That night, around midnight, an explosion so large rocked the resort that the island almost broke free from the earth’s crust and floated out to sea like a derelict ship. The very walls of the mansion seemed to vibrate and all the guests and staff members, both asleep and awake, were sure they were going to die for a few long seconds.
But when they realized they were okay, they rushed out of their rooms to find out who had died. In this game, if there was an explosion, then surely it meant that someone had perished. They all knew as much by now.
Oddly enough, though, there didn’t seem to be any physical signs of the explosion. There were no fires, no blasted sections of the mansion—everything seemed to be generally intact. The guests and staff gathered in the foyer chatting fervently, speculating on what had actually happened.
“Maybe it was a rogue thunderclap?” one maid suggested.
“No, it’s way too cold outside for that,” another answered.
“Did someone try to escape by boat again?” one resort chef wondered.
“No way, I was awake and that explosion definitely happened up here in the middle of the island,” Gary said. “It happened within these walls, I’m sure of it.”
“Is anyone missing?” someone called out.
“Todd? Where’s Todd?” Cathy frantically asked.
The foyer was silent as everyone looked around. Todd was nowhere in sight.
“Someone go check his room,” Giles said.
But before anyone could head up the stairs, one of the maids looked out the front window.
“There’s someone in the fountain!” she said.