Everyone moved in fast motions. Doctors and nurses came and went about me. I sat down heavily on a waiting chair of the hospital. The bright lights above my head caused me to hunch my shoulders to keep my eyes away. I stared at the white floor with my mind chasing in a maniacal speed, replaying the scenes over and over again. Mom was already inside the emergency room with other nurses and — Alyssa.The Headmistress and Cammie were trying to contact Alyssa's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Schell. And the only person who stayed with me was Octavia. She had rushed back to the school after my call and even brought me a clean sweatshirt. I put it on to cover the blood-stain on my white blouse. I couldn't thank her enough for her thoroughness."You look tired," Octavia said, handing me a carton of milk. "Drink this. It'll make you feel better."

After the hospital visit, Octavia and I returned to the school. We went into the Garden together. Octavia got me a carton of milk before we discussed our private investigation. It was already past midday. The sun was hiding behind a huge mass of clouds above the sky, so we were able to sit around the broken fountain together and read the last diary. Octavia had found a few important entries in the book. And the rest of the story was like this:February 18thOctavia is two years old now, growing strong and happy. I am so content to see her enjoying life like any children. At the same time, I'm utterly scared. I don't know how long it will take for them to discover us. We have been living in secret yet under safe cover of normalcy. The Royal Council will never stop hunting until they find us. All I want is a normal family wit

After the Biology period was over, I saw Cammie and Alyssa walking up the corridor. I tried to wave at them, but I felt too exhausted, they might have sensed something wrong with me, because both of my best friends hurried to my side."Viv, are you okay?" Cammie came to hold my hand. "You look pale.""Yeah, I'm fine," I said and pulled away. "I just—­" and before I could say anything else, my knees buckled. I would have fallen on the floor if Cammie hadn't caught me."Oh no, I don't think so.""Let's take her to our room," Alyssa suggested, and they grabbed me away before I could protest. They must have thought it better than to send me to the school clinic. They brought me to the mansion suite. Along the hallway, I tried no

In Biology this afternoon, Ms. Grace was walking back and forth, explaining another theory."A pearl is formed in an oyster when a foreign object, like a grain of sand, is stuck in its shell," she said. "The oyster is in great pain, but if the object doesn't kill her, nature covers the object with the oozing that forms into a pearl."Then she went on about the jellyfish, "If the environment provides the jellyfish no food, they would grow food inside themselves to feed on. They stay in the sunlight all day to photosynthesize. At night they go into deep water where there is a lot of nitrogen to fertilize. It is called 'adaptation'  everyone. We all have to adapt to any harsh conditions that life throws at us because it's our natural gift."I listened, thinking the

I found my way back to the hotel. But as I rushed toward the entrance of masquerade hall, I almost knocked someone over. My feet skipped to a stop."Whoa...!" Cammie yelped."Cammie!" I cried out."Viv!" She said, "Oh my gosh, it's you. I saw nothing but a shadow flying toward me, but where have you been?""No time to tell," I said. "We have to go.""What's wrong? Did you see Octavia?" Cammie asked."I will tell you everything," I said. "Now we gotta go."And when she saw the look on my face, she finally nodded. We hurried down the quiet hallway, but then I felt a strange chill cre