Author's Note: I'll put the votes for each couple to the right of their names, and the "X" for them being voted off on the left.
-Izzy and Owen-1
-Heather and Justin-6
X-Lindsay and Tyler-0
-LeShawna and Harold-4
-Beth and Cody-2
X-Eva and Ezekiel-0
-Bridgette and Geoff-7
-Gwen and Trent-48
-Courtney and Duncan-56
-Sadie and DJ-2
-Katie and Noah-4
Courtney hears a tapping on the window. She smiles sleepily and climbs out of bed. I bet it's Duncan again, she thinks while opening the window, He's been visiting me every night for weeks.
But there's nothing out there. Hmm. Then something shoves her from behind, and she flies out the window onto the ground. Her eyes are squeezed shut, so she doesn't see who the muscular arms belong to. All she knows is that there were two people involved… one person in her very own cabin, and the other right outside her window. But then everything goes black when she's stuffed in a huge bag and something knocks her head. Courtney lays in the bag, out cold.
"Every camper report to the dock immediately," is all Chris says over the loudspeakers the next morning. Once all the campers are assembled, Chris begins his speech.
"Now, last night there was--" he begins.
"Where's Courtney?" Duncan asks. Chris sighs.
"This is what this is about," Chris explains, "Now if you would just let me continue--"
"What did you do to her?" Duncan asks coldly.
"NOTHING!" Chris shouts. "Just let me continue, jeez. Alright, last night, Courtney went missing. If anybody knows anything, please call my tent. Chef and I called the cops and they should be here soon to investigate the scene. Meanwhile, lock all your doors and windows and never go out alone at night."
The couples stand there stunned. Geoff hugs Bridgette because it could have just as well been her since her bunk is above Courtney's.
"What? No way," Duncan says, his face blank.
"If you don't believe me, ask the cops," Chris insists, pointing at the boat headed towards the dock.
"You don't understand. This is my girlfriend we're talking about!" Duncan shouts to the officer.
"Sorry, son, but this is a Crime Scene Investigation happening. We can't have you walking around and messing up the evidence," the policeman explains calmly.
"And what evidence do you have?" Duncan asks mockingly, crossing his arms. The police gets out his clipboard.
"Apparently a big-time criminal accused for rape escaped from the county jail last night, so--"
"WHAT?" Duncan yells.
"Yes, I'm sorry, but it's the only lead we have so far and we believe that maybe--" the officer tries to say. But Duncan isn't listening anymore.
"I have to find her," he mumbles, running off towards the forest.
"Hey! Come back! It isn't safe out there!" the cop yells, but Duncan doesn't listen.
Duncan searched all day and a little into the night for Courtney before Geoff, Trent, and DJ wrestled him into their cabin.
Now he's laying on his bunk, staring at a picture of Courtney that he had taped to the ceiling.
"I'll find you eventually, Courtney," Duncan whispers, then he falls asleep.
"Attention! Please meet us at the mess hall for an important announcement!" Chris says over the loudspeakers in the morning.
Duncan jumps out of bed and pulls on his pants, hopping through the doorway. As he's running across camp, he puts his shirt on. Duncan runs up the stairs and opens the mess hall doors.
"Courtney? Courtney?" he calls.
"Ease up, son," the officer says, "It's only me."
"Did you find Courtney?" Duncan asks desperately. The rest of the campers shuffle through the mess hall doors.
"Sorry, but sit down and I'll tell you what I know." So Duncan sits by Geoff, who pats his shoulder.
"Alright, yesterday we found the rapist. However, he will not reveal where Courtney is hidden, or, for the fact of the matter, where her body is," the cop says. Trent and Geoff turn to Duncan, who's nose twitched at the word "body".
"It's okay, man, they'll find her," Trent says to Duncan, who says nothing. Trent puts his arm around Gwen.
"Another thing is that we will be keeping the rapist here for further questioning so we won't have to bring him to headquarters then back here to tell us where Courtney is," the officer explains. He throws a curtain back, revealing a big, muscular man handcuffed to a table, chair, and a huge iron ball so he won't run away. Duncan jumps out of his chair, ready to beat the rapist up, but DJ, Geoff, and Trent fight Duncan back into his seat. Duncan glares at the man.
The next day, in the middle of Duncan searching for Courtney, the cop walks up to him. "We found Courtney," he reports. A wave of relief hits Duncan.
"You did!?" Duncan exclaims.
"Um, yes." Duncan is beaming at the officer. "You can attend the funeral tomorrow." The policeman walks away, and Duncan stands stunned.
Duncan falls to his knees in the sand and starts crying. His shaky hand reaches into his pocket for his Swiss Army knife. Staring at it, his tears blurring the knife, Duncan hears Courtney's voice in his head, "You have to promise me that you will do nothing to harm yourself in any way if I ever…" Duncan flings the knife away, into the ocean, as another sob wracks his body.
Duncan leans on the casket. His head in his arms, his eyes not able to produce any more tears. He has a pounding headache for crying himself to sleep last night.
He turns as the policeman puts his hand on Duncan's shoulder. "Can you open the casket?" Duncan hears himself ask. Duncan's voice no longer even sounds like himself. "I have to see her. At least one last time. Please."
The officer shakes his head, "The body is too mangled up. It has to be a closed-casket." Duncan's heart pinches. 'The body is too mangled up.' Duncan's eyes tear up.
When the officer walks away, and nobody is looking, Duncan digs in his pocket for his knife. He wants to carve 'D+C' on the coffin. But his hand turns up empty. Oh yeah, he thought. I threw it into the ocean.
Oh well. The least I can do is kiss Courtney on the cheek, Duncan thinks, checking over his shoulder. Nobody was looking. So Duncan took the lid in his hands, and threw it back.
But the coffin was empty.
"WHERE'S COURTNEY?" Duncan thunders.