A tall fence surrounding the perimeter of the old school house stood at most as a mental barrier acting only to fuel my curiosity of why such a building would need be quarantined off from the reach of the general public. Faded yellow "no trespassing" signs posted along the exterior fence line warned of the dangers awaiting inside. However in my mind these signs read more like a welcome mat, gesturing a friendly invite. A quick walk around the property soon yielded the pitfall of any good fence, being that it is only as strong as its weakest link. With a little unconventional maneuvering I emerged within the interior isolation of the fence. Hastily I made my way into the school, hoping I would not be late for my first class.

The boarded lower level windows created a dark and foul environment where mold a dust spores floated aimlessly within the heavy and humid summer air trapped inside. Walking into the auditorium the floor became a swamp of saturated wood and plaster chunks which had fallen from the ceiling. A bright red curtain still adorned the stage, now acting more like a giant sponge, slowly absorbing the water vapor clogging the stale but moist atmosphere. The upper stories of the structure seemed to have faired much better. Smashed out windows allowed in ample sunlight, ridding the interior of excess moisture in return slowing the natural decay process.

Where nature worked sluggishly to decompose the old school, throngs of past visitors left their traces in much more noticeable fashions. Krylon cocks and swastikas left behind by the rebellious, scarred the plain white walls and crude sexual innuendoes marked the chalkboards. It is often these types of actions that are frowned upon. However immature the efforts and drawings may be, that seems to be the very basis for which they were conducted. I knew very well I was not entering a pristine ruin; I was here only to explore, to have an adventure. Explorers and vandals alike, our idle minds brought us here for a reason, with perhaps the fence erected not as a means to restrain one from encroaching but to keep the forbidden aura inside quarantined.