. “Don’t worry,” Came a masculine voice, “This will only hurt for a minute.”

Clara watched in terror as a white-coated man approached her with a scalpel. She tried to scream, but no sound left her lips. She tried to fight, but her arms and legs were bound. Time seemed to slow as the scalpel neared her bare abdomen. “This will make you better.” The “doctor” stated before slicing into her. Searing pain paralyzed Clara. She watched in horror as blood poured from her skin. Her flesh was peeled back to reveal her intestines. “Your insides are contaminated. I will free you from the taint. Then you will be better.” The man in white had a cruel smile as he spoke. Clara was not reassured as he slowly began to cut away pieces of her digestive tract. Clara wanted to pass out. Even death would be preferable to watching him slice out her insides. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t look away. Hours or minutes passed by; she couldn’t be sure. When he was finally done cutting out the “contaminated” pieces, the mad doctor looked her in the eye. “There. Isn’t that better?” He grinned a mad grin.

Clara was finally able to scream. Her eyes clenched shut as she screamed long and loud. She held the note until her throat was raw and her breath was gone. Struggling to breathe again, she opened her eyes. She was back at the entrance of the hospital. Her keys were still in her hand. Without a second thought or a backwards glance at The Sentinel, Clara fled to her car. As she sped away, she swore she saw another candle in the window.