“You really think I did it?” said Leah, “Well, I didn’t, okay!? I saw what happened and ran!”

“Wait.” I said, “Why did you run in the first place?”

“The killer saw me,” she answered, “so I thought they were trying to kill me.”

“And you wait until NOW to tell us?” I responded.

“Nothing really seems off.” said Iris, “It all sounds plausible.”

“Grrr.” I said, “Without something decisive, we can’t really pin anything on her.”

“When I ran off, I got my dress caught on a bush.” continued Leah, “I also got cut a bit.”

“Hold it!” I shouted, “Did you get your blood on anything?”

“Nope.” answered Leah.

“Objection!” I shouted, “I think you did. I believe the blood on the box of matches is YOURS.”

“…Ah!” exclaimed Leah, “Can you prove this!?”

“Yes.” I answered, “Charles, we need you.”

Within half a minute, Charles was at the defense bench with forensic tools.

“I want you to analyze the blood on the box of the matches.” I said.

“On it.” responded Charles, “And I’ll compare it to the princess’ blood!”

***

“Well?” I said.

“They’re the same type.” answered Charles.

“Grrr!” exclaimed Leah.

“You can’t get yourself out of this one, princess!” I shouted.

“Does the princess have an explanation as to why her blood is on the box?” asked Ron.

“Uh,” she said, scratching the back of neck, “when I got caught on the bush… it must have been then!”

“I’m sorry,” I said, “but that’s just not possible.”

“And why is that!?” she exclaimed.

“The bush is too far from where the box was actually found.” I said, “If your blood got all on it with you tripping, your body would have been burnt!”

“Nnnngh!” responded Leah.

“So, are you going to keep lying about it or will admit to it!?” I asked.

“Hold it!” a mysterious, seemingly-familiar voice said.

There was someone else at the witness stand. It looked like Ron, even though was already at the prosecutor’s bench.

“What is going on here!?” exclaimed the judge, “Prosecutor, you have a TWIN!?”

“No!” responded Ron, “Who the hell is this impostor!?”

“Why, I am you.” the guy on the witness stand answered.

“That makes no damn sense!” exclaimed Ron.

“Let me make things easier for you,” the guy on the witness stand said, “just call me ‘The Author’ or something.”

“Uh… why?” asked Ron.

“Because,” said the author, “I am in control of the story.”

“How is that possible?” I asked.

“All of your worlds are worlds of fiction that were created by me.” answered the author, “And I wrote all of you into them. You are my CREATIONS. I created your pasts and personalities and your PAIN.”

“Any reason you’re in this world, since it’s ‘fictional’, as you said?” asked Ron.

“It’s ending differently than I wanted.” answered the author.

“How so?” asked Iris.

“You were all supposed to suffer and die!!” exclaimed the author, “However, somebody wanted to change the story from the inside.”

“Any reason you’re telling us?” I asked.

“Meh, I don’t care anymore.” answered the author, “Anyways, Leah is the killer, who blackmailed this case’s prosecutor into prosecuting this case, or her boss would execute what few friends he had left.”

“Is that true, Ron?” asked Iris.

“Every word.” he answered.

“Bailiff!” exclaimed the judge, “Arrest her!”

“So, you were the one making strange stuff happen?” I asked.

“Yes and I apologize.” he answered, “I did manage to get the culprit’s attention, but I have yet to find them. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must go.”

“But wait!” exclaimed Ron.

But it was too late. The author had vanished.

“Well,” said the judge, “that was… something. Anyways, this court finds the defendant, Erica Courtney… not guilty.”

“It’s over.” said Ron, “It’s finally over!”

“You going to leave the dark side now?” I asked.

“I guess.” answered Ron.