I huffed and then asked Braden, “Should we walk a bit? You could pull over on the grass there.” I pointed ahead, just past one of the stone structures.
“Yeah, sure,” he replied. “I don’t think the car would make it much farther anyway. The road gets pretty narrow up ahead, it looks overgrown.”
We climbed out of the car after Braden parked it, then began walking along the dirt passage. Two lone tire marks cut up along the lane, proving the road got little use.
The brightness of day became shrouded by the heavy evergreen boughs above, and shadows grew darker with the thickness of the overgrowth. Midday felt more like a foggy evening in the dense canopy.
Our footsteps crunched in the loose gravel while the four of us scanned the woods on either side, searching for clues of a hidden cemetery.
“Where the hell is the fog coming from?” Nick asked. “Did the director cue the fog machine? I mean, it’s summer. And daytime.”
Surveying the conditions of the forest, I calculated the moisture in the air. “It’s just condensed water droplets. A result of the air being cooled to dew point so it can no longer hold the water vapor in suspension. Rising air, that’s cooled from expansion, is likely the cause.” I stopped when I noticed everyone staring at me. “You know, the forest floor is cool. Soil doesn’t hold heat.” My voice trailed off.
“Um, I thought you bombed bio?” Kaitlin teased.
Numeric calculations coursed through my mind, showing me the probability and statistics of things I didn’t give a crap about.
“Yeah, I guess I retained more than I realized,” I mumbled. “All of it, actually.” I squeezed my eyes shut to clear my mind of the running list of calculations and analytical information. It felt like a computer was processing through my brain, and I understood every pulse and code.
I opened my eyes again only to find everyone still staring at me.
Something about this place had tapped into my memories. My subconscious. It awakened knowledge I had stored away in tidy, secret compartments. And now all those sealed doors within my brain had opened at once. The rush was exhilarating. But at the same time, it was embarrassing.
“Come on,” I said. “Never mind my weather forecasting. I’m a bit of a closet science geek,” I lied. “So now you know.”
I started walking again, and they followed along.
Within two seconds, Kaitlin caught up. “What the hell was that?”
“What?” I peeked at her from the corner of my eyes.
“Information,” she said. “Is your mind exploding with mundane, trivial facts?”
I stopped in my tracks. Her bottom lip quivered.
“Kaitlin?” I said. “Is it happening to you, too?”
Her eyes shot to the guys to make sure they weren’t listening. “Yes. Grace, I’m scared. What is this place?”
“It’s not the place, Kaitlin,” I assured her. “It’s our brains. They’re rewiring. Remember?” I rubbed my temple absentmindedly. “The doctors told us our neural connections had been damaged. And now they need to find new pathways. So, it’s just tapping into shit that’s already in our heads, I think. Makes sense, right?”
“I guess,” she whispered. “I mean, we suffered the same impact. So, makes sense our recovery would be similar.” She held her head for a moment. “But I feel like I can’t control it. My mind is expanding, like beyond my skull.”
“Okay, that sounds more like a migraine, Kaitlin,” I said. “That’s one of our symptoms, too, so let’s not blow this out of proportion.” I watched her clench her jaw. “Do you want to get out of here?”
“No, I want to find the freakin’ cemetery,” she blasted. “I’m not leaving until we do.”
I laughed at her persistence. A true urban explorer.
Fatigue already weighed down my muscles, though, and I wasn’t sure how long we’d last. “Let’s go a little farther. Just to see if anything looks interesting.”
Braden and Nick had wandered ahead while Kaitlin and I chatted, so we ran to catch up to them.
“Hey, there’s something up ahead,” Braden called to us.
Our feet scurried along the uneven, broken pavement as we caught up.
Just off to the side of the road was a large sign. Vines grew over it, making it difficult to read. Braden stepped into the weeds and pulled at them, exposing the white sign, attached to a broad, solid stone monument. The fancy black lettering read:
Blackwood State Hospital
“I heard that place was shut down,” Nick said. “Like a ghost town.”
He was right. I remembered hearing urban legends about the hospital, too, like all the buildings were boarded up and falling apart. And some said it was haunted by former patients. I hadn’t thought it still existed, though. I thought they tore it down years ago.
“Wanna check it out?” Braden turned to me.
I swallowed hard, side-eying at Kaitlin. She nodded.
“Sure,” I said, glancing back to Braden.
I stepped near the sign, then ran my hand along the top of it. White paint chipped along the wooden edge, and the black, fading letters held their own secrets within the eerie script. As I moved closer, my foot caught in one of the creeping vines, making me stumble. I grabbed onto the edge of the worn sign. My fingers gripped the wooden plaque to steady myself, but it broke away from the stone monument that held it.
“Shit!” I gasped, fearing I’d vandalized the relic.
The sign wobbled on loosened screws that had eroded from the granite over time. The corner of the wooden plaque I’d grabbed on to had separated from the landmark, exposing etched letters carved into the stone behind it. My eyes widened with curiosity, and I pulled at the corner of the broken sign to expose what it so cautiously hid within the granite.
“What are you doing?” Kaitlin jumped forward. “Don’t make it worse.”
“I’m not,” I muttered through my intense focus. “There’s something here.”
I pulled the wooden sign farther from the granite monument, exposing more stone-carved lettering. The gothic script filled my vision as the entire board pulled away and dropped to the ground, exposing the original, hidden sign.
My hand flew to my mouth as I gasped and backed away.
“Fuck.” Nick stepped back, eyes wildly darting around.
Braden stood frozen, staring at the exposed, original marker.
Kaitlin moved to my side as we read the authentic sign together. Over and over.
Blackwood Insane Asylum
Est. 1896
It started in my hands, traveled up my arms, then shot through my entire body. The frightful trembling turned to spastic shudders as fear coursed through me like a toxic venom.
“That’s freaky,” I choked, stepping through the vines to get away from the sign.
The words ‘insane asylum’ held a sick amount of power and judgment that turned my stomach. Poor souls from the not-so-distant past were sent there, most likely against their wills. Then the politicians probably thought a name change from asylum to hospital would improve the image of the institution. I looked back at the permanency of the stone marker and then at the broken, rotted attempt at hiding the truth—the wooden sign that now lay on the ground in its failure.
“So…,” Braden glanced in the direction of the road that led to the asylum. “Shall we?”
I noticed Kaitlin’s blanched complexion, white as a ghost. “Are you okay?” I asked. She looked like she was about to puke.
“Just lightheaded,” she said as she dropped her hands to her knees. “I’m gonna need to lie down soon.”
She was right. I felt it, too We were supposed to be resting, to recover our brains. And my body screamed to slow down, turn off the lights, and do nothing.
But there was no way we could stop now. This discovery was way too exciting. It was everything Kaitlin and I had always searched for.
I turned to Braden. He watched me with raised eyebrows.
“Are you sure you’re up fo
r this?” he asked. “You should probably be resting or something. We’re not exactly prepared for a full-scale adventure.”
He knew me too well. Knew I’d never back away from such a discovery. Always enticed by signs that said, ‘do not enter’ or ‘stay off the grass’. I saw them more as a challenge than a demand or request.
The pulse in my temples grew stronger, and I realized my headache meds were wearing off. I had no water and basically nothing to help the situation. But still, there was no way I was turning back now. We at least had to see what was up ahead.
“Let’s check it out and then decide what to do,” I said. “I can’t not know what’s up there.”
Kaitlin stumbled out of the brush, then back onto the road next to me. “My curiosity is killing me,” she said as she reached for my arm and locked her elbow with mine.
Nick walked ahead while Braden stayed closer, keeping a close eye on me. He was always nervous about following rules and doing what was right. It was cute. Most of the time. But right now, I could tell it was going to enter the smothering zone at any moment. I had to assure him we were fine.
“I think being out in the fresh air and getting some exercise is probably good for us.” Smiling, I started walking in the direction of the asylum. Kaitlin dragged at first but then kept up.
“Okay,” he said. “If you’re sure.”
Braden’s long strides moved him along the road faster than us, and he started to catch up to Nick. Braden’s tall frame shadowed Nick, making his short stature even more prominent. No wonder Nick always had to act big in his comments and actions. It was his Napoleon complex. And he never disappointed.
“Concussions are for pussies, anyway,” Nick yelled back to us. “You guys are fine.”
I shook my head, glaring at Kaitlin.
She squeezed my elbow with hers. “Yeah, but he’s hot.” And she keeled over, giggling.
“Oh my God.” I splatted my hand on my forehead.
“Have you seen those eyes?” she continued. “I can barely look at them when I talk to him.”
I chuckled, knowing she was trapped by his primal features. I supposed I couldn’t blame her. She was right about his eyes.
I turned my attention to Braden. I’d always liked him, but I’d never made a move on him. I wasn’t sure how I felt, like if it was brotherly love or if I was attracted to him. I wished I could decide, especially for his sake.
He was very patient, but it was obvious he was waiting for me. And I couldn’t find any flaws, which made my indecision even worse. He was tall and good looking. Athletic and kind. He was smart and funny. I watched him like I always did, trying to picture myself with him. But then, as usual, right when I’m about to accept it, the feelings become confused and leave me uncertain, unknowing.
Then Nick’s voice blasted me out of my inner thoughts and back to the moment. His voice sent shock waves through my body that jolted me to attention.
“There’s something up ahead,” he yelled. “A clearing. And I see a brick building all boarded up!”
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Urban Mystic Academy: Third Project (A Supernatural Academy Series Book 3) Page 19