The following morning, Jason woke up smiling. He had dreamt a pleasant dream, but he could not remember what it had been about. Nevertheless, it meant that he was in a good mood upon waking up. He hummed a happy tune as he took a shower and dressed himself. He didn’t know why, but he couldn’t wipe the smile from his face. Jason merrily opened the door to his room and ran down the staircase like a child on Christmas morning. However, his enthusiasm vanished as he saw all the glum and concentrated looks in the dining room. No one looked happy. Everyone was stuck in deep thought.
“What’s going on in here?” Jason asked. Everyone’s heads looked up at him. Lavender, A, Dexter, Selena, Arthur, Dahinko and Skyler had all gathered in the dining room. Michael was standing in front of the kitchen door; a sinister smile having creeped up onto his face. Navini stood next to him, looking to be on the verge of fainting, beads of sweat having formed on her forehead.
“You wanna know what’s going on?” Michael gloated triumphantly. “We’ve finally caught him! He’s stuck in the kitchen right now! Ha ha! I finally did it!” Michael seemed to be the only one with this enthusiasm. Everyone else, including the usually cheerful Dahinko, looked pensive and emotionless.
“Caught him? Who’s he?” Jason asked. Had they caught the killer?
“Mikad,” Lavender explained. “He came down for food at the same time as Michael, and Michael managed to pin him down and shackle him to the wall.”
“Shackled him?” Jason asked in disbelief. “That seems a little… Drastic.”
“Drastic? For someone who’s killed four people here and who knows how many other outside?” Michael asked. “I’m doing you all a favor!”
“No one asked for your opinion, you hairless orangutan,” Selena spat out. Michael looked outraged, but he didn’t say anything.
“We’re discussing what to do with him right now,” Lavender commented. “Opinions are… Mixed, shall we say.”
“Some, like Michael, insist on killing him before he does more harm,” Dexter growled. “I, however, do not agree with this barbaric mentality. Perhaps simply keeping him locked up somewhere with guards would be a better idea.”
“We tried that last time, remember?” Skyler pointed out. “Michael’s guard shift idea went up and died when we tried it. Although, I’ll concede that killing him seems a little extreme…”
“We don’t even know if he really is the killer!” Dahinko exclaimed. “He could very well be innocent for all we know!”
“Innocent?” Michael shouted. “The guy tried to shoot me! What other proof do you need?”
“He tried to shoot you?” Jason asked. He sat down, convinced this was going to take long enough to warrant him getting comfortable.
“Yeah! I mean, he missed, but he still tried to,” Michael elaborated.
“The problem with that claim is that we have no way of confirming it,” Arthur pointed out. “Yes, there is a bullet mark on the kitchen wall, but none of us heard the gun firing.”
“Then there must have been a silencer on it or something!” Michael protested.
“Hey A… You know the most about guns out of any of us, right?” Dahinko asked A. “Could a silencer be plausible?”
“I’d have to actually see the gun to determine that,” A answered. “But, according to Michael, that’s not a possibility.”
“Why not?” Jason asked. “If he shot you with it, no matter where he put the gun, it shouldn’t be hard to find.”
“Are you also the world’s best wall climber?” Michael asked sarcastically. “Cause if you are, then go ahead! That idiot threw it down the long shaft behind the wall before I could grab it,” Michael explained bitterly.
“As much as I’m willing to believe you on all of this,” Selena interrupted, “there are several holes in your story. For starters, we have yet to even confirm this supposed gun attack, and the gun has conveniently disappeared! On top of that, a silencer? Really? That seems like a slight stretch to me.” Several heads nodded after Selena had spoken.
“Well, you have proof that I did catch Mikad,” Michael retorted. “Surely that accounts for something with you, princess?”
“You know, I’ve always thought I’d be fit for royalty,” Selena replied. “But I digress. It is true that you caught Mikad, and since he is the topic of conversation right now, we should set aside your dubious account. For all that it matters, I agree with Michael in that we should kill Mikad. Even if he isn’t the killer, someone put under this kind of pressure could easily snap and do something dangerous, especially if they’re a master marksman.”
“That brings up another point against Michael,” Arthur interjected. “Mikad supposedly has top notch aim, right? So how did he miss Michael at what was basically point-blank range?”
“My guess is that he wasn’t shooting to kill,” Lavender hypothesized. “Maybe there wasn’t a silencer, and Mikad was shooting to get our attention. Is everyone absolutely positive that they didn’t hear anything last night that sounded like a gun firing?” Everyone looked at each other, uncertain.
“Firearms are fairly loud instruments of destruction,” Dexter pointed out. “If one of us heard it, surely all of us heard it.”
“Maybe not,” Lavender said. “How good is the soundproofing in this house? I mean, if we can’t hear a killer murdering people, and we can’t hear them screaming, maybe it’s really good. I’ll assume Michael and Mikad were in the kitchen, and under that assumption, then only the people who were directly above the kitchen could have heard it. The study is right above the kitchen, but unless Anne-Marie slept there, no luck there.”
“I can confirm that she didn’t,” Navini spoke up. Her voice was trembling. “I saw her in the recreation room this morning, sleeping. It’s safe to assume she’s been there all night.”
“Then that’s one possibility crossed out. So, whose room is right above the kitchen?” Lavender asked.
“I’ll go have a look!” Dahinko volunteered, clearly eager to have something other than discussing to do. Before he could leave the room, however, Vivian and Rose walked in.
“Good morning, everyone! I hope you slept well. I slept as well as a rose during its hibernation from the gentle caress of winter,” Vivian said dreamily.
“Totally cuckoo, that one,” Rose said while making a spinning motion with her finger near her head. “In any case, tell me y’all heard something last night? Or am I going crazy too?”
“You… Heard something?” Dahinko asked. “Did it, out of pure curiosity, sound like a gun firing?”
“It sounded like a fierce battle for the heart of a beautiful flower,” Vivian replied dreamily. No one paid her any attention.
“Come to think of it... Yeah! It did!” Rose confirmed. “It came from right below me, too. I think that’s the kitchen or somethin’.”
“Well, that confirms my hypothesis,” Lavender stated. “It seems Mikad really was trying to get someone’s attention.”
“Wait, Mikad? What’s that guy got to do with any of this?” Rose asked. Jason hurriedly summarized the situation for Rose and Vivian. Rose’s eyes widened and Vivian seemed stuck in the perpetual trance that she was always in.
“So, Mikad didn’t try to kill Michael. How very… Illuminating,” Selena said, savoring every word she spoke. All eyes were now on Michael, who suddenly looked very uncomfortable.
“How was I supposed to know he wasn’t trying to shoot me?! He pulled out a frickin’ gun! Of course I would assume he would shoot me!” Michael protested. “Plus, the guy is our primary suspect for the best killer in the world! It’s only natural that I-”
“No, it isn’t natural,” Selena interrupted. “The only reason he tried to get our attention with his gun must be because he felt threatened by you. What exactly transpired in the kitchen?” All eyes were once more on Michael.
“Why don’t we try talking to Mikad?” Jason proposed. “He’s shackled to a wall, right? There shouldn’t be any danger in talking to him.”
“Yeah, about that…” Michael answered sheepishly. “I may or may not have knocked him out? Out of self defense, of course,” he added hastily. Jason sighed.
“This is getting more and more complicated by the minute,” Lavender stated. “We’ll just have to wait for him to wake up.” Everyone nodded, and taking this a sign that the conversation had been adjourned, everyone except Jason, Lavender and Michael got up and left. Michael stayed in front of the kitchen door, probably to guard the supposedly unconscious Mikad. Lavender motioned to Jason under the table, so Michael wouldn’t see it. From what Jason understood, she was asking him to wait for her in the recreation room. Jason nodded and slowly headed to the recreation room.
Jason sat down on one of the sofas in the recreation room, waiting for Lavender. Unlike what Navini claimed, Anne-Marie was nowhere to be seen. After a few minutes, Lavender walked into the room. Making sure she wasn’t being followed, she headed straight for the bookshelf leading to the secret room. Jason followed, hanging onto the bookshelf as Lavender made it spin. Once she had hopped off the bookshelf and into Mikad’s hideout, she immediately turned to Jason.
“What do we do?” Lavender asked, worried. “If Michael has his way, Mikad is basically dead at this point. We know he’s innocent, but how do we prove it…?” Lavender thought silently for a few moments. Jason had had a feeling that Mikad wouldn’t stay a secret forever, and yet he couldn’t believe he had been careless enough to get caught. And by Michael of all people! This was just about the worst-case scenario for Mikad, and the best-case scenario for Michael. If what Michael said was true, and that Mikad had indeed attacked him, then Mikad couldn’t be cleared of any guilt. Plus, Michael would be proven right, and people might start to rally around him, which was the worst thing that could possibly happen. Michael, as brave and strong as he was, didn’t know the first thing about people, so him becoming a leader would probably result in a horrific multitude of brash and irresponsible decisions. A thought then dawned on Jason – what if Michael was the killer? He could claim he was attacked, and while no one was watching, let Mikad go and hide. He could then kill everyone but Mikad one by one. Was that a possibility? Jason doubted the rash and frankly stupid Michael could possibly be the killer. His mind still considered the possibility. After a while of thinking, Lavender’s head shot up.
“What is it?” Jason asked, and was immediately shushed by Lavender. Quickly, she motioned to the trunk.
“Hide! Someone’s coming!” she whispered. Suddenly, Jason heard footsteps that were dangerously close to the bookshelf. Lavender hopped into the empty trunk, and Jason barely had had time to go in the trunk and bring the lid down before the bookshelf started spinning. The trunk’s lid was slightly ajar, so Lavender and Jason could observe the newcomer. To Jason’s surprise, Navini walked into the room, still as pale as she had been during the meeting in the dining room. She looked nervously around the room. Navini sat down on the blankets that covered an area of the room (presumably serving as Mikad’s bed) and started crying. It was very silent, but tears began flowing down her face. She lay down on the blankets, bringing one up to cover her face. She wept silently for a while. Slowly, Lavender crept out of the trunk, leaving Jason behind. She walked up to Navini and put her arms around her. Navini was initially startled, but she quickly collapsed into Lavender’s arms and started wailing. Jason then left the trunk and awkwardly watched Navini cry into Lavender’s arms. A thought then struck Jason.
“Um, Lavender…,” Jason awkwardly interrupted Navini’s crying. Lavender got up to look at Jason, and Navini stopped crying but stayed on the blankets, her eyes wet. “The trunk is empty… Didn’t you bring all the files from the study here?”
“I did… Wait, you’re right! Why are they not?” Lavender gasped and rushed over to the trunk to confirm what Jason had said.
“How do you two… Never mind...,” Navini sighed. She stared at the other two for a little bit. “Those were files?” Lavender and Jason’s heads turned to face Navini almost in unison. “Mikad saw them and decided to bring them somewhere safer, so he hid them in my room,” she explained, sniffling every two words. Her eyes then lit up, and she shot up, practically leaping off the blankets. “He was still moving them when he got caught by Michael!” she exclaimed, and rushed out of the room, not waiting for Jason and Lavender.
“Of course he moved them…” Lavender sighed, exasperated. She hung onto the bookshelf along with Jason, and she tugged at the right book. The bookshelf spun, and by the time they hopped off, Navini was already out of sight.
“Why did Navini know about the secret room?” Jason asked as they chased after Navini.
“Ever since you told me about her weirdness in the recreation room, I’ve had a suspicion she knew. Mikad hiding in her room only confirmed it,” Lavender explained. “The two must have bumped into each other, and she trusted him for whatever reason.”
“But why did he trust her so much more than us? What gives?” Jason wondered aloud. There was no time to wonder, as they had caught up to Navini, who was now confronting Michael.
“Please! I need to see Mikad!” Navini pleaded. Michael laughed cruelly.
“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Michael replied. “You’re not going to. Mikad is dangerous, girlie, so I can’t allow you to go see him. You got that?”
“Michael,” Lavender began, “we also need to talk to-”
“Man, what is it with you people and not understanding the word NO! You can’t. Done. Finished. Finito. You got that?” Michael interrupted.
“We can handle ourselves,” Jason countered. “Plus, he’s shackled and unconscious, so I doubt he could-”
“Well, whatever your planned excuse to get past me was, I’m not budging. So there! Unless you think you can get me out of the way? Ha! Good one, me,” Michael teased. The other three were not amused in the slightest.
“Funny, I also must see Mikad,” someone said behind them. Arthur, dressed in her full suit of armor, walked up behind them. “Unless you think you can stop me?” Arthur taunted. Michael grit his teeth and reluctantly walked into the kitchen. Navini, Lavender and Jason followed suit. Arthur walked in last, but instead of going to Mikad, she stayed at the entrance to guard.
Michael had said the truth about one thing – Mikad was shackled to the wall in the same manner as Henry (albeit with far less cuts) and unconscious. Quite a bit of blood was splattered on the wall, and Mikad’s face had been smashed, bruises forming all over it. Navini rushed up to him and checked his pulse. She sighed in relief.
“He’s alive,” she confirmed. She hugged Mikad for a brief moment before allowing Lavender to search for the files. They weren’t hard to find – Mikad had slipped them into the inside pocket of his tuxedo jacket. Lavender took them out of the jacket and slipped them in between her skirt and her skin, using the waistband in her skirt to hold them. She then left, followed by Jason. Navini lingered by Mikad’s side for a moment.
“So, what did you need from Mikad?” Lavender asked Arthur.
“Nothing. I saw Michael being unjust and cruel to you, so I had to intervene. Call it a desire to protect the weak,” Arthur explained. While Jason didn’t particularly like being called weak, Arthur’s intentions were still admirable.
“That reminds me,” Lavender said. “I was wondering… You’re called Sir Arthur Kingsley, right? But you’re a girl… Wouldn’t Dame Arthur Kingsley be more appropriate?”
“I didn’t think anyone had noticed,” Arthur confessed. “Let me answer your question with another question – how surprised were you to learn that I was a girl?”
“Hm… If I’m being quite frank, I’d have to say extremely surprised,” Lavender answered. This reflected Jason’s thoughts as well.
“So, you were surprised. Then, imagine being a King and you found out that your most loyal and masculine knight was actually cross-dressing? Yeah, he wouldn’t take it well, either. To most people, I’m known as Sir Arthur Kingsley because, to most people, I’m known as a man. Does that answer your question?” Arthur asked. Lavender nodded.
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“Then, what’s your real name?” Lavender asked. “I’m just assuming here, but Arthur is a very odd name for a girl.”
“Of course, it is,” Arthur replied. “To be quite frank, I barely ever use my real name anymore. In my head, I’ve become Arthur Kingsley. I think my mother is the only person who still calls me by my real name, and I haven’t spoken to her in years. To answer your question, I believe that my real name is Arthur Kingsley, and that is what I wish for everyone to address me as, regardless of my gender,” Arthur explained. Lavender nodded once more, then exited the kitchen. Seeing that everyone was leaving, Navini followed suit, followed by Jason and Arthur. Jason noticed that Michael didn’t leave the kitchen with them, staying by Mikad for a while. Politely excusing themselves from Arthur, the other three rushed up to Navini’s room as fast as humanly possible. Navini hurriedly grabbed the key in her pocket and opened the room.
Jason hadn’t been sure what to expect. In terms of colors and proportions, it was a carbon copy of Lola’s and Vicki’s. However, what set them apart was the sheer number of materials in Navini’s room: ribbons, pins, fabrics, beads, pearls, jewels… Just about anything that could be used as an ornament on a costume was somewhere in Navini’s room. In the corner of the room stood a mannequin, which was currently wearing a dark red dress covered in flame marks. On the table and on Navini’s bed lay needles and string, presumably for sowing. All the materials were scattered around the room, creating a very cluttered environment. Navini swung open her closet. Looking at her outfits, Jason could immediately tell that whoever had recreated copies of her outfits didn’t have as much talent as she did. Jason noticed that, compared to the one she was wearing, all the copies had far less beads and glitter. In the corner of her closet lay the files that Mikad had transported there. Jason noticed that Mikad’s file was on top. Lavender took the files out of her skirt and placed them in Navini’s closet. Lavender and Jason stood by awkwardly as Navini shoved some loose fabric into the closet with her foot so it would close.
“Well, no point in moving them again,” Lavender sighed. “We can only hope he didn’t see us bring them in here, or you might be in danger.”
“I’ll be fine,” Navini assured them. “I’m more worried about Mikad than anything else. God, why won’t Michael just let him go?!”
“Michael can’t stand to be wrong,” Lavender answered. “He’s convinced himself that Mikad is the killer, so if he were wrong, I think he would break down. Just by observing his actions, that much becomes clear. That’s part of the reason he’s trying to make us believe Mikad attacked him and that it was only self-defence on his part. If we prove him wrong, he might just break,” Lavender guessed. Navini stared at the floor, contemplating. Jason thought about what Lavender had said – would Michael really have a mental breakdown just because he was wrong? Is that why he was acting so rash? Jason thought it was a bit of a stretch to think as much. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. Navini opened it, and Selena walked in, not waiting to be invited in.
“Oh, you’re here as well. Perfect, then, that’s everyone!” Selena chimed. “Allow me to be brief. Mikad’s awake. We’re waiting for you three in the kitchen. Everyone else is there, including Michael. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” Selena curtsied and left the room. The three left in Navini’s room looked at each other before heading back down to the kitchen.
Jason walked into the kitchen, half expecting Mikad to be frantically screaming his head off. Instead, Mikad looked petrified, as though he was scared that he was about to die. Michael looked profoundly defeated. Everyone else was hurriedly murmuring amongst each other, trying to validate their own theories with the others. Silence fell inside the kitchen when Navini, Jason and Lavender walked into the room.
“He said he’d only speak to one of you three,” Alexandra explained. Mikad looked up to see Jason, Lavender and Navini and sighed in relief.
“You’ll believe me, right?” Mikad pleaded. Navini nodded frenetically while Lavender and Jason stayed silent. “Michael attacked me! I just came down here for food, and Michael jumps me! I tried to get your attention by shooting the wall, but Michael snatched my gun and threw it down the shaft! Then, he knocked me out and gagged me!”
“He gagged you?” Lavender interrupted. “But we didn’t see a gag when we came to see you…”
“Then he must have removed it while I was unconscious!” Mikad guessed. “To make himself look less despicable! Don’t trust a word he says!”
“Coming from the murderer, that means jack,” Michael retorted.
“He’s right, you know,” Axel murmured. “We still don’t know if you’re the killer or not. For all we know, you’re lying right now!”
“Only God can know that for sure,” Mary said.
“Leave your God out of this,” Timothy replied. Mary shot daggers at him with her eyes. Timothy hastily blocked her stare with his top hat.
“But it isn’t Mikad!” Navini protested. “I mean, he was nowhere to be found when Vicki and Lola died!”
“That’s what you think!” Michael laughed boisterously. “We just didn’t see him, that’s all. He was hiding in the closet in the library like a cockroach the entire time!”
“Actually, I went in the closet during the investigation, and I can guarantee he wasn’t there,” Lavender confirmed. “I believe Jason and Selena also investigated it, hence why they were also granted immunity,” she added. Jason and Selena both nodded in agreement. Michael suddenly looked incredibly uncomfortable. “I went to confirm it myself, with Jason – Mikad didn’t go anywhere near the library before, during or after Vicki’s death.”
“Wait a minute – you knew where he was hiding?” Michael pointed out. “So, you’re all accomplices! You’re all trying to pin this on me, when really you’re all working together!”
“As if anyone could rely on Mikad to handle the pressure of lying convincingly,” Selena responded snidely. “A land mine deals with pressure better than he does.”
“Rude, but you have a point,” Navini said. “Michael, tell us the truth. Why do you insist on Mikad being the killer?”
“Because… He has to be, doesn’t he?” Michael answered softly. “It can’t be anyone else, right?” Everyone looked at each other.
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Selena exclaimed. “It can very well be one of us. In fact, I’m sure that Mikad isn’t the killer, and the real culprit is probably containing themselves from dying of laughter at how stupid we all look. Mikad, the killer? Surely there are more likely suspects in the room, wouldn’t you all agree?” Selena paused. “Like… Michael, for instance?” Everyone’s eyes turned to Michael. Sweat started forming on his forehead out of nervousness.
“Hang on. You think I’m the killer?” Michael yelled.
“It’s just an educated guess,” Selena replied calmly. “Feel free to dispute it. After all, isn’t that what you have about Mikad? An educated guess?” Michael seemed to be more confused than angry.
“But… When Henry died, he was in the kitchen, right? Wouldn’t that make him a likely suspect?” Michael tried to argue.
“Ah yes, since we didn’t see him leave, he must be the killer! Get real, ape. This isn’t Sherlock 1-0-1, this is real. There are a thousand more reasons to think that Mikad is not the killer, and later events seem to prove that,” Selena retorted. Michael seemed completely lost. His face displayed defeat, anguish and despair all crudely mixed together. “Ah, the satisfaction of crushing dumb people’s theories! It never ceases to please,” Selena sighed in satisfaction.
“Sadist,” Navini grumbled. “In any case, does this mean Mikad is cleared of guilt?”
“I wouldn’t say that,” Jason argued. “But, it definitely doesn’t warrant him hiding in fear from all of us.” At this, Mikad’s eyes lit up. “Where are the keys, Michael?” Michael shakily pointed at the sink. Navini rushed over to it, and grabbed the keys that hung under the sink. She ran back to Mikad and freed him from the shackles. Mikad rubbed his wrists before looking at everyone. A lot of emotions were displayed on people’s faces – fear, joy, excitement, hatred – but one predominated all of them: uncertainty. If Mikad was just as probable a suspect as anyone else, then who can I trust? That was what every single person in the room thought at that very moment. Silence and tension installed themselves in the room, creating a dense atmosphere, powerful enough to choke anyone who tried to talk.
“Well, um, thanks, I guess,” Mikad broke the silence. “In any case, I’d love to try and get my gun back… Hm…” Mikad stared down the shaft at where his gun was supposedly laying. Slowly, people started filing out of the room. Mikad scratched his head, clearly trying to figure out a way down the shaft that didn’t involve throwing his whole body down there. Jason lingered in the kitchen, observing the now free Mikad. Navini stayed at his side, and this prompted Jason to think about her. Navini seemed unusually attached to Mikad ever since she had discovered his hiding spot, and Jason had to wonder why. Could they be in love? Surely not. They had only known each other for a few days, and it wouldn’t be the smartest thing to grow feelings for other people in a life-and-death scenario. Then, what was it? What was the thing that had connected these two, so much so that Navini seemed completely convinced that Mikad could not be the killer? With this thought in his head, Jason wandered out of the kitchen and returned to his room, where he pondered the thought.
And yet, after what seemed like hours of thinking had passed, Jason was no closer to a conclusion than he had been initially. The only answer seemed to be love, but it was an answer that left so many loose ends! Jason’s train of thought was interrupted by a timid knock on his door. Opening it, he saw Jessica standing in the hallway.
“Can I help you?” Jason asked. Jessica didn’t seem like the kind of person who would want help from anyone, and yet here she was.
“It’s… yawn… Michael,” she said in a bored tone. “He’s completely lost it. Um… He’s in the main hall… yawn… hammering away at the front door,” she elaborated. In response, Jason heard a dull thud coming from the front hallway. Curious, he made his way down, Jessica accompanying him. Michael stood in front of the door, his fists pounding at the front door in rage. His face was completely red in rage. A, Lavender, Rose and Audrey stood by, looking nervously at the infuriated Michael.
“Oh! Jason!” Lavender exclaimed. Everyone except Michael turned to look at him. Michael kept pounding at the door. “I figured if anyone would know how to calm him down, it would be you.”
“For starters, get Cole over here – he’s a therapist, isn’t he?” Jason answered. “And why did you think I would know what to do?”
“Well, who else was I going to ask?” Lavender replied. Jason shrugged in response. Michael kept smashing into the door, the sound of fists meeting wood echoing through the hall.
“Another thing – where is everyone else?” Jason asked. “Surely his fists smashing against a door would be loud enough to warrant people investigating.”
“Jason, we couldn’t hear a gunshot from our rooms – do you really think we could hear this?” Lavender pointed out. Again, Jason shrugged.
“In any case, we should stop him. With force. I’ve got a rifle, just saying,” A suggested.
“We’re not going to shoot him,” Lavender replied in disgust.
“Then maybe I could… Persuade him to stop punching the door. By lighting it on fire!” Audrey cackled.
“You’re crazy, aren’t ya?” Rose said, worried. “Remind me to be as far away as possible when you do anything at all.”
“Aw, come on! It’s just a little heat and some light! It never killed anyone!” Audrey reassured a somehow even more worried-looking Rose before she burst out laughing once more. Jason had to resist the urge to point out how incredibly wrong that statement had been.
“I’ll… yawn… go get Cole, then.” Jessica said, apparently indifferent to Michael’s violent outburst. She then walked off towards Cole’s room. The others waited impatiently for her return, with only Michael’s outrage as a distraction. Strangely enough, Michael was completely silent, his teeth gritted in silence. After what seemed like an eternity, Jessica returned with Cole and Selena.
“She insisted on tagging along,” Jessica explained when everyone looked curiously towards Selena. Taking one look at Cole, Jason immediately knew something was wrong. Every time Michael’s fists made contact with the wood, Cole flinched a little. His small, nervous eyes were glued to him, almost in some sort of hypnotic trance. Selena observed him quietly.
“Cole?” Jason asked. Cole jumped, the trance seemingly having been broken. “Do you think you could talk Michael out of hammering away at the door?”
“Um…” Cole seemed hesitant to approach Michael. In response, A put a reassuring hand onto Cole’s shoulder. “I… guess I can, um, give it a go…” Cole’s response was lacking anything resembling confidence. Trembling, Cole walked up to Michael, A following close behind. Cole waited in front of Michael for a while, waiting to see if Michael would even notice that he was there. Eventually, Cole realized that Michael was never going to notice Michael, and he tapped on his shoulder, a feat that proved somewhat difficult to accomplish considering their difference in height. Michael stopped pounding on the door and turned around to face Cole.
“What the hell do you want?” Michael shouted angrily before noticing Cole. Cole’s eyes immediately watered up, and he seemed on the verge of tears. Michael’s face underwent an almost painful transformation – his expression softened up unbelievably quickly when he noticed Cole. “Hey, look, I didn’t mean to yell, I just…” Michael stammered. But it was too late. Cole began crying waterfalls, sniffling like a toddler. Michael stooped down to hug him, his burly arms wrapping around Cole’s thin frame with no problem at all. Cole stopped crying, instead petting Michael’s hair, as if he were the one recomforting him. Completely out of nowhere, Michael began crying, tears streaming down his face. He did not release Cole. Instead, he hugged him even tighter, which seemed to squeeze Cole. Nevertheless, Cole continued petting Michael, who cried even more tears. Everyone else in the room watched in awe at the complete transformation that Michael had underwent. Jason’s attention, however, was fixated on Cole – how had he broken Michael so quickly and so efficiently? Was this his technique as a therapist?
“I’m just… so angry,” Michael whispered to Cole, who nodded, his head being barely visible, having been squeezed into Michael’s bare chest. “I failed them. I wanted to lead them, and to get everyone out, but I… I can’t even do that,” Michael’s voice was incredibly soft. Everyone leaned in to hear Michael’s whispers, but Michael didn’t seem to notice them. “I pinned it all on Mikad… Why… Why wasn’t I right? Now, they all look at me with hatred… What do I do? I tried to have an innocent killed, didn’t I? I’m no better than that stupid baby…” Michael told Cole.
“Shh… It’s okay,” Cole whispered back. “You only fought for what you believed in, and for everyone’s safety… Don’t you ever compare yourself to a psychopath like him, okay?”
“Okay…” Michael answered in a barely audible whisper. The two continued to hug for a while. Eventually, Selena lost interest and left the room. Everyone else continued looking at the two. It was at that moment that Jason noticed Michael’s knuckles – they were covered in blood. Had Michael punished himself by making his knuckles bleed out?
“Do you want to continue punching the door?” Cole asked. Michael finally released Cole, the latter of whom staggered back to regain his breath. Michael nodded and turned around, readying his fist. When he resumed, Jason noticed the expression on Michael’s face had changed completely – his anger had been replaced with a steely resolve. The group dispersed, Cole sighing contentedly. Jason walked up to Cole.
“How did you do that?” Jason asked him as they were returning to their respective rooms. Cole shrugged.
“I guess it, uh, just comes naturally, ha, ha…” Cole answered, his usual nervousness having returned. “It’s, um, just a trick I picked up… No good person can, um, resist helping someone that seems, well, you know, weaker, ha, ha.” Cole stared at the ground as he walked. “It’s, um, kind of funny, actually… By helping someone they see as, um, weak, they make themselves more, uh, vulnerable, so that I can see their, um, weaknesses, and try to correct them, ha, ha…” Cole explained. They had finally reached Cole’s room’s door. Cole lingered outside for a moment. “Well, um, goodbye, I guess…” Just as he opened the door, he and Jason heard a sound that made their eyes widen in panic.
Trumpets began blaring through the speakers.
Almost comically, Cole slammed his door shut. Lavender and Selena came leaping out of their rooms, others soon following. Jason noticed all the doors that opened. Aside from everyone that was already deceased, only Mikad, Michael and Gary’s door didn’t open. Everyone else looked around to see who was missing.
“Cole! Jason!” Dahinko came sprinting towards them, panting. Skyler was close behind. “Glad to see you two are okay! Then, hm… the victim must be Michael, Mikad or Gary, right? They’re the only ones who aren’t here right now!”
“We, uh, just saw Michael, um, a second ago…” Cole stammered. The dull thuds continued to echo out of the main hall. “That would, uh, be him making all that, um, noise.”
“Then, Mikad or Gary?” Dahinko inquired.
“Don’t think about that!” Skyler chastised. “For now, we should focus on finding the body, not on who it is. After all, since those trumpets rung, it means that we have to investigate again, right?”
“Then, where is the body?” Dahinko asked. “Hm… Hmmmmmm… I have no idea!” Dahinko eventually exclaimed. “Why don’t we try looking where we all saw Mikad last? And I guess someone should go check on Gary,” Dahinko added with disdain. “I mean, if we have to.”
“Yes, we have to,” Skyler confirmed. “I’ll go check on Gary. You three go to the kitchen and look for any sign of Mikad.” Nodding, the three of them headed to the kitchen, leaving Skyler to check on Gary.
Jason, Dahinko and Cole ran to the kitchen, where they met a frantic Navini.
“Have any of you seen Mikad?” She asked. “I was with him until a few minutes ago…”
“You were?” Jason asked. “Then, he isn’t here?” Navini shook her head. She looked as pale as a ghost. “Then, maybe you could help me. What did Mikad do until a few minutes ago?”
“Well, let’s see… He was trying to get his gun from the stone shaft, and then suddenly, he yelled “A-ha!” and bolted from the room. I think he got an idea of how to get the pistol… Wait, so you haven’t seen him either?” Navini asked. Somehow, she became even paler, all shred of color having well and truly abandoned her face.
“He got an idea for his gun… And then what? Where did he go?” Dahinko asked. Navini shrugged. “Which way did he go?” Again, Navini shrugged. “Well, this is helpful. Where the heck did he go?” Dahinko asked aloud.
“He must have gone upstairs,” Jason guessed. “I don’t think he’d think of anything useful in the library.”
“Has… Has he even, um, seen the library?” Cole inquired. “I mean, uh, he, um, was hidden, uh, until just a few hours ago, ha, ha…” Cole stammered.
“Good point,” Jason acknowledged. “Then, he must be…” Jason’s eyes lit up. “His hiding spot!” Jason bolted out of the kitchen. The other three followed, somewhat confused. Jason sprinted as fast as he could to the recreation room. Opening it, he saw no one in it. He waited for the other three to catch up before he hung on to the bookshelf and let himself spin. After a minute, Cole, Dahinko and Navini also entered the hideout.
“You think he’d be in here?” Navini asked. “He was so happy to finally be able to leave, too… What would he do in here?”
“What even is this place? And how do you two know about it?” Dahinko asked. Cole nodded along.
“We’ll explain later. There are more important things to deal with right now,” Jason answered. However, looking around the empty room, Jason noticed nothing off right away. Everything seemed to be exactly as it was when he had last seen it. With one glaring exception.
Lying on the trunk was a sleek, silver pistol.
Jason’s eyes widened when he noticed it. It could have had bright lights and sirens attached to it for all the impact it had in the room. According to what Navini had just said, Mikad hadn’t retrieved the pistol yet. Why was it here? Navini audibly gasped when she noticed it.
“I’ll… I’ll go warn everyone else…” Dahinko muttered, also having noticed the pistol, and left the hideout. Cole, slightly confused, kept looking around the room, presumably for a body. The pistol almost seemed like an invitation, as if the killer was trying to say: “Where did I hide it? You know who it is, but can you find him?” Navini seemed to have also caught on, and she slid to the floor, faint. Jason walked around the room. Where did Mikad go? Suddenly, a drop of liquid hit his forehead. He brought his finger up to touch the blotch of liquid.
It was an unmistakable drop of blood.
Jason looked up. Directly above him was the vent in the ceiling that seemingly existed to let air into the hidden chamber. He noticed that he had stepped into a puddle of blood, as well. The metal seemed to be stained, though whether that was blood or rust, Jason couldn’t tell. The vent was out of Jason’s reach, having been placed on the ceiling.
“Cole! I need your help. I want to open the vent in the ceiling,” Jason asked. Cole made his way to the vent, where Jason kneeled to let Cole onto his back. This way, Cole was tall enough to reach the vent. The bolts were undone except for a loose one in the corner. Cautiously, Cole swung the vent open. Immediately, Cole leaped from Jason’s shoulders, crashing onto the floor.
Considering what lay in the vent, it was understandable.
The killer had positioned the body so that exactly half of it hung from the vent, while the other half was positioned so as to support it from the vent. As such, only the torso of the body was visible, but that was more than enough. The huge pool of blood had evidently come from the victim’s slashed neck, which was now pouring blood out of it onto Jason’s unsuspecting face and hair. Shining just as brightly as the pistol was a camo combat knife jammed into the victim’s chest with expertise aim. The victim’s eyes were wide open in fear, and his face bore an expression of true horror and betrayal. They had probably seen the killer in their final moments, and had been in shock of the truth. For now, Jason had no interest in the shocking truth of the killer’s identity. Something else occupied his entire attention.
Hung out of the vent, his body having been mutilated and his face forever plastered with an expression of horror, Mikad Sharp stared down at Jason with a look that haunted Jason’s dreams forever.
SURVIVORS: 22