Chapter 1
Night at St. John's Hospital
The van travels leisurely down the dark road, leaving Peach Creek behind a couple of hours ago, now only surrounded by woods and light poles barely keeping the road illuminated.
"Welcome once again to "Revealing Peach Creek", your favorite monthly segment. Today's place, is the one that all of you have requested ever since the beginning of this channel, weeeee bring you the one and onllllfuuuuck¡". A sharp turn knocks Eddy to the ground, who manages to hold his camera before it fell, "!Edd! Watch where you're going!".
"I'm sorry Eddy, the road is getting more and more cracked. You should wait for us to get there, it won't be long, Ed?" An answer came from the driver's seat.
"Affirmative Petty Officer Edd, according to this mystical guide, the Government's secret laboratory is only a few minutes away".
" In 200 meters turn to the right, your destination will be on the left"
"Pay close attention to the next crossing, my brave subordinate, all starboard!" Confirms the great Ed, climbing out the passenger window with cell phone on hand, "Guys, I think I see it!"
Pointing behind some trees, before being dragged into the van by Eddy, Ed sees standing in the dark the long abandoned figure of St. John's Hospital. The apparent destination of the trio composed of Ed, Edd and Eddy, or The Eds.
Four years have passed since "The Incident", a prank so nasty, it forced the Eds on the run for several days from their neighbors to the only person who could save them, Eddy's older brother. Fights, arguments and secrets almost caused them to break up the trio, but eventually, their friendship prevailed, even more so when they discovered the cruel truth about Eddy's brother. But that is the past, the only remarkable thing was the acceptance of the Eds by the other boys in the neighborhood.
Years passed, friends stayed, and now thanks to their online videos, from tips on how not to be scammed, video games and movie reviews, the Eds have achieved a certain popularity. But none of that has given them as much fame as their so-called special end-of-the-month section,"Revealing Peach Creek". Urban exploration, from abandoned factories to forgotten sections of the city subway, visits to their site rise like foam thanks to the boys reckless adventures. Whether its old urban legends or suggestions from their subscribers, the Eds never disappoint.
"I'd rather record an intro on the road, that gives it more flair, doesn't it, big guy?" —Says the smallest of the Eds, all while dragging the big man by force into the van, which only agrees with a nod. "I told you that we should have bought that stabilizer for shots like this, but noooooo".
Crossing his arms and sitting in the middle, the self-proclaimed leader of the Eds, now finally reaching at least Double D in height, and with even some muscle from being on the baseball team. He wears a letterman jacket from the same team, blue jeans and red sneakers. Remembering something, he takes an old newspaper out of the glove compartment.
"Due to an unknown fire in the boiler room, the emblematic St. John's Hospital close down. After almost a century of continuous work, the Hospital was famous for supporting Fort McKenna during World War II. Providing logistical and personnel support in the training of the Armed Forces Combat Doctors, the Hospital also gained fame by creating the vaccine for the SC-FNX65 virus, better known as the Phoenix 65".
"The engine room". He says to them as he flips through the newspaper, "Is definitely where we should go, apparently one of the boilers exploded causing all the fuss about the fire".
That comment draws the attention of the smart one of the group. Double D, slim, but in much better shape than in his childhood thanks to regular jogging, he wears the same clothes as before. With a long black shirt under his typical red t-shirt, black jeans and above all, his infamous black hat, reminds Eddy the thought he had ever since they investigated the place.
"That's the thing Eddy, a boiler explosion, steam in this case… should not cause a fire, yes, it would burn you, but only because the steam is boiling, but not because it is fire. I don't know fellas, ever since we accepted coming here, this place has been given me the creeps". Without taking his eyes off the road, Edd looks nervous, even more so when he turns around and sees the building more close, seven floors on the main tower and three on the second with barely any window left intact. Some overgrown vines and absolutely no light in sight, the mere silhouette of the dark Hospital at night sends a subtle shiver down the boys back, even Ed, the more excited to be here, seemed reluctant for a moment.
"Fuck, this place already makes me regret coming, anyway, it doesn't seem to be no one around, not even some guards". Says Eddy to no one in particular. "Pull up there Sockhead, let's go see if the gates to the parking lot are open".
While Edd waits, the other two Eds get out the van, lanterns in hand, they make way a few meters to the gate. Old and rusty, the old gate doesn't even have a padlock, only a metal chain welded together. It only takes the Big Ed a couple of seconds later and the gate gets busted open. Ed, the big boy, the muscle of the team, now taller than everyone in the neighborhood, managed to everyone's surprise to not be a disaster, years of support from his friends, and a little therapy, made him a happy teenager. Without neglecting his many hobbies and crazy personality, he continues to wear the same green jacket from a few years ago, now finally fitting his size, but hey, at least he's already bathing. A few minutes pass and the boys are now preparing the camp, they gear themselves with cameras and other gadgets designed by the smart boy, Eddy finally does the intro for the night.
"Weeeeeelcome back, my dear viewers, tonight, like every month, we bring you the mysteries, the unknown, the-"! Darkness beneath the stars¡" Screams Ed, taking the camera away from Eddy, who struggles to recover. " ! Give me that you lummox¡".
"As I was saying, tonight, on "Revealing Peach Creek", we are here to bring you all the dankly little secrets of this otherwise boring sleepy Town. Tonight we are going deep into one of, if not, the most requested locations in the county".
Making sure the abandoned building stays right on the background, Eddy waits for the Big Ed who is adjusting the bigger camera he usually carries around.
"St. John's Hospital, at my back, is the Moby Dick around here, massive, maddening, mysterious and other word with "M". No one else has ever done a full tour, from the reception, the labs on the second building, the greenhouse on the top floor, and of course, the mythical boiler room, the place that end it all in a fire. So tonight, for the first time since it was closed all over twenty years ago, we will bring you the truth once and for all about the greatest mystery of the town, TONIGHT, ON REVEALING PEEEEEACH CREEK".
While both Eds do the intro for the show, Edd prepares a drone to do an over shot of the place. Taking flight, the teen makes a clean take of the surrounding forest, with Peach Creek seen in the distance, they are the only ones around, a thought that put him even more nervous. It would hardly be the first time they got in a place like this, but never they have been so far from the town, and in a place so remote.
Usually, Kevin would come along, or even Johnny, hell, even May would join in. But all of them cancel at the last minute, Kevin had to accompany Nazz in a family reunion, Johnny was nowhere to be found, and finally, May had a shift with Lee on the store.
Taking height, the drone reaches the last floor, the remains of what should be a glass dome are only been held in place by thick vines, the infamous green house. One of the many places they will be seeing tonight, hard to reach, and also according to rumors, highly hallucinogenic, apparently the Hospital did research on a plethora of plants, one of them being cannabis.
Thinking how bad Johnny will feel missing the chance to see the greenhouse, Edd continues circling the building, when he suddenly he stops. Cold shiver down his spine, he makes the drone fly closer to the building, he could swear he saw a light flicker and then go off somewhere inside the hospital, making the drone fly back, he calls the others.
"What now sockhead, did you see a rat? A big one?". Came asking Eddy, who knows his friend can be a little…nervous.
"I bet it was a ghooooost Eddy"
"No idea, look, there it is". Says Double D, pointing at the screen." While I was doing an over shot of the place, I swear I could see a light flicker on the fifth floor".
The Eds saw the tape, pausing it at the right moment, and it was clear, a light goes on and off only for a second inside the building. They quickly turn their sight back to the building, no lights in sight, now the darkness off the building looks somehow more threatening.
"Ooh boy, perhaps well finally see a ghost, not like that time in the abandoned sawmill, that dude was just a hobo". Ed says, exited at the chance to do some Ghost hunting.
"Well well well, this night got like, ten times more interesting, ain't that right Double D?" Eddy says, not taking his eyes of the building.
" Yeah, this will be the big one, our ticket to money land".
"Well, the probability of an actual paranormal encounter is like, zero, the most logical conclusion I could come up now would be a malfunction in the wiring, perhaps this place still have some sort of power running". Closing his laptop and putting in his backpack along with the drone, the genius teen readies himself. "I just hope it is not another crack head".
"Hahaha, that was a helluva night, dint Ed?".
"It felt like some Romero movie Eddy". Remember the Biggest of them with a hearty laugh. "And you guys called me crazy for going with my trusty Orc Slayer" Says proudly swinging his bat like a sword.
"Don't remind me please, thanks to that now I carry this around". Answers Double D, sighing as he lifts his jacket, showing a holster with a handmade taser. "I hope no needing it tonight".
Already geared up, the three friends make way into the old and dark building. With cameras adapted with a microphone and radio attached to their ears, flashlights, other random accessories, and especially the large camera that Ed carries, they walk straight to the reception.
Tonight will be a night to remember…
Hello, while I'm not new to this site, been here for years, this is my first-ever fanfic, and beforehand, English is my second language, Spanish being the first. But I decided to make this story in English as a writing exercise, so any remarks and critics will be welcome with open arms.
Second, I LOVE Ed, Edd n Eddy, so I write this story as a love letter of sorts, and also my love for mystery, so this is a mix of both, I hope you enjoy