Leave campus

The afternoon sun casts long shadows across the campus quad as I make my way back to my pickup truck, parked in the campus lot. The day is warm, but a light breeze blows through the trees, causing the leaves to rustle in a somber, melancholic manner. The oppressive weight of the day's events bears down on me.

The gothic architecture of Benicka House looms over me, atop a nearby hill, and I can't help but feel as though its very walls are closing in. I'm still shaken by the gargoyle's fall, and the knowledge that someone would go to such great lengths to cover up the truth has left me feeling ****. The campus is quiet.

As I walk, piecing together the puzzle that the school seems determined to keep hidden, I can't help but feel as though I'm being watched. Suddenly, I catch a glimpse of the creepy groundskeeper with the long, snow white beard lurking in the shadows. His piercing gaze makes my skin crawl. He holds a pair of wicked looking garden sheers. I avert my eyes, feeling unsettled.

I look back, thinking about confronting him, but he is gone. The feeling that he's still watching me lingers. As I approach my truck, parked in the campus lot, I can't help but think about how events have unfolded. I unlock my truck, my hands shaking as I climb into the driver's seat, the worn upholstery providing a comforting, familiar embrace.

I insert the key into the ignition and crank the engine to life, eager to leave this place, to put as much distance as possible between me and the mounting danger. The familiar rumble of its power gives me some comfort and strength to carry on; my noble steed. I pull away from the curb, tires crunching on the gravel as I head for the campus exit.

The sun dips lower in the sky, casting an orange glow across the landscape. It's almost as if the day itself is bidding me adieu, urging me to take my search for the truth elsewhere. But even as I pull away, my mind can't shake the memory of the groundskeeper's unsettling presence, and the growing suspicion that he might be somehow involved in all of this.