Deduction, Deception, Death

1.

WHAT STARTED off as a typical Thursday morning had somehow ended as a death sentence. And Mira couldn't believe it.

She looked around. She was seated in a bus along with fourteen other people. Fourteen other people she would have to kill in exchange for her own life. The trees outside flew past, creating an ugly green blur. Well, this whole day had been an ugly blur.

Mira felt a tear trickle down her cheek. This was strange, since her conduct was usually calm, bold and confident. But how could someone be in control of their emotions when it was almost sure they would be dead by the end of the week?

Despite the current circumstances, Mira was not one to indulge in self-pity. Wiping her tears, she pulled out a book from her backpack and began to read. This was an attempt to distract herself from the sword constantly hanging above her head, but it was of no use. The words just seemed to fly off the page.

Mira remembered watching Murder Mystery Strategy on the television, but she had no idea she would end up as a part of the reality TV show. After all, the participants each year were always chosen from the town's jail, and Mira felt it was pretty obvious she would never become a criminal.

And she was right, she never did become a criminal. But that didn't mean she wouldn't end up in prison. She wasn't responsible for the murder of her parents; the eighteen-year-old was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. However, her town of Berxley found this hard to believe, and Mira was sentenced to eleven years in prison.

She didn't deserve to be locked up. She didn't deserve to be forced to take part in this horrifying game of murder, lies and treachery. So why did bad things always have to keep happening to her? Couldn't she just get a break from all this for once? Wh—

"Hey, I love that book!" A voice interrupted Mira's thoughts. She realized she had been staring at the page of her book this whole time. Looking up, she saw a tall, lean boy sitting beside her. He had straight jet black hair, just like Mira's. A wide grin was plastered on his face, but one could easily make out the fear in his eyes — the kind every participant chosen for Murder Mystery Strategy had. . . .

"Really? That's so cool! Who's your favourite character?" Mira asked in an attempt to make light conversation. Maybe they could be allies when the game started.

The boy looked thoughtful. After a short while he answered, "Gale Everthorne."

Mira smiled. "Mine too! His character is really interesting," she said. "Oh, I almost forgot!" Extending her hand, she continued, "My name is Mira."

"I'm Nicolas," the boy replied and shook her hand. "So, why were you serving time?"

"For a crime I didn't commit," she muttered.

"Same here," said Nicolas, and they let it stay at that.
"Would you, maybe, wanna be allies when the game starts?" he then asked, much to Mira's delight.

"That would be amazing!" she replied with a smile.

"So, what do you think the location will be?" Mira questioned. Every season of the show had a different setting, and a different set of roles, to always surprise the audience and keep them hooked. While this was good for the spectators, it definitely was not for the participants, whose lives were on the line.

Before Nicolas could answer, the bus stopped with a sudden jerk. "I think we're here," said Nicolas and sure enough, they were. The scene outside the window showed a large number of thin, tall trees — a forest. A narrow path with no vegetation ran between them. The beginning of the path was marked by a wooden sign, displaying great need for repair, that read 'Happy Days Summer Camp'.

Mira spotted Benjy, the renowned host with his famous bright-blue hair, standing near the iron gates. A swarm of cameras accompanied him. "Welcome, participants!" he cried. "Welcome to season 9 of Murder Mystery Strategy."