Students Crossing Campus With Violins in Sleet

Dark sleet coats the wet stone paths of the Minya campus courtyard as four students navigate the midnight walk. Their wool coats absorb the dim light, against the silver rims of light catching their shoulders and the curved edges of their violin cases. Steam rises faintly from the paper cups they hold, illuminating the falling flakes against the deep shadows of the archways. The ground reflects the faint glow of distant lamps, turning the rain-slicked surfaces into dark mirrors. The students move in a loose cluster, their boots leaving wet prints on the stone that slowly fill with melting ice. The edge of a heavy case rests against a student's hip, its leather texture visible despite the gloom.