Authors Note: Just a reminder, the Chapters 29-31 that were posted, have been replaced with new chapters this update.
Chapter 32: Poveglia Island
It was almost dark.
Zak, Aaron, Billy, Jay and I were spread out across the island, setting up static x-cameras on places we had marked on a map earlier.
I was standing about halfway down a long hallway, the walls covered in overgrowth of foliage on one side, several archways leading into rooms, on the other side.
Aaron was at one end of the hall, setting up the static x-camera and using me as a test subject to check the cameras focus, audio, etc.
I found myself feeling very nervous about this investigation.
Poveglia Island is known as one of the darkest spots on earth.
In the 18th century, it had a hospital that was used to quarantine people who developed the bubonic plague.
It is said the island itself was partly created by the ashes of thousands upon thousands of people who died of the plague, and their bodies burned.
In 1922, the hospital was converted into an insane asylum and housed the mentally insane. There are also stories of a doctor who committed cruel experiments on his patients, and, after turning insane himself, killed himself by jumping from a bell tower.
"You alright down there?" Aaron called, still fiddling with the camera.
"Yeah…just find this place creepy," I called back.
I saw Aaron nod in agreement.
"Alright, we're set, let's meet back up with the others," Aaron said.
For the first time in two months, I actually felt some relief at the thought of seeing Zak again.
Two hours later…
After setting up all the static x-cameras, which took some time as the island is fairly large. It's spilt into two parts by a canal, with one bridge that crosses to the other side. On the other side - were what is know as the "Plague Fields" - the fields where the bodies of the bubonic plague were said to have been burned and buried.
And of course, Zak wanted to go there first.
"Alright, Aaron, Ali and I will go to the fields. Billy and Jay, you guys head to the building with the bell tower and see if you can contact the doctor," Zak said.
"Alright, have fun dudes, and lady," Billy said.
I chuckled.
"Be safe…" I said.
I really had a bad feeling about this place, but Zak was like an excited little boy.
He had wanted to investigate Poveglia Island for years.
We waited until Billy and Jay disappeared into one of the buildings.
"Alright guys, let's go," Zak said, starting to head toward the nearest grouping of trees, which we had to get through to find the canal.
"Wonderful…walking through the woods in pitch blackness," I mumbled, as I turned my camera on.
"It could be worse," Aaron said, as he turned on his camera and started after Zak.
Somehow, I didn't think it could get any worse than this island.
Roughly an hour later…
We had made our way through the thick trees, and found the canal.
We began walking along the canal to find the bridge.
At one point, Zak stopped and Aaron and I turned our cameras on him to record what he had to say.
"This canal splits Poveglia in half. Boaters and all kinds of people see white shadows and non stop apparitions," Zak said, turning slightly to aim his flashlight out over the water.
I could see fog rising from the water.
It made the place creepier.
I noticed that Aaron was panning his camera over the water, so I kept my camera focused on Zak.
Suddenly, I could smell something in the air.
It only took me a minute to realize what the odour was.
"I smell something, like something burning," I said.
"Yeah, I was just going to say the same thing," Zak said, looking at me.
I still felt my heart flutter whenever he looked at me, even after two months of barely interacting with each other.
God, get a grip girl, I thought.
"Oh, I can smell it now too," Aaron said.
All three of us quickly turned to look across the river, as we heard a distant, female scream come from the other side.
It was too dark to see much of the other side.
"Did you guys hear that?!" Zak asked.
"Yes," Aaron and I said simultaneously.
We all stood still and listened carefully for anything further.
Suddenly, another scream came from the distance.
A scream of pain.
"Oh my god!" Aaron said.
"We gotta get over there, come on," Zak said, aiming his flashlight at the ground, guiding our way.
Even though the guys normally never used flashlights in more recent investigations, we all carried one to be on the safe side.
In this case, we weren't familiar enough with the island to walk around outside without one.
After another few minutes of walking, we found the single, arched bridge that crossed the canal.
Zak had set up a static x-camera here earlier.
Hopefully when we reviewed the footage later, we'd hear the screams we had heard moments ago.
We crossed the bridge, being careful not to disturb the static x-camera, and Zak was the first one to step on the ground on the other side.
Aaron followed shortly after.
I stopped just short of stepping off the bridge.
"I feel like I'm sinking into the ground," Zak said, aiming his flashlight at the ground.
"I know dude, it's like there's air pockets," Aaron said.
I watched through my camera lens as Zak took the machete out of it's sleeve, hanging from his belt, and then kneeled down and started digging into the dirt with the blade.
"It's not even dirt, it's ash. Look," Zak said, lifting some of the ash up with his blade, then slowly tilted the blade so the ash slid off.
"Woah, dude," Aaron said, leaning down to get a closer shot.
It was lighter than soil, like dust.
Ash.
Human ash.
I did my best to ignore the feeling of nausea that hit me.
But then, Zak had picked up a small object from where he had dug into the ash.
"What is that dude?" Aaron asked, keeping his camera aimed on Zak.
"It looks like a piece of a human skull," Zak said.
Oh god…
"Whoa bro…" Aaron said.
Zak put the piece of bone back in the ash and stood up.
"You have the mask Aaron?" Zak asked.
"Yeah bro, it's in my backpack," Aaron replied, turning his back to Zak so he could remove the mask from Aaron's backpack.
It was a plague doctors' mask, that the plague doctors wore during the plague.
It covered over the eyes and nose, with small circular holes to see through. But the creepy factor about the mask was the nose.
It was long, almost beak like in shape.
It's said that the plague doctors filled the nose section of the mask with all different types of herbs that would act like a filter, and it was believed it would ward off "evil" smells of the plague and prevent them from becoming infected.
I filmed while Aaron helped tie the mask around Zak's head.
It was creepy to see.
Zak took out a digital recorder and walked further out into the fields, and Aaron followed him with his camera.
I was thankful Aaron had immediately gone with him. I wasn't too keen to potentially walk on dead people…
"Can you still see us through night vision?" Zak suddenly called from the middle of the field.
I took a few steps back and checked the view on the static x-camera.
"Yes! You're good!" I called back and then walked back to the end of the bridge, to continue to film with my own camera.
Roughly half an hour later…
We were getting some pretty half decent evidence in the fields.
The three of us had heard random, disembodied screams or moans of pain. And Zak had gotten a few EVP's as he walked around, asking questions while wearing the mask.
"Show yourself, let us know that you-" Zak started, but Aaron stopped him.
"Hold on, hold on bro!" Aaron said, quickly turning around and aiming his camera around the fields between him and I.
Suddenly, I started to hear what he must have heard.
Footsteps.
And they were coming closer toward me.
"I hear footsteps com- holy shit!" I ended in a yell, grabbing onto one of the railings with my free hand, and then whirling around with my camera when a loud crash sounded behind me.
The static x-camera that had been on a tripod, had been completely knocked over.
I was breathing heavily.
"Ali! Are you alright?!" I heard Zak's voice behind me.
He and Aaron were running back toward me.
I turned back to face them.
"I started hearing footsteps coming toward me, and then I suddenly felt…a cold surge of energy pass through me. Then the tripod was knocked over," I said, managing to remain fairly calm.
"I heard footsteps too Shorty, that's why I turned around. It sounded like they were right behind me," Aaron said.
Zak took off the plague doctor's mask and walked up to me on the bridge.
"Are you okay?" He asked, sounding mildly concerned.
But I thought I saw a lot more concern in his eyes.
I nodded.
"I'm fine," I said.
Aaron had walked past us on the bridge to check the static x-camera.
"Well, whatever it was, drained the battery from the camera," Aaron said, looking back at us. "But it seems okay," Aaron added, looking over the camera.
"Alright, let's replace the battery, set it back up, and then we'll head back and investigate inside the main building," Zak said, picking up the tripod and setting it up again.
Roughly an hour later…
After setting up the static x-camera again, and leaving a digital recorder under it on the bridge, we made our way back along the canal, and then through the woods to head back to base camp.
Once we arrived at base camp, we checked over our equipment and then paused briefly for Aaron and I to film Zak.
Zak stood at an angle, so he could look at the old building, and also look into my camera.
I felt my heart fluttering again as our eyes "locked" through the camera.
"Alright, we're back at base camp and have regrouped. Ali, Aaron and myself are going to head into this old building," Zak started, motioning with one hand at the building. "This place was used to quarantine plague victims. We don't know what we're up against, as we weren't able to find any other paranormal investigators that have been here. This is probably one of the darkest places on Earth, and we're going in," Zak finished, then started heading toward the building, Aaron following him.
Just as I was about to follow, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye.
I turned slightly and saw Emily was hovering above the water, as if even she knew how bad this island was.
"Only you can save him…" Emily said.
I felt confused, but also felt my anxiety coming back.
"Save who…?" I questioned quietly, knowing this could be edited out later.
"Save him…" Emily pleaded, then disappeared.
Authors Note: So just who exactly is Emily talking about? Guess we'll have to wait until the next update. ;)