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Nicole stood in the back of the red jeep, her red hair flowing out behind her as the wind pushed against her sun-kissed skin. She looked around at the hot, Africa land. The sand glistened with heat. The temperature had reached close to 114 and it was only noon. The camera man pointed the camera at Nicole, trying to get some extra shots of her.
“Hi! I’m Nicole Haught. I’m 26 years old and I’m from Calgary. This is my 5th time on Naked and Afraid but this will be my longest and hottest challenge yet. No pun intended.” Nicole said with a hefty laugh. “I am participating in the first ever 60 day challenge. This will be unlike any challenge I have done before. Similar to the 21 day challenge, I will be with a singular person right off the bat. That person will be on the challenge with me for the full 60 days but in 19 days, we will be meeting up with a group that will be out here doing their 41 day XXL challenge. I have experience in Africa as my XXL challenge took place here but I don’t remember it being so hot. That could have been because I got bit by that rattle snake as we were being extracted though.” She showed off her right leg that now supported a massive rattle snake tattoo that ran from her ankle up to her knee, twisting around her entire leg, full of color. “The biggest challenge will be that my partner is a fan and has never participated on Naked and Afraid before. It worries me that they might not understand the gravity of the situation out here but hopefully they are prepared.”
The jeep came to a stop and Nicole climbed off the back of it. She stripped off her blue tank top, pulling it from her body and dropping it to the ground. She kicked off her checkered Vans, slipped off the mid-thigh khaki shorts and dropped it all in the pile Next she slid out of her red underwear and unclasped her black bra and threw them into the pile of clothes on the hot desert floor.
She knew the drill. Drop the clothes and get walking and boy, she couldn’t wait to get walking. The sand was already bothering her and burning her feet. With film crew following, Nicole headed off in the direction that they had told her. While she knew what to expect, a little bit of fear sat in the back of Nicole’s mind after her last challenge two years ago.
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Nicole had been in the desert for 41-days. Not many of her cast mates had lasted with her. This had been a weirdly tough challenge. They had their camp destroyed by a herd of elephants, a wild fire cost them their second shelter and a flash flood washed out the majority of their drinking water. Yet five remained. A wild woman named Wynonna, a shy but determined scientist named Jeremy, an ex-military named Dolls, and a rugged cowboy named Doc.
As they made their way up the side of the cliff, the other four had made their way onto the helicopter with Dolls holding his hand out to Nicole. With one final step over the same rock that all the others had just stepped over, Nicole grabbed her ankle in pain, screaming as Dolls pulled her onto the helicopter’s floor. Doc spotted the snake on the ground as the helicopter took off, rushing Nicole straight to the nearest hospital.
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That scene never aired, not until this challenge anyways. They were going to use it to build sympathy for Nicole. Not that she needed it. She was the most liked contestant that the show had ever brought in, which is why she was back for her 5th and possibly final challenge but the money they offered was more than Nicole could turn down. It was understandable. Anytime she was on the show, it ended up being their most viewed episodes. Nicole Haught was money.
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Waverly sat on the edge of the white ½ ton pick-up truck that was speeding down the dirt road. She took in the beauty that was the African landscape and the sun beaming down on her tanned skin. She had cut her hair short, just above her shoulders, just prior to the show, knowing that her usual long hair would probably cause a bit of a problem and there was no way her male teammate would want to hear her bitch about it the whole time.
“Hi, my name is Waverly Earp and I am 23 years old from Purgatory. I grew up on a our homestead, always outside. Climbing trees, making fires and always learning from my older sisters. The reason for coming on Naked and Afraid is that my sister Wynonna, has done it three times now and I am tired of her having all the fun.” Waverly giggled. “I am a little nervous starting out on this challenge knowing that it will be 60-days instead of the usual 21 but I know I’m up for the challenge. Wynonna isn’t the only survivor in our family.” Waverly gave the camera a game-winning smile. She as bubbly and excited and the crew wondered how long this would last before the younger woman’s happy exterior and positive demeanor would come crumbling down under Africa’s sun.
The truck pulled over to the side of the trail and Waverly climbed out. She slid her feet out of her back flip flops, pulled off her faded blue jeans and underwear in one swoop and yanked her shirt and sports bra off after that. She looked at the camera one more time before turning around and heading off into the blistering heat.
The walk took a couple hours but soon Waverly was rounding the corner of a boulder, spotting the tree she was told she would be meeting her partner at. Coming around the other side of the cliff was the tall red-head that Waverly had seen so many times on TV and that her sister couldn’t shut up about.
“Oh my god. This can’t be happening.” Waverly whispered to herself, feeling her cheeks going red, a big smile plastered on her face.. She had hoped the mic hadn’t caught that, but it did.
She made her way to the tree, Nicole looked on in shock that her partner was so small and a female but the shock quickly left her face and she smiled that beautiful dimpled smile that Waverly had fallen in love with while watching her on the show. “Hey stranger! I’m assuming you’re my partner seeing as there isn’t many naked people out here.”
Waverly laughed and nodded. “Yup, I am. Name’s Waverly.”
“Great to meet ya, I’m Nicol....”
“Nicole Haught.” Waverly smiled more. “I’m well aware. I can honestly say I wasn’t expecting you though. I thought I would have Matt, Dolls or Doc.”
“Wow, so you really do know the show, huh?”
“That I do!” Waverly reached out for the bow and arrows that hung from the tree. “Come here, beautiful.” She pulled the weapon down and stroked it softly.
“Wait, I know that bow and quiver. Hell, I made that quiver the last challenge I was on...”
“Oh, yeah...Wynonna is my older sister.” Waverly said with more excitement in her voice.
Nicole smiled sweetly and grabbed her bag. “Let’s see what we have, shall we?” She pulled out a fire starter and a machete, which each girl was supplied with for this trip. They were each allowed to bring one weapon with them. Both had picked bows and arrows for their weapons. “This is my personal item.” Nicole pulled out fishing line and a hook.
Waverly reached into her bag and pulled out a bundle of rope. “I brought rope.”
“Such a great idea, Waverly!” Nicole pulled out a piece of paper, which showed the map of the area they were in. She pointed at the three watering holes and the dangers that laid around them. “Ok, so we have crocs here, lions at this one and elephants over here.”
“Well, after seeing your last encounter with the elephants, I would prefer not to go to that one.” She pointed to the one with the lions. “I think we will be fine as long as we build a strong shelter to protect us against them. I don’t trust being around crocs. The Nile crocs are some of the biggest in the world.”
“Sounds like a plan. Let’s get a move on. We will need to our boma built as soon as possible.”
“I agree.”
And with that, the two started their hike towards their new home. “So, Waverly, what made you want to come out here and have all this fun?” Nicole stepped gingerly down the side of a hill and reached her arms out to Waverly, who gladly accepted the help. Nicole picked her up with easy and swung her in the air, setting her on the same level ground Nicole was standing on. For the first time in her entire life, Waverly had truly felt safe with someone and she had just met her.
“Well, I’ve watched the show since day one with Nonna. And then she went on the show. Not once but three times. After her first time out, I asked her to teach me everything she knew because I wanted to do it. And then I saw her on her XXL challenge and I knew I couldn’t pass it up if the chance arose.”
“Wynonna is one of the best I have ever been partnered with so I’m glad you have her as your teacher.”
“What are you most afraid of out here?”
“It certainly isn’t the land. It’s the people. I know what to expect from the land but people, they are the most unpredictable.”
“How so?”
“I’ve been alone my entire life. My parents kicked me out of the house at 6. I’ve been in numerous foster homes since. In that time, I learned that people are extremely unpredictable. So I started going into the woods. Nature is predictable in an unpredictable way. But I know what to expect. Nature won’t fuck you over because it just feels like it. It’s just trying to survive. Whereas humans are a mystery. They’ll fuck you over without a second thought. But you, Waverly Earp, I have faith that you and I will make it through to the end.”