Ava's heart racing, she slowly made her way up the stairs, the footsteps growing louder with each step. She reached the top floor, her eyes scanning the deserted corridor. The footsteps stopped, and an oppressive silence fell over the sanitarium.
Ava's skin crawled as she felt eyes upon her. She knew she wasn't alone. The shadowy figures she had seen earlier seemed to be lurking just out of sight, watching her every move. She quickened her pace, her flashlight casting eerie shadows on the walls.
As she turned a corner, Ava caught a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of her eye. She spun around, but there was no one there. The air seemed to vibrate with tension, and Ava's senses were on high alert.
She continued down the corridor, her footsteps echoing off the walls. Every step seemed to take her further into the heart of madness. Ava's grip on her flashlight tightened, her mind racing with worst-case scenarios.
Suddenly, Ava heard the sound of whispers. Faint at first, but growing louder. The words were indistinguishable, but the tone was unmistakable - malevolent. Ava's skin crawled as she realized that she was not alone in the sanitarium.
The whispers seemed to be coming from all around her, echoing off the walls. Ava's heart pounded in her chest as she tried to locate the source. But there was no one in sight.
Ava's flashlight began to flicker, casting eerie shadows on the walls. She knew she had to get out of there, but her feet seemed rooted to the spot. The whispers grew louder, more urgent.
And then, Ava saw them. Shadowy figures, lurking just out of sight. Watching her. Waiting for her. Ava's breath caught in her throat as she realized that she was trapped.
The figures began to move closer, their presence making the air seem thick and heavy. Ava's heart was racing, her mind screaming at her to run. But her legs wouldn't move.
As the figures drew closer, Ava saw their faces. Twisted, grotesque faces that seemed to be carved from the shadows themselves. Ava's scream was frozen in her throat as the figures closed in around her.
And then, everything went black.
When Ava came to, she was lying on the floor, her head throbbing with pain. The sanitarium was silent, the whispers gone. But Ava knew that she wasn't alone. The shadow people were still out there, watching her.
Ava slowly got to her feet, her eyes scanning the corridor. She knew she had to get out of the sanitarium, to escape the darkness that lurked within its walls. But as she turned to make her way back downstairs, she saw something that made her blood run cold.
A message, scrawled on the wall in red letters: "You will never leave."
Ava's heart sank as she realized that she was trapped. The shadow people were not just watching her - they were waiting for her. And Ava knew that she was running out of time.