PENSIONNAT - VERSION ENGLISH - BOOK FINISH

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The road passed in silence. At least the first hour...

- Stop! Stop the carriage!!! Grayce shouted.

She pulled us down and started pacing in front of us.

- Grayce..., I huffed, jaded.

- It can't be true. If Rose isn't dead, why would the director lie? It doesn't make sense!

I didn't know what to say to him. I couldn't understand what was going on right now myself.

- Do you remember? "He would like to talk, but he can't. They've hidden him." They were talking about the Director. Grayce emits.

- "That would mean that the current director...isn't the 'real' director?" Max offered.

- "They hid him," but who?! It's obvious that our principal isn't who we think he is. I only hope that the one we knew is still alive..., added Gfayce while pacing.

- And we mustn't forget that Rose is alive. But she didn't show up at the assembly. Which means she's playing the game...Max continued.

- She's not on the side of the "fake" director. I've seen her. And I think she was attacked and really tried to kill her. But her sister helped her to recover... I was seeing the images of that poor woman again, her eyes closed and her mouth wide open.

-... I'm not sure of anything anymore. I think it's going to be dangerous to live at the manor. Grayce looked at us worried.

*****

As the weekend began, Thomas felt suffocated in his room. It was the first time he had ever been so cooped up!

On Saturday mornings, he used to go for a run before meeting his friends in the gardens. But since the new curfew and all those soldiers... ! It had become impossible to live "normally".

He wondered if it was necessary to be so careful to find a killer. His father was not in the habit of leaving things lying around. Unless he didn't know about it.

"TOC TOC."

- Is everything okay? It was usually the guard's "hello" that meant "up!".

As usual, Ben was having trouble waking up...no one could blame him. Why wake up teenagers at six-thirty in the morning on a Saturday? It didn't make sense.

A jester who usually didn't show up came through the bedroom wall.
He was bringing breakfast.

- Like prisoners. Thomas sighed.

- I'm going to sleep a little longer..., Ben implored with his eyes closed.

- In an hour I'll open! the guard shouted harshly.

Thomas clenched his fists and tried to calm himself. He couldn't stand being treated like a little kid... !

They ate their breakfast, which consisted of two slices of toast and a bowl of chocolate, then prepared to FINALLY leave their room.

- We're even rationed in terms of food..., declared Ben with a piece of bread still in his mouth.

They went to the shower in groups. The boys would start and then it was the girls' turn.

They were constantly being watched by guards. There were two of them in total. They took turns and didn't hesitate to complain about their presence "watching kids!

Thomas was not going to last long under this pressure...

In the corridor, he crossed the glance of his cousin. He was the only one missing! Him and his annoying attitude, his charisma and his ability to stay so calm! Remark, it had to please him to be under this atmosphere. The Black Spectres preferred to live in a macabre atmosphere than under the sun!

Thomas clenched his fists. They were beginning to tremble under the irritation and tension in which he lived. He couldn't stand anyone. He wanted to get out! At all costs!

A "tic...tic..." waved in his right ear. Machinally, he hit his ear without embarrassment. But under his hand, he felt a piece of metal. He took it and looked at what it was.

It was a small earpiece. It was round and fit perfectly in his ear.

- ...Finally... He stood slightly aside and listened. Hello. Thomas whispered.

- Yes.

- Daddy! I'm glad to hear from you! Things are happening here... Thomas pleaded.

- I know, son. The voice remained stoic.

- We're being guarded like... I can't stand being locked up like this for long! A pain suddenly awoke in his skull.

Normally he would have screamed, but in order not to attract attention, he held back.

- Calm down son. I know what I am doing. This is no time to be childish and throw a tantrum. You have to listen to the director.

- ...Okay. His father hung up and left his son with his unbearable pain.

He walked with difficulty to the showers and pushed everyone to get through faster. Putting his head under the cold water always made him feel better. It always did. Although lately he had found something else. Today he had to do without it.

It was the icy, unpleasant water that numbed his pain and, thanks to it, his eyesight returned to normal and his pulse was back to normal.

Whatever happened, he had to stay calm. His father had ordered him to do so. As the head of the army, he had uncommon and frightening punishments...