There Were Twelve of Us to Begin With by Ian Gordon
Summary
This episode presents a horror story titled "The Cottage Hearth," in which Richard Ike recounts his survival of the Miller’s Manor massacre, a series of murders committed during a murder mystery event over the twelve days of Christmas. The narrative follows Ike and eleven other participants as they navigate the game’s deadly twists, with the killer systematically eliminating guests using cryptic clues and invisible ink. The story details the psychological tension and paranoia among the survivors as they attempt to identify the mastermind behind the killings while trapped in the isolated man…
Topics discussed
Introduction and narrator's backstory
Ike's arrival at Miller's Manor in the snow
Meeting the guests and the game's premise
Gallagher's arrival and the concept of stooges
Guest introductions and the first clue envelope
The library rules and the killer's manifesto
First victim disappearance and morning confusion
Hidden messages and Longhorn's disappearance
Power outage, Black Garden's confession, and Yellow Jacket's death
Day 2: Suspicion, Scarlet Darter's reveal, and the night's events
Scarlet Darter's murder and the group's denial
The outhouse clue and Green Drake's death
Realizing it is a real murder and the storm's impact
False Widow's murder and the discovery of her body
Nightcrawler's death and the final four's debate
Andina's disappearance and White Admiral's death
The outhouse discovery and Bluebottle's survival
Police investigation and the killer's identity revealed
New Forest's confession and the crown of thorns
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