Prologue
It was a pale February morning that was still crisp with winter's chill as we set foot on the Project Senium site.
As if it were not cold enough we plunged into the cold and dark utility tunnels that would take us to our destination. All along our trek was the constant presence of the antiquated and cancer-inducing insulation called asbestos. Our masks and lights became our only safety in this deadly labyrinth. After navigating an underground maze we emerged through an elevator shaft into our destination, a 13-story monolith that towered over this former mental health facility campus.
A thrilling sensation swept over us like a wave of euphoria at accomplishing our mission and now witnessing with our own eyes what so few individuals get to see. The decaying halls offered a myriad of thoughts for us. We could look upon the tragedies of the history of mental health with the rooms barred like prison cells, shock therapy, and lobotomies inspiring both pity and horror. We could also look at the decay itself and find it beautiful, reflecting the image of its makers, doomed to be reclaimed by time and nature. Of course, time grew short, as it ever does, and we soon made a hasty exit.
Unintentionally, we would not return to this building for over two years. Upon returning, it was impossible to overlook the enormous changes the building had undergone, and none for the better. The tunnels we had once used were now collapsed, causing us to gain access somewhere else. The building itself had deteriorated drastically, both by nature and by vandalizing visitors. Just weeks later, someone would start a fire in a neighboring building and then days after, a nearby facility would see the same.
This impressed upon us a single truth: time is running out. These buildings will not be around long and they are only getting worse. A nearby facility has undergone complete demolition and even some buildings on the Project Senium site have been demolished. This is why Project Senium was created. It is our mission to preserve these places in a film experience for others to see before these buildings disappear forever. From these halls we hope to share what we find: beauty, adventure, and horror as we step into one of the darker pages of our own history.
We cannot do it alone. And time is running out. We need your help. We need you to join Project Senium. Stayed tuned and learn how here.