Hide Seek Kill - A Thriller Novel || Draft One

Nine: Chase

"Ooh! What is that room?!" Jenna walks up to a single door that looks like every other one.

"Vhy don't we find out?" Otto cheerfully pulls the door open, though Chase can see the worry that rests on his face.

The door opens to reveal a large bedroom decked in navy and gold. There is a king-sized bed up against the back wall, a bedside table on either side. A closed door sits on each side of the room.

Jenna starts running around the room—presumably to look at everything—while Otto flops onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. Chase opts to look around, hoping to find some sort of clue as to what the Host wants.

He gently knocks his hand against the wall as he listens for something hollow.

Nothing.

"Vhat is zat?" Otto points at the roof from his spot on the bed.

Chase walks over and looks up. There is a series of symbols etched across the roof.
"Is it a message?" Jenna's face scrunches up in confusion.

"Looks like code." Chase says, and sees Otto quickly get up and rummage around the room for something.

            

"Ah!" the teen says, finding some ancient stationary and an old pencil in one of the bedside drawers. He looks up again at the code and scribbles something on the stationary.

"Vhat's this mean..." he mumbles.

"What's it say?" Chase peers over Otto's shoulders, and reads the message aloud.

"'One is an imposter,'" he reads.

An imposter, Chase thinks. What is this, a game of Among Us? Then it dawns on him how each one of them are sort of imposters.

"Oh, so this is like real life Among Us." Jenna smiles. "At least you know I'm Crewmate."

Are you, though? Chase thinks. It could be any one of us. Does this imposter even know that they're one? At least there aren't two or more...or are there?

Gah! All of this is so confusing! How did I get caught up in this anyway?

Chase starts to pace in front of the four-posted bed. "We find a coded message on the ceiling that says there is an imposter and we have no idea who."

"Basically, it has a double-meaning. Trust no one," Otto says. He bites on the edge of the pencil in thought. "Do you think that the Host knew we were going to be in here together?"

"Unlikely," Chase answers, although he suddenly starts to wonder what all their mysterious Host knows.

"Should we tell the others?" Jen asks. Before anyone can respond, she answers her own question. "No, telling them would send everyone into another downward spiral of heated arguments and accusations. We're all already divided enough. The last thing we need is for them to start pointing fingers and slowing down progress."

Does Jennifer realize that in the end, it's every man, or woman, for themselves? In the grand scheme of things, not everyone will make it out of there alive.

No one knows what the Host is capable of. What if they kill some of the Players if they do something he or she doesn't like?

Chase doesn't want to find out.

"Well," he finally says. "I suppose there is nothing else to be found in this room. We should keep investigating and try another room."

Jen and Otto eye him curiously, and for a moment Chase worries that they are already listening to the message and don't trust him. Thankfully, Jennifer moves to the door, seeming eager for more adventure.

"Let's see what else we can find, then," she says before heading back out into the hallway, leaving the boys no choice but to follow.

***

When the trio head back downstairs to the foyer, they stumble upon another small group. Zuri, and two people he recalled to be Sam and Jason from the drawing room, are wandering around marveling at the beauty of the ornate entrance to the large estate.

"Hey," Chase calls down from the top of the grand staircase. "Did you guys find anything?"

Jason and Sam ignore him, pretending that the intricate designs are much

more fascinating than what he has to say. Zuri, however, looks up and gives him a small wave.

"No, not yet!" she responds. "But we think that there is a pattern in the designs of the walls. What about you three?"

She eyes Otto and Jennifer with intense curiosity.

"No, nothing important," Jen answers before Chase has a moment to open his mouth. This attracts Sam's attention.

"So that means you have found something?" she asks.

Jennifer shrugs, dismissing the question. "Like I said, it's nothing. Just some strange patterns in the master bedroom. Beautiful wallpaper in there."

Wow, she is sly, Chase thinks. Jen has told them where they've found the clue, but completely misguided them, making them think there's something in the wallpaper, when it's actually on the ceiling. They're not likely to find it now, and even if they do, they might not figure out what it means.

"We'll have to check it out then," Jason says, listening in to all they've said so far.

Jen smiles innocently and Chase descends the stairs, moving to stand beside Otto.

"Vhy are the ladies so...complicated?" Otto asks.

Chase offers an apologetic smile. "Can't say, but I do know that they find us guys to be idiotic creatures who love competition."

"That's correct,," Sam pipes in. "My name is Samantha."

Otto grabs her hand and gives it a firm shake. "Nice to meet you Sam," he grins.

She growls and Chase sees that she tightens her grip, clutching Otto's hand so hard that both their hands turn white.

"Call me Sam," she warns with a fake smile. "And you'll regret you've ever met me."

Otto doesn't seem fazed and Chase wonders if the German was just pretending to be frightened when Vivica had threatened him, or if he's just more used to being around all these crazy people.

"Zhat's not very likely, miss, because I know several ways to silence my enemies. Vhy do you think zhat I always win the jousting matches during roleplay?"

Jason snorts. "You roleplay? What a nerd!" He begins to laugh and shakes his head. "What else do you do? Play video games and read Harry Potter?" Jason points to Otto's black, round spectacles.

They do give Chase a Harry Potter vibe.

Otto quickly swipes his leg under Jason's and knocks him to the floor. "Actually," he says, grinning down at his victim. "I hack government systems and study various methods of communication. Roleplay is just something I do to practice my skills."

Jason's assured countenance falters and he offers an apologetic smile. "It seems that I have underestimated you, my friend." He makes a quick move to knock down Otto, who tries to avoid the attack, but ends up falling for Jason's trick.

"But," Jason says, getting up off the ground. "You still have much to learn." He offers Otto a hand and the teen takes it begrudgingly.

A small squeal echoes off the walls and they all turn to see Jennifer excitedly running her fingers along the intricate patterns on one of the sets of double-oak doors.

"What now?" Chase asks, just as Jason mutters, "Why do they always find something?"

"The engravings on this door are slightly different from the others. Look!" Jenna steps out of the way and Chase walks over to the heavy-looking door , taking a closer look.

He runs his fingers along the one door taking note of its pattern before doing the same with the one that Jenna has discovered.

It's practically identical to the one next to it with the exception of a slight difference. The patterns are complex, so unless you look very closely and know that there is a difference, it'd be next to impossible to notice.

Chase has come to realize that Jennifer and Otto both have a good eye for things. It's probably a good thing that he has them on his side...for now.

"It looks like...two snakes?" Chase asks incredulously.

"Yes! It appears to be a crest!" Jen seems very happy that it was she who made this discovery.

"Wait, what did you say?" Samantha says, shoving Chase out of the way. It takes her a moment before she finds it. When her face pales, Chase knows that she's seen it.

"Oh my God," she whispers.

"What?" Chase, Otto, and Jason ask in unison.

Samantha shakes her head in disbelief. "I-It's my..." she gulps, her Adam's apple moving up and down. "It's my family's crest. I haven't seen it since...why is it in this mansion?"

Chase backs up to give Samantha some space and ponders her question. They are to play this Game...Did the Host put it there, knowing that she'll eventually see it?

A deep chill runs down his spine. What if the Host is someone in her family? Goosebumps cover his skin as he comes to this realization. He eyes Samantha with more trepidation.

He notices that Jason's face starts to pale as well. He must have come to the same conclusion as Chase.

Otto discreetly shares a look with Jennifer, and they both catch Chase's eye. It's at that moment that he knows they are all thinking the same thing.

Is Samantha the imposter?