What Lies Beneath ▸ House of Anubis [1]

chapter fifty-two. house of pests

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            Victor left the house for long enough yesterday for Fabian and Nina to sneak into his office and look for the final relic in Corbierre. They found what was basically a bottletop with the word END written on it. No riddle this time, just a single word. And Nina and Fabian think it means that it's the end of the search.

            "But how can it mean the end of the search?" I ask, my voice muffled because I'm brushing my teeth. The other Sibuna girls and I are all crowded in front of the mirror, discussing the latest puzzle pieces. "We haven't found the Cup of Ankh yet. It can't be the end."

            "It could mean the end of the clues," Nina says, and her voice is even more muffled than mine was.

            "Nope, didn't get a word of that," Amber remarks.

            I spit the toothpaste out into the sink and translate, "She said it could mean the end of the clues."

            "But if there are no more clues," says Patricia, "what do we do next?"

            "Examine the pieces again," Nina states. "The answer's there, I know it."

            "I hope it doesn't lead to any more creepy stuffed animals," Amber comments.

            Nina cringes and nods to agree. Apparently, she pulled off Corbierre's head in order to find the piece. It was horrifying, she said, but at least they found the piece. If only it was less cryptic. I chuckle at the look on her face, leaving the bathroom with Nina and Patricia so Amber can take her shower before school.

            However, it's less than a minute later that a scream echoes from the bathroom and we run into it, finding Amber freaking out. "A mouse!" she shouts as a small white mouse crawls across the floor. Oh! No! "Gross, gross, gross, gross! Please find it and flush it!"

—

            The mouse Amber saw in the bathroom was not the only one loose in Anubis House. Apparently, everyone else was finding little white mice everywhere—the kitchen, the dining room. According to Alfie, Trudy was freaking out and saying it was the apocalypse and they can smell our fear. We've got a mouse infestation, which is so strange, considering the mice are white. Now, I'm no expert in mice, but aren't white mice the ones sold in pet stores, I.E as pets? House mice are usually brown.

            Still, there are mice all over the place. I know Amber's certainly not going to sleep in her bed tonight, and after we all saw the mice, Victor practically pushed us out to the house to the school. Fortunately, I had a chance to grab the box of Lily's things and empty it into my bag so that the mice didn't get into it.

            "Before we start," says Andrews at the top of English class, "please know we have a problem with mice in Anubis House. So we'll be providing temporary accommodations for Anubis residents here in the main school building."