Jason awoke with a bit of a start. Briefly forgetting last night’s events, he woke up to a room he was not used to. It took him a moment to place himself. Then, he groggily got up, his body sore from last night’s sleep. He hadn't bothered to take his outfit off, so he was still dressed in the tuxedo he had last night. His hair had flattened against his head during his sleep, and he was relatively dirty, so he decided to take a shower. He took his clothes off and tossed them into a corner. Stepping into the shower, he realized that for all the money Francis had put into the house, the showers were clearly not a priority. It was a basic shower, no fanciness about it. Jason let the water flow on his body for a bit before he allowed himself to think about what had transpired last night. Immediately, one thought came to his mind - he was alive. If the killer had targeted someone, it was not Jason. A horrible thought then crossed his mind - as a detective, wouldn't he be a target almost immediately? He refused to allow himself to think like that, and banished the thought from his mind. After cleaning himself with the meager soap bar and shampoo, he dried himself on the thin towel in the bathroom. He then went over to his closet. As he opened his closet, he realized that only two different garments were available - about fifteen exact copies of the outfit he had worn the night before and about ten light blue pajamas. Sighing, he put on one of the outfits in his wardrobe. Aside from his hair now being flattened, he looked identical to last night. Still tired, he walked out of the room. It was then that he realized that he had no sense of time whatsoever. There were no windows, no clocks and therefore no way to tell the time. He assumed it must be morning.

   Exiting his room, he noticed that his door was not quite the end of the hallway. The last door in the hallway was a door labelled “Recreation”. To Jason’s expectations, the door was locked. Parallel to it was a door labelled “Third floor” which, once again, was locked. It seemed that for the time being, Jason and the other guests were limited to the dormitories and the entrance hall. Aside from him, the men’s hallway was empty. He could see Navini and Lola having a conversation in the women’s hallway. He decided not to interfere with them. Suddenly, his stomach growled. Growled was perhaps not the appropriate word for it - roared was more accurate. He then realized that he had not had any supper before going to bed. He then headed for the dining room.

   Reaching the dining room, he realized he was not the only one who had had the same idea. Vicki was currently sat cross legged in her chair, an uneaten butter toast in front of her. Mikad and Michael were sat parallel to each other, talking about some sport Jason had no knowledge of. Selena sat alone, sipping a glass of what looked like orange juice. Lavender also sat alone, eating a bowl of cereal with (and Jason thought this was odd) no milk.

   “Where did you get that?” Jason asked, pointing at Lavender’s bowl.

   “Oh, this? Well, the kitchen’s unlocked now,” Lavender replied. “There's enough food in there to feed all of North America for a month and then some. Although, there's no staff of any kind, so if we want something fancy, we need to cook it ourselves.”

Jason had a gut feeling that some people would take the lazy route of having simple meals for the entirety of their stay. Regardless, Jason was hungry, so he headed to the kitchen.

   What the showers had lacked in richness was more than made up for in the kitchen. The kitchen was enormous, and Jason almost had to shield his eyes from the polished whiteness of the place. There were several ovens lining up near the counters, and several refrigerators near the back of the kitchen. Above the huge countertop were several pantries. One of the pantries’ door was slightly ajar, and Jason assumed that that was where the breakfast items were kept - an assumption that was proven to be correct once Jason opened the doors to the pantry and found several different kinds of cereals, along with various spreads to put on toasts. Bagel, croissants and other kinds of breads also lined the pantry. Simply put, there was anything you could ever want for breakfast and more. Jason even saw some pancake mix. Jason settled on a peanut butter toast, and put his slice of bread into the toaster. Next, he set out to look for plates. As he was looking, Navini walked into the kitchen, almost out of breath.

   “Huff… Huff… Jason? Is that you?”

Jason got up to see Navini.

   “Oh, perfect! Help me find somewhere to hide.”

   “What?”

   “Anywhere, just hurry!”

With no time to argue, Navini began to squeeze herself underneath the sink. Confused, Jason just stood by and watched. He noticed that, like himself, Navini must have received several identical outfits in her wardrobe. This, unfortunately, meant that Jason would have to get used to seeing her… Unique sense of fashion every morning. However, Jason noticed that she had tied her hair up into one ponytail as opposed to two, which now hung loosely from Navini’s head.

   “Quick, close the doors!”

   “What on earth..?” Jason wasn't totally sure about what she was doing.

   “I'll explain later, just close them now!”

   “Okay, okay!”

Jason closed the doors to the area underneath the sink, completely shielding Navini from view. No sooner had he done that, he understood why Navini had made such a bizarre request. Henry walked into the kitchen, apparently also out of breath.

   “Ah, good morning, Jason!” Henry said, glancing around the kitchen. “Tell me, you wouldn't have happened to see Navini around here, would you?”

Jason could take the hint. He shook his head ‘no’.

   “Really? I could have sworn I saw her walk in here… Oh well! Thanks for your help, I guess…” Defeated, Henry stumbled back out of the kitchen, disheartened. Shoving the doors beneath the sink open, Navini crawled out.

   “It is SERIOUSLY cramped down there,” Navini mentioned, stretching her arms as she did so. “Anyways, thanks for your help! That creep has been following me around ever since he woke up! Seriously… You know, while I'm here, I might as well grab a bite to eat.”

She grabbed an apple and a banana and, taking a bite into the apple, she made her way out. Jason heard the click of the toaster, and he remembered his toast.

   Making his way back to the dining hall, he saw that others had joined themselves to the table. Axel looked positively infuriated, and it took a moment for Jason to realize why. Axel had had the misfortune of being sat right next to Bobby, who was telling him another of his awful jokes. Again, he wore the strange metallic backpack. Jason wondered what it could be for. Lelina and Rose had also joined the guests at the table, and both sat in silence. Seeing Jason walk out of the kitchen, Rose leaped out of her chair.

   “Ah, that's where you got the grub!”

   “Y...you could have a...asked someone,” Lelina added, which Rose seemed to ignore.

   Visibly hungry, Rose dashed into the kitchen, nearly knocking Jason over in the process. Despite her comment, it seemed that Lelina had also not known about the kitchen being unlocked, and she silently made her way over to the kitchen. Jason noticed that she was still carrying her box full of toys. Either way, he made his way to the corner of the table, sitting down to meet Lavender’s questioning gaze.

   “So about yesterday,” Lavender began. “You never did answer my question.”

Jason raised an eyebrow, although he knew full well what she going to ask him about. He had tried to avoid the topic. Ariana’s death was still a sensible subject for him.

   “If you have to know,” Jason began, “Ariana Beverly was my boss. She was murdered several days ago by the talent killer. As her second in command, so to speak, I ended up inheriting all of her unfinished work. Amongst that work was a letter from Francis Helmsburg.  Seeing the contents of the letter, I knew it had to relate to her death, so I came to the party using her talent as a disguise, and you know the rest.”

   “I figured as much,” Lavender affirmed, smiling. “I just needed to hear it to confirm.”

Jason felt a huge relief, knowing that his identity would not be questioned. Still, he felt a hint of suspicion from Lavender. Did she suspect him? Either way, his thoughts were interrupted by a lot of shouting.

   “Bullshit! There's no way!” Michael had suddenly raised his voice and everyone turned to look at him.

   “And yet I assure you I speak the truth,” Mikad’s voice remained calm, although there was an edge to it.

   “Yeah right! As if you would know more about boxing than me!”

Everyone else in the dining room watched nervously as tension seemed to be building between the two.

   “Coming from an ape who doesn't know what a shirt is, I'd say that's fairly hypocritical,” Mikad replied.

   “That does it! I’m gonna show you what being a boxer is all about!” Michael replied threateningly. Mikad did not react. Arthur and Dexter, not having seen any of the argument, walked into the room confused. Michael ran around the table and swung his fist into Mikad’s face.

   “No.” Arthur had just brought her shield up to block the punch. Michael, having hit solid metal, clutched his fist in pain. “You will not harm others while I live,” Arthur’s voice carried a lot of weight.

   “I, of course, feel the same way,” Dexter added. “Now then, where did you all get this food? Believe it or not, a ninja can get hungry…” As if on cue, Dexter’s stomach growled. The tension seemed to ease in the room. Michael, still looking pissed, mumbled something about showing the kitchen to Dexter and stormed off into the kitchen. Dexter and Arthur followed. Gradually, everyone in the house made their way into the dining room. Henry returned to sit down, defeated, and at the same time, Navini snuck back into the dining room, her seat placement thankfully obscuring her from Henry. Mikad had made no comment about the previous fight with Michael, and Michael was shooting death stares at Mikad. Ignoring his terrible mood, Lola was giggling and grabbing onto his biceps. Everyone settled in to have breakfast and chat. Everyone except Selena, that is, who got up the minute everyone was sat down. She calmly walked to the kitchen, an empty glass in hand. When she returned (without her glass), she did not return to her seat like others had. Instead, she walked straight out of the dining room, caring not to talk to anyone else. Curious, Jason hastily excused himself and followed after her. Selena was headed upstairs to the girls’ hallway. She stopped at the very end. Similarly to the boys’ hallway, a door with the words ‘Third Floor’ hung on it was waiting for them. However, the door parallel to that was different than in the boys’ hallway. Instead of ‘Recreation’, it said ‘Study’. It was to this door that Selena was headed. Once there, she grabbed the handle and pulled. The door did not budge, apparently locked. She sighed and tried the ‘Third Floor’ door. It also did not move.

   “If you were wondering, Jason, I was hoping that one of these doors might be unlocked, considering the kitchen was suddenly open,” Selena did not turn around while she spoke to Jason. In fact, Jason was surprised that she had known he had followed her at all.

   “That is, unless…” Not caring to finish her thought aloud, she dashed to the other end of the corridor, the end of the boys’ hallway. Jason followed. She got the door written ‘Recreation’ on it and pulled. It did not move, also apparently locked. She did not even bother to try the ‘Third Floor’ door.

   “How disappointing. Oh well,” Selena, not really seeming disappointed at all, gracefully walked back to her room. Jason guessed that she had not really come to check if the doors were locked, and that she was forced to appear to be doing so since Jason was following her. Regardless, she stayed in her room for a while after, so Jason set out to investigate the house.

   The status on the front doors had not changed - they were still locked, as imposing and trapping as ever. As Jason investigated, people gradually began to file out of the dining room. Some, seeing nothing better to do, stayed in the dining room to socialize with their fellow guests. Others retreated to their rooms. Very few actually investigated, and those that did were not very encouraging to Jason. Vivian was doing another dance, this time with a bluebell, the poppy having retaken its place on her dress. Jason immediately assumed that they must be fake flowers, and his suspicion was confirmed when Vivian’s dance brought her closer to Jason - the flowers all had a shiny quality about them that could only be plastic. Yet, Jason noticed a painful amount of detail on these fake flowers - the roses had carefully drawn thorns on them, the bluebells gradually turning from a blue to a more violet color, and the poppies had carefully structured inside colors. Shaking his head, he focused once again on the room. Jason went to the one other door he had yet to check - the large doors on the left of the hall. Much to his expectations, the doors did not open when he pulled them. Then, Vivian spiraled into him, knocking him into the doors. To his great surprise, the doors opened. Despite having doorknobs, the doors could only be pushed open. Vivian, picking herself back up, didn't seem to notice that she had caused this.

   “Oh, wow! Jason opened the doors! That's new!” And she resumed dancing around the hall. The others that had been investigating noticed this development and headed to the new room.

   Picking himself up, Jason observed his surroundings. The doors on the left had led to - more doors. Seriously? The room he was in, if he could call it one, was just an empty hall, barely large enough to fit the six people currently investigating. Timothy, Mary, Lavender, Dahinko, Skyler and himself were thankfully the only ones who entered. Vivian stayed outside, twirling around as if nothing else was happening. The room was plainly decorated, a simple red rug spread out across its length. One simple lamp hung from the ceiling to light up the room. Aside from that, there were no decorations in the small hall. Three doors led from it, but unlike the doors in the dormitories, these ones were not labelled. He went to the one on the right first, which Lavender was currently investigating. She tried pulling the doorknob at first. Then, she simply looked, lost in her own thoughts.

   “Have you tried pushing it?” Jason asked. Startled, Lavender jumped a little before turning around to talk to Jason.

   “I don't know why, but I somehow get the feeling that that isn't going to help us very much,” she replied. Jason tried to push the door and, sure enough, the door didn't budge either. Lavender continued to look at the door thoughtfully. Jason, sensing she wouldn't tell him what was on her mind, moved on to try and talk to the others. Skyler and Dahinko were currently in deep conversation about planes, so he decided to talk to Timothy and Mary, who were currently trying the door at the far left. Timothy began uselessly pulling at the door, Mary shaking her head.

   “You're not going to get anything done like that,” Mary sighed.

   “No, really? I never would have guessed!” Timothy shot back sarcastically, the usual calm in his voice completely gone.

   “Everything okay here?” Jason, seeing Timothy’s behavior contrasting what he witnessed last night, was slightly worried.

   “Oh, everything's not fine, Jason,” Mary answered seriously. “Did you know that Timothy here is an atheist? Terrible, I know.”

   “How, exactly?” Timothy, clearly more exasperated than anything else, replied. Ignoring him completely, Mary continued.

   “I've been trying to guide him to the light of God, but it's taking a lot of work. Then again, I pride myself on my stubbornness, so I refuse to give up!”

   “Why do I get the feeling most people she's evangelized just did so to get her to shut up?” Timothy sighed, annoyed. Jason chuckled and decided that it would be more productive to head off and talk to Dahinko and Skyler.

   “... And that's why I'm never going to Rio de Janeiro ever again! They won't let me after I nearly crashed into Christ the Redeemer!” Dahinko concluded his story. Skyler stared at Dahinko in disbelief.

   “Um… Yeah… How on earth does that happen?” Skyler asked. Dahinko just giggled.

   “So about the door…” Jason interrupted the two. Skyler waved politely and Dahinko began talking uncontrollably.

   “Oh, hi, Jason! Yeah, we haven't made any progress, but we're trying! How did you open the door? Was it because you and Vivian managed to force it open? Ooh, do you wanna hear about the time I went to-”

   “Breathe, Dahinko, breathe!” Skyler laughed. “You do not have an off switch, do you?” Dahinko flashed a bright smile. “And sorry, Jason. This door is locked as well.”

   “Yeah, no matter how much we pull and pull and pull, the door won't move! Do you think it's stuck with super glue? Or maybe it's not a door at all! Maybe it's just a wall covered by doors!”

   “The doors are just locked, Dahinko. Jeez, for an adult, you certainly have a bright imagination.”

   “That's me! A child at heart!” Dahinko once again flashed his smile. Skyler laughed, which caused Dahinko to laugh as well. The two laughs could not be more different - Dahinko’s was high-pitched and light, while Skyler’s was deep, long and hearty - and yet they laughed in unison. Jason wondered if they had known each other beforehand. Seeing that none of the doors would open, Jason made his way out of the cramped hall and back into the entrance hall, where a familiar scene was playing out.

   Once again, swords clashed with one another. This time, however, Dexter’s expression was much less hostile, and Arthur fought without her armor on. Underneath it, Jason could see she was actually rather pretty, even though she was wearing a simple white t-shirt and sweatpants. Her hair was undone and fell loosely on her back, and she was actually smiling as she fought with Dexter. Jason noticed that each strike was aimed loosely, clearly meant to avoid hitting anything major. And yet, they came at each other with blistering speed. Each new strike resulted in another clang, and the crowd that had gathered watched in awe and silence. Even Selena had come to see the duel. After several dozen strikes that no one seemed capable of tearing their eyes from, they finally put their swords down. Then, to everyone’s surprise, Arthur started laughing.

   “Your swings are weak, old man!” Arthur taunted Dexter. Dexter returned the laughter.

   “Only because I'm holding back! If my sword were not a replica, your sword would be two pieces on the floor!” Dexter taunted back. Arthur, filled with determination, swung once again at Dexter, this time at full strength. Dexter easily blocked the blow, but the strength of the blow caught him off guard. He stumbled backwards ever so slightly. Arthur let a satisfied smirk crawl on her face. Dexter recovered and swung without warning. Arthur barely had time to lift her shield to block it, her eyes widening.

   “Do not underestimate me, even with a simple replica,” Dexter’s voice deepened quickly, his eyes narrowing. He looked truly frightening. Arthur, recovering her balance, looked slightly offput. Finally, the two noticed the crowd, and lowered their swords.

   “Fear not, fellow guests! We were simply having a practice duel - to make sure we were fit to protect you all,” Dexter explained. His normal expression had returned, as if he had never appeared mad. Still, Jason could not erase Dexter’s expression from his mind. Apparently, neither could Arthur - she still seemed shaken. Seeing the duel was over, the other guests returned to what they were doing. Jason heard the doors click behind him. When he turned around, Lavender had finally left the small hallway.

   “So?” Jason asked. Lavender raised an eyebrow. “Did you find anything? You were in there longer than anyone else. You missed the fight, by the way.”

   “Really? Aww…” Lavender sighed, not looking disappointed at all. “And yeah, I found something. The doors aren't identical. All three doors have a different dent somewhere,” she explained. Jason gave her a shocked look, as if to say that's all? Lavender merely shrugged. Disappointed, Jason returned to investigating the room.

   However, his investigation revealed that nothing was different than it initially appeared. None of the flowerpots had real flowers in them, instead being filled with plastic lilies. Jason looked around for Vivian, meaning to ask if she had any lilies on her, but she was gone, probably to her room to do God knows what with her flowers. With the help of Michael, Mikad and A, Jason lifted the rug in the main hall to see what was underneath. However, there was nothing there, only wooden floor. Disappointed, they put the rug back. Going upstairs, he examined the painting of the Last Supper hung in the hallway. Aside from Vincent Alfonzo’s note at the bottom, nothing was unusual about the painting. Lifting the painting also revealed nothing. Jason tried one last thing he had not tried - pushing the doors in the hallway. When she had examined them, Selena did not try pushing the doors, like Vivian and Jason had afterwards in the center hall. Hopeful, Jason pushed the door. To his disappointment, none of the doors opened even a fraction. Beaten, Jason went back to his room, to see if he could do anything there. However, similar to this evening, he did not notice anything strange - that is, with the exception of a strange security camera hidden in the very top right corner of his room. It could only be described as odd - it was a triangular shape, with what seemed like a doubled lens and it was all coated in a sulphur yellow color. Curious, Jason decided to have a proper look at it. He brought the chair in his room to be directly underneath it, then he climbed up onto it and stood. The small size of the chair caused it to be unsteady when someone was standing on it. Jason wobbled along with the chair for a few moments before it steadied itself. Cautiously, Jason took a peek at the camera.

   “Ah ah ah, no touching!”

Surprised by the suddenity of the voice, Jason lost his balance and fell of the chair. He got up, rubbing his now bruised back. The person who had addressed him was none other than Brian, who was now seated on Jason’s bed. Jason noticed that his lower body almost seemed to go through the sheets - that was when Jason remembered that this was only a projection of Brian, similar to what had happened last evening.

   “Jeez, am I going to have to put up security measures around the cameras, too? Well, whatever. In any case, I'm here to give you this!”

   Brian handed Jason a small piece of paper. To Jason’s surprise, the paper was not a projection, but was actually very real. Well, to say he handed him the paper was a bit of an exaggeration - rather, he pointed to the piece of paper that was already on the bed. Jason suspected that the real Brian had more than likely placed them there while they were at breakfast. Jason looked at the paper, uncertain. In very crude writing, the piece of paper read:

INVTATION!

You R Invted to a party tomrrow nite!

B their!

It was accompanied by terrible drawings of balloons and what Jason guessed was a party hat, but it looked more like a flower than anything else.

   “Do you like it?” Brian asked. “I made them myself!”

   “Umm… I guess they're… Okay,” Jason replied, trying to appease to Brian while at the same time holding in a fit of laughter from how terrible they were made. Brian didn't buy into it - tears welled in his eyes. The second they appeared, though, they were gone, and Brian carried on in his cheerful demeanor.

   “You're the first one to say you liked it! You should have seen Selena’s face when I asked her. And Gary was so mad that I stepped on the dress he was making that he didn't even look at the paper! Whatever. If you're not present at the party, I'll have a surprise you most definitely don't want, so be there, okay? Good! Now about you trying to tamper with the cameras…” With that, Brian’s projection fizzled out, leaving Jason to look at the paper in his hand. It wasn't very long before he once again heard Brian’s voice. This time, however, it came from a staticky sounding speaker, that seemed to be projecting across the house.

   Ding-dong! “Um… Hel-bzzt! Can you all hear-bzzt! Good, they seem to be working! Ahem - to everyone still alive in the household, I have an announcement to make! Tampering with the cameras in any room is forbidden, and doing so will result in an especially horrible punishment. Got it? Good! Bye bye!” Dong-Ding!

   What Jason retained from that was that Brian had said:”to everyone still alive”, rather than to everyone. Did this imply that someone in the house was not alive? Or that there was an extra guest? Perhaps Sir Francis was actually hiding somewhere in the house? Regardless, this meant that he could not investigate the strange camera in his room any longer. Frustrated, Jason went downstairs to try and socialize with the other guests.

   “Hey! Hold on! What do you think you're doing?” Brian had reappeared, this time talking to Jessica. Jason noticed that in her hand, Jessica was holding what appeared to be the remains of the strange camera he had in his room. Where she had found this one, Jason did not know. “You know, I'm going to punish you for this!”

   “How, exactly?” Jessica asked.

   “Didn't you just hear me?! I said that tampering with the cameras-”

   “When did you say it, pray tell?”

   “Are you deaf or something? I literally just gave an announcement saying that-”

   “Oh, I tore the speaker out of my room a long time. Your voice… Yaaawwwnnn… Annoys me,” Jessica, clearly not fazed by Brian being pissed at her, seemed extremely emotionless. Brian was practically fuming - smoke was literally pouring out of him, and Jason had to wonder if he had added the visual effects. “Anyways, from what I gathered, I'm not supposed to rip out the camera, right?”

   “That's correct! Way to catch on!” Brian was practically screaming.

   “And if I do, I get punished?” Jessica spoke and then yawned.

   “Yes, that's right! That means I can punish you!” Brian’s anger had turned to extreme joy.

   “No you can't. I didn't know, so technically… Yaaawn… I did nothing worthy of punishment,” Jessica countered emotionlessly. Brian tried to find something to counter her statement. He fumbled for a bit. Then, returning to a fuming state, he fizzled out.

   “That was easier than I thought,” Jessica said.

   “Do you have a death wish or something?” Jason asked her. “If that hadn't worked, then you could have-”

   “I was testing to see what he meant by punishing. It's a shame I could witness it. You guys could have been warned about it.” Jessica said all of this without looking at Jason, in a bored, monotone voice.

   “Still, that's dangerous! What if he had made good on his promise?” Jason was seriously worried about her. She seemed to care so little about her own life! She was practically throwing it away. Jessica shrugged.

   “Not that I… Yaaaaawn… Care, really. Besides, isn't this a good thing? It means we can analyze the cameras, right?” Jessica held up the broken camera remains in her hand.

   “Was that one in your room?” Jason asked. Jessica nodded.

   “I need my privacy. He thinks he can… Yaaaawn… Spy on the girls without repercussions? I don't think so,” Jessica answered. “Let's take this thing to the dining room, shall we? Can you… Yaaaaaaaawn… Round everyone up?” Without waiting for a reply from Jason, she headed to the dining room, her pom-poms bouncing on her hips as she walked. Sighing, Jason went to go round everyone up. Fortunately for him, almost everyone was currently in the center hall, so he simply had to shout to get everyone’s attention and direct them to the dining room. However, two people were missing, and they were the hardest duo to find - Navini and Henry.

   It took some time for Jason to find a trace of either of them. He finally found Henry in his room after he had exited it. Jason had checked his room earlier, but to no response. However, he finally spotted Henry exiting his room. His hair was flattened, and it seemed to be still wet. Jason guessed that he had been in the shower.

   “Ah, good day, Jason! What brings you to my fine room today?” Jason explained the situation to Henry.

   “Is that right? She really is suicidal, that one… Anyhow, will Navini be attending?”

   “Actually, I still need to find Navini…” Jason said. He immediately regretted it.

   “Is that right? Then, as her destined soulmate, I will help you find her!” Henry posed. Jason had to surpress the urge to burst out laughing. Henry and Navini, soul mates? Somehow Jason doubted it. Despite Jason’s protests, however, Henry was set on accompanying him, and would not take no for an answer. Defeated, Jason resigned himself to have Henry accompany him.

   Henry, with a bounce his step, took the lead. He headed off towards the girls’ hallway. Logically, if Navini weren't in the main hall, she would be in her room, so that was where the two were headed. Henry reached her door first and knocked a little too enthusiastically. There was no response from Navini. Jason reached the door and knocked as well, this time in a more polite fashion. Again, there was no response. Jason put his head to the door, listening for running water that would indicate that she was in the shower. He heard nothing. Suddenly, Henry’s stomach started growling loudly.

   “I have an idea! Let us search elsewhere! You continue to search here, and I shall search the kitchen. Good luck!” Before Jason could object, Henry dashed off. So much for soul mates, Jason thought. Regardless, it seemed Navini was not in her room, so Jason headed out in search of other possible locations.

   Jason checked that Navini was not, in fact, already in the dining room. Her seat remained empty, along with Jason’s and Henry’s, who was probably pigging out in the kitchen. There weren't very many places Jason could look for her, so Jason set out. He checked every nook and cranny in the center hall, and even returned to her room to try again. There was still no response, however. Jason tried opening the doors at either end of the hallway, but to no avail. Where on Earth could Navini be hiding? Jason then thought of one last place he had yet to look - the hallway with the three doors he had discovered earlier today. He tried pulling the doorknob before he remembered he had to push the door open. Finally, he opened the door.

   “Piss off, Henry! Oh, it's just you, Jason,” Navini was hiding behind the door, waiting to slam it in Henry’s face. Jason had to stop himself or receive a door to the face. “Sorry about that… Heh..,” Navini said sheepishly. “Anyways, did you need me for anything?”

   “Actually, yes. Jessica told me to round everyone up. Everyone else is already in the dining room,” Jason explained.

   “Really? Well, guess I have to go then, huh? Can you make sure Henry doesn't see me leave? I kinda want to reuse this spot. I'm hoping these doors don't stay unlocked forever - the more places to hide from him, the better,” Navini sighed. Jason looked into the hall, to make sure Henry wasn't there. Sure enough, his seat remained empty in the dining hall. He motioned to Navini that she was clear. Cautiously, she followed Jason into the dining hall.

   With the exception of Henry, everyone was sat in the dining hall.

   “How much longer do we have to keep waiting?” Michael complained.

   “Stop whining,” Selena pointed at Michael. “Your voice annoys me. So shut up.” Michael, outraged, did not come up with a response.

   “Is everyone here, Jason?” Jessica said sleepily. Sure enough, she yawned immediately after speaking to Jason.

   “I think Henry’s still in the kitchen, but aside from him, that everyone.” Jason answered.

   “Perhaps we should begin,” Lavender suggested.

   “Yeah, you're right. I don't… Yaaaaaawn… Think Henry could help much in the matter anyways,” Jessica replied. “In any case, I had Jason gather you all to show you this.” Jessica unceremoniously placed the remains of the camera and speaker onto the table. Almost instinctively, everyone leaned in to observe the camera parts. Jason noticed the strange triangular shape that defined the camera almost immediately. Amongst other things, the camera seemed to have a miniature projector in it. Jessica wasn't very careful when transporting it, and pieces of the equally shattered speaker had mixed themselves with the camera. Nevertheless, Jason got the basics of the camera’s design.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

   “So that’s how Brian can project himself everywhere!” Timothy noted.

   “So he won't be able to project himself in Jessica’s room anymore?” Axel asked.

   “Somehow I doubt he's sitting still right now,” Lavender replied. “He's probably putting a new camera in her room, if he hasn't already done so. He wouldn't have let her go so easily if he couldn't fix it.”

   “Which brings up another question,” Selena added. “Has anyone stopped themselves to ask how on earth a baby is behaving like a fully grown adult? Or is it just me?”

   Everyone looked at each other, uncertain. With all the mysteries surrounding their circumstances, it seemed that no one had stopped and ask themselves that very question.

   “Wait, Brian’s a human?” Vivian broke the silence. Everyone looked at her  incredulously before brushing it off.

   “In any case,” A continued the conversation, ignoring Vivian’s commentary, “it looks like Brian can spy on us pretty much anywhere in the building.”

   “That means we're completely trapped! We can't do anything without him knowing!” Mikad exclaimed. “And breaking these cameras could result in something excruciatingly painful!”

   “At least, so he claims,” Timothy noted. “We have no definitive proof there really is a killer among us, nor that he can punish us in such a manner that we would be affected.”

   “So you still live in denial?” Everyone turned to look at Selena, who had just spoken. She glanced around the room, as if savoring everyone’s incredulity. Then, after she was seemingly satisfied, she continued. “Wouldn't it be better to live under the assumption that there IS a killer among us? You know, the ones who live in denial make excellent first victims.”

   “Those are the words of a coward,” Dexter growled. “Are you suspicious of us already?”

   “It is my personal philosophy not to trust anyone. Thinking otherwise is an act of extreme delusion,” Selena replied. Dexter’s eyes narrowed in response. “In any case, it seems this conversation is done. If you don't mind, I shall excuse myself.” She stood up. Everyone watched her as she made her way to the doorway. Michael stood up and blocked the way out. Selena glanced at him, as if asking herself why he thought he could dare to block her passage.

   “You got a big mouth there, lady,” Michael said threateningly. “I don't know much about trust, but I can tell you that we need to work together. If you don't wanna work with us, I'm gonna have to make sure you don't interfere!”

   “I have no intention in dabbling with your delusions of trust, you overgrown ape,” Selena replied snidely. “Now step aside.”

   Jason looked at her in disbelief. Did she seriously think she could defeat Michael in a fight? In fact, Michael seemed to realize this, and a grin spread on his face.

   “You talk big for someone as scrawny as you. You sure you wanna take me on?” Michael asked sarcastically. Selena sighed.

   “I don't want to fight you,” Selena replied simply. “Now stand aside.”

Once again, Michael seemed to not take her seriously. He cracked his knuckles, readying for a fight.

   “Alright, you asked for it, lady. Either stand still and lemme punch ya or lemme punch ya real hard!” He took a swing.

   “S-stop!”

Lelina had inserted herself in between Michael and Selena. Michael stopped his fist midair, inches away from Lelina’s flustered face.

   “We...we shouldn't be fighting! If we c...can't work together, then we’re giving B...Brian exactly what he wants!” Lelina, having Michael’s fist inches away from her face, sounded appropriately nervous. Michael’s anger remained on his face for a moment as he debated whether to punch Lelina out of the way or not. Finally, after what seemed like a really long time, Michael lowered his fist.

   “Yeah, I guess you're right… I got out of hand… Sorry…” Michael apologized, staring at the floor sheepishly. Selena continued to glance at Michael in an undermining manner. Lelina smiled, relieved. Michael grinned sheepishly. Ignoring Lelina completely, Selena left the room.

   “At least we know who the first victim will be!” Vivian stated. Once again, everyone turned to look at her. This time, however, it was not in incredulity - rather, it was in shock, as they were stunned that that was what she had retained from the exchange that had just unfolded.

   “We're… Not going to be able to rely on her much, are we?” Lavender remarked. Everyone sighed in exasperation. The tension seemed to lift from the room. At that moment, Henry walked out of the kitchen, rubbing his stomach in satisfaction.

   “Why, bonjour! Why is everyone gathered here at this fine hour?” Henry asked, looking legitimately confused.

   “Henry, I thought I told you that we were meeting here,” Jason replied, confused. “Did you forget?”

   “What? I can recall no such thing, mon cher,” Henry replied. “I tend to forget most things when I'm eating. Speaking of which, I recall you were looking for Navini earlier. How has your search been?” At that moment, he noticed Navini, who had been silently edging her way out of the room. After noticing that Henry had spotted her, she broke out into a full sprint, rushing away from the room. “Oh, mon amour, don't run from me! You know we are meant to be!” Henry ran off after Navini. Everyone left in the room chuckled in exasperation, the tension having been completely removed from the dining room. Slowly, everyone made their way out of the room. Jessica picked up the pieces of the camera.

   “Yaaaaawn… It seems like these won't be of much use. Still…” She thought for a bit. Then, she took the projector and the camera lenses and shoved them in her pocket. She crumpled the rest with a crunch, taking it in her hands to the kitchen, probably to throw it out.

   “Boy, that was exciting, wasn't it!” Dahinko spoke mostly to Skyler.

   “You could certainly say that,” Skyler replied. “People here are certainly very…”

   “Weird? Strange? Complete and total antisocial freaks?” Dahinko suggested. Skyler raised an eyebrow at the last one.

   “I was going to say unique, but I guess those work too,” Skyler answered.

   “So, what do you want to do?” Dahinko asked.

   “Well, there isn't really much to do, is there?” Skyler answered. “You don't think it would have been too hard to give us a board game?” Dahinko giggled a little.

   “A board game, you say?”

Everyone left in the room (which included Jason, Lelina, Lavender, A, Skyler and Dahinko) turned to look at Brian, who had just appeared on the chair at the end of the table. “Why would you need that?”

   “W...well, it gets k...kind of boring just w...waiting around here,” Lelina answered.

   “Boring? Well, that's not going to last very long!” Brian replied. Everyone stared at him dubiously.

   “Whatever that means isn't important. Right now though, it's boring as hell in here!” A exclaimed. “I mean, investigating is fun and all, but surely you could put SOMETHING to reduce the boredom levels? Even just a freaking statue would be better than this!”

   “Hm…” Brian seemed to ponder this for a moment. “I got it! Meet me in front of the recreation room! If you're not there in five minutes, I'll punish ya!” And with that, his projection blipped out. The six guests in the dining room all silently began heading to the recreation room. Dahinko looked nervously at Skyler, who walked ahead silently. Lelina and Lavender were whispering about what could possibly be in the recreation room. Jason walked silently behind them, with A closing up their group. The others they passed by asked no questions. In fact, it seemed that most of the other guests had already headed to their respective rooms. Jason noticed that Lelina was still hauling her box full of toys around with her, and A still had his sniper rifle that he carried at his side. Jason wondered if it was still loaded. They arrived in front of the door marked ‘Recreation’ on it and waited in silence. After five minutes had passed, Brian appeared in front of the door.

   “Is everyone here? Yes? Aww… I was really hoping I could punish someone! You sure no one got lost?”

   “The house is almost entirely sealed off! How is anyone supposed to get lost?” Dahinko asked, but Brian ignored him and did not reply. Instead, Brian spun his rattle in his hand dramatically as he spoke.

   “Can I get a drumroll, please?” No one moved. Disappointed, Brian did his own drumroll, the rattle spinning in his hand like a baton. “Fine. Be that way!” Brian exclaimed. “All I am is nice to you people and I get no recognition…”  Brian mumbled quietly and stopped spinning his rattle, the electrified tip now pointing directly at the door. “Whatever. The door’s unlocked now, I guess. Have fun.” With no enthusiasm to his voice, Brian’s projection flickered out. The others all looked at each other warily.

   “Well, no time like the present!” A exclaimed, and gently pushed the door open. To everyone’s surprise, the door opened with no resistance. Cautiously, they all stepped inside.

   The room was huge. Not quite as big as the dining room, but still of a respectable size. Various bookcases lined the walls, and there were so much of the them that the dark oak walls were hard to make out. The floor, of the same dark brown color, had a forest green rug covering the majority of it. On top of the rug was a ping-pong table (complete with four rackets and several plastic balls) and a pool table. Four pool sticks were laying on the wall. The pool balls were nicely arranged in the traditional triangle shape. In the very center of the rear wall of the room, an unlit fireplace made of a polished granite sat, waiting to be lit. Little lamps filled the room, barely illuminating the room enough. Stacked haphazardly on one of the bookcases were a ton of board games. Every board game Jason could think of was on that bookcase. From classic titles to the most obscure game, it seemed like Sir Francis had not missed a single one. Everything was in immaculate condition, the ping-pong rackets looking brand new and the board games all neatly closed, despite their messy piling on the bookcase. The other bookcases were filled with - what else - books. Although Jason could not make out some of their titles because of the poor lighting, based on the titles Jason could make out, there was a stunning variety of books. From encyclopedias to mystery novels, from love stories to religious titles and from non-fiction works to passionate mysteries, everything was there. Accompanying this were two large, cushioned crimson sofas in the corner of the room. In this corner of the room, an actual lamp was shining with the appropriate amount of light for reading. On the table lay several books, all neatly stacked in a pile. The six that had entered the room lay stunned at the variety of recreational options at their disposal.

   “Well? Whaddaya think?”

Everyone turned to look at Brian, who had just materialized. Jason then noticed the triangular camera in the top right corner of the room, just above the corner of the board game bookcase. Considering the dark lighting of the room, Brian had dimmed his projection to fit with the odd lighting choice of the room.

   “Pretty impressive, huh? I spent a ton of time tidying it up for you guys! You wouldn't believe the mess Francis can make,” Brian said excitedly, as if waiting for a reaction from the others. Hurriedly, Dahinko ran over to the board game shelf.

   “Oh, look, Skyler! They have a ton of games! Which one should we play?”

   “I don't know… There are so many choices! How do we pick which one to start off with?” Skyler answered.

   “C...can I play w...with you guys?” Lelina asked.

   “Sure! Help us pick out which game to play!” Dahinko replied. Smiling, Lelina went over to the shelf.

   “I'm not one for board games myself,” Lavender noted. “I'd much rather a good book. I wonder if they have Midnight of the Rose?”

   “Midnight of the Rose? What's that? Never heard of it.” A asked, confused.

   “You must not read a lot, then,” Lavender noted, to which A agreed. “Midnight of the Rose is Vicki Ingrid’s first bestseller! It's a story about a guy and a girl-” but Lavender was cut short.

   “It's not a love story, is it? Those things always make me wanna barf with how unrealistic they are,” A interrupted.

   “That's the beauty of it - it's super realistic! They go through a ton of real couple problems - but it still manages to keep an excellent narrative and a ton of suspense going!” Lavender seemed quite passionate about the book. Despite this, Jason had noticed very little interaction between Lavender and the famous writer with whom they were currently sharing the household.

   “Hello, everyone! What is happening right now?”

Speaking of famous people in the household, Erick had just walked in the room accompanied by Rose and Audrey. Upon seeing the fireplace, Audrey rushed over to examine it. After a little examination, she stood up and nodded.

   “I could make a killer fire in this thing. Maybe enough to burn the house down…” Her eyes lit up when she said the word ‘burn’. “Only joking, of course! Didn't you look worried, Rose! Anyways, I could start a fire if you guys want. This fireplace is really well built, so I don't think there's much danger in the house lighting up.”

   “If you can start a fire without killin’ us all, go for it!” Rose patted Audrey on the back. “Just… Gimme a heads up before you do. You know, so I can get as far away as possible.” Audrey ignored that last part. She seemed too focused on getting the fireplace to work. Meanwhile, Rose joined herself to Dahinko, Skyler and Lelina, who were setting up a board game. That left Jason to engage in a conversation with Erick.

   “Why, hello, friend! Jason, was it?” Erick asked. Jason nodded in response. “You have struck with wonderful timing! I am in need of your assistance.” Curious, Jason listened to Erick. “You see, I am painfully bored at the moment! And Rose and Audrey have expressed their… Discontent at being around me for much longer. I can only imagine why!” Jason had no trouble imagining why. Of the little he had been around him, Erick already struck Jason as having a very strong personality. “So, now I shall be enjoying your company! We shall be ‘hanging out’! Is that right?” Jason sighed. The two then settled into the sofas.

   “So, tell me about being a detective, Jason. I am quite curious!” Erick snuggled into the couch, getting very comfortable. Jason sighed, settling himself in on the other sofa. “What is it that you do exactly?”

   “Well,” Jason began, “I specialize in murder investigations, but really my job consists of completing tasks for people; finding the killer, recovering stolen goods, etc.. Really basic stuff, to be honest.”

   “You must have had a lot of interesting cases, then! Tell me: have you ever investigated the talent killer? You are the finest detective on this planet!” Erick asked. Jason knew this one was coming, especially since the talent killer was amongst them.

   “Yeah, I got assigned to the case. Although, it was mostly my boss who took care of it.”

   “Your boss? Why aren't they amongst the guests, then?”

   “Well, that's because… The talent killer got to her first.” Silence held between the two as Erick processed this. Jason was in the process of remembering how it all happened, that day that seemed so distant and yet so painfully near…

   “Ariana? You home?” Jason was shouting to get Ariana’s attention. Today was the day, he told himself. Today was the day he would finally confess his love to Ariana. He held a bouquet of roses behind his back. He had been ringing the doorbell for quite some time now, yet there was still no response from Ariana. Maybe the doorbell isn't working? Jason tried to knock on the door, but to his surprise, it opened when he began. He knew immediately that something was wrong. If there was one thing Ariana didn't like, it was a lack of privacy. Jason stepped into the entrance hallway of her simple home. Everything was dark, as if no one has bothered to turn on any lights. Turning the lights on, he noticed something wrong. The vase filled with flowers of various kinds that usually lay on the entrance coffee table was on the floor shattered, the water spilt into the red rug. The coffee table itself had been knocked over, leaving a pictureframe on its face. Jason picked up the pictureframe and looked at the picture. It was a picture of Ariana and Jason, both smiling. Jason was looking away from the camera, and Ariana was flashing a sneaky look, as though she took the picture without Jason knowing. Jason didn't recall ever having taken the picture, and yet he wasn't worried about that at all right now. He noticed that on the usually featureless white walls were several indents and cuts. Someone had forced their way in, as was evidenced by the broken lock in the door. Jason immediately rushed upstairs. A similar hallway was present, this time with a peaceful blue rug. The beige walls were also covered in cuts. Jason had no time to appreciate Ariana’s sense of style, however. The door to what he assumed was Ariana’s bedroom was wide open, the last remaining rays of sunshine for the day flittering into the hallway. Jason dashed as fast as he could, praying he would make it. Reaching the entrance of the room, he then remembered something.

   Prayers are never answered in this line of business.

   “My condolences, Jason,” Erick’s comment brought Jason back to reality. “Perhaps I should begin telling you about my fascinating career as a waiter!” Jason looked at Erick incredulously. Erick was no waiter - he was a world renowned actor! Erick then winked at Jason, subtly pointing to Lavender, A and Audrey, who were still in the room. Jason's then recalled the conversation he and Erick had had when first arriving at the manor. Erick had tried to hide his true talent. At first, Jason had thought very little of it, but now that hiding your talent was equivalent to being the killer, he had to admit that Erick’s peculiar behavior was, at the very least, interesting.

   “Go ahead, then.” Jason told Erick.

   “Excellent! Then I shall make haste!” Erick replied. “Well, let's see… Where to start…” At that moment, Audrey dashed out of the room, and Lavender and A headed out as well, leaving Jason and Erick alone in the room. “Ah, very well!” Erick approved. “So, I suppose you'll be wanting an explanation as to my reluctance to admit my true talent?”

   Jason nodded and looked at Erick as if to say no duh.

   “Well, let's see… I suppose the reason I concealed my nature was because I wanted to appear normal. That's the only reason,” Erick explained. Noticing Jason’s curious glance, he elaborated. “Ever since I was young, I was cut off from the world. My parents were two famous actors before me, and they wanted their child to surpass them in that regard. So they trained me in that and that alone. Of course, I never knew better. I was educated in the basics of school, but I never left the house. I was mostly given theater lessons and I became a child star. So, naturally, I lacked the childhood most got. When I finally got my freedom, I was astounded by the outside world. So many things I had missed out on! Even things as simple as fast food were brand new to me! That's why I was excited to come to this party - I could finally become a normal person, and no one would be wiser. I'd appreciate it if you could keep my secret, Jason. You seem trustworthy,” he concluded. Jason nodded, agreeing to keep the secret. “Well this has taken a dark turn! Let us alleviate this boredom. Say, I've never played most of these games! Which one should we try?” Erick completely ignored that the exchanges had even happened and skipped gleefully to the shelf covered in board games. Not wanting to sadden the actor, Jason decided to indulge him for a little longer.

   After finishing a game with Erick that was longer than it should have been (Erick knew absolutely nothing about the rules), Jason politely excused himself from Erick’s overwhelming presence. As he turned to exit the recreation room, he smacked face first into a pile of books. He fell over, books landing on him. He rubbed his forehead on a spot where a particularly heavy tome had fallen on him. Looking around, he saw Vicki was also on the floor, rubbing her arm where a bruise was rapidly forming. She glared at him with a particularly large amount of spite.

   “You idiot… I had those all organized, too!” She complained. Jason tried to apologize, but Vicki would not let him. “Save the excuses. Gosh, you are so insensitive! You could at least help me rearrange it!” As she spoke, Vicki started to rearrange the pile of books that now lay all over the floor. Jason hurried to help her, but since he did not know the order of the novels, all he ended up doing was making Vicki more mad.

   “Why, hello, Vicki! What brings you here?” Erick had stepped out of the recreation room.

   “Nothing that involves you in the slightest! Now go away!” Vicki spat the words. Erick did not need to be told twice. He left as fast he could without running.

   “I heard a crash… Is everything alright?” Mary had walked up to Vicki. Jason expected her to receive the same treatment she had given Erick.

   “Oh, Mary! No, everything’s fine. Jason here knocked over my pile of books, so I'm just trying to rearrange it,” Vicki answered, saying Jason's name with quite a bit of venom.

   “Would you like my assistance?” Mary asked.

   “Oh no, that's quite alright! Thank you anyways! Did you want to look in the recreation room?”

   “Actually, yes! I was hoping there was a Bible in there. You see, I didn't bring mine with me…” Mary looked legitimately guilty.

   “I think I saw one in there…” Jason told Mary. Vicki shot him a spiteful look.

   “Thank you! If you don't mind, I shall excuse myself.” With that, Mary walked into the poorly lit room. Jason looked at Vicki for a moment. Her reaction had been so drastically different when she talked to Mary. Before he could ask any questions, Vicki stood up, the books looking heavy on her scrawny arms.

   “Do you want any help with that..?” Jason asked, even though he already knew the answer.

   “Do I look like I want help? You've done enough damage for now,” Vicki said, her tone returning to her initial demeanor. Without another word, she walked into the recreation room on shaky legs (probably due to the large pile of books she was carrying).

   On account of Vicki’s unexplained bitterness towards him, Jason was unsure of what to do next. Fortunately, his body provided the answer. With a growling stomach, Jason headed downstairs into the dining room. It seemed that others had had a similar thought. Timothy was currently discussing with A. Their personalities were clearly exhibited in their choice of meal - Timothy was having a complex salad while A had settled on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Lelina sat and ate in silence, sipping on what appeared to be a vegetable soup. Everyone else was elsewhere in the building. Jason wondered how he managed to not see some people - the areas they could access were very limited. Where on earth did they vanish to? Perhaps their rooms provided more entertainment than Jason’s did. Nevertheless, he entered the kitchen, where quite a scene was unfolding.

   “O-oh! Mr. Harlon! Can you help me out? I've made a bit of a mess… Ha, ha…” Cole stammered nervously. A bit of a mess was an understatement - whatever Cole had tried to cook was now burning and becoming unrecognizable ash at the bottom of a frying pan. Quickly, Jason turned on the tap and grabbed a nearby mixing bowl. He filled it up and tossed it on the fire, which was put out with a sizzle. The smell of burnt bread still lingered in the kitchen though. Jason turned to Cole for an explanation.

   “Um… You know, you shouldn't use water to put out a potentially electrical fire… It could just make it worse…”

   “Nevermind me using water. What happened here?” Jason asked. He couldn't help making his tone sound like an adult speaking to a child. Jason hadn't raised his voice too much, and yet Cole recoiled like a scared child.

   “I was just trying to make some toast… But, I got distracted a-and I guess I left it too long… When I came back, it was already burning and I

p-panicked…” Cole spoke softly and nervously, as if he were expecting Jason to hit him. Jason let out a relieved chuckle.

   “Jeez… That's all it was? Try to be a little more careful next time, okay?” Jason asked. Cole nodded frantically. Jason couldn't help but picture Cole as as a small puppy - he seemed to be scared of everything bigger or more dangerous than he was. “I'm gonna make myself some spaghetti… Do you want some?” Jason offered.

   “Um, if it's not too much of a hassle, then I guess I could have some…” Cole replied. “Do you want me to help you?” Jason considered the mess Cole had just made.

   “No thanks, I can handle it myself… Do you mind waiting out in the dining room?” Jason asked.

   “Oh, um, sure, I guess,” Cole said everything super quickly and shot out of the kitchen, as if to be glad to be rid of Jason’s presence (or more likely, his fists’). Jason sighed and set out to make marinara spaghetti.

   “Oh wow! This is delicious! Thank you, Mr. Harlon!” Cole said between bites. He was stuffing food down his throat like a starved animal, sauce splashing all over his face.

   “Please, call me Jason,” Jason replied. He didn't know why, but Jason felt as if he had to soften his tone when talking to Cole. He knew this was wrong, and yet he couldn't help but do it. Isn't this guy around the same age as me? What's with the scared child persona he's got going on? Jason thought. “Anyways, I was thinking while I was cooking - why didn't you use the toaster to make toast?”

   “Toast...ter? What's that?” Cole replied. Jason gave him an inquisitive look.

   “You don't know what a toaster is?” Jason asked with a slight chuckle.

   “No. What does it look like?” Cole seemed very serious about his question. Jason couldn't help but laugh a little.

   “I'll show you later. Why do you not know what a toaster is?” Jason couldn't help but ask.

   “Um… My family never had a ‘toaster’. We just toasted our bread with a frying pan. Is that weird?” Cole said and immediately stuffed another mouthful of pasta down. Jason then noticed that underneath his clothes, Cole was frighteningly skinny. His ribs were showing underneath his shirt. Even though the clothes were small, they were still loose and baggy on Cole.

   “A little, I guess. Was your family very poor?”

   “No, not really… We just never needed a toaster, I guess. My father is a very cheap man… We never had more than we needed, that was his philosophy, and I guess a toaster was something we didn't need… Ha, ha…” Cole laughed nervously and stared down at his plate, as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. Jason waited for Cole to elaborate, but it seemed he was not yet ready to tell more. Having finished his plate, Jason stood up.

   “Well, thank you for your company, Cole. I trust I don't need to show you how to wash dishes?”

   “No… That, I can do… Ha, ha… Thank you for the meal, Mr. Har- I mean, Jason!” Before Jason could do anything else, Cole grabbed his plate and sprinted into the kitchen. Jason shook his head and followed suit.

   The rest of the day passed by pretty uneventfully. Most of the guests had shut themselves up in their rooms, and the ones that hadn't weren't exactly prime company to Jason. Vicki was still mad at him for whatever reason, he had had enough of Erick, and Cole was now avoiding Jason, as if he were afraid of him. Navini and Henry were still playing their game of cat and mouse, and Lavender was nose-deep in a novel. Jason could have played with Skyler and Dahinko, but he feared he would become more of a third wheel than anything else. Not seeing anything else to do, Jason decided to take a nap. He settled into his bed, not bothering to put a pajama on. He drifted to sleep faster than he expected - it seemed he was more exhausted than he would care to admit. He fell into a deep slumber, not to awaken for quite a while.

   When Jason awoke, he had no idea what time it was. He still felt sleepy. Knowing he couldn't miss out on Brian’s party, he pulled himself up. Not bothering to shower, he threw on another of the exact same suit that he had been wearing when this had all begun. Sleepily, he made his way to the door and, not considering if anyone else was on the other side, slammed it open.

   “Aaah! Jason! Jeez, you could give me a heads up before you do that!” Lola was right in front of Jason’s room, looking flustered. His thoughts still clouded, it took Jason a moment to realize that he had very nearly slammed the door into Lola’s face. “You could have ruined my perfect face…” Jason noticed that she was wearing a heavy amount of makeup - so much so that he thought it ruined her beauty, not accentuated it. “Anyways, I'm here to tell you that Brian’s reminded us all of the party that starts in two hours. I don't know what you intend to do, but… I'll be there, so all the more reason for you to show up, right? Well, see you then!” With that, Lola walked away, her hips swaying alluringly. For a moment, Jason was captivated by her stunning beauty before he reminded himself of the rotten core inside the shiny apple. Still, Jason couldn't just lie around until the party, so he headed to the dining room. How long has he been asleep for? His stomach told him that it was time to eat, so he headed for the kitchen.

   Pushing the door to the kitchen, he was greeted with quite a scene. Henry was currently stuffing himself, an array of steamed hot dogs with different toppings in front of him. Henry barely stopped to breathe, shoving hot dog after hot dog down his throat. He didn't even notice Jason walking in the kitchen. In the corner, Mikad was silently observing Henry, halfway between awestruck and revolted. Jason walked up to him, careful not to break Henry’s concentration.

   “It's… Kind of impressive, isn't it?” Mikad whispered. Jason nodded, repulsed at the sight he was witnessing. “I came in here to grab a snack before the party, but I've somehow lost my appetite.” Jason felt the exact same way. His appetite now completely gone, Jason stepped out of the kitchen. Henry never even noticed his presence.

   Ding-Dong! “Hello eve-bzzt!-one! Brian speaking! A friendly reminder that the party begins in half an hour! Be there or bzzt!-nished! See ya!” Dong-Ding!

Jason hadn't even noticed the time fly by. After witnessing Henry’s feast, he had returned to his room, his appetite suddenly gone, and crashed on his bed, falling immediately asleep. Brian’s reminder had awoken him, and he decided to make his way to the dining room, where the party would be happening. A majority of the guests had gathered there as well, apparently ensuring that they would not be tardy. While a few people were missing, mostly everyone was there, chatting away.

   “Jason! Come and talk with us!” Lavender exclaimed, her voice barely rising over the loud murmur that the room seemed to be plunged in. Jason made his way over to her. She along with Rose and Dexter was currently engaged in a conversation with Vivian. The conversation was particularly one-sided.

   “This one is a tiger lily, one of my favorites. I can still remember the day I grew this little darling… Oh, they grow up so fast!” Vivian was saying. Jason looked at the dress she was wearing - the flowers still looked as plastic as ever. She was currently holding a bright orange-and-white lily. She seemed positively enamored by it. Rose and Dexter were giving Vivian a curious glance.

   “Um… Does she know she's holding a plastic flower?” Jason asked the group.

   “You think so as well?” Dexter replied. “However, it seems to be in her best mental interest to not tell her as much. She already seems… Pretty fragile, to say the least.”

   “Doesn't change the fact that she's totally cuckoo!” Rose whispered to Jason. Dexter, having apparently heard, frowned.

   “So back to the matter at hand,” Lavender began, “We were discussing what Brian intends to do with this party. His motives as we understand them clash with the very notion of a party, wouldn't you agree?”

   “Bah! To be honest, I don't give a damn! As long as there's good food!” Rose replied.

   “My flowers only feed themselves on the finest fertilizer. I hope he's accounted for my little babies,” Vivian said, more to herself than anyone else. Again, the group gave her a questioning glance.

   “My personal theory is that he's going to unveil something. I'm not sure what… Perhaps a motive?” Lavender asked.

   “That does seem likely… Although what that devilish temptation may be remains out of our grasp for now,” Dexter agreed.

   “Well, Jason? You're the detective here! Surely you must have an idea or two?” Lavender turned to Jason.

   “To be perfectly honest, I haven't really given it much thought,” Jason admitted. Now that Jason gave it more thought, it was kind of weird. Brian throwing a party? What for? Jason thought for a moment. “Maybe it's just a show of power? He could try to use this to lure out the ones who won't listen to him and get rid of them…”

   “I didn't think of that. It would certainly be an advantage for him if people like Selena didn't participate. Their lack of rule following could pose a threat to him,” Lavender noticed. As if on cue, Selena walked into the dining room, and almost comically, everyone stopped talking to look at her. Composed as ever, Selena gracefully walked to an empty seat, where she sat down with an almost regal allure. She paid no attention to the people staring at her, preferring to close her eyes in deep concentration. Gradually, everyone resumed their conversations.

   “I must be harnessing a little of Alexandra’s power,” Lavender joked sheepishly.

   “Alexandra?” Dexter asked. “Ah, yes, the girl with the strange hair. Yin and yang, it would seem. However, I do not recall learning her talent. What is it?”

   “Well according to her, she's a psychic. I haven't really seen any of that, so I assume she must be a fortune teller or something,” Lavender speculated. Jason remembered the scene he had witnessed just a few days ago. Alexandra had lifted the pot seemingly with her mind. Surely such a talent didn't exist! Who could proclaim to be a psychic? He decided that his mind must have been playing tricks on him, and Lavender’s explanation seemed logical, if not somewhat strange. A fortune teller? Again, an unrealistic talent. Whoever Alexandra was, she was clearly someone with a lot of secrets.

   “Ah, it seems the guest I was waiting for has arrived! I shall be excusing myself,” Dexter said abruptly. He then walked off to meet Arthur, who had just walked into the room.

   “I ship it,” Rose whispered to Lavender, who rolled her eyes. Jason allowed himself a small chuckle. Vivian didn't even seem to notice that Dexter had walked off. Jason counted the guests that had arrived. One, two… Twenty six. Wait. Someone's missing, Jason thought. It was very nearly time for the party to begin, and if Brian made good on his promise, whoever wasn't here was in for a rough time. However, due to people huddling close to each other, Jason couldn't tell who was missing. He hoped that they would make it in time.

   Had he known what he was about to find out, he would have wished they never showed up.  

   It was almost time. The party was starting in about a minute. Jason didn't know what to expect, but he had a gut feeling it wasn't going to be fun. And yet, one minute later, nothing of any notice happened. The speakers played a little trumpet fanfare, which caused everyone to momentarily stop talking and lift their heads to watch the speakers. They waited a moment, eager and frightful of what might happen. After a few seconds of complete nothing, everyone went back to their conversations, nothing having apparently happened.

   “Well I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving. What kind of party doesn't have snacks?” Rose complained. She shoved her way towards the kitchen. “Huh? It's locked… What gives?” Grumbling, Rose made her way back to Jason, Lavender and Vivian.

   “Those were some lovely trumpets!” Vivian commented. Jason looked at her for a brief moment. Something about her definitely wasn't right. Jason had no time to contemplate this, however, because the moment everyone seemed to accept that nothing strange was going to happen, Jason heard the whimsical, happy-go-lucky voice that was masked in malice.

   “Howdy, everyone! Are you all having a good time? Everyone here..?” Brian scanned the room, mouthing numbers as he went. Just like Jason, he counted twenty-six people in the room. “Alrighty! Everyone’s here! Have fun then! And no one can leave the dining room until I say otherwise! Bye bye!” And with that, he flickered out. Something’s wrong. Jason’s detective skills told him that much immediately. He creased his eyebrows in thought. Lavender looked at him worryingly.

   “What's happened?” Lavender asked. She knew that something had stricken Jason as wrong.

   “Brian noticed it too. There's only twenty-six people in the room. But he didn't say anything… And we're not allowed to leave the dining room until he says otherwise. I'm willing to bet that we need to find something, or more than likely, someone,” Jason answered. He felt the dread of what he had just said grip him after the words had left his mouth. We have to find someone. Could it be..? Jason thought despite his attempts to repel the thought. Lavender looked worried.

   “I'll help you look for it. I don't think we should tell anyone, though. No need to worry them,” Lavender mentioned. Jason didn't think that they needed to worry. Most of the other guests hadn't noticed that anything was amiss, and were happily chatting amongst themselves. However, they weren't the only ones to notice something was off. Selena had shot up, rocketing out of her seat, looking at the different pieces of furniture in the room. Lelina and Jessica seemed to be taking a great deal of interest in the kitchen door, and A had begun looking up at the ceiling for something. Jason decided not to alert them, as they could have just been distracted. However, with Selena also looking, he doubted it. At the same time, Jason tried to piece together who was absent, but the constant flow of people made it hard to do so. Plus, since he didn't know everyone that well, them simply facing the other direction would be enough to throw him off. Nevertheless, he pressed on. After looking at every piece of furniture, he had to admit defeat - nothing stood out. At that same moment, Rose came running up to him.

   “Jason! I know you'll believe me. Everyone else thinks I've gone loopy!” Rose seemed frantic and out of breath.

   “Rose? Did something happen?” Jason asked.

   “So you can't smell it either?” Rose seemed disappointed.

   “Smell it?” Jason took several deep breaths, trying to smell whatever it was that Rose had smelled. He couldn't pick up a scent other that everyone’s collective body odor.

   “You don't smell it either, do ya? Then I guess it must just be me…” Rose said disappointedly.

   “Smell what?” Jason asked.

   “Well, it kinda smells like… Blood, if I'm going to give it a scent.” Rose replied. Jason felt chills coming on his back. Blood? It can't be, he thought.

   “B...Blood? Rose, are you sure?” Jason asked nervously.

   “You don't believe me either!” Rose seemed kind of mad, frustrated even.

   “No, I do believe you! Could you tell me where it's coming from?” Jason asked, worried of the answer she might give.

   “Where it's coming from? Gimme a sec…” Rose’s nose twitched for a little bit before she answered. “It's coming from there!” She said triumphantly, pointing at the portrait of Sir Francis Helmsburg. Grabbing Rose by the wrist, Jason made his way to the painting.

   “Help me lift it!” Jason said frantically. Unsure of what was happening, Rose grabbed one end of the painting. Jason grabbed the other, and together they lifted it and removed it from the wall.

   Jason will never forget what he saw.

   In all of his days investigating, no murder had been as brutal as this. The victim was strung up to the wall with iron shackles. Blood leaked from behind the shackles. On their face was an expression of terror, forever paralyzed onto their face. A faint stream of blood trickled from their mouth. A spear had been violently thrown to skewer them, entering and leaving through the sides of their stomach. Their mouth was gagged, and the cloth used as a gag was pulled, as if the victim had bitten into it. Above all, the most terrifying detail was one that Jason would have forever burned in his memory.

   A camo combat knife was jammed violently into their chest, right into their heart.

   All feeling left Jason as he observed the crime scene. Chills ran down his spine like marathoners doing a trip around his back. Rose dropped the painting in surprise. Someone screamed, and everyone turned around to see what had happened.

   Shackled to the wall and skewered like a kabob, Henry stared down at all of them in an expression of fear that would forever haunt all of their nightmares.

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