The road down to the hospital was a tricky one to stick to. It curved wildly left and right, interloping its way through a thickening forest. The last of the sun’s dying rays were finding it difficult to illuminate the way ahead, and Chad flicked on the full beam. The bright pale light emitted from the front of his dad’s SUV slaughtered the sense of foreboding that the dark crevices of the tree line projected with keen ire. With no shadows lurking at him from every angle, the road almost seemed serene – a time capsule, preserved by nature’s warm caress. 

“Alright boys and girls,” called Chad, turning his head to face his companions, “I’m tellin’ you, my big brother over in Afghanistan came here when he was our age, and he said it scared the shit out of him.” He paused, and crimped an awkward smile, “was also where he first got laid, oddly enough, but hey ho!’ 

The SUV hit a bump in the road with force, but the car’s modern suspension system crippled what would have been a violent shake into an almost soothing bounce. He looked back, cursing for not paying better attention, and proceeded to drive with a bit more caution. He could see the top of the hospital silhouetted in the background, rising up over the trees with a menacing arrogance. 

“Yup, there she is boys and girls, St. Helen’s Hopsital for the Criminally Insane,” he chuckled, “the scariest place in the U.S of A. Don’t know much about it, just that a lot of people got ‘deaded’ about a million years ago.” 

Full beamed lights from behind consumed the SUV’s rear-view mirror; Chad squinted. “Fucking Hell Jackie, turn your God damn lights down girl,” he muttered to himself. 

He slowed the SUV down to a mild 20 as he approached what appeared to be the hospital’s perimeter fence. Huge concrete blocks had been planted on the roadway, in a futile attempt by the police to prevent exactly what Chad and his friends were up to tonight. Tall crisscrossing wire flanked either side of the blocks, and stretched out into the heavy undergrowth of the forest. Up ahead, St. Helen’s stood in all her horrific glory. 

It was a large white structure, with two parts protruding from either end. The ground was made up of ancient and cracked concrete that no doubt once denoted its car parking facility. Stacks of old wooden pallets were scattered around, and a few rusted metal drums complimented them. As Chad slowed the SUV to a standstill, he looked up at the darkness of the countless empty windows and balconies. Sure was a big place. 

“Chad Airlines thanks you for not bitching at him for the way he drives for the duration of the journey, you are now at your destination,” said Chad, turning back to his friends with his usual stupid grin. “Please proceed by foot to the PARTY OF THE CENTURY!” 

Clambering out of the driver’s side, Chad pulled a cigarette out of his jacket and plugged it in his mouth. Smoking wasn’t great for his athletic interests, but he always figured he could get away with a few years of the dirty habit before it hit him. Between then and now, he was all up for looking just that much cooler – especially with so many fine looking girls in his company. 

Popping the boot, he grabbed a crate of Budweiser and then stood waiting for his friends to join him. “We goin’ in or what?”