The Shadows Within the Unfinished Walls

Ignacio and Diego had always been curious about the tall, grey skeleton of a building that stood at the edge of their school, the TECNM. It was supposed to be a new library, but the construction stopped years ago and nobody knew exactly why. The unfinished walls, with their empty window frames and rusted steel bars, made the place look like a giant, silent giant forever frozen in time. Most students ignored it, but Ignacio and Diego found it fascinating.

At eleven years old, they had heard the stories whispered among the older students. Some said the building was cursed; others claimed it was just a boring construction site. But what really caught their attention were the strange symbols appearing on the cracked concrete walls, and the footsteps that sometimes echoed inside, even when no one was around.

One rainy afternoon, curiosity got the better of them. The school bell had already rung, and most students had gone home, but Ignacio grabbed Diego’s arm and said, “Let’s check the building. I want to see those marks up close.” Diego hesitated. “Are you sure? What if it’s dangerous?” But Ignacio shook his head. “It’s just an old, empty building. Come on.”

They slipped through a broken fence and carefully climbed over a pile of wooden planks. Inside, the air was thick with dust, and the fading light from the cloudy sky barely reached the dark corners. Dry leaves rustled underfoot as they stepped inside.

At first, the place looked like an abandoned playground, full of shadows and silence. Then Ignacio spotted one of the strange symbols: a circle with what looked like lines radiating from the center, etched in deep grooves on the wall. Diego leaned in closer, his voice trembling, “What is that?”

“No idea,” said Ignacio, “but it looks old, not just graffiti.” They found more symbols scattered here and there: spirals, triangles, and strange shapes that made no sense to them.

Suddenly, they heard it–soft footsteps echoing down an empty corridor. They froze. The footsteps stopped. Diego whispered, “We should leave.” Ignacio was about to agree when a low whisper reached their ears. It sounded like it was saying something, but they couldn’t understand the words.

Ice ran down their spines as the footsteps started again, this time faster, as if someone was walking toward them. Panic rising, they turned to run but found their way blocked by a shadowy figure barely visible in the dim light. The figure didn’t move but made a low hum that made Diego’s teeth chatter.

“Wait,” Ignacio said, trying to be brave. “Who are you?”

The shadow twitched, then slowly took the shape of a boy about their age. He looked pale and wore old-fashioned clothes, like from a hundred years ago. “You shouldn’t be here,” the boy said softly. “This place… it’s not just a building.”

Diego stepped back. “What do you mean? Who are you?”

“I’m Tomas,” the boy replied. “I lived here long ago. Beneath this building lies something that was never meant to be disturbed.”

Ignacio frowned, “What do you mean ‘beneath this building’?”

Tomas pointed toward the floor. “Before your school was built, there was an old burial ground here. A fosa—an ancient pit where many rested in peace. But when your school built this unfinished monument, they broke the seal that held something dark inside.”

Diego swallowed hard. “So that’s why the symbols are here? To keep it closed?”

“Yes,” Tomas said. “The symbols protect us, but with the building unfinished, the barrier is weak. That’s why you see marks appearing and hear footsteps. The shadows stir because the boundary is slipping.”

Ignacio’s eyes were wide now. “What happens if it breaks completely?”

“Then the shadows trapped beneath would be free to roam the world above,” Tomas said grimly. “We can’t let that happen.”

The boys looked around nervously. The shadows in the corners of the room seemed to twitch and stretch like living things. Ignacio took a deep breath. “What can we do?” he asked.

Tomas smiled faintly. “You must finish the symbols. Use chalk or paint to complete their drawings. They need to be whole again to strengthen the seal.”

Diego’s curiosity took over. “Where do we find the rest of the symbols?”

“In the dark hallways around the building,” Tomas said. “Follow the patterns, fill in what is missing.”

Ignacio nodded. “Let’s do it tonight. We bring the chalk tomorrow after school.”

The next day, Ignacio and Diego brought white and yellow chalk. When the school emptied, they sneaked back into the building. They moved carefully along the cold concrete walls, tracing the faded symbols and filling in missing lines. The air grew heavier with every symbol they completed, almost like the place was watching them.

As they worked, the shadows seemed less threatening. They danced on the walls like candle flames but stayed far enough not to scare them. After finishing the last symbol near the top of a shaky stairwell, a quiet calm fell over the building.

Suddenly, Tomas appeared beside them. “You have done well,” he said. “The seal is strong again.”

Diego sighed in relief. “Will the shadows ever come back?”

“Only if the building is destroyed or abandoned again,” Tomas explained. “But if people respect this place and keep it whole, it will stay safe.”

Just then, footsteps echoed again—but this time they didn’t frighten the boys. Instead, they felt like a soft, protective rhythm.

Tomas began to fade, his form shimmering in the dim light. Before disappearing, he said, “Remember, some places hold history not just in books but beneath the ground. Respect it, and you will be safe.”

Ignacio and Diego climbed out of the building, their hearts pounding but brave. They looked back once and saw the unfinished skeleton of the building standing quietly, no longer a shadowy monster but a mystery they helped to protect.

From that day on, the strange symbols no longer appeared on the walls, and the footsteps ceased. The unfinished building remained unfinished, but no one feared it anymore. Ignacio and Diego sometimes met near its fence and smiled, knowing they had saved their school from the shadows within the unfinished walls.

The lesson they learned was clear: sometimes, curiosity leads to danger, but with courage and respect for the past, even the darkest mysteries can be faced and sealed–keeping all who live there safe and sound.

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