I know, it hasn't even been a full week since I last posted, but this one came really quickly for me. But, now I'm gonna go pester a few stores that I have pending applications at and see if I can get a job. And then, I'm gonna come back, probably without a job and mope for a bit (my moping is beneficial to you because I mope by writing).
On a different note, I've set up the order of voting for the rest of the challenges. I have created challenges for Lindsey and LeShawna. I'm still looking for a good challenge for Geoff. As well, if you haven't been watching the olympics, well, you might want to watch a few events (besides it being awesome) that is where some of the inspirations came from for challenges.
Ah, it's time for the great next challenge... at least the first part of it. And, the reason they needed to bring formal clothes. Gasp, I'm actually using them. Well, I wouldn't have asked if I didn't plan to use them. This is one of my longer chapters.
Anyway, the winner of the quote contest last chapter was ThekidVince.
This chapter's quote is:
"I promise I'll slow up. I'll only be the best by a tiny bit."
Good luck.
Cabin Fever
3:00 p.m. Dining Room
"Glad you're all here and dressed," Chris said, walking into the dining room half an hour after he announced for them to meet in the dining room.
Confession Cam:
(Dominick) "By noon, we were beginning to get suspicious. Where was Chris. There couldn't have been trouble getting Katie to the cabin, as she's a server."
(Renee) "I just wanted to punch Chris in the face for making us wait."
(Mitchell) "We knew that once the challenge started, the Snow Leopards would dominate again, and we wanted to watch another Eskimo go."
(TJ) "Of course, as Eskimos, we knew we would win again, which we all wanted to happen."
(Arlen) "I was kind of hoping that it would be Renee's turn to go."
"Okay, where is she?" Liv asked.
"Where is who?" Chris asked.
"Katie," Chastity said. "Today's host."
"Well, now that you're all here, you'll all need to be in the lounge in one hour," Chris said.
"Why'd you call us here in the first place then?" Skye asked.
"To tell you that today, we will be going on a field trip," Chris said. "And, for where we are going, there is a dress code. You were all told to bring a formal outfit. So, go change into your formal outfits for our field trip."
"And, where is this field trip to?" Reece asked.
"Ah, yes, it's a mansion at the base of the mountain," Chris said. "Anyway, you have one hour to meet in the lounge dressed. If you don't come dressed in your formal clothes, you will not be allowed to participate."
"So, it's part of our challenge?" Reece asked.
"I never said that," Chris said. "But, you definitely don't want to miss this."
Confession Cam:
(Dex) "Which, in non-sadistic host talk means that it's probably life-threatening and likely to scar any survivors."
(Renee) "I'm not a fan of formal anything."
(Skye) "Oh, I love getting dressed up. And, all the guys are going to look so good in suits and tuxes."
"Hey, Chris," Skye asked as everyone stood up to leave. "I thought that last challenge's judges were supposed to serve the winning team from now on, but when I tried to call on them, I was told they weren't in. Why's that?"
"They were setting up the mansion for your arrival," Chris announced. "Oh, and everyone," all the contestants stopped, "we will be staying overnight, so bring a set of pajamas and anything you need. A second outfit will be provided for tomorrow."
"I don't like the way this smells," Dustin said as he held the door open for his team.
Bee stuck her nose into the air. "Smells fine to me... almost like ginger snaps. Has Kit-Kat been cooking again?"
There were six closed horse-drawn sleighs waiting outside once everyone was dressed. Each was being driven by the judges of Justin's challenge, and had both a waitress and a body guard or a cook (or Walter and Chef Hatchet in one case). The contestants were allowed to choose whichever sleigh they wanted.
"Hey, Rufus, what do you know about this challenge?" Reece asked, as they were in the same sleigh.
"Challenge?" Rufus asked. "This isn't a challenge. This is dinner with the obnoxiously wealthy man who is funding this season of the show. He'd like to meet you."
"Seriously?" Dex asked. "For what reason?"
"I don't know why," Rufus said. "I've only met him once, when I was young and my father had him over for a dinner and a business proposition. Why he would want to meet me again is fully understandable, but you all... I haven't a clue."
"But today is a challenge day," Reece said.
"Normally, yes, it would be," Rufus said. "But, we're having dinner and our challenge will be postponed a few days, so Katie may recover from the flu... at least, that's what I gathered from Jamie and Gail."
About half an hour later, the sleighs pulled up to the front of what looked more like a palace than a mansion. The doors were opened, and everyone walked in carrying their overnight bag. Lining the whole front hall were butlers, who all looked the same and stood stiffly in their crisp butler outfits. After the doors closed, once everyone was inside, the butlers spoke in unison, "May we take your bags?"
"Whoa," Chastity said. "Freaky."
Confession Cam:
(Briana) "I wonder how long they practiced."
(Dustin) "As if the mansion wasn't disturbing enough."
The TDI veterans all approached a different butler, and exchanged their bags and coats for a key. The new contestants followed their examples, until every butler had a bag and outerwear, and everyone from the lodge had a room key with a name inscribed.
"Who else has the Austen room?" Skye asked loudly.
"Don't be silly," the voice of an old man said, and they all turned to the grand staircase that all the butlers were walking up. "Share a room? Not in my house."
"Wait, we each get our own room?" Alexas asked.
The old man, who was actually quite creepy looking with a black cane that had a claw at the bottom, blotchy skin and more wrinkles than a pug, simply nodded. "Each of you will be one hundred percent, entirely alone."
Mitchell swallowed something dry in his throat while a few others were skeptical.
Confession Cam:
(Mitchell) "I just didn't like the way he said that."
(Skye) "Oh, it's a dream come true! In a place like this, I bet we get our own bathroom too, and a king-sized bed. It seems more like a hotel than a house."
(Liv) "I wonder if anyone else has ever seen The Shining and if they're getting flashes of that movie as well."
"So, you are the group that I am funding. You all look to be in good health and mental stability."
"Apparently he didn't hear about Blake," Arlen whispered to Skye and Bee. The old man didn't hear.
"I hope you enjoy your stay here, but, please, follow me to dinner," he finished. The last few steps creaked as he came down the steps.
Even Rufus was impressed with the dinner before them when they arrived at the dining room. There were quails, ducks, turkeys, hams, lambs, and even a wide array of seafood to choose from, in addition to the countless side dishes and drinks. Once everyone was seated and eating, the old man began to ask after everyone, about them, why they had chosen to enter the competition, or why they were working.
"I plan to use any money I may get to help with renovation on my mother's bakery," Kit-Kat explained.
"My mother and step-father are having a baby," Chastity said. "It's actually due today, and I wanted to allow them some time alone with the baby."
"And get out of baby-sitting duties," Arlen said, which was followed to a smack on the back of the head from Liv.
"I'm kind of hoping to be able to help fund some of the sports teams I'm on," Mitchell said. "And, well, my sister said it was fun... so I really should have known better."
"I need money as soon as I turn seventeen," Arlen said. "I'm in the foster care system, and I don't have a family and no one wants to adopt me."
"That's no surprise," Renee said.
"I'll adopt you, Arlen," Bee said.
"My mother thought it would be a good change of environment for me," Alexander said. "Hazah."
"Hazah?" Skye asked.
"It's an expression of excitement, I believe," Alexander said.
"He was being sarcastic," Dominick said. "But, aren't we all here really for the money, no matter what we plan to do with it?"
"Good point," Rufus said. "Except for me, I'm here for the publicity."
"I'm here for the cooking experience," Jamie said. "If I prove to be good enough, I can get a real job cooking at this nice restaurant near my house."
"And you're getting paid," Rufus said, "just like every other veteran here."
"Well, paid or black-mailed," Nessa said.
"It's okay, Nessa," Manny said, taking one of her hands in his.
"Ah, young man, I see you're in your dress blues," the old man said to Dustin. "So, are you a body guard or contestant?"
"Contestant, Sir," Dustin said. It was a relaxed tone, despite his tone. "But, I do believe that my military training will work to my advantage."
"Except when we're doing trivia," Alexander said.
"Or carving statues," Dominick added.
"You didn't do so hot in the snowball fight either," Owen said.
Confession Cam:
(Dustin) "We are bound to have a challenge where my training will actually come in handy, and then my team will worship me."
Not long after dinner was over, the old man retired for the night, but not before he gave one warning. "Don't wander the halls alone."
"Why not?" Aaron asked.
The old man smiled a bit. "It's very easy to get lost in these halls. You wouldn't want to be lost and alone, would you?"
Hidden closet
"Hello viewing world!" Chris said with a smile. "Today, we are putting the contestants of TDW into a state of ease, but at midnight exactly, a terrifying scream will run through the mansion. To tell you more about it, we're taking you to Katie's room."
Katie's Room
"Hey viewers," Katie said. Sadie was next to her. Both were wearing pink dresses with a black waist belt and white heels. "Today's challenge is Phobia Factor!"
"Boy, that was the hardest challenge," Sadie said. "I had to go around all day with bad hair."
"I know," Katie said. "I felt so bad for you."
"It was especially hard because you had just left the night before," Sadie said. "And I missed you so much."
"Me too," Katie said. "But, that's why we're now repeating it. After my blood curdling scream at midnight exactly, TDI veterans will begin to slowly disappear or die."
"When rushing to Katie's scream, they will find her passed out and me dead," Sadie said.
"The whole household staff will also be missing," Katie said.
"And a storm will be going on outside," Sadie said.
"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot about that," Katie said. "But, after gathering, it's expected everyone will slowly split up, and then they will slowly find their fears popping up. If they face their fear, they will receive a point."
"And if they bail into the storm, they don't get one," Sadie said. "The team with the most points will win the challenge."
East wing, first floor
Alexas, Liv, Skye, and Bee were walking down the corridor that they thought might have the most promise. Liv was leading them, and the other three were all close to one another, the suits of armor and gargoyles on display were freaking them out a bit.
Confession Cam:
(Alexas) "Okay, I know they were just stone, but their eyes were just staring, and every pair of eyes, imaginary or real, are connected to the eyes of God."
"Maybe we shouldn't be here," Bee said. "I'm getting flashes of Beauty and the Beast..." Bee's transformation into her formal wear was quite dramatic. She wore a white strapless dress that fell just a little past her knees. There was a black sash just under her chest and tied in a large bow in back, matching the black heels and the black ribbons around her wrists. Her hair, however, had been glossed, tied into a ponytail, curled (with Skye's help), and was draped over her left shoulder. She no longer looked like she got dressed in Freddy Kreuger's closet. "What if the suits come to life?"
"They won't," Liv said without any fear at all. She still looked as fierce as ever. She had a knee-length black dress with a red corset top, paired off with red tights, which fell into her usual combat boots. Her hair was pinned up and frayed back. Her tattoo on her left arm was visible, and would have clashed any other formal outfit.
"If we see a sparkling pink floating rose, I'm bailing," Skye announced. She was in a sparkly white ball gown with a halter top, a slit up the left leg to just above her knee, and heeled sandals with rhinestones in a few rows on the clear plastic, so it looked like the stones were just attached to her feet. Her hair was in long golden curls down her back, and her visible body shimmered.
"I'm taking it," Liv said. "Screw any beast."
"I'm pretty sure that we're okay in that department," Alexas said. She, like her roommate, was in a knee-length black dress, only hers had short sleeves and was covered entirely with sequins. She had matching black heels, along with a clutch that she used to carry her chapstick. She had dressed herself up a bit more with silver and white rhinestone earrings, a necklace, and bracelet set, and her hair was straightened for once, which looked really good. More than once, someone had had to tell Dustin to wipe up his drool when Alexas wasn't looking during dinner.
"What would you screw?" Skye asked Liv, trying to be sly. "Besides any beast..."
"You tell me first," Liv said. "Anyone here?"
"I'd do Rufus in a heartbeat," Skye said.
"You're not obnoxious enough," Liv said.
"Well, if y'all was to talk like this," Bee said, "and acted like y'alls was on acid at all times, he might do ya right back." She had done a perfect impression of Madison from the previous season.
"Oh, we have to find a cowboy hat and have you do that in front of Mitchell," Liv said. "See how bonkers it drives him."
Confession Cam:
(Skye) "Liv can be cruel... and it's just great when she is. I would love to see how Mitchell would react to Bee doing a Madison impression."
South Corridor, second floor
"Look at all these rooms," Reece said as he, Dex, and Dominick were all heading down one of the halls with the bedrooms.
"Luckily they're in alphabetical order," Dex said. "Or finding our rooms would be impossible."
"Found mine," Dominick said, coming up to the Chandler Room.
"Want us to wait for you for a few moments?" Reece asked.
Dominick turned to look at the two Snow Leopard boys. "I think I'll be okay," he said. With that, he unlocked his room, opened the door, walked in, and closed it behind him.
"I don't think he cares for us much," Dex said. He was wearing a tuxedo, with black pants, a dark green jacket, white button-down shirt, a green vest, and matching bow tie and handkerchief in the front jacket pocket. His hair was just as well kept as usual, and his glasses hadn't changed.
Reece screwed up his mouth a bit. "How about we give him a few minutes," Reece said. "He might just need to get used to being around people." Reece looked quite dashing in his outfit. He had black pants and shiny black shoes, a white button down shirt tucked in to show a patent leather belt. He had a black sports jacket on as well, that he had unbuttoned and was looking for his room to drop off, along with the red tie that he has undone as the boys had left the dinner, which was the only splash of color on his outfit.
Confession Cam:
(Dex) "I was perfectly fine with leaving. Let him spend the night alone in the creepy, giant mansion. Let him be anti-social. Heck, he could be a good player for the other team, but if no one likes him, why keep him?
(Dominick) "I figured that they didn't really want me around. After all, I don't really want me around, but I am kind of stuck with myself."
(Reece) "I made a promise to myself that I was going to get Domi to be my friend."
As they stood waiting, DJ, Walter, and Vinson came up. "Hey guys," DJ said. He had on grey pants, the same color as his usual pants, but better fit, along with a white shirt and an olive green blazer which he had taken off. His head, for once, didn't have the beanie on.
"Oh, hey, DJ," Reece said. "Walter, Vinson... what brings you guys up here?"
"Looking for our rooms," Vinson said in his quiet voice. Vinson was in a blue suit with white pinstripes every inch or so. The white cuffs of his button down were showing beneath the cuffs of the jacket, and the tie was white and blue patterned. The loafers on his feet were a dark blue, and matched nicely. To top it off, there was a handkerchief that matched his tie in the pocket, and a small gold pin of the left lapel. All in all, Vinson looked good.
"Actually, DJ wants to get his beanie," Walter said. He wore a stylish tux himself consisting of black pants, a white dress shirt, blue vest, matching blue tie, and a white jacket which he left unbuttoned. His shoes were black, and over his eyes he wore his favorite sunglasses because he thought they made him look cool and, it was assumed, for a certain Snow Leopard girl he just happened to find attractive.
"Looks like it," Dex said. "We're just here to take off our jackets."
The door opened again, and Dominick walked out. He was in a very nice tux, even if he had taken off his jacket, he still wore the button down, with the top button undone, the bowtie was hanging down, as he had undone that as well. The only bits that didn't seemed touched were the crisp black pants, and the shiny black shoes. "Thanks for waiting," he said slowly.
"Hey, Domi," DJ held up a hand for a fist pump, which Dominick delivered. Vinson as well shook hands with the newly returned Dominick.
The group continued down the hall, stopping a few more times, to drop off jackets, or to pick up a beanie in DJ's case. When they hit the end of the rooms, there was a spiral staircase.
"Should we take it?" Dex asked.
Walter grabbed the rail and pushed against it. It creaked but didn't move. "Seems sturdy enough."
"Whether it's sturdy or not isn't what I'm afraid of," Dominick said. "I'd rather find out where it leads to, and whether or not that is safe."
"Only one way to find out," Reece said and began to climb. After a few shrugs, the other five followed.
"You know, it looks pretty dark up there..." Dex said as they neared the top.
"Man, I am not liking the looks of that place," DJ said. "Maybe we should just keep out."
"Oh, come on, don't be so chicken," Reece said as he reached the landing. He stepped into the darkness and a moment later, light flooded from the opening. "It's just a room with a piano."
The other five came up and looked around. "Look at that window," Vinson said, noticing that the window took up most of the room, wrapping around three walls and from about two feet up from the floor to about a foot below the 12 foot ceiling.
"Is that a green house?" Dex asked, spotting the top of a glass building.
"Nope," Walter said. "It's a pool." Looking down, they could see five people were in pool area.
"It's Mitchell, Afro-Man, Aaron, Laura, and Chastity," Reece said, looking down.
"How can you tell?" DJ asked.
"Well, the afro is a dead give away," Reece said. "As is Aaron's long hair. The dresses the girls are wearing are the ones that Laura and Chastity were wearing, not to mention, Chastity's short hair. And, where you find Laura, you almost always find Mitchell."
"Does anyone else find it sad that the six of us guys are up here, while those three guys are in a pool with some girls?" Walter asked, a little down-trodden.
Confession Cam:
(Dominick) "Is he really surprised by that?"
"Not really," Dominick said. "I mean, it's not like the girls are swimming. My guess, they're sitting there almost annoyed with the guys for swimming when they want to continue to explore."
"That, or they're wishing they had bathing suits so that they could swim," Reece said.
"If Aaron wasn't with them, they might have jumped in wearing just their underwear," Dex said.
Dominick shook his head. "I doubt it. Maybe if they had their swimsuits, but I think that they'd much rather be somewhere else."
"I'm gonna argue with that," Walter said. "I think that those two are really fine just staring at the two guys."
Kitchen
Four people stood in the doorway of the kitchen, three with stars in their eyes. The thing was huge, state-of-the-art, and shiny like it had been cleaned only moments before. From what they could see of the tools, everything was expensive and the best brands in pots and knives.
"It's beautiful..." Jamie said.
"It's like paradise," Kit-Kat agreed.
"What are we waiting around for?" Chef asked. "Let's get cooking!" He took off his bright blue suit jacket that was a few sizes too small and threw it over a chair, rolling up the arms of his dress shirt and pulling a chef hat from nowhere, he began pulling food from the cabinets.
Jamie and Kit-Kat followed, while Bex groaned and took a seat on one of the chairs. Kit-Kat wore a bubblegum pink strapless dress that fell a little past her knees, with a powder blue sash, and pink open toe heels, her hair in it's usual bun. She grabbed an apron from a hook, tying it around her waist before she began to pull bowls and measuring cups out.
"You know, Jamie," Bex said, tapping her black Vans clad foot. Aside from her feet, Bex was just as formal as anyone else wearing a dark blue strapless gown that fell far enough to hide her shoes when she was standing. "When I said that I would check out the kitchen with you, I didn't think you were actually going to cook something."
"What was that, Bex?" Jamie asked as he was inspecting a few knives, deciding on which to use to slice open the fish he had just pull from the refrigerator. He was only vaguely aware that she was even there.
"What does it take to get your attention?" Bex asked, and received no response. She sighed and approached her boyfriend from behind, wrapping her arms around his waist, slipping one hand between the buttons of his grey dress shirt and tugging at the black tie with the other. "How about you and I go somewhere a little more private?"
Kit-Kat and Chef Hatchet both froze, Chef halfway through tenderizing a steak and Kit-Kat with a bowl of what would soon be brownie batter in her arm. They seemed to realize that Bex was not into kitchens the way they were.
Jamie, of course, suddenly forgot that he was even in a kitchen. All he realized was that Bex wanted them to be alone, and that Chef and Kit-Kat were still in the vicinity. He put down the knife and followed Bex as she pulled on his tie like a leash, a dopey smile on his face as they left the room.
"Oh, now that's what I call a fish," Chef said, spotting the fish Jamie had been about to cut open.
"Dude, seriously, how can you be hungry again?" Dustin's voice rang out from the door of the kitchen. Kit-Kat turned around and saw Dustin, Arlen, and TJ walk in. TJ, while she hadn't seen him the day before, had been his normal, partying self when she saw him at breakfast earlier in the day.
"I get hungry a lot," Arlen said. "And I don't particularly like all that fancy food they were serving." He was wearing a red button down shirt, no tie, with the top few buttons undone and black pants that fit a lot better than his usual black jeans. His shirt wasn't tucked in, and he never remedied any of the non-formal parts of his outfit through the day, making him the least dressed up person at the table.
"It certainly looked like you liked it," Dustin said. Dustin was in his Marine Corp. Dress Blues. He looked 'entirely juicy' as Alexas had stated to the girls, and stood even straighter than usual with the presence of his uniform on. The blue pants fit perfectly, and the darker blue jacket with the red trim fit him impeccably from the bottom to the choker collar, all the buttons and badges shining, as well as the gold buck of the white belt. Alexas had asked earlier if she could try on his white barracks cover, but Dustin, shook his head, stating that while she would be cute in the white hat, it was part of his uniform.
"Yeah, you did have at the very least thirds," TJ said. TJ was wearing a nice black suit with black jeans rather than dress pants, a black undershirt, and a thin red tie around his neck that he had loosened since dinner had ended. "Oh, hey, Chef, Kit-Kat. Fancy finding you two in a kitchen."
Kit-Kat blushed at his casual greeting, wondering if maybe he had changed his mind about liking her. "We're just cooking..." Kit-Kat said, feeling her cheeks getting redder and she began to whip the brownie batter a little harder and faster until a little bit flew up and splashed across her cheek.
"Need someone to get that for you?" Arlen asked as he began approaching.
Kit-Kat began stuttering, unable to formulate an answer. However, before Arlen could make an actual move, there was a cough and Dustin was glaring at Arlen with narrowed eyes. The Marine's black eyes flickered to TJ for just a moment, but Arlen caught on. "Just kidding, Kitty," he said, giving her a heavy pat on the back. "Brownie batter isn't my favorite."
Confession Cam:
(Arlen) "Now, if it had been cookie dough or cake batter, well, that would have been a different story."
(Dustin) "I really do wonder what it takes to get that boy to think before acting."
(Kit-Kat) "He got my name wrong. Am I really that far back in people's mind that he can't remember my name?"
(Arlen) "I just thought that giving her a nickname like 'Kitty' would calm her down a bit for TJ. I know her name is Kitten. Or is it Kat... or Kate? Point is, I was helping TJ to make his move."
"I'm... I actually..."
"This place got any Easy Mac?" Arlen questioned, turning to the cabinets. Dustin occupied himself by getting Chef to share service stories (a dire mistake as he was stuck there for a few hours, long after TJ, Arlen, and even Kit-Kat left), leaving TJ and Kit-Kat to just stare at one another for a few long moments.
"Um... you still have some brownie..." TJ said approaching her and using his thumb to wipe it off.
"Thanks," Kit-Kat said, staring at her feet. She put the bowl on the counter, afraid that she might drop it if the encounter went on for too much longer.
"You look really nice today," TJ said.
"Thanks," she repeated. "You, um, you also look really handsome."
"You think?" TJ asked.
She nodded and finally turned her eyes upwards to look at him "About the other night... I'm sorry about how I reacted."
"Oh, uh, no worries," TJ said. "Just because I feel one way doesn't mean you have feel the same way. If you don't like me, well, then that's how you feel. It just means I'm gonna have to work that much harder."
"I think I spoke too quickly," she said. "Because, I didn't think about what I was saying and, well, you made me nervous. I panicked..."
"So you're saying that you do like me?" TJ asked his natural, easy-going smile widening a bit.
By this time, Kit-Kat's whole face was red. She shrugged her shoulders up a little and nodded a bit. Before she could react to him, TJ had closed the tiny bit of distance between them, taken her face in his hands, and kissed her right on the lips.
Pool Deck
"Cool, who wants to go for a swim?" Mitchell asked as he, Afro-Man, Chastity, Aaron, and Laura arrived at the pool. The whole room seemed more like a green room, as they had taken a glass hallway out of the house and the whole pool room was surrounded by panels of glass.
"Kowabunga!" Afro-Man yelled, running to the pool and jumping. In mid air, he pulled off his jacket, tie, vest, and dress shirt, kicked off his shoes, and whipped off his belt, so that by the time he hit the water, he was only wearing the pants. Chastity could have sworn that he had paused midair to take all that off.
"Mitchell was joking," Chastity said when Afro-Man surfaced, his afro sagging around his head for a moment before it sprang to life again, returning to its afro-gloriness.
"No I wasn't," Mitchell said, sitting down and pulling off his shoes. He had already dropped his jacket, grey shirt, and blue tie on a chair.
Confession Cam:
(Laura) "Boys..."
"I'm not going in," Laura said, sitting at a table. She wore a tight red strapless dress that fell to knee length, along with black pumps. She wore her usual bangles, which matched the small studs she had donned for her ears. She had left her hair alone for the most part, so it fell straight to her shoulders.
Chastity decided to sit with Laura. Chastity was in a black, sleeveless dress that fell to her thighs. It had a V-neck, which Aaron had taken enjoyment of every time she bent forward until Renee had knocked him upside the head at dinner. The dress also had flickers of glitter, along with different layers of fabric which gave it a little bit more flare. She paired it with glittery green heels and matching purse.
"Don't even try to get me wet, Aaron," Chastity said as Aaron was meandering by the poolside. He was wearing black slacks and black leather shoes, a long sleeved white polo, and a green tie. His blonde hair, as always, was slicked back.
Confession Cam:
(Aaron) "Girls..."
"I think I'm gonna sit this one out," Aaron said.
Mitchell, at the time, had climbed the stairs to the top of a spiral water slide. He pressed a button which started the water flow, and then jumped on. He flew off the end of the slide and dropped the three feet to the water. Despite the large splash, the pool was large enough that the girls didn't even flinch. He came up sputtering.
"What's wrong?" Laura asked, noticing how Mitchell's eyes were squeezed shut.
"Afro-Man," Mitchell began as he swam to the closet side of the pool. "Did it occur to you that this is salt water?"
"Yeah, I'm aware," Afro-Man said, floating on his back, spinning aimlessly.
Confession Cam:
(Mitchell) "Who fills a huge swimming pool with salt water? Unless they plan on housing sharks in there."
Mitchell climbed up, out of the water, the water falling off his body highlighting his fairly muscled body. Laura bit her lip and smiled a bit at him and he returned the smile when he noticed her eyes on him.
"You know," Chastity said, looking up and noticing the overhead lights, very similar to the large ones at school gyms, only they were rocking a bit. "If that light falls, you're going to be fried to a crisp, Afro-Man. Maybe you should take Mitchell's lead and climb out."
Mitchell had grabbed a large fluffy white towel from a pile and was drying off. Afro-Man sighed, but complied. However, instead of grabbing a towel, he shook himself like a dog, spraying water everywhere within a ten foot radius of where he stood. Chastity managed to avoid the water by ducking under the table, and Laura was already halfway to the door. Aaron, however, ended up half wet himself.
"You know, it serves you right for spraying me a few days ago," Chastity said, laughing at Aaron's shocked face, looking down at his now wet shirt.
"Has anyone noticed it's snowing?" Laura asked. "Look how high the snow is on the glass."
"Snow is always higher on the walls of buildings than it is all around," Aaron said. "It's not nearly as high as it looks from in here."
Living room
Eva, Christie, Justin, Trent, Renee, Nessa, Manny, Gail, Ashlynn, Lindsey, and Briana were all gathered around a coffee table playing poker... or at least, they were trying. Lindsey was beyond hopeless, Eva kept crushing the cards, and Renee had won five of every six hands they played.
"Who's ready to start playing for more than pride?" Renee asked.
"Who of us has any pride left besides you?" Trent asked. He was in a plain black suit with a white shirt and a black tie. Despite being a little boring, he still looked good.
"Poker's not my game," Christie said, frowning. She wore an orange dress with beaded spaghetti straps, a rhinestone covered torso, and a skirt that fell a little past her knees, and her hair had been twisted into a beautiful up-do by Ashlynn.
"Whether or not it is, I think Renee's a Poker Star," Ashlynn said, resting a hand on Christie's shoulder. Briana, Lindsey, and Gail all flinched, expecting Christie to try to sever the hand from Ashlynn's arm, until they remembered that Christie and Ashlynn were, in a twist of fate, good friends since the summer. Ashlynn, herself, wore a red dress with black embroidery designs of flowers along the torso and the waist. Her hair was pulled into a French braid thanks to Gail, and she wore black flats.
Confession Cam:
(Renee) "Well, I gotta make cash somehow. Not to most of them were idiots."
"How about you boys?" Renee asked Manny and Justin.
"Thanks, but, uh, I think I'm gonna..." Manny tried to think of an excuse, looking very cute in his suit, with black pants, a black shirt, and a red jacket and tie. Nessa came to his rescue.
"He promised to give me a back massage tonight," she said. She stood in her tight hot pink dress. It was strapless and fell to her thighs with a white leather belt at her waist showing off how truly skinny she was. Her dark hair fell in waves past her shoulders. She took Manny's hand. "Come on, Manny, you did promise."
"I know," he said, following her up the stairs to her room.
"He's not going to give her a massage, is he?" Briana asked. Briana was in a white and blue plaid kilt that fell to her knees, showing just an inch of her knees, before the lower half of her legs were wrapped in white knee-high socks ending with Irish tap shoes. On top she wore a white, puffy-armed tee shirt with a black vest over it, both tucked into the kilt so that the kilt buckle was showing.
"Not unless her breasts suddenly migrate there," Eva said. She wore a blue skirt suit, which fell to her knees and matching blue shoes.
"Hey, at least those two are quiet about what they do," Gail said. Gail wore a black gown that allowed her to wear her hoops and bangles, matching those with silver shoes the were barely visible when she stood the gown was so long. "Jamie's room is right next to mine, and since Bex has been here, I haven't had a decent night of rest."
"Where do you sleep, anyway?" Briana asked.
"A bunker under the cabin," Ashlynn said. "It's spacious enough, but there aren't any windows."
"But the bubble baths are fantastic," Justin said. Justin wore a custom designed tux, with black pants, black shoes, a light blue shirt, and a silver vest and bow tie. His jacket had been thrown on a chair because he claimed it was too hot and, of course, all the girls had stared as he took it off slowly earlier.
"Ye guys have bubble baths?" Briana asked, slightly jealous.
Confession Cam:
(Briana) "We don't even have tubs in our bathrooms, just showers... high pressure, steam showers that spray from four directions: above, and three sides. But I wouldn't mind me some bubbly."
"Well, the girls do," Trent said. "And some of the guys take the liberty to peer through a crack in the wall when they're in use."
"What!" Eva yelled.
"Wait, I'm confused," Lindsey said. "If you don't take bubble baths, why do you like them?" She was in a blue dress that matched her head band and had her boots on under the dress. The torso of the dress had spiral sequin designs and the bottom ruches for some texture.
And then there was Renee. She was wearing a black minidress, with a corset top and a frilled out skirt, but she paired it with her black fishnet gloves and black Converse high tops. She hadn't done anything new to her hair except possibly made it a little messy. The old man had certainly been interested in Renee's choice of outfits, but she chose not to talk about it.
"Apparently Justin enjoys watching you girls take these bubble baths," Renee said.
"Oh, that is soooo not cool, guys," Lindsey said.
"At least you have the bubbles to block their views," Renee said. "I don't take bubble baths... ever."
"Eww," Lindsey said and scooted away.
"I bathe," Renee said. "Just not in a bath full of bubbles."
"It's still not cool that you spy on us, Ted," Lindsey said.
"I don't," Trent said. "The other guys do."
"And his name is Trent," Gail said. "T-R-E-N-T, Trent."
Renee shuddered. "Don't do that."
"Do what?" Gail asked.
"Spell out loud, it's... weird," Renee said.
"Okay..." Ashlynn said.
"You know, it's starting to get late," Justin said. "And I need my beauty sleep."
"It's only eleven o'clock," Briana said.
"And that is late for me," Justin said. "I require extra hours to maintain this level of beauty."
"Do whatever you feel you need to," Gail said, smiling at him.
South Corridor, Second Floor, Sparks Room
Alexander was the first to truly reap the benefit of having been on the winning team the previous challenge and having a servant. As Heather had been attempting to go to her room, Alexander had caught up to her and requested a drink and a massage. Annoyed, still in her rose halter dress and matching wedges, Heather had had to go down to the kitchen, ask Chef to whip up a berry smoothie, and then deliver it, with a small umbrella and a straw.
By the time she had returned to his room, his insanely shiny black shoes were lined up by the foot of his bed, His grey and black sports jacket hung on a hanger in the wardrobe so it wouldn't wrinkle, and he was in the process or removing his black button down. After hanging up his shirt for him, Heather found herself having to give Alexander a back massage. At first, she wanted to hit a pressure point that she and the other servants had been told about while getting their training to give massages, but it didn't take her long to come up with a better idea.
"You know, I know what all the challenges are," she said as she continued to massage. "I could help you if you help me."
"Oh, interesting," Alexander said. "What do you want in return for helping me?"
"Well, the winner gets $500,000, right?"
"Yes," Alexander nodded and took a long sip. "So, you'd want a cut."
"A small cut," Heather said. "One fifth."
"Now, this is assuming that you tell me what all the challenges are in advance," Alexander asked. "How does that help me?"
"You can practice," Heather said. "You could teach yourself about it before hand so that you actually know what you're doing when it comes time for the challenge. Then, you perform better. That way, even if your team loses, you probably won't be voted off. I might even rig my challenge so that you win it, putting you in the final three."
"It's tempting," Alexander said. "But, on the other hand, I have confidence in myself to get there without your help."
"You know, this is a challenge, right?" Heather said quickly. "Right now."
"I know," Alexander said. "I've noticed the cameras, and why would every room have a camera if Chris wasn't watching us for some reason. So, what exactly is this challenge?"
"Phobia factor," Heather said.
Alexander smiled. "I have no fear, so I don't need to worry."
"No, Chris would disagree with you," Heather said. "I'm not sure what he has decided is your fear, but really, he was just waiting to find out Chastity and Renee's fears by putting everyone in the creepy old mansion."
"Has it worked?"
"I'm sure we'll find out by midnight," Heather said. "That's when Katie screams and the challenge begins."
Alexander smirked. "Well, until then, keep on with my massage. And, could you go a little lower?"
South Corridor, Second Floor
As it began to get later, everyone started to congregate to the seconds floor. People began to shower in their private bathrooms, change into pajamas, find out where their friends were spending the night. The hall was a busy place as midnight approached. The chimes of the large grandfather clock from the front hall rang through the whole house, the first time the chimes had been heard all night.
On the final chime, a terrible scream erupted through the whole mansion and almost everyone went racing to the source. The door was locked, but Vinson easily broke it open. On the king-sized bed, covered in blood and with a long slash across her neck was Sadie, and the screamer, Katie, fainted, wrapped only in her miniscule bathrobe, as steam came from the bathroom door.
Confession Cam:
(Dominick) "We really should have known better than to think we would have a decent break."
Well, there's the first part of this challenge. Hope you enjoyed. Please review.
