“Similar cases occurred already forty years ago. What do you think, Harriet? Could these missing persons cases have anything to do with those in the eighties?”

A woman’s voice rang out, and Mum simply changed the news channel.

“Mum...” it escaped me in shock. “What happened in the eighties?”

She had been just a kid back then. Still, she had to know what Joe Bexley was talking about, or she wouldn’t have turned off the radio.

“I don’t like that radio station,” she began, arranging the pancakes attractively. “The Bexleys spread too much gossip and poke around in private family matters that are none of their business.”

Undecided whether to probe further or look it up on the internet later rather than further burden my mother, I broke the pancake into small pieces in front of me.

“But something else...” Mum continued. “Three guesses what I found in the mailbox today.”

“What?” I asked in confusion.

I wouldn’t be surprised if it were a letter from Larissa ending our friendship because she probably thought I wasn’t answering her on purpose. This cursed network in this quarter of the town...

Instead of answering me, Mum hurriedly ran to the kitchen counter and grabbed a big white envelope, which she then excitedly waved in front of my face.

“Mum, I can’t read what’s written on it if you’re going to shake it like that...”

“You’ve been accepted for the winter term! You’re now a true Vanderwood student!”

Excitedly, she tore open the envelope, pulled out a sheet of paper, and placed it next to my plate of pancakes, just beside a blueberry blob.

I recognized the white crest with the two wolves, dagger, and wildflowers on the front of a dark green promotional brochure.

My nightmare had just come true.

It wasn’t as if the hyperactive newscaster had just announced that students were disappearing into the woods behind this university.

“I was wondering why we didn’t get any mail, but this one was in the mailbox all along.” Mum wiggled the envelope in her hand enthusiastically. “In Blairville...interesting. I was afraid it would end up in Sacramento.”

I would have preferred it there.

Mum didn’t even notice that my enthusiasm was in moderation as she fished around among the brochures as if she, not I, had been approved to go there.

It had never been my goal to study at Vanderwood. I had planned, if I really got accepted, to study only half the year, but my mum expected me to stay at the university for the full three years. Which I wouldn’t. My plan to go back to Sacramento with Mum as soon as she was well again and to San Francisco with Larissa was still firm.

The pungent smell of burning was in my nose.

Mum seemed to smell it, too, because she turned and rushed to the stove.

“No, no, no!” Frantically, my Mum pulled the pan off the stove, where a few flames were blazing. Apparently, a pancake had caught fire.

I jumped up and went to grab the dish towel, but by the time I turned to Mum, the fire was gone. A few puffs of smoke drifted through the main floor.

“How did you...?” I started, but the smoke alarm interrupted me.

The beeping was so loud that I had to cover my ears.

My mother, who seemed to be enduring it all, pulled one of the wooden chairs out of the dining area and stood on it to get to the smoke detector. In the next instant, the ear-splitting noise died down, and I was able to take my hands away from my ears again.

“My little sensitive baby. Do you want me to get you some earplugs? This one just goes off again and again, even if there is no fire.” How could she pretend it hadn’t just burned? “So don’t get scared if it goes on in the night.”

Laughing, Mum put the chair back.

I still had the beeping in my ear.

Couldn’t she have warned me earlier that the thing was so incredibly loud? And if it woke me up even once, I would personally kick it off the ceiling.

While Mum cleaned up the mess in the kitchen, I sat back at the table to unwillingly read through Vanderwood’s letter.

Dear Miss Adams,

We are hereby pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to our Department of Linguistics for the winter semester and welcome you to the Vanderwood University.

We expect to see you on our campus on September 5th. There, you will be provided with a room that you will share with the following students.

Julie Blair

Emely Copeland

Ruby Sanders

Mode of study: Standard Double Bachelor

Major: Literary Studies (Bachelor of Arts) with 120 credits

Minor: Philosophy (Bachelor of Arts) with 60 credits

Instructors: Basic English (Prof. Alarik Copeland), American Studies: Literature (Prof. Isabella Marten), Literary History (Dr. Prof. Gina George), Ethics (Prof. Alarik Copeland).

If we have made a mistake in the assignment of seminars and lectures, please appear in our Registrar’s Office on September 5th.

You will find your book list and student card, which grants you free access to our library as well as the canteen and sports facilities, in the envelope.

We wish you a successful start to your first semester at Vanderwood University.

Sincerely Regards,

Your Vanderwood University Selection Committee

Wait a minute. I took another look at the list of girls I would be sleeping under the same roof with for an entire six months starting next week. Then, I looked through the list of professors.

Emely Copeland...