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  ASYLUM II

  13 more tales of terror

  MATT DRABBLE

  Copyright © 2015 Matt Drabble

  All rights reserved.

  For those who brave the darkness in search of stories, with nothing but a campfire’s light to offer protection.

  BOOKS BY MATT DRABBLE

  (See details at the end of this book)

  Gated

  Gated II: Ravenhill Academy

  Asylum – 13 Tales of Terror

  Asylum II – 13 More Tales of Terror

  Abra-Cadaver

  After Darkness Falls Volume One

  After Darkness Falls Volume Two

  The Travelling Man

  The Montague Portrait

  Double Visions

  The Last Resort

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER 1.

  Blackwater Heights

  CHAPTER 2.

  BETTER THE DEVIL YOU KNOW

  CHAPTER 3.

  Blackwater Heights

  CHAPTER 4.

  DEAD MAN’S HAND

  CHAPTER 5.

  BLACKWATER HEIGHTS

  CHAPTER 6.

  FINAL WISH

  CHAPTER 7.

  BLACKWATER HEIGHTS

  CHAPTER 8.

  HAPPY FAMILIES

  CHAPTER 9.

  BLACKWATER HEIGHTS

  CHAPTER 10.

  HELL WEEK

  CHAPTER 11.

  BLACKWATER HEIGHTS

  CHAPTER 12.

  SNAPSHOT

  CHAPTER 13.

  BLACKWATER HEIGHTS

  CHAPTER 14.

  THAT VOODOO THAT HE DID SO WELL

  CHAPTER 15.

  BLACKWATER HEIGHTS

  CHAPTER 16.

  FAST FORWARD

  CHAPTER 17.

  BLACKWATER HEIGHTS

  CHAPTER 18.

  FANCY DRESS

  CHAPTER 19.

  BLACKWATER HEIGHTS

  CHAPTER 20

  PERMANENT VACATION

  CHAPTER 21.

  BLACKWATER HEIGHTS

  CHAPTER 22.

  THE LAST BUS

  CHAPTER 23.

  BLACKWATER HEIGHTS

  CHAPTER 24.

  NATURAL SELECTION

  CHAPTER 25.

  BLACKWATER HEIGHTS

  CHAPTER 26.

  I’M LISTENING

  CHAPTER 27

  BLACKWATER HEIGHTS

  OTHER BOOKS BY MATT DRABBLE

  cHAPTER 1

  Blackwater Heights

  The drive up to the newly rebuilt Blackwater Heights was long and arduous. Dr Hilary Meeker cared little for the pleasant countryside views as she wound her way along the narrow lanes.

  She was an ambitious woman who had fought hard to gain the right sort of experience, and the path that she’d taken was far from conventional but it was certainly expedient.

  She was 39 now and she was about to take her first senior role within the walls of a serious institution.

  Blackwater Heights had been largely destroyed during a fire two years ago when an inmate had escaped, leaving behind a trail of bodies and ruin. Arnold Trotter had been a children’s magician who had found his way to the Blackwater Heights Private Hospital after losing his mind in prison. He had been found guilty of killing his wife/assistant during some poor kid’s birthday party. Some two decades of incarceration later, The Captivating Cosmo X, as he had been laughably known, had escaped from Blackwater and embarked on a murder spree that the media had just lapped up. During his escape around three quarters of the hospital had burned down, killing more staff and patients than Hilary liked to think about.

  She wound down the car’s window and flicked the cigarette out. The air outside felt cold and damp against her cheek with a salty twang. She had the car’s heater cranked up to full blast but still her body felt chilled to the bone.

  The private psychiatric hospital had been open for only a few weeks now and while they had taken in a handful of patients, they were yet to be fully staffed.

  Her boss, Dr Harlow, had done a double take when she’d told him that she was taking the position of Deputy Superintendant at Blackwater Heights. For a fellow psychiatrist, his somewhat superstitious behaviour was hard to fathom. She knew that the place had a reputation, but she hadn’t expected a senior doctor like Harlow to act like an old housewife. As far as she was concerned, the place offered everything that she needed in this industry to get on and get ahead. The pay was good and it was a live-in position due to its isolated location, which meant that she would be saving most - if not all - of her pay. She had plans to open her own private institution servicing those who had wealth and required discretion. Her hospital would be more of a spa for the famous and a safe haven for the wealthy to deposit those members of their family who brought embarrassment and shame.

  Hilary tried the car radio again but there was only irritating static this far out. She started to play a CD but the noise only seemed to annoy her. She felt listless and nervous; so much of her future relied on Blackwater Heights. She needed the money and the credentials that the place would bring to her CV. She had spent enough time in public hospitals for shitty pay and no reward. She’d slapped away all the doctors’ hands from her ass that she was prepared to endure and now she was finally going to get what she deserved.

  As she rounded the last bend she was finally faced with the building. Despite being largely destroyed in the fire, the rebuilders had done a magnificent job. She had looked through multiple text books and been impressed by the Gothic majesty of the old place. She had feared that the soul would be ripped out by the rebuilding, but the restoration looked meticulous. Tower turrets spiked the falling night sky and the stone face of the building stood imposing and impassive to the sea air.

  Finally, she reached the huge iron gates that stretched across the road and split the massive railings that encircled Blackwater Heights. Since Trotter’s escape some time ago, she imagined that the security measures had been beefed up somewhat.

  Two guards emerged from a hut by the gate and walked to the car. The men looked large and impressive, their smart uniforms bulging at the powerful figures beneath; Hilary wasn’t above appreciating the sight.

  “Help you, Ma’am?” the first man said as he stood a casual - but no doubt careful - distance from her window.

  “Dr Hilary Meeker,” she announced as she reached for her identification in her purse.

  “Whoa, easy!” the second guard shouted suddenly, as his hand reached for the taser on his belt.

  “Take it easy there, Dirty Harry,” she smirked. “Just going to show you my ID.”

  “Slowly,” the first guard ordered as his piercing blue eyes watched her.

  “You boys always so jumpy?” she asked as she handed over the laminated card.

  “New measures, Ma’am,” Blue Eyes responded. “Ever since the reopening we don’t take any chances - not a one.”

  “A fine decision.” She grinned and got just a ghost of a smile back from Blue Eyes, which wasn’t much but it was a start. She had a feeling that the nights up here would get very cold and very lonely extremely quickly.

  The huge iron gates cranked into life as soon as the guards were satisfied with her credentials and she drove through. She gave a little wink to Blue Eyes and was pleased with the flush of colour to his cheeks.

  The road narrowed once she was in and for a split second her heart jumped as the gates slammed together behind. The sound of being locked in was a little disconcerting. She scolded herself for acting like Dr Harlow and drove onwards.

  She reached the staff parking area and pulled over. The drive had been long and her back was aching with s
itting in one position for an extended amount of time.

  She climbed out and then immediately reached back into the car for her jacket. The air was sharp and biting and she wrapped her hands around herself for warmth. The car’s back seat was laden with bags and cases but she left them there for the time being; the effort of unloading seemed too much.

  “Dr Meeker,” a voice greeted her, and she turned to face a small man wearing a white coat.

  He was short and stout with a jowly face. He had long bushy sideburns and only a ring of hair around his head with the top left bald.

  “Yes,” she replied. “Dr…?”

  “Halsey,” he responded, and extended a thick-fingered hand with black hairy knuckles.

  She racked her brain but couldn’t remember a Dr Halsey on the staff she’d seen to date and so figured that, like her, he must have been a recent addition.

  “Welcome to Blackwater Heights,” he said, holding onto her hand a little longer than she was comfortable with. “I can already sense that you’re going to love it here, Dr Meeker; in fact I can’t ever see you leaving.”

  The words sounded strangely ominous and she withdrew her hand quickly. “How long have you been here?”

  “Oh, some days it feels like forever,” he grinned widely, and another shudder ran down her spine.

  “Is there someone who can take my bags in?”

  “Oh, allow me,” he responded quickly.

  Before she could object, his hands were in the car and retrieving her belongings. Even though he was a small man he seemed to effortlessly snatch up all of her luggage in his powerful-looking thick hands, and soon his legs were pumping as he headed towards the building.

  Hilary hurried to catch up as the man moved surprisingly fast despite his stubby legs. “I imagine that a place such as this has quite the history,” she said conversationally. In reality she wasn’t much for idle chatter, but the little guy was seriously starting to creep her out.

  “Oh yes, Dr Meeker - or may I call you Hilary?”

  “Sure, why not?” she said distractedly as they entered the building.

  The ceilings were high and the hallways elegant. This was far removed from the sort of NHS hospitals that she had worked in previously. There, the wallpaper was peeling and the roof always seemed to leak. Here, there was no stench of damp or decay and no overpowering chemical aroma. The floor was tiled with black and white squares that hurt her head if she stared at them too long. At the end of the corridor was a reception desk and her new companion led the way.

  “This old girl has quite the tale to tell, I can assure you,” Halsey said grandly. “I take it that you’re familiar with our little restoration project after the unfortunate incident?”

  “You mean when Arnold Trotter escaped and killed a whole bunch of people including staff and fruit loops?” she said glibly.

  “Yes … quite,” Halsey bristled.

  “Sorry,” she replied as she felt his distaste for the loose term. “It’s been a long day and I’m just tired.”

  In reality she used the term often - and far worse - when the mood took her. Her chosen profession had little love for the doctors and most of her good intentions had been lost a long time ago. Now she wanted something back from her years of service; she wanted to get paid.

  “Blackwater Heights wasn’t originally a hospital,” Halsey continued. “It was once a residential house built in 1869 by Horace Whisker. He was an industrialist who once owned large tracts of land on the bleak North East coast of England. The tale of Horace Whisker is a fascinating one, my dear - full of dark delights,” Halsey giggled in a high-pitched squeal that made Hilary’s skin crawl.

  They had reached the far end of the corridor now and the reception desk was empty. For the first time she found herself wishing for a sour-faced matron to appear.

  “Perhaps I could come to your room later and regale you?” Halsey whispered.

  “Well I’m sure that an early night is in order for me after such a long drive,” she stalled, looking around for another member of staff.

  “I promise that you won’t be disappointed,” Halsey leered as he dropped a handful of bags and placed his thick fingers on her arm in a powerful grip.

  “HALSEY!” A booming voice startled her from behind.

  She turned to see a tall man striding towards them. The man wore a long doctor’s coat on top of an elegant three-piece suit. It was blue pinstriped, and a gold watch chain glittered from his pocket.

  She watched as the newcomer strode past her and towards Halsey who had let her arm go and now cowered.

  “I was just being friendly,” Halsey whined submissively.

  “You know all too well about personal boundaries, don’t you?”

  “Yes, Dr Perrin,” Halsey said sheepishly.

  “Dr Meeker, my apologies,” Perrin said turning to her.

  She recognised the name of the hospital’s superintendant from her application process. She had never spoken to the man before, but from his elegant letters he was exactly as she had imagined him: debonair and refined.

  “I don’t know what sort of doctors you are employing here, Dr Perrin, but I have to say that I’m not impressed,” she said haughtily as she rubbed her wrist where Halsey had grabbed her. “I’ve half a mind to report Dr Halsey for harassment.”

  “Dr Halsey?” Perrin smiled, shaking his head.

  “I never said I was doctor,” Halsey said quietly.

  Hilary stared at them hard, thinking that she might be the butt of their joke.

  “I do apologise, Dr Meeker,” Perrin said kindly. “Halsey here is not a doctor, he’s more of a…, trustee.”

  “You mean he’s a patient?” she responded, too quickly and with too much shock in her voice as she took a step away from the short man.

  “Here at Blackwater we believe in rehabilitation. We believe in rewarding a patient’s behaviour and progress, in preparing them to one day live outside our walls and take their place once again in society,” Perrin answered. “I can see from the look on your face that you will need a little time to get used to our ways here.”

  She could only nod in reply.

  “Halsey, why don’t you take Dr Meeker’s things to her room. And Halsey? Remember what you’ve been told about personal boundaries.”

  She watched him collect her things again and waddle off towards the lift doors. Once he was safely inside and the doors closed, Perrin turned to her again.

  “My sincere apologies for being late, Dr Meeker. I’m afraid that I was unavoidably detained with a particularly difficult patient. I sent Halsey to meet you but I’m afraid that he must have gotten a little carried away with meeting such a charming young lady.”

  “Not a problem,” she replied while thinking that it was actually all kinds of problems, but this was her new boss and her ticket to a brighter future. “Are there any other trustees I should know about, Dr Perrin?”

  “For the moment Halsey is my pet project and please, when we’re alone, it’s Elgon and you shall be Hilary, but in front of patients it is to be the more formal moniker. They need a rigorous structure and hierarchy; you’ll find I’m not quite the loopy quack you might think,” he chuckled.

  “I’m sure that I’m going to learn a lot from you, Dr Perrin … Elgon.” She smiled, already thinking just how easy it was going to be to wrap this man around her little finger. She was already getting a strong fatherly vibe from the old man. He had a protective air that stank of a domineering patriarch, but one looking for respect and love.

  “Well I certainly hope so.” He blushed slightly. “Let’s say we get you settled in and ready for action.”

  ----------

  It was two hours later when Hilary emerged from her room. She hadn’t expected to be able to take a nap despite her tiredness, but as soon as her head had touched the pillow she had been out like a light. Her dreams had been full of childish notions and fears. More than once she had been sure that someone had been watching over her as she sle
pt and yet she struggled to wake. She saw herself running through the corridors of Blackwater, pursued by some dark entity forever chasing her through shadows of dread.

  Eventually, her stomach had finally roused her and she realised that it had been sometime since she had last eaten.

  Her room was functional and comfortable without being ostentatious. The refurbishment of the hospital had obviously been careful to retain much of the place’s original features and Gothic charm. She could easily picture the first owner of Blackwater, Horace Whisker, walking these halls, surveying his kingdom.

  She followed her usual reliable sense of direction and wound her way down through the levels. There were multiple rooms but almost all were unlocked and open. She peered in through several to see a variety of personal belongings and effects. There were far too many to be staff and so she could only assume that some had to belong to patients.

  Dr Perrin had struck her as an unusual doctor and his methods intrigued her. He seemed like a bit of an eccentric but maybe that was why he was stuck this far out. She had no intention of paying her dues over a long number of years; she wanted instant promotions and a hefty hand up the ladder. If Elgon Perrin wanted to play by his own rules then she would happily go along to get along.

  She headed down the long winding staircase towards the sound of people talking and crockery clanking. The smell of food was wafting upwards and drawing her down.

  She entered a huge dining room that had been converted into a canteen for what looked like everyone. There were maybe 20 people in the room and all seemed to be mingling with each other. Judging by the faces of the diners, there were far more patients here than staff and the thought scared her badly. Anyone locked away surely couldn’t be trusted to wander freely, at least not in her experience.