Non omnis moriar Chapter 1

The dark didn’t scare Mike, not at all, not one bit. Well, maybe only a tiny bit. But as Mike carefully walked down the pitch black corridor, he reminded himself that he felt the same way about this place in the day, as well as at night. The place gave off a weird vibe, no surprise really considering that it used to be a mental asylum.

    Despite having being closed for over 50 years, and left to fall into ruin, there was something very eerie about the place. Perhaps that was just because people knew it used to be a mental asylum, but the staff that had once there said some very strange things had happened there, very strange things. None of them would say what these were though, and forget about trying to get any of them to come within a mile of this place. Back in the 1980’s some local amateur film makers had tried to make a documentary about it, but not one member of staff agreed to be interviewed and many simply slammed the doors in the faces of the film makers upon hearing the name of this place.

    I bet your wondering what it’s called now, maybe something gothic and creepy has popped into your head, a name that could strike fear in the heart of even the bravest man. But no, the sign which greeted visitors at the top of the drive simply said; ‘Welcome to Banford House’; not exactly blood curdling is it.

    Mike carried on his solitary walk down the corridor. Looking down at his side he once again tried the switch on the torch he was carrying.

    “Piece of shit”, he remarked as the torch died the moment he switched it on. He’d have to go back to the security office and get the other one. Mike was one of the three security officers employed by Realers, a very large housing company. They had recently purchased the land and were going to turn at least half of the old hospital buildings into flats, the rest would be demolished to make way for 3 and 4 bedroom houses.

    After what seemed an age of walking in complete darkness, Mike turned a corner and was confronted with shafts of moonlight which were seeping in through cracks in a boarded up window. Walking a few paces further forward he pushed open what turned out to be a door and stepped out into the cool night air, taking in a big gulp of it as he did so. He was glad to be outside again to be honest, the darkness in those corridors begins to consume you after a while, and there was also a strange smell that lurked there. Mike couldn’t be sure, but he felt that it might just be the smell of death.

    Setting off across the courtyard he made his way round the side of the building, the full moon lighting his way. Even though he was glad to be outside again, Mike still felt a slight unease pulsing throughout his body, the sinister shadows that the moonlight cast didn’t help to relax him either.

    What should perhaps be mentioned here is the fact that night patrols around the hospital were usually conducted by two of security guards. But both Stan and Cliff (Mike’s colleagues) had rang in sick that night, both of them with a high fever and hallucinations. The doctor had been called to them but all he could suggest was plenty of fluids and bed rest. He did say though, that it was very peculiar them suffering from exactly the same symptoms, but must have just been a virus going round.

    Anyway, this was the first time in Mike’s short 3 months working here that he had had to patrol alone, so he can at least be excused for feeling a little nervous.

    The problem with fear is that as soon as you let begin to creep in and let it take hold of you, then there is almost no way of stopping it. Mike was about 2 minutes from the security hut when there was suddenly a loud bang in one of the outbuildings he was walking past. The sound echoed throughout the night, and to Mike (who was already in a high state of alert) it sounded louder and more terrifyingly real to him than anything had done before.

    Standing dead still, he listened intently with his ears pricked to pick up even the slightest noise. Small beads of sweat began forming on his forehead and ran down the side of his face creating a reaction that sent a shiver down the length of his spine. His heart started pumping faster and faster as his body prepared itself for the flight and fight response that we all experience when confronted with possible danger.

    “Who’s there?” he called, his voice wavering despite his efforts to stay calm. Nothing. No answer, just a light breeze whispered in the night. His brain worked overtime,  thoughts racing through his head, some trying to reassure him, some scaring the living daylights out of him.

    ‘It’s nothing, maybe just an animal messing about in there. But what if it isn’t? What if its someone  some…..thing else? Don’t be stupid, there’s no one else here it’s just you! How do you know?? I just do, there’s nothing there, just an animal or the wind knocked something over…’

    Mike called out a couple more times, but still there was no response, and with each passing moment he began to calm down, his rational mind taking over from the childish one that had been so scared at the time. Slowly he started to turn and walk, wiping the sweat from his face with his sleeve. What happened next happened quickly.

    A high-pitched, terrifying scream filled the air followed by two loud bangs. Mike spun round, feeling as though his heart was about to rip out of his chest. He was just in time to see something through the window, what it was he didn’t know, didn’t want to know. The window suddenly smashed scattering shards of glass onto the ground and Mike ran, he ran faster than he had ever ran in his life.