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When we last spent time with our protagonist, they had finally finished dealing with the zombie. The zombie is laid to rest! Or, well, it’s returned to its grave. Let us be content with that, as there is yet much to address. Such as the mausoleum! You can catch up with Part XXV here. Now, we see the Groundskeeper turn their attention to the mausoleum and the terror that lies in wait. How will our protagonist fare against the danger that lies within? Let’s find out.

I saunter into the employee hall and make my way to the break room where I set down the hammer and nails. I'll replace these in the storage area after I've dealt with the mausoleum. I grab one of the plastic cups from over the water dispenser as the lights flicker. I lean against the counter and the lights shut off. In the complete and total darkness, I hear weeping. First from one entity, then another. I don't know how much time passes while I wait, but I am surrounding by weeping and wailing by the time the lights snap back on. The weeping and wailing instantly ceases.

I'm about to pour water into my cup but recall the fridge incident. Oh no, Darkness Dimension. You won't catch me slipping that easily. I test the dispenser and watch as green liquid drips out of the nozzle in thick bulbs which fall to the grill beneath it and slither down into the excess receptacle. Now that is just absolutely disgusting, but it isn't the worst part. The smell is the worst part. Every part of my body is fighting against the urge to vomit. I release the tab, and the smell reduces, though there's still plenty of it wafting up from the bits that are slithering against the grill. I cross my arms, still leaning on the counter, still holding my plastic cup. The lights flicker, flicker some more, and shut off. The weeping and wailing instantly rises, picking back up where it left off. At least the smell disappears with the light.

Still, I'm not going anywhere. I'm not going to figure out what all that noise is. I'm not leaving the comfort of this counter I'm leaning against. The wailing turns into moaning turns into growling turns into screaming turns into what sounds like my parents arguing. The lights snap back on and all of that disappears.

I test the water dispenser and find clear liquid running out evenly. There's no sign of the evil green goop to seen anywhere either. Perfect. I fill my cup to the brim and drink the whole thing before setting my cup on the counter. That's enough of a break. And enough time spent in this fucking hall. I walk to the door, place my hand on the wall, and walk down to one of the closets I uncovered when I first walked in here. That feels like forever ago already.

The lights stay on through the rest of my visit. I find the closet, grab a push broom, and walk out of the hall. I have no great plan to address whatever is in the mausoleum. I'm no brilliant strategist, no genius; I'm not clever. Hell, I don't even think I'm very smart. I have dealt with the most insane shit in one night that just yesterday I would have thought existed only in horror novels and I'm still here, walking toward some thing I know nothing about in order to check it off my list. And my plan to deal with it? The checklist said sweep and dust the mausoleum, so that's exactly what I'm going to do.

Well, it appears even the Groundskeeper needs to feel prepared before heading to mausoleum, and for good reason. Perhaps the next installment will determine whether their visit is a success! Or a grand failure, and they are brutally murdered in the process. Only one way to find out! Read Part XXVII here.

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