Chapter 5

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After Amanda died, allegedly from poisoning, all of the players were more guarded about their food, including the killer. This was partly about keeping up her poker face, but she also feared that one or more of the others suspected her. If they couldn't take her physically they might take their chances and poison her. Everyone was becoming more and more paranoid, even about members of their own faction. Some friendships were being formed, Laura and Eve, Lindsay and Danielle, Clarke and Atlanta. But even among friends there was always that thought in the back of each of their minds, "Am I with the killer right now?" For the killer that thought was "I will have to murder this girl soon enough." They were living in a mansion, but for the most part they were too were all too paranoid to enjoy any of the luxuries. Perhaps that was part of the entertainment for the audience down here. That night, as some tried to sleep, they were woken up by a loud scream. The scream was from Penny, as she fell from the roof. The remaining ten suspects ran out to see what had happened, the killer blended in with the others, in all the confusion noone was really certain who had been in her bedroom when Penny fell. At any rate they all went outside, and saw Penny's body. The announcer soon said "Penny is dead. She was not the killer."

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Clarke: It looks like someone pushed her off the roof.

Danielle: Wouldn't there be bruises on her.

Clarke: Yeah, she would have put up a fight. Everyone show your arms, let's see who has bruises.

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All ten girls showed their arms, noone had bruises.

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Clarke: This doesn't make sense, how could one of us fight Penny and not have bruises.

Colleen: Maybe one of us forced her at gunpoint to jump. Some would prefer jumping to being shot.

Ashley: You have experience with this?

Colleen: Yes. Sometimes, when I had to kill someone, I would give them a choice. Being shot, or jumping off a roof. Sometimes pills would be a choice. I got away with it by masking murders as suicides, and some of my victims thought is was less painful.

Ashley: So you forced Penny to jump at gunpoint.

Colleen: No, I didn't.

Ashley: I'm betting you also ground up sleeping pills and put it in Amanda's food, and you slit Selene's throat as well. You'd probably be strong enough.

Colleen: So would Clarke, or Eve.

Clarke: Except that so far it seems to be my faction that the killer is targeting.

Sophie: It doesn't matter what faction the killer is a part of. Eventually she'd have to kill all of us.

Ashley: I think you're the killer Sophie. I'd like to call for a vote.

Lindsay: Don't bother, the vote has to be unanimous and we won't vote for her.

Clarke: And if you call for a vote against Ashley, we won't vote for her.

Ashley: Let's just settle this between you and me b...

Sophie: Fine by me. We both had experiences with dues when we were alive. So I challenge you, b..., to a duel. Do you accept?

Ashley: Accepted.

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The minion then appeared and explained the rules as he handed each lady a pistol.

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Minion: The rules are this, you turn your backs to each other, count ten paces. On ten, turn and shoot. If you fire first, and miss, you must stand still and wait as your opponent takes her shot. If you fire before ten, you will be eliminated, regardless of whether you successfully killed your opponent. At the end of this it will be revealed if the deceased person was the Killer. May the best lady win.

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The other eight players stood their distance. Sophie and Ashley turned their backs toward each other, and walked the ten paces. They quickly turned, and Sophie was able to fire first. She shot Ashley in the head, killing her instantly. But the minion disappeared, and they had to wait the 15 minutes before the announcer officially said "Ashley is dead. She was not the killer." It seemed that Ashley and Sophie's feud was for nothing, and Ashley was dead. Some couldn't help but wonder if her feud had been a ruse, and if Sophie was the killer.