The Night Awaits

Chapter 12 (Cookies and Cakes)

"A new place has been discovered!" Rafa pointed to the map. "Mary's Kitchen." he continued. "I found this chocolate bar in the entrance. Maybe this could help." Maximus offered. "Well, I'm hungry so I could use a piece of that," Bertrand said. The chocolate had 6 pieces so he offered it to everyone. "Ew, there's paper in them." Nashira spat out the paper and so did the others. "It's a hieroglyph!" Keiona exclaimed. "They look a lot like the ones in the Egypt Exhibit." Nadhira took a closer look. Gazel had an idea to split up, one goes to Mary's Kitchen and the others goes to the exhibit but Nashira had to decline. "I can't risk losing another one of us." she sighed. They decided to go to the Egyptian Exhibit before Mary's Kitchen.

"See the tables? They too have hieroglyphics." Nadhira pointed to the tables. They realized that the hieroglyphics from the chocolate doesn't match any of the ones on the tables. After searching the whole exhibit, Keiona found a book and candle that matches with the hieroglyphs. "We need four more of these things," Keiona yelled. They quickly found a coin, telescope, suitcase, and light bulb with the corresponding hieroglyphs. Rafa had the idea to stack them from the smallest to the biggest and drawer in one of the tables opened. "It's a recipe? What?" Gazel confused. "Maybe we bring it to Mary's Kitchen place thingy," Bertrand replied.

Rafa's Confessional: As we went outside one more time, I realized something. For every death challenge we complete, a smoke covering a place disappears. So right now, we can only see the Dollhouse, Funhouse, and Mary's Kitchen.

"It smells amazing here." Nadhira took a big sniff. "Hi, there! Welcome to my kitchen. Please, do indulge in all these bakeries I made for you. It's all free." an obese lady appeared, introducing herself with the biggest smile. The guests quickly enjoyed the free food and sweets without thinking twice. "These tastes amazing, Mary!" Bertrand exclaimed as he took a bite of a pink sprinkled donut. "Should we trust her? What if the foods are poisoned?" Nadhira whispered to Gazel. He agreed with her and didn't take any of the foods. "You two, why aren't you eating? You're so skinny, do eat." Mary offered as they kindly rejected her. "Oh my god, Zel, you're missing out on all these delicious treats." Rafa muffled his mouth with all the cakes he could find.

Nadhira's Confessional: Oh my god they're on some high shit. THEY ARE SKY HIGH!

"Hey, lady? We have this recipe we found--" Nadhira said as she was cut off by Mary. "Where did you find my secret recipe?" Mary furiously rebuked as she threw her meat knife. "Give that to me this instance!" she commanded. "Woah, not so easy. Give us the 7 deadly sins crystal first." Gazel offered. Mary aggressively rejected his offer and commanded Bertrand, Keiona, Nashira, and Rafa to attack them. Luckily, they managed to make it back to the lounge in one piece. "That fat bitch drugged our friends!" Nadhira snapped. "What can we do?" Gazel asked. The two looked at the window and saw that their drugged friends are unwillingly roaming the town. "Didn't the map say that Mary was searching for her next meal?" Nadhira reassured then Gazel nods. "Well usually meals are savory foods and if we look at her kitchen, it's filled with sweets. Now if I'm not mistaken, the thing we got earlier was a savory pie recipe. Maybe that's the only way we could un-hypnotize them?" she continued. "You are an absolute genius, Nadh!" Gazel admired. "How are we gonna get the ingredients though?" Nadhira asked. "We sneak our way in!" Gazel answered.

The two successfully snuck their way into the kitchen without being noticed by their friends. "Be quiet, she's sleeping." Nadhira hid behind a table as she pointed to the sleeping Mary. "You go get the dry ingredients and I'll get them wet and meats." Gazel insisted. They quickly gathered all the required ingredients and tools before heading back to the lounge. In the midst of running, Nashira managed to catch them running so she chased them. She then passed out because Nadhira threw a spatula to her head.

Gazel's Confessional: Neither of us has a degree in cooking so if this turns out to be disgusting, I won't be surprised.

"Put all the dry ingredients and the butter," Nadhira instructed. "Where's the spatula?" Gazel searched around. "I sorta threw it to my sister. You should've seen when she fell, it was funny as hell." Nadhira explained. "I guess I'll mix it with my filthy hands. Thanks a lot, Nadh." Gazel replied and laughed. She continued to guide him with all the measuring and steps of the meat pie until it was done. "How are we gonna bake this?" Gazel asked. "There's a fireplace in the Chinese Exhibit. Maybe we can just bake it with heat?" Nadhira reassured. Then, they baked the so-called pie in the fireplace of the Chinese Exhibit before putting it in the middle of the street as they hid behind a pillar. Their friends slowly walked to the pie before fully consuming it. "What, where am I?" Nashira asked as she wiped her mouth.

Nadhira's Confessional: I think the disgusting and vile taste of our pie brought them back to reality.

"It worked!" Gazel walked towards his friends. "I'm so glad you guys-" Nadhira was cut off again by Mary. "I smell my pie! Where is it?!" Mary shouted from afar. "Bitch, for one second would you stop cutting me off?! Don't be fucking rude!" Nadhira rebuked. They ran back to the lounge and there was a note on the coffee table. "Those who ate Mary's treats are not only hypnotized but is also poisoned. Two poisoned members must be voted into the eating challenge. The winner will not only get the gem but the antidote too." they read. "I hate this voting system." Keiona sighed. "It must be done," Diana replied.

Keiona's Confessional: I want to volunteer since I am starving, but I'm not risking my life over foods.

"Since you can't vote for us, anyone wanna volunteer?" Nadhira asked as she looked around everyone. "Nice try, bitch." her sister joked. "I've been into multiple death challenges and I think that explains my case." Keiona pleads her case. "Me too," Rafa replied. "If we're doing this that style, then the only people who only been into one death challenge is Nashira and Bertrand." Gazel declared. "Because we don't need to prove ourself worthy of living. We helped a lot in solving riddles and clues." Bertrand defended himself and Nashira. "It's only fair that way, Bert." Nashira sighed.

Bertrand's Confessional: Nashira wants to die! Oh my god at least don't bring me into it.

"Well, we have 3 hours left before turning to debris so I say we vote now," Keiona said as she walked to Diana and Maximus. "I'm sorry, Bert. I can't vote for my sister." Nadhira apologized as she showed Bertrand's card being voted in. "It's time to pick." Diana insisted as she shuffled the deck of cards. "The Disco Dancer." she looked at Bertrand. "...and The Socialite," Maximus looked at Nashira. "If this was a noodle eating challenge, you're so screwed." Bertrand joked to Nashira.

They made their way to Mary's Kitchen and met the evil fat lady once more. "Mary, we've come to bargain." Bertrand referenced Doctor Strange. "We'll enter the eating challenge in trade for the gem and antidote," Nashira explained. "Sounds harmless. The entrance ticket is my meat pie recipe." Mary commanded as they gave her the recipe. "The rules are simple. As you can see, there are two tables filled with bakeries and sweets. The first to finish all of their food wins. The loser will be cooked in my meat pie." she instructed. Nashira and Bertrand quickly ran to their tables and began eating the huge cake. "Shit, it's disgusting." Nashira gagged. "You like it? Its made of the blood and flesh of my dogs." Mary taunted. Bertrand had a great strategy and that's to swallow the foods along with the milkshake given. "Fuck, I'm so full." Bertrand momentarily stopped eating. "Time's up! Let's see who ate the most foods." Mary observed as Bertrand and Nashira passed out from eating too much.

"It's hard to judge who ate more but the Disco Dancer did well with his mouth. Nonetheless, there will be a tie-breaker... Cookie Roulette! There will be 6 cookies and one of them is filled with poison quick enough to kill 10 men in a bite. Each of you must take turn eating them." Mary explained the rules. Bertrand and Nashira made their way to the circular table where the 6 cookies are. "I'll go first," Bertrand said as he took a bite of the gingerbread short-cookie. Then, Nashira took a bite of the chocolate chip cookie, she was fine. After taking turns eating the cookie, there was 1 left and it was Nashira's turn to eat it. "Oh no." she cried in the realization that it's poisoned. "You know what?" Bertrand quickly grabbed the cookie out of Nashira's hand. "I'm still hungry." he bit the poisoned cookie.

Bertrand's Confessional: I know the cookie is poisoned but anything for my friendos. Also, an extra cookie won't hurt ;)

"Bertrand!" Nashira yelled. He began coughing out blood and part of his lung came out. "We have a winner!" Mary congratulated Nashira after seeing Bertrand's dead body lying dead in the marbled floor. "Here's your reward and an extra." she gave Nashira the gem, antidote, and the Coin of Lazarus. "You're fat and evil." Nashira bellowed as she scampered back to the lounge.

"Nash!" Nadhira excitedly hugged her sister. "Here's the antidote." Nashira gave it to Rafa and Keiona. She inserts the blue gem to the crown and stuck the coin onto the newly founded box. "I feel bad for voting Bertrand now. He was very helpful and supportive." Nadhira regrets. "Come out, come out where ever you are." a child's laughter echoed from afar.