Day 8:

{In which Rex is really not having a good time and dark chocolate is inarguably the worst}

They were in the dining room when Rex entered, silent as ever. He took in the six CBers that were left, surprise flashing through his eyes for one brief second before smoothing back over into a mask of indifference. 

“I’m sorry that I got back so late last night so that I couldn’t check up on you,” he greeted them, smiling. “Have the others gone out hiking for the day?”

Huh, Onyx thought. He doesn’t know that the others have left the lodge for good.

In response to his question, the CBers shrugged and murmured something along the lines of ‘probably, I don’t know’, which caused Rex to narrow his eyes suspiciously. 

“Do you know where they have gone?” he asked.

Nerd was the first to respond. “They, uh, went on a camping trip.”

“A camping trip? Overnight, without telling any adults?” Rex questioned further, disbelief coloring his tone. 

There was another half-hearted chorus of ‘I guess’ from the six CBers who wouldn’t meet his eyes. They might not have agreed with their companion’s decision to leave the lodge, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to snitch to Rex. The host studied them all, one by one, and then finally turned around and made his way out of the room, snapping the door shut behind him. The CBers exchanged relieved glances with each other.

That could have gone worse, right?

~

Rex was annoyed.

He was annoyed with the CBers who disappeared last night and he was even more annoyed with the half that had stayed behind and refused to tell him anything- because he knew there was no way their ‘camping trip’ story was true.

He paced up and down the floor to his room with clipped footsteps. Something crinkled under one of his footsteps and he looked down to see a folded piece of paper. Rex bent down and picked it up, smoothing it out and reading the words written there:

Hey there R,

They suspect you too much. Zealatom, Lindel, Barnacle, Quill, NiteSkiies, Dallas, and pangolin are leaving now, going into the woods. Don’t worry, I’ve still got everything under control. Probably. Just let me handle it, okay?

Sincerely,

You know who I am

P.S. I wonder who will find my little crossbow trap first? My bet is on either Lindel or Dallas.

Rex resisted the urge to rip the slip of paper in half. This was not supposed to be happening. He forced himself to breathe in and breathe out, trying to convince himself that things would work out. They would have to, right? 

Yes, he thought. The murderer would take care of it all.

~

Deep into the woods, things were going surprisingly well. Aside from Lindel, they had really lucked out. The tents were pitched in a hidden clearing strewn with pine needles and a central firepit had been constructed in the center. Nite had even opted to sleep under the stars last night in her sleeping bag, claiming that the fresh air was good for her. It was a sunny morning, and Zealatom was still in his tent, but Quill and pangolin were digging through their provisions for breakfast.

“Ooh, look!” Quill exclaimed, pulling out a plastic bag. “Marshmallows!”

“And they have graham crackers and chocolate, too!” pangolin added, grinning. “We’re definitely having s’mores for dessert tonight.”

“What kind of chocolate?” Barnacle asked. 

“Dark chocolate.”

“Ewwww,” the AE complained, wrinkling his nose. “Dark chocolate is gross.”

“It isn’t,” Nite shot back. “White chocolate is the gross chocolate. It’s not even chocolate.”

“Barnacle is right,” Dallas shrugged. “Dark chocolate is just the worst.”

Quill rolled her eyes, but she was grinning. “You all are insufferable.”

“Why, thank you,” Barnacle replied.

A few moments passed before Barnacle declared that he was bored, which Dallas agreed with right away. 

“Even if the lodge had a murderer, it still had a TV room,” Barnacle muttered.

Pangolin sighed. “Fine. You guys want something to do? The first AE to bring me a pinecone wins.”

Pine needles sprayed up as both AEs jumped to their feet and raced each other into the forest. A few minutes later, Dallas came skidding back into the clearing, tossing pangolin a pinecone.

“I WIN,” Dallas declared to Barnacle, who had reentered a few seconds later.

“No fair, he got a head start!” pangolin’s AE complained. “Do another round, I’ll win this time.”

“Alright, then,” Quill jumped in. “First one to get me a flower wins.” Dallas won again. Barnacle demanded a rematch again. Again and again and again. The CBers’ requests grew more and more outrageous as the game continued (Nite asked for a yellow rock, pangolin asked for a bluejay’s feather, Quill asked for a branch in the shape of a wishbone), but the AEs always managed to pull it off. It didn’t matter which AE won, the other one always wanted another round, and the CBers just enjoyed watching them trying to outdo one another.

Dallas came into the clearing once again with the requested object (a leaf from an oak tree), handed it to Quill, and then promptly collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion.

“I think it’s fair to say that I won the best AE prize,” Dallas said, catching his breath. 

“That doesn’t exist,” Quill said, still grinning from the first real fun she had experienced in a while. “And if it did, I would give it to Harper.”

Well, that killed the mood somewhat. They all sat in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes before pangolin asked, “Where’s Barnacle? He’s usually right behind Dallas.” She managed to keep her worry at bay for a little longer before saying, “That’s it, I’m going to look for him.”

“We’ll all go,” Nite offered, standing up. 

“Not me,” Dallas was still sprawled out on the ground. “Even the most talented AEs need some time to rest.”

“Should we wake up Zealatom?” Quill asked.

“We should let him sleep more,” pangolin suggested. “He lost Lindel, he must want some time to be alone.”

And so, the three CBers set out in search for the AE. They made their way over a sturdy log bridge above a large pond, across a field or two, calling out for Barnacle along the way. 

“Wait, over here!” Quill called, changing course to a large tree. “This is an oak tree; he might have been over here.”

Pangolin approached the tree, peering around the large trunk. “I don’t see anything-”

And then, several things happened at once. Pangolin pitched forward, losing her footing, Quill screamed “LOOK OUT”, and Nite leaped to pangolin and managed to grab her arm, steadying them both. It was then that pangolin realized that she was standing at the edge of a partially hidden pit. 

“That was close,” Nite breathed. “You almost fell in!”

But instead of relief, pangolin’s eyes conveyed only terror and grief. Pangolin shivered and whispered, “There are spikes down there. It’s a murderer’s trap.”

“Don’t worry,” Quill assured her. “You’re safe up here.”

Pangolin was shaking her head. “No… Barnacle, it’s him, he was down there… d-dead, he’s dead.”

Nite wasn’t surprised anymore. She really wasn’t.

“Oh no,” Quill gasped. “I was the one who told him to look for the oak leaf for the scavenger hunt! It’s my fault.”

“No, you couldn’t have known,” Nite reasoned softly. Quill still looked on the verge of tears.

Back through the fields, back over the log bridge, back to the camp to break the news to Dallas and Zealatom. 

They did have s’mores that night, but nobody touched the dark chocolate.

~~

Dead:

Silver, poisoning; Harper, hanging; Knight and Qwinn, stabbed; Jaybells, venomous snake bite; Cathy, strangled; Adrian, crushed; Lindel, set off a crossbow trap; Barnacle, impaled;

Suspects:

Niteskiies, Jewel, NerdFace, ???

~~~

I don't regret my decision to do this ski lodge Ryokan Suzaran style rather than Magicae Palace style, but shoving all the events of a day into 1000 words is harder than I thought lol. Thoughts, theories, diary entries, etc, everything is welcome!

Day 9:

{In which Dallas really shouldn’t be allowed to make decisions without Nerd’s supervision}

Dallas couldn’t stay. He knew that, deep down. He knew that they had left the lodge to be safe from Rex, but it seemed that the woods were riddled with so many traps that every step was fraught with danger. And if Dallas was going to die on this vacation, he’d rather be at the lodge than in the woods. Maybe he would have time to watch a fair amount of movies with Nerd before the murderer got him. 

Dallas also knew that it was wrong to go behind the others’ backs, but he really did not want to suffer through explaining himself to the others and sitting through any arguments that they might inflict upon him. He had already decided that he would leave a note for the others, so when they woke up and he was gone they wouldn’t waste any time looking for him. 

It was a flawless plan. I mean, what did you expect from the most flawless AE? 

~

The CBers back at the lodge didn’t know whether to be relieved or concerned that Rex hadn’t approached them again about the other CBers. And it was quiet. Strangely, unnaturally, quiet. Everyone spent yesterday lying around, reading or watching movies, and even Onyx didn’t drag Milka into a strange AE plot of some sort. There was an underlying tone of worry underneath all of their actions because no one at the lodge had died for two days. Now, usually, such an occurrence would be positive, but if everyone in the lodge was doing fine, then two people in the woods were no longer breathing. NerdFace, in particular, was concerned as both of her AEs were out of her reach, and she often found herself gazing out the window at the line of trees as if Adrian and Dallas would stride out, whole and well.

Jewel had never really suspected Rex as the murderer too heavily, and now she had more proof to it; he hadn’t left the lodge since the rogue CBers left for the woods. She didn’t know if she was right, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to be.

The only thing that she knew was that people were dying, and it was only a matter of time before it’s her turn.

~

Dallas was gone. At first, Niteskiies thought it might have been another strike by the murderer, but Quill was quick to point out that his tent, along with all of his belongings, had disappeared without a trace. Zealatom studied the scene, finally out of his tent and acting semi-normal again.

“No signs of a struggle,” he confirmed. “Dallas must have left on his own account, while we were still asleep.”

Pangolin sighed. “I mean, who can blame him? It’s not like out here is any safer than in the lodge.”

Zealatom looked like he wanted to argue, but he stayed silent. 

“Guys, over here!” Quill called. She picked up a small piece of paper that was half-covered by a rock, right near where Dallas’s tent used to be. The other CBers quickly rushed over to her. “I think he left us a note or something.” She began to read it:

“Dear everyone,

Yes, this is from Dallas. I regret to inform you that I shall be returning to the lodge, and there is no need for you to worry about me. I’m sorry to leave while you were sleeping, but I figured that it would be easier for us all. I know you will miss me terribly, but you will have to move on without me, somehow.

Sincerely,

Dallas, a most unique AE of NerdFace”

Nite’s face was thoughtful. “Well, that settles it.”

“Should we try and stop him?” Quill asked hesitantly. “The woods don’t exactly seem safe.”

“He’ll be long gone by now,” pangolin reasoned. “We won’t catch up in time. He’ll be fine.”

Zealatom gave a quick nod. “Who wants breakfast?”

After they ate, the four CBers relaxed as much as they could in such a situation. Zealatom and Niteskiies played a game of ERS with a deck of cards that Nite packed, and Quill got out a sketchbook and a pencil, attempting to draw the mountain scenery. Suddenly, she paused and looked at pangolin, who was going through the pages of a book.

“Is that the book Adrian was holding when we found them?” Quill asked.

Pangolin nodded. “I thought I would read it since they can’t anymore. I don’t think they would want it to be forgotten.” She found the first chapter and sat down, beginning to read. A few minutes later, after Niteskiies had beaten Zealatom twice, a squirrel burst from a tree and ran across the clearing, chattering loudly. Pangolin startled, dropping her book. She guessed she still wasn’t used to being in the woods. As she bent to pick up the book, she froze. Something had fallen out of the pages of the book.

“Guys,” she breathed. “I found something.”

“What is it?” Quill asked.

“A note.” Pangolin picked up the slip of paper.

“Another one?” Zealatom asked. “Did Dallas leave two?” Niteskiies took advantage of Zealatom’s momentary distraction to slap the pile and take the cards in the center. He rolled his eyes.

“No- it’s from Adrian. They must have put it in the book for someone to find.”

Silence. Then: “What does it say?”

Pangolin cleared her throat, and then read:

“Hello,

This is Adrian. I’m writing this because I’ve been noticing small things, things that don’t add up. Something’s not right. I’m going into an investigation now…

Sincerely, 

Adrian, a very unique AE of NerdFace”

Pangolin squinted. “Wait, there’s more. It says:

IT’S BEEN FOUR HOURS AND I KNOW WHO THE MURDERER IS, I SAW CATHY BEING STRANGLED! IT’S NOT REX, THE MURDERER IS-”

“Who? Who’s the murderer?” Nite asked, eyes wide.

“I-I don’t know,” pangolin admitted. “It cuts off after there.”

Quill stares at the paper. “I was so sure it was Rex…”

“Hold on!” Zealatom told them. “Rex could have easily fabricated this after he killed Adrian!”

“No- did you see how Adrian signed the letter? ‘A most unique AE of NerdFace’ is the same term that Dallas used when he signed his letter,” Nite pointed out. “Guys… I’m starting to agree with Dallas. It’s just not safe here, and every moment we spend in this forest convinces me a little more that Rex isn’t the murderer.”

“Do you think we should go back to the lodge?” pangolin wondered.

The only thing that answered her was a scream, distant and loud. Zealatom and Quill’s eyes met and they whispered one word in unison: “Dallas.”

~

They find him pretty far into the woods, lying face down. He was headed towards the lodge. He’s been electrocuted, another one of the traps set by the murderer.

A whispered discussion, and an agreement is reached: They will go back to the lodge tomorrow. 

And with that decision, my dear readers, their fates are sealed.

~~

Dead:

Silver, poisoning; Harper, hanging; Knight and Qwinn, stabbed; Jaybells, venomous snake bite; Cathy, strangled; Adrian, crushed; Lindel, set off a crossbow trap; Barnacle, impaled; Dallas, electrocuted

Suspects:

Niteskiies, Jewel, NerdFace, ???

Day 10:

{In which Onyx needs better manners and seriously, no one brought bug spray?}

“I’m telling you guys, I heard something yesterday!” Onyx insisted, stabbing a fried egg with faer fork.

LG shrugged. “Come on, it was probably just a bird or something.”

“No, I’m positive it was a scream,” faer scowled. “Coming from the woods.” Jewel elbowed faer in the side. “Ow! What was that for!?”

“Are you trying to be insensitive?” Jewel hissed. “True and Nerd have family out there, so stop talking about phantom screams, especially with a murderer on the loose!” Onyx muttered something under faer breath, but fae was silent after that.

Nerd, who heard everything that the two AEs said to each other but chose to ignore them, poked at her food and cast a glance around the mostly-empty dining hall. It was only her, LG, Onyx, and Jewel; Milka and True had insisted on sleeping late. She closed her eyes briefly, pouring all of her worry and frustration into a single wish: that the other AEs and CBers would come home. There weren’t any dandelions or birthday candles or shooting stars, but she was almost certain that someone heard her plea.

And indeed, at that very moment, Quill, Niteskiies, Zealatom, and pangolin had just finished packing up and were pointing their feet towards the lodge. They were coming back.

~

“Four backpacks full of camping supplies,” Zealatom said. “And NO ONE brings any bug spray!?”

“I definitely packed some,” pangolin replied. “Check again.”

“Come on, we need to get going now if we’re going to make it back by lunch,” Quill urged them. “You can survive without bug spray for a few hours.”

With only a little more grumbling and prodding from Quill, the four CBers were making their way back. Almost immediately, Nite and pangolin started a game of I Spy, quickly roping Zealatom in as well.

“I spy with my little eye… something blue,” Zealatom said.

“Is it the sky?” Nite asked.

“Yeah,” Zealatom replied, grinning. “Wow, I’m pretty bad at this.”

The group started to cross the log bridge above the large pond that Quill, pangolin, and Nite had encountered a few days ago while looking for Barnacle. 

“Your turn, Quill,” pangolin declared.

“Okay, okay,” Quill relented, swinging her bag over one shoulder. “I spy with my little eye…” her gaze searched the trees lining the pond, “hmm, let’s see. I spy something-” her eyes narrowed as she focused on something in the distance “-something metal-?”

And that’s when the chain was launched; it came from the trees, slicing through the air. Quill barely had time to scream before the chain slammed into her legs, wrapping around her ankles once, twice, three times. The momentum of the chain knocked her back, and with a final stumble and a desperate (but unsuccessful) lunge to grab her hand from Zealatom, Quill slipped and fell for a few moments before crashing into the water with a splash.

Niteskiies dropped her backpack in preparation to jump in after Quill, but pangolin held her back, saying, “There’s no use. The water isn’t safe”, and knowing with certainty that the murderer wanted them to dive in and fall victim to another trap.

The water below was frothing and swirling with Quill’s struggling to be free of the chain, but it was heavy and with each moment she was being pulled lower and lower into the water. The CBers above watched (well, almost all of them, pangolin couldn’t bring herself to look) as Quill’s body sunk so low that they couldn’t see it anymore, and eventually her thrashing slowed and stopped altogether. A few bubbles floated to the surface of the water, and then there was nothing but serene ripples spreading across the pond.

That is why, when they reached the lodge a few hours later, there were three and not seven CBers- well, eight, if you count Adrian. The trio of survivors exchanged weary glances and made their way to the door.

~

The CBers at the lodge, however, had not lost a single person, and they were in a good mood that morning. They had all moved into the Azure Room together and they were currently engaged in a very high-stakes game of Uno. LG had just declared “UNO!” when there were a couple of sharp knocks on the door. Nerd looked around, realized that no one from her group was outside, and immediately thought:

“That must be them! They’ve come back!” she exclaimed. Onyx looked a little skeptical, but they all abandoned their game and rushed to the door, swinging it open.

The sight that they expected to see: the seven AEs and CBers, Adrian in tow, all laughing and happy.

The sight they were actually greeted with: Zealatom, leaning against the doorway, looking incredibly tired. Niteskiies, tears streaking her cheeks, one arm around pangolin’s shoulders, all three of them dirty and looking as if they just ran through the forest being chased by a bear.

Zealatom offered a half shrug and a sad smile. “Surprise?”

~

Nerd took the news hard, but other than that, the three CBers were welcomed back easily. They had just settled down in the common room, looking slightly uncomfortable, when Rex took it upon himself to see what all the commotion was about.

“Welcome back,” Rex said. Everyone held their breath. Was he going to ask where Adrian, Barnacle, Dallas, Lindel, and Quill were? What had he been told? “I trust you all had a good time?”

“Um, yeah,” pangolin stammered. “A really fun, uh, camping trip?”

Rex nodded, and they could breathe again. Thank goodness pangolin’s alibi matched the excuse that Nerd gave a few days ago. “Next time, tell an adult when you leave.” Then he spun on his heels and left, thinking, ‘Well, the murderer certainly handled that well.’

“Oh, by the way,” Zealatom told the others once the host had left. “Quill died this morning, on the way back. So, uh, no need to worry about getting murdered today.” He tried to make it seem like a joke, but it fell flat.

LG clapped her hands once, trying to dispel the dismal mood. “On that happy note, who wants lunch?”

~~

Dead:

Silver, poisoning; Harper, hanging; Knight and Qwinn, stabbed; Jaybells, venomous snake bite; Cathy, strangled; Adrian, crushed; Lindel, set off a crossbow trap; Barnacle, impaled; Dallas, electrocuted; Quill, drowned

Suspects:

Niteskiies, Jewel, NerdFace, LG, ???

~~~

Honestly, Onyx, get some better manners.

excuse me, if i hear a scream from the forest, people need to know!

They really don't.

*sighs* I really need to kill one of you guys soon.  

Day 11:

{In which the author still isn’t over the ending of a book series and decides to inflict the depressing vibes into her writing}

Compared to the mystical and cryptic woods in which Zealatom, pangolin, and Nite had spent the last few days, the lodge was quieter and dimmer, as if the entire world was seen through tinted lenses. If the woods were a raging river, the lodge was a quiet creek.

Okay, I’ll stop with the analogies and just say it: they were bored. So was everyone else. Rex kept urging them to do something interesting, but no one wanted to venture into the trees outside and so they were stuck inside. 

It was breakfast when Milka slid into a seat next to True, setting down her plate and glass of orange juice. 

“Why is no one talking about it?” she asked.

“Hm? What do you mean?” True asked

“I mean that the others clearly don’t think that Rex is the murderer anymore, and I never really did. So now that we all agree that he’s innocent, there’s still a murderer running around! It could be one of us!”

They frowned. “It couldn’t be one of us; that just doesn’t make any sense.”

Milka’s eyes glinted sadly when she answered, “It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

True didn’t speak. They knew, deep down, the Milka was right. They abruptly stood up and excused themselves.

As the day wore on, everyone had gained back some confidence and began to disperse around the lodge, mostly in groups of two or three, but a few of them went off alone. I could list what everyone chose to do, but some people switched activities four or five times that day, so it really was impossible to get a solid record of what everyone was doing.

At a certain time in the day, LG had decided to help with gardening, and she walked along the path to the tool shed, humming happily. She knew that the world seemed alive with nature and wonder and that she was grateful to experience it.

What she didn’t know was that she was going to be dead in a few minutes and the wonderous world would go on living without her.

~

The murderer had a plan. 

Well, ‘plan’ is a bit of a stretch. Maybe more of a rough outline. Anyway, they knew what they had to do, and they’d been successful so far. One kill a day until there was no one left. Sure, some of the kills had been harder than others, but they’d pushed through. The Mystery needed them, after all.

They reclined further into the chair resting in the back of the tool shed, twirling a wrench in one hand. And they waited. Soon, footsteps sounded outside, along with a humming noise. A few seconds later, someone opened the door to the shed and golden sunlight flooded in. The murderer hated it.

LG was beaming widely when she stepped inside, and the murderer felt the familiar power of the Mystery coursing through them. They smiled, dangerous and twisted. It was time to get to work.

~

LG squinted into the darkness of the tool shed. It would certainly be easier to find gardening tools with some illumination in here; maybe there was a lightbulb that was activated by a switch somewhere.

And then suddenly, the door snapped shut and the warm sunlight vanished. LG gasped in surprise and backed up until she hit the door. She turned and tried to pry it open, but it seemed to be stuck. After a few more minutes yielded no more results, she sighed and stopped. And that was when she became aware of a sound echoing through the small space. It almost sounded like someone else was breathing. 

A sound split the silence- the sound of a match being struck- and LG whirled around to where it came from. A lantern had been lit, and it was lifted higher, illuminating the person who was holding it.

“Hello, Lighting Girl,” the murderer greeted. The wrench glinted as it twirled again and again in their hand.

LG’s heart began to speed up and she pressed her back to the door of the shed, momentarily frozen. She tried to focus on the murderer’s features, even if they were still shadowed. As her eyes adjusted further, she realized: she knew that face. She knew it with a startling clarity.

“You,” she breathed. “But… how? Why?”

“Although I’d love to tell you, you’ll be dead in a few minutes anyway, so I’d rather not waste my breath,” they replied.

LG knew this was it for her. This was the end. It felt less surprising and more melancholy. She didn’t want to think about Milka, all by herself. She took a deep breath and then whispered, “Make it quick, okay? Painless.”

For a second the murderer looked angry, as if they hated being told what to do, but then something akin to regret passed over their features and they nodded. LG closed her eyes.

A flash of the wrench in the lamplight, a soft scream, and it was over.

Now, the murderer was stuck here, in between their nightmares inside and the burning sunlight outside. 

And then they cried.

~~

Dead:

Silver, poisoning; Harper, hanging; Knight and Qwinn, stabbed; Jaybells, venomous snake bite; Cathy, strangled; Adrian, crushed; Lindel, set off a crossbow trap; Barnacle, impaled; Dallas, electrocuted; Quill, drowned; Lightning Girl, killed with a wrench;

Suspects:

Niteskiies, Jewel, NerdFace, ???

~~

THIS IS A DAY LATE AHHHH. Very sorry this was so short, life is hectic :P Thanks for reading, comments welcome!

Day 12:

{In which bunnies are adorable}

There were 8 people left: True, Milka, Jewel, Onyx, pangolin, Zealatom, Niteskiies, and NerdFace; exactly half of them were AEs, the other half being CBers. 

Jewel wondered if the AE to CB ratio had been equalized on purpose as they all gathered in the weak midday sunlight in front of the lodge. It had been Niteskiies’ ideas to take a group hike, reasoning that if everyone stayed in a group, no one would be able to try anything that might end in a murder. Most of the CBers thought it was a good plan, but it made them nervous anyway, especially after finding LG’s body in the tool shed.

The murderer, however, thought it was wonderful how they basically threw themselves blindly into danger again and again.

They departed into the woods in an uneasy silence that dissolved in a matter of minutes. The AEs laughed and poked each other while the CBers began a conversation on their favorite musical artist, which quickly elevated into a game of ‘who can sing the loudest’. 

True was really the only one not having a good time; instead of making jokes and giggling they were scanning the crowd with a small frown on their face. Onyx noticed this and nudged them with faer elbow.

“You okay?” fae asked, trying to keep the suspicion out of faer voice.

“Yeah,” True murmured, keeping their eyes floating through the others in the crowd. Onyx narrowed faer eyes but shrugged, joining back into a conversation with Jewel and Nerd. 

Suddenly, Zealatom, who was in the lead, skidded to a halt. 

“What is it?” pangolin asked nervously, a number of bad scenarios passing through her head.

But he was smiling when he announced, “It’s a family of bunnies!” The small group of furry animals looked to be made up of a mother and five little babies that had more fluff than anything else.

“Awwwww,” Milka said, crouching down and holding her hand out. She beamed when one of the little bunnies nudged her hand with it’s little nose. “They’re so cute!”

The CBers and AEs all crowded around the bunnies and reached out to pet them.

“I’m naming this one Jumper,” Nite announced.

“This one’s named Cotton,” Nerd added, pointing to a particularly fluffy one.

Jewel took a step forward to get a better look, but her legs gave out and she crumpled onto one side. 

Onyx rolled faer eyes. “You’re so clumsy, J. Come on, get up.”

Jewel did not get up.

By now the attention of the group had been diverted from the bunnies to the fallen AE.

“I said come on, J. Get up,” Onyx repeated, a hint of desperation in faer voice.

“Onyx… I don’t think she’s getting up,” pangolin whispered, wishing with all her heart that she was wrong but knowing she wasn’t. Worse, she felt a kind of… relief? A kind of relief that it had been Jewel and not her that the murderer had chosen to dispose of. She hated it.

Onyx’s eyes flashed with grief through tears until it melted away into plain determination and something akin to anger. 

“Guys,” Nite breathed, pointing to something at Jewel’s neck. A small, feathered dart. “She was hit. Did anyone see who did it?”

“Um, I think I would notice if someone whipped out a poison dart gun and shot her,” Onyx muttered.

“Would we?” True asked quietly. “We were all pretty distracted by the family of bunnies.” The thought was unnerving. 

Ten minutes and a lot of searching later, it was determined that no one was carrying a poison dart gun, and they retreated back into the lodge in low spirits.

~~

Dead:

Silver, poisoning; Harper, hanging; Knight and Qwinn, stabbed; Jaybells, venomous snake bite; Cathy, strangled; Adrian, crushed; Lindel, set off a crossbow trap; Barnacle, impaled; Dallas, electrocuted; Quill, drowned; Lightning Girl, killed with a wrench; Jewel, poison dart

Suspects:

Niteskiies, NerdFace, True, Milka, ???

~~

This was really short, I’m very, very sorry. Comments are welcome!

Day 13:

{In which we have our obligatory Ski Lodge hostage scene}

NiteSkiies was done being afraid. Her shock and horror at the deaths had faded to almost nothing as the days at Mistwraith Mountain wound on, but the fear seemed to linger inside of her. A feeling, always there, always tugging at her subconscious at every smile and laugh that was coaxed out of her. 

But now, as she sat alone in the rose bushes, studying the beads of dew resting on the petals, she no longer felt the need to run and hide. Nite still didn’t know exactly why she came out here alone- as a sign to the murderer? Or perhaps it was a kind of challenge; as if she were saying ‘I dare you to get me’. All she knew was that whatever happened next would happen and she wasn’t afraid any longer.

Nite didn’t look away from the roses when she heard the rustle of leaves and sensed someone kneeling beside her.

“They really are very beautiful, aren’t they?” a voice asked. Nite knew that voice. But whose was it? She didn’t look at them, not yet. The murderer continued, “They have the brightest petals, the most fragrant scent.” They paused. “And the sharpest thorns.”

Nite really wasn’t in the mood for mysterious metaphors and unnecessary theatrics. “Just get it over with.”

“No, no, I’m not going to kill you,” they laughed, and Nite repeated in her head: Not afraid anymore, not afraid anymore, not afraid-

A sharp pain echoed from the back of her head, and her world went dark.

~

It was Milka that found the note. It wasn’t exactly hidden, sitting clear as day on top of the coffee table in the common room, and the AE just happened to be the first one to enter the room from eating lunch. She frowned at the slip of paper, and without opening and reading it, picked it up and went back to the dining room.

When Milka came back into the room with a slightly troubled look on her face, Nerd almost asked who had died today. The CBer internally flinched that she had almost said that. She settled for asking, “What’s up?”

“This,” Milka responded, placing the note on the table. “I haven’t looked at it yet.” She looked around the five others. “Does one of you all want to read it?”

“I will,” pangolin offered, unfolding the message and reading:

“Hello all!

I’m sure you all have noticed by now that NiteSkiies has gone missing. Or maybe you haven’t, in which case, now you know. Anyways, I have her in a very secure location, of which it will be very dangerous to ENTER. If you don’t find her today, then she will die, it’s as simple as that. 

Oh- and just to clear the air, I’m not Rex. If you have noticed, he has stayed in his room and not exited nor entered the lodge in the past few days. If you’re not convinced by now, I don’t know what else to tell you.

Who am I? I’m one of you.

Best wishes (not really),

The murderer :)”

They sat in silence for a few moments, scrutinizing the words and absorbing the information. Finally, True broke the quiet by asking, “Can I see it?” They studied the paper for a few moments. They sighed before whispering, “One of us.”

Onyx held out faer hand and the letter was passed to fae before circulating around the six guests.

“That’s weird,” Nerd said. “Why is the word ‘ENTER’ in all caps?”

Something clicked in the back of Zealatom’s mind, and he snatched the paper and read it over again. His eyes were shining when he looked up and said, “That’s it! I know where they’re keeping Nite!”

“What?” Milka asked. “Where?”

“Remember that place that Jaybells and I found together?” Zealatom recalled.

“The place with the snake?” Zealatom knew she meant ‘the place where she died?’

“Yeah,” he replied, excitement unable to be dampened by the memory of Jay’s death. “Anyway, to get in, we had to unscramble a word from letters carved into the rock that covered the trapdoor. That word was ‘ENTER’, and it was spelled in all caps. I bet she’s being kept there!”

Onyx looked skeptical. “Are you sure?”

“It’s the best lead we have,” pangolin noted, standing up. “We should get going soon if we want to find her.”

“Should we?” Nerd asked quietly. “I’m just saying, this looks like a trap if I’ve ever seen one. For all we know, Nite is dead- heck, she’s probably dead- and this is just luring us to share her fate.”

“Maybe she is dead,” Zealatom conceded. “But that doesn’t mean that I’m going to let it go. If there’s a chance, why not try? It seems we’re all done for in the end, anyway.”

“Besides, it’s not like we have anything better to do,” Onyx grumbled in true AE fashion.

“All right, I’ll come,” Nerd said. “But I still get to say ‘I told you so’.”

“Okay then,” True said, brushing themselves off. “To the woods?”

“To the woods,” Zealatom responded grimly.

~

Nite didn’t know where she was. Her hands were bound behind her back and a blindfold was tied around her eyes. SHe had a throbbing headache from when she was knocked out, and the chilly air did nothing to help her condition. Her back was against cool stone- a wall, maybe? It was dark.

“You’re awake?” a voice asked. That voice, why couldn’t she place it? “Good,” they continued. “It’s evening now, and they haven’t found you yet. They all went home. Except for me, but they don’t know that.” The voice moved closer. “Do you know what the deal was, if they couldn’t find you?” 

Nite shook her head. She had the awful feeling that the murderer was smiling. 

“Well,” they continued. “Let’s find out, shall we?”

~~

Dead:

Silver, poisoning; Harper, hanging; Knight and Qwinn, stabbed; Jaybells, venomous snake bite; Cathy, strangled; Adrian, crushed; Lindel, set off a crossbow trap; Barnacle, impaled; Dallas, electrocuted; Quill, drowned; Lightning Girl, killed with a wrench; Jewel, poison dart; NiteSkiies, unknown causes

Suspects:

NerdFace, True, Milka, ???

~

In case this was confusing, Nite was kidnapped in the morning when everyone was off doing their own thing, so it could have been anyone, and the note was found during lunch. The CBers followed Zealatom’s lead in the woods but were unable to find Nite, so she was killed.