University Of Shadows - Book I

I. When The Shadows Attacked

     Taya sat at the end of the front row in the lecture hall. The classroom was nearly empty except for Henry and herself. The second week of the fall semester was drawing to a close and their final class of the week had been unceremoniously canceled. They didn't receive the text until after they'd arrived at an empty lecture hall. It was Henry who had insisted that they used this empty classroom and free time to finish some work.

     "We can free up our weekend." He said.

     She agreed, seeing the pragmatism of the idea, albeit reluctantly. Her mind wasn't on the homework displayed on her computer screen. Her attention was focused instead on the school paper, The Ocelot Bugle, its story covering the strange events that had been happening since the fall semester started. All around campus people told stories about the recent rise in activity from the University's ghosts.

     There were several examples. The ghost in the old library was blamed for the sudden power outages in the downstairs computer labs, the librarians theorizing it was in retaliation for moving most of the books to the new library across campus. The ghost in the Art Department basement was blamed for the missing art supplies which inexplicably ended up scattered around the outside bushes. Students leaving their evening classes at Mary Miller Hall swore they could hear the sound of horses clomping around outside.

        According to the university police, the blame for these strange events was placed upon the Greek Houses, as a result of rush week.

         As a side note, every Greek House took offense at being blamed for that, of all things. The author wrote, getting a chuckle out of Taya.

     Continuing to scan the article, the school made assurances that the events could be easily explained. But faculty and staff members were divided and several notable professors vehemently disagreed. The janitors had claimed to see Samuel, the ghost boy reported to haunt the police station, appear physically before them in broad daylight. Dr. Milkenson of the History Department had sworn he'd seen the Union Widow walking up and down the hallway. Others claimed to see less friendly things, like moving shadows.

     Taya was fascinated. People spoke often of the things they'd encountered on the college grounds. Ever since the days before it even was a college.

     Heatherton is often forgotten about town in the southeast of Texas, rich with history. It was named in honor of Heather Douglas, the wife of town founder George Douglas. From its founding in 1830, in time for the Texas Revolution, its founding couple, George and Heather Douglas, provided support for revolutionary soldiers at Fort King. After the revolution, the small settlement began to thrive and the town grew. When the Civil War reared its ugly head the Douglas family supported the soldiers on the side of the confederacy, save Heather and her favorite son Richard, who staunchly supported the North. Heather and her youngest son, John, were the only ones to survive the war, a noticeable divide between them that lasted until Heather's passing.

     After the war, Heather set about creating a university for the town. She picked an open field where several battles took place, surrounded by old buildings where those great and awful wars left a reminder of their presence. As if doing so would erase those painful memories, Heather set about building the university. What would become the University campus library was once the old hospital. The art building and its two wings were once the cavalry building. The campus police station was once the town's old jail. The giant ebony tree beside it was the infamous hanging tree. It was supposed to represent the towns resilience and its desire to move forward into the new century.

     But the past would not be forgotten. Like scars etched deep into the skin, so too were the ghosts of that brief and bloody period of violence in Heatherton's young history.