| Have you ever heard of the game ''Werewolf''? It¡¯s a simple game with three adorable canines and nine beastly hunters, or with nine brave heroes and three malice-filled monsters. Hm. Maybe something so double-edged isn¡¯t quite so ¡®simple¡¯. But the rules go like this - Every night, the Wolves gather and murder one of the eight ¡®Townspeople¡¯. During the day, the Townspeople vote for who to execute in revenge. But while the Wolves know their packmates, the Townspeople are completely in the dark as to who¡¯s innocent or guilty. They must make their best guesses. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. The killings continue until all the Wolves are dead, or all the villagers have perished, and the side with survivors is the one that wins. Try playing it with friends some time. It¡¯s really fun!* *This game is also known as ¡®mafia¡¯ by the way. But have played it like this, in circumstances like these¡how could anyone have ever called this Werewolf? If I play Werewolf at a party, when the game ends the dead rise again from their graves. We laugh and talk about our misplays, our misunderstandings, and drink and eat and dance. When people explain the rules, no one ever has to tell us ¡®¡®the dead return to life after the game ends." That just goes without saying. But looking back on what happened, that ¡®no one really dies¡¯ is Werewolf¡¯s final and most important rule. We broke that rule again, and again, and again and again and again. I¡¯m about to tell you about the most deadly week of my life. |
| The first day of my worst week begins like all the others. *Zzz* *zzz* *zzz* my phone buzzes, and I smother my ears, half-hoping to oversleep. But the alarm¡¯s harshness burrows through my pillow and grates against my brain. *Zzz* *zzz-* [Yuri]: Mmph. Okay,I got it. I open my eyes and slide the alarm¡¯s bar, my phone¡¯s screen-light forcing me awake. Then I brush my teeth, do my hair, splash makeup that fails to conceal the circles under my eyes, eat jam on toast, grab my satchel and (¡°it¡¯s already 8!¡±) run off to school. Atlas High School is the kind of elite school that you don¡¯t want to be late to, but I¡¯m the kind of person who¡¯s always late. The unstoppable force of seven highly paid administrators against the immovable object of a sleep-deprived me; it¡¯s a struggle that could be decided by the weight of a feather. Or the weight of the waif by the school gate. [Lily]: Sorry Yuri, I have to write you up. Rules are rules. A short girl in twintails taps her foot, obstructing the arched entrance. Her uniform is the same as mine, just flat, ironed, and clean. She¡¯s angry, but more than that, she¡¯s overwhelmingly cute! I talk back at her, mimicking her lightly. [Yuri]: ¡®I¡¯ll have to write you up!¡¯ [Yuri]: That¡¯s what you said last time! But you didn¡¯t, right? Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. [Yuri]: So just let this one go too. Pretty please¡! I give her my best puppy-dog plea. [Lily]: It¡¯s exactly because I said that last time that I really have to write you up today! Geez¡ [Lily]: If you can¡¯t even get to school on time now, what will become of you in the future? [Yuri]: I¡¯ll get a permanent record, drop out and become a delinquent. And it¡¯ll all be your fault for marking me late. I step forward, searching for an opening, but she just crosses her arms. I lean left, and Lily leans left. I lean right and she tilts right, her face keeping that same disapproving look. [Lily]: Why are you saying you want to be a delinquent to someone on the school disciplinary committee? Are you asking to be punished? [Yuri]: Maybe. Who¡¯s doing the punishing? Have you ever seen a tea kettle heat so fast that it whistles and turns red? If you haven¡¯t, then Lily¡¯s doing a great impression right now. [Lily]: Yuri!!!!!!! I slip past her through the gate; easy to handle as always. Though I hear her call out behind me. [Lily]: I haven¡¯t forgotten to write you up! Oops. But that report isn¡¯t the reason for the worst week of my life. Yes, I¡¯m late for class, and the teacher might stare daggers when I enter, but detention will always be a problem for future me. I hum; seeing Lily puts me in a rare good mood. I walk past the clubrooms, up the stairs, and into Classroom 3-E. The desks are arranged in tidy rows, and colorful posters hang on the walls. The Periodic Table, the Water Cycle, how to take derivatives. One teacher taught us all these things, or tried to, on a normal day. So what is this terrible feeling that grabs me as soon as I open the door? There¡¯s absolutely ¡®nothing¡¯ abnormal about the classroom as it is now. But a split second later, I realize what¡¯s odd about the classroom isn¡¯t what''s there but what''s missing. All the students are gone. [Yuri] Was today a field trip? I walk to the front of the room. Someone, in EXPO marker, had drawn a strange curved emblem. [Yuri]: It¡¯s moving. The snake tightens and swirls as if it were a noose. Then it begins to shake - or, no, it¡¯s my own body that¡¯s trembling. My legs give way, and everything fades to the same sterile shade as the whiteboard. |
| [Calm voice]: You¡¯re the fourth person awake. [Yuri]: Just let me sleep a little longer¡ five more minutes¡ [Calm voice]: Alright. [Sharp voice]: We don¡¯t have five minutes! *snap* *snap* *snap* [Sharp voice]: Wakey wakey! Wake up time! *slap!* [Yuri]: Ah! My eyes shoot open as I rub my stinging cheek. A girl leans down in front of me. She fiddles with a silver piercing in her ear, wearing a school uniform. Where the badge of the school might be there¡¯s embroidered a [Tiger]. [Tiger]: Welcome to the world of the living. Do I need to slap the daylight into the other eight sleepyheads here or what? [Boy with calm voice]: If they¡¯re drugged, it won¡¯t help. I understand your impatience, but if we just wait then everyone will wake. The boy standing besides her is tall, dark-haired, and frowning. He¡¯s wearing a stitched uniform featuring a [Dragon]. [Yuri]: Hmm? Come to think of it, I¡¯m wearing a school uniform too. I run my fingers over my chest and they come across an unfamiliar patch. [Tiger]: You¡¯re the [Snake], so sit over by the [Snake] chair. [Yuri]: Huh? I¡¯m the [Snake]? But I don¡¯t want to be the [Snake]! Snakes are scaly and gross. They¡¯re like snails that decided to be long, hard, and suspicious. And if one of those creepy low-bellied creatures touched me, it wouldn¡¯t be from affection - it¡¯d be to swallow me whole. Besides, if someone were to call me a snake in a Mafia game - that¡¯s usually the same as calling me a traitor. [Dragon]: We were all given a specific animal in the Zodiac. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re not reading into it; it seems to just be for assigning seats [Dragon]: Take a look around. We¡¯re in a chamber with the gravitas of a courtroom, or one of those fantasy conference rooms that you see on million-dollar prestige TV. Twelve chairs are arranged in a circle. A long continuous wooden bar creates an inner ring serving as a table/countertop, that rises from the floor in a solid block. If I were to sit down in one of those chairs, there¡¯d be a small monitor etched into the bar right in front of it, facing directly at me. The display¡¯s currently dim. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. On the back of each chair is carved a zodiac animal. Already, a pale-faced boy is sitting in the [Goat] chair. On the room¡¯s far side are a set of double-doors, while on this end is a pile of slumbering students. There are screens by the other two walls; so large that they run almost from floor to ceiling. They¡¯re both on wheels though how one would transport them in and out is beyond me. The screen on the west wall has a simple sentence. Please be seated to begin the game. On the east wall is a monitor that the [Tiger]¡¯s eyes keep darting towards, every passing second. 72:01 72:00 71:59 71:58 The bright-red numbers tick down carelessly, without a thought for their pressure or weight. [Yuri]: ¡I¡¯ll sit down. [Tiger]: Thank you. Gradually each student rises, and the [Dragon] greets each and every one as they rub their eyes. [Dragon]: Let¡¯s work together¡ ¡ [Dragon]: Where are we? I don¡¯t know¡ ¡. [Dragon]: I already tried the door¡ ¡ That¡¯s a [Rat]. A [Horse]. And now an [Ox], a [Rabbit], a [Rooster], a [Monkey] and a [Pig]. Taking into account that I was cursed with the [Snake], then this last one should be¡ what was it again? The last zodiac animal; it was either a [Cat] or a [Dog]. But when the last student wakes, I recognize them as neither the [Cat] nor the [Dog], but rather as someone else entirely. [Lily]: Ah¡ [Yuri & Lily]: You! [Dragon]: You two are friends? [Yuri]: Yes! [Lily]: No! [Tiger]: Just sit down. You¡¯re the last to get up. 60:29 60:28 60:27 60:26 [Lily]: Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not someone who takes pride in being late. Lily glances at me. And lowers herself into the [Dog]-marked chair. Twelve students, teenagers, are arranged in a circle, each with a Zodiac Sign. Starting from the top is the [Dragon], then the [Snake], and then -- rather than say the order aloud, it¡¯ll be faster for me to draw it for you below. Every seat is filled. Lies, half-truths, and pleas will later echo through this room, but right now it is silent, the same kind of quiet that takes place before a hurricane. The screen changes. [Game Start] And so it begins. |
| The west monitor flickers and a video begins to play. Welcome to the [Werewolf Game] Twelve zodiac animals live in a village in harmony. However, three creatures are vicious Wolves in disguise. When night falls, the Wolves will gather and select an animal to ¡®murder¡¯, removing them from the game. This situation may seem dire, but the Townspeople have two weapons they can use to fight these wolves. The first weapon is the daily Trial. Every day, the players will search for the Wolves and vote for who is suspect. The player with the most votes will be executed. The second weapon is that two Townspeople will be Blessed with powerful hidden abilities at midnight. One will become the ¡®Healer¡¯, who can choose another player during the night and protect them from the Wolves. The other will be the Seer, who may choose another player each night and understand if they are Town or a Wolf in disguise. The Wolves win if their numbers are equal to or greater than the Town, since at that time the Wolves would completely control the flow of the game. The Town wins if they successfully execute all the Wolves. Check the Card provided to see your role. Beware: showing the Card to another player leads to gruesome death from the [Gods]. A slot pops open in the wood, dispensing another device about the size of an iPhone. I glance at the image that flickers on it before sliding it out of sight. Town. That¡¯s my role. Preventing another player from voting in the Trial, refusing to vote in the Trial, or telling someone your ¡®real name¡¯ also leads to Death. You may also use your Card to view more detailed rules and review your role. Otherwise, we wish you luck as you outwit one another in this deduction game. The video shuts off. DAY ONE ? VOTE TIME It says that simply in big, wide, text. The monitor at our knees flashes and changes to a new UI. The timer, however, remains the same. It continues ticking, ticking¡ 56:40 This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it 56:39 56:38 [Tiger]: Hey, what do they mean by Death? They can¡¯t mean death death, right? [Yuri]: Isn¡¯t it natural in a game of mafia to say that people die? It¡¯s probably just a phrase. A tall, blue-haired girl interrupts, speaking in a steady voice: [Rooster]: This is an organization that drugged us and kidnapped us. I don¡¯t want to believe it, but killing us isn¡¯t out of question either. The only way we¡¯ll know is by testing the rules¡ [Rooster]: But the first person to do so will take on a great risk. At this, the [Rat] stands, half-slouched. He¡¯s a scrawny guy with mussed up hair and a lazy grin. Despite his shrouded face, he seems oddly familiar. All eyes are on him. [Rat]: I know, I¡¯m just oozing charisma. His footsteps ring out in the chamber until he¡¯s by the double doors. [Rat]: I¡¯m not breaking any of the rules. I¡¯m just trying to, uh, go to the bathroom. He tugs on the handle. *click* [Rat]: Tch, locked. *click* *click* *click* [Tiger]: They can¡¯t cage us! She swaggers towards the door and kicks, skirt fluttering. *thud* It doesn¡¯t budge. [Tiger]: Fuck! [Ox]: Let me try. The [Ox] is opposite of the [Rat]; stout, reliable, and clean. He cracks his knuckles, backs away, then hurtles shoulders-first into the door. *thud!* *thud!* A brown-haired girl who had been quiet until now speaks up, and quite loudly at that. [Horse]: If we all do it together, maybe we can escape! [Rooster]: Rather than escape, wouldn¡¯t that mean we¡¯d all just die¡? [Rat]: Nah. We¡¯re not escaping. We¡¯re all just trying to ¡®go to the bathroom¡¯, that¡¯s all. As we crowd around the door, pounding, scratching, and clawing, two people stay behind. One is the [Rooster] who writes in her notebook, slowly. She presses her pen to her forehead and sighs; she had moved her chair closer towards the door for a better view. The other is the [Goat]. His face, which was pale before, is now near-vampiric. [Goat]: I¡¯m not feeling too good¡ His glasses slide off and clatter onto the floor. He begins to cough, blood-flecks spattering the table. |
| [Goat]: Sorry¡ I¡¯m supposed to be in the hospital¡ [Goat]: Let me just¡ get some rest¡ His body slackens, and he falls forward, forward¡ *crack* slamming his head against the desk. Blood flows from a gash in his forehead and his breathing soon grows faint. The [Rooster] stands. Red flecks too, stain her shirt, for when he coughed he had turned towards her. In this fragile, frozen, moment she approaches him. She gingerly places two fingers on his neck. [Rooster]: I can¡¯t find a pulse. People react differently the first time they see someone die. Some stop thinking, as if by failing to acknowledge a person¡¯s death then that person will remain alive. Others find themselves in tears, either from mourning the person they just lost or because they were reminded someday they too will pass. But when most people see the light snuffed from someone¡¯s eyes, they search desperately for embers. [Lily]: Don¡¯t just stand there! Someone call 9-1-1. [Pig]: I-I got it! The [Pig], shaking, pulls out her cell phone. On it dangles a keychain of what looks like Magical Girl Mikarin (airing this spring on Fridays at 8PM PST). She dials with trembling fingers. 9-2 ¡ª backspace. 9-0 ¡ª backspace, backspace. 1-1-1. The [Tiger] snatches it away and pressed the buttons: 9-1-1, enter. Then she tosses the phone onto the floor. [Tiger]: There¡¯s no bars. What kind of shit provider do you have? [Yuri]: I don¡¯t have any bars either. [Ox]: Nothing¡¯s going through for me. ¡®It¡¯ll be okay¡¯ ¡®There has to be something we can do¡¯ ¡®It gets better¡¯ We desperately cling onto those words. They¡¯re like pieces of driftwood tossed to sailors drowning in the sea - shallow wood that can¡¯t possibly live up to our expectations, can¡¯t possibly save our lives. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. The [Dragon] roars at the TV screen. [Dragon]: Hey! I know someone must be listening. [Dragon]: The [Goat] didn¡¯t break any rules of the game! You can¡¯t let him die. That¡¯s just not fair! [Lily]: Stop this game right now! You¡¯ll get arrested for not just kidnapping but manslaughter too! [Yuri]: ¡it¡¯s hopeless. I lean back into my chair and watch the clock tick down. 44:46 44:45 44:44 Soon the commotion shifts to where the [Goat] lies - or rather, the [Goat]¡¯s body. [Ox]: Hey, hey, hey bro, stay with us! [Dragon]: Clear the area. I¡¯ll do CPR. [Yuri]: ¡CPR? Maybe¡? I¡¯m still looking at the clock. Though I don¡¯t see the [Dragon] pumping the [Goat]¡¯s heart, I can hear the [Dragon]¡¯s labored breaths. *crack* 40:41 *crack* *snap* *crack* 40:40 *crack* *snap* *thump* *crack* [Lily]: You¡¯re hurting him¡ You¡¯re breaking his ribs. 40:39 The [Dragon] continues in spite of the shattering, his expression unchanged. *crack* *snap* [Rooster]: If you¡¯re doing CPR, you¡¯re supposed to press that hard. [Rooster]: ...It¡¯s the right thing to do if we want him to survive. 40:28 *crack* *snap* *crack* 40:27 Someone starts crying. Squeaking hiccups, that can¡¯t cover the sound of crunching bone. *crack* *crack* ¡ 35:50 ¡ 30:34 [Tiger]: It¡¯s time to give up. [Dragon]: CPR sustained for over 40 minutes has the best outcome. [Tiger]: We don¡¯t have 40 minutes! Isn¡¯t it obvious? If they don¡¯t care about his death, they don¡¯t care about our own lives. [Tiger]: It¡¯s clear that if we die, then we¡¯ll just fucking die! |
The [Dragon] had given up.
It wasn¡¯t because of what the [Tiger] had said, but because the voting screen before us had changed.
A bright red X had slashed through any last hope for life. But even though the [Goat]¡¯s time had run out, we still had thirty minutes left for ourselves, or rather two-nine and fifty-nine seconds¡ two-nine and fifty eight¡
The [Dragon] holds his head in his hands, fingers laced through his hair.
[Dragon]: I¡¯d usually take the lead in a situation like this.
[Dragon]: But I¡¯d rather not discuss voting for someone to die at the moment. I¡¯m sorry.
29:30
29:29
29:28
29:27
Eleven people in a room together and all of them silent. But the reason everyone fails to speak is different.
For the [Dragon], the [Rooster], the [Tiger], and [Lily]...
¡if their silence had voices - what a paradox that would be! - then it would be saying, ¡°if someone else wants to guide the conversation, then this is your chance to jump in.¡±
Meanwhile the [Rabbit], [Ox], [Horse] and the [Pig]...
all wear clueless expressions and hold between them a full spectrum of anxious energy. The [Rabbit] dozes off, while the [Pig] is trembling with her arms wrapped around herself.
The [Monkey] and the [Rat] are both reticent.
When someone grins, their eyes crinkle and fold. The [Monkey] and the [Rat] are expressionless, and the [Rat] hunches, making himself seem small.
But though this pair show no outward sign of happiness their smiling eyes give them away. Even in this situation they¡¯re confident; their quiet chosen rather than helpless.
Then there¡¯s me.
I¡¯m thinking about whether or not to speak.
[Yuri]: I don¡¯t mind if you vote for me.
I would say something like that if I did. Or should I phrase it like this?
[Yuri]: If someone has to be voted to see if this death game is real, then that person should be me.
Yes, that might be a better way to put it.
If everyone votes for me, there are two things that could happen. Either
|
| Let¡¯s talk about doors. You¡¯ve spent most of your life behind doors. In an office, classroom, a bedroom, always with the door closed. And there¡¯s nothing wrong with that; But there was one year I spent entirely behind a single dorm-room door. That was the year I discovered I was talentless. Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday. Did you know that a person can survive only on ramen, mandarin oranges, baby carrots, and multi-vitamins? Maybe ¡®survive¡¯ isn¡¯t the right word. There was one day that I blacked out far before evening, and when I woke up I was in the hospital. But in the end I¡¯m still here, living, breathing, with a beating heart. Here to talk to you about doors. The average chess master gets their title at the age of 18. I¡¯ve never played a game of chess, and I don¡¯t really care about it (what¡¯s en passant?) but without having tried it I know that door is shut. An ¡®old¡¯ olympic gymnast has 19 years, the same as me, who has never touched a set of parallel bars. Door closed. Almost all artists, all cartoonists, have a history of tracing comics when they¡¯re children. Thunk! Another door slammed shut before I¡¯d even thought to go through it. I will never speak another language fluently, I will never know what it¡¯s like to be a prodigy, and I will never be truly good at music. It¡¯s true that there might be exceptions to these rules, but for every one exception that you mention I can name 9,999,999 people these rules bind. And to say that I¡¯m the one that¡¯s special, isn¡¯t that as delusional as saying I know I¡¯ll win the lottery? So knowing that I had already failed, that I already can¡¯t live any dream, I froze as if by not acting I could freeze my time. For that whole year I stayed in my dormitory and did anything that could chase thoughts from my mind. 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and scroll and scroll, and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll, scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll, and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll, scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll, and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll, scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll, and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll, scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll, and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll, scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and 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and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll, and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll, scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll without thinking, This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. or the games where, without really understanding if I¡¯ve won or lost, I always can just hit ¡®play again.¡¯ That¡¯s how I spent my year. It was as if a creature had curled up around my heart, squeezing me whenever I tried to do something for my life. It hissed to me, told me, that this was the most I¡¯d ever have to enjoy, scrolling and games. But one person visited me. She knocked on the door (a real door) and I looked through the peephole and there she was, twin-tails trailing and a scowl on her face. She held a binder close to her chest. ¡°I have your homework,¡± she said. ¡°Yuri? Are you there?¡± There was a silence. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it here,¡± she said, and when the hall was empty I took the binder and slid it under my bed. Monday. Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. Friday. She came with new sheets, new work, new papers. ¡°I talked to the teachers; you don¡¯t need to do the work,¡± she said. ¡°But at least look through the binder. When you feel like it, okay?¡± When she had gone and I picked up the folder, the plastic in my hand felt like heavy slate. In one stilted motion, ignoring the dark-snake constricting me, I flipped it open and saw a dozen neat-lined sheets. They were pages of handwritten notes, elaborate and cursive, and from the header I learned her name. Lily, the class representative. In hindsight, maybe she was the reason I was held back instead of expelled. On Saturday I expected to spend the whole day all alone, since there was of course no school, no reason to see me. But on that day she set food outside the door, a box with rice, sausage, eggs, tomatoes; and after sixty days, where she came every day, I decided that taking that little black ball that had nested within me to school was better than curling up with it in my room. |
| That creature is still with me tonight, though rather than a classroom I¡¯m inside what seems to be a suite of a hotel. I fall back into the bed and sink into the soft mattress¡¯s embrace, recollecting what happened after the Trial ended: The voice over the intercom orders us to enter our rooms for the night. The double-doors that we''d tried so hard to pry open swung outwards without even being touched. Please make your way down the hall; curfew will begin in ten minutes. Twelve envelopes with printed animal emblems are on the table. I take the one that has a coiled snake, tear it open, and my fingers touch cold plastic. The room assignments are as below: The elevator ride to the second floor is short and awkward. [Synthetic Voice]: Going up¡ you have now arrived on the second flood. [Horse]: Good night everyone! Her timbre is bright yet strained. [Lily]: Good night. Hers is the only voice to be raised in reply. The [Rat] and the [Pig] already left for their rooms, and before I could muster my own courage to speak, the last suite door had eased shut. And now I¡¯m here. The suite itself is fairly generic except for the metal sheet welded over what I assume used to be a window. There¡¯s a king-sized bed; a TV without any channels, a set of drawers and a nightstand. Within the drawers is a bible and a full set of books; biographies, fantasies, mysteries, historical fiction. Since curfew begins so early there''s little to do but read, so I pick my favorite cover and turn the pages til time flies by. I close the book. The one benefit of having a hotel room during a Death Game is that the minibar is free. I stuff myself with two bags of chips and a chocolate bar, and drink my fill of what was labelled to be genuine Polish Spring Water and sip a lemon-lime seltzer. In the bathroom, I free a toothbrush from its plastic wrap, coax toothpaste from a tiny tube and swish away. I take a shower, hot water rolling down my shoulders, and I at last, fall into bed. The creature around my heart is curled tight, but no longer so much as it once was that it keeps from sleep. But rather than count sheep, I count the seconds on the clock. At midnight tonight the so-called [Gods] will decide which players to Bless and grant extra powers. One villager will become the Healer, who can protect one person they choose from murder. Another will become the Seer, who can check a player each night and learn whether they¡¯re Wolf. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. 11:59¡ 12:00. My Card flickers on and I¡¯m bathed in blue light. Seven words cast themselves at me before I was again thrust into a pitch-black room. You have received the blessing of Normalcy. In other words¡ I¡¯m a villager and nothing else. And I pull the covers over my head, smiling. A role like the Healer or the Seer would have a great responsibility to make sure that the Town wins the game; and the Wolves would target them for murder. Since I''m just a powerless villager, I can put full focus on my true objective, which is keeping Lily alive. Weight lifted from my shoulders, I¡¯m free to drift into sleep. Hotel beds are the best. If you¡¯ve ever gone to one of those suspicious mattress stores by the highway and tried their wares you¡¯ll know what a hotel bed is like - the whole reason those stores are in business after all is to supply hotels and inns. With these fluffy, comfortable (and probably slightly overpriced) king beds. Isn¡¯t it funny how thoughts can drift and dive in all directions right before sleep? Isn¡¯t it funny how words go crazy and wobbly and nonsensically and how trains can go and stop and how fish swim in the royal tomato and go about and¡ Tap tap tap. [Yuri]: ¡huh? Tap tap tap. I awake to a sinister tapping, and my heart briefly freezes. 1:33 It¡¯s still night time and someone - someone outside is trying to get in. I throw the covers over myself as if that would make me invisible from any vicious Wolf. In the Trial, when it came to killing I was mostly undisturbed. But it¡¯s one thing to think about death in the daylight or lamplight and another to consider it with a half-awake brain in the dark. [Yuri]: Tomorrow, tomorrow, I¡¯m fine with dying. But tonight, just let me rest! Then a voice comes, directly behind me - at the bed¡¯s headboard. [???]: So we can hear one another through the wall. Good to know. [Yuri]: Oh. I fling off the covers and click on the light. No one¡¯s in my room, or even outside my door. But there is, however, a [Rat] inside my wall. [Yuri]: Hrrk¡ snrrkkkkk¡! [Rat]: Don¡¯t pretend to snore. I heard your outburst you know. Drat. [Rat]: We don¡¯t need to like each other. In fact, I think you come across as absolutely insane. But we do need to talk. I smooth the twisted blankets and re-make the bed as I speak to the head-board. [Yuri]: Yesterday I led the vote on the [Monkey], who ended up being town. So I understand why you¡¯d believe I¡¯m suspicious. [Rat]: Mhm. [Yuri]: Since you think that I¡¯m Wolf, rather than yell at me you should just let me go back to sleep. Otherwise I¡¯ll murder you with my Wolf paws, powers, or whatever tools they might have. I stack the pillows and lie down. I¡¯m not passionate about many things, but sleep is definitely one of them. [Rat]: That¡¯s the thing. I did think you were suspicious. I checked you tonight - I¡¯m the Seer and I learned that you¡¯re Town. |
| Just a few minutes earlier I had been pleasantly enmeshed in a king-sized mattress. I wasn¡¯t happy, but I was asleep, and to me that was always the next-best thing. But now there¡¯s a [Rat] that won¡¯t stop squeaking. [Yuri]: I don¡¯t like you, you know that? [Rat]: Likes, dislikes, love, enmity, this isn¡¯t some kind of rom-com, who cares. What¡¯s important is the offer that I have for you. [Yuri]: After you make this ¡®offer¡¯, will you let me be? [Rat]: Perhaps; I can¡¯t promise anything. Will you listen? [Yuri]: Perhaps. [Rat]: Meaning? [Yuri]: I can¡¯t promise anything. The [Rat] sighs. The knolls on the wooden headboard I¡¯m talking to in his place suddenly seem like an exasperated set of eyes. Then the [Rat] falls silent, and for a full minute I drift blissfully off. Then he jolts me back. [Rat]: As you know, the Seer is a dangerous role to have. Rather than use intuition he can make certain every night whether someone is Wolf or Town, and because of that- [Yuri]: -the Wolves will always kill the Seer the first chance they get, I understand. You should be glad I¡¯m not one of them, because if I were you¡¯d be dead many times over. [Rat]: I¡¯m telling you all this because I already learned you were Town. Since, you know, I¡¯m Seer. Oh. Right. [Rat]: If I told everyone my role, the Healer could protect me, but as soon as the Healer dies I¡¯d be next. [Yuri]: Ahhh, I feel so bad for you. Stuck with such a terrible, dangerous role, you¡¯re left with no choice to vent your worries to total strangers in the absolute dead of the night. [Rat]: Thanks for your sympathy. I get the feeling that sarcasm doesn¡¯t translate well with the wall in between us. But maybe his thank-you really is sincere; and maybe what I said isn¡¯t wholly sarcastic either. Despite the nettle of having been woken in the middle of sleep, my pity gradually becomes genuine. [Rat]: Yesterday you said you would be willing to sacrifice yourself for town. [Yuri]: I did say that. On the second thought, Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. [Rat]: I have a plan for the two of us. I don¡¯t think that he tapped on my wall just to complain. [Rat]: It¡¯s a good plan. [Yuri]: Just say it. [Rat]: You lie to everyone that you¡¯re Seer at the next meeting. Report that you checked me during the night and found out that I was Town. [Rat]: The Wolves will target the imposter Seer instead of the real one. Since I¡¯m the true source of information, it¡¯s like giving the Seer an extra life - if you die while faking being Seer, I can still investigate. [Rat]: The reason I ask you to do this isn¡¯t on a whim. I think that aside from the [Monkey] and myself, you might have the most game sense of all the players here. If we work together it¡¯ll be crushing. The [Rat] would have reached out his hand here if he could; I sense that in his voice. But I slide under the covers. [Yuri]: Not interested. [Rat]: Sorry? [Yuri]: There¡¯s two reasons. One is personal, the other professional. [Rat]: Let¡¯s start with the professional complaint. Why isn¡¯t this a good game move? [Yuri]: It¡¯s because I don¡¯t know whether you¡¯re Seer or you¡¯re telling bald-faced lies. What happens to me if you¡¯re actually Wolf? [Yuri]: I¡¯d pretend to be Seer tomorrow, and I would say that you¡¯re Town. Then the ¡®real Seer¡¯ will object since they know there should only be one Seer in the game, and they¡¯ll know I must be faking. They¡¯ll call me a Wolf; when I say you put me up to this you¡¯ll pretend this conversation never happened. And then I could be killed! [Rat]: We both know that¡¯s bullshit. This plan has risks but you sure didn¡¯t mind dying in the trial today. [Yuri]: The second reason is that there¡¯s someone I want to protect, and for me to do that, I have to stay alive. Maybe I¡¯d be willing to sacrifice myself at the last moment, but not before then. [Rat]: I get it. There¡¯s some causes I just won¡¯t die for; on the other hand for some things I¡¯d happily lay down my lil ole¡¯ life. But [Snake], wouldn¡¯t protecting the town also protect her? [Yuri]: Maybe. [Rat]: So then- [Yuri]: -G¡¯night. The best way to stop unwanted messages is to ignore them. I¡¯m not sure if that applies when the way someone is messaging you is by talking through your bedroom wall, but it¡¯s worth trying nonetheless. [Rat]: [Snake]¡? Hey, [Snake]¡? What are you thinking? One sheep. Two sheep. Three sheep. Four sheep, bounding over a fence. [Rat]: You¡¯d like to win right¡ you¡¯re just thinking it through? Five sheep. Six sheep. Seven sheep. [Rat]: Hey. I know you¡¯re awake. Don¡¯t think you can ignore me. Eight sheep. Nine sheep. Ten sheep- *THUD* I flinch. The [Rat] had struck something in his room, whether by accident or in rage I don¡¯t know. I bite back a sound and it takes some time before my heartbeat slows and I can feel calm once again. But when I¡¯m about to slip into sleep, I hear his voice, soft and low, as if it¡¯s something I¡¯m dreaming. [Rat]: During today¡¯s trial I thought you had the same drive to win as I did. But you¡¯re not someone I can respect. You really are insane. [Rat]: I already tried the nice way [Snake]. I tried to talk to you. But there are other ways to persuade you. [Rat]: Tomorrow I¡¯ll change your mind. So sleep well, you heartsick fuck. |
| DUDUDUDUDUDUDU The trilling just doesn¡¯t stop. I press the phone receiver to my ear without opening my eyes. Good morning villagers! This is your morning wake up call. You have 40 minutes til the second trial. Good morning villagers! This is your morning wake up call. You have 40 minutes til the second trial. Good mor¨C I fumble blindly to put the phone back into the holder but only succeed in slamming it into the nightstand. My hands flail on the desk til I find a wire and yank it out from the socket. The sound stops. After about thirty-two seconds of trying not to nod off while desperately snatching more rest, I force myself upright. [Yuri]: Day two. I get dressed, brush my teeth, brush my hair, and walk out the door. The corridor is strangely quiet, and as I wait to take the elevator to the ground floor all I hear is my own short breaths. [Yuri]: Why¡¯s the elevator going ¡®up?¡¯ The doors slide open and in front of a tasteful painting inside the elevator, stands that familiar twin-tailed girl. She taps her foot. [Lily]: You¡¯re late. Again. [Yuri]: Who¡¯s keeping track? She shrugs. [Lily]: Everyone¡¯s eating right now. Let¡¯s go. I follow Lily faithfully downstairs, then go on ahead of her. I¡¯m so tired that I accidentally enter the maintenance room at the end of the hallway and clatter into a toolbox; but Lily manages to turn me around. Six other people are in the kitchen; around the table or at the counter, one of them even making food. The [Horse] almost flies out of her chair. [Horse]: See! I¡¯m telling you, no one died today. I did a lot of studying last night, memorization. And maybe, the Healer could have used their powers, or the Wolves, maybe, maybe, they killed nobody! The [Dragon], bags under his eyes, presses his hands to his forehead. When I glance at him, he gives a weak grin. The [Pig] nurses a cup of orange juice across from him. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Meanwhile, The [Rabbit] snoozes on one of the stools by the kitchen¡¯s island. The [Rat]¡¯s perched on the chair across from her and when no one¡¯s looking he flips me off. The aroma of what the [Ox] is cooking wafts towards me before I see him; it¡¯s something buttery and rich. [Ox]: I still don¡¯t really get what¡¯s going on, but I¡¯ll always understand pancakes. Want some? [Yuri]: Yes please! The [Dragon] looks like he¡¯s about to say something, but just shakes his head. For the next few moments I measure time in pancakes, the time it takes to scrape them apart with a fork and knife and chase the pieces til I find and devour them all. The [Ox] meanwhile begins washing the dishes in the sink. As clattering and rushing water fills the room, I have to wonder - for who is he tidying up for for? Tomorrow¡¯s survivors? [Dragon]: It¡¯s a quarter to twelve. The trial¡¯s in fifteen minutes. [Dragon]: We need to fetch both the [Tiger] and the [Rooster] or they might perish the same way the [Monkey] did. The [Ox] looks up, his studied expression briefly fraught with guilt. [Ox]: Didn¡¯t the [Monkey] die because we voted for him? [Dragon]: No, even though we were going to execute him, he died because he broke the rules. He showed everyone his role and he wasn¡¯t allowed to do that. A hoarse voice joins the conversation. [Rat]: I bet they¡¯re not coming. Even if you go to both their rooms, at least one of them¡¯s not gonna leave. No one mentioned why that person might not leave. [Lily]: They¡¯re just down the hall. I¡¯ll go check on them. [Rat]: Why didn¡¯t you check on them when you went to wake up the [Snake]? [Lily]: Hey! That was a special case! [Rat]: Special how? [Lily]: Like I said, I¡¯m just going to go down the hall and check them. [Dragon]: I will as well. [Rat]: I¡¯m staying here. I¡¯m not done eating. As the others follow Lily¡¯s lead, I¡¯m left in the room with just the [Rat]. He gives an odd bitter grin, a smile seemingly directed more towards an invisible spectator than myself. She doesn¡¯t know the punchline! His expression seems to say. I shiver. [Rat]: Want more pancakes? I shake my head and make my way towards the hall. |
| Two of the players are missing. The dark-red carpet is laced with flowers and vines that weave together in innumerable pathways. But the hallway itself, beyond the set of stairs, leads only in one direction. The whole crowd - [Lily], the [Dragon], the [Horse] and the [Ox], and the [Pig] are in front of the [Tiger]¡¯s suite. Walking quickly, I¡¯m close enough to hear Lily rap on the door. Tk tk tk! [Lily]: Hello? Anyone there? The trial¡¯s in ten minutes. Then in a lower voice, to the people around her. [Lily]: No one¡¯s responding. [Dragon]: Let me try. He bangs on the door with the flat of his hand. THUN THUN THUN! [Dragon]: [Tiger]! You awake yet? There¡¯s no reply. [Dragon]: Oy, [Tiger]! If you don¡¯t go to the trial Today you¡¯ll be killed! [Ox]: If this isn¡¯t working let¡¯s move to the [Rooster]¡¯s room. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. He goes to the next suite and smites the doorframe. And finally, someone stirs. Even before she steps out, I know who must be alive and who must be dead. It was impossible for the Wolves to kill someone based on who they thought was Seer or the Healer since those roles were assigned last midnight in secret. However, in Mafia personality can matter as much as roles. Think about how people talked and acted in Trial 1. Who would hurt town most to lose? Who makes the most sense for the Wolves to murder? To Wolves set on deceit and falsehood the brightest fires must be snuffed first. A short, scowling girl bowls into the [Dragon]. She¡¯s rubbing her eyes, hair in a towel. [Tiger]: Geez, quit nagging! I was never gonna be late. [Horse]: See? I was right! Nobody died today. Everyone else shares a grim look. I try the [Rooster]¡¯s door; It¡¯s unlocked. I step through the threshold and into a nightmare. Diligent and organized, logical and orderly. In a normal world, these virtues would be given a just reward. But while this world has rules, this isn¡¯t a normal world. A sharp, critical mind would be punished, broken, and scattered. The average human body holds up to one point five gallons of blood. The body of a teenage girl, maybe a few pints less. But looking at the hotel room¡¯s carpet, the carpet that in my suite was pure white - I don¡¯t know how much blood the [Rooster] had held, but it was So, So, So, Much. hrk... sob... hrk... Someone¡¯s crying again; the same person who was sobbing as the [Goat] died. The [Horse] peers at the scene behind me, tears falling in little droplets onto the floor. [Yuri]: It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not okay. But I don¡¯t know what to say. [Yuri]: You barely knew her anyway. You don''t have to be this sad. [Horse]: I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know! She slowly backs away, eyes red. [Horse]: Hey, [Snake]¡ don¡¯t say something like that again. If you die, I¡¯ll cry for you too. Another tear falls onto the floor in the carpet, by my feet. But as I turn towards her, she¡¯s already made way for the others. The mystery tear isn¡¯t hers; and, it can¡¯t be mine, because I don¡¯t know why I would cry. Maybe it¡¯s just a leak coming down from the ceiling, joining the little puddle of blood. |
| The nine of us who remain - the [Dragon], myself, the [Horse] - the [Dog], the [Pig], and the [Rat] - plus the [Ox], the [Tiger] and the [Rabbit] - are all back in that same perilous circle. The second trial has begun. 180:00 179:59 179:58 [Dragon]: I took the [Rooster]¡¯s notebook, the one she kept in her room. She wrote down every word, every rule that the [Gods] have given us on our Cards - when it comes to conduct and trials, I''ve learned we all share the same rules. [Dragon]: There are no hidden twists; today¡¯s Trial will be the same as yesterday. We must seek the Wolves who have now murdered the [Rooster]. And we must cast someone out. [Ox]: But how can we blame someone when we don¡¯t have any evidence? [Lily]: ¡There was a lot of blood in that suite even if we didn¡¯t find a body. Maybe we can find evidence later if we look at that room again? There¡¯s hesitation in her voice. [Pig]: It¡¯s all meaningless!!! We¡¯re all going to die! It¡¯s true that we don¡¯t have any real clues, so it¡¯s hard to choose someone to vote for. But that¡¯s a common mistake people make when playing Werewolf for the first time, looking for certainties rather than probabilities. The [Rabbit] stretches. Despite the cool air flowing through the room, she¡¯s sweating, cloth sticking to her skin. [Rabbit]: Good morning¡ everyone. [Rabbit]: Wolves. Are always thinking, ¡®what would town think?¡¯ ¡®how do I get town to like me?¡¯ ¡®how can I avoid getting caught?¡¯ [Rabbit]: Town can just say what they want. Do what they want. Wolves hesitate. Wolves talk weird. We can find them. A loud sandpaper-like tone bursts through the chamber. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. [Tiger]: Y¡¯know who¡¯s weird then? That [Pig] woman who voted for me yesterday! [Tiger]: You kept me awake all night! I was tossing and turning, thinking about how you wanted to see my guts splattered all over that stage, just like those two corpses! [Pig]: B-but you said¡ that you wouldn¡¯t consider the game personally¡ so I thought I might, as a way to vote no one, vote for y- [Tiger]: You¡¯re right! I don¡¯t take it personally. I don¡¯t take it personally at all! Anyone who takes shots at the [Tiger] can get fucking shot no matter who they are! If we¡¯re voting for who sucks the most. It¡¯s you. I vote you! The [Pig] flinches and cowers as if the finger the [Tiger] jabs at her really is a gun. [Lily]: Please wait! We don¡¯t have to vote based on intuition; the Town has a role that gathers information too. [Lily]: The Seer can lead the Town and tell us who is innocent and who the Wolves are. She looks around the circle, waiting to see if someone will speak. With just three people dead, already this room to me feels empty, with a big gap between where Lily sits and the [Horse]. The blood and body of the [Monkey] has disappeared and while the [Goat]''s corpse is still present, it''s been tucked away into a corner, watching us with vacant half-lidded eyes. No one moves. And finally the [Rat] leans forward. [Rat]: Yes, that¡¯s true¡ the Seer could say their role. [Snake]? Do you have any idea who the Seer could be? Might it be you? [Yuri]: Me? Why are you asking me? [Rat] No reason exactly. Just had a feeling. While the [Rat]¡¯s face is dry, dull, and blemished, his green eyes hold a malevolent spark. He shows his teeth as both a threat and a smile. [Rat]: Then you¡¯re not Seer? I am not! Though the [Rat] wants me to pretend that I am, to confound the Wolves and trick them into targeting a useless town. I glance at [Lily], who is fidgeting with her hair-tie. The trouble is that I don¡¯t consider myself a useless town, not anymore. It¡¯s not my place yet to die. [Yuri]: I¡¯m not Seer. Obviously. The [Rat] sighs, then presses his palm to his face so that I just barely see his eyes through the gaps in his fingers. [Rat]: I¡¯m happy you answered that way because, everybody, I¡¯m actually the Seer. [Lily]: That¡¯s wonderful! Can you share what you learned last night? We need new leads. [Rat]: It¡¯s interesting you would ask that, because I don¡¯t have any information that¡¯d be new to you. Though I suppose it''d be fresh info for everybody else. The [Rat] talks to the room. [Rat]: Last night I checked the [Dog]. She¡¯s sided with the Wolves. |
| ¡®Sided with the Wolves¡¯. For a moment the phrase hangs in silence. But then there is a swirl of voices, whispers, questions and shouts. ¡°Let¡¯s vote and get it over with *yawn*¡± ¡°Did you think you could get away with it? We got you!¡± ¡°Could the game really be this easy?¡± But in the end that brook-like voice breaks through. [Lily]: I¡¯m not a Wolf. I¡¯m really not! The [Rat] has to be telling a lie. [Rat]: No, it¡¯s definitely a fact. [Horse], you¡¯re good at math, right? [Horse]: Hah¡ about that. I¡¯m in ¡®Geometry Honors¡¯, but the course most students do in my year is AP, so I¡¯m actually a little behin- [Rat]: What are the odds that the Seer died the first night? [Horse]: Oh! That kind of problem isn¡¯t hard. She pulls out a pair of reading glasses and flips through a notepad she slips from her knapsack. The paper''s monogrammed A.H. - it must have come from her hotel suite. I¡¯ve seen that same pad on my room¡¯s nightstand. [Horse]: Remembering the rules, someone gets the Seer role on the first midnight. This means that we know for sure that the [Goat] and the [Monkey] aren¡¯t Seer. Though we saw the [Monkey]¡¯s card so, um, we knew what his role was anyway. [Horse]: But since there were ten of us last night, there¡¯s a one-in-ten chance that the [Rooster] was Seer and died! [Lily]: I think the chance the Seer¡¯s dead might be a little bit higher. The Wolves wouldn¡¯t kill another Wolf, right? So last night, if there were three Wolves and seven Town, the Wolves had a one-in-seven chance of killing that strong role. [Horse]: I told you I wasn¡¯t good at math! Then I got it wrong - the answer is actually then, um, about 15%. [Rat]: In other words, there¡¯s an 85% chance the Seer survived the first night. [Ox]: Okay, we tossed around a lot of numbers. Say it in English, what¡¯s the big idea? [Rat]: [Dog], are you calling me a liar? [Dog]: I¡¯m not saying that you¡¯re lying, but you¡¯re definitely not telling the truth. You can¡¯t be the real Seer if you think I¡¯m Wolf. [Rat]: But if I¡¯m not the real Seer, there¡¯s a high chance that the real one is alive with us right now. An 85% chance. So why isn¡¯t that Seer speaking up? The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. [Rat]: They should be screaming about now. ¡°He¡¯s not the real Seer! I¡¯m the real Seer, so the [Rat] must be Wolf!¡± But funnily enough, they¡¯re silent. [Lily]: Maybe the ¡®real Seer¡¯ doesn¡¯t want the Wolves to kill them! [Pig]: I-it¡¯s very likely the Healer is alive¡ the Healer can watch over the Seer¡ then the Seer will never die. [Pig]: S-so there¡¯s no reason for the Seer to stay silent¡ did I say something wrong? Please don¡¯t look at me like that! [Rat]: So it looks like if no one else says that they¡¯re Seer, today¡¯s vote will be really simple. [Rat]: All we have to do is vote for the [Dog]. Isn¡¯t that right, [Snake]? All the pieces fall suddenly into place. Ever since the end of our conversation last night, the [Rat] must have been planning this. [Yuri]: You¡¯re right. If that happens, there¡¯s no reason not to vote for her. I thought Werewolf was a game where the killers deceive the town. But in this complicated game even the Townspeople lie to one another. Let¡¯s say for a moment that the [Rat] is the Seer. Since no one disputes his claim, that part being true is incredibly likely. But I also think that the [Rat] is lying about what he found out last night. Not because I believe Lily; whether she¡¯s truly a Wolf or a Town, I don¡¯t know. Either way it wouldn¡¯t change my resolve to protect her. The reason I think the [Rat] is lying about his report is simply because he told me he was Seer beforehand. If I were a Wolf, I would have killed him. I led the vote on the [Monkey] yesterday, who revealed he was town before dying. I¡¯m the most suspicious person in the game and still the [Rat] entrusted me with his role. He didn¡¯t check Lily. He checked me for sure, and learned I was Town. Then why lie in his report? It¡¯s all to force me to do this¡ [Yuri]: I¡¯m the real Seer. You must be fake, you¡¯re lying. [Rat]: That¡¯s what I expected. Sorry guys about what I just did. The real Seer is the [Snake]. A role swap. We¡¯re doing a role swap, just like the [Rat] proposed last night. He noticed that I was protecting [Lily] and held her hostage to get me to do what he wanted. Bastard. [Horse]: Huh? What just happened? [Rat]: I was pretending to be Seer to get reactions from everyone and get some evidence. Again, my bad guys. I bite back my humiliation; to be outmaneuvered like this in a ¡®social deduction game¡¯ by someone with no social skills whatsoever! When he¡¯s away from her... [Dragon]: Hold on. [Snake], are you saying that you¡¯re the Seer? And [Rat], you¡¯re not the Seer? [Yuri]: Is. There. A problem? [Dragon]: I just want to be clear. I was quiet this whole time because I found the conversation confusing. You¡¯ve found it confusing? I¡¯ve found it absolutely confounding! My neck is on the line, though if they¡¯re alive the Healer should at least always protect me. But guarding my life, and Lily¡¯s life, is not the only problem I have. Everyone is looking to me for leadership. And too late I realize that one of them, tall, dark-haired, and even-minded, is someone with whom I¡¯m actually going to be at odds. [Dragon]: I¡¯m the real Seer. So [Snake], if you¡¯re pretending to be one like the [Rat] was, please retract your claim. |
| [Dragon]: I¡¯m serious about being Seer. We both know there¡¯s only supposed to be one in the game. He presses his hand firmly on the notebook the [Rooster] has left behind. [Dragon]: [Snake], you understand what this means. Between the two of us, one of us has to be a lying Wolf. [Snake]: Yes, I understand. And I don¡¯t like it. The problem is that I¡¯ve role-swapped with scraggly hoodie boy, and I don¡¯t know who the Wolf is between the [Dragon] and the [Rat]. Everyone else, meanwhile, thinks there¡¯s a Wolf between the [Dragon] and myself. But if I stop pretending to be Seer then the [Rat] might push for [Lily] to be executed¡ or I might just end up dead myself. [Ox]: I don¡¯t get it. Why would a Wolf pretend to be Seer? Can''t someone just be making a mistake? [Rat]: The Seer is the strongest role. They¡¯re the one source of truth in this game. [Rat]: If the Wolves can¡¯t kill the Seer to stop that flow, they can have one of their own pretend to be Seer as well and muddle the situation. Making the real Seer¡¯s information go from unquestionable to dubious and suspicious. [Lily]: Dubious or not, each Seer should at least have a report. Who did you both investigate? [Dragon]: Last night, I checked the [Tiger]. I found that she¡¯s innocent. [Tiger]: See? I¡¯m a sweet little angel, aren¡¯t I? AREN¡¯T I? [Pig]: C-can you be a little more quiet? You¡¯re hurting my ears. [Tiger]: I¡¯m not as noisy as your whiny ass! [Lily]: Yuri- um, [Snake], how about you? Who did you check? [Yuri]: Ah, yes, the person that I checked was¡ I glance at the [Rat]. He folds his hands and looks up at the domed ceiling, nonchalantly. ¡®You pretend to be Seer and say that I¡¯m innocent,¡¯ he had told me the night before. [Yuri]: I checked the [Dog] and she isn¡¯t Wolf. [Rat]: Really? I thought you¡¯d check someone else. It¡¯s my turn to smirk. You can force me to claim Seer, but you can¡¯t force me to confirm that you¡¯re Town. Now maybe the Healer will protect [Lily], since she¡¯s one of the four people between me, the [Dragon], the [Tiger], and herself, on whom we have information. [Horse]: Argh! It¡¯s impossible to get more info! Even though we have two Seers and two reports, we¡¯re back where we started! Anyone could be lying! [Tiger]: I''m fine with this. Let¡¯s just yell at each other for the next two hours vote for someone. But not for me. I¡¯m definitely not a Wolf cause he said so! She swings her arm towards the [Dragon], her long hair ruffling as she does so. [Rat]: What do you mean by ¡®definitely not a wolf?¡¯ There¡¯s a world where both you and the [Dragon] are Wolves together. [Tiger]: Hm¡ She glances the [Dragon] up and down, head bobbing. [Tiger]: He¡¯s not my type. So us being together don''t make sense. [Pig]: N-not your type? [Horse]: That¡¯s interesting. I thought his face fit the golden ratio. [Lily]: If his face really fit the golden ratio, he¡¯d look like a Van Gogh painting. Um¡ [Horse], do you want me to tutor you when we go back home? [Rat]: I think I¡¯d rather teach the [Tiger] how to think like a normal human being instead. [Tiger]: What the hell is that supposed to mean? If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The [Pig] raises her hand. [Pig]: S-sometimes you cut people off and are too quick to sp- [Tiger]: I¡¯m quick thinking! Not too quick to speak! Everyone stands, except for the [Rabbit] who still dozes half-asleep in her chair. Our speaking overlaps and echoes til one has to shout to be heard. "You guys are just jealous of my smarts and good looks!" "Okay, I¡¯m free after school on Thursdays" "Seer this, Seer that, this all gives me a headache. Why can¡¯t people just be seerious?" Everyone just needs to chill out¡ [???]: Enough! And then the speech dies down. 140:00 139:59 139:58 [Dragon]: I don''t intend this discussion to devolve into a verbal brawl. Have we forgotten what our plan was yesterday? [Lily]: To save everyone. To make sure that nobody dies. [Yuri]: The [Monkey] may have been rude, but he was correct. If we never make an effort to hunt for Wolves in the Trials, the Town might as well surrender. [Dragon]: But what if voting no one really is the best plan? We can gain more information if we vote to not kill anyone in two ways. He holds up his fingers. [Dragon]: First, the rules say that curfew begins when the timer hits zero, not when the Trial ends. So by ending the Trial early, we have more time to explore the building and try and escape. I bet even the Wolves would rather all of us survive. [Dragon]: And second, if we wait another night, I can check the [Dog] and the [Snake] can check the [Tiger]. The [Horse] places a finger on her chin, thoughtful. Then she starts as if a light bulb had flashed above her head. [Horse]: I get it! Right now we don¡¯t have any information because we can¡¯t trust the [Dragon] or the [Snake]¡¯s reports on their own. The [Dragon] could be lying about the [Tiger], and the [Snake] could be lying about the [Dog]. [Horse]: But if both Seers agree that the [Tiger] and the [Dog] are innocent, we know that those two are Town for sure! [Yuri]: I see. If we assume that at least one of us is telling the truth and we both say the same thing, then The town doesn¡¯t need to know which one of us is telling the truth to trust that info. [Rat]: Since the [Monkey] was the reason the tie-vote failed yesterday, if we wanted to we can still use that plan today and prevent anyone from dying. [Rat]: If we don¡¯t vote, one of the Seers might die during the night. But if that happens then we¡¯d know for sure the other would be a Wolf. I¡¯m fine with this plan. He¡¯s again putting all the risk on my shoulders. I don¡¯t want to die uselessly at night, not knowing which of my eight ¡®classmates¡¯ will survive. But I look at the [Dragon], who stands eloquent and confident. If I force a vote between myself and him then I probably lose. [Snake]: Let¡¯s do that then. We¡¯ll settle this another day. [Ox]: As long as I survive I¡¯m fine. [Rabbit]: After this can I go back to my room and rest¡? [Lily]: Let¡¯s halt discussion and vote so we can end this trial. We¡¯ll have a few hours to investigate, so we should make the most of the time left. [Lily]: Everyone vote for the person to your left. With a 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1 vote, the Trial will deadlock and everything will tie. [Tiger]: What if somebody votes for me¡? She withers under everyone¡¯s glare. [Tiger]: Ahh, I¡¯m just kidding, just kidding. I¡¯ll vote with the group. She speaks so flippantly that it¡¯s hard to be convinced. Still, everyone secretly taps at their screen. For a moment, I hesitate. It¡¯s not like I hate the tie plan. But if I follow this mindlessly, then one rogue vote could cause someone to perish. If I select someone that I¡¯m not supposed to, I''d either get to choose who is executed (in a 2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1 vote) or stop someone else¡¯s plan from success (in a 2-2-1-1-1-1-1 tie). My eyes meet the [Rat]¡¯s. Can I hurt someone like that? If it¡¯s for [Lily], I can, but I feel like there¡¯s some thought, some emotion, locked inside me that I can¡¯t quite reach. I glance at the [Horse] - remember what she said - and lower my head. We will now announce the results of the second trial. [Yuri]: Ah, it''s fine if it''s just for today.. The results are as follows¡ 1 vote Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Dog, Pig, and the Tiger and 1 vote for the Ox and the Rat. [Horse]: Yes!! [Lily]: As long as we can work together, we can keep buying ourselves time. [Dragon]: Thank you, everyone. |
| The lights in the courtroom had shut off; even the screens had gone dark. In the corner two silhouettes stand almost face to face. There¡¯s my awkward self, and then there¡¯s Lily - I had asked her to stay for just a few minutes more. Though I hadn¡¯t known that soon after the voting was over that the Trial Chamber would power down. [Yuri]: Hi Lily. I am of course, lying - excuse me, role swapping - about being Seer, and so too about my report where I told everyone that Lily was innocent. I don¡¯t really know if Lily¡¯s actually Town or Wolf; I need to find out so I can decide whether to help the village or to burn it down. [Lily]: Did you want to talk to me about something? She stands on her tip-toes as she looks up at me. We can make each other out now in the faint light, and her eyebrows are scrunched and her mouth¡¯s in a thoughtful pout. [Lily]: Go on. I¡¯ll listen to whatever you have to say. ¡°I want to protect you! So just tell me your role.¡± I thought about saying that. Something bold and dashing, but in reality¡ [Yuri]: *Hrk!* [Lily]: Yuri? Are you choking? I¡¯m not that confident! When I think about it, isn¡¯t saying something like that the same as a love confession? [Lily]: A-are you okay! Your face is really flushed! [Yuri]: *Hrrk!!!* *Hack!!* *Hrkkk!* [Lily]: Ah! I¡¯ve never done this before. But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll save you. She slips behind me and wraps her hands around my stomach, while pressing herself close into my back. [Lily]: I¡¯m Heimlich certified! ¡bend the person over, facing the ground- [Yuri]: NO! NO! STOP! Forget about choking. I¡¯m about to have a heart attack. [Yuri]: I¡¯m okay. I was just stressed from the Trial today, and I cough more when I¡¯m stressed. [Lily]: Oh. She sounds oddly disappointed. She moves away, and I¡¯m suddenly disappointed too. Though I¡¯d really rather not be her Heimlich maneuver guinea pig. [Yuri]: What I wanted to say is that you¡¯re important to me. That¡¯s all this is about. Lily wears a puzzled expression. I lean in closer. [Yuri]: I know that you¡¯re definitely Town. So I want you to win the game. Okay? This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. [Lily]: Sure. I guess I get it¡ She tilts her head thoughtfully. Now she leans in closer and I have to move away. There¡¯s a faint light that seems to come down from the painted dome in the ceiling, and casts her almost in a halo. [Lily]: It¡¯s my turn to tell you something. Or rather, I have something I want to ask you. [Yuri]: Oh? R-really? She hops on the table-ledge and begins to swing her legs back and forth. [Lily]: Have you thought about ¡®why¡¯ you¡¯re playing this game? [Yuri]: Most people would say having their life on the line would be reason enough. But I have a different reason that I don¡¯t want to say. [Yuri]: But if you really want to know, then maybe, I¡¯d tell you¡ I¡you... I... I¡¯m having a meltdown. I¡¯m having a meltdown. I¡¯m having a melt- [Lily]: That''s interesting. But that isn''t really what I''m asking. I mean ¡®why¡¯ someone would have twelve of us students play a game of Werewolf where if you lose, you die? [Yuri]: Oh. Lily!!! Just because I tease you consciously, doesn¡¯t give you the right to play with my emotions by accident! But I swallow my indignation and think. [Yuri]: Maybe some rich geezers are gambling on us behind the scenes, or an eccentric old man is living vicariously through us, or we¡¯re in the afterlife and this is just our purgatory. We could be playing a death game for all those reasons. [Lily]: ¡did you just spoil that drama that I was going to go see? [Yuri]: No, these are just common tropes¡and I''m being serious about the one I said first. Have you ever played through an Escape Room before? Were you impressed by the cutting-edge motion sensor technology they had, where you''d wave your hand a certain way and a hidden compartment would pop open? It''s very likely there was no such tech. Instead, a person will watch the attempted escapees through a camera and will hit a button to remotely unlock boxes after witnessing the players make the movements that need to be ¡®detected¡¯. In this Death Game, the first trial only started once everyone took a seat, and the chairs themselves seem to be made from simple wood. So I suspect our captors are also watching us through cameras and advancing the game based on what they see, though there must still be some automation involved. Us being gambled on by callous billionaires is definitely possible. Though maybe I only think that because that¡¯s a big cliche when it comes to these kinds of games¡ [Lily]: I want to talk to the others and find what we all have in common. I think the other seven students are going to focus on escaping the building, but at least one of us has to think about the motive for the kidnapping instead. [Lily]: Figuring out that ¡®why¡¯ might give us a clue on how to fight back or escape. [Yuri]: You¡¯re diligent as always. But if I think of a way to flee, I don¡¯t care about lore. I¡¯m leaving and I¡¯m taking you with me. [Lily]: Mhmm, that''s great. Find a way, fetch me, and then I¡¯ll get everyone else so we can all survive. ¡°We can all survive.¡± Even when three of the twelve are already dead, she l clings to the words. But I suppose I''ll play along til that wish itself perishes. [Lily]: Yuri, do you notice anything about the backgrounds of the players here? [Yuri]: We¡¯re all high school students. [Lily]: That¡¯s a good observation. But anything else? She speaks to me as if to a pre-schooler. Hey, it could be important that we¡¯re all close to the same age! I thought I was being clever¡ [Yuri]: To be honest, I haven¡¯t talked much to anyone else outside the trials. Except for the [Rat], but that doesn¡¯t count. [Lily]: That¡¯s right. You always sleep in. If that¡¯s the case¡ it¡¯s time to wake up! [Lily]: Let¡¯s go and talk to all the other students and see what we can find. [Yuri]: Both of us? [Lily]: It¡¯ll be much easier to find patterns when it¡¯s two people comparing notes rather than just one person lost in thought. [Lily]: Besides, in a big building like this, it can get a little lonely. Don¡¯t just stand still, come, come on. She tugs at my hand. [Lily]: Maybe you¡¯re always late because you always move so slowly. I smile. [Yuri]: Okay, okay, I¡¯lll pick up the pace. |
| We enter the hotel lobby. There¡¯s a computer by the counter - I press the power button and the screen remains black. Couches are tucked away in the corner, next to frilly potted plants that accent the room. There¡¯s a newspaper rack, but all the brochures have been removed. Whoever the Gamemakers are they''re kind enough to have left a single crinkled-up tabloid magazine. Ah, the person on the cover is that pop star named Shinji. Must be an old issue. [Lily]: Hm. Interesting. [Yuri]: Are tabloids really something that someone on the student council should be interested in? The guy on the cover is supposed to be good-looking, but I find him kind of ratty. [Yuri]: Don¡¯t tell me you like that beady eyed pest. [Lily]: Objectively he''s handsome. But don¡¯t worry Yuri. He¡¯s not active anymore after that accident, so even if I were interested there¡¯s no way we¡¯d ever meet. At least, I don¡¯t think so. She tilts her head and crinkles an eyebrow. [Yuri]: Why would I be worried? I¡¯m not worried! Ignoring my second meltdown, Lily looks thoughtful and rips the cover off the magazine. I can¡¯t imagine what she¡¯s going to do with that, but before I can interrogate her- [Lily]: Ah, we got sidetracked! She greets the other people with whom we¡¯re in the room. The [Horse] and the [Ox] stand by a set of wide wooden doors. The Ox pounds on them with his fists. CRNK CRNK CRNK! The doors don¡¯t even shudder. [Horse]: Oh! Hello! The [Horse] waves at us and the [Ox] grunts his acknowledgement. [Horse]: These wooden doors stop us from leaving this place! But no wooden door can hold our iron wills! [Horse]: Can you help us? With four people we might be able to batter them down. I squeeze one of my forearms. Biologically, there are supposed to be muscle there, but¡ [Lily]: Sure. What do you need? [Horse]: When I count to 3, let¡¯s all push as hard as we can. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. [Ox]: It doesn¡¯t matter how strong you are. We just need more weight. [Horse]: Ready? 1¡ 2¡ 3¡ Heave! Someone groans as we push, but the door remains as silent and impassive as ever. [Yuri]: I get the feeling that this isn¡¯t working. The windows are all boarded up and welded from without and within so it¡¯d be difficult to get through them as well. At the current rate we¡¯d have better luck punching through the floral wallpaper and hoping that the structure underneath''s made from cheap plaster. [Ox]: We¡¯ll be fine. We just need some tools. You two, what¡¯s the rest of the building like? [Lily]: We haven¡¯t really looked. Actually, we wanted to ask you some questions - what do you last remember before being kidnapped? [Ox]: I walking home from the gym, winding down. It was dark, and I blacked out on a side street. [Horse]: I was jogging, I don''t remember where I was, it¡¯s all super duper foggy. [Lily]: That''s notable. A mist rolled in? [Horse]: No, the weather wasn¡¯t foggy, just what I can picture in my mind! It¡¯s so weird! [Yuri]: Are you sure you¡¯re not like this all the time? [Horse]: This is different! Way different! When I¡¯m hazy on math, it¡¯s because I don¡¯t know what to do. But this is something that should be there that I can¡¯t recollect, like a ¡®brain fog!¡¯ The [Horse] tackles the door again, frustrated. Something in her jacket rattles onto the ground and I pick it up without thinking. [Yuri]: What¡¯s this? The [Horse] rubs the back of her head. [Yuri]: [Horse], here. You dropped this inhaler. [Horse]: I don¡¯t really need it anymore. But thanks all the same. [Lily]: If you have asthma you should take it; it could be deadly if you have an attack without one. [Horse]: It¡¯s true that I had some close calls when I was younger. But I started to go on morning walks, then morning jogs. [Horse]: It might have been age or luck, but over time things started to improve. I¡¯m never going to be the fastest, but I definitely won¡¯t be slow! She lowers her voice. [Horse]: ¡I still cough when I¡¯m sick. But I don¡¯t think sickness will be a problem here when it¡¯s just the twelve of us. She miscounted, since now there are nine. I open my mouth to correct her, and then catch her soft brown eyes. I sigh, and change what I was about to say. [Yuri]: Why would I keep this? Take it. [Horse]: Like I said, I don¡¯t really need it. She hesitates, before slipping it into her knapsack. The [Ox] waves his hand. [Ox]: Let us know if you find any tools. If we can¡¯t use a hammer or a crowbar, I¡¯m thinking we can construct something and use that as a battering ram. [Ox]: We¡¯d either want something long, sturdy, thick, and heavy¡ or something like duct tape to bind a lot of different stuff together. [Yuri]: We¡¯ll let you know. Just¡ I imagine the Ox with a crowbar. Give someone with that rippling physique a few pounds of iron to work with and they could surely shatter any wooden door. [Lily]: Yuri? Were you going to say something? If the [Ox] can cleave through wood, he can also shred bone. There¡¯s no malice in his eyes; this is the boy who had made everyone pancakes for breakfast. But I had worried so much about death that I had forgotten about the chance for violence. [Yuri]: It¡¯s nothing. Absolutely nothing. Violence isn¡¯t against the rules. It''s not directly mentioned at least. Werewolf Conduct Extra Rules 1. Players may not show their Card to other players 2. Players may not tell their real name to other players 3. Players may not prevent other players from voting 4. Players must vote in all Trials before time expires. 5. Trials begin at Noon and last a variable length. Violation of the conduct rules results in Death from the Gods. Loopholes in rules can be worked around. Though I can''t tell Lily my real name, she can simply call me by it since she already knows what it is. The violence loophole is not so innocent; if we find a hammer, a crowbar, or another tool that can pry open the entrance I¡¯ll give it to the [Ox] for our freedom''s sake. But I must fetch at least one tool for myself meant for war. |
| We¡¯re walking together in a wide empty corridor, sweeping by each suite door. It smells a little musty; and there¡¯s some mysterious stains on the hall carpet. I am not going to stop to figure out what they are since we don''t have the time. [Lily]: Yuri! You suddenly started walking really fast, wait up! [Yuri]: I know where to find a crowbar. Let¡¯s get it to them as soon as we can. Those tools aren¡¯t just for the [Horse] and [Ox], they''re for us. And whoever else thinks to take them before they''re in my hands; Lily¡¯s breath grows heavy as I continue this rapid pace. [Lily]: The crowbar isn¡¯t going to grow legs and walk away! She huffs a little more. [Lily]: My legs aren¡¯t going to grow either! She grabs my hand and takes it, and that finally makes me stop. Don¡¯ t tell me this is another one of her experiments. But it¡¯s better than the Heimlich, so I don¡¯t really mind. [Yuri]: Lily¡ [Lily]: Yes, Yuri? [Yuri]: I just¡ I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to say. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m blushing either, or feel the overwhelming urge to speak. I think with just a few seconds more, this handholding is going to make me say something strange. But then we both get bowled over. [???]: What the hell? Two idiots have the WHOLE HALLWAY to choose from and they decide to block the center. You¡¯re just asking to be mowed down! Tumbled onto the floor with us in a heap, is the [Tiger]. She had rammed into us at an intersection between two halls. Then she just as swiftly scrambles up, her sneaker crunching my hand. [Tiger]: Sorry. She smiles, both at me and the reddish-pink treads she leaves on my skin. I bite back a swear as Lily helps me up. [Lily]: Running down the hall like that is dangerous! Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. [Tiger]: Well, little lady, I am dangerous. [Lily]: [Tiger], [Dangerous], [Delinquent], whatever your name is, I¡¯ve been meaning to talk to you. Now could be a good time. [Tiger]: I¡¯m in a hurry so your talk will have to wait. [Lily]: Okay. Then we''ll talk to you later. [Tiger]: Later. And then we all set off down the hall in the same direction. The [Tiger] focuses on the flowery wallpaper as if it¡¯s the most remarkable art in the world. Her pace quickens. [Tiger]: Good weather today. [Lily]: What was your life like before you came here? [Tiger]: Was fine. Better than yours. [Lily]: What do you mean by fine? Can you talk more about it briefly? The [Tiger] scowls. I kick Lily¡¯s ankle and shake my head. If Lily really wants to know more about the [Tiger], then I''ll tame her. With that kind of ridiculous personality, maybe this will work. [Yuri]: What I want to know is what happened to make you so brave, so smart, so beautiful. When it comes to Lily, I feel that every word has to be measured and calculated. But when it comes to this girl, who has now stopped, I can shamelessly say anything. Her cheeks are tinged slightly pink, but yet not from modesty - in the harsh bright light in the hallway, it¡¯s just her natural shade. [Tiger]: If you wanted to ask that, you should have said so from the start! [Lily]: But we did- [Yuri]: Go on, [Tiger]! Tell us your story - no, your legend! She falls silent, and I¡¯m worried that I had laid it on too thick. Her expression is incredibly bizarre. I realize a moment later that right now she¡¯s actually being shy. [Tiger]: Well¡ if you want to know that badly¡ then I guess I have to tell you. [Lily]: Yuri. Are you sure about this? I don¡¯t mind listening, but you seem to be in a hurry and this might take a long time. [Yuri]: How long can her story be? Shorter than a novel chapter, surely. |
| The Legend of the Tiger (I like the name Tiger, a nice strong name) started in the year 2XXX, the year I was born. Now we might have to fast forward a couple years because even a legend like me struggles when they¡¯re one or two years old. At that time I hadn¡¯t even learned to swear. But you know, the most important thing is that I had a Mama and a Papa and an older sister and they all fucking loved me. (That¡¯s great Tiger! With my question, I meant more if you could tell us about before you were kidnapped.) Shut up! I¡¯m the main character in this story. So I had a mother, a father, an older sister and they all fucking loved me. We lived in this apartment building with a doorman and gym and a swimming pool and okay the swimming pool could only fit one person maybe two people if they were tight and the doorman didn¡¯t speak English but these were lifestyle choices. We were rich. When I was a kid I was at home a lot. I don¡¯t know why. I¡¯m not weak, I don¡¯t get sick. I just needed some time to build strength, to level up. That¡¯s all it was. But I got to spend a lot of time with my family so it was all good. Tigers hunt in packs after all! (They don¡¯t.) My Mama, she worked as a receptionist in some company. And my sister, she worked bagging groceries. But my Papa, he was an ¡®investor.¡¯ You know, he made money. He told me a lot, looking at the paper, that this company would go up tomorrow. And it would go up. Or that this company would go down. And it¡¯d go down. He¡¯d talk and talk and talk and he¡¯d never make a bad investment. Never ever ever ever. Sometimes he could talk too much. Sometimes he could be angry. But I loved him. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. (Lily, is taking notes really going to be that helpful?) (Yuri, I¡¯m listening to the story) But, one day he invested too much. It was an incredible company. They give you - how much? A metric fuck ton of money every month. Every month. You just couldn¡¯t sell for a year, but after that year we¡¯d be SET. We were already rich, but we¡¯d be super rich. The kind of rich where I¡¯d pay you to rub my feet, no, one person for each toe. That kind of stinkin rich! It was some kind of medicine company. And um, it was a great opportunity for the family. The whole family. My Mama and my sister, they were mad. Really mad. But he already used all the money, for this great opportunity. There was an article in the paper about it, it had a great website, his research was great. And Papa, if they got mad, he could get more mad. And the company. What happened to the company was¡ (Tiger? Are you okay?) Well, it did well. At first it did really really well. But then the stock went down. Well, it wasn¡¯t a stock, it was like - a bond? a coin? Whatever it was. And then it closed. Boom. The exec fucked us. And then the apartment, it was gone. I mean, we were still rich. Probably richer than before. Papa and Mama, they each had their own apartment now. And I got to go between them. I mostly lived with Mama. But Papa got a lawyer and said, that, you know, we¡¯ll take on that fucking company and all of us together would buy a great big mansion for all of us together one day. A few years fly away. Those years weren¡¯t fun. But we won! We won the case. But the company was bankrupt, and we never saw a cent. We were rich. Absolutely. But it was hard, hard for Mama and Papa to buy a lot of things. I mean, it was a lifestyle choice. Of course it was. Just like their choice to live separately. So, I just started taking things. And taking, and taking, and taking. It turns out, most people don¡¯t get caught. So I told myself I¡¯d never let me, or my family get fucked with ever again. I¡¯ll fight. That¡¯s the lesson, that¡¯s what you can learn from the Tiger¡¯s tale. If you don''t get it, then I''ll bash it into you, understand? |
| It¡¯s silent. Lily¡¯s pen scritches as she finishes with her notes, though I can¡¯t imagine what she¡¯s writing, and the [Tiger] touches her stolen silver earring. [Tiger]: Yeah, I¡¯m just fucking with you. Lily¡¯s pen stops. [Lily]: That wasn¡¯t helpful then! Geez. Do you remember anything from when you were kidnapped? Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The [Tiger] folds her arms and raises her head. She¡¯s blinking quickly even though she just said she had lied. [Tiger]: Nope! Not telling. The [Tiger] glances past the threshold of the far room, the kitchen. The [Pig] is there, picking at some ice cream she must have taken from the fridge. Her smirk returns. [Tiger]: There¡¯s who I was looking for. See ya, suckers. She waltzes off before we can say another word, and slams the kitchen door. |
| [Yuri]: Let¡¯s hurry to get the tools. That took far longer than I thought it would. [Lily]: I¡¯ve never seen you be so urgent. Do you really think that with a crowbar that the [Ox] and the [Horse] can escape? [Yuri]: No, it¡¯s just¡ The [Tiger] is weak. She has a slight frame, is a head shorter than anyone else present, and her fists are so small that someone might ward off her blows with a notebook. Yet she¡¯s the one who frightens me the most. It¡¯s the way she carries herself, cocky, violent, arrogantly - someone who would absolutely use force if it helped her. [Lily]: Yuri, slow down! Your strides are so fast that I can¡¯t keep up! There are six doors for the players, and past them a broken ice-machine, and past that a shoddy entryway - and then there is a sign. This is the place I was looking for, the one I stumbled into in the morning. MAINTENANCE. [Yuri]: Right here. I crack open the door. Inside¡¯s a mop, a bucket, a broom, then¡ nothing. I glance over the space again as if that would make the toolbox magically appear. [Yuri]: I could have sworn that there was a crowbar here. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. [Lily]: Well, it¡¯s gone now. What else was there? [Yuri]: A crowbar, a wrench, a screwdriver, a hammer¡ oh, I don¡¯t know! I can¡¯t remember things that are already gone! Part of my frustration is the quiet humiliation of offering a solution swiftly disproved. But the other half is a cold apprehension that touches me, as if the icy metal of one of the tools is pressed against me. I had ignored the jumbled closet this morning because there was nothing useful for me there; just a collection of things to be used for MAINTENANCE after all. But the box of tools is not a box of tools; it¡¯s really a box of weapons. And someone got here first. [Yuri]: We have to find that box. [Lily]: Yuri¡? It¡¯s okay, if it was there before, it¡¯ll turn up again. [Yuri]: No, this is important. We have to find it. I take the mop, and as I do so Lily gives me a look. [Lily]: I mean, I guess we could give that to the [Ox] and [Horse] to use as a ram, but I think the handle would just break¡ *clank* *thunk* *clunk* From somewhere above us I hear barely-suppressed thuds. I hit the button elevator call button. Click. Click-Click. I tap my foot twice and by the time Lily gets to me, the elevator is unresponsive. There¡¯s no mechanical whir, just the rhythmic beatings that echo louder down towards the two of us. [Lily]: Yuri, wait! I shoulder the mop and move towards the stairs. Climbing them still one at a time but fast, I fight through my short-breaths at the stairwell¡¯s top and whirl out into the upper hallway. *clank* *clang* *clank* The sounds become metallic and clear. I head towards their source; where the sounds are loudest is by the second floor set of elevator doors, which are half-open. I enter. [Rat]: Now, what are you going to do with that? [Yuri]: Nothing, really. I drop the mop. |
| [Rat]: If the organizers of this game have half a brain they¡¯ve sealed off all the doors and windows. So I¡¯m seeing if there¡¯s a way out through the elevator shaft. The [Rat] stands on a small catwalk to the column¡¯s side. He smacks the vent with a crowbar, prying at its slits. [Yuri]: Smart enough to crawl through an elevator, not smart enough to crawl a comb through their hair in the morning. That¡¯s a [Rat] for you. [Rat]: Don¡¯t insult my style. [Yuri]: Style? Seriously? [Rat]: The difference between a mess and a style is that a style¡¯s a choice. [Yuri]: Then you¡¯d be better off with whatever a barber would choose for you. [Rat]: I¡¯m not interested in changing how I look for other people anymore. But y¡¯know, if a cute girl like you really wants me to, an ugly mug like me can make an exception. [Lily]: You shouldn¡¯t lie. I think in truth, you¡¯re quite good-looking. Lily has finally arrived. She¡¯s breathing heavily, probably because she jogged to catch up to me. Not, I hope, because she¡¯s attracted to the [Rat]. Her being interested in that celebrity before was bad enough. I look at him closely. I had talked to him, but only through our room¡¯s shared wall. Without the hood shadowing his face¡ ignoring the eye-bags from lack of sleep¡ maybe with a good combthrough and if he shaved the strange half-stache under his nose then actually he could be called handsome. But a surge of loathing overwhelms me. [Yuri]: I don¡¯t know. I think he looks awful. [Lily]: I disagree. He''s objectively handsome; Yuri wanted to look for tools, but I¡¯ve also been meaning to find you. [Rat]: I''m flattered. The [Rat] pauses his futile clanging and his face stretches into a half-grin. But then [Lily] says something that causes him to go right back to prying at the vent. [Lily]: Naotome Shinji. Does that name mean anything to you? [Yuri]: I remember that name. It¡¯s that guy your magazine cover; a teen pop sensation, who lived alone with his family in a cheap studio townhouse. [Yuri]: He had a good voice, but was famous for refusing to move out. This is my home, he would say. And so he stayed. [Rat]: I wouldn¡¯t call him a sensation. A ¡®sensation¡¯ makes money, enough to move both him and his family to a bigger place. The [Rat] speaks while facing away. [Lily]: Yuri, what happened next? If not to this ''sensation'', then to this ¡®rising star.¡¯ [Yuri]: That same apartment block caught on fire. He rescued his sister, but he was injured. That¡¯s all I¡¯ve read of him at least and he¡¯s not in the news anymore. [Lily]: I know just a little bit more. He was lucky because he survived without any scars. But he was unlucky because most of his injuries came from- [Rat]: Breathing smoke. [Dog], I didn¡¯t peg you as a gossip, but you¡¯re surprisingly well informed. [Lily]: That celebrity was treated at the hospital my father runs. Sometimes as a researcher he asks me to help with the bookkeeping. [Rat]: Figures. Lily grabs onto his shoulder. [Rat]: Huh? It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard surprise in his rough voice. Lily flicks his hood back over his head. And holds up the cover of the magazine she had taken from the lobby. [Lily]: We know about your past already, Shinji. Can you tell us more about yourself? If we know everyone¡¯s backgrounds, we might be able to escape. He narrows his eyes. And sighs, a resigned heavy hiss. [Rat]: I¡¯m just called the [Rat] now. And I¡¯m satisfied with that; people ignore worthless voices. But a [Rat] squeaks and people jump. Squeak squeak, paparazzi crew. Buzz off. He gives up with the crowbar and pries at the screws with a bent-paper clip instead. I¡¯m happy to take the box and leave with that tool, but Lily¡¯s face is full of disappointment towards this frustrating creature. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m competing for her attention with some Z-list hack! Even if he does have a tragic backstory¡ [Yuri]: [Rat]. Can I speak to you privately? He stays quiet, with just the scratching and tapping from the metal-scrapes reaching my ear. [Lily]: I¡¯ll leave the two of you here and wait outside. But it¡¯s okay if Shinji, if the [Rat] doesn¡¯t want to talk. [Lily]: Everyone has the right to decide if their story should be shared. I just want to know more about him for everyone¡¯s survival. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. She leaves us. And I turn towards my ally-enemy-rival-archnemeis. [Rat]: Well, well well. Are you here for some kind of heart to heart? [Yuri]: You¡¯re one ¡®T¡¯ off. I¡¯m not here to give you my ¡®heart¡¯, I¡¯m here to give you a ¡®threat.¡¯ [Yuri]: Tell us more about yourself, or tomorrow I¡¯ll tell everyone that I checked you. And that I found you¡¯re Wolf. It¡¯s a page out of the [Rat]¡¯s own blackmail playbook; the so-called Seer threatening a false Wolf report. Since the situation is turbulent, if I say he¡¯s guilty the final outcome isn''t clear. It¡¯s possible after a big debate he¡¯d manage to survive and I''d die. But it¡¯s equally possible that they¡¯d believe me and execute him instead. The [Rat] stares at me, searching. Finally he nods. [Rat]: Hahaha. I thought you were insane, but you¡¯re really something else. Always willing to throw the game if it furthers your cause. [Rat]: What will happen when Lily dies? Will you break? Or will I finally get to see you play for real? ¡This guy! [Yuri]: Is it wrong to want my friend to survive? [Rat]: Does a ¡®friend¡¯ sneak glances at their BFF? Does a ¡®friend¡¯ sleepwalk night and day unless they¡¯re at their bestie¡¯s side? [Rat]: No, [Snake], I¡¯ve watched you during the Trials and I¡¯ve noticed that you only come alive to protect her. You¡¯re like a zombie, brainless, purposeless, unless it¡¯s to call her name. [Rat]: A psych ward, that¡¯s where you belong. A good one, the kind you both think I can afford. There¡¯s a clatter. He had managed to pry away one of the screws, and twists at the three that remain. [Rat]: Call your obsession back in here, I¡¯ll tell you everything you need. Maybe you can edit a documentary together. I''m sure you''d like that. I take a deep breath, twice. The first to calm myself down, and the second to call for her. [Yuri]: Lily! The [Rat] wants to speak with you. I hear Lily sneeze before I can see her. [Rat]: Bless you. Allergy? She walks in, her face red. [Lily]: This whole shaft is dusty. The hotel probably never had it cleaned. [Yuri]: Lily, we don¡¯t want to spend as much time on the [Rat] as we did with the [Tiger]. Let¡¯s wrap things up quickly. Lily averts my eyes, but she does speed along the conversation. [Lily]: The most important thing I want to know is where you were when you passed out. [Rat]: I was just at home, after a lesson with my voice therapist. We did some basic breathing exercises and I did some half-assed scales. Sounded terrible, of course. [Rat]: The funny thing is that the townhouse my family lives in, it¡¯s in the same set of townhomes as before. The location, the cost, the convenience, it¡¯s the only thing that makes sense even if it only has bad memories. [Yuri]: Answer Lily¡¯s question. Don¡¯t go off topic. The Rat glares. [Rat]: How are you going to make a good documentary if I don''t tell you my full life story? [Yuri]: If you want to confide that much then just speak it through my bedroom wall. It''d help put me to sleep. And remember the threat. I glare back and he sighs. [Rat]: I started to feel woozy and I was gone. That¡¯s all. [Lily]: That should be enough. Thank you [Rat], for sharing. Lily¡¯s voice is soft. [Yuri]: We¡¯ll take the tool box since you¡¯re done with it, too. The [Ox] and the [Horse] need it. He slides it across the catwalk. [Yuri]: All the tools please. [Rat]: Sure, I¡¯ll just use the paper clip. Oh, you¡¯re serious huh. He turns over a screwdriver he had withheld. [Yuri]: Did the [Tiger] ask you for anything? [Rat]: No, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s the crafty type. [Yuri]: I think she might be crafty in a different sense; it''s good if she hasn''t taken anything. Then we''ll be on our way. The [Rat] scrapes the second screw with the clip, wiggling. He¡¯s not making any visible progress. [Lily]: Wait Yuri! Shouldn¡¯t we leave him with something? Like a hammer, or at least an allen key? [Yuri]: If he wants to use a paper clip, he can use a paper clip. I heft the toolbox and pull on Lily with my free arm. Finally she allows herself to be led away. But before I leave the shaft, the [Rat] calls out: [Rat]: Hey, [Snake] - I¡¯m not your enemy. I just want to see us win. You understand that, right? His tone isn¡¯t pleading; it¡¯s questioning yet it¡¯s confident, like a diplomat who drawing up terms. Yeah, I kind of understand. But I don¡¯t know if he understands that threatening and insulting someone isn¡¯t a great path to friendship. Even I know that much. [Yuri]: We can talk later. Right now I¡¯m busy with Lily. [Lily]: ¡? [Yuri]: Let¡¯s go. As we march back, I glance at her. Something about how she moves has changed. There¡¯s a certain shyness about her, whenever she brushes against me, she reacts - either leaning in even closer, or jostling back. There¡¯s also something more mundane that I observe about her and her possessions that I don¡¯t want to admit. [Yuri]: Ah, Lily - you left your magazine cover in the elevator shaft. If you really want that, I guess we can go back and get it. [Lily]: I don¡¯t need it anymore. That was just so I could compare Shinji''s face with the [Rat]¡¯s. She looks amused. [Lily]: What? Did you think I hauled it around with me just because I liked that photo? She pulls out her pastel-pink cell phone. She can¡¯t call anyone, I¡¯m a little confused. She holds it practically in my face; and pushes her thumb down somewhere in the middle of the screen. *click* [Lily]: That¡¯s the photo I''m interested in. Thanks Yuri. She shows her homescreen, and right there is a bewildered, blushing, me. |
| After delivering the tools to the [Horse] and the [Ox], we enter the library. Books are filed neatly in cases rising all the way to the ceiling; step-ladders provide a way to reach the highest rows. Wide, tall windows are covered in metal sheets, and while the library is cozy it¡¯s still large enough to get lost within its shelves. Encyclopedias and medical references are scattered on study tables. The [Rabbit] uses a big tome and a coat-bundled atop it as a pillow, snoozing. The [Dragon] has his nose buried in another title. [Dragon]: The intriguing thing about this library is that all the books are about two or three years old. Nothing''s recent. [Dragon]: Makes me think that the hotel was been abandoned around that time, or fitted for whatever you call this. He gestures abstractly. [Yuri]: Death Mafia. I call it Death Mafia. He twitches and frowns. I thought that sounded cool! [Dragon]: I would prefer if you could both be quiet. The [Rabbit]¡¯s getting some rest; she had some trouble sleeping last night. [Dragon]: And the [Pig] over there was just yelled at by the [Tiger]. So she needs some space to relax. Curled in the fantasy section is a quiet girl focused on a leatherbound book. We go to a table at the corner of the room. While this room¡¯s organized, it¡¯s dusty, and I have to stifle a cough. [Dragon]: So how can I help you ? [Lily]: I wanted to ask about the last thing you remember before you passed out. [Dragon]: Before I passed out¡? I was walking home from school down Maple Street. It¡¯s a road with many restaurants and streetcarts. [Dragon]: It smelled strongly like dumplings. I don¡¯t recall anything else. [Lily]: A busy street? Dumplings¡? Interesting. [Yuri]: You¡¯re lying. The customers and the shop-owners would¡¯ve seen you being kidnapped; they can¡¯t possibly all be complicit. And I doubt this organization would be so silly to leave that many witnesses. He nods his head, calmly. There¡¯s a rustling; someone reading must have turned the page of a book. The [Dragon] himself, however, is completely unreadable. [Dragon]: How much do you two know about the mind? [Lily]: My father studies medicine so I have some background. But I¡¯ve focused much more on schoolwork. The [Dragon] picks up a book that had been left on the floor and reshelves it into a gap where it must have once been. [Dragon]: When it comes to memory, the human brain is fragile. [Dragon]: Even though we think we may have passed out at one time, we may have really passed out later and have failed to recollect the memories in between. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. [Dragon]: With a concussion for example, people rarely remember the moment of impact. They lose seconds, minutes, or even the days before the blow and their consciousness just jumps to when they wake. The [Rabbit] stirs, opening half-lidded eyes. [Rabbit]: Are we all concussed¡? That might be why¡ everyone¡¯s so strange¡ [Dragon]: I think we¡¯d know if that was the case. I¡¯m just saying that we can¡¯t trust that we were kidnapped at the moment our memories ended. I look over Lily¡¯s shoulder at her notepad. Each conversation is handwritten carefully, except the hurried shorthand for the [Tiger]''s yarn. [Yuri]: So all these notes are useless. We don¡¯t really know when everyone was taken, no matter what they said. [Dragon]: Let me look at that. The [Dragon] studies Lily¡¯s papers. [Yuri]: At least we know we¡¯re all around the same age and from the city. But I don¡¯t see how that¡¯s helpful. [Dragon]: Hmm. We¡¯re not just from the same city¡ we¡¯re from the same special district. [Yuri]: Special district? [Dragon]: Every city or town can have multiple fire stations, police stations, schools, or hospitals. Their placement is very important. [Dragon]: We like to think that if a city has two hospitals, for example, then everyone has double the healthcare. But when you dial 911, if you¡¯re close to a hospital the ambulance will arrive quickly, and if you¡¯re far away it might arrive too late. What matters as much as the quantity is your distance to the closest building. [Dragon]: So a well-run city divides itself and gives each special district its own services. Other cities might not formalize it into a system like ours, but they''ve put an equal effort into distribution. And based on where we all live we''re not just in the same city, we all fall within the same cluster within it. [Yuri]: I see. So if I didn¡¯t go to private school, then maybe we¡¯d be classmates because we¡¯re in the same district. [Dragon]: That''s correct correct. Although there are lotteries people enter to attend any school across our city. Lily''s lips part and she stands as if she''s about to shout, but she glances at the [Pig] - who is still reading her book - and the [Rabbit], who still drowses, and drops her voice to a whisper. [Lily]: We''ve made a big deduction. We all use the same hospital, prison, police, mailroom and fire station. [Yuri]: Why are you saying that like it¡¯s some grand epiphany? This was an utter waste of time. We should have thought of an escape plan from the start, rather than walk around asking everyone for their biography. Police station, hospital, prison, mailroom, fire station, or some other service, was it even possible for someone to guess which one linked us together? Maybe if I remembered every detail of every story, it''d be easy to find the answer among them, but even I knew which one it was then I doubt it''d help us leave this place. Without the urgency of weaponry or a solve for the mystery behind the game, my adrenaline leaves me, and my thoughts become dark and dull once more. This environment magnifies the bleakness that I¡¯m feeling. There¡¯s no natural light in the building, since the windows are always sealed. The dimness depresses me more than the Death Game itself; the Trial Chamber¡¯s oddly comforting compared to all the other rooms. Even in this "cozy" library I hardly feel at home. Maybe it¡¯s because when I was in my dorm playing mafia, it was the one talent that I had, the one place where I ¡®belonged¡¯ even if that talent was completely useless. A top-ten percent academic has the world open to them; a top-ten percent person at a glorified text based game has no life. But it¡¯s more than that. It¡¯s something about that Trial Room itself¡ I think back to when I first asked Lily to meet after the vote today. How I could see, just slightly, her silhouette in that sealed pitch black room. My heart beats faster. [Yuri]: I¡¯ve thought of something. [Dragon]: Oh? Do you know why we¡¯ve all been brought to play the game? [Yuri]: No, it¡¯s not that. [Lily]: Y-Yuri? What are you doing? This is a library! The [Pig] starts as I heft the stool next to the one where she was sitting. [Yuri]: I¡¯m taking one of these stepladders. Lily, take the duct tape that¡¯s on the table. She''s confused, but still happily follows my commands. [Lily]: Okay! What next? [Yuri]: We¡¯re going back to the Trial Chamber. |
| [Lily]: You spent most of the day following me, so it¡¯s only fair that I follow you now. But I''d rather not be left in the dark about what''s happening. [Yuri]: One second. Of all the rooms in this hotel, The Trial Chamber is the most airtight. Before the first trial, It was impossible to find an exit even when we tried our hardest to escape. And yet, when all the lights and the screens were shut down I could still see [Lily]. It shouldn¡¯t have been possible for my eyes to adjust without a light source; if the electricity was cut then sunlight must have trickled in! As my eyes adjust, I can see the edges of the tables, and then Lily (who even as a silhouette is brilliant as always). But she¡¯s not literally radiant; I keep searching for the light¡¯s true origin. [Yuri]: Where is it¡? There! The domed ceiling! The artwork is in deep gray shades but it¡¯s brighter than the flat tiles around it. [Yuri]: That''s not painted marble. That¡¯s opaque, frosted, glass. I drag the stepladder underneath the skylight, and pull out the wrench I had placed in my pocket. Don¡¯t ask me about how hard it is to stitch a skirt with pockets deep enough to hold a metal tool; ask my brother because he''s the one who did it for me. Huh? Did you want to know why I had a wrench instead in the first place? Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. [Lily]: Yuri, why did you have a wrench in your pocket? [Yuri]: Because I knew we''¡¯d need it later. Well, I had filched it from the toolbox expecting to use it as a weapon, for self-defense. But she doesn¡¯t need to know that. [Yuri]: Hand me the tape? [Lily]: Okay¡. I roll the duct tape so it completely covers the skylight above me. When I pound the tape with the wrench, the glass above it will break and stick to it rather than crumble down on top of my head. Then all I need to do is peel the sealant away. I bash the pane a couple times with the wrench. The shards do stick, but then the binding doesn¡¯t adhere fully to the ceiling. It slowly unsticks, and the entire glass/tape amalgamation just barely misses my head and crashes onto the floor. Ah. That probably could have killed me. [Lily]: Yuri! What are you doing? [Yuri]: Don¡¯t worry, don''t worry, all according to the plan. I¡¯m breathing fresh air; and sunlight comes down unobstructed from the hole. It¡¯s bright enough for me to see all the little details in Lily¡¯s upset face.I more carefully remove the remaining shards around the edges and use the tape again to pad the hole¡¯s perimeter, covering any glass I might have missed. Then I reach up, and pull myself through the gap. Or try to. At this point I am convinced that I¡¯m a medical marvel, the first person with zero-percent muscle in their arms. I¡¯m just kinda hanging out. [Lily]: I¡¯ll go find the others. You¡¯re incredible, Yuri. [Yuri]: Wait. [Yuri]: Like I said before, the reason I¡¯ve been trying so hard to escape is for you. Not for the others, though I still think we should go back for them. [Yuri]: But¡ before we fetch them¡ can we at least check outside? The two of us? She sighs. Footsteps. Then a creaking ladder. I feel her pushing me up; and I lift myself out the rest of the way. I take her hand and pull her too; and then we¡¯re together on the roof. We find our way to the ground, and then - freedom. |
| The two of us sit down on the sand. We stare at the sunset and listen to the roiling, rolling, waves that never stop. [Yuri]: Hey, Lily? [Lily]: Yeah? [Yuri]: We¡¯re not escaping this way, are we? [Lily]: ¡No. It would be safer to stay in this death game than to set sail into an endless blue. I had thought that the escape had been easy, but you don¡¯t need fences when you have an ocean. Flopping back on the soft grains, lying face-up, a strange peace sets in. It was no longer our fault if we didn¡¯t escape; it was just too risky to leave. Though I had searched for a way out, the prospect of returning to my daily life had given me a sense of dread that I couldn¡¯t shake. This game, through Lily, had granted me a sense of purpose for the first time in my life. She shifts besides me, and her voice cuts into my thoughts. [Lily]: What are you going to do when you¡¯re back home? [Yuri]: When I go back home? Shouldn¡¯t that be an ¡®if¡¯? [Lily]: We¡¯ll both make it back home. I¡¯m sure of it. So, what do you think? Home for me was a messy dormitory. The bed was unmade, and the last time I dusted and cleaned was¡ I don¡¯t really remember. [Yuri]: You go first. [Lily]: Home is an empty place for me. My father''s a researcher, so he comes back after midnight. [Lily]: I know that his work is important. A pill that can cure people of all ailments; how could it not be? Him not being home is a small price to pay. But I still get lonely. [Lily]: And being on the student council makes it hard to find friends because they''re scared I''ll report them. It makes me wonder if anyone really knows me. [Yuri]: I see you in front of school every day! You¡¯re diligent, confident, kind. And when I was ''sick'', I saw you too. My face flushes and my voice withers away. I go back to rubbing the sand, and Lily seems to be looking up at the clouds, staring at the seagulls. [Lily]: I overheard your conversation with the [Rat] on the elevator. [Yuri]: Oh¡ Lost in thoughts that run in circles and chase their own tails, the words Lily says feel unreal. The only way I prevent myself from melting into a puddle on the spot is the slim chance that this is a dream. [Lily]: I don¡¯t know you that well, Yuri. And you don¡¯t know me. [Yuri]: Oh¡ Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. [Lily]: Every day at school, every day when you were sick, you¡¯re not seeing the real me. What you saw was a class rep, cool, calm, collected. Maybe you thought I was kind, but really I was just being dutiful. [Yuri]: What exactly did you hear? Was it just that I wasn''t Seer, or¡? -was it all the things the [Rat] said about how I cared for her too? Lily gives me a long look. Her eyes meet mine until I glance away. [Lily]: When we return home, this is what I¡¯d like to do. I¡¯d like to talk to you more, to really meet you, as if for for the first time. [Lily]: And I want you to decide what we do together. Okay? [Yuri]: What do you mean by, decide what we do together? Like¡ for¡ a hangout, or¡? [Lily]: Hmph! Hangout or date, it doesn¡¯t matter to me. I¡¯m just saying that I¡¯ve only really known you from the school gate, and from this game. [Lily]: I can tell you¡¯re good at mafia. But I want to understand what you¡¯re passionate about in our everyday lives. [Lily]: And I want you to get to know me. I don¡¯t want to be band-aid for a hole in your heart, or some prophet you turn to for answers. I just want to be a person you like and understand and not a crutch. In a way what she¡¯s saying might be true. Do I really like Lily, or do I just like ''a person who cares about me''? But even if she¡¯s right and I don¡¯t really know her, I think the kind of person who''d consider these things would be someone I¡¯d care about, regardless of whatever else they may be. I look at her. [Yuri]: You''re right that I don¡¯t really know you. But I¡¯m certain that you¡¯re someone that I want to get to know more. [Yuri]: When we escape this place, I¡¯ll swear I¡¯ll learn more about you. Lily shakes my hand, and I feel the grains of sand between our palms. [Lily]: And you¡¯ll show me more about yourself. [Yuri]: I guess so. [Lily]: You will! [Yuri]: Fine. Lily has an odd glint in her eye. She rolls over, body going against the beach, and looks up at me. [Lily]: ...you did want a date, right? [Yuri]: Yes. But it might not happen. With this ocean in front of us, the sun setting, and the timer to curfew running low, you have to know that more of us will die. She smiles distantly. [Lily]: We''ll both survive, I''m sure. Everyone will. She scoots closer. [Lily]: What I''m doing now is just because I think it''s a better way to promise than a handshake. Not at all cause I''m afraid it won''t happen later. Close your eyes. Instead of closing them, my eyes widen as she approaches me. She kisses me. And the waves continue to roll. If this is a dream, I think it¡¯s a good dream; and a long one. But it finally ends. [Lily]: I want to talk more about what might be the reason behind the game. I feel like we could come up with it if we thought about it together; but it''ll have to be another time. She gestures behind her; voices are rising from beyond the dunes. [Horse]: We did it!!! Together we FINALLY made it through that door!!! [Rat]: Guess busting through the front-entrance does make more sense than escaping through an elevator with a paper clip. Well played. [Tiger]: I¡¯m not slowing down for any of you! Let¡¯s go slackers! [Dragon]: Don¡¯t worry, we have plenty of time. They reach the dune¡¯s apex and the voices die as everyone sees blue sprawling before them. The [Rat] wordlessly turns back; and after a few minutes, most follow him, but one person sits down. The [Dragon] watches the sun sink into the ocean. As the sun disappears, so too do the lights in his eyes. [Dragon]: So this is how it has to be. Seagulls fly from the beach out into the open sea. |
| It¡¯s impossible to live a life without windows. Every room in every home has at least one glass pane with light filtering through it. Though in a day we may never so much glance outdoors, if we were surrounded by four blank walls our thoughts would soon become withered and bleak, even if we wouldn¡¯t understand why. When it comes to people poets call eyes ¡®the windows of the soul¡¯ because through someone¡¯s eyes you can witness their emotions and inner thoughts. But I believe that it¡¯s more accurate to say that souls themselves are like windows. Just by being around someone, and finding, yes, the spark in their eyes but also their voice, their thoughts, and their touch, I can view another world. And like a window in one¡¯s home, I almost never understand how important the light they bring me is until they¡¯re gone. Isn¡¯t that a nice metaphor? But as it happens, the reason I¡¯m thinking this is literal. I¡¯ve just noticed that my hotel room suite, behind the curtains, has a lone window sealed over in dark iron. [1:25] My bedside clock illuminates the hotel room in a faint red light. Though the mattress is soft as clouds, my eyes are fixed on the ceiling, watching the water-stains. The [Rat] on the other side of the wall isn¡¯t tapping, or if he is, then very softly - I¡¯m not bothering to listen. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. But then there¡¯s a sound. *Thump* It¡¯s from the other side of the wall; the wall between me and Lily. For the first hit, I¡¯m frozen. But then there¡¯s a second, then a third ¨C *Thump* *Thump* I struggle out of the blankets as if this is a call to arms. Furniture runs all alongside the far wall; a set of drawers, a flatscreen-TV perched on a desk. I push against one of the wooden dressers and it moves so slightly that it might as well have been made from rock. In desperation I bat aside the TV (it falls face-first on the carpeted floor), climb onto the desk¡¯s surface, and press myself against the wall, listening. A door creaks open, and then there¡¯s a sharp crack! as if rock, or bone, had struck wood. A soft tun-tun-tun sound, and then.. Glass breaking. And it¡¯s quiet now, except for my heart. ¡°Lily?¡± I speak, then call through the wall. ¡°Lily?¡± There¡¯s no answer. But it¡¯s so late, [1:34] in fact, and the day so long that perhaps it¡¯s a hallucination. Sleep deprivation. Of course. Powerless behind the wall and behind my locked door, I don¡¯t allow myself to think of another explanation. |
| I start awake and fling off the covers. Since I pretty much destroyed the phone yesterday morning, there¡¯s no wake-up call. Nobody¡¯s knocking or calling my name either, this is just the time that my mind decided to switch itself on. [11:25] [Yuri]: Am I late¡? Even though I said that my mind was ¡®on¡¯, as always, there¡¯s a brief delay before I can understand the world. [11:30] [Yuri]: I¡¯m late! I change into rumpled clothing, take a bag of chips from the minifridge - guess that¡¯s breakfast - and shoot out into the hall. [Yuri]: Grr, how can Lily complain about me being sloppy when she left her own door ajar? I move to close the door. Then I remember and then understand - what I heard last night was no dream. Inside her suite, the carpet¡¯s coated in glass shards,and rich red blood. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. [Yuri]: Lily¡? There¡¯s an empty-frame where a glass table must have been; and the rest of the furniture is in a tumult. The nightstand had been knocked over, the lamp is toppled and unplugged, and the bedsheets are agonizingly twisted. She has to be hiding somewhere in the room. I check by the bedposts, where there¡¯s nothing but another bloodstain. [Yuri] : Lily? Lily, are you there? While the room¡¯s a mess, here too is a digital clock, diligently programmed, numbers marching in their orderly way to my deadline. [Yuri]: Lily, please¡ show me where you are. I lower myself onto the bed, head in my hands. It¡¯s obvious that whatever happened, she put up a fight. Maybe even tried to escape. An opaque metal sheet seals the window shut in her room, and there aren¡¯t any secret passageways. So if she did leave, it must have been through the door. [Yuri]: This is okay. She¡¯s okay. She¡¯s okay, she¡¯s okay! She¡¯s okay! She¡¯s resourceful and reliable. She has to be okay¡ maybe what happened is that the Wolves came and she fended them off¡ and then she¡ fell back asleep. Then, she woke up, out the door and¡ ¡she¡¯s in the Trial Room. Yes, she must be in the Trial Chamber. Of course. Why was I so worried? It¡¯s almost time for the Trial to begin and naturally she¡¯s never late. She must be waiting for me there. Yes, it¡¯s that simple. Don¡¯t worry Lily; I''ll never fail you. I can''t. |
| A familiar hooded figure slouches near the entrance-way. [Rat]: You sure took your sweet-ass time. I grimace. [Rat]: Don¡¯t want to talk? Great! You don¡¯t have to - but I still need to tell you what I learned last night. [Rat]: I checked the [Tiger]. She¡¯s innocent. [Yuri]: ¡is Lily inside? [Rat]: Sorry? I didn¡¯t catch that. [Yuri]: ¡where¡¯s Lily? If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. [Rat]: Dead, probably. Did you see her room? I did, but in my mind the room¡¯s fuzzy and unfocused. [Yuri]: You don¡¯t know that! She¡¯s just hiding! [Rat]: If I¡¯m someone who doesn¡¯t know anything, why¡¯d you want to ask me in the first place? [Yuri]: Because while I don¡¯t trust you, I think that you¡¯re somebody sharp. So I¡¯m asking you, commanding you, begging you to tell me - where is she? Why is she late? [Rat]: Because she¡¯s dead. [Yuri]: But it doesn¡¯t make sense that she¡¯s dead! She¡¯s someone the Seer has information about, so the Healer should have protected her! And the Wolves shouldn¡¯t have attacked her if they thought the Healer would guard her, and besides, it¡¯s her! She wouldn¡¯t, couldn¡¯t, can¡¯t- *Tk* He strikes me. Or at least, he almost does. He slows his palm at the last moment so it¡¯s just a single light tap. [Rat]: Pull it together. I don¡¯t need your tears, I need your brain for the tTrial ahead. I clasp my cheek and my stare burns into him, into dark eyes that I could not read, like a glimpse of the night. He meets me then turns through the door. Waiting just for a moment, I follow him like an automaton, not from any wish I myself had but from numb obedience to the Trial rules. |
| [Dragon]: We now begin the third Trial. It¡¯s up to the eight of us to make sense of the deaths of the [Goat], [Monkey], [Rooster] and [Dog]. He¡¯s wrong. Absolutely wrong. Both him and the [Rat] are idiots. At any second, Lily will arrive and then the game will truly begin. But the blood drains from my face as my hand hovers over the voting panel. The [Rat] is right; the life that I had in this game is gone. A vicious X slashes my hope and pierces my heart. There¡¯s still some part of me that half-believes that this is a fairytale and if I just read to the end that somehow she¡¯ll be alive. But there¡¯s no getting around it: when it comes to this mafia game, she¡¯s one hundred percent dead. [Tiger]: [Snake]. You checked me last night, right? What did you find out? I knew that the future was bleak. Though we like to think that we¡¯re special, that we have a latent talent that no one else has or that someone will come to save us, that dull oblivion can happen to them and not to us, I myself always understood that a sense of destiny isn¡¯t hope but delusion. *snap* *snap* *snap* [Tiger]: Hello¡? Tell everyone what you found! Tell them that I¡¯m town! But even still I thought that Lily was different. Generous, hard-working, sharp, sparks in her eyes, isn¡¯t she everything the world would call special¡? How can someone like that, someone who deserves stars, just be cast aside like trash? [Tiger]: Hey! I¡¯m getting mad! Is this some kind of fucking power play, ignoring me like this? [Dragon]: She¡¯s probably tired. Glass breaking, loud noises throughout the night¡ of course she¡¯d be fatigued. The reason I left that dark dormitory wasn¡¯t because I learned to have faith in myself; the creature had still wrapped itself heavily around my heart. It was because I thought that even if I wasn¡¯t talented, even if my future was mundane and colorless, then at least I could support someone else with the power to paint the world. Someone like the girl who, day after day without fail, delivered her own meticulous notes to my door. [Tiger]: There¡¯s drowsiness and then there¡¯s whatever this is! She¡¯s awake, look - her hands are trembling. [Pig]: M-maybe she doesn¡¯t want to speak because she found out that the [Tiger]¡¯s a Wolf. [Tiger]: Shut the hell up! I¡¯ll get her to speak if I have to pry it outta her. But Lily didn¡¯t have the power to change her future and neither did I. Even in this simple, game-driven world, our lives are toys for other, stronger, more talented, people. Like Gods who might watch us, or the Wolves who can kill us on a whim - we must either live for their amusement or die by their hand. And that¡¯s all we can do. [Dragon]: Tiger? What are you doing? [Ox]: We can¡¯t fight here. We¡¯re not animals. Stop! [Tiger]: Stop freaking out. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m using a blade. I don¡¯t want to live in a way that supports people I don¡¯t care about. But nor do I want to give them the satisfaction of dying. So I will just breathe. in¡ out¡ in¡ out¡ I can see the Tiger approach me, fist curled, a fist that¡¯s also shaking. in¡. out¡. This must be a mirage; if I just had the energy to lift my hand and wave through her I¡¯m sure she¡¯d disappear. in¡ and then someone steps in front of me. [Rat]: She told me that she checked you, and found that you were innocent. and out¡ [Tiger]: Huh. Then why was she so shy? [Pig]: M-maybe it¡¯s because you¡¯re- [Tiger]: Shut up! I¡¯m a highly respectful young lady. [Rat] you were about to speak, go on. [Rat]: She lost her voice, so when she found me outside the Trial Room she wrote me a note asking me to speak for her. [Snake], shake your head if I¡¯m wrong. [Yuri]: ¡ [Rat]: See? Everything¡¯s in order. The [Rabbit] flops forward onto the desk. [Rabbit]: We dunno if you¡¯re Wolf or Town. So why should you be her voice? [Rat]: Like I said, if I say something she disagrees with, all she has to do is shake her head. You telling me you don¡¯t trust these eyes? [Horse]: I trust you! We all know not to judge a book by its cover. There¡¯s a long, uncomfortable silence, as if the entire group had gone temporarily mute. They must be waiting for someone reputable to take the lead. Someone like the [Monkey], or the [Rooster], or Lily. Maybe I could step in, but I don¡¯t really care. Besides, there¡¯s still one other person who could take charge¡ He¡¯s straightening his tie, about to talk. [Dragon]: Our first two Trials were extremely chaotic; even counterproductive. We¡¯ve had so many arguments about voting that I don¡¯t feel like we¡¯ve made progress towards finding the Wolves. [Dragon]: But if only one person is in charge of who to vote for then perhaps this Trial will be more constructive. [Tiger]: Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re about to make yourself king; I¡¯ll take your crown and bash your skull in! He shrugs. [Dragon]: Listen. Let¡¯s say we vote for someone immediately, in the next five minutes. What are the odds that we¡¯ll vote for a Wolf? [Rat]: Seriously? You want us to vote randomly? [Dragon]: Just hear me out. What are the odds? [Horse]: This question¡¯s easy. If three Wolves are alive, it¡¯s three out of eight! But if two are alive, then it¡¯s 25%. If no one votes for the [Tiger], who we know must be Town, then it¡¯s two or three out of seven!¡¯ [Rat]: That sounds correct but the odds are really much worse, because the Wolves will vote as a bloc. If a few Townspeople draw the wrong conclusion, the Wolves will vote alongside those people and a Town will be executed. [Horse]: But if even one person in the town is smart, they can do detective work and tip the scales. They just need to go full Gagatha Christie or Herlock Sholmes! [Rat]: I¡¯ve never heard of those detectives but yeah, one perceptive Town can be all it takes to catch a Wolf. Let¡¯s say it all cancels out then and adds up to around a 25 or 30% as you said, if we''re forced to vote. [Dragon]: But what if we had a trial where the Wolves can¡¯t vote and therefore can¡¯t influence the outcome. What would the odds be then? [Pig]: M-much higher? [Dragon]: We can strip the Wolves of their votes if we have the [Tiger] dictate who to execute. At this, the [Tiger]''s scowl vanishes and is replaced with a smile. [Tiger]: Now we¡¯re talking. [Dragon]: Since we¡¯ve proven that the [Tiger] is innocent, voting for whoever she says gives Town total control over the game. [Dragon]: We¡¯ll step away from our voting panels and allow the [Tiger] to cast our ballots for us and the Wolves will be powerless. So the [Dragon] wants the [Tiger] to take charge. In mafia, this is actually a common play. Once a player is confirmed to be innocent, the Town can have them make all the big decisions while everyone else just pleads their case to that person. It¡¯s called giving the leader the hammer because their vote hammers the final nail in the coffin for whoever they judge guilty. The only hammer I have meanwhile is this hammering headache. Even in my dim consciousness, something feels just wrong. [Horse]: If the [Tiger] takes full responsibility.. then I think I''d like that. [Ox]: If people have to die so be it - even if my hands feel unclean, my little sibs at home are waiting for me to make them pancakes. If you all say this is the best plan then I''m in. The [Rabbit] simply nods, though she hardly lifts her head from the table. The [Pig] looks at the [Tiger], frozen, and the [Rat] gazes up at the ceiling. [Tiger]: I¡¯ll take this as a unanimous yes! Long live the queen! She strolls into the circle¡¯s center, clapping. [Tiger]: Let¡¯s see. Who should I pick? She raises her hand and gestures at each player in the circle one by one. She stalks past the [Dragon], wavers at the [Rat], and her accusatory finger finally lands on the [Pig]. [Tiger]: She¡¯s suspicious, irritating, and thinks that I¡¯m a Wolf. It¡¯s gotta be her. [Pig]: I don¡¯t think that! I don¡¯t anymore! I just want to be ignored! [Tiger]: Then you shouldn¡¯t have voted for me that first day. Throughout all this, the [Rat] ignores the commotion and keeps his gaze on me. His expression is clouded, and when our eyes meet it¡¯s almost as if he looks far within me. Hmm? Are you expecting something? He should know, of all people, that I¡¯m not doing anything anymore, not without her. The [Rat] calls out to the ferocious blonde in a voice that¡¯s serious yet amused. He¡¯s smiling in an easygoing manner but that smile doesn¡¯t reach his eyes. [Rat]: [Tiger]. Wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to vote for someone who says that they¡¯re Seer? [Rat]: Since we know for sure that between the [Snake] and the [Dragon] one of them is Wolf, we don¡¯t need to overcomplicate this. [Tiger]: Then I¡¯d probably pick [Snake], because if she¡¯s too scared to talk, then she has to have something to hide. But my gut feeling is that it¡¯s gotta be the [Pig]! The [Rat] frowns and runs his hands through his mussed-up hair. Though his eyes always had circles underneath them, in the courtroom¡¯s harsh lighting they appear deeper and darker than ever. He turns towards me, and mouths six words. Are you still trying to win? And I just breathe. [Rat]: Sure, let¡¯s vote [Snake] then. We can vote [Snake] and then I¡¯d like the [Dragon] to investigate me at night. Too many people think I¡¯m suspicious. What¡¯s this feeling inside me? It¡¯s not betrayal, or broken love; rather, It feels as if the creature inside me is awakening, moving, loosening, and the heart that it was constricting had again begun to beat. [Dragon]: Wait a minute, [Tiger]. For this plan to work best, no one should influence you. Don¡¯t listen to him. [Tiger]: You¡¯re not my Papa! I¡¯ll listen to whoever I want! Their words, their protests, layered one over the other breaks through the haze shrouding my mind. And suddenly I allow myself to think. Since the second day, I had always known that either the [Rat] or the [Dragon] had to be Wolf. For them to both be Seer is impossible. I hear the [Rat]¡¯s scratchy voice, almost as if it were slowed, campaigning for my death, and the [Dragon]¡¯s pleading otherwise. [Yuri]: Hehehe. I interrupt them. Oh god, I can¡¯t hold myself back any longer. [Dragon]: God bless you. Do you need a handkerchief? [Yuri]: Hehehe. [Tiger]: She¡¯s laughing? What¡¯s so funny? [Yuri]: Hehehe¡ Hahahahahahahahahahaha!! When I¡¯m in pain, my favorite thing to do to make my mind fly away is to get immersed in social deduction. That¡¯s why I spent my lost year playing mafia. So let¡¯s solve the puzzle of the [Rat] and the [Dragon]. Two teenagers, one slouched in a hoodie and the other sharp in a suit. It¡¯s a puzzle that already seems complete. The [Rat] has just finished sliding me under the bus while the Dragon is my knight in shining armor (though if I¡¯m going with the bus analogy, it might be more apt to call him a crossing guard). But are we viewing the puzzle right side up or upside down? You can take a moment to think about it, even if I can¡¯t afford a minute here. If the [Dragon] is the Seer, and thinks I am a Wolf pretending to be Seer, then why does he want me to live? If the [Rat] is the Seer, and thinks that I¡¯m Town, then why does he want me to die? This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. [Rat]: She¡¯s clearly not in the right state of mind; I don¡¯t know why I went along and spoke for her before. Like I said, let¡¯s get rid of the [Snake], and have the [Dragon] check me during nighttime. Even when I¡¯m sitting askew in my chair, half-smiling, half-crying, my mind still churns. I understand. The [Rat] is setting a trap, with myself as the bait. When there¡¯s two people claiming to be Seer, the only way to know which one is telling the truth is usually by intuition. But there¡¯s another way to know for certain. If the [Dragon] checks the [Rat] and claims that the [Rat] is Town, and then the [Rat] reveals that he is the real Seer, then the [Dragon] will be exposed as a fraud. In that situation The [Dragon] just said that the [Rat]''s word was completely trustworthy! Meanwhile, the [Dragon] does not want me to die, though from his perspective I could only be a Wolf. While he might mean to soothe me his assurances are so illogical that they make my hair stand on end. [Yur]: Haha¡ ha¡ I catch my breath. Even if Lily is dead, even if I¡¯m adrift in a world that has nothing else for me, at least I can play mafia. This feeling that I hold in my heart, it¡¯s not oblivion but joy. It¡¯s just the empty life I return to afterwards that makes playing mafia feel so punishing. With the [Monkey], it wasn¡¯t just protecting Lily that I loved. It was also the game itself, turning the Town to my command. By instinct, I know who the Wolf must be. But there¡¯s no solid evidence - as if it were made from glass. Glass? Let¡¯s look at the map again. Yes, any evidence that I have against the [Dragon] is surely made from glass. [Yuri]: [Dragon], you said I didn¡¯t sleep well because I heard a shattering. [Dragon]: [Snake]¡? Don¡¯t push your voice too hard if it¡¯s sore. It¡¯s bad for your health. [Yuri]: Answer me, [Dragon]. How did you know that I heard glass? Your room is far from hers. I would understand if he heard the thumps. But he¡¯s saying he heard glass shatter when he didn¡¯t even share a ceiling or wall? [Dragon]: Someone else must have told me about finding broken glass in her room. My mind must still be fuzzy from when we were knocked out because who it was, I can¡¯t say. [Horse]: I saw the [Dog]¡¯s room with only the [Rat]. I don¡¯t remember talking to you. [Ox]: I don¡¯t think anyone brought up what the room was like during breakfast. [Rabbit]: But. Is the [Dragon] saying he heard some bump in the night really a reason to kill him? And what if the [Horse] just forgot she told him about seeing glass? Maybe she forgot she told him¡ [Yuri]: There¡¯s more to it. When the [Rat] said he was Seer the [Dragon] didn¡¯t speak up to refute him. Almost as if you were waiting for something. [Yuri]: You knew that the [Dog] wasn''t a Wolf, because you were a Wolf. You didn''t claim to be Seer because you understood that report was false, thought the [Rat] was a fake, and realized that you might not have to claim. [Dragon]: Nonsense. I¡¯ve never played a game like this; I was confused. [Yuri]: Then the [Dragon] asked the [Tiger] to spare me. [Yuri]: We¡¯ve both said that we¡¯re Seer. Why would the [Dragon] want someone who is a ¡®confirmed Wolf¡¯ in his eyes to stay alive? That doesn¡¯t make any sense! [Dragon]: Can it just be that I don¡¯t want to be a killer? That I want as many people as possible to survive? [Yuri]: Then why put our survival in the hands of the [Tiger]? [Dragon]: She¡¯ll take responsibility for us! [Yuri]: Yes, she¡¯ll take responsibility and lose! Despite my shouts, the [Dragon] remains expressionless. But when I reach into my pocket, fidgeting, he betrays just a hint of emotion. It¡¯s not happiness, sadness, anger, or surprise. It¡¯s hard for me to recognize, but it has to be fear. It¡¯s as if to him, my pocket is a Pandora¡¯s Box. But what is he expecting to be inside? Why is he more afraid of my pocket than my voice? The only things there, aside from lint and dust, is a wrench - that I¡¯ll probably never use - and my Card. Does he know about the wrench? Does he think that I¡¯m the kind of person to bludgeon him to death with metal instead of words? This is a mafia game, so I¡¯d much rather play mafia. He should know that. What kind of person does he expect me to be? Oh¡ I understand. [Yuri]: The reason you want me to be alive¡ maybe you¡¯re afraid that if I¡¯m executed, I¡¯ll show everyone this, consequences be damned. I pull out my Card, clutching it to my chest. [Yuri]: If everyone else learns that I¡¯m the real Seer, you¡¯d die next, right? Isn¡¯t that why you want to save me? Cause you think I¡¯d blow myself up? [Dragon]: [Snake], I don¡¯t believe you¡¯re someone who¡¯d explode herself voluntarily. So put that away. We both know that I am that kind of absurd person. But I put it away. And speak: [Yuri]: If you¡¯re against voting for the [Dragon], raise your hand! The [Dragon] holds his hand high. The [Rabbit] follows, then the [Tiger], and finally, everyone else - all except one. [Rat]: Ah, I was just testing everyone¡¯s reactions when I said to ¡°vote [Snake].¡± I¡¯m fine with voting for the [Dragon]. Everyone turns towards him. The [Dragon] is an image of calm since I put away my Card. But one droplet, then another begins roll down his face - not tears, but beads of sweat. The [Horse] lowers her hand too. [Horse]: I trust the Dragon. But when I weigh the evidence, there¡¯s zero for the [Dragon] and there¡¯s three points for the [Snake]. [Dragon]: Please wait! He claps and bows his head. [Dragon]: I sincerely want as many people to survive as possible. I don¡¯t know what to say to make everyone believe that. [Dragon]: If people want cold logic, there¡¯s another reason I could want the [Snake] to live while still being Seer. He¡¯s given up his serene mien and speaks at a bullet¡¯s pace. [Dragon]: Both a ¡®Seer¡¯ and a ¡®Seer Pretender¡¯ are alive. Normally, the Wolves would try to murder the ¡®Seer¡¯. [Dragon]: But if the ¡®Seer¡¯ is killed at night, then the Town will vote for the ¡®Seer Pretender¡¯ during the day, therefore killing that Wolf. [Ox]: My head hurts. What are you trying to get at? [Dragon]: The Wolves won¡¯t murder me because when I die, the Town will kill the [Snake], who will be ascertained after my death to be a Wolf pretending to be Seer. If we execute her, then the Wolves no longer have a reason to keep me alive. [Dragon]: If the [Snake] dies, the Wolves will kill me. If she''s alive, they''ll spare me. That would be the reason I''d want her to live. [Yuri]: I thought of that possibility. It¡¯s because I believe in your sincere personality that I know you''ve lied. [Yuri]: You¡¯re not a coward. And even if you were, the Healer would be able to protect you. I¡¯ve won. I know I¡¯ve won; the [Dragon] is grasping at straws and any outside observer would find him guilty. But why does this atmosphere seem so off? Are these the faces of people who¡¯ve been persuaded? Is everyone secretly eating lemons in the Trial Chamber? Don¡¯t look at me like that! Why did it turn out like this? When I play mafia, they¡¯re games that last no more than a half-hour. But this so-called game lasts for days, and between each Trial people eat, socialize, wander the halls. I spent all my time with Lily, and I don¡¯t regret that. But the [Dragon] must have used that time to build bonds with other players. Other players who will now protect him. There¡¯s no greater tool for evil and deception than the power of friendship. [Yuri]: Listen! If you¡¯ve spent a lot of time with the [Dragon], you must know he¡¯s acting strange! He has to be a Wolf! [Rat]: [Snake], I believe you. Everyone should. [Rabbit]: I don¡¯t. We had a good plan today¡ and you blew it up for no reason¡ [Tiger]: That¡¯s true! We were gonna put me in charge! [Dragon]: And we are still going to. He abandons his voting panel and steps away from the circle. [Dragon]: Time is running out. If you wish to let the [Tiger] vote in your place, stand aside. [Dragon]: Otherwise vote for who you wish to murder. The [Ox] quietly backs into the wall. The [Rabbit] moans. [Rabbit]: I¡¯m very comfortable here¡ can¡¯t the [Tiger] just slide her hands around me? The Dragon hauls her away. She leans against the wall, glaring, before once again closing her eyes. [Rat] 4-4¡ that¡¯ll be a tie. [Pig]: [T-tiger], who will you murder? Will it be me? [Tiger]: I dunno. You and the [Snake] are both pissing me off. [Pig]: Y-you¡¯ll vote for me! I just know it! She clings to her desk as if it were a life preserver. [Pig]: I¡¯m not leaving! I-I¡¯m not! The [Horse], meanwhile, hesitates, a troubled expression on her face. [Horse]: Everything you said makes sense! Everything you say I understand, but¡ She trails off, looking at the [Goat]¡¯s corpse in the corner. [Horse]: One. The [Goat] collapsed, for reasons we still don¡¯t know. [Horse]: Two. We all voted for the [Monkey], but he died when he showed his card to us. So, I guess we didn¡¯t kill him. [Horse]: Three, the [Rooster], and four, the [Dog] were killed by the Wolves. [Horse]: Knowing that these bodies were once my friends makes me sick. Already, the only thing that keeps me together is treating them like numbers! She holds her heart. [Horse]: If I were to vote for someone that¡¯d be the same as murder, right? It¡¯d be a wish for them to die. [Rat]: We¡¯re forced to kill people to win. If you don¡¯t vote it¡¯s like you¡¯re witnessing a murder and doing nothing to stop it. [Horse]: But even if I¡¯m alive after this game, how could I sleep at night knowing who I killed? [Horse]: If I have to choose between hurting someone by doing nothing, or hurting someone by doing something. [Horse]: I¡¯d choose to do nothing. She closes her eyes and steps slowly back, and the [Tiger] breaks into a smile. [Tiger]: I don¡¯t mind taking blood to survive. I am HUMBLED and HONORED that the five of you chose me to hold the knife. [Yuri]: Ah, yes, you¡¯re the world¡¯s most humble person. [Tiger]: And I thought we wouldn¡¯t get along. She draws a little blade from her pocket. [Tiger]: Oh, one of the other knives in the kitchen is missing by the way. So I¡¯m innocent; one of y''alls the reason I took this. WARNING. LOCK IN YOUR VOTES. WARNING. LOCK IN YOUR VOTES. WARN *SMACK* A hairline crack swallows up the words and zags across the screen as she pounds it with the blade¡¯s handle. [Tiger]: Stop nagging, I get it, I get it. I know who I¡¯ll vote. She hesitates. Finally, she sighs. She walks over to what should have been the [Dragon]¡¯s seat and taps a vote on his behalf with the knife¡¯s tip. Beep. [Pig]: That panel¡ Beep. Beep. [Pig]: That¡¯s mine, right? The middle right? [Tiger]: No, I could be voting for anyone. The voting screen¡¯s blue light casts her face in an icy pallor. [Pig]: Please! Don¡¯t do this! Beep. The [Pig] rushes over to the final panel, the [Tiger]¡¯s own. Arms spread and in tears, she stops the other girl. [Tiger]: The rules say ¡®you can¡¯t stop someone voting.¡¯ So, scram. The [Pig] shakes her head. The [Tiger] steps to the left, and the [Pig] steps left. The [Tiger] steps to the right, and the [Pig] steps right. The Tiger looks down at her blade and mumbles. [Tiger]: Guess I¡¯m more of a thief than a killer. She tosses it away. Then she simply circles to the other side and taps on the upside down screen. [Pig]: No¡ no¡! Though the monitor that usually displayed results is broken, we can still hear the intercom¡¯s emotionless drone. We will now announce the results of the third Trial. Zero votes¡ the Rat, the Ox, the Tiger, the Snake, the Rabbit, and the Horse. Three votes¡ Dragon Nominators: the Snake, the Rat, the Pig. Five votes¡ Pig Nominators: the Dragon, the Rabbit, the Horse, the Ox, and the Tiger. The Pig will be executed momentarily. [Pig]: Don¡¯t call me the [Pig]!! I have a name! [Tiger]: Yeah, your name isn¡¯t [Pig]. It¡¯s dead meat. The Tiger grabs the [Pig]¡¯s blouse. Though she has a smaller frame, the [Tiger] still manages to lift the other girl on her tip toes. [Tiger]: I¡¯m tired of people who whine and complain. This is the kind of world we live in; the strong eat the weak. [Tiger]: You played a terrible game; you shoulda killed me at night if you wanted to live. Don¡¯t give me that pleading look! But the [Pig] had for the whole time looked away, silent. The [Tiger]¡¯s face flushes as if this were some dreadful insult. She becomes quiet too, but in a quiet of burning tension and rage. She drops the [Pig] onto the floor and suddenly strikes; clawing at her clothing, tearing her sleeves. [Tiger]: Where is it¡ I know it¡¯s here¡ I¡¯m not gonna wait. The Tiger¡¯s grumgles, dark and low, contrasts with the cowering girl¡¯s shrieks. [Tiger]: Aha! Found it! The [Tiger] produced a familiar thin Card, and the [Dragon] shouts. Everyone else is frozen, watching a natural disaster about to strike. [Dragon]: [Tiger]! Give that card back. That¡¯s against the rules. He opens the notebook and desperately flips the pages. He finds the writing he¡¯s looking for and shows her the fold as if to ward off an evil spirit. But the short blonde girl just gives a sadistic smirk. [Tiger]: Look, everyone! A rival to Herlock Sholmes, or Gagatha Christie, the incredible genius girl detective cracked the case. She caught us a bona fide wolf! She shows everyone the card. And then shows it to herself. [Tiger]: Ah. The [Pig] falls silent. Her face, which had been twisted in horror and pain, settles into an almost morbid calm. [Pig]: Y-you broke the rules. Then she explodes; she being the [Pig]. Blood soaks the [Tiger] from head to toe to fingertips that are left clutching rags and cloth-scraps. She then falls back, not from the blow, but from her own shock. [Rat]: The full rule as written is ¡®don¡¯t let your card be seen.¡¯ I was wondering about that actually. [Rat]: Turns out that if you force someone else to show their card, they die and not you. [Tiger]: I knew that. I knew that, but¡ I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d be the Healer! I-I-I¡ The [Tiger] licks her lips, which are covered in blood. Then she spits and gags. [Tiger]: It was¡ it was¡ it was you guys! You guys let me make this mistake! You five! [Ox]: You can¡¯t blame us! We trusted you! [Yuri]: But she¡¯s right. It¡¯s not entirely her fault. Don¡¯t look down at the floor; I''m talking about you! The boy in question is practically choking himself with his tie, a grim aura surrounding him. [Yuri]: [Dragon], you lied that you were Seer and said the [Tiger] was Town. Then you suggested that I check the [Tiger] while you check the [Dog]. [Yuri]: You killed the [Dog] during the night, leaving the [Tiger] to be the only player everyone knew wasn¡¯t a Wolf. And finally suggested leaving our votes in her hands, knowing that her grudge against the [Pig] would prevail. [Dragon]: [Snake], this Trial¡¯s been hard on us all. Don¡¯t make it worse by rambling nonsense. [Rat]: She¡¯s crazy, isn¡¯t she? Is there a hint of pride in the [Rat]¡¯s voice? Or is that my own delusion? But, I¡¯m hardly crazy. No, no, no. I¡¯m just logical in a world where everyone else is insane. The only bit of madness that I¡¯ve maintained within me is the small hope that Lily is alive, because even as this mafia game can bring myself to move, the world afterwards is one that I can''t take. I watch the [Dragon] as he departs. His footsteps are heavy, but he glances back and meets my eyes; and in his I catch a cold resolve. |
| The next day the [Tiger] is dead. It isn¡¯t surprising. She was the only one everyone knew to be Town and now there''s no Healer to protect her. I walk into her room and ignoring the red stains and organ-sludge smeared on the floor, it¡¯s surprisingly tranquil. She had taken some picture books from the library and piled them next to the nightstand. In the minifridge she¡¯d preserved some leftover pancakes from another breakfast, scavenging tupperware from who-knows-where. There¡¯s nothing ¡®useful¡¯ in her room; no divine revelations or secret diary as I had hoped. But looking through her belongings, getting to know her by the objects with which she¡¯d surrounded herself, the search also served as a kind of memorial service. I say a silent prayer. If I had the time, and courage, I¡¯d return to Lily¡¯s room to do the same. When I finally let her go. Left adrift in my thoughts, a hoarse voice drags me back down to the ground. [Rat]: I¡¯m surprised you came. Everyone else can no longer stomach the bodies. He sits next to me on the bed, looking upwards. [Yuri]: But there are no bodies. Only guts and blood. [Rat]: Believe me, if we put all the pieces together they¡¯d make a body. Maybe two. We stare together at the stained ceiling. Since it¡¯s painted black, I can pretend that the faded spots are galaxies and the little holes and pinpricks are stars. [Rat]: So you do want to win this game, [Snake]. I almost didn¡¯t believe it. [Rat]: How you pressed the [Dragon] yesterday was nothing short of magnificent. If people were just a little more perceptive- He runs a finger across his throat. [Rat]: We¡¯d have gotten him. [Yuri]: But you¡¯re wrong. Wanting to ¡®win¡¯ the game? I''d use another word to describe how I feel. It¡¯s the [Rat]¡¯s turn to be confused. [Rat]: Then what is the right word? [Yuri]: I want to live in this game. I don¡¯t like the blood and the bodies. But I¡¯ll snatch any happiness or victory I can find even here. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. I used to think that many people in life are delusionally joyful. I still think that: objectively most lives are the stuff of corporate planning rather than dreams. But rather than try to stop being sad, I think I¡¯ll allow myself to be happy. Even if my regrets will always overshadow everything else, even if everything I hate about myself is true, there are still little things that I like and I can acknowledge that. I can hold those two emotions at once no matter what their size, the despair and the joy. [Rat]: I don¡¯t get you¡ I just don¡¯t get you¡ whenever I think I understand you, you say something truly bizarre. [Rat]: Listen [Snake]. I don¡¯t care about your moral philosophy or your psychological health. I care about winning. [Rat]: Are we gonna get this done? [Yuri]: You were going to kill me yesterday. [Rat]: That¡¯s cause you were being a loser. [Yuri]: No, I was just being myself. He shakes his head, and offers a hand. [Yuri]: I still don¡¯t like you. But¡ I take it, and then I feel the [Rat] pass something to me, his Card. It has an image that I¡¯d never seen in this game til now. [Yuri]: A Wolf!? Why is he telling me this? Even worse, why is he showing me this? I wince, but the [Rat] doesn¡¯t explode, burst into pieces, or fall over dead. Cautiously I touch him, and withdraw that touch just as quick. [Rat]: That¡¯s not my Card. That was the [Goat]¡¯s. [Rat]: Yesterday, the [Tiger] showed us that you could force others to reveal their role without penalty. I scrounged this from his body. [Yuri]: That explains why the game isn¡¯t over already¡ if there were three Wolves alive the town would already be outnumbered. So then there¡¯s only two. [Rat]: And one of those two is the [Dragon]. He smiles. Even though he¡¯s not a Wolf, he looks just as predatory and vicious. [Rat]: Well? Should we finally hunt him down? [Rat]: [Ox], [Rabbit], [Horse]. Let¡¯s find them first. Talk to them, make them part of our party. Persuade them one by one. [Rat]: We¡¯ll use their votes to kill him. Then we¡¯ll find the other Wolf, and win, simple as that. The best plans are the simplest. When there¡¯s less to a plan, there¡¯s less to go wrong. But¡ [Yuri]: You¡¯re jinxing us. [Rat]: I¡¯m not. [Yuri]: You are. [Rat]: I¡¯m not. [Yuri]: You are. [Rat]: I¡¯m- |
| [Rat]: They were just here, [Snake]. I swear I was just with them. We¡¯re in the kitchen. The refrigerator is stocked full of food and drink and so is the pantry. Cereal, cake mix, waters, soda, fruit, vegetables, meat, anything you could ask for is here, though they¡¯re all dubiously off-brand. The chairs and tables however, are all empty. [Snake]: For someone who wants to go and convince people to vote for the [Dragon], you¡¯re not being very persuasive to me right now. [Rat]: Shut up. Let me think. I take a juice box from the fridge. Grape. At least I think it¡¯s grape; the box is purple and the juice mostly tastes like sugar. There¡¯s a set of butcher knives in a wood block. [Snake]: Hmmm, the [Tiger] was right. Two of the knives are missing. [Rat]: We¡¯ll worry about that later. One of the knives was with the [Tiger]. Whoever has the other is a bit of a mystery; but a wrench in my pocket and no one else to protect, I¡¯m not afraid. [Rat]: There¡¯s nothing else interesting here in this hotel. Where the hell would they go? The dishes in the sink are damp, and crumbs are scattered on the floor. A half-drank juice on the counter is still cool to the touch. The [Rat] is telling the truth; they were just here. [Rat]: Let¡¯s check their rooms. [Yuri]: Ingenious. Brilliant. Who else could¡¯ve thought of such a plan? [Rat]: Are you always this sarcastic with your friends? [Yuri]: You¡¯re an ally, not a friend. Two different things. [Rat]: Are you always this sarcastic with your allies? [Yuri]: You tried to kill me, remember? *thun* *thun* *thun* We canvas the first-floor hallway, rapping on each door. It¡¯s a long quiet space. The air-conditioning gently rattles and our shoes scrape the carpet; we hear all this because we¡¯ve completely murdered our conversation. There are no replies. The [Rat] coughs when we finally reach the corridor¡¯s end. [Rat]: Look, I¡¯m not a needy guy. But I¡¯d at least like to make nice with you in case, I dunno, die. [Yuri]: Make nice? Who¡¯s being mean? [Rat]: You are, kinda. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. I get in his face, close enough that some of my long hair falls on his shoulders. [Yuri]: If you¡¯re the kind of person to betray me at any time to win, then I can¡¯t be bothered to get attached. [Rat]: Listen, [Snake]. The only people who say they don¡¯t care about winning haven¡¯t tasted it yet. Or they don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like to lose what they¡¯ve won. [Rat]: When you introduce yourself¡ we talk about our hobbies, our job. Things like that, what we''re experts in. [Rat]: We are what we¡¯re good at, our victories - without them we''re nothing. I don¡¯t know about life but you must feel this with mafia, I see that in your eyes. I pause. And then I smirk. [Yuri]: You see a lot of things in me. Are you sure you¡¯re not just lonely? Looking for someone who wants the same things as you? He just shakes his head. He bangs the vending machine; some chips fall into the dispenser and fishes them out. He opens the bag and pops them into his mouth; he doesn¡¯t offer any to me. [Rat]: [Snake]? [Yuri]: Yes? [Rat]: Last night, as Seer, I found that the [Ox] is town. [Yuri]: Oh. That¡¯s actually helpful. [Rat]: You¡¯re welcome, fink. Our search for other players is much easier on the second floor; someone almost barrels into us as soon as we leave the stairwell. [Horse]: Sorry! She skids to a halt, and makes to step around us. But I stop her. [Yuri]: Do you know where everyone else is? Outside? In the lobby? We need to talk to them and they¡¯re all missing. [Horse]: They must already be at the meeting. If we don¡¯t hurry too, we¡¯ll won¡¯t be on time! She¡¯s holding an invitation; the [Rat] peers at the paper. Penned and printed, cold and concise is the note below: Meet in the library at nine am sharp. I have something important to discuss. Yours, Dragon [Rat]: What the hell is this supposed to be? [Horse]: You didn¡¯t get a note? I thought he slipped this under everyone¡¯s door. [Snake]: I didn¡¯t see one but in the mornings I¡¯m barely aware. [Rat]: If it were there, I know I would¡¯ve seen it. [Rat]: He¡¯s trying to pull a fast one on us. [Horse], you know he¡¯s a Wolf, right? [Horse]: Eh¡? I guess that¡¯s likely, but¡ [Rat]: ¡you¡¯re not sure? Unsure enough to let him change your mind if he got the chance to talk to you? If this were a cartoon, the [Horse]¡¯s eyes would be in spirals. We¡¯d totally overwhelmed her. [Rat]: We¡¯re not gonna give him that chance. He snatches the paper from the [Horse]. [Rat]: [Snake], we¡¯re crashing this so-called meeting. The stakes will be the same as a Trial; it¡¯ll be us against him for the minds of the Town. Come quickly. |
| We burst into the library, and everyone else is already there. The [Dragon] is at the end of a long table, reading, and speaks without looking up. [Dragon]: You¡¯re late. [Yuri]: How can we be late when we weren¡¯t invited in the first place? He sets the book aside; I can¡¯t read the title in this low light, but I do see the cover¡¯s leathery scales. The [Horse] and I take a seat, but the [Rat] continues to stand. He slouches near the shelves, rage in his eyes. [Dragon]: [Horse], [Ox], [Rabbit], everyone I¡¯ve called you all here for a reason. It¡¯s- [Rat]: -to confess to what you did? You masterminded that dumpster fire yesterday. No one¡¯s going to believe you¡¯re Town even if you call a meeting to save your skin. The [Dragon] smiles uneasily, a taut, fragile expression. Then all the tension leaves him, and he leans back in his chair and laughs. [Dragon]: That¡¯s right. I¡¯m a Wolf. The [Rat]¡¯s mouth is agape, whether in surprise or to interrupt, I don¡¯t know. The [Dragon] bulldozes through, talking confidently but quick. [Dragon]: Just because I¡¯m a Wolf hasn¡¯t meant I¡¯ve lost the right to speak. Even a condemned man is granted his last words, though I¡¯d rather pose a final question to everyone instead. [Dragon]: Try to remember. What¡¯s our true goal? [Rat]: To win the game. The [Rat] strikes the shelf, and books and dust fall to the floor. When the case stosp shaking all eyes turn again to the [Dragon]. [Dragon]: Take this seriously. Think about what we want as people, not as players. [Horse]: To avoid murder? The [Rabbit] raises her hand and murmurs. [Rabbit]: To escape¡ [Dragon]: Almost. Does it take only three days for us to lose hope? It¡¯s for all of us to survive! [Horse]: T-that¡¯s true! Maybe we could build a boat. But the silence that falls afterward gives her a better answer than what anyone can bring themselves to say. No one here is a sailor, carpenter, or engineer. And to build a boat in a few hours that could last days in a great wide sea would be something only a fool would attempt. [Dragon]: I have another proposal. In this room are two Wolves, three Town, and one Seer. Let¡¯s do some math. I expect the [Horse] to call out, but she¡¯s lost in thought. [Dragon]: I die today. The remaining Wolf kills at night. You kill them tomorrow, if you¡¯re lucky. Town wins. The [Horse] doesn¡¯t shout, but whispers the answer, without the question having been asked. [Horse]: Three people survive. [Dragon]: On the other hand, the game ends when the number of Wolves and Townspeople are equal. [Dragon]: ¡°The Wolves win if their numbers are equal to or greater than the Town.¡± Those are the exact words. They never said that the losers are killed. [Dragon]: So let¡¯s say today we execute a Town. Then, I kill a Town during the night, and the Wolves win the game. If that happens- [Horse]: Four. Four people survive. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. This is too suspicious. It¡¯s true that the rules don¡¯t say surviving townspeople will perish when they lose. But the other rules don¡¯t mention death either. Players are ¡®murdered¡¯ at night and are ¡®executed¡¯ during the day. This is the same language used in normal mafia where no one dies. Yet here the bodies keep piling up; I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the losers of this game are summarily killed. [Rat]: We¡¯re so close to a Town win! I can taste it! [Rat]: We just have to kill him, and we¡¯ll easily find that last Wolf! We¡¯ve already reached the goal, we just have to convert. I don¡¯t know why the [Dragon] called this meeting when he was never going to get a unanimous decision to stop playing the game. Even if we did agree to a drawing where the shortest-straws are marked for death, would those two really just agree to die quietly? [Rat]: Hell no! You think we¡¯ll throw away our pride and grovel at you? With his wild flurried gestures, the paper he had snatched earlier from the [Horse] falls from his hoodie and flutters to the ground. Meet in the library at nine am sharp. I have something important to discuss. Yours, Dragon Oh¡ I know why the Dragon sent only four letters. And why he proposed this plan. My mouth goes dry. [Yuri]: I¡¯ll consider this. [Dragon]: Will you? I thought you¡¯d be warier, but I¡¯d welcome your collaboration. [Yuri]: I don¡¯t like it. But like I said, I¡¯ll think about it. And I don¡¯t like either how the [Dragon] is looking at me. It¡¯s not because I detect pity or hate; it¡¯s that in his benign mien there¡¯s no emotion whatsoever, and this perfect concealment is what makes me shudder. Another voice comes, this one a reprieve like a sunbeam through the rain. [Horse]: I won¡¯t follow this plan. [Yuri]: Ah! If she¡¯s not following it, then I won¡¯t either. The [Dragon] shoots me a sideways glance. Whose side are you on?, it¡¯s as if that¡¯s what he¡¯s asking me. But in the end he turns towards the [Horse]. [Dragon]: Oh? Is there something wrong with the plan¡¯s principles? [Horse]: I like the idea that we¡¯d work together and make sure the most people survive. [Horse]: But the Town still gets blood on their hands during the day. [Horse]: I¡¯d only go along with it if at the Trials we always tie our votes, and the Wolves murder at night til the game ends. [Horse]: With that new plan, we don¡¯t need executions. The Town won¡¯t need to hurt and kill anymore; when we go home, we¡¯ll go home free. [Dragon]: You mean, you¡¯ll go home with a free conscience. The Wolves would shed all the blood. The [Ox] leans forward. [Ox]: I agree with the [Horse]. If we have to vote and kill someone to survive, I will vote. But if I can avoid that I¡¯ll be happy. [Ox]: If I return to my brothers and sisters a murderer, what would they think? The [Dragon] presses his hands against his forehead. [Dragon]: This plan is more complicated, but I think we can still make it work. [Snake]? [Rabbit]? Is this plan fine for you? [Snake]: ¡I suppose I accept. If those two both accepted, It¡¯s not like I have a choice! The [Dragon] nudges the Rabbit. [Rabbit]: This has all been like a bad dream. I consent. There¡¯s Hope in this library. The charismatic dark-haired teen has conjured it once more; and almost everyone welcomes this faithful spirit. But to me, it¡¯s a frightful wraith summoned with the blood of the two that we will choose to sacrifice. The [Rat] must see it too, within those dark eyes. Or perhaps he sees something even more dreadful; that rather than a Hope carrying the keys to escape it''s a Reaper carrying a scythe. [Rat]: I¡¯m on a team chock-full of stupid weak-willed wimps. You don¡¯t deserve to win, but if I have to drag you kicking and screaming to victory, then I will. [Rat]:. This isn¡¯t about hope but pride. If we just let the game happen to us, if we don¡¯t take control, then how will we ever be satsified with surviving? [Rat]: We can either be victors over adversary or victims of a tragedy. I don¡¯t want to remember these days as ones where we were powerless and traumatized. Rather than inspiring, his speech is like a cornered animal¡¯s claw - sharp, desperate, indiscriminate. [Horse]: ¡but, this game is already something that makes me very sad. Killing Wolves won¡¯t change that. The [Rat] shoves both hands into his pockets and stares up at the ceiling. Everyone¡¯s faces are shrouded with confusion, frustration, depression, and fear. But as for myself, I feel that I¡¯m starting to understand the [Rat], the player-celebrity named ¡®Shinji¡¯. Though of course I still hate him. [Dragon]: There¡¯s still some time left before the Trial; everyone can contemplate til then. I hereby call this meeting to a close. |
| Everyone files out of the room. I¡¯m the last in line to leave, but as the [Ox] lumbers out I instead slip behind a shelf near the door. The heavy mahogany slams shut, and I watch the [Dragon] from a slit between the books. His hands are clasped as if in prayer. [Dragon]: You¡¯re behind the dictionaries. Instead of walking closer, I simply remove the volumes til I can see him through the shelf unobstructed. [Yuri]: At that meeting were two Wolves, three Town, and one Seer. But you never told us who the second Wolf was. [Yuri]: If your plan¡¯s in good faith, say the second Wolf¡¯s name. [Dragon]: The Wolves will decide which two Townspeople die regardless. Reavling them wouldn¡¯t change the plan at all. [Yuri]: It could. [Yuri]: There¡¯s another way for there to be four survivors. We kill one Wolf, then the remaining Wolf kills no one during the night. Then we kill that last Wolf in the final execution. [Yuri]: We could draw straws and choose whether two Wolves or the two Town will die. If all you really want is for the most to survive in the most fair way possible, that¡¯s the best choice. The [Dragon] stares at me, or what he can see of me, which is mostly my two blue eyes. Then he sighs. [Dragon]: You¡¯re calling me a hypocrite, but I can tell that you¡¯re suggesting a plan that you don¡¯t believe in yourself. [Yuri]: It¡¯s the plan that Lily would offer. But the difference between me and her is that I know you¡¯d never agree to it. I sit down at the opposite end of the table. The [Dragon] meanwhile is at farthest edge, where the head of a family might be at during suppertime. Of course, we¡¯re all alone; if the [Dragon] is like a patriarch then he¡¯s one whose descendants had long since left him. [Dragon]: Have you heard of triage? [Yuri]: Have you heard of staying on topic? [Dragon]: Have you heard about it, [Snake]? His voice is suddenly serious. [Yuri]: I¡¯ve read about it. In a situation where there¡¯s a lot of sick or injured, it doesn¡¯t make sense to treat people randomly. Doctors tag people with different colors to decide who to treat first. He nods. [Dragon]: Code Green. Minor injuries survivable without treatment. Code Yellow. Severe injuries Code Red. Needs immediate treatment. [Yuri]: It¡¯s a traffic light for doctors. Green means keep going, ignore the patient. Yellow means caution, slow down and evaluate. Red means stop where you are and treat the patient right away. [Dragon]; Yes. But you¡¯re missing two things. [Dragon]: There¡¯s also a Code Black. This means that the patient has no hope of survival, and it¡¯s best for resources to be directed elsewhere. ¡®Resources to be directed elsewhere.¡¯ What a nice euphemism for leaving someone to die. [Yuri]: I suppose it¡¯s efficient. [Dragon]: Is it? What happens if everyone¡¯s Code Red? A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. [Yuri]: Then you code people Red-Green, Red-Yellow, Red-Red? The [Dragon] shakes his head. [Dragon]: Traditionally, the young are prioritized over the old. People who are otherwise physically fit are favored over those with poor lifestyle choices or chronic illnesses that reduce their life expectancy. Doctors think about how to save the most ¡®lifespan¡¯ rather than ¡®lives¡¯. [Dragon]: This kind of triage is most obvious when it comes to organ donation lists, but also happens in pandemic situations when emergency rooms are full. Or when a hospital has more patients than nurses can treat, which is more often than you might think. [Dragon]: But ultimately there is no formal set of guidelines for when everyone is Code Red. It¡¯s up to the doctor¡¯s discretion. [Yuri]: Or, in this case your own discretion. Mr. Doctor-In-Training, the Wolf in a white coat. In the dim, flickering, library light, it¡¯s all as clear as day. The [Dragon] sent his letter to three other players, the [Ox], the [Horse], and the [Rabbit]. Any four players can vote as a bloc and murder the others as a majority of four. It doesn¡¯t matter what the two on the outside think. ¡it doesn¡¯t matter what the [Rat] and I think. [Yuri]: Speak plainly. This is just a long way of saying that you¡¯ll murder me tonight. He closes his eyes, as if considering a lie. When he speaks again, he quickly rattles off a sequence of monotonous words. [Dragon]: [Ox]. Physically fit, strong moral code. Main caretaker of a family of six. [Dragon]: [Horse]. History of childhood asthma, but physically fit. Enthusiastic and tries her best. Straight A student. [Dragon]: [Rabbit]. Worrying narcoleptic behavior. Needs further diagnosis. But comes from a wealthy background and has a high IQ. [Dragon]: [Rat]. Extensive lung damage likely from incident in fire. Currently on disability. Repeatedly presents with anti-social behaviors. [Dragon]: [Snake]. History of depression. Sleeps in late. Offered to die during the first trial. Signs of codependency. [Dragon]: You should remember I¡¯m just one Wolf. The other Wolf plays to win, though they fake idiocy during the day. [Dragon]: But as for myself, I will be doing triage. That¡¯s all. I had always prided myself on my logic. If nothing else, I know I that I¡¯m someone who can cast aside my emotions and look at a game, a plan, or my own life objectively without optimism. And what the [Dragon] had said makes a kind of cold kind sense. But even though I understand it¡ even though it¡¯s logical¡ there¡¯s an emotion welling inside me that at first presses underneath my rushing thoughts but then surges over them. Rage. [Yuri]: You¡¯re a demon. [Dragon]: I¡¯m a doctor. [Yuri]: You¡¯re a high schooler! You can¡¯t sum up people as a list of pros and cons. I made that mistake. I saw all the negatives in myself, and all the positives in Lily. And it blinded me on a way I could live. [Yuri]: I understand that I¡¯ll never be talented. I¡¯ll never be rich, famous, wealthy, and I¡¯ll never find someone I like like Lily again. Because I know how weak my strengths are, and that my future won¡¯t be bright, I¡¯ve always been so sad. [Yuri]: But even if there¡¯s nothing good for me, even if I can¡¯t make myself happy, my life will be MY CHOICE. Bagging groceries, serving coffee, selling books, these are things that I never wanted in my future even if I know that might be all I can do. But I¡¯ll at least choose what I like best between them. [Yuri]: I won¡¯t let you take that choice away from me! When did I make this fist¡? Why am I shaking? I hate it¡ I hate that a Wolf can make me feel this way¡ especially when he¡¯s not looking at me with pity or contempt- -Just boredom. The [Dragon] just looks bored. And shuts the book. [Dragon]: If I choose you to die, this will be why. You¡¯re very smart, no matter what your self-esteem might tell you, but you¡¯re prone to rapid emotional turbulence. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re insane. But I strongly recommend therapy. I¡¯ve made up my mind. A coldness washes over me. It¡¯s good, this familiar feeling; the hot hatred that flashed in me before had scared me. If he had told me everything two days ago, maybe I would have just accepted it. In my own thoughts, I¡¯ve always called myself worthless. But I still have a wish, however faint. [Yuri]: I can¡¯t abandon Lily. [Dragon]: What¡¯s that? I don¡¯t know that name. I have a date to keep; and whether it¡¯s just to a Lily I imagine or a real one that¡¯s waiting for me, I will fulfill that promise, to show her more of who I am beyond my love for the mafia. I swear it. I¡¯ll find the words that need to be said to persuade everyone. I will have the [Dragon] understand that he cannot tag and pin me like a sterilized butterfly¡¯s corpse. And he will understand too his last mistake, that even if I¡¯m terrible at life, that I am quite good at mafia. |
| I search for each person and argue against the [Dragon]¡¯s plan. But I always run into the same frustrating apathy. The [Ox] I find snacking in the kitchen: [Ox]: Sorry man, I got to see my siblings back home. I can''t leave them behind. The [Rabbit], meanwhile I find resting on a couch in the lobby: [Rabbit]: Isn¡¯t it nice just to stop thinking? The [Rat], I can¡¯t find. But I have the distinct impression that he already opposes the [Dragon]¡¯s plan. Lastly, the [Horse] is jogging outside the hotel. As she makes her laps I¡¯m forced to join her. [Horse]: His plan might be in bad faith cause it lets the Wolves win, but I¡¯ll follow it if it means I don¡¯t have to kill anyone. [Yuri]: *huff* *huff* *huff* [Horse]: What did you say? I grab her sleeve. [Yuri]: Just *huff*... one minute *huff*... I wouldn¡¯t have skipped gym class if I knew I¡¯d have to persuade someone while running at mach speed. As it is, I can¡¯t find the words to say because I literally can¡¯t breathe. [Yuri]: Ha¡ ha¡ The [Horse] rummages through her duffle bag. [Horse]: Here, drink this. [Yuri]: Thank you. Fresh water splashes down my throat. I¡¯m refreshed, and I have enough air and energy to shout. [Yuri]: The [Dragon] is going to kill me and the [Rat]! [Horse]: Eh? [Yuri]: They¡¯re planning on killing me and the [Rat]! If you follow his plan and allow that to happen, it¡¯s the same thing as murder! [Horse]: Did he say that he¡¯d kill you? [Yuri]: No, but- Mistake. I made a mistake; here I should¡¯ve lied. If you want to persuade someone, talking nonstop can be surprisingly effective, but not if you talk so rapidly that you forget the logic of what you¡¯re saying. [Yuri]: He did tell me. He looked at me with a cold, calculating, expression, and said to me - ¡°Snake! I¡¯m gonna kill you!¡± [Horse]: [Snake] - no, this is no good. You can¡¯t tell me your name directly, but I want to call you by name. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. There¡¯s no rule against calling someone else by their real name, only against telling others who you are. I was able to call Lily ¡®Lily¡¯ and Lily could say ¡®Yuri¡¯ because we already knew one another. If however the [Horse] wants to call me by name I don¡¯t dare even give a hint, because I don¡¯t feel like exploding right this minute. The [Horse] fiddes with her ponytail. We have some time to spare before the trial, but not much. Hurry up and pick a name! I don¡¯t care if you call me ¡®Betsy¡¯ or ¡®Sara Chiduouin.¡¯ Wait. Could it be that the [Horse] is actually some kind of genius? She sounds like a ditz, but maybe she¡¯s someone who can name people correctly just based on appearance. I certainly think it¡¯s possible. For example - look at the two shapes. Which one of them is ¡®boba¡¯ and which one is ¡®kiki¡¯? You¡¯d name the blobular one boba and the jagged one kiki, right? There¡¯s probably a long explanation about linguistic evolution that explains this in detail; but it comes down to ¡®boba¡¯ sounding like something round and ¡®kiki¡¯ sounding like something sharp. Just intuitively. So when it comes to people, there must be names that make the most sense to have for our faces and bodies too. I think I¡¯m very much a ¡®Yuri¡¯ shaped person. [Horse]: Hm¡ [Horse]: Iris. That¡¯s your name. Iris? Do I look like an Iris? Seriously!? Why can¡¯t I ever get the name I want? [Horse]: I think Iris sounds super cool! After all that, she was just being silly¡ [Horse]: Iris, are you sure that¡¯s what happened? She leans towards me. And in that rush, it doesn¡¯t matter anymore whether her eyes hold any wisdom; just that they¡¯re so close. [Yuri]: He really said something like that. I swear that according to his plan, I will die. [Horse]: I believe you. I believe you, but¡ She frowns, then shakes her head furiously, pony-tail flinging every which way. [Horse]: I still don¡¯t think I can murder anyone. [Yuri]: We¡¯re forced to make tough choices in this game, Ana. [Horse]: Ana? This doesn¡¯t come from any affection towards her. This comes from a technique called ¡®mirroring¡¯, used in sales, speeddating, and of course, social deduction. If someone moves a certain way, or talks a certain way, does a certain thing, you imitate it and that helps you build rapport. [Horse]: Ana! Yes!!! Iris, I love that name you gave me! It¡¯s not from affection at all! I¡¯m focused on persuasion, no matter how much her boundless enthusiasm makes her seem like a pet puppy. [Yuri]: You could step away from your panel and I¡¯d vote in your place. How about that? She shrugs. [Horse]: Maybe. But I get the feeling that she just allowed those words to roll over her without considering it. [Horse]: Are you really sure that the [Dragon]¡¯s not picking randomly? [Yuri]: Yes! [Horse]: Are you absolutely sure he¡¯s going to kill you? [Yuri]: Yes. She looks away from me, at the rough grass growing on the sand. We had jogged all the island¡¯s farthest reaches, at a pier by a craggy beach. While the weather¡¯s warm the wind still blisters our faces. [Horse]: Even if I wanted to vote for the [Dragon], we¡¯d need four people to murder him. [Horse]: Would the [Ox] or the [Rabbit] really be willing to do that? If she¡¯s asking questions about how it might happen then she must be open to switching sides. But I had already tried and failed to persuade everyone else; unless the [Rat] is pursuing a plan that I¡¯m unaware of, there¡¯s about a zero-percent chance we have a majority. I glance at our surroundings. There¡¯s a dune tall enough that someone could hide behind it; and I climb the sand and see that the coast is clear. [Yuri]: Listen closely. [Yuri]: If you change your mind, then there¡¯s a way to kill the [Dragon] with just three votes. [Yuri]: You have to keep this a secret, but this is what we¡¯d do¡ |
| After just four days, our numbers had dropped from twelve to six. The [Rat] shifts restlessly where he sits. His eyes dart between each and every one of us, as if expecting someone to leap out of their chair and attack him. The [Rabbit] is, for once, attentive. Though she still props up her head with her arms, her gaze is steady and lucid. The [Horse] keeps bouncing one leg. When she catches my gaze she stops, and mumbles something apologetically. The [Ox] tilts his head up pridefully, arms folded out in front of him. And the [Dragon] simply speaks. [Dragon]: It¡¯s time to begin the fourth Trial. And to end it just as quick. [Dragon]: We will be going with the survival plan we discussed. No one will be executed today, and the Wolves will murder until there are four players left. Any objections? The [Rat] stands and spits on the floor. [Dragon]: Is that an objection? [Rat]: Do I seem like the kind of guy who would change his mind so easily? Yeah, I object. My chair groans as I rise. [Yuri]: I also object. Though I¡¯m not going to spit. That¡¯s just gross. The [Dragon] nods, as if he had expected our little show of resistance. [Dragon]: You¡¯re free to vote whoever you like. But myself and the [Rabbit] will vote for the [Rat]. And the [Horse] and the [Ox] will cast votes for the [Snake]. [Yuri]: Whoever we like? That¡¯s a nice joke. A clever plan. Even if the [Rat] and I work together, the most we can do is have the vote tie at 2-2-2, and then the Wolves will kill us at night. [Dragon]: Understand that this isn¡¯t a statement about whether the Wolves will murder you. It¡¯s just that we trust you two the least. [Dragon]: I¡¯ll decide fairly on who¡¯ll die when the time comes. Oddly the [Rat] doesn¡¯t protest. Perhaps he knows when he¡¯s beat. But I still have one ace up my sleeve. [Snake]: [Horse]! Don¡¯t believe him! Vote for the [Dragon]! [Horse]: Why are you shouting? You¡¯re being too loud! She cringes and holds a balled fist against her ear. There¡¯s nothing else I can say. In fact, there was nothing else I should say. I had guessed the [Dragon] would propose a 2-2 split plan. If they were only going to cast votes between me and the [Rat], and didn¡¯t want us to die by execution, then this was the best strategy. The [Dragon] thinks the votes will look like this: Dragon - Rat Rabbit - Rat Horse - Snake Ox - Snake Rat - Dragon Snake - Dragon For a 2-2-2 three way tie where no one dies. But he doesn¡¯t know that the [Horse] is wavering. While we were together on the beach, I gave her a different plan. At the very end of the trial, right before time runs out, I told her to quietly change her vote to him. With that betrayal the final tally would be¡ 1 vote Snake 2 votes Rat 3 votes Dragon slaying the [Dragon] in a 3-2-1 vote! But she¡¯s wavering, not won over, and her expression worries me. She¡¯s not so much an Ace up my sleeve as she is a Joker. With one hand she clutches at her head, pulling out strands of hair. She has the other in a clenched fist. [Horse] :I don¡¯t know if I can kill someone. I don¡¯t know if I want to become a killer! [Dragon]: In this plan, you won¡¯t need to. The Wolves will do all the murdering at night, as we¡¯ve discussed. [Horse]: I know that¡ but¡ if I make a mistake, I won¡¯t be able to change it¡ [Horse]: I don¡¯t worry about most of my choices, because I can always go back and make them right¡ but for this¡ The [Horse] sighs. And opens her palm. In it are six thin pieces of driftwood; at one time she had suggested building a raft but obviously these sticks are for a different purpose. [Horse]: Let¡¯s draw straws. I brought sticks from the beach. Whoever draws the short-stick, Wolf or Town, we¡¯ll leave behind. If we all agree, that¡¯s what¡¯s fairest.. Idiot! I admire she¡¯s the kind of person who would make that proposal. It¡¯s an offer Lily might make. But Lily wouldn¡¯t be dumb enough to present that plan now. Even though the [Horse] thinks she¡¯s proposing a compromise, she¡¯s actually signing my death warrant. [Snake]: Sure, a random drawing sounds good. But I have no choice but to go along. If it comes down to it, I¡¯ll even accept random chance. But¡ [Dragon]: [Ox], do you want to draw straws? The [Ox]¡¯s face twists. [Dragon]: Do you want to risk leaving your family all alone? [Ox]: No¡ I don¡¯t want to. Sorry everyone. [Dragon]: Rabbit, do you want to draw straws? [Rabbit]: That¡¯s too much effort¡ [Dragon]: I see. That¡¯s a shame. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. [Dragon]: Let¡¯s do this instead. The [Ox], the [Rabbit] and I will all vote for the [Rat]. You three¡ all vote for whoever you like. [Ox], is that fine with you? [Ox]: As long as you swear I¡¯ll survive. The [Dragon] nods, and the [Horse] blinks, blindsided. [Horse]: Hey! You¡¯re not listening to me at all! There¡¯s nothing we can do anymore. When the vote was split 2-2-2 then we could pull the wool over the [Dragon]¡¯s eyes and sneak a 3-2-1 vote and ambush him. But he¡¯s switched it so 3 votes are on the [Rat]. We can do a 3-3 vote and tie, but any other way of voting causes the [Rat]¡¯s death. I suppose the [Dragon] has decided the [Rat] is just slightly more disposable than I am. If this is supposed to be a compliment, I¡¯m not really that happy. The current target meanwhile, is smirking and fearless. His hands are thrust deep into his hoodie pockets and he¡¯s no longer slouching. [Rat]: What an amazing plan. [Rabbit]: ¡don¡¯t rant again. Or spit. [Rabbit]: Everything¡¯s already prepared, so just let it end. [Rat]: No, no, I agree. Let¡¯s wrap this trial quickly. But first, can I just speak with the [Snake]? [Dragon]: Why do you ask permission? It¡¯s not like we have any power to stop you. [Rat]: That¡¯s true¡. The [Rat] grins. [Rat]: [Snake], why don¡¯t you join me in this little corner? When I first talked to the [Rat], it was through my bedroom wall. And now, at this crucial moment we are both talking to the wall. We¡¯re side by side, facing the same direction, whispering towards the corner so no one can hear us or read our lips. [Snake]: What¡¯s this about? We¡¯re going to die. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but in two nights we¡¯ll both be dead. [Rat]: [Snake], are you trying to win the game? Does the [Rat] want me to lecture him? But no, the screen the [Tiger] cracked had been replaced; and on it is another countdown. 25:24 25:23 25:22 There¡¯s no time. [Snake]: I¡¯d like to stay alive as the bare minimum. That¡¯s a very weird question to ask at this stage. He bites his lip. [Rat]: Evasive again, huh? [Rat]: I think I¡¯ve been asking the wrong question all this time. [Snake], will you win the game? [Snake]: If we execute the [Dragon] today, I¡¯m 100% confident Town wins. Even though the [Dragon] never said the second Wolf¡¯s identity¡ I think at this point it¡¯s pretty obvious who they are. [Snake]: But with these votes, that¡¯s not possible. So- [Rat]: Good. That¡¯s good. That¡¯s all I needed to hear. [Rat]: [Snake], I leave it in your hands. The [Rat] shuffles away. [Yuri]: What do you mean? [Yuri]: Wait, [Rat], what do you mean? What are you trying to say? Shinji! He gives me a freezing glare. Then he calls out to someone else. [Rat]: I¡¯m done with the [Snake]. I¡¯d like one more meeting, then I¡¯ll vote, is that fine? [Dragon]: I don¡¯t understand why you keep asking permission for these sessions. We¡¯re all fine with them. [Rat]: I need your good graces for this one cause the person I¡¯d like to meet with is you. The [Dragon] shrugs. [Dragon]: I¡¯m always open to talk. He walks over to the corner of the room where the [Rat] stands. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s going to discuss - and it turns out that they¡¯re not discussing anything at all. The [Rat] takes his hand out from his pocket - and in it gleams the butcher¡¯s knife, the one missing from the kitchen block. He raises it high, and plunges it down, down, down, into the [Dragon]¡¯s neck. [Rat]: Finally. To have a real win in my grasp - no more emptiness, no more dashed dreams, to see something in my mind and make it real - this is it! He stabs him again. And again. The [Dragon] is forced to his knees, and then lies down on the floor, glassy-eyed. [Horse]: S-stop! You can¡¯t¡ She reaches out helplessly, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her cries choke off her pleas. [Rat]: Why would I stop? Why doesn''t anyone ever understand? This is our victory. As if to emphasize his point, there¡¯s a small explosion. It¡¯s one that completely obliterates the [Rat]¡¯s body. [Yuri]: Rule 3. A player may not prevent another player from voting. Just like that, he¡¯s gone, they¡¯re both gone. Twenty seconds for the end of two lives. I¡¯m disturbed to see the person I knew as ¡®the Rat¡¯ in pieces on the floor, but I have no doubt that he knew that this is what would happen from the moment he called me aside. Teeth are scattered on the ground, and somehow it reads to me as a strange sort of smirk. But what makes this scene more horrifying is that the [Dragon] is still breathing. He might not be conscious, and he¡¯s definitely not able to speak. But he¡¯s rasping, half-alive in that pile of human debris. And as always there¡¯s nothing we can do. No one to save us, no inspiration that we could save his life or ease his pain. Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing- [Rabbit]: I¡¯m voting for the [Dragon]. The [Rabbit] speaks flatly. [Rabbit]: He told me that if he was ever in a situation like this, he¡¯d rather be executed. [Rabbit]: So let¡¯s finish the Trial. Vote please. She lightly touches her tablet and taps it, then walks over to the [Dragon]¡¯s device and taps that one too. No one else talks¡ but a few seconds later, the results arrive. One vote¡ The Rabbit. Nominators: The Dragon. Four votes¡ The Dragon. Nominators: The Snake, The Horse, the Ox, and the Rabbit. There¡¯s a thirty-second pause that feels agonizingly long. But soon, new text appears on the screen. The [Dragon] will be executed and removed from the game shortly. He takes his last breath and lies silent. Of everyone in this room, he looks the most at peace. [Horse]: ¡murder. It was murder. The [Horse] is crying. [Ox]: When I find the last Wolf¡ I¡¯ll tear them apart! [Rabbit]: Huh? What did the last Wolf do? [Ox]: They gave us a plan that led nowhere. Of the five of us left, now only one or two of us are gonna make it! How am I supposed to survive? [Horse]: No more! Please! We can¡¯t kill another Wolf¡ not after this. [Horse]: Please, we can¡¯t¡ we have to stop¡ The [Horse] is trembling, in a deep, unsettled shock. If this game keeps going, I don¡¯t know if her mind can take it. But tomorrow this will all be at an end. There¡¯s just one Wolf left. And as for me - [Lily] wanted me to survive so I could live my life, The [Rat] wanted me to live to seal his victory, Even the [Dragon] in his own odd way wanted me to live if it were ¡°possible.¡± I don¡¯t really understand it myself, but with all these ghosts haunting me I feel a compulsion to finish this at least for them. And the social detective in me wants to finish this puzzle, even if its pieces are awash in blood. [Snake]: Ana. Everyone. I can¡¯t say that things will be okay. [Snake]: But if we just march onwards to the next Trial, one way or another the game will be over. I turn towards the [Ox]. [Snake]: As for you, the Seer found you innocent so no one will vote for you. Relax. Though he might still die during the night. As we leave the Trial Chamber, I can''t help but feel as though I''m forgetting something important. But after all the chaos of the day, I just want to sink into bed and sleep like death. |
| I return to my room. The mini-bar hadn¡¯t been restocked so all I have left are the dregs. Do people really enjoy ¡®bacon cheddar potato chips?¡± I sure don¡¯t, but I¡¯m eating them anyway. *crunch* *snap* *crunch* [Yuri]: Intriguing¡ To take my mind off the flavor I think about the game. There¡¯s only four of us alive. The [Ox], who is town. And the [Rabbit] and the [Horse], one of whom is a villager and one of whom is Wolf. Based on how they¡¯ve voted and acted these past days, I already know which is which. Do you really need me to tell you? If you want to reflect on these past days, I¡¯ll wait a little longer. My main worry for now is surviving the night. [Yuri]: Hmmm¡? The bag¡¯s already empty? Maybe these chips aren¡¯t as bad as I thought. I pick one of the sodas; this one is ¡®lemon-lime-orange.¡¯ *pop* I snap open the can. And glance at the facts on the label. [Yuri]: There¡¯s no actual fruit in it¡ I¡¯m not concerned. About the game at least, the Wolves should go for the [Ox]. Since I¡¯m not the Healer or the Seer, there¡¯s no reason for the Wolves to kill me. Since I¡¯m not the Seer¡ I pour the ice-cold soda on my shirt. [Yuri]: Ah! I know I¡¯m not the Seer, but everyone else still thinks that I''m one! I pretended to be Seer to protect the [Rat]. However, now the [Rat] is dead. And I¡¯m stuck with a great big target that I can no longer disprove, locked in my bedroom and soon-to-be tomb. It had been fine for before everyone to think I was Seer, because the [Dragon], a Wolf, was also pretending to be Seer. He would have been exposed if he had murdered me. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! But now there¡¯s nothing stopping the final Wolf from ripping me apart. I bury my head in my pillow. The Wolf is coming to murder me. The Wolf is coming to murder me. The Wolf is coming to- I take a deep breath. It¡¯s not as effective as it could¡¯ve been, because I inhale a good deal of pillow-lint and start coughing. But a second, third, fourth, a fifth breath, stretching to however many I need - to slow everything down - it¡¯s enough for me to cope. For now. I start moving furniture. I push the sofa centimeters at a time until I manage to put it against the door. I dump the ottoman atop of it and stack a few more chairs until they¡¯re leaning precariously against the entrance. The hotel-room door opens outwards into the hallway so it won¡¯t be very effective as a barricade. But if someone enters, then the furniture will tumble down upon them. It probably won¡¯t do more than bruise, but maybe it¡¯ll strike them on the head in just the right place; that would hardly be climatic but it would be very effective. [Snake]: Maybe if I make it too difficult for her, the Wolf will just give up¡? I enter the bathroom, and look into the make-up mirror. I stare back at myself and mirror-me¡¯s expression is incredibly stressed. Then I slam the mirror violently into the sink. *crink* I carefully collect the broken shards with a damp bathtowel and return to my ramshackle tower; sprinkling it with the sharp pieces. If someone isn¡¯t paying attention when they climb over, their hands and feet will be sliced open. I back away. It¡¯s not enough. I know that it¡¯s not enough; I doubt that the game¡¯s Gods would design this in a way that allows a Town to avoid murder just by fighting back against the Wolves. But Wolf or no, any human walking through that threshold will get hurt. I take my wrench with me to bed like it¡¯s a teddy-bear and lie awake, staring at the doorway. 12:05 Time passes. My eyelids grow heavy and a haze clouds my thoughts. 12:10 12:15 I¡¯ll hear if a wolf breaks in. Even I¡¯m sleeping, I¡¯ll hear and wake up¡ 12:20 12:25 If I need to be at my best, then I¡¯ll just take a short¡ rest¡ Soon I drop off, asleep like the dead. And then I wake. [Yuri]: Come at me! I fling off the covers and ready my wrench. And the clock catches the corner of my eye. 8:00 [Yuri]: Oh¡? The wrench slips from my hands. Nothing had happened. The chairs still teeter precariously against the door. Toxic gas had not flowed through the vents, no poisoned dart embedded itself into my veins. 8:05 Surely a Wolf wouldn¡¯t be this late. I¡¯m alive. I¡¯m alive! But my exhausted joy gives way to confusion. She allowed the Seer to survive. Why did she make that mistake? Is she just that stupid? ¡°My partner might pretend to be dumb during the day,¡± the Dragon said. ¡®but at night they play to win.¡± I shiver. If I don¡¯t understand why they spared me, that means they¡¯ve either blundered or that they¡¯ve reasoned several steps ahead. And even then, there¡¯s still one pressing problem - one that I created for myself. [Yuri]: How am I going to leave my room? The tower-barrier creaks and groans. |
| The [Ox] was murdered last night. I take my tower apart and try each person¡¯s door. His room¡¯s unlocked and I¡¯m greeted with the usual thin layer of blood. In its reflection, I witness my own perplexed face. We had all known that the [Ox] was Town. If I were truly Seer, then I¡¯d have either checked the [Horse] or the [Rabbit], which would confirm who was Wolf. Then since the remaining Town knows that I¡¯m Seer, they¡¯d trust me and vote for who I¡¯d accuse. I¡¯m not really Seer, so I don¡¯t have that report, but the Wolf would have thought I was legitimate and should have noticed my survival would lead to their end. I make my way to the kitchen. I don¡¯t know how to make good pancakes, so I just pour myself some cereal. I fetch a milk carton from the fridge; I miss the bowl and milk pools onto the table. For the second time I understood. Oh¡ I¡¯ve been looking at this from a game perspective. I had forgotten whether the Town wins or the Wolves do, all that matters is survival. My mind is on fire. Thoughts trace across it as if from a lit fuse. The reason to spare myself the [Snake], who is Seer, and keep me alive would be- BUZZ A loudspeaker interrupts my thoughts. During the last day, we will play by special rules. You will vote using your role card. The role card¡¯s display flashes red. You will be free to move throughout the entire resort during this time. If you fail to kill before time expires, you will be penalized. Please enjoy this final round of Werewolf. Enjoy...? I said to the [Rat] that I wanted to enjoy it. But to be commanded to enjoy it by the Gamemakers drains any pleasure I can scrape; by speaking those words they''d snuffed any vestige of rebellion from having liked certain parts of this terrible place. But I still have to move myself forward, even if it''s by their design. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. [Yuri]: This isn¡¯t like any game of Werewolf I¡¯ve played. The [Rat] was right to trust me still. [Yuri]: As long as I strike first, I¡¯ll win. I won''t fall for it. I find them in the Library. I had already searched the first floor. The Trial Room was locked; and though I had heard a strange swishing sound from within it, I had ignored the oddity. This last vote is just too important. The [Horse] had just arrived. She¡¯s panting; she must have run across the grounds. The other girl is sleeping on the table. [Rabbit]: Yawn¡ oh¡ She stretches, arching, arms raised far above her head. The low lamplight gives the library, a cozy warmth, and the dust floating in the air makes this feel like a dream. [Rabbit]: I was waiting¡ for you two¡ [Yuri]: And what if we didn¡¯t come? [Rabbit]: She has a lot of energy. She points at the Horse. [Rabbit]: And you have weirdo energy¡. so¡ She points at me. If I didn¡¯t already have a weird expression on my face, I definitely do now. [Yuri]: Right. So we have just under two hours to talk things through. I hold out my Card. What¡¯s present is not only the voting log, but also the timer, ticking down slowly but surely. 1:59:44 1:59:43 1:59:42 [Rabbit]: Yeah¡ She shakes her head, hair falling everywhere. Then she slaps her cheeks with both hands. [Rabbit]: Yeah! I¡¯m ready to rumble. Finish things off. Her eyes are wide and sparkling, and her face is flushed. [Horse]: Eh? Were you awake like this the whole time? [Rabbit]: It¡¯s the final countdown. If I¡¯m not awake now, then when will I ever be? [Rabbit]: Let me know when you¡¯re ready. I have something to say to you both. [Horse]: Wait! I do as well! This isn¡¯t good. I can understand people as a group, or as players each with their own objectives and goals. But when it comes to someone¡¯s character, their personality, I¡¯m caught off guard. I thought that she would give me more time to think. But she''s forced me to confess. I gather my courage, and speak. [Yuri]: I¡¯m the last Wolf. The murders, the votes - I¡¯m responsible for everything. |
| A silence swallows the room. You could take a dictionary, page through it, and find no words for what the [Rabbit] and the [Horse] must be feeling. Are they shocked? Stunned? I don¡¯t know their emotions, but I at least know mine - I feel sick. [Yuri]: Yesterday [Horse], you said you couldn¡¯t kill the last Wolf because of what happened to the [Dragon]. [Horse]: I don¡¯t, I, I think, I, maybe- [Yuri]: You gave your word to spare the final member of that team. So, it¡¯s time to vote for the [Rabbit] and follow through with that promise. The [Horse] flushes; she takes out her Card and stares. She hovers her hand over the panel, fingers twitching - and hesitates. [Horse]: Snake, I- [Rabbit]: No! No no no! She balls her hands, bouncing them as she speaks. [Rabbit]: I¡¯m the Wolf. [Horse]: You¡¯re the Wolf!? [Rabbit]: Yes, I¡¯m the Wolf. I murdered the [Ox]. Give me your Card and let me vote for that liar! Then we can both be free! I¡¯m not surprised that the [Rabbit]¡¯s the other Wolf. Unlike the [Dragon], there¡¯s no smoking gun. But there are little specks of circumstance that paint a complete picture. The walls adjoining each room are thin. I could hear the [Rat] speaking to me from his, and when Lily was murdered I heard a scuffle from her room. Why did no one overhear the [Rooster] the night she was killed? The neighboring suites belong to the [Dragon] and the [Rabbit]. If they¡¯re both Wolves, that explains why no one seemed to notice anything. The [Rabbit] is always tired, too - and the Wolves are forced to be active both in the depths of the night and during the trials in the day. And most convincing to me, the [Rabbit] always supported the [Dragon] in the Trials. She went along unquestioningly with the [Dragon]¡¯s plan that favored the Wolves, and was close to him despite them having first met in this game. [Horse]: I don¡¯t, I, I, I- The [Horse] clings to her Card, as if we¡¯ll try to take it from her. [Rabbit]: If you want to be a good person, then don¡¯t fall for obvious lies. Think, [Horse], think! [Rabbit]: Does it even make sense for the [Snake] to be Wolf? The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. It doesn¡¯t. It absolutely doesn¡¯t make any sense. [Yuri]: But I am the Wolf. If you forget everything else about mafia, at least remember this - it''s all about making nonsense sound sensible. The [Rabbit] puffs her cheeks, fuming, She killed the [Ox] because she understood how obvious a Wolf she would have been even if she had tried to hide it. If the [Ox], the [Rabbit], and the [Horse] were the final 3, she¡¯d surely be found out and executed. [Rabbit]: You can¡¯t just say the same thing over and over as if that would make it true! Instead, the [Rabbit] relied on the [Horse]¡¯s promise to let the Wolves survive. She allowed the Seer to live so that she and the [Horse] could both vote for her, the last one-hundred percent town. But- [Yuri]: Don¡¯t listen to her. I¡¯m the [Dragon]¡¯s partner, the final Wolf. I¡¯ll be a sheep in Wolf¡¯s clothing. Or a [Snake] in wolf¡¯s clothes. It¡¯s my only move. [Rabbit]: Like, weren¡¯t you just saying that you were seer? You¡¯re telling me literally nooobody in the game had that role? [Yuri]: The [Dragon] and I both said we were Seer to confuse the town. The [Rooster], who died on the first night, must have been the real seer. [Yuri]: You¡¯re the one being ridiculous. I confessed first, and you mimicked what I said to save your own skin. [Horse]: Stop! Stop! I don¡¯t understand! [Horse]: You¡¯re a wolf. [Yuri]: That¡¯s right. [Horse]: And you¡¯re a wolf too. [Rabbit]: Yeah~ [Horse]: But you¡¯re not both Wolves. [Rabbit & Yuri]: Yes/Yeah. [Horse]: aaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Her shout caused a sign, precariously attached with a thumbtack, to fall from a wall. ¡°Quiet in the library¡±, it says in bold. For a few seconds, frozen with tension, we follow that rule. Just so we can hear whatever the [Horse] next has to say. [Horse]: I need some time to think. She says in a voice soft and meek. [Horse]: Even before I got here, I had already decided what to do. I don¡¯t think that decision will change but I still need some time. [Yuri]: Huh? Wait, I need to make sure the choice you¡¯re making is the right one! [Horse]: Don¡¯t worry, I- just don¡¯t worry, Snake. She walks out the library and leaves me standing there, half-out of my seat. If she had already decided who she was voting for, then it probably means she was going to vote for me in the first place. Because last night, she¡¯d thought I was Seer, and yesterday she wanted to rescue the final Wolf. I glance at my card. 1:04:24 There¡¯s still one hour left! If I could just talk to her, just find the right words to say, then maybe, maybe, I can get her to believe me. Lily, the [Rat], the [Dragon], they all left me behind; if I¡¯m just going to join them this soon, then what was the point of all this? I¡¯ll find her! I¡¯ll search- I feel a cold hand wrap itself around my wrist, death-like. It tugs me back down into my chair. [Rabbit]: [Snake]. [Rabbit]: Let¡¯s chat. |
| [Yuri]: Let¡¯s vote for the [Horse] so we can both survive. I bet that¡¯s what you¡¯re going to say. [Yuri]: If you want to make a deal where I kill another Town, I¡¯m not interested. [Rabbit]: Wasn¡¯t going to make one. She shrugs. [Rabbit]: No, I wanted to ask you if you knew about this place. She unfolds a crumpled-up piece of paper she must have torn from one of the books. It¡¯s the blueprint of a building; a three-story complex that includes separate wings for hospice, surgeries, psychiatrics, emergency care, quarantine, and even a basement for ¡®advanced research.¡¯ [Yuri]: Phanes Memorial Hospital. I recognize it; I walk by it on the way to school. [Rabbit]: No. I¡¯m asking you, if you like, know this place. Like¡ ¡®know it know it.¡¯ [Yuri]: ¡®Know it know it?¡¯ Are you asking me if I¡¯ve been there before? [Yuri]: Then the answer is ¡®no.¡¯ I don¡¯t remember going there. [Rabbit]: You¡¯re lying. She¡¯s very close to me, and moves even closer. She¡¯s wearing something faintly strawberry-scented. I¡¯m sweating. I¡¯m lying, or at least telling a half-truth. I spent time in one of the wards. I was told afterwards that I was there two weeks in total, but those days just seem like a dream. [Yuri]: Fine. I was there. I touch my wrist and trace a scar. [Yuri]: But it just brings up bad memories. Why? Do you really need to know about it? [Rabbit]: You don¡¯t need to say more. But this is how we¡¯re connected, [Snake]. What we share. [Rabbit]: Not just us. All of us. She taps twice on the map with a painted nail. [Yuri]: We all went to the same hospital. And now we¡¯re all playing Werewolf. [Rabbit]: Yeah. Is this where my mind is supposed to explode? My brain feels more like it has a crater. Just a vapid underwhelmed emptiness where maybe there was once excitement. The [Horse] is asthmatic, The [Rat] was put in a burn ward, and perhaps even the [Tiger] had some kind of condition when I read between her story''s the lines. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. We¡¯re all a bunch of invalids. That¡¯s great. But- [Yuri]: I see a pattern. But I don¡¯t see a connection. [Rabbit]: Mmm, you¡¯re right. Maybe I got ahead of myself. She leans away from me and crosses her arms. The chairs are dark, antique, and with backs straight enough that they¡¯re painful to slouch in; she does so anyway. [Rabbit]: Since her father worked there, the [Dog] might have had the most information on this place. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have murdered her so early on¡ Her eyes half-close. She leans forward again. And this ticks me off. [Yuri]: Was it hard? Being a wolf? [Yuri]: Killing Lily, how did it make you feel? [Rabbit]: We didn¡¯t kill her. She mumbles. [Yuri]: IF YOU DIDN¡¯T KILL HER, THEN WHY IS SHE DEAD? [Rabbit]: Lily, whoever you¡¯re talking about, we didn¡¯t kill her. When everyone was asleep, we would go to the Trial Room. Our panels would light up, and we¡¯d vote on who to murder. [Rabbit]: Then we¡¯d go back to our rooms and go to bed. Eight or nine hours of sleep. [Rabbit]: I¡¯m always tired. It has nothing to do with being a Wolf; it¡¯s just the way I¡¯ve always been. It¡¯s true that even if you gave high-schoolers lasers or a chainsaw, they wouldn¡¯t be able to pulverize another student into that unrecognizable goop. I glance up at the library arches, ceiling supports that are carved into orante vines; and at the space where there¡¯s iron sheets covering what should have been windows. [Yuri]: Then answer me this. If you never killed them in person, then how did the [Dragon] know about the glass breaking on the night Lily died? [Rabbit]: Glass-breaking ? So you mean when we murdered the [Dog]... I stiffen. [Rabbit]: Like I said, we¡¯d go to the Trial Room. Press a button. Wait a little bit, and go back to bed. For us, that¡¯s one murder. It doesn¡¯t take long. [Rabbit]: On that night we waited three hours. [Rabbit]: When it was done, we checked her room to see what had happened. It was a normal murder, except for the shards scattered around. Every time I think about Lily, I feel like she dies over and over again, inside that locked suite. Her bright smile, her sharp mind, are they really just teeth and ooze scattered on the floor? I keep resurrecting her in my mind, despite knowing how bad it is for me. And I don¡¯t know¡ if I can do this.. any of this¡ any more¡ [Yuri]: I shouldn¡¯t have bothered asking. I¡¯m leaving. I tread the carpet towards the exit, kicking up dust. I take three paces, and then the girl behind me calls out in a pleading voice. [Rabbit]: When I win the game, [Snake]. I¡¯ll get to the truth of this, I promise. [Rabbit]: I¡¯m tired, but even if I have to force myself, that¡¯s what I¡¯ll do. It¡¯s the least I can do for stepping on everyone so I could live. She slouches, then vigorously shakes her head. [Rabbit]: Snake. Why don¡¯t you¡ tell the [Horse] to hurry and vote. She doesn¡¯t need to spend all this time¡ She slumps onto the table, and the paper map swishes as her body forces it forward. I shake her shoulder but she just looks at me with her half-lidded eyes before closing them again. [Yuri]: [Rabbit]? [Yuri]: My position in the game, and my position as a player. Why do both of them have to be so awful? My complaints don¡¯t matter. Only the countdown that continues to tick. 50:49 50:48 50:47 It drives me out of the room, to search for the person that holds our fates. |
| The [Horse] had left behind tiny water-stains on the floor. Whether they¡¯re sweat or tears, I can¡¯t say, but I track them back to her room. *knock* *knock* [Yuri]: Hello? I know you¡¯re there. [Horse]: It¡¯s unlocked. She¡¯s kneeling on her bed, Card lying in front of her. Despite everything she said, she still hasn¡¯t voted. I sit down next to her, feeling a deep discomfort despite how soft the mattress is. I have to turn this game around. It¡¯s mafia; this is supposed to be my strength - if I can¡¯t will myself to win here, is there anything I can do? [Yuri]: Ana. [Horse]: You called me by name again! Or the name that you¡¯ve made up for me. She smiles wanly. [Horse]: What¡¯s up, Ir- ah! She pauses. [Horse]: I don¡¯t think you liked it when I called you that before. Back then you had a sour face. She twists and contorts her own face to mimic what mine might have been like before. [Yuri]: You can call me Iris. I don¡¯t mind. What have you been up to? [Horse]: Just thinking about what I should do. I did say that I didn''t want the Wolves to die yesterday. I pushed back against the [Ox]; when he was shouting for bloodshed I just wanted peace. [Yuri]: I understand¡ Now that I''ve built rapport. Let¡¯s follow up with eye contact and a half-truth. [Yuri]: I¡¯m the Wolf you should save. People believe that it¡¯s impossible to look someone in the eye and tell a lie. But that¡¯s only because that extra connection makes it easier to feel bashful or ashamed; if you overcome that then lying is easy. [Yuri]: I know that you don¡¯t think I¡¯m the other Wolf. But I can prove it to you. I¡¯ll say it as many times as you need. Even if you¡¯ve been told all your life that ¡®you¡¯re a bad liar¡¯, that people always know when you lie, I can teach you how to pull the wool over a stranger¡¯s eyes. Never hesitate. Don¡¯t hesitate, don¡¯t hesitate, don¡¯t even waste time on this very thought. Just speak- The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. [Yuri]: I¡¯m a Wolf. Absolutely, one hundred percent wolf. The [Horse] tilts her head. She¡¯s frowning, and moves closer, shuffling atop the sheets. [Horse]: I¡¯m not that smart, Iris. But I¡¯m not that dumb either. [Horse]: Come here! It¡¯s an aggressive, irritated voice. I¡¯ve made a mistake. Does she have a weapon¡? No, it doesn¡¯t make sense for someone who¡¯s always been so against killing to murder me in turn. But she keeps approaching. She forcefully wraps her arms around me. My heart beats quickly and my mind races about how to break the headlock. She¡¯s pins both my arms to my sides. She presses us both together, close enough that I¡¯m wrapped in her scent. I struggle, and her arms loosen, but when I freeze they tighten again. Oh¡ It¡¯s not an attack¡ ¡it¡¯s just a hug. [Horse]: Calm down¡ calm down. It¡¯s okay. You¡¯ve been shaking all this time. [Horse]: You¡¯re not crazy, [Snake]. You¡¯re just thinking all the time. It¡¯s okay to stop your thoughts just for a minute. [Yuri]: Only an idiot would be okay with an empty head. [Horse]: No¡ pace yourself, it¡¯s okay. Just focus on this feeling. She tightens her embrace. [Horse]: Iris, I know you¡¯re not a Wolf. [Yuri]: Then, how can I stop thinking? You¡¯re making the wrong choice if, you¡¯re- [Horse]: Shh. Shh. Let me finish talking. [Horse]: I¡¯ve already decided that I can¡¯t run from this anymore. From making a choice that might hurt someone. [Horse]: And I¡¯ve decided that it makes the most sense for me to ¡®win¡¯ with someone I think of as a friend. I can¡¯t see. Everything¡¯s just a little bit blurred; the gentle expression on her face, the light on the ceiling fan overhead, her brown hair and her jacket. My eyes, somehow, are wet. [Yuri]: Is that all..? [Horse]: Shh¡. She taps her Card, finger landing on the [Rabbit]. There¡¯s little water droplets falling inexplicably on mine. [Horse]: Um, did you remember to vote? [Yuri]: Yes! Of course! I take out my Card. In fact, I had forgotten. But when time finally expires¡ ALL WOLVES HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE GAME. THE TOWN - THE RAT, OX, TIGER, SNAKE, HORSE, MONKEY, ROOSTER, DOG, AND PIG - HAVE EMERGED VICTORIOUS. Her finger digs into me, and she smiles. [Horse]: What¡¯s your name? Your real one? [Yuri]: It¡¯s Yuri. I tense. But nothing happens; no rule was broken, the game is over. I catch her eye, about to laugh, but I turn away from her suddenly flustered. [Horse]: You don¡¯t have to ask about mine. [Ana]: Ana¡¯s my real name, after all. |
| We¡¯re in Lily¡¯s room, at my request. Her body¡¯s beyond recognition and can¡¯t be collected; her murder site will be the closest thing she¡¯ll have to a grave. I say a silent prayer, and a good-bye to someone who, as she had said, I had never really known. But the sides of her I had seen had filled me with happiness and a sense of purpose. Even though she said that she wanted me to be my own person, I will carry her with me as much as the dark creature that wraps itself around my heart. [Ana]: I can¡¯t believe the game¡¯s over. [Yuri]: It¡¯s strange. It just doesn¡¯t feel complete. Ana then speaks in a small voice. [Ana]: I¡¯ll think about this for the rest of my life. So it makes sense for it to never feel over. [Yuri]: No, it¡¯s not that. It¡¯s just- We ¡®won¡¯ Death Mafia. There are no more Trials, no more votes, no more murders in the middle of the night. The rules no longer bind us, we can call each other by name. There¡¯ll be a boat sent for us in the morning. But maybe because of this sudden calm, I notice a subtle itch at the back of my brain. A call that something is wrong, that even though we¡¯ve won we¡¯ve missed something crucial. Mafia¡ death mafia¡ mafia¡ death mafia¡ That pair of words doesn''t sit right with me. Now that I¡¯ve finally allowed myself to look back fully, and clearly, at other people¡¯s deaths, the itching grows stronger and stronger. It turns into a burning, then a raging flame. ¡°It¡¯s okay to stop thinking.¡± ¡°Does death mean death? The only way we¡¯ll know is by testing the rules¡¡± ¡°Everyone else can no longer stomach the bodies¡± ¡° Y-you broke the rules!¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. And then it all stops. It¡¯s as if my cognition had been sand, turning into glass. I almost don¡¯t dare breathe in fear that my thoughts will slip away. [Yuri]: Ana. Can you count something for me? [Yuri]: Talk to me about each person who played mafia with us and how they died. [Ana]: Is this important? Even though she agreed to visit Lily¡¯s room, thinking about everyone¡¯s deaths must hurt. But I don¡¯t avert my gaze. [Ana]: One. The [Goat] passes out and dies. She speaks in a quiet monotone. [Ana]: Two. The [Monkey] shows his card and breaks a rule. [Ana]: Three. The [Rooster] is torn to pieces at night. [Ana]: Four. The [Dog] vanishes into a puddle of blood She breathes, shuddering. The reason she speaks in a monotone is that if she starts to show emotion, she¡¯ll break again into tears. [Ana]: Five. The [Pig] is forced to show her card, and is punished. [Ana]: Six. The [Tiger] is murdered into pulp. [Ana]: Seven. The [Rat] is punished because he stabbed the [Dragon], preventing the [Dragon] from voting. [Ana]: Eight. The [Dragon] is stabbed by the Rat, and then executed- [Yuri]: You¡¯re wrong about the [Dragon]. He died from his wounds, not from the execution. This thought that I¡¯m holding in my mind. I don¡¯t know whether it drives me to hope or despair. But every time she continues her count it becomes more real. [Yuri]: Keep going. [Ana]: Nine¡ the [Ox] is murdered. [Ana]: And ten, we executed the [Rabbit]. We¡¯re sitting together on the bed. The lights are dim; we¡¯ve left them low to avoid sight of the bloodstains. The air here is poor and stagnant; but I feel suddenly alert. [Yuri]: We need to find her. [Ana]: Even though I made the choice to vote for the [Rabbit], I¡¯d rather not see her body. It¡¯d make things hard for me. [Yuri]: We¡¯re not looking for the [Rabbit]¡¯s body¡ [Yuri]: We¡¯re looking for the [Rabbit] herself. |
| She¡¯s missing from the library, and once again we scour the hotel, inside and out. But the [Rabbit] had completely vanished. We return to the main hallway, panting. [Yuri]: Let¡¯s loop around again. If she¡¯s on the move, we might have missed her. We¡¯re about to set out again, and then - we pause. The Trial Room door is slightly ajar. [Ana]: Was it always like that? I burst in. The familiar chairs, the two screens, everything is there. And she¡¯s there too. The [Rabbit] slumps in her seat, limp. Her face is pale with a cold sweat, and when I wrapped my hand around her wrist it¡¯s freezing. But¡ Thun thun. Thun. thun. Her heartbeat is faint, but there. [Yuri]: ¡®Executions¡¯ were never a death penalty. Oh my god. Breaking the rules caused immediate death. But executions just removed you from the game. When the [Dragon] died, it was probably from his injuries; everyone else perished because they broke the rules. [Yuri]: If execution doesn¡¯t mean death, then murder at night might not either. [Yuri]: The [Rooster], the [Tiger], the [Ox]¡ Lily. They could all still be alive. Hidden somewhere. But Ana shakes her head. [Ana]: Something¡¯s wrong. Look. She¡¯s not waking. She tugs on the [Rabbit]¡¯s shoulder, and the [Rabbit] rolls wherever she pulls her. [Yuri]: Maybe she¡¯s just resting now that the game¡¯s over. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. [Ana]: No, she¡¯s not making a sound! If someone¡¯s moving you like this you¡¯ll wake up, no matter how deeply asleep you are! [Yuri]: Explain then why she has a heartbeat! Explain why she''s still alive! [Ana]: She¡¯s alive, Yuri, but she¡¯s dying. I grab the [Rabbit] myself, and shift her, careful not to injure her but forceful enough to make her stop pretending she¡¯s unaware. [Yuri]: Open your eyes¡! Didn¡¯t you want to survive? All those deaths, everything, wasn¡¯t it for you! She doesn¡¯t respond. I know that she¡¯s as good as dead. Her heartbeat, thun-thun thun-thun, becomes so quiet that I have to delude myself to hear it. But I want to search for the embers. I want to live in a world where there¡¯s hope. Why is it that whenever I decide to try to find it, that it has to be crushed like this¡? It was better never to hope at all. It¡¯s a lesson that I keep learning and forgetting, that even if I try my hardest, it will never be enough. I will never be enough. I finally stop shaking her. A paper drifts from her blouse pocket and flutters down. It¡¯s the same hospital blueprint that she had shown me before; but this time the ¡®research¡¯ wing is circled clearly in pen. Ana interrupts. [Ana]: ¡There¡¯s explosives inside us. If we break the rules, they go BOOM! She spreads her hands as if there¡¯s a bomb between them. [Ana]: Maybe, for execution and murder, there¡¯s some kind of virus inside us. They press a button somewhere and it makes us sick. [Yuri]: That¡¯s not true. My voice rings out clearly, echoing across the chamber til it finally dies down. The acoustics are spectacular, because there aren¡¯t many surfaces to dull or absorb the sound. The floor is clean, polished, hardwood; and all the objects here are flat and laminated. Even the bodies are gone. Maybe this sterility should have been a comfort. It is as if all the blood, the crying, the tears had been an illusion. That no one had ever existed except the two of us and the sleeping girl. As if I go back home, I¡¯ll see Lily, and this was all a strange dream. But I reach for the wrench that I had tucked away, and put my arm in front of Ana. [Yuri]: Who¡¯s there? [Yuri]: The cracked screen¡¯s repair, and the guts from each Trial always being gone. [Yuri]: Janitor, groundskeeper, the one who cleaned the floor. I know you¡¯re here. Someone¡¯s clapping. It quickens, faster and faster, louder and louder, and finally - halts. A smiling man in a white coat steps out from behind one of the screens, mop in hand. [Researcher]: You were supposed to wait in your rooms. Until we were ready for you. Ana tenses as he reaches within his coat. But he simply presents an ID, attached to a doctor''s lanyard. Lofus Amamai The last name is familiar - it¡¯s the same as Lily¡¯s. |
| He¡¯s a man with black hair that¡¯s just beginning to turn gray at its tips. Like Lily¡¯s, his nose is just slightly small. But he¡¯s got little whiskers running all over his cheeks and chin and there¡¯s no light in his eyes, though he''s smiling. And he shakes his head. [Lofus]: As I said you were supposed to wait in your rooms. But since the game is over there''ll be no penalty; the cameras are off and you¡¯re no longer bound by the rules. I step towards him, as if to embrace him, but I instead thrust the wrench so it just barely hovers under his chin. [Yuri]: Explain. He gently pushes the wrench aside and slowly lowers himself into a chair, the one labelled for [Dog]. Don¡¯t you dare sit there¡! He gestures for us to take a seat as well. Ana does so, but I just lean on the bar instead; watching both him and the [Rabbit]''s prone form. [Lofus]: Have you heard of Schrodinger''s cat? [Yuri]: Everyone¡¯s heard of Schrodinger¡¯s cat. It¡¯s the number-one thought experiment that people blab about to sound smarter than they are, Lofus looks oddly disappointed. [Ana]: I¡¯ve never heard of it. He brightens. [Lofus]: Then I suppose I¡¯ll have to educate you. Dammit¡! [Lofus]: Imagine, if you will, that I have three things. A cat, a box, and a deadly chemical bomb. He takes out a small plastic bottle, colored medical-white. He then unscrews the lid and places two blue pills on the table, tapping them; this one is the cat, that one is the bomb. [Lofus]: We put the cat and the bomb inside the box together. He claps the lid he just displaced over the capsules. [Lofus]: Now, this bomb has a very peculiar detonation mechanism. It is activated via radiation. [Lofus]: Radiation is random and unpredictable. The decay needed to set off the bomb could happen in the next millisecond, or it could happen in the next ten years. [Lofus]: Until we open this box, we don¡¯t know what happened to the cat. It¡¯s both dead and alive. Only when we open the box and confirm the results do we know its fate. I hate this analogy. The mafia community I¡¯ve spent time with are some of the smartest people I¡¯ve ever met; but over time I¡¯ve realized they¡¯re also some of the most pretentious. They bring this up repeatedly - so I¡¯ve learned how to kill this cat. [Yuri]: You¡¯re using the analogy wrong; it''s not about randomness or radiation. Schrodinger came up with that example to show how ridiculous quantum mechanics are, not to be used by wannabe philosophers. [Yuri]: Quantum theory says matter can exist in multiple states at once unobserved. So based on that, if a cat is killed by a quantum bomb sight unseen, it will literally be both dead and alive til we open the box and observe it. [Yuri]: But in truth, there¡¯s no such thing as zombie cat. You either killed it or you didn¡¯t. At first, the man appears taken aback - but then the smile creeps back onto his face. [Lofus]: And yet you were the cats, and the hotel the box. [Lofus]: Everyone playing this game was both dead and alive. Your reward. He bows, and sweeps the cap away, unveiling the two capsules once more. I see my own reflection dimly in the plastic shells. Two azure pills are on the table; they move slightly, having touched the edge of the lid as the man lifted it away. [Ana]: I don¡¯t take drugs! [Lofus]: You¡¯ll take these. I assure you. I examine the pill. It¡¯s familiar, as if I had dreamed of taking it before. My thumb and index finger push together, almost crushing it, but the capsule instead slips away and skitters onto the ground. [Lofus]: Careful. Each of these pills costs about two hundred thousand USD. With the attachment of the dollar-sign, the purpose of the game becomes clear. I doubt that there¡¯s rich people gambling on us behind the scenes. But¡ [Yuri]: Bastards. You¡¯re bastards. [Ana]: Yuri¡? [Yuri]: I said, you¡¯re all bastards! I let my fingers rest on the wrench I had set down. The man still wears his bland smile, perfect teeth with the golden ratio of crinkled eye. The worst part is his smile is just like hers, like Lily¡¯s, but on his face and with his words it''s all just wrong. It''s empty, devoid of any of the genuine emotion or warmth. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. [Lofus]: We prefer to be known as angels. [Yuri]: Angel investors playing with your guinea pigs, your caged animals. You didn''t even let us have names. He waves his hand. [Lofus]: We''re angels here to see our miracles. He casually picks up the pill I dropped and scrutinizes it, as if he sees a world in its depths. [Lofus]: Cities are bastions of life. Your city is no different; people of all kinds hustling, bustling, doing their best to survive. [Lofus]: Of course with life comes death. While the restaurants and cafes, shops and storefronts, bookstores and libraries hold life within their walls, look at the cemeteries. Look at the hospitals. [Lofus]: People dying of burns¡ disease¡ self-inflicted wounds¡ I had thought his eyes were focusing on the pill. But with a shudder I realize that while he¡¯s holding the pill in front of him, he¡¯s focusing on me. [Lofus]: We provided. We saved your lives and changed your fate. All with this little pill, twenty-five years in development. [Lofus]: We call it Vita. Latin for life. Groundbreaking, isn¡¯t it? [Ana]: Thank you¡ for saving us? Though Ana chooses words that are grateful, she¡¯s still overwhelmingly confused. I stare at him with a vicious hate, gripping tight on the wrench til my hand turns white. [Lofus]: However, as with any new technology there were unexpected results. The bodies of people who had taken this pill started to fail years later. Those who had taken it as children seemed especially susceptible. [Lofus]: We learned that once you take this medicine you cannot stop. Time to termination of function is different for everyone depending on dosage, but your body restructures itself in a way that it needs what¡¯s inside this little prototype. [Yuri]: And you are part of this ¡®pill-company¡¯, having tested this product on us. [Lofus]: We¡¯re not part of the company. You misunderstand my intentions; we¡¯re part of the charity. [Lofus]: Obviously we cannot provide this capsule to everyone; it would be absurd to ask us to spend a significant amount of funding to support people we do not know. [Lofus]: Our ability to have an impact was spread too thin. So we¡¯re focusing on where we can make the most meaningful change. [Yuri]: You held a series of games. [Lofus]: Yes. You understand. After a long debate, we decided to hold a series of games, clearly stated rules, testing social, mathematical, and psychological skills. [Lofus]: We came to a consensus that those who rise to the top in such high-stakes situations deserve our care. [Lofus]: For those who are about to die, isn¡¯t this a wonderful opportunity? His inflections and speech are perfectly measured, as if he had rehearsed this long in advance. [Yuri]: Where are the others? [Lofus]: Pardon? [Yuri]: All the players who were ¡®murdered.¡¯ Where are they being held? [Lofus]: I took them away. Gas, poison, viruses, brute force¡ I can¡¯t tell you how because that¡¯d be sensitive business information. [Yuri]: I don¡¯t care about how. I care about where. [Lofus]: That''s also classified business information. He puts his hand on my shoulder. I instantly raise them, like a cat. [Lofus]: They¡¯re not worth worrying about, Yuri. You succeeded and they failed. I break away. [Yuri]: We¡¯re all worth something. I don¡¯t care if that¡¯s nonsensical, non-philosophical, non-economical, or if I¡¯m lying to myself. [Yuri]: But being able to make our own choices, that has its own kind of worth. [Yuri]: If I go out for ice cream, I can find meaning in whether I pick ¡®chocolate¡¯ or ¡®vanilla.¡¯ [Yuri]: I can decide whether to read a book, watch a movie, or look at a magazine. [Yuri]: If someone isn¡¯t good at some rules set by some random council, it doesn¡¯t mean that they deserve to die! They''re worth as much as everybody else. The man tugs at his collar the whole time I speak. His expression sours, like he had swallowed a lemon. But soon he straightens and his eternal smile returns. [Lofus]: Are you done? I don¡¯t speak. Ana doesn¡¯t either; but my world is narrowed to just him. [Lofus]: You can keep talking. After all, it¡¯s important to allow a free marketplace of ideas. [Lofus]: If you¡¯re still angry, you can write an essay or a blog. Or a poem? A tumblr? What do kids use nowadays? I breathe in sharply, and breathe out just as ragged. It doesn¡¯t help. I feel like I¡¯m burning all over, my thoughts are on fire and the only coldness is from the metal wrench I¡¯ve laid beside me. [Lofus]: Okay, deep breaths. Easy. Now that it¡¯s all over, it¡¯s time for you to take the pill. ¡it¡¯s all meaningless. I might well have shouted nonsense, because we¡¯re all in the same place. [Lofus]: Yuri, you¡¯ve won. Take the pill. Why am I so mad¡? Is it because he¡¯s right? Because I don¡¯t have a choice? Because everything he says makes sense? [Lofus]: Take the pill. You need it to survive. I don¡¯t want this. I want to live, but I don¡¯t want to say that ¡®this game is okay.¡¯ This pill isn¡¯t ¡®mine¡¯... it belongs to everyone who played this. [Lofus]: Take it. You earned it. A lot of people thought I was insane throughout this game. Even though people who never said ¡°I think you¡¯re nuts¡± outright, I could tell what they were saying behind closed doors, or what they thought in their closed-off thoughts. Despite this, I never considered myself like that. Even as I move swiftly from emotion to emotion, reason to reason, every moment of my life makes perfect sense. When strung together they may feel abrupt and disturbed, but it¡¯s no more than how a river might carve a jagged path as it flows downstream. I¡¯m rethinking that sanity right now. Maybe my mind isn¡¯t sound; all I know is that in the face of this man¡¯s blank, quiet, smile, I am absolutely 100% mad. Ana grabs my arm, but she¡¯s too late. [Ana]: Yuri, don¡¯t-! |
| I strike him. With the wrench. And the room is no longer clean. [Ana]: Oh my god¡! Oh my god, oh my god! I pour out the pills onto the table. There¡¯s now a pile of blue to contrast the puddle of rapidly-spreading red on the ground. I don¡¯t feel good. But I don¡¯t feel bad either. [Ana]: You killed him! [Yuri]: The game was already over. There¡¯s no more rules, so you don¡¯t need to be worried about me blowing up. I scoop into the pile, and press my hand to the [Rabbit]¡¯s lips. She swallows it unconsciously. Her chest begins to rise and fall, and her face slowly regains its flush. She groans, and starts coughing, hacking, and then suddenly it seems like she¡¯s about to choke- But her throat clears into a mumbling voice. [Rabbit]: ¡just a little longer. [Yuri]: It¡¯s okay. Rest all you need. The man on the floor isn¡¯t exactly going to rush us out after all. Ana¡¯s kneeling down next to him; he¡¯s lying on his side, eyes shut, blood still oozing slowly out. She tears strips from her t-shirt and pressed it against his head wound. [Yuri]: What are you doing? [Ana]: Saving you from being a killer. After her rag is completely soaked, she rips her shirtsleeve into another tattered rag. [Yuri]: I don¡¯t really care. That man might be Lily¡¯s dad. But if he¡¯s someone who cares so little for his daughter that he kidnaps her and gives her strange medicine, maybe one blow¡¯s not enough. Yes. One for the game, one for abandoning her to empty nights, two for kidnapping, three for however he took Lily the night she was murdered, four for¡ Ana raises a hand, five fingers outstretched. Stop. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. [Ana]: You might not care now, but for future you¡ She takes from the pile of blue pills- [Ana]: I¡¯m not the smartest person, but this is something even I can do. -and she presses it to his lips as well. [Yuri]: Ana. If he wakes up, what will happen? [Ana]: If he doesn¡¯t wake up! That wouldn¡¯t be good either! [Ana]: Even if you don¡¯t care about whether he dies, the rest of his team will find him like this. What will we do then? [Yuri]: I don¡¯t know. The floor is pretty slippery. Maybe when he mopped it he fell down. Ana pouts, cheeks puffed. [Yuri]: ¡we¡¯ll lock him into the maintenance closet. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ There¡¯s a boat in the dock on the island¡¯s north side. I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s how the man came here in the first place; and how he took away the ¡®murdered¡¯ at night. It¡¯s large enough to have a kitchen on the top deck and a bedroom underneath it, but small enough to be easily searched. In a closet, there''s a gas mask and a full-body suit, and a putrid bucket full of what seems to be blood and organs, or a convincing fake - I hurriedly dump it into the sea. In another one of the compartments, there¡¯s a map and a letter The letter is terse and typed in a professional Garramond. Dear Lofus, You have been charged with running the preliminary rounds of ¡®mafia¡¯ on island two. Ensure that of the twelve selected that there are no more than four winners; you may run additional games if required. Resolve rule ambiguities at your discretion. You may create new rules as you deem necessary, but if you are perceived as interfering in the game outcome your judgement will undergo review. Please extricate all eliminated players and drop them off at Island C. I will arrange it so that they will be held at the facility until their expiry. Vita Mutatur non Tollitor, Chairman On the map sprawls out an entire archipelago, islands labeled from one to thirteen. But what is of interest to me isn''t the numbered areas, but an island nearby due West, at "C", where there''s a single short scrawled note - "captives." [Yuri]: These pills are worth two hundred thousand per. And we''ve got a whole bottle. [Ana]: Twenty minus two times two oh oh oh oh oh... three point six million. [Yuri]: Someone might say that this jar is worth someone''s life. No; not just one life, but several. [Yuri]: Chart course towards that isle! Today, we set sail! |
| Those days of "Death Mafia" have ended. While there will always be a [Snake] wrapped around my heart, I can''t help but think that- |