"Time to vote!" exclaimed Harry.
"That sounds like a plan to me!" agreed Bethany.
"Your lies end here, Annie!" screamed Grace.
Tears still coming down my face, I struggled to hold onto my hope and think of something that would change their minds.
"I didn't kill Zoe!" I told myself. "I know I'm innocent! But my friends...They're too lost in despair! Despair that Bat Wing put them in! I need to think fast! I need to think of something that can save me and my friends!"
"Well, this trial sure was great" said Bat Wing. "But if you're all ready to vote, we can get started right away."
My brain went into overdrive and thought of everything that had happened that might be relevant, anything at all that could delay the vote."
"I'm ready!" cried Grace.
"Voting time!" replied Harry.
"We're voting for you Annie!" yelled Bethany.
"Okay!" exclaimed Bat Wing. "Time...
I had it!
"STOP!" I shouted so loud, both my voice hurt and I started everyone in the courtroom. Even Alec, who had started to walk by, was looking at me. "Don't vote yet! Don't vote!"
"Huh?" asked Bat Wing.
"There is more! There is way more than we think!"
My three friends had stopped shouting during my outburst, but were still trapped in despair.
"What?!" demanded Harry.
"What lies do you have now?!" growled Bethany.
"We don't want to hear it!" shouted Grace.
"Shut up! Shut up!" I cried at my friends. "All three of you...SHUT THE HELL UP!"
My friends were taken back by my tone, and I honestly felt bad for shouting at them like that. But I had to get them to stop and listen.
"I'm sorry guys" I apologized. "But you need to stop talking and listen to me. Just please!"
They didn't say anything.
"I didn't kill Zoe, and I have more to add to this trial." I then turned to Bat Wing. "We're not ready to vote yet, so don't you dare start it."
"Fine" frowned Bat Wing. "But if the others don't change their minds after you're finished, we're voting."
"Deal" I then looked at my friends. "Listen to me guys, I'll tell you who really killed Zoe."
Harry, Grace, and Bethany all stared at me in silence. They were still in despair, but my outbursts seemed to have at least gotten them back to reality.
"Okay" replied Grace.
"I'm listening" said Bethany.
"Go on" urged Harry.
Still looking at my friends, I smiled. "Thank you guys."
"Just get on with it!" complained Bat Wing.
Ignoring him, I began. "Hear me out, but pay attention. What I'm about to say is a lot to take in, and it may sound like just a theory, but what I'm saying, I know it is the truth. Here we go."
Everyone in the courtroom, including Alec, stared at me hard as I got prepared to reveal it all.
"First off, I know we talked about it before, but everything about Zoe's body is important."
"What do you mean?" asked Grace.
"What was used to kill Zoe, the file for this murder, Bat Wing calling us while no one discovered the body."
"I already told you why!" hissed Bat Wing.
I shook my head. "I don't believe your lies, I know the truth. Also guys, think about this. Zoe's body wasn't bleeding when Bat Wing called us, so her wounds must of happened awhile ago, as in probably overnight."
"But we can't know that for sure, since the file gave us no time of death." replied Harry.
I nodded my head at him. "You're right and it may not of been overnight, but either way, her wounds were not recent, they happened way before we saw her body."
"What are you getting at Annie?' asked Bethany.
"Shush" I shushed her. "Let me finish, I have more."
Bethany was silent, so I continued.
"Remember yesterday, after the five of us left the basement, what was the last thing that Zoe said to us?"
My friends thought about it for a bit.
"If I recall, wasn't it that we didn't need to worry about anything, and that she would be the one to get us out of here?" replied Bethany.
"Was it that?" asked Harry.
"Sure was!" added Bat Wing. "That was the thing she said to you as that was the last time you all saw her! And now, Zoe is dead! Hahahahahaha!"
Ignoring Bat Wing, I continued. "For Zoe to say that, she was up to something for sure, but she ended up being dead."
"What was Zoe up to?" asked Grace.
"I don't fully know yet" I replied. "But I have an idea. Bat Wing!"
"What?!" replied Bat Wing.
"I know you're up to something! Everything I said before, you guarding the body so we could all investigate, the fact that you would let us leave if we passed this trial! I know you're up to something!"
"You're not making any sense..."
"I am! You know I am!" I turned to look at my friends. "Think about it guys! We were all trying our best to survive this! We were getting along better than ever. None of us would have killed Zoe or anyone for that matter. But really think about it here guys, Zoe was always off on her own and often disappeared for awhile."
"The girl was antisocial and overall a bitch" commented Harry.
"Stop it and listen! Where do you think Zoe was always off to?"
"She was usually in the library, right?" suggested Grace.
"Indeed she was, but for this time, she was doing something else."
My friends thought about it for a bit, but didn't seem to realize was I was saying.
"What are you saying Annie?" asked Bethany.
"And where does all this lead up to Bat Wing being up to something?" added Grace.
I cleared my throat. "Why do you think no one found any clues during the investigation?"
No one had an answer.
"The reason we didn't find anything during the investigation was because the killer was able to fully make sure we wouldn't be able to find any."
"Okay..." replied Harry. "But how does that point to the killer and add up with everything else you were saying?"
I closed my eyes and tighten my fist. "Out of the four of us left, none of us killed Zoe! Zoe's killer is Bat Wing!"
"What?!" yelled Grace, Harry, and Bethany."
"More specifically, whoever is controlling Bat Wing killed Zoe!"
My friends just stared at me in shock, unsure what to think about what I had just said. Bat Wing just sat in his chair staring at me, while Alec had finally left the court room.
"Bat Wing?!" stated Harry.
"Bat Wing killed Zoe?!" cried Bethany.
"Bat Wing is the killer?!" added Grace.
"Yes" I replied. "It all makes sense, no one else but the mastermind behind this whole killing game can be responsible for Zoe's death."
Bat Wing continued to stare at me in silence for a bit, before speaking up. "Wrong! Totally wrong! Incorrect! Not right!"
"Don't deny it! You killed her!"
"Don't listen to this bitch you guys! She is crazy! And again, Annie is just trying to throw you guys off because she killed Zoe!"
I glared so hard at Bat Wing. "Another point! Why are you interfering with the trial and trying to single me out?! You know I know the truth, as well as you couldn't stand the fact I was leading the despair out of the others!"
Bat Wing just growled in response
"Could this...Could this really be true?" asked Bethany.
"What...What's going on?!" cried Harry.
"I don't know!" replied Grace.
"I'm right, I know I'm right" I stated. "This time, the killer isn't one of us! It's Bat Wing!"
Bat Wing suddenly started laughing. "You know...This is just too cute! You think all your stupid THEORIES are gonna convince everyone you're telling the truth!?"
I stood my ground. "They aren't theories, they are facts!"
"Prove it! Can you fucking prove it?!"
I smiled at Bat Wing. "Gladly, I will prove that you're the killer with one more piece of evidence."
My friends and Bat Wing all kept their focus on me, waiting for me to reveal the damning evidence.
"Well?!" demanded Bat Wing.
I continued to smile at Bat Wing. "Bat Wing, do you remember what you said, when I asked everyone what Zoe said to us after our trip to the basement?"
The room went silent for a bit, as no one seemed to understand my point.
"Who gives a shit?!" replied Bat Wing.
"I think you will when I reveal what you had said!" I pointed my finger at Bat Wing. "This is it Bat Wing! Your twisted game ends here!"
"Bring it, bitch!"
Scowling at Bat Wing, I brought it. "When I had asked the question, Bethany suggested that Zoe had said not to worry about it, and she would take care of everything. After Bethany answered my question, Harry asked if that was the right answer."
Everyone kept on listening to me, very carefully.
"And that was when you spoke Bat Wing! You said that that was correct! Those were the last words Zoe told us! However, your exact words were that was the thing she said to you as that was the last time you all saw her!"
No one said anything for a bit, as they really thought about what I had just said.
"You're crazy Annie!" said Bat Wing. "You're crazy and pitiful, that doesn't prove shit!"
"Wait!" cried Grace.
"What?!"
"You said it yourself Bat Wing!" yelled Harry.
"What?! What'd I say?!"
"The last time we all saw her!" exclaimed Bethany. "That is what you said!"
"What?! What do you brats mean!?"
I smiled proudly at my friends as they were finally getting it, I also sensed the despair slowly leaving them. However, Bat Wing was slowly losing it.
"Stop messing with me, you little shits! I'll execute all of you right now if you don't cut it out!"
I turned back to face Bat Wing, my face filled with hope and determination. "And you said I was pitiful."
"You little bitch!"
"I thought I had explained it clearly, but I guess not, so allow me to help you Bat Wing."
Bat Wing glared at me.
"When you said that was the last time we saw Zoe, that literally was the last time all four of us saw her. Therefore, the last time we all saw her, she was still alive. Therefore, none of could of killed her, as that would have been the last time they would of seen Zoe."
Bat Wing gasped, realizing his slip up.
"The last time Bethany saw Zoe, she was still alive. The last time Harry saw Zoe, she was still alive. The last time Grace saw Zoe, she was still alive. And finally, the last time I saw Zoe, she was still alive!"
"No! This is..." Bat Wing was at a lost for words.
"If none of us killed Zoe, that only leaves you Bat Wing! Just give it up already!"
Bat Wing growled very loudly.
"It's over Bat Wing!" cried Grace.
"We...No, Annie discovered Zoe's killer!" added Bethany
"We're gonna vote for you, Bat Wing!" exclaimed Harry.
I continued to smile at my friends. "Thanks guys, I knew you could keep hope alive."
My friends all turned to me, who now looked really upset and guilty.
"Annie..." began Bethany. "I'm so sorry for how I acted and the way I spoke to you...That wasn't at all what I thought...I'm just too weak, too weak that I let despair take control of me!"
"I'm sorry too, Annie" apologized Harry. "This all started with me...I was the first to loose hope and let myself be swallowed by despair...This isn't the way it should of gone."
"I'm sorry Annie!" sobbed Grace. "We were so horrible to you, and you still believed in us! What we did was unforgivable! You shouldn't of done so much to help us!"
Grace continued to sob, but I kept smiling at my friends. "Thanks guys, but please don't think too hard on it. It wasn't your fault, this killing game had just finally gotten to all you, it nearly got to my as well. However, we didn't let that happen. We kept hope alive and came through!"
"Right" agreed Harry.
"Of course" smiled Bethany.
Grace wiped away her tears and slowly smiled as well. "You kept hope alive for us Annie, you're our source of hope."
Nodding at Grace, I quickly turned back to an angry Bat Wing. "Well Bat Wing, what's it gonna be?! Are you gonna let us go?!"
"Yeah!" agreed Harry. "Even better, kill yourself and then let us walk away from this hellhole once and for all!"
Bat Wing still looked angry, but slowly calmed down. "I suppose we should get to the grand finale, this game is still quite boring."
Suddenly, Bat Wing appeared to shut off, as the room court room started to fill with smoke.
"What the hell?!" cried Bethany.
"What is this?!" I yelled.
My friends and I started to panic a little as smoke continued to fill the room. After several more moments, the room cleared of smoke Bat Wing was also no longer in his usual chair, but in his place was a stranger. The stranger wore a long black robe that covered his whole body.
"Who are you?!" cried Grace.
"Talk! Now!" ordered Bethany.
The stranger did nothing, but stay on the chair.
"Who the hell are you?!" demanded Harry.
My anxiety was back again, making my heart pound super hard.
"Is this the mastermind?" I asked myself.
"Are you the mastermind?!" I called out to the stranger.
The stranger did nothing for several more moments, then slowly removed their hood, which revealed the face of a man who appeared to be in his late twenties. He had pitch black, dark hair and bright green eyes. His expression was emotionless.
Then the strange man jumped down from the chair, and into the middle of our podiums. His landing made a somewhat loud noise, which made all of us on edge.
"You bastard!" growled Harry. "Just who are you?"
The man suddenly smiled and spoke. "Allow me to explain everything."
