The Fire Witness

6

Nina can hardly breathe as she looks into Caroline’s eyes. She needs to make her understand, and she’s surprised when she realizes that she’s screaming at the top of her lungs.

“Shut up!” Caroline hisses as she gets out of bed. “Calm down!”

Nina’s screams have woken the other girls. Alarmed voices ring out from the other rooms.

“Come and see for yourself,” Nina says, and she begins to scratch her arms. “Miranda looks weird. You’ve got to take a look at her! You’ve got to!”

“Can you please cool it? I’ll look, but I’m sure-”

Another scream erupts in the hallway. Caroline scrambles out of her bedroom. Tuula is staring into the isolation room and her eyes are as wide as saucers.

Indie walks out of her room, too, scratching her armpit.

Caroline pulls Tuula away and catches sight of the blood on the walls and Miranda’s pale body. She blocks Indie, thinking that no one should have to see another suicide.

“There’s been an accident,” she explains quickly. “Can you ask everyone to go to the dining room, Indie?”

“What’s wrong with Miranda?” Indie asks.

“We have to wake up Elisabet.”

Lu Chu and Almira come out of their double room. Lu Chu is wearing only pajama bottoms and Almira is wrapped in a blanket.

“Go to the dining room,” Indie orders.

“Don’t I have time to wash my face first?” Lu Chu pouts.

“Take Tuula with you.”

“What the fuck is going on?” asks Almira.

“We don’t know,” Caroline says.

While Indie tries to gather everyone in the dining room, Caroline rushes to the staff room. She knows that Elisabet takes sleeping pills and never hears when the girls get up and wander around at night. Caroline bangs on the door as loud as she can.

“Elisabet, you have to wake up!” she yells.

Nothing happens.

Caroline hurries past the registration room and over to the nurse’s office. The door is open and she runs to the telephone and calls Daniel.

There’s static on the line.

Indie and Nina press in at the office door. Nina is shaking and her lips are white.

“Go wait in the dining room!” Caroline snaps.

“But the blood! Did you see all that blood?” Nina says and scratches her arm furiously.

“Daniel Grim,” a sleepy voice says on the other end of the line.

“It’s me, Caroline. There’s been an accident and I can’t wake Elisabet. I called you because I don’t know what else to do.”

“There’s blood all over my feet!” screams Nina. “I have blood all over my feet!”

“Calm down!” Indie shouts at her as she tries to pull Nina out of the office.

“What’s going on?” Daniel asks. His voice is sharper now and in control.

“Miranda’s in the cell, but it’s all full of blood,” Caroline says. She swallows. “I don’t know what we should-”

“Is she seriously hurt?” asks Daniel.

“Yes, I think so… or I-”

“Caroline,” Daniel says. “I’m going to call for an ambulance. And then-”

“What should I do? What should I-”

“Go wake Elisabet.”