Copyright© 2010 Sarah Hathorn
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form, or by any means without prior permission in writing from the publisher or author.
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real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Cover and book design by Kevin O’Sullivan -­ www.aux1.ie
www.alexandrasmission.com
I dedicate this book to my mother,
who has helped and encouraged me so much.
She’s seen my book evolve from the start.
Thank you so much, Mom!
I love you.
Acknowledgements
So many people have inspired and helped me along this wonderful journey. First and foremost my family—my Mom, Susan Maybud, for being an amazing editor and listening to my ideas;; my Dad, Michael Hathorn, for supporting me throughout the process and for ensuring the book went to print;; my cousin, Seema Maybud, for showing me how to stay motivated during writer’s block;; my uncle and aunt, Roy and Christine Maybud, for watching over me from kiddy-­hood and who will recognize themselves in this book;; my khaleh, Anita Mehra, and her whole clan for all the crazy and stimulating adventures;; Aunt Meredith Hathorn, for her constant encouragement from afar;; my grandmother and grandfather, Millie and Frank Hathorn, for their belief in my writing abilities;; and JB Kassarjian for imparting his wisdom and teaching me strategy. My friends who have been very supportive and put up with my never ending compulsion to write—Anna-­Giulia Buscaglia, for her outstanding editing and realistic feedback;; Gabrielle Ward, for being there when I need to bounce ideas around with someone, and for the help she provided in my cover designing stage;; Lewis Picard, who has believed in my book from the day we met, and has had the courage to read it twice during different periods of development;; Brinda Lakshmi, for her constructive comments;; Karolin Nubler for her ongoing support in the Creative Writing Club, and Sarah Sutherland for being a good listener during the gestation period. Students rarely get a chance to publicly acknowledge the positive impact of teachers—from Ecole Brechbühl, Brigitte Reymond and 6LREKDQ /RZHWW IRU HQFRXUDJLQJ PH ZKHQ , ZURWH P\ ¿UVW VWRULHV DQG
poems in elementary school;; from Ecolint Nations, Mrs. Cathan, for her critical reading of some passages;; Mr. Camp, for teaching me the meaning of depth in literature;; Mr. Shirley, for being so fun and enthusiastic about all forms of artistic expression, but especially for encouraging me with my writing;; Mr. DeWilde, for actually reading the raw manuscript in its later stages and giving me helpful feedback;; Esther Nuño de la Rosa, for her conviction and dedication to her students and to her faith in and support of my efforts. I was also lucky enough to have three special reviewers—Shahnaz Radjy, for not letting me waver in my determination;; Kate Stevens for the ¿UVWREMHFWLYHUHDGDQG6R¿D0DUHTXHIRUEHLQJP\¿UVWDJHDSSURSULDWH
reviewer and for her thoughtful feedback. The learning process of actually getting the book to print was amazing, and of course went far beyond the experience of writing. With my Dad in the lead, we worked with two people who made it their mission to make Alexandra’s Mission a reality: editor Chris O’Byrne and graphic designer Kevin O’Sullivan. A big sincere thank you to everyone!
Contents
Prologue: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 The Beginning Today is the day! The Newspaper Settling In Let the games begin! The Meaning Behind the Key Dangerous descent A Foolish Act The Organization Growing up Joining the Organization Training Begins Pride, pain and potential Making Friends Roughing It James! Treachery The Interrogation In Trouble The Break Out The Finals Rebellion The Key to The Past Destination Unknown 13
21
30
38
48
67
78
84
94
103
109
115
124
134
148
158
167
173
177
184
194
203
213
Prologue: 7KH%HJLQQLQJ
Alexandra was bent over, her long hair dangling over her face, holding an ornate frame containing the last picture of her with her SDUHQWV,QWKHROGGLVFRORUHGSKRWRJUDSK$OH[DQGUDLVD¿YH\HDU
old girl. She’s grinning childishly and waving her arms at the camera. Crouched down on either side of her are her parents, laughing with amusement. It was taken on the eve of her parents’ disappearance. Alexandra’s eyes glazed over and she fell back into her thoughts. 7KH\EURXJKWKHUWRWKDWYHU\TXHHUQLJKWVWLOOYLYLGLQKHUPLQG
They had been very worried, but they just wouldn’t say what was bugging them. That night was very quiet. Mom and Dad told me that I’d be spending some time at Aunt Joan and Uncle Glen’s place because they had to go somewhere. They wouldn’t tell me where they were going, why they were going, or anything at all for that matter.
“Mom? Where are you going? Can I come?” Mom bent down and looked at me with her green loving eyes. “No sweetie, you have to stay here, darling.”
“Please!”
“No my love, you’ll stay with your aunt and uncle.”
“But…”
“Alexandra,” Mom said, half sternly. “That’s enough.”
“Okay,” I said reluctantly, turning my head away from her piercing gaze. “I love you. And I always will.” Mom said as she hugged me tightly.
“I know, Mom,” I said, used to hearing this. But then, unexpectedly, I felt something wet on my shoulder. I looked back and saw silent tears trickling down Mom’s cheeks. She pulled back and kissed me and then drew me towards her again.
“…Mom?”
Her eyes were bright with tears. I didn’t know what to say anymore. I didn’t know what was happening. Why was she crying? My voice felt as if it was stuck in my throat and would never come out. Dad came in and bent down next to Mom.
“Alex,” Dad said in a soft murmur. “You will stay with your aunt and uncle, please listen to them.” He rubbed his soft thumb against my cheek. Just like Mom, he wrapped his arms around me and held me long and then kissed me on the forehead. He said that he and Mom would always love me. He took a packet from behind his back and said it was a present for me.
I opened the little parcel and found a small silver feather. The lines were carved in a subtle manner that gave it an elegant beauty. The designer must have taken a lot of time and concentration to make it with such exquisite detail. There was the same distinct SDWWHUQRQWKHEDFNVLGH0\KHDUWÀLWWHGZLWKJOHHZKHQ,UHDOL]HG
it would be mine to treasure forever. I childishly forgot about my previous worries.
'DGSXWWKHIHDWKHURQD¿QHVLOYHUFKDLQDQGWLHGLWDURXQG
my neck.
“Alexandra, this is one of your most valuable and most important possessions, so whatever you do—do not lose it.”
“What’s poseshioen?”
“It means something that belongs to you.”
“Oh…” I said, puzzled but content. “Okay, Daddy! I’ll take really good care of it!”
I jumped up to give him a peck on the cheek and danced over to Mom and gave her a hug. Then Uncle Glen came in with his camera and said, “Picture time!”
I immediately started running all around, doing weird imitations of those top models I had seen on TV. Everyone laughed and seemed to be having fun watching me. For once, the worried looks on the faces around me disappeared, turning into pure laughter and enjoyment—not that I noticed at the time. Uncle Glen showed the pictures to all of us and then, after that delightful little slice of amusement, Mom and Dad had to leave. I hugged and kissed them and thanked them again for the gift. Little did I know at the time that they would not return.
I kept asking when they’d come back, but the answer was always unclear and the conversation would quickly turn towards other topics. Every single morning when I woke up, I hoped that they would be in the kitchen waiting for me with smiles on their faces and maybe a present from their trip.
Uncle Glen and Aunt Joan were very jumpy. And they would almost always be in the same room with me, as if afraid to leave me alone. It was extreme the week after my parents disappeared;; they wouldn’t let me do anything outdoors and would get angry and stressed for no clear reason. I didn’t understand anything and wished my parents had never left. But after a while, this craze died down and I resumed a normal life. Still, I always wondered what had happened to my parents.
Alexandra wiped away a stray tear. She could hardly remember their faces anymore, the only thing keeping the image alive were pictures of them, and there was no way she was going to lose that picture—ever. But for now she had to get some sleep, she had an important day tomorrow.
Chapter 1
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“Wake up, honey!” Aunt Joan called as she knocked on Alexandra’s white wooden door. When Alexandra heard her name, KHUH\HVOD]LO\ÀXWWHUHGRSHQ6KHZDVQRZDQGOLNHPRVWEXGGLQJ
teenagers she loved her sleep. She sat up and looked around her URRPDVWKRXJKWRFRQ¿UPWKDWVKHZDVQ¶WVWLOOVOHHSLQJ
The morning sun shining through the window lit up her room. Everything in her room had a splendid and vivid color to VXLW WKH DUULYDO RI D QHZ GD\ 6LQFH VKH KDG D ¿HOG WULS FRPLQJ
up, she didn’t have to clear her messy desk crowded with school materials. Her bookshelf was amazingly tidy with a fresh spark, and her wardrobe gleamed with delight in the heartwarming sunbeams. $OH[DQGUDEOLQNHGDFRXSOHRIWLPHVDQG¿QDOO\VWRRGXSVWUHWFKLQJ
and yawning on the way to her wardrobe. “I’m up, I’m up,” she murmured to herself and to the distant voice of her aunt.
Alexandra slipped on her favorite green tank top, which suited her hazel almond-­shaped eyes, and her favorite pair of blue jeans. Her silver feather, dangling and shining in the light, was hung as usual around her neck on a thin, indestructible silver chain. When she was ready, she ran down the rickety stairs and into the kitchen. Uncle Glen was in front of the kitchen table, sitting on a chair and TXLHWO\UHDGLQJWKHGDLO\QHZVSDSHU$XQW-RDQZDVQRZKHUHWREH
seen. Alexandra sat right in front of her uncle and added bread and jam to the breakfast plate in front of her. 13
Alexandra was an active 13-­year-­old girl who loved taking risks and was a complete daredevil. She was petite and in excellent shape, even starting to develop “abs” of which she was secretly proud. She had long, dark brown hair that framed her face. She loved sports and all kinds of activities, but knew how and when to settle down and grab a good book. She had loved writing stories ever since she learned how to write, and her imagination was unstoppable. Alexandra chewed her piece of toast with gusto and said, “I’m so excited! I can’t wait to be in nature and do all those super cool activities. I love community week! ” “I know. You’ve been talking about it all weekend and driving your aunt and me crazy! You’re really lucky your school organizes these kinds of activities. In our day we didn’t have these luxuries.” Uncle Glen gave a little chuckle and slurped his coffee.
“Well, it’s for a good cause. We’re getting to know each other by going off for one week together somewhere. It’s “community building”. Plus, the new kids get to know us on a more personal basis that way.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m not saying it’s bad, but you’ve barely started school. You started the 1st of September and what is it now—the 14th? I’m just saying you haven’t worked or done anything at all yet.”
“That’s the whole point, Uncle Glen. That way before we actually start studying we’re on good terms with everyone.” Alexandra loved her international school in Geneva, Switzerland and always bristled at the slightest hint of it being criticized. She was proud of its history and that it was founded around the same time as the League of Nations after World War I, the predecessor of the United Nations. There was the need for a 14
school that would educate students with a diversity of languages and cultures, a school that could prepare them for university education in their home countries. Today it had students of all nationalities and Alexandra especially enjoyed learning about the different backgrounds of her friends. She also liked the teaching methods and fortunately her guardians appreciated that too.
Alexandra realized this conversation would never end, so she decided to change subject.
“Why isn’t Aunt Joan eating breakfast with us?” she said. “Because she woke up very early and already ate,” Uncle Glen answered as though it was obvious. He then took another sip of his morning coffee. “So where is she?” “She’s probably packing your suitcase. After all, you’re JRLQJRQD¿HOGWULSWRGD\DQG\RXKDYHQ¶WHYHQSDFNHG´KHVDLG
SXWWLQJGRZQWKHSDSHUORRNLQJDWKLVQLHFHIRUWKH¿UVWWLPHZLWK
his black bushy eyebrows raised.
With that embarrassing remark, Alexandra blushed and VKRYHG GRZQ KHU IRRG DQG JXOSHG KHU MXLFH TXLFNO\ VR DV WR UXQ
away from her uncle’s insightful comments. She put away the dishes and went to the bottom of the old, dark wooden staircase.
“Aunt Joan! Where are you?” Alexandra hollered. “I’m upstairs!” “Where upstairs?” She was exasperated at the lack of precision in her aunt’s answer. “In your room.”
“Oh,” Alexandra mumbled before charging up the stairs. When Alexandra entered her room, she saw Aunt Joan on her knees, trying to close a big, fat used suitcase. It was nearly a comical image 15
seeing tall and skinny Aunt Joan next to such a heavy and bulky piece of material.
“Thanks for packing my suitcase.” Alexandra said, panting IURPKHUVSULQWXSWKHVWDLUV³'LG\RXSDFNP\ÀDVKOLJKW"´
“You’re welcome,” Aunt Joan said, pausing in her effort to close the suitcase. “And yes, young lady, I have packed your ÀDVKOLJKW´
“What else have you packed?” “I packed some underwear, some socks, two pairs of jeans, four warm-­ups, one skirt—even though you’ll never wear it, your nice shirt, a dress—which you’ll probably lend to Christina, three tank tops and two normal T-­shirts. Since it could get cold in the mountains, I packed you two long-­sleeved T-­shirts and some VZHDWHUV DV ZHOO DV D VZLPVXLW $QG , SDFNHG D ÀDVKOLJKW \RXU
camping bag, The Mystery of the Night, and a couple of snacks.” “Did you pack The Mystery of the Night?” “Haven’t you been listening to what I’ve been saying?”
“You lost me at ‘one skirt’. Sorry, it’s just that I had a feeling you were going to list every detail and I started daydreaming,” Alexandra said sheepishly, hoping her blunt answer wouldn’t be taken as rudeness. “Alex,” Aunt Joan reproached slightly. “Oh. You’re going horse riding, too. You should pack your horse riding pants.” “Yeah, okay.”
“And tell Helen that we’ll pay her for the lessons once we get back to Leysin, okay?” Aunt Joan reminded. “It’s so nice that your class will get to see where you go on so many of your weekends.” Alexandra remembered her friends’ upcoming birthdays. “Do you have any idea where the T-­shirts for the twins are?” They 16
were a bit younger than her, but they were full of energy and fun to hang out with. They also had a charming brother called Danilo who was an amazing tennis player.
“Yes, they’re downstairs and already wrapped. The blue one is for Antonella and the pink one for Francesca.” $OH[DQGUDZHQWWR/H\VLQTXLWHRIWHQ+HU$XQWDQG8QFOH
owned a cozy apartment there and they all loved spending time up in the mountains. Leysin was a very laid back, yet fun resort. There were events going on most of the time, and everyone there was very friendly. There were lots of sports available there, too: a soccer pitch, indoor basketball or volleyball courts, rock-­climbing, VZLPPLQJ SRROV WHQQLV FRXUWV VTXDVK FRXUWV KRUVHULGLQJ PLQL
golf, and many more. In winter there were the special sports such as ice-­skating and ice hockey, tobogganing, and of course skiing and snowboarding.
Alexandra couldn’t wait to show everyone her slice of heaven. She wanted to bring them to her favorite breakfast shop called La Farandole, introduce her school friends to her Leysin friends, and hopefully they would get a chance to stop by her favorite restaurant high up on the slopes called “Les Fers” and…
“Okay, I got the presents.” Alexandra said as she put them into her suitcase. “And I’ve put your pants in. So you can bring your suitcase down now.”
With a little muscle power, Alexandra struggled down the stairs with her heavy bag. She was completely sure that Uncle Glen was going to rush everyone out of the house, saying that it was good to arrive early at the station. But Alexandra actually suspected that his motive for getting there ahead of time was because he wanted to 17
check out the boys she hung out with. Just like Alexandra had predicted, Uncle Glen rushed everyone out of the house and into the car. Alexandra said goodbye to her house in Geneva and looked forward to taking the train to Leysin. “I’m still hungry. Can we stop at a gas station?” Alexandra moaned. “But you only ate breakfast an hour ago!” said Aunt Joan. “But, Aunt Joan!” “Don’t be such a Dudley,” Uncle Glen teased. Alexandra chuckled. When she was younger she wanted to become a wizard. She was absolutely convinced—after reading Harry Potter—that KHUSDUHQWVKDGEHHQNLGQDSSHGE\9ROGHPRUWDQGWKDWVKH¶G¿JKW
side by side with Harry Potter to destroy him. She waited for a very long time for a letter from Hogwarts, but that letter never came. 6KH¶GRIWHQLGHQWLI\KHUVHOIZLWK+DUU\3RWWHUDQGWU\DQG¿QGVRPH
proof that she was a sorceress, and even spent long hours driving her aunt and uncle mad at the zoo as she tried to talk to a snake. She’d also blame Uncle Glen and Aunt Joan of being like Vernon and Petunia Dursley when they disciplined her. But they’d either rebut with a Dudley insult or would ground her and take away a privilege for her sassiness. In reality, they were the total opposites of Harry’s aunt and uncle and they loved Alexandra dearly.
Once she got out of that Harry Potter phase, she was convinced she could become a detective or spy. She had a very curious mind and loved solving little mysteries. When she was younger, the big kids in her school would somehow mysteriously ³ORVH´VRPHWKLQJDQGDVN$OH[DQGUDWR¿QGLW$IWHUDZKLOHVKHKDG
such a reputation that fellow students would often ask for her help to 18
solve their “mysteries”. Interestingly, the number of stolen items in her year group dropped. She decided that becoming a spy was much more thrilling and compelling than becoming a detective. She could LPDJLQHKHUVHOI¿JKWLQJRIIEDGJX\VDQGRQHGD\¿QGLQJRXWWKDW
her parents were waiting for her at some secret temple. Although older now, she still fantasized about espionage sometimes. $OH[DQGUDWKRXJKWLWEHVWWRVWD\TXLHWDQGTXLWZKLOHVKHZDV
ahead. She didn’t want to get in trouble for arguing. And she didn’t want to get Uncle Glen into “grizzly mode” as she called it. He was as large as a polar bear and loved the cold. Although he had a very good sense of humor, you wouldn’t want to push your luck with him. He could switch from a cute cuddly teddy bear into a snarly grizzly bear if you didn’t watch what you said. Alexandra always recognized her mother’s threatening growl in his voice, Alexandra assumed her mom had learnt it from him since he was the eldest.
$QG DIWHU HQGXULQJ DERXW ¿IWHHQ PLQXWHV RI KXQJHU
Alexandra arrived at the train station and bought a delicious pastry. :KHQVKHKDG¿QLVKHGHDWLQJVKHVWDUWHGORRNLQJIRUKHUIULHQGVDQG
spotted all of them sitting on the dirty grey stairs next to Mrs. Green, who was in a deep conversation with what looked like a worried mother. Alexandra struggled through the crowd and managed to DYRLGDÀ\LQJKRWGRJIURPVRPHRQHZKRKDGWULSSHGFRPLQJRXWRI
one of the many fast food restaurants. :KHQVKH¿QDOO\PDQDJHGWREHZLWKLQHDUVKRWRIKHUIULHQGV
Alexandra called out, “Pierre! Christina! Joe! How are you?” She sat down on the staircase as well. “Ugh, my mom is freaking out.” Joe said, folding his arms RYHU KLV FKHVW ³, PHDQ LW¶V RQO\ D ¿HOG WULS 6KHHVK ,W¶V QRW OLNH
we’re going for a whole year and are going to live in China.”
19
Joe was the kind of person who got excited about very little and loved being in constant motion. “Me, my mother did the exact zame thing, she really freked out!” Pierre said with his cute French accent. Pierre was a very civilized thirteen year old who didn’t talk much. He was one of the brightest kids in their class and was very formal. “My mom didn’t go crazy because I packed before she even had time to get on my case,” Christina said casually, and for effect she looked at her nails, blew on them and rubbed them on her shirt. Christina was a bit more down to earth than her friends, but had a nasty habit of teasing people and loved correcting and pointing out Alexandra’s mistakes, which naturally annoyed Alexandra a lot. She was tall for her age with wavy blond hair and soft blue eyes. $ERXW ¿YH PLQXWHV ODWHU 8QFOH *OHQ ZDONHG XS ZDQWLQJ
WRDVNWKHER\VDFRXSOHRITXHVWLRQVDQGGUDJJHGWKHPRIILQWRD
corner. Were they good students? What did they think about people who smoke? On and on, just like a dad would if his only daughter were dating one of them. The only problem was, Alexandra wasn’t dating Joe or Pierre;; they were just friends. But Uncle Glen didn’t care. He would twirl his black mustache to look like an actor and say it was just a precaution he liked to take.
20
Chapter 2
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Alexandra said goodbye to her Aunt and Uncle. They reminded her of how she needed to be polite and stay safe and then they were off. After they left, everyone mercifully stopped teasing Alexandra about her paranoid uncle. Instead, Joe went back to his constant argument with Pierre—haircuts. Pierre liked having his brown hair long, neatly trimmed, and combed behind his ears. He SUHIHUUHGNHHSLQJDORZSUR¿OHDQGORYHGWRUHDGERRNVDERXW)UHQFK
history and geography. Although he had broad shoulders and a very good build he was clumsy and hated sports and physical activities. On the other hand, Joe who was skinny and of a medium height was very athletic. He had short black hair and considered long hair girly, and that Pierre should man up and cut it. “You have your tazte and I have mine, I like my hair this way.” Pierre would repeat diplomatically to Joe.
“But, Pierre! Look, it’s impractical. When you want to do VSRUWVLW¶OODOZD\VÀDSLQ\RXUH\HVDQG\RX¶OOORVHSRLQWV&¶PRQ
man-­up!”
“I don’t do sportz! You know that! And plus, I like my style, LWLVHOHJDQW,¶P¿QHZLWK\RXUEDVNHWEDOOVKRUW]DQGIDVKLRQEXW,
will stick to mine, merci.”
“Here they go again,” Christina rolled her eyes at them. “Well what do you expect? They haven’t had this argument in a long time. Surely you didn’t think it was the end of the haircut discussion?” Alexandra pointed out with a grin. 21
“Yeah, well. Do you think they’re even listening to us complain about them?”
Both girls look at the two boys. Joe was already getting into KLV ¿JKWLQJ PRRG DQG ZKHQ KH JRW H[FLWHG DERXW VRPHWKLQJ KH
didn’t give it a rest. He was jumping up and down and moving his arms as he talked in an indignant tone. Pierre was in the same place he was originally, his hands behind his back, looking at Joe with an air of annoyance in his eyes. “No, I don’t think they noticed,” Christina said.
“Hmm. So what should we do to break it up this time?” Alexandra asked thinking of different strategies. She loved making tactical plans. “How about I just go up to them and tell them how stupid they are,” Christina stated. She was already off before Alexandra FRXOGUHSO\6KH¶GÀLFNHGKHUEORQGKDLU²DOZD\VDVLJQRIGDQJHU²
and marched up to them explaining how ridiculous it was that they couldn’t just live and let live. Alexandra joined and watched, she had learned from experience to let Christina talk in these situations. “You get it, Joe? We are tired of this stupid senseless argument.” She towered over him. He took a step back. “Well, Chris, I’m not sure you have the right to tell me off. You’re one year younger than us, so your experience isn’t up to date.” Christina looked at him with a look that said “Really? That’s your pathetic argument? C’mon.” ³$OH[LVWZRPRQWKVROGHUWKDQ\RXDQGVKH¿QGVLWDQQR\LQJ´
Christina smirked at Joe.
“Why are you talking for Alexandra? Alexandra can talk for herself,” Joe replied. 22
“Okay. This is absolutely ridiculous. Joe please, just please, EH TXLHW &KULVWLQD WKH\¶OO QHYHU JHW \RXU SRLQW$QG 3LHUUH QH[W
time just ignore Joe.” Alexandra said hoping to end the conversation. For a while she thought it worked, but then Christina and Joe went at it again. Pierre looked at them probably wishing he had a bag of popcorn handy to watch the show. Alexandra was bored of the argument, so she decided to take a walk. “Hey guys, I’m going to the bathroom, I’ll see you in a bit.” She went off in the general direction of the bathrooms, remembering with a smile Aunt Joan’s constant reminders to visit the bathroom before any trip, however short. When Alexandra returned, she saw that everyone was heading to the platform and she tried to catch up with the last students. She searched the crowd for her friends and saw them sitting on a bench huddled behind a newspaper. Christina glanced up a couple of times looking worried. When most of the crowd boarded the train, Alexandra was in clear view of her friends. When Christina saw Alexandra approaching, she discretely tore a page from the newspaper and stuffed it in her pocket. As Alexandra approached the group, she heard a teacher say,
“C’mon guys, let’s hurry before the train leaves.”
The last minute boarding was pretty chaotic and Alexandra ORVW WUDFN RI KHU IULHQGV 6KH ¿QDOO\ IRXQG WKHP LQ WKH ODVW
compartment and was pleased to see they had saved her a seat. Alexandra sat down and made herself comfortable before asking the JQDZLQJTXHVWLRQ
“Why did you put a page from the newspaper in your pocket, Christina?” She looked at Christina, who blushed a bit, but didn’t DQVZHU$OH[DQGUDZDLWHGDQGWKHQUHSHDWHGKHUTXHVWLRQ
23
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Everyone was silent. Only the noise of the train was heard. $OH[DQGUD WDSSHG KHU VHDW¶V DUPUHVW ZLWK KHU ¿QJHU DQG VWDUHG DW
Christina who avoided her gaze by looking out the window.
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but continued glaring. Just as she was getting angry and about to ask Christina again what was going on, Pierre decided it was a good idea to change the conversation. Boy, was he wrong!
“So Alex, what have you been doing this weekend?” Pierre said, trying hard to relieve the tension. And with a great effort Alexandra peeled her eyes away from Christina and faced Pierre instead. “Nothing really special happened at home. Well maybe that I left the packing for the last minute, but except for that nothing really special,” Alexandra answered curtly and then snapped her head back to Christina. Joe then tried to initiate an argument with Alexandra to keep her from her constant glaring.
“Alex, just cuz you’re angry, don’t take it out on me!” Joe warned. “Well, aren’t you curious about what Christina’s hiding?” Alexandra replied. “I’m not hiding anything,” Christina said. “I just don’t like EHLQJTXHVWLRQHGLQWKDWWRQH´
“What tone?” said Alexandra. “Look. This isn’t going anywhere! Let’z just chill.” Pierre said, hoping to calm things down. “No, I’m not going to drop this,” Alexandra stated and shifted her attention to Christina. “When you saw me coming, you tore a page out of the newspaper and put it in your pocket. Then 24
ZKHQ,DVN\RXDERXWLW\RXVWD\TXLHWDQGWU\WRFKDQJHWKHVXEMHFW
You are one of my best friends, and normally friends share things with each other. And for goodness sakes, since when do you read newspapers? We’re teenagers!”
“I like reading newzpapers,” Pierre said. “Well, Alex, maybe it’s something that you shouldn’t see because it’s really going to upset you, but I do promise that when you need to know what is on that page, I will show it to you. I SURPLVH´&KULVWLQDVDLGPDUNLQJDFURVVZLWKKHU¿QJHUZKHUHKHU
heart was. Alexandra didn’t buy it.
“Chris, come on! Please tell me, what’s the big deal?” Why is it that she needs to be all mysterious and annoying? Urgh! “I told you that now is not the time,” Christina said, closing the topic. And then they started talking about what they would do over the next week, if they could visit each other’s rooms, and other plans. Although Alexandra still wanted to know what Christina was hiding, she reluctantly took part in the conversation.
After some time they all started unpacking snacks since it was getting close to lunchtime and they were hungry. Pierre’s mom had packed him some croissants, Joe pulled out a big bag of chips, and Christina offered an assortment of candy. Alexandra’s aunt had packed some of her famous homemade Lebanese sweets. Instead of each eating what they had brought, the four teenagers shared their food until the last crumb. “I love your Aunt Joan’s baking;; she’s amazing.” Joe said as he ate his sweet.
“I know. It seems as if she should be a chef in a restaurant or something,” Alexandra replied, remembering all the delicious 25
dishes Aunt Joan had made. She certainly had a reputation among her friends. 2QFH WKH IRRG ZDV ¿QLVKHG -RH VWDUWHG UHDGLQJ D VSRUWV
magazine, Pierre continued his previous game of Sudoku, and Christina listened to music on her new iPod, which she carried everywhere. Alexandra read her book, her usual habit when she wanted to relax. Alexandra would also occasionally look out the window to take in the beautiful scenery. The grass was a luscious green, yet the mountain’s rocks and boulders were dry by comparison. She could see the sharp looking mountains called the Dents-­de-­Midi against the clear blue sky, looking like a row of giant teeth. The sun made it very pleasant and Alexandra looked forward to hiking on the mountain trails with their crunchy leaves and sticks or lying down RQWKHVRIWJUDVVDPLGVWWKHGHOLFDWHO\FRORUHGZLOGÀRZHUV
When they were bored with what they were doing, they started talking until they arrived in Leysin. By then, Alexandra had forgotten about the newspaper business. When they got off the train, they were greeted by two young adults holding clipboards.
“Okay, kids, I am going to be your supervisor. My name is François. And she,” he said with the slightest French accent, as he pointed to the smiling woman beside him, “is Marie, your other supervisor. You all speak English, right?” There was a mutter of agreement from everyone. “And what about French?” There were OHVV KDQGV VKRRWLQJ XS EXW TXLWH D IHZ QRQHWKHOHVV “Ah! Très bien! Alors vous pourriez parler avec Marie et moi en Français!” KHKDSSLO\H[FODLPHGLQÀXHQW)UHQFK“But for those who do not speak French, don’t worry. Most people in Leysin speak English as well and are very friendly.” Then he resumed giving instructions and 26
continued talking as Marie took the roll call. “And now, please get your bags and board the bus behind me, it’ll be a direct shot to the chalet you’ll be spending the week in.”
* * *
“Here is our chalet,” Marie said once the bus had arrived at their destination. It was a large wooden house. The roof was slanted, and it had a cozy and old feel to it. The small windows were FKDUPLQJZLWKGHFRUDWHGSDQHVDQGURZVRIUHGDQGZKLWHÀRZHUV
on the ledges. She noticed the chimney and was hoping she could HQMR\DQLFHWRDVW\¿UHDIWHUDORQJGD\0DULHOHWWKHPORRNDQG
have the sight sink into their minds and then resumed talking. “You will of course respect all the rules, right?” She peered GRZQ DW WKH VWXGHQWV (YHU\RQH ZDV TXLHW ZDLWLQJ IRU 0DULH WR
FRQWLQXH ³<RX ZLOO ¿QG VKHHWV LQ \RXU URRPV<RX¶OO EH WZR SHU
room, as your teachers told you. They’ve already given me the list of the pairs, which are as follows—Jack and David in room 200, Elizabeth and Carla in room 101, Joe and Pierre in room 202, Anna and Helen in room 107, Alexandra and Christina in room 104…” 7KHJLUOVZHUHRQWKH¿UVWÀRRUDQGWKHER\VZHUHRQWKHVHFRQG³,
now want you to get into your pairs and I will give you a key each.” $IWHU0DULH¿QLVKHGFKDRVUHLJQHGEXWLQWKHHQGHYHU\RQH
found their partner. When all the kids were in pairs, François and Marie gave out the keys. Alexandra had a key that had a string on it;; she thought it was probably from the last user. It also bore the inscription Room 104 M.C. When Alexandra compared her key with Christina’s, she thought it was odd that her key had writing on it and not Christina’s.
27
The crowd wasn’t as thick as before and everyone was going to their rooms. She looked around for Christina, didn’t see her, and WKHQGHFLGHGWRJR¿QGKHUURRPOLNHDOOWKHRWKHUV
When she walked in, she found Christina lying down on the bottom bunk bed on her right. On her left there was a brand QHZVSDUNOLQJZKLWHVLQNWKDWUHÀHFWHGWKHHJJ\HOORZRIWKHZDOOV
Next to it was a small room with a toilet. Alexandra looked at it and chuckled, grateful for once for being short and nimble, imagining clumsy Christina struggling to get in and out of that tight sliver. Right next to the toilet was another narrow room that contained a GLQN\VKRZHU6KHZHQWRYHUWRWKHZLQGRZDQGVDZWKHPDJQL¿FHQW
view. She could see majestic peaks and in the far distance she thought she saw some cows or horses. She turned around and in front of her was a wooden desk and a matching cupboard encased in the wall. Alexandra approached her desk and saw a paper taped to the wall. Camp Rules
Rule n.1: NO wandering in the forest alone or without permission.
Rule n.2: You CANNOT go out of your cabin past nine thirty.
5XOHQ<RX&$1127OLJKWDFDPS¿UHZLWKRXWVXSHUYLVLRQ
Rule n.4: If you see any wild animal, report to your teacher or supervisor IMMEDIATELY, and tell him or her where you saw it.
Rule n.5: You MUST eat your food.
Rule n.6: You MUST listen to your teacher or supervisor.
Rule n.7: You MUST respect all persons and camp property.
Rule n.8: You MUST take a shower every day.
THANK YOU
28
:KHQ$OH[DQGUD¿QLVKHGUHDGLQJWKHUXOHVVKHVDOXWHGWKHP
in a mocking fashion and then went to Christina with one thing still on her mind. “Chris, can you tell me one thing about that newspaper?” Alexandra asked. ³'HSHQGVZKDW\RXUTXHVWLRQLV´
“Was it something bad that happened, or is about to happen, like someone who I know is in trouble or in danger or something along those lines?” Alexandra gulped. 29