"......Natalie Eisner is a real missing person's case." Greg said, face rigid. "Making up a ghost story about what happened to her isn't cool."
Kim rolled her eyes.
"Fucking, really? You're the weak link here, Greg. Why do you have to be such a mood killer all the time?"
"I'm sorry, why am I the bad guy for not mindlessly going along with these stupid stories?"
"Scary stories are a staple of Halloween. If you don't like them, why are you even here? " Jeannie asked.
"Did the website you read say 'Listen to 5 spooky stories with a weirdo on a train'? Because to me it made it seem like there was going to be a lot more action."
"Oh action will come, be reassured of that." the Guide promised with a smile. "But first, let us finish the stories. The last object of the night Is this invitation. An invitation to a certain kind of game...."
--------------- And the Winner is ----------------
Ashlin awoke with a burning pain in her head. It took her a few minutes to get her bearings.
Where was she? She looked around, confused. The at first unfamiliar walls soon found roots in her memory.
Home?
She saw three empty beer bottles lying next to the bed. Yeah. Definitely home. That explained the headache too. Had she partied all night again? It looked like it. One of these days she'd have to grow up and behave like an adult.
But not today.
Still tired, she turned around and was met with a face full of blonde hair. For a second she thought it might've been her own, but hers wasn't long enoug to wrap all around her face.
Dreading the worst she propped herself up on her elbows and took the form of the sleeping woman next to her in. God dammit. Of course. Now this, too.
She really needed to cut down on the alcohol if she intended to keep up this lifestyle. This was untenable. The relative stillness and soft breathing of her bedmate told her she was sound asleep, and she didn't intend to disturb that slumber. It was so much easier to just let her wake up on her own while Ashlin was gone to avoid the inevitable awkward confrontation. She wasn't bothered by the thought of leaving her latest catch alone in her appartment. There was nothing of worth to steal in here anyway.
As quietly as humanly possible, she climbed out of the bed and hurried to the living room, taking great pains to slowly and silently close the door behind her. With a yawn and a bit annoyed about having her sleepy time cut short, she put a pot of coffee on the boil and hopped into the shower for a quick rinse while it was getting ready. After she was done toweling down, she checked her phone for the time. 9AM. It was entirely too early for her tastes.
With her coffee, she had her usual breakfast, three bite-sized mini-muffins for her sweet tooth, and enough energy to start out the day. As she thought about what she was going to do today she noticed a letter poking out of her jacket. It was the one she wore out the day before, but she couldn't remember getting a letter of any kind last night.
Then again, there was precious little she actually remembered from last night.
On second thought, she knew she wore that jacket, but for the life of her, she couldn't figure out why. It was a heavy, grey puffer jacket, completely divorced from her usual style. Had it really been that cold yesterday?
Thinking too hard about this stuff only made her head hurt harder, so she put it off her mind, snatched the envelope, and ripped it open.
Inside seemed to be a...card. A greeting card, maybe? With another yawn, she sat down at the table and pulled it out.
It wasn't a greeting card, but rather an invitation. That's what it said on the front of the folded paper. Curious, she flipped it open and read.
"Congratulations! You are hereby cordially invited to participate in this year's Genie Game. If you want to take part, please arrive in full costume at the below address on the 31st at 8PM sharp. It is imperative that you wear something that conceals your most identifying feature. We look forward to your participation."
As it said, an address was written on the lower half of the note. It was in the city. Ashlin hadn't lived here for long, but she knew that much. With a slight grin, she put the card back on the table and began to ponder.
It was cute. Most likely nothing more than a prank, but cute nonetheless. She pulled out her phone to check the date.
Oh.
The 31st was today.
How the hell could she forget Halloween? That was her favorite holiday. That did it. No more partying before big days. This was getting embarrassing. It took her three tries to get the fingerprint recognition to work, but once it did the first thing she did was search for the address.
With a message this sketchy she had expected a dirty abandoned warehouse or something, but instead what showed up was one of the many rentable beach-side villas at the edge of the city. They used to be private homes, but someone bought them all up a few decades ago and now they were mostly used as summer retreats or for events. She checked the reservations, and indeed, the house had been rented for an event on Halloween. Shockingly, everything seemed to be on the up and up here.
Her next point of research was whatever the hell a "Genie Game" was. But sadly nothing yielded relevant results. All she got was a story-based VR game about being a literal genie, that one website that guessed whatever you were thinking of, and some kind of really old videogame cheating device. The invitation made it sound like an annual thing, but there seemed to be no evidence of its existence anywhere online.
She turned the phone off and laid back in the chair.
Should she go? She had nothing better to do. If this was some kind of serial killer or Supervillain situation, they surely wouldn't actually rent out a well-known and often-used property, would they? And anyway, if she didn't go she'd probably end up drinking herself to unconsciousness again and she really wanted to avoid that.
With a heavy sigh, she got up, the decision made. Hurriedly, but making sure to stay quiet, she packed a few bucks to buy a costume and retrieved a bottle of pepper spray from her jacket. She always had one with her when out partying, just in case.
Before she went, she wanted to make sure that someone knew where she was. Grabbing a pen and a post-it note she stuck it on the fridge. Her ladyfriend would probably want to eat or at least drink something when she woke up. What to write though? After a few minutes of chewing on the pen cap, she came up with what she assumed would serve her purposes best.
"Heyy ; )
Sry, I couldn't be there when u woke up. Had an urgent appointment. Can't wait to c u again. xxx"
There. Perfect. Can't expect a hookup you ditched to care enough about you to notice you went missing, so Ashlin had to string her along for a bit. Just for one day.
With everything settled she slipped out the door, down the stairs, and onto the street. The fresh October air felt good as it hit her face, but she had been right. Definitely not cold enough for that kind of jacket.
Her first stop was the local Spirit of Halloween. As usual, most of the cool enchanted costumes had been sold out already. What she wouldn't have given for realistic Vampire teeth or a Jacko'lantern that makes your head invisible while you're carrying it.
It was here she met her first hurdle. What did it mean to "conceal her most identifying feature"? Did they mean her face? Was she going to meet people she knew then? Or maybe this was an old-school sort of party, family-friendly, and this was a safe-for-work way to tell participants not to wear the sexy costumes?
Whatever it was, it was frustratingly vague. Since she didn't want to risk getting kicked out or even refused entry, she went with the safest option. Father Death. The same costume the dude in those slasher movies wears. Can't fault her for not following the advice when she concealed her whole body.
The drive to the villa was uneventful, but surprisingly nerve-wracking. She had no idea at all what was in store for her. It was.....exciting. Just what she needed. And hopefully without alcohol.
When she arrived there were a few vehicles already parked outside. So she wasn't the first one. Made sense. She'd be surprised if she wasn't the last.
The door stood wide open, so she stepped right in. The interior was definitely.....something. The organizer sure was going for a theme. Every corner of the entranceway screamed Halloween. Rubber spiders and plastic skeletons hung everywhere. Hollowed-out pumpkins with scary faces lit the room. The doormat invited her to "Scream right in!" Cute!
It wasn't long until she ran into the first other person. Almost literally too. Exactly out of sight from the front door stood, or rather sat, a woman with an impressively elaborate costume. Unwieldy too.
She sat in an ice cream truck. Or rather, a cardboard replica of one. Not to scale, obviously. But for what it was it looked pretty good. Ashlin could see the large wheels of a wheelchair poking out from under the frame. Pretty clever, she thought. The sides of the fake truck were stained with red paint handprints, all placed around the logo. "Telescoop Ice Cream - It's to die for."
Ashlin had lightly bumped into the parked(?) woman while turning the corner. "I'm very sorry, I didn't see you there." The girl used her hands to turn herself around. A manual wheelchair too, huh? That must be exhausting.
From the front, she looked the part too. Like the logo, there was fake blood on her clothes, but instead of handprints, they were just haphazard smears. A particularly big one graced the front of the white face mask she was wearing.
"Oh, it's alright." Her blue eyes were sparkling like diamonds. It almost took Ashlin's breath away. The genetic lottery was truly the most unbalanced and unfair mechanic of real life. Someone ought to patch that. "My ride is quite sturdy. I'm Sid."
The wheelchairbound girl reached out her hand and Ashlin shook it.
"I'm Ash. Nice costume."
She giggled.
"Thanks. It took forever to make."
"I bet."
"Yours is nice too. What are you, some kind of ghost?"
"Something like that." She looked around. The hallway they were in led to what seemed like a bigger room up ahead. Probably the main location for the game. "You got an invitation too?"
Sid nodded excitedly. "Yes. Finally. I tried to get my hands on one forever. This is going to be my day, I just know it. How about you?"
Ash shrugged.
"To be honest, I kinda drank myself into oblivion yesterday and just kinda....woke up with it. I really don't know what to expect."
Sid crossed her arms.
"Weird indeed. You're interesting. Mind if we stick together for a bit? I can show you the ropes."
"Sure, why not." So far this was going pretty well, she thought. But she was ripped from her musings by someone loudly and obnoxiously banging against the open door.
"Wassup, witches? Time for the party to get started, 'cause the King has arrived!" The voice was deep and raspy, and had a hint of an accent, though Ash couldn't pinpoint which exactly.
She looked to Sid to glean if this was part of the game, but she shook her head. Just then a man with the most bizarre outfit she had ever seen walked up behind them.
His short blond hair was styled up into spikes, his clothes seemed to be made out of a variety of clashing outfits cut up and crudely stitched together, and his silver-rimmed sunglasses with yellow lenses had one at least two sizes bigger than the other. His gait seemed both overly stiff and entirely too relaxed at the same time. All in all, a peculiar fellow.
"Hey there, ladies. Like my fit? I put a lot of effort into it."
Ash shook her head slowly.
"I mean.....I don't even know what you're supposed to be.."
"I do!" Sid interjected. "You're Bergheim, right?"
The man's grin widened tenfold. He shot both his finger guns in her direction.
"You got it, baby! A real class act, you are."
It took a moment for things to click. Ashlin was somewhat familiar with the story. Bergheim was an Austrian indie-film director who became really famous in his time. Known for his weird, eccentric outfits, brutally effective low-budget horror flicks, and for casting mostly unknown actors.
As it turned out, every time he finished a movie he would invite one of those unknown actors, mostly those who were in it for a paycheck and planned to move on after, and......well, they were never seen again. His body count had reached 24 when he was finally caught. Now that she thought about it, she was pretty sure the outfit the stranger wore was the one Bergheim was arrested in.
"Isn't that in poor taste? The dude actually killed people."
The man looked at her.
"Who are you, the fun-police? Take a page from your friend's book and relax. We're all adults here."
Without another word he moved on into the main room. They could hear him loudly announcing his presence to the others as he entered.
Not ten seconds later a third figure walked past them. Unlike party-guy, that one didn't stop to chat. His costume was a fairly traditional one. A Grim Reaper rope that covered his entire body. To complete the look he was carrying what looked to be an actual scythe. Ash ducked as the harvesting tool passed near her head.
"Lots of weirdoes here tonight..." she sighed.
"Aww, come on. That's what makes it fun." Ashlin had a very different defihition of fun, but she didn't want to gef into it. Better not alienate someone who offered to give you pointers. "I think we're missing just one more person."
She raised her eyebrow. "How do you know that? I thought this was your first game too?"
The ice cream seller waved her hand dismissively. "It is. But I know someone who has played before. She gave me a few hints, a bit of advice." Ash couldn't be sure because of the mask, but she could see a smile in Sid's eyes. "Stick with me and we'll win this thing for sure."
"That just means the rest of us will have to play harder." a voice behind them said.
Ash turned around and faced the last guest of the evening. The woman who stood across from her was tall. Ashlin herself reached a remarkable 5'11, and this person stood at least a full head higher. She was clad in a hauntingly beautiful Geisha outfit make-up and all. The woman was lazily fanning herself while observing the two of them.
"I'm Rui Kumogata. Nice to meet you." Her Japanese accent was very noticeable.
Both introduced themselves with a handshake.
"First-timer too?" Sid asked and Rui chuckled wryly.
"Oh yes. It was hell to arrange for a sitter to come here. I live quite a way away, but this one was the only game that still had a free spot."
Ash wrinkled her brows.
"There's more than one game?"
Both her companions let out a hearty laugh. She crossed her arms, annoyed.
"You really are a newbie." her new friend giggled.
"Never pretended I wasn't." Ash huffed.
"There are hundreds of Genie Games going on around the country. All on Halloween."
"Yes. And I live two states away with a bunch of little sisters to take care of. Such a hassle." Rui's fanning sped up a bit.
"Your parents not in the picture?" Ash had always been a bit too nosy for her own good. She knew that this was probably the main reason for her lack of lasting friendships, but she just couldn't help herself.
The exasperated Geisha sighed.
"My dad died before I was even born, so I think expecting him to help out is a bit too much to ask. And mom is busy all day working to bring food to the table. Nights aren't a problem, since she's home then, but just you try to get someone to volunteer to watch over a cluster of energetic and demanding little girls skittering all over the place and causing mischief. It took me longer to get a sitter organized than it took me to get my hands on an invite."
Sid whistled. "Wow. Really hope it was worth it."
Rui nodded enthusiastically.
"We'll see."
Just then a loud noise startled them. The front door had slammed shut. Ashlin could hear the sound of the electric lock springing into action.
"Looks like it's time to begin." Sid almost sang. Her voice was truly beautiful. With a bit of effort, she turned her contraption around and wheeled further down the hallway. Ash and Rui followed not far behind.
Whoever decorated the entrance hadn't stopped there. The main living room of the villa was huge, but you'd probably not be able to tell at first because it was stuffed to the brim with Halloween paraphernalia. Blood-red Punch stood on a table with wriggling gummy worms, mannequins wearing werewolf costumes were handing out candy as the group passed by, a colony of bats raced each other through the air and it was very apparent from their weird sheen and stiff movements that they were made of rubber.
Ash grinned widely. This kind of stuff was her favorite part of Halloween. She couldn't even imagine how boring it must've all been before magic. It took them a good minute to traverse the Cluttered space, but soon they joined the others.
Everyone was gathered around a large TV set, surrounded by chairs, a comfy-looking couch, and a big table.
"About time, gals." Party-guy grunted. "Way to keep us waiting."
"Oh, shush, you. We made it in time, so no harm, no foul." Rui retorted.
Blondie just shrugged and turned away. Ash rolled her eyes. What a child.
She and Rui sat down on the empty couch while Sid positioned herself next to them.
"I can't wait!" She whispered with barely concealed excitement. Ash just nodded along. She took the time to get a good look at every one.
Sunglasses and the Reaper were already familiar to her. Next to the Reaper stood someone who looked like he'd escaped from a mental asylum. The self-made ripped straight jacket looked pretty good, but it was obvious that his muzzle was just a regular dog muzzle.
To his left stood a marionette. The gloves looked convincingly wooden when perfectly still, but whenever he gestured or moved his hands it became clear that it was some kind of fabric. Strings were wrapped around his arms, legs, and neck, and actually extended upward a foot before just disappearing. Probably a thin wire of some kind. Very cool.
The person he was gesturing to while talking was a young woman who was evidently in full bloom. Flowers were strategically placed all around her body to look like they were sprouting from within her. Ash wouldn't have gotten her costume if she hadn't helpfully written what she was supposed to be on one of the flowerpots she was carrying. "Living Garden." A neat idea, though a bit too boring for her taste.
Occasionally chiming into the conversation was a medieval plague doctor. Not much more to observe there. She liked the aesthetic, but it was just so played out.
And lastly, a bit away from the rest, stood a pale, very sweaty woman dressed as a butcher. Her brown hair was glistening as if it was freshly waxed, and even though she stood perfectly still she was lightly swaying from side to side.
Well, just because Ash took a break from alcohol didn't mean everybody did. Still, better to stay away from that one. The meat cleaver she brought looked as real as Reaper's scythe, and being in close proximity to a drunkard carrying sharp objects was never a good idea.
Suddenly, the TV sprang to life, drawing everyone's attention. It showed a man, sitting on a very comfortable-looking chair, hands folded around a cane. He was old, Ashlin guessed in his 80s at least. He let out a short cough before he began to speak.
"Good evening to all of you, and welcome to the 31st annual Genie Game. I still remember when we held these things once a decade....." He shook his head. "I apologize for reminiscing. Firstly, I would like you to keep in mind that this is not a live broadcast, and this recording won't be played again, so pay attention, please. I know most of you are familiar with the general concept, but there are always a few poor souls completely out of the loop..." Sid nudged her with a grin. "...so allow me to explain the rules."
Finally, Ash thought.
"Of the ten of you gathered here today, nine are kin. But one is a human." Ash raised her eyebrow. That wasn't what she expected. So it was a theme-party after all? "Your job is to find out who of you is not like the others. The human's job is to avoid that outcome. To facilitate this process, you will be given a set amount of time to mingle and interact with one another, after which you will be called for a short group discussion. After that discussion has concluded a vote will be held. If the human is found out, the game is over. If you choose the wrong person, that person will be disqualified and have to vacate the premises. The win condition for the human is to make it to the final two."
She really didn't know what to make of all this. The longer the old man talked, the more bizarre things got. Maybe 'human' was a codeword for not-in-the-know?
"The rewards are as follows. For kin, the great prize is a spot in this esteemed collective. If the human should be found in the last three the two remaining will automatically get to join. However, we cannot accommodate more than two of you, so if the game ends before that point we will deliberate among ourselves who we think would be the best fit. The others will get the choice of one thousand dollars per remaining contestant or a guaranteed invite to next year's games. So for those of you itching to join up, it would be in your best interest to prolong the game as much as possible. To make the thinning of the horde a bit easier, a second vote will be held after each round. This one to decide who definitely isn't a human. The same rules apply, just in reverse. If you get it correct, the chosen will be disqualified and you will have eliminated one competitor. If the human is chosen in this round, they will take the win"
Another cough.
"Should the human win, either by making it to the end or as a result of the vote, we will grant them any three boons they desire. Within reason, of course, but our reach is vast. Hence, the Genie Game. Now, let us come to the consequences of disqualification. If you were falsely pinned as the human, you have the option to choose between one thousand dollars per round you survived, or an invite to the next game. Should you be falsely pinned as a human in the very first round, you get nothing. No cash, no invitation. Now, if you were correctly pinned as inhuman..."
The old man wearily shook his head.
"....then you have failed at the most crucial task those such as we must excel in. And as such you will be banned from participation in the Game for ten years hence. There are no excuses, so don't even try."
Ash still didn't exactly know what was going on, but she got the gist. Nine insiders versus one outsider. And she knew exactly which role she inhabited. On the one hand, going up against 9 people at once sounded very daunting.
But 3 'boons'.....If they offered a prize like that they must be very well-connected. She thought about what she could wish for......probably not immaterial things like happiness or wisdom or immunity to reaching the black-out stage of getting drunk, but cash money sounded very doable.
She didn't like her chances but no risk, no reward eh?
"And lastly, for kin....while you are in this house you are strictly Forbidden from revealing yourself thoughtlessly or on purpose. This is a game of mystery and deception, and it is of utmost importance that you hold true to the spirit of the competition. We have you always in our sights. It is ill-advised to test our patience."
After the rather grim tone of the previous speech, his voice began to lighten up.
"This tradition has been in place nearly since the dawn of our kind, and it lightens my heart to see it continue even after all this time. Now then, I won't keep you any longer. From the bottom of my soul and the grace of Fate, I wish you all the luck."
And the screen turned off.
At first, a heavy silence hung in the air, but then, little by little, people began quietly chatting with their neighbors. None of them seemed impressed or even surprised. Ash hoped she managed to give off the same vibe.
"Pretty exciting, huh?" Sid had lightly nudged her again.
She nodded. It was like one of those werewolf games. They were fun, but if she was being honest, if Ash hadn't heard of the reward she might've written this whole thing off as a wasted evening. Now she wanted to win. That meant she had to play.
"So, Sid. You after the boons, or do you want to join these bozos?" She had no idea what type of group or organization it was that the other 9 competed to enter, but she was sure she was the only one, so asking for details about them would just draw unnecessary suspicion onto her. Better keep it vague and general.
Sid giggled in response.
"Ashy, if you want to gather clues through conversation, you should try to be a little more subtle about it than not at all." She leaned back in her ice cream wheelchair. "But just between us, in any other situation I probably would tell you. Here, though.....it just ruins the fun, you know?"
"Yeah, sure." Curses, foiled again. Maybe this wasn't her type of game after all. Still, Mommy didn't raise a quitter, so she just had to learn to be good at it on the fly. Easy peasy. Definitely.
"Hey, Bitches, listen up!" Party-guy's loud voice quieted the room. "Just hanging about and chatting is nice and all, and I'mma let you get back to it in a minute, but I think we should all establish a baseline of knowledge for everyone to start off with, a'ight? By that I mean we should all introduce each other. You don't need to use your real name, I don't give a shit about any of you anyway, but we need something to call each other. Everyone with me?"
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
A few hushed whispers snuck by, but no one spoke up. Blonde clapped his hands together with a grin.
"Wonderful! Okay, I guess I'll start. I'm Marty. I review media online. Mostly games and movies. Some people call me unnecessarily edgy but they just don't have as advanced a sense of humor, It happens. Next, please."
The room was silent for a minute until the man dressed like a Puppet raised his wood-clad hand.
"I might as well be second. My name is James. I am a woodworker by trade. It doesn't earn much, but it is a passion of mine. This very costume I fashioned by myself. I'm looking forward to a fun and rewarding night."
Next, the flowering woman took a step forward.
"You can call me Rafflesia. As my costume already suggests, I am a gardener. All the lovely blooms around me are self-grown and cared for. If any of you need a flower shop in the future, I'd be glad to give you my card. Thank you."
The instant she stepped back, the Reaper hit the button of his scythe hard on the ground, announcing his turn. Like he had all evening, he remained quiet and simply raised his thin, gloved hand. Within a few seconds, black smoke began emitting from the tip of his pointer finger, and it trailed behind his movements as he spelled something out.
AZ
And with a flick of his wrist, the smoke disappeared again.
"We'll, I know who I'll be voting for as definitively inhuman." Marty blurted out, drawing quiet murmurs of agreement from some people.
"Not so fast." someone said forcefully. It was Sid. "Whatever he did could have just as easily been a Power. If we vote him as inhuman based on that and he's not, then we lost the game before it even began."
"....I guess." the blonde man said after a pause. "Good point."
The criteria for being the game's "human" seemed to become more and more nebulous, Ash thought. She was sure she had it figured out, but what Powers had to do with anything was beyond her. Still, better to let it slide for now. She needed all her brainpower to avoid fucking up in the game. Sid continued.
"Well then, since I'm already talking, let me introduce myself. I am the lovely Sid, founder, owner, CEO, and lone employee of Telescoop Ice Cream. I came here all the way from the opposite coast and I'm not the only poor soul who had to traverse more than half the country to be here today. So please don't vote for me in the first round, because if I have to leave here with nothing I will undoubtedly snap." Her cheerful tone didn't waver the entire speech. "Why don't you go next?"
She was looking directly at Ashlin. Oh boy.
"Uhm, yeah. Hello, I guess..." She thought about what she could say to signal she was part of the in-group, but she quickly found she knew literally nothing about them so that plan was shelved. "I'm Ash. I love to party and meet new people. No steady job or hobbies, I like to regularly reinvent myself, you know? Keep things fresh. And I hope today's be no different. That's it, basically."
This was the most mortified she had felt in years. She was more than happy when Strait Jacket took the spotlight away from her.
"I'm Bakade." His voice was rough and raspy. "I'm a hunter. I live in the mountains, minding my own business. Up where I live things are rarely all that exciting. So I'm here mostly out of boredom."
The swaying butcher stumbled forward next. "I.....Maya." The words came out slow and strained. Ash almost had trouble properly making them out. Things were getting stranger by the minute. "Here to....connect.....connect."
The room was silent waiting for her to continue, but after a minute of nothing, it was clear she was done.
"Now that is a good first inhuman pick." Sid whispered, amusement evident in her tone.
"Now then, let's just get this over with." Rui said, hiding the lower half of her face behind her fan as she spoke. "My name is Rui. My family very recently immigrated here from Japan. Back then we lived in a small, rural mountain village so I was very excited when Mr. Bakade here revealed he is a mountain boy too." She waved at him. "Something to bond over. That's all I care to share at the moment."
The last member of the group, the Plague Doctor cleared his throat before he began speaking.
"Why don't you call me Avalon? That's a nice name for a day." His voice, though muffled somewhat by the mask, was smooth like honey. Hearing him talk gave Ashlin the first chills of the night. "I am a bit surprised to see so many rural bumpkins attend what seemed to me like a big-city event, but I shouldn't be because I'm one too. Not the mountains, though, sadly. I hail from a beautiful lake-side village, and I miss it already. The air here is too dry for my tastes."
"Mountains can have lakes too, you know." Rui threw in with a giggle.
He nodded.
"I concede that is true, but my lake is not."
"Alright." Marty yelled and clapped his hands again. "Now that that is out of the way, let's fucking mingle."
.
Slowly, the group started to separate into a few smaller circles. The rural trio got together and sat down at a table. Marty and Rafflesia approached Maya together. AZ stood by himself, doing nothing. And Ash and Sid stayed by the couch. They were soon joined by James, the puppet-man.
"I hope it is not too presumptions to assume I would be welcome in your little group."
Ash shrugged while Sid shook her head.
"Nah, It's all good."
"Wonderful. Allow me."
Ashlin scooted over as he sat down beside her. Or at least, he tried. It was bizarre to look at. The man turned left and right, adjusted his stance, lowered down a bit before quickly standing back up straight and doing it all over again. For a moment she wondered if he had taken something before coming here.
"I'm sorry." he sighed as he finally plopped down. "Navigation in this costume has its....difficulties for me."
"Don't sweat it. I have my difficulties too." Sid laughed. "So you're a woodworker, huh?" She rolled over to the table and brought the plate of live gummi worms with her. James declined, but Ash and Sid took a few and slid them under their masks. She had always liked how they wriggled in her mouth, but they were a rare acquisition, usually only available near Halloween and April Fool's."
"I am. You won't believe it, but I work mostly with puppets."
"Really now?" Ashlin mumbled, mouth still full with the struggling sweet.
"Oh yes. It is bitter work, but quite rewarding. It takes me a year or two to create a full, seamlessly moving, and realistic doll, but the satisfaction I get when I finally get it right; ooooh there's nothing like it." He pointed at the cardboard truck. "And you sell ice cream for a living?"
Sid laughed and waved it off.
"Oh no. No no no. No. I don't. That's just my costume. I...I don't really have a job. It's difficult in....my condition."
James nodded along, the wood clanking with every head motion. "I understand."
"I like singing, though."
"That's good." Ash said, having finally won the fight in her mouth. "'Cause your voice is beautiful."
"Awww, thanks."
"And you... " James pointed at Ashlin. "I hadn't expected a woman under that garb. The Serial Killer costumes are usually snatched up by edgy young boys."
"Well....who says I'm not an exceptionally tall eleven-year-old boy? You don't know what's under here."
He chuckled lightly.
"True enough." He was about to say something else when a loud noise startled him. Startled them all. It came from the TV. The other groups stopped what they were doing and came over just in time for the screen to turn on.
The old man appeared again, same clothes and posture and everything. They must've been recorded in the same session, Ash thought.
"It appears we have reached an end. The end of the first round, that is. You will now have a set amount of time to discuss amongst your peers which one of you doesn't belong. And maybe also who does belong, but is a smidgen too obvious about it. Immediately following this period, voting will commence. Please begin now."
The screen shut off and Party-Marty didn't hesitate a second to open his mouth.
"Okay, guys. Hear me out. I dunno which one of you is the mark, but I can tell you with a billion percent certainty who is not." He stretched his hand out and gestured at Maya, who showed no visible reaction to the accusation. "Me and Raff here..." He tried to pull the gardener into a one-armed hug, but she swiftly pushed him away. "...we tried the entire time to get anything out of this butcher. But the only thing this chick butchered was the English language. Seriously, she's barely even coherent. Has trouble moving too."
"What if she's just drunk?" James asked but Rafflesia shook her head.
"I thought of that too, but there's not a hint of alcohol smell on her breath. I'm very sensitive to that sort of thing."
Maya, for her part, had started muttering something, first quietly, then more and more audible.
"You.....wrong.....Girl......wrong...wrong........"
Avalon was the next to speak up.
"While I can certainly agree that something is very much wrong with her, the important question here is not who isn't the human, but who is." Looks were shared across the room. "By process of elimination, I would say the most likely candidate is our boisterous blonde friend over there."
Marty's head, which had still been focused on the butcher, whipped in Avalon's direction.
"What?! What the fuck?"
Avalon raised his hands.
"Easy there, Tiger. We don't have a lot to go on and you are the least concealed of all of us. What are you wearing, an ugly suit and sunglasses? Just look at me or Ash over there. Covered from head to toe."
"It's not my fault I was born handsome." Marty scoffed.
"Deflecting a serious accusation with jokes is very human behavior." Rui remarked joyfully, hiding behind her fan again.
"Come on, that's ridiculous." Despite pushing him away earlier, Rafflesia came to his defense. "Everyone likes to make jokes now and then. You're grasping."
Sid wheeled closer to her, positioning herself in the middle of the group.
" I agree. that we're grasping, but the only reason we are is that this buffoon's ridiculous look is the only thing in grasping reach. As long as we have this little info, any suspicion should at least be entertained."
A low murmur swept through the room.
"You guys don't seriously....." But Marty was interrupted by a loud shrill beeping noise before he could finish. The TV sprung to life again.
"If is time to vote, my friends. Beneath this television set, you will find ten remotes." Right on cue the cabinets clicked open and revealed their contents. "Each of you has been assigned a number based on when you arrived here. Please enter the number of whomever you suspect of being the human and verify with the green checkmark. You have one minute from the moment you touch a remote. Have fun."
The old man disappeared once again, but instead of turning off the device changed to a different screen. Ten pictures were lined up next to each other, each showing someone walking through the front door. Next to them, a bright yellow number was assigned to each one.
1 was the Butcher, Maya, more shambling than walking. 2 was James, the Woodworker. 3 was Rafflesia, the flower shop gal. 4 was Bakade the hunter from the mountains. 5 was Avalon the Plague Doctor. And 6 to 10 were Sid, herself, Marty, AZ, and Rui, in that order.
One by one, everyone grabbed one of the remotes. They were little, plain, silver rectangles with numbered buttons. No extra pomp or flair, very basic.
Ash shook her head. There was no time to analyze the appearance of this stupid thing, she had to vote. It was best, she figured, to just go with what was discussed earlier. Maybe if Marty had been less of an obnoxious tool she would've felt sorry for him.
Without delay, she pushed both the 8 and the checkmark in quick succession. At first, she wasn't sure if she'd been doing it right, but a little beep told her that something had happened, at least.
After the minute passed, the screen changed again to show the results of round 1.
1 = 1
2 = 0
3 = 0
4 = 0
5 = 0
6 = 0
7 = 1
8 = 6
9 = 2
10 = 0
As expected, Marty was the big loser. That didn't bother her much. Good riddance. No, what bothered her was that someone had voted for her. Had she been found out already? By whom? And why didn't they speak about it during the discussion?....... This was concerning.
Before she could ponder the matter more, her attention was drawn by another screen change.
The chosen human was
6
"This is bullshit..." Marty mumbled.
That choice was
INCORRECT
There was no big reaction from the others. This outcome was anticipated. The old man appeared again.
"It seems you have chosen poorly. What a shame."
"I'll say..." The irritated blonde whispered.
"As per the rules, the chosen will reveal him- or herself now. Afterward, the door will open for you, and only you. I wish the best of luck to both the hunters and the hunted in the next round."
As soon as he finished the man was replaced by the same picture of Marty that was displayed on the voting grid. A single word was overlayed onto it, written in what looked like one of those novelty Halloween fonts.
PROCUL
Next to Ash, Sid whispered, "I knew it."
Ash herself had no idea what it meant, but it was sure to be something any of the Inhumans should be in the know about, so she stayed quiet.
Marty sighed, stepped into the middle of their little circle, and carefully took off his sunglasses.
They were empty. His eyesockets. Ashlin had to do a double-take. She had seen people like that before. Some Empowered were naturally born eyeless, while a number of those with abilities that allowed them to see perfectly fine without eyes, mostly Villains, had them removed to add to their image. She had not expected Marty to be one though.
The more she looked at him, the stranger he seemed. On a second glance, the eyesockets weren't completely empty. Well, they were, but if she squinted she could make out a faint, distant glimmer shining deep within both.
The sound of the front door swinging open distracted her for a second, and when she looked back the sunglasses were back on his face.
"Well....since I get fuckall because I was eliminated first, thanks a lot btw, I'm just gonna go and de-stress on the first dumb bitch that is unlucky enough to cross my path. I would say I had fun, but that would be a lie. Go to hell, all of you."
His middle finger raised, blondie walked past Ashlin and left the building.
"....What a prick." someone said, and a light laughter filled the room. But a sudden noise coming from the TV told the group that it was not yet over.
"Now that the first vote has concluded, we can move on to the second." the old man announced.
Oh yeah. There WAS a second vote, wasn't there?
"The principle is the same, but the rules are slightly different. This time, you will vote for who you think cannot be the human."
He raised a finger.
"This is the first of three key differences between this vote and the last. Key difference number 2..."
The second finger.
"This vote is not mandatory. If you confirm a 0, this will be read as abstaining. Whether or not you make use of this opportunity is up to you and you alone. And finally..."
Third finger.
"This will not be a simple vote by majority. A candidate will only be locked in if they receive at least half of all possible votes. In cases with an odd number of voters, you will need to round up. Which means of your 9 possible votes, someone would have to get at least 5 to be chosen. There was a bit of confusion regarding this subject in the past, but I hope I could make things clear this time. Now without further ado, please decide....will you vote? Or will you not? It's up to you."
Once again, the man was replaced by the voting grid, and the clock was ticking. Ash still wasn't sure what exactly 'inhuman' meant in the context of the game, but whatever it was it probably applied to Maya. With quick fingers, she tapped the 1 button and confirmed. Soon enough, the results appeared on screen.
1 = 7
2 = 0
3 = 1
4 = 0
5 = 0
6 = 0
7 = 0
9 = 0
10 = 0
Once again, no one seemed surprised.
The chosen inhuman was
1
The swaying butcher stirred. Ashlin could swear she heard something just then, but it was so faint that she couldn't be sure.
That choice was
CORRECT
"No....." Maya groaned and shambled forward.
"It seems you have chosen to expose one of our own."
The old man was back to finalize the verdict.
"And not only that it seems you were correct as well. That is very troubling, indeed. You, who are kin but have failed in our most important task, begone now. You shall receive nothing from us but scorn. Be on your way. And don't come back."
Maya turned to face the group. Everyone was staring at her, nobody uttering a word.
"No....just....no...." she stammered. "Just wanted to....to learn....to grow......grow our home...."
"If that's the case, you really should've prepared better before coming here." Sid could barely contain her glee.
"Home...fault home.....home too old.....need new....new home...new homes.....Queen...."
The already heavy swaying slowly intensified and that strange noise was back, now louder and growing in volume. It sounded a bit like...buzzing.
With a jerky motion, Maya roughly grabbed her apron and tore it off her body. Ashlin had to take a step back at what she saw. She had been primed for a lot of weirdness, but this......this was too much.
Under the apron, about the height of her stomach, there was a hole. One about the size of a basketball. It was not bloody or wet with pus or anything else that may have indicated that this was a recent development. But the hole itself, while still very concerning, was not the main focus of Ashlin's attention. No, those were the bugs.
What seemed like a neverending wave of thousands of winged insects were crawling all over her insides in such quantity that it was impossible to make out the organic matter beneath. They reminded her a little bit of wasps, with the black-and-yellow color scheme and their large, bulbous abdomen. But the pattern did not look like simple stripes. The swirls and lines that made it up were far more complex. It was difficult to make out what exactly it was since the creatures never stood still, but just trying to figure it out gave her a headache.
Suddenly, all at once, the entire swarm began to vacate the premises. The buzzing reached a volume high enough that Ash had to hold her ears shut as the mass of insects flew by her and toward the exit. Most came from the stomach hole, but a not insignificant number opted to escape through the mouth, nose, and ears. Some even managed to push aside Maya's eyes from within and fled that way. It took a good three minutes until the noise finally died down.
Soon after the last bug left Maya, she collapsed to the ground with an almost comical splat, as if she had landed on something wet or squishy.
Ash glanced at the screen. It showed the picture of Maya entering the house, with three words on top.
LOTUS BEE HIVE
This couldn't be happening.
She had assumed the whole time that this was just some stupid werewolf-game inspired heavily themed Halloween party, like the hundreds of others of this kind she'd been to...but........no. This could still, be a trick. Some theatrics to keep things interesting. But she couldn't just assume the best either. If this was some kind of fucked up monster meet-up, then not taking it seriously could spell her doom.
She looked down at her shivering hand. By conjuring up all of the focus she could muster, she forced it to keep still. Nothing about her could indicate that she was in any way scared, or it was already over. No one else was panicking, and so she couldn't either.
Their absence of reaction made sense though. She was the Odd one out. If it was a trick, they knew everything was fine. And if it wasn't, they knew the only one in serious danger was the human. Her.
She contemplated fleeing. The old timer had said the doors would only open for those eliminated, but despite that, she hadn't heard the door shut itself again. Would she be able to make it? Maybe, if she ran. But even if she did, chances were that that whole setup was a trap. Lure the human into an escape attempt with the false notion of freedom. Then, just before they make it, slam the door shut in front of their face. And then the others would know with one hundred percent certainty who the human really was.
She couldn't risk it. For now, she had to just stay in place and play the game.
"Hey, my friends, I think she's not quite done yet." James said and awkwardly pointed to the ground. Ashlin followed his gesture and her heartrate doubled. He was right. The body of "Maya" was still twitching weakly. Everyone started murmuring amongst themselves, but it was Bakade who stepped forward to do something.
He touched the ribcage of the jittering mess with his shoe and none-too-gently kicked her over onto her back. Any hope that the movements were just simple death spasms flew out the window at that moment.
The woman's eyes moved rapidly from person to person, silently mouthing what were no doubt pleas for help. The hole in her stomach was leaking something. Not blood, at least Ashlin didn't think so. The fluid had a similar color, but it looked much, much thicker. And the smell.....it was exceedingly sweet.
The organs that were covered with agitated bees before were now fully visible. Honeycomb-like structures had been built in various places between and even around them, all oozing the thick red fluid. Ashlin had to fight hard against her urge to throw up.
"This thing is really killing the mood. We should put it out of sight." Bakade growled, and he was met with broad agreement.
Even Ash managed a "Sure, why not?" that she hoped to hell came across as casual and unbothered enough.
The muscular man moved the ripped arms of his straitjacket to the side, grabbed the poor woman by her ankles, and dragged her backward, away from the group. The look in her eyes was one of pure terror, and Ash felt terrible that she was unable to help. The only evidence left of her was a puddle of the red sweet stuff from when she fell on her stomach.
This situation had inspired many conflicting emotions in Ashlin, but one thing was clear. This was no trick. If she lost the game, she was going to die.
After all that commotion the group split once again. Rafflesia, Rui, and Avalon sat at a table filled to the brim with sweets, and at least two were indulging. AZ stood in a corner by himself, as usual. And Sid and Ash were joined by James once again.
"What a round. Lotus Bees. Never thought I'd see the day."
Sid nodded and sipped some punch from a straw.
"My mother said Lotus Bee honey is dangerously addictive." She glanced at the dark red spot on the floor. "It looks delicious though."
"Would you really eat something produced in a woman's guts though? It dampens my appetite severely, I must say." James shuddered, his strings glistening in the light. Ashlin had assumed they were wires at first, but now she wasn't so sure. Were they wet?
"I wouldn't be opposed." Sid said playfully. "It sounds kinda exciting actually. What about you, Ash?"
Ashlin shook her head.
"I'm more of a fine dining kind of gal."
"Aww, you're no fun." the girl pouted.
"By the way..." Ash asked. "...did anyone notice that big guy hasn't returned yet?"
James set his drink down and looked around.
"You seem to be right. Bakade is nowhere to be seen. How odd."
"Let's make sure he's alright." Sid suggested and the other two agreed.
Slowly, they maneuvered through the Halloween decorations until they reached a split. One way led up the stairs, the other into what looked like the kitchen.
"I doubt that he dragged her up the stairs." Ash stated, observing both options.
"Yeah." Sid agreed. "And I wasn't getting up there anyway."
"Onward, then."
The trio entered the room but stopped in their tracks almost immediately.
Bakade was there. He was kneeling in front of the body, his muzzle discarded on the ground next to what looked like a back door. It wasn't entirely clear what he was doing, since he knelt with his back to the group, but from the way his hands reached into the poor girl's stomach and the grizzly sounds of tearing and chewing, it was pretty easy to assume. Tears ran down the girl's cheeks.
.
"This isn't good..." Sid whispered. James put a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, I'll handle this."
The puppet-man walked up to the feasting beast and patted him on the back.
"Hey. It's time to finish up an...." Just then Bakade turned around and let out a deep, horrifying growl. His teeth were long and thick and messily arranged in a mouth that seemed almost too small to fit them all. The entire lower half of his face as well as a good portion of the ground beneath them was slick with the sticky, red honey.
"Too sweet! It's too sweet!" Seemingly in a blind rage, he grabbed the butcher's knife that had been part of Maya's costume and swung at James. He tried to dodge, but the frenzied monster managed to cut the string above his left arm, causing it to go limp.
" Now wait a minute, you do...." But by the time he had uttered these words, Bakade had already gotten up and tackled him to the floor, snapping the rest of the thin threads wrapped all around his body. As James fell to the ground, Ashlin could hear something from above. It sounded like a group of people. Many legs scurrying away.
"Let's move." whispered a very nervous Sid and pointed back at the living room. Ash nodded, and they turned to flee. The last thing Ashlin saw was James' throat being ripped away and swallowed down.
They hurried through the inconveniently placed knick-knack, past the perplexed table of three, and to the front door. It was still wide open. But just as Ashlin had assumed a few steps away from freedom it slammed shut in front of them and locked itself.
"Fuck!" Ash yelled and tried to force it open, to no avail.
"What are you doing? What's going on?" Avalon stood at the end of the hallway, looking at the two attempted escapees.
Before either could answer a familiar noise signaled that it was time to gather in front of the TV. Ash and Sid shared a look, and hesitantly moved back into the living room.
Once there, the old man was already on screen. He wore the same attire as always, but his demeanor had noticeably shifted.
"Hello, again. Unlike the last few messages you have seen, this is not a recording. It is with a heavy heart that I must regret to inform you that one of the participants of this most symbolic and grand of nights has broken the rules and tainted the spirit of the game. During this....incident, the costume of another participant was irreparably ruined, and he had to take his leave. As an apology and a sign of goodwill, he will receive both the money he would've gotten had he been eliminated in this round as well as the invitation for next year's game."
His gaze and tone shifted sharply.
"The rulebreaker, on the other hand, has already been dealt with. He will not return. It is very disappointing that two of you had to be eliminated in such a manner. But luckily, neither were the human, so the game lives on. Speaking of which, it is about time for the next vote. The time for discussion starts as soon as this broadcast is over. Please, enjoy yourselves. And have fun
"....., So, what happened?" Avalon asked, sitting down on a chair.
"We can talk about that after the vote, Av. Right now we have to play to win." Rafflesia urged.
"I guess." the Plague Doctor said with a shrug.
"And the one I find the most suspicious is you." To Ashlin's great horror, the flowery woman pointed directly at her.
"What?! Why? What'd I do?" She tried to sound more angry than panicked, but she was not sure she succeeded.
"Nothing. You hung back all night, presented yourself very little, and just went through the motions. I have been watching you all night. Don't think I didn't notice all the little shakes and shivers. You are afraid. But why would you be? Easy. Because you have the most to lose."
Ash wanted to answer, but she couldn't. A thousand possible rebuttals raced through her mind, but when it came to verbalizing them they suddenly turned into incomprehensible gibberish in her mouth.
"You forget, Rafflesia...." Sid rolled in between Ash and the living garden. "....that these criteria could just as well fit someone who has trouble.....coming to terms with their inhuman nature. How many of the kin have you seen that behave exactly like that on a daily basis? I could use these same observations to argue that Ash should get the vote for inhuman. It's a wash."
"I think both of you have a point." Rui spoke up. "But overall, Sid is right. Our attention is better focused elsewhere. Like dear Avalon here."
"Me?" The Plague Doctor got up and crossed his arms.
"Oh yes. There's something going on with Ash. I don't know what, but it's something. On the other hand, I get nothing from you. You yap a lot but barely anything of substance. If I was the human, that's the tactic I would use."
Avalon looked around the room. "Come on....I don't get a lot of social interaction at home, so, of course, I like to talk. Raff? We've gotten to know each other, right? You believe me."
Rafflesia turned her head away.
"I'm sorry, Av. I like you a lot, but.....what she says makes sense."
The shrill noise announcing voting time reverberated through the room, and the TV screen returned to the voting grid. Several pictures had been blacked out this time.
Ashlin grabbed her remote and confirmed the number 5. Soon after, the results were displayed.
3 = 1
5 = 3
6 = 0
7 = 2
9 = 1
10 = 0
Ash swallowed nervously. Two votes for her. But it was not over yet. She still had time to divert suspicion away from her. For now, she just had to stay calm and go with the flow.
The chosen human was
5
"Oh, brother.....I knew it would end this way....." Avalon sighed.
That choice was
INCORRECT
"くそー" Rui uttered under her breath, fanning herself faster than before.
"Sorry, Av." Rafflesia put a hand on his shoulder, but he shook his head.
"It's alright. I'm glad that it's over. Now I can go back home."
He raised his hands and placed them on his mask, but stopped.
"I'd rather not show my face. I don't look my best in these conditions. Too dry."
Instead, he carefully removed his gloves. His hands had an unnatural blue sheen and were grotesquely swollen. He took a small scalpel out of his pocket and cut it into his finger. Instead of blood, water poured out of the wound. The screen behind him read
SALMA.
"I don't really have a need for money, so I'll take the invitation. It was fun, my friends. I got to know some of you better than others, but I enjoyed myself. I think I'd better go now. You got this, Raff. I believe in you."
The flower girl nodded as he walked off, the sound of the front door swinging open confirming he left the building. The screen returned to the voting grid. Round 2. There was no one who was really singled out as inhuman this time so Ash voted for herself. It was worth a try.
3 = 0
6 = 0
7 = 1
9 = 1
10 = 0
Figures.
The TV turned off.
"So..." Rui started. "How about you tell us what happened before the vote now? I'm at the edge of my seat."
Sid grinned and eagerly complied.
"Oh, what a mess." The geisha laughed. "Should we go check it out?"
Rafflesia shook her head.
"Going to the kitchen now would only waste time. We should stick together and talk a bit. Try to gather some info for the next vote. Anyone opposed to this idea? Though I don't see why anyone but the human would be."
Ash nervously shook her head, and the others mumbled their agreements too. They relocated to the couch, everyone but AZ sitting down, though the Reaper at least stood next to it making some kind of effort to take part for the first time since the game began.
"I still think Ash is the best candidate for the human." Rafflesia began.
"And I still think she is the best candidate for inhuman." Sid retorted. "What now?"
"Well, uhm..." the woman in question hesitantly stammered. "I believe it would make a lot of sense to talk about ourselves for a bit? Like, our private lives. We have to toe the line to not appear too human or inhuman, right? So talking about ourselves makes it easy to potentially fuck things up, you know? Accidentally reveal too much or slip up. Everyone is at risk, and it's the best way to gather information quickly. A-at least that's what I think."
"Sounds good." Sid affirmed. "You start."
Oh boy.
"Sure. There's really not much to say that I haven't said already.. I love to party, meet new people. That's basically what I do whenever I can. It's the main reason I came here today. I work gig to gig, whatever opportunity finds me. I get by like that. Been quite well off on occasion but most of the time I got just enough to do my thing. And uhm....I think that's enough out of me."
"Very suspicious." Rafflesia declared. ".....but I made my stance clear already. I guess I can go next. As you are all aware I am a gardener by trade and that takes up most of my life. My days are usually spent cooped up with my flowers and tending to their every need. I get so preoccupied that I even have others get my groceries and take over the running of my shop for me. Any time away from my babies is too much, and if the reward wasn't so great I never would've come here. That's the long and short of it. AZ, would you like to divulge some info about yourself next? I think everyone here would be very interested."
The Reaper just shook his head.
"Who saw that coming?" Rui joked. "If he doesn't want to talk, I'd be glad to take his spot. I come from a very large family. Lots of sisters, very traditional. It's hard to really develop a sense of individuality in such a household. Many of my sisters don't even try, but I want a bit more from life. My family also has the worst luck with men, none of them stick around for long. Personally, I decided to go for women instead, and so far it's working out better than any of my siblings' relationships. My girlfriend is waiting outside in the car, maybe I can introduce you after the game."
"That would be lovely." Sid said. "It looks like I'm the last of the bunch. Barring Mr. Grump over here." She gestured to AZ, who didn't bother with a reaction. "I can relate to you a bit, Rui. I also have sisters, but I have just three and it sounds like you are dealing with a few more than that."
"Oh, many more."
"That's what I thought. I. couldn't imagine. I want to rip my hair out at times already. I'm kind of the odd one out in my family. All the others are content to just sit back, never leave home, and work in the family business, but.....I don't know, it just sounds so boring to me. I like to explore, try new things, meet new people, eat new food....I crave new experiences. The thing I hope t..."
But before she could finish, Sid was interrupted by a familiar loud noise.
"Already?" Rafflesia groaned.
"Of course. The time between rounds gets shorter every vote. Otherwise the game could take all night." Sid explained.
One by one, everyone got up from the couch and took their place in a circle around the TV. That was when Ashlin saw something.
Just as Rafflesia got up, AZ turned to walk away, causing his scythe to clip one of the flowers on her back. She shouldn't have noticed anything, the sharp tool didn't even graze her, but a brief flinch and a grimace of pain appeared on her face nonetheless. Ash kept her mouth shut as she waited for everything to start.
"The discussion rounds become shorter too, so we shouldn't waste any time." Sid began.
To everyone's surprise, it was AZ who made the first accusation this time. He raised his thin arm and pointed directly at Ash.
"Yes!" Rafflesia yelled. That's what I've been saying! She is the obvious choice."
Ash glanced at Sid, but then shook her head. She couldn't depend on someone else to fight her battles for her. Especially when the stakes were this high.
"I think the real obvious choice here is Rui." she said confidently. Time to bluff, hard. "All she does is go on and on about her family and now her girlfriend. I'm not saying kin can't have loved ones, we all know this isn't true, but fussing about it endlessly.....I dunno, it just seems very human to me."
"So I am the human because I care about my family? Infallible logic here."
"That's not what she said." Sid interjected. "And you know that. Why would you intentionally misrepresent her argument, Rui? Unless, of course, she was spot on."
"I..." The geisha started but kept her mouth shut.
"And one last thing." Ash threw in. "Just now, when we got up, I saw AZ accidentally cut one of Rafflesia's flowers. Imagine my shock when she recoiled in pain from something she shouldn't have even noticed." She pointed at the lone flower lying in front of the couch.
The woman in question opened her mouth to defend herself but was interrupted by the voting signal. She shut it again, glaring at Ash.
The extra scrutiny was getting to her. Rafflesia and Rui were going to vote for her, this much was clear. She was pretty sure Sid had her back, which would mean two votes for Rui. The big question was whether or not her little spiel had convinced AZ to switch. Nervously, she punched in 10 and confirmed. Her heart was beating so fast that she could've sworn the others were able to hear it as the results appeared on the screen.
3 = 0
6 = 0
7 = 2
9 = 0
10 = 3
Ash felt the heaviest of weights slide down her shoulder.
The chosen human was
10
"You played well, Ash." Rui sighed. "Congrats."
That choice was
INCORRECT
"Obviously." Rafflesia whispered.
Rui stepped into the middle of the circle and closed her eyes. Then she opened them again. All eight of them. The text on the screen behind her read JOROGUMO.
"I have no hard feelings. This was the most fun I had in ages. I can't wait to tell my sisters all about it. I'll wait outside for you. And good luck to you specifically, Ash. I have a feeling you're going to need it." With that, she bowed deeply and left the room.
The second round of voting came and went. With only two votes needed the result was obvious.
3 = 2
6 = 0
7 = 0
9 = 1
"I hope you're happy, Ash." Rafflesia said.
The chosen inhuman was
3
"Because you're going to be next on the chopping block."
That choice was
CORRECT
"And there's nothing you can do about it."
The screen shifted again. It read PARADISE FLOWER.
"Oh wow, first Lotus Bees and now a Para-Flower? This is amazing!" Sid exclaimed.
"Thank you." Rafflesia said with a smile.
"Can I get a taste of Paradise Fruit? I don't think I'll get many other chances."
The flower girl chuckled. "Of course. Enjoy."
Ash's stomach turned as Rafflesia's left eyeball first shook and then dislodged itself.
Instead of an optic nerve, the little white sphere hung from a small vine that grew further and further out until it hung right in front of Sid. Without hesitation, the wheelchairbound girl plucked the eyeball and bit into it. A grayish-white liquid ran down her chin under her mask as she noisily chewed.
"It's delicious! But should I do with the seed?" She removed what used to be the iris from the half-eaten fruit and held it up. It had the sheen of a marble.
"Put it in someone's food or drink, preferably hot. They shrivel up a lot when exposed to heat, makes them easier to swallow. But please, no one who is overweight, or drug-addled, or obviously sick. I don't want my baby to grow up in an unhealthy environment."
"Yes, ma'am!" Sid said with a salute as the vine retreated back into Rafflesia's empty socket.
"I'll see you outside. You..." She turned and looked directly at Ashlin. "I'm not so sure about though." Without turning back the one-eyed creature headed outside.
"So...Looks like it's the last round now." Sid noted.
"Yeah." Ash nodded. If she was chosen this round, she would lose. Die. If either of the other two was, then she'd be in the final two. Jackpot. "And I think it's obvious who the human is now." she said, pointing at AZ.
"You're right, it is obvious who the human is." Sid turned around and faced her. "You."
Ash's heart stopped.
"M-me? Why me?"
Sid moved closer and she took a step back.
"Come now, Ash. Do you want me to repeat what Rafflesia said? She got a lot right, didn't she? I was a bit scared she was going to convince the crowd because I wanted you all to myself. Or mostly, anyway. I can share with one."
Just as she said that AZ stepped beside her and lowered his scythe to Ash's throat. She tried to stay calm, to stop her surging emotions from spilling over, but she couldn't keep it up. A sob broke out of her mouth and she felt the tears running down her face.
"Please...." she whimpered.
"Awww, scared? That just adds fuel to the fire, doesn't it?" Sid's voice was cruel and devoid of sympathy or restraint. AZ slowly nodded, applying a bit more pressure on the blade.
The voting alarm rang in her ear.
"Saved by the bell." Sid whispered and AZ removed his scythe. "Now vote."
Ash slid to the ground, breathing heavily. She held the remote tight, pressed the number 9, and prayed. For the first time in her life, she prayed for a miracle.
FINAL ROUND
RESULTS
6 = 0
7 = 1
9 = 2
Ashlin was speechless. AZ seemed very perplexed too.
The chosen human was
9
His gaze switched rapidly between a giggling Sid and the screen.
That choice was
CORRECT
Ash couldn't believe it. What was happening? Confusion spread throughout her mind. Suddenly, she felt a bit dizzy.
Sorry, Number
9
You are the loser. Too bad.
"No!" AZ yelled. "No, this is a trick! I can't lose! I can't die here!" His voice was remarkably unremarkable.
"From what I've been told the human gets the most prep out of anyone in the game." Sid commented. "Which means you knew full well what the consequences of a loss were going to be. So suck it up. You agreed to play the game, now you have to abide by the rules."
"Sh-shut up, monster! You have no power over me!" He grabbed his scythe with both hands, winded up, and swung it down at Sid's head with all of his might.
But then she began to sing.
It was a beautiful tune, full of both sorrow and hope. Ashlin couldn't understand the lyrics. They were not meant for her. But she felt herself calm down regardless. Once again tears began to run down her cheeks, but for a very different reason.
The blade of the scythe stopped just short of Sid, who continued her song unabated.
"I, uhm.....maybe..." AZ stumbled backward and let himself down on the couch. His weapon fell to the ground with a quiet clang.
She continued her tune until the old man reappeared on the TV.
"And so, the game has come to an end. Our kin has emerged victorious, and the proverbial genie stays in the bottle for another year. I am glad to see that we made it to the last possible round, despite some..... unforeseen distractions. You two, who have prevailed, will be welcomed into our humble collective with open arms. But not today. Go out now, and enjoy what remains of Halloween night. Enjoy your victory, and enjoy your prey. You will hear from us soon."
The screen transitioned again, into a split picture of both Ash and Sid. The word WINNER was displayed at the top, and below that two other words, one for each of them.
The one for Sid made sense. She had thought as much already. But the one for her was so strange........or maybe it just made her feel strange. No matter how long she looked at it, she couldn't wrap her head around it. Her headache returned in full force. She looked up at Sid.
Oh, had she been talking all this time? It was rude not to listen to friends.
".nce he did his spooky light show at the beginning. The rules said an inhuman is not allowed to reveal themselves, so if he was one he'd have been disqualified right there. I voted for him every time but once. Had to keep my best girl in the running, after all." she said with a wink.
Ash found it hard to concentrate.
"So what was that shit about before the last vote?" She slowly got up on her feet again.
Sid shrugged.
"Drama. Fun. Spicing things up for the old geezer. Also, I wanted to fuck with you a little. Just a little though."
"Thanks...."
"No problem. Want to take care of AZ with me? Let off a bit of steam?"
She shook her head.
"No.....no, I think I'll just go home for tonight." Her head was still pounding. It didn't let up.
"Suit yourself. See you later then, partner."
She grabbed her face mask and pulled it down, revealing a mouth filled with hundreds of thin, needle-like teeth.
Ash turned around and stumbled to the front door. The last thing she heard before she stepped outside was "Hey, AZ. How about you and me go for a little swim?"
She was welcomed by a familiar group of people out front. Marty was drinking a beer, while Rafflesia and Avalon sat next to Rui on the hood of her car. Four long, black, spindly legs protruded from her back, two of which were wrapped protectively around a young woman on her lap, who was busy eating Rafflesia's other eyeball.
Rafflesia especially was surprised to see her, but Ashlin just excused herself, got In her car, and drove home. On the way, she had to stop more than once to hurl out the window. To say she was feeling miserable was an understatement.
When she finally arrived she ran into someone who raced by on a bike as she was exiting her car.
"Oww, goddammit lady, can't you watch wh..." She grabbed him by the face and dragged him into the alley beside the house. He started screaming, but it became quieter and quieter until it finally ceased completely. She had no idea what she had done. All she wanted was for him to leave her alone. But whatever it was, she felt better already..
Once inside her apartment, she undressed and made her way to the bedroom. The chick from yesterday was still there, unmoving. Ashlin grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her around. She was greeted by her own face. Just like that, the headaches returned.
She stumbled over to the bathroom and splashed fresh water onto her face. Today had been an absolute nightmare.
Her eyes fell on a bottle of pills standing on the sink.
That's right.
Ashlin needed pills. She had taken them before bed. Were they the reason for her current condition? No, it couldn't be. She never had problems with taking someone's pills before.
Wait, before? When had she ever taken someone else's pills? What was going on?
She looked up at the mirror and stumbled backward in fear.
Her face!
That wasn't what it looked like!
This wasn't her face!
No!
What was happening?
Why was it happening to her?
She pleaded and begged for someone to save her as her head exploded from sheer agony.
Before she passed out, in her last second of consciousness, she thought back to the word that had appeared under her picture on the TV. And she finally understood.
CHANGELING.
--------------
.
She awoke with a groan on the bathroom floor. It was unclear how long her little nap was, but it hurt her back something fierce. Slowly, she pulled herself up on the sink and inspected herself in the mirror.
Everything was fine.
A hint of stubble, but that was what the guy liked. She wondered if he'd been found already. The guy in the alley. Frank was his name. A wife, two daughters.....a bit too much baggage of her liking, but it would do. If he hadn't been found that is.
The next few minutes were spent getting ready. Had to look good for the wifey, after all.
One thing was for sure though, no more meds. No matter what. One last look in the mirror.
"Looking good, Frank."
He packed up a few things and took a last look at Ashlin, stiff and motionless in the bed. What a mess. He wondered when he would be contacted. Still couldn't believe he went to the game like that. But hey, it paid off, didn't it?
Anyway, he had all the time in the world. This new family would last him a few months at least. A grin spread on his face. And what a few months those would be. He couldn't wait. First he had to get rid of the real Frank though.
"See you later, tuts." he said and went out the door. He had work to do, after all.