For several minutes, no one moved. Everyone just stared in horror at Erick’s body, which only a minute ago was still full of life and as intense as he was. No one seemed to be capable of speaking. Jason noticed, out of the corner of his eye, that Brian was still talking, but Jason could not hear the words spoken. Everything was silent. Blood continued seeping out of Erick’s body, staining the tablecloth until everywhere near Erick was a crimson red. Some of the blood had splattered over his name tag, bloodying the name so that only a few letters were visible. Eventually, the initial shock wore off, leaving rage and despair in its wake. Someone started screaming. Jason didn't notice who, only that his limbs seemed suddenly numb. He seemed incapable of movement. His mouth just hung open, his jaw having dropped. Many had a similar reaction.

“Interesting,” Selena said amidst all the shock. Slowly, everyone looked at her. “So this is what he means by punishment… Truly, this has raised the stakes.”

“Screw you!” Michael yelled angrily. “That’s how you react to your friend dying? Do you even have a heart?”

“He was never my friend,” Selena said simply. She stood up, her eyes fixed snidely on Erick’s body. “I wonder what he said to be the first punished… If only I could have heard. I suppose there's not much I can do,” she sighed. “If you all think that friendship will help you or whatever, you're deluded. Make note of that. This game will only have one winner - the person who catches the killer before they catch them. I intend to win. You are all simply my entertainment until then. Remember that,” she added, and left, gracefully striding out of the room. Jason didn't think his jaw could have dropped any further, and yet it had. Does she have a death wish? Jason asked himself. But wait. The killer? Jason looked around for a moment. Something had just struck him. Weren't they in the kitchen?

“Hey, Mikad… Can you answer something something for me?” It was almost comical. Everyone turned in unison to look at Jason, and then at Mikad. Mikad suddenly looked uncomfortable.

“Is this really the best time, Jason?” Mikad stammered. “I mean, I know that I'm great, but a man was just killed!”

“About that…” Jason continued. “You were in the kitchen with Henry the night he died… And you were just watching him, too. Why is that?”

“Huh? Oh, that… I told you, didn't I? I went in there for a snack, and Henry’s feasting was so impressive and revolting I couldn't tear my gaze from it.”

“Did anyone see you leave the kitchen?” Jason asked. He looked around. Heads started shaking ‘no’ or looking shamefully at the ground. The color drained from Mikad’s face.

“W...what are you suggesting?” He managed to say, his eyes bolting from Jason to the door.

“What I'm suggesting is…” Jason didn't need to finish his sentence.

“Wait, you?” Michael asked. “You killed Henry?”

“No, I-” Mikad tried to reply.

“You're the only suspect!” Navini pointed and raised her voice. “It has to be you!”

“Aren't you jumping to conclusions just a little here?” Mikad asked. No one seemed to be listening to him, however. “It wasn't me!”

“Y...yeah right!” Lelina rebutted. “T...that's just a d...desperate excuse!”

“You guys…” Mikad seemed to be desperately trying to appeal to everyone. “You don't really believe that I…” All of the gusto in his voice had vanished. He now sounded fearful. Everyone looked angrily back at him. Jason couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty. It was just a suspicion, after all.

“Mikad,” Lavender begun, her voice calmer than everyone else’s, “can you say with certainty that someone saw you leave the kitchen while Henry was alive?” Lavender seemed completely unfazed by this.

“I…” Mikad was searching through his mind. Despair had fully settled on his face, and not thinking of a better move, he bolted out of the door, shoving Lola and Vicki out of the way to do so.

“After him!” Michael yelled, and he, Dexter, Arthur, A and Alexandra leaped out of the room after him. Everyone left stared uncomfortably at the door.

“We should accompany them,” Lavender told Jason. The two left the room as well. Following the noise, they arrived at the recreation room, where the five that had chased after Mikad were staring at the door, Mikad having apparently vanished.

“What happened?” Jason asked Alexandra, who seemed the least furious of the five.

“He runs surprisingly fast,” Alexandra spoke calmly.

“The bastard hid himself in here!” Michael shouted, pounding on the door.

“He ran in here,” Alexandra elaborated. “We tried opening the door, but it was locked, and we have no idea how to open it.”

“Have you tried to push it open?” Lavender asked. The five stared at each other, none of them having given that thought any merit. Embarrassed, Michael opened the door.

The room was exactly as it had been the day before. With a pang of remorse, Jason looked at the two sofas were just yesterday, he had talked with Erick about his past. Despite his strong personality, Erick had been friendly, and even though he lacked anything resembling social skills, he had tried to fit in with everyone. He hadn't deserved such a cruel end. Something else Jason noticed was the complete lack of any trace that Mikad had been in the room. It was almost as though he had completely vanished. Cautiously, the seven of them walked into the room. However, after a few minutes of investigating, it was clear that Mikad was not in the room.

“GODDAMNIT!” Michael yelled furiously. He stomped out of the room, his face having turned a bright red. Arthur hurried out of the room after Michael, Dexter following behind. Alexandra was intently focused on the rug, her eyes shut, and A was curiously staring at her. Suddenly, the rug beneath Jason’s feet moved upwards. Jason clumsily rushed to a part of solid wood.

Alexandra’s eyes shot open, and the rug raised itself so that everyone could see underneath. Lavender crouched to look underneath it, apparently not bothered by someone telekinetically lifting a carpet. After a minute, she shook her head.

“Nothing. Thank you, Alexandra,” Lavender announced. Alexandra’s face was very strained. When she heard Lavender, she dropped the carpet, color rushing back to her face.

“That's the largest thing I've ever lifted,” Alexandra announced breathlessly. A was staring at her dumbfounded. Feeling an explanation was not necessary, she left the room. A rushed out after her.

“So that's what she meant by psychic,” Lavender said, a note of surprise present in her voice.

“Do you have any idea how she did that?” Jason asked.

“No,” Lavender admitted, “but it is impressive, isn't it?” Jason nodded. “I'm going to look around a little more. Maybe you should go tell everyone in the dining room what happened,” Lavender suggested. Jason nodded, and he headed back down to the dining room to tell everyone what had happened. Everyone’s eyes were glued to Jason as he retold what had happened.

“So he got away…” Dahinko mumbled. “But how?” he asked, louder this time. “Where could he be hiding?” Dahinko looked worried.

“I have no idea,” Skyler said. “I do know, however, that we should be careful around Mikad. Even if he isn't the killer, a person put under pressure like that can be very… Unpredictable.” Everyone nodded in agreement.

“Oh, wait a moment!” Timothy said. “No one has told Selena!”

“I'd prefer if she was next,” Rose mumbled barely loud enough for Jason to hear her.

“I shall take it upon myself to do so! Good day, everyone!” Timothy excused himself and left the dining room. Gradually, everyone left as well, seeing no point in staying. Jason, however, headed directly to the kitchen.

“Just as I thought,” Jason said aloud.

“Just as you thought, Mr. Harlon?”

Jason jumped. Cole had followed him into the kitchen, hiding behind Jason’s back. It was then that Jason noticed how short Cole was - he was definitely the shortest person here.

“Ah! Jeez, Cole, don't sneak up on me like that!” Jason’s nerves still being on edge caused him to be startled by Cole’s sudden appearance. “No, it's fine,” Jason added hurriedly, speaking over Cole’s frantic apologies. “Look at the wall,” Jason motioned.

“Huh? Why… Oh, wait! Henry’s body is..!” Cole had realized it as well. Henry’s body had completely vanished. Both of them stepped closer to the now-stainless wall where just yesterday, Henry’s body had been. It was now completely clean, no trace of the body or of the shackles visible. Jason stepped closer to investigate. All of a sudden, the door behind them slam shut, and Jason heard a faint click. Cole ran over to the door, fruitlessly pulling and pushing to get it to open. Jason paid no attention, and instead his attention was focused on the wall where Henry’s body had hung the night before. Jason flipped the wall over to reveal the bloodstained shackles - but no Henry. Aside from the traces of blood on the wall, there was no sign of Henry anywhere. Jason decided it would be best for everyone’s state of mind that he flipped the wall back to the shackle-less side. Cole was still attempting to open the door. Jason walked up to him to try and help.

“Um… Do you mind if-”

“AAH! Um, oh, uh, Mr. Harl-Jason, you surprised me, ha, ha, um…” Cole seemed very worried and anxious. “Why did the door close so suddenly?”

“I don't know…” Jason, curious about Cole’s sudden worry, proceeded cautiously. “We should probably try to find a way to open it, huh?”

“Oh, um, yeah! Of course, ha…” Cole did not seem reassured in the slightest. Instead, he backed very far away from the door, leaving Jason more than enough room to investigate. The door was locked shut, no doubt about it, and there seemed to be no way out. Just as Jason was about to suggest they look for other paths, he heard a click, and the kitchen door creaked open.

Jason and Cole stepped out of the kitchen cautiously. It took Jason a moment to realize that something was missing. Erick’s mutilated corpse was now gone, leaving only blood behind as a reminder. Jason observed that in his seat, a photograph of his face hung with a bright red X drawn in crayon, and that a wooden mask (the kind used for theater) now replaced the plate and silverware.

“Huh?” Cole exclaimed. “Where did Erick go?” Jason had no explanation to offer. “And a wooden mask? Why? He was the world's best housekeeper - what would a theater mask have to do with that?”

“Didn't he tell you?” Jason asked, his nerves betraying his calm. Cole mumbled “no” about half a dozen times in a scared tone before Jason continued. “He was the best actor in the world - the mask makes perfect sense.”

“Actor… Wait, then is he-”

“Yup. He's Erick Orbison, talented actor, apparently more than I credited him for,” Jason explained. Cole nodded once quickly and then proceeded to bolt out of the dining room. Dahinko, Skyler and Lavender rushed in almost immediately after.

“Are you okay?” Lavender asked. “We were locked in our dormitories for a little while there… Is everything-” Lavender stopped herself, as she had just noticed the missing body. “Oh, that's why,” she said simply.

“Cole came running out of here, his eyes full of tears. What did you do to him, Jason?” Dahinko asked.

“I'd like to know myself,” Jason admitted. “He's a weird one, that one,” he added. Skyler and Lavender nodded, and Dahinko chuckled a little. “Regardless, it seems that Brian, or whoever is in charge here, isn't going to let bodies out in the open,” Jason concluded. “Henry’s body is gone as well.”

“Really?” Lavender replied. She rushed into the kitchen to confirm. After having done so, she walked back out into the dining room, apparently in deep thought. “I'm guessing it's to prevent fingerprint analysis, or something like that,” Lavender guessed.

“Fingerprints?” Dahinko said, surprised. “Unless Jason here is also a forensics expert, no one here could even identify them! So what's the point?”

“It was just a guess,” Lavender replied. “Still, I wonder…” Not caring to share anymore of her thoughts, she exited the room. Skyler and Dahinko followed suit. Jason lingered for a moment, staring at the spot where Erick had been just a few moments prior. After he felt he had paid his respects, he left, heading back to his room.

“Is this a joke? Why do you never look to see where you're going?” Vicki exclaimed. Jason, on his way back to his dormitory, had once again bumped into Vicki’s abnormally large pile of books. Now, as she was picking them up, she shot daggers with her eyes at Jason. Having learnt that helping her would only make it worse, Jason stayed out of it. “Oh, so now you won't help me? Typical man, only looking out for yourself…” Jason looked at her in disbelief. Once again, Mary came to his rescue.

“Oh, Vicki! Are you alright? Would you like some help?”

“That would be very much appreciated!” Vicki answered cheerfully, then turned to look spitefully at Jason. Mary gave Jason a curious glance, and Jason replied with a look that said don't ask. Mary helped Vicki bring the large pile of books into her room. Briefly thanking Mary and shooting one last spiteful look at Jason, Vicki slammed the door shut.

“What on Earth did I do to her?” Jason mumbled quietly. Mary heard him, and took a deep breath.

“Have you not read her biography? The poor child..,” Mary answered. “Perhaps you should give it a read - I believe a copy is somewhere in the library,” Mary added. “In any case, I believe you'll never get to be friendly with her… Perhaps you should allow those of us who are more spiritually inclined to do our duty…” She stared off in the distance. Taking this as a sign to leave her be, Jason backed away, and indeed no sooner had he left the hallway that she knelt in front of Vicki’s door and prayed, lifting her cross in the air.

It took Jason a few moments to discover the book that Mary was talking about. Vicki Ingrid’s Life, by Edward Truffle was very well tucked away in a corner of the library. However, the pages were ruffled, and in some places even bent, indicating that the book had been referred to several times. Jason flipped the pages, his eyes scanning for an interesting passage. It didn't take very long - the words in the childhood section jumped out almost immediately.

Vicki Ingrid lived her whole life growing up in rural Alabama, despite her Canadian origins. Having been born from a nymphomaniac father and a prostitute mother, Vicki lived in a rough household. Her mother had almost immediately abandoned the child with the father, leaving him with an unwanted burden. She received very little education, and that which she did receive was from her father’s lovers, who felt sorry for the poor child. She lived her entire life in misery, not a single friend to be found.

“I felt very sorry for the poor child,” said Rosaline Therrin, a math teacher at a nearby elementary school. “The father was a well known nymphomaniac around here, but he had such charming looks and attitude that I couldn't help myself… After the night was spent, I discovered the child, alone in a room, writing out her alphabet. I felt extremely guilty, knowing that it was women like me that had robbed such an innocent child of her childhood. I decided to teach her basic maths, but it became clear that her interest was in language. The father was awfully protective of her,” Rosaline confessed, “but in a sort of ‘she's my problem to deal with and I'll be damned if anyone interferes’ way.”

Vicki spent her young child life in such a condition, until she was the age of thirteen. Her father decided to ‘put her to use’, and began selling her off as a sex slave.

“It was horrible,” Vicki declared. “Those men would do anything and everything they wanted to me, and my father wouldn't bat an eyelash.”

This continued until her father was found and arrested by the police. In a desperate attempt to escape, her father mortally wounded several officers before they were forced to shoot him down.

“At the time, Vicki was already seventeen, and she already had an idea of what she wanted to do,” Richard Mortarti, a police officer who was at the scene, declared. “Of course, you know the rest. She stayed at an orphanage for a few months, and then raised enough money to have her first bestseller, A Kiss from a Raindrop, published. She made enough money to buy an apartment and began living alone.

“She seemed to be so reluctant around men,” Brittany Jouvence (born Brittany Wallace), mother of now-famous model Lola Jouvence, told me. “Whenever we invited her for dinner, she would always have the best manners around me and my daughter, but whenever my husband walked in, she became cold and unapproachable,” she declared. This statement proved to be true, as Vicki refused to speak to our male reporters in any capacity. Lola and Vicki became close friends, and although they do not frequent each other as often, they seem to have upheld their friendship.

Jason stared blankly at the end of the chapter for a while. Lola and Vicki had known each other? They didn't seem to be that close… And the story about Vicki having been a sex slave sent shivers down Jason’s spine. No wonder she didn't like being around men… Perhaps if she had grown up in a better childhood, she might have been kinder towards the men in the house. It also explained why she took a liking to the women - her father’s lovers had been kinder to her than her father ever was. Jason now felt a sudden remorse and pity for her - despite her being crabby and frankly rude to him, Jason now understood why. However, this brought up an interesting dilemma in his head - if the Vicki Ingrid and Lola Jouvence he knew were indeed the real ones, why didn't they seem to be close to each other at all? Jason decided to try to ask them to see what he could uncover.

First, he tried to visit Vicki. He knocked politely at the door and waited. The door creaked open very slowly, and through the gap he could make out a brown eye looking at him intently.

“Vicki? Um… I was wondering if-”

“No thanks. Now go away!” Vicki exclaimed and slammed the door. It seemed that Jason would get no luck trying to talk to Vicki. Instead, he began looking for Lola. First, he tried her room, but after several minutes, it became clear that she was not in it. As if on cue, Michael’s room’s door swung open, and a disappointed Lola walked out. Michael, looking both angry and remorseful, stomped off to the recreation room, slamming the door shut behind him.

“Hey, Lola!” Jason called out. Lola looked up, seeming disappointed that it was not Michael calling.

“Oh, hi, Jason,” she said glumly. “What do you want?” She asked rather rudely.

“I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions…” Jason knew this was not the best way to approach her, and yet she seemed totally out of it, so he thought he could get away with it.

“Sure, I guess… Come in, come in…” She answered glumly, unlocking her room.

Her room was very similar in terms of size to Jason’s. The bedsheets were a pale pink as opposed to a pale blue, and peeking into her wide open closet, Jason noticed that her pajamas were of the same color. However, that was were the slight differences ended. On her wall, dozens of pictures of incredibly built, shirtless male models hung, all of them winking or smiling. Jason noticed they were all autographed, with the signature resembling something along the lines of a thank you. Jason decided it was best not to ask why they thanked her. A huge array of makeup tools lay sprawled across the bathroom counter, the mirror having been smudged with what looked like a lipstick imprint. Lola crashed onto her bed, sighing as she did so.

“Why the long face?” Jason asked her.

“Nothing that concerns you,” Lola replied abruptly. “You said you had some questions, right?”

“Yeah, actually,” Jason began. “Um… I was wondering if you could tell me about your relationship with Vicki?” At the mention of Vicki, her eyes widened.

“What? Why? What did Vicki tell you?” Lola seemed suddenly much more alert. “I swear, whatever she told you was a complete lie!” Jason was taken aback by this response.

“She didn't tell me anything…” Jason reassured Lola, who looked anything but reassured. “I just read her biography in the library, and it said you were good friends before this…”

“Well, allow me to clarify that that is no longer the case,” Lola replied firmly. “Say… I hadn't noticed before, but you're kind of cute, aren't you?” Her entire demeanor changed in a flash. She sexily walked up to Jason, placing her hands on his chest, feeling his muscles. Jason jumped back, his hand on the doorknob. She looked extremely disappointed. “Whatever happened to it being the only thing on men’s minds..? Can't be helped, I guess,” she said, her tone returning to what it had been before their conversation. “Could you leave me alone, please?” Lola asked. Jason, sensing that contradicting her would be dangerous, left the room. After closing the door behind him, he became even more determined to talk to Vicki. He knocked slightly more hastily on her door. This time, she swung the door open, nearly hitting Jason in the process.

“I thought I told you to piss off!” Vicki spoke loudly. “Now GO. AWAY.” she then tried to slam the door shut, but Jason held it open, determined to talk to her.

“Wait! Please! I'd like to talk to you about Lola!” The minute Jason mentioned Lola, Vicki’s grip on the door loosened. She stood there for several minutes, as if remembering something painful. Then, reluctantly, she opened the door and allowed Jason in.

Her room was almost identical to Lola’s in terms of color. The only difference was the lack of pictures hanging from her wall, which was instead replaced by several mountains of books in various piles across her room. Jason noticed that she had had a desk brought up into her room, probably from the recreation room. On it, an unfinished draft was sitting, the pen having been dropped onto it, creating an awkward blotch of ink on the side of the page.

“Sit down.” Vicki commanded. Jason, deciding that he was lucky to even be here, sat where she had indicated. She sat on one of the chairs that was originally in the library and now stood behind the desk. “What did you want to know?”

“Anything, really… I read your biography and after talking to Lola about it, I got an interesting reaction…” Jason explained.

“You read my biography, huh?” Vicki asked. “I didn't even know it was in the house… Anyway, what part of that seemed suspicious to you?” She asked, just as much venom in her voice as was usually in it when she talked to men.

“Well, it said you'd been friends with Lola for a while, so I was wondering if you could elaborate…” Jason decided it would be for the best that he did as little talking as possible. Vicki sighed.

“Before I tell you anything, I just want to tell you that the Lola you've met is the real deal. There's no doubt that that is the actual Lola Jouvence in the flesh,” Vicki stated. “Trust me on that one,” she added. “So, about Lola… Yes, we were friends for a while. She lived near me, you see, and her mother reached out to me when I moved nearby,” her voice softened. “They were nice people, I guess… I became good friends with Lola. And then she began modeling. At first, everything was the same, but then I started to notice things… She would be bubblier around men, flirting constantly with them, even if I was nearby. It was fine for a while, until I discovered that she was… Well, if I say she reminded me too much of my father, would that suffice?” She paused for a bit. Jason didn't need her to elaborate, and suddenly her mood swing earlier seemed totally in character. It also explained why she had immediately tried to latch onto Michael. “We kind of just fell out after that. I stopped talking to her… She tried to explain, but I had learned the truth, and we couldn't recover from that…” Vicki left it at that, preferring not to elaborate. Jason sat in complete silence, contemplating. “Was that enough of an answer?” Vicki asked, the spite back in her voice.

“Yes, thank you,” Jason said, standing up. “And, uh… I'm truly sorry. For everything,” he added. Vicki seemed taken aback for a moment.

“Um… Thank you, I guess,” Vicki answered, flustered. Jason left the room without adding another word. Vicki sat in her chair, contemplating. Jason passed by Lola’s room before going down, and he could have sworn he heard someone crying.

Jason was left with a lot to think about in regards to Vicki and Lola. He now saw them in a new light. Without anywhere in particular to go, Jason headed to the recreation room. There, he felt a sudden rush of warmth and light. It took him a moment before he realized that the large fireplace had been lit, the flames now spewing light across the otherwise dimly-lit room. Audrey stood by, watching what was no doubt her creation. Rose had backed away a little, but was now approaching the flames with curiosity. In the very corner of the room, in complete silence, Alexandra was meditating, her face illuminated by the flames.

“Well? What do you think?” Audrey asked Rose.

“It's, uh… Really frickin’ big,” Rose replied, uncertain.

“Don't worry! I've done this sort of thing hundreds of times before. I've never burned anything down!” Audrey affirmed. “Well, almost never,” she added under Rose’s curious glance. This only made Rose look more uncertain about the huge fire that was currently roaring in the fireplace. Jason welcomed the change in lighting, and sat down in one of the sofas in the room. His eyes scanned the room, and he noticed that a lot of little statues and photographs were adorning the bookcases. One picture in particular caught his eye - a slightly overweight man in a puffy dress shirt was smiling at a girl holding a diamond in her hand. Jason recognized the girl almost immediately - it was Rose. Curious, he took the picture and went to see Rose.

“Huh? Oh yeah, that! I was wonderin’ where he'd stashed it!” Rose exclaimed when she saw the picture. “Ya see, this is how I got my invitation to the party. I'd heard that Francis had this crazy big jewel, and I just had to have it, ya know? No? Just me?” She added, seeing Jason questioning glance. “Whatever. So I go to take the thing, right, and I'm almost out of the house when Francis spots me. Instead of turning me over, he congratulated me! Can ya believe it? He told me that I was the only person who had even come close to taking it without him noticing. He insisted we keep in touch, and I mean, if a rich guy wants to keep in touch with me, who am I to say no? He took this picture of me and he even let me keep the jewel! Course, turns out it was worth jack, but hey, it got me invited here! Which I guess is also a downside, huh…” Rose finished her tale. Jason placed the picture back and, sensing a newfound hunger, he went to the kitchen.

“Oh! Mr. Harlon! Um, oh, uh, how are you?”

In the kitchen, a familiar scene was playing out. Again, a burning piece of toast was pouring out smoke, producing the smell of burnt toast. Again, Jason picked up a mixing bowl and poured water on it, and again Cole mumbled something about electrical fires. Jason immediately walked over to the toaster.

“Cole. This is a toaster. You put your slice of toast in it and wait. Et voilà, toast! Okay?” Jason said, somewhat irritated.

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry, okay, I'll use the toaster, please, okay, um, uh…” Cole blurted out. Tears welled in his eyes. Jason felt a small amount of worry for Cole. He put his hand on his shoulder. Cole flinched at the touch. He really looks like an abused puppy, Jason thought.

“Hey. Look at me. No one’s going to hurt you, okay? Now calm down. I'm going to make something. Would you like some?” Jason spoke slowly and calmly. Cole nodded quickly and rushed out of the kitchen.

With lunch being finished, Cole briefly thanked Jason and hurried out of the dining room. Jason gave him a worrying glance.

“H...he’s kind of weird, isn't he?” Lelina, who was sat across the table, mentioned. Jason nodded. “He almost l...looks like an abused child… B...but usually th...the signs stop at a...adulthood, so I'm not s...sure why he a...acts like that…” she explained.

“Does he refer to you as Ms. Beauvencourt?” Jason asked, curious.

“Y...yeah, actually. It's s...sort of endearing, i...in a strange way. B...but I don't know… I'm s...still worried about him…” Lelina answered. The fact that she was actually comparing his behavior to that of an abused child only helped increase the small puppy persona that Jason had begun to associate him with. The thought that Cole had been abused brought shivers down Jason’s spine. He seemed like such an innocent person! Who would do something to him?

Lunch having been said and done, Jason was unsure of what to do next. Fortunately, Dexter and Arthur had an answer. Once again, the sound of sword against sword could be heard ringing in the entrance hall. This time, they did not seem to be doing it for sheer practice. There was newfound resolve written on Arthur’s face, and Dexter seemed angry. Both were deadly serious, and loud clangs rang across the hall. Jason had begun to doubt that the sword Dexter had was a replica, and yet he still claimed as such. Everyone who was nearby stopped to watch the two duel. Despite the recreation room and the library being open, there was still a lack of entertainment, and people were drawn to it like insects to a bright light. After a long while of the two sword fighting (no one was able to tear their eyes away from it) the two were interrupted.

“Someone stop that infernal racket! Oh, it's just you two,” Selena said snidely. “Please end the swordplay at once. This is not an option,” she demanded. Jason looked over at Arthur and Dexter. The two were breathless and covered in sweat, and were in no mood to argue. They sheathed their swords and headed off to their rooms. Satisfied, Selena returned to her room. Jason, curious about the reason for the sword fight, headed off to Arthur’s room. However, when he knocked on her door, there was no answer. He didn't hear a sound coming from the other side of the door. Instead, he went to see Dexter, who was currently talking with Lavender.

“I also believe we must be constantly on our guard,” Dexter finished something he was telling Lavender, who seemed not the least bit interested. “Ah! Jason! Have you come to also hear my tale of assassinating the corporate head of the largest company in the western world?”

“Remind me to ask you another time,” Jason replied. “In any case, why were you and Arthur fighting? You seemed on pretty good terms, and I couldn't find Arthur…”

“After Henry and Erick’s deaths, we decided to double our efforts for our training, so as to ensure no one else dies,” Dexter answered. Somehow, Jason doubted that they would all make it out, but he didn't say anything. “Also, if you wanted to talk to Arthur, I believe she is in her room.”

“Well, I tried knocking, but I didn't hear anything,” Jason answered.

“Really?” Dexter replied, his eyebrows creasing in worry. “And yet she should be there…”

“Greetings. Were you talking about me?”

Jason turned and saw Arthur standing right behind him. He jumped a little at the suddenity of this appearance.

“Actually, yes!” Dexter answered. “Jason and I were simply wondering why you were not in your room earlier.”

“Oh, that. Well, I went to give Selena a piece of my mind,” Arthur replied. Jason waited for her to elaborate, but she did not feel it was necessary.

“Perhaps we should go,” Lavender suggested. Jason nodded, and the two went to Selena’s room. Lavender knocked politely.

“What do you want now?” Selena yelled as she swung the door open. “Oh, it's just you two. Well, the question still stands. What do you want?” Her voice seemed much more hostile than usual.

“We were just wondering what Arthur had told you,” Lavender asked calmly.

“I do not see why I should detail that encounter,” Selena replied. “All you must know is that that walking tin bucket should keep to her own affairs, rather than butt into those of more important people.”

“What was that about a walking tin bucket?” Arthur, who had been walking to her room, asked.

“Nothing that concerns you,” Selena said hastily, and shut the door as quickly as could be done without slamming it.

“I may have instilled a little fear into her,” Arthur added with a grin. “I don't think she'll be a problem as long as I'm around.”

“Then God help us if you aren't,” Lavender expressed ominously, and headed back to her room. Arthur watched her go.

“She could use a bit of sunshine in her life,” Arthur exclaimed. Jason nodded, wondering why Lavender had felt the need to say such a comment. Regardless, he had done enough investigating for the day, so he headed to his room to try and relax. He fell asleep with all of today's conversations still fresh in his head.

After a quick nap, Jason awoke to the sound of someone knocking at his door. He opened it and saw that it was Lola who had knocked.

“Hi, Jason…” Lola said glumly. “Michael wants everyone to gather in the dining room so… Yeah…” Without adding anything, Lola headed off to the next room. Jason felt sorry for her, but then he remembered their encounter and the pity vanished as quickly as it had come. He headed to the dining room to hear what Michael had to say. Everyone else had already gathered, and after Lola returned, Michael stood up and started talking.

“Alright, listen up! So I've been thinking, and I think we need to have people on guard all the time in order to prevent Mikad from killing someone else,” Michael began. People nodded along to what he was saying. “So, I've devised a schedule that should work for everyone! So, you'll be guarding in shifts of two people at a time, for safety reasons. Here are the pairs! Myself and A, Booby and Axel (sorry Axel), Timothy and Gary, Skyler and Dahinko, Jason and Cole and, since I ran out of guys, Dexter and Arthur. Alright? We’ll each take two hours at a time. The first shift tonight will be Jason and Cole, followed by Bobby and Axel, Dexter and Arthur, Timothy and Gary, Skyler and Dahinko and finally myself and A. Any problems?” Michael asked. Aside from Axel groaning, no one seemed to have a problem. No one offered to switch places with Axel (probably because no one wanted to be stuck with Bobby), so the meeting was adjourned.

“Why didn't any of the girls get a guard shift?” Vicki whispered just softly enough so that Michael didn't hear her.

“Probably because he's trying to ‘protect’ us or whatever,” Navini complained, doing air quotes as she said protect.

“I think it's very gallant,” Lola said dreamily. The other girls looked at her curiously.

“Yawwwwn… I'm getting sleepy. Should we just let them guard and get some sleep in?” Jessica proposed. The other girls agreed and headed to their rooms. The guys who didn't have a shift at the moment also headed to their rooms, leaving Cole and Jason alone.

“I'm, uh… Um… Going to uh… Get some water, okay? Ha, ha…” Cole mumbled nervously, and fled to the kitchen. Jason sighed and walked up to the hallway in between the dorms. He looked towards the door, and in the complete silence of the house, he could hear the pitter-patter of the raindrops outside. Jason stood in silence for a moment, appreciating this brief reminder of the outside world. It stunned him for a moment that even with all of this going on, the world still turned, people still lived. As he was contemplating this, the door to the recreation room creaked open.

Jason looked down the hallway. At first, the door did not move. Jason thought it could have been his eyes playing a trick on him, but after a few seconds the door definitely moved again. Slowly, it opened fully, and Mikad stepped out into the hallway. He had clearly not noticed Jason in the hallway, and careful not to make a single sound, he tiptoed into the hallway. Eventually, after he got about halfway through the hallway, he stopped, having finally noticed Jason. Wary, Jason did not move. Eventually, Mikad came running up to Jason. Jason took a few steps back and was prepared to run before Mikad came to a halt.

“Oh thank god! I bumped into someone reasonable,” Mikad whispered excitedly. “Jason, you'll help me, right?” Jason, unsure of what to do, decided to not do anything. Taking the silence as a yes, Mikad headed down the stairs and into the dining room. Jason rushed after him and grabbed his arm just before he entered the kitchen. He heard footsteps on the other side, and shoved a confused Mikad under the table and out of sight. Just in time, because Cole emerged from the other side holding two glasses of water. He was somewhat startled when seeing Jason so close to the kitchen door.

“Oh… Hi, Jason… Were you waiting for me? Ha, ha… I, uh, got you a glass too, ha…” Cole said.

“Yes, thank you. I was just about to go grab a snack. Do you mind waiting for me upstairs?” Jason asked, worried that Mikad wasn't going to take the hint.

“Um, ok, uh, I guess, ha, ha…” Cole mumbled and rushed out of the dining room. Careful not to expose Mikad, Jason ushered him into the kitchen, carefully closing the door behind him.

“What were you thinking, Mikad? There are other people in this house besides me!” Jason scolded him. For a minute, he forgot that most suspected Mikad of being the killer.

“I know, I've been waiting all day! But when everyone finally left the recreation room, I thought it was my chance! I'm starving, you know!” Mikad answered. Jason hadn't heard his voice in a while, and yet somehow it was different. This Mikad was more hasty, more scared, and much more genuine sounding.

“Wait, you were in the recreation room?” Jason asked in disbelief. “We checked that room thoroughly, but no one was in there!”

“Well, technically I wasn't in the recreation room,” Mikad replied. “I'll show you another time, if I see you're alone in the recreation room. Now then…” Mikad rubbed his hands together greedily. Jason noticed that Mikad wasn't carrying the silver pistol he usually had on him. Jason watched Mikad carefully, still undecided on whether he could trust Mikad or not. Mikad started opening up pantries and grabbing a ton of non-perishable items, including a lot of dehydrated foods. When he could no longer carry anymore, he turned to address a particularly confused Jason.

“I found a great hiding spot, but there's no food in there - only water,” Mikad said sheepishly. “I needed some supplies, you see…”

“Well, you're still suspected by the majority of the house, including myself, so unless your hiding place is secure-”

“You still suspect me?” Mikad sighed. “Why? What have I done?”

“Well,” Jason began, “My point against you is still valid, and you running away while we were interrogating you does not help your case at all. Even so…” Jason considered. Was Mikad really the killer? No one had become another victim yet, so it was impossible to say for sure. While Jason didn't trust Mikad fully, he decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

“Not that it matters. I'm fully prepared to live in seclusion until you all escape if that's what it takes,” Mikad declared. “Still, it would be nice to have one confidant, you know?” Jason nodded.

“Fine… I guess I'll help you get back to your spot,” Jason said.

“Help me get back?” Mikad asked curiously. “You don't even know where it is, so how could you-”

“Cole is still upstairs, remember?” Jason interrupted. “I'll try to distract him.” Mikad’s eyes showed a lot of gratitude. He nodded, and he and Jason exited the kitchen. Mikad waited for his opportunity while Jason went back up the stairs and in the hallway between the dormitories, where Cole was waiting.

“Oh, um… Hi, Mr. Harlon- I, uh, I mean Jason, ha, ha… Did you get a snack?” Cole asked nervously.

“Uh… Yeah, I already ate it,” Jason replied unconvincingly. “I was really hungry, you see. So, anyways…” Jason tried to come up with an excuse for Cole to leave temporarily.

“Um, you know, Mr. Harlon,” Cole began nervously, “I, uh, I'm really good at knowing when people are lying, ha… So, uh, why did you actually go in the kitchen..?” Jason was taken aback.

“Uh, well, you see…” Jason struggled to come up with an excuse. Finally, he found a plausible one. “Fine, you got me! I was trying to find Henry’s body, and I figured that being alone would be the best way to find it,” he answered. Cole still seemed unconvinced, but he did not press the matter further.

“Um, anyway… I was getting kind of bored… Maybe we should get a board game or something?” Cole offered.

“Sure! I'll go get it. Could you maybe get some snacks for us?” Jason asked, sensing the opportunity. Cole nodded and headed to the kitchen. After having passed by Mikad and entered the kitchen, Mikad rushed upstairs.

“Thank you ever so much, Jason!” Mikad expressed. “Now, I'll be off. Come see me sometime!” And with that, he rushed into the recreation room. Jason gave him a few moments before he himself entered the recreation room. Mikad had once again vanished. Jason decided not to press the matter any further, so he grabbed a board game and left.

The rest of the guard shift happened pretty uneventfully. Jason played board games with Cole, who was actually really good at them, and waited until the next two guards came for their shift. Eventually, Axel joined them.

“I decided to get here early. You two can take off,” he said. “Any time spent away from Bobby is good time spent ,” he added. Jason chuckled a little. Cole rushed off to his room, and Jason did the same, passing in front of a very sleepy Bobby as he did so. Jason reached his bed, threw on a pajama and crashed into his bed. He fell asleep almost immediately.