@Chaser & Jay, ty! and yes, those keys will definitely play a role later on... and hi Chaser :) 

@Silver, eee thank you! <3

~~~

Day 5, Part 2

It was almost too easy. 

All the other guests were occupied as the murderer exited the library and crept through the quiet, empty halls. The rain pounded on the windows and roof, and the murderer barely caught themself before stepping into a bucket full of water Socie had been using to catch the ceiling leaks. The storm was letting up, though. Perhaps they’d be allowed to go outside in the afternoon. 

Focus on the task, hissed the voice inside the murderer’s head. It wasn’t their voice, though. No, it was something much more cruel, much more wicked.

“But isn’t that what I am now?” the murderer asked softly, their trembling whisper gently consumed by the walls of this empty corridor. 

The murderer shook their head. They knew their task, they knew their fate, and there was no use trying to change it.

Did they really know everything, though? All of it?

The forest was keeping things from them. Socie was keeping things from them — the murderer knew that much, at least.

The murderer was just a pawn in this epic game of chess, easily sacrificed for the greater good. 

But a pawn can become a queen, if they play carefully....

The murderer turned the doorknob of Kyanite’s room, the blade of their knife flashing in the dim ceiling lights. 

All it took was a few quick, deliberate movements on the murderer’s part, and it was done.

Yes, taking a life was awfully easy indeed.

~~~

Socie was slumped in her office chair, her elbows resting on her desk and her head resting in her hands. 

She was so, so tired.

Not a sleepy-sort-of-tired (even though she was — the heavy rain had woken her up at three a.m. that morning), but a sort of weariness that she felt deep in her soul. The type of weariness one acquires when they’ve seen too much, when they’ve been the catalyst for things that went terribly wrong and had to carry the burden of knowing so.

Wraith sat on the carpeted floor in front of the desk, staring up at Socie, yellow eyes like shiny marbles. 

“What do you want, Wraith?” groaned Socie, lifting up her head. 

The black cat stared, unblinking. 

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Enough of this self-pity. I invited all these guests here for a reason, and I suppose I’ve gotta go be a host to them. What time is it, anyway, ten o’clock in the morning?” She checked the grandfather clock in the corner, which informed Socie it was almost one in the afternoon. Socie grimaced, then flapped a hand dismissively. “Whatever. Time is meaningless. Let them have some popcorn.” 

Socie did not feel like giving the guests popcorn, but she also did not feel like cooking something more substantial for the lunch they were supposed to have eaten an hour ago.

She sighed, stood up, and flung open her office door as melodramatically as she could, and came face to face with two guests. What were their names again? 

“Hey, Socie!” the one with the faded red-dyed hair said brightly. “So, we had a question for you.”

“Can we go outside?” asked the one with the cornflower blue hair and white wings. “The rain’s let up.” 

Socie snapped her fingers, remembering their names. “That’s it — Firelily and Writing_in_the_Dark. Yessss.” 

Writing blinked. “Um. Okay. So that’s a yes, then?” 

He and Firelily ran in the opposite direction.

Socie stared after them, only remembering to be a good, responsible host and shout “WEAR YOUR JACKETS!” when they were already halfway down the hall. 

~~~

The rain-drenched autumnal forest smelled of petrichor and must and decaying leaves. Writing was right: it was no longer raining, but misting — soft flurries of rain blended in against the gray clouds and clung to Writing’s and Firelily’s faces. Fog wreathed the auburn canopies and far-off mountains in a wispy gray haze.

“Wanna go explore?” Firelily said, tossing a piece of popcorn into her mouth. They and Writing both held little paper bags of popcorn that they had grabbed before leaving Lockaria House. They were both wearing brightly colored raincoats and rainboots — Firelily’s was yellow and Writing’s was purple — that were shiny with rain. 

The two guests plodded across the lawn, splashing in the puddles that dotted the grass. They reached the forest, raindrops dripping off water-laden leaves, the fuzzy moss fresh and brilliantly virid after the storm, tiny blue-green pixie cup lichen and cream-colored bonnet mushrooms with caps like fairy helmets popping up seemingly everywhere to drink up the rain. Just as they passed a giant rock, dark with rain and green with moss, with a small tree sprouting out of a crack in its top, the clouds moved away from the sun. Light glistened off the water droplets on every tree, leaf, and frond, giving the world a dazzling sparkle.

It was beautiful, really, and Firelily stopped to observe it, but Writing_in_the_Dark was already several yards ahead. He brushed aside some branches that draped low to the ground, eyes widening at what stood in front of him. 

There stood a giant oak tree, its roots shrouded by the gossamer-like clusters of Queen Anne’s Lace, branches spreading out over the forest, and in its boughs was a treehouse. Its wood was weathered and moss covered its triangular roof, but a rope ladder still hung down. 

A few moments later, Firelily joined Writing at the base of the oak tree. “So?” asked Writing. “You wanna climb up?”

~~~

Alive: 10

Dead: 5 (pangolin, Oliver, Daisy, Eclipse, Kyanite)

@Silver Crystal, ahh thank you so much! <3

@Echo, thank you! And yeah, that's totally fine! I love your new CB appearance, btw! :D

~~~

Day 5, Part 3

As the afternoon slipped quietly into evening and the forest nightlife began to sing, Writing and Firelily climbed down from the treehouse and headed back to Lockaria House. They had spent the afternoon listening to music, taking both funny and artistic photos with each of their polaroids, and making wood carvings — Writing had carved an owl, and Firelily made a fox. They returned to Lockaria House in high spirits, joking and laughing with each other as they made their way across the lawn. The rain had completely stopped, so the hoods of their rain jackets were down, their hair blowing in the light breeze.

“Hi everyone! We’re back!” Firelily called as they walked into the entrance hall and hung their wet jackets up on the hooks and took off their boots. 

Tsuki, upon hearing the Firelily and Writing enter, hurried down the stairs and stopped at the first landing, staring down at the two guests.

“Firelily, Writing, we...we found Kyanite.” 

“I wasn’t aware that they were missing,” said Firelily levelly. She was well aware that that was not what Tsuki meant, but she didn’t want to accept the truth.

Tsuki shook her head frantically. “No—we found her...her body.”

“Not another death,” murmured Writing, voice shaking. “How...?”

“I think you’d better just come with me.” 

Tsuki led them to Kya’s room, where the other seven guests and Socie all stood. 

At the center of the room, Kya lay on the floor, navy blue hair fanned out around them, mixing with the blood seeping from their side. Sterling rested on their knees beside their AE, squeezing their limp hand as if that might somehow bring them back. Tears welled in the corners of their eyes and streaked their face. 

Hex sat on the edge of Kyanite’s bed, staring numbly at the scene. Her eyes caught on a piece of paper sticking out of Kya’s pocket, and she walked over to the body, bent down, and retrieved the paper.

Hex unfolded the paper, and her heart nearly stopped as she read the message.

“Um...guys...I think this is from the...the murderer.” 

Everybody turned to stare at Hex, and she read aloud: “‘Hello, guests! It is I, the murderer. I am one of you. Know there is nothing you can do to stop me.’ And it’s signed...‘Nightshade.’”

“Can I see that?” asked Echo, grabbing the note from Hex’s hands. She wanted to check the handwriting, but her face fell as she saw the message was assembled from cut-out magazine letters. “Still no clue as to who the murderer is,” Echo muttered.

“Well, we know it’s one of us, at least,” Artemis amended, looking around the room at the remaining guests.

There was Echo, holding the murderer’s note, hands clenched and knuckles white. 

Hex, standing over Kya’s body, still and solemn as a churchyard angel made of stone. 

Reuby, crouched on the floor, her arm around the neck of her fluffy black wolf Wiccan, a frown creasing her brow.

Sterling, still kneeling at their dead AE’s side, sobbing. 

Silver Crystal, her face grim, standing behind Sterling with her hands on Sterling’s shoulders in an attempt to comfort them.

Firelily and Tsuki, both standing in the doorway, expressions mirroring each other as they watched the scene unfold: eyes wide, brow furrowed.

Writing, with their arm slung Ronin’s shoulders comfortingly, determined to protect their AE, the last AE still alive. 

Ronin, trying to look unbothered by the whole situation, though Artemis noticed his uncertainty, his fear: the slightest quake of his lower lip, the crease between his brows, the worry in his eyes.

How could any of them be the murderer? All of them had accepted an invitation that brought them to Lockaria House without the slightest worrying that it might result in death — and why should they worry? All of them had wanted nothing more than a nice, two-week-long vacation to relax and have fun, but it had resulted in catastrophe.

But one of them was the murderer. The note left by the murderer said so. There were so many questions that flooded her mind, each one fighting for attention, each one just as important as the last. Artemis fingered the antique keys in her pocket.

It was time to find some answers.

~~~

Alive: 10

Dead: 5 (pangolin, Oliver, Daisy, Eclipse, Kyanite)

~~~

Oh of course the image came out sideways. :P 

@Echo, thank you <3

@Writing, thank you! and I love Ronin too lol -- he's really fun to write, and I'm looking to feature him more in upcoming segments

@Sterling, ty! <3

@Silver, aw thank you! the letter did take some time, but it was really fun! 

@Chaser & Jay, ty! and yes, the keys will definitely play a part in this segment and the next :D and hi Chaser! :) 

And this part's just a little longer than usual so uh beware I guess~

~~~

Day 6, Part 1

Few people slept that night.

It is I, the murderer.

Silver Crystal lay in her bed, staring up at the dark ceiling, the contents of the murderer’s note replaying itself in her mind.

I am one of you. 

Hex got up for a drink of water, looking behind her every few steps to make sure she wasn’t being followed. Images of weapons flashed in her mind, and the murderer’s threat hung heavily in the air. 

Know there is nothing you can do to stop me.

Sterling sat in their room, gazing numbly out the window at the trees silhouetted against the starry sky. Their eyes were red and puffy from crying, and Kyanite was dead. Sterling’s AE hadn’t been the first to die, and they won’t be the last either. That was the hardest part.

Nightshade. 

Not all members of the nightshade family were poisonous — tomatoes and peppers, for instance, were used as food — but certain types were deadly. The alluring aubergine flowers and beetle-black berries of the Atropa belladonna were enough to kill a person. 

It was a pseudonym. It was a masquerade mask. People feared the unknown, so the murderer would not be known. It was as simple as that.

No, it wasn’t. Yes, it was. 

Understanding prickled in the back of the murderer’s mind, and then evaded them.

They could not be caught.

~~~

Breakfast that morning was tense, despite the warm and sweet cinnamon buns Socie served. It was low dialogue and suspicious glances and eyes flicking away as soon as they were caught staring. 

“I don’t see how it can be any of us. None of us would murder someone, let alone five people.” 

“Perhaps the murderer is someone who lives in a small cabin in the woods and is trying to frame one of us by leaving that note—”

“Oh, don’t be ridiculous. If there was a cabin out there, we would have seen something. I bet it’s Socie, honestly. She’s been acting...odd, lately, hasn’t she?”

“But don’t you think it’s suspicious that Hex was the one to find the note?”

“No, the murderer wouldn’t want to draw attention to themselves.”

“How do you know? Are you the murderer?”

“W-what? No! Are you?” 

“Of course not, I wouldn’t kill my own AE.” 

None of the theories had any substantial evidence to back them up: they were wild guesses and accusations, made by people who were sad, and angry, and afraid. Those emotions never made for good decision-making. 

~~~

Socie Grishelm looked strange in a baseball cap with her auburn hair tied back in a bun. It reminded the guests that she was a real person.

“Alright, listen up, guests,” Socie said, swinging a baseball bat around haphazardly as she pointed to the four white pads stationed at first, second, third, and home around the lawn. After handing out helmets, gloves, and other equipment, she divided the ten remaining guests into teams of five. “Well, would you look at that — even teams.”

“She seems awfully cheery about the fact that five people are dead...,” hissed Echo, who had been suspicious about Socie at breakfast.

“Doesn’t prove anything,” muttered Tsuki in reply. She, Echo, Silver, Artemis, and Ronin were on the same team, and they were batting first, so they lined up a safe distance away from home plate. A short discussion resulted in both the team name Marshmackers and the election of Silver Crystal to be first to bat.

The other team, which was named the Popcorn Kernels, contained Firelily, Sterling, Writing, Reuby, and Hex. Five was a small team, but the field they were playing on was small too, and there was no outfield, so they had just enough players. Fire was on first, Writing was on second, Sterling was on third, and Reuby was the catcher. Hex pitched.

“Strike one,” Socie called as Silver swung and missed. The Popcorn Kernels cheered.

Reuby threw the ball back to Hex, and Artemis turned to Socie. “Hey, I’m last to bat, so do you mind if I go inside? I have to use the restroom.” The last part was a lie, but Socie barely blinked, replying that of course she didn’t mind. Artemis thanked her and ran into Lockaria House, the antique key hidden in her pocket. Behind her, the crack of a bat echoed through the clearing. Silver Crystal had hit a double. 

~~~

It was strange being in Lockaria House with no one else around. Artemis could still hear the shouts of guests outside — Writing caught the ball and stepped on second, just as Tsuki slid onto the base, and the Marshmackers groaned as Socie called “Out!” — but the noises were distant. Artemis knew that Lockaria House held secrets. She knew Socie was keeping things from all of the guests. And she was determined to figure out exactly what was going on. 

Artemis took the key out of her pocket and held it in her fist so the shank stuck out the bottom. It probably wouldn’t help her much in self-defense, but it made her feel slightly better about the whole situation. 

Artemis decided to look around the first floor first. The entrance hall contained nothing to be opened by key: the memorial, overflowing with flowers and memories — with pictures of Kya, now, too. The wooden benches and hooks for jackets and shelves for shoes. The ornate patterned wallpaper and map of the Osorthe Forest hanging on the wall. There was nothing in the dining hall or kitchen either — the long wooden tables and chairs held no secrets, and the pantry had nothing but cans and jars of food. After examining the game room and finding nothing but disappointment once more, Artemis was ready to head onto the next floor. She was walking back to the entrance hall, headed for the stairs, when something caught her eye. She blinked, sure she must have imagined it, but there it was again — something on the wallpaper was glinting in the light from the chandelier overhead.

Artemis walked over to it, frowning as she stared at the dark green floral wallpaper, seeing nothing out of the ordinary. 

But then she saw it: a keyhole, cleverly concealed by the decorative patterns. 

Hardly daring to breathe, she put her key into the keyhole and turned it. It clicked satisfyingly, and a narrow portion of the wall swung in, revealing a dark staircase.

“I should’ve brought a flashlight,” muttered Artemis, beginning her descent down the darkened stairs. The door swung shut behind her, cutting off any source of light she’d had. “I really should have brought a flashlight.”

It suddenly struck Artemis how utterly irresponsible she was being. Sneaking around Lockaria House, uncovering secret passageways, venturing into those secret passageways with no equipment or preparation whatsoever, while there was a murderer running around. Common sense told her should turn back and plan, and then come back to this passageway later, once she was properly prepared.

But she did not turn back. It was probably stupid. No, there was not “probably” about it. But it’s not everyday that you discover a secret passageway. 

She walked down the stairs slowly and carefully, one hand pressed against the wall and one hand out in front of her to make sure she didn’t crash into anything, testing out the next step with her foot before putting her full weight on it. After a few minutes, she reached the bottom of the staircase. Her eyes had adjusted slightly to the darkness — light still came in through cracks in the floorboards overhead (she recalled about the layout of the house and figured she was currently beneath the entrance hall) — and she could barely make out a delicate beaded chain hanging from the ceiling, attached to a lightbulb. She gave the chain a yank, and the basement of Lockaria House was bathed in light. 

It was quite underwhelming, to be honest.

The basement was small and everything was coated in a thick layer of gray dust that caused Artemis to sneeze. After sneezing, she immediately began worrying someone had heard her, although she was pretty sure everyone was still outside. Other than the dust, there were two old, broken popcorn machines and a painting depicting begonia, lavender, and foxglove in a vase leaning against a wall.

There had to be more to the basement than this. Artemis began walking over to the painting, but stopped suddenly, alert, adrenaline racing through her body, wondering if her anxiety was making her hear things.

But no, she hadn’t imagined it.

The floorboards creaked as another footstep sounded overhead.

~~~

Alive: 10

Dead: 5 (pangolin, Oliver, Daisy, Eclipse, Kyanite)