He Was Dying

Chapter Seventeen

As dusk fell apon us, we stood at the wall that divided my yard and Trapper's. We had to cut through it in order to get to Nurse's territory. We were currently heaving one another over the brick barricade, I standing on the other side to my help them down. Delirious was the last guy over, fixing his hockey mask so it wouldn't scrape against anything.
"Holy shit," he chuckled at the sight of the yard.

Luke sighed. "Yeah, we gotta move fast. Stay low, remain quiet, move quickly."

"Don't run, though," I added. "Trapper might already be awake, so be careful not to make any scratches."

We began traveling across the yard. I moved further ahead, constantly checking for danger and making sure the coast was clear. The sun was chasing us, the sky growing darker by the minute.

I understood why they insisted on traveling during the night. In the day, there isn't much to hide behind considering you'd be in broad daylight. The Others could still possibly be awake, or wake up if we weren't careful. If we made it to Nurse's yard by sundown, we'd gain the advantage of a head start and the darkness as cover.

We repeated the process of helping each other over the wall, this time into Nurse's terrain. I then crawled over the blockade, jumping down, dust flying around my feet. Smitty scolded me, saying to be careful doing that or I'll screw up my stitches or myself. I told him I couldn't get any worse.

Nurse's yard was dimmer than Trapper's. Maybe it was because of the sun slowly disappearing, or the fact that it was like a blanket of ash draped over the sky, the thick trees blocking out as much of the dusk light the branches could manage. In the distance, the abandoned asylum towered high, a castle that lived out it's glory days long ago.

"They're in there," Craig announced, pointing towards the crumbling building.

"Then that's where we're going," Bryce huffed, continuing forward. Everyone exchanged worried and nervous glances, but carried on. Our footsteps crunched in the mix of leaves and cinders at our feet, a soft but unsettling echo in the silence.

A scream rang through the yard. They all stopped in front of me.

"Was that Brock?" I didn't know who that was, but the name seemed familiar.

"No, it sounded like a woman."

"So, Brian?" Also familiar, but still, I didn't know who.

I sighed. "It was the Nurse. Who's yard do you think we're in?" We had to be cautious now. We knew she was awake, and she could call the rest of the Others to hunt after us as well. Everyone stayed low to the ground, crouching. I remained in the back, to make sure we wouldn't get ambushed from behind and to keep a good eye on everything. Bryce, Craig and Delirious led the group at the front.

I jumped at every sound. Every kick of a rock; every caw of a crow; every crinkle of a leaf. I hated the feeling, knowing I wasn't welcomed in her yard-- or anyone's yard-- anymore. It didn't feel right needing to hide from people I've known for my whole life. Or, the part of my life that I remember.

Before I knew it, the asylum was standing over us, just a few metres away. My ears bent back as dread flooded my system. The shattered windows, the decaying walls, the rotting porch. I've seen this place hundreds of times, but there was a feeling of despair in the pit of my stomach this time. I think it was because it's so much more panic-inducing when there's a reason to panic about it.

Delirious, a nailed-through plank of wood in hand, approached the nearest door silently. He glanced inside, both directions of the hall, then waved us in. The rest of us stepped into the foyer of the hospital.

Now that I stop and observe the place, it wasn't as magnificent as I always thought it was. There's rolls of torn up bandage and scraps of cloth all over the ground. There's stretchers and wheelchairs, bowls and buckets strewn about on the floor. There's still cabinets against the walls, but they're dusty and full of sooty towels, mops, and brooms. Dirt covers the floors, cement breaking from the walls, wooden planks from the floorboards and ceiling are tossed in countless piles. Everything was still and silent, echo-y and deserted. It was as if it has been untouched for years.

"Brian?" Evan called out, his voice ricocheting off the walls. "Brock?" He turned to the group. "Let's split up. Groups no smaller than three."

We broke off to look for the missing two. Although the building only had two floors, it was gigantic. Nogla, Craig, Delirious, and Luke decided to explore the main level, while Evan, Smitty, Bryce and I took over the second storey.

I led us through the halls and countless rooms, Evan supplying us with light from his flashlight. Without it, the only other source would be the moon shining from outside through windows. But, not every hall and room had windows, so thank goodness for the flashlight.

They each had pretty good weapons, just in case I wasn't able to protect them. Smitty had with him a glass bottle and a few sharp, throwable pieces of metal; Evan found a lead pipe in Trapper's yard; Bryce wielded a pocket knife he found in a cabinet.

We turned into a large, open room. The sun dome above us protruded out of the ceiling, it's shattered glass on the floor at our feet, the rusting steel frame towering in the sky. The moon hovered over us, surrounded by darkness. It provided enough light itself to be able to see around the room. Evan clicked off his flashlight.

Remaining in the clearance, we searched around. It was big enough for someone to hide in thoroughly. Smitty looked through the many cabinets around the room, Evan seeking through piles of clothing and blankets. Bryce looked around the area for any extra supplies: medicines, bandages, food, possible weapons.

I continued looking through the storey. A few chests were in the halls and rooms, so I dug through all I could find. All I found were extra bandages and needles. I guess I shouldn't've really expected much, it was a hospital, after all. I turned into another room, a doctor's office, the counters and medicine cabinets torn off the walls, glass and empty pill bottles littering the carpet.

This room wasn't really considered much, I nearly didn't give it a second glance, until a reflective gleam caught my eye. A pair of red and black sunglasses, one of the lens cracked, was on the floor. I picked it up, examining it carefully between my fingers. I sniffed the glasses, a familiar scent striking my nose.

Monster?