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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."
Oh, great. So not only am I not allowed back in my room until the mice are gone, but I have to sleep at school? Talk about bad luck.
Fabian raises his hand. "Mrs. Andrews, do you not think it's a little bit strange that all the mice are white? How did we get a sudden infestation of pet mice?"
Very good question, Rutter. Are we officially thinking now someone went to a pet shop, bought out the white pet mice, and set them loose in Anubis House? Makes sense, but for what reason? Mrs. Andrews, who probably had knowledge of the mice before they showed their little rodent faces, answers, "Well, I'll be asking pest control about that."
"And can we go back after class?" Nina questions. "You know, to get our stuff?"
"No, I'm sorry, I want you all to remain here," Andrews states. "Trudy will bring your overnight things, and as a special treat, she's going to provide a take-away meal for you all here this evening." Beside me, Mick cheers at that, of course. "Yes, that's right. Treat it all as a big adventure," she advises. "Now, you all know the rules about food in dormitories, so we'll be searching your rooms for snacks and confiscating any unauthorized items."
Unauthorized items. Like, maybe, seven relics that could lead to the Cup of Ankh that the secret society is looking for. And some cylinders in which Sarah says Victor's father murdered her parents. If they find those, we're screwed. We're more than screwed. We're dead.
—
"Oh, and some—"
"Alfie, Alfie," I interrupt as the tip of my pencil breaks at how quickly I'm having to write down his take-away order to give to Trudy. His list is longer than Mick's was. "I don't think Trudy has this much money. And you broke my pencil."
Alfie frowns, glancing at the list. "Oh. Sorry."
I do a second look-over of the list of orders, which I was put in charge of taking while the others get out cots and blankets for our temporary stay at school. Looks like we'll be sleeping in the drama studio tonight, the girls at least. Trudy just said the boys will be in the classroom. Glancing back up, I notice he looks down all of a sudden. "Hey, Alfie, you okay? You've been off the past couple of days."
He looks back at me, plastering on a fake smile. "Yeah, I'm—I'm fine. Everything's good, Ash."
"You sure?"
"Totally."
"Okay, well, if things aren't, you know you can talk to me about it, right?"
"...Yeah. I know. But everything's fine, so no need to talk about it!"
Without another word, Alfie walks around me and goes over to the set of cots. My eyebrows furrow as I watch him. He's lying to me, I'm sure of it. But what is he hiding? We're in Sibuna together, and he knows everything I do about it. What is there to lie about?
"Ashley," Trudy calls over, interrupting the carousel of questions going 'round and 'round in my head, and I go over to her with the notepad. "Have you got everyone's food orders?"
"U-um, yeah," I stutter, handing her the notepad. "Judging by Mick and Alfie's orders, they think we're going to be stuck in here for half a decade. Sorry in advance for your bank account, Trudy."
Trudy chuckles, waving the notepad in the air. "I'll ring up in a minute." Alfie suddenly shouts in pain and I turn to find that he's having a lot of trouble getting the cot open. He's entirely caught in it, somehow. "Alfie, what on earth are you doing?"
—
Sarah's things, the cylinders, and the relics are still at the house. I heard Nina and Fabian talking and trying to figure out how to get back to Anubis to rescue them—apparently their first plan was ruined by Sweet—before Victor finds them in his search for snacks in our room. Oh, man, I have a chocolate bar in my nightstand. Wait, no, he's not actually looking for snacks.
"I have a plan," Nina says as she and Fabian come over to me and Patricia, interrupting our conversation about the mice. "But it involves locking Trudy in Mr. Sweet's office with him so they'll call Victor to get him to let them out. And yes, I already feel bad about it, but it's the only way we'll," she glances at Fabian, "be able to get to the house unnoticed."
"Then let's do it," I say. Not too thrilled about locking Trudy and Sweet in the office, but for the good of the mystery, we'll do it. I put my hand over my eye. "Sibuna."
"Sibuna," they chorus, and then we head over to Trudy to get the plan started. "Trudy," starts Nina, "we were just saying—we haven't ordered any food for poor Mr. Sweet and he's here working late and..."
"Well, aren't you thoughtful?" Trudy muses. "Why don't you pop down to his office and see if he wants anything?"
"Um, well, you see, Mr. Sweet, he was kinda upset when he found out we left the base," Nina says. "Wasn't he, Fabian?"
"Yeah, oh, he was so angry," Fabian pretty clearly lies.
Trudy raises her eyebrows. "Mr. Sweet? Angry? I can't picture that. You'd have to change his name." She giggles at her own joke and I can't help but crack a smile, glancing at Patricia. Nice pun, Trudy! "You are supposed to be here, I suppose....d'ya know what? I'll go."
She grabs the pile of take-away menus and passes by us, knocking on Sweet's door and opening it. A few moments later, we follow. With the door ajar, we can hear them talking, and when they're sufficiently distracted, Nina slowly and quietly pulls the door shut and locks it from the outside.
"I just hope we're not too late," Nina tells us as she stands straight. To me, she adds, "Do you need anything of Lily's while we're there?"
I shake my head, patting the bag pressed against the side of my body. "Was afraid the mice would get to it. Good luck, guys."
With that, Nina and Fabian head off to the house, and Patricia and I return to the drama studio/our temporary living quarters to wait for them to return.