Out of My DNIM

By Macy Baumgarten

About the Book
Everleigh has devoted her whole college experience to her studies, but her senior year was going to be different. She wanted to experience college beyond her books – to be like her popular twin brother, Jackson. When Aiden, Jackson’s teammate and Everleigh’s crush, invites her to explore the old Waverly Psychiatric Hospital, she ignores her hesitations. Little did they know that Waverly was not as abandoned as everyone thinks. There is something sinister lurking behind those walls. It seems as if everyone who explores Waverly does not return.
About the Author
Macy grew up in Bucktown, Pennsylvania where the surrounding farms cultivated her love of horses. She graduated from Houghton University with a degree in equestrian performance and a minor in business administration. Growing up, Macy never had any interest in reading and writing, as these subjects were always difficult for her. Being diagnosed with dyslexia in the fourth grade provided an explanation for the struggle. With the support of great teachers and her family, she learned ways to overcome her disability. She started writing as a creative outlet and her new love for reading and writing produced the book you are reading today. When Macy isn’t writing, she can be found at the barn spoiling her two horses, Dezi and Phoebe.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Company
• Release date: Feb 2, 2024
• ISBN: 9798888126783

Book preview

PROLOGUE

Run.

Her brother’s single word repeated in her head. Everleigh’s feet seemed to barely hit the pavement she was running so fast, splashing through puddles of water that had been gathering on the pavement beneath her. It didn’t matter though. Her sneakers were already soaked through from the rain that was pouring down. She was oblivious to the feeling of the sopping wetness underneath her feet. Anyone would be when they were running for their life.

A light from above, a helicopter spotlight, was tailing her, making her run even faster. She was constantly looking back in fear as it was catching up to her. The light reflecting off the puddles made it look as though the water was electrified. She was running fast, trying to avoid being caught by the beam. She felt as if she was running from a rabid dog that was nipping at the heels of her feet, just barely grabbing her in his jaws and bringing her down.

Hurry up! her twin brother Jackson yelled back, and you could hear the authority and desperation in his voice as he called out for his sister to pick up the pace.

Everleigh’s chest was burning, and her heart felt as though it could burst. She had never felt anything close to this feeling before. She pushed forward and rounded a corner into a dark alley. Everleigh turned quickly, pressing her back against the cold and damp brick wall, holding her breath as the helicopter light hovered near by. She was still. She didn’t say a word or even dare to think of one, with fear the helicopter would come back.

What is going on? I thought you said no one would be there, Everleigh blurted out once she thought the helicopter was far enough away and out of ear shot, even though there was no way they could actually be heard. She was breathless, trying to catch air into her burning lungs.

Jackson could barely hear his sister’s voice through the rain hitting the cement beneath their feet. The rain still poured down and was getting stronger. Jackson was holding his hood over his head, trying to keep dry but meeting with little success. Everleigh looked around for some sort of shelter, anything to protect them from the rain and the helicopter light that was lurking still in the night, like a shark circling a shipwreck waiting for the opportune moment to start its feeding frenzy.

There was a factory loading dock in the alleyway a few feet away, and Everleigh nodded to it. Jackson followed to get out of the rain. He watched as his sister climbed up onto the dock, hurrying to shelter, and couldn’t believe he had gotten them into this mess. Jackson followed slowly after almost slipping slightly on the wet surface, scratching his hand. He let out a wince at the pain as he finished his ascent to the temporary safety.

Looking down at his hands, he watched as blood started to make its appearance on the surface of his skin. He flashed back to the memory of when he was nine. He had fallen on the road after trying a skateboarding trick, and the same injury had taken place. Now looking down, he watched for a second as the blood merged with the falling rain, making the deep red a lighter color. A piece of scrap metal clanged in the distance against the brick wall of the alley, snapping him out of his fixation with his bloody hand.

Everleigh jumped at the sound as well, moving deeper into the darkness of boxes, finding comfort in their shadows. How did I get myself into this mess? she thought. She was just about to finish college with a degree in writing. She had plans for her life. She was a good student, never got into trouble and had phenomenal grades. Her twin brother, Jackson, on the other hand, not so much. He was the troublemaker of the family. He was always getting the both of them in such messes, but as the years went by, Everleigh learned to keep clean. Not tonight apparently.

Jackson had this brilliant idea that it would be fun to meet up with his friend Aiden and explore some abandoned psych ward. The only reason she even agreed to go was because she knew Aiden would be there. She had always had a slight crush on him, and her impulsive feelings for him was what got her into this mess. If she had been smarter, she wouldn’t be shivering behind damp boxes in the dark of night with what she assumed was the police on their tail.

Jackson was dripping with water and looked confused as he paced in front of her. One more time getting in trouble and I’m off the hockey team. I swear I had no idea this would happen. Aiden said it would be fine, Jackson spouted out, almost trying to make sense of it all. Wait, Aiden, Jackson said, remembering they had been separated in the chaos.

Everleigh moved slowly out of the shadows and toward the opening of the loading dock. She looked around in the pouring rain, checking to see if he was behind them or anywhere nearby. She hoped he would pull up any second with the car and they could escape this situation with little damage. Look, I’m sure he’s fine. Just give him a call and let’s get out of here, Everleigh said, trying to convince herself this wasn’t as bad as it seemed and that they were going to be fine.

She was freezing from the rain and could see her breath in the cold air. Her thick, gray sweater was weighing down on her and wrapping in the cold. The rain was practically sleet. It was early January in Michigan, and that meant winter was here, but shockingly, it was not cold enough that day for snow to make its usual appearance. Everleigh wrapped her arms around herself trying to keep as much warmth in as possible.

Jackson fished into his pocket frantically and pulled out his phone. He fiddled around with the screen, trying to wipe the raindrops off and get it to work. Damnit. It won’t turn on, Jackson said, hitting it and wiping the sopping phone on his soaked through shirt, not doing any good.

Of course it won’t, it’s cold and pouring rain, Everleigh snapped, still frustrated with the situation they were in. I can’t believe I let you get me into this mess. Those were helicopters, Jack. Everleigh’s voice got louder as her rage built. Helicopters! she yelled again, finishing her statement and making sure Jackson knew the situation they were in. As if he already didn’t know they were going to be in a lot of trouble. Better yet, he had no idea how he would even begin to explain this one to their parents, but he knew Everleigh would handle that for him. Just as Everleigh yelled, the helicopter light appeared in the alleyway.

Everleigh and Jackson both turned around with wide eyes, watching the glow of the spotlight illuminate every raindrop that was falling down. It was like the rain was in slow motion, and with each drop, they could see the light bounce off like a disco ball. They both turned back to each other, wasting no time before running to hide in the back corner of the loading dock behind the multitude of boxes. They scurried so fast their shoes slipped on the damp floor, and they hit the boxes with more force than anticipated. They were lucky they were filled with something or the boxes may have fallen down altogether, giving away their cover.

They were scrunched together, sitting on the hard floor, trying to be as small and inconspicuous as possible. Jackson faced the direction they had come from, and Everleigh had her back against the wall. He figured he got them into this mess and if they were going to be caught, he was going to go down first. He had always been protective of his sister that way. Yes, he had gotten them into more trouble than necessary, but he always was quick to take the blame and save his sister from any repercussions.

They waited in silence, not moving a muscle, well at least trying not to. They both were shivering now from being soaking wet in the frigid night. Their muscles ached from working so hard to keep their bodies even remotely close to not freezing. Jackson looked at his sister and could swear he saw ice forming on her eyelashes and in the corner of her eyes as her long hair started to drip its moisture down her face. The silence made the time seem to go on for ages. They didn’t know how long they had been sitting there or how long they would have to stay frozen in place. All they could hear was the pounding rain on the road just outside.

Ev, I’m sorry, Jackson whispered, lowering his head like a dog that knew it had gotten itself in trouble.

Everleigh just nodded, though one wouldn’t be able to tell as her body shook violently in the cold. It’s okay, she was able to whisper back even though it was a lie. Everleigh knew she had to reassure her brother, but her voice was jerky due to her uncontrollable shaking. The silence filled back in around them. Everleigh just kept telling herself this would all be over in the morning, and just another crazy story to go into the memory book.

Within an instant, the silence broke, and the roar of dogs barking and voices giving them commands came from the distance. It was a horrifying sound that both the twins were not expecting. Everleigh turned toward Jackson whispering to him. Jack…, she started and stared her brother right in the eyes. The intensity in her gaze was all the hint her brother needed to know she was terrified and serious. "Why would someone care so much that some dumb college students were trying to explore an abandoned psych ward?" she asked, putting emphasis on the word abandoned, and it seemed to hit Jackson too. His face lit up, and Everleigh could almost see the questions forming in his eyes. Why would someone care so much? Why was that light on, and why were they being chased down like criminals that had escaped a prison? What kind of trouble had they gotten themselves into tonight?

Not long after she asked the question, a sharp prick hit Everleigh’s neck, and her hand instantly went to the sight of pain as if ready to swat away a mosquito on a summer day. To her surprise, it wasn’t a bug at all, but instead a round metal object. She felt it between her fingers and pulled it out. It was a dart of some kind. Her eyes looked big at Jackson before things started to spin. Her vision looked like a kaleidoscope before fading in and out. Jack? she whispered with fear rolling off her tongue, hoping her brother could protect her like he always had through the years.

‘`Ev?’ Jackson tried to answer back, scared and shocked, catching her slightly in his arms. He frantically moved her around, trying to get her to wake up, not knowing what was going on. It was all happening too fast to process. He watched as Everleigh started to fade, and her eyelids began to shut. Everleigh! ‘’ Jackson yelled in desperation, which was the last thing she heard as she fell into darkness. Ev? Ev?" Jackson kept calling though his attempts at reviving his sister were slim to none.

The sound of the barking dogs got closer, and panic started to set in. Jackson looked around, unable to see anyone in the darkness and the rain, when suddenly he was blinded by the bright light of a flashlight hitting his face. His eyes burned from the light. In quick response, he put a hand up to shield his face from the stream of white light. He held onto his sister with all the force he could muster up. He was not leaving her. He wasn’t. He didn’t know what was taking place and felt as though he was out of his own body, experiencing these events like he was in some science fiction movie. At that moment he felt a prick. His hand raced to his neck pulling out the dart that matched the one his sister had received only seconds before.

Jackson’s vision started to become hazy, and then clear, and then hazy, and then clear. The back-and-forth vision caused his head to pound and his stomach to feel sick, as though he had just gotten off a terrible ride at the amusement park. He closed his eyes, violently trying to get his surroundings to stop spinning wildly out of control. Shooting his eyelids open, he hoped his vision would be clear and he would be able to get his bearings once again. His vision was clear, but only for a second. Then, just as fast as it cleared, it fogged up once more, revealing the silhouette of a human appearing into his view before he too faded into overcoming darkness.

***

Everleigh’s eyes slowly opened, and as they did, she shielded them from the bright lights that seemed to blind her from above. It was as if she was looking into the sun on a bright, sunny day. She rubbed her eyes, trying to wipe away the pain. Once they felt adjusted, she opened them once more slowly focusing on her surroundings. Everleigh was laying down on what felt as though to be a bed and found herself staring at what looked like a ceiling. It was white and the light reflected off it like snow on a winter day. No wonder it was so blinding.

Everleigh was trying to make sense of it all. It was like a weird dream or waking up from too much alcohol after a raging night party. Her head pounded as though someone was inside taking a wrecking ball to her skull. Then, through the pounding, she remembered the events that happened earlier, like flashes of slides on a reel. She shot up on the bed and looked around in a state of panic.

Taking it all in, she noted the room was white, the bed she was on was white, and everything around it was white. This wasn’t a jail cell. A hospital maybe? She was trying to piece everything together, but it was like trying to put together a puzzle with pieces from different pictures all scattered together.

She decided to take in her surroundings. Take it all in piece by piece. She noted a small desk in the corner. It was very plain and very minimalistic. A small dresser was leaning against the wall. No window. But there was a door to her left.

A door!

Everleigh wanted to run to try and open it, but as she went to take a step, her bare foot hit against the cold floor, stopping her in her tracks. She realized she wasn’t wearing shoes anymore. She looked down and noticed her clothes were different than the ones she was wearing. She had on a pair of gray sweatpants and a white t-shirt. She was dry, and her hair was dry. No longer was it dripping wet from the rain, and come to think of it, she was no longer cold. How long had she been asleep?

Her heart was beating out of control at this point, and a knot started to form in her stomach. Nothing about this felt right. Her head continued to pound as well, making thinking very difficult. What was happening? Her thoughts were on a continuous loop like advertise-ments on the walls of a sports stadium. In a panic, she ran to the door.

She looked out the small window for merely a second to see what lay beyond this mysterious door. It led into what looked to be a hallway, once again, the color of a blank sheet of paper. Another door was across the hall from where she stood behind hers. It looked like a hospital, but if it was a hospital, why didn’t she see any medical equipment?

She reached for the steel handle connected to the thick metal door and went to turn it. Her heart stopped, and for a moment, she couldn’t function for the absolute fear within her. It didn’t move. The handle didn’t move. It was locked. Everleigh frantically shook the handle, trying to turn it, hoping that one more try would allow the handle to move freely and the door would open.

Her heart was beating out of control. Her breathing was uneven, and her throat was tight from panic. What is going on? What is happening? Is this a dream? Is this a nightmare? Did I die? Where am I? Her mind raced with questions, causing her already pounding head to burn with a searing pain. It felt as though her brain was at a boil and any minute would explode with the pressure within it. Suddenly she came out of her thoughts. She started pounding on the door, one fist after the other. LET ME OUT! she screamed. LET ME OUT! HELP ME! SOMEONE HELP ME!

She kept pounding and pounding. No one answered. It was silent. All she could hear was the echoes of her own pounding and screaming. There was no one. How can there be no one? she wondered. She looked down in exhaustion as she tried to catch her breath. Her eyes unwillingly followed her sinking head causing her gaze to drift downward. She took a moment. Took a breath. She closed her eyes tight, hoping to wake up from whatever dream this was and, if nothing else, to stop the constant pressure building behind her eyes.

She lifted her head, and once more, her eyes followed the metal door up to where her balled, red, and raw fists rested against it still.

It was then she saw it.

Her eyes got wide. Fixated, actually, as if in a trance, on one little object. She swallowed hard, afraid of what she was about to find out. She looked at her left wrist and saw a white plastic band wrapped neatly around it. How did she not notice it before? She pulled her sore fists toward her. Her fingers, not wanting to become unraveled from beating on the door so hard, stayed closed. There was something written on the band, and she slowly pulled it closer, not wanting to have her own nightmarish thoughts become a reality. She turned the white band toward her, reading it as a tear slipped down her face. In little black writing it said:

Moore, Everleigh

Birth: September 12, 1996 Hair: Black Eyes: Brown Height: 5’5"

Waverly Psychiatric Hospital Patient

Chapter One – Nyctophobia

Fear of Darkness

Everleigh curled the last strand of hair as she finished her look for the day. She gazed in the small mirror in her dorm room at her own reflection staring back at her. Her dark, black hair fell perfectly past her shoulders, and her deep brown eyes were staring back intensely, looking for any flaws that needed to be fixed. It was her first day of the last semester of senior year. The thought weighed on her.

Her four years at college had gone by far too fast for her liking. She knew though that this semester was going to be great. It had to be. She needed it to be. Otherwise, her whole college experience would be an immense waste. Well, not entirely a waste because she would be getting a degree, and her studies meant the world to her, but in some way, deep down she felt as though those four years had been a waste.

She had devoted herself to her schoolwork, perfecting her grades, for what? A piece of paper saying that she had done a good job and now could go on to more work? Everleigh prided herself on her hard work in academics and had always found satisfaction in her scholastic achievements, but she still felt empty at points. There was something missing. Something she was determined to acquire this semester. Something more.

She was determined to get out and be more social. She promised herself she would have more of a life. She had always been so focused on her schoolwork that she really didn’t have much of a social life besides hanging out with her roommate, Erin, and her twin brother, Jackson, but she was determined that was going to change.

She set the curling rod that was in her hand down on the desk in front of her. She ran her fingers through her hair, still striving for absolute perfection in her look, before leaving her room. Everleigh turned around in her desk chair, looking at her roommate Erin passed out, sleeping on her bed even with her alarm clock blaring a rock song on repeat. It had been blaring for the past ten minutes, but Everleigh was good at tuning it out by this point.

Everleigh smiled slightly at the scene that was before her. She examined her neatly organized desk and made bed, and then continued scanning the small room over to Erin’s side where clothes littered the floor, along with books and empty food containers. Everleigh unplugged the curling rod and pushed her chair in neatly, grabbed her backpack off the back, and reached down to grab a pillow that had fallen off of Erin’s bed, throwing it at her. Erin barely moved, continuing her slumber. It was a shock to Everleigh that Erin was even still enrolled here.

Erin Midden had been Everleigh’s roommate since freshman year. Although they had completely different personalities, their friendship seemed to work because of it. At first, they didn’t know how they would even make it through a week of rooming together, but as the weeks progressed, they realized they had more in common than they originally thought. Erin was able to break Everleigh out of her shy and enclosed shell. Erin had always been, and always would be, Everleigh’s most trusted friend.

Time to get up, Erin, Everleigh screamed back at her while walking out the door of her dorm room into the busy hallway.

Girls rushed around to the showers and off to classes in a panic. It was like rush hour on the freeway within the tight, enclosed hallway. It was only a matter of time before there would be a collision. Everleigh was rarely in a panic. She was always very organized and on time. She laughed to herself at the