Enter the Asylum

The cast iron gates opened with a heavy creak as a white van was moving along the curvy road toward the mansion. Two figures stood and watched as it was approaching them.

"Here comes the Scooby Doo team." remarked the woman.

"I - I don't know about this, Liz." said the man nervously.

"Relax. Everything's gonna be just fine."

The van pulled up in front of the two. The first to step out was Lauren, signalled by a pair of womanly legs appearing under the door. Once she closed it, they were greated by the 'oh-so-impeccable' young host they have known from the show. Wedges, form-hugging jeans, a white shirt with their logo stretched on her generous bosom, and an open leather jacket made her look both stylish and ready to delve into the 'supernatural'. Just how the fans loved her. With head held high, Lauren proudly strutted to them while conveying the huge mansion in front of her.

The woman stepped forward, "So nice to finally meet you. I'm Eliza Darling, but my friends call me Liz." she offered her hand to Lauren.

"Mhhm..." she shook it coldly, with a look of total disinterest. "I'm the Lauren, as you have already known. This is Morton, our producer." she pointed at the man stepping out of the driver's seat.

"Greetings. We have spoken before." said Morton, while shaking Liz's hand politely.

"And those two," Lauren glanced at Frank and Bobby getting the equipment out from the van, "let's just forget about those two. Their job is to record us and be invisible. They better be."

Frank frowned at that last comment, but kept on helping Bobby. He was the new guy in the team and followed his lead, for now.

"It is a remarkable place, Liz. I'm sure the fans will be delighted, no matter what we find." said Morton, spellbound by the creepy atmosphere. And a little hopeful.

"As we have discussed before..." started Liz.

"Whoa, who's the handsome young man you are hiding?" asked Lauren as she noticed Mark in the background. "Your son, Eliza?" she asked cockily, deliberately using Liz's full name.

"Hi... I - I'm Mark." he stammered while shaking Lauren's hand. He felt uneasy under the famous beauty's lustful gaze.

Liz swallowed the indirect insult and put on her best smile. "He is my boyfriend Mark. He inherited the place from his grandmother and..."

So there is no ring involved? Such a shame. For you, she smiled wickedly at Liz. "So it's technically his place, eh? Extraordinary." said Lauren, not entirely obvious whether she meant the place or the man. Not only handsome, but also comes from a wealthy family. A real catch, she thought.

"We are ready." said Frank, interrupting the conversation.

"Then go back to the entrance of the property and do a wide shot of the beautiful cast iron gates and fence we've just crossed. It will add to the authenticity." instructed them Lauren. "Then do a tracking shot all the way here to the mansion, like we are just arriving. Make sure to include a close up of that gnarly tree that looked like it had a human face. And the dark clouds gathering to the west. Those will make this miserable place look even more ominous."

"But we've just unloaded everything." said Frank with a questioning look.

"Oh, you won't need the van for this little trip." said Lauren nonchalantly. "Think of it as a little exercise. Will do you good." she added snidely.

Frank was displeased by his new boss' attitude, but Bobby was obediently taking notes as Lauren spoke. He knew better than to get on her bad side, as she did not tolerate mistakes. Quite the oppisite.

"And don't dilly-dally for too long. Once you return, we will do an interview with the owner." she smiled at Mark seductively at this last part. "Now, shoo." she waved them away.

Frank tried to object, but Bobby stopped him in time. "Don't mess this up for us." he whispered in his ear. The two picked up the gear they needed for their little trip and left.

"So, let's prepare for the introduction. What can you tell us about this place?" asked Lauren, directing the question more at Mark than Liz.

"I - In... In the 18th..." Mark stuttered, uneasy by all the eyes set on him - especially by Lauren's.

"In the 18th century, this mansion's owner and all of his heirs disappeared under mysterious circumstance." Liz took over the telling of the story. She was eager to be the centre of attention. And she liked to be in control of things. Wherever she could.

Typical, unoriginal mumbo jumbo, thought Lauren. Of course someone mysteriously disappeared. It's a miracle the other 7 billion humans haven't vanished yet...

"Nobody knew the cause, but the place stood empty for a hundred year. Then in the 19th century the state turned the property into the Lakewood Private Clinic and Asylum for Wayward Children." Liz continued.

Here come the children... They always do. They are supposed to make superstitious people care. What a load of crap, Lauren continued her inside commentary.

"The place was run by a man called Dr. Casper Harley..."

Casper? Really? I bet a Google search could disprove of that real quickly. At least it's not Dr. Akula...

"... and his wife, Charlotte. And for the first time in a hundred year, the place was filled with life once more. The tranquil environment helped children forget their losses and heal. At least for a while. Until,"

Aaand, here comes the ****.

"... after the **** of Dr. Harley, his wife took over management of this place. But the widow ran the asylum differently than her late husband. She didn't have the tolerance for 'misbehaviour'. Some say the place affected her judgement. Neighbours said they often heard screams coming from the mansion."

And here comes the tragedy...

"When the state finally decided to send someone to investigate, the officer found Mrs. Harley dead. Killed by the children." Liz paused for the effect. "When asked, they kept saying that the Harlot - that's how they referred to the widow - kept punishing them for everything they did. Reports didn't include all the details, but they said Charlotte used all kinds of creative punishment methods to humiliate whom she deemed mischievous. And some of the older kids had finally had enough, and had found the perfect '****' for their tormentor. They only wanted to 'punish' her back, they said. The state could not press charges against the children, so the investigation ended quickly. They were soon tranferred to another place. But even after several sweeps, 6 of the registered children were never found. Nor their bodies."

**** and missing children. I bet it's not over yet.

"Every owner of the property had reported strange sightings and voices since then. Many outright refused to live inside. The mansion changed owners several times. Eventually, it became too infamous to sell. That's how it remained in Mark's family for the last few decades. But let me tell you, not even poor late Margaret dared to live inside. It's a real shame we only learned of its existence after her tragic ****. She probably could have told us much more."

Knew it. So predictable. But props to the bimbo for delivering all this with a straight face.

"So, who 'haunts' this place? The vanishing heirs? Charlotte? The missing kids? The bogeyman?" asked Lauren in a skeptical tone.

"Actually, it seems both Charlotte the Harlot and the kids have left a huge impression on this place. It is unclear what this... entity is, but it is definitely something connected to the mansion's rich history."

"Of course... Ghosts tend to team up to scare us. They have nothing better to do." remarked Lauren sarcastically.

"Have you been inside?" asked Morton, genuinely interested in the case.

"Yes. A number of times. But never for more than a few hours." answered Liz.

"Don't worry. It's no shame to be afraid of 'ghosts'." said Lauren, sounding very condescending.

"Afraid? Are you afraid of ghosts?" snapped back Liz.

"Please. It is the ghosts who are afraid of me. And my superior science. Isn't that right, Morty?" she grinned at her producer wickedly. Morton hated when she called him 'Morty' and she knew it.

He just smiled back. Despite her snarky attitude, Lauren had shown remarkable courage against the seemingly supernatural, and her keen senses have proved all of them false so far. Both sponsors and fans adored her, and he trusted her instincts. But deep down he really wished to encounter something truly extraordinary. He was the believer of the duo. The Fox Mulder to Lauren's Dana Scully.

"You don't believe me, do you?" asked Liz suspiciously.

"Of course I believe you, darling." said Lauren, trying to sound sincere. "I do believe that you believe all this. And that you see things. Many people do. They see ghosts, UFOs, chupacabras and sasquatches all the time. But that doesn't make them any more realistic."

"Mark has been inside with me a few times as well." Liz tried to argue.

"And," Lauren turned her gaze to the young man, her eyes swallowing him whole, "have you seen anything?"

"Well... Yes... I think."

"You think?" Liz raised an eyebrow. She really expected her own boyfriend, at least, to take her side in the argument. But apparently the busty show host has stolen some of his attention. Men, she thought.

"Yes. There - There were definitely some... strange things inside." he tried to clarify his previous statement.

"We shall soon see, darling." said Lauren, not entirely clear whether she meant it to Liz Darling or calling Mark 'darling'. As she spotted Bobby and Frank returning from their task she walked to them. "Finally. Where have you two lazybones been? Tanning on the beach?" she yelled at the two men. "Ugh, don't answer. Just prepare to shoot the introduction." she said walking up to the entrance of the manor, "right here."

Frank bit his tongue, thinking of all the mean stories Bobby had told him about Lauren and how she usually treated her crew. As much as he would have loved to put her in her place, he needed the job. They were supposed to be the real 'ghosts' of the show by being invisible and silent.

Once the equipment was set up, Lauren took her place in the spotlight with Mark and Liz. "Just follow my lead. I'll do most of the talking for you." she whispered to them.

But Liz would have none of that. "So as I said..." she started.

"Morty, why don't you go over the contract with Eliza again, while I do the intro with the real owner?" said Lauren.

"Wait, I can tell you more of this place than Mark." Liz tried to reason.

"We've listened to your little... fairy tale once. I doubt the viewers would appreciate that." sneered Lauren. "Plus we'll have the name tag at the bottom of the screen. 'The girlfriend of the owner' would look just ridiculous." reasoned Lauren as she waved Liz away.

"Excuse me?" argued Liz. "I called you here. I have been dealing with you for the last couple of weeks through the phone. I arranged your lodgings. Shouldn't I be at least..."

"I can do this, honey." said Mark. "Don't worry. I'll not diappoint you."

"Fine!" relented Liz as she turned to Morton and they walked a few paces to the side. Spoiled, attention-grabbing little witch, she seethed with anger.

For the next fifteen minutes, the crew shot the little introduction with a jealous Liz occasionally glancing up to give Mark various nods or winks when he failed to mention something. Lauren introduced the place and the owner, and the brief history of the property. Then they shot their 'arrival' from several angles, and a few extra reactions. Nothing extensive, only what they wouldn't be able to add later in the studio. After that, Bobby and Frank prepared the mobile equipment. Beside the main camera they carried, everyone was given flashlights, mics and GoPros, so that they could later switch visions and edit together the best possible footage. Liz insisted that they were given them as well, until Morton relented. Once everyone was equipped - and Frank and Bobby were told to 'shut up and keep the camera rolling whatever happens' - the little crew was ready to enter the asylum.