Dr. Ava Moreno stepped out of her car and onto the crumbling asphalt of the Ashwood Sanitarium's parking lot. The imposing structure loomed before her, its towering spires and decaying facade seeming to reach out like skeletal fingers. Ava shivered, despite the warmth of the summer evening.
As a renowned psychologist, Ava had spent years studying the human mind, delving into the darkest recesses of human thought and behavior. But nothing could have prepared her for the secrets that Ashwood Sanitarium held. The abandoned asylum was infamous for its dark history, a place where the boundaries between sanity and madness were blurred beyond recognition.
Ava's fascination with Ashwood began years ago, when she stumbled upon an old medical journal in the depths of a dusty library. The article discussed the sanitarium's experimental treatments, including the notorious "Project Elysium," a program aimed at pushing the human mind to its limits. The more Ava read, the more she became obsessed with uncovering the truth behind the project's mysterious disappearance.
As she approached the entrance, Ava felt an unsettling presence watching her. She glanced around, but the parking lot was empty, the only sound the distant hum of crickets. Shrugging off the feeling, she pushed open the creaking front doors and stepped into the musty foyer.
The air inside was thick with the scent of decay and rot. Ava's eyes adjusted slowly to the dim light, revealing a grand staircase that curved like a ghostly ribbon up to the floors above. She felt a shiver run down her spine as she began to explore the deserted halls.
Every step echoed through the silence, making Ava feel like an intruder in a place that was meant to be left alone. She wandered deeper into the sanitarium, her footsteps leading her to a door hidden behind a tattered curtain. The door was slightly ajar, as if someone – or something – had recently passed through it.
Ava's heart quickened as she pushed the door open, revealing a narrow stairway that descended into darkness. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should investigate further. But her curiosity got the better of her. She fumbled in her bag for a flashlight and began to make her way down the stairs.
The air grew colder with each step, and Ava could feel a malevolent presence lurking just out of sight. She shone her flashlight around the cramped space, but there was nothing to see. Just the darkness, and the feeling of being watched.
As she reached the bottom of the stairs, Ava stumbled upon an old audio recorder, its reels tangled in a mess of dusty wire. She picked it up, curiosity getting the better of her. The recorder was old, but it looked like it had been used recently.
Ava's fingers trembled as she pressed play. The static crackled to life, and a low, raspy voice whispered in her ear:
"You shouldn't be here."
Ava spun around, but she was alone. The voice seemed to come from all around her, echoing off the walls. She felt a chill run down her spine as she realized she wasn't alone in the darkness.
Suddenly, the lights flickered, and the recorder slipped from Ava's grasp. She was plunged into darkness, the only sound the distant hum of the crickets and the soft whisper:
"Welcome to Ashwood."
Ava's breath caught in her throat. She was not alone. And she knew she had to get out – before it was too late.
But as she turned to make her way back up the stairs, Ava realized she was lost. The darkness seemed to have shifted, and she couldn't find the stairs. She was trapped.
And then, everything went black.