CHAPTER 4.
    
    Miss Whitlaw peered at me through her funky spectacles. “Spencer, dear, are you awake?”
    I blinked and yawned, taking in the scene. I was laying in my bed, Honor, Angel, Alex, Courtney, Tammi, Julia, and Kerri in the room. The sun shone dimly through the window, lighting the room dully. Opal wasn’t there.
    Angel and Tammi caught my eye, and quickly came over to sit on the edge of my bed.
    “Wow Spencer, what was it like?” asked Angel breathlessly. She was leaning forward intently, looking dead into my eyes with her own, hair tightly pulled in a bun.
    I was speechless. I really didn’t want to talk about it, even though Tammi and Angel’s faces were eager and waiting.
    “Angel, Tammi, maybe Spencer needs some rest. A break from everything. It’s been... shocking.” Miss Whitlaw appeared behind Angel, and the two girls nodded solemnly as they gave me a little wave each and stepped away.
    I looked up at Miss Whitlaw. “What happened, ma’am?”
    She gravely looked out the window at the brown scenery. “Spence, it’s complicated.” sitting quietly in the chair next to my bed, she finally looked my way. Sighing deeply, she began.
    “After that... man was held down by the chef who came to our aid, we had the police on the way. You were passed out, and right before you fell, well, he threw the last knife he had.” swallowing, she blinked her eyes repeatedly and bit her lower lip. “You were safe. We took the man to jail and he is being identified as we speak. When... when we came in it was too late. For her.” she swiped a finger under her eye.
    “Miss Whitlaw, what about Opal?” I dared to ask, breath held in my throat waiting for the reply.
    She shook her head, and soberly looked out the window again. “The knife... it-” she cut herself off with a sob. “It struck her in the chest, Spencer. I’m so sorry.”
    Everything froze. The girls quietly chatting in the back of the room, Miss Whitlaw with her head in her hands, the grim aura in the room, the broken closet door. My heart was a loud drum, the rhythmic thudding echoing through the room. I felt sick and dizzy, the world rotating around in circles.
    Don’t pass out, hold on Spence... I thought furiously, eyes squeezed tight shut. Hold on...
    “Spencer?” the voice was distant and fuzzy. “Spencer, are you okay?” Miss Whitlaw’s face came into view, distressed and concerned.
    “Sorry,” I mumbled, sinking into my pillows. I still couldn’t believe it. Opal... gone?
    “Honey, it’s not your fault,” soothed the headmistress. “It’s okay, get some rest now.” she stood shakily. “Girls, time to go,” she whispered, and Miss Whitlaw followed the girls noiselessly out of the room, door shut behind them.