Pretending

9: The Count Rises

I woke up in the middle of the night, worried that I was late. If there's one person that you wouldn't want to be late for, it was Taco. Especially when she basically had control over everyone's lives.

"Wake up you idiot!" I heard someone whisper. That same someone was shaking me awake. I jolted from my slumber, too tired to see who it was.

"I...I'm up..." I quietly said to the mystery object. I knew it was Taco already.

"Finally. C'mon, you've got another mission."

She went back over to the window and climbed down the rope strung from it. I followed, half asleep. Cheesy was asleep on the other side of the room, mumbling some of his jokes in his sleep. I couldn't help but smile. I need to stop getting distracted. That could get me killed. As I went to climb down the rope, I took one last glance at him before going. I could only hope that he wasn't on Taco's hit list.

The forest seemed extra cold tonight. Probably because I didn't have my scarf. Taco seemed unaffected by the near freezing temperature though. She must have dealt with it a lot. Thinking of that made me feel bad for her. Just because she faked being dumb and faked being Pickle's friend to win a game show, everyone had wanted her dead. Even MePhone. She had to live in these woods so everyone else wouldn't kill her. She had to kill everyone so they wouldn't kill her. Sure, getting betrayed by your best friend was harsh, but I didn't think that she should just be killed. Everyone deserves a second chance. Right? But, who was I to say that Taco should have a chance at redemption? Who would want to give her a second chance, especially when Trophy told them to? I only had one friend, and I had to keep that friendship a secret, just so that I wouldn't end up like Balloon did. I silently made a promise to myself that night. One day, I would tell everyone the truth. They deserved to know. After all that I did to them, and after all that Taco would make me do.

We made it to the campsite once again, the fire bleak as usual. The small pile of masks was still in it's normal place, as well as everything else. Taco had sat on a log near the fire and pulled out a mask from behind it.

"You've got to take put Fan tonight. Go get into Test Tube's lab and use whatever you can to get rid of him. You've got until sunrise."

Taco tossed me the mask she held. It was Test Tube's. I immediately felt horrible. Those 2 were best friends. And I had to kill one of them, and blame it on the other. Just because she said so. I just stood there for a few seconds, staring at the mask. I definitely didn't want to do this. Al least I wasn't going to be kicked out as easily without OJ alive. But having to tear apart a friendship like that just hurt.

"Here's the code to the lab. The entrance is the vending machine."

Taco handed me a slip of paper with the code on it. I had completely forgotten I would be breaking into her lab too. That only made it worse. I was at the verge of tears, and I haven't even done anything yet.

"Well?"

I silently nodded to her, shaking. I donned the mask and ran back to the hotel. I felt myself changing, and her memories becoming mine. It didn't faze me as much this time. I had felt the green liquid sloshing around inside me, wanting to escape. Thank goodness I had a cork. I ran out of the forest, seeing Fan sitting outside. Good. I didn't have to break into his room.

"Hey...Fan..." I said, out of breath.

"Oh, hey Test Tube! What's up?"

He was still his cheery self, although I knew he wasn't the same after that spaceship stuff.

"I...I've got something...to show you...c I said, having.

"Well, what is it?"

"It's...down in my...lab..."

"Cool! C'mon then!"

Fan jumped up and dashed for the vending machine.

"Hey...Wait for me!" I yelled to him, making sure I wasn't loud enough to wake anyone inside the hotel. I walked over to him, still tired. Fan was jumping in excitement as I looked down at the paper and slowly punched in the code. As I hit the last button, a pipe slipped out of the side of the machine and sucked us both into my...no...Test Tube's lab.

I had never been in here before. The almost completely white walls and tables full of chemicals were about alien to me. Fan jumped in a few seconds after me, so I had time to look around and find something to get the job done. I found it just as Fan landed in the lab.

"So, what do you wanna show me?"

"It's in there." I said, pointing to a door.

"Okay then!"

Fan walked into the door, completely oblivious to what was about to happen. I went over to the door and locked it.

"Uh...Test Tube...there's nothing in here..."

"Well, this isn't something solid, Fan. Watch this!" I said as I pulled a lever marked "Gas Switch". The room Fan was in filled with a toxic gas, causing him to cough.

"Test Tube *cough* what are *cough* you doing? *cough*"

I just looked through the window and watched him slowly die of the noxious fumes. I had estimated that he only had a few more seconds until his lungs gave up. Just as those last seconds came around, I pulled off the mask and let him see me. His eyes held pure horror as he continued to madly cough. He quickly toppled over and went limp. It was done. Fan was done. I turned off the gas and walked back to the exit of the lab, horrified of what I had done. At least OJ had a quick and painless death. Fan had slowly suffered his way to the afterlife. I knew I was going to see him in my dreams soon enough.

I left the lab, checking the time on my phone. 5:47. Crap. I didn't have time to return the mask. I quickly climbed back up the rope that led to my window and entered my room again. I hid Test Tube's mask under my bed, covering it with a small pile of clothes that was already there. I went to the window and untied the rope, letting it fall to the ground. I watched it fall as Cheesy woke up, yawning.

"Oh, hey Trophy! What's going on?"

"...Nothing. Just looking outside."

"Okay, see ya downstairs!"

Cheesy ran to the door and went down to the kitchen for breakfast. I didn't feel like eating, though. My appetite was ruined by what I had just done.