Faced with yet another dead end, Annabelle sighed. The labyrinth was getting the better of them. Nearby, Ellie twirled the neck-string of her little white two-piece, tipped her heart-shaped face skyward, and giggled. "We are sooo hopeless."

Annabelle was inclined to agree. This was becoming ridiculous. It had been ten minutes since the team had divided, yet they were still in the maze, a feat accomplished by a quite astounding display of collective navigational incompetence. With everyone having assumed someone else was in charge, they had milled aimlessly about until someone finally spoke up. Holly was now in semi-official command of the plucky but directionless quartet, yet seemed to be faring no better.

"Do any of us actually know where this 'bakery' is?" Annabelle enquired. Nobody seemed in a hurry to answer. That probably wasn't a great sign.

There was a demure cough from Lucy. "Um, I thought Holly did?"

Holly swept back her flaxen hair and gazed across the labyrinth, seeking inspiration. Friendly and vivacious, with hourglass proportions and warm hazel eyes, her sunny outlook was reflected in the vibrant tones of her tropical-print bikini. At length she waved in a vaguely south-easterly direction. "Over there, I reckon."

Annabelle sighed. "Girls, we may have to face the fact that we're a tiny bit rubbish."

"Perhaps we should go back and start again?" offered Lucy, doing her best to be helpful.

"And say what?" replied Annabelle. "Sorry we didn't find the key, we got lost after thirty seconds? We'd never hear the end of it."

Holly stared wistfully at the ranks of charcoal-grey barriers between them and the maze's edge. "It isn't even that far," she murmured. Then she straightened, a hand slapping against her forehead. "Girls, we've not been thinking outside the box."

Ellie squinted. "What box?"

Beaming proudly, Holly gestured to the nearest wall. "Why don't we just climb over?"

The others were silent a moment. It was one of those suggestions which, once spoken, seemed so obvious that nobody knew why they hadn't thought of it themselves.

When Ellie spoke, she spoke for them all. "Let's do it."

*****

Back in the manor house, the man in black paced up and down the control room. This was always a nerve-wracking time. The plans were laid, but only time would tell how they played out. So rarely could they put on a show like this. Paying customers tended to use the facility for paintball or assault courses, and even those who braved the arena usually opted to use water instead of gunge. In truth they made hardly any profit from the gunge game, what with all the preparation and clearing up involved, yet everyone still counted it as their favourite event.

The background buzz of a hairdryer finally ceased, at which point Belle swept into the room, passed him without even a glance, and sat at her desk. She'd changed back into her own clothes and bound her tawny hair into a bun. Hearing an update from one of the spotters, she donned a radio headset and issued a curt reply.

"So you're back."

Belle didn't look up. "I'm not talking to you," she said, her lips barely moving.

"You did ask to meet the team."

"Not from inside a gunge tank!"

"So you are speaking to me."

"I... no, I..."

A fresh tack was required. Belle must've known what awaited her the moment he suggested she get changed, though of course she'd never admit such a thing. He lifted his hands, palms facing outward in a conciliatory gesture. "Alright, that's fine... So there'd be no point in giving you Jo's message?"

Curiosity soon got the better of Belle, who snorted in annoyance before turning to look at him. "Okay, you win. What message?"

"Some contestants are headed toward the bakery. Joanna heard what happened to you and wanted to extend a little invitation."

"Me? Go inside the arena? Forget it." Returning to her screen, she began typing noisily.

"Of course, should've known you'd say that. I'll tell Jo to carry on without you." He paused, pretending to examine a nearby monitor, before clicking his fingers as though he'd just remembered something. "Oh and by the way, the one who gunged you is with them."

The typing stopped.

*****

Cupping her hands, Lucy gave Annabelle a bunk-up over the maze wall. This one marked the maze's edge and was a little higher than the others, to the point where she couldn't see the teammates who'd already gone across. Not being especially tall, Annabelle scrambled a little to get her legs over the top, but then with a grunt disappeared over, the others helping to ease her down on the other side.

Lucy was the last. Soon one of the others would pop up to help her over, but for a brief moment she was alone. She paused, collecting her thoughts. The fact that this was really happening was still hard to process. I'm really here. I'm in the arena. I've actually let myself in for this.

She realised she was doing it again. Her right hand lay across her flat stomach, while the left had snuck to the top of her right arm. She'd hunched her shoulders too, as though trying to make herself small while covering as much of her body as possible. It had been Kelly who - through sheer force of personality - had convinced her to enter the dome in nothing but a string bikini, a fact that was still ever-so-slightly terrifying. It wasn't as though she hadn't worn one before, but even so, she normally sought out secluded beaches or went with a group of friends so as to hide in the herd. Her friends would often try to convince her that she had nothing to be embarrassed about, and in all honestly part of her knew that they were right, though sometimes knowing something and believing it were two very different things. All her life, her instinct had always been to avoid drawing attention to herself. To be out here now, wearing this, knowing what was coming... well, it was madness.

Inwardly, Lucy scolded herself. Kelly had talked her into taking the plunge, true, but it wasn't as though she'd been forced. She smiled on recalling what Kelly had said to her earlier, before the group had divided. The glamorous brunette had strutted up to her, bemoaned that they were on different teams and then with a twinkle in her eye instructed Lucy not to get eliminated until the group reunited, as she wanted to see her get messy. Come to think of it, Lucy had a suspicion that if they'd been on the same team, Kelly would have completely ignored the job of finding keys and just sought out a spot for them to have a gunge fight. Picturing it in her mind's eye, her smile broadened.

Look at me. Kelly wouldn't be huddled up trying to hide, she'd be bouncing about, not caring who saw her. Lucy paused. Slowly she straightened, set her shoulders back, and forced herself to lower her arms to her sides. Feeling the sun against her skin, she took a deep breath.

Holly appeared behind the maze wall and reached out to her. "Hey Lucy," she said brightly, "you good?"

Lucy nodded. "I'm good."

With that Holly helped her up and over the wall, leaving the maze behind.

*****

A solitary toe broke the pool's placid surface. The resulting ripple spread outward, dissolving Liz's reflection into a shimmering mirage. From the water's edge, Jen watched the blonde take a graceful step back before diving in, her long body cutting through the water with barely a splash, to emerge at the pool's centre in a flurry of sparkling droplets. Blinking, Liz flicked back her hair and smiled at Jen. "Come on in, the water's gorgeous."

Situated beside the gnarled gatehouse, the pool was certainly enticing. Nourished by a whispering waterfall from a crest on the northern shore and with warm mists weaving through the luscious fronds that skirted the waterline, it was an unexpected oasis in the middle of the grey maze.

Jen strolled over. "Sure, why not. I'm dressed for it, after all."

Since waving off the temple and bakery teams, she and Liz had found themselves killing time. Sarah, having appointed herself commander-in-chief, had insisted on conducting a detailed analysis of the map before beginning any search. She was still studying it now, though Lena was doing her best to hurry things along.

Jen crouched at the water's edge and began to swing her legs in. She knew full well that Liz was about to splash her, that innocent smile was a dead giveaway, but before the games could begin the soft whoosh of an opening door drew the pair's attention. Lena and Sarah emerged from the gatehouse. The latter shot Jen an urgent look. "Seen anything suspicious?"

"Nope," replied Jen, "all's quiet... for now." Those last words drew a flicker of annoyance from Sarah, who clenched her teeth as her gaze drifted to the labyrinth.

"Shall we get started?" asked Lena, who was practically hopping in eagerness.

"Wait here," Sarah commanded. Without offering any explanation, she marched off into the maze.

The others stared blankly as they watched her go. A few languid strokes brought Liz to the pool's edge, where she rested her arms on the side and propped her chin on the backs of her hands. "I take it she has a plan?"

"Wouldn't count on it," Lena said with a chuckle, "I heard she was expecting to drive tanks today."

Liz snorted with laughter. "Say what? She really thought that?" Her mirth quickly faded, presumably as it dawned on her that what they were actually doing was exponentially more absurd. "Gosh, she never struck me as the ditzy sort."

Jen grimaced. "Trust me, she really isn't."

Lena cast a sideways glance at her. "I also heard that a certain somebody convinced her to come along."

Suddenly Liz was interested. Pulling herself from the pool in one smooth motion, she tucked her neck-length hair behind her ears and padded over. "Ooh, gossip! I love gossip." With water streaming from her curvaceous form, she fixed her pale blue eyes on Jen. "Come on then, spill it."

"No, that's not..." Jen's voice faltered beneath the probing stares. The game was up. "Okay, so maybe I gave her a little encouragement, but she's doing this for charity, not for me."

Lena gave her a playful nudge. "But you do want to gunge her?" The involuntary glint in Jen's eye told Lena everything she needed. "So it's true! Hah, brilliant!"

Have I really been that obvious? Jen groaned, defeated. "Okay, okay, I admit it might be fun to see her get messy."

She'd hoped that would be the end of it, but Lena was inexorable. "And?"

"Alright, and maybe I'd like... okay love, to help things along a little - but only if she's cool with it."

Gossip successfully mined, the two Brits exchanged satisfied nods before Liz spoke again. "So Jennifer, anyone else you're planning to betray?"

Jen responded with a smiling glare. "You for one! How does it take a half-hour to put on a bathing suit?" She was about to compliment Liz on the one she'd finally chosen when an alarming notion reared its head. Her smile faded. "Does Sarah know?"

"Do I know what?"

Heads turned. Sarah stood at the clearing's edge, one hand planted on her hip - where a blue knot from her bikini bottoms peeked above her shorts. Taken aback, Jen fumbled for a response. "I... that is..."

Lena came to her aid. "Does Sarah know... that the pool is heated?"

Green eyes narrowing, Sarah eyed the shuffling trio. When she spoke there was an uncharacteristic stiltedness to her tone. "Why no, I did not know that. Thank you." Fortunately pride quickly overtook whatever suspicions may have been fomenting. "Come take a look, I've got something cool to show you."

As she stepped into the clearing, Sarah's other hand came into view. There was something shiny in her grasp. Jen stepped closer. It couldn't be... "What's that?"

"This, ladies, is the thing we've been looking long and hard for, these past three minutes or so." With a melodramatic flourish Sarah extended her arm, palm open, to reveal a glittering gold key.

Disbelieving, Lena skipped over for a better look. "Where'd you find that?"

"Noticed it on the way in. It was hidden in plain sight, right above where the maze began. Of course, I had to disarm a few traps...."

Lena's eyes widened still further. "Traps? What traps?"

Sarah counted on her fingers as though ticking off a mental check-list. "Let's see. There was this big green tank hidden above it, a few little squirty gizmos - to use the technical term - at the sides. Stuff like that. Plus there were these valve things in the walls. I think maybe slime was meant to start raining all over the place once I grabbed it. Still, nothing I couldn't handle. Et voila, juicy key-shaped goodness!"

"So basically you cheated."

"Pretty much."

Lena's brow furrowed. "Are we meant to do that?"

Sarah shrugged. "Who knows? But whatever, our job's done. We get to stay clean. I'll just go unlock the gate, then we can hang by the pool 'til the others get back." With that she sashayed past her teammates and disappeared inside. The others could only stand and watch.

At last Liz broke the silence. "You're right, Jen, she definitely isn't the ditzy type."

*****

Ellie cast one look at the low, rectangular building and shook her head. She examined the sign again, in case she'd misread. "Power plant slash bakery? Weird combination."

Beside her, Lucy grinned. "Makes sense to me. The scientists could power up their experiments and treat themselves to a nice space-pasty at the same time."

Annabelle chuckled, reminded once again of how utterly ludicrous this whole venture was. "Yeah, space-pasties, or perhaps a few space-croissants, or whatever the scientists of the future eat when they're not waking up slimy monsters."

"Or lounging about in swimwear for no reason," added Holly.

"That too."

The conversation was beginning to match the surreal dreamscape in which they'd found themselves. Having finally escaped the maze, they'd gone on to pick their way through an orchard of gargantuan, and patently fake, flowers. At the centre of each, nestled amidst tissue-paper petals, they'd found pulsating bulbs, each the size of a beach ball and filled to bursting with goo. They'd given the flowers a wide berth after that. Now, having finally reached their destination, they didn't quite know what to make of the nondescript structure before them.

"Quite the architectural marvel," noted Annabelle, her voice dripping with irony. "Who needs pyramids when we've got this?"

Colourless, clinically clean and cursed with a soulless functionality, the dour building screamed to be forgotten. Annabelle, however, was not easily fooled. It was the details that gave it away. A pipe the size of a water-chute emerged from the north wall, where it meandered toward the hulking palace in the distance. Another protruded from the south facing, this time slanting sharply to disappear underground. The only visible entrance, a set of double doors, was situated between two extensions which protruded like misshapen knuckles to right and left.

Something occurred to Holly. "When they say 'power plant', I take it they don't mean actual electricity?"

"I kind of doubt it," Annabelle replied patiently. "Health and Safety might have something to say about that."

Nose crinkling, Holly peered back at the building. "So what kind of power do they mean?"

"Let's find out," declared Lucy. Sweeping her long hair behind her shoulders, she strolled inside. Having initially struck Annabelle as the shy, retiring sort, Lucy was becoming more and more outgoing. Even the tiny gold bikini she'd been badgered into wearing no longer seemed to faze her as it once did.

Taking a deep breath, Annabelle followed. Light and airy, the interior was a single hall, the walls gleaming white and webbed with slender tubes. The most striking feature, however, was a folding screen of white slatted panels that carved the room in two, completely obscuring the eastern portion.

Ellie approached for a closer look. Though similar to Annabelle in height and build, her white-blonde hair had been tweaked and styled into the kind of choppy, artfully dishevelled state which no doubt took a long time to achieve. Prominent cheekbones tapered toward a small mouth and slightly cleft chin, giving her visage an almost feline quality. Lips pursing, she pressed her palm against the screen. The American's white-as-snow swimwear would have offered excellent camouflage, Annabelle noted, had it only covered a little more of her.

With a shake of her head, Ellie sighed. "Nope, it won't budge."

Treading warily, the quartet fanned out. Annabelle moved left and turned, intending to explore one of the extensions. Instead an apparition of a petite but curvy young woman in a light blue bikini materialised. Her surprised gasp morphed to an embarrassed mutter upon recognising her own reflection. A sheet of clear, slightly reflective acrylic sealed off the antechamber.

"See anything?" asked Holly.

Hmm, some hair out of place. Having corrected the parting of her chocolate-brown tresses, Annabelle tried to peer beyond the plastic, but to no avail. Whatever lay beyond was lost in darkness. "There's a room," she replied, "but that's about all I can tell you."

Lucy was peering into the other extension. "Same with this one," she called.

Ever the optimist, Holly clapped her hands together. "It's a start. Now all we need-"

The entrance slammed shut with a startling thud. Spinning round in alarm, Ellie yanked on the handles. Slowly she turned back to the others. "Locked."

A woman's voice, low but clear, emerged from behind the screen. "If you're wondering about the key, we might be able to help. If you can pass the test, that is."

That voice, where have I heard it?

"What kind of test?" asked Lucy, her voice wavering.

"Don't worry, it isn't so difficult. You just have to hold out long enough."

Annabelle shivered. Hold out? That doesn't sound good.

Trying her best to sound nonchalant, Ellie took the bait. "Hold out against what?"

The reply was immediate. "Why against us, of course." A steady drumbeat reverberated through the hall, upon which the screen began to buckle. The voice seemed on the verge of gleeful laughter. "And might I add that I'm particularly glad to see Lucy here."

The pieces fell into place. It was Joanna, the Gunge Ghoul who'd bantered with Lucy at the briefing. Annabelle glanced sidelong at her fidgeting companion. "Oh Lucy," she sang, "something tells me you're about to get gunged."

Eyes twinkling, Lucy moved toward the barrier. "I think we all are."

Clattering raucously, the screen folded in on itself to reveal a waist-high conveyor belt, beyond which stood four smirking young women. Joanna was flanked by two others Annabelle didn't recognise, but the fourth figure was Belle, the pretty technician they'd slimed before entering the arena. All wore the shortest black shorts imaginable, together with matching vest tops emblazoned with the Splatter Dome logo. A whirring sound drew all eyes to the conveyor, which had shivered into a steady crawl.

Once they'd exchanged nervous greetings, Joanna waved to the room in general. "I imagine you'd like an explanation for all this. It may shock you to learn that being a Gunge Ghoul isn't always the most glamorous of jobs." There were ironic gasps from the contestants. "Difficult to believe, I know. Most of our work involves looking like idiots, which is why we've been nagging our bosses for a game without all the costumes and makeup."

She's stalling us, Annabelle realised.

Over to the right, Lucy tipped back her head and laughed. Ellie groaned a few seconds later, then Holly. The reactions were flowing down the line from right to left. A moment later and Annabelle spotted the pies. Row upon row emerged from the southern hatch, where they moved along the conveyor in a slow but continuous crawl. Her stomach began to flutter.

"So this is it," Joanna said with a grin, "a good old-fashioned pie fight. Four against four. Last long enough and the door to one of the little rooms behind you will open. In there you'll find a valve. Turning it opens the second room, which is where you'll find the key. Then, if any of you are still standing, after a little more punishment maybe we'll be kind and let you go."

Annabelle was barely listening. The trundling line of pies now reached halfway across the hall. Lucy spoke up, though her bravado was undermined by the nervousness in her voice. "Hold on, aren't the sides pretty much even? W-who's to say it won't be us punishing you?"

Joanna waved a hand dismissively. "That won't be an issue," she stated, making it sound like a foregone conclusion. "The timer will start when the first pie is thrown."

Their competitive spirits beginning to smoulder, the teams shuffled forward. Joanna and Lucy made sure to stand opposite each other, the latter already tittering nervously as she made a quick check of her shiny gold bikini. She would need to be able to move freely to have any chance of beating Joanna - something she plainly longed to do. To Lucy's left stood Ellie, whose opponent could easily have been a doppelganger. Save for her hair, which was dark as opposed to Ellie's platinum blonde, the ghoul resembled her in everything from hairstyle to mannerisms. Both constantly tweaked their hair and tried their utmost to appear disinterested, in the apparent belief that this was the same as looking sophisticated. Belle, meanwhile, had made a beeline for Holly, who stood to Annabelle's right. The smile they exchanged was one part embarrassment and one part challenge.

Trying and failing to appear sincere, Holly made a placating gesture with her hands. "Okay, now Belle, you know that whole 'gunging you' thing wasn't personal, right? I mean, if I hadn't pulled that lever, someone else would. I just happened to be closest."

Belle tilted her head. "Oh I'm sure," she said with amused disbelief. "Guess you took no pleasure in it at all, right?"

Holly winked. "Heehee, course not. Just doing my duty."

Belle's gaze dipped to the conveyor as the pies began to move past. "Not to worry," she said, "something tells me we'll be even pretty soon."

Further on, Joanna gave her foe a theatrically evil grin. "So Lucy, you were pretty cocky back at the briefing. How about now? Feeling brave? Loving the bikini, by the way, I'm sure you definitely won't regret wearing that when the gunge starts flying." Seeing Lucy blush, she pressed on. "I mean really, I'm impressed. Most teams like to wear, you know, clothes when they enter the arena. Not you, apparently."

Lucy murmured bashfully, but then giggled and looked Joanna in the eye. "It's alright," she said with mock concern, "it's okay to be scared. I mean, I know you feel you have to wear all that protective gear to face us, but it's fine, we're not going to judge."

There were chuckles from contestants and ghouls alike. Joanna scoffed as though affronted, but gave Lucy an approving nod. No doubt she preferred it when her prey showed some spirit.

With the teams sizing each other up, Annabelle glanced down at her curves and felt momentarily exposed. I could've been sensible and gone for a boiler suit, but ooh no.

Hush descended. It was the quiet before the storm. She felt the colour drain from her cheeks. There was no escaping it, everyone in this room was going to get messy. Then she saw that same blend of excitement and trepidation mirrored on her foe's face. They were all in this together. This simple realisation eased her jangling nerves even as the pies crawled past, having traversed the whole length of the hall. The ghouls waited expectantly, apparently content to let them make the first move.

Slowly Annabelle licked her lips. Pies were about to fly. Feeling suddenly mischievous, she eyed the rolling mounds of cream and custard.

Should I?

Her own opponent had a Mediterranean look, with olive skin and sultry eyes. She watched Annabelle quizzically, one hand at her hip and the other swishing through her glossy black ringlets. Full lips curled into an inviting smile.

Oh, what the hell.

The woman let out an astonished gasp as yoghurt exploded over her right shoulder, blobs speckling her cheek while the rest slopped down her arm. Surprise rippled through the hall like a shockwave, everyone looking first to the commotion, then to their opponent, then to the pies.

Movement erupted. Muck flew. Shrieks and splatters rent the air. The fun had begun.

Annabelle had already thrown a second pie when the cool slap of whipped cream arrived on her torso. Emitting a shrill squeak, she glanced at the splodge sliding down her midriff and instinctively wiped at it, but managed only to smear it across her skin. Mesmerised, she paused to stare at the gunk seeping between her fingers, but a sudden cold splatter against her hip broke the spell. With pie crawling down her leg, her eyes returned to her gloating foe.

"Payback time," she said cheerily.

Her aim was good. The ghoul squeaked, half her head now buried in custard. Everywhere pies flew like comets, slick globules trailing in their wake. It was like an absurd game of dodgeball, muck-spattered figures twisting and frolicking in vain efforts to avoid the mess. Annabelle was in the thick of it, lobbing and receiving with equal gusto, specks of cream collecting in her hair and spattering cold kisses on her chest. The pies would often break-up in mid throw, the remnants forming a creamy snowstorm that dappled everyone. She tittered as a particularly gooey one struck her forehead with a loud splat. Mess splurged across her brow, obscuring her vision before raining into her cleavage. She recovered quickly, her natural feistiness coming to the fore, and soon her assailant stumbled back, a foam-filled disc obscuring her face.

While the ghoul flailed, Annabelle checked how the others were faring. The hall was a blizzard of flying slop. Though the ghouls' dark clothes were speckled white and yellow, their experience was beginning to tell. Gradually they were gaining the upper hand. Holly and Belle stood right at the conveyor, splodges decorating their hair like flowers as they traded pies at close range, squealing with each impact yet showing no sign of backing down. Meanwhile, Ellie's cool demeanour was in tatters; shuddering with squeamish laughter, she pawed at a glacier of melting cool-whip now crawling down her front. Finally, at the end of the line, Lucy and Joanna were demolishing each other mercilessly. Lucy was rapidly disappearing beneath mountains of cream and splashes of custard, yet she made no attempt to dodge or defend, instead focusing all their energies on slathering Joanna.

An immense pie connected with Holly's chin, the ensuing spray tickling Annabelle's flank. She was really starting to enjoy this now, and was about to make a sarcastic comment when a creamy snowball caught her square in the face. The world turned white. Wobbling drunkenly, she began to giggle while wiping at the muck. This escalated to a chortle when her opponent successfully dodged Annabelle's counterattack only to step into the path of another pie, which broke across the side of her head and sent arcs of thick yellow muck flaring across her cheek and forehead. The look of affronted shock on the ghoul's face was priceless.

"I meant that! Possibly," claimed Holly.

Hearing croons of delight from Lucy and Joanna, Annabelle looked over and quickly saw why. A fresh batch of mess was emerging from the hatch, this time in a selection of colours. Lucy resumed her messy duel with renewed vigour, bursts of mint green and pastel pink blossoming upon her body as she and Joanna twisted and threw, twisted and threw. Their motions were almost rhythmic, as though it were all a dance. Explosions of colour spread leftward as the conveyor droned on.

Seeing no further point in trying to shield herself, Annabelle decided to try throwing two pies at once. The results, while lacking in accuracy, compensated in sheer, unadulterated messiness. Rather satisfyingly - for Annabelle, at least - the ghoul didn't seem to have expected the game to get quite so mucky, and threw up her hands while muttering something in what might've been Spanish.

She was readying the next salvo when another pie flew out of nowhere. Annabelle gasped in surprise, blobs of butterscotch gracing her lips as the pie planted at the crook of her neck and oozed downward, the battered remnants clinging to her breast. Not wanting to put down the pies she held, she grinned and with a wiggle of her shoulders sent the remains plopping to the ground. The wreckage of spent pies now reached her ankles, yet still the blizzard raged. Glancing over she saw Ellie, her vision obscured by a pie still stuck to her forehead, somehow lose her bearings and splat a pie into Holly's side.

"Hey, friendly fire!"

Blinking, Ellie wiped the mess away from her eyes. "Oops, sorry," she said, not even trying to disguise her smirk.

"You will be." Laughing, Holly turned smartly and planted a pie atop Ellie's head, burying her neatly styled locks in a seething morass. Too surprised to speak, Ellie stood transfixed while Holly went on to sandwich her head between two huge flans. The resulting splurge briefly obscured the American's face, the custard dripping from her chin in ponderous globules and dislodging some of the collected muck from her chest in the process. The ghouls paused, surprised to find their job being done for them, before joining in gleefully. Gloop burst over Ellie's white bikini, eliciting a laughing whimper. Holly too took several hits to her exposed left side, the gunk spurting sideways to streak her midriff, but she was too busy giggling at Ellie to mind.

Again Annabelle had forgotten her opponent, who suddenly scored two hits in quick succession. Creamy pink and blue clouds squelched across her stomach, while more fell like sleet from the countless globs sailing through the air. It's like being in a snow globe, she mused. Dimly she became aware of a robotic voice announcing something about Kelly, but then almost screamed when a horn blared. The noise lasted mere moments, but she had a good idea what it meant. A glance back confirmed it - the plastic screen across the antechamber was gone.

I'm closest, guess this is my job.

Twisting, she felt pies land on her relatively clean back as she scrambled for the passageway. Within seconds she'd slipped on a paper plate and gone sprawling onto the slop-strewn floor. Pie-wreckage oozed deliciously beneath her, leaving her grinning goofily while more of the flying blobs rained upon her back. Soon she was giggling uncontrollably, which made her chest tremble and added to the oozing sensation, which just made her laugh even more. Slithering through the goo, creamy gobbets pattering around her, she finally made it to the passageway.

A light had come on in the annex, illuminating a series of pipes that snaked from the walls to converge in a compact knot at the floor's centre. From here jutted a wheel-shaped valve. Leaving a smudged trail in her wake, Annabelle manoeuvred around it until, finding a gap in the branching tubes, she lifted onto her knees and began spinning the wheel. From where she knelt, she could see some of the mayhem in the hall. The possibly-Spanish girl, deprived of a target, had switched her attention to Holly. She could only see Holly's left half, but from the splashes flying out around her it was clear she was now caught in a beautifully messy crossfire. Clearing her eyes, Holly turned her back to the conveyor, shoulders hunching as the barrage burst over her back. Ellie must have chosen this moment for revenge, for a hand seemed to appear from nowhere to splat a green pie into Holly's face.

Annabelle was so busy tittering at her comrades that the sprays of blue slime caught her completely by surprise. Karma, she decided, could be decidedly messy at times. Hailing from the ceiling, the thin streams showered her head and shoulders, and no sooner had she ducked when more squirted from the mass of pipes in front of her. Pink and watery, it splashed up her torso, warring with the blue tide that swept forth from her shoulders. With her hands clasping the valve, she could do nothing but squirm. The gunge did at least dislodge much of the whipped cream from her bosom, but washed it instead onto her lap.

"Hah!" she called to nobody in particular. "It'll take more than that to stop me!"

Smiling grimly she soldiered on, the mess intensifying with each circuit the valve made. Green slime, its consistency like shower gel, washed over her face and splashed onto her thighs, but her fingers never left the wheel. Thick custard spurted from left and right, eliciting a yelp as it bathed her hips and arced up her sides. The horizontal splashes collided over the middle of her body, forming a viscous river that flowed between her breasts and washed down her belly, but still the wheel turned. Pink gunk, thick and smooth, unfurled into a flower-shaped splash where it made contact with her head. Tilting forward, Annabelle watched it fall past her forehead. Her hair was plastered to her neck now, streaked with colour and riddled with clumps of cream. More coursed down her back in twitching torrents and dangled like strings of liquorice from her arms. Her grip was becoming slippery, but still she clung on. The robotic voice was speaking again, but the words were lost amidst hisses and splatters.

She was shuddering with mirth now, the ensuing jiggles sending slimy tassels squirming from her top. "Pah! This is nothing. You hear me? Nothing!"

Whoever controlled the gunge clearly took that as a challenge, and the thunderous blast that followed painted her royal blue. They clearly don't know who they're dealing with. Determined, some might say obstinate by nature, Annabelle simply refused to be defeated. Gunge bathed her from every side, sliding over her curves in slippery sheets, but she was relentless. At last the wheel jarred to a halt.

"See? Ha-ha, success! Look how easy that w-"

She flung up her hands and screamed as the gunge reached a crescendo. An orange plume poured down, aided by synchronised bursts from countless wall-mounted sprayers which spun as they fired, their neon-pink streams twirling in a concertina effect to coat her in syrupy sludge. On and on it went, slippery pulses rolling down her body in great gelid waves. She'd known today would be messy, but this...

The shriek faded as the gunge died away. Wiping her eyes, Annabelle peered at the slimy carnage around her. Had there really been so much just for her? Not a single patch of floor was visible. Rolling onto her haunches, her breaths coming in shallow gasps, she scooped handfuls of slop from her face. Already her lips were curling into a self-deprecating smile as she pictured what she must look like.

The cacophony of shrill laughter and squelching goo caught her attention. Clearly the pie fight was still in full swing. Beaming, Annabelle freed the gunk that had collected in her top, nose crinkling as tepid rivers slid down her stomach, and then tottered back into the fray.

*****

Lost in peaceful daydreams, Sarah reclined on a sun-lounger beside the shimmering pool. The sun was nearing its zenith. These temperatures were a welcome surprise, her image of England having always been one of drizzle and fog. The greenhouse effect of the glass dome helped, naturally, and it was hardly Hawaii, but it was far better than she'd expected. Judging it safe, she'd stripped down to her bathing suit to soak up some rays. Everything was proceeding like clockwork. Now all that remained was to wait for the other teams.

And not a drop of slime on any of us. Damn I'm good.

Gentle splashes disturbed the water each time Liz swam by. Jen and Lena had wandered off, having insisted on scouting the ruins again. If Sarah didn't know better, she'd almost suspect they were disappointed to have stayed clean. Just then she noticed the approach of quiet footsteps. Opening one eye a fraction, she found that Jen had returned and was hovering beside her. I know that look. She's working up the courage to ask something. In three, two, one...

"So Sarah, me and Lena were thinking. As, y'know, our job here's pretty much done, maybe we should go help the others?"

Sarah bobbed her shoulders. "Be my guest."

Jen hesitated, struggling for the right words. "Did you want to come too, to watch our backs?"

So that's it. Sarah concealed a grin. "No, I'm okay here, thanks."

With that dealt with, she resumed the important business of sunbathing. Jen made as if to speak, but then seemed to decide against it. After a few moments of shifting from one foot to the other, she finally perched on the edge of Sarah's lounger. "Actually, I've been meaning to speak to you. It's just... well, I don't want you getting your hopes up too much."

"Not sure what you mean," purred Sarah, luxuriating in the sun's warm glow.

"I still don't think you realise what happens in here," Jen persisted. "I think you've gotten it into your head that you're going to get out spotless, but it really doesn't work like that. Sooner or later everyone gets slimed, and I mean everyone."

"Sounds like a challenge."

"Believe it or not, most people who've been here said they enjoyed it."

Sarah snorted dismissively. "Takes all sorts, I guess."

"It's just... I mean, how many times in our lives are we going to get the chance to do something like this? Why not make the most of it?"

Lifting onto her elbows, Sarah looked at Jen as though she were a loveable but overenthusiastic pet. "Look, I don't want to be a killjoy, really I don't, but if I go my entire life without getting covered in green goo, I don't think I'll have missed out on all that much. Now if you want to go out there and get dirty, I'm not stopping you, but I fully intend to beat this little game." With that she laid back and closed her eyes.

*****

Defeated, Jen sighed and ambled away. Behind her, Sarah stretched out her legs and settled into the chair. The pint-sized blonde didn't look all that formidable, sunbathing there in her little designer bikini, but Jen knew how intractable she could be when her mind was set on something.

And what was more, she was smart. Very smart. In fact, Jen realised dejectedly, if anyone could emerge spotless from the Splatter Dome, it was Sarah.

*****

Back in the bakery, Lucy spluttered with mirth as another pie catapulted into her face. Mess sprayed through her hair, creating creamy braids that swung like pendulums. Vast globules dripped from her jaw to ooze down her front, where the outfit Kelly had chosen for her was buried under layers of custard topped with liberal smatterings of whipped cream. At least Joanna was looking no better, the pair having taken great pleasure in slathering one another.

Muck streaked the walls and lay in slippery pools upon the floor, but still the pie fight raged, the conveyor dispensing more and more ammunition to the frantic combatants. Seeing Joanna pause, tugging at her t-shirt to allow frothy blobs to slide out, Lucy took the opportunity to nail her with a pie, but then squeaked as runny slime began spattering her back. Sprinklers on the ceiling had activated, adding a fine pink drizzle to the snowstorm.

To her left, Ellie turned and grimaced. "Great. Like this wasn't messy enough."

It was all Lucy could do not to laugh; Ellie was almost unrecognisable. "I think Annabelle's managed to open the valve," she managed, having to raise her voice above the clamour.

Ellie nodded, and seemed about to reply when three custard pies hit her almost simultaneously, one low on her stomach, another on the side of her face, and the third coating half of her once-white bikini top. Emitting a quavering wail, Ellie tottered back against the wall.

Lucy grinned. This was exactly what she'd signed up for. She'd always wanted to appear on one of those gunge-filled game shows on TV, but had always been too shy to apply. Only yesterday she'd been knotted with nerves before meeting the rest of the team, but now there was no time to feel self-conscious. She felt like a different person.

She was next for the three-pie treatment, Joanna, Belle and Ellie's doppelganger coordinating their throws into one obscenely messy salvo. With custard torrents slipping down her curves, Lucy watched Joanna snigger. We'll see about that. Collecting a pie, she made as if to toss it but paused at the last moment, instead waiting until Joanna was about to throw one of her own before lobbing it straight into the blonde's face. Caught off-balance, Joanna gave a muffled yelp and slipped. Lucy didn't see her land, but the thick splashing sound and the globs of cream that came squirting up from behind the conveyor was satisfaction enough.

Her celebrations were halted, however, by a klaxon's brief wail. The other antechamber must have opened. That's my cue.

Before entering the passageway, Lucy couldn't resist taking a peek at her team. A constant hail of custard pies was keeping Ellie pinned against the wall, where she wriggled, head shaking helplessly, while endless volleys splattered her as though from a clown firing squad. Holly was on her knees, swiping in vain at the gunk seeping down her front, but Belle was adding mess faster than she could clear it away. Annabelle had reappeared at the hall's far end, her curvy frame drenched in multi-coloured gunk. Lucy's eyes widened. Oh my God, that's about to happen to me. Giggling nervously, her pace quickened on entering the short tunnel.

*****

Behind the conveyor, Joanna wiped her face and peered up at the ceiling. "She beat me," she murmured, disbelieving. "They never beat me."

*****

The antechamber contained only an upturned crate with a plunger on top. Wet hair hung in front of Lucy's face as she knelt over it. The sound from the pie fight was muted here. It was almost peaceful. Taking a deep breath, she gripped the plunger... and hesitated. She had a good idea what was coming. Plucking up her courage, she smiled and pushed down on the handle.

Despite expecting the gunge, Lucy still yelped as an immense yellow pillar enveloped her. The sensation of custard gushing smooth and oily over her skin made her squirm - at first shifting back, until the sudden rush of custard coursing between her breasts made her gasp and angle forward, sending the worst of it down her back instead. Head bowed to keep her face out of the torrent, she risked opening her eyes and saw pink flickers lace the buttercup cascade, squirting from nodes in the walls and filling the air with the scent of vanilla. Gooey tides sloshed around her legs and spread across the floor, until finally, once the torrents had dwindled to drizzling spatters, Lucy relaxed her shoulders and peered around. A sea of colour lay before her. The flow of it was almost mesmerising; though opaque where it collected, the gunk grew thinner and more translucent as it slid over her body, and now the tops of her legs were beginning to reappear as though from a mirage. Elsewhere slow rivulets crept down her chest, and with each intake of breath a few more drips were channelled down the middle of her stomach.

The final deluge caught her completely unawares. Green slime crashed like a wave across her back, its pulsing torrents saturating her hair and rushing over her shoulders like a liquid stole.

Utterly gunged, Lucy slid sideways and rolled onto her back, shaking with astonished laughter while a few last drops speckled her feet. She barely noticed a panel snap open on the back wall, revealing an oversized bronze key. Phew, I guess that means I did it?

Getting up wasn't easy with so much mess around. Wobbling drunkenly yet beaming with triumph, Lucy grabbed hold of the key, waved it to where she assumed the hidden cameras would be, and then tottered back to the hall. The noise of the pie fight returned. Sludge dripping from her brow obscured Lucy's vision, and it was only when she wiped her forehead that she saw Joanna vaulting over the conveyor to charge straight at her. Lucy barely had time for a confused yelp before being bundled to the ground, the key skidding away through the slush.

Sweeping the hair away from her face, she looked up to find Joanna straddling her. "You can't win," the ghoul purred, "we always get you in the end."

Sinking back, Lucy rested her head on the slimy ground and giggled. "Maybe you will." In a flash she wrapped her arms around Joanna's hips and rolled. Now it was Joanna who was pinned. "But not yet."

Joanna's shriek rose in pitch as Lucy exacted gooey vengeance.

*****

Over near the exit, Holly lay on her side like a curled up hedgehog. There was no respite from the bombardment. Everywhere was soft cream and oozing gunge, mirthful shrieks and giggling groans. She no longer had any idea what was going on. Suddenly something came skittering across the floor. It slid past Ellie's feet, which were encased within an ever-growing heap of pie detritus, and came to rest against Holly's thigh. Fumbling through the muck, her fingers grasped a long, irregular shape.

Is that what I think it is?

"I've found the key," she cried, sitting up excitedly. With a metallic snick, the doors behind her slid open. "We're free. Let's get out of here!"

Crawling for the exit, falling blobs tickling her back, she spotted Ellie, who by now was practically plastered to the wall, a dazed expression on her face. "Ellie, come on, run!"

At first Ellie just peered down in bewilderment, but then finally she noticed the key. With a wet squelch she peeled herself from the wall, leaving behind an Ellie-shaped clean patch, and together they scurried outside.

*****

Annabelle, however, was having far too much fun to notice any of this. She hopped to the conveyor, tucked her sodden hair behind her ears, and reached for another pie. The amount of mess hitting her seemed to have increased drastically. Whipped cream mingled with oily gloop, the concoction dribbling from her every curve. With blobs careening off her raised arms, she looked across to find her teammates gone.

"Huh? Where'd everyone go?"

The ghouls merely smiled, shrugged, and threw more mess. Noticing the open doors, Annabelle waded through the mucky whirlwind only to be confronted by yet more ghouls approaching from outside, these ones in costume and with sprayers at the ready. The others were nowhere in sight. This doesn't look good.

With elimination all but certain, it was a relief to see Lucy emerge from the far passageway, still engaged in a running battle with Joanna. A well aimed, or possibly just lucky pie from Annabelle went splattering over the latter's head, stunning her and leaving a gentle nudge from Lucy enough to send her sprawling into a conveniently placed mound of foam. Beaming, the two contestants rushed to each other and embraced.

Lucy placed her chin on Annabelle's shoulder. "The door?" she spluttered.

Annabelle shook her head. "It's no good. They're everywhere."

Lucy's smile was tinged with disappointment. "Oh well. I guess this is as far as we go."

Sensing victory, Belle and the other two ghouls climbed over the conveyor to close in on them. At that moment the first of their fully-costumed comrades appeared at the entrance. Annabelle huddled close to Lucy, expecting a drenching, but then chuckled as the newest arrival squirted Belle, who slipped onto her knees with a confused squeak.

Inspiration hit Annabelle like a thunderbolt. With everyone so covered in gunge, anybody on this side of the hall would seem a valid target to the newly arrived ghouls. This was their chance. "Friendly fire," she muttered.

"Huh, what?"

"Trust me, I've got an idea." She pointed to Belle. "That's it, get her!"

Suitably encouraged, the costumed ghoul fired again. Her kneeling target began to protest, but soon doubled up in laughter as purple gunge sloshed over her. Getting the idea, Lucy gestured to Joanna, who was struggling to her feet. "Her! She's one of them!"

Thick gloop sprayed into Joanna's hair, sending her tumbling back into the muck. More ghouls were arriving, each showering their own side in their excitement.

Lucy vaulted over the conveyor in a spray of pie fragments. "Annabelle, follow me, quick!"

Being a little shorter, Annabelle could only sit sideways and slide across the belt. Cold custard engulfed her bikini bottoms, making her gasp, but she was soon across. Supporting each other, she and Lucy struggled to the back wall, where an almost concealed door lay slightly ajar. Presumably this was where Joanna and her companions had first entered. With confusion reigning behind them, they made their escape.

*****

Sarah had leapt to her feet the moment the intercom sounded. Her tank top and shorts were back on within moments, and now she twisted this way and that, expecting ghouls in every shadow. Liz, by contrast, swam leisurely to the pool's edge, pulled herself out, and strolled to a nearby lounger. Droplets flashed like shards of crystal where they fell from her curvaceous form.

Singing a few notes to herself, Liz collected a towel and began to dry her hair. "I shouldn't worry too much," she said, sparing an amused glance for her hyperactive companion, "Kelly would've been on the other side of the arena by now."

It took an effort for Sarah not to shout. "But don't you get it? This means the ghouls are out. They could be anywhere."

Apparently Liz hadn't thought of that. She began drying herself rather more briskly. Just then another announcement sounded from the intercom. "Tasha has been eliminated."

"What?" The word was almost a squeal. Sarah's confidence had been badly shaken. "What's going on over there? They're dropping like flies!"

Then Jen appeared at the gatehouse door, a bewildered look on her face. "Girls, get over here! Something's changed. Come on, you have to see this."

To Be Continued....