April 23, 2009
To the outside world,
The trapdoor thudded shut, sealing me in a shroud of blackness. Before me, a soft, repetitive dripping echoed. A solitary metal door loomed in the distance, its gray outline was the only hope for an escape.
The lullaby I heard in my cell was coming from even further below me. The metal door creaked open, revealing a dimly lit room where a flickering ceiling light struggled to live.
The rodent infested walls were caked with rust, their surfaces marred and decayed. Clinging to them were panels, buttons, and flickering screens, a nauseating static spilling from its speakers. A grim sticky note was affixed to one of the screens, its message chilling: "Beware of the hanging maiden!"
I rifled through a nearby locker, finding a hazmat suit, a flashlight, and a broken radio. The suit was too big for me to wear, so I took the flashlight and closed it back up. I walked over to a panel labeled, "Power", opening it to find a small map of the area.
Beyond the next door loomed a long hallway, lined with small, suffocating bedrooms, each marked with the names of the patients. A chill crept down my spine as I recognized one of those names—it was my own.
I flipped the power switch for the hallway. Through the glass window on the door, I could see more rust, a disgusting amount. With all my strength, I pushed open the next door.
There were more than 25 different rooms, every one of them had the same stark, unyielding nameplate. I could hear faint cries coming from a few, but when I opened the door, there was only sterile white walls and an empty bed, no life whatsoever.
I found the room with my name. It looked just like my old bedroom; it had the decorative wallpaper, the fairy lights, and even Ivy's dollhouse. Nostalgic, I stepped inside, only to hear the floor cracking below me.
ns 15.158.61.48da2
