This story was written by a friend, who wishes to remain anonymous, in order to fulfill a disciplinary order given by the Resident Director. My friend (I'll call him 'Chuck') was wandering unescorted through the halls of 4 South one day a few weeks ago - this is, of course, against the dorm rules, as 4S is a female-only floor and males require escorts to be there. Chuck knows the rules; he has lived here in Allen for more than a semester, and has been caught breaking the escort policy before. So when he saw the Resident Advisor of the floor coming down the hall, he understood that maybe his best bet was to try to talk her out of writing him up.
Unfortunately, Chuck wasn't alone.
Chuck's friend, 'Steve' just came to Allen Hall this semester, and hasn't yet had time to learn all of the rules - such as "don't run from the RA". He ran. Chuck, stuck with the choice of abandoning his friend or running with him, chose the latter option, and the chase began.
Actually, it wasn't much of a chase; the RA didn't even bother to run. On the other hand, Steve managed to hit his head on the way down, almost causing a concussion and definitely spraining his finger - but still they ran, oblivious to their own stupidity. Finally, when they reached the bottom of the stairwell, they went out and into the Allen Hall Commons - where they stopped, convinced that it was 'base' or something.
The RA opened the door minutes later, and calmly said "Hi. Why did you guys run from me?"
Chuck and Steve were written up, of course, and each had a separate meeting with the Resident Director. Steve got off scot-free; it was his first offense, so he just got a warning. Chuck, on the other hand, was in there for the second time, so he wasn't about to get off so easily. After a long and stressful talk in which he stressed how stupid he was, Chuck was told to write an essay about why there was an escort policy, why you shouldn't run from RA's, and what his punishment should be if he ever did any of it again.
Chuck didn't want to write an essay.
- Tim Skirvin, February 27, 1997
An unsuspecting college student, by the name of Hamish, would be her first victim. Hamish was walking down the hall after a long bout of homework. He didn't see the shadow of death before him. He would never see her. Her hand silently slid behind her waist, as her fingers sought out the clasp of her blade. Only a slight click was audible in the air before him, but it was enough to gain his attention. He had not the time to realize the plight he was in, before his consciousness was cut short. Never again would he see the blue skies of Champaign.
Death, as she will be known, walked through the puddle of blood that was soaking through the carpet. Her cold steel eyes surveyed the area before her. She had killed Hamish before even a breath had escaped his lips. He now lay dead at her feet. The first of a her victims. She would claim the life of many before she fell, and the soul of one.
Her blade was now drawn, blood dripping from its blue steel tip. She was Death. Blackness followed her. Fear flowed like smoke before her. Her eyes shined a cold light. Her fingers glistened like claws, and her muscles tightened to iron. She was a killer. She could be nothing else.
She held her blade along the length of her arm. Her deadly strokes came from below, cleanly slicing a path before her. But, now, it was held steadily behind her, waiting for the next victim to immerge. She crept forward through the stained hallway, listening intently for any signs of movement.
One student was working at his computer when he noticed a shadow cross the reflection on his computer screen. He had barely turned around when her blade traced its red line across his chest. Her hand was swift and deadly. Student after student fell before her blade. Few could stand up to her wrath, and fewer still knew the story behind her, the reason for the carnage.
Len was not interested in her past, all he cared about was her future, and he was determined to make it as short as possible. Len was the RA for floor 4-north. He had devoted his life to protecting the citizens of that floor, and now his oath was being tested. This was the third time she had caused trouble on 4-north, and he was determined to put an end to it, once and for all. Usually the punishment for a third offence would be a simple letter of apology to each member of the floor, but this was different. This was death. Len didn't take kindly to death on his floor, unless it was by his hand.
Len was in the shower when his residents were being slaughtered. He was lathering his back when Hamish was being disemboweled. He was cleaning between his toes as the blade drew down upon Skurve. He was drying his hair when he heard the thud of Tiny's body, as it hit the floor. That's when he realized something was wrong. It wasn't the noise, as much as the silence. Never, in all his years as an RA, has Len not had to tell his tenants to close a door, or to turn down a radio. Now, there wasn't even the sound of falling footsteps. This worried Len.
Len puled on his jeans and boots, and carefully spied the hallway through the mirror mounted on the door. What he saw amazed him. Bodies had piled up in the hall, dozens of them! Legs, arms, and torsos were laying to waste upon the light blue carpeting. Len saw before him the agonized faces of his friends, some with bodies, some without. This shook up Len pretty bad, but he knew he had a job to do, and while he was RA, no pissed off wench was going to kill his floor!
He ran into his room, and reached for the decorative samurai sword hanging on his wall. He turned around in time to see her there, before his door, facing him. She was incredible in his eyes. Her sleek, black, promise of death seduced him almost to submission. The glint of steel on her blade, The steadiness of her form, the cold light in her eyes almost hypnotized him. She moved forward, still outside the door. An outside observer would see two warriors in a battle of the mind. Len's muscles were slowly relaxing, slowly submitting to her will. Soon, she knew, he would be defenseless, and hers. But, the concentration was too much for her, and she made a fatal mistake. Her mind trick had exerted her energy, and a single drop of sweat ran down her forehead. This was enough to break Len from his trance.
Like a serpent, he struck! His sword fell with a terrible strength, only to be deflected by her blade. Stroke after stroke were dealt by the two fighters. Like two titans of old, they fought furiously in the well lit corridors of 4-north. Sparks flew against the walls of the hallway as their blades deflected each others blows. Len was attacking with a ferocious frenzy, but he was not as fast and nimble as his attacker. For every blow he struck, she would spin, twist and slide to safety. But his determination was wearing her down, and he knew he would overcome her in the end. The RA always won.
Slowly, he pounded her resistance, until she was retreating her way around the dead bodies lining the hall. With blow after blow he weakened her, until, with a fatal stroke, and a slight twist of his wrist, her sword flew from her hands and fell with a thud into the skull of one of her past victims that lay behind Len.
Now she saw that she was, indeed, no match for the trained student employee of UIUC. Panic overtook her for the first time in her life, and she ran. This was not good. One lesson a man learns in his life is never run from an RA. But she had panicked, and, now, she would pay dearly for it.
Like a madman, she burst through the doors to the stairwell. She turned only long enough to see Len running after her. Desperation was in her eyes. She started down the stairway, but stopped short when she felt a cold piercing pain in her back. She reached behind herself to feel the thin, cold, metal spike that Len had thrown into her.
She wheeled around to face him. Her eyes held Len in a steady gaze. Acceptance spread across her face, as though a veil had been lifted. With that she leaned back against the railing, and tumbled over the edge into oblivion. Screams were wailed from the floors below, as other residents saw her falling form from the stairwell.
Lens entire body relaxed as his sword fell from his hand. He didn't like the way the deck had been dealt any more than she had, but he knew that there was no other choice. She had brought the punishment upon herself. She had violated the laws of Allen Hall, and she could not have gone unpunished.
"If only she had been escorted", he muttered to himself as he went down to the main office to fill out the report.