Guess Who

Clue #2

It has been an entire week since the last clue, and I still haven't gotten a chance to read the title of the book yet, but at least I know I have some time. It is not like the book can just up and disappear.

The next morning I woke up to a smiling Isla in my face; definitely not a sight for first thing in the morning, if you know what I mean. It was the smile that said, 'I know something that you would want to know, but I aint gonna tell you.' 'Fantastic!' I think sarcastically with a scowl adorning my face. I get to spend my only relaxing day being terrified. At least I haven't gotten any threats yet.

"Well good morning, Sunshine!" I tell her.

"It is Saturday and you are still in bed at 8:30? What is wrong with you? I believe you have a game to play?" She says knowingly.

"Fine, give me a moment." I hate this game.

It has been 8 days, 6 hours, and approximately 23 minutes and 39 seconds since I got my first clue; and I still don't have another one. Whoever these people are they certainly have a lot of patience. *Cue eye roll*

It is a Thursday, the night I will sneak out at exactly 8:38pm, daring right? And I will sneak into the library to find that book.

As I creep down the hall, I hear a bump, bump, badump. I stop immediately and listen further,

'you idiot! Scared of your own heartbeat?' sometimes I really hate myself... Just kidding, how could I? I gave birth to awesomeness... wait, that sounds wrong... oh well!

*drip *drip *drip

I look down the left hallway that leads away from the library. Momentarily distracted I failed to notice the 6'2" cloaked figure slink into the library, and then disappear into the darkness. I decide to follow the dripping noise, being cautious to stay in the darkness and breathe as little as possible. BANG! I quickly whirl around to see a cloaked figure sprinting down the hallway, in my direction with the librarian, Mr Gretsin, close on the man's heels. The man ran straight for me, then halfway down the passage, I kid you not, he disappeared! What the...? I then realized that, that left Mr. Gretsin running straight at me, after curfew...

I gasp as we quickly collide. We tumbled down the passage way in heaps of plaid and slacks. The rolling had my stomach turning and my heart ready to leap out of my throat.

"I got you, you thieving scoundrel!" He yelled as quietly as he could without anyone hearing, sleeping or otherwise.

"Skyla? Did you see a man in a cloak? And what are you doing out of your room?!" He demanded.

"No disrespect Sir," Who are we kidding; the guy just literally attacked me! "But you aren't exactly supposed to be out here either, student or not...."

"Very well, you must not tell anyone of this encounter, or both our heads will be on the line." I do not know if it was the lingering garlic on his breath from his last meal, or the seriousness in his eye when he said that last part that made me shudder.

"Could you please get off of me now sir? My legs are a little numb, and you kind of need a breath mint..." I couldn't help but say that last part, I giggle to myself as his face flushes and he rushes off.

As I watch him retreat into the darkness of the halls, to the teacher dorms, I wonder just how much that teacher knew about this school. He is in his late 50's and has been working at his school for 15 years. Had he heard of the games? I knew he couldn't be one of the Ingumm, just from the fear in his expression when he even mentioned being caught out here at this hour. While I was lost in my thoughts, I didn't realize I had forgotten to look in the library, until I had gotten to my dorm, and saw yet another cream coloured paper, with the same symbol in the corner as the book again.

I all but ripped it off the door and quietly but with great trepidation, entered my dorm. The clue read,

"I wasn't very surprised to notice you out again, Miss Wilson. DO NOT GO OUT AGAIN Miss Wilson, you have no idea what lurks....." Unfortunately the headmaster is one of those people who still use a quill, so his ink was smudged there, as if he went to erase it, but why not just get another piece of paper? Whatever, stop over analyzing everything, I thought. So I read on,

"To get to the point of this clue,

I wait all day and all night,

Upon my noble stand, my plate.

I wait for you to notice me,

I wait for you to open me,

I wait for you to read me;

But overall, I wait for you to solve me."

What the...??? Couldn't he just tell me what he was talking about? My brain was weary and tired, although something stirred deep within the gears of my brain. I looked to the clock, it read 2:30am it bright red letters. Great, I have class in the 3 hours *note the sarcasm.

I decide to leave the note solving until the morning, but even then my brain wouldn't shut down and I find for the first time in nearly 2 months, I am completely, totally, and utterly in love with Judas.

HAHA! Fooled you, I was going to say guaranteed to fail, but I decided despite the dark and lonely circumstances, I deserved a laugh now and then; me, in love with Judas? The only way I'd love Judas is with his tongue ripped out and him buried 6 feet under. Now that my brain has taken a morbid turn, I think I am actually just going to lay here in silence until I drift off, hopefully soon. Despite that notion I still became fully alert, with adrenaline pumped veins at every little sound made. At 4:30 I finally felt the currents of sleep pull me away into my nightmare land, not everyone who sleeps gets relief...

*Flashback to 3 years ago, day after Isla was taken*

I looked everywhere, I called police, but they said no report was filed with her name on it, nor was there a person registered in the state with that name. Despite the fact she was missing, and the unending guilt I feel, I couldn't help but feel the surge of red hot power flow in my chest, and down to my clenched fists.

"There must be something! Try again! Her name is Isla Lauren Rhodes, born August 14th 1998, she'd be only 14 years old, please! Her parents abandoned her when she was little, and orphanages refused her due to her height! She was a tall ten year old, at 5'2", they thought she was faking her age to get in for free food and shelter, so she lives, I mean lived, off of the homeless shelter and occasionally at my place. Please, you have to help her!" I basically screamed at the officer.

"I am sorry, there is nothing we can do. There is no one under that name, and with that record we doubt we could trace her through credit cards or anything. Are you sure you saw nothing else?" The officer asked in an almost rehearsed understanding tone.

"Wait! There was another thing, the van she was hauled into, it said, 'Ousted Academy' does that mean anything to you?" The officer turned a bad shade of white, with a green hue. I saw the anxiety in his expression before he could mask it. He quickly whispered out in a hushed, but firm tone,

"Listen kid, leave now, do not mention that place, you probably were just seeing things okay? Now leave!" His tone scared me, so meek hunched over with snot dripping down my nostrils me, ran without hesitation.

I woke up with sweat dripping down my face, and chest. I figured out the key to solving this mystery. How could I not have noticed it before?

Isla. Or is that even her real name? How could I not have remembered that before? And with that thought on my mind, I approached her door, and barged in. There, on her bed, was...

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Hello dear Readers,

For the few I have; I would like to thank you for taking the time to check out my book, please do not be afraid to comment and give me some criticism make note of the some in that last part ;) And also please feel free to tell me of any mistakes, grammar or otherwise, but please look and see if anyone has noted the exact same thing already :)

Sam