But When You Break the Surface Without Me

Earlier that day...

The salty air hung heavy, and the relentless sun beat down on the boardwalk. Becca paced restlessly in the shared room of her bungalow, her orange hair a stark contrast to the pale walls. She'd been on edge all morning, a knot of anxiety tightening in her stomach. Every casual glance from a passerby felt like a judgment, every whispered conversation a conspiracy. She was tired of the constant tension, tired of feeling like she was walking on eggshells.

She'd tried to ignore it, to focus on the trivialities of the day, but the feeling wouldn't subside. At breakfast, Kathryn's casual comments about her 'agitated' demeanor had only fueled her unease. She'd snapped back, a retort about being entitled to know what was going on with her boyfriend, then immediately regretted it once the analyst had laid out the facts. The whiplash of her own emotions was exhausting.

Later, she'd wandered down to the town center, hoping to find some distraction, some way to alleviate the pressure. But the glittering trinkets and obvious traps placed by Kendra only reminded her of the game, of the constant competition, of Turner's divided attention. She felt trapped, caught between the conflicting desires of her transformations, and the growing sense that she was losing herself.

"I guess I should try and reach the end of the game first," she'd muttered to herself, staring at her reflection in a polished display case. But what did that even mean? Win? Lose? And at what cost?

Back at the bungalow, she found Paige lounging on the sofa, watching TV aimlessly.

"What's wrong with you now?" Paige scowled as Becca stormed into the house.

"Just...shut up for one moment," Becca held her hand out, exasperatedly. "I can't deal with you right now."

"Well that's a first, don't have some sort of lame retort?" Paige responded, smirking.

"Can you just leave me alone, Paige," Becca weakly responded. "Please."

Her voice was tight, more than Paige had ever heard it before in their years of squabbling. The blonde girl sensed that something was different about this time, and pushing the envelope would only make things worse. She decided to go for a walk towards the town to see what she could get up to, and left Becca to her own devices.

Becca needed to think. She needed to figure out how to untangle the mess of emotions swirling inside her. The transformations, the game, Turner…it was all a suffocating weight. She grabbed a glass, filling it with water from the tap, the cold liquid a momentary shock to her system.

As she drank, her gaze drifted to the small notepad and pen lying on the counter. An idea, **** and impulsive, began to form. She needed answers. She needed to understand what was happening to her, what was happening to everyone here. And there was only one person who could provide those answers.

She scribbled a quick note, her hand trembling slightly: "I'm off to see Kendra. Don't wait up." It wasn't a lie, exactly. Just…incomplete. She folded the note, placing it prominently on the kitchen table, knowing Paige would find it.

A wave of apprehension washed over her. Kendra was unpredictable, powerful; but Becca was past caring. She couldn't continue like this, trapped in a cycle of confusion and frustration. She needed to confront the source, to demand some clarity, even if it meant risking everything.

She slipped out of the bungalow, the afternoon sun still blazing, and began walking with a newfound sense of purpose. The sights of the island blurred around her, the vibrant colors and sounds fading into a dull hum. She was focused, determined.

Reaching the edge of the boardwalk, she paused, glancing towards the imposing silhouette of the lighthouse. It was the perfect place for Kendra to be, a symbol of her power, and now, where she would likely find the host. She took a deep breath, the salty air filling her lungs, and started walking.

As she approached the base of the lighthouse, a strange sense of calm settled over her. She wasn't afraid, not anymore. She was ready. Ready to face whatever Kendra had to offer.

She pushed open the heavy door, the cool, damp air of the interior a welcome contrast to the scorching heat outside. The spiral staircase stretched upwards, disappearing into the shadows. Without hesitation, she began to climb, each step a declaration of her resolve.

The higher she climbed, the more the outside world seemed to fade away. The only sound was the rhythmic thumping of her own heart, a steady drumbeat against the silence. Finally, she reached the top, the small room illuminated by the soft glow of the lighthouse's lamp.

Kendra stood by the window, her back to the staircase, silhouetted against the vast expanse of the ocean. Becca took a step forward, her voice surprisingly steady.

"Kendra," she said, her voice echoing in the small space. "We need to talk."

Emma glanced out of her house, the silence coming from outside seeming unusual. Charlotte was on her date with Turner, but typically there was somebody puttering around on the boardwalk. However, it was a ghost town outside, almost like everyone had gone somewhere and forgotten about her.

Well, her and her roommate, Mandy, but leaving Mandy behind didn't seem that abnormal, given that she was easily twice the age of most of the other girls here.

"Hey...Mandy?" Emma asked her roommate, who was lounging on the bed doing one of those boring word puzzles. "Have you seen...anyone recently?"

"Why, are you gonna try and get me to go somewhere tonight so you can have the house to yourself?" the older woman didn't even avert her focus from her book.

"No, I just haven't seen anybody for at least an hour or so, and usually at least one person walks by our house," Emma explained. "It's not even that late either."

"Maybe today's just a 'stay in' day," Mandy shrugged. "You can't go out and do something everyday."

"You can when you're on a de facto vacation," Emma countered. "I'm gonna go see if Sara or someone is here, it just seems eerily quiet out there."

"Alright, have fun," Mandy absentmindedly replied, waving a short goodbye to the young girl.

Emma stepped out onto the boardwalk, the heat of the day still present in the humid air, but everything felt strangely still. The usual hum of conversation, the patter of footsteps on the wooden walkway, the distant splash of someone in the pool or the ocean, all were absent. It was as if her current reality had been replaced by a silent film.

"Wouldn't put it past Kendra to introduce something stupid like that, but I don't think she would do exactly that, given the nature of this show," Emma thought.

She walked towards Sara and Kathryn's bungalow, the rhythmic click of her sandals echoing in the unnerving quiet. She knocked on the door, a little harder than necessary, the sound sharp and intrusive in the silence. No answer. She tried the handle; it was locked. A frown creased her forehead.

"That's weird," she muttered, turning to scan the boardwalk. The other bungalows were equally silent, their windows dark and uninviting.

A prickle of unease ran down her spine. It wasn't just quiet; it was empty. Like the entire island had been evacuated, leaving her behind. She glanced towards the beach, the waves rolling in with their usual hypnotic rhythm, but even that felt different, somehow more ominous.

She decided to check the common areas, hoping to find at least someone, anyone. The path to the hotel was deserted, the lush gardens flanking it devoid of life. Emma ventured into the kitchen, the stainless steel surfaces gleaming under the overhead lights, but the air was still and cold. No aroma of cooking, no clatter of dishes, just a sterile, unsettling silence. She checked the pool area, the gym, even the music rooms – all empty.

The feeling of isolation was growing, a suffocating blanket of silence pressing down on her. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, terribly wrong. She needed to find someone, to understand what was happening. She decided to head towards the lighthouse, the towering structure a silent sentinel against the empty landscape. Maybe, just maybe, she’d find something there. Or, more likely, she’d find more empty rooms.

As she walked, the silence seemed to amplify, each footstep echoing like a lonely drumbeat. The path to the lighthouse was overgrown, the once-manicured bushes now sprawling and untamed. It was as if time itself had slowed, or perhaps stopped altogether.

The lighthouse loomed closer, its white paint gleaming starkly against the deepening blue of the sky. The beam at the top, usually a reassuring beacon, now felt ominous. Now would be a perfect time for Kendra to swoop in and reassure her of something, but no dice on that. Had she been Emma hesitated at the base of the structure, the heavy wooden door seeming to dare her to enter.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open, the hinges groaning in protest. The spiral staircase inside was dark and damp, the air thick with the smell of salt and old wood. She started to climb, each step echoing in the hollow space, the silence broken only by the creaking of the stairs and the pounding of her heart.

The higher she climbed, the more oppressive the silence became. It was a silence that wasn't just the absence of sound, but a tangible presence, a weight pressing down on her. She felt a growing sense of dread, a feeling that she was walking into something unknown, something dangerous.

"Kendra...what exactly is going on here?" Turner asked trepidatiously.

"Well, Becca came up here to have a little chat with me," Kendra twirled her finger whimsically, before pointing right at the orange-haired girl beside her. "As you probably know, she's been feeling...some internal conflict. A clash of transformations, if you will."

"Uh huh..." Turner bit his tongue out of fear of what Kendra was about to do.

"And you're gonna fix it, right?" Abby stepped forward, ready to defend her sister.

"Abs..." Becca began, her voice breaking.

"In a manner of speaking, I will," Kendra responded, a twinkle in her eyes.

"What the hell does that mean?" Kathryn also stepped forward to come flush with Abby and Turner. "'In a manner of speaking'?"

"This doesn't look good," Lana whispered to the girls who were in the back with her. "This is similar language to what she used with me when she changed me to this from, well, Liam."

"Becca here has asked me to eliminate her from the show," Kendra said, each word sounding like a punch to the gut for the other people there.

"What!?" Turner exclaimed. "Why?"

"I'll let her explain," Kendra stepped aside to give Becca the breathing room she needed.

"Turner..." she managed.

"Becca..." he mirrored. "How are you just gonna give up like this?"

Her eyes, normally bright and fiery, were dull and weary. "It's not giving up..." she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's...it's too much. I can't handle it anymore."

"Can't do what?" Turner asked, taking a step forward to meet her in the middle. "Can't handle me? The competition? What is it?"

She looked away, turning her gaze to the churning sea outside the window of the lighthouse. "Any of it," she answered, her voice trembling. "The transformations...they're tearing me apart. You remember how bad it was last week, right? It's only gotten worse ever since my second one that Kendra put on me, pulling my mind even farther in two directions. I can't tell what's truly me anymore and what's just been implanted into my head from the game. And...every day, I have to see you with someone else, then with Sara..." her voice trailed off, unable to articulate clearly the pain.

"But we can figure this out," Turner pleaded, his voice full of desperation. "Kendra, you can do something, right?"

Kendra merely shook her head as Becca began to speak again. "No. There's no managing it. It's not just the transformations, Turner. I feel so alone here, I'm tired of fighting, of trying to figure out what I truly am here."

"But you're not alone!" Abby yelled, full of emotion. "We're all here for you! See everyone with us? We were all concerned about you, and came to find you. Paige was even the person to tell us that you were gone!"

"You don't understand," Becca's voice started to break. "It's not about help. It's about...about me. I need to figure this out on my own. And I can't do that like this."

"You realize that being eliminated is hardly gonna help that, right?" Kathryn pointed out. "You're gonna get some severe elimination transformation, and that's probably gonna make things harder for you to figure out."

Becca just nodded.

"So you're just gonna leave?" Paige asked, her voice sharp. "Just like that? After everything you've given to be here in this place? You seemed like you were coming to terms with everything!"

Becca turned to Paige, her glassy eyes filled with regret. "I'm sorry, Paige. I know I haven't exactly been the best roommate here, or even willing to give you and Turner a second chance..."

"Fuck giving me and Turner a second chance," Paige fought back with her own fiery voice. "That's not important right now. What about what you and Turner have?"

Becca's gaze shifted over to Turner, her eyes filled with pain that matched his own. "I don't know. I don't know what we even have right now. Ever since I came here, I've just been 'another girl in the harem' instead of your girlfriend. I know you're not to blame for that, Kendra is, but I can't shake that feeling."

"This is ridiculous," Kathryn crossed her arms. "Kendra, you're not just gonna let this happen, are you?"

Kendra smiled, a slight, unsettling smile that made everyone's skin crawl. "It ain't my decision, it's the rules of the game. Becca's decided she doesn't want to be in this competition anymore, and who am I to deny her wishes?"

"Who are you to deny her-" Kathryn sputtered. "You were just talking to me earlier about how you wished you were perceived as more human, and now is your chance to do that! Can't you see what you've been doing to Becca has been tearing her apart?"

"I'm a firm believer in free will," Kendra said, her voice smooth and silky. "As much as I enjoy the drama. And Becca here has made her choice."

"Free will?" Sara exclaimed. "You're the one who put these transformations on her in the first place!"

"That was the audience," Kendra deflected.

"The audience wouldn't have the chance to do that without your interference in our daily lives!" Abby countered.

"A fair point," Kendra nodded, unconcerned. "But she has been given the option to remove herself from the competition, from this little game. And she has chosen to do so."

"So that's it?" Turner asked, filled with disbelief. "She just...gets up and leaves?"

"Not quite," Kendra responded, the shimmer in her eyes glimmering even more. "Remember how I said in the beginning that you ten were tied to Turner no matter what? Well, Becca here is no exception to that rule."

"What do you mean?" Turner asked, scowling at the host.

Kendra's smile widened sickeningly, a predatory glint in her eyes. "Even in elimination, the bond remains between the two of you. Becca will leave the competition, yes. But she isn't gonna be leaving you."

That was a small victory in Turner's mind, but then he remembered what leaving the competition entailed.

"That doesn't change my position on this," Kathryn said. "You're still gonna give her an exit transformation. Have you really considered the possibility of that, Becca?"

Becca continued to stay silent. All of these people standing around her really genuinely did care about her. Did she really want to go through with this?

"I asked her the very same question when she first sought my help, and she said she was prepared for whatever I threw at her," Kendra smugly answered for her. "Now, without further ado-"

"Oh, there you are!"

The addition of a new voice caused all nine heads to turn towards the source, seeing a young, dark-haired girl entering the room.

"Emma?" Lana asked.

"I was wondering where everyone had gone, because it was really quiet and eerie back on the beach," Emma explained, sighing in relief. "Boy am I glad you all are here, because I don't know where I would've gone if this place was empty."

"Ahem, we're kind of in the middle of something here, Emma," Kendra remarked.

"What's going on?" Emma asked.

"Becca's quitting," Kathryn answered, her voice filled with dread.

Emma's eyes widened, her gaze shifting to Becca, who stood pale and resolute by the window. "Leaving? But…why?"

"It's complicated," Abby said, her voice tight. "She's…she's overwhelmed."

"Overwhelmed?" Emma repeated, her brow furrowed. "By what? The game? Turner?"

"Both," Becca finally spoke, her voice hoarse. "And…and myself. I need to figure things out, and I can't do that here."

"But…but you can't just leave," Emma said, her voice rising in panic. "We're all…we're all in this together."

"That's just it, Emma," Becca said, her voice filled with a weary sadness. "I don't think I am. Not anymore."

"Kendra, you can't let this happen," Emma pleaded, turning to the host. "There has to be another way."

"As I've already explained," Kendra said, her voice smooth and unyielding, "Becca has made her decision. And I respect her free will."

"Free will?" Emma scoffed. "You're the one who put her in this position in the first place! You're the one who's been manipulating all of us!"

"That's exactly what I said too," Sara muttered under her breath. "But it seems like Kendra won't listen."

"I merely facilitate the game," Kendra said, her eyes gleaming. "The audience makes the choices."

"The audience wouldn't be able to make any choices if you didn't **** them to," Emma countered. "You're the one who's been playing with our lives, not them."

"Bingo," Abby likewise murmured.

"Enough!" Kendra yelled, her voice sharp. "Becca has made her choice, and it will be respected. Now, if we can proceed…"

"Proceed with what?" Emma asked, her voice trembling. "With ruining her life?"

"With her elimination," Kendra corrected, her voice laced with a subtle threat. "As I was about to say, even in elimination, the bond remains. Becca will leave the competition, yes. But she won't be leaving entirely."

"What does that mean?" Emma asked, her voice laced with dread.

"Lord, you have so many questions, can't you take a chill pill?" Kendra exasperatedly said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It means that she will still be tied to Turner, even in her transformed state."

"Transformed state?" Emma repeated, her eyes widening in horror. "You're going to transform her?"

"Of course," Kendra said, her voice dripping with amusement. "It's the rules of the game."

"But…but that's cruel," Emma said, her voice breaking. "She's already going through so much."

"The game is not about kindness, Emma," Kendra said, her eyes flashing. "It's about entertainment. And this…this will be very entertaining."

"No," Emma said, her voice rising in defiance. "I won't let you do this."

"You have ****," Kendra said, her voice cold. "Becca has made her decision, and it will be carried out. Now, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, without further ado..."

She snapped her fingers, and a swirling vortex of light materialized in the center of the room, casting a kaleidoscope of colors across the anxious faces of the contestants. Becca stood motionless, her gaze fixed on the swirling light, a mixture of resignation and fear etched on her features. Turner reached out to her, his hand hovering inches from her arm, but he hesitated, unsure if he should touch her, unsure if it would make any difference.

"Becca," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Please, don't do this. We can find another way. We can figure this out."

Becca turned to him, her eyes filled with a sad, almost apologetic smile. "There is no other way, Turner. This is the only way I can find peace."

"But…but what about us?" Turner asked, his voice cracking. "What about what we have?"

"I don't know what we have anymore," Becca repeated, her voice barely audible. "Everything's so confused, so twisted. I need to find myself again, and I can't do that here."

"But you'll still be tied to me," Turner pleaded. "Even after…after this."

"I know," Becca said, her voice filled with a quiet sadness. "And that's…that's something. There's cold comfort in knowing that, but I just can't continue like this without tearing myself apart."

Kendra raised her hand, the light intensifying, its colors becoming more vibrant, more chaotic. "It's time," she announced, her voice echoing through the room.

Emma stepped forward, her eyes blazing with defiance. "No! You can't do this!"

"Emma, please," Becca said, her voice soft but firm. "It's my decision."

Emma's eyes filled with tears, her anger giving way to a raw, **** sadness. "But…but you're making a mistake."

"Maybe," Becca said, her smile wavering. "But it's my mistake to make."

Becca turned to Turner, her eyes filled with emotion. "It's not that I don't love you," she thought, the words echoing in the silence of her mind. "It's that I don't know who I am anymore. Every touch, every word, every glance feels like a performance, a script I can't remember learning. There is no other way, Turner. This is the only way I can find peace."

Turner looked back at her with a similar amount of dread and resumed reaching out for his girlfriend, only to be denied by Kendra.

"Remember what I told you," she glared darkly at him. "Playing favorites won't help anybody."

With a loud thunderclap, Becca collapsed on the ground, Kendra stood there with a devilish smirk on her face, and everyone else was in a semicircle, stunned.

(Elimination) Lady In Waiting: Becca will no longer be able to feel her own sexual pleasure. All of her sexual pleasure now must come from a person who she has encouraged to get with Turner. Additionally, Becca will start seeing herself as inferior to the contestants in the harem. After all, she was the first one out, and was nowhere near what Turner's apparent dream girl looked like.

A low groan came from the girl of the hour as she stirred, her eyes fluttering open. The world swam into focus, but something felt wrong. Terribly wrong. A hollow ache pulsed within her, almost a void where something was missing.

"What have I done?" she thought, the words a silent scream within her mind. "This is worse than what I could've imagined."

She tried to move, but her limbs felt heavy and unresponsive. Her eyes, searching the room, met Turner's, causing a new wave of despair to fall over her. He moved forward, reaching out a hand to hers, but she couldn't reciprocate. The other contestants remained frozen as they stood there, with pale faces and forlorn expressions. Abby sobbed quietly into Sara's shoulders, shaking uncontrollably as the older girl tried to comfort her.

Kendra clapped her hands together, a sharp, jarring sound amongst the near-silent atmosphere. "Well, that's that," she announced, her cheerful voice proving extremely inappropriate for the situation. "Now, if we could all just disperse, that would be great. I got a ton of work to do what with all this elimination business. And you two, Turner and Charlotte, it's way past your bedtime, so up to the penthouse with you two."

She winked, and with a snap of her fingers, Turner and Charlotte were whisked up to the top of the hotel and Kendra disappeared from sight, leaving the rest of the group with the transformed Becca. The silence in the room was deafening, the air thick with unspoken grief.