Chapter 46 - Something Paranormal at Stanford

It was almost midnight, and the campus was enveloped in a thick fog that seemed to rise from the very stories we had been hearing during the party. The cool air hit us as we walked back, still wearing our Ghostbusters costumes, with the sound of our laughter echoing between us. But we couldn't stop talking about what Megan had told us: the legend of the ghost of Hoover Tower.

Olivia, as always, led the conversation with her boundless energy.

—Can you believe it? —she said, gesturing dramatically—. Hoover Tower is famous for its panoramic view, but also for those invisible footsteps that people hear on the stairs. Doesn't that sound creepy?

I rolled my eyes, though I couldn't help but glance toward the tower in the distance, barely visible through the fog. I'm not someone who believes in ghost stories, but something about the way Olivia spoke made me pay more attention than I wanted to admit.

—It's just a story to scare new students —I responded with my usual skeptical tone—. Invisible footsteps, mysterious shadows… everything has a logical explanation. It's probably just the wind or someone playing a prank.

—Does the wind make shadows run across the windows? —Olivia asked, raising an eyebrow incredulously—. Come on, Sack, even you have to admit there's something strange going on there.

Lindsay interjected, adjusting the belt of her costume as she tried to calm Olivia's enthusiasm a bit.

—Maybe it's not paranormal —she said thoughtfully—. But it is curious that so many people have mentioned the same thing. I don't think everyone is making up stories.

Olivia nodded vigorously.

—Exactly! And that makes me think… why don't we investigate? We could go now, while it's dark and quiet. It would be epic. Like real ghost hunters.

I let out an incredulous laugh.

—Investigate? Seriously? Yesterday, you were so scared of these stories that you changed the treasure hunt to noon just to avoid anything 'paranormal.' And now here you are, suggesting we go straight to the most haunted place on campus. Sure, because that makes sense.

—Hey! —Olivia protested, crossing her arms—. Things change. Besides, I'm surrounded by my best friends now. I'm not scared. Well, maybe a little… but that's what makes it exciting.

I looked at Lindsay, hoping for some sign of support or resistance. I knew she wasn't entirely convinced either, but something about the way Olivia talked made the idea tempting.

—I don't know, Sack —Lindsay finally said—. It could be fun. Just a quick look. If anything happens, we can leave right away.

I sighed deeply, knowing I was losing this battle.

—Fine —I said, shrugging—. But if we end up chasing imaginary shadows or running because we hear a noise, don't say I didn't warn you.

When we reached the base of Hoover Tower, the atmosphere was different. The fog seemed thicker here, and the silence was almost oppressive. The security lights cast strange shadows on the stone walls, and the echo of our footsteps resonated as if someone else were walking beside us.

—Well, here we are —Olivia said, trying to sound brave, though I could detect a slight tremor in her voice—. What do we do now?

—We go up —Lindsay replied, pointing to the stairs that led to the upper viewing platform—. If we're going to do this, let's do it right.

We began climbing slowly, each step echoing into the emptiness of the tower. As we ascended, the air grew colder, and the feeling of being watched became stronger. Olivia led the way, pretending to be confident, while I brought up the rear, muttering something about how absurd the situation was.

When we reached the second floor, we heard something that made us freeze: a clear sound, like slow and heavy footsteps, coming from the level above.

—What was that? —Olivia whispered, quickly turning to us.

—Probably just the wind —I responded, though my tone no longer sounded so sure.

—The wind doesn't do that —Lindsay murmured, looking upward with wide eyes.

We decided to keep going, though now all of us were more alert. When we reached the next level, the sound of footsteps stopped abruptly. Instead, we saw something that froze our blood: a quick shadow passed in front of one of the windows, disappearing as fast as it had appeared.

—I saw it! —Olivia shouted, pointing at the window—. It wasn't my imagination!

I approached the window, inspecting it carefully.

—There's no one here —I said after a few seconds—. Maybe it was a reflection or… I don't know, something.

But before I could continue, another noise interrupted us: this time, a dull thud from the floor above, as if something heavy had fallen.

—This is ridiculous —I muttered, though even I seemed nervous now.

We decided to climb to the top level, where the panoramic view usually offered an impressive sight of the campus. But this time, the fog blocked everything, leaving us with the feeling of being completely alone… or perhaps not.

When we arrived, we found something unexpected: a small dark figure in the center of the room, moving slowly. Olivia screamed, grabbing Lindsay's arm, while I stepped forward to investigate.

—Wait… —I said, approaching cautiously—. I think it's… a bird.

Sure enough, as we got closer, we discovered it was a crow trapped in the tower. It had been hitting the windows, causing the noises we had heard. The bird looked at us with its bright eyes before flying toward an open window and disappearing into the night.

—Well, that explains the sounds —I said, crossing my arms—. But not the shadows we saw earlier.

Lindsay and Olivia exchanged an uncomfortable glance.

—Maybe it was our imagination —Lindsay suggested, though she didn't seem entirely convinced.

—Or maybe… —Olivia started, but I interrupted her.

—Don't start, Olivia. We've had enough for one night.

We stood in silence for a moment, staring into the fog surrounding us. Although we had a logical explanation for some of the phenomena, something about the atmosphere still felt inexplicable.

As we walked back, Olivia couldn't stop talking about what we had experienced.

—It was incredible —she said excitedly—. Almost like in a movie. Though, I admit, the crow surprised me a little.

—Me too —Lindsay responded, smiling—. But at least now we have a story to tell.

I shook my head, though I couldn't help but crack a small smile.

—I just hope you don't suggest we investigate another haunted place anytime soon.

—I make no promises —Olivia replied, winking at us.