The Tooth Collector (and Other Tales of Terror) by Lindsey Goddard Page A

it was much larger, stronger, and capable
of dragging a human trapped inside a coffin-like tomb.
     
    The box plummeted into the tank with a
resounding splash. Frederick cringed as water poured through the
holes, filling the wooden box, sinking it.
     
    “Don't look so glum, my faithful assistant.
We need only stop her heart for a minute. Then we will bring her
back.” He watched air bubbles rising to the surface of the water,
waiting for the young girl to drown. “Her mind will be reborn.
Fresh and new. She'll feel better than ever. You will see.”
     
    ........Several decades later...........
     
    The atmosphere inside the old asylum on
Harper Hill could only be described with adjectives best suited for
Poe: ghastly and somber, beguiling Mark into walking its decrepit
halls and exploring its long-abandoned rooms. Sam didn't share
Mark's enthusiasm. He'd been jumpy since they arrived, looking over
his shoulder, arguing with Mark as they ventured further into the
belly of Harper Hospital. He didn't like this. Any of it. As film
projects go, he was certain they could have selected a topic of
equal mystery and intrigue, and fewer—
     
    Ghosts.
     
    There. Sam finally admitted it to himself. He
was terrified of encountering a ghost in these morbid rooms. Full
of bad memories and the heartache of a thousand abused patients,
this place permeated an aura of sadness. The air was thick with it,
pressing in on him, making it hard to breathe. Or maybe that was
his fear.
     
    None of it seemed to faze Mark. He strolled
through the asylum in a state of awe, giddy at times because he
knew this film was going to earn him some respect. He hadn't
stopped moving since the moment they arrived. He would gesture for
Sam to “come here” or “look at this”, all the while narrating for
the camera. This was his final year of college, and it was time to
make things happen. Time to shit or get off the pot, as his father
used to say. For years, Mark had dreamed of landing a position in
the world of TV broadcasting. All he needed was for others to take
notice. So many graduates let their dreams fall by the wayside,
their majors all but useless in the real world. But Mark was going
to make something of himself. With his best friend at his side, he
couldn't fail.
     
    Sam paused to catch his breath as they
rounded a corner. The two-hundred-thousand square foot grounds of
Harper Hospital was starting to take its toll on his body. A dull
ache burned its way up his calf muscles. Reluctantly, he leaned
against the moldy cement wall for support, resting as Mark poked
his head into the nearest room.
     
    Sam felt as if he had walked the college
campus three times. This place was huge, and he was out of shape.
His weight gain hadn't stopped at The Freshman Fifteen. Its
successors, The Sophomore Twenty and the Junior Twenty-five had
followed in its wake, leaving behind extra baggage. A steady diet
of junk food and energy drinks was to blame. Parking his ass in a
chair several hours a day didn't help. But he had to study. He was
determined to graduate with honors.
     
    “Right here,” Mark said. “This is where we'll
shoot the highlight piece.”
     
    Mark's eyes were alight with a new-found
energy. He smiled, and Sam didn't like the look of that grin. It
was too wide, too full of mischief. He said, “Come on, buddy.
You've got to see this! Oh man, there is some creepy shit in
here!”
     
    As invitations go, this was a pretty lousy
one. It didn't make Sam want to enter the room. This was their last
project together at Griffin Film University, and it meant a lot to
both of them. Sooner or later he would have to humor his friend,
explore the “creepy shit” and capture it on film. But first he was
resting his legs.
     
    “Yeah, yeah, I'll be there in a minute.” He
waved a hand in the air to dismiss Mark, who shrugged and
disappeared into the shadows of the room.
     
    Sam fiddled with the hand-held camcorder. He
was worried about the darkness of