Vendetta

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Chapter One

September 22nd, 1998 8:23pm


She was dying in my arms. I looked in her eyes and saw no fear, and no hatred for anyone. She was pure and felt no resentment for her killer. I could barely hear her voice as she coughed out her final words. Her eyes widened and winced with pain. She quivered and shook as the poison took over. I knew that what was done was done. There was no going back. I couldn't do anything. The other players couldn't save her. No way to save her from the villain. AlfendQ. He got me. I have been fighting against him for over ten years. He attacked the person that meant the most to me knowing full well that he had killed me with her.

"It's okay," she choked out. It wasn't okay. I saw the blood trickling from her lips. "Just know that whatever you do, I will always love you. No matter what."

She quaked with each word. The tears fell from her eyes to my hands. I could do nothing. I held her close for one last embrace. That's when I felt the life leave her body. That's when I felt the light leave mine. The joy that was in her eyes, the only happiness in my world, drained away.

I remember the day we met. That coffee shop, when I was working on a project. I talked to her for only a minute and I knew. I knew that she had already changed my life forever. I saw her again and again at that coffee shop every day for two years. I had loved her for six years after that. Now all that was over. In a moment. This moment.

AlfendQ. I curse the day he was born. The monster had killed hundreds of people in brutal ways. He had done it since he was a child. The blood on his hands would drown the world. The police had given up all hope of capturing him. This was his Panic Room.


September 22nd, 2018 8:00pm


My dreams are filled with fever inspirations. Last night I was feeling restless for a reason I couldn't quite understand. I have had a headache all week. September 22nd. I knew that today was the twentieth anniversary of the day it happened. I try to push the memories from my mind, but they work their way into my dreams. I can see their dark and spindly fingers pulling the strings. The ghosts. Dreams are dreams. I can't let them influence me no matter how much they want it.

I awoke in the dark feeling very dizzy. I looked up from where I was lying to see a ceiling very different from the one I remembered. I noticed that a window that I typically saw light through was gone. The feeling was familiar. The darkness was thick. Something felt off. It was like I didn't wake up in the same place as usual. I heard a terrified voice break the silence.

"Where am I?!!"

I sat up out of my bed and looked in the darkness. The voice I heard was unfamiliar and the fear in it chilled my bones. Panic struck me, and I lost my head. I couldn't see the one who had cried out. What were they doing in my house? Why didn't they know where they were? That's when I saw. I wasn't where I thought I was. I was in a large dark room, not my home, wrapped tightly in a plastic bundle. It was a strange epiphany. I was unmoved but nonetheless confused. I quickly tore away the plastic and tried to stand up. My legs felt like jelly and I instantly collapsed. My stomach lurched, and I vomited on the floor. The dizziness wasn't drowsiness like I initially thought. I had been drugged. It was some kind of sedative. I wondered how long I had been asleep. It may have been days. I tried to analyze my surroundings but found nothing. It was pitch black. I remembered the voice and sat up to try to answer.

"Are you still there?" I called out.

"What is going on?" A new voice had answered my call.

Male. Probably late 20's. Eastern American. Probably D.C. area. "I don't know what is going on," I said. "Tell me what you know and stay calm." I knew full well what was going on. It was obvious. I was in a dark room, unsure of how I got here with other unknown individuals. It is September 22nd. I was in one of AlfendQ's games. It was as simple as that. I almost laughed. I am in the same building as him. Picking me was a mistake on his part. He is going to be aware of that very soon. My vendetta isn't going to be forgotten so easily.

"I don't know anything," the voice said. "I just woke up here. Who are you?"

My name is not important. "Tell me your name and maybe I can help you."

"Hello? Who's there?" a new voice called out. Female. Around 20. Also, most likely D.C area. Her voice was the most terrified I had heard yet.

"Stay calm," I said to her. "None of us know where we are at. Stay calm and tell us anything you may know."

"I didn't see his face," she cried. "He stabbed me with something. I think it was a needle."

I wanted to crawl over and help her, but I didn't want to risk throwing her into panic. I just sat up and tried to keep down what was left in my stomach. I needed to figure out what was going on as best as I could before the game starts. "What is your name?"

"My name is-"

She was interrupted by the shrill sound of a horn. I heard at least four other voices scream. The horn was loud, and I wondered if my ears would bleed. Immediately after the horn was a quick shock in the back of my head that threw me to the floor. Suddenly the lights went on. We were in a large room full of chairs. The floor was gray carpet and a large stage was in front of us. There were four sets of double doors leading to who knows where. I could see five other bodies wrapped in the same plastic that I was wrapped in. All of them were tearing themselves free and attempting to stand up, most of them vomiting in the process. I counted two women, and three other men besides myself. 6 subjects.

My train of thought was stopped all at once when the voice came over an intercom. The voice was deep and distorted beyond recognition. Obviously, it was meant to hide his identity. This was the voice of AlfendQ.


Hello everyone...

I see you have already tried to reveal your names.

I would recommend not trying that again.

From now until the end of today's game you will each simply go by a number instead of your actual name.

If you feel it necessary to share your name, then go ahead. I will make no attempt to stop you.

But if you choose to do so your chance of living through the night drops by about 80 percent...


I heard weeping beside me and saw one of the subjects on her knees. She was the one who tried to tell me her name. My name is not important, so I will be fine. This was one of AlfendQ's mind games. I wasn't giving in. I saw quickly that she was the weaker subject. I would watch her and help her all I could.


So... Now to the business of assigning numbers.

You will each feel another shock in the back of your head.

The first person shocked will be called one,

The second will be called two and so on...


I was thrown to the ground by an agonizing shock in the back of my head. I didn't just feel it in the back of my head. The pain shot all over my body down to my fingertips... I suppose that means my number is One.

One by one, the people beside me were shocked. The first voice I heard was Two. The second voice I heard was Four. The female voice who I talked to was Five. There were two I hadn't heard anything from yet. A man and a woman. The man was tall, and his face was like stone. The lighting made his skin look like stone as well. He was very cold. Expressionless he stared at the floor listening to anything the voice said. He was subject Three.

The woman beside him was about 5'6 and had dark long hair. Her eyes looked empty and so did her expression. For a reason I can't explain, she made me feel strange. The look in her eyes made me sad. In a way she reminded me of her. Subject Six.


Now that we know each other's new names,

I will tell you your fate.

While you were asleep I put small implants in the back of your head.

What this will be used for is to ensure that you

Obey my rules. What will happen is if you make a mistake, this implant will detonate, killing you instantly.

Now... Each of you will be given a laser tag at the start of the game. It appears to be a simple toy at first glance, but it is actually connected to the implant. If the laser tag gun dies you die.

So... Listen very carefully because I am only going to say this once...

The six of you will split into three teams, and each of you will go on separate paths. I will give each team a simple clue. Follow the clue hunt and reach the end of it before your two hours end.

It is that simple. All people who finish their clue hunt in time will be spared.

DO NOT USE YOUR GUN UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES

If the laser tag gun is fired or tampered with in any way you will die.

Now...

One and Two will find their clue in the far corner underneath a broken chair...

Three and Four will find their clue in the trashcan by the locked door...

Five and Six will find their clue at the stairs to the stage.

Good luck...


And that was it. It was the first time I heard him speak. I will entertain him for now, but he is going to find soon that I am not someone to play games with. I have been preparing for this moment for twenty years. I forced myself off the ground and hobbled over to the far corner of the room. Five, Two, and Four began panicking right away. They were either shouting or crying. They were not going to succeed tonight with that resolve. I found the broken chair. My hands were shaking wildly, and I had a splitting headache, but I needed to ignore that for now. There was an envelope labeled twelve waiting there. I laughed. One and Two; Twelve. What caught my eye more than the envelope was the two flashing blue lights. Laser tag guns. They were very toy like. You would never have guessed their deadliness. Bright flashing lights. I saw the gun labeled One and took it. We would be playing with toys tonight. Motion in the corner of my eye drew my attention.

Two was stumbling over to my direction. I was amazed at his resilience. The drugs were not having too much of an effect. He could stand. He was about 5'8. He had glasses and red hair.

"Two," I said. I didn't know much of what to say. I grabbed the gun with his new name on it and handed it to him. He took it after some hesitance. He nodded, and I quickly understood. There was nothing to say. I could detect a survival instinct in him. That would work to his advantage, and mine as well. I wanted his trust, so I handed him the envelope, so he could be the one to open it.

He solemnly opened the envelope. "Thank you." He pulled out a piece of paper with a strange name typed on it. Sight Room... Something seemed very familiar about all of this. I looked at the riddle and saw that I knew the answer. I don't know how but I did. The subconscious, I have learned, is a strange thing. Unpredictable. Sometimes you know something you shouldn't know and then don't know why. Tonight will be interesting.


8:10 pm


Three sat quietly with his letter. Four sat passively in one of the chairs two seats away examining the gun he had found closely. He could see that Five and Six were looking at a clue of their own. Three said nothing and only gazed at the paper in his hands.

Fear lurks in the closet.

Those were the words that Three fixated on. Four was feeling very nervous. He was covered in sweat and he couldn't stop shaking. The laser tag gun in his hand felt heavy like his head. He looked at the clue that had been given to them.


THE SILENT ROOM

WHAT SONG DID YOU PLAY WHEN YOU DID IT?

LAP PPPP P

Cooking Pot

GO FOR THE THROAT


Silent Room it read. Three felt chills roll down his spine. The next sentence shook him far more. How did he know. How did he know what he did? What song did you play when you did it? Three had played moonlight sonata. That is what he had remembered playing. He had used it to calm his nerves when he did it. When he did it. It. It had been in the back of his mind for several years. A subtle reminder would bring back the fear every day. The fear of being found out. The only emotion he could feel anymore was that anxiety and fear. But that didn't matter. Moonlight sonata was what he played.

"I don't understand."

Three looked over at Four who was reading intently. He wondered why Four was here. What did he do?

"I do." Three stood up from the chair. "Let's look around. Maybe we can learn more if we leave this room."

Four nodded. "Perhaps this Silent Room will be nearby."

"Yeah," Three said. "I was thinking more that we may figure out where we are."

"That too." Four chuckled nervously. It was very forced. All his strength was contributing to not panicking. His stomach twisted. The sleeping drugs were still in his system and he was thinking he was going to vomit again.

Four and Three walked towards the double doors on the left side of the room they were in. The doors opened into a dark hallway. A light could be seen a couple feet ahead. The light was a doorway. Four made out a sign on the wall that read Mine Room.

Three looked down the hallway to the left and saw that the hallway opened out into another room. To the right there was darkness. But there was also something else. Music. Three took off in the direction of the music.

"Wait," Four panicked. "What happened?!" He chased after Three. Darkness swallowed them, and they hit a dead end of the hallway very quickly. Three stopped in front of a door at the end of the hallway. Four thought he could see a haunted look. His eyes had become even more empty then they were before. His stone face was melted to be a face of history, a face that had seen things. It was like far off memories had been triggered.

Moonlight sonata was playing in the background. Three opened the door with the clue in hand. What song did you play when you did it?

"Three, are you all right?"

There was silence between them. Moonlight sonata played in a grating way. It was haunting and agonizing. The music hit Three harder. He stumbled into the pitch-black room and struggled to see. The music enveloped him like the darkness did. How did he know? How did AlfendQ know? How had this been set up for him. It was disconcerting and unsettling.

"Let me see the clue," Four yelled. He was getting frustrated with how little Three said. Three gave it up. "We need to get this figured out as soon as possible. We have less than two hours and we are going to die if you don't help me. We need to work together on this. Got it? If you don't help me I will kill you."

"Anything you say," Three said absently. Four saw a pin of blue light. It was a small speaker and it was playing the music. Three ran over to it and smashed it. He would not let AlfendQ get into his head. This move was too far. He wasn't afraid of death. Torture, related to what happened was another story. Three felt rage in him.

Four sighed. "What is going on? What do you know. We need to work together, or we will die."

Three nodded. The room they were in was pitch black. The speaker that had been playing moonlight sonata was smashed and all that was left was the remaining laptop that the effect had been playing from. There was a single table in the center of the room. Based on what the laser tag strobe lights showed there was garbage everywhere. Four even saw an old game console that reminded him of past times. Happier times.

Suddenly the laptop drew his attention. He looked at one of the pieces of the clue.


LA P PPPP P

Cooking Pot


If you reversed the underlined word you would end up with Top. Lap Top. Four couldn't discern what the writing below said but it appeared to be written in wingdings font. If only it could be translated at present.

"Hey Three." Four pointed out the clue to him and Three stood up. They walked over to the lone laptop and lifted the lid. They saw an orange paper under the lid that had the word KITCHEN written on it in felt tip pen. It couldn't be more obvious.

"Let's go," Three said. He glanced at the speaker lying in pieces on the floor. "I'm sorry. You're right. We need to work together if we want to survive. I won't let him get in my head."

"Him?" Four asked. "You mean the voice."

"Yes. His name is AlfendQ."

Something about the name reminded Four of something. It was familiar. He had heard of the AlfendQ killings. He had also heard the name in a different place than the killings. He realized in terror why he was here. This wasn't as random as he had assumed at first. It went deeper.

"We've got to get to the kitchen." Four said. He took a deep breath in. He was afraid and still struggling to keep from panicking. "I am guessing we are going to find something there."

Three nodded. "Do you think a trap is possible?"

"Maybe. What else is there really to do?"

They stepped outside of the Silent Room and began walking down the hallway. They walked past the Mine Room and the double doors leading to the waking room. Three saw Five and Six in the Mine Room as they passed. He hoped they were doing all right.

Three and Four stepped out into a room they had never seen before. It had a glass ceiling and moonlight shone onto the green tiles below. Across the room they could see two sets of double doors. They could see a parking lot outside. Out there is where they would find freedom. They saw a sign on a door on the other side of this large room. It had a sign on it that read Kitchen. Another dark hallway could be seen to the left of the door. Three and Four walked over to the door and opened it. Inside was absolute darkness. A small paper fell out of the door as they opened it.



San Francisco PD/Detective Marcus Scott/AQ case

September 23rd, 2012

According to new sources, the serial killer known as AlfendQ has returned on the police radar. The M.O is the same. 11 people were found dead last night at the old museum on the north side of town. They all had cranial implosions and heavy sedatives were still found in their bloodstream. Tapes were left on the premises of them playing a death game. It appears puzzles and riddles had been set up for them all over the building, but they failed to solve them this time.

Six of them had severe trauma in the internal organs such as appendix, liver, heart, and lungs. The rest of the inner organs had decayed entirely. Five of them had blunt force trauma to various parts of the body. Similar bruises were found on one of the poisoned victims. We have reason to believe that they beat each other to death and the poisoned victim with the bruises was the winner.

Evidence has been found to support that one of the victims, maiden name being Jacklyn. S. Reoder is the most important piece in the game. We found several personalized letters written to her that she received during the game accusing her of working against him with the police. She was not on our payroll, so we are unsure of what to think other than she works with

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