The Strange Squad Tales of Michigan

Episode 1: Haunted Attraction

~ This is a work of fiction. While this collection includes themes, people, and places similar to real places and historical events, the events and people are works of fiction. Any similarities to real people are coincidences. ~

Vanessa stood in front of one of the most haunted places in the world. Eloise Asylum was enormous and stood looking like a malevolent specter against the backdrop of the moonlit night. Vanessa’s heart hammered in her chest as she and her friends approached, drawn by a morbid curiosity that seemed to pulse with each crunch of the ancient pathway.

The air grew heavy with the musty scent of decay, and the shadows danced along the walls, whispering secrets of long-forgotten horrors. Her skin prickled with unease as she trailed behind her friends, their laughter echoing through the halls. But the echo felt wrong, like the building swallowed the sound instead of letting it fade.

The deeper they ventured, the heavier the dread became, settling over her like a suffocating shroud. Why did she do this? Everyone knows Eloise is actually haunted. But she couldn’t stand being called a chicken, so she followed them in, even though her instincts screamed to turn back.

Suddenly, from the darkness emerged figures in tattered robes, their faces twisted into grotesque masks of horror. With a guttural roar, they lunged forward, their outstretched hands grasping at the unsuspecting guests, sending screams ricocheting through the halls. Hidden speakers blared ominous music, punctuated by the spine-chilling wails of tortured souls, adding to the atmosphere of dread that permeated the air. In the flickering light of strobes and mist, more actors leaped out from hidden alcoves, their ghoul-like appearance sending patrons into fits of panic. From every corner of the haunted house, surprises awaited and startled.

Then the air grew colder, and the whispers grew louder, their words twisted and distorted into sinister warnings that clawed at her sanity. She spun around, searching for her friends, but she was alone. Where was everyone? Panic began to take hold at the realization. A bloodcurdling scream tore through the silence, sending shockwaves of terror coursing through Vanessa’s veins. It was raw and real, nothing like the staged shrieks from before. Without hesitation, she turned and fled, her heart pounding in her ears as she raced towards the exit, the oppressive darkness swallowing her whole.

Emerging into the cool night air, Vanessa gasped for breath, her lungs burning with exertion. She waited for her friends as they exited one by one. But Caroline… Caroline didn’t come out. Fear took hold of her once again as she realized her best friend was nowhere in sight. Her mind swirled with a maelstrom of fear and desperation. And Vanessa knew with every part of her that something in the asylum had taken her.

Hours passed in a blur of interrogation and anxiety, but still, there was no sign of Caroline. The Police swept through every inch of Eloise Asylum, their flashlights slicing through the darkness and casting warped shadows across the crumbling walls. Each beam of light seemed swallowed by the building, as if the asylum refused to give anything back.

In the following days, a cloud of dread descended upon the town as the number of missing persons continued to climb with alarming speed. Each disappearance sent shockwaves of fear rippling through the community, leaving residents on edge and questioning the safety of the haunted house attraction. The streets emptied before sunset and parents kept their children closer.

Despite the best efforts of law enforcement, the grim tide of disappearances showed no signs of abating. They grew hollow‑eyed and exhausted, their resources stretched thin. They stopped promising answers and were forced to admit they could not unravel the mystery that had plunged the town into a state of terror. Something was happening inside Eloise Asylum, something they couldn’t explain or stop.

With heavy hearts and resignation, the owner was forced to close the haunted house. It was the only way to restore a semblance of order to a community besieged by fear and uncertainty. The once‑thriving attraction was sealed behind chains and boards, standing like a tombstone at the edge of town. Its windows stared blankly outward, reflecting nothing but the darkness gathering around it. Now standing as a silent monument to the horrors that lurked within its walls.

Even with the doors closed, a profound sense of unease remained over the town. The town held its breath, praying for answers and hoping against hope for the safe return of those who had vanished without a trace. And the tales of Eloise Asylum only grew louder refusing to rest.

Christina’s fingers tapped nervously against the worn wooden tabletop, her eyes fixed on Skylar with a mixture of determination and apprehension. They sat in the dimly lit corner of their favorite café in Lansing, Michigan. The soft hum of conversation and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee wrapping around them like a fragile comfort.

“Skylar… I think you should join our paranormal team.” Christina blurted the words out before she could lose her nerve. “I know how you feel about this stuff, but you’d be an invaluable asset. I need you.”

Skylar’s brow tightened, her gaze flicking between Christina and the steaming cup in her hands. “Exactly, Christina. You know how I feel about it. That stuff is dangerous. It’s not a game.” Her voice sharpened. “How could you even ask me after what happened?”

Christina’s expression softened. She reached out, laying a gentle hand on Skylar’s arm. “I get it. I really do.” Her voice lowered. “But people are going missing. This isn’t thrill‑seeking or entertainment. We’re trying to help. Don’t you think your mom would want you to use your gift to protect people?”

Skylar’s gaze softened at Christina’s words, a flicker of curiosity sparking in her eyes as she considered the possibility of delving deeper into the world that was passed down by her ancestors. She had a gift, but after the world of the spirits took her mother, she refused to accept her powers. The mention of her mother always hit like a bruise. A faint chill brushed the back of her neck, so subtle she wasn’t sure if it was real or memory. She swallowed hard. Maybe Christina was right. Wouldn’t her mom want her to learn to use her gifts to help others? “I’m listening,” she conceded, her interest piqued despite her lingering reservations. “But the spirit world is far more complicated than just ghosts.”

Christina’s smile widened at Skylar’s words, her heart swelling. The pair had been friends since they were children and been through all of life’s struggles and joys together. Christina turned her laptop so that Skylar could see it. “Eloise Asylum was built in 1839. It’s been used for a few different things over the years. More recently, it was turned into a haunted house attraction. Over the last few weeks, seven teenagers have gone missing. Get this! All girls!” Leave it to Christina to sound like a Google search engine, spitting out facts.

Skylar’s stomach tightened. Eloise. Even hearing the name made something inside her shift, like a warning.

“Of course, they shut the place down. The owner wants us to figure out what’s happened so he can get the place back in business. People are saying that ghosts are behind the disappearances that it’s haunted. That’s why we need you, Skylar. You know what the spirit world actually is.”

Skylar stared at the screen, her pulse quickening. After a long, heavy pause, she exhaled. “Okay, I’m in,” Skylar declared after a long pause, her voice carrying a weight of uncertainty mixed with resolve. Christina was right. Most people just see the other world as being filled with souls that have unfinished business. But she knew what the realm truly held. “On a trial basis. I haven’t used my powers in years, so I’m not making any promises, but I want to help those people.”

“Yay! You won’t regret this. We’re driving to the asylum together, tomorrow.” she exclaimed eagerly, a smile spreading across her face. Her dear friend didn’t know how dangerous this was, but Christina had an addiction to history. Skylar suspected she knew everything about this Eloise place.

She tried to sound lighthearted, but her stomach churned. “Now, can we talk about something else?”

But even as Christina launched into another topic, Skylar couldn’t shake the feeling that something was shifting. A door she had closed was creaking open again. And she wasn’t sure she was ready for what waited behind it.

As Skylar’s gaze wandered to the window, her thoughts drifted to the decision she had just made. She had long abandoned the teachings of her ancestors, distancing herself from the powers that once defined her existence. How was she supposed to wield them now? Could she really face the shadows of her past or what happened to her parents?

A flicker of movement outside caught her eye. Across the bustling city street stood a lone figure dressed entirely in black, hood pulled low, face hidden. They didn’t move. They didn’t look away. They stood perfectly still, angled directly toward her and Christina as if they’d been waiting.

A wave of irritation washed through Skylar. It was sharp, sudden, and foreign. Her breath hitched. She recognized the sensation instantly. Her gift was reacting on its own. That emotion wasn’t hers. It belonged to the stranger.

Her pulse quickened. As far as she knew, her gift only responded to things from the spirit world. So why was it reacting now? And who or what was watching her?

The first whispers of Skylar’s connection with the spiritual realm came to her in fragments, like fragments of a dream drifting through the mists of memory. She was just a child then, with wide eyes that drank in the world with an insatiable curiosity, living in a world filled with love alongside her mother and father. She had no idea that an extraordinary gift lay dormant within her.

It began innocently enough, shadows played across the hall through the night or a sensation of being watched when no one else was around. At first, Skylar’s parents brushed off the experiences as figments of imagination, the product of a child’s mind conjuring phantoms in the darkness.

But as she grew older, the whispers grew louder, more insistent, until they could no longer be ignored. It was during a night by the fire at seven years old that Skylar’s connection with the spiritual realm truly began to manifest itself, like a flower unfurling its petals to the sun after a long winter’s slumber.

It was a brisk autumn evening when she first realized the full extent of her abilities. She sat curled up in a blanket by the fire, enjoying an evening with her parents, when she felt a strange sensation wash over her, like a ripple in the fabric of reality.

She froze. Her heart pounded as she glanced around, trying to understand the overwhelming pressure building inside her. And then she saw it. A figure shrouded in darkness, unmistakably otherworldly, standing just beyond the firelight.

Fear took hold of her as she stared into the abyssal depths of the figure’s eyes, feeling as though it could see straight into her soul. An unbearable surge of rage coursed through her veins as the figure let out a deafening scream, sending shockwaves reverberating through the room. She clutched her ears, desperate to block out the assault.

Her own scream pierced the air, echoing off the walls. Her mother’s soothing voice cut through her terror like a beacon of hope. Skylar felt her mother’s arms wrap around her, anchoring her to safety.

She starred in wonder as her mother’s necklace, begin to emit a soft, silvery blue glow. The delicate chain seemed to shimmer as if infused with an otherworldly energy, casting ethereal shadows across the room.

As her father stood frozen in astonishment, the glow intensified, coalescing into a swirling mist that enveloped Skylar and her mother. The air crackled with energy as the mist danced around them, its tendrils reaching outward like ghostly fingers.

In the midst of the swirling mist, the enraged woman began to fade, her form dissolving into nothingness before their eyes. Skylar’s breath caught in her throat as she watched with a mixture of fear and wonder coursing through her veins.

When the mist finally began to dissipate, leaving nothing but a lingering sense of awe in its wake, her father stood frozen, his expression twisted with shock and disbelief.

As her parents exchanged bewildered glances, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had been granted a glimpse into a hidden realm that lay just beyond the veil of reality. She knew that her life would never be the same again.

The memory faded… but the sensation didn’t.

Skylar blinked, snapping back to the present. The café around her felt suddenly colder, the air heavier. Her pulse quickened. Across the street, the hooded figure still stood. And this time, she felt it clearly. A ripple in reality. The same ripple she felt the night her powers awakened.

As the figure tilted its head, her gift pulsed again.

Just like that day she knew something was coming.