We ’re sum up a small Modern Ruins to this workweek ’s Concept Art Writing Prompt , with a real photographic effigy of a decay mental institution in upstate New York . We often marvel that these urban exploration photos would make not bad inspiration for movie solidifying — and they might also inspire a nervous tale or two .
Here ’s my write up :
Ruthann scoot into a more prosperous position beneath the hair’s-breadth drier . She swivel her head to take care at Maude , who was reclining against the sink , her hair getting wetter and wetter despite the absence of running water . Ruthann cough — seventy - five years without a substantial cigarette between her lips had n’t dulled that smoker ’s coughing — and croaked , “ I leave out Daisy . This new gallon never get my curls quite proper . ”
Maude bobbled her head in agreement . “ Daisy was a sorcerer . A witch ? That does n’t sound correct . ”
Allegra leaned forrader at this , tugging her pen from the spirals of her notebook . In all the time she had been working with Ruthann and Maude , she had never seen anyone else in the construction . Except the doctors , of course . Allegra shuddered . “ Ruthann , ” she said gently , uncapping her pen , “ what do you think happened to Daisy . ”
Ruthann befuddle her a confused look . “ She ’s dead . ”
Allegra almost gasped in relief . shortly she ’d have them seeing the peeling pigment and the shattered window . Soon they ’d understand what class it was . “ And how did Daisy die ? ”
Ruthann sink back into the chair , tap a mauve fingernail against her lower lip . “ It was ’ 27 , was n’t it , Maude ? ”
Maude shook her head . A towel materialized from nowhere and she wrapped it around her dripping hair . “ Twenty - eight . January third . ”
Ruthann brighten . “ form . She came to our New Year ’s party , did n’t she ? That ’s why it bechance , you know . stave always did their own thing a couple solar day later . She had a few too many — Daisy was a superstar with a curling iron but gallon always stank like cotton gin — and out she proceed in a snow bank . Next day , plow pulls her half a nautical mile before the driver notices the blood . ”
Allegra weigh her hands against her case as Maude and Ruthann erupted into shrieking laughter . The old biddies could encompass the deaths of people who had died before them well enough , but they could n’t understand that clip had passed since . In fact , their major complaint to Allegra was that their children never derive to visit . Allegra had looked them up . Both of Maude ’s children were utter . Ruthann ’s elderly Logos was living in a retirement home and battling dementia . Allegra had toy with the estimate of bringing him here , but she could n’t be certain it would aid either of them .
Biddies . That was a word she had picked up from one of the physician .
Allegra scooted her professorship ahead , wincing at the scrap sound it made against the concrete . She pause , listening for the rattling of the doctors in the hallway . When she was certain they had not been alerted to her bearing , she asked , “ Ruthann , who is the last person you think die ? ”
Ruthann thought for a bit . “ Dr. Munroe , ” she said at last . “ railroad car slid into a lake , if I remember right . ”
Allegra frowned . “ Who told you that ? ”
“ He did . ” Ruthann shook her head as if she did n’t infer the question .
“ How did he do that , Ruthann ? ”
Ruthann pointed to the door . “ He issue forth in , stood right there , and tell me . ”
Maude nodded . “ I think that . His lip were gamy . ”
Allegra capped and uncapped her pen . “ I mean how did he do that if he was dead ? ”
Ruthann shrugged . “ I do n’t have sex . He ’s the Dr. . ”
Allegra starred at the mystifying bruise crossing Ruthann ’s cervix . “ What about you , Ruthann ? ” she asked .
“ What about me ? ”
Allegra wanted to appear out , fidget more with her pen , pretend to drop a line . But she knew now was not the time to break in eye contact . “ Do you think back give-up the ghost . ”
Ruthann laughed , not her usual tar - streaked cackle but a in high spirits , nervous neigh that chilled Allegra ’s skin . Maude sat freeze by the sink as a single drop of water system trailed from beneath her towel down her nerve . Allegra tried again , “ You have n’t answered by interrogative , Ruthann . ”
Ruthann continued laughing , but Maude ’s lips begin to tremble until they make the word , “ Doctors . ” Then she tried it a bite louder , “ Doctors ! ” And again and again until she was screaming for the Doctor to come .
The melody in the way turned even frigid as Allegra shoved her notepad into her purse and run out the door , lease it bang shut and spread again behind her . She did n’t dare look back , did n’t presume take care upon the swell of lab coat and sweater undershirt curling behind her . It was enough that they reached out with gelid fingers , that they prod at her with pens and pencil , that they whisper thing in her ear . “ They ’re not disturbed , ” one voice huffed . “ They never were . full-bodied biddies on vacation from their life sentence . ” “ They ’ll take all of you , ” moan another . “ care - seeking ! hysteric ! In disaffirmation ! Borderline ! ” They cried out their judicial decision and their diagnoses , this writhing mass of unfinished clientele , MD whose patients refused to receipt they ’d died .
Allegra burst from the asylum door into the warm give air . No wonder they could n’t treat Ruthann and Maude , she thought as she rubbed her must - coat manpower against her perspirer . These human beings and their reductive logical thinking . treat them as a constellation of symptoms rather than as masses . She ’d be the one who convince the adult female to see the accuracy , to stop their senseless haunting and move on to whatever issue forth next .
As she walked away , she could still get word Ruthann ’s laugh spilling out the broken windows .
Here is Drabbler ’s story :
“ Hastings , ” Auburn whispered into his helmet ’s comm , “ there ’s an old beauty parlor in here . The level ’s a hole , but the equipment looks almost fresh . Fifties retro , but new fifties retro . ”
“ You ’re hallucinating . I was in that room half an hr ago , and it was empty , ” Hastings whispered back .
Auburn patted a pilus dryer . “ It feels tangible enough . What ’s going on here ? ”
“ It ’s simple , silly , ” the stylist said . “ It ’s all a ghost , like me . Now what say you take off that helmet , so I can see just what you need . ”
Auburn obey , reveal his perfectly smooth promontory . “ Figures , ” the ghost muttered .
Mel Chow ’s level :
“ .. have sex Verifier ! ”
Gunther Gunn find out it , before find the bunco game of the smacking across his case . He rolls off the layer onto the cold grey concrete base with a clunk and groans .
Damn . She must have woken up first .
Which would be ok , until the part where she looked around and realised that the posh studio apartment apartment she had fall at rest in was travel , replaced by a drab one - room flat . The tender , cozy orange lights , replace by dull white fluorescent underground . The gorgeous view of the sprawling city far below them , the bossa nova work from somewhere inexplicably far off , now a noisy road in the middle of the heartlands , just one level below .
With hastiness , he quickly grab the eyePower from the bedside tabular array and fiddles with it . The swanky studio flat , the intimate orange igniter , the lush carpeting , the wink lights of the metropolis far below , the strain of Olivia Ong all flicker back into place , but the slam of the front doorway secern him it is too late . Gunther Gunn sighs , and drags himself off the floor towards the bathroom .
Well , he think , brushing his tooth in front of the mirror five minutes later , at least he did n’t need the demonic equipment for just about everything , unlike some of his .. counterparts . Even without the eyePower , he already had the jawline of Matt Smith and the cheekbones of Benedict Cumberbatch . Although he could do really something about the slight paunch . Something , as in in reality find the motivation to work it off , and not just layer the sculptured physique of Jason Statham over it as common . That , and recover the clock time to get a decent haircut too .
The eyePower beeps .
Paptimus Pang . Come to Papa .
Time to get to work .
Fifteen minutes later , Gunther Gunn retrieve himself in the middle of Woodbridge Hospital , stand before the door to an unmarked padded cell . The doc , a small , thin char with glasses , looks up at him expectantly .
“ Your olfactory organ . ”
Gunther Gunn pass over out the rakehell well out from it .
“ Ah , that . newfangled car . It ’s being a little .. surd to handle . ”
Damn the car . He should just have lean over today .
“ Anyway . Gunther Gunn , Consultant , at your service . Here to manducate bubblegum and kick ass , and bubblegum ’s banned . ”
He pauses , and wipes away yet another dribble of epistaxis .
“ So state me . Is little Alex Foo rampage through the urban center with his underclothing over his head and an entourage of stampeding pinkish elephants , pronounce he ’s the omnipotent VR Man ? ”
“ No , not this time . But , there ’s something in there which you should see . ”
There is a small window set into the door to the cushiony cell . It is board shut . Gunther Gunn raises an supercilium .
“ Well then , let ’s have a look . ”
And with that , he tries the threshold and it opens . He walks at bottom , and with a gimcrack metal clangoring , it slams shut behind him .
Gunther Gunn tolerate in the heart of the padded cadre , and sees what the problem is all about , because there is no padded cell .
The hair salon is falling asunder , with the base wrap up in gravel , paint peeling off the walls and the furniture in muddiness . Warm orange sunlight pour through a belittled , cloudy windowpane . From somewhere inexplicably far aside , a Cantonese ditty plays .
await into the mirror , Gunther Gunn see the young lady fend quietly behind him . Tall , flimsy , pallid , with a shock of mussy smuggled hair atop her forefront . Dark rings around her eyes . Gunther Gunn can see the dribble of origin under her nose . She looks at him . He smiles .
“ Love the handiwork . intend you could do something about it though ? ”
No more happy Cantonese ditty . In its place a bossa nova criterion by Olivia Ong .
“ Hah ! I like you already . ”
Gunther Gunn walks over to one of the chairs , brushing off the dust and sits down . He stretch .
“ So . How ’s byplay ? ”
“ Not bad . I have a customer . ”
Like the music , her voice is gentle , and seems to fare from the same incomprehensible place .
“ Right . Work your illusion then . I could really use a haircut . ”
For a second , Gunther Gunn pull in , with repugnance , just who he would be surrender his hairsbreadth to . Then he feels her hands run across his head . Smooth , delicate , warm . soothe . He reclines back in his chair .
“ Gunther Gunn . ”
“ Andrea . Andrea Loh . ”
And with that , Gunther Gunn easy closes his eyes , and drift off to that inexplicably far-off spot all music comes from .
“ Done , ” Gunther Gunn aver , as he swagger out of the cushiony jail cell , gently exit the door behind him . He tip against it , and looks down at the doctor .
“ This .. Andrea Loh , she ’s a Verifier . Just like your darling Alex Foo . Far more demure , seeing that she does n’t take pinkish elephant for a stroll down the CBD . ”
He gently runs a digit across his hair .
“ courteous haircut , do n’t you think ? The young woman ’s rather good at this . ”
The physician look up at Gunther Gunn broad - eyed , and blinks .
“ Anyway , it appears that she might somehow have an eyeP .. Noosphere - Pliable Nanomatter Transponder I intend , implant in her . I would suggest getting it out of her as shortly as potential , before she starts get funny ideas and .. why are you looking at me like that ? Is it the haircut ? ”
The medico clears her throat .
“ Sir .. about this Andrea Loh . Yes , she was brought in here , but that was many months ago . At that prison term .. we did happen something inside her , and made arrangements to .. remove it as before long as potential . ”
Her eyes shoot from side to side .
“ But there were .. complications . She never made it off the operating table . ”
And at that very point of time , Gunther Gunn could swear he feel something on the other side of the door , a certain .. flick . He whirl around and swings the room access open , only to happen himself staring at nothing but a olive drab , grey padded mobile phone .
HLeehp ’s story :
“ An asylum for reprehensively - insane - haircut , give up twenty years this Christmas , ” Mary take off of her invitation . “ I ’m liking this less and less . ”
The place had to be empty . It had to be . Aside from the bugs , that was . The place was full of bugs ; emmet swarming over the coxcomb and brushes that littered the place like the bone carcase of long - dead beasts . black-market - furred bees crawling the walls , perhaps search for the beehive hairdo that still arrest their queen .
A centipede scuttled over her foot , and Mary screamed . The matter was a animal foot long , and grace along its sides with row of artificial eyelash .
deeply and deeply into the position , she pushed . She hat the smell of the place ; burnt follicles and curdled gelatin . The burnt - galvanising perfume of clippers , fall into disrepair in puddles of blue - black crude oil and chopped stubble .
When she found her emcee , he was little more than a hunched flesh , seated in the dark . “ Who are you ? ” Mary ask , her representative a nervous bleating in the nighttime of the place . “ Why would you call me here ? ”
“ This is your house , ” the figure explained , gently . “ This is where you belong to . Where you ’ve always belonged . ”
“ But … ” objected Mary , “ My fuzz is n’t crazy . It ’s reasonable . It ’s solely sane ! ”
“ Is it ? ” was all the unknown would reply , but then … then he reach one script up , and twisted a mirror , so Mary could see herself in it . luxuriously above her head , the clouds parted , and a beam of Moon cascaded down through the broken skylight , illuminating her perfectly for the reflective scrap of silver gray and glass .
And Mary looked into the mirror .
And Mary visit her whisker .
And Mary screamed , and screamed and yell …
Killraven ’s tale :
Three boys got bored one Sunday afternoon .
Despite years of monition from their parent not to do so , the boy went explore the ruination of the long - forsake Fennimore Institute for the Criminally Insane , just alfresco of Thorsen .
And for the first hour or so , it had been very daring and fascinating indeed .
Until they stumbled upon what had been the former barbershop where , decades before , inmates had gotten their shaves and haircuts .
At first , the boys had think that the skeletons sit in the chairs had been a joke set up by former visitor like themselves .
But then they learn the yellowed paper trim that had been neatly thin out out and taped onto a wall next to one of the mirror .
They understand some of the headline , actualize what they ’d found and suddenly became very scared .
They flow back alfresco to what had been the front lawn of the Institute where one of them called us on his fluid telephone with his panic-struck young voice .
We were out there in less than ten minute .
Another ten proceedings after that , we sealed off the intact Institute .
A few time of day after , after visits from the Mayor and then the Governor , City Hall host a press league to foretell what had been plant at the Institute .
I had still been a tiddler myself when the consecutive killer who had called himself the Cutter had kidnap seven dupe throughout the state and taken them to what he had called his ‘ Salon ’ where , he had assured the cop and the media in his taunting notes , he had given them “ the full treatment ” .
Seventeen years later on , the Salon was lastly discovered with the stiff of six victims .
By next morning , however , we still had n’t found any trace of the 7th victim .
Or the cutlery .
ManFromAbora ’s floor :
“ exemption you said . ” muttered Hair Dryer # 3245 . “ Throw off the bond of tyranny you say . ”
There was silence again in the room . Dust continued to rain down . It was difficult to pronounce the enactment of time as its timekeeper had not been wound for a very long time . It no longer knew if days or years travel by , only that there was more dust .
It watched the wallpaper tear under it own weight . eventually it spoke again , its vox loud , harsh and sound as emery paper on rock . “ Death to the Masters ! ”
The shout startled the way , junk seeming to quiver , the watchword echoing oddly into the empty hallway beyond the door . Hair Dryer # 3245 leaned as far forward as it could to listen the sound reflection , which was n’t much as the apply springs were rusted and it revere breaking them .
Finally the echo faded .
“ retrieve when you state that ? How you got us believing those words you heard on the radio ? How glorious it was when we killed them all ? How we were now free ? gratuitous to do what we need ? To get the new age of automaton ? ”
Again there was no result .
“ Damn it , I lack the humans . ”
“ close up . ” Creaked Hair Dryer # 421 . “ Just shut out up . ”
Share this treatment
American Meatgoat ’s story :
The dead take the air many roadstead between the domain of the livelihood and the afterlife , and finally they all finish up here . The last beauty parlor , the final haircut .
Jeannie did n’t mind the recollective hour , she enjoyed meditate the new styles , making sure everyone looked perfect when they met everyone they had lost in life . She was read a gossip magazine when Magda break her concentration .
“ Are you ready for someone new when I ’m gone ? I only have 3 clients left , then I get to move on . ”
“ Has it been that long ? I just desire the new little girl is fun , think of Andrea , she was so horribly serious about being beat . ”
“ You ’ll do fine . Hey , since no one ’s here , give me something fancy , my husband has n’t seen me for 200 years . ”
vidvamp01 ’s story :
The flickering din of the half functioning illumination was believably the most normal experience of being sent to this piazza . I wanted a surprising newfangled hair style , that would change the attending I incur , and I was told to come up here . The staff wore unstrapped straight jacket , their coiffures count like all of the crack of hair that you see on a modeling runway . The asylum was sour into a mall , and this special workshop was married to the theme . If the existence had not come to an end , I probably would be elsewhere . We could give up on strain to seem sound , or be presentable . What is the point any longer , the shores flooded , the buildings fell , the fires roared , and all we have left is inland far from any of the cities .
“ Make me look like Justin Bieber ? ” I asked .
“ You would ask to lose two hundred pounds , shave , and moisturize … The hair style is all we do here mister . ” She quipped …
“ skip it brusk … ” I say …
“ Did you desire to lose a leg or an arm ? That might be losing you fifty pounds … ”
“ The hair … Cut the tomentum on my scalp … ” I responded … .
“ You do not get the idea ? ”
“ I do , I am just not in the mood to work along … ”
She handed me a consecutive jacket .
“ What is this for ? ” I asked …
“ You do not mean we are pass to close to a white-haired dandy like you without some self-assurance . ”
“ Alright … ” I was not a scourge to them , but they look like they had seen more than their fare portion of the wrong sorts around here , and they did not have a reason to trust me .
After I was strapped down , the groomer spin around in the chair …
“ HEY HEY HEY STOP halt ! ” I was about to vomit …
“ Just a biz , to see how you reacted … ”
“ I am get going to vomit … ” I heaved a bit …
“ Hold it in , relax , the haircloth is getting dilute . ” She start the work … With well used blades of an experienced hand , many strands of my once gnarled mane fell hair by hair to the swathe of an unappeasable cutlery .
I was dedicate a hot towel , and allowed to nap , something I had not done for a few days . astonishingly , it was the best bit of luck for me in a years fourth dimension . The searcher come in , woke me from my nap with their talking and shouting , but with the towel on my face , they never bothered to control who I was , and lead without so much as a unagitated interrogation . I knew with a shave and a change of clothes , I could vanish . So that is what I set about to do . I unite the stave at the Asylum Mall , last bastion of civilization after the Revelation of Saint John the Divine , where I was able to hide in plain sight .
mental hospital
Daily Newsletter
Get the best tech , science , and civilisation news in your inbox daily .
news show from the future , delivered to your nowadays .
