CHAPTER TEN20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QTvezSvDN
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGHbN7n7YwG
“Order meeting after lights out. Mercy absents. Prefects nervous. Watch for new patrols near the tank. –M”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfd0irZNbN
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0p2CYen7u
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVGyjo6p5wC
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisVy8HpNTq
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIyfbJdtaP3
“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.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5qHRJFrnC
Mrs. Atieno’s gaze sharpened. She nodded, and Seline slipped away, heart pounding.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB7EcK1TwKD
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:20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6Zt1c1LSB
“Some students are hiding things in the old storeroom. Please look tonight.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8G1AVxcZPO
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbfR7xfO64a
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCP8wu3A48E
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡisyIRnrOgG
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOnph46Dcb
June20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIkRdn8R8eM
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFUQW3ghbQZ
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.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn2XiKxBVId
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.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hE6pp6dOv
Ruth glanced at her, uncertain, but June only smiled and moved on, leaving the words to settle.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzH8kiMGk8y
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.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZuYBA2dPnJ
She left a folded note in Lydia’s book, a simple message:20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUguWC7GxsE
“Not everyone who leads is right. Not everyone who follows is safe.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJSXwNPdRb
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvwvdMQ7sTz
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:20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFRqV80eKdg
“Watch the water tank. Some are wavering-Faith especially. Staff are restless. The wall isn’t as silent as it seems.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLDHZAvErwn
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBiWxoCV7rw
**********20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZHVZSmfhY
Mary’s note arrived tucked inside a dog-eared math revision booklet, slipped onto Kim’s desk during afternoon prep.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB41clHGrEg
“Ruth is scared. She’s not sleeping. Prefects questioned her about the wall. She’s not loyal-just trapped. –M”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNIhHWDVF7
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9717TtKZ1u
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhh3czsAz2B
Kim crouched beside her, voice low. “You don’t have to keep covering for them, you know.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡocoTEo1Nft
Ruth’s hands stilled. “I don’t know what you mean.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnB512IGcgn
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.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1u6S57o7SA
Ruth looked between them, her eyes wide and uncertain. “If they find out I talked to you-”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPtgu92O76
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.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBO9hDYFwC
Ruth hesitated, then nodded, a tremor in her voice. “I just want it to end. I want to sleep again.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbhesoWkNr
Seline smiled gently. “Then you’re already on our side.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNn5oOYaMd0
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFoISVH10h4
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6oJ4HEvxvX
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxFmEqSB4K
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.
20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmu3bKmF9k
June20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7toBkZZ2c
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6NLh4NRpqm
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡslKVAAjTdl
“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.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVy1a8KZYqV
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?”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qOATdUrCA
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.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8mrwNQ5bMm
Mary, perched on the edge of her bed, added, “What about the teachers? Some of them are getting suspicious.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2E05gBrbOT
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.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCoOxlGzUz
Seline, twirling her purple pen, asked quietly, “What about the Order’s loyalists? Some of them are scared, but they’re still watching us.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbZEKFKK44
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.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3thQlCyhx1
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaJlHpPWCgt
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.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaaAKvrJeAW
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWaLvSPxmu
**********20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPLJ0IK9D1I
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DgsCRAElR
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.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGAAwoahXcz
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?”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtOlIdI3U1V
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.’”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe22ytJHouR
Kim leaned in; voice low. “What about the Order? If they realize we’re meeting-”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEi0S9Wgh1m
“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. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDTs6SCBH0d
“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.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcbMsuUoMJ8
Mary’s eyes widened. “How do you know all this?”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jKRQoE0rA
June’s smile was almost sad. “Because I used to plan it. The same way they do now.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWHIDc6Fyjv
She outlined the rest:20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2AGLhYZcuW
“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.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ST4yiLwoB
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Ym3ixUPxR
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.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyzTlDt3iqJ
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0NxnMzNGb
**********20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx903FltRth
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMY1YqwoTlD
She laid out the plan with the precision of someone who’d once enforced the very rules she now helped to subvert.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡASEHaopfmq
“Listen,” June said, her finger tracing a map of the compound drawn in the dust on the floor. 20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqohmRRRqbf
“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.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaD9wTABOEB
Mary nodded, scribbling notes in her margin. Seline’s purple pen hovered, ready.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjf2dljSs1
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.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtu44LVCM1g
Kim frowned. “What about the loyalists? They’re watching us more closely now.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtKpmNnnNS7
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.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8T07cGhOBG
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.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG94Ltfa62b
Mary looked up. “And if someone gets caught?”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvweAZoJH4H
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.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTcJ7uEyR2A
Seline’s eyes shone with new resolve. “You make it sound like a game.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJC22wPWmP
June smiled, just a little. “It is. But we know the rules now. That’s how we win.”20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYffBBlbjS
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkmQjYqN1H
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.20Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcD5z1xFVOa
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