One of Us - Prologue

Story by Reaping on SoFurry

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#1 of One of Us

Synopsis: Ten young, homophobic adults gather for Halloween. At 10 PM, lights shut off, phones fry up, game starts and none can leave. What's more, it seems there is one imposter among them. Can they make it out until morning? What is this "game" all about anyway?

~~~~~

Hey guys!

I've been recently working on a little fun project for Halloween. I don't want to let your hopes down yet, but here, in the Prologue, there are no transformation or sexual elements yet. The story revolve around a group of 10 individuals gathering for Halloween. There are 8 guys and 2 girls, but I'll leave the gender tag as "Male" anyway since I will focus on the male gender in particular all over these series (meaning: gay sex will eventually ensues if you didn't catch my drift).

There are many references in these series that I hope you will like! I should post the 1st chapter later today so that you'll have a little bit of the story to get you started!

Happy Halloween!


~ One of Us** ~**

Prologue

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~ Saturday, October 31st, 2020 -- 7:00 PM ~

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The full moon forecasted on Halloween, a Saturday, promised a memorable night... if it was not for the whole pandemic thing. Halloween couldn't just be cancelled. There could have been a tornado or an earthquake and the festivities would have still happened. Who cared for a stupid invisible virus!

It was a mild evening by the Wrights' house on the outskirts of Austin Town. Dimitri, a tall twenty-year-old who lifted weights daily had invited a couple of buddies for Halloween. He didn't care for the pandemic and had the mansion by himself since his parents were out of town -- he forgot exactly where. But all he cared for, in the moment, was throwing the party with his friends. He put on a cowboy hat, a checkered vest and a pair of faded jeans to look the part. The only boots he found around his home were his father's 13s, which felt tight on the sides for his big boy ones. After all, he was two inches taller than his six-foot dad.

The mansion hall was grandiose, looking as if it came from a movie or catalogue. A big staircase sculpted into rich oak wood crept the left wall of the hall and led to the upper rooms. On the right wall, a more discreet yet still impressive staircase led down to the basement, where the theatre room and the home bar would receive the guests later during the night. Next to the last staircase, wide double doors opened on a spacious living room. A fireplace took place on the left wall, right next to a sturdy door, and under a big plasma TV. Two long couches surrounded a glass table at the centre of the room, onto which half a dozen big bowls were filled with candies and chips. Against the farther wall, a tennis table had been set up by the garage door, onto which red plastic cups had been piled.

Right next to the table, Dimitri's best friend Asher was sitting on a stool with a beer can in hand. The 5?9? man did not wait for other guests to show up before cracking up a beer and taking a handful of chips. He was dressed up in camo clothes and a war helmet -- which consisted of a grotesquely painted bicycle helmet. The man scrolled through the song playlist in his phone, plugged into the speakers, hanging in the high corners of the room. He had created a selection of spooky and Halloween-themed song to play, but had somehow managed to either lose or erase it. To his feet under the table, Dimitri had a cooler which contained the few six-packs of beers he's brought along for the night -- probably the only six-pack thing about the bulky guy. Whereas Asher did not have abdominals to show, the bearded redhead had his own share of strength.

Asher was telling his friend the latest conquest he's had when a loud booming car entered the driveway. The two men looked through the wide windows of the living room, noticing how more of the guests arrived. Two more men and their girlfriends walked out of the car. The two girls were the first to get out, a short yet curvy dirty blond and a tall svelte latina with jet black hair. A short man on the passenger side joined the girl of similar height while the driver, a giant although quite lanky young man, turned the ignition off and joined with the crew.

"Yo! Is that the double Js!" Asher called out through the window with a tipsy laugh, before following the host back in the hall to greet the guests.

"In the flesh and the hair!" The taller man -- Sebastian Joseph -- replied with a wide grin over his stubbly face, ruffling his head full of shaggy chestnut hair for effect.

The other shorter guy -- Theodore James -- walked with a crate full of beers, letting out an enthusiastic "got the booze" to the host. Albeit not dressed in their costumes yet, the quartet had a few bags with them, giving the impression they would change once inside.

"Need help with something, boys?" The raven-haired girl asked with a giggle.

"I do, Mathy, but I doubt your 'tall-boi' here would agree to share ya with me." Asher chuckled before receiving a playful blow from giga-Seb on the shoulder.

The girls jiggled between each other at the display of rough masculinity between the guys. Theo made himself silent as he brought the beer and his backpack inside.

"Perhaps Theo might be more compliant on the deal with Jenny, though." The womanizer grinned as he sized up the short blond.

"Don't you dare touching my girl, bro!" Theodore shouted from the inside.

"Bro, just keep your dick in your pants." Dimitri slapped his best friend teasingly on the back as he was taking a sip of beer, resulting in him spitting some down.

"Dude, bro! Don't do that! You can't waste that shit!" Asher dramatized as booze also leaked into his beard and camo vest.

In the middle of laughs, the short girl asked if there was a room where they could get changed.

"Yeah, there's a bathroom in the corridor behind the stairs." Dimitri pointed at the staircase. "First door to your left, girls."

"Need some assistance, girls?" Asher joked again.

"We'll be fine, dickhead." Jenny rolled her eyes, although still amused. "Come on, Mathilda."

"You'll see, boys. Once we'll be out, you'll be the ones asking for our help!" The latina giggled, winking at them before following her bossy little friend.

"I'll be waiting for that!" Asher exclaimed, grabbing his crotch for emphasis.

"Dude, have you gotten laid recently?" Sebastian elbowed the bulky womanizer.

"I did, but that pandemic thing right now is really killing my strike. Can't believe there's so many scared pussies around. It's terrifying for the male race, dude."

"Unless you're a fag, bro!" Sebastian chuckled.

"Aww, fuck off, dude!" Asher smirked before finishing his beer. "Hmm... let me get myself another one. Or just come in and get one yourself."

The three guys went into the living room, where Theodore was missing.

"Theo? Buddy? Where're you at?" Dimitri called the little guy.

"I think he went for the kitchen." Sebastian said, pulling a furry toque from the bag in his hands.

"Alright, I'm gonna check on him if he needs anything."

Dimitri left his two friends going in the living room and went for the double doors leading to the left of the hall. He entered a large dining room with a long table that could welcome a dozen people to eat. He remembered how his mother, a judge in the federal court, used to make parties with her colleagues years ago. The expanse of the furniture in the room proved to be useful when his brother or himself invited friends over. The host walked past a second fireplace in the dining room until he reached a broad door leading into the kitchen. Right by the counter, Theodore was looking as if he was texting someone.

"Hey, dude, what are you doing?"

Theo startled at the question, not realizing someone had walked in on him. He turned around with a blush on his face and a nervous laugh.

"Hey! I... didn't hear you walking in."

"Bro... I know this face! Who were you talking to?" Dimitri asked with a coy grin, lowering his voice.

"No one!" Theo brushed off, storing his phone back into his pocket and proceeding to store some food and booze in the fridge for later tonight.

"Your call, dude!" Dimitri lifted his hands in acceptance. "C'mon and get your ass in the room with the boys! Let's get this party going!"

Right on cue, Asher's spooky music started blowing through the speakers of the living room. As they joined Asher and Seb, the two men were just starting a beer pong game. Seb had put on the toque on his head and a plaid jacket on top of his now naked chest. The lanky giant had a few sparse chest hair and a meagre treasure trail, but little to no definition whatsoever. To complement the look, he even had an axe which he let by the couch for the moment.

"Hope you don't mind the view, guys!" Sebastian mocked by faking a striptease.

"You're such a dork, Seb!" Theo guffawed at the ridicule of his friend.

"Hey, not my fault if no one can resist me! Remember that gay dude in High School, guys?"

"That was fucking hilarious!" The short guy laughed at the memory.

"SUP, BITCHES!" A voice echoed from the hall.

The crew turned around and greeted with enthusiasm the arrival of a new party member. Already wearing his costume, Wesley entered the place like he owned it. The man was wearing old ratty and torn clothes as well as a puffy hat. His face looked even paler than usual and large dark circles surrounded his eyes as if he hadn't slept in ages.

"What are you dressed as, my old Wes?" Sebastian asked with a toothy grin, welcoming him with an arm around the shoulders. "A tramp?"

"Funny one, Seb! Nah, I'm more like an undead or zombie kinda thing. Or a Frankenstein, whatever."

"Actually, Frankenstein is the scientist and not the monster." Theodore intervened. "I doubt you meant the--..."

"Ahh shut up, nerd. You know who I'm talkin' about." Wes spited in annoyance.

"Hey, play cool, guys." Dimitri chuckled. "Say, how about we play some beer pong?"

"Well, I think I'm gonna take a shit while you're debating what you're gonna do." Asher said.

"That's fucking nasty, dude!" Seb grimaced and chuckled at the same time.

"Guess you'll have to take the downstairs one, dude. The bitches are taking their sweet fucking time here." Dimitri said, just loud enough so that the girls in question could hear his comment.

"Tie a knot with your dicks if you can't wait, fuckers!" They heard back from the bathroom, probably from Jennifer.

"Are we having some single ladies tonight?" Wes asked with a devious grin plastered on his face, idly rubbing his crotch.

"Apparently not, bro." Asher sympathized with a shoulder pat as he walked past him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ Saturday, October 31st, 2020 -- 7:30 PM ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It was pretty annoying how, despite the good insulation of the house, Larry could still hear the noise of his big brother's party upstairs. With the pandemic stuff going on, he would have thought he could just spend a nice calming night playing videogames just as he always does. Oh well. The six-foot eighteen years old stretched into his gaming chair, dropping his Xbox controller on his lap. While he used to be a regular gym goer, the pandemic had benefited him and his brother with buying gym equipment. Well, it was their parents who actually paid, but that was beside the point. Between gaming and working out, Larry had grown a more athletic shape without even needing to leave the house. Sure, he wanted to eventually achieve thick proportions like Dimitri, who could almost pass for a bodybuilder now, but he believed he'd get there sooner or later.

"Yo! Lar!" A voice boomed into the room as the door barged opened.

The young man jumped with surprise at the sudden outburst. He turned around, mostly nude except from an old stained pair of boxer shorts covering his junk. There, in the entrance, stood Asher, booze in hand, laughing.

"Phew! Glad I didn't barge into you whacking off again!" The trickster exclaimed.

"Get the fuck out!" Larry snapped, beet red.

Larry grabbed onto the first object he didn't value much -- an empty beer can -- and threw it at his brother's friend, who closed the door just in time. The gamer heard the man step away, still laughing. His heartbeat was still high, but Larry was calming down. He turned back to his station and tried changing games, only to remember his account had been suspended from Fortdey.

"Guess I'll just play some Olah Reach." The teen shrugged, scratching at the rough stubble he had not shaved in days.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ Saturday, October 31st, 2020 -- 7:45 PM ~

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"How do I look?" Mathilda asked to her friend as she applied the makeup.

"You're looking like a queen." Jennifer complimented, finally stepping and showing her the result.

The Latina beamed with joy at her display in the mirror. She looked just like Cleopatra. As for her shorter pal, she had disguised herself with a little white dress and brought her hair into a green flowery bulb on top of her head. Pink heels, transparent wings and a rooty wand complemented her appearance as a forest fairy.

"Ready to show off to the boys?" Jennifer enticed.

"You bet your ass, girl!"

"Let's get a round of salute!"

"Heeeere we coooome!" Mathilda announced to the guys as they walked out into the lobby.

Crossing the hall into the living room, the chicks were greeted with a series of wolf whistles and acclamations. Since the moment they entered the bathroom, a few more guests had joined the party. In addition to Wes, two more men had arrived.

One of them was Braxton, an ex-neighbour of Dimitri, who moved before High School. Tall and wide-shouldered, he was almost matching Dimitri's body builder size at about 250 pounds. Member of the football team back then, and again in college, Braxton had decided against all originality to disguise himself as a footballer for Halloween.

"Talk about original, huh, Brax?" Jennifer snarked.

"That's because you've not seen anything yet, little girl." He chuckled, removing his helmet.

Right under the headwear, the sportsman had apparently covered his face in makeup to look like some werewolf. He had even added pointy ears and fake fangs to complement the disguise.

"Wow! I must say I'm surprised you actually put some effort in your costume." Mathilda nodded.

"Hmm, yeah, I agree." Her friend approved.

"Now, does any of you wants to play with the big wolf on campus? Grrrr!" The jock joked as he acted the part.

"Only if you want me to turn you into a cute puppy!" Jennifer said with a smile, raising her wand to playfully poke the footballer's nose.

"Oh! Turn him into a cat! It would look great with my costume!" The Cleopatra giggled along.

"You girls are helpless!" The last guest spoke, disguised as Captain America.

With his blond hair and chiselled jaw, devoid of any, the man actually looked like the Steve Rogers from the Marvel comics. Albeit a little shorter than the canon superhero, the second jock was still taller than average at 5?11? and he depicted a stature that testified countless hours dedicated to the gym.

"Victor! It's been so long since I last saw you!" The short fairy exclaimed.

"Victor?! Damn, dude, what are you on?! Tell me that's part of the costume!" Mathilda gasped, putting a hand on her chest as she observed the massive bulk threatening the sleeves to tear.

"That's all me, ladies!" Victor laughed with his loud rich voice, flexing a bicep for evidence.

The girls could almost hear in their head the seams about to rip as he tensed the enormous arm, unfortunately inaudible through the booming music.

"I've been hitting the gym pretty hard, you see, babes?"

"You can show off all you want, bro, but you ain't got nothing on these guns!" Braxton chimed in, pushing his longtime friend aside to flex.

"At least I've still got abs, bro!" Victor scoffed at him by shaking the soft midsection.

"Put your faggy hands away, bro! It's padding for the field!"

"Sure, bro. Sure. Just be careful so that I don't mistake you for a bear next time we go hunting, bro!"

The two teasing jocks gave each other a few hits before erupting with laughter. However, when they turned around to see the girls, they had since long left them to their silly talk. They had joined in with Dimitri to play beer pong -- their boyfriends nowhere to be found. The two meatheads exchanged a wolfish grin and went after the two women, intent on playing a few drinking ones with them.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ Saturday, October 31st, 2020 -- 9:15 PM ~

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Settled in the study, Sebastian and Wesley had been smoking and relaxing aside from the main events of the party, taking some time to catch up. Ever since Wesley has moved district with his parents as a teen, the two of them hadn't seen each other as much as they used to in elementary school. They ended growing up in quite different neighbours. While Sebastian had lived in a middle-class environment, Wesley had been subjected to a rather lower one. Sebastian never really knew why Wes's folks relocated there, but suspected they might have struggled financially. The roughness of these new surroundings perhaps contributed to Wes becoming reckless and carefree in the last couple weeks, such as starting taking and exchanging drugs and booze. Nonetheless, he was still Sebastian's old friend and the tall lad just simply couldn't forget the strong bond they've built up many years ago.

The two men were chilling peacefully when the door to the study opened by Theodore, dressed as a wizard with a blue robe and hat. The short pal had put on a ridiculous fake white beard, but had it off in his hands, the material itching him after a while. Even if he wasn't fond of having his glasses daily -- usually opting for contacts -- Theo had decided to put on the nerdy eyewear his parents shamefully bought him a couple months ago, before the pandemic happened.

"There you are, guys!" Theo blurted out. "We were looking for you everywhere! Well, technically, I was the one who... whatever. Anyway, what are you doing here?"

"Whether you in or out, just close the damn door!" Wes grumbled.

Theo blushed red and shut it after stepping inside. Already, the strong aroma of weed hit his nose. The smell didn't disgust him, but he couldn't help being rational about it.

"Guys, you know that thing fries your brain cells, right?"

"Doesn't take any to say you're an annoying little twat." The drug addict chimed.

"Hey, hey..." Seb spoke before the tension arose -- he pulled the handmade fag from his mouth and offered it to his standing pal by the door. "Take it and sit down with us, bro."

Imitating an obedient puppy, Theo bowed his head down slightly in submission and listened to Seb's command like an order. After Theo sat and brought the joint to his lips, taking a puff. Wesley glared at his childhood friend, unhappy with Seb's decision to hand out his weed stash to anyone.

"There, buddy. Chill a bit with us, alright, pal?" Seb smirked as he rolled himself another fag on the old walnut desk.

"Dude! Don't you go giving my stuff to everyone here tonight, bro!" Wesley vocalized.

"Calm down, Wes. That's my little buddy Theo and I love him to death! No homo, tho, bro!" Seb chuckled as he lighted the new cig.

"You're so gay, dude." Theo rolled his eyes.

"Good thing Dimi's a cowboy tonight." Wesley added, setting back in the leather chair behind the computer desk. "If we've got a fag slipping in, that gun might have some use."

"Dude, that's not a bit radical?" Theo frowned. "Don't get me wrong -- I don't approve of their lifestyle choice, but we kinda need these guys in society too."

Wesley gave him a dark eye. He aggressively took his beer can on the expansive desk.

"Name me one thing this garbage is good for." He spitted out of spite.

"Well... I kinda need someone to make my coffee at McDonald's." Theo sniggered. "And that means more girls for us."

The scorn on the drug addict's face shifted into a scary smile as he burst into laughter.

"Dude! Seb, is that the Theo guy you talked about?"

"In the flesh!" Sebastian gestured like a show master.

"I guess you were right. Even nerds can be funny sometimes. Maybe there's hope for the male race after all!"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ Saturday, October 31st, 2020 -- 9:45 PM ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A party wouldn't just be one without playing flip-the-cup. Braxton and Victor had both removed their headwear to facilitate the downing of their beer cups against the two girls with whom the competed. Mathilda now used her majestic faux-golden staff more like a cane rather than an artifact for her costume -- she barely could stand anymore. Jennifer, on the other hand, had better alcohol retention, but she kept jiggling and spilling beer on the sticky table and floor. The hair she had earlier shaped into a beautiful flower bulb had lost it dynamism and now looked like a greenish muffin top.

While the girls were winning another round against the jocks, Asher and Dimitri just arrived on the first floor, having dragged up a foosball table from the home bar downstairs. The guys walked across the hall into the living room where the heart of the party was beating full mast.

"Foosball time!" Dimitri and Asher shouted in chorus before bursting into laughter like a buffoon duo.

The call was hyping the guests enough that even the smoking trio in the study left their cave to join in the fun. The games started as teams of two, until Mathilda had the brightest idea in the world and everyone held on to only one rotator, making sides of four instead. It was crowded and people kept bickering and shoving each other out of the way, but it provided a lot of fun nonetheless. As a good host, Dimitri gave his place to his eight guests until Wesley grew bored with the game and lie back on one of the couches.

Mathilda was questioning herself about her idea when a repetitive soft tug in her hair starting annoying her. She thought her hair had tangled into her costume, but when she turned around, she met with a white ghostly face screaming at her. Her shriek made everyone look for her and begin to laugh as the Latina slipped on the wet floor and fell on her ass.

Right behind her stood a tall person dressed in robes as dark as night, with the mask of Ghostface, holding in a knife in its hand. The figure was soon grabbed into a headlock by Dimitri, then Braxton, the three of them slipping on the ground as well. The two brutes had the stalker under control until they also heard the laughs coming from underneath the costume.

"You should have seen her face!" The voice guffawed.

"Larry? What the fuck, bro!" Dimitri exclaimed in shock, but soon after joined in the laugh.

The two men on top of him moved and the host took his little brother's hand to help him back up. Mathilda, embarrassed to no end, snapped with anger, failing to stand by keeping on slipping on the beer-covered floor.

"You're such a creep!" She pestered at him, red with humiliation.

Jennifer tried pulling her back up via the Egyptian staff -- while her boyfriend was laughing out loud -- but the two girls ended falling on top of each other.

"Jenny -- ouch! Seb -- DO SOMETHING! You, fucker! I'm gonna kill you! I'm gonna kill you ALL! All of you!"

"Alright, alright." Sebastian complied, walking to help his lover up.

"That was a good one, bro!" Dimitri approved, giving Larry a brotherly slap on the back. "Though you should run away while you can!"

"I was just coming to get a few snacks before my raid." Larry pulled his mask off, beaming a content smile.

"Well, you--..."

Lights went off abruptly. Music faded into nothingness. Total darkness invaded the space. The surprised cries and exclamations were absorbed into the thick void surrounding the party members. Dimitri tried to bring back the attention to him when, out of a sudden, the fireplace lightened by itself, diffusing a dimmed orange hue to the vast living room.

"What the fuck is going on?!" Dimitri blurted out in confusion.

"HELLO."

A distorted voice echoed from the corners of the room and from within each present individual. The first one to take his phone out was Theo, who attempted to use its flashlight. Only then did he realize his screen looked glitched out -- the alien sound came from its small speakers.

"What... guys! My phone's bugged!"

"Fucking hell?! Mine too!" Braxton added before the distorted voice spoke again.

"Tonight is not like any others. The ten of you gathered here is no mere coincidence. Each of you, to an extent depicted examples of homophobic bigotry against people, which lead to the self-destruction and suffering of poor, weaker-minded individuals."

"Where the fuck are you?" Seb asked aloud, taking in his hands the axe he's left by the couch earlier. "Show yourself!"

The voice continued:

" _Braxton Bellman -- _ your jealousy against Richard Biggs making the football team only fuelled your homophobic bigotry to kick him out. But the school wouldn't let him out because he was the best player. So, you made sure to 'accidentally' have his leg broken so that he couldn't play on the team anymore. Did that bitter win in your hollow head made up for all the further matches your team lost?

_Victor Fortune -- _ whilst you confidently say you are a handsome fuck machine, you had often pushed back the advances of numerous people because of their skin colour or orientation. You never miss a chance to proudly display your confederation flag to show much of a white suprematist you are. You used your straight white cis male privileges to influence many peers as the representative student in school, disrespecting whoever didn't share the same traits as yours.

_Theodore James -- _ you do not exert physical violence to assert your intolerance, but you rather attack psychologically your victims. The shameful names and stereotypes you call them instead of the proper ones make them all the more vulnerable to others who would act brutally.

_Sebastian Joseph -- _ in any room you go, you attract anyone's eyes. You are the tall, charismatic, person any man or woman would love to spend a good time with. However, this handsome shell of yours hides a dark soul. In pure malice, you used your good looks to flirt with Henri Thompson, just to play him out as a whole joke in front of the school. That man still is afraid to date anyone today.

_Mathilda Lopez -- _ instead of sympathizing with your ex-boyfriend Greg when he confided you with his bisexuality, you acted like the worst bitch ever. Not only you broke up with him, but you leaked multiple personal pics of him on social media, shaming him for his sexual orientation as well, resulting in having him brutalized and sent to the ER. He is still in the coma to this day.

_Wesley Peterson -- _ you are a dropout and a thug who doesn't give a damn about anyone other than himself. You vandalized Oliver McClay's car and locker with graffiti in High School, showing the world that he was homosexual. Know that Oliver McClay took his own life a month after changing school.

_Asher Ship -- _ your homophobic bigotry against your younger brother Ken has led him into clinical depression. This led him to grow overweight and develop paranoia. He even tried to take his own life numerous times, almost succeeding more than once. It's a miracle of sorts if he is still alive today.

_Jennifer Taylor -- _ nobody can confide you anything. When Roger Mayer shared you his biggest secret that he was a homosexual, you betrayed him and told others. No longer a mystery, Roger's parents eventually heard about it, making his life as miserable at home as he's had it at school. Say, when was the last time you talked with Roger? Were you even his friend?

_Dimitri Wright -- _ host of the night, you clearly selected your guests carefully. Your fingers probably don't make up for the number of wedgies you've given those homosexuals and intellectuals in school. You're a leader, but you used your diplomatic gifts to bully others rather than implementing justice. Perhaps it's time to turn the tables?

Finally, _Larry Wright -- _ just like your brother Dimitri, you have deeply rooted homophobia. If you come across a gay guy in your Fortdey servers, you don't hesitate to shame and tag them, taking mischievous pleasure in bashing and blackmailing them. Sucks when the servers suspend your account for inappropriate actions, does it?"

A hard-felt silence weighed on the ten young adults, to which Wes blurted out: "So fuckin' what?!" before being hushed at.

"Now that your facets are displayed on the table, let's play a little game, shall we?

If you can make it intact by six in the morning, I will let you go. Oh, but we can't allow cheater, don't we? No one can leave the house grounds. No electricity, no data. Cheating or sleeping through the night will immediately result in a person losing.

Also, let's spice things up a bit. Anyone who loses can make others lose as well. Among the ten of you, there is one who knows what's going on -- an imposter of sorts. Will you find who fakes this out? Finding it out might make you win earlier than sunrise, but a wrong answer will result in another loss.

Good luck."

The speakers shut, and so did all their phones -- batteries fried up.