Edge of Insanity

Part II

On the Saturday morning of the shoot, Trixie and Oliver arrived at the abandoned insane asylum before 7 a.m. The sun was beginning to peek through the trees and the dew sparkled on the recently mowed grass. An air of serenity and peacefulness surrounded the buildings and grounds, belying the spooky atmosphere Trixie had experienced earlier.   As they drove up the winding drive, Trixie sat quietly.  

“Can you imagine this place in its heyday?” asked Oliver. “After all, it was an insane asylum.”

“What do you mean?”

Oliver waved his hand across the front of him.  “All these buildings full of inmates, the level of activity, constant traumas.  And look at that graffiti up there.  I don’t even want to know how somebody managed to paint the third floor of that building.”

“Trust me,” replied Trixie as she gnawed at her bottom lip. ”It's even worse on the inside.”

“How do you know?”

Trixie shrugged.  “I just do.”

Oliver parked the car outside the back entrance to the main building, per the instructions he had received.  Trixie paused long enough to check her appearance in the visor mirror then climbed

out, bringing a small tote bag, emblazoned with the station’s logo, with her.  As they approached the door, a middle-aged woman opened it and smiled warmly at them.

“Hello.  I’m Lydia, the curator of this lovely establishment.”

Returning the smile, Trixie did a quick assessment of the woman. Lydia was solidly built with short, graying hair.  A dark blue blazer gave her an air of authority. A crisp white blouse and gray pants completed her outfit.  Trixie noticed she wore sturdy black shoes on her feet.

Trixie and Oliver introduced themselves, then they talked about the first segment.

“We want to start with an outside shot so the viewers can get a feel for the entire compound,” said Oliver.

Lydia nodded.  “That’s a good idea.  We want people to see just how beautiful these grounds are. I assume you already have an idea of where you want your camera positioned?”

With an affirmative response, Oliver offered a brief outline of where the different shots would take place.  As he and Lydia made a final decision of the locations,  Trixie wandered into the main building.  

“I guess with other people around, this place really isn’t that scary. Maybe I just imagined everything I saw.”  She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her videos, opening the one that showed the orbs’ activity.  “No.  I definitely didn’t imagine what I saw in the tunnel.”

Trixie  couldn’t resist opening up on her camera and panning the room.  Feeling slightly disappointed at seeing nothing unusual in the lens, she turned it off and slid her phone into her bag, then set the bag on a stack of boards that was against one of the walls.

“I still wish they would have let me do a segment from the tunnels,” she lamented.  “I think that would have been a really interesting angle.”

Trixie heaved an unhappy sigh as she recalled the final preparation meeting at the station where she had proposed doing a shoot from the tunnels. But Mr. Haas and Oliver were concerned that there would be trouble with transmission due to the heavy brick layers and depth. Despite offering a compromise where she could stand on the stairs leading to the basement and talk about the tunnels, Oliver and Mr. Haas held firm on their original opinion.

Now, standing in the big room inside the main building, Trixie glanced through the window and, seeing that Lydia and Oliver were still talking, decided she just had to have another look at the troubling passageways. She bolted to the basement door.   But as she put one foot on the top step, she heard Lydia and Oliver coming into the building. With a frustrated groan, Trixie quietly closed the heavy door and returned to the main room.  Trying to act nonchalant, she  walked to her bag and pulled out her notes, pretending to be reviewing the questions she intended to ask while her mind was still focused on finding a way to get back down into the tunnels.  When Oliver pointed out the time, Trixie shoved her notes into her bag,  gave her lips a quick swipe of gloss and straightened her sweater. Oliver gave her the microphone and Trixie got ready for the first segment to start.

She and Lydia worked through the morning broadcast, sharing the history of the asylum as well as the practices and beliefs of the doctor who had managed it for many years. They also focused on the new life that was emerging on the grounds as businesses and entrepreneurs rented space.  Ending the segment that featured the external forces that had shaped the institution,  Lydia recounted that the end of the asylum occurred when government funding dried up and many of the residents had to leave.  With dwindling patients, the asylum began to struggle financially and finally closed its doors when the last residents were moved to a more comprehensive facility.  

“It’s a beautiful place,” said Trixie.  “We can be glad that a developer has opted to save it rather than tear it down.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” smiled Lydia.

“And we will definitely come back here soon to check on the progress,” added Trixie as she signed off.  

With the shoot over, Trixie took the opportunity to question Lydia.

“I noticed in one area there appears to be a cemetery, but there are no headstones,” she said.

“Yes,” sighed Lydia,  “That is indeed a cemetery for those who resided here.”

“And the marble blocks with numbers on them?” asked Trixie.

“Some patients had no contact with their family, at the family’s request.  So when they died, they were simply identified by a number instead of a name.”

Trixie’s eyes widened in sorrow.  “That’s horrible.”

Lydia nodded. “Yes, it is.  They were all human beings.  We do have a list that identifies the names of the inmates who are buried there. It’s quite a task to match the names to the numbers but we are slowly creating a database with that information.  We hope to make that public in the future.”

“You know,” said Trixie.  “When we come back here, we can show the viewers the progress being made plus highlight the new shops and restaurants that will be opening. “ She paused. “And then, of course, there are the rumors of this place being haunted. Maybe we could do a story on that.”

Lydia laughed. “I don’t know what kind of story you would have because I don’t really believe this place is haunted.”

“Really?”

“No, not one bit.”

“But when I was studying this place on the internet, many people swore they had encountered ghosts or spirits.”

Lydia shook her head.  “You know what they say about believing everything you read on the internet.”

Trixie nodded.  “I  suppose. But even when we were doing the interview in that main room, I thought it was kind of creepy.  You know, like if I turned around, I’d see an inmate with a maniacal grin standing behind me.”

“Many people have said the exact same thing.”  Lydia flicked a speck of dust off her blazer.  “And of course, there have been stories of seeing wisps of people or hearing laughter. But I have never encountered anything out of the ordinary and I’ve been on these premises for quite a while.”

“And you’ve never encountered anything weird or spooky?” asked Trixie. “Not even once?”

“No. Never.  I guess those tales are the product of an overactive imagination.”

The three walked outside.  Lydia chatted as Oliver packed up the car with his equipment.  Suddenly, Trixie remembered she had left her bag inside.

“I’ll be right back,” she said as she jogged back into the building.

Snatching up her bag,  she headed back for the door then stopped.  Seeing that Oliver and Lydia were deep in conversation, Trixie went to the basement door, eased it open then rapidly descended the first set of stairs, then the short flight to the tunnel level.  At the bottom, Trixie stopped and looked around.  There was still the eerie dripping of water,  the lone lightbulb and the shadowy darkness.  Pulling out her phone, she aimed it toward the tunnel and looked through the camera lens. She was disappointed to see nothing but bricks and shadows.

“I know those orbs were there,” she said aloud.  “I just know there’s more to these tunnels than what Lydia thinks.”

Trixie slipped the phone back into her bag, then went to the stairs. As she put her foot on the bottom riser, she suddenly felt a rush of cold air then the hair on her neck stood up while goosebumps traveled along her arms.  Suddenly, the sound of children laughing filled the  room behind her.   Taking a deep fortifying breath, Trixie spun around.  The laughter stopped abruptly.  Trixie paused for a split second, then sprinted up both flights of stairs.  Panting heavily at the top, she fumbled for the door.. But as she was closing it, she again heard the laughter, this time more faintly.  With her legs trembling,  Trixie leaned against the heavy door and willed herself to calm down, taking several deep breaths and working  to project an air of calmness. With a final, pacifying exhalation, she left the main room and stepped out into the mind-morning sun’s warmth to join Oliver and Lydia.

The three chatted a few minutes more then Oliver and Trixie got into the car for the ride back to the station. Neither said much until they had exited the state hospital grounds.

“So, that was a pretty cool place, huh?” remarked Oliver.

“Yeah, it is,” replied Trixie.  “And there’s so much going on there.  I really hope we do come back for another segment.”

“Me too.”  Oliver shifted slightly as he drove.  “Uh, Trixie?”

“Yeah?”

“Did you pick up on a large creep factor back there?”

Trixie laughed. “Gleeps! Did I ever!”

 

********

 

That evening, Trixie and Tad joined Mart and Diana for dinner at their favorite pizza place.

“Spill it, Trixie,” demanded Mart after the group had placed their order. “I’m dying to hear about the asylum.  Did you get any answers to your questions? What about the cottages? And the so-called cemetery?”

Beside him, Diana giggled. “Now look who’s dying to find something out.  You two really are like twins.”

Mart frowned but then offered a forgiving smile to Diana before returning his attention to Trixie. “I’m waiting.”

Trixie took a sip of her beer.  “Well, the shoot went exactly as we planned and our guide, Lydia, was a very pleasant woman.”

Mart rolled his eyes. “I could tell that from the television.”

“And you heard about the animals and gardens that the asylum residents tended , which gave them a sense of purpose and also helped support the facility.  And, Tad was right about the big windows.  The doctor who ran the place firmly believed that the residents should have a lot of exposure to nature. He thought that was a strong attribute for their healing.”

“What about the tunnels?” questioned Mart impatiently.

“Those were used to move patients around, but mainly during bad weather.  They also used them to transport supplies.  The tunnels actually shortened the distance between all the buildings.”

Mart rubbed at his chin.  “Hmm. Did you tell her about seeing those orbs in the tunnels?”

Trixie shook her head. “No.  When I asked her about the rumors of the asylum being haunted, she just laughed. But I did show my video to Imogene.”

“What’d she say?” Mart leaned forward.

“She said, and I quote, ‘Oh my! I guess you found a bunch of orbs’.  When I asked her what orbs are she said they are vehicles for angelic energy or spirits of people or animals who have crossed over.” She shrugged.  “Or something close to that.”

Mart stared at his sister.  “But back to the guide, you should have shown her your video. That might have changed her mind.”

Trixie sighed defeatedly. “Mart, you saw her on tv.  She was a very nice woman, although basically a no-nonsense one,  who thought that people who saw or heard ghosts simply had overactive imaginations.”

Mart shook his head.  “I, my puerile sibling, in anticipation of you not ascertaining any reliable information, also did some research regarding the aforementioned orbs and I read that they were, in reality, miscellaneous paraphernalia of debris that were simply reflecting the light.” He shrugged. “I guess that’s one plausible explanation and one your Lydia would probably adhere to.”

Trixie stared at her brother, her mouth agape.  “Well, since I can understand Imogene’s explanation, I’m going with that one.”

Trixie took another sip of her beer.  Tad reached out and clasped her hand.

“Are you going to tell him the rest?” he asked.

Trixie set down her glass.  “Right.” She repositioned herself in her chair.   “So, before we left, I took an opportunity to go back down to the lowest level.  I turned on my camera and aimed it down the tunnels, but there was nothing.”

“That’s all?” asked Mart.

“But, as I was leaving, I felt a rush of cold air then I heard children laughing.  The laughter came from right behind me, in that big room.”

“There were kids there with you?” asked a puzzled Mart.

Trixie shook her head.  “No. I was alone and Lydia and Oliver were outside.  But when I turned around, the laughter stopped.”

“It stopped? “ His elbows on the table, Mart leaned in. “Then what happened?”

“I  am-scrayed.  But as I was closing the door to the tunnel staircase, I heard the laughter again.”

Diana’s eyes widened.  “Did you tell that Lydia lady about the laughter you’d heard?”

Trixie flopped back in her chair.  “No, I told you. She’d already made it perfectly clear that she’d heard those stories but didn’t believe them.”

“You should have grasped her upper appendage and hauled her disbelieving body down those rickety stairs and provided evidence of the laughter,” exclaimed Mart.

Trixie stared at her brother.  “I think I should haul yourself back down those stairs. No, never mind.  We already know what you do when you’re scared.”

“I told you, I wasn’t scared. Or creeped out, for that matter,” protested Mart. “I was just ready to go.

“Keep telling yourself that,” smirked Trixie.

“I wasn’t.” Mart sat silent for a minute.  “So, are you two planning on going back there to explore some more?”

Trixie and Tad looked at each other, then nodded.

“Will you take me with you?” asked Mart.

Tad smiled. “We  might be able to work something out.  Right, Trixie?”

“Yep!”

Trixie inhaled appreciatively as the server set a large, steaming pizza in the middle of the table.

“Yum,” she sighed as she licked her lips in anticipation of the delectable pie.  

She slid a piece on her plate and took a bite.  As she was savoring the delicious pie, she heard Mart whisper in her ear,

“I wanna go too.  And, if you let me go, I promise to run slower if we meet a ghost.”

With a satisfied smile, Trixie took another bite. “Deal!”

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Author notes:  A huge thank you for the Jix community who has encouraged me for the last 7 years! I’ve never met a group of people so willing to jump in and help, no matter what the trouble is.

I also want to thank my sister, Judith, for her editing skills.  Nothing like having an English professor check your grammar!!!

And, a big thank you to Dianafan (Mary) for her assistance with anything “website related.

This story is based on my visits to the Traverse City State Hospital in Traverse City, MI  and the Athens Lunatic Asylum, in Athens, Ohio. Both were in operation at the same time and both have had new life breathed into them in the same way the complex in this story has. Although I never toured the interior of the Athens Lunatic Asylum, it did have the odd cemetery.  I have toured the Traverse City State Hospital and found it fascinating.  I hope to do a night or a haunted tour someday.

McGuffey Reader-these were some of the first textbooks in the country that provided an increasing challenge as the student got older.

Uber - a ride service based in San Francisco.

The pictures are mine and taken at the Traverse City State Hospital.

word count - 2525 (9569 for story)

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