A/N: Shoutout to Zevoros and Guest for reviewing! Still rockin', my friends!

.

Zevoros ––– I'll leave you to your guessing, my friend. Let's see if you're right, or very, very wrong. ;)

Guest ––– Thanks! I'm trying to get caught up :) Let's see if you're right, or very, very wrong ;)

.

Disclaimer: Me no own ASOUE.

=======
Chapter 7
=======

A miraculous sight they thought they'd never see again, Klaus and Fiona watched the sleepless night fade into dawn, and they breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe they could relax a bit, grab a bite to eat real quick? The killer wouldn't dare make a move in broad daylight…

…Would they?

"Wow…look at that sunrise," Klaus said, leaning against the window, awestruck.

The reddest of skies was before him, as if the heavens were bleeding. He kept watching, and soon, some slight oranges and yellows appeared on the scene, turning the whole sky into an inferno as far as the eye could see. Though it was a breathtaking sight, it chilled him to the bone at the same time. Just the fact that the sky was replaying everything that happened yesterday, from the fire to the bloodshed, was just plain eerie. It was almost as if those who died were trying to communicate with those still alive, tell them, or even the killer, that they were watching, even if no one else was. And just that thought alone made him never want to sleep again.

"Sailors' warning…" Fiona said quietly, then turned and headed for the door.

"What?" Klaus looked around at her, puzzled.

To his relief, Fiona stopped and looked over her shoulder at him, squinting curiously, almost darkly. "You've never heard that phrase before?" she asked. "'Red skies at night, sailors' delight, red skies in the morning, sailors' warning'?"

"Oh…" Klaus said, understanding at once what she meant as he looked back out at the sky. Unfortunately, her clarification just made his anxiety worse.

"My stepfather always paid attention to the sky whenever we were on land," Fiona said. "It's just a sea thing. I grew up with it."

Klaus nodded, acknowledging her words. Suddenly, his throat swelled shut. Were the fallen volunteers–––his sister–––giving him a warning of what was to come? He shuddered, hurrying over to the door, unable to take it anymore. "C'mon. Let's go get some breakfast," he said. "I'm starving."

"Wait! What about the killer?" Fiona asked.

Klaus shook his head. "No…something tells me they're done for now."

Fiona looked at him suspiciously. "How would you know that?"

"I…" Klaus just shrugged, shaking his head again. "I just know."

Fiona stared at him.

"What?"

"…Nothing," Fiona sighed finally, walking to the door. "Let's go."

Klaus gave her one final suspicious look before unlocking the door and peeking out. The hall was still dark, but thanks to the enormous windows along the wall, they could find their way no problem to the dining hall. Only one thing stood between them and breakfast…

"Oh, God!" Klaus said, jumping in surprise.

The severed parts of what was a volunteer still lie in front of their door, an abhorrent smell now wafting up into their noses. Klaus felt his stomach gurgle. Never had he smelled death before…wait, no…once. Once he had.

"You forgot it was here?" Fiona asked, astonished.

"Apparently," Klaus choked, fighting not to throw up.

"I don't know about you, but I'd definitely remember a corpse being at my door!" Fiona told him heatedly.

"Let's just go," Klaus urged her, plugging his nose and stepping over the rigor mortis-ridden remains. Fiona followed suit and they walked down the hall where she went to look for him and he ran to get away from the killer. Though the halls were a little dim due to the absence of Edison's invention, they still appeared untouched by murder. Nevertheless, they continued on with caution, just in case Klaus had assumed wrong about the killer's hours of operation. Their trek was a long one, but eventually, it paid off…just not in the way they'd imagined. They rounded another corner to where the elevators were, and were met with quite a sight.

"What the–––?!" Klaus gasped, his eyes wide.

Blood.

Everywhere.

Walls, floor, ceiling…

The whole corridor had become a horrifying Rorschach ink blot painting. But it didn't end there…

Body parts.

Everywhere.

Heads, arms, legs, internal organs…

The whole corridor had also become an uncomfortably silent graveyard. And they thought the smell was bad when they stepped out of their room…

"What the–––?!" Klaus choked again, gagging. "Wh…what happened?"

Fiona didn't say anything. She merely glanced at the gash on Klaus's chest, then back at the massacre. There was nothing to say. It was just one of those things that had to be seen in order to understand. To get the full effect of what lie before them.

"Well, well, if it isn't Klaus and Kap'n Krunch," a voice sang from behind.

Jumping in surprise, Klaus and Fiona looked to find Katey strutting up to them smugly. "You two are up awful early."

"You're up awful early," Fiona snarled.

"I am, aren't I?" Katey agreed, then shrugged. "Then again, I always am. I've always been an early bird. Late to get to bed, early to get up. I don't need sleep as much as other people."

"And why would that be, I wonder?" Fiona growled, folding her arms, though it sounded more like a statement.

"I've often wondered that myself," Katey admitted. "But I still can't figure it out." She passed by Klaus, copping a gratuitous feel along the way. Klaus let out a strangled, high-pitched yip, his face flushing redder than the hallway. Fiona looked at him, puzzled. She looked at Katey just in time to find her winking at Klaus, then she looked back at her husband, outraged. He may have been right about the killer…but he was a fucking liar about cheating! Why would he be so jumpy about Katey just passing by and winking at him if he was so loyal, innocent? Fiona's heart picked up the pace, vengeance surging through her body. Her worst nightmare had come true–––he was cheating. With who, she wasn't a hundred percent sure. But she did narrow it down to two suspects. Isadora would have hell to pay for seducing her husband if it was her, but if it was Katey? She'd bring this whole mansion down on her egotistical ass. It didn't matter who was still inside when it happened…

"You guys going down for breakfast?" Katey asked, tipping her head curiously.

"We were, actually," Fiona said, squinting at her suspiciously.

"Well, let's go then," Katey nodded her head down the hall. "I'm not gonna be left with the scraps, that's for sure," she added firmly, squinting ominously at Fiona. She turned and flounced past the carnage without so much as a gawk. Klaus's eyes bulged at her reaction. Katey kept walking as if nothing were there, like it was just a figment of his twisted, paranoid imagination. Klaus looked down nervously at his chest, then back up at Katey, then at Fiona, who made a bark-like snort as she watched Katey hurry off in the direction of her objective. "You won't need scraps after I'm done with you," she muttered.

"Huh?" Klaus asked.

"Nothing. Just talking to myself," Fiona said dismissively, shaking her head. "C'mon, let's go." The two resumed walking, hurrying as fast as they could past the bodies.

/

Munching on a piece of bacon, Isadora closely watched Quigley, who was sitting across the table from her in complete silence. For some odd reason, he had his sweatshirt hood up over his head and was staring intensely at the center of the table, as if it would disappear if he looked away. Isadora tipped her head, both curious and concerned. Quigley was always full of life, full of things to say, and even if he didn't feel like talking, he wouldn't have his hood up and be staring like a madman at the center of the table. His behavior was creepy, downright chilling, and she had to find out why. Judging by his actions, he was unlikely to tell her what was bothering him, so a little more studying would have to suffice if she wanted answers. After a little more observation, she noticed a few small scratches on his hands, as well as multiple dark brown smudges. Quigley had hurt himself–––that was old blood on his hands. She'd know that sight anywhere. But how? What happened to him?

"Are you alright?" Isadora asked at last. Even with all of her detective work, only a response from him would truly solve the mystery.

Quigley didn't move, didn't look up at her.

"What happened to your hands?"

Quigley was quiet.

"Quigley?" Isadora's eyebrows rose, worried.

Quigley kept staring at the table.

Just then, the dining room doors creaked open and in walked a red-eyed Duncan. Noticing both of his siblings at the table this early, he flinched. "Morning, guys," he said, walking over to them. "What are you two doing up this early?"

Isadora looked at him. "Eating breakfast," she said. "I couldn't sleep. Not after what happened yesterday."

"Same here," Duncan said, then looked at Quigley. "What are you doing up, Quigley? Couldn't sleep either?"

Quigley remained silent.

"Quigley?" Duncan tried again.

"He hasn't been answering me either, so don't feel bad," Isadora advised him, taking a bite of scrambled eggs. "Grab a plate, come sit down."

Duncan did as told, only when he came back, he sat next to Quigley instead of Isadora. After a few bites of his selections, he looked over at Quigley, determined to get a response out of him. "Why are you so quiet this morning?" he asked. "You're never quiet. What's going on?"

Quigley didn't say anything, didn't move in the slightest.

"You don't have to get into details, just say what's going on," Duncan said. "We're worried about you."

Quigley merely stared at the table.

Duncan looked at Isadora, tired of playing mind-reader. "What is his problem?" he asked, frustrated.

Isadora shrugged. "He's been like that ever since I walked in and grabbed something to eat," she replied. "God knows how long he's been in here. I can't get him to say anything. I can't even get him to eat breakfast."

"Yeah, well, it's creeping me out." Duncan glanced at the other end of the table where Tadrey sat. Did he know about what happened last night? It was unnerving enough that he saw that unspeakable sight in the hallway, he didn't need Quigley to make his anxiety worse. "Did you see what happened last night?"

"See what?" Isadora asked.

Duncan's eyebrows rose, astonished. "You didn't see what happened?" he gasped.

Isadora flinched at his reaction. "No…what?" she said slowly, wondering what had him in hysterics all of a sudden.

"People were murdered!" Duncan cried. "You didn't hear them screaming?"

"No," Isadora shook her head. "Where were they killed? What time?"

"In the North Wing. At one thirty-seven in the morning."

"Oh, no, I was asleep. And even if I was awake, I still couldn't hear them. My dorm's on the other side of the mansion."

"Seriously, Isadora, you should've seen it: body parts were all over the place! I saw someone's small intestine stretching a mile down the–––"

"Okay!" Isadora said with a shudder, holding her hands up for him to stop. "Duncan, I'm eating!"

"How can you eat when there's a killer in this place?!" Duncan demanded crazily, slamming his hands on the table. "They could be anywhere right now, waiting to kill us! And you think this is a time for breakfast?!"

Isadora looked down at his plate, then back up at him. "You're one to talk," she snorted.

"You're the one who told me to get breakfast!" Duncan said at once.

"You didn't have to do it! Quigley didn't!" Isadora pointed out.

Duncan growled, rolling his eyes. "My point is, we can't get too comfy. Who knows when the killer will strike again?"

"You sound like you know," Quigley said quietly.

Duncan and Isadora's eyes widened as they looked at him. The first words he'd spoken all morning. And they were directed at his older brother, who was explaining in detail about what happened last night.

"Excuse me?" Duncan huffed.

Quigley looked up from the table at him, that blood-chilling look still in his eyes. "I said you sound like you know when the killer will strike again," he repeated, his voice raspy and dark.

Duncan flinched. "Are you saying I'm the killer?" he yelled, appalled at his brother's nerve. "Because you're wrong! I saw him with my own eyes! He looked back at me and I ran for my life!"

"I saw him looking back at me, too," Quigley said, a demented, knowing smile now on his face. "And you were exactly right about the time he killed those people."

Duncan shivered, taking a daring glance at Isadora, his heart racing. "Uh…" he stuttered, not knowing what to say. But he wasn't alone. Isadora was staring at Quigley too, just as floored at his reaction.

"What did he look like?" Isadora asked. "That way we can be on the lookout."

"He was in a long black robe with his hood up, wearing an all-white theater mask. No faces, no cutouts on it, nothing. Just a blank white theater mask. And he killed those people with a long blade."

"He's riiiiiight," Quigley sang, glancing at both of them, that demented smile still on his face.

They looked at him, obviously disturbed by his reaction. With a shudder, Isadora carried on the conversation. "How can they even see where they're going if there's no holes or cutouts in the mask?"

"I don't know, Isadora, I didn't ask him," Duncan shot back irritably. "I was too busy running for my life!"

Suddenly, the dining room doors flung open again. The Quagmires looked to find Katey strutting inside, followed by Klaus and Fiona. Duncan and Isadora flinched. Everybody in their circle was up at this hour? That was odd…

"Morning, guys. You're up early," Duncan said with a puzzled look.

"So are you, cutie," Katey replied with a wink, heading over to the breakfast table to make a plate.

Duncan made a sheepish drawl-like noise, grinning down at the table. "I couldn't sleep," he said, blushing. "Not after what happened last night."

"Oh, thank God you're okay, Duncan," Klaus sighed, relieved as he got in line behind Katey, followed by Fiona. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you out last night. The killer was literally on my tail."

"Oh, it's…fine," Duncan said, feeling betrayed. Klaus, like his sisters, would always sacrifice his well-being for him and his siblings. Why he suddenly left him for dead to save his own skin was beyond him.

"Are you talking about what we think you're talking about?" Fiona asked.

"What, the murders?" Duncan said.

"Yeah! Did you see the hallway?" Klaus asked breathlessly.

"Uh…yeah. I was there," Duncan said, his feelings of betrayal manifesting into an obvious expression of anger. "Intestines were stretched out a mile long down the hallway."

"I saw a severed head with their eyes gouged out," Katey added, walking over and sitting next to Duncan. "Impeccable work, I might add," she muttered to him, reaching down and cupping his behind in her hand with a wink.

Duncan chuckled halfheartedly, looking back down at the table, this time with worry-stricken eyes. Should he have done that last night? Someone was bound to find out about it…

"Again…I'm eating," Isadora piped up testily, shooting her a disgusted glare. She looked at Klaus, who took a seat next to her. "Oh my God, what happened to you?!" she cried, her eyes bulging at the wound on his chest.

Everyone looked at Klaus, taking in his battle scar. To her astonishment, no one flinched or freaked out. They all stared at him as if it were old news.

"Yeah, I saw that," Katey said guiltily, picking at her eggs.

"He showed me last night when he came to bed," Fiona said simply, taking a bite of sausage.

"I was there. I saw him get cut," Duncan said tightly.

"So was I," Quigley said quietly, looking back down at the table again. That psychotic smile was finally off his face, to Duncan and Isadora's relief.

"How come I'm the only one who doesn't know about this?" Isadora asked, feeling out of the loop.

"You've been shut in your room the whole time we got here," Duncan told her. "In fact, I had to come get you for dinner last night. …Look, Isadora, I know you're shy, but you can't just stay in your room the whole time. There's so much to see and do out here." He gave her a scolding, father-like look.

"Not anymore," Isadora protested, shaking her head. "Not since the killer struck last night. All the more reason to stay in our rooms."

There was a pause as everyone filled their faces. "Has anyone seen Edison?" Klaus asked, looking around. "I haven't seen him since he came back from the landing strip."

Everyone shrugged, except for Quigley, who looked off to the side.

"Same here," Isadora replied.

"Yeah, same," Duncan said, Katey and Fiona nodding.

"Huh…" Klaus shook his head, thinking. "Hope he's alright."

"Yeah…" everyone agreed.

More eating. "But, y'know, now that I think about it, maybe he wouldn't have got cut if he would've just waited 'til morning to "tell Tadrey about the phone wire"," Fiona said, squinting suspiciously at Klaus.

Klaus looked at her, revolted. "What are you saying?" he asked.

"What were you really doing last night, honey?" Fiona inquired.

Klaus held out his hands in shock, looking around the table. "Going to tell Tadrey about the phone wire!" he insisted defensively.

"Oh really?" Fiona asked, her tone light and sarcastic.

"Yes!"

"Why are you so defensive then?"

"Because my wife doesn't believe me and I'm getting tired of it!" Klaus snapped angrily.

Fiona's eyes looked off to the side, thinking. "I see," she said, then scowled at Katey.

"What?" Katey said, flinching.

"You know what," Fiona hissed.

"Um, no I don't," Katey said, shaking her head, looking at Fiona like she was stupid.

"And don't think you're out of this too, missy!" Fiona spat, leaning forward to shoot daggers at Isadora.

Isadora flinched, blindsided by her sudden attack. "What?" she said softly, trying to wrap her head around what was going on.

"Oh, never mind," Katey declared dramatically, rolling her eyes. "I know exactly what your problem is…"

"Well, could you please tell me?" Isadora asked Katey, her innocent brown eyes quite shaken. "I don't understand."

Katey looked over at Isadora with a smirk. "Little Miss Possessive over here thinks her husband's cheating on her and thinks it's one of us," she explained with a nod at Fiona.

Offended, Isadora leaned forward to gawk at her accuser. "I did not sleep with your husband!" she yelled.

"Then what were you two doing in the control room?" Fiona demanded. "Alone?"

"The doorknob was missing and the frame was scuffed!" Isadora said hotly. "That's not normal, so I decided to check it out. Klaus turned around and saw me, wondering why I wasn't heading to my room, and he checked it out with me! I didn't tell him to, he just followed me in!"

"Why was he wondering why you weren't headed to your room, I wonder?" Fiona said, then looked at Klaus in triumph.

"Probably because something odd had my attention! It's a little hard to go to your room if you're preoccupied by something!"

"What about the phone wire? Is it new V.F.D. code to go screw someone? Because that's all he talked about late last night was a phone wire and he didn't come back for awhile."

"Yeah, what is it about this phone wire?" Duncan said, shifting in his seat. Klaus did the same, looking down at the table.

"Klaus found a phone wire that had been cut under a console," Isadora said. "He was worried it was sabotage because Tadrey takes good care of everything around here, and after what happened with the plane yesterday, everybody was traumatized and wanted to get out of here. If something prevented that after such a catastrophe, then obviously somebody didn't want us to leave. And since the enemy doesn't know about Maidenly Manor's location, then it must've been sabotage by one of our own."

"You sound like you know a lot," Fiona said with a sneaky smile. "Only the killer would know that."

"Not necessarily," Quigley said, then slowly looked up at her, his demented eyes piercing hers. "Usually the killer accuses. Never tells the truth." Just then, he smiled demonically. "I was there. She's telling the truth."

"You weren't there," Isadora told him, she and Klaus looking at him funny. "We never saw you."

"Was I?" The gleam in Quigley's eye worsened. He looked back at Fiona.

Fiona shifted in her seat, beginning to sweat as all eyes fell on her. "Quit looking at me like that, Quigley. It's creepy."

"Y'know, I have to take Isadora's side on this one," Katey said after another bite of scrambled eggs. "She's telling the truth. I just know."

"And how would you just "know"?" Fiona snarled.

"I was there, too."

"What? You were there, too?" Klaus's eyebrows rose. "We didn't see you, either. Besides, you left the chapel long before we did. You should've been in your room by the time Isadora and I left, judging by the route you always take. It would take time to come all the way back to the control room from your room, and by the time you would've got there, we would've already left."

Katey smiled slyly. "How do you know what route I take to get to my room, Klaus?" she asked. "Killers have everything planned out, even the most minute of details…"

"I'm not the killer!" Klaus protested.

"Kidding, just kidding," Katey told him coolly. "No, I think it was because you were stalking me. Maybe because you were a little lonely? Overtaken by a forbidden lust for something you can't have?" Here, she looked him up and down hungrily.

Klaus blushed furiously.

"Because you're a liar?" Fiona offered heatedly, her eyes narrowing dangerously at him.

"I'm not cheating on you!" Klaus screamed furiously.

"You're right about the killer, but you're a fucking liar about cheating!" Fiona screamed back at him, now on her feet. "You better get your act together, Klaus Baudelaire, because you're gonna be a father in a few months, and I'm not dealing with this anymore! Your actions affect others, and I'd hate to have others pay for what you've done!"

Suddenly, the doors opened and in walked Tadrey, mopping his sword blade up and down with a rag. Though the distance between the doors and the long dining room table was great, all of them could see that the white rag was stained with red blotches. And if he was cleaning his sword blade with it…

Tadrey, who was too preoccupied cleaning to even hear the arguing, looked up and jumped at the sight of them. "Oh…good morning everyone," he said with a warm smile. "Up awful early, I see. Did you sleep well?"

The whole table shook their heads. "Not after what happened last night," Duncan said.

Tadrey nodded in understanding. "I see." He walked around the table and up to his spot at the far end of it. "I'm so sorry about yesterday, you guys. The plane accident took more than just lives it seems."

The table looked at each other. "Oh, no, we were talking about the murders," Duncan clarified.

Tadrey stopped cold and looked over his shoulder at them, his eyes grave. "The murders?" he repeated, unable to believe what Duncan said.

"You…didn't hear the screaming last night?" Duncan's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"I…guess not." Tadrey looked at the wall for a moment, then resumed walking. "I was sleeping."

"Where's your room at?" Klaus asked.

"North Wing," Tadrey said. "Why?"

The table shared a bewildered glance. "That's where those volunteers where murdered!" Duncan gasped. "How could you not hear them?"

"I'm a heavy sleeper," Tadrey admitted with a weak shrug. He slid his sword back into its sheath and tucked the rag inside his white blazer pocket. "Would you mind showing me what happened?" he requested, concerned. "I don't want anyone else to get hurt."

"Sure. Follow me," Duncan said, getting up from the table. Everyone discarded their scraps, set their dirty dishes in a bin for the kitchen staff to wash, and followed Duncan through the doors and down the hall quickly. The manor was uncomfortably silent, an aura of menace hanging in the air like an invisible and heavy, malicious fog. What once was a safe place, what once was where the world was quiet, was no more. And worse…

It was by the hand of one of their own…

They pressed on, keeping their eyes peeled for any more clues as to where the killer might be lurking, where they might attack next, who they might attack next. This kept up for quite a walk, until a scream came from just above their heads. Their hearts racing, Tadrey and everyone booked it before it was too late. No one else was going to lose their life today. Over to the stairs they went–––

Isadora let out a scream, Tadrey's eyes widening with a strangled gasp. They were lucky to have not laid eyes on what had befallen the fallen last night. But now, just like the others, their luck had run out. Before them was a man about their age, bloodied and limbless, hanging by his neck from the rail of the staircase above them. But he wasn't hanging by an average rope–––he was hanging by a rope of bloody intestines.

"Neil," Tadrey whispered hoarsely, then shook his head, unable to believe it. A childhood friend of his, who'd majored in combat and self-defense, had been torn to pieces and displayed for the world to see how horribly he'd failed. Suddenly, there was a thud!, and everyone looked to find Isadora out cold on the floor.

"Isadora!" Klaus cried, rushing over to her as Tadrey dashed up the stairs. Gingerly, Klaus picked her up, then he and the others hurried up after him.

A flock of volunteers had gathered around to take in the sight, murmuring fearfully amongst themselves.

"Tadrey! What happened?" one volunteer cried.

"We're under attack!" another one hollered crazily. "Our enemies have found us!"

"The enemy didn't find us," Klaus corrected him, beginning to sweat. "It's worse: one of our own did it!"

The volunteers' panic amplified as they looked all around them wildly, like deer who knew they were being hunted.

"What are we gonna do?" a third volunteer screamed.

"Get the combat majors up here!" a fourth one suggested fretfully. "They can patrol the mansion and protect us until the killer's caught!"

"No need," Tadrey said quietly after a minute, shaking his head as he examined the various body parts scattered up and down the corridor. "All of 'em are here…"