(*insert feeble attempt at being witty about link here*)

Chateau De Noisy

Diving into the nearest room, Harvey crashes to the floor and scrambles to close the door before his pursuer can catch up. Nearly drowned out by a droning hum, he hears rapid footsteps in the distance and the occasional thud of a fist hitting a wall. Backing away from the door, he tries to catch his breath and calm himself enough to think. With no light, the terrified student does his best to feel around and move by sliding his feet. His fingers touch cool glass and metal shelves while he sniffs at the faint aroma of ammonia. Reaching the back wall, Harvey continues searching for another door until his hand goes into water. He jerks his arm back when he feels a fish bump into him since he remembers running by an aquarium full of piranha.

“The switch is out here,” Coach Warner says as the lights turn on. The door rattles as the teacher tries to force his way in, his attempt ending with a frustrated kick. “I know you don’t want to be here, but you have no choice. This is something that’s more important than either of us. The world deserves her return. Now, open the door and come with me. Your friends miss you.”

“I would rather go back to my room,” Harvey states while he takes in his surrounds. Shelves of fish tanks and maintenance equipment cover all of the walls, which are an ugly brown that reminds him of drying dirt. “I wish I had more to say, but you obviously won’t listen to reason or logic. Anything more would be a waste of breath. It would be wiser to use my energy for escaping.”

The crazed teacher pounds on the door before bending down to pointlessly slip a finger into the room. “You’re cornered and your size is useless since you only train your brain. Even if you could get out of the room, I’m still hunting you. At some point, we’ll have to get physical and that’s when you lose. Might as well give up now because this will only end one way. That’s you coming with me to do what you were gifted to do.”

Searching the room for a weapon, Harvey picks up an empty tank of water and places it on the floor. He gets a step ladder to help him reach the lone lightbulb in the ceiling, but is unsure how he can safely strip the wires. Looking around for rubber gloves, he finds nothing that would protect him and realizes that he might not have it in him to knowingly electrocute another human being. Giving on up his original plan, the panicking young man takes a seat and puts his head between his knees. It only takes a minute for Harvey to come up with a new idea, but he remains silent and still to make sure he is thinking clearly. Quietly getting to his feet, he gently tips over the tank and watches the water flow under the door. All of the stones scattered about the floor, none of them bouncing into the hallway.

Harvey rubs his eyes and braces himself for a fight even though he prays that he can escape instead. Tiptoeing through the tiny stones, he unlocks the door and shoves it open before hurrying back to the middle of the room. As he had hoped, Coach Warner barges in and charges, but the man trips on the damp rocks. While the teacher crashes to the floor, the quick-witted student darts into the hallway and charges toward where he remembers seeing stairs. It is not long before he is being chased again, but Coach Warner’s broken ankle makes it difficult for the man to catch up. The only reason the two remain close to each other is that Harvey is already tired and has never been a strong runner. Contrary to his large size, he never had an interest in sports or keeping in shape.

Rushing around a corner, Harvey momentarily stops when it looks like the hallway is warping and twisting. A vase getting thrown at his head, but hitting the wall, urges him to continue running for the only way out. It feels like it takes an hour for him to reach the exit, Coach Warner screaming at his heels the entire time. Stressed and nearing exhaustion, Harvey puts all of his weight behind getting through the door. He stumbles onto a metal grating that goes around the open top of the aquarium. There is no escape from the circular room unless he tries to climb the pipes that lead to a skylight. Grabbing a railing, he stops himself from falling into the water and whirls around to face his pursuer.

“Last chance to come quietly,” Coach Warner says as he blocks the only door. Reaching to the back of his head, his fingers come back with blood. “That’s going to require stitches. Who would have thought you’d be the difficult one? I was betting on Ms. Hall since always had more fire than you.”

“I thought I already had my last chance,” Harvey replies, unsure if he sounds defiant and witty. Looking over his shoulder, he can see the piranhas darting through the plants, their scales almost mesmerizing in the light. “Come any closer and I’ll jump into the water. It sounds like you need me alive, which means you won’t risk me killing myself. All I have to do is throw myself over the railing. Wouldn’t even take much effort.”

“So much for being the smart one,” the teacher claims with a smirk. Picking up a nearby pipe, he takes a few steps forward and finds that his target stays out of the aquarium. “I thought so. Not very good at bluffing, Mr. Pugh. I’ve played more than enough poker to see through your half-baked lies. This game is over.”

Coach Warner rushes forward with the pipe swinging for his prey’s stomach, but the younger man clumsily jumps to the side. Reflexes slowed by his injury and anger, the teacher trips over Harvey’s legs and topples into the water. He is about to thrash and swim when he remembers the piranha are attracted to erratic movement. Gently moving his limbs to float toward the edge, Coach Warner keeps his eyes on his victim, who is still dazed from the lucky fall. The two lock gazes as the teacher reaches the far end of the aquarium and begins to climb out. He is about to pull himself over the railing when his leg is jerked down, his injured foot still in the water. Both men look down to see a huge moray eel with its teeth embedded in Coach Warner’s flesh. The moment he tries to move again, the creature violently drags him to the bottom where he thrashes enough that the piranhas join the frenzy. Within seconds, the water is crimson and the surface remains perfectly still.

“Please don’t throw up,” a friendly voice says from behind Harvey. The young man jumps and backs away from the wetsuit-wearing brunette that seems to step out of the wall. “On second thought, feel free to vomit all you want. Just not on my fins because I just had the tips painted to look like rainbows. You can’t see them unless I’m in the water. By the way, I’m Dawn Addison and I’m a friend of your friends. We’ve all had terrific meetings. Though, you’re going to have to be my last one. Time is running out or of the essence or flying or money or something so cliché that I simply want to kill every author in the world.”

“What do you want from me?” Harvey asks, sensing that he is still in danger. Thinking she cannot catch him, he takes a step for the open door, which melts off the wall. “I must be dreaming. That can’t happen in the real world. Yet, I can tell that Coach Warner just died and it’s not in my head. Maybe I passed out from seeing the accident and now this is a dream. That must be it.”

“Unless everything has been a dream and only now you’re waking up to reality,” the woman responds before hopping onto the railing. Pulling two tridents out of her hair, she casually walks along the slick metal. “I fear that you aren’t ripe yet. The piece I need won’t fit and is growing funny. At least from what I can tell from here. Excuse me while I take a closer look. I’ll buy you an ice pop afterwards.”

Before Harvey can react, the tridents are slammed into his feet and the shafts grow to wrap around his arms. With the young man stuck to the floor, Dawn has no problem climbing onto his shoulders and begins tapping on his head. She cracks her knuckles before digging her nails into his skull and forcing the bone apart. Frowning at the exposed brain, she wraps her legs around Harvey’s neck while poking at the organ. When his nose twitches, she happily probes the spot to repeat the spasm and make it occur in a bouncy rhythm. Dawn stops when she fears that the brain will become damaged and her finger gets tired. Slamming the skull shut, she remains sitting on the young man’s shoulders and lets out a sputtering sigh.

“I need to put a little extra work into you,” she whispers into Harvey’s ear. Removing her fins, Dawn slides to the floor and takes off her wetsuit to reveal a colorful dress. “Let the fun begin and pay close attention. Reality and dreams are one and the same. We simply pick the one we prefer and hold onto it for dear life. That and feel free to scream at the top of your lungs in agony when the moment feels right.”

(So close to the end! CLICK HERE to play catch up.)

University of Toronto

Bryce is stirred by songbirds, the tiny creatures flitting by the tinted window that looks over the lake. The young woman sits up in an unfamiliar bed and rubs her eyes, a heavy grogginess making it difficult to focus. It takes her a moment to realize she is naked, but she feels no sense of shame. Leaving the sheet behind, a familiar scent touches Bryce’s nose and her heart flutters with every breath. She wanders over to a dresser and opens a drawer to find a collection of lingerie, each one from a wish list that she only shared with one person. Stretching her arms and arching her back, she notices a torn teddy hanging from a ceiling fan. Curious about the ruined garment, she climbs onto the bed and carefully takes it down. Without thinking, she presses it to her face and inhales the smell that has permeated the entire hotel room.

Hearing movement in the bathroom, Bryce vaguely remembers spending the night with Trina. The longer she thinks about the beautiful event, the more vivid the memories and emotions become. With a mischievous grin, she returns to the dresser and searches for a bra and panty set that she knows is in the drawer. To her dismay, she notices it already ripped and piled beneath a table. Knowing she has to think quickly, Bryce searches for a combination that she knows Trina will enjoy. After choosing a pair of crimson shorts that hug her curves and a black sports bra, she strategically puts a little water from an ice bucket on her skin. Checking herself in the mirror, the young woman smiles and jumps onto the bed where she strikes a pose that part of her knows is more ridiculous than seductive.

“I can hear you moving out there,” Trina calls from the bathroom. She is momentarily drowned out by a shower turning on, but the door cracks open to let her speak clearly. “Getting away from everyone was a great idea. Both of us really needed the break. Not that we’re physically resting. Do you want me to invite you in or will you surprise me? I’m up for either way.”

“I was hoping to stay in bed,” Bryce admits, hiding her disappointment. Hearing a thud on the window, she turns in time to see a raven fly away with a crimson songbird held tightly in its beak. “Since we aren’t going anywhere, we can start here and move into the shower. Love the smell of the room, so I don’t want to risk changing it. Is that a new perfume that you started wearing?”

“It’s called Odeur de Fantome,” her girlfriend replies before coughing. Steam wafts out of the room and drifts toward the bed like a warm fog. “It’s new and I wanted to experiment. Very intoxicating and makes me feel like myself. Best thing about this perfume is that it’s made better when you wear it in a hot shower.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“I swear it’s true.”

“You’re trying to trick me into the bathroom.”

“Only one way to find out.”

Licking her lips, Bryce is about to climb out of bed when her legs lock and she is left dangling over the edge. Pushing herself into a more comfortable position, she stares at the stiff limbs and tries to massage them. She wiggles her toes and bends her knees, which show no signs of the momentary affliction. Once Bryce can move both legs again, she swings them to the floor first and waits a moment before standing up. A surge of pain rockets up her spine and drives back onto the bed, the violent impact threatening to break the frame. The agony is gone almost as quickly as it appeared, leaving the young woman gasping for air and too terrified to move. Her eyes dart from one corner of the room to the other, her brain searching for anything that would explain the strange occurrence. It is not until she hears Trina singing her favorite song that Bryce clenches her fists and jumps to the other side of the bed. Nothing happens this time, but she moves carefully to be safe and keeps one hand on the moist wall. It takes a few steps for her to be sure that she is back to normal even though there is a lingering sense that something is wrong and she is in danger.

Coming to the bathroom door, Bryce is amazed at how much steam is flowing out of the crack. Stepping inside, she cannot see anything in the hot fog and immediately strips off her clothes that are already sticking to her skin. Not hearing Trina, she opens her mouth to call out her girlfriend, but a violent cough cuts off her voice. Before she can recover, Bryce steps on a pool of warm and sticky liquid. Unable to see the floor, she bends down and puts her hand on the damp tiles. A ripple of fear runs through her body when she finds blood on her fingers, a horrible stench suddenly filling the room. Groans and a gagging gasp for air emerge from the thickest part of the steam where a bloated silhouette moving from one side of the room to the other. Too scared to continue forward, the young woman blindly goes back to the door and runs her hands along the walls.

Finding a pair of switches, Bryce flips one and nearly screams when the lights go off. The sensation of fingers gently touching her bare back calm her down, but the feeling disappears when she turns around. Standing in the darkness, she listens to a wet plop that repeats from the direction of the shower. Hoping that her mind is playing tricks on her, Bryce flicks both switches to put the lights and fan back on. The steam is sucked through the ceiling vent as her eyes focus on Trina. She shrieks and backs away from the dead body, its internal organs dripping out of its mouth and into the toilet.

“Poor little thing,” a voice says from the bed. Slithering out of the covers, a brunette in ebony lingerie playfully slinks toward the terrified student. “You should have listened to your mind and muscles. Much smarter than that tattered piece of junk you call a heart. Kept up the strong façade for longer than I expected, but you couldn’t hide from this. By the way, you should feel guilty. That one would still be alive if you never entered her life. Maybe. Hard to tell since I’ve killed people for less. Now, this is when you ask who I am and I proudly declare that Dawn Addison is . . . Kind of dead?”

“I don’t understand what’s going on,” Bryce mutters as she moves into a corner. She tries to slide down to the floor, but the strange woman grabs her by the chest. “None of this can be real. I have to be dreaming, so I want to wake up now. Unless I died in the library. I think I remember getting crushed by a shelf. What are you doing here?”

“Having fun,” Dawn replies with a wide smile. She goes in to lick the side of her victim’s face, but abruptly veers to the left and kisses a face in the wallpaper. “Whether you think you’re alive or dead is not my concern. I’m only here to play and tenderize. Need to make sure the piece I need is ripe. You and the others take less effort than the other others.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Of course not. Why would a cog understand its purpose?”

“Stop touching me.”

“Like I said, I’m checking to make sure the piece is ripe.”

“I don’t like this.”

“Oh dearie, I haven’t even started.”

With a wild grin, Dawn pushes against Bryce’s chest until her hands begin sinking into the soft and sweaty flesh. Bird-like claws burst from the wall to grab the red-haired woman’s flailing limbs and prevent her from escaping. All attempts to scream are stoppered by the struggling victim’s tongue enlarging like a balloon to fill her entire mouth. There is no blood seeping from the neat wounds that enlarge as the mysterious killer grabs her real target. A golden eyepatch sprouts from Dawn’s face as she pulls out Bryce’s lungs and leans in for a closer look. She carefully sniffs at the organ, which is a healthy pink and rapidly moving due to the young woman’s rising terror. Pulling them up more, she checks the exposed cavity to make sure she is not missing anything. Shrinking her head, the reality-warping killer sticks her face into the gore, which shifts to avoid touching her.

“Perfect and pretty,” Dawn announces as she shoves the lungs back into place. She yanks off the skin of her hands like there are latex gloves, the flesh beneath clean and tan. “Thank you for being a helpful hostess. Wish all of the pieces were as well-behaved as you. One in particular is giving me some trouble. Do you have any suggestions? Hello? Now, it’s just rude to collapse and drool on a guest’s feet. Kids these days have no manners.”

(I sincerely apologize for yesterday’s trick . . . Dawn did it.)

University of the Incarnate Word

The three students nervously sit around the table while Professor Soleman quietly cleans his glasses. All of the other customers have moved to the bar, the drinks and sports channel keeping their interest. Cheers rise from the crowd, but the televisions are out of sight from where the trio anxiously wait to find out if they are in trouble. None of them dare to eat the large sundaes that are melting in front of them, the colorful flavors slowly becoming a soup. Unwilling to talk first, they stare at the large aquarium that is in the center of the dining room. The glass cylinder runs from the floor to the ceiling and is filled with grasses that allow the fish to hide. Light bounces off the scales of numerous piranha that dart through the vegetation, their red bellies making it look like they dipped themselves in blood. Two catfish occasionally come out of hiding to search the stones for food, the pair going relatively unnoticed by their carnivorous neighbors. A larger creature can be seen lurking in a sunken log, but it never strays from the shadows. The only reason the students know that it is there is because of the occasional spray of bubbles that come out of the opening.

“There is some news that I want to share with all of you,” Professor Soleman states while taking a bite of his own meal. Dabbing at his chin with a napkin, he settles back in his leather chair and does his best to smile warmly. “I was going to talk to all of you tomorrow, but Coach Warner said that he saw Mr. Chambers in the lobby. That convenience store’s hot chocolate is certainly worth the late-night trip. It is a pleasant surprise to find Mr. Porter and your sister with you as well. After all, what I have to tell you is difficult to say and I’m glad to only have to do it once. By the way, Charlene has said that none of you have classes tomorrow due to current events.”

“Is there a reason you’re pussyfooting around the subject?” Thomas bluntly asks as he gets some courage. Pushing his food away, the young man does his best to show confidence that he does not feel. “If there’s something we should know then please tell us. We’re tired and would like to get some sleep. If you’re wondering why we’re out here then I’ll give you the truth and we can move on. This was a hot chocolate run was to give us a little more energy to finish our studying. Although, it seems like a moot point since we no longer have class tomorrow.”

“Your friends will no longer be attending this school, so I’m forced to disband the mythology club,” the teacher softly explains. Checking his watch, he licks his lips and lets out a slow breath to reveal his own fatigue. “It has been confirmed that Ms. O’Connor was in the fire and Mr. Garcon had a fatal accident. He fell on the ice and one of the other players accidentally cut his throat with their skate. Mr. Pugh has left for the remaining semester to help both families with the funerals. He has taken both deaths very hard, which isn’t surprising. Mr. Garcon and Ms. O’Connor were the ones helping him get out of his shell. As for Ms. Hall, she has dropped out and checked herself into a mental facility. Her own loss has taken its toll on her and she had a severe breakdown upon hearing about her friends.”

“That was rather sudden,” Apollo points out, his attention more on the piranha. Getting an idea, he pulls out his phone to check for messages. “Nothing from Bryce or Harvey, which is very strange. It isn’t that I don’t believe you, Professor Soleman, but I would have expected them to say good-bye.”

“Doesn’t sound like Bryce was in any condition to do so,” Aurora interjects as she tries a bite of her ice cream. The cold ripples through her mouth and makes her cringe from the unexpected headache. “That only explains her, sir. Harvey may be rather shy and introverted at times, but we’re his friends. He would have said something before leaving. Are you sure he left right away and this isn’t a misunderstanding?”

“I didn’t ask him when he came to me,” the professor replies, his tone changing to one with more of an edge. Looking from one doubtful face to the other, he cracks his knuckles and leans forward. “You have questions and concerns, which I understand. Unfortunately, I’m merely the messenger and I lack the answers. Even Charlene has been left wondering why Mr. Pugh has decided to leave so quickly. That isn’t to say that he won’t contact you later once he’s settled in back home.”

Thomas’s chair scrapes against the floor and he gets up to look at the nearby aquarium. “I think we should drop it. Tests are coming and we need to focus. At least I do since my grades are rather low. Chris and Jennifer are gone, but Bryce and Harvey might come back next semester, so we should make sure we’re here too. Honestly, I just want to get back to the dorm before everything hits me and I start crying. I’m having trouble accepting some of it and I’m probably not the only one. Thank Charlene for giving us tomorrow off and thank you for taking the time to talk with us.”

“Yeah, I guess we should get some sleep,” Apollo agrees, getting the sense that his friend has something else on his mind. Grabbing the cherry off his sundae, he pops it into his mouth and puts a hand on his sister’s shoulder. “You can stay in our room if you want. Not sure any of us will get much sleep.”

Wiping a few tears from her eyes, Aurora nods her head and gets to her feet, which nearly give out from fatigue and sorrow. She leans on Apollo to make sure she does not fall, but she swiftly shifts her to a chair since he is checking something on his phone. It takes him a minute to help her stand, the twins yawning at the same time. Her brother gets the sense that she is putting on an act, her breathing and pulse surprisingly steady for someone in her condition. Thomas hurries over to help with Aurora, allowing Apollo to get his keys. The trio seem to have trouble leaving, adding to the idea that they are confused and lost. Once they are sure about what they are doing, they say their goodbyes and leave Professor Soleman to finish his ice cream.

“I hope they sleep well,” the teacher whispers while he watches them leave. Gathering all of the food, he goes about taking random spoonfuls from each one. “I should really do what has to be done. She is becoming a lot less patient and irrational. Not a smart idea to run the risk of getting into trouble. Still, there’s no sense in letting sweets go to waste. I’m sure she would understand.”