Outside the late afternoon sun was low and covered by thick clouds. After so much darkness everything seemed bright. They spent the rest of the afternoon describing the events to the campus police. Sitting on the patio lounge chairs, Taya recounted everything that had happened to her that day. She wasn’t completely sure if they believed her or not. The police searched up and down the Star Lab, the Astronomy Tower, the library and the lecture hall.

       Margot and Henry's stories confirmed her's, though they found no trace of their mysterious attacker. But he left his mark. Margot was the first to notice the bruise on her arm after she had taken off her jacket. It was an ugly-looking bruise, black and the marks were shaped like fingers. The same on her ankles. She hadn't realized how badly this thing had gripped her. Here’s my undeniable proof. She felt sick.

       Henry filled her in on what had happened after she was grabbed. Henry was frantic, trying to find her in the dark. Douglas even tried to help, calling out to students to remain calm and huddle together. Henry refused to stay back, especially not when Taya was screaming. Douglas went to help him but was also attacked. He said he felt like someone was pushing him back.

       "Like someone put their hands on my chest and pushed me." Douglas said hoarsely. He gently rubbed his neck, coughing. “Then someone put their hands around my neck.”

       “Then, somehow the furniture started moving and everyone was being herded into the Star Lab!”

       Henry explained that the door was blocked by chairs, tables, and desks. It was several long, agonizing minutes being stuck in the lab when finally, the lights turned back on. They had managed to push the desks and tables away and escape. In their search for Taya and Margot, no one understood how someone could attack them in the dark and yet make their escape.

       There were too many questions that couldn't be answered, at least not at the present. Dr. Douglas decided it would be best to close the place off to all students and faculty for the rest of the week, canceling classes altogether. All Taya wanted to do was go home and sleep. She touched the opal necklace around her neck. She wished her mother was here, she always knew what to do.

       Henry sat beside her, taking her hand in his. Neither said anything. She was too drained to do anything else. It seemed so surreal, what had happened to her. Yet she couldn't quite believe it had happened. When people asked Taya if she believed in the same things her friends did, ghosts, demons, angels, monsters, she would shrug and say sure. Nothing wrong with keeping an open mind right? But she didn't believe in them, not really. Just that there was a possibility they might exist. Now she'd encountered one, three times no less. It was real. Things like that did exist. Worse still, if things like that did exist, what else was out there?

       Looking up she saw Margot trying to sneak away. Taya stood up, Henry's hand holding tightly onto her own.

       "Margot?" She shouted. Margot stopped and turned around, clutching something tightly to her chest. Taya remembered the diary. Margot rushed towards her. Henry stood up to stand beside her, watching them carefully. Margot seemed reluctant to speak with him watching them. Taya turned to Henry, "Can you give us a minute?"

       Henry looked at Margot then back at Taya. He knew she was the one who was with Taya and had helped her escape that....well, she saved his girlfriend. Taya was safe now, that's all he cared about. Yet he felt like there was something more going on. With reluctance, he agreed, kissed her knuckles before letting go and went a few ways off to speak with some other students nearby.

       "Your leaving." It was a statement of the obvious but came off as an accusation.

       "I already gave my statement to the police and to be perfectly frank I want to get out of here as quickly as possible. If this place is dangerous in the day time, I shudder to think what it'll be like come sunset." Margot explained.

       Taya had a similar thought and didn’t want to be here any longer than she needed. But there were things they needed to discuss.

       “Margot, the diary?” She asked. Both of them turned to look at Dr. Douglas who was speaking with an officer. “It's been months Margot. He’s her dad, we should say something.”

       “I know. Believe me, I want to say something but…”

       “But what? Look, I know how strained her relationship was with him. We should at least mention it to the cops, this might tell us where she went and why.” She insisted.

       Margot held the book open for her to read it. “I somehow doubt that.”

       The pages were filled with words she couldn’t decipher. Trisha, it seemed, didn’t want anyone to be able to read what was in it. Margot pocket the book back in her jacket pocket.

       "Listen. I've got to go but I think...I think we should meet up again. Talk about what happened."

       "I...yeah. Yeah, think that's a good idea."

       Dr. Douglas shouted something in the distance, waving his arms at the building. Margot snuck away unnoticed. After everything that had happened, Taya felt ready to sleep for a week. She turned around a Henry, waiting for her. Henry was safe, she was safe and they were going home. She was never setting foot in that building again. In the setting sun, Taya took one last look at the building. It seemed somehow lighter as if the shroud that had covered it earlier was gone.

       The setting sun cast long shadows as they walked toward their cars. Taya and Henry kissed one another, taking comfort in each other. They were the only two people left in the parking lot. The couple cast three shadows across the ground.