This is a pretty short chapter, but it wasn't meant to be long. Enjoy!

Double Trouble

Chris sat up in his chair and pulled off his sunglasses as he sipped a lemonade with Chef tanning next to him. "Yes, my people, it is one of those days again." Chris smirked. "Me and Chef here are on a short vacation. There's no Holiday challenge today! It's my holiday!" He laughed.

"Nobody got time for that." Chef said, still laying down.

"That's right." Chris said. "So we made up another little challenge. We locked up those suckers in the basement." Chris smirked. "And there's only one way out. So the lucky person that finds that way out will win immunity today."

"Don't Stephan and Taylor have invincibility today?" Chef asked.

"That's right." Chris said. "He lied back down. "Let's hope those geniuses remember that."

STUCK IN THE BASEMENT

HOUR 1

The final seven (minus Phoebe) all woke up and were frazzled by their surroundings.

"What the heck is going on?" Flora asked, looking around.

"We're in the basement." Dee said.

"Obviously." Stephan said. "But how did we get here?"

"I don't know." Phoebe said from the top of the stairs. "But there's like a metal seal on the door."

"That's kind of creepy." Elli said. "And there aren't any windows down here."

"So how are we gonna get out?" Manny asked.

"No idea." Elli frowned.

"Chris is gonna let us starve to death." Taylor said.

"That would not be a right thing for him to do." Elli said.

"Since when has he ever been right?" Taylor asked.

"True." Elli shrugged.

"Chris! Help us!" Phoebe banged on the metal.

"Stop." Flora said. "If he put us in here, he won't help us get out."

"Why would he do that?" Stephan asked.

"Cause he wants us to find our own way out." Elli said.

"What?" Manny asked.

"It's one of his sick challenges." Elli said.

"That's definitely a possibility." Stephan said.

"It is." Flora said. "He wan't a vacation probably so now he's letting us create the challenge for ourselves. Typical Chris."

"Well, let's look for something that can help us find a way out of here." Elli said.

They all started searching.

HOUR 2

"What did we all find?" Elli asked as they joined back together.

"Some ropes and notebooks." Dee said.

"I found these whistles." Stephan said.

"I found shovels." Manny said.

"Of course!" Elli said. "Shovels! We can dig our way out of here!"

"I found these snacks." Phoebe said.

"After we eat a few snacks of course." Taylor said, grabbing a bag of chips from Phoebe.

"Hey, why don't we tell each other some stories about us back home?" Manny said. "To pass the time while we eat."

"Why would I want to do that?" Taylor snapped.

"I'd love to!" Flora exclaimed.

"Where'd you get the snacks?" Dee asked Phoebe.

"I found them in the storage closet." She pointed to a door that seemed to blend in with the wall.

"Storage closet?" Dee rose an eyebrow. "I wonder what else is in there. I ain't even notice it." He walked to it and Phoebe followed him.

"Yeah, I didn't really get to look around much after I saw these snacks." Phoebe said. "And I knew we were all hungry so I decided to just bring them out immediately."

"Nice." Dee said. "There are more snacks in here. On the other side of this chair. Help me bring em out."

"Okay." Phoebe said. As soon as she stepped into the closet, the door shut. "Hey!" She turned and tried to open it.

"Whoa!" Stephan gasped. "Dee what are you doing to Phoebe?!"

"No!" Phoebe yelled. "He didn't do anything! The door closed on it's own!"

"Look out!" Dee moved her hands as the door got shut by another metal door over it.

Phoebe sunk to the floor. "Oh great."

Stephan banged on the door. "Chris! Get them out of there!"

Elli pulled Stephan away. "I'm sure they'll be fine. If the door was programmed to close like that then there must be some safety in there."

"She's right, man." Manny said. "They'll be okay."

"I'm just scared about them being in a room together." Stephan said. "I don't trust Dee."

"Nothing's gonna happen." Flora reassured him. "I've seen the show and I pretty much know her better than you."

"No you don't!" Stephan defended.

"I do." Flora smirked. "I've seen her confessionals."

"I'd listen to Flora." Elli said. "As crazy as it seems, she does seem to know a lot about what has happened here."

"Of course I do." Flora said. "I've seen all your confessionals. You aren't hiding anything from me." She menacingly smirked.

"You really are evil, huh?" Stephan asked.

"Not evil." Flora said. "Bad. As in a badass female." She got up and started to walk like a model. "I'm strutting my stuff."

"We should get to digging if you want to get out of here soon." Taylor said as she handed Stephan a shovel. "Cause I don't think I'd be able to bear any more hours with you people."

"Harsh." Elli said, taking a shovel.

"Just the truth." Taylor shrugged. "Let's dig!"

"Where is the confessional when you need one?" Stephan groaned.

"I could say the same thing." Taylor said.

"Oh we all know that." Flora chuckled.

Taylor glared at Flora. "Whatever, Flora."

In the closet, Phoebe looked around.

"I know, you got stuck wit me." Dee shrugged and sat down across from Phoebe. "How unfortunate."

"No, it's just that this is a really tight space." Phoebe said.

"Don't worry bout it." Dee said. "I ain't gonna do nothing to ya."

"Dee!" Phoebe playfully pushed his shoulder. "I don't hate you. I told you."

"I'm just messin around." Dee chuckled.

"You suck." Phoebe laughed.

HOUR 4

"We have been digging for so long." Manny groaned and dropped his shovel to lean against the wall.

"This obviously isn't gonna work." Taylor said. "I've dug like a maniac and it's not getting me nowhere, so I can only imagine you guys."

"Agreed." Flora said.

"I think we should try to find another way out." Stephan said. "Like maybe busting through that metal door!"

"I don't think that that will be useful." Elli said.

Stephan sighed.

"So..." Manny said. "Can we tell stories now?"

Flora and Taylor gave each other a look. "Sure we can!" Flora said.

Elli and Stephan looked at each other, then shrugged. "I guess so." Stephan said and they all sat in a circle.

Within the closet, Dee and Phoebe were chuckling and laughing.

"And that's how I got my stolen camera back." Phoebe laughed.

"I just can't believe you let it get stolen in the first place." Dee said. "That thing's your life."

"Yeah." Phoebe smiled. "I carry it everywhere. I like to say that pictures are worth a thousand words."

"They are." Dee said.

"I can't believe I let it get stolen either." Phoebe said. "I must have not have been concentrating at the time."

"I would have knocked out whoever took my camera." Dee said. "But back in Nattown, they know better."

Phoebe suddenly got serious. "I should tell you."

"Tell me what?" Dee rose an eyebrow.

"My secret." Phoebe said. "Might as well do it since we're probably going to be trapped in here for a while."

"You got a secret you wanna tell me?" Dee asked. "You don't have to."

"Not just cause we're in here." Phoebe said. "I should have told you this a while ago."

"Is this serious?" Dee asked.

"To me it kind of is a little, but not really." Phoebe said. "I have ADD."

"Whoa." Dee said. "I woulda never guessed it."

"I know." Phoebe said. "I don't really let the symptoms come out, but they're there."

"That's... wow." Dee said.

"I kind of let it define me earlier in the season. I struggled so much to fight it but I realized I should just embrace my own imperfections." Phoebe said.

"Good for you." Dee said, patting her on the back.

"I know." She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. "Hey! Let's take a picture!" She pulled off her camera and faced it towards them.

"Nah." Dee put his hand up. "I don't take no pictures."

"Oh come on." Phoebe said. "I want to remember this moment!"

"Ugh, fine." Dee said. "But I ain't retaking it if you don't like it."

"It'll be fine." She snapped the picture then looked at it. "I don't like it!"

"Seriously?" Dee groaned.

"I'm kidding!" Phoebe laughed. "...So what's your secret?"

"I don't got any." Dee said.

"Oh come on, Dee." Phoebe said. "Why are you here? There's gotta be something. I know who you are but I don't know where you come from."

"Sure ya do." Dee said.

"Yeah, this Nattown place." Phoebe said. "But, I don't know the entire story."

"I'll tell ya then." Dee said. "I'll start with the stuff you know. I'm 17 years old and from Natchitoches, Louisiana. I play football, basketball, I breakdance, and I rap."

"Wow. I actually didn't know that you played so many sports." Phoebe said.

"Oh yeah." Dee said. "You know I'm pretty athletic. I'm also a delinuent."

"I kinda figured." Phoebe shrugged. "When you pulled out that knife."

"I actually collect those." He said, pulling out his butcher knife. "I take dis one everywhere I go. Never know when you're gonna need it. Dis one time, some guy stole my wallet. He ended up with 30 stitches and a broken arm."

"Dee, are you serious?" Phoebe gasped.

"I got arrested for stupid assault and battery. I went to juvie. Went back again after I saw him on the streets too." Dee shrugged. "I can get a little crazy with the people that do me wrong."

"Well as long as you defend yourself..." Phoebe shrugged. "It's alright."

"Also another thing you might not know bout me." Dee said. "I love graffiti art. Been suspended and arrested plenty of times for "vandalism"."

"Aw." Phoebe shrugs. "I kind of like graffiti art too. I take pictures all the time. But it sucks that people call it vandalism."

"I prefer to call it beautifying a horrible place." Dee shrugged.

"You must have a bad rep where you're from." Phoebe said.

"We all do. Natchitoches is a town where many waste away or amount to nothing." Dee said. "A huge reason why I'm here. Remember about that hole I told you bout? It's Nattown, and I wanna get out so bad. Wanna make my family proud, you see."

"Wow, Dee," Phoebe shook her head. "That makes me see you in a whole new light."

Dee shrugged. "Most people just say I'm crazy, but nobody knows who I truly am. I rap to get all my feelings out."

Phoebe looked at him and nodded. "I understand now."

HOUR 5

"And that's how I found my interest in playing guitar and singing." Manny smiled.

Taylor nudged Flora, who was almost falling asleep. "That's so cool, Manny!" She exclaimed. "Such an interesting story."

"Really?" Manny smiled.

"Yes!" Flora said. "It made me want to know you more as a person."

Manny blushed. "Thanks Flora."

"Hey Manny, we should talk later. About our game plans." Flora proposed.

"Yeah..." Manny nodded. "We should."

"No." Stephan said. "No no no. That's not a good idea Manny. Not a good idea."

Manny looked at Stephan, then at Flora, and looked back at Stephan. He nodded with agreement.

Flora handed Manny some cheese puffs. "Let's let him decide for himself. Manny?"

"Well, I don't know..." Manny said. "You did kinda betray me and Deborah."

"It was all just a game." Flora said. "It's strategy. I hope you understand how deadly Deborah could have been."

"But there are deadlier players than us." Taylor added in, looking at Stephan. "Stephan's a fine example of someone."

"They're lying." Stephan said. "They're just trying to manipulate you."

"Stephan is the biggest threat here." Flora said. "He's a genius. Come on now. He probably went to you last challenge to do exactly what we're trying to do."

"Flora is psycho!" Stephan defended. "We all saw what she did last season."

"Yeah, that's true." Manny shrugged.

"Are you kidding me?" Taylor asked. "He was voted out first from his team for a reason! It's time to make a big move, Manny. Getting rid of Stephan is a guaranteed win for you."

"You can't get rid of me though." Stephan said. "I'm invincible."

"Me too." Taylor mocked. "Remember?"

"You're right." Stephan said. "You're so lucky."

"Consider yourself the same." Taylor smirked. "But Phoebe's not safe."

"Don't you dare go after Phoebe." Stephan said. "She has nothing to do with you."

"As long as she's here, you're both a threat." Taylor said. "It'll have to be either her or you soon. Make your pick."

As they argued, Elli didn't know what to do.

"Come on, stop!" She pleaded and pleaded, but they ignored her.

HOUR 6

Flora and Taylor stood on one side of Manny and Stephan on the other.

"Whatever." Taylor crossed her arms. "I told you all the benefits of joining forces with me. If you choose anyone else at this point, you're definitely going to lose."

"Yeah right." Stephan said. "You have a better chance with us than with them." He said to Manny.

"Ya'll have been at this for an hour, so obviously it won't stop." Elli said, giving up with trying to stop the argument. She took the cheese puffs and just sat back in a chair and watched.

Phoebe and Dee were sitting across from each other, talking about their time in the game.

"We're running out of things to talk about." Phoebe yawned.

"Yeah, I know." Dee yawned as well. He lied down with his arms behind his head. "Wow, this space is real tight." He sighed as he looked up. "Wait, what the heck's that?" He sat up while looking up.

Meanwhile, Chris and Chef ate a nice gourmet dinner.

"It's been six hours." Chef said. "Where are these hooligans?"

"They're obviously not smart enough to find out that the way out is through that darn storage closet." Chris chuckled.

"Wanna let em out?" Chef asked.

"Nah." Chris said, looking at his watch. "Let's give them six more hours."

"You sure you packed up enough snacks for them to last that long?" Chef asked.

"Who cares. They'll live." Chris shrugged.

"That." Dee pointed up.

Phoebe checked it out. "It's a square... On the ceiling."

"I don't think it's just that." Dee said. "Lemme inspect it." He grabbed the chair he saw when coming in the room and got up to feel this "square." Oddly enough, the edges went into the ceiling. "It's a trap door."

"Our way out." Phoebe put 2 and 2 together.

Dee pulled out his knife. "Betcha don't think I'm crazy after I do this." He stuck the knife in the edge and felt around until he heard a click, then he pushed the door up. "We're outta here!"

Confession Cam:

(Dee) "Knew this baby would come in handy." He says about his knife.

"You did it!" Phoebe cheered as Dee pulled her out.

"Let's find Chris and get the others outta there." Dee said.

Dee and Phoebe walked out of the mansion and instantly saw Chris and Chef, still eating.

"Ahem." Dee said, stabbing the knife into the table.

"Whoa!" Chris leaned back. "So you two found your way out!"

Chef tried to grab the knife, but Phoebe grabbed it for Dee. "If it wasn't for this knife, that trap door would not have been opened." She handed it to him.

"So Dee wins the challenge." Chris smirked. "What a shocker there! I thought Manny would."

"I had dibs on Taylor." Chef said.

"Can we just get them out of the basement?" Phoebe pleaded.

"Fine." Chris said.

Confession Cam:

(Elli) "Thank goodness we are out of there..."

(Taylor) "...Because if I were to have been trapped down there ANY longer..."

(Stephan) "...I just might have gone insane."

(Manny) "So I realized two things today. That Deborah leaving was inevitable and that I have to power to decide how the rest of this game will play out." He smiles.

Flora stopped Manny as he stepped out of the confessional. "So, did you think about what you're going to do yet? The next campfire ceremony starts in a few minutes."

"I have power for once. It's so great." Manny smirked. "And I decided to use it against you."

Flora glared at him, then acted unphased. "Very well then." As he walked away, Taylor stepped out of a bush.

"Plan B?" She asked.

"Yup." Flora said.

Elimination Ceremony

"Welcome one and all to your very first elimination ceremony as a merged cast." Chris said happily. "The seven of you will become... Less tonight!"

"I don't know if that's the word to use when this pretty much won't be a loss for anyone." Taylor said.

"Agreed." Stephan said, mocking Taylor.

"Dee, Stephan, and Taylor can not be voted out tonight." Chris reminded everyone. "The rest of you should have been fighting for your lives."

"We fought." Flora grinned.

Confession Cam:

(Flora) "I fought for you, Manny. You did this to yourself."

(Manny) "I'd like to gladly vote Flora out!"

"You will receive one of these to show your safety." Chris held up the item of life in the game. "The person who does not receive a mini calendars must immediately enter the outhouse drop of shame, exit, and never ever ever come back... Till the finale. The first mini calendar goes to Dee."

"It feels so good to be safe." Dee said.

"Yup." Chris chuckled. "These next mini calendars go to Stephan and Taylor."

"Elli."

"Whew!" Elli smiled and took her calendar.

"And Phoebe." Chris threw her the last calendar.

"Wait." Flora said. "This doesn't make any sense. Where's my calendar?"

"No... Where is my calendar?" Manny asked.

"You both got votes." Chris said. "In fact, Flora got one more than Manny."

"So I'm safe." Manny said nervously. "Stop playing here."

"Flora and Manny." Chris grinned. He didn't have to say anything.

Flora smirked. "If I'm going down, I wouldn't mind dragging you with me."

"This isn't fair." Manny said.

"That's right! It's a double elimination tonight!" Chris smirked. "Flora may have gotten more votes than Manny, but they both got votes, so the rules still apply."

"But-" Manny gasped.

"Just go into the damn outhouse." Taylor said. "Both of you."

"Oh you're sneaky." Flora smirked at Taylor. She walked past Dee and dropped a piece of paper in his hand.

Confession Cam:

(Flora) "I hope Taylor wins." She shrugs. "She beat me, so she can beat anyone."

Flora dragged a surprised Manny to the outhouse. "I can't believe he's still surprised. At least he made it this far compared to last season."

"I just.." Manny was lost for words.

"You thought you ran it." Flora finished his thought. "Didn't we all." She jumped in an pulled him in with her.

Confession Cam:

(Taylor) She shrugs. "I lost two threats in one day. I'm pretty much invincible at this point." She laughs.

(Stephan) "At least I know that I have more allies than Dee."

(Elli) "Final five..." She is genuinely in shock. "I can't believe this. It's really happening."

(Phoebe) "I'm happy to be here with Stephan. And I'm glad Dee and I opened up to each other."

(Dee) He opens up the note Flora dropped and reads it aloud. "Dee, in case I'm eliminated tonight, which is unlikely, I wanna warn ya about Taylor. She's a manipulating evil girl and is the big antagonist of this season. Watch out for her. My advice is to keep her close for now, then get rid of her. Kudos, love Flora." He looks up and smirks. "Just the info I needed. Thanks Flora!" He crumples the paper up.

HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR! I REACHED MY GOAL YAY!

Also, I'm going to need family members for the next challenge, wink wink. So would Taylor, Phoebe, and Dee's creators send in a character related to their OC, whether it be a friend or family member. You should send a name, short description of looks, and short description of personality.