Prologue: A Dark Night
To you, my dear reader, you must know that the time is coming for you, the time is always coming for you, for everyone, and tou must know when that time comes… that we all fall down sometime.
50 years ago, at exactly midnight, two young children were killed not with a knife, nor a gun. They strangled each other, to escape the fate that you will soon meet, dear reader. Little did they know that they became the very thing they tried to escape, became not ghosts, not ghouls nor zombies, they became ashes, with no real purpose except to torment the living. They did not meet their dead mommy and daddy in heaven, they became the monsters that always come, and believe me reader, they are coming for you.
Chapter 1: The Insane Asylum
Detective Jean R. Levin was screwed, totally screwed, hopelessly screwed. Damn, you are a genius, aren’t you Jean, going after an entire drug cartel by yourself, She admonished herself as she scrutinised the gun in front of her. It was a pretty gun, except that it was aimed at her face, that was one small problem. “So… uh what do you drug dealers do in your free time?” She asked, very obviously stalling ” Shut up!” The woman screamed “Aren’t you a bundle of joy?” Jean quipped , no answer there, just a kick to the face, extremely hard at that. Amazingly still conscious, Jean gave her captor a toothy smile before being shot in the face.
She woke up on her desk, where there were birthday accolades and case files Happy Birthday to me. She thought glumly and reached for her case files. She was halfway to the door when her old flip phone vibrated with a call. “Hello?”
“This is Chief Landing, get yourself to Living Angels Asylum right now!” He hung up. Okay. It took Jean Levin 30 minutes and 18 seconds to get to Living Angels Asylum , and in that time Chief James Landing strangled himself to death.
Chapter 2: The Dark Allure
Jean Levin arrived at the asylum and was greeted by police Chief Landing “So, you’re not dead.” “Why would I be dead?” He inquired, puzzled. “Well you seemed kinda urg… nevermind.” They walked into the asylum . “Why did you call me here anyway?” He didn’t respond to that, just started whistling a song that Jean couldn’t quite remember the name of, she knew it was a nursery rhyme, the lilting tones were a big giveaway. The tune seemed eerily fitting in the asylum, and the song was starting to make her skin crawl. Eventually the chief finally answered her question “Ever heard the song Ring Around The Rosies?” “Of course” That was the song he was whistling! he stopped at cell 213 and gestured at it “This woman won’t stop singing it, it’s really starting to creep out the night guards, she won’t say anything else, except Letringe, over and over.” He paused for a moment “Do you know who the Letringe kids were?” Jean shook her head “50 years ago they were admitted to this exact asylum, went crazy from the grief and shock of their parents’ death, eventually they strangled each other to death, not the most fun way to die, anyway check out this woman, she’s slowly getting worse.” Kean looked through the little slit in the cell door, there was nothing there.
Chapter 3: The Lilting Song
“What the hell!!” “What?” The chief asked, concerned “There’s nothing here!!” A children’s voice fills the air “Ring around the rosies…” The lights go out. “Oh my god” Jean whispers, horrified “What’s bothering you?” The chief asked, calmly, no fear in his voice. “The chil.. You don’t hear t.. Are you deaf!!!” Jean was hyperventilating profusely “Pocket full of posies…” “No… NoNoNo…… No!!!!” “What is wrong, child, afraid of a little nursery rhyme?”The chief said, and cackled. Jean started jogging towards the door, an expression of horror on her face. “Ashes,ashes…” She was in a full-out sprint now. “We all fall d…” She finally reached the door and slammed it shut behind her.
Epilogue: All is well
Jean Levin kept her secret about the asylum until she couldn’t anymore, and when she told got stuck in an asylum far away from Living Angels. They cannot keep me here, they’ll get me. She thought every night that same thought until one night all her troubles drifted away, like ashes. They’ll get m…. What was I worried about again?There’s nothing wrong, I just need to do one small thing and all will be well. She set to work, all her troubles forgotten, and to pass the time she sang. “Ring around the rosies..”
The next day Jean levin was found dead in her cell, strangled to death. Who knows whether it was all in her head? One thing is certain however , they know exactly where you are, and they will find you, and you will become part of the ring around the rosies.