Chapter 45: Chapter 44: Kyle's Schemes
It didn't take long before the entire class was woken up. Boys and girls alike were gathered in the suite. Almost all of them had their weapons out. Whether these weapons would be enough to save their lives was another issue, but they still provided a tiny fragment of comfort that might or might not come into play in the future.
As the rest of the class was scattered across the suite, Eric, Caitlin, Vivian, and a few students gathered around in and out of the bathroom. Their expressions were surprisingly calm as they examined the scene of the atrocity.
They weren't exactly professional CSI, but in this god-forsaken hotel, they were all the class has got.
"The victim was Beatrice," Caitlin said quietly, doing her best to block out the sorrow in her voice. The two were still talking a few hours ago, and now, one of them was hanging down the ceiling like a gutted fish. "She was one of the three girls on the second shift."
"And the other girls?" Eric snapped to Caitlin with a slightly excited look.
"They're still alive." Caitlin immediately knew what was going on through Eric's head. She shook her head, crushing his dreams. "But they don't have a clue of what happened to Beatrice. They...they fell asleep on the shift. I was the one that woke them up."
"Come on! Damn it!" Terry, on the side, cursed loudly. The nature of this game meant the students could only get clues when the wraith struck. Ryan died without providing any value. Now another girl was dead, whatever hints that could've been collected from her death lost due to the incompetence of two girls.
Eric didn't look too happy either. Another girl dead meant one less student for the wraith to choose from, which meant a higher chance he would be next. "Well, at least we know the wraith can't do anything to us when we're together. It needs to wait for us to make mistakes. To get alone. Chances are, it becomes exposed and vulnerable when it strikes. I don't know how. Beatrice..." He turned to Katie. "how did she die?"
Katie has managed to remove the nails in the dead girl's body and placed her on the bathroom floor. She gladly claimed the role of the coroner as she carefully examined the lifeless corpse. Hearing the question, she looked up with blood-stained hands.
"In a very crude fashion. Not creative at all. Something removed a large part of her neck and let her bleed to death." Katie replied before lowering her head and sticking her face right up to the fatal wound. "Actually, it seems like someone tore her throat out with brute force, and I do mean brute. I don't think I can even do it..."
"So it's not done by a knife or something?"
"Nope. I have seen a lot of knife wounds." Katie answered without turning. There was a strange sense of confidence in her voice. "Like, I do mean a lot. On other people. On myself. This is not a knife wound at all. Actually...let me show you."
She stood back up, grabbed onto her Knife, and slit it across her left arm. The other students were slightly taken back as Caitlin sighed. At this point, she really shouldn't be surprised by things like this...
"This is a knife wound." Katie explained, pointing at the gaping wound. "That? That is not."
"Uh...thank you for your professional input, Katie..." For a second, Eric really had no idea what to say to the girl. Thankfully, Terry managed to change the topic.
"Why would a wraith use a knife?" Terry was obviously confused by the question. When people think of wraiths, they really don't imagine a ghost wielding a knife, especially not when every supernatural monster the class has seen had the power to kill without any outside aid.
"Well…"
Before Eric could answer, Vivian stepped in.
"You think it could've been one of our own?"
"Well, it was just a possibility. Maybe one of us had a grudge against her and decided to take her out now and have the wraith take the blame. Honestly, there is no evidence at all on this possibility." Eric shrugged. "I'm just making sure. I trust Katie. It does seem like the work of the wraith."
"Wise. Consider all the possibilities." Vivian nodded. Ryan's death couldn't have been done without supernatural powers, but it wasn't too difficult to slit a girl's throat with the element of surprise. Nailing her to the ceiling was a bit more difficult, but it was still possible.
Having done most of what could be done, the students walked out of the bathroom and back into the suite. There, dozens were students were seated or standing. The only thing common was the look of fear on their faces.
Caitlin slowly sat down next to one specific girl. Abigail. She, another girl, and Beatrice were the three girls responsible for that shift. Unfortunately, as her best friend bled to death, she was asleep.
The girl was traumatized. Caitlin could see it. Her head was lowered as she wrapped her arms around her body, as if she was freezing. Around her, a few students, mainly girls, were pointing at her and whispering things to each other. Caitlin knew what they were saying. They were blaming Abigail for Beatrice's death. More importantly, it could've been them that went to the bathroom and got killed without anyone having any idea! As far as these girls saw, Abigail had it coming. It was her foolishness that doomed her friend's life.
Caitlin rested her hand on Abigail's shoulder. "You did all you could. It's not your fault."
The girl didn't answer, and Caitlin continued.
"Look, if you want to blame someone, go blame Mr. Isaac or that damn wraith! They're responsible for this, not you! Mr. Isaac is the one that has to pay for everything we have been through! Don't put yourself down for this!"
Abigail finally sighed. Caitlin watched as she looked up. The girl who just lost her best friend sighed before reaching into her pocket and pulling out a post-it note. She handed that to Katie, who looked down on it and saw a number. A phone number.
"This is the phone number of my mom." Abigail said. Her voice was low and lifeless. "Beatrice is gone, and it's just gonna be a matter of time before I join her. I'm not gonna leave this hotel alive!"
"Abigail…"
"I know it!" Abigail repeated. "And if you make it out, I want you to call my parents. Tell them…" She paused. "tell them their daughter loves them. Whether they remember me or not...tell them I love them."
Caitlin looked down at the phone number before finally nodding. Just as she was about to say something else, she heard an extremely obnoxious voice.
In the middle of the suite, Kyle started approaching Eric. Two of the boys who Eric essentially hired with sheer wealth stood up. Assault rifles were in their grip. Kyle, wisely, stopped a safe distance away, but that didn't mean he was turned back. If anything, he was just getting started.
"O, sire!" He called out in exaggeration, attracting the attention of everyone in the class. "So, have you come to a decision yet?"
"Decision?" Eric frowned. He didn't like where this was going.
"Decision on my proposal!" Kyle repeated. "Look, we all know the wraith is one of the hotel employees, right? So what's preventing us from drawing our weapons and going out there and shooting everyone in the fucking head? If they die, good! If they live, then we know they're the damn wraith!"
The students looked at each other in excitement. Why haven't they heard of this proposal before? Nevermind that! This was actually a brilliant proposal! Eric's expression darkened as Kyle continued, a wicked grin on his face.
"I put forth that proposal to you hours ago! Before the wraith even started killing!" Kyle proceeded to pour gasoline into the fire. "We could've done that the moment we walked into the hotel! None of us had to die! Not Ryan! Not Beatrice! We could've dealt with the wraith and lived off the rest of the week in peace!"
"But no! You and your merry band of idiots decided that you're better than this! That you're too noble to kill innocent people, and guess what? Because of you snowflakes, two of us are dead! Who knows more of us will follow?"
Damn that idiot! Caitlin swore inside. She should've had Katie kill Kyle yesterday! Now...as she looked around the room, she could see many students were buying Kyle's story. After all, it made sense on the surface, but Caitlin knew better.
If this was one of the first games, then Kyle's plan could've worked. Use brute force to just breach the game itself. But this was two weeks in, and there was no way Mr. Isaac would leave such an easy way out, especially not when Katie was in the games. In the initial games, Katie showed that she was all too happy to use violence to secure her victory. Mr. Isaac would be a fool not to account for that.
In other words, massacring the hotel employees was the wrong path. Knowing Mr. Isaac, if the students chose the wrong path, would Mr. Isaac just tap them on the back and say 'better luck next time'? No! He will punish them! Severely!
Eric knew that as well, but unfortunately, not everyone in the class was aware of his concerns. They have been woken up in the middle of the night to the death of a fellow classmate. As far as they knew, their own deaths might occur anytime. All of these factors combined together and made them a powder keg ready to go off.
"He makes a great point, Eric!" One of the boys raised his voice and his revolver alike. "One of the hotel employees is the wraith! Mr. Isaac said it himself! He has never lied before!"
"He has never lied, but he is more than happy to misdirect us! There's no way he would leave such an easy way out!" Eric replied loudly, but it was clear his voice wasn't enough to convince the students. If anything, his explanations only made matters worse.
"If you don't want to do it, we will do it for you, damn snowflake!" Another boy screamed, driven mad by the fear of being reduced to a human sandwich or a nailed body. No amount of logic could convince him anymore. Even if Caitlin stepped in and explained her reasoning, he would be too terrified to listen.
"You don't speak for us, Eric!" Another girl called out. She knew Beatrice personally. "Who made you king?"
"It's not your bloody decision to make, Eric! Ryan could've still been alive!"
"Why are we even still talking?" One of the boys cried out as he loaded his shotgun. "Let's move! Take those hotel people while they're asleep! Kill them all!"
Eric bit his lips as he scanned the classroom. He knew that, at this point, his control of the class was non-existent. He eyed the two boys he hired and was terrified to see they were tempted by the offer as well. In the end, they were just teenagers. No amount of money could make them follow Eric's orders to the death.
If Eric knew killing the employees was for sure the wrong way, then he would've stopped the class regardless of the class, but in the end, the fact was he didn't. What if that was the way out? What if he has been overcautious all along, and that got two of his fellow classmates killed? With a hundred worries in his head, he didn't make a move.
But someone did make a move.
Katie, still in her tank top, casually stepped up, placing herself between the entrance of the suite and the class. In her grip were two Walter PK380 handguns.
"Go for that door," She smirked with not a care in the world. "and you really don't have to worry about the wraith anymore."
The students looked at each other in surprise. Who does that girl think she is? Rambo? The Terminator? It's one against thirty! Two handguns against dozens of rifles and shotguns and handguns! She has gotta be mad! But the fact was, not one of them stepped forward. Katie might not be able to kill them all, but she could definitely kill the first one to make a move.
A few boys glanced at each other as the stalemate continued. It really didn't look well...having all of them getting held in place by a single girl.
"She can't kill us all!" One of them cried out before taking a step forward. Only when he took the step did he look around and realize he was the only one...uh, come on guys! Really?
Under Katie's mocking eyes, he backed off.
Kyle was almost screaming inside. He had this planned out so perfectly! Topple Eric's influence among the class and cement his own throne as the new leader! If this worked and his plan actually saved everyone, Eric would be doomed! Kyle would enjoy watching that boy on his knees and offer up all his wealth to beg for his forgiveness! And if his plan saved everyone, then he would have the authority to manipulate things in the future games!
And if his plan failed and the wraith killed everyone? Well, we all die someday!
But this girl! Katie fucking Lockwood! She just casually stepped in and placed herself between him and his path to victory! What is wrong with her? Kyle glanced to the side and saw Caitlin taking a breath of relief. Was Katie actually a loyal hound or something? Why would she be so loyal to someone like Caitlin? What did Caitlin even offer her?
Meanwhile, at the front, one of the boys finally had enough. All the games and deaths...he walked forward fearlessly, practically screaming at Katie. "Come on! You threaten to kill me? Do it!"
Katie raised her eyebrows. She has never heard of such a pleasant request! She raised her handguns, a thrilled look in her eyes. It has been a while since she has killed someone...over 24 hours, in fact! Oh, how she needed her fix…
Staring into Katie's deep blue eyes and seeing nothing but sheer ecstasy, the boy suddenly felt his heart growing cold. This girl would shoot him! Not only so, she wanted to shoot him! That might be all she wanted for the moment, in fact!
And then, just as she was about to pull the trigger, Katie watched in horror as the boy backed off quicker than he walked forward...shit! Goddamn coward!
She toyed with the idea of shooting him either way, but ended up controlling herself.
Just like that, the crowd was dispersed, and the plan to massacre the entire hotel was put on a hold. Unfortunately, Katie was only able to delay their plan. Unless the others could find out a way to truly handle the wraith, it would be just a matter of time before the class tried this one more time, and that time, Katie might not be enough to stop them.
Of course, Katie didn't really care about that. All she did was sit down right beside Caitlin with an expression that made her seem like a puppy looking to her owner for a treat. Caitlin gave her a small smile.
Meanwhile, on the side, Kyle found himself looking at Katie thoughtfully.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone