Island of Death

[tarawhipped]

Good god, I'm a bad, neglectful Kitten. I managed to shovel the dust off of this one today and got the (already mostly written) next chapter finished. First, some very belated feedback...[br][br]
hermitfish: Hey, Cyd! I hope that 21 inches of snow has melted since my last update. Heh heh. Hopefully I'll get the next one out before you finish all your fics, or you know...retire. Thanks![br]
wimpy0729:

My theory -- W/T staying in their room screwing their brains out is the only way to avoid any harm to them.

Mmmm...nice theory! Unfortunately I can't do it. Thanks for the image anyway, Pam![br]
pipsberg: Yeah! I got the Pipsqueak Seal of Smut Approval! Go me! As I told Pam, as much as I like the idea, W/T have to leave the room. I am having a lot of fun with the flipside of the slasher film rules, though...unlike their moralistic nonsense, in MY world the people who have the sex get to survive! Thanks, dude![br]
meretricious:

Clearly they are not safe in their rooms

Good point...Faith's demise proved that. See above r.e. "hook up or die." Thanks, Mary![br]
DreamsToDream:

I'm all yay for this update, but I'm hoping the next one won't take as long

*looks at calendar...blinks...sighs* Yeah, ummm...sorry about that. I hope you're still interested, though, and thanks for your patience.[br]
Rhiannon9891: Thanks Rhi. I know it's going verrrrrrry slowly, sorry to keep you waiting.[br]
TemperedCynic:

Soon despair, rage and madness will settle on the group like a cloying mist of doom.

Awwww....that's so sweet, Mike! And exactly right! Glad you like it so far...one of the things I always liked about Agatha Christie was the claustrophobia of her settings, whether on an island, train, boat, etc. Good to know it's coming across here.[br]
YMKA:

Eventually they won't all be dead right...it'll all be...a joke!

*pats Marina's head, gives her a big hug* Sure sweetie...whatever you need to tell yourself. [br]
EasierSaid: Good to know the many creepy images are coming across. I always thought it's be cool to have a big ol' house with secret rooms and passages, but the paranoic in me imagines this kind of stuff happenning. I blame TV. Thanks, Heather![br]
Disastered: Thanks for your comments...I've always been a big mystery fan, but the darkness of this story is what's made it so hard to work on. Having the moments between W/T makes it a little easier to take (for them, the reader, I hope, and me). I'm afraid I can't tell you how accurate your guesses were...no really, I can't...I've misplaced my notes and even I'M not sure the order of who bites it when. *goes to find notes*[br]
behindhereyes: Yay, Kim! Nice to see another Agatha fan. I know she's not everyone's cup of tea, but the Sunnydale gang can make anything interesting, I think. Thank you![br]
watersong84: I'm sorry I made you wait so long for another update, but I appreciate your patience. Thank you.[br]
WickedReds: LMAO, G! Well, as they say "live by the sword, die by the sword." Or in this case "live by the knife, die by the ornate pointy fence." Thanks![br]
shuyaku: Glad you liked the opening smoochies and stuff, and that the creep factor continues to rise. Thank you![br]
Artemis:

That was a really striking portrayal of Our Mysterious Host, particularly given how little it really revealed

That is one of the hardest things about writing this (second only to killing off everyone). The lack of gender-specific pronoun usage is hard enough, but I knew I had to show OMH in action to reveal how well planned this whole endeavor is on his/her part. Thanks, Chris![br]
hidden watson:

I for one don't mind waiting however long you need to get the next part up

Thanks, pal! Keep watching this thread for the next installment, due in 2007! I was LMAO about your deduction that Giles most likely isn't the killer cause he wouldn't wear cargo pants! What if they made them in tweed, hmmm? Again, ROFL r.e. the muscle cramp should be Spike. I LOVE that line! Saucy Tara...mmmmm. But alas, Spike is not here. Thank you![br]
alysagoddess85: Thanks, Mel, glad you liked it, and more up soon.[br]
taralicious: Good call on the parallel between Faith's demise and 80s slasher pics. That was my era, but as I mentioned before, in THIS world sex = life. Thanks, Blayne.[br]
TromDeGrey:

OK, it's gruesome, but it's fun too. Am I twisted?

You're asking ME??? I'm the one writing this stuff, Trom! Glad you like it, buddy.[br]
umgaynow: Thanks for the comments, Sandi. Unfortunately I haven't seen many Avengers episodes, but the one you mention sounds cool. Sorry about the wait, but then, I haven't seen an update for A Woman in Uniform in a while. Next part coming up![br]
mollyig:Thanks, molly, for commenting and for bumping this back up (even though it was back in March, it made me think about it again).[br]
stillrunning: Thanks for reading and believe me, even brief comments are appreciated. Glad you like it so far, chapter 9 is next...[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
Warning: Character death[br][br][br]
Chapter 9[br][br]
“Tara? C’mon baby, it’s time to get up.”[br]
The blonde groaned and attempted to drag her pillow more fully over her head, but it was easily snatched away from her sleepy grasp. In her half conscious state she made no effort to protest but simply reached for another.[br]
“Hey!” she exclaimed grumpily as the pillow connected soundly with her sheet-covered ass. Flailing one arm behind her to swat her attacker, her wrist was easily caught and returned to her side. The soft, warm weight on her lower back shifted forward, and Tara sighed deeply as she felt Willow’s breasts against her naked back, the redhead’s hair falling forward to tickle the blonde’s neck and shoulders. By the time Willow’s lips began their nibbling ascent along Tara’s neck to her ear, the blonde was fully awake, but with even less desire to get out of bed.[br]
“I heard the others downstairs,” Willow explained, continuing her oral exploration over Tara’s shoulder blades and down her spine. “We should join them.”[br]
“Mmmhmm…I seem to be pinned in place, right now,” Tara teased. A moment later she felt the redhead shifting off of her. “Hey, I wasn’t telling you to move,” Tara complained.[br]
“Sorry, baby, but we really should get down there. I’m going to go grab a shower…do you want me to meet you back here or downstairs?”[br]
“Downstairs is fine,” Tara replied, rolling onto her back and stretching luxuriously, fully enjoying the redhead’s reaction to her show. Willow leaned in for a quick kiss, which was well on its way to becoming more when the redhead finally pulled back. Tara looked at the woman seriously for a long moment before dropping her gaze to their entwined hands.[br]
“If it’s alright with you, Will, I’d prefer it if we d-didn’t mention anything about last night to the others. I’m not sure h-how they’d react.”[br]
Willow silenced the blonde with a kiss. “It’s okay, I get it. It’s none of their business anyway.”[br]
Tara sighed with relief. After several more kisses Willow managed to make her exit, and the blonde got up to shower. She stood motionless under the hot spray, letting the warmth cascade over her as her thoughts lingered on the previous night. What had started off as needy and carnal had turned into something quite different, and she found herself craving the redhead’s presence and wary of it at the same time. She had shocked herself with her behavior, and tried to rationalize it as the result of the situation, but a part of her wondered if the same thing would have happened if she had met Willow under normal circumstances.[br]
Yeah, cause I meet so many women hiding out in my apartment and burying myself in work, she thought wryly, reaching for the soap. Her thoughts wandered to images of Willow’s hands as she rubbed the rich lather over her arms and chest, inhaling sharply when her thumbs tripped over her erect nipples. She shook her head sharply to clear her mind and briskly finished her shower.[br]
You don’t even know her, she chastised herself. There’s a big difference between fucking and a relationship. Chances are even if we do get out of here, you’ll never see her again.[br]
Tara’s stomach tightened at the thought, and a frown creased her brow as she turned off the faucet and reached for a towel. She was getting dressed when a scrap of paper on the floor caught her attention. When she picked it up, she realized it was the details of Willow’s alleged ‘crime.’ The blonde was about to tuck it into her pocket to return to the redhead when her eye fell on the date of Christopher Hewitt’s suicide.[br]
Oh my god…that’s…that can’t be a coincidence…can it?[br]
Five minutes later she was hurrying downstairs when she heard a commotion. Rounding the corner of the elaborate staircase, she first saw Oz, Anya, and Dawn, standing in a cluster with their backs to her. She approached the group with trepidation, her eyes immediately landing on the sight of Riley crouched down, his knee planted squarely on the back of a form lying on the floor. All hesitancy evaporated when she spied a shock of red hair.[br]
“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?” she shouted. The trio watching the scene all jumped and spun around to stare at her in shock. Riley did not so much as flinch as he finished clamping a pair of handcuffs around Willow’s wrists, twisted behind her back. He slowly stood, dragging the irate redhead to her feet by her arms. Willow’s face was flushed with rage, but she seemed unable or unwilling to speak.[br]
“What…is…going…on…here?” Tara demanded through clenched teeth. Finn turned to face her, never relinquishing his grip on one of Willow’s upper arms.[br]
“We nabbed our murderer, that’s what’s going on,” he snapped, jerking his head once toward Willow.[br]
A sharp burst of laughter escaped Tara’s throat, and she stared incredulously at each of the others in turn. One by one they dropped their gazes, until her cold eyes met Finn’s equally stony expression.[br]
“And how did you come to this brilliant conclusion?”[br]
“Faith’s dead,” Oz supplied in monotone.[br]
Tara exhaled and nodded slowly. “Okay, but why do you think Willow had anything to do with it?”[br]
“Simple,” Finn sneered, squeezing Willow’s arm and roughly shaking her. Tara clenched her fists as she saw the pain on the redhead’s face. “Faith was killed sometime late last night or early this morning, and Anya and Dawn here heard a woman screaming “Willow” in the middle of the night. She obviously got a look at her assailant before she was pushed out the window.”[br]
Tara blushed to her roots and covertly glanced at Willow, whose similar reaction told Tara the redhead was hearing the “evidence” for the first time herself. The blonde took a deep breath, stood up straight, raised her head, and looked directly at Riley.[br]
“That wasn’t Faith they heard. It was me.”[br]
“Oh my god!” Anya gushed with concern. “Willow tried to kill you too?”[br]
“Helloooo!! I didn’t try to kill anyone!” the redhead interjected angrily.[br]
“You?” Riley asked with a dumbfounded expression, clearly not understanding.[br]
“You were having sex,” Oz stated flatly.[br]
“That’s right,” Tara admitted, letting her unapologetic gaze travel over the faces of each before settling at last on Willow. They smiled warmly at each other before Anya’s voice broke their reverie.[br]
“So she’s scream-worthy?” she inquired of Tara, but without waiting for an answer turned to Willow. “And you own your own business? That’s very interesting.”[br]
Tara brushed past the woman and stalked up to Riley, who had seemingly been embarrassed into silence. When she demanded the keys to the handcuffs, he turned them over without comment and walked to the opposite side of the hall.[br]
Willow rubbed her freed wrists and smiled gratefully at the blonde.[br]
“Thank you,” she whispered sincerely. “I know you didn’t want them to—”[br]
“Hey,” Tara soothed, taking the redhead’s hands in her own. “I didn’t exactly want to advertise it, but my modesty is hardly as important as them knowing you’re not a killer.”[br]
The redhead grinned and squeezed the Tara’s hands before leaning in for a quick kiss. The blonde sighed, leaning her forehead against Willow’s, content to savor the moment until she remembered why she’d rushed downstairs in the first place.[br]
“Oh! I almost forgot! I may have an idea why—”[br]
“Hey guys…where’s Cordelia?”[br]
The sudden question caught everyone off guard. Five pairs of eyes turned to look at Dawn, who fidgeted and wrinkled her face up in semblance of an uneasy smile.[br]
“I was just wondering, cause we’ve been down here a while, and well, she hasn’t.”[br][br][br]
TBC[br][br]

[GayNow]

OMG OMG OMG OMG

Must...remember...to...breathe...must...breathe.

*passes out*
----------------------------------------
*shakes head and tries to clear the grogginess*

Huh? Who? What happened?

OMG! CAM UPDATED ISLAND OF DEATH!!!

*teeters unsteadily and quickly grabs the chair to keep from falling*

Whew! Okay. Control. Yep. Control. That's me. Chock full of control.

*takes deep cleansing breath*

Wow, Cam...I didn't think it would actually happen! But YAY for it happening!! Cuz you KNOW how much I love this story!

So you've set us up with even more teasers and cliffhangers...you little vixen! But I love how you did more set up with Willow and Tara in this update.

What had started off as needy and carnal had turned into something quite different, and she found herself craving the redhead’s presence and wary of it at the same time.

You don’t even know her, she chastised herself.

These two quotes said a lot for me. I think there is something "quite different" happening here. And I think she does know Willow....and Willow knows her...they just don't realize to what extent. There's definitely a connection that goes deeper than the carnal. And if their circumstances were different (e.g., everyone around them getting killed, not knowing if they are next), I think they would be able to see that more clearly.

The blonde was about to tuck it into her pocket to return to the redhead when her eye fell on the date of Christopher Hewitt’s suicide.

Oh my god…that’s…that can’t be a coincidence…can it?

Hmmmm....that's a good question...can it be a coincidence?

“Hey guys…where’s Cordelia?”

Where is Cordelia? We're going to find out in the next update, right? And we're not going to have to wait 4 months to find out, right?

“So she’s scream-worthy?”

LOL Leave it to Anya to go right to the heart of the matter. And, to answer Anya, "DUH!!!!!"

Fun update, Cam! Can't wait for more!

Carleen

[watty]

Oh Cam, now you've made it necessary for me to go back and read all the previous chapters, cos, um, I've forgotten. [And whose fault is that, hmmm?] Seriously, it'll be nice to catch up again.

You don’t even know her, she chastised herself. There’s a big difference between fucking and a relationship. Chances are even if we do get out of here, you’ll never see her again.

But didn't last night progress beyond fucking and into a sort of relationship? I do get it, that they're stuck in a surreal and life-threatening situation in a place they can't escape from, so it's understandable if they need the contact with another human being. It'll be interesting to see if they're able to build the relationship. Oh, provided they get out of the island alivee .

“So she’s scream-worthy?”

And this Anya-ism is so fantastic that it bears repeating .

Off to read from the beginning now .

[hermitfish]

Hoorah! And good grief it has been a long time missy...cause snow...really not happening when it's almost ninety.

Yay to the progression from danger time sex to possible relationshipy feelings. Like Watson...I enjoyed Anya's comment. This was an update that's short but satisfying.

Thinking about this for a moment...I DID actually write a story in the wait for this last update. I really hope all goes well so that long of an interrupt doesn't happen again. Scores and scores of Kittens bowing to your every written word will back me up here.

~Cyd

[TinyAnt]

Hello! Just dropping by to say I'm really glad to see that this story has been updated. I actually read it asound the time it was first posted but never left any feedback . I'm hoping late is better than never.

Aside from the W/T interaction (which was ofcourse enjoyable), I really liked Anya's comment. Very much like her, despite the paranoia and fear that their situation helps develop.

Can't wait to read more.

[Still Waters T]

Hey hey Cam!

Do I also have to mention my "mild" shock of seeing this fic updated? Maybe not.

As always this was an awesome update! And before I read it, I just had to re-read the entire fic for the 3rd or possibly 4th time, before continuing on to this update. And if I haven't commented on it before; the entire scene with Willow and Tara's night of passion was droolworthy as well as so sweet when Willow made Tara finally feel safe for the first time on the island.

Anyhoo, lol what a way to wake up, for Tara. Swatted by pillows and pinned down by an adorably cute, playfull, redheaded Willow.

I suspect that everyone on the island is connected somehow. Tara seemed to recognize something about the case with Willow's suicide guy. It would just make sense that everyone's connected; that the mystery man has been effected by them all in some way, whether it be directly/indirectly. Man, someone sure can hold a grudge! Must be a total nutcase though if he holds people like Dawn (with her miscarriage), Willow (with the suicide guy - not her fault), Tara (with her abusive family), and Buffy (with the accidental death of that woman). Sheesh!

The incident of the handcuffing:
*grumbles* Who does he think he is?! Cuffing Willow like that! With his knee in her back, and shaking her!! Grrrr! Arrogant, pompous...okay, I'm calmer. But for the painful shake he gave Willow's arm I hope his death with be nice and painful. Just for being arrogant and grr shaking her with the handcuffs on her, as if that humiliation wasn't enough.

It was a funny way of letting the others know about them uhh well boinking each other might be the best term right now, though after the island.... Then the getting-to-know-each other will happen, ya know, without the threat of impending death hanging over their heads! Poor Oz; he didn't seem too happy with the realization of Willow and Tara being together...oh well. Heehee. *snickers* Anya seemed to be um considering Willow as a prospective girlfriend/partner. I'd have felt like hiding behind Tara if I had been in Willow's shoes right then! With the Willow & Tara interactions though, the scene was sweet.

Liv

[watersong84]

Anya and Dawn here heard a woman screaming “Willow” in the middle of the night

I'll bet they did, but I don't think it was as loud as me when I was like, ":pinky Holy Mother Of That There Pink Elephant, Cam Updated Island Of Death!!!!!!" Yay!

So now that I have finished reading the GREAT update, I may have to go back and look at the last few chapters. I was all like, "Faith's dead? Have we known this? And where is Cordelia?" It's always bad when you don't know what you are supposed to know and what is supposed to be a mystery... *trots off to catch up*

-Alyssa

[pipsberg]

Cam,

Great update! I am really happy to see you back at this story. I really love the way you "outed" Tara and Willow to the group, and Ioved seeing Riley all embarassed. hehe

I can't wait for another suspenseful update...

[YMKA]

CAM!!!!

2 things.....first you are one evil woman second... YOU UPDATED THIS STORY!!!!! Last update was 2 months after the previous.....this one 4 months.....hm...next one is in 6 months? you weren't kidding about 2007 eh?


Willow/Tara interaction was really sweet fun to "watch" Hm....I'm guessing the date of Christopher Hewitt’s suicide is the same date as today? [well in their today...not our today cuz it's just....OT here ] Does that mean that Willow is next on the list "to kill people" ? Tara needs to be by Willow's side 24/7.....and if they happen to have casual sex.... so be it I was actually a little bit surprised to see Tara asking Willow not to talk about last night. I do understand it thought. But still surprised.....

Hmm.... I just could see Tara being all like lioness when I read

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?” she shouted

Oh my god.....do I LOVE Anya????

“Oh my god!” Anya gushed with concern. “Willow tried to kill you too?”

yeap...that's Anya... Thought I expected Anya to be the one to say

“You were having sex,"

.....I was surprised twice during this update.....wow....that is amazing Cam.... I'm not sure if it looks like a compliment...but it is one. Seriously.

Now...just because Cordelia was mentioned....I'm writing her off from "might be murderer" list (but then again...I was surprised twice during this update ).....as well as Tara and Willow..... AS I said to you....Bunnies were behind this!!!!!! Hm....Snyder? All of them went to the same highschool and were pain in the butt/smart asses, so he decided to take revenge!!!!!!! That's my theory....theories

Can't wait to read more....hopefully before 2007

M.

[Artemis]

Welcome back Not that you've been away, but welcome back to the Island, so to speak...

No, I don't think it is a coincidence - but what is it about the date of Willow's 'victim's' suicide? Could it be the same day Tara made two barrels of buckshot's worth of improvements to the Maclay genetic pool (tasteless, but fair)? Did they all kill or, in OMH's mind, cause the death of the 'victims' on the same day?

I've got a crazy theory about OMH, but I don't want to say it out loud, just on the 1/1000 chance I'm right - I don't want to spoil it. Or on the other 999/1000 chances, so I don't make a fool of myself in public

Interesting thoughts from Tara about Willow - with the situation they're in, they don't really have a lot of brainpower left over for relationships, so any decision not related to not being killed is being made with hearts, not heads. But I wonder if Tara noticed that Willow hadn't attempted to explain the 'evidence' against her, even though she was in a potentially dangerous situation, with scared and desperate people accusing her of murder? She kept her mouth shut until Tara decided to 'fess up to their night of not-at-all-death-related screaming.

As for Cordy... well, the methods of execution have been linked to what each person did so far, most recently OMH catching Faith off-guard as she did with her victim, and leaving her skewered through the middle 'just like a knife'. If I remember right Cordy's negligence (if she was indeed responsible) led to a fellow college gal dying - so I imagine she's fallen victim to some kind of situation that might've been survivable, had someone noticed she was gone.

Great work

[Trom DeGrey]

OK, no ES to say it, so I'll do the honors... It's the Island of DEATH!!!! I sensed some TakeCharge Tara in that exchange with Riley. Not a cool way for everyone to find out about their fling, but better than Capt. Cardboard man-handling the Willow-goods. I have to scroll back now and reread the poem to see how Cordelia gets whacked!

[cooper]

Cam,
I had to go back and re-read a little because I couldn't remember if we readers knew about Faith's death. I too am stuck worrying about the date of the death. Maybe all the gang "killed" their person over a span of ten days and that is the order they die and Willow's date is their present? Hmm. I wish I could find my cheat sheet with the clues and all that that I had once upon a time.

Great job again and as always, Anya was hysterical!

cooper

[Insanity]

I must admit: I had almost forgotten about ths story and when it popped up the other day I thought: WOW, you havn't read stis story in a while you must have missed several updates.

And then I found out, that I missed only ONE update.
I'm really torn about this. On the one hand I'm glad, because I'm not as a bad kitten as I thought, neglecting such anexciting story.

On the other hand I' a little frustrated bacause I still don't know who the bad guy is and who will be killed next and such....

BUT nevertheless I have to apologize because I never left feedback before.

Let me just say: I love the plot, I love the smut (very well written).
The mysterious host gives me the creeps, with his monitors and his chessboard and his sneaking around.

But the scene the next morning was hilarious. Riley suspecting Willow, because a woman screamed her name. *snicker*

Please update soonish!!!

Insanity

[Tonto]

Wowie wowie wow.........

I absolutely love this Fic. Agatha Christie is one of my favorite authors and you've done her justice by your recreation of And Then There Were None.

You're driving me nuts, though............because its so hard to wait for an update. I just started reading this fic yesterday but I feel like i'm in withdrawl for not having an update everyday. Please help me get through this by giving us another update.

Super job!I can't wait to find out what happens. Where the hell is Giles?

[taralicious]

Cam,
The Island of Death is taking on "Brigadoon"-like tendencies in reappearing when we least expect it.
You thankfully don't wait 100 years between updates although it seems like that time passes between waiting for the next edifying installment in this series.
Willow and Tara's union is a constant that neither the forces of light/order nor chaos/disorder have any sway over; circumstances will adapt, shift, and change to allow Willow and Tara to find each other no matter their identities or the scenario.
Hence Tara and Willow would have found each other even if they had not been lured to the island under the macabre pretense.
Feral protective Tara is really hot as she defuses the situation in the drawing room.
Rather unfair to challenge Riley to a battle of wits as he'd be unarmed.
Cordelia is missing, eh?
Next on the chopping block and not long to be living in the material world?
I await the answer.

[sharleen711]

Fantastic !!!!!!!!!

i just discovered this story and i stayed glued on my screen to read all the chapters. And now i can't wait for an update...

[stillrunning]

OH...MY....GOD!!!

You UPDATED!!! *GASP!*

And what an update...actually I found the update quite amusing. Might just be me though, but I definately like the way you had Willow and Tara's relationship revealed to everyone. Very humorous indeed:)

Now I can't wait to find out what's up with Cordy, and what is it that Tara found so coincidental about the date of Willow's guy's suicide. Hmmm...I love hmmmm's.

[ShyTemptress]

OMG Cammie, you updated? What kinda of freaking thing is that?!?! Sorry ya know I luv ya. Anywho... I love this update... Even though I'm throughlly upset that you killed faith, and now cordy? WTF!? Anhoo I'm finally seventeen -looks proud- Tuesday was my birthday!!

Kristen

[supertramp]

This fic is freaking great. It's like living inside of Cluedo or something

You gotta get snappy with the updates because I'm going to have to check this thread at least once an hour until you update again. Bravo.

[WickedReds]

OMG! ... an update... Cam u actually updated.... Ha! i was reading and i almost forgot that they had sex...lol

“You were having sex,” Oz stated flatly.

LMAO.... i thought Anya was the blunt one... i could see him say that straight faced too, just added to the laughs...
So yeah whats up with the connection with Willows suicide guy and Tara? i had to ask...

-reds

[ringwaldoeuvre]

Whoa, I thought I had done a good job responding to the stories since I delurked. Clearly, I have a ways to go. This story is great. I dig anything with great detail and great mystery. When I am less exhausted, I will write more detailed feedback. Until then, I look forward to more! Well done.

~ringwaldoeuvre (Mary)

[caz]

I agree with supertramp - this story is great and it is like living inside a cluedo game. Trouble is, I'm crap at cluedo so I'm going to have to carry on reading! Please update soon.

Caz

[wimpy0729]

Hey Cam, how's it going?

Like everybody else, I was really thrilled to see this one updated, but I won't give you a hard time on how long it's been...nope...not gonna do it...uh uh. I'll take your quality over quantity no matter how long it takes, yessirree. And this was definitely your same great quality. You left us hanging again, always making us want more.

I agree with everyone else's comments, so I don't want to be redundant, but I really loved how Tara was willing to let everyone know what had transpired between them to verify the reason for the screaming of Willow's name. Okay, my mind temporarily drifted to smut-ville, but you know I can't help that.

Now we have more questions to be answered, so I can't wait to see what you have for us next.

Great job!

Wimpy

[tarawhipped]

Riddle: how do you suck all the suspense out of a thriller?
Answer: leave the story hanging so long that no one remembers what the hell was happening
Solution: UPDATE MORE THAN ONCE A YEAR!

Hi there! I decided some months ago not to update this story until it was done. The problem then became: how do I force myself to work without a deadline? The answer: I can’t; I need deadlines. So here’s the deal: one update a week (Sundays), until it’s done. I have four chapters ready to go, and another two to write, and those will be done by the time they’re due. Thanks you all for your patience and kind words of encouragement.


Replies to chapter 9:

Car, you have been such a source of moral and creative support throughout these last chapters, I can’t thank you enough, but I’ll try. Thank you, thank you, thank you (repeat ad infinitum).

I liked your comments (whadya mean you don’t remember them?!) r.e. Willow and Tara connecting with each other, and how they would be more accepting of it perhaps if they’d met under better circumstances. In retrospect I might have spent more time in the early chapters on their “real lives,” ‘cause I certainly envisioned them both as very work-oriented (if not career-driven) people who spend much more time and energy on that aspect of their lives than on the personal. It took being thrown into this situation, and finding their lives on the line, to realize there were more important things, and to seek that human connection, even it was largely an unconscious physical imperative at first.

Regarding the dates on the cards: no, it cannot be a coincidence!

Where is Cordelia? We’re going to find out in the next update, right? And we’re not going to have to wait 4 months to find out, right?

Wait and see, yes, and umm…4 months? Well, not exactly, since [mumbling] 9 months isn’t exactly 4.[/mumbling] Still love me? [br]

Watty, I’m sorry for making you reread, both before and probably again now. That’s exactly why I wanted to wait until I was done before posting more.

didn’t last night progress beyond fucking and into a sort of relationship?

It did, but it’s in Tara’s nature to doubt, and there’s a surreal quality to this place, where they can almost forget what’s going on for brief moments, until reality comes crashing down on them. Tara’s hopefulness comes up in the moments where everything seems normal, and her doubts spring from the pessimism that none of it matters if they’re all going to die.

I’ll be interested to see if they’re able to build a relationship. Oh, provided they get out of the island alive.

Are you trying to incite a riot in my thread? [br]

Cyd:

Good grief it has been a long time missy…cause snow…really not happening when it’s almost ninety

LMAO…is there snow again now, Cyd? I’m glad you (and others) liked Anya’s comments. It’s hard to keep this totally dark, and honestly, I wouldn’t want to read it myself if there weren’t brief moments of levity amidst the danger and despair. Anya’s great for this.[br]

Thank you, Ana. Feedback is always appreciated, late or not. I only hope that “better late than never” applies to updates as well.[br]

Hiya, Liv! Hopefully this will be the last time you need to reread the entire story before an update, ‘cause I’m really gonna finish it on schedule.

I suspect that everyone on the island is connected somehow

There is a connection, and it will be revealed in the upcoming chapter. How/if they’re connected to the killer…well, that’s a little more involved, and won’t come out for a bit yet. I love how protective everyone is of Willow r.e. Riley’s treatment of her. I really did make him an insufferable ass in this, didn’t I?[br]

Alyssa:

It’s always bad when you don’t know what you are supposed to know and what is supposed to be a mystery

I know! Hence my lack of updates while I tried to finish. No more huge gaps in posting time, I swear. For the record: Faith is still dead, Cordelia is still missing. Thanks for your patience.[br]

Pips, thanks for your comments. I really wanted to be able to tie in Willow and Tara’s outing to the others’ suspicions, and I also thought it’d be kinda funny. Glad you liked, dude.[br]

Marina, you know you jinxed me with that “next one is in 6 months” remark, right? Hehehe. I’m glad you liked Tara getting large with the butch, and Anya’s unintentionally humorous remarks (well…unintentional for her, fully intentional from me).

I’m guessing the date of Christopher Hewitt’s suicide is the same date as [their] today?

Very good guess! Not exactly, but damn close…and that will be revealed in the next part. As for your other guesses: no bunnies, no Snyder.[br]

Chris, your theory r.e. the dates is spot on as usual, which makes me reallllllly want to know who you think OMH is. Come on! Just whisper it.

I wonder if Tara noticed that Willow hadn’t attempted to explain the ‘evidence’ against her

Actually, Willow heard said ‘evidence at the same time as Tara, so she didn’t have a chance to defend herself. I guess that means we’ll never know if she’d have blabbed. Thanks, Chris![br]

Trom, thanks for stepping up and doing the Island of DEATH! honors. That still makes me giggle. I’m glad you liked Tara getting’ butch, and as I told Watty, Tara is definitely confounded by the reality/surrealness of the situation. Willow’s pretty much ready to jump in, while Tara is more cautious, emotionally in particular. I wanted to put her in a position where she had to admit to everyone what had happened, ‘cause it really solidifies the two of them as a unit. All of these people are in danger individually, but Willow and Tara have formed a bond that means they’ll look out for each other in a way the others won’t. Whether that will help them survive, well…what do you think?[br]

Hi, cooper. Hopefully if you have to reread, it’ll be for the last time. The date of the death will come up in the next part, so don’t tear your house apart looking for that cheat sheet. I wish I knew where mine was, too. I’m sure I’ll find all my original notes for this fic as soon as I finish it.[br]

Thank you, Insanity, and no worries on late feedback, since I have been a very bad kitten with the updates. No more, though! Our Mysterious Host will be making much more appearances in a couple of updates, which I hope will be appropriately creeps-inducing. The next update actually has a bit of “what’s happened up til now” built in, but if you have to reread the whole thing, it should be for the last time, I promise.[br]

Oh, Tonto, I’m sorry you just found my lil’ fic and read it in one go and by now probably think it’s been abandoned. If you’re still around, I hope you like the rest.[br]

Blayne, I’m glad you gave me a time frame I could work with. LOL, I think it’s safe to say all my fics will be complete within 100 years. I’m glad you liked Butch Tara giving Riley a verbal smackdown. I didn’t think it would be too surprising that he’d jump to conclusions, since the reason he’s there in the first place is his “it looked like a real gun” excuse. He really is a dipshit, isn’t he? Ironically, I’ve been watching season 4 again, and I actually like Riley.[br]

sharleen711: Ack! Another newbie I probably scared off with my lack of updates. My bad. I hope you’re still around, and thanks for the comments.[br]

stillrunning:

I found the update quite amusing. Might just be me though

It’s not just you, or at least, I hope not. I wanted to thrown in some levity before the action speeds up and there’s no time. Glad you liked it.[br]

Happy VERY late birthday, Kristen! Or happy early 18th birthday. I actually wish I’d kept Faith around longer, too…I didn’t realize how much fun she’d be to write. *Cam starts thinking about a spin-off: Peninsula of Pain* Honestly, I don’t know why you’re so shocked…I did say the body count would be high! Sheesh. Hope you’re still reading, cause I will be finishing it in record time (for me).[br]

supertramp:

I’m going to have to check this thread at least once an hour until you update again

Hmmm…once an hour, since June 1st, 2005? How many times is that? Umm…sorry. I’m glad you like it and hope you’ve stuck around this long for the rest.[br]

Gina! Dude, it’s been ages…are you still here? Hello? I’m glad you liked Oz making the blunt “you were having sex” statement. It certainly could have been Anya, but I liked her thinking it was attempted murder, and Oz figuring it out in his usual deadpan way. The connection between the deaths is coming right up.[br]

ringwaldoeuvre: I’m glad you found this fic too, Mary, and only wish I hadn’t left it sitting so damn long. Thank you for your remarks, and more is on the way.[br]

Thank you, Caz, I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the story so far. Sorry for the delay, but I hope once a week updates til the end will make up for it.[br]

Pam, thank you for not giving me grief over how long I took between updates. As you can see, I took your “no matter how long it takes” to heart. I really appreciate the comments and support, and hope you enjoy the rest.[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
Warning: Character death[br][br][br]
Previously on Island of Death:[br]
“Uh…guys? Where’s Cordelia?”[br]
The sudden question caught everyone off guard. Five pairs of eyes turned to look at Dawn, who fidgeted and wrinkled her face up in semblance of an uneasy smile.[br]
“I was just wondering, cause we’ve been down here a while, and well, she hasn’t.”[br][br]
Chapter 10[br][br]
Riley was the first to react, sprinting up the stairs three at a time. The rest of the group stood in wary silence, straining their ears to identify the sounds echoing through the unnaturally quiet house. Riley pounded on the door, calling Cordelia’s name. The solid wood shuddered with every blow, but no answer came from within the room. He jiggled the knob, but it was locked. Taking several steps back, he threw his shoulder against the door.[br]
Downstairs, a sudden thought caused Willow to jerk her head, and she shuffled into the great room, followed by the others. They moved in a cluster to the easel, where none were surprised to see the now familiar red ‘X’ over Cordelia’s face in the painting. They heard wood splinter and heavy footsteps circling upstairs, the sounds tapering off to normal when Riley appeared behind them.[br]
“The door was locked from the inside, but she wasn't there,” he reported, his eyes following the gaze of the remaining guests. “Guess she’s number four.”[br]
“Shouldn’t we l-look for her?” Tara asked.[br]
“What good would it do?” Anya snapped. “Clearly she’s dead.”[br]
“You don’t know that,” Willow argued weakly, her words lacking the force of belief.[br]
“We have to do s-something,” Tara said, pausing before turning to Willow and Oz. “When you were looking for Mr. Giles, did you notice a phone, radio…anything?”[br]
Oz furrowed his brow and shook his head.[br]
“But we weren’t really looking for any,” Willow conceded.[br]
“So we do another search,” Riley stated. “I suggest two teams of three. One upstairs, on down.”[br]
“Split up? Is th-that a good idea?” Tara said, her worried eyes seeking Willow’s. Her fears went unspoken, but after the accusations against Willow earlier, the implication was clear: one of the six of us could be the killer.[br]
“Everyone who’s been picked off so far has been alone, so we should be fine,” Riley replied.[br]
No one debated the argument, but furtive glances and a lack of movement revealed the level of unease all were feeling.[br]
“I just don’t understand…why us?” Anya raged.[br]
“I think I know.”[br]
Everyone turned at Tara’s quietly spoken words, and she self-consciously ducked her head and pulled two folded cards out of her pocket.[br]
“Willow dropped her c-card…and I w-wasn’t going to r-read it—”[br]
“It’s okay, baby,” Willow soothed. “What did you find?”[br]
“The date,” Tara stated, handing the papers to Willow, who looked at them curiously for moment before her mouth dropped open in shock.[br]
“They’re…they’re the same!”[br]
She passed the cards to Riley, and one by one each person confirmed that the crimes each was charged with had occurred on the exact same day, two years prior. A date that was now two days away.[br]
“Both your husbands died on the same date?” Riley interrogated Anya. “That’s quite a coincidence.”[br]
Anya sneered at the cop’s sarcasm but said nothing.[br]
“So we have a single date serial killer,” Riley continued, retreating fully into a mask of professional aloofness.[br]
“That’s fairly freaksome,” Oz stated.[br]
“Or just, you know, insane,” Willow muttered.[br]
“Insane or not,” Tara mused, “Someone’s spent two years planning this.”[br]
“Someone with a lot of vengeance,” Anya agreed.[br]
“Justice.”[br]
The others looked quizzically at Dawn, who had largely remained silent, standing off to the side.[br]
“That’s what the voice on the tape said, right? Justice? Maybe we deserve it.”[br]
Before any of the others could angrily reply, Tara held up a hand.[br]
“I know you’re upset Dawn, and things seem really bad, but no one deserves this.”[br]
“Those people didn’t deserve to die, either, but they did,” the teenager countered, crossing her arms defiantly. “And it’s not like anyone’s coming to rescue us.”[br]
“Well, then we’ll just have to rescue ourselves,” Willow suggested, receiving a smile and nod of encouragement from Tara.
Oz turned the painting around and inspected the poem.[br]
“Be a lot easier if we knew who was next,” he intoned.[br]
“The manner of deaths so far do seem to be patterned after each so-called murder,” Riley speculated. “That first guy—”[br]
“Xander,” Willow interjected. “His name was Xander.”[br]
Riley clenched his jaw and continued.[br]
“His was a car accident, right? Only here it was a bicycle. Not the same, but still a mode of transportation.”[br]
“Buffy was burnt…like in a tanning bed!” Anya added, smiling happily at her contribution.[br]
Willow was about to chastise the woman for her lack of human feelings when Tara’s hand entwining with hers stilled her nerves, and she took a breath.[br]
“And Faith?” she asked.[br]
“Fell on a fence, stabbed through the stomach.”[br]
Willow didn’t know which was worse: Anya’s inappropriate cheerfulness or Oz’s perfunctory summation.[br]
“Cordelia’s sorority sister drowned…” she recalled.[br]
“She wasn’t in her room,” Riley said again. “And if she left the house…we might not find a body. The fountain out front is empty, and I haven’t seen a pool.”[br]
Oz had remained staring at the poem, and began reading the next passage.[br]
“Six little murderers poking at a hive, one got stung to death and then there were five. Huh.”[br]
“It’s probably not real bees,” Anya helpfully provided. “Stung…maybe a gunshot?”[br]
Tara paled at the suggestion, and even Riley’s collected demeanor faltered. Willow moved behind Tara and wrapped her arms protectively around the woman.[br]
“It might not mean that,” she insisted. “It could be a…a…”[br]
“A needle.”[br]
A long silence followed Oz’s words, as each person scanned the remaining lines for any hint of their fate.[br]
“Swept away is k-kind of vague…bitter brew sounds like…p-poison?” Tara said.[br]
Anya’s eyes widened and she chewed nervously on a manicured fingernail. Her reaction went unnoticed by all but one of the group.[br]
“The second and third to the last don’t give any clue,” Riley remarked. “Just ‘found the evidence’ and ‘joined the other team.’”
“Who finds evidence?” Oz inquired softly, turning compassionate eyes to Riley, who nodded once.[br]
“Cops. Me.”[br]
“‘Joined the other team’…that’s a sports term, right?” Anya guessed. “Like turning traitor or betraying someone?”[br]
“Could be,” Oz frowned. “But the last one…no one was strangled, or hung.”[br]
“Yes they were,” Willow murmured, and Tara held on tighter to the arms crossed over her stomach. “My guy…Christopher Hewitt…he hung himself.”[br]
“What did you do to him?” Anya asked, eyeing Willow with overt curiosity.[br]
“Nothing!” Willow replied defensively, her agitation rising.[br]
“You must have done something,” Anya insisted. “You wouldn’t be here otherwise.”[br]
“She’s got a point,” Dawn said, shrugging nonchalantly and steadily meeting Willow’s incredulous stare.[br]
“I…made public some information that he was hiding.”[br]
“And he threatened you?” Anya guessed. “So you forced him to hang himself?”[br]
“No! As far as I know he didn’t even know who I was. I never met the man!”[br]
“Interesting,” Riley murmured, peering at the redhead.
“What?” Tara asked, protectively tightening her grip on Willow.[br]
“We’re all accused of murder, and whether that’s the case or not, we all at least had contact with our alleged victims. Except you.”
“One of these things is not like the other,” Oz deadpanned.[br]
“So I’m thinking there’s three possible explanations for you being here,” Finn continued, acknowledging Oz’s statement with a nod. “One: you’re lying through your teeth. Two:” he said, raising his voice to quell the expected protests, “you’re the primary target and the rest of us are just a smokescreen—”[br]
“What do you mean?” Tara interrupted.[br]
“Whoever did this went to a lot of effort. Think about it…someone had to find ten people responsible for a death on the same exact day, and bring them all here. Why go to all that trouble? Why not ‘exact justice’ as they see it, on the spot? This is personal, so one of us was chosen first, the rest were added after. And the one person who deviates from the pattern is her.”[br]
Willow slumped heavily against Tara’s back, her chin digging into the blonde’s shoulder.[br]
If that’s true…then I’m to blame.[br]
As if reading her mind, Tara turned and cradled Willow’s face in her hands.[br]
“This is not your fault,” she insisted.[br]
“What’s behind door number three?” Oz asked, looking away from the private moment.[br]
“Option number three is she’s the killer.”[br]
Willow shook her head sadly, too exhausted to protest her innocence again. Tara pulled the redhead into her arms and glared at Finn.[br]
“She isn’t! I already told you—”[br]
“And we’re just supposed to believe it…take your word, even though you’ve admitted sleeping with her. Lady, that doesn’t make me trust her more, it makes me trust you less.”[br]
“Dawn?”[br]
All eyes turned at the sound of Anya’s voice, then proceeded to look around the Great room with mounting unease. The teenager had disappeared.[br][br][br]
TBC[br][br]

[Trom DeGrey]

The Island of DEATH!!!!!!

AHHHHH!!!!!!!! I can't believe it ended there!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! I'm drowning here, Cam! Oh, wait, that was Cordy. I can't believe you left me hanging like that! Oh, wait, that'll be Willow. No, can't be Willow. Shit! I have no idea what the hell is going on!! Is it next Sunday yet????

ETA: Oh, hey, DIBS!

[will]

Wow ho my god at first I tought somebody just leave a feedback to ask for an update soon, but I decide to check it out you know just in case ...and wow you've update I'm so happy!!! I love your story it's amazing but you can't end it there, what happen to dawn where did she go. I can't wait to read more please update soon.

Riddle: how do you suck all the suspense out of a thriller?
Answer: leave the story hanging so long that no one remembers what the hell was happening
Solution: UPDATE MORE THAN ONCE A YEAR!

lol really good idea and I do re-read it all because I couldn't remember some details.

[Still Waters T]

Hey there Cam!
I just saw and read your update, and I'm still reeling from the shock that you actually updated finally!

“So we have a single date serial killer,” Riley continued, retreating fully into a mask of professional aloofness.

“That’s fairly freaksome,” Oz stated.

“Or just, you know, insane,” Willow muttered.

Have I ever mentioned that you never fail to bring the funny? Your fics always seem to crack me up, along with the torture of the suspense and cliffhangers and long non-update-y goodness.

“The manner of deaths so far do seem to be patterned after each so-called murder,” Riley speculated. “That first guy—”

“Xander,” Willow interjected. “His name was Xander.”

Riley clenched his jaw and continued.

That Riley doesn't like to be corrected does he? He is a man of action, which might be nice to have around in a situation like this, though it did seem easier to just check the easel like Willow thought of.

What is with Riley and focusing his suspicions on Willow? I mentioned already that I don't like him, right? I think I did. Or maybe I just growled at him...in a previous feedback.

Where'd Dawn go? Little Dawnie...

This is awesome! Everyone (almost) suspects everyone; they're starting to see the pattern; they found out about Willow's lil reason for being there; and the cuteness of Willow & Tara. I'm so curious about what being "swept away" would mean in this context, and "joining the other team."

I'll be checking in next Sunday! Can't wait to read more!

Livvy

[Guppy]

OMG! An update! I read this story so long ago it seems. Thanks for getting back to us and giving us some more to read. Interesting chapter to listen to the group figure out what's going on. Can't wait for next week and another new update!