And Then There Was One

The third morning arrived. The remaining survivors awoke. Patrice Bergeron, Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler, Patrick Kane, and Jonathan Toews.

They all met up in the middle of the hall. Patrice told the others about Drew’s sleeping pill overdose.

There was a grave atmosphere that only intensified as they realized Sidney wasn’t there either. Patrice knocked on the Penguin’s door and it swung open, easily. Patrice raised his eyebrow and signaled the others to follow him into the room.

Inside, they found Sidney Crosby hanging from the rope, which squeezed his throat, signaling his death. They found the chair tipped over on the ground. Jonathan found the note and snatched it up.

“It’s a suicide note,” the Blackhawk said, softly. He took a deep breath and read the words to the group. “It seems that no one cares about me. I’m the outcast. Always have and always will be. No would believe me when I said I wasn’t the killer. And now, I’m proving that, by killing myself. I’ve hung myself and there is no turning back.”

Patrick hopped over to his teammate and stood with him. He was terrified. Jonathan put his arm around him in comfort, whispering that he wouldn’t let anything happen to the blonde hockey player.

“I think we should check out that library again. We need to make it so that we are one step ahead of the killer at all times. Don’t you think?” Patrice spoke.

Ryan Getzlaf nodded. “I agree. I guess I was wrong about the Penguin.”

“Let’s get to that room at the end of the hall!”

The five remaining hockey players wandered out into the hallway once more. Ryan Kesler was the last one out, he looked back and shook his head, before he closed the door. They all walked down the hall and into the library room once more. The door was still wide open from the previous visit, before Reilly had been stabbed.

The Bruin leader stormed up to the table, where the dolls and the haunting poem were. He gasped, as his eyes found the dolls. The others rushed forward and gathered around him. They all gazed down and saw that all of the dolls, except for five had been messed with.

Torey Krug’s doll had a pin in it, as well as a bottle of his alcoholic drink. Matt Cooke’s had a large red gash on his head, mimicking the blow that killed him. Reilly’s had a knife sticking of the back, mimicking his death. Tyler’s had a bag over his head, complete with a makeshift rectangle tape gag and the doll was also bound up at the wrists and legs like Tyler had been when they’d found him behind the clock. Drew had a pin and a bottle of sleeping pills in his doll’s hand and Val’s doll had a red line drawn down the center of him. And finally, Sidney’s doll had a rope around his neck to simulate his hanging.

Patrice backed away from the table briefly, freaking out.

“What is this, some kind of sick voodoo crap?” Ryan Kesler spat. “This is getting really demented and twisted.”

“Well someone here in this room is killing us off, one-by-one because of what the recording said at the beginning. We all have done something that somebody here doesn’t approve of.”

Ryan Getzlaf turned to the Bruin. “But who and why?”

“I don’t know. Let’s attempt to figure that out.”

They take a seat on the big rug in the center of the library, sitting in a circle. They look like they were going to do a spiritual ritual of some kind, calling on the spirits of the house to answer the question of “who is the killer?”

“So, one of us is the killer, eh?” Jonathan speaks. “I can tell you now that my money’s on the Duck captain!”

“Me?” Ryan Getzlaf looked taken aback. “I bet on you and your woman, Fainty, there!”

“Oh haha, Getzlaf. That’s a lot coming from a man whose nickname can be a type of candy little kids eat!” Patrick barked back, gaining his strength.

“Yeah, I have to agree with Getz on this one. Where were you when we went to check on poor Nichy in the kitchen?”

“We stayed in the foyer, like you told us too!”

“So you say, but you could have slipped away, killed Drew and then came back and acted innocent!” Ryan Kesler snapped.

“How about you, Kesler?” Patrice questioned. “You were with the group when Cooke and Krug died and you did find Drew!”

“What? No! I didn’t kill nobody!”

“What about the Bruin?” Patrick squeaked, narrowing his eyes at Patrice.

“Yes, what about the grand leader?” Ryan Getzlaf echoed, turning and giving Patrice a questioning look.

“You’re all crazy! I’m harmless, I’m trying to help out here!”

Ryan Kesler shook his head. “We’re going nowhere with this interrogation. Nobody is going to confess! But I’ve got Kaner in my sights. He acts like he’s innocent and weak, but I bet you he has it out for everyone here and he’s recruited the help of his friend Tazer to help him out in killing everyone!”

“First of all, fuck you. Second of all, no way. Third of all, I’m not a faker, like you Kesler. You’re a known diver, I am not. I score goals, not flop and whine on the ice. And Fourth of all, I need to get out of here!” Patrick jumped to his feet and bolted out of the room.

“Get him!” Ryan Kesler shouted, scrambling to his feet and launching off after the Blackhawk.

Jonathan was the next to get up. He chased after his teammate and the new Duck centre. “Peekaboo, come back!!”

The three vanished out the room, leaving the Duck captain and the Bruin.

“Go after them?”

“Yes. We need to get them and calm down! Splitting up and running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off won’t help out any!”

“True.”

“After you, Duck.”

Ryan Getzlaf eyed the Bruin skeptically, but rushed out of the door. Patrice followed after him.