A Room of Shadows

A Room of Shadows

Harold Moore

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2014 Harold Moore

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Thank You

Chapter 1

The afternoon sun cast its golden rays through a canopy of leaves that only just hinted at wanting to adopt the colors of the season. The early autumn air was crisp compared to the sometimes oppressive heat that was so common throughout the summer, but could hardly be called chill by any stretch of the imagination. Tangled vines and undergrowth wound their way through the trees toward the chain link fence that separated the abandoned lot from the rest of the school grounds. Each footstep brought snaps and dry crackles from the old leaves and twigs. The rustling branches swaying overhead with each breeze did much to conceal the three girls that trudged amidst the layers of dry leaves and old branches, but little to stifle the distant shouts and laughter of the other students who poured across the school's grounds to bus or car.

It had been Sandra's idea, really. The most daring of the three, the fair skinned, fiery haired girl was always in and out of trouble. Tall and lean, she had all of the stature and athletics to play on the girls basketball team, but none of the motivation or discipline. It was a source of endless frustration amongst the teachers and coaching staff, and finally they had given up trying to entice her to do something constructive. Rather, they merely wanted her to stay out of trouble long enough to graduate and get out of their hair. It was an arrangement that suited Sandra well.

Her friends had a list of offenses as well, though for the most part this was due to the redhead's influence. Maria, with her dark complexion and darker hair, was a kind, pious girl, daughter to a local Pastor. One of those sugar sweet girls, nice enough that one could hardly wish any ill upon her. Although she stayed out of the worst of trouble, she had known Sandra since they were children, and Maria took it upon herself to try to serve as her friend's conscience, though she was very rarely successful at it. Her parents, fortunately, understood how important friends were, and overlooked the occasional slip up. Perhaps they viewed it as Maria's way of trying to save a wayward soul.

Kristen, on the other hand, was a constant sense of disappointment to her parents. A blonde girl with the sort of looks that relied more on constant care and attention than any natural beauty, she seemed dead set on defying the will of her sometimes overbearing parents. Brilliant and studious, she had only moved into the area within the last year, and her friendship with Sandra had started merely as an act of rebellion against her own overbearing parents. Somehow, she still managed to keep her grades up, but with her record now marred by a growing list of activities one might call delinquent, her parents' lofty visions of the best schools were beginning to fade.

Rumors had always swirled about the abandoned, fenced off lot that abutted the school grounds on one side, but none of the students had ever thought to take bolt cutters to the fence and open a way. At least none that had bragged about it, which was a clearer indication that none had tried than any evidence could hope to hint at. The lot was surrounded on all sides by a tall, chain link fence, topped with razor wire as if it were some prison. Faded 'no trespassing' signs were liberally scattered on the fence, and the single gate bore a pair of padlocks that were surprisingly new, as if someone were keeping an eye on the property. The lot itself, however, was overgrown and forested, in a manner not uncommon in the area, especially further from the main road.

They had been looking for a place to hang out, close to campus, where no one would disturb them. An abandoned, forbidden lot was a beacon to the curious girls, and days ago they decided to check it out. That afternoon, each of the girls crept out of class early. It hadn't been difficult to gather behind the school, and cross the yard unnoticed. When Sandra produced the cutters, the other two hadn't been that surprised. A few minutes later, the three had slipped through the fence and were hidden among the trees.

The three girls wandered for a minute or two into the trees, before they came across a little clearing around an old concrete slab. It wasn't terribly large, maybe six feet on a side, and old, rusted pipes jutted upward from one side, topped with an ancient exterior faucet. The trees closed in on all sides, but none of them could be more than a few decades old.

With her cutters still in one hand, Sandra let her backpack slip from her shoulder. A disappointed frown crossed the redhead's features, and she gazed down at the concrete slab. The other two girls picked their way around the area, looking up at the trees with some degree of skepticism. This far in amongst the overgrowth, the sounds of the outside world were almost completely stifled, a silence that was only broken by the rustling of their own feet through the untended leaves.

Such a waste.

Maria glanced over at Sandra's words, and raised her brows questioningly.

Not a single mark on it, makes me want to just bring some paint in here next time to tag it. It's like an empty piece of paper just waiting for writing.

The explanation brought a frown to Maria's lips, but Kristen just set her own pack down, and settled herself back against a tree.

If this is all those fences are set up to protect, I'm surprised. Just an old shed foundation or something. Kristen gestured to the slab dismissively.

Maria ran her hand along the faucet, and the pipe itself. The rust flaked off under her fingers with even the lightest touch. She frowned, then turned her gaze to Sandra, Well, what were you expecting? At least it's nice out here. No one around.

Ignoring Maria's disapproving frown, Sandra fished a pack of smokes from her pocket, and lit one up. Mmhmm, was all she offered at first, before her eyes drifted back over the trees. She adopted a tone that was part teasing, part mysterious, You know what they say about this place, right?

The other two girls got a sort of clueless expression, which brought a smile to Sandra's lips, They say this used to be school grounds, decades back. There used to be a building out here, like the one on the other side of the football field, where they'd teach classes. One day, one of the students went insane, came out here during one of the classes, locked the doors, and burned the building down with a classroom of students in it.

That's bullshit, Kristen stepped forward, Who would have a classroom way out here? And that building by the field is just for storage, so one like it wouldn't have been a classroom anyway.

Something, however, tugged at Maria's memory. I don't know about that, I've been in there, and it's split like a pair of classrooms. They look kind of like the ones in the old section of the main building. And didn't Mrs. Harding's daughter disappear or something at this school?

The mention of Mrs. Harding stilled the conversation for a moment. Minutes passed, with nothing but the fading, distant sounds of the dispersing crowds of students and the occasional stir of breeze-blown branches disrupting the peace. She was an older teacher, close to retirement, thin and weary looking beyond even her years, almost frail, with gray hair that seemed forever bound in a tight bun. She was strict indeed, but at least she didn't seem to go out of her way to harass kids. They'd all heard the stories, of course. That she'd had a daughter who'd gone to the school years ago. That said daughter and many others had died to some sort of accident on school grounds. It was almost impossible to find any evidence it really happened that way, of course, but it was creepy to think about regardless.

It was Sandra who eventually broke the silence, in that brash way of hers.

Chickenshits. Even if something like that did happen, it was what, twenty years ago? What are you scared of, ghosts? She pursed her lips, and blew a stream of smoke at the frowning faces of the other girls.

Maria was too used to Sandra's attitude to let it bother her, but Kristen huffed and turned her back to the other two. For a moment it looked like she was going to storm off, but she suddenly stopped. Something had flitted by the corner of her vision, as if someone were moving through the trees with a silence they could not match. When she turned to get a better look, however, it was definitely not a person she saw, and not something that could move by any means.

Hey, I think I see something over there, through the trees.

What, some sort of ghost? Ooooo...

Kristen scowled at Sandra, but Maria saved the situation, I think I see it too. Some sort of roof or something.

Sure enough, after a few tentative steps in that direction, past a few obscuring branches they all make it out. Just vaguely through the trees, the girls could glimpse the outline of a building. As they studied it, the structure was actually pretty recognizable, with the same sort of shape and brown brick that the building near the football field used.

Oh shit, it's like, an exact copy.

It doesn't look burned up, though. I wonder why they'd close it off like this. Maria frowned as she tried to puzzle out what it would be.

Sandra grinned and hoisted her backpack up again, shouldering it with one strap. Let's check it out.

A sudden snap of a twig behind them, however, caused all of the girls to whirl about. Someone was approaching, but it was clearly too late to escape detection.

What are you girls doing out here? You shouldn't be here.

Mrs. Harding's voice bore equal parts irritation and worry. She still wore the dark dress she had in school, with leather boots more suited to trampling through the brush than the sneakers the girls wore. Her gray hair was still in that familiar tight bun. It was a wonder whether or not she ever let her hair down.

What are we doing out here? What the fuck are you doing out here? Typical Sandra, she went on the offensive immediately. She cocked her head and rested her hand on one hip, cigarette still between her fingers, her attitude almost palpable.

Chasing after you three, that's what. Now come along, you shouldn't be here. Move on before I'm forced to report you to the principal.

Sandra, maybe we should do as she says. The place was giving Maria the creeps, and there was something about Mrs. Harding's presence that made it worse. It was a heartfelt plea, to be certain, and one whose tone the redhead didn't miss.

Yeah, yeah alright... this place is lame anyway. Sandra shrugged off the teacher's stern look, then began to make her way off through the brush toward the fence, her backpack over her shoulder, bolt cutters in one hand, cigarette in the other. For all her crude bluster, Sandra did tend to protect her friend when she sounded genuinely distressed.

The other two girls fell into step behind her, only occasionally glancing over their shoulders. Mrs. Harding watched them depart, but did not follow them. It was a strange scene, and the three girls remained silent as they came to where they'd cut the fence loose. It didn't look like anyone had come through since they did originally. It was doubtful that Mrs. Harding could squeeze through the narrow opening they'd created anyway, at least unless she was more limber than they gave her credit for.

They ducked through the fence, and gazed out over the fields. Most of the students had gone, the buses had pulled out, and even the line of cars of parents and students with licenses going home had already dispersed. In the distance, the football team still practiced on the field, and the storage building, the mate of the one they'd spied through the brush, stood like an odd reminder of what they had just encountered.

Sandra tossed her smoke to the dirt at her feet, then ground it out under one foot. Kristen gazed down at the act, then spoke nervously, So uhm, did you notice something about that?

What?

Kristen looked glumly at both of the girls as they turned to her. Yeah uhm, Mrs. Harding didn't say anything. You know, about the smoke, or the bolt cutters.

One of Sandra's brows rose, So?

Well, they're both pretty serious to have on school grounds, and she didn't even go on about how you spoke to her.

Sandra frowned, and Maria fidgeted nervously. So it was like she was more concerned with us being there?

Kristen nodded. And not even in a 'you're in trouble' way. Or we'd have been marched into the office. It was like she was worried for us.

All three girls gazed out over the school grounds, suddenly more unsettled. Sandra raised the bolt cutters to rest against her shoulder, then grinned slowly.

We gotta come back here tomorrow.

What?! The other two vocalized near simultaneously.

I want to check out that building back there. Of course, if you two chickenshits are too scared...

Kristen slapped Sandra against the shoulder, and the two girls looked at one another for a long moment.

Yeah, fine, I'll come along. It was clear that the blonde didn't want to, but she didn't want to seem a coward either.

Sandra glanced back to Maria. It was rare that she didn't simply assume Maria was going to come along with her schemes, so this was her way of giving Maria an out. Of course, with Kristen already agreeing to the trip, she'd never live it down if she refused. The dark haired girl just swallowed once, before nodding once.

Fine. Same time, same place, and with those words, Sandra began to walk off.

The other two girls offered nervous smiles to one another. It seemed they'd find out soon enough if the rumors of some accident were true.

Chapter 2

It was almost eerie, going through the day's classes as if nothing were being planned. Mrs. Harding never mentioned a thing, and that made it, at least for Maria, all the worse. There was something almost dreamlike about the whole situation. Even her co conspirators didn't acknowledge their planned meeting that afternoon. It was as if the world on the other side of the fence was an entirely separate reality.

As the