Dark Nights; Hidden Frights || Find the Markers x Flicker

8|| Romance at an End

Night 5-Day 5

Peppermint stood next to Mint the entire time — from the beginning of this "game" to now.

He trusted him, even though he knew what would happen if you fully trust someone. They backstab you. They betray you. They give you that feeling where you can cry all you want and still feel guilty and pained.

That's the feeling Peppermint was scared of. Triple-Scoop had ruined his life once, and was afraid for her to do it again. Mint was one of the only people he could trust — other than Candy Cane.

Speaking of him, he'd been acting strange ever since the start of the game. He's usually really talkative and outgoing — kind of like Marker, in a different way — but that hasn't been the case lately. Perhaps it was Serenity's sudden death that shocked him? Peppermint didn't know, and no one else did but Candy Cane himself.

Now, the lights were flickering for the sixth time. Everyone had to have known the drill by now — lights flash, something happens where no one can see, and then it's elimination time.

"Pepps, you still there?" Mint asked quietly when the room turned unlighted.

Peppermint nodded, even though he knew Mint couldn't see him. "Yeah, I'm here, what's up?"

"Ehhh... nothing much, I guess. Just needed to check if you were still alive."

Peppermint chuckled. "Well, you too, I gue—"

A high-pitched scream pierced through the air, but was cut off quickly. There were only a small handful of people Peppermint knew who screamed like that. His breath quickened and his ears rang as he mentally sorted through that said handful. Cinnamon and Flan... it couldn't have been them — they aren't even here. Foliage? Not likely, their scream isn't as loud as that was... Meaning there were only two people left: Marker and... oh no.

"Mint! Mint are you— oh my... If you're dead I swear to— Mint, please answer me! Tell me you aren't dead—" He had to stop talking, or his voice would be stricken with tears. It's happening again. It's happening again. It was Triple-Scoop, wasn't it? She killed him. She ruined his life again.

"Pepps, listen to me." Candy Cane wrapped his arms around Peppermint in an attempt to comfort him. "It's not Trips."

"Wh— What?" he whispered back. "But it— it's obvious, I—"

"Peppermint, sweetie, are you all right?"

The lights flared back on. Mint was by Peppermint's side, wearing a concerned but sympathetic expression. Triple-Scoop was in the corner, looking slightly hurt.

"Oh, dang — looks like Peppermint had a little panic attack there... Are you good?" the host inquired.

"I— Yeah, I guess so?" he replied. "If Mint didn't die, then who...?"

"It was Marker, and—" the PA paused abruptly.

"Host, hang on." Mint casted a confused glance at Foliage. "Whyyyyyy is your face doing that...?"

"It— It's just— no, no." They fiddled with their hands nervously. "It's— It's nothing."

Candy Cane raised one eyebrow, the way he always did when he doubted something. "Really? Because I've noticed that you trip over your words and fidget with your hands when you're nervous."

Foliage subsided for a moment. "Just— look behind you, Peppermint..."

He didn't hesitate to do as he was told. Peppermint immediately regretted it, and wished he had hesitated. He now understood why Foliage looked so frightened.