December 28th, 1985
Dear Journal,
The mountains have claimed another, our brave Isabella, who ventured into the coves beneath the Eastern Mountains. She was determined to find the Rings that the mysterious Yonat spoke of. She had been gone for thirteen hours, before the Mountains gave an almighty shake. We all knew she was gone then. Her pet has mourned the loss greatly, and the misery it gives seems to strengthen the Mountains more. We have Clotho's Eye, though Yonat called it Clotho's Sphere. We worry more and more, and we are down to nine investigators. We pray to God that somebody comes to help us, because we can't do this alone.
"It's almost Christmas, Chris." Rebecca said, absentmindedly bringing in more boxes of Kool-Aid. "I can't believe your making these children do a challenge."
Each of the kids had been up all night, as Chris ha forced them to make the house look nice,. The windows were cleaned, the walls were repainted, and the floors were scrubbed. Dominic had thrown a mop at Chris when Mara had slipped and fallen on dung from Rainbow.
"It's gonna be fun, don't worry." Chris said, taking another swig from a large bottle, Rebecca eyed it with curiousity.
"And what might that be?" Rebecca asked sharply, if Chris had gone in her special wine stash there was going be a little friction.
Chris screwed the top back on the bottle and rubbed his stomach. "It's laxative, I've got a little bit of...clogged plumbing."
"Alright..."
"I feels kind of-"
"I get the point!"
"I'm wishing this stuff would hurry, because-"
"Please stop talking."
"So, your basically trying to act out 'House of Anubis?"
Misty slumped against the doorway, the group of sleuths had filled her in on the Globe.
"This is real, Misty." Chelsea spat at her, eyes narrowed.
"You're telling me that a magical armillary that was forged by Goddesses that aren't real is somewhere in the mountains?"
"Most of the pieces are in the house somewhere." Zachery chimed in.
"You're all crazy, I'm leaving."
"We're telling the truth!" Jackson called out at her.
Zachery picked up the Corona Shard, turning it over in his hands a few more times. When he thought about it, the whole ordeal did seem rather stupid. Here they were, sewing fragments of facts together trying to form a conclusion. What was it to them how those settlers dissapeared? Why did it matter to them that plants wouldn't grow here?
"You're not giving up." Chelsea had been looking over at Zachery, as if reading his thoughts.
"Zachery sighed, "I know... It's just that-"
But, what Zachery was going to say, Chelsea never found out. Chris' megaphone sounded and summoned them all for the next challenge.
"Alright, my little moneymakers!" Chris greeted them all, with Rainbow on his shoulder. He had donned a Santa costume, beard and all. With a white beard, his black cape, and Rainbow, he looked like a pirate, a mentally unstable pirate.
"Your mission, which you will accept, is a holiday challenge!" Many of the Graverobbers sighed in relief, how could Chris make this impossible?
"Your assignment is to throw a Christmas party!" Chris raised his arms for the effect that wasn't there.
Chef scowled at his childish boss, and took over for the sake of Chris' dignity.
"This means that you need creative decorations, good music, good food, and good costumes." Chef explained, to Chris' disdain.
"Chris opened his overly-whitened mouth again, only to be cut off by Rebecca. "You will also be split by gender. Boys will take the foyer, the girls will take the dining room."
Chris angrily slammed his mouth shut as the crowd thinned out, and both teams began to lay their plans. Chris really wanted to get the last word in, so he called out - for no apparent reason- at Tonya.
"You'll be working will the boys, Tonya."
"Dude, we put you in charge of music for a reason." Zac told Apollo, who was gripping his shamisen in frustration.
"I haven't written any upbeat music for this instrument!" Apollo hurled back at him. "If you haven't noticed, I'm not big on smiling. Besides, if I play this thing, I'm usually crying!"
Jackson, fed up with the arguing, stepped in. "Think about Cherri!"
Apollo flushed pink. "What about her?"
Zack sighed, a grin dancing on his face. "Everyone knows you like her, and love equals happy music."
Apollo bowed his head, he suddenly became very interested in polishing his instrument.
"Hanging out alone all the time doesn't cover anything up!" Apollo knew Zac was trying to be supportive, but that didn't stop him from getting defensive.
"Romance is for the weak." he said bitterly. Their was a sharp twang, then a swearword, Apollo had tightened the strings so hard the broke.
"I'll go get the spare strings, are they still in your suitcase?" Zac asked him, standing up.
"Yeah" Apollo said absentmindedly disassembling his instrument, then...
"How'd you know about my spare strings?" he demanded. But, Zac was already gone.
Mara felt her heart quicken as Dominic walked up to her, planting a quick kiss on her cheek and worked his hands up her back. Mara quickly shoved him off playfully.
"You naughty little boy!" Mara cooed, swatting him in the chest. Dominic grinned at her. "You like my humor."
"I like your abs, too." Mara answered, giving his stomach a coyish poke.
Will you two stop before I choke to death!" Gabriella had stepped away from arranging some skull-shaped ornaments to scold them.
"We're in love, Gothica." Mara said in a voice much braver than her own. "Deal with it."
Gabriella eyed the two dangerously. "Teenage romance is bound to fail." Gabriella spat at them. "Especially one based on a single meaningless kiss between a wannabe criminal and a sobbing little twig."
Mara's tongue turned to acid, very corrosive acid.
"You're just bitter because your out-in-out unlovable!"
Gabriella's eyes widened, her jaw clenched, and she felt like crushing something. Underneath the rage, something else was building: the beginning of insecurity. Was Mara right? Was she really unlovable? Hated, even? Why should she care? She was Gabriella Salvadore! And yet...
Gabriella turned burning eyes on Mara, who wore a grin of triumph.
"You will pay dearly for that!"
And, with that, Gabriella stormed out of the dining room, anger and sadness clenching her dark heart.
Cherri, who had witnessed the whole scene, snuck over to the foyer. Apollo, who was trying desperately to learn the lyrics an upbeat song -his face contorted horribly when he found out it was 'Mistletoe' by Justin Bieber - was immediately grabbed on the wrist and dragged out of the room.
Cherri furrowed her brow when she sniffed Apollo's breath. "You've been drinking?
"I gotta play a Justin Bieber song..."
"Whatever, I think I found a new subordinate for Mother..."
"No way!" Apollo slurred, a goofy grin plastered on his face. "Was it hiding?"
"No, Stupid!" Cherri slapped him on the side of the head. "It's Gabriella!"
Apollo stared hard at Cherri for a few seconds.
"Cherri, when did you get here?"
"Gabriella?" Misty had been dragged out of the room the same way Apollo had, minus the intoxication.
"You wanna help me pull a prank, or what?"
Misty's face changed immediately from puzzlement to excitement, "What can I do for you?"
"I want the boys to lose the challenge, can you do that for me?"
"Any idea's?" Misty took a pen and notepad out of her purse- along witha few mice that fell out of her hands and scampered down the staircase- and prepaed to write down any idea's.
"Look, I really don't care what you do. Break some bones, break some hearts, just make sure that by the end of the day, victory belongs to us."
"I need some guideline..."
"Use Chris' bottle of laxative." Gabriella hissed, suddenly struck with an idea.
Misty grinned evily, that sounded fun enough to work.
Shaking hands with Gabriella -who still scowled at the business- she set of to lay the trap.
It's hard being sneaky when excited, as Misty soon found out.
Sneaking around Chris private bathroom, which was much nicer than the average bathroom, was a difficult business. She snaked down below the sink in the medical cabinet. Wieght-loss pills, whitening strips, hair product... Ex-Lax!
Wasting no time, she sped to the foyer. Upon entry, she saw the punch bowl. Praying the laxative wasn't dulled by other liquid, the dumped half the container into the boy's punch.
"Merry Christmas!" Misty whisper excitedly under her breath. "Ho! Ho! Ho!"
Her deed complete, Misty sped off to tell Gabriella, Gonzo close at her heels.
"NO! Not happening!" Cherri literally flung the pastal red outfit out the door. "I WILL NOT sing dressed as some High School Musical wannabe, period!"
"It's adorable!" Chelsea flung back at her. "Besides, your the only one of us that doesn't look stupid in a red derby."
"Everyone looks stupid in a red derby!" With that, Cherri began rummaging through her luggage.
"Well, what did you have in mind?"
Cherri smiled in satisfaction, and withdrew a feather boa and a tube top and mini-skirt that could've doubled as two large headbands.
Zachery pocketed the strings, before something shimmered in Apollo's backpack. Rummaging through ten blazars, six neckties and nine suitpants, he came across a large teethering ring. It was inscribed with multiple symbols he'd seen in the diary. He pulled out the Corona Shard, as if by instinct. Holding them together, a long intoning chime sounded, and the room was momentarily bathed in golden light. He was about to pocket his new treasure, when steely talons raked across his arm.
Yelping in pain, he saw the culprit. Apollo's vulture had been roosting on the rafter, and had divebombed him. He only barely able to register what was happening, when she gripped the treasure in her beak and tore it from his hands.
Zachery charged, and slammed his body into the vulture. THe bird's beak released the item, and she slammed into the wall and slid down to the ground. She was alive, but paralysed with shock and fear.
Zachery quickly gave the vulture an apologetic look before taking the ring and leaving. He was quite certain that he had heard her hiss athim as the door closed.
The mansion had been decked in shining lights and Christmas trees. Chris and Chef both dressed up like Santa, and each went to a different party. Chef had taken the girls party, minus Tonya, and seemed to be having a fairly good time. Rebecca was giggling with Misty, drinking deeply from a bottle of liquer. Misty kept cackling wildly and whispering something about a punch bowl.
Cherri was singing a slowed down version of "Santa Baby", flinging herself across the stage while being pelted with skull-shaped cookies from Gabriella, who seemed to find the whole ordeal disgusting.
"Eight out of ten." Chef stood on the stage for this announcement. Cherri, having finished her prostitution, cheered at the news, splitting her tube top in the process.
That night was seemingly very enjoyable, for the girls at least.
After they collected their score, the girls went down to the foyer to join in the boy's festivities, only to find that there was nobody their, save Zac, who seemed as confused as the girls.
"I just got down here, what happened?" Tonya, who'd been serving the punch, motioned over to the hallway bathroom. Jackson and Dominic were doubled over in pain, and when Apollo finally emerged from the bathroom, Dominic burst into the restroom, groaning in pain.
Gabriella, who hung back until the right moment, surveyed her work. Dominic left the bathroom, one hand curled firmly over his stomach. It was time.
"Good gracious, what happened here?" Gabriella whispered, in her most innocent voice.
Apollo who now looked very white -laxative must've been mixed with thethe alcohol in his system- motioned over to the punchbowl. Rebecca picked up the punch, and sniffed it.
"It's filled with laxative... No wonder."
Chris looked scandelized, as that laxative never worked for him. "I can't think of a score low enough for this!"
Gabriella cleared her throat, and held out a large baby-blue satchel: Mara's suitcase. From inside, she drew a hallf-emptied bottle of laxative.
"I found this while looking for my hairbrush." Gabriella turned her eyes on Mara. "How could you want to win this bad?"
Dominic turned on Mara, his lower abdomen contracting. "Mara..." his voice broke slightly with building anger. "I can't believe this!"
Mara looked at Dominic with pleading eyes. "I didn't do this!" She held up her hands in appeal. "I wouldn't do this!"
Misty, who had caught onto the scheme, stepped behing Gabriella with a dark smile. "Yes, you did!" Misty just lived for days like this. "You paid me twenty dollars for the laxative." Misty pulled Andrew Jackson out of her pocket and waved it.
Dominic seethed in anger; "How could you do this!" He boomed at her, ignoring the stabbing pains he and the others were facing. "You of all people!"
Chris cleared his throat, "Well, I guess thats it then." He lowered his hands. "Your free to enjoy yourselves." On that note, he began to drink the punch from the bowl, striaght from the bowl.
Dominic turned away from them and sat on the couch, betrayed. Mara went up to him.
"I swear, I'm innocent!" Mara tried to snuggle up to him, but he pulled away.
"Save your breath, Twig." Dominic shoved her off. "We're done!"
And, with that, he turned and ascended the stairs to his room, utterly crushed and defeated. Mara sat there, tears pulsing down her face like driving rain.
Cherri walked up to Apollo, who smirked at her, holding up a present. "Merry Christmas."
Cherri, grinning, took the gift and opened it. Inside, lay a large golden coloured orb the size of a pearl. Cherri gaped at Apollo, who raised his eyebrows in mock offense. There was no doubt about it, this was Clotho's Sphere.
"You don't like it?" He grinned at her, one of the first true smiles Cherri had seen on him.
"Where d'you get this?" Cherri looked at him, and saw a shadow pass over his face.
"This was in Rebecca's room..."
Cherri cocked her head at the smiling woman surrounded by shot glasses, she smiled and waved drunkenly at them.
"What would she need with this..." Cherri wondered aloud.
But, neither of them new the answer to that question.
Far away in the mountains, long after they contestants had passed out from exhaustion, a figure stood watch. Inhuman horns cutting up through stark white hair, his hands were like bony, clawed spiders.
Father Torment had returned, gazing over the land with an unfathomable glazed look.
"They see only what fate allows..." He gathered some dust and released it in the freezing wind. "And, fate allows nothing to be seen..."
He took a deep breath, and Mother Dreatimes shimmering form appeared behind him.
"The Eyes of Sorrow, the Heart of Darkness, and the Mind of Lust..." Mother Dreamtimes voice echoed in her incorporal throat.
"You are decieving them." Torment said to her, never moving his gaze. "You know that they are not our children."
"Do not say such things!" Mother Dreamtime glided over to him. "I love them!"
Father Torment, eyes slightly more alive, turned to her. "You know what will happen to them, they will fall to the same fate that has befallen the other children you've taken."
Mother Dreamtime hung her head in anger. The Corona was almost complete, and Cherri had already taken Clotho's Sphere. Her lover was right, she could never truly be a their mother.
As she she thought this, the sun rose, making her look as pale as the moon. Through translucent tears, she saw her husband, Father Torment, vanish into the swirling light as he left her once again.
At 3,100 words, this is my longest chapter yet!
Remember, confessions are still open as a revew option, and I'm hoping that it encourages more of you contestants to review. I have an opening for one more boy contestant. If, your character has been eliminated, I will not accept another OC from you, as the elimination may mean I want absolutely nothing to do with you anymore. On an unrelated note, if you have a challenge idea, please don't hesitate to tell me. The sooner I get on of those, the sooner I can update.
Merry Christmas to all of you, and Happy New Year! As always, reviews are love.