Dark Destiny releases Today!

Read Chapter One below!

Blurb:

She knew something incredible waited in the shadows of the abandoned mental institution, but she never imagined it would lead to love.

Jamie Dixon and her fellow video game developers set out to document the layout of the famed Harrington Institute for the Mentally Ill. Then an accident leaves her to explore the decaying buildings with only Ian, the one guy she’s crushed on since high school. Too bad he never seemed to notice she was a nerd of the girly variety.

But Ian Jameson has a secret agenda for coming to Harrington. As they uncover the ramblings of an abusive doctor, evidence of a secret prisoner and an obsession over an ancestral line, Jamie and Ian discover a passion that transcends their former workplace camaraderie.

Are ghosts leading them to the truth of Harrington’s haunted history…or to the promise of a future beyond friendship?

CHAPTER ONE

Jamie Dixon braced herself as the pickup truck turned off the main highway onto the road leading to Harrington Institute for the Mentally Ill. The big vehicle shifted back and forth as the ruts in the little-used road grew unavoidable. She kept as stiff as possible, trying not to bump against Ian Jameson despite the lack of space.

The temptation to lean a little closer, to let her body brush his, had been a struggle the entire ride up from Covington. She told herself she was trying to maintain her self-sufficient façade, but the truth was the last thing she wanted was for him to think she was deliberately invading his space. Even if there wasn’t much she could do about it in the truck cab. But Ian had never shown any indication of noticing her as a girl—even after seven years none of the guys in their close-knit group had—and she had no desire to push herself on him.

Even if he did smell really good at the moment.

That might not be true after a weekend spent mapping out the abandoned institute with no showers or running water. Not that she should be focused on that part of being here.

Since their first video game had gone viral, three of their group of five were here to record the interiors of the institute in preparation for building their next big thing. She’d been excited about the trip for months. The surely haunted, spooky building was right up her alley.

The fact that they even got permission from the owner was a miracle. The institute was rumored to be haunted, but the owners had never allowed investigators in before now. Maybe she’d see a ghost along with the deteriorating walls and floors.

The truck jerked as one of the tires dipped into a deep hole in the cracked asphalt. Caught unawares, Olivia’s body pitched to the side, smacking her forehead against the window with a loud thud. Instantly pain exploded, causing her eyes to water, her vision blurring for a moment.

“Easy, Becker,” Ian said.

“Sorry, man. I’m just trying to get us there before the rain hits.”

Jamie understood his urgency. They had a huge amount of equipment in the back of the vehicle, which would’ve been safer in a van, but none of them had one. With just the three of them taking the trip, it made sense to use Becker’s truck. Only the last thing they wanted was to have rain pouring down on it, and the clouds had grown thicker and lower the farther north they’d driven into the mountains.

And that would ruin every last plan Jamie had meticulously laid out before coming here.

She was distracted from thoughts of her To Do list when Ian turned toward her, twisting as best he could in a tight space. “Are you okay?”

She looked up at him, blinking her eyes a little. “Yes,” she assured him even though her temple throbbed. Because that’s what she did. As the only girl in their group of gamers, she was not about to appear weak in front of any of them. Especially Ian. The rest of the guys were like brothers to her, but she’d never been able to see Ian that way.

Probably never would.

Instead of accepting her assurance that she was fine, Ian lifted his hand to brush his thumb over the sore spot on her temple. “It’s awfully red,” he said. “Are you sure you aren’t hurt?”

The truck shook again, and Ian cupped the side of her head as if to keep it steady. Jamie tried to tell herself it was his usual responsible self watching over her.

Under normal circumstances, Ian would have pulled back immediately. For that matter, he never would’ve touched her in the first place. Never had. But the diminishing warmth of the sun and the tingle from his skin against hers had her eyes widening, her gaze arrowing straight for his.

An almost confused expression crossed his handsome face. As if he wasn’t sure what he was feeling but his hand didn’t move. In fact, his fingers curled a little bit as if to burrow into her hair.

Jamie felt a sudden tightness around her lungs, making it hard to draw breath. She was familiar with her attraction to him. Something she’d always kept hidden from him, from the group, so she didn’t risk upsetting what they all had together. Only her close circle of girlfriends from Covington Corner knew.

But did his current expression mean…could he possibly be feeling it too? After all these years?

Slowly he pulled back, his hand curling in on itself. As he shifted back into place, what little light there was glinted off the diamond stud in his ear. Jamie blinked away a sheen of moisture from her eyes. Ian had started wearing the stud the year before. It was his mother’s, who had died in a car accident. Though it added an edge to his blue-eyed, blond boy-next-door look, every time she saw it she was reminded of his overwhelming grief when the only parent he’d ever known had been taken from him.

For a moment, she thought he might speak to her. Instead he muttered in Becker’s direction, “Just be careful. We don’t want everything wet, but it doesn’t need to be broken either.”

And there was the Ian she knew. Always watching out for them. Always worried about safety. Between the two of them, they’d been dubbed the “parents” of the group. Always taking care of the business stuff and keeping everyone on track.

Even ten years after high school, the rest of the guys were still carefree and fun-loving. Though they were able to step up when necessary. Until this last year, they’d all held stable IT jobs that put food on the table.

They needed this to work to make those resignation letters a thing of the past.

She released a low, slow breath as they continued to navigate the obviously neglected drive. That had been a close call. Knowing her tendency to relive and worry over every interaction with Ian, she forced herself to think about something else.

Instead she studied the road. The concrete had cracked like a web through the original pavement, leaving it bumpy and full of holes. Better watch closely. She didn’t need to hit her head on the window again. Then her weekend would be over really quick.

That was the last thing she wanted—that any of them wanted. The chance to explore Harrington Institute had come after a long process of repeated requests and extensive paperwork, but they were determined to represent the building as authentically as possible to set their next video game apart.

They’d built their first one right out of high school, the five members of the video game club no one in the school had ever acknowledged. They’d met in the basement, talked over things no one else cared about or understood, and unknowingly built their futures. They’d released the game indie and thought nothing of it besides a few updates to keep their skills sharp. There were no illusions that it was going anywhere—they’d just been kids, after all.

But they continued to meet on a regular basis to play with computers and coding and their love of geek lore. They’d had the idea for a sequel for years but never really moved forward on it.

Then last year, a Big Name gaming influencer had plucked their game from the obscurity of the Internet and loved it. His raves over live play had pushed their game into the spotlight, and the orders had rolled in.

They were all making a fortune in a way they’d never dreamed possible—doing what they loved. Now was the time to release a huge game number two—before the spotlight disappeared.

And Harrington Institute for the Mentally Ill was just the place to set it. Jamie had spent many, many hours researching the history of one of the most famous mental institutions of the time period in the southern United States…and every page sent shivers down her spine. Current pictures had been hard to come by, but she had no doubt it wouldn’t disappoint.

The place had been vacant for almost twenty years. Before that it had housed hundreds of people seeking treatment for everything from mild depression to psychotic tendencies. A few murders had taken place. Even more suicides.

There had to be a mystery or two left inside.

The truck broke free of the trees that had crowded against the drive. Jamie sucked in a breath as the huge building came into view.

Patterned after the Kirkbride building tradition used during that time period in the United States, three stories of brick manor stared at them with empty eyes. Jamie almost expected to see a figure appear behind one of the cracked windows. The immediate area around the buildings still had a trim sloping lawn, but what she could see of the woods from behind seemed to creep ever closer. Another shiver shot down Jamie’s spine.

“The perfect Halloween attraction, right, Jamie?” Becker asked.

The other love all of them shared—haunted houses. The thrill of the scare had led to the building of their first horror action game. The ultimate haunted house adventure—escape if you can.

“You know it!” Jamie loved all things about the creepy season. Scary movies. Haunted houses. Spooky settings and decorating for Halloween. Though she’d let that go this year knowing she’d be gone on this trip.

They all had their hands full right now.

“You’ve got brass balls, girl,” Becker said.

Not really, Jamie thought as she stared up at the broken windows, wondering if the shifting shadows were just her imagination, the movement of the truck, or something...otherworldly. She did enjoy the adrenaline rush of a good scare, but Harrington Institute was a whole other ball game. There was no telling what they might run into inside, and Jamie was a firm believer that untethered souls still lived on in some version or another after they died. She’d had plenty of time to think about it when each of her girlfriends had lost family members over the last several years.

But she wasn’t about to let the guys see how unsettled she was.

“Dude,” Becker said, the way he drew out the word telling her she wasn’t the only one impressed.

Ian remained completely silent and still as the truck wound around the circular drive in front of the colossal, creepy building, coming to a stop before the main entry steps. Jamie stared up at the vine-covered brick walls, her excitement growing, but underneath a touch of trepidation lingered that had her heart beating a little harder in her throat.

Movement in the doorway caught her attention.

“Someone’s there,” she said.

“That should be the caretaker, Vincent,” Becker said.

“Time for the adventure to start,” Ian said from right over her shoulder. She glanced back at him, only to see his gaze shift from her to the building beyond.

She wanted to say something, to return to the intimacy of earlier, but couldn’t take the risk. Instead she opened the door and slid off the high seat to land both feet on the ground.

She moved forward with Becker to meet the caretaker at the bottom of the wide stairs, even as she was conscious of Ian behind her.

“Vincent, I presume,” Becker said, holding out his hand to shake.

The caretaker looked at his hand, then over at the truck, then spit to the side. Jamie noticed that he shifted a wad of what was probably tobacco behind his lip. It ruined the almost Santa-like appearance he had going on with his gray beard and overalls. He nodded toward the tarped bed of the pickup. “That’s a lot of equipment,” he said, his tone gruff and belligerent.

Becker cocked his head to the side, obviously picking up on the same vibe as Jamie. “Well, it takes a lot to do the job we’re here for. Cameras, lighting, plus safety equipment.” He nodded towards the house. “Don’t wanna take any chances out here, this far from town.”

Vincent seemed to calm a little at Becker’s professional approach. “At least it’s not the rocks and spray paint we found from other visitors.”

Ian stepped a little closer. “Do you get a lot of vandalism out this way?”

Vincent shook his head, relaxing a little more. “Not a huge amount, especially since they hired me on full-time as a caretaker about ten years ago. I worked as an orderly the better part of thirty years when the Institute was open for business. But trespassers aren’t common. We’re too far from town for that. Just teenagers on a dare, for the most part. We keep a close eye on everything, so that helps.” He looked back at Becker. “I’m still surprised the boss is letting you in. You’re lucky he agreed at all. I guess everything being torn down is making him soft. Bring the contract?”

Becker pulled an envelope out of his back pocket. “Here’s the signed copy. And there was an electronic copy sent to the lawyer. But don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her.”

Vincent shook his head. “I don’t understand why anyone would wanna roam around here for three days.”

Becker laughed. “We’re going to make it famous, dude,” he said, resorting to his overly laid-back manner.

“That’s all we need,” Vincent said, spitting again.

Jamie got the feeling he was expressing a feeling rather than a true need. Vincent seemed to be getting himself worked up. He started waving his hands as he spoke. “People running around, ruining things.” He turned to walk back up the steps, his voice carrying through the silence of the valley. “Raving about stuff they don’t understand. Disturbing things that shouldn’t be messed with—”

His rant cut off as he walked through the front doors of Harington. Jamie exchanged a knowing look with the guys.

“Stuff they don’t understand?” Becker asked, keeping his voice quiet. “Guess this place is as haunted as it looks…”

They all grabbed a piece of equipment out of the back of the truck, then headed up the stairs themselves.

“There should be an open foyer in the very front of the house where we can set everything up,” Jamie said.

“Are you going to be a know-it-all this whole time, James?” Becker asked.

Jamie clenched her teeth. He knew she hated it when he called her that, and she wasn’t about to let him ruin this for her. But she couldn’t resist a little dig of her own. “At least somebody did some research, Becky. We needed to prepare somehow.”

Becker smirked back at her over his shoulder. “You know I prefer to wing it.”

Ian threw in his two cents. “Don’t you mean that you prefer to waste our time wandering around aimlessly? Because we’re only getting three days. Remember that.”

“And well you should.” Vincent’s voice echoed off the high ceiling of the spacious entryway. Jamie jumped even though she knew she shouldn’t. The last thing she wanted to show was fear.

“That contract says three days. So when I come back on Monday afternoon, you’d better be packed and ready to go. Mr. Harrington may have let you come out here, but I’m gonna make you stick to the letter of the law.”

Jamie tried to distract herself from Vincent’s unwelcoming demands by taking in the incredible view of the entryway itself. The very front of the building was anchored with a long, rectangular central square from which the wings fanned out along the back sides. Stepping through the front doors led to an entry the size of a ballroom. At least two stories tall with a huge crystal chandelier that made Jamie nervous despite the metal chain anchoring it. The side walls were lined with a series of stained-glass windows leading to a grand staircase at the far end. Though the light outside was weak with the incoming storm, it still created incredible patterns in the dust on the floor.

“Beautiful,” she breathed.

That seemed to soften Vincent up a bit. He glanced at one of the windows himself. “It is beautiful. Dr. Harrington was all about showing off to anyone who visited, but he also felt like a lot of patients came in here with fear. The patterns in the windows were meant to distract them, give them something to focus on other than the turmoil in their own brains.” He shrugged. “Don’t know if it worked or not, but this is one of the few serene spots in the entire building.”

Ian set down his box. “Then it’s definitely a good place to sleep.”

“I’ll leave you to it then,” Vincent said, turning toward the back of the room. “I’ll let myself out and see y’all on Monday. Watch your step around here.” He paused to throw out, “That storm brings a lot of rain, it may wash over the road. You won’t want to be driving anywhere tomorrow.”

They watched as he disappeared into the shadows on one side of the impressive staircase facing them. Then came the sound of a door closing in the distance. Becker glanced back at them. “Isn’t he a bowl of jolly?”

They shared a laugh, then headed back out to the truck to get the equipment. Luckily set-up was fairly quick as Ian assembled some cots and a base camp, while Becker and Jamie sorted the various sets of cameras and flashlights and computers needed to map out rooms for realistic rendering.

“The generator can run some lights tonight and charging stations. We just need to reserve it so we don’t run out of gas,” Ian said.

“There’s plenty, dude,” Becker insisted.

“Maybe, but you never know when you might need it for an emergency,”

Jamie said, backing Ian up. Then again, she usually did. Ian was the sensible one in the group. It was if he’d spent a lifetime with responsibilities, unlike most unmarried 28-year-olds. He’d always been the voice of reason when the other guys were being stupid over something. Plus they didn’t fuss as much when the orders came from a fellow man, so she could usually trust Ian to take care of any unsafe nonsense that was gonna break a bone or knock a noggin.

“You know what that means, Jamie,” Becker said.

She didn’t trust the mischievous note in his voice in the least little bit.

“No lights on to keep the bogey-man away!”

She pretended to shiver, though the atmosphere here did leave her a little shaken. “Oh, Becker, I’m scared!” Then she scoffed, “What do you think I am, ten?”

“You are a girl. Aren’t they all scaredy-cats?”

“Maybe,” Ian conceded before looking Jamie’s way with a wink. “But I have a feeling this one would whoop your ass before admitting to it.”

“Touché. You know me well, my friend,” she said, glowing a little inside at his acknowledgment.

“That I do.”

The look he threw her way made her breath catch in her throat. Jamie had better be careful or she’d be seeing stuff that wasn’t there… literally!

In less than an hour, they were loading up their packs to start exploring. Jamie stared down at the map spread out on their war table.

“Okay, everyone has a copy of the map on their phones,” Ian said. “Today we will orient ourselves with this center portion.”

He indicated the central body of the building with a long finger. “This should have some of the main administrative rooms, nurses’ stations, the cafeteria, and kitchens. Then we will split up to map out each floor in B wing. Those should all be the same, mirroring each other and C wing in the other side. Except for a few key spots, like the chapel in C wing. And the basement corridors.”

“What’s down there?” Becker asked.

Jamie answered. “Medical rooms. Some doctors’ offices. And the morgue.”

“Ooh! Don’t get scared now, Becker,” Ian joked.

They all laughed as Becker flipped Ian off.

As they stood in the center of the foyer, Jamie shifted her pack to a little more comfortable position. It was heavier than she’d thought. She’d probably be hurting each night. Good thing she’d brought ibuprofen.

Each room would be measured, videoed, and photographed so that they didn’t lose any details. Plus they all had body cams to record some of the sights while walking through the building. Jamie started with the close-up pictures for details, while Becker videoed and Ian measured. Later they would split up and do all the steps on their own.

“These windows will make a killer atmospheric entrance,” Jamie said as she snapped picture after picture. Each window had a different layout. Even though they all used the same color scheme, the colors resided in different places. Their pointed arch shape reminded her of church sanctuary windows.

“We can really do a lot with those,” Becker agreed.

Jamie also took close-ups of the floor tile patterns, wall textures, and what furniture remained, all while taking notes in her travel journal for reference when she downloaded everything.

“Let’s move then,” Ian said after a final look around.

They met at the base of the staircase. “Up or down?” he asked as they took in the dilapidated majesty of what had once been sparkling marble.

“This doesn’t look like the most practical choice for a hospital,” Becker pointed out as he rested his boot on the first step.

“No,” Jamie agreed, “but from what I read, Dr. Harrington was wealthy and wanted people to be impressed. He had regular visitors from the political realm to support his work and research, along with notable scientists. I have a feeling this was as much a showpiece as anything.”

The once-white marble with gray veins rose to a first-floor landing, flanked on both sides by dust-coated, intricate iron railings. Whatever color the wide runner had once been was now darkened with age and dirt, leaving it to look like a threadbare rust stain.

“Makes sense. But one good fall and you’d crack your skull on this thing,” Becker joked. “Voila. New patients.”

“There’s actually another stairwell behind it for nurses and patients at the back of A wing,” Jamie said. “This one only goes from here to the second-floor waiting area, which is probably as opulent as the décor down here. Then you have to use the other staircases to move up and down...or the antiquated elevator system that was installed in each wing.”

“Hell, no,” Becker said with a sharp shake of his head. “I am not about getting stuck in no antique elevator.”

“For once I agree,” Ian said. “Let’s head up here, map that room, then move to the other stair system.”

Their steps echoed into empty space as they climbed.

“The second-floor waiting area was for visitors and for families of first-time admits,” Jamie explained.

For a moment they stood at the top of the stairs to take in the tattered surroundings. “Here they waited on plush sofas and were served tea while they filled out their paperwork to set them at ease. It was obviously a different environment from what their family members would be enduring.”

Thick curtains that must have reeked of affluence fifty years ago now hung in shreds from the tall windows. Only a couple of settees remained and not in any condition Jamie would have sat on. A few broken chairs and small tables were scattered around. But she could feel the echo of the elegance that had once been used to made families feel better about leaving their loved ones in this place.

Ian huffed. “He definitely knew how to make an impression, which feels strange considering these people were probably incarcerating a family member that would never be able to leave this place.”

Becker waved his hand at the room. “But wouldn’t you rather leave your family member here than in a hospital ward? He knew exactly what he was doing.”

Though it unsettled her, Jamie knew he was right. All the literature that she’d read on Dr. Harrington had been a mix of brilliant science and the ego of a man who’d always had everything go his way. But seeing it here, the difference between this room and what she knew probably lay on each side, made her feel for the people who made up the human element of this scenario.

They mapped this room quickly too, and were able to find the entry to the other stairwell. “Let’s do the upstairs rooms while there’s still light,” Jamie said.

The atmosphere in this stairwell felt really close even though it was probably twice as wide as a residential one. More space to get more people through. But the lack of windows and years of dust left it feeling claustrophobic.

They reached the next landing, which was cluttered with stacks of chairs to one side. Jamie went first, as there was only enough room for single file. Then Becker stepped in behind her, only to catch his foot somehow and fall forward. She turned back toward him when she heard him cry out, but as his body slammed down, the floor gave out beneath them.

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