Chapter 16
"C'mon, Nat, tell me your plan," begged Lance.
"Okay. Now we know that there's secret passages in this building and the killer likes to hang out in there. We also know that the killer really likes Sydney. Sound carries really well in those passages. What if we took Sydney in the passage and had her like start singing or something and the killer would come and we could get Sydney to talk to him and lead him to confess," I said.
"Can we get into the kitchen without being caught?"
"There's probably more than one enterence to the passage. Your room won't work because of the alcove, but there's probably one in the ballroom. We can look tomorrow during breakfast."
"Aren't people gonna realize we're gone?"
"I always sleep in. They'll just figure that you're with me."
"Oh. Okay," Lance said.
"Then if we find a passage we'll talk to Sydney at lunch and go to the passage during the masquerade."
"Sounds good."
"Okay. It's getting late. Good night, Lance."
"Good night, Nat."
I turned to leave.
"Nat, wait!" he screamed.
"What?"
"Um, this is kinda embarrasing."
"I won't care. What is it?"
"Will you spend the night here?"
"Why?"
"With the secret passage being in my room and the murderer and all, I'm pretty scared, and the Beanie Babies won't protect me."
"Oh. Okay," I said and climbed in the other bed. "Good night, Lance."
"You know, Justin might come home during the night," he said.
"So you don't need me?"
"No, it's not that. I just don't think Justin or Alyse would appreciate you sleeping in his bed."
"Okay. I'll sleep on the couch," I said.
"Nat, are you that blonde?"
"What?"
"Can't you sleep with me?"
"You mean like in the same bed?"
"Yea."
"Sleep with you or "sleep" with you?"
"Well..."
"It's either sleep with you or nothing."
"Oh, okay," he said
"Good night, Lance."
"Good night, Nat."
~*~*~
The next morning, Lance and I woke up at 7:00. We got dressed and went down to the ballroom.
We had never been in the ballroom, and when we opened the huge double doors we were amazed. The room was huge. To one side there was a small stage, and there were beautiful statues everywhere. Paintings of everything from flowers to bridges adorned the walls, and in the center of the room was a huge crystal chandileer. There was also a marble staircase which lead who knows where.
"Woah," we both said at the same time.
"This place is beautiful!" I exclaimed.
"I'll say," said Lance. "Let's look for the passage."
We made sure all the enterences to the ballroom were closed, and then we began examining the walls for hidden panels. The room was huge, and because we were being so careful not to miss anything it took us a half hour to check the first wall. Two hours later we had only checked three of the walls.
"Nat, it's hopeless," said Lance.
"Lance, there's gotta be a passage somewhere in here. We still have a whole wall to check, and it's a big one," I said.
Reluctantly, Lance went back to looking for the passage. It was a good thing we continued because fifteen minutes later I found a door. I touched an odd shaped mark on the wall, and a panel swung open. I looked into the passage gasped. Laying in the passage were the bodies of Joey and Jack.
~*~*~
I couldn't sleep that night. Natalie's package was haunting me too badly. In the box was a dead rat. There was blood all over the rat and the walls of the box as if the rat had been slaughtered in there. With the rat was a note. It read: First a rat, then Nat. Natalie was obviously the next to die, and I wondered if the other victims had received similar packages. If they did, they didn't make big deals about it. I wondered how anyone could not make a big deal about getting a dead rat in the mail.
~*~*~
Like Erica told me, I woke up early the next morning, but I did not leave. The mansion was inviting. It was somewhere that I'd want to make my home. With that thought in mind, I explored the house looking for some kind of abandoned closet, or something of that sort. Soon I found what I was looking for. A small closet was near the entrance to the ballroom. I could tell that I wouldn't be caught because the closet obviously hadn't been used in years. There was one chelf that must have had half an inch of dust resting on it. I returned to the living room, got the blanket and pillow that I had used during the night, situated them in the closet, and made myself at home.
Chapter 17
The Dying Game
Megan's FanFic Oblivion
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