Chapter 2

"I'm Blaise, prefect of the Blue house. The boy with glasses over there is Izzy, he's in the Red one and Hamilton on my right. Maxime is with the headmaster but he should arrive soon," Explained a tall and chubby boy. 

"Have some water." Offered kindly Izzy handing over me a glass which I took almost instantly. 

I was about to drink some, my throat as dry as a desert as I hadn't drunk all day but I smelled something strange inside the glass, like some medicine or something… Careful and unsure of what it was, I put it on the wooden  table I was sitting on after pretending drinking some while actually, I was pouring it down my shirt so no one would be suspicious of anything. After all, I couldn't trust these prefects as it was my first day here… 

"Can you tell us what you saw ? It would be useful if the police start asking questions and you don't want to answer."  Told me Blaise, smiling sweetly. 

Even if I wasn't feeling really secured around them, they stayed prefects and I should be able to tell them anything. I really wanted to help but everything I saw wasn't useful… All I remember was being in the garden and discovering the dead body of a student in the school. Just after I called for anyone to come, these prefects took me with them in the empty canteen as all the students rushed to see what was happening, leaving there half eaten plate behind them. 

" Who was the boy ?" I questioned, curious.

 It was dark and I couldn't see properly and even if I could, I wouldn't have been able to find his name. After all, it was my first, very first day at this school. I shuddered at that thought. How come wherever I went, troubles would follow me ? Obviously, nothing as sad and horrifying ever happened in my life but I couldn't explain that fact. 

"Archie Devenson." An unfamiliar voice said at the far end of the room. 

I looked up, surprised because almost every prefects were around me, and saw a boy who could have very well been misplaced as a teacher with his height and mature face. Oddly, he was the one I was the least at ease with. Not that any of them made me feel good tho… 

"What did Whitcraft said ?" Inquire Izzy, curious at how his face went up.

" Nothing interesting apart from the fact that he said it was maybe an accident." Answered Maxime Max, if I remembered well, with an even voice. Almost like if he didn't care about the death of my roommate. 

I suddenly realised that the boy who was in the crimson snow earlier was the one I was looking for since I arrived, Archie, my roommate.

And now, I will never manage to find out who he was, what he was like or if we ever could have been close… But did that also meant that another stranger will come and take the vacant place ? What if I, by coming here, filled the empty bed of a dead student ?

"Are you okay Ethan ? You look pale, you should maybe rest in your bed." Said Blaise in a caring voice, even though I manage to see the way he looked at the half empty glass of water. He was clearly checking if I finished drinking it. 

"I think I will go, thank you." I said with an unusual shaking voice. 

I declined their offer to help me walk and I arrived safe but exhausted at my room. I didn't even have time to lit on the lights or take of my uniform that I fell face forward in the bed.

The bed of another maybe dead student… 

But as time passed, I notice that I wasn't going to sleep of the night. The strange way the prefects were acting towards me and worse, the body I discovered in the snow… All these thoughts were plaguing my mind and I could do nothing to stop them.

There were many things strange in this school and I've just realised that, even if it was my first day. The obvious death of today evening and the potential death of my predecessor… People who were meant to take care of us and make sure everything was alright almost forcing me to drink some weird water... 

But as I was going on with all these disturbing thoughts, a small creaking noise could be heard and I almost instantly knew someone came inside my room. I could easily recognise the noise as my little sister would often sneak in so she could sleep with me but that didn't managed to calm me down. 

Maybe it was some kind of murdered. Maybe the accident wasn't one but a real murder case. Maybe I was his next target because I was the first one to discover the body ! 

"Are you sure he's sleeping ?" Izzy timide and low voice was heard as the floor creaking was heardjust next to me. 

Even if knowing that it wasn't some kind of mad murdered, the fact that maybe the four prefect came in this room during the night wasn't something very reassuring. It was actually kind of scary and I understood the true importance of a lock in a room. At least, if someone tried to barge into the room by kicking it, the noise would have awoken everyone. But there, no lock and an almost silent door…

" He drank all of the water so the drug should work. Anyway, we have no time. Imagine if he wakes up now !" Urged a voice I remembered for being the less reassuring of the world. One that threw shivers all around my back and gave me the temptation to puke, even if I knew as I was pretending to sleep. 

The voice of Maxime Max.

After ten minutes of listening to them rumbling and mumbling and cursing for finally finding nothing, which was quite funny to whiteness, they finally gave up searching for whatever they were looking for. 

" Archie's room is as new as the newbie ! The only thing we found was a photo I took of him and Sebastian. He's so boring like hell !" Bursted out a voice as being Blaise. Who could know he could be so loud ?

I noted in my mind that one of the boys on the picture was Sebastian before going on listening. 

"It's almost morning, let's go." Ordered Maxime and all of them left the room exactly like it was before, leaving me alone, my heart pounding and my respiration being uneven.

I was afraid of this school and what it could be hiding and I only thought about leaving this wicked place. 

After all, what kind of school had one, maybe more, dead students and prefects we couldn't trust because they drugged you ? 

I didn't want to stay a day longer but I couldn't leave either as my parents were long gone. I was trapped inside this school and this feeling didn't put me at ease at all. 

I felt like in a mouse and a cat game.