"The Abandoned Asylum"

It was a dark and stormy night. The kind of night where you just want to curl up with a blanket and a good book, safe and sound inside your cozy home. But I had a deadline to meet, and my boss had been clear that this project was non-negotiable. So there I was, driving through the winding roads that led to the old, abandoned asylum on the outskirts of town.

I had heard rumors about the place, of course. Everyone in town had. It was said to be haunted by the ghosts of the patients who had suffered and died within its walls. But I didn't believe in ghosts. I was a rational, scientific person, and I knew that there was always a logical explanation for things.

As I pulled up to the asylum, I couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding wash over me. The building was massive, with crumbling brick walls and broken windows. It seemed to loom over me, as if it were alive and watching my every move.

I took a deep breath and tried to shake off my nerves. I was a professional, after all. I had a job to do. So I grabbed my flashlight and my camera, and made my way inside.

The first thing that struck me was the smell. It was musty and damp, with a hint of decay. I tried not to think about what might be causing it as I made my way down the corridor, the beam of my flashlight bouncing off the peeling wallpaper and cracked tiles.

As I explored the asylum, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. Every now and then, I would catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye, only to turn and find nothing there. It was starting to get to me, and I was beginning to regret coming here alone.

But it was too late to turn back now. I had a job to do, and I was determined to see it through. So I pressed on, taking pictures and making notes as I went.

It was when I reached the basement that things really started to get creepy. The air was even colder down there, and I could feel a draft coming from somewhere. I shone my flashlight around the room, and that's when I saw it.

In the corner of the room, there was a figure. At first, I thought it was just a mannequin or a piece of discarded medical equipment. But as I approached, I realized that it was a person. Or at least, it had been.

The figure was covered in cobwebs and dust, and it took me a moment to realize that it was a patient from the asylum, still strapped to the gurney it had been placed on all those years ago. The realization sent a shiver down my spine, and I couldn't help but wonder how many more bodies were hidden away in this place.

I was about to leave the basement when I heard a noise behind me. I spun around, but there was nothing there. Just the empty room and the forgotten patient. I tried to tell myself that it was just my imagination, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was not alone.

I turned to leave the room, and that's when I saw it. A shadow, moving in the corner of my eye. I turned to face it, but it was gone. And then I heard it. A voice, whispering my name.

I don't remember much of what happened next. I must have run, because the next thing I knew, I was outside, panting and shaking. I don't know how I made it out of there alive, but I did.

I sat in my car for what felt like hours, trying to process what had just happened. My hands were shaking as I dialed my boss's number, and I could barely get the words out when he answered.

"I-I can't do it," I stuttered. "I can't finish the job. The place is haunted, I swear it."

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, I thought he was going to shout at me. But instead, he just sighed.

"I had a feeling this might happen," he said. "Listen, I'll find someone else to finish the job. Just come back to the office and we'll forget this ever happened."

I didn't need to be told twice. I threw my equipment into the back seat and peeled out of the parking lot, not stopping until I was back at the office.

I never went back to that asylum, and I never spoke about what had happened there. But to this day, I can still hear that voice, whispering my name in the darkness. And I can't shake the feeling that I was never really alone in that place.