Ominous

Tommy took the first step into the abandoned hospital. His shoes crunched the rubble on what was left of a tile floor. He breathed calmly, steadily. His eyes were wide in a desperate attempt to swallow any light that may be available. He did not immediately catch anything out of the ordinary, or what he expected was the ordinary for an abandoned hospital. This was his first adventure through an abandoned building, so he wasn’t exactly sure what out of the ordinary might look like.

No one wanted to be the first to walk in. After much bickering,

he decided to get it over with. His friends hesitated, heart rates elevated,

but after a moment they followed. Each feared the social backlash if they were

to chicken out. None could bear the embarrassment of leaving the others to face

the challenge alone.

The air was dry and still. As they walked, they disturbed the

dust and rubble that had laid dormant for years. Sarah held her breath, though

she did not mean to. Her shoulders were tense. As she drew in a breath of air,

something in the theoretically empty halls shifted. The group halted, slightly

crouched, not due to low ceilings, but to hide from something, what they were

unsure. Their instincts were ablaze with paranoia and anxiety. They each

wondered why they had come and if they should turn back, but none dared.

Tommy's confidence wavered as Tonya took the lead. Her wiry frame was dwarfed

by the large entry way they approached. Pausing at the doorway, they each

carefully crept into the open space that the food hall provided. Cobwebs hung

from the ceiling and covered the chairs. The wallpaper was drooping in odd

places and had lost any vibrancy its design once held. The space felt massive

and hollow. Leaving the safety of the small hallway, they huddled together subconsciously.

On the tables you could see exactly how thick the dust had accumulated.

Approximately one inch of brownish-gray fluff was caked on. A record player sat

in the corner, lonely and abandoned.

"Let’s check the kitchen!" said Conor, ever a fan of

the culinary arts.

The group jumped in unison, as though they had forgotten they

had voices. Conor walked toward the metal room. All of the cupboards were

empty, with the exception of a rather large and colorful spider, which they

left to its peace. They continued, Conor dragging behind in disappointment. He

had imagined a treasure trove of ancient snacks, waiting to be consumed.

The group turned and entered another room. It had an elaborate handle

and made a great click as the nob was turned. The door opened smoothly. The

room was oddly clean, although it showed its age. A piano occupied the corner.

Tonya sat down at it and carefully lifted the cover. Her fingers plucked the

keys to the only song she could muster. Her timing was off, but it was familiar

enough that her friends hummed along. There was a painting on the wall, of an

old man. A small plaque lies underneath it, although no one bothered to read

it. Tommy was eager to explore the rest of the ruins, so they left the piano to

its lonesomeness. Tonya didn't particularly want to leave the room. It was much

more comfortable than the rest of the building. Plus, a working and in-tune

piano was likely the most interesting thing they were going to find. But her

friends insisted, and she was not fond of putting up an argument. She

especially was not fond of the idea of being left behind. She carefully closed

the cover and followed her friends out into the hall. The group crept on, once

again dragging their feet through dust and debris.

As they neared the back of the first floor, they found a closed

off corridor. Which, despite their inner conscious telling them to turn back,

the youngsters decided to enter. The doors were heavy, and it took two of them

to properly hold it open. The door shut quickly with a thud behind Anna as she

and Conor released it behind them.

As they examined their surroundings, it felt as though the air

got thicker. Tommy found himself grasping for his inhaler, the noise of its use

echoed through the chamber. Suddenly there was a great commotion. Tonya

screamed and grabbed her friend’s hand. Conor turned white before nearly

collapsing. Tommy, who had not been paying attention to what exactly had

happened, shook Conor back to sensibility before darting after the girls.

Again, Tonya heard the sound she had been so startled by earlier. The sound in

her ear that had masked Tommy's inhaler. She screamed again, although she did

not intend to allow either to escape her lips. It was unlike her to react in

such a way. Her body was panicked, and her mind agreed. She immediately began

attempting an escape, from that thing that threatened her. Whatever it was

didn't care for her to keep breathing. She didn't see a door, but she saw a

window. Her and Anna pulled at the sill. The wood creaked but would not budge.

Again, the noise closer. She found a brick on the floor and threw it through

the old glass. The boys came through the door. They carefully and hurriedly

crawled through the broken window. As Conor's feet touched the soft, uncut

grass, there was a loud creak and bang. Slowly the old building began collapsing.

The group backed away. The walk home was quiet. They held onto each other,

grateful to not be alone. The crickets chirping was a welcome noise. The fresh

air received with reverence.

Each returned home, grateful to be in bed. Tommy left his light

on. Conor found himself eating for comfort. Anna woke her mother, who she

confided in, reluctantly. Tonya laid in her bed, wakeful. She counted sheep,

drank some tea, thought of a meadow, relaxed her muscles, pretended to be

comfortably asleep until it was upon her. Just before she drifted off, she

swore she heard the noise again, but she was much too tired to bother. When she

awoke all was seemingly well. The next day at school she caught up with her

friends. All had troubles sleeping and were happy to see her. They talked about

their adventure, and what they thought of the night. They exaggerated their

bravery and shared ghost stories, they laughed and played while they still

could. Tonya did find it odd that none of her friends recalled the piano, or

the room it was housed in at all. She chalked it up to adrenaline, or her enhanced

memory, or perhaps she had dreamt it all along. Regardless, she was not

interested in any spooky theories. She was ready to move on. That is, if he

would let her.