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And Then There
Chatterbox: Pudding's Place
And Then There
And Then There Were None: A Ski Lodge Based on The Book
You sit in that new cocoon pod hanging from your ceiling that you got over the holidays, a blanket wrapped around your figure, and a book in hand. After a long day of school, sports practice, and a stack of unforgiving homework, the only thing that you want to do is read your comfort book wrapped in a blanket, accompanied by a mug of steaming hot tea. Cradled in your hands is a tattered and worn copy of And Then There Were None by the queen of mystery herself, Agatha Christie. The old, wrinkled pages crinkle between your fingertips while you read about the ten people trapped on an estate, all accused of murder, while they are picked off one by one, until, well, there were none.
You’re about halfway through when you realize your margin writings and highlights from previous reads have disappeared. The words you almost know by heart have faded, replaced by new words that seem vaguely familiar.
Dear Reader, it begins.
It’s the middle of January. The only “break” that’s longer than a three day weekend won’t happen until the end of March. You’re exhausted, fed up with school and other things, and you just want to take a week-long nap. What if I told you I had the solution to all of your problems?
Well, I don’t have to *just* tell you. I do, in fact, have the solution to all of your problems.
Wonderful, exhausted reader, you have been cordially invited to Narracott Estate, a countryside estate accompanied by so many amenities, you’ll wish to never leave. The temperature adapts to your preferred body temperature wherever you go, allowing you to feel as if summer is not actually six months away, more like it is waiting for you on your doorstep. There is a large saltwater lake, perfect for swimming and boating, or just lounging about in the sun. On the border of the property, leading in about an acre, is a forest filled with thousands of different types of trees, good for exploring and scavenging. Inside the large lake house, there are eleven formal bed chambers, which can be fit any amount of beds for you and your companions. There is also a servant’s chamber, an industrial-sized kitchen, a formal dining room fit for royalty, a casual dining room for when you’re just feeling like sitting around with food, a large casual sitting room (also known as “the commons” where most days will begin), a massive library filled with books to pass your time, and many other fascinating rooms and amenities to keep you busy during your stay. The entire property is located on a 25 acre plot, full of grass, flowers, and plenty of wildlife, a perfect 2-week long getaway for the exhausted person in need of a break from reality.
So, you in?
If you would like to join me and my wonderful staff at the majestic Narracott Estate, please fill out the form attached by Sunday, January 23rd. Keep in mind there are only ten spots for CBers, with up to three spaces for companions for each CBer. Our estate is already in high demand, so be sure to make your reservations quickly!
Hope to see you there my dear CBer.
—Elizabeth Narracott
P.S. If you choose to attend, you will be picked up at your residence at 8AM the day after submissions are closed.
You look at your book confused, but also intrigued. It would be wonderful indeed to leave school work behind, but why you? Why did this letter show up in your book, and this book specifically? If you were reading something else would it still have shown up? Eventually, the questions floating around in your head become too complicated to even comprehend, so you turn the page to continue reading. The letter fades and is replaced by the original words and a single sheet of crisp white paper; the form you’re supposed to fill out. You take out the form and scan it quickly. What’s the harm in joining? The voice in your mind tells you. It *would* be nice to get away, and you’ve always loved Ski Lodges. Assuming this is a Ski Lodge of course. (It is.)
Then, you impulsively decide that traveling to Narracott is something you 100% want to do. You pick up a pen and use the book as a flat surface. With every word you ink into the paper, little do you know, you’ve begin to seal your own fate.
You finish filling in the form and as soon as you dot your last period, the words disappear, replaced with fourteen simple words.
Thank you for joining. We can’t wait to welcome you to our lovely estate.
You smile, knowing that, in just a short while, school will be the last thing on your mind.
But soon enough, there will be nothing on your mind.
~~~
Name:
CBer, Alter Ego, or CAPTCHA?:
Age, or approximate age:
Gender/Pronouns (if you use multiple pronouns, please provide me an example on how to use them in my writing):
Companion(s) [Please fill out a separate sheet for each additional member you are bringing]:
Detailed appearance (if it is not detailed enough, you lose your rights to the popcorn :))
Detailed personality (see above):
Luggage:
If you were to have killed someone, what method would you have used? (Ex: Poisoning, They “accidentally” fall off a cliff):
Favorite food:
Choose a whole number (can be negative):
Detailed opinion on record players:
Detailed opinion on your favorite and least favorite color:
Allergies (can be real or fake):
Other Information I Should Know (P.S. Anything you want included and relative to your person in my Ski Lodge, you should put that here):
~~~
Hello CBers! Elizabeth Narracott here. As I mentioned earlier, I will be accepting ten CBers with up to three companions each to my estate. It would be lovely if you could have your submissions in by Sunday, January 23rd, so I can begin to write on Monday. I cannot wait for you to visit the Estate! It sure is lovely here.
You are welcome to guess my identity. Actually, guessing my identity is very much encouraged :). I am a fairly “older” CBer now, I guess, if that is helpful at all.
And finally, this is an And Then There Were None themed Ski Lodge, if I hadn’t made that clear before. After all, Agatha Christie is the queen of mystery, I might as well honor her. Can’t wait to read the submissions (if there are any, heh). :)
With Much Love,
Elizabeth Narracott.
P.S. Admins. Elizabeth Narracott is a purely fictional name and has no connection to who I am outside of the Chatterbox. If you could, please leave the full name in the name box, as I believe that it adds to the effect I am hoping for. Thank you!
submitted by Elizabeth N., age Ski Lodge!, Narracott Estate
(January 19, 2022 - 8:13 pm)
(January 19, 2022 - 8:13 pm)
OH- MY ACTUAL LORD, YES!!! Count me in! Reserving please! This sounds EPIC!
(January 19, 2022 - 8:58 pm)
(January 19, 2022 - 11:02 pm)
(January 20, 2022 - 4:39 pm)
Thank you for your submissions Pancake, Nightmare, and Dream. They have been processed and accepted.
(January 20, 2022 - 8:08 pm)
(January 20, 2022 - 6:01 pm)
Thank you for your submission Gallium. It has been processed and accepted.
(January 20, 2022 - 8:09 pm)
forgot to actually attach pic, apologies!
Drawn by Wren
(January 23, 2022 - 5:52 pm)
(January 23, 2022 - 6:17 pm)
Here's the form for Halcyon, my CAPTCHA
Name: Halcyon
CB, AE, CAPTCHA: CAPTCHA
Age: Idk like 4?
Gender/pronouns: he/him
Appearance: sleek black cat, brilliant green eyes, medium-sized extra pointy ears, back left paw is gray, long fluffy tail, short fur
Personality: meek, friendly, playful, snuggly, affectionate
Luggage that Gallium packed for him: laser pointer, a couple cans of extra fancy cat food, cat care supplies
Favorite food: salmon
Whole number: 4103
Opinon on record players:
He likes to sit upon the disc as it turns. Gallium does not like when he does this because it ruins the mechanism. As he is a cat, he doesn't have much of an opinion on them other than "I lik dem."
Opinion on favorite colors:
-Fave color: Pink because it's the color of salmon, tuna, and the laser on the laser pointer
-Least fave color: none, really. He doesn't care about any color except pink.
How he would kill someone: since he's a cat, biting & scratching
Has no allergies
(January 23, 2022 - 6:34 pm)
I love Agatha Christie and And Then There Were None is my favorite book of hers, I thought it was absolute genius, so even though I haven't joined a ski lodge in forever, I can't resist.
Name: Darkling
CBer, Alter Ego, or CAPTCHA?: CBer
Age, or approximate age: 14 and a coupla months
Gender/Pronouns (if you use multiple pronouns, please provide me an example on how to use them in my writing): They/them (for Ski Lodge purposes, at least)
Companion(s) [Please fill out a separate sheet for each additional member you are bringing]: Me, myself, and a book.
Detailed appearance (if it is not detailed enough, you lose your rights to the popcorn :)) Short, uneven black hair with dark blue stripes, an angular face, and eyes that seem to see everything at once without ever looking directly at it . . . in a word, disconcerting. I usually wear either sweatpants and snarky t-shirts featuring cats, or a dress shirt and black slacks. No matter what outfit I choose it is always accompanied by a beat-up pair of black vans, with a strange splotchy red stain on the right toe. Don't worry, it was just an accident with some bleach. Probably.
Detailed personality (see above): Slightly insane just about sums it up. I can be very paranoid, cold, fixated, random, professional and unhinged all at once. Please don't sneak up behind me and yell in my ear or things might get very violent very fast; this is due to my unhealthy diet of all things spooky, scary, and strange. I also like cats.
Luggage: Clothes, a fedora, ten and a half books on varying subjects, a bar of soap, piano sheet music for Beethoven's "moonlight sonata", a small leather-bound journal, more pencils than are necessary with less erasers than they should have, a lighter and oil, a snowglobe, a small set of cutlery, 27 black pebbles, and a hairbrush. Also my small black cat named Theodosia. (all of this fits in an extradimensional briefcase, except for the cat, which resides in my sweatshirt hood or on my shoulder.)
If you were to have killed someone, what method would you have used? (Ex: Poisoning, They “accidentally” fall off a cliff): If I were seeking subtlety, poison; I knife if you're looking for something quick and quiet, but if I felt like causing a scene arson and excessive pyrotechnics might be fun.
Favorite food: Sushi.
Choose a whole number (can be negative): Twenty-seven. It's random commonness is odd and slightly alarming.
Detailed opinion on record players: Fascinating. I'm still wondering about exactly how they transcribe music into grooves on a vinyl disc, and then somehow revolving it while touching those grooves with a needle creates a song. There's also something very charming about their image. The rotation is hypnotic.
Detailed opinion on your favorite and least favorite color: My favorite color is black, because it's mysterious, and you can blend into the shadows, and you can't stain it with anything. Except for bleach. My least favorite color is neon orange, because it's the opposite of all the qualities in black, and also I think it's an eyesore.
Allergies (can be real or fake): None, but being around people too long makes me tired, and sometimes faking an allergy to social interaction gets me out of that.
Other Information I Should Know (P.S. Anything you want included and relative to your person in my Ski Lodge, you should put that here): I don't like bright lights and normal things make me uncomfortable. I also enjoy riddles and mind games, and am skilled at quite a few myself.
(January 21, 2022 - 4:45 pm)
Thank you for your submission, Darkling. It has been accepted.
(January 21, 2022 - 8:39 pm)
*emerges from the depths of Not Being Here* *sees and then there were none* *joins*
Name: Kitten
CBer, Alter Ego, or CAPTCHA?: CBer
Age, or approximate age: High school
Gender/Pronouns (if you use multiple pronouns, please provide me an example on how to use them in my writing): she/they - alternate please! e.g. "Kitten was walking up the stairs, not looking at her feet, when suddenly she heard someone behind her. They whirled around to see- the murderer! Oh no! Then they died!"
Companion(s) [Please fill out a separate sheet for each additional member you are bringing]: none for this ski lodge!
Detailed appearance (if it is not detailed enough, you lose your rights to the popcorn :)) A white teenager. Dark brown hair in a lopsided pixie cut: curly and ear-length on one side, clippered short on the other side. Purple cat-eye glasses. Cat ears and a tail that are anywhere between yellow and orange depending on the light and time of day. Likes wearing flowy Regency-style dresses; vests, bow ties, and top hats; mysterious cloaks; turtlenecks and yoga pants; and fuzzy socks with pajama pants.
Detailed personality (see above): Hm. I would describe myself foremost as passionate. If I see something that I think is unfair, I will not hesitate to make my voice known. I'm a firm believer in the power of speaking up, journalism, and using your voice. I love writing and share my thoughts much better in the written word than the spoken word, especially since that gives me time to think through what I'm going to say in advance. I'm an introvert, though it doesn't always seem like it; I recharge by being alone with a good book and some daydreams, but I've also been known to make awkward conversation with whoever's nearby.
Luggage: My Kindle, a stack of books, a pencil case full of pencils, my diary, several notebooks, my phone, headphones, all the necessary clothes and toiletries, emergency snack bars, a package of gluten-free Oreos, a camera, a random medical book (because some part of me knows that ski lodges are dangerous and I want to be prepared just in case), a bow and quiver of arrows, a dagger
If you were to have killed someone, what method would you have used? (Ex: Poisoning, They “accidentally” fall off a cliff): Something that looks like a natural death. An indetectable poison, maybe. A car accident that wasn't accidental. That kind of thing.
Favorite food: Chocolate in any form- brownies, chocolate cake, Milky Ways, hot chocolate, etc
Choose a whole number (can be negative): 17
Detailed opinion on record players: Hm. I wouldn't say I have much of an opinion on record players. They seem vintage and not really applicable anymore. They make me think of The House on the Cerulean Sea and also All The Young Dudes because I think a character in each of those books liked record players. I may also be mixing up time periods and be completely wrong, in which case I'm not at fault here because you're the one who made me give a detailed opinion on something I have no opinion on.
Detailed opinion on your favorite and least favorite color: My favorite color is a dark purple, royal and luscious, that looks like if you'd touch it it'd feel silky smooth. It feels regal, calming, mysterious, and generally pleasing. My least favorite color is something I hadn't really thought about, but probably a nasty green or orange. Fun fact, I used to love orange because it was the color of a cat in one of my favorite books. I don't remember what book now. Orange is an awful color. It's my least favorite color of Skittle and Starburst.
Allergies (can be real or fake): Gluten (just upsets my stomach, not anything lethal), and not an allergy but I'm a vegetarian. And, fake but just for fun, chamomile tea (also just unpleasant, like hives and so on, and thus not lethal)
Other Information I Should Know (P.S. Anything you want included
and relative to your person in my Ski Lodge, you should put that
here): Hm can't think of anything! This sounds super cool; I quite enjoyed And Then There Were None.
*disappears into the ether again*
(January 21, 2022 - 11:42 pm)
Thank you for your submission, Kitten. It has been processed and accepted.
(January 22, 2022 - 12:16 pm)
Name: Luna
CBer, Alter Ego, or CAPTCHA?: CBer
Age, or approximate age: 14
Gender/Pronouns: any pronouns! You can use a bunch interchangably, or just default to they/them if it's easier
Companion(s): Callisto
Detailed appearance: (My CB appearance is old and I don't like it so I'll just use my real one) short and a bit chubby, very pale, light blue eyes, brown glasses, dark brown hair in a pixie cut. Outfits usually include jeans, flannels, boots and funky earrings.
Detailed personality (see above): shy and somewhat awkward; I like to have a small group of close friends. I over-analyze people and their emotions and I tend to judge quickly and maybe harshly. I'm usually pretty passive ad quiet, but there's a handful of things I believe in strongly and will defend. Smart but burned out, would have given up if not for other's expectations.
Luggage: clothes, toiletries, laptop, phone, headphones, several books (Good Girl Bad Blood, Foundryside, Six of Crows & Crooked Kingdom, and The Lightning Theif), a journal, several bic velocity 0.9 mechanical pencils, a gallon-sized bag of lifesaver wint-o-green mints, a lil frog guy named Raine that my s/o sewed for me, and a stick
If you were to have killed someone, what method would you have used? (Ex: Poisoning, They “accidentally” fall off a cliff): It depends if people already suspect there's a murderer or not, I guess. If I needed to hide it I'd probably make it look like a accident, but if everyone was a suspect I'd probably do something more dramatic or try to frame someone... I'll stop before I think about it too hard.
Favorite food: cheese pizza with garlic sauce
Choose a whole number (can be negative): 27
Detailed opinion on record players: I have so much respect for people who still collect and play records. Maybe it's a little pretentious, but it's also dedication. I also have respect for people who just have a record player for the aesthetic. Record players are such a vibe, and I appreciate that vibe.
Detailed opinion on your favorite and least favorite color: My favorite color is indigo because it combines purple and blue, two colors that I love and associate with the night sky and poetry and beautiful things that are bigger than I am. It reminds me of quiet nights and stars and why I still love the world. My least favorite color is orange. It's boring and not at all special, but at the same time super obnoxious and annoying. It's a combination of red, the color of being angry and loud ad shouty, and yellow, the color of trying too hard. It's an awful combo. Orange doesn't paint the night and light up the stars. it just says mean things for everyone to hear. And that's rude.
Allergies (can be real or fake): bug bites. (This isn't fake! it's nasty!)
Other Information I Should Know (P.S. Anything you want included and relative to your person in my Ski Lodge, you should put that here): you're cool :)
Name: Callisto
CBer, Alter Ego, or CAPTCHA?: AE
Age, or approximate age: 15-ish
Gender/Pronouns: ae/aer/aers
Companion(s): ae is the companion
Detailed appearance: tall-ish, slightly tan, freckles. Long, curly, messy dirty-blonde pixie cut. dimples, greenish blue eyes. usually wears beach clothes and pastel colors.
Detailed personality (see above): very shy at first but loves making friends that ae knows ae can trust and be aerself around. Has a few favorote things ae could talk about for hours. Likes to be a bit random. Empathetic, feels strongly for the struggles of others. Feels guilty about everything. Imaginative.
Luggage: clothes, toiletries, a notebook, phone, a handful of pencils, aer guitar, string for making bracelets
If you were to have killed someone, what method would you have used? (Ex: Poisoning, They “accidentally” fall off a cliff): whatever would be quickest, no matter if ae would be found out or not.
Favorite food: pasta with alfredo
Choose a whole number (can be negative): 63
Detailed opinion on record players: thinks they are the coolest ever and wants to have one but knows ae would never use it
Detailed opinion on your favorite and least favorite color: Aer favorite color is light blue because it reminds aer of the sky and the beach and it feels hopeful. Aer least favorite color is grey because it feels dull and lifeless.
Allergies (can be real or fake): N/A
Other Information I Should Know (P.S. Anything you want included and relative to your person in my Ski Lodge, you should put that here): N/A
(January 22, 2022 - 2:15 pm)
Thank you for your submissions Luna-Starr and Castillo. They have been processed and accepted.
(January 22, 2022 - 3:28 pm)