Eternal Dream Murder Mystery

I reluctantly went with the dog last night, but in the morning I made sure to wake before him. I sit there, going over everything that had happened last night.

I couldn't believe someone would kill Masquerade. Why would someone do this? I think to myself. I feel sick at the thought of someone killing one of my close friends.... I feel the tears come, but I quickly suppress all my feelings. I look at CC still asleep and think, I need to stay strong. Not only for CC, but for myself as well. We will find his killer...

I woke with a start, for a few moments not remembering that the dog had dragged me back to his room. I don't remember falling asleep at any time but here I was. I feel awake, for once, it's been a long time since I've woken up and felt really awake instead of wanting to go back to sleep. Usually this means a good day for me, but then I remember the events of yesterday and why Akamu dragged me here.

I grit my teeth to hold back momentary tears, then I roughly shake my head to get a grip on myself. I would need to be calm today. I get up from where I was sleeping and say, "I'm going to find something to eat before I do anything today."

So I walk away and do as I said, I go to the kitchen and grab some Pop-Tarts from nowhere and eat them in the wonderfully empty dining room. It's not much of a meal but I don't want to eat too much in case I get sick this morning. I throw away the wrapper and then roam the halls in search of where we left Masquerade. In doing so, I pass the Room of Generality. Glancing inside, I see yet another grisly scene of death and mark it dispassionately in my mind for later. When I reach Masq, I want to cry again but somehow I don't. I force myself to see the scene for what it is, a crime scene.

There are footprints in the pool of blood, but none that I don't recognize. I realize belatedly that that doesn't help, the only people who could've killed Masq here are all members. I crouch down and touch Masq's arm. It's cold, of course.

"Wish I had a thermometer to check his core temp with. Then I could at least figure out when he died." I begin to talk to myself, pointing out little things that could be evidence of the killer. Besides the footprints that are already there, there's no other indication of another person having touched Masq, except for the gaping wound. The edges of the wound were jagged but it was thin, like he'd been stabbed. Probably something like a serrated knife. Like a huge steak knife. I look up at the ceiling and walls. No blood spray indicating another stab, so the killer only had to get Masq once. Even then, there was no doubt that the killer had some blood on him. There was no way you could stab someone with a weapon like that, and stab forcefully enough to go through the rib cage, and not get blood on yourself.

"Aw, crap.", it seems that I have ended up in the kitchen. I honestly didn't acquire a decent night's rest the night before, and truthfully, I would have insurmountably enjoyed having the pleasure of sleeping in an actual bed.

"Oh well.", I said, yawning once again, "At least I'm not dead.". I opened up a fridge, and took out a gallon of whole milk, and continued on to obtain a random box of cereal. No, I did not care what brand, I simply wanted something to fill my empty stomach.

While pouring my milk and cereal, I couldn't help but wonder--why did the killer only kill one person per night? Why not kill several? Or even all of us? At first glance, it seemed that the killer solely wished to inspire fear into us. This could be true; although, there could be another reason.

I snapped out of my thoughts as I noticed I had wastefully poured some milk over the edge of the bowl. "Dammit.", I muttered, cleaning up the mess and replacing the milk into the fridge, as well as returning the cereal to its rightful place.

I began eating my cereal, and even though the killer appeared to only kill at night, I was still vigilant for any movement. There is no way anyone but the killer could possibly relax at a time like this.

I open my eyes as sunshine streamed onto my face. I am so exhausted from traveling to the Dream Headquarters that I must have slept for almost 2 days straight! Talk about a coma. I stand and stretch, almost falling from my lack of balance. Looking around I take in the chamber that I had barely seen because of the darkness two nights before. "Hmm... suitable."
After sleeping for so long I need some nourishment so I grab the bag of trail-mix I brought with me and slowly chew on its contents. "Wait... what the heck am I doing in here?" I race out of the room exploring different halls and corridors trying to find someone. "They must all be out or in their rooms..." I am still running and my early morning reflexes aren't that great.
*Klumph*
I trip and fall flat on my chest, the air escaping from my lungs in a long wheeze. I stand up and look at what had tripped me.
"OH MY GOD, A BODY!!!" I stare at the face of the man who had brought me to this world, his eyes closed, dry blood caked around his corpse, and small pools that still hadn't dried soaked his skin.
"Watch where you're going you clumsy idiot!" I look up from the body and see a girl deep in thought staring straight at me. "What do you think you're doing here?! Are you new member? If you are, I highly suggest you keep yourself safe, there's a killer on the loose."
I swallow the lump in my throat, formed from the nervousness. I look into her eyes, but stop short. I can't stare down someone I don't even know.
"So what's your name?" she asks. "Salocin." I respond. "Well, Salocin, I'm Cerani and if you can explain why you have blood on the front of your shirt I would be highly appreciative."
I look down and realize the truth of her words. Then I remember my arrival to this place. I look down at my bandaged hand. " I caught my hand in a car door and busted my finger nail open. I was so exhausted from my journey that I collapsed with out changing my clothes."
"You'll have to come up with a better excuse than that" she said.
Great... so much for first impressions.

I don't know how it happened, but at this pace everyone will be killed. At least, if we don't do something about it. As I carefully look the bloody message, I feel voices from behind, but I don't turn back.
"Accuse one of your own as the killer and the rest of you shall be set free." The bloodwritten message read.
"Heh..." I say to myself. "Who does he (Or she?) think he is?"

//Jeez Salocin, way to god mode. Don't do that again, okay?//

I glare at the clumsy fool who's disturbed my crime scene. I said things I wouldn't normally have said but there's no going back now.

I sigh and and do a short 'facepalm'. "Look, let's start over, alright? You're Salocin, a new member. My name is Cerani. Would you please back out of the pool of blood, even though it's not like everybody else's footprints aren't in it too."

//Hee hee. sorry.//

Confounded at her greeting to me, I slowly realize that my appearance has changed Cerani's mood. My sudden entrance caused her to become startled and start spitting words. I have to remind myself never to do that again or else I will have a difficult case on my hands.
Trying to strike up general conversation around a corpse isn't very likely, and standing in a corridor isn't either.
"So do you have any idea why anyone would kill Masquerade?" I ask. I don't know the background of the members of the Headquarters. Hopefully, this question will quiet her mood, and I will get some answers to the questions about the strange place I have willingly decided to call home.

I sighed and stood up, getting my sword ready incase anyone tryed to mess with him. His footsteps echoed around the empty hallway. "Where the heck did she go? Didn't I tell her how dangerous it was to go alone..." He gasped with shock, when he saw the message on the wall, and trembled when he saw GH's body.

He steped into the room, and noticed the two, and walked over to them. "I'm glad you're safe, however, I left Obli behind, so I'm going to have to go back soon..."

I wave Akamu off, his concern is slightly annoying. I knew how to take care of myself.

"No, I don't know why." I answer Salocin. I grin in a sudden, odd moment of humor. "He always said that he was immortal. Sort of an inside joke." My grin disappears as I look back down at the body of my dead friend. "Guess he's really not."

I stand and sigh. "There's nothing more I can learn here. I don't have the equipment I need, but perhaps there are other clues at the other scenes. I'm going to Shandreara's room. Would you like to join me, or is one dead body enough for you?"

I finally have the courage to look Cerani in the eyes. There I see a passion, a love for a friend, and also hatred for the one who has done this to him.
"I'm coming with you. If I'm going to stay here I want to make sure that it's going to be for a while."
My voice echoes in the corridor and I look up to see another being. Oh, I've heard of him. Some call him "the Dog." Cerani seems put off by him, so he may not be trustworthy. I glance at his sword. The blade shines in the sunlight of the open window near his head, sparkling and causing me to squint as I look at it. I greet him with a friendly nod, and then turn back to Cerani.

I nod. "Right then." I turn on my heel and head for where I think Shandreara sleeps, looking back to make sure Salocin is following, which he most likely is. When I reach her door, somehow, the scene is much more bloody than Masq's. I feel like puking once more but once more I hold it back. The smell is almost overwhelming, there's so much blood in the air. The metal tang is very strong.

I look down at the floor. It seems not as many people have been here or stepped inside. One of the sets of tracks may be the killers I realize. I take in the entire room now. There's so much blood, it's everywhere. If the killer caused this, he or she would be literally dripping with blood. It would be unmistakable, and there would most definitely be a trail, either from the weapon or from the killer.

I step fully into the room and approach Shandreara's body, skirting a small pool of blood that must've trickled down her arm that's hanging over the bedside. I gag and look away. Half of her torso seems to be gone it's been slashed so many times. I make myself look back down again. Her eyes are wide open in an expression of shock and fear. I reach down and close them, then reach for her arm. She's as cold as Masq is. She may have died around the same time as Masq.

"Two victims in one night?" I study the . . . wound. There is a cut on her chest. The edges are smooth, so a straight-edge weapon. "So, two different weapons. The cut, or slash, seems too . . . big for a knife, so a sword. I know a few around here who have swords." I pause. "Not a good sign. Is there really one among us that has the capacity to kill, let alone kill friends or our family here?"

I followed them, knowing exactly where they were going, I was the second one to know about the girl dieing, After the Killer. As I followed them into the room, I gaged from the scent. I apporached the body and inspected it. "She was killed by multipule sword attacks to the torso, however, it was a short Sword, not a large katana, like mine." He inspected the wound further before gaging and falling back. "I say we colect together into one room, the killer is bound to strike again every night, seeing this pattern..."

The abruptness of her leaving causes me to scramble after Cerani. Suddenly she stops at a door and I somehow cause myself not to slam into her, but into the wall instead. She doesn't seem to notice, too focused on the scene in the room. When I come in, groping my aching rib, she's touching the body and examining the wound. "the Dog" comes in, strangely doing the exact thing Cerani did, I ignore him and turn to her.
"So the wound's different, eh? Who around here has a weapon? I have a bow, some arrows, and a small flail in my room, but only a sword could have done this." I tell her.
I look to her, amazed at her strength in such a dark situation.

"Oh really? I say we set bait. And there's no way to tell what kind of sword was used, you're guessing, or just trying to cover your ass." I shake my head, the dog was becoming more annoying the more I talked to him, but at least I had someone to direct my anger at for the moment. He may not like that I chose him for the job, but he was the first to appear somewhat annoying to me yesterday.

//Hehe, by the way Akamu, katanas are short, not large.//

"Sorry, Salocin. Yes, it would appear that a sword was used. I only know a couple that have swords. Akamu and someone else. Any of the others I don't know for sure."

//short swords are smaller though, he is right.//

"I concur with Akamu. I propose we stay in the Room of Generality, as it is large enough to accommodate all of us.", I said, leaning against the doorway.

"Although, we really need to get these bodies out of here, they're stinky. Unfortunately, I can't help, I don't have the upper body strength to do so.". I pulled the collar of my shirt over my nose like a makeshift gas mask, as I was being sickened by the stench of the corpse. "I also think we should stick together, seeing as we're all here. Whenever you're done doing whatever you're doing, we should do what Akamu suggested. It may be simpler, but at least it has a higher chance of success."

//Well, the point still remains, I don't have the means to determine what kind of sword was used at my disposal, unless there is a chemistry lab somewhere on the grounds.//

"So, what do we do when we all get in one room? Just sit there? Sounds boring to me. We have to think of who could have done this. Who has weapons on grounds? Who has the ability to almost be in two places at once." I look to all of them wanting some answers. My first day has not been going well. "I agree that we should move the bodies though, they deserve a proper cremation or burial." I make a move to start to lift the corpse hoping someone will help me.

I laughed and pulled his sword out, smashing it into the ground. "I use an oversized Katana, not a normal one." He shruged and laughed. "I don't care, set bait, but how? A killer woulden't be dumb enough to fall for most bait..." He sighed and looked down at the body once more. "I would move it, but that could get messy and suspitious..." I jumped a foot when I saw Aura and laughed. "You scared me..."

I look toward the being in the doorway with the smirk on his face. Confused, I wondered if we were actually going to do something, or just talk about it. I step away from the body. Obviously no one is going to move it. By saying they want to means they care for the dead. That's nice. Actions speak louder than words. I voice my opinion once more. "Perhaps, the Vortex of Words may give us an answer. There, you can do all the research you need to, Cerani."

I shrugged and smiled at Akamu's reaction in amusement. "Well, I guess we could find a wagon or something to haul the bodies out in. Depending on how long this goes on, they may become a health risk. In the case of bait, what would we do? Dog pile on the killer? Drop a cage? Crazy people are much stronger than sane people are, so capturing the killer would be an unlikely option.".

I noticed I still had a milk mustache from drinking out of the cereal bowl, and wiped it off with my sleeve.

I scowl menacingly at Aura. "You've no idea what I would do to that person once we caught him, or her." I feel like I'm practically baring my teeth now. "Insanity wouldn't even begin to help you with me around."

"There's a lot of blood. I'm not going to do anything more with this, so please take care of Shandreara and Masq. I'll be going now to see Ghidora's body. I passed it in the hallway before . . . "

I shake my head once more and pick my way out of the room, stepping around the small pool of blood. The most recent crime scene will be more important. There should be a little more development in the killer's style. After I wander the halls long enough to reach the Room of Generality, I see I am correct. The killer has written a message on the wall that I didn't see before, when I passed it.

After reading a nice, entertaining book, I decide to emerge from my room. It already seems to be afternoon, as the sun's glare that has been flowing through the windows has diminished into a dark orange, ray of soft light. As I exited my room, I located Xeno in a nearby hallway. I solemnly confront her, pulling up a chair.

"Who would do such a thing?" I take my hand and rest my head upon it, "What just cause is there to killing our members?" I glanced at Xeno through the corner of my eye, she had a look of innocence about her.

I trusted her.