Day Fifteen — Evening

“Congratulations, friends and companions, campers and counselors, competitors and supervisors, winners and losers, Olympian gods and Olympian athletes,” Liberté screeched through her megaphone. “The one and only Camp Juniper Olympics is complete. May I please call Icarus to the bandstand.”

“Liberté,” Snow whispered, “you are standing on top of a literal soapbox. There is no bandstand.”

“It doesn’t matter, honey pie,” Liberté said. “There was an Olympics, there has to be a bandstand. It’s one of the lesser known but extremely important laws of physics. And since a soapbox is all I had on hand, a soapbox will have to do. Will Icarus please come up to the bandstand.”

“Right here, Liberté.”

“Thank you. Friends and companions, I present to you… Icarus! Ultimate winner of the Camp Juniper Olympics, now tied with… oh my! This is a juicy bit of information. Icarus, you are now tied with your delightful CBer, Sterling, as holder of the most juniper branches. Three each! Now, isn’t that just utterly peachy?”

Sterling, who had come up to the bandstand with her AE, nodded, but her mouth was pursed in a hard line. Losing is one thing, but it’s always made a thousand times harder when your own AE catches up to you. Icarus, on the other hand, was shivering with glee.

“HA! I am the greatest, the best, the most powerful! This is so satisfying I could scream.”

“Don’t.” Sterling said tersely. “There’s a murderer in this camp. We don’t want anyone to think you’ve died.”

“Well.” Liberté broke into their conversation, wedging her body between the two tense campers. “We wouldn’t want this to come to blows, would we? Let’s just shake hands and be done with it.” She stepped back onto her soapbox and raised her megaphone. “Congratulations Sterling and Icarus. On a slightly more somber note, however, it’s the fifteenth day of camp, and people keep dying. You know what that means!” She was met with a stony silence. “Drumroll, please?” There was no drumroll. “Eh. Next time, maybe. It’s time for a mass funeral, my doves! Everyone who required cremation has been burnt to a crisp and placed in an urn, and we will be holding a service and reception in the multi-purpose room in about half an hour. You may head back to your cabins to freshen up and think about nice things to say about the dead people. See you soon, and have fun!”

***

The funeral was not fun.

It wasn’t as though anyone had actually expected to enjoy the event, of course. But it turned out even worse than anyone had expected.

For starters, Liberté decided that she was qualified to be an entire choir, so when people walked into the multi-purpose room, expecting to experience an at least moderately subdued event, they were instead bombarded with the sound of the head counselor happily belting out whatever songs she could think of. This meant that every time Icarus looked at the front of the room, she started singing We are the Champions.

Not surprisingly, this caused several people to be upset. Sterling kept her eyes fixated constantly on Liberté’s, but she received no such serenades, which made her even more sore about the fact that her AE had beaten her at the Olympics. And although dreamii didn't care that Icarus had won, she was decidedly upset at Liberté’s callous butchering of the funeral. After the twelfth victory song, she was no longer able to handle the strain and snuck out of the room. A few moments later, Pine got up to follow.

With her pulse racing, dreamii fled to the library. Everything was just so, so wrong, and all the wrongness felt as though it was culminating in Liberté’s singing. She sank into the cushions of one of the library’s sofas, then raised a pillow to her face and screamed, long and hard. The scream continued until her throat was raw and her mind finally felt clear for the first time in over two weeks. She lowered the pillow and smiled.

Then, a hand fell onto her shoulder and she screamed again, no pillow to muffle it this time. Her brain, so calm and clear just a moment before, began to race as she waited for her turn to die. She turned around slowly, and came face-to-face with the last person she had ever expected. Her eyes filled with fear, but also with a deep, indescribable silence.

“You?” she whispered, not wanting to believe it. He couldn’t be the murderer. He couldn’t.

“Yeah. Me,” Pine said, smiling. The smile scared dreamii more than anything else. It was a smile that she knew so well, a smile that had been aimed towards her a thousand times.

“You followed me here.”

“Um… yeah? I mean, I’m your AE, dreamii, and you left the funeral without even telling me. I was worried.”

“Because you wanted to kill me at the funeral, I guess?” Her eyes filled with tears. “How could you, Pine? I cared about you. I trusted you. Felix trusted you.”

“Wait, what?” Pine took a step back. “dreamii, what are you talking about?”

“You’re the murderer, right? Just kill me and get it over with, you monster.”

“dreamii. I’m not the murderer. You left in the middle of the funeral and it scared me, so I followed you. I don’t want to kill you or anyone, and I would never hurt Felix. I would have done anything to save him, dreamii. Anything. And you’re saying you thought I was the killer?”

“So you’re not?”

“No! No, I did not kill fourteen people! I did not kill my boyfriend, and I did not want to kill you.”

“Oh.” dreamii took a step back. “Sorry. You scared me, and—”

“And you accused my of murder! What in the world? How could you even think that?”

“I was scared, Pine. We’re all scared. There’s only a few of us left and you snuck up on me and it broke my heart but I thought you wanted to kill me. I’m sorry, but you can’t blame me for this.”

Pine’s eyes filled with tears, but he nodded slowly. “You’re right. I don’t want to forgive you, but… you’re the most important person left in my life now. I don’t want to you too, and I don’t blame you for being scared.”

“I’m sorry I accused you of murder.” dreamii patted the empty cushion next to her on the couch. “Sit next to me. I think I’m going to take a nap. Today was tiring.” Pine smiled, and laid his head on dreamii’s shoulder. Together, they drifted into sleep.

***

Back at the funeral, the campers had just discovered that dreamii and Pine were missing. Liberté was in hysterics because Icarus had interrupted her singing to announce the missing campers, and Basil was doing his best to console her, leaving Snow to organize a search party. This obviously didn’t go well.

“Look for the missing people, and make it quick,” Snow shouted, enjoying the brief taste of complete power. “Except for you, Kitty Cat, I want you to bring me ice cream. No cyanide, please, we don’t need a redo of any past events. Everyone else, look for the people and yell at them when you find them, because this is annoying. Now shoo, you lazy children.”

Everyone hurried off in different directions, unsure whether it was more important to get away from Snow or to find dreamii and Pine. Everyone was scared and unsure of what to do.

Everyone except the murderer, that is. They knew exactly what needed to happen next.

So they went to the library.

***

“Wakey, wakey.”

dreamii started awake, then turned around. “Oh, hey.”

“Everyone’s looking for you. We were worried sick, even Liberté,” the murdered lied, their voice as sweet as sugar. “What happened?”

“Sorry. Got overwhelmed. Liberté’s worried? Actually?”

The murderer smiled and lifted the heavy, iron bar that they had located on their way to the library. “Actually, no. No one cares, because you are completely dispensable. Just like every single other person at this worthless camp.” Then, they smashed dreamii’s head in and ran from the scene of the crime.

***

It took a few minutes for Pine to wake up completely. He had started to regain consciousness when he heard a sickening crack only a few inches from his head, but he had been fast asleep, and in the end, it wasn’t until quite a bit of blood was soaking his shirt that he was fully awake.

And then he saw it.

dreamii’s body, leaning against him, covered in blood and gore. The last person alive in this camp that he really cared about. Gone. Murdered, while he was sitting right next to her. He could have protected her, he could have saved her, he could have at least seen who the murderer was and avenged her. But instead, he had merely sat there, asleep. And now, rather than trying to save her, he merely hugged the corpse and cried, tears spilling from his eyes and cascading over his cheeks, mixing with the blood in a liquid mess. Only once his tears had completely given out did he scream for help, and by that time, he was completely numb. When Snow came rushing into the library and screamed herself; when the rest of the camp came spilling in; when Basil picked him up and carried him to his bunk, whispering calming words; he felt nothing.

There was nothing left.

***

Dead: 15 (Hot Coco, Ydris "Masquerade" Dìomhaireachd, Felix, Inari, Summer, AutumnArtist, Nightfall, Aspen, Luna-Starr, Freak, Zachary, Braoin, Sammy Everlast, NerdFace, and dreamii. May they rest in peace in the glory of Camp Juniper) 

Alive: 6

Suspects: Liberté suspects everyone. It's all your fault.

Enemies of Snow: Let's be truthful here, Snow pretty much hates the whole world.

 

Thank you so much for continuing to read this, everybody! Luna-Starr, Luna Wolf, Writing-in-the-Dark, and anyone else who's still reading and topping our ski lodge, we're so grateful for your continued support. Whenever I check Pudding's Place, we're always on one of the first three pages despite the extremely spotty publishing schedule, and that's AMAZING. We're so sorry for the lack of consistency in our posts, but we're determined to see this through, even if it takes two more years (although we're planning to finish a long time before that!) Hope you enjoy, and thanks for reading!

Day Sixteen — Morning

After last night’s events, all the campers needed this morning was a calm breakfast; a moment to allow them to relax and regroup. However, breakfast montages are really overrated and boring at this point, so here’s a quick summary. They had the usual array of breakfast foods: pancakes, waffles, assorted toppings and fruits, juices, hot cocoa, decaffeinated coffee, and water. It was probably the most boring breakfast in the existence of Camp Juniper to this point. The campers only communicated with small talk, complained about the cold, and ate their food in silence otherwise. After dreamii’s death the night before, everyone was a lot more paranoid and alert, especially since she had died with another person in the room. Anything could happen at this point, and they all would much rather keep to themselves to avoid having to talk to a murderer. 

Now, the only CBer-AE pairing left from day one were Sterling and Icarus. However, Sterling’s grudge against Icarus had lasted through the night. She did NOT like that her own alter ego had tied her in the running for juniper branches. She needed that reward at the end of camp, Icarus didn’t. That also added to the quiet of the camper’s morning. Every camper could sense the tension between the two of them, and honestly, they didn’t want to deal with it. Therefore, breakfast was quiet.

Afterwards, well, things sure got… exciting, and that’s putting it mildly.

Breakfast dishes had been cleared, and now it was even more awkward. No one was talking. They were all just sitting on different picnic benches, on the grass, or on the cement platform. Some were braiding grass into crowns, others were drawing on the ground with old berries that they determined could be used as chalk. It went on like this for about thirty minutes until someone decided to speak up. That person was Ari, and she had a game suggestion. 

“Hey, y’all want to play truth or dare?”

“I don’t know, don’t you think that’s kind of, well, dangerous?” Adrian replies, their skittish demeanor taking over, allowing the words to fade towards the end, almost not loud enough to hear.

“Pfft, who cares. We’re all getting murdered anyways, what’s the risk in playing a little truth or dare?” Sterling answered.

So, that’s what they did. They played truth or dare. The campers gathered in the meadow right where the grass began to curve up towards the ski to create the hiking hill. They sat in a circle, cross-legged, just like they were in kindergarten again, waiting for the teacher to read them the story of the day. It felt so innocent, something that would bring the campers together in this moment of hardship. A simple, childish game of truth or dare. Oh, how lovely it would’ve been for the game to be just that, innocent. It was the farthest from it, and the murderer was growing impatient. This game was going to lead to death.

***

“Okay Pine, truth or dare?” Sterling begins.

“Truth.”

“Bo-ring! Take the dare.”

“Fine, dare.” Pine replied, reluctantness staining his voice.

“Hmm, I dare you to… what should I dare you? Hmm…”

“You could dare me to quit the game, I’d love that.”

“Stop being boring, Pine. Just because dreamii died doesn’t mean you have to turn into Eeyore. Have fun! Live a little!” That was Kitty Cat.

“Oh! I got one! I dare you to eat one of the orange berries growing by the dirt trail. You’ll love it.”

“Are you trying to kill me? Absolutely not.”

“Fine, you lose. Go pick daisies or cuddle with puppies. You obviously don’t want to play.” Sterling rolls her eyes deep into her head, annoyed at Pine’s behavior.

Pine scowls and gets up to leave. Sterling rises with him and walks over to the berries, leaving Pine to only stare in shock. Sterling picks a handful, dusts them off, and motions towards putting one in her mouth.

“No!” Pine shouts.

She does it anyways. The berries are tart, but not overwhelmingly poisonous. Sterling picks a few more and returns to the circle. Pine stares at her in horror, the others speechless.

“What? They’re cloudberries. Totally harmless. I know my plants and berries.”

“Give me one.” Pine says as he rejoins the group, sitting beside Sterling and holding his hand out. She puts a single berry in his palm. He takes a deep breath and quickly shoves it through his teeth. The flavor isn’t bad. It tastes like a raspberry. He smiles.

“See? Not so bad. Now it’s your turn, Pine. Ask someone, but it can’t be me since I asked you.”

“Okay… hm. Adrian! Truth or dare?”

“I don’t really have a choice do I?” They say.

“Of course you—”

“Don’t.” Ari and Sterling say in unison, cutting Pine off.

“Dare, then, if you’re so keen on making the game fun or whatever the motive is here.”

“I dare you to…” Pine’s eyes go blank for a moment, almost as if he was possessed by another. No one notices.

“I dare you to lift the sleeve of your sweatshirt for ten seconds.”

“I’ll freeze!” Adrian pleads.

“Do it.” Pine’s eyes lessen their intensity and he seems almost confused to what he just commanded Adrian to do. It was not his own thoughts, but those of another. And yet, he still doesn’t have the power to reverse his words. Adrian is bound to the dare they were given.

Adrian’s hands tremble as they roll up their sleeve. The cold pierces their exposed arm as sharp as a knife blade carving through skin.

“One mississippi, two mississippi,” the group counts. Adrian bites their lip to divert their pain elsewhere.

“Three mississippi, four mississippi,” the redness begins to fade from Adrian’s skin.

“Five mississippi, six mississippi,” their skin is turning a sickly shade of gray, almost as if it was dying.

“Seven mississippi, eight mississippi,” the cold is spreading past their arm and into their chest. It burns worse than any pain he has ever felt. It has become hard to breathe. Adrian tugs at the sleeve.

“Nine mississippi, ten mississippi,” they pull the sleeve down quickly. Adrian feels faint. They feel tired. They’re cold beyond measure.

Adrian collapses.

“What have I done? Oh my God, what have I done?!” Pine cries.

“It’ll be fine,” Sterling says confidently. “Let’s just get them to Palenia Piper. His breathing is normal. It’s probably just shock.

“Adrian is not the one who will die today.” A voice says from deep inside the forest.

“Who was that?” Icarus questions. No answer.

“It’s no matter. Adrian will live. Sterling, take Adrian to the hospital and let us continue the game here.” Kitty Cat says. “And since Adrian is incapable, I will take the next turn.”

The three remaining other than Kitty Cat, Icarus, Ari, and Pine don’t protest her request. Sterling hoists Adrian’s body from the ground and slings them over her shoulder. They aren’t heavy, but they are a great deal taller than Sterling, so it’s difficult for her to carry them. She begins on her short journey to find Palenia Piper.

“All right. Ari, truth or dare?”

***

Sterling finds Palenia Piper soon after her departure from the group, almost if the nurse was waiting for them to show up at the hospital.

“Oh my, what has happened here?”

“We were playing truth or dare, dare or dare really, and he collapsed from shock. He was exposed to the weather of this strange place for too long. You do have a remedy for him, right?” There is almost a softness in Sterling’s voice, one that has been long forgotten, left behind at the beginning of camp. It’s almost as if… Sterling cares. She immediately fixes her body language and straightens her shoulders.

“I’ll find him heat and the proper medicine, thanks. I’d suggest you return to your game, though. It will take him a while to get better, and it’s too small in here for your company, really.”

“All right, whatever is best, I guess.”

Sterling leaves.

***

When she arrives again at the base of the hill where the others are, it has moved on to Ari’s turn, Ari left unharmed from the previous dare. The only ones left to recieve a dare are Icarus and Sterling, but she walks slow enough and quietly enough so Icarus is chosed instead of herself. She will hate herself for this decision at the end of the day.

“Icarus, it’s your turn now, since Sterling hasn’t returned. Truth or dare?”

“Why stick with the formalities when truthfully, we’re just playing dare or dare? Just give me the dare already.”

“Ah, it seems I’ve come back at the perfect time.” Sterling says as she takes her spot in the circle, her normal edge returning to her voice.

“When are you going to stop being angry at me for yesterday, Sterling? It was just a game. I’m a piece of you. So technically, you did win yesterday. Just not personally. I’m happy to give you my—”

“Enough. I’m not mad. Let’s play the game.”

“If you two are done arguing, I’ve come up with Icarus’ dare.” Ari snaps, annoyed.

“You have our full attentions.” Sterling says cooly.

“Icarus, I dare you to walk over to the property in the uncharted territory and bring back a souvenir of your journey.”

“That’s the hardest one yet and totally unfair! You know Liberté and Snow have told us repeatedly not to go places that aren’t even on the MAP. I’m not going. It’s not safe. And I’m not going to end up like Adrian, who probably has to get his arm replaced or something. If I do that dare, it won’t be my arm, but my life.”

“You’ve never been one to turn down an adventure, Icarus. You should go, for the sake of us all and the game.” Sterling answers.

“A dare’s a dare.” Ari now. “You’ll be fine. It’s just a house. A quick in and out. Do it. Go now.”

“I don’t know— fine, fine.” Icarus says giving into Ari’s firm pushes. “I’ll go, but if I die—”

“You won’t die. You’ll be fine.”

“Whatever you say.”

The Hamilton soundtrack plays in his head the whole way there.

***

The murderer slipped away in the dark confines of the early morning, in the lip-quivering cold to set their traps in the abandoned property. One to capture, one to kill (well, almost). They weren’t the simple kinds of traps, ones that would snap at a simple touch. These were the real deal, meant to keep the victim alive, but barely. The murderer found them sitting outside their cabin’s door when they woke up to use the restroom. The thoughts slipped away, and the next thing they knew, they were setting up these traps at the abandoned property in the best hour of the morning. Once the traps were set, their feet led them to the bathroom and the memories of setting up these traps vanished. Their intuition would guide them to avoid the traps, otherwise they would have no recollection of even straying from their cabin. Everything was in place. Someone was going to die today.

***

Back in the field before the hill, the rest of the campers sat and watched as Icarus disappeared into the abandoned building. Someone counted mississippis. It grew to one minute, then two, then three. Icarus still hadn’t come out. There was a loud crack, and then silence. The mississippis stopped. The silence echoed so loud that even Liberté felt that something was wrong. So did Basil. Another crack. A third. Then the whole building collapsed, sending dust and dirt up into the air in a cloud. No one noticed that the cloud had a resemblance of a skull. Icarus was in trouble.

“Maybe someone should go check and see if Icarus made it out?” Pine says, his voice strained. 

“I’ll go, I’m his CBer after all.”

“And me!” Ari says. “I’ll be the second. We don’t want anyone else getting hurt.”

“All right.” Sterling deadpans.

And so they go, following in the same footsteps Icarus took as he walked towards what would end in disaster. They disappear into the rubble and from the distance you can see large pieces of wood being tossed aside. Liberté emerges from the lodge with Basil and Snow on her heels, shrieking.

“I told them not to go in there Basil, why’d they go in? Why? WHY?”

“It’s okay, Liberté, we have more to worry about than kids not following directions. We may have another person dead on our hands. Take a deep breath and head towards the abandoned property with Snow. I’ll gather the other campers and meet you there.”

“WHAT IF HE’S DEAD? BASIL, WHAT IF HE’S DEAD? THAT WOULD BE THE 16TH DEAD PERSON HERE. WHAT KIND OF CAMP AM I RUNNING?” 

“I don’t know Liberté, but I do know that I need to get the other campers, so please go over to the abandoned property and I’ll meet you there.”

Liberté obeys and lets Snow lead her to the collapse while Basil collects the others. They meet at the wreckage, finding Sterling and Ari holding a rather large chunk of wood. Except it’s a lot more soggy than wood. It’s not wood at all, actually, it’s Icarus’s body.

“We have some bad news…”