Page 8 of See Through

“It’s recording, so whenever you’re ready, you can start.” He smiles at me from behind the camera, and I nod, holding my hand out as we do our usual handshake. “Here’s to explanations.”

“And the unknown,” I say back before I focus my eyes on the camera. “Hi, everyone. Aubrey here in front of the camera, and Dean behind it, like usual. Welcome back to another investigation night. Today, we’re at the old Mercy Hospital that has been shut down for over two decades. Tonight, we’re going to be investigating the old emergency room and operating areas, thanks to the lovely owners of this place, who allowed us to be here.”

Dean starts following me through the doors as he switches to night vision.

“As you can see, most of the old equipment is still here. Whoever last owned this place left it as is because of all the bad publicity surrounding certain events here. Maybe some of the bad things were due to some demonic spirits⁠—”

“Or maybe people just do bad things when they’re handed power over others,” Dean says from behind the camera.

“And there you have it, ladies and gentleman. Our resident nonbeliever.”

“I’m just saying,” he sings.

“I know,” I joke back as we do a quick sweep of the circular room. There’s a big desk in the center, probably where the doctors and nurses sat, waiting for patients or charting. There are a bunch of trauma rooms close by the desk, and a few other areas with beds and stretchers where patients who weren’t critical probably stayed. This place smells like dust, rainwater, and very old cleaner. I can’t imagine how many times this place got wiped down.

I’m getting the creeps just thinking about it, but it only makes my heart rate speed up. I love being scared.

“I’m getting a little cold as we walk through here.”

I grab my thermometer from my small bag and hold it up. I take the temperature of the room, but when I move it to the area I just felt, it drops twenty degrees.

“Did you see that?” I ask Dean.

“I did.” He brings the camera closer, no doubt trying to focus the shot.

“Anything to say?”

“Nope.”

I smile into the camera. “Let’s keep going.”

“I’ll follow you, Aubs.”

I can’t help the smile I quickly wipe off my face as I look back into the camera. “Let’s head over to one of the bigger rooms.”

Even though part of me is a little nervous walking through here, seeing the smile on Aubrey’s face as we walk around always calms me down. We step into one of the trauma rooms, and she’s about to say something when she holds her finger up at me.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

I can’t tell if it’s from somewhere else around us or the room we’re standing in, but I’m sure it’s some sort of animal that got into the building. The place hasn't been operational in years.

“Did you hear that?”

I nod.

“Three footsteps. It sounds like they’re coming from above us. Possibly one of the operating rooms?” Her eyes have that sparkle in them they always do when she hears activity. I can’t help but stare as I remember I’m supposed to be filming her, not getting distracted and filming terrible shots. “We’ll get to those. Dean, hand me another recorder. I want to try something.”

I comply, turning it on before I give it to her. She walks over to the old stretcher, all torn and raggedy from not being used for years, and sets the recorder down.

“Is there anyone here who would like to communicate with me?”

There’s a stillness to the air, no sounds besides our breathing as she continues, waiting to capture something we can’t hear, but the recorder can.

“My name is Aubrey. Can you tell me yours?”

More silence. More stillness. Aubrey looks at the camera, raising her eyebrows.

“This is my friend, Dean. I know he might look a little scary, but he’s very nice,” she jokes.