The Boarding School

-23-

I sit down in the dirt, crying, trying to figure out what just happened. I... I killed Alison... What would my father think of me? He probably wouldn't love me anymore. I start crying even harder. I cover my face with my hands, soaking my palms with my tears. I then hear sirens coming closer. I sniffle and wipe my tears and walk towards the school and sit at my normal bench and act natural. I watch as paramedics take Alison's body on a trolley and put it in the back of an ambulance and leave. Arianna spots me and walks over to me.
"Hey, do you have any idea what happened to Alison?" Arianna asks.
"No" I say. She just silently sits next to me. Ms. Perison walks up to us.
"Maddie, did you hear about Alison's murder?" She asks.
"I heard she died... But how?" I say, lying.
"She was murdered in the school. You fought with her a lot. Do you know what happened?" She says seriously.
"No" I say.
"Try to think! How would this happen?" She says, staring into my eyes.
"I don't know" I lie again. She leaves.
"Maddie... You know something... What happened?" She asks.
"I told you, I don't know" I snap. She just looks away. I stand up and go look for Ms. Perison. I knock on her office door.
"Come in" she says quietly. I open the door, stepping in, then closing it again.
"Ms. Perison, you must let me try to call my aunt again" I say.
"Why?" She asks.
"I don't want to be here! It's not safe. I'm scared, I... I'm being threatened by the other girls that these murders are my fault" I say.
"I have been hearing the rumors from some of the girls... But I assure you, you're going to be fine. We will ensure safety here" she says.
"Just pass me the phone" I growl. She slides the phone towards across her desk. I dial in the number for home. No answer. I hang up. I sit there for a moment.
"Have you heard from the hospital?" I ask, getting a hit of depression.
"No, not yet, dear" she says.
"Let me see him. Let me go visit" I say in a low tone.
"I don't think so" she says sternly.
"I want to see him" I say roughly.
"I said no"
"Please"
"No"
Then I stand up and smack my hand on the desk. "Let me see him!" I yell.
"Get out of my office. NOW" She threatens. I suddenly feel weak, then leave her office and go into the bathroom. I look at myself in the mirror, shake my head, and splash some water against my face.
"What's happening?" I whisper to myself, and continue to stare into the mirror. I suddenly get a feeling of anger. I look harder at the mirror, then punch it, breaking it, getting glass stuck in my hand. I gasp and drop to the floor, my back against the wall, clenching my wrist and staring at my hand in fear. Some girl walks in, and gasps when she spots me and runs over to me, kneeling down.
"How did this happen?" She asks. I just start to cry. She grabs my shoulder and helps me stand.
"You need to get to the nurse!" She says quickly, pulling me through the halls and into the nurses office. The nurse hurries up to me and examines my hand, blood leaking out of the wounds and down my arm. She puts a needle into my hand and injects some liquid into my skin. A few seconds later my hand starts to feel numb. The other girl is still in the room, watching us. Then the nurse grabs some tweezers and starts pulling the glass out of my hand. I whine a couple times, though I can barely feel it. Then she wraps gauze around my hand.
"How did this happen?" She asks.
"I... Uh.... I slipped in the bathroom and accidentally smashed my hand through a mirror over the sink" I lie.
"That must have hurt. Be careful next time" she says. I nod and leave the office. Then the girl turns to me.
"Are you okay?" She asks.
"Yeah, thanks" I say, exhaling.
"I'm Zara by the way" she says. I nod and walk away to the rec room. There was a teacher in there supervising. I walk up to her. It's Ms. Quinn. Ms. Quinn isn't one of my teachers, but I've been getting to know her a tiny bit.
"Are we allowed in the bedroom?" I asks. She frowns.
"Yes... It's cleaned up now. But I suggest to wait till bed time" she says. I nod and sit down at one of the tables. Zara walks up to me.
"Hey... it's dinner time, would you like to sit with me?" She asks.
"I normally sit with Arianna..." I say.
"I know, but I would like to get to know you, c'mon, please?" She bugs.
".....Alright" I say. I stand up and we go to the cafeteria, grab our food and sit down. Zara looks at me.
"Whats with the headgear?" She asks.
"I have a broken jaw. I should be able to take it off soon"
"Ouch. How did it happen?"
"I'd rather not say"
"Okay"
We finish supper and go back into the rec room. I sit at a table, where Arianna was sitting. Zara sat too.
"Hey Arianna" I say. She looks up from her sketchpad.
"Oh.. Hey, um, hey Zara" she says.
"Are you alright Arianna? You seem kind of down" I say.
"Just sorta afraid, y'know, cause of all the deaths. I don't want to get hurt" she says.
"Yeah... I can't believe Alison died" Zara said.
"I wonder how it happened" Arianna says, continuing to draw. I sit there tense and nervously.
"I think I'm going to go to bed early tonight" I say and rush out of the room, going to the bedrooms. I look at the floor, the blood was cleaned up, and the room had a scent to it like someone sprayed air-freshener. I sit down on my bed and pull out my laptop. I go one facebook. I notice that Alex is online.
"Alex?" I type and send to him.
"Hey Mad, what's up?" He messages.
"Alex.... This school is crazy! There has been like, three murders since I came here... What do I do?"
"Woah, what? That's nuts! Have you called Dad to take you home?"
".....Dad's in a coma."
I didn't get any messages for quite a few minutes after that. But Alex finally messaged me back.
"What happened?"
"Dad came to come take me home, and we got in a car crash and he got knocked out...."
"Did you tell Aunt Lisa?"
"I did, I tried to get her to take me home, but she won't!"
"That's messed! Why not?"
"I don't know, because she hates me. Anyways, Alex, I'm really scared. I don't know what to do. Dad's in a coma and I'm in danger here!"
"I don't know what to tell you Maddie...."
"Alex, I'm scared!"
"I know, but there's nothing I can do. I'm sure you'll be okay, just try to hold on a little longer. I gotta go, but message me anytime"
"But Alex!"
'Alex is offline' I sigh. I look through the people on chat. Aunt Lisa is online.
"Aunt Lisa, please please please come and get me and take me home!!" I type to her. No reply. I shudder and close my laptop and slp it under my bed. I lye down in my bed and sigh. A couple other girls come in and get in their beds too. I just turn off my lamp and go to sleep.