The Forgotten Ward
Chapter 1: The Arrival
Rain poured heavily as Daniel pulled his car into the desolate parking lot of Blackwood Asylum, a hospital abandoned for over two decades. The headlights flickered against the cracked concrete, illuminating the rusted sign that barely clung to its frame. His heart pounded in his chest as he checked his phone one last time - no signal.
He took a deep breath and grabbed his camera. As an urban explorer, he had investigated many abandoned places, but something about Blackwood felt different. There were stories - whispers of a hidden ward, one that housed patients who were never meant to leave. People spoke of shadows moving in the hallways, of screams that echoed long after the asylum shut down.
Daniel stepped out of the car and slung his backpack over his shoulder. He walked toward the entrance, pushing against the heavy, rusted doors. They groaned open, revealing a pitch-black hallway that smelled of mold and decay. His flashlight flickered as he stepped inside, the beam barely piercing the darkness.
Chapter 2: The Hospital's Secrets
The air inside was thick, suffocating. The walls were covered in graffiti, but beneath the spray paint, Daniel could see faded patient records still pinned to bulletin boards. He snapped a few pictures, documenting the eerie stillness.
As he moved deeper, he noticed something odd. Unlike most abandoned buildings, Blackwood wasn't entirely ransacked. Chairs sat in neat rows, as if waiting for patients who would never arrive. Desks remained undisturbed, their drawers locked. It was as if time had frozen the day the hospital shut down.
Then he heard it - a whisper.
Daniel spun around, his flashlight scanning the empty hallway. Nothing. Just the sound of dripping water and the wind howling through broken windows. He shook his head and pressed forward, determined to find the rumored Forgotten Ward.
A rusted elevator stood at the end of the hallway. The doors were pried open, revealing an empty shaft. A set of stairs led downward, disappearing into darkness.
Daniel hesitated. Every instinct told him to turn back, but his curiosity pushed him forward. He descended the stairs, each step creaking beneath his weight.
At the bottom, a long corridor stretched ahead. The walls here were different - cleaner, untouched by time. The number B13 was carved into a rusted metal plaque above a heavy door. Unlike the rest of the asylum, this door looked well-maintained, as if someone had been taking care of it.
Daniel reached out, gripping the handle. It was ice-cold. With a deep breath, he pushed the door open.
Chapter 3: The Forgotten Ward
The room beyond was dimly lit by a flickering ceiling light. Rusted beds lined the walls, each equipped with thick leather restraints. The air smelled of something foul, something rotten.
Daniel's camera clicked as he documented the strange, preserved state of the ward. He moved toward a desk at the far end of the room, flipping through yellowed patient files. Many of the names were crossed out, replaced with numbers.
A chill crawled up his spine as he read one particular note:
Patient #42: Extreme paranoia. Believes the hospital staff are performing experiments on patients. Last seen before the incident.
Incident?
Daniel frowned. He flipped to another page but froze when he heard footsteps. Slow, deliberate, coming from the hallway behind him.
He turned off his flashlight, pressing himself against the desk. The footsteps grew louder, stopping just outside the ward. He held his breath, heart hammering.
Then, the door creaked open.
A figure stepped inside. It was barely human - its limbs too long, its head tilted at an unnatural angle. The dim light flickered, revealing hollow eyes and a mouth sewn shut.
Daniel bit his lip to keep from screaming. The thing sniffed the air, its fingers twitching.
Then, it moved.
Chapter 4: The Escape
Daniel didn't think - he ran.
The creature shrieked, the sound high-pitched and unnatural. Daniel sprinted down the hallway, his flashlight bouncing wildly. Behind him, he heard the rapid patter of bare feet slapping against the floor.
He reached the stairwell and scrambled upward, taking the steps two at a time. He could hear it getting closer, feel its breath on his neck.
Just as he reached the ground floor, his foot caught on a broken tile, sending him sprawling. His camera skidded across the floor, landing near the entrance.
Pain shot through his ankle, but he didn't have time to check if it was broken. He dragged himself toward the doors, lungs burning.
The creature was right behind him.
With a final, desperate lunge, he grabbed his camera and hurled himself outside.
The moment he crossed the threshold, everything went silent.
Daniel turned back. The doors were shut, as if they had never been opened. The hospital stood in eerie stillness, its windows dark and lifeless.
He gasped for breath, shaking. Had he imagined it?
His camera was still clutched in his hands. With trembling fingers, he turned it on and scrolled through the photos.
Most of them were normal - empty hallways, rusted beds, old files.
But the last picture made his blood run cold.
It was of the Forgotten Ward.
And standing in the center, staring directly at the camera… was the creature.
Epilogue
Daniel never spoke of what happened that night. The camera's memory card mysteriously corrupted the next morning, erasing all evidence of the Forgotten Ward.
But he knew what he saw.
And sometimes, late at night, he could still hear the whispering.