"It was, I thought, what evil must smell like"
. . . . . . . . .
- David Sedaris
ACT 1, Scene 3
"This doesn't make sense" I muttered in confusion and rage.
Fluttering proudly on the bulletin board was a flashy invitation to Mount Preston's annual orchestra. I never understood how Principal Campbell took the matter of Mia's death so lightly. A person, a human being was just brutally murdered in cold blood within the very walls of this high school, who apparently keeps sending us threat messages.
"Campbell's really clever to announce the school's annual orchestra now, only because she wants to distract us and save the school's reputation" Thea sighed rather helplessly.
"But at the same time, it's also the perfect chance to spy on our suspects. Almost everyone would be attending the performance. Besides, if Hannah's performing onstage, Bianca's surely gonna be there too." I suggested, while Hannah, who was staring at the invitation with red bloodshot eyes slowly lit up while the others looked impressed.
"Yeah that's right... Why don't we go to the dormy and come up with a plan? The orchestra's next week so we have a lot of time to come up with a perfect plan and a lot of time for Hannah to practice" Emma replied feebly, a little smile over her thin red lips.
* * * * * *
"So if this is the auditorium, this is gonna be the stage where Hannah, Bianca and the rest of the orchestra would be performing...." Hannah nodded while keeping focused on the map that I drew over the sheet of paper,
"The first few rows however, would be occupied by the teachers, professors and other school staff while the rest of them would be occupied by the students. While Emma and I sit and spy on those around us, Thea can stand and watch the performance near the backstage entrance where the instruments and leftover props of the previous years plays and performances would be kept"
"Sounds good" Thea smiled, "And for you Hannah, while you perform, keep a good eye on Bianca and the rest of the performers too. At the end of the day, we might have some leads"
"That was a really good plan Ava" Hannah said mesmerized as she hugged me tight.
"I better start practicing now, so I'll just get my violin and join the others in the music room" Hannah muttered more to herself than us.
She bent over her bed and pulled the fancy case where her brand new violin was stored, the one which Mrs. Jefferson had gifted her on Hannah's birthday. However this time, to arouse our suspicions, someone had stuck a note onto Hannah's violin case.
Looking both curious and frightened, she peeled it of slowly as it wrote:
"We'll see if you make it to the orchestra now"
- UNKNOWN
"What is that supposed to mean?" Emma questioned, while Hannah opened the case slowly only to find her brand new violin broken into bits, the strings were detached and the violin cracked and broken.
"Noooo....." Hannah screamed in despair, seeing her new violin in ruins.
"How am I gonna attend the orchestra now? Someone's desperate to prevent us from attending" She continued, enraged.
"Don't worry Hannah, I'm sure James still has his new violin. Mom had compelled him to master the violin but he never looked into it. I'll tell him to bring it right away," saying so, Thea rushed out of the room to telephone James while Emma sat on her bed, wondering why and who would break Hannah's violin.
"Someone must've broken into our dormy" Emma worried over Hannah's violin, which still lay open and broken into bits.
So who's the stranger who doesn't want Hannah and her friends from attending the orchestra?
@ahlanazarx ⛓