The Haunted Hospital: The Patient in the Corner

In the heart of a forgotten town, the old St. Mary's Hospital stood as a testament to a bygone era. Its walls were scarred with the passage of time, and the once-grand facade had succumbed to the relentless march of decay. The hospital was a relic of the past, a place where the faintest whispers of the forgotten were often heard by those who dared to venture within its doors.

One stormy night, a woman named Eliza stumbled upon the hospital's entrance. Her face was pale, her eyes hollow, and her clothes tattered. She was greeted by the dim light of the emergency room, where the nurse, a woman named Clara, was the sole staff member on duty.

"Please, I need help," Eliza gasped, her voice trembling with fear.

Clara, a seasoned nurse with a knack for handling the unusual, looked at the woman with a mix of curiosity and concern. "What's the matter, ma'am?"

"I... I think I'm being followed," Eliza stammered, her eyes darting around the room as if searching for a ghostly figure.

Clara chuckled softly, trying to soothe the woman's fears. "Nonsense, it's just the wind. Now, calm down and tell me what's going on."

Eliza hesitated, then nodded. "I was walking through the woods, and I saw a figure standing in the corner of the path. It followed me, and I ran. I ended up here, and now I can't shake it."

Clara sighed, her eyes narrowing as she took in Eliza's story. "Alright, let's get you settled. We'll check you over and see if there's anything wrong."

As Eliza was being led to a room, Clara couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the woman's story than she was letting on. The hospital had seen its fair share of oddities, but this felt different. There was a sense of urgency, a palpable fear that seemed to emanate from Eliza's very being.

The following days were a whirlwind of activity at St. Mary's. Patients came and went, some with genuine ailments, others with more peculiar complaints. Clara's routine was interrupted by the constant stream of visitors, and she found herself growing more and more exhausted. Yet, she couldn't help but be drawn to Eliza, who remained in the hospital, her condition seemingly worsening with each passing day.

One evening, as Clara was making her rounds, she noticed Eliza sitting alone in the corner of the room, her eyes fixed on the wall. Clara approached cautiously, her footsteps echoing softly in the empty corridors.

"Eliza, are you alright?" Clara asked gently.

Eliza turned her head slowly, her eyes meeting Clara's. "I think I'm stuck here," she whispered.

Clara's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean, stuck here?"

Eliza's eyes filled with a mix of terror and desperation. "I can't leave. The figure in the corner... it's not just following me. It's trying to keep me here."

Clara's mind raced. She knew of the hospital's reputation, how the corners of the rooms were said to be haunted by the spirits of those who had met their end within its walls. But she had never believed in such things.

"Eliza, I don't know what to tell you, but I'm here for you. Let's talk about this figure. Can you describe it?"

Eliza nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's tall, with a cloak that seems to move on its own. It never speaks, but its eyes... they seem to know everything."

Clara's mind was reeling. She had heard the stories, but she had never encountered anything like this. She decided to confront the figure herself, hoping to uncover the truth behind Eliza's experiences.

The next day, Clara found herself standing in the corner of Eliza's room, her eyes scanning the shadows. She felt the chill of the air, a coldness that seemed to seep through her bones. She took a deep breath and called out, "If you're there, show yourself."

The corner remained silent, save for the sound of Clara's own breathing. She began to feel a sense of dread, the kind that made her skin crawl and her heart race. She turned to leave, ready to return to Eliza, when she felt a presence behind her.

She spun around, her eyes wide with fear. There, in the corner, stood the figure Eliza had described. It was tall, cloaked, and its eyes were indeed full of knowledge. Clara felt a chill run down her spine, and she knew that she was in trouble.

"Who are you?" Clara demanded, her voice steady despite the terror that gripped her.

The figure did not respond, but Clara could feel its gaze boring into her. She took a step back, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew she had to get out of there, but she also knew that she couldn't leave Eliza behind.

Suddenly, the figure moved, and Clara's eyes widened in shock. The figure was not just standing there; it was moving towards her. Clara turned and ran, her footsteps echoing through the empty corridors. She could hear the figure's steps following closely behind, a silent pursuer.

She reached Eliza's room and pushed the door open, nearly collapsing into the bed. "Help me!" she gasped, her voice trembling.

Eliza looked up, her eyes wide with fear. "What happened?"

Clara panted, trying to catch her breath. "There's a... a figure. It followed me, and now it's coming for you."

Eliza nodded, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and determination. "We need to leave this place."

Together, they made their way to the emergency room, where Clara had seen Eliza the first night. They knew that the figure would follow, but they also knew that they had to escape.

As they reached the entrance, they saw the figure standing in the doorway, its cloak swaying in the wind. Clara and Eliza exchanged a glance, then turned and ran. The figure did not pursue them, but Clara could feel its gaze trailing them, a reminder of the danger they had left behind.

They made their way to the town, the hospital growing smaller with each step. When they finally reached the safety of the streets, they collapsed against the wall, gasping for breath.

"We made it," Eliza said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Clara nodded, her eyes filled with relief. "We did. But what now?"

Eliza looked up at the sky, her eyes reflecting the stars. "I don't know, but I'm ready to face whatever comes next."

Clara smiled, a rare expression on her usually stoic face. "Then let's face it together."

And so, the two women set off into the night, their path uncertain but their resolve strong. They had faced the horror of the haunted hospital, and they had survived. But they knew that the true test of their courage was yet to come.