Can you say, "Boo"

100% true story:

About a year ago there was a former elementary school for sale. It had been decommissioned as a school and the town was selling it off. it was 15,000 square feet of brick building with some (I thought neat) possibilities. I even called in a design and construction fellow I had worked with on some things before to check it out with me. The assumption was that someone would develop the thing as apartments. The numbers seemed to work. At the time, there was another party engaged in the deal so the idea never really went anywhere. Since housing was seemingly on the slide and I have little experience doing this sort of thing, I (we) just let it go.

A year later, it looks like the originally engaged party had backed off and the thing was listed again. This time the price was lowered from $850,000 to $599,000. This suggested that maybe the town was anxious (at least more anxious than they were before). So I drove over just to take another look and see what I could see.

The building was essentially the same as the last time I looked. I drove around back and parked my car. I walked around the back side of the building and peeked in the lower level windows. Again, it was the same as before. I moved around the side and looked up the side entrance stairway. Then I went around toward the front entrance. There is an amazing retaining wall made of stone that's 8 feet high with a railing. It runs about 200 feet all along the front of the school. That alone would probably cost you $100,000 to put up today - maybe more. The walkway in front of the school leads to a set of steps and a fairly substantial entryway - the main entrance to the school with the front doors tucked back several feet inside the building's face.

I moved down the walkway toward the front entrance. I approached the front steps. I was just about to put my foot on the first step when a giant hairy black horned goat leaped out from the recessed area. This isn't a rural area. It's in a residential - somewhat dense - neighborhood. At first I thought it was huge mangy dog, but no. It had horns and was much taller than even a large dog - uglier too. I'd be lying if I didn't mention that I almost shit in pants. I probably would have, but for the fact that I think my bung seized. He scrambled on the icy surface with his hooves clacking and he flew at me so quickly I didn't have time to do jump away. He made some sort of snorting noise, busted a quick move and avoided me by inches. He pounded off toward the opposite end of the building. I stood and watched him run away. What the hell was that?

I'm sure I'll have nightmares now. Geez...