Chapter 22

After the rain has stopped pouring, I'm dragging my feet across the wet grass while keeping my gaze low. My jeans stick to my body like a second skin, and the leather jacket I'm wearing feels like a rag. I'm chilled to the bone but move a curl of black hair from my face and trek down a trail.

The trees seem to dance with the silent wind, and then I hear voices—one belongs to my grandmother.

Suspicions flash within me, and I scan my surroundings. My eyes settle for a thick oak tree, and I quickly hide behind it, pressing my back against the wet trunk.

"Don't mention this to anyone!" My grandmother orders. "We don't want the students to be afraid when we have the Christmas ball coming up."

I sneak a peek. My grandmother is walking in my direction, with two other teachers following her. They are transporting something on a stretcher—I suspect there is a dead body on it, but the black plastic draped over it prevents me from confirming this.

One te