The Abandoned Hospital

[dont_turn_around]

Of course, it's bigger on the inside.

When you first walk through the door, there is a staircase straight ahead. There is a hall to the left, and a ruined wall where there was once another wing to the right.

Down the hall...who knows.



If you think you know your way around...you don't.

Comments

Downstairs - left hallway

[dont_turn_around]

The hallway seems to stretch on farther than the walls outside would suggest. It's lined with doors, littered with the detritus of time and abandonment.

Walk carefully. It's dark.

Re: Downstairs - left hallway

[walking_napalm]

Liz walks slowly and carefully, one hand resting on the butt of the gun in a holster at her hip. Dead leaves crunch underfoot. She swings the beam of her flashlight out in front of them.

Dread is prickling at the back of her neck. "Homey," she says, just as much to herself (and to hear something, anything besides their footsteps) as to her companions.

Re: Upstairs - straight ahead

[ladyfirestarter]

hallways

always

"Yeah." Charlie's voice isn't much louder; she's behind Liz, two paces back and one to the right. "Little overdone, I was thinking."

Re: Downstairs - left hallway

[define_hinky]

Wendy is flanking left, herself.

She's also clutching a big gun, which sort of makes her feel better about all this.

"In that 'flashing neon sign that says HAUNTED' kinda way?"

Re: Downstairs - left hallway

[flip_the_lights]

Olivia brings up the rear, alternating between glancing ahead and sweeping her own flashlight behind them. Her gun's out, useless as she fears it may be; she holds it parallel to the light.

"Well," she says, dryly (and doing her best to ignore the sweat dampening her palms), "so far it hasn't been too renowned for subtle."

Upstairs - straight ahead

[dont_turn_around]

Another staircase leads to the third floor.

The stairs creak under your feet. There are crumpled papers on some of the steps.
GO HOME GO BACK GO HOME
The top of the stairs is dark as night.

Re: Upstairs - straight ahead

[balancingminds]

He stopped screaming long ago, now he's trying to hold onto the little kernel of himself he has left as he struggles against his restraints. This is what happens to those who are mad, they're put away.

In the darkness, the bed creaks and leather shifts against itself.

Re: Upstairs - straight ahead

[scots_wolf]

This is where those who are mad are put, and where they sometimes get better.

Urquhart is waiting in the shadows, for the Fear to turn up and remove itself from him forever.

He won't be mad any more. He'll be better.

Re: Upstairs - straight ahead

[walking_napalm]

The wall of water hit like a freight train, the pure fury of it loud enough to drown out the rest of the team's shouts. The water knocks Liz clean off her feet and drags her under; she fights and kicks in the cold and the dark, panic setting a roar between her ears. Something hits her shoulder, hard, and she sucks in a sharp breath on instinct -- and then her head breaks the surface.

She inhales a huge shuddering breath and blindly reaches out. Her hands close around something and she holds on tight, feeling the water beginning to recede around her as she bends over her knees and coughs up water.

When she opens her eyes, the building is silent and still, apart from a steady dripping somewhere. She's sitting halfway up a staircase, clutching the bannister. Water sits in pools across the foyer below her.

"Charlie?" she calls, wetly coughing again. "Olivia?"

There's nothing; there's no one. Her team is gone.

Liz takes another deep breath and then takes stock. Her flashlight and the EMF detector are gone; she's still got most of the other gear on her belt, but the tech isn't exactly going to be at its best (or work at all) after that underwater battering. Her shoulder is sore and her lungs are screaming, but otherwise, she's in one piece. She heaves herself up, plastering soaked hair out of her face, and she looks up the stairs.

Christ, it's dark up there.

Re: Upstairs - straight ahead

[dont_turn_around]

Upstairs - to the right

[dont_turn_around]

The floor is soft, and walls have fallen in. Still, there are doors and rooms and dust.

Someone has painted on the walls, WE ARE HUNGRY

WE ARE FULL BUT HUNGRY.

Re: Upstairs - to the right

[janisthorn]

Leela creeps slowly up the stairs, her knife and blowgun both at the ready. Crossbows are of little use indoors.

There is no sound other than her own footsteps, and those of her companion behind her. The air is damp and carries a musty smell she cannot identify.

She cannot read the writing on the wall. She does not need to. She gets the gist of it.

Re: Upstairs - to the right

[visible_sariel]

Sariel's eyes are only briefly on the writing on the walls. She won't translate; those details aren't relevant just at the moment. She thinks. It's frightening enough without articulation, and it fits with what she's seen of this entity so far.

Her attention's on the doorways, once she and Leela reach the landing. One hand is on her weapon, but she doesn't draw it. Yet.

Re: Upstairs - to the right

[electro_kinetic]

There are soft whines from down the hall, cracks and pops that don't come from the floorboards creaking and cracking under the weight put on them. They come from the same girl cradled into a ball in one of the rooms, hidden and terrified and trying not to spark--which isn't working, because she doesn't have her gauntlets.

They're in pieces, near or in the lake.

Re: Upstairs - to the right

[visible_sariel]

That's--that's not clicking. Sariel pauses mid-step, puts her raised foot down. Carefully.

"Leela," she says, quietly but urgently. "Do you hear that?"

Upstairs - to the left

[dont_turn_around]

You can see the end of the door-lined hallway.

Start walking.

You may eventually get there.

Re: Upstairs - to the left

[ostro_goth]

Teja comes upstairs, and starts walking down the hallways to the left, axe at the ready.

Re: Upstairs - to the left

[trigger_man]

He's been hearing noises elsewhere in the building; knew that soon enough someone would come walking down that hallway, looking for the man he's holding captive.

They can't have him, he belongs it It now.

Finally someone comes up those stairs, turns left and starts making their way down the corridor.

Behind a nearly-closed door, he waits for the rescuer to come closer; waits for the right time to strike.

Re: Upstairs - to the left

[ostro_goth]

Teja walks slowly, but not silently. He will fight, beyond all hesitation, once the monster is in sight.

His axe is at the ready.

Re: Upstairs - to the left

[bornuntotrouble]

John's unconscious.

Were he awake, he'd undoubtedly be struggling against the duct tape on his wrist, chest, and ankles - at the very least, trying to make some sort of noise.

As it is, he's still, his head bowed, eyes closed.

Third floor

[dont_turn_around]

Up the stairs, to the top of the building, you find one large, dark room. It's lined with empty, rusty bed frames.

There are stains on the floor and graffiti on the walls.

DON'T LOOK OR IT TAKES YOU

NO EYES

SEES ALL

Re: Third floor

[cutting_edgex23]

Eventually, carefully, X makes her way up to the top of the stairs.

She is not sure if it has taken a long time.

Perhaps the strangest thing is that her own scent-trail stops cold just a few feet behind her and around a corner. It would be more problematic if the option of cutting her way out did not remain. Adamantium is good for such things.

But here and now --

She flicks a look at the graffiti, the scar on her palm burning for just a moment.

To her right, a noise, low and fast-moving.

snikt

Some places a child's high-pitched giggle really does not belong.

Re: Third floor

[hadyougoing]

Funny, that.

Or so the laughter would suggest.


It's coming from just up ahead, now-- and one of the doors inches outward with a slow crrrreak.

Re: Third floor

[cutting_edgex23]

X's gaze flicks in that direction, but what she's more interested in are the scents.

She can't quite help it.

But that same strange scent-that-isn't one is the only thing she detects. That and --

Her own?

Carefully, silently, X moves closer to the door.

Her plan is to keep out of the way of any potential sight lines.

Just in case.

Re: Third floor

[hadyougoing]

Looks like she picked the right one.

The laughter is louder this way.