Ghostly Asylum

by Lily Harper Hart

“I believe my girlfriend can do anything,” Jared replied, refusing to back down. “I don’t care what you believe. She’s my partner, though, and I’ll be with her the entire way.”

  “So … two stars in the making,” Michael interjected, rubbing his hands together as he attempted to alleviate the building tension.

  “I don’t want to be on camera,” Jared clarified. “I will do my best to stay away from the camera. I won’t be far from Harper, though. You’re just going to have to get used to that.”

  “I’m sure everything will be fine.” The strain was evident on Michael’s face. “There’s no reason to get riled up.”

  “Where Harper is concerned, I get riled up very easily.” Jared rubbed his hand over Harper’s shoulder. “Like I said, I’m not in charge of you guys. Our team will be following certain rules, though.”

  “And we’re really looking forward to them,” Eric muttered.

  “Don’t push me,” Jared shot back. “It’s best for everyone.”

  “That’s easy to say when you have a partner like Harper.”

  Jared couldn’t argue with the assessment. “Why do you think I’m saying it?”

  “Okay.” Harper held up her hands to cut off the argument. “We’re going to stay with our partners and be careful when we hit the island. Everything is going to be okay. Once we land, get our bearings and take a look around, we’ll tackle our plan of action. How does that sound?”

  “It sounds great, Casper,” Trey replied, his lips curving as Jared made a face. “I think this entire trip is going to be one for the ages.”

  4

  Four

  Harper was a bundle of nerves when the island finally popped into view, digging in closer to Jared’s side as she stared at the imposing building filling the skyline. She involuntarily shuddered, unable to stop herself from projecting given the horrors she knew must have occurred between the three-story building’s walls.

  Jared cast her a sidelong look. “Are you okay? I can make them turn this boat around if you’re not.”

  “I’m fine.” Harper made a big show of looking brave. “These guys won’t turn around no matter what, by the way, but I’m fine all the same.”

  Jared cast a dubious look toward Michael’s team. “I don’t like them.”

  “Sometimes I think you only like me. It makes me feel special.”

  “I like Shawn, too,” Jared teased, tightening his grip on Harper. “Oh, and Molly.”

  “What about Eric?”

  “He’s interested in you in a sexual way so, if I wasn’t a cop, I would totally find a place to hide his body.”

  Harper giggled, Jared’s lame attempt at a joke causing her to loosen up a bit. “I’m so glad you came.”

  Jared shifted so she had nowhere to look but into his eyes. “I am, too. There’s no way I would’ve left you to do this alone, though.”

  “I wouldn’t have been alone. I would’ve had Zander.”

  Jared glanced over Harper’s shoulder, making a face as he watched Zander cavort with Lucy. “Yeah. That makes me feel better.”

  Harper snickered as she rested her head against Jared’s chest. “I’m still glad you’re here.”

  “I’ll be close,” Jared promised, rubbing his hands over the back of Harper’s hoodie. “You make sure you don’t go wandering off without me, okay?”

  Harper nodded, solemn. “Believe it or not, I don’t have any inclination to be away from you.”

  “I believe it. I’ve seen myself naked.”

  Harper laughed again, her face lighting with genuine delight. “I really do love you.”

  Jared cupped Harper’s chin and kissed her. “Right back at you.”

  THE BOAT CAPTAIN circled the island three times before deciding on a place to land. There were technically two docks – although both were ravaged by time and inclement weather – and he opted for the one that looked less likely to collapse under the weight of their team.

  Jared was nervous enough that he insisted people disembark two at a time, only allowing a few people on the dock at any given moment. By the time they were on the beach, they’d lost half of the afternoon.

  “I think we should head inside immediately,” Lucy announced. “We’re going to lose the light if we don’t.”

  “And I think we should put that off until tomorrow,” Jared shot back. “I don’t want to risk being caught in that building too close to dark. I think we should spend the rest of the afternoon setting up camp out here and taking a look around the island. The asylum isn’t going anywhere. We can hit it first thing in the morning.”

  Lucy wasn’t thrilled with the suggestion. “Michael, we’re here to see the asylum.”

  “We are,” Michael agreed, his expression thoughtful as he eyed Jared. “I think Mr. Monroe has a point, though. That’s a big building and we don’t want to get lost inside of it. The electricity doesn’t work and we need to come up with a way to mark our progress. We need time to do that.”

  “But … .” Lucy’s frustration was palpable.

  “I agree with looking around the island first,” Steve offered. “It’s not very big, but it’s always wise to know your surroundings.”

  “Oh, well, that was almost poetic,” Trey deadpanned. “I’m sorry I didn’t get it on camera.”

  “No one was talking to you,” Steve snapped.

  Jared and Harper exchanged a quick look. It seemed Eric and Molly weren’t the only warring co-workers on the island.

  “We’ll set up camp,” Michael stressed, drawing everyone’s attention to him. “We’ll build a fire and have some lunch. Then we’ll take a look around the island with the light we have left before camping for the night. We’ll get up first thing in the morning and tackle the asylum then.”

  “Fine.” Lucy crossed her arms over her chest. “I still think we’re missing a prime opportunity.”

  “And I think I prefer looking things over first,” Jared said, prodding Harper to the right. “Everyone should set up their tents first. I don’t think it’s going to rain tonight, but it could pop up out of nowhere and we need shelter before anything else.”

  Harper tilted her head to the side and smiled. “You were a Boy Scout, weren’t you?”

  Jared shrugged. “Maybe.”

  “You didn’t care about the polyester shirt?”

  “I kind of liked it.”

  “Uh-huh.” Harper’s grin was impish. “Do you want to teach me a few of your Boy Scout tricks once we’re alone tonight?”

  “I’ve always been good at starting a fire from scratch.”

  “And we have the stuff to make s’mores thanks to Zander.”

  “I don’t think we’re talking about the same thing, but both sound good.” Jared handed Harper the tent they would share. “Get moving, woman. As the Boy Scout, I have the most experience so I’m the boss.”

  Harper cocked an eyebrow. “I was a Girl Scout.”

  “When we need cookies, you’ll be in charge.”

  Harper’s smile slipped, causing Jared to cringe.

  “I took it too far, didn’t I?”

  Harper nodded. “I’m going to build this tent and I don’t even want your help. In fact, I might not let you sleep in it with me.”

  “So … what? You’ll make me bunk with Eric? That seems like cruel and unusual punishment.”

  “I was thinking of making you bunk with Zander. I’ll bunk with Molly. Eric can bunk with Shawn.”

  “That’s definitely cruel and unusual punishment.” Jared snared Harper’s belt loop before she could sashay away. “Should I start begging now or wait until you’ve cooled down?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe you should sit down and eat a cookie until I decide.”

  “Ugh.” Jared made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat. “This is going to be a thing, isn’t it?”

  “You have no idea.”

  HARPER WAS ANNOYED when she realized the tent didn’t come with instructions, but she managed to figure it out with minimal
effort. By the time she was done, the blue dome gleamed majestically under the sunlight and the look she tossed Jared was one of pure haughty delight.

  “Ha!”

  “I stand corrected.” Jared stretched in his spot on the sandy beach. “You’re a master tent builder. You totally showed me.”

  “And?”

  Jared had no idea what she expected him to say so he improvised. “And you’re still the most beautiful woman in the world and not at all demanding.”

  “And?”

  “Oh, geez.” Jared leaned forward, brushing the sand off on his hands. “And I’m a schmuck?”

  “Very good.” Harper beamed as she leaned over to kiss him. “You’re still in trouble. I just wanted that kiss as reward for my hard work. I shouldn’t be punished because you’re a bad boy.”

  “I’m going to show you exactly how bad I can be after dark,” Jared teased.

  “Not until after you give me a massage to reward me for all of my hard work.”

  “That goes without saying.” Jared chuckled as he tumbled Harper into his lap, readjusting so they were both comfortable and could stare out at the peaceful lake. “The warm weather is almost gone.”

  “I know.” Harper rested her head against Jared’s chest. “I hate winter.”

  “Oh, come on. There has to be something you like about winter.”

  “The hats and boots are cute.”

  “This would be an instance of where you spend too much time with Zander,” Jared complained. “There’s a lot of fun stuff to do in the winter.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like skiing.”

  “I prefer cuddling in front of a roaring fire.”

  “I’m good with that, too.” Jared let loose with a sigh. “Do you want to look around before dinner?”

  Harper shifted her gaze to the other side of the beach campsite where Shawn and Zander fussed over the food. They didn’t look as if they were going to be cooking anytime soon, especially since they didn’t even have a fire going yet.

  “That sounds like a good idea.”

  Jared pushed Harper to a standing position before following, taking a moment to brush off the seat of her pants before scanning the rest of the campsite. Michael and Lucy were at the far end, their heads bent together as they discussed something. Molly watched Shawn and Zander make dinner plans, making a show of turning her back to Eric as he erected a tent. Trey and Finn checked camera equipment, seemingly in their own world. Steve and John wandered up and down the beach, making a good show of pretending they were scouting the area. Jared surmised they were largely disinterested, playing down the gig as nothing more than Hollywood nonsense. If he didn’t know Harper as well as he did, he figured he would’ve done the same so he didn’t hold it against them. That didn’t mean he liked them.

  “Come on, Heart.” Jared linked his fingers with Harper’s and tugged her toward the east side of the island. “Let’s see what we can discover.”

  They’d only made it a few feet when Zander’s voice caught up to them.

  “Where are you going?”

  “We’re going to look around,” Jared replied. “We won’t be gone long.”

  “Make sure you’re not,” Zander said. “I’m making steaks and roast corn for dinner.”

  Jared stilled. Every time he thought he was used to Zander’s rhythm and quirks, the man proved him wrong. “You’re cooking steak over a campfire?”

  “I am.” Zander puffed out his chest. “I marinated them and everything.”

  “Dude, if you pull this off I’m going to take back every passive aggressive thing I ever said about you.”

  “What about the aggressive ones?”

  “Probably not, but I’ll feel bad about them.” Jared smiled as he led Harper away from the group. Since the sun was still relatively high in the sky – although nights came much earlier in Michigan this time of year – he wasn’t worried about being too far away from the group as long as the illumination lasted. After that, though, he had every intention of keeping close to camp. He wasn’t psychic. He couldn’t see or talk to ghosts. He could sense the feeling of dread seeping out from the asylum, though. It set his teeth on edge.

  The island was small, more than fifty percent of it made up of beach. The asylum sat in the middle of the landmass, overgrown weeds and bushes crowding the first-floor windows. The second floor boasted a beautiful stained-glass window that remained mostly intact – except for a few errant panels that had fallen over the years – but the building itself was in terrible condition.

  “I’m almost afraid to look inside,” Jared noted as they walked. “If it’s this bad outside, what do you think it has inside?”

  “Ghosts.”

  “Have you seen any?”

  “Well … no,” Harper hedged. “I feel them, though. I’m sure that sounds unbelievable, but I feel them. They’re watching us.”

  “Nothing you do seems unbelievable. Miraculous would be a better word.”

  “Are you still sucking up?”

  “Yes, but I wasn’t even thinking about that,” Jared replied. “I believe whatever you say. You’re … magical.”

  Harper’s smile was rueful. “Now you’re definitely sucking up.”

  “It’s not considered sucking up if it’s true.” Jared swung their arms, enjoying the way their melded shadows looked thanks to the setting sun. “What do you think about the people on the island with us?”

  “I think that the security guys are jerks.”

  “I think that anyone who meets them believes that.”

  “You’re obviously much smarter and stronger.”

  “Now who is sucking up?” Jared challenged.

  “Just because it’s true that doesn’t mean it’s sucking up.”

  “Ha, ha.” Jared flicked Harper’s ear and exhaled heavily, the shadow of the asylum hitting him just right and blocking out the sun. “What about Michael? What do you think about him?”

  “He’s nowhere near as handsome as you.”

  “I don’t need my ego bolstered. I really want to know what you think.”

  “I think he’s worried about your presence on the island,” Harper replied, opting for honesty. “He’s afraid you’ll use your influence to affect the way I react to the ghosts.”

  “Meaning?”

  “He doesn’t think I’m the real deal, which I’m fine with.”

  “You’re not fine with it,” Jared countered. “That’s okay, though. I would be upset if I were in your shoes as well.”

  “I’m not upset. I’m used to it.”

  “You are used to it – which is a travesty of justice – but you’re also upset,” Jared said. “It’s okay. I’m not going to judge you.”

  “He’s a big weenie and he thinks he’s fooling me,” Harper conceded, causing Jared to bark out a delighted laugh. “He’s fooling Zander and Molly, though. Eric is more standoffish – and clearly has something else on his mind revolving around Molly that I can’t quite wrap my head around – so he isn’t snowed yet.”

  “I don’t think Zander is snowed as much as he’s got stars in his eyes,” Jared corrected. “If push comes to shove, which I don’t foresee happening, he will take your side. The guy drives me nuts, but he’s loyal to you. He’ll always take your side.”

  “He will.” Harper bobbed her head. “The wild cards are the cameramen. I can’t quite get a firm reading on either of them. They seem … engaged on one level and dubious on another. I’m not sure how to describe it.”

  “I know what you’re saying,” Jared said. “I’m guessing these guys very rarely work with the real deal, or visit locations that are actually haunted. They probably think they’re in for a good show and nothing else.”

  “I’m worried that they are going to be in for a good show,” Harper admitted. “I think tomorrow is going to be very, very interesting.”

  “Then you’d better stay very, very close to me.”

  Harper laughed as Jared caught her around the w
aist and dipped her low. They’d made a complete circle of the island – it was so small there was literally nowhere to hide except inside of the building – and they were out in the open when Jared lavishly kissed her.

  “Knock that off,” Zander called out. “You’re going to give me indigestion before I even start eating.”

  “Shut up,” Jared shot back, glaring over his shoulder. He didn’t pay attention as Harper extricated herself and dropped to one knee close to the shoreline. “My steak better be delicious, by the way, or I’m totally going passive aggressive with you for the rest of the night.”

  “Your steak will be delicious, but I’m not doing it for you,” Zander said. “I’m doing it for the sake of the steak.”

  “Oh, well … that sounds delightful.” Jared slid his eyes to Harper, frowning when he realized she’d missed the bulk of the conversation. “What are you looking at?”

  Harper held up something, gold glinting under the sunlight. “I found it.”

  Jared snagged the gold bracelet from her and flipped it over so he could read the faded lettering on the name bar. “I wonder who Julie is.”

  “Do you think it’s been out here since the seventies?”

  “No, it wouldn’t be in this good of shape,” Jared replied, peering closer. “I don’t think it’s been out here more than a few days, maybe a few weeks at the most.”

  “How did it get here?”

  Jared shrugged. “I’m guessing this island makes a great party place for teenagers,” Jared replied. “Think about it. There are a lot of kids who can get to this location without getting hassled by adults. They probably party out here all summer.”

  Harper flicked her eyes to the asylum. “Do you think they go inside?”

  “I think that when you get alcohol in teenagers that common sense goes out the window.” Jared slipped the bracelet into his pocket before grabbing Harper’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “Don’t worry about it, Heart. Nobody has gone missing in recent weeks, at least to my knowledge. I’m sure it’s fine.”

  Harper wasn’t convinced. “Then why is the bracelet still here?”

  “Because it’s broken and someone clearly lost it. It’s real gold, but that doesn’t mean it’s valuable.”