Byberry

three friends go to explore an abandoned Mental Institution

It was a warm day in August that Michael, Fred and Kimberly decided to visit Byberry Mental Institution to go ghost hunting.  They had no idea that they were in for more than they ever could have imagined.  Byberry would break them apart.

            It wasn’t easy to get to the hospital anymore.  It had been closed down for fifty years and now that the city was finally about to demolish it, this was their last chance to explore it. But time had not been good to the area, trees built up a forest around the main building and there was a park built in front of the clump of trees that made it feel like a fantastical journey just to get into the clearing where the building still stood, for the next two days at least.

 The hospital itself had a dark history, murders, rapes, and suicides abound in its walls.  There were also reports of poor living conditions and abusive doctors. This was the perfect place for them to find ghosts if they were real. 

When Fred pulled up to the parking lot in front of the playground, he looked back at Kimberly and Mike in the backseat.  You could tell he was a little scared, he looked pale and his body was visibly shuddering. 

“Mike, Kim; I really don’t like this at all.  I like the paranormal, it’s interesting, but I don’t want to confront it.  I’d prefer to stay ignorant.  At least with this place,” Fred shuddered roughly and got out of the car.

Mike and Kimberly got out and looked around at them.

“Do you guys notice anything a little weird?” Mike asked as he looked around him at the park.

“Oh, are you referring to the fact that it’s August, there is absolutely no one within voice range and the whole park is completely deserted?” Kimberly said this with an intonation of sarcasm and rolled her eyes.

“No not just that.  Look.” Mike pointed towards the swings and the merry-go-round. They were moving by themselves.

“I mean, I’m no weatherman, but I don’t feel any wind do you Kim?  Or you Fred?” Mike looked back at them and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.  They all took a deep breath and started walking through the park.  Once they got to the forest though, Kimberly and Fred started to have second thoughts.

“Look, come on, let’s just go back and we can go to another haunted place.  I really feel a bad vibe from this place Mike.” Kimberly’s voice was shaking as she pleaded with Mike.

“Look, guys, if you’re afraid of a little bit of adventure, then just wait for me back at the car."  I’m not leaving until I see this place.” Mike was determined so the pleading stopped there.  Kimberly and Fred returned to the car and left Mike to continue on alone. 

“What the hell was the point of them coming if they were just going to chicken out?” Mike said resentfully as he kicked some leaves on his path through the woods. 

It was really dark in there.  It was almost like the sun was too afraid to shine through the branches and shed light in the forest.  Even though Mike knew it couldn’t be later than two o’clock in the afternoon, it looked and felt like it was about ten o’clock at night.  It was cold in the forest, so cold that you could see your breath in front of you.  Mike had to admit that secretly he had his doubts now, but he had to continue. He tucked his arms in at his sides and continued on.

Mike seen the old courtyard in sight, he ran up to it and made it past the forest onto the edge of the courtyard.  What he saw made his jaw drop.  The hospital was still fully functioning.

Mike looked around him as he walked on.  He seen patients walking around aimlessly staring at the ground or picking at their arms or faces.  He walked into the administration building and seen a nurse at the desk. 

“Excuse me ma’am, can I ask you a question?”

The nurse looked up at him impatiently as she put down her paper work.

“What can I help you with today sir?”

“Well, can you tell me what month and year it is?” Mike sounded a little hesitant as he asked, but he was really hoping that what he thought wouldn’t prove to be correct.

The nurse looked at him curiously and called a doctor up.  After talking to the nurse, the doctor walked up to Mike and shook his hand.

“So, the nurse tells me that you don’t know what day or year it is.  Is that correct?” the doctor asked writing things down on a yellow legal pad.

“Yes, that’s correct doctor, but I’m not a patient.  I’m just a resident in the area and I don’t remember this being a functioning hospital.” Mike was starting to feel really nervous around the doctor, it didn’t help that two orderlies came up to the doctor and watched him intently.

“Son, the hospital has been in use for about thirty years now.  It’s July in the year nineteen fifty-two.” The doctor replied.

“Thank you doctor, I’ll be on my way now. “ Mike walked to the doors and tried to push them open just to find out that they were locked. 

“Sorry son, I’m admitting you if you aren’t able to keep track of what year it is. You’ll be staying here until you find a solid ground in reality.” As he said this the orderlies grabbed Mike around the arms and took him to the showers to decontaminate him and get his new clothes.  After this was finished, he was put in the male dormitory in a bed all the way in the back. 

It was disgusting in here, there were so many patients that two people sometimes were to a bed and if there were no beds, patients were chained to the radiators or the bed posts and slept on the floor. Mike huddled up in a corner of his bed and tried not to think about what was happening. It felt like Mike was never going to get out of here.

The days and weeks passed on, and tried as he might, Mike couldn’t find a way out, and he finally started to face the fact that he was locked in the hospital. His days were filled with the screams of patients being given electroshock therapy.  His nights were filled with the screams of patients being attacked and beaten by the orderlies, nurses and other patients.  Mike knew it was only a matter of time before he would be another victim. 

 

 

It had been two hours since Kimberly and Fred seen Mike and they were starting to get worried.

“Look, Fred, I know he was mad at us for not going with him but he’s been gone awhile now.  I think something happened.” Kim looked nervous as she spoke.

“I think he’s just trying to scare us Kim, give it another hour.” Fred was confident that this was just Mike’s way of getting even.

But two hours passed and still no sign of him.  They decided to call the police and let them know what happened.  The next day the police came out and did a search of the area but nothing was found.  Fred and Kimberly waited anxiously for news of Mike, but none came. 

When the search was finally done, the police chief went up to Kimberly and Fred with a sad look in his eyes.

“I’m sorry guys, my men search everywhere in and around every single building in the complex and there is absolutely no sign of him anywhere.  No blood, no clothing, no note.  It’s as if he just disappeared.  I’m sorry, but I have to call off the search.” The Chief said.

Later that week despite pleas from concerned citizens, the buildings were demolished and the entire area was fenced off before the construction company began building an older adult living community.  Fred and Kimberly kept looking for Mike.

He was never heard from again. 

Author's Note

second draft. I'd love to hear some constructive criticism :).