Chapter 3: Hollow Trust and Empty Alibis Part 7

"You may now point to who you think is the culprit, in 3, 2, 1!" As soon as the countdown ended, everyone reluctantly pointed to Jinju, including himself. After a short while, the Loudspeaker continued.

"...Congratulations! You all voted for the correct culprit, Jinju Hatsuda! Mr. Hatsuda, do you have anything else you want to say?" Jinju shook his head, and a laugh came out of the Loudspeaker.

"Alright then! I hope you're all ready, because it's punishment time!"

"What?" We all collectively asked, as even Jinju looked up in question. But it was already far too late, because as he looked up, a white cloth dropped onto him, covering his entire body. Before he can take it off, a clear, hard to see wire wrapped around his neck and lifted him off the ground.

The lights in the room dim out as we watched Jnju get strung around the room, too high for anyone to reach. He clawed at his neck, slowly getting choked as he was flung around like a ghost.

We all watched on in horror, some of us trying to help him, but the rest too in shock to react. Before he could fully suffocate though, the Loudspeakers came on one last time.

"Oh, I almost forgot the eye holes in the ghost costume!" As the Loudspeakers announced this, Jinju was stopped in the middle of the room, and a clicking sound rang out, almost like the cocking of a gun. Suddenly, two spears shot out of the wall, and went straight through Jinju's eyes and out the back of his skull, blood splattering all over the room.

His body then went limp, as it hung from the wire in the center of the room

. . .

. . . No one had any words.

Everyone stared at the dead corpse of Jinju Hatsuda, and couldn't find anything to say. I couldn't comprehend anything going on. My head was fuzzy, and my body was paralyzed.

I'm sure everyone was either screaming, crying, or unconscious from the sight, I had no idea who though. Even when a familiar hissing sound came back, and more chloroform came into the room, I couldn't get myself to move. I stared at Jinju's corpse, and tears started to fall down my face, all up until I lost consciousness.

Even in my unconscious state, the image was burned in my mind. I couldn't take my mind away from it.

There was no way to know that our votes would kill him. We had no way to know. I had no way to know.

'This is your fault.'

No one knew that this sadistic fuck would kill Jinju like that. We had no idea what being taken care of would mean.

'All of this is your fault.'

There was no way I could know that all of this would happen from keeping Ceáser locked up. We would have gotten him back if we had known what would have happened.

'This is all your fault.'

This...this isn't my fault. I didn't know this would happen, I didn't know...

'You killed two people.'

I… I…

I caused all of this, didn't I?

I woke up, sweat covered and tear faced, in my cell bed. Alone. I couldn't tell what time it was, but based on how everyone's lights were off, I assumed it was late. I sat up in bed, and wiped my face. After that, I noticed something on my desk. It was a piece of paper. I staggered over to the paper, and read it out.

'Killing Game Survey #1: Aka Nishinzu'

The name itself was enough to make me feel sick, remembering the trial. But I continued reading, to see what kind of survey it was.

'1. How did you enjoy your investigation? If you didn't enjoy it, please leave a comment on how you would improve it.'

… What the hell? Why would they ask me this? I continued reading these horrid questions, hoping for some sort of answer.

'2. How did you enjoy your trial? If you didn't enjoy it, please leave a comment on how you would improve it.'

'3. Do you have any suggestions on how to make murdering more easy/fun?'

'4. Do you have any questions in general?'

… These questions. They don't seem like a cocky attempt to rub in the situation to us. It looks like it's genuinely asking for advice for this… killing game. Almost as if this game was some sort of… practice run.

I continued contemplating why these questions would need to be asked while I filled out the sheet. I imagined that filling it out was mandatory, so I wrote down the vaguest bullshit I could muster, trying not to give the one behind this any advice. Once I finished writing, I went back and laid in bed, trying to think of anything besides the trial...or the murder.

'This is your fault.'

Jinju's cries during the trial came back into my mind, echoing, knowing that I could've saved him.

'You didn't save them.'

I tried to push all of these ideas away, and tried to go back to sleep. After god knows how long, I eventually did let sleep take me, but I couldn't let go of this burden on my shoulders. Jinju's tear stained face, and his body being pulled up.

'This is all your fault.'

If this is going to happen every time someone murders, then we are going to lose at least two people every time there's a new motive...

'You killed them.'

If I have to watch someone I got to know in here die because of these motives...because of this monster forcing us to murder...

'You can't stop it.'

I have to stop this game as soon as possible. I need to find and stop whoever is behind this, to prevent anything like this from happening again. I need to make sure none of my friends die again, they'll all I have. I need to stop this killing game from continuing.

I need to.

Because I don't want to get anyone else killed.