They Burn In Your Brains, Become A Living Hell [Motive]
Roseli has been out of Room 101 for no more than two hours before Melody speaks up again. Her voice sounds cheerful, despite the distorted sounds of static going through it. Static which... definitely wasnât there before. Oh, dear.
âHello, hello, dear children! How have you been? Terrible, right? But... even so, youâre not killing each other. Have you been enjoying the background music? I really hate it when it gets like this... I hate having to do this to you children... and to the music! Hihihi... would you like it to stop? Itâs not hard, itâll definitely stop if you kill someone... or if someone dies. Remember, dear children, if you really want to, you yourself can be the student you kill!â
Thereâs a bit of a pause, likely for dramatic effect, before she continues on. âOh, but itâs not the motive, this isnât. Not the official motive. I suppose it could be motivating enough-- certainly it provides psychological stress-- but no, you children tend to need something more. Itâs been tested, you know. Just the symphony becoming like this, it usually isnât enough to push anyone into murder. Do you know what does, though? Hihihi⪠Itâs really simple! Each and every one of you has something to hide, donât you?â
âOh, certainly, dear children, you might not think that you do. Perhaps thereâs nothing in your entire life you wouldnât want getting out enough to kill someone to prevent it! Perhaps youâre smug, and thinking to yourself that you have nothing to hide, and that Iâm wrong, and youâre fine. Hihihi... I think itâs really important to remember, dear children... if you think this isnât enough to get you to kill at all, then this motive likely isnât about you, now is it? Thatâs the beauty of having so many of you here...â
âOnly one person has to break down and decide theyâve had enough in order for someone to die.â Her voice is softer, more personal, when she says this. It sounds like itâs coming from right behind you in a perfectly ominous whisper, audible even above the cacophony surrounding you.
âSo! Did you know weâve tried framing this motive in a number of ways? Just threatening to reveal everything, letting it be a scavenger hunt, sending peopleâs secrets to others in envelopes, revealing more than one awful thing but lying about some of it and making people guess which part was a lie... hihihi⪠Thereâs so many things to do with secrets. I think youâll be finding out our favourite and most effective way soon... after all, why not make it absolutely clear to you what you have to hide and lose...?â Thereâs a soft giggle as she says this, and a pause, stretching on so long you think sheâs done.
At least, until she adds, âOh, and by the way! Every day, someoneâs secret will be revealed. But weâll be nice about it! All of you children will get to vote, each day, on whose secret you want to see! Though, of course, Iâll have to put up some restrictions... I know! Iâll give you a choice between two people⪠And if youâre perfectly fine with your secret getting out... well then, darling, I donât have to include you in the running if youâre so willing to tell everyone yourself! Go look at the screens in the foyer to show you whoâs nominated, hm?â With that, only the distorted music can be heard, Melodyâs static cutting out altogether. Have fun, kids!