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After being attacked, Wilma demanded to know what terrible secrets Carlos knew about the high school. According to their statements, this is what was said.235Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfkuxrY4XHA
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Carlos sat across the table looking at Wilma wondering what her reaction would be when he shared the secrets of this high school with her. Her experience with the broken trophy case had been traumatic, and he didn't want to upset her even more, but he knew full well that she wouldn't be so easily fooled. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket and shakily attempted to light it with a pack of sweat-soaked matches. After several failed tries, he tossed the unlit Vantage to the floor. He hoped his anxiety didn't show, but, by the look on Wilma's face, he knew there was no chance of hiding it.
"I'm going to tell you a story you probably won't believe, but I swear it's true." He looked nervously around the room.
Wilma pulled her chair closer to the table and propped her elbows on it. "Well? Come on?"
"Yeah, Wilma, you're right. This place wasn't just a high school. It was a battleground for crime gangs. Back in the early '70s, they controlled nearly every hallway, every corner. It was all about power, intimidation, and violence. I saw things, things I wish I could forget. Murders, assaults, you name it. It was like living in a nightmare, and we were all just trying to survive. But trust me, it wasn't just the physical danger. There was something darker, something... otherworldly about it all. Like the place itself was cursed."
"What does that have to do with us?"
"Probably nothing. Hey, I've seen a lot of strange things in this building over the years. Things I've never been comfortable talking about. But after what just happened in the pool area, I owe you an explanation. There's something about this place... it's like it's alive, but not in a good way. I've felt it, sensed it, for as long as I can remember. It's like the building itself holds onto the memories of all the pain and suffering that went on there. And sometimes, when you least expect it, those memories come to life." He sucked in a deep breath and went on.
"Yeah, I've done my fair share of what I call 'spook patrols.' Sneaking around here when nobody's supposed to be, trying to figure out what's going on. And during one of those patrols, I came face-to-face with her. A teenage girl, dressed all in black, with this peace sign pendant hanging around her neck. She scared the hell out of me, to be honest. I asked her what she was doing here, and she just said she was looking for someone named 'Buck.' It gave me chills, Wilma. I've never seen anything like it."
"Buck? That's my husband's name," Wilma exclaimed, her voice tinged with shock. "Can you give me a detailed description of this girl? It's important." Even though Wilma didn't want to hear the answer, she felt an overwhelming need to know. A lump formed in her throat and she suddenly felt sick as she listened to his description of the girl. She remembered back to her and Buck's first visit together at this old place. But most of all, she thought of the girl that Buck said he didn't see! Carlos noticed the sudden apprehension that came over her.
"Uh, am I making you nervous?" he asked. "I could stop...."
"No," she lied, "it's nothing. Keep going." She forced a fake smile towards the handyman.
"Okay," Carlos continued, his voice trembling slightly as he recounted the encounter. "She said Buck was her boyfriend, claimed he was dealing dope, and got whacked by some rival. Then she just... She said she couldn't live without him, so she offed herself right here, in the school."
Wilma sat up straight in her chair and stared into Carlos's eyes as he continued his bizarre tale.
"I thought she was some loony who'd busted out of the loony bin. I told her to scram, but she just grinned at me and said she couldn't leave until she found Buck. Then she starts talking about how when 'Buck' comes back, all hell's gonna break loose, and she needs my help when it does. And then... she just stood there, looking all innocent-like, her skin so white it was like she was an albino or something."
"What did you do then?"
"I couldn't call the cops, you know? Phones weren't working, and I was trespassing myself. So, I tried to grab her and get her out of here. And then... she just disappeared. Popped out of thin air, I swear it! I searched every nook and cranny and checked all the doors. They were all closed, but not locked. It was like she was never here."
"Has she ever been back?" Wilma asked, already knowing the answer, and not really wanting to hear it.
"She's shown up a few more times since then, always slipping away before I can reach her. It's like she's playing some twisted game. But mark my words, she'll talk when she's good and ready." Carlos looked up for a moment and stared at the class portrait hanging on the front wall of the chemistry classroom. It was an old picture, the colors faded with time, but the hairstyles on the girls were unmistakably the latest fashion of the '60s. Yet there was something off about it, something that sent shivers down his spine. As he stared at the teenage faces captured in the photo, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were leering at him, their expressions frozen in an eerie semblance of life. He rubbed his eyes, wondering if it was just his imagination playing tricks on him, but the feeling persisted, unsettling him to his core.
Oh, one more thing!" Carlos pressed on. "I swear, one time when I was drunk, I heard her warning me about some ancient evil in this place," he confesses, his tone wavering. "And then she started talking to someone else, telling them not to hurt 'a gentle, kindly man.' Said he was the protector of the animals and the babies. It sounded crazy, I know, but I swear I heard it."
Carlos sighed and looked over his shoulder at the closed doors to the pool area, then wearily continued. "By the way, her name's Sunflower. Anyway, I smelled it when I was in the storage room. That's why I came looking for you. I knew something was wrong."
"Thank God you did!" Wilma sighed. "But why would Sunflower want to hurt me? I haven't done anything---at least, I don't think I have."
"It's not Sunflower. She's good, but whatever evil is in here, it's directing its forces against you. Try not to worry, though. I'm gonna stick close by. I'll get it figured out sooner or later, then maybe we can do something about it."
"Believe me," she exclaimed. "You and Buck will be in my sight at all times, at least within shouting distance! Now that I know what's going on, maybe I'll be able to holler for help next time."
"Let's hope there's not a next time! Hey, do me a favor: don't tell anyone about this conversation, especially Buck. He'd only think I was some kind of mental case."
"My lips are sealed." Wilma rose from the chair. "Speaking of which, I wonder where he is?"
"Don't know. Let's go see."
Carlos stood up and as he and Wilma turned to leave the Chemistry Room, they heard it. The eerie sound of footsteps echoed through the deserted corridors of the high school. It was a haunting rhythm, reminiscent of horse's hooves, yet somehow distorted, as if the gait were not entirely human. The echoes bounced off the walls, creating an unsettling sensation that sent shivers down their spines.
"Now what?" She whispered with wide-eyed anticipation as she looked down the hallway. "Where is it coming from?"
"I've heard those footsteps dozens of times," Carlos explained to Wilma, his voice tinged with apprehension. "I suspect it might be the 'ancient evil' Sunflower warned me about, trying to lure me to the source: the far eastern wing of the old high school. There's something about those rooms over there, especially the 'Plastic Room'—I've always felt a deep sense of dread just thinking about it."
"What's the 'Plastic Room'?" she asked. The footsteps faded away.
"The Plastic Room is where they used to store all the trays, utensils, and cutlery for the cafeteria workers," Carlos explained to Wilma, his tone uneasy. "Every time I've explored it, I've felt like I was being watched; like something's in there with me, but I can't put my finger on what. It's a creepy place, that's for sure."
"Why do you keep coming back here?" Wilma demanded, her voice tinged with frustration. "If it weren't for Buck buying this place, I wouldn't be here either. But you, you seem drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Do you realize how dangerous it is?"
"I don't rightly understand it myself," Carlos begins, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "But I got this feeling, you know? Like I been given some kind of job. It's up to me to defend Pepper, to keep whatever evil's in that school from spreading out into the neighborhood. 'Cause trust me, it ain't just the school. That place's got tendrils, reaching out like roots, and they're sinkin' into Pepper."
"What kind of evil are we talking about here?" Wilma inquired, her voice edged with concern.
"Well, we had the Red Ravens," Carlos began, his tone solemn. "They were the worst. Used to extort money from the shops down at the strip mall. But the girls, they were on another level. Got into all sorts of dark stuff—witchcraft, Satanism. Remember that smell by the pool? That was the perfume of the Supreme Witch. She was the leader of those girls. That's how I knew something bad was going on in there."
Carlos looked away from Wilma, and she could tell by his expression that the memory of those evil wenches still disturbed him deeply.
"It's okay, Carlos," she softly exclaimed as she placed a consoling hand on his shoulder. "Enough of this depressing talk! Let's go find Buck."
Buck was in his office on the second floor rummaging through stacks of cardboard boxes. He didn't even look up when Wilma and Carlos walked in.
"Whatcha doin', honey?" Wilma asked, trying to hide the fear that still lingered inside her. She had not discussed her thoughts about this place with Buck because he didn't believe in ghosts, but, after her near escape with death, she knew the time was at hand.
"Just going through some old papers. Hey, what was all that racket down there?" He still didn't look away from the yellowed sheets in his hand.
Wilma and Carlos looked at each other. Carlos lied through his teeth. "It was me. I was just busting up the display cases. I thought that's what you'd want."
"No, that's not what I want," Buck remarked. "You should've checked with me first. I can't afford nobody gettin' hurt!"
Wilma motioned with her eyes for Carlos to leave the room. She didn't want him to get in the middle of a family quarrel.
"I'll make some phone calls, and see if I can't find anybody who can remove the trophy cases and the pool," the handyman said as he turned and walked out of the room.
Once Carlos was gone, Wilma told Buck the place was haunted and she had just been attacked by some unseen force. She tried to convince him not to open the nightclub for business, but he wouldn't hear of it. She told him of her fears and suspicions and demanded he sell the place back to HISD.
A loud argument ensued, so loud that the couple could be heard shouting at each other from down in the gym. Carlos was glad Wilma hadn't involved him. Buck would have fired him for sure!
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