Let the Games Begin DreamNotFound

Chapter 7

George POV

"In order to complete the game, you must identify the murderer with the clues and information provided. Let the game begin."

Static crackling hummed in George's ears, the TV in the room flickering with shades of black and gray specks. Dark stains crept over the carpet, widening beneath the source of the blood. Light glinted off shattered glass shards beneath a broken mirror hung crooked on the wall, and a hospital bed sat in the corner of the room with abandoned equipment.

"What the fuck." Sapnap cursed under his breath. 

"That's not a real person, right?" Karl took a hesitant step towards the body, his face turning ghostly white. "Uh, guys, I think this is a real corpse." 

George slowly followed the other players into the room, startling when the wall separating the rooms immediately closed behind them. Trapping them inside dark secrets.

Dream walked just ahead of him, and the dirty blond was the first to notice the sudden silence in the room. His emerald gaze settled on the TV. "Look." 

Gone was the crackling static, replaced by a timer. Black counted down over glowing red. 24.73...24.72...

"That's..." Dryness crept over George's mouth. "That's twenty-five minutes... they barely gave us any time..." 

Five gazes met in the brief exchange of apprehensive glances before flicking away. Twenty five minutes may seem huge, but to solve a murder with nothing more than clues? George racked his brain, traversing through the hundreds of mystery novels he'd read. He couldn't remember a single case that was solved in less than a day, and they only had minutes. 

"Okay, so maybe-" 

Skeppy's voice was cut off with an electronic humming, and the drawer of a polished wooden chest rolled open. 

"Please select one information card per player. You may not exchange cards, and must hold onto your chosen card until the end of the game." 

"I really hate this voice lady." Karl let out the breath he'd been holding in a rush of air. 

Skeppy peered into the drawer, reaching in to lift out blank pale blue paper folded in half. He opened his, and frowned.

"Mrs. Johnson, a retired teacher who visits the home to give lessons to Sarah. She owns a key to the house and has been her tutor for five years." Skeppy read his card off, raising his voice to speak clearly. "I'm guessing one of the other cards is Sarah." 

Dream turned away from the tv, approaching their fellow player silently. George watched him select his own card, his black polish stark against pale blue. 

The dirty blond flipped the information card open. "Jackson, Sarah's boyfriend whom she dated for nearly two years. They met through her father's friend's son." 

George followed Dream to the chest, reaching the drawer at the same time as Sapnap and Karl moved to take a card. They each grabbed the card closest to them, fingers brushing the soft velvet lining the inside of the drawer.

Karl unfolded his first. "Sarah, age seventeen. She was diagnosed with terminal cancer at the age of eleven, but because she dislikes hospitals her care is given at home. She is known for being bright and kind." 

George's gaze fell on the corpse's body. She was young, in her teenage years with tangled blond hair and lifeless blue eyes. He could just make out a vibrant pink shirt beneath the dark blood. That must be Sarah...

Light glinted from the gash in her chest, reflecting a tiny speck of brightness amongst the gore. He squinted at the light, but Sapnap's voice dragged his attention away.