1 A Witchy Experience

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A Year before. University stadium and parking grounds.

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Darkness blanketed the majority of the school property as it was weakly illuminated by streetlights and the meek brightness of the moon. The breeze blew freely along several hectares of school ground. Mr. Bennette, oily-faced, glanced at his wristwatch while he walked briskly towards the parking lot.

'It was passed 9 pm.' The cold gave him shivers and the gloomy environment sometimes freaked him out. Nobody was around except for a few guards roving around the property probably a mile away from where he stood.

He was not used to incurring overtime work. But this time, they were preparing for the final 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. Typically, a special project as some might say just to boost their grades up. But he was known to abide by policies and would not do anything to smear his precious integrity.

His glasses were blurred by the moisture provided by the frigid air 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 while he struggled to weave through the dark. Beyond the parking lot's pavement was a series of trees that added more shadow to the environment. The trees were old and wide-spanned which enabled them to cover most of the tall streetlamps, equally spaced at curb sides.

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 was startled and took a moment to recover. He surveyed the area to look for the source of that sharp sound.

"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 creep along his spine. He could not understand why but he blamed the cold breeze that caressed his body. He did not think of anything bizarre, like a ghost, because he purely believed in Science.

'It was just nothing.' He thought. "I'll be going now." He shouted in case someone was really out there.

He closed the rear and opened the driver seat's door. While he grabbed the knob, his peripherals noticed something at the center of the soccer field – five hundred meters away from his position. He adjusted his glasses and figured it was a girl's black silhouette standing at the center of the soccer 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 closed his eyes as they rubbed them against his fingers. His eyes fluttered and he placed again his glasses and inspected the field again. The figure disappeared. There was no one there standing.

'Just the wind. Distracted my glasses.' His rational and Scientific mind compelled him so.

Afterward, he shifted his vision to the driver's seat as he started to go inside. He felt his hand fidgeting. But as he entered through halfway his car's door, a soft voice abruptly loomed.

"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. Only bruised. He glanced over his shoulder and saw a girl standing a few meters away from his car. She was wearing the school's uniform and her face obscured by the shadows of towering trees.

"Ah, why are you still on campus, miss??" Mr. Bennette asked the girl, somewhat relieved that he was not hallucinating. He was waiting for her name but she did not answer. She just stood there bizarrely. The wind blew against her, and her long hair swept along like thread.

The Physics teacher quivered 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." Still managed to be rational. "You are beyond curfew!" His voice was stern and loud as it echoed against distant walls.

The girl did not answer again and just stood without slight motion. "Tell me your name young lady!" He demanded.

Mr. Bennette tried to take a step closer, but the breeze blew harder and the whooshing sound was now audible. The temperature decreased almost like he would be frozen to death. Goosebumps grew wildly beyond normal hence, discouraged himself to press forward. He receded to his previous position with his back leaning against the car.

"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. They were inaudible faint chatters from the girl. Her lips seemed to be fluttering. The scene grew weirder from the teacher's standpoint.

Suddenly, the girl's pupils glowed gold like lit candles from afar. The Physics teacher's eyes widened as he saw them and jolted in fright as it appeared. Even though her eyes were illuminated, her face was still concealed by the dark environment.

Mr. Bennette's throat locked up, inhibiting his ability to inhale or exhale. He gagged as if a large rock blocked his airways. He clasped his chest with both hands as immense pressure experienced his lungs while gently creeping to his heart like the tentacles of a small octopus.

His mouth was wide open and saliva dripped uncontrollably along his chin. The reason for it was beyond explanation. His mind was focused on the thought of pumping air to his lungs as his very means to survive. His face hardened as blood rushed to his cheeks. He was going to die.

He hurried back to open his car's door with the intent to drive away. He scurried to enter and closed the door with tremendous effort. He turned his car but the engine 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 partially revealed her face.

"Y-you-u.." His voice was cracking and fainting as he recognized the girl. She was one of his failing students who begged him to pass his subject. The girl smiled at her.

"I hope you learned your lesson, Mr. Bennette." She said while wearing a mischievous grin. "I only asked for a special project. But you are heartless."

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