m******e Mansion

Chapter 6- Saturday Night: The Game Begins

    "What the hell does that mean?!" Lidia cried out. She seemed unusually frazzled for some reason, as if she was at her wits end. She even threw her arms up into the air so as to put more emphasis into her words.

    "Lidia, I think you should calm down. Can't you see Lewis has just been through something traumatic, he doesn't know what it means, you don't know what it means, and I'm pretty sure none of the rest of us know what it means," Kadince, surprisingly, said very calmly due to the situation.

    Miranda started walking timidly towards the frightened blonde and took him by the arm, then walked him over to the chair nearest them.

    "I think you just need to sit down and take a deep breathe, Lewy," she told him softly as he nodded his head and gently sat down on the lavender furniture. His eyes then glazed over as he stared blankly ahead, unblinking. Miranda sat in front of him and held his hand while looking up at him as he continued to stare ahead.

    "Well, Mark my boy, what's your head conclude about this?" Luke questioned with a slightly arrogant tone. The entire time after Mark spoke last he seemed to be in deep thought. He had one arm holding his opposite elbow, while he held his chin with the other hand. He was also looking ahead like Lewis, but he didn't seem nearly as lifeless.

    "Well," Mark began with his deepish voice sounding lower than normal," I think that either this is some elaborate prank, or it's just as the voice said. The game has begun."

    "But what is the game?" I asked. He was talking as if the answer was as clear as day.

    "That, little lady, is what I'm trying to figure out. I have a theory that it has something to do with the fact that we are in the m******e Mansion, and that this "game" isn't going to be a friendly game of chess," he replied, slightly chuckling at the end.

    "HOW CAN YOU LAUGH AT A TIME LIKE THIS, YOU TWISTED BASTARD?!" Lidia lost it again. Luke went over to comfort her before she backed away, "STAY AWAY FROM ME!!" She screamed. I could have sworn I say a sinister look in his eyes the moment it left her lips, but he backed away.

    "CALM THE F*** DOWN, LIDIA!! I'M NOT GONNA SAY IT AGAIN!!" Kadince shouted back. The once calming atmosphere in the room was beginning to fade away and be replaced with one of heavy tension.

    "Lidia, you really do need to calm down. We don't need any fights right now. We just need to work toget-" I was rudely cut off by Lidia shouting again.

    "HOW DO I KNOW ALL OF YOU AREN'T JUST PULLING A PRANK ON ME?! YOU COULD ALL BE IN ON THIS!!" She pointed her finger at me accusingly.

    "I swear, if this is a prank it'd be a surprise to me as well. And it wouldn't be very funny," I pointed out, glancing at Caspian.

    "Oh, you'd better not bring me into this, Princess. I had nothing to do with this. I'm as confused about all this as you are," the one in question stated with venom dripping off his words. "I'd be sending those glares at the guy who's been giving you googly eyes this whole 'adventure'. He seems to know more about all this than any of us do," Caspian said sending a glare towards Mark.

    "STOP!! Ok?! Just stop! I'm tired of listening to everyone playing the blame game. No matter what's going on we need to work together and get past this or we might not get outta here," Nathaniel spoke up for once. 

    Silence rang through the room and we all looked down guiltily, as if we were children being scolded for stealing the last cookie from the jar. I walked over to Lidia and wrapped her into a hug to which she returned and started shaking. I heard little sobs coming from her. I stroked the blue side of her hair and rubbed circles on her back to calm her down.

    When she looked back up again her eyes were surrounded by the black of her eyeliner and mascara that had run. She looked like an absolute mess. But this was the most sincere emotions I had seen in her for awhile. I finally looked away from her to see Luke scowling in my direction.

    "G-guys...*hic*...I'm so s-sorry for the way I've been acting lately. I've just been so st-stressed...a-and *hic*-" she tried explaining but broke back down into tears.

    "It's okay, Lee-Lee. We understand. Under all this pressure right now anyone could have done what you just did," I comforted her, "Maybe you just need to lay down and rest for now. The rest of us will figure this out, okay?" 

    "Y-*hic*-yeah," she weakly said. I led her to the couch and laid her down. Luke quickly replaced my spot the second I moved away. He then whispered something into her ear, and her face went blank. That was how she'd always been the second she got with him. She was so...so....different. I didn't understand what had changed her. She still laid there, but despite the monotone look on her face, her eyes showed a clear discomfort. Roughly five minutes later she had closed her violet orbs and her breathing had slowed.

    "So, now what will we do? We can't just stay in this room forever," Nathaniel stated.

    "I think we should wait," Kadince said.

    "For what? A murderer to come knock on our door?" Caspian humorously said. I think it was meant to be a joke, until...

KNOCK

KNOCK

KNOCK

swish

    We all immediately whipped our heads towards the door. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Luke immediately ran to the door and was about to put his hand on the knob when we all simultaneously shouted at him to stop. Even Lewis snapped out of his daze that he had remained in. Somehow his hand had ended up stroking Miranda's hair while she smiled dreamily at him like she had forgotten about everything that was happening and was focusing solely on him. She was the first to notice something white that had slid beneath the door.

    The blonde girl stood up and walked over to the door, bending down and scooping it up in her hands.

    "What do you have there, Miranda?" I asked.

    "It seems to be a piece of parchment paper with writing on it," she said, furrowing her brows and turning it over. Then her face slowly turned into a look of horror as it paled.

    "What does it say, Panda?" Lewis asked.

Dear Honored Guests,

    It seems as though you are having some troubles... allow me to "enlighten" you. This game we are currently playing is quite simple really, one by one you're all going to have an...accident..so to speak, and will ultimately die. And might I add, this year seems to be quite an interesting group. We can play this game either the easy way or the hard way. Every hour you will give up one of your "players" based on my instructions. If you can give me the correct person I will give you more information about this game and hints on how you may be able to live. That is the easy way, of course. The hard way, is you can refuse to follow my rules and your players won't die peacefully. I am feeling quite generous this year, however, so I will allow some leeway. I will allow you to have two hours for the first person. No more, no less. I hope we can cooperate. Lewis, over on the lavender chair who is staring at the fireplace at this moment already got a taste of what it's like when you disobey a rule. Also, due to my generosity, I will tell you a few of my rules, however that green-eyed freak already seems to understand some.

1) Do not leave the group unless you have been "sacrificed"

3) Don't attempt to find me

5)Nowhere is safe, I'll always find you. So, no hiding from fate.

6)Rebellion will get you nowhere

10)OBEY. ME.

    That is all I have to say at the moment, and might I add "Little Lady" you are looking quite ravishing. I hope to see you soon.

    Now, for my hint: There is one quite vile, who never ceases to smile. He has blackmailed one, and before he is done, he will have cheated my game. And to that I say "Send me your strongest player from the outside, but the lowest on the inside."

That hint is the greatest I can give. Thank you for your time

O.F.

    Miranda was trembling by the end of the letter. It's strange how her words could be so strong, yet she herself could look as if she could faint at any moment. She dropped the letter due to her shaky hands eventually and her lips began to tremble. Just as her pastel green eyes, green only at that moment, rolled up in her head Lewis was already standing in front of her and ensuring she wouldn't fall. Lidia had already awoken and groggily stood up so Lewis could rest the unconscious girl on the loveseat. 

    After that we all just stood, staring at each other. No one made a sound. Somehow this person was watching us. They knew our names as well as our faces. 

    "Well whoever this "O.F." person is, they're somewhere in this house with us. How else could they have knocked and left this message?" I said. I was quite concerned, because out of the nine of us here, I was only one of two mentioned. 

    "Exactly. So I guess we just have to go look for this 'O.F.'," Mark replied.

    "But wouldn't that be against the rules? Why don't we just give this person who they want and see if at least someone can survive ?" Kadince asked.

    "I, for one, don't feel like dying," Luke said haughtily.

    "You may not have a choice, Luke. I think we should just do what O.F. wants," Caspian said, "And since you're our strongest player, maybe you can cheat death."

    "No, no, no, no, no. You're not sending me out there, no siree," Luke said, backing away with his arms across his chest.

    "Who in here votes we send this lying scumbag out of the frying pan and into the fire?" Mark said. All around the room seven hands shakily raised one by one.

    "Lidia, baby, please. Knock some sense into 'em. You're still their leader. They'll listen to you," Luke begged towards Lidia. She just got a fiery look in her eyes that I hadn't seen for awhile. She walked over to him and leaned her face so close I thought she was going to kiss him, and that's what Luke must have thought as well because he sighed in relief and leaned in...only to have his face met with a fist.

    "You f*****g think that after all you've done to me I'd stand up for you?! Are you out of your god damn mind?! You've blackmailed me, practically r***d me, made me dress like a slut, and caused me to act like a b***h to my best friends!" She yelled at him, then turned to us," I don't like this game, but if we can get rid of this bastard I say to hell with it. Let's do it," she said. Her ruined makeup, combined with her fiery violet eyes and tousled hair made her look like a fallen angel. Now I could remember why she was the head honcho of our group. She grabbed Luke by the arm, planted a peck on his cheek, and dragged him towards the door. Nathaniel scrambled to open it after Mark and Caspian had moved the bookcase out of the way, and the moment he did Lidia literally threw him out of the door. She then shut the door, and turned to us with a genuine smile. For the first time in months we finally got to see her smile.

    I practically ran to her and threw my arms around her, and soon everyone joined in as we laughed and cried, all the while Luke started screaming. We thought nothing of it until a loud thud and a dragging noise came along right past the mahogany door.

    We all grew deathly quiet once more. Only then I think did we realize what we had done. We had practically murdered someone. A look of horror crossed my face. We had just basically killed someone, and we had taken joy in it.

    "Well done, my little criminals. I didn't think you would give up one of your own so easily. Ah well, I guess in the end he never really was welcome in your little society. The real fun has just begun. Who will you give up so freely next? Either way, I am proud of you, my little villains. Don't look so horrified, my darling little lady. We still have plenty more time before the real fun starts....haha....hahaha...By now you all have realized that I am watching you through cameras. It was your little detective who spotted the first one. Anyways, I will stay true to my word. I have been in this business for fifteen years, so naturally I know every trick in the book. If you do somehow outsmart me it will give you a distinct advantage. But I must ask you to not get your hopes up, little Kandi, I can see the hope in your eyes and it had better be extinguished before I gouge them out of their sockets....ah much better. No one has ever left this mansion alive in fifteen years. And I wouldn't expect any of you to be the one who breaks that tradition. All is well, until next time. Ta-ta!"

    The voice that spoke all those words seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere. We kept looking around the room for any intercom, or speaker. But nothing was found. We all knew one thing about our enemy now, it was a male. His voice gave it away.

    "Now what do we do?! Sit here and wait for another note asking for another person?! I'll be damned if I let that happen. I just got you all back, I'm not losing you again," said Lidia. She seemed 100% pissed.

    "We get out of this room. We stick together and we find answers. We aren't letting this man win. Not this time," spoke Caspian. Well there went rule number six. 

    "Yeah, that seems to be all we can do," said Lewis, "Leave this room. Who cares if he's watching our every move. We'll show him we're not to be messed with."

    "Are we all agreed?"asked Mark, looking at us with one visible eye. No one shook their head in disagreement, but before we left I had to do one thing...... I picked up the thickest book I could find and hurled it at the window.

THWUMP

    None of the glass even cracked...we really were trapped in here. In the Ferdinan Mansion. I quietly turned around and grabbed Kadince's hand. Mark placed his hand on the handle and opened the door into what would soon be the end for many, but we didn't know that. If only I would have payed more heed to my visions. We wouldn't have been in this mess....it was all my fault.

                                           ~                                     ~                                      ~

    Oh, that Klarissa girl truly is a laugh. She's been entertaining this entire time. I couldn't help but stare at her as I sipped my ice tea. She was just so....extraordinary. I mean throwing a book at a window. HA! That's the most amusing thing I've seen all day. 

       I looked at the screen that depicted the Crimson River, and it really was a beautiful red. I couldn't help but think of that color on the equally beautiful little lady that was about to wander my halls quite soon. It would be a delight to see her reaction once they come across the first body. Luke was the first one that had to go. As much as I loathe all humans, I really dislike the ones who sink so low as to blackmail women. How did I discover that you might ask? Well...haha....a wizard must never reveal his secrets. 

It was another highlight of my day seeing the glorious maiden dancing around my ballroom. She was so elegant, and her long, auburn hair swayed and shined so beautifully under the light of the chandelier. She truly is the epitome of perfection. That male though, Mark, he had the nerve enough to almost taint her perfection with his lips. I simply couldn't have that so I had to cut the dance short as much as I love playing the piano. A few wrong notes were played that simply had to be. Scum like him shouldn't even be allowed to touch her.....oh, that's a great idea! His death could include mutilation! HAHA!! I really do have such a genius mind.

    Well, I guess that's enough chit-chat from my end even though I am such wonderful company. Hopefully I can enjoy a bit of the little lady's company before it's her time. Hmmm.

There's plenty of time, besides The Game Has Just Only Begun.

---O.F.