The Shadows: A Poppy Farrell Mystery

Chapter 4

The morning alarm bonged like a church bell through a fog of her dreams.

Poppy opened her eyes in the darkness and flipped her phone open.

6:30.

Whatever she'd been dreaming about so vividly, fled.

She moaned. Poppy Farrell was not a morning person. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, and stretched. Clair sat up like a vampire in her coffin, with a kind of wall-eyed stare.

"I hate waking up in the dark," Poppy said, going to the curtains to open them.

"I kind of like it," Clair said.

Poppy smirked, then pulled the cord. The curtains flew open. "It's still gloomy out."

"I like that." Clair left her bed, and curled up on the window seat. "It looks mysterious out there."

"Kind of grey," Poppy said. "Do we have any teabags in the kitchen?"

"There's an electric kettle. That pamphlet on the table----it says breakfast is from seven o'clock to eight, then we meet in the Assembly Room."

Poppy went into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. Her eyes looked puffy. She yawned. "I suppose first class is at 8:30 then," she shouted to Clair.

"Haven't you checked?"

"No. I was too busy being freaked out last night." Splashing cold water on her face helped Poppy to wake up and took some of the puffiness down.

"My first class is History. What's yours?"

"The same, I think," Poppy said through her toothbrush.

"That's good. I'm glad we'll be together. I hate new places and meeting people. I guess I'm a shy."

"I understand." Poppy came out into the hallway, feeling better. "It's all yours. I'm having a cup of tea. Want one?" She headed for the kitchen.

"Sure."

The kitchen was tiny rectangle with white painted cupboards going all the way up to the ceiling, and one bright window in the end wall glowing above a quaint built-in table and benches. Below the cupboards was a countertop of blue and white tiles. Below the counter were drawers filled with silverware and all the kitchen utensils one could ever desire, and more cupboards.

Poppy opened an upper cupboard and found it stacked with Blue Willow china plates and bowls. In the next cupboard was a collection of dainty bone china cups and saucers with flowers on them. Those were always too small for Poppy's taste. Two sips, and no more tea. She preferred a mug, but couldn't find one. Blight's must have mugs for sale. These places always did. A big black mug with the Blight's Academy's logo stamped on the side, thorns and all, had to be available somewhere.

Clair came in. She was already dressed in the school uniform: black tartan skirt and black jumper over a white blouse. She was pulling the black blazer off its hanger and looking at it quizzically.

"It seems too hot in here for a jacket," she said.

"Maybe the classrooms are drafty."

"Your uniform is in the wardrobe with your name on it. Mine fits pretty well." She examined the hemline at her knee with distaste. "I hope yours does."

"Me too."

There were teabags in one of the cupboards, and a package of water biscuits long past their use-by date. Not much else. Poppy clicked the full kettle on, put two teabags in a china pot, then went back to the bedroom. She'd forgotten to unpack the rest of her suitcase; her personal clothes were probably rumpled past ironing.