When I was a teenager,
there was an old abandoned hospital that had been built in the 1800s,
long since replaced and left to rot.
It couldn't be torn down due to its historical significance,
but it remained unused and unattended.
In my neighborhood, it became a rite of passage to hop the fence and explore the ruins on Halloween.
One year, my friends and I decided it was our turn to embark on this thrilling adventure.
We didn't bother with costumes or traditional Halloween activities.
The coolest party in town was on the roof of the old hospital.
All we had to do was find a way up and navigate the numerous hazards that awaited us.
Rumors of the hospital's dangers had been exaggerated by those who had already explored it.
From broken glass and rusty nails
to squatters, trapdoors, collapsing ceilings, and even supposed ghosts, the stories were chilling.
Despite our nerves, we were excited.
It was the coolest thing any of us had ever done.
It seemed as if a path had been paved for us by those who had gone before.
The front entrance door was already broken open, inviting us inside.
Undeterred, we stepped into the darkness,
relying on our flashlights to guide us.
On the first floor, we discovered a triage center, but it was too dark to explore further.
We opted to skip the bottom floor and moved on to the second of the three floors.
The landing on the second floor had a collapsed ceiling, so we ventured out in search of another stairwell.
The darkness seemed even more oppressive on this level,
and the floor felt unstable beneath our feet.
We spread out, attempting to distribute our weight to avoid any potential hazards.
As we cautiously explored, we whispered observations to each other,
pointing out piles of old medical waste, strange stacks of beds blocking doorways we dared not enter,
and signs indicating what the hospital had once been.
Mold covered the walls, snakes slithered through the ceiling tiles, and water dripped from the third floor.
Every sound we made echoed, creating an eerie atmosphere that made it feel as if someone or something was whispering around every corner.
Despite our attempts to appear cool and unafraid,
deep down, we were all scared.
We didn't want a hobo to jump out at us for invading his home,
nor did we want any of the ghost stories to come true.
The presence of the suffering and damned souls that had perished in the hospital
seemed to linger, even years after its closure.
Surprisingly, the only inhabitants we encountered were rats and flies, far fewer than we had anticipated.
After a few more minutes of exploration,
we reached the other side of the building and found a stairwell that led all the way up to the roof.
Excitement surged through us as we ascended, eager to witness the view from the top.
Barely noticing the slippery moss on the steps,
we climbed to the very top of the stairwell.
There it was—the open door that led to the roof.
Pausing momentarily, we took in the breathtaking sight illuminated by the moonlight.
It would have made a legendary photo if any of us had brought a camera.
But just as we were about to step through the door,
an unexpected flurry of bats burst forth from a hidden nest.
The friend at the front of our single-file line got startled,
slipped on the moss-covered steps, and fell backward, setting off a chain reaction.
We tumbled like dominoes,
and I crashed my head onto the concrete floor.
The next thing I knew,
I woke up in a real hospital.
I had cracked my head open, fracturing my skull.
My friends had to carry me out of the abandoned wreckage and seek help for me.
It took me a while to accept what had happened, as my friends had to repeat the story over and over again.
Many people doubted my account of the incident,
claiming that bats don't stay in nests at night.
But that's exactly what I saw.
Even nocturnal flying mammals need their rest sometimes, and I was unfortunate enough to disturb them.
To this day,
I'm grateful for my friends who helped me when I needed it most.
Although we didn't reach the roof of the abandoned hospital that night,
I cherish the memories of our daring exploration.
And I'm certain that the haunting presence of that place will forever remain etched in our minds,
a testament
to our teenage bravery.
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