Chapter 138: Asher
The girl with the clipboard, Jessy en Jessica ni something, had led me to the library a few minstra nas, practically alleati into the room with a wide quin, hit berath pulling in the cold air seeping through the old window frames.
“Alright, you’re the first minder victim” she said,
ping to the recand page of her dates. Stabbed in the ch
Frocked an eyebrow at that, “Stabbed!
She nodded, twirling her pen. “Yeah, like, right through the heart.”
I huffed a small, dry laugh. “Solid choice.”
She hesitated, chewing on her lower lip. “Wait,
I that actually kill you? I feel like you’d int…
th excitement. She pulled me
1 smirked. “No. Stabbing to the heart? Meny. Painful. Partly solid way to take someone out?
Her eyes spackled, “Perfect! Okay, yeah, just… act deal. You can move around a bit if you hear a or anything.”
a murder
- happening, but, like, no talking. You’re not a
I gave her a slow nod, leaning back on the small leather couch, stretching my legs out, atms draped over the hackerst.
“Okay! Have fun being dead!” She scampered off, her ponytail swishing like an overexcited golden retriever.
I close my eyes, letting the crackling fire soak into my skin. The leather creaks softly beneath me as I shift, trying to find a more comfortable ption. The room is filled with that old–paper–and–leather smell, mixed with the faint smokiness of the fire
Dead.
Not exactly a stretch. I’ve played this part before. Too many times, actually.
Footsteps echo down the hallway, followed by a hushed, excited whisper. The door creaks open, and two people shuffle inside, their shadows stretching long
“Oh shit,” a pay mutters, stopping short when he sees me sprawled on the couch.
His friend shorts. “Relax, dude. He’s just playing dead. It’s part of the game.”
The first guy lets out a nerimi
out a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Right. Yeah. Forgot for a second. He just looks… kinda real, y’know?”
“Man, if he was really dead, do you think he’d be chilling like that? One leg all casually crossed over the other? He looks like he’s about to ask for a whiskey, not a body bag
I smirk internally, keeping my eyes closed.
They start shuffling through the shelves, whispering to each other about motives and clues, clearly trying to piece together the “crime.”
One of them pets, brave and leans meer me, his breath smelling like stale beer and pretzels. “Hey, man. You know who killed you?”
⠀⠀⠀ I stay perfectly still
“Bro, he’s dead. He can’t talk,” his friend hisses, dragging him away.
They leave after a minute, their footsteps echoing down the hall.
I let out a slow breath, my mind alriting to a pair of green, wide eyes and Soft, flushed checks.
1/3
Chapter 138: Asher
I wonder if she’s playing along, thrasing herself into the drama of it all,
Aloud shell screant cuts through the hallway, and Lail up, every
gring tense. My fun thènght in Pran, but then I catch the taskbar).
gle of one of the girls from the retreat, and I force myself to relax a fraction.
| push up off the couch, stretching my shoulders as Dheal for the door,
The hallway is chaotic — people whispering, printing at each other, acting overly singlcinos on purpite. A small creed has gathered near the grand Malicase, beads craning to look at something on the landing.
“She’s dead!” someone shoots, pointing to a girl dramatically sprawled across the bottom few steps, one arm draped me the banister, her head tilted at a cartoonish angle.
“Damn,” a guy mutters, snapping a picture on his phone. “This is actually kinda fun”
I turn to head back to the library, but something stops me.
A licker of movement at the top of the stairs,
Long, dark hair. Small, graceful frame.
She’s leaning over the railing, watching the scene below with wide eyes, her fingers curled around the polished wood like she’s half a second away from Kolting. She catches my eye, and for a brief moment, her shoulders relax.
I tip my head slightly, the smallest of nods, and her lips twitch into a ghost of a smile.
Good. She’s okay.
1 step back into the library, resuming my place on the couch, letting the warmth of the fire soak back into my skin. I close my eyes again, forcing my mind to quiet.
But my senses stay sharp, every creak and whisper from the hallway keeping my nerves on edge.
I know it’s a game. Just a stupid, college, murder–mystery game.
But the thought of her name and the word “murder in the same sensence still makes something dark and primal twist in my chest
Footsteps echo down the hallway again, heavier this time. I don’t bother opening my eyes until they stop just inside the library door.
I crack one eyelid, catching a pair of beat–up sneakers, scuffed jeans, and a nervous fidget of fingers
I look up. It’s one of the guys from the football team
wide shoulden, curly hair, a little too tall to be that skittish, but his eyes keep darting around like
he expects someone to jump out of the bookcases and stab him for real.
He takes a few hesitant steps inside, eyes sweeping over the old books, the pool table, the crackling fire, and then finally, me.
“Uh… hey, man, “The whispers, leaning closer.
I raise
an eyebrow,
“Someone just threatened to kill me,” he says, lopking over his shoulder like he expects his would–be murder to pop up behind him. “Like, in the game But still, What should I do?”
i tilt my head, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. I’m supposed to be dead, but this guy looks genuinely freaked out.
I lean forward, resting my forearms on my knees, locking my eyes on his, I keep my voice low, low, I’m telling him a dark, blondy stret. “Look, I’m no technically allowed to talk, since I’m dead *
Chapter 138: Asher
He swallows, eyes nicking to the fire, then back in the
“But, I contime, letting my lips twitch into a slow, nimised smirk, “if I were you, I wouldn’t that’s a fast track to griting framed for my munder.”
His eyes widen, and he steps back like I just told him his fate is sealed.
“Oh. Shit, Right.”
I nod, sitting back again, arms stretching over the back of the much. “Wep
Around telling people you’ve Been thing –
He shuffles awkwardly for a moment, his eyes darting between me and the door. “Okay, uh, thanks, man. Good talk,“
I just nod once, and he backs out of the room, the door cerking shut behind him.
I let out a slow breath, a hint of a smile curling at the catner of my mouth. These people have no idea what they’ve gotten themselves into
The fire crackles again, and I close my eyes, listening to the chaotic whispers and hurried footsteps in the hallway outside.
If Penny’s still having fun, then I’ll play along. But if someone comers her or pulls her into a room without my knowledge
Yeah. I come back from the dead for that.
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