Autopsy of the Damned

Dr. Emily Carter had always been known for her unwavering composure in the face of death. As the chief pathologist at St. Andrews Hospital, she had conducted hundreds of autopsies, each one a unique journey into the mysteries of the human body. But nothing could have prepared her for the chilling case that awaited her one stormy night in the bowels of the hospital's morgue.

It was a particularly dark and stormy evening, with rain cascading down in sheets against the windows of the hospital. Dr. Carter had just finished her last case for the day and was looking forward to heading home when her pager buzzed. She frowned at the unexpected interruption, wondering who could possibly need her services at this hour.

The message was terse and to the point: "Urgent autopsy required in Morgue B. No details provided. Immediate assistance requested."

Dr. Carter sighed and quickly made her way to the basement where Morgue B was located. The morgue was an eerie place, even on the best of days, with its cold, sterile metal tables and rows of body drawers. The flickering fluorescent lights overhead cast long, ominous shadows that seemed to dance in the corners of the room.

As she entered Morgue B, she noticed the room was unusually cold, and a sense of unease settled over her. Two other members of the hospital staff, Nurse Karen and Mortician Jerry, were already there, waiting for her.

"What's going on?" Dr. Carter asked, her breath forming a visible mist in the frigid air.

Nurse Karen looked pale and visibly shaken. "We found this one," she said, pointing to a stainless steel table in the center of the room. "It's… different."

Dr. Carter approached the table and pulled back the white sheet that covered the body. The sight that met her eyes sent a shiver down her spine. It was the body of a young woman, no older than twenty-five, with raven-black hair and porcelain skin. Her eyes were wide open, frozen in a look of terror, and her mouth hung agape as though she had died screaming. But the most disturbing part was the complete absence of any visible cause of death.

"I've never seen anything like this," Dr. Carter muttered, her gloved hands trembling slightly. She knew that in her profession, there were always strange cases, but this was different. This was unnerving.

Mortician Jerry, a burly man with a gruff exterior, scratched his head in bewilderment. "There's no sign of trauma, no obvious cause of death. It's like she just... stopped living."

Dr. Carter nodded, her mind racing. She needed answers, and she needed them fast. "Let's get started," she said, motioning for them to prepare the body for the autopsy.

As they began the examination, the room seemed to grow even colder, and a strange, oppressive atmosphere settled over them. Dr. Carter's scalpel sliced through the girl's cold skin, and her hands moved with precision, revealing the intricate network of muscles and organs beneath. But with each incision, the mystery deepened.

"There's no internal bleeding, no signs of disease, nothing that could explain her death," Dr. Carter muttered to herself, frustration and fear mounting. She glanced at the girl's face, still frozen in that horrifying expression. "What happened to you?"

Nurse Karen, who had been assisting, suddenly gasped and took a step back. "Dr. Carter, look at this!"

Dr. Carter turned to see what had startled Karen. On the girl's chest, just above her heart, there was a peculiar mark. It was a series of intricate symbols etched into the skin, as though someone had used a fine blade to carve them.

"What in the world?" Dr. Carter muttered, her heart racing. She examined the symbols closely, trying to decipher their meaning. They looked ancient, almost ritualistic.

Mortician Jerry, who had been watching from the side, spoke up. "I've heard stories, you know. Stories of strange deaths and rituals in this hospital. But I never thought..."

Dr. Carter interrupted him. "We can't jump to conclusions. We need to finish the autopsy and gather all the evidence we can."

As they continued the examination, a strange feeling of being watched settled over them. The shadows in the room seemed to grow darker, more menacing. Dr. Carter's hands trembled as she made the final incision, exposing the girl's heart. To her horror, the heart was completely black, as though it had been consumed by darkness.

"We need to call the authorities," Dr. Carter said, her voice shaking. "This is beyond anything I've ever seen."

Just as she reached for her phone, the lights in the morgue flickered and went out, plunging the room into total darkness. The three of them stood frozen in fear, their hearts pounding in their chests.

In the pitch-black room, they heard a low, guttural whisper, like the murmur of a thousand voices. It seemed to come from all directions, surrounding them.

"Leave this place," the whisper urged, sending shivers down their spines. "Leave, or you will join her."

Dr. Carter fumbled for her phone, desperately trying to turn on its flashlight. When the beam of light pierced the darkness, they saw something that would haunt their nightmares for years to come.

The girl's body was no longer on the table. It was standing, a mere few feet away, still frozen in that horrifying expression. But now, her eyes were glowing with an eerie, otherworldly light, and her outstretched hand was pointed directly at them.

The room seemed to warp and twist, as though reality itself was being torn apart. The walls of the morgue seemed to close in, and the temperature dropped to a bone-chilling cold.

"We need to go!" Mortician Jerry yelled, his voice filled with terror. They turned and bolted for the door, but it had vanished. The room had become a nightmarish labyrinth, with no way out.

The glowing-eyed girl advanced slowly, her footsteps echoing ominously in the dark. The symbols on her chest seemed to pulse with an unholy energy.

Dr. Carter's mind raced as she tried to make sense of the impossible. There had to be a way out, a way to escape this nightmare. She remembered the stories Mortician Jerry had mentioned, the tales of dark rituals hidden within the hospital's history.

Desperation gave her courage. She shouted, "If there's anyone or anything here, show yourself! We mean no harm!"

The whispering grew louder, and the shadows deepened. But then, something else emerged from the darkness—a figure, tall and cloaked in shadow, with eyes that burned like coals.

"Who are you?" Dr. Carter demanded, her voice quivering.

The figure spoke, its voice a chilling, melodic tone that sent shivers down their spines. "We are the keepers of the forgotten, the guardians of the darkness. This girl was sacrificed to us, and now she serves as our vessel."

Dr. Carter's mind raced. Sacrificed? The symbols on the girl's chest, the darkness that had consumed her heart—it all pointed to some sinister ritual.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, her fear giving way to anger. "What do you want?"

The figure stepped closer, its form shifting and twisting. "We hunger for souls, for the essence of life itself. We have waited in the shadows, forgotten by the world. But now, we shall feed."

As the figure reached out toward them, a blinding light suddenly filled the room. The darkness retreated, and the labyrinth of the morgue dissolved. Dr. Carter, Nurse Karen, and Mortician Jerry found themselves standing in the hospital corridor, drenched in sweat and shaking.

The glowing-eyed girl was gone, and the symbols on her chest had faded. The oppressive atmosphere had lifted, and the lights were back on. It was as though the nightmarish ordeal had never happened.

The three of them exchanged horrified glances, realizing they had narrowly escaped a fate worse than death. They knew they had to report what had occurred, to uncover the dark secrets that lay hidden within the hospital's history.

As they made their way out of the morgue, they couldn't help but feel that something ancient and malevolent still lurked in the shadows, waiting for its next victim.

Little did they know that the chilling tale of the silent autopsy was far from over, and the darkness that had been awakened that night would continue to haunt their lives, lurking just out of sight, ready to claim its next victim.