Chapter Five: The Missing Link (Tori and Nicola)

Calipso had just finished unpacking her things into her cubicle when they heard the nine o’clock gong echoing down the passage.
“Lights out!” yelled Josephine as she stomped down the passage, flicking every switch along the way.
The nice thing about being in the dorm under the stairs was that, because it was slightly hidden from view, the prefects often forgot to check on the girls. As long as the lights were off and they weren’t too noisy, no one would bother them.
“Quick, turn off the lights!” whispered Jade, “and then we can play cards by torch light.”
“I don’t want to get into trouble, let’s just go bed. And I’m really tired anyway,” yawned Annie, always reluctant to break any house rules, no matter how small or petty.
So, with the light from Jade’s high-powered torch, they all brushed their teeth at the basin in the corner of the dorm then and climbed into their beds. Once their weary little heads hit their pillows, it didn’t take long before they were all fast asleep.
***

Seconds before hearing the rising bell, Roxanne woke up with a fright, thinking she had overslept.
“Chelsea, Charlotte, Jade, wake up,” she whispered. “I have to tell you what I dreamt about.”
“We’re awake,” replied Charlotte, rubbing her eyes.
A moment later, Calipso jumped out of bed, grabbed her toiletries and hurried to the bathroom. She had been warned about the shower rush hour in the mornings and didn’t want to have to wait long. Annie stretched and yawned loudly, and then went to sit on Roxanne’s bed.
“So, anymore strange dreams last night?” she asked curiously, hoping the others might be able to shed some light and give some meaning to her strange dream.
“Yes!” they all gasped.
Roxanne sat up and spoke first. “All I can remember dreaming about was the caretaker, Benjamin, and he was mopping the floor.”
Annie’s eyes widened. “I also dreamt about Benjamin. He was mopping the hall floor but he had forgotten to take the ‘Caution: Wet Floor’ sign with him. So he returned to the cleaning shed to fetch the bright yellow sign.”
“There was no Benjamin in my dream. I just remember seeing Mrs Sheraton climbing the stairs in the hall,” added Charlotte skeptically.
“I dreamt that Mrs Sheraton fell down a flight of stairs!” gasped Chelsea.
“What about you Jade? Jade, are you asleep? Get up!” yelled Roxanne as she stretched across and pulled Jade’s pink polka dot duvet off her lazy friend.
“Nooo, I’m so tired, just a few more minutes,” she whined.
“No, get up!” said Charlotte in a bossy tone. “We have a not-so-dreamy situation here that we need to discuss.”
“Fine, if it really helps. I did have a dream, it was about people crowding around something, or someone,” grumbled Jade.
“That someone must be Mrs Sheraton…on the floor…after slipping down the stairs…in the hall…because Benjamin didn’t put up the warning sign,” said Roxanne, putting the pieces together.
“But when is it going to happen? Today, tomorrow, next week? Considering what happened with Mary, and the surprise English test, it’s bound to happen soon. But when?” wondered Charlotte.
“Shush guys, someone’s coming. No one must know anything about what’s going on here,” said Jade in a firm voice.
“Good morning everyone!” Calipso had just walked back into the dorm, looking clean and fresh and smelling like cinnamon and spices. Annie stood up and opened the shutters. “Come on girls, time to get dressed and ready. It’s a beautiful day.”
They all rushed up to breakfast and ate a hearty meal of scrambled eggs and baked beans. They then made their way to the hall for assembly which they knew would be long and boring. Mrs Sheraton would surely be introducing the new teachers and all the new girls and formally welcoming them to Fernwood High School. They were headed for the back of the hall when Annie stopped.
“Where’s Calipso?” she asked.
The others shrugged their shoulders and presumed she must have gone back to the hostel for some reason or other.
The hall was soon filled with the whole school and the prefects were patrolling up and down trying to settle everyone. The Fab Five were sitting in the back row. When they looked up they were surprised to see Calipso sitting right in the front, next to the stairs, all by herself. She was scratching her head and looking around nervously. What was she doing there?