Abigail had barely slept since her last encounter with Dr. Mathis’s ghost. Emily's warning about the hidden door haunted her, and she knew she couldn't ignore it any longer. Determined to uncover the secrets buried within St. Augustine’s Asylum, she steeled herself for another night of investigation.
After her shift began, she met Carla in the staff lounge. “I’m going back to the east wing,” Abigail said, her voice steady despite the fear gnawing at her. “I have to find that hidden door Emily mentioned.”
Carla looked worried but nodded. “Be careful, Abby. I’ll stay here with Emily. If anything happens, come back immediately.”
“I will,” Abigail promised.
With a deep breath, she made her way to the east wing. The corridor was as eerie as ever, the flickering lights casting long, distorted shadows on the walls. She approached the old bookshelf she had discovered earlier, the one concealing the hidden passageway.
Abigail pushed aside the loose brick, and the bookshelf creaked open, revealing the narrow passage once more. She stepped inside, the air growing colder with each step. As she descended the staircase, she could feel the weight of the asylum’s dark history pressing down on her.
At the bottom of the stairs, she found herself in the same dimly lit chamber filled with old medical equipment and forgotten papers. She scanned the room, her flashlight revealing the heavy metal door covered in strange symbols and carvings.
“This must be the hidden door,” she murmured, approaching it cautiously.
With a firm push, she opened the door, revealing a long-abandoned part of the asylum. The air was thick with the scent of decay, and the walls were lined with rusted, bloodstained tools. Abigail felt a chill run down her spine as she stepped inside, her flashlight beam cutting through the darkness.
As she moved deeper into the abandoned wing, she heard faint cries for help, echoing through the corridors. The sound was faint, almost ethereal, but it sent a wave of fear through her.
“Hello?” she called out, her voice trembling. “Is anyone there?”
There was no response, just the eerie silence of the empty halls. Abigail’s heart pounded as she continued forward, the cries growing louder and more desperate. She knew she was getting closer to something, but she wasn’t sure if it was something she wanted to find.
She turned a corner and found herself in a small room filled with old, rusted medical equipment. The walls were stained with blood, and the air was thick with the scent of decay. Abigail’s stomach churned as she scanned the room, her flashlight revealing a series of old, bloodstained tools scattered across a table.
“This place…” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “What happened here?”
As she examined the tools, she heard the faint cries for help again, this time closer and more urgent. Abigail followed the sound, her heart racing. The cries led her to a small, locked door at the end of the corridor.
She tried the handle, but it was stuck fast. “Damn it,” she muttered, looking around for something to pry it open. She found an old, rusted crowbar among the discarded tools and wedged it into the doorframe.
With a grunt, she forced the door open, revealing a small, dark room. The cries for help grew louder, and Abigail felt a wave of dread wash over her. She stepped inside, her flashlight revealing the source of the noise.
In the center of the room, bound to an old, bloodstained chair, was the spectral figure of a young girl. Her eyes were wide with fear, and her voice was hoarse from screaming.
“Please, help me,” the girl cried, her voice echoing in the small room.
Abigail’s heart broke at the sight. She stepped closer, reaching out a hand. “It’s okay,” she said softly. “I’m here to help you.”
The girl’s eyes filled with tears. “You have to stop him. He’s going to hurt more people.”
“Who?” Abigail asked, her voice urgent. “Who’s going to hurt more people?”
The girl looked past Abigail, her eyes widening in terror. “He’s here,” she whispered, her voice filled with fear. “He’s coming.”
Abigail turned, her flashlight illuminating the ghostly figure of Dr. Mathis standing in the doorway. His eyes were cold and lifeless, and his presence filled the room with an oppressive sense of dread.
“You should not be here,” he said, his voice echoing in the small space. “Leave now, or suffer the consequences.”
Abigail stood her ground, her fear giving way to anger. “I’m not going anywhere,” she said firmly. “You can’t keep hurting people.”
Dr. Mathis’s spectral form flickered, his eyes narrowing. “You are a fool,” he spat. “The darkness will consume you.”
Abigail felt a surge of defiance. “No, it won’t. I won’t let it.”
With a wave of his hand, Dr. Mathis unleashed a torrent of cold air, extinguishing Abigail’s flashlight and plunging the room into darkness. She felt the oppressive presence closing in around her, but she refused to back down.
“You cannot stop me,” Dr. Mathis hissed, his voice filled with malice. “The darkness is too powerful.”
Abigail took a deep breath, summoning all her courage. “I don’t care how powerful you think you are. I will stop you.”
The room seemed to shudder, the walls vibrating with the force of her words. The spectral figure of Dr. Mathis flickered, his form wavering.
“You are a fool,” he repeated, his voice echoing in the small room. “You will pay the price.”
With that, he vanished, leaving Abigail alone in the darkness. She took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew the battle was far from over, but she had taken a crucial step towards uncovering the truth.
As she made her way back to the main building, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. The shadows seemed to move with a life of their own, and every creak and groan of the old building made her heart skip a beat.
Back in Emily’s room, she found Carla waiting for her. “Did you find anything?” Carla asked, her voice filled with concern.
Abigail nodded, her expression grim. “I found the hidden door, and I heard cries for help. Dr. Mathis is more powerful than we thought, but I won’t give up. We have to keep fighting.”
Carla squeezed her hand. “We’re in this together, Abby. We’ll find a way to stop him.”
As the night wore on, Abigail kept a close watch on Emily, her mind racing with plans and strategies. She knew they had to act quickly, before the darkness could strike again.