The sister in the dark

Chapter 28

I think I've failed the test. Even if there's a small chance that I might have passed, does it even matter? My life is messed up anyway.

The rest of the day's lessons are just as boring. History of art is even worse than the subject itself. Why would I want to learn about a painter from 100 years ago? Literature is, as Hirah said, boring, and Drama just plain stupid. Learning how to pull a face in the mirror? Stupid.

After school has finished, Hirah is buzzing with excitement. I think she just wants to see Rose again, but I'm hungry again and instead of going straight to Milly, we walk to the canteen where I buy two muffins, one for me and one for Rose.

Then I go straight to the gardener's lodge, eating the muffin happily. I'm actually feeling okay for the first time in a while, but, given that I was held captive and in school, that isn't saying much. This place drains all happiness from students.

Milly meets us at the door, welcomes us inside.

"Hi Hirah!" she exclaims.

"Hi Milly. How's Rose?"

"Awake, and getting better. I'm glad we found a place for her to rest."

"That's great," I interject, itching to see Rose.

All three of us walk up to Milly's room and go in together. Rose is sitting up in Milly's bed, knee exposed but looking better.

"Rose? How are you?" asks Hirah, "I've missed you. It's been, like, two weeks since we last saw each other, and I guess Evelyn was here, but it was different."

Her short sentence reminds me that they were friends too, that Hirah wanted to see Rose as much as I did. More, maybe. She had me as a friend, and Milly, but Rose was there for her. Like I am, but more.

"I'm good, aside from the knee. And I've missed you too."

Hirah sits on the end of her bed like I used to at home in the mornings. Rose was never a morning person.

"I brought you a muffin, by the way."

"Thanks."

"When do you think you'll get better?"

"By tomorrow probably. Milly's being amazing,"

"That's good."

"Has Emily's body been found yet?"

"No, I don't think so. Hirah, do you want to do the honours?"

"Sure, why not. I'll go directly to Dr. Wallestiener's office. Where was she?"

"Underneath the tower by The Charles Petersborough Walk. She was pushed out of a window."

"By you?"

"Yep, all of us are murderers now."

"Apart from Milly," chides Rose.

"Yeah, you should join the club," jokes Hirah.

"Who did you kill?" asks Milly.

Realising she made a mistake, Hirah backtracks. "Amelia,"

"Oh. Okay."

"We should go back to our dorms now," I nudge Hirah to agree.

"Yes. We got a shedload of homework at school."

"Thanks for the muffin!" Rose calls after us as we leave.

Once we leave the house, Hirah lets out a sigh of relief. "That was a close one."

"Yes, it was."

The rest of the walk back to our dorms is in silence. When we reach the tennis courts, I say goodbye to Hirah so that she can report the body and I can move my stuff into her room, I'm not sharing with Olivia any longer.

When I reach my room, I open the window and stick my head out and shout down to Hirah.

"Don't forget to go there first!"

She turns around, nods, and keeps walking.

Before Olivia gets here, I need to move my stuff across the corridor to Hirah. It really doesn't take long, but why should it? All I have are my clothes and a few other small possessions. At least Hirah's room is more comfortable, and I don't have the constant threat of being killed in my sleep.

I wander down to the common room and stand in the corner with a notebook. I'm not starting a diary, not properly, but I am going to start writing down every little detail, everything everyone is doing. No reason for it, except boredom.

Come on Hirah! It's been 40 minutes and she isn't back yet. I guess the police might be questioning her, but it doesn't take that long.

A girl runs into the room, screaming her head off.

"There's been another murder!"

My head snaps up to see Hirah acting her heart out, pretending to be upset or surprised. Great acting on her behalf, I must say. She winks at me, and I run to her side.

"Who was it?" I ask dramatically.

"Emily Caprio. She was my friend and I-" she breaks off in fake tears.

"Not Emily! Olivia will be so upset!"

Yes, she will. I can't wait.

"Emily?!" Asks Olivia, sounding genuinely distressed, "I'm the only one left. Everyone else is dead."

"No! I never thought about it in that way!"

She stands on top of the table and starts announcing to the rest of the students, "Somebody is picking me and my friends off. I'm the only one left. Charlotte first, then Amelia and now-" she breaks off, realising what she just said. She just announced that Charlotte is dead, that Rose is alive.

"I mean-" she tries to amend her mistake, but everyone has already heard her. The security camera blinks twice in the corner. They know. Everyone knows. I'm doomed, Rose is doomed, we all are.

I lash out at her feet, tackling her off the table, pin her to the ground and hiss in her ear, "Yes, Charlotte is dead. Yes, Rose killed her. Yes, Amelia is dead. Yes, Rose killed her. Yes, Emily is dead. Yes, I killed her. Yes, you are next. Yes, I will kill you. And you will not spread a single word."

The security light is constantly blinking in the corner, and the three of us turn and run.