Island of Death

[tarawhipped]

Title: Island of Death
Author: Tarawhipped (Cameron)
Email: tarawhipped@hotmail.com
Rating: NC-17 (violence, language, sex)
Disclaimer: All characters are the property of Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy; plot borrowed from Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None
Feedback: I LIVE for it!
Distribution: Sure, just tell me where so I can visit!
Summary: Ten strangers are invited by a mysterious host to a remote island off the Pacific coast of South America.
Notes: AU (no Scoobiage at all); thoughts in italics
Warning: Character death[br][br][br]
Chapter 12[br][br]
Twelve steps down…through the door…thirty steps times five…tip-tap, tip-tap.[br]
Their footsteps echoed down the hallway, announcing their approach through the numerous microphones embedded in the walls long before they came into view of the hidden cameras lining the pool room. Flashlight beams flared the lenses for a moment before dropping down. I admit I held my breath in anticipation.[br]
Their reactions were as expected: Rosenberg’s eyes bulged and the beam from her flashlight wavered in one shaking hand. Finn holstered his gun and passed his flashlight to Maclay before wading into the pool to retrieve Chase’s corpse. Osbourne stood still as a statue, seemingly with less expression, though his eyes glanced rapidly around the room.[br]
Look all you like…you won’t see me.[br]
I felt giddy, and couldn’t help but grin at Jenkins, who seemed to be lapsing back into catatonia.[br]
Useless. You could at least cry or scream or do something entertaining.[br]
I’d barely finished the thought when the rolling pin slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor. My finger twitched on the remote control.[br]
Not yet…patience.[br]
“Help me!”[br]
Finn’s strained voice sounded tinny as he struggled out of the pool. The cascade of water on tile threatened to drown out their voices, and I hastily made an adjustment to the sound feed. Osbourne passed his flashlight to Maclay, who relinquished her hold on Rosenberg to receive it, and grabbed Chase’s legs, while Finn twisted his grip on the body’s torso. I could hear them grunting under the strain, but my attention was somewhere else.[br]
With her one free hand, Rosenberg continued to clutch at her hussy, pulling her back toward the doorway with shuffling steps. Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement. Jenkins appeared next to them, her hands grasping out and locking solidly on Rosenberg’s left forearm. My finger jerked again, and I didn’t dare blink.[br]
“We have to get out of here,” Jenkins whined.[br]
“We will, but we have to—Anya, let go!”[br]
Jenkins’ grip on Rosenberg must have been strong; the moment the murderous bitch let go of Maclay to confront Jenkins, both women were propelled through the doorway. I pressed down hard on the button.[br]
As much as I wanted to watch—and I so did, I refrained.[br]
Time’s a wasting, things to do, tick-tock.[br]
I double-checked the monitor strapped to my wrist and retrieved the gun and vial from the Osbourne drawer. I tapped out a series of digits, opening all the interior doors in corridor B-28. The sounds of their panic were music in my ears as I flicked the switch on my goggles and stepped out of the control room.[br]
Showtime.[br][br][br][br]
Willow spun around to bark at Anya, releasing Tara’s arm in the process. Before she could protest the rude woman’s behavior, she felt herself forcefully dragged from the room. Yanking her arm free, she turned toward the arch just in time to see a steel plate drop into place with a resounding boom, narrowly missing the toes of her right foot. Her shock dissipated with the echo from the door’s landing, and she pounded on the solid metal, anger and desperation driving her fists again and again. After a moment an answering assault from the other side of the door joined hers. Tears burned her eyes and blurred her vision, and she screamed at the top of her lungs.[br]
No sound but the dull banging from the opposite side met her cry, but even that faded after a few minutes.[br]
They were cut off.[br]
Willow frantically cast her flashlight beam around the perimeter of the door, desperately seeking a switch or panel, but there was nothing but solid stone.[br]
Closing her eyes tightly, Willow leaned her forehead against the cool, smooth metal and silently sobbed. She could hear Anya behind her and off to the side, her breathing quickening into hyperventilation. Willow pressed her lips to the steel wall.[br]
“I’ll find you, baby” she breathed. Taking a deep breath she turned and gently took Anya’s arm, leading her back down the hallway.[br][br][br][br]
Tara’s face contorted, but she would not let herself cry. She shouted in frustration and smashed the butt of the flashlight against the metal plate one last time. The repeated blows had not left so much as a scratch on the solid steel, and the soft thumps from the other side had ceased. Oz and Riley gently lay Cordelia’s body on the floor and stood, neither moving nor speaking.[br]
Tara pressed her left ear to the wall and closed her eyes. She raised her right hand to her mouth, the pads of her fingertips brushing against the metal as she whispered into her cupped palm.[br]
“I need you, Willow.”[br][br][br][br]
By the time I got into position and silently withdrew one of the bricks, they’d apparently recovered from the surprise, and were predictably poking around the only other door in the room. I was sorry to have missed the panic and anger that had been so entertaining over the past several days, though Osbourne and Maclay seemed less inclined to hysterics as some of the others. It was very disappointing.[br]
Shouldn’t have skewered that psycho Johnson so soon. She’d be beating the crap out of someone by now. Oh well.[br]
Finn pulled out his gun and I had to cover my mouth to muffle the laugh.[br]
He can’t be that dumb.[br]
“Stand back.”[br]
“Riley, no!”[br]
I slid the brick back in place just as I heard the bullet ricocheted off the lock. The shouts ripped through my head and I yanked out my earpiece, counting to five before carefully removing the brick again.[br]
If that idiot killed someone…[br]
Luckily it had missed them all, lodging in a wall of the pool to judge by their gazes. There was no chance of them noticing the missing brick in the shadowy recess of the far corner, but still I waited for them to turn back to the door before moving. My fingers were trembling with anticipation as I took out the vial and removed the dart by its feather. A bead of liquid dripped from the hypodermic tip while I hastily discarded the glass and reached for the gun. I placed the dart in the pistol’s breech, slid the cylinder shut, and opened the compressed air valve all the way.[br]
Maclay and Finn were arguing heatedly, but Osbourne remained aloof, standing motionless several feet away. I sighted along the barrel. For aesthetic reasons I would have preferred the hit to be in the inner arm, but I couldn’t wait all day for that opportunity to possibly present itself.[br]
Tight schedule, beggars can’t be choosers.[br]
This would have to do. I squeezed the trigger.[br][br][br][br]
“You could have killed someone!”[br]
“You think I don’t know that?”[br]
“We’re in enough danger without you shooting up the place,” Tara continued.[br]
“By all means, let’s just stand here and do nothing!”[br]
“Hey!”[br]
Riley and Tara turned at Oz’s exclamation, thinking the young man was trying to halt the argument, but he was staring down at his own arm. Their eyes followed his as he plucked a dart out of his left bicep and dropped the projectile to the floor.[br]
“I…I’m stung.”[br][br][br][br]
His agony was intoxicating. From the looks of it the headache began almost immediately.[br]
Yes! I got the vein![br]
Finn and Maclay rushed to his side, standing impotently by as the arsenic coursed through his body. Within minutes he was doubled over, howling in pain and clutching his stomach. He fell to his hands and knees, vomiting violently, his back arching with the effort to purge the poison. He looked like a rabid dog in its final desperate throes, tearing at his shirt and clawing at his gut.[br]
The sight was so disgusting I almost left right then, but I placed my earpiece back in just in time to hear his pitiful whine:[br]
“Kill me.”[br]
I held my breath. Maclay and Finn just gawked, at Osbourne then at each other. Finn looked dumbly at the gun he’d unconsciously drawn moments before.[br]
“Kill…me,” Osbourne repeated, his voice sounding tight and weak.[br]
Tears streamed from Maclay’s eyes. Finn raised the gun to Osbourne’s head. Osbourne’s body twitched uncontrollably on the floor. My heart thumped as the seconds ticked by. It was unexpected, but in this instance I didn’t mind the improvisation. The scene was absolutely riveting.[br]
Should have brought popcorn.[br]
“I can’t, I can’t do it.”[br]
Loser![br]
I had to bite my tongue to suppress the shout when Finn shook his head and dropped his arm, but couldn’t withhold the guffaw when Maclay grabbed the revolver from the cop. The gun was steady in her hands, though the rest of her body was visibly trembling.[br]
Well, well. It’s always the quiet ones.[br]
“Please.”[br]
At Osbourne’s plea, Maclay wiped the tears from her face and aimed.[br]
“Close your eyes,” she whispered.[br][br][br][br]
Too bad Rosenberg didn’t get to witness that. Wonder if she knows what her mousy little tart is capable of. There’s always the video replay…no…no time. The look on Finn’s face alone was priceless.[br]
I could see Giles pacing when I approached the cave.[br]
Excellent, punctual as always…well, almost always.[br]
I’d run most of the way; who cared about the noise now, if they even noticed? I took a minute to catch my breath and ensure the hood obscured my face. He’d be seeing it soon enough.[br][br][br]
TBC[br][br]

[GayNow]

I STILL KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN!!!!!

(But I'm not gonna say who the killer is)

[watty]

I don't know, and I don't want to know.

Nice update, Camster, the tension really building up and lovely touch with the pov of the bad guy. The absolute worst has happened, the group has been separated, how will they get out of this dire situation now.

ETA: What impresses me is how you portray the menacing and manic nature of this person who is watching through monitors. Clearly s/he has planned this in detail; almost as clear is how sadistic this person is, like s/he takes so much pleasure in torturing the pawns out there in the mansion.

Riley shooting his gun at the metal door. Sheesh, does that big oaf not have a brain? Strangely enough, this scene in the pool reminds me of the garbage dump scene in Star Wars Ep 4 where Luke, Han and Leia was stuck in a disgusting garbage cesspit and Han shot his blaster at the door just like Riley did. Will the walls of the pool room shrink too?

Talking about guns. The way Tara took the life of Oz is as compassionate as it was brave. How many of us, if faced with the same situation, will be able to go through with a mercy killing like that?

I'm taking notes on who was "killed," how and whether their death was verified. I also remember the part in an earlier chapter (I just looked it up, ch 7) where the mysterious person had a queen and 9 pawns. Makes me think the real victim (or winner?) is a woman. But I find myself analyzing and making guesses. I don't want to do that.

Because guess what? I don't want to know, I want to be surprised. I want that lightbulb moment when you do the reveal.
[br]

[caz]

I'm gobsmacked!

One thing I will say though is that if Tara was brought up on a farm she would be used to animals being put out of their misery if they were sick or dying. Maybe this helped with the Oz situation.

I can't remember if you mentioned Tara's background so I'm gonna go and read your story from the beginning.

Oh - and I hope that Willow is okay!

Caz

[Trom DeGrey]

Oh god, Cam! That was just brutal! I have to wonder what Willow would have thought if she'd seen it as well though. I love the change in POV too. Terribly sinister, the whole thing.

Yes, I enjoyed the book immensely even when some of it made the beta in me twitch. It's been years since I've read Christie and the roomies were nice enough to pick another one up for me at the library yesterday. Thanks for the jolt.

[potential_angel]

Ok once again with the wowness!!! WOW!!! That was unexpected but is it bad that I'm kinda glad Oz died... he just seemed to be staring at Willow and Tara too much but the mystery of the disappearance of Dawn is still to be answered... I am actually tempted to read the book now... hmm thats gonna be on my list things to read in the easter when I have time. I was expecting Tara to take the gun from Riley though... that was rather unexpected.

Wonderful as always and I can't wait for the next update. *sets up camp next to the computer*

[beanie]

Ah, the much anticipated chapter brings . . . anticipation. Okay, so they're separated. Okay, so Oz is dead. WHAT? It was all in the killer's perspective?!?! WHERE WAS I!?! (just kidding, I was here reading the update. duh) It was nice to see everything through the eyes of a psychopath. It's not everyday I can tell my mum that. Insert beanie is a psychopath jokes here. I wonder how Giles fits into all of this, and is there any deeper relationship between Giles and the psychopathic killer that might reflect a relationship found in the show? HMMMMMM... cough ethan rayne cough. Sorry I had a cat or something in my throat . . .

Oh, and haha about your me writing comment. HA. HA.

-beanie

[Sandman78]

OMG!!....Did not see that one coming. I'm not surprised that Tara would help put Oz out of his misery, she's empathetic like that. Great story though, but what happened to Dawn?
Update soon.

[Grayson]

As a fan of Ten Little Indians (or And Then There Were None, depending on your copy of the book), I had certain preconceived notions of how I thought this would work. This chapter blew that out of the water, in a good way. I didn't expect us to get inside the mastermind's head or to get a look at how s/he is doing everything, but it's great. Obviously we knew s/he was observing and controlling things, but somehow knowing the details makes it more tense and scary, not less. I feel the need to go back and read the first couple of updates before I read each new one to remind myself of the poem and of everyone's confessed crimes. This is a suspenseful, exciting story, and I'll be on pins and needles until the next installment.

[histchic]

Ok, I reject my former theory that Giles is hearing voices. I now submit my second theory that Dawn is the killer, or in conjuction with the guilty party. This is because she is the only non-dead person who would use the word so as an adjective. Plus, she's MIA. If it isn't her, I submit that it's Ethan Rayne. My evidence for this is because he's Ethan, slave of chaos.

The change of pace is really cool, seeing it from a slightly detached point of view. Calling them all by their last names is an interesting touch, adding to the detachedness.

I thought I was the only person who said Toodles, let alone the only Beth. Drat. My plans for originality have been foiled again. Can't wait for next Sunday. Looking forward to the next gut wrenching installment.

Toodles, take care.
Beth

[WickedReds]

YES!! an update... hehe.. ive been waiting for it Cam...
Ho Ho some one is watching youuuuu.... that must be the dude or who ever has brought them there and is well offfing them in interesting ways... im thinking Oz
OK so there was a group speration... and now W and T are apart... Mhmmm there is going to be a killing soon... by a dart and i was right bye bye wolfy boy...
and well no Dawn.. still is she dead...

-reds

[taralicious]

Cam,
DIdn't I say it? I bloody well said it last update that there was no way it would end well if that irritating shit Riley was allowed a gun for protection.
He could just as well fire an energy weapon in a confined space.
Lucky that he didn't speed the mastermind's plan along by taking out someone on his own.
Speaking of the mastermind, it was a novel twist to have he/she provide a running commentary, sort of like having them narrate this chapter by giving us insight into their dark/twisted worldview.
Tara, being the most sympathetic not to mention empathic of all the victims on the island, it is no wonder that she would speed Oz onto his final resting place.
Dawn still is MIA and could be the mastermind but would have to exhibit a sort of Rose and the Thorn split personality.

[Artemis]

Hmm... my theory of death is still plausible. And I think this chapters very scary look into OMH's messed-up little mind pretty much rule out the theory that the killings up to this point are a smokescreen for the killing of one of the remaining victims. OMH seemed equally invested in dumping horrible nastiness on everyone - if s/he (I have a theory on his/her identity, including gender thereof, but I don't want to reveal anything in case I'm a huge goof and have it wrong) is interested primarily in one of them, and is just killing the others as a means to and end, s/he's really enjoying the means as well as the end. And that could be bad - s/he's obviously got a hell of a good, lethal set-up in place, but being that emotionally invested in the action, almost giddy with excitement, is a recipe for screwing up sooner or later.

So, Willow's stuck with a hysterical Anya, and Tara's lumped with Riley. And Tara was the one who stepped up to the plate and put Oz out of his suffering... you know, I'm really glad that OMH was surprised by that, because if s/he'd expected Tara to do that, the stuff that got shot into Oz probably would have been non-fatal, just really icky for a few minutes, so as to guilt-trip her about it.

[wimpy0729]

Hey Cam, how's it going?

Yep, I'm still here and I was so excited to see the updates. I still get so excited when I see you've been here and given us something to exercise our brains. And yes, you just keep teasing us along. I actually felt sorry for Oz, and poor Tara having to do the deed. What a difficult, yet kind thing for her to do.

I, for one, have NO idea who the evil mastermind is...not even a guess. My feeble mind will just keep waiting for updates to see what your brilliant mind has in store for us. Hopefully, you won't keep us waiting for too long.

Keep up the great work!

Wimpy

[tarawhipped]

***general note to all: thanks for reading and commenting (of course), and I hope I don't seem vague or avoid-y if fail to address certain remarks. It's getting harder to reply without giving something away, so I'll just...ummm...talk about the weather and tell you all how pretty you are, okay? Also, be careful what you assume. [br]
GayNow:: Do I really need to thank you for not divulging secrets? *sigh* [disgruntled drone]Thank you, Car.[/disgruntled drone][br]
watty:

I don't know, and I don't want to know

Good, 'cause I'm not tellin' you! Thanks r.e. the killer's pov. I had some trouble with it, but Car was very supportive in a slightly disturbing way: "more menace! I want to be inside the mind of a madperson! Work it, girl!" ...or something to that effect.

this scene in the pool reminds me of the garbage dump scene in Star Wars Ep 4 where Luke, Han and Leia was stuck in a disgusting garbage cesspit and Han shot his blaster at the door just like Riley did.

Yes! Exactly! Joe Action Man always has to go for the weapon, and has to have the smart chick tell him to put his boomstick back in his pants and think for a minute. I love that scene. But no, no shrinking rooms...that would freak me out. I'm glad you want the suspense. I admit I'm one of those people who gets halfway through a story and then reads the last chapter to find out whodunnit cause I can't stand not knowing. I appreciate your resolve.[br]
caz:

I'm gobsmacked!

Okay, I have no clue what this means, but it made me giggle.

I can't remember if you mentioned Tara's background

I didn't, really. Other than the brief circumstances of their alleged crimes, I didn't think it was necessary, and hopefully it adds to the mystery. Considering how short a time these people have known each other, I didn't think they'd have a chance to spill their guts (figuratively anyway...Faith already sort of...ummm...sorry, that's icky). This way it's like the reader knows as much about them as they know about each other. Thanks, caz.[br]
Trom DeGrey: I appreciate the comments on the killer's pov. Car suggested I do it in 1st person, which probably would have rocked, but I chickened out. I'm just not comfortable writing that way, but I'm glad the menace/madness came through anyway. I was laughing at your beta comment. I tried to reread Agatha Christie several years ago, and it's really not the best literature there is, is it? She could spin a yarn though, which is as much as I'm hoping to accomplish too. Thanks, Trom.[br]
potential_angel: Hi Mel! I'm glad you liked it, even if you did go a lil' harsh on the Oz-man there. lol. It's interesting to read peoples' reactions to the characters, 'cause I'm losing all perspective at this point. I'm feeling bad for everything I'm doing to them (or planning to do), so I even feel sorry for Riley now. God I'm a wuss. Thank you, and I hope you do read the book, though I'd recommend the '45 film version too.[br]
beanie: Yay! More love for the killer's pov! I will be using it again for a scene in another couple of chapters, so it's good to know it worked.

I wonder how Giles fits into all of this, and is there any deeper relationship between Giles and the psychopathic killer

Well, since the killer is Olivia, I guess it makes sense that he would be involved somehow. Oh crap! Ignore that! hehehehehe[br]
Sandman78: lol...I hoped that cliffy would get some good "OMG" reactions!

Great story though, but what happened to Dawn?

Thank you, and just sit tight...no disappearance will go unresolved.[br]
Grayson: I've mentioned before that I haven't read or watched the source material in a really long time, so I honestly have no idea what might be following the original plot, and what isn't. I just love stories set in a situation where the protagonists are cut off (Alien, The Thing, several early X-Files eps, etc) and have to rely on themselves and each other to survive. It makes for so much built-in tension. I didn't initially plan to write the killer's pov, but am glad I did. There's so much going on that only the killer knows about, so it really necessitated seeing it firsthand. Thank you so much.[br]
histchic: LOL. I'm going to have to hand out awards for all the theories when this is over: most accurate, most innaccurate, most entertainingly whacky, etc. I will tell you you're now nominated in several categories...but I won't say which. [br]
Thanks for mentioning the last names...I wanted the killer to avoid using their first names in order to show detachment, but then Car was reading and asked "Johnson? Is that Faith?" (since I began writing this before 'Lehane' became her accepted surname). Luckily she helped me avoid the confusion (I assume, since no one commented on it). Thanks Beth (and of course you're original...you're the only you!) [br]
WickedReds:

some one is watching youuuuu

Thanks a lot, Gina...now I have Rockwell stuck in my head. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Since everyone agreed they needed to stick together, of course I had to split them up. It's the classic Scully and Mulder "let's separate so we can get into danger!" scenario. Next part coming up.[br]
taralicious: Yep, you were right...Riley is a stooge. I mostly put that in there for the killer's reaction. I thought it'd be funny if the killer was pissed off at the thought of someone dying before s/he had the chance to do it. Glad you liked the pov switch, and stay tuned. All loose ends will eventually be neatly tied...but not so much in the next part. Thanks, Blayne.[br]
Artemis: Damn, Chris...there's so much I would love to comment on, but I'm really paranoid about spilling something at this point. I will wholeheartedly agree with this statement:

s/he's obviously got a hell of a good, lethal set-up in place, but being that emotionally invested in the action, almost giddy with excitement, is a recipe for screwing up sooner or later.

The next chapter is what's happenning with Willow and Anya, running more or less concurrently with this last bit. Hope you like it, and thank you Chris.[br]
wimpy0729: Both my smutbunnies are here! *sigh* All is right with the world. Umm...unless you're on the island of death...then things pretty much suck. Finally someone feels bad for Oz! Sheesh...I was hoping it wasn't just me. I'm glad you're in the 'wait and see' camp, 'cause it really is getting hard to not reveal anything. Only a few more chapters til the secret's out, though. Thanks, Pam.[br][br]

[tarawhipped]

Title: Island of Death
Author: Tarawhipped (Cameron)
Email: tarawhipped@hotmail.com
Rating: NC-17 (violence, language, sex)
Disclaimer: All characters are the property of Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy; plot borrowed from Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None
Feedback: I LIVE for it!
Distribution: Sure, just tell me where so I can visit!
Summary: Ten strangers are invited by a mysterious host to a remote island off the Pacific coast of South America.
Notes: AU (no Scoobiage at all); thoughts in italics; thanks as always to # 1 Beta (hmm…*orders novelty mug for Car’s birthday*), Carleen
Warning: Character death[br][br][br]
Chapter 13[br][br]
Willow and Anya sat on the concrete steps, matching expressions of dejection marring their features. They’d rushed down the passage, away from the blocked pool room, only to find that the door they’d originally entered was closed. No amount of effort had forced it open, and several trips back and forth between the two barred exits had revealed no other escapes. They’d been sitting for what seemed like hours, though it was barely thirty minutes after they’d given up when the door at the top of the stairs slid partially open with a click.[br]
Anya shot to her feet.[br]
“Wait!” Willow hissed. “We don’t know what’s out there.”[br]
“Well, what are we supposed to do, hide here in the stairway forever?” Anya snapped back.[br]
“No, but maybe if this door is open, the other one is too, and we can get Ta—get the others.”[br]
“And what if while we’re checking the other door, this one closes again?”[br]
Willow frowned at the thought, her mind instantly puzzling through their options. She could wedge the flashlight in the opening, but then they wouldn’t be able to see their way back down the dark hallway. She glanced at her canvas sneakers and Anya’s Manolo pumps…either would easily be crushed by the steel door.[br]
“You go; I’ll guard the door.”[br]
“Are you sure?” Willow asked, hesitant to separate. As little comfort as Anya was, her presence was still preferable to solitude.[br]
“Just make it quick,” Anya replied.[br]
Willow nodded and sped down the stairs before pausing at the bottom. With a last glance back at Anya, who was peeking through the open slit in the doorway, she turned the corner. Halfway down the hall she could see the steel plate still firmly in place, but she crept up to it anyway and tapped out ‘hello’ in Morse code with the flashlight. She waited several minutes and repeated the call, but no reply came.[br]
Maybe they got out and are waiting upstairs, she hoped; the comforting thought not quite reaching her stomach, which churned with worry as she retraced her steps to Anya.[br]
“No luck,” she called out from the bottom, but when she looked up, Anya was not in sight. “Dammit!”[br]
Willow took the stairs two at a time, slowing only when she reached the top, where the door had been slid halfway into the wall. She pulled back the tapestry slowly and inched her way out into the manor, which now seemed blindingly bright after the darkness of the basement. The sunlight streaming in through the front windows was almost comforting in its cheerfulness, but the silence that greeted her filled her with dread.[br]
“Willow? Is that you?”[br]
The redhead laughed out loud at Anya’s voice, coming from the Great Room. She wiped the tears that had sprung to her eyes and joined the other woman, who was standing behind the bar inspecting bottles.[br]
“The door could have closed. You were supposed to wait,” Willow argued, but her happiness at finding Anya diminished her anger.[br]
“You’re fine,” the blonde replied distractedly, her eyes lighting up as she found what she was looking for and triumphantly set the bottle of amaretto on the bar top. She sniffed an empty shot glass and filled it to the brim with the amber liquid. “I just realized the time; I need to take my medication.”[br]
Willow absently glanced at her watch, which read 11:45, and back to Anya. “That’s your medication?”[br]
“Don’t be silly,” Anya said, waving a prescription bottle at the redhead and palming two pills.[br]
“Are you sure you should be mixing those with alcohol?” Willow asked, even as she decided that a drink wasn’t such a bad idea and joined Anya at the bar. “Any ice back there?”[br]
Anya nodded, leaning down to open the mini-fridge and scooping several cubes into a tumbler that she placed before the redhead. Willow grabbed a bottle and splashed a generous amount of scotch into the glass. Anya slipped the pills onto her tongue and raised the shot glass.[br]
“Cheers,” she slurred, tossing back the drink.[br]
“To your health,” Willow toasted in response before taking a more modest sip of her beverage and turning back toward the hall. “Do you think we should look for the others or wait here in case they get out on their own? I guess we could write a note and leave it, but then they might come looking for us and we could keep missing each other. What do you think?”[br]
Willow looked back when Anya made no reply. The blonde had a hand raised to her forehead and was clutching the bar with the other.[br]
“Anya? Are you okay?”[br]
Anya swayed, nearly toppling over before Willow got to her side and guided her to the couch. The redhead raced to the bar and read the label on the prescription bottle.[br]
“You mixed Valium with alcohol? Are you insane?”[br]
“I don’t…feel…,” Anya mumbled, her voice thin and wavering as she tried to stand. She clutched her chest and fell to the floor in convulsions.[br]
Willow was crouched at her side in an instant. Anya gasped for breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly, panic etched on her face.[br]
“You’re going to be fine,” Willow soothed unconvincingly. “Anya, you need to calm down and breathe.”[br]
Anya’s eyes rolled back in her head as she slipped into unconsciousness. Willow grabbed the prone woman’s shoulders and shook her forcefully, but Anya lay limp. Willow tilted the blonde’s head back and began CPR. She lost track of time as she alternated between blowing breaths into Anya’s mouth and pumping her chest, counting out each push. Her throat was raw with suppressed sobs when she finally sat back on her calves in defeat.[br]
Willow gently closed Anya’s lifeless eyes and struggled to her feet, grimacing as tingling pain shot down her cramped legs. She looked nervously around the cavernous room and sniffled, her lips trembling as she hugged her arms around herself. She heard a heavy muffled sound, like metal scraping against stone, from the bowels of the house. Glancing in the direction of the front door, she contemplated making a break for it.[br]
Giles said there’d be a boat on Friday. I could hide out in the woods until then. It’s only one night. Or is today Wednesday? No, it’s Thursday, I’m positive.”[br]
Willow took a shuffling step toward the door and stopped.[br]
I can’t just leave. I promised Tara…and she wouldn’t leave me. Unless she’s already…no. Not gonna think that. She’s fine. I just need to find her.[br]
The redhead grabbed the flashlight she’d placed on the bar and steeled her resolve. She walked back to the hall, ripped the tapestry from the wall and started down the steps. It came as no surprise when she found the barrier to the pool room again raised and little more when her flashlight beam fell on Oz’s body, lying next to another open door. She focused on crossing the room, eyes locked on the door, looking neither right nor left, afraid of what else she might see.[br]
Shining her light down the darkened passage, she stepped inside. The door predictably slammed shut behind her, and she did not so much as twitch at the noise. However, in the next breath came a sound that chilled her to the bone.[br]
A single gunshot reverberated through her ears.[br]
Willow ran toward the sound.[br][br][br]
TBC[br][br]

[will]

Haaaaaa my god what happen. Please update soon i can't wait to see what will happen next.
I really love your story it's so good, you are an amazing writer.

[Boadecia]

You really have a way with words and suspense. I could actually feel willows desperation and need to keep her head (literally and figuratively! lol) Keep up the good work!

[beanie]

um . . . AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Valium and alcohol?!?? Anya couldn't have been THAT dense! Capitalists know their meds. It's a law. Willow all alone and without Tara. Oh my goodness, she's gonna see Tara with gun. With dead body of Oz. Oh God, Oh God. Wait but she'll understand right? Willow's understanding, right?

C'mon you're killing me here with all this doublethink. Tell tell tell! Or something less annoying but just as urgent!!!

-beanie

[Always410]

Wow...I just started reading this story tonight. It's really caught my attention! I kind of figured Anya would be the one to be killed with drinking something. Dont know why. Kind of thought it wouldnt be Riley so, left Anya as I hope our girls will make it through. I'm wondering who will switch sides. Now...although its saying the final two, it might be possible that GILES switches sides, helps the girls escape...and then it leaves Giles as the one to hang himself or be left to suffer from whoever the mystery person is. Just a different thought I dont think has been brought up.

Can't wait to read more! Waiting for updates is always hard as I normally forget to check and then I forget which ones I was reading! Dont think I'll be able to forget this though cause I've been trying to work it out.

-Jen

[potential_angel]

Woo! Just finished reading the newest chapter and my curiosity has reached all new heights! Who shot the gun? You're killing me here, Cam! Oh Anya how stupid can you be... Valium and Alcohol! Did you have the intention to kill yourself cause that was just suicide! Poor Willow though... I've seen that happen to someone... though it wasn't valium they took. Seriously though this is WOW!!! Please reunite Willow and Tara!!! Hope there's a nice ending but till then the curiosity is sure to kill me so update soon! I want to know who the killer is... I'd try and speculate but I always get these things hideously wrong!

Mel

[abtotallyrules]

Wow. Just wow. Once again an amazing update, and keeping us all in suspense. I read the start of this a while back and then sort of gravitated away from W/T fanfic for a while (I discovered a new fandom and got kind of wrapped up in trying to read everything in existence for that) but when I thought about coming back to W/T again, this was one of the first fics I remembered and instantly wanted to read again.
Anyway, that's kind of a long way of saying that I love this fic, I love the idea behind it, I love your writing style and I'm very very glad you've updated. Thanks for such an amazing story, am very much looking forward to the next part.
Luv
Rachel

[taralicious]

Cam,
I see both Willow and Anya are single-minded in their concerns, Willow with getting back to Ta...the others and Anya with indulging in her self-absorbed quest for another high.
Wow, at least Grandpa's cough medicine had some restorative properties; the only result Anya achieved from self-medicating with Valium and alcohol was a "well, at least I'm not the killer" seal of approval.
Willow needs to find Tara and get some comforting smoochies after watching Anya die like that.
And then a shot rang out...
Nice cliffhanger. Very evocative and makes me hope that someone took the gun away from that prat Riley.

[Artemis]

Farewell Anya - she really lost it. I'm not just saying it in retrospect, but I guessed the method of her demise pretty well. She's a serial husband-disposer-of (being Anya, I wasn't entirely sure that she didn't so it in bed, but poison was the next option), and the poem mentioned 'a bitter brew' - I really wouldn't be up for drinking anything, in her position. But it looked like she just wasn't coping, and I'm not sure she didn't mean to kill herself - in her state, she may not have been aware of what she was meaning to do. Terror, guilt over said husbands, severely-stressed sanity... Poor Willow, trying to save her, and all alone now.

If I get my timeline right, this means that OMH missed out on a kill entirely - while s/he was watching Tara compassionately put an end to Oz's grisly death-throes, Anya was off drinking her last drink all un-watched. I wonder if s/he will be annoyed at missing the big moment, with Anya's more-or-less suicide and Willow's gut-wrenching attempts to keep her alive... there was probably a camera secreted somewhere, but it doesn't seem like it'd be the same to OMH as being there in person.

[watty]

eeeeep!

*hides under table*

Poor Anya, it's amazing how quickly a person can deteriorate. I don't think it was merely a combination of valium and alcohol, it's never as simple as that. Her poison was in either her pills or the amaretto. Not the ice since Willow took it with her scotch.

You're building the atmosphere very nicely, Willow is on her own now. Even though you said there won't be any shrinking room, I feel the whole island closing in (does that sound right?). And Tara with Riley and a gun, that's not very reassuring.

Until next Sunday / Monday then.
[br]

[caz]

Bloody Hell - they are dropping like flies!

I'm trying not to think about the gunshot.

Oh, and gobsmacked means that I'm speechless.

Caz

[WickedReds]

Woo update...
Okay I dont think it was the pills that killed Anya. Im mean she had them with her. Had to be the alcky...
Ooo gun shot.. I cant believe u left it there... but then again my dear Cam ur known for leaving us kittens in suspence... great update.

-reds

[Sandman78]

Thanks for the update!!!
And as usual, the suspense is killing me!
Anya's dead and gunshots coming from who knows where, possibly killing Riley . Can't hardly wait to read what's next.

[Still Waters T]

I'll be checking in next Sunday!

Pretty sure I jinxed myself here, seeing as I haven't really been back here in um 2-3 weeks now? And I've missed updates!

I'll just keep this as brief as possible since I do have homework for a class tomorrow and it's currently *looks at watch* past 1 am.

Chapter 11:
The big sister in me is a bit worried about Dawn, unless she's the killer ...in which case I'd be a bit more afraid (little sisters can be somewhat scary sometimes) if I were in that group. Not too smart of Anya to shout for someone when there's a killer in the house, and you don't want to give the killer your exact location. But then they don't know they're being watched, so sneaking around quietly won't really help.

Chapter 12:
Uh oh, Willow and Anya separated from the group, and the killer leaving his control room. And this would be when I imagined the killer to get into the room with them and probably kill one of them in the dark like the coward he/she is. I like that they're split up because it makes it more exciting.

Ye gawds, Oz was shot with a dart! (I'm mildly scared of needles.) I'm not surprised that Tara could go through with killing Oz like that, but that has to have been horrible for her.

Chapter 13:
When Willow ran to check the closed door, while Anya waitied for her, I thought to myself "aw crap, now one of them will die for sure" but nope, you waited until I got the false sense of security from the both of them being in the Great Room getting a drink. Wonder who's shot now....

Great updates Cam! The suspense is a killer, and the mystery over who the unknown killer is is awesome. I love me a good mystery! I've come to the point where I suspect Dawn or even the recently dead now.

Livvy

[histchic]

I could get an award? WOO and HOO! But seriously, it makes my fictional heart glad to know that not all of my ideas are hairbrained. Always410 brings up an idea I hadn't even thought of, Giles being the team switcher. So, I'll get the most accurate award? Speaking of which I would like to submit my theory that since Tara killed Oz, albeit out of mercy, she had to kill Riley also because he was "evidence", in following with the poem. Even if the killer didn't actually see Anya mix the Valium and alcohol, s/he knows everyone on that island well enough to know how they'll react given certain pressures. Otherwise, how could they make up a really neat poem about them? I agree with watty that on it's own, the Valium/alcohol mix is a little skeeky. This is where I start to have trouble believing Dawn is the killer, also have trouble linking her up to Willow's "victim". I'm sure you'll go on to unravel all of this beautifully. I will be waiting on Sunday. You rock!

Toodles, take care.

Beth