
Urban exploring was all the rage. The daring took their camera and trespassed into run-down ruins.
“This was once a mental institution,” said Ryan, giving me a history lesson. “It shut down when lobotomies became illegal.”
“If the wall could talk, I’m sure they would scream.”
We wandered, following the path of those who stalked the halls before us. The atmosphere gave me the willies. A lock rusted and crumbled from one of the doors. Ryan opened.
Nothing but chills.
Once home, I watched the final moments of footage.
A patient in the window waved. Tears soaked the glass of the once-locked room.
It’s shocking lobotomy was ever legal to begin with! Urban exploration and ghost hunting is good fun. Great story, Tannille.
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Lobotomies were pretty outrageous. I’m sure there are modern procedures future generations will find outrageous. I love watching urban explorers on Youtube.
Thanks, M.
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For sure, as science evolves treatments continue to change making older ones seem outrageous.
have a great day!
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Dear Tanille,
A chilling piece with the even more chlling voice of history. Nicely done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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The past is filled with horrible events. Thankfully mental health has improved and hopefully will continue to improve.
Thanks, R.
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I want one of those cameras
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Me too!
Thanks, N
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I liked how in the end it didn’t left me with the feeling of horror, but instead of sadness. Great story.
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There is a loneliness to the image. I think an emotional imprint of events at the asylum stayed long after the ghosts passed.
Thanks, S
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Chilling and melancholic. Well done.
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Thanks, I
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I love these type of stories because on reading you move from the ordinary fun of exploring , etc, to a new level, and realise how awful the world can be.
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The past is littered with wrong doings. It’s really odd how the horrible can be romanticised generations later.
Thanks, J.
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You got me with this one: “If the wall could talk, I’m sure they would scream.”
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Thanks, C 😃.
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Oh! We both went the mental institution route. What horrible places.
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Great minds! The old asylums have that vibe. I’m creeped out, horrified, and intrigued by them at the same time.
Thanks, A
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We’ve talked about collaborating. Yours could be part one of mine. Demented minds…
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How rude! But, I can not argue. 😀
Thanks, N.
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Rude? Which part?
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Sometimes imagining the past is too great a burden. As Carly Simon wrote and sang (Anticipation), “…stay right here ’cause these are the good old days…”
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Very true. Other times we romanticise the past.
Thanks, B
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Terrible places, many of those were. Built to imprison, not to heal. May those whose voice was taken away, find a way to make it known.
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It’s crazy what they did back then.There are worse things than death.
Thanks, N
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Indeed! And these days there is a variation on the theme, in for-profit prisons, where there is an incentive to keep the inmates incarcerated … oy.
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The for-profits only make every worse. Money skimming…
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Indeed. They make profit out of misery. Not much better than war profiteers.
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I felt the “willies” throughout the story, and a perfect chilling ending. Very well done.
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I think I gave myself the willies 😀.
Thanks, B.
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lobotomy used to be considered legal. like they say, an error becomes a mistake when you refuse to correct it.
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Lobotomies were terrible. Nothing more than failed experiments.
Thanks, P.
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The old asylums were not pleasant places ,that’s for certain, such wasted lives, god take
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I hate to imagine what really happened behind closed doors. The seem more like experiment jails.
Thanks, P.
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Yes some people I’m sure thought it may help but as you say a lot of time just experimenting
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Couldn’t agree with you more.
Thanks, R.
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Really good writing, Tannille. Your conclusion was quite moving ❤
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Thanks, L.
I wrote the last lines first. Some of these stories I write backwards 😀.
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You’re very welcome, T.
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I enjoyed how you put this story together. The banter between the characters, but the underlying sadness and atrocities of that time. Well done, T, another gem. (and how cool and clever is that…writing a story backwards!)
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I have no idea, why some stories the endings come first. Then a line here and a line there. Only really happens with these micro stories. Fun way to write.
Thanks, F.
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We get prompts with our Writer’s Group, where we start with a sentence and form a 500 word story. I really enjoy the 100 word challenge, it can be so hard to fit a full-bodied story into so few words.
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Chilling story. well done.
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Thanks, A!
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