CHAPTER 40 - The Message

Lyra I forced myself up on shaky legs. Every step back to the dorms felt like a mile. Through the fog in my brain, all I could think was: Who had done this? And why did hatred follow me everywhere I went? I stumbled through the woods, barely aware of my surroundings. All I wanted was to collapse into my bed and forget this nightmare. I nearly wept when I saw my dorm room, pushing myself to complete the final distance. The moment I flicked on the light, my heart sank. My side of the room was a disaster zone. Books lay scattered across the floor, their pages torn and crumpled. Clothes were strewn everywhere, some shredded beyond repair. My mattress had been flipped off the bed frame, and the sheets were tangled in a heap on the floor. I stepped forward, glass crunching under my shoes. Picture frames lay shattered, the smiling faces within now distorted by cracks. I knelt down, picking up a photo another student took of me and Sally at the entrance to Harbringer. A jagged line