Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a 2nd cycle, and then a 3rd, 4th, etc through 48th cycle. Now cycle 49!

"Blunt Spell Trauma"

4. Cursed to Death
(cast list in previous chapter)

Hours had passed, and while discussions had stretched to an impasse, they had split off to their corners it seemed. But then for the second time that day, the doors had opened, and in walked two unannounced guests, returning. The mayor, with his brother-in-law by his side, strode up toward the various clusters, looking more concerned than the last time they had seen him.

"Is she here?" They looked to one another, lost.

"Is who here?" Elliott asked.

"Sarah. She's disappeared, and… you," he looked to Caleb. "Did she come here?"

"I haven't seen her," he shook his head.

"Accusing us, Mayor Conrad?" Jillian spoke up. "And here I thought you liked us…" she pouted.

"Where's Miss Levy? Let me talk with her," the mayor insisted. She was not there, which they now came to notice, along with another.

"Where's Victor?" Elizabeth frowned.

"What's that?" Cole pointed, and they turned to find a trail of lights coming on along the ground, coming toward them.

"It's a spell," Caleb provided. The others looked to one another; this didn't bode well. Still, slowly, they started to follow the line, dots of light guiding them. Hands hovered at the ready, to defend themselves if need be.

The lights guided them though, and as they went further, they found a new trail, one of yellow and purple, and then the trails all ended, and they all paused, in shocked silence at what they found before their eyes.

The three bodies were splayed about the ground, though their feet all remained pooled together. With their eyes open, it was clear to any and all they weren't asleep. Still, Elizabeth rushed forward first, kneeling to make sure this wasn't a spell. When she realized it wasn't, she was left startled, looking to her friend, dear Victor, who rested there dead with Serena Levy and Sarah Conrad.

"Let me through!" the mayor begged, and the others stepped aside, allowing him and his brother-in-law passage, knowing the next moments would not be easy. When he saw his daughter there on the ground, he rushed forward, barely giving Elizabeth a chance to step back before he was there on his knees to gather the blonde up. "Sarah? Wake up now," he begged, giving her a shake. She wouldn't wake. "Please, sweetheart, wake up now," he asked, at a loss. Cole looked to his niece, just as shocked, before turning on the collected group quietly mourning as well, for the other two. "Which one of you did this to my niece," his look was lethal.

"It wasn't us," Elliott declared. "We didn't even know she was here."

"Please, you've got my brother-in-law fooled, but not me!" he shouted. "One of you did this, now man up."

"In case you haven't noticed, there are three bodies," Jillian pointed to the ground. "Your niece wasn't the only victim here."

"Well I'm sure they had it coming," his words were like a flame lit next to a fault of dynamite. All those before him had their hands up and lit at him, a unified front for once.

"Stop!" Wilson called, still on the ground with Sarah. "Cole, stop making it worse. Everyone, you know I've always been there to support you, and I've respected you. Now I need your help, as much as you need mine. I want to find the person responsible for what happened to my daughter, to Miss Levy, and to Mr. Connolly. I beg you…"

"We'll help," Caleb spoke up, and they saw now how red his eyes had gotten, brimmed with tears. He was looking not to his friend, or his old friend, but to the human girl in her father's arms, and he had a duty set to achieve. "I swear," he looked to the others, urging them to get on board. Some took longer than others, but they agreed.

"Thank you," Mayor Conrad bowed his head, looking to Sarah again, but also the others. He didn't know Victor Connolly that well, but he was very familiar with Serena Levy of course. None of them deserved this, and he couldn't help but look at the group before him, wondering if one of them was lying to his face.

"You know, there is one way we can settle this," Eveline spoke, stepping forward. "We could ask them."

"What are you saying?" the mayor asked.

"You have a room full of witches and warlocks. If we can't raise a few spirits, then what's the point," Clara explained to him. They were on board, all parties, so that was decided.

An arm was raised in the air, the light blinking on and off three times: game pause. "Okay, we can hold here for dinner," Kurt declared. After a beat, the three pairs of dead open eyes blinked.

"Can I get a hand?" Artie asked, and Mike came up to help him back into his chair. Rachel sat up, stretching before standing, while Brittany stared up to her 'father' with a smirk before he helped her up.

"I'm starving. Being dead is exhausting," she declared.

"Well, everyone follow me, dinner will be served," Kurt resumed host duties, leading his troupe off.

"I didn't even know," Rachel was telling Mercedes and Tina. "I didn't know I'd die, but then he handed me a card, during the game," she indicated Kurt.

The group came to sit around the table previously set, and Kurt served them, with Rachel and Blaine's help, as before the game had started. Finally they were good to start their dinner, a break in the mystery.

TO BE CONTINUED (SUNDAY)