Chapter 1: Episode 1, Part 1: Setting the Stage
Chapter Text
The Dark Underbelly Up North
Case #204: Camp Wawanakwa. Episode 1, Part 1: Setting the Stage
On the 28th of May 2007, at around eleven-thirty PM, sixteen-year-old Isadora Bell - better known to her friends and family as Izzy - was walking by herself along Cobalt Street in Edmonton, Canada. She was nearing the intersection that led to Main Street when a nondescript black van pulled up alongside her.
Within the blink of an eye, three men jumped out and surrounded her. Izzy fought, punching and kicking as hard as she could, but she was quickly overpowered and thrown into the back of the van. The street was deserted. There was no one around to witness the kidnapping. Thinking that they were going to make a clean getaway, the men high-fived one another...until one of them suddenly spotted a pair of eyes watching them from behind a fence across the street…
~*~
Hello listeners, and welcome back to The Dark Underbelly Up North, where we give detailed run-downs of Canada’s history of crime; from high-profile cases to ones that have fallen through the cracks.
This week’s case is going to be a little different: it will be split into four whole episodes. Each one will be about one and a half to two hours long. This is due to the extremely bizarre nature of the case, which makes it such that it has a wealth of information behind it. A lot of context is needed for you to fully understand the events that took place.
We would also like to issue a warning: this case involves crimes against minors. This case also involves graphic violence of a magnitude I have rarely talked about on this podcast before.
This case was one that had already caused an absolute media frenzy back when it happened, but now, forty-eight years later, previously classified information has since been leaked to the public and interest in the case has grown significantly.
Due to the sheer amount of new information that is now available, we have dedicated our time and effort into bringing you the events of the summer of 2007 in chronological order, and as clear and precise as possible. It is because of this, that we will start off by introducing all the people involved, and explaining the circumstances surrounding their involvement.
~*~
The three men ran across the road and jumped over the fence, pouncing on the person who had been watching them. It was a girl, who appeared to be around sixteen years of age. The men were fully prepared to kill her right then and there - after all, they had been instructed to leave no witnesses - until they realized they could use her for another purpose.
So they dragged her over the fence and across the road. All the while, she struggled and screamed. The three men opened the van’s door and threw her inside next to Izzy Bell, before climbing in after them and speeding off into the night. They'd left no witnesses to what they'd just done.
~*~
An hour earlier, Eva Morozova was walking home from the gym in Ashburton, a small town an hour southwest of Edmonton. She had been training hard in preparation for the upcoming Weightlifting Championships in August. She had her head down, so she didn't notice the black van pulling up beside her until it was too late. Just like Izzy, she too was grabbed off the street and taken away into the night. It had happened so quickly that she didn't even get the chance to throw a punch.
~*~
Before Eva was taken, in the small town of Hill Creek, which was only a ten-minute drive from Ashburton, Noah Dhar was on the sidewalk outside his house, putting out the garbage bins for tomorrow’s trash pickup. He’d been asked to put them out earlier, but neglected it in favour of playing a computer game. As he turned to go back inside, he heard someone running up behind him. Before he could turn around to look, he felt someone’s hand cover his mouth. Another set of arms picked him up by his legs and carried him away. He felt himself being thrown into what looked like the back of a van. That was the last thing he remembered before everything went black.
~*~
These were not the first sudden kidnappings of young people, nor would they be the last. They had begun three days earlier, on the 25th May.
But, spread out over the entire country, they caused no significant blip in the statistics. There was no cause for alarm from the greater public.
On the morning of 25th May, Bridgette Summers left her home in Vancouver. She was going down to the beach to meet up with friends, as well as to take some pictures for a photo album she was creating. As she turned onto the sleepy residential street that would take her to the beach, she fell in step with a boy about her age. They started chatting, and he introduced himself as Geoffrey Smithers. They immediately hit it off, finding that they had a lot in common, particularly regarding their love of the beach. She invited him to come take some pictures with her, which he agreed to.
Soon after, they became aware of a black van creeping along behind them. Spooked, the two teens decided to make a break for it across the road, heading towards a footpath into the trees that the van would not be able to follow them down.
Unfortunately, five men jumped out of the vehicle and chased them down. They caught Geoff and Bridgette, dragging them back to the van and speeding off.
~*~
While Geoff and Bridgette were being stalked, Ezekiel Miller was traveling with his father to the small farming town of Greenhead, located in central Saskatchewan. Ezekiel, a homeschooled farmer’s son, rarely left his homestead, so this trip into town was a special treat for him.
His father told him to stay inside their truck while he went into the local farm supplies store to pick up some chicken feed. Ezekiel, however, left to sneak over to the convenience store, where he purchased a chocolate bar and a can of cola. He never made it back to the truck. His father returned soon after, but there was no sign of his son anywhere.
~*~
But the ones who took Ezekiel weren't done yet. A little after midnight on the 26th, the van rode into Saskatoon and stole two more teens: Gwen Lawrence and Harold McGrady. They had both been walking home after attending an end-of-school party hosted by their fellow schoolmates. Their kidnapping was swift and left no witnesses.
When Noah opened his eyes, it was dark. He rubbed them and blinked, but still only darkness greeted him. Shifting a little, a throb of pain burst in the back of his head. He groaned, louder still when he brought up his hand to touch it.
“You're awake?”
Noah's head shot up. “Who's there?”
“I could ask you the same thing.” It was a girl's voice.
“Who are you?”
“Eva. Who are you?”
“Noah. Ow…my head…”
A third voice greeted them. “I’m Izzy. I’d say nice to meet you, but, well…”
Noah blinked. It was pitch black. He couldn’t even see his own hand in front of his face. “Jesus…how many of us are in here?”
Izzy spoke up again. “There’s another girl in here, but I don’t know her name. She won’t talk to me. I think she’s praying?”
The 29th of May would see the kidnappings of three more unfortunate teenagers. The first of these took place at six o'clock that afternoon.
Paula Blair was getting ready for a date with her new boyfriend, who was coming to pick her up very soon. Since he was unfamiliar with the Windsor neighborhood in which she lived, she didn't want him to accidentally drive past her house. She asked her younger sister Lindsay to stand on the sidewalk and keep an eye out for his car while she finished getting ready. Lindsay, always kind and willing to help out her sister, happily obliged.
When she heard the doorbell ring, she was ecstatic to see that her boyfriend had managed to find her house after all. She jokingly asked, "So how loudly did my sister call you over when she saw you?"
But her boyfriend was confused and asked what she meant. Paula said that she'd asked Lindsay to watch for him. Her boyfriend responded, "I didn't see Lindsay out there."
Paula ran outside, screaming Lindsay's name, but she was nowhere to be found. The only sign she had been there at all was a red flip-flop that she had been wearing earlier. Otherwise, the street was quiet and deserted.
~*~
Alejandro Burromuerto, the youngest son of the Spanish ambassador Miguel Burromuerto, had spent the evening dining with his family at a tapas restaurant in Ottawa to celebrate his seventeenth birthday. Despite the amazing food and warm atmosphere, the night ended on a sour note when Alejandro got into an argument with his brother Jose. After one particularly nasty comment, Alejandro stormed off, declaring that he was going to walk home. The rest of his family let him go and continued to eat their meal in peace, not wanting to cause more of a scene in front of the other diners.
At ten o'clock, they finished up and headed back home themselves. Since Alejandro was supposed to be home by now, they were expecting to find the porch light on and the front door unlocked. To their confusion, the house was locked up and completely dark inside. When Alejandro's mother checked his bedroom, she found it the exact same way he'd left it earlier.
There was absolutely no sign their son had made it back home at all. A drive around the surrounding streets yielded nothing. Alejandro had vanished.
~*~
Around the same time, also in Ottawa, Tyler Kennard and his father, sportscaster Oliver Kennard, were walking back to their car after dining at a restaurant. On their way, they passed a lively pub. Through the windows, Oliver recognized a few of his drinking buddies. He told Tyler to go and wait in the car while he went inside to say hello.
Oliver ended up staying in the bar until well past midnight, sharing a few drinks with his friends. When he realized what time it was, he stumbled back to his car, only to be met with a horrifying discovery. The front passenger door was wide open and the dome light inside was on. But Tyler wasn't inside. The only thing of him that remained was his beloved sports headband lying on the concrete outside the open door.
~*~
Ottawa would suffer two more kidnappings the following day. Trent Dawes was taken while heading to his guitar lesson. Duncan Adamson, having seen the van creeping behind him, ran into an alleyway to escape, but was quickly cornered and captured.
Later that same night, across the country, Heather Mackenzie would find herself stranded at a rural gas station in British Columbia, close to the American border. A tyre on her car had burst and her phone battery had died. An employee noticed a white van pulling in before quickly leaving. When the employee went out to give Heather a hand, she was gone.
~*~
The kidnappings continued. Groups of men and sometimes women stalked teens from all walks of life, grabbing them without care or concern. Where exactly they were being taken to, and why, would not be revealed until later.
At noon on the 1st June, best friends Katherine Hatfield and Sarah Hamilton, better known as simply Katie and Sadie, were at the park with Sadie’s five-year-old sister, Emma. They were in Twig Falls, a suburb in the greater Toronto area. It was a quiet place, where life moved slowly.
Katie and Sadie left together to go find the public restrooms, leaving Emma by herself on the swings. They walked, hand in hand, to the tree line where the restrooms were, and were swallowed up by the shadows.
After a while, Emma grew bored and decided to find her sister and her friend. She went to the restrooms, but they weren't there. She wandered all around the park looking for them, tears falling down her cheeks as she called out their names, growing more and more scared by the minute.
An old woman came up and asked her what was wrong. She responded, “I can't find my big sister. I'm really scared. Please help me.”
~*~
At two o’clock in the afternoon, a young man stepped inside the police station at Rainy Road, a tiny village situated in the far northwestern corner of Alberta. He immediately caught the attention of everyone inside, as he was from a tight-knit religious community known as God's Lambs. God's Lambs only lived about twenty minutes away, but they mostly kept to themselves. Rarely ever did they request help from the police.
The man was greeted by a policeman, who asked him what was going on. He tearfully explained, “My sister Athaliah Goodman is missing. She's been gone since the twenty-seventh. We thought she had just gone to explore the woods like she does sometimes, but we cannot find her. She hasn't come back home. Please help us. We have searched and searched and we don't know what else to do.”
~*~
In Calgary at three-thirty P.M., thirteen-year-old Ella Brightly was skipping down a sunny residential street. As she skipped and whistled to herself, she called out a friendly greeting to sixteen-year-old Leshawna Mathers walking along across the road from her.
Only seconds later, a big black van parked itself haphazardly on the side of the street. Three men jumped out and grabbed Ella by her arms. As they attempted to drag her into the van, she screamed for help.
Leshawna responded to her cries and ran across the road. She punched one man hard in the jaw, bruising it. He momentarily let go of Ella, who took the opportunity to escape. She ran to a nearby house and banged on the door, but no one was home so she ran to the house next to it and alerted the occupants. They called the police, but by the time they went outside to investigate, the van was already gone, and Leshawna was nowhere to be found.
~*~
Only ten minutes later, Cody Anderson and Devon Joseph “DJ” Bentley were kidnapped from a supermarket parking lot. A witness called the police, but the van was long gone when they showed up. According to the witness, it seemed that Cody was the original target, and DJ, who was an employee of the supermarket, was also taken when he tried to come to his rescue. The police did not connect these disappearances to that of Leshawna Mathers.
~*~
Halfway across the country, another van began stalking Sierra Weber as she was walking home from her mother's house in Toronto. She ignored it at first, thinking nothing of it. The road she was on was narrow with cars parked on both sides, so she just assumed the van was driving slowly to be safe.
But she too was grabbed, without any time to react, and thrown into the van.
When Sierra's grandparents, whom she lived with, reported her missing after she failed to come home, the van had already left Toronto, never to return.
The van hummed as it chugged along the street. No-it was a road. An unpaved one, by the feel of it.
There was no light back here. Duncan sat with his back against the cold metal wall. There were four of them in total: himself, Alejandro, Tyler and Trent. No one felt like saying much.
Every so often, when the van took a turn a little too sharply, something would slide across the floor and come to rest abruptly against the wall. Trent’s guitar case. Sometimes it would slide right into Duncan’s feet. He always pushed it away.
Duncan was too busy thinking. He’d seen some stuff on the streets before, but never before had he had to worry about being kidnapped. But now wasn’t the time to wallow like the others. Now was the time for action.
And he had a plan.
Duncan banged his fist against the wall where those thugs were sitting on the other side. They banged back and yelled, “Quiet!”
“I need to piss!”
“Tough!”
Another bang came from Duncan’s side. Alejandro’s crisp voice announced, “I need to piss too.”
Duncan decided to push harder. “Seriously, do you want us to piss our pants?”
The van pulled over with a lurch. Duncan grinned.
The doors opened and a light flashed. One of the thugs was holding a torch. “Come on. Out.”
“Thank you kindly!” Duncan said with mock cheer as he and the others climbed out.
They were standing on a desolate country road surrounded by woods. There was a full moon in the cloudless sky and not a house in view. Who knows where the hell they were.
Duncan and the others stepped into the trees. As soon as they were out of sight, Tyler ducked behind a tree and unzipped his fly.
“Dude!” Duncan whispered. “We’re going to run! You can do that later!”
“Are you serious?” Trent whispered back.
“Would you rather stick around? Let’s go!”
They took off into the trees, Duncan leading. The rustling must have alerted the thugs, because all of a sudden they shouted, “Get back here!” Footsteps followed close behind.
“They’re chasing us!” Alejandro cried.
“Just keep going!”
They ran as fast as they could. But then the inevitable happened - Tyler tripped. It wasn’t long before the thugs caught up to him.
Trent turned back to look, only to run smack into a tree. He too was caught.
“Come on!” Duncan called to Alejandro. “We have to keep going!”
Those assholes just wouldn’t leave them alone, however. And worse, they were gaining on them. Duncan and Alejandro were pushing forward, but eventually Alejandro started to slow down.
“Too…tired…out…of breath…”
Duncan didn’t look back. Not once. He couldn’t afford to. He shoved branches aside and jumped over logs. He ran and ran and ran…
He came across a large bush and dove into it. Above the pounding of his racing heart, he realised that he couldn’t hear anything else.
He was finally alone.
The 2nd June saw the last of the kidnappings.
In Moncton, New Brunswick, Jeremy Baker was snatched as he made his way to his part-time job. Later that afternoon, Owen Pattinson disappeared after going out to eat lunch at a cafe. It had rained heavily in Moncton that day, which impeded the police investigations.
Meanwhile, Courtney Perez, a Toronto native, had made a trip to Winnipeg, Manitoba, to visit her grandparents. At the same time, Justin Hills of Ottawa was also in Winnipeg to attend a modeling convention. Although the exact timeline is shaky, the two of them were kidnapped by the same van, which promptly left Winnipeg for an unknown destination.
Bridgette and Geoff huddled together in the back of the van. It had been so long since they’d last seen the sun, since those horrible men who took them had given them something to eat or drink.
When was the last time they’d spoken to each other? When was the last time either of them had made a noise?
Geoff’s hands were cold and clammy, clammier than they’d ever been. One arm was around Bridgette’s waist, the other hanging limp at his side.
To think how suddenly their lives turned upside down.
It at times seemed like only a few minutes ago that they were heading to the beach together. How much fun they could have had together.
Geoff had never said so - and certainly wasn’t going to now - but he’d seen Bridgette before. He liked to throw beach parties and she liked to surf. That beach was their domain. Of course they’d cross paths eventually. They never spoke but he always admired her from afar. He was just way too nervous to approach her.
But then she approached him. She even invited him to hang out with her! What should have been the best day of his life became the worst.
Geoff shifted a little to make himself more comfortable. Something hard began pressing up against his hip. He felt around for it and closed his fist around it. Suddenly, a flash of light illuminated the inside of the van.
Bridgette started. “That’s my camera. I think you accidentally took a picture.”
On the surface, these kidnappings were remarkably similar to each other. Every victim was around 16 to 17 years old, most lived in large urban areas, and most were taken while they were alone walking down the street.
But not everything added up. They lived in different parts of the country, they were all from different socioeconomic backgrounds, and there was a good mix of those taken at night and those taken in broad daylight. Some were related to rich, powerful or famous people, but most were not. Aside from those who were kidnapped together, none of their disappearances were connected.
The police never once considered the possibility of a mass kidnapping. The cases were too scattered and too dissimilar.
“Everyone’s called in. They’re at the boat launch now. We can bring the contestants over tomorrow.”
“Right on schedule.” Chris reclined in his chair, putting his hands behind his head.
Everything was going according to plan. It was almost too good to be true. It was really happening.
Chris looked out the window. The forest was dark as the sun was setting, but enough light remained that he could make out a rabbit hopping into a bush. If that bunny could understand human feelings, it would have the show of its life tomorrow.
“Tell one of the interns to get me a drink.”
He deserved a reward for all his hard work.
Wawanakwa Island is situated off the coast of Muskoka, Ontario, in Lake Huron. It is one of the more isolated islands in the area and as such was never permanently inhabited before the year 1775. That year, Baron Alexandre du Beauchene made the island his home. He had fled France the previous year to escape his debts. He built a modest two-storey home on the southwestern corner of the island, where he and his family lived in peace and quiet.
After Beauchene’s death in 1809, possession of the island passed through the hands of various descendents. By the 1870s, the family had long since returned to the mainland, but still used the island as a summer retreat. Without the presence of humans, wildlife and plantlife on the island flourished. When the last of the Beauchenes died in 1925, there were no heirs, so control of the island was given to the local government.
In 1946, a man named John Mackerel, with the blessing of the government, took over the island to establish a summer camp there. Camp Wawanakwa officially opened its doors the following year. It boasted brand-new facilities, including two cabins, a mess hall, bathrooms and storage. The Beauchene House, as it was now called, was still there, albeit hidden away by the overgrown woods, and served as the counsellor's residence.
The camp immediately became popular. Generations of children passed through the cabins, woods and mess hall. They swam in the lake, played sports, and roasted marshmallows over the campfire. John Mackerel oversaw everything with a smile on his face, and was known in the local community to be kind and patient with children.
Mackerel passed away in 1977 and control of the camp passed to his son Jack. Jack Mackerel, notably more reserved and reticent than his father, nevertheless tried his best to make camp a fun experience for all.
In the early nineties, camp turnout began to decline. Another camp had opened on the mainland, closer to many families, and parents felt safer sending their children there than to an island far away. Camp Wawanakwa struggled on until 2000, when it finally closed for good. Jack moved to the town of Muskoka Lakes. Wanting little more to do with the island, he rarely visited it, though it still remained in his possession. The island’s infrastructure fell into disrepair. Wildlife reclaimed the landscape. Plants grew out of control.
By the year 2007, it was rotting away, forgotten and ignored by everyone.
Chapter 2: Episode 1, Part 2: The Horror Commences
Notes:
Ended up getting this second chapter written really quickly. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter Text
Episode 1, Part 2: The Horror Commences
On 3rd August 2007, George and Mary Harper returned to their home in southwestern Manitoba. Mary’s father, who lived in Texas, had been very ill recently, so in early May the pair had traveled to nurse him back to health. Now, three months later, they were happy to return to the dairy farm where they lived.
George climbed the stairs towards his daughter’s bedroom. He and his wife had bought presents to make up for not bringing her along. Strangely, the bedroom was empty. Even more strange, there was a layer of dust on everything.
At first annoyed with her for not taking care of the house, their frustration quickly turned to alarm when they realised she was nowhere to be found. Frantic, they called her friends, the relief milkers they’d hired, and finally, the police. It would take a while for them to ascertain the whereabouts of their daughter, Bethany Harper.
June 5th dawned bright and clear. A peaceful summer’s day. School was out and fun was in.
Chris McClean stood on the worn dock of Camp Wawanakwa, shielding his eyes against the sun. There, on the horizon, a thin plume of black smoke. Soon the boat will come into view, laden with the cast members. And then, after so long, everything will begin for real.
The smoke drifted higher and higher into the sky. Chris had to quell the stress unfurling in his stomach. If there was anyone watching, they might wonder where that smoke was coming from. Maybe they would investigate. But no. This island was far from where most people tended to congregate. That was why it had been chosen.
Standing close by was Bill Preston, one of many cameramen brought aboard to document…whatever this was supposed to be. The details were rather vague. He had the camera trained up at the sky, taking some scenic shots like he’d been instructed to do. The blue sky, the very tops of the trees, down towards the woods. The water down below, then a shot of the cabins. And then over to Chris’s broad grin.
“Welcome to Total! Drama! Island!” He threw his hands into the air. “The hottest, sickest, and greatest addition to the world of reality TV since Survivor! Here, you’ll get to watch as twenty-four teens fight for the greatest prize of all: their lives! There’ll be drama, there’ll be intrigue, there’ll be bloody bloody action! All for your viewing pleasure!”
The boat chugged into frame, so crammed with people that some were practically falling out.
“And here come the stars of the show!”
One girl fell out. She sat back on her haunches, taking in her surroundings. Her eyes were half-closed in the bright sunlight.
“Now who do we have here? Name please!”
The girl stood up, legs wobbling a little. She towered over Chris. “Um, Sierra Web-”
“We don’t need any last names here; your first name will do!” Chris shook Sierra’s limp hand. “Welcome aboard, Sierra! Hope you’re prepared for the challenges ahead.” He gestured to a man in a chef’s uniform holding a bunch of old, ratty bags. “Grab a goodie bag from Chef there, and stand aside so I can greet you fellow contestants.”
Sierra did as she was told.
Chris turned his attention to the next to come forward. “And who are you?”
“Gwen,” came the snappish reply.
“Ooh, someone’s not in a good mood, are they?”
“Why would I be?” Gwen marched past and stood in front of Chef. “Gimme my bag, or whatever.”
By now, more teens were getting out of the boat, relishing the opportunity to stretch their legs properly. Chris grabbed one by the arm, pulling him in front of the camera. “Name?”
“Ezekiel.”
“Did you have a nice trip?”
Ezekiel stared, confused. “No. It was pretty bad. Duh.”
“It was a rhetorical question. Now go get your goodie bag.” Turning to the next person, he plastered his stupid smile back on. “Name?”
“DJ…where are we?”
“That’s for me to know and you to never find out. Next!”
The kids, one by one, had to stand in front of the camera and say their name. Some were weeping, like the best friends Katie and Sadie. Some were angry, like Heather and Courtney. Some tried to play nice, like Owen and Beth. Most were just lost and confused, unsure of how to react. Lindsay, Geoff, Trent, Tyler, Leshawna and Bridgette all stood staring blinking into the camera.
Once it seemed like the last kid had been introduced, Chris nodded to himself. Right on schedule.
“Got some more here, Boss.” the boatman called.
“Bring them out.”
The last two kids spilled out of the boat and thudded onto the dock. A girl stood up and clasped her hands with tears welling in her eyes. She was dressed in a very conservative way, with a long-sleeved white shirt, brown waistcoat, and an ankle-length red skirt. Her hair was tucked under a frilled white cap.
“Name?” Chris asked.
“Athaliah, sir.”
“Sir! I like that! And you?” He turned to the other kid.
The boy had ginger hair, a freckled face and glasses. He wore a white t-shirt and checkered pants. His hands shook as he answered, “Jerry.”
“Jerry Jerry Quite Contrary. Welcome ab-” Chris paused as he noticed that Chef was only holding one goodie bag. Frowning, he did a quick head count, then bellowed, “We have a spare!”
The shout reverberated in the warm air. All went still.
“What did I tell those guys! ‘Only bring 24! A nice even number!’ What am I supposed to do with 25?”
Bob Preston, no relation to Bill Preston, had wandered down to the dock to watch the introductions. Fearing another outburst, he wisely decided not to mention how one of the teens in his van had escaped.
Chris threw up his hands in disgust. “What a waste! I'm gonna have to get rid of one of them now!”
Athaliah gasped, the tears spilling over. Jerry's hands began to shake more violently.
Chris closed his eyes and lifted a finger. “Eeny meeny miney mo, catch a tiger by the toe, if he squeals let him go, eeny meeny miney…”
The other teens held their breath.
“Mo!”
“No!”
The cry came from Jerry. Chris's finger was pointing firmly in his direction.
The man from the boat came up and grabbed Jerry by the shoulders. “No, please, let me go! No!”
He was thrown unceremoniously into the boat, at which point the man hopped back in and drove away.
“No! Please! Someone help me!” The cries faded over the horizon.
And that was that.
Athaliah had by that point collapsed onto the deck, sobbing and whispering what sounded like a prayer.
Chris dusted his hands, as if he had done any of the heavy lifting himself. “Right! Now that that's over and done with, the show must go on! Everyone, follow me.” They obliged.
He led them to a grassy area in front of two rundown cabins. A flag lay on the steps of each one. “Here’s how this whole thing is gonna go. You’ll be divided into two teams, then over the next few weeks, you’ll compete in a variety of different challenges. They will be deadly. They will be hard. But most importantly, they will be fun…for everyone to watch!”
All he received from that was a series of pale, pinched faces. “Gee, tough crowd. Now, the teams are as follows…”
Heather, Leshawna, Trent, Gwen, Beth, Lindsay, Noah, Owen, Cody, Justin, Katie and Sierra formed one team. Their team name, according to their flag, was the Screaming Gophers.
“What kind of team name is that?” Heather said snippily.
“An awesome one, that’s what!” Chris retorted.
Geoff, Bridgette, Sadie, Izzy, Courtney, Harold, DJ, Eva, Ezekiel, Tyler, Athaliah and Alejandro made up the other team. They were dubbed the Killer Bass.
Ezekiel raised an eyebrow. “Like the fish?”
Chris ignored it. “Tour time! These are your cabins. Boys on one side, girls on the other. The bathrooms are over there.” He pointed to a lonely outhouse near a fire pit. “That there is the confessional. If you have any private thoughts to share with the audience, that’s the place to do it. Now, if you all come this way…”
He led them to a mess hall. Behind the counter was the same man who had given them their goodie bags.
“Alright, listen up! You get three meals a day, and you eat what you’re given! If I catch you trying to throw your food out the window, you won’t get anything for a week! Do I make myself clear?” Everyone nodded. Chef grunted. “Good. Now line up in an orderly fashion and come get your brunch.”
No one was willing to poke the bear, either of them. They each grabbed a tray and let Chef dump some kind of bread and meat mixture onto them. Two tables took up most of the floor space: one for each team.
Sitting down, Owen immediately took a bite of his food. His face froze, then contorted itself in disgust. Leaning over to Noah next to him, he whispered, “This food is garbage!”
Noah only needed to look at his tray to confirm it for himself.
Geoff poked at the meat blobs with his fork. They bounced back. “...Suddenly I’m not hungry anymore.”
“Is this even edible?” Courtney spoke a little too loud.
“Hey!” Chef barked. “You try slaving away over a hot stove for a bunch of ungrateful teenagers!”
Heather pushed her tray to the side. “What’s even in these goodie bags, anyway?” She opened hers up and dumped its contents on the table. Inside was a toothbrush, travel-size shampoo and conditioner, a tiny bar of soap, a bundle of clothes, a worn comb with missing teeth, and a yellowed copy of A Little Princess. She stared at it all, then picked up one of the clothing items: a pair of orange shorts. “Is this supposed to be mine? It’s like, two sizes too small.”
Noah dug around in his bag. He’d received the same stuff, except his clothes were boy’s ones, and his book was The War of the Worlds. Everything smelled musty.
“Ooh, I wonder what I got!” Lindsay reached in and pulled out a pair of denim shorts and her book. “These are cute. Oh, Anne of Green Gables! I love this one!”
Over at the other table, Courtney watched the scene with interest. She immediately reached for her own bag. Yup. She had the same stuff. Everything smelled musty and old. All obviously bought second-hand and dirt cheap. “Are these supposed to be care packages, or something?”
“Nice, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” Geoff said. Turning to Bridgette, he asked, “What book did you get?”
“Pride and Prejudice.”
“Aw man,” Owen groaned, pulling out a white t-shirt, “I don’t think this is gonna fit.”
“It’s okay, man.” Tyler waved around a purple jacket that would have absolutely swamped him. “This won’t fit me, either. I’ll swap you for that shirt.”
“Deal!”
Sadie picked up her book - The Age of Innocence - and flicked through the pages. A cloud of dust burst out and settled on everyone’s trays. “Oops, sorry.”
“It’s all good, I wasn’t gonna finish that anyway.” Ezekiel was holding a pair of socks with a hole in one toe.
“So…challenges,” DJ said nervously. “Should we…I dunno…talk strategy?”
“We don't even know what kind of challenges there’ll be,” Leshawna said, leaning over to the Bass table. “How is anyone supposed to plan when we don’t know shit?”
“Well, regardless, I think we should all stick together, in case something happens.” Sierra spoke up. “What else can we do?”
Just their luck, Chris showed up. “Enjoying your brunch? Too bad, ‘cause it’s time for your first challenge! Change into your swimsuits and meet me at the top of the cliff!”
“...I think I know what our first challenge is,” Cody muttered.
The cliff at Camp Wawanakwa is just under 100 feet high. In the camp’s past, it was forbidden for any of the children to go near it. Safety signs were installed to keep them out. It was even rumoured that one of the Beauchene children had fallen from it in the 1790s.
From up this high, DJ could just barely make out the shadows of the mainland. It took everything in him not to look down. He was never good with heights. He edged away, cowering behind Alejandro. “Oh, shit.”
“First challenge of the season!” Chris was even more gleeful than before. “Jump off this cliff, and try to land in that circle!”
Bridgette peered over the edge. In the water directly below was a white buoyant pool rope formed in a circle. There was another larger circle held up by buoys. “So, who’s going first?”
“If it turns out you’re too chicken, then you don’t have to jump…but you do have to wear this chicken hat for the rest of the day.” Chris held one up to demonstrate. “The team with the most jumpers will gain an advantage for the next part of the challenge, so choose wisely!”
“Are there sharks?” Izzy asked.
“Why don’t you jump in and find out?”
Izzy’s lips pursed with frightening resolve. “Well, if that’s what it takes, then…” With surprising speed, she took a running start and launched herself into the air. “Cowabunga!”
The rest of the Bass rushed to the edge. A loud splash reverberated from below. After a moment, Izzy resurfaced and waved to her teammates.
“No sharks down here, folks! We’re all good!”
“That girl is crazy,” Geoff said.
Ezekiel shrugged. “She does have the right idea though. She’s pretty brave for a girl.”
Eva whipped her head round. “What was that?”
“I mean girls tend to be pretty weak, right? My dad’s always telling me to look out for them.”
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, shrimpy, but we’re in the twenty-first century.”
“And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’re in the middle of a challenge!” Alejandro snapped. “And if you don't shut up, I’ll throw both of you off the cliff!”
Eva marched forward. “No need! I’ll show the sexist how it’s done!” And with that, she jumped.
Ezekiel watched on in wonder. “Whoa, she’s pretty brave t-”
Bridgette pushed him off. “Sorry, but I had to. Now, I suppose it’s my turn, right? Well, here goes nothing.” She jumped.
Tyler pumped his fists. “Whoo! We’ll win this challenge in no time!” He threw himself off the cliff with almost as much vigor as Izzy had.
The Gophers watched on as the Bass jumped off one by one, seemingly without a care in the world. It dawned on them that if they were to win, or at least avoid losing, then all of them would have to jump. Beth and Owen had full-body shivers at the mere thought of it. Beth felt like she was going to vomit.
Soon, only three Bass were left. DJ was cringing away from the cliff edge while Sadie was hesitant.
DJ took a step back and bumped into Athaliah. Athaliah, clad in an ill-fitting red bikini, was crouched down and cowering. She was still wearing her frilly white cap.
“Hey,” he ventured, momentarily forgetting his own fear, “it’s gonna be okay.”
She peeked up at him through her fingers. “I am truly sorry, but I can’t abide heights.”
“Neither can I. So why don’t we go down together?” He bent down and grabbed her hand, helping her stand up.
“I’ll go down with you, too!” Sadie said. She took DJ’s left hand and Athaliah took his right. “On the count of three! One…two…three!”
Sadie charged forward, so fast that she was practically dragging the others behind her. Her feet met the air, and for a moment it was like she was flying. The sun was out, the birds were chirping, the breeze was tousling her hair, a warm hand grasped her own; for the briefest of moments it felt like she was at the beach with Katie again.
And then they fell, screaming the whole way down.
They hit the water with a loud smack, resurfacing seconds later. Sadie was almost giggling from the adrenaline of it all and DJ looked relieved it was over. Athaliah’s cap had fallen off her head. Her hair covered her face in a silky chestnut-brown wave.
Nearby, a boat waited with all their teammates aboard. They erupted into cheers. The sound floated up to the Gophers.
“Looks like someone has some catching up to do!” Chris chirped.
“Well,” Sierra shrugged, “looks like we’d better get on with it.” She took a running start and jumped.
“Ooh! Wait for me!” Katie cried.
Leshawna hummed in mild admiration. “We should get a move on, too. How ‘bout it?” She turned to Beth.
Beth, however, was perfectly happy staying put. She’d wrapped her arms around herself with her knees knocking together. “I…I don’t think I can do it…”
“Well, you’re doing it.” Heather suddenly materialized beside her.
“I-I-”
“Quit stuttering. I am not losing this challenge because you’re a ginormous chicken!”
Trent stepped in. “Hey, cool it, guys.”
Heather flashed him her teeth. “Back off! We don’t have the option to ‘cool it’. If all of us don’t jump, then we’ll lose!”
“You could be less of a bitch about it..but you are right.” Leshawna admitted.
“I’m not a bitch for not wanting us to lose.”
“Please…” Beth whimpered.
Heather stared menacingly right into Beth’s very soul. “Jump. Now.”
“I can’t…I’m scared…”
Leshawna met Heather’s gaze. Without so much as exchanging a word, they knew what they had to do.
Heather grabbed Beth’s arms. Leshawna grabbed her legs. As Beth kicked and wriggled, the two girls carried her up and threw her over the edge. Beth screamed the whole way down.
“Whoa, you two are crazy,” Gwen said, mouth agape.
Heather rounded on her. “And you’ll be next if you don’t get your butt over that cliff!”
Gwen didn’t need to be told twice. She ran and jumped, followed by Trent, Cody, Noah and Lindsay. Heather and Leshawna waved a salute to Owen and Justin before jumping off themselves.
Justin turned to face Owen, who was pale, sweating and shaking. “You good, man? Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet.”
Owen’s gaze was fixed firmly on the ground in front of him; the way it just dropped away into nothing. Was this how he was going to die? With not even a pair of arm floaties to help him out? Would his family see him like this? In swim trunks that were too small and itchy?
He squeezed his eyes shut. No. No, he had to be brave. He couldn’t lose this for everyone!
Come on, Owen! Get it together!
A war cry erupted from deep within his chest, startling even Chris. Charging forward like a bull on steroids, he screamed his way to the cliff edge before hurtling over it.
Down below, the Gophers watched Owen plummet at the speed of light. He greeted the ocean with a mighty splash. A second, smaller splash confirmed that Justin had followed him.
The team cheered and clapped, all the while throwing smug glances at the Bass. Now they were tied!
“Congrats, kids!” Chris yelled through his bullhorn. “The next part of your challenge is to take those crates back to your cabins and build a functioning hot tub with what’s inside! I was gonna give the winning team wheelbarrows to make the trip easier, but since you’re all tied, you’ll have to share!”
Chris had barely finished speaking when Courtney raced up the beach and threw herself onto one of the wheelbarrows. Heather was hot on her heels and managed to snag a wheelbarrow herself. “Quick! Someone grab the last one!”
Leshawna reached it first and pulled it out of DJ’s reach. “Uh-uh, you snooze, you lose!”
“Come on, you guys! Move quicker!” Courtney admonished.
“Hey, we got here as fast as we can!” Ezekiel said, panting.
“Good thing I don’t need a wheelbarrow.” Eva simply hoisted up one of the crates and marched off with it.
“Whoa! That’s amazing!” Ezekiel practically had stars in his eyes.
Athaliah stood next to him, tucking her hair back under her cap. “Truly. I aspire to be that strong one day.”
“Enough chit-chat!” Courtney barked. “Come help!”
~*~
While the Killer Bass were trying to slide a crate onto their wheelbarrow, the Screaming Gophers were already away. They reached their cabin in no time. The results of the cliff jump had left them all in an unusually merry mood, and with nary a word of argument between them, they set to work.
Beth, Sierra and Justin set up the tub and installed the bottom liner. Leshawna and Heather got the jacuzzi and water heater up and running. The rest formed a line from their cabin to the beach, passing buckets of sun-warmed salt water to fill up the tub. They even started singing “Ninety-Nine Bottles of Pop on the Wall”.
By the time the Bass arrived, the Gophers were done.
“Good job, team!” Heather announced, uncharacteristically kindly. “I think we’ve earned ourselves a break!”
They left.
Leshawna touched Beth’s shoulder as they went. “Hey girl, sorry about throwing you off the cliff earlier.”
Beth only laughed it off. “It’s okay. I kinda deserved it. But I still hope that the other challenges don’t involve jumping from it again.”
“You and me both.”
The cheeriness left with the Gophers. The Bass could only stare enviously at their hot tub.
“Sooo…how are we doing this?” Sadie asked. “I’ve never built anything in my life.”
Ezekiel jumped forward, grabbing a hammer. “Leave it to me!”
“Uh, I don’t think so,” Courtney spoke up. “We need someone competent.”
“I help my dad with repairs around the farm all the time. I know how to use a hammer, eh. But who’s gonna hold up the planks so they don’t fall over?”
“I will do it.” Athaliah volunteered.
“I can set up the water heater,” Harold raised his hand.
Courtney sighed. “Again, we need someone comp-”
Alejandro covered her mouth with his hand. “Excellent! You all get started on that. Tyler, you install the bottom cover so that the water doesn’t leak out. Geoff, you stay here and help with anything they need. Everyone else, we’ll go get the water.”
Everyone eagerly agreed. Courtney huffed but didn’t object.
The Bass fell into their hard work. They were so absorbed in it that they didn’t notice the returning Gophers.
Noah had been heading toward the cabin to change out of his swimwear when he spied Cody elbows deep in a cluster of wires from the water heater.
“What are you doing?”
Cody jumped. “Hey. I’m just modifying this thing. I thought it might score us extra points if the water was hotter.”
Noah dipped his finger in. It felt fine to him. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
Cody grinned. He had a gap in his teeth that made him look years younger. “I’m taking electronics classes at school. I’m practically an expert now.”
Noah knew fuck all about how hot tubs worked, so he just shrugged and turned to leave. “Well, I'll leave you to it. See ya.”
“Bye.”
~*~
Tyler sat back on his heels, wiping his forehead. Putting in that bottom cover was harder than he’d expected. But whatever, it was in now.
And just in time, too. The others were returning with the water.
Once completed, the Bass stepped back and looked at their handiwork. It didn’t look quite as polished as the Gophers, but they couldn’t do anything about that now. Chris was coming back.
The Gophers emerged, big smiles on their faces. Judgement time.
Chris put his hands behind his back. “Alright, let’s see what we have here.”
To the Bass's horror, Chris walked over to their hot tub first. He leaned over and peered at it. Moving over to the motor, he rapped his knuckles on it, then nodded to himself. He rounded the tub, where he noticed a splash.
Looking down, he saw that water was leaking through the bottom and onto the grass.
Immediately Tyler went pale.
Shaking his head, Chris wordlessly turned his back and went to inspect the Gophers's tub.
It seemed good at first. The water bubbled and steamed merrily, the thing looked sturdy enough, and there were no leaks. Or, at least, any obvious ones.
Chris dipped a finger in to test the temperature of the water, and it was then that he noticed something.
There was smoke coming from the water heater.
“What's going on here?”
He never got an answer to that question, because all of a sudden the heater began to tremble violently. More and more smoke came pouring out, and mere seconds after the smoke was noticed, the whole thing suddenly exploded.
Chris and the others threw themselves to the ground to protect themselves, as a horrified scream cut through the air. When the smoke cleared, the damage became apparent.
Katie had the misfortune of being the one closest to the heater when it exploded, and hadn’t managed to get out of the way in time. Now she stumbled back, screaming in pain. Her left arm was horribly burned and blistered.
“Oh no!” Sadie cried. “Katie!” She tried to run over but Chris stood in her way.
“Hey! Back to your team, tubby!”
“Please, I have to-”
“I said BACK TO YOUR TEAM!”
Sadie, startled by his outburst, slunk back. Bridgette laid a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.
Cody, meanwhile, felt like someone had rolled a grenade into his stomach. Even more so when he caught Noah’s eye.
Chris watched the scene with an impassive face. “Bass, congrats on building a hot tub that doesn’t explode. You guys win the challenge. Gophers, you are to meet me at the fire pit at exactly 7:30 on the dot. It’ll be time for your elimination ceremony.” He walked off towards the woods, but paused long enough to say, “Chef will serve dinner at six. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.” Then he left.
Karen Michailidou was the doctor Chris McClean had brought on to care for the teens if they were injured during challenges. The “medical wing” was really just a tent containing three beds, a desk, and several filing cabinets full of medical supplies. The setup was not an optimal one for treating serious or life-threatening injuries, but Karen was going to try regardless.
The entire Gopher team, sans two, was crowded round Katie’s bedside in the medical tent. Sadie was there too, holding her hand. The doctor, who insisted they call her Karen, was gently pouring cool water over the burned area.
“Is she gonna be okay?” Sadie asked tearfully.
“She will.” Karen responded. “But she’ll have to be more careful from now on.”
The very first challenge, and already there was a serious injury to deal with. It didn’t bode well for the rest of the summer. Heather looked hard at it. The skin was red with patches of white. It looked disgusting. “Can she even do anything with that arm?”
Leshawna nudged her hard with her elbow. “Is that seriously all you can think about?”
“What? We’ve already lost one challenge; we don’t need to lose another.”
“He said ‘elimination ceremony’,” Justin said. “What do you think he meant by that?”
Heather shrugged. “Maybe whoever gets eliminated gets to go home. I don’t know.”
“After going to all this effort to kidnap us and bring us here?” Gwen spoke up.
An uncomfortable silence arose. Heather really didn’t want to admit it, but the possibility of them being set free was slim. But what else could she allow herself to believe?
She thought back to the night she was taken. That stupid flat tyre had royally screwed her over. When she got out of here, she was going to sue the living daylights out of that tyre company.
But for now, all she could do was watch the water pour off Katie’s maimed arm.
~*~
Not every Gopher was attending to Katie, however. Noah was walking around when he saw who he was looking for. Cody was sitting on the grass next to the beach, knees pulled up to his chest.
“Cody!” He jumped at the sound.
Noah marched over. “You wanted to make the water hotter, huh?”
“Look, I-”
“Are you trying to screw us over?”
“No! I-I don’t know what happened with the heater. I didn’t mean it. Honest!”
Noah snorted. “Sure. The self-proclaimed expert doesn’t know how it happened.”
“I’m telling the truth! I don’t! I don’t know…maybe I connected the wires wrong? And…I may have exaggerated my skill level…” His face was twisting itself to hold back the tears.
Noah had heard enough. He spun around to leave.
“Look, I’m sorry, okay?”
“I’m not the one you should be apologizing to.”
~*~
“Man, that sucks.” Geoff said. He and the rest of the Bass were sitting on their cabin’s steps, unsure of how else to spend the rest of their day.
“It does, but if it wasn’t them, it would’ve been us.” Courtney folded her arms and shot a pointed glare at Tyler.
“Sorry about the bottom cover, guys,” he said, dejected. “I honestly thought I did it right.”
Alejandro laid a hand on his shoulder. “Never mind that now. What’s important is that we keep working together.”
Courtney glared at him too. “You can only say that because we’re not in trouble!”
Bridgette put her hands up to quell the brewing storm. “Let’s take this as a lesson to do better next time, okay? Alejandro’s right: if we work together, we might be able to win.”
“Win what, exactly?” Harold asked. “A million dollars? Chris doesn’t seem like the type.”
“I think a more concerning question is what he meant by ‘elimination ceremony’.” DJ shuddered.
“Well, I don’t want to find out. So that means no more screwups. Got it?” Courtney pointed in Tyler’s direction.
Harold turned to face her. “Calm down. We can’t work together if someone’s bossing us around like that.”
Courtney opened her mouth but Athaliah cut her off. “He is right. This is some kind of trial we all must endure. By God’s will, we must not fight each other.”
Geoff nodded sagely, as did Ezekiel. Tyler rested his chin in his palm. Alejandro sighed gravely. Courtney turned away, arms wrapped around her knees. Murmuring into the wind, “God’s not with us.”
~*~
Seven-thirty seemed to come too quickly. The Screaming Gophers seated themselves on tree stumps, looking around nervously. A fire burned in a barrel in front of them. Chris stood nearby. In his hand was a platter covered by a silver dome.
And as always, the cameras were rolling.
“Here’s how this is going to go,” Chris said. “Each of you will take turns going into the confessional and telling the camera inside who you want to vote for to be eliminated. You’ll get sixty seconds to cast your vote. Once you’re all done, we’ll tally the votes, and whoever has the most will be eliminated. And they can’t come back. Ever.” He chuckled.
The campers only stared back with tense expressions.
“Heather, since you’re closest, you can go first.”
Heather did as she was told, stepping inside and shutting the door. She sat down with crossed legs and folded arms. The timer that had been installed on the door ticked and ticked. When it hit 50 seconds, Heather threw up her arms. “Oh I don’t know! I guess I’ll vote for…”
Once Heather returned, it was Leshawna’s turn.
“What is this voting thing even for, anyway?” She sighed. “Look, I don’t know. I’d say Heather for that nasty attitude, but she wants to win as much as I do. I can’t throw Beth under the bus. I can’t blame her for the whole cliff thing. And Katie…these games might last a while, and that was a nasty burn. We might need all hands on deck and she has one less to give…but no, it wasn’t her fault. It wouldn’t be fair. God! This whole thing isn’t fair! But I have to pick someone, so I guess I’ll go for…”
When Leshawna returned to her seat, Trent went up.
“Gee, this is tough. I feel like whoever I pick, I’ll be stabbing them in the back. I just want to go home…” He fell silent.
A beeping made him realise he had ten seconds left to cast his vote. “Oh, uh…”
Trent came back and it was Beth’s turn.
On and on it went. Some came back quickly, while others used up nearly all their allotted time. Noah scanned those around him and landed on Cody. His eyes narrowed. Had Cody owned up to what he did? Did he even apologize?
Noah decided right then and there who he would vote for.
And then it was his turn. Lucky last.
He shut the creaky confessional door. Everything hit him the moment he sat down and stared straight into the camera. He didn’t even know what this whole voting thing entailed. What the hell did Chris mean when he said eliminated?
For all he knew - and Noah was having a horrible feeling in his gut - the eliminated party might die.
So did Cody deserve to die?
It was an accident, after all. And he did seem genuinely remorseful. Katie’s injury was terrible, but not life-threatening. She could probably still compete in challenges, however many there would be. And yet, it would in all likelihood slow them down.
Noah squeezed his eyes shut. He still had to pick someone, so it was time to rip the band-aid off.
“I vote for…”
When Noah exited the confessional and returned to his seat, he saw that the Killer Bass were there, sitting apart from the Gophers and watching on with trepidation.
“I invited them here so that everyone understands what will happen to them if they cost their team the challenge,” Chris said gravely. He perked up when an intern handed him a piece of paper. “Votes are in!” He lifted the lid off the platter, revealing marshmallows.
“The humble marshmallow. A symbol of many a happy summer spent at camp. Here, they are a symbol of safety. A sign that the gift of your life will keep on giving. If I call your name, you get a marshmallow. The last camper without one will be eliminated.”
An audible gulp was heard.
“First up, we have Owen. Congrats, you’re safe.” He tossed a marshmallow. Owen caught it and sighed in relief.
“Leshawna, Trent, Noah.” Three more marshmallows.
“Lindsay, Beth, Cody.” Three more. Noah didn’t miss the look Cody gave him.
“Heather, Justin, Sierra.”
Now it was just Katie and Gwen. Wordlessly their eyes shifted over to each other, coming to the same realization at the same time.
One marshmallow sat on the platter, taunting them. Chris’s lips wavered, as if he had a smile he was struggling to contain. “The last marshmallow goes to…”
Pause for dramatic effect…
The Bass were on the edge of their seats. Sadie squeezed the life out of Bridgette’s hand. Katie’s eyes began welling up again, as Gwen folded her arms to hide how scared she was.
The camera zoomed in on the lone marshmallow, truly the bringer of life and second chances.
“Katie!”
Katie didn’t even bother to try and catch the marshmallow. She immediately burst into tears. “Gweeeen! I’m s-s-so sorry! I didn’t m-mean it! I just p-p-p-picked s-someone at random!”
Leshawna also looked ashamed. “Same here. I’m sorry, Gwen.”
Noah felt a cold chill down his spine. That was his logic behind voting for Gwen, too. Someone random, who didn’t make much of a splash. Someone who might be forgotten in favour of others.
Gwen, to her credit, tried to keep a lid on her anger. “Sure, fine, whatever. I bet this just means I get to go home earlier!” She gave a half-hearted chuckle. Deep down though, she really wanted to believe.
Chris chuckled louder. “Nope! Sorry! Oh, Executioner!”
Every head swiveled at the sound of large thudding footsteps coming from the treeline.
From the shadows emerged a tall imposing figure clad entirely in black. Black trousers, thick black boots, and a black hoodie with the hood pulled up. As he stood by the light of the fire, it didn’t go unnoticed that he also wore a silver mask that, by the flickering light, made his face look alien and unnatural. A raspy, mechanical breathing made it clear that he was also using some kind of voice changer.
“Kids, meet the Executioner! He’ll be the one giving you your one-way tickets out of this life!”
The Executioner pulled something out of his pocket. A gun.
Gwen gasped so loud it sounded like a scream before standing up and fleeing.
She only made it a little way before a loud crack exploded. She fell to the ground with a sickening thud.
Immediately, the tension in the air broke with a horrific burst. Almost all started screaming. Heather, Geoff and Ezekiel vomited onto the grass. Katie, so startled by everything, fell off her stump and onto her sore arm. Athaliah pleaded for God’s mercy. Owen fainted.
“Enough!” Chris called out. It went unnoticed amidst the entire cacophony.
Only another gunshot, aimed high in the air, snapped everyone out of it.
Chris cleared his throat. “As you can see,” he gestured to Gwen’s lifeless body, “this is the price you pay for your failure. If you cost your team the challenge, you can guarantee yourself an easy elimination! So, you all better perform well! Speaking of which, your next challenge begins tomorrow, so off to bed with you all!”
No one moved at first.
“Can you shoot again?” Chris asked impatiently.
“No,” said the Executioner, his vocoded voice raspy and scratchy. “Just be patient.”
That was what got them moving. Slowly, one by one, they picked themselves up and trudged to their cabins. Not a word was shared among them.
“Sweet dreams!” Chris called. Turning his attention to a horrified Bill Preston’s camera, he began his ending spiel. “That’s it for episode one, folks! Stay tuned, ‘cause episode two will be released in a few short days. This humble host graciously thanks you all for your patronage…and wants to remind you that if you pay an extra five bucks, you'll have access to behind-the-scenes footage as well! But for now, that’s all for the first episode of Total. Drama. Island!”
Once Chris was done, he relaxed. Everything was going swimmingly. He already had about fifty patrons awaiting the show’s official release and he was sure that there would be more on the horizon. But for now, it was time to rest.
He pointed a finger gun at Bill, who flinched. “Get that footage over to the editors. The episode’s gotta be released by tomorrow afternoon at the latest.”
The first night, the worst night. They’d gone in with many unanswered questions, and went to bed that night with the answer they didn’t want.
In their bunks they tossed and turned, praying the sun wouldn’t come up. Praying their suffering would end soon. Praying for rescue.
Chapter 3: Episode 1, Part 3: The Eternal Sleep
Notes:
This challenge was pretty hard to get through. But I got there in the end!
Hope you enjoy!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Episode 1, Part 3: The Eternal Sleep
The first piece of behind-the-scenes footage released showcased Gwen Lawrence’s lifeless body being placed inside a homemade wooden coffin, which was then carried off into the woods. It was released before the first episode and quickly quashed rumours that the whole enterprise was a scam. Overnight, twenty-five more patrons paid to watch the episodes as they were released, and sixteen of those paid the extra five bucks to get more behind-the-scenes footage.
No one slept that night.
The moon rose, shining its sickly light through the cabin’s threadbare curtains. Mice scratched at the walls. Not one of the campers stirred. They lay as if frozen to their bunks.
When the sun was only barely peeking above the treetops, Chris walked out and blasted an airhorn through a bullhorn. The shock of it caused most of them to scream. After they settled down some, they filed outside.
Despite his own tiredness, Justin couldn’t help but comment on the bags under Eva’s eyes. “Wow, you really need a coverstick.”
Eva glared at him. “I can’t help it if my cabin mate stayed up praying the whole night.” She jabbed a thumb in Athaliah’s direction.
“The whole night?”
“The whole night.” Although Eva knew deep down she wouldn’t have gotten any sleep even if Athaliah hadn’t been kneeling at the foot of her bunk all night.
Sadie didn’t hesitate to make her way over to Katie. The bandage on her arm was still secure. Who knows how much longer it would stay that way, though.
Bridgette walked out on Geoff’s arm, still feeling like she was going to vomit. DJ wasn’t looking so hot either.
Beth was weeping softly. Lindsay put her arms around her. “Don’t worry Berry, I’m sure everything will be fine!” She attempted a reassuring smile.
“I-It’s Beth…”
“Attention please!” Chris called into the bullhorn. “The next challenge will begin shortly. You need to complete a footrace through the woods and loop back to the mess hall. It’s very important that you keep running for as long as you can, so that means you shouldn’t walk the whole time.” He snickered. “Oh, and I have a very important announcement to make.”
Everyone hushed.
“As of today, you’ll have the opportunity to find one of two Life Idols.” He held up a picture of a small wooden carving sculpted to look like his face. “These bad boys will save you from certain death, even if everyone votes for you. When you play the Idol, you’ll get to pack your things and leave the competition.”
Courtney gasped. “So someone gets to live?”
“Yep, three of you: two lucky Idol winners and the last one standing in the competition.”
“I need that Idol,” Heather whispered.
“Not if I get it first,” Leshawna whispered back.
“Good luck, they’re very well hidden. Now, everyone line up! It’s time to get this challenge underway!”
The campers all lined up behind the white line that had been set up.
“Ready, set, go!” And they were off.
It seemed easy enough. Just a simple race through the woods. Everyone has been in a footrace at some point. But twenty minutes in and the true cruelty of the challenge was unfolding.
The sun rose and with it came the summer heat. Despite the ample shade provided by the trees, the air was still uncomfortably hot and horrible. The campers had sweated through their clothes in no time, which only added to the discomfort.
But the worst part ended up being the hunger. No one had eaten much yesterday since the food was so bad, and many of them hadn’t eaten since the night before they were brought to the island. The harsh exercise aggravated their empty stomachs something awful.
Ezekiel in particular was having a tough time of it. He’d stripped off his hoodie and beanie but the sweat just kept pouring out. That chocolate bar and cola he’d bought right before being kidnapped had been all that sustained him for that long journey, but it wasn’t enough to keep sustaining him now. He wiped his forehead and pushed forward.
He stumbled across Owen bent over a creek and lapping up the water eagerly. “So…thirsty…!” Owen groaned weakly.
“You got the right idea, eh.” Ezekiel stopped to have a drink too. Only for a wedge heel to come down on his hand.
Courtney’s shadow fell over him. “Oh, sorry. But you shouldn’t be stopping to drink from the creek anyway. We need to keep moving.”
Ezekiel grumbled, but complied. He took one last lap from the creek and got to his feet.
Owen wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Never one for physical exercise, he was just too exhausted to keep going. He barely had the energy to drink.
Another wedge heel stepped on the crook of his arm. Unlike Courtney, however, Heather was less apologetic. “What are you doing, you big tub of lard? Get moving! Do you want us to lose again?”
Owen jumped up. “N-no! Sorry, I just needed a break…”
“We don’t have the luxury of a break! Now go!” With that last word, Heather shoved Owen forward. She stalked off, turning around once to glare at him.
Owen frowned, taking a few steps forward. Sure, he knew he should keep going, but was that shove really necessary?
He went a little ways ahead before hearing a splash from behind. He spun around to see that Noah had collapsed face-first into the creek. Noah struggled onto his hands and knees and crawled a meter or so before collapsing again.
Owen wasted no time in running over to him. “Hold on buddy, I’ve got you!”
~*~
Bridgette and Geoff kept going, until it felt like their legs would fall off. Despite both being relatively active in their normal lives, this challenge was absolutely brutal. They ran hand in hand, helping each other along. Geoff had sweat running in beads all the way to his chin. Bridgette had one hand pressed against her hollow stomach. It was ages since they’d first entered the woods and it was starting to feel as though they’d never make it out.
But they did make it out. Through the trees, they spotted the mess hall. Geoff gave a weak whoop of relief.
Bursting through the door, they found themselves to be the first ones back.
Not for long, though. A minute after falling into their chairs, Eva and Izzy came in, followed by Sierra and Trent. No one had the energy to talk.
Courtney ran in, sweating profusely. She seated herself at the table, facing the door, watching to see who came through it.
DJ came in with Athaliah, Katie and Sadie hot on his heels. Courtney nodded at them as they joined the other Bass at the table. Eight Bass to three Gophers. If the others keep up, it’ll be an easy second win.
Lindsay, Cody and Justin huffed and puffed their way inside. Alejandro and Ezekiel came next. Then Beth and Heather.
Courtney watched as the Gopher table became fuller. Her hands clenched themselves into fists. This couldn’t be happening… They can’t lose! Where the hell was Tyler and Harold? She shook on her seat. Her teeth bit down hard enough on her lip that she tasted blood.
Blood…
Blood that had stained the grass near the fire pit; the blood that should have remained inside Gwen’s head. Blood that was now on her lip.
She hurriedly wiped it away with the back of her hand.
Then Tyler came in, keeling over. Okay, one more to go. They can do this.
“Nice work, she whispered to him, trying her best to be encouraging. “Do you know how far away Harold is?”
Tyler shrugged. “Dunno. Haven’t seen him since the race started.”
“God, when’s breakfast gonna be served?” Sadie clutched her stomach. “I’m starving.”
“Me too,” Katie added. “It feels like my stomach’s about to eat itself.”
Beth rested her head on the table. “It feels like I’m dying.”
“Same here,” Cody said weakly.
Sierra went pale. “Oh God, please don’t say dying…it’s reminding me of Gwen…” Tears leaked out from the corners of her eyes.
Dying. Courtney’s fists were clenched so tightly that her fingernails left ugly red marks on her palms. She forced herself to breathe. No. Don’t go there.
She snapped out of her thoughts with the sound of Owen flinging open the door, Noah slung over his shoulder. “Clear a table, stat!” He flipped Noah onto his back on the Gopher’s table and began frantic chest compressions.
“Oh my God, what happened?” Lindsay asked.
“He passed out in the creek!”
Cody covered his mouth. “Jesus, I hope he’ll be okay.”
The Bass were all standing around staring intently at Noah’s limp form, one arm hanging off the table. Courtney was too, until something distracted her.
The door opened once more. Leshawna collapsed onto her knees as soon as she stepped inside. Then, seconds later, Harold stumbled through, wheezing and clutching at his chest.
Courtney jumped to her feet. “Harold! Where have you been?!”
“I think I’m having heart palpitations…” Harold groaned.
Courtney’s heart jumped into her throat and she could taste blood again. She tried to contain herself - really, she did. But the thought of someone on her team having to face down the barrel of the Executioner’s gun - possibly herself - proved too much to bear.
“Thanks to you, WE JUST LOST THE CHALLENGE!”
Before anyone could stop her, she reeled back her fist and punched Harold straight in the jaw. And again. And again. Tears of rage poured down her face all the while. Her fists kept flailing about, connecting with skin and bone. Her heartbeat roared in her ears like ocean waves.
Something grabbed her wrists. It was Eva. She was shouting at her to stop, a wordless garble.
The blood-red rage dissipated from Courtney’s vision. The noise in her ears died down. She became painfully aware of how everyone’s eyes rested on her. Even Noah, sitting up on the table.
And then she looked down at the floor.
Harold lay sprawled in his own blood. It leaked from his nose, split lips and cuts on his face. He didn’t move at first, too dazed to even try. When he realised that Courtney had stopped wailing on him, only then did he sit up. His glasses had been launched halfway across the room.
Then Courtney noticed something even more shameful. A camera was there, the lens trained on her. And standing behind the cameraman was none other than Chris McClean.
“Uh, I know this is probably a bad time, but I just came by to inform you that that wasn’t the challenge. It was only the first part of the challenge.”
If Courtney could have laid down and died on the spot, she would have done so.
“Man, talk about out of control!” Chris snickered. He flung back a curtain, revealing a table full of amazing food - roast chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, pancakes, fruit salad, sauteed vegetables, chocolate cake. “Here’s your breakfast, everyone! Dig in!” He left, still smirking to himself, shaking his head mockingly at Courtney.
As the others moved to fill their empty stomachs, Courtney remained frozen to the spot. All she could do was stare down at what she had done.
Harold stood up and wiped his face, blood smearing all over his sleeves. When he picked up his glasses and put them on, Courtney realised the extent of the damage she’d caused.
One lens had completely popped out and now lay shattered on the floor. The other, while mostly intact, had a massive crack down the middle. Given the way Harold blinked and struggled to focus, she may have more or less blinded him for the rest of the competition.
“Harold,” she reached out a hand, “I am so, so sorry…”
Harold stalked past her without a word.
Courtney’s stomach turned into a pile of mush. What had she done? She practically fell onto a nearby seat and pulled her knees up to her chin. Her back turned to the others noisily eating, she couldn’t bear to face them. They probably couldn’t bear to face her, either.
How could she?
~*~
“Can you believe it?” Leshawna shook her head. “Beating up poor old Harold, and for what?”
Heather shrugged, eating the fruit salad with relish. “Can’t say I really blame her. I’d be pretty pissed off too, if I thought one of you just cost us the challenge.”
“Would you go as far as punching us in the face, though?”
“Maybe.”
Leshawna glowered at her. “Wow. Really?”
Heather scoffed. “Don’t act all high and mighty with me. Didn’t you throw one of your own teammates off a cliff yesterday?”
Leshawna sputtered. “Because that was part of the challenge! I didn’t punch Beth in the face, did I?”
“No. But who knows how you might react in the next challenge.”
Leshawna could have kicked Heather’s plate right out of her hands, but considering she still wanted to keep a few of her morals, she desisted. She sighed, helping herself to some mashed potatoes and gravy. It would probably be best to conserve her energy for the rest of the challenge.
Speak of the devil’s victim, Harold came over to her, piling his plate with chicken, mash and gravy. He bumped her arm slightly when replacing the spoon. “Sorry.”
“No, I’m sorry,” Leshawna bit her lip, “...about what happened…”
Harold paused. “It’s not your fault.”
“I know, but…I’m still sorry.”
He could only shrug, too flippant of an action for how serious his situation had just become.
Leshawna couldn’t help it. She just felt terrible for him. Although, if there was anything to gain from this situation, it was that she needed to keep a closer eye on Heather.
~*~
Athaliah set her laden plate down on the table and pressed her hands together in prayer. “Oh gracious Lord above, I thank thee for this meal, passed on through your generosity. Please bless us all with your kindness. Amen.”
Noah, who couldn’t help but overhear, snorted. “You really think your God is gonna help you?”
“Of course. He is All-Knowing and Good. He will help all of us.”
Noah scoffed, so loud it caught the attention of everyone in the room. “He sure as shit didn’t help Gwen.”
If Athaliah seriously questioned her faith in that moment, she didn’t show it. Instead, she stood beside Noah and clamped a gentle hand on his shoulder. She absolutely towered over him. “Dear Noah, you were named for a virtuous man. The one who escaped God’s wrath through his own devotion. If you in turn are kind and virtuous, you too shall survive. And you mustn't worry about Gwen. She is in a much better place now.”
Noah wanted to deck her, right in her stupid patronizing smile, but he held back. He didn’t want to be another Courtney.
So sucking in every ounce of energy to prevent himself from snapping, he instead hissed, “If you want to believe that your God wants you to die, go right ahead. But leave the rest of us out of it!” And with that, he spun on his heel and marched away.
~*~
While the rest of the Killer Bass were enjoying their food, Geoff walked over to Courtney, bearing a single chicken drumstick.
“Hey, I thought you might be hungry.”
Courtney waved him away. “I don’t think I deserve to eat right now.”
“Course you do! Sure, what happened was pretty extreme, but still. Food deprivation is, like, torture, man. Don’t torture yourself.”
She sighed. “Why are you being so nice to me? After I just destroyed Harold’s glasses and made everyone hate me?”
“Well…” Geoff shrugged, “what you did was super uncool…but you were scared, weren’t you? I get it, I am too. But we should take this as a lesson to work together. We can’t have any more fights tearing our team apart.” He then waved the drumstick under Courtney's nose. “Now think of it like this: none of us can compete on an empty stomach, so it’s in the team’s best interest that you eat something right now!”
Courtney had to admit: it did smell pretty good. She took the drumstick from him, smiling just a little bit. “Thanks, Geoff.”
~*~
Once all the dishes had been licked clean, Chris stood up and brought out his bullhorn again. “I hope you all enjoyed that, ‘cause now it’s time for the second part of the challenge!”
“I thought eating was the second part,” Owen spoke through a mouthful of food.
“Nope! This big breakfast and your run through the woods was just the lead up to the Awake-athon!”
“The what-athon?”
“Don’t worry, this one’s easy. All you have to do is stay awake for as long as possible. Last one standing wins for their whole team!”
~*~
At the break of noon that same day, everyone was sitting around the fire pit. Having already been out there for a few hours, it was clear to see how utterly impossible the challenge seemed. Exhausted from their run, full from their meal, warmed by the sun…it was well-played on Chris’s end.
Bill Preston was feeling tired just from watching them through his camera. They lay grouped about within their teams, sitting on their stumps or laying on the overgrown grass. It reminded him of his family picnics on Easter, when everyone was too full from eating to move. The sun continued to blaze down, with everyone bearing the brunt of it. The shade of the trees was very appealing, but no one dared move over to it. Chris wanted them right where he can see them.
Owen stripped off his shirt and let it drop to the ground. “Holy shit is it hot out here!”
“We might need to get a content rating for that!” Chris remarked.
Owen ignored him, laying himself flat on the grass. He was too tired to stand. Despite the heat, the grass was surprisingly cool. But, although he hadn’t meant to, he ended up falling asleep within moments.
“One down!” Chris jeered.
Heather, with a groan of frustration, swung her foot directly at Owen’s head. It immediately jolted him awake. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, then looked around him. “Uh oh, I just lost the challenge, didn’t I?”
“Yes. Sorry, big guy…not!” Chris laughed. “You’re free to go finish your sleep in your bunk. Or take a shower.”
“Sorry, everyone,” Owen sighed. He left.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Leshawna turned on Heather. “That was completely fucking unnecessary!”
“I meant what I said earlier. I have no qualms about hitting those who ruin challenges for us.”
Leshawna ground her teeth together. “But he didn’t lose anything for us! The rest of us are all still here!”
“And I’ll smack each and every one of you that falls asleep.” Heather simply examined her nails.
Leshawna turned away, too disgusted to speak.
~*~
The afternoon came and went without another casualty. Night fell. The fire was lit. Chris looked pretty tired himself by then.
The Gophers were pretty subdued. On the Bass’ side, Courtney was jogging on the spot.
-
Courtney looked around herself. The outhouse looked like a gentle gust would completely demolish it. Nevertheless, she stared straight into the camera mounted on the door.
“Okay, so this is my first time in here…I have no idea if I’m doing this right, but I thought I’d explain my strategy. If I just keep moving, I can keep my blood flowing, and it’ll make me less likely to fall asleep.”
-
One major downside to Courtney’s plan, however, was that although her mind may be resisting, her limbs were almost out of energy. Nevertheless, she kept going, reciting poetry to herself to keep her mind entertained.
Nearby, Athaliah had a strategy of her own. She knelt and prayed, mostly silent outside of the occasional whisper. Keeping completely still, refusing to exert herself to the point of inevitable collapse.
Alejandro watched her idly, envious of her ability to hold herself totally rock-still. He’d been instructed in yoga and meditation as a child, yet he couldn’t help but admire such strong devotion to her traditions. Of course, being that he didn’t believe in any gods or deities, he had nothing to offer them but hollow prayers.
He leaned over towards Tyler. “How are you holding up?”
“It feels like I’m gonna pass out…”
“No, no you’re not. Slap yourself.”
“...Huh?!”
“I mean it. Slap yourself.”
Tyler hesitated, but ultimately did as he was told. “Ow! Ouch! What the heck, man?”
“See? You don’t feel as tired anymore, right?”
“I…no, I don’t.”
“Next time you feel sleepy, slap yourself. Works every time. And that goes for the rest of you, too.” Alejandro directed this last point to the rest of the team.
“I’ll try.” DJ said. Harold only gave a thumbs up.
Geoff and Bridgette heard him but didn’t acknowledge him. They were too busy trying to stay awake by having a conversation of their own.
“So, uh, when did you get into photography?” Geoff asked.
About three years ago, when I got a camera for Christmas. I took pictures of everything that day!”
“Hah, nice. So do you go to the beach often?”
“All the time! Surfing is basically my reason for living! Do you go to the beach often?”
“Yeah man! Partying on the beach is my reason for living!” As a spark of optimism illuminated his voice, he said, “When we get out of here, I’ll totally invite you to my next one!”
Bridgette became noticeably quieter. Geoff piped down. The optimism had now fled him. Did he upset her, making future promises he couldn’t keep?
No, she was thinking of her camera, hidden away in her bag. She was too scared to even touch it. Before arriving on the island they’d all been checked for mobile phones, which were promptly confiscated. But her camera had somehow avoided detection. Sloppiness? Or did they know and not care?
Still, even if it was the latter, Bridgette didn’t want to take any chances. She can’t bear the thought of her last connection to home being ripped away from her.
And yet…
If Bridgette hadn’t personally seen it, Gwen’s existence and death might as well have not happened. Those cameras trained on every vaguely interesting moment didn’t cut it. They were vultures, the whole lot of them. Circling for blood. Gwen was captured on camera, but was she seen?
She didn’t know Gwen at all. But now she knew some of the others a little bit more. She could memorialize them.
The whole reason she got into photography was because she loved the idea of capturing things as they were in the briefest of camera flashes. The separation of before and after. That philosophy seemed like it was needed here now more than ever. They weren’t vehicles for entertainment, they weren’t characters to just kill off whenever. They were people!
She knew what she could do for them.
But there was another reason behind her melancholy. She was also sad because she wanted to tell Geoff that when they got out of there, she’d invite him to take photos with her again. She had a scrapbook she’d been planning on making. Leaving that project unfinished just depressed her horribly.
Alas, there was nothing she could do about that now.
~*~
It was just past midnight, and things were not looking good for the Gophers. Lindsay, Beth and Katie had all passed out. If Leshawna wasn’t death-glaring her the whole time, Heather would have given each and every single one of them a swift kick to the face.
Meanwhile, only Ezekiel had fallen asleep on the Bass’ side. Geoff and Bridgette were still chatting, although it had slowed down some. Alejandro and Athaliah remained in their meditative positions. DJ had tied himself to a tree. Courtney kept jogging on the spot, whispering more poetry to herself: the entirety of Ariel by Sylvia Plath.
Chris tapped his fingers impatiently against an old metal barrel. This challenge was a lot more boring to watch than it sounded on paper. But not to worry, for he had some ideas to liven it up a little.
“Who wants to hear a bedtime story?”
Heather reeled back. “Are you serious?”
“Absolutely.” A crewmember handed him a colossal book. He eagerly opened it to the first page. “An Unabridged History of Canada.”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me…” Noah grumbled.
Chris’s grin only grew more broad at everyone’s displeasure. “Chapter One: A History of Canada’s Topography…”
“Jesus fucking Christ,” Eva growled.
“Canada’s landscape is a variety of woodlands, farmlands, and frozen tundras. For hundreds of years, people have braved the harsh conditions and made their own homes alongside each other…” Chris spoke in a slow, calming voice, still smiling all the while.
By the end of the first chapter, more campers had fallen asleep. Tyler, Sadie, Geoff, and Justin were out cold and out of the challenge. Chris stopped there. He’ll save the rest of the chapters for later. So far, it was a success.
~*~
“Ommmmm….”
Eva cracked open her eyes. She came within a hair’s breadth of falling asleep. She should be grateful to whatever that was for keeping her awake, but at the same time it was pretty annoying. It was a low, steady drone that kept stopping and starting.
“Ommmmm…”
She rubbed her eyes and gazed around. The fire had burned low and the sun hadn’t yet risen. She had to squint to see. It was that dweeb Harold, sitting in a lotus position.
“Can you cut that out?”
“Ommmmm…can’t hear you, trying to stay awake…”
Eva decided to drop it. It was keeping her awake, after all. She should pick her battles.
A meter away, Courtney was still going, her movements considerably more sluggish than before.
~*~
Katie slipped out of her cabin and set out on the path towards the medical tent. The sky was dark blue and the air was cold. The sun hadn’t risen yet.
She’d no sooner stepped into the tree line when she heard the door to the Bass cabin swing open. She stopped to see who it was, discovering to her delight that it was Sadie, running to catch up with her.
“Are you going to see that doctor lady? I’ll come with you.” And so they walked off together.
The medical tent was lit only by a solitary camping lantern which hung above the desk. The doctor lady, Karen, sat under it.
“Come by for a checkup, have you?” she asked. Katie nodded.
She led Katie to a chair next to the desk. Then she dug around in a filing cabinet, pulling out a bandage and an orange tube.
“Burn ointment,” she explained. “It is meant for minor burns so I’m not sure how effective it’ll be, but it’s better than nothing.”
Karen undid the old bandage and discarded it, then gently rubbed some ointment into Katie’s burned skin. Katie cried out in pain, clutching Sadie’s hand for support. Karen swiftly swathed the arm in a fresh bandage.
“There we go,” she said, wiping her hands on a towel, “all done. Come by tomorrow for another checkup, and keep that bandage clean in the meantime. It won’t do to let it get all dirty and infected.”
Katie and Sadie left after that, holding hands all the while. The walk back to camp took them through part of the woods, which were still dark.
“Thanks for coming with me,” Katie said softly.
“Of course! We’re BFFFLs!” Sadie smiled into the shadows.
Katie sighed a little. “It still hurts, like a lot. I think all that running earlier made it worse.”
“Then I hope the next challenge isn’t, like, a contact sport or anything.”
Katie let out a dry chuckle. “That would be seriously lame. Maybe if I ask nicely, the others will let me sit it out.”
“Maybe I can pretend to be sick so we can sit it out together.” They both chuckled at that.
The pre-dawn darkness, combined with them being too caught up in their conversation, led them right off the path and deeper into the woods. The grass grew a little bit taller, the trees a little bit thicker, the flowers a little bit wilder. It wasn’t until Sadie nearly walked smack into a tree that they realised they were lost.
“Okay, where are we?”
Katie looked all around. Every patch of woods suddenly resembled every other patch of woods. “I think we’re lost!”
“Which way do we go now?”
“Ummm…” Katie spun around and pointed to her left. “That way, I guess? But what if we end up going deeper into the woods?”
“Well, this island doesn’t seem to be that big. We’ve gotta find our way back eventually.” Sadie took Katie by her good arm. She seemed on edge too.
They headed off in that direction. They walked through what was clearly unused territory. Everything was overgrown and hard to walk through, but they pushed through and kept going. They couldn’t afford to freak out right now. They were girls who had always had the luxury of panic, but the anxiety had to be forcefully swallowed down. To give in to their fear would be to make things worse themselves. After all, what if Chris found out about it and got angry with them? What if they found something they weren’t supposed to?
This went on for ages until they spotted lights through the trees.
“Finally!” They raced over to them, only to stop in confusion.
It was a building neither of them had seen before. It was two storeys and built from dark oak wood, making it almost blend in with the shadowy forest. Lights burned in several dirty windows. The whole thing looked old and run-down.
They circled around to the front. The porch steps were sunken in with age and the bannister was missing a few planks. On the wall next to the door was a small silver plaque.
Katie stepped up to read it. “Beauchene House. Built 1775. Partially Restored 1946.”
“So this is like someone’s house?”
“Must be. But who’d want to live out here?”
The door opened on them. The girls stumbled back and yelped.
It was a crewmember, a woman with curly hair that had been dyed a soft pink. She stared back at them with surprise that equaled their own. “What…what are you doing here?”
“We got lost. It’s really dark out here.” Sadie paused. “Please don’t tell Chris. We don’t wanna get in trouble.”
“I won’t. Here, I’ll show you the way back.” The woman grabbed a flashlight and shut the door behind her. “This path is kind of hard to see.”
She led the way. The path really was hard to see, as it was covered by a lot of bush and overgrown grass. But Katie and Sadie held out hope, and sure enough, they were back at camp in just a few minutes.
“Oh my gosh, thank you so much!” Sadie said.
“It was nothing, really,” the woman said. “But please don’t go back there. It’s private property.” She left.
Katie and Sadie stepped out into the open grassy area where the main facilities were. To their right, Chris was stoking up the fire. The sun was just barely peeking over the horizon now. Few figures were moving about.
To their left, the mess hall lights were on and the door was open. Owen exited the building and sat down on the steps, a plate of food in his hand. The girls walked over to meet him.
“What’s up?” Katie asked.
“They’re serving an early breakfast for everyone who got eliminated.” Owen ate a mouthful of scrambled eggs. “It’s actually edible today.”
Looking inside at the food on display, he seemed to be right. There were pancakes, eggs done multiple ways, toast and orange juice. Boxes of cold cereal were lined up next to the condiments. Beth and Ezekiel sat at their tables with plates of their own.
“Should we eat together?” Sadie grinned.
Chris wasn’t here. He couldn’t stop them from sitting together. Chef was sequestered back in the kitchen. They could get away with it.
“Sure thing!”
~*~
It must have been about ten o’clock in the morning, but to Noah, it was like he’d blinked and the sun was suddenly up. His eyelids were heavy and sagging. His clothes, the same ones he’d been wearing for about a week at this point, were sticky and uncomfortable. He didn’t dare lift his arms up, not even a little. God only knows how much sweat he’d accumulated there.
Beside him was Cody, sitting on the ground and leaning back over his stump. Maybe the pain and discomfort was keeping him up, who knows.
Noah still hadn’t forgiven him on Katie’s behalf. It was stupid and reckless of him and he should have stopped him when he had the chance. Katie was in enormous pain still; she’d been complaining throughout the whole race yesterday. And has Cody even apologized yet?
Noah shuffled over a little closer. In a low voice, so others didn’t hear him, he said, “Hey, have you apologized to Katie about what happened?”
Cody’s head shot up, fear in his eyes. “N-no, I haven’t. Look, I wanna wait until the right time.”
“Which is when? When she’s about to be eliminated and won’t be angry for very long?”
Cody flinched, as if he’d been slapped. “No! Of course not! Just…maybe when she’s not in as much pain…”
Noah huffed. “Sure. In the meantime, don’t think you can get away with tampering with stuff.”
Cody didn’t respond to that.
But nearby, Heather’s ears had perked up.
-
“Did those idiots seriously think I couldn’t hear them?” Heather sat in the confessional, arms crossed and with one leg folded over the other. “News flash: just because you’re whispering doesn’t mean you’re being discreet.”
Her face morphed into a firm grittiness. “So, if I’m putting two and two together correctly, then that means Cody was responsible for the hot tub incident. Well, isn’t that a mightily useful piece of information to know? I’m sure Katie will be pleased…”
-
The day dragged on. Too slowly, Chris thought, so the Unabridged History of Canada made its unpopular return. Chapter Two: The Wildlife.
The effect was just as successful as it was earlier. Leshawna lost her battle with sleep, as did Noah and Cody. Eva passed out face-down on the grass. Bridgette nudged Athaliah, only to discover that the latter had fallen asleep while sitting upright. Alejandro was already gone. Then Bridgette began snoring, too.
By nightfall, there were only four left standing. Trent and Heather on the Gopher’s side, and Izzy and Courtney on the Bass’s side.
That night was unfathomably brutal. By the weak starlight, the four forcibly held back yawns, rubbed their eyes until they were red and watering, and, in Courtney’s case, kept up a slow jog. Chris had put the book away for now and was drinking a coffee.
Occasionally some of the other campers came by to check on their progress, but never said anything. They’d been forbidden to interact with the campers. The slightest interference wouldn’t be tolerated. Instead, they watched on, willing their teammates to pull off a victory.
Courtney’s limbs screamed with red-hot pain. How long had she been at this for? It didn’t matter. She needed to win. To lose at this stage would be unthinkable. And maybe, just maybe, the others might forgive her for her earlier outburst.
Heather kept crossing and uncrossing her arms and legs. It wasn’t much, but it was keeping her limbs from going stiff. The thought of what might happen if she lost this for her team wasn't pretty. She might not have known Gwen that much, nor liked her really, she’ll be damned if she goes out the same way!
Izzy had worked through the sleepiness by constant stretching, with short rest breaks in between. Although she wasn’t a stranger to all-nighters, even multiple nights in a row, it had always been on her terms. And she was never threatened with death over sleeping.
Trent was barely hanging on by a thread. Never one for sports, he knew that trying what the others were doing would only tire him out faster. Instead, he gazed up at the moon, tracing its slow arc across the sky. How many times has he done so with his guitar in hand, waiting for inspiration to strike? Well, it certainly wasn’t striking now.
Night crept into day. The sky turned a shell-pink colour when Izzy and Heather finally collapsed.
Chris rubbed his hands together. “We’re on the home stretch, everybody! Who’s gonna take the win?”
Trent yawned, his mouth briefly turning into a large cave. “God, I feel like death itself…”
Courtney was too exhausted to speak.
From a distance, they could see the other campers filing into the mess hall. About half an hour later, they trickled out towards the fire pit. They crowded together, talking in hushed whispers.
Feeling a crick in his back, Trent stood up and stretched. When he assumed his normal posture he still felt weird, so then came more stretches.
Courtney’s ankles felt like they would give out any moment. She tried to recite another piece. This time, out loud. An ode to the constant swapping of sun and moon high above her.
Good morning, Midnight!
I’m coming home,
Day got tired of me-
How could I of him?
Sunshine was a sweet place,
I liked to stay…
But…
She couldn’t remember the rest. She’d now thoroughly exhausted everything, every single one of her faculties.
And before she knew it, she was careening face-first towards the ground.
The Bass cried out in horror as Chris walked over to Trent, raised his arm and declared, “The Screaming Gophers win!”
“...” Trent couldn’t form words.
“Elimination ceremony tonight at seven-thirty. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your day. Maybe catch up on some sleep so you’re not completely dead for the cameras. Ciao!” Chris saluted mockingly and left.
The disappointment of the Bass team was swiftly drowned out by the jubilation of the Gophers. They surged forward and swept Trent up in a massive wave of emotion. Most of them were crying with relief. They carried him away, back to their cabins where he would undoubtedly get a well-deserved rest.
The Bass were left to stare dejectedly at Courtney, who hadn’t moved for the first time in a long time.
~*~
Sadie and Tyler exited the Bass cabin and made a beeline towards the Gopher cabin. The Gophers were all sitting out on their porch. Katie immediately made room for her friend and Tyler perched on the bottom step.
“I hope you don’t mind us invading your space,” Tyler said, “it’s just that the mood over there is really depressing.”
Leshawna greeted them both with a smile. “We don’t mind. Although if it makes you feel better, I don’t think they’ll kick either of them off.”
Sierra nodded eagerly. “Yeah. If I were you, I’d vote for Courtney. What she did to Harold was super fucked up.”
“Oh don’t worry, I am voting for her.” Sadie told her.
Heather shrugged. “I dunno, I kinda get where she’s coming from.”
“Yeah, we can tell,” Owen pointedly rubbed the sore spot on his head.
“Both Heather and Courtney are super scary,” Lindsay stated, not meeting Heather’s gaze. “Why can’t we all just get along?”
Leshawna wrapped an arm around her. “Believe me, I wish we could too.”
“No matter what happens, Katie and I will always be BFFFLs.” Sadie declared emphatically. Then she turned to the Gophers with a steely gaze. “If she’s voted off, it’s personal.”
No one could argue with that.
~*~
When Courtney awoke, the sun had already set. She sat up with a start. “What time is it?”
The other Bass girls were still there. “Six o’clock,” Eva replied. “You missed dinner. They served it early tonight.” Her voice was gruff.
Courtney swung her legs over the bed and tried to stand. Her legs still felt like jelly. She opted to just sit on the bed instead.
She cleared her throat. “Everyone, I want to apologize for losing us the challenge. I promise to work hard and do better tomorrow.”
They only nodded silently.
Desperate to change the subject now that she’d said her piece, she locked eyes with Athaliah, who had taken her cap off and was now brushing her waist-length brown hair with her second-hand comb. “I like your hair, Athaliah. What’s your secret?”
Athaliah froze mid-comb. “Oh, uh, I use goat’s milk shampoo…”
“That’s nice. I’ll have to try that sometime.” She saw Eva reading a book. “What is that?”
Eva wordlessly showed the cover. It was The Yellow Wallpaper.
“Oh, I’ve heard of that. Is it any good?” She received only an affirmative grunt in response.
The others looked as gloomy as she felt. Bridgette sat with her chin in her palm. Sadie picked at her nails.
Izzy was poking around the room, looking under the bunks and checking every dusty corner. She was expecting to find a camera; they were everywhere on this island, it seemed. She didn’t want one watching her while she changed. But she ended up finding something even better.
“Whoa! Check this out!” She reached into a narrow gap between the wall and dresser and pulled out a cobweb-covered boombox.
“Oh wow…wonder how long that’s been there,” Sadie mused.
Athaliah paused her hairbrushing. “What is it?”
“A boombox! It can play music.”
Athaliah smiled thoughtfully. “It would be nice to have a bit of music tonight. You must surely know, I only ever grew up listening to church music. When I left home, I was shocked when the truck that picked me up played it! I could not figure out how it was happening!” But I rather enjoyed it. I wish I could listen to it some more.” She gazed hopefully at the boombox.
Izzy wiped off the dust and cobwebs and examined it. “Seems to be in relatively good nick. But, no batteries.”
Bridgette picked up a flashlight sitting on the dresser. “Will these fit?” She tossed it to Izzy.
Izzy took them out and slotted them into the boombox. They were a perfect fit.
“Here.” Eva reached into her bag, grabbing several tapes. “I like to listen to music while I work out, so I always keep some on me. They let me keep them when I was kidnapped. Take your pick.”
“Ooh, I love this album!” Bridgette plucked Fleetwood Mac’s Tango in the Night. ”Play this one!”
The tape was inserted into the deck. Izzy pushed it closed and pressed play. After a soft click and a brief delay, Big Love came blaring through, the sound a little crackled from age. Izzy got up and started dancing.
“C’mon, guys!” she called.
Bridgette and Sadie shuffled their feet, trying to find their rhythm. Athaliah swayed back and forth, uncertain. Eva tapped her feet. Courtney remained seated with her arms folded.
Izzy planted her hands on her hips. “Look, I don’t wanna spend the rest of my life being all sad all the time! If I’m gonna go out, then I’m gonna go out dancing! Fuck them all!”
Athaliah gasped at the profanity, then tried to hide a giggle.
“I suppose I can’t disagree with that attitude,” Eva shrugged.
“Neither can I,” Bridgette agreed.
Sadie tried a tap-dancing routine. It was awkward and clumsy and she was laughing before too long. “It’s been years since my last lesson.”
Izzy scoffed. “I bet I can do it better, and I’ve never taken any lessons!” She attempted something of the sort, but tripped over her own feet and fell against the bunk. “Ow!”
The others, except Courtney, laughed heartily.
Eva strode across the floor. “This is how you dance!”
“No it’s not!” Bridgette protested. “This is!”
“I have never seen dancing like that!” Athaliah exclaimed.
They laughed and danced through the song and the next one. Then Everywhere began playing and the mood changed.
“This is my favourite song from them,” Eva announced. She closed her eyes and let it all flow through her.
Bridgette nodded. “I’ve never heard this one before. It’s good.”
Athaliah too seemed to enjoy it a lot. “This is a very beautiful song.” She took Izzy by the arms and swayed around with her.
Sadie paused from her dancing. Courtney was still sitting, still as a statue, same depressed look on her face. She reached out and grabbed her by the arms, pulling her to her unsteady feet. “Come on, Courtney, let’s dance!”
Courtney’s body was quite limp and mostly unresponsive. “Why are you so insistent on this? The elimination ceremony will be happening soon.”
“We know. But don’t you want to be happy? I’m tired of being scared.” Sadie’s voice was firm. “I’m tired of all of this crap. Aren’t you?”
“She has a point,” Bridgette added. “Why not try and make a few good memories?”
Courtney thought it over. Yes, they did have a point. She was tired of feeling anxious and irritable and sad. Yes, she might as well join in.
So she did. They all had an absolute riot. They laughed and clapped and danced into the dusk. They spun each other around like it was a ballroom far away from here. Thumping and chattering from next door only added to the music. Someone somewhere whooped.
Sometime later, Bridgette produced a digital camera. She snapped their picture: as a group, in pairs, individual shots. Athaliah was delighted and wanted to try it out herself. She took a shaky one of Eva dancing by the window. Sadie took it from her and began using it liberally. The flash seemed to reverberate around their tiny room.
For a brief moment, they were all one and the same.
For a few brief moments, Courtney was able to look past the dread unfurling in her gut.
-
Izzy folded her arms and stared maniacally into the camera. “Hey Chris, if you’re watching this, fuck you!”
-
Courtney sat with her hands in her lap. “I’ve made my peace. I’m sorry, Harold. I’m sorry, everyone. Mom, Dad, Sabrina, Grandma, Grandpa…I love you all.”
-
Seven-thirty came far too quickly. The Killer Bass congregated outside the cabin.
“Nice tunes, brah,” Geoff smiled.
“So all that thumping from next door was you?” Sadie asked.
“These walls are very thin, so we heard everything,” Alejandro explained. “But we had a fun time dancing along as well.”
Bridgette grabbed Geoff by the arm. “It would’ve been more fun if you actually joined us.”
DJ shook his head. “I don’t think we all could’ve fit in one room.”
“Yeah, that’s probably true.”
The walk to the fire pit didn’t seem so bad. It wasn’t until they reached their seats and sat down that it hit them.
It was their turn to send someone to die. One of them would be gone by tomorrow. All that laughter and dancing earlier just seemed pointless and foolish now. How could they giggle and joke and smile when they would stab one of them in the back? What kind of monsters were they?
Izzy remained steadfast in her conviction. She meant what she said. She didn’t want Chris McClean, whoever the fuck he thought he was, to strip the remainder of her life of happiness. Fuck him.
Once the voting was over and done for, Chris presented the tray of marshmallows.
“You know how this works. You saw it yesterday.” Chris picked up a handful and tossed it. “Tyler, Sadie, Athaliah.”
All caught their marshmallows, grateful.
“Alejandro, DJ, Bridgette.”
More safe. More sighs of relief.
“Geoff, Izzy, and Ezekiel, surprisingly.”
Ezekiel frowned at that.
A snap of twigs brought everyone’s attention to the Executioner stalking towards Chris’s side.
One marshmallow left on the platter. One gun at the ready. One more soul to be saved tonight.
Courtney turned to face Harold, staring back at her through one lens. He was frowning, clutching his knees.
“Harold, before anything else happens, I truly am sorry about what I did to you. I know you probably won’t forgive me, and I understand. I deserve this.”
She could have sworn that Harold’s eyes misted up, just a little.
Chris cleared his throat. “Our final marshmallow of the night goes to…
.
.
.
.
.
…Harold!”
Courtney fell off her stump, flat on her back. She knew it. She knew it was coming this whole time. The whole day between dawn and dusk had simply been delaying the inevitable.
The rest started murmuring and whimpering. They’d voted her off and now they have to watch her die. Their punishment for playing along. “Courtney…we’re sorry,” DJ was close to tears.
Way up above her, the night sky splayed out for her to see. The moon was round and perfect, and the stars so merry and bright. They didn’t have to worry about getting shot. They were above that, figuratively and literally. She wished she could have gotten the opportunity to examine it more closely without the Executioner standing there, but she was fine with this. She was satisfied.
The Executioner stood over her. She turned her head. He was not going to be the last thing she ever saw.
A familiar poem returned to her, from a morning that felt so long ago. She recited it with murmuring, trembling lips.
“Good morning, Midnight,
I’m coming home,
Day got tired of me-
How could I of him?
Sunshine was a sweet place,
I liked to say-”
A gun clicked. With a burst of light in her chest, she finished the lines she’d forgotten earlier.
“But Morn didn’t want me-now-
So good night, Day!”
The Executioner wasted no time in putting a bullet in her head.
Chris clapped his hands like a child. “Another successful episode completed!” Turning to address the camera, he said, “And if you’re looking for more blood, then you’re in luck! We’ve got several new execution methods down the line. What are they, exactly? You’ll just have to wait and see! But make no mistake, we won’t be using guns all the time. The Executioner only has a limited amount of ammo. He’s eager for something different too!
So! With that, that’s all for Total! Drama! Island!”
The Bass hastily retreated back to their cabins.
Chris clapped the Executioner on the back, “Good job, bro! Dunno why you let her keep talking though. She was obviously stalling.”
The Executioner shrugged. “Didn’t see the harm in letting her have her last words.”
“...Fair enough. Whew, am I tired! That challenge was a doozy! Tomorrow’s should go by much quicker!”
ViolenceInc saw an influx of traffic starting from the 6th June. Although the exact location of every user was impossible to determine, it was discovered that most seemed to have come from Canada and the United States. Comments left on various episodes pointed at further locations such as the United Kingdom, Russia, France and Sweden. The vast amount of these users’ identities were never determined.
Reception to the first episode was generally positive. The video received two hundred thumbs-up and one hundred and fifty comments. One such comment read: “Fucking brilliant! Love to see more.” Another read: “This is better than Survivor, it’s actually real.”
Not everyone was pleased, however. One particularly vitriolic user said, “This is sick and disgusting. If you support this then you’re a monster. This Chris McClean sicko should be in jail.”
This user was severely criticized by others, who stated that he was on a gore site and had no right to complain about something upsetting him. One response read: “Smells like the pot calling the kettle black if you ask me. What are you even doing here you pussy.”
Sixty-five more users subscribed to the show. A subscription cost five dollars. Chris McClean made $325 dollars just off the first episode alone. Further subscriptions for bonus footage brought the total amount made to just over $400. It was a great start to what was intended to be a long season.
If any of those who first watched the episode recognised any of the unwilling participants, they didn’t say so at the time.
Notes:
Sorry if the elimination was pretty obvious. I just thought of Courtney scolding Harold in the actual episode and thought it would work here.
Chapter 4: Episode 1, Part 4: Sporting Games
Chapter Text
Episode 1, Part 4: Sporting Games
On the 2nd June, Mitchell Adamson received the call he’d been praying for: his son, Duncan, was found alive and uninjured. He raced to where he was staying in the small town of Marsville, which was surrounded by farmland and patches of overgrown woods. He met Duncan at the police station there, where Duncan relayed his horrifying tale to him.
He explained that he’d been kidnapped alongside three other boys - Tyler Kennard, Alejandro Burromuerto and Trent Dawes. When the van pulled over to allow them to relieve themselves, they’d attempted an escape. The other three were captured, with only Duncan managing to evade them. Afterwards, Duncan had wandered through the woods until he came upon a farmhouse. The inhabitants called the police for him.
The idea that all four kidnappings were related shocked investigators. On the surface, the only thing connecting them was that all four victims were boys aged 16-17 years old, and that they went missing over a period of about twelve hours. But quickly, a theory began to emerge.
Alejandro was the son of the Spanish Ambassador. Tyler’s father was a famous sports commentator. Trent was the son of a successful lawyer. And Duncan’s father was Ottawa’s chief of police. Since all four boys were related to rich and powerful professionals, it was believed that these kidnappings were targeted for the purposes of holding them for ransom.
The police set to work. They tapped the victims’ house phones, anticipating calls from the kidnappers. Patrols were sent around the upper class neighbourhoods hoping to ward off further abduction attempts. Details of the van and kidnappers were released to the public and a tip line was opened.
None of it proved effective, however. After a week had passed since Duncan’s return, authorities were no closer to catching those responsible.
However, on 10th June, police got a slight break. At 3:30 that morning, the Burromuerto’s house phone rang. Alejandro’s mother, Marisol, got out of bed to answer it.
On the other end of the line was a gruff male voice. He spoke in a deeply threatening tone that made Marisol feel like “he came straight out of my nightmares”.
This was what he said to her: “”Hello, Miss. Betcha been wondering where your boy is. He’s not coming back. We took him away some place you’ll never find him. If he ever comes back (snickers) it’ll be in pieces. Kiss his memory goodbye, because the whole world will forget about him and the rest of your family. It’s what you deserve.”
After he hung up, an inconsolable Marisol called the police. They listened intently to the recording and immediately set to work trying to track the caller down.
Both teams were seated in the mess hall and eating breakfast. The mood at the Gophers’ table was tense. The atmosphere at the Bass’ was grim.
“I can’t believe we did that,” DJ said, staring into his gluggy porridge. “Poor Courtney.”
“What choice did we have?” Geoff said.
“I dunno…maybe we could have refused to vote?”
“Then the Executioner would just shoot us all,” Eva growled.
Ezekiel sat up suddenly. “Hey, what if-”
“No one cares what you have to say, you sexist little freak.”
“Ouch, “ Geoff exclaimed, watching Ezekiel slump back down again.
~*~
Over at the Gophers’ table, they quietly gave a round of applause when Trent opened the door and fell into his seat.
“Here’s yesterday’s winner!” Sierra exclaimed.
Cody leaned over and whispered, “Dude, how’re you feeling?”
“Like shit.” It came out muffled. “I slept horribly last night. There was a spring poking my back the whole time.”
Leshawna passed him a bowl of porridge. He managed a few mouthfuls then rested his head against the table.
Just then, Chris McLean unfortunately showed up, carrying a dodgeball. “Who’s ready to dodge?” He threw the dodgeball at the Bass table. It hit Bridgette square in the back, setting the mood that was to come.
~*~
The teams assembled on an enclosed courtyard on the beach. Chris sat in an umpire’s chair above them, holding another dodgeball.
“Your challenge for today is a nice wholesome game of dodgeball! A classic school favourite! I hope I don’t need to explain the rules…”
A small noise caused him to look down. Athaliah stood with her hand raised, pale face sickly in the sun. “Um…excuse me, but I don’t know the rules…”
Chris rolled his eyes so hard he moved his head as well. “Alright, fine, I guess I can explain the rules since someone’s too dumb to know them.” Athaliah flinched at that.
“Here’s what you do: both teams get some bouncy red balls. The aim of the game is to do just that: aim at the other team and try to hit them with the balls. If you land a hit, that person is out of the game. The game ends when one team has no members left on court. We’ll play a best of three: the team that wins two out of three games wins the challenge. Got all that?”
Athaliah nodded.
“Good. Now here’s a hint: if someone throws a ball at you, and you catch it, the one who threw it will be eliminated. Let’s try it.” He lobbed it straight at Athaliah. It bounced off her face and she stumbled backwards into Alejandro.
Chris chuckled. “Priceless! Anyway, each team starts with three players. You can swap out players mid-game three times; after that, if you lose them all, that’s it for you. Oh, and everyone here has to play at least once.”
“I’ll go first,” Geoff offered.
“Me too,” Izzy joined in.
“So will I,” Alejandro said. “And we’ll swap in…Bridgette, Eva and Ezekiel. How does that sound?”
The others readily agreed.
On the Gophers side, it was a little more complicated.
“I’ll go first,” Leshawna said. “No one can rock the court quite like me!”
Heather scoffed. “As if! I’m going up first.”
Leshawna rolled her eyes. “We can both go first, Heather. And we can take Justin with us. He’s the only man on our team who looks like he can throw.”
“Hey!” Cody and Owen protested. Noah just shrugged; they were right. Trent was dozing off again.
“Aw, but I want to go first!” Lindsay exclaimed.
“Same here!” Cody added.
Heather and Leshawna were about to get into it again, when Justin got in between them. “We can all start together. Enough fighting!”
Chris shrugged. “Sounds good enough to me. Now play ball!” He blew a whistle.
Things started off just like any old game of dodgeball. Izzy grabbed the first ball and threw it at Justin, who clumsily dodged and fell over. He instantly got smacked with another one, courtesy of Alejandro.
“Way to go, Justin!” Heather spat.
Justin picked himself up off the ground and trudged over to the stands. He hesitated, then pointed at Lindsay. “You can go on now, I guess.”
“Ooh, yay!” Lindsay leapt up. She grabbed a ball and tossed it at Geoff. He caught it easily.
“Aw…” Lindsay dejectedly went back to the stands and picked Cody to replace her.
“Can you guys stop sucking?” Heather yelled, getting Alejandro out with a perfectly timed throw. He sent Ezekiel in his stead.
“Certainly!” Cody tossed a ball into the air, aimed with his thumb and tossed it, spinning it a little as he did so. It zipped through the air, smacking Izzy right in the crotch. “Shit! Didn’t mean to aim there! Sorry, Izzy!” She flipped him off.
When Bridgette joined the fray, she had to avoid a similar throw from Cody. Heather and Leshawna backed him up, striking hard and fast and even managing to take out Geoff. Ezekiel jumped back, narrowly missing a good throw from Leshawna and bumping into Eva. “Sorry!”
“Outta my way!” Eva shoved him aside and launched a ball at Cody. He tried to deflect it with another ball in his hands but missed. It hit him in the stomach and sent his skinny body tumbling across the court. He got back up and clapped hands with Beth, letting her join.
Beth was not much of a thrower, so she focused on collecting balls for Heather and Leshawna. The Bass dodged and dove to avoid them. Even Ezekiel proved useful in this regard.
But then the Gophers realised they had a problem. They had no more balls. The red rubber winked at them in the sunlight, on the other side of the line.
“Oh, shit…” Beth began.
The three girls tried in vain to run as a red wave bore down upon them. Within seconds, all of them were eliminated.
“Game One to the Bass!” Chris shouted, waving his hand.
The Bass cheered and clapped for each other. Eva, Ezekiel and Bridgette grabbed each other’s hands and raised them into the air. “We rocked it out there!” Ezekiel was jubilant. He’d never played dodgeball before, so to win his first game ever was a great experience for him. “You guys were great out there!”
Eva turned on him immediately. “Trying to act like you did all the hard work, huh? Acting like we’ve never done sports before in our lives?”
Ezekiel’s eyes widened. “What? No, I-”
“Forget it.” Eva wrenched her hand free and marched off.
“Sorry,” Ezekiel said to Bridgette. “I was thinking about what Eva said the other day, about how it’s wrong of me to think girls are weak. I was only trying to be nice.”
Bridgette patted his shoulder. “I know what you meant just now. I think Eva’s taking it too personally.”
“So,” Alejandro said once everyone was gathered around him, “who’s up next?”
“Me!” Sadie and Tyler’s hand shot up at the same time.
“Excellent! Athaliah, what say you?”
Athaliah froze. “Oh, uh, sure…”
Over on the Gophers’ side, Heather and Leshawna were towering over Noah, sitting with his arms folded.
“You are going out there and playing!” Heather demanded.
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes you are, turkey!” Leshawna leaned in real close. “Are you trying to make us lose?”
“No! I’m doing this because I don’t want us to lose! Trust me, I’m horrible at sports! I couldn’t even make it past the first round of the PACER test!”
“Whoa, really?” Owen laughed. “Even I made it five beeps in!”
“Not helping!” Turning back to the others, Noah continued to plead his case. “Seriously, if you send me out there, I will fuck everything up. It’s not an if, but a when.”
Someone touched his shoulder. It was Cody. “Everyone has to participate, so you might as well just go and get it over with. I’m sure you’ll be fine.” He smiled. “Besides, you can’t do much worse than Justin and Lindsay.”
“Hey! I heard that!” Justin scowled.
Noah, surprisingly, found himself smiling back. “Alright, you make a good point. I’ll do it.” He stood up.
“Atta boy!” Leshawna applauded.
Noah was joined on court by Owen and Katie. As soon as Sadie caught sight of her best friend, she gasped.
“You guys, watch out for Katie! She has a killer throw!”
Tyler waved her off. “She’s injured. We can probably take her!” He was instantly proven wrong by a ball bouncing off his collarbone. DJ was waved back on court.
As it turns out, Katie was the least of their worries.
Owen grabbed a ball in each of his ginormous hands. The adrenaline from watching the previous game was now coursing through his veins. He’d never felt more alive than in this very moment. He stood up, staunch and tall, and screamed, “GAME ON, FISH FUCKERS!”
Athaliah lurched back, clutching her chest and practically gasping for air. “What did you say?”
Her answer was a ball in the face.
DJ and Harold rushed on court. They had to immediately begin dodging the onslaught that came their way. Harold, with his bungled vision, didn’t see one coming and was caught in the knee. Eva rushed back out. Sadie leaned back and reached down to grab a ball. She took aim at Noah.
Noah, seeing a ball flying right for his face, ducked. It bounced harmlessly off the wall behind him. He smirked. Hey, this wasn’t so bad, after all…
He took hold of a ball and threw it at Sadie. She deflected it with another ball she had in her hands. “Shit!”
“Here,” Katie gave him another one. “Aim for that scary blue lady.” She threw her own ball at DJ and connected with his ankle.
Eva was running to one side and then the other, trying to keep the balls off her tail. She scooped one up and tossed it at Noah right as he threw his. His missed completely, while hers predictably smacked him dead in the face. Okay, dodgeball wasn’t fun anymore. He stalked off the court and waved for Beth to go back on.
He shouldn’t have bothered, though. Owen had already taken care of Eva.
“Game Two to the Gophers!”
“God fucking dammit!” Eva stomped her foot. “That kid’s a freak of nature!”
“Ohmigosh Owen, that was amazing!” Katie gushed. “Where did you learn to play like that?”
Leshawna high-fived him. “Nice work man!” With you out on the court again, there’s no way we’ll lose!”
“Awesome! I wanna take you and Katie back out there! You guys were really good too…wait, Sierra hasn’t played yet, has she?”
“I’ll be right with you!” Sierra said.
Over on the Bass side, most were standing around, wondering who to send out there. Harold had readily volunteered but was pulled back; he’d already played his game, and more importantly, he couldn’t risk getting his glasses broken again. Alejandro was the only one set to play. After a while, Athaliah and Ezekiel volunteered, seeing that no one else was up for it. Everyone was already anticipating a brutal beatdown. And another execution.
The final game. The fate of someone here would be decided by it. No one wanted it to be them.
It started promptly. Owen picked up a ball and threw it at Ezekiel, who only barely managed to avoid it. He responded in kind, but missed.
Katie and Sierra aimed for Athaliah at the same time. She ran halfway up the court, yelping all the while, as the balls bounced behind her. Both missed.
Alejandro leapt forward and scored a lucky strike at Sierra. She marched right over to Trent and practically tossed him onto the court. “You haven’t played yet, so get on out there!”
Trent tried, he really did. But he was still practically dead on his feet and slow to act. As he bent down to retrieve a ball, he was smacked in the head by Athaliah.
“Yes!” Athaliah cried.
Trent only yawned and, not caring who was sent in his stead, let Lindsay go on.
Lindsay set about retrieving balls for Katie and Owen, taking care to dodge those aimed at her. Owen was still firing them rapidly, and Alejandro fired right back. They exchanged fire so fast that the balls were just red blurs in the air.
Athaliah ended up being collateral damage from this, and she allowed Tyler to go on.
“Hey, Tyler!” Ezekiel called. “You and me, let’s team up!”
“Alright!”
“They picked their unsuspecting target quickly: Lindsay, dutifully carrying an armload of balls. As she approached Owen with them, they let their own balls rip. One hit her in the arm, the other in the face. She screamed in pain. The Bass boys grimaced at the sound.
Lindsay got up and stumbled over to the stands. She removed her hand to reveal a large red mark around her eye which was undoubtedly a nasty bruise. “Sorry, you guys.”
“It’s okay,” Leshawna said comfortingly. “You tried your best. Who are you gonna swap with?”
Lindsay’s good eye ran over all of her teammates before landing on Justin. “Uh, him!”
Justin stiffened. “Uh, me?”
Heather shoved him with one open palm. “Lindsay chose you, so get moving. And don’t run around like a headless chicken like you did last time!”
Justin couldn’t promise that. As soon as he stepped onto the court, his self-preservation instincts kicked in. He’d never been a big sports guy; swimming was the most he could manage.
Owen, by his own admission, wasn’t much of a sports guy either, but adrenaline and audacity can carry someone very far. He cleanly took out Ezekiel, and then Bridgette when she came on. He had a harder time nailing Geoff, though.
Geoff had paid attention to what Tyler and Ezekiel had done earlier, and he teamed up with Tyler and they took out Katie together. One ball hit her burned arm. She screamed even louder than Lindsay had.
“Sorry!” Geoff cringed. “I wasn’t aiming there, dudette. Honest!”
Alejandro was still trading blows with Owen until he slipped up. He later said that Katie’s scream distracted him. Owen’s ball got him in the hip.
“It’s up to you guys, now!” he said to Geoff and Tyler.
Owen set his sights on Geoff, although their encounter didn’t last anywhere near as long. They both threw balls…and ended up landing direct hits on each other.
To both teams’ horror, all that was left were Justin and Tyler.
Justin hadn’t thrown a single ball yet in the challenge. Instead, he was more interested in dodging them and refusing to properly engage. Without Owen and Katie to hide behind, he was completely exposed.
Tyler worked better as part of a team. On his own, his movements became a little sloppier. His throws missed constantly. It was clear that the nerves were getting to him.
The teams cheered them on. Tyler kept throwing and Justin kept dodging. But they were starting to tire.
“Man,” Tyler panted, “why can’t you just stop dodging?”
“Why can’t you stop throwing?”
Tyler heaved one last ball in his direction, which went wide because of course it did. Justin didn’t even need to try to avoid it. But then both parties noticed the same thing at the same time: Tyler had no more balls left.
“Oh, shit…”
“Keep calm, Tyler!” Alejandro yelled from the sidelines. “Keep a cool head and focus!”
The Gophers were enthusiastic, but for a different reason. “Smash him, Justin!” Heather hollered. “Show those fish fuckers who’s boss!”
Athaliah was beyond disgusted. “I beg of you, stop calling us that!”
Heather turned her attention to Justin. “Cut it out with the headless chicken act, and smash them!”
Justin nodded, still looking very nervous. This was his moment of truth. He picked up a ball, stilled the wobble of his hands, and chucked it.
Tyler dodged it easily.
Justin picked up another and another and another, as fast as he could. Tyler, for all his physical ineptitude, practically danced around them.
“Dude! Slow down and focus!” Cody shouted.
“Aim before you shoot!” Katie cried.
“Stop being a fucking idiot!” Heather yelled, which she was doing a lot of today.
But Justin was on a roll. He who had never done sports was developing a taste for it. Was this truly how it felt, to be hopped up on adrenaline and the thought that you could be the one to win it all for everyone? He was a Screaming Gopher, and he was not going to lose.
Besides, Tyler looked done for, anyway. The barrage has to come close to hitting him sometime.
After a particularly close call, Tyler slipped and fell over. “Ow! Mercy, please!”
Justin cackled without smiling. “Sorry fish fuckers, but we’re not losing again!” He threw the ball in his hands, aiming straight for the face.
Tyler grew a startlingly fierce look in his eyes. “Neither are WE!”
Still lying on the ground, he reached one arm into the air and grabbed hold of the ball, not letting it slip from his grasp even a little bit.
There was stunned silence until Chris announced, “Game Three to the Bass! They win the challenge!”
The Bass team surged the court and lifted Tyler high above their heads as they whooped and cheered. “Tyler! Tyler! Tyler!” They paraded him around the court, much to the rage of the Gophers.
Actually, that wasn’t fair to the Bass. They knew who was really to blame.
Justin didn’t need to look at his team to realise how screwed he was.
~*~
The challenge had finished a while before lunchtime, so the campers had the rest of the day to themselves. The Bass could still be heard celebrating inside their cabin, so the Gophers retreated to different parts of the camp, wanting to escape the raucous celebrations.
Trent took a nap under the shade of a tree. Heather went to have a shower. Katie ran over to visit Sadie. Sierra read her book. Owen went straight for the mess hall. Cody moped around.
Noah, meanwhile, was bored. He figured it was time for an exploration of this hellish place.
He hung around the main facilities for a while. While walking around the outside of the bathrooms looking for something interesting, he noticed someone watching him. It was one of the cameramen, or camerawomen, he should say.
Cameragirl was more accurate. Upon approaching her, he realised that she looked to be about the same age as him. She had curly hair dyed a soft light pink, and it was tied up in a messy ponytail. She was wearing black shorts, a white t-shirt and scuffed black sneakers. She tensed up a little as she saw him coming.
“Hey,” he called, irritated. “The challenge is over. Why don’t you go annoy someone else?”
“I-sorry, but I was told to film the campers during their down time.”
“Why? Don’t you have enough footage of us being scared out of our fucking minds?”
“No, I’m, uh, getting bonus footage. It’s for those who pay the bonus fee.”
The words bonus fee smacked Noah in the chest. “Bonus fee. For what?”
“For getting extra content.”
“People are actually paying to watch us die?”
The girl bit her lip, as if she’d said too much. “Yeah. Lots of them are.”
It was too much for Noah to bear. He wrenched the camera out of her hands and threw it as hard as he could at a tree. He spun on his heel and marched away. Behind him, the girl made a sound like a wounded animal.
He went down to the beach, fire burning in every footstep. He needed to kick something, pronto.
He came upon Leshawna, Beth and Lindsay sitting cross-legged in the sand, chatting like they were in school, not an isolated island in the middle of nowhere.
“Why are you guys so chill?” he snapped, way harsher than he meant to.
Leshawna glared up at him. “We got nothing to fear tonight. We know who we’re voting for. It’s not you, by the way, so you can save the attitude.”
Noah sighed. “It’s nothing to do with you, it’s just…did you know there are people paying to see this?”
“You’re fucking with me.”
“I wish.”
Leshawna sat for a moment to take it all in.
“Wait…there are people watching us? Like, for fun?” Lindsay was incredulous.
“What did you think the cameras were for?”
Lindsay shrugged. “Like, blackmail or something? My dad’s pretty rich, so I thought all of us were rich.”
“Not me,” Beth said.
“Jesus Christ,” Leshawna ran a hand through her hair. “So this must be like a black market thing, right? Cuz no way would they broadcast this on TV.”
Noah sat down with them. “I’ve heard Chris talk about releasing episodes within a few days, and given that there are subscribers…if my thinking’s correct, then this might not just be a black market thing, but a deep web thing.”
Beth went pale. “The deep web? I thought that was just a myth.”
“I wish it was. And I wish this whole thing wasn’t true. But no other explanation makes sense. No way in hell would they get away with putting this on the surface web. It’d be way too easy for it to spread to a wider audience, some of whom might recognize us. That’s probably why they wouldn’t let us share our last names on the first day. The cops would be onto them in five seconds flat. And only sick fucks would be more inclined to not inform the cops even if they did recognize us.”
“So…how do we stop this?” Lindsay asked.
“Dangerous words, girl. Cameramen everywhere in this place. You never know who might be listening.” Leshawna gently chided.
Noah could only shrug. A quick shifting of eyes revealed that no cameras were present - or rather, none were visible. “Dunno. Are you a strong swimmer? You could try pulling an Alcatraz.”
Lindsay nodded slowly.
Beth sighed, tears misting in her eyes. “I don’t wanna be on the deep web. I just wanna go home.”
Leshawna patted her back. “Same.”
~*~
“So, who’re you guys voting for?” Geoff asked.
Katie sat bunched together with Sadie on the latter’s bunk. With no hesitation, she said, “Justin.”
Ezekiel nodded understandingly. “That makes sense. He did lose the challenge, eh.”
“Yeah. We even tried giving him advice during the game, but he didn’t listen.”
“Bummer, eh.”
“Not the kind of person you want on your team, that’s for sure.” Bridgette stood in front of them, camera at the ready. “Say cheese!”
Katie’s eyes widened, barely being affected by the flash. “You have a camera! Where’d you get it from?”
“I had it with me when I got, well…you know…kidnapped.”
“Is that allowed?”
Bridgette shrugged. “I don’t know. So I’d like you to keep it on the down low.”
Sadie sighed. “I wish I had my camera. Katie got it for me last year for my birthday.”
The word “birthday” triggered something in Geoff. “Hey dudes, does anyone know what the date today is?”
Bridgette checked the time displayed on her camera. “June 9th.”
Geoff, for a moment, suddenly seemed very far away. He fiddled with his hands and looked down at them. He made a sound in his throat that could have been a sob.
“Dude, you okay?” Tyler asked.
Geoff sniffed. “Yeah man, it’s just…today’s my birthday.”
“Nice!” Tyler went in for a high-five but faltered when Geoff didn’t raise his hand.
Bridgette put her hand on his back. “Geoff? Are you okay?”
Geoff nodded. “Yeah dudes, I’m just bummed that I have to celebrate it here and that I might die tomorrow. I miss my family, my bros…I was gonna throw a sick party at the beach today…”
“Oh, that is so sad…” Katie and Sadie said with shining eyes.
“Hey don’t worry!” DJ came up beside him. “We can still throw a sick party for you! I don’t see any reason why we can’t still celebrate!”
“Yeah!” The rest of the Bass cheered.
Geoff sniffled, giving them a watery smile. “You guys are the best…”
“Let’s go do it right now!” Izzy raced outside. “I’ll provide the music!”
“I’ll go ask Chef if we can take our lunch outside,” DJ followed.
“Cheer up, Geoff, it’ll be fun!” Bridgette consoled.
“I’ll believe you,” Geoff smiled.
~*~
Noah was still sitting with the girls when the Killer Bass streamed out of their cabin and made a beeline for the beach. “Come to rub it in a little more?” he said snippily.
Eva rolled her eyes. “No doofus, we’re having a party.” At the other’s shocked expressions, she clarified. “It’s for Geoff. It’s his birthday today.”
Lindsay’s eyebrows rose. “Oh, nice! Can we join?”
“Sure you can, dudettes!” Geoff said, in better spirits. “And you too, dude!” That last bit was aimed at Noah.
Noah held his tongue. Normally he’d question the ethics of partying in a place like this, but a birthday wasn’t something to just ignore. The dude deserved to have a celebration.
The Gophers watched on as the Bass produced a dusty boombox and began playing Michael Jackson’s Thriller album. The dancing that followed was something that Noah would never be caught doing.
The girls didn’t care, though. They jumped up and joined the party. Lindsay and Beth danced together while Leshawna was off in her own world.
It didn’t take long for the rest of the Gophers to come storming in.
“What’s this?” Heather stamped her foot. “Are you guys seriously still celebrating your win today? Rude.”
“Nah,” DJ waved her off. “It’s Geoff’s seventeenth birthday today!”
“Oh!” Sierra exclaimed, “Happy Birthday, Geoff! Can we join!”
“Of course!”
The fun was thus shared by both the Screaming Gophers and the Killer Bass. They danced, limboed and talked on the beach under the blazing sun. DJ managed to score several bags of chips and nuts from the mess hall, which were shared liberally. The mood in the air was happy, for once.
Except for one.
Justin pushed his way through the crowd towards Lindsay and Beth. “Hey, can I speak to you for a moment?”
The smiles on their faces disappeared as soon as he came near. “What do you want?”
“I just wanna say that I’m sorry for losing us the challenge, and that I hope you don’t vote me off.”
The girls looked at each other. Lindsay scratched her head. “I dunno. You were pretty bad out there.”
“Yeah, well so were y-” Justin cut himself off, but it was too late. Lindsay’s frown deepened and she turned away. “Sorry, I just really don’t wanna die…”
“We’ll think about it,” Beth told him sharply.
And that was that.
Justin found Cody sitting by himself and pleaded his case to him, with predictably similar results.
“Sorry Justin, but you did cost us the challenge.”
Justin trudged away, trying his pleas on Owen. They fell on deaf ears.
As the day went on, as the dancing continued and the music blared on, Justin became increasingly desperate. It couldn’t end like this. Not for him! He’d tried! Why couldn’t anybody see that?
“Leshawna, please don’t vote for me!”
“Too late for that! I’ve already made up my mind!”
He turned to Trent. “Will you promise not to vote for me?” Trent’s only response was a shake of the head.
Beads of sweat rolled down Justin’s forehead. He turned to Heather. “Heather, listen, why don’t we vote out Lindsay instead? Or Noah? They’re both useless!”
Heather stepped back, disgusted. “Who the hell do you think you are? Lindsay and Noah didn’t fuck up the whole challenge for us!”
“Trying to send someone else to their death instead of yourself? That’s low.” Eva chimed in.
Justin rounded on her. “You’re not even on our team! Back off!”
“What? You fucked up. You take responsibility.” Eva shrugged. “I get that you don’t want to die, but why sacrifice someone else for your mistake, you jerk?”
Now everyone was staring at him. Justin’s entire body began to itch. It was too damn hot out here. Sweat was pouring out like a waterfall. He felt like he was about to pass out. He did the only thing he could think to do.
He ran.
The others watched him go.
“Yikes,” Cody said, sidling up to Noah, “That was crazy.”
Noah folded his arms. “Crazy, stupid, and selfish.”
“Aw come on, do you not understand what he’s going through?”
“Like what Eva said. I totally get not wanting to be executed for the viewing pleasure of the entire deep web, but trying to throw me and Lindsay under the bus is despicable.” His face darkened.
Cody dared to open his mouth again. “You know, the only reason you can say that is because it was Justin who was the last one standing. If it was you-”
“You think I don't know that?” Noah leaned in real close. “You think Lindsay doesn’t know that, either? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’re all one screw-up away from being killed. Including you.” This was accompanied by a sharp jab to Cody’s chest.
“Okay, okay…sorry.”
Noah only harrumphed.
~*~
Justin ran.
Across the sand and then across the grass. He ran faster than he’d ever ran before in his life. He blasted past the cameramen and ducked behind the boat shed. Only then did he stop to catch his breath.
He bent over double, sick with stress. Tears burned his eyes and bile burned his throat. Sobs forced their way out of his mouth.
He couldn’t believe this was happening. He was actually going to die.
It wasn’t fair! He had honestly tried during the challenge! Yeah, it was gross of him to do that to Noah and Lindsay, but as long as it wasn’t him on the chopping block, he’d find some way to live with that eventually.
But it was hopeless; he could see that now. His efforts had only further poisoned everyone against him. It wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.
The sun’s heat was sickening. He slipped inside the boat shed, where it was much cooler. Sitting down on a dusty crate, he put his head in his hands and wept.
He wept for what felt like hours and hours. Once he felt like he could cry no more, he lifted his head and dried his eyes. Only then did he take note of something interesting.
Justin paused.
Could it be?
Should he…?
No, it might not work.
But what choice did he have? Chris had promised more gruesome deaths than getting shot in the head.
And it would save everyone the trouble of voting him off tonight.
That sealed the deal. He would do it, or die trying. Fuck this place.
~*~
Chris relaxed in his chair, having just finished a nice lunch courtesy of his personal cook. Oh, he and Chef went way back, and he knew Chef could put together a mean meal, but he also knew him well enough to know that when Chef decided to make something bad, it was bad. Of course he had to find someone else; someone who would be too scared to spite him.
The dining room he was in had once been stately, but now it was dark and old. The crew had cleared away most of the cobwebs and mess, but still the place had an eerie feel to it. Not that he paid it much mind.
His walkie-talkie crackled into life. “Hey, Chris,” Chef’s voice came through, “the kids are havin’ a birthday party. Thought I’d rustle up a cake for the occasion. I’ll save you a slice.”
“Ooh, if it’s that chocolate orange one, then yes please!” Chris giggled and kicked his feet. “Who’s birthday is it?”
“Geoff’s.”
“Nice. Tell him I said happy birthday.” With that, the walkie-talkie powered off.
Chris went right back to relaxing. A challenge over and done with, a slice of cake, and some more money in his bank account. It was a good day today.
So it was only such that it would be interrupted. A few minutes later, a voice came blaring through the walkie-talkie.
“Chris?” It was Zach, one of his many crewmembers. “Yo Chris, we have a situation down by the beach. You’d better come quick.”
~*~
Chris didn’t need to leave the house. He could see it all on the cameras.
And the rest of the campers didn’t need the cameras. They could see it from where they were standing.
A little ways away, Justin was seated in a small wooden rowing boat, his back to them, headed for the mainland.
“What is that crazy boy doing?” Leshawna was incredulous.
“Omg, do you think he’ll make it?” Katie wondered aloud.
The answer seemed to be no. It was pretty obvious to everyone watching that Justin had little experience rowing a boat. His strokes were sloppy and uneven and he only had one oar. The wind condition was certainly in his favour, but it probably wouldn’t help much.
Still, they all hoped he could do it.
Justin gritted his teeth. He had to do it. His arms burned with the strain of it all, but he ignored it. He was not going to die on some forsaken island if he could help it. The pain was nothing compared with the fear of death.
In the heat, the mainland wavered on the horizon. Who know who was standing on those distant shores this very moment? Someone who could help him, hopefully. Someone who could take him far away from this place.
Oh, and someone who had a phone, too. He would need to call the police. They can get that sick fuck McLean and haul his ass to jail. Then everyone else will be free, too.
Justin focused on his strokes. Left, right, left, right, left, right, left, right. Over and over and over again. He tried to time his breathing in between strokes. His feet were firmly planted on the floor of the boat.
This boat must have been here since this place was still a summer camp, all old and worn, but it was serving him well. It will carry him to freedom. It had to.
“Try and get me now, you fuckers,” he muttered.
A single bullet ripped through the air and hit him dead in the head.
Those on the beach jumped back and screamed in shock. Geoff and Bridgette clung to each other tightly, as did Noah and Cody. DJ nearly passed out. Katie and Sadie began crying.
They turned to see the Executioner crouched on the mess hall roof, a rifle in his hands. It was only taken one shot and he had an unobstructed view.
The loudspeakers burst into like. “I thought this would have been obvious, but escaping is strictly forbidden.” Chris didn’t sound mad. Just disappointed. “As you can see here, this is what will happen if you try. So no more funny ideas, okay?”
The campers gulped.
“Since the rest of the Screaming Gophers have been behaving themselves, there’ll be no elimination ceremony tonight. Besides, I’m assuming you all would have voted him off, anyway. But just so there are no more incidents for today, all of you need to return to your cabins and stay there until tomorrow morning, okay? Dinner will be served to you by the crewmembers. Oh by the way, happy birthday, Geoff.” The loudspeakers clicked off.
So that was that.
The campers had no choice but to comply. They filtered back into their cabins and dutifully stayed there for the rest of the day. Izzy tried to lift Geoff’s spirits by playing more music, but it didn’t work. Geoff got into his bunk and lay face-down until dinner-time. This was the worst birthday of his life and he wanted nothing more than for it to be the next morning already.
The rest of the day passed by slowly. Trent got some more sleep in. Owen ate the rest of the chips. Eva did push-ups on the floor. Most read the second-hand books they’d been given. Dinner was a similarly subdued affair.
They went to bed that night, thinking of poor foolish Justin who just wanted to live.
The anonymous caller was eventually traced to a payphone outside a supermarket in Missisauga. A search of the area revealed no useful information.
Two days later, on the 12th June, The Burromuertos received another phone call. At 4 in the afternoon, Manuel picked up the phone to hear a woman tell them this:
“Your son is lying in pieces in a field outside Ottawa. Next to a river. There’s an oak tree there too. On the Quebec border. Good luck.”
The police, listening in on the call, were able to track the origin to another payphone, this one in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Again, police searched the area and came up empty-handed.
Despite the fact that the voices were different, and that the origins were in two different locations, police treated them as being done by the same person.
Chapter 5: Episode 1, Part 5: Lucky and Gifted
Chapter Text
Episode 1, Part 5: Lucky and Gifted
Not every police force was dedicated to finding the missing teens.
While the Ottawa police followed up on every lead they could, the Toronto department ignored the cases of Sierra Weber, Katie Hatfield and Sadie Hamilton. When their families first learned of their disappearances, they attempted to contact the police, only to be told to report back within twenty-four hours. When they again called the police the following day, they were instead told that there would not be an investigation.
“They treated our girls as if they were worth nothing,” Sierra’s mother, Alice, told the news in 2008. “They just assumed them to be runaways.”
Katie and Sadie’s parents banded together and publicized their daughters’ disappearances in the newspaper. Word spread quickly this way, as did criticism of the police. The public outcry was enough that the police finally decided to investigate.
Shortly afterwards, Sadie’s mother Leonie met Alice Weber while both were at the police station. Leonie understood perfectly what Alice was going through and began spreading the word about Sierra’s disappearance too.
Alice, a poor single mother, was used to discrimination. Sierra had been sent to live with her grandparents because her mother couldn’t care for her properly. She frequently divided her time between both homes, located in a poorer neighbourhood. The police were quick to assume that Sierra was nothing more than a teenage runaway who would in all likelihood return shortly, and if she didn’t, then there was nothing that could be done.
“You can’t expect us to investigate every Tom, Dick and Harry that goes missing,” said Toronto police chief Richard Winters, “It’s a waste of time and resources.”
Buried under his covers, Ezekiel tossed and turned. In his dream, he was being chased up the cliff by several Executioners, who had ballooned to the size of skyscrapers. Alejandro’s creepy smile was laid over the masks. He rushed to the edge and stopped; down below were man-eating sharks, all circling in the water and eyeing him hungrily. He turned around to see the Executioners pulling out their guns and aiming directly at him.
“Good night,” they said in unison before pulling the triggers.
Ezekiel woke with a start. His covers and pajamas had become twisted around his body. He was lying in a huge pool of sweat. The blueish light outside told him it was nearly sunrise.
He leapt out of bed and opened the door, heading for the bathroom.
The light inside seemed harsh compared to outside. He stood in front of the mirror and splashed water on his face. The air was cool and still. Once his heart had slowed down and his breathing became less laboured, he stood up and looked at his reflection.
His hair was scraggly, more so than it had ever been before. He hadn’t showered in a few days. His eyes had bags under them. Since he had no razor, he was starting to grow stubble on his chin. He rubbed at it uncomfortably.
Man, he looked like hell.
He felt like hell, too.
He patted his face dry and made to leave. As soon as he opened the door, he bumped into DJ. “Oh, sorry, eh.”
DJ held up a peaceful hand. “No biggie. So you couldn’t sleep either, huh?”
Ezekiel shook his head. “I had a nightmare. There were like a billion Executioners trying to kill me. And they all had Alejandro’s smile.”
“That’s rough, man. You know, I’ve been having nightmares too. Nightmares about seeing my own face getting blown off. It’s not pretty.”
Ezekiel, trying to be comforting, put a hand on his shoulder. His hand seemed so tiny in comparison with the brickhouse. “That, uh, that sucks.”
DJ nodded and decided to change the subject. “So, is Eva still mad at you?”
“Yeah.” He scratched the back of his neck. “After dinner yesterday I tried saying sorry, but she just walked off. I don’t know what to do…”
“What you said during the cliff jump really wasn’t cool, you know.”
“I know that now, but my dad always told me to look out for the girls. He said that they can’t help it if they’re weaker than us guys.”
“And what would you say to him now?”
Ezekiel thought for a moment. “I’d say that he should meet Eva.”
DJ laughed. “Nice. But hey, now you know better, right? Girls are crazy strong.”
“Yuh-huh they are! But…now I’m wondering what else my dad told me was wrong. I’m homeschooled, so I don't’ exactly get to see much of the outside world. Mostly what I see on TV or in books.”
“Well, if you have any questions, you can always come to me.”
“Thanks, man.”
~*~
After a breakfast of oatmeal made with what tasted like expired milk, Chris assembled the campers in front of an old wooden amphitheater.
“Today’s challenge is an old summer camp favourite: a talent contest! Each team will pick three of their most talented individual members to perform for our entertainment. After each performance, they’ll be judged by the Chef-o-meter!” A screen above the stage displayed ten bars, all flashing green. “Whoever gets the highest individual score wins the challenge for their whole team. You have until four to audition and make your selections. Good luck!”
The campers all left and headed back to the campsite. They gathered in front of their respective cabins.
Heather stood in front of the assembled Gophers. “Alright, who here has a cool trick to show us?” Several put their hands up and she selected Leshawna to come forward.
“Watch out!” Leshawna strutted forth, “Once Chef sees my killer moves, he’ll give us the win for sure!” Hitting the play button on the boombox, she began dancing with fervor.
The others could only watch on in horror. While Leshawna was certainly energetic, her dance was too eclectic and had no real flow to it. That, Heather thought, and some of the moves were downright embarrassing to watch.
The music stopped abruptly and Leshawna paused mid-dance. “What was that for?”
Heather folded her arms. “If you’re going to dance, at least do it properly!”
“What, you think you can do better?”
“I know I can!” With that, Heather kicked off her heels and demonstrated a beautiful ballet dance.
The Gophers gasped and wowed in amazement. Even Leshawna had to admit, very begrudgingly, that Heather was pretty good.
Heather finished her routine with a smirk on her face. “If there’s anyone who can win this for us, it’s me.” She waved dismissively at Leshawna.
Leshawna sat back down, glaring all the while. Beth leaned over and whispered, “I still liked your dance.”
“Beth!” Heather clapped her hands with fake cheeriness. “If you want to talk, why don’t you tell everyone what your special amazing talent is!”
She was fully expecting Beth to sheepishly admit that she had no talent, that there was nothing special about her. But much to her annoyance, Beth stood tall and announced, “I can twirl fire batons!”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes!” Beth grabbed a long stick. “I’ll show you!”
Her performance, although it was just with a stick that was very much not on fire, garnered more amazement than Heather’s routine. They clapped and cheered her on, even more so when she tossed it into the air and caught it while doing a full split.
“She’s in!” Leshawna declared.
Heather turned around. “Says who?”
“Says me!” Leshawna clapped Beth on the back as she sat down. “Now, if there are no objections, she’s in!”
“No objections from me!” Cody said.
“Me neither!” Lindsay added. “Berry was sooo good!”
“It’s Beth,” Beth corrected.
“I agree! Beth should be in!” Owen stood up.
Heather threw up her hands. “Fine. Beth, congratulations. You’re in.”
“So what if I got shown up by Beth?” Heather said, arms folded firmly. “We all know that I’m gonna be the one winning this challenge. I’ll get a score so high that no one else even needs to perform!”
“Now if you don’t mind, I wanna show off my talent.” Owen took to the grass, bearing a large bottle of soda. God knows how he managed to swipe it from the mess hall.
He flicked the lid off and put the lip in his mouth. As everyone watched on, he proceeded to chug the entire thing in thirty seconds flat. He waited a few seconds for the gas to build up, then he let it rip.
“ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ!!!”
As the girls reacted with disgust, the guys, bar Noah, whooped.
“Okay, he has to be in!” Trent exclaimed. “That was awesome!”
Cody was amazed. “I didn’t think it was humanly possible!”
Owen was tickled pink. “Aw, thanks, you guys!”
Heather’s face twisted. “No, I don’t care if he’s the first person in the entire history of humanity to do it, it’s disgusting and we’re not letting him in!”
Trent planted one hand on his hip. “Says who?”
“Says me!”
“I hate to say it,” Leshawna spoke up, “but I’m with Heather. Sorry Owen, but it might not be impressive enough for the judge.”
“That settles it!” Heather clapped her hands. “Owen, you’re out! Someone here has to be good at something! Noah, how about you? What are you good at?”
Noah thought for a moment. “I can recite a hundred digits of pi.”
Heather pulled yet another face. She moved on. “Cody, have you got anything?”
“I can play the keyboard, but I don’t have one with me right now. I don’t think they have one anywhere on this island.” Cody’s shoulders slumped. “I also used to have the highest score on Kosmic Kaos’ single-player battle royale, until I got surpassed by some dude named RoyalButtface69.”
Noah went very still. He was RoyalButtface69.
“Nope, sorry, I don’t think they’d allow video games here. Trent, please tell me you can do something that’s actually impressive.”
Trent shrugged his shoulders. “I can play guitar.”
Heather gasped, a little too hard. “Alright, that’s it! You’re in! Talent show judges go crazy over guys who can play guitar!”
“Don’t you at least want me to play you guys something first…?”
“Don’t need to! It’s settled! Me, Beth and Trent will be performing today! Any objections?” Heather waited barely a second. “Good! See you all later!” She walked off, flipping her hair as she went.
“Who the hell died and made her Emperor?” Leshawna grumbled.
“Something tells me she wouldn’t have liked my talent,” Sierra said, laughing. “I can do a cartwheel with one hand while holding a sandwich in the other.”
“For what it’s worth, girl, I’d give that a 10 out of 10.”
~*~
On the Bass side, things were less contentious.
DJ had shown off a beautiful ribbon dance, which the others had readily agreed to. With one down, it was time to figure out the other two.
Bridgette put her hand up. “I can stand on my hands for twenty minutes. Here, I’ll show you. Someone time me.”
She stood on her hands for everyone to see. Her legs at times wobbled dangerously in the air, but she held steady. She even showed off more by walking around a little bit.
After a few minutes had elapsed, Alejandro pointedly coughed into his balled-up fist. “Do you have anything else less…time-consuming?”
Bridgette righted herself immediately. “Yeah! I can whistle Yankee Doodle Dandy through my nose!” And she did just that.
Alejandro nodded. “We’ll consider it.” He watched as Bridgette, a little disappointed, returned to her seat. “Alright, who’s up next? Sadie?”
“Hang on, man,” Geoff held out his hands. “Can’t you reconsider?”
“Sorry, amigo, but I don’t think I can. It’s too much time for too little…talent.”
“Damn, that’s harsh,” DJ said.
“But it’s true, is it not?” Alejandro smiled, like he knew something the others didn’t. “Surely we have other team members who are just as talented…if not more so.” He turned his back on Geoff, effectively ending the conversation. “Sadie? What can you do?”
Sadie slumped back, looking a little down in the dumps. “Oh…I can dance, kinda. Not really. I only do it with Katie. It’s not the same without her…” She sighed.
He moved on. “Athaliah?”
She sat up, a little prouder. “I can recite every Psalm in the bible.”
“That’s very impressive…but probably not what the judges are looking for. Sorry. Eva?”
Eva grinned. “I can bench-press nearly two hundred pounds. Allow me to demonstrate.” With no hesitation, she grabbed hold of Tyler and, after a short pause to gather herself, lifted him clean into the air.
Tyler had a wicked idea. “Hold the position! I’m gonna do something even more cool!” Using both hands to balance against Eva’s, he lifted both legs and looped them backwards around his shoulders.
“Whoa!” the entire team exclaimed.
Eva tossed him into the air. He did a twirl and landed again in her arms. She set him down and they both raised their arms. The Bass burst into applause.
“Your synchronization is on point!” Izzy gasped.
“How on Earth did you do that?” DJ was gobsmacked.
Eva grinned. “I spend a lot of time at the gym,”
“I do sweaty Moksha yoga,” Tyler said.
Alejandro clapped. “Bravo, amigos! You’re in!”
Tyler and Eva high-fived.
“Two down, one more act to go! Who’s up next?”
Ezekiel’s hand shot up faster than a speeding bullet. “Me me me! I can shoot an arrow into another arrow!”
“Really?”
“Yeah! I’ll show you!”
Luckily, the equipment shed had a bow, arrows and even a target. The target was covered in a layer of dust so thick it looked like fur, but the bow and arrows seemed to be new. Ezekiel set the target a little ways away from the cabin. He pulled on the string to test it.
“This is new. It’s very tight.” he said nervously. “My one at home is looser. I might have some trouble with this, eh.”
“Take your time, Zeke.” DJ instructed.
Ezekiel strung up an arrow and took careful aim. He let it fly. It hit the target just to the right of the bullseye.
“Now’s the moment of truth…”
He nocked another arrow. His hands began to tremble. He waited a moment for them to stop, then fired.
True to what he said, it struck the other arrow.
The Bass ran over to see it for themselves. “Oh my god, that’s crazy!” Tyler put his hands on his head.
Athaliah leaned in for a closer look. “It’s split perfectly down the middle! Incredible!”
Ezekiel nodded to himself, grinning all the while.
“Then that settles it.” Alejandro clapped his hands. “Ezekiel, DJ, and Tyler and Eva will be competing for us.”
“Aw,” Harold groaned, “but I wanted to show off my mad skills!”
Alejandro patted his back. “Sorry amigo. Maybe next time.”
~*~
The Gophers went about their own business once the auditions were over. They still had a few hours to go until the talent show. Why not take some time to themselves?
Lindsay was digging through the equipment shed. It had once housed sports equipment, but now was home to an eclectic collection of all sorts of random junk. Some of it was dusty and unloved, while some looked new. Books, sports stuff, furniture, electronics, moth-eaten clothes, pottery, fishing equipment, camping gear, paint, posters and more were all crammed together in a building that was practically bursting at the seams.
But Lindsay disregarded it all. She was looking for something in particular.
And, opening up a hope chest still in relatively good condition, she found it.
“Ooh, yay!” She grabbed a large armful and ran back to the cabin.
“Hey, Betty!” she said, kicking the door open, “Look what I found!”
“It’s Beth!” Beth responded, annoyed, but went over to have a look anyway. What Lindsay had in her hands was a ton of makeup. Blush, lip gloss, eyeshadow, mascara and bronzer.
“I thought we could do your makeup for the big show!”
Beth nervously smiled. “Sure, but…I’ve never worn makeup before…”
“Don’t worry! I’m like, really good at it.”
Heather sat up from where she lay on her bunk. “Oh! How sweet! Could you also do mine?”
Whatever bait she was trying to dangle, Lindsay didn’t take it. “No. You’re too bossy.”
Heather could only slump back onto her bunk.
Lindsay cracked open the bronzer. “I couldn’t find any foundation, so we’ll just have to make do. Okay?”
“Okay,” Beth stared at the bronzer, clumpy from age. She swallowed, hoping she wouldn’t turn out looking too bad.
~*~
Alejandro was busy scoping out the campsite. A glass of water in his hand, he made himself out to be lazing about, taking slow sips all the while and trying to keep down that stew from lunch. He made sure to look as bored as possible.
But behind his half-lidded eyes, his mind was working overtime.
Life here could be snuffed out at any moment. One had to remain on guard at all times. Alejandro, son of a diplomat, knew how to work people. All this time he’d been buttering up to the others, presenting himself as someone who could be trusted. Surely his teammates understood that sticking together was in their best interest?
Evidently they did. Because there was already a line in the sand being drawn.
From where he stood, he could see Geoff and Bridgette ankle-deep in the waves, splashing each other and giggling. Having fun. Flippant. Idiotic.
If one of them decided they didn’t like him, then that was two votes already. They were friendly, personable and likeable. It would be easy for them to convince the others to vote with them.
But those types have a glaring weakness. Their own laid-back attitude can easily be spun into carelessness. A slip during a crucial point of the challenge. A brainless suggestion that the team takes on board. Too much water off the duck’s back for everyone’s taste.
Then the others will have to see reason.
Alejandro couldn’t even smirk. He was just disgusted. How can they play at a time like this? He’d barely held it together during Geoff’s birthday party. Imagine that! A birthday party, of all things! Had they no regard for human life? For their situation?
They were going down. He’ll make sure of that. He was the self-appointed team leader. He knew best.
One authoritative word from him, and the others will fall in line.
~*~
As Alejandro watched on, Izzy, Katie and Sadie came down to the beach to join the couple. Izzy wasted no time in jumping in, not caring if she got her clothes wet.
“Woo!” She resurfaced. “This place is actually really fun when I’m not thinking of dying all the time!”
“I know, right? It’d be so much better if it was an actual summer camp! I’ve always wanted to go to summer camp!” Sadie agreed.
Katie clutched her stomach momentarily. “Oh my god, sorry, it’s just that that stew we ate for lunch was terrible…”
Geoff tipped his hat in agreement. “Yeah. All cold and greasy and thick at the same time. What does that dude put in it?”
“I think I need to use the bathroom…!” Katie raced off. Sadie followed her.
As they departed, Harold and Sierra wandered down to see what the commotion was all about.
“Katie has an upset stomach from that stew earlier,” Bridgette explained.
“That makes sense,” Sierra nodded. “I didn’t even bother to eat it. It looked worse than my mom’s stew.”
“I ate it, but only because I was starving,” Bridgette groaned.
“I swear they don’t put all the food groups in their meals,” Harold chimed in. “I’ve been getting hypoglycemic real bad since we came here.”
“Maybe if you play it up hard enough, they’ll let you go to a hospital and then you can call for help.” Sierra stared wistfully across the horizon. A sudden thought struck her. “Hey, do you guys ever wonder what happened to that Jerry guy from the first day? Maybe he’s calling for help right now.”
Harold frowned. “If he’s still alive, that is.”
“Aw, don’t be such a downer,” Geoff said, voice full of trembling false cheer. “I’m sure he’s fine. Maybe once they realised they had no use for him, they just took him back home…”
“Yeah. His new home, in heaven,” Izzy muttered.
They stopped talking for a few moments. Standing around awkwardly, unsure of what to do or say next, they didn’t even think about leaving for fear of more awkwardness.
Izzy didn’t mean to ruin the conversation like that. Yes, she believed that poor Jerry, rest his soul, was long gone. But she didn’t want to think about that. He was beyond her help now. He was beyond anyone’s help.
Besides, being so down in the dumps was just giving Chris what he wanted. He wanted them broke and miserable. He was their master, their tormentor, their own devil in this hell he’d constructed. The harder they cried, the wider he smiled.
Izzy wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction. It was getting harder to wake up every day and find some new reason to smile and laugh, but she’ll be damned if she doesn’t try.
“Hey, Bridgette,” she broke the silence with a resounding crash, “is it true that you can walk on your hands for twenty minutes?”
“Huh?” Sierra stared at them quizzically.
Bridgette, to Izzy’s relief, broke into a smile. “Wanna bet?”
“I’ll bet you tonight’s dinner that you can’t!”
“You’re on!” Bridgette stepped out of the waves and onto the sand. “Twenty minutes, starting now!” She flipped herself onto her hands with nary a wobble.
Sierra was amazed after just a few minutes. “Whoa! That’s so cool! Are you doing it for the talent show?”
“No,” Bridgette groaned sadly. “Alejandro didn’t think it would be good enough.”
“Well, what does he know about talent?” Sierra folded her arms grumpily.
Seven minutes had now elapsed and Bridgette was still going strong. By now, she had a small crowd gathered around her. Mostly the other Bass, but some of the Gophers too.
“Cool!” Cody called.
“I wish my arms were that strong…” Athaliah rubbed her own arms bashfully.
“I don’t know how you do it,” DJ said. “I think you should have gotten in.”
Bridgette craned her head up to stare him in the eye. “What? Instead of you?”
“Hah! You wish!”
Sadie had returned by this point. “Katie’s not feeling very well-ooh, is Bridgette doing the handstand thing again?”
Leshawna whooped. “You go girl!”
Geoff started up a chant of “Bridgette! Bridgette! Bridgette!” He got the whole crowd chanting her name as the time reached ten minutes and counting.
Bridgette was relishing the attention. It felt good, especially after Alejandro’s dismissal of her. She’d worked hard to perfect this skill, and he couldn’t even see it through to the end!
Well, she doesn’t need his approval now. She has everyone else on her side!
“Whoa!” Noah exclaimed as Bridgette’s sandy feet swung past his nose. He’d come down here to see what all the fuss was about, only to see Bridgette walking about like a circus monkey. “...What the hell is going on here?”
“Bridgette’s showing off her talent!” Cody told him. “Apparently her audition wasn’t accepted by Alejandro, so she’s doing it now instead! Pretty neat, huh?”
Leshawna huffed loudly. “So you got someone who thinks they can make executive decisions for the whole team too, huh?”
“Oh yes,” Athaliah nodded. “He’s been the one telling us what to do much of the time.”
Geoff scratched his neck. “Yeah, what she said. I wanted Bridgette to be in, but Al said no. Bummer, man.”
“He thought it was too long for too little talent,” Eva clarified.
Leshawna recoiled as if she’d been struck. “Ouch, that is harsh! You need to tell him where to shove it!”
“He wouldn’t even let me audition!” Harold said indignantly. Trent patted his back sympathetically.
Ezekiel shivered. “I dunno, eh…he kinda freaks me out. The way he smiles makes me feel like he’ll murder me in my sleep.”
“Yeah.” Tyler backed him up. “He gives me the heebie-jeebies. Don’t tell him I said that.”
“For your information,” Noah put on airs, “no one under the age of fifty says heebie-jeebies anymore.”
“Well, you just did!”
As the conversation carried on, Bridgette kept going. Fifteen minutes down, only five more to go. She could do this. Too long for too little talent, her ass. She’ll show Ale-jerk-dro!
Then it happened. The rumbling in her stomach. Not hungry rumbles. Ominous ones.
Bridgette stilled her entire body, willing them to go away. The aching came, crawling its way up her chest and into her throat. Oh no…not now…
The stew from lunch was all roiled up, bubbling and steaming inside her stomach, until it came bursting out of her mouth in a jet stream of pure half-digested mystery meat.
It struck Sadie directly in the torso. Sadie screamed so loud her voice cracked, then gargled as her lunch came rocketing forth, spewing all over Izzy standing next to her. Izzy screamed and ran for the bathroom.
Everyone else jumped back with gasps and groans of their own. Cody’s cheeks ballooned and he raced to vomit in a nearby bush. Sierra gagged, drooling foul-smelling saliva all over her shoes. Tyler’s eyes burned with tears as he chucked onto the sand.
Bridgette took one more step with her hands and slipped in a pile of sick. She crashed hard to the ground, absolutely covered in it. It glued the sand to her body. She began to wail.
Owen only barely managed to squeeze his body inside. “I heard all this screaming coming from the beach, but when I went to go check it out Leshawna told me to never go there, never in a million years.” He chuckled awkwardly. “When I found out what happened I was glad to have heeded her advice, heheh.”
Geoff grimaced into the camera. “That was the most barf I’d ever seen since my friend Brody drank an entire bottle of sixth-month-old unrefrigerated Gatorade on a dare.”
Bridgette cocooned her body within itself. She didn’t have the strength, physical or mental, to move.
This was her most horrific wipeout yet. Slipping on vomit in front of dozens of cameras and all her fellow campers and her crush…maybe it was a good thing she might die soon.
Salt water trickled its way down her hair. Then some more splashed onto her legs. She braved the embarrassment to look up.
Geoff was walking back and forth between her and the waves, cupping water in his hands and splashing it onto her. When he saw her staring, he went red.
“Though you could use a cleanup,” he said.
Bridgette was so charmed and so humiliated that she started crying.
“Hey, hey, Bridge, it’s okay,” Geoff scooped her into a hug.
Bridgette tried to push him away. “I’m covered in puke…”
“Oh, whatever. I’ve seen worse. Look, stand up and come into the water with me.”
She obliged. He took her hand and let her into the lake. He took her out far enough that she could fully submerge herself. She did exactly that. When she surfaced. She scrubbed off any remaining bits and watched them float away.
“Feel better?”
She found the energy to smile at him. “Yeah. Thanks, Geoff.”
He was so kind, so helpful, so sweet. He was willing to drag her spewy body away with no regard for himself. Why, oh why, did she not speak to him before their kidnapping? How could she have let her shyness get in the way?
Bridgette began to cry again, a more forlorn sound than before.
Geoff took her into another hug. She pressed his face against his chest and let the tears come pouring out.
Maybe, if she tried hard enough, she could wish them away from here and back to Vancouver. Where they belonged.
~*~
Chris announced that the show would be starting in half an hour. The contestants used that time to practise some more.
Eva and Tyler, having escaped the puking incident unscathed, were hard at work perfecting their performance. Both were strong and up for the challenge, but a long practice session was wearing on both of them. On one occasion, Tyler’s hand slipped and he crashed into Eva, leaving both of them with bruises.
Alejandro watched from the cabin porch. Tyler and Eva, two undoubtedly strong teens. But their physical strength didn’t seem to have translated very well to mental strength. Tyler was, for all intents and purposes, an idiot. Eva seemed like the type to be very close-minded and unobservant. He’d dealt with people like her before; people who cared more about their muscles and workout routines than their surroundings. It was a personality as old as time.
He could make short work of both of them, easy. All he needed to do was employ the right tone of voice and a convincing word or two.
~*~
Ten minutes before showtime, Heather entered the cabin and saw the results of Lindsay’s handiwork.
Beth’s face was covered in bronzer and blush that made her look as though she’d lost five pounds. Her eyelids were painted a fiery orange with sparkly gold and red accents, paired with a sharp black eyeliner. Whatever mascara she had on made her eyelashes look positively sharp. Her lips were bold red. Lindsay had even managed to dig out a red dress with gold trim for the performance.
Leshawna sat and watched proudly from her bunk. “Lindsay, that looks incredible! Beth, you look like a whole new person!”
Beth gasped at her reflection in the mirror. “Wow! Thank you so much, Lindsay! I’ll go out there and make you proud!”
Lindsay squealed with excitement.
Heather only rolled her eyes. “I don’t see how putting lipstick on a pig is gonna help us win. Anyway, if you’re all done with your little love-fest in here, we should head on over for last minute preparations.” She left.
Through the closed door, she could practically feel Leshawna roll her eyes. “Don’t let her spoil your fun. I know you’ll get out there and kick butt!”
Heather stalked off. If they wanted to care more about making friends than winning the challenge, then that was their own funeral.
~*~
“Ladies, gentlemen, campers!” Chris announced. “Welcome to Total! Drama! Talent!”
“Weak opening,” Noah could be heard muttering from the stands.
“Who among us is the most talented of all? Who will win it for their team? Find out right here, right now! Up first, we have Heather of the Screaming Gophers!”
Heather fluttered on stage, dressed in a tutu she dug up from the equipment shed.
Offstage, the boombox began to play. Swan Lake, because of course it was.
Heather’s dance only lasted a few minutes, but it wowed the crowd. Chris was almost entirely speechless. The Bass looked at each other nervously.
Heather finished her performance with a flourish that sent her team into waves of applause.
Chris walked onstage. “That was brilliant! Let’s see what Chef thinks-” The Chef-o-meter flashed eight bars. “Nice score! And the Gophers take the lead!”
“Only eight?” Heather exclaimed with only barely-concealed disgust.
Chris’ only reaction was to push her out of the way. “Can the Killer Bass hope to catch up to such a strong start? This next one promises to pierce an arrow with another arrow! Just like William Tell, eh? Give a warm welcome to…Ezekiel!”
“William Tell shot an apple, genius,” Noah said loud enough for everyone to hear.
On the other side of the offstage area, Athaliah set up the target and gave an encouraging thumbs-up to Zeke. Geoff had taught her how to do the gesture only yesterday, and she was already looking forward to socially appropriate times to use it.
Ezekiel stood as tall as he could and faced the crowd. He gulped. He faced the target and pulled out an arrow. Pulling it back, he aimed and fired. It thudded right into the bullseye. A few in the crowd clapped.
Now was the moment of truth. He nocked another arrow and took aim.
The lights seemed too bright all of a sudden. His hands felt really clammy. The target looked to be hundreds of meters away. His limbs were shaking. Everyone’s eyes were staring too hard.
With a grunt, he released it.
To his dismay, it missed the first arrow - and the bullseye - by a few centimeters.
Ezekiel groaned and reached for another arrow, only to remember that that was all he had. He’d only brought up two. His performance really only needed two.
All he could do now was bow stiffly.
“Right, well…” Chris was unsure what to think. The Chef-o-meter flashed two bars. “That’s that, I suppose. Yeesh. Anyway, put your hands together for…Trent!”
Trent brought out his guitar and a stool to sit on. Unlike Zeke, he was a lot more calm and collected. He’d been playing in front of small live audiences for a while now. He began thusly:
“How could this be,
Far away at sea,
We’re all stuck here, my friends,
At the whim of the cameramen,
Deep in my soul,
I have to know,
Do you dream of open skies and fluffy clouds?
To drown out the harrowing voice so loud?
My friends, now I say to you:
Dream on and on and on because you,
Might die tomorrow-ow-ow with wide open eyes,
I wish we could be free; wouldn’t that be nice?
So keep on dreaming, my friends,
Because so soon may come the end,
But until then, I will always love,
The way birds circle, so high above…
Trent finished to thunderous applause from the campers.
Chris was less impressed. Even less so when Chef gave it a seven out of ten. “Alright, let’s see if the Bass can improve their standings with a lovely ribbon dance from…DJ!”
DJ leapt onstage, twirling his ribbon all the while. He had a routine he’d been perfecting back at his home gym, hoping to show a large audience just how talented he was. This would have to do, however.
But Ezekiel wasn’t the only one suffering from a severe case of the nerves. Scarcely a minute into his routine, DJ dropped the ribbon as a critical moment, and when he went to pick it up, it tangled round his legs and he tripped off the stage and onto the grass below.
“Oof! Embarrassing wipeout, dude!” Chris laughed as the Chef-o-meter only showed two bars. “Looks like the Killer Bass are gonna end up as the Killed Bass! Especially with the daring performance from our final Gopher: Beth!”
When Beth stepped out onstage, the crowd gasped. Beth was dressed up real nice and was dolled up by Lindsay’s careful hand. She was also wielding two flaming batons.
Here goes nothing…
Beth confidently jumped forth, spinning both batons at the same time. She spun around and tossed one into the air. When she caught it, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.
The successful catch gave Beth the courage to keep going. And she was going great. All eyes were glued on here and the cameras didn’t move from her for a second. She began to smile. She had this challenge in the bag! All her hard work, begging her parents to pay for lessons and practising in the yard with long sticks, was paying off.
For the grand finale, she threw both batons into the air and readied herself to do a jump split. She caught her left baton easily.
The right one was thrown too far and landed against the curtain, which immediately burst into flames.
“Oh, shit!” Chris cried. He ran off to who knows where.
The campers could only watch on in horror as the flames began to eat away at the right-hand side of the stage. The dry weather was only accelerating it.
“What do we do?” Katie sobbed.
“Run!” Owen shouted.
They didn’t need to be told twice. Every camper ran for their lives back up the path and towards the cabins. When they looked back, they could see a large plume of thick black smoke.
“Nice going, Beth!” Heather admonished the second she caught her breath.
Beth was dejected. “Sorry, everybody,” she said, unable to look anyone in the eye.
The Killer Bass were in slightly better spirits. Beth’s disaster of a performance might have just opened up an opportunity for them to come storming through. Tyler and Eva caught each other’s eye and grinned.
The loudspeakers came on. “Chris wants y’all to return to the stage,” came Chef’s voice. “Also, I’m giving that one a five out of ten.” He chuckled dryly.
When the campers retook their seats, they saw that several interns had put out the fire with fire extinguishers. Luckily, the left side was untouched and still perfectly usable.
“The Screaming Gophers’ attempts go down in flames, and so we’re left with only one more show tonight! Please welcome…Eva and Tyler!”
Eva and Tyler wasted no time. With groaning limbs and nervousness that they tried desperately to push down, they did their tricks as rehearsed. The Gophers began to feel unsafe where they sat. The Bass couldn’t help but grin.
When Eva tossed Tyler in the air and let him twirl before catching him, everyone applauded.
“Wow! That was amazing!” Owen smiled.
“...We’ve lost, haven’t we?” Leshawna said, bowing her head.
Chris only folded his arms. “Yeah, that’s great and all, but there are two of you competing. I’m pretty sure I said there’s only supposed to be individuals! Disqualified!”
Eva lost it. “What? We nearly hurt ourselves multiple times during practice, only for you to open your big fat stupid mouth and tell us we can’t compete?! You didn’t object when we told you we were doing a two-person act!”
“Watch your tone, missy,” Chris said dangerously, “and be glad that I’m feeling nice today so I won't execute you on the spot for talking back to me.”
Eva was hopeless to resist after that. Tyler pressed a hand to her shoulder, bowing his head and defeat. He walked off the stage, Eva following suit. As soon as they were out of earshot, Eva’s angry tears threatened to spill over.
“That bastard! I hate him so fucking much!”
“He’s just punking us,” Tyler said with folded arms. “He announced our names and let us up on stage! Ugh! What a jerk!”
“I do wish you’d still your temper,” Athaliah told her, “It wouldn’t do to turn Chris against you with such an outburst.”
“We have another problem now,” Bridgette walked over to them, “we have to send someone out there or we’re gonna lose! I don’t suppose one of you can go on without the other?”
Tyler shook his head. “No. It won’t be as impressive with only one of us out there.”
Eva ticked them off with her fingers. “Sadie and Izzy are still cleaning the barf off of themselves and there’s no way we’re sending you out there Bridgette, no offense. So that leaves Athaliah, Alejandro, Geoff and Harold. Athaliah and Geoff are useless and I have no fucking idea about the other two.”
Tyler remembered something. “Hey, Harold did try to audition earlier. We didn’t see what it was, but it might be something good.”
“What about Alejandro?” Athaliah looked over to where he was sitting in the stands, frowning.
Eva waved it off. “If he had some cool talent, then he would have said so earlier. Go get Harold!”
Harold, needless to say, was incredibly confused when he suddenly found himself practically being thrown onstage by Eva and Athaliah. But he wasn’t upset. In fact, he was pleased. Now he could show off his mad skills!
For the moment, all was silent as he stood up there with only a microphone. The crowd didn’t make a sound, wondering what he was going to do.
Offstage, Athaliah called out, “Just go for it, Harold! What have you got to lose?”
Harold understood the assignment. He took a deep breath and began.
The performance didn’t last long, only about a minute. The crowd was silent the entire time, watching it unfold. His team looked on in confusion. Chris was stoic.
When he finished, everyone erupted into applause. The Chef-o-meter displayed ten green bars.
“A perfect ten!” Chris announced. “Well done, Harold! The Killer Bass win!”
The Screaming Gophers quieted down after a while. Although they had thoroughly enjoyed the performance, the fact that they didn’t win meant that now one of them had to die.
But who would it be?
~*~
Beth was in the equipment shed putting the batons away when she heard someone come in behind her. She turned to see Ezekiel with his bow and arrows.
“Oh, hey,” she said.
“Hey.”
They went silent for a few moments. Then Ezekiel said, “I liked your baton thing. Even though it set everything on fire. But that was kinda why I liked it.”
Beth couldn’t help but giggle. “Thanks. I liked your archery thing. Even if you didn’t do it right, you sort of got close, and that’s still pretty cool.”
“Hey, thanks. You know, I don’t get out much. That’s the first time someone’s told me they liked something I did.”
“Let me guess: you’re a farm kid too, right?”
Ezekiel nodded. “And I’m homeschooled. My parents always told me that the outside world was full of horrible people and that I’d be better off staying with them.”
“Well, what do you think of the outside world now?”
“They were kinda right…” Ezekiel pointedly gestured to his surroundings, “...but they were kinda wrong, too. Everyone here is pretty cool.”
Beth was about to respond, but Ezekiel kept going. “Actually, my parents are wrong about lots of things. They told me that women are weaker, and that brown people are stealing everyone’s jobs and stuff like that…They’re wrong about that. I see that now.”
“Wow, your parents are crazy.”
Ezekiel didn’t seem the least bit offended. He only grinned in agreement. “Yeah. I only wish I could have gone to a normal school. Then I could have probably made friends who aren’t cows.”
Beth blushed. “Yeah, I know how that feels. It’s easier to make friends with a cow than a person.” She paused. “Look, I know we barely know each other, being on different teams and all…but do you want to be friends? I like a guy who can appreciate farm animals like I do.”
Ezekiel’s face lit up brighter than the sun. “Of course, eh! You’re like the first person to ask me that!”
They shook on it.
Just then the door opened.
“Are you still in here, Beth?” It was Lindsay. “Heather says we need to have a team meeting.”
“Oh alright.” Beth headed outside. Just before she left, she turned around and smiled at Ezekiel. “See you later, friend!”
Ezekiel was left by himself in the equipment shed, clutching his chest for fear his heart may explode. A friend! He never thought it would happen!
He was glad for it, even if it had to happen here.
~*~
“I just want to say,” Heather marched in front of the cabin steps, “that I am very disappointed in everyone here. I can’t believe we lost again!”
“And this is my fault how exactly?” Noah dryly asked. “I didn’t get the lowest score today.”
“That’s exactly it! You didn’t get any score! Your talent was useless to us!”
He folded his arms. “Well, excuse me for not preparing for the possibility of getting kidnapped and forced to compete on some demented reality show!”
“Don’t give me any more excuses!”
Leshawna rolled her eyes. Heather saw her.
Heather balled up her fists and shook them. “Ugh! I’m surrounded by losers, idiots, and Leshawna!”
Cody leaned over to Trent. “Someone needs to take a chill pill…”
“Hey!” Heather barked. “If you have something to say, share it with the rest of the class!”
It wasn’t Cody, but Trent who took her up on the offer. He stood up and stared her down. “Cody’s right. You do need to take a chill pill. You’ve been behaving like a total jackass all week. I bet this team would function a whole lot better without you.”
Heather scoffed. “As if. I’m not the one who nearly burned the whole stage down.”
That put a lot of eyes on Beth. Her lips trembled as she spoke, “At least I’m not bossy!”
“You tell her, girl!” Leshawna cheered her on.
Heather stood right over her, eyes glinting with a menacing shine. “At least I know how to lead. You’re nothing more than a follower, only doing what someone else tells you to do. People like you are worthless in the real world.”
Beth slapped her.
The entire team sucked in their breath and watched as Heather slapped her back. Beth wasn’t willing to back down, however, and she lashed out again with her hands.
This brought the two of them crashing to the ground, kicking, punching and screaming. A fair amount of hair-pulling was also involved. The cameras trained on them fiercely. Noah spied the pink-haired one holding a new camera. She caught his eye and looked away.
Heather’s ponytail was caught fiercely in Beth’s grasp. Beth’s ankles were kicked. Heather’s tutu ripped. Beth’s glasses were knocked off her face.
Fearing another Courtney-Harold repeat, Leshawna marched over to the and wrenched them apart. Heather got one more knock in and Leshawna promptly threw her to the ground.
Heather picked herself up, aware of all the eyes on her. She wiped a streak of mud on her face and stormed off.
“Yeah, you better run!” Leshawna yelled after her. To the others, she asked, “So, we’re voting her out tonight, right?”
“Oh, definitely,” Beth said, inspecting her glasses.
Heather shook with rage. “That little bitch is going to pay. Mark my fucking words.”
Two hours had passed. It was nearly dinnertime. In an hour and a half, it will be elimination time. She had waited for everyone’s tempers to cool off, but now she had to act fast.
Heather watched Cody exit the bathroom and marched over to him. He saw her and tried to shimmy back inside, but she caught his arm and dragged him behind the building for some privacy.
“Listen up nerdling, you’re voting out Beth with me tonight.”
Cody’s eyes widened. “What? No way! Are you crazy? Beth hasn’t done anything wrong!”
Heather smiled like a cat that finally caught the canary. “Oh? Speaking of doing no wrong, have you apologized to Katie yet?”
He went stone-cold silent.
“How did I find out, you may ask? Ask away; I’ll never tell you. But I will tell the team if you don’t vote with me.”
Cody’s eyes were as wide as dinner plates now. He stuttered.
Just to make sure he really got the message, Heather kept going. “I can only imagine what the others will think once they find out. They’ll be disappointed, surely. Katie will be livid. Absolutely livid, I tell you. They’ll all start to wonder if it was an act of sabotage, perhaps. They might even be so suspicious that they’ll vote you out.”
“O-okay…I’ll vote with you…” Cody’s voice sounded so small and pathetic.
Heather smiled. “Good. See you tonight.” She disappeared round the corner.
Cody leaned against the wall in shock. He went very still.
How did she find out? He’d only ever spoken out loud about it a couple of times, and only then with Noah. as far as he’d known, Noah was the only other person who knew.
Evidently, he was wrong.
Heather must have been eavesdropping, he realised. She was sneakier than he thought. It chilled him to the bone. He can’t be the one standing up in front of the Executioner, waiting to die. He had a home to return to! A sad, cold, lonely one, sure, but it was still his home nonetheless!
He buried his face in his hands and cried.
~*~
The hour of elimination came. The Screaming Gophers gathered at the fire pit, having cast their votes.
Noah sat next to Cody, who seemed abnormally pale. Actually, emotions looked to be running particularly high tonight. Katie, Lindsay and Trent were on the verge of tears. God only knew why.
He reached out and poked Cody’s shoulder. “Dude, is everything okay?”
Cody stared back, eyes wide. “Uh, yeah, everything’s fine, man!” Too jumpy. Not normal.
Noah was about to ask a follow-up question when Chris began the marshmallow toss. “Noah, Cody, Trent, Sierra.”
Noah barely caught his marshmallow. Cody didn’t even bother reaching for his.
Okay. Something was definitely up with him.
“Katie, Lindsay, Leshawna.”
One marshmallow left. Heather and Beth both eyed it. Beth gave Heather a smug glance. Heather kept her face perfectly still.
“The last marshmallow goes to…
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
…Heather!”
Beth screamed, so heartwrenchingly loud that half the team burst into sobs. Cody, Katie and Lindsay all buried their faces and wailed loudly. Leshawna’s mouth hung open, as did Owen’s. Trent bowed his head.
“What the fuck?” Noah shouted, outraged.
Chris ignored the outpour of emotion. “Beth, execution o’clock!”
The Executioner grabbed Beth by the shoulders and led her to a wooden pole. Standing her against it, he bound her with rope and returned to where Chris was standing. Beth, still in her performance dress and makeup, shook like a leaf.
“It’s getting old, using a gun for every execution,” Chris explained, “so Beth gets to be the first to face a different method! Lucky girl!”
The Executioner picked up a bow and a quiver of arrows. The very same ones Ezekiel had used in the talent show. He strung up his first arrow. It swayed around unsteadily. He held it tighter and let it rip. It hit the ground in front of Beth’s feet. It hadn’t been strung tight enough to hit its target.
“Bad shot! Try again!” Chris demanded.
The Executioner obliged. He clumsily pulled a second arrow out of the quiver, almost dropping it. The arrow lodged itself in the pole to the left of Beth’s head, causing her to cry in shock. The third pinned the corner of her dress to the wood behind her.
“C’mon man, you’re embarrassing yourself…”
“Shut up.” This next arrow finally hit her. It struck her right arm. She screamed.
“Ma, Da, make it stop! Please make it stop! It hurts!” Beth continued to cry and plead for mercy as the next shot got her in the foot. She writhed and thrashed in pain.
By now everyone except for Heather and Noah was in tears. Noah covered his eyes. Heather’s mouth was set firm, but it was beginning to waver.
As another arrow punctured the skin on her pelvis, Beth threw back her head and screamed herself raw.
~*~
“Man,” Ezekiel said as he looked out the window, “whatever they’re doin’ over there sounds brutal.”
Alejandro grimaced. “I’m forever grateful it’s not us out there.” He smiled at Harold.
Harold ignored him. “Gosh, I hope it ends soon. I don’t want to have any more nightmares tonight.”
Ezekiel peered harder. It was dark and he was too far away to see what was happening.
Just then, DJ returned from using the confessional, close to crying.
“Who is it?” Tyler asked.
“Beth. He’s executing her by shooting her with a bow and arrow. Doing a pretty shit job of it, too.”
Ezekiel froze.
Then he ran out the door.
~*~
“Come on, dude, this is taking forever!” Chris admonished.
The Executioner spun around and loomed over him. “Would you like to have a try, then?”
“Er, no.”
“I will!”
It was Ezekiel, out of breath.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Chris demanded.
Ezekiel swallowed his fear and approached the Executioner. “I can do it. I’m really good at it.”
The Gophers stared at him in shock.
Chris raised an eyebrow. “Okay dude, what are you playing at?”
Ezekiel gestured to Beth. She had five arrows stuck in her, none of them enough to kill her. She was still shaking with heavy sobs. “If you keep going like this, you’re gonna be here all night! I can do it for you! As, like, a favour, or something!”
The Executioner thought it over for a few moments.
To everyone’s horror, he handed the bow over.
“Thanks,” Ezekiel said quietly, then took his position.
He stood a distance from Beth, watching her.
Still dressed and made up, she was really pretty if it weren’t for the arrows and the blood. He couldn’t believe that just a few short hours ago, she’d offered to be his first friend. The two farm kids with more affinity for animals than humans had found each other, and now they were to be forever parted.
Ezekiel took an arrow. He only needed one.
This was it. Poor Beth. He wished he could say sorry, but to do so out loud might incur Chris’ wrath. He already didn’t look too pleased.
He pulled the string tight, as far back as it would go.
He wasn’t lying when he said he wanted to do this as a favour. It was a favour. For Beth.
His first friend, his only friend was bent over, blood smeared everywhere. The light caught the bits of gold on her dress and eyeshadow. She lifted her head, bloody spit rolling down her chin, and met his eye. She could only watch on helplessly.
Goodbye, Beth.
He let the arrow fly.
It struck her right between the eyes. She was dead in an instant.
The Executioner watched the whole thing with folded arms.
“Well, that was interesting, right?” Chris pointed at a camera. Slinging an arm around Ezekiel, he forced a smile to his face. “But there’ll be more dramatic moments to come, so stay tuned for the next episode of Total! Drama! Island!”
The Gophers continued to sob loudly. Lindsay had fallen off her stump. Owen and Leshawna held each other tightly. Heather forced her face to remain perfectly neutral. Beth’s screams continued to ring in her ears.
Cody had collapsed to the ground, face buried in his arms. Noah couldn’t take it anymore.
He knelt down beside him and dragged him into a sitting position. Then he wrapped his arms around him and let him continue crying.
That was alright. He could feel his own tears welling up too.
What had Beth done to deserve that? Absolutely nothing. They’d barely spoken, but she’d seemed like a nice girl.
A nice girl tortured to death right in front of him.
Cody’s tears had soaked through his shirt. His arms were tight around his waist.
Noah thought of Beth’s last pitiful moments and broke down crying too. His tears blurred the stars high above him, that Ezekiel was watching, hoping Beth was already safe and happy up there among them by now.
Katie’s face was swollen from so much crying. “Beth, I’m so sorry, I’m so so so so so beyond infinity sorry!” Then more crying commenced.
Lindsay was in a similar state. “I wish I could take it all back! Betty-no, Berry - Beth! I’m sorry! It was the worst mistake of my life!”
“I told you. That little bitch was going to pay.” But now even Heather was struggling to keep her composure. Her eyes became glassy. Her face was downturned. “All I can do now is keep going forward.”
In Calgary, police were still investigating the double kidnapping of the two boys from a supermarket parking lot. The supermarket manager confirmed, via a headcount and witness reports, that one of the missing was his own employee, Devon Joseph Bentley. The identity of the other one wouldn’t be confirmed for a while.
Police scanned missing person reports but found no matches. They appealed to the public for information. They received dozens of tips, but following up on them didn’t result in any new leads. They kept hitting dead end after dead end.
Meanwhile, in Edmonton, a man living on Cobalt Street showed up at the police station carrying a bag full of women’s clothes. He had found it under a tree in his front yard the morning of the 29th May, and was wondering if it could have belonged to the missing girl, Izzy Bell. He explained that he had heard nothing that night, and only found out about the disappearance via the newspaper.
Izzy’s mother and grandparents were taken to look at the bag’s contents, but they didn’t recognize any of it as belonging to Izzy. Among the contents were several long-sleeved shirts, skirts, petticoats, a pair of worn leather boots, multiple embroidered handkerchiefs, and woollen socks. Other non-clothing items included a Bible, a hairbrush, a jar of peanut butter, a cheap loaf of bread, an unopened tube of hand lotion, and $45.50 in cash.
Thankfully, the receipt for the lotion was also in the bag. It was traced to a shop in a mall nearby. The cashier on duty that week remembered the girl who bought it as dressing and behaving very conservatively, and had paid in cash.
By then, news of Athaliah Goodman’s disappearance had reached Edmonton, and police were quick to connect the dots. Athaliah’s family members identifying the clothes in the bag as being hers confirmed their suspicions: Athaliah had run away from home, possibly intending to never return, on the 27th. She had made it as far as Edmonton, only to leave her bag near the spot where another kidnap victim was known to frequent. It was becoming more and more likely that the kidnappings of Athaliah Goodman and Isadora Bell were connected.
Athaliah’s freedom had only lasted a single day.
Chapter 6: Episode 1, Part 6: The Deadly Outdoors
Notes:
This challenge was always pretty basic, so this is a very dialogue-heavy chapter. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter Text
Episode 1, Part 6: The Deadly Outdoors
The police in Nova Scotia were informed of the phone calls sent to the Burromuerto family. They broadcast the recordings on local radio and television stations. Floods of tips came in, but nothing that led to the culprit.
The Ottawa Quadruple Kidnapping, as the case had come to be known, was major news for the entire country. Every day new calls were coming in from people purporting to have seen them, but it always turned out to be a bust. The case was given prime news spots during the nightly six o’clock news, but updates were fast coming in slower and slower, The female caller from Nova Scotia was dubbed ‘Calamity Jane’ by the locals, though the police were no closer to figuring out her identity.
“Alright campers,” Chris told the assembled group by the fire pit, “it’s time to live up to your name, and go camping! All you have to do is spend one night in the woods, and return in time for breakfast tomorrow morning. First one back wins the challenge. Every single member must be back in order to get the win.” He tossed a map at each team. “You’ll find all your supplies at your respective campsites. Try not to wander off too far. Oh, and watch out for bears. They’re all over these woods. Good luck!”
The instructions were simple. Boring, even. Everyone suspected that something might be up. A hidden challenge, perhaps. But for now, they headed to their campsites.
The Screaming Gophers were making good progress. They hadn’t gotten lost once, and if their map was anything to go by, they could expect to make it there by noon.
Although, if the tense atmosphere was anything to go by, the tranquility wasn’t going to last long. A blowout was inevitable.
Heather was on her guard. She could feel the others’ eyes boring into her back. She wasn’t wanted here. They would have gladly watched her be slowly shot to death with arrows. Fuck them.
Beth got what was coming to her. She had to have…
The trail through the woods was covered in small rocks and prickly plants. Lindsay, shoeless, was having a particularly difficult time of it.
“Ow! Ouchie! Owww!”
Heather barked at her. “Can you cut it out with the whining?”
Lindsay was on the verge of tears. “I’m trying, but the ground keeps hurting my feet!”
“Don’t you have a pair of shoes like normal people?”
“I had my flip-flops, but I lost them when I got kidnapped! Can I get a piggyback ride?”
“No.”
Owen knelt down in front of her. “Of course you can! Hop on!”
Lindsay, ever grateful, climbed on. Owen lifted her easily. In fact, he easily lumbered past Heather, giving her a glare all the while.
The rest of the trip passed by uneventfully.
~*~
The Killer Bass passed the trip quietly. The only time someone spoke was when Sadie spotted a blueberry bush.
“Ooh look! Blueberries!”
Bridgette tugged her along by the arm. “Keep up. No one can afford to get lost.”
They reached their campsite several hours later, with all the necessary supplies bundled under a pine tree.
Ezekiel flopped down, resting against a nearby rock. “Whew, I’m beat. What’s for lunch?”
Alejandro looked at the map. “It says we have to find it ourselves.”
Tyler looked all around him. “I don’t see it anywhere.”
“They mean in the woods, dumbass.” Eva growled.
“Oh…like hunting?”
“We don’t have any weapons, so it’ll have to be something that won’t fight back.” Geoff said.
“And we passed by a blueberry bush earlier!” Sadie cried. “We could have picked them!”
“Not to worry, chica,” Alejandro reassured her. “There’s bound to be another berry bush nearby. Why don’t you go search for one?”
Sadie clapped her hands. “Oh, I will! Athaliah, do you wanna come with me?”
“Sure!”
Harold spoke up. “I can find us some dandelion weeds. I know all about edible plants. But I’m gonna need someone with good eyesight to help me.”
“Let me come with!” Izzy shouted excitedly. “You know, I also can catch a fish with my bare hands! Just watch me!”
The four of them set off merrily while the others had the slightly more gruelling task of setting up the campsite. Tyler and Ezekiel gathered stones and woods for the fire pit, while Alejandro, Geoff and Bridgette assembled their tent.
The whole time, Geoff kept sneaking glances over at Bridgette. She was kneeling over and hammering a tent pin into the ground. The sun shone through a gap in the trees and illuminated her already very bright blonde hair. The light danced around her face and blue hoodie. She looked positively ethereal.
“Wow,” Geoff said, needing to say something, “you pitch a tent like a guy!”
Bridgette only stared back, unimpressed. Behind him, he heard snickering.
“You pitch a tent like a guy?” Geoff smacked his forehead.
Over at the Gopher campsite, Owen and Trent had left to find food. Heather immediately got to work putting everyone else to work setting up the tent and firepit.
Once they were done, they sat around the pit. “You know, Heather,” Noah began, “you can be team leader without behaving like a slave driver.”
Heather put her hands on her hips. “It’s not my fault you guys are lazy!”
Lindsay rubbed her sore arms. “You yelled at us like a billion times for getting the wrong kind of rocks!”
“Well, duh! They needed to be bigger to contain the fire! You don’t want everything catching on fire, do you?”
Lindsay’s eyes welled up. Leshawna snapped. “Okay, enough of the guilt-tripping! We did everything you asked for, now sit down and shut the fuck up!”
Heather did not take too kindly to that. “Well I wouldn’t have to guilt-trip if-”
“Right, exactly, so shut up.”
“No, you shut up.”
“Don’t tell me to shut up!”
“Oh, so it’s okay for you to say it but not me?”
“Yes, now shut up!”
“Why don’t both of you shut up?” Sierra asked genuinely.
They both turned and said, “You shut up!”
“All three of you shut up!” Katie yelled, red in the face.
All three of them responded, “No, you shut up!”
“How about you all shut up?” Noah said, calm enough to provoke them even further.
“YOU SHUT UP!”
“How about EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU SHUT UP?!” Trent bellowed. It had an immediate effect and they all shut up. He emerged from the treeline with Owen, bearing several well-sized fish. “We go out there, risking running into a bear, just to get some stupid fish for all you absolute jackasses?”
It was the angriest they’d ever seen him. They instinctively froze as he walked over, a dumbstruck Owen trailing behind. He dumped the fish at Heather’s feet. “Will you all finally stop yelling if you put this in your mouth? Jesus Christ, the other team can probably hear you! We’re playing for our lives, and all you can do is yell at each other? Get over yourselves already!”
Trent stopped to take a breath. He whispered to himself, what sounded like him counting to nine. Then he marched over to the tent. “I’m gonna have a nap. If you guys start yelling again, so help me, I’ll break a rock over your heads!”
And with that, he disappeared inside the tent.
~*~
The four Bass returned, fishless. “I couldn’t catch a fish,” Izzy said, embarrassed.
But they did bring a ton of berries and edible plants, using Athaliah’s long skirt as a basket. They doled them out equally and ate them with relish around the campfire. The flames cast long flickering shadows, making the trees come alive all around them. It was the perfect setting for a horror story.
“Hey, Zeke,” Geoff began uneasily, “what happened yesterday with the Gophers’ elimination?”
Ezekiel hunched his shoulders inwards. “...It was Beth…”
“We knew that,” Alejandro said. DJ nudged hum to shush him.
“She was my friend,” Zeke wiped away a tear. “We got talking after the talent show and she wanted to be my friend…they were making a mess of her execution. I knew I had to do something, to end it quickly. He was using the same bow and arrow I’d used. So, I offered to do it.”
The team gasped.
“How…” Harold trailed off.
“It didn’t take much more effort than shooting a normal target,” Ezekiel admitted. “I just pulled the arrow back and let it go. It killed her instantly. Just like that.”
Sadie was on the verge of tears. “Oh my god…how could you?”
“I had to do something! That Executioner was doing a shit job! You didn’t see it. She was bleeding everywhere….I had to end it, and end it quickly.”
“That is horrible!” Bridgette shouted. It was hard to tell whether she meant Beth’s botched execution, or that Ezekiel dealt the final blow.
Alejandro spoke up. “Well, I for one thought it was an incredibly noble thing to do.”
Zeke just looked numb. He didn’t want praise. He didn’t want to be a hero.
Bridgette felt something warm cover her hand. It was Geoff’s own hand. “Hey, it’s okay,” he whispered.
She rubbed her eyes. “I can’t believe it…I just…” A sob forced its way out of her throat.
“I know. But…I think he did the right thing. “ Seeing her look of disbelief, he continued. “I mean, it sounded pretty horrible. We could hear it all the way from our cabins. He just wanted to end her suffering.”
Bridgette knew that. Logically, it made perfect sense. No one wants their friend to suffer such a cruel death.
But she couldn’t believe how Ezekiel took up the mantle of Executioner instead.
He was the one who stood in front of Beth, looked her in the eye, and fired the shot that ended her life. How could anyone move past that?
Sadie was crying now. “I could never do that to Katie!”
“May the Lord have mercy on all our souls,” Athaliah mumbled,
“That’s fuckin’ heavy,” Harold lifted up his glasses to dry his eyes.
Tyler, however, was smiling. “I’d want you to kill me.”
“Huh?”
“I don’t want some psycho to kill me! I’d rather be killed by someone I can trust to do it nicely. Like you.”
Ezekiel only shrank further into himself.
“I don’t want to kill anyone ever again!” Ezekiel yelled into the camera. “Why…why…why is he asking this of me?”
“Well,” Alejandro began, hoping to clear the tension from the air a little bit, “that won’t have to happen as long as we keep winning. And I think we’re doing rather well for ourselves, aren’t we?”
“Yeah!” Geoff readily agreed, smiling at Bridgette.
Eva had remained silent throughout this whole exchange. But she nodded slowly, eyes closed in contemplation.
“Oh, but surely we’re not going to keep winning fo-” Alejandro clapped his hand over Athaliah’s mouth.
“We are the Killer Bass! We’ve won three challenges so far! We can win more! Don’t let yourselves down!”
This seemed to have the desired effect, for the most part. Geoff, Tyler, and Izzy perked up a little. The others looked less convinced, but didn’t say so out loud. Ezekiel huddled further into his hoodie.
Alejandro flashed them all his most calming smile. “Now, if we’re going to win this challenge, why don’t we ease ourselves with some happier conversation topics? Bridgette? Why don’t you tell us about what happened yesterday before the challenge?”
Izzy went green. “Now why would you go and bring that up? I still feel sick…”
“What an…interesting conversation topic,” Athaliah murmured.
Eva glared. “What more is there to talk about? She puked on everyone. End of story.”
Alejandro smirked, though not as confident as before. “Ah, Bridgette…after a display like that, it should be easy enough to convince the others that you’re a liability. I may need to tone down my approach, however.”
“Amigos, amigos, please,” he chuckled lightheartedly. “I only mean to take your minds off of our current predicament! I simply thought Bridgette’s story would make for a fun few minutes! I apologize, Bridgette. I suppose it was rather inappropriate of me to bring it up out of nowhere.”
Bridgette wanted everybody’s eyes off of her, pronto. “It’s fine. But why don’t you share an embarrassing story, Al?”
Alejandro’s left eye twitched. “Oh, I’m afraid people like me don’t get embarrassed.” He gave what he hoped was a joking, self-deprecating laugh. “But does anyone have a funny story to share? It doesn’t have to be embarrassing.”
Tyler raised his hand. “My first soccer game, I scored a goal…in my own team’s net.”
Geoff, DJ and Eva snorted. “Oof, dude,” Geoff said.
“Yeah. My dad was so humiliated. He yelled at me the whole ride home.”
DJ’s eyes widened. “Whoa, that’s not cool of him.”
Tyler shrugged. “He’s pretty famous in the sports world. He doesn’t want me to ruin his career.”
Harold scoffed. “I bet he’s not that famous. He’s probably just one of those small-town types who thinks he’s going places. He seems like he has the ego to match.”
It was awfully presumptuous of him to say that, but Tyler only gently corrected him. “My dad’s Oliver Kennard.”
“What?” The boys all cried. “He’s your dad?”
“Dude! I remember his coverage of that one football game where that one guy nearly cracked his skull on the field!” Geoff was amazed.
Tyler only laughed awkwardly. “Yep. That’s him.”
“Did he force you to do sports?” Eva asked.
“Nah, well…kinda. He made me do them at first, but I ended up really enjoying it.”
“Geez. You have some massive shoes to fill.”
Alejandro listened with interest.
“So, Tyler’s dad is famous. As is mine, of course.” He scratched his chin. “I wonder how many of us here have rich and powerful parents…”
“Well, I suppose it’s nice you genuinely enjoy it,” Bridgette told him. “My mom introduced me to surfing when I was five. She didn’t force me or anything, but once I started it she practically had to force me out of the water!”
“I begged my parents to take me to a boxing match when I was five,” Eva added. “I think I alarmed them with how enthusiastic I was.”
“My mother taught me how to embroider when I was five years old,” Athaliah said proudly. “By the time I was seven, I was the best embroiderer in the whole commune! Oh…I hope it’s not too sinful to brag about that so shamelessly…”
Alejandro flashed her a warm smile. “Not sinful at all. Say, why don’t you tell us a little more about your family? You seem to have had an…interesting life.”
Athaliah, unknowingly, readily took the bait. “Well…I have my parents, and five older brothers. My eldest one is married with a daughter. Her name is Rebekah. She’s five years old and is the cutest little thing! I’d hoped to start teaching her embroidery soon, but…” She waved a hand to her surroundings.
“Aww, you’re an aunt!” Sadie gushed. “Too bad all of my siblings are too young to get married!”
“I wish I wasn’t an only child,” Tyler said wistfully.
“I’m sure the rest of your family must be fine upstanding members of the community,” Alejandro continued.
Eva raised an eyebrow at his words.
Athaliah didn’t seem to suspect anything. “Oh, they are! My father is one of the head preachers, my mother and I take care of the home, and my brothers all do the manual labour. They’re very well-respected.”
“Head preacher?” Izzy asked. “Are you, like, Amish or Mormon or something?”
“I haven’t a clue what those are. We call ourselves God’s Lambs.”
“That sounds like a cult,” Eva muttered. DJ shushed her.
Athaliah seemed embarrassed. “I’m afraid I can’t answer your question properly, Izzy. I’ve never heard of such things before. You must understand, I haven’t much experience with the world. Women aren’t allowed to leave the commune.”
“That’s totally a cult.”
Sadie frowned. “Wait, you’re not allowed? What kind of place is that?”
“Oh, it isn’t all bad. Most men aren’t allowed to leave, either. Only the labourers. They work for money to barter for goods.” She looked down at her hands clasped in her lap. “My eldest brother, Adam, would tell me of what he saw out there. Doing so is forbidden, but he did so anyway. He told me how there are flying machines, electricity, women wearing trousers, flushing latrines…I refused to believe him at first. But he is an honest man who would never dream of creating such tall tales. And the more I heard, the more I started to resent my life. I wished to see it all, too. I wanted to leave the commune. I wanted to meet other people. I prayed to God for a week, asking for a sign that it would be alright to leave, and it came in the form of the clasps on my window breaking. The open window seemed to be pointing me outside. So the following night, I left.”
“Did you like the outside world?” DJ asked.
“Oh, I did! It was a lot dirtier than I’d imagined, though. A nice man picked me up in his truck and took me to a city called Edmonton. We drove all through the night listening to music coming out of this little device inside. He dropped me off at an enormous shopping complex. He gave me some money.” Athaliah perked up a bit. “I feasted on this wonderful breakfast there. French Toast, they called it. I looked at as many shops as I could. I even bought some hand cream. I’d never used any before; it’s a shame it was left behind. Once I was finished, it was growing dark, so I found a nice tree to sleep under in front of a house. I hoped the owners wouldn’t mind. I woke up to someone screaming…” She awkwardly met Izzy’s gaze.
“So you were taken together,” Tyler said.
Izzy nodded. “We were. Eva and Noah were already in the van, as well.”
“Al and I were in the same van, too,” Tyler responded, missing the way Alejandro’s eye twitched. “Along with Trent, and some dude named Duncan.”
“Who?” The whole team shot their heads up.
“Duncan. He was from Ottawa, just like we were. He managed to escape.”
“OMG!” Sadie gaped. “Is he okay? Does Chris know about this?”
“If he does, then he hasn’t shown it.” Alejandro said.
“Wow…I hope he called the police. Then maybe they could find us.” Harold pulled his knees up to his chest.
“If only I didn’t trip. Then maybe I could’ve escaped too.” Tyler sighed.
Alejandro put a hand on both their shoulders. “Let’s not fret, alright? You’re both still alive, and that’s what counts.”
Geoff and Bridgette held each other’s hand tightly.
Eva folded her arms. “So, someone managed to escape, huh? Let’s hope that maybe someone else can succeed. Without getting shot.”
Fat chance of that happening.
~*~
At the Gophers’ campsite, they were having a fairly restrained and fraught conversation. They’d cooked and eaten the fish and now, unsure of what else to do, began exchanging words with one another.
“So…nice weather we’re having tonight,” Cody said to Trent. Trent, who’d calmed down some, only hummed in response.
Sierra shivered and pulled her jacket closer to her body. It was the one she’d been given in her goodie bag: a beige thing with sparkly rainbow tassels. It looked like something out of a Western parody flick. The sparkles caught the light and flashed them onto Lindsay. “That’s pretty.”
“Yeah.” Sierra looked down at herself. “It does look kinda goofy, though.”
“So…I wonder what the next challenge is gonna be,” Owen mused.
Heather brushed her hair back. “Hopefully something we can win. I’m sick of all this losing.”
Oh I bet you are sick of losing, you cheating little bitch, Leshawna thought. Instead of saying that out loud, she said, “How ‘bout we just get through this one first, okay?”
“Well it seems easy enough. How bad can it possibly be?” Owen shrugged.
“Never say that to a psychopath,” Noah waved his finger at him. “That always inspires them to do worse.”
“Okay, fair. I’ll shut up now.”
“I’m scared to do anything anymore. I’m scared I’ll get shot if I use the bathroom too late at night.” Katie said. Then, struck by the unbearable urge to say more, she continued: “I’m scared I might accidentally run into that house again and I’ll get in tro-”
“Wait, back up! What was that about a house in the woods?”
Katie felt like she might have said too much already. But oh well. There was certainly no going back from it now. “There’s a house in the woods somewhere around the medical tent. Sadie and I got lost and stumbled upon it. That camera girl with the pink hair took us back to camp and told us never to come back.”
“There’s a whole-ass house on this stupid island we haven’t even seen yet?” Leshawna was incredulous.
Cody slapped a mosquito. “I’ll bet you anything that’s where Chris is staying.”
“Probably where all the crew are staying.”
Noah humphed. “Probably where they’re editing the footage of us dying so they can put it on the deep web for everyone to see.”
“What was that about the deep web?” Trent asked, sitting up straighter.
“Noah thinks this whole thing is being filmed to sell on the deep web,” Leshawna answered. “For what it’s worth, I think he’s right.”
“It would explain everything,” Heather admitted.
Katie shivered. “That’s crazy. I still can’t believe this is actually happening.” She gazed up at the stars through the trees. “We can’t leave or do anything about this…”
“Noah said to try pulling an Alcatraz, but after what happened to Justin…” Lindsay shuddered.
Katie had an inkling of an idea. She decided to file it away for later.
Leshawna nodded. “I don’t think Chris would be kind enough to skip an elimination next time.”
~*~
As it so happened, the Killer Bass were having a similar discussion. After Ezekiel had told them a story of how he’d tried to shoot a moose in the woods, Sadie was suddenly reminded of something spooky that she had seen in the woods.
“Oh by the way, if you see a weird house in the woods, don’t go near it.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Eva growled.
“There’s a house in the woods somewhere and we were told to not go near it.”
Alejandro took immense interest in this. “Oh? Where abouts was it? What did it look like?”
“It was somewhere near the medical tent, and it was two storeys and made of wood. There was a plaque on it too; the Beauchene House, I think it was called.”
“A house in the woods we’re not supposed to go near?” Eva raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like Chris’ base of operations.”
“It very well might be,” Alejandro agreed.
“Do you think we should check it out? I’m an expert at sneaking into places,” Harold offered.
“And risk our whole team getting shot? No thanks.” Bridgette stated.
“But what if they have a phone?” Harold continued. “We could use it to call for help!”
“And Chris will probably find out and kill us all. Hell, maybe he’ll stage it like a normal elimination ceremony and have us all vote each other out. Then he’ll disregard the votes and kill us.” Her grip on Geoff’s hand tightened.
“Well, luckily for us, none of that will happen,” Alejandro soothed. “We’ll win this challenge, and the next, and the next, and none of us will have to die.”
DJ didn’t seem so convinced. “And what happens when they’re all gone? They’ll probably make us all compete against each other. He did say only one of us can win, after all.”
“Hell, what’s gonna happen to us if we lose this challenge?” Sadie was about to cry from the thought of it. “I don’t wanna watch someone else die!”
Ezekiel sat up. “What if we all voted for each other? I vote for Sadie, Sadie votes for Alejandro, Alejandro votes for Eva, and we keep going until everyone has one vote each? Then the votes will be tied. They can’t execute all of us! Surely not!”
“I assure you, they can,” Eva said gruffly.
“Yeah. I’d rather not risk it. Sorry, dude,” Geoff bowed his head.
Alejandro, on the other hand, wasn’t quite so quick to write off the whole idea. But that would have to come later.
~*~
“Hey,” Heather’s voice cut through, “Where’s Katie?”
The others halted their conversation and looked around them. Katie was nowhere to be seen.
“I think she went to go pee,” Lindsay said.
“But that was over an hour ago!” Trent jumped to his feet. “Katie! Katie!”
Owen joined in, bellowing, “Katie the Gopher! Where are you?”
Heather sighed. “Great! Just great! We’re missing someone!”
Leshawna put her hands on her hips. “No need to lose our heads. She couldn’t have gone far.” A sudden rustling in the bushes alerted them. “See, that’s probably her right now!”
It was not. Instead of Katie, what emerged from the bushes was an enormous brown bear. It let out a powerful roar which sent the campers running and screaming.
“The trees!” Heather gasped. “Into the trees!”
The Gophers raced for the tall oak tree and scrambled up into its branches. Leshawna, Lindsay and Trent all bundled themselves together on the same branch and looked down as the bear seemed distracted by something else on the ground. Cody and Heather sat together, with Owen and Sierra on the branch above them. They breathed a short-lived sigh of relief and then immediately realised what the bear was looking at.
“Oh my god!” Leshawna cried. “Noah!”
Noah had tried to climb but wasn’t strong enough, and had simply flopped back to the ground. He ran from the bear and just about had a heart attack when he saw that it was following him. He ran towards the tree then away from it in the opposite direction. The bear kept on his tail, snarling all the while.
“Help! Someone help!” He ran circles around the tree, unable to lose the bear.
Then the inevitable happened. Noah slipped on a patch of muddy grass and crashed to the ground. He felt the bear’s shadow before he saw it. Its muzzle loomed close to his face, dribbling saliva through its teeth. Noah closed his eyes and waited to be eaten.
Suddenly, a small object came flying out of nowhere and hit the bear on the head. It turned to look, as did Noah.
It turned out to be Cody. He had a handful of acorns in his grasp and had thrown one at the bear. As if to make sure it got the message, he threw another one.
“Right on!” Leshawna grabbed one herself and threw it as hard as she could. Owen and Lindsay did the same.
The bear bolted for the tree and stood on its hind legs, swiping with its paws. The campers, too high up for it to reach, kept pelting it with acorns.
Noah got to his feet and made to scramble away, only to run smack into a tall spindly figure who had suddenly emerged out of the darkness. “Katie!”
Katie had a rock the size of her head in her hands. She heaved the rock in the bear’s direction. “Over here, asshole!”
That made the bear even more angry. It turned and made a beeline straight for her. Noah dove into a bush and watched as Katie hightailed it out of there, the bear lumbering after her. Both of them quickly disappeared into the foliage, and soon even their footsteps faded away.
Leshawna slid partway down the trunk. “Noah! Over here!”
Noah ran over and grabbed her hand. She hoisted him up until he was able to find a foothold, then he clambered up to Owen’s branch. Owen helped him up the rest of the way. And only then could everyone catch their breath.
Noah stared as hard as he could into the darkness, beyond where the flickering light of their fire could reach. There was nothing to see.
Katie was gone.
~*~
Inside the otherwise quiet tent, Bridgette squirmed. She had to go - really had to go - but there was no way she was leaving the tent by herself.
It didn’t look like she had an option, though: everyone else was asleep. She would just have to suck it up. The thought of it was terrifying. Who knows what was lurking out there in the woods in the middle of the night?
She sat up and crept outside. She didn’t have to go far. There was a bush that seemed like a good spot: far enough away for privacy but close enough to the fire and tent that she wouldn’t feel alone.
Bridgette stood up and started walking.
Out of nowhere, a gaggle of bats flew past her and she gasped in fright. As if things couldn’t get any more frightening, one of them collided with her face and she screamed, stumbling around and waving her hands in panic. She heard the bat hissing right in her face and she screamed louder.
Inside the tent, the others saw the outline of what looked like a crazy person doing a frenetic dance. They all screamed too.
Bridgette tripped backwards over something hard, small and warm. She landed heavily on her butt. Only then did the bat fly off.
The others raced outside. “What the hell was that?” Eva yelled.
“I…sorry. A bat flew into my face and I just…” Bridgette’s facial muscles tensed up to hold back tears. “I’m alright now.”
They seemed to relax. Alejandro even gave a laugh. “Well, if that’s all that was, then why don’t we all try and get some sleep now?”
“I’m game.” Ezekiel crawled back into the tent.
“Wait,” Bridgette began, “can someone please come with me while I, uh, answer nature’s call? I don’t wanna be alone again after what happened.”
“I will!” Geoff immediately volunteered.
“Dude!” Harold scolded. “The ladies deserve their privacy!”
Sadie stepped forward, rolling her eyes. “I’ll come with you.”
They ended up going a little farther away this time. Bridgette felt safer with Sadie there. Plus, she didn’t want to be where anyone could see her. She felt ridiculous for causing such a big fuss.
On their way back, Sadie smirked playfully. “So…you and Geoff, huh?”
Bridgette’s face instantly went red. “What?”
“Aw, you two are so cute together! I saw the way he was holding your hand earlier. And how he tried to volunteer to come out here with you. Eee! Did you guys know each other before?”
“Not exactly…we both hung out at the same beach a lot. He was always throwing parties. I wanted to join, but I was too nervous to approach him.”
“Oh…” Sadie seemed downtrodden at that. “Well, who knows? Maybe you’ll both find Life Idols or one of you will win, and then you can go home together!”
Bridgette smiled. “Yeah…that would be nice.”
She wasn’t sure how much she wanted to believe that would happen, though. What were the odds? They were as good as dead. No…that won’t be…surely one of them can live?
But to live with such a horrible regret? Unfathomable.
When they returned to their campsite, she saw the others bent over something smoking. Curious, she stepped forward for a closer look, but reeled back in horror when she saw what it was.
It was the tent, currently on fire. The other Bass were frantically scooping up handfuls of dirt to try and dampen the flames, but to no avail. The fire was growing too large.
“Oh crap!” Bridgette rushed in to help.
Alejandro turned when he heard her. “Don’t come any closer. I think you’ve done enough damage.”
Bridgette froze. “What? What do you mean?”
“You caused this, didn’t you? You kicked a burning coal onto our tent.”
That made everyone pull up short. Geoff threw up his hands. “Wait, hold on. What are you talking about?”
“Come on guys, think about it. She must have. There’s no other reasonable explanation for why our tent just randomly caught on fire.”
Eva glowered at him. “It could have just been a stray spark. I don’t like your accusatory tone.”
Alejandro put his palms up. “Our tent is far enough away from the fire that a spark wouldn’t have done much damage. This big of a fire could only have been caused by a coal.”
“Are you saying she did this on purpose?” Geoff’s voice was heating up.
“I’m not saying anything of the sort. I’m just giving you the facts, amigo.”
The other Bass could only watch on, exchanging suspicious looks with each other all the while.
Alejandro shrugged. “So what if I’m being too mean to Bridgette? Our tent caught on fire while we were still inside! Surely I’ve earned the right to point the finger, haven’t I?”
Eva folded her arms. “I still don’t buy it. Spark or no spark, coal or no coal, he’s trying to divide us! Did you see the way he spoke down to Bridgette? He’s slimy, that one.”
“So…I’m not alone in thinking that that was pretty weird of Al to just throw Bridgette under the bus like that, right?” Izzy raised an eyebrow. “I mean, even if she did do it on purpose, I don’t think it’s a good idea to try and kill your whole team. Chris might punish her somehow. I gotta keep my eye on Alejandro…”
Alejandro focused his full gaze on Bridgette, raising an eyebrow as if trying to entice her to confess.
Bridgette, withering under so much attention, did the only thing she could think to do: run.
The Bass watched her race further into the woods. They turned their attention to Alejandro. “Was that really necessary?” DJ said, eyes narrowed.
“Friends, our only shelter is burning up before our eyes. You should count yourselves lucky that it’s not raining tonight.” As if heaven itself was annoyed with him, a single raindrop landed on his head. A second later, it began absolutely pouring. “Never mind.”
The storm that raged on the 11-12th June was one of many such summer storms that battered the Great Lakes. Ships fought their way through the rough weather in hopes of reaching port safely. Residents living on the shores shut their windows and braced for any property damage that the storm might incur. While the wind speeds were typical of this kind of weather, the rain fell hard, thick and fast, flooding streets, yards and basements. It petered out somewhat over the morning of the 12th, but by the afternoon it had picked right back up again. Visibility was low, and throughout the night it was lower still.
The rain had put out their campfire; all that remained was a smoky pile of wet ash and wood. The canopy of branches above them had done very little to stop them from becoming soaked to the bone. Even the cameramen were more focused on sheltering themselves. For the longest time, no one spoke.
Then, out of the darkness, Lindsay spoke up. “What do we do now?”
Heather shifted about uncomfortably. “Nothing we can do but wait for dawn.”
That seemed to stir some life back into the team. Sierra sat up from where she’d been leaning against the trunk. “Um, didn’t Chris say that every member of our team has to return for us to win?”
“Oh…yeah…he did say that, didn’t he?” Leshawna grimaced.
“Fuck!” Heather yelled. “How the fuck are we supposed to win without Katie?” She looked straight upwards, where Noah was sitting. “Noah, you hop down and find her.”
“Uh. why do I have to?”
“Because she saved you. You owe her. This is the least you can do.” She smirked.
Noah sighed. He hated to admit it, but Heather did have a point. He did owe Katie. And they needed every member.
“Alright, fine.”
“Excellent! I’m sure she’d really appreciate it! Oh, and while you’re at it, you can take Cody with you.”
“What? Why me?”
“Because, safety in numbers. Plus, that stunt you pulled with the acorns was quick thinking on your part.”
Cody still seemed uncertain. “I dunno, we don’t have any weapons, so we’ll get hurt if-”
“Cody,” Heather said through gritted teeth, “go with Noah. Or else.”
Even through the intense darkness, Cody could see the devilish twinkle in her eye. The lips pushing to spill his secret. The smugness that would inevitably follow. He made to follow Noah down the tree.
“Hold up,” Leshawna said, “You can’t seriously be willing to send the two scrawniest guys on our team into the woods with a bear on the loose!”
“It’s fine, Leshawna! Really!” Cody said hurriedly, sliding to the ground.
Noah and Cody stood, staring up at the rest of their teammates. “Don’t wait for us. We’ll meet you back at camp. Who knows how long we’ll be.”
“Good luck,” Trent told them.
The Gophers waved them off as they disappeared into the darkness.
~*~
A lone figure ran through the woods. She dodged the trees and stumbled over the vegetation in her desperation to get as far away from there as possible. The driving rain blinded her, yet she still kept on going.
Suddenly, she felt a yanking on her scalp. Her hair had become entangled on a low-hanging branch. She grabbed it and pulled. It came undone from her hair tie. She winced, barely.
Only now that she’d stopped moving did she take a look around.
The woods were all the same, north, south, east, west. The trees loomed overhead. Bushes sprouted up everywhere. No paths. No animals that she could see. The rain was pelting her so hard it felt like hail.
Bridgette let herself walk, her heart pounding hard all the while. Plants tickled her exposed ankles. Her vision was blurred with tears and rainfall. The forest closed in on her.
She didn’t do it. She couldn’t have. She couldn’t have.
Why?
She didn’t realise the cave was there until she was already standing inside. It seemed as good a place as any to rest for the night. If she could.
The cave was set into a cliff and bent to the right. Bridgette rounded the corner and sank to the ground. Her head rested on her arms. Her clothes were waterlogged and cold, but she didn’t remove them. The skin on her ankles and feet began to itch.
What had she done? Why had she done that? Why did she run? Now the others would think she was guilty.
Alejandro’s accusatory glare haunted her. She didn’t do it. And even if she did, she honestly didn’t mean to.
But how could she possibly face them now? After she ran from them like a coward?
Tears continued to stream down her face as she buried her face into her sodden sweater. She cried the night away, wishing for the sweet release of death. She probably deserved it.
~*~
It had only been mere moments after leaving that Noah regretted doing so. But by then it was already too late to turn back.
The woods were pitch black; they could barely see their own hands in front of their faces, and of course they had no source of light. Their clothes were stuck to their bodies and their hair was falling sopping wet into their eyes.
The rest of the team was already well swallowed up by the darkness by the time Cody said something: “This is hopeless! We should never have left the tree! We should turn back!”
“We’ll never find our way back now,” Noah practically had to shout to make himself heard over the rain.
They held hands to prevent themselves from becoming separated. Onwards they pushed until they came across a river; once a gentle stream, now swollen over its banks. Mud was everywhere.
“Where to now?” Cody asked.
Noah inspected the ground in front of him, looking for any kind of path. “I guess we’ll have to go ar-look!” He pointed. Deep in the mud was a massive pawprint.
“The bear!” Cody cried.
“That’s not all.” He pointed to another shape in the mud. Multiple shapes, actually, all small and oblong. They were in the shape of a wedge heel. Some looked as though the wearer had slipped all over the place. “Those might be Katie’s shoeprints.”
“Do you think we should cross the river?”
“I guess we have no choice; the footprints stop here. Hope you’re a strong swimmer…”
They waded in apprehensively. The water surged past them and in between their legs. It was freezing.
“Jesus Christ,” Noah gasped. “Hold on tight!”
They went in further, taking their time. One foot in front of the other. The water pressed harder, angrier. Their hands grew clammy. The other side seemed so close yet so far away.
When the water reached their waist, disaster struck.
Cody stumbled over a rock and briefly let go of Noah’s hand. That was all it took.
“Noah!” he cried out as he toppled over and was promptly swept away.
“Shit!” Noah almost lost his balance. “Shit!”
Cody was gone in an instant, vanishing from view. His cries were drowned out by the incessant noise of water everywhere, under him, above him, all around him.
“Cody!” Noah let the river take him, too.
He regretted it instantly. Unable to find his footing, he was sent tumbling downstream. His limbs scraped against rocks, tree branches and other debris. Water shot its way up his nose. He struggled to keep his head above the surface.
It was like a demented rollercoaster. Multiple times he was pulled under and spun around by the force of the current and he feared the time he wouldn’t pop back up. He always did though, only to be further assailed by the stinging rain.
Bend around bend he went with no sign of Cody. Thunder boomed in the sky. He choked on the frothing, muddy water. The shore seemed unreachable now.
And then, a stroke of luck.
Lightning flashed, briefly illuminating the world around him. Directly ahead of him, Noah caught sight of a fallen tree across the river. Straddling it, holding on for dear life, was Cody.
Noah slammed into the tree, his right shoulder groaning on impact, but it stopped him from getting swept further away. Leaves and branches poked at his skin. He grabbed onto a thicker branch and looked up.
Cody’s face was flooded with relief. He reached out a hand and Noah held on as he was pulled out of the raging river and onto the tree.
“Move up!” he yelled in his ear.
They shuffled their way along the trunk until they reached the other side of the river. They ran up it and finally collapsed in a grass patch well away from the bank. Shoes squelching, limbs shaking and hearts speeding, they were a mess. They lay on their backs, catching their breath.
Compared to the river, the rainfall now seemed like a gentle caress. Noah welcomed it gladly. A groan erupted from the base of his throat as his chest heaved with a deep breath. He wanted to stay here forever and never move ever again.
Crying from beside him made him turn his head. Cody was curled in the fetal position, sobbing loudly.
“Dude,” Noah said, voice croaky. “We’re alive. We’re fine. Please don-” He was cut off by Cody waving his hand.
“No, no…Noah, I have to tell you something.”
Cody’s near-death experience had frightened him horribly. If he were to have died in that river, then he would have died with his biggest regret still weighing heavily on his chest.
“I voted for Beth. I did it. I’m the reason she’s dead. Heather knows what I did to Katie and said she’d tell her if I didn’t vote for who she told me to. And I did it. It’s all my fault. Beth is gone and it’s all my fault…” Then his body was wracked by sobs once more.
Noah could only stare at him in shock. It hit him squarely in the chest, winding him further until he was unable to move.
It made too much sense. A disgusting amount of sense.
What else had Heather been doing?
~*~
“Man, it’s absolutely pouring out there,” Chris said from where he sat in a reclining chair by the window, snuggled under a huge fluffy blanket. “Sucks to be the campers right now.”
Chef chuckled, sitting on the worn sofa reading a book. “Yeah. Sure it’ll make for great television though.”
“Damn right it will! Hey, Zack!”
Zack came as soon as he was called. A guy of about twenty, he had shaggy black hair and freckles on his cheeks. “What’s up?”
“How’s the editing going on the latest episode, bro?”
“Great! We’ve also got the bonus footage ready for when you want it.”
“That’s my man! Release the bonus stuff after midnight. That’ll give ‘em something to chew on.”
“Righto.” Zack disappeared as quickly as he had come.
Chris relaxed into the plush seat. “Aah. Soon, Chef, you and I will be livin’ it big.”
“I should hope so. We’re taking a hell of a risk with this whole operation.”
“Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet now!”
Chef rolled his eyes. “Hell no! Just sayin’, we need to remain vigilant. We don’t want to get too cocky.”
Chris waved his hand dismissively. “Relax, man! Nothing’s going to happen! Ol’ Chris here has everything sorted!”
Outside, the rain continued to pour.
~*~
The Killer Bass were huddled tightly underneath the trees with the biggest branches, not that it did much to shelter them from the storm. Every single article of clothing they wore was soaked through, even Athaliah’s heavy woollen skirt. The ground beneath them had turned into stinking sticky mud, further compounding their misery.
Harold had put his glasses in his pocket, not wanting them to be damaged even further. DJ had his arms wrapped around the others, hoping to provide some sort of comfort. Alejandro was suspiciously quiet. Ezekiel shivered violently. Sadie sneezed.
All Geoff could do was watch the raindrops roll off the brim of his hat. They pattered onto his already soaked shorts. He wished he’d brought a jacket, not that it would have done him much good.
Still, it couldn’t possibly compare to how Bridgette must be feeling. No way would she have found shelter by now. The woods were too dark and confusing.
And then there was the whole tent debacle.
Bridgette didn’t do it; Geoff knew that. The absolute gall of Al to pin what was pretty obviously an accident entirely on her. The fire had been blazing hot throughout the night. It was clearly just a spark, no matter what Al had to say about it.
He balled his fist. No, Alejandro whatever-his-surname-is was not going to get away with it. He was going to make him pay.
Beside him, Eva was thinking the exact same thing. She wasn’t stupid. She remembered the awkward way he’d brought up yesterday’s vomiting incident, clearly in an attempt to humiliate Bridgette. She wasn’t 100% certain of his game, but she was certain enough.
Alejandro had to go.
At 12:30 am on July 12th, another piece of bonus footage went live. It featured previously unaired recordings of Geoff’s birthday party from three days earlier. The cameraman, Bill Parsons, could be heard congratulating Geoff on the occasion. It also caught another angle of Justin’s confrontation with the rest of his team, as well as a different view of his failed escape attempt.
Noah and Cody had no choice but to pick themselves up from the ground. They couldn’t stay like that forever. They had to keep going.
So on they went, eyes peeled. They didn’t bother calling Katie’s name; there was no way she’d be able to hear them over the downpour. They held hands again and traversed the woods.
The mud was terrible, even though they weren’t anywhere near a water source. It squelched and smelled horrible, worse than any mud either of them had ever smelled before in their lives. It splattered onto their legs and soaked into their shoes.
“Just kill us now,” Cody moaned.
“Don’t encourage them,” Noah barked.
They weren’t sure exactly how much time passed. It felt like they blinked, and when they reopened their eyes, the sky seemed bluer in colour. They both sighed in relief.
“It’s nearly dawn! Finally, we might be able to see where we’re going!” Noah brushed his hair back.
True to his words, the more blue-grey the sky became, the more they could see in front of them. And, even better, the rain was starting to let up, just a little. Although it wasn’t quite as heavy as before, it was still a nuisance. But it was one they could deal with.
It wasn’t long before they had another stroke of luck.
“Look!” Cody ran forward, scooping up two very muddy, but still very familiar objects off the ground. Noah leaned in for a closer look, wiping some of the mud off with his already dirty sleeve. They were Katie’s bright pink wedge heels.
“If her shoes are here then she can’t be far away.” Noah cupped his hands around his mouth. “Katie! Katie, where are you?”
Cody joined in on the calls, and the two of them continued along. The storm clouds above them changed gradually into a dark grey. Weak light started illuminating their surroundings as the sun struggled to shine through.
Up ahead, a bush moved. The boys stopped in their tracks.
Onto the path stepped a tall, spindly, very filthy figure. It lifted an arm and wiped off some muck from its face.
“Katie!”
“Oh. My. God! You guys!” She ran forwards and swept them up in a tight hug. “I’m soooo glad to finally see another human being! It feels like it’s been days! What are you doing out here? I thought you would’ve stayed by the tent.”
“We went to look for you.” Noah presented her with her shoes. “Here.”
Katie sighed in relief. “Oh, thank you so much! I took them off because I thought I could run faster without them, but I kept hurting my feet on rocks and stuff. I ended up just lying down under a bush somewhere.”
“How did you manage to escape that bear?” Cody asked.
“I ran until I came upon a river. I just jumped in and let it carry me away. I think it lost my scent or something, because it didn’t follow me again after that. Then I almost, like, drowned, but a fallen tree across the river saved me.”
It was then that Noah noticed her arm. “Jesus Katie, your burn! It’s completely covered in mud! That’s how infections happen!”
Katie peeled off the dirtied bandage. Her arm underneath hadn’t escaped entirely unscathed. The patches of it still visible under the grime were still as red and angry as ever. “Oh, I know. I tried cleaning it off in the rain, but with the amount of times I fell over and got it dirty again…I kinda just gave up.”
Noah could only imagine what the doctor lady had to say about that.
“Hey, Katie, I need to tell you something…” Cody said cautiously, “I’m sorry! It’s my fault your arm got burned! I was messing with the wires in the hot tub hoping to make the water hotter! I honestly didn’t mean it! I’m so sorry, Katie!”
Katie was completely taken aback. She, like everyone else on her team, had simply believed the explosion to be due to faulty equipment. To hear that her constant pain over the last week was caused by someone in particular…
Her good hand whipped out and slapped him smartly across the cheek. “That’s for what happened!” She then gave him a one-armed hug. “And that’s for coming clean with me. Because…if I’m being honest, I haven’t exactly been honest about something either.” When she pulled back, she had tears in her eyes.
“It’s my fault Beth’s dead! I didn’t want to vote for her, but Heather said that if I didn’t, she’d hurt Sadie during the next challenge!” She burst into tears.
“No!” Cody cried out. “It’s my fault! Heather said that she’d tell everyone what I did to you and get them to vote me off!” He too burst into tears.
Noah, caught in the middle, could only grimace.
Heather, that rotten cunt. Threatening others’ lives just to save her own skin. He couldn’t play dumb and pretend he didn’t understand - of course Heather was to live just like the rest of them - but to utilise such underhanded tactics was low. She’d already thrown Beth under the bus; it was only a matter of time before she decided that Cody and Katie had outlived their usefulness as well.
How could she sit there, watching Beth’s life be painfully, slowly, ripped away from her, and feel nothing?
“We can’t just let her get away with this!” Noah said. “We have to team up. Next time we lose, she’s gone. We’ll talk to the others, see who else she’s manipulating. If she wants to play fast and loose with our lives, then she can expect the same treatment back.”
Katie sniffled. “You…you think we can do it?”
“It’s either her or us. I won’t let it be us.”
“Noah’s right,” Cody said, wiping his eyes. “We should stick together. Safety in numbers, and all that.”
She seemed to nod some resolution back into herself. “Okay. Okay, I’ll do it. But what do we do now?”
“First,” Noah said decisively, “we get back to camp. Win or lose, we have a plan.”
~*~
The sun rose, still shielded by heavy dark clouds and misty rain. The Screaming Gophers finally climbed down from the tree.
“Bear seems to be gone,” Leshawna stretched her back harder than she’d ever stretched it before. “We should probably head out.”
“I’ll get the map.” Trent offered. He disappeared inside the tent, only to reemerge seconds later. “It’s no good. The tent is flooded with water and mud and the map is unsalvageable.”
Owen stood up straight. “I can kinda remember the way back. Follow me!”
“No!” Heather put her foot down, splashing mud everywhere. “I am not risking you losing this for us!”
“Do you remember the way back?” Sierra asked bitingly, shaking the rain off of her rainbow tassels.
“Well, no but-”
“Owen, lead the way!”
~*~
Bridgette stirred.
Her limbs came unstuck from each other. She shivered from the cold air. Her clothes were still hopelessly damp. Her feet and ankles were itchy, as she'd stepped in poison ivy the night before.
She rubbed her eyes. There was a little bit of light in the cave now, not that there was much to see anyway. Just boring cold grey rock.
If there was light in the cave then it must be morning. She’d better get a move on. The absolute worst thing she could do after what happened last night is lose the challenge for her team.
With all her might, she stood up on quivering legs. She took a few steps. Her left leg gave out on her, locking up from the cold. She sprawled on the ground.
Something hard poked her in the chest.
Bridgette sat up and felt for it. When she enclosed her hand around it, she could tell, simply from the way it felt, what it was.
She gasped. Tears sprang to her eyes.
She couldn’t believe it.
But it was there, in her hand, as real as could be.
Why her, of all people?
~*~
“Hey!”
Everyone jolted awake. The shout had come from Alejandro. “We need to get moving! Now!”
Izzy, with great difficulty, unfolded her stiffened legs. Once she stood up, however, she fell right back over. “My legs are too numb! I can barely move them!”
DJ scooped her up and flung her over his shoulder. He also assisted Ezekiel in getting to his feet. “Does anyone know the way back? I doubt our map survived that deluge.”
Alejandro tapped his head. “I memorized it. Now, onwards! Before the other team beats us!”
~*~
Chris stood waiting by the fire pit, sheltering under a dark grey umbrella. As he checked his watch, the sound of running footsteps caused him to look up. Noah, Cody and Katie came barreling up to him, violently out of breath. “Congrats! You’re the first to arrive!”
“Cool,” Noah said dryly.
“So…tired…” Katie wheezed.
“Yo dudes…where’s the rest of your team?”
“If they know what’s good for them,” Noah said darkly, “they’ll be here shortly.”
As if on cue, an entire stampede suddenly erupted from behind them. It turned out, however, that it was the Killer Bass, not the Screaming Gophers.
“Woo hoo!” Tyler shouted, balled fists in the air. “We made it!”
“Good job, team!” Alejandro said proudly.
“Not so fast. You guys are missing a fish.”
The entire team went silent.
“Bridgette,” Harold remembered aloud.
“Yeah, that’s when I knew we were fucked,” DJ’s shoulders sagged.
Alejandro tried to smile the embarrassment away. “Nevertheless, we’re only waiting on one. You three are waiting on your entire team.”
“Oh, are we?” Cody smirked right back.
More footsteps came thundering over. The footsteps of multiple people. The rest of the Screaming Gophers barreled straight for Chris.
“We lost?!” Heather shrieked. “This is all your fault!” She shoved Owen. “You and your stupid directions!”
“Actually,” Chris interjected, “The Bass are missing a member, so you guys are the winners! Your reward: an all-expenses paid trip to…the tuck shop!”
The Gophers cheered.
“Killer Bass! One of your fishy butts is going home!”
The Bass could do nothing but sigh dejectedly. They gazed out at the edge of the woods, hoping that Bridgette would show herself at last, but she never did.
As if it sensed their mood, the clouds opened up and dumped more rain on them.
~*~
Breakfast was skipped. Everyone was too frozen, sodden and grimy to bother. They piled into the showers: boys first, then girls. They dressed themselves in the clothes they’d received in their goodie bags. Some were too small, others too large, all mismatched and uncomfortable.
But still, ill-fitting clothes were better than no clothes at all. Especially after the night they’d all just had.
A crewmember came in and carted everyone’s dirty clothes away to be washed. Then, realising their hunger, they swarmed the mess hall where Chef was cooking up brunch. Pancakes, surprisingly good ones too, served with syrup and butter. Fruit, milk and orange juice on the side. Chef had mostly given up on cooking slop. Maybe he’d sensed that they’d perform better on full, nourished stomachs.
By now the rain was falling as hard as it did last night. It drummed loudly on the roof, where it leaked in one corner and was caught in a rapidly filling metal bucket.
Chris was in there too, having his share of the pancakes. Alejandro watched him carefully. The fate of a certain team member was still up in the air, and he wanted it to be decisive. The challenge’s events had worked right into his plan, almost too perfectly. He’d be a fool not to capitalize on this.
Alejandro raised his hand. “Chris,” he said in his politest, most unassuming voice, “May we please skip the elimination ceremony tonight? Bridgette isn’t here, and we were going to vote for her anyway.”
“Say what?!” Geoff spun around.
Chris chuckled. “I’ll think about it. Dying during challenges does make for great television, but it also means that there’s less of you to execute, which is, you know, the whole draw of the show. Dropping dead in the middle kinda negates all that. And besides, I’ve been talking to all the cameramen who were in the woods last night and watched the live feed, and I haven’t seen anything to suggest that Bridgette’s alive or dead.”
The Killer Bass could only look at each other.
“Tell you what: if Bridgette still hasn’t turned up by seven-thirty, I’ll consider her deceased and we can skip the ceremony. If she shows up at any point after that, she’ll be executed on the spot. Sound fair?”
“Yes, thank you.” Alejandro nodded. Chris went back to his pancakes.
Geoff was on the verge of exploding. “You monster! How dare you try and throw her under the bus like that!”
Alejandro could barely keep the annoyance off his face. “I am not throwing anyone under the bus. I am simply saying what we’re all thinking.”
Eva’s lips twisted, but she remained silent. She shared a suspicious glance with Harold and Athaliah.
“Oh, so you’re a mind reader, all of a sudden.”
“Geoff. She burned our tent down, accident or no. She immediately ran off and abandoned us. She hasn’t returned yet and cost us the challenge. You need to face the facts, amigo.”
“Well maybe she wouldn’t have left us if you hadn’t scared her off!” Geoff’s face was darker than the storm clouds outside. “Give me one good reason why we shouldn’t vote you off instead!”
“That’s enough,” Alejandro stood up and towered over Geoff, despite both of them being the same height. “Bridgette is going home. Deal with it.”
He’d had enough of this. And those reproachful stares from the others…who were they to stare at him like that? Why couldn’t they understand? Was he seriously the only smart person on his team?
Bridgette’s idiocy was on full display. It couldn’t possibly be any clearer.
But Alejandro wasn’t so blinded by irritation that he couldn’t recognize where he was going wrong. He needed to tone down his approach. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar, after all.
She he seated himself and grinned painfully at the others. “Geoff…everyone…please forgive me. It’s just…it’s been a long night. I am not myself today. I’m just so…frustrated by everything. By being here. I hope you can find it within yourself to understand.”
Find it within ourselves to understand?! Eva was beyond mad. Guilt-tripping little asshole. She’d love to smash his face in.
But not here. Not now. She was never very good at controlling her temper, but she saw the need for it here. She couldn’t give herself away too soon.
So she ground her teeth and stabbed her pancakes so hard her fork left a mark on the plate.
~*~
Sierra was still dressed in her rainbow-tasseled jacket from the night before. During her shower she’d left it to dry on the heated towel rack. She didn’t want to go without a jacket at all, especially since this was the only one she had.
Plus, she really liked it. Gaudy but fun. She loved clothes like that. Staring at the way the sparkles glittered with each movement of her body had been preoccupying her for hours now.
But even she stopped doing that to take notice of the argument happening at the next table over. “Gee, those guys are steamed.”
“Yeah. Glad I’m not with them,” Trent still seemed on the edge of another outburst. His hand gripped his fork so tightly it was shaking.
“Better them than us,” Heather flipped her freshly-shampooed hair over her shoulder. “Otherwise one of you would be seriously paying for it.”
Leshawna scoffed. “Hey, we’re not the ones acting like we own the damn place.”
“Puh-leeze! You guys have been nothing but nuisances ever since we got here. Excuse me for wanting all of you to pull your weight.”
“We have been,” Noah said snippily. “Only problem is, we’re also expected to pull your weight too.”
“Why should I have to do all the work?”
Katie couldn’t take it anymore. “Because you’re part of a team, Heather! You know the exact kind of team member no one likes? The rude, bossy, horrible, nasty one! Aka, you! The only reason you haven’t been eliminated yet is because you got, like, outrageously lucky last time!”
She looked Heather dead in the eye, forcing her to catch the full meaning of those words.
“So yeah,” Katie continued, “you’d better be glad it’s them and not us tonight. Because otherwise, we’d be voting for you!”
Right at that moment, the door banged open. Everyone turned to look.
“Well well well!” Chris grinned. “Look what the cat dragged in!”
Bridgette stepped inside. Her normally sky-blue hoodie had turned a brownish-green. She was covered in so much mud and dirt that there was barely a clean spot of skin on her. Her hair had fallen out of its ponytail and was matted to her body. Rainwater ran down her limbs and puddled on the floor.
“...Sorry…” was what she said. It was all she could say.
Geoff jumped out of his seat shouting, “Bridge! Glad you’re okay!” He ran to her, putting his arm around her and insisting she let him get her some pancakes.
The rest of the Bass could only look on in horror.
~*~
The afternoon passed by. The Screaming Gophers were taken by golf cart to partake in their reward at the tuck shop, a crumbling old building recently filled with all sorts of treats. The Killer Bass were stuck inside their cabin, left to amuse themselves as they may.
Geoff braved the rain and ran to the bathroom. He opened the door and was greeted by a cloud of steam. It was nice and warm in there.
Bridgette emerged. She was freshly showered and dressed in her goodie bag clothes: a white t-shirt with a bunny face on it and black shorts that barely covered her thighs. Her sandals were washed and dry. Her dirty clothes were draped over the towel rack; it was obvious that she’d tried to clean them to no avail.
“Bridge!” he cried, running over to her. He grabbed her gently by the shoulders. “Bridge, listen to me: we’ll vote for Alejandro, okay? I’ll talk to the other guys, I’ll talk to the girls. We can get rid of him! He can’t just throw you under the bus and get away with it!”
But Bridgette’s response absolutely floored him. “No, Geoff. Vote for me.”
He stared at her, gobsmacked. “What? No! We can-”
“Geoff, I lost the challenge for us. It’s only fair.”
“But, you’re one of the only people here I can trust! I won-”
“Then trust me.” She tenderly cupped his face with her hands. “This is what I want. I’m serious, Geoff. It’s okay. You…you can win for both of us.”
She was so eerily calm about it that Geoff’s brain almost refused to compute what she was asking him to do.
“Bridge…” He felt tears in his eyes. He sobbed into her shoulder, unable to understand.
She embraced him warmly. She didn’t know what else to say to him.
But what she did know was what she had to say to the girls. She needed them on her side, too.
~*~
The rain was still coming down hard by the time the elimination ceremony rolled around, so much so that the Bass were all given umbrellas. With the votes cast, they seated themselves on the wet stumps uncomfortably.
“Alright, I know you’re all tired, so I’m just gonna make this quick.” Chris said, grabbing the marshmallows. “Tyler, Harold, DJ.”
All caught them, unsmiling and grim.
“Ezekiel, Eva, Athaliah.”
More marshmallows. More dead stares.
“Sadie…Geoff.”
This was it. Geoff squeezed his marshmallow so hard it exploded in his grasp. Next to him, Bridgette sat with her fists curled. They’d been that way ever since they got here. Her fingers were all white from the pressure.
“The final marshmallow of the evening goes to…
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Alejandro.”
He accepted it gratefully.
Geoff immediately broke down into wheezing sobs. He’d voted for Bridgette, like she’d asked him to, and he’d regretted it immediately. He shouldn’t have done it. No one should have. It wasn’t fair! It wasn’t her fault!”
He tried to hug Bridgette close to his body, as if he could protect her, but she squirmed away. This hurt his heart even more and a deep whine released itself from the back of her throat.
As the Executioner fumbled around with a menacing black crossbow, Bridgette revealed what was in her balled-up fist.
A Life Idol.
“Whoa, this changes things quite a bit!” Chris said, amazed. The Executioner immediately lowered his weapon.
The team jumped to their feet in shock. “Oh my god, you actually found it?” Harold shouted.
DJ gasped. “No way!”
“Is this why you wanted us girls to vote for you?” Eva demanded.
Bridgette nodded. “Yes…I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the truth, but I was worried someone might try to steal it. Please forgive me for…for everything! Including the tent thing!” She turned to the boy she loved. “Geoff, I-”
He swept her up in his arms. His tears of anguish had turned into tears of relief.
“You’re getting out of here,” he whispered joyously. “You’re getting out.”
~*~
Bridgette’s belongings had been packed, including her filthy clothes. She couldn’t bear to leave them behind. Now, she was standing on the boat, Geoff on the dock. They were so close they were practically standing side by side. The rest of the Bass hung back, watching from a distance.
“Chef,” she called into the wheelhouse, “could you please wait a minute? I wanna say goodbye to Geoff.”
She received a thumbs-up in response.
“Geoff…” she began, but he started first.
“Bridgette, I need to tell you something: I’m in love with you.” At her widening eyes, he kept going. “June 27th, 2006. Last year. I was throwing a party on the beach and I happened to look out on the horizon, and I saw this beautiful girl hanging ten like it was nobody’s business. It was…it was totally rad.” His smile was watery. “I wanted to talk to you so badly, but I just…kinda froze. I was too nervous.”
Bridgette, to his relief, laughed a laugh tinged with sadness. “Oh Geoff! I feel the exact same way! The exact same day, in fact, I was surfing, and I looked at the shore and I saw a guy - you- doing keg stands with his friends, which was probably super illegal now that I think about it. Your parties always looked like so much fun, but I was too shy to ask if I could join.” Her vision blurred with tears. “I just wish I said something before. I wish I wasn’t so stupid be-”
“Hey,” Geoff tenderly thumbed her tears away. “We got to meet each other in the end, and that’s what’s important. And, you get to live.”
“I just wish you could come with me.”
Behind them, the boat engine roared to life. Chef was eager to get a move on.
“I’ll meet you on the other side,” he told her firmly. “I’ll find the other Life Idol, or I’ll win this whole thing outright. Whatever it takes. And then, when we get home, you’ll be invited to all my parties.”
“And I’ll invite you to go surfing with me.”
“That would be awesome.”
They kissed. Softly, so it almost didn’t feel real. Their hands touching, grasping onto each other like a lifeline.
Then the boat moved away from the dock, separating their lips through no will of their own. They were parted until even their hands had to let go.
Bridgette watched Geoff get further and further away from her. Her heart was pounding painfully against her ribcage, for more than one reason. “Please be safe! I’ll miss you!”
“We will see each other again, Bridge! I promise! I love you!”
“I love you too! Goodbye, Geoff!”
The boat, carrying the love of his dreams, motored into the night, disappearing amidst the rain and fog until he could no longer see or hear it.
Still, he stood there watching the space where it had vanished. Tears slipped down his cheeks.
“Goodbye, Bridgette. Safe travels.”
Playa Paradisiaca was a small island about a mile away from Camp Wawanakwa. It was the location of a large luxury home that had been built in 2004. Intended to be a summer home, it had been on the market for three years and seemed at first glance like an attractive place.
The home was spacious and comfortable, being fully furnished with many amenities such as water tanks, power generators, internet connection and waste disposal. The island itself was outfitted with its own dock. There were multiple small swimming pools in the backyard, which was separated from the beach by newly-planted hedges. The surrounding waters were calm and good for swimming. The entire property was filled not just with furniture, but everything one might need to live there: cutlery, dishware, towels, linens, soaps, pool toys, cushions, even a surfboard. The real estate company had expected a quick purchase and had stocked the property in anticipation of it.
But it never came. It was very expensive, even for a holiday home in the Muskoka region. It wasn’t just the house up for sale, but the entire island. The isolated location and lack of easy access to goods and services from the mainland further soured potential buyers.
It being a newer property, it was in better condition compared to Camp Wawanakwa. But it was still just as forgotten, even by the real estate agent in charge of it. No one wanted it.
Chapter 7: Episode 1, Part 7: Fear Feaster
Notes:
Minor TW for mentions of SA. Nothing graphic though.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Episode 1, Part 7: Fear Feaster
On July 14th, a Toronto woman known as Anne Foster (not her real name) was watching the latest episode of Total Drama Island. She was single and living on her own above the second-hand shop she owned. Watching a new reality show, completely different from what was showing on TV, was the perfect way for her to unwind after a long day at work.
Due to a sudden summer storm that had swept the area during filming, most of the footage shot during night-time was unusable. The editing team had put together what they could, and thankfully there was just enough to tell what was going on.
The whole time though, something was bugging Anne. Every time she saw the Screaming Gophers on screen, she felt strange, but couldn't quite put her finger on it. Still, she watched the camping misadventures with rapture.
When the campers finally returned in the morning, it was then that she realized what was wrong.
The tall girl with purple hair named Sierra was wearing a very familiar beige jacket with sparkly rainbow tassels. Anne had sold that very same jacket to a man just a few weeks earlier. She watched the screen closely and confirmed that it was indeed the same jacket. She sat back, lost in thought.
Watching such a show was illegal. Anne stood to risk going to prison for it. She, like many others, had paid the subscription fee under the impression that it was all a scam, or at the very least fake. Anne didn't care even when the truth was revealed.
But now she was having second thoughts. The girl wearing her jacket was a living breathing person. She was admiring the way it sparkled, just like Anne had when she first received it.
It stirred something in Anne. She knew what she had to do.
She picked up the phone and called the police.
It was dark out. The Screaming Gophers braved the rain and ran to the Killer Bass’ cabin, treats in hand. They found them all piled in on the boys’ side.
“Come to rub it in?” Alejandro asked, though he didn't sound angry.
Cody brought forth a platter of green jelly with gummy worms embedded in it. “We came bringing peace offerings.”
He barely had the chance to move before DJ shrieked, “SNAKE!” and knocked the platter out of his hands. It sailed over everyone's heads and splattered against the wall next to the door.
“Chill! It was just a gummy!” Owen was wide-eyed.
DJ's shoulders sank in shame. “Sorry everyone…it's just that snakes freak me out real bad.”
“It’s okay,” Tyler tried his best to comfort him, “chickens freak me out big-time.”
Several people snickered. Tyler’s face grew red. “What?”
“Chickens? Seriously?” Owen covered his mouth to hide his giggles.
“Yes! Seriously! When I was little, I went to visit my uncle. He kept chickens. He let me into the pen so I could feed them for him, but they surrounded me and started scratching. It was terrifying. I still have a scar from it. See-” He rolled up his pant leg to reveal a pink scar on his left calf.
“Damn. Sorry for laughing.” Geoff scratched his neck. “I guess my fear’s kinda silly too. It’s hail. It’s just so small, but deadly, man.”
“My fear is flying. I don’t understand how people do it. Hell, I don't understand why they seem to like it!” Owen began to shake from the mere thought of it.
“Oh, I can’t abide heights.” Athaliah clutched a hand to her chest. “If it weren’t for DJ and Sadie, I might not have even made it past the first challenge.”
At the mention of Sadie, the group’s attention turned to her. She sucked in a deep breath. “This is gonna sound really stupid…but it’s bad haircuts.” Someone snorted a laugh. Sadie didn’t see who it was, she just grasped Katie’s hand. “I know it sounds funny to you, but I’m being serious. When I was eight, I went on a day trip with my aunt and cousin Gloria. Gloria had this really long brown hair that reached her legs. She loved it, but my aunt hated it because she thought it was ‘too scraggly’. So on that day, she tricked us into going to the hairdressers with her, and she forced the hairdresser to cut off all of Gloria’s hair. She looked like a boy afterwards. She cried for ages.”
“That’s fucked up. I’d slap the shit out of my mom if she tried that with me.” Heather frowned. “Anyway, my brother made me go with him to see a live sumo wrestling match, and I’ve been scared of them ever since.” She shuddered, but didn’t elaborate.
Lindsay put her hand up. “My biggest fear is being in a war. Last year my history class was learning about World War 1, and we had to watch this movie where this guy got blown up and all that was left of him were his hands holding onto a wire. It gave me nightmares for weeks.”
Cody wrapped his arms around himself. “Speaking of things blowing up, the whole concept of time bombs freaks me out. Like, you have to stand there and diffuse it while knowing that it could blow up at any moment. But then again, having a time limit would be equally as terrifying.”
“...On a lighter note, my biggest fear is mimes.” Trent joined in. “I got lost at a carnival once as a kid and this fucking mime came out of nowhere and started following me around.”
“Spiders.” Leshawna shuddered. “A spider once crawled across my hand while in school, and I screamed so loud the classrooms up the other end of the hallway heard it.”
“Mine are ninjas. The feats they can do are pretty crazy,” Harold said.
“Being in a submarine.” Izzy fidgeting with her hands nervously. “You couldn't pay me to set foot in one of those. Being at the bottom of the ocean, nowhere to escape to if something goes wrong…”
“Okay stop, that doesn't need to be my biggest fear as well!” Sierra chided. “Anyways, mine is being abandoned in someplace scary, like the middle of the woods or something. Hell, I barely made it through the last challenge with my whole team there!”
“Ohmigod, before the last challenge I would have said bears. But now I guess it's…like…eating mushrooms and them being poisonous?” Katie shrugged.
“Needles,” Noah said simply. He did not elaborate.
“Moose,” Ezekiel joined in. “Those things are crazy, eh.”
Eva folded her arms and looked down at the floor. Very quickly, she said, “Being raped.”
A moment of silence. Then…
“That's fair.” Katie.
“Oh, definitely.” Athaliah.
“Word.” Leshawna.
“No lies here.” Heather.
“Can't argue with that.” Geoff.
Another pause.
“Yo Al, what's your biggest fear?” Owen asked.
Alejandro set his mouth into a firm line. “People like me have no fear.”
“Bullshit.” Noah coughed into his fist.
“It's true, amigo.”
“Aw come on!” Harold complained. “We all bared our souls to each other; the least you can do is join in!”
“Stringbean's right!” Leshawna added. “Everyone's scared of something. Spill!”
Alejandro withered under everyone's judgemental, nosey expressions. Fine. If they wanted to make themselves uncomfortable, who was he to stop them?
“Fine. Being disowned by my family. There. Happy now?”
They all stared at him for a few moments, clearly uncomfortable.
“Whoa man, that's heavy…” Tyler trailed off.
“What kind of family do you have where that's even a possibility?” Leshawna demanded.
“A highly important one, that's what.”
“Important how?”
“My father is the Spanish Ambassador, my mother was Miss España 1982, my brother Carlos is a professional soccer player, and my other brother Jose is a model.”
Their staring went from concerned to star-struck. “OMG, your brother's a model?!” Katie and Sadie squealed.
“Your other brother's a soccer player?” Geoff was amazed. “Cool!”
“What's an ambassador?” Athaliah asked. Her question went unanswered.
“No wonder you're scared of getting disowned,” Trent mused. “You have massive shoes to fill!”
The others murmured in agreement. Except one.
Eva looked cross. “I could smell the inferiority complex from a mile away. I'll bet you anything he cares more about his family's praise than he does about us! It explains everything! That guy is dangerous!”
“It’s hard to sit through everyone’s sympathetic comments when I never received much of that at home,” Alejandro said resentfully. “My parents are constantly disappointed in me for something, Carlos ignores me like I’m not worth his time, and Jose never passes up an opportunity to humiliate me. He never holds back…not even on my own birthday…”
The next morning, everyone filed into the mess hall for breakfast. As they ate their actually edible oatmeal, Chris strolled in, looking even more devilish than usual.
“Kids, I have an important announcement to make: There is currently only one Life Idol left to play!”
The Gophers gasped.
“You mean…” Trent did a quick head count, “that Bridgette is still alive?”
“Yup!”
Trent looked at the Bass table. “Why didn’t you guys say so yesterday?”
Harold shrugged, apologetic. “Sorry. It just…didn’t come up.”
Chris coughed, getting everyone’s attention again. “You kids hurry up and finish eating. I can’t wait to get started on today’s challenge!”
“What’s it gonna be? Swimming with sharks?” Izzy asked threateningly. “Because I’ll punch the sharks!”
“Nope! But you do have a date with a submarine!”
Izzy choked on her porridge. DJ thumped her on the back.
Chris turned to Leshawna. “Guess what? I have some friends. They’re hairy, have eight legs, and are just dying to meet you!”
Leshawna was about ready to faint at the mere thought of it.
“No fucking way.” Heather glowered at the host. “Is this some sick way of psychologically torturing us?”
“Correctamundo!”
“They were listening to us the whole time?” Lindsay sounded genuinely betrayed.
“Duh. This is a sick reality TV show. Of course they were listening to us the whole time!” Noah said.
As if they would do anything else.
~*~
The first challenge was Heather’s. She was instructed to wrestle a sumo wrestler.
“You can do it, Heather!” Sierra called. “It probably won’t even be a real sumo wrestler anyway!”
But it didn’t matter that it was fake. It didn’t matter that it was just a fat crewmember in his underwear. It was real enough to Heather.
“So…how do I do this?” she asked Chris, trying to keep the nervous edge out of her voice.
“You just have to wrestle him,” he explained. “It doesn’t matter whether you win or not; just that you try without freaking out.”
Heather stood up on stage. With trembling legs, she stepped over and squatted down in front of the guy. She could feel everyone’s eyes on her. It was beyond important that she get them off to a good start, otherwise if they lose again…
Heather dug her heels in. She bared her teeth. Sumo wrestlers were disgusting, but so was this whole place.
“On your marks, get set, GO!”
It barely lasted a second. In an instant the wrestler’s entire body mass had slammed Heather all the way to the other side of the stage.
Snickers turned into polite, restrained applause as Chris announced, “Screaming Gophers starting off strong with one point!”
The Killer Bass looked on, steeling themselves.
“Bass! It’s your turn! Eva, step forward!”
The team gasped and Eva froze to the spot, unable to move. She felt tears of dread well up in her eyes.
“Chris, no! Please reconsider!” Geoff pleaded. He and the rest of the Bass boys moved in front of her.
Heather said, “You can’t be serious!”
“You monster!” Katie exclaimed.
Chris held up his hands. “Hey, whoa! I don't know what you think you’re accusing me of! I’m not gonna do anything! We have standards here!” He produced a glass bowl with slips of white paper inside.
Walking over to Eva, he said, “For anyone’s fear that we can’t realistically do, you’ll pick from all the other fears. Alejandro, Lindsay, Geoff, come and take your pick too.”
With intense trepidation, all four of them pulled out a slip.
“Shit!” Geoff cried. “I got Katie’s mushroom one!”
“I got the submarine one,” Eva said, confused. How on Earth did they get a submarine out here?
“Snake.” Alejandro scoffed.
Lindsay suddenly went very numb. She held still, as if not moving would make it all go away.
Chris took the paper from her. “Bad haircut for her!”
Cody looked extremely alarmed. “Wait, if you are only doing the realistic ones, then does that mean you really built an actual-”
“Time bomb? Yes, we did. Actually, hop on the cart and I’ll take you over to it myself. Chef, why don’t you serve Katie and Geoff the delicious brunch you’ve been cooking up for them?”
Katie and Geoff looked at each other and gulped.
“Eva and Izzy, head on down to the beach. Zach will be overseeing your challenge.” Chris jumped onto his golf cart, with a terrified Cody, and sped away. The other campers looked on in nervousness.
“...I think I’m gonna be sick,” Katie groaned.
~*~
She almost was sick when Chef served up two steaming platefuls of mushrooms. She already wasn’t the biggest fan of mushrooms to begin with, but not knowing if they’re dangerous or not? Torture.
Geoff wasn’t looking too hot himself. He wiped the sweat off his forehead.
“Bon Appetit,” Chef said with a little cackle.
Geoff speared a mushroom with his fork. “Do we have to eat the whole thing?”
“Chris said a few mouthfuls will suffice, so long as you don’t vomit.”
“Come on, Geoff!” Alejandro had come to watch. “It’s just a few mushrooms, you can do this!”
“Alright.” Geoff sucked in a deep breath. “Cheers.” He and Katie clinked forks and quickly stuffed them into their mouths.
It was just as disgusting as Katie knew it would be. Whatever sauce Chef had whipped up did nothing to hide how dirty the wretched little things tasted. Literally. They tasted like dirt.
They slid their way down Geoff’s throat in a way that nearly made him gag. He grabbed another forkful and chewed quickly. Alejandro nodded supportively.
Sadie shivered. “Katie hates mushrooms! I remember this one time we went out to this place that did hot dogs, and Katie asked for no mushrooms on hers but they accidentally gave her some anyway. She picked them all off but missed one, and when she bit into it she nearly choked on-”
“Sadie,” Katie choked out, “shut up.”
Katie was already imagining the horrible toxins about to start coursing their way through her bloodstream. She’d read about them before, when she had to do a project on wild plants for school. After that, every time she went on a nature walk and saw those white caps, she steered clear of them.
Oh god…was she actively being poisoned right now? Was she doing it to herself? Why didn’t she just refuse?!
A pocket of actual, honest-to-god dirt exploded on her tongue. That was it. She spat them up and ran crying from the mess hall.
Geoff held on long enough to finish his last mouthful. “Eugh…was that enough?”
Chef shrugged. “Sure. you can have the point. Nothing for the girl.”
“Well done, amigo!” Alejandro cheered.
Geoff nodded, standing up and wiping his mouth. “I think I need to use the bathroom.”
~*~
The time bomb was smaller than Cody was expecting, but still a time bomb nonetheless. It was a couple sticks of dynamite attached to a garbage can by way of a tangle of wires. A display was set to count down from ten minutes.
“Alright dude,” Chris dropped him off. “You don’t have to successfully diffuse it to get the point, but you do have to stay for the full ten minutes. Bill over there will be watching.” He jabbed a thumb at one of the cameramen.
“What? You’re not gonna stay and watch?”
“Hell no! That’s a live explosive right there! Took five crewmen the entire night to set it up. Good luck!” And with that, he drove off.
Cody stood and stared at Bill, his lone witness. Bill looked to be in his early forties, with dirty blonde hair and horn-rimmed glasses. He was wearing a forest-green t-shirt and dark green trousers. “Um, aren’t you scared to be here?”
It took Bill a moment to register that the kid was speaking directly to him. “Well…of course. But I have a job to do.” He gave a thin smile. “I’m sure you’ll do great!”
Cody narrowed his eyes. “As if you care! You’re just another of his cronies!”
Bill wanted to say something else, but Cody had turned his back to him. He stood over the time bomb, deep in though.
Bill could do nothing but keep filming.
~*~
Zack was a scruffy looking guy who only looked to be a few years older than the campers themselves. He held a lit cigarette in between his dirty fingers and spoke with a bored tone.
“Okay, so,” he nodded at the open water. An upturned boat bobbed in the waves, a weight attached by rope to stop it floating away. “You have to swim out there and under the boat, and stay there for ten minutes without panicking. If you try and leave, you lose.”
“So it’s not a real submarine, then.” Eva said dully.
Zack shrugged. “Obviously.”
“That’s it?” Izzy was hopeful. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”
“Oh, no it’s not it.” He tossed them something thin and white. “You have to do it while blindfolded.”
Izzy gulped.
Several Gophers had wandered down to watch. “What the hell kind of challenge is that?” Leshawna asked.
“One that we’re gonna crush, that’s what!” Eva bellowed. “Ready, Izzy?”
Izzy tied her blindfold and nodded.
It’s not a real submarine. She could do this.
~*~
Chris stood at the very top of the cliff he’d made everyone jump from on their first day. It was hard to believe it had been a week since then. How far he’d come! Everything was progressing nicely.
Everything would hopefully keep progressing nicely. Right now, he had Owen and Athaliah strapped to an old green hang glider.
“Since we can’t fly an actual plane, this is the next best thing,” he explained. He pointed down at the beach far below. “Glide down and land there. If you can do so without panicking and trying to bail, you each earn a point for your teams!”
Athaliah’s knees were knocking together. “I-I don’t understand! How is this thing going to help us? I’ve never seen one before!”
“It’s a glider, genius. Clue’s in the name. Just jump and let the wind take you wherever.” Chris told her.
“But I’ve never flown before!”
“It’s okay!” Owen reassured her. “It’s pretty scary, but nowhere near as bad as flying in an actual plane! We’ll work together, okay?”
Athaliah could only nod numbly.
“Right, if you two don’t start moving within the next fifteen seconds, I’m failing both of you!”
“On the count of three, okay, Athaliah? One, two, three!”
Athaliah had no chance to say no or try to stop him. Owen charged towards the cliff, his entire body mass forcing her along with him. It was all she could do to keep up.
God be willing…
Owen and Athaliah jumped simultaneously and found themselves in the air, gliding peacefully along.
“Holy shit!” Athaliah exclaimed, an expression she’d probably picked up from Eva. “We…we’re flying!”
“Technically we’re gliding,” Owen said. “Flying is way scarier.”
Everything seemed so small all of a sudden. The trees, buildings, people…even the foam on the waves was so tiny and insignificant. Here one moment, gone the next. This must be what birds feel like.
Actually, birds probably aren’t scared of heights like she was.
Her palms were beginning to sweat. She tightened her fingers on the handlebar. Her white cap blew off her head and disappeared into the water. Here one moment, gone the next.
“I feel sick,” she said.
“Come on, Athaliah! We got this! Lean to the right! It’ll take us back to the beach.”
Athaliah did as she was told.
The island swung back into clearer view. As the nose of the glider dipped down, their descent began.
“So, Owen, what is it like, to be in a plane?” Athaliah asked, trying to keep her mind off of her own fear by indulging in someone else’s.
“Oh man! Be glad you’ve never flown before! It’s like the whole plane is alive, and not in a good way! Plus, they break down and crash, like, all the time!”
“Ah, that does sound much scarier than this…although this is still quite terrifying!”
“Hey, try not to tremble so much. You’re shaking the glider!”
Athaliah’s ordeal didn’t last much longer, thankfully. In a few short minutes, her feet were firmly planted in the sand. “Oh, thank goodness! Let us hope I never need to do that again!”
“Congratulations, Athaliah!” Alejandro came over to them, along with Sadie and Harold.
“Nice going, Owen!” Leshawna and Trent cheered.
Alejandro hugged a still very stiff Athaliah. “Excelente, chica! You were amazing up there!”
Athaliah, unused to receiving such attention from another guy, went even more stiff.
“OMG, is that how you do your hair? It’s sooo pretty!” Sadie pointed out.
Athaliah lightly touched her hair. It was tied up in two messy Dutch braids and looped around to the back of her head to form a braided low bun. She smiled. “Oh, thank you. Women of my faith aren’t allowed to be so vain with their appearance, but what the others don’t know won’t hurt them.”
“You’re never too old to have a rebellious teenager phase,” Harold remarked.
“Yeah! Forget about your commune, and stop wearing that old cap! It ages you terribly!” Sadie agreed.
Athaliah giggled. “Alright, then.”
Chris’ voice came over the loudspeakers. “Screaming Gophers and Killer Bass are both tied with two points each! Let’s see who can break that! Sierra, make your way over to the golf cart for your challenge! Noah, head on over to the medical tent. Sadie and Lindsay, go to the mess hall to receive your haircuts!”
All the blood drained from Sadie’s face. “Oh my God…oh my God…I don’t know if I can do it…” She gripped her pigtails. “I love my hair! Me and Katie have always worn it like this since…since middle school!”
Alejandro encircled an arm around her. “Sadie, you’ll do it. For the good of the team. You’re very brave. I know you have it in you…”
Sadie ducked out of his grasp. Harold and Athaliah looked as uncomfortable as she felt. “Yeah…okay.”
“It’s pretty obvious Al’s trying to butter up to everyone so he doesn’t get eliminated,” Harold said. “It’s only making him look more suspect. As long as no one else has a major fuck-up, then he’s probably be next…”
Sierra watched as the golf cart drove off, disappearing from view. Already she was on edge. It was broad daylight, but when has that ever stopped something scary from happening? After all, she was kidnapped during the daytime.
She fingered one of the tassels on her jacket. She had to stay calm. If she could make it through a nighttime storm with a bear on the loose, then she could make it through this.
Two hours. That was all. She could manage.
And in fact, she had the perfect opportunity to do some searching.
With Bridgette gone, there was now only one Life Idol up for grabs. Sierra hoped it could be hers. She wanted nothing more than to be back home, in her bedroom at her grandparents’ house, with its peeling yellow wallpaper and pink shag carpet. With her Reader’s Digest collection, old Barbies, boxy computer and her desk, freshly painted purple by her and her grandad one rainy afternoon.
Motivated by these recollections, she started walking, eyes peeled all the while.
A loud boom suddenly reverberated through the air.
~*~
Cody peered out from behind a tree. In the spot where the time bomb once stood, there was now a patch of blackened grass and debris. “Holy moly…” It took a minute for his heart to slow its pace. He couldn’t believe he was alive, much less uninjured. He’d hidden behind the tree in the nick of time.
The cameraman, Bill, had also hidden and was unhurt. “Are you alright, kid?”
Cody instantly recoiled. “I’m not your ‘kid’.”
“Hey, I was just asking.” He paused. “I’m not the enemy here.”
“No, you are. You’re filming this so other people can laugh at us dying!”
Bill sighed. “Look, I didn’t realise it was gonna be like this. Chris just wanted some filming done. He never said what we were filming.”
Cody turned away, but what Bill had told him didn’t leave him quite so quickly.
~*~
This was way more terrifying than Eva had first imagined.
Being under an overturned boat buffeted by the waves was one thing. But doing so while blindfolded and in complete darkness was another thing entirely.
It was a simple wooden rowboat with planks for seats. Enough room to breathe in while also being extremely claustrophobic. Not that she could see it, but she could certainly feel it.
Eva held onto a seat with one hand for stability and Izzy with the other. Izzy, the same girl who dove off a cliff into water that was potentially infested with sharks, was trembling. Even despite her hand being soaked with salt water, Eva could tell that she was sweating up a storm. Whenever a wave hit the side of the boat, Izzy got startled.
“Hey,” Eva tried to sound calming. “Everything’s gonna be fine. We only have a few more minutes to go.”
At least, by her estimation.
Izzy took in a shuddering breath. “God, I can’t wait to get outta here.”
“Don’t get offended, but this is such a random fear. How did it happen?”
“Uhhh…I saw this movie when I was a kid. I watched a lot of horror movies back then and they never really scared me. I knew they were fake. But there was this one-” A wave briefly cut her off. “This one where a bunch of guys were stuck in a sinking submarine and no one wanted to help them. It ended with them all either drowning or suffocating. They were crying the whole time. It was really good acting. And then, at the very end, it said, ‘Based on a true story’. The fact that something like that actually happened in real life just-”
Izzy never finished that sentence. Another wave, much bigger than all the previous ones, smashed into the boat. Eva lost her grip on Izzy’s hand. The wood smacked into the back of her head.
“No! No! I can’t take it anymore!” Izzy screeched.
“Izzy, no!” But it was too late.
Izzy ripped the blindfold off, dove under and swan away.
“Izzy!”
Just then, an airhorn sounded. “Time’s up!”
Eva took her blindfold off and swam over to the beach. Izzy was already there, crying softly.
“You couldn’t wait? You couldn’t wait a few more seconds?” Eva was livid.
“So…” Zack strolled over. “One point for you, and none for the redhead. I’ll go tell Chris.”
“...Sorry…” Izzy was quieter now.
“You damn well better be!”
The moment passed and Eva’s rage lost its sting. She couldn’t lie and say she didn’t understand. She herself was nervous about it.
And…she was also grateful to not experience her worst fear.
She took Izzy by the arm. “Come on. Let’s go change into some dry clothes.”
~*~
Noah lay in one of the beds in the medical tent, gripping the armrests tightly. Chris stood before him, along with Heather, Leshawna and Cody, the latter of whom had just arrived. Chris was eager, Heather and Leshawna determined. Cody looked at him with worry and…was that pity?
Off to his left, Karen the doctor lady was preparing a syringe.
“The teams are currently still tied at three,” Chris explained. “All you have to do is sit there and look pretty, and take whatever she gives you.”
“This is stupidly easy, Noah!” Heather yelled. “Don’t fuck this up for us!”
“Deep breaths, stringbean,” Leshawna said more supportively.
Karen walked over to him, needle in hand. Noah’s gut reaction was to shrink away from it. “Uh…can someone please come and hold my hand?”
Cody stepped forward but was pushed away by Chris. “Uh-uh! No hand-holding allowed!”
Noah’s eyes were locked onto the needle and its clear contents. “Um, what’s in there”
Chris frowned. “Yeah, I would also like to know. Weren’t you making a big stink before over how little supplies we have?”
“It’s very dangerous to inject air into someone, McLean,” Karen said matter-of-factly. “I’m just going to give him a mild sedative. I’ll save the stronger stuff for whoever needs it.”
Noah felt her roll up his sleeve. He couldn’t bear to look at her.
“This will only take a few seconds.”
He gripped onto his leg.
“So, gonna bow out, Noah?” Chris smirked.
“Don’t you dare!” Heather balled her fist and shook it at him.
Leshawna called out, “You’ll be alright! Just do it!”
Cody only flashed him a thumbs-up and an awkward smile.
“Okay. Just get on with it.” Noah’s voice wavered.
He turned his head and squeezed his eyes shut. Some shuffling, and then a pinprick of pain that to him felt worse than anything he’d ever experienced. A whine grew in the back of his throat.
“You’re doing so well,” Karen said.
Noah’s palms itched. His fingernails dug so hard into his leg that he could feel blood beginning to pool. He strained hard to hold back tears.
“And done!”
“Screaming Gophers take the lead with four points!” Chris clapped. “Leshawna, your turn awaits. Head on over to the cabins.”
Only then could Noah breathe again. He flung himself off the bed and onto the ground. He couldn’t get out of that tent fast enough.
“You good, man?” Cody asked him. “How’s your arm feeling?”
“Uh, kind of numb.”
“Well, you did great. Now we’re in the lead!”
Noah gave him a shaky smile. “Thanks, dude.”
~*~
Leshawna and Tyler were situated outside their respective cabins. In front of Tyler was a hastily-constructed chicken pen. Leshawna stared down at a small inflatable kiddie pool. No water in it.
Chris stood between them. “Tyler, you have to get in the pen with the chickens and stay there for ninety seconds. Leshawna, ditto for you, except you get…”
Zack came, bearing a jar full of something black and disgusting. He emptied the contents into the kiddie pool.
“Spiders!”
Leshawna froze. The very things that kept her awake at night, that compelled her to rip pages out of her books just because they included photographs…she was expected to get in there with them?
No fucking way. Never in a million years!
She held back the urge to stress-puke. “Nu-uh. No way. I’m out!”
“Are you sure?” Chris asked with false sweetness.
“No! She’s getting the fuck in there right now!” Heather demanded.
Seeing Leshawna still frozen stiff, Cody felt bad for her. “Hey, it’ll be fine. It’s just for a minute and a half.”
“Yeah! A minute and a half too long!”
“Hey! I have an idea!” Tyler announced. “Why don’t we go in together! Would that make you feel better?”
“A-A little…”
Chris was getting annoyed with all the pussyfooting. “Alright, I’m starting a countdown! If you’re not in there by the time I get to one, you fail!”
Leshawna gulped hard. Tyler bit his lip.
“Five…four…three…two…one!”
And they were both in.
The gathered Gophers watched with bated breath. The Bass prayed that Tyler could do it.
Leshawna kept herself plank-straight. She breathed in and out, deep breaths, like she’d instructed Noah to do earlier. Her ankles shook with the entire weight of her fear. She felt like she was going to collapse.
On the other side, Tyler wasn’t looking so hot either. He’d curled himself into a little ball, shaking as the chickens and their babies hopped and pecked the ground around him.
“Come on, Tyler! Man up!” Alejandro demanded.
“Leshawna, if you lose this for us, you can forget the Executioner, ‘cause I will kill you myself!” Heather hollered.
Harold wandered over to watch, along with DJ. “You can do this, Tyler! Fear is all in the mind!”
“Well where else would it be?” Heather scoffed. “His pancreas?”
Harold adjusted his glasses. His left eye was still struggling to adjust to having to see through a broken lens, and his right one was blurry. The strain was constantly hurting his head. From where he stood right next to the pen, he could only just make out a big red blob that was obviously Tyler, and some smaller brown ones that looked like the chickens. He leaned in for a better look.
“Hey!” Chris barked. “No interfering!”
“I wasn’t!” Harold protested. “I was just looking!”
“Sure you were.”
The spiders began inching their way further and further up Leshawna’s legs. Their disgusting hairy legs made her skin prickle. Her breaths became deeper and more dramatic. Stay calm stay calm stay calm…
Then, to her utter horror, they crawled up under her pant legs and headed for her knees. That was it. She couldn’t take it any more.
Leshawna screamed and leapt out of the pool, running across the grass and waving her arms frantically. She screamed all the way down to the beach.
Tyler, already unsettled, took the opportunity to leave also. “I can’t do it anymore! Let me outta here!” He jumped the fence and hit the ground running. Alejandro facepalmed. DJ frowned.
“Well, no point for either team! Bummer…not!” Chris laughed heartily. “Screaming Gophers are still in the lead 4-3. But who knows, that may soon change!”
“Damn,” Harold said. “How many of us are left to go?”
“Just us three, I think. Sadie’s still doing hers.” DJ said, counting on his fingers. “Oh, and Ezekiel.”
“Well, we’d better do our ones without bailing! Understand?” He balled his fist. “We can’t afford to lose again!”
Alejandro’s eyes suddenly widened. Harold didn’t notice.
“You two are pretty strong; you’ll show that snake who’s boss!”
DJ saw what Alejandro was looking at, and froze. Harold still didn’t notice.
“Where’s Ezekiel? He needs to hear this too. We can’t back down!”
“Watashi no shukuteki yo, tsuini anata o mitsuketa!”
That last voice had come from behind him.
Shaking, Harold turned.
All he saw was a large figure dressed in black. They were completely blurry, like everything else was. Still, the way they were standing made them completely recognizable. Harold was immediately on high alert. The figure lifted their arms, and something glinted in the sun.
“Holy shit, is that an actual katana?” DJ gasped.
A ninja! Harold just about fainted. A ninja with a sword!
He was unarmed. His martial arts skills had fled him. There was nothing else to do but run. When in doubt, get the fuck out!
Harold ran.
The Executioner, dressed in a shitty ninja costume, swung the very real sword around and chased after him. “Watashi kara nigenaide, okubyōmono!”
~*~
While the whole chicken-spiders-and-ninja debacle was taking place, Noah was wandering through the woods.
He remembered what Katie had said during the camping challenge about there being a house in the woods. If his hunch was correct and it was indeed where Chris was staying, then there might be something there that they could all use to their advantage. Like, for instance, a telephone. Or a weapon.
He'd hunted around the perimeter of the woods, looking for some kind of path like Katie had described. So far, he wasn't having any luck. These woods were quite overgrown and difficult to navigate. It might take him a while.
Actually, scratch that last part. Behind the bathrooms, he noticed a trail of grass that seemed like people had been walking on it regularly, trampling it down. It was actually rather well-hidden behind a berry bush. Well, not anymore.
Noah walked along it, keeping his head down. He made sure to stick as close to the trail as he could. He didn't want to get lost.
Rustling from his right nearly made him jump out of his skin.
“Who's there?”
To his relief, it was just Sierra. “Oh, hi Noah.”
“Oh, it's just you. I suppose you've finished your challenge, huh?”
“Yeah. In fact, I was looking for that last Life Idol. And before you ask, no, I didn't find anything. Not that I would tell you, anyway.”
“Wasn't going to. But let me ask you something.” Noah leaned in close. “Wanna scope out Chris’ pad with me?”
Sierra gasped, danger glinting in her eyes. “Aren't you worried about getting caught?”
“Eh, we'll just say we got lost. After all, you heard what Chris said yesterday: he wants to avoid us dying outside of executions. If we play it safe, we'll be fine.”
Sierra thought for a moment. “Sure. I can't say I'm not curious.”
So they headed off, sticking close together. The path was so narrow that they had to walk single file. Noah kept his eyes peeled, trying to keep them on track.
After a few minutes, they came across something interesting. Not a house like Katie had described. A trailer; a white one with red and blue stripes. A little worn-looking, but in seemingly good nick.
“What the?” Noah was puzzled. “I was…not expecting this.”
“Do you think we should check it out?” Sierra asked him.
“Might as well.”
He tried the door. It was unlocked. It swung open and they both stepped inside.
It was clearly someone's living space. There was a small bed with an old comforter on it, and drawers built into the bottom of the frame. A table sat nearby, with a magazine resting on top. Noah checked it out. An edition of Women's Weekly from April that year. Next to it was a dirty mug with a coffee rim on the bottom.
In front of the doorway was a small kitchenette. A toaster and kettle were plugged in. Plates lay in the sink. A bottle of Coke sat out on the bench.
On the floor next to the door was a pair of gunboats with muddy bottoms. A coat hook had a heavy black one hanging from it. A threadbare welcome mat lay before them.
Sierra inspected the magazine. “Didn't know Chris liked Women's Weekly.”
“I don't think this is Chris’ place,” Noah scratched his head. “Maybe this is Chef's?”
“I dunno. Have you seen Chef? He'd be way too cramped in here.”
“Maybe a crewmember?” Noah went to the farthest corner. On the left, concealed in a tiny room was a toilet. Next to it, on the floor, was an air freshener and a box of tampons.
But what lay on the right, across from the toilet room, was even more alarming.
Guns. Rifles. A crossbow. An axe. Cases of ammunition. Probably other weapons buried underneath.
All lying out in the open. Taunting him.
Despite his earlier determination to find a weapon, the sight of all of them sickened him to his core. One of those might one day end up being pointed at him. How was he supposed to deal with that?
Sierra came over to him. She stopped short when she saw the stash.
“Is that what I think it is?”
“Yep.”
“Jesus Christ.”
Sierra had grown up watching all sorts of wacky action movies with her mother. They were no strangers to guns and other random weapons. She could imagine that this discovery would result in a few laughs if it were in some buddy-comedy spy thriller, but here…
They weren't in a movie. This was real. They were dying at the whim of a psychopath.
Sierra wiped a few tears from her eyes. “Why us? Why does it have to be us?”
Noah couldn't bring himself to answer that.
He couldn't have answered it anyway, because then came the sound they were dreading: heavy footsteps heading their way.
There was no time to hide, nowhere to hide. That toilet room was too small and there was no other furniture big enough to conceal them. They threw themselves onto the floor next to the bed and huddled together in the corner. Sierra's strong arms were squeezing the life out of Noah. Her jacket tassels tickled his cheek. He held onto her arms with an iron grip of his own.
Their hearts pounded in synch as the footsteps came closer. Sierra's whole body was shaking. Noah bit his lip as his legs trembled.
They stayed like that as the Executioner stepped inside. He saw them immediately. He would have been blind not to.
They flinched, fully expecting a bullet to the head, but as the seconds passed and they obviously weren't dead yet, they kept their eyes on him, waiting to see what he would do.
The Executioner took off the mask and vocoder and put them on the table. Next came the black bandana. Then the windbreaker. The mug was picked up and carried over to the bench, where the kettle was flicked on. A cupboard was opened and a teabag retrieved.
Sierra and Noah remained silent, not just out of fear, but because of shock too.
The Executioner glanced over at them. “You two want some tea?” It was spoken in a non-vocoded voice.
Sierra, despite herself, found it within herself to nod.
The Executioner nodded in return and reached for another mug.
Noah inspected the Executioner's appearance closely. Pale skin, even paler than anything he'd ever seen before. Piercing grey eyes sharp like needles. Dark brown hair tied back in a stiff neat bun. Long luscious eyelashes and reddish-brown lips.
She was actually quite pretty, but the lack of warmth and compassion in her steely gaze prevented her from being considered truly beautiful. Her narrowed eyes and lips curled in a permanent state of displeasure was like a bad smell that one could never be rid of.
The Executioner filled both mugs with boiling water, then carried one over to Sierra. She sat down at the tiny table, eyeing them all the while. The steam rose into the air, making the interior of the trailer seem a little warmer. For a long while, neither of them spoke. Sierra blew on her mug to cool it down. One arm was still wrapped defensively across Noah's chest.
The Executioner sipped at her tea, not caring about the pain. She regarded Noah and Sierra like animals in a zoo. Probably wondering which of them will get her next bullet in their brain.
Sierra swallowed the saliva collected in her mouth and cleared her throat. “I…uh…I didn't know you were a woman…”
“That's the whole idea.” Without the vocoder on, her voice wasn't as deep as it first appeared. Still, it was rough and unrefined. She also had a fairly noticeable Quebecois accent.
Noah found his own voice then. “You, uh, don't seem surprised to see us here.”
“The door was open.”
“Oh. Right.” Noah inspected her shitty ninja costume. “You returned quickly. I suppose it didn't take long to scare Harold.”
“He ran as soon as I brought out the katana.”
The longer their conversation went on without an act of violence being committed, the more Noah and Sierra allowed themselves to relax, just a little. Chris wanted them to be properly executed, voting ceremony and everything, not shot dead in the middle of the day. The Executioner wasn't going to do anything to them except sit and stare.
But still, being in the same vicinity as the Executioner was terrifying.
“What's your name?” Sierra asked.
Noah nudged her with his elbow. Idiot! That was sensitive information!
But the Executioner simply turned back to her tea. “Kara.” She pronounced it like KA-rah, not the more common kare-uh.
Noah stiffened. That was his sister’s name. Pronounced the exact same way, too.
His sister, his eldest sibling. Good old Kara, always trying to cheer people up. Always ready to help Noah out with anything she could. An awkward, bumbling, lovable figure with three kids all older than Noah, and still treated him like her fourth one.
The fact that this monster in human skin shared the same name as his biggest sister made him feel ill. He was amazed at the audacity. Why Kara? Why not an uglier name to match her ugly heart, like Melissa?
Sierra, on the other hand, was having none of these thoughts. “That’s a…pretty name.” She drank some of her tea.
Putting a name to a face like that was unsettling for her. Now, when it was her turn to be executed, she would look up into that inhuman mask and know that behind it was a woman named Kara.
Sierra braved it once more to ask, “So…why are you here?”
“I’ve done what I needed to do today.”
“No, I mean…here on the island.”
Kara stood up and took the mug off of Sierra. “Think it’s time for you to leave.”
“Sorry, I-”
“Go.” She pointed at the door. “I’ll let Chris know you finished your challenge, Sierra.”
They had no choice but to exit. Noah was glad for it. Being inside that trailer made his chest hurt with anxiety.
“I better not catch either of you back here again.”
Then the door slammed shut behind them.
~*~
The moose huffed its anger at being confined in a small pen like this. It only made Ezekiel more confident in his choice.
“No way! Those things are dangerous!”
“But Ezekiel,” Alejandro begged, “we need every point we can get!”
Ezekiel only shook his head.
“Look, you only have to get on its back and stay there for ten seconds! That’s nothing!”
“Well if it’s so easy then why don’t you do it?”
“Because it’s not my challenge!”
Zeke only gave another glance at Chris. “I’m not doing it.”
Chris laughed at his cowardice.
Just then, a call came through on his walkie-talkie. Chris answered it, mumbling and muttering. Then he shut it off.
“Okay everyone, I just received word that Trent failed his mime test. This means that we only have one challenge left to go. Meet me at the amphitheater!”
~*~
The Screaming Gophers and Killer Bass met and mingled in the wooden seating area in front of the stage. The curtain was drawn, blocking their view of whatever was to come.
“So, what’s the score?” Leshawna asked.
“Six-four, to you guys.” Harold told her.
Heather smirked. “So even if DJ and Alejandro both do it, it’ll be a tie. Bet you wish you didn’t chicken out, huh?”
“Hey, it’s not my fault that ninjas are deadly!”
“He did have a real katana,” Cody defended him. “I’d run too.”
“Is it true that you really had to diffuse a time bomb?”
“Yep.”
Sierra stood around awkwardly, scuffing her shoes in the dirt. Her better judgment was very against it, but she was dying to tell someone about what had happened that afternoon.
Someone came up to her. “Excuse me, do you know where Katie is?”
“She and Geoff are still puking their guts up in the bathr-HOLY SHIT!”
Sadie was missing both her pigtails. Whoever cut her hair had done a pretty shoddy job of it, although that was clearly the point. The rest of her hair was virtually untouched. Only her pigtails, and in their place were two giant ragged bald patches. Her face was pale and teary, but she put on a brave tone of voice.
“Oh, this isn’t so bad. You should see what they did to Lindsay.”
“...I don’t think I want to.”
“Damn. Sorry, girl. But thanks for taking one for the team.” Geoff offered his fist. Sadie weakly bumped it.
“Hey, Noah,” Cody called. “Where’d you disappear to earlier?”
Noah gulped. He rubbed his arm, no longer numb. “Uh, I’ll tell you later.”
Chris jumped onto the stage, dragging DJ and Alejandro up there with him. “Are you guys ready for the last challenge of the day?”
The campers were silent.
“Right, anyway. Your task is to pick up that snake and pet it!”
The curtain fell away, revealing a large glass tank on a wheeled trolley. Inside the tank was a, admittedly freaky, snake. The crowd gasped.
“Where did you even get that?” Cody was both amazed and horrified.
“I have my methods.”
Alejandro scoffed. He walked over and picked it up, giving it a little scratch on the head for good measure. The snake even hissed in pleasure.
“One point for the Bass!” Chris smiled. “DJ, you’re up.”
“Hold on a minute!” Geoff stood up. “If DJ gets the point then we’ll all be tied! Are you gonna make us do a tiebreaker?”
Chris shrugged. “Well, we didn’t have a tiebreaker planned. Plus, it’s getting kinda late and I’m starving. So how about this: if DJ pets the snake, he’ll get triple points!”
The Killer Bass gasped.
“Do it, DJ!” Eva called. “Win it for us!”
DJ gulped and stepped over to the tank. The snake only blinked at him and flicked its tongue. He shuddered. “I-I don’t know if I-”
“It’s not even poisonous! You’ll be fine!” Alejandro yelled.
“Dude, I’ve handled snakes before. Just be gentle, and it won’t bite you.” Harold offered.
With shaking hands, DJ reached into the tank. He touched the bottom. The snake looked at him lazily.
“That’s it! Now nice and slow!”
DJ flattened his hands and slid them under the snake. Its stiff cold scales sent another shiver running down his spine. His teeth chattered together.
“Now lift!”
DJ, wanting to get it over and done with, lifted too abruptly. The snake, startled, slid down his outstretched arms towards his chest.
It all happened so quickly. As soon as the snake thudded into his chest, DJ squealed and thrashed around, trying to get it off of him. It fell onto the ground. DJ’s sandaled foot tripped over it and he fell onto the tank. It toppled over and smashed, with DJ bearing the full brunt of it.
A few moments of shocked silence.
DJ groaned and tried to get up. It was then that everyone saw the absolute torrent of blood gushing from his arms and legs.
“Someone get the doctor!” Alejandro rushed over. He stripped off his ret button-up shirt and pressed it hard against DJ’s wounds. It was soaked through in an instant. Geoff ran off into the woods.
“Yeesh!” Chris cringed. “Sucks for you guys. Especially since you just lost the challenge.”
“Oh, shut up!” Alejandro snapped. “Do you have to rub it in?”
“Is that supposed to be a rhetorical question or…?”
Alejandro ignored him after that. He focused on trying not to let DJ bleed out. “Can you stand?”
DJ got up with some difficulty. His legs wobbled and he almost fell back on the broken glass. Thankfully, Alejandro caught him just in time. “I…I’m sorry. I lost us the challenge…” His eyes filled with tears.
He shushed him. “Never mind that now.”
“Jesus, that looks nasty,” Eva commented, flashing him a sympathetic glance.
“Is he gonna be okay?” Ezekiel asked. He took off his blue beanie and pressed it against DJ’s leg.
“Hopefully.”
That glass had been sharp as hell. It had sliced right through DJ’s flesh like it was paper. It was all coated in his blood, casting a sickly glow as it caught the light. The trolley was overturned and smashed to pieces. That much carnage, caused in just a few moments.
Geoff returned, followed by Karen pushing a wheelchair. “My God, it’s worse than I thought.” She wasted no time in bundling DJ into the wheelchair and taking him away. Ezekiel followed close behind.
The rest of the Bass were left to stare after them. Poor DJ. Those wounds were horrific.
One of them took a closer look at the scene onstage and realised something.
“...Excuse me, but…” Athaliah nervously began, “where did the snake go?”
That sent them all scattering into different directions, far away from the stage.
~*~
Heather stared at herself in the mirror.
She'd forced Lindsay to hand over the denim shorts she'd gotten in her goodie bag, because there was no way in hell she was gonna wear those pitifully small orange ones. She paired it with a black t-shirt with an old-fashioned radio on it, along with the words KRAFTWERK - RADIO-ACTIVITY.
Her skin looked a little flaky since she didn't have her usual exfoliator and moisturizer with her - actually, she didn't have either of those things anymore. Her hair was okay, still clean and glossy and all, but that shampoo she’d been given was obviously just some cheap stuff that didn't really suit her.
Overall, she still looked fine. Camera-ready as always, though not in the way she’d always hoped.
She tucked the shirt into the waistband of the shorts and left the bathroom.
As she approached the cabin, she heard Leshawna scream, “What the fuck did they do to you?!”
When she stepped inside, she found the entire team, boys included, surrounding Lindsay. Lindsay was seated on her bunk, hands covering her face. She was wearing those orange shorts Heather had forced upon her and a white tank top that was much too small on her. She looked utterly miserable.
Leshawna had her wrapped in a tight hug. “It’s okay, girl, it’ll grow back…”
Lindsay’s hair…it didn’t even bear describing. Truly, it was beyond words. What was known, however, was that it would take months to grow back. Months that she likely didn’t have.
Trent whispered the numbers one to nine then said aloud, “Poor Linds.”
Lindsay could only make a muffled sob in response.
“Chef didn’t have to go that far…” Sierra shook her head in disgust.
“Maybe you can cover it with your bandana?” Katie suggested.
Leshawna grabbed the baby-blue bandana and slipped it over Lindsay’s head. Miraculously, it covered the absolute worst of the damage.
“There!” Heather spoke up. “Now you look somewhat presentable again!”
Lindsay looked up and met her gaze.
Something strange happened: Lindsay’s face suddenly grew perfectly calm. Stoic, even. Not a flicker of her eyelashes. Even her tears seemed to dry themselves.
It was as if she’d vacated her body, leaving behind an empty shell.
“Oh, piss off, Heather,” Cody said angrily.
“Don’t talk to me like that!” She leaned in close to him. “Remember your place.”
He didn’t respond. He simply left, shoulder-barging her on the way out.
She scoffed. Losers gonna lose.
And with that attitude, he was certainly gonna lose.
~*~
Dinnertime came around. Chef served up hot dogs with ketchup and mustard. Dry as hell, but still perfectly edible.
The atmosphere at the Bass table was sedate. It was far too empty for their liking.
Tyler picked at his food. After jumping into the ocean alongside Leshawna to escape the chickens, he’d changed into a musty pair of jeans and the white t-shirt he’d gotten from Owen. The shirt was extremely itchy. He felt like ripping it off, but unfortunately he didn’t have another one.
Still though, it could be worse. He could have been ripped to shreds by broken glass.
Alejandro sat across from him in just his white undershirt and brown corduroy pants. Tyler was so used to seeing him with his red button-up on that he practically looked half-naked without it. No chance of him getting it back now; it was covered in DJ’s blood. Unusable.
“Man,” he said, just to break the uncomfortable silence, “poor DJ. I hope he’s okay.”
“You and me both, brah,” Geoff bowed his head.
Eva was more curious as to whether DJ would still be fit to compete after this. It wasn’t fair to vote him off in such a state, but what choice did they have? He lost the challenge and became grievously injured in the process.
She wouldn’t dare say that out loud at the dinner table, though. She didn’t want to put a target on his back. After all, there were five guys to four girls. If they teamed up…
Just then, Ezekiel burst in.
“Yo! How’s DJ?” Geoff asked him.
Zeke sat down. Everyone saw that he had a bloody handprint on his hoodie. “Not so well, eh. He’s covered in so many bandages that he looks like a mummy. He can walk a little, but can’t move his arms all that much. There’s a lot of glass stuck in them. The doctor lady’s still trying to get it all out.”
“Oh how horrible!” Sadie pressed her hands to her cheeks.
“Christ…poor dude,” Tyler said mournfully.
“Yeah. I wouldn’t wish that on anybody.” Harold added.
All this over a fucking snake! Alejandro thought. It wasn’t even poisonous!
But what an easy elimination that would be…
His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of Katie, looking pale and drawn. She shuffled over and sat next to Sadie.
“Sorry I haven’t seen you all day. I’ve been too busy being sick over those stupid mushrooms.” She and Geoff shared a heavy glance. A glance that said, Let’s never speak of this again.
Then Katie finally noticed Sadie’s haircut.
She screamed so loud that it caught the attention of everyone in the building. With that screaming came an absolute flood of tears.
“What have they done?! What have they done to your beautiful hair?!” She grabbed a lock that had escaped. “No! It’s not fair! How could they?”
“I…I had to do it, Katie,” Sadie was also crying now. “For the challenge…”
“A challenge you lost! It’s not fair! They didn’t have to do that! We’ve had the same hair since kindergarten! It was our thing! How could they?”
Heather marched over and dragged her away. “Jesus Christ, get a fucking grip! You’ll live!” She unceremoniously threw her down onto a seat. Katie kept on crying. Cody patted her back sympathetically and glared at Heather.
Sadie buried her face in her arms and continued to sob.
Katie was right. She thought she was doing the right thing, taking one for the team, swallowing her own vain pride to help the others get ahead. But it was all for nothing. They lost. She’d sacrificed her hair and it didn’t even matter in the end.
Izzy and Athaliah tried to comfort her, but their efforts were also wasted. Swept onto the floor and brushed away, like her hair had been.
~*~
It was dark outside and blissfully quiet. In the distance, a fire burned. Chris was getting everything ready for the elimination ceremony. In the calm air, his humming could be heard.
Athaliah shivered at the sight and hurried down towards the beach. She needed a few minutes to herself, to relax and think over all the shit that had happened that day. A prayer to God was also in order.
As she passed by the boat shed, a hand suddenly whipped out and grabbed her, dragging her inside.
Luckily, it was just the other girls on her team. Izzy was the one who’d grabbed her. Eva was seated on a crate. Sadie had stopped crying, but was still looking depressed.
“Okay, now that we’re all here,” Eva began, “we need to discuss voting. Namely: who we’re gonna vote off tonight.”
“My vote’s for Alejandro.” Izzy said.
Eva shook her head. “No. I say DJ.”
“DJ?” Sadie exclaimed. “But I like DJ! Why not Alejandro? Do you not remember the way he treated Bridgette?”
Athaliah nodded. “I agree. Alejandro feels incredibly dangerous. He tried to turn us against Bridgette, and he’ll do the same again soon.”
Sadie continued, “Besides, The Gophers didn’t vote Katie off when she got injured.”
“Katie’s injury is nothing compared to what DJ suffered,” Eva pointed out. “She’s still competing in challenges. Can we say the same for DJ?”
The other three went silent.
“Thought so.”
“I still don’t feel good about this,” Izzy rubbed her arm.
“I know, but we need to hit those boys before they hit us. There’s five of them and only four of us. I hope I don’t need to do the math for you.”
“...I suppose Alejandro is a better competitor than DJ is now…” Sadie admitted.
“I know. It sucks to sacrifice DJ like that, but what choice do we have? The stronger and in better health we are, the likelier we are to win.”
“You make a very good point, but I fear God might not forgive us for this.” Athaliah said.
Eva waved her off. “I think God will understand. Besides, if there’s anyone here He shouldn’t forgive, it’s Chris.”
“Very true!”
Eva stood up and put her hand palm-down in front of her. “So are we all in?”
Izzy, Sadie and Athaliah all put their hands forth as well. Then they raised them up in the air.
“To the Bass Girls!” Eva called, as if God might actually listen to her.
~*~
The time for voting had come and gone. The Killer Bass sat round the fire, unsettled and uncomfortable.
Chris brought out the marshmallows, although he too seemed shaken. It was hard to ignore just how beat-up DJ was.
Ezekiel had been right with his mummy description. Although most mummies probably didn’t have blood leaking through their bandages. DJ’s arms were covered from shoulder to wrist. His legs were bandaged similarly. He was shirtless and more bandages criss-crossed his chest. He looked to be on the verge of fainting from bloodloss.
There was no way he could keep competing in this state.
“Alright, let’s get this show on the road.” Chris said. “Eva, Athaliah, Sadie, Geoff and Alejandro.”
They caught their marshmallows, dreading what was to come.
“Harold. Tyler.”
One marshmallow left now. Izzy eyed it nervously. DJ seemed beyond caring.
“The final recipient of the night is…
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
…Izzy!”
The girls looked surprised. Eva thought for sure that the boys would all team up against them. She examined the others’ expressions. Tyler and Harold were sad. Ezekiel looked devastated. Alejandro was as collected as ever.
So how did DJ get eliminated on only four votes?
DJ himself ended up answering that question. “Don’t feel too bad. I voted for myself. I knew what you were all thinking.” Tears plopped onto his legs. “I want to die. I’m sick of it here. It hurts…”
The Executioner showed up. Something glinted in her hand. The others gaped. It was a shard of glass from the smashed tank.
She positioned herself behind DJ, putting one hand on top of his head to steady him.
DJ looked up to the stars, tears still in his eyes. “Mama, please forgive me. I can’t go on anymore.”
One quick slash was all it took.
In an instant, Ezekiel found himself covered in the blood that had sprayed out. He froze, staring down at his red hands like he’d personally killed him himself.
“Well, that was a mess,” Chris chortled. Ignoring the stares from the campers, he waved them away to their cabins.
Three crewmembers scurried in and lifted DJ’s battered, bloody body away into the trees, where his coffin awaited him. They dumped him in carelessly, closing the lid on his face forever.
~*~
Hours after lights-out, Geoff was still wide awake. How could he sleep? He doubted the others were too, to be honest. The image of that glass shard whipping across DJ’s exposed next was something he’d never forget.
The crickets and cicadas outside were creating an unbearable noise. It seemed to amplify the already uncomfortably warm air inside the cabin. Geoff’s bed was damp with sweat. In the low light, the dark patches looked like blood-
No, stop it.
Geoff got up and opened the window., reveling in the cool air on his chest. That was better. Not quite as oppressive as before. No one else in the cabin stirred. Either they were pretending to sleep or they actually were.
He opened his bag and fished around for his book. Might as well read if he can’t sleep. But his fingers closed on something small and cold instead of paper.
It was Bridgette’s camera.
Geoff sat on his bed and stared at it for a long while.
When had she given this to him? He couldn’t remember. Maybe she’d put it in his bag for him to find? But why?
It hit him. Back when she was still here, she wanted to take pictures of everyone. To memorialize them, she’d said. To show that they were real people, living beyond the screens of those watching them with rapture.
Maybe that was why the camera was still here. So he could continue her quest in her place.
Geoff raised the camera and clicked.
The flash briefly illuminated the room. Ezekiel and Tyler remained still in their bunks. Only their messy hair was visible above the blankets.
Geoff held the camera to his chest and lay down. He would do it. He would take all the pictures she wanted him to take. He would document their lives as they were beyond the challenges and torture.
For Bridgette, he would do anything.
Mitchell Adamson was wary of letting his son out of his sight again. Duncan, for his part, stayed home. His parents fussed over him constantly. Although frustrated, he let it happen. He knew they were glad to have their son back home, safe and sound. He was glad too.
But Duncan was restless. He had to do something. Simply talking to the police wasn’t enough. He had to do more.
So it was that Duncan went behind his father’s back, and agreed to speak at a police conference.
Notes:
So yeah, that was DJ's run!
I feel kind of bad for making him go out like that. In fact, I'd actually briefly considered making him a finalist. But i realised that I didn't really have anything to do with him, hence his placement here.
See you in the next chapter!
Chapter 8: Episode 1, Part 8: Boner Island
Chapter Text
Episode 1, Part 8: Boney Island
On the 16th June, Duncan Adamson spoke to the media during a press conference for the investigation. The reporters listened intently, then asked him a flurry of questions. He answered them as best he could. He listed every single detail that he could remember, in hopes that something might prove to be relevant to the investigation.
Mitchell Adamson couldn’t help but be worried. The young man fielding questions from the press didn’t seem to be his son anymore. Gone was the delinquent who drove his parents mad with his hijinks. In his place was someone unusually serious and withdrawn. No longer did he sneak out and roam the streets like he used to. Instead, he stayed safely indoors, sequestered in his room.
Duncan was being very brave throughout this whole ordeal, but Mitchell could see how it was wearing on him, aging him too quickly. He wished it could all be resolved, so that things could go back to normal.
Like she did every day, Izzy woke up and tried to find a reason to smile.
She craned her head up, just enough for her to see out the window. Everyone else in the cabin was still asleep and all was calm. The sky outside was gradually growing lighter as the sun began to rise, turning it into a beautiful swirl of blue and pink. That was pretty cool. Izzy did indeed smile. The early birds beginning to chirp made her smile even more.
An hour later, when the rest of the team finally woke up, she was still smiling.
Hunger quickly overtook them all. They didn’t hesitate to head on over to the mess hall, where the Screaming Gophers were already eating breakfast.
Cody watched the Killer Bass file in and seat themselves at their table. His eyes scanned the lineup. When he realised who was missing, he couldn’t help but tear up.
“Dude, what’s up?” Trent asked, before whisper-counting to nine again.
“They voted off DJ…” Cody choked out.
“So what?” Heather said unsympathetically. “He’s on the other team.”
Cody tilted his head down. “He tried to save me.”
“Really? How?” Owen asked.
“I’d gone to the supermarket to get some stuff for dinner. When I started walking back, this white van pulled up and several men jumped out and grabbed me. DJ was pushing shopping carts nearby. He saw what was happening and tried to fight them off, but they just grabbed him too.” Cody sniffled. “And now…and now he’s dead. If I hadn’t gone to that supermarket, then he’d still be alive…”
“Oh, enough of the self-pitying,” Heather told him. “How about you blame the jackasses that kidnapped both him and you?”
“She could have said that a bit nicer,” Leshawna said, “but she’s right. This isn’t your fault, Cody.”
Cody could only nod. A tear dropped onto his knee.
Still though, he couldn’t help thinking, if he hadn’t been in the wrong place at the wrong time then neither would DJ.
Boney Island is the colloquial name given to a small rocky island approximately one and a half miles south of Camp Wawanakwa. Its name comes from the enormous cliff that over time has been eroded into the shape of a skull.
Unlike Camp Wawanakwa, it was never inhabited, temporarily or permanently, due to the location and the rocky shoreline. Due to this, wildlife and plantlife have run rampant on the island with very little to threaten it.
The first thing the campers saw when they headed down to the dock were the canoes. Three green and three red. All dusty-looking and covered in a few cobwebs.
Chris stood next to them, hands behind his back. “Good morning, dudes! Are you ready for your next challenge?”
Heather scoffed. “It’s not like we have a choice.”
“I know. Anyway, what you have to do is take these canoes and row them to Boney Island.”
“To where?!” Katie recoiled.
“Boney Island.” He tossed each team a crudely-made map. “Once you get there, you need to carry your canoes all the way to the beach on the other side, as indicated on your maps. Then, your team has to work together to build the biggest campfire they can manage. Once it’s deemed to be big enough by the camera crew, you can start heading back. The first team to return wins immunity. Got all that?”
The campers mumbled an affirmative.
“Good. Now off with you!”
But they’d barely reached their canoes when he suddenly spoke up again.
“Oh, and one more thing. If any of you try to leave for the mainland, I will find out about it immediately. I have camera crews following you at all times. And I will send the Executioner to kill your entire team. So I trust that you’ll behave yourselves.”
There went everyone’s escape plans. Not that they were actually going to attempt it, after what happened to Justin. Too risky.
~*~
They all set off together. Heather held the map and had of course positioned herself at the head of the very first canoe. Behind her sat Sierra and Owen.
Cody, Noah and Trent were in the second canoe. Bringing up the rear was Leshawna, Lindsay and Katie. Katie had gotten out of rowing due to her burned arm, so she sat at the very front, looking out at the waters beyond them.
The Killer Bass’ first canoe held Alejandro with map in hand, Geoff and Sadie. The second had Tyler, Ezekiel and Harold. The third contained Eva, Izzy and Athaliah.
As they rowed, they passed round the far side of the island. None of them had ever even seen it before. It was wild and overgrown, untouched by humans for so long, giving it a prehistoric feel.
The vegetation stopped just short of a small beach. It was probably a bit generous to call it a beach, really. It was a small strip of sand with a cliff on one side and large rocks on the other. There was barely enough room to lay down a beach towel.
Katie stared at it curiously. It was so quiet, so remote. The waves were tiny and gentle. It looked like the perfect place to hide away for a while.
The brainwave she’d gotten during the camping challenge came back in full force.
What if…what if she and Sadie left the island from this point? What if they just jumped in the water and swam away?
She looked to her right. The mainland was just barely visible.
Could they do it?
Should they do it?
It was super risky. It was a lot of distance to cover. It was crazy.
But what choice did they have? To sit here and wait to die?
Katie mulled it over in her mind. She would have to discuss it with Sadie once they were alone together.
~*~
Ezekiel hadn’t changed out of his blood-spattered hoodie. Nor did he want to. Not only was it his favourite one, but he felt like it would be a huge betrayal of DJ to take it off and wash it.
This was his blood. His final reminder he had of him. The proof that DJ had once lived.
He shuddered. The handprint felt like it was pressing up against his torso. Grabbing onto him like a final lifeline. He couldn’t force it to let go.
He could feel Harold’s eyes on him. Even half-blind, the guy knew full well what those reddish-brown stains were.
Tyler didn’t even need to look. The smell was more than enough. Rusty and warm and sickening.
~*~
The teams’ canoes pulled up alongside each other. Sadie briefly paused her rowing to wave to her best friend. “Hi Katie!”
She eagerly waved back. “Hi Sadie!”
“Stop fraternising with the enemy!” Heather and Alejandro both snapped at the same time.
Sadie narrowed her eyes. “In what universe is Katie my enemy?”
“She’s on the other team, chica,” Alejandro said patronizingly. “It’s only logical that you stop being so friendly with her. She and the others could use that to their advantage.”
Sadie looked utterly disgusted. “Excuse you, but Katie and I have been friends for years. Our friendship has lasted this long, and it will outlast you.”
Geoff grimaced. That was cold.
“My oh my,” Athaliah said.
“Can’t say I don’t understand where she’s coming from,” Eva frowned.
Alejandro buried his anger as far down as he could. “Let’s just keep going.”
Sadie sat proudly. She was feeling a little better today, though not just because she shut Al down. Izzy had given her her skirt to hide her terrible haircut, and she’d wrapped it around her head like a stylish turban. Sadie had to replace her pink shorts - which were too filthy to continue wearing - with a pair of tight-fitting grey leggings. It made her feel very fashionable. And although she would have understood Katie choosing not to wear them anymore, she was very pleased to see that her BFFFL was still in her usual ensemble, despite it being covered in dirt and mud stains.
She looked over at Izzy in the next canoe. Izzy had replaced her skirt with a thick floaty black one, and was also wearing grey leg warmers. She’d tied her hair into a low ponytail, with a few strands hanging free around her face. She caught Sadie watching her and motioned to her head, asking if the skirt was fitting okay.
Sadie gave a thumbs-up in response. Izzy was pretty cool. She was glad that they could all be Bass girls together.
~*~
Situated in the exact middle of his canoe, Cody was caught in the middle of two extremes.
Behind him, Trent was whispering incessantly to himself. The same number, one through nine. Over and over again. Barely a moment would go by when he wasn’t whispering.
In front of him, Noah was completely silent.
Cody studied him carefully. Recently, Noah had ditched his white undershirt and red sweater vest. He’d kept his blue button-up on, and had taken to wearing a red raincoat he always left unzipped. He didn’t want to get caught in any more storms unprepared, he’d said.
That raincoat swamped his skinny frame as he sat bolt upright, oar in hand. His strokes were weak but robotic. He hadn’t said a word since they left. The wind rustling his hair made him look more alive than he actually was.
What was he thinking about, Cody wondered. Was it the stuff he’d said earlier about DJ? Was he scared he’d be next? He decided to say something.
“Hey Noah. Is everything alright?”
He shifted his head a little. “Huh?”
“You haven’t said anything for a while. Just wondering what’s on your mind.”
“Oh.” He rubbed his neck. “Well…I don’t know if I can say anything with all these cameramen around.” He jabbed a discreet thumb at one being rowed in a canoe a short distance away.
“It’s alright. I’m good at keeping secrets. Just whisper it to me.”
“...I suppose. If you want to know that badly.” He leaned over and did just that.
Cody’s eyes widened. “The Executioner is a what?!”
“Yeah. Was just as shocked as you.”
“But…how? Why?”
“Your guess is as good as mine.”
“Jesus. That’s…” he couldn’t find his words anymore.
“What is it?” Trent asked. Cody leaned back and whispered it to him. “You’re kidding.”
“I wish I was,” Noah said.
“It never even crossed my mind, that it was…” He shook his head.
“What do we even do with that information?” Cody scanned the waters around them, hoping those cameramen couldn’t hear them that well.
Noah sighed grumpily. “I dunno man, can we just stop talking about it?”
“...Fine.”
They carried on in silence.
~*~
At long last, they reached Boney Island.
Rocks were everywhere. The island seemed to be covered in them, and they were everywhere in the water. Thankfully, their canoes were small enough to traverse them easily. The sand that made up the beach was an inviting yellow, much like it was on any other beach, but the numerous rocks jutting out of it made it less pleasant.
Even less pleasant still was the enormous cliff that shot up high above the beach. Carved onto its face, by way of hundreds of years of erosion, was the outline of a giant skull.
Alejandro shuddered when he saw it. “Let’s just get this over with,” he muttered.
They beached the canoes and lifted them above their heads. Then they set off down what looked to be a sandy path.
The environment on this island was much the same as it was at Camp Wawanakwa. But at the same time, it was very different indeed. There was a much more menacing feel to it. It was very dark and overgrown. It seemed even more prehistoric than the back end of Wawanakwa.
“Keep an eye out for snakes, people,” Harold advised. “This is the perfect environment for them to lurk in.”
Geoff shuddered at the mere mention of snakes. After what happened to DJ yesterday, he never wanted to see one again for as long as he lived.
They walked along for a little while longer. The ground beneath their feet was sandy and muddy, with a few weeds poking out. It looked to be some kind of animal-made trail, worn out from years of use. A few tracks were visible in the soft ground.
Before long, they encountered a fork.
Heather didn’t hesitate to drag her canoe - and Sierra and Owen with it - to the left. “Come on. This way.”
“Should we follow them?” Geoff asked his team.
“Dunno. On one hand, if we follow them and they end up wrong, then at least we’ll all be in the same boat.” Eva said. “But on the other hand, the right path might be quicker.”
“That is assuming that either of these paths even lead to the other side,” Athaliah added.
Sadie shifted her feet uncomfortably. “Should we, like, toss a coin or something?”
“No need. I will lead us. My gut tells me we will have better luck taking the right path.” Alejandro marched confidently forward. Sadie, unprepared for the sudden movement, lost her balance and fell flat on her face. Geoff, without thinking, dropped the canoe to help her up. It bonked both of them on the head.
Alejandro scowled at them and their clumsiness. “Come on, hurry! It wouldn’t do to lose a third challenge in a row!”
“No need to be so bossy,” Sadie glared at him as she brushed dirt off her knees. Geoff rubbed his head, looking no less pissed.
~*~
The Screaming Gophers walked along, keeping their eyes peeled for any sign of danger. So far there was none to be seen, although who knows how long the fragile peace would last.
The air around them was alive with bird calls. Wings flapping sounded from all directions. Leshawna craned her head up, as much as she was able to with a canoe in the way. She could see the birds flying in circles directly above them. The presence of animals strangely made her feel even more alone.
A faint breeze blew in their faces. The leaves rustled in response. The campers shivered. It wasn’t that cold.
Trent broke the silence with another whispered count.
Finally Noah turned on him. “Okay, seriously, can you knock it off? You’ve been doing it the whole day and it’s driving me up the fucking wall!”
“...Sorry, man. I thought I was being quiet with it.”
“Okay, but why are you doing it?”
“Yeah, I would also like to know,” Katie admitted. “You’ve been doing it for days.”
Trent took a deep breath. “It’s…it’s because I have OCD. And…I don’t have any medication with me.”
“Oh.” Noah should have known. Now he felt a bit bad for snapping. He couldn’t imagine having OCD in a situation like this.
“Why the number nine though?” Owen asked.
“It’s my lucky number. When I was a kid, my grandpa gave me a toy train with ten wheels. Right before he died, one of the wheels fell off so there were only nine. Ever since then, I feel like I have to count to nine, or else something bad might happen.”
Katie sniffled. “That sounds terrible!”
“It was. Luckily my meds helped a lot. Now I don’t have them and, well…” He shrugged his shoulders.
“Did you go to the med tent? They might have something for you.” Cody suggested.
“I did. They had fuck-all.”
“OMG that sucks! Is there anything we can do to help you?” Katie offered.
Trent gave a thin smile. “Just, uh, please be patient with me. I promise I’m not doing all this to annoy you.”
~*~
The silence surrounding the Killer Bass was stonier than the ground beneath their feet.
Alejandro could feel their eyes glued to his back. His palms began to sweat. After all this time of trying to get into their good graces, they were ready to vote him out the second they lost.
It was a mistake to go after Bridgette, he realised, far too late. Bridgette was nice and had no enemies on this team. His attempts to turn them all against her were clumsy and useless. They were always doomed to fail.
His heart itself was sweating now. This couldn’t be the end of the line for him! After all this work he’d put in to last this long in the first place! It was all about to come crashing around him. And the worst part was that he only had himself to blame.
If his parents could see him now, they’d be completely and utterly disappointed. The looks on their faces…how many times has Alejandro seen those exact expressions? How many more times will he get to see them?
Carlos will look the other way. He always did and always will. The night of Alejandro’s disastrous birthday dinner, he’d done just that when Jose started up with his usual insults. Didn’t even give a single word in defense of him. And when Alejandro left with only a brief backward glance, he saw Carlos simply tucking into his dessert. A dessert that Alejandro never even got to eat.
And Jose…it was his fault he was here in the first place. And still Jose would find some way to make it his fault.
“Face it, Al. You’re useless. No wonder you ended up in trouble once again.”
Alejandro took one hand off the canoe and slapped himself with it.
“Umm…” Sadie trailed off.
He ignored her. “Onwards, people!”
The rest shared a confused glance.
~*~
Noah yawned. Carrying this canoe was hard work, especially for someone as scrawny as him. Still, slacking off was guaranteed to get him yelled at, or worse, eliminated.
So he kept trucking onwards. He, Cody and Trent were walking ahead of the group; Heather had slowed down some, whining about her shoes. Silly decision, wearing wedge heels in a place like this. Katie was also making similar complaints, although she had a considerably lighter load than everyone due to her injury.
Cody was quietly humming under his breath. Noah didn’t recognize the song. He didn’t have the energy to tell him to pipe down.
Hopefully the beach wasn’t too far away. His arms were beginning to wobble.
Noah kept on walking.
And felt himself sinking.
“Whoa!” Cody and Trent lifted the canoe out of the way and out of Noah’s grasp.
Heather marched over. “What the hell is-oh, you’ve got to be kidding me…”
“Quicksand!” Leshawna cried. “Everyone get back!”
Noah sank further in, up to his knees. He tried to lift them, but the movement made him sink faster. “Someone pull me out!”
Cody grabbed hold of his arms and yanked. Noah winced at the sudden sensation, but nothing happened. He wasn’t getting pulled out at all. If anything, he was sinking even faster.
Trent and Leshawna bent down and pulled as well. It also didn’t work. Noah was now up to his thighs.
He waved his arms and batted them away. “You guys are not helping!”
Leshawna huffed. “You asked us to pull you out!”
“I know, but this isn’t working. You gotta find another way!”
Sierra found a tree branch and held it out to Noah. He held onto it, but as soon as she pulled back it snapped in half. “Oh, bummer,” she said.
Heather grabbed a vine and wrapped it around his wrist. “Everyone, get ready to pull!”
They all assembled, ready for the most insane game of tug’o’war any of them had ever played. For extra support, Cody held onto Noah’s other hand. Noah felt the sand seep into his shorts, cringing at the sensation.
“Three, two, one, pull!”
Pain erupted in his limbs.
“Aaaahh!!!”
“Shut up!” Heather shouted, and pulled harder.
~*~
The Killer Bass were making good progress when Athaliah spotted something.
“Oh no!” She pointed at the ground. “Wolf tracks!”
Everyone stopped short. Indeed, there were paw prints embedded in the mud and dirt.
“Are you sure? I-It could be another kind of animal…” Ezekiel stammered.
“I’m positive! I used to see them all the time in the woods back home!”
Alejandro shrugged nonchalantly. “They’re probably old. I don’t think we have anything to worry about.”
“Still though. We should proceed with caution.” Harold advised. “There’s no way we can outrun wolves carrying these massive canoes over our heads.”
“Safety in numbers. We’ll be fine.” Sensing the others’ nervousness, he sighed. “Seriously, can we get a move on? Nothing will happen.”
They carried onwards, with intense trepidation. They scanned their surroundings constantly, practically jumping at every bush rustled by the wind. Alejandro rolled his eyes.
Up ahead, a boulder jutted out into the path. They stepped round it and continued around the bend in the path.
And then they all froze.
What met them was a cliff face, the bottom of which was covered by shrubbery. Directly in front of them was a cave opening, black and gaping and menacing. And lying in the mouth was a pack of shaggy grey wolves. They perked up instantly and stared straight into their souls.
Alejandro felt ice shoot into his veins. Okay, maybe Athaliah and the others had a point. “Everyone, hold still! And not a sound!”
They didn’t need to be told. They were as still as statues.
The wolves hadn’t moved. Those sharp eyes and even sharper teeth were locked onto them, but they mostly seemed curious rather than out for blood. As long as they stayed that way, then hopefully the Bass could get out of this unscathed.
Sadie was trembling, as was Ezekiel. Geoff was so rigid that his whole body hurt. Harold was pouring sweat. Alejandro held his breath.
“Listen to me,” Athaliah whispered, “we need to leave. Back away slowly. Don’t take your eyes off them, even for a minute.”
The team made to step back, only for their worst nightmare to come true.
One wolf got up and ambled over to them. With its pointed ears and forceful gaze, its sluggish movements did little to conceal how scary it was. It stood close to Alejandro and began to sniff.
It was too much for Sadie to bear. When the wolf got a little closer, she suddenly let out a terrified scream.
The rest of the pack jumped to their feet and snarled.
“RUUUN!!!” Tyler hollered.
“No! We have to-” Athaliah was suddenly yanked backwards by Eva and Izzy hightailing it out of there.
The whole team full-on sprinted back the way they came, the wolves hot on their heels. Howling and growling, it only pushed the terrified teens further. Everybody ran faster than they’d ever ran before in their lives.
The Bass screamed, charging back down the path. Mud was kicked up in their wake, some of which splattered on the wolves. This, of course, only made them more enraged.
The mud was out for blood just as much as the wolves, it seemed. It wasn’t long until Ezekiel’s feet slid out from under him, taking out Tyler and Harold along with him. Tyler tripped over him and rolled onto his side. Harold thudded hard onto the ground, his glasses disappearing off his nose.
The wolves did not hesitate. They pounced on Ezekiel and began to gnaw at him. He screamed so loud his voice cracked.
Sadie screamed again, tears running down her face. Tyler and Harold scrambled out of the way. Izzy gasped in shock and horror.
“Help! Help me! Someone!”
Then, a louder sound erupted from the Bass.
Athaliah stood up tall and straight, swinging a big thick stick to and fro while whooping all the while. She stepped closer to the pack and swung the stick in their direction. A few of them cowered away.
That was when Eva joined her, followed by Alejandro, Geoff and Tyler. They joined Athaliah on all sides, waving their hands and bearing down menacingly on the wolf pack.
It worked! The animals let Ezekiel go and slunk away towards their cave. Not one of them even so much as looked back.
Athaliah breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank God…Ezekiel, are you alright?”
Ezekiel got to his knees. His thick jeans had thankfully insulated his legs from the worst of the attacks, but the same couldn’t be said for the rest of his body. His hoodie was shredded and covered in more than just DJ’s blood. He had scratches and bites all over his arms and back. His hair was matted with blood. Bits of wolf fur were stuck to the dark red patches all over his body.
“Oh my God…” Sadie let out.
“Holy Jesus,” Geoff added. “Zeke, can you stand?”
Ezekiel got one foot under him. When he tried to stand, however, his right foot gave out and he thudded back down into the mud. He groaned. “I think I twisted my ankle.”
“Brilliant.” Eva scowled. “We go down the wrong path, get chased by wolves, and now one of us is injured!”
“At least we’re all still alive,” Izzy pointed out.
“Yeah, but if those wolves come back…”
“They won't.” Athaliah scooped Ezekiel up and placed him in one of the canoes. “We must leave right away. Follow the Gophers!”
As the team reassembled their positions and grabbed their canoes, Harold felt around for his glasses. All he could find was mud and grass and the occasional rock. Everything was blurry and indistinct. Wherever his glasses were, they were blending in with the environment.
“Can someone help me?”
Geoff went over to him. “Yeah, sure du-” He stepped forward and was cut off by a loud crack. It was immediately followed by dead silence.
“Geoff…” Eva said slowly. “Please tell me you didn't just step on his glasses…”
He lifted his foot. Harold's glasses lay crushed and bent. The left side was completely mangled. And as luck would have it, he'd stepped directly on the one lens that was still somewhat functional.
Harold stood up and dusted himself off. “Well, that's that, then.”
“I am so sorry! I didn't even see them!”
He shook his head. “Nothing we can do about that now. Now which canoe is mine…ow!” He stubbed his toe on it.
It was the canoe that had Ezekiel inside. Geoff, Tyler and Alejandro lifted it up with some difficulty. Eva, Izzy and Athaliah held the second one.
Sadie took Harold by the hand and led him to the last one. “Here. I'll go in front.”
With their canoes in hand, they set off back down the path, a grim atmosphere hanging in the air.
~*~
Noah lay on the ground, wheezing. The rest of his teammates were collapsed all around him, bent over double and panting. After quite a while of painful pulling, he was out of the quicksand. His wrist was rubbed red from the vine and his entire lower half still felt tingly, but he was out. And alive.
Not that he was in any danger of dying, anyway. The quicksand wasn’t deep enough for that. But he didn’t tell that to the others. He wanted them to get him out of there pronto. What they don’t know won’t hurt them.
Leshawna got to her knees and flexed her fingers. “Ouch! Think I’ve done enough cardio for a lifetime. You’re heavier than you look, you know that?”
“Well now that’s over and done with, why don’t we stop lazing about now and get a move on?” Heather said. “Lindsay, go grab that canoe over there?”
Lindsay sluggishly went over and made a very weak show of grabbing it. The look on her face had barely changed since yesterday. Solemn, plaintive and bland. A few wisps of mangled blonde hair had come loose from her bandana and framed her face, making her seem even more pathetic. Whatever was on her mind, Heather hoped she would snap out of it soon and pull herself the fuck together.
“Hurry up, Lindsay! Stop moping about!”
Leshawna, ever defensive of girls lower on the social pecking order, couldn’t just sit back and let Heather pick on Lindsay. Not after what the latter just went through yesterday.
She poked her roughly in the chest. “You leave her alone and stop being a bossy little bitch!”
Heather slapped her hand away. “Back off you fucking whackjob!”
Leshawna did not take too kindly to that. She grabbed Heather’s hand and squeezed it painfully. “Who the fuck are you calling a fucking whackjob?! You got some real nerve, missy.”
“We’re in the middle of a fucking challenge, you moron! Do you want us to lose?”
“I could ask you the exact same thing! If you don’t wanna get executed in front of everybody, then stop picking fights with everyone under the sun!” She punctuated that last word with a harsh shove.
Heather stumbled back, eyes narrowed and shoulders hunched protectively. Leshawna returned that glare tenfold and even dusted off her hands to drive the point home even further.
“...Fine. Whatever.” Heather rolled her eyes and turned away.
“Jeez,” Trent commented. “Both of you need to chill.”
“Agreed.” Sierra folded her arms.
Leshawna sighed. “Sorry guys. It’s just…Heather drives me up the fucking wall.”
“Yeah. She gets on all of our nerves.” Katie laid her good hand on Leshawna’s shoulder. “But we won’t have to worry for too long. If we lose today, we’ll just vote her out! It’ll be so much more peaceful with her gone!”
Leshawna smiled. “Yeah, that’s true.”
Noah, meanwhile, had ignored the whole exchange in favour of something slightly more important. When he stood up, he realised that there was no way in hell he was going to finish this challenge with an entire beach’s worth of sand in his shorts. Every time he moved, it shifted and buried itself even deeper into places where sand should never be buried.
“Holy shit,” he whispered. “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me…”
Cody was upon him instantly. “What’s wrong?”
He gestured angrily. “My entire lower half is covered in sand!”
“Ooh, that can’t be good…”
Noah looked around him. The Gophers and cameramen were more preoccupied with the fight between Leshawna and Heather. Only Cody was with him.
There was no way he could complete the challenge like this. The urge to itch, scratch and tear his skin off was becoming too much to bear.
He looked down, knowing what he had to do.
“Cover me,” he said, then got to work.
When the fight finally broke up and the others got ready to leave, Bill kept his camera trained on them. He did a quick sweeping shot, only to realise that something seemed off with Noah. He stepped forward for a closer look.
“Seriously? Do you have to point that thing right in my face?”
Noah had stripped off his shorts, boxers and shoes, leaving him completely nude from the waist down. He’d shaken and brushed most of the sand from his body. Luckily, the red raincoat he was wearing was just long enough to cover everything, reaching to just above his knees. Still though, he looked extremely uncomfortable and he stood scowling with his arms folded.
“Was the sand that bad, huh?” Leshawna asked sympathetically.
“It doesn’t even bear describing.”
“Okay, we should probably go before the other team catches up.” Sierra took her position beside her canoe. “Besides, this whole island is creepy as hell and I wanna get off of it as soon as I can.”
“Word,” Owen said.
Thankfully, they wouldn’t have to wait for much longer. After another twenty or so minutes of walking, they made it to the beach.
“Finally!” Owen cried, dramatically dropping to his knees, “wide open water! I never thought I’d see it again!”
“We need all the wood we can get!” Heather said. “Hurry!”
The Gophers scattered around the beach. Owen, Noah and Cody gathered bundles of driftwood. Heather and Sierra lugged a ginormous log over. Leshawna, Katie, and Trent went towards the treeline to collect twigs. Lindsay simply stared down at her feet, not saying a word.
“Okay,” Leshawna wiped her forehead and brushed the bits off her arms, “let’s get this fire started!”
~*~
The Killer Bass got themselves on the right track eventually, albeit a lot slower than before. Luckily, this track had no animal tracks whatsoever. They nearly stepped into a patch of quicksand, but the scuff marks and footprints on the ground prevented that from happening.
When they finally emerged onto the beach, they saw, to their horror, that the Screaming Gophers already had a pretty decent fire going.
“Hurry everyone! We need to catch up!” Alejandro dropped his end of the canoe and ran to get some wood. The others followed suit, after Ezekiel was gently lowered to the ground. Harold was told to stay and watch over him.
Ezekiel sat himself upright. That wooden canoe floor was starting to hurt his back. He kept his injured arms close to his body as he looked around him. He watched Alejandro and Athaliah bend over a pile of wood, trying to get the flames started. They were struggling with it quite a bit.
“This is gonna be pretty difficult, eh,” he said to Harold.
Harold nodded, then turned to where he could just make out their bobbling outlines. “Get some grass, too. As dry as you can. It’ll burn better.” Athaliah stood up to go get some.
It was then that Ezekiel noticed Izzy darting off into the woods. “Hey! Where are you going?”
“I’m gonna go get something that’ll help us!”
“What is it?” But Izzy was already out of earshot and out of sight.
“Man, that was weird.”
Harold shrugged. “Better to try than not. Maybe whatever it is will help us.”
“Yeah. Let’s hope so.”
Owen came over, picking around for more wood. “Hey, guys…whoa Ezekiel, what happened to you?”
“I got mauled by wolves.”
He gasped. “Great Alexander The Great! There’s wolves?!”
“Yep. We practically walked right into a whole den of them.”
“Holy shit, bummer about that…maybe that nice doctor lady can fix you up.”
“Owen!” The call came from Heather. “What’s taking you so long?”
“Coming! See you, guys.” He left.
“How’s their fire looking?” Harold asked.
“It’s a bit small, but it looks to be coming along nicely…” He trailed off as Sierra just put an armful of fresh, dry branches that sent sparks crackling into the air. “...Nevermind, it’s going just great.”
In comparison, their fire was piddly. Alejandro and Athaliah finally achieved a few wisps of smoke and high-fived each other. Sadie arrived with some driftwood, which was vetted for dampness level. Some of it Alejandro tossed over his shoulder.
Heather watched them with a smirk on her face. It was laughable, really. There was no way they were going to catch up.
Still though, she wasn’t going to risk it.
She picked up some more branches and threw them onto the fire. The flames gobbled them up instantly. Already it was looking to be quite big.
“Is this good enough?” she asked the cameraman with glasses.
He shook his head. “A little bit bigger.”
“Fine.” She went on the hunt for more wood. With her head down, she didn’t realise Lindsay was standing right in her path until she practically fell onto her.
“Ouch! What the-? Lindsay, you idiot! Don’t just stand there! Ugh! Go make yourself useful and get some more wood!”
Lindsay’s face didn’t even so much as twitch. She moved slowly past Heather, lightly bumping her shoulder as she did so.
Heather grit her teeth. She pushed against Lindsay’s shoulder with her open palm. “Whatever the hell you’re playing at, knock it the fuck off!”
Not a glimmer in those eyes.
Heather huffed and turned away.
Nearby, Noah was gathering sticks. He had to be very careful when bending over, so as not to accidentally reveal anything. Although if the cameramen knew what was good for them, they’d keep their cameras far away from him.
He spied the pink-haired girl whose camera he’d smashed a while ago. She had a new one now. She was avoiding his gaze.
Noah went to go stand behind Cody. “Can you tell that girl to stop filming me? It’s creepy as hell.”
Cody froze. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea. We might get in trouble with Chris.”
“Bullshit. I smashed her other camera a while ago, and nothing came of it.
“You WHAT?!”
Before Noah could respond, Heather and a few of the others let out a shout.
“C’mon, everyone!” Leshawna called. “Our fire’s big enough! We can go now!”
They raced to their canoes, leaving the Killer Bass in their dust. They wasted no time in jumping in and getting the fuck out of there.
As they paddled away, Katie craned her head round and waved. “Bye Sadie! See you back at camp!”
Despite her disappointment at losing, Sadie still waved back. “Bye Katie!”
Geoff’s shoulders sagged. He dropped the sticks he was holding. “So, that’s it, then.”
“Amigos, you all did wonderfully.” Alejandro placed a solemn hand over his heart. “But now, we must contend with our failure.”
“You mean your failure,” Sadie corrected.
“Huh?”
“Dude. It was your idea to go right instead of left. And you insisted we keep going even after we saw wolf tracks. You made us fall behind.,” Harold said matter-of-factly.
“And Zeke got mauled by wolves!” Tyler added.
The whole team had Alejandro in a circle. He put his hands up defensively, a nervous smile on his face. “Please, I-I didn’t think anything bad would happen! I was only doing what I thought was best for the team!”
“We can see how that turned out,” Athaliah told him.
“And don’t think I’ve forgotten how you treated Bridgette, either!” Geoff growled.
“Yeah. You’re more trouble than you’re worth,” Eva said plainly.
“I-I-I…” Alejandro wasn’t used to this level of helplessness. Even at home he could usually talk himself out of further torment by accepting fault, including when he knew he was innocent. But here? These people weren’t his family. They cared even less about him.
All of them eyed him with disgust, annoyance and caution. Even saintly little Athaliah had her lips curled up in a snarl.
Alejandro wanted to break down and cry. There was nothing more shameful than shedding tears in public, but that didn’t stop his eyes from misting up. Desperate to save some sort of face, he swallowed the icy lump in his stomach and forced the tears back.
Just then, Izzy showed up and broke the silence. “Stand back everybody! We’ll beat those Gophers in no time!”
Before anyone could process what was happening, the fire suddenly erupted into a huge ball of fire.
Alejandro shielded his face from the heat. Once it died down a little, he saw that their fire was massive, strong, and burning away merrily. “Izzy…what did you do?”
“I made a ball out of twigs, tree sap, and some other stuff. I assume this fire’s big enough now?” She looked toward a cameraman for confirmation, who nodded approval. “Alright, let’s go before they do!”
“Uhh, a little too late for that.” Geoff pointed over his shoulder with his thumb at the Gopher’s canoes receding slowly into the distance.
Izzy stopped short. “Oh…well shit…”
Tyler, however, carried on Izzy’s enthusiasm. “Well, we should still leave. Who knows, maybe we can catch up to them! Thanks to Izzy, we still have a fighting chance!” He and Izzy high-fived. She smiled at him and he smiled back.
“It’s not like we have anything else to do here,” Sadie said.
They ran for the canoes.
Still, once they were out on the water, Alejandro still felt cold. There was no saving himself now, he knew. He had half a mind to just jump out of the canoe and end it on his own terms.
But still…if by some miracle they won today, then he could prepare himself for anything to come. Maybe they’d get lucky and win the rest of the challenges too. Maybe he’d find the last Life Idol…
Jose’s voice returned once more. “Come on Al, are you a quitter? Though so.
Alejandro gritted his teeth and drove his oar into the water with all his might. He turned to face the others, only to notice something interesting still on the beach. It took him a few moments to realise what he was looking at, but when he did a slow smile spread itself across his face and he began to row harder, praying that this new stroke of luck would last just a little bit longer.
~*~
Despite their enthusiasm, they’d simply fallen too far behind.
The Gophers’ canoes slammed into the dock back at Camp Wawanakwa. They jumped out and sprinted to Chris. To their delight, the Bass were way behind, still powering their own way through the water.
“Yes!” Heather jumped for joy. Noah and Cody shared a relieved fist bump. Katie and Sierra did the same.
“Not so fast,” Chris said smugly. “You have to have every member of your team present in order to win the challenge.”
“What? But we-” Heather spun around and did a quick head count. When she realised who was missing, her face darkened.
“LINDSAY!!!”
~*~
When the Bass arrived, the first thing they heard was enraged screeching. Getting closer, they could make out the words.
“WHAT THE FUCK IS THE MATTER WITH YOU? HOW DID YOU NOT NOTICE SHE WASN’T THERE?!”
“...I don’t know…”
“OF COURSE YOU DON’T KNOW! YOU HAVE THE SPATIAL AWARENESS OF A WATERCRESS SANDWICH!!!”
“I’m sorry…”
“ARE YOU? ARE YOU REALLY?”
“Okay back off, it’s obviously an accident.”
“YOU’RE ONE TO TALK! YOU SHARED A FUCKING CANOE WHEN WE WENT OVER THERE! HOW DID YOU NOT NOTICE?”
“She hasn’t spoken a word the entire day! She didn’t even row the first time, either! I did all the work! Excuse me for trying to win the challenge!”
“WELL WE FUCKING LOST BECAUSE OF YOU STUPID CUN-”
“What seems to be the trouble here?” Alejandro asked, knowing full well what it was.
Heather was completely red in the face from yelling so much. Katie was in tears and Leshawna was about to strangle someone. “Lindsay got left behind,” the latter said, as calmly as possible.
Tyler gasped. “No way! So does that mean…”
“Yep! You guys win!” Chris smirked. “Better luck next time Gophers.” He chuckled heartily.
Heather stomped toward a canoe. “Never mind. I’ll go back and get that stupid bitch myself!”
Leshawna huffed. “Not like that’s gonna make a difference, Heather. We’re still voting you out! Right guys?” She turned to the others.
To her eternal dismay, Owen, Trent and Sierra all looked rather nervous.
“Come on, you guys! Seriously?”
“Look Leshawna, it’s not that we like her, but…” Owen rubbed the back of his neck. “Lindsay did just cost us the challenge…”
“Yeah,” Trent agreed. “Plus, she hasn’t contributed to the challenge at all.”
Sierra nodded solemnly. “I don’t wanna wait for her to snap out of it. Who knows how long that will take?”
Leshawna was speechless. Lindsay was one of the nicest girls on the island, and this was how they were going to repay her?
She opened her mouth to snap at them for such cruelty, until Cody put his hand on her shoulder. “I’ll vote her out with you.”
“Same here,” Noah and Katie chorused.
Leshawna smiled. “Thanks, guys. Let’s give that witch what’s coming to her.”
~*~
Ezekiel lay on a bed in the med tent. Karen the nice doctor lady was wrapping bandages around the upper half of his body. His shredded and bloodstained sweater lay dumped on the ground nearby. It was unwearable now.
“My God…I’m so sorry this has happened to you,” Karen told him.
“Yeah, it sucks…”
“Chris is a monster. An absolute monster. I hope this ends early so he can end up in prison.” She tightened another bandage and Ezekiel winced.
“If you hate him so much…ow…why are you working for him?”
She pursed her lips. “I…I’m rather ashamed of it…”
“I won’t judge.”
She sighed. “Alright…I’m a recovering alcoholic. I showed up drunk to work a few too many times and I was put on temporary leave. It was at risk of losing my license to practise…then he showed up.”
“Chris?”
“Yes. He told me he was sorry about what was happening and that he’d come to offer me a job. Just some light medical work for a summer camp. Nothing serious.” She loudly ripped off some medical tape. “I hadn’t been at work in months by then and I had no money. I figured, why not? It’d do me good to get away for a while. Maybe being on an isolated island would stop me from drinking.”
“So he lied to you?”
“He did. And I kick myself every day for believing his lies.”
“Have you stopped drinking?”
Karen nodded. “I still feel the urge, though. It hasn’t really gone away.”
“Well, you’ll keep trying, right? And you’re better than Chris, anyhow.”
She snorted a laugh. “Thanks.” She applied a few sticking bandages to the shallower cuts. “There we go. All patched up.”
“Thanks.” Ezekiel got up and left. Everything still felt incredibly sore, though. Oh well. Better sore than dead.
~*~
The elimination ceremony commenced at exactly seven-thirty, as it always did. Chris stood with a platter containing eight marshmallows for nine campers.
“Alright,” he began, “today’s challenge was a tough one for you guys. First Noah got stuck in quicksand and it took the rest of you quite a while to pull him out. Then Heather and Leshawna got into yet another spat. Then you guys came in first…only to ditch one of your own teammates.”
Heather shot a glare at Lindsay. Lindsay didn’t flinch.
“Noah, aren’t you cold without any pants on?”
Noah scowled at him. “Uh, I had to wash all the sand from them, genius.”
“Don’t care. Anyway, first marshmallow goes to you.” Noah caught it in cupped hands.
“Trent, Leshawna, Sierra, you’re all safe.” Trent whispered one to nine again. And again.
“Katie, Owen, Cody, heads up.” They all looked relieved.
One marshmallow, and Heather and Lindsay, left. Heather had her arms folded and a smirk on her face. She would never admit just how fucking scared she was. Had she finally gone and done it? Had she done herself in? Should she have just kept her mouth shut?
Maybe the others were right. She was too bossy and mean. Was tonight the night she’d finally meet her maker? Was there nothing she could do anymore?
No…it couldn’t be. She didn’t lose them the challenge. Surely the others know that…right?
Lindsay kept very still. A million thoughts were going through her head and yet none at the same time. It had shut her down, overwhelmed her, left her unable to function. The world was a hurricane and she was standing in the eye of it.
One thought was coming clearer to her, though. The hope that this situation would have the desired effect.
“The final marshmallow of the night goes to…
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
…Heather!”
Her sigh of utter relief was immediately overshadowed by Leshawna, Cody and Katie all groaning, “No!”
“Better luck next time.” She wore her smirk a little prouder now.
“Time to take your one-way trip to Hell, Lindsiot!” Chris gestured over to his left. A hastily-constructed stock had been constructed. The Executioner stood next to it, axe in hand. Tonight’s execution clearly had a medieval theme to it.
Lindsay’s face betrayed no emotion as she stood up and numbly made her way over. She willingly placed her head and hands inside the stock. The top of it closed on her with a thud.
“Goodbye Lindsay,” Leshawna called, holding back tears. “I’ll miss you.”
“Bye Lindsay. I’m sorry for voting for you,” Owen sobbed.
Heather only moved her fingers in a mocking wave.
That last thing seemed to finally break through to her. Her eyes widened slightly and the light came back to them. She openly acknowledged her surroundings for maybe the first time since her traumatic haircut.
“Mr Executioner? Before you chop my head off, can I say something first?” Her voice was scratchy. The Executioner nodded and lowered the axe.
Lindsay cleared her through and lifted her head to face her - now former - teammates.
“I voted for Beth. It’s my fault she’s dead. I didn’t want to, but Heather made me. She threatened to…to…to cut all my hair off in my sleep if I didn’t do what she wanted.” Lindsay sniffled. “I really liked Beth. Getting to do her makeup for the talent show was the most fun I’d had on this yucky island…and I stabbed her in the back that very same day…Beth, I’m sorry!”
It was the most clarity she’d ever spoken with. Like someone had taken over her brain for a brief moment. That ditzy girl was well and truly gone.
But the shock of that was secondary compared to what she had just confessed to.
Heather barely had the time to blink before Leshawna pounced on her, slapping and scratching and screaming. Unintelligible screeches, yet perfectly understandable.
“Yeesh,” Chris cringed. “Talk about out of control.”
“Deserved,” Katie whispered to herself.
“Are you done?” The Executioner asked. Lindsay nodded. “Alright then.” She brought the axe down on her neck.
Lindsay’s scream brought everyone’s full attention back to her. Leshawna stopped mid-slap and gasped in horror. Heather was frozen to the spot.
The Executioner went in for another swing. When that one failed to kill Lindsay, she did another one.
It became exceedingly clear to the Gophers that the axe was a blunt piece of shit. And strong as the Executioner may be, she wasn’t strong enough to sever a head in one blow.
Still, she kept going. Every impact the blade made in Lindsay’s neck made blood splatter all over the stock and surrounding grass. Every time the axe was thrown back for another blow, droplets went flying everywhere.
One landed directly on Heather’s cheek. It rolled down towards her neck like a teardrop. It was the most painful thing she’d ever experienced.
Lindsay’s screaming became wet and gargled, before eventually ceasing altogether. Still, the Executioner hacked away until Lindsay’s head finally detached and thudded onto the ground. It had taken fifteen swings to get the job done. She dropped the axe, panting in exhaustion.
“Note to self: next time we do a decapitation, make sure whatever blade we use is super-duper sharp,” Chris thought aloud.
The Gophers were stunned into silence. Heather still lay with half her hair in Leshawna’s iron grip. All her earlier fears were about to come true. She knew. She was completely and utterly fucked.
Leshawna was crying, as were Owen and Sierra. Trent had his head in his hands. Noah stared down at his hands in his lap, unable to process what just happened. He felt Cody and Katie press themselves against him but he hardly noticed it.
Cody and Katie had wrapped him in a tight, fearful hug. They were shaking and crying softly,. They had their hands intertwined, gripping onto each other so hard their fingers were turning red, all the while they shared a knowing look: That could have been us, that could have been us…
Anne Foster’s report went unnoticed and unchecked by the police.
Chapter 9: Episode 1, Part 9: Live Target Practice
Chapter Text
Episode 1, Part 9: Live Target Practice
The families of Katie Hatfield, Sadie Hamilton and Sierra Weber were still angry with the polices’ conduct and flippancy with which they treated their daughters’ disappearances. Despite an investigation, they still behaved as though the girls had all run away.
“We get these sort of calls all the time,” said policeman Harvey Matthews. “Calls from parents whose precious kids just up and left, to go to parties or their friends’ house. They always come back. We saw no reason to believe differently with these three.”
The Hamilton family, however, remained adamant that even if Sadie had run away, she would never have left Emma behind in a park all by herself. Sadie adored her younger sister, so to abandon her like that was very out of character. Similarly, Katie and Sierra were loved by their families and loved them in turn.
Sierra’s grandmother, Donna, stated: “Sierra’s favourite place in the world was her bedroom. She had very few friends and was never popular at school, so her room was her safe space. She loved to collect things: magazines, stuffed animals, vintage clothes…If she wanted to run away, she’d have taken some of it with her. But she didn’t. They’re all still there.”
“You guys are gonna enjoy today’s challenge!” Chris said, throwing open a case full of hats, glasses, and…guns? “This is an old-school favourite: paintball!”
“You’re having us shoot each other,” Noah said simply. “After everything we’ve been through, after everything we’ve witnessed, you think a challenge where we shoot each other is totally appropriate.”
“Correctamundo!”
“I know who I’m going to shoot,” Leshawna cracked her knuckles, giving Heather a nasty side-eye.
“Not so fast, Rambo. You can only shoot those on the other team.”
“A shame, ‘cause she really deserves it.” Owen spat.
The Bass nodded in agreement. They’d heard all about what Heather had done over breakfast earlier and were appropriately disgusted. Some of them had thrown a not-so-subtle glance at Alejandro. If he wasn’t feeling the pressure before, he certainly was now.
“I know, I know. She does. But you two can take your bloodlust out on the other team instead.” He tossed them both a gun, and another two to Noah and Katie.
On the Killer Bass, guns were handed out to Geoff, Harold, Athaliah and Izzy.
Harold squinted at his. “Uh, how am I supposed to shoot if I can’t see?”
“Don’t know, don’t care. Now, anyone who didn’t get a gun are now deer. And you have to wear these!” He held up antlers, tails and little red noses.
“Can’t believe I have to be a deer,” Eva grumbled, staring jealously at Athaliah’s gun.
Athaliah, meanwhile, was holding it as if it were a live explosive. “Um, how do I use this?” she asked.
Chris rolled his eyes. “Easy. You aim and pull the trigger.”
“Like this!” Geoff demonstrated. He pointed and fired at one of the cameramen. The blue paintball hit him on the hand.
“Ow!”
“Okay, leave Jack alone!” Chris cracked a smile.
Jack tried his best to smile through it, as well. He had long brown hair tied in a loose ponytail and wore a Red Sox cap. He wiped his hand on his grey cargo shorts, smearing the paint everywhere.
“You kids have two hours to bag as many deer as you can. You can go anywhere in the woods, but stay away from any buildings. Hiding in them is cheating. Deer get a ten minute head start. Now, off with you!”
Cody, already kitted out in his antlers, nose, tail and glasses, skipped ahead. “I dunno about you guys, but I’m feeling good about this challenge! I’m very light on my feet! Lots of practice dodging spitballs in math class.”
Izzy laughed maliciously. “We’ll see about that…Bambi.” She grabbed his tail and let it snap back.
“We’ll see who’s laughing when we win!” Owen said.
“Bring it on!”
“Deers!” Chris called. “Move out! Ten minute head start starting now!”
Cody raced into the woods, followed by Eva and Tyler. The others moved along at their own paces. Heather was behind all of them.
“Yeah, take it real nice and slow, Heather.” Leshawna said mockingly. “Real slow, so we’ll lose, and then we can get rid of you once and for all.”
Heather disappeared into the foliage with those words swirling behind her back.
~*~
Ten minutes later, the deer were well and truly scattered when Chris called the hunters to their positions.
Harold donned the cheap orange plastic glasses they’d all been given. They only made the world more blurry than it already was. He sighed. “We’re so gonna lose this…”
“Hey, not to worry, man!” Geoff slapped him on the back. “Just stick close to me, and you’ll be fine!”
“Thanks.” He smiled.
Leshawna was getting ready to move out when she heard Katie moan in pain. “What’s up, girl?”
“I can’t hold my gun in both hands. It hurts too much.” Katie bent her arm to prove her point. The skin was shiny red and pulled painfully whenever she flexed.
“Ooh, I see what you mean. Here, try balancing the scope on your wrist instead of your hand. It might be easier that way.”
Katie tried it. It was still an incredibly awkward position, but less painful. “Okay, I’ll try that! I’m not really good at paintball, so this is still gonna be difficult.”
“What’s more important is that you try. And even if we lose, you got nothing to worry about! Heather is a dead girl.”
“Yeah, I suppose that’s true!”
She is deader than dead, Leshawna thought. How many more Gophers were going to be thrown under the bus if Lindsay hadn’t confessed? Actually, maybe that wasn’t worth thinking about. It was extremely grim.
Poor Lindsay, and poor Beth. Leshawna was going to make sure that Heather got every bit of retribution that was coming to her. Those girls’ deaths were not going to be in vain.
And screw what Chris said. Leshawna cocked her gun. She was gunning for Heather, rules be damned.
With that, she set off into the woods.
~*~
Meanwhile, Owen was not waiting around. He left the second Chris allowed him to. His gun slung over his shoulder, he raced into the woods, his excitement unable to be contained.
Now here was a challenge they could crush! Paintball was something he was quite good at, if his brothers’ refusal to play with him anymore was any indication. He was going to pound those Bass into the dirt, easy-peasy!
He stepped off the trail and headed further into the bushes. To catch the enemy, he needed to think like the enemy. And if he were the enemy, then he wouldn’t hang around the trails. He would find some other spot to hang out, far away from populated areas.
And what was that?
Nearby, there was a rustling in the bushes.
Owen grinned. Fresh meat!
~*~
Izzy was much the same way.
She’d beaten her entire class and the senior class during a round of paintball on a field trip once. She was confident that she could replicate that success once again.
And besides, paintball was fun! There was something so exhilarating about it. Like playing a video game in real life. She was grateful that a challenge could be fun instead of stressful for once.
Especially since she knew as well as any other Bass who was on the chopping block if they lost. They had nothing to worry about for once. This was truly a dream come true.
Izzy tightened her grip on her gun. She was absolutely looking forward to stomping the competition.
~*~
Heather had walked in more or less a straight line since she was let go. She’d kept up a consistent pace and put quite a bit of distance between herself and the hunters. Still, would it be enough?
Did she want it to be enough?
The blood was long cleaned from her face but she still felt its ghostly wetness all over her body. Lindsay’s, Beth’s, it was all the same. Maybe she’d been drowning in it all this time and couldn’t save herself. Maybe she was doomed to die next. The tragedy of causing your own demise.
Was it worth it to keep going?
Did she even deserve it?
Wait…
What the fuck was she on about?
She was just playing the game! So what if Beth and Lindsay took the fall for her? They tried to drag her down first! Every single Gopher would have gladly sat back with glee while watching her get shot with arrows or beheaded with an axe by an incompetent buffoon. They had no moral high ground here!
What was she doing, moping around? She was Heather fucking Mackenzie, and she was not going to let them walk all over her!
No, what she needed to do was play it safer. Quieter. Smarter. No more yelling. Clearly that was doing nothing but pissing everyone else off.
Now she was glad for this challenge. It meant she could think in peace.
She concealed herself in a clump of bushes and let out a deep sigh.
She was not going to let them win. Never in a million years. She wasn’t even going to die trying. Nope, only winning for her.
~*~
Cody had wandered around quite a lot by now and hadn’t seen much of anyone. He let his guard down, just a little. The woods were pretty still, so maybe he’d already outran everyone.
He put his hands in his pockets and had a look around. He hadn’t yet been in these parts of the woods. Or maybe he had. That camping challenge was a nightmare and most of his journey had been under the cover of darkness and driving rain.
This challenge wasn’t anywhere near as bad. Paintball was fun, at least, even if he did tend to get hit a lot. But hey, maybe this was his chance to redeem himself in that regard?
Noah didn’t seem too happy about it, waiting around with his usual dour expression. Cody had thought about hanging back to wait for him, but knew that he would just be making himself an easy target. And earning Noah’s ire.
He rather liked hanging around Noah. Sure, most of their interactions involved Noah snapping at him, but still. It never felt all that personal.
The light was filtering beautifully through the leaves. He stood under them a moment, letting the pattern of light run over his body. If he wasn’t on an island of death in the middle of nowhere, then he could very well be at the park near his house.
His house…
He never thought he’d say this, but he actually missed it. That big, cold, lonely house where so many of his dreams were born and killed, he wanted nothing more than to return to it. His bed, his keyboard, his computer…his favourite cup, his video games, his stuffed emu…all things his parents had tossed at him to keep him out of their hair, but brought him comfort nonetheless.
Did his parents know he was missing? Did they even care? Have they called at any point in the last few weeks? Did they worry when they received no response?
His grandfather would have, he knew. The only member of his family who actually seemed to love him. Cody always went to his nursing home to visit every Sunday. Surely Grandpa would have called the police by now. Cody never missed Sunday visits.
Cody stopped walking. He was suddenly overwhelmed by emotion. He sat down, back against a large tree. The filtered light danced across his clothes. He didn’t want it around anymore. It was making him homesick.
What would Grandpa say if he could see him now? He might have a heart attack on the spot.
What would his aunt, uncle and cousin say? His only other family members might as well be total strangers to him. They’ll treat his death like that of a boy halfway across the country. Sad, but not their business.
What would his parents say?
Nothing.
They’ll say nothing.
Cody began to cry. He drew his knees up to his chest and sobbed into them with abandon. In that moment, he didn’t care who heard him.
He just wanted to go home…
~*~
Alejandro, despite not being a hunter, was also on the prowl. Unlike the others, he wanted something different. He wanted salvation.
So, Sadie said that there was a house in the woods that they weren’t supposed to go near. Chances were pretty good that it was where Chris was holing himself up every evening. And if there were crew members as well, then there was quite possibly a phone, landline or mobile. He needed one desparately.
He could see the writing on the wall. He was next. If he had any hope of getting out of here alive, it was calling for help.
Alejandro pushed his way through the plants. He doubled back and headed towards camp again. Sadie had said she’d gotten lost on her way back from the med tent, so if he could find that, then he could find the house.
He broke into a light jog. The danger lying ahead made his heart pound with both dread and excitement. Sure, there was a very real, very scary possibility of getting caught and shot, but the idea of sneaking around and getting one over on Chris was extremely appealing.
The woods around him were silent. Good. If he got shot with a paintball, then that was his plan busted.
~*~
“How you holding up, Kate?”
Katie snapped out of her thoughts of escaping and turned her attention back to Leshawna. “Uh, fine.”
“Good. Now keep your eyes peeled. If you see movement, shoot!”
“And if I see Heather, double shoot!” They both laughed heartily.
“You know,” Leshawna said, “this challenge might actually be fun! It’s about time that two-timing cow got what she deserved!” The laughter dissipated as she sighed sadly. “Poor Beth. I can’t believe Heather did that to her. And poor Lindsay…threatening her like that? Disgusting!”
Katie swallowed, her stomach flipping. “There’s something I have to tell you…” She took a shuddering breath. “I…I also voted out Beth. Heather said she’d hurt Sadie during the next challenge if I didn’t do what she said…”
Leshawna spun around. “What?!!”
Tear sprung into her eyes. “It’s true. I voted out Beth. And it wasn’t just me. Cody too. Heather threatened to tell everyone that he made the hot tub explode on the first day so we’d all vote him out.”
Leshawna just stared back, shocked.
“He said it was an accident. He was trying to modify it to make the water hotter. But Heather found out and now she’s holding it over his head.” She put down her gun and wiped her eyes with her good hand.
When she raised her head again, Leshawna’s face had darkened considerably.
“Looks like that cunt’s been busier than I thought. Running around, threatening half the team…who else does she have under her thumb?”
Katie could only shrug.
Leshawna’s fist shook, and her gun with it. The plastic made a sudden loud crack. She released some of the pressure. She looked Katie straight in the eye. “You and I are going to throw the challenge. She needs to suffer for what she’s done. Come on. Let’s go tell the others.”
Leshawna continued down the path. Katie, still with a roiling stomach, followed wordlessly.
It was probably the right thing to do; Heather was too much of a liability to have around. So why was Katie’s gut still upset?
~*~
Sadie was minding her own business wandering through the woods when she heard rustling from behind her, off to her left. Then she heard more rustling, also behind her, off to her right. She barely had time to turn around before a shout sounded.
“Sadie! Run!”
She heeded the advice and ran. A gun fired and a paintball hit a tree next to her.
“Aw, damn it!” Owen yelled as his shot missed. He stood up and glared at the tree across from him. “Hey! You interfered with my shot!”
Izzy poked her head around the tree, grinning mischeviously. “Chris never said we couldn’t.”
“So? That’s really uncool!”
“Tough. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a challenge to win.” Izzy sashayed away, waving mockingly.
Owen stomped his foot. No fair!
He was so going to get her back!
~*~
A rustling bush off to the side made Alejandro jump.
He had nothing to worry about, though, because out stepped Athaliah, brandishing her gun. “Oh, sorry. I thought you were a deer from the other team.”
“Never mind that.” Alejandro gave her an easy smile. “Even if you did shoot, I don’t think it would count.”
“Well, it wouldn’t do to waste paint.” She paused. “I thought a whole group was passing by! I’ve been hearing voices ever since I got here.”
“From where?”
She pointed to her right.
They fell silent, listening intently. After a few moments, Alejandro heard them. A boy and two girls, it sounded like, not far from where they stood.
“Let’s go,” he whispered. “Have your gun at the ready. They might be from the other team.” She nodded.
They set off, him first. They crept their way along until they saw who it was. Crouching behind a bush, they watched on for a few moments.
It wasn’t any of the Gophers. It was a few crewmembers; Zach and two women neither of them recognized. They were, to Alejandro’s shock and delight, standing outside an old wooden house.
He examined it as closely as he could. It certainly had seen better days. The windows were dusty and the wooden walls were beginning to rot in a few places. Sequestered deep in the trees, the whole area was quite dark and eerie.
One woman was perched on a sunken wooden step. She had bleached blonde hair and dark eyes. Zach stood next to her, leaning on the handrail as the other woman stood a step away. This woman was older than the others and had auburn hair in an impossibly shiny wave down her back.
“...don’t think you should say that considering he’s the one making all our food,” she was saying.
Zach scoffed. “Yeah, and he’s shit at it.”
“No he’s not,” the blonde spoke up. “You just have ridiculously high standards.”
“My standards are normal, thank you very much.”
The older woman chuckled and shook her head. Her laughter made a slight wheezing sound through her teeth.
Zach narrowed his eyes. “Don’t you laugh at me, Lavender! Your standards are in the pits of hell!”
“And yours are in the stratosphere,” the blonde said.
“Shut up Miri!” Zach snapped.
The two women just continued to laugh.
“Face it, Zachy boy,” Lavender told him, “Chef’s the only source of food we’ve got. Your bougie gourmet tastes are too discriminatory.”
“You two are impossible.” Zach pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and walked inside.
“He’s such a dick,” Miri said.
“Chef’s food is fine. I don’t know why he gets off on turning his nose up at it.” Lavender made her way up the steps. “Anyway, I’d better go. Those episodes aren’t going to edit themselves. See you.” She left.
Miri sat in the weak sunshine for a few moments, seemingly lost in thought. Then she stood up and ambled around the corner of the house and out of sight.
Once her footsteps faded away, Alejandro made his move.
Moving on tiptoes, he darted for the door and slipped inside. He was as quick and as quiet as a shadow. He was there one moment and gone the next.
Athaliah, after a moment’s hesitation, dropped her gun and followed him.
Inside, it was dark and quiet. Before them stretched a long hallway paneled with dark oak that made the space seem very claustrophobic. There was no light at the other end, only pitch black.
Alejandro crept forward. He came to the first door and pressed his ear to it. He heard Zach and someone else on the other side, so he kept moving. He flexed his feet in a way so as to reduce noise as much as possible. The anticipation of getting caught was making his heart pound like crazy.
When he came to the next door, he paused to listen. On the other side, someone opened and closed a drawer. No go.
He moved onto the next one. Nothing but silence greeted him. Bingo! Opening the door, he ducked inside and waved for Athaliah to follow him.
It was an office, as dark as the hallway. A large oak desk sat in front of a window that let in very little light. Old rusty filing cabinets lined one wall. Scattered all over the room were other random bits of junk, such as boxes, papers, clothes and wires. The floor was clear except for a dusty and extremely ugly puce-coloured rug.
Alejandro made for the desk and pumped his fist. Because there, in plain view, was a landline telephone.
“Excelente!”
Athaliah came up behind him. “What is it?”
“A phone. We can use it to call for help!”
She peered curiously at it. “How does it work?”
“A bit too complicated to explain right now, but I'll tell you once we get out of here!”
But as Alejandro reached his hand out towards the phone, he heard an ear-shattering creak from just outside the door. It was a footstep. He and Athaliah both froze.
Thankfully, the footsteps carried on down the hall. There was no lingering pause outside the office door, no wondering who those voices belonged to. At least none that Alejandro noticed.
He exhaled deeply, alleviating some of the pressure in his chest. That was too close.
There was no way he could use the phone now. It would require him to speak out loud, and he had no guarantee that someone wouldn't hear him. With so many people inside the house, the chances of getting caught were scarily high. And not in a fun way anymore.
There needed to be a change of plans.
He leaned close to Athaliah's face. “We need to keep searching,” he whispered.
“For what? Can't you use the phone right there?”
“Too loud and risky right now. We need something portable. Something we can carry away with us so we can use it in a quieter place where no one will hear us. Something like those walkie-talkies that Chris always uses. Or a cellphone.”
“Oh, I see. Would you like me to search his desk?”
“Yes. I'll look through those cabinets over there. Keep as quiet as possible. If someone comes in, hide.”
They got to searching. Alejandro eased open drawer after drawer, careful not to make any sound. All he found was more junk. Some of it seemed new, but most looked old. More books, wires and whatnot. The wires gave him hope of finding electronics, but to no avail. Still, he kept hunting.
His hands gradually grew clammier the more he searched. Was this how his plan was going to crash and burn? Right at the most difficult hurdle? The most crucial step was starting to seem insurmountable. One filing cabinet, then the next, and the next. His breathing wavered.
Jose's cruel disembodied smirk floated to the forefront of his mind. “You can't even find a cellphone? Seriously, how pathetic are you? Dios mio…”
He clenched his fists and kept searching.
Athaliah inspected the desk. It had six drawers, three on each side. The top was littered with papers and pens and old coffee mugs. If the drawers were as disorganized as the surface, then she had a lot of shit to sort through.
She started with the papers on the desk.
Many of them seemed to be official documents of some kind. Bills and letters. It was all so terribly confusing to her. She picked up one bill. The government wanted money for electricity? Shouldn't it be free?
She read it more closely and noticed something interesting.
From what little she did understand, it seemed that one only paid for electricity for the house where they live. Of course. But this bill was meant for an address in Newfoundland. She didn't recognize the road or town it listed. And since it was here, on Chris’ desk…
Did this mean that they were in Newfoundland? Perhaps the town was on the mainland and the road was the one that led to the water?
But who would live in such a dump as this? Chris was a strange, sickening fellow.
She committed the address to memory, dropped the bill back onto the desk and resumed her search.
Athaliah learned quite a bit more about Chris than she ever wanted to. According to the names on the bills, his full name was Christian Drew McLean. He was born here in Newfoundland in 1978. He received a lot of mail from Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa, most of them letters either from those claiming to be ‘old fans’ of his work - whatever his work was - or people who seemed to be colleagues. Some words and phrases she saw she couldn't understand: television deal, record label, royalties. Nevertheless, she made sure to remember it just in case it came in handy later.
She had just finally opened a drawer when she nearly jumped out of her skin.
The phone rang.
~*~
Noah traipsed through the woods, bored out of his mind. He didn't like paintballing when his sister Cassie took him once with her friends, and he didn't like it now. He hadn't even seen anything, let alone shot something.
Oh well, it could be worse. Everyone was in a mutual, unspoken agreement that if they lost today, then Heather was getting a one-way express pass straight to hell. For that reason, Noah wasn't under an insane amount of pressure for once.
His gun slung over his shoulder, he meandered about. A thought crossed his mind of what would happen if he were to find the second Life Idol out here, but he abruptly pushed it out of his mind. He couldn't afford to get his hopes up like that.
No…he couldn’t get his hopes up at all.
He was doomed to die here, wasn’t he? Doomed to die with his family not even having an inkling of where he was. British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec? He might as well be on an entirely different continent.
Chris, that bastard. That wicked son of a bitch. Was he ever going to reveal their location? No, of course not. He thrived on their despair.
Noah imagined going back to Kara’s shitty trailer and stealing a gun, then using it to shoot both her and Chris. The audacious surprise on their faces, the bangs, the blood splattering whatever lay behind them. Dead and gone, forced to look up at humanity forever.
He smirked to himself, but knew that he couldn’t entertain those sort of thoughts anymore. It was just filling his head with false hope. That, he couldn’t afford to have.
Noah needed to face facts: he wasn’t getting out of here alive.
Sure, this challenge was lame as hell. But who knew what the future challenges would be like? He was weak as fuck, scrawny and slow. The only reason he hadn’t been voted off already was because all the heat was directed at others. But once Heather was gone, who to say he wouldn’t be next?
He wasn’t a crier. He refused to shed tears over this. Instead he inhaled a big breath of woody air and released it.
There was nothing around him. No deer to shoot. It only confirmed what he already knew: he wasn’t good enough at challenges to warrant being kept around.
Inside his chest, an ugly black hole opened up, tearing itself open even wider. What emerged from it was more than despair. It was anger.
Anger directed, above all, at himself.
He was lazy. Too lazy to take out the garbage on time. He got kidnapped because he cared more about his computer game than his chores.
Noah sat forlornly in front of the camera. “Mom, if you're watching this, I’m really sorry about the trash…”
And now his family was more than likely completely devastated. And it was all his fault…
He was suddenly wrenched from his thoughts. From somewhere nearby, he thought he heard what sounded like crying. Pausing to listen confirmed that yes, it was indeed crying. Probably Sadie or Tyler having a breakdown. They'd always seemed like the crying types to him.
He followed it to its source. It turned out to be Cody, sat under a tree with his face buried in his knees and arms wrapped tightly around himself.
“Cody?”
Cody's head lifted. His eyes were red-rimmed and watery. His jeans had massive damp patches on the knees.”O-Oh, hey…”
“What's wrong?” Silly question. Noah could take a pretty good guess at what was wrong.
Cody swallowed thickly. “I…I'm just homesick.”
“Yeah. Me too.” He sat down by his side. “You know what the worst part of it is? I don’t even know where exactly we are. If I had some idea then I could picture it in my head. Formulate an escape route or something. But no. We might not even be in the country anymore for all I know.”
Cody scrubbed at his eyes. “I never really thought about that before.”
“What, escaping?”
“No, that other stuff you were saying about how we don’t know where we are.”
“The sign by the dock says Camp Wawanakwa. God knows where that is. I’ve never heard of it before.”
“It looks to be pretty old. Everything’s falling apart.”
“I don’t think it’s that old. All the buildings are still standing, and the junk in the equipment shed’s still usable. This place can’t have been abandoned for more than a few years.”
Cody’s eyes welled with tears. “So we’re all stuck on some random island in the middle of nowhere and we’re all just gonna die out here.”
“Duh. Haven’t you been paying any attention? What are you, a moron?”
Okay, that was unkind. Noah regretted it the second it came out of his mouth. He was just tired and fed up with being scared out of his wits all the time, but that was no excuse to take it out on Cody.
Cody turned away from him. Noah put a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, I’m sorry. That was harsh. I shouldn’t have said that.”
He didn’t shrug him off, which Noah supposed was a good thing. Instead, Cody curled in on himself and began to cry again.
A brutal shutdown, but perhaps a necessary one. The whole situation still didn’t feel real at times. It was all just a bad dream, viewed through patterned glass. It was all just colours moving around in distinct yet undefined shapes. Maybe Cody was a moron for wanting to leave when he obviously wasn’t going to. This dream wasn’t going to have a happy ending.
Noah pressed his chest to his back and embraced him awkwardly. “Cody…I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
He wasn’t just sorry for what he said. He was sorry that Cody was even here in the first place. Sorry for all of them.
But he was still angry. Angry at Chris and Chef and Kara and all the crewmembers on this fucking island.
And above all, angry at himself.
“It’s my fault.”
Cody hiccoughed. “What are you talking about?”
“I got kidnapped because I was an idiot. A lazy, useless idiot. It’s my own fault that I’m here.”
Cody pulled back, eyes wide and watery in shock. “No it’s not.”
“Cody, it is. My mom asked me to take out the trash before dinner. And I just sat on my ass and kept playing Kosmic Kaos until ten at night. Then when I finally emerged from my hovel to sort out the trash, it was at the exact time that van came around. Face it, my own laziness has killed me.”
“No!”
The force in Cody’s voice made Noah stop in his tracks.
“Noah, it wasn’t your fault! Don’t say that! It’s Chris’ fault, not yours! Don’t let him get to you!”
Noah blinked. “Where’s all this coming from?”
Cody sniffed and wiped at his face. “I dunno, I just…I just don’t like seeing you beat yourself up like that.”
“Well, it’s true. If there’s any moron here, it’s me.”
“Noah! Stop it!” Cody made a grab for him, but Noah pulled away.
“No! I’m probably going to die, and as much as it pains me, I have to accept it! And you need to, as well!”
Cody glared at him. With his tear-filled eyes and quivering lower lip, he’d look pretty funny if this wasn’t so serious. Noah glared back. He was still sorry, but the fear overwhelming his heart made it impossible for him to back down.
They were going to die here. Noah wanted to live as much as anybody, but why deny the inevitable? Heather was his one safety blanket and once she’s gone…
Cody still believed they had a chance. A tiny one, but a chance nonetheless. He couldn’t believe this sudden doom and gloom attitude Noah was giving him. He also didn’t appreciate him trying to drag him into it too.
Noah spun on his heel and made to walk away, but Cody reached out and grabbed his hand.
Noah’s breath caught in his throat. Cody’s hand was as clammy as his own was, but his grip was surprisingly soft and tender.
“Please don’t give up,” Cody said, another tear rolling down his cheek. “Please don’t. You deserve to live. Don’t leave me here all alone…”
Noah, taken aback, felt as stiff as a board. “Cody…we can’t win. Everyone’s so much stronger than us-”
“They can make mistakes and die. We can float by beneath their notice. We can do something - anything but giving up. Please don’t give Chris what he wants. You’re the closest thing I have to a friend and I don’t want to lose you!”
“What?” Noah’s eyes widened.
“Whatever happened with the trash, it wasn’t your fault. It never was. Chris is the monster here, not you. I know you’re scared, but we have to keep winning! I have faith in you, and as long as I have faith in myself, then we’ll make it through together!”
Noah’s eyes tingled. He blinked. They were wet.
For a split second, Cody became convinced that he was just lying to himself; that a couple of scrawny nerds like him can’t possibly win.
And then Noah threw his arms around him, pulling him close.
They didn’t speak for the longest time. But that was okay. They didn’t need to.
That hug said enough.
~*~
Sierra was resting under a tree, confident that no one else was around. She had her arms behind her head and one leg crossed over the other. The shade of the tree was nice and cool: just what she needed on such a warm summer’s day.
The rustling nearby didn’t even register.
The rock that sailed out and hit her on the head certainly did.
“Sierra! Run! Run like the wind!”
Sierra, jolted awake, scrambled to her feet and sprinted away just in time. A volley of blue paint splattered the tree where she’d been resting only moments before.
“Fuck you, Owen!” Izzy shouted.
Owen strutted out of his hiding place. “Heh heh. Looks like the shoe’s pretty painful when it’s on the other foot, isn’t it?”
“What does that even mean?”
“It means that you’re gonna lose!” Owen hurried away, cackling all the while.
Izzy grumbled. She was not about to let him put one over her like that!
“You messed with the wrong Bass,” she whispered ominously.
Owen sat smugly inside the confessional. “Was I scared of Izzy? Of course not. People like her always talk a big game, but can never walk the walk, or game, or whatever.”
“This is so fucking stupid.” Eva grumbled. “Why do I have to be stuck as a deer? If I had a gun in my hands, I’d be un-fucking-stoppable! But no! I’m just prancing around in these stupid antlers! Ugh! I wish I could take them off and shove them up Chris’ ass!”
Trailing behind her, Ezekiel said meekly, “I think you’d get shot for that, eh.”
“It’ll be fucking worth it!”
“Hey, uh…” Ezekiel gulped. “You probably shouldn’t be yelling so loud. Someone might hear us.”
“Shut it! I have every right to complain!”
“Er…I know, but…”
“So what did I just say? Shut it!”
He shut up. Eva walked ahead of him and in silence he followed.
Ezekiel wanted to stay close to Eva, for he could barely take a single step without his entire body hurting terribly. He figured it would be best to stick to the strongest person on his team. Protection was something he really needed right now.
Plus, what better way to get on Eva’s good side than by acknowledging her strength?
To his dismay, however, Eva still wouldn’t drop her anger towards him. She continued to talk to him like he was a waste of her time. Hell, she wouldn’t even glance back at him.
Zeke knew he should apologize. That much was clear. What he didn’t know was how to broach the subject.
Fearing that she would snap at him again, he held his breath and continued onwards. He’ll wait until the time is right, when she’s less angry. Then he’ll say something.
He kept his eyes on Eva’s back as they walked. Her muscles could be seen rippling beneath her shirt and her broad shoulders bounced with each step. Her ponytail swayed to the rhythm of her footsteps.
Ezekiel couldn’t help but wonder about her. She was from a different life, so much so that she might as well be from a different planet. A planet where she was allowed to do physical labour and develop her body into a tank. She was a champion weightlifter, she’d said once. Wow. If his mom or sister tried to become one, their father would have kicked them out.
Hell, Damaris ended up getting kicked out anyway. Maybe for wanting to become a champion weightlifter. Gone in the dead of night, with her only backward glance reserved for her kid brother.
Ezekiel shivered. He hadn’t thought about Damaris in ages. He wasn’t even allowed to, really. The second she walked out the door, she was dead to their parents.
Did she know he was a missing person back home? Did his parents tell her, or did she hear about it in the news? She must be worried. She’d always clashed with their parents, but never with him.
Actually, the more he thought about it, the more he realised that Eva and Damaris were quite similar in a few ways. Loud, quick-tempered and constantly angry.
Well, maybe Damaris wasn’t so angry anymore. Their parents were constantly trying to control her. That would piss anyone off. Hopefully she was a lot calmer now.
Maybe Eva would calm down once Ezekiel clears the air with her…
Okay, maybe he should stop shying away from it. No time like the present.
He bit his lip. Just do it. DJ would want him to apologize. It was the right thing to do.
But when Zeke opened his mouth, someone else called out. “Hey, guys!”
Tyler came jogging up the path towards them. “Fancy meeting you two here!”
Eva folded her arms. “What do you want?”
He cringed a little at her tone. “Oh, uh, I was just wondering if you all wanted to stick together? We could go hide somewhere, or something…” He trailed off as Eva continued to stare her stony stare.
To his surprise though, she actually considered it. “Well, I suppose. Safety in numbers and all that.” And then she kept walking.
Tyler and Ezekiel stood staring after her. She stopped, sighed, turned around and said, “Well, aren’t you coming?”
They hastily followed.
The next few minutes passed in awkward silence. Tyler, just as scared of Eva as Ezekiel was, was reluctant to start a conversation with her. He hung back next to Ezekiel staring after her.
“So, uh…” he began in a whisper, “how are you feeling?”
“Everything still hurts,” Ezekiel whispered glumly.
“Are they still bleeding? Do you need any more bandages?”
“No, I’m fine.” He thought for a moment. “Actually, there is something else I need help with…”
“What is it?”
He nodded at Eva. “I need help apologising to her. For what I said during the cliff dive challenge, about girls being weaker than guys.”
“Oh, I see. Hmmm…well, I think you just need to come out and say it. Just be honest and promise to do better.”
“Is that it? Then why does this feel so hard?”
“Probably because Eva’s scary, man.”
Ezekiel shuddered. He knew Tyler was right. Better to just spit it out. The longer he puts it off, the more enraged Eva might get.
So with that, Ezekiel steeled himself and began, “Hey, Eva…”
“What?!” She whirled around, still in a foul mood.
He shook in his boots, but held fast. “U-Um…I just uh, wanted to say that I’m sorry for what I said earlier.” At her stony face, he rushed to clarify. “Uh, the cliff dive challenge. When I said that girls are weaker than guys. Uh, I was wrong. And I’m sorry.”
The seconds ticked by like minutes. Watching Eva’s face, he took note of her narrowing eyebrows and bared teeth. He gulped. For all his sincerity - and he truly was sincere- it seemed like all he’d done was awaken fresh rage within her. She was already angry yet had room for more.
Then came the three words he’d been most dreading.
“Apology not accepted.”
The inside of his mouth was dry. “O-Oh, okay…sorry…”
Tyler tried to step in. “Come on, Eva, he really is sorry!”
“I don’t care. I don’t forgive him.”
“Then can you at least cut it out with the attitude?”
That was entirely the wrong thing to say.
Eva ground her teeth together. “Attitude?!”
She got right up in his face, her own face as red as the sunset. “Attitude? Attitude?! I’ll show you motherfucking attitude!” She shoved him, hard.
Tyler narrowed his eyes, his face also turning red. “Hey, cut it out!” He shoved her back.
Eva planted both hands flat on his chest and pushed him to the ground.
Tyler jumped to his feet and shoulder-barged her.
Eva wrapped one arm around him, catching him in a headlock.
Ezekiel could only watch on in horror as the two of them slapped and kicked at each other. He was anticipating a beat-down, sure, but he sure as hell wasn’t anticipating Tyler taking it in his stead. Eva had a look on her face like she was wrestling a bear. Tyler’s face was red and sweaty.
“You guys! Stop! Please!”
“Shut up!” Eva launched a palm at his chest. He stumbled back and fell on his ass.
“Hey!” Tyler yanked her wrist, making her let him go. “Back off! Leave him alone!”
Eva growled, a menacing noise gurgling in the back of her throat. “You back off, fucker!”
Ezekiel was close to tears now. “Can we please just stop-”
“No!” Eva barked. “If you guys insist on picking a fight with me, then you better be prepared to see it the fuck through!”
Tyler certainly wasn't backing down. “You're the one picking a fight! Why don't you just calm down for once!”
“Don't you dare tell me to calm down!”
Ezekiel couldn't stop them. Tears rolled down his face. He honestly didn't mean for it to get so out of hand.
Their voices lifted higher and higher into the air, floating away on the sticky breeze, carried off for the whole world to hear.
~*~
She froze.
The phone, that yellowed white object she didn’t understand, was ringing. The noise rattled in her skull. She wasn’t sure how to react.
Alejandro stood up straight, eyes blown wide with fear. If someone heard the ringing and opened the door…
“Answer it!” he told her.
The way Athaliah just stared back blankly made him want to bash her head in. Couldn’t she see they were in danger? “Athaliah! Answer it!”
She cast her gaze down towards the phone, blinking slowly, then back at him.
He stayed rooted to the spot, scared to lift his feet. “For fuck’s sake! Lift the receiver and answer it!”
With a tentative hand, she took hold of the receiver and held it up to her face. Her whole arm was shaking. She looked to Alejandro for more guidance. He bared his teeth, about to snap at her again, but she got the message. “H-H-Hello…?”
The voice that came out of the little holes was tinny and hard to hear. She brought it closer to her ear. A woman spoke to her. She sounded American. “Good morning, this is Halder's Unlimited Fur Products, may I speak with Chris McLean please?”
“Oh…uhhh…he, um, isn’t here right now…”
“Can he come to the phone?”
Athaliah gulped. It was so loud that Alejandro could hear it from across the room. “No, I am sorry, but he is, uh…rather busy at the moment…”
“I see. Are you one of his interns?”
Despite having no clue what an intern was, Athaliah had the distinct feeling that she should lie. “...Yes…”
“Excellent. I’d like you to confirm an order on his behalf, then.”
Athaliah’s jaw bobbed up and down like a gasping fish. Alejandro moved then, as silent as a cat, over to the desk and took the phone from her.
“Hello? How may I help you?”
“Who is this?” the woman asked.
“I’m, uh, working for Chris McLean. Sorry, he can’t come to the phone right now. He’s a very busy man.”
“Are you another intern?”
“Yes, ma’am. Please excuse my…colleague’s awkwardness. She doesn’t like talking on the phone. Kids these days, amirite?”
There was a long pause. Alejandro gripped the phone tighter. Athaliah clasped her hands together and leaned in some close her and Alejandro's cheeks were nearly pressed together.
Finally the woman spoke, business as usual. “Right, well, I’d like you to confirm an order on his behalf.”
“Certainly.”
“Alright. We have an order of three tiger-skin rugs, one white mink coat, three fur-lined shoes, one brown fur coat and one mounted Moose head.”
“Yes, that…sounds about right.”
“Now, the password, please.”
“Password?”
The woman was beginning to sound impatient. “Yes, the password. To confirm the order?”
Alejandro swallowed. “O-Of course…” His chest tightened.
The few seconds that elapsed before Athaliah took the phone from him were the heaviest of his life. He was struck dumb. A password? A fucking password for some stupid rugs and coats? Fucking Chris!
And more importantly, who knew what the goddamn password was?
He closed his eyes. This was it, then. This was the end of the line.
The phone slid gently out of his grasp. Athaliah cradled it in both hands. With a stronger voice she said, “The password is 181178.”
“Correct.” Then came a tapping sound, like fingers on a keyboard. “But what happened to the other guy?”
Athaliah scoffed. “Don't mind him. My colleague is a fool.”
“Well, anyway. That's all I needed from you. Please tell Mr McLean that his purchases will be shipped to his Toronto address, and that I look forward to seeing what kind of show he's producing.”
“I shall!”
“Thank you. Goodbye.” A click, then a dull tone.
Alejandro's lungs emptied themselves completely. He took the receiver from her and put it back. He leaned against the desk and stared at it. He brushed his hair back in wonder and relief. “How-how did you know?”
Athaliah picked up a sheet of paper from the desk and showed it to him. “This has his birthday on it. I figured a number password might relate to something meaningful to him.”
Indeed it did. Below his name, it listed his birthday as 18th November 1978.
He examined it more closely. It was a CV addressed to someone named Henry Ellison in Toronto. The job Chris was applying for was TV Show Host. It would have made Al laugh if he wasn’t simultaneously scared and disgusted.
Although he couldn’t resist cracking a smile when he saw, down the bottom, a word stamped in harsh red: REJECTED.
So this whole thing was his claim to fame?
Fame is truly the biggest monster out there.
He found himself reaching for more papers, hungry to learn about their sick fuck of a host, before he remembered where he was. “Shit, Athaliah, we need to keep looking for a phone!”
He yanked open a drawer and rifled through it. When he found nothing, he moved on to the next one down.
Bingo!
A phone lay right on top of a stack of papers, waiting for him. He slipped it into his pocket, the tension uncoiling somewhat in his chest. “Let’s get out of here!”
“Is that also a phone? Would it not be too small?” Athaliah asked.
“No, no, it’s perfect! It means we can take it with us and hide it easily!”
They opened the door and started down the way they’d come, only for one door up ahead to suddenly swing open. Voices floated out alongside the clack of a shoe.
Back they went, down the other end of the hallway, passing a staircase and turning right until they found themselves in a weakly-lit dining room. Directly across from them lay another dark doorway. It was another hallway, shorter than the other one, and the door at the end opened onto blinding sunlight.
Finally, fresh air! Freedom!
They burst outside and closed the door behind them. Only then did they stop to catch their breath. Even though the light struggled through the canopy of leaves and shadows, it felt like the surface of the sun compared to indoors.
“Quick” Alejandro began, not wanting to waste another moment, “we need to hide!”
Athaliah, however, would not be so easily budged.
A breeze was blowing, nice and cold. But it carried notes of…something. Something sweet and putrid. Something awfully familiar. She followed it quietly around the corner of the building, Alejandro following close behind.
There, lying before them, were six wooden boxes lined up in a row. They were light in colour and very obviously cheaply constructed. Without a doubt, they were the source of the odour. It was growing stronger the closer they got.
Athaliah felt a strange feeling come over her, like God had cupped her in His hands and was urging her forward. This was something she was meant to see, she believed. He wanted her to see this. She believed it so strongly that she kept moving forward despite her uneasiness.
“Wait,” Alejandro called softly, voice wobbling.
But Athaliah didn’t listen. It was like watching a movie character. She drifted wordlessly over to the nearest box, grabbed hold of the lid, and pushed it off.
Lindsay’s head had rolled over on its side in one upper corner. The rest of her body lay on its back, one arm pinned underneath it. Her pure white tank top was soaked with blood, as was much of her coffin. Her bandana had turned purple in colour. The smell that emanated was woody, sickly and metallic.
So this was what she was meant to see.
Another strange feeling came over her, more potent than the last. Those hands being held around her were now pulling away. She knew, terrifyingly, that they wouldn’t return, no matter how much she still needed them to guide her. His very presence was retreating from her soul.
“O Lord in Heaven, please show us mercy. Please show all these poor souls before me mercy. Save us from this evil. O Lord in Heaven, please grant us all your strength. I thank thee, Lord, for blessing me thus far. Please, Lord, bless my companions also.”
Another hand reached for her.
Alejandro’s warm sweaty palm closed around her arm and spirited her away into the woods.
~*~
Noah and Cody walked through the woods wordlessly for a long time.
The light continued to dance on them, the leaves shuffling about in the breeze. Since that storm a few days ago, the ground had dried up, and now the twigs, leaves and grass were crunching pleasantly underfoot. A cool breeze ruffled their hair and clothes. Noah quietly breathed it all in.
Cody was right, he knew. He couldn't give up. His mind had been so drowned out by swirling storm clouds that he wasn't thinking clearly.
But he could see it now. The end of this game was a goal to reach for. He was not going to be a quitter.
Thank God for Cody! Thank God he snapped him out of it!
Noah honestly couldn't believe he didn't think he had a chance, that he was just resigning himself to his fate without even so much as trying. How could he! That probably would have been a bigger slap in the face to his family than him neglecting the trash.
It was his family he thought of when he embraced Cody. His mother’s warm hugs, his father’s everlasting presence on the sofa, Kara’s cheery smile, Paul’s silhouette against the blue light of his computer, Marie’s flowerprint dresses, Cassie’s goodnatured rage when playing video games with him. How could he ever leave it all behind?
“Cody,” he said, “thank you.”
Cody chuckled, very faintly. “It was the least I could do.”
“Why? You don’t owe me anything. If anything, I owe you. You helped pull me out of quicksand yesterday, remember? And you saved me from getting eaten by a bear.”
“No, I meant like…I meant what I said earlier. About you being the closest thing I have to a friend here.”
“Oh? You mean that?”
“Yeah. I, uh, don’t exactly excel at making friends.” Cody rubbed the back of his neck. “But, uhhh, you seem cool. You didn’t vote me off the first time, after what I did to Katie, did you? And you let me hang around you during challenges and whatnot.”
Something funny was unfurling itself in Noah’s chest. “Well…I knew what happened with Katie was an accident. I didn’t think it was fair of you to die over that. And…yeah, you’re a lot more bearable than most others here.”
“Aw, thanks! So, does this mean we can be proper friends?”
Noah shrugged. “Yeah, sure, why not? I, uh, don’t exactly have many friends either.”
“Yes!” Cody pumped his fist. “You better hope they don’t have a gaming console in that equipment shed, because the day I find one is the day you get your butt kicked!”
Almost fully cheered up now, Noah laughed back. “Are you this aggressive towards anyone you wanna be friends with?”
Cody faltered. “Oh, was that too much? Sorry-”
“It’s fine.” Noah clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m just teasing.”
Cody grinned, showing off the gap in his teeth. He was about to respond when they noticed that they didn’t seem to be alone anymore.
“Shouting, from over there.” He gestured. “Sounds like somebody’s having an argument.”
Noah cocked his gun. “If it’s who I think it is, then it sounds like we might be winning this challenge.”
~*~
“...and you're a bunch of ultra-macho fucks who think they're hot shit!”
“No we're not!”
“Yes you are! I go to the gym! I see your kind all the time!”
“I don't even go to the gym!”
“That's not the point, you idiot!”
“Then what is the point?”
“That sexists can't be trusted!”
“But I'm not sexist! Zeke is! Or, was. He was just trying to apologize!”
Ezekiel looked back and forth helplessly.
Then, from behind, a third voice joined the fray. “Hey, what the fuck are you guys doing?! Hide!!!”
They barely had any time to process the words before several orange paintballs splattered themselves all over Eva’s chest. The murder left her eyes and was replaced with annihilation. “YOU BASTARD! I’M GONNA KILL YOU!!!”
Izzy threw her to the ground and stepped over her, gun at the ready. “Don’t worry guys, I got this! Tyler, Zeke, make yourselves scarce!”
In front of her, the bushes rustled with an air of animosity. Owen stepped forth, grinning like a madman. “One down, two more little deer to mount above my mantlepiece!” He cackled maniacally.
“You’ll have to get through me first!” Izzy’s eyes blazed.
“If it’s a fight you want, it’s a fight you’ll get!”
The air around them stilled, sensing a cinematic moment. Jack the cameraman could barely contain his laughter. The two of them just looked so serious, it was ridiculous.
Izzy and Owen stood, eyes narrowed dangerously, guns tightly in their grasp. No one was coming out of this clean. There would be blood - er, paint - on both their hands. But neither wanted to fire second. That would be embarrassing.
Eva stayed put in anticipation. Even she was getting invested in this now.
The tension was suddenly broken by a scream from behind. Izzy turned in shock.
There was Noah emerging dramatically from a bush, brandishing his own weapon. Which he had just fired at Ezekiel.
Ezekiel was the one who had screamed. The paintball had hit him directly in a wound on his chest and it stung like a fucking bitch. He fell to his knees, arms outstretched and begging for mercy. “Please, don’t shoot again! That hurt!”
“Sorry, didn’t mean it. But that’s two down, one to go.” He swung the weapon towards Tyler, who scampered backwards on all fours. “With three kills, I’d say we’ve won this game.”
“Please, mercy!” Tyler cried out.
“Sorry, bud. End of the line.” He squeezed the trigger.
What happened next seemed to happen in slow motion. The paintball - it only took one - left the barrel and hurtled through the air. Tyler’s eyes widened as it got closer and closer.
Then, before anyone could stop her, Izzy threw herself into the air and to the side. “NOOOOO!” She blocked Tyler from Noah’s view. The paintball thudded into her chest, right through the gap in her top. She collapsed, wheezing dramatically.
“Izzy, no!” Tyler rushed to her side. “Why did you do that?” He held her hand.
“Gotta…protect…the team…” She laid the back of her hand against her forehead. “Go…go on without me…”
“Never! Never leave a man, or woman, behind!” Tyler curled himself over her, trying to shield her.
Noah raised an eyebrow. “Uh, I don’t think this works like that, but whatever.” He shot Tyler twice.
“Aw, dang it.” Tyler hung his head. Izzy patted his shoulder.
Cody peeked out from behind Noah’s shoulder. “Well that was pretty dramatic.”
That was a mistake.
When Izzy laid eyes upon the antlers on his head, the fire within her reignited itself. “Meat!” She screamed. She threw Tyler off of her, grabbed her gun and fired five shots. Three of them hit Cody in the face, spattering all over his orange glasses. The other two connected with Noah’s arm and shoulder.
“Hey!” Owen barked, “no one shoots my teammates and gets away with it!” He fired at Izzy’s back.
She spun around. “Get away with this!” She opened fire on him.
Everything was chaos after that. Owen and Izzy emptied their paint cartridges on each other with wild abandon, hollering all the while. Noah even took the opportunity to take a few more potshots at Izzy; she occasionally responded by spinning back around to fire back at him. Tyler, Ezekiel and Cody were laughing the whole way through, cheering on their respective team members. Eva just stood there, rolling her eyes.
Almost too soon, the announcement came over the loudspeakers, spoiling their fun. “Two hours is up, guys! Everyone back to camp!”
~*~
“Well well well, what do we have here? Getting into verbal spats. Getting into physical ones. Reenacting a war movie. Do you know what I see here? I see a highly undisciplined group! I see a total lack of control! I see a massive waste of paint product!”
Chris marched in front of the teens, all lined up in a row. Izzy, Owen and Noah were absolutely covered in paint and beaming like naughty children. Eva, Ezekiel and Tyler stood a little more seriously. Alejandro and Athaliah tried to act naturally. There was one member of the Screaming Gophers missing, though no one realised it in that moment.
Chris stopped in front of them, facing them all head on. “And, I have to say…That. Was. Awesome!”
Izzy nodded proudly to herself.
Chris bent over double with laughter. “The way you guys just opened fire on each other! The whole thing…oh my God that was hilarious!”
“What can I say?” Owen shrugged. “I have a fighting spirit.”
“A shame my fighting spirit didn’t lead us to shoot anything,” Harold said mournfully.
“What happened?”
Geoff clapped a hand on Harold’s skinny shoulder. “He mistook a tree for a deer and shot it like a billion times.”
“I swear it looked just like Sierra!”
Sierra giggled. “Nope. I’m a lot more sparkly than the average tree.” She swished her shiny tassels to prove her point. Not that Harold could see it.
“You’re not the only one who had bad luck out there, stringbean.” Leshawna said. “The whole time Katie and I were looking for Heather. She was the one person I wanted to shoot, and I didn’t care about the rules.”
“Hey,” Sadie said from where she stood with her arm wrapped around Katie, “where is Heather?”
The Gophers checked their immediate surroundings.
“Looks like she’s a no-show.” Cody remarked.
“Good. She can die out there for all I care!” Leshawna said.
“You won’t be able to vote her out tonight anyway,” Chris told her. “You guys got four kills, one of whom wasn’t even a deer, so you all win the challenge!”
“Maybe she can swap places with whoever gets eliminated tonight."
“It would make for a nice subversive twist.” Alejandro agreed, a little too desperately.
Chris nodded. “I would. People love subversion. But, the final decision is mine. So I’ll think about it.”
“Think about what?” A voice came from the shadows of the woods.
Heather stepped into the bright sunlight, shielding her eyes. She tore her glasses from her face and tossed them aside. “So, did we win?”
The whole team glared at her. “Who’s we?” Owen spat.
Leshawna readied her gun once more. “We were just thinking about how much you deserve to die, you vile creature!” She shot Heather in the leg.
Heather leapt back. “What the hell are you doing, you crazy-” She cut herself off, instead resorting to fleeing into the woods.
Leshawna and Owen weren’t going to let her get away that easy. “Come back here and face what you deserve!” They chased after her, yelling in rage. The rest of the team, minus Katie, followed, whooping and cheering.
The Bass just stood there listening to their shouts receding into the distance.
“I pray such a fate never befalls me,” Alejandro chuckled dryly.
“Wow they really hate her,” Sadie remarked. Katie could only nod mutely.
Geoff shrugged. “Can we blame them? After all, it’s pretty cold to turn your own team against each other. Right, Al?”
Al’s left eye twitched.
Geoff adjusted his hat, picked up his gun, and proceeded to fire six paintballs all over Alejandro’s body. He laughed without humour. “That’s for Bridgette!”
Harold could just make out the outline of the Spaniard, stepping back in shock and coated in dark blue. He shrugged to himself. “Well, since I never got to shoot anything…” He took aim and shot him in the chest.
“Hey! Cut it out!” Alejandro barked. He was answered by a series of sharp stings on his butt.
It was Athaliah. She high-fived Eva, then gave her the gun to use. Eva didn’t let the opportunity go to waste.
“Okay, I’m soooo confused…” Katie turned to Sadie for answers.
“He tried to frame Bridgette for burning down our tent during the camping thing.”
“OMG, really? That’s so cold!”
“Oh it’s totally cold!”
Katie rested the barrel on her wrist and shot him in the neck. “Here Sadie, you have a turn!” Sadie took aim at his head. She relished it.
Soon they all had him trapped in the eye of their storm, pelting him with stinging blue paintballs. He could do nothing to fend them off. In fact, he felt like crying.
This was the end of the line for a shooting star. Grade-A honor student, on track to attend university early, amateur model, Spanish skateboarding champion three years in a row. Youngest son of the highly esteemed ambassador and his socialite wife. Youngest brother of a National soccer team member and a world-famous model.
He’d been too cocky, too forward. Too mean. Everyone had seen right through him. The facade was long gone.
This was how it was already going to end. On his knees, covered in electric blue paint, surrounded by the jeers of his peers. He was no longer a member of the respected Burromuerto clan. He was a sneak, a liar, a fraud. A monster.
He wanted to cry, but even still, his family training kept those tears withheld from everyone.
His family, who had always rejected his efforts, who probably weren’t even looking for him, were still dictating everything. He never hated them more than in that moment, yet he still longed for their faces to appear before him and whisk him far away from here. Far away, where he could clean off the paint and go to sleep with the reassurance that he won’t be dead for a long, long time.
~*~
Heather marched onwards, looking straight ahead, trying not to react to the jabs from her teammates. This was not going to be a walk of shame. It would be a walk of…well, she didn’t know what exactly. But definitely not shame.
The smell of the paint was making her nose sting. Her limbs itched to scratch it off. God, she needed a shower.
She pushed open the door to the bathroom. Then immediately came the sound of hasty movement from the farthest cubicle. Feet scuffed against the floor. Clothes brushed up against the wall. The toilet flushed.
Heather walked over to the sink. Her reflection stared back from the mirror, all splotchy orange. She was absolutely caked in it.
She peeled off her shirt and shorts and ran them under the hot tap. The paint had dried somewhat, but was still fresh enough that it washed away relatively easily. She used the bar of soap nearby to scrub at the more stubborn bits. This felt like doing laundry in the medieval period, or something. Long and boring and hard. Steam filled the air and soothed her raw limbs.
Behind her, the toilet flushed again. Muffled whispers, then another flush.
Heather rolled her eyes. “Whoever’s in there shitting out half their intestines, can you at least make sure there’s enough toilet paper for everyone else?”
The door swung open and Alejandro stepped out. He was covered in so much blue paint that it made him look extraterrestrial. “Sorry about that, I-” He stopped short, eyes widening.
She wasn’t surprised that he’d been struck dumb. She was just standing there in her underwear, after all. How many half-naked girls had he seen before? Probably a big fat zero, judging by his reaction.
She couldn’t really spare the energy to be embarrassed, though. Her clothes were dirty, what was she supposed to do?
Alejandro snapped himself out of it and went to stand at the sink next to her. He flicked on the hot water tap and began scrubbing at his arms. “So, they got you too.”
“I could say the same thing. What did you do to piss off your team so badly?”
“Same thing you did. Only…not as successfully.”
Heather snorted. “Yeah, because I’m totally flying under the radar right now.”
“You know what I mean. You got out Beth and nearly Lindsay too without anyone finding out. I, on the other hand, played my hand too openly. Everyone immediately clued in to what I was trying to do. I made a mistake going after Bridgette. She was too well-liked.”
“So were Beth and Lindsay.”
“The rest of my team are always getting up to all sorts without me. Another mistake I made was separating myself from them like that. Maybe…maybe they’d have warmed up to me otherwise.”
Loud laughter from outside caused them to stop. They cracked open the door and peeked out.
The Killer Bass were all mingling merrily, chatting and laughing as though it really was a normal summer camp. Izzy, Tyler, Ezekiel and Eva were still covered in paint.
“Selfie time!” Geoff said, pulling Bridgette’s camera out of his pocket. They all eagerly gathered round with big cheesy grins. Izzy put up bunny ears behind Tyler, who was totally none the wiser. Katie had joined in too, still glued to Sadie’s side.
The whole scene was so joyous and light-hearted that it made Heather sick. She stormed back to the sink and resumed trying to wash her clothes.
Alejandro followed her. “See what I mean?”
“Yeah.”
“This whole time, I was acting like I was better than them. The prestige of my birth has no use here. I didn’t realize that until too late. I should have tried harder to make them like me.” He sighed mournfully.
“If it makes you feel any better,” Heather said through clenched teeth as she worked at a particularly annoying stain on her shorts, “they’re all a bunch of hypocrites. All of them. Everyone. Your team and mine.”
“How so?”
“They were soooooo very mad at me for getting rid of Beth and Lindsay. They also would have all stood there and watched me get shot to death with arrows by an incompetent hack. And they would have liked it, too.” She shook her head. “And yet I’m the bad guy for wanting to live. How dare I?”
“Well, you were rather nasty towards your team.” Alejandro smirked.
She shot him a glare over her shoulder. “I’m starting to see why your team wants you gone.”
Despite the bile welling up inside him, Alejandro actually laughed. “Looks like we both understand each other, then.”
“Yeah. That is true.” She smiled back.
“Pity we’re both so hated. I wouldn’t have minded facing off against you in the finale. I can appreciate a mind of a similar caliber to mine. But alas, there is no hope for us.”
She scoffed. “No hope for you, you mean. I am getting out of here, no matter what.”
“Then I guess I shall bid you adieu.” He headed for the door.
“Hey Al.”
For once he didn’t mind the nickname. “What?”
The look on Heather's face was a lot more contemplative than he’d ever seen before. She chewed the inside of her cheek. “I’m sorry. About…everything. All of this.”
Alejandro sighed. “I’m sorry too, Heather.”
~*~
Dinner was a rather quaint affair for all but one Bass. They ate slice after slice of Hawaiian pizza while chatting and laughing over the day's events. Izzy in particular got really invested in recounting her epic showdown with Owen. Tyler laughed as she brought up her heroic rescue attempt, nudging her playfully with his elbow.
Athaliah was a bit more subdued than the others, seemingly in very deep thought, but even she shared the occasional laugh with the other girls.
The final Bass sat alone at the edge of the table. A single piece of picked-at pizza lay cold on his plate. His chin resting in his palm, he watched as the others got on swell with each other.
This goodwill they had towards each other only served to drive the point home even further, hammering it deep into his heart: the team didn't need him.
He scrunched up his eyes, refusing to let even a single teardrop fall.
His daring escapade today had done little to change his situation. He was an idiot to think that it would, to be honest. All that risk for no reward. There would be no chance of using the phone tonight. He’d panicked and gotten rid of it. Stupid, stupid. And it was only Heather, after all. She wouldn’t have tattled.
But still. He was a Burromuerto, even if he didn’t feel like one anymore. And a Burromuerto always had one last Hail Mary up their sleeve.
“Listen up, team. Why don't we try Ezekiel's idea of voting for each other? It's better than nothing.”
They immediately fell silent.
“Come on, we might as well give it a try, right?”
They shared uncomfortable glances with each other.
Alejandro leaned in a little closer. “Here: I vote for Sadie, Sadie votes for Ezekiel, Ezekiel for Tyler, Tyler for Izzy, Izzy for Athaliah, Athaliah for Geoff, Geoff for Harold, Harold for Eva, and Eva for me. That way it’s completely fair. Right? Guys?”
“...Er, yeah, sure brah.” Geoff tried to compose himself. “Whatever you say.”
Alejandro let himself believe it, just for the briefest of moments. “Excelente!”
Geoff let himself grimace freely. “He…he does know we’re not following that plan, right? I mean, it’s a good plan, but he can’t seriously be that delusional…right?”
“I was thinking…how about we try throwing the challenge?”
Owen set down his pizza slice in surprise. “What? Why?”
Leshawna jerked her head towards Heather, sitting all by her lonesome up the other end of the table. Freshly showered, she was dressed in the same clothes as before, albeit slightly damp and with a few persistent orange stains on her shorts. She was eating her pizza slowly, chewing it until it was mush and swallowing thickly.
“Oh,” Owen caught on. “But won’t we get in trouble for that?”
“We’ll just tell Chris it’ll be good for ratings or something. But once that bitch is gone, we all might finally have a chance.”
“Yeah, okay! What do you need me to do?”
“Depends on the challenge. We’ll tell the others - not her - and figure something out tomorrow.” Leshawna chuckled darkly. “I still can’t believe what she did. Poor girls. We can avenge them and save our own necks in the process. Two birds with one stone.”
Katie was sitting next to Leshawna listening to every word she said. She stayed silent. That horrible gut feeling she’d had earlier during the challenge was coming back in full-force.
Why? Why did the thought of sending Heather to her death feel so wrong to her? Heather deserved it after what she did. Why was her entire body in revolt?
She raised her head from her plate and watched Sadie giggling with the others. That made her feel better. Sadie, always so sweet and kind. Smart too, smarter than her. She’d know what to make of it.
So she resolved to talk to Sadie about it sometime. As best friends do.
~*~
Whatever tension had been alleviated by his encounter with Heather in the bathroom was coming back with a vengeance as Alejandro trailed the rest of his team to the firepit.
This was it. All or nothing. They weren’t going to follow the plan. They never were. It was hopeless.
Yet his heart still beat stronger, refusing to give up. A final shred of self-respect.
Still, Alejandro decided he may as well hold up his end. “I vote for Sadie.”
Once everyone had finished voting, they seated themselves by the fire. Chris was reading over the voting record, nodding and humming to himself. He was taking an exceptionally long time.
Geoff folded his arms, smirking. “So long, fucker. Bet you regret messing with Bridgette now.”
“I was only playing the game…” he defended himself weakly.
“Like hell you were!” Eva spat. “You were trying to turn us all against each other!”
“Yeah!” Tyler agreed. “You were messing with our heads! ‘Don’t hate the player, hate the game’ does not apply here!”
“You were, like, so nasty to poor Bridgette!” Sadie folded her arms. “You’re so lucky she found a Life Idol, otherwise we’d hate you even more!”
Geoff’s smirk turned even colder. “Face it Al, it’s game o-”
“WOULD YOU QUIT CALLING ME THAT?!?!”
Alejandro had jumped out of his seat, taking everyone by surprise.
“This whole competition, my whole fucking life, it’s all ‘Al! Al! Hey Al! What are you doing, Al?’ I detest that nickname! But Jose just loooves it! He knows full fucking well how much I hate it and it’s the only way he’ll say my name! And now I have you stupid fucks repeating after him!” His voice grew so emotional and high-pitched that it cracked.
Chris finally intervened then. “Okay, okay, settle down!”
Alejandro sat down, arms folded, tears threatening to appear. To Geoff’s credit, he did look a little guilty.
Chris grabbed the marshmallows. “Okay, let’s get this show on the road!” He picked up a couple. “Geoff! Harold! You’re safe!”
The two shared a fist bump.
“Sadie!”
“Yes!” she whispered to herself.
“Tyler! Ezekiel!”
Ezekiel was relieved, even though he knew he wasn’t in any real danger. “Nice.”
“Eva! Izzy!”
They caught their marshmallows easily.
“And the final one goes too…”
A full ten seconds passed without Chris saying a word.
The team shared curious glances with each other. It seemed like he was overdoing it on the theatrics today, as well.
As Chris kept dragging out the pause for suspense, The Screaming Gophers arrived, led by Bill Preston. They joined the Killer Bass and seated themselves.
Alejandro suddenly felt sick to his stomach.
“Ah! Our guests have arrived!” Chris broke into a wide grin. “This is going to be a very special elimination. You’ll see why in a moment. Now, the last marshmallow goes to…
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…Athaliah!”
Her sigh of relief was so loud it sounded like a squeal.
Alejandro’s heart leapt into his throat. He couldn’t help the few small tears that gathered in the corners of his eyes.
Chris took note of this. “I wouldn't feel too betrayed if I were you. You were gonna be executed tonight no matter what.”
The words struck Alejandro in the chest like an iron fist. “What…what do you mean?”
“You seriously think I wouldn't find out? Did you forget that I have cameras everywhere? You're not that sneaky, brah.”
“Okay, what are you talking about?” Geoff looked quizzically at Alejandro. So too did everyone else except for Athaliah. She was frozen stiff, hands clutching each other in her lap.
“Al…what's going on?” Tyler asked.
Alejandro was also frozen, a look of horror stamped on his features.
Chris rolled his eyes. “I really didn't think I'd have to tell you people, but sneaking into my quarters and stealing my phone is strictly forbidden.”
They all gasped. “You tried to what?” Trent was astonished.
“Did…did you call for help?” Sadie asked cautiously.
Chris answered her himself. “No. No he did not. And now he has to pay the price for breaking the rules.” He snapped his fingers. The Executioner stepped forward, hands outstretched towards Alejandro.
Alejandro got up and ran.
He was fast. His parents had put him in multiple sports as a kid hoping he’d turn out to be a prodigy at one of them, and while none of them stuck except for skateboarding, he was still a fast mover. They were about to pay off, finally.
But the Executioner was faster.
Alejandro suddenly felt himself thrown to the ground, with something heavy landing directly on top of him. Someone’s hot breath settled itself over his face. A sharp elbow jabbed him roughly in the back.
Then he was being yanked to his feet and dragged by his hair to the wooden board. He was pushed against it and before he could recover, he was strapped in place. The Executioner tightened the straps so much that Alejandro cried out.
“No! I-It wasn’t just me! It was Athaliah! She was with me! She was with me the whole time! Take her instead!”
Athaliah squeaked.
“I know. But it only takes one to be made an example of. And I decided to go in alphabetical order. So tough luck, pal.”
The board was positioned upright, with a slight lean back, giving everyone a full view of Alejandro’s body. The Executioner disappeared from his view. Behind him, he could hear rummaging.
Chris sat himself in a folding chair that had been set up next to the campers. He reclined. “So, who here is familiar with the phrase lingchi?”
Both Harold and Noah understood it at the same time. Noah gulped. Harold gasped. “You don’t mean…”
“What else could I possibly mean?” Chris rolled his eyes. “Honestly, it’s like you guys don’t know me at all! Anyway, for everyone that doesn’t understand, this is an execution method originating from Ancient China. It’s been banned for obvious reasons. You might be more familiar with its English name…”
The Executioner reappeared with a katana in hand.
“Death By A Thousand Cuts!”
“Oh, Sweet Jesus, no…” Leshawna trailed off.
Alejandro thrashed about. “No! Let me out! Let me go! I’m sorry! I won’t do it again! I swear! Please just let me go!”
“Too late, brah. Executioner, you may begin.”
The katana whipped out. A small red line appeared on Alejandro’s left arm. He yelped. “No! Please! Don’t do this! Just kill me!”
Another flash of metal in the light of the campfire. Another ugly red wound. Then another. And another.
The Executioner kept going, slashing left and right. Barely a moment’s pause before she moved again. Her arm and the sword she held were little more than a blur.
All the cuts were shallow. Too little to do any real damage on their own. Not enough to make him bleed out. But that was the true cruelty of it. It wasn’t supposed to kill him quickly. What would be the point of that? Chris had a message to send, and he was going to make sure that everyone understood it.
So there they sat, frozen to their stumps. Alejandro’s cries for mercy fell on deaf ears. They were in no position to help him. All they could do was watch as he was brutalized right before their eyes.
Chris had a crewmember deliver popcorn to him. He sat back and ate it all up, licking the salt and butter off his fingers, then wiped them on his cargo shorts. The sight of Alejandro, that little brat, writhing around and smearing his own blood everywhere brought a smile to his face.
Let that be a lesson to the rest of them. They can’t put one over on him. He was too smart and they were too stupid for that. They were his meal ticket, so they should stick to not trying to escape. Then maybe, just maybe, he’d go a little easier on them. A bit of a foolish thing, to run away from him.
Kara slashed and slashed again. Blood coated the sword and her hand but from the way she moved, one would think she didn’t notice. Every swing she made sent little droplets of red flying all over the place. It was brilliant, like Kill Bill, almost. Not quite as action-y though.
In the end, Alejandro’s death took just over three hours to complete. And Chris couldn’t even be sure of that. By that point, his butt was hurting from sitting in that chair for so long, so he called it off and stood up to stretch.
The rest of the kids were silent. He sent them all to bed. He trusted they understood what the price of noncompliance was.
They did.
It would have been impossible not to.
~*~
“O Lord in Heaven, please be merciful to Alejandro. Please be kind. He has already suffered greatly. Please guide him into your humble abode and keep him warm and safe. I am still angry with him, but I will still beg you to treat him mercifully. He was a lost, confused, cruel boy, but we are all your children. Lord help him. Lord help us.”
It was the early evening of June 15th. A call came in to the Toronto police from a woman named Kelly Lennox. Her voice was soft and hard to understand, and she was crying. She was calling to report her daughter missing.
Joy Lennox, age seventeen, hadn’t visited or contacted the family in weeks. She was last seen walking out the door of the juvenile detention facility with the man who had paid her bail. That had been on May 20th. She hadn’t been seen since.
During questioning, her family members were initially very reticent with the details surrounding Joy’s imprisonment. Another point of interest to the police was why her family hadn’t reached out, and why they only expected her to do so. They also denied paying her bail and didn’t recognize the man who did, which further alarmed authorities.
The man was around 5’10”, and was caucasian with dark hair. He was wearing a red baseball cap and an olive-green overcoat. He had a long beard and a pair of dark sunglasses. He gave his name as Christopher Tomlinson.
Immediately the police got to work, combing the streets, following lead after lead, and keeping the public up-to-date. They broadcast everything on the news and in the papers, trying to keep the public’s attention.
The Hatfield, Hamilton and Weber families couldn’t help but look on bitterly. Their own daughters had been missing for weeks now and it had taken hours of cajoling, complaining and crying to get the police to investigate, and even then they obviously weren’t taking it seriously. The three girls were still being considered runaways. And then a white girl goes missing and captures everyone’s attention.
Still, they knew it would be unfair to blame the Lennox family for this. After all, they too were missing a daughter. They could understand their pain.
Leonie Hamilton sent them a letter expressing her condolences. They sent one back, grateful, but also hopeful that both their daughters would eventually be found.
END OF EPISODE ONE
Chapter 10: Episode 2, Part 1: Death Row Dinner
Notes:
Hey everyone!
I just wanted to give a big thank you to whoever made a TVTropes page for this story! It's one of my favourite websites to browse so having a story of mine make it on there is a huge compliment! I implore everyone to go check it out!
Although, at the behest of sounding unnecessarily pedantic, I do just want to point out that unlike what the page states, Athaliah actually wasn't based on Despair Island Ezekiel! She was created for another TD fic I'm planning, and I thought it would be fun to include her here as well! I do suppose I should have mentioned that before, lmfao. Otherwise, everything is great!
And speaking of fan content, CMRRosa has comissioned some fanart for this story! You can find him on DeviantArt! Please go check it out!
Chapter Text
Episode 2, Part 1: Death Row Dinner
The year was 1996. Christian McLean was seventeen years old, and an up-and-coming TV presenter. Already somewhat of a household name due to his previous career as part of a boy band, he was ready for the next step in his career.
Born on November 18th 1978, in an isolated coastal town in Newfoundland, Chris had spent most of his life believing that he was always destined for something great. He had been scouted by a talent agent and, despite his young age, joined a boy band called Fametown. The group consisted of Chris and four other members, all of whom were in their late teens or early twenties.
Fametown lasted from 1984 to 1989, producing six chart-topping singles during that time. At the height of their fame, they drew comparisons to The Jackson Five, which also had a child as one of their lead singers. Their most famous song was ‘Lovin’ You’, released in 1986. It was the best performing Canadian song for that year, selling five million copies across North America.
After the band split up, the four oldest members successfully transitioned into film actors. But, after only a few films that flopped at the box office, Chris set his sights on, in his view, a much more glamorous career,
Ever since he was young, Chris McLean knew that he wanted to be a television presenter. During his years spent touring the world, he’d been exposed to countless game shows, unlike anything he’d seen back home. He longed to be the presenter, making quips about contestants and getting to greet the audience with a smile. He wanted to be the brains behind the operation, to engineer a show so successful it would make him famous for life.
In 1996, at just seventeen years old, Chris was granted his very own cooking show titled ‘Keepin’ It Plain With Chris McLean’. The first episode aired on March 14 at 7:30 in the evening, and featured him showing how to prepare white rice. Due to low ratings, the show was cancelled after one episode.
This was a devastating blow. He’d finally gotten his own show, only to have it ripped out from under him before he could even enjoy it. He thought he’d gotten the opportunity to come into his own, to finally be taken seriously as a celebrity, only to be seemingly banished into history.
Chris immediately got to work searching for another gig and had a stroke of luck. In June, the host of the popular game show Shoot First Ask Later became ill and had to go to the hospital. The network director decided to hire Chris as a temporary replacement.
It was there that Chris McLean met Chef Hatchet.
“Sadie, I need to talk to you about something.”
Katie and Sadie were sitting on the very end of the rotting dock, their feet dangling just above the water. Occasionally their toes would break the surface, sending little ripples across the otherwise calm lake. It was shortly after dawn and the birds were beginning to chirp. The last wisps of mist were rising from the lake, vanishing like ghosts.
“What is it?”
Katie looked down at the ripples gliding away from her. “Yesterday, when Leshawna and I were in the woods…I told her that Heather tried to blackmail me. She said that if…if I didn’t vote for Beth, then she’d…sh-she’d hurt you during a challenge.”
Sadie was silent.
“She tried to blackmail Cody too. It was his fault I got burned.”
That broke her silence. “OMG, what? That asshole!”
“No, it was an accident. He was really sorry.” At the mere mention of that day, Katie’s entire left arm twinged painfully. She grit her teeth.
“Well, he should still pay for it!”
“I think he already has. We’re both guilty.” She sighed. “Anyway, I told Leshawna all this, and later on at dinner she said that we should start throwing challenges so we can get rid of Heather.”
“Okay? Sounds like she deserves it.”
“Well yeah, she does, but…I dunno. Every time I think about it, my stomach hurts. I don’t know why, but I just feel super guilty over it.”
“Why? She absolutely has it coming.” Sadie paused upon seeing the look on Katie’s face. “Okay, for real, I kinda get it.”
“You do?”
“Yeah. I mean, with the whole Alejandro thing last night…I didn’t really feel bad about voting him off cuz of what he tried to do to Bridgette. But seeing what happened to him…? It made me feel sick.”
“But that wasn’t your fault though. Chris did that to punish him for stealing his phone.”
“Still though. I can’t help but feel like it’s kinda my fault. So…yeah. I totally get how you feel.”
Katie chewed her bottom lip. “Sooo…what do we do now?”
“Honestly? Dunno. Maybe, like, try not to lose so we don’t have to vote anyone off anymore?”
“Like that’s gonna happen.”
“I know it’s not realistic, but we can hope. You know, Zeke had this idea that everyone votes for everyone, so that they all have one vote each. We haven’t tried it yet, but maybe you guys can. Who knows what’ll happen though.”
That word, idea, reminded Katie of something.
She leaned to the side and rested her head on Sadie’s shoulder, positioning it so her mouth was right next to Sadie’s ear. “When we have a free moment, come with me into the woods. There’s something I have to show you.”
“What is it?”
“There’s this super tiny beach at the other end of the island. You can see the mainland from there. I was thinking, we could try swimming away.”
Sadie had to physically hold in her gasp. “Are you crazy? Don’t you remember what happened to Justin?”
“Duh. I was thinking we could, like, go at night or something. They won’t be able to see us.”
She thought it over. “Okay. Maybe. Give me a while to think it over.”
Katie sat up straight again. “So, uh, what do you think today’s challenge is gonna be?”
“Hopefully something fun like last time.”
“Yeah. The other Gophers are still gonna sabotage Heather, probably. I don’t think I can stop them.”
“Oh, Katie.” Sadie slipped her hand into hers. “Maybe…don’t vote for her? Everyone else will anyway. That way, your hands will be totally clean.”
Katie nodded to herself. “Yeah…yeah, I can do that. Thanks, Sadie!”
“No problem, Katie!”
They smiled at each other. The skirt-turban on Sadie’s head glowed a neon green in the morning light. Katie could pretend that her hair underneath was still intact, that they were still the same not just in soul, but body as well.
They were conjoined twins from different parents. Together always and forever. They would either live together or die together.
~*~
An hour and a half later, the boat chugged up to the very end of the dock. The man behind the wheel gave Chris a thumbs-up.
Chris took the cue. “Since you all enjoyed the challenge yesterday, I’ve thought up another fun one for you: A cooking contest! Who doesn’t love those?” He chuckled to himself.
It was then that the campers noticed that the boat was loaded with boxes and containers.
“Each of you will have six hours to prepare and cook a three course meal: entree, main and dessert. You will serve them to me to taste and I’ll give each dish a score out of ten. The team with the highest combined score wins. It’ll be just like MasterChef!”
“I dunno. I think MasterChef is a lot more hardcore than this,” Sierra said absentmindedly.
“Does MasterChef execute people for losing?”
Sierra gulped.
“Didn’t think so. Now, go on and grab your ingredients! I’m gonna go finish reading my book.” He strolled to the other end of the dock at a leisurely pace. Then he stopped abruptly.
“Oh, and one more thing,” he said, turning ominously towards them. “If one of you even so much as thinks about poisoning the food, every single one of you will die. No votes, no nothing. Just a straight bullet in the brain. The cameramen will be watching you closely. So you’d all better behave yourselves. Understand?” He didn’t wait for a response. He left for real.
The man on the boat began hauling out containers and letting them thud onto the dock. “You kids quit dawdling and come grab all this!”
Geoff headed over and peeked into the first one. It was laden with tomatoes, olives and pickles. The next container had baguettes and dinner rolls. He wasn’t much of a cook, but an idea was quickly forming. “Hmmm…tomatoes, olives, bread…we could do a killer Italian theme!”
“Ooh, yummy! I love Italian food!” Sadie exclaimed.
“Fine by me,” Eva said.
“Good idea! Everyone loves Italian food!” Harold agreed.
Geoff hoisted up the vegetables. “Eva, you grab the bread. Athaliah, get those sausages over there. Zeke, get that pasta. Sadie, see if you can find some of those ladyfinger biscuits, or whatever they’re called. We can make a tiramisu for dessert!”
Izzy was bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Oh man, I’m so excited!”
The Killer Bass walked past the Screaming Gophers, each carrying something. Their arms were laden with the best picks of food. Not that Leshawna was too concerned about that.
She leaned over to Owen. “Remember what we talked about yesterday?”
He nodded.
“Alright, you guys. Just grab whatever you want.”
“Uh, shouldn’t we decide what to make first?” Cody raised an eyebrow.
Leshawna shrugged. “Eh, we’ll decide once we get in the kitchen.” She took the lead, picking up a box of lemons.
The others followed suit. Cody gave Noah a questioning glance. Noah, knowing nothing about cooking, didn’t know what to make of it.
~*~
The Killer Bass were the first in the kitchen. It was an uncanny feeling, being in the same room that, previously, they’d only managed to catch brief glimpses of. They were crossing the threshold into forbidden territory. But Chef had relinquished his space for today, and it was theirs to use.
Once they’d dumped everything onto the table, Geoff began more announcements. “Okay, there’s eight of us, so how about two to a dish, then the other two assist where they can?”
“Sounds like a plan,” Harold said eagerly. “I can rock an antipasto platter. But I’m gonna need someone to be my eyes.”
“I’ll help you,” Geoff offered.
“I can make an excellent pasta sauce,” Athaliah volunteered.
Ezekiel put his hand up. “Er, I can make it with you.”
“Thank you! That’d be lovely.”
“I wanna do dessert!” Izzy said excitedly.
“Sweet! Let me help!” Tyler asked.
“Sure!”
“And that leaves Eva and Sadie to help out where necessary.” Geoff said. “Right, so everyone knows what they’re doing? Antipasto, pasta, and…do you guys want to do a tiramisu?”
Izzy rubbed her hands together with glee. “Oh, I got something better.”
“Alright. Everyone, let’s get to work!”
~*~
The Screaming Gophers watched as the Bass quickly dispersed and busied themselves with various tasks. Heather knew that her team would be nowhere near as harmonious. But she kept that to herself. No need to widen the divide even further.
Noah wrinkled his nose at the eclectic collection of ingredients they’d amassed. “What exactly do you plan on doing with all this?”
Leshawna and Owen stood together, a little too closely. They thought for an exaggeratedly long time, making annoying humming sounds.
“How about this?” Leshawna offered. “To celebrate team spirit and the importance of teamwork, how about you all pair up and just make whatever you want?”
“Think of this as a collaboration,” Owen added. “Everyone is putting a piece of themselves into this meal.”
Sierra looked aghast. “What? Isn’t that cannibalism?”
“He didn’t mean it literally, genius,” Noah snarked.
Cody put his arm around his shoulders. “Hey, you wanna do mains with me?”
“I don’t have a choice, do I?” He quickly added, “That was a joke, by the way. Sure, let’s do mains.”
“I can do the dessert,” Katie said, “but someone might need to help me. I’ve only got one arm, after all.”
“I’ll help!” Sierra said, moving to stand next to her.
Trent quickly counted to nine, then joined in. “I can do the entree, I guess. Which of you want to join?”
Owen stepped forward.
Leshawna clapped her hands. “Excellent! I’ll help out with anything you need me to do!”
“Uh,” came a voice from behind everyone, “what am I supposed to be doing?”
Leshawna didn’t even bother facing Heather properly. “You can stay there in the corner and shut up.”
Just then, Chef poked his head through the doors. “Chris says everyone has to participate.”
“Fine. She can do the dishes.”
“Good enough for me.” Chef disappeared.
Cody grabbed a crisp white apron and put it on. “Okay Noah, how do you feel about beef stew?”
“I haven’t the faintest clue how to make that.”
“It’s okay, I’ll show you how!”
Katie moved over to where they’d placed the ingredients and began rifling through them. She pulled out a large bottle of cream and set it aside to dig some more.
Sierra sidled up next to her. “What are you looking for?”
“Um, eggs, condensed milk, and strawberries.”
Sierra began searching too, only for Trent to bump into her. “Ouch!”
“Sorry. I’m just looking for the mustard.”
“What kind? There are tons in here.”
“Dijon. I’m making potato salad.”
And so the Screaming Gophers began the challenge. But Leshawna and Owen had something they needed to tell them all first.
~*~
Cody was stirring the onions and humming merrily when Leshawna slid over next to him. She sniffed them. They were on their way to becoming nicely caramelized. They were too perfect. “Make sure those get as burnt as humanly possible.”
He gasped. “What? You want me to ruin the whole dish? Are you crazy?”
“Dude! We’re throwing the challenge!”
“What for…” Cody looked around him and spied Heather at the sink being handed a dirty chopping board. “...Oh.”
“Yup. You catch my drift?”
He sighed sadly. “I do, but do we have to throw this one? I take a lot of pride in my cooking.”
“I do too, but the sooner we lose the sooner we can give that witch what’s coming to her.”
Cody nodded. He took in a deep breath, then put down the spatula and stepped away from the pan.
“Atta boy. I know it’s hard, but we gotta do it.”
“Yeah. I suppose I should go tell Noah to cut the beef wrong.”
“You should.”
Leshawna had her arms folded. “Looks like it’s gonna take a bit more convincing than I thought to make everyone mess up their dishes. Then again, this is why I didn’t volunteer to make anything.”
“Okay, so you need a really good cheese.”
Geoff raised an eyebrow. “How good are we talking?”
“The kind your parents would serve to impress everyone.”
“My parents were never really the impressing type, but I know what you mean.” He picked up a block. “Like this?”
Harold sniffed it. “Perfect.”
“Alright, what else?”
“Olives, some kind of cured meat, artichokes and bread.”
Geoff fished out a packet of salami, a jar of green olives and pickled artichokes. He opened the latter and took a whiff, only to lean back with his nose on fire. “Wow, this is potent.”
“I never really saw what everyone else likes about artichokes, but it’s on a traditional Italian antipasto, so we should include it.”
“Do they like pickles too?” Geoff asked, spying the lid of the jar across the table.
“I don’t think so, but we might as well have some.”
They popped open the jar and each ate a pickle. Nice and vinegary, as they should be. They deserved a pickle break after everything that had happened.
The kitchen bustled around them, voices filling the small space. Someone opened a window to let in some fresh air. Seagulls chirped outside.
Geoff reached in for another one. This whole thing was reminding him of something. A day at the beach that felt like forever ago. A summer carnival. He and his friend Brody ate a ton of hot dogs with chopped-up pickles mixed into the various sauces they’d slapped on. They sat at the edge of the shore and watched the waves.
Only Geoff wasn’t watching the waves. He was watching this blonde girl surfing enormous waves like it was nobody’s business. She was surrounded by a group of friends. As they came onto shore he heard one of them call her name: Bridgette.
He wanted to go up to her, complement her on her surfing, but he found himself rooted to the spot. He was in absolute awe of her sun-soaked salt-crusted appearance. June 27th 2006. He marked that day in his mind.
“Yo Geoff.”
He snapped himself out of it. “Huh?”
“What’s wrong? You just totally went silent.”
“Oh, I was just thinking about Bridgette.”
“Oh I see. Hey, how did you guys meet?”
Geoff laughed. “We didn’t, really. We hung out at the same beach a lot, so I always saw her there. I wanted to talk to her, but…I dunno, I kept getting cold feet. One day I saw her walking around, and I decided to carpet deem, or whatever it is they say.”
“Carpe diem.”
“Yeah, that. Anyway, it went way better than I expected and she invited me to go take photos with her. Only problem was, we both got kidnapped.”
“Ouch. Talk about a mood killer.”
“Yep. But she’s safe, so I’m thankful for that. I still miss her, though.”
Harold nodded sagely. “I get it. I kinda miss Gwen.”
“The first girl?”
“Yeah. We went to the same high school. We didn’t know each other that well, but we were in the same art class. She once painted this really awesome portrait of Bela Lugosi’s Dracula, but the vice principal wouldn’t let her submit it to the school’s art competition ‘cause he thought it was too obscene.”
“Man, that sounds sick! Vice principals are always a total buzzkill…sorry about Gwen.”
“It’s okay. I feel worse for her family. She had a single mom and a brother.”
Geoff thought about his own parents and four kid brothers. “What’s your family like?”
Harold grimaced. “Distant. My dad left us years ago and my mom spends all day at work. My brother and sister don’t like me, or each other. They’re both studying to become psychologists but they’re not very good at it.”
“Sorry about that, man.”
Harold shrugged. “Eh, there’s nothing I can really do about it. What’s your family like?”
“Okay, I swear I’m not trying to make you jealous or anything, but my family’s great. We spend a lot of time together, usually at the beach. My parents are total hippies. My brothers are all still in school.”
“I’d love to spend more time at the beach. Too bad I don’t live near one.”
Geoff gave a mock gasp. “I don’t think I could survive without the beach.”
“Then it’s a good thing we’re not stuck in the Yukon right now.”
They both laughed, a little uncomfortably.
“Bridgette…I promise you. We will go to the beach one day. I can't survive without it, and I can't survive without you…”
Katie hovered over the stove heating the egg and cream mixture. She lifted up the spoon and ran a finger along the back of it. Not quite the consistency she was looking for. She turned the heat up a little bit.
Behind her, Sierra stood at the table hulling the strawberries and chopping them into tiny pieces. She was instructed to keep some of the chunks for texture and mash the rest. Katie had very specific instructions for her strawberry ice cream recipe and wouldn’t accept even the slightest deviation.
Too bad that was about to change.
Owen leaned over and ate a couple strawberries. “Mmm, yummy! It’s a shame you guys’ll have to ruin it.”
“Huh?” Sierra raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah, huh?” Katie spun around.
“Haven’t you guys heard? We’re throwing the challenge so we can get rid of Heather!”
Katie groaned. “Does it have to be this one?”
“Do you really wanna keep Heather around until tomorrow?”
“Well, no, but-”
“Then you’ll do what’s necessary, right?”
Sierra shrugged one shoulder. “He kinda has a point, Katie. Plus, if we don’t get rid of her as soon as possible, she’ll just find some way to weasel out of it again!”
“No!” Katie howled. “This recipe is mine and Sadie’s! We make it and sell it on the pier every summer! I can’t just ruin it! You’re asking way too much!” Tears streamed down her face.
“Jesus, more waterworks?” Heather muttered to the sink.
“Shut up Heather!” Sierra and Owen chorused.
“Anyway,” Sierra continued, “Owen’s right. If we screw up just this once, we won’t have to worry about Heather ever again!”
Katie shifted about uncomfortably. “Doesn’t it make you feel weird, to play around with people’s lives like this?”
“You mean like what Heather’s been doing?” Owen frowned. “Please! We’re just getting rid of someone dangerous! It’s totally different from what she did!”
“Yeah, but still. I don’t like this.”
“Whatever. We’ll just have to do it without you.” Sierra grabbed the pot away from the stove. “Why don’t you go sit down somewhere and have a snack?”
Katie saw how hopeless it was to keep arguing. She grabbed a banana and went to sit on the stairs outside.
She stared up into the cloudless blue haze. Despite the shaded back stoop, the sun was in full force. She sighed, resting her chin in the palm of her good hand.
This felt hopeless. To kill or not to kill. To kill the killer. Show mercy to the merciless. Kindness or self-preservation? What was the correct choice?
~*~
“Wow, you are like, really good at that.” Izzy said with a small smile.
Tyler looked up at her. “At what, whipping cream?”
“Yeah. I hate doing that. It always takes too long.”
“Then…why’d you pick a dessert that uses a whole lot of it?”
“Because we need something that’ll impress Chris. And what else is better than this?”
Tyler gazed at the mess of ingredients covering the table: cream cheese, chocolate, Nutella, chocolate wafers, strawberries. “It does sound pretty tasty. Hey, maybe Chris will let us eat the leftovers!”
“He’d better. We’re putting a lotta work into this thing.” Izzy went back to layering the wafers and some ladyfingers in a tin lined with baking paper.
They fell back into a comfortable silence. Izzy moved on to cutting strawberries. Tyler finished whipping the cream. He dumped the Nutella and cream cheese in a bowl and put it in the microwave to soften. At the other end of the table, Athaliah and Ezekiel were chopping tomatoes and Harold and Geoff were arranging slices of salami into little roses.
Tyler cleared his throat. “Hey, can I ask you something?”
“What’s up?”
“Why did you…do that…during the paintball thingy yesterday?”
Izzy chuckled. “Why not? I couldn’t stand to see another teammate go down in such an undignified manner.”
“Yeah, but…you were so serious about it.”
“I take paintball very seriously.” She half-heartedly pointed the knife in his direction. “I once went on a school trip where they took us to play paintball, and I beat everyone in my class and the senior class and the teachers on top of that. No one gets in my way during paintball!”
“Oh.”
“What, were you expecting a different answer?”
She could have sworn he saw him bite his lip. “Not really. It just kinda felt like a movie scene. I was just wondering, that’s all.”
“Oh, okay.”
Tyler grabbed the bowl out of the microwave and tipped its contents into the whipped cream, stirring briskly. Izzy kept up with the strawberries.
She couldn’t help but admit it to herself, but there certainly was something super romantic about just throwing yourself over someone so they don’t get hit.
He was right: it did feel like a movie scene. A movie scene that might elicit a love confession.
But they weren’t lovers. They barely knew each other. They were actors playing the part. Nothing more, nothing less.
Still, Tyler seemed like a nice guy. He did win the dodgeball challenge for them, which was pretty cool, even though he didn’t seem like the most athletically inclined. And he even tried returning the favour during yesterday’s challenge by laying over her. That was sweet of him, even if it did result in him getting shot.
Tyler, on the other hand, was wondering if that conversation was a success or not. The moment Izzy had thrown herself forward to protect him from that paintball, he’d felt something stirring in his chest.
Izzy was nice - crazy, but nice. She certainly had a lot of team spirit. Probably didn’t pay much notice to him, but that was to be expected. Although she did seem excited when he offered to make this dessert with her. Maybe she’d like to be friends, at least?
This dessert was some bizarre concoction she claimed her grandma used to make for holidays and birthdays. It sounded delicious, so he’d agreed to her plan.
Let this dessert win them the challenge, so they won’t have to worry until tomorrow.
~*~
Trent finished pouring in the vinegar and after a brief mix, gave a spoonful to Owen to taste-test. Owen slurped it up. A few seconds passed. Then he wheezed dramatically.
“Ooh yeah, that’ll put hairs on his chest.”
“If he’s even a person capable of normal human bodily functions, that is.” Trent counted to nine. “Do you think this plan is gonna work?”
“Relax, there’s no way Heather’s getting out of this!”
“Yeah, but…aren’t you worried about getting in trouble? Chris never said anything about whether we’re allowed to throw challenges or not.”
Owen shrugged. “A little. But hey, he’ll probably love all the drama.”
Sudden sniffling caught their attention. They turned to see Sierra crying uncontrollably. Her fingertips were stained red.
“What’s wrong?” Trent asked. “Are you hurt?”
Sierra shook her head. “I was mashing the strawberries like Katie told me too, and I…I just…it just reminds me of A-Alejandro…”
The boys peered into the bowl and recoiled on instinct. Sierra was right: the red liquid and wet chunks looked just like the aftermath of last night’s execution. Even the spatter patterns were similar. A bowl of blood, collected for Chris’ feasting pleasure.
Trent gulped. The sight made him sick to his stomach. His own fears of being found out came back in full-force. He pursed his lips tight to keep them shut. That red could be him…
“Yeah, I see what you mean.”
“Well…it’s not just the strawberries.”
“Oh?”
“It’s those onions. Those are really potent.”
They lowered their gaze to the raw onions on the chopping board. They’d cut way too much, even for a sabotage.
“Oh,” Owen said, breaking the tension with a quick laugh. “I never noticed. I think my brain just got used to the pain after a while.”
“We already have enough onions for the salad,” Trent added. “Man, I feel bad about wasting food like this.”
Sierra wiped more tears away. She slid the bowl across the table to Katie, who also looked squeamish at its contents. “If we don’t need them for anything else, you might as well just throw them out.”
“Yeah, might as well.” Owen picked up the chopping board, with the onions piled high in a mountain. And before anyone could stop him, he shouted, “Kobe!” and threw the entire board at the bin.
Instead of a clean shot, the board slammed into the lip of the bin and flipped over, crashing to the floor and spilling onions everywhere. The commotion caught the attention of everyone in the room, who all stopped and stared.
“Dude, seriously?” Noah said, agitated.
Owen only laughed humorously. “Oh well. It’s not like I’ll have to deal with it.”
Heather whirled around, damp tea towel in hand. “I am not cleaning that up!”
“Someone has to.” He shrugged.
Heather turned away, gritting her teeth.
No, she was not going to clean up those fucking onions! They could do that themselves! She was not their slave!
She grabbed another dirty dish and scrubbed at it frantically.
The onions remained on the floor.
~*~
“Is it alright if I ask you something?”
Athaliah looked up from the mountain of tomatoes on her chopping board. Ezekiel was looking off to the side. Eva was at the other end of the table cutting herbs.
“Of course. What is it?”
Ezekiel paused his own laboured chopping. “How do you think I should apologize to Eva?”
“Whatever for?”
“For…” He swallowed. “Being sexist.”
“Sexist?”
“Y’know…saying mean things about women.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean.”
“Growing up my dad always said stuff about how women belong in the home and that they shouldn’t do anything manly since that was a man’s job. I always believed it. I wish I didn’t.”
“Well, I don’t see the problem with that.”
Ezekiel was floored.
Then he remembered who he was talking to.
“Yeah, but…that’s not really how society works anymore, eh. Women have rights.”
Athaliah seemed puzzled. “Rights?”
“Yeah, like, uh, voting. Stuff like that.”
“Voting? Voting for what?”
“Y’know, the Prime Minister.”
“What’s a Prime Minister?”
Ezekiel held back a sigh. They were getting way off topic. “He’s the guy who runs the country.”
“Oh, I see. So…I would be allowed to vote?”
“Yeah, once you turn eighteen.” He let go of that sigh. “Anyway, the point is: I said something mean and I want to apologize to Eva for it. I tried doing it yesterday, but it just made her angry.”
Athaliah thought for a moment. “I say let her be for a while. She’s bound to calm down eventually. You can apologize to her then.”
“Okay, I will. Thanks.”
They fell into a silence that was surprisingly comfortable. Well, Ezekiel was surprised. He actually found Athaliah to be fairly easy to talk to. She never seemed to get seriously angry over anything. Hell, she saved him from wolves, for crying out loud!
Maybe, just maybe, they could become friends…
But they couldn’t. No, it can never be. He would never forget Beth, his first friend, and the fate that had befallen her almost immediately. What he had done for her.
He did it for her. But that didn’t mean it was okay.
Poor Beth. He could still see her in his mind’s eye, tied to that pole with arrows stuck into her flesh. Her dress torn, blood coursing down her skin. Staring at him with fear and pain.
He shut his eyes. She was still there, visible even in the darkness. Staring at him.
“Ezekiel? Are you alright?”
He opened his eyes. Athaliah was staring at him, concerned.
“Are your wounds hurting again? Do you need to go to the doctor?”
“No…I was thinking about Beth.”
Her eyes flickered with sympathy.
“She was my first friend. And it only got to last a few hours. It…it’s not fair…she was really nice to me.”
Athaliah could only nod solemnly in response. Ezekiel lifted an arm to dry his tears. It ached terribly.
She put down her knife and set a pan on the stovetop. She put in the onions Eva had chopped and began to stir them. The sizzling was the only noise shared between them for a while.
Then Ezekiel spoke up again. “Do…do you think I did the right thing? By killing Beth?”
She sighed softly. “If I’m being honest…I don’t know what the right thing is anymore.”
That just made him feel horrible.
He stared down at the tomatoes on his chopping board, all mushed and red and…
No.
He shook himself out of it.
~*~
“How’s it goin’, party people?”
Eva swallowed to hide her rage. Chris was standing by the swinging doors, leaning against one wall like he was trying to be cool. His stupid smirk was so, well, stupid. She wanted to rip it off his face.
Still, she fought to keep her voice as calm as possible when she replied, “Everything’s fine.”
Chris’ smirk seemed to grow wider. “Aw, come on! You can give me more than that!”
The knife swung down, harder than she meant to. It severed an onion neatly in two. “Everything’s fine.”
“Gee, tough crowd.” He glanced over at the Gophers’ table. “How are you guys going?”
Leshawna could barely keep her own smirk off her face. “Oh, everything’s just swell.”
“Swell.” Jesus Christ, why won’t this man just stop talking? “It’s such a fun word to say. Swell. You know, it reminds me of this song I used to sing with my old group…” And before anyone could stop him, he began crooning an all-too-familiar tune.
“Ooh girl, don’t leave me hangin’,
‘Cause your body’s just so bangin’,
To anyone who say I don’t need you, well
Let them gossip; you’re so swell.”
The kids all stared at him. Not with amazement like he’d hoped. It was more confusion, then recognition.
Sierra gasped, hands flying to her mouth. “Wait, you’re the same Chris McLean from Fametown?”
“The one and only!”
“Oh my fucking God! My mom was like, in love with you guys when she was my age! She used to sing your songs to me when I was a kid!”
“Nice!” Chris pointed finger guns at her, which made her violently flinch. “A legacy fan! Never thought I’d get to meet one!”
Sierra chewed at her lip. If her mom ever found out what had become of her daughter, then she’d no longer be a fan either. “Well…no, actually. Not anymore.”
Chris stared at her like she’d just told him she was the reincarnation of Lady Jane Grey. Something broke within him, although it would take a while for it to come to fruition. His gaze changed from delight to hatred. It only lasted a split second.
Geoff coughed awkwardly. “Uh, no offence dude, but I honestly thought you were dead…”
Chris’ eyes flashed with a hard gleam. “What.”
“I mean, you just kinda disappeared. My cousin remembered how you were everywhere and then suddenly you weren’t.”
“I went off the grid for a while. I had to, if I wanted to make a big comeback in the industry.” He grinned broadly. “And thanks to you guys, I will!”
“You’re sick!” Heather shouted, arms folded. “Sick, sick, sick!”
Leshawna grit her teeth. “For once, I agree with her!”
“Do you really think you’re gonna get away with this?” Tyler asked him. He waved a hand at the cameras. “You’ve just admitted who you are! The police can track you down!”
“I can just edit that part out later.” Chris sneered dismissively. “Besides, even if I did publicly air this entire conversation, what do you think the police are gonna do? Go to my house, knock on the door, ask my mom if she’s seen me? She’ll tell them the same thing everyone else will: I’ve gone location scouting in the Yukon for some brand-new project I’m working on. She’ll give them the phone numbers for studio executives who will tell them exasperatedly that I refuse to give up on TV stardom. There’ll be other paper trails left behind too: other locations I’ve “scouted”, letters from studios and producers, storyboarding and planning and budgeting. Years of ideas that mean nothing to anyone. They’ll be completely swamped. There’ll be so much to sift through that they still won’t be finished before I am. If they ever do figure me out, I’ll be long gone. Face it, kids. There’s no hope for you here or out there. The cops don’t know where you are, and they probably don’t care.”
There was a long pause.
Then Katie burst into tears.
That opened the floodgates. Sadie, who always cried whenever Katie did, quickly followed suit. The Sierra joined in. And Ezekiel. And Tyler. And Athaliah. And Cody.
Chris just watched in disgust as half the cast stood there with tears and snot all over their faces. Why was he expected to feel bad for them now? Just because of all the waterworks? That was a classic manipulation tactic. If you present yourself as weak and vulnerable, all would be waved away.
But he wasn’t interested in this sort of drama. He wanted it to go back to how it was before, when there was yelling and tears - appropriate ones - and fighting and betrayal…and eventually blood.
Beth’s execution had awakened something in him. A deep-seated hunger for more of what he already loved. He knew going in that this would be great, but now even his own eagerness was surprising him.
He wanted to watch them rip each other and themselves to bloody pieces. He wanted them to scream, curse, terrify. More than four hundred steady viewers had signed on, and now Chris had something in common with them.
The moment he realised that Heather was setting Beth up to fall, he felt his own heart thump in his chest. The thrill of it all was intoxicating. Her cruel smirk, her ugly words, her cold ruthlessness.
That was what he wanted to see. Not this pathetic display.
Chris groaned. “Go to the bathroom and clean yourselves up, you’re on camera for Christ’s sake!”
Then he turned on his heel and left.
~*~
Athaliah bent over the sink, hands cupped. She splashed some water on her face. Despite it being summer, the water was ice-cold. It was just what she needed.
She stood up straight and stared at her reflection. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and her cheeks puffy and damp. It didn’t feel like it was burning anymore, though.
“Lord, grant me mercy,” she whispered.
She had to believe it. The Lord must be up there somewhere, assessing the situation. He will guide her on what to do. She just needed to listen closely. He had never steered her wrong before; no reason to suspect He would do so now.
She exited the bathroom and headed for the kitchen.
The sauce was bubbling on the stove and smelled delicious. The tomatoes had broken down and let out all their juice, and the onions and garlic were all cooked through and fragrant. Eva was there, stirring away.
“Oh good, you’re back. Feeling better, I hope?”
“No.”
“Well, I stirred your sauce for you. Now, Harold and Geoff want me to get them more salami.” She handed Athaliah the spoon and left.
Athaliah took over where she left off. Everything seemed fine. Well, the sauce was. She wasn’t.
But there was nothing she could do about that. So she focused on what she could do.
She scraped down the sides of the pan and stirred them in. She added in some more tomatoes for extra texture. The window above the stove was fogged with steam, so she opened it and breathed in the air from outside. Ezekiel was nowhere to be seen; he must still be in the bathroom.
The steam made her face heat up again. It made her want to continue crying.
She tried to force all thoughts of death and guilt from her mind, but it was quickly becoming an impossible task. Why was she still alive and not Alejandro? Why did Chris have to give him such a horrible fate? What would hers be? Was Chris still angry at her? Did he have a plan in mind for her tonight?
Oh, why did she have to leave her home?
She let the wooden spoon fall out of her grasp.
Athaliah was truly in trouble now. She’d done something terrible, and now not only did Chris know, but so did everyone else.
She figured it might be best to lay low, to be a good girl and do the challenges and not stray from the path again. After all, look what happened to her the last time she did that.
She might not have any control over her situation, but she had control over herself. And she would have to keep control over herself, no matter what.
“Hey, Athaliah.” Izzy called. “You’re good at kitchen stuff, right? You mind giving us a hand with dessert real quick? We don’t know how to get it out without it collapsing.”
“Of course!” Athaliah made to move over, but then remembered the sauce. She saw Harold standing at the table, bent over the antipasto platter. “Oh! Harold, would you mind seasoning the sauce for me?”
“Yeah, I will.”
Athaliah moved past him, or at least he thought it was her. She stopped short suddenly, then kept walking all the while muttering, “Those blasted onions. Can’t someone pick them up?”
“What is it?” Izzy asked. “I didn’t quite catch that.”
“I nearly slipped on those onions! Why haven’t the Gophers picked them up already?”
“I think they were trying to make Heather do it,” Tyler said.
“Well, it doesn’t do to have food lying around everywhere!”
“Yeah, but it ain’t our mess to clean up.” Izzy shrugged.
Harold turned around and felt his way to the stove. The pot was massive and still somewhat visible to him. The sensation of steam settling on his face also gave it away.
He felt around on the bench for the salt and pepper, but came up short. He focused really hard, examining as much bench space as he could. Still, he couldn’t find them anywhere.
The floorboards behind him creaked. “Hey, could you pass me the seasonings, please?”
Instead of another camper, he recognized Jack the cameraman’s voice. “Sorry man, I’m not allowed to help you.”
“Bummer.”
But off to his side, he saw more movements. A blurry figure in a black top and what looked like denim shorts. “Excuse me, but could you pass the seasonings please?”
A moment passed in silence.
Harold cleared his throat, thinking that maybe whoever it was simply didn’t hear him, but then the figure fished around on the Gophers’ table and then slammed a container on the bench next to him. “Thanks!”
Whoever it was didn’t respond.
Harold pried off the lid. There seemed to be some kind of white stuff inside. Salt. He tipped the container over. Big mistake.
Suddenly a massive clump of salt broke free and fell into the pot, splashing sauce everywhere. “Oops.”
Well, this was gonna be salty pasta sauce. But there was nothing he could do about that now. The salt clump had already sunk in and started dissolving.
“Uh, maybe don’t tell the others about this,” he said to Jack.
“I won’t.” He heard him snicker.
Standing at her own sink, Heather brought the tea towel to her face to muffle her own snickers.
~*~
The door swung open and hit the wall with a bang. “Cody! You in here?”
Cody emerged from the furthest cubicle at the end. “Yeah.” He sniffled.
Noah came up to him. He saw that Cody’s face was still red and splotchy. “Are you okay?”
He shrugged.
“I’m going to take that as a no.”
“I need some water.” Cody stood over the sink and ran the tap, splashing water on his face.
Noah watched him. “So, I put the beef and vegetables in like you said, so I guess we just wait?”
“Yeah.” Cody blew his nose, then rinsed his hands. “I mean, we’re not trying to make it good, are we?” That made him start crying again.
Noah came over and stood beside him, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder.
This action made Cody feel a tiny bit worse. “You probably think this whole thing is stupid. Look at me, I’m crying over beef stew when we could be dead tomorrow.”
“I think it’s weird, but not stupid.”
“It’s just…I take a lot of pride in my cooking, y’know? My parents are almost never home, so I’m the one who takes care of the house and chores and stuff. I’ve been cooking for myself since I was old enough to know how to use an oven. When I heard that today’s challenge would be cooking, I got excited, because finally! A challenge I’m good at! But no, we have to get rid of Heather.” He kicked the wall. “It’s not fair!”
“This whole thing isn’t fair.” Noah agreed. “Especially the way Chris just waltzed in and tried to psyche us all out like that.”
“Yeah. That was…God, I hate him so much.”
“You and me both, dude.”
“Do you think what he said was true? That the police don’t care about us?”
Noah turned to face him. “Why the fuck wouldn’t they?”
Cody shrugged. “I dunno…I’m probably just letting myself give in to it all.”
“No, you’re not. You were the one who just yesterday gave me this big rousing speech about how we can’t give up. Chris is getting to you. Don’t give that asshole what he wants.” Noah took him by the arm and led him outside. “Now come on. Let’s get back to doing nothing.”
The sunlight hit Cody’s face, almost blinding him. He didn’t really want to go back to the kitchen, with that awful beef stew created by his own hands. The thought of it depressed him terribly.
“Actually Noah, would you mind if I went to go lie down for a while?”
“Fine by me. I’ll take care of everything else.”
“Thanks. I’ll come back when it’s time to judge.” With that, Cody broke away and headed for the cabin. Noah watched him go, then disappeared back inside the kitchen.
As soon as the door was closed, he jumped into bed and buried himself under his blanket.
He was glad for Noah’s friendship, but there was still something he couldn’t tell him. Another reason why he was so upset.
Chris may have had a point.
He didn’t know how to break it to Noah that in fact, no, the police probably don’t care about him. Because his parents don’t.
Hell, his parents probably haven’t even noticed that he was missing. They would still be on their work trips right now and they almost never called home.
He needed to face it: there would be no one looking for him.
He would have to save himself.
But to do that, he needed to compose himself.
With that, he stayed under his blanket, trying to compose himself for whatever may happen next.
~*~
Sierra ate a spoonful of ice cream. Katie and Sadie were certainly on to something with this. It tasted delicious. Too delicious. They were not going to lose with this on the menu. She felt kind of bad about it.
She sighed. Eating ice cream reminded her horribly of home, of making awfully sugary ice cream sundaes with her mom in their pajamas and watching trashy reality TV while they ate.
Her mom would love this ice cream. She loved any kind of dessert that had fruit in it. Sierra was more of a chocolate person herself. She wondered if Katie and Sadie had a recipe for chocolate ice cream up their sleeves…
The spoon clattered onto the floor.
“Oops.” Sierra’s thoughts were shattered.
As she bent over to pick it up, her elbow knocked the ice cream container off the table. She gasped. As much as she wanted to lose, she didn’t want to waste what she’d spent the whole day making.
She tried to catch it, but someone else was faster.
“Here,” the cameragirl said, catching it one handed in the nick of time.
“OMG, thank you so much! Katie would have killed me if I dropped her ice cream on the floor!” Sierra said, relieved.
“No problem.”
Sierra got a good look at her. The cameragirl looked to be about her age, with curly pink hair, blue eyes and a pale complexion. She was also about a foot shorter than Sierra, to the point where Sierra had to fight the urge to bend over when speaking to her. The idea of someone so young and seemingly nice willingly working for a maniac like Chris McLean was not pleasant. She had to find out more. And to do that, she needed to start talking.
“You must have really fast reflexes,” she said.
The girl picked the camera up from where she’d dropped it. “Oh…not really.”
“Aw, don’t be modest! Most people probably couldn’t catch something falling, even with advance warning.”
“I-It’s fine. Really. I just got lucky…”
“Say, what’s your name?”
“Joy.” She said it so quietly that Sierra almost missed it.
“That’s a cute name. I’m Sierra.”
“I know.”
“Where are you from? I’m from Toronto, but honestly I wish I lived in Montreal. It just seems like a nicer place.”
Joy was backing away now, unable to look her in the eye. “I…think I should go now. Bye.” She practically dove out the door and out of sight.
Sierra watched her go. She mentally kicked herself.
She came on too hard. She approached too suddenly and forcefully. Just like she always did. How has she not learned her lesson yet? Was not having any friends not enough to make it stick?
“What was that about?”
Noah was standing behind her, arms folded. He was very unimpressed.
“Oh, hey Noah.” Sierra said, trying not to mope.
“Don’t try dodging the question. Why were you talking to her?”
Sierra shrugged. “I dunno…just making conversation, I guess.” Her eyes flickered from left to right, making sure that there weren’t any more cameras on her right now.
“With her? She’s one of them!”
“Yeah, I know.” She leaned in closer and whispered, “I’m trying to get information out of her.”
He gave a single slow nod. “Well, you’re coming on too hard.”
“I know.”
“Besides, you can’t trust the crew. Not her, not anyone else.”
“So…what do you suggest I do?”
“Leave it to me. There are better ways of getting information.”
He walked over to the Killer Bass table with his head held high.
~*~
“So, you were in Chris’s house.”
It was Noah, with his hands on his hips.
Athaliah peeked at him over her shoulder, then turned back to check the pasta. “Yes, I was,” she said softly. “I do wish you wouldn’t say it so loud, though.”
Noah had timed this conversation well. The cameramen in the kitchen were all following what the others were doing, bent over the dishes, zoomed in on faces, taking scenic shots. Noah and Athaliah were, currently, not the focus of the cameras. They were good to go for at least a few minutes.
“I want you to tell me what else you saw.”
“Like what?”
“Anything. Anything that might help us.”
Athaliah thought back to yesterday, when she was rifling through Chris’ papers with confusion and fear. The electric bill, and the address on it, came to mind first.
“I found an electric bill on his desk. 143 Pendleton Road, Hampshire Beach, Newfoundland. I have a suspicion that that is where we are right now.”
Noah thought it over. He couldn’t come to a consensus. It very well could be a lead, although it could just as well be Chris’ home address. And no way would he be dumb enough to film this at his own home.
“Anything else?”
“Yes. He receives lots of mail from Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. Most of them are from people calling themselves his ‘fans’, whatever that could mean. Many more seemed to be business-related, although I don’t know much about that. Television deals, record labels…er, royalties. I don’t see what the monarchy has to do with this.”
Noah nodded. “Do you remember anything else?”
“There were rejections. He was being denied jobs, it seemed. Many jobs. He wanted to be something called a TV Show Host. They sent his letter back with the word REJECTED on it.”
He snorted a laugh. “That would be funny if we weren’t in danger right now. Was there anything else?”
“Yes. We received a telephone call from someone called Halder’s Unlimited Fur Products. She thought we were his interns and demanded a password to confirm an order.”
“What? A password to…what did he order?”
Athaliah rattled it off right off the top of her head. “Three tiger-skin rugs, on white mink coat, three fur-lined shoes, one brown fur coat and one mounted moose head.”
Typical rich person bullshit, he thought. “Are they being delivered here?”
“To his Toronto address. I apologize, but I didn’t see that anywhere.”
“And what was his password?”
“His birthday. 18th November 1978.”
“She didn’t suspect anything?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Okay, this is really weird. They don’t usually ask for passwords over the phone, so that’s pretty suspicious. Wouldn’t surprise me if he was involved in other shady stuff too.”
Athaliah grabbed a colander from the cupboard and drained the pasta. “I didn’t see much else after that,” she said. “Alejandro found a phone, so we left.”
“But Chris said he didn’t call for help. Was he lying about that?”
Athaliah glanced over her shoulder again, as did Noah. The cameras still weren’t focused on them, but still. Better safe than sorry.
“I’m not sure. He took it with him when we left and I never saw it again.”
“Brilliant. Well, thanks anyway. I’d better go before someone gets suspicious.” He made to leave, intending on taking a Bass boy aside later and asking them to check Alejandro’s bag in case he’d hidden it.
Athaliah’s next sentence stopped him in his tracks.
“I saw where they’re keeping our bodies.”
Noah turned on his heel.
“In a little grassy patch next to the house. They’re building coffins for us all. I saw Lindsay in one of them.” She was now completely still, standing at the sink and staring out the window. The steam from the pasta rose up like ominous smoke. Her eyes looked glassy. “I pray to God every morning and night, but as of yet have not received any kind of response. I fear he may have abandoned us. God be with us. Please…”
Noah walked away quickly, the image of honest-to-God actual coffins invading his brain. The idea of him or Cody ending up in one of them was hard to shake, despite his best efforts otherwise.
Coffins. Actual coffins. Were they going to be buried? And if so, where? On the beach? Deep in the woods, out of view? It made him sick. Fuck Chris. Fuck everyone.
That pink-haired cameragirl floated to the front of his mind. He grit his teeth. He didn’t care how old or how nice she was, she was as guilty as the rest of them.
~*~
The Killer Bass were all bent over their table, inhaling all the delicious scents. The fruits of their hard work lay before them. The antipasto and dessert were perfect. The pasta was plated, and the sauce remained in the pan while Athaliah added the finishing touches. It was all so good that they were tempted to just eat it themselves.
“I hope there’s enough leftovers so we can eat it, eh.” Ezekiel said above his rumbling stomach.
Izzy clapped her hands. “A feast fit for a king! We’ve got this one in the bag!” She gave a pointed look at the Screaming Gophers.
The Gophers’ display was pathetic compared to theirs. Potato salad with very little potato, watery and sad-looking beef stew, and liquefied ice cream.
Sadie rubbed her arm. “Oh, that’s a shame. Katie’s usually really good with the ice cream. She must have been having trouble today.”
“Yeah. Hell, they all look like they struggled.” Geoff agreed. “But it does mean that no more of us will die tonight!”
“How different do you think this would all be if Alejandro were still alive?” Athaliah asked quietly.
Geoff froze. He wasn’t sure what to think about that. They’d all gotten along fine today, as they’d hoped. If Al - sorry, Alejandro - were still here…
It would mean that he hadn’t tried to call for help.
Poor guy. He felt sorry for him - yes, Geoff could admit that. The guy was a total snake, but he didn’t deserve such a horrid execution.
So he decided to throw him a bone beyond the grave.
“Well, we would probably still win. We are all very talented chefs.”
Eva huffed. “He probably would’ve just ruined everything for us.”
“Eh, I think that’s a bit harsh. He just wanted to live…”
“Yeah, by throwing the rest of us under the bus!”
“Look, the guy was slippery as hell. But surely you can understand.”
“Where’s all this ‘speak no ill of the dead’ nonsense coming from? He would have gone after you eventually, and you know it!”
Geoff did know it. But it all seemed pointless to discuss now that Alejandro was dead.
The door leading outside suddenly burst open. In came Tyler, holding a large red box. He heaved it inside, heading for the table.
“Hey guys! I found some cans of Coke on the boat! Why don’t we all sit down somewhere an-”
His foot slipped on the discarded onions and he went careening into the table. Dishes and utensils went flying everywhere, crashing against the walls and floor. The Screaming Gophers and Killer Bass all gasped in shock.
Athaliah spied the big pan becoming airborne and began its descent towards the floor. “Noooooo!” she cried, leaping into action. She jumped over Tyler and caught the pan before it hit the ground. The sauce splashed against her waistcoat, but most of it was saved.
The same couldn't be said for the antipasto and dessert. They were smeared everywhere: on the floor, on the walls, on the table, and all over poor Tyler.
“Oh, no…” Ezekiel trailed off.
The inner doors swung open. “Just came to say that y’all have five minutes till…” Chef’s eyes bulged out of their sockets. “What the hell have you idiots done to my kitchen?!”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it…” Tyler groaned.
“Great. That’s just great, Tyler! Now look! We’re going to lose, and it’s all your fault!” Eva screeched.
Izzy held up her hands. “Hey, it was just an accident.”
“Yeah. An accident that’s just cost us the challenge!”
“It wasn’t even his fault!” Ezekiel pointed out. “Those guys dumped their onions on the floor and didn’t clean them up!” He thrust an accusatory finger at the Gophers.
Owen rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, it is my fault. I’m really sorry about this. We were trying to sabotage Heather.”
“I knew it!” Heather shrilled. “I knew that’s what you were doing! You guys are low! Worse than low: hypocritical!”
“Shut up!” The Gophers chorused.
“Well now we’re both going to lose,” Sadie said sadly. “Your food sucks, and we have nothing to serve Chris.”
“I wouldn’t say nothing!” Athaliah crowed. She held up the pan. “The sauce is okay! We just need more pasta!”
Eva scoffed. “In five minutes? Yeah right.”
“It’s possible!” Leshawna tossed them a packet of spaghetti from their own table. “You guys can still win this with anything above a seven!”
Geoff caught the pasta. “Let’s do this!”
~*~
Chris checked his watch. All he could hear from inside the kitchen was banging, boiling and talking. He sighed. His stomach rumbled.
“What’s taking them so long?” he whined. “They should have been done five minutes ago!”
“I let them have a few more minutes,” Chef told him. “One team is in real dire straits right now. But I think I’ll let them explain it to you.”
The double doors were pushed open. Several campers hurried out and bustled about the table where Chris was sitting. Leshawna set up some cutlery for him. Geoff brought out a candle and lit it. Katie and Sadie decorated the table with some flowers they’d picked outside.
“When’s dinner? I’m starving!”
“It’ll come when it’s ready,” Leshawna said snippily. She spied, out the corner of her eye, Trent making his way over with the potato salad. “Which is right now.”
“Alright! Let’s see what we have here!”
Trent set the bowl down in front of him. “It’s potato salad. Help yourself.”
Chris peered at it. “Um, dude, where’s the potato?”
“Oh, Owen ate it all.”
“Whoopsie!” Owen giggled from the kitchen.
Chris shrugged and scooped up some onions, sauce and bacon bits. He chewed uncertainly. Once the flavour hit his taste buds, he gagged, sauce droplets rolling down his chin. “Lay off the vinegar next time! Two points!”
Cody emerged with Noah following close behind. “Beef stew!”
“Nice! A classic!” But when Chris got a good look at it, he frowned. The base was much too watery, the vegetables were burnt, and the beef was undercooked.
He ate a spoonful of soup. It didn’t taste too bad, but the vegetables really ruined it. And the beef was definitely undercooked.
“Yuck! You call this cooking? You kids suck! Three points!”
Cody flinched, but Noah patted him on the shoulder and they disappeared back into the kitchen.
Chris drummed his fingers on the table. “Are these idiots seriously incapable of cooking a good meal? I pity their parents!”
“Not everyone is blessed with culinary aptitude,” Chef remarked.
“You’re one to talk! I still haven’t forgotten that eggs benedict you made that one time!”
“Who wants dessert?” Sierra chirped.
As soon as Chris saw that it was half-melted ice cream with suspicious chunks in it, he sighed. “Let’s just get this over with.”
Leshawna and Owen stuck their heads out, watching on inconspicuously. “I know this is to get Heather out, but watching Chris suffer is one hell of an added bonus!” Leshawna stifled her laughter.
Chris ate a spoonful of ice cream and nodded to himself. “You know, you really need to learn how to freeze stuff, but otherwise the flavour’s actually pretty good! Five points!”
“So ten total,” Owen said. “That means the Bass will have to score a perfect ten just to tie us! Do you think Chris will have us do a tie breaker?”
“He’ll have to! He wants someone to die, and he can’t do that if there isn’t a loser.”
Chris wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Oh Killer Bass! It’s your turn!” He heard Chef hiding his laughter, but he ignored him.
Athaliah strode forth, a plate of spaghetti in sauce in her hands.
Chris rubbed his hands together in glee. “Now this is more like it! But I’m pretty sure there’s supposed to be an entree first.”
“We don’t have one, or a dessert for that matter. Tyler fell on the table and ruined everything. This is all we could save. I do hope you enjoy it. It’s a family recipe.”
“Well, this smells like a perfect ten already!” Chris twirled a forkful of spaghetti and ate it with relish.
As he ate, the other campers poked their heads in, praying it would do well. Heather stood back, palms sweaty.
But a series of enraged coughs made all that sweat dry up in an instant.
“What the hell did you put in this pasta sauce? It’s disgusting!”
Athaliah flinched violently. “Wh-what do you mean? I made it exactly the same as I have always made it!”
“Well it’s all nasty and bitter! Absolutely horrible!”
Heather sauntered forward. “I saw Harold put a ton of baking powder in it earlier.”
Harold was outraged. “I did not! Gosh!”
“Don’t listen to her, Chris. Heather is just up to her old tricks again!” Leshawna shot her a vicious glare.
Jack the cameraman raised his hand. “Actually, he did. I saw him do it. You can watch the footage for yourself.”
The Killer Bass gasped in horror, as did the Screaming Gophers. Harold was frozen to the spot, mouth hanging open.
Chris folded his arms, making him look like a petulant child. It would be funny if the situation weren’t so serious right now. “Well, whatever happened, this sauce is terrible! And on top of that, you don’t even have anything else to serve me! One point, and that’s only because I’m being generous! Killer Bass, you lose! One of you is going home, tonight!”
~*~
The Bass Girls met up in the boat shed again. Sadie sat on a crate, swinging her legs. Izzy leaned uncomfortably against the wall. Athaliah sat next to Sadie, holding completely still. Eva paced around feverishly, muttering under her breath all the while.
“So…” Izzy began uncertainly, “I’m assuming you called us all here for a reason.”
“I did.” Eva stopped her pacing and pointed directly at Athaliah. “Be honest: what happened with you, Harold and the sauce?”
Athaliah pursed her lips in a sad downwards turn. “Izzy and Tyler wanted my help turning their dessert out onto a plate. I asked Harold to season the sauce for me while I did so. He did as he was told and everything seemed well.”
“And you didn’t taste it?”
“I assumed there would be no reason to. I didn’t change anything from how I used to make it at home.”
“Did Harold taste it?”
“I’m not sure. I’m sorry.” She bowed her head.
“Do you think the camera guy was lying?” Sadie ventured. “Like, maybe someone sabotaged us and blamed it on Harold.”
“Maybe. Harold sure as hell wouldn’t sabotage us; he has no reason to.” Izzy agreed.
Eva growled. “Either way, he’s not completely blameless. We lost today because of Tyler. I propose we vote him out.”
“No!” Izzy cried. “It wasn’t his fault!”
“Izzy. He ruined our entire meal. If he hadn’t done that, we still could’ve won even with the sauce.”
“So? It still wasn’t his fault! It was Owen’s! He’s the one who threw onions onto the floor and didn’t clean them up! It’s his fault, not Tyler’s!”
Sadie made a noise of disagreement. Izzy rounded on her. “Oh come on! You were there! You saw what happened!” Her voice was frantic and jumping all over the place.
“Why are you so desperate to save him?” Eva asked.
Izzy shrugged awkwardly. “I dunno, he’s…nice.”
“Really.”
“Yeah. And what happened today wasn’t his fault.”
“Oh for the love of-”
“I nominate Harold.”
Everyone turned. Athaliah was the one who had spoken. She was slouched forward slightly. She had her head held up but her eyes cast down at the floor. Her hands were in her lap, clasped tightly.
“What was that?” Eva stood over her.
“I nominate Harold.” Her voice trembled awfully. “He ruined my sauce. I make it perfect every single time. I trusted him, and…” She sniffled. “I could have scored a ten. I know I could have. But…”
The three others were silent for a moment. Athaliah, the girl who prayed to God twice a day, who was nothing but pleasant to everybody, had just nominated someone to die. She was no longer just following along with what the others said. She meant business.
Even the most kind and faithful can be broken and beaten down.
“Yeah. Let’s vote Harold.” Izzy agreed, still desperate to save Tyler.
Sadie shrugged. “I’m fine with that…oh that was horrible phrasing. I’m not fine with it, but I am agreeing we should-”
“Yeah, we get it.” Eva waved at her to be quiet. She sighed. “Alright, fine. I can see that I’m outnumbered. Okay, Athaliah. We’ll vote for Harold.”
Izzy let out the breath she had been holding.
“Happy, Izzy?” Eva said sarcastically.
“I am, actually. I like Tyler, and I want him to stay.”
“Why? Do you have a crush on him?” Sadie teased.
Izzy went red. “That’s none of your business!”
“It’s alright if you do. I won’t tell anyone. Except maybe Katie.”
“No you won’t!” She groaned. “Can we discuss, like, anything else?”
“Well, it’s not the only thing we should discuss tonight.” Athaliah said, pointedly staring at Eva.
Eva stared back at her. “What do you mean?”
“Ezekiel spoke to me today. He wanted to know if there was any way to apologize for what he said.”
Eva snorted. “Not likely.”
“Surely you can find it within your heart to-”
“No.”
“Why not?”
Eva’s face suddenly flushed a scary shade of red. “That’s none of your fucking business!”
Both Sadie and Athaliah recoiled. Izzy stepped forward, her hands held out. “Hey, whoa, what’s with the attitude, Eva?”
Eva folded her arms and turned away from them. “I don’t forgive sexist pigs. Ever!”
“Don’t you think you’re being a little dramatic?” Sadie raised an eyebrow. “It was like, one comment he made and he pretty clearly regrets it. Why are you being so stubborn?”
“Again, that’s none of your business!”
“It becomes our business when it starts costing us challenges!” Izzy’s hands were now on her hips. “You got yourself, Zeke and Tyler caught yesterday! I could hear you from the other side of the island! Now come on! Out with it! Why are you so pressed?”
Eva gave them all the most withering look she could muster. Izzy gave her one back.
Eva didn’t say anything else. She just marched out of the boat shed, letting the door slam behind her.
“Well,” Sadie began, “that was weird.”
Izzy huffed. “I really don’t understand her! Ezekiel is obviously sorry! Ugh! I swear, if she loses us another challenge because of this…”
“She won’t.” Athaliah said suddenly. “I’ll talk to her again tomorrow.”
Izzy nodded. “Let’s just hope isn’t as volatile as she was just now.”
~*~
The eight remaining Killer Bass all looked utterly beaten down by the day’s events. Their faces, as seen by the flickering light of the fire, were pale and twisting. They hardly spoke a word among themselves.
Chris arranged the marshmallows on the plate before facing the kids with a stern expression. “You are all here tonight because you failed. Not just as cooks, but as human beings.”
Tyler looked to be on the verge of tears, sitting with his knees pulled up to his chest.
“I mean, the sauce was bad enough, but the fact that your other two dishes got ruined? It was pretty funny, but still! I was starving, y’all!”
Good, Eva thought. Starve some more.
She found a marshmallow hurtling towards her face, and caught it.
“Eva. Geoff. Sadie. You are all safe.” Chris picked up two more marshmallows.
“Izzy. Ezekiel. Safe.”
Athaliah’s hands were clutching each other so tightly that her fingernails left marks on her skin. So when she saw a marshmallow heading in her direction, she almost cried with relief.
“Athaliah. Surprisingly.”
Harold couldn’t even see the one remaining marshmallow at this point. It was too dark and fuzzy. He had a horrible sinking feeling of where this was going.
Tyler was shaking so hard he could feel his limbs locking up.
All because of those fucking onions.
But…
No, that wasn’t the whole story, was it? He slipped on them. He wasn’t watching where he was going.
It was his fault.
He began to cry softly.
“The last marshmallow of the night goes to…
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Tyler!”
Tyler collapsed onto the ground, sobbing.
Harold, meanwhile, was heartbroken. His bottom lip trembled and his eyes misted up. He buried his face in his hands.
“Harold! Step right up!”
He did as he was told, although between his blindness and tears, he couldn’t see anything.
He certainly couldn’t see the table that had been set out for him.
It was a simple square wooden thing with a matching chair. Harold was guided into it by Bill, who remained stone-faced the entire time. Before him was a red-and-white checkered placemat and a knife and fork. A small glass vase containing a pathetic half-wilted bundle of daisies was the only other adornment.
“Harold, I hope you’re ready, ‘cause you’re about to go all the way down to Flavour Town!” Chris chuckled at the reference.
From the darkness behind him, the Executioner appeared, holding a steaming plate.
Harold didn’t need to see what it was. He could tell from the smell alone.
A reheated portion of Athaliah’s spaghetti and sauce was placed before him. The Executioner stepped back with her hands crossed in front of her. A scarily deferential pose. She even bowed slightly.
Chris gestured to the plate. “Alright, eat up. As much as you can.” He could barely hide the giggle.
Harold had no choice. As his now-former teammates looked on with tears streaming down their faces, he slowly twirled a forkful of spaghettie and ate it, chewing cautiously.
It wasn’t bad at all. Rich and flavourful and savoury. The consistency was perfect and clung to the pasta like magic. It almost certainly would have tied the score were it not for the baking powder.
Because, yes, there was an exceptionally bitter taste to it. It hurt the back of his throat. Still though, Chris was an asshole for only giving this a score of one. He knew how long Ezekiel and Athaliah had spent chopping all those tomatoes.
Speaking of those two, he couldn’t see them. Hell, he couldn’t see anyone. Only the vague outlines of a few of them. They flickered in and out of his view. He ate another mouthful.
His stomach hurt.
He stared hard at the one figure he thought might be Athaliah’s. “I’m sorry, Athaliah. I know how hard you and Zeke worked on this.”
A voice responded, further to his left. “No, I’m sorry Harold. I know you didn’t mean it.”
“We’re all sorry, Harold.” Sadie spoke up.
“We’ll miss you, bro.” Geoff was tearful. “You were pretty cool. I’ll never forget you beatboxing. That was awesome. Oh…and I’m sorry again about your glasses…”
“Thank you, Harold, for…everything…” Ezekiel sounded distraught.
“I was hoping…with Alejandro gone…we could win more challenges together,” Izzy said mournfully. “I really hoped….sorry…”
“I-I-I…” Tyler hiccuped, unable to finish his sentence.
Harold was also crying, harder than he ever had before in his life. He choked down another forkful. That bitter aftertaste was growing more painful by the second. It was all he could do to eat some more, biting directly into a juicy chunk of tomato. He could feel bile beginning to pool in his stomach.
“P-Please…”
He leaned over the grass and vomited. It came out in a thin stream streaked with red.
The action only served to make him feel worse. His insides felt like they were melting. He vomited again, directly onto the table.
“Oh, God…” Eva murmured.
His throat and stomach were aflame. An uncontrollable shaking began to overtake him. The end was coming. It was coming, and he wasn’t prepared and he was terrified.
The cutlery fell to the grass, as did the vase. As Harold began to shake, the whole table shook with him. Using the last bit of energy he could muster, he said his final words:
“Please…please tell my family I love them…”
The chair tipped over, spilling him onto the ground. The Killer Bass could do nothing but watch as Harold’s body convulsed grotesquely and painfully. Bloody spittle coated his lips and mouth and rolled down his chin. The plate was knocked off the table, covering him in more ugly red splatter.
Athaliah covered her eyes, unable to bear the sight of what her own sauce was doing to him.
The convulsions lasted a few more horrifying minutes before Harold’s body finally went limp.
“Of course I had to make him taste the fruits of his own labour! And, we put an extra special ingredient in the sauce!” Chris winked at the camera. “Cyanide!”
“Monster,” Eva muttered, swallowing back her own vomit.
“Oh, you’ll get used to it eventually.”
Tyler was on the ground in the fetal position, sobbing relentlessly. How was he supposed to get up and face the world around him now? After he just watched someone pay for his mistake?
His whole chest ached with the force of his cries. He struggled to breath; each breath he took was put towards more crying. His hands gripped his hair so hard it left marks on his scalp.
Then something warm enveloped him.
For a moment Tyler imagined that this was what death was like: all warm and dark. It only served to make him more terrified.
But when he opened his eyes, he saw that it was Izzy embracing him. She was holding onto him tightly, like she was scared he’d drift away.
“It’s okay…it’s okay…” she whispered, close to his ear. A gentler hand ran through his hair. He felt her own tears against his cheek.
He knew it wasn’t okay, but he let her tell him that anyway.
It’s okay…it’s okay…
~*~
Ezekiel sat quietly as Karen replaced his bandages. She worked silently, a sympathetic frown on her face. His tears were still flowing freely.
He had no idea what to say to her. In fact, he hadn’t said a word at all. Just simply showed her his bloody bandages.
Whatever fate awaited him…he just hoped it was less painful than being mauled by wolves.
Wolves made him think of his big sister Damaris. How, when he was a kid, she would pretend to be a wolf and chase him all over the lawn. Baring her teeth and doing her best howl.
He shuddered thinking of that now.
What would Damaris say, if she knew that he just witnessed a teammate of his ingest a lethal amount of cyanide? That that teammate had vomited himself to death as a result?
He wanted Damaris more than ever. He wanted her to pick him up after falling asleep watching TV and carry him back to his room. He wanted the reassurance that she would still be there in the morning.
Karen finished his bandages and perched on the edge of his bed. Her own eyes were beginning to water.
“Ezekiel?” she asked quietly. “Do you…is there anything I can…do you want me to…”
Was there anything anyone can do at this point?
“I just…” Yet another tear rolled down his cheek. “I don’t understand why we’re still here. I don’t understand why this is happening. I just want to go home.”
“I had to do it.” Heather sat solemnly. “You saw how bloodthirty my team is. Besides…it’s not like the Bass didn’t have it coming. I mean, who pust a blind guy in charge of watching the sauce?” She cast her eyes downward and sat silently for a few moments.
In Halifax, police set up booths where pedestrians could listen to the phone calls sent to the Burromerto family, in hopes that someone could identify Calamity Jane. These booths were set up in and around parks, shopping centers and courtyards; places with lots of foot traffic.
Meanwhile, police combed numerous fields near the Quebec border. They were looking for large oak trees that showed signs of fresh digging. Maybe times they were trespassing on private property. Local forces demanded warrants. This led to intense distrust between the two factions. More booths were set up in the area. The police went as far as to personally flag passersby and force them to listen to the recordings. They grew frustrated when no one recognised the voices.
Several concerned low-ranking deputies from Ottawa informed the police that the calls were most likely hoaxes. They were ignored.
Chapter 11: Episode 2, Part 2: The Power of Trust
Chapter Text
Episode 2, Part 2: The Power of Trust
ViolenceInc usually saw its daily visitors number in the hundreds. Throughout June 2007, that number had risen into the thousands.
People flocked from all over the web to see the new reality show everyone was talking about. Viewership skyrocketed. Clips of executions were reposted elsewhere on the site; these also received much attention. The comment section was alive with chatter.
One comment read: “This is officially my favourite show. It’s so fucking good!”
Another read: “I wish they could air this on TV. It would be amazing.”
Yet another said: “The drama is real and it’s goddamn amazing. Cannot wait to see who dies next!”
Still, not everyone was pleased. There was a small but vocal minority who protested the show’s existence on moral grounds. These were the ones who had paid the subscription fee under the assumption it was all staged, and were unable to get refunds. They flooded the comment section under every video, trying to dissuade others from watching any further.
One such commenter said: “Every single one of you here are fucking monsters. You should all be ashamed of yourself.”
Another said: “You’re literally watching these kids getting tortured. How is this okay?”
But just like before, resistance was fierce and brutal. The right to watch a snuff show was a right they wanted to protect. Anyone who voiced concerns was quickly shouted down.
Still, there was one comment that seemed to scare them all. Username computerdeath left the following message under episode 9:
“Just reported this to the police. Have fun watching TV in prison you sickos :)”
Geoff aimed the camera high and clicked the shutter.
It wouldn’t turn out so well, he knew. Photos of the sky were always a hit-or-miss, usually a miss. But the moon was full and bright tonight, and he’d decided to try and capture it anyway. He lay on his back to get the perfect angle, but once he did so he didn’t want to get back up again. The grass was soft but cold. It was a comforting caress regardless.
How often had Bridgette tried to photograph the sky? How many times did she try, and was she ever successful? Did she like to lie on the grass, just staring up at the universe? Was she doing that right now?
He reached one hand out to the sky, as if willing the moon and stars to zap a message to her. He prayed she was safe and sound, wherever she was. Oh, how he wanted to join her-
“Hey.”
Geoff shot up like a bolt of lightning. The moonlight illuminated a scrawny figure in an unzipped red raincoat standing behind him. Noah. “Holy shit, dude! Don’t sneak up on me like that!”
“Sorry, but sneaking up on you was the point. I need to ask you a favour, but I don’t want any of Chris’ camera cronies catching wind of it.”
“Oh…okay. What is it?”
Noah scoped the scene, checking if the coast was clear. It was. He leaned in closer. “Do you remember how Chris said that Alejandro stole his phone and then didn’t try to call for help? I’ll bet you anything he’s hidden it.. I want you to look in your cabin to see if it’s in there somewhere.”
Geoff bit his lip. “Y-Yeah, sure dude. I’ll have a look.”
“Good. And when you do, don’t come and find me. Just use it straight away.”
With everything he needed to say said, Noah turned and quickly walked back to the Gophers’ cabin. Geoff didn’t even get to formulate a response. For the best, he supposed. Noah was trying not to risk them being overheard.
Geoff took one last look at the stars - the same stars circling above Bridgette’s head - then went back to his own cabin.
It was very dark inside aside from the moonlight filtering through the grubby window. Geoff didn’t dare turn on the light; he didn’t want to alert anyone to what he was doing. On the two top bunks on either side of the window lay the two black lumps of sleeping bodies; Ezekiel on the left, Tyler on the right. They weren’t moving.
Geoff crept over towards the bunk underneath Tyler. He felt around on the thin scratch blanket until he found what he was looking for. Alejandro’s goody bag was reading in the far corner. He opened it up and felt around inside of it.
It was mostly just clothes, so he kept digging. He pulled out various items and set them aside. Clothes, toothbrush, book. No phone. He knew he needed to move quickly. The sooner he could find it, the sooner he could call for help.
Then something metal brushed against his fingers.
He held in a gasp of joy and lifted it out.
Immediately he was crestfallen. It was just a metal comb.
He put everything back in the bag and stood up.
Geoff began to inspect the room as carefully and quietly as he could. He opened the cobweb-covered chest of drawers and felt in each drawer. He shone a flashlight behind and under it and under all the bunks. He looked through the side table under the window, guided by the moonlight. He even tried prying up a loose floorboard, but it wouldn’t budge.
He lay down in his own bunk. Okay, it didn’t seem like the phone was anywhere in this room. Of course. Alejandro was smarter than that. He could have hidden it anywhere. In the woods, on the beach, maybe in the girls’ side of the cabin. Maybe even under the cabin.
There was nothing he could do but wait until tomorrow.
~*~
Bill pointed the camera out at the horizon, capturing a beautiful view of the lake, trees and birds. The weather was warm and the sky was clear. It was all instantly ruined when Chris walked into frame.
“Hey, Chris McLean here. Sometimes teams just don’t get along. No matter what you do, it only seems to aggravate things even further. So Chef and I decided that the best way to work through the group friction is to…exploit it for laughs!” He chuckled.
Bill shuddered.
~*~
The campers gathered at the bottom of a cliff. They could already tell what the challenge was going to be, and they sure as hell weren’t looking forward to it.
“Good morning, everybody!” Chris crowed. “I hope you’re all well rested, ‘cause this challenge is gonna be a doozy!”
The Gophers rolled their eyes. The Bass looked downtrodden.
“It’s come to my attention that there’s been a lot of tension between certain members of your team. So, we thought we’d help ease some of those tensions by…forcing you to compete in ultra-dangerous challenges!”
“Of course,” Noah muttered.
“The first part of the challenge will involve climbing up this very cliff here.” Chris gestured, making it seem even bigger than it really was. You’ll work in pairs. One member from each team will climb while another one holds onto the support ropes. First one to reach the top wins. Hmmm, let’s say, Heather and Leshawna from the Gophers, and Eva and Tyler from the Bass.”
He tossed them each a harness. Eva and Leshawna caught them.
Heather folded her arms. “Good. You can climb. I don’t feel like being dropped on my head today.”
“That should be the least of your worries, you beast!” Leshawna snapped back. “Just wait until tonight!”
“Uhhh…” Tyler felt so incredibly awkward around Eva. She still looked furious about yesterday. “Y-You can climb. You’re probably stronger than me.”
“Fine. I will.”
It only took about a minute to harness them both in. Leshawna and Eva wore identical expressions of determination and rage. Heather and Tyler stood behind them. Tyler was already white-knuckeling the rope.
“You’ll find all sorts of dangers up above,” Chris told them. “Slippery grease puddles, thorny vines, plus a few other surprises. Heheh.”
“Do you ever get tired of being a ginormous jackass?” Eva asked.
“No. Now, on your marks, get set, go!”
And they were off.
Eva set off like there was a fire lit underneath her. She hauled herself up and up and up. Even the Gophers were impressed.
Leshawna, on the other hand, was taking it much slower. This challenge wasn’t so bad; the cliff was relatively easy to traverse and due to not wanting to lose, there was no chance Heather would try and drop her.
But Leshawna, and the others, did want to lose. Heather was a problem and losing was the solution. If she didn’t like it, too fucking bad. She shouldn’t have been so rotten then.
“Hurry up, Leshawna!” Heather barked.
“Hold your damn horses, I’m getting there!”
“You can do it, Eva!” Geoff called out. “You hang onto those ropes tight, Tyler!”
Tyler nodded, still feeling numb. His hands were beginning to hurt from the pressure of it all. But still he held on tight.
After what happened with the onions yesterday, he knew he needed to step up and do better, no matter what this competition threw at him.
Eva crawled over a ledge and found herself kneeling in a grease puddle. “Oh, fuck you, Chris!” She wiped her hands as dry as possible, then carried on.
Chris called out mockingly, “Don’t let the pressure get to you! Or do. Either way, it’ll be great for me!”
“Shut up!”
“Yeah, I second that!” Leshawna raised her head, only to feel thorns poking into her skull. When she tried to move her head out of the way, she found that her hair was already tangled. “Oh, for fuck’s sake!”
“Just take it easy, Leshawna!” Owen said. “Don’t wanna…rip your hair out too quickly, heheh.”
Heather ground her teeth. “Piss off, the whole lot of you!”
Eva ignored everything below her. She focused on climbing up as quickly and quietly as possible. The cliff edge was fast approaching. She felt like grinning, but held it in. Later, when they were safe from yet another fucking elimination in a row, would she smile.
Suddenly, her foothold gave away. Her hands lost their grip on the rockface and she found herself falling backwards. The Bass gasped.
But the rope pulled taut.
“It’s okay, I’ve got you!” Tyler shouted.
Eva breathed in deep to slow the hammering of her heart, It was okay, she was safe. The idiot was good for something, after all.
She swung herself back over and resumed climbing.
“You know, Tyler,” Heather said, “if you let go of that rope you’d be doing me a huge favour.”
“No way!” Tyler said through gritted teeth. “I would never throw my teammates under the bus!”
“Was she serious?” Tyler folded his arms tightly, frowning deeply. “Did she really think I’d do it for her? Seriously! I’m not that kind of person!”
Leshawna had finally untangled herself and began climbing again, slow and deliberate.
Heather groaned, which sounded more like a gag. “Hurry the fuck up already!”
“Give me a good reason to, and I’ll think about it.”
Heather stamped her foot. “Ugh! You are impossible!”
“Still better than what you are!”
Down below, Athaliah put the back of her hand against her forehead. “I can’t watch anymore…I’m getting dizzy just looking up at that cliff!”
“Yeah. That is pretty gnarly.” Geoff agreed.
“But it’ll be over soon; Eva’s nearing the end!” Izzy yelled. “Go Eva!”
Eva was nearing the edge. Soon she would grab on, hoist herself up, and give her team the lead. The thought of it invigorated her.
Below her, Leshawna kept up her leisurely pace. She smiled to herself. Go on Eva, she thought. Go on and win it.
Just then, Chef appeared, holding a super soaker.
“Surprise!” Chris said, doing jazz hands.
Chef aimed his weapon and unloaded the contents onto Tyler and Heather. Instead of water, it was thick, red and sticky.
It hit Heather in her chest. The stench wafted up, making her nose curl and eyes water. But she held fast, clutching the rope tighter. It was gonna take more than that to stop her!
Poor Tyler, on the other hand, took a direct hit to the face. He blinked, wondering what just hit him, until the pain started,
“AAH! My eyes! It burns!” He brought his hands up to rub them, and that was all it took.
Eva found herself falling again straight to the ground. Well, on top of Tyler. They collapsed in a pile of limbs, rope and red liquid.
Leshawna surpassed her easily and hauled herself up to the very top. “Dang. Sorry, Eva.”
“Ghost pepper hot sauce! Always a classic!” Chris clapped. “Anyway, the Screaming Gophers win the first part of the challenge!”
“Yes!” Heather cheered.
“Damn it,” Noah said under his breath.
“Don’t worry,” Katie reassured him. “This is just the first part. We can just sabotage the rest.”
“For our sakes,” Noah watched Heather and her stupid victory dance, “I hope you’re right.”
“If it wasn’t game on before, it certainly is now. Mark my fucking words.” Heather pointed at the camera.
The mess hall was, at first, lit only by a solitary spotlight. Chris stepped into it, grinning broadly. On either side of him were the contestants for the next part of the challenge: Noah and Cody for the Gophers, Athaliah and Izzy for the Bass. They were lit up by their own spotlights.
“The next part of this challenge requires skill, knowledge, and a deft hand.” Chris said ominously. “One of you will be preparing a dish with the infamous Fugu blowfish and serving it to your partner.”
Noah and Cody gulped.
“Hmm, that doesn’t seem so bad,” Athaliah said.
“The thing you have to understand, Athaliah, is that the Fugu blowfish is poisonous. It contains enough toxins to kill thirty people.”
“...Oh, dear...”
“I would tell you which parts are the most poisonous, but that’ll ruin the fun.”
“So what’s gonna happen if we accidentally ingest the poison?” Noah asked, hands on hips.
“We’ll skip tonight’s elimination, that’s what. They’d probably all thank you for taking one for the team.”
“Um…no thanks.”
“Right, well. You have thirty minutes to prepare, starting now. Good luck!”
Noah laid an apologetic hand on Cody’s shoulder. “I hate to dump this on you, but you’d better do it.”
“Why? You’re way smarter than me! You probably know way more about this blowfish than I do!”
“Either way, I don’t have anywhere near the same cooking expertise that you do. Just avoid the skin, liver and eyes and you should be fine.” He smiled. “I trust you.”
Over at the Bass table…
“I think you should do this,” Izzy said.
Athaliah looked panicked. “But I don’t know a thing about this fish! What if I accidentally kill you?”
“You’ll be fine! Besides, you’re way better at cooking than me.” Izzy linked their pinkies together. “We’re the Bass Girls, remember? I have faith in you.”
“O-Okay…” Athaliah tried to smile shakily.
She didn’t feel any better when she stepped into the kitchen with her blowfish. It made her hands shake just thinking about it.
How should she prepare it? Could she cook the poison out? Would there be enough time for that?
She figured fish fillets in her mother’s special wine sauce couldn’t hurt. It was quick and easy to prepare, and with such a small fish, it would be even quicker.
So she picked up a knife and, with a prayer under her breath, began cutting.
~*~
Bill watched as Cody cut into his fish, as carefully as possible. He sliced it up into pieces, removed every single internal organ, and scraped the skin off the flesh. He worked quietly and diligently. It made Bill sad that Cody never got to prove himself in yesterday’s cooking challenge so he must be trying to make up for that here.
Inside the fridge were several trays of sushi rice coated with vinegar. Chef was planning on making sushi for the crew’s lunch today. Cody didn’t care. He scooped out some rice and pressed them into round oval shapes. He salted and seasoned the fish, cut them into strips, then laid them out carefully over the rice balls.
“What’re you making?” Bill asked, training the camera directly on Cody’s face.
His expression became more dour once he realised who was speaking to him. “Nigiri,” he said in a flat tone.
“Looks good. I almost want to try one myself.”
Cody only grunted in response.
Bill tried not to sigh hopelessly in front of him. He wished this wasn’t happening. Feeding each other poisonous blowfish! Where did Chris even get them from, anyway?
But that wasn’t just it.
He didn’t know how to talk to these kids. He wanted to comfort and encourage them in any way he could, but it seemed pointless. None of them wanted him near them. For good reason, he supposed.
He didn’t want to believe that there was nothing else he could do.
Cody ignored the cameraman having a mental crisis. He was having a mental crisis of his own.
Was he doing this right? They were supposed to lose, after all. He probably didn’t need to put so much effort in.
But the thought of Noah eating his fish regardless made him sick to his stomach.
No, he needed to do this properly. Just in case.
Noah…
Losing his only friend through his own stupidity would kill him faster than the Executioner’s bullet.
So he shut out the outside world and focused on the fish in front of him.
~*~
The thirty minutes passed by way too quickly. Soon the cameras were back on them and the whole world felt just that little bit smaller.
Izzy and Noah stood up straighter once their dishes were presented to them. To Noah’s delight, Cody had made nigiri. Izzy saw that Athaliah had prepared fish fillets with some kind of white wine sauce; she could smell it.
“Gophers, you’re up first.” Chris told them.
Noah gulped. He picked up a piece of nigiri with the chopsticks provided. It looked so innocent, so innocuous…who’d have thought that this could kill him within the hour?
He wanted to hurl it at the wall.
But then he remembered what he’d said to Cody. “I trust you.” He needed to, or else they’d lose…
Wait a minute. Weren’t they trying to lose?
This was going to be a massive insult to Cody. Noah just hoped he’d understand.
“Uh, no offense dude, but I can’t eat this.” He let the nigiri fall back onto the plate. “Sorry.”
Cody just nodded silently. It made Noah feel even worse.
“Looks like we got a chicken over here!” To really rub it in, Chris made a few clucking sounds. “Okay, Bass, you’re up!”
Athaliah pushed the plate in front of Izzy. Izzy stared down at those fillets. The wine in that sauce was extremely potent. It was making her dizzy. Or maybe it was just nerves.
She picked up a forkful and held it to her lips.
She suddenly became aware of everyone’s eyes on her. She was never the type to get nervous or back down from a challenge, but this was a little extreme even for her. Was she seriously going to risk dying, with everyone watching? There was no way of knowing if Athaliah had cooked the fish properly without eating it.
All the same, they needed this point. They were already behind.
Should she?
No.
“Sorry, but…I can’t. I don’t wanna risk it.”
Athaliah silently bowed her head. She understood.
“So, that’s it then,” Chris sounded disappointed. “We have chickens everywhere! Neither of you get a point, then. Onto the next challenge, I suppose.”
He left the mess hall in a sulk, the contestants and camera crew trailing behind. They left everything as it was for other crewmembers to deal with.
Those very crewmembers came in to clean everything up. They regarded the fugu dishes with immense trepidation. One of them, however, couldn’t resist taking a small bite anyway. What’s the worst that could happen?
~*~
Chris perked up a bit once he had everyone gathered in the woods. “This next one I like to call the Tri-Blind Challenge! Three pairs will compete in three challenges with one of them blindfolded! Up first is the blind William Tell!”
The kids gasped as Chris presented the arrows and apples.
“One of you will stand with the arrow on your head while someone else wears a blindfold and shoots crabapples at them. First one to knock the arrow off gets the point!”
“It’s supposed to be the other way round, genius,” Noah said.
Cody nudged him. “Be glad it isn’t the other way round!”
“Ahem,” Chris coughed. “Anyway, the Gophers are still leading 1-0, so if the Bass wanna catch up, they’d better make it snappy!”
“Wait, so no one got a point last challenge? What the hell happened?” Leshawna asked.
“I refused to eat Cody’s poisonous blowfish sushi,” Noah explained.
“It was nigiri, actually.” Cody told him.
“Right. Sushi.”
“No, nigiri.”
“Nigiri is a type of sushi, Mr Semantic.”
Cody chuckled lightly, not offended at all. “Alright then, Mr Pedantic.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Besides, it’s cool with me that you didn’t eat it. I was honestly terrified it would kill you.”
“Yeah. Sucks that we had to sacrifice a point, but then again it’s not like we’re trying to win.”
Leshawna turned pale. “You guys had to eat poisonous blowfish?!”
“Can we get back on track please?” Chris shouted. “Ezekiel and Eva, you’re up for the Bass, and Gophers, Sierra and Trent.”
“Can I be the one to shoot?” Sierra put her hand up.
“Sure, whatever.”
“I can shoot, if you want,” Ezekiel offered.
Eva only snorted. “Like hell I’m gonna let you pelt me with apples. Besides, you can barely lift your arms. You can hardly do shit.” Ezekiel deflated with her words.
A few minutes later, Trent and Ezekiel were standing with arrows balanced on their heads. Sierra and Eva were blindfolded and given apples and a slingshot. Ezekiel was shaking. Sierra was totally relaxed.
“Start now!”
Immediately Eva unleashed a flurry of apples on poor Zeke. They pelted him in the face, chest, legs, wounded limbs, anywhere but the arrow on his head. She was shooting them wherever and whenever with little rhyme or reason.
“Ow! Ooh! Ouch! Stop!”
“Do you wanna win or not?!” Eva barked.
“Oo-yes, I do, but-”
“But nothing! Stand there and shut up!”
“Eva!” Izzy scolded. “Go easy on him! He’s hurt, remember?”
“Yeah, come on!” Tyler joined in. “You’re not even close to hitting the arrow!”
“So actually aim properly, goddammit!” they chorused simultaneously.
Geoff blinked. “Whoa, that was kinda weird.”
Izzy giggled. “Yeah, we were like totally in sync for a moment there!”
“I’ve never had that happen before…” Tyler covered his face with his hand to hide how red he was becoming.
They fell silent, unsure of what else to say now.
Eva rolled her eyes and readied another apple.
Sierra, meanwhile, was firing off apples as lazily as possible. Most of them didn’t even reach Trent’s feet. He wasn’t super concerned about being hit, but he still counted to nine regardless.
She yawned. “This is kinda boring.”
“It would be less boring if you tried harder,” Chris told her.
“Mmm, no thanks. I already am trying.”
It was such a boldfaced lie that it actually enraged him. “Then try harder, you lazy bitch!”
Sierra was startled. So was the rest of her team.
“That’s real fucking rich, coming from you,” Heather snarked.
“Pipe down! Sierra, do the damn challenge, or you can kiss your entire life goodbye!”
Despite her eyes being covered, Chris could see that she was holding back tears. Served her right. If she wasn’t going to participate, then why should she remain alive? She said she was no longer a fan of his; why should he care about her feelings?
Sierra sniffled loudly. Wordlessly, she strung up another apple and fired.
A lucky shot, or unlucky, depending on one’s perspective. It hit the arrow, falling to the ground with a soft thud.
“That’s what I’m talking about!” Chris said, relieved.
“That actually wasn’t so bad,” Trent was also relieved. He walked back over to join the others, but stopped short when he saw Sierra. “You okay?”
Sierra had her blindfold off and was wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. “I guess.”
Leshawna put her arm around her. “Don’t worry about mean ol’ Chris. You did good.”
“But weren’t we trying to lose?”
“Again: don’t worry about that. We have two more challenges to throw.”
A yell of pain diverted everyone’s attention.
Eva had just shot another apple at Ezekiel. And another. And another. Each one found its mark on his body, causing him to lurch in agony. He held his hands out to defend himself. The next apple struck him below the belt. He doubled over and collapsed to the ground, wheezing in pain.
“Eva! Stop it!” Chris grabbed her by the shoulders and shook it. “The challenge is over! You guys lost!”
Eva slipped off her blindfold, eyes narrowed. She took one look at Ezekiel and huffed an insincere, “Sorry.”
“Eva! How could you?” Izzy’s voice was sharp.
Sadie planted her hands on her hips. “What is wrong with you?”
“I have to agree,” Geoff said. “That was really not cool, Eva.”
Even the Gophers were judging her. They just stood there, staring reproachfully, arms folded. Chris also didn’t seem impressed, not that she cared about his opinion in the first place.
Eva folded her own arms. “Quit staring at me like that! Don’t act like he didn’t have it coming!” She turned and marched away.
“Man, that girl has issues,” Geoff said.
“I know, right?” Izzy sighed dramatically. “If she doesn’t pull her head out of her ass, then we’ll lose! I’m gonna go give her a piece of my mind!”
“Not so fast, Izzy.” Chris stopped her. “You’re up for the next challenge!”
“Which is…?”
~*~
“The Blind Trust Exercise!"
Before the campers was a dug-out pit filled with water. Above the pit was a series of beams and platforms with trapeze swings swaying in the gentle breeze.
“One of you will catch the other while blindfolded. Better hope you do so, otherwise one of you will have a very wet landing!” Chris chuckled to himself. “Leshawna and Kaite, you’re up for the Gophers. Izzy and Tyler for the Bass!”
Katie and Leshawna exchanged a knowing glance and nodded. Tyler gulped. Izzy was stone-faced with determination. So too was Heather.
Chris rubbed his hands together. “Isn’t this fun? It’s just like Survivor, only even better!”
“I’m a huge fan of Survivor,” Sierra told him. “I’ve seen every episode, like, fifteen times. This is not Survivor.”
“No one asked. Now, if y’all get into position-”
Chris was interrupted by a crewmember hurrying over. Tyler and Trent recognized him as one of the guys who’d kidnapped them. Bob, someone said his name was. He whispered into Chris’ ear. The host looked alarmed.
“Okay, uh…Bill and Joy and Zach, you guys, just uh…take care of the challenge for me. I have to go somewhere.” Chris then sped off like a speeding bullet in the direction of camp.
“Well that was weird,” Noah remarked.
Zach stepped forward. “Alright, you heard the man. Move it, you four!”
As everyone got into position, Sierra caught sight of Joy. She thought back to her attempted conversation yesterday and slumped her shoulders forward. That was so embarrassing…should she even bother trying again?
The Gophers were up first. It went about as well as everyone expected. Katie refused to jump, citing a fear of falling, while Leshawna was messing up the count. Zach eventually got frustrated with them and ordered them to come down. The two girls smirked at each other.
Now it was the Bass’ turn. Izzy was swinging, while Tyler stood on the platform blindfolded. He was gripping the support beam and shaking.
“Tyler, it’s okay!” Izzy tried to reassure him. “Jump on the count of three, okay?”
Heather, standing near the front, smirked.
“We’re up two-nothing and we have two challenges left,” Heather explained. “I don’t want to give them the opportunity to tie the score, because a tied score means a tiebreaker, and a tiebreaker means one extra challenge for those other assholes to throw. And if they think I’m just gonna roll over and let it happen, they’ve got another think coming!”
“Okay!” Izzy shouted. “One!”
Tyler trembled.
“Two!”
He let go of the beam and inched closer to the edge.
“Jump!”
He jumped.
“No! I didn’t say that!”
Too late.
He felt himself fall through the air, screaming as he anticipated a soggy landing.
Just then, he felt something wrap around his wrist. Above him, Izzy yelped and the whole swing jerked. But Tyler had stopped falling. He could finally breathe again.
Below him, something splashed.
“That’s what you deserve, you witch!” That was Eva.
Tyler removed his blindfold. Eva had pushed Heather into the water where she now lay, covered in mud. The rest of the campers jeered at her. “What’s going on?”
“This bitch tried to trick you into jumping early!” Eva shouted back, face growing redder by the second.
“She yelled “Jump!” hoping that you’d fall,” Geoff added. Then he smiled. “But Izzy didn’t let that happen.”
Tyler looked up. Indeed, Izzy was still tightly grasping his wrist with all her might. With her other hand, she held on to the trapeze swing.
“Told you it’ll be okay!” She laughed.
Heather could only stare up at them, gritting her teeth all the while. One chance. She now only had one chance to save her skin for another day. No more Miss Nice Girl. Not that she was ever nice to begin with.
Zach lazily pulled out his walkie-talkie with one hand while holding a lit cigarette in the other. “Yo Chris, we’re done with this challenge. Bass won. Do y’want us to do the last one too?” A garbled response came through. He nodded in acknowledgement. “A’ight. We’ll get back to ya later.”
He put it away and spoke up louder. “Okay guys, time for the last challenge. Follow me.”
He took them a little deeper into the woods, stopping at the base of a hill. Propped up on a nearby rock were two wooden sleds. A crewmember was liberally smearing grease on the bottom.
“Your last challenge will go like this: Both of you go up that hill and get on your sled, then you’ll slide all the way down. The one steering will be blindfolded and the other has to call out directions so you don’t crash and die. Everyone understand?”
Most only nodded numbly in response. Even by Total Drama Island standards this challenge seemed a bit too extreme.
“Okay. Owen and Leshawna, you’re competing for the Gophers; Geoff and Sadie for the Bass.” He smirked. “Good luck out there. You’re gonna need it.”
Owen and Leshawna stared at each other in fear. “So…should I steer, or would you rather?” Leshawna asked.
Owen tapped his fingers together. “Uhh, I’d rather not do this challenge at all.”
“Me neither, but that’s not an option.” Leshawna hummed in thought. “Tell you what: I’ll steer. Okay?”
“Yeah, sure…”
Next to them, Geoff and Sadie were having the same conversation.
“Do you wanna steer?” Sadie asked him. “I don’t think I’d be very good at it. I barely passed my driving test.”
“Are you any good at giving directions?”
“Umm…better than I am at driving.” She gave a single dry laugh.
“Then I’ll steer.”
The rest of their teams huddled around each other, talking nervously.
“Is Chris, like, out of his mind?” Sierra was still incredulous over the entire concept of the challenge. “Is he trying to kill us without a whole song-and-dance every night?”
“Honestly, I’m surprised more of us haven’t died already,” Noah told her. “Remember when I got chased by a bear and then nearly drowned in quicksand?”
Cody grimaced. “Hell, just today you nearly ate poisonous blowfish!”
“We nearly ate poisonous blowfish!” Izzy corrected.
“What if someone does die today?” Athaliah’s face went pale. “What if…what if God decides it’s time to take someone else away? During the challenge?”
“You are aware that God doesn’t exist, right?” Noah sighed.
“Oh, but he does. He is responsible for our very existence.”
Noah was having a sudden flashback to the conversation they’d shared right before the Awakeathon. A very similar conversation, in fact. The audacity for her to stand there and proclaim that this was all God’s will enraged him, even more than it had during the Awakeathon.
“So I suppose we can all blame him when we die, right?”
Athaliah gasped. Most of the others stood there awkwardly sharing glances, unwilling to really intervene.
Leshawna tried to intervene. She tried to shush him with a hurried, “You can stop right there, stringbean!”
He sighed again, deeper and more frustrated this time. “Yeah, and I'm not going to. She needs to hear it.”
“Is now really the best time to be having this discussion?” Eva said to no one in particular.
“It is, actually.” Noah told her. He stood up straighter and stared Athaliah right in the eye. Despite the fact that she was almost an entire head taller than him, he felt about as powerful as her. He wasted no time in saying what he had to say.
“Let’s make one thing crystal clear: God doesn’t exist. Never has, never will. He’s only used as an excuse for people to commit horrible atrocities against each other; the perfect scapegoat so no one has to take any real responsibility. Be honest with yourself: do you seriously think God would just let us all be murdered like this? Because if not, you’re admitting that he isn’t as all-powerful as you think he is. And if he does have the power to stop this, then why hasn’t he? At this point, the only logical conclusion is that he must want us dead. Face it: you’ve wasted your whole life worshipping a God that doesn’t care about you.”
Athaliah burst into tears and ran off into the woods.
“Was that really necessary?” Izzy planted her hands on her hips and glared.
“What?” Noah shrugged. “Someone had to say it.”
“Really? Did someone really have to say it?” Leshawna shook her head. “Don’t get me wrong stringbean, I think religion’s a buncha bullshit too, but if it makes her feel better, then so fucking what?”
Noah scoffed. “So you’d just let her go to her death thinking she did something to deserve it?”
Cody put a hand on his shoulder, attempting to calm him down. “I think what she was trying to say was that Athaliah probably feels better thinking that there’s some kind of plan, that God knows what he’s doing. Like everything will be okay in the end because this was always meant to be.”
“Well it’s a load of shit! And it’s downright fucking insulting!” Noah shrugged the hand off. “Why does my death or yours have to be part of some bigger plan? What good does that do anybody? What good would it do her?”
“It would do a lot of good for you to not be so harsh,” Zach piped up between drags of his cigarette.
“Shut the fuck up and stay out of this!” Noah barked at him.
Zach huffed. “Well, nice talking with you. Now are you guys gonna do the challenge or not?”
“Fine. If you insist. Come on, Owen.” Leshawna stomped over and grabbed her sled, then began the trek up the hill.
“We’d better go too,” Geoff told Sadie, who went pale.
Heather watched them go up the hill. She clenched her hands into fists, but just as quickly unclenched them and wiped her palms surreptitiously on her shorts. If all went according to plan, she would be safe for another day.
~*~
Leshawna and Geoff sat in front, blindfolded. In the back, Owen and Sadie were shaking. Neither of them felt ready for this.
“Ready, set, go!” Zach sounded an airhorn. The final challenge had begun.
And off they went.
The Gophers got off to a good start. “Left! Right! Right again! Little to the left!” Owen called out. Leshawna obeyed his every command, deftly weaving their sled around various obstacles.
The Bass, on the other hand, got off to a rough start. The first obstacle they came to, Sadie on instinct pointed at it and screeched, “Look out for that rock!”
Fortunately, they only clipped the edge of it. Even more fortunately, it was only a small rock.
“Sadie!” Geoff barked. “Tell me where to go!”
“Oops, sorry! Uh, go left!” A tree whizzed past. “Okay, now go right!”
They got on much smoother after that. Hell, they were even starting to gain on the Gophers. Very very quickly, as a matter of fact. In the blink of an eye, it seemed like they’d cleared half the distance between them.
“Uhh…we seem to be going kind of fast, right?” Sadie couldn’t keep the nervousness out of her voice. She squealed as a tree branch whipped past her face.
“I’m having trouble controlling it!” Geoff shouted, his knuckles turning white. “Hold on tight!”
Sadie did hold on tight, as tight as possible. They sped past the Gophers. The wind seemed to be howling. “Right! Right again! Left! Right!” Sadie issued her commands in as steady a voice as she could manage.
“Did they just pass us?” Leshawna shouted above the blood rushing in her ears.
“Yeah! But they’re going really fast! They’re gonna wipe out if they're not careful!”
“We can’t let that happen! Find us a safe spot to crash into so we can throw this challenge once and for all!”
Owen looked all around him. There was nothing but rocks and trees. “There isn’t a safe spot anywhere! Maybe when we get closer to the bottom!”
“Fine. Just avoid seriously maiming us!”
They carried on the best they could, as slow as they could manage which wasn’t very slow at all.
Meanwhile, the Bass were still hurtling down the hill at breakneck speed. Yes, they were going unnaturally fast. It was even more terrifying than they could have imagined. Sadie threw her arms around Geoff’s waist and held on for dear life. Geoff didn’t mind the contact. He understood how she felt.
The further they got towards the bottom, the more trees there were. They were getting harder to avoid; twice the very edge of the sled clipped a trunk, causing them both to momentarily lose their cool. By now the Gophers were well behind them.
Sadie tried her hardest to keep calm and carry on. She called out the directions in what she hoped was a clear voice. If the Killer Bass were going to win today, it would be up to her. They needed her literal guidance.
“Left! Right! Left! Left again! A bit more…that’s it! Right!”
Geoff followed those instructions flawlessly, dodging left right and center. It made Sadie relax, just a super tiny bit.
Maybe they could do this. They were leading and they must surely be near the finish line by now. Everyone would be waiting for them.
They could do this.
Sadie kept her eyes focused ahead, and suddenly gasped.
In front of them was a cluster of rocks. Immediately beyond them, the trees were packed together tighter. The edge of the woods was nearly upon them. On either side of the rock cluster were spaces. Small spaces they couldn’t possibly fit through. Maybe? One of them was partially concealed by a bush.
Where were they supposed to go?
“Sadie, where am I going?”
“Uhhh…” Her mind was racing. Sharp left or sharp right? “Lef-no, right! No, uh, I dunno! I du-”
They were going so fast that there was no time for her to think, let alone finish her sentence.
The sled slammed into the foremost rock, sending them flying. Geoff was launched front-first into a tree with a sickening crack and fell to the ground, wheezing. Sadie cartwheeled through the air and landed on her right side on a jagged rock.
One of the cameramen grabbed his walkie-talkie. “Bass down! Bass down!”
“Ouch,” Zach said, not sounding very concerned at all. “Tough luck for them.”
The rest of the Bass hung their heads in disappointment.
Leshawna and Owen didn’t see what happened. They sped past the crash site with nary a second glance.
Leshawna could feel that the ground was flattening out and knew that they didn’t have much time left. “Owen, we need a spot to bail out!”
Owen inspected their immediate surroundings. Ahead was a group of bushes. It looked like the perfect spot. “Bushes, dead ahead! A lot of them, too!”
“Okay, Hold on tight!”
It wouldn’t have mattered how tight he held on, because the second they hit the bushes they were wrenched out of each other’s grasp. And they were still moving forward.
They realised the hard way that those were not ordinary bushes; they were covered in blackberry vines. They tore through them, the vines ripping and tearing their clothes and flesh apart as they went. The sled hit a tree root and overturned, sending its two occupants rolling down the rest of the hillside through more blackberry.
Then, at long last, they came to a stop. They had reached the bottom, with all eyes and camera lenses trained on them.
Leshawna stood up, head spinning. She leaned against a tree to stop herself from falling over. It felt like she was about to puke. “Jesus Christ…someone just kill me now…”
“That can be arranged,” Zach snarked.
Leshawna stood straighter, intending to tell him off, but then she noticed something alarming. She was feeling the breeze on a part of the body that no one should ever feel the breeze on. She couldn’t even bear to look down.
Her jeans had been utterly ripped to shreds, which now flapped about uselessly. Her favourite jeans, that she’d bought at the mall on sale on Boxing Day two years ago and which she wore everywhere, were no more. It wasn’t fair…
Her face burned red as she tried to cover herself with her hands, and that was when she realised that her shirt was also in pieces. It wasn’t fair! She squeezed back the tears, refusing to let a single one fall.
“Now there’s something you don’t see every day,” Zach remarked.
“Oh shut up, you creep!” Katie glared at him. She rushed over, standing in front of Leshawna to cover her. Sierra followed suit, helping to form a protective shield.
“Yeah, no need to be such a weirdo about it,” Geoff said. “That’s so not cool.”
And then came the voice no one wanted to hear ever again.
“What’s not cool?”
Chris rode up in a cart. His face was twisted slightly and his knuckles were white from the power of his grip on the steering wheel. He looked about as done with the day as everyone else was.
“Nothing important.” Zach stepped forward, discarding his cigarette with a deft flick of his fingers. “Anyway, Gophers made it further than the Bass, so they win the whole challenge.”
Chris’ face goes from pinched to relieved. “Oh! What a pleasant surprise! Tough luck for the Bass though…”
The Bass just looked crushed. The third challenge they’d lost in a row. Would it ever end?
“But where did you disappear to, man?” Zach asked. “What’s going on?”
Chris rolled his eyes. “Oh, nothing…except that Athaliah’s fugu fillets killed Andrew!”
All the life drained from Athaliah’s chest.
“Wait, what?” Zach cried.
“Yep. He decided that one little nibble couldn’t hurt, and now we have to waste one of our coffins on him!”
“Who the fuck is Andrew?” Leshawna snapped.
“One of our cleaners! God, I knew he was an idiot, but I didn’t think he was this dumb!” Chris groaned. “So not only are we one coffin short, but we had to waste quite a few pills to put him out of his misery!”
He shook his head.
“Okay: Gophers, congratulations. Bass, I’ll be seeing you tonight. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a situation I need to take care of.”
He fired up the engine and drove off again.
For a few moments, all was silent.
Then a loud thump filled the air.
Athaliah had fainted.
~*~
The challenge had finished just in time for lunch. They all piled into the mess hall and collected their trays of chicken carbonara and sat down.
Geoff eased himself into his seat, wincing all the while. It had taken him all of his remaining energy to pick himself up and head back to camp, and now he was utterly exhausted. His chest felt like it was collapsing in on itself, although outwardly the worst he’d suffered were some pretty gnarly scrapes and bruises. Still, it hurt like a bitch.
Sadie too was miserable and in pain, though she didn’t dare show it. She stirred her carbonara around with her left hand. Her right hand rested uselessly in her lap.
This was her fault, wasn’t it?
She didn’t give instructions quick enough. She couldn’t find a way out in time. She’d lost them their golden opportunity to make a comeback.
And now…
They had to eliminate someone.
It was going to be her, wasn’t it? What had Chris said on the very first day? Execution was the price one paid for failure.
How was she going to break the news to Katie?
Speak of the devil - or angel, rather - Katie headed straight for the Bass table and slid into the seat next to Sadie. She then processed to wrap her best friend in the biggest hug imaginable.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
But Sadie squirmed uncomfortably, like she was in pain. That immediately tipped Katie off that something was wrong. Sadie never rejected a hug from her.
Katie pulled back and inspected her. Sure enough, most of the skin on Sadie’s right side was scraped and bloody. The skin that wasn’t was instead turning an ugly purplish colour.
“OMG Sadie, why haven’t you gone to the doctor?”
Sadie shrugged her left shoulder. “I dunno…” she said quietly.
Katie urged her to stand. “Come on,” she said, dragging Sadie out the door with her own one good arm. “You need help right away!”
“Speaking of the doctor,” Eva began, “I think you need to go too, Geoff.”
Geoff looked up from his pasta. “Huh? Oh, no. I’m fine.”
“Dude. You look like you’re in pain.” Tyler told him.
“It’s just a nasty bruise. I’ll get over it.”
“You can hardly breathe, Geoff. We can tell.” Izzy joined in.
Geoff had nothing to say in response. He knew they were right.
“Okay okay, fine. I’ll go to the doctor.” He stood up, only to immediately hunch over in pain. His breaths came out shorter and raspier.
Tyler and Ezekiel leapt to their feet. “It’s okay, we’ve got you.” They supported him and led him out the door.
Izzy watched them go, then turned her attention to Eva. “Right, now that they’re gone, we can have a little girl’s chat.” She jabbed a finger in Eva’s face. “Why are you being so cruel to Zeke?”
Eva groaned angrily. “This again? I told you, I’m not going to forgive him.”
“Well, forgive him or not, can you please stop letting this stupid grudge of yours interfere with the challenge?”
“I’m not!”
“Oh yeah? Does the Reverse William Tell ring a bell? That was fucked up, Eva! Totally fucked up! There was literally zero reason for any of that! You did it just to punish him, didn’t you?”
“So what if I did? It’s not like it would have made a difference. We still lost.”
“So what? So what? You can’t just attack your own teammates like that! He never even did anything to you!”
“Does the cliff dive ring a bell? He completely undermined me as a person! ‘Ooh, girls aren’t as strong or brave! They need a big strong man to help them!’ Don’t tell me that’s complete bullshit!”
“Jesus Christ, he was fucking homeschooled! And he felt bad and apologised to you! What is he supposed to do to get you to back off, build a fricken shrine for you?!”
Eva scoffed. “Get real, Izzy! Men like him never, ever change! No matter how much you believe they can, they never will! Men are all pigs who think they’re the hottest shit around! Smirking at you like you’re a piece of meat ready for their dinner plate, thinking they can just take and take and take until you’re nothing, then taking some more before turning around and calling you a worthless whore! And it all starts with that same old, ‘boys are better and faster than girls’ crap. It starts on the playground when no one has the language skills to properly dispute it, and it’s repeated so often that eventually you start to believe it! Then you go through the rest of your childhood playing sport after sport trying to be better while thinking deep down that you never can be! Then you start to fear walking home from school by yourself because the older ones always try to get your attention like it’s theirs to take! Then you have a major epiphany during your twelfth birthday party after your jackass cousin’s friend who wasn’t even invited tries to kiss you, so you sock him in his stupid piggy nose until it bleeds, and when he runs off crying you realise that no matter the age, all men are the same, and all men are bastards who deserve to fear you twice as much as you fear them! And when you have that realization, Izzy, then we can talk about Ezekiel deserving my forgiveness!”
Izzy cast her eyes downward and said nothing.
It was then that Eva noticed how quiet the mess hall was. Everyone had stopped what they were doing and were all staring at her. Even Chef had stuck his head out to see what all the commotion was. The cameras, of course, were eating it all up.
“Wow…” Izzy finally said. “I…didn’t know you felt that way.”
“So you get it, then.” Eva backed off a little.
“I guess.”
Eva sat down. Everyone else turned back to their own business. She ate a forkful of carbonara. It felt like glue in her mouth.
“I still don’t agree with this.”
“I am not having this discussion with you again.”
Izzy raised her palms a little bit. “Look, I’m not gonna try and change your mind on guys. But I still think you need to leave Zeke alone. Please. For the sake of the team.”
They were going to get nowhere with this. Eva could see it now. The more she resisted, the harder they pushed. Fine. She could compromise just this once.
“Fine. You win. I’ll leave him alone.”
~*~
Tyler and Ezekiel hauled Geoff all the way to the medical tent. Right away they realised they’d come at a bad time. Karen was already bustling around, wrapping up Leshawna and Owen’s numerous wounds with what looked like miles of gauze. Sadie sat with Katie nearby, quietly waiting her turn to be seen. Athaliah was lying on one of the stretchers.
“Oh, Lord,” Karen muttered when she saw who had arrived. “Another casualty from the trenches?”
“Yep,” Geoff said weakly.
Karen handed the roll of gauze to Leshawna. “You’ll have to finish up, I’m afraid. I think he’s a little more urgent.”
Lehsawna nodded. “I understand.”
Geoff was eased onto the other stretcher. He flopped back painfully.
Karen pulled his shirt open and gasped at the sight. His chest was mottled with streaks of purple and yellow. His breathing was shallow and laboured. “Is it really that bad?” he asked.
“I’m afraid it might be worse.” She reached out and gingerly touched his chest. He started at the contact, trying to hide a groan of pain. “Where does it hurt the most?”
“Here.” He gestured to his upper chest, where his lungs were.
Karen felt around a bit more, particularly around his ribcage. Tears of pain sprang into Geoff's eyes. Karen felt like crying too. The prognosis wasn’t good.
“I’m sorry to say, but I think you might have broken a couple of ribs.”
“Figures. I did crash into a tree after all.”
She shook her head sadly. “I’m afraid…I don’t think…I don’t think you’ll be able to compete for a long time.”
“I know. Sorry, dudes.”
“Hey, it’s not your fault!” Tyler announced. “We’ll pick up your slack! Never leave a man behind!”
Ezekiel stayed quiet.
“Thanks, bro.” He took in a deeper breath, a very laborious one. “Hey, you wouldn’t mind getting my lunch for me? I’m still pretty hungry. It is safe for me to eat, right?” He glanced at Karen.
“If you’re careful.”
Tyler left. Ezekiel had his eyes cast downward, his arms held protectively to his chest. It looked like he was about to start crying.
“What’s wrong?” Geoff asked, concerned.
“Are your wounds hurting again?” Karen inquired.
“No. It’s just…maybe I’m not fit for the outside world, eh.”
Geoff was taken aback. “What are you talking about?”
“I mean I’m not a good team player.”
“And again I ask: what are you talking about?”
I don’t do very well in challenges. I failed my one today, I couldn’t face my fear of moose, I got attacked by wolves, I messed up the talent show…do I need to go on?”
“Zeke! These challenges have been hard for all of us! You’re not the first one to screw up, and you won’t be the last.”
“I know, but…” The tears began to spill over. “Maybe I’m not a good fit for the team.”
Geoff sighed. “This is about Eva, isn’t it?”
Ezekiel only responded with a loud sniff. That was the only answer Geoff needed to hear.
“Look dude, Eva has her own problems. Notice how all the other girls have gotten over it? Eva’s probably just, uh, going through some stuff. This isn’t your fault.” Geoff coughed, and then groaned in pain before collecting himself. “Don’t worry about Eva. You’re a good dude and a good team player. We’re all glad to have you.”
Ezekiel began crying again, but for a slightly different reason this time. “T-Thanks…”
“No prob Bob. And if you have any other worries, you can talk to me.”
Ezekiel suddenly remembered something.
DJ had told him that, a few days before his untimely death. It shook Ezekiel to his core. What if Geoff was destined to die soon? With an injury like that, it was likely.
And if not the injury itself, then his future lack of challenge participation might get him voted out.
Geoff couldn’t die! He was the glue that held the whole team together! Always ready with a disarming smile and a chill word to get everyone to relax. Never had anything bad to say about anybody, not even Alejandro.
DJ had been similar, hadn't he? Always looking out for the others, a total sweetheart. And look what had happened to him? Destroyed by his own worst fear.
Ezekiel left the med tent, feeling overwhelmed by worry for Geoff.
Once Ezekiel left, Geoff turned his head to look over at Athaliah. “Is she okay?” he asked Karen.
“I’ll never be okay ever again.”
The words made him jump. Athaliah was in fact wide awake. Her eyes were half-lidded and shiny with tears unshed.
Karen rushed to her side immediately. “Are you hurt?”
Athaliah nodded numbly. “My very heart and soul aches.” She let out a sob.
“What do you me-oh…” Karen trailed off.
It was only an hour ago, but it felt like years since several of the crewmembers brought Andrew to her tent. He had stopped breathing and was blue in the face. There was nothing she could do to save him, so she had loaded his system with painkillers and waited for the end.
But one could still argue that she wasn’t the one who killed him.
“You know…” Karen began cautiously, “it was just an accident, right?”
Athaliah shook her head, dislodging a few tears. “No…no…it won’t change a thing. I’m a murderer.”
“No you’re not.” Karen stood up straighter.
“But I am. How could I not be?”
“Because it was an accident?” Geoff offered.
Athaliah didn’t respond to either of them. She just squeezed her eyes shut and prayed in a loud whisper. Rushed, frantic and horrified words. There would be no calming her down, not for a while. Maybe the girls might have better luck.
Geoff’s next visitor was Noah. He sidled up next to his bed and leaned in close so no one could hear.
“I don’t suppose you’ve found it.”
“Sorry dude. I didn’t.”
“No sign of it anywhere?”
“No. It might be on the girl’s side, or underneath the cabin, or…”
“Anywhere, really.” Noah sighed. “Thanks anyway, Geoff.”
“Hey, there you are, Noah. I was wondering where you’d gone off to.”
It was Cody. He grimaced when he saw Geoff’s chest. “Ouch. It hurts just looking at it. Sorry that happened to you.”
“Yeah, it’s a bit of a buzzkill, isn’t it?” Geoff sighed.
“Is he…is he even gonna be able to compete in challenges?” Cody asked Karen.
Karen shrugged. “I can give him some painkillers, but they probably won’t be much help.” Turning to Geoff, she said, “I know my advice won’t be very applicable, but please try to take it easy during the challenges. Get the others to help you as much as you can.”
“I will.”
After that, Noah bade them goodbye and left with Cody.
“What did you want me for?”
Cody shrugged one shoulder. “Oh…nothing, really. I just thought we could, y’know…hang out.”
“Oh? Doing what?”
“I dunno, something. I am glad we keep winning challenges, but it might not last forever. I was just thinking we could do something together.”
Noah did, as a matter of fact, have an idea. He certainly wasn’t opposed to Cody’s suggestion. “What book did you get? In your goodie bag?”
Cody groaned. “Crime and Punishment. I had to read it for my English exam a few weeks ago and I’m still traumatized from it.”
Noah chuckled. “I got War of the Worlds. How about a dramatic reading?”
“Sure! That sounds like fun!”
So they walked back to their cabin in comfortable silence. Cody could easily say that he was looking forward to enjoying his afternoon. So what if they failed to get rid of Heather? He and Noah were both still alive, and that’s what was important. Because…
Because…
Something was stirring inside his chest. Not unpleasant, but it was fearful of the future.
Still, he didn’t want it to leave. It was…nice. Warming. Kind.
And looking at Noah, he was feeling the warmth continue to rise.
~*~
Leshawna inspected herself in the bathroom mirror. Her arms, shoulders and legs were covered in bandages that made her look like a mummy. Half a mummy, rather. Her hands, feet and face had bandaids stuck all over. Those blackberry vines had done one horrific number on her.
They’d done an even worse number on her clothes, though. They were completely unsalvageable, and it broke Leshawna’s heart to throw them out. She had made a promise to herself to never wear those yucky second-hand clothes they’d been provided, but it was a promise she had to break.
She’d lucked out with her clothes. She had been given a white sundress with a leafy sunflower pattern on it, and although it was too baggy in the waist, it was nothing that her belt couldn’t fix. Her sandals had also survived unscathed, or else she’d have to go around barefoot like Lindsay had.
Oh, Lindsay…
Thinking of her just made Leshawna angry all over again. Three challenges in a row they’d now won, and they were no closer to getting rid of Heather. What was it going to take? A magic lamp with three wishes?
Just thinking of her face made Leshawna want to bash it in until it was unrecognizable. That bitch was a liability. She needed to go, pronto.
The door swung open and in stepped Owen. “Oh, hey Leshawna.”
“Hey Owen.”
Owen’s clothes had also been ripped to shreds by the blackberry. So, he was now dressed in tight denim cutoff jorts and the purple jacket he’d swapped Tyler for on the first day. He waddled over to the sink and, mindful of the bandages on his arms, washed the mud and blood off his hands. “That dress looks nice.”
“Thanks.”
“I wish I was given a dress. These jorts are really uncomfy.”
“Yeah, they look like hell to wear.” Indeed they did. Owen was clearly having trouble walking in them. “Is there nothing else you can wear?”
“Nothing that fits. I couldn’t even find another shirt to wear!” He sighed. “It’s making me feel itchy all over.”
“Can’t say I’m envious.”
“Well I can’t say I’m not envious.”
They both sighed at that.
“So,” Owen said after a brief pause, “what are we gonna do about Heather?”
Leshawna shrugged. “Keep trying. Keep a closer eye on her so she doesn’t get up to her old tricks again. Keep her under lock and key. Something.”
“I feel weird saying this, but I’m sick of winning.”
“Me too. And if we accidentally win the next challenge, then I’mma have to strangle her with my bare hands!”
“I’ll sit on her if it’ll help!”
“Hell yeah it will!”
Heather had hidden herself inside one of the bathroom cubicles, biting her lip to keep from laughing out loud.
She did it again! And it was so easy, too!
All she had to do was slip away while the others were arguing over religion and smear more grease on the underside of the Bass’ sled. An ungodly amount of grease. Enough to ensure they would pick up speed and lose control. Enough to cause a serious crash, even.
And it was a big success!
A little giggle slipped through. She suddenly didn’t care if the others heard her. She earned it.
~*~
Katie held tightly onto Sadie's good hand as they walked steadily through the bush. Well, as steadily as they could. She wasn’t sure if she was going the right way, but this island wasn’t that big. Surely they’d find it eventually.
“Are you sure we’re going the right way?” Sadie asked, voice wobbling. “I know you’re not good with directions.”
“I totally am!” Katie protested. “It’s not my fault that maps are hard to follow.”
Sadie scoffed lightly. “Remember that time you got us lost on our way to the mall?”
“Oh my God, you’re still not over that?”
“No, I am, but admit it, Katie. You’re hopeless with directions.”
“Oh yeah?” Katie suddenly spied a gap in the trees and a sliver of blue beyond that. “If I’m so hopeless, then why are we already here?”
She led Sadie out onto a narrow strip of land. On either side, cliffs and trees hemmed in on them. To the left was a small cave. The waves were very quiet, barely making a splash. The girls might as well have been completely alone.
Almost.
Footsteps followed close behind. Jack the cameraman stuck close to them like glue. There was no chance of privacy out there with him around.
Still, Katie and Sadie kicked off their matching pink wedge heels and waded through the gentle waves. Hand in hand as always, they walked out as far as they could get away with. The sand swirled around their feet.
Keeping her voice low so Jack wouldn’t hear, Katie said, “So, what do you think?”
“It’s…nice,” Sadie said uncertainly. Her eyes were fixed on the horizon. The mainland peeked out above it, wavering in the summer heat.
Katie was certain she could swim it. Absolutely certain. Burned arm shmurned arm. She could do it. She had to.
She walked back onto the sand and made a big show of removing her shorts, only to stop and stare dramatically into the ever-present camera. “Excuse me, but we want to go for a swim. Can you film somewhere else for a while?”
Jack looked uncomfortable. “Oh, uh…sure.” He scurried off into the trees.
Katie took off the rest of her clothes and underwear, then waded back into the water, letting herself be nearly completely submerged. “C’mon Sadie, it’s really refreshing!”
“I can’t let my bandages get wet…”
“Oh.” Katie sat up, still in the water. She started down at her own injury. She’d had her own bandages removed a few days ago; all she had to worry about was keeping her arm clean and soothing it with burn ointment every morning and night. A little salt water would do too much harm.
But she’d completely forgotten about Sadie’s fresh injuries.
Most of the skin on Sadie’s left arm had been scraped off by the force of that collision with the rocks. That alone would be enough to cause some serious impairment, but then it got worse. It turned out that her wrist was also sprained.
There was no way she’d be able to swim with that.
Still, Katie held out hope.
“So, what do you say we leave tonight?”
“I can’t swim with my arm like this, Katie.”
“Maybe…maybe if you move it really carefully. Or maybe the adrenaline will kick in and then you’ll be able to swim regardless!”
Sadie still didn’t look convinced.
“Come on. Tonight, after voting? Maybe if you ask Karen for some painkillers?”
“How about we just wait for a few days? I might feel better by then. But right now, I can barely move my arm without wanting to cry.” On cue, Sadie’s eyes began to fill with tears.
Katie stood up immediately. “Oh my God, Sadie, of course. I’m sorry if it’s really selfish of me to rush you like this, but I just really want both of us off this stupid island.” Her own eyes misted up as well. “Okay. We’ll wait for a few days. Then we’ll make our escape. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“We’ll get through this. I know we will.”
“I know.”
They embraced each other warmly, cold against the sun’s rays. Water soaked through the front of Sadie’s shirt, but she didn’t complain. The sharp scent of salt stung her nose. She liked it. It reminded her of the pier where the two of them would sell ice cream together. She was always the brains of the whole operation; Katie was the creative genius.
The waves’ soothing rush grew louder inside their heads. Back home, they were. On the pier, enjoying the summer. There was no need to open their eyes. They knew where they were. The seagulls cawing above their heads only confirmed what they wished to be true.
~*~
The afternoon truly did seem too nice to waste.
Izzy dragged out the boombox and liberated another one of Eva’s tapes to dance along to. Before she began, she first flipped off the camera with both hands, hoping Chris was watching.
Soon the whole camp heard the entirety of Daft Punk’s Homework drifting through the air. Some of them wandered over to investigate.
Izzy had set herself up outside the Bass Cabin where she was now dancing without a care in the world. “C’mon, you guys!” she called when she saw that there were others surrounding her. “There’s plenty of fun to go around!”
Tyler joined in. He was unsure of himself at first, but eventually got himself into the swing of things, literally. He and Izzy started spinning each other around like nobody’s business.
Owen started dancing too, as well as he was able to in those tight jorts. Leshawna couldn’t resist busting a few moves of her own.
The four of them were on their own, however. The rest of the campers slowly drifted away one by one. Noah rolled his eyes and headed back inside the cabin with Cody. Eva went off for a walk. Ezekiel scuttled away somewhere.
Sierra turned to leave, and that was when she spotted her. Joy, watching as always through her camera. Without thinking, she walked towards her.
As expected, Joy flinched away from her. Sierra slowed her pace, as though approaching a wild animal. “Hi Joy! How’s it going?”
Joy looked visibly panicked. She shut off her camera and lowered it. “What are you doing?”
“Just saying hi.”
Her shoulders were still hunched up. “Sorry, but…Chris doesn’t like it when we talk to you guys.”
“Yeah, that tracks. But honestly, I just wanna talk to someone who isn’t a teammate, or on the opposite team. It’s getting kinda old. And stressful.”
Joy just stared uncomfortably.
“Hell, everything’s just so stressful, you know? When Beth got eliminated, I was really freaked out. Like, who would vote for her? Who would do such a thing?” Sierra swallowed. “And I know that Heather’s behind it all, but what if she does it again and succeeds? That really freaks me out.”
Sierra sighed.
“I can’t help but think of my mom. She must be super worried. If she doesn’t think I ran away, that is. Hey, did you run away? Is that how you ended up here?”
“Goodbye, Sierra.” Joy walked away.
Sierra slapped herself in the face. She’d gone and done it again! She’d come on too quickly and too soon. When would she learn…if ever?
Her attempts at conversation weren’t entirely altruistic; she really did want to get to know the girl a bit more. But now that was never going to happen. So typical of her. No wonder the others at school picked on her.
Nearby, hidden in the treeline, someone had listened to the entire exchange.
Trent was feeling sick to his stomach.
The subject of Sierra’s one-sided conversation involved him. She just didn’t know it yet.
And hopefully, she never would.
Trent clutched his stomach and ran deeper into the woods. If he vomited in public, everyone would know what he did. And he wasn’t ready for that.
Not now, not ever.
~*~
“So it’s agreed, then?” Geoff wheezed from his stretcher.
“Yes. We’re doing Zeke’s voting idea.” Eva confirmed. As a very abrupt afterthought, she added, “On second thought, it doesn’t seem like the worst idea in the world, after all.”
Izzy was inwardly pleased at hearing that. Ezekiel felt very on edge.
“Excellent.” Geoff nodded. “Now, whatever happens, I just wanna say: it’s been an honor fighting with you, dudes and dudettes.”
“Right back at ya!” Tyler exclaimed.
It was indeed, Athaliah thought, lying as still as a statue. It was more than what she deserved, but it was an honor regardless.
~*~
The Killer Bass trudged over to the fire pit, where one of them would be meeting their maker.
Chris shook his head in mock disappointment. “Bass, I’m shocked at how far you’ve fallen. You’ve lost three challenges in a row and I have the distinct feeling that you’ll lose more if you don’t get your act together.”
“Enough of the guilt tripping.” Eva snapped.
“Alright alright, no need to cop an attitude. Now, time to read the votes.”
Chris pulled out several pieces of paper and studied them for an extraordinarily long time. It was obvious he was drawing it out for tension. He even hummed several times to really hammer the performance home.
“Well? Who’s getting a marshmallow?” Eva asked loudly.
It was then that Izzy noticed that Chris didn’t have any marshmallows with him. She turned and exchanged a worried glance with Tyler, who had also realized it. They grasped each other’s hands, trying to impart some comfort on each other and themselves.
“Well,” Chris finally began after what felt like forever, “it seems that we have a tie…between everyone.”
Someone gulped.
He tutted. “You should know better than to try playing games with me. Do you know what a tie means? It’s time for a tiebreaker!”
The Bass were forced onto their feet and led towards the edge of the woods. There nestled in among a few trees, was an old rotting climbing wall. The handholds were coated in a thin layer of dirt, with some of them coming loose from their screws. Away from the light of the fire, it flickered ominously in the dark shadows.
The Executioner was already waiting, crossbow in hand. Chris stood beside her as he continued to speak.
“Welcome to the season’s first tiebreaker! You’ll have five minutes to make your way up this climbing wall! The last one to reach the top will be saying bye-bye to life, and hello to Hell!”
Eva steeled herself immediately. Athaliah watched on impassively. Tyler’s palms itched. Sadie’s stomach sank. Ezekiel felt himself go very still.
“You’ll have five minutes starting…” Chris pulled out a stopwatch. “...now!”
Eva wasted no time. She launched herself forward and shimmied up the wall in no time flat. Pulling herself up onto the platform at the top, she looked down at the others. “Come on, what are you waiting for?”
“You heard her! Let’s go!” Tyler followed suit.
Izzy was about to follow him, but then she caught sight of Athaliah. She was staring at the wall like it was the most uninteresting thing she’d ever seen. Izzy took hold of her hand; it was ice-cold. “C’mon, Athaliah! We need to go!”
Athaliah only blinked slowly in response, not really acknowledging Izzy in any way.
Izzy yanked on her arm. “Come on! I am not leaving you behind!” She pushed and pulled and shoved and tugged with all her might. “What is wrong with you? Do you wanna live or not?”
Finally, Athaliah yielded. She moved forward and tentatively began scaling the wall. She didn’t say a word or make a sound the entire time. Izzy followed right behind her urging her along all the while. They both reached the top and stared down at their remaining teammates.
The three other Bass were having a much more difficult time of it. Ezekiel was crawling up slowly, the bites and scratches on his body screaming with each movement. Sadie was struggling. Her sprained wrist meant that she had to go without using it, but that also meant that she was barely off the ground.
And Geoff hadn’t even attempted it. His breaths were still raspy and unsteady, and he couldn’t even lift his arms without searing pain, let alone scale a wall. It was hopeless. He didn’t want to admit it, but it was true.
He wanted to do it. He wanted to succeed so badly. Bridgette needed to see him again, and he needed to see her again. But he just couldn’t. Every time he raised his arms, his chest would close in on him again. He couldn’t do it.
Geoff blinked the tears from his eyes. He still wanted to preserve at least some of his dignity. But as the time on the watch ticked down, his broken ribcage wasn't the only pain in his chest.
Sadie fell to the ground, landing flat on her back with a soft groan. Unlike Geoff, she didn’t bother to hide her tears. She sobbed, looking up at the others looking down on her.
Was this how it was going to end? Being unable to climb up a stupid wall because of her stupid wrist? Was this what she deserved for messing up the final challenge? But it was an accident! Surely the universe knew that, right?
And Katie! They were supposed to escape together! They were going to be free! Oh Katie…she wanted to see her one last time before the end of it all. Would they allow that? She desperately hoped so. Katie was her soulmate. They were made for each other. They lived life together. They never expected to die apart from one another.
Would Katie ever smile again?
Something thudded to the ground, snapping Sadie out of her reverie.
Then…
“I forfeit!”
Everyone gasped.
Ezekiel had dropped to the ground and stepped toward Chris, arms outstretched. “I forfeit!”
Even Chris was taken aback. He turned to the Executioner. She shrugged. He turned back. “Are you sure?”
“Ezekiel!” Izzy screamed. “Are you insane?!”
“What are you doing?” Tyler begged. “You can’t quit! We need you!”
“Dude…why?” Geoff’s voice was weak.
“Neither you or Sadie are gonna make it.” Ezekiel's voice choked. “It's not fair to let you wait to die.”
“No…” Geoff stumbled towards him, then stopped, clutching his chest.
“Both of you have been nothing but nice to me, especially you, Geoff. You both have someone waiting for you. I…I don't even know if I have that anymore…”
His thoughts turned to Damaris. Wherever she was. Did she know he was missing? Would she one day find out how he died? Would she cry? It seemed relevant and irrelevant at the same time. She was out there somewhere. They would never meet again, but they knew each other once. That would have to be enough.
What a lonely life he'd lived, he realized. All that time he spent sequestered on his parents’ farm when he could have been making friends like the Bass and Beth. Beth…he would get to see her again very soon. Maybe all would be forgiven. He hoped so.
Keeping his sister and his friend in his thoughts, Ezekiel continued talking. “You guys are way better at this game than me. I know I haven't had the best run, or lived the best life, and all I ask for is that you all forgive me for my mistakes. I'm sorry for everything.”
Tears filled the eyes of every Bass member. Eva looked away, sniffling loudly. Sadie felt like she was about to pass out; she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Geoff just looked on sadly.
“Are you sure about this, dude?” Chris asked him, a note of seriousness in his voice. “Because there will be no take-backs after this moment.”
“I am sure. Surer than I've ever been before.” Ezekiel felt lighter with those words. He may not have been the strongest competitor, but he could do this much for them. Geoff was a chill dude with a girl waiting for him on the other side, and Sadie had her best friend to enjoy life with. He himself may not have felt the touch of many women, but that was unimportant, because what was important was that they got to have another shot.
Still, tears rolled down his cheeks as he forced himself to stand tall. The smile he gave was much less forced. “When you guys make it out…give my pet cows one last pat for me, eh?”
Only Geoff and Izzy responded. They each gave him a stiff, but respectful nod. The others were too upset to react to his final words.
The Executioner took aim and fired.
The crossbow bolt pierced his chest, sending him flying backward. He landed flat on his back, staring at the stars through darkening eyes. He was dead within moments.
The Executioner stood up straight, lowered the crossbow, and admired her handiwork. A perfect shot.
Still though, something bothered her.
She couldn't take quite as much pride as she usually did. It wasn't as enjoyable when they wanted to die. She resented Ezekiel, then, for taking the pleasure out of it. She folded her arms and scowled bitterly.
Chris stepped forward. “Wow! The drama! The emotions! I'd say that's gotta be one of our best executions yet! Will the next one be as dramatic? Find out next time on Total! Drama! Island!”
For the few moments after he stopped speaking and before the cameras stopped filming, the only thing that could be heard was the combined caterwauling of six sobbing teenagers.
The Ottawa Quadruple Kidnapping filled the front pages of every newspaper across the country, immediately followed by the negative reception of the police investigation. Although this case grabbed the attention of most people, many communities were dealing with their own missing loved ones.
In Moncton, the families of Owen Pattinson and Jeremy Baker were frustrated by the slow progress. The heavy rain the day of their disappearance had washed away any physical evidence, if there was any the could have been collected. The families paraded the streets every Saturday evening for several weeks, posting flyers wherever they could.
In Vancouver, police were spread thin across multiple cases, including those of Bridgette Summers, Geoffrey Smithers and Heather Mackenzie. But they were more vigilant than most precincts, regularly keeping the families updates on any new leads, though many of then led to dead ends.
News of Ezekiel Miller's disappearance was slow to spread through the vast farmlands of northern Saskatchewan, but his hometown of Greenhead, despite only having a population of 34, banded together around his parents. The city of Saskatoon further south was still reeling from the vanishings of Gwen Lawrence and Harold McGrady. Their former schoolmates spent the summer organizing marches through the streets to raise awareness.
In Manitoba, Bethany Harper's friends quickly noticed her absence. Unable to contact her or her friends, they approached the police only to be rebuffed. The police believed that Beth had simply run away. Besides, they were more focused on two much more high-profile missing person cases: Justin Hills and Courtney Perez.
In Alberta, the families of Athaliah Goodman and Isadora Bell had joined together in searching for their daughters. Further south, the families of Eva Morozova and Noah Dhar had also joined forces. They had yet to connect the dots to the missing girls from Edmonton, but they had heard of them and kept them in their thoughts. In Calgary, Devon Joseph Bentley's mother and brothers regularly posted open letters in their local papers begging for information. The identity of they boy he'd attempted to rescue at the supermarket had yet to be identified. Leshawna Mathers’ disappearance still wasn't linked to theirs yet. Her family kept searching for her on their own.
And in Windsor, Ontario, Lindsay Blair's sister Paula couldn't help but look on bitterly at all the attention the Ottawa case was getting, when her own sister had fallen under the radar. She wished for any kind of news that could finally put her mind at ease, though it seemed like it would be a lifetime before she would get it.
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Luxxe-oxie (Guest) on Chapter 1 Mon 14 Apr 2025 02:31PM UTC
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Luxxe_oxie on Chapter 1 Mon 14 Apr 2025 04:37PM UTC
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Name_not_found111 on Chapter 1 Mon 14 Apr 2025 10:31PM UTC
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Balack_blume on Chapter 1 Thu 24 Apr 2025 11:14PM UTC
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MoonlightSalsa on Chapter 1 Fri 25 Apr 2025 05:05AM UTC
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Balack_blume on Chapter 1 Fri 25 Apr 2025 06:56PM UTC
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Name_not_found111 on Chapter 2 Wed 16 Apr 2025 01:29PM UTC
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Luxxe_oxie on Chapter 2 Wed 16 Apr 2025 05:08PM UTC
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Trent_Argentino on Chapter 2 Wed 16 Apr 2025 08:35PM UTC
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mcflurples on Chapter 2 Thu 17 Apr 2025 12:05AM UTC
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mcflurples on Chapter 2 Tue 22 Apr 2025 04:34PM UTC
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ella (Guest) on Chapter 2 Sun 27 Apr 2025 09:43PM UTC
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terminatoreagle on Chapter 2 Thu 15 May 2025 05:33AM UTC
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Trent_Argentino on Chapter 3 Tue 22 Apr 2025 08:18PM UTC
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Balack_blume on Chapter 3 Fri 25 Apr 2025 12:55AM UTC
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Name_not_found111 on Chapter 3 Sun 27 Apr 2025 05:40PM UTC
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Trent_Argentino on Chapter 4 Sat 26 Apr 2025 10:32PM UTC
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Trent_Argentino on Chapter 5 Sun 04 May 2025 01:28PM UTC
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skibidigyattohio on Chapter 6 Fri 27 Jun 2025 11:01AM UTC
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Makotoskyhope on Chapter 7 Wed 21 May 2025 06:26PM UTC
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Makotoskyhope on Chapter 8 Sun 01 Jun 2025 03:08PM UTC
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skibidigyattohio on Chapter 8 Fri 27 Jun 2025 11:51AM UTC
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Makotoskyhope on Chapter 9 Mon 23 Jun 2025 01:24PM UTC
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Z0MB13BUNN1 on Chapter 9 Wed 25 Jun 2025 12:35AM UTC
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