Chapter Text
I watched the trees pass us by as my friend drove us toward the abandoned hospital on the Tuscaloosa outskirts. My head was swimming with excitement, ready to go do more urban exploration. Thanks to my friend Blaise, the one currently driving, it was my main hobby these days. It was perfect for a junior in college because I could do it on my own time, it was free, and I kinda wanted to die anyway so I never really got scared. I often went by myself because I had a lot more free time, but for the first time in a couple of months, Blaise was coming with me.
He pulled the car into a little picnic stop on the side of the road and we got out, strapped our knee and elbow pads on, and I started the camera. He pulled out the map we had printed and I watched carefully as he got his bearings. Blaise had an almost supernatural sense of direction, so once he felt ready, we started to hike toward the hospital.
I had never been scared to be in a building before but as I stood in front of the hospital, I got the overwhelming thought that I should not be there. The sudden ringing in my ears made me feel dizzy, and I felt like someone was watching me. The very building itself seemed to be giving the vibrational equivalent of a flashing warning.
Still, I followed Blaise inside through a broken window. We began to explore and honestly, the feeling was starting to subside. Maybe I was getting used to the lingering sense of foreboding, or maybe being inside and seeing that it was empty made me feel better. Either way, I was having the time of my life, taking pictures and touching things that made Blaise shudder in disgust. He watched in abject horror as I ran a finger along an operation table. I wasn't squeamish but the fact that it was stained a rusty color made Blaise go pale.
"You're such a fucking freak," he said, biting back laughter. I looked from him to my dirty finger before throwing myself toward him, trying to touch him with it. He shrieked and began to sprint down a hallway. Blaise was a track runner at our school so he was way faster than I could ever be. He was down the hall by the time I'd made it around the operation table and out the door. I saw him hang a sharp left and by the time I turned the corner to follow him, he was nowhere to be seen.
Now that he had disappeared, the feeling of unease came crashing back on me. I felt sick to my stomach as I tried to make sense of the hallways, suddenly desperate to find Blaise and get the fuck out of there. I needed to leave and I needed to leave NOW.
"Blaise, come on. I think we should leave," I called, but he didn't respond. I was starting to shake like a scared rabbit and I didn't like it. I was never scared like this. I started calling his name and peeking my head into rooms, trying to find him. I was hoping that he'd be waiting to jump out and scare me. Normally, that'd piss me off but I would be grateful just to find him, even if it meant getting jump scared. Anything to make this dread go away.
I turned another corner and ran face-first into the chest of someone. The figure was wearing a yellow hoodie, which I didn't remember Blaise wearing, but he always brought a jacket just in case we went into the basement. It was always cold in the basements. It was weird that he had it on now, considering it was 85+ degrees outside and a good 95+ inside. He had made me jump clean out of my skin, but I started laughing. At least I'd found him.
"Very funny, now let’s go," I said and reached out for his hand. I let my hand close around his, but I jerked mine back when I noticed the skin was fair, not the deep sable color of Blaise's skin. I looked up and now I was noticing how much taller and broader this person was. I scrambled back, away from this dude. Instead of a face, he was wearing something like a ski mask. It was black, with red eyes and a stitched red frown. Strapped across his back was a hunting rifle.
"Oops, sorry. Thought you were my friend," I said, my voice shaky and strained. He took a step towards and I took another step back. He continued to step towards me and I continued to step back until he had me backed against a window. The glass was hot from the sun against my shoulders.
In one swift motion, he pulled the gun off his back and lurched forward. I ducked, watching in slow motion as he slammed the butt of the gun into the glass where my head had been. The glass shattered and rained down on me, sparkling in the sunlight. I gasped and threw myself to the side, scrambling around him. He paused for a split second, watching me get up and take off running. I got to the doors and pushed on them, nearly crying when they wouldn't move. I heard a bang and saw a bullet lodge itself into the door to the left of my head.
I turned around and the man slung the gun back around his body and start jogging toward me. That was almost worse, watching him lazily jog towards me. I shrieked, a loud high pitched noise that I barely recognized as my own, and slammed my body into the door again. It jostled and creaked, so I did it again. The door gave way at the last second and I fell through the doorway. I kicked the door closed and I saw the lock on this side click.
A low growl ripped through his chest and he slammed himself into the door. It shuddered under his superior strength, so I hauled my ass up and away as fast as I could. I turned another corner and slammed into Blaise this time. He opened his mouth but I just slammed my hand over his mouth and took off again. I heard the masked man's footsteps gaining on us, so I jerked Blaise into a room and shut the door, shushing him.
I grabbed the nearest sharp thing, a letter opener sitting on the desk of this private office, and gripped it in my hand. I could hear the man stalking down the hallway, and I leaned toward Blaise.
"When he opens the door, I'm gonna stab him, and then we're going to run like our life depends on it." He nodded and we waited. We waited for over 45 minutes until I couldn't wait any longer. I opened the door and looked out into the hallway. There was no one there, so I pulled Blaise out and down the hall.
The broken window we went through was directly in front of us, so we threw ourselves through and tumbled onto the dirt. I hauled Blaise up and we left quickly, shaking the entire time.