Upon leaving the room, Avery and Noah were greeted by a note telling them to head upstairs, left and straight ahead. So that's what they did. While heading up the creaky stairs, the two began chatting and guessing at who was trying to kill them.
Noah-"Honestly, I think it's gonna be someone who isn't as bold. If whoever is forcing us into this is smart, they'd pick someone nobody would expect."
Avery-"Really? I mean that's smart, but wouldn't people think that that's what they're doing and try to kill off the weak people?"
Noah-"I guess you could be right, either way, I think it's Harper. I mean, not just because she's emo, but she's been acting really sketchy since we got here! I do not trust her."
Avery-"Well I think it's Victoria, that slutty bitch always knows what to say and do to make people take her side and do whatever she wants. She treats people like puppets and I think that's what she's doing. I think she's gonna get everyone to kill each other until there's less of us."
*moments later*
Reaching the top of the staircase, the two turned to their left. Walking forward they stopped just outside of a door.
Noah-"This must be where we're meant to go. Go in together?"
Avery-"Yeah, sure"
They slowly open the door, trying to be quiet, only to realise there wasn't anything in the room besides bookshelves, a table with two seats and a small window. They looked out of it, hoping to see someone ready to save them and! Nothing... They longed to be back outside where they were safe from certain death...
Avery-"What are we even meant to be doing, there's nothing here! Ugh, I'm going back."
Avery-"Um..."
Noah-"What are you doing, just pull the handle down."
Avery-"That's the thing... the handle we used to get in was on the outside of the door.... There's no handle on the inside. That means there's no way out! That means we're going to die in here!!"
Noah-"Calm down, we're gonna get out of here, just, check the bookshelves for anything useful."
They began carefully taking books from the shelves and searching around the room for something. But when that didn't work, a burst of anger surged through Avery, causing her to throw things all over the place, determined to find a way out, and... She did. After throwing a pile of books on the floor, Avery noticed that behind them was a hatch that opened to reveal a fold-up chess board and some chess pieces.
Avery-"What the fuck are we meant to do with this!"
Noah-"Don't you remember the note from earlier! We need to compete against each other in small challenges to receive a clue as to who the killer is!"
Avery-"Yeah, but it also said that one of us may not make it out alive, and I don't plan on dying tonight so I'm sorry if it's you."
The two unfolded the chess board and placed it on a table, a note slid out onto the floor and, picking it up they read it out.
Noah-"Chess is a game in which the two people must strategically move their chess pieces around the board to take out the other person's king.The two of you must compete in this challenge to take out your friend's king, killing your friend with it. Signed, X"
Avery-"Fuck"
Noah-"There's something on the back, too. 'Bible'."
Avery-"Oh great, that helped us sooooo much. Just play the stupid game, we're gonna die anyway because there's no way out."
Setting up the game, Avery took the side of the white army, with Noah on the side of the black army. Avery started off the game, moving her pieces about the board.
After about an hour of strategic game playing, Avery had taken out most of Noah's chess pieces, leaving him with only: his king, both bishop, a knight and 2 pawns. While Avery was still left with her king and queen, both bishops, both knights and 2 pawns. They carried on playing, each move stressing them out more and more until the unthinkable happened. Avery had made the mistake of moving her king in line with Noah's remaining knight, freeing him from certain doom and giving him the opportunity to live, but... Would he take the chance? Should he kill his friend? Will he? He would. He should. He will. He does... Looking her in the eyes with a sense of guilt, he said to her...
Noah-"Checkmate..."
Avery-"Fucking hell. You know what, no. You will not let me die, Noah! The blood will be on your hands!"
Noah-"Avery, I'm so sorry but only one of us is making it out alive... I have to do this."
The room suddenly went pitch black. The two friends began to panic as they searched for a light switch, when suddenly a high scream of pain, panic and fear arose from the room. The lights came back on. Avery seemed to have disappeared with no trace. Noah searched the room to see if he was being pranked and- nothing. Avery was nowhere to be found. The only thing left behind that hadn't been there when they came in was the word 'Bible' written on the table they had just been sitting at.
Noah-"What the fuck does bible mean!"
Inspecting the writing closer, it became clear that this had been written in blood... Avery's blood. Noah once again attempted to leave the room, knowing there was no handle, only to see a bible, on the bookshelf. Slowly and carefully, he walked over to it, picked it up and opened it. It had been hollowed out and what was found in it... A handle. Specifically a handle to the door they were so desperately trying to open earlier. Along with it, a note.
Noah-"Why wouldn't you just listen, all you had to do was open this book and you both would've been fine. But no, you chose to have your friend die. Her blood is now on your hands. Signed, X"
Noah-"What. The. Fuck."
Fixing the handle back onto the door, Noah now had the ability to leave the room and go back to his friends. Regret filled his head as he headed back down the stairs. Why couldn't they have just checked first? It was all his fault.
Noah-"We should have checked. That way she wouldn't have suffered."
He walked back into the room where his friends had been for the past hour and a half and told them what happened...
