Asylum - 13 Tales of Terror

by Matt Drabble

  He watched the car pull away and disappear back beneath the blanket of thick snow that had begun to fall once again; the white blanket sealing him and his guests from the rest of the world, and its prying eyes.

  He wandered out from his office and down the sweeping dark oak staircase that dominated the atrium. The institute was a large wooden building that looked more like a ski lodge than a hospital. The log walls blended in perfectly with the snow covered surroundings. There were several luxury hotel standard bedrooms, but these were mainly available to the staff and one was kept as a showroom to any potential sighted inquirers. He’d always figured that it would be a waste of valuable money to spend on decorations that his guests could never appreciate. Their rooms were sparse but comfortable enough for his needs, and theirs had never entered much into his equations.

  “Ms Conner,” he greeted his new arrival warmly as she entered on the arm of one of his nurses.

  “Dr Dietz,” she replied in a tone to match his.

  Expert ears, he mused to himself as he evaluated her. He had found that some stereotypes were true and that some of his guests really did have extraordinary hearing.

  “Please, it’s Samuel” he enthused, “We’re all friends and family here.”

  “It smells so beautiful here and it sounds just so peaceful,” she added.

  “It will be everything that you are looking for I’m sure,” he added solemnly.

  Her face beamed with loveliness and he found himself drifting away into her eyes again. She had removed her sunglasses when she’d entered through the large imposing front doors. Her eyes were simply to die for; if they were really windows to the soul, then hers was one of serene beauty.

  He shook the thoughts away from his rapidly clouding mind. He had spent so long with his desires held in check only to have them slip their leash and wreak havoc upon his world. She had been lovely of eye too. Sarah even reminded him of her; same high sharp cheekbones, same natural radiant glow, that halo that separated her from the herd.

  Annie Brie had managed to entice the monster from his cave and had paid the price with blood and pain. She had been another of his potential prize picks; wealthy and removed, and full of possibility. He had felt the attraction from the very start. It wasn’t that uncommon for him to have felt the familiar tug, but it was uncommon for him to act upon it. He had enjoyed her company more than the others, his actions and words were somehow less forced and scripted when he was with her. He had felt the connection grow and bloom into one of a future pregnant with hope. He had known that she had felt it too and he had known that she had wanted him to take her. She had desired him to overwhelm her in a way that only the special ones did. To submit to his will in a show of worship and subjugation. He had fought against his desires for so long, but in the end he was only human after all. When he had made her wait as long as he was able to, he finally decided to give her the reward that she had so patiently waited for. He had come to her bedroom on a dark and stormy night with a passion that burned deeply within his dark heart, only for her to betray him. After months of her teasing, she had denied him at the last; denied him his prize and his will. She had tried to scream her lies, but he had choked the betrayal from her mouth with iron hands clamped around her throat. The red mist had descended and he had taken her after all, just not in the way that he had originally intended. Eventually when he had recovered his senses he had found himself standing over the bloody ruin of what had been Annie, her crystal blue eyes now dark and empty. When reason had returned, so too did his own powerful sense of self-preservation. His staff were loyal to a point; he could not operate without some degree of knowledge held by them, but nudges and whispers were held at bay by healthy pay checks and bonuses. He knew that there was no-one in his employee who would be prepared to overlook the rape and murder of a resident, no matter how much he paid them. He had scrubbed and cleaned the body with medical precision, then he had fashioned a noose and hoisted her body with the tied bed sheets and hung her body from an oak beam to hopefully hide the strangulation marks of his own hands. The investigation had been thorough enough - at least on the surface - and the institute was eventually cleared of any neglect. That verdict by the local courts had cost him pretty much everything that he had saved over the years and rendered him broke again. Annie’s family had been mercifully absent from the proceedings, and her parents hadn’t put up much of a struggle at the decision, and life had slowly returned to normal again.

  But now there was Ms Sarah Conner standing in front of him with the same glow, the same halo that hung over her head singing praises of the special and the chosen.

  “Let me show you to your room,” he said, gasping slightly as her feather light touch took his arm.

  He led her up the staircase much to the chagrin of the nurse he left behind. Her face was creased with annoyance and he made a mental note to punish her with punitive duties later on.

  “It feels so big and open here,” Sarah smiled as they walked.

  “Well don’t worry, the whole building is designed around the needs of our guests. The layout here is specifically catered for easy access and memory. Within a day or two you’ll soon be up and around without the need for assistance.”

  “The air feels different up here.”

  “It’s the altitude. It’ll take you a few days to adjust so no mountain climbing until then,” he joked and melted at her smile. “Well, here we are,” he opened the bedroom door and led her in.

  The room was one of the better ones at the institute and he was not unaware that it was also the same room that Annie had stayed in before her. Perhaps it was divine intervention after all.

  The large four poster bed was dark and hand carved; the bed linen was pristine white and soft. The flow of the room was unencumbered by clutter and furniture with an oak dresser and matching wardrobe. The flooring was hardwood strips and devoid of anything that could trip. The throw pillows were of varying textures and materials, and there were differing potpourri pots around the room, all to help with orientation.

  “It feels lovely,” she mused as she faced the window and closed her eyes against the warming sunlight.

  Dietz watched her silhouette in awe as her radiance burned brighter. He felt the tugging of his own personal darkness, the long buried desire stirred in his grave and dug his way towards the surface.

  “I’ll leave you now to get settled,” Dietz said in a strange choked voice as his heart pounded hard against his chest.

  Once back within the confines of his safely secured office he sat and tried to impose his will against the rising tide of mutiny from within. With the door secured he opened up the large dark cabinet and snatched up the remote control. The TV screens shone with tantalizing promise. The cameras were safely hidden in every bedroom just in case they were ever checked by the outside world. Four of the rooms were currently empty as the residents were taking part in classes, using the TV room or congregating elsewhere. The fifth room however was now occupied with his newest acquisition.

  He turned the screen on and his breath caught in his throat as he watched his princess slowly undress as she waited for the water to warm in the ensuite shower. Perhaps it was fate after all; perhaps she was sent to him as a reward for his good behavior. The incident with Annie was now a little over two years in the past and he had been well behaved ever since. Of the seventeen residents that had passed through his doors, he had managed for the institute to become the sole beneficiary in three wills. The rewards had totaled a little over £800,000 and were currently being siphoned off to swell his personal account.

  He watched as Sarah stood gloriously naked before him, her figure glowing with an angelic light that seemed preordained for his eyes. He had been so good for so long now, so patient and enduring. His thoughts turned to Annie; after all he had gotten away with her death. The enquiry had ruled it a suicide and the fuss had been negligible and manageable.

  The snow continued to fall heavily outside in thick clumps and he pu
rveyed his kingdom, now isolated, now cut-off completely from the outside world. Perhaps it was time to reward himself after all, to seek out the life and love that he so richly deserved.

  ----------

  The next two months swam by on a cloud of hope and a prayer of promise. As Sarah settled into her new life at the institute, she became more than he ever thought possible. In his mind they shared the first gentle soft probing of the meant to be. The careful exploration of virgin territory and the hazardous jungle of burgeoning emotions. He knew that she felt the same tug as he did, the same desire that he shared for her. She would never come right out and speak her mind; it was not the way of the chosen. Her thoughts were sent in a whisper of a thought and the ghost of a smile. They shared many intimate moments despite the surrounding people. They were never alone, but they were always alone and entwined together in his mind and he knew that the same thoughts ran through hers. He began to grow concerned as the weather started to clear unseasonably early. The snowfall grew lighter and less frequent and the signs of spring edged closer on the horizon. He began to feel time slipping away from him, as soon, the outside world would intrude again. A fresh influx of residents, services and a staff change would soon be upon them and the magic of their isolation would be broken. During the harsh winter months, the huge institute building contained just 10 people rattling around her quiet corridors; five residents and five staff members. It was a high enough number to operate, but a low enough number to feel alone amidst the white weather.

  He had taken to spending his days within her company; always close by her side, whether it was in the classroom, dayroom, or TV lounge. He was always constant in her presence and she was never far from his thoughts. He would often stand behind her, feeding on her scent and desperate to reach out and just brush her velvet skin with his fingers. His nights were spent with her image in front of him on the TV screen in his office as he watched her sleep. He was proud of both of their restraint; he knew that it could not be any easier for her than it was for him. He always marveled at her ability to maintain her distance from him with the pleasant friendly smiles of the casual, never allowing her burning desire to surface. He greatly admired her powers of self-control, but with the season rapidly fading he had decided that tonight was the night to rewards themselves.

  He had arranged a staff party for the evening; a little booze laced with a little sedative to ensure privacy for the betrothed couple. He waited until the residents had turned in before softly locking their doors from the outside. Even the weather outside had joined the occasion by throwing up the last storm of the winter to make the night feel special. The wind battered the log walls and the snow fell heavily as the mountain wolves howled an echoing song to serenade their special night.

  With a last check on the snoring staff and a gentle rattle of the resident’s doors to make sure that they were locked, he went to her. His heart was pounding with anticipation and full with love. He knew that she may well protest her innocence in the matter of her love for him, but he knew that her walls could be overcome and eventually she would submit with gratitude. He had to prove himself worthy of her love; only the weak would fail in the test of being told no, and only the virtuous would proceed and overcome.

  He held a bottle of brandy and two glasses as he proceeded to her room. It was now just the two of them and the rest of the world was far removed from this special night.

  He wore a long blood red dressing gown and matching pajamas. The building was drafty with the mountain winds but he was insulated by love’s warm furnace. His pockets bulged with a viscously sharp serrated edged knife and handcuffs. He might be a romantic, but was also a practical man.

  He reached Sarah’s door and stretched his hand to open it and embrace their destiny together. He stepped into her room and could see her slumbering form beneath the covers.

  “My love,” he whispered, “It’s time.”

  She didn’t stir. She didn’t call to him with arms open and welcoming legs spread wide. He felt a flash of anger as his fantasy of their first night took a hit; perhaps she would require a little instruction after all. It was a rocky start on her part, but he had time and the desire to correct her if necessary.

  “Sarah?” he said a little louder, his voice harsher than he had hoped would be required.

  He began to bump the glasses against his leg in annoyance as she still didn’t move, his temper rising by the second. He rushed to the bed and threw back the covers, determined to make her suffer for her defiance of his will and desire. The bed was empty save for the cushions lined up to look like her sleeping form. He threw the brandy bottle and glasses against the wall; they shattered into shards of dangerous crystal. His blood boiled. So she was just like Annie after all; just another glimpse of a teasing future, another who mocked his dreams of a perfect future. He tapped the dressing gown pocket in reassurance; the knife and restraints would be necessary after all. He would still take his prize.

  Just then the lights went out and the room was plunged into darkness. He put a hand out and felt his way back to the door and stepped out into the corridor. The whole building was suddenly black and he could not see beyond his own hand.

  He stumbled along the corridor heading back to the sanctuary of his private office. His heart was now pounding not with desire, but with panic. He could not see a thing and felt vulnerable and exposed. The dark was alien to him and he had kept the institute always brightly lit despite the resident’s lack of need. The dark was his own secret fear; it was the one thing that scared him the most, to be robbed of the strongest of his senses. He had always reveled in his superiority over his guests. He had reveled in his ability to observe the women beneath him undetected and unwatched.

  He reached his office door and wrenched it open; he staggered inside and slammed the door shut behind him. Suddenly he felt that he was not alone. It was a strange sensation, but he could definitely feel someone here.

  “H-H-Hello?” He stammered, “Who’s there?” His voice was timid and frightened.

  “Good evening Dr Dietz,” Sarah’s voice was hard and as cold as the weather outside.

  “Sarah? What are you doing here?” He said striving for an authoritative manner, but his trembling tone betrayed him. He felt inexplicably terrified of the woman concealed in the darkness.

  “I knew that it would only be a matter of time Dr Dietz. I knew from the first moment that I met you.”

  “What are you doing here?” He demanded, his voice gaining a little strength. He still couldn’t see her in the dark. After a lifetime of nightlights his eyes were refusing to adjust to the blackness.

  “It’s time,” she whispered from nearer to him and he flinched instinctively.

  “Time for what?” He asked feeling a sense of dread at his own words whispered back to him with menace. He remembered the knife in his pocket and snatched it out quickly; he held the blade out in front of him. “I don’t know what you are doing in here Ms Conner, but I must insist that you leave immediately.”

  “Oh please, call me Ms Brie.”

  Dietz was struck motionless by the name, “Is this some sort of sick joke Ms Conner? Ms Brie took her own life on these very premises a couple of years ago now.”

  “Annie would never have done such a thing Dr Dietz, and we both know that she never did.”

  “And how could you possibly know?” He asked, but fearing the answer.

  “She was my sister, and I knew her better than anyone.”

  Dietz felt the moment freeze in time as his mind tried to process the sister of his victim standing somewhere in a blackened room before him. He gripped the knife tighter and prayed for a miracle.

  “I don’t know what you think you know Ms Conner, I mean Brie, but I can assure you that there was no impropriety here. Your sister’s death was a suicide, a tragedy that we all felt,” he pleaded as he backed to the door.

  “I know what you are Dr Dietz,” her voice came from off to the side somewhere different than before.<
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  “What did you do to the lights?” He asked quietly.

  “I thought that it was best for us to be alone, so I turned off the master switch,” she chuckled from the other side of the room now.

  Dietz sighed with relief to himself and tried to calculate the time since they had gone off. The institute was often suffering power outages and the system was set to automatically reboot after eight minutes. It must be due to come back on at any second if he could just stall for time.

  “You believe that you have the advantage in the darkness I’ll wager Ms Brie,” he said as he circled away from her voice.

  “Something like that.”

  “You believe that you’re safe from me without the light,” he held his knife out before him in a swinging arc. “I had such plans for us Sarah, such wonderful plans.”

  “I’ll bet,” her voice had moved again.

  “It’s no wonder that I fell for you. You have the same bloom as your sister, and apparently you share the same aptitude for betrayal as well,” he said waiting for the lights.

  “My sister would have never touched you,” she spat, “Is that why you killed her?”

  “Would you like to know what else I did to her?” He asked pleasantly.

  “You’re a monster.”

  “No. I’m just a lonely heart, a romantic if you will.”

  “You’ll not take me the same way,” she growled.

  “Oh, but I’m afraid I will,” he chuckled, “You see, you’re out of time.”

  Just then the electrical system rebooted and the room exploded into light again. His vision took a few moments to adjust and he had to raise his hand to shield his eyes. Before him Sarah was now exposed, vulnerable and helpless as she held a small revolver in her hand. Her body twisted and turned as she tried to find his position; her face a picture of distress and strain.