fingers.
I woke to the sound of tapping at the window. It was no mouse in the wall. Flesh prickling, I groped for a match and lit my lamp, cringing as the glass chimney clattered noisily against the base. I stepped quietly to the window and pulled back the curtain. Had the tapping come from outside, or did it originate in the room?
It was impossible to tell, for all I heard was the wind and drumming of rain. I set the lamp down and pulled the bottom window panel upward, gasping as the rain gusted inward and splashed my arms. The night sky was a damp, velvety darkness. I couldn’t see a thing, but nevertheless, I sensed something. Movement? A rustling? Perhaps a bird had flapped outside the window, tapping with its spiny feet or beak. I felt around for a nest.
At that moment, the sash cord snapped and the window panel came slicing down like a guillotine blade. I jerked my hand back so fast that I slipped on a damp spot and tumbled backward onto my rump. The lamp crashed to the floor next to me, the flame flickering as the oil reserves seeped into the chimney. Quickly, I tipped it upright and blew out the flame. Then I cowered in the darkness, holding my nearly crushed fingers to my mouth and listening to the wild pounding of my heart. Wrapping my arms around my body, I hunched over and waited for the ceiling to crash, the floor to open beneath me … or something worse.
But nothing happened. The walls and floorboards held steady. No spectral presence oozed its way through the window glass. No one even bothered to pound on my door to ask what the noise was all about. I took several deep breaths until the thumping in my heart eased.
I had just stood on quivering legs when I heard the scream.
It was followed by a tremendous series of thumps from somewhere nearby. The staircase? My head jerked to the door at the sound of voices raised in excitement and clattering footsteps in the corridor. Feeling faint, I wrapped a shawl around my shoulders and peeked outside.
Girls were coming out of rooms in their nightgowns, holding lamps, their long hair hanging loose or in braids. Most had eyes wide with fear and confusion, though some looked eager for an adventure. I barked at them to return to their rooms, but they chose not to heed me. Apparently, my limited authority dissolved completely after midnight. There seemed nothing to do but follow them to the central staircase, where other girls looked over the railing to the floor below. I thrust myself between two of them and peered down.
It was quite a spectacle, made more gruesome by the flickering light of student lamps. A girl lay sprawled on the landing of the staircase, sobbing loudly. The girls near her seemed frozen by shock, and no one knelt to help. I’d just worked up the courage to go down to her, as a teacher should, when Miss Crenshaw swept past me and thumped down the stairs to kneel by the girl. In the light of her lamp, I could see Fannie Bell’s face contorted in pain.
The principal touched the girl’s cheek and then raised her lamp. “All students must return to their rooms immediately. ” She looked up the stairs until her eyes found me. “Miss McClure, come here.”
I stumbled down the steps toward her, brushing past students who’d finally been stirred to action by the principal’s stern voice. “Miss Crenshaw, I tried to get the students back to their rooms, but they paid me no mind.”
She sighed in exasperation. “Your youthful demeanor is a detriment, to be sure. Miss Adair and the others will get them sorted in a moment. I need you for another task. Nurse Gott is in town tonight and must be fetched to stay the night with Miss Bell.” She peered at Fannie. “I suppose we must also wake Dr. Stewart in case she’s suffered a broken bone.”
In the light of the lamp, I saw Fannie’s eyes flutter open.
“Oh, please!” she gasped. “I need the doctor.”
I clutched at my shawl. “You want me to fetch them? I don’t know where they
I woke to the sound of tapping at the window. It was no mouse in the wall. Flesh prickling, I groped for a match and lit my lamp, cringing as the glass chimney clattered noisily against the base. I stepped quietly to the window and pulled back the curtain. Had the tapping come from outside, or did it originate in the room?
It was impossible to tell, for all I heard was the wind and drumming of rain. I set the lamp down and pulled the bottom window panel upward, gasping as the rain gusted inward and splashed my arms. The night sky was a damp, velvety darkness. I couldn’t see a thing, but nevertheless, I sensed something. Movement? A rustling? Perhaps a bird had flapped outside the window, tapping with its spiny feet or beak. I felt around for a nest.
At that moment, the sash cord snapped and the window panel came slicing down like a guillotine blade. I jerked my hand back so fast that I slipped on a damp spot and tumbled backward onto my rump. The lamp crashed to the floor next to me, the flame flickering as the oil reserves seeped into the chimney. Quickly, I tipped it upright and blew out the flame. Then I cowered in the darkness, holding my nearly crushed fingers to my mouth and listening to the wild pounding of my heart. Wrapping my arms around my body, I hunched over and waited for the ceiling to crash, the floor to open beneath me … or something worse.
But nothing happened. The walls and floorboards held steady. No spectral presence oozed its way through the window glass. No one even bothered to pound on my door to ask what the noise was all about. I took several deep breaths until the thumping in my heart eased.
I had just stood on quivering legs when I heard the scream.
It was followed by a tremendous series of thumps from somewhere nearby. The staircase? My head jerked to the door at the sound of voices raised in excitement and clattering footsteps in the corridor. Feeling faint, I wrapped a shawl around my shoulders and peeked outside.
Girls were coming out of rooms in their nightgowns, holding lamps, their long hair hanging loose or in braids. Most had eyes wide with fear and confusion, though some looked eager for an adventure. I barked at them to return to their rooms, but they chose not to heed me. Apparently, my limited authority dissolved completely after midnight. There seemed nothing to do but follow them to the central staircase, where other girls looked over the railing to the floor below. I thrust myself between two of them and peered down.
It was quite a spectacle, made more gruesome by the flickering light of student lamps. A girl lay sprawled on the landing of the staircase, sobbing loudly. The girls near her seemed frozen by shock, and no one knelt to help. I’d just worked up the courage to go down to her, as a teacher should, when Miss Crenshaw swept past me and thumped down the stairs to kneel by the girl. In the light of her lamp, I could see Fannie Bell’s face contorted in pain.
The principal touched the girl’s cheek and then raised her lamp. “All students must return to their rooms immediately. ” She looked up the stairs until her eyes found me. “Miss McClure, come here.”
I stumbled down the steps toward her, brushing past students who’d finally been stirred to action by the principal’s stern voice. “Miss Crenshaw, I tried to get the students back to their rooms, but they paid me no mind.”
She sighed in exasperation. “Your youthful demeanor is a detriment, to be sure. Miss Adair and the others will get them sorted in a moment. I need you for another task. Nurse Gott is in town tonight and must be fetched to stay the night with Miss Bell.” She peered at Fannie. “I suppose we must also wake Dr. Stewart in case she’s suffered a broken bone.”
In the light of the lamp, I saw Fannie’s eyes flutter open.
“Oh, please!” she gasped. “I need the doctor.”
I clutched at my shawl. “You want me to fetch them? I don’t know where they
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