"I think we'll start with you." Nny put the tip of his knife against the tip of the girl's nose. "What is your name? This, by the way, does not count in our little game."

"Uhh, my name's Cici."

"Really?! Interesting…ok here's your question. Do you think it is kind to treat people the way that you treated me in that restaurant?"

Cici started to hyperventilate. "Not really, but it was all in fun! Can't you realize that? We were only playing!"

Nny raised his hand and put a white streak down Cici's forehead with his chalk. "Not the answer I was looking for. I did NOT want you life story, I only wanted an honest, and SHORT answer."

Nny turned to the boy next to her. "And you are?"

This was the smart, dweeby one. "Jeff…"

"Ok, Jeff, why is it that people like you have to put others down just to make you feel better?"

"I…don't know…"

"That's a shame." Nny put a mark on his head, too.

After asking a question of that sort to the other five people (two of which were not nice about it-Nny had flicked the switch on both of them), he got back to the remaining five, four of which had chalk marks, one had two (Nny had NOT liked that answer, but decided to be lenient about it).

"What have we here?" Nny looked at Cici again. "What activities do you like to do after school?"

"Why do you care? It's just a stupid question! And who here is really going to escape? We'll never get out of here, and you know it!"

Nny pondered this for a few minutes. "You know, you're right. And since I am a man of my word, I'll make another promise to you. The last person here may go. And I will NOT wait until everyone is done their turn. You answer wrong, you go. That's it. No second chances."

Nny moved on to Jeff again. "How about you? What do you do after school, besides hang around with morons?"

"Actually, I'm in computer club. I design web sites for the school." Jeff was uneasy. Maybe this Nny didn't like computers.

"Oh! You design all those cool little pictures and layouts! What better way to spend time? At least THEN you are not making other people feel bad!" Nny beamed.

To Jeff's relief, Nny moved on to the girl next to him, named Danielle. "What do you do?"

Danielle stuttered. "I…I'm….I…"

Nny grew impatient. "Spit it out or I'll kill you now!"

Danielle was sobbing now. "I don't DO anything after school. I sit around and write poetry! And it's about suicide! Please don't hurt me!" She braced herself and tried to listen for his hand reaching for the lever that seemed to trigger the machine she was strapped up to.

Nny was in disbelief. "Now, now, you really shouldn't write like that. It's not healthy. If you get out of here, please stop writing like that. I DO like good work. I'd like to read your poems after all this is done." Nny smiled at her. He even erased the white chalk mark on her head, setting her back at zero. "I'll even stand here for five minutes. Do as you please, I won't move." He leaned against the wall.

Four minutes to go. A boy named Dean had loosened one of the ties around one arm. Three to go and he'd be free.

Three minutes. Dean had another tie off. He was frantically working out the dips and doodles of the knot as the others wriggled hopelessly in their bindings.

Two minutes. Dean was successful in undoing one more. Just one on his left leg held him to the contraption.

One minute. As the clock drew to fifteen seconds, Dean was loose! He scrambled towards the flight of stairs. Three, two, one… Nny could still see Dean's legs. He threw his knife.

Dean rolled down the stairs, and a huge crack was heard. His neck had broken. Dean was dead.

"Dear, dear. He should have saved his time. If he left the one tie on, he'd have the next five minutes to escape…" Nny shook his head in mock sadness.

"Oh well. How about you?" Nny looked at a pretty girl named Jalyse.

"Up yours, ass! I don't want to answer your questions! You can go and die for all I care! I'm going to heaven, and you're going to hell! Go kill me! Go ahead!" She screamed at him.

"Do you really believe you're going there?" Nny honestly asked.

She was taken aback. "Yes, actually. I accepted Christ and I lived-for the most part-for him."

"I see. I envy your conviction." And with that, he pushed a button, and Jalyse was no more.

After a few more questions, it was down to Danielle and a boy named Roger.

"Roger, would you say that you've had intercourse with a girl? And exactly how old are you?"

"That's not fair! That's two questions!" Roger defended himself.

"I think you should answer." Nny waved his knife.

"For your information, I have, and I'm a proud eighteen!" Roger put on one last spring of hope. "Hey, Danielle! If this guy's a sicko, then you're gonna die! I'm gonna be out of here! Have fun in the other world!!!"

But that's not how it happened.

Nny blew up. HOW DARE YOU OPENLY ADMIT TO THAT!!! AND FOR YOUR INFORMATION, I AM MOST CERTAINLY NOT A SICKO!!! DIE, FOOL!!!" Nny pulled the lever.

A horrible crunching noise was heard. When Danielle decided to look again, she saw Roger in a most horrific, unnatural position. He looked like a human envelope.

"Well, I AM a man of my word. Danielle, you may go." Nny untied her and even escorted her to his front door. "By the way, I'll have my eye out for your poems!"