AMANDA

The students looked different, and it wasn't just stress. Some of them were actually changing. Heather's hair was now completely black. Julia had already grown two inches, and now her nose was getting thinner. And then there was James, who had freckles popping up all over his once-clear face.

But whatever was happening to the other students was not affecting Amanda. She didn't feel herself changing, and she definitely didn't look any different. For a while, she wondered if there was something specific about her that was preventing it, but then she realized it wasn't happening to Lara, Dwain, Nathan, Star, and Kathryn either.

It was still really strange.

"What now?" Star was asking loudly. "Look at this freak show!" She waved a hand at Heather's black hair. "Of course I'm not changing, but what are we supposed to do about the people who are?"

Amanda considered the question seriously. What would they do? The only way we can figure that out is if we know what's happening. And we don't.

"What about Sornione?" Heather asked. "And J. Q. King? He was supposed to help us, and now he's gone. We're probably in serious danger now."

"Obviously," Star said.

Amanda didn't voice her own opinion—she was too busy thinking. It was hard work, and she wished that Kathryn would say something to help her out.

But Kathryn wasn't there.

Amanda glanced around the room to make sure she hadn't missed her. She was nowhere in sight.

It seemed like someone else was missing, too. Amanda looked back at the bookshelves. Stewart wasn't in the library either.

They're in danger! Amanda thought. She considered taking two other students with her. But that would take too long. Something in her gut told her that this was urgent. She rose to her feet and quietly slipped out the door, grateful that no one noticed her leave.

Amanda didn't see anyone when she first stepped into the hallway, so she picked a direction and starting walking, searching for any trace of Stewart or Kathryn. It wasn't long before she saw a candlestick lying on the floor. There was debris scattered around it and a hole in the wall nearby. Someone must have pulled out the candlestick and....

A sick feeling hit her stomach when she spotted a small smear of blood on the candlestick. The Joker! she thought. Where are Stewart and Kathryn?

A terrible thought pierced her mind. Only Stewart and Kathryn were gone. The rest of the students had been in the library the whole time.

Either Sornione is here, or the Joker is Stewart or Kathryn.

She didn't want to believe it. Stewart is not the murderer, Amanda told herself. She didn't think Kathryn was either.... But she wasn't sure. She couldn't trust either of them.

Amanda's eyes caught on something on the floor further down the hall. Even from far away, she could tell what it was. She walked toward forward, leaned over, and picked up the card. A joker.

Something was written on it. "The joker was here," she read the words aloud, her voice trembling. "And she got what she wanted...." Amanda trailed off. She?

Amanda glanced at the bottom of the note, her worst suspicions confirmed when she saw it had been signed.

"Kathryn," she whispered. The truth hit her like a brick wall. "Kathryn!" she exclaimed. "She is the Joker! And Stewart...." Stewart was gone. Had she done something to him? Was that what she meant when she said she'd gotten what she wanted?

Amanda refused to believe that this was the end of it. She took off down the halls, yelling Stewart's name over and over again. But she found nothing. No clues. No Kathryn. No Stewart.

"They're gone," Amanda whispered, defeated. Her breath was coming in short, shaky gasps. She was more scared than she had ever been. She had thought she could figure it out. She'd thought she could stop the murderer before something terrible happened.... No, that had already happened. Things had gotten bad right when J. Q. King's decoy had been killed. What was I really trying to do?

She read the words on the card again, a heavy feeling dropping inside her. She had been trying to stop the Joker from getting what she wanted. She had been trying not to let her win.

But Kathryn had taken Stewart. She had what she wanted, and Amanda had no idea how to stop her. She had won.