To escape the dangers of wartime London, Millie has been sent away to Wickford Hall, but what lurks there is far more sinister than anything war might bring.
---
THERE'S SOMETHING WICKED STALKING WICKFORD HALL...
As war rages on, Mildred Cunningham...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
It was as if all of Wickford had changed overnight. They were still surrounded by the same dreary weather, locked in the same dreary classrooms—but, to Millie, the place now felt entirely different now that she was no longer alone.
With Petra at her side, Millie felt she could survive this place, no matter how long she was trapped there. They were always together. They shared every meal, and every free moment, and sat together in every class. Though Millie had never been that religious, she was sure it had to have been a miracle that brought Petra to her.
In their Literature class, Sister Marion was once again at the helm. The school hadn't yet gotten a replacement teacher for Miss Thomas, so Sister Marion was still in charge, for now. Her voice rendered the girls glass-eyed as she droned on from yet another bible passage.
"Next page," Sister Marion announced to the students as she turned the page over, making a big show of it. The sounds of paper shifting filled the air as everyone followed suit, including Millie.
"Why do you bother?" Petra whispered, nodding at the open book on Millie's desk. Her own was still closed. "It's not like we're following along."
"Just in case Sister Marion comes by," Millie whispered back, shrugging.
Petra snickered. "Teacher's pet tendencies are hard to break, huh?"
"You'd be smart to do the same," Millie muttered. "I wasn't lying about Sister Marion's bad side."
"Alright, alright, I'll play along." Petra said, flopping her book open. "What page are we on, anyway?"
She reached and tugged Millie's bible closer to see. The book shifted, revealing a sliver of paper underneath. Petra saw it and shifted the book more.
"What's that?" Petra asked, perking up. "A letter?"
It was, but Millie pulled the bible back to cover it up. "It's nothing."
"Who's it from?" Petra's ever-present smile turned impish. "An admirer?"
"Hardly," Millie said, but her cheeks reddened at the mere thought.
That was enough to push Petra over the edge. Quick as a whip, she snatched the letter out from under the bible. Millie tried to grab it back, but Petra was too quick, holding it out of her reach. It was a small blessing that Sister Marion didn't notice their scuffling.
Still holding it away, Petra inspected the front, her pale brows scaling her freckled forehead.
"It's from St Thomas. Like the hospital? Ooh, is he a doctor?"
She turned it over to open it, but it was still sealed.
Finally, Millie managed to reach over and snatch the letter back.
"It's from my sister," Millie huffed, settling back into her seat. "She's staying there, in the dorms. She's training to be a nurse."
"A nurse?" Petra said with awe. "I can't imagine doing something like that. I'm sure I'd faint on the first day. She must have nerves of steel."
