After Lance's encounter with N, he had decided to continue exploring the bottom half of the island once he calmed down. His original weapon, the glass bottle, had been discarded and left behind, but he couldn't care less. He had picked up a much better array of weapons, of which he planned to put to use before the 6AM announcement.

At first, he considered moving further towards the more natural terrains, and briefly considered checking the beach. Then, he decided against it. Lance figured that, particularly at night time, the other contestants would attempt to find places to stay inside.

Naturally, he decided to avoid checking the clinic, mainly because he was certain that N wouldn't just leave him off with a warning if he tried to interfere with the other man's plans again. Instead, Lance decided to check the map once more. He knew that the main part of the residential area had turned into a danger zone, which was disappointing.

However, he realized that the sector on the right of the housing estate had yet to become a danger zone, and contained a few scattered houses, according to the map. Feeling confident that there had to be at least one or two people still hidden in the said sectors, he began to walk towards the sector, digging through his bag as he did so.

Lance's eyes had also been drawn to the barn house, but decided it would be wiser to look in the more obvious areas first. His deliberation over the barn house was completely forgotten about as he focused on rooting through his bag.

Eventually, he pulled out the pistol he had taken earlier. As he approached the second half of the housing estate, he briefly checked to make sure there were bullets in it. Once he saw that there were, he clicked the safety off, and walked further into the housing estate.

The first two doors were locked, but Lance decided he would only come back and force them open if all the other doors were locked too. He walked past the third door, assuming that if it was unlocked, it would be too obvious and out in the open for anyone to try hiding in. Upon reaching the fourth door, however, he discovered that it was unlocked. He forgot about the other locked doors, and proceeded to turn the handle.

As Lance opened the door slowly, he pointed his gun inside the dark house. He thought an unlocked house would be the worst possible place to hide, as it was too obvious, but he figured that there had to be someone stupid enough still alive willing to take that risk. Then, he proceeded to walk a little further inside.

Diamond's assumption about what Pearl was doing had been mostly incorrect, but with one correct fact; he had been thinking nonstop about how Diamond and Platinum were doing. Ever since he had entered the house, though, he had only came close to leaving once. Since that brief venture to the door, he had continued lying on the bed, feeling completely restless.

It had been a relief to hear that neither of his friends' names were on the last announcement, but he felt a pang of disappointment upon hearing that the sector that he was currently in had yet to become a danger zone. Even though Pearl came to the house strictly to cut himself off from the rest of the island, he did wish for an excuse to leave, and perhaps find Diamond and Platinum.

I can't be the only Dexholder on this island that killed someone. If there are others, they wouldn't punish themselves like this for this long, right?, he thought, sitting up once more.

Upon sitting up, Pearl realized that he had a headache, probably due to his combined fatigue and stress. Laying down in a stranger's bed, with thoughts constantly plaguing him, didn't do anything to help his mental state. I have to at least leave the bedroom.

With that, he decided that he would simply take a walk around the house, in an attempt to clear his mind, stretch his legs, and perhaps look for better food than the rolls he was given in his daypack. He pressed his feet against the cold wood beneath him, and stood up once more. His muscles in his legs felt strained upon doing so, but he knew it had to be done.

Approaching the door, Pearl turned the knob, and left the room. Out of instinct, he closed it quietly behind him. The hallway was completely dark, but he wasn't going to take a risk and turn on a light. He decided that he would just have to feel his way around in the dark to find the stairs.

Pressing his hand against the wall, he took slow, cautious steps further down the hallway. Just as his hand met the wooden surface of the bannister, there was suddenly a click from downstairs.

The cold air barely reached where he was, but he could still tell that someone had just opened the door. Somebody was inside. The worst part was that Pearl was completely defenseless, and he had no idea what he wanted to happen.

Pressing his hand over his mouth to suppress his breathing, he slowly bent down, trying to get a better look at who had entered the house. He was partially hidden by the bannister leading down the stairs, and given how dark it was, he could remain hidden from whoever entered the house. The one disadvantage was that it would also make identifying the person down below difficult for him.

Why the hell did this have to happen now?! I need more time to think about what I want!, he thought, glaring down towards the door. It felt like it took a lifetime for the person to close the door behind them, trapping the two of them inside the house together.

Pearl had wanted to remain in the house for as long as possible, as a way of punishing himself, but he never considered whether or not he wanted his life to end here. Naturally, he wanted to continue living, somewhere deep down. It would feel wrong if he was the one person to survive, though. He was a killer, and someone like him didn't deserve to survive. Also, it meant living without Dia and Platinum, and that was still unthinkable.

The person didn't call out to Pearl. Instead, they walked slowly and quietly towards the living room, which was to their left. The blond felt immensely relieved, and relaxed his body a little.

It was difficult to hear the person explore the living room, despite the fact that the rest of the house was completely silent. Pearl quickly arrived at the conclusion that the person intended to sneak up on anyone occupying the house. From that, the most obvious meaning was that the person intended to attack.

Don't tell me I'm trapped in a house with someone who enjoys killing. At that horrifying realization, Pearl's fingernails dug into his cheek, as he attempted to prevent his breathing from being heard. The sudden increase in pressure drawn onto his cheek cause him to flinch. Before he could stop himself, his knees wobbled, and he landed with a light thump on the floor.

Even though it was a light sound, and would hardly be noticeable in any other circumstances, that thump sounded like a deafening explosion, in his mind. As much as he tried to reassure himself that he wasn't heard, that it wasn't loud enough, and so forth, he couldn't shake the thought that he had given away his location to whoever was in the house, and in one of the most foolish matters possible.

"Hello?" a voice called out from downstairs.

Pearl shuddered. The house had been too quiet. One little disturbance to the silence had been as loud as his mind told him it had been, and he had been spotted. Continuing to hold his hand over his mouth, he began to slowly sidle backwards, hoping whoever was there would lose interest.

The person didn't, though. Instead, Pearl heard footsteps become louder, as they approached the hallway once more. Although it was still too dark to make out definitive features, he could tell this man was significantly taller than he was. There was no mistaking it; one of the older contestants, either Lance or N, had found him.

"Who's there? If you reveal yourself now, we can avoid an ugly confrontation", the man continued, trying to keep his tone calm and convincing.

Shaking his head, Pearl knew that the man was telling a blatant lie to get him to come down. Neither Lance nor N looked like the types to look for allies. It was clear that what he was saying was nothing more than bait, and Pearl refused to fall for it.

Then, there was a click from below. Before he could realize what was going on, the upstairs hallway lit up. His eyes felt irritated by the sudden burst of light, after staying in the dark for so long. He squinted, before realizing that he was completely exposed to the enemy.

Downstairs, Lance smirked. The young teenager on the next floor looked like helpless prey, caught in the worst possible place. Looking down, Pearl finally got a proper look at Lance, immediately putting a name to the face.

"I did ask you to tell me who you were. It's a shame that you even couldn't handle that simple request", Lance said, almost sounding a little apologetic for what was to happen next.

As he took long strides to the stairway, Pearl scrambled to his feet. Letting out a startled cry, he ran towards the bedroom, where he had spent many hours before laying restlessly. Opening the door handle, he felt a brief sense of relief return. He needed more time to think about what he wanted to happen, after all.

Seeing that Pearl was planning to get away from him, even briefly, Lance felt a wave of irritation move through his body. He quickened his pace, practically running up the stairs at that stage. His attempt to look elegant and graceful had been completely forgotten about. At that moment, all that mattered was adding to the list of those he killed.

Just as he approached the door, there was a turning sound, and of something sliding into place. He didn't, Lance thought incredulously, staring at the door. He pulled down on the handle, but nothing happened. The door remained in place. The kid had locked himself inside.

From the inside of the room, Pearl watched as the door handle was pulled down at a rapid pace, in an impatient manner. He stood by the window, trying to think of what to do. As much as he tried, though, his mind was completely focused on the door handle, which represented Lance's growing impatience and irritation.

If he manages to get in here, I'm definitely going to die, he realized. Pissing off one of the two people who could take joy in this game certainly wasn't his best strategy. That's when he decided he needed a new idea, and fast.

Just as he was trying to think, a bullet suddenly flew through the door. This was accompanied by a loud gunshot. Shrapnel flew from the door, but not enough to create an entrance for Lance. There was enough room for him to peek in through, his eye trying to locate Pearl.

"Unlock the door", he instructed, trying to keep his cool once more. He couldn't hide his fury over being outsmarted, however. All hopes of rational conversation had evaporated as soon as Pearl locked that door.

"No way! Leave me alone! I'm nothing like you!" Pearl cried out, his tone desperate.

He had no idea where the last part came from. He hadn't thought about his murderous act since Lance entered the house. If he had to assume something, it was that he was desperate to separate himself as much as possible from those who actually enjoyed killing.

Another shot was fired through the door, this time directly below the first shot. At first, Pearl was confused by the man's choice of where to shoot, but before he could deliberate, the head of the gun poked through the hole. Lance was barely able to move it, from the other side, but he seemed able to adjust it enough to try and shoot Pearl.

Shit. I need to think of something to do- And fast, he realized. Looking around the room in frustration, he noticed right away that there was nothing he could use to defend himself, considering that he had left his weapon behind in one of the other houses.

Almost out of desperation, he ran over to the window, curious to see if escape was possible. It was already questionable, considering he was up on the second floor. When he checked the outside of the window, he knew that all chances of escaping alive were practically impossible.

Down below, there was a beautiful garden. Flowers of various colours, particularly noticeable even in the darkness, complimented each other, and made the garden seem like a vivid portrait. Whoever lived in this house clearly had a deep interest in gardening. So, to protect their precious flowers from rodents wandering through the grass, a medium-sized fence stood there, protecting it. Metal spikes were amongst the fence's most visible features, making the beautiful image seem somewhat sinister.

Pearl knew that if he attempted to jump, there was a high chance he would end up landing somewhere along that fence. Even if he managed to avoid it, there was still the possibility of breaking his neck.

There's no way I can escape. I'm stuck here. Almost as soon as that thought struck Pearl, another shot fired through the hole in the door, this time more towards the boy's direction. It hit the wall, mere centimeters away from him.

"Come on out! It's awfully boring out here!" Lance demanded, his tone verging on hysteria.

Pearl had no idea what had happened to make this man act the way he was acting. At that moment, he didn't particularly care to find out. All he knew was that he needed to think of a way to avoid being killed by Lance, and fast.

Bang.

A loud crash could be heard against the door. That was then followed by a grunt. Pearl came to the most obvious conclusion; Lance was trying to force the door open. It sounded as if it made contact with his shoulder, which would be the most logical place to put his body weight into, if he was to try and open the door.

Bang.

The door hinges began to give away. Pearl knew that, at this rate, he didn't have more than a minute to decide.

Do I really want to die at the hands of someone like this guy?, he asked himself. Shaking his head, he knew the answer. Pearl knew that what he had done earlier that day was terrible, and nothing could ever atone for it, but that didn't mean he deserved to die at the hands of someone who actually enjoyed doing something like this.

Lance just wanted to add him to his number of kills. Pearl refused to become another number on his list. The last thing he wanted was to give this man another reason to be overly confident in such a horrible situation.

He glanced over at the window once more, feeling a cold sweat break out on his forehead. He found it hard to breathe. After seeing what laid in the garden below, it was clear that the chances of surviving were practically null and void.

Bang.

I'm gonna die either way, aren't I?, Pearl thought, and approached the window. While he moved relatively quickly, every step felt painfully slow, considering the fact that he knew that his life would end within the next five minutes. If things went according to plan, he was essentially walking towards his death.

Bang.

The hinges were barely hanging on. Both Lance and Pearl knew that one more hit should get rid of the door. Lance felt adrenaline overtake him, considering how well he had trapped the boy in the room. After his attempt to outsmart Lance, the man decided that he would make him suffer.

Pearl, on the other hand, wasn't thinking of anything in particular. All his mind was concentrated on his actions, and the desperate need to escape from Lance. Gritting his teeth, he gripped the handles of the windows, turned them into a horizontal position, and opened the two windows out wide.

The cold night air rushed in, filling the stuffy room with freshness. For a moment, Pearl admired the stars, noting how clear the night was. He couldn't take too much time to admire it, however.

He turned around, and sat on the window ledge, taking one last look at the room where he had spent so many hours before, wallowing in his own guilt. Hey, have I made it clear enough that I feel guilty about all this?

Deep down, Pearl did know that it would come to something like this. He desperately wanted to meet Dia and Platinum again. He had taken his punishment by not seeing them before his death, but one thing he could be grateful for was that he didn't have to stay around to hear whether or not they died.

Bang.

The door flew off the hinges, and fell onto the bed. Lance ran into the room, taking a second to locate Pearl. He raised an eyebrow upon seeing the young boy perched on the ledge of an open window. Then, he realized what he planned to do; this teenager was planning on denying him an extra addition to his kill list.

Lance pointed the gun towards him. Pearl took that as his signal, and released his grip on the window sill. He pushed himself backwards as he did so. As the man fired a shot, the bullet barely missed the tip of the boy's shoe. For a moment, there was a cry from outside that pierced through the silent night. Just as there was a thud, the cry was cut off short.

"You're kidding me", he snarled, and ran towards the window.

Leaning over the window, Lance was fuming at what he saw. Several feet below him laid the body of the boy who had been perched on the window ledge seconds earlier. His legs were twisted at an awkward angle. A metal spike jutted out of the boy's throat, narrowly missing the metal collar. His head was bent backwards, hiding his face from Lance's view.

Even though Pearl spent his time on the island feeling as if he didn't deserve to live on, after murdering Red. Regardless of that, he still allowed himself to do one last thing for himself; to avoid dying at the hands of someone who enjoyed murdering. Although it was nowhere near as pleasing as finding Diamond or Platinum once more, it was still a fulfillment that had allowed him to die with some level of contentment.

It had infuriated Lance. Pearl had caught on that he was going to be nothing more than another number to be added to his list of victims, and decided to die on his own terms instead. Due to that, Lance's victim count remained unchanged since that morning. I was brought here for one purpose, and I can't even carry it out.

I was outsmarted by a child. Shaking his head, Lance tightened his grip on the pistol, and left the room. Striding downstairs, he attempted to think of his next plan of action, but found it hard to think. He just couldn't take his mind off the fact that he had been outsmarted by someone who looked like easy prey. This is going to be a bad day, he thought.

15 Remaining.