Creatures of the Night (at the University of Colorado)
By: N. M.
This investigation began by Searching in the darkness and Running from the day. While Hiding from tomorrow, we had Nothing left to say.
That’s actually not at all the case, but I have a flair for dramatic entrances. This investigation began early when a student contacted the AURA about what she believed to be a creature hovering around Macky Auditorium. As we believe in finding the truth, we never dismiss any idea (because who knows, we could be living in a Horton Hears a Who type world) and she agreed to be interviewed about her experience by one of our members. She described the monster as “tall and slender” with “eyes that glowed a fluorescent green” if you looked directly at them. She told us she initially felt something off when she heard the “sound similar to nails on a chalkboard” when walking home from choir rehearsal. As she continued on her way, she described a “change in atmosphere. Everything felt like it became colder and more sinister. [Her] hairs on the back of [her] neck stood straight up.” As the student began to pick up the pace to expedite her return home, she saw a “large shadow, larger than a bear” west of the entrance to Macky Auditorium. With that, she chose to sprint the rest of the way home.
With this information, a few members of the AURA club decided to stake out the general area. Here is a recollection of the investigation written by Nico:
8:30 pm- Start investigation. Merit and I met close to Old Main to discuss the plan of attack. The goal for the evening was to maintain a low profile and simply observe any odd occurrences and document them. We agreed that if midnight rolled around, we would pack up our gear and try again tomorrow.
9:00 pm- We chose an area hidden in the bushes across from the location our interviewee described seeing the creature. We set up our supplies including binoculars, flashlights, walkie-talkies, and beef jerky snacks. In addition to this, we spent time Gathering up our courage and becoming Ready for the fight between us and the Howling in the shadows.
10:30 pm- We stayed in the bushes waiting for any odd occurrences. The only thing we saw was an adult walking west in the general direction of campus, but no monster.
10:45 pm- As it became chillier and chillier outside and Merit and I began to run out of energy for 20 questions, we Remember[ed that] when the clock strikes twelve, that was the end of tonight’s investigation. Cold and irked, we sat in silence.
11:08 pm- All of a sudden, we heard loud scratching noises, and both of us quickly (but stealthy), sat up, gripping our binoculars. As described a large figure appeared by Macky Auditorium. Merit claims he wasn’t scared, but I’d beg to differ.
11:10 pm- We sat in silence, our Future deep in doubt, until the figure appeared to unstack itself like a tower of red solo cups. To our surprise, the large figure had turned into three small figures, all looking in our direction.
11:10 pm- After observing the now disassembled creature, we slowly stood up and began approaching the area with flashlights shining brightly and stumbled upon three raccoons. After some head-scratching and confusion, we noticed a sparkly, silver balloon wedged under a window ledge. Turns out the acrobatic raccoons simply wanted to understand what helium was.
11:30 pm - With that, we grabbed the rest of our materials and quickly departed from our secret sleuth location.
An adorable ending to the mysterious Creature of the Night. This investigation had successfully gone Searching for an answer while maintaining to Keep alibis, in case we were discovered by any preying eyes. Thanks, everyone for tuning into this investigation, and enjoy the video of a raccoon eating cotton candy. Per the usual, keep sending us tips if you see anything out of the ordinary!
Have a great week and keep authenticating,
N. M.
