Fic: Who Dunnit? {Finale}
Apr. 1st, 2009 06:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Title: Who Dunnit?, Part 4/4
Author:
clover71
Pairing: David Cook/ David Archuleta
Rating: NC-17
Beta:
rajkumari905
Description: A mystery/thriller fic that revolved around a 'who dunnit' or 'clue' theme.
Summary: AI Season 7's ten finalists spent a weekend at a house in a private island for their reunion four years after their season ended, likewise reuniting Cook and Archie almost a year after they broke up. However, people started to mysteriously disappear and the remaining members of their group began to suspect each other of being responsible for the disappearances. Will the thrilling events bring Cook and Archie back together?
Disclaimer:
1) Please note that this is purely fiction and none of the contents are real except for some of the characters used in this story.
2) Most characters used are based on real people but the details within do not purposely imply occurrences in real life; thus, anything here that concurs with real events may be completely coincidental.
3) This fic is created based solely on the imagination of the author and for non-profitable purpose.
4) Some establishments and/or organizations used in the story are existent but in no way owned by or connected with the author. Everything written in line with those establishments/ organizations are fictitious and are only created by the author.
* Day 1 * & * Day 2 * & * Day 3 *
Author's notes:
- Thanks to my lovely beta Pri (
rajkumari905) for all her help. Thanks bb! I love you! And I am so so sorry for all the headaches I've caused, I know my writing could be a very good pain-inducer.
- Please note though that due to my eyesight problem, I may have overlooked some corrections she had made; thus, if there are still mistakes, please blame it on me.

~ begin ~
=========================================================
Comments (and curses will be acceptable) will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading.
End notes:
- Before anyone thinks that this idea is original, I admit that it isn't. I can probably never be original since I'm more of a copycat. Anyway, this fic was inspired by a 1986 movie called 'April Fools' Day'. I had to change the plot for majority of the story to make it work with the top 10, but the scene near the ending and the basic concept/ idea of the fic was highly inspired by the movie. I couldn't reveal it on my earlier notes because it will spoil the...shall I say, punch line?
- This idea got to me late last year when I was discussing ideas for fics with my friend
radcliffe_bass, who by the way helped me find a 'kick off' to get this fic going. I actually just resumed working on the first part last week, so everything else were written in a rush so I could post this last part just in time for 'April Fools', since this is, after all, an aprilfools!fic.
- Thank you so so so much to everyone who had been with me since the beginning of this fic. Now I am begging y all of you not to kill me after reading this last part. I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!
ETA: Some of the readers have commented on how the idols were too forgiving, given that Brooke had just played a rather dangerous practical joke. I forgot to mention in my notes that the reason why they were is that they had the chance be sort of 'in on the joke'. They found out what was happening way ahead than the Davids did and they had time to process what the purpose of the game was. If you'd notice, the Davids didn't say much, and somehow remained skeptic because they both were the ones who received the 'final blow'. And besides, Cook and Archie were more focused on rebuilding their relationship.
Author:
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
Pairing: David Cook/ David Archuleta
Rating: NC-17
Beta:
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
Description: A mystery/thriller fic that revolved around a 'who dunnit' or 'clue' theme.
Summary: AI Season 7's ten finalists spent a weekend at a house in a private island for their reunion four years after their season ended, likewise reuniting Cook and Archie almost a year after they broke up. However, people started to mysteriously disappear and the remaining members of their group began to suspect each other of being responsible for the disappearances. Will the thrilling events bring Cook and Archie back together?
Disclaimer:
1) Please note that this is purely fiction and none of the contents are real except for some of the characters used in this story.
2) Most characters used are based on real people but the details within do not purposely imply occurrences in real life; thus, anything here that concurs with real events may be completely coincidental.
3) This fic is created based solely on the imagination of the author and for non-profitable purpose.
4) Some establishments and/or organizations used in the story are existent but in no way owned by or connected with the author. Everything written in line with those establishments/ organizations are fictitious and are only created by the author.
* Day 1 * & * Day 2 * & * Day 3 *
Author's notes:
- Thanks to my lovely beta Pri (
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
- Please note though that due to my eyesight problem, I may have overlooked some corrections she had made; thus, if there are still mistakes, please blame it on me.

~ begin ~
=== Finale ===
They had the impression that there were dozens of wild animals surrounding them, but as the sound got closer, it sounded like there was just one. The growling sound they heard became more perceptible as it drew near where they stood, which made their hearts beat wildly against their chests.
“Cook,” whispered David, his voice rough and unsteady. One hand was clenching the front of his boyfriend’s shirt while the other arm was wrapped around Cook’s waist, his hand clutching at the hem.
They were standing in the middle of the front lawn, frozen and terrified. It had only been moments since Carly had run into the house to grab the key to the Cherokee jeep so they could make their escape, only to disappear with a terrifying scream not long after. Then the lights in the manor had gone out.
Their first impulse was to run. Where to, they hadn’t decided yet. But just as Cook was about to lead David in the direction of the other boathouse, they heard something snarling. Cook wondered whether Brooke had failed to mention that there were wild animals on the island. But considering what they had discovered, perhaps Brooke meant not to tell them anything important.
“I’m scared,” David once again whispered.
“I’m here baby, I’m here,” Cook hoped he sounded reassuring because he himself was scared to death at the time. He held David tightly against him, like some prized possession he would never let anyone lay a hand on. “Stay with me. Don’t let go of my hand,” Cook said as he began to pull David towards the path leading away from the manor.
They were treading through the paved road, afraid to take any other path, since it was the only route left with tiny post lamps that barely lit the way. It was partly dark but Cook and David were grateful that the sky was clear and the moon, still almost at its full form, was low enough to provide sufficient lighting throughout the grounds.
They heard footsteps, or more like something scraping on the ground. David could care less what it was, all he wanted was to get away from that island of horror alive with Cook.
Cook’s hold on David’s hand tightened, his breathing erratic and his heart was well on its way out of his ribcage from the way it had been pounding intensely. His mind was filled with a jumble of thoughts and horrible images of his friends lying in the dump and covered in blood. He shook his head and spared a minute to scold himself for watching too many horror movies.
They got off the paved road, turning to a path lined with low-growing weeds. “The boathouse is this way,” Cook muttered, “I think.”
David’s palms were sweaty. He hadn’t known they could get so sweaty, but when they picked up the pace after hearing something behind them, his hand slipped from Cook’s grip when he tripped on something protruding from the ground, and he fell on his hands and knees.
“Archie!” Cook was behind him at once, clutching his arms and pulling him up. “Are you hurt, baby?” Cook gently brushed the dirt off of David’s jeans while David wiped his palms on the sides of his pants.
“’M okay,” David whispered, his ears perked at every sound that rose around them.
“We have to go back,” Cook said. He gazed ahead to where they were going; then he turned and walked back to the path they had taken, still clutching David’s hand.
“Why are we going back?” David asked, trying to find anything rational about his boyfriend’s decision.
“Because…” Cook picked up the pace and soon they were back at the paved road. “Because I thought I saw a dead body along the path.”
David swallowed a lungful of air as he gasped. “D-dead b-body?” he stuttered. “W-who was it?”
Shaking his head, Cook whispered, “I don’t know. It was dark ahead so I couldn’t clearly see.”
They were at the front lawn when David tugged gently on Cook’s hand. “W-why do we have to go back inside? I-it may not be safe,” he said, his head filled with scenarios where the psycho killer holding a chain saw waited in the dark corners of the manor, ready to jump at them and slice their bodies in half if they were dumb enough to return inside.
“Because we will be too vulnerable to whatever it is that was growling out there,” Cook said.
“Wait, Cook. The lights went out earlier. W-what if somebody cut the power off?”
Cook paused and looked around. “You’re right,” he said, his voice hoarse. “There are flashlights on the SUV. I saw them earlier.”
They searched the vehicle thoroughly until David found the flashlights in a utility box at the back.
“Come on,” Cook pulled David towards the manor.
It wasn’t too dark inside. There were emergency lights on every corner and in every room. They were walking through the foyer when the front door suddenly slammed shut and they heard something, like chains being dragged across the floor.
They ran through the living room, their feet scuffing against the carpet, steering them across the hallway and into one of the rooms. Cook pushed David ahead as he closed and locked the door behind him. They stood in the middle of the room, panting. As soon as their surroundings registered in their scared-stiff minds, they realized that they had entered the music chamber. They both jumped when the door Cook had just closed shook violently. Their bodies were paralyzed with terror as they became aware that somebody was trying to get inside.
“Oh God.” David cried out in panic as he searched around for anything that could help get them out of the situation. Then he noticed another door and when he looked out, he saw that it led to the southeastern hallway. “Cook, over here!” David yelled as he ran through the other exit.
“No! David! Wait!” Cook was too late. The moment David stepped out the door, it closed behind him, like something unseen had pushed it shut.
“Cook!” David turned the knob but the door wouldn’t budge.
“Archie!” Cook yelled from the other side, his voice reverberating with trepidation. “Archie, wait. Let go of the knob. Let me try to open it from this side.”
David watched as the knob vibrated from the force. But it was no use; the door seemed to have been wedged into its frame and nothing could make it move. Then he heard something slamming against it. “Cook? What are you doing?”
“Trying to get this damn door open! What does it look like I’m doing?” yelled Cook.
David looked around for something that would help open the dang door, but there was nothing. He tried to pummel on the knob with the flashlight he was holding but it only broke in half.
“Dang it!”
The emergency light on the corridor he was standing in seemed to be losing power as its light was wavering and its glow was paler than the ones he saw in the living room and the music chamber.
He pounded on the door to get Cook’s attention. “Cook! Stop doing that! You’ll only hurt yourself,” was his pointless reprimand, because he knew that Cook would not give a damn about hurting himself if they were on the edge of danger. He knew he’d do the same thing, if only his body wasn’t shaking tremendously.
“Will you just get away from the door?” Cook shouted in a voice laced with worry, fear and frustration. “It might hit you once I break it.” Then he started hammering against it once more.
David backed away quickly. That was when he saw it. In his peripheral vision, he saw a fluid movement creeping towards him. He turned his head in a painfully slow manner, his heart was beating rapidly and his breath hitched as his eyes landed on the figure.
Brooke was standing under the soft glow of the emergency light. Her eyes seemed dilated and encircled with dark shadows. She smiled at David.
David was almost at the verge of sighing with relief until he saw Brooke’s hand emerge from behind her, a knife that slightly sparkled against the light in her grip. She raised her hand as she took slow, heavy steps towards David, the tip of knife aimed at him.
“No, Brooke! Don’t!” he screamed, backing away slowly.
He almost forgot that Cook was still on the other side, yelling at the top of his lungs. He barely noticed that his boyfriend was shouting, “David! David! What’s happening? Talk to me baby!”
“Oh God! Cook!” David yelled back, surprised that his throat was still working since it felt clogged with fear that he couldn’t swallow. “Cook! Sh-she’s going to kill me!”
“Noooooooo!” Cook sounded like an animal being tortured. “Run! David! Run!”
David had no idea where he was going. He couldn’t remove his eyes from the knife… from Brooke. He couldn’t believe this was happening and he wanted to pinch himself to make sure that this was not just a ridiculous nightmare. But his hands felt numb, his legs felt heavy and his limbs felt wobbly as his whole body weakened in apprehension.
“David, please baby, run! Run for your life!” Cook bawled in desperation as he continued to drive his body against the door. “I love you, David! I love you so much! Please stay alive!”
That woke David from his panicked trance. He held out a hand to Brooke, saying, “Brooke, please. It’s me, David. Your friend.” He blinked against the tears that formed in his eyes, causing them to flow down his cheeks. “Please don’t do this.”
Brooke’s face remained deadpan as she advanced towards David, her hand clutching the knife raised and ready to strike.
David had been walking backwards, uncertain where he was going. He held his arms to both sides, blindly feeling the wall. And when his hand grazed a doorknob, he quickly grasped it and tried to turn it, but it was locked. He tried another door, but he could not get it to open either.
He's eyes skipped back to Brooke, who seemed to be possessed or under some sort of mind control. He could hear Cook still pounding on the door that was now several feet away. He chanced a glance behind him and he saw light shining through the crack underneath a door directly ahead.
He couldn’t risk a moment to weigh his options, given that he was in a situation where he could either die or do anything to get himself out of there.
So with a deep breath, he turned around and ran towards the door and he took a fraction of a second to sigh when the knob turned and the door moved.
He spun his head around to see where Brooke was and saw her moving faster towards him.
David pushed the door open, ran into the room and stopped dead in his tracks.
The room was some sort of a lounge area with several couches, game tables surrounded with wooden chairs, reclining chairs, a fireplace in the middle of the outer wall and a bar in a corner. But it wasn’t the fixtures that initially caught David’s eyes. It was the people that occupied it.
He blinked once, twice, to make sure he wasn’t imagining things. And they were still there.
Carly and Chikezie were at the bar, laughing at something. Stacy and Syesha were sitting on one of the couches reading a magazine. Kristy was sitting opposite them with Ramiele standing behind her, brushing her hair. Dave and Jason were at the other side of the room playing chess.
David’s mouth was hanging open as he turned to Brooke who was grinning. She drove the knife she was holding against her palm and the blade bent flexibly. He glanced back to the people around the room before turning back to Brooke with a certain realization and said, “Haha! Very funny!”
Then everyone burst into laughter.
=== &&&&& ===
Cook couldn’t hear David anymore and his heart was filled with dread. He didn’t realize he was weeping as he continued to bang on the door with his fist.
“David!” his voice croaked. “David! I love you!”
“I love you too,” a deep voice declared.
He whirled around and saw Michael Johns’ bloody face. His heartbeat raced as he remembered the dead body he’d seen lying on the ground when he and David attempted to escape. He swore it was Michael he saw lying there and he held his breath, trying to make sense of the fact that his friend was standing in front of him now. He had never believed in ghosts, but he was thinking of considering it at the moment.
He flinched when Michael reached out to him and grabbed the front of his shirt. The Australian then lowered his head and wiped his face against the fabric.
Cook was stunned. He stood stock-still, waiting for some explanation.
“Eeew, that was some sticky stuff for a prop,” Michael blurted as he straightened up and wrapped his arm around Cook’s shoulder while his other hand grabbed the knob and pulled the door open. “But it was so good it looked like real blood, didn’t it, mate?”
Michael led him to the end of the hallway where he could hear noises coming from a room. When they entered, he saw David standing beside Brooke, his face bright red. Then his eyes lingered on the faces of his friends, people who he believed had disappeared, and they were almost tearful from laughing.
“What the fuck is going on?” Cook finally managed to speak. He moved to stand beside David, who shrugged and seemed to be wondering the same thing.
Their friends stopped laughing and they all looked at each other before they shouted…
“APRIL FOOLS!”
“Fuck you!” Cook spat, and to his surprise, he heard David’s voice joining his.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry for all that,” Brooke stood between the couple and placed her arms around each man, leading them to the couch and asked them both to take a seat. “If you’ll allow me to explain.”
“Explain,” Cook said with gritted teeth.
Brooke remained standing as she started, “Okay. When I inherited this island, it was knee deep in financial problems. Land taxes weren’t paid for the last couple of years plus there were other taxes and fees involved in transferring it to my name. I was considering letting it go and turning it over to the state but my lawyer found out that the value of the island had not only doubled or tripled but was raised ten times more than its worth in the last two years. In short, it would be a stupid move to let it go.”
“And… and what do all these horrible things that happened have anything to do with the island’s financial problems?” David waved his hands around as he asked.
“My lawyer suggested that I turn it into a resort. But I wanted to keep it untouched, so instead, I decided to turn the manor into a bed & breakfast inn. But the owners of the other islands have done so already, so the competition would be tough. Then I thought of making it not just an ordinary inn, but an inn that offers a ‘who dunnit’ experience. It will be like a theme park with a haunted house attraction. I knew I needed to try out the idea first, and our reunion happened just in time for the plans to be completed.”
“So… you tried it on us,” Cook said, finally making sense of the circumstances, although he still felt like punching someone on the face. Brooke was lucky Cook was against the idea of hitting women. He looked at his friends and asked, “And you guys were in on the joke all along?”
“Oh no,” Michael quickly responded. “We were also victims like you.”
“I thought I was going to be murdered when someone yanked me out of the car after ran into a tree,” Chikezie said with a tinge of amusement in his tone. “Then the stranger just said, ‘April Fools, you’re now a victim’ then led me to a cabin and treated my wounds.”
“Don’t look at me, I was also a victim,” Dave raised a hand when Cook looked at him accusingly. “I had no idea what she was up to. I was actually wondering why she seemed so secretive before you guys got here.”
“Surely, you couldn’t have done all of it on your own. Who’s been helping you then?” David curiously asked Brooke.
“We have,” Uncle Roger, Aunt Trudy, Frank the ferryman and his assistant Ted emerged from the adjoining room.
Brooke made the introductions. “You guys have met my aunt and uncle, who, by the way, have agreed to be my partners. Uncle Roger is a scriptwriter and he helped lay down the plans for this, including the clues that we hoped you guys would find.”
“You mean… like the articles?” Michael asked, claiming that he was still curious on how the event was planned out since Brooke didn’t have the time to explain everything.
“And the documents in your room?” Carly appeared to be clueless as well, asking if the psychological reports they found were all part of the hoax.
“Yes, all of it,” Brooke confirmed. “The articles and documents were supposed to mislead you and make you think that the island was haunted.”
“It sure worked,” Michael said, whistling.
“What about the cabin filled with horrible items that I found by the river?” Jason sounded like he was still engrossed with his discovery.
“That too was built there for that purpose,” Frank, the ferryman, piped in.
“By the way people, this is Frank, he’s a ‘Special Effects Engineer’, who agreed to work on the special effects that I needed, like the figure you saw outside your window, David. And the shadow under the lake that Kristy saw.”
She turned to the blonde guy standing beside Frank. “And this is my cousin Ted. He’s a Sound Engineer, and he’s the one responsible for all the strange noises you’ve been hearing.”
Everyone clapped their hands, save Cook and Archie who were still a bit in shock, and Brooke curtsied before she continued with “I would like to thank you all for taking part in this experiment, even though you had no idea what was going. Thank you for being such good sports.”
“Weren’t you even worried that someone might get seriously hurt?” Cook remained skeptic over the situation.
“That was what Aunt Trudy was here for,” Brook replied. “She’s a licensed physician.”
“A lot of you got injured, some even had fractures, like Jason’s wrist,” Aunt Trudy explained and nodded towards Jason who was holding up a bandaged wrist. “Which is why it was important to do an experimental run before Brooke opened for business. It helped us know what to avoid and what not to do next time.”
“And besides, next time the people involved will be aware that it will be nothing but a game,” Brooke said, taking a seat beside Kristy. “It will, after all, be part of the advertising scheme.”
“Well,” Kristy raised the glass that Carly had handed her and turned to Brooke, “Good luck to you my friend. Here’s to Brooke and her ‘Who Dunnit’ Inn.”
Everyone raised their glasses filled with champagne that Michael and Stacy had distributed and said, “To Brooke.”
=== &&&&& ===
The weather seemed considerately fair the next morning, with the sky clear and the sun providing enough heat to warm up the ground where the cool early morning breeze had settled. Some of the former Idols were busy loading their things on the vehicles parked upfront. Some, like Kristy and Jason, had volunteered to stay and help Brooke and Dave clean up, but Cook and David said they had their own mess to clear so they could truly start over.
“Are you serious?” David stood behind the SUV, placing his duffle bag inside.
“What makes you think I’m not?” Cook asked, circumspectly lifting an eyebrow.
“Well… you could be jumping on the ‘April Fools’ bandwagon,” David giggled, his heart warming up at the thought of Cook’s proposition.
“It’s already the second of April, babe. A day too late for any more April Fools’ scheme,” Cook took David’s hands and rubbed his thumbs on his palms.
“I was just making sure,” David once more burst into giggles, a mannerism Cook had become accustomed to seeing whenever David felt nervous. “So you want me to move back in with you?”
“Don’t you want to?” Cook asked, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.
“It’s not that easy, you know. After everything that happened between us,” David leaned against the vehicle’s side and bit his lower lip as he thought it over. “But yes, I’d like that,” he smiled genuinely at Cook.
Cook rested his forehead against David’s. “We will make it work this time, baby,” he said, planting a kiss on David’s temple. “I love you.”
David wrapped his arms around Cook’s neck. “I love you too.”
Their lips glided together in a choreographed passionate kiss as they pulled each other closer and held each other tighter like a silent promise that they would not let each other go just as easily as they had the last time.
David sighed as they pulled away. “You promise that we will talk more and try to avoid presumptions?”
“I promise.”
“Hey! You two!” Michael yelled as he approached them. “Are you sure you didn’t leave anything in your room? It would be a shame if you guys left used condoms lying around.”
Cook snorted and snapped back, “Don’t accuse us of something you do on purpose, Mikey.”
“He does that on purpose?” Brooke asked; her eyes widened in disbelief.
“Yeah, so you better check his room before you let someone else occupy it,” Cook said in mockery.
They soon made their way to the dock where the real ferryman, not Frank, was waiting on the ferry that would take them back to the mainland, back to their everyday lives.
“Thanks for having us Brooke,” David said, hugging her tight.
“Thanks for coming,” Brooke placed her palm gently on David’s cheek. “I hope things would work out well between you and Dave. I’ll be here whenever you need someone to talk to, okay?”
David nodded and bid her a final farewell before heading to the ferry where Cook waited.
“Mike and Jason have offered to help you move your stuff back in the house,” Cook said, hugging David from behind. He wrapped his arms around David’s waist and laid his chin on his shoulder.
“It’s final then? You really want me back in your house?” David teased.
“Our house baby,” Cook whispered. “It was never mine alone. That’s why it’s been empty without you.”
The ferry made its way down the narrower part of the river, drifting slowly across the calm surface, taking its passengers back to a life full of promises.
“Cook,” whispered David, his voice rough and unsteady. One hand was clenching the front of his boyfriend’s shirt while the other arm was wrapped around Cook’s waist, his hand clutching at the hem.
They were standing in the middle of the front lawn, frozen and terrified. It had only been moments since Carly had run into the house to grab the key to the Cherokee jeep so they could make their escape, only to disappear with a terrifying scream not long after. Then the lights in the manor had gone out.
Their first impulse was to run. Where to, they hadn’t decided yet. But just as Cook was about to lead David in the direction of the other boathouse, they heard something snarling. Cook wondered whether Brooke had failed to mention that there were wild animals on the island. But considering what they had discovered, perhaps Brooke meant not to tell them anything important.
“I’m scared,” David once again whispered.
“I’m here baby, I’m here,” Cook hoped he sounded reassuring because he himself was scared to death at the time. He held David tightly against him, like some prized possession he would never let anyone lay a hand on. “Stay with me. Don’t let go of my hand,” Cook said as he began to pull David towards the path leading away from the manor.
They were treading through the paved road, afraid to take any other path, since it was the only route left with tiny post lamps that barely lit the way. It was partly dark but Cook and David were grateful that the sky was clear and the moon, still almost at its full form, was low enough to provide sufficient lighting throughout the grounds.
They heard footsteps, or more like something scraping on the ground. David could care less what it was, all he wanted was to get away from that island of horror alive with Cook.
Cook’s hold on David’s hand tightened, his breathing erratic and his heart was well on its way out of his ribcage from the way it had been pounding intensely. His mind was filled with a jumble of thoughts and horrible images of his friends lying in the dump and covered in blood. He shook his head and spared a minute to scold himself for watching too many horror movies.
They got off the paved road, turning to a path lined with low-growing weeds. “The boathouse is this way,” Cook muttered, “I think.”
David’s palms were sweaty. He hadn’t known they could get so sweaty, but when they picked up the pace after hearing something behind them, his hand slipped from Cook’s grip when he tripped on something protruding from the ground, and he fell on his hands and knees.
“Archie!” Cook was behind him at once, clutching his arms and pulling him up. “Are you hurt, baby?” Cook gently brushed the dirt off of David’s jeans while David wiped his palms on the sides of his pants.
“’M okay,” David whispered, his ears perked at every sound that rose around them.
“We have to go back,” Cook said. He gazed ahead to where they were going; then he turned and walked back to the path they had taken, still clutching David’s hand.
“Why are we going back?” David asked, trying to find anything rational about his boyfriend’s decision.
“Because…” Cook picked up the pace and soon they were back at the paved road. “Because I thought I saw a dead body along the path.”
David swallowed a lungful of air as he gasped. “D-dead b-body?” he stuttered. “W-who was it?”
Shaking his head, Cook whispered, “I don’t know. It was dark ahead so I couldn’t clearly see.”
They were at the front lawn when David tugged gently on Cook’s hand. “W-why do we have to go back inside? I-it may not be safe,” he said, his head filled with scenarios where the psycho killer holding a chain saw waited in the dark corners of the manor, ready to jump at them and slice their bodies in half if they were dumb enough to return inside.
“Because we will be too vulnerable to whatever it is that was growling out there,” Cook said.
“Wait, Cook. The lights went out earlier. W-what if somebody cut the power off?”
Cook paused and looked around. “You’re right,” he said, his voice hoarse. “There are flashlights on the SUV. I saw them earlier.”
They searched the vehicle thoroughly until David found the flashlights in a utility box at the back.
“Come on,” Cook pulled David towards the manor.
It wasn’t too dark inside. There were emergency lights on every corner and in every room. They were walking through the foyer when the front door suddenly slammed shut and they heard something, like chains being dragged across the floor.
They ran through the living room, their feet scuffing against the carpet, steering them across the hallway and into one of the rooms. Cook pushed David ahead as he closed and locked the door behind him. They stood in the middle of the room, panting. As soon as their surroundings registered in their scared-stiff minds, they realized that they had entered the music chamber. They both jumped when the door Cook had just closed shook violently. Their bodies were paralyzed with terror as they became aware that somebody was trying to get inside.
“Oh God.” David cried out in panic as he searched around for anything that could help get them out of the situation. Then he noticed another door and when he looked out, he saw that it led to the southeastern hallway. “Cook, over here!” David yelled as he ran through the other exit.
“No! David! Wait!” Cook was too late. The moment David stepped out the door, it closed behind him, like something unseen had pushed it shut.
“Cook!” David turned the knob but the door wouldn’t budge.
“Archie!” Cook yelled from the other side, his voice reverberating with trepidation. “Archie, wait. Let go of the knob. Let me try to open it from this side.”
David watched as the knob vibrated from the force. But it was no use; the door seemed to have been wedged into its frame and nothing could make it move. Then he heard something slamming against it. “Cook? What are you doing?”
“Trying to get this damn door open! What does it look like I’m doing?” yelled Cook.
David looked around for something that would help open the dang door, but there was nothing. He tried to pummel on the knob with the flashlight he was holding but it only broke in half.
“Dang it!”
The emergency light on the corridor he was standing in seemed to be losing power as its light was wavering and its glow was paler than the ones he saw in the living room and the music chamber.
He pounded on the door to get Cook’s attention. “Cook! Stop doing that! You’ll only hurt yourself,” was his pointless reprimand, because he knew that Cook would not give a damn about hurting himself if they were on the edge of danger. He knew he’d do the same thing, if only his body wasn’t shaking tremendously.
“Will you just get away from the door?” Cook shouted in a voice laced with worry, fear and frustration. “It might hit you once I break it.” Then he started hammering against it once more.
David backed away quickly. That was when he saw it. In his peripheral vision, he saw a fluid movement creeping towards him. He turned his head in a painfully slow manner, his heart was beating rapidly and his breath hitched as his eyes landed on the figure.
Brooke was standing under the soft glow of the emergency light. Her eyes seemed dilated and encircled with dark shadows. She smiled at David.
David was almost at the verge of sighing with relief until he saw Brooke’s hand emerge from behind her, a knife that slightly sparkled against the light in her grip. She raised her hand as she took slow, heavy steps towards David, the tip of knife aimed at him.
“No, Brooke! Don’t!” he screamed, backing away slowly.
He almost forgot that Cook was still on the other side, yelling at the top of his lungs. He barely noticed that his boyfriend was shouting, “David! David! What’s happening? Talk to me baby!”
“Oh God! Cook!” David yelled back, surprised that his throat was still working since it felt clogged with fear that he couldn’t swallow. “Cook! Sh-she’s going to kill me!”
“Noooooooo!” Cook sounded like an animal being tortured. “Run! David! Run!”
David had no idea where he was going. He couldn’t remove his eyes from the knife… from Brooke. He couldn’t believe this was happening and he wanted to pinch himself to make sure that this was not just a ridiculous nightmare. But his hands felt numb, his legs felt heavy and his limbs felt wobbly as his whole body weakened in apprehension.
“David, please baby, run! Run for your life!” Cook bawled in desperation as he continued to drive his body against the door. “I love you, David! I love you so much! Please stay alive!”
That woke David from his panicked trance. He held out a hand to Brooke, saying, “Brooke, please. It’s me, David. Your friend.” He blinked against the tears that formed in his eyes, causing them to flow down his cheeks. “Please don’t do this.”
Brooke’s face remained deadpan as she advanced towards David, her hand clutching the knife raised and ready to strike.
David had been walking backwards, uncertain where he was going. He held his arms to both sides, blindly feeling the wall. And when his hand grazed a doorknob, he quickly grasped it and tried to turn it, but it was locked. He tried another door, but he could not get it to open either.
He's eyes skipped back to Brooke, who seemed to be possessed or under some sort of mind control. He could hear Cook still pounding on the door that was now several feet away. He chanced a glance behind him and he saw light shining through the crack underneath a door directly ahead.
He couldn’t risk a moment to weigh his options, given that he was in a situation where he could either die or do anything to get himself out of there.
So with a deep breath, he turned around and ran towards the door and he took a fraction of a second to sigh when the knob turned and the door moved.
He spun his head around to see where Brooke was and saw her moving faster towards him.
David pushed the door open, ran into the room and stopped dead in his tracks.
The room was some sort of a lounge area with several couches, game tables surrounded with wooden chairs, reclining chairs, a fireplace in the middle of the outer wall and a bar in a corner. But it wasn’t the fixtures that initially caught David’s eyes. It was the people that occupied it.
He blinked once, twice, to make sure he wasn’t imagining things. And they were still there.
Carly and Chikezie were at the bar, laughing at something. Stacy and Syesha were sitting on one of the couches reading a magazine. Kristy was sitting opposite them with Ramiele standing behind her, brushing her hair. Dave and Jason were at the other side of the room playing chess.
David’s mouth was hanging open as he turned to Brooke who was grinning. She drove the knife she was holding against her palm and the blade bent flexibly. He glanced back to the people around the room before turning back to Brooke with a certain realization and said, “Haha! Very funny!”
Then everyone burst into laughter.
Cook couldn’t hear David anymore and his heart was filled with dread. He didn’t realize he was weeping as he continued to bang on the door with his fist.
“David!” his voice croaked. “David! I love you!”
“I love you too,” a deep voice declared.
He whirled around and saw Michael Johns’ bloody face. His heartbeat raced as he remembered the dead body he’d seen lying on the ground when he and David attempted to escape. He swore it was Michael he saw lying there and he held his breath, trying to make sense of the fact that his friend was standing in front of him now. He had never believed in ghosts, but he was thinking of considering it at the moment.
He flinched when Michael reached out to him and grabbed the front of his shirt. The Australian then lowered his head and wiped his face against the fabric.
Cook was stunned. He stood stock-still, waiting for some explanation.
“Eeew, that was some sticky stuff for a prop,” Michael blurted as he straightened up and wrapped his arm around Cook’s shoulder while his other hand grabbed the knob and pulled the door open. “But it was so good it looked like real blood, didn’t it, mate?”
Michael led him to the end of the hallway where he could hear noises coming from a room. When they entered, he saw David standing beside Brooke, his face bright red. Then his eyes lingered on the faces of his friends, people who he believed had disappeared, and they were almost tearful from laughing.
“What the fuck is going on?” Cook finally managed to speak. He moved to stand beside David, who shrugged and seemed to be wondering the same thing.
Their friends stopped laughing and they all looked at each other before they shouted…
“APRIL FOOLS!”
“Fuck you!” Cook spat, and to his surprise, he heard David’s voice joining his.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry for all that,” Brooke stood between the couple and placed her arms around each man, leading them to the couch and asked them both to take a seat. “If you’ll allow me to explain.”
“Explain,” Cook said with gritted teeth.
Brooke remained standing as she started, “Okay. When I inherited this island, it was knee deep in financial problems. Land taxes weren’t paid for the last couple of years plus there were other taxes and fees involved in transferring it to my name. I was considering letting it go and turning it over to the state but my lawyer found out that the value of the island had not only doubled or tripled but was raised ten times more than its worth in the last two years. In short, it would be a stupid move to let it go.”
“And… and what do all these horrible things that happened have anything to do with the island’s financial problems?” David waved his hands around as he asked.
“My lawyer suggested that I turn it into a resort. But I wanted to keep it untouched, so instead, I decided to turn the manor into a bed & breakfast inn. But the owners of the other islands have done so already, so the competition would be tough. Then I thought of making it not just an ordinary inn, but an inn that offers a ‘who dunnit’ experience. It will be like a theme park with a haunted house attraction. I knew I needed to try out the idea first, and our reunion happened just in time for the plans to be completed.”
“So… you tried it on us,” Cook said, finally making sense of the circumstances, although he still felt like punching someone on the face. Brooke was lucky Cook was against the idea of hitting women. He looked at his friends and asked, “And you guys were in on the joke all along?”
“Oh no,” Michael quickly responded. “We were also victims like you.”
“I thought I was going to be murdered when someone yanked me out of the car after ran into a tree,” Chikezie said with a tinge of amusement in his tone. “Then the stranger just said, ‘April Fools, you’re now a victim’ then led me to a cabin and treated my wounds.”
“Don’t look at me, I was also a victim,” Dave raised a hand when Cook looked at him accusingly. “I had no idea what she was up to. I was actually wondering why she seemed so secretive before you guys got here.”
“Surely, you couldn’t have done all of it on your own. Who’s been helping you then?” David curiously asked Brooke.
“We have,” Uncle Roger, Aunt Trudy, Frank the ferryman and his assistant Ted emerged from the adjoining room.
Brooke made the introductions. “You guys have met my aunt and uncle, who, by the way, have agreed to be my partners. Uncle Roger is a scriptwriter and he helped lay down the plans for this, including the clues that we hoped you guys would find.”
“You mean… like the articles?” Michael asked, claiming that he was still curious on how the event was planned out since Brooke didn’t have the time to explain everything.
“And the documents in your room?” Carly appeared to be clueless as well, asking if the psychological reports they found were all part of the hoax.
“Yes, all of it,” Brooke confirmed. “The articles and documents were supposed to mislead you and make you think that the island was haunted.”
“It sure worked,” Michael said, whistling.
“What about the cabin filled with horrible items that I found by the river?” Jason sounded like he was still engrossed with his discovery.
“That too was built there for that purpose,” Frank, the ferryman, piped in.
“By the way people, this is Frank, he’s a ‘Special Effects Engineer’, who agreed to work on the special effects that I needed, like the figure you saw outside your window, David. And the shadow under the lake that Kristy saw.”
She turned to the blonde guy standing beside Frank. “And this is my cousin Ted. He’s a Sound Engineer, and he’s the one responsible for all the strange noises you’ve been hearing.”
Everyone clapped their hands, save Cook and Archie who were still a bit in shock, and Brooke curtsied before she continued with “I would like to thank you all for taking part in this experiment, even though you had no idea what was going. Thank you for being such good sports.”
“Weren’t you even worried that someone might get seriously hurt?” Cook remained skeptic over the situation.
“That was what Aunt Trudy was here for,” Brook replied. “She’s a licensed physician.”
“A lot of you got injured, some even had fractures, like Jason’s wrist,” Aunt Trudy explained and nodded towards Jason who was holding up a bandaged wrist. “Which is why it was important to do an experimental run before Brooke opened for business. It helped us know what to avoid and what not to do next time.”
“And besides, next time the people involved will be aware that it will be nothing but a game,” Brooke said, taking a seat beside Kristy. “It will, after all, be part of the advertising scheme.”
“Well,” Kristy raised the glass that Carly had handed her and turned to Brooke, “Good luck to you my friend. Here’s to Brooke and her ‘Who Dunnit’ Inn.”
Everyone raised their glasses filled with champagne that Michael and Stacy had distributed and said, “To Brooke.”
The weather seemed considerately fair the next morning, with the sky clear and the sun providing enough heat to warm up the ground where the cool early morning breeze had settled. Some of the former Idols were busy loading their things on the vehicles parked upfront. Some, like Kristy and Jason, had volunteered to stay and help Brooke and Dave clean up, but Cook and David said they had their own mess to clear so they could truly start over.
“Are you serious?” David stood behind the SUV, placing his duffle bag inside.
“What makes you think I’m not?” Cook asked, circumspectly lifting an eyebrow.
“Well… you could be jumping on the ‘April Fools’ bandwagon,” David giggled, his heart warming up at the thought of Cook’s proposition.
“It’s already the second of April, babe. A day too late for any more April Fools’ scheme,” Cook took David’s hands and rubbed his thumbs on his palms.
“I was just making sure,” David once more burst into giggles, a mannerism Cook had become accustomed to seeing whenever David felt nervous. “So you want me to move back in with you?”
“Don’t you want to?” Cook asked, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.
“It’s not that easy, you know. After everything that happened between us,” David leaned against the vehicle’s side and bit his lower lip as he thought it over. “But yes, I’d like that,” he smiled genuinely at Cook.
Cook rested his forehead against David’s. “We will make it work this time, baby,” he said, planting a kiss on David’s temple. “I love you.”
David wrapped his arms around Cook’s neck. “I love you too.”
Their lips glided together in a choreographed passionate kiss as they pulled each other closer and held each other tighter like a silent promise that they would not let each other go just as easily as they had the last time.
David sighed as they pulled away. “You promise that we will talk more and try to avoid presumptions?”
“I promise.”
“Hey! You two!” Michael yelled as he approached them. “Are you sure you didn’t leave anything in your room? It would be a shame if you guys left used condoms lying around.”
Cook snorted and snapped back, “Don’t accuse us of something you do on purpose, Mikey.”
“He does that on purpose?” Brooke asked; her eyes widened in disbelief.
“Yeah, so you better check his room before you let someone else occupy it,” Cook said in mockery.
They soon made their way to the dock where the real ferryman, not Frank, was waiting on the ferry that would take them back to the mainland, back to their everyday lives.
“Thanks for having us Brooke,” David said, hugging her tight.
“Thanks for coming,” Brooke placed her palm gently on David’s cheek. “I hope things would work out well between you and Dave. I’ll be here whenever you need someone to talk to, okay?”
David nodded and bid her a final farewell before heading to the ferry where Cook waited.
“Mike and Jason have offered to help you move your stuff back in the house,” Cook said, hugging David from behind. He wrapped his arms around David’s waist and laid his chin on his shoulder.
“It’s final then? You really want me back in your house?” David teased.
“Our house baby,” Cook whispered. “It was never mine alone. That’s why it’s been empty without you.”
The ferry made its way down the narrower part of the river, drifting slowly across the calm surface, taking its passengers back to a life full of promises.
=== THE END ===
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Comments (and curses will be acceptable) will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading.
End notes:
- Before anyone thinks that this idea is original, I admit that it isn't. I can probably never be original since I'm more of a copycat. Anyway, this fic was inspired by a 1986 movie called 'April Fools' Day'. I had to change the plot for majority of the story to make it work with the top 10, but the scene near the ending and the basic concept/ idea of the fic was highly inspired by the movie. I couldn't reveal it on my earlier notes because it will spoil the...shall I say, punch line?
- This idea got to me late last year when I was discussing ideas for fics with my friend
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
- Thank you so so so much to everyone who had been with me since the beginning of this fic. Now I am begging y all of you not to kill me after reading this last part. I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!
HAPPY APRIL FOOLS' DAY EVERYONE!!!


ETA: Some of the readers have commented on how the idols were too forgiving, given that Brooke had just played a rather dangerous practical joke. I forgot to mention in my notes that the reason why they were is that they had the chance be sort of 'in on the joke'. They found out what was happening way ahead than the Davids did and they had time to process what the purpose of the game was. If you'd notice, the Davids didn't say much, and somehow remained skeptic because they both were the ones who received the 'final blow'. And besides, Cook and Archie were more focused on rebuilding their relationship.