FULL SUMMARY "At first I thought... someone will notice... someone will put an end to the experiments... but no one came. No one noticed, and if they did they didn't care. Help never came... because no one cares about a few forgotten lunatics..." A private investigator gets more than she bargained for when she sneaks into Mount Massive to expose Murkoff Corporations. What was supposed to be a simple snoop job rapidly goes to Hell as she realizes the patients have escaped and are running rampant through the building, but all exits have been locked down. It seems all hope is lost, but it turns out she has a guardian angel in this Hell, but can he be trusted? After all, he is one of them, and he seems to have a taste for fire.

Chapter#1: Aurora

"You're insane."

She glanced back at the blonde-headed woman from over the studded shoulder of her leather jacket, smiling covertly as she clipped two retractable batons to her belt. "Then I should fit right in."

"Aurora, this exceeds even your level of crazy." Her bespectacled friend stated blatantly. "You can't expect me to keep quiet about this."

"I expect you to practice the very meaning of the word silence." Finally turning from the layout of supplies she had spread out on the polished surface of the Victorian mahogany desk, she faced the other woman fully, green eyes burning with a rigid intent. "I have to do this. I know something is going on in that place... something bad... and I'm going to figure out what." Picking up the tiny pocket camcorder, she clipped it to her belt alongside one of the batons. As she was pulling on a pair of black, fingerless gloves, her insistent companion continued her efforts to sway her decision.

"So, let me get this straight."

"Mhm." She clipped a small flashlight to one of her belt loops.

"You think a company called Murkoff Corporations is conducting illegal and unethical experiments on the patients of Mount Massive... a mental asylum..."

"Mhmm." A leg satchel was buckled to each thigh, connected to her belt to keep them from falling.

"And your plan is to go in there alone?"

"A crowd attracts attention, and you and I both know they won't let me three steps into the place when they see I'm a woman. I have to sneak in."

"Aurora, this is a mental asylum. On top of that, it's possibly being run by mad scientists? This is stupid, even for you."

"This isn't my first snoop job, Cas. I'm a private investigator. This is kind of my job, remember?"

"Your 'job' isn't sneaking around corrupt mental asylums! What happens if you get caught, hm? You'll be lucky if you have any kind of signal up there. You won't be able to call for help."

A long sigh left the ebony-haired investigator. "Look. If you don't hear from me in twenty-four hours, send in the cavalry. Okay?"

Cassidy Blake folded her arms across her chest, staring at her friend through helvetica-framed glasses in a fashion that was less than satisfied. "Aurora, I don't like this."

"I need you to trust me." Finally ceasing in her shuffling around the study, Aurora looked her intently in the eyes. "You need to understand I'm safer if you don't say anything. The more noise, the higher chance there is of me getting caught. Sending people in could blow my cover, and then what am I going to do? We stick with the plan. I don't call exactly twenty-four hours from the stroke of ten, you send in backup." She placed her hands on her shoulders. "Promise me."

Silence.

"Promise me, Cas."

"Okay, fine! Twenty-four hours." The blonde pointed a manicured finger in her face. "That's it. I'm not messing around, Aurora."

"Neither am I." Turning, Aurora picked up her gun and tucked it into its holster. "I'll call you before I reach the mountain."

That was two days ago. She had boarded a plane bound for Colorado, where she had rented a car before starting her journey towards Lake County. As promised, she had phoned Cassidy one last time before the signal was estimated to be lost, putting up with one last tongue lashing from her friend before shutting her phone off and tucking it away in her back pocket.

The weather had gradually grown worse as she drove on, having seen the dark storm clouds looming over the higher ground when she had arrived at the mountain. What had started as a little rain had quickly turned into torrential downpour, her windshield wipers working overtime to clear the thick water long enough for her to see ten inches in front of her.

Then finally, after what felt like days to her, she saw it. Towering in the distance, almost black against the night sky, sat Mount Massive Asylum, its hulking mass dwarfing some, if not most, of the facilities she had seen in the past. It certainly earned its name, and she could only imagine how many poor souls were trapped inside. Huge, isolated, and hidden in the mountain, it was the perfect place for Murkoff to nest.

Not for long.

She had expected little to no activity upon arriving at the front gates, but for there to literally be no one? A lone jeep was parked before the security gate before her, but all seats were vacant. It hardly seemed logical for the driver to abandon their vehicle to enter the gates on foot. Unless you're not the only one sneaking in.

Her gaze turned towards the security booth, green eyes narrowing further when she saw it, too, was vacant. Something was wrong.

Again, her gaze swerved towards the massive asylum before her, eyeing the pitch black windows and noting that not a single one was lit. Despite the eerie feeling gradually building within her gut, however, she got out of the car and moved to investigate further, having come too far to give up so easily. She was no quitter.

Running through the pouring rain, she quickly ducked into the suspiciously open door of the booth, pocketing her key in the process. Nothing appeared too out of the usual upon first glimpse, but previous experiences promptly reminded her to never underestimate any situation. This was, after all, Mount Massive.

That was when she spotted it, through the streams of rain clouding the glass window in the booth. A separate, smaller door to the right of the security gate. It had been left slightly ajar. Remembering the jeep, she turned her head to the brick red vehicle parked in front of hers.

Braving the rain, she ran around to the driver's side, praising God at finding the door unlocked, and she hopped in. A quick scan of the inside of the vehicle left nothing but unanswered questions, until she spotted the tag hanging off the rearview mirror. Leaning in, she squinted at the print.

"Miles Upshur. Press?" Her eyes narrowed again. Definitely not invited.

Once more, her eyes rose to stare up at the asylum, this time with even more questions in her head. Red flags were sprouting like daisies all over the place. A ditched jeep, missing reporter, and an absent security guard. Absent everyone. Suddenly, she wished she had brought more bullets.

"Well, Upshur, I hope you're good at what you do. It looks like we're going to need the luck." Reaching down, she made sure her camcorder was still in its protective case before jumping back out into the rain, and she made a speedy beeline to the open door.

Her black combat boots thudded along the wet ground as she jogged across the front courtyard, splashing through a puddle as she rounded the large fountain placed before the building's main entrance, but that wasn't what had her attention. Three abandoned military vehicles were parked before the main doors.

"I knew it..." Running up the front steps, she took out her camcorder to get a shot of the trucks. What is the military doing here? Are they friend or foe? Hopefully, it was the latter. Turning around, she tried the front doors, only to find they were locked. Spectacular. Okay, Upshur. How did you get in?

Turning around, she gave her surroundings a scan. Brick walls surrounded her on each side, and the only way through would be the gates doors built into them. Right or left, Aurora. She took off running for the left. Part of her wanted to be excited at seeing the bottom of the door had been bent and broken to create a hole just large enough to slip through, while the other half threw up red, flashing signs that screamed "danger". Who or what was strong enough to bend a metal door? And why?

"Well, Cas, you were right. This is by far the worst idea I've ever had." But she hadn't travelled two days and driven through a bloody hurricane to give up and go home with her tail between her legs. She had to do this. There were people suffering. If she didn't expose Murkoff, more would die.

That was when she saw the construction platform stationed against the wall of the building straight ahead. Jackpot. Ducking down, she slipped her body through the hole, and she was running for the red ladder connecting the ground to the lower level of the platform. A couple levels up, she was greeted with an open window, and inside awaited a pitch blackness that was hardly inviting.

"Abandoned military vehicles, no people, and no power. This just keeps getting better and better." Reaching down, she unclipped her mini flashlight from her belt and attached it to the top of her camcorder.

Overturned chairs and papers scattered the floor at her feet, causing her brow to crease together as she navigated through the mess to the open door at the opposite end of the room. Upon entering the hallway, however, she was met with a roadblock in the form of shelves and chairs stacked together, effectively cutting her off from proceeding any further. Knocking it down would only create a racket, and that was not something she was willing to risk, so she opted to cut through the office to her right and hope it connected to a door on the other side.

Why would they block the halls? What were they trying to keep out? Cautiously, she peeked into the room. There is no one here. The place is a mess. What the hell is going on?

Carefully, she peeked out into the hallway before stepping out of the room. Another blockade stood ahead of her, but there was a small opening she could slip through. As she was wedging her body into the narrow space, however, she stopped short when her eyes landed on a dark stain splotching the carpet.

Blood. Crimson splattered both the floor and the wall beside her, standing out brightly against the dull coloring of the paint. Instincts now fully kicked into gear, she reached down and pulled out her gun, holding it at the ready. Keep going. You have to. Taking in a deep breath, she exhaled slowly, and she continued forward to the door at the end of the hall.

Locked.

"Of course..." Reaching down, she pulled her lock pick from her belt and got to work as silently as she could. A couple minutes later, she was rewarded with a telltale click. "Yes."

"...Who's there?"

Her head snapped around so fast, she felt the vertebrae pop. Snatching her camera off the floor, she quickly shuffled through the door, shutting it as quickly and quietly as possible and locking it behind her.

It was a decision she immediately regretted.

Bodies. The mangled, decapitated corpses of what she assumed could only be employees and guards of the hospital lay strewn about on the floor, their blood staining the sand-colored carpet in puddles. The stench of death thickened the air, filling her nose with the metallic scent of blood and decay, and she may have heaved over if not for her shock.

Wide, green orbs scanned over the room, taking in the carnage with horror. No. Oh, no. This was not what she expected. These bodies had been mangled beyond recognition, their heads separated completely from their shoulders. What could have done this?

"Oh, my God..." she breathed in a trembling whisper.

"Little pig!" Her body whipped about on his own accord, gun arm flying upwards—only to nearly drop it at the sight of a massive, blood-covered—thing charging at her. If it had once been a man, it wasn't any longer, two hooks pulling back at the corners of its lip-less mouth to expose blood-stained teeth, and it appeared as if the skin had been ripped clean from its forehead. She had staggered backwards in shock as it advanced on her, the chains hanging from its arms and legs clinking with the motion.

"You little whore," it growled, almost muttered, in a raspy, guttural voice that sent ice-cold shivers down her spine. "I found ya. Little pig..."

Not even thinking twice, she fired. The bullet made direct contact with the thing's shoulder, but the only thing it accomplished was to make it halt for a split second, emitting a growl of what she took as pain before returning its bloodshot eyes to her in rage.

"You little whore!"

"Shit." Turning, she tore off in the opposite direction to the sound of him charging after her. "Fuck!"

Vaulting over the desk in the middle of the room, she bolted towards the first and only open door she saw in the room. Her smaller form enabled her to put distance between herself and her pursuer with relative ease, but if she became stuck it would catch up to her within seconds.

Then, there it was. At the end of the dimly lit hall, she saw it. EXIT, lit up in red letters above the security door. "Please don't be locked, please don't be locked, please don't be locked..." Grabbing the handle, she yanked, but there was no give. "FUCK!"

"Little pig, little pig!"

Turning, she yanked open the door immediately to her right and ran in, slamming the door shut behind her. She came to a stop in the middle of the room, looking around in a panicked frenzy. There was nowhere to go.

"No..."

Her attacker's voice was then heard outside the door, grumbling, "You little whore... I'll find ya..."

It took everything to stifle the startled shriek when the door shook from the blow it received as the thing outside tried breaking its way in, and by the way the wood splintered she knew she had only seconds before it got inside. Looking around frantically, she came to the conclusion that her only hope was the table stationed in the middle of the room, rolling under it just a millisecond before the door was busting down with a deafening crack.

She shrunk back with her camera up as the creature stepped into her view, bloodied legs passing by her at he muttered and grumbled to himself about "little pigs" and "whores". If he decided to look under the table, she was done for. Even bullets didn't slow this thing down.

She continued to watch it as it made its way around the room, chains clinking with every slight movement, and she felt as though her heart would break straight through her ribcage. What the hell is that thing? One of Murkoff's experiments? What the hell is it doing out?

The creature emitted a quiet grumble of what she took as frustration. "You little whore... I'll find ya... always do..."

She watched with baited breath as it made its way back towards the door, but it wasn't until it had disappeared from sight, and she heard a door open and close did she finally allow herself to breathe. Heart racing, her head fell to the carpet. There had been absolutely nowhere for her to go. Well, at least it's not that smart.

Tucking her camera back into its holster, she let out a shaky breath and closed her eyes once more. She needed to find a way out. She had been there less than an hour, and already she had enough footage to have every form of militia charging the place like the running of the bulls.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

Her eyes only had time to widen before she felt a hand on her ankle, and she was being abruptly yanked out from beneath the table. On reflex, her gun flew up, but it was knocked from her hand and sent sliding across the floor. Staring down at her was what she identified as a patient due to his attire, but when she saw his face she nearly screamed.

It was something directly from a horror movie, his features stretched and scarred beyond humanity. One eye had been sewn shut, his skin appearing as if it had been stretched downwards on one side of his face, but the most gruesome trait was the stitched scar that ran straight down the center of his face.

"I know someone who would love to meet you."

Her immediate reaction was to try and flee, but her shock slowed her down, and the next thing she knew everything was going black.