CHAPTER TEN28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLnLdLyAeyG
Mary’s latest note was tucked inside a battered copy of Things Fall Apart in the library, slipped between pages dog-eared by a hundred anxious hands.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnzSizGzbSM
“Order meeting after lights out. Mercy absents. Prefects nervous. Watch for new patrols near the tank. –M”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDTaZR2jXI
Kim read it twice, then passed the book to Seline under the table. Their eyes met for just a moment-enough to agree on the next step.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkITRpukhO
That evening, as the sky faded to indigo and the wall’s shadow stretched across the field, Kim and Seline moved quietly through the compound. They didn’t linger together-never enough to draw suspicion-but their paths crossed at just the right moments. A nod at the water tank. A glance near the bougainvillea. Each signal meant the plan was moving forward.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRpHg1GsPed
They didn’t have the Order’s reach or its old network of loyalists, but they had something better: information. Mary’s updates, June’s whispered hints about which teachers were restless, which prefects were wavering, and which adults might listen if approached the right way.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CWJ8w9USO
Seline, ever the observer, noticed that Mrs. Atieno lingered after evening prep, her eyes sharp but not unkind. Seline approached her, careful to sound casual.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUuew2tMNqZ
“Madam, I heard some girls might be sneaking out tonight. Maybe someone should check near the tank? I just… don’t want anyone to get in trouble.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡofZvU2qv88
Mrs. Atieno’s gaze sharpened. She nodded, and Seline slipped away, heart pounding.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvc7Cv9ARHP
Meanwhile, Kim made her way to the staffroom, her excuse ready. She needed to return a lost library book. As she waited for the teacher on duty, she left a folded note on the desk-unsigned, but clear:28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Alxg4ogS1
“Some students are hiding things in the old storeroom. Please look tonight.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPbCax7osy
Back in the dorms, Seline quietly gathered a few trusted girls-ones who had suffered under the Order’s rules, or who had seen too much to stay silent. They didn’t talk about plans, not directly. Instead, they shared stories, piecing together a picture of what the Order had done, who had been hurt, and how the silence could finally be broken.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSekxXZxLap
The next morning, the school buzzed with news: a surprise inspection, a prefect caught out of bounds, a teacher who seemed to know more than she should. The Order was on edge, its members glancing nervously at each other, unsure where the next blow would come from.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRaUK1jmnE
Kim and Seline watched from the sidelines, careful not to celebrate too soon. Their actions were small, almost invisible, but each one nudged the balance of power. They weren’t just disrupting the Order-they were building something new: alliances with adults who cared, solidarity among the girls, and a quiet resistance that grew stronger with every secret passed through the wall.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5PHsdWg1wP
In the golden hush of evening, as the jacaranda petals drifted down and the wall glowed in the last light, Kim and Seline knew they were no longer just outsiders. They were the ones changing the story-one careful move at a time.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxwNuifiTVU
June28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1i6NEWKHHK
June moved through the corridors of Kisumu Girls’ with a kind of practiced invisibility. She wasn’t a prefect anymore, but the memory of her leadership lingered in the way teachers nodded to her in the staffroom, the way the bursar always smiled when she handed in club receipts, the way even the strictest dorm captain softened her voice when June asked for an extra blanket for a sick girl.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYkGgGPejbL
It was a power she wore lightly, never flaunting it, always careful. That afternoon, as the sun slanted through the jacaranda trees, June lingered near the staffroom door, pretending to check the noticeboard. She listened as Mrs. Atieno and Mr. Omondi discussed the latest rumors-something about missing library books and students sneaking out after prep. June tucked away every detail, every stray complaint, every mention of “unusual activity near the wall.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx9ZiFeKfNg
Later, in the dining hall line, she found herself behind Ruth, a junior prefect whose loyalties had always wavered. June leaned in; her voice low but warm. “You know, Ruth, sometimes it’s better to ask questions than to follow blindly. Things are changing. You don’t want to be on the wrong side of the story.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFK2Lqoh2Y
Ruth glanced at her, uncertain, but June only smiled and moved on, leaving the words to settle.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTvoT3i70Q3
In the library, June found Mercy’s friend, Lydia, hunched over a stack of textbooks. June sat beside her, not speaking at first. When Lydia finally looked up, June said, “If you ever need to talk about… anything, you know where to find me.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtalv71ozxX
She left a folded note in Lydia’s book, a simple message:28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAmwhgDUkw
“Not everyone who leads is right. Not everyone who follows is safe.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEYKFn9jhsd
As dusk fell, June walked the edge of the compound, pausing near the wall. She watched as a group of Order loyalists huddled by the water tank, their conversation tense, their glances nervous. June caught the eye of one-a girl named Faith, who had once confided in her about the pressure to “keep things quiet.” June gave her a small, knowing nod. Faith looked away, but June saw the uncertainty flicker in her eyes.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0tCs3hOEqe
By the time evening prep ended, June had gathered enough whispers and fragments to piece together the Order’s next move. She passed a coded message to Mary, who would get it to Kim and Seline:28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFnZ4sm6qDK
“Watch the water tank. Some are wavering-Faith especially. Staff are restless. The wall isn’t as silent as it seems.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEVYtCub1n
June never claimed credit. She never needed to. Her influence was a quiet current beneath the surface, shifting loyalties, planting doubts, and gathering truths. In a school divided by stone and silence, June’s power was in the spaces between-in the trust she inspired, the doubts she sowed, and the secrets she carried from one side of the wall to the other.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKliKAHe8O
**********28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhqHh3iYnNJ
Mary’s note arrived tucked inside a dog-eared math revision booklet, slipped onto Kim’s desk during afternoon prep.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0YP0tLtLG
“Ruth is scared. She’s not sleeping. Prefects questioned her about the wall. She’s not loyal-just trapped. –M”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuE15ZFHgre
Kim read the message twice, then slid it to Seline under the table. Seline’s purple pen tapped once, a silent agreement. They’d seen Ruth-her eyes ringed with worry, her laugh brittle, always glancing over her shoulder.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmFqDADTFAC
That evening, as the sky deepened to indigo and the jacaranda shadows stretched across the compound, Kim found Ruth alone by the water tank, pretending to fix her shoelace.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtCkugZPHNP
Kim crouched beside her, voice low. “You don’t have to keep covering for them, you know.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoj37Odcvm5
Ruth’s hands stilled. “I don’t know what you mean.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡex9eZVHNfL
Seline appeared, as if by accident, standing a few paces away. “We know you’re not like the others. You don’t have to be afraid.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNcMjeq3O67
Ruth looked between them, her eyes wide and uncertain. “If they find out I talked to you-”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU176ruAiie
Kim shook her head. “We’re not asking you to betray anyone. Just… help us stop this. You know what they did last night. You saw who was there.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwdK450lEr0
Ruth hesitated, then nodded, a tremor in her voice. “I just want it to end. I want to sleep again.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8WhqIRdHi
Seline smiled gently. “Then you’re already on our side.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdztXrHiLCb
Word spread quietly-Mary made sure of it. She whispered to another wavering prefect in the library, left a coded message in a borrowed textbook, steered frightened juniors toward Kim and Seline with a reassuring nod. Each new ally brought a piece of the puzzle: a name, a time, a warning about the Order’s next move.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivieebFlmo
One by one, the Order’s unity frayed. Those who had ruled by fear now found themselves isolated, their commands met with silence or, worse, quiet defiance. The wall still stood, but the lines of loyalty had shifted; the old boundaries were blurring.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQPUxlBeig
By the end of the week, Kim and Seline had gathered a handful of former Order loyalists-girls who had once enforced the rules, now quietly helping to dismantle them. Mary kept the updates flowing, always a step ahead of suspicion.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTmd50mOivj
In the hush before lights out, Kim looked around the dormitory and realized: the Order was no longer one solid wall. It was a crumbling line, and every new ally was a crack letting the light through.
28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHru4E8D9Kp
June28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNIMi3MsrbK
June’s presence in the group was always quiet, but tonight it was purposeful. She sat at the edge of the group, her notebook open, eyes flicking between Kim, Seline, and Mary as they whispered over the low hum of the dormitory’s evening routine.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxYSFp6Wiix
She listened first-always listening-while the others described what they’d seen: the new patrols near the wall, the prefects’ sudden interest in the water tank, the coded glances exchanged at roll call. When they finished, June spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdPtMQ0jmdC
“They’re nervous. That’s why the patrols are doubling back, why Mercy’s group is splitting up instead of moving together. When I was in charge, we always rotated the routes after a scare. It makes them feel in control, but it actually leaves gaps-especially near the old storeroom and the back gate.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAuyCdK5krT
Kim nodded, scribbling notes in the margin of her Chemistry book. “So, if we want to move something-or meet someone-we do it when the patrols are changing over?”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZsKPjgThsa
June smiled, just a hint of pride in her eyes. “Exactly. And if you want to pass a message without being caught, use the library returns slot. Prefects rarely check it, and the staff only empty it in the morning.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNdM7HJKkD
Mary, perched on the edge of her bed, added, “What about the teachers? Some of them are getting suspicious.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzoBU1mzmcm
June leaned in. “That’s where timing matters. If you want a teacher to see something, make sure it happens just before evening prep-when they’re tired and less likely to ask questions. And always let them think it was their idea to investigate. Never push too hard.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALoSok4B9W
Seline, twirling her purple pen, asked quietly, “What about the Order’s loyalists? Some of them are scared, but they’re still watching us.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlbJonii8n
June’s expression softened. “Find the ones who hesitate before they speak. The ones who linger after meetings. Offer them a choice, not a threat. When I was in charge, the most loyal girls were the ones who felt trapped. Show them a way out, and they’ll help you-sometimes without even realizing it.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSms2o2Sqm
The plan came together in whispers and glances: when to move, where to hide, who to trust. June’s experience turned their scattered ideas into a strategy-one that used the Order’s own routines and fears against them.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrwWZP7pWjs
As the bell rang for lights out, June closed her notebook and looked at the others. “Remember, they expect chaos. Give them quiet instead. That’s how you win.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4T91FVZSNF
Kim smiled, feeling a surge of confidence she hadn’t known in weeks. With June’s guidance, the wall no longer felt impenetrable. It was just another obstacle-one they could outthink, one step at a time.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTH58lCMMSL
**********28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXhYw2cAXm
June’s notebook was always half-hidden, its pages filled with careful notes and coded sketches of the compound. She sat with Kim, Seline, and Mary in the far corner of the library, where the smell of old paper masked their whispers.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiaXKvg6X62
June tapped her pen against the page. “If you want to meet without being seen, do it during the changeover after evening prep. The Order always rotates patrols then-there’s a five-minute gap near the storeroom and the water tank. That’s your window.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvd6v9E1Sc
Mary nodded, committing the detail to memory. Seline glanced at Kim; her purple pen poised over her own notebook. “And if we need to pass a message?”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKBO0itKIge
June smiled faintly. “Use the library returns slot. Prefects never check it after seven, and the staff only empty it in the morning. If you need a faster way, leave a blue paper clip in the bougainvillea. That’s the old signal-no one outside our circle knows it means ‘urgent.’”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgRgbTorPZ
Kim leaned in; voice low. “What about the Order? If they realize we’re meeting-”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ873gdUbok8
“They’ll try to flush you out by calling a surprise roll call or sending a prefect to ‘accidentally’ find you,” June said, her tone matter-of-fact. 28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qItt278QA
“If that happens, split up. Never let them catch two of you together. Always have a cover story-water bottle left behind, library book to return, anything.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBKKgBjVWO
Mary’s eyes widened. “How do you know all this?”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe8SvuYrimC
June’s smile was almost sad. “Because I used to plan it. The same way they do now.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ35stmR0q2u
She outlined the rest:28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2kdLJfjf3T
“Never use the same meeting spot two nights in a row. If you hear the phrase “sunflower duty” from a prefect, it means a sweep is coming-hide anything suspicious. If you need to warn someone fast, use the old storeroom window: a folded note taped to the inside means “danger-don’t come.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOn985As9v
Seline scribbled it all down, her hands steady. Kim felt a strange surge of confidence. With June guiding them, the wall no longer felt like a prison. It was a chessboard-and they finally knew the moves.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgToYYtbSgd
As dusk crept in and the bell rang for evening prep, June closed her notebook and met their eyes. “Stay alert. Stay separate. And remember-timing is everything.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBygioUIutS
The girls slipped away, each to her own path, their hearts racing not with fear, but with purpose. In the golden hush of the Kisumu evening, they moved as shadows-quiet, coordinated, and unseen.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3PJCcfVvPk
**********28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLnVg0WtfFL
June’s voice was always calm, even when the others’ nerves frayed at the edges. Tonight, she gathered Kim, Seline, and Mary in the shadowy alcove behind the old science block-a place the Order rarely patrolled, and where whispers could be swallowed by the hum of the generator.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYaamFNSqRc
She laid out the plan with the precision of someone who’d once enforced the very rules she now helped to subvert.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjOVpOghpj
“Listen,” June said, her finger tracing a map of the compound drawn in the dust on the floor. 28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPgNnMJN9EL
“The Order always retaliates in patterns. If someone gets caught near the wall, they’ll call a surprise roll call the next night-usually just before lights out. They’ll search bags, check for missing girls, and question anyone who looks nervous. That’s when you keep your heads down. Don’t volunteer. Don’t argue. Just blend in.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWjL9YFmRoj
Mary nodded, scribbling notes in her margin. Seline’s purple pen hovered, ready.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFPYWXNsEAU
June continued, “If you want to pass a message or move something important, do it right after evening prep, when the Order is busy reporting to the staff. That’s the only window when their guard is down. And never use the same route twice-rotate between the storeroom, the water tank, and the library returns slot. If they catch a pattern, they’ll set a trap.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡITSwCcKH8o
Kim frowned. “What about the loyalists? They’re watching us more closely now.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPFG7DBMJtg
June’s eyes narrowed, thoughtful. “That’s why you need a decoy. If you know the Order is planning a sweep, have someone unrelated-someone they’d never suspect-ask a loud question in the dining hall or start a harmless commotion. It’ll draw their attention away from the real meeting spot.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1GJvZzFqx
She paused, letting her words settle. “And remember: they discipline by isolation. If they suspect you, they’ll try to separate you from the others-send you on errands alone, assign you to different dorm chores. Don’t let them. Always move in pairs, even if it’s just to fetch water.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4GBqVwzFM3
Mary looked up. “And if someone gets caught?”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ83hDyNZrS4
June’s voice softened. “If anyone is questioned, say as little as possible. The Order relies on fear and confusion. If you don’t give them a story, they can’t twist it. And if you have to take the blame, make sure it’s for something small-never the real secret.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixUFOjID3e
Seline’s eyes shone with new resolve. “You make it sound like a game.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOknywtMRK1
June smiled, just a little. “It is. But we know the rules now. That’s how we win.”28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeeZY68A8Dk
As the bell rang for lights out, the girls melted into the shadows, each carrying their part of the plan-every step calculated, every risk measured. With June’s guidance, their rebellion was no longer reckless. It was precise, invisible, and-most importantly-untouchable.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0EVWwFVS9
And in the hush that followed, the wall seemed to pulse with a new kind of energy-not just a boundary, but a silent witness to the quiet war being waged in its shadow.28Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM42pTqTwtJ
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and then Add to home screen.