Bat Wing flew to his chair, as my remaining friends and I took our usual places at our podiums for the last time. Joining the circle of despair were portraits of Den and Zoe, I shuddered in fear and anxiety after seeing them and realizing that what was which eighteen, was now only a mere four.
"But no more!" I thought to myself as I tried to find determination. "We will do this!...But then... Someone else will have to die..."
I tried to keep my hope alive, but I had both that and despair with me at the moment. However, only the latter appeared to be with Bethany, Harry, and Grace. None of them were looking at each other or me. It was just awful.
"Okay people!" exclaimed Bat Wing. "Time to go over the rule of the class trial one last time! You will discuss who you think the killer is and vote once you reached a decision. If that decision is right, the killer will be executed and instead of the usual continuing of the killing game, the three survivors will finally be allowed to leave this school. But of course, if you vote incorrectly, everyone else besides the killer dies, while the killer will be the only one walking out of here alive."
"Keep hope alive!" I told myself.
"With all that out of the way, get to it people!" laughed Bat Wing.
Brushing off any fear and anxiety, I stood strong. "Alright guys, I know this was all so sudden, but we need to work together..."
"Enough Annie" interrupted Bethany.
"Huh?" I responded."
"Just stop it Annie" added Grace. "Teamwork may of helped in all of the previous trials..."
"But it doesn't matter here" cut in Harry. "The stakes are too high to give everyone the benefit of the doubt."
"Especially when one of you is the killer" added Bethany.
I just couldn't believe this. "But..."
"Shut up Annie!" growled Harry. "I'm getting sick of all your teamwork talk attitude!"
"Just say anything that can help determine the killer" added Grace. "Otherwise, you're just in my way."
I looked down at the floor as small tears started to form in my eyes.
"Now that that talk is done, somebody say something that proves who the killer is" demanded Bethany.
"Well, what do you have to offer Bethany?" demanded Harry.
Bethany just glared at him for a bit, before admitting "I don't know, I was unable to find any evidence during the investigation."
Harry laughed. "Guess you should investigated more as opposed to guarding the bodies! Just how useless can you be?"
I gasped. "Harry!"
Bethany glared even harder at Harry. "You better watch the way you speak to me!"
"Or what?" shot back Harry. "Or perhaps you didn't find anything because you're the killer!"
"Stop!" I cried.
Bethany looked like she was about to pummel Harry to a pulp, but she just continued to glare at him for a bit.
"Are you two done wasting time yet?" asked Grace. "Or do either of you actually have any evidence the points us towards the killer?"
"This isn't all on me Grace!" replied Harry. "Why don't you present some evidence?!"
Now Grace was glaring at Harry.
"Don't have anything either do you?"
Grace just shook her head.
"How about you cut the bullshit Harry?!" growled Bethany. "Unless you have anything for us?"
Harry started to glare as well, but didn't say anything.
"Didn't think so" smugly replied Grace.
"Well this is just perfect" growled Grace. "Nobody found any evidence!"
"What about you Annie?" asked Harry. "Did you find anything at all?"
All three of them turned to me with despair in their eyes, my anxiety grew. I struggled to speak for a bit. "I...I...I..."
"Speak up!" yelled Grace.
"I didn't find any clues either!"
"Well isn't this just fucking perfect!" growled Harry.
"We got nothing!" replied Bethany.
Bat Wing started laughing at us. "Oh man! This is just great! You guys are totally at a lost and you have no idea who the killer is!"
"Bat Wing is right!" I thought to myself. "If no of us found any clues...Then how are we gonna find out who the killer is!?"
"What now!?" demanded Grace.
"Don't ask me!" replied Harry. "It isn't my job to lead you fools!"
"I just about had it with you Harry!" yelled Bethany. She got ready to punch Harry.
"Stop it Bethany!" I cried.
My yell surprised Bethany enough, that she stopped her punch. She simply shrugged her shoulders and turned away, Harry did the same.
"My God, you people are so hopeless" complained Grace.
"I don't see you doing anything useful" shot back Bethany.
"Guys Please!" I interjected. "We need to focus on the trial instead of yelling at each other! We won't get anywhere at this rate!"
My friends just stared at each other in silence for a bit.
"Very well" replied Annie. "Do you have anything to offer?"
"Did you find any clues during the investigation?" asked Harry.
I smiled slightly, even though they were still in despair, at least they had stopped arguing. "Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find anything during the investigation either."
"Well great!" complained Grace.
"However, I still have some things we can talk about."
"Like what?" asked Bethany.
I got mentally prepared to start the real discussions. "First off, we should talk about the discovery of Zoe's body."
"What about it?" demanded Grace.
"I turned my attention towards Bat Wing. "I still find it strange that normally one of us has to discover a body before Bat Wing calls the rest over to it to start the investigation, but this time, he didn't wait."
Bat Wing laughed again. "You're thinking too hard on the wrong path there sweetie, I just wanted to get this show started as soon as possible is all! Me changing the rules a bit isn't gonna get you anywhere!"
"For once, I agree with the bat" agreed Bethany. "This isn't getting us anywhere."
My anxiety started to go up a little, but I keep it under control. "I may not be able to prove it, but Bat Wing is up to something, but moving on now... We need to talk about Zoe's body."
"What about the bitch's body?" asked Harry.
Ignoring Harry, I continued. "We need to discuss what could of caused the injuries that killed her."
"It was a knife!" exclaimed Bethany.
I shook my head. "We don't know that for sure."
"Well what did that stupid file say!?" demanded Grace.
"The file didn't list any kind of murder weapon, but that is another point of mine."
"What is?!" asked Harry.
"The file, it didn't say much at all, just the injury that killed Zoe. There wasn't anything that can tell us what caused her injuries or even a time of death."
"That is true" agreed Bethany who then turned to Bat Wing. "What kind of file is that Bat!?"
Bat Wing simply laughed at her. "Like I been saying, this is the last trial! Do you think it will be anything like the past six trials?! No! This one is for all the marbles! No hints!"
"Well aren't you the worst fucking...whatever the fuck you are!" growled Harry.
Bat Wing nearly fell off his chair in laughter. "Say whatever you want kid! But the fact remains, you're all so close, yet so far in terms of getting out of here! Ahahahahahaha!"
"I'm going to destroy you!" yelled Bethany.
"Bethany!" I cried out. "Please calm down!"
"You better!" laughed Bethany. "Touch me and you're dead!"
Bethany glared at Bat Wing, but settled down for now.
"Can we get back to what actually matters?!" half asked, half demanded Grace.
"Right" I replied.
However, I struggled with what I presented. "Just what is Bat Wing's game here with him calling us over to the body before any of us discovered it, and what caused Zoe's injuries?"
"This is such bullshit!" complained Harry.
"Quit you're bitching" ordered Grace. "You're not helping by bitching."
"Both of you shut the hell up!" hissed Bethany.
My anxiety started to hurt, due to all the despair they were giving off.
"I gotta keep trying to bring back hope to them!" I cried to myself.
"Let us keep discussing the murder!" I stated.
My friends turned to look at me.
Still feeling anxious, I continued. "As we already stated, none of us were able to find any evidence that helps with finding out the killer."
"Yeah, so what?" asked Grace.
"Well...I just feel...I just feel that it is pretty strange how not one person here was able to discover a single piece of evidence?"
"Of course it is fucking strange!" yelled Harry. "But where does that get us!?"
"Nowhere!" answered Grace.
"Who did it!?" demanded Bethany. "Who killed Zoe!?"
"We aren't getting anywhere!" I cried to myself. "This just isn't working! They're too full of despair!"
"You killed her Bethany!" exclaimed Harry. "I know it was you!"
"Don't fucking accuse me like that!" responded Bethany. "I bet it was Grace!"
"You're both wrong! It was Harry!" cried Grace.
Harry, Bethany, and Grace continued to accuse each other, without any facts, while Bat Wing nearly fell out of his chair, due to laughing so hard. As for me, I couldn't take it anymore. I fell to my knees, sobbing my eyes out. No one even noticed me, they were too caught up in their despair.
"This is it!" I cried to myself. "This is how it ends! We're not gonna find out who killed Zoe! We're not gonna get out of this school! Only the killer will, and they will be full of despair! Everyone who already died has died for nothing! Gordon! Gordon! I need you to make me feel better! Please!"
I sat there on my knees, still at my podium, while sobbing with everyone screaming and laughing around me. The room had no hope, only despair.
"Is this despair?" I asked myself. "Am I feeling despair? I can sense it from everyone else, but am I starting to feel it too? Am I full of despair?"
I sat there for a few moments, accepting despair if it was starting to take me over, until I felt something. Something that reminded me of Gordon's comfort. For a moment, I thought Gordon was right there with me, so I looked up. Of course he wasn't there, but the feeling was.
"Could this be?!" I asked myself. "Could this be Gordon trying to tell me not to give up hope and to keep up fighting?"
I wanted to think about it more, but I knew there wasn't time. The class trial was still going on and I needed to help my friends. With courage and hope starting to quickly soar through me, I got back up on my feet.
"HEY!" I shouted.
My friends and Bat Wing all turned to me.
"All of you need to shut up and listen!"
"Just what are..." Grace tried to say.
"Shut up!" I interrupted.
"Well look who finally grew a pair" complained Bat Wing, who seemed disappointed that all of the yelling had stopped.
"You shut up too!"
"Is that how you speak to your principal?!"
"Shut up! Shut the hell up!"
Bat Wing didn't have a comeback, while my three friends continued to look at me.
"What is it Annie?" asked Bethany.
"Spit it out" ordered Harry.
Seeing as my friends had at least stopped trying to tear each other apart, I continued firmly.
"Listen to me all of you. You need to stop fighting each other and start fighting despair, for hope, and to survive this class trial."
"What?" asked Grace.
"You heard me, I'm serious. What you're all doing now, what you been doing isn't doing anything good, just the opposite. We won't get anywhere if you three let despair overcome you and turn you into what Bat Wing wants you to be.
Bethany, Harry, and Grace just stood there thinking for a bit. They all seemed quite conflicted, but I think my words were starting to come through to them.
I smiled. "Please guys. You need to keep hope alive. I need you to keep hope alive. Zoe and all our other friends need you to keep hope alive."
"Our... Our other friends?" asked Harry.
"That's right, Shauna, Troy, Dianna, Barry, Mara, Gordon, Seth, Clay, Leah, Maxwell, Laurel, Bradford, Den, and Zoe. All our friends who fell victim to this cruel killing game, they need us to keep hope alive, so we can survive this and keep their memories alive. Please Bethany, Harry, Grace...We need to work as a team like we used to for all the other class trials, no more fighting each other or despair."
My friends still seemed to be stuck in conflict, but my words seemed to be working even better, I continued to smile.
"Hold it!" cried Bat Wing.
We all quickly turned to Bat Wing's direction.
"You three idiots can't be falling for her words can you?! It is all lies!"
"What!?" cried Bethany.
"What is Bat Wing doing?!" I cried to myself.
"If Annie is the killer, this is the kind of crap she would be saying to fool you guys! Keep that in mind!" continued Bat Wing.
My friends appeared to think over what Bat Wing just told them, and out of nowhere, all that despair came back to them.
"It really was you all along Annie!" accused Harry.
"No!" I cried. "Listen to me!"
"Shut your mouth!" demanded Bethany. "You won't fool us with your words anymore!"
"You killed her Annie!" accused Grace. "You killed Zoe!"
"You're wrong!" I countered. "I didn't do it!"
"Enough of your lies!" yelled Bethany.
"You tried to sacrifice us!" screamed Harry. "You tried to sacrifice us, so you could escape here by yourself!"
"No!" I sobbed as tears started to fall down my face.
"Bat Wing" stated Grace. "I believe we're ready to vote."
"Are you now?" asked Bat Wing.
I struggled to keep myself on feet, as once again I felt despair taking over me.
"Why?! I cried to myself. "Why did Bat Wing place suspicion on me?!"
Whatever the reason was, I needed to think fast to find a way to defend myself, or it was over.
