Eastern District School

Chapter 57 - Blank-faced Benny

Rose was quiet in the car, playing over the scenarios over and over in her head. The problems that could be awaiting her. Rich too was silent, but from their previous discussions, she knew this was his usual style that accompanied him whilst he drove. Any words he did speak, was purely for Rose's benefit and she knew it. 

True enough, half an hour later they were outside Eastern District. There was not the usual bustle of the place. In fact there were only two other cars in the lot, one of which she recognised as Benny's. The wind whistled, elevating the sense of isolation there. Although the equipment was still in place, ready for the workers the usual hum, the chatter, the clinks....all missing. 

It looked and sounded for once, what it actually was...deserted. 

As Rich and Rose approached the building, they noticed Benny stood in opened doorway. Rose tried to prepare herself as they drew closer, and thought of all the solutions she had also prepared along the way. 

Benny's arm stretched out, as though welcoming them into his own home. Squeezing past him, then entered the large entrance room hall of the school, and to her surprise Benny closed the door after them. Rose's head whipped around at the sound of the door closing. Echoing through the hall and up the large staircase. 

"What's happened Benny? We came as quickly as we could." Rose said ahead of Rich. 

Benny gave Rich a puzzled look and then looked back at Rose, before Rich's voice came over loud and clear.

"Show us!"

Now it was Rose's turn to give Rich the puzzled look. Did he know why they were there? Had he spoken to him in before possibly messaging Rose?

"Show us what?" This time her question was aimed at Rich.  As Benny led the way up the staircase, Rich followed with Rose at his side. "Rich, I swear you better tell me know. You are making me panic even more."

He flashed her a glance, possibly questioning her sanity before even considering talking to her whilst she was in this mood.  "I just told him, if anything came up in that room, relating to you, to just contact us...no one else."

"That's it? We've come down here on my day off for more letters? Honestly I appreciate your enthusiasm, I really do, but....Rich it's my day off!"

Rich shook his head and continued to walk up the stairs, leaving Rose with the option to stay behind, or go with them and find out the reason why Benny had called them down. Being that she was already here, she decided to go with the latter and followed gingerly up the stairs. 

Benny led them into the first room, which initially Rose felt was her favourite until she had then seen the nursery. Nevertheless, this room held her Grandmother's photography room, which held so many secrets and stories alone. It was then that she remembered about the locked drawers and the amount of paperwork they had found in this room. Having been with her family yesterday, or at least for the majority of it, she had pushed her initial eagerness of finding out and seeing the contents of that main drawer to the furthest part of her mind. Until now.

Indeed, Benny took them to the entrance of that room, where he had a box set inside the doorway. There were stronger lights in the room now and they were focused on the doorway, so they were much more able to see had they set foot in the room. Despite this, Benny did not seem to move, crouched from the doorway. He took a small pile of papers from the top of the box and stood up, holding them out to her. 

"I really don't know what I should encourage you to open first Titch. The whole drawer was yours."

At first, the only thing Rose could wonder was why it had taken them so long to get into the drawer. Given a crowbar, she probably could have gotten into there in seconds. Yet, here they were almost 48 hours after herself and Rich had first explored the room. So why the hold-up?