Steam wafted lazily around the cabin's stout rafters. In an open-topped shower cubicle, Sarah closed her eyes and lifted her face into the spray. Water burbled softly through a drain in the floor, until a twist of a dial brought it to a sputtering stop. The ensuing hush was broken only by tinkling harmonies of falling droplets. Sarah stood motionless, hands braced against the booth's sides, and slowly exhaled. It felt good to be clean again.

They'd found this cabin secluded amid verdant woodland, an atoll of tranquillity before the dome's final phase. Sarah was alone, the others having moved to the adjacent changing room to call dibs on their favourite outfit. The selection of fresh clothes wasn't as varied as at the game's start, but to the four girls it was manna from heaven.

Wrapping a towel around her sylph-like form, Sarah exited the shower and strolled to a steamed-up mirror above a row of porcelain basins. Fingers squeaked against wet glass, tearing a slash in the condensation that revealed her delicate yet determined features. Green eyes gleamed icily as she plotted her next moves. The dream of emerging spotless from the arena hadn't quite worked out, but that only made ultimate victory even more vital. This couldn't all be for nothing.

Lena's theory about the 'egg chamber destroyed' message had given her hope. If it was true, if ghouls could no longer respawn after each defeat, their chances had just improved dramatically. Even so, Sarah didn't kid herself. They were still hideously outnumbered.

Still thinking, she dried her flowing gold hair, reapplied some subtle makeup, and wandered through to join the others. Planning, she knew, would only take her so far, it would be the ability to improvise that would prove decisive.

Sarah smiled. Observe. Adapt. Win. Such things came naturally to her.

The cabin's main compartment was surprisingly airy. Sunlight washed through slatted windows high on wood-beam walls, illuminating a rectangular space imbued with scents of soap and body spray. Sarah helped herself to a bottle of chilled water from a nearby icebox, took a few sips, and glanced around.

Lena had already changed. Going from one end of the spectrum to the other, she'd donned a breath-taking little lily-white bikini that brought out the honeyed tones of her skin. Sweeping sleek black hair behind her shoulders, Lena lifted onto tiptoes and stretched. Seeing Sarah, her almond-shaped eyes glimmered like polished onyx as she smiled in welcome. Sarah couldn't help but respond in kind; Lena had a knack for putting people at ease.

Thoughtful murmuring drew her attention to a nearby trestle table, where Jen, a white towel snug about her hourglass figure, stood sorting through a heap of swimwear. This, presumably, was her shortlist. Dextrous fingers flitted over a few candidates before settling on a bubble-gum pink two-piece.

Holding it against her arm to judge its tone, Jen looked to Sarah for guidance. "I'm thinking... this one. You like?"

Sarah gave the garment an appraising glance. It was daring, but Jen easily had the figure for it. She nodded sagely. "You'll look awesome in that."

Her decision made, Jen grinned in thanks and twirled the costume around her fingers. The sight made Lena rub her palms together. "Great, that's another one sorted. Now let's hope no one keeps us waiting ages. Again. Not that I'd name names, Liz."

Feigning indignation, Liz made a hmmph noise. "Don't start. I've already narrowed it down."

Lena pointed in disbelief to the wardrobe's worth of attire Liz had gathered round herself. "You call that narrowing down?"

Liz shrugged theatrically, as though to say she'd done all she could do. "Honestly, Lena, fashion is serious business. We can't rush these things."

Sarah had half-hoped the others would want to change into something a little more substantial, but evidently not. Browsing the timber racks, she ran her fingers over some of the t-shirts on offer, gauging the quality of the material, but then remembered her experience with the blob. It hadn't been long before her clothes had clung clammily to her skin. Ashamed though she was to admit it, she'd actually preferred being slimed in just a bikini. Choosing embarrassment over discomfort, she skulked sullenly to the swimwear aisle. Jen's cheeky grin did not go unnoticed.

Pushing all else to the back of her mind, Sarah focussed on the choices before her. Though something of an authority on fashion, she knew her choice had to be based on practicality as well as aesthetics. It had to look good, naturally, but she needed to be confident it would stay in place once things got messy. She paused, berated by her internal commissar for such defeatist thoughts, but soon shrugged it off. Planning for the worst was only prudent.

It wasn't long before one outfit in particular caught her eye. She examined it as a prospector would a shiny rock. Is it quartz or is it diamond? Deeming it to have met her exacting standards, she liberated it from its hanger.

"I think I'll try this one," she declared, striding to a changing booth.

Once the heavy velvet curtain had swung into place, cordoning her off, Sarah allowed the towel to drop and began affixing the bikini. Pristine white and patterned with silvery pink dots, it was skimpy enough to be alluring without crossing the line into tackiness. Fastening the knots made her feel oddly like a knight donning his armour. The arena beckoned, and with it its slime-spewing denizens. Something told Sarah they wouldn't all make it to the game's finale, but if anything the thought perked her up. Nothing motivated her like a decent challenge. Examining her profile in a wall-mounted mirror, she nodded confidently.

Nothing I can't handle.

On leaving the booth she very nearly collided with Jen, who was making final adjustments to her top. "Oops, sorry," her teammate said.

"No biggie. That colour really suits you, by the way."

"Thanks." Looking Sarah up and down, mischief curled the corners of Jen's mouth. "So Sarah, ready to get sloppy?"

Sarah affected a glare. "Don't even... Just remember your promise, okay?"

Jen's nose crinkled. "Yeah-yeah, me and my promises."

Good, she's still sticking to it. Under messy duress Jen had promised not to slime her, and a misguided sense of loyalty had so far made her keep to her word.

"Ooh, did you hear?" Jen went on. "Lucy finally got eliminated while you were showering. They must've really taken their time with her." Missing Sarah's shudder, she added, "Lena said there were, like, twenty girls doing the sliming. I so wish I'd been there."

That last part was spoken with such wistful sincerity that Sarah couldn't help but smirk. "So," she said, giving Jen a nudge, "what do you suppose your exit's gonna be like?"

Blushing, Jen glanced away. "Messy. I've come this far, I figure I've earned a decent finish. And..."

"And?"

Suddenly bashful, Jen studied her feet before continuing. "And, uh, and I kind of hope you're with me. That we get eliminated together."

Unsure whether to be affronted, flattered, or just plain amused, Sarah just stared. Hearing their approach, Lena glanced up. "Looking good, girls," she called. "Liz is getting changed, she won't be long."

"Wow, she actually made up her mind?" said Jen, deftly changing the subject.

Lena nodded. "Dunno why she was so picky. I mean you've seen her, right? She'd look gorgeous in a bin-liner."

Perfectly on cue, the swish of an opening curtain heralded Liz's entrance. Tall and imperious, with neck-length blonde hair tucked behind one ear, she swept majestically across the chamber. It was hard not to be impressed. Beyond her proud bearing, slender waist and almost aristocratic self-assurance, Liz had been blessed too with deeply feminine curves. Her new bikini - orchid pink with slashes of lavender - bore an asymmetric design of swooping black crescents that accentuated her shape still further. Spaghetti-thin strings linked the straining triangles, congregating in elegant knots at her back and neck; it was while checking these that Liz noticed her companions gawking.

"What?"

Everyone immediately pretended to be looking elsewhere. Jen rolled on her heels, flicked back her chestnut hair, and gestured to the door. "So I guess we're all set?"

"Guess so," replied Sarah, trying to sound composed.

Skipping to the door, Lena grabbed the handle and looked back over her shoulder. "Girls, I hope you're ready. Will we beat this game? Maybe. Will we make it out clean? Hah, not a chance! Good luck, everyone."

With that Lena flung open the door and strolled fearlessly into the unknown. Calming her nerves, Sarah took a deep breath before following. Win or lose, she would see this through to the end.

*****

Liz's experience of the Splatter Dome had been an emotional rollercoaster. Truth be told, she'd come within a whisker of backing out after the introductory video. Despite chortling along with everyone else, the prospect of that happening to her had elicited a sense of paralyzing dread. It had been the prospect of losing face, not to mention disappointing all the people who'd sponsored her, that had kept her from walking out.

No, there was another reason, one she'd only recently let herself acknowledge. All the while a small voice had whispered at the back of her mind, willing her to let go, to throw herself into the experience. A lifetime's social conditioning, however, was not so easily set aside. Girls should look pretty, that was what Liz had always been told, and what she believed was expected of her. Had anyone but her favourite charity asked her to do this, they'd have been rebuffed without a moment's hesitation, and it had still taken a combination of wine and good-natured peer pressure before she'd agreed. She remembered making the call right there at the bar, her friends laughing and urging her on. The morning's cold light, however, had seen her anxieties creep back. She pictured them as shadowy grey chains, protecting and shackling her in equal measure.

That, of course, was then. She could never have done it without her teammates. The team's jovial camaraderie had fortified that small voice, making it louder, more insistent, until finally it vied for dominance. Liz remembered vividly her feelings at the gatehouse door, the icy terror and coruscating excitement on pressing that all-important button. Even before gunge sloshed down on Annabelle, Liz had known she'd doomed herself to a tit-for-tat sliming, and knew too that she didn't regret a thing. She owed Annabelle a huge debt; had she not taken it in such good humour, things might've turned out very differently. Lucy too - it had been their surreal slime fight not far into the palace when, for a few precious minutes, she'd felt those grey chains loosen.

The offer to turn traitor had come a few weeks after the original invite, though why she had been chosen was a mystery. The deal was simple: she'd be spared elimination if, and only if, she was the last contestant standing. In other words, her remaining teammates were due a few unfortunate 'accidents.'

Liz held her head high. She was the hunter, they were the prey. All she needed was an opportunity to strike. She didn't know exactly what lay ahead, but chaos was sure to ensue once they entered the research station. Chaos was her friend. Once the group divided she could begin picking them off.

In the vanguard as ever, Lena cast a casual look back. Was it Liz's imagination, or did those big dark eyes linger on her a fraction too long? A guilty smirk threatened to betray her. Don't be silly, Lena can't know. She'd have said something... surely? Liz's eyes narrowed. It was probably nothing, but she couldn't afford to take chances. It was clear what needed to be done.

*****

Strolling along the path, rubber paving slabs warm beneath her bare feet, Lena thought back to her first steps inside the arena. She and Lucy had been first across the threshold, each wondering whether they'd be gunged the instant they stepped inside. So I was first in. Will I be last out? She smirked. Somehow I doubt it.

Lena had expected her time in the Splatter Dome to be brief but beautifully messy. Yet somehow, through no particular skill or ingenuity that she was aware of, she kept avoiding elimination. Ironic really, given she was actually quite looking forward to it. For now she wasn't overly bothered, she knew her luck had to run out sooner or later.

In her eagerness she'd moved ahead of the others. The dome's carapace cascaded overhead, a great crystal wave descending on the horizon. They were nearing its northern edge, and the woodland had become steadily denser the further they went, their path winding forlornly between tree-topped banks cut into undulating hills.

Rounding a curve in the track, Lena came to an abrupt halt. What the...

"Um, good news," she called, "I see the research thingy."

Jen's answering whoop held an endearing lack of irony. "Yay!"

"And there's a kraken on it."

There was a long pause.

"...Yay?"

"There's a what?" Her expression saying she'd taken just about enough of this nonsense, Sarah strutted forward to look for herself. There was a sharp intake of breath.

The research facility lay before them. Nestled between low hills, it looked innocuous enough - four white domes linked by cylindrical passages. It was the thing beyond that was the problem. A hulking silo loomed out of the earth, a rubbery, squid-like facade stretched across its front. From this edifice, chaotic masses of tentacle-like pipes twisted through the facility, blossoming purple corruption wherever they touched its hull.

Unconvincing though the effect was, the intent was plain: An eldritch monstrosity was meant to have the outpost in its clutches, making it all-too obvious what those pipes contained.

"Gunge." Lena's tone was almost reverential. "The whole place... It's all one big gunge tank."

One hand hovering over her mouth, Liz advanced a few paces. "They can't be serious. And what on Earth is that?"

Once again Lena wished she'd brought her glasses. Following Liz's outstretched arm, she noticed an automatic door on the outpost's hub. The path narrowed sharply en-route before widening out again, and there, a few yards from the door, sat a garish contraption. Curious, Lena stepped closer.

The shape came slowly into focus. If the people who made super soakers ever got suitably drunk and tried making an anti-aircraft gun, it might look something like this. A curved, watermelon-pink emplacement had been topped with a transparent screen bearing a U-shaped notch, through which jutted a stout length of green hosepipe tipped with an intricate plastic nozzle.

Sarah shook her head. "Just when I thought things couldn't get any dumber."

Picking up her pace, Lena tried not to giggle. It can't be? It is. "A gunge cannon!"

"Lena, careful!" called Sarah, but Lena had already spotted it.

A steep slope waited just past the bottleneck, the ground falling maybe a dozen feet before rising gradually toward the gun emplacement. The enclosing banks, together with two of the outpost's smaller domes, created a yard shaped like a violin missing its handle.

Descending at a half-run, Lena was surprised to find the yard's surface a bouncy castle-style inflatable. Balancing like a surfer on the wobbling floor, she watched Jen skip past on her way to the weapon. Upon kneeling at the firing position, Jen tried using a pair of protruding handles to aim it. The barrel swivelled smoothly in her grip. Noticing it pointing at her midriff, Lena tactfully sidestepped, and in so doing noticed a logo on the thing's side.

"Look, it's got a name: The Glooper."

"Maybe we should test it," whispered Jen, her gaze fixed dead ahead.

It was soon obvious what Jen was looking at. Having descended to the sunken hollow, Sarah was peering left and right, studying the yard's layout. She was directly in Jen's sights.

Lena tried desperately to keep a straight face. There was a wide pedal just beside Jen's knee. What would happen if she pressed it? Would Sarah react with laughter or rage?

Blissfully unaware of her vulnerability, Sarah pointed. "Look - two more, up on the sides."

Sure enough a brace of slightly smaller gloopers, one pink, one yellow, stood atop pedestals set against the flanking domes. They'd been sited so that anyone coming down the path wouldn't see them until they were already halfway down the slope, by which time it would be too late.

"This doesn't make sense," said Lena. "Why'd they leave this stuff lying around?"

Struck by a brainwave, Sarah twirled excitedly. "Don't you get it? This was a trap, only they spent so long sliming Lucy that we got here first. It's a perfect spot - the second we were down in this, uh, this bouncy thing here, they'd have us in a crossfire."

While Sarah mimed being enfiladed by spurting goo, Jen smiled impishly and inched her knee above the pedal. "It'd be so easy," she murmured.

"Wait," cried Liz, who had remained up by the bottleneck. "I saw one. One of them!"

Sarah was instantly alert. "What? Where?"

"Back there, where the path curls round."

"Just one?"

Liz nodded. "She popped out, saw me, then ran back again."

"She'll be getting the others," Lena warned. "We should get inside, quick."

Traversing the slope with as much poise and as little jiggling as she could manage, Liz hurried past. Sarah, meanwhile, was still bobbing around, her calculating gaze scanning the scenery. Jen, with stealthy nudges of the glooper, tracked her every movement.

"Wait guys, hear me out a sec," announced Sarah. "I've got a plan. Think about it, this is our chance. They'll have to come the same way we did - and Jen don't even think about it - so why not use their own toys against them?"

Trying to look innocent, Jen giggled sheepishly and sat up.

Lena cocked her head. "You want us to spring the trap ourselves?"

"Exactly."

Still making for the doorway, Liz dismissed the idea with a wave. "Yes yes, that's all very nice - in theory, but they'll never just walk into it. Besides, it doesn't matter how messy we get them if we don't pull those strings on their backs."

Sarah was beaming now. "Aha! You're right, which brings me to the absolute best part of the plan. We have to give them a reason to come down here." Her gaze flicked to a certain someone. "And that's where Jen comes in."

Giving Sarah a knowing look, Jen folded her arms. "Bait. That's what you're saying, right?"

Sarah's expression was all innocence. "I prefer the term provocateur. When the ghouls get close they'll see a cute little contestant down here all alone. They'll come on down and bam! We've got them."

"But won't you get me, too?"

Sarah made as though the possibility hadn't occurred to her. "Hmm, well maybe if you're really unlucky, but I'm sure it'd only be a few drops."

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Then once they're distracted you just, y'know, pull the ripcords and finish 'em off. Easy."

"Pull the cords?"

"Yep."

"The thing that triggers, like, an explosion of goo?"

"Uh-huh."

It took only a moment for Lena to realise what was happening. Jen's sense of fun was being used against her. "Will you do it?"

While Jen tapped her chin, pretending to ponder the matter, Sarah slinked up beside her and draped an arm around the brunette's shoulders. "Sure she will," purred Sarah, her lips mere inches from Jen's ear. "After all, Sarah says."

Lena grinned. Jen had told her all about her promise to Sarah... and its trigger words.

Giggling, Jen glanced sidelong at her friend, who was peering at her expectantly. "Ugh, fine! I guess I'll do it."

"Knew I could count on ya!" sang Sarah, who gave Jen's shoulder a squeeze before stepping away and clapping her hands together. "Alright then. Lena, Liz, you take the podiums, I'll take the turret thing in the middle. Places, people."

Lena was already moving. Sarah had an incredible talent for being obeyed. Moving to the eastern pedestal, she ascended a few steep steps to the yellow glooper, which was set atop a waist-high pole. Feeling strangely calm, she swept back her hair, grasped the handles with both hands, and poised her foot over the firing pedal. She had a perfect field of view; anyone coming down that ramp was going to get covered.

This might actually work.

Liz appeared at the opposite glooper. Noticing the too-casual glance the blonde directed at her, Lena was instantly suspicious. Can she hit me from there? Suddenly she felt rather exposed, perched on a podium wearing practically nothing. If anyone gets past Jen, things up here are going to get... colourful.

Nibbling her lower lip, Jen edged herself into the dip at the ramp's base. Sarah darted up behind her, whispered something that made Jen giggle, nudged her further forward, and then with a swish of shiny gold hair scurried back to hide behind the central turret.

Relaxing her shoulders, Lena took a calming breath. The strings of her bikini top flexed slightly with the motion. She wasn't particularly high up, but the flow of air was still more noticeable against her left side. Tipping her head, she felt sun-warmed hair flow against her back. She was going to enjoy this.

It wasn't long before she heard it. Footsteps drifted through the woods, accompanied by a ghostly chorus of female voices. The ghouls were on the move. Lena's heart quickened. Ten of them, maybe twelve. Opposite, Liz leaned forward in an attempt to peek down the path. The change in her body language said it all.

They're coming.

*****

It was all Jen could do not to burst out laughing. This plan would probably see her eliminated whether it worked or not. The tramp of ghoulish feet grew steadily louder, but down here she wouldn't be able to see them, or them her, until they were almost literally on top of her. Fidgeting, she made herself stop adjusting her bikini top - it wouldn't cover any more of her no matter how she arranged it.

Only myself to blame, she thought. Despite mocking her male friends for competing over something as immature as who could handle the spiciest food, Jen had found herself vying with Lena to see who dared face the arena wearing the least possible protection. Honours had been about even, and it had been funny at the time, but that was scant consolation now.

The footsteps came to an abrupt stop. Jen tensed. They're not stupid, they know something's up.

The pacing resumed, but different now, more distinct - a single set of wary footfalls. A scout. Jen tried to quiet her breathing. Almost there...

A bob of flame-red hair appeared at the ramp's crest, followed by a pale, inquisitive face. Jen waved. "Hey there."

Intricate blue war paint gave the newcomer the look of some ancient Celtic shieldmaiden, though she was far too willowy to be much of a warrior. The ghoul's surprise didn't last long. Their gazes mat, a smile passed between them, and then with a yell of "Come quick, I've got one!" she bounded down the ramp.

Blue gunk jetted from nozzles beneath the woman's wrists, the dancing spurts separating into grape-sized splodges by the time they rained around Jen, who groaned but stood her ground, gooey spatters blossoming in her hair and down the side of her leg. It had begun.

Landing nimbly, the redhead pounced. Jen dodged, but couldn't evade a burst of cool slime that shot across her lower back, sending gelatinous tendrils sliding onto her pink bikini bottoms. Ewww. It was only a glancing squirt, but on the wobbling floor it was enough to knock her off balance. Stumbling onto all fours, curves quivering as the inflatable absorbed the impact, Jen's eyes widened on seeing a shadow appear over her. Uh-oh.

Swelling with pride, the redhead brought her dripping nozzles to bear. "Like fish in a barrel," she whispered.

Jen rolled onto her back, fingers clinging to the rubbery ground. The ghoul loomed above her, grinning wickedly, but just then a shout went up.

"Now!"

The ghoul looked up, startled, and was taken full in the face by a jet of green slop. Stumbling backward, she inadvertently dodged the enfilading spouts, but Liz and Lena quickly corrected their aim. The ghoul crashed down amidst flurries of sludge. In a flash Jen was back on her feet, deflected goo flicking across her shins as she bobbed excitedly.

When the redhead turned away, trying to shield her face, Jen saw her chance. She darted forward - and almost immediately lost her footing and went sliding to her knees, squealing in shock. Pink slime hosed her right side, sending yoghurt-like splatters bouncing against the inside of her arm. A few curving streams branched across her midriff as the rest spilled toward her hip, making the knot of her bikini bow like a sapling in a gale.

Wiping at slippery rivers spreading across her thigh, Jen soon collected herself. It had been Liz who'd got her, and the blonde was awfully slow about shifting her aim. The other gloopers eased off, though a few drops created glistening yellow bracelets on Jen's wrist as she reached for that all-important ripcord...

She almost had it when green gunge detonated in front of her, making her gasp. Sarah had sent a brief but intense squirt against the ghoul's back, the resulting splash painting slimy squiggles across Jen's torso. Surprise soon turned to mirth when she pictured what she must look like. She quite liked it when Sarah slimed her, it would make her eventual revenge - if it ever came - all the sweeter. With a determined smile she grasped the cord.

The redhead didn't even realise what was happening until her costume erupted. Knees sliding through the ooze, Jen made a futile effort to avoid the coming splurge, which dappled her back like a shower of blueberries.

Heehee, one down.

In the calm that followed, Liz's voice carried across the yard. "That went well, I'd say."

Tottering to her feet, Jen wiped her cheek, glanced at the green gloop dribbling down her chest, and shot Sarah an accusing smile. "And what was that?"

Sarah's upper body appeared above the curved barrier. Golden locks pooling on one shoulder, she looked Jen up and down with obvious amusement before replying, "Just making sure she stayed down. No need to thank me."

"Thank you?" Jen made a point of swishing handfuls of slime onto the floor. Then, pawing at a pink stream slipping down her side, she looked up at Liz. "You too! Watch where you're aiming."

Looking particularly statuesque up on her pedestal, Liz shifted her weight onto one hip. "Who's to say I wasn't?" she said, absently examining her nails.

*****

Safe behind the protective screen, Sarah smirked at her own cunning. Everything was going precisely to plan: one ghoul was down, Jen was messy, and she was clean. An upward glance, however, revealed a column of ghouls coming to a shambolic halt near the bottleneck. It looked as though the one in the lead, a familiar brunette with piercing grey eyes, might not take the bait.

That won't do. Shifting her aim, Sarah angled the glooper upward. Green gunk erupted over the lead ghoul's stomach, vibrant flickers reaching as far as her heart-shaped face, yet she barely flinched. Instead she traced the source of the gunge, locked eyes with Sarah, and with a defiant yell rushed headlong into the spray. The others followed with a rousing cheer. There were, Sarah realised, a lot more of them than she'd thought.

A note of worry crept into her voice. "Uh, guys..."

*****

With Sarah's glooper forming an unbroken green lance overhead, Jen skipped into position just in time to see a curvaceous brunette appear. The ghoul didn't even pause before charging down, utterly unfazed by the lashings of green slime shooting her way.

Jen smoothed back her hair. "Another one, huh? Piece of cake."

Two more ghouls appeared at the crest, then another, and still more footsteps were thundering down the path. Oh. Jen looked beseechingly to the pedestals. "Um, whenever you're ready, girls."

Liz and Lena finally let rip, but the horde kept coming. Things, Jen realised, were about to get seriously messy.

Splattering rainbows heralded the ghouls' arrival. Madness descended. For a few brief but exceedingly messy moments Jen was surrounded, quivering with giggles while slimy bursts played over her body, but blasts from the gloopers soon sent her assailants sprawling.

Only the lead ghoul stayed on her feet. She looked aghast at Jen, grey eyes widening as pink gunge engulfed her left side, yellow her right. "What the hell?" she mouthed.

Jen nodded sympathetically, but then flinched in shock, mouth falling open as hissing green sprays crisscrossed her chest, the slime streaming between her breasts and dripping from her bikini top. She hadn't even seen her foe fire.

Still more ghouls arrived. Sheer numbers ought to have overwhelmed Jen in seconds, but the gloopers' sprays kept them reeling. That didn't mean Jen was spared the gunge - quite the opposite. Whichever direction she turned it was there, splattering everywhere, raining into her hair, planting syrupy kisses on her skin. Whether it came from ghouls or gloopers was impossible to tell.

Standing upright quickly became impossible. Each falling ghoul triggered a rippling tremor through the bouncy floor, and slimy bilge was already collecting in the hollow at the ramp's base. Hands grabbed Jen's ankles, sending her sliding onto her back, and then hands were reaching in from all sides, smearing creamy gunk all over her. She squealed girlishly, but again the gloopers came to her aid, disrupting the ghouls just enough for her to roll sideways and slide away. She had to keep moving. If they pinned her again she'd be eliminated for sure.

Silly though it was, her lack of clothing was actually working to her advantage. While the ghouls floundered, burdened by the pressurised gunk contained in their outfits, Jen was free to slip and slither among them.

She had no real idea what was going on. All was movement and colour and tactile gloop. Figures struggled to their feet only to be swept down by the incessant bombardment. Cacophonous splashes mingled with playful screams. Disoriented, Jen simply slithered this way and that, pulling ripcords wherever she found them.

She was completely covered now, but the time for feeling self-conscious had long since passed. Hair trailed in sodden ropes past her cheeks. Liquid barcodes dripped from her brow. Wet tendrils streamed from her flanks. Crawling through the crowd, she found one ghoul splayed on her back, laughing hysterically while a torrent of custard soaked her front. The unfortunate woman barely had time to register surprise before a single tug turned her into a human fountain. More custard jetted upward, painting half Jen's face and blowing strands of hair over her shoulders, but her smile only broadened. She was winning.

"Aha! Got you!"

Arms wrapped around Jen's waist, pulling her into a sitting position, and then someone was pressing against her. Creamy slop surged down her back, engulfing the rear of her bikini bottoms. Jen watched, speechless, as green threads began snaking past her collarbones.

On regaining her wits she squirmed out of the embrace, turned, and found herself face to face with the grey-eyed ghoul. Eye-contact was made, an unspoken challenge issued, and with a playful battle cry they lunged at each other. The backdrop of tumbling bodies and flashing colours gave their grappling a farcically operatic quality.

It wasn't long before Jen realised she was outmatched. Frantic, she went for the ripcord, but the ghoul simply caught her hands, smiled, and flung out her arms. The motion brought Jen tottering forward, and as their fronts made contact so spongy, goo-filled panels activated on her opponent's costume. Tipping back her head, Jen trembled with ticklish laughter as pea-green slime flooded her cleavage and swept down her stomach. She tried to recoil, but the ghoul attempted a full-on hug that Jen just barely staved off. Their fronts no longer touched, but the two were deadlocked: arms entwined, faces mere inches apart. Jen tried again to push her assailant away, but it was no good.

Her eyes like starlight through sea mist, the beautiful ghoul inched closer. "Um, Jen?" she said, sounding almost embarrassed.

"Yeah?"

"This is probably a weird time to bring this up, but I'm actually kind of a fan."

Still struggling to hold her admirer at bay, Jen chuckled. "Thanks, always good to meet a fan. Oh, I wasn't laughing at you, by the way, it's just... y'know, the situation and all..."

The ghoul smiled coyly. "See what you mean."

Feeling her adversary's wetsuit graze her bikini top, Jen murmured in anticipation. She needed to buy time. "What's your name?" she asked.

"Emily." The ghoul might've been blushing; it was hard to tell past the goo.

"Well, Emily, looks like you're about to slime me."

"That's the plan."

"Unless..."

"Unless?"

At last Emily noticed the fingers curling toward her collar. Giving Jen a 'you wouldn't dare' look, she redoubled her efforts.

It became a race against time. The two women swayed gently, noses almost touching, while around them chaos reigned. The hollow had become a roiling quagmire. Figures slipped and thrashed, pelted by the relentless gloopers. Coloured splotches sprinkled Jen and Emily alike, but they were too fixated on each other to notice.

Jen tittered helplessly. This was one of those rare occasions where having such prominent curves was a disadvantage. Emily was now so close that the slightest pressure sent pulses of green ooze washing down Jen's body. She had only seconds, but just then her fingertips touched something coarse. She clutched wildly, but found nothing. Emily's smirk widened - one more inch was all it would take - but then her lips pursed in shock.

With deliberate slowness Jen drew the drawstring over her foe's shoulder, the tip cinched securely between her fingers. Seeing the string, Emily gave her an imploring look. "C'mon, you wouldn't gunge a fan, would you?"

"Hmm, let's think - yes," was Jen's instant response. Slowly she pulled the cord taut.

Shoulders tensing, Emily hunched forward. It occurred to Jen that doing this would mean getting absolutely drenched, precisely the thing she'd been struggling to avoid.

Whatever, it'll be worth it.

She was about to pull when suddenly an emerald geyser exploded between her shoulder blades. The weight of it made her stagger forwards. Gunge flew past her sides, a flickering green corona that sprayed past Emily and thudded onto the ramp beyond. A glooper had blasted her at precisely the worst time. Screaming in shock, Jen arched her back and thrust back her elbows, releasing the drawstring in the process. Still the slime came, flooding her back, whipping locks of hair like streamers in a gale. Emily hooted with joy and pressed close, arms wrapping around her. The long-awaited hug finally arrived.

It was like cuddling a melting ice-cream. Shuddering with astonishment, green flares casting gaudy runes up her face, Jen slumped against her opponent. There was no point in fighting it, she realised - she was going to get covered whatever happened.

The spray from behind finally slackened, at which point Sarah's gently-mocking tones drifted over the tumult. "Oops, sorry about that."

Sarah. I should've known.

Hands stroking Jen's back, Emily whispered gleefully, "So how do you feel?" Her words were punctuated by a splash when a fair-haired ghoul flopped down beside them, facing the other way.

Jen didn't know whether to chuckle or moan. "I feel... green."

"You look it."

As Emily pulled back to make some witticism, Jen made her move. In a single decisive motion she reached sideways and yanked the blonde ghoul's ripcord.

A Welsh-accented voice groaned, "Oh that's just typical, that is," and then welters of purple gloop were showering Jen's side. Jen, however, had known it was coming, and had time to turn her face away. Emily had no such luxury, and for a few precious seconds flailed blindly. The merest nudge was enough to tip her backwards into the goo.

*****

Sarah watched Jen's exploits with grudging admiration. Gelatinous threads dripped from her friend's figure, strands of saturated hair swaying like wind chimes just above the newly-formed swamp, yet Jen was already plunging back into the mayhem.

I suppose I ought to feel bad for doing this to her.

I don't though.

Smirking, Sarah directed her glooper over the wriggling mass of bodies. A dial on the barrel's side let her switch between anything from a wide, sputtering torrent to a pinpoint beam for targeting select individuals. It felt good to be in control, to stay dry while orchestrating slime onto everyone else. It was, she reasoned, no less than she deserved. After all, had it not been her plan which had accounted for four ghouls and counting? As though to emphasise her point, a fifth went up in a screaming burst of custard. Seeing Jen recoil, half her body bathed in the stuff, Sarah murmured with delight.

This is the best idea I ever had.

*****

From atop her pedestal Lena sent streams of custard arcing over the crowd below. She tried to be generous with it, alternating broad sweeps with short periods where she'd pick out a single ghoul and douse her utterly. At first she'd been careful to avoid Jen as much as possible, but by now everyone down there was so thoroughly gunged that it was becoming difficult to tell them apart.

A slender blonde crawled to the foot of Lena's podium, braced herself against the side, and somehow got to her feet. We can't have that. Finding her hair suddenly full of custard, the ghoul gave her a dazed look.

"Sorry," Lena called down, "just doing my job."

Another squirt sent the ghoul stumbling back, slimy curtains trailing from her arms, but still she wouldn't give up. Rolling away, she pointed at Lena and declared, "Right, now I've got you just where I want you!"

Chuckling, Lena hosed her again. I like this girl. Deciding this one deserved to gunge her, she was about to abandon the podium and join in the fun when Jen popped up behind her spirited foe, pulled her ripcord, and skidded away. Stunned, the blonde emitted a shrill wail as her outfit began to react, liquid blue ribbons unfurling in every direction.

Oh. Somewhat disappointed, Lena noticed a voice rising above the melee. "Fall back!" yelled the ghoul's leader.

Payback, mused Lena, was sweet indeed. Most of these girls had gunged her at some point today, but now the dreaded hunters were crawling over each other in their rush to flee. The streams from her and Liz's gloopers inadvertently collided above the centre of the hollow, creating a flickering nimbus that showered gunk in every direction. A familiar shriek revealed Jen standing directly beneath the point where the streams met. Sarah eagerly added some green to the mix, reducing poor Jen to wiggling helplessly amid a roiling pillar of gloop.

Noticing the remaining ghouls scrambling back up the incline, Lena switched her aim. The two she managed to dislodge ended up propped beside each other at the slope's base. Straightaway Jen pounced, sitting astride the nearest one while groping frantically for the drawstring.

Lena watched proudly. Jen didn't really need to get that close, it just looked more fun. No sooner was the first ghoul beaten, though, than the second rolled onto Jen's back, sandwiching her. Pink goo doused Jen's front half, indigo her back, and along her sides the two shades warred with frenetic vigour. Engulfed in slime, Jen squirmed as though trying to swim out from between them. The sight made Lena laugh so hard she thought she might give herself hiccups.

Squirts from the gloopers shifted the topmost ghoul a fraction, letting Jen pivot onto her back. Messy ricochets obscured contestant and ghoul alike, but then an indigo aurora surged through the flickering veil. Soon afterward a drenched woman staggered away, gloop leaking from her tattered wetsuit.

At last Lena lifted her foot from the pedal. One by one the cannons fell silent, though Sarah made sure to get in one last 'accidental' splash. It was as though a slime-filled meteorite had struck the yard's southern end. Goo lay everywhere, sloshing ankle-deep at the ramp's base, and here and there defeated ghouls were crawling away, some struggling like larvae from their ruined costumes to reveal gym-clothes or swimsuits underneath.

Jen was a sight to behold. Her pink bikini had been buried beneath shifting layers of slime, glistening spectrums that oozed smooth and thick over her contours. There was a sucking sound as she peeled herself from the ramp, then with a shiver of disbelief cupped her hands beneath her chest, watching in awe as vivid globules drooled hypnotically onto her palms.

"That..." said Jen, panting, "was insane."

Lena was about to respond when movement caught her eye. At first she couldn't quite put her finger on it, but then she noticed Liz's glooper angling slowly toward her. She was up to something. Thinking quickly, Lena stilled the urge to say something. Relax. Play it cool. She doesn't know you know. Carefully she pondered her options, weighing the consequences and implications of each... then decided 'screw it' and went with her first instinct.

*****

Arms stretching above her head, Sarah affected a yawn before leaning against her turret to watch Jen's sodden approach. "Not bad, Jenny," she called, "but you let some get away."

Jen's eyes twinkled. "Yeah? Maybe if you hadn't been sliming me so much...."

Noticing her teammate still approaching, Sarah waved a solitary finger. "Now don't get any ideas."

Jen tried to look innocent. "Ideas?"

"Don't pretend you don't want to slime me."

"Now why would I possibly want to do that?"

"Couldn't say. Just remember your promise."

"Yeah yeah, I know." Brightening, Jen extended her slimy hands. "You just looked like you could use a hug, that's all."

"Thanks, I'm good," Sarah replied dryly. "In fact I'm more than good. We must've wasted at least half of them. Don't you see - we can win."

Jen waved dismissively, blobs flying from her fingertips to speckle the turret's side. "Come on, Sarah, nobody ever wins."

"We will."

"No we won't!" Jen replied laughingly. "Like I said before, you're missing the point. We're not here to win."

Sarah sniffed. "I don't make a habit of losing."

"Who said being slimed was losing?"

Sarah looked askance at her teammate. "Well... the rules of the game, for one?"

Wringing ooze from her hair, Jen shook her head patiently. "You really don't get it, do you?"

"Whatever," replied Sarah, her tone implying the matter was closed, "I'm just saying it should be plain sailing from here on out, so long as nobody does anything stup-"

The whoosh of a firing glooper silenced her.

*****

Liz's face froze in an image of exquisite astonishment. The spout of custard had landed between her collarbones. Thick, slick, and smooth as cream, it fanned across her bosom and rolled in wet cavalcades down her stomach.

Lena tittered happily and eased off the pedal. She'd been aiming for Liz's face, but this was just as good. Recovering, the blonde fixed her with a glare. "And what happened there?"

"Sorry, my foot must've slipped," Lena replied with a grin. She knew that one of two things were about to happen. Either Liz would realise they were both defenceless up here on these podiums, and that any escalation would see them both drenched, or else-

A flowing pink pennant sprang from Liz's glooper, linking the two women across the divide. Lena jolted on feeling gunge splat against her shoulder, strawberry-sized blobs dappling her hair and face.

"Oops," Liz said pointedly, "looks like mine slipped too."

"Must be a design fault," Lena mused. Liz squeaked as yellow muck splattered her hips. "See, there mine goes again."

Gooey pink tendrils wrapped around Lena's legs. "You may be right," said Liz, gunge still dribbling from the nozzle of her glooper.

Soon all pretence was abandoned. Streaks of pink and yellow slime sailed between the pedestals. Hips wiggling, Lena felt it start to colonise her skin. Her little white bikini, at once daring and innocent, was already patterned with liquid pink swishes.

Liz was making a strange keening noise. Always the more self-conscious of the two, she was squirming at her own plight while at the same time revelling in what she was doing to Lena. Grimacing as custard slapped against her midriff, Liz tried deflecting it with her hands but succeeded only in shattering the spout into countless spinning globs. Now with her whole front being splattered, the blonde yelped and withdrew her arms, only to gasp as the reunified stream reconnected with her waist. There was no escaping it.

A slimy puddle was forming around Lena's feet. Things, she noted, were getting rather messy, but a chance to gunge Liz was always worth it.

A cry from Jen interrupted her thoughts. Once again ghouls were pouring down the slope, spraying slime in all directions. One look at them and Lena knew this time would be different. Their expressions were determined, their motions purposeful. They had a plan.

By descending three abreast they forced the contestants to split their fire. Jen leapt fearlessly at them, but only one ghoul met her challenge. The rest, Lena realised with a shiver, were making for the podiums.

Sky blue trails leapt upward, caressing her legs and midriff before breaking against her bikini top like waves upon dunes. Lena creased up laughing.

"Ha! Like that, is it? Take this!"

Exhilarated, she angled her glooper onto the heads of the ghouls below. In the brief respite she noticed Liz twisting and groaning, glistening jets shooting all around her. Sarah was doing all she could, the vivid beam of her glooper zipping across the pool, but it wasn't enough. Lena's lower body was getting thoroughly covered, a few globs even making it as far as her face. The angle made some ghouls miss entirely, their wobbling plumes hovering in mid-air before tumbling back down - often onto the person who'd fired them.

Lena tipped back her head and squealed with laughter as blasts of blue and yellow goo shot up her stomach and splattered beneath her breasts. "Haha! That tickles!"

Eyes shining with mirth, Lena resumed firing. Choosing targets was becoming difficult, to the point where she was mostly just cheering and firing in random directions. She was dimly aware of two slime-sheathed figures falling into a giggling heap at the pool's centre, just before orange fountains sprouted from the one on the left. The other stood drunkenly, swept long hair away from her face, and peered round. It was Jen, and now she was waving and shouting.

"Liz! Lena! Get out of there. They're coming up behind you!"

Looking to her right, Lena saw two cat-suited ghouls making for the steps leading to her pedestal. They were trying to cut her off. Speed was of the essence, yet Lena lingered. Staying meant elimination, but this seemed as good a way to go as any. With only a few more seconds to make up her mind, Lena glanced around - and saw Liz racing toward the outpost. The sight made her decision for her.

Liz and I have unfinished business. No, elimination will have to wait.

Reluctantly abandoning her glooper, Lena skipped gracefully down the steps. Reaching the ground, she squeaked on feeling green gunge douse her side. The ghouls were closer than she'd thought. Leaping away, she darted for the outpost, but was brought short by a voice beside her.

"Um, excuse me?"

Turning, Lena found one of the defeated ghouls only a few feet away. Having discarded her wetsuit, she stood now in a plain t-shirt over a buttercup-yellow swimsuit, all liberally smeared with blue slime. Yellow muck streaked previously-silky blonde hair.

Lena grinned in recognition - it was the persistent ghoul from earlier. "Hi," she said, "what's that you've got there?"

It was obvious that the ghoul carried a pair of huge pies, but Lena was happy to play along. She had a suspicion as to where those heaped mounds of custard and whipped cream were going to end up.

"Sorry, we're meant to keep out the way when we're beaten... but, er, would you mind?"

Lena's decision was an easy one. She'd gunged this girl mercilessly, and remembered how great a sport she'd been about it. After pretending to think, she chuckled softly and let her arms fall to her sides. "Alright then."

Still the ghoul seemed unsure. Meanwhile, sounds of pursuit were getting closer. "What's the matter?" Lena said breezily. "Do I look like I'm afraid to get messy?"

Shaking off her pensiveness as though it were a veil, the blonde stepped closer, eyes agleam.

The pies pressed like absurd earmuffs against Lena's head, splurging through her hair and raining glistening gobbets into her cleavage. Fronds of thick custard daubed her face, oozing ponderously down her cheeks as the paper plate bases fell away. A puff of whipped cream fell from her right temple, triggering a miniature avalanche that slalomed down her breast, leaving trails like shooting stars on her stomach and leg.

I deserved that. Blowing white flecks from her lips, Lena gave the ghoul a quick hug before bounding away toward the outpost.

*****

It was all going horribly wrong.

Sarah swung her glooper horizontally, its emerald beam sweeping the pool like a sonar display. Ghouls reeled and slipped, but got straight back up again.

Damn it, I may have underestimated these girls.

Ahead, in what was quite possibly the most laughable pursuit in history, a ghoul was chasing Jen through the swamp. Actually, 'chasing' was probably the wrong word. It implied speed. This was more 'aggressive wading'. Knee-deep slime reduced both girls to a comically slow pace, yet still neither could manage more than a few paces without slipping into the muck.

Sarah's firing was becoming increasingly wild. With her teammates fleeing, it fell to her alone to hold back the ghouls, but however many times she sent them tumbling into the swamp, they just kept coming.

Bedraggled but undaunted, Jen tottered through the maelstrom. Spatters blossomed upon her curves, ghouls fell in tangled heaps at her feet, yet she seemed hardly to notice. It occurred to Sarah that if she stopped firing now, Jen would be eliminated for sure. It was momentarily tempting, but she didn't want those ghouls getting any closer than they already were.

"Jen, hurry up! I can't hold them much longer!"

Finally Jen reached the pond's edge, but no sooner had she extricated herself than arms grabbed hold of her waist, making her yelp in shock.

"Jen, duck! Now!"

Jen reacted almost instantly. The glooper spoke, and green gunge unfurled from the ghoul's face and neck, sending her stumbling backward. Jen, her back painted green, scrambled onward to safety, giving Sarah a grateful nod as she passed.

Great, that's everyone. Now to get the hell out of here...

Liz's voice came from behind her. "The door - it won't open!"

The words turned Sarah's blood to ice. "What?"

"She's right," called Lena. "There's a keypad - we have to crack a code."

"Oh my God, be quick! They're almost on me!"

"Don't worry," Lena replied, "I'm good at this sort of thing."

"Just hurry!"

Why didn't I check the door earlier? We've wasted so much time...

The glooper worked non-stop, but still the ghouls gained ground. Twisting the dial, Sarah directed a monumental blast onto a too-clever brunette who'd been trying to tiptoe around the pool's edge. Her target tottered, arms spinning like windmills, before splashing into the slop.

Yet still they came. Sarah made them work for every inch of ground, but the glooper couldn't be everywhere at once. While she hosed one on the left, another on the right would slither forward, and then when she switched targets the one on the left would advance again. There was no stopping them.

Sarah whimpered on seeing a ghoul lift her arms and fire, but the resulting squirts fell mercifully short. Face set in grim determination, she turned the glooper on the one who'd fired, forcing her back, but already others were trying their luck. They aimed high, no-doubt hoping some would arc over the plastic screen and onto Sarah, but again it didn't quite reach her. This time, though, the patter of liquid on plastic rang out - they were close enough to hit the screen.

Sarah's breaths came in shallow gulps. A little closer and she'd be in range. Kneeling there in only a few patches of fabric, she felt horribly powerless. This was different than before: when the blob had got her she hadn't seen it until the last moment, but here she had to watch her enemies creep closer and closer. It wouldn't be long now.

One ghoul had begun hauling herself out of the pond. Recognising the grey-eyed leader, Sarah hosed her mercilessly. If any of them made it to solid ground they'd be on her within seconds.

Seeing the lead ghoul slide back into the goo, Sarah allowed herself a satisfied grin. Just then something whooshed past her left shoulder, sending wisps of golden hair fluttering. Phew, that was close, it almost... Then she felt it, slick wetness along the side of her arm. No sooner had she registered the translucent yellow smear than a pink spray thudded against the screen in front of her, prompting a plaintive yelp as blobs flew through the loophole and onto her wrists.

Nose crinkling with revulsion, she spied the ghoul who'd dared do that to her. Within moments the woman exploded into giggles, an umbrella of green slop unfolding from her midriff. Swinging the glooper, Sarah sent two more ghouls twirling theatrically into the muck.

Stay calm, Sarah, stay calm. It's only a few blobs. The door'll open any second now.

Sensing victory, the ghouls struggled onward, moving on hands and knees where they had to. Dimly aware that there were damp threads running through her hair, Sarah flung herself down as a purple salvo obscured the glooper's view screen. A bizarre game of peek-a-boo developed - Sarah bobbing up long enough to find a target, then jolting back to avoid the hails of goo that followed. Unaccountably, she realised she was grinning. This was actually quite fun.

"Ha! You might as well give up now!" Sarah taunted. "This is me you're dealing with. Nobody beats - argh!"

Gel-like slime draped purple webs over her forearms before splashing into her lap. It had been a perfect shot, arcing gracefully over the barrier. If the ghouls were close enough to do that, Sarah realised, she didn't have long.

Everything became a blur. It was like some ridiculous parody of a war movie. The glooper worked tirelessly, mowing down ghoul after ghoul, but lashings of slime were besieging her little fortress now. Most of it went wide or splashed against the turret - most, but not all.

Slimy ribbons caressed her sides and braided her hair. Bright yellow blobs sprinkled her hip, tugging at the knot of her bathing suit before dripping down her thigh and tickling her upturned foot. Pink and blue flecks landed like petals on her brow just before lime-green gloop arrived in a mini meteor shower, splattering thick and slimy on her chest and merging with the custard oozing down her face.

Tittering hysterically, Sarah found herself kneeling higher. Little by little she stopped thinking about protecting herself. An orange spout struck her upper arm and splashed outward, covering the side of her little white bikini top. Giggling, Sarah decided that, in retrospect, her choice of attire might've been a little too skimpy. The exposed sides of her breasts tingled where slime splashed them, the goo funnelling through her top virtually uncontested.

Even worse, the lead ghoul had pulled clear of the swamp while Sarah was distracted. Seeing no need for subtlety, the green-painted brunette flew right at her, plainly itching for revenge.

Yelling her defiance, Sarah fired one last time. Her target was too close though, the slime bouncing off the charging ghoul and spraying back onto Sarah herself. Squealing, she released the pedal and slid backwards. Propped on her elbows, she tried scrambling away, but before she knew it the ghoul was astride her. Palms rising, she managed to fend off the intended hug, but had no defence against the sprayers. Slime burst like liquid fireworks upon her body.

This wasn't her. It couldn't be. She'd never do something this ridiculous. Feeling light-headed, she became dimly aware of cheering behind her, followed by Liz's imperious tones, "Quick, the door's open!"

But it was too late. Sarah looked up into those mesmerising grey eyes, tranquil islands surrounded by seeping green seas, and realised she was about to be eliminated. "You can't," she moaned, half joking, "I was so close."

Gunge rained down remorselessly. Beaming, the ghoul swatted Sarah's arms aside and leaned in for a hug. Sarah tensed, eyes squeezing shut, but then, inexplicably, the ghoul stopped short.

"Well," said Jen, "this is a dilemma. Hey, Emily."

Having appeared from nowhere, Jen held the ghoul's ripcord between her fingers. Overcome with relief, Sarah tried to jerk herself free, but the ghoul's thighs were clamped around her hips. "Jen, thank God. Quick, I can't move."

Jen peered down at her. "Sorry, Sarah, it's not so simple."

"What? Come on, zap her."

Still frozen in place, Emily's gaze flitted between the two contestants. She looked understandably perplexed. Meanwhile, the remaining ghouls were clambering out of the swamp.

"Jen, come on," Sarah pleaded, "we don't have time for this!"

Yet Jen was in no hurry. "Sorry, there's nothing I can do. If I pull this string, slime'll go everywhere - a lot of it onto you...."

Not far away, the fastest of the ghouls were wobbling upright, glutinous torrents sluicing from their costumes. A note of hysteria crept into Sarah's voice. "I don't care, I'm messy already. Just do it!"

"Better release me from my promise."

"Your what? Oh... no, you can't mean..." After all she'd done to her today, the thought of giving Jen free rein was enough to make Sarah shudder, but what choice did she have? "Ugh. Okay, okay, I release you, just please get me out of here."

A wicked grin spread across Jen's face. Emily closed her eyes expectantly, and then yelped as reservoirs of gunk began bursting inside her costume. A second later and it was spraying everywhere. Trying to ignore Jen's laughter, Sarah wriggled, pouting, amidst a hail of green gobbets.

While Emily crawled giddily away, Jen helped Sarah to her feet, put a friendly arm around her shoulder, and led her to the exit. Liz and Lena were practically jumping up and down, screaming for them to hurry, and they staggered past the threshold with only moments to spare. The door hissed shut behind them, leaving the ghouls thwarted on the other side, and then all was quiet save for the pitter-patter of falling blobs. They'd made it.

Still awash with adrenaline, Sarah shivered as she wiped herself down, skimming great handfuls of slop from her skin. Despite faring better than the others - Jen in particular - she'd still been well and truly splattered.

Lena flicked a blob of whipped cream from her shoulder. "Nice plan, Sarah."

It was hard to tell whether Lena was being ironic or not. "Uh, thanks," Sarah replied, panting. "Can't say everything went exactly to plan, but still... at least... I... There was no keypad on that door!" Seeing the looks the others exchanged, she glared at each of them. "How long was it open?"

Jen looked away, trying to keep a straight face. Sarah rounded on her, and as soon as she'd turned her back heard Liz and Lena struggling not to laugh. "Unbelievable. You guys. I am so going to-"

Abandoning all pretence, her companions dissolved into hysterical giggling. Sarah tried to summon the requisite anger, but every attempt ended in wordless titters. She squeaked as her friends leaned in around her, muttering half-hearted apologies as they fussed her hair and wiped her down. They seemed to be adding more slime that they removed, probably deliberately, but Sarah couldn't help but relent. The joke had been on her in the end, but it had been a good trick, and in truth it was only now she'd been slimed that she truly felt part of the team.

Even so, she spared a calculating glance for Jen. Now liberated from her oath, Jen was probably the biggest single threat to her hopes of victory.

She's wanted to mess me up from the very beginning. She'll try and get me... unless I get her first.

Sarah made her decision. Her friend's luck would run out soon. She would make sure of it.

To Be Continued....