The Haunted Asylum

In a dark part of the world, where the fog was thick, stood Ravenswood Asylum. It used to be a place for healing, but now it was a scary house for lost souls. The people in the town whispered about it, telling everyone to stay away. They said the spirits of sad and angry people still walked the halls, looking for revenge for the bad things that happened to them.

One stormy night, five friends—Lila, Jake, Mia, Sam, and Tom—decided to be brave. They took flashlights and went to explore the scary house, with the wind howling like wolves. As they stepped inside, the air turned cold, and it was very quiet.

The entrance was dark and creepy, with shadows moving on the walls. The friends looked at each other nervously but kept going, their footsteps echoing in the empty space. “Let’s check out the old room,” Jake said, trying to sound brave. The others nodded, even though they felt scared.

As they walked deeper into the asylum, the air felt heavy. The walls seemed to close in on them, and the smell of mold filled their noses. They passed rooms with rusty beds and torn curtains, leftovers from a long time ago. Each door they opened showed more darkness and more secrets.

When they reached the old room, a chill swept through, making Lila shiver. “Did you feel that?” she asked, her voice a whisper. The others nodded, their hearts racing. Suddenly, a loud bang echoed from the end of the hall, making them jump. “What was that?” Mia gasped.

“Probably just the wind,” Tom said, but he didn’t sound sure. They moved carefully toward the sound, their flashlights flickering as if the darkness was trying to snuff them out. As they turned a corner, they found a door that was slightly open, with a faint light coming out.

“Let’s see what’s inside,” Sam said, his curiosity getting the better of him. They pushed the door open and gasped. The room was filled with old pictures of people who used to live there. Some were smiling, while others had empty eyes that seemed to follow them. In the middle of the room stood a big, dusty mirror.

“Look at us!” Jake said, but when they looked in the mirror, their faces twisted into scary versions of themselves, eyes wide with fear. “This isn’t right!” Lila cried, stepping back. Just then, the mirror began to ripple, and a figure appeared—a woman in a torn white dress, her face pale and sad.

“Help me,” she whispered, her voice echoing with sadness. “I am stuck… just like you.” The friends looked at each other, scared but also feeling sorry for her. “You must find the key,” she urged, pointing to a dusty box in the corner. “Only then can you escape.”

With shaking hands, Jake went to the box and opened it. Inside lay a rusty key, cold to the touch. As he picked it up, the room shook, and the wailing grew louder. “Hurry!” Mia cried, her voice rising in panic.

They rushed to the door, and with a deep breath, Jake put the key in the lock. It turned with a loud click, and the door swung open, revealing the dark hallway outside. They ran out, the woman’s sad cries fading behind them.

But as they ran, the asylum seemed to come alive. Doors slammed shut, and shadows darted past them, whispering their names. “We have to get out!” Sam shouted, his heart pounding. They raced through the hallways, the air thick with fear, the walls closing in around them.

Just as they reached the entrance, a cold hand grabbed Lila’s wrist, pulling her back. “No! Don’t leave me!” a voice cried, filled with desperation. The friends turned to see the woman from the mirror, her face twisted in sadness. “You can’t leave me here!”

With a burst of energy, they pulled Lila free and burst through the front doors, tumbling into the night. They didn’t stop running until they reached the safety of the town, their hearts racing and breaths coming in quick gasps.

From that day on, the friends never spoke of their time at Ravenswood Asylum. But every so often, when the wind howled through the trees, they could hear the faint echo of a woman’s voice, forever trapped in the haunted halls of the asylum, waiting for someone to help her—or to join her in her endless sadness.

And as the moon hung high in the sky, the asylum stood silent, holding its dark secrets close.

By,

Reyansh Agarwal.