DECODE

CHAPTER 7; Phantom of the Drama [Murder]

ASHER

I am sitting inside our clubroom with Zay and Silver, discussing the happenings in our campus. These past few days, many events occurred. School's Festival is one of them, taking place just after the examination days took place. Many students were hyped about the festival since several activities will take place just to give enjoyment to the students after their so-called stressing examinations. One of those activities is the drama of the theater club.

"Do you know the title of the drama the Theater club will act later afternoon?" Silver asked. We're here because there's nothing more to do in our classroom. Besides, we're here because we were discussing the Spider just earlier.

"What I know is that it was something like The Phantom Hourglass. It was a mystery genre play. And I heard they will have another play on the last day of the festival entitled The Drama Queen." Zay answered him. I don't know what they're talking about. I don't pay much attention to those kind of things especially when it has nothing to do with what I do.

"Let's watch it. I heard that the story is so beautiful. Also, it's mystery. I'm sure, the play will be good." Silver suggested. Zay agreed on him. I just look at them.

"You won't come with us?" Zay asked me. I lean onto my chair and rested my elbows on the armrests of my favorite swivel chair.

"No. I don't have any interest on those kind of things. Besides, I am sure the play will bore me. I want something where I can exhaust my mind, not something that will waste my time." I answered. And both of them made faces.

"Killjoy." Silver mumbled.

"Boring." Zay murmured.

"Well, I did not kill your enjoyment. I did not hinder you to go and watch the drama you want to watch. And yes, I am a boring type of person. So if you want enjoyment, you're asking the wrong person. I'd rather sit here and read books, break codes and anagrams than to waste my energy and time watching something that I know will bore me." I told them and they made faces again. I took out my laptop from my bag and opened it.

"Anyways, I have something to show you. Come, look here." I told them.

"What?" Silver asked. Both of them went on either side of me. They both look at the monitor as I am typing and searching something from the email. I clicked one mail that was sent to me and showed it to them.

"Read." I told them. Both of them focused on the mail that was flashed on the screen. The mail ran like this;

To my dearest friend,

I remember the times we're playing our favorite game. It's a role-playing game where we must play like warriors and knights, fighting for one girl. And I remember the very thing I will do to defeat you. It is stabbing you from your blind spot. I will assassinate you, and stab you from the back, with my favorite weapon, a dagger. And I will win the game. Haha, how I miss that old days. Anyways, until next time.

S.

"So? What now?" Zay asked bluntly. I arranged my seat.

"That is strange. I do not have any friends." I said while looking at both of them. They looked at each other, and after a second, they both burst out laughing. I frowned.

"What?! What's funny?!" I asked, irritated by their reactions. The two of them continue laughing. They're annoying.

"Hahaha! No friends? What a joke! Hahaha!" Silver remarked while still laughing hard. Zay chimed in with him.

"I'm not joking. I am serious here." I said with a straight face to them. They both look at me and upon noticing my expression, they stopped laughing.

"Seriously? You don't have friends?" Silver asked clueless.

"Are you listening?" I said sternly. Zay spoke this time.

"Seriously? You don't have any friend? Even a single one? What kind of childhood did you have?" she asked. I glared at her.

"I found our neighbors' children annoying. They're too common. Typical kids. Spoiled and such. And they have low intellectual quotient so I avoided them. Bunch of spoiled kids doesn't interest me. So I am inside our house most of the time, reading and solving some codes my father is solving." I said. And they both made faces again. And mumbled the same words again.

"Boring."

"No question why he's a killjoy."

"Listen, I did not let you see the mail just to give you privelage to call me names. Aren't you wondering about this mail?" I asked. Both of them looked at each other and shook their heads at the same time.

"No. We found nothing unusual about it. Wrong sent mail, I suppose." Zay said.

"I have the same view with Zay. That is just a wrong sent mail. Nothing strange, really." Silver added. I glared at them.

"Seriously? Look, I have a bad feeling about this. It's unlikely that it was just wrong sent since it went directly to my email. It's too impossible for it to be a coincidence that they mistook my email for other emails. For goodness' sake, how can someone accidentally type my email so exactly? I'm sure it was sent to me on purpose. But the question is who?" I told them. They just listened to me.

"What about the initial 'S' on the last part? Do you know someone with the same initial like that?" Zay asked. I shook my head.

"No. Aside from Silver, I do not know anyone else with the same initial. Unless, it's the person I thought it is." I said to them. They both look at me seriously, and their whole psyche changed. From the carefree ones, to those of grim and serious.

"You don't mean the Spider, do you?" Silver asked. I nodded.

"I think it is him who sent me this email. Goodness, how come he knew my email. Only few people knew my email. And what does he mean by this message? Is he plotting something again?"

"If so, then we must be on guard. Now that we know he's up to something again, I think, we should watch out again for something strange. The chase is on again." Zay said. I nodded at her.

"Yes. We better be on guard. That person is sneaky. He did found out my email and now playing with us through this. I must track the person who sent me this mail. I will try to track its IP address. But I doubt that. He won't risk using internet if he knew I have the capability of tracking him through it. Hmm, the Spider is surely a clever man." I told more on to myself than to them. I fell again in deep thoughts.

Who could it be? Only few people knew my email, so how could this Spider got it? Is there something I am overlooking here? And most importantly, what is he plotting this time? What is he thinking this time? What...? What...?

I stood up and turned off my laptop. Both of them were startled by my sudden actions. I immediately put my laptop back inside my bag.

"I will go out for the meantime. I need to refresh myself. Anyways, when is the play of the theater club?" I asked them while I am walking towards the door of our clubroom.

"Ahm, it will happen later. Five. Why?" Zay asked. I smiled to them.

"Let's watch." I told them and left the clubroom. If what I am thinking right now is correct, I am probably close to his heel this time. I just hope, I can stop him before he got a kill.

I directed myself towards the conference hall of our campus. I am sure I can find them there, preparing for their performance later. I went directly to see the theater club.

I reached the conference hall but the door is close. Probably, they're rehearsing their performance based on the music and sounds I can hear coming from the inside. I tried to peek through the mirror upon the door. But to my dismay, there's a curtain blocking the view. I tried to open the door, but it was locked. I knocked on the door, but no one answered or opened the door for me. Maybe they can't hear the knock because of their loud sound effects inside.

"Do you need anything else?" I heard someone spoke beside me. I turned my head towards the person who spoke. I found a lady standing beside me, holding some plastics. I can see that foods were inside those plastics.

"Ahm, are you one of them?" I asked. She nodded.

"If you mean a member of the theater club, then yes. I am the assistant director." she told me. Her face is blank as well as her eyes. I can sense the authority from her. I noticed, too that her brow raised upon looking at me.

"Great! I need to talk to your director. I can't come inside because–"

"Our director is busy." she cut me in mid sentence. I looked at her directly to her eyes.

"I need to talk to your director. It's urgent." I told her. I shifted my style to the original one, the passive and not the persuasive type. I looked directly at her. I must show the urgentness of my business here.

"Again, he is busy. We are all busy. If you need something, just come back some other time later." she said. She's about to walk pass me when I stopped her.

"A danger might fall on your club. I am not sure, but something might happen on your performance later. Something nasty. A murder." I told her. She was stopped on her trail. She turn her gaze to me furiously.

"You are weird. We know what we are doing, so please stop pestering us! We're busy. Don't drag us to that detective crap you are doing. We are busy, we do not need you here. " she said. I did not say anything. We just stay there, staring at each other coldly. I am trying to read her. But, to my dismay and disgust, I can't read what's in her mind.

"Why don't you let me talk to them?" I asked her. She rolled her eyes.

"Of course, because we're in the middle of a rehearsal. We will perform the drama later and we can't afford to lose any more time. We can't afford our rehearsal to be stopped by anything now. We need to focus. We only have three hours to prepare. I do hope you understand that, detective."

"You know me. But I do not know you."

"Of course. Your name is famous around the campus. So how come I wouldn't know you? Anyways, if what you mean is you want to know who I am, I'm Irene, Irene Lacrila. I'm the assistant director of the theater club. You can go back later, if you really want to talk to our director. But we're busy right now. Sorry I can't help."

"Anyways, can you just at least tell me the plot of the story you will perform later?" her brows knitted upon hearing my question.

"Why? But fine, if that will make you lea–" she was cut in mid sentence when the door flung open. A man appeared from the inside. He is wearing reading glasses with thin frames. His hair is messy and he is wearing our uniform. My gaze fell upon his name tag; Luke Troy.

"D-Director!" Irene exclaimed upon seeing the guy. The guy just looked at her with a blank face and his cold gaze fell from her to me.

"You are Asher of Decode club, right?" he asked. His voice is cold as well as his gaze on me. I nodded.

"Yes. And, I believe you are the director of the Theater club." I said.

"Yes. That's right. May I know the reason why you're here?" he asked me this time, with the air of formality. Irene answered him.

"He wants to talk to you. But I told him we're in the middle of our rehearsal and you are busy so–" and for the second time, Irene was cut in her sentence.

"I see. We already finished the first dry run. I do not have anything to do anymore. We can talk now." he said. I did not say anything.

"Let's talk inside. I assume the thing you wish to discuss with me is important that it even made you come here on your own. Let us talk privately." he said with his cold voice. Irene and I looked at each other. She did not say anything and just marched inside ahead of me.

"Go. Give the food to the crew. We will have a short talk here for a moment or two." the director said. He walked ahead of me again and I just followed him. My eyes can't get off of him.

This guy, Luke, is a prim and proper one. He is movement were calm and collected and you can see his composed self. He is authoritative. And you can sense his authoritativeness on the way he speak and act. No doubt, Irene can't do anything against him.

We stopped at the middle area of the hall and decided to sit there and discuss the reason why I'm in there.

"I will go directly to the reason why I am here. It's because of a strange mail sent to me. Stated on that mail a strange message, like someone is reminiscing about his old days. And stated their a certain game of him with his friend where they're fighting for a single lady. And he always win whenever he kill his playmates by stabbing him from the back." I started. He just listen to me as I narrate to him the whole mail.

"And what it is that connects us to that mail?" he asked. Even though the spot where we are is a bit dark, I can sense his eyes looking directly at me.

"We have a feeling that something bad will happen. And, the only likely place for that to happen is on your club. On your performance later." I told him. I expected him to be surprised or be alarmed, but no. He remained calm and cool like earlier.

"Hmm, you think that scene will happen to us? That someone will be stabbed on the back when we're in the middle of the play?" he asked. I nodded. And then, I heard him chuckled and laugh. My brows knitted upon him.

"Is there something funny about what I told you?" I asked, irritated by his acts. His laughing continue.

"S-Sorry. Hahaha! I did not mean to laugh at you. But you sound stupid and ridiculous. Hahaha!" he said. My jaws tightend upon his remarks. My fist clenched as I look at him. I think he noticed it too because he contained himself and stopped laughing. He arranged himself and seated properly.

"It's not a funny matter. It's not a joke. Someone, might die from your group." I told him. He just look at me, without saying anything for a while. And then I was surprised by his next remarks.

"You know what, I hate people who is so nosy. I do not want anyone interfering in my own affairs. Of all things, that is what I hate. I don't want someone to meddle in my own business. I really hate that." he said while looking at me intently. His expression changed. His expression became more sinister.

"Thank you for your effort to speak it all to me personally. But I do not want anyone to meddle with my affairs, especially in my club. You don't need to worry. I know what I am doing. I am aware of everything that happens under my surveillance. I am in control. I know them all, and I can control them all." he said. He's full of confidence. I can sense something strange on him.

"I am just telling you the situation for you to be aware. Anything can happen. And once it happened, it will never taken back again." I said. He leaned forward and anchored his elbows on his knees.

"Surely, I know everything that happens in the campus. Mind you, you must stop meddling with other's affairs. It will only lead you to your own death. I believe that curiosity kills the cat. Don't be the cat." he told me. My brows knitted upon his remarks.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean everything I have told you. Anyways," he said and stood up. "I think this talk will go to nowhere else. Thank you for your concern. But, mind you, there's no harm that will fall on us. I can assure you that."

I stood up also. I saw the other people inside the hall look upon us as we walk towards the door.

"Nice meeting you, finally, Asher." Luke said before he closed the door when I exited the hall. I was left puzzled by his acts. What was that?

×××××

The clock striked five and Zay, Silver and I went to the conference hall the same time other students came flooding the hall. We chose to sit on the first row for us to have a better view of the whole performance. I can also watch everyone on the stage from this side of the hall.

"Do you think, it is the place stated in the mail sent to you?" Zay whispered beside me. I nodded at her.

"I do not know much. But I have a feeling that the crime will be executed on this play. We better be on guard." I told her. Silver spoke next.

"I heard, from one of my friend that is a part of this club, that the story of The Phantom Hourglass is about a mysterious killer that lurks inside a campus. It was inspired from the events that happened on another high school on the next city. It really happened just recently."

"Hmm, if so, then that means, the type of scene that was stated on the mail isn't applicable here?" Zay asked. I did not answer her. No. I'm sure it's here that the thing stated on the mail will happen. I know Spider. He won't say anything unless it will not happen so soon.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" a voice boomed inside the hall that came from the speakers around it. "May we all be seated and prepare to witness the drama prepared for us by our one and only theater club! Witness the story of The Phantom Hourglass!"

The whole crowd gave a round of applause as the lights turned off. The only light that can be seen is the light on the stage. I readied myself as I examined everything around me. The turning off of the lights did not help me. It just made my job more difficult.

The drama started. The actors and actresses started to reveal themselves in their respective characters. The story started to unfold. Many times screaming from the crowd can be heard as the scenes on the stage became intense that they were attached to it, especially on the killings where the antagonist, Zero, always occur in a black overall and mask. The thrills and the matching of sound effects added to the excitement of the crowd. Even Silver and Zay react once in a while just like other audiences. But I kept myself focus on my task. It is to watch everything that is happening and see if someone is acting strange.

"Mark! Be careful!" that's Irene. She's a part of this play. And as far as I can understand, she's playing the role of the president of the class where the killings happen. And the boy with her on the stage is a handsome one. A good looking man, with fair skin and is well-built. He's playing the role of the main protagonist, named Mark Vasquezita.

"I can do this, my love. Trust me. I will end this peril, once and for all." the man said to Irene with full of emotion. He kissed the back of her hand first before the curtain closed again.

The curtain opened again and revealed the same man, who portrays Mark, on the stage on his own. He's walking slowly, cautiously as he look everywhere.

"I know you're here with me Zero! Come out and let's end this!" he yelled. Then, drumrolls effects were applied on the scene that intensified the thrill of the scene. The crowd started to scream in anticipation of what will happen next. Then, suddenly, a person, wearing a black overall and mask entered from the same side of the stage where the portrayer of Mark came from. The crowds' screams became louder and louder.

Mark continued to walk and did not bother to look back, where Zero is. And suddenly, Zero attacked Mark from behind and stabbed him with a knife. Bloods splattered on the stage and Mark screamed in agony. The scream of pain is so intense that was intensified by the scream of the crowd. And then, Zero exited the stage, leaving Mark there, lying.

After a few moments, Irene entered the stage. And her eyes were transfixed to the body of Mark. She screamed so loud and the look of terror is evident upon her face. The scene is so realistic. Irene even fell down, as she look at Mark on the stage.

"H-Help! Somebody help! H-He really was stabbed! Help!"