I jiggled the door knob repeatedly, hoping that by some miracle that it would open and get me the hell out of here. I gritted my teeth and used both my hands, putting all my effort into the task at hand. Shit. Shit. Shit. I cursed and cast a quick glance behind me. He was smiling at me, his arms crossed. He stood at the far end of the shack, watching my futile attempts with a content expression.
"It won't open for you. I was sure that a CIT would be able to at least figure that much out." He spoke serenely and his grin grew wider. Panic and fear started to overwhelm me and I could feel tears forming in my eyes. I turned my body around and pressed my back firmly against the closed door so I faced my captor. I let my legs slowly give way to my weight and I slid down the door onto the ground. Hot tears begun to stream down my face. He looked amused to watch me in this state. I hated how he just stood there, enjoying my vulnerability. His predatory expression was comparable to a fox trapping a rabbit between its teeth; the rabbit had no way of escaping and could only accept its fate. His face was speckled with blood and his clothes were torn in various places. I forced myself to look away. I brought my knees to my chest and buried my head between them. Please. Make this all go away. Please. I pleaded mentally. I should have noticed the signs. I should have seen the hints and made the appropriate inferences. I started to tremble, my mind racing to think up a plausible escape route.
We had only gone up to Camp Wananakwa only for a bit of drinking and some fun in the evening. We had gone against Chris' wishes for us to stay put and not go without any supervision. We had all thought that it was in good fun. We organized a simple game of cops and robbers in the dark. It was so simple. So innocent.
"I don't know why you had to make a big deal of everything and end our relationship." The boy said, still remaining motionless on the other side of the room. "You really broke my heart, you know that?"
We spoke in hushed whispers and made the situation out to be like some sort of secret mission. Everyone was drunk. Everyone was laughing. Everyone was having so much fun. Noah and I teamed up near the bathrooms. We formed an alliance. We make a good team. We walked together in the moonlight. We met up near the pine tree thirty paces from the campfire. We set up a trap together. We'll win for sure. Noah says that he will wait for me while I try and catch Owen. Noah makes very good plans. I ran away from the boy, waiting by the pine tree for my return. I saw Owen and I ran after him. I'll catch you Owen. I'm winning this round. Owen's not very fast and I catch him quickly. Owen's laughing and I start laughing. We both head back to the campfire. Oops, I forgot Noah. He'll find Izzy, I told him where Izzy was. Everyone came back to the campfire, laughing. I can't believe we drank so much. Everything's funny when you're drunk.
"Where's Noah?" Everyone had asked as we re-grouped after our third game. We split up into search parties. "Where's Noah?" "Where was the last time you saw him?" "Were you with him?" These words replaced our once joyful cries. "Where could he be?" We all asked ourselves the same question. Gwen and Geoff went off in one direction. Duncan and Owen went off in another. I don't know how long we searched. We re-grouped and mutually decided that he had gone to bed for the night. We wanted to keep playing. "Where's Noah?" became "Screw Noah, let's play again." Our worried words turned into laughs once more. One more game. Please, one more game.
"You should have taken a deep breath and analyzed the situation. That's what you do best, right? Analyze the situation." He laughed coldly at me. His ice blue eyes staring me. Watching me cry. Watching me panic. "You know who else analyzes things? Noah. Noah catches on pretty quickly. You told him about us at Playa de Losers, didn't you? He would've figured it out too quickly. Don't you see? He would've ruined our game. He would've given away the ending. I stopped him though. He isn't very good at analyzing the situation when he's intoxicated. He didn't even notice that I was in that tree. He didn't even notice the blade I held in my hand. So unobservant…"
"You can't catch me. I'm winning this game". Bridgette, Gwen and I formed an all-girl team. We don't know where Izzy is. She's probably howling at the moon or something. Bridgette's telling me that we have to slow down. She can't run very fast and she's slowing us down. Since Bridgette is taking a breather, I'll talk to Gwen. Gwen, let's ditch Bridgette. She's making us lose. Gwen's telling me that we probably shouldn't but we both want to win this round so badly. Poor Bridgette, she doesn't know what Gwen and I are planning. We had a hard time keeping quiet from all the laughing. The surfer is giving us a weird look. She thinks we're too drunk. I urge her to start running again but Bridgette drops her flashlight. She's so clumsy. She's going to cost us the game. She scrambled to find it on the ground. Her eyes are scanning the ground for her flashlight, hands groping in the dark. "Silly Bridgette, you'll get caught. You'll lose this round. Run faster, the boys are chasing us." We ran ahead of Bridgette. We didn't want to get caught by the boys. I didn't want Cody to catch me. "Owen's going to catch you, Gwen, be careful."
The game ended too quickly and we returned to the campfire. Everyone's giggling. I think I won this round. I'm excellent at this game. "Where's Bridgette?" Geoff's voice rang out; he was worried. Heather reassured him that she was fine. As a group, we walked to the exact spot where she was last seen. We only found her flashlight. Girls began to speculate that something had happened to her and boys tried their best to keep them calm, suggesting that she had simply taken Chef's ferry back to mainland. That's right; she took the ferry back to mainland. Bridgette gets scared too quickly. Let's play again with new partners this time. One more game.
"I found her lost in the woods. I can't believe that you had left her alone. She was so scared when I found her." His voice was eerily calm and spoke as though scolding a child for leaving an item at school over the weekend. "She wanted me to help her but I couldn't do that. I heard her telling you how unsuited we were for each other. I couldn't let her put those thoughts into your sweet head." He walked over to his right, admiring the unusually large hook that hung from the ceiling of the shack. "She thought that I was going to help her get back to the campfire. But she was clever; she saw the rock I was holding. She tried to run away but she tripped on a tree root. Bridgette can be so clumsy sometimes. She would have ruined everyone's fun anyway."
I was hiding below one of the docks, trying to hold back my giggles. I better be quiet. Trent will find me and I will lose this round. I already lost the first round to Geoff. I can't let that happen again. Cody discovered me and tried to hide with me. No, you can't hide with me. You will give away my hiding spot to Trent. I can't trust you. Cody pleaded to stay with me; he was scared of the disappearances. Cody doesn't want to play anymore. Cody was being a scaredy cat. Noah's sleeping, Cody. Bridgette went home. You're too paranoid. Leave me alone. I don't want to be seen. Go find Izzy, Cody. You need to catch her if you want to win. But Cody tells me he doesn't want to win anymore, he wants to leave. He starts to tell me that he thinks that someone is hurting everyone. You're not funny, Cody. Go bother Gwen. He doesn't want to leave; he wants to stay with me so he doesn't disappear too. Cody's been drinking too much. He's drunk. I don't want to share my hiding spot with a drunken person. Good bye, Cody. I want to find another hiding spot. I ran away from Cody, giggling. Cody can't catch me. He won't tell Trent where I am. The game ends all too soon but where's Cody? Gwen is scared now, she's clutching onto Trent's arm. Everyone's drunk. I'm not drunk though. CIT's don't get drunk. The boys are starting to look worried but they're trying to laugh it off. They can't fool me. Geoff's laughing too. He says that we're overreacting. Geoff wants to have another game. Yes, I want another. Everyone else is slightly nervous but they want another too. Let's play together. It's so dark outside. This is so much fun. One more game, please.
"I felt bad for Cody. I saw you run away from your hiding spot underneath the docks. When you're determined, you don't let anything get in your way. That's what I love about you Princess." He turned his head slightly in my direction. I buried my head again. I don't want to look at him. I can't look at him. "Cody practically leapt on me when he saw me. He kept telling me how he thought that someone was causing the disappearances. I asked him if he remembered the time that he gave you relationship advice when we were together. I think he was able to piece it together and accused me but I couldn't hear him when he was underwater. He isn't a very good swimmer but I suppose the drinking didn't help. When the bubbles came to the surface, I imagined them as the amount of seconds he had to live. Ten…nine…eight…"
Heather and I were hiding in Chef's kitchen. Heather's whispering strategies and telling me what I should do in order to catch Gwen. Her harsh whispers and overly serious expression makes me laugh. I think she's the only one who is taking this game more seriously than I am. My stomach's grumbling. I think I should have eaten something before I started to drink. Heather hears this and she wants to make a trade off. She'll get me food if I catch Duncan for her. I'm not sure, Heather. You're going to double cross me, aren't you? Besides, I don't want to chase Duncan. Duncan and I broke up. We're over. Heather's asking me why and I tell her. She's laughing at me saying that I didn't deserve Duncan anyway. We both start laughing. She's a lightweight; I think the alcohol's messing with her mind. Sober Heather would never try and make me feel better when I was sad. She's asking me if I know where Cody, Bridgette and Noah went. How would I know, Heather? I suddenly come up with a genius plan. I'll betray Heather before she can betray me. I still want to beat her at this game. I'm not going to let her win. Okay, Heather. I will catch Geoff for you. She thinks I'm serious. Heather can be so easy to trick when she's drunk. I wish that she was drunk in the show; I would have won for sure. Bye, Heather. Enjoy losing. I leave her in the kitchen. I'm at the campfire; I can only see six people now. I'm not sure if I want one more game…
He's sitting on a barrel now and his finger is lazily making circles in the water within the bucket next to him. His face is leaning on his open palm and he's grinning like a Cheshire Cat. "You tricked Heather. I didn't know that you'd be able to do it. I got to hand it to you, Princess. You're unpredictable. I heard what she said about you. She said that you didn't deserve me. You are more than good enough for me, Courtney. Don't ever forget that. Heather was going to surprise you with ice cream sandwiches. She went into the freezer but didn't make sure that the door was propped open correctly. All it took was a small push and the door slammed shut. McLean should really get someone to look at it. I don't think he ever considered that someone would get trapped in there. All I did was fasten the lock; the door did most of the work. Heather was in the freezer before in first season, remember? During the cooking challenge? She should be used to it by now. Now, she literally is an ice queen. After we finish, we should see how she's doing. I wonder how her hair extensions react to freezing temperatures."
Gwen's trying to stop the game. Unfortunately, everyone listens to her. Everyone is going to split up. Duncan wants to pair up with me but Geoff has already volunteered. Geoff whisks me away and Duncan is left with Gwen, Izzy, Trent and Owen. Geoff's holding my hand and guiding me through the woods. I keep telling him that everyone's okay and they'll be fine. The problem is that I'm starting to believe that something is wrong. I think that I'm finally starting to think clearly. Geoff walks without speaking to me. We walk in silence until he suddenly stops and turns to face me. He tells me how he thinks that Duncan or Izzy is the culprit. I tell him that they would never do such a thing. I tell him how sweet he is to protect me but he shouldn't worry. He's biting his lip and starts listing reasons why he believes that Izzy or Duncan is the guilty party. He's telling me that all the victims were the ones that Duncan was instructed to 'find'. I tell him that it's a coincidence and I remind him that Duncan received Gwen as a robber in the first game and she's fine. Geoff can't explain that but he states that if Duncan didn't do it, it's Izzy. Trent, Gwen and Owen were paired up with Geoff during some of the rounds and he says that it's impossible for them to be at blame.
I'm about to comment when Duncan starts running towards us, screaming. He's hyperventilating and having trouble speaking. His eyes are wide with fear and his Mohawk was completely out of place and scattered. His face has traces of cuts and blood upon it and his clothes are ripped. Geoff and I try to calm him down when we notice the gash across his torso. We both scream in horror and Duncan shakily tells us that Izzy tried to kill him and Gwen only moments ago. Geoff starts to flip out and instructs us to go somewhere safe while he fends her off. Duncan runs off, seemingly ignoring me. I yell at him to slow down. He doesn't slow down. After five or ten minutes of running, he enters the old shack where he once was banished after annoying Chef. I hesitate before going inside. I don't want to be alone. Not when Izzy is loose. I enter the shack and close the door carefully behind me.
The shack hadn't changed in appearance from the days when Total Drama Island was airing. The old wooden shack was decorated with shark jaws, hooks, various boats and general supplies. The creaking wood and the rusty door handle set the stage for a horror movie. My horror movie. Duncan? Where are you? I can't see him. I move to the other side of the shack. I look underneath some of the tipped over boats when a loud noise brings my attention to the door. Duncan has locked the door. My eyes turn towards the bulletin board on the west wall and I notice in horror that the key is missing. I turn my eyes back to Duncan and watch as he snaps the key in two, letting the pieces drop to the floor. He's chuckling softly to himself. He suddenly makes a pouncing motion towards me but I manage to do a somersault forward, avoiding his attack. We have now switched sides. I frantically try the handle. Again and Again.
"You know, I didn't think that this would work. I didn't know how I'd be able to get you alone with me. Ever since we broke up, I haven't felt the same. I wanted to contact you and I wanted to spill my heart's contents to you but you were far too stubborn to listen to me. Miss CIT doesn't want anything to do with me. When Geoff suggested that we high-jack the boat and do some drinking on the island, I saw my chance. I hadn't planned on killing anyone though." Duncan started to walk towards me, I tried to scramble up to my feet but he reached me before I was fully standing. He gripped my neck and a gasp escaped my lips. "But you had to tell everyone about our relationship, you couldn't keep your beautiful mouth shut. Boy, was I ever lucky to pick a time when everyone was totally plastered enough to actually want to play a game of cops and robbers when it's pitch black outside." He laughed and gently pressed his forehead against mine. I tried to shake him off but his grip on my neck prevented me from doing so. "Even after Noah, Bridgette and Cody you still wanted to play. You wanted to win so badly. I suppose that's your nature; you can't turn down a challenge." He pulled my face close and let his tongue drag from the base of my neck to my ear. I shivered and closed my eyes. Go away. Please. Go away. "Don't be scared." He said softly into my ear.
"Geoff was on to me. He knew that something was up and I knew it was only a matter of time before he told you. I wanted to pair up with you back when the game ended. But that bastard had already raised me as a suspect and didn't trust me near you. I had to fake an attack so that Geoff would rule me out. It's lucky that I have a pocket knife on me at all times and I should receive an Oscar for the acting performance I gave the both of you." I jerked my knee up, aiming for his crotch. He swiftly caught my foot and jerked it to the left. A sickening crunch sounded within the shack and I cried out loud, falling back to the floor. Duncan shook his head and shook his finger back and forth. "Naughty girl."
"Trent…Gwen…Izzy…they'll find me. They'll piece it together." I managed to breathe out in between gasps of pain. Duncan made a mock thinking gesture before giving me a cruel smile.
"I don't think they will." New tears streamed down my face in reaction to the unbelievable pain my broken foot was causing me. He crouched down and placed two fingers underneath my chin, tilting my face up so that it could meet his stare. "No one gives a fuck about you, Princess." He leaned in closer; I could feel his raw breath on my lips. "Like I do…" He whispered tenderly.
"W-what do y-you want?" I managed to choke out. My breath was catching in my throat and my foot suddenly surged a burning sensation throughout my body, causing a whimper to involuntarily escape me. The punk brought his blood stained hand to the side of my face, cupping it. It disgusted me to think of whose blood was being pressed against my face. Noah's? Heather's? Bridgette's? I instantly felt a wave of nausea come over me and it took all my remaining strength to keep me from puking. He gently stroked the side of my face with his thumb, a warm gaze upon me.
"For you to show me that you love me back." He leaned in and gave me a kiss on the forehead. I had trouble looking at him through my tearful eyes and my mind had seemingly given up on any escape plans. I had nothing. For once in my life, there was no plan to follow. "I can fix you, Princess. I can make you as good as new. I can give you everything. I just want to know that you love me back."
"I lov…love you." I said, forcing the words out. I wanted this to end. I was grasping at straws and I knew that although he was completely psychotic, there was a part of him that wanted to hear those words.
He chuckled and gently starting to stroke my hair. "I said 'show' me. Not 'tell' me." He moved his other hand down and slowly started to roll up the bottom of my blouse. I gave him a fearful look but he pressed his finger to my lips. "I'm not going to rape you. I was your first and I'm not going to take advantage of you like that. The first night that you slept with me, you told me that I was your first love, correct?" I gave a shaky nod, my eyes still focused on the hand that lay on the hem of my blouse. "I don't want you to forget your first love." He moved my shirt up to my bellybutton and after trying to push him off of me, I lost the strength to fight. My foot felt as though it were about to fall off and I've suffered my limit of psychological damage.
He pulled out his switch blade and gently dragged the tip of the blade in small circles around my mocha skin. "I want you to trust me. Lovers trust each other, don't they?" One hand covered my mouth and before I could even question as to what he was doing, he dipped the knife into the left side of my midriff. I screamed out in pain but my voice cracked, causing me to maintain a silent scream. "Shh…you have to be quiet. I don't want to make a mistake." I squeezed my eyes shut as he moved the blade, cutting through my skin. My arms seemed to jerk alive and pulled at Duncan's hand that covered my mouth. I dug my nails into his hand and although I heard him gave a wince in pain, he didn't stop. My screams became crying sounds. I was crying now. The panic and fear evaporated all that was left was my pain. Suddenly, salvation occurred and the carving stopped. I allowed gravity to pull my hands down to the floor. My vision was fading fast. I felt a pool of warm liquid at my fingertips which I promptly realized was my own blood from the cut. My head was being held up my Duncan's hand. He was cooing me and saying that it was all over. "Look, now you'll never forget me." He took his sleeve and dabbed the blood cleaning it up enough for my eyes to see the shape he had carved into my skin. A heart.
My breathing rate slowed and my limbs started to grow heavier with every passing second. Duncan leaned in and gave me a soft kiss on the lips. He pulled away and moved my head upwards, I looked into his ocean blue eyes and he looked into my coal black eyes. He pulled me into a hug and I found myself letting my head lean against his head. I couldn't see the shack anymore. Everything was disappearing. Everything was becoming blurred. "Hey Princess," He said delicately into my ear.
I moved my head slightly and could only muster enough energy to say one word. "Yes?"
"I think we have time for one more game."