Prison Block Part One

Miles

I opened my eyes, quickly noticing that I was in a padded cell. I sat up slowly, feeling a rush of dizziness as I did so. Clutching my head, I closed my brown eyes, breathing in and out slowly, trying to ease the lightheaded, nauseating feeling. Once the feeling passed, I grabbed my camera, recording everything in the room. There were big crosses painted in blood on the dirty white, padded walls, as well as smaller crosses. There was also unintelligible handwriting all over the walls. I tried to decipher it, but unfortunately, I couldn't. The words "REST IN PEACE" were scratched in a bloody scrawl on the wall as well.

Why the hell did we get ourselves into this mess? Better yet, how are we even going to get out? I thought, standing up. Based on what we'd seen, this room had to belong to the priest. I'd never met the asshole a day in my life but he talked to Lovelynn and I like we were destined to whatever reason he was keeping us here for. I remembered seeing what he called the Walrider on the security cameras, blabbing on about the nonsense of it all. Yet even as I thought it was nonsense; we did see it. I couldn't help but wonder if that was what Lovelynn had seen in the lobby just a short time ago. We'd only been here two hours and already we were way in over our heads. Lovelynn had nearly been killed. I felt bad for that in a sense, but I was grateful that I had gotten to her on time. She has a son and family who love her. It'd be awful to walk out of here without her with me. I couldn't allow that to happen. We had to help keep each other safe at all costs.

That was when I realized that Lovelynn wasn't here in the cell with me. I felt myself begin to panic and worry for her, wondering where she was and what had happened to her.

Can't waste any more time. I've got to find her. I thought to myself. I approached the padded cell door and began shoving my body into it, trying to get it open. But it wouldn't budge. All that was here with the door was a tiny glass window. Once again, I threw myself at the door, wincing as pain shot from my shoulder down my back and arm.

"LOVELYNN! WHERE ARE YOU!? IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, PLEASE LET ME KNOW SOMEHOW! LOVELYNN!!!" I shouted as loudly as I could, continuing to kick and shove the door.

Lovelynn

I groaned, turning my head to the side as I tried to wake up my mentally exhausted brain. I began to open my eyes, slowly starting to clear through the brain fog. What the hell did the priest inject us with? My eyes snapped open when I realized that someone was touching me. A man's face was right in front of mine, his foul breath moving across my lips. He was lying right on top of me, pinning me down. My heart was pounding in my chest, my breath coming out ragged as a hot stab of fear poured into me. It was then that he squeezed my breasts, hard, and I cried out in pain and anger.

"GET. OFF. ME!!" I snarled, spit flying out from between my teeth as I headbutted him. He rolled off of me and onto the floor, and I jumped up, kicking him as hard as I could. He spat blood and stood up, faster than I anticipated.

"YOU STUPID CUNT!!" He roared, smacking me on the face so hard that my head whipped to the left, my teeth grazing my lower lip so hard that I began to bleed. Then, before I could say or do anything else, he swung the door open to the blood-covered cell I was in, running out in the opposite direction. I sat back on the bed, hand cradling my cheek as I scurried into the corner of the wall like a beaten dog. Tears were streaming down my face. I was beyond angry. I took a moment to calm myself down, before grabbing my camera. My bag, however, was gone.

"Great. Just great," I mumbled. Once the shock of everything that had just happened had worn off, only one thought remained in my mind.

Where is Miles? I really hoped that he was alright.

Miles

I stopped throwing myself at the cell door when I noticed a patient outside of it through the glass window. To my surprise, he opened it. His head looked like it was beginning to bruise, his mouth and nose bleeding. He was mumbling curse words under his breath, but he paid me no mind as he walked off. That was fine by me.

"Good riddance, asshole," I said, watching him go. Keeping my camera raised, I stepped out into the hall and began my search for Lovelynn.

I hope she's okay. I thought as I walked around the top floor. I heard various patients talking, and some were screaming and rattling their cell doors. I stopped abruptly when I saw a patient's arm shoot through the tiny, broken window on his cell door. Once he pulled it back, I kept going forward, passing him along the way. He was smiling a creepy grin, doing some weird dance in his room.

What the hell have they done to these people? I thought. I once again came to a stop when I noticed an open cell door. Out of curiosity, I looked in, being sure to keep my distance. I regretted it. There, in the corner of the cell, was a patient. He was shaking, one of his arms lifted up to his face. Under his bed were bloody, mangled intestines, and a few more innards from someone. Blood was splattered on the wall above his head. What a sicko. I felt bad for whoever those body parts belonged to. The man then spoke, looking right at me.

"Said I shouldn't hurt you, is what he said… But when the cat's away.. Hmm.." He said, deep in thought. I wasn't planning on sticking around to find out what he was plotting. I assumed he was talking about the priest. I guess that weirdo had quite the following here. If it kept me from getting killed, I could deal with it. I stepped back from the cell, shutting the patient's door. I thought this would send him in a rage, but he just stood there, keeping his eyes on me the whole time.

Fine by me. I thought, relieved that nothing more came from that encounter. I kept going. I reached the top of the stairs leading downwards to the first floor, coming face to face with two men locked in a cell together. I noticed that the two of them were twin brothers- and that the both of them were completely naked. Then, they began to talk to one another as if I weren't there.

"Who's this?" The shorter of the two asked.

"Maybe Father Martin's man." The taller one replied. So that was the priest's name. Father Martin. I thought.

"Maybe." The shorter one continued.

"He looks nervous."

I was nervous. I'd be lying like hell if I said that I wasn't. What they said next chilled me to the bone.

"I would like to kill him."

"As would I."

"The preacher asked us not to."

"It would be impolite."

"Not here."

"We give him a running start."

"There's an idea."

"And when we kill him, we kill him slow."

"Such patience."

"I want his tongue and his liver."

"They are yours."

After this exchange, the two of them spoke no more. They just stood there, continuing to stare at me. I then bolted down the stairs, running right into Lovelynn.

Lovelynn

After running around for a few minutes, I discovered that my cell was on the first floor. I wasn't paying much attention as I ran, the desire to find a way out of the Prison Block overwhelming my other senses. I stopped when I bumped into someone, stumbling backward. When I looked up, I noticed that it was Miles, standing at the bottom of the steps. I was never happier to see him in my life than I was at that moment. It was so amazing to see a familiar face. I lunged forward without thinking, hugging him tightly, feeling relieved. He froze for a moment, seeming surprised, but then he wrapped his arms around me, hugging me back.

"Happy to see me, huh?" He asked, a cocky smile on his face. I felt my face heat up, and I pulled back from him.

"I- it's not like that. I was just worried is all. Glad you're okay." I replied. I knew he was only trying to lighten the situation to make the both of us feel better. I tucked a loose strand of hair that had escaped my bun behind my ear.

"Let's just get out of here." I said.

"Wait. What the hell happened to your face!?" Miles demanded, all traces of humor gone now. I didn't want to talk about it. I wanted to keep going and forget it ever happened.

"I'm fine. That's all that matters." I replied.

"Don't give me that bullshit. Your face is far from fine. Your cheek is red and welted." said Miles angrily.

"A patient hit me, okay! Now can we PLEASE move on!? I really don't want to talk about it anymore." I snapped back. Miles took a breath, calming himself.

"Okay. Have it your way Blackie. Let's go." He replied, reaching out and gently running his fingers over my sore cheek. The touch was feather-light, as if a ghost had kissed my skin. Then, just as quickly as he'd done it, Miles pulled his hand away, making me question if he'd just touched me at all.

Miles

"You look like you've seen a ghost," said a patient, looking at me. He was the same one that had let me out of Father Martin's cell. Then, he looked at Lovelynn.

"Hello again, little violent flower," He said, smirking. I looked at him and back at Lovelynn, who was glaring daggers at the guy. I knew without her saying anything that he was the one who had hit her. Before I could say or do anything, Lovelynn walked up to him, kneeing him hard in the groin. He wailed in pain, dropping to the floor.

"Fuck you," she spat, stepping over his rigid form so we could continue forward. Well, damn. I did not see that coming. I chuckled, and Lovelynn looked at me.

"What the hell is so funny, Sherlock?" She demanded.

"Nothing," I laughed, I couldn't help myself. "That was badass."

"Yeah, well, the asshole deserved it." She snapped. Both Lovelynn and I then noticed another patient in a wheelchair, different from the first guy we'd encountered before. He looked up, his eyes holding deep depths of pain as he spoke to us.

"Don't trust them. They'll tell you it's science, but it's not. They were… Waiting for us. In this place. Billy understood. They've always been here." He said, sounding like he had no more hope for his situation.

"Don't trust who? Do you mean the doctors?" I asked him. He didn't say anything more, however, just nodded his head in a silent yes.

"Who's Billy?" Lovelynn asked, concern for this man evident in her voice. He looked at her, smiling, though there was no warmth in it.

"He was a patient here, like me. I don't know what became of him. One day, they took him away. I haven't seen him since." The man replied. Then, he said no more. Instead, he put his face in his hands, sobbing. Lovelynn looked like she wanted to say something more, but instead, she reached out, patting the man's shoulder gently.

"Come on," she said softly to me. There was another patient walking around, just banging his forehead against the wall and the pillars in the room. Blood flew from the opened skin on his forehead, staining the walls and pillars he hit it on. Over and over, he repeated the same thing, not appearing to notice us.

"Sleep no more.. Space. Alone. LEAVE ME ALONE!!" He wailed as he grabbed his head, shaking it back and forth. "They're in my blood and they want to get out!!"

These guys might be crazy, but deep down, I felt really bad for them. They had to have gone through hell.

"Miles, look in here!" Lovelynn said to me as we walked into another padded cell. There was a gap in the wall.

"Let's go," I replied, squeezing through. Lovelynn followed suit, and we avoided the pipes in the wall as best as we could. We stopped just underneath the ledge, hearing a male's voice yell.

"STILL… JUST HOLD STILL!" Then we heard another male speak, softly and quietly.

"Silky. Silky. Silky. Silky. Silky." He said. I grabbed onto the ledge, pulling myself upward with Lovelynn in tow. We were startled when we came face to face with a patient in restraints, leaning against the wall. He was smiling widely as his fucked up friend had sex with a male corpse on the floor.

"Oh, my God, I'm going to be sick," Lovelynn said, covering her mouth with her hands and stepping back. I was disturbed myself. Necromancers. Dying appeared to be the least worst thing that could happen to us here. Then, he jumped up, shouting at Lovelynn and I.

"AGH!! WHAT THE FUCK IS THE MATTER WITH YOU TWO!? NEITHER ONE OF YOU WERE INVITED TO THIS, YOU SICKOS!!! WHAT? DO YOU LIKE TO WATCH!? IT'S SICK!! YOU'RE SICK!!!" He shouted at Lovelynn and I, pointing at us, his hand shaking in anger. Then, just as quickly as he angered, the man smiled creepily, looking at Lovelynn.

"Or maybe.. You would like to partake in this?" He asked her, still grinning. Lovelynn looked visibly shaken, her face going pale.

"Just ignore this jackass," I said, walking to the next open door I saw, Lovelynn right beside me.

Lovelynn

I knew that I would forever be scarred by all the shit that Miles and I had seen here. That alone scared me more than anything I had seen and been through here so far. I just hope that I continue to be a good mother after this. I hope I'm strong enough to overcome whatever struggles I may have after this. I was startled out of my thoughts by the sound of a door rattling. Miles and I looked to our left, noticing the patient on the other side.

"Oh! Hey! You! I.. Oh." The patient said, before turning and running in the opposite direction.

"You remember the priest? I saw some twin brothers before we ran into each other. They told me his name was Father Martin." Miles said to me.

"Makes sense. Did they say anything about the Morphogenic Engine or anything of that nature?" I asked, looking at him as we walked.

"No, but they did say in graphic detail about how they wanted to kill me and eat my innards." He replied. I cringed.

"Ugh. The people here are seriously disgusting," I said, disturbed. We went through another door, finding ourselves in the Prison Block yet again.

"So, if it's okay to ask, how old is your son? And what's his name?" Miles asked me. I smiled.

"His name is Noah. He is four." I replied, "I love him very much." Miles smiled at me. And, Lord, was his genuine smile beautiful.

"I can tell." He replied, "How does your husband feel about you exploring an abandoned asylum with another man?" I stopped when he asked this, then I started to laugh.

"Husband my ass. The man who claimed to love me got me pregnant and walked out of both mine and my son's life when he found out." I replied. Miles frowned.

"Damn, Blackie. Tough break. I'm sorry," he replied. I shrugged.

"It doesn't matter anymore. Noah and I are better off. Anyway, what about you?" I asked, looking at him.

There was his smile again. "What about me?"

"How does your wife feel about you exploring an abandoned asylum with another woman?" I asked, smiling in return. He shook his head.

"Shit. Don't have one." He replied bitterly. "I had a fiance. But she left. Said my job was too hard for her to handle."

"Do you miss her?" I asked, frowning.

"Used to. Not anymore. She's married to someone else now anyway." He replied.

"What about your family?" I asked. He sighed.

"Well, Blackie, I've never been close with them. They wanted me to follow in their footsteps. Be what they wanted me to be. Do what they wanted me to do. But I don't follow the rules. I pursued my own dreams. We don't talk. I've tried, but they won't speak to me." He replied. I couldn't imagine not being close with my family. They were always loving and supportive of me and encouraged me to follow my heart and chase whatever made me happy.

"I'm sorry, Miles." I said, feeling a pang of sadness for him.

"Don't be. It doesn't bother me anymore. How about we keep moving?" He suggested.

"Sounds good," I replied, knowing that he didn't want to speak on it anymore.

We were now on the very top floor of the Prison Block, and half of it was missing. There was a small ledge left of the wall. Our only way across. I didn't like it. I was clumsy and knowing me I'd fall and break my neck. However, it was a necessary risk. Miles slowly began moving across the ledge, pressing his back against the wall. I hesitated momentarily, but I thought of Noah waiting for me. I had to keep going. I followed Miles across the ledge, refusing to look down. Once on the other side, we noticed the same crazy freak that had been doing unspeakable things to the corpse run up the stairs, pressing himself against the door.

"You didn't wait until I finished, but I saved some for you.. Just wait.. Wait!!" He yelled, cackling as he ran back down the stairs.

"Sick fuck," Miles said, disgusted. We turned to the right, walking down the dark hallway, our night vision illuminating it. We stopped at the end, where we noticed that the wall had a bloody message scrawled on it: "GOD ALWAYS PROVIDES A WAY. FOLLOW THE BLOOD." Underneath the writing was a messily painted bloody arrow, pointing to a nearby decontamination chamber. I didn't like this, but I knew Miles and I had to keep going.

There was a reason Father Martin was desperate to keep us here. But what was it?