The game begins

Mateo climbed out of the taxi and stretched until his back popped. Between the cross-country flight and the drive from the airport, he felt like he'd been sitting for an entire day. Why'd they have to build the airport so far from the city anyway? It was such a pain. He took a deep breath and smelled the familiar scent of salty air. It was a different ocean than he was used to, but that smell still made him think of home. He turned and saw the cab driver had removed his luggage from the car already. He thanked him, took the bag, and then turned to face the house properly. It was huge. Weathered cedar shingles covered the steep roof, ivy climbed one corner of the stone walls, and dozens of dark windows stared down at him. Even in daylight, the place looked abandoned. Still, even if it had to be torn down, he supposed the land would be worth a pretty penny. After all waterfront property in a major city was always valuable.

Well...Mateo scratched his chin, he wasn't sure if Halifax counted as major or not. It might be the largest city in the Maritimes, but compared to Vancouver, where he'd come from, or a place like Manilla, where he'd been born, it was pretty insignificant. Although judging from the number of boats and fancy cars he'd seen on the way here, there was at least some money flowing into this part of town. He shrugged and headed down the path to the iron gates. He saw a latch which he lifted, then they swung open easily as he gave a light push. After stepping through, he closed the gate behind him and then walked up to the step. He raised his hand to knock, but before he could bring it down the door opened.

"You're shorter than I imagined."

This was his first time meeting her in person, but he recognized her face immediately. He was used to being teased for his height, but it was a little funny coming from Evelyn, someone he could actually look down on, "That's rich coming from someone I can actually see over." He teased.

She rolled her eyes, "Come on in. Florence is out with Daniel getting groceries. She said to claim any bedroom you want on the 2nd floor, except, obviously, the ones we already staked out."

"The second? What about the upper floors, or that tower? It would be cool to sleep up there." Mateo said.

Evelyn yawned, "Uh huh. Knock yourself out. As long as you don't need an actual bed. Only the 2nd floor bedrooms are furnished, but if you want to drag a mattress up the stairs...well, you're on your own."

Evelyn wandered off without a word of goodbye. Mateo shrugged and carried his suitcase upstairs. He found an unoccupied room and set his suitcase on the bed. Then he took off exploring. He wanted to see the view from that tower.

It took him a bit to find the entrance. The main staircase only went to the 3rd floor. He eventually found another staircase that went to the 4th, but there was no passage from the 4th to the tower. Eventually he discovered a 3rd staircase, on the 3rd floor, that bypassed the 4th to go all the way to the tower. It had taken quite a while to find it, but the view of the inlet was spectacular. The only problem was it seemed he was the first person to come up here in decades. Everything was coated in a thick layer of dust and it was hot, humid and stuffy in there. He tried a window, but it wouldn't budge. Oh well. He turned to leave but his foot kicked something. He looked down and saw a box.

Carefully he bent down and picked it up, wiping the surface with his hand. There were letters hidden under the grime, etched into the wood itself.

VAE VICTIS

Mateo recognized that it was probably Latin, but since he wasn't a 19th century priest he had no idea what it meant. He looked at the box, then decided to take it with him. Something about it just called to him, and he wanted to show everyone else what he'd found.

Florence had arrived at the house a week before the first of her friends showed up. That was good, because it took that long just to clean up the bedrooms enough that she felt she could have guests over. Even still, the rest of the house was pretty dirty. It wasn't about to be condemned or anything, just very very dusty. She was glad that Evelyn had been the first to arrive. As nervous as she was to meet any of her online friends, it would have been worse meeting a guy. She'd never been alone with a guy who wasn't related to her and the very idea made her palms sweat. Even still when Daniel had shown up, despite having another woman at her side, she'd nearly slammed the door in his face.

She was glad she'd missed Mateo arriving. Daniel had seemed to instinctively know that she was uncomfortable and went out of his way to make himself appear less threatening and give her space to get used to him. Mateo was the opposite, invading everyone's personal space as if the concept held no meaning for him. It was only the fact that the Mateo was distracted by the beer they'd brought with them that she avoided a direct confrontation.

The sun was just setting as Noah arrived, and a glass or two of wine had settled Florence's nerves enough that she was able to shake his hand in greeting. The hugs the others gave him made her feel self-consciously, like she should have been close enough to do that too. She still couldn't believe she was doing this, this wasn't like her at all. Did she really know these people? Sure, they'd talked online basically every single day for years...but people could lie online. What if they're serial killers?

"You're wondering if one of us is a serial killer, aren't you?" The sound of Daniel's voice behind her made her jump. Daniel gasped, "Shit I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to freak you out."

"No...that's exactly what I was thinking." Florence admitted.

Daniel smirked, "My money is on Evelyn. Poison. Definitely poison."

"M-most serial killers are male. I'd have g-guess you." Florence stammered.

"Why? Because I'm so handsome?" Daniel teased.

Florence blushed and looked away, "I know nobody here is like that...we're friends. I'm just...nervous."

"That's fine. Take your time. And if you need space and want to kick us all out, that's fine too. IRL or online, we're friends. Right Lady Nightbringar?"

Florence smiled softly, "Right."

"Oi!" Mateo called from the living room, "Stop flirting and get over here! I found a game, an old one. We're going to play it!"

Florence's blush intensified, and she hurried over lest they think she really was flirting. She looked at the box Mateo had set on the coffee table, "VAE what?"

"Woe to the conquered," Daniel said seriously. When everyone looked at them he shrugged, "What? It was mandatory at my prep school."

Evelyn rolled her eyes, "We get it. You're rich. Whatever, are we playing?"

"I'm a bit tired from the drive...but also too worked up to sleep. So yeah, I'm in." Noah said, "How do we play exactly?"

Mateo held out a scrap of paper, "Here, Mr. Latin can read it."

Daniel took the paper and screwed up his face, "It's not totally legible...but from what I can tell...hmmm..." Daniel started taking things out of the box. There were 6 stacks of cards, each with a unique symbol on one side, but blank on the other. He arranged them in a circle and then put a die in the middle, "It says we have to announce our intention to play, then begin by rolling the die. I'm not sure what else is going on here...those cards were blank right? And it says something about a prize for winning and...something...for the losers."

"Woe?" Noah said with a grin.

"I guess." Daniel said, confused.

Mateo shrugged, "Let's just try it. Maybe it's a like a seance kind of thing. The Victorians loved that stuff right?" He put his hand on his chest, "I swear my intention to play!"

Noah rolled his eyes, "Ya. I'm playing."

"I am curious. Sure, I'll play."

"Why not? I'll play." Daniel said.

They all looked at Florence and she felt the weight of their gazes. She gulped, "M-me too."

"Well since I declared first, I'll roll." Mateo picked up and tossed the die. This die wasn't numbered, but rather each side had a symbol matching one of the cards.

Mateo shrugged and picked up a card with a matching symbol. He didn't bother looking at it, "So what now? I have the card and..." As he spoke he turned it over in his hands, then gasped, "There's...there's something here. It says ' Object (plural)'."

"Wait, weren't they all blank?" Daniel said.

"Creepy...uh. Let's play along. An object huh...well we came here for the convention after all, so my object is costumes." Mateo gasped as the words on his card suddenly changed, "W-what? No way. The words...the cards changed. H-how?" He turned the card back and forth, "How is it doing that?"

"Stop pulling our legs," Noah said, "Give me that..." He snatched the card away from Mateo, "What...'there is a room in this house dedicated to costumes'. That's...that's impossible."

"Well...there isn't..." Florence said, "Or...um...I don't think there is...I would've...um...seen it..." She shook her head, "M-maybe it's like...invisible ink? T-the heat from our hands..."

Mateo shook his head, "No. That's...it doesn't work like that. I don't understand..."

Evelyn grabbed the next card, then the next. Then she grabbed some from other piles, "They are all blank!"

"What?" Daniel picked up the cards too, "That...that doesn't make any sense."

"R-roll." Florence suggested, "Let's see if it happens again."

Evelyn put the cards back, then took the die and tossed it. The symbol on the die was a hammer...no...a gavel? She picked up a card, "There's words...It says...'The youngest player or everyone in the mansion'. That's all."

"The youngest player or all of us what?" Daniel asked.

"Well the youngest...that's me...right?" Evelyn said, "Does it say that because I'm the youngest? Or would it have said that for anyone? W-what do I do?" The normally confidence Evelyn sounded shaken by the sudden appearance of text on the card.

"I don't know? Say something about yourself maybe?" Noah suggested.

"Or am I suppose to pick one?" Evelyn's eyes went wide, "It's...it's real...fuck!"

"What are you talking about?" Noah asked.

"Like Mateo said. The words changed! Now it says decided or be punished. Punished? What the hell?"

"Just pick one, it's gotta be that," Mateo suggested," Youngest or everyone."

"Fuck I don't know...the youngest player...me, I pick me!" Evelyn had no idea what she was supposed to do, and then suddenly the words on the card changed again, "New Rule...The youngest player may not wear pants. What the-" She froze as suddenly she lost control of her body. She stood up, "Why am I standing? I'm not trying to stand! I'm not doing this!"

Evelyn's hands shook as her thumbs hooked into the waistband on her leggings. Daniel's eyes went wide and he lept to his feet, catching Evelyn's hands. Despite being much stronger than her, he found he was powerless to hold her back as she slid them down her legs.

Only after she'd stepped out of them did she finally get control of her body again, "H-holy shit! I jsut...I didn't...I couldn't..."

"Evelyn!" Florence shouted from shock.

"Holy shit." Mateo was grinning from ear to ear.

Daniel recovered from his shock quickly, grabbing a blanket off the couch and wrapping it around Evelyn's waist. He held it there until she grabbed it herself, then he put a hand on her shoulder, "Are you ok?" Daniel asked.

Evelyn shook her head, "It was...I couldn't...I didn't do that. I lost control and just...I don't know. I just knew that it's a rule I had to obey. I'm not allowed to wear those."

"No...no you're just messing with us? Some elaborate prank you cooked up? This isn't funny anymore. I'm exhausted from driving all day...I'm hallucinating...right?" Noah said desperately.

Florence shook her head. Mateo would definitely pull a prank like that, but Evelyn...Evelyn wouldn't do that. She had an acid tongue and a sharp wit, but Florence couldn't imagine her playing along with a prank of this magnitude, "It's magic..." She whispered.

"Magic?" Mateo scoffed, "I mean I was impressed with the cards changing too, but I think you've been roleplaying a little too much."

Evelyn shook her head, "No. She's right. It has to be magic. I can't...I can't explain it any other way," She sighed loudly, "I'd suggest we quit but I have a feeling..."

Daniel shook his head. He held the instructions in his hand, "I think...I think that would be a bad idea. he instructions are too faded to make out clearly, but I think if we quit we get...well..."

"Woe?" Mateo suggested.

Daniel nodded, "Ya...that. I guess I'll go next then, we should go clockwise, right?" He rolled the die and got the same symbol as Mateo. He picked up his card and read, "Number between 150 and 200...ok...uh...198. Wow it's really changing now it says-" Daniel stopped as there was a sudden ripping sound. Daniel started to grow, and grow, and grow until he looked like he was wearing children's clothes. Several seams had ripped, although he was still far more covered up than Evelyn. Daniel coughed, "You are now 198 centimeters tall..."

"Dude..." Mateo said.

"You were what...5 foot 11 before? So you grew...7 inches?" Noah asked.

Daniel looked at his arms and down his body, "G-guess so. What a strange feeling...it didn't hurt but it was...unpleasant."

Daniel looked at Florence, and then so too did everyone else. She shrank back and shook her head, "I can't...I don't want to."

"I think you have to Florence." Daniel said seriously, "It'll be ok. We're right here with you."

She nodded and took a deep breath, then picked up the die and tossed it. It landed on a symbol of an eye inside a book. She picked up her card, "Would you rather be unable to sleep unless you are in bed with another person or unable to eat unless you are sitting on the ground? W-what? Those sound..."

"Pick the bed. We can bunk together this trip. After...I don't know, but you don't want to have to sit on the floor to eat the rest of your life." Evelyn said.

Florence nodded, "O-okay. The bed one." Nothing immediately happened of course, but Florence knew in the back of her mind she'd never sleep alone again.

Noah rolled the die, getting a new symbol, "The triangle card...ok. It says Bionic Eye?" Suddenly a small sphere appeared in his hand. It looked like an eye, sort of. There were wires hanging out of it and there was something...off...about it. Then suddenly it shot out of his hand and plunged into Noah's left eye. He screamed, though it was from shock and not pain. It lasted just a second and then it was gone. There was no blood, no pain, nothing. Noah blinked, he could see perfectly fine, "Am I...ok?" He wondered aloud.

"Dude, are you?" Mateo asked.

Noah looked at him, then looked above him. There was something there... 0/100. What did that mean?

He glanced at the others. Daniel had one too. 10/100. Evelyn 30/100 and Florence 70/100. Should he tell them about the numbers?

Before he could, Mateo grabbed the die again, "I guess we keep going then...here goes..." He tossed the die.