Well. Seeing as the only thing I remember from seeing the Phantom of the Opera is someone being murdered in that way, I can conclude that this is indeed similar to the actions of the Phantom- or perhaps the Feline? Is someone trying to imitate the Feline of the Opera?

Wait a minute...we're all cats? Cool! Despite having had dogs all my life, I think I share more personality traits with a cat.  

Okay...Someone's already died and all I have concluded is that Brian's death is similar to a death in the Phantom of the Opera (but is also a relatively generic death) and that cats are cool. Good thing this isn't a Sherlock Holmes ski lodge.  

Oh, one more thing! I'd just like to clarify that Paris is an Æ (she represents my more "girly" side) and Fflewddur is a CAPTCHA. I just realized I wasn't very clear about that.

@Kate--Sorry, I had no idea. I'll remember that for next time.

@Sydney--Thanks for clarifying! :) 

Ack! I almost put in my CB name! Silly me! Try to guess me and the murderer(s)! 

I agree, Sydney. The killer is using Phantom methods. I wonder who the killer is... Is it... I don't know. XD

Day I, Part II

As The House Owner led the rest of the group back to the stage, Kate-the-Great, SydneySong, and Cardinal hung back. "We need to find out who the murderer is." Kate-the-Great declared. "Agreed," Cardinal and SydneySong said in unison. "I can't afford to lose another AE." Cardinal narrowed her green eyes. "And my only CAPTCHA." Kate-the-Great added quickly.

"We need to look for clues," SydneySong muttered. Cardinal began poking her nose in every nook and cranny, until she shouted, "I found a note!"

Kate-the-Great and SydneySong rushed over. "What does it say?" Kate-the-Great asked. Cardinal scanned the scrap of paper. "It says; 'The Feline of the Opera is here inside your mind.' What could that mean?" SydneySong snatched the note out of Cardinal's hands and studied it over. "Aha!" she said surprisingly. "That's from The Feline of the Opera! From that song!" Kate-the-Great thought the phrase over. "I can't figure out what it means, though."

"I do," Came a grim voice from the shadows. The three cats spun around. A tall, black-furred tom dressed in a suit and cape emerged. One side of his face was covered by a white mask, while his single amber eye glowed in the darkness. "Th-the Feline!" Cardinal cried. A second later, she fainted into Kate-the-Great's arms. The Feline continued speaking. "That nasty criminal wants everyone to think it was me," he growled.

SydneySong cocked her head. "Why would they want to frame you?" The Feline sighed and rolled his eyes. "Because I may have killed a couple of people..." SydneySong smacked her forehead. "Of course! I totally forgot!" Kate-the-Great slitted her eyes. "How do we know it wasn't you?" she inquired. The Feline mulled her question over a bit. "Uh... I don't know. I guess I earned a reputation of being a killer. But I swear it wasn't me." Kate-the-Great snorted. "Yeah, right."

"Then tell us about the murderer," Cardinal, who had woken up, demanded. "Well, I didn't see him well. They were in the shadows. But I do recall seeing the flash of yellow eyes." "That gets us nowhere," Kate-the-Great grumbled unhappily. "Lots of cats have yellow eyes." The Feline widened his eye. "But this eye was different. It was full of menace."

He shuddered. "It was as cold as ice, belonging to a ruthless killer." SydneySong whipped out a notepad and began writing The Feline's description down. "Go on," she urged. The Feline thought for a second, then continued. "I do remember seeing a white paw. It had the claws out." SydneySong stopped writing. "Anything else?" she questioned. "Not that I can think of..." The Feline answered. "Then let's catch that killer!" SydneySong announced determinedly. Kate-the-Great, Cardinal, and The Feline pumped their fists into the air. "Yeah!"

Told you the organ riffs would come in handy! *starts singing about the Feline of the Opera* *dramatically imitates organ chords*

A white paw and yellow eyes...there can't be too many cats that look like that, can there?

At any rate, we're going to figure it out!

Fflewddur says ptyy. Pity? Maybe he meant to say kitty.  

Hm... I just realized I made a fatal flaw. Don't worry, I'll make it much harder to guess the criminal.

Day I, Part III

Meanwhile, as Kate-the-Great, SydenySong, Cardinal, and The Feline headed back to the group, Tulip and Surprise went exploring. "Are you sure we should do this?" Tulip asked, brushing away a cobweb. "Don't worry, if one of us dies, the other can scream for help." Surprise comforted. "That makes me feel a whole lot better." Tulip muttered sarcastically.

The two cats soon found a staircase that lead into the depths of the sewers. Tulip's light brown tabby fur was bushed up, but Surprise had a mischievous grin plastered on his face. "Let's venture onward." Surprise urge, and he pushed Tulip onto the first step. Tulip flinched as the stair creaked, but stepped onto the next. Surprise ventured after her, staring into the blackness below.

Suddenly, the stair Tulip was on gave away and she fell screaming. Surprise was frozen in fear, and soon his step vanished beneath his paws. Fortunately, though, he caught the step above. Suddenly, a figure in a black cloak stepped on his fingers and Surprise fell to his doom. The last thing he heard was maniacal laughing up above.

Surprise was plunged into cold, smelly water. Which way was up? He finally burst into air, but suddenly, something began dragging him down. Surprise screamed. He stopped struggling and fell limp, hoping whatever had hold of him let go. But he was dragged to the bottom, never to be seen alive again. 

~~~

The CBers, The Feline, and The House Owner all were getting ready to go down the stairs both Tulip and Surprise fell from. "Are you sure the tracks led here?" The House Owner asked SydneySong. SydneySong held up a tuft of light brown fur. "Do clues ever lie?" she retorted. "I guess not..." The House Owner muttered nervously, stepping down on the first stair.

When the group had finally descended down the stairway, The House Owner noticed that the platform they were standing on was wet. Suddenly, The Feline yowled out in horror. "A cat!" he wailed, dragging a dark gray body from the sewer. BumbleBuddy rushed over. "It's Surprise!" she cried. SydneySong came over to comfort her, but BumbleBuddy swatted her away. "You did it, didn't you!" she growled at SydneySong. "Admit it!"

SydneySong backed away. "I-it wasn't me!" she stammered. BumbleBuddy turned around. "Tulip!" she caterwaulled. "My precious Tulip! WHHYYYYY?!?!" The golden tabby lay huddled over her two AEs, crying heavily.

Alright, we have light brown, dark gray/grey (because I feel randomly inclined to include the British spelling), and golden fur. No white yet...we shall see.

What if there aren't any white cats in our party?

Then either the murderer is not among us, or the murderer is among us in disguise (or s/he was in disguise when s/he committed the murders). And if the white fur was a disguise, well, then, the murderer passed up a perfectly good opportunity to frame somebody. That's right. I know how your mind works, murderer. *gestures like a detective, however a detective gestures*

Day 2, Part 4

The very next day, the CBers and their AEs and CAPTCHAs walked out from their rooms. The House Owner was waiting for them. "I know deaths have occurred yesterday, but to lighten the mood, we will watch some musicals." The CBers cheered.

Suddenly, The Feline appeared. "What musicals will we be watching?" he asked. The House Owner pulled a suggestion box out from his pocket, and unlocked it. He pulled out a dozen slips of paper and read them aloud. "Seems like we're seeing The Feline of the Opera." The House Owner concluded. The Feline looked confused. "Wait, there's a musical written about me?" he asked. The House Owner nodded. "And after the show, some very special guests will arrive."

The group filed into the theatre. Kate-the-Great, SydneySong, Cardinal, and The Feline sat next to each other. Then the lights dimmed, and the show started.

When the chandelier dropped, Daisy's white tail puffed out. When the flames erupted from the stage, Hotairballoon covered his eyes with his white paws. Spirit-rain's white tipped tail swished angrily when The Feline (not the real one) captured Christine. And when the show ended, it was The Feline who clapped the loudest of all.

After the play, The Feline had a sudden rush of inspiration. He rushed down to his sewer-lair, and moments later, organ music came wafting up from downstairs. The House Owner turned to the CBers, and addressed them. "Now the moment you've all been waiting for..." He paused to open the front doors. No cat was there. "Huh," The House Owner mused. "Christine and Meowule are supposed to be here. I guess they mixed up the date." Out loud he boomed, "Well, I guess the special guests are coming later. Please be patient."

The CBers grumbled amongst themselves unhappily, for the moment they had been waiting for never came. They filed back into their rooms, but Hotairballoon decided to go exploring. "Scaredy-cats," he muttered. "Too afraid because of a murderer."

Hotairballoon went backstage to inspect the props. While rummaging through a costume box, he found a yellowed piece of paper. Scrawled in red ink was, "Past the point of no return." "Hm..." Hotairballoon murmured thoughtfully. "What could--" Before he could finish his sentence, a knife was stuck into his back and he was dead. He fell into the box, letting the note flutter to the ground. The murderers, dressed in black, stood behind him. "Curiosity killed the cat!" One cackled. "Past the point of no return for sure," another snorted. The three cats dragged Hotairballoon of of the box and placed him in front of the rooms.

~~~

When the CBers scrambled out of their rooms for lunch, they found Hotairballoon lying in front of their dormitories. BumbleBuddy screamed and fainted, while The Riddler stood frozen in fear. Marshmellow hugged Daisy tight, but SydneySong yanked the blade out of Hotairballoon's back. Then she spotted the trail of blood. "I'm gonna follow it." she declared, and Kate-the-Great and Cardinal dashed after her.

The trail led backstage, and the first thing SydneySong notices was the note. "It's the same handwriting as before." she mused. Kate-the-Great looked around as well. She then noticed a bloody footprint. "Looks like the murderer stepped in some blood." she observed. Cardinal nodded in agreement.