We're down to 16 people now. Each day, we find someone dead dragged out to the town square. And each day, there is a knife in their stomach and a bloody note. And as always, the note is signed, The Mafia.
Occasionally, there is a Serial Killer strike. But not today.
Today, there was another note. But this time, it was signed by The Sheriff. He said that it was time to take matters into our own hands. To start killing one another off and hope that we might strike gold.
I don;t get it.
I mean, if he really wanted to help, he would reveal himself.
But, I guess thats the problem with living in such a troubled town. No one tells anyone anything, in fear of being hunted down by the Mafia.
Me? I'm an investigator. My dad has been teaching me ever since I was born. It was always just the two of us, until, well, the Mafia struck. Dad died a few weeks ago, when there was still hope left in the town. Now? We're all out of luck.
I woke up around 9 am and headed to the square. It was an unspoken agreement that all remaining townspeople would meet in the town square to bury the newest dead person in the town graveyard. Then we would mull around rather awkwardly. Stiffly polite, we'd go around doing our business.
We gathered around the town square.
"What is this!" Cam Head was the first to pounce on the note. She was a middle-aged woman and a well respected lady in our town. Or, at least she used to be. Before . . you know.
"A note, duh. From our stupid, know-it-all sheriff whose, like, way too, like, scared to show his stupid face," Lita Niles mocked. She flipped her long, blonde hair back and glared at the crowd and dared them to respond.
Beside me, Josh Shine I glanced again, he was relaxed, so it had probably been my imagination.
I suppressed a grin. Lita used to be the rich girl in town- at least the Mafia attacks hadn't taken away her sass. It kept the town from going paranoid.
Sure enough, little grins appeared on some of the townspeople's faces.
Lita finally realised that no one was going to respond. "Ugh, can we just get on with the burial and stuff? Algernon and I have, like, an appointment with Cary. She's giving us makeovers."
Josh and Gordie Atwood stepped forward into the square and began to give a speech as Lita stepped back into the crowd next to Algernon Westley and me.
"Lita, I already said no! This town may be doomed but that doesn't mean that my back tuck should be as sloppy as it is now. I need the practice time! I'm not going," Algernon whispered. She was Lita's second in command way back when. They stayed friends after the attacks began, but I don't think Algernon ever really trusted Lita the way she used to.
Wisdom Irkson glared at us. She put her finger to her lips, the universal sign for SHUT UP.
"Fine," Lita was barely audible now. "Ron, you in?"
I had been Lita's 3rd in command. Not quite up there, but not quite below her either. When Algernon dropped out, I was the fallback.
I nodded.
"So, in conclusion, we shall begin these 'Lynchings' tomorrow," Gordie finished. He and Josh hefted the dead body on to their shoulders and began the funeral proccesion to the graveyard.