“What is this?” I said, waking up in some strange room and at the same time wondering how I was standing up.
Everyone who was still alive at this point was at what appeared to be a witness stand around a circle. It went in this order: myself, Catherine, Stuart, James, Zack, Simon, Jean, Jeff, and Matthias. However, one space was empty.
“Where are we?” asked Zack.
“We’re gonna start the trial.” said Sebastian, “You’re gonna talk about stuff that has to do with the murder.”
“So, where should we start?” asked Simon.
“Well, we know there were two murders,” said Jeff, “but can we be sure that they were both committed by the same person?”
“By the way,” said Sebastian, “you won’t be getting any hints from me.”
“Who do we think did it?” asked Stuart.
“I don’t think we know enough at the moment.” Catherine replied.
“I don’t think we should be jumping to conclusions anyways.” said Jean.
“Well, I don’t think we even have a suspect.” said Simon.
“I’m not saying they did it,” I said, “but we do have enough to suspect someone.”
“What are you referring to?” asking Stuart.
“The scissors…” Matthias calmly responded.
“Yes, your prints seem to be on them.” I said, “However, it should obvious how they got there.”
“Do you really not think he did it…?” asked Simon.
“The scissors aren’t much to go off of.” I said.
“I don’t give a damn!” responded Simon, “It COULD NOT have been anyone else!”
“The only weapon we’ve gotten fingerprints for is the pair of scissors,” said Matthias, “We don’t yet know whose or if any are on the box yet.”
“Sebastian,” I said, “I request you let us look at the box.”
A few minutes later, Zack checked the red box for prints and found nothing.”
“This doesn’t mean much for you,” said Simon, “Your prints are on the scissors!”
“But they’re HIS scissors,” said Catherine, “It would be weird if his fingerprints WEREN'T on them.”
“I feel like we’re gonna be stuck going over the same thing forever.” commented Stuart, “I’m getting tired of us talking about scissors.”
“Well,” said Jean, “I can’t think of how someone else used the scissors.”
“A-anyways,” said Simon, “I don’t care- You did it! You wiped the box off, that’s all!”
“No, that’s wrong.” I said, “That doesn’t make any sense at all.”
“Why not?” responded Simon.
“Look,” I said, “Why would Matthias wipe the prints off the box but not his scissors?”
“Gnrk.” responded Simon, “But you said they’re HIS scissors so…”
“If he was the murderer, he could’ve made it look like someone else was the killer by wiping off the prints,” said Jean, “since his own fingerprints appearing on there is normal. The fact that his fingerprints are on there means that someone else must be behind this!”
“Ugh.” reacted Simon.
“So, what next?” asked James.
“We’re not getting anywhere.” commented Jean.
“Where do we go from here?” asked Stuart.
“How about we talk about something other than the scissors for now?” Catherine suggested.
“Hell no!” exclaimed Simon, “He had to have stabbed Isaac.”
“I thought we said he didn’t.” responded Stuart.
“I’m only conceding that he didn’t kill Mikaela.” answered Simon, “Anyways, we can’t prove that someone else did it, right?”
“What if there was someone else, wearing gloves?” suggested Zack.
“They likely would have just wiped the prints off.” responded Jean.
“But what if the true killer was only touching one part of the scissors?” Zack also suggested.
“Could anyone have used the scissors without directly touching them?” asked Jeff.
“Maybe if we discuss the box,” said Jean, “it might give us an idea and soon we’ll find out if the murders are actually connected.”
“I still believe what I said.” responded Simon, “As for the box, I really don’t have any idea.”
“I don’t recognize the box’s design or anything.” said Stuart,” So I’m assuming it’s from this dimension.”
“So far we’ve only got one suspect,” said Catherine, “but we don’t have anything to suspect anyone for the box.”
“Actually, I think there was something to suspect someone for Mikaela’s murder.” I responded.
“Was there really anything?” said Stuart.
“There were a couple of letters on the ground,” responded Catherine, “an ‘a’ and an ‘e’.”
“What are a couple of letters supposed to mean?” asked Simon.
“Someone was trying to spell a name,” answered Matthias, “I’d assume it was Mikaela because her death was not instant!.”
“Whose name are you suggesting!?” asked Simon.
“This doesn’t look good.” commented James.
“You’re the only one here that has an ‘a’ and a ‘u’ in their name.” said Stuart.
“So, it really WAS you!” exclaimed Simon.
“Why the hell do you keep getting so worked up?” asked Jeff.
“It wasn’t me.” said Simon.
“Guys, stop.” I requested.
“James is the only one with an ‘a’ and a ‘e’ in his name, right?” said Simon, “It had to have been him!”
“I... highly doubt that.” replied Jeff.
“There’s another possibility.” I said.
“Is there?” responded Stuart.
“That ‘e’ shows traces of being messed with and I think I know why.” I continued, “Because originally… another name was written!”
“Interesting.” said Matthias, “The ‘e’ was messed with so what if it were actually a different letter?”
“I can think of one possibility,” I said, “it’s actually an ‘o’.”
“How could you possibly know something like that?” asked Simon.
“That's the only thing I can think of.” I answered.
“N-no-no!” exclaimed Simon, “It could have been something else, like a ‘u’ or even another ‘a’! Then… it could have been anything else!”
“The areas where we got reactions from the luminol prove that it can’t be anything else.” said Jean.
“What about-” started Simon.
“No.” I said, “Anyways, I’ve figured it out.”
“W-what?” responded Simon.
“Simon,” I said, “I choose to indict you!”
“You can’t be serious!” he said angrily, “I-it was totally someone else!!”
“Was it?” I said.
“Grrnk.” was Simon’s only response.
“Is this really what you’re going with?” asked Stuart.
“I believe I’m right about this.” I said.
“Heh.” said Simon.
“What is it?” asked Matthias.
“Ha ha ha ha ha ha!” responded Simon, “You think a couple of stupid [*******] letters are enough!?”
“What was that?” responded Jean.
“What the [****]!?” exclaimed Simon, “Why the hell am I being censored!?”
“Blame the writer.” suggested Catherine.
“What…?” responded Simon.
“Nah, it’s all me.” Sebastian cut in, “I don’t want to hear the kind of language in this courtroom.”
“Seems a bit ironic for a demon.” commented Matthias.
“Whatever.” responded Sebastian.
“Anyways,” said Simon, “a couple of letters aren’t enough.”
“You’re right,” I said, “but instead of thinking about how the blood points to you, I should be thinking about how you managed to killer her and how you were able to leave the murder weapon the way it is.”
“I didn’t touch it.” responded Simon.
“No prints were found on the box,” I said, “suggesting somehow they were wiped off. Did you bring a pair of gloves?”
“N-no.” answered Simon nervously.
“We could search the entire building and see if there is a pair the belongs to you,” I informed you,” assuming that you haven’t somehow been able to magically get rid of them.”
“…Gnrk.” was all Simon said.
“I – crap.” said Simon.
“What?” responded James.
“I woke up with that box in my hands,” he said, “All I saw in front of me was a couple of dead bodies, so I hid the box. And yes, I was wearing gloves at the time. I don’t know where they came from but I hid them in the box.”
“Hold on.” I said, “Something doesn’t seem right here.”
“What is it?” responded Catherine.
“If what he says is true,” I said, “he has no memory of actually committing the murder.”
“Can we really trust the words of a suspect?” asked Stuart.
“I don’t think he’s lying,” I said, “Anyways, this makes me question pretty much everything that’s happened so far.”
“What are you suggesting?” asked Zack.
“It’s time.” said Matthias, “Time to reveal the trick we’ve been falling for!”
It had come to me at that moment. I realized why everything had started to feel so strange. I had an idea of how it was actually pulled off.
“I figured it out.” I said, “The reason we’ve been stuck and what feels weird about all this- it’s all a trick created by the mastermind!”
