PENSIONNAT - VERSION ENGLISH - BOOK FINISH

° 9 °

- Well, that's it. Ella you should review the Ghota and Max you need to review the fundamentals.

- The basics?

- The basics. Math, French, history...

- You name it. concluded Max in a jaded tone.

- That's it! Everything.

- Otherwise... I have to talk to you about something. Max looked at me sulkily.

- I'll leave you to it. He got up and walked away.

I wondered what could make him so... upset.

Grayce took me for a walk in the gardens. We talked about the flowers, the fountains... She told me how long they'd been there and which characters had seen them.

We drifted on who wanted to kill me. Apparently, she had made an appointment with a specialist, but she didn't want to tell me his name right away. "Consider it a surprise!" She had said with a forced laugh. The wait made me anxious, but I waited.

We stopped at a stone bench, dilapidated by time. Moss had already covered the cracks in the stone.

She stood for a moment with her eyes on the ground. She wanted to speak, but she didn't know how. What could be making her so nervous?

- Grayce, what's wrong? I was breaking the silence.

- I think... I think I've stumbled onto a plot.

- A plot? What plot?

-... A plot... dangerous Ella.

But Grayce could hardly continue. The ground shook as if in an earthquake and interrupted us. We jumped to our feet, looking at all the horizons. The shaking stopped after a few seconds, followed by a heavy silence.

- You think it's him again, trying to kill me?! I shouted on edge.

- No, I don't think so! Grayce replied.

Then a student ran out of the building shouting, "The dorms have been attacked! There was an attack!!! There's been an attack! The freshman dorms are destroyed! "

- An attack?! We looked at each other in panic. We left our spot and made our way to the dorms.

The second floor that housed the first years was still in turmoil from the attack. A smoke of dust hid the scene. In the darker areas, where the sun didn't shine, the smoke acted as an ominous backdrop and seemed more persistent to remove.

Otherwise, the arrival of the director with Mrs. Dona and his backhand, which pushed all the dust particles until they disappeared, revealed the ugly spectacle.

A gigantic hole occupied the wall that housed the girls' dormitory. It was useless to go and see the other rooms, Mr. Strange came down from the ceiling to reassure the director about this:

- The damage is only to the first-year "females".

- The "females"? Mrs. Dona repeated in outrage.

- Yes, the "females" The women. The girls! We are a big family Dona! No familiarity between us!

- Well, all the same! They are children, not animals !

- Oh yeah ? Well, you know what the only "female" ghost who does the housework calls me? "Poor Male"! I'm more than that ! I am a man!!!

Their discussion echoed among the silent walls that had just fallen. A bluish light was escaping on some of them... as if their breath of life was escaping little by little from their cold and inert body.

It was while letting my eyes caress this image that I noticed a black substance, resting on the edge of a rock. The director seemed to have noticed it, too. He approached it and touched the slimy substance. It stuck to his finger and was still moving a little...

- What is this stuff?" I whispered so that only Grayce could hear me.

Mrs. Dona let out a little scream that forced me to look at her. At the same time, I met Mr. Strange's eyes... There was nothing usual about him. He was serious and perhaps, worried? I looked again at Grayce, who, with one hand over his mouth, was looking at the director's hand, shaking.

- Wha...what's wrong? I asked.

Once the teachers had left, Mr. Strange first, I approached the damage. The hole had been made brutally. It was as if a structure had collapsed on it.

The common room and the bedrooms were almost totally destroyed...it was a massacre. I was amazed that the wall was still standing despite the gaping hole! The impact had also affected the boys' dormitories.

I was shocked. What could have done this? I moved closer to the black liquid and noticed that it stank. It just smelled like death.

- What was it?

Did I hear wrong? A hissing sound of speech fell into my ears. Where was it coming from? Was someone under the rubble?! Panicked, I moved closer to the walls. The hissing got louder, but I still couldn't understand what it was saying.

- Where are you? I shouted at the wall.

My gaze fell on the liquid and the voice was distinct. It wasn't in my ears, but in my head. And it was telling me something. It seemed important.

I was looking for the information as if that was all I had in my life. As if I had lived, all this time, only for this.

- I don't understand! What are you saying?!

I put a hand on the wall and caressed it as if it was going to reveal what I was looking for.

- I'm here. I'm almost there. I can almost hear you. Speak up! What do you want?

My obsession was getting stronger and stronger. I was moving like a mouse looking for cheese! But I knew. I knew I was almost there!

- ELLA !!!! What the hell are you doing?!

Grayce grabbed my arm and forced me into the gardens.