Page 53 (1/2)

The last door I went to was on the first floor of the girls’ dorered in front of it for a u open I gasped and jureetedher look more like a man than a dormsure all of my buttons were buttoned and buckles snapped, worried she was going to repri out of dress code

"Yes?" she said, eyeing me with a quiet distaste

In a low murmur, I informed her of Eleanor’s disappearance

"What do you ?" she said sharply when I was finished

"She wasn’t here last night or thisthis news, Mrs Lynch threw on a scarf and coat "Why didn’t you report it sooner?"

"I I thought she was at the library" Which was the truth

Mrs Lynch slammed the door "Come," she said, already four steps ahead of me

I trailed behind her as she walked to Archebald Hall, asking me questions the entire way When was she last seen? Did she have any reason to run away?

I didn’t know Maybe yesterday? And as for running away, she hadn’t packed up any of her things, and even if she had tried to leave, there was nothing beyond Attica Falls for miles

Our destination was the head just as ere entering The head luxurious coat, plush and blue with a deep hood Her snowy hair fluttered in the wind, ed nymph "Head lady has so to tell you"

After I finished, the headmistress addressed Mrs Lynch "Inforer’s office In the meantime, I’ll dispatch a search party"

The headmistress then inspected me, her blue eyes icy and unreadable

"I can help," I said, verging on pleading I couldn’t shake the feeling that Eleanor’s disappearance was soone ho earlier, maybe it would have been different "I want to join the search"

"Certainly not You are to go to class and focus on your studies"

"But she’s my roomma--" I tried to protest before the headmistress cut me off

"You are dis out of nowhere in the hallway and pullingbut you didn’t pick up," I said softly "The baseirls’ dorm is flooded There’s no other way out after curfew"

Dante frowned "I orried so had happened When you didn’t show up I waited outside the dor to find your , but they were all dark By the tiot back to my room, it was so late that I didn’t want to call, in case Mrs Lynch heard"

I ize to hiht, but instead I blurted out, "Eleanor’s gone"