Disclaimer: Glee and it's characters are not ours
This chapter has gone so many edit and I have to tell myself that enough is enough. It's gonna be crappy either way, and I have to just face the wrath of the followers lol Unfortunately, DementedPanda can't help me proof read this chapter to be the best version it could be for a lot of personal matters. I'm pretty sure not a lot of people are still following this story anyway so...we hope it's still an enjoyable read. I'm just trying to keep the promise we've said. Please let us know through review nevertheless. We are open to critics and still live through comments =P - Kenmura
Elaine stays in her room for the better part of the day, fearing for her life and mostly her phone because of Santana. The Brunette is still trying to find ways to get Elaine's phone. So Elaine doesn't really get out of her room.
Santana thinks it's a torture enough to punish her roommate.
The day is spent with both ex-Cheerios chilling in the living room. Santana is playing her Playstation game (A habit she contracted when she dated Puck) and Quinn browsing other tourist attractions in Louisville. The Blonde makes sure to check on Rachel's email too and gives a quick reply through Skype chat.
The petite diva is online at the time and updated that she won a winter ball thing by singing her heart out and dared herself to kiss the creepy stalker, Brody. She also informs Quinn that Kurt finally got accepted in NYADA and they are now living as roommates in a Bushwick loft. Things seems to be doing really well for the New York twins and Quinn can't help feeling happy for them. She has also tells Rachel about her Christmas plan in Kentucky, so naturally the little brunette asks if there are some blood shed already and if she needs to google the nearest hospital address.
Quinn appreciates the dramatic question and laughs when she reads it, but she answers that they have been somewhat civil to each other. To make any conclusion would be too soon because it's not even twenty four hours yet.
While chatting with Rachel, the Blonde try to get the direction to the Sanatorium on another browser tab. In reality it's quite difficult to get there. She's lucky that she finds a personal blog that explains the directions in details of how to get there. It seems that the only transportation fitting for her situation is the bus.
Nearing the time to get ready, Santana is acting up again refusing to leave the sofa until Quinn whips out her phone in front of the Latina to remind her that she is still being blackmailed. Santana jumps off from the sofa before Quinn even finish typing the Facebook status. They both put on quite some layers of winter clothes, knowing that the tour is basically will be like having a walk in the outdoor because the Sanatorium doesn't really have any more windows or doors left.
Before they walk out of the door, the Blonde catches Santana slipping a small kitchen knife inside her jacket and Quinn takes it out, but not before accidentally groping her friend's boob.
"Quinn Fabray! If you want to touch all you have to do is ask", Santana teases.
Quinn rolls her eyes while securing the dangerous item back to the holders and walks out the door, determinedly pulling Santana's arm in the process.
"If we don't return by midnight, please call the feds!", Santana yells to the still hiding redhead in her room, dramatically clutching to the door frame.
"Not unless you finally accept one night of passionate tryst with me!", Elaine yells back before she can hear the door closed.
"Stupid bitch actually bargaining my life with sex. What kind of friends I have?", Santana shakes her head as they walk out of the dorm hall to the nearby bus station.
Quinn looks at Santana disbelieving before making a comment, "Elaine is a pretty sweet friend."
"Are you saying she's pretty and sweetor just quite sweet?"
"Does it matter?"
"I'm just wondering if you think Elaine's hot", Santana shrugs indifferently.
"Of course she is. Anyone who thinks otherwise needs to go to an Ophthalmologist."
"There you go with your big words. Geez, Yalie."
There is a pause before Santana asks again, "So do you want to elaborate on your comment about me being presumptuous last night?"
"Girls can say other girls are hot without having to be gay, Santana."
"You may fool people by saying you're not gay, but there are other spectrums in sexuality that I can cramp you into", Santana answers with a wink to a stunned Quinn.
The bus comes right after and that's that for the topic.
The whole trip in the bus, Santana is silent with a permanent scowl on her face. Even more so by the minute. Quinn can only guess it must be the anger towards her for forcing her to go to the sanatorium.
While the blonde is visibly excited, cautiously hoping to encounter "something" in the Sanatorium.
The blonde would rather have a better guard dog than a phasmaphobic bitchy Latina, but being around Santana a lot again is not as bad as she thought.
After they got off from the bus, they still have to walk (and hike) for quite some time through some narrow road. Santana can't stop complaining along the way and Quinn is ignoring her. But as both girls finally stands in front of the Waverly Hill's main gate, they can't hide their amazement of the place.
"No wonder the residents had lung problems. Geez, that was a tough walk", Santana catches her breath.
"They had tuberculosis and I doubt that they walked their way up to here. Let's go, we don't wanna be late", Quinn responded even though she knows Santana is joking. She continues walking through a vast empty field to get to the building's main entrance.
For Santana, the first thing that comes in mind as she takes in the sight of the building is that it's obviously looks old, dirty, haunted, and every muscles in her body is telling her to flee. But it also amazed her of how huge the place is. Hundreds of glassless windows stand as the only witness to the story of the people living behind them decades ago.
She can already imagine how Quinn's mind work; aside from her weird obsession of spooky places, she must have also like the history value of the building.
The Ladybird just wishes that they can admire the building from just the outside.
Santana scans the building while following Quinn. When she spots some of the ugly-looking gargoyles on the top, instinctively she wants to grab Quinn's hand but her pride is preventing her to do so. She is not above holding hands, not even with Quinn, it's the reason why that stops her.
Because the girls have arrive close to their tour schedule time, most of the other guests have gathered in the lobby. Quinn counts that there must be at least another ten people in the room. Quite a lot for a paranormal themed tour but probably because it's the last tour of the year.
While the girls are waiting for the tour to start, Santana suddenly speaks loudly. "Who the hell hasn't showered in here?"
Quinn almost drop some of the tourism brochures she's looking at and looks at Santana warningly. Santana ignores her friend and starts sniffing around until she stops about three feet from a man that looks like he's wearing all the typical clothes of a winter hunter. Plaid shirt, winter vest, trucker hat and anything else that makes him look like stereotypical lesbian lumberjack.
"You", Santana points at the man and everyone in the room turn their attentions to them. The man looks clearly startled and sniffs his own armpit. From his stoic expression, he doesn't seem to be agreeing with Santana.
"Have you showered?", Santana asks as if the man is sitting on a court witness stand.
"Of course I have!", The man spats.
"I'm not talking about when you're a baby and your mother did it for you. I mean, at least sometimes in this winter", Santana continues.
Some people can't hold back their laughs and the man's face quickly turns red from anger. Quinn hurriedly grabs Santana's shoulders and pulls her away.
"I'm sorry, Sir. My friend hasn't taken her ADD pills, so sometimes she says all the darndest things."
"What the hell? I am not ADD!", Santana tries to get away from Quinn's grip but -damn- the blonde is strong. She pulls Santana to the corner of the waiting room, waves her index in front of Santana's nose and whispered, "You better behave while we're here or I'm going to drag you to a dark corner of this building...
"Wanky", Santana smirks.
"..and leave you there. Alone", Quinn finishes her threats. Santana's smile falters.
They have another staring competition again until Santana puts on a faux-bored expression and change her attention to her finger nails, "Whatever."
Thankfully one of the staff soon enters the room and calls everyone to gather around him for a quick briefing before the tour starts. He introduces himself as Josh, a big guy wearing a black official Staff T-shirt.
They were all handed a mini flashlight to be used when the sunlight is finally gone and the place will be seriously pitch black save for several strategically placed spotlights. The place hasn't been used for decades so there is no use to fix all the electricity's circuit or changing the lightbulbs. Josh himself is going to use a tactical flashlight for obvious reason.
They are instructed to never separate themselves from the group no matter how many times they feel like they hear or see something that lure them to investigate and always watch where they are stepping. Any kind of accidents will not be under the company's responsibility if they separated.
The tour starts from the right wing in ground floor up to the fifth, then will continue in reverse on the left wing. On each floors they will visit every rooms and spots that are claimed to have the most sightings of supernatural beings with Josh sharing stories of the building.
Halfway through the tour, Quinn starts to get annoyed with Santana's relentless commentary on every single thing she sees in the building or to every stories or legends being told by Josh. The Latina will only whisper it to Quinn's ears but still it forces the blonde to stand on the back of the group so they won't be a nuisance.
First, she makes art comments about the graffiti on the walls made by vandals. One particularly is an (supposedly) evil looking nurse ("Is that suppose to be scary? I mean look at the giant pair of tits. She can strangle me with them anytime") she gets a light slap from Quinn behind her head for that, then she questions about the things still left around like abandoned gurneys or bathtubs ("They do it on purpose, just to create the creepy atmosphere") and of course the claimed ghost stories (bullshit, have they heard of matrixing and photo flares?). This actually amuses Quinn a bit (How the hell do you know those terms?").
Santana keeps yapping as her way of coping being scared shitless. It's unsettling for her to see the group sometimes notice some unexplained sounds that are coming from places they can't figure out. They sometimes would suddenly look to the side or their back with a confused expression. Obviously attracted to something she can't hear or see.
They finally reached the fifth floor while Josh is still leading the group.
"I'm sure some of you have heard about fifth floor's stories. Most of the mentally unstable patients were housed in this floor. The children are also placed here. So it's no wonder that people claim you will hear most of the screaming disembodied voices or children laughing, coming from this floor", Josh explains as they keep walking along the curved main hall.
He finally stops in front of a room and pointed to the top of the door frame that has the number 502 on it, "Here we are in front of the legendary room 502, one of the saddest legends of the building. Where right on this spot I'm standing, a nurse took her own life by hanging herself. The story goes that she was having a pre-marital affair with the owner of this Sanatorium and got pregnant. A tragic ending that could have been avoided when we can learn to stop being judgmental. Sadly, 50 years later we are still doing the same thing."
Josh gives a pause before continuing dramatically, "If you take a moment, and listen carefully, you can hear faint footsteps in this room, even when there is no one inside.."
While everyone is silent, trying to hear the alleged footsteps, Santana instinctively watches Quinn's expression and just as she guessed it, Quinn looks sad. She then finds Quinn's hand, giving it a little squeeze as a sign of support. She doesn't give a damn about the ghost story, instead it reminds her of what happened to Quinn. She knows how hard it was for the blonde when she had Beth, how her family treated her and her best friend wasn't there for her.
Quinn's surprised with Santana's gesture but she holds the Brunette's hand back and throws her an appreciative smile.
The group continues to the left wing of the building and soon are also done with fourth floor. The group pass through a large hole on the wall and a cold wind blows making Quinn shivers, hiding her hands in her pockets. That's when Quinn realizes that she doesn't have her credit card in it. Thinking practically, the girls didn't bring any purse and just put everything they need in their pockets. She's sure that she still had it when they were on the fifth floor. So somewhere along the fourth floor, Quinn must've accidentally dropped it.
When the group is by the staircase leading down to the third floor, Quinn grabs Santana's hand and pulls her inside a nearby dark room as fast as she could before Santana protested. The Blonde hurriedly pushes Santana on the darkest side of the room's wall and clasps her hand on the other girl's mouth. All they have to do is wait for the last person in the tour group reaches the next floor and they can come out of the hiding.
Santana is surprised but she plays along anyway.
Thinking that she has to keep Santana still, Quinn presses her body against her friend. Santana can even feel Quinn's breath on her neck and the chill travels from her neck down to her spine.
After Quinn is sure that everyone is off the floor, she lets go of Santana.
"Dramatic much, Jason Bourne?", Santana hisses.
"I dropped my CC. We have to trace back our tour route and search this floor", Quinn answers casually. If Santana allowed to guess, she can even hear a tone of excitement.
"Not even if you bribe me with a lesbian cruise with Portia de Rossi", Santana tries to get out of the room and ready to follow where the group is heading but Quinn quickly moves in front of Santana and blocks her.
"Santana, it's a credit card. If I lost it, it takes a lot of work to make a new one. And this is the end of December. I have to wait until holiday season is over to take care of it", Quinn pleads.
"Then we tell Josh. I'm sure the staff will help look for it", The Latina says as she passes her friend around.
"San, please? Besides it means I can explore the place on my own. And you owe me this because I didn't ask for an extra DVD commentary of the whole tour," Quinn grabs Santana's hand and holds it to stop her friend from leaving.
Santana stops and bit her lip, considering the situation. She's actually really scared but Quinn did pay quite some money and she hasn't been the best company. Also, the way Quinn's hand is wrapped on her own hand is just...
"Lead the way. But that cruise is on", Santana sighs in defeat.
Quinn gives her best smile before pulling out the mini flashlight from her pocket and Santana does the same. She walks out of the room they use to hide and walk the opposite way from the group. By now the halls are completely pitch black and both can feel their hearts racing. For completely different reasons.
"Just keep searching on the floor. I'll look on the right side and you on the left side", Quinn says.
"Sure. Sounds like a good idea", Santana deadpans but does it anyway.
They have to walk across the long dark main hall again. Their mini flashlight can only lit so much of the huge dark space surrounding them. The abandoned building looks ten times scarier now that there are just the two of them. Every time Santana passes a room with no door, she keeps thinking that a hand would suddenly reach out and touches her. She doesn't realize that she's walking closer and closer to Quinn's side.
She actually really want to stay just right next to Quinn, but no, Santana Lopez is a Badass Mo-Fo and goddamnit if I have to pee in my pants while looking for this damn CC, so be it.
When they get to the middle of the building where the long opened porch are, the moonlight are shining through to the hall. Making it easier for them see their surroundings. Santana recalls Josh explaining that the porch is called The Solarium where patients were laid on beds daily to get fresh air and sunlight.
Quinn walks out to the porch and for a while leaning on the balcony, enjoying the beautiful evening view. Santana does the same, standing beside her. They both can see the large empty field in front of the sanatorium and the trees surrounding the site, all of these beautifully illuminated by the moon peeking behind the clouds. For a minute Santana's fear of the building's spooky aura feels a bit forgotten.
"I can't believe doctors back then believe that they can cure a disease by treating those people like wet laundry", Santana comments.
Quinn smiles at Santana's typical comment but agreeing with her. They enjoy the view in silent for a couple more minutes before they both jumped after a loud sound of an iron door slammed shut.
"What the hell was that?", Santana automatically grabs Quinn's arm and scoots closer.
"It's a six feet tall guy wearing a bloody overall, dragging a huge axe, trying to get our attention", Quinn answers flatly. And she's successfully getting a hateful look from Santana.
"How would I know? But we better check it out", Quinn starts walking enthusiastically before Santana holds her back.
"Are you nuts? Haven't you learned anything from all the horror movies you've watched? We should just go back and join the tour group."
"Actually, it's the most common thing an individual does when they hear a strange noise. They check it. Come on, it'll only take a minute. I still have to find my CC, San."
"It's normal when you're in your own home. So you can lock every damn door then hide under the blanket", Santana replies but again she follows anyway as she doesn't really have a choice. Quinn already walks away, still shining the floor with the flashlight, determined to find her Credit Card.
"Isn't it funny how we always hide under a blanket, as if that blanket can actually protect us from anything. Like, have you watched The Grudge? The ghost is actually inside the blanket," Quinn rambles.
"Fabray, I swear to God just shut up. It's probably one of the staffs or rats or the wind right?", Santana asks warily still wondering about the loud sound. This time she does it while clutching to her friend's forearm. Screw pride. Not even her lesbian pride.
"I highly doubt it was one of the staff. They are not supposed to try to bring this building down by slamming things around and no rats or wind have the force to push an iron door that heavy. You've touched them. It's just impossible", Quinn answers non-chalantly knowing very well that she just made Santana even more scared.
Santana involuntarily swallows but she doesn't dare to ask what is in Quinn's mind about the who behind the loud bang. She doesn't need any more images because what her mind is creating right now are creative enough to make her shit herself.
They finally pass a room that looks like a large dining area complete with the kitchen area behind it. This means they are closer to the end of the wing. Quinn could swore that she thinks she sees a black figure standing behind a counter, but when she points the flashlight to it, it's just not there anymore.
"What is it? Did you see something?", Santana asks.
"Maybe just my mind playing some tricks", Quinn dismiss the image and keeps walking.
They walk carefully for another 20 meters and there is a spot lamp lighting the hall near the entrance of the surgery room where the tour group have been, but the room itself is pitch black.
Quinn is quite sure that it's got to be where she dropped it. It's the only place left. Quinn walks carefully inside and shines her flashlight cautiously inside the room. Was the figure I saw a hiding vandal?
The surgery room is now a spacious room because most of the things that are supposed to be in it are no longer exist. But they left the dirty operating table plus the surgical lighthead. Both of the equipments are stained with rust that makes them looks like they're covered with dripping dried blood. Like any other place in the building, all the walls and ceilings are slowly turning into debris and the brick walls are mostly naked to the eye.
Quinn can visualize a patient with an open chest, getting a pneumothorax surgery by a doctor assisted only with a nurse. Josh told the group that sometimes when the nurses weren't available, the doctors were fine being assisted by janitors.
"This place is all silent-hill kind of fucked up", Santana whispers.
Quinn shines her flashlight all over the floor and surprised to find her credit card in the corner of the room, under the surgery table.
"How did it get there? I wasn't even remotely close to it when we're in here", she walks to the table before getting on her knee and tries to reach the card. "Help me shine the card. I can't see anything."
Santana does what she's told and even though it takes some time for the blonde to reach the card, she finally gets it.
"Well that was definitely weird", the Blonde zips off her jacket and this time put her credit card inside her bra and dusts off her hands.
"Ok, you got your CC. Now let's get the dodge out of here."
"Wait", Quinn suddenly takes out her phone and motion Santana to stand next to her, "Let's take an epic selfie with the room as the background. We post it on facebook and your badass image will definitely escalated to royal. Make sure you that the flashlight shine the background too."
Santana takes a loud sigh but didn't object, knowing that Quinn's idea is brilliant. After all this fuckery she went through, she has to have a proof that she was here. So she did and Quinn immediately try to upload it to her facebook.
"You're such a dork."
"You're welcome."
Santana is about to take her own phone out when she suddenly feels something touches her neck and turns around. Quinn notices her friend's quick movement and follows her line of sight. There outside on the hall's wall, they both see what's look like a half shadow of a person being projected as if there is someone standing in front of the spot lamp in the hall. Before any of them said anything, the half-person shadow moved so fast to the darker side of the wall and hence disappears.
The hair on the back of Quinn's neck stands up.
"Fuck", is the only thing that can comes out of Santana's mouth.
"Who's there? We're separated from the tour group. Can you help us?", Quinn tries to ask calmly. When she doesn't get any reply she starts fearing for their safety. While Santana's imagination getting more absurd like an actual walking half-body apparatus that jumps to walk.
"Shut up! Why did you tell that thing that we're alone? We're so dead now", Santana says in panic.
"Okay, I think I got my experience enough. We should go back and search for the tour group", Quinn decides.
"Or we can just go straight downstairs and get out of this ghost hunter episode", the Latina responds quickly.
Then they heard an eerie screeching sound that echoes, as if a heavy metal being dragged on the concrete floor. Quinn aims the flashlight under her chin and they can both see the look of horror in each other's faces.
"Quinn, call the staff or someone to pick us up here. I don't think I'm able to move my legs anymore", the brunette says as she grabs Quinn's arm, swearing for the sake of her dear beautiful hair that she won't let go.
"Sure, why don't we call some food deliveries too while we're at it and set up a tent? For God sake, Santana, we can go find our way back on our own", Quinn answers as she checks her phone's screen again.
"I was going to tell you that there is no reception.."
"What? Oh my god, we're so going to die", The Latina lets go of Quinn's arm quickly to take out her own phone before she hears Quinn snorted in a so not very lady-like way and the Brunette realizes she just got trolled.
" . That's a good one, Blondie."
Quinn still laughing and almost doubled over because of it.
Shining the light back between them, the blonde offers her hand, "Okay, we go straight to the ground floor. Come on, I'll be your lady knight in a white shining armor."
The Latina considers to kill her friend right there and then but she'll be actually alone. Reluctantly she takes Quinn's hand, "Pink compliment your skin tone better."
"Please, I look good in any colour. Ready?"
"Ready."
They both start walking, slowly, toward the door. Quinn peeks to the hall while Santana fidgeting behind her, completely feeling uncomfortable with the dark room behind her. If there are claims of sixty thousand patients died in this building, how many died on that surgery table? And how many that are watching them from behind our backs?
The screeching of an iron dragged on the floor is heard again and both held their breath.
"There it is again", Quinn whispers.
"I'm not deaf. How come we keep hearing these weird noises but we can't hear any of the tour people? Ay Dios Mio, are we stuck in a twilight zone?", Santana rambles before starting to recite a prayer against evil.
"Sshh. Stop yapping for God sake. For a coward you sure know your pop cultures on paranormal things", Quinn pulls Santana out of the room with her while shining the dark parts of the hall. When they pass the spotlight, she glances at the wall where their shadows are casted on the wall. There was someone standing here. Where did he go? Why didn't he respond to me?
Santana wishes that they can just run instead of sprinting. But with little to no lights it's too dangerous. And what if they will run into that thing that was watching them?
Every steps that echoes, or sounds coming from the brushes of their jacket's fabric, makes them wonder if the sound comes from them or something else.
They don't waste time to just keep going downstairs and finally reach the ground floor. Even though the temperature are definitely getting very low, both are sweating inside their thick jackets.
When they turn the corner, they run into a male staff and almost toppled him over.
"Whoa there. Everything okay?", the Staff helps Quinn get back to her feet.
"Yes. Um..we are separated from the tour group when I was looking for my credit card", Quinn instinctively lies. The rule is clear that they can't intentionally leave the group on their own.
"And your tour guide is?", The Staff asks to make sure that these girls are really a part of the tour group.
"Josh. It's Josh", Santana answers.
The staff uses his walkie talkie to contact Josh and confirms that Josh doesn't realize he lost two of his flocks. Josh then asks the staff if the girls want to rejoin the remaining of the tour.
"Yes."
"No."
The girls answers in unison and look at each other in annoyance.
The Staff laughs, "Well Josh's tour is going to end soon. If you girls need time to decide, probably you'll be in time for the last part of the tour on this floor. The morgue." He then points to the end of the hall.
"We'll take that offer,...", Quinn inquiries the staff's name.
"I'm Mike", The Staff reaches out his hand for a handshake and taken by Quinn.
"Thank you for the help, Mike. I'm Quinn and this is Santana."
The Brunette only grunts with a forced smile.
"Just part of the job, Mam. You can wait here and just join Josh when they're here. Meanwhile, I have to return to duty. Goodluck", Mike gives them a polite nod before returning to the lobby area.
The girls stay where they are, calming down themselves from what they just experienced.
"He calls us 'MAM'. We're not forty!", Santana says irritated while scanning around the hall worriedly. She's glad being bathed in fluorescent lights instead of darkness.
"He was just being polite. Besides, if you regularly being angry like that, you will look like you're forty."
Without warning, Santana suddenly smacks the back of Quinn's head.
"OW! What was that for, you cheap troll", Quinn rubs her head. She almost lunges toward Santana but she heard several footsteps coming from the staircase. It's definitely the tour group because she can recognize Josh's voice.
Santana smirks knowingly at Quinn as she folds her hand, challenging her blonde friend if she dares to start a scene.
Quinn knows better on how to payback. They are going to finish the tour and Santana can smirk all she wants inside the morgue.