Killing Game Quarter

Chapter 5: Burnt Bodies with No Clear Motive Part 6

“I can prove my innocence by showing my warning message.” He explained, “If I didn’t watch my video, then I don’t have a motive to kill Jambo, right?”

“That’s not true! You could have killed just for the sake of it!” Joseph screamed out, trying to throw away Urkstin’s plan.

“No offense, but Urkstin doesn't seem like the kinda person to be like that.” Poppy explained, “But why are you so anxious all of the sudden?”

“I…” Joseph had no response, so I responded for him.

“He’s worried because the suspicion falls on him now. Am I right?”

“...” Joseph didn’t reply, and simply slumped his head down towards the floor, letting out a sigh.

“Alright then, I’ll play my video so we can prove-” Urkstin was about to start up his video, before he was interrupted. 

“You don’t have to. I don’t want to put you through the same pain as me.” It was Joseph, who had spoken calmly, defeated, knowing that he had lost.

“Joseph?” Urkstin called out, not wanting things to be revealed like this.

“You guys are pretty smart, huh?” He continued, trying to force out a laugh. All he could muster though was a sound mimicking a whimper, as tears rolled down his face. “I didn’t think it would be that easy to figure it all out. Especially the brazen bull part.”

“Lombardo.” Mia spoke, crossing her arms, not seeming content with his confession, “Explain yourself. Why would you do this? We had a plan to stop these videos from affecting us, so why-”

“I just… I realized that the Loudspeaker was right about the videos being good motivations.” Joseph started, taking off his glasses briefly to wipe away his tears, “You guys got a message saying that you had to kill someone in order to save your loved ones, right?”

“That is correct, but what of it?” Liam prompted Joseph to continue his talk, while Joseph put his glasses back on.

“Well… My video was of one of my tutor groups…” He began, sounding less and less like his normal self.

“Yeah and?” Mia shot back, “We all had our friends and family threatened, what makes you any-”

“They were middle schoolers.” Was all that Joseph said in response, his tone angered, but hollow. Mia, shocked at the statement, simply stood back and raised a hand to cover her mouth.

“I…holy shit.” Poppy replied, putting her hands on her head, “What kind of sick f**k!?”

“I… honestly don’t know how or why they chose that group specifically. Maybe they wanted to make sure I was… motivated.”

“So, you killed Jambo for them?” I asked, staring at Joseph with my own cold glare, which was barely covering my actual disgust for the Loudspeaker. He nodded as a response.

“I just… didn’t want to be the cause for fifteen children to be…” He trailed off, making his view clear.

“Then why go through the effort of framing Risa?” I retorted, making Joseph look kind of shocked.

“I… don’t really have a good answer for that Aka. I guess it was just the selfish part of me wanting to see them again, and Risa just fit a lot of the traps I set up to frame someone.” He explained, shaking a little, “I’m sorry.”

“That apology is a bit hollow when you consider the fact that you murdered Jambo in cold blood, and tried to frame someone else for it, “I answered, turning towards the loudspeaker, “But the sentiment is there, I guess.”

“It’s time then, isn’t it?” Joseph muttered, staring at the ground. We all looked at the Loudspeaker in silence, not prepared to answer that.

“Are you all prepared to vote?” Came from the Loudspeaker, and after a slow nod, we all metally prepared for what was about to happen.

“Alright, you may now point to who you think is the culprit,”

“If you need to look away, please do.” Joseph suggested, looking at us with a tear stained smile, “I don’t want to make anyone else upset.”

“in 3,”

“Joseph…” I stammered, staring at his face, realizing that I was wrong.

“2,”

“Sorry for causing so much trouble, I’ll apologize to Jambo once I see him again.” Joseph wasn’t a bloodthirsty liar like I thought. He was just… trying to save, and see his loved ones…

I was wrong.

“1!” 

With that, everyone else pointed at Joseph, some looking away, some not. I, 

however, couldn’t bring myself to fully condemn him, as I stared at his crying smile.

“...Congratulations! One again, you have voted for the correct culprit, Joseph Lombardo!” The Loudspeakers announced, and at that point, I realized that I was out of time.

“W-wait! Not yet!” I shouted, all of my pent up emotions bursting out, as I tried to move over to Joseph, before remembering my shackled foot.

“Alright then! I hope you’re all ready, because it’s punishment time!”

“No, please!” I called out, reaching out for Joseph, who took in a deep breath.

“At least they’re safe.” Were his last spoken words, before his shackle started to move up, taking his leg with it. He was slowly pulled up to the ceiling, hanging upside down, before the floor in the center of the room opened up. A freezing chill filled the room as a vat of freezing water laid below the floor.

Before we knew it, Joseph was dropped in, head first into the water, and we all gasped and cried out for him.

“JOSEPH!” Liam called out, trying to reach as far as he could to grab hold of the chain he was hanging on, to no avail. After about a minute, Joseph was pulled back up, with him gasping for air and shaking from the cold.

“Swing over to us! Do something, reach out for us!” Came from me, who had been reaching out this whole time. Joseph tried to move his body in my direction, but his body was dropped in the water once more before we could react.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.” Risa was on the ground, trying not to focus on the punishment going on, and after another minute, Joseph was pulled up again, his skin growing paler, as his breathing staggered more and more.

“You can do it, just swing over to us! Hurry!” Mia called out, also reaching out. Joseph, with the last of his strength, tried his hardest to swing towards us, and nearly made it there. However, before he could swing far enough, his body dropped once more.

“NO!” We all cried out, watching his body sink into the water. Air bubbles came out sporadically, and his body stayed in there for longer, minutes passed, and we all started to worry. 

“Come on, come on, come on.” I chanted, hoping that there would be some way for him to get out. Just then, a shadow started to emerge from the icy depths, and a hopefully look came across our faces. After a couple seconds, the shadow broke the surface, and revealed itself to be Joseph!