Murder Again [SEQUEL OF TWISTED MURDER]

Awaken

The sound of a clock ticking and tocking was like a steady heartbeat in the darkness. It was a small room and the sound of the clock echoed off the walls, creating a sense of claustrophobia. The hands of the clock moved slowly and deliberately, marking the seconds with a gentle tick and tock.

As I lay in bed, the clock became louder and more insistent. It was like a constant reminder of the passing of time, of the moments slipping away. I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the sound, but it was useless. The clock continued ticking and tocking, filling the room, drowning out all other sounds. I felt a sense of panic rising within me, it was like the sound of the clock was drilling into my brain. Tick... tock... tick... tock... It was relentless, and I felt like I was losing my mind. I tried to sit up to turn on the lamp, but my body felt heavy and unresponsive. And then I screamed, a primal sound that echoed off the walls. I felt the panic recede, replaced by a sense of disorientation. I was gasping for air, my heart racing, and my breaths deep but rushed. 

I lifted my gaze to the vast expanse of the starry sky, feeling lost and bewildered. "Why am I here?" I whispered to myself, searching for any signs of familiarity in my surroundings. Suddenly, a black-haired figure emerged from the shadows, slowly approaching me. My heart pounded with fear, and I quickly darted behind a nearby tree, peering out to observe the stranger. The figure stopped and looked up at the stars as if lost in thought. And then, in an instant, his body gave way, collapsing to the ground as he fell to his knees. As I watched in shock, a black figure soared by, leaving a trail of red behind the boy as he stood up. he hurtled towards me and before I knew it, I was catching the stranger as he fell forward towards me. I eased him down onto the ground and felt a surge of panic wash over me. What had I just witnessed? Was this a dream? Or was it something more? Tears welled up in my eyes as I took in my surroundings. The air was thick with an eerie silence, and the darkness seemed to envelop me. I felt completely alone and vulnerable. Glancing around, I realized that everything looked unfamiliar as if I had been kidnapped in my sleep and left to die in the woods. My thoughts raced as I tried to make sense of what had just happened. Who was that figure? What was the meaning behind their crime?

As I slowly got up and began walking, I felt a sense of urgency that I couldn't quite explain. I looked around but didn't know where I was or where I was heading. In the distance, I saw a fierce orange glow and I felt drawn towards it. I started to run, my heart pounding in my chest. The trees flew past me as I sprinted towards the flames. Suddenly, I collided with something hard, and I fell backward. I was disoriented and confused, but I felt a pair of warm hands beneath my arms catch me and bring me back up to my feet. I saw him then, a man with silky blonde hair and beautiful pale skin. He whispered a soft "hello" as he helped me up. At first, my vision was blurry, and I couldn't make out his features. But as my eyes adjusted, I saw him clearly. He had a strong jawline, and his eyes were a deep brown with a flicker of hazel. I couldn't help but be captivated by his appearance, even though I knew I had just met him. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked, his voice gentle and caring. As he pulled up my chin, I looked him straight in the eye. At that moment, I felt a connection to him that I couldn't explain. He was everything I could ever want in a person! Kind, caring, and gentle.

The crackling of the campfire filled the woods as a distant voice yelled, "DINNER!" Suddenly, his hand gripped mine, and I was pulled out of my daze. As we walked through the woods, William yelled back, "I found another person lost in these woods, Charlie!" I was confused but followed William until we arrived at a bright red tent. William turned to me with a charming smile and said, "Hi, I'm William, but you can just call me Will." He opened the tent, gesturing for me to enter. "Ladies first!" he chuckled. Once inside the tent, I immediately apologized for being a bit awkward. I couldn't help but stare at William's beauty again. "Hey, I'm Jordan! Glad to meet you!" I said while William put his warm hand on my shoulder. I felt a sense of comfort and safety in his touch. Charlie had prepared dinner and we were all invited to join them. I exited the tent with a huge smile, feeling grateful to have met such a friendly and helpful group of people. Despite the strange circumstances, I felt a sense of joy and comfort in their presence.

I settled down on a log around the crackling campfire, savouring the warmth and comfort it provided. In my hands, I held a bowl of steaming mushroom soup, which filled the air with a delicious smell. Suddenly, a girl with black hair approached our campsite, carrying logs of wood. She called out, "Hey, has anyone seen Mikah?" Charlie's face looked tense as he responded quietly, "Sadly not, Amani." As I sat there lost in thought, I realised that the person I saw drop dead earlier must have been Mikah. I heard a loud voice exclaim, "You saw Mikah!?" I realized that Odette, the girl sitting next to me, had overheard my quiet mumbling. She was searching for Mikah and her sudden outburst caught everyone's attention. Charlie appeared to be in charge of the group, and he intervened quickly, asking Odette to calm down.

However, some people had already started fighting, which caught Charlie's eye. He shouted at them, "Omar! Joshua! Adanna! Minji! Calm down! You have no proof of who's evil just yet!" He then turned towards me and instructed me to retrieve my journal. I walked towards a brown box and pulled out a dusty book with my name on it. Charlie instructed me, "Open the envelope in the box; it's important." Just then, a blonde girl greeted me with a friendly smile and introduced herself, "Hi, I'm Melodie!" As I slowly opened the yellowish envelope and it read:

Welcome to Flicker! This is a game with 3 teams and the objective is to survive to the end of the game! Simple right? WRONG! There is an evil team out to get the good team and who knows which side you'll be on! Unlike my father who ran the first game, I won't tolerate anyone breaking the rules. The rules are simple: don't leave before the end of the game and stick to your role, no cheating. Good luck! You'll need it!

As I turned around to face Melodie, I couldn't help but notice her sudden change in emotion. The colour had drained from her face, making her look as if she had just seen a ghost. Her lips were moving frantically, but no sound was coming out. Concerned, I reached out and touched her shoulder, "You good, Melodie?" I whispered softly. She looked up at me, her eyes wide with shock, "Yes," she managed to say, but her voice was barely above a whisper. She then sat back down next to the campfire, still visibly shaken. I carefully placed the envelope on the ground and opened up my journal, flipping through the pages until I found the one with my role written on it.

Saviour

You are part of the GOOD TEAM. You can bring ONE person back from the dead at any point during the game.

"At least I'm good," I muttered to myself, hoping to find some positive side to the situation. Suddenly, a blonde girl with golden stars poking off her headband interrupted my thoughts with a piercing question. "So, what happened to Mikah?" she yelled, her voice demanding answers. I hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to respond. "I don't know what happened, but he's -" I paused, my voice trailing off into silence. Feeling overwhelmed I said, "Can I show you instead?" The group looked around at each other, unsure of what to do next. Charlie stepped up on a tall rock to take charge. "I guess we're assigning groups now rather than later," he announced to the group. Charlie went on to explain the three groups that would be formed. The first group, the "Camp Group," would stay put and look after the site. The second group, the "Supply Group," would be responsible for gathering all the necessary resources for survival. The third group, the "Search Group," would be in charge of investigating each murder and collecting evidence. "We will all meet back here by sundown every day, okay?" Charlie finished, beginning to separate people into groups. "Camp Group will be me, Colleen, Joshua, Lassi and Jamila." Colleen, Lassi, Jamila and Joshua went over to stand near Charlie, leaving him to organize the rest of the groups. "Supply Group will be Evelyn, Odette, Adanna, Omar, and Mikah if we find them!" Charlie shouted. The group of people went and stood together to the side of the rest of us. "And the rest of you are in the Search Group which is Melodie, William, Minji, Amani, and Jordan if you weren't sure," Charlie said. As I looked around at the chosen people, I felt a glimmer of hope. I realised that Minji was in my group. She was my best friend and I hadn't realised she was here all along.