"Melinda! Brenda! There you are!" exclaims Jenilee as she spots her two friends coming closer to the house. "I've been waiting for you for at least fifteen minutes!"

"Sorry! Brenda had a little costume trouble," Melinda explains.

"I thought she already had a costume though."

"She did."

"Well then?"

"It's a long story. Let's just leave it at that. Listen Jenilee. It's your favorite band! Let's go inside and have a good time, okay?" Bren suggests, leading the other two into the house.

"I WANT IT THAT WAY!" Jenilee sings as she walks into the house and starts dancing her way through the crowd.

"She never changes does she?" Melinda asks.

"If she did, then I'd know something was wrong," Brenda responds, laughing as she follows Jenilee deeper into the crowd that already exists in the big room that is set aside for just dancing.

As the three girls continue dancing, Brenda can't get rid of the feeling of being watched. She shakes it off, dismissing any idea that anyone could possibly be here to hurt her. 'As long as I stay in a group, nothing can happen to me.'

"What's wrong?" Melinda asks, shouting over the music.

"Nothing, why?" Brenda returns.

"You have that look on your face."

Brenda shrugs as she tries getting rid of the feeling of being watched that keeps growing inside her gut. As she turns around, she spots someone in the corner watching her. Immediately, she makes her way to the corner. "John!"

"Bren, come outside with me. We need to talk," John says, walking towards his ex.

"No, I don't think we have anything to talk about anymore. Perhaps you did kill Tiffany and all the others or perhaps you didn't. Nothing though, could hurt as much as seeing you french her before my very own eyes."

"I'm sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am, especially because I didn't french her! She made the move on me. You know how she was!"

"I'm sorry John but I don't buy it. I know she was manipulative but I doubt that the girl could have cornered you and just planted a big kiss on you just as I walking out."

"Bren, if only you realized how close you are to the truth."

"Leave me alone John! I mean it."

"By the way, why aren't you wearing your Sailor Moon costume?"

"Because I didn't want to match your Tuxedo Mask. Wait, you aren't in that costume either."

"Probably for the same reasons you aren't in yours. At the last minute I decided that I would just come as me."

"Hah! That's a change. You being you."

"Brenda, stop it! You know I have always been honest with you. What makes you think that I've changed?"

"In all honesty John, I don't know who you are anymore," she responds, turning around and heading towards her friends.

Disgusted with how that went, John moves outside to the back porch.

A few minutes later, he spots a human figure walking quickly towards him.

"Phil! What are you doing here?" John asks as he sees Phil coming up the back steps to the house.

"You know what I'm doing here," Phil answers as he brushes past John, leaving him looking after Phil as he makes his way into the house.

"I can't believe how big this house is!" Melinda exclaims as the three girls make their way down the upstairs hallway.

"I don't feel safe roaming this house this way. You know that people say that this house is haunted," Jenilee says.

"Right. If you think this place is so haunted, I bet you don't want to be left alone in a room, huh?"

"That's the last thing I want, yes."

"I dare you to stay in one of these rooms by yourself."

"No way!"

"Come on, it will be fun!"

"The only way this would be fair is if all three of us split up. Five minutes in a room alone sounds like a decent time for a dare. I'll do it if you and Brenda do it with me."

"I don't know," Melinda answers, unsure of her dare once it was turned around on her.

"Come on Mel, this was your dare after all."

"Fine! Bren, you up to it?"

"You guys, I don't think this is wise. Not with all that has been going on."

"Brenda, I know you have had these strong gut feelings in the past that have been right but we're in a house full of people. Nothing can happen to us," Jenilee says.

"That's funny coming from you since you were the one that brought it up saying that this place was haunted."

"Well, it's worth a shot. This party is getting a bit dull."

"All right, I'll do it. Have you noticed how quiet it has gotten?"

"We are far down this wing of the house, meaning the sounds from the party don't travel down here quite so well. Scared Brenda?"

"No. I just have a really eerie feeling."

"Time for hesitation is gone. Let's go girls!"

The three girls split up and move in three different directions. 'This is a huge mistake. I just know it,' Brenda thinks to herself as she walks down another part of the hallway.

'Just my luck,' Melinda thinks to herself as she takes in her surroundings and realizes that the room is decorated with clowns. 'I hate these stupid things! This must be a child's room.'

Just then, a cold breeze brushes past her, making the hair on the back of her neck stand up. 'What the heck?' she wonders and she notices the rocking chair next to the bed start moving. Melinda could swear that there is something sitting in the chair and moves closer towards it. She turns on the light on the bedside table and screams as an oversized clown doll smiles crookedly at her.

'Okay Melinda, calm down. It's just a stupid doll. Nothing is going to harm you.' She looks down at her watch and notices that it has only been forty seconds.

"Melinda…" a soft voice calls out to her, filling the room.

"Who's there?" she answers.

"Melinda…"

"Who's there? This isn't funny!"

"Oh, what's the matter Melinda? Scared of clowns are you? They won't hurt you, really. Not all clowns are bad."

"Who's there?" she asks, backing up into a wall, looking around frantically.

"Poor Melinda. She doesn't even know who is behind door number one."

Instantly, her eyes focus on the closet door handle that is now beginning to turn. She looks frantically around for a weapon but can't find one.

"It's okay Melinda. The time has come to finally meet your maker," the voice continues as the owner of the voice walks out of the closet. 'A clown!' Melinda screams inside her head.

As the clown advances towards her, she tries backing up but finds she is in the corner of the room with no escape.

"Say good-bye Melinda…" the clown says as it places a bag over Melinda's head and she blacks out.

'Brenda, get a hold of yourself. Just choose a room and get these stupid five minutes over with.' Brenda looks around the hallway and chooses a door. As she starts walking towards it, she sees a figure in white run towards her then duck into a nearby room. 'Who in the world is that?' she wonders as she follows the figure into the room.

Quickly, the door closes behind her and lights fill the room.

"Who's there?" Brenda asks, immediately kicking herself for asking a stupid question.

"Guess who!" a voice says.

"John? Wait, I thought you were dressed in something entirely different earlier. Why did you change into that Tuxedo Mask costume? Why aren't you answering me?"

Tuxedo Mask continues to stare at her. "John?" she asks again only to see the figure in front of her shake its head. Suddenly, the room goes dark and Brenda instinctively tries to reach the door, only to find a warm body in her way. She can feel hands grasp her arms as she is pushed towards the center of the room onto a chair. Brenda tries struggling but to no avail. Soon, she finds her arms being tied behind her back through the slat of the chair, ensuring she would not be able to free herself. "What do you want?" she screams, feeling the rope only tighten on her wrists.

Suddenly, the hands are gone and she feels a cold wind blow by her. "Your time has come. It is time you meet your death as so many of your friends did," a sinister voice says from across the room.

"You thought you were so smart Brenda. You thought you had the world in your hands. I guess you don't feel that way now, huh?" another voice taunts, closer to Brenda's ear.

"I never thought I had it all. Far from it," Brenda responds, straining her neck to see who is in the room with her.

"Sure you didn't think that, but your actions speak louder than words. You had the perfect family, the perfect grades, the perfect friends, and then the perfect boyfriend. Notice I emphasize 'had'."

"What are you going to do with me?"

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see, now won't you? You have no choice in this matter. No, this matter is all up to us."

"Who are you two?"

"Did you hear that? She asked who we were. What's the matter Brenda? You don't think it's your dear boyfriend John anymore?"

"I don't know! Just tell me, why? Why go through the process of killing people in my life instead of just killing me?"

"To make you suffer and get paranoid. This has all been a game Brenda, leading to this point where your turn has finally come."

"Well if you're going to kill me, you might as well have the guts to kill me with me knowing who you cowards are!"

"Listen to that! She called us cowards. Bad mistake Brenda. However, to amuse you before your slow, painful death, I guess we could identify ourselves. It's not like you'll be telling anyone later."

The lights go on and Brenda sees three figures in front of her. Someone dressed as a clown, Sailor Moon, and Tuxedo Mask. 'Wait, aren't those the exact same outfits John and I were supposed to wear tonight?' she wonders. "Okay, so you all are dressed up. I wouldn't say that was identifying yourselves," she states.

"Man, does she have guts," Tuxedo Mask comments. "You are already in for a slow and painful death. I wouldn't talk back much more or you could end up in a worse situation like your friends here."

Brenda looks around and spots three bodies but each has a paper bag over his or her head and are covered with black sheets. She stares at the bodies to try to figure out if they are dead or alive.

"Don't bother checking them out. I'd just focus on yourself and what terrible things you have done to get you here."

"What are you talking about?"

"You think you are so wonderful don't you? Your world is so precious and perfect, yet I don't think you ever expected something like a killing spree to disrupt that wonderful reality of yours, did you?" Sailor Moon asks.

"First of all, like I said, I never thought I lived in a perfect world. I know that there is evil and trust me, I've had my fair share of hatred, betrayal, and everything else people hate to experience in life."

"Perhaps, but you haven't experienced the pain of dying. But first, we're going to have a little fun with you. We're going to play a game. You'll love this. We'll ask a question and if you get it right, one of these bodies will live. If you get it wrong though, one will die. Which body would you like to start with?"

"This is so twisted! What type of maniacs are you guys?"

"The best kind. Now Brenda, pick one."

"No! I will not! I don't even know who they are!"

"Fine, we'll start with the first victim. Brenda, what is a person called if he kills a girl by stabbing her in the back with a knife?"

"A heartless, cruel, messed up murderer!" Brenda screams. 'This is insane! How in the world am I going to get out of here?'

"Good answer. For that, the first person gets to live. Let's get a look at it, shall we?" The clown moves to the first body and takes off the paper bag.

"Melinda!" Brenda screams. Melinda doesn't move. "How am I to know she's still alive if she doesn't move?"

"Trust us, she is. Just on a little dark journey at the moment."

"Trust you? I think that's way out of the question here. Who the heck are you three?"

"All in good time. Now, for question two. Who do you think is body number two?"

"I don't know!"

"Wrong answer! Will body two please rise?"

The body doesn't move so the clown goes over and grabs the person's arm to stand them up. Then the clown yanks off the paper bag to reveal…

"John!" Brenda screams as she realizes he is bound by ropes and a gag. He opens his eyes and focuses on Brenda. His look seemed like a plea for help as well as a look of comfort, if that is even possible.

"Since I love a hunt, we're going to let your lover boy here run for his life. I'm sure you, as well as I, will enjoy seeing him run and suffer," Tuxedo Mask says.

"Let him go! If you want me, you can have me. Just let them go!"

"Oh no, that would take out the fun of it and you wouldn't suffer half as much if we didn't have your best friend and your boyfriend here to torture in front of your eyes. Oops… Did I say boyfriend? He's your ex now, right? Doesn't that mean you actually don't give a spit about him?"

"No, I still love him."

"Good. John, now that you have heard she still loves you, we're going to cut the time we were going to give you in half. You have a ten second head start to run through that door and try to save your life. In order to be fair, we'll untie your arms and legs but not your hands. 10…9…8…"

"Run John! Run!" Brenda screams as John looks at her for a second and then takes off to go through the door.

"…7…6…5…4…3…2…1… Go get him!" demands Tuxedo Mask, causing the clown to go into the room next door. Brenda can hear a lot of running and crashing and then silence. Eerie silence. All of a sudden, there's a gunshot.

"It sucks losing someone you love, now doesn't it?" Sailor Moon asks Brenda. "Now Brenda, it's my turn to ask you something to spare or kill body number three. Who is the real killer here?"

"That's a trick question! There is more than one killer here!"

"Very observant. Let me try asking that again. Who do you think is the mastermind behind all of this blood and deaths?"

"Some sick and twisted person who is out for revenge for an unknown reason. Murdering people won't alleviate anything that is bothering you."

Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask both laugh. "Dear, murdering all of these people is quite satisfying. You should try it. Since you didn't answer correctly though, you have doomed yet body number three. Please stand up number three," Sailor Moon says, watching Brenda carefully.

The third body stands up and takes off the bag in a flourish. "Surprised?" Jenilee asks with a weird look in her eyes.

"Jenilee! Get out of here!" Brenda screams.

"Why? They aren't going to harm me. I'm in on the joke!"

"But that's where you are wrong Jenilee. This isn't a joke. And since you got your own question wrong, you're going to pay… With your life," Tuxedo Mask says.

"What question?"

"Remember that question we asked you, if you wanted to scare the living pants out of a few of your close friends? Well, you never should have answered because you just endangered their lives as well as yours. But to show mercy, I think I'll kill you right now," Sailor Moon says, pulling out a knife right before Jenilee feels strong arms wrap around her and force her back into her chair. She tries struggling but Sailor Moon is approaching fast.

"Don't!" screams Brenda, waking Melinda up from her unconscious state.

"What's happening?" Melinda asks right before Jenilee feels the coldness of the blade against her throat and screams. Blood spurts out of the wound in her neck as Sailor Moon slices her neck open and then stabs her in the chest. The scream stops…

"Well, with that done, and body number one being conscious again, I think it's time to move on. Dude, are things okay in there?" Tuxedo Mask asks, sticking his head into the dark room next door. When there is no answer, he decides to see for himself.

Meanwhile, Brenda and Melinda keep looking at each other between looking at the doorway and Sailor Moon. "Why are we here?" Melinda asks.

"Because Brenda is a terrible person. I'm sorry that this has nothing to do with you, at least in my perspective, but you are here to punish her," Sailor Moon answers.

"Punish her? Brenda has never done anything bad in her life!"

This comment enrages Sailor Moon and she illustrates this by bashing Melinda over the head. Before Brenda could do anything, there's a loud crash and a thud in the room next door.

Sailor Moon looks at Brenda before going to the door. "Is everything okay in there?" she asks, getting no answer. "Come on, this isn't funny!"

Brenda looks at her, trying to figure out a way out of this whole mess. 'I hope John is all right,' she thinks as she looks at Jenilee's lifeless body. 'Poor Jenilee. I don't think she even had the slightest clue what she was getting all of us into by agreeing to play a trick on us.' Brenda forces herself to turn herself away from Jenilee to focus on Melinda, who is silently looking back. Melinda tries to manage a slight smile in comfort, but it only lasts for a split second.

Sailor Moon turns back to the two girls and says, "Look, I don't know what's going on in there but in here, you two will both die. If Phil lost his life, I don't give a flying crap. I'm still going to have my revenge on you Brenda and I'm not going to have any witnesses live to tell the tale either!"

'Phil!' Brenda silently screams in her head as she sees Melinda's expression turn into one of horror. "How could Phil be in there?"

"Oh, that's right. You weren't smart enough to figure that out on your own. Yes, Tuxedo Mask was Phil. To tell you the truth, I only partnered with that loser because he was easily manipulated but also set on revenge to get over his poor bleeding heart."

"How could you conspire with someone like that for so long and then not give a rat's behind that he could be dead in there?" Brenda asks, hoping to stall for time.

"Because, in the end, he was weak. Well, not weak, but he started straying from the original plan and no longer listened to me. That was plain out unacceptable."

"So what are you going to do with us?" Melinda asks, taking Sailor Moon's attention away from Brenda.

"I'm going to kill you both. Maybe I'll stab you both. No, that is not a good enough end for the princess here. I think the worse torture for her will to make her watch me kill you first Melinda."

"Don't!" Brenda screams as Sailor Moon pulls out another knife.

"So I am right. Killing Melinda here would be the best way to make you suffer huh Bren?"

"You know, you sound really familiar." This stops Sailor Moon in her tracks.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I've been trying to place your voice for a few minutes now and since I know that Phil was one of your partners, that must mean you are…"

"Say my name Brenda. I want to hear it from your lips that you were actually smart enough to figure it out that it was me right before I killed you."

"Tiffany. That is your name. You are the only girl I know of that could go along and even help plan such a sick scheme as to kill me and people in my life just to get revenge for something that is beyond my knowledge."

"Don't play innocent. I thought we already established before that you definitely are not innocent."

"Well at least I'm not stupid like you."

"What are you talking about?"

"You think that you can kill me and Melinda and get away with it?" Brenda asks, working at the ropes that are binding her arms together. She feels blood oozing down her hands and arms but hides the fear of losing all her blood in the process in the back of her mind.

"No, I don't think that I can. I know I can. After all, I made so many people believe that I was killed, didn't I?"

"True, but at what cost? Because you implicated John as the murderer, he will never love you like the way you want him to. He will despise you Tiffany. Mark my words!"

"Oh, so you think you know John so well, huh? Not that it matters anyway because he was probably killed in that room. However, I must tell you dear Brenda, he told me himself that you were the worst kisser in the world and that the only reason why he was with you was because he could get some from you."

"You're lying!" Brenda screams as she feels the ropes finally loosen enough to free herself. "He never could have said that! John wasn't like that! In fact, it just shows how you really never spent any time with him."

"Oh yeah? What do you think he did the nights he left your house? You know that he has looked at other girls but little did you know that he was having relations with another girl."

"Brenda, don't listen to her! You know him better than that," Melinda cries out, seeing that her best friend is slowly starting to weaken.

"She's right. John never would cheat on me. Yes, he did look at other girls but he never would do anything about it."

"Then you really don't know him… Or should I say knew him? I'm sure he's dead or dying in that room as we speak."

"If you cared for him at all you would go in there to check on him."

"And get myself killed like Colin and Phil?"

"COLIN?!?" Brenda hears Melinda exclaim.

Sailor Moon takes off her mask and throws it on the ground. She looks at Melinda and says, "Geez, you are more of an idiot than I first thought. How could you believe that some guy you met on America Online right about the time you broke up with Phil would be some innocent guy?"

As Brenda sees Melinda break down and start crying, she decides on how to end this madness for once and for all. "If anyone is an idiot here, it is you Tiffany."

Tiffany turns her attention back to Brenda. "Why would I be the idiot here?"

"You gave it away. Your tale about John didn't hurt me in the slightest because you made one mistake."

"What mistake would that be?"

"Telling me that John told you he was only with me to have sex. Obviously, he wouldn't need me if he was going to you at night plus, we never had sex."

"Of course you did! You're just lying to save your virtue right before you die!"

"Why lie when God knows I am telling the truth? You made that small mistake but it was enough to tell me you never had John at nights. In fact, you never had John except for the times you some how or another got him in some intimate looking position when I happened to come around. Other than that, your attempt to seduce him failed in every aspect. Ever since you made the mistake of hurting him, he has never looked twice at you. That is what I know, which makes you the stupid idiot in this case."

"Why you stupid slut!" Tiffany exclaims, lunging at Brenda with her knife. Brenda gets up quick enough and slams the chair into Tiffany, knocking the knife out of her grasp, as well as knocking Tiffany to the ground. "You'll pay for that!"

Tiffany lunges at Brenda from the ground and both girls fall to the ground, wrestling one another for the upper hand. Melinda watches helplessly, trying to figure out what to do. With a stroke of genius, she decides to scoot herself over to where she sees the knife skid to and drops to the ground in order to try to get a handle on the knife. Just then, she feels a hand grasp her shoulder and a male voice whisper, "Let me." Melinda is afraid to look up but forces herself to. To her surprise, it's a welcoming sight. "Shh…"

"Go help Bren. She needs the help more than I do," Melinda whispers to John as he works on her ropes.

"I will. Don't worry, I will, especially after all of that was said."

"You never did anything like that with Tiffany did you?"

"Of course not! Give me credit for some taste now. Hang tight and make sure that door stays locked and barred, okay?"

"They're not dead?"

"I'm not sure," he says as he watches Tiffany and Brenda roll around on the ground more violently, trying to choke each other. "I better go."

John stands up and walks over to the two. Brenda is the first to spot him, breaking her concentration of trying to kill Tiffany before she can kill her, giving Tiffany the upper hand. "John," Brenda utters as she feels Tiffany's grasp on her throat tighten, cutting off her air.

"Tiffany! Stop it!" John exclaims, earning the reaction he wants. Tiffany looks up at him and forgets all about trying to kill Brenda at the moment.

"John? You're alive!"

"Yes, I am. Did you miss me?"

"Of course I did!"

"Well then come here babe!" he says, causing Tiffany to run into his waiting arms.

'I do not believe what I am seeing here. This just can't get any worse!' Brenda thinks as Melinda crawls over to her. Brenda is too busy focused on the sight in front of her as well as trying to catch her lost breath.

Seeing the look on Brenda's face Melinda says, "Don't worry, he's setting her up. Do you still have your rope?"

Brenda nods and grabs the rope that is to the side of her, watching as John caresses Tiffany's hair and back, not even looking at Brenda. As if reading her thoughts though, John opens his eyes and sees Brenda staring back at him. He spots the ropes Melinda and Brenda had and slightly nods, gesturing ever so slightly to come towards him with them. Melinda leads the way as the two girls tiptoe towards where the couple is standing and tosses the ropes around Tiffany. John pulls away in a flourish and helps Melinda and Brenda tie Tiffany's arms and then legs tightly. John notices that the ropes are a bit slippery and realizes that there is blood on the ropes.

"Brenda, is this all your blood?" John asks as he looks at her.

"Does it matter? I just want all of this to be over with!" Brenda screams, suddenly feeling the pain of the cuts she made on her arms and hands trying to free herself earlier.

"Stop, both of you! We need to make sure she's tied up well before we can go get help. Wait a minute. John, was there any other way out of that room? Like windows?" Melinda asks, suddenly panicked.

"No. The windows were boarded up and there were no other doors. That's why I locked that door up so well and blocked it."

"You won't get away with this!" Tiffany yells, causing Brenda to take John's shoes off and place his socks in Tiffany's mouth to muffle her.

"Yes, we will because your little game you played with my life and the lives of those I love is now over," Brenda says as she sees John picking up his cell phone and dialing 911. "It's over Tiffany. I do have to say thank you though. For what you ask? For making me realize that my life isn't perfect, that the world isn't perfect, but that I'm strong enough to get through it. Oh, and for also making me realize that even though I may have doubted John at first, that my bond with him and the love we share are still as strong as ever."

Tiffany tries replying but can't get anything out as John hangs up the cell phone. "They are on their way. Brenda, are you okay?" John asks as he notices that her face has gotten paler in the last few minutes.

"Of course, why?"

"Because you are starting to look mighty pale there sweetie."

"No, you're just imagining it."

"Bren, are you sure?" he asks, earning a nod from her just as she collapses into his embrace.

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