Day 1, Part 0

 Aurum patiently watched as the small group of guests approached the lodge’s front entrance. Next to her stood her older brother Argentum. He enjoyed intimidating the guests into following the rules, hence his strong stance and sharp stare. Determined to be a welcoming host, Aurum cheerfully waved to the guests and beckoned her brother to do the same, but to no avail. Eventually, when the guests with all their luggage had shuffled into the lodge, Aurum grabbed Argentum’s hand and strode away from the balcony and down the stairs to give their visitors a warm welcome and the information about the lodge.

“We cordially welcome you all to the Red Moon Ledge Resort!,” Aurum said with a warm smile. “All fifteen of you will be staying here in the Red Moon Ledge Lodge. Your room assignments are listed on the poster on the wall over there.” She gestured to the wall on her right. “Our resort has lots- no, many- activities, so you will always have something to do. Some of these include skiing, ice skating, bobsledding, and even bungee jumping off the Red Moon Ledge! Our maids have already begun escorting your luggage to your rooms. Take a look at your room assignment, and enjoy your time here at the Lodge!”

Argentum took his turn speaking. “So, now for the boring but very important rules. “Number one, none of the outdoor activities are to be done after dark. This is for your safety. Red Moon Ledge Resort is not responsible for any injuries or fatalities acquired while breaking rules.

“Number two, the cleaning staff will only clean and organize behind unlocked doors. Each bedroom has its own lock, and each suite has a lock to its main door. 

“Number three, as you were notified before your arrival, you may not bring any wristwatches or other timepieces, although electronics, even if they do have a clock function, are allowed. Any timepieces found in your luggage will be confiscated. 

“Number four, this vacation is absolutely free for you, with the exception of popcorn. “And lastly, enjoy your stay!” 

Room Assignments:

Suite 1 – Pangolin, Pepper, True

Suite 2 – Peri, Rogue, Sterling 

Suite 3 – Tsuki, Riko, Squirrel, Pancake, Phantom

Room 1 – Jaybells

Room 2 – Bagel

Room 3 – Waffle

Room 4 – Alizarine

Day 1, Part 0 (Argentum)

Standing on the balcony above the lodge’s grand front door, Argentum supervised the arrival of fifteen guests. This year’s batch was an interesting assortment. They looked more . . . unruly than usual, but, just like every year, they would fall in line. Aurum, in his opinion, was too friendly. Sure, the siblings were here to give the guests a vacation, but that was no excuse for the guests to violate the rules. Not that he didn’t care about his guests, of course.

Anyway, time for announcements yada yada room assignments popcorn rules blah blah, et cetera, et cetera. The guests leave to unpack and get acquainted with their roommates. I begin my special preparations for this year.

Day 1, Part 2

Riko dashed out of her room and into the cozy central area to explain what had happened. Many guests were still lounging around the fireplace, as well as Argentum and Aurum who were quietly speaking off to the side. 

“You guys, something really bad just happened!” Riko announced. “One of my roommates, Pancake, was pushed off the Ledge!” A look of despair shone in her eyes. 

Aurum’s warm smile suddenly vanished when she heard the news. Waffle and Bagel, too, were heartbroken at the loss of their CBer. 

Bagel sniffled. “Poor Pancake.” Waffle gently patted Bagel’s hair, both of them distraught, but Waffle was slightly calmer. He suggested, “Someone should look for clues?”

“I’ll go,” Pangolin offered. 

Jaybells raised her hand. “After what happened to Pancake, you shouldn’t go alone. I’ll accompany you.” Pangolin looked around the room. Everyone seemed to be in agreement, but Argentum spoke up. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. Why don’t you let the staff investigate? Some of them are trained for things like this, given that once the snow sets in, we’re pretty isolated up here. Let the staff handle it.”

“S-Some of them are trained for dealing with murder?” Rogue repeated hesitantly.

“Yes. Things happen,” Argentum replied firmly.

At this point, both Bagel and Waffle were in tears. “Can we at least go to the ledge to commemorate Pancake?” Waffle pleaded. Aurum’s quick nod in his direction gave him and Bagel permission.

The two AEs went hand-in-hand out to the edge of the Ledge and peered off into the bottomless abyss. Seeing the ground below them or Pancake's body was completely impossible; the sun had set, leaving the two in absolute darkness. A large flurry of snow swirled around, spiraling down, down, down, falling around them as they wept over their loss. 

Wiping their eyes nearly thirty minutes later, Waffle and Bagel agreed to head back indoors, as they both were getting cold. However when they approached the grand front door, they found that they had been locked out. Bagel peered through a window to get a glimpse at the one clock in the entire lodge. It read 9:12 pm. His heart dropped as he hit the realization:  none of the outdoor activities are to be done after dark. This likely meant the doors would be locked at sunset. Bagel pounded the window, his hands becoming as cold as ice. Waffle did the same. To their relief, another guest came to the door. But they didn’t open it. They smirked at Waffle and Bagel through the glass, sarcastically mouthed the words too bad, and simply walked away. 

Staring at each other in disbelief, Waffle and Bagel started knocking more frantically on the large wooden door. But before anyone saw them, Argentum had begun ushering the guests up to their various rooms. 

Eventually, with fear and confusion, the AEs sunk down into the snow and accepted their fate. In an attempt to keep warm they constructed an igloo-like room. Huddling together in the frigid night, Bagel and Waffle breathed their last breath together.