The Deceivers Among Us

“Blue did it.” 

Sweat glistens on my forehead, threatening to spill down. The slight tremble in my hands is no aid to me. I know that I should speak now to tell them. Tell them that I didn’t do it. The fact remains that the bloody knife lays at my feet next to the body. Pink’s body.  The blood glistens eerily back at me as it drips off the blade and stains the floor. 

If only I knew.

All I remember is a blinding flash of white - but white had been hurled out already. My eyes dart around the circle of crewmates, endeavoring to wheedle out any suspicious behavior. 

The pinkish light from dusk causes my eyes to strain as I scrutinize furrowed brows and shaking fingers. Well. Only shaking fingers to be spotted are mine. Black narrows his eyes at me and lifts a finger in my direction. His voice is deep and rumbling as he lets out to everyone, “Blue sus.”

No, no, no. 

Yellow takes a hesitant step towards me and asks “Is it you blue?”

“No!” I beg, “Yellow, I swear it isn’t, please believe me!”

Yellow’s face morphs into one of total befuddlement. Yellow is an ally, a friend. 

This can’t be happening. No one knows what’s out there. 

You only know if you lose. In the end, there can only be one winner and my odds aren’t looking too great right now. 

The gears in my mind turn as I try to come up with something - anything - to help save me. 

“Yellow, you saw me doing tasks in electric.”

“Blue, I did, but you could’ve been faking. No one is incapable of this evil - no matter how much they plead.”

“And I agree with you Yellow. I do. But please, I promise I didn’t kill her. Even you know how close we were.”

At that, Yellow seemed to be mulling over this in his mind, his eyes searching mine for any giveaway of deception. None to be found I willed my eyes to depict back to him. He held my gaze for a beat longer while the group waited in anticipation. He turned on his heel and steadily walked to Black. 

To gain Black’s favor, you have to remain dignified, calm. Seeing Black fazed or hysterical is near-impossible. Yellow approaches Black and they have a hushed, rapid discussion, ending with a curt nod of agreement from Black. Yellow returns to his place in the circle, his eyes cast downward, following his feet. 

“Let us commence,” says Black, sending a shiver accompanied with goosebumps along my back. 

Thank God. 

Crewmates are already running around, finding their tasks. The only strategy that comes to mind was to meekly blend in and perform my tasks. Not a foot out of line. Or the consequence could be fatal, deadly - or worse. Who knows?

I run to electric, my breath heavy already. Yellow stealthily slinks up behind me, most likely checking if the taskbar increases when I complete the task. 

Perfect. This could easily prove that I’m a crewmate.

 The only problem: I can’t seem to get the wires to fit in with each other. I fumble around, my face getting hotter as I realize how suspicious this looks. 

“Yellow, I can’t seem to do it!” I say hysterically, my head turning to look over my shoulder. 

Black passes by and gives Yellow a look that clearly says told you so. Yellow shakes his head at me and jogs away. I think of calling him back. Back in order to explain my butterfingers. Fortunately, I realize how desperate that may sound, so I abstain, while still attempting to fix together the wires.

While I bend over the wires, my forehead crinkles in concentration. Suddenly, I notice the silence. Too silent. 

An ear-curdling scream penetrates the silence.

 I should’ve known. 

I swivel around as quick as lightning for the sheer impossible to meet my eyes. A flash of red passes the corner of my peripheral vision, but so does the blood staining and leaking from Yellow’s body. He runs in circles, bobbing in and out of my vision as I remain stone-still. 

“Who?!” I yell at Yellow.

Between pants, he manages to let out, “I didn’t see...the blindfold...at your feet-”

“No! That can’t be!”

Yellow gives me one last look of disappointment before his body collapses on the floor. 

A soft gasp escapes my lips. 

Black is the one to call the meeting. No surprises there. 

Yet again, my body trembles as I walk over to the group. There’s no use in discussing. If Black has made up his mind and Yellow is no longer here to give me a hand, I’m a goner. 

I look back to Yellow’s body and wonder if my fate will be worse than his. A selfish thought. 

I should have rushed over to him and feigned shock. Why his death came as no shock, is beyond me. Yellow was the people-pleaser; the crewmate that everyone liked. Now only patches of yellow skin peek out, the rest suffocating under a thick layer of red. 

Will, my body look like that? Wrecked, the familiar blue wearing off my body?

I try to stop this flow of thoughts - they are of no use. They won’t help prepare me for whatever is to come. As I enter back into the circle, Black approaches me sluggishly. Taking his time to look me up and down. 

“Blue, you are a traitor. You not only killed Pink, a good friend of yours, but also Yellow, our best friend.”

I look down, soaking these accusations up, too weak now to retaliate. 

I stare at Black’s shoes as they travel to The Button. 

I can’t help it now - a sob escapes my throat, letting out a weak, gurgling noise. Black gives me one last look of distaste before stepping up to The Button. 

He slams his fist down on it, hard. Immediately, the crewmates rush over to me right before all our feet leave the ground. The airy sensation of floating fills me up.

The crewmates gather around me and count down from 5.

I shut my eyes tight, the feeling of hands pressing against my back making me shiver in revulsion. A surge of red-hot anger envelopes me as I hear Black press the Second Button.

I am hurled into outer space, head over heels. A glint emanating from Red’s eye stirs something inside of me. 

I open my eyes for one last moment of satisfaction. The words that follow me into space:

“Black is not the imposter.”