Chapter 4: Witchy Experience

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(A Year before)

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Darkness blanketed the majority of the school ground as it was weakly illuminated by street lights and the meek brightness of the moon. The breeze blew freely along with the vast property of land that the University held. Mr. Bennette glanced at his wristwatch while he walked briskly towards the parking lot. The cold gave him shivers and the gloomy environment sometimes freaked him out.

He was not used to incurring overtime work, just this time as they were preparing for the finals assessment of their students. He had to go over his student’s papers with utmost scrutiny. Many of his students were failing his Physics 401 class. Students would come at him to almost beg to stretch their grades to pass his subject. A special project as some might say, just to boost their grades up. But he was known to be strict and would not do anything to smear his precious integrity.

His glasses were blurred by the moisture that the frigid air provides as the cold breeze embraced his face. He glanced left to right and beyond the empty soccer stadium to check on the halogen lamps near the bleachers. Sometimes he would find it turned on unnecessarily if there were no activities held in the said stadium. He sighed in relief.

He rustled through his pocket to look for his car keys as he was nearing his corolla. His car was the only one left parked on the lot and beyond the parking lot’s pavement were a series of trees that added more shadow to the environment. Some street lights’ illumination was blocked by the excessive leaves due to the trees’ span.

He pressed the car key button and his corolla automatically unlocked. He opened the back seat door to settle his bag and his folders inside. Suddenly an instant shrieking sound echoed throughout the emptiness. He startled and surveyed the area, looking for the source of the sound. It was like a sudden girl’s voice, he recalled.

“Is anyone there?” He shouted. He thought rationally that maybe it was a cat or the wind rustled against the trees.

There was nobody but him. He touched his nape as he felt goosebumps crept his body. He could not understand why but he blamed the cold breeze that carressed his body. He did not think of anything bizarre, like a ghost, because he purely believes in science.

‘It was just nothing.’ He thought. He closed the rear door and opened the driver’s seat door. He glanced at the knob as he grabbed it but his peripherals noticed something at the center of the soccer field – five hundred meters away from his position. His vision focused on it and at first look, it was a black silhouette of a girl standing in front of the field. His forehead creased and his eyebrows almost met hardly focusing on the silhouette. It was hazy and dark. He took out his glasses and he closed his eyes as they rubbed them against his fingers. His eyes fluttered and he placed again his glasses and his view back at the silhouette. Now, it disappeared. There was no one there standing.

‘Just the wind. Distracted my glasses.’ He thought and exhaled. He now shifted his vision to the driver’s seat as he started to go inside. But before he entered the vehicle, a soft voice suddenly appeared.

“Mr. Bennette.”

This time, he startled big time and gently hit his head on his car’s sun visor. He touched his head assessing for blood but it was nothing. He glanced at his back and saw a girl standing a few meters away from his car. She was wearing the school’s uniform and the tree’s shadow obscure her face.

“Ah, why are you still on the campus, miss??” Mr. Bennette asked the girl. He was waiting for her to tell her name but she did not answer. She just stood there bizzarly. The wind blew against her and her long hair gently flew along the wind’s direction.

Mr. Bennette quivers from the strange sight but did not show weakness. “Young lady, whatever you are up to, I will call the Dean’s office for this. You are beyond curfew!” His voice was stern and loud, echoing against the trees.

The girl did not answer again and just stood still in the same position. “Tell me your name young lady!”

He asked angrily. Mr. Bennette tried to take a step closer but the breeze blew harder this time and the whooshing sound was now audible to him. It carried coldness as it touched his skin. Goosebumps grew stronger this time. He ceased taking a step and returned to his previous position.

“I will be going now.” His voice was now faint and stuttering. He turned his back towards the driver’s seat and stopped as he heard murmurs or inaudible faint chatters from the girl. Her lips seemed to be fluttering, slightly perceptible due to the dark environment. The scene grew weirder from Mr. Bennette’s standpoint.

Suddenly, the girl’s pupils glowed gold like lit candles from afar. Mr. Benette’s eyes widened as he saw that fearsome look of her eyes. He jolted in fright as it appeared. Her eyes illuminated but the shadow still covered the girl’s face. The girl started to press forward with gentle strides.

Mr. Bennette’s throat locked up and he was unable to inhale or exhale air. He can’t control his throat seemed that something blocked his esophagus. He clasped his chest with both hands as an immense pressure experienced his lungs and gently crept to his heart. His mouth was wide open and saliva dripped along his chin. He struggled for air and he could not understand why. He had no enough time to think for rationality now. His mind was fixed on the thought of breathing air. His face turned blue and every dire second, he felt he was going to die.

He hurried back to his driver's seat and tried to drive far away. He managed to do enter his vehicle and closed the door with tremendous effort even without air coming in or out his body. He turned his car but the car engine’s died instantly. He tried once more but his car did not respond from the ignition.

No chance, he glanced back to the girl as she was nearing him. A faint light of the nearest street lamp caught her face and it revealed to Mr. Benette’s vision.

“Y-you-u..” His voice cracking as he struggled much for air. He recognized the girl. She was one of his failing students, who begged for him for a special project to pass Physics 401. The girl smiled at her and said,

“I hope you learned your lesson, Mr. Bennette.”

Suddenly Mr. Bennette stopped from moving, his eyes still wide and his fingers hardened. His struggle ceased and so was his life.

The girl vanished and what was left in the scene was the sound of cold breeze and the rustling leaves and Mr. Benette, dead in his car.