House of Trap

24 | Through The Door

It didn't take long before they hurried and went upstairs. They went together, along with a reluctant Damon. The four were on constant guard, indirectly shielding each other in case if Ashlyn would ambush them from nowhere. But even after they had retrieved all cards from Oliver and Bree's room, and returned to the locked door again at the west wing, nothing happened. They heard no sounds of suspicious activities.

Where was Ashlyn hiding?

It shouldn't be their main concern at the moment. Ethan laid the seven mission cards in order of the games they had played.

Three things to remember as you enter the aquatic chamber. An allotted time is bestowed, to retrieve your assigned zodiac code. An electrifying surprise will then activate, eliminating those who failed to locate. Refuse to participate and what awaits you is a doomed fate.

One person holds the gun; pull once, twice, or thrice and then you're done. Hand it over to the player on your right; there is no need to be polite. Figure out the appointed number before it's due, if survival is what you pursue. You may find them some place familiar, try looking between the room's pillar.

Six minutes are obtained, to vote off a person you have ordained. Different names will rotate on the screen, becoming your target for this murder scene. You may choose to kill, which exempts you from the hitlist drill. Or you can be safe and heal, by using a special item to appeal.

Five hours are granted to choose a room where each individual shall be planted. A trap is hidden within a certain room, your job is to solve the mystery and stop this doom. A seeker is selected, to save a person in the room expected. Should you fail to succeed, the victim will suffer death without a plead.

Two people are united, to find the matching cards to be sighted. Each contains a deadly method; hurting your partner in a way you suggested. Find a match thrice in order to end this vice.

Four types of punishment are available to you, as you wait in the chamber for one to come through. Another person selects the questions for your sake, answer it well to see another daybreak. A single chance to help another, will add the punishment to your own number. Obtaining a perfect hundred, however, puts an end to this quizzical endeavor.

Seven games you have played, take turns to answer the questions I have made. Remember the games of the past, revisit them without feelings of aghast. You possess the answer since the beginning, but a closer reading could lead to your winning.

"Do you see the clue?" Ethan then asked. He watched the frown appear between Maddie's eyebrows. She was smart. He was sure she could figure it out the same way she had figured out the message behind the Game Master's notebook.

"Look for a pattern," he instructed.

Damon and Jay were also staring along, trying to see it. But not one minute had passed, and Damon showed his extreme dissatisfaction.

"Why don't you just tell us the answer?" He grunted.

"I've got it!" Maddie's blaring volume interrupted his complaints. "All these poems start with a number."

Damon and Jay took a look and realized she was right. The very first sentence of every mission card started off with a number. It couldn't be mere coincidence. Perhaps this was the pattern—the answer they were looking for.

"I am guessing these numbers represent the order we should put the code in," Ethan said, meeting the other's stare with hesitation. "It's worth a shot."

"How would it work?" Jay said. He was curious to solve it, and eager to go out.

"The first mission started off with the number three. What was the letter obtained from the first game?" Ethan said.