Curse of the Abandoned: The Mercy Hospital Mystery

By Emily Harper

In "Curse of the Abandoned: The Mercy Hospital Mystery," a once-hallowed ground turned hellish haunt, Mercy Hospital sits derelict, its shadowy corridors and decaying wards home to whispers of the past. Journalist Alex Reed, driven by a personal tragedy linked to the hospital, embarks on a harrowing quest to unearth its dark secrets. Confronting vengeful spirits and a sinister presence known as the Keeper, Alex uncovers a web of haunting guilt, twisted experiments, and souls crying for redemption. Within the hospital's cursed walls, they face psychological torment and ghostly encounters in a chilling journey to bring peace to the unrestful. What began as a search for answers becomes a fight for survival and a quest to free the lost souls ensnared by the hospital's malevolent curse. "Curse of the Abandoned" weaves a tale of eerie investigations, sinister mysteries, and the unbreakable will to confront the darkness within.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nebula Nova Publishing
• Release date: Mar 28, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224631018

Book preview

Curse of the Abandoned

The Mercy Hospital Mystery

Emily Harper

Copyright © 2024 by Emily Harper

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Contents

1.The Forsaken Threshold

2.Voices in the Silence

3.Shadows of the Past

4.The Heart of Darkness

5.Bonds Beyond Death

6.Echoes of Guilt

7.The Assembly of Souls

8.The Labyrinth Unravels

9.The Confrontation

10.Dawn of Deliverance

Chapter one

The Forsaken Threshold

The old Mercy Hospital loomed before Alex Reed like a decaying tombstone, its crumbling brick facade and shattered windows a testament to years of neglect. A heavy fog curled around the building’s foundations, tendrils snaking across the overgrown lawn as if nature itself sought to reclaim what man had forsaken. Alex stood at the rusted iron gates, a shiver tracing down their spine that had little to do with the evening chill.

Five years, Alex muttered, their breath misting in the cool air. Has it been that long?

To the rest of the city, Mercy Hospital was nothing more than a relic of the past, a failed institution left to rot in the shadow of progress. But for Alex, it held the key to a mystery that had haunted them for far too long. A mystery born in tragedy, nurtured by guilt, and now, perhaps, on the cusp of revelation.

As Alex stepped through the gates, a vivid flash of memory surged unbidden. The squeal of tires, the sickening crunch of metal, the searing pain that had ripped through their body as the world spun out of control. The accident had left more than just physical scars; it had shattered Alex’s sense of self, leaving a gaping void where certainty once lived.

In the months that followed, as Alex struggled to piece together the fragments of their fractured life, whispers reached their ears. Whispers about Mercy Hospital and the dark secrets that lurked within its walls. Secrets that somehow seemed to be intertwined with Alex’s own tragic tale.

Now, standing before the hospital’s gaping maw, Alex felt a flicker of doubt. What if there was more to those whispers than idle gossip and urban legends? What if, in their stubborn skepticism, they had overlooked a truth that defied explanation?

Get it together, Reed, Alex chided themselves, shaking off the memories and the doubt. You’re here for answers, not fantasies.

With a resolute stride, Alex climbed the cracked concrete steps and pushed through the hospital’s rusted doors. The hinges groaned in protest, the sound echoing through the cavernous lobby like a dying breath. Dust motes danced in the weak light that filtered through grimy windows, casting long shadows across the cracked tile floor. The air was thick with the pungent smell of mold and decay, a miasma that hung heavy in Alex’s lungs.

The lobby, once a bustling hub of activity, now stood silent and hollow. The reception desk sat abandoned, its surface littered with scattered papers and upturned coffee mugs, a snapshot of a life interrupted. Faded posters clung to the walls, their cheery slogans and smiling faces a jarring contrast to the ruin that surrounded them. A broken wheelchair lay toppled in a corner, a twisted monument to the suffering that had once filled these halls.

Alex moved deeper into the hospital, their footsteps echoing in the oppressive silence. The walls were damp and cold to the touch, the peeling paint and crumbling plaster a testament to the relentless march of time and neglect. The floor, once gleaming white tiles, was now a mottled patchwork of grime and debris, each step a reminder of the hospital’s precipitous fall from grace.

As they walked, Alex couldn’t shake the unnerving feeling of being watched. The hairs on the back of their neck prickled, a primal warning of unseen eyes lurking in the shadows. They spun around, expecting to find some sinister presence, but there was only the empty hallway and the relentless press of silence.

It’s just your imagination, Alex muttered, their voice sounding thin and hollow in the oppressive stillness. Focus on why you’re here.

Unnerved, Alex pressed on, their destination clear in their mind. The record room, where the secrets of Mercy’s past lay buried beneath layers of dust and bureaucracy. If answers were to be found, it would be there, in the yellowed pages and faded ink of forgotten files.

The door to the record room was locked, the handle unyielding beneath Alex’s grip. They reached into their satchel, retrieving a set of lock picks with a wry smile.

Never thought I’d be using these skills again, Alex mused, kneeling before the door. Guess some habits die hard.

With deft movements, Alex worked the tumblers, the soft click of the lock disengaging a minor victory against the hospital’s stubborn secrets.

The room beyond was a testament to neglect, the air heavy with the musty smell of old paper and the stagnant weight of time. Filing cabinets towered in haphazard rows, their metal surfaces dulled by a thick layer of grime. Alex pulled a flashlight from their bag, the beam cutting through the gloom like a knife.

They began their search, fingers tracing over faded labels and rusted handles. Patient records, staff files, incident reports - a paper trail of tragedy and malfeasance. Alex felt a knot tighten in their gut as they pored over the documents, each revelation a fresh wound.

Tales of neglect and abuse, of patients left to languish in squalor and despair. Of ruthless cost-cutting measures and corners cut, lives reduced to mere numbers on a balance sheet. And through it all, a thread of something darker, something that defied rational explanation. Whispered accounts of unnatural occurrences, of patients who spoke of ghostly visitations and unseen presences that stalked the halls.

What the hell happened here? Alex whispered, a chill racing down their spine despite the stifling heat of the room. What were they hiding?

As they reached for another file, a photo slipped from between the pages, fluttering to the dust-covered floor. Alex stooped to retrieve it, the beam of their flashlight illuminating a face that stopped them cold.

It was a picture of a young girl, only ten years old, her dark hair framing a pale, solemn face. But it was her eyes that drew Alex in, wide and haunted, as if they had seen horrors beyond imagining.

Lily, Alex breathed, the name a half-remembered whisper from their dreams. I know you...

A sudden clatter shattered the silence, jolting Alex from their reverie. They spun around, flashlight beam sweeping the room, but there was nothing, only the looming cabinets and the settling dust.

Get a grip, Reed, Alex muttered, running a trembling hand through their hair. Too much caffeine and too little sleep.

But then, in the corner of their eye, a flicker of movement. A shadow, darting between the cabinets, was too quick to be a trick of the light. Alex’s breath caught in their throat, adrenaline surging through their veins. They took a step forward, flashlight held before them like a talisman against the darkness.

Who’s there? Alex called out, their voice echoing in the