Eternal Dream Murder Mystery

My Pop-Tarts are gone, finally. How long had I been eating that one? I don't remember. I think I finished them while trying to come up with a plan to kill the killer, if he dared break into my room. Some of my ideas were just plain crazy, such as waiting by the door with a baseball bat to knock him out if he broke it down. Stupid. Some of my ideas sounded pretty good, but I didn't know how well either me or Nic would react if the killer really did break my door down.

One thing was for sure . . . I had to pee. It's been ages since I've left this room, and during all that time my bladder was just happily filling itself up, not bothering to tell me that the dams were reaching break point.

"I've gotta use the bathroom. Um, I'll be back." I hurriedly unlocked the door, stepped out, then hurriedly shut it behind me hoping that Nic would remember to lock it. Then again, I hoped he wouldn't, so I could get back in when I came back.

I try to do my usual wander until I find what I'm looking for, but I'm impatient. Who wouldn't be? Because what's the one thing you never do in a horror movie? Get caught with your pants down. It sounds funny, but when you're . . . doing whatever it is you're doing, you're liable to be distracted at the very least. But, after a minute or so of hurried wandering, I catch a lucky break and find the bathroom. I go in, flip the lightswitch, and shut the door behind me. Lucky again, it has a lock, which I immediately lock, taking a small measure of comfort in it. I do my business, amazed at how long I sit on the toilet, then clean up.

I go back to the door and reach for the handle. I don't know why my hand is shaking. Then again, I think I do. I unlock it shakily, then bolt out the door and down the halls the way I came. I keep running, seeing shadows everywhere, the dappled, afternoon light making it all more dreamlike. Somehow, I find my door again. It's still unlocked. I burst through it, do a 180 and lock it again. I stare at it for a moment, then slump on the floor in front of it, trying to catch my breath and still my jack rabbit heart.

"That was impressive." I say in a sarcastic way that makes my own mind laugh. I've eaten barely anything so my urge is not as strong as Cerani's... perhaps I should be eating more... I grab a lunchables cheese and crackers, darn I haven't had one of these in my life, but it sure tastes good!
Blah... I wonder if anybody's died yet...

Sleeping and staring I gaze out towards the small piece of night sky seen through the rough slabs of wood nailed over the window. Never before have I experienced such loneliness and boredom. Cerani is on her own little world and I just sit here... pondering... the taste of death

With a Santa outfit donned, the killer sets out through the halls. Christmas had not been very festive in the Eternal Dream headquarters due to the murders. It seemed that everyone decided to stay cooped up in their rooms. Regardless, the killer decides, though Christmas has passed, that the killer will give presents to a few of the killer's fellow Eternal Dream members. Thus, with a heavy sack full of supplies that the killer drags across the floor, the killer makes the killer's way to the killer's first stop: Cerani's room.

Suddenly, a little slip of paper slides under Cerani's door. On it, a horrifying message:

"Since you have failed to heed my message, none shall be left alive."

With the most important task taken care of, the killer marches of to a different floor and kicks open the door. Inside, HoneySenpai shrieks, but calms down quickly. "Dude, you can't just go around kicking doors down," he says. "Christmas is over man. What are you--" His sentence is cut off and replaced by an agonizing scream as the killer is upon him. The killer has a firm grip on the victim's neck and, in the killer's other hand, an iron stake. With great force, the killer drives the stake into HoneySenpai's leg. The victim tries to scream, but only chokes emerge from his mouth. The killer reaches into the sack and pulls another stake out and drives it slowly into the victim's other leg. A puddle of blood is already starting to form. From out of the sack, the killer now pulls a long length of rope with a noose at the end of it. HoneySenpai's eyes widen as if he knows what is to happen.

"That's right," the killer says calmly and fits the noose over HoneySenpai's head. "But not here. Not in the building. It has to be.....perfect." The killer drags out the word 'perfect' as if savoring it in the killer's mouth. So, with sack in one hand and the rope around HoneySenpai's neck in the other, the killer prepares to leave the building for the killer's supreme act. The killer nonchalantly strolls down the labyrinthine halls dragging both the sack and HoneySenpai, who was crying and bleeding while desperately trying to move his legs, along the floor.

Unfortunately, LaserWolf turns a nearby corner. Quickly, the killer drops both the sack and victim and pulls out a pair of brass knuckles from the sack. The killer puts them on and rushes LaserWolf who just realizes that somebody is there. "Another victim to add to my collection!" the killer exclaims as one of the brass knuckles collides with LaserWolf's face. Before even realizing it, LaserWolf becomes a victim to the killer's onslaught. Without mercy, the killer sits on LaserWolf's chest and pounds him in the face over and over and over again until it's nothing but a bruised and swollen mess. There was no way to even recognize him. However, the pain was not to end there. While the victim began choking on sobs that sounded more like strange noises, the killer slams a fist into LaserWolf's ribs. A cracking fills the hallway and HoneySenpai flinches upon hearing the sound. "So.....so fragile...." the killer breaths slowly. LaserWolf feels unimaginable pain in his side and it hurts him to breath.

"J-just end it....," he mumbles through swollen and bleeding lips. The inside of his mouth is full of blood and most of his teeth are missing. "P-please.....just k-kill me...," he continues to plead, his words barely comprehensible. A solitary tear manages to squeeze out of his eye and slide down his purple, disfigured face. The killer grins and raises the killer's fist. A disgusting crunch echoes loudly throughout the area as the killer slams the killer's fist down hard into LaserWolf's face leaving a deep depression in it. By now, the killer's hands and brass knuckles are covered in blood.

The killer turns away from the corpse to see HoneySenpai crawling back down the hallway. "So, you wish for a chase?" The killer went over to the killer's sack and pulls out a grappling hook. The killer runs a short distance, twirling it over the killer's head and then gives it a forceful throw. The hook part impales into HoneySenpai's back causing him to yelp out in pain. Slowly, the killer drags the victim back to the killer. When the killer gets the victim close enough, the killer seizes the HoneySenpai by the throat and slams him into the nearest wall causing the grappling hook to sink into his back deeper.

"Now I have masterpieces to create," the killer says with a malicious grin. "But what should I do with the impromptu arrival?" the killer asks aloud, turning to face LaserWolf's beaten corpse.

I emerged from my room with a Bag full of Surprises. I hadn't been here as long as the others, but I knew all about the killer. I wasn't about to be killed in my sleep, and I wasn't about to just sit and watch people die. I moved around the halls of Eternal Dream, it was late night just what I needed. As I looked for the first door, I held the first of many tools in my hand.

I moved to the first door I could find, it was locked, not a problem. In my grubby hand, a single paperclip, fashioned just right. I jammed it in the lock and listened closely, soon hearing a click. I entered the room quietly, stashing the paper clip away. I reached into my bag quickly and pulled out a sharpened kitchen knife. I moved over to the person, lost in thier sleep they would never wake up from. Putting the knife to thier soft stomach, I closed my eyes, raised the knife and stabbed. I heard a small scream before I jabbed again. I pulled it out sickeningly before plunging it into the person's heart. I Pulled it out and left, eyeing the sign that read Obli.

I left the room quickly and hid the knife in my bag once more. I moved on, retrieving the paper clip from it's hiding place. I ran down the halls, hoping I had awakened no one. I hit my next stop, Dwaggy's room. It was locked but that wasn't a problem. I quickly unlocked the door and slipped in, taking the knife out once more. I moved over to the sleeping form and jabbed the knife into Dwaggy's neck. There was no time for Dwaggy to scream as I jabbed again and again before plunging the knife into the heart. I ripped it out and put the blade away once more. I left without a sound, not even phased by what I had just done.

I headed for my next stop, the Wasteland of Destruction. I noticed a lone figure off in the distance and smiled. This would be too easy. I reached into my bag and pulled out a single pistol, complete with Ammo. I walked up to the person, realising it was Shadow. I continued to smile, not saying a word. Suddenly I pulled the gun on him and shot, I didn't stop until all of the ammo was gone. I looked at the body still not convinced and took the knife out. I stabbed it straight through Shadow's neck and heart before leaving, knife in tow.

I moved for my last stop, Cerani's room. With any luck, I could easily finish this. And if I could finish this, it would mean the Killer is gone. I pulled out a bomb and a detonator, this would end it all, even if I killed myself. I held the bomb close to my heart and entered the room. I looked at Cerani, showing the first real emotion I had all night.

"Cerani... it's over..."

With that I threw bomb and hit the detonator, running as it exploded on contact. The blast pushed me forth till I hit the wall. I don't know how long it was before I got up again. I felt blood trickle down my cheek, and there was a huge welt on my head. I looked to see Cerani's room, it was completely destroyed. If he was Alive somehow, the Cave in would have killed him. I looked up and smiled one last time.

"It's over..."

It was truly over, no one else could be the killer. I chuckled slightly, got to my feet and limped to my room. When I got in, I closed the door and fell into the bed like a rock. I was asleep, knowing I could rest easy.

Coughing and sputtering I get to my feet. Where the heck am I? I thought I had been in Cerani's room. We had just been talking and then I was gazing at the sky out the window... I don't even remember falling asleep. I gather my senses and look around the dimly lit room. OH. This is the room of generality. I was here once before... Yes... There on the wall is the message, the blood message from the killer, that was written quite some time ago. Yes. I'm here, but how? I make my way to the doorway, still baffled. Cerani!!! She'll be wondering where I am. I can't remember anything from the past few days. Ugh. I walk down the hall. Which way was it to... WTF!!! I sprint over to the rubble that was once Cerani's door, half choking from the sob in my throat and the blood that I can smell from down the hall. "CERANI!!!" I scream, my feeble cries only heard by the silent rocks. How could this happen? I look past the rubble, she couldn't have survived... could she? How did I get out?! and who did this? The killer? No... The killer likes to torture the victims... then who?
My mind buzzing and not understanding, my knees so weak, and my heart still weaker a slowly get to my feet, bracing myself against the cold, unforgiving wall. Then I see it... blood stained foot prints... Cerani's murderer. I reach down for my sword and feel the hilt in my already sweating palm. The dimly lit corridor provided enough lit to see the gleaming blade as I pulled it from it's black sheath. Chibimon should be proud that his blade is going to avenge a friend.
I follow the foot prints to a room, and open the blood stained door. There I see the newcomer Via, drifting off to sleep. I step forward and plunge my sword into the throat of my own victim. I hear the feeble chokes of this being as I begin to shift the sword around causing the esophagus to become dislodged and fall out of the ripped skin. I check the pulse and find the heart still beating, remove my sword, and plunge it straight into Via's chest. I final spasm goes through the body of my victim, and the life is gone, never to return. "Sweet dreams." I say mockingly as I clean my sword on the white sheets, staining them with a dark tint of red.
I leave the room, and then realize the horror of what I have just committed... I begin to feel a shock go through my arm as i sheath my sword, and I collapse to my knees. Then I remember the killer's thought intentions and return to Cerani's room, hoping to save her. I run down the corridor, back to the rubble, and begin to dig. My sweat begins to mix with Via's blood, but my only thoughts are of opening Cerani's would-be tomb. faster and faster I woprk, the rocks seeming as boulders, my frail strength can barely lift them, until I begin to use my legs and then I succeed. Closer and closer wood and rock becoming one as I enter the blunt area of the blast.
Finally, i am able to make a large enough dent into the rubble to be able to crawl through a tight space, and enter the room. I look around, and do not see a body. My heart lurching I begin to scan more particularly for body fragments. Suddenly I spot a large enough area to crawl through, light beaming through the other side like a heavenly aura... She escaped! I don't know if she's alive, but she must be all right.
After hours of contemplating my situation I realize that the two of us may be the only ones left alive... and if Cerani was in the blunt of the blast then... I shake off the thought... and continue on my way, searching for any signs of Cerani with my sword at my side. The killer will be after me too... who is still left alive?
I continue walking until I feel exhaustion overwhelm me. I have just enough time to open a door, enter and lock it before I collapse onto the floor and sleep.

I have no idea what the hell happened. One moment I was pondering how many more Pop-Tarts I would eat, the next I could've sworn a plane crashed right into my room. I remember dragging myself towards the only source of light I could see, an instinctual action I believe. I don't know how long I've been laying here in the dirt, or if I've been unconscious.

I'm fully awake now, and I'm deeply regretting it. Maybe being dead would be better than this, all this pain. I can feel it everywhere. Whatever happened, I can tell it should've torn me into pieces. I think that later, if I survive this, I'll thank whatever higher being chose to save me, but right now I kinda wish it'd left me for dead.

I turn over, languidly, trying to stop from injuring myself further by moving. I see a hole in the mansion wall that leads into what must've been my room. I say must have been because it certainly doesn't look anything like my room now. I let my head drop back onto the ground and try to breathe slowly. I think my ribs are broken. My vision is a bit hazy too. In fact, it's extremely blurry. Crap. My glasses are gone. I'm as good as blind for the moment, unless my glasses are still miraculously intact within the hole that was my room. But I don't feel like going in to find them. In fact, I don't really feel like moving.

Oh no. Nic was in the room with me. Is he hurt? Dead? What the hell happened? I haul myself up from the ground, discovering that some of my ribs are indeed broken, and I believe one my arms is pretty much useless. I can't even feel it. I hope it's just numb. I stagger against the near wall and breathe raggedly. I would lift up my shirt to see if I'm bleeding internally, but I'm not sure if I could handle seeing one of my own ribs poking out from my chest, if one was.

"Gotta get inside . . . " I whisper. Whispering doesn't require me to use my voice, which requires more air from my lungs, which are probably bleeding. I don't know.

Wait . . . I shouldn't go inside, the killer's still in there. Shit! Gah, maybe he'll let me out of my misery.

No, I can't think like that. I've got to survive. I don't know why, but I've got to. Maybe it's just the survival instinct or something, but I feel that it's important I keep living. It sounds stupid, even to me, but there it is. I've got to survive. I start staggering toward the forest, conjuring up my woodland survival knowledge, and everything I know about plants, i.e. whats good to eat, what's not, what helps with healing and pain, etc. Maybe, if I'm lucky, there'll be some creature there with enough intelligence to help, and the disposition to do so. I doubt it, but that's what hope is for . . . right?

As the killer thinks of what to do with LaserWolf's body, the killer hears an explosion from not too far away. The force of it makes him fall to the floor, but he quickly gets back up. "I think I'll just leave it here. But I'm sad I can't make a masterpiece of it." Footsteps. The killer glances down the hallway to see a figure running towards the killer. Probably going to inspect the explosion, the killer thinks. Too bad he'll never make it. The killer digs into the killers bag of goodies and pulls out a steel baseball bat. As the figure draws closer and closer, the killer gets close to the dark wall and waits. Suddenly, the killer lunges out as the figure finally gets close enough, and with a mighty swing, sends the lower half of the figure's face hurtling into the opposite wall. The victim, the killer notices, is none other than PringerVince. The lower half of his face is missing, and his eyes widen as he falls over. The missing part of his face is sliding down the opposite wall, the flesh, blood, and tissue acting as a sort of adhesive to provide minimal resistance. The killer is amused at this and claps the killer's hands. The lower face half finally lands on the floor with a *splosh* and the killer gets upset. "What? My fun is over?" the killer growls. The killer raises the bat over PringerVince. "You can't take away my fun!" The killer brings the bat down on PringerVince's upper face, a loud cracking noise echoing throughout the hallway. Smash after smash, more cracking noises permeate the air until eventually, the cracking turns into a disgusting squishing sound as the killer realizes that the upper half of PringerVince's face has been turned into a mound of fleshy mush.

Now there are two corpses in the hallway. The killer lets the baseball bat fall to the ground and the killer quickly scurries to a nearby storage closet. It is locked, but the killer had pilfered the key from Masquerade's office on the top floor earlier. The storage closet door opened and the killer dragged the corpse of PringerVince inside. The killer looked from PringerVince to LaserWolf before walking over to LaserWolf. The killer takes out another slip of paper. Upon it, something is written:

"shall not"

The killer smirks and strides back to PringerVince and places another slip of paper gently on top of the pile of mush that used to be PringerVince's face. It says:

"DISAPPEAR!"

The killer slammed the storage closet door and locked it back before walking over to LaserWolf and sticking the key in the victim's pocket. The killer glanced at HoneySenpai who was immobilized and cowering against the wall. The killer winked at him causing HoneySenpai to cringe. With little effort, the killer picks up LaserWolf's body and walks over to the stairs at the end of the hall leading to the next floor and hurls the corpse down them. The killer laughs as the killer watches the body thump, bounce, and roll down the stairs landing at the bottom like a helpless rag doll. Then, the killer turned the killer's attention to HoneySenpai and walks back to him. After grabbing the killer's sack, the killer grabs HoneySenpai by the rope around his neck and begins dragging the victim and bag of goodies down the rest of the length of the hall, down the stairs, past LaserWolf's beaten body, and right out of the building.

Outside, the night appears everlasting, its expansive reach spreading darkness dotted with myriad bright specks of stars across the entire land. To the east, the first tendrils of sunlight are trying to invade the black of night, only to be repulsed back, for the night refuses to budge. It is towards the submissive sun that the killer walks with the killer's bag and victim. As the killer enters the Meadow of Melodies, the flowers shriek in dismay, but the killer ignores them. In the very middle of the meadow is a prominent tree, the most fluorishing tree in all of Eternal Dream. The killer stops in front of this tree feels the trunk. "This is...perfect," the killer says, once again drawing out the word perfect. HoneySenpai closes his eyes in fear; he knows his end has come. The killer grabs HoneySenpai's rope and begins to ascend the tree with great skill. Because of the sheer size of the monsterous tree, it takes several minutes before the killer safely makes it to the first branch. Carefully, the killer makes the killer's way to the center of this branch, the branch wide enough to attain proper footing, but with balance still a necessity. The killer tied the end of the rope around HoneySenpai's neck to the branch, and HoneySenpai finally understood what was to be his fate. Before anything else, the killer takes out a final slip of paper and attaches it with a small piece of tape to the bottom of HoneySenpai's right foot. It says:

"I"

The killer smiles at HoneySenpai one last time. "Say hello to the others for me," the killer says before throwing HoneySenpai from the branch, the grappling hook still stuck in his back and the iron stake still impaling his leg. As the rope runs out, HoneySenpai's neck instantly snaps, and his corpse dangles from the tree branch for all to see. The killer sighs, full of content, and descends the tree. Before entering the Dream Headquarters, the killer dances along the treeline of the Glade of Roleplaying and smears the trees with the killer's bloody handprints. The killer takes a step back, admiring the killer's work. "A beautiful mural painted upon the trees," the killer dreamily states before wandering off to places unknown.

I wake with a start, and regret having that little start. I was laying on the ground, in the forest. I can't even see the castle-manor-thing of the Dream HQ anymore. My ribs are still hurting, but my arm isn't numb anymore. It just ached.

'When the hell did I fall asleep?' I certainly don't remember falling asleep . . . maybe I blacked out or something. Wouldn't surprise me, considering I survived an explosion inside my small room. 'Wonder who tried to kill me? Couldn't have been Nicolas, I don't think he would do that . . . the killer?' That's the only person it should've been but lately, I guess everybody's been a little crazy. And what with my accidently shooting someone in the head, and then running away from the scene of the crime and all, well it would seem suspicious even to me. Which it did, but I didn't try to blow myself up.

"So who did?" I say aloud. I hear only the short echo one hears while inside a large forest. I decide I want to sit up and try to survey my surroundings. I crawl hesitantly over to a tree and haul myself up, hating every little hitch and throb in my chest. I know I can almost see things when I squint my eyes, without my glasses. You know, it sucks being half-blind. Okay, well I'm not really half-blind, but at the moment I'm close enough.

My stomach growls at me and I realize I must be hungry again. I resort to eating blades of grass that I tear with my fingers that I can still feel. Of course, grass doesn't taste the greatest, but it really is like the saying 'When you're hungry enough, you'll eat anything.' I swallowed enough to fill my stomach, at least to where it stopped growling with hunger as well. No, not the greatest of meals.

I come back as a zombie, and go on an absolutely massive killing spree. No one is left alive.
Can we finish this up? I'm getting really curious. ^^;;

//Please don't post here anymore unless you're alive. > >//

~Evening~

I wake up, and once again don't know when I fell asleep. God, I must have a concussion or something. I look around me at the trees. Smirking for a moment, I can see the literal meaning behind "You can't see the forest for the trees."

It's so damn quiet here, deceptively peaceful. Even when you know about a hundred yards away is a castle full of dead bodies and a bloodthirsty killer, a quiet forest can put you at ease, make your mind forget about things.

My stomach growls, and I realize just how stupid it was to crawl away into a place where you have to move a lot to get food. This time, I ignore it and go back to sleep. Hopefully, I'll see morning again.

~Night~

The darkness of the hall is impermeable. The steps taken echo out, breaking the silence. The warmth from the fire in the fireplace of the Room of Generality spills out into this shadowy hall. Powdersnow stops in her tracks and looks around. She is wearing a medical mask to prevent the smell of death from invading her nostrils. She shivers in the darkness, despite the closeness of the warmth. Eventually, she shrugs her shoulders and turns around only to see a person standing there. Before she can react, the person pulls out a serrated blade and slices her vertically on the chest. Blood pours from her wound as a horrified look appears in her eyes and she crumples to the ground.

The killer smirks as the killer gazes at the corpse on the ground. "This won't do," the killer says as the killer squats down. "You're not beautiful enough! I want you to be beautiful for me!" the killer yells and starts pulling out the girl's entrails until there is enough space inside of her to place something. The killer's eyes light up as the killer pulls out an ominous red candle from a pouch at the killer's side. "Your makeover is almost complete," the killer says, entranced as the killer takes Powdersnow's hair and drags her body into the Room of Generality where the killer then props it up against the wall. The killer grins as the killer places the candle in the hole the killer carved in the victim's stomach. The killer doesn't even give a second glance to the guts hanging out of the wound that the killer had pulled out. The killer produces a match from the pouch and strikes it. The small flame hardly makes an impact on the darkness of the room, despite the moonlight streaking in through the windows and the flame blazing in the fireplace. Gently, the killer touches the match's flame to the wick and lights the candle. A sigh escapes the killer's mouth as the killer sits back and watches the candle burn for a little while in peace.

The silence breaks with a few cautious footsteps and a rather loud voice saying, "Is anyone here?" A girl enters the room of whom the killer identifies as Lady Zero. She sees the killer immediately and screams, running away from the Room of Generality. Standing the killer grins evilly. "Oh, she wants to play a game with me," the killer exclaims and chases after her. "Thank you girl for livening things up for me!" Lady Zero continues to run faster and faster until she reaches the sanctity of her own room. She slams the door closed behind her and locks it. Lady Zero lets out a relieved sigh and closes her eyes. However, when she opens them again, she finds herself staring directly into the killer's eyes. Her screams pierce the tranquil silence of the Dream Headquarters as the tip of an umbrella is thrust into her over and over again, blood spilling on the white marble floor with each thrust.

The door to Lady Zero's room opens slowly and her corpse falls out into the hallway. A maddened look plagues the killer's eyes as the killer steps over the body into the hallway. There was so much work to be done; good thing the night was still so young...

I am wakened again, though this time I know how long I've been asleep, and what woke me. I've been asleep for a couple hours, long enough for it to get dark. The screams coming from the manor scared the crap out of me.

God . . . he's still killing people . . . does he know where I am? I hope not, but just to be safe, I drag myself up from the ground and move slowly deeper into the forest. The moonlit night suddenly becomes more alive to me as an adrenaline rush hits me. Everything, even without my glasses, seems a little more in focus, and louder. I think I can pick out single crickets performing their nightly orchestration. If it were any circumstance, I would've enjoyed it, but right now I'm scared shitless. There's not a whole lot of things that seem beautiful to me right now, except perhaps a sanctuary.

I pause at the trunk of a large tree, panting. It's hard work to move quickly with broken ribs. Still, I continue onward, propelled by fear and adrenaline.

The killer drags a screaming Amaranth across the monochromatic, gray Meadow of Melodies. "It's rather naughty of you to raid the kitchen without permission," the killer states simply, yet in a cheerful tone. "Don't you know there's a killer lurking around?" The killer lets out a short bit of maniacal laughter before stopping in the killer's tracks. The killer finds the killer's self next to the Glade of Roleplaying. "Perfect," the killer says slowly, savoring the word. "She'll be able to hear the screams."

By this time, Amaranth is putting up a fight, but the killer deals a quick kick to her ribs and the sound of cracking bone fills the air and shatters the eerie silence. The killer produces four sticks of dynamite and lighter from the pouch at the killer's side. "Do you know what I'm going to do with these?" the killer asks the killer's victim rhetorically. Without waiting for a response, the killer takes two sticks and shoves one up each of the girl's nostrils. "Oh, better do this quick." The killer uses the lighter to set fire to the end of the fuse. The killer then takes the other two and jams them into the girl's eyes, one stick in each eye, causing the girl to let out a bloodcurdling scream that must have echoed over the whole island. The killer gives her a great grin--not like she can see it--and twists the sticks to get them in farther. The squishing sound that comes about as a result pleases the killer further and streams of blood begin leaking from Amaranth's eyes. She flails her arms violently; the killer knows she won't be alive long. With the lighter, the killer sets the most recent sticks on fire and runs away as far as the killer can leaving Amaranth helpless. When the killer gets far enough away, the killer stops and turns around just in time to see an explosion. The killer runs back to check on the killer's victim only to see a corpse and the grass covered in blood and splattered brain matter. The killer sighs in content and then shrugs the killer's shoulders. The killer had lost interest. "Maybe I'll go check the kitchen again." With that, the killer heads back to the Dream Headquarters.

Once there, the killer enters the kitchen only to see another rat scrounging through the refrigerator. It is Shadow-Girl. Not wanting to waste any time in incapacitating her, the killer takes out several steak knives and tosses them expertly at the girl. She has no time to react and she falls to the floor with the knives sticking out of her back. The killer sighs in disappointment; it was too easy to take her out. The killer walks over to the fridge to see the girl crying in pain. The killer flips her over and sits atop her chest grinning evilly. The killer pulls out a drawer above all the way out causing silverware to spill onto the victim and the floor. Shadow-Girl's breathing begins to quicken and her eyes widen in fright. The killer grabs some forks and plunges them into her arms. Her skin and flesh put up quite a resistance, but with enough effort, the killer forces them into her, watching as the blood slowly trickles from each wound that the killer creates. Shadow-Girl shrieks in terror and pain as each fork is slowly, yet forcefully inserted, and she is almost relieved when she sees the killer picking up another steak knife. Of course, that feeling subsides as the killer stabs her in the stomach with it and slices vertically, watching as her bloody entrails are revealed. The killer becomes enthusiastic at the sight and grabs some more knives, plunging them randomly into her abdomen and listening to the almost rhythmic screams that escaped the killer's victim.

A small pool of blood forms under Shadow-Girl, and it is obvious that she is close to death. The killer gets up and turns her over. Carefully, the killer picks up two nearby spoons and stabs them at the back of her head. Of course, her cranium iss hard enough to deflect the blows, but the killer is not going to have that and persists to brutally assault the back of Shadow-Girl's head with the spoons. A few hours pass. The killer is panting, exhausted. Before the killer is a bloody pile of spoons and a gaping hole in the back of Shadow-Girl's skull with brains leaking out of it. Bone fragments litter the floor. The killer is extremely tired and wants to just fall asleep right there on top of the killer's victim, but the killer knows it isn't safe and retreats somewhere to a hidden place so that the killer can get some sleep.

~Morning~

~Afternoon~

After the killer sleeps the morning away, the killer awakens and treads through the silent halls that smell of blood, gore, and death. The killer meanders down a hallway kicking the doors of various rooms open. One door in particular gives the killer the reaction the killer is hoping for. A startled scream. So are were more people around. Immediately, the killer slowly walks into the room to find Diaku looking up from a notebook; it is his journal in which he has been writing about the frightening things that have been going down in the land of Eternal Dream. The killer grins.

"Oh, phew," Diaku sighs in relief. "It's actually another person. For a while, I thought I was the only one left." Diaku smiles uneasily, but it quickly vanishes as he notices the killer getting closer and closer. "Oh, did you want to see my diary? I'm writing it so that people will believe us when--" He doens't get to finish his sentence, for the killer quickly slices Diaku's throat, a fountain of blood cascading onto the floor and landing all over the killer. Diaku's corpse slumps over and falls into the floor on its back. Slowly, the killer takes out a burlap sack and pulls out a handful of candy.

"Oh, I think you deserve a treat for your hard work," the killer says tranquilly and shoves the killer's hand into the wound on Diaku's throat and releasing the candy. The killer does this several times until Diaku's throat is filled with the sweet delicacies. "There you go, friend. Keep up the good work." With that, the killer stands up only to be greeted with another shriek of terror as the killer notices Moono peeking into the room.

"Y-you're the k-killer!" he screams before taking off, but the killer is hot on his heels. Moono turns down corridor after corridor until the footsteps of the pursuing killer disappear and he stops to catch his breath. He doubles over and ponders about what a close call it had been, but when he looks up, he comes face to face with the killer who doesn't hesitate to slice Moono's throat. Another shower of warm, crimson blood covers the killer and Moono collapses to the floor.

"Well now, haven't you been a naughty boy? But I guess I'll have to sweeten you up," the killer says and takes out some more candy before plunging the killer's hand into Moono's throat through the wound the killer had created. The killer eases the killer's hand allowing the candy to slide down Moono's esophagus. "You want more? Wow, how greedy. But if it's what you want..." The killer continues to stuff more and more candy into Moono until it overflows out of the slit in his neck. "There we go. All full, right? Good, for there are others who probably want treats as well." With that, the killer marches off to somewhere, drops of blood dripping off of the killer's body; blood that isn't the killer's.

Ah, afternoon. Still daytime, but makes you lazy and sleepy, almost as if it should be nighttime. Still, I hadn't heard any screams in a while. Maybe I've moved far enough away, maybe I can rest now. I stop by a large tree, lots of branches . . . how much blood have I lost? Was that a fairy I just saw? Or a floating leaf? Aw fuck, I 'm hallucinating aren't I?

Still, this off-green grass looks very inviting, I'll just lie down here. I'll go . . . sleep, got to sleep . . . I'll sleep . . . sleep like the dead . . . zzz . . .