“Miss Scarlet, how nice it is to see you again.” As I handed her my coat I caught a sneak peek into the lounge room just beyond the door, knowing that soon it would turn into a crime scene. Just a little game we… rich people like to play to chase away the boredom of knowing that we can have anything. Well just about anything. We are the lonely singles of this money hungry world we called life. My name is Elena Rose Scarlet, I am twenty-five years old my recently deceased husband was fifty-nine he was killed in a tragic accident. A big rig driver was drunk and about to pass out when he ran over my husband while getting into his car. Since then I have been so lonely with out him that I have continued his routine of going to these little… gathering? No Parties? No, I don’t know. We come here, pick a piece of paper out of a hat telling us whether or not we live, die or be the killer. Last year I joined in and I was one of the living, and ironically my husband was the dead. I looked at Mrs. Greens dress, of course it matched her name but come on she could have changed it up a bit this year, but no same old dress. That mint green tube top knee high dress with the black belt around her stomach made her look unusually skinny for a woman after having three kids and being forty-nine.



“As always, Mrs. Green, I must say your dress is beautiful. I love the peals as well. Where did you get them from?” I said grabbing a folded paper out of the hat. Opening it and seeing the words. Those retched words that are different then last year… so very different.

Killer: The person your killing is to meet you in the lounge room after dinner. While the rest of us look for flashlights when the power is off. DON’T MESS UP!

This year I was the killer. I smiled, taking my time to stare at the tiny paper, rereading it over, over, over till it finally sank in. My true self shall come out tonight then. Mrs. Green walked with me into the lounge room to introduce me to the already familiar faces. “Everyone this is Miss. Scarlet. She is the last to arrive so Colonel Mustang if you don’t mind in leading us to the dinning room, we shall begin eating.” She smiled at who she had called Colonel Mustang, must be her new boytoy. That’s what I call them, she however has the dignity to call them her “chaperones” that way when she gets to drunk they can carry her to the bedroom and… well lets just say not just put her to bed. Then she sends them off never to be seen or heard from again. That’s Mrs. Green for you; I use to call her Mrs. Greedy when my husband was alive. Colonel Mustang opened the door and bowed ever so slightly as he said “This way ladies and gentlemen.” He smiled then looked up at her, anticipation sparkled in his eyes, almost as he cant wait for dinner to be over with, so while everyone else was looking for flashlights or coming to their tragic death by my hands, they can move things… faster then normal. I walked across the room, looked at him and smiled. He was a dashing young man no later then twenty-seven. He had black hair combed into a classic tapered hairstyle that says class but fun at the same time. The outfit was a normal, bland choice if you ask me, tux that he probably had in his closet from a wedding he went to for a friend, though the flour he had in caught my eye. It was of course probably fake but still very beautiful purple rose.

When I walked into the room, I was shocked. It was gorgeous. It smelt of flowers (much like the one he had but normal red roses) and a freshly cooked turkey that could make your heart water if it could. I looked at the golden bird knowing, I could never even be able to make one that wasn’t burnt beyond return. I took my seat next to Professor Plum. He was a heavy set man who looked like he was getting ready for some bone searching underground dig. He wasn’t a very nice man he mainly came here to just brag to his other friends that he was, and to brag to us about the latest scientific discovery he or his crew made. The table was full of food from turkey to tofu chicken.

“Okay then lets bow our heads and thank the Goddess Nyx for giving us our life’s and this food.” Mrs. Green had never been a religious person until one of her boytoy’s had told her about the Goddess Nyx, she fell in love right away, ever since then she worships the Goddess. “I call on the element of air.” She had lit a purple candle and was using it to light another candle a bluer candle. “I call on the element of fire” now she lit a red candle. “I call on the element of water.” She lit a baby blue candle this time. “I call on the element of earth.” This time the candle was a green. “Thank you Nyx for giving us this delicious food and the power of the life you have given us. We hope you bless this party and everyone in it. We would like to ask you to watch over us through the course of the night. Now in the name of air, fire, water, earth and spirit leave the circle now! Merry meet and merry part and merry meet again!” She blew out the candles and sat down “Let’s dig in” she smiled acting like what she had just done was a normal “prayer.”

Everyone starting eating and soon Mrs. Green gave the signal to her maid to switch off the power it was a matter of minutes until the lights were to go off so I knew I had to do something to pull away and grab a weapon to kill off whatever poor soul was my victim. “Excuse me, I have to freshen up.” I smiled and stepped out of the room. Knowing that she’d send someone to watch me and show me the way to the ladies room, I headed to the bathroom close behind the maid. Already knowing the familiar hall and pictures of he fabulous vacations with the boytoy’s she’s had over the many years I’ve known her for.

When we reached the ladies room I knew the maid would wait for my return down the hall to give me my privacy. I searched the room for anything I could use when finally I settled on grabbing a trophy in the lounge room when I arrive there. I leave empty handed knowing it will look a lot better in my alibi. I do take a little time to freshen up before I head out and walk to the maid. “I’m ready lets go.” Barely showing my disappointment that the lights weren’t off yet. As soon as I walked back into the kitchen the lights flicker and then completely turn off. I scream to add to my innocents knowing people knew I couldn’t have don’t anything soon I heard chairs scratch against the wooden floor. I saw a shadow move quickly soon they were standing by me and I knew who it was. No it wasn’t the greed herself or her boytoy but an unnoticed person I had forgotten to mention. Knowing all to well he knew I wasn’t innocent about anything. That I, myself, knew way too much about what happened to my husband. About his fathers death. I knew he would be scared if I turned out to be the killer in this little game that shall end with a tragic loss of another family member of mine.

He rushed into the lounge room and sat on the couch. Waiting. Anticipating. Wondering who would be the person to kill him. I could see it in the way he bounced his foot on his knee. He was getting bored of this game, the game his father had drug him to every year during Christmas. This was our Christmas Eve night for as long as I could remember. I smiled and walked into the room.

“Hello, my son.” I walked closer to the couch that he was perched on. He seem to recognize my voice and jumped at the sound of it. He stood up and nearly tripped countless times on his way to the back hall. I smiled at how frighten he seemed of me. “What’s wrong my son. Don’t you still love your mommy?” Yes I know. I’m not really his mother but for the past 4 years I had acted like I was. My step son. The son of the man that left me with everything after I told him, his son wanted me dead. Oh, what men will do to keep a woman of my figure around to mess with. He left his son penniless just so he could stay with me.

“Stay away! Don’t come any closer. Or I’ll scream!” He yelled backing up against the wall. I mean was he as stupid as the other girls in the horror flicks? You never back into a wall. If you do you’re just asking to be killed. I had to laugh at that thought. Never have I killed anyone so scared, so shaken up by just the sound of my voice. I reach for a metal ornament the lady had on one of her many fireplaces and start towards him again.

“Oh come on now Steve. Don’t be scared it’s just a game. You are after all the one I have to kill in it. It’s just a coincident that it had to be me and you in this room. Fate brought us together. You know I always secretly liked you. You were a handsome man. With your long golden hair and big green eyes. Oh and your dimple smile! So cute.” I smiled knowing what I said was completely true. I always had a crush on him. I knew him for most of my life we were friends until I told him I was going to marry his dad to be closer to him. That’s when he started to turn against me. That’s when I decided the night his dad died he’d know whatever lie I told and made it look like was just that a lie. I knew he would have to go soon too. I wasn’t planning on making it tonight but hey better for me.

“Elena please. We use to be close but you married my dad. I loved you as more then a friend. Then you go and marry my dad and then… then you kill him!” he was so cute when he was scared and mad. The way his eyes shined when the moon light hit them was just adorable. I grow tired of waiting. I want the adrenaline. I want the high. I move closer to him gripping the metal handle tightly. Not knowing what it was I was using till finally getting so close to him that I could feel his breath on my face. I inch my face closer to his. The fear in his eyes grow bigger and brighter more profound. His shaking. I grab his chin and make him face me and I kiss his lips gently before I smash his head in with the metal Mrs. Green had got from one of her sons about twenty years ago. The engraving said “World’s best mom 2001 Mrs. Green From loving son Mason.” She loved the trophy. The once perfect trophy was now my weapon in a bloody murder. I used it to smash in his head. I didn’t even stop for what seemed like a half an hour. I just kept swinging and swinging it at his head even after I knew he was dead. Knowing I had to over do it. Know one would expect me. No one. I’m his step mom. No one ever blamed the mom for anything. Before I got up I kissed him again this time with more passion. He was the only guy I ever truly loved he had to die…. Just had to. I wasn’t going to get caught because of him. I whispered “I love you Steve Scarlet.” I ran off to the ladies room to clean myself off and get ready to join the others. I grabbed a candle and lit it with the near by lighter, and started searching the back rooms for flash lights when I came into the office room I found three. Knowing this would be a good cover up, I grabbed them and ran into the dining room. No one there. I went through the kitchen and found the door being held open into the garage by another lady who had been there all night. She must have heard me come up from behind her, because she looked at me.

“Hey I found three flashlights in the office. Take two of them and give them to some people to help them look for the rest.” I smiled and handed her two and kept the third one leading her to the others with it. Knowing I had done a good job I smiled. I heard her talking to the others handing them the flashlights and not long after they found the others. We were back in the dinning hall when we started to count heads to see if we had lost anybody.

“Guys there’s someone missing. Hold on. Name call. Mrs. Scarlet?”

“Here.” I smiled as Colonel Mustang, which was standing by me, reached down and grabbed my hand. He was very cute.

“Colonel Mustang?” She called saying it very seductive.

“Oh trust me he’s here.” I said for his mouth was busy kissing my neck. She glared at me. Not like it was my fault her little boytoy took a liking to me. Soon he pulled me into the other room and pushed me onto the couch Steve sat not more than an hour before hand and whose body is still in this very room. Thankfully I was on the bottom and wouldn’t have to scream until he noticed the body. It wasn’t long after he went up for a breather that he noticed him. The pool of blood extended to the couch.

“Oh s***! Rose! Get in here now I think I know who’s missing!” he yelled and I was full of fake curiosity and looked over to where he had been looking and screamed my fake scream. I jumped off the couch and ran over to the door beckoning for Mr. Mustang to come hold me. He took me into his arms holding me tightly when Mrs. Greed came through the door.

“I already knew she was here imbecile!” she looked like her eyes were about to pop from her head. When he pointed to over by the couch towards where I knew she’d find him. Where she would find his blood almost touching her beautiful Italian couch. She slowly walked to the spot he was pointing at. And with her scream I’d say she knew exactly who it was. I started my fake tears. Knowing if I didn’t act the part then the blame would be put on me. Shortly after her scream other rushed into the room not expecting to see a real dead body in this game of death.

“Rose what’s going on! Thought this was just a game! Why is there blood!” some girl whose voice I didn’t recognize yelled. The only one that dared to look back at me and Mustang was Professor Plum as if he had already solved the mystery.





The End