Time of death - seventeen thirty-two. I can only hope she doesn't spring back to life again.

By the looks of it, she had been conscious for quite some time - long enough to turn my precious t-shirt collection from around the world into a substitute for bandage. She unarguably had to be trained to treat a stab wound by herself with little to no tools.

Regardless, she should have taken my life instead of destroying my t-shirts! I've been collecting them for well over a decade, and this... loss - it's too much to bear. If I had seen her sporting them around her torso before, I would have suffocated her myself with my bag of crisps, long before Luca joined us. It's almost as if she knew that I couldn't live without them.

In less than twenty four hours, I have managed to break Blaine, flummox the living hell out of Sloane and annihilate all of Luca's plans to get into my pants. And not just that - the knife that tried to have me done in once upon a time ensured that I live happily ever after. I must tell Drew to make arrangements for me to visit Challenger Deep, so I can drop the knife there myself and be certain it doesn't come back.

Now that I think about it, the pressure down there might find a way to give life to the knife and have my throat slit in the blink of an eye.

I look up at Luca, who was staring at the inanimate figure on the floor with - disgust? I am not sure what it was. It had still only been a few seconds since the incident. He is yet to feel remorse for his actions, if I have learned anything about human nature. That will kick him right where the sun doesn't shine in three... two...

'What have I done?'

Called it. His face was now an orgy of horror, terror, guilt and agony. I simply do not have the energy to feign emotion to 'empathize' with him. Shit just got way too real and emotions are exhausting.

'Well, you did save an innocent soul. I owe you one. Thanks.' I say with a smile that I'm guessing looked deranged given the context. Time is of the essence, and I can't afford to keep explaining everything down to the last detail, so I continue, 'You need to lose the knife. Drop it in the kitchen sink and run water over it for now. We'll get rid of it later.'

'B-b-but I killed somebody! Someone tried to kill you! How are you not freaking out right now?' His tone was sharp - terrified, yet sharp.

But he did have a point. Why does everyone else always freak out? Today would have been a blast if everyone just enjoyed the moment for what it is.

I calmly say, 'Chill out. Get rid of the knife first, you don't want blood all over. I'm sure it will be okay, you'll have to trust me.' I relax my face, wrinkle my eyebrows and soften my eyes before I say, 'I'm just as confused as you are. Right until a minute ago, I thought I had killed her in the morning, but apparently not.' I gulp for theatrical effect.

He scoffs, pointing the knife at my direction and offering an incredulous look. 'So this wouldn't have happened if you killed her right? Why'd you kill her in the first place, huh?'

Interestingly, this man is almost the complete opposite of Blaine - rational, and void of leaking eyeballs.

'Luca, please, put the knife aside. I'll tell you everything, I swear.' I keep up my act by letting my voice break at the end. He stops pointing the knife in question at me, but doesn't let it go.

'When I came home this morning,' I continued, 'she was already here, trying to take a-advantage of Blaine. I ended up stabbing her, and we thought she w-was... d-dead!. We had to m-make a run to the h-h-hospital because I accidentally h-hurt myself with that same k-knife you are holding... and then w-we came back home with one of my f-friends and I took a walk outside where I met y-you, and when I returned, she was a-a-alive and well.'

My drama teacher would be so proud of me if she was here right now. I remember her commenting about my terrible acting skills.

'You... you are lying. You look perfectly alright to me.' He pointed the knife at me again. I soon realized that the poncho hid the entirety of my arm including the sling, completely. I wordlessly lift the left side of it, so he can be the judge of his own accusation.

His expressions softened at that, and he was more at ease afterwards. Clearing his throat, he asks, 'Do you know who she was?'

I laugh, still making sure my expression looked pained. 'Maybe, I don't know. Remind me to offer tea and biscuits to my murderer, if there ever should be a next time. Now get rid of the darned knife without dripping blood on the floor!' My patience may have run thin despite my efforts to not creep him out when I ended the statement. But hey, he was asking for it.

He backs away to the kitchen, which was to the right from where we stood. I touch the stinging cut on my neck and wince. I hear the water run from the faucet.

Meanwhile, I further examine the corpse. Who sent her here? How did they know I was with Blaine and not at my own house? Only Sloane knew of my temporary living arrangements. Does she have anything to do with this? Or Blaine, perhaps? I know I trust too easily, but how dare they!

Yet, I know I have to find Sloane and Blaine - dead or alive, hopefully the latter. Having to get rid of one body is already one too many.

'I'll be checking the rooms upstairs for Blaine and Sloane. You can join me if you want or mope in a corner. I'll explain everything and what's to come next when I find them,' I call out to Luca, loud enough for him to have heard me.

'Wait, don't leave me alone here with her, I'm coming too.'

Luca follows me on my quest upstairs. I stop in front of Blaine's room, and he went on to check the rest of the floor. His initial shock had died down by the looks of it.

I pick up a vase lying close by and enter the room - one can never be too careful. In front of me as I opened the door, tied unto chairs were two wailing adult babies with their mouths stuffed with what I guessed were the remains of my t-shirts that were brutally massacred, may they rest in peace.

If only my friends were mermaids. I would be the richest person in the world - nay, galaxy, if I got to sell their tears.

'Ngh! Nghw fbwd bvdbv!' That was Sloane.

'Give me a second, my conscience is telling me to be rational and make a run for it while I still can.' I add. 'That, and I have no idea what you just said.'

'Gniia!'

'Okay, so before I untie you two, there's something you should know.'

They gave me a look that I guess said get it over with already, but I'll just pretend I didn't really get that.

'Today has been a crazy day, I know, but you have to forgive me for walking in on whatever kinky setup this is. I just wanted to let you two know that we can't have whatever it is I said we will be having tonight for dinner, because I just got to know I have plans with my brother.'

Naturally, I get no clear response, although I hear a lot of "gn"s and "ar"s from them.

'Hmm, yeah, I guess I will have to ditch him. Or we can all go out and have some fresh food from a nice restaurant for once. My treat.'

I look around the room while they continue making stifled sounds and see a first aid kit sprawled open. The woman must have used whatever was in it. I guess I can use something from it for my neck.

I leave the vase on the floor and start untying them without saying anything else, only because I could use some help with cleaning up the cut. They were tied down with duct tape, not rope, as I had previously assumed, and removing even that was a painful task given my status. How the woman managed to tie two people down and attack a third with a gaping hole near her guts amazes me. I'd like to be on a lifetime supply of whatever she's been having if it makes me have such godlike powers.

Sloane's hands were undone and she takes her gag off. 'Oh my god! Someone is out there trying to have you killed! Not everything is a joke, Isla, you need to pay attention sometimes!'

She was still going on about something that I nod and agree to, although I have no clue what she is going on about.

It suddenly dawned on me that it was customary for first aid kits to have scissors. Maybe it won't be up to the task, but it is still something.

'Help Blaine out while I find a pair of scissors, will you?' I walk to the first aid kit.

Except it wasn't a first aid kit. Well, not entirely at least. Or perhaps it was, just not completely in a medical sense. It did have scissors, ones that were quite strong for just medical use. It also had a few other tools, including several that I did not know the names or uses of, and some unmistakable magazines.

For the record, it was not the Times or the Cosmopolitan, but rather the type that makes guns serve their purpose.

I pick up the scissors and hand it over to Sloane, who managed to free herself with their help. I turn my attention back to the 'kit' and pick up some gauze and surgical spirit that it contained.

So she had a gun? Then why not use it on me or anyone else? She had more than enough ammo for starters.

I had registered all the voices in the room out of my head for a while, because they were probably still going on about the woman and how she is looking for me, but I got quite distracted from ignoring them when Sloane screamed. I look back and see that the same vase from before already propelled towards Luca's direction. It was too late for introductions when it hit him right on his you-know-whats, with best regards from Sloane.

It would be safe to say that everyone currently in this room has gone through a fair share of physical and emotional trauma today, some more than others.

Surprisingly, I was able to contain my laughter. While Luca struggled to get back on his feet, I clear my throat and introduce them to each other, 'Luca, this is my braindead best friend Sloane who wants to rid the world of men. Sloane, this is Luca, an old friend of mine from university and apparently Blaine's too.'

Blaine asks, 'You know him?'

'Am I friends with your former bully? Heck yeah.' I raise a finger to his face to stop him asking his follow up question. 'You are going to ask me how I know he was your bully, and the answer to that would be "how could anyone not be?"'.

He opens his mouth to defend himself, but fails as I predicted. 'B-but why is he here?'

'I feel like I have left out a vital piece of information,' I mutter. 'Luca here is the reason I am alive saying this, and the reason that the woman is as full of life as a sausage.'

Sloane and Blaine looked at me as if I told them that dinner is snake liver garnished with live slugs and toad eyes.

'Let me rephrase that - The woman is dead.'

This time, their eyes widen. Sloane gasps, hyperventilates and starts praying, and Blaine pressing his eyes down with his fingertips says 'Oh no, not this again.'

I had a few things to say about Blaine's comment, but I keep silent and let them process this information. They often overreact, and I can't even imagine what is to come next if they don't comply.

'Yo Lukes, can you help me clean this cut while their gears turn?' I ask, circling the gash.

'Yeah.' In a whisper, he asks 'Are they okay?'

'Are any of us, really?'

'Well, we need a plan.'

I glanced over at them from the corner of my eye, and it seemed as if they were still not done pondering about it.

'Are you two done being sissies? We've go to act fast,' I call out.

'You killed a woman and you expect us to be fine with it?' says Sloane.

'So you'd rather have me dead instead. Glad to know.'

'No! Well... I don't know, okay!'

'So much for saying you'd have my back even if I turned out to be a murderer. People really do change.' I continue making her feel guilty.

'That was hypothetical! I never expected you to do it for real!'

'This is why I have trust issues.' I say, with mock disappointment. It's rather easy to convince her to agree to something she had already disagreed to - question her morals and she will be at your disposal.

'You know what? Fine. What should I do?'

See what I mean?

'Epic. Blaine, what about you? Think you can withstand a wee bit of emotional trauma?'

He shrugs, and nods yes. 'I have a bad feeling about agreeing to this, but I don't think I can keep all this to myself if I don't stick around.'

'That's the spirit!'

Sloane takes over. 'Let's take it from the top. All I know is that the woman wants you dead. I couldn't talk to Blaine even if I wanted to, so you better start explaining.'

'Why don't you take a seat and we go over each detail chronologically?' I suggest.

I take a seat on the floor, but it wasn't very comfortable. I ended up lying on the solid, cold floor, face up, with my eyes fixed on the ceiling. My head was towards the foot of the bed, where the three of my sorry excuses for companions took a seat like little princesses, who looked like giants with tiny faces from my angle.

I go first. I tell them how I went to work and came back home and found Blaine with the woman. Blaine added that she looked like she was looking for something, and that she had attempted to assault him when she couldn't. He mentioned the presence of a gun, and that I had found them together in his room not too long after.

Then I break down what happened afterwards, although Blaine added a few things that took place in the hospital that I had not paid attention to or was unconscious when they took place. He mentioned that he wasn't very sure about the lie that we decided we would say, although everyone there bought it.

Sloane joined in and said that she was in the supermarket to buy herself lunch from the café. She works a few blocks away from it and so she walked there. She decided to settle for pizza with us after we met, She too agreed that my bluff was more believable, even when I had told her the truth.

We finally reached the point where we come back to the house, which gets a little chaotic when it comes to what precisely took place before the other. I say I go for a change of clothes so that I can go on a walk without being questioned by every person I meet. Sloane confirms that she was unloading her bags into the guestroom, even when I left for my walk. Afterall, it seemed at if she packed all her belongings for her stay here, so that may have taken a while.

I add that I heard a door close upstairs, and I assumed that Blaine had closed the door, and that all was clear. Blaine corrects me, saying that the thud I had heard was not from a door closing - it had been from when he was tackled down by the woman. She had threatened him to disclose where I was, and he had claimed I was downstairs. I don't blame the weakling, but at least he is being honest about it now.

Sloane said that she had noticed a gun on the kitchen counter. She was not sure whose it was, but she had somehow figured out that Blaine wouldn't touch one with a ten foot iron rod, and that I would not own anything illegally out of principle, even though it made sense if I did own one - her words not mine. Because I had already left the house when it caught her attention, she had placed it inside the freezer for her own safety, just to be safe. It would be a natural reaction of hers, given how she reacts to violence in general.

It was just afterwards that the woman had come downstairs, looking for me, but instead found Sloane. She too had had a knife at her throat and eventually got tied up on a chair next to Blaine. It had been because the woman had noticed that the gun was missing, and when she had demanded to know where it was, Sloane had admitted that I had taken it outside so that I can get rid of it. I admire her - the woman, for exerting herself climbing up and down those stairs multiple times, and for even managing to climb them with a hostage. I swear I saw her intestines from the gaping cut on her torso in the morning. Maybe I still haven't unlocked the rapid healing ability, should it exist in real life. Maybe it does - games have to have their inspiration from somewhere, right?

Sloane's little improvisation bought them some time, and saved all our lives at the end, unlike Blaine who would have outed us all and have himself killed in the process. According to the two of them, the woman wanted them dead too, but apparently not as much as she wanted to get rid of me. Clearly, Luca's arrival was unexpected, because Blaine had revealed that only three of us were inside the house, at one point. She had gone downstairs one last time after wording out that when she comes back, they wouldn't live to see another day

And the next face they saw was mine. Perhaps I am related to a leprechaun - chances are slim, but never null.

Author's note:

Apologies for not being able to update recently. My schedule has been PMSing the past month or so and I shamelessly used my barely available writing time playing Among Us.