At the stroke of the bell recess began and children's laughter almost immediately filled the air. The typical school yard sounds slowly filtered down the hollow halls cutting through the muted darkness, serving as a vague reminder of what once was. Just outside the graffiti plastered walls the children played within the security of their institution; the shuttered remains of past education just an alley away.

Warped boards barricading the windows allowed rays of light to slice through the darkness, illuminating dust shimmering like glitter in the air. The hallways bare, but hardly naked, clothed by a colorful layer of meaningless graffiti. Classrooms void of all furnishings, with dismembered materials quarantined into black bags piled up in the center of the rooms.

Nothing was left, not even a pencil on the ground. The many rooms once used to acquire knowledge, now instead accumulated with the writings and art of the city kids. This has become their playground now, a place to escape the boundaries of school.

However not all of the structure was an empty shell, the huge auditorium despite the scars, was quite grander. Gazing over the mezzanine provided an attractive view of the stage and wave of blue seats below. Missing boards allowed ample light in, highlighting all corners of the empty space. As I exited the theater, the echo of my foots steps lingered behind, soon extinguished by the piercing tone of the school bell, marking an end to recess.