Note: This chapter is a kind of mini-finale that closes out the first act. As such it's a little longer than previous entries and contains a lot of mess (arguably too much). It might benefit from being read in stages rather than in one go.

Part 5: The Gatehouse

Jen gazed wistfully from the tower's western doorway. Though she couldn't see the temple, concealed as it was by a dip in the landscape combined with a screen of lush vegetation, there was clearly something happening over there. Louise's elimination had just been announced, and had sent Sarah into a near panic. She'd never seen her friend so flustered, though naturally it hadn't lasted long; already Sarah was back in planning mode. Jen shook her head. Part of her envied Louise, not to mention Kelly and Tasha. They'd been eliminated, sure, but at least they'd had chance to play the game. So far Sarah's ruthless efficiency had left their group with little to do but lounge around. To Jen it seemed somehow wrong. She hadn't come all this way just to play safe, she wanted the full experience.

Absently she tapped the doorframe while running a finger along the black ties of her bikini top, brushing back her chestnut hair as she traced the string up to the knot behind her neck. Leaning out through the open door, she tilted her head skyward and for a moment closed her eyes, enjoying the sun's warmth on her mostly-bare skin. Around her the stunted grey tower rose from the arena's heart, skirted on three sides by the labyrinth, while to the north a semi-cylindrical passageway connected it to the palace. Warped and misshapen, a twisted fusion of cathedral and refinery, the palace scarcely deserved its name, but to win the game they would need to get through it - and the only way in was through the tower.

With the hubbub behind her growing louder, Jen turned back to her companions. Holly's recent arrival had caused quite a stir. Having burst through the eastern entrance covered in gunk and brandishing a key like a madwoman, the bespattered blonde now rested against the doorframe, trying to wipe herself down while Liz and Sarah bombarded her with questions. Jen watched with detached curiosity, doing her best not to chuckle at how seriously her teammates were taking all this.

"But where are the others?" Liz demanded.

"I thought they were right behind me," said Holly. She paused for breath. "Dunno if you noticed, but I was in a bit of a rush." Bunching her once-blonde hair, she began wringing out streams of goo.

Sarah did her best to sound hopeful. "Maybe they got lost?"

The intercom buzzed. "Ellie has been eliminated."

"Dammit! Maybe not."

Leaving the others to their interrogation, Jen took the key from Holly, who smiled in thanks, and then strolled to the northern corridor to unlock the second barrier. The neon bars slid back, leaving one last set between them and Melissa, who stood expectantly, her palms braced against the walls as though guarding the way ahead. She was penned in a makeshift cubicle formed from two sheets of clear acrylic that had slid from the walls, and just behind her a formidable set of blast doors marked the entrance to the palace.

Noticing the silent Aussie, Holly paused. Pointing with one finger, she glanced at the others. "Hang on, isn't that...?"

Sarah nodded. "Yep, one of our damsels in distress. Turns out she's switched sides."

"But aren't we meant to be rescuing her?"

"That's what I thought, too."

Jen caught the derision in her friend's tone. She'd hoped against hope that Sarah might start to relax and have fun, but it seemed it wasn't to be. The slender blonde leaned against the wall, arms folded, with a look of mild scorn souring her delicate features. Wait, was it just wishful thinking, or was that the barest hint of amusement on Sarah's lips? It could, in all honesty, have easily been a sneer, but at this point she was willing to cling to whatever shred of hope she could find.

Melissa's little pink bikini had caught Jen's eye - she'd already made a mental note to find out who designed it. Given her choice of attire, Melissa looked to be anticipating a sliming, but any questions to that effect had been met with polite obfuscation. The only nugget they'd been able to draw was that she'd tell all only if someone 'defeated' her, whatever that involved.

A sudden shriek rent the air. "Quick, seal the door!" cried Sarah.

"Wh-what?" Jen stammered. "Which one? Why?" Ignoring her, Sarah darted to the western wall and jabbed at the keypad.

Now Liz jolted. "Oh my God, she's right!" Then Jen spotted the heads bobbing through the maze to the west. None looked familiar, which meant only one thing: ghouls. As the door slid shut, Liz rushed to Sarah, her eyes wide with panic. "How many?"

"Lots."

Sarah stalked to the tower's centre and looked around, mouth tightening into a look of fierce determination. Knowing those big green eyes masked swirling currents of thought, Jen wasn't sure whether to be dismayed or impressed. Sarah never did anything by halves, and had clearly set her heart on beating the Splatter Dome.

Sensing the rising tension, Jen tried to defuse things. "Guys, seriously, there's no sense getting all worked up. I mean, the worst happens, we just get messy. Holly, that's not so bad, right?"

Holly's hourglass figure remained sheathed in translucent smears. Even the tropical tones of her bikini were muted, as though obscured by a thin layer of jelly. Still, she nodded. "Hah, it's quite funny actually."

Sarah seemed monumentally unconvinced.

By now Liz had regained some composure. "I hate to point this out," she interjected in that refined voice of hers, "but even if Nikki found the last key, and even assuming she isn't being horribly gunged right this minute," a manicured finger gestured to the sealed door, "won't she be coming back that way? How is she supposed to get in? Without Nikki, it's all over."

"Did I hear my name?"

Everyone turned toward the voice. There at the southern portal stood Nikki, beaming and astonishingly messy. Within moments Lena appeared behind her. "Hey girls. Miss us?"

Melissa was suddenly alert. At first Jen couldn't fathom why, but then she saw the object glittering in Nikki's grasp. She rushed over. "You did it!"

Nikki waved the key like a trophy. "Ta-daaa! Sure did. But tell me, y'all, how do I look?" Smirking, she struck a model-like pose.

Holly pouted, pretending to be annoyed. "I think you stole my look."

Looking her messy companion up and down, Nikki nodded with obvious approval. "Looking sharp. Guess we're the trendsetters."

While the gunge-covered pair grinned and made finger-guns at each other, Lena nodded cheerily. "Something tells me you might be right." Dark eyes swept the depleted band. "Is this all of us? Wow. But we've got all the keys, right? Wicked. Nikki, care to do the honours?"

"Sure thing." Splodges glistening in her wake, Nikki strode to the final barrier. She paused, however, on noticing the booth and its occupant.

"Long story..." began Sarah.

"She's evil now," called Holly.

"...Okay, so apparently not that long."

Nikki shrugged, waved a greeting to Melissa, and then clicked the key into place. The final set of bars whispered back into the walls, at which point there was a lazy squeak as the front of the cubicle swung open. Melissa's eyes glimmered with anticipation - now she was all that stood between them and the palace.

The rasp of scraping metal made Jen jump. Letterbox-shaped hatches had opened all along the northern passage. While Nikki moved back to the main chamber, Jen tiptoed to a hatch and peered in. A shiver of excitement ran through her. It was as she'd hoped - sloppy custard pies and wok-sized bowls of slime waited within. Something was coming.

Beneath the gunge tank, Melissa's stance shifted onto one hip. She flicked back her flaxen hair. "Nice going. I hear some teams don't even make it this far. There's bad news, though."

Sarah sighed wearily. "Enlighten us, please."

"You're not safe just yet." Melissa's soft voice was laced with mischief. "See those blast doors behind me? Those need a different kind of key."

Sarah folded her arms. "Such as?"

After a few myopic blinks, Lena gasped in sudden recognition. "It's you! I loved you in that intro-thingy. You know, when you dodged all those girls. Not that it did you much good, but still."

Melissa was suddenly coy. "Aww, thanks, always nice to get a good review. As for the last key, it's... well, I'm sure it's around someplace." With that she turned around, moving her head as though searching, and at the same time swept her long hair to the side, revealing an oversized plastic key tucked through the lateral string of her bikini top. She peeked mischievously back over her shoulder. "Well would you look at that? There it is. Y'know, thing is, I'm not sure I feel like parting with it. If you want it, you'll have to come and get it." Scattered murmurs began while she paused for effect. "But there's a catch - only one of you gets to come in here with me." Fingers tapping rhythmically against the cubicle walls, she scanned the assembled women. "So... who's up to the challenge?"

There was a long pause.

"Uh... guys."

Heads turned in astonishment. It had been Sarah, of all people, who'd spoken. Noticing their looks, she rolled her eyes. "No of course I'm not volunteering! I was going to say that we should seal up the other doors. Like Lena said, we've got all the keys."

Holly turned to the nearby control panel, but paused. "Hang on, what about Lucy and Annabelle?"

Sarah waved Holly's concerns aside. "I know, I know, but if they make it this far I'm sure they'll knock. I'd rather not take any chances." Seeing the issue as settled, she moved beside Holly and activated the controls, sealing the eastern door.

"I'm wai-ting," sang Melissa.

Seeing Lena about to volunteer, Jen jumped in first. "I'll do it." She gave Lena an apologetic smile before pointing to Sarah. "And you're going to help me."

*****

Not so far away, Annabelle and Lucy were in another of the arena's showers. As Ellie's fate was broadcast over the intercom, Annabelle cocked her head from beneath the spray. "Did you just hear something?"

"No, what?"

"Not to worry, just hearing things."

A minute or so later they were back on their way, moving furtively through the winding labyrinth. They ran with heads ducked low, hoping to avoid any prying eyes. This was less of a challenge for Annabelle, the littler of the two, and so she led the way. They'd taken a detour to try and throw off any pursuit, and were now approaching the gatehouse from the south. So far the ruse looked to be working.

So far.

*****

"Why me?" Sarah protested.

Jen's reply was simple. "Because I want it to be you. Hey Melissa, Sarah here's gonna be my wingman. Promise you won't slime her, okay?"

The Australian cast a quizzical look at Sarah before nodding assent. Sarah seemed far from reassured. "Seriously, I don't think-"

"Look, everything's cool. All you've gotta do is stay out here and throw a few pies. There's no risk." Seeing her teammate's reluctance, Jen tilted her head and gestured jokily to herself. "Plus you get to watch what happens to me."

There was no mistaking the flash of glee in Sarah's eyes. While the blonde hesitated, composing her next excuse, a chorus of encouragement sprang up from the others. After clearing her throat in an attempt to disguise a giggle, Sarah relented. "Alright, alright. If it makes you happy, I'll do it."

Jen grinned, adjusted her little black and white-polka-dot bikini, shook her hair free, and began the walk down the passageway. Sarah followed at a safe distance.

Here comes the slime.

More details, seemingly insignificant, nonetheless caught Jen's eye as she drew closer. The lights leading up the corridor were dim, barely stronger than candles, whereas a broad spotlight shone down above the slime tank. Melissa was taller than her, like most people, and exuded a wondrous calm despite the vat of gloop looming above her head. Such quiet serenity seemed unworldly, almost ethereal. Elegant swirling patterns lay inlaid on her salmon-pink bikini, and her fair hair, long and loose, was threaded at the left temple by a single pencil-thin braid. Depthless blue eyes regarded Jen with amused curiosity, then a willowy arm waved in a 'come hither' gesture.

Jen hesitated at the cubicle's edge. Troughs of bright pink ooze, their borders stacked with pies, were set into the walls, and a look up at the tank sent a shiver down her spine. She hadn't realised just how big it was. Three primary chutes jutted down, while rows of smaller nozzles studded the upper part of the walls like the suckers of some giant octopus. Stepping inside would mean getting absolutely covered. She felt the prickle of goose bumps rising on her arms.

Unbelievable. All that coaxing to get Sarah this far, now I'm the one who's nervous.

Melissa, sensing her trepidation, smiled warmly and reached out a hand. Such affable nonchalance was enough to put Jen at ease. If she's not worried, why should I be? With a decisive nod she took the offered hand. One step brought her to the threshold, a second took her into the shadow of the tank.

The two women faced each other. A second passed, then another, before Melissa's fey smile broadened. "Don't be shy," she whispered, "come a little closer."

Obliging, Jen shuffled forward a few more inches. Now they stood almost literally toe to toe. Melissa's arms moved oh-so-casually sideways, and returned bearing a brace of pies. I'll be wearing those soon. Shaking with jittery giggles, Jen selected a particularly sloppy pair before looking Melissa in the eye. "So I guess this is gonna get gooey?"

Those clear blue eyes never once left Jen's. "You have no idea." There was something almost feline in the way Melissa now stood, perfectly balanced, pies poised. "I've been looking forward to this."

"I bet you have. Oh yeah, one thing before we start." Jen tossed her head to draw attention to her hair. "Does this stuff wash out okay?"

Lilting laughter rose from across the booth. "Relax, it's all fine." A look of concern crossed Melissa's features. "By the way, you're not going to get all hyper-competitive are you? I'd rather my top stays on, if it's all the same to you."

Jen grinned. "Relax, I'll be careful."

"Good." Melissa's eyebrow curled a fraction. "Ready now?"

Jen peeked up at the spouts, took a deep breath, and nodded. "Ready. Sarah, how about you?"

"You bet!" A few yards behind her, Sarah had collected an immense custard pie from a nearby hatch. There was a wicked gleam in her eye.

At least she sounds eager. It dawned on Jen that this was really about to happen. Slowly her mind attuned to the moment, leaving her aware of every tiny sensation - of her hair's silky warmth against her back, of the miniscule eddies of air against her skin. Slyly she adjusted her grip on the pies, making ready to strike.

Melissa began a countdown. "After three, then? Three..."

Jen tensed, hands rising, wrists pivoting. Melissa mirrored her movements with almost uncanny precision.

"Two..."

Heart pounding, Jen felt her stomach tighten. Melissa's lips began to form the last syllable...

Gooey wetness exploded against Jen's skin. One moment she was spotless, the next whipped cream had burst across her right side even as gelid custard spilled over the left triangle of her bikini. Melissa withdrew her hands, allowing the spent paper plates to flutter to the ground. Jen stared, her hips wiggling a fraction at the feel of mess slipping smooth and slimy down her flanks. "Ugh. Hey! What happened to 'one'?"

"I'm evil, remember?"

Melissa's satisfied smirk ended in a high-pitched squeak as Jen returned the compliment. One pie streaked the blonde's face, matting the braid at her temple; the second smeared across her stomach, blobs squirting up to speckle the bulging curve of her top.

They paused, neither quite believing what they'd just done. Jen's breaths were coming in low gasps. The stuff sliding languidly down her body was unlike anything she'd ever felt. The impulse to slime Melissa was becoming overwhelming, and one glance at the Aussie's countenance told her the feeling was mutual. With a carefree whoop they sprang into action. The ensuing flurry of pies collided in mid-air, spraying slick globules over them both. Immediately they reached out for more.

Someone must've edged forward in all the excitement. Finding they were too close to pie each other properly, Jen made-do with daubing Melissa's sides and back with heaped handfuls of gunk. Her opponent did likewise, making Jen jump as cold custard slathered the side of her breast.

After a few gloriously messy exchanges, Melissa paused to paw at her head, where a puff of cream perched like a sailor's hat. Seizing her chance, Jen twisted sideways and called to Sarah. "Now!"

Sarah launched her pie into the booth with such enthusiasm that it disintegrated into a spray of lemon-sized globs. Jen yelped as some of them spattered her side. "Sarah!"

"Oops, sorry."

Tutting in mock annoyance, Jen returned her attention to a dazed-looking Melissa, whose face and chest had been festooned with huge splats of custard. Oddly, she seemed to be waiting for Jen to make a move. Come to think of it, Melissa was showing a surprising amount of restraint. She's holding back. Maybe she thinks I'm still nervous? Even so, it was clear Melissa was raring to let rip. Alright then, let's see what she's got.

In one smooth motion Jen took a half-step back, sank cupped hands into the slimy troughs, and swished them upwards. Melissa moaned as pink blobs blossomed on her front, and at that moment a custard pie zipped over Jen's shoulder and took Melissa full in the face, the ensuing splat splurging through her hair and tumbling into her cleavage.

"I'm getting good at this!" said Sarah.

Jen wiped at a smear on her shoulder from where the pie had whizzed past. "Nice going, you barely got me at all that time."

"Yeah, I'll have to work on that."

While Jen wondered what exactly Sarah had meant by that, Melissa shook away the paper plate to reveal a mass of custard where her face had been. Fingers ploughed furrows through the morass, and then her eyes blinked open. Finding Jen giggling, Melissa's smile created a crescent-shaped fissure in the muck. Suddenly her pose altered. Tensing like a coiled serpent, Melissa's hands thrust into the gunge-filled troughs. She was about to strike. The message was plain - from now on there would be no quarter given.

Jen glanced down at her chest, hoping to watch the slime hit her, as with an exultant cry Melissa flung up her arms. Welters of pink slime flew across the booth. Now I'm in for it.

*****

Back in the main chamber, Liz was in the process of sealing the southern hatch... or at least trying to. So far she'd been spared any embarrassment, the others having been preoccupied by the spectacle unfolding in the gunge tank.

Come on, it can't be that complicated. Sarah didn't have any trouble. The keypad reacted to her latest effort with a strangulated beeping noise. Oh for goodness sake, how hard can it be? She tried again - another mocking beep. Right, that's it! After checking no one was looking, she set aside her usual decorum and simply mashed the keypad with her palm. The door closed. Aha, success! To think you dared defy me! Engaging the lock proved simpler. And now we're safe. A job well done, I'd say.

It was then that she caught sight of two brunettes scuttling from the maze. One was small and voluptuous, with shoulder-length hair and a pale blue bikini; the other was taller, long-haired and wore gold. Annabelle and Lucy had returned. Spotting Liz, they darted over, and on arriving at the doorway Annabelle gave a relieved sigh before tapping the outside keypad. Predictably, nothing happened. After a moment's confusion Annabelle noticed the small red light signifying the door was sealed and gestured for Liz to open it.

Liz waved back, then examined the controls. Right, okay... which one was it? Just then part of the keypad's casing flipped back, revealing a bright green button much larger than the others. Liz flinched. What in the world? The new addition practically begged to be pressed, but given how the organisers' minds seemed to work, Liz had a fair idea what it might do. Outside, Annabelle waited impatiently, blissfully unaware of the chute set into the archway above her.

No, I couldn't possibly... Could I?

Fearing a trap, Liz checked there were no hidden nozzles on her side. All seemed clear. She looked back to Annabelle and smiled innocently. Her finger crept toward the green button. I shouldn't.

Annabelle narrowed her eyes and angled her head a fraction. She knew something was up.

It's no good, I can't resist.

Annabelle's quizzical expression froze in place as pea-green slime descended. The torrent landed at the top of her head and mushroomed out, some drumming against the door, some deflecting back onto Lucy - who yelped in surprise before clamping her hands over her mouth on realising she'd just broadcast their position to anyone in earshot.

The green flow was subsiding now, contracting like a closing umbrella until it poured over Annabelle in a single slimy spout. Frozen in place, Annabelle's open mouth formed a perfect circle as the gunge rolled downward. Most swept down her back, but plenty more dribbled past her forehead like green liquorice. An oozing shawl spread over her shoulders, dripping gooey tassels over her skimpy blue top. At last she found her voice. "Wha-"

Unable to restrain herself, Liz cackled with glee and pressed the button again. No sooner had Annabelle spoken when another green torrent engulfed her. She'd extended one finger, ready to admonish Liz, and somehow held the pose as the gunge washed over her. The sight reduced Liz to fits of laughter.

Meanwhile, deflected gunk was scattering verdant swishes onto Lucy. Hands on temples, she giggled in excited embarrassment, but then caught her breath as vivid yellow streams burst over her back. Lucy looked behind her to see where the custard had come from - and gasped. A ghoul had found them, and more were on the way.

Annabelle clutched her hands together in a pleading gesture. "Alright, Liz, very funny, now let us in. Please!"

Liz checked if anyone else had noticed the commotion. Seeing she was in the clear, an evil smile crept over her features. She tapped her chin thoughtfully, as though considering Annabelle's plea. "You make a good point, but on the other hand-"

Hearing a gargle from overhead, Annabelle pointed accusingly. "I'm so going to get you for thi-" The last syllable became lost in a slimy cascade.

*****

Lucy had spun around, intending to try and fend off their pursuer. No sooner had she done so when a gooey wave splashed off Annabelle to soak the back of her bikini bottoms. With Lucy startled, the ghoul picked that precise moment to fire again. Custard crisscrossed Lucy's front, mocking her vain attempts to swat it away. Twisting, she tried to dodge the second sprayer only for thick yellow slop to douse her side. With a wordless murmur she scooped a cupped hand up her flank. Tactile gloop oozed between her fingers. This pause was all the time the ghoul needed. Lucy laughed joyously on seeing her foe rush in. She knew what was coming. Custard spurted like solar flares where their bodies collided, the stuff exploding from the ghoul's outfit while Lucy shuddered with mirth.

Most women would have tried to flee. Lucy wasn't most women. Fumbling for the cord at her enemy's back, she gritted her teeth in a determined smile and pressed in closer. Already her torso was slick with slime. She could feel it coating her bosom and slithering down her midriff, making the embrace ever more slippery. The ghoul, a bright-eyed redhead, must have known what Lucy was trying to do, but seemed to have concluded that inflicting this much mess was worth the sacrifice. At last Lucy found the cord. Her adversary froze, knowing the game was up. Lucy closed her eyes and tugged. The ghoul's shrieks were sweet music to her ears. Arms aloft, she stepped back and cheered just as the ghoul's costume detonated, spraying muck in all directions.

Wiping slime from her face, Lucy beamed and jumped on the spot. "Ha-ha, I got her! Hey Annabelle, you have to try this, this is so much fun!"

Lucy peered down at the yellow and green ooze sliding over her body. This was her first proper encounter with a fully-costumed ghoul. It was incredible how much mess even one of them could dish out. She looked up just in time to see another three emerge from the maze.

The defeated ghoul had slunk away so as not to interfere with the action. Spying her comrades, she pointed to Lucy. "Jo was right about this one, give her the works!"

With the trio bearing down on her, Lucy ran fingers through her hair and then beckoned the ghouls onward. "Round two, huh? Ha-ha, come on then, do your worst."

*****

From the safety of the gatehouse, Liz watched smugly while Annabelle flailed about. What made it even sillier was that Annabelle could've evaded the falling gunge by simply backing up a few paces. Whether she had yet to realise this or was simply playing along, Liz couldn't tell. "Honestly, I don't know why this keeps happening," Liz said while jabbing the button yet again. "I'm trying to let you in, really I am, it just seems like whatever I do it just-" Annabelle squealed as more gunge rained down. "See, there it goes again. If it's any consolation, I'm lovely and clean in here."

Annabelle's face bore a peculiar mix of annoyance and mirth as she leaned against the slime-smeared door. Liz tittered on seeing Annabelle's bust press against the plastic, causing the sludge to channel through her cleavage. "Gunge me all you want," Annabelle said. "It'll just make payback all the sweeter."

I may have just earned myself a rival. Was it worth it? She thought for a moment, looked at Annabelle, and then pressed the button again. Absolutely.

A curious voice sounded behind her. "What's going on?"

Seeing Lena approaching, Liz tried to conceal her panic. How on Earth am I going to explain this? Alright Liz, think fast. "Umm... yeah... good news! The others are back. Thing is, I can't get this blasted door to open."

Was that a flash of realisation in Lena's eyes? Liz kept up the innocent facade even as her teammate sashayed over, chuckled, and tapped the release button. "Well would you look at that," said Lena, "I managed it first time."

"Oh... uh... funny how that happens, isn't it?"

Lena gave her a knowing look. "Isn't it just." Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "Good one, I'd have done the same."

Liz's relief was short-lived. With the door hissing open and the two gunged girls scrambling inside, she beat a hasty retreat. Jets of blue gunge splattered against Lucy's back right up to the moment the door closed. Amid relieved titters, the messy pair cleared the muck from their faces and hugged each other. Liz tried to edge away, but Annabelle fixed her with a mischievous glare.

This could be awkward.

Lucy, thankfully, seemed less interested in revenge. Instead her hazel eyes locked on the tunnel opposite, where Holly and Nikki had gathered to cheer and laugh at the contest raging in the gunge tank. Lucy pointed. "What going on over there? Hang on, is that who I think it is?"

*****

Sarah didn't understand any of it. Jen and Melissa looked an absolute state, their gorgeous figures befouled by gunk that zipped back and forth across the cramped booth. And yet, preposterous though it sounded, Sarah could have sworn they were actually enjoying themselves in there.

Having finally remembered that she had an objective besides just sliming her opponent, Jen was at last trying to grab the key from Melissa's back. Melissa, meanwhile, was giving Jen a systematic splattering. Splash after splash made contact, until from where Sarah stood there seemed to be a flickering pink penumbra around Jen's sides. Within moments, though, it was the brunette who was on the offensive. Melissa recoiled as gunk slashed diagonally across her hips and midriff. Immediately Jen lunged forward to half-embrace her opponent, ducking her head beneath Melissa's arm in an attempt to get sight of the key. Seizing her chance, Sarah launched another pie. Her aim was off - she blamed the pie's inefficient aerodynamic design - causing it to land between Jen's shoulder blades in a burst of blue cream. Though Melissa was able to scramble out from the embrace in the confusion, Jen merely shot Sarah a reproachful grin before resuming the slime fight.

What gives? I splat her and she's not even angry?

Melissa, her flowing hair streaked pink and yellow, looked diagonally upwards and nodded a fraction. Nozzles mounted on the walls erupted, spewing mustard-coloured gunk over the shrieking occupants. Sarah stepped back to avoid the stray droplets speckling the floor in front of her. In the tank itself, both Jen and Melissa had instinctively circled anticlockwise, trying to turn their faces away from the shooting sprayers. They now stood in profile, Melissa on the left and Jen on the right, each with their back to one of the troughs. Jen was laughing, her wrists crossed over her face in a futile attempt to deflect the muck. Slime trailed in melting stalactites from her arms and chest; even her black bikini was barely discernible beneath creeping layers of gunk.

At last Sarah had a clear shot. Remembering her job, she commenced a withering barrage. The gloop stored in the hatches seemed inexhaustible, and much to her annoyance Sarah felt her lips start to curl as she sprayed the duelling pair. There was something supremely satisfying in hurling a pie, seeing it float through the air, then watching it splatter over someone beautiful. Melissa shot her a whimsical grimace when a particularly sloppy pie smacked into the side of her arm, sending thick custard spurting through her cleavage and up her cheek. Plenty hit Jen, too, Sarah made especially sure of that, though naturally it was made to seem accidental. The accusing glance Jen sent her way was answered with a mocking wave.

Melissa was getting splattered from all sides. Gazing out at the gunge oozing all over her, the blonde smiled and shook her head a little, as though overwhelmed. Just then she tensed and reached for her back, but she was too late - a burst from one of the sprayers had dislodged the key, which landed on the slime-strewn ground with a muted clatter. The combatants froze, looked at the key, looked at each other, and then with a hoot of laughter went sliding onto their knees, each lunging for the prize. Melissa got there first, but had no sooner grabbed hold of it than Jen grasped the other end. With yellow slime still spraying over them, the two women laughed and thrashed about, each trying to gain some advantage. Sarah just watched, appalled. They're both mad.

Having turned sideways so that she was practically sitting on Melissa's lap, Jen tried to slide the key from her foe's grasp and looked up at Sarah, no doubt to ask for help, only for the words to vanish on her lips. Melissa capitalised by patting a foamy pie atop Jen's head and sliding her away, but not even this could shift Jen's attention. Her gaze had drifted past Sarah, back to the main chamber.

Sarah paused, perplexed. It was then that the tumult behind her finally registered. Cold dread clutched talons about her heart as the chorus of shrieks and splashes rose to a shrill roar. Something had gone horribly wrong.

*****

Annabelle wiped goo-slick hair away from her eyes and advanced at a measured pace, glistening green footsteps trailing behind her. Revenge was on her mind. Liz retreated, bleating excuses, until her back pressed against the western door. At bay, she flashed a nervous grin. "Now Annabelle, let's not do anything rash. I was trying to let you in, honestly."

Annabelle's shrug sent blobs sliding down her back. Mischievous brown eyes scanned Liz's imposing form, charting the spectacular curves barely contained by a pristine white bikini, one that had taken an eternity to pick. Ash-blonde hair, diagonally parted, fell to just past a faintly-dimpled chin, while crystal-blue eyes searched for some means of escape. Liz was, in short, looking gorgeous... and badly in need of a gunging.

As though reading her mind, more letterbox hatches slid open on the walls around the main chamber, all filled with pies and gunk-filled containers. Liz's mouth dropped open in horror. She knew what this meant.

Reaching out to a conveniently placed hatch, Annabelle withdrew a bucket of pink slop. "Now Liz, are you familiar with the concept of karma?"

Liz squirmed on the spot. "No, wait!"

Undeterred, Annabelle swung the bucket back and forth, gradually building momentum. "Come on, Liz, you know you've got this coming."

The blonde shrank back. "But... but wait, you can't!"

"Can't I? Let's see."

The gunge seemed to hang ponderously in the air. Liz wailed, arms scrabbling as though trying to shoo the stuff away, until the shimmering veil shattered against her in a blast of vivacious pink muck. Mouth wide, Liz stared in affronted disbelief at the mass of squiggled splashes that now decorated her skin. Like a duchess preparing to address the peasantry, she motioned for silence - only to squeal as rich blue gunge streaked her midriff, courtesy of Annabelle.

Soon the air was streaked with colour. Annabelle wasn't even looking at the hatch, content simply to grab whatever slid to the edge and toss it in Liz's general direction. Stray sloshes soaked her hands and spilled over her hip, where it overlaid the green gunge that already covered most of her. A misplaced hand disappeared into a sludge-filled bowl, resulting in a squirt of lilac ooze that reached as far as her shoulder. It was worth it, though, to see Liz writhe about, gunge splattering everywhere, her squeals becoming laced with resigned groans as her body slowly transformed into a canvas of multi-coloured slop.

Feeling a tap on her shoulder, Annabelle tilted her head. "Is this a private gunging," asked Lena, "or can anyone join in?"

Annabelle looked questioningly to Liz, who was wiping gunk from her forehead. The shell-shocked blonde shook her head emphatically. "Don't mind her," said Annabelle, "she loves it really - don't you, Liz?" Hearing Liz's muffled snort, she smirked and looked to Lena. "Pretty sure that was a yes. Gunge away!"

Lena didn't need to be told twice - she'd already snatched up an immense cream pie. Liz murmured pleadingly but made no other complaint. To Annabelle's surprise, Lena advanced a couple of steps; clearly she wanted to splat Liz from up-close. Just then Lena snapped to a halt, spun on her heel, and flung up her hands. Annabelle was aware of an expanding white disc filling her vision, and then the pie hit. Cool foam plastered her face, dollops cascading downward as the base toppled away. The scent of vanilla filled her nostrils. Trembling in surprise, she licked her lips. Mmmm, not bad.

Lena watched proudly, hands on hips, her silky black hair already swept past her shoulders in anticipation of what was to come. "Sorry, Annabelle," she said, "but Liz wasn't fighting back. It's only fair."

Goody, someone else to gunge. It was no secret that Lena was looking forward to getting messy today, but even so she hadn't expected her to be quite so direct. Recovering from her surprise, Annabelle reached for the hatch. "Lena, if you wanted to get splatted, you could've just asked."

Lena's almond-shaped eyes glimmered with mirth. She placed her hands on her hips. "True," she replied breezily, "but this way's more fun."

Annabelle nodded. "Good point." With that she withdrew a bowl of lilac slime from the hatch and turned toward Lena, who chuckled nervously but stood her ground.

Before judgement could be passed, however, another voice rang out. "Um, what's going on?"

Heads turned. The voice belonged to Holly, who had finally noticed the commotion taking place right behind her. This alerted Nikki, who immediately grasped the situation. "Sliming Liz, huh? Cool. Can we help?"

"The more the merrier," called Lena, before glancing back to Annabelle. "But I think Annabelle has something she wants to do first."

Striving to appear dignified, Liz swiped uselessly at her dishevelled hair before addressing the group. "Now hang on. Alright, so I may have accidentally got Annabelle a tiny bit messy..." Ignoring the scoff from Annabelle, she pressed on. "But there's no need for everyone to start picking on me." Gaining in confidence, she straightened, hands on hips, elbows thrust outward, and in a commanding tone declared, "That's it. I demand that as of now everybody stops - argh!"

Where the door had been was now only empty space. Liz had been leaning against it, and tottered back before suddenly being righted. What began as a relieved sigh turned into a scream once purple tendrils erupted from her sides. Syrupy gunk spilled over her shoulders, the streams meeting just above her breasts to form a slithering cascade.

A pretty face adorned in purple war paint popped up behind Liz's shoulder. "Hi there! Did someone say 'the more the merrier'?"

Liz had somehow bashed the door's keypad with her elbow. With her captor's arms wrapped around her waist, she managed to struggle forward a few paces, but this only left the entrance clear. Immediately a second ghoul darted through and dashed anticlockwise around the chamber's edge. Annabelle caught a glimpse of streaming black tresses and smiling blue eyes as the figure sped by. Dazed and with gunge still dripping down her forehead, she peered about, trying to work out what was going on. Another comical scream stole her attention back to Liz, whose hips were being engulfed in emerald gloop.

Hold on, that stuff hit her front, but none of us threw it, how...

A weak drizzle of custard sprayed across Nikki and Holly, who yelped in unison. The gunge had come from behind them. Suddenly the room was in chaos, splashes and shrieks mingled with running footfalls. Annabelle span around. What she saw left her speechless. All three doors were open, and ghouls were flooding in.

*****

Sarah had turned just in time to see the solitary ghoul dash across the room, opening doors as she went. She winced with each successive hiss. Now, her mission accomplished, the intruder spotted Sarah and grinned wickedly.

DamnDamnDamnDamnDamn. Enough! Think, Sarah, think!

This one was different. The svelte young woman skipped across the circular chamber, her slinky cat-suit impeding her not at all. Sarah noticed the sprayers at the ghoul's wrists. That in itself wasn't unusual - in this place, at least - but judging by the spring in her step, this one was carrying significantly less slime than the others.

None of those spongy panels, either. At least there'll be no sloppy hugs to worry about. Trouble is, this one's going to be fast.

Sarah's mind kicked into gear the instant the ghoul charged. She resisted the urge to run. All that's behind me is Jen, Melissa and a whole lot of slime. Her opponent was closing with terrifying speed. Waiting's not an option... there's only one choice.

A confused smile crossed the ghoul's features as, at the last moment, Sarah sprang at her. Weren't expecting that, were you? Landing lightly, she sidestepped just as the ghoul fired. Blue sludge sailed harmlessly past as Sarah ducked, swivelled, struck, and leapt again. The ghoul twisted, no-doubt intending to spray Sarah's side as she moved past, but it was already too late.

The intruder skidded to a halt. Slowly she faced Sarah and whispered, "H-how did you do that?" Blue trickles were already emanating from her costume.

Nodding with quiet satisfaction, Sarah strolled out of the blast zone. "You're fast. I'm faster."

With squeaks and splashes rising behind her, Sarah indulged a moment of smugness. One look around, however, was enough to wipe the smirk from her face. Chaos raged everywhere, a half-dozen ghouls unleashing messy mayhem on the doomed contestants.

Liz had a ghoul clinging to her back. Despite everything, Sarah couldn't help but chuckle at the melodramatic caterwauls that accompanied Liz's feeble wriggling. The blonde flailed desperately, trying to reach behind the ghoul's head while purple gloop gushed in pulsing waves over her shoulders. Just then a second ghoul rushed in to sandwich her, leaving Liz squirming in shock, melting bands of green and purple warring over every inch of her.

To Sarah's right, Nikki and Holly had succeeded in bundling another ghoul to the floor. They lay atop the giggling brunette, trying to pin her down, heedless of the wobbling splashes of custard being exuded by the ghoul's suit. These were soon dwarfed by a pair of shimmering geysers as the pinned ghoul fired her sprayers. The spouts leapt skyward, fanned out like overflowing cocktail glasses, and began their descent, arriving as a hail of slimy splodges on Holly and Nikki's backs.

Sarah stood transfixed by it all. Such chaos, such disorder... what could she possibly do against all this? She watched another ghoul creep up on Annabelle, who like Sarah had been gawking at the mayhem. The curvy little brunette jumped as hands curled around her sides, a pie held in each, and had time for a laughing yelp before they struck home.

Not far away, Lena had grabbed a pie from one of the hatches but now seemed caught by indecision, unsure who to aim for. Backing away from the melee, she bumped against Lucy, yelped in surprise, spun around and without thinking splatted her teammate. "Oh God! Ha-ha, sorry, I thought you were...."

Lucy gasped, a slow tide of whipped cream having engulfed the left half of her face, and looked askance at Lena. Suddenly her body arched, cerulean splashes unfurling like butterfly wings from her back. Lips curling whimsically, Lucy turned to her assailant - a slim blonde with a commanding presence. Sarah recognised the ghoul as Joanna, the one from the briefing. Lucy seemed delighted to see her, and immediately raced toward her rival.

Everything was falling apart before Sarah's eyes. Through the open doors she spotted a fresh wave of foes charging through the maze. The team was about to get wiped out.

No, she decided, this won't do at all.

*****

Lena was in the eye of the storm. Pandemonium swirled all about her, the drab tower suddenly alive with colour, but despite all the fun-filled shrieks she couldn't help but feel a tad disappointed. It seemed there weren't quite enough ghouls to go around. Even Annabelle - who'd been about to slime her - had dropped her bucket when that ghoul surprised her, the lilac mess pooling at her feet.

Sighing, Lena folded her arms, the fabric of her black bikini soft against her wrists. "What does a girl have to do to get gunged around here?" she asked of no-one in particular.

A finger tapped lightly on her shoulder.

For a moment Lena stood motionless. Mentally she ticked-off the other contestants. There's only Liz behind me, and she's... hee-hee... indisposed, which leaves...

Eyes agleam, Lena turned. Before her stood a stunning, grey-eyed ghoul, her features patterned by green war paint. As nozzles levelled in her direction, Lena grinned.

"Well it's about time."

*****

Liz's mind was a whirlpool of conflicting emotions. Practically every millimetre of her was covered, yet there seemed no end to the green and purple deluge being unleashed by the two ghouls. She was penned between them, the spongy panels on their wetsuits disgorging ceaseless spurts of slippery ooze. Rivers of the stuff coursed down her legs, feeding the expanding puddle in which she now stood. Her assailants, with their honey-blonde hair, pale skin and hazel eyes, could easily have been twins.

"What're your names?" Liz asked, hoping to charm them into leaving her alone.

"I'm Kerry," said the one in front.

"And I'm Kerry," said the one behind.

"What? Well that's no help. Right, from now on you're Green, and you're Purple."

The two ghouls exchanged glances. Liz couldn't see Purple's expression, but Green nodded. Suddenly their sprayers were playing up and down Liz's flanks. Exhaling sharply, she swished muck away from her eyes and looked to the ceiling. Just think of the charities. Hips swaying, she curled her arms behind Purple's head to fumble blindly for the ghoul's ripcord. Such a pose left her chest thrust out and her front utterly defenceless, but by this point she was so messy that it scarcely mattered. When my friends see this, they'll be making fun of me forever.

To make matters worse, she had a nagging suspicion that her string bikini was coming undone. It was quite possible that it was only the ghouls pressing against her that kept it in place. Tossing her head, Liz blew stray droplets from her lips and addressed her foes. "Alright, I think I'm quite messy enough. Isn't there anyone else you'd like to gunge? Look, over there, see how much fun Annabelle's having? Wouldn't you like to help her out?"

Purple chuckled softly and squeezed Liz's waist a little tighter, sending yet more gloop slithering down her back. Green just smirked and worked her nozzles up Liz's sides. Ticklish squirts engulfed the knots of her bikini bottoms, swept up her midriff, splashed the sides of her breasts and then finished up in her hair.

Liz groaned. "Ugh, a simple 'no' would have sufficed."

"Sorry," said the green ghoul, "but you're the hotdog, you see?"

"I'm the what?"

"You're the hotdog, we're the buns. Our suits provide the relish. This - this whole game, it's all a metaphor for the fast food industry."

"Is that true?" asked Purple, sounding uncertain.

"No."

"Oh. So we're just gunging her?"

"Yep. Pretty much."

"Oh. Okay, works for me."

While the rather odd conversation continued without her, Liz focused on finding that pesky cord. Finally her fingers caught a wisp of string. At last! Hah! Now, Purple, it's your turn to get gooey.

Closing her eyes, she tugged.

Purple sounded perplexed. "Erm... you okay there?"

And why aren't you shrieking and rolling around?

In an exaggeratedly slow voice, the ghoul continued, "You realise you're undoing your own top, right?"

"I... what?" Suddenly Liz noticed the slackness of the straps crossing her collarbones. "Oh God! I thought... I didn't mean..."

"Relax," said Purple, who graciously retied the knot. "There, good as new."

"Thanks... and sorry."

"No need to be sorry."

"No, sorry for this." While her foe had been helping her, Liz had managed to zero in on the real ripcord. It seemed a churlish way to repay an act of kindness, but it was only a game, after all.... Amid startled yelps, slop splattered Liz's back, sliding down the furrow of her spine before rolling the length of her legs. Preening, she looked down her nose at the second ghoul, who flinched back. "And now it's one on one. Still confident?"

Green laughed and pressed closer. Eww! That would be a 'yes'.

*****

After being vanquished during Tasha's elimination, it had taken Kate some time to peel off her ghoul costume and get cleaned up. Now, having wrapped herself in a dressing gown and bound her hair in a towel, she sat in the control room in the manor house. Nearby, the man in black paced up and down in front of huge monitors bearing live feeds of the gatehouse. His expression was, as usual, unreadable, but Kate knew what he must be thinking. Ordinarily she'd be on her way to Wardrobe to get suited-up and returned to the fray, but with things as they were that hardly seemed necessary.

The man shook his head. "What's Joanna playing at? She's going to annihilate them."

"Looks like it'll be a short one this time," observed Kate, a note of disappointment in her voice. "I guess Jo got a bit over-keen."

"A damn shame, we had some great stuff lined up for later."

Kate glanced over and grinned. "You're sure that's all it is?" she teased. "Or did you just want to look at a bunch of beautiful women in bikinis a bit longer?"

Though the man's expression remained taut, amusement glimmered behind his slate-coloured eyes. His gaze drifted to Kate. "My interest is purely professional, of course."

Kate giggled. "Of course."

Her colleague's attention snapped back to the screens. Kate had grown attuned to his body language, and straightaway noticed the almost imperceptible change to his posture. "You might want to get into costume," he intoned.

"Hmm? Why?"

"Take a look. Something's happening."

*****

Sarah ran. Deftly evading the struggling figures, she skipped around the gatehouse, shutting and sealing one door after another. Everything was moving so fast, yet a series of vivid images sprang out from the melee...

Nikki and Holly slithered in a vast puddle of custard. Now on their backs and laughing nervously, their arms had lifted to ward against the figure standing over them. The ghoul they'd pinned had somehow escaped and now stood in judgement, listening to their giggled pleas while casually taking aim...

Closer, Annabelle and her opponent had sunk to their knees, grinning resolutely while trading handfuls of sludge. Annabelle's natural feistiness seemed to be giving her the edge - but then the ghoul remembered her sprayers. Annabelle threw her hands in the air and squealed, lime-green fountains exploding around her...

Beside them, Lucy seemed utterly without fear. The gorgeous brunette was going toe to toe with Joanna and getting utterly drenched in the process. With one final, futile swipe at her foe's ripcord, Lucy slipped to her knees. Two seconds later and she was on her back, Joanna straddling her like a cowgirl. The ghoul's supply of creamy blue gunk seemed unending, leaving Lucy in fits of laughter as it slurped over her midriff and pooled in expanding semicircles around her sides.

This isn't looking good.

With two doors sealed, Sarah made for the western portal. She kept close to the wall, hoping to avoid any undue attention, but jumped as Lena sprawled into her path. Swathes of Lena's honey-toned skin and black bikini had been plastered in oily green ooze, which lay in slick ribbons through her midnight-hued hair, yet she was still smiling even when the pursuing ghoul pounced on her. Together they sank into a sitting position, Lena's back propped against the wall. Sarah goggled at the cavorting pair. Look at them... And why the hell is Lena finding it so funny? Blinking in incomprehension, Sarah dodged past them.

Liz, her body almost completely obscured by pulsing tides of syrupy slop, stood only a few paces from the final door. She had done away with one ghoul, but the other had her on the ropes. Getting to the control panel meant coming perilously close to them, but the alternative would be exponentially worse - more ghouls could come pouring through that doorway at any moment.

As luck would have it, the grappling pair staggered a few paces toward the tower's centre. Sarah seized her chance. Springing past puddles of goo, she reached the doorway and tapped the control panel. The sound of liquid hammering against plastic startled her - the closing door had intercepted a blast of blue slime intended for her. Peering through the translucent splash, Sarah shuddered to see a squad of ghouls outside, barely two metres from the door. A few more seconds and they'd have been overrun.

That was too close.

Right, now I'm irritated. Enough of this.

Her face set in grim determination, Sarah strode into the melee. The ghoul sliming Lena was at the southern wall, while Annabelle's assailant was nearer the centre and facing the other way. Sarah passed like a shadow between them. Without slowing she crossed her arms over her chest, yanked the ghouls' drawstrings, and skipped away, leaving Lena and Annabelle to bask in the showers of gloop that followed.

Sarah marched on. Nikki and Holly had managed to struggle to their knees, but each attempt at standing was being thwarted by the slippery puddle of custard. The ghoul who'd created it laughed uproariously while hosing the two bikini-clad contestants. The laughter halted abruptly once Sarah swept by. Nikki and Holly huddled together, waves of muck spilling over them as the ghoul's outfit disintegrated in style. Breathing heavily, their vision obscured by bedraggled clumps of hair, they hugged in celebration while the astonished ghoul sprawled at their feet.

With three ghouls down and not a drop of slime on her, Sarah arrived back at the north wall and turned to survey the situation. Lucy, who was writhing on her back beneath torrents of blue slime, managed to grab Joanna's hips and tilt the ghoul forward.

Why the hell did she do that? The second Joanna lands-

Slime burst from the ghoul's front, slathering Lucy. Slick rivers slurped down her sides, but she just laughed and reached for Joanna's collar. Now her tactic became clear: with Joanna slumped forward, the ripcord had come within easy reach. Lucy twirled the string around her thumb, brought it over Joanna's shoulder, and waved it in front of her foe's face.

Joanna's mouth dropped open. "But you can't! I'm right on top of you. You'd get as messy as I would."

Feigning confusion, Lucy's brow furrowed. "Your point being?" Slowly she drew the string taut.

Joanna's eyes widened. "This isn't over, you hear? I'll get you next time! We always win in the e-argh!" Suddenly Joanna's costume bulged. Her face contorted as pressurised reservoirs of goo channelled inward over her body, and then mess was spraying in all directions. Though half-buried in blue sludge, Lucy wiggled her hips and shoulders in the closest approximation of a victory dance she could muster.

Movement to her right drew Sarah's attention. Liz was jumping on the spot, arms waving while a wide-eyed ghoul stumbled away. "I got her!" Liz cried. "Did you see? I got them both!" Streaks of emerald leapt out to bathe her, curtailing the celebrations somewhat. The same blast also reached Nikki and Holly, who sighed in amused exasperation.

Calm descended. With the defeated ghouls slinking to the chamber's edge, the breathless contestants took-in the scene. Seeping tapestries adorned the once grey walls, while a network of viscid, brightly-hued pools patterned the floor. Everyone was messy. All, Sarah realised, save one. She alone was unblemished, a beacon of order in a sea of absurdity.

Jen's voice called from near the palace doors, the words interspersed with splatters and giggles. "Uh, where's my back-up?"

Shaking her head to dispel her meandering thoughts, Sarah snatched a pie from a nearby hatch. This one's for Jen. "Sorry about that," she replied, "there was kind of an emergency back here. Nothing we couldn't handle, though."

Nodding to her disoriented comrades, Sarah began strutting back to where Jen and Melissa duelled. An ominous whine, followed by a series of hissing sounds, stopped her in her tracks.

Oh no, please no...

Unaccountably, the three doors had begun rattling open, an inch at a time, seemingly of their own accord. More ghouls crowded outside, waiting for the gaps to become wide enough. They didn't have long. Shouts of alarm filled the air as Sarah broke into a run. "Jen, hurry!"

*****

In the tank, Jen and Melissa were on their knees, facing each other. Jen didn't know whether to laugh or scream. By now they were both covered in yellow and pink slime. Lank hair hung beside their faces as they hunched forward, hands scrabbling across the mess-strewn floor. Somewhere amidst the layers of gunge and bits of pie lay the key.

"Quickly!" cried Sarah. "We're almost out of time."

Jen glanced at her teammate. "You're not helping, you know. Ooh, wait..."

Her hand had brushed against the key. She moved to grab hold, but straightaway Melissa lunged in to intercept. In the playful tussle that followed, Melissa managed to send the key skidding against the western wall. Now practically embracing, the two women laughed and struggled, each trying to slide towards the key while keeping their opponent away from it. Melissa got there first, but with Jen right behind her she had no option but to sit with her back to the key, using her own body to shield it from Jen while her hands reached behind her to keep it in place.

Smiling, Jen slid forward so that her knees touched the outside of Melissa's thighs, and reached for the key. As their slimy hands fumbled blindly, the two women - their noses almost touching - exchanged a giggled look that said, quite unmistakeably, 'what the hell are we doing?' Custard still spewed in random bursts from the walls, and now Sarah's barrage had resumed faster than ever, hails of mess flying wildly to spatter them both.

Despite the state of her, Jen felt strangely elated. It felt good to be in the thick of things, and it helped that Melissa was being such a great sport. The blonde had been so serene and gorgeous only minutes before - it was strangely intoxicating to mess her up like this. As if on cue, a pie thrown by Sarah deflected off Melissa's shoulder to plant a sunflower-shaped splat across Jen's chest, prompting her to tilt up her head, eyes closed and nose crinkling, as the mass of cream melted down into her cleavage.

That gives me an idea.

Ignoring the key, Jen reached up to the shelf set into the wall above them and commenced tipping as much mess off the edge as she could. Pies and slime rained onto Melissa, who yelped in surprise as gunge saturated her hair and splattered off her shoulders. A lot of it hit Jen, too - she could feel it speckling her front and collecting around her lap - but the tactic was working. Melissa was losing concentration, the constant bombardment too much for her. She was barely able to see with all the goo pouring down her face, and then a plastic bowl landed directly atop her head, depositing lurid pink slime all down her. Thick dregs oozed from the rim as the bowl perched diagonally on Melissa's head, leaving only one of her eyes visible.

With a bewildered groan Melissa blinked a few times, smiled on seeing Jen tittering at her, and then reached up to dislodge the bowl. Instantly Jen struck. Reaching behind the distracted Aussie, she seized the key and scrambled away toward the lock. Almost immediately Melissa came after her. In a second she was at Jen's back, arms wrapping around her sides, but it was too late. The key clicked into the alcove.

With her chin resting on Jen's shoulder, Melissa gave a defeated sigh. "Ugh. You got me."

Gracious in victory, Jen hugged her opponent. "Yay! Wow, that was messy. Ha-ha, just look at us..."

Just then she noticed Melissa's knowing smile. The bedraggled blonde looked to be tensing. "So you know what happens now?" she murmured.

A click sounded from the tank above their heads. Jen glanced up, then at Melissa, who bobbed her eyebrows and nodded. She barely had time to shriek before the tank disgorged.

Lime-green slime enveloped Jen, splashing from the crown of her head into a flickering, bell-shaped curtain. With it came the illusion of solitude, all sound muted, as though she were deep underground. The sensation was oddly soothing. The stuff merged with the slime and custard that already covered her, forming a smooth, creamy concoction that flowed in gushing torrents. She'd hunched forward slightly, allowing it to wash down her back while slower waves rippled over her breasts. Blushing, she moved her hands to her top, though attempts at dislodging the accumulated muck served only to let more in.

Melissa was visible only as a blurry mirage. She too was squirming in the deluge, her little pink bikini practically obliterated, yet still she laughed.

With a loud click the plastic panel to Jen's right swung open. This was followed by a grinding clank as the blast doors shielding the palace retracted. The gunk was subsiding now, settling into a glutinous pool at the tank's floor. Drains had been fitted at the corners, but still it lapped at their ankles.

Blobs flew as Jen whooped and lifted her arms. "I did it!"

Overwhelmed by the silliness of it all, Melissa gave a dazed smile while squeezing slime from her hair. "Okay, you win."

Jen felt light-headed. The hug she gave Melissa served to dislodge most of the gunge from her top. Chuckling, the Aussie returned the embrace before tilting her head to address Sarah. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot to tell you the secret."

Despite being eager to get going, Sarah was suddenly all ears. "Secret? What secret?"

Fingers tapping against the top of Jen's shoulder, Melissa continued. "About your teammates... You remember Kirsty, my friend from the intro? Remember how she had her own agenda?"

Sarah's expression froze. "You don't mean...?"

Melissa nodded.

"What's she talking about?" asked Jen.

Sarah's mouth scarcely moved. "Someone's working against us. One of us is a spy."

"What? But that's... hah, that should be fun."

Sarah shot her a look before focusing on Melissa. "Who is it?" she demanded, eyes narrowing as she searched Melissa's expression for any tell-tale slip. "Holly? Nikki?"

"That's for you to find out." Answering Sarah's protests with a knowing smile, Melissa stepped out of the booth and headed for the palace doors. Instead of going through, she sidestepped into a previously-hidden passage, but paused to offer a few final words. "There is one thing I can tell you. If you've got a suspect or two, there's a room up ahead that'll help. Look for a place called the Purification Chamber, I guarantee you'll have a blast. Good luck, and I'll see you at the after-party. Have fun!"

With that she was gone, the secret door closing behind her. Jen noticed Sarah right outside the booth. She was carrying a bucket of tangerine slime. "Uh, what's that for?"

"Huh? Oh this, this was for Melissa. Guess I won't be needing it now." Sarah hesitated a moment, as though considering something, then gave a roguish smirk.

"Uh, Sarah?" She wouldn't...

"But then again, it would be a shame to waste it."

She would! Jen watched, stupefied, as Sarah took a step toward her and calmly tipped the bucket over her head. While Jen stood speechless, the gunk drooling lazily down her body, Sarah simply looked her in the eye, smirked, and then continued as though nothing had happened. "C'mon, let's get going. Everyone, let's get out of here!"

Still too surprised to react properly, Jen stumbled out of the tank, taking care not to slip, and tottered through to the palace. Sarah followed, clearing the booth in a single graceful bound.

Did that just happen?

*****

The remaining contestants skidded and crawled toward the exit. Only yards away, a crowd of ghouls waited impatiently beyond the slowly-opening doors. The gaps were almost wide enough now.

Sarah watched from beyond the palace threshold, her finger hovering over a button to close the blast doors. Knowing she was safe, she found herself revelling in her companions' plight. It was like an old vaudeville sketch, the six girls slipping and sliding across the slime-slick floor. Lucy got away first, with Lena not far behind. Annabelle found time to smear one last pie onto Liz's back before they too made it through. Holly and Nikki though, despite having the shortest distance to travel, were having the most difficulty. They were trying to crawl out from an immense custard sunburst, but again and again their limbs would slide out from under them, sending them sprawling back into the muck. Once they finally managed to extricate themselves, they paused again for a celebratory hi-five.

Sarah couldn't suppress an outright laugh when blue and green jets painted the dawdlers' backs, the overlapping colours resembling peacock feathers. The first ghouls were through.

Peeking to her companion, Nikki's trademark grin reasserted itself. "Guess that's our cue to hurry." Feet fishtailing in the sludge, she helped Holly up and then sprang toward the passageway.

Jen had appeared at Sarah's side. Spying Nikki nearing the bulkhead, she pointed back to the chamber. "Hey, wait!"

Holly had barely got to her feet before slipping back onto all fours. She peeked behind her, sodden blonde hair spilling over the opposite shoulder, and groaned upon finding a ghoul holding her ankle. The newcomer, in an impressive display of agility, had launched herself through the mire as though it were a slip'n'slide.

Sarah watched with detached amusement. By now Nikki had almost reached safety, and still wasn't aware that her companion wasn't with her. Ghouls were swarming in now, converging on Holly like flies to jam. Rising to her knees, Holly waggled her leg in an effort to get free, but squealed, back arching, as orange mess squirted against her hip. Spinning dollops curled up her flank while the rest spread in a gooey delta across her thigh. Sarah shrugged - that hesitation had cost Holly her one remaining chance. With the gunged blonde devolving into jittery laughter, the ghouls surrounded her.

Nikki made it to the palace. Swelling with pride, she turned - no doubt expecting to find Holly behind her - and saw what had happened. She made to rush back, but Liz grabbed her arm. "Nikki, don't! The door's closing."

The bulkhead doors - flimsy slabs of cardboard and papier-mache painted to look like steel - began rolling across the entrance. At first unsure what was causing it, Nikki looked to Sarah, who stood by the controls. "What're you doing? We have to go back!"

Sarah shook her head firmly. "Sorry, but they've got her. We can't risk them getting through."

"We can't just leave her!"

"Relax. Take a look, she doesn't mind."

Through the closing doorway, Holly giggled upon realising what was about to happen. She tried to stand, but hands appeared at her midriff and shoulders, the ghouls gently pulling her back into a sloppy group hug. Arms aloft, Holly yelped as multicoloured gunge erupted over her, green to her left, pink to her right, while azure rivers coursed over her shoulders. Her patterned bikini disappeared beneath the riot of colour. Running hands through her sopping hair, Holly murmured in bafflement and gazed down, watching it slither over her. Green gloop descended from on high, the glistening column doming over Holly's head and spattering the encircling ghouls. The other contestants watched, entranced, as the spout merged with the multi-hued crossfire, forming a coruscating rainbow with Holly at its centre.

While Nikki waved, Holly wrapped her arms around the two closest ghouls and pulled them into the downpour with her. Raising a hand, she waved back just as the closing blast doors blotted her from view.

The intercom clicked. Instead of the normal automated voice, this time it was Belle, the arena's chief technician, who spoke. She sounded extremely happy. "Holly has been eliminated."

Suddenly the only sound was the soft patter of dripping gunk. Giddy laughter began a few seconds later, a slow susurration which rolled like waves through the diminished group. Soon the chattering began, garrulous and insistent, the girls eager to share their stories.

Sarah said nothing. She was still spotless, but someone here was not all they appeared, and that someone could undo all her hard work in a heartbeat. Suspicions swirled through Sarah's mind. They all looked so innocent, who could it be?

"So what do you think?"

Turning, she found Jen beside her. The curvaceous brunette was utterly drenched, yet still her dazzling smile shone through. "So what do you think?" she repeated. "Enjoying yourself?"

"No comment."

Jen laughed. "Don't try and deny it! You were having fun back there."

Sarah crossed her arms. "I have absolutely no idea what you mean."

"Are you seriously, hand on heart, saying you didn't love sliming me?" Meeting Jen's gaze, Sarah opened her mouth to protest, but paused. A smile flickered, unbidden, at the corners of her mouth. "See," chirped Jen, "there's hope for you yet."

Sarah watched, blinking, as Jen skipped away to talk to Lena. The distraction over, she returned to her plans. One challenge was over, the next was beginning. Before them lay the palace, vast and intricate, a place of twisting corridors and vaulted halls. A place undoubtedly filled with all manner of traps, tricks, puzzles and ambushes. Facing all this would be challenge enough, doing so with a double-agent lurking among them could not be tolerated. This problem needed to be dealt with.

Glittering green eyes shifted to a certain someone. And I have a good idea where to start.

To Be Continued....