Violet

21| Attack

Violet

Emmett is not in the library the next morning.

To be fair, I give it a while. I arrived around nine o'clock – the usual time we meet – and stay for a couple of hours.

Other than me, there is one other person in here, but soon after arriving, they disappear down the shelves at the back. I just remain quiet at one of the tables, watching the clock hung on the wall tick slowly, while I fidget with the quill in my hand.

The girl must have known about this.

My knee bounces without me even knowing, the restlessness taking over.

He must be somewhere, but what happened?

Then I set my mind.

The only thing I can do right now is put trust in what Alora told me. She has to be on my side, so if Emmett is safe, then I do not need to worry.

No need to worry. So, I decided to just start on what we planned to do in the first place.

I get out my notebook and come across the drawings from earlier. What could they mean?

The object – a stick, a knife, and the back of a door. I write out again on the next blank page. What places have sticks, knives and steps? These were all found in the ruins, so that must be it.

Maybe that is where we need to go on the last day? That would mean Laurie is connected to all of this. Laurie took us to the place of our possible deaths. It does not sound right in my head.

Then I think of the red paint. The word has always been written with red paint. I do not recall ever seeing any other traces of paint anywhere, red, or otherwise.

And then there is the well, where the man fell in, convinced he was pushed, however, I did not spot any red paint around. That does not just happen, you would have to be sitting on the side to accidentally fall, and I do not think that would be an everyday thing to do.

A well.

Water.

Might it have something to do with water? Probably not.

A stick in the bush, a side of a stairstep and a knife without context have nothing to do with water.

And what about that long tunnel inside the castle? The note they left, which Emmett now has, was very disturbing. Maybe there is a clue in there? I will have to ask for it back. The tunnel could represent a path to something, metaphorically.

I massage my temples while my brain attempts to cling to any information it can find. It is okay, it is okay, we got this. I hope Emmett has ideas too.

Hopelessly glancing up at the clock again, I decided that I need to accept the fact he is not coming. What else could I be doing? No, I need to continue doing this.

More people come and go as I write pages and pages of theories. Whether the objects are letting us in on who they could be and on where they might be. I continue doing this until my hand burns.

William. I have not seen him in a while. Good too, because the way everything was left last time...well, it is hard to finish that sentence.

Fredrick on the other hand confuses me. When Emmett and I hid behind the bush and listened, his and William's conversation made it sound like they were trying to hunt us down or planning something similar. Then when we ran into them in the halls, Fredrick defended me once William was getting too close. Maybe that is what he wants me to think, that Fredrick is on my side.