"I'm not dead. I'm not dreaming?"

"No. Maybe I am or we're both delusional. I thought you were dead," Stevfan said looking at Violynn as she stood in the doorway, her tentacles retracting.

"This one is dead," they heard one of the emergency workers say.

"Monasugar?" Violynn rushed forward.

"Wait," Stevfan said stopping her with his hands on her shoulders.

"Why does my head hurt?" she asked resting her forehead in her palm.

"I found you on the floor faced down."

"I must've fallen and hit my head."

"How did Monasugar...? Why is he dead?"

Stevfan shrugged. "I don't know. He was as white as a sheet. His eyes open. His face frozen in terror."

There was a knock on the front door.

Stevfan went to answer it. Violynn stepped out of her room and down the corridor to Monasugar's room.

"Miss, you can't come in here. Get back," one of the emergency workers said stopping her at the door, putting his hand up to keep her from moving forward.

Violynn let out a scream looking over the man's shoulder at Monasugar's body, cutting her outburst short in the middle by putting her hand quickly over her mouth, making an echoing slapping sound across her face.

Stevfan looked over his shoulder. He left the door open letting the producer walk in on his own. He ran to Violynn putting his arm around her ushering her away.

"I'm no stranger to dead bodies. I've left numerous in my wake but to see someone I was starting to like look so...so..." she held her breathe in silence for a moment and then let go. She sat on her bed, with a devastated look on her face. She looked up as his body was being wheeled passed her bedroom doorway. The producer followed suit. Stevfan left Violynn's side and stood behind the wide open front door and listened in as the producer spoke to the police.

"...The cameras in the house are set on a timer to switch off when the show isn't live. It's quite possible they might not have been recording at the time of Monasugar's death. And last night was the last for the contestants since production is over and they're being sent back to their homes today," the producer said to the constable.

"Just in case we'll check the cameras in the house. The remaining contestants can't leave. I'll be interviewing them as well as you and those involved with the game show and the contest."

"Do you think it was suicide? After all he did lose to one of the contestants live on television?"

Stevfan snuck back towards Violynn's room before he could hear the constable's response. He heard the shower running. He left her room and shut the door. He went back to the front door and peered out of the doorway watching as the producer and the constable walked down the lane still in conversation. He closed the door cautiously. He went back to his room. He closed the door and phoned Pricilla.

"Yes. Where are you? We're already here at the airport. Are you phoning because you're going to be late?" Pricilla answered.

"No. I'm still at the house. I'm sorry I should've called sooner. It's a bit hectic here."

"Stevfan what's going on?"

"You're not going to believe this, but..."

There was a knock on Violynn's door. "It's the police."

"I'm getting dressed." She hurriedly dressed and opened the door. "I imagine the limo has been cancelled by now. And I've been packed since last night," she gestured with her hand towards her suitcase in the corner of the room. "Go ahead interview me," she said sitting on the bed. She held up her hand. "Before you begin, I was dead until this morning. I don't know why I didn't stay that way. I have a bit of survivor's guilt I'm wrestling with the moment," she sighed. "Let's get on with it."

The constable cleared his throat. "Before your death, did you notice anything strange about the victim?" He looked from left to right awkwardly, not looking at Violynn directly.

"Would you feel more comfortable with a woman police constable asking such a question, Constable?"

"It's not the sort of question you ask usually, Miss," he said shrugging one shoulder. He cleared his throat again and straightened his stance.

"No it isn't. No, I didn't pay any attention. I was too busy dealing with starvation and humiliation in losing to Stevfan on television. Oddly, I'm not hungry now. I suppose being dead has taken my appetite. I hope it's temporary I'd love to feed again," she said looking at the constable insidiously, her spiky tentacles peeking out of her nostrils like a tortoise out of its shell. "Will that be all, Constable?"

"A full medical report is in order, Miss. That's all for now."

"Yes, I imagine the police would want documented proof I was dead all night," Violynn said raising a brow. "I'll be sure to use a mortal physician instead of the one for the gods. You wouldn't want anything underhand. I have one I see regularly. I never use the ones for the gods that would be superfluous."

"Good day, Miss."

"Good day, Constable."

The constable knocked on Stevfan's bedroom door.

"I'm in here in the lounge, Constable!" Stevfan shouted sitting on the sofa shoving his phone in his pocket after finishing the call.

"Where were you last night?"

"I was out with my best mates all night. Later, I rented a taxi. And I didn't get back here until early this morning."

"What time?"

"I'm not quite sure. I know it was after I discovered Violynn and Monasugar's dead bodies. I phoned emergency straightaway."

"What are the names of your mates you were with?"

There was a knock on the door interrupting Stevfan's reply. The constable opened the door wide enough for Stevfan to see who was there.

"We won't come inside since we know this is a possible crime scene. And clearly a police investigation is in progress. But we're here in support of Stevfan," Pricilla gestured towards Stevfan. The constable looked over his shoulder at him.

"Were the three of you with him last night?" the constable asked as he walked outside and closed the door behind him.

"Yes, we were in Taran Gu2 Series, a sci-fi-horror themed haunted house in Cruel on Dustworthy. It was a bit weird, but therapeutic. We thought the best way to face our nightmares is to get in front of it. It's known to be the scariest place in Qualina," Pricilla answered.

"I've heard of it," the constable said to her.

"Here's our ticket receipt. We purchased the group tour," Andar said taking the receipt from his pocket and handing it to the constable.

The constable glanced at it and gave it back to Andar.

"If you have any further concerns or questions, please call Camp Hypnos or mine and Stevfan's employer Meron Abby," Andar said putting the receipt back in his pocket. "Camp Hypnos phone number can be found in the directory."

"May he leave?" Kevyn asked the constable.

"Not until we see if there's any evidence caught on the house cameras of how the victim died."

"We'll make sure he remains in the area," Pricilla assured the constable.

"All right, no sense in keeping him in a place where a death has happened."