Trapped

“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.”

-John Milton, ‘Paradise Lost’

All Hallow’s Eve offered the perfect evening for spooks and maniacal horror lovers alike. Ideal timing for my closest friends and me to finally attempt to fulfill our scariest nightmares by teaming up in our first paranormal exploration of the local insane asylum. It was dark and looming, a grand 19th-century structure, sticking out like a sore thumb on the outskirts of our small suburban neighborhood. We all fantasized about the lunatic patients housed with death row convicts who had once roamed the overcrowded yet understaffed halls of the lost hospital.

The rundown place was the eyesore of Ventrille, Virginia. It'd been blocked off by the city’s maintenance crews with every taxpayer cent usable for these sorts of things. The city officials responsible for the property hadn’t been able to procure funding for such a massive demolition. For a short while, private security details kept people out, but those were long gone. The surrounding area used to be a picturesque landscape and amateur photographer's dream. Now, in the shadow of that unspeakable building, it was reduced to a hidden alley, nestled within a bleak wooded area.

The infamous manor was declared off-limits to the decent community's fearful public. There must've been quite a financial dilemma afoot. Not enough fancy bloodstained paper from the rich sponsors and private school alumni at Ventrille University to just tear the horrid thing down? I could only guess. As you could probably tell, I was indeed the paranoid one and rightfully so. I can't recall how many times I'd declined the invitation to tag along. My friends were quite the persistent ones indeed.

At the shadowy end of the harrowing cul-de-sac, it was safe to say no one ever dared to venture to this part of the old neighborhood anymore unless they were lost. The neighboring houses had long been abandoned and demolished. Few traveled down this long road littered with decaying, unkempt brush on either side. 

There wasn’t an animal in sight from our limited field of vision. Our sneakered feet, all matching black Jordans, crept along the cracking asphalt. The fading howl of a double siren indicated a lone police car patrolling the facility. We had somehow timed our unusual field trip for the perfect hangout.

"Do you think they'll circle back around anytime soon?" Ashton asked. He could see over everyone's heads.

"They could, maybe. But we won't be here to arrest when they do!" Violet chirped. We continued on our trek.

From the countless horror movies we've watched that still haunt us, you'd think some ounce of sanity would scream, 'Turn back NOW!' Yet, we still approach the unforgotten manor discreetly tucked away on the city outskirts like an unwanted stepchild. The only way in or out is a crumbling roundabout. 

I imagined that Robinwood had become home sweet home to drug addicts or homeless wanderers with no other place to go. Maybe there were unconvicted murderers just waiting for a group of dumb kids like us. I expelled the thick negative energy choking the life from me as I took a few quick, deep breaths of frosty air in an attempt to relieve my anxiety. It didn’t work.

Despite all of this, Ventrille held onto anything it felt was too historic to destroy without "acceptable" reason. Even if it involved something as horrendous as an expensive statue of a traitorous, murderous terrorist, revered now as a founding father and an American patriot of this great country. Hell, there were plantations still standing. They proudly hosted bed and breakfast amenities where thousands of innocent people were enslaved, wrongfully beaten, tortured, killed, and lynched. For that reason and that reason only, Robinwood still stood strong and proud, despite its questionably dark past.

“Come on, Tirai!” Indigo called out from a few feet in front of me. He was barely visible in the deepening darkness, which seemed to emanate from Robinwood Manor for the Criminally Insane.

We’d decided earlier not to use our cool LED flashlights to avoid any risk of unwanted detection from the authorities or anyone else before illegally entering the abandoned facility. It was too late for any desperate attempts to change our course of action. We were here.

The chilly late October air encircled me. It stole each breath away, just as the gigantic mental institution had when I first laid eyes upon it as a young girl. Grave warnings from my parents, teachers, and adults I didn’t even know began to flood my uneasy head all at once. They weighed me down as I tried to block out the windy whispers surrounding me. I refused to allow this to contribute to my fears, though the KEEP OUT signs confirmed my increasingly biased reservations.

Without voicing my last-second concerns, I slowly inched toward the towering building along with the rest of our group, Indigo and his twin sister, Violet... and my crush, Ashton. It wasn’t like a double date or anything, but I wanted to show him I wasn’t terrified of this place.  I wanted him to see I wasn't like most of our arrogant peers who pretended they'd be invincible and unafraid in the same position. 

A few weeks ago, Ashton overheard Violet teasing me in study hall because I didn’t want to go. We always made special plans ahead of time for how we would celebrate Halloween every year. This year was no different. As with everything, they pressured me into saying yes, so they wouldn’t have to traverse the unknown alone. 

Ashton chimed in after eavesdropping upon our private conversation and boom! It'd become a planned occasion for our favorite holiday ever. I would have rather spent it binge-watching gory horror movies. We'd have a few supreme pizzas with extra cheese and good conversation. Some apple-flavored wine coolers? But nooooooo! They had to be extreme.

We were all taught over the years not to mention Robinwood Manor, not even as a joke around anyone. Ashton was the rare exception from these unnecessary reminders. His parents died in a freak car accident two years ago. They were beheaded on their anniversary date night out, but that wasn’t even the strangest part. The burned-out car was found near the manor. The police declared that there was no foul play. They concluded that the couple's vehicle spontaneously combusted while they sought a quiet place to be alone. We never believed the outlandish excuse for a real investigation. Nobody in town wanted to remind him of that tragic night so they refrained from subjecting him to the same warnings the rest of us received. To top it all off, he worked mostly solo shifts at the GNC store in the shopping mall. Unlucky him. 

Quickly approaching the former madhouse, an unnerving sense of paralyzing dread overcame us all. The senseless chatter and nervous laughter ceased. No one made mention of this to each other. There wasn’t a need to. It was simultaneously felt by everyone. In my opinion, Ashton was braver tonight than I’d ever seen him, considering the circumstances.

“How are we going to break through the chained gates?” I nervously inquired of the others, glancing around for any unknown spectators or the lazy police who could return at any moment while we were breaking the unspoken law of the town.

I'd asked an almost rhetorical question, reading my twin friends very well. I’d known them since preschool, practically our whole lives so far, and they were always prepared for anything. Ashton joined our friend group in our final year of elementary school. We now played our respective roles as juniors in an outdated high school. Time didn’t fly as they say, but it didn’t walk or run, either.

“Ta-da!” Violet replied, squealing as she pulled a giant pair of bolt cutters from her “investigation bag.” 

Indigo and Violet had taken the time to pack all of the detective equipment they would need to find what they were searching for and what I hoped didn’t exist. They aspired to prove me and the rest of the world wrong. They would need a surefire way to document their proof. 

I couldn't help but admire the collective confidence in their immature ambitions of uncovering the dark truth. It equally amazed and terrified me. What if they were right and I was wrong? It would be the first and final time. I look forward to when I'd be able to debunk their insane theories, once and for all. 

Indigo and Ashton laughed at my speechless reaction. They maneuvered into place to aid each other in breaching this cursed ground. With growing anticipation, Violet fidgeted in place. The autumn temperature about us dropped without warning. Thrilling nervousness filled the remaining expanse as complete silence.

“Hurry up or we’ll get caught! It’s freezing out here!” Violet said, releasing little warm puffs of air to join the large threatening ones high above. By her anxious reaction, her excitement seemed to be growing more with each passing moment. I expected more endurance and stamina from her on this trip, considering her athletic record as a track and swim champion on the varsity teams.

  “Heck yeah. What she said!” I agreed. My unexpected tone of confidence sent shocks and shivers of consternation through me. I wholly felt my blood repeatedly rushing from my throbbing head to frozen toes and back again... as if trying to escape my chimney of fear. I couldn't really distinguish which of the two ideals I was actively struggling to come to terms with. Courage or foolishness.

I hoped Ashton would take notice of my bravery to prevent myself from being the butt of the next joke. All-black attire did nothing to show off my maturing physique. We were all dressed the same, with matching black beanies, Jordans, ski masks, and full jumpsuits, covered underneath sleek fall jackets. For stealth, of course. Honestly, we appeared to be posing as inexperienced burglars rather than teenage paranormal investigators, but this was our first go. It would be better next time, right?

Once Ashton and Indigo successfully cut the fence, they held it wide open for Violet and me to safely slip inside. The overprotective guys followed suit. We were now trespassing, to my utter dismay. This seemed too easy. We have broken our parents’ trust and illegally invaded the closed-off site. It was all going too smoothly for my taste. What if there were still security guards hired to keep crazies like us away? 

Yes, I was the realist/pessimist of our group of friends. Notwithstanding, I was also the smartest one, according to our academic marks. That had to count for something.

“See? Wasn’t so bad, was it? You good, Rai?” Indigo laughed as he inquired of the group, glancing around for agreement. 

In his one-track brain space, I'm positive he officially concluded we were finished with the hardest part of our abnormal expedition. Everyone should be able to relax now, in his opinion. We'd packed food, water, batteries, and everything else in case things went north, south, east, or west. In addition, and as a last resort, we all brought our mobile phones fully charged and ready to make an emergency call, if necessary. We were all hopeful it wouldn’t be. 

In single-file line formation, the four of us jetted across the unattended courtyard in record time, with Indigo hauling Violet’s heavy “investigation bag” in tow. I was sure the large, black canvas duffle bag weighed a ton, just by the looks of it. Nonetheless, he effortlessly beat everyone by reaching the front entrance first.

  “Wow… here we are!” Ashton exclaimed, making this moment worse for me by blatantly stating the obvious. 

As a team, we were still trying to catch our breaths from sprinting, gulping in the brisk air about us. More small clouds sprouted and dissipated, with mine being the smallest in stature. I glanced over at Ashton’s handsome, strong features that were forcing me to take notice of my quiet yet artsy, chess champion friend over the past few months. His square jawline perfected his sexy smile, displaying glowing white teeth every single time his hazel eyes met my deep brown ones. 

Breaking away from my inappropriately timed daydream, I pondered about how no one had ever seen the asylum up close before, with the exception of pictures. This decrepit area was highly restricted and any evidence of trespassing was punishable by law. While we were considered to be unarmed and less than dangerous, it was certainly a strong possibility we could discover a victim’s discarded corpse or something worse. Anything. Stop it, Tirai! I was steadily unhinging and had to regain control of my racing mind. After a few moments, I was able to yank the invisible reins on the wild horses that ran rampantly throughout it.

“Too bad we can’t take any pictures out here at night to prove we were here. Someone may notice the camera flash. It's too risky. Besides, they'll never believe us, anyway,” I regretfully added, stepping beside him, all the while fighting the urge to clutch his huge hand tightly within my own.

“Let’s not delay any longer, or it'll seem like we’re stalling!” Indigo said as the self-proclaimed leader of our ghost-hunting team. I was shocked to watch him turn the entrance doorknob and find out it was unlocked! I just knew the boys would have to utilize the bolt cutters again to gain access to the forbidden building.

“Good luck shines on us tonight! The dead may favor us,” Ashton grimly noted. He seconded Indigo’s order to proceed inside. We collected our flashlights, and four bright lights illuminated the entryway before the door promptly closed behind us.

“Uhh… shouldn’t we leave the door open, just in case we have to make a fast exit?!” I suggested. My voice shook a little with the fear of being trapped inside. I felt as if the possibility should be at the forefront of each of our minds. To reassure me and without responding at all, Indigo retrieved a nearby cinderblock and placed it to keep the heavy door ajar while we wandered throughout the haunted ruins.

“We found an old map of each floor of the structure online, and lucky for us, it has more than one way out. We will begin with the ground floor. We won’t be able to fully explore this entire place anyway. Not in one night,” Violet confirmed, resting a dainty freckled hand on my broad shoulder. If it were up to me, we wouldn’t go any further in and conduct our experiments right here and now.

  Violet and Indigo opened the aforementioned map, solely displaying the first-floor blueprint and each connecting staircase. The detailed plan was fleshed out in a sleepover meeting we scheduled the week before at the twins’ house, which was right around the corner from mine. 

"Shall we go over the plan again?" Ashton asked carefully, sensing my worry. I truly appreciated his concern for me. I needlessly debated with my ego whether I should play out the drama of this moment to buy myself more time to contemplate some way out of this or not. I could argue my way out of this if I truly desired to. I couldn’t be outwitted. As I was deciding against it, Violet grinned the sweetest smile, knowing I couldn't resist helping out. We were ride or die BFF forever and a day. I looked toward Ashton, and his body language translated as potential disappointment. I wasn’t a quitter, and I damn sure wouldn’t pick tonight to start quitting. Therefore, I had to remain calm and collected. Poised to impress him tonight.

"No," I concluded in a hushed voice. No need to say or question anything further about the resolved door issue. The quicker they could collect the non-vital information they needed, the quicker we could leave in one whole piece. Ashton, Violet, and Indigo were insanely brave. Why can't I be?! I can do this. I can do this! I thought privately to myself. Somehow, I still felt I was the only voice of semi-adult reason at the moment.

Indigo and Violet, having decided on their first course of action, shined their tiny beams of battery-powered artificial light down the main hall leading to an open foyer, which housed a wing for admissions, processing, family visitation and security. It didn't seem like anything any other facility such as this wouldn’t have or out of the ordinary in any way at all. It was almost normal, especially for the time when it was originally constructed. Once they reached a massive room with a skylight appearing in the ceiling's center, the twins stopped walking so Ashton and I, lagging behind, could catch up. The wing may have been used for recreation.

“Let’s get started, everyone!” Indigo shouted a little too loudly. His booming adolescent voice eerily echoed down the wide hallway.

“Overkill, bro… but I guess it’s good to let everyone know we’re here,” Ashton joked around a bit. My tall, lean beau began to inspect the room before proceeding to help Indigo unload everything. I could barely see his caramel skin in the dim light. I couldn't make out his hazel eyes at all in the darkness that felt alive and breathing.

“Everyone, like who?” I asked nonchalantly, knowing they were referring to the supernatural they felt were lurking here, versus the homeless I suspected would be disturbed by our unwelcome intrusion.

“The spirits, silly!” Violet joined me in laying a forest green tarp over a worn, moth-eaten sofa so we’d have an uncomfortable place to sit. 

A bird's call could be heard echoing from the northern direction of the central entrance hall. No one seemed to notice it at all. It sounded like the call of an evening bird. No... that of something much more sinister. A raven!

"Did you guys hear that?" I softly asked. My gaze was unwavering from the corridor leading to the front of the building, back toward our homes.

Everyone listened enough to briefly stop their setup duties and acknowledge my concerns. They resumed when nothing happened, automatically writing my claims off as bullshit.

"No, nothing at all," Violet sighed in response.

Shortly afterward, a jarring slam echoed from somewhere nearby. It seemed to come from the opposite direction, but I couldn't distinguish exactly where the sound originated. The unexpected nature of this ghastly surprise in such an eerie place caused me to jump and shiver all at once.

"What the hell was that sound?!" I yelled again, reacting without thinking. Since no one really seemed to be alarmed enough to answer me the first time, I was a bit more forceful this go round. Harshness hardened my tone. I wanted to deny the notion that Violet may be right. Was it a hint of suppressed fear? Who knows. I surely did not.

"What was what?" Indigo spoke as if he were indulging me this time. "Calm down! Do you want to wake the dead? You're tripping out," he reassured me constantly it seemed, but I could tell he was growing tired of doing so. He passed me by without slowing his pace. Perhaps they thought this was some type of practical joke. Well, they should've known me well enough to know that I'd never go to such lengths to prank someone like this.

"Try to relax. We've got you. You've gotta believe that," Ashton’s soothing voice shot in my direction. He was always watching over me, no matter what. I willed myself to nod, riddled with uncertainty. I couldn't allow myself to keep disagreeing with them both. Majority ruled and won.

"It's all coming together. Tell her, Vi," Ashton totally ignored my double outburst, continuing to focus on the daunting task at hand. Ash tightly clasped his sweaty palms together, intensely rubbing for friction heat against the stinging cold of the lingering blackness. It was much more frigid here than in the breezy outer courtyard. We're too young to be in real danger, I stupidly hoped and prayed.

"I'm not entertaining this again with you, sis. We don't have much time to explore. She's just trying to scare us because she's scared. Come help me with this, Tirai!" Violet instructed. I could feel her egging me on a bit without looking in her direction. Sometimes, we were like polar opposites. Despite this, I knew she was just playing poorly at being the worst matchmaker in the world and the imperfect wingwoman.

"But I heard it... something is there!" I defended myself. It was too unsafe to storm off alone within the confines of this place. However, I wished I could close my eyes and disappear, only to magically reappear at home in my cherrywood bed with my bunny teddy, Arises.

A silent prayer crossed my beating heart, hoping it wasn't the main entrance door, trapping us in. As a ridiculous precaution, I added a second wish of protection, forbidding it to be someone or something slamming a door on the inside. The reality was... it had to be one or the other.

An obsidian raven dangerously swooped in overhead, too close for comfort. The shadowy black beast viciously cawed a stark warning. No one appeared to notice or be fazed by that either.

I must have been imagining things if no one else around me heard or reacted to the loud bang or the creepy bird. I couldn’t say I was looking forward to spending the entire night at Robinwood Manor.