The Phantasms

Anomaly

Cimara Brie

Dedicated to all of the people who have made such a

miracle occur.
Thank you for supporting me.
- Cimara Brie

Special Thanks to
Included Characters:

Mr. Ronan Murray

Tiana Toma

Special Thanks to
Non-included
Characters:

Tan Dinh
Adrien Ramirez

Troy Tang

Nancy Le

Phuong Nguyen

Jessica Llamas

Phung Tran

Cindy Vu

Sooyoun Oh

Natalie Do

Thanh Tom

Kristine Nguyen

Savannah Caylynn

Cindy Bui
Tina Le
Chris Adame
Daniel Avila
Diana Nguyen
Justin Mira
Leena Tran
Tri An Nguyen
Aldo Almeida
Vanvy Pham

Table of Contents

Chapter 1
Cordial Invitation...pg 7
Chapter 2
Partial Introduction...pg 10
Chapter 3
The Phantom of the Hour Strikes Again..pg 22
Chapter 4
Mr. X....pg 33
Chapter 5
Trapped.pg 41
Chapter 6
52 cardspg 61
Chapter 7
For the Night is Young.pg 71
Chapter 8
Chasing Scribbles.pg 87
Chapter 9

Breakthrough....pg 97
Chapter 10
Scandals Revealed..pg 109
Chapter 11
Daybreak....pg 129

Chapter 1 ~ Cordial Invitation

The influx of shadows beyond the ever-silent
evergreen trees were shivering tonight. A lone car
with the headlights half-dead and flickering
ominously proceeded to run along the gravelly road.
There wasnt very much of a road left; the path was
beginning to become infested with an entanglement of
weeds and cat tails. With each crush of rubbery wheel
against stone and dust, the driver jumped a little in his
seat. He was beginning to think that perhaps the
inviter who sent him a personal invitation was playing
a hoax on his fragile heart. Besides, they did not state
much, save for a name and an address, and that should
have been the red light to any thoughts of accepting,
but for whatever the reason, he was here now and
gallantly making his way into deeper, darker waters.
Even if one of his former prized pupils had
personally requested that her benefactor make an
appearance, the driver had to question the hosts
choice of location. His clammy hands gripped the
wheel and his mustache gave an amusing twitch at
each turn in the road. His unnerving disposition was
not settled by the static that accompanied the radio.
There were no signals and he drove with only the
feedback of the hustling wind. There should have
been calm on a night like this when the moon was out
and the clouds gathered in blankets to fill the open
spaces of sky. There were many thoughts of
enchantments and the chance encounters with fairies

rather than of the darkness and the hostility of the

woods.
Through the blur of tree bark and the whining
of the engine, within the rickety automobile was a
dead silence that threatened to pierce the mans
shuddering soul and he longed to hear a louder,
comforting sound of sorts. The rustling of suitcases in
the back against other baggage and an assortment of
knick-knacks added to the suspense of reaching his
final destination. There was such an intimacy that if
any other noise were to be made it would have
sounded as if it happened right next to your very ears.
Ever deeper into the thicket and cornering on
insanity, protruding from the front-right car window
was a jagged mountainside, enshrouded by deepest
fog and lulling clouds. One could see the rises of
stone that clashed against the growth of writhing vines
as they drew nearer to its peak. There were lights
glimmering like a beasts eyes beyond the veil of mist
and there could be heard the sweetest, faint melody of
a phonograph in play or perhaps someone had fed the
jukebox too many coins. The clouds soon cleared the
way and the elderly man looked up and saw with great
relief that he had reached the finale of his road trip.
Just up ahead, the Renault Castle stood triumphant
over the woodland and the countryside; its majestic
outline shaded the whole of the valley of sleeping
blossoms.
The man glanced over at his set of house keys
which dangled from the rear-view mirror. Attached to
the keychain was a lanyard with an identification

card; the ink was illegible in the darkness, but he still

remembered his shock at discovering the name had
been registered in the guests booklet. Apparently,
whoever invited him wanted him to keep his identity a
secret. The other letter he received following the
invite was also of a few handwritten words. The
informant told him to attend incognito under the name
Carlos Young. His picture was on the card along with
his gender verification, but everything else was a lie.
It is of the utmost importance that you arrive
anonymous.
Contemplative eyes have ways of digging under your
skin.
He was convinced some foul play was afoot
and some foreign agent was aiding him from behind
the shadows. It was an opportunity he could not
decline.
Returning his attention to the road once more,
he saw a shelter from the beasts of the forest and the
darkness that threatened to engulf him in a single fluid
swallow. The castle was an inviting paradise in the
foreboding garden of obscurity. Stepping on the gas
pedal, the car accelerated through a tunnel that would
eventually bring him to the summit of Mount
Halestrom. A grand event would take place the
following evening in the midst of the unstirred night.

Chapter 2 ~ Partial Introduction

Oh, how the wind did blow that night across

the empty countryside as a numbered amount of
guests made their ascent to the hilltops where the gala
was to take place. Yes, it was a grand private party
that could very well best any other public one. The
host of the party was busying himself in his dressing
room with numerous index cards at the ready in his
sweaty palms. He was a tall man, broad-shouldered,
and atop his head was an unkempt mop of hair.
Sighing, he mentally changed his mannerisms from
egotistical maniac to a depressed, whiny teenager
after staring at his reflection in the mirror for too long
a period of time. Perhaps the debut would just be a
flop or perchance his guests would not be interested in
his ideas. Worst of all, if something terrible occurred
while he was screening the preview he wouldnt know
how to handle the situation. There are always chances
of cloudiness with sunniness.
Mr.Ramirez, its nine sharp. The crowd is
awaiting your arrival in the hall. A refined butler
grinned admirably as he alerted Adrien through the
crack in the door of his dressing room. Adrien turned

10

to see the gentleman wearing a sooty-colored fedora,

his set of eyes covered by the extent of the brim.
Never had he seen such an accessory stick out like a
sore thumb as he did now. Adrien cleared his throat
and brushed the thought aside, thinking perhaps the
company he worked for was trying to start a new
uniform trend.
Ah, yes, tell them Ill be out without another
moments delay. Adrien stood up proudly, dusted off
his lapels, made sure his cuff links were secured, and
tucked in his rather untidy shirt before bowing to his
other half in the mirror. Well, old friend, this will be
the night of your life.
The grandeur of the hall and the sky-high
ceiling could be a bit, if not perhaps more,
overwhelming to those who were used to their lowroof apartments and mediocre-sized houses. One
could feel nauseous just imagining the heights the
architects and construction workers had to climb by
rope or crane in order to reach the corner of the room
to input the one glass tile that changed the entire
amount of projected lighting upon the floor.
The ceiling was a dome constructed of mosaic
glass tiles one would normally find adorning the
windows of a church depicting the nativity scene or
any other religious figures. Adrien had decided that it
would be befitting if the castle was reconstructed to
11

celebrate the completed filming for his latest horror

production. Originally the dome was constructed with
dried cement and stone, but all of that was broken
down into rubble when the remodelers came along.
Adrien had given them very little to work with asides
from the guideline that he wanted his guests to feel as
though they were a part of the beautiful night sky. So
the workers sought after pastel or any other lightly
colored glass that would allow the guests to be able to
look up and see the sky and the glow of stars from
their position. It almost seemed as though they were
building an enclosed planetarium of glass.
The dome became a kaleidoscope frozen in
midair, forever entrapping only one jeweled pattern.
The different shades of light that was casted down
upon the marble tiling lit up the entirety of the room
and bathed it in the warmest rays of moonlight and
stars.
There were at least twenty buffet tables lining
the ballroom ranging from French cuisine to Italian,
Chinese, Greek, and an assortment of other tantalizing,
exotic dishes. There were at least two mini bars set up
at either end of the hall for all of those thirsty and
adventurous. For those who wished to be more
discreet about their drinking habits, the alcohol
cabinet where all the aged wine and champagne were
stored was left fully open. Adrien had made sure to

12

fill it with only the best brands from France, Italy, and
Germany.
When all table settings were finalized the
guests were allowed inside. Everyone eagerly filed in
and while some admired the architecture, others made
a beeline straight for the buffet tables with at least
three plates in each hand. It was a quaint occasion for
there were only a limited amount of people.
Taking residence in the corner of the ballroom
was Christopher Adame. As usual he was being tailed
by his local group of admirers, men and women alike
who either wanted his attention or a business
transaction. He was a man who was known for being
big in the business world but rather slim in
appearance. They nicknamed him Chris and came up
with a slogan, If you have the chips then cash them
in at Chriss. He was an addicted gambler and owned
one of the largest chains of casinos located all around
the globe. He was a bachelor of only twenty-seven
and naturally many women swarmed to him as they
would a most delightful dessert, for not only was he
charming and charismatic, he knew how to sweet-talk
a lady into submission.
Apple of my eye, how you do look frightfully
darling tonight. During a rush of luck at one of his
casinos, he had crooned into one of their ears and the
victim practically keeled over in glee. Someone is

13

bound to steal you away from me, my sweet.

Although tonight he was only accompanied by a glass
of reddest wine, he did not allow his singularity to die
down and he spoke to the glass as it were his
companion.
If I recall, you used those same lines ten
years ago. I feel sorry for the soul thatll end up in
your fingers. Approaching fast and steady was none
other than Tan Dinh, Chriss rival in the industry.
Though they ran separate businesses now, there was a
time when the two collaborated on a project only to
have it collapse before even getting a chance to be
built. Chris then went his separate way and Tan
pursued a career elsewhere. They never blamed the
other for their failure, but contact was lost over the
years and when Chris had become a successful
businessman, Tan was still scrabbling for a steady job
overseas in Europe.
And youre still single yourself. Chris
beamed in his boyish way and Tan saw what
resembled a fragment of the past when they were
nave youths. He returned the gesture and they shook
hands awkwardly as though being introduced for the
first time.
Tan was an art dealer at twenty-eight, a very
ripe age. He owned a small-scale self-established shop
located on a corner street in Paris, France and though

14

art-collecting felt more like a hobby for pure

enjoyment, it was a job no less and Tan felt content
with his current lifestyle. He was not one of the
richest men in the world, but he was satisfied.
Well, I havent felt this special or spoiled in
years. Halfway across the room, a certain Mrs.
Kristine Nguyen could be heard merrily chatting with
a group of her long-distanced friends. She had a rather
big voice when she was in an excited state and her
husband, being a man with a quiet nature, decided to
save himself the embarrassment and declined the
invitation to be her escort.
A model wife with three children and a
prominent figure in society, Kristine had managed to
climb up the social ladder rung by rung. She was now
wife of a rather eccentric bank executive and had
taken to the realty business. Her self-satisfied smile
could be seen in every newspapers real estate section.
Kristine, I wish you would stop, Diana
hushed her, but she was feeling quite bubbly after the
fuss everyone had made about her dress at the door. It
was an organic dye of rose-colored fabric, stitched
together with silver and gold embroidery thread,
fabric flower embellishments, crystal beads strung on
strands of silk, and rubies adorned her waist.

15

Face the music. Were in our twenties and

thirties now. Arthritis is right around the corner.
Nancy sighed, unenthusiastic.
Lighten up, girls. So Nancy, hows the script?
I heard the sponsors are blowing everything out of
proportion. Kristine feigned disinterest as she sipped
at her wine glass; the maraschino cherry had drifted to
the bottom. She replaced it the moment a tray came
around with new refreshments.
It definitely needs work. But dont take my
opinion for it. I think its the director that needs a
spruce-up. Nancy Le stared absentmindedly at the
tiling on the floor. When the letter of invite had
arrived in her mailbox, she had chosen to ignore it at
first. Somehow she already knew of the contents and
she dreaded it awfully.
Gradually, the curiosity piqued her interest
and she resigned to the questions in her head. The
letter was unlike the others that were sent to the
partys guests. Informal and handwritten, it merely
stated that her presence was needed on the scene for
publicitys sake. She was an actress and her coworkers had nominated her as their representative to
speak to any interviewers at the party of the films
debut. If any potential reporters did appear on site
then she would have to answer their questions
concerning her role. It was mandatory and Adrien had

16

flatly stated so in his letter in as few words as possible.

She resented his disrespect, but in the industry she had
no choice.
Earth to Nancy. Cant you try to act a little
like youre enjoying it? Theres a photographer
standing behind that column over there. Diana could
not point directly, but she indicated with her eyes to
Nancys right. As usual, Diana caught onto the subtle
details even from a distance.
Oh, I noticed hes been staring over here for a
while now. Its not the end of the world, Diana. Dont
worry. Nancy tossed the thought aside and went back
to her rather exasperated state of depression while
Kristine babbled on about the increase in the housing
market. Diana could only sigh and continued to keep
watch out of the corner of her eye.
Diana Nguyen, was Nancys sidekick. In other
words, she was Nancys makeup artist and the two
had been inseparable on the job since a fated day in
summer when Nancy decided to submit an audition
for a role in an upcoming play. On the side, Diana
sold obscure brand names in a little boutique located
in a shopping plaza titled, Bonjour! after Nancy had
persuaded her to do so. They were now roommates in
the same apartment just striving to find individual
happiness.

17

The photographer, had he been a little closer

to their designated buffet table, would have had a
chance to capture a rather discontent expression on
the rising actresss face. However, because he was too
far away he could not discern her lack of spirit and
took it for admiration of all the delicacies set upon the
table. He took her for a glutton. Of course, that was
old news and the magazines all knew that. It was just
his luck that he had forgotten his binoculars and zoom
lenses at home in his rush to attend the gala on time.
If only he hadnt hesitated when the agency phoned
him about the job, he would have been able to show
off that he could carry out the task professionally and
smoothly.
Now, what do we have here? Do I spy Justin
Mira at this shindig? A familiar voice caught his ear
and he looked up in surprise. Turning around, Justin
came face to face with an old high school chum,
Daniel Avila.
Hey, Daniel. Its been a while. Justin waved
half-heartedly, unsure of what he should do next. His
expression showed his discomfort and Daniel
proffered a hand effortlessly. They shook and Justin
settled into his quaky knees once more. It had been a
while and he noticed Daniel had not changed while he,
on the other hand, had lost a substantial amount of
weight.

18

Youre practically a stick, ol boy. What have

you been doing with yourself?
My thoughts exactly, Justin laughed. And
you havent changed at all.
Of course not, my wife keeps me fed from
dawn till dusk, Daniel patted his stomach proudly.
He was rather fond of his wifes home-cooking.
What are you up to these days? Justin,
deciding that the reunion was more important,
replaced his camera with a plate of bite-sized
sandwiches. His camera was primly tucked away into
its satin-lined casing at his side.
Business is going quite well. I own quite a
selection of museums now. From art to historical, you
name them. I quite like surrounding myself with such
treasures, but Im not the only one that enjoys them,
no, I merely provide the foundation for such treasures
to be on display so the whole world can admire their
grace behind glass cases. He triumphantly handed
over his business card to Justin. Now, you call this
number when you need a showroom for your
photographs.
Im afraid I dont take those types of photos
anymore. I take shots of celebrities for a gossip
magazine now. Justin had a difficult time trying to
admit such ideas to himself; the words didnt match
19

what he wanted to say. Just why did he give up

freelance photography? What glory was there to
chasing people around for a picture when theyre least
expecting it?
Im sorry to hear that. But take it. You might
need it one day. Daniel, still hopeful, shoved the card
into Justins palm anyway. Surprisingly, Justin
pocketed the card away and the subject was dropped.
You two should drink more. Adriens paying
for the catering. Aldo Almeida walked briskly up
beside the two of them, helping himself to the buffet
table. He had been on the hunt for a piece of
cheesecake that had yet to make a second appearance.
In his hand was a wine glass with a clear liquid
pirouetting about beautifully. His cheeks were a rosy
pink.
I see somebodys been indulging himself.
Daniel clucked in disapproval. Unlike Aldo, Daniel
only drank after he was full from a meal so he had
been drinking from the punch bowl since his arrival.
Aldo, on the other hand, wasted no time in opening a
bottle of champagne. It was evident that he was on the
verge of losing consciousness due to his prominent
staggering. When Daniel noticed that he was drifting
away he offered Aldo his shoulder to lean upon. After
all, business partners always have to be around to
scratch one anothers backs.

20

Is he a friend of yours? Justin inquired,

surprised of the mans lack of decency to compose
himself in public.
Were business partners. Aldos a
construction manager. He helps me out with
architectural difficulties. Were designing a new
museum that will open in the fall next year.
Thats nice. Ill visit when I have the time.
Yes, please do. But for now, its best if we
focus on the main attraction of this swanky affair.
Here comes Adrien. I heard this movie is the finest
that hes ever produced. Daniel chuckled and Aldo
began to right himself once more, smoothing out his
coat and trying not to keel over.
I swear this is the last time Im drinking out
in public where I can make a fool of myself, Aldo
grumbled.
You said those exact same words at my
birthday party last year.
Well, that was last year. This is my New
Years resolution. Aldo huffed and Daniel could only
sigh with reluctance.

21

Chapter 3 ~ The Phantom of the

Hour Strikes Again

When Adrien stood upon the stage and tapped

the microphone rather a bit shaken himself, the crowd
stopped and hushed themselves. When the voices had
eventually faded away altogether, Adrien inhaled for
what seemed to be a whole five seconds before
exhaling to reveal a rather flushed pair of cheeks and
a stouter man than before. The audience noticed that
his complexion was perceptibly darker than the rest of
his well-dressed guests. He had evident wrinkles and
creases upon his forehead that a fifty year old
gentleman would have. All of the stress that a rising
director faced in the movie world was revealed in his
twitching eyes, his unsteady walk, and the way half of
his mouth seemed to be curving into a cringe.
Regardless, he tried with a great amount of energy to
stand tall and proud for his newest production.
When he finally stood erect, everyone knew
that the man of the hour was finally ready to unveil
what they had been awaiting for months. He exuded
an air of arrogance and authority as he waved his hand
in the air.

22

Ladies and gentleman, it is with a great

pleasure that I present to you my finest masterpiece to
be released only in the classiest of cinemas and opera
houses all around the world! I introduce to you my
greatest creation on this night! It is a sequel, a tribute
to a movie the world has long forgotten. Thank you.
Then, the room became pitch black as though
someone had came and pitched a tent over them all,
covering the stars and what light the moon had shed
upon the dance floor.
A single shaft of light was casted from a
chandelier through an attached projector. An image
splashed across the wall, but flickered like a failing
flame and was gone the next moment. The screen that
was the wall was then illuminated in a black light and
words started to fade in from the background. It was a
title card that read, The Phantom of the Hour Strikes
Again in a faded typewriter font.
The audience started to whisper among
themselves. They did not expect the screening to be
for a sequel and especially for a film they had never
heard of. Adrien had refused to release any details
about his production to the press save for this day.
Strikes again? When did he first strike?
Wasnt there a film that was never released
under a similar title?
23

Arthur Ruthebys, Tomb of the Phantom,

Daniel murmured. What is Adrien thinking? Of all
the films he could have based his movie on, why that
one?
Daniel, did you know about this? Aldo was
now sobering up and could stand on his own. His face,
however, made it seem as though he had just seen a
tombstone with his name on it.
What are you two looking so ghastly for?
Vanvy Pham approached the men after noticing their
odd behavior. She had been too busy observing the
crowds reaction to see the title card that had surfaced
on the wall for ten seconds before fading away. Now,
once again she was turning her back to the wall to
engage in a conversation with people whose eyes
were glued to the makeshift screen.
Vanvy was an observant one, being an artist
that had been selling originals at auctions starting at
20 thousand dollars apiece since she graduated from
Dembys Art College. She had been in London for the
past two years, swamped with work, painting and
drawing for all sorts of commissions. She had decided
to take a break and return home to see what all the
hullaballoo was about Adriens upcoming film, but it
appeared that no one understood what Adrien was
planning asides from Adrien.

24

Look at the screen and youll know, Daniel

pointed to the screen, almost as though in a trance.
Vanvy turned just to humor him and saw scene
after scene of a noir film that she could not ascertain
ever seeing before. The picture show was definitely a
silent movie for the actors did more with their hands
and feet than their mouths. There seemed to be
jumping, running, and screaming, but everything was
so hectic that she could not discern the genre from
comedy or horror. The very last scene that took place
appeared on screen far longer than the rest. It was a
clip where the heroine had finally discovered a secret
passage hidden behind a tapestry and was about to
journey into the cold depths of darkness. She was still
on the edge of debating whether to go or not when
from the corner of her eye, she recognized a shadow
coming round the bend, a shadow that did not take on
any form of a person in her party. Frightened, she
made her descent and the picture faded out. The lights
came on again, but the guests remained as silent as the
film.
This must be some sort of joke. What kind of
trailer only show clips from the movie it was based
off of? One of my scenes should have been in there!
Nancy was currently fuming with malcontent. She had
made the journey to a castle out in the middle of
nowhere to feel as though pies have been thrown in
her face and she had been mocked to the edge of the
25

earth and back. There was not a single moment where

the preview had shown the faces of the modern cast.
Just what is that man trying to glorify?! Her voice
echoed across the room so Diana and Kristine decided
to accompany her outside so she could cool off. A few
photographers and journalists who had infiltrated the
party mid-swing followed suit.
Yeah, I still dont get what you were saying
earlier, Daniel. Care to explain? Vanvy looked
hopefully up at Daniel who was looking rather
disturbed now. He motioned with a limp hand at Aldo
who only nodded sympathetically.
Have you ever heard of the film called Tomb
of the Phantom by Arthur Rutheby? Aldo was acting
serious and Vanvy felt uncomfortable under a gaze
that made her feel as though she was smaller than he
was.
Nope. Why? Should I have watched it before
coming here? She asked nonchalantly.
You couldnt have, Vanvy. That film was
burned before it could be released for public viewing.
Or at least thats what the papers said. My greatgrandfather that worked for the company heard that
they were stolen the night before the film reels were
supposed to have been shipped out to various cinemas.
And some rumors say that the entire archive and

26

history of it ever actually having been produced were

wiped out. It became a blur in the history of
filmmaking. Daniel stared at his brown suede shoes,
lost in thought.
Now thats silly, Daniel. What could a bunch
of thieves want with that film reel? They couldnt
have sold it, they would have been found out. Besides,
how could they even get to it? The movie company
that made it must have stored it in a vault.
Thats the mystery. When the vault was
opened in the morning, everything seemed untouched
as though the thief magically whisked the reels away.
There was no evidence that anyone had even opened
the vault either. Aldo and Daniel had by now, taken
turns explaining.
Well, its a good mystery, but I dont see why
the both of you are so pale after seeing that preview. I
mean, that preview was made before the film was
released, right?
Thats right. It was probably the only thing
the production crew could salvage. But thats not the
point. That movie was produced around the 1920s and
apparently I heard there was some discord among the
director and cast members. And get this, shortly after
the reels were stolen, one by one, all of the people

27

that were involved with the filming underwent some

tragic event directly or indirectly.
This is just like the curse of King Tut. I bet
you there was no evidence to back up their claims.
What happened were all just all coincidences. Vanvy
refused to believe in another word.
But heres the creepy part-
No more of this superstitious stuff! Vanvy
whined.
They all reported having seen a phantom-like
figure carrying out the deeds. At this, Aldos eyes
grew wide as an owls and Vanvy backed away. She
almost tripped on the edge of her skirt and was sent
tilting backwards until a hand reached out to secure
her wrist before the fall.
Guys, you should stop with the scary tales.
Were not kids anymore. We dont believe that sort of
stuff, Cindy Bui, appearing out of nowhere to save
the day, took hold of Vanvys hand and proceeded to
escort her to another section of the floor. Vanvy could
only nod her thanks as she was forcefully taken away
by a rather feminine prince in shining armor.
Dont say we didnt warn you! Aldo yelled
after them casually, a smirk on his face. But that was

28

a good story, Daniel. Howd you come up with it on

the spot like that? I even believed it myself.
All of what I said was true. I thought you
had done some research as well, but it appears all of
that was just a coincidence. Daniel casted an
offended look at Aldo.
Wait, what? The films were actually stolen?
There were tragic happenings? Aldo was surprised,
but not as much as Daniel.
Im afraid so. Thats why I wondered if
Adrien knew what he was doing. Even if they were
just coincidences, coincidences cant possibly happen
thirty or forty times, can they? Especially, if people
reported seeing a phantom thirty or forty times.
What are you trying to say?
Im saying that if it happened once, theres a
possibility itll happen again.
Didnt this so-called myth start up one
hundred years ago? I doubt the phantom is still alive
to wreak havoc, Jessica Llamas, the caterer who had
been on standby in the shadows, had finally made her
presence known. Well, actually she was just passing
by their table to replace some of the empty dishes, but
stopped to listen when the Daniel admitted he was not
playing a mindless prank.

29

Jessica, Im surprised to see you here.

Ive been hired by Adrien to cater to the
staffs needs since the filming began. Since he already
hired me, he thought it was convenient I provide the
food for this event too. She reached for her breast
pocket and pulled out a card. It was her business
number and Daniel took it and placed it among a
mound of many other cards in his wallet.
I was wondering why the food tasted this
way, Aldo mumbled under his breath.
Did you say something, Mr. Almeida? If
murderous looks could kill, then Jessicas definitely
could. Her acute hearing never missed a word.
It tastes great, he quickly added.
Even if it seems impossible and it may just be
my superstitious beliefs, but I find that old haunts tend
to come back even if one does not wish to resurrect
them. Daniel spoke as though he had been placed
under a curse for decades and this made the
atmosphere unsettling between the believers and the
nonbelievers.
Well, I still say nothing is going to happen.
Jessica picked up ten to fifteen empty dishes and
made her way to the kitchen door. She glanced back

30

one last time before disappearing behind a set of

cloudy swinging doors.
Where is Adrien anyway? Aldo, fearing that
the people they had conversed with had gotten the
better of Daniels mood, decided to change the subject.
Daniel was indifferent to his question, but resumed
staring at the interior of the castle. Aldo laughed
nervously seeing that Daniel was in a foul mood. He
then turned tail and skedaddled over to the buffet
table where Leena was busy entertaining some of the
guests.
Leena Tran was an aristocratic jewelry
designer whose designs have reached far and wide
and was currently a number one bestseller in Europe.
Her brooches and charm necklaces have been worn by
models and movie stars alike. Adrien had hired her
especially to make the costume jewelry for the actors
and actresses among his cast. After the movie, the
pieces were likely to be auctioned off online where
bids would soar to thousands because Leena only
made one original and never a second copy.
Hey, Leena, have you seen Adrien anywhere?
I want to congratulate him. Aldo strode up to her
casually and looked at her expectantly for a reply.
I think he went back to his dressing room.
You can check there first, she replied somewhat

31

unsure. Aldo took her advice and proceeded to make

his way to the hallway door.
On his way, he bumped into a certain
character that seemed familiar in build, but altogether
foreign. It was just one of the butlers dressed in
uniform, however, this man was wearing a hat to
cover the entire surface of his face and when he spoke
his apologies he did not return Aldos eye contact and
this bothered him somewhat. The butler was shady
and Aldo questioned why a man would wear a hat
indoors during a party, especially a man that was
supposed to smile while offering an assortment of
hors doeuvres.
He threw the questions aside when he reached
Adriens dressing room, only thinking of
commending him on how creative it was to refurbish
a movie that deserved a chance in the industry.
Aldo knocked upon the door once, twice, three
times. The door creaked ajar as though inviting him
into another mans world and Aldo eagerly stepped
inside.

32

Chapter 4 ~ Mr. X

When the scream came it was high-pitched,

but as the voice ran out of breath one could eventually
recognize that it was actually a male. The voice then
began to grasp for breath as though someone was
strangling him on and off.
All of the attendees of the ball stopped dead in
their tracks and a hush fell over the crowd. Some
dropped their plates and others placed their hands to
their earlobes in hopes of getting a firmer sense of
what or who created the sound. Nothing else came.
Someone sighed in relief as though the storm had just
passed through.
Then came a loud thud. It was as if a stonecold body had just fallen upon the ground.
What was that? a curious mind asked to the
perturbed crowd.
Another hoax, perhaps? Daniel answered
half-heartedly, chuckling darkly to himself in the
corner. He eyed Jessica who had just returned from
the kitchen, his eyes challenging hers. She did not
even give him a second glance as she made her way to
the hallway door.

33

Turning back, she posed a question before the

crowd, Did anyone see who left the room?
I saw Aldo! Vanvy piped up after drinking
her fair share of bubbly wine.
Can anyone verify that? Jessica did not trust
the words of a drunk.
Aldo was looking for Adrien and I thought I
saw Adrien heading to his dressing room a while ago,
Leena replied. Jessica nodded her understanding and
turned to Tri An the bodyguard standing at the
window admiring the glimpses of the moon.
Tri An, you come with me. He turned
around and saw Jessica giving him the permission to
go ahead of her. He quickly dashed out of the room.
Jessica turned back one last time and pointed at Justin,
Justin, you keep an eye out in case anyone leaves or
enters this ballroom. Justin nodded meekly. He
glanced about the room, trying to estimate the amount
of bobbing heads he saw. He could tell everyone was
in a disquiet state and couldnt sit or stand still.
Nancy, Diana, and Kristine had returned from
the veranda before Aldo left the room. Justin had the
timer in his camera as proof, though he had no idea
why he was thinking he needed proof. Jessica and Tri
An had gone to assess the situation, but what could a
caterer and bodyguard possibly do?
34

I warned them, Daniel muttered to himself.

You dont think anything actually happened,
right? No disputes or anything. I mean, Aldo and
Adrien may quarrel from time to time, but I know
theyre actually really good buddies. Tri An, though
as burly and dependable as he looked, was actually
quite nervous.
Dont speculate anything until we reach the
scene, Jessica said over her shoulder. Somehow, her
steady strides had overtaken his.
When they finally reached Adriens room, the
door was closed and undisturbed. The light was still
on inside based on the stream that was peeking
through the cracks. Jessica examined the carpet
around them up to where it stopped at the door. There
was nothing new to the surrounding that she had not
seen in the morning when Adrien called her in.
Around that time, it was still daylight and he had
wanted her to take his order for breakfast. She noticed
the shadow of a small desk in the corner of the
hallway that wasnt there before. Perhaps one of the
crew members placed it there when it got in the way
of cleaning up the set. She reached inside one of her
pants pockets and pulled out a pair of snow-white
gloves.

35

Tri An, make sure you dont touch anything.

Its too quiet in there. She pulled the gloves over her
dishpan hands.
I got my pair of synthetic rubber gloves right
here. He diligently took out a pair of yellow gloves
from his pocket.
So thats where my dishwashing gloves went.
Jessica stared at her initials she had written in marker
at the corners of his gloves.
Well, I meant to return them, he added
hastily.
Jessica knocked once, twice, three times in
steady raps, but still no reply. Were coming in
whether you like it or not! she yelled in monotone
before turning the knob. She anticipated the worst
possible outcome.
Just to get it over with she threw the door open
and in the process it slammed against something that
prevented it from any further movement.
OUCH! Another ear-piercing scream made
her flinch.
Whoa! Tri An yelped and hid behind Jessica
who snorted before adjusting her eyes to the ground.
She saw a hand and so she traced that hand back to its

36

source and to her disappointment saw Aldo sitting up

and rubbing his head. He was behind the door and it
seemed that thrusting it open had woken Sleeping
Beauty from her slumber.
What? So its just Aldo? Jessica made a
clucking sound with her tongue while she watched the
young man trying to regain his senses.
Jessica, over there Tri Ans voice had
grown extraordinarily soft to a point that Jessica did
not want to look at where his finger was pointing over
her shoulder. Slowly, her head turned to face the
terror that had made Tri An lose all his confidence
from earlier.
Adrien was leaning against the wall as though
he was in a deep sleep, but there was no point in
hiding it any further. His face was as pale as a sheet
and the lack of the rising and falling of his stomach
cinched the deal. He was a dead man.
Jessica avoided Aldos legs as she stepped
ever so carefully to Adriens side and picked up his
wrist. There was no pulse.
Is heyou know? Aldo asked. He seemed
on the verge fainting a second time.

37

Yeah, hes a goner. I would say that he has

been for about the last ten minutes. Is this what made
you faint? Jessica inquired.
Well, yeah, this and something else. Aldo
murmured the latter half of his sentence.
Were the windows opened when you came
in? Tri An felt the damp breeze brush across his skin.
It was going to rain again real soon.
No, most likely he used it to escape. Aldo
was quivering and Jessica told Tri An to take him
back and explain the situation to everyone.
Make sure they stay calm and dont let them
run around as they please. If the murderers still here
then he could be carrying out what Daniel mentioned
earlierthough I hate to admit that he was right.
Everyones a suspect until the culprit is flushed out.
Murder? But there are no wounds. Couldnt
someone have poisoned him? Tri An obliviously
asked.
On the contrary, on closer inspection, one can
see that Adriens neck has markings on it and I can
assure you that this piece of silver string just doesnt
coincidentally happen to be lying in his lap. Jessica
placed what she thought to be evidence in one of her
plastic pastry bags. Oh, and Aldo make sure you

38

properly explain what you saw to Tri An. If itll help

with the case, well need as much of your memory as
possible.
I dont think what I saw was real at all. Aldo
stumbled and Tri An had to guide him back to the
speculators waiting in the ballroom.
When Jessica stood up, she noticed some faint
bloodstains on the windowpane. She wondered how it
could have possibly gotten there.
She glanced over at the makeup table and a
glint of something on the desk caught her attention.
She approached it warily and saw a pristine card of
pure white. When she picked it up, however, she
found it was actually a holographic calling card.
There was a symbol of a mask with a twisted mouth
as though it was rejoicing in pure evil and underneath
the words, I have returned seemed to be scrawled
on by a person that wrote with their right hand
normally, but decided to switch for the occasion. She
flipped the card to the back where it was just plain
paper and there scrawled once more in ink was,
Signed, the Phantom. She threw the card into her
evidence bag and left the stuffy room.
Dont you worry. Ill find the one who did
this to you. Jessica closed the door on the man who

39

would never breathe life to films again. Just you wait,

Mr. X. Ill find you.
As Jessica said those last words, the lights in
the hallway slowly dimmed.
Out in the ballroom, the light from the
chandelier flickered and everyone was on the edge of
their seats when the electricity was suddenly cut off
altogether. The room was bathed in pitch blackness
save for the light of the moon that reflected off the
sequins from Leenas gown.
Madness and turmoil ensued as women
screamed and men rushed about desperately for
lighters and matches in their pockets and candelabras
placed as table centerpieces.
It felt as though the livelihood of the party had
just sprung forth.

40

Chapter 5 ~ Trapped
It wont take much longer will it? We were
expected to be at the banquet quite a while ago, Tina
asked worriedly from the backseat of the car. Her
hands were tingling with cold though they were
constantly in motion, toying with the brass buttons
upon her coat.
My carll take as long as it needs, miss. I told
you when we left the airport and Ill say it again. The
driver was in a rotten mood for having to play the
chauffeur to such a tedious joy ride as his other
patron had phrased it.
Relax, Tina. Well make it there with time to
spare. Natalie admired the scenery that passed them
by. In her hand was a gleaming silver pocket watch, a
ticking time bomb that kept Tina on the edge of her
seat.
This pair, or fated alliance, as the employees
down at the office called them, consisted of a certain
Miss Natalie Do and her partner Miss Tina Le.
Natalie was a journalist for a small company
based in San Francisco. The crime rate had gone stale
recently and her column had been left empty for the
past three weeks. She had been at home sipping her
41

coffee and reading the paper when she saw the letter
addressing her attendance at Adriens screening.
Since her news editor hadnt assigned her anything
new to cover she decided to take a break from her
break and reacquaint herself with some fellow friends.
Tina lived in the same neighborhood and
Natalie told her of what to expect in her mail before
she even got to her postbox. They talked about it over
some coffee down by the shop they frequented and
Natalie convinced her to go. Tina went home
immediately to pack, knowing full well that they
would need pens and an unlimited amount of writing
pads. She packed away all of the knick-knacks in a
little carpetbag she had purchased from the antique
store down the street. The very last thing she took was
hanging around her neck, one tiny camera for the
photographs to be published on the front page of the
news when they got back.
The department had wished them a safe trip,
but deep down everyone held a certain fear. Wherever
those two girls went, disaster would follow if it wasnt
already there.
Wont Adrien get mad if we arrive late?
Tina whispered to Natalie who had by then began to
tap her feet rhythmically against the carpeting.

42

Tina, that man should have the decency to

wait for his fellow school chums. He should know
that, being his long-lost friends, well give him the
best honest criticism without beating around the bush.
Though Natalies explanation was plausible she
shortly added, And besides, he should know how I
have horrible time management.
The rain that had previously trickled against
the glass was now rattling the pane. The wind howled
and the dampened autumn leaves clung to the window
as the car passed by endless acres upon acres of dead
trees. The scene was befitting for a horror movie.
Adrien did not go wrong with his decision to film here,
Natalie thought. She stared outside eagerly and
whispered with sheer delight, A storms coming.
How can you be so thrilled? Tina sighed and
slumped back into her seat, clutching the carpetbag on
her lap, a single bell jingled ever so pleasantly as the
night sky lit up menacingly like someone had fired a
signal flare.
Whos checking up on the electricity? The
shady butler from earlier was now moving about in
the kitchen trying to salvage what he could from the
refrigerator. All of the food worth saving would have
to be relocated to the individual coolers out in the
catering van.

43

I sent Tri An to investigate the electric box,

but if its shot or if someone had cut the wires then
well have to spend the rest of the night in the dark.
Jessica was still examining her evidence.
What makes you think its someone and not a
something? He hoisted a large sack of frozen goods
over his shoulders and for a moment he looked like
Saint Nick, come to save the day. In his mouth was a
mini flashlight.
Because my interest wouldnt pique this
much thinking otherwise. It has to be someone.
Adrien is dead, after all. Men do not mysteriously die
without rhyme or reason. Jessica hopped off the stool
she was sitting on and walked the butler to the back
door. The van was parked right outside. It was the
only vehicle Adrien allowed to park away from the
designated parking area out front. Jessica believed
that he had allowed so for her convenience.
What if he was poisoned? The butler asked
matter-of-factly. He had no intention of offending her,
but his curiosity made him phrase his words like so.
Jessica did not even flinch.
If youre suggesting I did it, then youre
wrong. If I had wanted him dead I would have done it
sooner. Besides, he hasnt touched a single one of my
dishes since breakfast. Hes been too nervous to eat.

44

Jessica had ruled herself out as a suspect though

originally she had suspected food poisoning. The
blood on the windowsill proved her theory wrong.
I heard Aldo saw a ghost. The butler
chuckled, his lips curling upwards at the notion. He
draped the bag across the yard and opened the vans
door. Jessica followed suit.
Im not surprised. His state of mind was
probably unstable at the time after seeing the body.
He could have just been hallucinating. This castle
probably lost its haunts long ago. She glanced up at
the windows as though there were actual shadows
drifting between the crevices of broken glass and
deserted rooms. Im more surprised that no one has
noticed your presence among us yet. Youre
suspicious because youve been appearing and
disappearing from out of thin air. In a case like this,
the butler is always blamed as the first scapegoat.
Well, we kept tabs on each other so I think
that I can testify for you and vice-versa if the police
asked us any questions. He shuffled through the
coolers and leapt down from the van. They closed the
doors and headed back inside.
Just how long do you think you can continue
this charade?

45

Ive been incognito since I first arrived. I

signed in with the fake name you gave me. Adrien
couldnt recognize me in this outfit. I thought I might
bring some fun to the gathering, but I didnt expect it
to get this out of hand. He let out a nervous husky
laugh and Jessica could tell that he was getting on in
years.
Well, I think its about time you revealed
your identity to the frantic pansies out there. Hard to
believe, but youre still the only grown-up here.
Jessica snorted as she pushed him toward the door.
Someone needs to calm them down and keep the
peace. Youve had years of experience in that area.
Go on! Besides, I need someone to stall them while I
investigate further.
Whether they eat me alive or not out there is
no concern to you, I see. He broke away from her
push and dusted his clothes off before the door. He
cleared his throat before taking a step into the room
where everyone was huddled together by some
candelabras.
Good luck, Mr. Murray, Jessica prayed in her
mind as she exited through another door from the
kitchen to the hallway.
So Im sure that all of you are aware of the
news by now. Mr. Young glanced from face to face

46

and saw what looked like grief from the recipients of

the aforementioned news.
He, however, refused to take off his hat.
Have you contacted the police yet, my good
fellow? Daniel asked.
Im afraid the electricity was cut before we
could, but once its up and running again, Ill see to
that phone call. He was playing the butler role to a
tee.
Of all the places that Adrien could have
hosted an affair like this, he decided to do so in an
area with no cell phone connection whatsoever,
Nancy grumbled and Diana had to calm her down
again. She was undisturbed by the fact that Adrien
was now as cold as stone and in need of a grave. Mr.
Young lifted an inch of an eyebrow in thought. Well,
they never really did get along to begin with, but
unfortunately she had an alibi.
What do you propose we do until the
electricity comes back on? Just sit around while a
killer runs loose? Vanvy was one for action and she
did not like the idea that one person was entrapping a
party of twenty or so people.
Well, which seems safer, here where all of us
are accounted for or out there with the killer? He had

47

expected a majority of them to have escaped by this

time, but every key player was here.
Whats that noise? It sounds like a certain
default ringtone on my phone. Kristine glanced about
the room, but the sound or actually, barking was
coming from outside in the rain. There was also a
resemblance of scuffling and a muffled inaudible yell
drowned out by the thunder rumbling.
What is going on? Is someone getting
attacked by wolves out there? Chris was jumpier
than the others by a few meters on the fright scale.
Chris, the last thing you need to do is run
away with your imagination. Tan, though now sitting
on the floor and appearing calm, was biting at his
nails. He would have liked for Adrien to explain what
exactly was taking place under this roof, but
unfortunately the man went and died on him.
Well, I doubt its just the wind. Half of you
kids should stay in here with me and wait until Aldo
wakes up to tell the rest of his story and the other half
can go investigate. Mr. Young was such a natural at
giving orders that the kids decided to try his method
of divide and conquer. Justin, you go with them. In
case anything happens, well, at least youll have your
camera. It might come in handy.

48

Justin, unsure about how to feel about his

comment, left with the second group.
The rain had cleared up somewhat by then. It
was a slow and steady drizzle now. The ground had
soaked up too much rainwater and was as fragile as
the snow. It absorbed their feet like quicksand.
Now, everyone, keep your ears and eyes wide
open! Daniel was leading the pack only because the
rest was cowering behind him. If something seems
out of the ordinary, speak up!
I think the barking is getting louder up ahead!
Tan yelled even though the night was actually
silencing itself.
Great job, Tan! Anyone else want to chip in?!
I think it sounds more like puppies yipping
than wolves! Cindy tried to yell but her voice failed
her so her sentence ended in a squeak.
Well, they sound domesticated becauseI
suppose because they are. Daniel stopped mid-track
and the others peered over his shoulders. He was
staring down at his shoes so they followed his line of
vision to see a small Chihuahua sniffing the tip of his
shoes. It gave a satisfied yip when it saw they had
noticed it and proceeded to continue its business,

49

which turned out to be urinating on Daniels new

footwear.
Where did he come from? Cindy asked,
eagerly scooping it up and caressing its fur.
Theres a collar around its neck. Did
someone bring him? Justin took a picture of it, the
flash made it whimper.
The dog tag just shows a bunch of numbers
though. No address. Cindy held the wriggling pup
between her arms. But I think hes too well-groomed
to be a stray. His nails had been recently clipped too.
But theres no doubt about it that those paw
prints he left behind leads straight back to the parking
lot. I say we head there next. Daniel was stooping to
observe the set of tracks the dog had trailed in the
mud. He could also hear the faint voice they had
heard earlier calling out to someone or perhaps this
dog in particular.
They followed the set of paw prints back to
the gravel-tiled parking space and saw two rows of
cars aligned neatly by the valet. The dog began to
whine as it got closer to one particular black van. He
placed his ear against the door and heard what
sounded like rustling and the tapping of multiple
sharp nails against the cars metal flooring. His knock
rang out.
50

Yes? A voice inside inquired ever so

melodiously.
I think we found one of your dogs outside.
Daniel signaled to Cindy who brought the pup up to
him. He has a numbered dog tag labeled nine-fourzero.
The door of the van slowly opened a crack and
an eye peeked out from the opening. There was a
rattling and a few howls before the door swung open
to reveal Tiana Toma with a look of relief and her
eyes in a frenzy.
There you are, Fido! I was worried sick about
you! The dog leapt into her arms and she cuddled it
against her chest. She crooned at it softly for she
noticed that it was shivering in fright or excitement
for having met so many strangers at once.
Tiana! What are you doing here? Tan
exclaimed. He was somewhat taken aback that one of
his closest friends did not join the gathering and idle
chit-chat sooner. Tiana seem unfazed by all of the
looks that she was receiving. At that moment, she was
looking awfully suspicious from their perspective
since she missed out on so much of the action.
Im part of back-up security, she answered
indifferently. Adrien hired me shortly after the
invitations were sent out.
51

Well, with you as security, who needs

criminals?! Daniel was allowing his agitation to
control his mind. You scared the heck out of us. He
stomped his foot against the ground and the pebbles
surrounding it jumped.
Well, no one called for any securing! I
thought everything was going fine since Tri An didnt
even call me over his walkie-talkie. I told him
specifically that if he needed any help, he should call.
My job is to take care of these dogs and to keep track
of activity on the monitors in the car. Tianas pup
supported her with a woof.
Calm down, Daniel. And Tiana, why do you
have seven dogs on board with you? Chris stepped
out of Tans shadow. Arent they guard dogs?
Shouldnt they have a job, you know, to guard?
These guys arent finished with training yet.
They havent been initiated as proper police dog
material. I thought bringing them along would be a
benefit for their experience. I have no intention of
using them. A Doberman Pinscher that resembled a
certain cartoon character with his goofy expression
began to chew at Tianas pant leg while the Pit Bull
sitting next to her was drooling profusely.
Wait, did you say monitors? Justin
intervened.

52

Yeah, I had Tri An install some cameras

throughout the rooms and hallways. Something went
wrong with some of them though. Like, the one in
Adriens room suddenly got disconnected earlier.
Tiana returned to her wall of mini-screens and pointed
to one in particular that was emitting static waves like
a broken TV box. She then began to flip through what
looked like a record book of events and trailed her
finger down the page rapidly. It was around nine
when this one got cut off.
Did you see anything before it disconnected?
Justin asked eagerly.
It happened immediately after Adrien left the
room. Like the moment the door closed was the
moment it blanked out on me. Why? Did something
happen?
Adriens dead. The word dropped out of his
mouth like a jigsaw puzzle being pushed over the
edge of the table.
What?
Its exactly as he said. Adrien was murdered
when no one was looking. Chris looked on in
disbelief, his face twisted into what looked like
remorse but at the same time everyone knew that
nothing could have been done for Adrien.

53

The electricitys also dead. Tri An went to

take a look, but I guess he hasnt fixed the electric box
yet. Cindy worriedly glanced back at the foreboding
castle they had danced about merrily just an hour or
so ago.
That explains the darkened windows, but if
what you guys say is true then I think you might be
interested in what I have on tape here. Its true I lost
track of what happened to Adrien, but there was one
camera I hid in a place no one could guess. Tiana
rushed to her keyboard and began to type an infinite
amount of characters that the human eye could not
catch up with.
Within five seconds, the center screen flashed
and it rewound itself like a cassette tape, back to the
hour when Adrien was about to leave his dressing
room. There, the man of the hour had closed and
locked his door, and shortly after a shadow appeared
from the other end of the hall and entered his dressing
room. Tiana fast-forwarded to when Adrien was about
to re-enter his room and saw that throughout that time,
the shadow did not leave the room. There were no
other disturbances nearby either. Could it be that Aldo
was actually right this time? Was there really a
phantom behind the homicide? The screen then
displayed a still of the culprit. Everyone studied its
form, but by the looks of it, it could have been any
one of them.
54

Wait a minute. Does anyone remember what

time Adrien left the hall? Tiana was now scanning
her database for any other clues or possible culprits.
Didnt he leave after the preview was done?
Cindy asked.
Well, the room was so dark I couldnt tell and
he barely even spoke to any of us after he came in.
Just delivered his trailer and left. Tan recalled that he
had waved at Adrien, but Adrien only returned his
greeting halfheartedly and continued on his way. He
seemed worried, Tan thought.
I took pictures, if you were wondering.
Justin took out his camera and started to flip through
the pages of memory. When he happened to chance
upon a photo of Adrien at the dance hall he passed the
camera over to Tiana. Adrien only stuck around for
twenty minutes before he left to go back to his
dressing room. I remember this was the last picture I
took of his backside before he left.
If that was the case, Tiana glimpsed through
the timing of a certain video file and compared it to
the one she had just shown to the others, Adrien took
exactly five minutes to reach the dance hall from his
dressing room if he walked at a steady pace. However,
there is one gap. My cameras tell me that he returned
to his room ten minutes after you had taken your

55

photo. That means that he did not go directly to his

dressing room. Either that or something, perhaps even
someone, distracted him along the way.
Maybe he went to the toilet. Tan suggested.
But there are no restrooms or bathrooms
along the hallway from the dance hall to his dressing
room. He would have to take a different passage.
Tiana had inspected the rooms along the hallway
earlier. There were only rooms occupied with
furniture covered in sheets of dust.
Justin, you were the one keeping track of
everyone in that hall, do you know if anyone left-
However, Tan was cut off before he could finish his
sentence by a hissing coming from a car next to theirs.
It hissed and then squeaked as though a rat had been
crushed.
Daniel stepped over to investigate it and
immediately saw that it was actually his car that was
looking as though it was on a paralyzed seesaw. The
hood was drooping towards the ground whilst the
trunk was still in midair. He promptly squatted to
inspect his front tires and properly saw that his
suspicions were correct; they had both been popped.
His eyes quickly darted about in search of the cursed
nails that had vandalized his vehicle; however, the
ground was clean.

56

Someone popped my tires! Daniel stood,

clutching his head and groaning in agony. I just got
them replaced last month! He seemed more disturbed
now than when he found out one of his colleagues had
been the victim to a murder case. No doubt its the
same villain who killed Adrien.
Tans car was parked a little ways down the
row and fearing the same outcome, he rushed over to
check. To his dismay, he found all four of his tires
flattening out like dough at the bakers shop. He then
looked at the car to his right and left to see that they
were in the same predicament.
Youre not the only one, Daniel! These cars
over here are done for too!
Someones been really mean to mine! Cindy
cried. The paint job on Cindys car looked as though
someone had ran their keys through her doors.
Tiana, even the tires on your car are flat.
Justin took note of it. Werent you out here the
whole time? Did you see the perpetrator?
Well, no, hard to believe but I havent
noticed it until you guys mentioned it. I took these
guys out to finish their business in the bushes a little
down the path and well, nothing was out of the
ordinary when I came back so we just hopped back on
in. Tiana motioned to her dogs who were now
57

gathered into a pile and sleeping on top of one another.

Thats how I lost sight of Fido here. So we wandered
around for a bit more in search of him before we
headed back here, but I guess the culprit already
finished the deed by then.
So that means all of us are Justin trailed
off, fearing that he was about to say the worst.
Its exactly what youre thinking. Someone is
trying to keep us here so they can have an audience to
witness their cruel mischief. Daniel was stressed and
he hasnt been in such a mood since his first business
transaction failed. When Daniel got stressed, he
would take out a petite metal tin and within it he
would withdraw a single cigarette. The rest is selfexplanatory. He was not an addict, but his stress
which triggered his male-patterned baldness, made
him do strange things, things that were not his
tendencies.
Daniel, does that mean that the culprit hasnt
escaped the property yet?
None of my cameras close to the gate show
any signs of anyone leaving since the party started.
Tiana showed them the footage of the gate after they
started gathering again.
Of course, they wouldnt leave. They went
through so much trouble after all. Now theyre going
58

to just sit back and watch the show. What I fear is that
maybe they still want to be part of the show,
Daniels eyes narrowed. Besides, all the cars are
accounted for in the parking lot. Theyd be a fool to
try to walk through the woods and travel down an
empty road by foot. Itll take an average of eight
hours to get back to civilization at the nearest town.
I also checked to see if anyone parked in a
random place out in the woods. There were no cars.
Tiana was now supporting Daniels theorizing.
So youre saying Mr. X is still among us?
Yes, I have been saying that for the past-
Daniel glared over annoyingly at the curious cat who
was questioning him. When his eyes landed on her
small figure, his mouth gaped open in alarm and the
cigarette that was once burning brightly fell from the
corner of his mouth. It was rapidly extinguished by a
puddle at his feet.
Tiana, recognizing the voice before the rest of
the members in the group did, leapt out of the car
enthusiastically and landed with a splash next to
Daniel almost knocking him off his feet.
Nat! Youre here! She raced over to a friend
she hadnt seen in ten long years. They embraced and
Tiana had her arm around Natalies neck in a semichoking hold.
59

Well, you cats seem to be having a grand

time! Mind if we join in? Natalie glanced behind her
as Tina was slowly making her walk up the pathway
with half of the luggage in hand. I dont know whats
going on, but I think my cabbie is still waiting at the
gate. You guys could send some people into town if
you want.
You, my dear colleague, are a lifesaver.
Daniel patted her shoulder.
By the way, does anyone know what time it
is? My watch is dead. Natalie glanced expectantly
from face to face.
It should be half-past ten right now, Chris
grabbed Tans wrist and read off the numbers.
Thanks. See, we made it, Tina.
Tina gasped upon catching up to her and
nodded.

60

Chapter 6 ~ 52 cards
Im telling you I wasnt hallucinating! What I
saw was a real ghost. He was floating off the ground
and when he saw me he vanished through the wall.
Poof! Dispersed like smoke! Aldo groaned for the
hundredth time. No one in the room believed a word
he said. He had to repeat himself so many times that
he was starting to disagree with himself as well
because every time he had to recount his harrowing
tale upon discovering the body, the details seemed to
magically change and rearrange themselves.
Aldo, just admit that youre losing it, Vanvy
had currently sobered up and had begun to think
logically again. She could not picture a phantom
having the ability to slay a man especially since he
had done nothing wrong but renovate the phantoms
humble abode.
Do you remember anything else? Anything
out of the ordinary before you fainted? Mr. Young
was a patient man, but he was also starting to think
that they were not going to get anywhere with Aldo.
He so desperately wanted to help since Aldo was a
prime suspect in captivity at the moment, having been
the first to witness the victims corpse. There was
nothing they could use to prove that he was innocent
61

currently and everyone wanted to place the blame on

his head.
Mr. Butler- Nancy was about to speak when
she was cut off by a gloved hand.
Call me Carlos. Mr. Young, who was
actually Mr. Murray incognito, had no other choice
but to give them the name he used to sign into work.
Okay then, Carlos, where were you when it
happened?
I was out here serving everyone those bitesized sandwiches. Ask Miss Tran over there. He
gestured to Leena whose eyes quickly darted up to
meet Nancys questioning gaze. Nancy was trying to
clarify the situation any way possible and her fiery
thirst for answers sought only the truth.
Yes, he came by with a silver plate and
snacks when Aldo left to go find Adrien, Leena did
not favor the barrage of questions that were being
thrown around. It was as if everyone was in the
investigative room down at the police department,
although everyone was playing the role of policemen
and wanted criminals.
But where was he for the rest of the party?
Can anyone answer me that? Nancy strode across the
room and gave everyone a look as though they were

62

all guilty and she was the only innocent being. She
was getting lost in a previous lawyer persona she had
created for a low-budget movie.
Oh, stop pointing fingers, missy. You were
gone for an awful long time yourself. You know, out
on that veranda. Vanvy was beginning to clack her
heels against the tile, whether in annoyance or plain
boredom of accusations getting them nowhere.
Are you implying something? Nancy
exasperatedly gasped and covered her mouth.
Aldo, are you sure Jessica didnt hit you too
hard on the head when she opened the door? I mean
we heard you scream for a second time. Something
must have gone wrong with your memory and youre
remembering a dream perhaps. Maybe it was actually
a human that you saw, Ignoring the bickering
continuing around her, Leena tried to reason with him,
but being a stubborn mule, he refused to budge. He
shook his head profusely.
I know what I saw. Im not blind. It was a
see-through apparition as clear as day! And no, I did
not spot anything out of the ordinary in that room.
Just stop reminding meAll I can see is his stonecold face. Aldo sat down on the ground and buried
his head in his hands. The rooms chatter slowly died

63

down as they came to terms with reality. One of their

dearest and closest friends was really gone.
My, what an atmosphere we have here. A
voice rang out in their moment of silence and the
sound of multiple footsteps surrounded them.
Natalie? Where have you been all this time?
Nancy recognized her voice immediately.
Im not the only one here. Tinas with me too.
We came to join the party, but I guess its been put on
hold. Natalie quickly glanced about the room.
Turning to face the ceiling she noticed the beautiful
dome and its vast sky.
Adriens been murdered. Kristine
announced grimly.
Yeah, these guys explained it to me along the
way back. Howd it happen? Natalie took out a
pocket-sized notepad and pen from her coat pocket.
She was ready to write the latest story.
Thats what we want to know, but nobody is
confessing a thing.
Perhaps the culprit isnt among you. Have
you thought of that? Perhaps its a total stranger that
wandered inside when no one was looking. Natalie

64

bit the tip of her pen as the possibilities and even

impossibilities circulated within her thought chambers.
Thats impossible. All the guests are
accounted for. Everyone came with an invite and that
invite would be your only way to entering. Mr.
Young, or Carlos, being part of the staff knew very
well how strict the security system was even though
the only present guards were Tri An and Tiana.
Jessica was more like backup for the backup.
Any chance they could have entered through
the back or in a place people less frequented?
Afraid not. Even if we dont have guards to
watch over the entire estate we had plenty of servants
stationed at every possible entrance. They would have
alerted me. Im the head butler after all. He cleared
his throat in a braggart sort of way, but the others
chose to ignore him. It was amazing how they had not
yet figured out who his real identity was. He had been
dropping hints since earlier, but none of them had
caught on at all. If these people were destined to solve
the case, then theres a high chance thatll never
happen. Im afraid they all went home when the
guests arrived so we cant get any testimonies now.
My cameras also didnt pick up on any
intrusion, Tiana was flipping through her log entries
again and resurfacing with nothing. The look in her

65

eyes started to get cloudy when her finger fumbled at

the next page and her eyes landed on a piece of
information the rest could see left her distraught. She
shook her head and closed the journal without another
word.
Shouldnt the electricity be back on by now?
Im sure it doesnt take that long to fix the wiring.
Cindy, a grown up woman, was still frightened by the
abnormal shadows lurking in every corner of the room.
There was a premonition that she felt was constantly
in cahoots with the dark, a sort of partnership that
worked hand in hand like clockwork to make her life
a living, breathing nightmare.
We also came with grave announcements,
Daniel, though not trying to be funny, could not stop
that one pun from leaving his mouth. No one was
amused in the slightest. All the tires on every car out
in the parking lot have been popped. Probably by the
same schemer weve all been trying to find.
You mean my precious sedan is dead too?!
Vanvy appeared as though she was about to bawl
before the whole congregation. That car had been a
high school graduation gift from her parents.
Oh, who cares about your sedan! Its a wreck
from nineteen sixty-five! My Porsche is the one we
should be concerned about. Chris was about to start

66

ranting himself, but Tiana stopped him with a whack

to the head. He was being inconsiderate for a man
claiming to be a gentleman. She then continued to
head over to Vanvy and comforted her with a pat on
the back. She seemed to be saying, replacing the tires
will get it up and running again in no time.
Thats not the problem! None of us can leave
the castle now! And help probably wont arrive until
morning! Daniel screamed, halting the debate of
whose car they should be worrying over.I already
sent Natalies cabbie to fetch the officials and some
investigators. Theyll most likely arrive by dawn, if
not later. Its an eight-hour long drive back and then
another for the police to get up here.
Then that means were stuck here all night till
afternoon tomorrow? With a murderer on the loose?
Nancys voice was a miniscule squeak now, but her
question banged loud in everyones eardrums.
Im telling you it was a phantom-
Shut up, Aldo! Everybody glared at him and
he shied away into a corner.
Mr. Young was perspiring like a wet towel
under his suite. Obviously, the many layers of
clothing were taking a toll on him as well as the
humid night. He was beginning to wonder if Jessica
will ever get back to announce that everything was
67

going to be fine. Once more, the crowd, in all the

excitement, had forgotten that she was absent among
their ranks.
What other choice do we have? Were all
suspects until the police confirm one or more of us
committed the crime. Well stay the night here.
Everybody, lock your doors and windows when you
go to sleep. To make it so the suspect doesnt escape
under our chinny chin chins, its better to assign two
to three people per guest room. Well draw straws just
to be fair.
Shouldnt we be looking for the murderer?
Natalie asked eagerly.
Instead of running around, its better if
everyone settles down. That way, if anything out of
the ordinary happens the others will know. Daniel
replied to her as though she was a high-strung child.
Wait, so the men are going to sleep with
women?
Well, yes, you cant really expect anything to
happen on a night like this, can you? Besides, I know
the majority of you are respectable people. Not to
mention, you women frighten us as much as the
murderer. Daniel made his tone sound somewhat
sarcastic and yet sympathetic that one could not tell if
he was serious or joking. He then proceeded to pull
68

out a box of matches and borrowed a pen form Natalie

who complied. They concluded he was pretty serious,
after all.
But what if one of us is partnered with the
murderer? Dianas voice was shaking as she clung to
Nancys arm. Nancy, despising the contact, pulled
away from her.
Well, then its your job to apprehend them.
Daniel answered so matter-of-factly that they were
left dumbstruck.
When he had finished etching names in pen on
the matches Daniel held them out in the palm of his
hand and asked for volunteers. He had shuffled them
about from palm to palm earlier as to make it more
convincing that theyll be split based on pure luck or
misfortune. No one approached him. So he took the
liberty of pulling out sticks and assigning them a
room himself.
In room one, well have, he pulled out three
sticks at odd ends in his hand, Kristine, Justin, and
myself.
Great, just great. Let me warn you now, I
have a black belt in judo so dont try anything youll
regret, buddy. Not to mention, Im a happily married
woman and my husband wont tolerate any

69

harassment against me. Kristine scowled at Justin

who almost squawked in fright and gulped in response.
Clearing his throat, Daniel continued
consecutively, In room two we have Vanvy, Leena,
and Diana. In room three is Cindy, Aldo, and Chris. In
room four is Natalie, Nancy, and Tri An. And finally,
the last three, Tina, Tiana and Tan, you guys get room
five at the end of the hall. Case dismissed. I suggest
we get to bed now. Daniel clapped his hand together
and like tired schoolchildren everyone moaned and
groaned. I trust youll be sleeping in the servants
quarters, Carlos? Daniel whispered when the others
were out of earshot.
Oh yes, sir. But arent you being a bit unfair
to the others by allowing me my own room? Mr.
Young could not afford the eye contact lest the others
see and suspect they were plotting behind their backs.
Its alright. I think we can trust you, Mr.
Murray. Daniel chuckled before heading off to the
guest rooms.

70

Chapter 7 ~ For the Night is Young

In each room would be at least one lighted
candelabra or flashlight Mr. Young had supplied to
each group from the emergency storage closet. He
also passed out extras for those who worried that
something could happen in the dark. Of course, he
distributed the extras individually in case a teammate
turned his back on them the next moment. So that
night, none of the party members turned out the lights
and lied awake in their beds.
Tri An, can you hear me? Come in...Pick up!
Damn it! Tiana threw the useless mechanism on the
bed. Tri An had not contacted her since he phoned in
to tell her that he was going to check the electrical
box in the basement.
Still no answer? Tan was at the bureau
hanging up his coat. He examined himself in the
mirror and saw that the hand he was using to lean
against the dresser was shaking. He took deep breaths
and fogged up the entire glass surface just to hide that
fact from himself.
None, whatsoever. What is he doing?
Worrying the heck out of us like this. Tiana flopped
down on the bed and scrunched her face at the ceiling

71

tiles. They appeared to be new. The patterns were

intricate, but she could not form any pictures in her
mind as she could with clouds.
I heard Chris and Adrien collaborated on the
reconstruction. Chris was also a big time sponsor for
the movie. Those tiles are new. Tan sat down on the
edge of his bed and began to run his fingers through
his hair.
Meanwhile, Tina was keeping to herself at the
dresser, scrutinizing an article she had taken a shot of
with her mini camera. Footprints, an abundance of
them, were overlapping in the sludge to signify that a
struggle had taken place. She had shown Natalie, and
she told Tina that it could be vital later on. Turns out,
she was right.
When the door started creaking Tan and Tina
looked up to see Tiana peering into the hallway. Her
head snaked around the door and she allowed one foot
to step out into the foreboding hall. Her eyes flickered
with a spark of anxiety and the promise of adventure.
What are you doing? Tan had walked up
behind her and peered outside as well. He could sense
that nothing was stirring over yonder, but also had the
curious notion that perhaps something or someone
was lurking in the dark. Why did Daniel have to give

72

them the room at the very end of the hall where no

soul dares to venture forth?
I cant sit around while my friend is missing.
Tiana took another step into the lions den and Tan
almost yowled for help.
You dont know whats out there, Tiana! Get
back in here immediately! He stood by the doorway,
cowering and trying to reach her without crossing the
boundary of light to dark. He was hissing in a low key
as to not wake the others. His voice was almost
poisonous, but Tiana was unperturbed. She taunted
him in return by taking a step backwards and then
another.
Tan, you know were not getting anywhere
fast. This case isnt going to solve itself. Besides, Im
a professional. Tiana did not wait for his consent any
further and decided that she would just delve into the
abyss that was threatening no return to any travelers.
She walked with a confident stride. No second-rate
killer was going to disrupt her from fulfilling her
duties and delivering justice.
Wait up! Tan was whispering as loud as he
could.
Truth be told, Tiana was willing for some
company. She apologized to Daniel from the depths
of her mind, but she held no regrets. After all, she
73

knew she didnt do it and she highly doubted Tan did

it. She did not, however, anticipated that Tina would
later leave their room in search of Natalie only to
discover that the room Natalie and her company
should have been occupying was vacant. Tina knew
how urgent the situation was and by scanning the
pictures she had taken earlier she had found yet
another vital piece to the puzzle. However, in order to
expose the villain she had to get to Natalie first before
he got to her.
Thus, another search party was formed.
How did I get myself roped up in this? Huh,
Nancy? What were you thinking? Nancy had been
frantic the moment she had left the bedroom. Now she
was talking to herself as Natalie was leading the way
down an unfamiliar corridor.
Id wish you would shut up. I need to listen
to my surroundings so I can tell if were back to
civilization yet. Natalie shined her flashlight over a
row of tapestries aligned on the wall. I dont think
we took the right passageway. Maybe it was the one
three turns back? she mumbled to herself.
Huh? Did you say something? I hope I didnt
hear what I thought I heard.

74

Oh, you and your ears. Now hush. Maybe if I

can hear Aldo snoring loud enough we can track it
back to our room next to his. Though still as the
night was, the snore never came.
I doubt anybody can sleep at all. Oh, why did
I have to go and use the toilet?
More like why did you have to drag me
along?
Because were friends and you know it.
Natalie started to walk ahead as Nancy kept up
the rear. She kept looking back to see if anyone was
following them or perhaps she would see a familiar
door. She prayed that the latter came true and the
former would be just her imagination running away
with her.
By the way, what happened to Tri An? I think
he could have at least fixed ten blackouts by now.
Natalie stopped when they at last reached a dead end.
Now what?
Hey, can we stop? Why not just use this room
for the night and lock the doors here? We can find our
way back in the morning. Nancy opened the door
before the dead end. It was just another room filled
with vintage furniture the owner never sold and
Adrien had no use for.

75

I guess thats better than wandering around

all night. Natalie decided to take her advice and they
locked the door after themselves. The room should
have been dusty, but it seems the servants got their
hands on it with their mops and brooms before the
guests arrived.
Removing the covers on two sofas, the girls
decided to use the sheets as makeshift blankets. This
was turning out to be cozier than they had anticipated.
However, the fact that they were alone in their own
corner of the castle did not please them one bit.
When Nancy started to drift off, Natalie tossed
and turned a few more times creating a creaking in the
springs of the sofa. When she finally settled down,
she noticed that the rustling did not cease. Then it
dawned on her. Something was moving about in the
corner of their room. Suddenly, her whole body
became tense and she was overcome by a paralysis
that resembled fear and the leftover portion was a type
of vengeance and anger. A friend she knew was dead
and the person that did it could be in this very same
room with them at this very moment. There was a
banging in her head; it wracked against her brain and
told her to run like the coward she is. Everything
around her suddenly felt twenty degrees colder. Her
breathing turned ragged and she reached for the
flashlight on the desk by her head.

76

Switching it on, she shined it over to the

corner where the rustling was getting louder and
louder as the ray neared it. Her heart stopped. There
was a pair of feet in the corner of the room by the
baby grand piano. They were struggling fiercely. She
turned off the flashlight immediately.
Nancy, get up. Natalie whispered harshly.
Hmmm? Nancy murmured and turned to
face her.
Get up and go unlock the door. Someones
here with us.
What?
Over there.
You dont think its him, do you?
It could be.
You go get the door. If I scream run. Well,
you run.
But-
Just do it. Hurry. Ill assess the situation over
there. Maybe hes sleeping. Ill just take this lamp
with me. Go. This was a clich right out of a horror
movie and Nancy knew what was going to happen,
but she couldnt do anything though she struggled
77

against her conscience. What was it that she truly

wanted? Was this not the move of a wimp? She got up
and headed to the door without another word. She had
never felt so ashamed, but her fear was a plague that
caught hold of her and incited her to retreat to a place
of security.
Natalie slowly got up, one hand gripping the
flashlight, the other fastened around the lamp with her
sweat-heavy palm. Nancy was at the door and staring
at her, paralyzed and squeamish. She noticed that her
companions shoulders were shaking. Natalie was not
one who had the will to kill someone; she would be
guilt-ridden for the rest of her life.
Ever nearer Natalie drew and then everything
started to boil over as Nancy shut her eyes tight.
Nothing, not even the tiniest peep came. When she
saw that Natalie was relaxing her muscles and a sigh
escaping her lips she wondered if Natalie had lost it.
Then Natalie knelt beside the pair of frantic feet and
pulled on some rope binding them together. Nancy
closed the door again to investigate who Natalie was
talking to. She assumed it was safe if the person was
on negotiable terms.
Sorry, if I frightened you two. Tri An gazed
up at Nancy with a pair of eyes that seemed as though
they had never looked happier than now. He even
chuckled to lighten the mood. He was apologetic to a

78

degree where he would not cease apologizing for

scaring the two girls out of their chicken skin.
Well, you did scare the heebie-jeebies out of
us. What were you doing? Natalie laughed and freed
his bound hands as well.
I had to make some noise so someone could
notice me. I was gagged so I couldnt have screamed
for help. They got me good. Luckily you two
stumbled in here or I would have been He made a
motion with his hand sliding across his neck and the
girls caught his drift with a chill.
Who did this to you? The guy who attacked
Adrien?
I dont know for sure. What I do know is that
they struck me on the head when I was returning from
the hall. I couldnt see him because it was a surprise
attack. Ugh, it still hurts. Tri An held his head in
agony and a few tears even formed at the corners of
his eyes.
Just what was the point of tying you up?
I dont know, but I think theyre planning to
come back. We better skedaddle along now before
whoever they are comes back.

79

I couldnt agree more. Lets go. Nancy was

already by the door. Well? Hurry up!
Once more, they were exposing themselves on
the playing field. Out in the hall where anything could
happen, a couple more surprise attacks and therell be
no more people left to surprise. The night was
dragging on for too long and they yearned for the light
of dawn to break the darkness casted by the stainglass windows. At some point, when they thought
they could not get lost any further, Nancy, whilst
admiring a painting, discovered a secret passage that
eventually lead to the other side of the castle. It was
the north wing that Adrien had not yet renovated. And
to add to all the insecurities that were burdening their
shoulders, they had no way of knowing how to return
because the passage they took had closed the moment
they walked out. They were in the uninhabited section
of the castle, a place where the shadows seemed to be
singing them an alluring song of the sirens.
The floorboards here were wooden and due to
the leaky roof and the rain that was brilliantly thriving
beyond the sanctity of the walls that housed them, the
floorboards creaked upon every step. The occasional
drip-drop as though some mythical creature from the
tapestries had come alive and was following them
with mouth agape and drooling did not aide in their
visualization of making it back to their living quarters
safe. They were cautious kittens who had lost their
80

mittens and now wandering about in the thicket of the

forest.
With an exasperated sigh, Natalie broke the
silence, Why is it that every time we have a gettogether, something has to go wrong? Her tone
indicated an annoyance with her fears rather than an
actual fear of fear itself.
Because were a bunch of unluckies and
misfortunates. Nancy, for lack of a better vocabulary,
expressed her belief in a set of imaginary words.
Tri An had also grown slightly irritated by the
indirect bickering of his former classmates. Hey, can
you two be quiet? What if they hear us?
Tri An, you dont actually believe a ghost did
it, do you? Nancy, talk some sense into him. Hes
losing it. We have far greater things to worry about.
You know, a murderer that actually wants to hurt us.
The proof is right there on your head. Natalie,
fearing that they were losing their reasoning abilities,
had to bring them back to the surface of reality before
they ran off to la-la land and left her to fend for
herself.
I dont blame him. Anyone would lose their
mind in this creepy ol place. Not to mention those
rumors I heard about the previous owners of the
castle Nancy was beginning to mumble and
81

Natalie was worried she was losing what was left of

her sanity when she first came in.
Dont you believe in Poltergeists? I bet
theyre angry at Adrien. Tri An had an indescribable
attraction to all things supernatural. He was so smitten
with the idea that he adopted it the moment it crossed
his mind. He didnt ask for their permission to use
this place as a set after all. He had the money to
renovate. Why not hire an exorcist first?
Nancy, though immovable as a rock, felt her
heart sway. When mysterious incidents cannot be
explained people tend to jump to conclusions. Nancy,
on the other hand, tended to jump into unnecessary
bandwagons. Dont be ridiculous, Tri An. The
atmospheres getting to you. Adrien was not slayed by
something that can walk through walls. I refuse to
believe the words of Aldo. The other two did not
believe a word she said for every one that left her
move shook violently.
Well, dont blame me when the phantom
comes for your heads next. All I can do is say, I told
you so!
Mister, we have a stone-cold corpse lying in
the living room and a murderer on the loose. We dont
have the time to worry about ghosts. If you have the
time to go cotton-picking up there, Natalie poked Tri

82

Ans noggin, then I suggest you start coming up with

a plan for us to get back.
Im just saying its a possibility, he pouted.
Possibility, my foot. What kind of a body
guard- But Nancy was cut off by a hand covering her
mouth. She almost jumped out of her skin for the
second time that day. Natalie, who was walking
behind her, had wrapped a ascot around her yapping
mouth. She had recently found it laid out on the table
as though it had been tossed aside in a hurry. There
was not a speck of dust on it so it was fairly new. It
also smelled of fine cologne and perfume, one or the
other.
Shhhh! You hear that? Tri An was peering
suspiciously around the corner.
What? I cant hear anything. Nancy shifted
her ears from side to side, but all she heard was the
backlash of the wind against the shutters. She could
swear her shadow had moved even though her feet
were caught between two stakes and the ground.
Sounds like somebodys been tailing us for a
while. Natalie narrowed her eyes.
What!? And you tell me now?! Nancy had
begun to cling to a small drawer beside her, her nails
dug into the wood.

83

Natalie had to suppress the urge to find some

hole and crawl into it before the grave keeper came.
Either way, it was going to be gory if they dont get
away from whoever it was patrolling the hallways
behind them.
Theres no choice. Tri An gulped and with
a drowned out voice said, At the next corner, split
up. It was as though they were in court and the ruling
was final but Nancy the lawyer was an outspoken
woman who questioned the judges motives.
What?! she exclaimed in disbelief.
Whispering back and forth to her potential
dead mates, a little too enthusiastically, Natalie had a
light bulb go off in her head. Now by go off, it
actually was off in a sense. I get it. We all wait in
different rooms and ambush him when he comes
round the bend. At this point, they cold risk losing
everything oreveryone. It was a lose-lose situation
considering none of them had a weapon of defense.
He could be armed! He already killed a
person. He can do it again. Nancy was positive the
culprit was male.
She was beginning to jump to conclusions and
they were sure by the time the night ended she would
be a wreck in the morning. One can only imagine
what would happen in the morning. Time had become
84

a mere illusion now and even though Natalie kept

peering at the hands in her pocket watch, it felt as
though the sense of time had long faded out of
existence. Probably because her watch was dead a
long time ago. Tri An had been too worried to focus
on anything but to walk until they found an exit. Now
where this exit would lead to he had no idea, but he
was allowing the ghosts in his head to control him to a
state of partial schizophrenia. By then, their minds
were as useless as drunken sailors on deck during a
storm, wandering aimlessly in search of a cannon for
no apparent reason. There was not going to be
moment of calm among them.
Well, its this or we let him run free. Tri An
wished he hadnt said those words. He was still
upholding his position as body guard though he was
also shirking his responsibilities at the same time.
Im in, were the only words that Natalie
could utter. There goes my story, she thought, now
someone will have to write it for me.
Nancy groaned inaudibly and hunched her
shoulders as an armadillo would before it became
fully rounded.
Ready to hide?
When you are.

85

Why is this happening to me? Im too young

to die, Nancy lamented to herself.
You better choose your door quick. They
rounded the bend and Natalie began a countdown,
123!
Several doors creaked and closed all at once as
though the wind had came for a rest stop and
continued on its way again. Not another sound stirred
in the hall except for an occasional click-clack of the
unknown.

86

Chapter 8 ~ Chasing Scribbles

Are you sure you heard noise coming from
over here? Tans eyes warily traveled about the
passageway while Tiana led him to who-knows-where.
Her daring sprit had not yet been relinquished.
Sure, Im sure, she answered without much
thought. Tan wondered where she got all her
confidence from. Her eyes were sparkling with a
childish flare that was bound to get them into some
sort of irreversible dilemma.
Where are we, by the way?
Well, based on the blueprints I have,
werein an unmapped area? Her voice slowed to a
sort of slur as her eyes twitched in a sort of late
realization that the blueprints of the structure were
supposedly a copy of the castle fifty years ago.
Cursing her informant, she retraced what she thought
was the path they had taken only to become more
befuddled by the fact that the rooms did not match the
ones that they had previously passed. In fact, the
hallway had seemed almost unchanged since they had
left the privacy of their suite.
Tiana, are you telling me that were lost?
Tan was not in the least surprised. His foot tapped
87

steadily on the wooden floorboards as they creaked

and moaned beneath his weight.
Dont be silly, ol chum, she reassured him
without any eye contact, were as fine as two fiddles
in a music shop. I just have to figure out where we
actually are.
Tan rolled his eyes and folded his arms across
his chest. Then, from somewhere within the cracks of
his rather aggravated mind, it dawned on Tan that
perhaps they had not taken any steps away from the
security of their room. So with that thought, he turned
and went up to a rather familiar-looking door. He
knocked and when no one answered, he entered with
the ease of a common thief. Turning on his flashlight
proved his theory correct. Clearly, they had been
walking in circles for there on the recliner, nearest the
window was a suitcase with his name-tag dangling off
the edge.
Well, would you look at that! I guess I can
create miracles when we need them. Tianas ego was
of course claiming all of the credit, but Tan didnt
mind. He was tired and though there was a possibility
of a lunatic on the loose, he would much rather spend
the rest of the night in the comfort of his bed. Tiana,
however, left him to his own devices and continued
her expedition into the foreign wings of the castle.

88

Little did she know that a certain someone was

watching as she left Tan on his own.
Daniel was rounding the corner after a trip to
the restroom when he spotted Tan and Tiana
conversing in the hall. He had meant to approach
them, but being a man with common courtesies he
allowed them to finish their conversation before
joining them. However, as he made his way over,
Tiana had slammed the door closed in his face
without noticing that he was nearing. He was about to
leave once more, when she reopened the door in his
face and once again, not hearing the crack of a certain
nose, Tiana left with much glee, almost skipping
down the hall in a style Daniel could only explain as
madness. So, worried and bewildered, Daniel held a
silent pursuit after her.
When Kristine and Justin stared at the wall
opposite their beds, they noticed that for one: the
clock indicated it was exactly twelve in the morning
and two: the sofa under the clock remained
unoccupied. Daniel had left for the restroom half an
hour ago and had yet to return. This worried Kristine
who suggested that Justin get out of bed and find
Daniel. The restroom was only a little ways down the
hall for convenient purposes.
You want me to go? His legs were shaking
and his knees were practically knocking against one

89

another. He was in a cold sweat from a nightmare that

he dared not discuss with the woman who was
threatening to throw him over the second floor
window if he did not obey.
Yes, you! Daniel isnt back yet! Now go
check to see if hes constipated or ifsomething else
happened, she gulped. By now, Kristine was
hurrying to change into another coat. Ill come with
you, you scaredy-cat. So stop looking at me as though
Ive thrown you to the lions!
Justin grabbed his camera on the night stand
and raced after Kristine.
As Kristine and Justin made their way down
the hall like marching soldiers, their wet boots
clomping against the ground eventually woke up
Cindy and Aldo who were resting like the dead. They
heard the midnight parade going on outside and had
been falling in and out of sleep.
Why must everyone have such tiny bladders,
Cindy had asked herself. Some people weren't even
heading to the bathroom. Their footsteps were
heading elsewhere but Cindy discarded any thought of
a scheme being conjured yonder her bedroom. She
had gotten up three times before to see if she could
help the lost pedestrians, but for all three turns no one
was around by the time she got out. She was hoping

90

her ears weren't beginning to play tricks on her. Either

that or it was midlife crisis getting the better of her.
"Hey, Cindy?" Aldo was staring out the
window, unable to get to sleep. "I know Chris had to
take a smoke, but how many packs do you think he's
gone through by now?"
"How should I know? Get to sleep! She
tossed on the bed and dragged her blanket across the
floor so they could encompass the whole of her head.
But now that Aldo was mentioning it, Chris was
taking too long for just a few huffs as he had
described it.
Hey, Cindy? Aldo had crept over to a corner
of the bed and was hugging the corner post and
shivering. Cindy could feel the vibration from
earthquake Pedro and sat up, rubbing her head. She
stared at him coolly and waited.
The ph..om. He began to ramble, being the
lonely eccentric that he is.
What? Speak up! She cupped her hand in
front of her ear.
I saw it.
You saw what?

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Outside. Cindy, it was outside. Green and

glowing.
What did you see, Aldo?
The phantom! His eyes widened. Go and
see.
You big baby! How many times do I have to
tell you? Get over your trauma. Cindy slid out of bed,
she dragged her tiny feet across the rug, and peered
out the window over the entire courtyard and the
forest. Seeing nothing, she turned back rather fed up
with his shenanigans. I dont see anything or anyone
out there. Come and take another good look for
yourself. She turned back and he joined her
reluctantly, cowering behind her shoulder which
didnt help much because he was a towering bean
pole.
It was there
Well, now its not. And Chris is probably on
his way back up here so lets meet him at the door and
well get all of this cleared up. Youll see, hell tell
you he hasnt seen anything while he was out there.
Cindy untied the curtain strings and began to drag it
across the entire pane. Out of sight, out of mind.
Now, nothing is going to bother you anymore. Just
keep telling yourself theres nothing.. She was going
to lock the window as an extra measure when she
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noticed by the rim of the fountain was a figure she did

not recognize.
What did you say, Cindy?
Uh, no. Its nothing. Im just saying youre
letting all the gloominess get to you. Chrisll be back
soon. She laughed nervously. One more look at the
fountain and the figure was gone. There was not a
sign of a disturbance anywhere else. The most grisly
fact that she could not deny was that the figure was
green, and he glowed with a menacing flame.
Knock, knock. A small pleading voice
resounded from behind the door.
Who is it? Aldo tried to peer at the guests
through the keyhole.
Its us. Vanvy, Diana, and Leena. We come
in peace, Aldo.
He opened the door for them just as Cindy was
grabbing her cardigan from the closet. The chills
wouldnt leave her.
Whats wrong? Cindy asked.
Im sure you noticed by now but the others
arent in their rooms, Diana had tried to contact
Nancy through her cell phone only to remember that
they had no signal up in these mountains.
93

What?
I mean, everybodys been up and about since
we started to settle in. Dont tell us you havent
noticed all the constant walking up and down the
halls?
I just thought you all had too much to drink
so you were taking turns using the restroom. With
this comment, Cindy stared at Vanvy in particular.
Dont look at me. I havent been up since
now, she defended herself.
Why dont we round up the ones still in their
assigned rooms and start a search for the others?
Leena suggested.
Hey! I know there are still some people in
their rooms like good boys and girls. Open up!
Kristines boisterous tone rang out through the hall.
Kristine, have you no respect? Aldo opened
the door and everyone filed out into the hall where
Kristine began an inspection and a head count. Tan
was the only one that joined them shortly after
changing. All the other rooms were empty.
Where could they have gone? Aldo
inspected the carpet, conspicuous footprints from
heels, sneakers, and leather shoes ran about rampant

94

as though the rug was a dance floor and its

participants had danced the samba.
What are all of you doing out here? Chris
finally returned. He was bone dry since he was
smoking out on the veranda where the roof kept him
out of the rains way.
Chris, what took you? Aldo asked,
narrowing his eyes.
My lighter wouldnt work. I had to go down
to the servants quarters and ask Carlos for another.
He shrugged. Oh, by the way, he was worried so he
followed me Chris turned around and the others
followed his line of vision expecting Carlos to appear
out of thin air, but he didnt. Thats odd. He was
right behind me.
Hes a butler. He probably saw a stain or a
speck of dust somewhere and got distracted, Vanvy
concluded.
Well, where are the others?
We dont know. But its better if we stick
together until they return.
You guys can do all the waiting you want,
but Im going to check up on them. We cant take any
chances. Tan and I will regroup with Carlos and track

95

down the others. Chris looked at Tan and saw what

looked like dread passed through his fine features
before he declared, And Aldo, you take care of the
girls. Youll be the only man they can depend on. You
have one job; can you do it?
Ill try.
Fair enough.
Hey, just to let you boys know, we dont
need men to be looking out for us. We happen to be
strong women. Just let the culprit try something and
well make him regret it. Wont we, girls?
Everyone could only humbly agree with
Kristine. They knew that she meant every word.
Whoever the murderer was, he was going to regret
crossing paths with the queen of mean.
Gentlemen, Im sorry to have kept you
waiting. Carlos, appeared from the dark tunnel and
began to play escort again. He bowed in apology and
everyone had to admire him for his sincerity.
The night was waning, but Tan noted that it
was actually waxing. The moon couldnt have hung
any lower above their heads, inviting them to grasp it
by its rays and ascend to the heavens.

96

Chapter 9 ~ Breakthrough
A pair of eyes slowly came into view, coalblack, glistening with a feverous fervor, and a whine
could be heard as the tapping came closer. The
creature that had been following Tri An, Natalie, and
Nancy came to a halt and started to paw at the ground.
He was unsure of whether to howl to get their
attention or to quietly track them down with his nose.
He settled for the former.
Aroooooooooooooooooo! he howled as
though his life depended on it.
Its a werewolf! Nancy could be heard
screeching and blowing her cover. The creature
immediately raced to her door and pawed at it while
whimpering. It seemed rather overjoyed to have found
a kindred soul.
Natalie peered out through the keyhole and
saw that it was in fact a dog that was begging to be
noticed. She opened her door hesitantly and made
what sounded like a chirp. The dog stopped and
glanced over at her, disinterested, before returning to
its routine.

97

Come out, guys! Its harmless. Natalie

alerted the others.
While in the solitude of his room, Tri An
noticed that his walkie-talkie had been disconnected.
The antenna was bent and someone had cut the wires
hidden behind the battery pack, turning it into a
useless piece of junk. Tiana would have his head if he
returned with any damaged goods. They were all on
loan after all. Somehow, the image of Tiana scolding
him made him lose fear in the worst.
Down at the station, they were constantly
being teased for being a worthless asset to the rest of
the team. When they were assigned this job, Tiana
had anticipated five stars for a job well done, but with
Adrien turning up dead one moment and vandalism
happening right under their noses the next, Tri An
supposed that the worst that could happen afterwards
was getting their status revoked and they would be
sent back to training.
Tri An? Are you in there? Natalie called and
Tri An snapped out of his trance.
Yeah, Im coming. He quickly got up and
dusted himself off only to hear a clink against the
ground. It was a pristine sound like a pin had dropped.
In the darkness, he ran his hands along the ground
until he came across a cool piece of metallic

98

substance. Picking it up, he noticed it was a cuff link

so many of the men had been wearing at the party.
Inspecting it, he noticed it was pure gold in the
moonlight with a solid diamond protruding from the
center.
Tri An knew it wasnt his, but whoever tied
him up earlier could have been the one to drop it on
him.
Whats wrong? Natalie had grown impatient
and had opened the door on him. She flicked the light
switch, but nothing happened. Youre not a very
good electrician, are you?
Embarrassed, Tri An could only shake his
head. But it wasnt entirely his fault that he
discovered someone had chopped up the electric box
along with cords and levers to pieces. At that point,
nothing could be fixed.
Look what I got. He held out the cuff link
and Natalie stared at it for a while. Something was
beginning to dawn on her.
Was it on you?
Yeah, I think the culprit dropped it when he
was tying me up. He handed it to Natalie who placed
the solid evidence into her side bag.

99

Tina found something similar earlier. But if

this really belongs to that person, then have we been
played all this time? Natalie was unsure. It couldnt
possibly be that person. He has an alibi. No, that
would be too convenient
Natalie? Tri An? Look who I found. Nancy
giggled and patted the dogs head. He seems pleased
to have found some fellow friends.
King?! What are you doing out of the van?
Tri An came out of the room and immediately was
ambushed. King gave him a shower of kisses and Tri
An, burly as he was, could not resist but to hug him in
return. King was the brightest of Tianas Wolf Unit
as she called it.
Youre acquaintances, I see. Natalie
inspected his dog collar that resembled the one Fido
had worn earlier. There were only numbers on them.
Oh, those numbers were assigned to them by
the station. Its supposed to dictate that theyre in
training. Tri An, being a handyman, whipped a
meatball out of nowhere from his pocket and fed King
a well-deserved snack.
Natalie noticed that there were some strings
attached to Kings collar. She pulled on it and it came
lose eventually. The durability was like floss, but it
glistened as though someone had polished it or
100

greased it. Her fingers ran through it quite easily. It

was far too long. It seemed as though someone had
tied it around his collar on purpose.
Somewhere along the string, there was a
crimson tint as though someone had dyed it. She
sniffed where the tincture clashed with wire and knew
instinctively that no other scent could tamper with the
strong distinction of this one.
Tri An, does King have any injuries from
running around? Natalie asked. It was time to
eliminate the first notion that the scent belonged to the
dog.
Tri An ran his hand over Kings fur and asked
him in a low voice if he was injured. The dog,
seeming to understand, wagged his tail and shook his
head. Just to make sure, Tri An turned him around and
checked his back, neck, and rump. King was as clean
as when he had left the groomers two days ago.
Nope, hes all clean.
Hmph! Then Im right then. Natalie had a
smirk prancing upon the edge of her lips. There was
no doubt about it now. The wire was stained with
blood and it could only be from the victim. The strong
scent of carbon-steel also infiltrated her nose, but it
was faded due to the smell of whatever grease was
used on the string.
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Natalie, what are you doing with that piano

wire? Nancy had picked up the other half, inspecting
it. This string is no good. Its far too outstretched. No
one can make a note with this. She stared at it almost
nostalgically, to better days when she had a piano of
her own.
Nancy, youre a genius! Natalie gave her an
over-enthusiastic hug.
Of course I am. Who do you think youre
talking to? Nancy Le, an actress that the light follows!
She haughtily laughed, her voice echoing and rattling
the windows like a tragic opera singer.
I think we can wrap up some odd ends with
this! Natalie exclaimed as she pocketed the wire and
started to race down the corridor.
Hey, where are you going?! Wait up! Nancy
screamed after her in vain.
Cant stop! Im about to bust this case wide
open! See ya later! Natalie yelled over her shoulder.
Tri An, you handle the rest!
What is that girl thinking? Nancy realized
that Natalie still gets too caught up in the excitement.

102

What does she mean, the rest? Tri Ans

questioning eyes searched for an answer from Nancy,
but she remained silent.
Arooooooo! King then began to howl and he
pawed furiously at the ground, about to run away
himself. Tri An had to grab hold of his collar and
yelled the command to sit three times before King
stared at him with puppy eyes. He then turned into an
Italian greyhound and pointed at a tapestry lining the
wall. He whimpered slightly and begged for Tri An to
take him to it. Tri An knew right away what this sign
meant. Tiana was near and King knew instinctively.
Nancy, go check out that tapestry. He
pointed at the one at the end of the hall.
Whats got your goat? Its just a piece of
fabric. She did him the favor and stood next to the
tapestry, unsure of what action to proceed with next.
Well, chief? What now?
Look behind it.
She lifted up the heavy piece of weaving and
ran her hand along the wall. Hello. What do we have
here? Her hand had rammed against a knob. She
turned it and pushed the door with one hand. Upon
doing so the dust rose into her nose and she coughed
dramatically while swiping at the particles. Theres a
door here.
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King barked his version of a lions roar while

Nancy pushed the tapestry aside like a curtain.
Well, Sherlock, I do believe weve found
ourselves another secret passage. She patted her
skirts, no longer in concern of ruining her dress.
Well? We going in or not? She turned to look back
at him. Tri An gulped and allowed King to do the
leading. They closed the door behind themselves.
~~
Did you hear that? Tianas flashlight lit up
the entire secret passage. I miss my dogs so much
Im starting to hear them from the depths of my
despairing heart.
How could she be poetic at a time like this,
Justins teeth chattered as he asked himself silently.
No, Im afraid we all heard that. Daniel
casted his attention to the locked doors lining their
path all numbered by rusting placards.
Somehow, along the way, Tiana had noticed
Daniel following her and decided to wait behind the
wall at the bend. When he neared, she elbowed him in
the stomach and threw him down on the ground.
When he called her an imbecile for not realizing who
her enemies were and who were her friends, she
released him with some comment on how no murderer

104

could ever be so refined in speaking as Daniel. He

dusted himself off and joined her.
They ran into Justin who was paralyzed with
fear and cowering behind Tina in the library of the
castle. Tina was looking into the past history of the
owners of the castle, but the most recent was torn
from the pages of the record books. All traces of
whoever owned the castle before Adrien was erased
from existence. She knew that Adrien had purchased
the castle from an unnamed realty company after
some recommendations from Kristine got him hooked
on the price and location, but nowhere did it say if
they had the permission to sell it nor did it mention
who sold the property to the company. Everything
was being kept under wraps.
Natalie had messaged her earlier through a
short-distance pager and asked Tina to find any
information on the previous owners so therefore,
Tinas search for Natalie had to be postponed while
she fulfilled her latest task.
Knowing full well that nothing could be
salvaged, Tina joined Tianas team and they began
their examination of the secret passageways Tiana
said were located throughout the old blueprints. She
had not mentioned it earlier, but when she was
checking her recording log she noticed that there was
a figure that disappeared at the end of one of the

105

hallways with only one hidden camera. That was why

one of the drawers under a tapestry was removed and
relocated, because it was possible to access a door
behind the tapestry and make ones way to Adrien
without using the same surveyed path he used.
Whoever did it, used the roundabout way.
Tiana, I hear panting. Tina stood stalk still
for a moment and breathed in a gulp of air. A strange
scent wafted to her nose and she knew that Nancy was
close by. One could smell an actresss high-class
perfume in a dingy tunnel like this a mile away.
Aroooooooo! The sound of even heavier
panting and the clacking of nails against brick
resounded, drawing nearer to them. They all knew
what was coming.
King! My gosh, Ive been looking for you!
Tiana, hands outstretched, braced the creature that
leapt into her arms. King came crashing into the group,
Tina, Daniel, and Justin all came tumbling down like
Humpty Dumpty while King scratched his way over
their bodies to Tiana.
King! Tri An came running and saw Tiana
at the bottom of the pile of writhing people.
I wish people would stop running! Another
creature came panting up behind him. Her arms

106

flailed about, a fish out of water, or in this case, a

Nancy out of shape.
Tri An! YOU! You had us worried sick! As
soon as Daniel got back on his feet he set about
scolding Tri An, who hung his head in shame.
I couldnt call you guys! The perp broke my
walkie talkie on my way back. He chopped up the
electric box and I couldnt fix it. I got partly lost on
my way back and the next thing I knew I was tied up
and gagged. You dont know what Ive been through.
Tri An would not leave any room for people to point
the accusing finger at him. And Daniel, I know you
did it! I found your cuff link on me earlier. You were
always particular about the quality and you went
around bragging to everyone that your wife got you a
new pair for your birthday. Again!
Hold on, you think I did it? Daniel could not
believe his ears. What right do you have to accuse
me? Youre not the judge of the court. You may have
some promising evidence, but your deductions are
merely false accusations in your haste to settle your
panic-stricken mentality.
If youre thinking that Im irrational, I have
every right to be. Tri An was face to face with Daniel,
their eyes were flaring with a passion that adolescents
held over a competition of marble.

107

Hold your horses! Tiana karate-chopped the

air between their faces, missing their noses by only a
few inches. Now, were not accusing anyone of
doing anything until I see stone cold evidence. Tri An,
where is this cuff link?
Natalietook it He had nothing more to
say.
Beep, beep, beep. A high-pitched sound
signaling the end of an intense game show was
broadcasted from Tinas bag. She took out her pager
and snapped it shut after her eyes read the very few
words Natalie had sent her. Then clearing her throat,
she announced, No more fighting. We have to gather
everyone and get back to the hall. The case has been
solved.
Everyone stared at her, mouths wide open.
How was that even possible?

108

Chapter 10 ~ Scandals Revealed

Everyone was attending a second party that

night before daybreak. It had taken a while for King
to track down every single party member, but luckily,
he was the embodiment of a miracle. Sensitive nose
and acute hearing were the only topic of conversation
Tiana could brag about while they were scouring the
castle.
Aha, so Jessica did it! Daniel pointed a
finger at Jessica who entered the room with Natalie.
Of course, I did it. Every villain goes out into
the dead of night to find clues so they can prove
themselves guilty. And of course, they always team
up with the news reporter. Her voice was dripping
with sarcasm and a hint of spite.
Where have you been?
Like I said, Ive been up and about gathering
evidence while Natalie gave me the details on the
situation with you guys.
So, youre a spy, Natalie? I wouldnt have
ever guessed.

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Daniel, sit down and listen for a moment,

would you? Jessica didnt do it. She scanned the
crowd of worried faces. But we know exactly who
did. Dont we, Tina?
Aha! So Tina did it! Aldo jumped up.
Sit down, Aldo! Jessica yelled which was
very rare.
Tina was taking pictures for me. However,
unlike careless Justin, she turned off her flash so
nobody would notice when she took pictures. Earlier,
she had taken a photo of footprints in the mud on the
way in. But thats not all is it? Tina handed Natalie
her camera. Tina also took a photo of a broken watch
on the ground. A watch that belonged to Adrien.
What does that have anything to do with the
case?
It proves the man is guilty. That watch isnt
there now. Jessica notified me of that.
So who did it?!
Natalie, just tell us who it is already.
Well, since youre so impatient, then I will
say hes standing among you right now. Natalie
stared straight at her audience. You know who Im
talking about. Dont you, Chris?
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All eyes turned to the man who was sweating

bullets but still maintained his composure. His voice
shook somewhat impatiently.What are you
implying? I did it? Me? Hahaha, good one. He
laughed almost maniacally.
Im not joking, Chris. Jessica will drop-kick
you if you object any further.
Alright, so Im a suspect like everyone else.
Wheres your proof? What reason would I have for
killing Adrien? We were good friends! I reconstructed
this castle with him!
Which is exactly why you know your way
around this place better than anyone else. Jessica had
snuck up behind him with a chair and pushed him
down onto it. She was going to grill him with her
interrogation.
Youre building castles out of thin air! Im
as equally innocent as everyone else and as suspicious
as that butler over there. Chris directed his fury at
Carlos.
Au contraire, my fellow suspect. Im afraid I
couldnt have done it. Carlos finally took off his hat
and bowed before the unsuspecting audience. No
longer hidden by the shade of its brim, he smiled ever
so pleasantly. I certainly couldnt have done it.

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Mr. Murray?! Kristine was flabbergasted,

her face turned pale as the moon. What are you
doing here?
Im here on an investigation. I retired from
school teaching a while back and started running my
own detective agency out of the privacy and
convenience of my garage. Jessica was the one who
called me to work on this case. She knew that I was
searching for a corrupt dealer in the black market and
thought that I might find some connections to him
here. Seems she was right. He showed everyone his
identification card.
Why didnt you say so earlier?
I needed the enemy to let his guard down
around me. The only way to fool your enemy is to
fool your friends or in this case, former students.
So Chris did it, huh? Aldo scrunched up his
nose as though a putrid odor had entered his trail of
thought.
But how did Chris do it when he was with us
most of the time? Vanvy was beginning to doubt her
vision again. I saw him when Adrien was mingling
with someone.
Vanvy, that was only after the preview right?
In the darkness nobody would know if he had left the

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room or not. Everyone was busy focusing their

attention on Adrien. But I dont remember seeing him
leave the hall either. He was always in that corner
over there.
Youre right about that, Leena. Chris
reconstructed this place with Adrien so obviously he
knows his way around a bit. Look up at the
chandelier. Natalie shined her flashlight up at the
crystal centerpiece. A small ray descended and when
it met the wall the image of Chris leaning into the
darkness splashed across the wallpaper. A simple use
of holograms. Chris designed and rigged the majority
of the items on set so that he could utilize them later
in his plan. So while everyone focused on the
hologram that was out in the open, Chris would take
the secret passage leading to Adriens room without
having the need to use the same hallway and drawing
any attention. Everyone gasped and Chris shook his
head.
What if someone was framing me? What do
you have to say to that?
Hmph! The evidence that you did it is on you
right now. Everyone redirect your attention to Chriss
wrist! Daniel grabbed hold of Chriss wrist and there
was a broken watch that looked all too familiar.

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Hey, thats my watch! Aldo exclaimed. I

broke it when I fell earlier. I left it on Adriens dresser
before leaving. Aldo scratched his head.
Chris, you love watches, dont you? Daniel
stared at it like an appraiser. I remember you showed
me your collection once. But why do you have
Aldos? Daniel saw the imprint of Aldos name on
the back of the watch.
What does that prove?
It meant that you went back. Natalie started
to pull out a few items from her side bag. All culprits
return to the scene of the crime. Simply because they
have forgotten something or went back to clean up
after themselves. She began to pull on the piano wire
she had found earlier.
Oh, hey! Tiana pointed at the strings.Fido
had some of that stuff caught to his collar earlier.
Thats right. Its true Chris didnt directly kill
Adrien. He had some help from a couple of
accomplices who didnt know what they were doing.
Jessica took out her evidence and they compared the
string she found on Adriens lap and the string
confiscated from the dog collars. They were the same.
Looks like Chris tried to place the blame on
Tiana and Daniel, but he failed miserably. Tiana had

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the blueprints to the castle so everyone would suspect

that she knew her way around and by erasing tidbits
on her cameras history, she could blame it on the
technical difficulties and get away with it. Daniels
cuff link was found on Tri An after he was tied up,
but Daniel was accounted for when Tri An was
actually bashed on the head, correct? The timer on Tri
Ans walkie-talkie stopped after the culprit broke the
antenna and at that time Daniel was with us. Not to
mention, by making Tri An disappear, Chris could
create the illusion that Tri An was actually the culprit
and have hidden himself away for a spell. The girls
started to draw something upon a notebook. Why
dont we show you guys his elaborate plan of murder?
There on the picture Jessica had scribbled in
less than five minutes was a box for a room and a
bunch of interesting shapes all surrounding it.
Meanwhile Natalie took out a crumpled piece of paper
she had found in the wastepaper basket in Chriss
room. It was a record of who arrived at what time
written by the valet. Chriss name was written down
twice as the first guest and as the fifth guest after
Jessica, Mr. Murray, Tri An, and Tiana. In fact, it
showed that he had arrived only minutes after them.
Natalie then showed another picture Tina had taken
on their way in. A picture of wheel tracks that lead to
the castle from the woods possibly from Chriss

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Porsche. In reality, he had arrived beforehand and

waited in the thicket.
The other photograph Tina took probably was
of your struggle with Adrien when you happened to
arrive earlier than the other guests. Why go out of the
way and arrive two hours earlier than the rest?
Because you had a plan to execute. You were the one
who dropped the nails in the parking lot right before
everyone arrived in their cars. You dropped them
right where the wheels would stop so that the wheels
would slowly deflate without anyone noticing.
How do you know he arrived two hours
earlier than everyone else?
Chris had a couple misconceptions. Mr.
Murray held a stakeout the night before the party and
had spent the entirety of his time here on the property,
checking for any suspicious characters. He did not
arrive with Jessica and that was where Chris made his
first mistake. Because when Mr. Murray spotted Chris
on the property from his stakeout point, he paged
Jessica immediately to let her know. Afterwards,
Jessica paged me, but Tina and I were still on the car
ride here.
Everyone, I would like you to feast your eyes
on this method of murder. Jessica flipped the pages

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of her notebook back to page one and began her

explanation.
Apparently, Chriss motive for killing Adrien
was because of a failed business transaction in the
past. Chris wanted to start anew, but Adrien turned
him away at the door. In fact, Chris wasnt even
supposed to be here tonight. Jessica had checked the
list of invites in Adriens bedroom and nowhere was
Chriss name listed. Chris had assumed the identity of
another businessman and called Adrien out to the
courtyard where they had a small quarrel and it ended
on a sour note. Adrien went back to his dressing room
and locked himself away for the rest of the day until
the party hour.
Adriens thoughts were probably bothering
him to point where he was so distracted that he did
not even spare some time to talk to Tan. Adrien knew,
after all, that Chris and Tan were still friends.
When Adrien reappeared on stage in front of
everyone, Chris used the darkness to his advantage
and snuck away by use of the secret passage at the
darkest corner of the hall. It would be a shorter
journey than the five-minute path Adrien took. The
smallest ray of the light from the projector could cast
his hologram to the wall and he would have an alibi.
Chriss figure was also recorded running out of the
opposite end of the hall where the exit to the secret

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passage was to get to the dressing room. It took him

approximately two minutes and thirty seconds to
reach Adriens room. The camera didnt record him
leaving because he escaped to the unused third floor
where Tiana did not set up any cameras.
After Aldo yelled and fainted, most likely
Chris took that time to escape to the next floor using
the balcony. He didnt anticipate that Aldo would be
paying Adrien a visit. Aldo, in his unstable state of
mind saw Chris escaping through the window and
probably mistook him for a specter of some sort.
Jessica and Tri An then went to investigate. They
found Aldo lying on the ground, his watch was broken
from having it facing down against the marble tile
when he fell. He then found it useless to wear
anymore and discarded it on Adriens dresser table.
When Jessica inspected the body she noticed
that his neck had markings, very thin indentations like
cat scratches. There was also the string she found in
his lap which suggested he was strangled by use of
piano wire, the same one Natalie and Tiana had found
attached to Fido and Kings collars as an attempt to
frame Tiana. Jessica had returned to the scene of the
crime after the electric failure which Chris had also
planned beforehand. He had chopped up the electric
box and had used a makeshift wire that could only
supply a short amount of electricity before it would

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burn out and explode altogether. It was like a ticking

time bomb.
The second time around, Jessica found some
nails on the floor and shining her flashlight up the
wall she noticed that the nails were once hammered
into the wall but something made them come loose.
There were a total of four nails in the room. Each
were once attached to the walls around Adrien, one
above the door and the two walls adjacent to the
entrance of the room. The opposite wall had an upside
down nail jutting out of wooden windowpane which
would later give Adrien his head injury. Chris had cut
the wire of the surveillance camera in Adriens room
so Tiana could no longer check up on him. Afterwards,
he hung multiple wires on the loosened nails about the
room asides from the one at the window. The wires
were also slipped through tiny holes in the glass,
sharp enough to cut them off with enough force.
When Adrien stepped into the room, Chris was
waiting for him in the air vents. He had placed a pot
of incense under the table which brought about
dizzying effects and Adrien stumbled to the position
where the final stage of the plan could be enacted.
Chris had a remote controller on him which would
make a small squirrel run up a tree outside. The
abducted dogs he had stationed below, King and Fido,
would see the squirrel and chase after it. The wires
attached to their collars would be pulled off the
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loosened nails within the room and eventually conflict

with Adriens neck. Weak and weary, he would feel
the taut wires strangle his neck and feel no use in
trying to fight back. When he fell back, breathless,
against the nail on the window, it staked him upside
the head and his blood stained the window. The rest
of the wires were cut off by the pane of glass and the
dogs roamed free with them.
Everyone stood in wonder and awe at this
elaborate plan.
All this work, when you could have just
poisoned him, Daniel muttered.
When Chris went out to smoke he was
actually trying to cover up evidence. Little did he
know that everyone was hosting their own search
parties. He went back to the murder scene and saw
Aldos watch and thought it was his, he took it and
having nowhere to store it in particular, he wore it. In
the dark, he did not notice that it was broken and he
did not remember that he had placed his own Rolex in
the compartment of his car earlier. When Daniel was
inspecting Tianas van and everyone was convinced
the murderer was inside, Chris was picking up the
nails he had dropped earlier. Chris had found Daniels
cuff link next to a punch bowl when he was going for
a drink and picked it up with the first thought to return
it later on. However, when he suddenly remembered

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that he had it on him when he was binding Tri Ans

hands and legs, it all seemed too convenient so he
dropped the article into Tri Ans pocket hoping to
spark some misunderstandings.
So it turns out your obsession with watches
brought your downfall. How saddening. Natalie
stared Chris straight in the eye and he eventually hung
his head in shame. Are you still going to deny it?
Its true. I confess. His voice was just a peep.
Why? All for the sake of business? Tan
asked, rather hurt.
It wasnt just that. That guy stole it all from
me. This movie was my idea. He suggested we work
on it together. It was supposed to have brought forth
the glory of the classic. I had a script planned and
everything, but he took my work and published it to
the press without my consent. He told them he worked
on it all by himself and he was going to make it a
production none of them would forget. He even
rewrote it so that I couldnt sue him for plagiarism.
So thats why the characters were so shallow.
Nancy couldnt get over her part and why the heroine
seemed as though she was a character thrown together
in under three minutes.

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I was willing to put it all behind me if he was

going to apologize, but he threw my original script in
my face and told me it was excess luggage. And worst
of all, he got you on his side. Chris stared at Nancy
in remorse. He knew he could use your name to
boost the movies popularity. But I couldnt do that.
Im just an unknown scriptwriter who wrote for fun.
No one was willing to notice me because of my
infamous reputation. Compared to a rising director,
Im nothing. Just a drunkard and a gambler with
nothing good to say.
Hey, dont tell me Natalie glanced at
Diana and Kristine who nodded.
He was writing a script solely for her. True, it
was a horror movie, but he had her image in his head
the whole entire time. He talked to her about it even
before writing it. He told her Adriens job was to
produce it and he would write the script. She was
going to be the star so she happily agreed to help in
any way she could.
When did this happen? Jessica whispered.
A while back on a trip to New York. Diana
giggled.
Chris, why didnt you say anything? Was that
the reason why you stopped calling me? Did you
know what I thought when it came time to appear on
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set? Adrien was the one who notified me and you

werent there to supervise. Nancy looked about close
to tears.
Im sorry. Im an infamous man who could
never get what he truly wants. Chris was afraid, so
afraid to look her in the eyes and see the tears form
and fall. He didnt have the right to catch them.
But you had me, didnt you? Her sob-filled
voice reached his ears and he felt as though he had
been shot through the chest.
Wasnt he a player? Vanvy asked no one in
particular.
That was until he reunited with Nancy, of
course, Kristine chirped.
Since this is getting too personal, why dont
we wrap this up so the lovebirds can have some time
to talk? Daniel cleared his throat.
I didnt know you were so sensitive, Dan.
Justin snickered.
Oh, but if Chris never went outside then who
did we see out in the courtyard? Cindy looked at
Aldo who shrugged his shoulders.

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Oh, that was me. Sorry, I mustve creeped

you out. I was looking for clues so I could keep
Natalie up-to-date. Jessica bowed in apology.
But didnt Chris say that he went to get a
lighter from Mr. Murray? Tan asked.
Thats a lie. He only came to me after he was
finished cleaning up after himself and told me that I
should join him in searching for everyone.
Wait, didnt Chris get an extra five minutes
since Adrien arrived at his dressing room ten minutes
after leaving the hall? It was supposed to have taken
him only five minutes. Daniels gears of deduction
were in motion after recovering from the shock of
Chriss arrangement. Tianas cameras couldnt have
lied, could they?
Thats true, Daniel. But you forget that every
person needs some time for their own reflection.
Adrien went to take a breather before returning to his
room.
Im afraid I disagree with you on that one.
Jessica tapped Natalies shoulder to get her attention.
Adrien was actually texting something on his phone
out in the hall. From my viewpoint he seemed to be
brooding over what to write.

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But we dont have any connection here.

Cindy even took out her phone again to show
everyone that the signal bars were empty.
I think he meant to send it later after he went
home. It seems pretty important to me. Jessica took
out one last article in her pocket. She had confiscated
Adriens phone and though there was little battery left,
she read aloud the contents of the message, You
might hate me, and I wont blame you. I committed a
most despicable deed, but I did so only because I
knew that it was for the best. Some characters have
been looking for you as of late. Compared to them,
turning yourself into the authorities has a nicer ring to
it. I did not want to be the person that endangers your
life so I took it upon myself. You of all people should
know that I hold no hidden talents nor do I deserve
my fame. Forgive me, Chris. Someday, youll
understand. Signed, Adrien. The phones light
flickered and it turned off.
He was trying to protect you, Chris. Adrien
knew that some shady organization wanted your head
so he took all the credit so as to not expose your
identity any further to the public eye. Im sure he also
did it because he didnt want to endanger the rest of
our lives either. Tan looked about at everyone who
was beginning to question who was in the right and
who was in the wrong.

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Have you guys seen the credits in the movie?

Natalie took out a small remote and pressed a red
button. The projector on the chandelier, which was
battery-powered, turned on and the credits scrolled
upon the wall. Take a good look.
Everyones names appeared on the screen
under the thank you section. Chriss name never
appeared, but the very last words after fin was a
personal letter of gratitude, I thank you for believing
in me, partner. Everyone turned and looked at Chris,
the tears forming at the edge of his eyes explained
everything. It was time the curtains finally closed on
their little adventure.
~~
Well, that was tiring. Jessica stretched and
yawned. I should hit the hay now. Night all. Jessica
started for the servants quarters.
She worked her butt off today. I doubt any of
us have had any peace of mind since we got here.
Adrien sure knows how to throw a party. Natalie
scratched her head and yawned as well. How about
we all get to bed now?
Everyone sighed in relief as the party
reassembled for bed. Chris would be kept tied up in
the basement with the boys taking turns keeping
watch over him until morning.
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Thanks a lot. A voice without any physical

form breached Jessicas ears.
I told you I would find out who did this to
you, didnt I? She smiled smugly as she whistled a
foreign tune down the hallway. She walked all alone,
the heroine to her own story.
~~
Some part of me knew. Nancy admitted that
night.
What? Natalie asked over Tri Ans snoring.
I knew he was the one who did it. This is his
ascot. And its the same cologne he uses when he
goes out in public. Ive gotten close enough to know.
The ascot Natalie had used to muffle Nancys voice
earlier had been one of Chriss accessories. He told
her once that it brought him good luck in a game of
poker. She hugged the ascot to her chest. I could
have been the one to stop all this madness. Nancy
closed her eyes and whispered what sounded like a
silent prayer.
But you couldnt. Nancy, theres only so
much a person can take until the strings are cut. When
everything is taken away we never question why.
Natalie paused and took a deep breath, Tomorrow
may not come, but there is still plenty of today left.

127

We mustnt hold any room for regret. Chris seized the

wrong moment. That was all.
Then I can only hope that tomorrow will be
brighter. Those were her last words as she buried
herself beneath her blankets.

128

Chapter 11 ~ Daybreak

In the afternoon, Adriens corpse was

transferred from the living room where Jessica had
left him on the couch and was taken away in an
ambulance who was still singing its song of urgency.
The petite police cars that trailed after the ambulance
apprehended Chris from his prison in the basement.
He gave himself up willingly and as they took him
away, he turned to look at Nancy one last time. No
other words were exchanged,
Cindy Vu came right on schedule, her hair
combed and her badge gleamed proudly. She was in
uniform, neat and proper. She was an intimidating
police officer and apparently was supposed to have
been supervising Tiana and Tri An. However, she was
called away on another urgent matter and could not
accompany them so she allowed them to go solo. She
knew that she would have to scold them later for
allowing a murder to occur, but she praised them
nonetheless for apprehending the criminal. She
walked with a confident stride to meet the friends she
hadnt seen in years.
You all look like you just came back from the
dead. She slapped Nancy on the back, unaware of

129

what took place last night. Nancy returned a weak

half-smile. She half-heartedly swatted Cindys hand
away and started to lean on Diana who was still
comforting her. Cindy raised her eyebrow, unsure of
what she did. She was hoping for a more excited
reaction.
Cindy, if only you knew. Natalie had dark
circles under her eyes and she reached her maximum
level of stress. She sighed and held her back in agony.
What happened to all of you? You look like
you just experienced a shipwreck.
We did. We were all half-drowned before
reaching shore. Tan was just going along with
whatever was being said.
Can someone inform me on what happened?
She scanned their faces only to yield no replies. No
one wanted to talk.
Ill tell you what I can. Mr. Murray raised
his hand weakly.
Oh, do tell.
A ghost kept us up all night. He flatly
replied.
What? Cindy was expecting a more serious
answer.
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After everything was solved and we decided

to head to bed, we were visited by the ghosts that
haunted the castle. Jessica continued. They
obviously didnt want us in there, but we were too
tired to be scared.
I told you that it was a phantom. Aldo
seemed rather ecstatic.
Everyone just groaned at him. Vanvy even
slapped him on the back while Kristine stomped on
his foot, but it had the opposite effect of keeping him
quiet.
Did you bring the mechanics with you?
Daniel appeared slowly from out of the grand
doorways. He had transformed into the Hunchback of
Notre-Dame overnight. He walked with a certain limp
to his step that the old men in the marketplace had.
Late at night, he threw his glass of water in vain at the
wall so the banshees would cease to scream and taunt
at him, but his plan failed miserably and when he got
up to use the restroom for the umpteenth time, he
stepped on pieces of the shattered glass. Kristine was
awoken by his unmentionable swearing and had to
stay up until morning to remove the glass pieces in his
foot while Justin desperately stumbled about trying to
locate the first-aid kit.

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Yeah, theyre probably replacing your wheels

right now. Cindy gestured over to a truck carrying a
pile of tires to the parking lot. The mechanics began
to work immediately and calculated all of the damage
that was done.
Thank goodness. Daniel leaned on a cane he
had found in an old umbrella stand. Aldo led him
away to a bench where he could sit down for a spell
and watch the repairs being made.
By the way, Cindy, what important mission
did the boss assign you? Tiana had a firm grip on her
dogs collars. She had learned her lesson from letting
them inside the castle without a leash.
The boss was being very particular. He told
me I should do some proper research on the castle
before I paid it a visit. Cindy scratched her head.
Though Im not so sure why. I mean, theres nothing
new. I just found a bunch of wives tales online and
legends in books.
What did they say? Suddenly, Tina was
interested. She had been foraging for knowledge, but
came up with zilch.
Well, Im not so sure which part was truth or
fakery, but from what I uncovered nothing pleasant
has ever happened here.

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Cindy sat down on a bench beside Tina and

began to recount what she had found in the archives
of a section no librarian dared to venture into to
reshelf or clean.
The previous owners of the castle became
nonexistent beings over a certain amount of time.
They had disappeared into thin air eleven months after
they had purchased the palace. However, such
occurrences had dated back since the medieval ages
when the castle was just a pile of brick or possibly
even a shack. Back then, strange disappearances of
schoolchildren and women had been reported in the
village but no one had ever held any investigations
locate their whereabouts. Then, during a more
prosperous age and when peace reigned over the land,
a young prince from another country who rebelled
against his father had been reported running away into
the woods and building a home for himself within its
foliage. Over time the prince was forgotten, but his
descendants lived on. They would often travel into
town and hired some of the needy to continue to build
upon the castle for them.
At one point in time, it became customary for
the villagers to send their eldest daughter to the royal
palace so she could be a peace offering for the current
highest person in power over the villagers. They did
not wish to anger the ruler or wager a war so every
year a family would send their eldest daughter to the
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castle, only to never be heard from again. The young

maidens were suspected of being held in captivity in a
harem.
Until one moonless night, a young man arrived
on the doorstep of the castle and begged to be let in
out of the cold. He could offer nothing to the owner of
the castle but his stories of his travels. The owner,
who seemed like a kindly gentleman permitted the
beggar to come inside. The man thanked him
immensely and only asked for a small meal and a
place to rest his weary head. Both of these, the owner
offered in generous amounts.
As he sat at the table eating his meal alone, the
beggar noticed that the meat did not taste quite right.
It was almost as though it had been served raw. Or
perhaps it wasnt the texture, but the overwhelming
flavor of rust intermingling with the flesh, heavily
scented with a lavender perfume. The meal could
have been pleasant in so many ways and yet it was
unnerving to eat in the solitude of an unknown house
of a man who seems not as interested in his stories as
by how much he weighed.
The beggar could not finish the meal and so he
set out to find the owner to see to his sleeping
accommodations. He followed the sound of a clickityclack and a drip-drip against brick flooring. It led him
down to the basement where he began to sneak like a

134

thief. By instinct and by the putrid odor in the air, he

could tell that his environment was threatening him to
an extent that even the cold he so feared would be a
comfort.
The basement was lit by torches and from his
standpoint on the stairs he saw a most bone-rattling
scene. The owner, the same cold smile, plastered to
his face now seeming more malicious was standing
over an operating table where a woman in a white
dress, pale and rosy-lipped lied. The beggar saw that
she was no longer breathing and that a certain vital
liquid was dripping slowly from her neck to the floor
in a puddle. What the owner proceeded to do next was
something Cindy had deemed as obscene so she
quickly glossed over it in terms the others knew were
just gibberish.
But when the beggar got away, he told
everyone and they stopped sending their daughters to
the castle. Thats why the village below is deserted.
Its because everyone moved away.
Thats so Tina was glad she had not
stumbled across this story first. But what happened
to the beggar?
No one knows. They say he kept on traveling
and continued to tell his fables to all strangers along
the way. However, thats what Im concerned about. I

135

dont know which part is fable or real. Cindy stopped

and then her eyes flashed in an excited way. But
apparently, when the beggar was running to get out of
the castle, he saw a painting on the wall that looked
like the owner wearing medieval clothing from two
centuries earlier. So Ive been theorizing, could it be
that it was the same person?
What do you mean, Cindy?
Like the tale of Elizabeth Bathory of
Hungary, right? Natalie contributed what she knew
to the conversation.
Who? Tina looked puzzled.
The stories say that she was a woman who
tortured and killed hundreds of girls and allegedly
bathed in the blood of virgins so she could preserve
her youth and beauty. All of this happened in the
course of twenty years right under the peoples noses.
Its a possibility the owner of Renault at the
time had wanted to glorify the legend of Elizabeth and
resurrect her within himself. It was sickening and too
much to stomach when I came across the reports from
the villagers in the history books. Dont even ask me
about what I read from the excerpts taken from the
survivors. Cindy ended her report there.

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But, did you find out anything about the most

recent owners? Tina was bothered the most by the
pages ripped out from the record books.
Thats just it. There were no recent owners.
After the last owner passed away, the castle became a
historical landmark. The people who were placed in
charge of it ran a historical organization with an office
set up in town. They ended up bankrupt so they
auctioned off the estate to the highest bidder which
coincidentally happened to be Adrien.
So it really does bring bad luck. Tan
observed the windows, shadows shifting as the tree
branches scratched against the glass.
I still say that it was the remake that brought
all misfortune upon us. Daniel was firm in his beliefs
that the classical movie was cursed.
You mean Ruthebys Tomb of the Phantom?
It was a long-term hoax, Daniel. Its in the archives
down at the station. Arthur Rutheby was involved in
some scandal along with the rest of his cast whilst
filming so they wanted to get rid the evidence in the
film reels. Afterwards, they decided to make
themselves disappear through death stunts and asked
certain witnesses to tell authorities that a phantom did
it. They hired some insiders to get rid of the film and
thats how they mysteriously vanished from the vault.

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I wont believe you until I see living,

breathing proof. He turned the other way and said no
more.
~~
By the pale moonlight everyone prepared to
head for home. The headlights glared into the
darkness and the engines growled. The guests were
standing about on the parking lot bidding their
farewells and embracing one another. It was likely
they would never see each other again after such a
beautiful night.
You make sure to take of yourselves. Tiana
patted Tan and Daniel on the shoulders. Tri An came
up behind her and tipped his head in parting.
Well, back to my garage. Mr. Murray placed
his fedora upon his head again as he got into his car.
You can come by and help out at the station
anytime, Tiana offered hopefully.
Thanks, but Im known for working alone.
He spoke coolly, but everyone could tell he was
touched. He closed the door and slowly drove away in
his signature beat-up Bentley from the 1960s.

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Its funny saying goodbye like this. Natalie

was finishing writing her notes in her notebook. It
would be a longer story than her column could handle.
Hop on, Ill take you and Tina back to town.
Jessica gestured to Tina and Natalie who came by cab
to ride in the back of the van. By then, everyone was
settling into the drivers seat of their cars and then
from out of nowhere they heard Daniel yell to get
their attention.
The next time one of you host a party, save
yourself the trouble and forget about me! Daniel was
a grumpy old man who had grown tired of swanky
affairs and night life. Of course, if youre serving
something outrageous like truffles then I should be
placed at the top of your list! He sped away and left
nothing but a cloud of dust behind him.
It was subtle, but it seemed as though they
were promising to meet one another again,
somewhere, someday. However, as for now, they
were all journeying home to prepare for the next event
they all knew they would have to attend yet again.
Adriens funeral would likely be right around the
corner.

139