Most family games end up with a winner and multiple losers and, while there are maybe some feelings hurt... no one ever dies...Right?

Welcome to Burlsdrake Manor, where the most dangerous people are your family.

The clock emitted twelve sonorous clangs. Mina slid around the corner as an electronified voice made the announcement: "Let the Games begin!"

The Burlsdrake family had been participating in the family Games since they had arrived at the manor. The Games occurred every four years (coinciding with election year), beginning January 1 and ending a week later. Those who participated were eighteen years old or older. The entire family trained for the day each member would participate in the Games. This included cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents, siblings. The point of the games was to figure out the mystery of that particular Games without dying. That's right... without dying. Some Games, only one or two family members were killed or maimed. Other Games, there was catastrophic bloodshed with only two or three family members coming out on top.

This year was Mina's first Games. She had just turned eighteen that September. She was excited and filled with trepidation at the same time. She darted around corners and around columns and in between shadows. She was small for her age and for her family, coming up to only 5 feet and 2 inches. The rest of her family participating in this Games were all 5 feet 8 inches or taller, the tallest coming in at 6 foot 10 inches.

The people participating in this year's Games, were: Grandpa Louis, who was 74 years old and specialized in shotguns; Great-Aunt Margaret who was 76 and specialized in IEDs; Aunt Marie, who was 58 and specialized in knife throwing; Uncle Jacobo (he married into the family) who was 34 and specialized in Glocks; Aunt Natalie (married Jacobo) who was 33 and specialized in Sniper rifles; Cousin Linley who was 21 and specialized in poison blow darts; Cousin Aiden who was 32 and specialized in gas warfare; Drake (Mina's dad) who was 48 and specialized in hand-to-hand combat; Marissa (married into the family and is Mina's mom) who was 46 and specialized in sabers; Robin (Mina's sister) who was 20 and specialized in organophosphates; Miles (Mina's brother) who was 22 and specialized in acids.

Mina specialized in shadow walking. She could blend into any shadow anywhere which was due mainly to her smaller size. Before the Games had begun, the entire family had congregated in the family room to go over the rules and clues.

Rule #1: No one could leave the house.

Rule #2: No one was allowed in Grandma Lila's room (it had massive chains and a padlock on the door, pretty obvious).

Rule #3: There are no other rules

Clue #1: There is a place that nobody wants to go, but everybody goes there although. Dark but not damp, haunted it could be still. Once there you will find the next clue which could bode ill.

Then, the Games began.

Mina peeked around the corner and then instantly withdrew back into the shadows as Cousin Aiden appeared in the hallway and stalked towards her. She moved quickly further into the shadows and down the opposite hall. She racked her brain about the clue... A place that nobody wants to go... What part of the house did a normal person not go? Usually a person dreaded the basement, but that was dark and damp, not dark but not damp. Mina ducked into a bedroom and winced when a shriek pierced the night. It came from the direction of the basement.

Haunted it could be still

Ghosts did not haunt basements... but they did haunt attics!

Mina wanted to jump for joy but could not risk it. There was a lot of house between her and the attic as well as many family members who were also probably headed that way too. Mina did know one small place that she thought she could use that no one else could. The dumbwaiter. This would be risky though, because if she was found in the dumbwaiter as she traveled towards the attic, she would probably be dead in an instant. Mina decided that it was worth the risk. She risked a peek out into the hallway. The coast was clear at least for now, though someone could be following her. Some of the most successful Games players would follow someone who knew the Clues and would steal the prize, killing the clue-finder in the process.

The dumbwaiter was just a few doors down from where Mina hid. She leaped from shadow to shadow and scurried up to the dumbwaiter. She slid the dumbwaiter door open and prepared to crawl inside when a floorboard creaked behind her. She drew her pistol as she whirled around and was confronted with darkness. She knew someone was there, she just couldn't see them. She listened for breathing and heard a slight breath to the right. She adjusted and then took a shot. Someone screamed, she thought it was Cousin Linley. But she wasn't about to check. She whirled back around and climbed into the dumbwaiter. As she slid the door shut, she heard several little thunks and knew that she was right. It was Cousin Linley.

She holstered her pistol and started the upward journey towards the fourth floor. Each pull up the cables caused the house to creak and the dumbwaiter to shake. Mina was almost there when she saw a light above her. Someone was waiting for her. She unholstered her pistol and prepared to shoot, all the while still pulling herself up the cables. Her heart pounded and sweat started to drip down her temples. As she neared the top, she stopped and waited. There was no shadow... but that didn't mean anything.

Someone could be waiting to snipe her or throw a knife at her. A scream came from the next floor below her. The floor creaked in front of the dumbwaiter and a face appeared. Without thinking, Mina aimed and fired. There was no scream this time and the body slumped over, dead. Mina pulled herself up and out of the dumbwaiter taking the body with her. She laid it down on the floor and looked at the face. Tears began to leak out of Mina's eyes. It was Marissa, Mina's mom. Mina rubbed her eyes and gave a big, gulping sigh.

A creak sounded around the corner and Mina darted to the nearest shadow, melting into it like water. She saw Drake come around the corner. He did not see her, so she decided to let him pass. He went into a room further down the hall. She darted from her shadow to the attic ladder and scurried up it.

Immediately after entering the attic, she hid behind a pile of boxes. The attic was completely pitch black. If anyone was in there, Mina would see them, but they wouldn't see her. She crept along the edge of the attic. She peered around looking for anything that might be the next clue. Suddenly, she bumped into something soft and a little warm and wet. Turning, she covered her mouth to keep from screaming. It was Grandpa Louis with a knife through his heart skewering him to the wall. Poor Grandpa, Mina thought. She quickly forgot Grandpa Louis because there to the left of his body was a small ornate box covered in dust and looking undisturbed.

She crept silently over to the box, all the while looking over her shoulder. She knelt down and opened the box. There nestled in the box was a key with a large tag attached.

The tag said:

Keys open doors.

Doors open floors.

This key opens a door.

This door is on a floor.

But beware the contents

Make sure the occupant consents.

Mina was confused. Was the clue asking her to go into Grandma Lila's room? The Rules expressly stated that they couldn't go in there. There was only one way to find out.

She had to enter Grandma Lila's room.

At least three dead... A forbidden door with a clue leading to it... What happens next?