*gasp* guys what if the rose and thorns thing and the garden book (I atleast think that’s what the book is about) is about the garden? *everyone facepalms* Maybe there’s something in the garden? Or maybe it’s just there because welp...there’s a garden... BUT I suspect these killings might have something to do with the garden OR a someone who seems all nice on the outside...and likes gardens... don’t forget the garden thing... 

Day 8

The next morning, nothing else was discovered. The guests were getting impatient, and I was getting worried.

I met Summer in a tunnel to examine the blueprints.

~~~ 

Everyone continued combing the front room relentlessly. As they were working, I walked in and sat at the front desk. This appeared to have an effect on them. After all, if you are looking for someone's secret room, you don't want them watching you the entire time. I had been watching them the entire time yesterday, of course, but that is beside the point.

Twenty minutes later they were all sitting in Shy Peacock and Celeste's room.

"It's got to be the front desk," said Aspen. "The front desk is just on the other side of the baths' wall."

"Right, and Sukāretto came in and sat there when we had looked almost everywhere else," Claaws added. "It seems like the only chance we'll really get from now on will be in the middle of the night."

There was a pause.

"I am not going downstairs in the middle of the night to inspect Sukāretto's desk," said Spyro. "Not gonna happen." 

~~~

Late that night, Secret, Darkfeather, Shy Peacock, Fireburst, Allie, Aspen, Rosebud, Viola? and MJ met in the hallway and snuck downstairs. They searched through the records, the pencil jar, the small pile of travel pamphlets on the front desk. 

Nothing.

"This was a terrible idea," whispered Allie. "There's nothing here."

"I saw somm thng undr neth," Darkfeather remembered. "Lets look ther."

After some feeling around, Viola? found a small lever.

"Guys! I found something!" she gasped.

Viola? flicked the lever and the desk shifted to the side, revealing a small staircase in the floor. Everyone walked down it hesitantly into the secret room...

...And it was empty.

All that remained was the desk and the lamp.

Shy Peacock ran forward, turned on the lamp, and started searching the drawers. Nothing.

"Goud grif," Darkfeather remarked.

"OH MY WORD" whisper-screamed Fireburst as she pointed to a corner.

In the corner there was a figure looking toward the floor, her long, dark hair covering her face, hands at her sides. She looked up and spoke.

"Hello, intruders," I said, brushing the hair out of my face.

Everyone screamed and ran out of the room as fast as possible. I started laughing hysterically and chased them out. I turned all the lights on and heard someone pull the fire alarm.

Not again, I thought.

I ran back into my (now empty) room and pried open the control panel. The sprinkler system went off in the entire building as I ran back upstairs to hunt for an umbrella.

Everyone rushed into the front room soaking wet, asking each other what was going on.

"I will tell you what is going on," Secret said. "SHE *pointing to me* is terrifying."

I smiled gracefully and bowed.

Spyro ran down the stairs, outraged.

"I AM OUTRAGED," he said. "FIRST you melt my donuts, THEN you make them all soggy! Zero per cent! No stars! Rotton tomato, whatever that means!" 

I went to bed laughing.

I had no premonition that on the way back to their room, Shy Peacock and Celeste would find Secret dead on the hallway floor next to Claaw's stick.

~End of day 8. Death Toll: Fifteen.

Inkling, Eliana, Hibiki Starlight, Rose Bud's Sam, Wildflower, Leeli and Viri- eaten by dragons 

Jwyn- broken neck

Agent Winter- drowned

Dream- strangled

Poison- poisoned

Blue Moon- eaten by a Zeamaizock

Ann- burned

Byann- crushed 

Secret- wacked on the head with a big stick

~~~

P.S: I have yet to find out if there truly was a fire, or if someone pulled the alarm for other reasons. 

What? BYANN! What were you doing?

Um. Nothing?

I swear that was not a murder. That was him being crazy. Also, what did Darkfeather find under the desk? And is it going to get her killed next?

Oh no! My stick! How could you wrong me so?! *shuns stick*

PS. This is a really great Ski Lodge, I really love how its all put together! You're an awesome writer!  

Did NOBODY pick up the hint about the FRONT closet? Just an idea.

Also, a notebook with a deceased owner would be an ideal place to hide something... Just saying. *coughcough*

Also-Also, I don't think Rose bud is the murderer, for reasons others have pointed out. I think the murderer is framing her to divert attention from themselves(cliche sounding, I know). But now she's probably feeling left out and going to be alone, giving her a better chance of becoming a victim (or becoming a murderer herself).

Also-Also-Also, there's always reverse-reverse-psychology....

And for those of you who like helpful little lists that tell you who was lucky enough to escape the blood-curdling wrath of the merciless, hostile mons... Anyway, here you go:

LIST OF ALIVE PERSONS*:

--Rose bud

--hotairballoon

--Spyro (AE) 

--Viola?

--Claaws

--Noon (CAPTCHA) 

--Aspen 

--Allie

--MJ

--Tuxedo Kitten

--Kate-the-Great

--Fireburst

--Darkfeather (CAPTCHA) 

--Pooki P. 

--Shy Peacock

--Celeste (AE)

--Cockleburr

ORPHANED COMPANIONS:

Sam (Agent Winter's AE)

*As far as we know... 

Well, that's all for now folks. *floats off*

--{Jwyn the Ghost}--

And the current count is...

CBers: 13

Æs: 3

CAPTCHAs: 2

Out of...

CBers: 18

Æs: 5

CAPTCHAs: 3

Elli says mfed

Yeah, you were fed to the dragon *sniffs* 

Has there ever been a ski lodge on here in which the host was the murderer?

Good question!

Admin

Apologies for being late. I fell asleep while writing.

Day 9

Rose Bud was alone.

When Secret died, so died her last reliable sort-of friend, but grew a need to know what she knew. There was some doubt that she was the murderer--it was too easy, too obvious. But it was still possible. And even if she was not, she might provide a clue.

And so Rose Bud was not alone, because MJ came and talked to her, and so did Claaws, Viola?, Shy Peacock, Kate-the-Great, Cockleburr, nearly everyone. But all of them suspected her. And they talked to a lot of people.

They had similar questions--where were you at the time of each death, can you prove it, what do you know about the secret room, what happened with you and Secret, you and Jwyn--and Rose Bud answered them all similarly. She was in her room, in the garden, at the scene, looking for the secret room, yes and no, it's under the front desk and Sukāretto is weird about it, they were friends, she was the only one who would come near her, she died, they were roommates, they cried over our dead AEs, she died.

I listened mostly, their conversations encompassing so many hints and clues and false leads. Rose Bud was not the only suspect. It would have been too simple.

The weather was gloomy, overcast with a restless, wandering breeze. I retreated to the gardens and watched in the shade. Claaws, Allie, Noon, Aspen, Celeste, Cockleburr, MJ, Kate-the-Great, hotairballoon and Shy Peacock went out for another hike, presumably to get away from our prying eyes and ears at the ryokan and many opportunities for death, while also discussing the everlasting questions.

Who, how, and why?

Shy Peacock was keeping a notebook. I thought of looking at it while she was away, but it was not in her room; apparently she had brought it with her. Instead I listened in on the conversations held by those left behind.

"Who do you think is the murderer?" Viola? asked.

"It could be you," Fireburst pointed out, cuddling Darkfeather.

"Well, yeah, but it could also be you, right? Or Rose Bud, even though it's kind of obvious, oh, or I've heard people saying it could be one of the hosts."

"Why would a host kill their own guests?" Sam wondered.

"I just hope I--we--aren't next," Pooki P said.

"What happens if we actually figure out who it is?" Viola? pressed.

"Like... do we have to stop them?" Tuxedo Kitten asked.

"Yeah!" Viola? replied. "Or do they just disappear, or what?" 

"I don't know," Fireburst answered.

"I've never been in a ski lodge that finished before," Pooki P admitted.

"Oh, it's Rose Bud," said Tuxedo Kitten, jumping up as the CBer came distantly into view, wandering around the edge of the garden. The convened guests scattered, some quietly, others less so. Rose Bud looked up at Pooki's squeak, accompanied by the crunching of gravel as he and Tux stepped into a plant bed.

Things went on very uneventfully, so I decided to locate the hikers before I considered myself bored. I was not twenty minutes into the woods before I heard footsteps and slipped off the path.

Kate-the-Great was running down the path, looking scared but determined. I frowned and followed. It was not a common thing for her to show fear.

I stepped back onto the path when I was well ahead of her, letting her run into me as though I had just been coming along then. She slowed to a halt and spoke.

"Hotairballoon is dead."

I did not speak, but drew back to show surprise, nodded once, and pointed back towards the ryokan to indicate that she should keep going while I went on to see.

I found the group a few minutes later. They were huddled away from the edge of a rather steep incline, arguing.

"I told you, I didn't see!" MJ shouted.

"How could you not have seen? You did it!" Claaws yelled back.

"She may not have done it, but she was walking closest to him," Aspen reasoned.

Cockleburr greeted me. "Oh, it's you. Um. Hotairballoon fell." She pointed at the drop. "We think he was pushed."

I walked to where she had directed her gesture, looked over the edge. Hotairballoon's broken body lay several dozen yards below, blood marking his path for the last few feet. Noon and Shy Peacock stood over it with Celeste, Shy Peacock taking notes--aha--in her book. 

I turned back to survey the scene behind me. Claaws and MJ stood facing each other, still spitting accusations and counters. Allie stood with MJ and Aspen by Claaws, Cockleburr wringing her hands off to the side. I wanted to hear the argument, but I needed to confirm death, so I made my way down the slope.

The disturbance in the leaves carpeting the forest floor was fresh, and so was the blood--still red, liquid, warm. The body had no pulse, did not breathe.

"I, uh," Shy Peacock stammered. "I closed his eyes." 

I did not acknowledge, not having asked. I finished my inspection--there was nothing much to glean about the possibility of murder; he was dead from the fall and that was that--and returned up the hill in time to watch Claaws and MJ end their battle.

"I. Didn't. Kill him!"

"Can't prove it, though!"

"Argh!"

I found a quiet place to observe the unfolding events and settled in.

A little while later, Kate-the-Great came running back, with Tuxedo Kitten, Rose Bud, Pooki P, Spyro, Fireburst, Darkfeather, Sukāretto and Sam in staggered tow. Another fight broke out over murder--MJ had been walking at the very back of the group, right behind hotairballoon, although she claimed to have been distracted by something Allie said when he fell. Rose Bud was nearly eliminated as a suspect by virtue of having stayed back, until it was thought of that a delayed weapon on his person or a trap in the path could have been the cause. No evidence was found of either, but the point remained. Spyro went unusually quiet on seeing the body and did not speak for some time. 

The name of murderer ricocheted throughout the group until Shy Peacock noticed that Viola? was again missing. The first guests back found her lying in the shade of a tree by the ryokan, apparently asleep. She went to visit the death scene upon being woken, but even herself could not deny suspicion.

Some raised the possibility that it truly had been an accident, but given that there was undeniably still a murderer among the guests, few believed it.

~End of day 9. Death toll: Sixteen.

Inkling, Eliana, Hibiki Starlight, Rose Bud's Sam, Wildflower, Leeli and Viri of dragons.

Jwyn of a broken neck. 

Agent Winter of drowning.

Dream of strangling.

Poison of poisoning.

Blue Moon of a Zeamaizock.

Ann of burning.

Byann of being crushed. 

Secret of a hit on the head.

Hotairballoon of falling.

Day 10

Tired of looking for secret rooms, the guests spent most of the morning swimming. The first part of the day passed without any exitement, which was a relief to most and a disapoinment to Darkfeather and Noon. They entertained themselves by watching Spyro splash water into the air with his wings and attempt to evaporate it before it hit the surface.

That afternoon, Darkfeather and Noon were hanging out in the gardens talking about news while the rest of the guests stayed at the beach.

"Didd yuuu heer abut thee relm thin?"

"Yaah. Doyu know whho hiis capt chaa wass?" 

"Mm,no." 

Suddenly a paper airplane hit the wall behind them. They rushed over to attempt to find its launcher, but they had missed him or her; so they unfolded the piece of paper and read it. It read: The secret lies under the stairs.

"Hmmm, tthe staa irrs," Noon said.

The two walked over to the stairs in the front room which led to the second floor and began looking around. (I was not at the front desk at that time.)

Darkfeather noticed a small button underneath the first step and called Noon over. Noon pressed it before Darkfeather could say anything else.

The first five steps lifted up, revealing a tunnel.

The two walked into the darkness hesitantly, and the automatic lights on the walls flickered on.

"Iwon drrr were this goes," Noon whispered.

They heard a small click, and then a whish. Two feathered darts hit the companions, a small drip of blood trickling down their legs. Darkfeather and Noon turned around in alarm.

"Youu!" Darkfeather shouted.

The murderer walked silently toward the stairs. 

"Farewell," xe said.

The stairs closed as Darkfeather and Noon fumbled to pull the darts out of their legs. The lights turned off soon after.

~~~

The guests gathered for dinner as a beautiful sunset began to occur.

"Has anyone seen Darkfeather?" Fireburst asked. "I haven't seen her since she went back from the beach."

"Yeah, and I haven't seen Noon since then either," Claaws said.

The two captcha owners looked at each other in alarm.

"I am sure they are fine," I said, bringing in a pot of soup.

"And where's Viola??" Fireburst said.

Everyone gasped and looked around the table. The Sticky Note Queen was once again absent.

Viola? turned up in the gardens after dinner.

"I took a long-cut on the way back from the beach to look for a bracelet I dropped," Viola? said.

Rose bud was relieved of some suspicion, and Viola? did not need to spend another night in the woods, but as for the captchas?

They were not to be discovered for quite some time.

~End of day ten. Death Toll: Eighteen.

Inkling, Eliana, Hibiki Starlight, Rose Bud's Sam, Wildflower, Leeli and Viri- eaten by dragons

Jwyn- neck broken 

Agent Winter- drowned

Dream- strangled

Poison- poisoned

Blue Moon- eaten by a zeamaizeock

Ann- burned

Byann- crushed

Secret- whacked on the head with a big stick

Hotairballon- fell off a cliff

Darkfeather & Noon- shot by venomous flying darts