A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews and support! I hope my story continues to please you! Young-ja continues into the asylum in this chapter!
Welcome all new readers! Enjoy!
Nothing but beautiful fields of flowers as far as the eye could see.
Not a single factory or skyscraper in sight.
Just pure, untouched nature.
I closed my eyes and let the cool breeze wash over me. As I child, I craved the excitement and intrigue big cities had to offer, but as I grew older, I become enamored by the peace and serentiy the countryside offered instead.
After years of digging up dirt and untangling webs of deceit, a place to hide away and heal became important-vital- for my sanity.
Holding my hand up to the sky, I smiled as my wedding and engagement bands caught the sunlight.
I never grew tired of looking at them. Even on the roughest of days, I just had to look at my left hand to make the world right again.
Because, I know she is right next to me.
For better or for worse.
In the distance, I could hear her laughter, and the flowers around me blossomed into an array of colors.
I bent down and plucked handfuls until I had a large bouquet of every flower in my grasp. Then, I followed the sound of her laughter.
I found her sitting on the swing hanging from the old oak tree, her long hair loose and barefoot. Annie was chasing butterflies in the distance, barking at them and tripping over herself, hence the reason of her laughter.
She had one hand on the swing's rope to steady herself and the other was placed on top of her growing abdomen to steady our baby.
I always found pregnant women to look creepy and kept my distance, but she was a different case.
My heart swelled as she smiled and talked to our child growing inside her.
Around others, I would punch the wall or cough to hide the idiotic grin on my face, but here in private, I allowed myself the luxury of fawning over my family.
After a while, I made my way towards her.
The sound of my footsteps alerted her of my presence, and she immediately reached out for me, that smile of hers aglow.
I took her hand in mine and knelt down, placing the bouquet on her lap before saying hello to our baby.
And she giggled, telling me the baby missed me and was kicking up a storm.
Then she, my wife, my Young-ja, leaned forward and whispered in my ear.
"Hurry up and find me."
I placed my apostle on the bed and caressed his face, in awe that our Lord had actually blessed me with a witness.
After years of waiting, I could finally spread my gospel to the world.
"May your dreams lead you to your destiny, my son." I slowly backed out of the room and locked it to ensure his safety. "When you awaken, you will have much to do."
He had such a serene look on his face, and I said a quick prayer before setting out to prepare for his awakening.
"So much witness this night."
(Young-ja)
My trek to the Prison Block brought me to the Female Ward.
The rusted sign for the building swung back and forth on its remaining nail, hinting at how long it's been since this building's been used.
'I guess it's a good thing there aren't any females here," I pondered to myself, a death grip on my flashlight and bat. 'But that means I'll have to be extra cautious.'
It was not just the male patients I had to look out for; the aging building also posed a threat to my safety.
"AH!" My foot went through a rotten piece of wood, and I almost lost my balance.
Pulling my foot out of the hole, I placed my hand on my chest and tried to steady my heartbeat before proceeding.
"A woman." A voice drifted from above me.
My blood froze, and I slowly looked up.
Two identical men were leering down at me from a hole in the ceiling. They appeared to be twins and were naked, but that wasn't what caught my attention.
What did was that they were armed with machetes.
"Father Martin said we couldn't touch the apostle, but he never said anything about her."
"I don't think he knows about her, brother."
"Then can we kill her before he does? It can be our secret."
"That's a fine idea. Let's give her a head start."
"Good idea. It's been so long since we've hunted."
'Oh my God.' I slowly back away from their hungry gazes before tearing down the hallway when the twins tried to hop down through the hole.
Like before, a majority of the rooms were boarded up or locked.
"Shit!" I could hear their footstep echoing down the corridor.
Unlike the monster from before, these two were taking their time and were completely calm.
Like they knew I had no place to go.
The ominous thought caused me to sprint further down the hallway, praying to find an escape route or hiding place.
My heart sung when I spotted an air vent to my left, and I quickly climbed inside, holding my breath and not moving a muscle.
A moment later, the Twins walked by.
"Where did the little girl go?"
"She is hiding, like a mouse."
"She must think we are stupid. Let's skin her."
"And slice her into pieces. Half for you, and half for me."
"There's a plan."
I winced and crawled deeper into the vent, their plans for me bringing bile to my mouth.
Once I reached the end of the vent, I carefully slid to the floor and scurried down the hallway, keeping my eye peeled for the twins and other threats.
*Crunch* *Crunch*
A sound drifted from the adjacent door next to me.
Praying it was a dog or something harmless, I peeked through the crack.
Inside, there was a man hunched over a dead officer's body.
The officer's belly had been torn open and his innards had been pulled from his body. The man was chewing on his small intestine, his mouth and hands soaked in blood.
"Delicious." He kept whispering. "So delicious."
Covering my mouth, I dashed away from the horrible sight and didn't stop running until my legs gave out.
Once again, I found myself throwing up and wishing I could bleach my memories away.
"This is Hell…" I whispered, my entire body shaking. "This place is truly Hell on Earth."
Knowing I could be the next victim if I knelt there any longer, I crawled to my feet and continued down the hallway.
The next room I came across had eighty-five percent of the floor missing, which meant I had to jump from board to board.
Taking a deep breath, I got a running start and flung myself onto the next piece of the floor.
Boards crumbled beneath me, and I kept jumping and running until I was on the other side.
Bracing myself against the door frame, I tried to catch my breath as several of the board crumbled to the ground behind me.
'You're almost there, Young-ja. Just get through the Male Ward, and you'll be in the Prison Block.'
"Do it for him. Do it for him."
After a few twists and turns, I found the entrance to the Male Ward.
It was locked tight, but there was a small gap above the door for me to climb over.
Once I was safe on the other side, I stood still and listened for anyone or anything nearby.
I was met with silence, which did nothing to soothe me, but I proceeded anyways.
Most of the rooms I passed by didn't have doors and appeared to be offices.
In a moment of stupidity, I tried to use the phone, only to be met with a dial tone.
"What was I expecting?" I scoffed to myself, climbing over another gate. "Of course the phones aren't working."
Soon, I found myself next to an elevator with several flipped over wheelchairs nearby by.
In another stupid moment, I tried to use the elevator, only to discover it needed a key.
"Dammit, I guess I'll have to find another way."
I went to into the adjacent hallway and paused when I hear the sound of metal scrapping against wood.
Someone was dragging something against the ground.
"Let me go!" A voice drifted from the floor below me. "Let me go, you fucking psycho!"
"Now, now, Buddy." Another voice spoke up. It had such a mocking yet sinister tone that it sent chills down my spine. "If you don't shut up, I'll have to cut off that tongue of yours and put it to better use."
My heart dropped to my belly, and I bolted down the hallway, not wanting to hear anymore.
Turning the corner, I spotted a metal door with 'Exit' flashing above it, like some God sent beacon.
"Yes!" I smiled and hurried towards it.
But, just as I was halfway down the hallway, I was tackled from the side and pinned to the ground.
My attacker muffled my screams with his hand and gestured for me to stay still. His entire face was covered in bandages, and his hands were covered in stitches.
"You have to be quiet!" His voice was dry and sharp, like nails against a chalk board. "Trager will find you!"
"Wh-?!" I struggled against his grip and twisted my face away from his hand. "What are you talking about?!"
"The Doctor will find you! He appears and takes you away to his operating room! Run away! He's an evil man. Evil man!"
"Get off of me!" I reached out and grasped his bandaged face., trying to get him off me.
In the struggle, I ended up ripping them off his face and had to bite my tongue to silence my screams.
His eyes and frontal bone were gone.
Ripped and plucked straight off his face.
"Oh God!"
"Get away!" The man continued to scream, thrashing about. "Trager is coming! Trager!"
I heard someone coming up the stairs, so I kicked the man off me and sped down the hallway and out the Exit door, slamming behind me.
I braced myself against the door and jammed the lock with my bat before falling to my knees.
That man's bandages were still in my grasp, and I flung them over the railing, wishing I could bleach my hands.
As I sat there, trying to catch my brain up to my body, I took in my surroundings.
I was outside on a balcony that connected to a set of stairs. It was extremely foggy and pitch black, save for my flashlight.
I had no idea how far up I was, but I didn't dare to peek over the railing and look down.
'You're almost there, Young-ja. This stairway should lead to the Prison Ward.'
Gathering up my strength again, I rose to my feet and pressed forward.
The fog somewhat cleared the higher I went up, and as I gazed at the dark terrain below, I realized just how isolated Mount Massive Asylum was from the world.
The stairway was gated with barbed wire and chain linked fences that nicked my arms every time I brushed against them.
Up ahead, I could see where this path connected with the main stairway, and I heaved a sigh of relief.
'Hang on, Miles. I'm almost there.'
Not too far away, I heard someone screaming and running, and I froze in place.
"Shhhhh! Shut up! Shut up, all of you. We're not alone down here. It's just what they want us to think!"
Suddenly, a shirtless man who was thin as a skeleton raced passed me, giving me a heart attack.
I braced myself against the fence and watched the man fade into the fog.
Heart racing in my ears, I gazed up at where the man had come from and spotted a prison watchtower.
'Thank God! Miles, I'm almost there!'
I scampered towards the tower but halted in place when I heard someone running behind me.
Believing it was that screaming man again, I whipped around, my bat ready as the figure grew closer and closer.
"Stay away!" I shouted, praying it couldn't see my shaking hands and legs. "I'm not afraid to hurt you!"
The running figure slowed to a stop, but I still couldn't see its face.
"I'm warning you! Please me leave alone or I will have to hurt you!"
Then, the last thing I expected to happen occurred.
The figure said my name.
"Young-ja? Is that you?" The figure steeped into the light, and I dropped my bat in shock.
"Mr.…Waylon Park?"
A/N: Young-ja has an ally now! And the dream Miles had in the beginning is actually a memory from their first year of marriage. (excluding the "come find me" quote though.) And Young-ja will come through the Male Ward again~. Think of that as you will. Hahaha.