Chapter One

One hundred and thirty.

That was the number of tiles on the ceiling in the meeting room. I was reclined all the way back in the padded leather executives chair. The tiles became obscured by the large bubble that extended from my mouth. I was just about ready to suck it back in when I felt the familiar press of an intruding finger. The sticky chicle (isn't that a great word? chicle!) clung to my face like a second skin. I heard AJ's telltale laugh.

"Pay attention Nizzle."

I sat up peeling the layer away from my face.

"I am paying attention."

"Then what did we just say?"

I glanced over at Howie. It was just like him to give me a quiz.

"Something about a fundraiser?"

Howie tapped his pen against the table.

"What about a fundraiser?"

He got me there. I stared at him blankly. Brian jumped in.

We're going to have to do a Backstreet Trivia night. We'll charge two hundred and fifty dollars per table with teams of five. So it will cost each person fifty dollars. For another fifty they can get a group picture with us after the game's over.

That sounded kind of fun.

"When are we doing this?"

"Saturday, October 30," AJ added.

I really hadn't been paying attention if they had already covered all of this.

"What do the winners get?"

"You really weren't listening were you?" Howie said. I sighed.

"Not at all."

"The winning team will get to do a murder mystery with us on Halloween night," Howie said.

Now that sounded awesome.

"A murder mystery?" I said excitedly.

"We're going to do it like a game of Clue," Brian said.

"Yeah, you know how you had to figure out who killed Mr. Boddy? Well for this game, the people on the winning team have to figure out which one of us killed Lou Pearlman," AJ said with a grin.

I laughed. "Sweet. Can I be the one who did it?"

The guys looked at each other.

"You're going to be playing along with the winners," Howie explained.

My eyes widened. "What? Why?"

"Because you can't keep a secret," Bri explained.

"I can too!"

"Nick, give us one time when you haven't blurted out or Twittered something that we didn't want anyone to know yet."

I opened my mouth. A second later I closed it.

"Well, AJ sucks too," I complained. I folded my arms across my chest. Sure I was thirty years old, but they were being unfair.

AJ snickered. "I'm getting better, thank you. If it helps, you're going to play an important role."

"Uh, do I need to remind you that you told the whole world your wedding date was May 7 before you even had a venue?"

"I was just throwing people off my trail."

I snorted. "Right."

"Do you want to know what you'll be doing?" Howie asked. I propped my chin in my hand.

"Sure."

"For each fan that bumps into you along the way, you're going to give them extra prizes," Brian said.

"So I'm the eye candy?" I asked. I smiled.

Howie rolled his eyes. Bri reached over and felt up my chest.

"Aren't you always?"

I grabbed his hand and kissed it. We both laughed. Howie and AJ didn't say anything. They were immune to our bromance.

"What does the winner get?" I asked.

"An all expenses paid spot on the cruise in December," Howie explained.

I whistled. That was a pretty nice prize.

"So, we've got the three of us as characters," AJ continued. "I think Ro would love to do this."

"Count Leighanne in," Bri said.

"I'm sure I can talk Leigh into it," Howie said. "It's for a good cause."

"Which charity are we donating to?"

"HHC and the Lupus Foundation," Brian said.

I nodded. Leighanne and Leigh were sure to participate.

"Alright, sounds like a fun way to spend Halloween. Where are we doing this?"

Brian smiled. "Well, since you feel so left out, we thought we'd let you find the place."

"Yeah, I mean with as often as you move we figured you wouldn't have a problem finding yet another place."

I rolled my eyes. Lauren and I had just moved. Again. Sure, I moved a lot, but it was just because I was picky.

Plus, I only liked a place as long as it still had that 'new place' smell.

"Here's the criteria we need," Howie said. He handed me a list. I scanned the list. I had to find a place that was spooky and had at least nine rooms including a hall, a lounge, a dining room, kitchen, library, movie room, studio, master bedroom, and a smaller bedroom with a balcony.

"So we'll looking for a house that could do as the one in the Amityville Horror?" I concluded.

"Fuck yeah," AJ said. He rubbed his hands together.

"It's got to be a Halloween house," Howie said.

"We're going to work on the trivia questions and this is your assignment," Bri said.

"Use your vast knowledge as producer to get us a house that will scare the shit out of five girls," AJ added.

I laughed.

Even though I felt a little like Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer (after all, the guys weren't letting me participate in any of their 'Backstreet Games'), I loved Halloween. No matter what I was going to make sure I found the freakiest house I could.

I didn't say it out loud, but I couldn't help but think that it would be hilarious if I found out whodunnit before the five other contestants.

Because if I did, I was going to have two all expenses paid trips on the SS Backstreet.

Chapter Two

"Here are the two categories you're going to do."

Howie handed me two sheets of paper.

"Nick Trivia?" I said with a grin. "Awesome!"

I paused. "Wait. Who came up with these questions?"

"We did," Howie said. AJ and Bri nodded.

I glanced down the list of ten questions. My eyes widened.

"What's this? Question 10 - When will Nick Carter get married?"

AJ started to laugh. I flipped the paper over.

"Never?"

"Well, you said you weren't comfortable with the thought of marriage!"

"So? Comfortable and never are two different words," I said.

I was pretty proud of myself. Lauren and I had been together for over two years. That was a record for me. Just because I hadn't put a ring on it yet...

I looked at the other sheet of paper. It was a 'Don't Forget the Lyrics' type of thing. I nodded.

"I can so do this."

"Well, you have no choice. This thing starts in an hour," AJ said.

We were sitting around the back room. Howie had his cup of Starbucks stuck between his legs as he rifled through the papers.

"So...I have a question," I said. Howie glanced at me.

"What if the girls are screaming so loud they don't hear the question? Won't that give like an advantage to the tables up front?"

AJ grinned. "Jen's going to have the questions put up on a screen behind you."

I smiled. Jen was my hero. "Sweet."

"And you got the place right?" Howie asked.

"You've got the pictures and the contract don't you?" I said.

I had found the perfect place. The moment I had pulled up I expected a dead body to be swinging from the old dead tree in the front yard.

"It looks fuckin' creepy," AJ said.

"It's Halloween!"

I glanced over at Brian. He was wearing a bright orange Wylee t-shirt. He looked a little like a traffic cone, but I wasn't about to tell him that. Leighanne was already out in the main hall at a Wylee table in her own bright orange shirt.

The Littrells were a little odd.

We discussed a few more things, grabbed a bite to eat, and then it was show time. Justin's voice floated into the back. A cheer rang up from the tables.

"It's show time."

----------------------------

AJ, Brian, and Howie all went before me. I studied my Nick Trivia notes. How bad could I screw up questions about me?

"You're on," Bri said. He slapped my ass as I walked by him. He had a thing about my ass. Sure it was squeezable like Charmin, but I preferred a female hand on it anyday.

"HELLO L.A.!" I yelled. There were tons of tables. I hadn't expected so many people. A deafening cheer sounded back.

"Who's ready for some Nick trivia?" I asked. I stumbled back at the next scream. I heard a few 'aww's' mixed in.

The screen behind me flashed. I smoothed out the paper on the podium. I put on my reading glasses. Someone wolf whistled.

"Question one," I said. "What three instruments can I play?"

Almost simultaneously, every single female body went half-flying across the table to whisper the answer. I stood there. Was I suppose to provide between question entertainment? Or was I--

A buzzer rang right by my ear. I screamed. Everyone looked at me.

"Sorry," Jen said. "That means times up."

I pulled my mic away. "That means I almost pissed my pants."

She laughed. I straightened my glasses.

"Question two. What breed is my dream dog?"

I flipped the paper over. Someone, probably AJ had wrote women. Someone, probably Howie, had crossed that off and wrote the right answer.

I was prepared when the buzzer sounded the next time.

The rest of the category went just like that. I made up my own question ten.

"What character did I play when I guessed starred on the show American Dreams?" I asked.

The buzzer rang and I headed backstage. I gave the scorekeepers the answer (Jay from Jay & the Americans) and went to go grab something to eat.

"Not bad," Bri said. "The glasses were a nice touch."

"They make me look smart," I said.

AJ laughed.

"Looks can be deceiving."

"Haha."

Howie, Bri, and AJ did their next rotation of questions. I was licking the black sprinkles off of a Halloween cookie with Howie tapped my shoulder.

"You're on."

I stuffed the rest of the cookie in my mouth and headed back out. I took out the lyrics paper.

"Question one," I said. A few crumbly bits of cookie flew out of my mouth. I covered my mouth with my hand and chewed vigorously. I swallowed, dropped my hand, and smiled.

"Question one," I repeated. "Finish this lyric. We're looking for one word. 'Baby he would say whatever it takes to keep you blind to the truth between the ____________'."

I made my way down the list. They got harder and harder. Finally I was back at question ten.

"Last question," I said. "We're looking for eleven words. 'I wake up every morning and see your face ___________________________________."

I didn't even recognize the lyrics. I flipped it over. It was Helpless. The guys weren't playing around. I heard some little snippets of singing going on at a few tables. The buzzer sounded.

"Alright guys, that's my last category. Good luck!"

Everyone clapped. I headed backstage. Howie was waiting to go back on.

I had another Halloween cookie with my name on it.

--------------------------------

"Alright, it was a close contest," Howie said. The four of us were back onstage. There was a high level of excitement in the air.

"But in the end, there was one winning team," AJ added.

"Team #..." Brian said slowly.

"Fifty four!" I yelled.

The groans outnumbered the five ecstatic screams that floated through the air. Five girls bounced up and jumped up and down. It was a nice sight. Two of the girls had great racks.

"Come on up here!" Howie called.

The five girls ran up. They stood in front of us grinning ear to ear.

"You girls are invited to the first ever BSB Murder Mystery event," AJ said. "Are you excited?"

They nodded. Brian handed down a microphone.

"Tell everyone your names."

A brunette grabbed the microphone. "Desiree."

She passed the microphone off to a short little blonde.

"Andrea!"

She passed the mic to her left.

"Ivanka."

Ivanka made me nervous. It was kind of like a game of 'which one doesn't belong.' She was totally Goth. I had a hard time believing she was a BSB fan. Her eyes met mine. I almost shivered.

"Alyssa," a cute strawberry blonde (one of the two with a great rack) piped up when it was her turn. She flashed Brian a big smile. It was always the 'Pollyanna' types that went for Bri.

"And I'm Kasey."

Kasey was the other one that was stacked. She was wearing a short skirt and her legs went on for miles.

I was such a leg guy.

"I hope you guys don't scare easily," I said. The girls looked at each other and laughed. Well...they all laughed except Ivanka. She didn't look like anything would scare her.

Howie took the mic back and started to explain to losing tables that anyone who paid for a group picture could bring their table up to Justin and get ready.

"Alright, winning group gets the first picture. Everyone smile!"

The girls turned around. The four of us stood behind them. I wrapped an arm around Desiree's neck. She laughed. I heard my two busty girls burst into giggles. I glanced down the row.

"Are you tickling the girls again Howard?" I said. He grinned. "Nope!"

I snorted. For a married man, Howie's hands sure did get around.

"Alright, guys. Give these girls a NICE picture," Jen said. We posed again.

"See you tomorrow," Bri said. The girls took their packets of information.

"I can't wait," Ivanka said. "I love a good murder."

I fought the urge to shiver again. Maybe it was just that it was so close to Halloween, but I totally got a bad vibe about her.

I knew my job tomorrow was to give out prizes if the girls found me. As they walked away, I couldn't help but think I was going to avoid Ivanka at all costs.

Now the other four...

That was a different story.

Chapter Three

"Okay Nick, you get serious points for finding this place," Rochelle said.

All seven of us peered through the windshield as the house came into view.

It had to be the perfect Halloween night. It was windy and cold and there was a full moon up in the sky. The branches of a huge bare tree in the front yard scraped against the house.

"Oh this is creepy," Leighanne said. Bri stretched his arm along their seat and squeezed her shoulders.

It was eight o'clock. The mystery would officially begin at ten. It would end when the first girl correctly solved the case. The place had been set up with video cameras; Jen and Justin would be monitoring all the activity.

And I would be running around trying to scare people. I had determined that was going to be my mission in life.

After all, it was All Hallow's Eve.

"You aren't wearing that in," Leigh said. I turned around and grinned. Every now and then Howie had a good sense of humor. Tonight was one of those times. He had been wearing a giant Wookie head for the past two hours. If you ask me, it was still an improvement over his 'Jesus hair' phase. He turned to Leigh and made the Wookie noise.

"I just got a text from Justin," AJ said. "Jen and him are already inside. They've got everything ready for us."

There were nine different rooms that were part of the game. Six of those rooms would be inhabited by Bri, Howie, AJ, Leigh, Leighanne, and Rochelle. The other three rooms were empty. In each room, Jen hid a small jump drive thing. The six girls (and me!) had to find the jump drive and plug it into a device we would be given to hang around our necks. The clue from the jumpdrive would be transferred into our device.

I personally thought it was all very Matrix-y. BSB didn't mess around.

Anyhow, if we entered a room that had one of the 'players' in it, once we found the jumpdrive thing, they would give us another clue to plug in. So six rooms had the chance to get two clues. Of course, we had to listen to them give their corny 'defense' of why they couldn't possibly be the murderer.

I glanced over at Leighanne. My money was on her.

Always expect the unexpected, right?

"NICK!"

I jumped. "What?"

Bri smirked. "I asked you if you had the prizes on you."

I patted my pockets. The guys had loaded me down with all sorts of goodies - stickers, lanyards, autographed pictures. I was a walking kiosk.

"I'm all set," I said.

The car pulled to a stop. The driver turned.

"I'll be back to pick you guys up. Have a fun night."

He made a 'mwhahaha' sound that sent shivers up my spine. AJ laughed and swung himself out first. Ro quickly followed.

Once I stepped foot onto the grass, I jogged in place. Howie's Wookie head smacked into me.

"HEY!"

"Sorry," came the muffled voice from inside.

"Guys, in here!"

We turned. Justin was hanging out at the door.

"The winners will be here any minute. Let me walk you through the house."

Everyone headed up the old creaking stairs. Little bits of dust flew up into the air. The realtor had told me that nobody had lived here for a long time.

She didn't give the reason why.

We entered a dark, dank foyer. A chandeler that looked like it hadn't been turned on in a century swung omniously above our heads.

"Nick, you stay here," Bri said.

"What? Why?"

"Because dumbass! You're playing the game!" AJ said. "You can't know where everything is."

I folded my arms across my chest. "So you're just going to leave me here by myself?"

The guys all grinned.

"Yep."

"You can greet the girls if they arrive early," Justin said.

I leaned against the wall as they all took off. I could hear Justin explaining against about the jump drives and everything.

I looked up and waved at a camera.

"Hi Jen!"

I walked around the foyer. It smelled musty. Cobwebs stretched from one corner to another. All of a sudden a spider dropped down on my shoulder.

"AHHHHH!!!!"

I swatted at it. Then I shook out my hair. I knew it was all psychological, but I could almost feel those eight spindly legs still crawling on me.

"Hello?"

"AHHHHH!!!!"

I jumped again. I looked towards the front door.

The girls had arrived. The two busty ones held onto each other and giggled. I ran a hand over my shoulder one more time.

"Welcome!" I said.

"This place is creepy," Desiree, the brunette said.

"It's just old," Ivanka said. I had to wonder whether the place was an improvement. She looked like she slept upside down from the rafters. She stared at me and I almost screamed again.

"So are you playing too?" Kasey said. She was wearing an orange long sleeve top with black cuffs. It was cut low.

Even though I was dating Lauren, I couldn't help but take a look. I smiled at her.

"I am," I said. "So go easy on me."

Alyssa, the strawberry blonde, laughed.

"Is everyone here?"

I turned around. Justin came up to us holding six lanyards.

"They're all here," I said.

"You guys excited?" Justin asked. All of the girls except Ivanka were staring at me when they nodded.

"Alright, where let's go over the rules..."

Justin explained the logistics of the game.

"And if you bump into Nick along the way you'll get extra prizes."

I grinned. I wouldn't mind bumping into four of the girls in a dark hallway...

"Now, I also want to mention that only one person is allowed in a room at any one time," Justin said.

I hadn't heard that part. I looked at him.

"How's that going to work?"

Justin smiled. "Before you enter a room you'll tap your device against a panel by the door. The door will unlock and you can enter. It will lock again behind you and a red light will turn on. The red light will go off once you leave."

"So we'll be locked in with Brian?" Alyssa asked. I knew she wanted Bri!

"You will," Justin said slowly. "But you'll also be monitored. Jen and I will be up in the control room. We also have a security guard. Since you guys all passed the background checks, I'd assume you aren't going to murder anyone in cold blood." He grinned.

The girls laughed. Well, except for Ivanka. She just snickered.

"Okay, so you guys ready to go?"

"YES!"

Justin handed out the devices.

"You're first clue is downloaded onto your device. See if you can find it."

I put the lanyard around my neck and held the little device. It looked kind of like an IPod. I tapped the screen. A second later I saw the first clue.

All it said was 'Rope.'

"Anytime you get a clue you can consider that item not a part of the murder scenario," Justin said. "You have a list of all the possibilities on your device. Once you're left with one suspect, one weapon, and one room you're ready to solve the case. If you're the first to come up to the control room and tell us, you win."

"Sweet," Andrea said. The girls looked at each other. Suddenly they didn't look so buddy-buddy.

They had their game faces on.

"Alright," Justin said. "On the count of three."

"One---"

"Two---"

"THREE!"

The girls all took off. I glanced at Justin. He smiled.

"Have fun. We'll be watching."

He disappeared up the stairs. I looked around.

My goal was to get clues, look cute, and hand out prizes to the girls if they bumped into me.

I could handle that.

I brushed my shoulder again.

What I couldn't handle was any more spiders.

Chapter Four

I was in the thick of the game. I had played Clue a million times before. It was a game of strategery. Some of you might say that strategery isn't a word, but I disagree. President Bush used the word. I figured if a President makes up a word, it should automatically go in the dictionary.

Anyway, as I walked around the lower level I devised my plan of strategery. I assumed that the girls probably had split up on the first and second levels.

What they hadn't yet discovered was that there was a basement level.

That's where I was going to start first.

I headed down the hall. I didn't know why I couldn't hear the girls. Every step I made seemed to creak. When I got to the end of the hall I turned right. I passed two doors. I stopped. There was a set of stairs going down.

It was kind of freaky going down the stairs. One single bulb lit my way. I tried to push the thought of spiders out of my mind.

I had a feeling the basement was full of them.

Ugh.

Once I stepped safely off of the last step, I let out a sigh of relief. I spotted a door straight ahead.

My first room!

I touched my device to the panel by the door like Justin had explained. I heard the door unlock. I turned the knob and headed in. The door locked behind me.

I knew from the rows of padded chairs and the huge portable screen that I had entered the movie room. I glanced around. At first I didn't see anyone else. But then...

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Rochelle had a rope around her neck and she was swaying in mid-air. Her mouth was open and a thick line of blood dripped down off her face.

I know it was stupid, but the first thing I thought was that AJ was going to kill me.

I ran over. She looked even more grotesque up close.

"Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh--"

She began to laugh.

"Gotcha!"

I stared up. She stopped swaying. I looked down. Even though she looked like she was swinging in mid-air, she was standing on a clear box.

"I hate you," I said. My heart was still racing.

"It's Halloween. I brought my makeup. What did you expect?"

I pressed my hand against my chest.

"I have a heart condition."

Rochelle rolled her eyes. "Give it a rest Nick."

I glanced around. "So where's the first jump drive thing hidden?"

She smirked. "You've got to find it. Until then..."

She returned to her hangman position.

"You're no fun," I complained.

She gave me the finger.

I started to search the room. By about the tenth padded seat, I was beginning to regret choosing this room first. It was stuffy in the basement. And it smelled funny. Almost like decaying flesh.

Or maybe that was just my imagination.

Once I searched all the chairs, I headed up to the screen. I found the jump drive hanging off of the back. I grabbed it.

"A-ha!"

"Damn," Rochelle said. "I was kind of hoping you wouldn't find it."

"Then I'd be locked in here with you forever," I taunted.

"I would have kicked you out," she said.

I sat down in a chair and plugged the jump drive into my device. A second later the clue flashed on the screen.

Leighanne Littrell.

"Damn," I said. There went my theory that Leighanne was the murderer.

"I have a second clue for you," Rochelle said. She stuck a pale hand into a pocket of her skull-covered skirt. She pulled out another jump drive.

"Now, before I give this to you, I need to tell you that I'm not the murderer," she said.

I sighed. "Do I have to listen to all these speeches? Can't you save them for the girls?"

"Shut up Carter."

I folded my arms. Rochelle explained how she wasn't involved with AJ during the whole 'Lou' era and she had no possible motive. Blah, blah, blah.

"You done?" I finally said. She smirked and handed me the jump drive.

"Here you go."

I sat back down and plugged it in. The third clue flashed onto the screen.

Hall Coat Closet.

So it wasn't a rope, it wasn't Leighanne, and it wasn't the Hall Coat Closet. But, what it told me was that I needed to go back to the Hall.

Check.

"You solve the mystery yet?" Ro asked. I smiled.

"Well, sorry to leave you hanging," I said. "But no."

"Then get out of here!"

I laughed. "Love you too, Ro."

I handed her the jump drive back and walked back to the door. I pressed the device against the panel and the door unlocked. I heard it lock behind me.

All of a sudden, I heard footsteps on the stairs. I was going to stand there and turn into a Nicky kiosk but I caught sight of a black boot.

There was only one girl who was wearing black boots. Ivanka.

I ducked underneath the stairs. I watched her come down the stairs. She looked around. I saw her finger slide around and around her device like she was channeling some inner crazy to help guide her in the right direction. She finally walked towards the door I had just come out of.

A second later she was in and the red light came on above the door. I took off up the stairs.

"BOO!"

I jumped. Desiree was coming down the hall. I smiled.

"You caught me," I said.

"What do I get?"

A dirty comment was right on the tip of my tongue. Instead I reached into my pocket and pulled out a keychain I autographed.

"Here you go," I said.

She took it and held it up.

"Thanks!"

"I'll try to be more stealthy next time," I said. She laughed. We took off in opposite directions. She was heading towards the basement and I headed down the hall.

I wondered if she had already been in the coat closet.

I also wondered if the coat closet was one of the three empty rooms. I couldn't imagine trying to find something hidden with Howie and his Wookie head taking up the bulk of the space.

Plus, I loved the guys but I didn't want to chill out in a closet with them.

I got back to the hall and looked around. Several doors lead to empty rooms that we weren't using for the game. I stopped and looked around. I spotted a door with a panel. It had to be the closet. I brushed my device against it and I heard the door unlock. I pushed it open.

Empty. Phew.

I stepped in and the door locked behind me. For such a small room, the jump drive was well hidden. I finally found it hidden in the soft sponge of a mop that was leaning against the wall in a bucket. I sat down on the floor and connected the jump drive to my device. I was a master at this game. I was already on my fourth clue. And it was...

Library.

So the murder wasn't done in the library. That figured. Those librarians were always telling people to be quiet. Who could successfully murder someone there?

I stood back up. A big pile of dust came with me. I slapped at my jeans and put the jump drive back. With a tap of the device, the door unlocked.

I paused for a moment to think about my next stop. My stomach growled.

That's when it hit me.

The kitchen.

Chapter Five

The kitchen was towards the back of the house. From the main hallway, I had to turn down two small hallways just to get there. I've gotta say that whoever designed this place was on crack.

What was even more ridiculous was that the kitchen was closed off by two heavy double doors. Who encloses in a kitchen? Geesh.

The red light was on when I got there. For a second I was tempted to go find another room. After all, what if ooky Ivanka was in there?

Before I had a chance to think of an alternative plan, I heard the door unlock. Alyssa stepped out and bumped right into my chest. I held onto her to keep from toppling over.

"Oh!" she said. "I'm so sorry!"

Her face was bright red. I smiled.

"Is Brian in there?" I teased.

"What? Oh no! I haven't found him yet," she said. Even the tips of her ears turned red.

"Well, you found me," I said. "So you get a prize."

Her eyes widened. She seemed so shy. It was hot. I dug around in my pockets and came out with a copy of The Pendant, autographed by yours truly.

"Here you go," I said.

"Oh! Is this your movie?"

I puffed out my chest. Yeah, I'll admit it; I took a lot of pride in my little movie. Written, directed, and starring me. You couldn't get any better than that.

"Hopefully it won't freak you out any more than this place," I said. Alyssa laughed.

"I've screamed a couple times," she admitted.

"So have I," I said. "Good luck."

She started to slowly walk away but she kept looking at me as if she couldn't believe I was standing right here. "Thanks!"

Before she bumped into something or fell down the steps because of me, I tapped my device to the door. The left side door unlocked. I stepped in and it locked behind me.

My 'girl-dar' must have been working at full strength. As my eyes adjusted to the dimness, I made out a female shape sitting in a chair. As I stepped closer I realized it was Leighanne.

With a knife through her stomach.

I almost screamed again, but I saw her blink.

"You make a bad dead person," I said. She smiled, but she didn't say anything. Obviously she was following the rules more than Rochelle.

Imagine that.

If I had thought that the jump drive had been hard to find in the movie room, the kitchen was a million times worse. There were so many cupboards and cabinets to go through. I was pretty sure I was going to be here all night.

"A hint would be nice!" I said.

Silence.

I hopped up on the counter and looked around. I had to think like Brian, Howie, and AJ. Where would they think of hiding a clue in the kitchen?

I decided that the cupboards and cabinets were too obvious. I hopped down and checked the stove...

And a freakin' bat flew out.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

I slammed onto my stomach and shielded my face. I swear the thing squawked at me. I was sure that it was a vampire bat. The thing was going to suck the last drop of blood out of my body. My gorgeous face that had gotten me a spot on the 21 Hottest People Under 21 was going to be reduced to a shriveled mess and...

"Nick, it's hiding up in the rafters. Just keep looking," Leighanne said patiently.

I looked up. I didn't hear any wings. I slowly stood up.

My eardrums hurt. I was pretty sure all my blood was hiding up there. I just wanted to get the hell out of the kitchen. I didn't know how Leighanne could just sit there.

I walked over to the food pantry. I shielded my face just in case. It was empty. I checked under the table where Leighanne was sitting.

Nothing.

Feeling desperate, I walked over to the refrigerator. It creaked on old rusty hinges as I opened it.

The jump drive was dangling right there.

"WOOHOO!" I screamed.

I heard the flapping of wings beating through the air. I slammed back down to the ground. While I was down on the floor, I plugged the jump drive into my device.

The fifth clue flashed on the screen.

Hammer.

So it wasn't the rope or the hammer. It wasn't Leighanne. It wasn't the Hall Coat Closet or the Library.

The flapping stopped. I looked around cautiously. Holding my breath, I carefully opened the refrigerator and put the jump drive back. The moment I did so, Leighanne turned in her seat.

"Now, before I give this to you, I need to tell you that I'm not the murderer," she said. I groaned.

"I already know that. Trust me. I got that clue. Can we totally skip over your speech? If that bat flies at me again I'm going to piss my pants."

Leighanne's brow furrowed. I was pretty sure 'piss' wasn't as bad of a word as 'fuck.' That had gotten me defriended from Twitter.

"Alright," she said. She handed over the jump drive. I plugged it into my device.

The sixth clue appeared.

Howie Dorough.

"Damn, the Wookie didn't do it," I muttered. I handed the jump drive back. She smiled.

"Have you solved the mystery yet?"

What was it with these girls?

"Nope. I'm still plugging away," I said.

Glancing around one more time for that stupid bat, I headed back to the door. I pressed the device against the panel. The door unlocked and I slipped through.

I looked around. All was quiet.

I thought back to the actual game board. There was the hall...I had already been there. Same with the kitchen. I knew from the clues that there was a library, but libraries had never interested me.

I decided to find the dining room. It made sense that it would be by the kitchen. I started off down the hall. A minute later I stopped. There was another set of double doors. A panel was attached to the wall. There was no red light. I pressed my device against the panel. The door unlocked. I walked in.

The dining room was as dark as the kitchen had been. Dirty windows looked out into a pitch black backyard. A long table with twenty chairs took up most of the room. A figure was slumped in the chair at the head of the table, his head resting on his arms and a gun resting nearby.

"How's it going B-Rok?"

Brian looked up. He had a bullet hole right in the center of his forehead. He smiled.

"You're the first person I've seen tonight," he said.

"I thought you weren't supposed to talk to me until I found the first jump drive," I said with a smile. His mouth formed an 'O.'

"Can you give me a hint?"

Brian made a zipping motion across his lips. He lowered his head back down.

I used my methodology that I had tried for the movie room. I tried all the chairs. I crawled under the table. The last place I looked was the china cabinet. The jump drive was nested behind one of the dusty plates.

"Ah-ha!"

I plugged it in. The seventh clue was drum stick.

"Drum sticks?" I said aloud.

"We thought that was funny," Brian said.

"How could you kill someone with drum sticks?" I asked.

"I don't know! It was AJ's idea."

I rolled my eyes. It figured. Bri sat up and slouched down in the chair.

"Now, before I give this to you, I need to tell you..."

"That you're not the murderer," I finished. "I know."

Bri grinned. "I ain't givin' you this thing until you hear me out."

I sat down in the chair next to him. He started rambling about how he was a good Christian and that he had forgiven Lou a long time ago...blah, blah, blah.

"Are you done?" I asked. Brian pouted.

"Geesh, I hope the girls are nicer than you," he said. He handed over his jump drive.

I plugged it into my device. The eighth clue was Rochelle.

"Well buddy, I think you might be the murderer," I said. "I've already eliminated three of you."

Brian smiled. "I'm a pacifist."

I snorted. "You're something. Your wife's hanging out in the kitchen with a bat."

Bri's eyes widened. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine. She's in character."

Bri smiled. "I wish I had gotten the kitchen."

I laughed. "I hate to disappoint you, but there's no damn food in there."

Bri snapped his fingers. "Shucks."

I stood up. "Hopefully someone else finds you soon. I know that Alyssa was mighty disappointed not to find you."

"Who?"

"The strawberry blonde. She's got the hots for you."

Bri held up his gigantic ring. I swear that he's going to have crippling arthritis in his finger for lugging that thing around for years.

"I'm taken."

"Trust me, I know."

We did our secret handshake and then I tapped my device against the panel. I was getting used to the pattern. The door unlocked and I slipped out into the hallway.

"Ha! This was a good choice!"

Andrea, the short little blonde smiled up at me. I grinned.

"You caught me," I said. I rummaged around and came out with a bottle opener and a dog tag. I handed both to her.

"Thanks!" she said.

"You're welcome."

I turned to go, but she grabbed my arm.

"Can I have a hug?" she asked.

Who was I deny a hug? She might have been scared and needed some Carter comfort. I wrapped my arms around her. When I pulled away she looked kind of dazed.

"Good luck," I said.

"Thanks," she said dreamily.

I walked off. As I rounded the corner I heard footsteps. I ducked behind a huge curtain.

Ivanka walked past me. She glanced left and right. Her hand brushed her pocket. She looked pissed.

I was hoping that she was headed to the kitchen. I had just met one of her family members flapping around in there.

As soon as I was sure she was far enough away, I came out from behind the curtain.

I didn't know where I was going next. The only thing I knew was that I was headed upstairs and as far away from Ivanka as possible.

Chapter Six

As I headed up the stairs, I checked my device for the clues I had already gathered. The game was pretty much half over. I had three cleared suspects, three cleared weapons, and four cleared rooms.

I was pretty impressed with myself.

Once I got to the second floor, I wrapped my hand around the banister and looked down. I couldn't help but think it would be a long fall.

I crept down the hallway, keeping close to the wall. It was even darker up on the second story than it had been on the first. The first couple of doors opened right away. After about the fifth door, I found one that was locked. I glanced to the side and saw the panel.

Bingo.

I tapped my device against the panel and entered. I looked around and laughed.

The guys had transformed the room into a makeshift studio with drums, guitars, a mixing board...the whole nine yards.

And Howie was lying on the floor in a true dead man pose, his head under the couch. His Wookie head was over by the drums.

"I know you're not going to talk to me before I find the clue," I said. "Right?"

He didn't answer.

"Alright, be that way," I said.

I began my hunt around the room. I quickly became frustrated. I had assumed the kitchen was going to be the hardest. The studio was kicking my ass.

"You sure do know how to make things difficult D," I said.

No answer.

I finally found the jump drive wedged into an amp. I sat down on top of it and plugged the drive into my device.

"I found it D," I said. I sniffed. "Why does it smell funny in here?"

No answer.

I glanced down at the screen. The eighth clue was bathroom.

"Not the bathroom, huh?" I said aloud. "That makes sense. Another person probably couldn't fit into the bathroom with Lou. Right D?"

I put the jump drive back. Howie still hadn't moved. I kicked the bottom of his shoe with mine.

"C'mon! Gimme your clue!"

No answer.

I glanced over towards the drums set. The Wookie head was just laying there grinning at me. It looked like it had landed in some oil.

"Dude, bad place to put your head. There's oil or something down here," I said. I bent down and picked up the fuzzy Wookie.

And Howie's head rolled out.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I dropped the Wookie. My heart had just gone from zero to two hundred. Howie's eyes were wide open and there was a look of pure horror.

"JEN!!! JUSTIN!!" I screamed. I started to look up at the ceiling for a camera. "HELP!!!!"

I turned back to Howie lying under the couch. I wasn't thinking straight, but I had a hope that this was another prank. If it was I was going to kick him in the nuts. I grabbed his feet and yanked.

Out came Howie's body.

But he was missing a head.

The room spun uncontrollably.

I'm pretty sure I fainted.

------------------------------------

When I came to, I was inches from Howie's feet. I tried to tell myself it was all just a bad dream, but when I looked across the room there was Howie's head. It was still looking at me.

"Oh my god. Oh my god," I mumbled. I scrambled to my feet. I began sweating profusely.

This wasn't fake. There was no way you could not have a head. At least I was pretty sure you had to have a head to live.

Of course you did. What the hell was I thinking?

I stood up and made sure that I wasn't going to pass out again. I felt like vomiting. I was a big fan of horror movies, but this wasn't a movie. This was real.

Howie was...dead.

My brain was sluggish. I closed my eyes.

Think.

I figured the first thing I needed to do was call 911. I pulled out my cell.

No signal.

Alright, plan B. The first thing I had to do was get the other guys out of the rooms. I decided to backtrack. After all, this wasn't about a game anymore.

It looked like we had become the game for someone.

And it didn't take a genius to figure out who that someone was.

I made my way back down the stairs. I constantly looked around. The back of my t-shirt was drenched with perspiration.

Once I got downstairs, I headed back to the dining room. The red light wasn't on. I tapped my device and slid in. The moment the door locked, I lost it.

"BRI! HOWIE'S DEAD! WE'VE GOT TO GET EVERYONE TOGETHER! I NEED TO KNOW WHERE THE CONTROL ROOM IS TO--"

I stopped. Bri was slumped down at the table again. His head was laying in a large pool of blood. The gun was covered with blood and flesh. It looked like someone had hit him full force with the barrel several times.

His hand was stretched out as if trying to reach for help. It was the hand that actually caused me to keel over and vomit.

Someone had caught off his wedding ring finger.

Once the contents of my stomach had completely emptied onto the floor, I got out of there. I was too stunned to cry.

However, I wasn't too stunned to yell when I ran right into Alyssa.

"AAAAAHHHH!" we both screamed. I jumped back and quickly looked for a weapon.

"I'm sorry," she gasped.

"Did you do it?" I asked.

"Do what?"

I stopped.

"Stay right here. Don't go anywhere," I said.

She looked at me like I was nuts, but she nodded. I kept my eye on her just in case. I headed down to the kitchen. I tapped my device, the door unlocked, and I looked in.

I quickly shut the door.

Leighanne was dead. Very dead. The fake knife through her stomach had been replaced with a real butcher knife. She was pinned to the chair.

And the damn bat was still flying around.

I let myself back out. Alyssa was still standing where I had left her.

It didn't seem like Alyssa would have done this. I had bumped into her on her way out of the kitchen and at that time Leighanne had been very much alive.

"You've got to come with me," I said.

"Why?"

I swallowed. "Someone's going from room to room killing everyone."

Her eyes widened. "What? Is this some kind of joke or--"

"It's not a joke," I said. I paused. "How well do you know Ivanka?"

Alyssa blanched.

"The four of us needed a fifth player and found her on the fanclub. She's creep," she said. She turned pale. "Do you think--?"

"That's my guess," I said. I licked my lips. They were dry. But at least they were alive.

"Have you been down to the movie room yet?" I asked.

She shook her head.

I swallowed hard. I had a bad feeling of what I'd find. But I needed to see for myself.

"Follow me," I said.

"And watch your step."

-----------------------------------

Author's Note: I posted a chapter of this at work really quick since I have Internet here. My Internet at home should be back up late tonight. Expect updates on the other stories tomorrow morning! I should mention that this story is only ten chapters long. I will be updating one new chapter on Fridays only from now on. The story will end October 29 right in time for Halloween. I look forward to reading what you guys think! :)

Chapter Seven

If I had thought that the basement was scary before, knowing that three of my close friends were dead made it terrifying. Alyssa clung to me as we slowly made our way down the stairs. At the bottom, I looked around. Propped against the wall was a big board. I picked it up and tested it in my hand.

I decided it would make a decent weapon.

"Alright," I said. "The movie room is right there."

We crept towards it. I was just about ready to press my device against the panel when I felt a sharp tug. I turned around.

"What?"

"Do you think someone's big killed in there?"

I thought about my gut feeling. I swallowed hard.

"Maybe."

"I don't want to go."

"We won't be in there long," I said.

Alyssa shook her head. "I'll wait right here with my back to the wall."

I hesitated. I really was only going to run in, check, and then run out.

"Don't step away from the wall," I said.

"I won't," she promised.

I tapped my device against the panel. The door unlocked. Alyssa pressed herself against the wall. I walked in.

When my eyes focused, I knew that Ro was no longer playing a part. The glass cube wasn't holding her weight anymore. Her face was a horrid shade and her mouth was open as if in a silent scream. I covered my face with my hand.

Leighanne, Brian, Howie, and Ro were dead. That only left Leigh and AJ.

And the girls.

And me.

I tapped the panel again and the door unlocked. I quickly made my way out.

"She's dead," I said. I looked right at the spot where Alyssa had been.

She was gone.

I hoisted the board up in the air. I looked around. If she was gone...that meant whoever the killer was (cough, cough Ivanka) was around here some place.

I crept forward, my ears alert. I was so busy looking around that I didn't see the body I tripped over. Once I scrambled to my knees, I knew.

Alyssa was sprawled out along the bottom step. Her throat had been cut, probably before she could even utter a scream.

Out of anything I had seen so far (aside from Howie - I would never forget that), this shook me up the worst. She had been killed just feet from me. Only a wall separated us.

The hero in me told me to keep searching the house and get as many people out as possible. The chicken in me told me to just get the hell out.

I made my way quickly up the stairs. I practically twirled in circles making sure no one was sneaking up behind me. I made my way to the front door.

And I stopped.

My horror movie knowledge indicated a trap the moment I looked at the front door. The thing was rigged. I saw a complicated series of wires. I crept up, careful not to touch anything.

That's when I saw the gun. It looked like if someone tried to open the door that the wires would construct around the trigger and it would go off. Even if you managed to avoid it, I had a feeling more than one gun was set up. I backed away.

At the same moment I heard a scream. It was a loud, very female scream. I turned around just to see Desiree running towards me. In her panic, she must not have noticed me. I grabbed her arms just as she reached for the door.

"Don't," I said.

She struggled. I tightened my grip around her.

"The doors rigged!" I said loudly in her ear. She stopped fighting.

"Rigged?"

"If you open it, you're going to get shot," I said.

I let go and she backed away.

"How do you--" She looked horrified. "Oh god, did you--"

I realized she probably thought I was the killer. I shook my head.

"No," I whispered. "I've just seen a lot of horror movies."

Tears were streaming down her face. She wiped at them.

"Who's dead?" I asked.

Desiree took a deep breath.

"I found...the library. And Leigh...was...was..."

She couldn't finish. I didn't press her for any more details. I had a feeling that whatever she saw was similar to what I had just witnessed.

I took a deep breath.

"Did you find the room where AJ's at yet?" I asked. She nodded.

"We need to go there," I said. "The others...are all dead."

"Everyone?" she asked. Her voice sounded strangled.

"Brian, Leighanne, Howie, Rochelle, Leigh, and Alyssa," I explained.

"Alyssa? But who..." she trailed off. Her face looked pained as she swallowed. "Ivanka?"

"I think so."

She shivered. "I knew we shouldn't have picked her for our team."

I could have told her that, but there was no need to make her feel any worse.

"Where's AJ?" I asked.

"Upstairs."

We both practically tiptoed towards the stairs. I was still clinging to the board. The stairs creaked every time we took a step.

"She'll hear us," Desiree whispered worriedly.

"Don't worry about that. Keep going up," I said.

We got to the second floor. I refused to look down this time. Desiree headed in the opposite direction I had gone. Four doors down she stopped.

"This is the Master Bedroom," she explained.

"We're both going in," I said. She nodded.

I tapped my device against the panel and the door unlocked. We both went through quickly. The door slammed shut behind us. Desiree jumped.

"You okay?" I whispered.

"Yeah," she said.

"Hey, you guys aren't following the rules."

"AAAAAAHHHH!"

AJ was laying in bed playing with a stomach full of blood and guts. But they were fake.

I felt like crying.

"You're alive?" I asked in astonishment. AJ grinned.

"Why wouldn't I be? Wait, I'm not saying anything else until you find the jump--hey you were already in here weren't you?"

I waved the board in the air.

"You've got to come with us," I said.

AJ must have noticed the look on my face. The teasing smirk left his face.

"Why?"

I hesitated. How did you tell a guy his fiancee was murdered?

"Everyone...everyone else is dead," I said.

"What? No way," AJ said. "Stop fuckin' around."

"I'm serious," I said. "I picked up Howie's Wookie head and...Howie's real head fell out. And it wasn't connected to his body anymore."

AJ glanced at Desiree. She was shaking from her head to her toes.

"Oh my god," he said. He wiggled a moment and his head disappeared. He crawled out from under the bed. He looked like he was going to faint.

"What about Ro?"

I couldn't answer him. I just couldn't tell him.

"No," AJ said. He shook his head. "No, no, no...NO!!!"

He practically howled. I wrapped my arms around him. He started to cry.

That's when I heard the door. It sounded like someone was trying to force their way into the room. I slapped my hand across his mouth. Desiree came over to the both of us. We all stared at the door. The handle jiggled again. I heard a scraping sound.

She was out there.

"AJ," I whispered. "Is there another way out of the room?"

I felt his lips move against my hand.

"Oh, sorry."

I dropped my hand.

"There's an exit from the Master Bedroom that leads to the control room," AJ explained. "It's a trap door." He walked over and pressed a large portrait. It swung open revealing a tunnel sloping upwards. Desiree and I crept towards it.

"I think we need to go," I said.

AJ shook his head. "I'm staying here."

"Are you nuts?" I asked. AJ began to walk back towards the bed.

"If Ro's dead then...I should be too," he said.

I followed him. Just as he was ready to get back under the bed, I hit him. He crumpled to the floor. I glanced over at Desiree. She looked shocked.

"Grab his feet," I said. "He's coming with us."

She didn't hesitate. She ran over and grabbed his feet. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. He was heavy but we managed to get over into the tunnel. I pressed a button inside the tunnel and the picture swung closed.

"The control room should have a phone," I said. "We'll call for help."

"What if it's too late for help?" Desiree said. I shook my head.

"We're getting out of this."

"Alive."

Chapter Eight

It was a slow process carrying AJ up the tunnel. Desiree's head hit the trap door before we realized we had made it all the way through the tunnel. We both set AJ on the ground. She reached up and pushed on the door. It opened. Light flooded down on us.

"Let me through first," I said. She stepped aside. I wrapped my fingers around the hole and hoisted myself up.

"Jesus Christ," I said.

"What do you see?" Desiree asked.

I glanced around. All of the monitors were dark. I had a feeling that the murderer had found the control room first and then gone after Howie. The three of them had all suffered the most violent deaths.

Jen and Justin were scattered around the room. Body parts were laying around as if they had been cows primed for butchering. The smell of blood was overwhelming. I pulled my t-shirt up over my nose.

"They're dead," I said. I was getting sick of saying it. It was beginning to have a numbing effect on me. No one should ever have to get used to death.

I surveyed the room quickly. I checked the cell phones still sitting at the control station. Both had no signal. I spotted a wall phone in the corner of the room and picked it up.

The wires had been slashed.

"The phone's destroyed," I said. I tried not to think about the fact that I was stepping over torsos.

I heard a moan.

"AJ's waking up!"

I jumped back down.

"Help me hoist him up."

As AJ's head tossed to and fro, Desiree and I struggled to get his body up into the room. Once we did so, I hoisted myself back up and lowered my hand down. Desiree grabbed onto it tightly and I yanked her up. When she saw the destruction in the room she swayed.

"Don't faint," I warned. "I need you to be able to walk."

She put her sleeve to her mouth and took a couple deep breaths. As she did so, AJ's eyes opened.

"Where am I?" he croaked.

"You're with me," I said. "We're getting the fuck out of here."

"Where's here?"

"Hell," I answered. At least I was honest.

After another minute or so he sat up. When he looked around and saw the arms and legs scattered around, he had to lay back down.

"Monkee," he whispered.

"AJ, I need your help. There's power in numbers," I said.

"One is the loneliest number," AJ said mournfully.

"Exactly. But there's three of us."

I glanced around. There was a metal bar leaning against the wall. I took it and held it out to AJ.

"C'mon, you're not going down without a fight. Ro wouldn't want it any other way. Think about this as vengeance."

My pep talk to a couple minutes to sink it, but once it did, AJ sat up and took the bar. He looked over at Desiree who was still breathing into her shirt.

"So we need to find a way out?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Are any of the other girls alive?"

"Alyssa's dead," I said. "I don't know about the rest."

"Who could have done this?" AJ asked.

"Ivanka," Desiree said. "We were short a player and we found her on the fanclub."

She started to cry.

"I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," I said. "How were you supposed to know that she was a serial killer?"

AJ tossed the bar in the air and caught it as if testing it's weight.

"We need to get going," he said.

"I agree."

I held out my free hand. Desiree took it after a moment's hesitation.

"Justin walked us through the whole house," AJ explained. "The back door has been sealed shut. Did you try the front?"

"Rigged."

"Damn."

We both raised our weapons as AJ opened the door. The hallway was empty.

Except for a very dead security guard. AJ stopped and knelt by him.

"His gun's missing," he said. He patted around. "And his cuffs."

"So the killer has a very sharp knife, a loaded gun, and handcuffs," I said. "And we've got a board and a bar. That's just great."

Desiree let out a loud sob. She clamped her hand over her mouth.

AJ stood up and nodded down the hall. Desiree and I slowly followed.

"I think there might be another way out through the basement," I said. "I recall seeing a tornado shelter door from the outside."

A look of pain crossed AJ's face. Ro was in the basement.

"Well, we better double check," he said.

We started to head back towards the stairs. We were almost there when Desiree stopped.

"The light's on in the library," she said. "Leigh's already dead, but someone else is in there."

"Maybe it's Kasey or Andrea," I said. "They'll come out in a second once they see..."

"Nick, are you crazy? You want to wait around out here in the hallway?" AJ asked.

"Well, we don't have a choice," I argued.

"Yes we do."

AJ took his jump drive and stuck it into the panel.

"I've got override powers."

The red light flickered off and the door unlocked. All three of us walked in. The door didn't lock behind us.

Leigh must have been pretending to be reading a book. I noticed a book with a bullet hole flipped open on the floor. An identical bullet hole had seared through her chest. Ripped pages of another book had been stuffed in her mouth.

"Oh," AJ said. He stopped in horror. He couldn't seem to stop staring at Leigh.

"THERE!" Desiree cried. She pointed past Leigh and started to scream.

If the house had been newer and I wasn't tripping over dead bodies left and right, I might have been at least a little impressed with the library. The bookcases went all the way to the ceiling. A rolling ladder was attached to the shelves.

Andrea was cuffed to the ladder. It looked like she had been used for shooting practice. Blood was still dripping.

The attack was fresh.

We didn't have much time to think about that. The door started to creak open.

"RUN!" I yelled.

"This way!" AJ called.

I took off after him. There was another huge painting. He pressed on it and it swung open. We ran inside. AJ pressed against button and it swung closed. I looked around.

"Desiree!" I whispered. I started to press the button, but AJ grabbed my hand.

I was sure that my heart was beating so loudly that it would give us away. My ears strained for a sound. I heard a scuffling. Then, very clearly I heard a scream. Desiree's scream.

"BUT IVANKA---!"

Then there was nothing.

"Oh shit," I said. I slumped against the wall. AJ began to pace.

"We've got to get to the basement," he said. He looked at me. It was my turn to look pathetic.

"C'mon Nick," he said. He wrapped a hand around my arm. I staggered to my feet.

I followed him through the tunnel. I kept hearing Desiree's screams in my head.

If there had been any doubt in my mind before, there was none now.

Ivanka was celebrating Halloween with a blood bath.

And she was moving quickly.

Chapter Nine

The long tunnel from the library led into a small bathroom.

"This was one of the clue rooms," he said.

"The game stopped being fun awhile ago," I said.

AJ used his jump drive and unlocked the door. We went out into the hallway and began to make our way through the downstairs.

We were almost to where the hallway intersected the hall leading towards the front door when I heard a noise. We both stopped.

"It sounds like whimpering," I said. AJ nodded.

I held my board tightly and turned down the hall. As I got closer to the front door, I saw a shape on the floor.

It was Kacey.

And she was alive.

"Are you okay?" I whispered. She looked up. She was holding tightly to her arm.

"I was coming out of the hall closet and...there was a gunshot," she said shakily. She began to whimper again.

I slowly pulled her hand away from her arm. It looked like the bullet had grazed her, but it was a pretty deep wound. I set the board down by my feet and grabbed onto the sleeve of my shirt. I ripped it off and quickly tied it around her arm.

"We've got to get out of here," I said. "Can you stand?"

She looked uncertain. I grabbed the board, got up, and offered her my hand. She took it. She swayed for a second and then seemed to find her center of balance.

AJ had his back to the wall, keeping sentry during the whole exchange. Kacey and I walked back up to him.

"Ready?" he asked. I nodded.

All three of us made our way to the basement. We crept down the stairs. I went down last. AJ and Alyssa were all the way down and I was only halfway when the one bare bulb flickered and went out.

We were plunged into darkness. Kacey screamed. I butt bounced down the steps until I felt Alyssa's body. I scrambled over it and crashed into the cement. I thought I heard the sound of heavy footsteps...the kind of footsteps caused by black boots. I practically crab crawled to a corner. I began to swing the board out in front of me desperately. I was blinded in absolute darkness.

Kacey's scream was one of panic. I wanted to call out for her, but if I did, I would give away my location. It wasn't until AJ's scream joined Kacey's that I felt propelled to move. Every hair on my arms stood up. AJ's scream was animalistic. A scream that signaled he was being attacked.

I don't really know what caused me to move, but somehow I ended up back at the stairs. I scrambled up them. I heard something behind me. I got to the door, flung it open and slid back into the hallway. I turned quickly to close the door, but a hand flew out.

"Please," the voice gasped. "She's coming for me."

It was Kacey. I let her squeeze through. I scrambled up. There was a huge hall table.

"Help me," I begged.

She lifted one end of the table with one arm. The thing weighed a ton, but the adrenaline must have given her the strength. We lugged it over to the door. I swear that the door looked like it was about to open the second we dropped the table down. I took Kacey's hand.

"I don't know how long that will stop her," I said. "Let's go."

We took off at a run. She followed me back up the stairs.

"In here," she said. "This is one of the game rooms."

She pressed her device against the door. I heard it unlock. We both ran in. The door locked behind us.

It was a small bedroom. There was a balcony.

"The balcony!" I gasped. "If we tie some sheets together we can get out."

"Good idea," Kacey said. She started to pull the sheets off the bed. "How far down is it?"

Now, I've got to tell you that I'm not a balcony person. But this was a matter of life or death. I walked over to the double doors and opened them wide. I stepped out onto the small balcony and looked down.

It was a long way down.

I came back in. "How many sheets do we have?"

Kacey held up one pathetic sheet. "This one."

Even if we ripped it, it wouldn't be nearly long enough.

"That's not going to work," I said.

Tears filled her eyes. She fell down on the ground and pressed her hand to her arm.

"I can't believe this," she said.

"I know," I said. I sank down beside her. I glanced at my watch. It was almost four in the morning.

Kacey lowered her head to her knees and burst into tears. I wrapped an arm around her. I felt helpless. At least we were locked in the room.

Except that Ivanka could get any of the by-pass keys at any time.

I got up slowly. Kacey looked at me.

"What are you doing?"

I walked over to the panel. I reasoned that if the panel was working, she could bypass the red light. But it the panel was busted...

There'd be no way for her to get in.

I glanced back at Kacey. My board was laying beside her. I knelt down and picked it up. I walked back over to the door and swung with all my might at the panel.

Sparks flew out. But the red light stayed lit. And so did the lock on the door. Kacey gasped.

"What--"

"Even if Ivanka has a bypass key, she won't get in," I said. "This will buy us some time. If people don't start hearing from us they're going to get worried. I bet once the sun rises, Ivanka will want to get the hell away from here so she isn't caught. I think we just might be safe."

Kacey's tears continued to fall but she started to brush them away with her hand.

"That's really smart," she said weakly. I smiled.

"Well, I have my moments..."

We sat quickly side by side. My hope was that whoever was watching Baylee and James would be the first ones to sense something was wrong.

Poor Baylee and James.

They were orphans.

"Will your boyfriend get worried if he doesn't hear from you soon?" I finally asked.

Kacey looked over at me. Her chest rose and fell. Her shirt was sticky with blood stains. She looked back down at the floor.

"I don't have a boyfriend," she said. Another tear welled up and began its descent down her face.

"If we don't get out of here, I'm going to die a virgin."

My eyes widened. Virgin? Her? There was no way.

She was too hot to be a virgin.

Wait...a hot virgin.

I licked my lips.

Oh boy.

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Author's Note: You're getting this chapter a day early because I will be out of town later tonight through Friday. I am going to try to get a chapter of Heartbreaker or Fallen Angel posted later this afternoon.

Chapter Ten

"You can't be a virgin," I said.

"I am," she said.

I rubbed my neck. It was really hot in the room. And it was such a small room.

"I don't want to die a virgin," she said morosely.

I probably should have said something like - 'Well, good thing you're not going to die.'

But I didn't.

"Maybe I could help you out," I said slowly.

She scooted closer to me. My eyes zeroed in on her clevage.

"You'd do that? For me?"

Now, I know what you're thinking. I had just spent hours seeing my friends horrifically murdered and dismembered. How in the world could I even be thinking about sex?

Well, I can't answer that. But I was thinking about it. I figured that if something did happen to Kacey, I would feel horrible for causing her to die a virgin. I almost had a duty to make sure that didn't happen.

I was like her very own Make-a-Wish Foundation.

"I would so do it for you," I said.

She scooted even closer to me. I brushed her blonde hair away from her face and tipped her head towards mine. I kissed her. She was a damn good kisser. If she really hadn't put out, she had probably given quite a few guys a hard on.

As our kiss intensified, I was distracted by the smell of blood wafting off of her shirt. It didn't do much for a libido. My hands grabbed at the clingy material and I pulled it away from her abdomen. We parted and I slipped it off over her head.

After that, I didn't waste much time. I was a master at getting girls undressed quickly. Kacey was even hotter naked than she was with clothes on.

"I can't lay down on my arm," she said nervously. Her face was flushed. Her good hand was around my neck. My eyes were focused on the two round mountains bouncing in front of me.

"That's alright," I said. I sank all the way down on the floor. She glanced down at me. I don't want to be cocky, but I could tell she was impressed.

"C'mon baby," I urged. I ran my hands along her slender waist. She straddled me.

I was feeling a little bit like a teacher. I had only de-virginized one girl in my life and that had been a helluva long time ago. Of course, my experience level back then wasn't anywhere near as high as it was now. I was going to make this so good that Kacey would be ruined for any other guy.

Once you have a little taste of Nick, there's no substitute. I glanced uip at her face. She bit her lip. It was hot. School girl hot. I tensed up.

"Take your time," I urged.

And boy, did she take her time. It was like torture. My hands pressed underneath her breasts, the fingers splaying upward. I could feel her warmth as her legs pressed into my sides. I wasn't a patient man. Why did I tell her to take her time?

Finally, at long last, she took the plunge. She hadn't been lying about the virgin thing either. I saw her wince mometarily and then her lips parted as if she was drinking it all in. I arched my hips encouragingly and she began to ride me.

"Is it good?" I asked. Her head bobbed up and down. I smiled.

I closed my eyes for a moment. My head pressed hard against the floor. I turned it to the side and moaned. Damn did it feel good. She was tight. My eyes fluttered open.

A second moan got caught in my throat. My eyes focused on the closet.

I hadn't noticed it before, but the closet door was partially opened.

And it wasn't empty.

What I saw was more terrifying than anything else I had seen all evening.

A bloody, black booted foot was sticking out of the door. There was no movement from its owner.

Because the owner was obviously dead.

And there was only one girl who had worn black boots. She was the one I had avoided all night long.

Ivanka.

But, if Ivanka was dead, that meant...

I glanced back up. Kacey was still riding me, but her innocent face had twisted into complete madness.

"This is the best night of my life," she said. She moaned.

Before I could react, she lifted her hand. It was clutching a gigantic knife. It caught the reflection of the mirror and glinted maliciously. She arched against me.

"Good bye," she whispered. "You lost the game."

My eyes widened.

"Wait, I--"

The knife sliced through the air right towards my heart.

My own blood-curdling scream was the last thing I heard.

Epilogue

"The end!" I announced. I clapped for myself.

Everyone just stared at me. I took the last marshmallow from the bag and put it onto my fire skewer.

"So, what did you guys think?" I asked after nobody said anything. AJ was the first to speak up.

"You're a freak," he declared. "We agreed to tell ghost stories, not describe a Backstreet bloodbath!"

"And why the hell was I a Wookie?" Howie asked.

"And where was I?"

I looked to my right. Lauren was staring at me. She didn't look so happy. An unhappy Lauren usually led to an unhappy Nick.

Uh oh.

"I didn't want you killed," I said sweetly.

"No, he didn't want to include you in the house so that he could pop the cherry of his imaginary hottie," AJ said with a grin.

I glared at him.

"No, that's not it. My story had a moral!"

"What in the world could the moral of that story be?" Brian asked. He looked down at his ring.

"My ring isn't that big," he muttered. Leighanne kissed his cheek.

"No it's not Husband," she whispered.

"The moral," I said loudly. "Was that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover."

"You mean a book like the one you had the killer stuff in my mouth?" Leigh asked. Howie wrapped his arm around her.

"At least you weren't decapitated," he said.

I had expected some compliments on my master storytelling. I was hurt. I stuck the marshmallow into the fire and scooted up on the log that Lauren and I were sharing.

"I think that story's going to scar me for life," Rochelle said. I looked over at her.

"It was that scary?" I asked hopefully.

"No, but having to listen to you describing yourself having sex was traumatizing," she said with a grin.

I grunted.

"Jen and Justin will be glad to know you hacked them into little bits," Howie added.

"I still want to know why you slept with that girl even though you mentioned that you were dating me," Lauren said.

"Don't you remember? He was her very own Make-a-Wish Foundation," AJ said.

Everyone laughed.

"Well, I'm glad I brought so much humor into your lives," I said sullenly. I rummaged around for a graham cracker and slid the gooey marshmallow onto it. I released it from the skewer's hold with a second graham cracker. We had devoured the last of the candy bars an hour ago. I took a bite and leaned back.

"Is that going to be your next movie?" Brian asked. I smiled.

"Maybe it will be. But don't think about asking for a part now that you guys all made fun of me," I said.

"George Lopez can play Howie," AJ said.

"Well maybe hobo-looking Joaquin Phoenix can play you," he shot back.

"He's a good actor," AJ said with a nod. Howie threw up his hands.

"It's getting late," Brian said.

"Is it past your bedtime?" Rochelle teased.

"We're flying back to Atlanta in the morning. We want Baylee to be able to trick-or-treat at home."

"Yeah, we should be going too," Howie said. "We'll see if the babysitter was actually able to put James to sleep."

AJ snorted.

"I see how it is. That's fine. The four of us will continue to enjoy the fire," he said with a wave of his hand towards the crackling flames.

Lauren and I stood up and said goodbye to Brian, Leighanne, Howie, and Leigh. They let themselves out of AJ's backyard. Lauren and I returned to our log.

"I shouldn't even share this log with you," she said. I could tell she was trying not to smile. She folded her arms across her chest. I wrapped an arm around her.

"I'm sorry," I said. "Next time I tell a murder story, I'll make sure you're in it."

"And he'll kill you off first!" Rochelle added.

We all laughed. Overhead the full moon cast a bright glow over our happy little party. It actually smelled like fall. Or maybe it was just the fire. Either way, I felt totally relaxed. Lauren leaned over and kissed my cheek.

"What are you going to do when Halloween is over?" she teased. I laughed.

"I'll count the days until it rolls around again," I said. I pressed her close to me.

"And hopefully next year you'll have a better story," AJ goaded.

I rolled my eyes, but I didn't take it personally. All in all, it had been a good evening, and if I do say so myself, it ended with a fantastic story.

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Author's Note: Happy Halloween!