From Darkness It Comes

Chasing Mr. Stark

Grabbing his pack Darrin takes off, running after the strange man. He rounds the corner of the hall and sees the path that winds behind the buildings in the quad. Shadows are long here from what little light makes it onto these gravel walkways mainly used by the maintenance staff and students looking to not be seen doing something they shouldn't be. Through the hazy shadows he catches a glimpse of the man slipping behind the building and is off to follow.

After rounding the next corner he finds himself standing in an even darker and more overgrown part of the compound. Through the underbrush he makes out some movement near what appears to be some kind of cement alcove built into the wooded hill that grows up from this walkway behind the dorms. Making his way to it he sees the metal grate covering a large drainage pipe built into the alcove has been pried open, just large enough for someone to squeeze through.

The darkness beyond the grate is too thick to see anything through although the musty smell of stagnant water and earth permeates everything. Listening closely all he hears is the soft breeze flowing through the trees and the faint distant sound of slowly dripping water. No clue as to the direction of where the strange man went, since surely there would be sound if he was walking through the darkness.

Looking around for some other option the only thing he sees is the maintenance entrance to Anderson Hall, next to the water and gas mains leading into the structure. He is positive it would be locked, but won't know for sure unless he tries. Plus there are the two directions of gravel path leading back to the brightly lit courtyard of the quad.

Knowing he has most likely lost his prey by now he stands in the dim light of the gravel path and catches his breath. The only thing he is sure about now is that something more is going on than just some strange man confronting him and he is almost certain he will see that man again, no matter what he does now.