The Silent Scream of the Abandoned Ward

The cold, dimly lit corridors of the old maternity ward echoed with the faintest whispers of a forgotten past. The once bustling center for new life had long since been abandoned, its walls covered in cobwebs and the faintest scent of decay. Among the rows of dusty cribs and faded posters, the silence was almost oppressive, but for the occasional, inexplicable creak of a floorboard.

Evelyn, a young and eager nurse, had been assigned to this desolate place. She was a fresh graduate, eager to prove herself, and the abandoned ward seemed like the perfect place to start. The hospital had been renovating, and the maternity ward had been temporarily shut down, but Evelyn's supervisor had convinced her that the old ward was safe and that she could use it as a learning experience.

Her first night was uneventful, save for the eerie quiet. She checked on the cribs, made sure the heating was working, and even tried to read a book, but the room's oppressive atmosphere was too much. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched, though she couldn't see anyone.

The second night was when things took a turn for the sinister. As she was making her rounds, she heard a faint, haunting melody. The song was one she had never heard before, but it seemed to resonate with something deep within her. She followed the sound to the farthest corner of the ward, where a small, forgotten room stood, its door slightly ajar.

Curiosity piqued, Evelyn pushed the door open and stepped inside. The room was filled with old maternity equipment, a rocking chair, and a small, dusty mirror. The melody grew louder as she approached the mirror, and she saw her reflection, but it was distorted, twisted, and it seemed to be calling out to her.

Suddenly, the room was filled with a chilling wind, and the mirror shattered into a thousand pieces. Evelyn stumbled backward, her heart pounding in her chest. She looked around, but the room was empty, save for the shards of glass and the haunting melody that seemed to be coming from everywhere and nowhere.

The next few nights were a blur of strange occurrences. She would hear whispers, feel cold hands brush against her skin, and see fleeting glimpses of shadowy figures. Each night, the melody grew louder, and the room with the mirror seemed to draw her in, no matter how hard she tried to resist.

Evelyn confided in her supervisor, who was skeptical but agreed to investigate. They found the ward's history, and it was a harrowing tale. The ward had been the site of a tragic miscarriage many years ago, when a young mother had been left alone to deliver her baby. The baby had been born prematurely and had died shortly after, and the mother had been driven mad by grief and guilt.

The ward had been abandoned ever since, and the spirits of the mother and her child had been trapped there, unable to find peace. Evelyn's presence seemed to have triggered their release, and now they were haunting her, seeking solace in her young and innocent spirit.

As the days passed, Evelyn's sanity began to fray. She would see the mother and her child in her dreams, hear their voices in her head, and feel their cold touch on her skin. She started to question her own reality, wondering if she was losing her mind.

One night, as she was making her rounds, she saw the mother and her child standing in the corner of the ward. The mother was holding her child, who was smiling up at her. Evelyn's heart ached for them, and she felt a strange connection to them.

She approached them gently, and the mother looked up at her with a mixture of gratitude and sorrow. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for listening."

Evelyn nodded, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm so sorry."

The mother smiled, and her child's smile followed. Then, without warning, they vanished, leaving Evelyn alone in the ward.

The next morning, Evelyn resigned from her position at the hospital. She left the ward behind, but the memories of the mother and her child stayed with her. She moved to a new town, far away from the haunting echoes of the old maternity ward.

But the ward's legend lived on, whispered among the townsfolk as a cautionary tale of the supernatural. And Evelyn, though she had escaped the ward's grasp, was forever changed by the silent screams of the abandoned ward.