Adam stopped in front of a door with an empty window in the center.

Through it Credence could see inside the room, where several children were sitting in chairs, each with a small table in front of them.

"Those are desks," Adam explained. "You sit at the same one every day. There's an empty one for you. This is where you'll go after breakfast. I'll only show you this once. If you still need help tomorrow, get one of your mates to show you the way."

He opened the door.

"Remember to be quiet," Adam whispered as he gently pushed Credence through the door, "and always show respect to the Headmaster."

He closed the door behind her and was gone.

A room of eyes stared at Credence in curious silence, and she was slightly embarrassed at being the only one not seated. She scanned the room to find an empty desk and took the only unoccupied one near the back. No one said a word as she tiptoed by, but their gaze followed her until she slid into her chair. When she was seated, every head snapped back to the front of the room, where an empty table and chair sat. Behind it was a wall of smooth, black rock, with a dusting of white smeared over it in several places. 

Including Credence there were eight students, and the population was overwhelmingly female, with only two boys to six girls, all around Credence's age, wearing the same uniform of brown pants and a shirt. They seemed uninterested in the new student past their initial look at her, and it relieved Credence that her arrival would not put her in the center of any attention. 

There was nothing of much interest in the sparse room save for the backs of the other student's heads, which remained so still they might have been formed from stone. Time dragged by as nothing happened, and Credence began to wonder if they were being watched, just to be caught if they dared to break a rule, until the door finally opened and the Headmaster strolled into the room, smiling to find everyone attentive and quiet.

"Hello," he greeted them.

"Hello, Headmaster."

"No doubt you've noticed the new face among us. Her name is Credence, and she comes to us from a place outside of the towns."

One of the students, a boy, raised his hand and the Headmaster nodded at him.

"What place is outside of the towns, Headmaster?"

The man grinned like he'd been keeping a brilliant secret until the right moment came.

"The woods, of course," he answered. "That is where Credence comes from."

Now the entire class turned to look at her, their shocked stares covering her body and making her feel like an outcast. She blushed and shrank down in her seat.

"You're from...the woods?" the boy who had asked the question uttered incredulously. "How?"

Credence looked to the Headmaster for guidance, and he gave a small nod. 

"Go ahead, you can answer him."

"I lived with my parents and brother," Credence said, unhappy that her voice sounded so meek.

"That's ridiculous," the boy scoffed. "No one lives in the woods."

"Enough, Gregory," the Headmaster warned. "If she says she came from the woods, we should extend the courtesy of believing her."

"But it's not true, Headmaster," Gregory argued. "Woodfolk are strange. They can barely talk because of how savage they are. She's lying to us. Liars should be punished, shouldn't they?"

Gregory's eyes held a wicked shine, as if punishment was something he was keen on witnessing.

"I'm not lying," Credence snapped. "I grew up in the woods and know all about them—and it's the damned towns that are strange!"

"Look at her hand," said another student. "Where's her finger?"

"It doesn't matter," Credence said in a defensive tone.

It felt like the entire room was against her, and it was an unfair fight of one against a mob. Her missing pinky seemed the only thing the people in the towns could talk about, and the more they gawked at it, the more embarrassed and angry Credence became. How could she explain the truth, that she had lost it to a monstrous twin who wanted to eat her?

"It's gross," another student said, and Credence decided that one more remark on her appearance would move her to attack.

"That's nothing," Gregory, the brat who began the discussion, sniped back. "My da ain't never had a thumb!"

Several voices erupted into examples of their own wounds and battle scars, each one trying to outdo the last, until the Headmaster cleared his throat to silence them.

"All right," he said, "that's enough. Gregory, we'll take Credence at her word that she's from the woods."

Gregory stuck his tongue out at Credence and made a nasty face, but turned back to the Headmaster and gave a polite nod.

"I will, Headmaster," Gregory said.

"And all of us will show proper manners and civility, and not tease anyone about things beyond their control."

"Yes, Headmaster," the class responded.

"Very good. And Credence, the towns might appear strange to someone accustomed to trees and dirt, but that doesn't mean it's inferior, does it?"

His eyes narrowed, and a flicker of menace passed over his features. Credence swallowed her anger.

"It doesn't, Headmaster," she squeaked out.

"Good."

The menace was gone, instantly replaced with a warm smile, but this time Credence noticed the smile looked slightly false, like the mask of an actor.

"I know you will all do your best to welcome Credence and make sure she knows the rules."

He clapped his hands together.

"Now. To our lesson."