Island of Death

[justin]

Oooh things are starting to really get interesting



That poem made me think of the story "ten little indians" by Agatha Christie. Are we supposed to take the words litterally? Are they all murderers? But they obviously didn't know each other so they obviously didn't collude in killing someone.



Looking forward to more

A good story should provoke discussion, debate, argument...and the occasional bar fight. -JMS

[hermitfish]

Oooooh the foreboding poem arrives...hmmmm murderers? Interesting...hopefully the girls will find a way to keep their fingers and mouths occupied while the others start getting bumped off.



Lovely

~Cyd

[watersong84]

This is starting to resemble the title a little more than I had hoped. I've never read the novel, but the story actually reminds me somewhat of the movie Clue. Only, it's not funny. I hope that the prophesy doesn't come true... at least not all the way? Please? Because that would just be sad. I would expect that Willow and Tara would be the last two, and that would mean that one would have to kill the other and then commit suicide. Not my cup o' tea. But I did like the... um... foreward comment that Tara made. Hehe. You aren't wasting much time I see. I like it.

[WickedReds]

Mmm the mystery encoded poem has made an appearance.. well that was just creepy... and hey did i see some flirting there... keep ur mouth and fingers occupied... u know what kind of images u gave me... but really i read ur response to ladydameon... that its not a love story, but i get smut somewhere in there over time.... now i wonder whose gonna get knocked off first..



-reds



my banana dances for smut

Smutbunny Anthem: *sung to tune from Goldfinger* Smutbunnies...they'e the bunnies, the bunnies that love the smut...and Willow's butt. They surf for smut fiction...always lookin' for the next naked sweaty fix...of Tara's tits.- Written By Cameron(tarawhipped) For Us Smut Bunnies

[Nike]

You definitely got my attention! The murderers thing, are they really? I mean, Riley being a cop can be involved in a murder alright, but I don't see any of the others doing anything like that, specially not Willow and Tara. A long time ago I read a fic, a Xena/Gabrielle fic, that used that poem. Only they didn't read the whole poem until near the end when almost everyone was dead. Ten little warlords... Urgh, Agatha Christie gives me the creeps. I hope you don't kill everyone, I wouldn't object some of them dying though.

I'm hooked, please update soon!



Nike

"I'm perfectly normal, everybody is crazy anyway." - me.

[DreamsToDream]

I Was Thinking The Exact Same Thing As Watersong84 When I Was Reading The Part About Them Sitting And Getting To Know Each Other I Was Like ' Hmm This Sounds A Bit Like Clue!' Although I Didnt Think That Anyone Else Has Seen The Movie Cuz...Of Obvious Reasons If U Have Seen It......Anyways, Its Going Really Well You've Definently Got Me Wanting More 'cept Way To Go With The Cliffhanger!!! LoL No, I Know Its A Good Way To Reel Ppl In To Read More.



P.S. Im Sure You Dont Need Help With Getting People To Read This

D2D





Dreams To Dream In The Dark Of The Night, When The World Goes Wrong, I Can Still Make It Right...- Dreams To Dream



Oh Wouldn't It Be Wonderful If I Turned Out To Be A Homosexual?!! - Stewie Griffen Family Guy

[bindingwiccan]

gah that poem was extremely creepy.. im gunna be thinking about it when i go to sleep and have nightmares!!! lol jk well.. maybe.. love it



update soonish please?



-Kelsey

[wilgen]

Hey Cameron,



Being a lurker I don't reply often to stories. But I gotta say that this is a great one.



I have only one question: why did you give the boat a Dutch name: "Eind van de Lijn" and why?



Again great story en looking forward to an update.



wilgen.

Edited by: wilgen at: 10/17/04 11:38 am

[amazonaa]

Hmmmm. More creepiness I loved the poem.



Great job. More soon, please.







brittney







~Good friends help you move. Real friends help you move the body.~

[tarawhipped]

Once again, I’m overwhelmed with the responses. Thank you all for your kind words and support.

-Cameron



justin: Yes, I’m blatantly ripping off the premise of “10 Little Indians.” As for how literal to take the poem, I was aiming for cryptic without being misleading. You’ll have to wait for each event to find out more, but I couldn’t be too obvious, cause that would be boring.

Quote:

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are they all murderers?

---

The next chapter will address their supposed crimes, so I’ll refrain from replying, and let you judge for yourself.


hermitfish: Thanks, Cyd. I wanted to get the poem out quickly, cause it sets up the next chapter, which reveals a lot more about everyone’s pasts. Lol about the girls…and no comment


watersong84: I think Clue borrowed a lot from Agatha Christie and Murder By Death, but you’re right, this ain’t funny, and it’s only gonna get darker. Considering this is on the Kitten Board, all Island of Death visitors named Willow or Tara have pretty much a 100% chance of survival. That doesn’t mean I won’t put them in danger however…sorry. Glad you liked the flirting…I needed to put that in before it gets too serious for witty propositions.


WickedReds: Hooray! I’m giving people the creeps! Oh…wait a minute. Yeah, the flirting had to happen right off the bat in order to establish a connection before all hell breaks loose.

Quote:

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I wonder who’s gonna get knocked off first

---

Spike! Oh…no…he’s not actually in this one. I’m afraid you’re going to have to wait til chapter 5 to find out.


Nike: Hi Nike The next chapter deals with the issue of them allegedly being murderers, so I’ll just let you read it. Obviously, at least two people won’t be dying (this is the Kitten Board, after all), but the body count will be high.

Quote:

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Agatha Christie gives me the creeps

---

Um…in a good way, I hope? I read her stuff all the time when I was a kid, but I know she’s not everyone’s cup of arsenic-laden tea.


DreamToDream: Wait…are you dissing Clue??? I think I saw that multiple times in the theater when it came out! Oh, right, I was a big geek in high school. As opposed to now that I’m really cool and suave and…okay so I’m still a geek.


I am a firm believer in the use of cliffhangers—except when other people use them. Then they suck.

Quote:

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I’m sure you don’t need help with getting people to read this

---

Awww that’s so sweet. And completely wrong. In fact, I’d like you to start going door-to-door asking others to read it as well .


bindingwiccan: Thanks, Kelsey! Creepy is getting to be my new favorite word, and I consider it a compliment, especially if it gives you nightmare. Um…sorry if it gives you nightmares.


wilgen: Ooh! Nothing more satisfying than drawing a lurker out of lurkiness! Thank you for your kind words. The boat’s name comes up in the next chapter, so I’ll just let you read it. As for why it’s in Dutch, I just liked the look of the phrase that way. The Dutch are in no way behind the evil goings-on, and no Dutch were harmed in the making of this fic.


amazonaa: Everyone keeps using it so I’m thinking about changing my middle name to ‘Creepy’…hmm…maybe not. But I’m so happy you like it, Brittney.

---

What should I be but just what I am? - Edna St.Vincent Millay

[tarawhipped]

Title: Island of Death

Author: Tarawhipped (Cameron)

Email: tarawhipped@hotmail.com

Rating: R (violence, language, possibly sex)

Disclaimer: All characters are the property of Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy; plot borrowed from Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None

Feedback: I LIVE for it!

Distribution: Sure, just tell me where so I can visit!

Summary: Ten strangers are invited by a mysterious host to a remote island off the Pacific coast of South America.

Notes: AU (no Scoobiage at all); thoughts in italics

Warning: Character death





Chapter 4



Tara closed and locked the door, lingering a moment with her palm flat against the wood as she listened to the redhead sigh and walk off down the hall. She waited until she’d heard Willow’s own lock click before she returned to the bed, where’d she’d sat lost in thought for the past several hours. Leaning back against the headboard, she stared warily at the door as her hand unconsciously twisted and crumpled the note card she didn’t realize she still held.


A part of Tara wished the redhead would come back. Despite her better judgment, she found the woman’s presence comforting, and it had been difficult to turn down the offer of conversation. In the brief moment they’d stood looking at each other, the redhead’s words from before rang in Tara’s ears, and she’d had to look away.


“I’m not like you people,” she’d said. How can I talk to her if she doesn’t understand? How can I trust her if she hasn’t been through—or if she has and she’s lying about it.


Tara looked down at the mangled card in her hand as though she’d never seen it before. She carefully smoothed it out against her thigh before leaning over to place it face down on the nightstand. Returning to her seated position, she again focused on the door as if she could, by staring at it long enough, will the redhead to return. To say that the day’s events had been upsetting would be an understatement of astronomical proportions, and at this moment Tara wanted nothing more than to forget—even if just for the night—the situation she was in.


What the hell is wrong with me, she chastised herself. I’m trapped on an island in the middle of nowhere, brought here under false pretenses by at best a delusional eccentric, at worst a homicidal maniac…and all I can think about is how nice and distracting a little one-night comfort sex with a beautiful woman I hardly know could be. “Stupid,” she muttered as she stood, walked to the desk, dragged the heavy oak chair to the door, and firmly wedged it under the handle.


The ornate clock on the dresser showed it wasn’t even 9:00 yet, but realizing her only options, NOT counting going to Willow’s room, were joining the others getting drunk downstairs or going to sleep, she opted for the latter. She hastily went through her preparations before reconfirming that the door and windows were secure, then climbed into the large bed. As she lay waiting for sleep to come, she again heard the strange voice echo in her mind.





“Now that I have your attention, ladies and gentlemen…let’s talk about why you’re here.”


Ten bodies turned in unison at the sound and found themselves looking at a reel-to-reel tape player set on the sideboard near the door.


“Allow me to introduce myself…I am Maat Sekhmet. I apologize for not greeting you in person, but I trust Giles has adequately attended to your needs. I assume that by now you have all introduced yourselves, and read the verses I left for you. I further surmise that you are all wondering why you’ve really been brought here. The answer is quite simple. You are all guilty of causing the death of one or more people, and you have all escaped the hand of justice. You will not be so fortunate here. There is a stack of envelopes on the mantle—one for each of you—that outline the specifics of your crimes. I will leave it to each of your consciences to determine what you reveal to each other, but I will read off the names of your victims for all to hear.”


As the tape played, the guests formed a semi-circle around the machine, staring at it transfixed as the reels spun. As the eerily androgynous voice droned on, several moved to sit, while others leaned against the walls or furniture for support. No one spoke.


“You are hereby found guilty of the murders of the following:


Cordelia Chase…Justine Barlow;

Riley Finn…Anthony Gomez;

Alexander Harris…Robert and Caroline Shaw;

Anya Jenkins…Herbert Emerson and Ralph Jenkins;

Faith Johnson…Karl Eckley;

Tara Maclay…Donald Maclay and Donald Maclay, Junior;

Daniel Osbourne…Veruca Wolfe;

Willow Rosenberg…Christopher Hewitt;

Buffy Summers…Grace Peterson;

Dawn Somerset…unborn child.


I assure you all, you will not escape punishment again.”


The voice cut off as the tape ended, the tail end whipping around with a rhythmic thwacking sound before Riley stepped forward and turned the player off. Silence hung heavy in the room as the guests snuck uneasy glances at each other.


“This is ludicrous!” Riley’s booming voice finally broke the stillness, his face red with rage.


“MURDER? What’s he talking about? I’m no murderer, I’m a model.”


“Whoever this guy is, he’s in for a world of pain when I get my hands on him,” Faith threatened.


“OH! The boat!” Anya exclaimed.


“What about it?” several voices asked in unison.


“The Eind van de Lijn?!” the woman stated, sighed in exasperation at the blank looks she received. “The End of the Line.”


Oz furrowed his brow and walked to the fireplace, where he found the envelopes, each one neatly addressed, looking as innocuous as a stack of party invitations. He proceeded to hand them out, noticing that no one appeared in a hurry to open them and discover their contents.


Tara sat on one of several sofas, her face a deathly pale as she took her envelope. Next to her, Dawn sobbed into her fists, but when Tara placed a comforting hand on the distraught girl’s shoulder, Dawn jerked away and stood up, her eyes darting wildly around the room.


“I didn’t kill my baby!” she shouted at the stunned onlookers. “I had a miscarriage—there’s a difference.”


“Dawn, calm down…none of us is accusing you,” Willow soothed. “This is some sort of sick joke. I never killed anyone—I’ve never even heard of that man. And I’m sure no one else—”


“I did it,” a soft voice murmured, and all eyes were immediately turned to the blonde, her head bowed, her face hidden behind a curtain of hair.


“Tara?” Willow breathed, feeling the air rush out of her lungs and hoping she’d misunderstood. The blonde lifted her head to meet the redhead’s quizzical eyes.


“I killed them…my father and brother…but it was self defense,” she insisted, her eyes pleading with Willow’s as her lip quivered. “It never even went to court.”


“Neither did mine,” Buffy quietly remarked. Looking around nervously, she swallowed before continuing. “I was working at a tanning salon. Mrs. Peterson was a regular. I should have been watching the time closer, but I…when I finally went to check on her, the bed had malfunctioned…I guess she couldn’t get out. She was dead. But the investigators said it wasn’t my fault, and they didn’t prosecute me.”


“I didn’t even get investigated,” Oz started, frowning as though surprised. “She was in my band. I begged her to get help, but she said she could handle it. She asked me to get her some clean needles, and I figured she was gonna do it anyway, I could at least…she OD’d that night.”


“I’d like to know what ‘Little Miss Perfect’ did to get in here,” Faith commented from her perch on the arm of a sofa. Her smirk only increased at the cold glare she received.


“You’re the poster child for the pathologically unstable—why are you here?”


“Oh, I see…I’ll show you mine if you show me yours? Okay. I knifed a guy.”


“W-was he attacking you?” Tara asked, her nervousness curiously calmed by hearing the others’ stories.


“Sorry to disappoint you, Blondie…I’m sure he would’ve tried, I just didn’t give him the chance.” Turning her attention back to Cordelia, she raised her eyebrows. “So? Spill.”


“Justine was pledging my sorority. She couldn’t handle her alcohol and she drowned. But none of us were ever charged, although those bastards in administration put us all on probation for a year.”


“You really are heartless, aren’t you?” Buffy accused.


“I felt bad, I did,” Xander stated, seemingly to convince himself as he walked to the bar and poured a large shot of whiskey. “They were on their way home from the airport…their son had just gone off to college. They ran a stop sign…I couldn’t stop in time…even if I hadn’t been—,” he threw back the shot and grimaced.


“Drunk?” Anya finished sarcastically. His eyes blazed out at her before he turned away with a nod and poured another drink.


“So what about you?” Cordelia directed at Anya, who instantly regretted calling attention to herself.


“It’s tragic, really. Herbert and Ralph were my second and third husbands. They both had weak hearts, poor dears. I certainly can’t be held responsible for their deaths. If anything, I’m the victim here.”


“So that’s why you were so sure our host was a man,” Riley noted angrily. “What, were you trolling for number four?”


“Hate to break it to you, Officer Finn, but you’re on the list too,” Faith commented with a laugh. “Now what could a member of Iowa’s finest have done to land in here?”


“I was doing my job,” the man replied through clenched teeth. “The suspect was believed to be armed and dangerous. It…it looked like a real gun.”


A silence once again descended over the room, as each person struggled with their memories.


“Wait a minute.” Faith’s sudden remark brought questioning eyes to her, while her own were directed at the one person who had not offered an explanation for her presence. She tilted her head slightly. “We’ve all admitted to at least knowing who we supposedly offed. Wanna change your answer, Red? Or are you gonna stick with that bullshit ‘I didn’t know the guy’ story?”


Willow’s eyes widened as her gaze drifted over the others. Some looked at her inquisitively, some with anger. Her eyes met Tara’s briefly, which held a mixture of worry and curiosity.


“I…I’m not like you people,” she finally stammered out, instantly regretting her words as she saw pained blue eyes turn away from her. “I mean…I really don’t know what he was talking about. I’ve never done anything to anyone. I’m very seldom—” unlawful, she meant to add, but refrained as she realized that wasn’t exactly true. But that was a long time ago, and it’s not like anyone was hurt by it. Or at least, not physically.


The sound of paper ripping drew Willow out of her thoughts, and as several people began silently perusing the details of their cards, she looked down at the envelope in her own hand. Dawn had begun crying quietly again, her small frame shaking as she gripped her paper. Buffy and Tara watched sadly as she ran upstairs, the sound of her door slamming shut echoing back down the hall.


“I think I’m going to try to talk to her,” Buffy commented to no one in particular, pushing herself off the couch and leaning heavily on the banister as she ascended the stairs.


Riley, Anya, and Cordelia joined Xander at the bar.


“I’m gonna go look for that Giles guy,” Oz stated, crooking his thumb over his shoulder.


“I’ll come with,” Faith offered, jumping down off the couch arm. “Anyone else?”


Willow locked eyes with Tara. Both women’s thoughts drifted back to the casual flirting in the hall, which seemed a lifetime ago now. As Tara’s gaze faltered, Willow looked to where Oz and Faith stood.


“I’m in…let’s go.”





TBC

---

What should I be but just what I am? - Edna St.Vincent Millay

Edited by: tarawhipped at: 10/17/04 2:57 pm

[Hidden In You1023]

whoa...murder? holy shit. it just got 10 times more interesting. keep going!!

'you're so beautiful did you hear a word i said?

you're so beautiful i guess this is what i get'

Matchbook Romance "Shadows Like Statues

[WickedReds]

HOLY SHIT.... cameron... so every one caused someone else's death... Mmmm... Poor dawnie, thats just sad... and everyone else... my god they where all accidents... well i don't know about faith though... and anya... sex comes to mind, weak heart... and willow... umm. what did she do???

Quote:

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one-night comfort sex

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Haha sounds fun at first... but know i see y she thought of it... anyways i'm still very intrigued about all of this... okay i'm really hooked... i'm really hooked... must be the ways u write... well not like i wasn't hooked before... Okay i'm babbling now... Foot in mouth moment... just call me willow...

update soon..



-reds



my banana dances for smut

Smutbunny Anthem: *sung to tune from Goldfinger* Smutbunnies...they'e the bunnies, the bunnies that love the smut...and Willow's butt. They surf for smut fiction...always lookin' for the next naked sweaty fix...of Tara's tits.- Written By Cameron(tarawhipped) For Us Smut Bunnies

Edited by: WickedReds at: 10/19/04 10:33 pm

[amazonaa]

So I guess everyone does have a dirty little secret. I would really like to know what Willow's is.



More real soon, pleasey-please.





brittney







~Good friends help you move. Real friends help you move the body.~

[watersong84]

Very nice. I am very curious as to what connection Willow had with her dead guy. And poor Dawn. That's aweful. Oh, and might I add that the tanning salon story is so not okay, that's one of my worst fears... that I shouldn't really be worried about because I have never even considered going to a tanning salon...



Update!

[DreamsToDream]

Wow Indeed! All Are Murderers? This Is Very Interesting. Poor Dawn Having A Miscarriage, Thats So Sad

I Really Hope That Wut Willow Said Doesnt Make Tara Not Like Her Anymore, Cuz It Seemed Like She Took Her Words A Bit Harshly.



And By The Way, I So Wasnt Dissing Clue, It Was Like ALWAYS Showing On A Local Channel, But I Try To Get People To Watch It And When They Do They Dont Like It, Well Besides Like 2 Of Them, Also I Have a Quirky Sense Of Humor That Hardly Anyone Gets ( 'cept my best friend) So I Thought That No One Would Get It Like I Do. As Well As The Fact That I Didnt Know It Was In Theatres So I Didnt Think It Was That Big. When Was It Made? I Think It Might Have Been Before I Was Born...I Dunno. So U See? I Also Enjoy It







Off To Go Door To Door To Spread The Word For Ya!

Although Its Completely Unnecessary, But If U Insist, I Guess Im Gonna Have To!

D2D





Oh Wouldn't It Be Wonderful If I Turned Out To Be A Homosexual?!! - Stewie Griffen Family Guy

Edited by: DreamsToDream  at: 10/17/04 6:29 pm

[Artemis]

Well that answers some questions... at first when the little ditty appeared, I wondered if the idea was that they were supposed to become murderers somehow, causing each other's deaths as they tried to survive... but luckily you posted the next chapter before I could reply, so I didn't look stoopid by suggesting that. And I'd have gotten away with it to, if I hadn't just said all that



What I want to know now is why these people? For the most part they don't seem like notable murderers - with the usual slight question marks over whether Anya deliberatelty boinked her husbands to death, and just how justified Faith was in her pre-emptive self-defence. Most of them seem more like they were in a crappy situation, and either had bad luck, bad judgement, or no real alternative. I am curious about Willow - unless Our Mysterious Host has got her mixed up with another Willow Rosenberg, there is a skeleton in her closet. But how did it come to be there?



Overall though the question remains - why these ten people? It's not like they're the only ones in the world who've killed in self-defence, or by driving drunk, or incorrectly assuming a suspect was armed (that cop from Die Hard, for instance), and so on - why these ten? What's the connection between them and Our Mysterious Host? Is it them? Their 'victims'? (Hard to imagine how Dawn's child could have had a connection with OMH.)



The paranoid in me is also wondering if the cryptic hints in the ditty might be part of causing their deaths - they might die because of something they do to try to avoid the situation they think the ditty is describing.



Incidentally, OMH's name (or assumed name) - Maat Sekhmet? From memory, they're Egyptian goddesses, roughly speaking the goddesses of Order and Chaos respectively (I think). I wonder what meaning that might have?

Chris Cook

Through the Looking-glass

A Willow and Tara for every world.

[bindingwiccan]

holy shit! wow.. that answered some of my questions... but i wanna hear willows REAL side of her story... more soonish pleasE?







-Kelsey

[EasierSaid]

Alrighty, all caught up. I like the quick updates, good stuff when I can "go away" more or less for the weekend and come back to two updates! Interesting stuff; liked the flirting, of course and I think I know how Willow is connected to her victim. Go me! I can't wait to see you utterly and completely prove me wrong in a future update. Keep 'em coming!

[alysagoddess85]

holy fuck nuggets!! that was so not what i was expecting!! oooooomg this is great!! keep going!!



~mel

'The Cat in the Hat' is fine, just not during sex.--Alyson Hannigan

[VixenyTarasHot]

Well, I'm just catching up on EVERYONE'S new fics.... I've been following this, it's just that life is poopy and I haven't had the chance to feedback... so sorry.. and here goes



It's a really kickass fic dude! The storyline is awesome.. I get reminded of The Beach, and Clue, and Lost.. and all these other things kinda rolled into one But hey they're all really cool, so that has to equal a really cool fic right? lol



It's interesting that everyone happens to be an honest murderer while Willow is some odd duck who claims she knows nothing.. Maybe something happened to her and the memory was erased somehow.. like a type of amnesia, or some sort of trama/paranoia thing where she made herself forget it, or like.. well I don't know, now I'm just going off the deep end. hahaha



I'm really curious to see where you take this! More please!?



Ashleigh

"...A-and I'm gonna make it up to you. Starting right now."

(Starts to smile)"Right now?"

[justin]

Ooh the plot thickens,



So everyone has owned up to knowing what happened, apart from Willow. I notice she thought that no one was hurt physically, which suggests someone was hurt mentally. Maybe due to that mental anguish they later on killed themself or maybe even someone else. I think the latter as that would explain how Willow is held responsible for their death even though she doesn't know him.



So is the host just someone interested in retroactive justice or is he connected to the people who were killed? To answer Artemis's question, one possible connection to Dawn's child is he may be related to the child's father.



Looking forward to more

A good story should provoke discussion, debate, argument...and the occasional bar fight. -JMS

[taralicious]

First off, a Woo-Hoo to the shout-out to my hometown of Cedar Rapids as to where is in the police force.

Riley as a member of C.R.'s finest mistaking an innocent man for being an armed assailant, nice touch.

It would seem that the cryptic clues laid out by their host would all imply some sort of need for vengeance and payment to tip the scales of justice back to an even keel.

Perhaps Maat Sekhmet is acting as The Spectre, the DC comics manifestation of God's wrath and justice.

Their sins have all gone unpunished by man's law so Sekhmet believes he is acting out of a divine mandate to see that they don't escape justice by a higher power.

Now, either Willow is lying to the others about her case, or she is repressing, or she has rationalized it so she can live with herself and doesn't believe that because, according to her no one was physically hurt, that no harm was done.

Some wounds never heal and psychological scars can be more deadly than outright termination.

Can't wait for the next edifying installment as I go to dream of one-night comfort sex between Willow/Tara.

[bindingwiccan]

i just noticed this but this fic reminds me strongly of the movie " house on haunted hill"



creepy

[tarawhipped]

Hi Kittens! Sorry about the delay. I HAD chapter 5 all written, and then I decided it sucked, and I got frustrated, and by the time I was ready to get back to it, I was sick, and writing on Robitussin is REALLY a bad idea (if anyone reading this got completely incomprehensible feedback from me over the past few days, I’m blaming the Robitussin for that too). So coming up next is the new and hopefully improved Chapter 5. Thanks for reading, and I LOVE all the feedback!

-Cameron



Hidden in You1023: Yes, murder! Murder most foul!! Buwahaha!!! Sorry…did that make me sound evil? I’m really not.


WickedReds: Not telling what Willow may or may not have done yet. As for the others…some could definitely be perceived as accidents, but Our Mysterious Host (OMH—thanks Artemis for the acronym) obviously thinks otherwise. You are very astute for questioning Faith and Anya, but thinking Anya screwed her hubbies to death?! Reds! I’m shocked…oh wait, I’m not. But it really isn’t always about sex. Feel free to babble away, I like Reds-babble.


amazonaa: Everyone definitely has a secret, some more so than others, and they’ve just begun to be revealed. Willow’s will not be divulged just yet, though. Thanks for the feedback, Brittney!


watersong84:

Quote:

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I am very curious as to what connection Willow had with her dead guy

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Curiosity is good…hopefully it won’t turn to disgruntled annoyance when I don’t tell you yet. And I love the phrase “her dead guy”—that make me laugh for some reason. As for the tanning salon thing, I’m not even sure it’s possible. I’ve never been to one either, but I got the image from “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer,” and it seemed appropriately icky.


DreamsToDream: Yeah, Dawn’s story was a bit harsh, and I questioned using it, but I’m glad it’s provoked many sympathetic responses. As for Tara’s hurt feelings, I’m sure Willow will find a way to smooth things over. Who can stay mad at Willow—she’s so cute!

Clue came out in ’85, and was not a huge hit with critics. The big draw was that they filmed three different endings (all of which are shown in the video), and it was up to chance which one you saw in the theater. As for it coming out before you were born…thanks a lot…now I feel ancient. You no longer have to go door-to-door pushing my story…you have to stay home and think about making your elders feel WAY more elderly than they should.


Artemis: Aw, Chris, you could never look stoooopid. For one thing, you got the Maat Sekhmet thing right away. My source lists Maat as the goddess of truth and justice, Sekhmet as the goddess of war and battle (characterized by destructive rage).

I can’t give you any answers yet r.e. Willow (though she is the one and only—no mistakes) or what possible connection they or their “victims” have to OMH (thanks for the handy acronym, btw). You are on the right track regarding the poem, however. As for the murders/accidents that brought everyone here, keep in mind that each person is telling their own version of events, and not everyone may be motivated to tell the truth. For example, Xander may be justifying his own behavior to appear less culpable than he really was (as a recovering alcoholic who thankfully never got to that point, I can tell you how easy it is to justify bad behavior). And hey! What’s with you and Reds?! Accusing poor Anya of boinking her husbands to death! *snicker*


bindingwiccan: Sorry, Kelsey, Willow’s story will not be told just yet (I hope I’m not building it up too much, cause then you’ll all be like “that’s it?!”), cause there’s other stuff that has to happen first. Funny that you mentioned “House on Haunted Hill,” cause that’s originally more of what I was planning to do with this story, but then I went the Agatha Christie route instead.


EasierSaid: See, Heather, you jinxed me with that “quick updates” remark. Glad you liked the latest chapters, and I would love to hear your theory r.e. Willow’s connection with her dead guy (thanks again to watersong84 for that phrase). You could always email it to me, and I even promise to tell you if you’re right. Hell, even if it’s not, it’s probably more interesting than what I have planned!


alysagoddess:

Quote:

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holy fuck nuggets!!

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That had me laughing my head off at work and making all my coworkers look at me like I’m crazy…er. Glad you liked it, Mel, and can I just mention that your avatar is mesmerizing.


VixenyTarasHot: Sorry life’s been sucky for you, Ashleigh, but thanks for leaving me feedback. It’s so interesting to hear how many other stories (movies, shows, books) that people are relating to this. I hope it means that everyone’s getting good visuals from it, and not that I’m a hack ripoff queen. “Honest murderer”—I like that. Willow does not have amnesia, I can tell you that, but she really doesn’t know her connection…yet.


justin: justin!…very perceptive of you regarding the mental, not physical harm caused by Willow’s actions, and that one could have led to the other. And, ummm…that’s about all I safely answer. Sorry. Thanks for the feedback, though. Between you and Chris it’s really hard to get away with anything. *grumble*


taralicious: Uh oh…hope you didn’t take offense on the CR thing. Since Riley was from Iowa, I just picked the first major city I thought of. Okay, the only one I could think of.

You’re on the right track r.e. the vengeance/justice thing, but it’s at least in part personal, not just a desire to punish the unpunished. Regarding Willow, you left out the possibility that she honestly doesn’t have a clue what she could have done. I think you really nailed it on this line, however:

Quote:

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Some wounds never heal and psychological scars can be more deadly than outright termination

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On to Chapter 5—and the first gruesome death!

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What should I be but just what I am? - Edna St.Vincent Millay

[tarawhipped]

Title: Island of Death

Author: Tarawhipped (Cameron)

Email: tarawhipped@hotmail.com

Rating: R (violence, language, possibly sex)

Disclaimer: All characters are the property of Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy; plot borrowed from Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None

Feedback: I LIVE for it!

Distribution: Sure, just tell me where so I can visit!

Summary: Ten strangers are invited by a mysterious host to a remote island off the Pacific coast of South America.

Notes: AU (no Scoobiage at all); thoughts in italics

Warning: Character death





Chapter 5



Faith, Oz, and Willow retraced their steps to the dining room and through the swinging doors Giles had passed through several hours before. They found themselves in a small, immaculately maintained butler’s pantry, the shelves filled with neatly stacked dishes and cups. Another set of swinging doors led to the spacious kitchen, fully outfitted for use by a hotel or restaurant. The trio found numerous storage rooms, walk-in refrigerators and freezers, but found no sign of Giles. Ignoring the door that led out to the rear patio and gardens, they instead passed through a short corridor, off of which they discovered a large laundry room, and several empty servants’ quarters. The last room on the hall was locked, but when Faith pounded repeatedly on the door, no answer came.


The three went back through the kitchen to continue their search of the ground floor, walking slowly through the library, sitting room, trophy room, ballroom, and finally the game room.


“Ooh, a pool table—who wants to take me on?” Faith enthused, throwing a ball hard against the bumper and watching it careen around the dark red felt.


“We’re looking for Giles, Faith,” Willow snapped. “We’re not here to play games.”


Faith placed her hands wide apart on the mahogany rails, leaning forward as she regarded the redhead. Despite the smile on the brunette’s face, Willow felt an undercurrent of danger in the woman’s stare.


“See, that’s where you’re wrong, Red,” Faith teased, pushing herself away from the table and walking around it, trailing her hand over the polished wood. She circled it completely before coming to a stop in front of Willow, who thought uncomfortably of the documentary she’d watched several days before of the snow leopard stalking the lame jackrabbit. “I think games are what this place is all about. And I think you’re playing us all.”


“I already told you—” Willow started, trying to remain calm as she felt her face flush.


“Yeah, right…only I’m not buying it. Why don’t you drop the innocent act. I notice you haven’t opened your envelope, Red. Scared of what’s in there?”


Willow felt unbridled rage rearing up inside her, and fought to suppress it in the wake of Faith’s taunting. Oz stood silently throughout the exchange, not liking Faith’s tactics, but fully recognizing his own curiosity to find out what the redhead’s story was. When he saw the look of panicked anger on Willow’s face, he stepped in.


“It’s going to be dark soon. Should we look outside or wait til morning?”


Relieved by the interruption, Willow exhaled the breath she’d been holding.


“We haven’t checked the rooms upstairs—maybe we should do that, and if he doesn’t turn up by morning we can search the grounds.”


“Sounds like a plan,” Oz concluded softly, motioning for Willow to lead the way as he placed himself between her and Faith.


Upstairs they found another, smaller library and sitting room, as well as ten rooms on each wing. They went through each of the ten unoccupied rooms—three on the women’s wing, seven on the men’s—opening closets and bathrooms, but again found no evidence of Giles’ presence. Upon returning downstairs, they noticed that the Great room was empty, and heard voices coming from the kitchen. Expecting to find the missing butler, they hurried to the room, but instead discovered the other guests, minus Dawn, preparing the leftovers from lunch for dinner.


“Any luck?” Xander inquired, his mouth full of reheated roast duck.


Willow simply shook her head. The hopeful faces of the others drooped and darkened as they returned their attention to their meals. No attempt at conversation was made as they half-heartedly picked at their food. As each finished eating, they drifted back into the Great room to congregate at the bar. Willow noted with chagrin that Tara retreated upstairs to her room, leaving the redhead and Buffy standing at the threshold of the dining room alone.


“I’m gonna go take some food to Dawn,” Buffy stated suddenly, moving back to the kitchen.


Willow followed behind her, leaning forward over a counter top as the blonde loaded up a plate.


“How is she?”


“Really upset,” Buffy sighed. “She wouldn’t talk about it much, only that it happened a couple of years ago. Poor kid was only seventeen.”


“None of this makes any sense,” Willow exclaimed with a frustrated grimace. “Most of those things couldn’t possibly be considered murder. Faith, maybe…and I don’t know about Anya…and Riley.”


“The cop?” Buffy asked, turning around with a chicken leg in her hand, her eyes wide with incredulity. “But he said—”


“I know what he said,” Willow whispered, glancing over to the door quickly. “But I remember hearing a report of an unarmed suspect being gunned down in Cedar Rapids a year or so ago, and the cop being investigated for racial profiling. Then all of a sudden the story just disappeared…like it was hushed up.”


“And you think—”


“I’m just saying there could be more to it than what he told us.”


Buffy eyed the redhead warily before turning back to her task.


“I guess none of us can really know who’s telling the truth and who isn’t,” she murmured as she picked up the plate and walked out of the room.


Willow did not miss the clear inference in the seemingly casual remark. She unconsciously reached into her back pocket and felt the folded envelope there.


“I guess not,” she spoke to the empty room.





Tara closed the door softly behind her and sat down at the desk. She opened her envelope with shaking fingers and pulled out a single card of heavy stock, completely filled on both sides. As she read through the single-spaced typescript, tears formed and silently fell to the page, smearing the ink slightly. The “facts” of her case were laid out as bullet points, and while no source was listed for the information, Tara immediately recognized the insinuations and half-truths as those made by a particularly vindictive reporter. Entirely absent from the report were the years of abuse suffered by Tara and her mother at the hands of Donald and Donald, Junior. Also missing was any mention of Tara’s mother’s death, ostensibly from a fall down the basement stairs. Tara had seen the “accident,” however. Several months later, when they came for her, she knew the murderous look in their eyes, and was prepared. That their mysterious host chose to include only the most damning information filled Tara with a dread she hadn’t felt since the split second before she fired the first shotgun blast into her father’s stomach. Moving to the bed, she curled up against the headboard, clutching a pillow and rocking nervously.





Willow stepped out the back door off the kitchen and breathed in the fresh, cool air. Strands of party lights hung around the patio, unlit and unnecessary under the light of the full moon. She extracted the envelope from her pocket and opened it hesitantly. Stepping away from the shadows of the house, Willow tilted the card and held it close to her face in order to read the small print. The redhead’s forehead creased as she read the card, her eyes darting over the words that barely registered in her mind.


Oh my god…if this is true…I have to find out…


Willow hurried back inside and up the stairs before she realized she had no access to the Internet. Hesitating at the top of the stairs, she listened to the laughter and clinking glasses from downstairs.


Okay, Willow, you can go back down and join the drunken revelry, or you can try to talk to the one person who’s really been nice to you, and who you totally offended, and should therefore apologize to…and hey, if she wants to talk, commiserate, maybe snuggle, well that’s okay too. Her decision obvious, the redhead tread quietly to the door.





The antique grandfather clock struck midnight, making Xander jump and stare bleary-eyed in its general direction. The last of the others had retired to bed an hour ago, physically exhausted after their long journeys, mentally exhausted by the events on the island. Swaying toward the staircase, Xander instead veered off through the front door, barely making it off the front steps before he vomited violently into the bushes. Standing unsteadily, he wiped his mouth on the back of his sleeve and walked further onto the lawn, taking in huge gulps of oxygen. Deciding that the fresh air would do him good, he staggered around the side of the house and found a rack of bicycles. Pulling out the first one, he struggled to climb onto the vehicle, ripping the cuff of his pant leg on the chain. In the full moon light, he could make out the dirt bike path leading away from the mansion, back down the hill toward the dock. He pedaled slowly, closing his eyes as the cool breeze washed over him, clearing his head. The bike picked up speed on the downward slope, and as he entered the woods, Xander blinked into the darkness, frantically seeking out the path's course. He barely noticed the fork in the path until it was on him, and he realized with horror that a person was standing in the junction, blocking the left lane. He jerked the handlebars to the right, narrowly avoiding a collision with the hooded figure and chuckling at his own panic as he felt the ground level off. His relief at seeing the wide-open expanse before him turned to confusion as he felt the bike fall away below his legs. His alcohol-soaked brain had little time to process that he was falling as well, and he was barely able to choke out a sharp cry before he smashed into the rocks at the bottom of the sheer cliff.


Two hundred feet above, a hooded figure leaned over the edge of the precipice to look at the tangled mass of limbs lying several yards from the mangled bicycle. When there had been no sound or movement after several minutes the figure moved silently away, remaining hidden in the trees until approaching a carefully camouflaged door at the side of the house.





TBC

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What should I be but just what I am? - Edna St.Vincent Millay

[hermitfish]

Bad me for neglecting to comment on the last chapter...still enjoying just been a little busy. I’ll make up for it by being first today.



One of the things I was curious about was exactly how far to trust the 'I'm innocent/It’s not my fault' round of storytelling from before. Then again I thought I was just being all cynical...but now there's this bit about Riley and the hushed investigation. Hmm...Interesting. I like your way with words; it has a nice flow.



Can't wait for more

~Cyd

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Won't you come in for a moment? I don't bite, you know - unless it's called for.

~Audrey Hepburn in Charade 1963

[YunaMaClay]

Just read this. It's really good, especially if the rest of the "predictions" of the other's deaths come off like Xander's did. Now we can keep guessing as to who's next lol. Anyway at first I had to go back cause I was thinking Xander hit a biker while driving drunk.... because he died while riding a bike(though it still had to do with how he killed the other people, at least in my mind). Anyway it seems poor Willow did not have a clue that she "killed" someone.... at least that is what I'm reading...... Can't wait to read more Your story flows so please update soon





Patricia

Okay, I may be short, I May have pointy ears, I may look like a really f**cked up impersonation of Link, but damnit I deserve some respect-- Hope

[DreamsToDream]

Wow What A Horrible Death! And Xander?? I Thought It Would Be Someone Like Reily That Would Be First, Cuz Who Really Likes Him Anyways?



Who Indeed Could Stay Mad At Willow, Definently Not Me! I Hope Something Smoochifull Happens When Willow Makes Things Better With Tara!



Also Im Sorry For Making You Feel Ancient I Will Stay Home And Think About What Ive Done But I Just Have To Tell You That You Are NOT Ancient! You Are In Your 30's Not Even Close To Being Over The Hill!!!!!!......But I Was Right About It Being Made Before I Was Born *Runs Off Quickly*

D2D





Oh Wouldn't It Be Wonderful If I Turned Out To Be A Homosexual?!! - Stewie Griffen Family Guy





Me: Oh My God, Your Hair Is So Straight!

My Best Friend: Ya, Unlike The Rest Of Me.

[taralicious]

No offense taken in the Cedar Rapids reference, there was something like Riley's incident that happened in Iowa City a few years back that sounded eerily like his predicament.

And so we come to it at last, Xander is the first to be despatched in a scenario engineered to be a macabre reflection of his particular "crime."

Whether or not all of the people on the island or their skeletons, figuratively and literally, are related brings me back to either "Murder by Death" or another Agatha Christie classic in "Murder on the Orient Express" where all 13 of the suspects had a relation with the dead man and all lined up to stab him.

The notecards do lend credence to the philosophical notion that truth is subjectivity i.e, it can be made malleable and shaped into whatever form you wish it to take.

Tara's act of self-defence borne by years of physical/verbal abuse directed at both her and her mother and brought about by her mother's "accident" could be construed as murder.

Willow's case shall be intriguing to discover as will be her choice to seek out Tara for comfort sex.

I await the next installment with baited breath.