The sister in the dark

Chapter 11

I've been mulling over my plan for the whole of music, and I've decided that I'm going onto the roof, no matter what. The thought that I am going to have to risk my life to get this clue makes me want to break down and cry. But I can't. I have to live through this, for my sister, for my parents back home thinking that Rose is dead.

Milly is already waiting outside the dorms, but Hirah is nowhere to be seen. I decide to engage in some conversation. It might help.

"Have you ever climbed the school?" I ask. Maybe if she's done it before, she can do it again?

"Nah," she replies, "Dad said that I can go anywhere in the grounds, but the school building is out of bounds. And apparently that includes the roof and the outside walls. When I came into Hirah's room, I was really testing my luck."

"Oh okay," my heart sinks even deeper in my chest, and I resorted to silence.

Hirah comes running up to us.

"Any ideas?" she asks.

"Milly, do you wanna go first?" I offer, my heart still beating twice as fast as it should.

"Nothing. Zilch. An empty bucket," she tells us, "What about you?"

"Um..." I stammer, "Yes. The doves roost on the roof during the day, so maybe she hid it up there?"

"Oh no..." That is Hirah's first response. "The only way up is to climb, and I'm not going up."

"Turn around touch the ground not me?" offers Milly.

With tears in my eyes, I nod and head out to the side of the school building, probably the best place to climb undetected. If Rose got up and down alive, then so can I. I have to do this, or else I will never find my sister, never see her again.

At least this side of the school is kind of bumpy, so I can use the bumps as handholds. There is a ledge half way up, so I can always rest there.

"Wish me luck," I mutter to Hirah and Milly.

"Luck," they both say at the exact same time.

I take a deep breath, try to consolidate myself and begin the climb.

The only building I've ever climbed before is my family house. Rose and I used to climb up onto the roof every day when we got back from our night time visits to the woods to scale trees. Oh, how I miss the days when my life wasn't at stake...

My mind is constantly drifting, making it hard to concentrate on my route up. I think that if I go slightly to the left when I reach the ledge then I can use the hanging pole to pull myself up. But there's still a long way to go.

About 25 metres below me, it seems like Hirah and Milly have been found by a teacher. I try not to focus on them, and instead I attempt to block out all other noises apart from my beating heart.

The things I have done so far this term for Rose are more than anything I would do for anyone else. Ever.

That includes my parents, my friends, my other family members, if I even have any. I really do love my sister. Or at least, I think I do.

Now I'm nearly at the ledge. I reach up, grab the pole, (which I see now is wood, not metal) and swing myself up towards the ledge.

Then, with a sickening crack, the pole splits from the wall and my world goes black.