House Rules

◜House Rule 2◞

Everyone woke up, and followed Rule 3, counting every door. Amanda was the first one awake, and watered every flower. All 20 of them took their pills and sat in the large dining room, with 30 seats on the long table. Keiko sat at one end of the table and her mother at the other. Both of them looked like they hadn't gotten any sleep and had been awake the whole night, but neither of them looked tired.

Keiko smiled as her friends sat down. Jesse, Alisa's boyfriend, looked around and noticed Faith hadn't arrived. "Where's Faith? Is she still asleep?" He questioned and Alisa looked down, her hands clenched into fists that rested on her knees. Her face went pale and remembered Keiko and her mother throwing Faith's dead body over the fence.

"Faith, sadly, broke the first rule on the first day. It's such a shame to see such a pretty girl die," Keiko said, sounding almost heartbroken. "Shall we eat, Mother?"

Her mother looked up and nodded once. Keiko and her mother put their hands together and said a prayer in Japanese, then started to eat. The food was strangely good, and everyone was still locked in the house. Following every rule, everyone had made it through the day.

Keiko's mother sat down on the armchair next to the sofa Freddy, one of Toby's friends, was sitting on. He looked up and smiled slightly. "Hello miss," he said sheepishly, skeptical about Keiko's mother.

Keiko's mother had the smile and kindness of an old lady, but didn't look over 25. A ring sat on her left ring finger, showing that she was married. Freddy noticed the silver, plain ring. It had no gem, no engraving even, just a plain ring. Her mother noticed him staring at her finger and he realised she noticed him. He jumped in shock and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Sorry for staring at the ring. It's just, I've only seen you and Keiko live in the house. Are you married?" Freddy asked, a bit intrigued.

Keiko's mother looked at him and smiled. "My husband is dead. He died a few years ago in a train accident." She covered her left hand with her right one and stood up. "I should be getting ready to lock up the house."

Freddy watched her leave and noticed Keiko behind a wall, staring at him. The clock struck 6:30pm, signaling that the kitchen bathroom was now off limits. Keiko stood at the kitchen with a bit of bread in her hand, slowly chewing and her mother walked into the kitchen. "Who have you chosen tonight?"

"Freddy, I believe. He's vulnerable after you explained what happened to Father. I have a plan for him to agree with me. You didn't really tell him what happened?" Her mother shook her head. "Good. No one can know what happened to Father."

---

Freddy had finally gotten off the couch, putting his phone into his pocket and Keiko stood in front of him, a smile plastered on his face. "Hello Freddy."

Freddy stepped back in shock and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Oh, hi Keiko. What are you doing?"

Keiko interlaced her fingers together and rocked back and forth on her heels. "I lost my ring in the bathroom and I haven't been able to find it. It was a gift from my dad. Can you help me find it?"

Freddy turned his head slightly and gulped. "Do you mean the kitchen bathroom? Isn't that off limits now?" Keiko reassured him that if she went into the bathroom too, the mirror wouldn't play up. Freddy hesitated and agreed, following her into the kitchen bathroom. Freddy walked in first and Keiko stood in the doorway, pretending to search there.

Freddy looked at the mirror and started to see things. He turned the light on, but it didn't make a difference. Keiko stood up and walked out, closing the door and locking it from the oustide. Freddy noticed the door closed and attempted to open it, but then followed panic and shock once he realised the door had been locked. He looked back at the mirror and saw an arm crawling through the glass.

It grabbed him by the neck and lifted him up. Another arm came through the glass and held his head. Freddy then realised, these arms were not attached to anything. The second arm that had come through was applying more force to his skull. Soon enough, his skull was being crushed and he was also being suffocated by the first arm.

Keiko stood outside and smiled as everyone else had returned to their rooms. "What will kill him first, the suffocation or the crushing of the skull?" Her whispers were quiet and her mother walked over, waiting for Keiko to open the door to find a dead Freddy.

A scream emerged from the bathroom and Keiko finally opened the door. Freddy's head had been crushed in, blood pooling from the left side of his head. "He died from his skull being crushed. Most people have died from the suffocation. This kid clearly had a weak skull," Keiko pointed out and they tied his limbs up.

She and her mother carried him out to the back yard and chucked him over the fence, being with Faith's body. "That fence is going to pile up with bodies." Keiko walked back into the house and looked up at the windows that faced the back yard, making sure no one was watching this time.