Murder Mystery Mansion

My alarm clock says “7:32” as I look over at it.  It’s way too early to get up, but I get up anyway because I’m so excited.  I pull on my skinny jeans and my old , knobby, gray sweater and head downstairs to execute my morning routine.”Fweee!” goes the kettle as my tea is starting to boil. Off the burner I take it and pour some orange spice tea into my favorite ‘Snoopy’ mug.  I plop down onto the arm chair and turn on the T.V. and click through the channels until I come to the news. “Happy Halloween everyone! Hope you have a spook-tacular day!”says the news guy wearing vampire teeth and a black cape. “OK, back business.  A convict from the Hamilton Insane asylum escaped and is moving westward in the Hampton county….”

The stairs creak as I walk upstairs to get my things ready for tonight. A long, silk, purple gown is what I’ll wear.  I’ll layer with my mom’s white mink stole and long white gloves and my hair in an up-do. All the detective heroines in the books look like that.  In my small, fancy, bag I stuffed cotton swabs to test if ketchup or blood, along with special paper that turns blue when it’s real blood, a classic magnifying glass, a pen and paper, a handkerchief, and harsh flash light for questioning. I’m all set. By then everyone has gotten up in the house, so I go ask my family at the breakfast table if anyone wants to play ‘Clue’ until I have to go…..

I am so ready for the Murder Mystery Mansion field trip.  

“OOHHH MAN!!! It’s 7:45!!!! Only 15 minutes until we are at the place!!!!” I excitedly scream to my parents as they drive me to ‘The Hamptons Mansion’, where our whole English class is going for a field trip on our section about Agatha Christie.  Fancy lion statues at the big iron gate flash by my face as we enter the serial and elegant Hampton Mansion.  My friends Tina and Julie wave excitedly when my car pulls up.  They both look gorgeous! Tina in a rich pink gown with a subtle poof at the waist, she layered with a  ghostly white shawl and a silver necklace. Julie looked  very, Julie-ish. She wore a short, red, silk, Japanese style cross over dress with black Converse, because she doesn’t own any fancy shoes.  But, she looked fantastic anyway.

A young man in a spiffy, grey suit , with a name tag reading: ‘Adam, staff’ walked up to our group and said, “If you could come inside, the rest of your class is in the house.”  We tingled our fingers to say goodbye to our parents and followed Adam inside the Hampton Mansion.

As we walked in a ‘butler greeted us and took our coats.  Our whole English class was there, with the exception of Roy because he just can’t handle scary.  Mr. Burrow finished speaking with the  main leader of the festivity and got our attention so he could say, “Hello everyone! Please meet up with your group and your tour guide so we may start!” Tina, Julie, and I went to our tour guide, Ryan.  “Follow me and we will meet our other guests.”  Bright light hits my face as we walk into a room that appears to be the dining room.  Five people who look like a rainbow of aristocracy,  Each wearing a different color.  Scott the main leader each one of them, “These are the other guests to the Hampton’s Halloween party, Miss Roselia Rouge,”  Clad in a red dress.  “Prof. Lemaen.” Wearing a black suit with a yellow vest.  He continued,”Miss Flora Greenwood,” Garbed in a green pencil skirt and a green cardigan.  “Lord Hampton and his wife Lady Violet.”  “Jeez I prepared myself better than I thought.” I murmured to my friends.  “There will be a two hour break before dinner, please look around and admire our lavish house.

 Ryan lead us to the library for our break, with Miss Greenwood following us.  Julie, Tina and I all rushed to sit down on the ornately woven chaise lounge and do our best fainting women impression.  Tina was first to  it, only to be pricked in the posterior by a small dagger’. We all exclaimed shrilly “A clue!” When we looked closer at it we noticed to letter ‘R’s’ carved on it ornately.  “I wonder whose it is?” Ryan said with a hint in his voice.  “Probably Miss. Rouge’s.” Julie said. “AH HA! Our first suspect!” I screeched.  “Genna, you dope! No one’s done anything yet.” Tina said, bringing me back to the real world.  “Oh, yeah I forgot you’re supposed to text the other groups when you’ve found something.  Tina whipped out her smancy- fancy touch-screen phone.  “I got dis.”  She said cooly.  While Tina was texting the other four groups we searched around for more clues but nothing was to be found.  We came back to Tina and asked what the other groups said, “Well group two found a green handkerchief with the initials ‘F.G’ embroidered on it  although it was very blood stained in the study ,” right then Miss. Flora mysteriously left the room.  “Group three found a blue slipper in the conservatory, group four found a bottle of poison in the ballroom , and group five found nothing.”

The hall with the bathroom is where Ryan lead us next.  each of us used the bathroom it was when julie looked in the mirror that she noticed a piece of paper stuck in the medicine cabinet. She pulled it out and called us over to look at it.  It read: “I will do it with poison like you said. Did you leave it in the  ballroom like you said? ~G.R.” “This totally has something to do with the bottle of poison in the ballroom.” Tina observed.  She texted the other groups and gave us the update.  “Group two found a corresponding note that acknowledged ours and said that that the knife would be in the library.  The other groups found nothing.”  ryan cut in, “Time for dinner, let’s head down to the dining hall.” We followed him and halfway down the large staircase we heard frantic footsteps running in one of the rooms next to the stairs.  Ryan didn’t seem to notice.  

The butler seated us at the large table with extensive table settings. “What the stuff! How many forks do you need?” Julie murmured to us.  we both tried to hide giggles.  The servants brought us split pea soup  and savory dinner rolls.  Lord Hampton raised his glass for a toast, “To many more wonderful Halloweens and thank you for being such wonderful friends!”  We raised our glasses and took a dainty sip from them.  Then Lord Hampton fell face down in his bowl of soup everyone gasped and his wife screamed.  Prof. Lemaen dabbed his finger on the edge of his glass then sniffed his finger, “Poison, that’s’ wot killed ‘em.”  The three of us looked knowingly at each other then scanned the faces of everyone else.  “Whoever this murderer is , well they have a good poker face.” I said. Lady Violet shakily whispered, I suggest we all go somewhere else to calm down.” everyone left the table silently.  “We’ll catch up I lost an earing somewhere.” I lied He shrugged and left the room. We rushed over to Lord Hampton to check his pulse.  Tina’s face went white with horror, “He has no pulse.” She said tensely.  “So he’s actually dead?” julie asked. “Yes.”  We went to the billiard room where we were supposed to meet Ryan.  “Oops I left my bag in the dining room.” Tina remembered.  “We can get it later.”  Julie said. As We sat down Tina’s phone tweeted, signaling that she got a text.  She took out her phone and read aloud.  “Team two we found Prof. Lemaen face down with a knife in his back, dead in the living room.” We all shuddered.  Then dashed off to look for any evidence of the murderer in the living room.

We arrived and immediately I took out my blood testing paper and touched it to the bloody spot.  “This definitely real blood.” I reluctantly said.  “Who could be doing this?” Eric, from the other group said to me.  “ I have a hunch but I need a bit more evidence.  “Where is Miss Rouge?” I asked. “She is supposed to be in her room.” One of the guides said.  “Let me see that knife.”  No one went to get it so Julie does and rolls her eyes at the the supposed ‘tough’ guys.  I wipe it off on my handkerchief and look closer at it with my magnifying glass.  It has the identical ‘R.R’ carved on it.  The same knife that Tina put in her bag the bag she left in the dining room.  I call Lady Violet, and ask, “Do you have any security cameras in the dining room?” “Uh Huh.” she says with a whimper.The recordings will be in the kitchen.

The kitchen is the place we go next.  We find the recordings and upload them to Tina’s phone.  We all watch carefully, in the video after Julie, Tina and I left twenty minutes later Miss Rouge and Miss Flora Greenwood come in and rummage through Tina’s bag.  Pulling out the knife they high five and walk out.

The group goes back to the living room, the scene of the crime.  We all moodily mose around pondering why. Julie leans on a bookcase and clumsily falls backward as it opens.  Inside we find a ripped up straight jacket and the dead body of Lord Hampton.  “This is a real murder, not a fake one we’re supposed to solve.” Tina whimpered. “Exactly! Someone is using the fake clues from the fake mystery to commit a real murder.” I said forgetting how gruesome this actually was.  Julie sat down on the large sofa and screamed.  Two long grungy hands gripped her neck trying to strangle her. But Eric from the other group jumped up and wrestled with the unknown murderer.  The unknown’s fingernails dug into his neck and eventually tired him out and put him to the ground.  The unknown was surely the convict his shirt had ‘The Hamilton Insane Asylum.’ We all realized  what was happening in front of us. We scrambled for our lives outside and ran into the night with a insane person on our heels.