I Need Asylum from the Asylum

61.

Gilbert's van was out front of Green Bluff Asylum. The building itself didn't look too scary to Clarissa or Reverend Timms, but Shirley didn't want to leave the hearse.

"There is a lot of evil in there." Shirley looked actually scared, something that Clarissa didn't understand for a ghost.

"Looks normalish to me, maybe broken down." Timms didn't feel anything, but realized unlike Clarissa or Shirley this was a whole new ball game for him. Clarissa took out a bag from the back and handed Timms a breathing mask.

"Never can tell what's inside their Reverend, asbestos or god knows what else, mask up."

"I don't believe the former Mrs. Dunkley is talking about building materials." Clarissa kept her hand out.

"Mask up Reverend."

"I can see you will insist over my objections, so I'll oblige you." The three of them made their way into the Asylum and it looked just as run down as it looked on the outside. Run down but otherwise not very scary. Clarissa had some of the expel passages they had used to hunt ghosts before, she didn't know how useful they'd be if whatever was in the building wasn't a ghost, but she figured better safe than sorry. They were following what were obviously Gilbert's foot prints through the facility. Alarmingly for Clarissa they had gone down, she hadn't learned much about exterminating, but what she did know is bad things lived under ground, sometimes really bad things.

The entrance to the basement was in better shape than the rest of the facility which made the hairs on Clarissa neck raise up. Timms himself had his pistol out as they descended the steps. Shirley who was corporeal was the most hesitant staying at the top of the steps for a long time before she followed after them. Once in the basement they saw Gilbert standing their waiting for them, he didn't have a weapon or any other item. He was in his work suit standing in the middle of what looked like four electrodes.

"Come on in, come on in."

"Gilbert you're sick." Clarissa was the first to say something, she had been trying to think of what she could tell him since she'd gotten back.

"I know Clarissa, I know I'm not well, its been going on for far too long," Gilbert looked behind Clarissa for a moment at Shirley who was at the back of the group and moving back from him, "You just tell yourself you'll allow it to go on for a time because you're lonely, and you know its wrong, but its nice to think someone you care about is around." Shirley looked to run, but was prevented from it, Gilbert turned on the lights in the basement and runes lit up the whole room.

"Gilbert what is going on?" Timms was confused, he had come seeking someone who was lost, and now it felt like he was lost.

"Proper Technique applied properly, isn't that right creature?" Gilbert was directed his ire at Shirley and Clarissa felt sick to her stomach.

"Gilbert just because she's your wife spirit doesn't make her a creature."

"Look at her Clarissa, really look, not at what she wants you to see, but what's really there." Clarissa thought Gilbert was crazy at first, but then she saw, Shirley's spirit had changed, she looked older and paler, her skin grew cracked and broken and her hair longer and whiter. What remained looked barely human. Clarissa in a panic snatched the necklace she'd been wearing and threw it on the ground.

"Oh god did she use that to possess me?"

"No what that is, is not a spirit, or not a normal one, the necklace was the fiction that let her come with you. She's a sorrow, something conjured up in grief that haunts you the same as anything else." Shirley attacked, she rushed straight for Gilbert, as soon as she crossed in front of the electrodes she was wrapped in spectral chains.

"You're still sick Dunkley, you need me! I've kept what's inside you from killing you!"

"That I may be, but your time has come sorrow, its time for you to move on, somewhere else." The sorrow tried to say something else, but the chains drug it down into the earth. It screamed as slight bit of fire emerged and then was gone. Clarissa hugged Gilbert and he was happy to have the warmth.

"I'm sorry Gilbert."

"Oh it's all right Clarissa, it's all right, I'm sorry too, I fucked up too." And that was all that needed to be said between the two exterminators.