Game of Fates

Chapter XV

We all woke up again the next morning. Strangely, I actually managed to get up before 10. Huh.

Out of habit, as well as out of gut instinct, I checked FATE again. Oh, jeez... Of course my gut was right.

"Hello Angel,

Edward Taylor has died. Please stay calm.

The next person to die is his killer.

Hint: It's not who you expect it to be.

Over."

======================

I walked out of our room, and stepped down to breakfast.

"Woah, you're up early," gasped Allister. "Wait, are you—"

"No, I'm not Ed's killer," I said, feeling weak in the heart. "If that's what you were about to ask."

"Well, we're all here," stated Kiara. "Jens, you were Ed's roommate, right?"

"Yeah..." he replied. "I didn't hear anything last night, though. I doubt if he snuck out, either."

"Huh, that's strange," remarked Amy. "Nothing at all?"

Jens paused. "I don't think so."

"Ya don't think?" Martin bickered. "Dammit, Jens!"

"Well..." said Jared. "The e-mail's hint stated it's not who we expect it to be, right?"

"Maybe it's Ava...?" asked Scarlet.

"What? Hell no!" Ava roared. "At that rate, you might as well be suspecting Elise!"

"Huh?" gasped Elise. "Why me...?"

"Actually, that does kinda make sense," Jonathan commented. "If you move around in a wheelchair, you wouldn't make as much noise—"

"Except it's impossible for me to climb the stairs in a wheelchair to begin with," Elise pointed out. "I mean, even if I can stand up, I'd collapse before I even reach halfway."

"So it's not Elise," muttered Lillian. "And, it wasn't me or Angel, either, because we weren't wearing red."

"I know you've all recently sort of suspected us too," claimed Amy. "And the e-mail stated it's not someone you expect." True... probably.

"It would have to be a girl, I think..." mumbles Jared. "It's not Angel, Lillian, or Elise, and the twins are unlikely. So, it's gotta be..."

"Between Ava, Scarlet, and Kiara," finished Amy. I didn't want to believe it either. Ava didn't have a reason to kill anyone, though.

"No, it's not Scarlet," Elise disagreed. "She slept before I did."

Pip put her glass down. "I think it's Kiara," she declared.

"It does seem likely," remarked Allister.

"Huh? Hey, look—"

"Lillian, what time did she sleep?" asked Amy.

"I can't remember the exact time, but..." she paused. "She slept early. Just a few minutes after leaving the table."

"Yeah, I can confirm that," said Kiara. "So... It's—"

"LIKE HELL IT'S NOT ME!" Ava screeched. "Angel can confirm I slept earlier than her, too—"

"Yeah, she did!" I affirmed. Compared to me, anyway, but even so, I miraculously managed to get to sleep before midnight.

"Jeez, calm down," Lillian commented. "Everyone knows Angel always stays up late."

"So, who is it?" asked Pip.

"It sort of makes me think," said Scarlet. "We're expecting it to be the ones we didn't previously expect... But if the unexpected becomes the expected, then the expected becomes the unex—"

"Oh, fuck off," wailed Allister. "So we're back to square one, eh?"

"Without Juliet's hint, I'd suspect Jared right away," Amy stated. "He did say he put himself in charge of guarding Ed's room. Heck, he even said it himself: 'If Edward dies, I'm the one who did it.' So, explanation, Jared?"

"I was already sleeping in my room when Edward was murdered!" Jared refuted. "And, I don't have a motive to kill him. Never did!"

"Jared's right," agreed Jens.

Suddenly, David slammed his palm on the table. "I know who the killer is," he said. "And, I think we were on the right track last dinner." Huh? No way.

"It's you, isn't it, Amy?"

Amy glared at David. "And what makes you say that?"

"We all know Edward was responsible for Brett's murder," stated David. "And you said yourself that your instructions were to investigate each murderer. You have a motive to, at the very least, enter Edward's room while no one was looking."

"I have a motive to, but it doesn't mean I did it," Amy pointed out. "And, besides, I can't get the truth out of someone who's dead."

"...You have a point there," remarked David. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Amy replied, smiling. Something felt off at the time, but I shrugged it off.

"Y'know what, guys?" announced Kiara. "If you're the killer, just spit it out. As soon as you do, we'll all help you... not be killed."

"On the contrary, if nobody knows who killed Ed... Then his killer won't be killed," replied Allister.

"This shit's making me confused..." wailed Martin.

"That is a good point, though..." noted Jonathan.

"Is it okay if we just wait?" suggested Jordan. "I mean, like Jon and Allie said—"

"Hell no," refuted Pip. "What, you'd rather someone dies? Wow, totally not suspicious, you guys!"

I felt conflicted on who to agree with. Do something about it, or wait. Find out who the culprit was, or ignore it since the next killer doesn't know either.

In the end, I didn't say anything.