The sister in the dark

Chapter 16

Immediately after climbing down from the roof, I twist at the orange gemstone on the ring. It opens up to a single slip of paper, with 5 words on it: 'Open the envelope from Father.'

I've kept it on my body ever since he gave it to me. I rip it open, anticipation running through my bones, and stare in amazement at the pages falling out onto the roof. I bend down and gather them in my hands, realising what they are.

They're her diary entries. Pages and pages of what Stowe was like before I arrived. Pages and pages of how she was bullied by Charlotte Grosse, the girl she killed. I sit down on the parapet, the setting sun behind me, and begin to read.

Dear Diary,

Charlotte Grosse. She's been a bully since day one. A horrible person to me, hating me because I got in on scholarship. If only they had a second scholarship place, because then I could have faced this with my sister.

Today's act of cruelty was agony. At breaktime, she tied my arms behind me and dropped me into the freezing lake while everyone watched. Because my arms were tied, I couldn't get out, and someone had to come and rescue me. I nearly missed the whole lesson after, and when I was asked to explain why I was in the lake I couldn't tell the truth, Charlotte would probably kill me if I did. And the teachers probably wouldn't believe me anyway. They're under the illusion that she is perfect. I ended up with a week of detention.

Dear Diary,

Charlotte and her cronies dragged me out of bed before dawn. They gagged me so that I couldn't scream, tied my feet together and blindfolded me. I could hear them whispering in the early morning light, circling around me like vultures, getting closer and closer. Then, after five minutes of waiting, Charlotte's best friend Amelia Martell came forward and grabbed my arm. The next few seconds were pure pain, because she had a sharp flint knife which she cut across my shoulder, leaving a gash. Matron helped patch up my shoulder before lessons, but didn't let me stay in the sickbay all day, unlike she did for Charlotte four days ago when I gave the bully mild concussion. That girl is such a drama queen.

Dear Diary,

I had to wait until lunchtime for Charlotte to torture me. She sent one of her cronies, my roommate Olivia Graham, to knock all my food off my plate in the dining hall and I went hungry. But that wasn't all. When school had finished for the day, her cronies tied me to a tree near the river and pelted me with mud then left me there all night. I missed dinner, so I was starving.

Dear Diary,

Amelia untied me at about two in the morning. I was going to thank her, but then she pulled out the flint knife and slashed my other shoulder, took me into the boathouse and locked the door. I don't know if it was good luck or not, but a boy, around 16, picked the lock and I escaped back into my dorm. But I didn't feel safe, with Olivia sleeping in the same room as me. I stayed awake the rest of the night, sat with my legs dangling out of the window.

Dear Diary,

She found the jewelry box in the false bottom of my wardrobe. Luckily, my jewelry box has a false bottom as well and she only got my least favourite ring. But she wore it all day, dangling it in my face at every opportunity. I never got it back.

Dear Diary,

A new girl started school today. Her name is Hirah Khalil and she is from India. We made friends immediately and I decided to trust her with all my heart. Charlotte stayed away from me today.

Dear Diary,

Today was the worst. Charlotte dragged me, alone, onto the roof of our dorms. She sat all night telling me how stupid I was and reading out my personal diary in a silly baby voice. It hurt me more than anything else she'd ever done. All my secrets were hers to use.

Dear Diary,

I think it's time for me to get revenge. During mathematics and architecture, I made a 'treasure hunt' of clues for my sister. I hid them in my jewelry then placed them around the school and the grounds. In the afternoon, I invited Charlotte to a meeting by the Palladian Bridge, scheduled for 9:00 at night, pretending to be Amelia.

When she arrived, I leapt down from the bridge top, landing in front of her. In her surprise, I did something I regret more than anything else. Ever. Something so bad I can't write it here, in case of anyone finding it. But Charlotte never came back from that meeting alive.

Rose was bullied horribly. More like tortured. And I think that her murderous intent had some purpose. Poor Rose. She didn't deserve any of this.

I climb down the side of the building and hop onto the grass. I have to get to the Saxon Deities now. I have to find Amelia's dead body, I have to find Rose. If she's still nearby.

The run through the trees exhilarated me, and I turn the corner to find a small area blocked off by crime scene do not cross tape. And no body.

A shuffling sound behind me spooks the life out of my body. I've always been scared of the dark. But the thing behind me is nothing to be afraid of. No, the noise behind me is something I've known since I was born.

Something I love more than anything else.

My sister.