Prologue 0-1
Meet the Contestants
When Hope's Peak Academy closed its doors, locked them up, barricaded the windows, and prayed to a higher power that the violent riots in the schoolyard and almost the entire country would stop, that was where The Tragedy truly began. This wave of Despair spread fast from the school grounds, all across Japan, and swiftly across the eastern countries of the world.
Names of prominent people, places, and organizations would spread among the continent, like the whispers of gossip at a fervent pace faster than any high school. Though information was kept tightly shut, the riots and carnage that killed millions had both good survivors and vicious killers repeating some of those names.
Hope's Peak Academy.
Makoto Naegi.
Kaede Akamatsu.
The Future Foundation.
Towa City.
Monokuma.
The Killing Game.
These names spread wildly, people wanting answers to why seemingly normal people were turning to violence for no good reason.
It would take months for the violence to slow down, two years in total for the world to recover. Japan was the forefront of the recovery, working with the counties of Asia to repress Despair.
This, however, is simply the story of how it began in the eastern side of the world.
The western world was rocked by Despair, but ground zero for the spread of it was not Hope's Peak Academy. As millions across North America took to violence, there were also names being spread across the land. Names that demanded answers to all the questions that followed.
Wawanakwa Island.
Jamie Porter.
Lexi Kardamilton.
Chris Maclean.
Monokuma.
The Killing Game.
There were many more names, but as the chaos and violence spread across the continent, it was merely building up to a rather prominent climax.
This is how The Tragedy hit the western world, and, more importantly, the point at which it either would fight back against it… or be swallowed up in it.
? Headquarters
2:34 PM, Day One
Tenth Floor
Board Room Meeting
"You… you won't get away with this," sputtered the man, pointing furiously at the figure at the end of the room. "This is insanity, you actually think that this won't go unpunished? Every law enforcement in the world will be after your hides if you even consider this.
"The mere fact that you even considered a scare prank to this magnitude was grotesque, but this! I'll have no part in this."
The man was already out of his seat and heading to the closest door in the room, when someone blocked his path. There was a tense silence, then the defiant man scoffed. "Oh what are you going to do? Lock me up in here? You cannot possibly think the authorities wouldn't know-"
He was interrupted when he felt something being strapped around his ankle. Glancing down, he saw a rather strong-looking cable attached to the wrap now secured around his leg. He stared in confusion, especially at who had placed it around him.
"Huh? M-miss Latezo, what are you-"
The man was grabbed by a strong pair of arms, and dragged to the glass window-wall of the room. He struggled, but he was overwhelmed with the suddenness of the situation.
"It looks like we're going to have to do a teaser," a most menacing voice declared, words flying from a sadistic smile as the being's eyes gleamed with delight as well, "of what is to come."
GAME OVER!
Neil Chiteau has been found guilty!
Time for the execution!
"Wh-what are you doing?!" Neil shouted, struggling harder against the hands upon him. He saw his cord attached to his leg was tied around the central base of the board table, which was a solid pillar sealed in the floor. "Stop this, this isn't funny-"
"IT'S PUNISHMENT TIME!"
Punishment: Our Plummeting Baseline
Execution: Engaged!
Neil was shoved up against the window-wall of the room, hard enough to crack the glass. He cried out in pain and shock, and aggressively fought back. There was another slam, dazing him for a few seconds. He blinked as he tried to struggle, for his life, his blurry vision making it look like numerous hands were coming at him to shove again.
The glass shattered, and Neil was thrown from the building. Screaming all the way down, glass shards raining down around him, the cord tightened before he would hit the sidewalk below.
Snapping him back up, he was propelled towards the building due to the cord tightening on the edge of the building. Neil had no time to react, he couldn't even cry out…
He was slammed against the window-wall of a room on the fourth floor. Blood splattered all across the room, the shattered glass, and ran down the side of the building. Someone on the third floor would see a stream of blood running down their window wall, as the rest of the glass showered down outside.
The one who had announced the punishment leaned over the edge of the shattered wall, not caring about the great distance from their position to the ground below. Though it was a touch difficult at the angle, the sight of Neil's body could be seen from up there.
He had been impaled with a large spike of glass through his chest, head and arms dangling lifelessly out of the building. As the blood continued to rain down, the figure up on the tenth floor chuckled.
"Remind me," they said, turning around, "what did we agree on if he hit the fourth floor?"
Pacific Ocean
3:15 PM, Day One
Sea Level
(From the perspective of…)
I looked out over the ocean, enjoying the cool breeze on my face, the smell of sea water such an unusual but enjoyable experience for me. The sun is bright and beaming down, which makes me feel a little homesick; I'm used to being outside and feeling it upon me.
Staring forward, I try to see if I can finally see our destination on the horizon. It's still not there, but I am feeling the chills of that intense thrill building up in me.
My destination is Camp Wawanakwa, the most infamous island in the country of Canada. Though it doesn't look much different from any other island throughout the world, Wawanakwa Island itself is a very famous island. It was here that one of the biggest reality shows took place.
When the show took off and reached world famous proportions, the island became just as famous; they even pretended to "sink" the island during one season, I'm not quite sure how that works. However, it is still there, restored due to a public that sees it like a national landmark, so to speak.
For the hit show that took off from there, and other shows that earned the rights to film on Wawanakwa Island, a success story was born. A set number of teenagers would be chosen by producers to compete against one another on the island for a one million dollar grand prize.
Just to get on the show is an accomplishment in of itself. They say once you've been on Wawanakwa Island, with the whole world watching you, your future is secure.
From the grand prize winners to the first to lose, everyone who has competed has done very well for themselves. They would be chosen to host television shows, formed musical groups, scouted out by sports teams, were assured promising jobs and careers… the list goes on and on.
Reality TV, entertainment in general nowadays, has truly become that prominent. Part of me thinks this is due to the world wanting something positive, something amazing, and not just to see jerks being jerks.
And wouldn't you know?
This year, among the millions of people that applied for this round of competition of talent, friendship, betrayal, and insanity…
I had been chosen! I still cannot believe it to be true!
Oh, I guess I should introduce myself at this point.
Hi, my name is Jamie Porter.
Normally, I'm not the kind of person that has this sort of thing happen to her. Like, at all. I'm usually the type who keeps herself to herself.
While most of my friends and schoolmates would go out after school, I would go back home to my parents' ranch. Not because I have to, but because I want to. It's what I love.
You see, ever since I was a little girl, I've always had a fascination with horses. I've always been happiest whenever I helped my mom and dad raise and train horses on their ranch. Not brag or anything, but I've been told that the horses I've had a hand in raising have been some of the best my parents have ever had.
My friends during school teased me for my obsession with horses, but my talents got me where I am today. It's funny, though, how I thought about my future as an equestrian after high school would involve being a contestant on this island, on this show.
They have a habit of changing the show's name every season, but recently, they started selecting people not by a stereotype or hobby, but something else entirely. This season on the island, the show is going to be called Total Paragon Talents.
You see, they recently announced that they wanted to feature contestants that were considered the best at what they do. Chris Maclean, the original host and all-around host of every hit show to happen in the last few years, stated that the idea behind it was to see which contestant was the one superior talent.
They were called the Super-Duper Amazingly Awesome ones. I was given the title "The Super-Duper Amazingly Awesome Equestrian" in the acceptance letter I received. And while someone passionate about horses sounds odd for a reality competition show, a lot of my competition sounds out there too.
I saw from the previews that one of the contestants was labeled "The Super-Duper Amazingly Awesome Soccer Goalie." He led his high school soccer team to three national titles because no one could ever score against him! Colleges all throughout the country are trying to recruit him.
There's also "The Super-Duper Amazingly Awesome Socialite," who I heard is going to be the already-famous Alexis Kardamilton. She's already the star of her own reality show, and is know for hosting many events in her town. She's so very popular with the media, cameras follow her around wherever she goes.
Then I caught a preview that showcased"The Super-Duper Amazingly Awesome Gymnast." She already competes in gymnastic competitions all around the globe. Word has it she's a shoe-in for the Canadian gymnastics team for the next Olympic Games!
Oh, and there's "The Super-Duper Amazingly Awesome Carpenter!" He's in college, but he's already helped construct some of the biggest buildings throughout Canada. I hear he's even been part of some major projects in the United States too.
I remember hearing about a few other contestants, though vaguely. There was a "Super-Duper Amazingly Awesome Farmer," "Super-Duper Amazingly Awesome Law Student," and a "Super-Duper Amazingly Awesome… Leader?" Was it leader, "The Super-Duper…"
Ugh. I'm already tired of saying that title name. I'm pretty certain I'll be sick of it by the end of this.
That is, if I do see this all the way to the end. Some people think that I'm in over my head, that I don't stand a chance against these other competitors. Maybe that's because the hype for this season, this collection of super talents, is so intense and overwhelming that I swear I can feel it even out here in the ocean.
This year's competition is going to consist of the best competition this show has ever seen, and probably ever will see; an unfortunate side-effect that has bolstered the ranks is that if us super-duper talented people don't make it the most exciting, the show may not continue.
So the pressure is on. Though every time I think about if I stand a fighting chance, I remind myself that I'm among the best competition the show has ever seen! It means that just like I have to overcome them, every single one of those people are going to have to overcome me too! I can't let them or the viewing world intimidate me!
I'm GOING to win this!
"Miss Porter?"
Jamie turned her head around, her inner monologue of rehearsal and inspiration coming to a halt. There was a man, in his mid-twenties standing nearby. He was dressed in dark camo, which fit his muscular stature.
He spoke, his voice hinting at a charismatic nature, but firm. "We're ten minutes from the island. As much as I know you'd like to spot the island as we approach, we need you to come back into the yacht for the time being, if you please."
Jamie smiled and responded, "Thank you, sir. I'll be right in."
He nodded and tipped his hat to her, and walked back into the yacht's cabin. Jamie took one more look at the horizon, and smiled as she pushed herself off of the handrail. With a soft sigh, she concluded her inner monologue real fast.
"I just want to get to know everyone, have a good time, and maybe, just maybe, win this competition. Mom, Dad, Jason, I hope you're watching me, because I-"
She was half-way turning around when she felt her body lock up. It wasn't voluntary, it was because the world felt… so dizzy. Her vision became blurry, and it felt like the sun had immediately left the sky.
"Ungh… wh-what's happening?!" she struggled to keep her mind afloat, as her body sank from how heavy everything, especially her eyes and head, felt. "Why did everything…
… s-suddenly…
go…
… dark?"
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
"Is …la… em?"
"… belie… … go now… thers will be wa… tly."
"… et's ge… oats! An… hey, wait."
"Wh… up?"
"… feel like … ba… is girl?"
"Oh ple… you're fee… uilty now. Or … you just looking at…"
"No! Well … yes. Don… e feeling that …rong here?"
"Du… g to be a massive pr… … be scared an… ified and may… on inter… vision, but that's… the fun!"
"Fine, fine. But… if any of the… sue us for… en they're unco… going… those damn p… the fall."
"S… But they… know. Especially that h… red who I may have… when I…"
"You fu…"
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
Jamie stirred, murmuring in her sleep. She blinked her light blue eyes as she finally brought herself back to consciousness, and then stretched. She started to sit up, and banged her head against something.
"Ow! What the-"
She blinked as she gripped her forehead, and squinted upwards. It was a bunkbed, she was laying down on the bottom mattress. Confused more than ever, she glanced down at herself.
There was no change to her clothing from when she was on the yacht. Her dark pink sweater, blue jeans, and even her black knee-high boots were all still on, not her usual sleepwear. Her hands flew to her neck, and she sighed in relief as she realized her necklace was still there.
As she moved to pull herself off of the bed, she felt her head for any injuries or bumps. Nothing amid her brown hair and that extra long ponytail of hers gave her cause to believe she had taken a blow to the head.
"Oh dear, did I faint? Was I that excited?" she thought, rubbing her forehead. With a frustrated sigh, she stood up and moved around the cabin. It looked like a regular cabin, though she had seen the show enough to know that this was one of the cabins.
"Oh wow, I really am here," she said, a grin spreading across her face. She clapped her hands together and allowed herself a squeal of joy. "I really am on the show! Yeehaw! This is so amazing! This… this is…"
Her enthusiasm stopped when she realized something rather concerning: none of her luggage was in the cabin. What happened to her spare clothes? Her other items? If she had fainted and they carried her onto the island, wouldn't they have taken her stuff on too?
And where was everyone else?
She glanced around the cabin, on all the beds. No one was there. With a sudden rush of apprehension, she stepped outside and was greeted by the brilliant shine of the sun. It gave her relief for a few seconds, and she scanned the surrounding area.
"This is getting really weird," she said to herself. "And not the fun kind of weird, what on Earth are they planning?"
Jamie had surveyed the area, but couldn't see any camera crews or even cameras. The place just felt so barren, though iconic for a fan like her.
There were four cabins, two for boys and two for girls. The campfire area in the center was filled with firewood, but untouched otherwise. The mess hall was on the other side of the campground, the largest structure in the area. There was also the washrooms, which appeared about as unsanitary on the outside as one would have the misfortune of seeing.
Jamie recognized all of the buildings, and also saw the outhouse nearby the washrooms. She grinned, and clapped excitedly, then finished observing the area.
This was all so close to the beach, with the harbor extending out towards the ocean. At the end of the harbor were several yachts, the same kind that she had arrived on. There were interns and workers on the boats, preparing them for departure.
At first she thought about approaching them, wanting to know why she had been put in the cabin, why there was no instructions on what to do next! Though just about when she summoned the nerves, a shattering sound caught her attention.
She whipped around to see a black 'n white ball bounce from the mess hall, the remainder of the window that it had come through tinkling down to the ground. From inside the mess hall, she could hear angry shouting and other noises.
Jamie blinked in surprise, then managed to chuckle as she said, "Guess I'll just head towards the craziness, head-first."
She walked over towards the mess hall, and entered in through the main doors. It felt a bit overwhelming, going into this building, and knowing who could be inside.
As the equestrian entered, she recognized the usual sights of the mess hall: the long tables and seats, the moose head over the fireplace, and the kitchen adjacent to the dining room. In this room, there was far more than the furniture and architecture.
"You realize that you will have to pay for that window," there was a woman shouting at a rather flustered guy. He was holding his hands up in defense and grinning sheepishly, as she continued. "Not to mention you just displayed the kind of toxic masculinity that is disgracing our civilization!"
"Um, but she," the guy said, pointing at a heavily made-up blonde, "she asked me to do it. She wanted to see me kick-"
"That's even worse, you're trying to…"
Jamie stared in surprise at this interaction, and then noticed that the dining area was full of people. All of them appeared to be the same age as her, and she could recognize some of these people from the advertisements for the show.
Some of them were seated at the tables, watching this altercation taking place. A couple were standing around, pacing about as they ignored this argument. One guy was leaning up against one of the walls, completely uninterested.
"And another thing, you never asked her pronouns before you addressed her as 'her'! How dare you presume-"
The guy she was yelling out winced, and as he looked for a way out of this bombardment, he noticed Jamie. "Oh!" He declared, a wide grin spreading across his face. Immediately making his way over to Jamie, he left the one admonishing him behind.
"Hey-hey-hey! Here's another one! Welcome to the club!" He said in such a friendly, loud voice, surprising her somewhat.
He was such a tall guy, tall and strong-looking, quite tall! She was a little intimidated, though he had a big goofy grin on his face. That grin was so innocent and big, she couldn't help but smile a little too.
The guy took her hand in his and shook it, almost making her bob up and down. There was a lot of strength in this guy's handshake! "My name's Micah Reilly, and I'm the Super-Duper Amazingly Awesome Goalie!"
"Oh-o-o-o-ye-ye-ye-yeah!" Jamie responded, her arm going up and down so much with the friendly handshake that it made her words come warbling out. When Micah stopped, she chuckled as she said, "I remembered seeing you in a lot of the promos! You sure do have a lot of achievements, don't you?"
The goalie guy was dressed in a sports jersey and shorts, and was wearing sporty sneakers as well. It was obvious he was an athlete, and Jamie wondered briefly if he had tried to wear soccer shoes but the show producers begged him not to.
Micah chuckled, and he scratched the back of his head; his dark skin prevented any blush he may be experiencing from being seen, but she could tell he was. "I don't know why they showcased me so much. I mean, it's cool and all, but I feel like it's putting a lot of hype on me."
"Well, positive guys have been a big staple in this show, maybe they thought you were just right for the job," Jamie pointed out. "Oh, and I'm Jamie Porter, the SDAA Equestrian."
"'Equestrian'? Cool, I like that show too!"
"No no, I mean I actually train horses."
Micah blinked, then said, "Ohhhhhhh. Yeah, sorry, I kind of have little time for anything except soccer, so I watch a lot of cartoons in my free time."
"He's almost like a cartoon character himself," Jamie thought, smiling as Micah carried out some more. "Though he is like a big teddy bear in a way!"
"You know, some people think it was all just because of hard work and training," Micah was going on, clearly happy to have someone to talk to, "but the real secret to my success is… the power of positive thinking! The power of positive thinking, it's the one thing that separates a winner from a loser!
"The ability to believe in yourself! That you have what it takes to succeed. Option is not a failure! Try not! Do not, or do! There is no try! And… and… uh, what was I saying?"
Jamie watched as Micah tried to piece together his advice, even starting to count on his fingers? She had no idea how that would help him, so she just giggled, and pat his shoulder. "It'll come back to you, big guy. Don't worry."
"You sure seem like a friendly type," said someone else, and Jamie turned to see another guy approaching her. This guy was wearing work pants and a long-sleeved shirt, but most prominent was the hardhat he was wearing.
"Hey there, Jamie, was it? My name is Brandon Gingerich, and I'm the Super… Super-Duper… ugh, SDAA Carpenter."
"Yeah, that gets to be an annoyance, doesn't it?" she said.
"Damn right it does. So, you said you were an equestrian, right?"
"Yes, I am. Maybe one day you could design me a stable?"
Brandon chuckled, as he said, "Well that might be a bit small for my standards, lil' lady. I've been working on skyscrapers and stadiums and such, I don't know how I could start small again."
"Wait, you're working on gigantic buildings? As a carpenter?" Jamie asked.
"Carpentry is my passion, and I used to build all kinds of stuff with that; however, the world needs more architects of buildings than shelves. It's hard work, really complex. I mean, horses are cool and all, but I think buildings are even more so."
Jamie pursed her lips as she crossed her arms. "Oh? You ever groomed a horse? Saddled one, took care of one when it's so nervous that it is kicking everything in sight? How about riding techniques, working the fields of a ranch, providing the food and bedding for multiple horses? Have you-"
"Okay, okay," Brandon held his hands up in defense, looking rather humbled. "I… I think I learned my place."
Someone slapped the back of his head, almost knocking off his hardhat. "You deserve it, you disgusting display of toxic masculinity!"
Brandon stepped away, rubbing the back of his head as he appeared to want to hide under a rock right now. Micah at first winced as he saw the woman who was harassing him earlier, then he said, "Now, Rachel, come on, we've got a fresh new face here, and-"
"When I want your opinion, I'll ask for what is obviously incorrect about the situation!" The woman in a sharp red business suit and skirt said. Her fist was clenched, in a way that made Jamie constantly think she should have a sign in it. "Now stop assuming this person's gesture, and make a proper introduction!"
The blonde woman stuck her hand out, giving a rather firm handshake. "Hello there, my name is Rachel Amie, the SDAA Social Justice Warrior. Do not let the internet fool you into thinking that means nothing but angry talk, we are the change of the future. And we're going to have a wonderful, diverse, and fair competition that shows no matter your way of life, you can progress."
Jamie winced at how tightly her hand was being shook. "Um, okay, but-"
"And do not let those males tell you otherwise! As a woman (if you identify as such, do you?), you should stand up for your gender, and tell those men off!"
"That's it, I'm done," Brandon muttered, walking away.
Micah stared at the conversation, then simply waved at Jamie. Overwhelmed and thus appreciating the gesture, she waved back to him with the free hand. Rachel blinked in surprise, then glanced back at Micah.
"Was that a racial slur hand signal?!" she shouted at Micah, who immediately took a defensive stance much like what a goalie would take.
There was a long, disgusted groan from the side, and as Rachel went after poor Micah, Jamie saw the latest face in the place. The incredibly made-up blonde gal who wore designer clothing and jewelry strut up to Jamie.
"She's been like this, for, like, forever. It's totally a gag-fest, I think she's, like, accused me of being a rich, privileged brat every time I've been near her."
Scoffing loudly as she tucked her permed hair behind her ear, touching an earring that probably cost more than what Jamie made in a year, the gal stared at her as if expecting her to agree. The equestrian was a bit distracted, mostly because she realized she was in the presence of a bonafide celebrity.
"Oh, you're Alexis Kardamilton," Jamie said, with a smile on her face. "I… I've seen some of your show."
Alexis gave a rather winning smile, putting a hand on her hip as she posed. Her black dress with a dark red blouse for the top gave her quite the sensual look. "Some call me Sexy Lexi, but I prefer to just be known as Lexi Kardamilton, the SDAA Socialite. Glad to meet a fan!"
"I… I didn't say I was a fan, really," Jamie thought, but didn't have the courage to say it. "Besides, and I REALLY cannot say this, but her show, 'Listen to the Kardamiltons'… it's so incredibly vain!"
"But anyway, I'm kind of done sticking around here! I'm not in the mood for more of angry ranting, and now that the soccer ball is outside, we don't have anything to watch!"
Jamie stared at Lexi, and asked, "Wait, no one official has approached any of you so far?"
"Nothing I've heard so far, and I know for a fact that there's always tons of staff around on shows like this," Lexi said, again tossing her hair behind her shoulder and scoffing. "There's not even a make-up artist yet, what if my make-up gets smudged?"
"There's a big difference between a show like this and your show," Jamie found herself thinking, still not able to bring herself to say it out loud. She instead said, "It's so weird, I woke up in the cabins, and the only people were working on the boats-"
"Ugh, I am SO not in the mood to wait, like, any longer! Can we get someone of the crew here? Can someone tell me what the heck is going on? My public is waiting to see me!"
"Actually, Lexi," Jamie said, gaining the attention of the socialite due to her name being used, "I really wanted to ask, why are you on this show? You already have your own show."
"Uh, the money, duh."
"What? But, don't you get paid for your own show?"
Lexi shrugged, saying, "I'm pretty sure that goes to my parents. I get paid for social visits at clubs and such, when I feel like it. I get paid for my fame!"
"… Surely you get a percentage for your show?"
"I dunno, I'm not a lawyer," she said, putting on a pair of oversized sunglasses. "Anyway, when's this start-"
"Did someone say they needed a lawyer?"
A short man with tan skin walked over, grinning up at Lexi. Yes, he was that short, the skinny socialite that was practically a doll was taller than him. His clothing, which Jamie thought was meant to look professional, still looked adorable on him. Slacks, red button-up shirt, tie, even that professionally styled hair, he was too cute to appear competent.
"Hi, I don't think we've been introduced," the young man said, standing at attention with a big smile on his face. "My name is Ryan Garvin, the SDAA Law Student! I can represent you, just as soon as I graduate from law school."
He chuckled at his own joke, then he followed up with, "But seriously, I think it could be a problem if you aren't properly paid for your show, they might be taking advantage of you. The long-term effects on your livelihood would be…"
Lexi stared at Ryan over her oversized sunglasses. "Um, aren't you, like, twelve?"
"Fourteen, to be precise. Youngest student in my class, that's why I think they chose me for this show. I'm not really sure how that's fitting for the show, totally dramatic and all that, but maybe I'll just do Tort Reform instead of Total Drama."
Jamie giggled slightly, the attempt at twisting the wording made her laugh for some reason. Ryan turned to her with an appreciative smile, then his eyes went wide. The confidence that he was showing earlier was replaced with a blush and a stammer, as he stared at her like he'd never seen anything like her.
"I'm, uhhh… h-hi there," he blurted out, extending a hand that she could see a visible quiver in. "I'm… I'm Ryan. Nice to meet you!"
"Hi, I'm Jamie," she said, slightly uncomfortable with this. Where on Earth did this come from? Was he…?
"I'm… I'm… a law student. What… what do you do?" he said, trying to manage a steady smile that was becoming a stuttering mess.
"Is he for real?" Lexi said, a frown forming on her face. "He was talking to ME just fine, why's he, like, like that with you?"
Before Jamie could say what she did, a rather large man came walking over. He was an incredibly tall, muscular fellow, but that look on his face was giving Jamie a bad vibe. The black tank top he was wearing with the word "SECURITY" made her think he was staff for a moment.
"Damn, kid! Loosen up," the security-shirt man declared, giving Ryan an encouraging pat on the back. This pat was enough to knock the young man forward and fall on his face. "If you're gonna impress hot chicks, you gotta have more confidence!
"Otherwise," he continued as he reached down and grabbed Ryan's collar, yanking him up and dusting him off, "you're gonna get pushed to the curb like the beta you're acting like!"
"Like," Lexi said, her voice going flat with disapproval, "who is this."
The strapping man thumped his chest, and shouted, "What up, hotties! I am Greg Botherton, the SDAA Bouncer! I'm one big slab of man, and I'm here to kick ass and take numbers!"
Jamie was starting to get a bad feeling about this guy. "Oh, I thought you were security, with that shirt and your camo pants. You're a bouncer?"
"The very best, brunette babe! I bounce punks out of fancy establishments, then I bounce babes atop of my establishment! Heyo!"
Jamie was beyond the bad feeling, and more than done with this. "I see," she muttered, trying to come off as dismissive as she could.
"Yeah, and now I'm gonna get me some money, and…"
Greg stopped, as he saw there was a feminine pair of eyes glaring the most poisonous of daggers at him. Rachel, who had overheard everything, almost appeared ready to charge at him.
"The hell you looking at?" he asked, crossing his thick arms.
"Obviously," she fired back, "I'm looking at the most disgusting pig ever!"
Greg barked out a laugh. "Oh, I'll show you what it means to be a pig, har har har! You get a night with me, and I promise you'll be squealing all night long! Wheeee! Hahaha!"
Jamie started to back away as subtle as she could. Ryan noticed, and waved at her. "Um, can we talk later?" he asked, amid the yelling that was now happening between the SJW and the bouncer.
"Uh, sure?" she replied, not really sure what else to say.
"Oh good! It's a date! Err, wait, I mean," Ryan started stammering a great deal, "it's not a DATE date! Just… you know… I'm… I'm gonna stop talking now."
As the poor boy shuffled off in extreme embarrassment, Jamie watched him go. Confused and trying to get away from the argument, she accidentally bumped into someone.
"Oof. Well, hello there, ma'am."
Jamie spun around, the Southern accent surprising her. The young man shifted the piece of straw he had in his mouth, and smiled up at her. "Heard ya come from a horse ranch? Ah'm a dairy farmer myself."
"Oh, really?" Jamie asked, a smile spreading across her face. She then internally winced at how silly that question was, it was so obvious that the young man was.
With naturally built muscles filling out his gray shirt and well-worn overalls, the Southern-accented man was definitely someone who worked outdoors. He had a red beanie on his brown hair, it having bits of straw and dirt stuck in it as if to declare, "I WORK ON A FARM!"
"Mah name is Timothy Kennell, but everyone just calls me Timmy," he said with a chuckle, "and Ah'm the SDAA Farmer. Pleasure meeting someone who knows about the outdoor life, though I haven't really worked with horses."
"What's your speciality, if I may ask?" Jamie asked.
"Mostly crops, but I also got-"
A whole bunch of peeping interrupted him, and he turned to see what he had behind his back on the table. There was a small crate-like box filled with straw, and six baby chickens inside. The chicks peeped and called out, as Timmy chuckled and reached into his pocket.
"Pardon me, miss, these little guys get loud when they're hungry," Timmy said, dropping a bunch of corn feed into the box. The chicks ate it up happily, the most adorable little yellow puffs ever. Jamie was already cooing, asking Timmy for permission to touch them.
"They're so-ooo cute~" she declared as she gently stroked one of them. "But why'd you bring them on a rough show like this?"
"Ah was actually asked to, keeping the chicks in the cabin during challenges and such. Methinks they wish for them to be a charming distraction when we're not running into trees and throwing up on each other."
Timmy chuckled, and added, "Though Ah must say, Ah think Ah'll only trust these fellows with someone who knows how to be gentle, like you."
Jamie smiled, and was going to speak, when there was a loud cry of, "AWWWW~! How adorbs! How sweet!"
A thin and spry girl bounded towards the two, heading directly towards the chicks. Timmy protectively raised an arm to prevent a dive bomb attack, and the girl stopped short. She glanced around at the two of them, and then she grinned.
"Sorry, I just got excited! I'm usually the little one around, but something oh my God, cuteness overload! But hey, long as I'm here, hi new girl!"
The skinny but strong-looking girl grabbed Jamie's hand and shook it excitedly. "I'm Andrea Guerrero, and I'm the Super-Duper Amazingly Awesome Gymnast! You can also call me by my nickname, Miss AWESOME!"
Andrea giggled and posed in a manner that Jamie expected a gymnast to pose. Andrea's tan skin, like her body, was firm and strong-looking. She was wearing gym shorts and a t-shirt, but Jamie could see she was wearing a pink leotard underneath. Her brown hair was tied in a tomboyish ponytail.
Though her bright green eyes stood out the most as she carried on. "So I know how awful the food must be on this show, and don't worry, I loaded up on good stuff! You guys hungry?"
She reached into her pocket, and pulled out some protein bars. Jamie thanked her and took a chocolate one, which seemed to please Andrea. "Good choice there, new girl! Chocolate's loaded with anti-oxidants, dark chocolate especially! Just don't go overboard, too much of that stuff will put some pounds on you, and that throws off your balance."
Andrea bounced on her feet, as Jamie felt it was a bit exhausting, keeping up with her pace. "So, you're really conscious about your health?" she asked her. "I mean, as a gymnast, I would guess you would be."
"Yep! You have to be if you want to make sure you do your acrobatics to be perfect! I totally know some good vegetable smoothie recipes, we should totally make some! It'd be far better than the crap we're sure to get."
"Oh dear, how to tell her I don't like vegetables so much," Jamie thought, forcing a smile. "I give those to my horses, they're not really for me."
"Um, sure?"
"Awesome! We're going to get along just fine! We're gonna have an awesome time!"
"She certainly loves that word, doesn't she?" Jamie thought, and was about to say something, when she heard someone else approach.
"Well well well! Mingling already? That's great to see, I'd love for us girls to get along~"
Jamie looked up to see one of the most beautiful blond gals she'd ever seen walk up to them. With her flowing golden hair styled in a ponytail, shining blue eyes, and fair skin, it was like a supermodel had come to life in front of her. Though the video game-styled clothing she was wearing was anything but what Jamie expected one to wear.
The blond laughed happily as she studied to the two ladies in front of her, Timmy sitting on the bench, and the box of chicks. Cooing over the baby chickens, she giggled and swished her hips, the long skirt with the NES controller swishing around.
Jamie recognized her, but deep down, she was a little ashamed this was mostly because of how much the "GAME OVER" logo on the girl's shirt was stretched out. It made her feel like such a boy, recognizing how big the girl's chest was.
"You're Sabrina, right?" Jamie asked. "I've seen you a lot in commercials and such."
"Aw, thank you, sweetie!"
Sabrina walked over and hugged Jamie, and the equestrian blushed slightly with how close the girl held her. "Ho-holy cow," she mentally stammered, as she returned the hug. "They feel so… soft. Wow… wait, what am I thinking?!"
"It's nice to meet you!" Sabrina said, after finishing her hug. "My full name and title here is Sabrina Drake, and I'm the SDAA Cosplayer! I think I overheard your name was Jamie, and you're an equestrian?"
"Y-yeah, that's right."
"I think the closest I get to that was when I cosplay as the My Little Pony characters, but I'd love to hear more about real equestrian life! And you, both of you~"
Sabrina walked around Jamie and Andrea, wrapping her arms around the two. "What's say when we make up the girl's cabin, we make our first night a wonderful slumber party! I got tunes! Hope you like the soundtracks of the most recent games!"
"You got dancing game tracks?" Andrea asked excitedly.
"You bet! Wanna have a dance-off?"
Jamie was nervous as all hell, seeing the energy and positivity from these two high-spirited girls. They were both so much more into this contest, so much better at making friends, and both also…
"This is ridiculous, I never felt conscious about my chest size beforehand," she thought, trying to force a smile. "Am… am I just so nervous about everything happening that I'm being that unsure of myself?"
As Sabrina and Andrea continued to gab on about trying to make the first night the best night ever, the equestrian saw an incredibly stuffy-looking young lady walk by. The woman glanced at them, and scoffed.
"Making friends, in a competition like this?" she said dismissively, correcting her glasses. "That's ridiculous, this show revels in driving wedges between people. We're here to win a million dollars."
Andrea stared at the woman, and stammered, "Well, yeah, but-"
"So stop being chummy, it's never going to fly on this show. You'll either backstab your teammates, or you'll stomp on others to win. Plain and simple."
Sabrina scoffed, crossing her arms underneath her breasts. "That's just a rotten way of looking at it."
"Call it rotten, but I prefer to stick to reality."
Jamie stared at the woman, trying to figure out how someone who appeared this professional would want to be on a reality show like this. Her blue blouse, black skirt, the laptop case she was carrying, it really looked like a business woman had come onto the set.
"Wait," Jamie said, "I think I saw you in some of the advertisements. Are you Katie?"
The woman peered at Jamie, and said, "I'm afraid I don't recall seeing you in any of the promotions, so I don't recognize you."
Jamie tried to hide her irritation over the bluntness, and extended her hand. "Jamie Porter, SDAA Equestrian."
Katie raised an eyebrow, then shook her hand. "Katie Bibbins, SDAA Blogger. I'm surprised, I wouldn't think an expert on horses would be a pick for this show."
"It's a reality show," Sabrina pointed out, her tone and expression still rather annoyed. "Besides, she's got that lovable country girl look to her!"
Katie stared at Sabrina, surveying her body, then she scoffed. "Yes, I suppose someone's looks would be appropriate for the producers to pick."
Jamie expected the cosplayer to blow up at a comment like that, but Sabrina merely rolled her eyes. "There's something to be said," she said, "about a pleasant personality rather than outright rude."
Before either woman could say anything more, a rather mature chuckle from a lady cut into the conversation. In walked one of the most professionally dressed and beautiful women Jamie had ever seen in person.
"I rather admire how bold all of you ladies are, so nice to see in this generation," the lady said with a sly smile, her cunning blue eyes scanned the four gals gathered up together. "You sure have a cutthroat attitude there, Miss Bibbins. You're not afraid to tell how it is. I could use someone like you in my company."
Katie scoffed and turned her nose up. "If I was interested in selling out to some corporation to write their propaganda, I would have done so long before meeting a competitor on a show."
The lady merely laughed, and then her eyes fell on Jamie. The equestrian couldn't help but flinch, this woman was just so imposing. Long legs, short black skirt, a red jacket over a short-cut blouse, a flowing head of brunette hair…
And, Jamie found herself once again feeling demoralized, this woman had the most impressive rack she had ever seen. It was so well-presented, so glorious…
"Gah!" Jamie cried out suddenly, gripping her forehead as she closed her eyes. "I wasn't looking, I swear!"
"Looking… into our conversation? Oh, are you a business woman too?"
The highly professional lady walked over and shook Jamie's hand. "Lauren Nelson, SDAA Business Tycoon. What do you do for a living, if I may ask?"
Katie let out a long sigh mixed with a disgusted groan. "She's just interested in reaping a good portion of the profits from your hard work."
"Business does not work out without negotiation, my dear," Lauren said, unfazed in the least by that comment. "Come on, my dear, what do you work with?"
Jamie was determined to focus on the eyes of this imposing woman. "… Horses."
This fazed the business tycoon a little. "O-Oh. That may be a little bit out of my area of expertise. Everyone knows that the equestrian business is one of the most cutthroat there is. You must be vicious!"
"No! I'm not a mean person, I swear."
"Listen, you're definitely one of the sweetest faces I've seen in a long time," Lauren said, patting Jamie's cheek. "Just remember you might need to use that, especially to some of the men on this show. A little flaunting never hurt a woman's chances."
Andrea burst out laughing. "Yeah, Jamie, act like a slut, like this woman!"
Now THAT fazed Lauren. "Ex-cuse you?!"
Before a real catfight could occur, something far more atrocious to outrage a woman came around: a man. Specially, a professional bouncer man who snaked an arm around Lauren's hip and pulled her over. She cried out and elbowed the man in the gut, but it just made a dull thud against him.
"You dealing in business propositions?" Greg said, wiggling his eyebrows at Lauren as she squirmed out of his grasp. "I can work with that! I got a major proposition for ya! Though… you may need to convince me, so come on! Convince me, ba-beeee!"
"I… I cannot find the right words for my disgust," Lauren sputtered out.
"You won't find a more manly man here than me, woman! Take this beta boy, example."
Greg pulled his other arm from behind his back, where he had been holding a young short man by the back of his shirt collar. The young man had the visage of a nerdy fellow, what with his petite composure, glasses, and a lightning bolt-themed t-shirt. He also had a thoroughly unpleased expression as he crossed his arms.
"If you do not put me down," the nerd said, "within the next ten seconds, I will pinch one of your nerve central areas, and put you in a sixteen hour coma in which you'll have no control over your bladder!"
Greg's eyes widened, then he dropped the nerdy fellow on his feet. While the nerd was dusting himself off, the bouncer asked, "Is… is that physically possible?"
"You'd best not tempt me. And good Lord, the way you were talking. Do you have any kind of restraint, man?"
"What? Look at her!" Greg punched the nerd in the shoulder, knocking the smaller guy over as the bouncer pointed at Lauren. "Say, here's your chance to prove you're not beta, little video game maker! Pitch a proposition to her, get in close to all of that!"
The video game programmer stared up at the ceiling from the position Greg had knocked him into. "I think it would be a more efficient manner of my time to play dead until you go away."
Jamie walked over and offered a hand to the man on the floor. "I don't think you should try and wait for him to change, come on now."
The man glanced up at her, then smiled as he offered her help. "Thank you. Oh, hello, you're the new girl, right? I'm Aaron Snowsen, the SDAA Video Game Designer."
"And gay," Greg muttered, "apparently."
Someone's hand reached out and grabbed Greg's ear, with a very angry, "What was that?" from Rachel. "What's wrong with that if he is?!"
Aaron rolled his eyes, but dropped the annoyance as Jamie introduced herself. He adjusted his glasses, and said, "You seem like a nice person. Thank goodness, I was a little worried that there wouldn't be sane people this season."
There was a deep chuckle, as Lauren approached Aaron and let out a rather sensual coo. "So, a business man, are you? That's so very interesting. I wouldn't mind chatting business with you later."
The game designer glanced at her, and despite how close she was, he didn't seen intrigued. "Thanks," he said half-heartedly, then turned back to Jamie. "So, any idea on our current circumstances?"
"No, and no one else seems to understand what is going on either!" Jamie exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration. "It's getting to be really concerning, and I don't know what-"
"Easy now," Aaron advised. "I'm pretty sure they're trying to rile us, or maybe they haven't prepared everything yet, and they don't really care about what we think right now."
"Very smart," Lauren purred.
She was once again ignored by Aaron, who said to Jamie, "Let's just stick together for now, and stay cool. That's what I always tell myself."
"Damn beta gay tits-ignoring app designer," Greg shouted, making Aaron cringe. "I'll flatten you once this angry chick lets go out of my damn ear!"
"And try," Aaron muttered, face-palming big time, "to ignore the Neanderthal."
"I don't even know what that is! I… whoa!"
Rachel let go of Greg's ear, and the bouncer, who was pulling hard, flew the opposite direction. He landed with a rough bang on the ground.
That was when someone wearing a lab coat squat down next to him, examining his head. "He means a caveman," the coat-wearing asian woman said as he checked the bouncer's pupils.
Micah overheard this, and walked over to watch the examination. "Whoa cool, the bouncer's a caveman? I always knew cavemen were still around!"
That drew a whole lot of silence from the other contestants, and the goalie noticed this. "What? You've seen them! They've been helping sell car insurance for a long time now!"
The woman in the lab coat stopped examining Greg's eyes with the tiny light in her hand. She went over and started examining Micah's eyes, as the goalie seemed slightly confused, but still smiling. "Did your parents," she asked him, "happen to drop you on your head when you were an infant?"
"I don't know, I was just a baby at the time," he admitted. "That's a pretty light you have there! Are you the SDAA Eye Doctor?"
"I am Alicia McNulty, the SDAA Medical Student," the lady said. She tucked her raven hair behind her ears, and stared hard into Micah's eyes. "You seem a particular unusual case. Has anything abnormal happened that could explain your incredibly slow mental capacity?"
"Hey, that's rude," Jamie declared, walking over to them. Alicia merely glanced over at her as she continued, "He may not get what you're trying to say, but I can tell you're insulting him!"
Alicia stared at her, then replied, "No, I'm genuinely intrigued why he thinks the way he does. It could be a unique case study."
Micah was rubbing his chin, deep in thought during this exchange, then he spoke up. "Doctor, would the fact that I have been in about fifty car crashes before I hit eighteen. Would that be abnormal?"
Alicia, who had been calm and cold since Jamie had seen her, gasped at this. Jamie did too, but she exclaimed, "Micah, you've been in fifty car crashes? Good heavens, who are you riding with?"
"Riding? No-ho-ho, I was driving each time."
Alicia, wide-eyed, took a notepad and pen out of her lab coat, and started jotting down notes furiously. Jamie was far more concerned about Micah. "Um, Micah, I like you and all," she said, "but I think with that record, I might think twice about teaching how to ride a horse."
"Wait, why? It's not like I'll ride a horse onto the freeway!"
The medical student glanced up at her notes, remarking, "How you could still have a license is beyond me."
"You're supposed to have a license?"
Jamie stammered, but then Sabrina walked over. "Hey, I'll try to explain it to him. Could you do me a favor?"
"Um, what's going on?"
The cosplayer leaned in close to Jamie, and whispered, "There's this one guy who's just been leaning up against the wall this entire time. Could you talk to him? He's not responding to anyone here."
She gestured towards the platinum-topped man who had been by himself. Jamie, who was highly determined to find out what was going on at this point, made a beeline for this man. He was so stern looking, and even his clothing had an aggressive look to them.
He wore tight black pants and gray tank top, riding gloves and bandage wraps around his arms, and, to Jamie's surprise, a cross necklace. When she was examining him, he opened his eyes and stared at her, causing her to jump slightly.
"Can I help you?" he asked.
"Um, sorry! It's just that none of us know what's going on. Do you?"
The man rolled his eyes, and shook his head. "No idea."
Jamie nervously rubbed her arm, and asked, "Can I, at least, ask who you are?"
"I'm Bryan. And apparently, I'm here as the SDAA Street Fighter."
"Oh, really? I've," she stammered, then tried a smile, "I've heard of that game!"
There was a moment of silence, in which Bryan just stared at her, and then Jamie winced. "You… didn't mean the video game, did you?"
"No."
"Wait, what's your last name?"
Bryan rubbed his forehead, muttering, "And apparently, this conversation is now happening. I'm not interested."
"I just," Jamie snapped, placing a hand on her hip, "wanted to introduce myself."
"So you've introduced yourself, I've introduced myself. I'd say mission complete, kindly move on."
Jamie was rather miffed, and started to storm away from him. It was then that the front door to the mess hall opened, and Micah hurried over to greet the person. "Hey there, the final cast member! Greetings, compadre!"
"Hello there, nice to meet you!"
Jamie's ears perked up, as did her head. She quickly turned towards the exchange, and then she saw who it was, talking to Micah.
"Jason?" she called out.
The tall, strong man who entered reeled towards her voice, and his face let up. "Jamie?"
Micah glanced at both of them, then grinned. "Whoa, cool, you two know each other?"
Jason scratched the back of his head, ruffling his short, brown hair. "Well, you could say that. She's my-"
Jamie had made her way over, and wrapped her arms around Jason's neck. Popping up on her feet, she made her way to press her lips to his, and resulted in a long, passionate kiss. This rather surprised everyone.
"Aww~" Sabrina cooed.
"Well, how nice," Timmy commented with a smile.
"Why didn't she greet me like that?!" Greg protested from the floor. "If country girl is that friendly…"
"They're obviously a couple," Aaron said to him, then added, "you swine."
"Hurray for twists!" Andrea exclaimed.
The kiss finished, and Jason had a slight blush on his face. "Well, I've very happy to see you too."
"Me too, so very much so, but Jason," Jamie said, rubbing his broad shoulders, "why are you here? Did you get accepted too?"
Jason grinned and nodded, then noticed everyone staring at him. He adjusted his jacket and stroked his goatee, then said, "Hi everyone, I'm Jason Widrick, the Super… Super-Du… no, no I'm not doing all that every time. I'll just say I'm the SDAA Quarterback."
"That's definitely the best call," Aaron said, "it'll save years on your life if you avoid it."
Micah laughed happily, and clapped his hands on Jamie and Jason's shoulders, saying, "It looks like the official gang is all here! This seems like a wonderful time to-"
It was then that there was a high-pitched whine, like an overhead speaker coming to life. A buzzing of electricity, the familiar sound of a TV coming on, and the crackle of music coming from the opposite end of the mess hall alerted their attention.
Jamie didn't remember a TV on that mantle in previous seasons, it was rather weird…
The image finally cleared up, or at least as much as it was going to. There was a silhouette of a rounded head, topped with animal ears, in front of a rundown version of the camp; it was like a shadow figure was looming over the destroyed remains of their current location.
"Ahem!" A high-pitched voice that seemed to exude mischievousness came from the TV. "Attention, campers! We're almost ready for you and your happy selves, so if you could make your way to the center of the camp? Your new host is about ready to see you!"
Static burst out across the image several times, and for the briefest of moments, the background changed. Those with sharp eyes could see images of the campground on fire, polluted with toxic waste, or coated with blood. The images changed within the blink of an eye, fast enough to make people who caught them had doubt they actually saw them.
"This is going to be the very best season, and a show to awe Canada, the United States, and maybe all of western culture! Upupupupu! Anyway, come on out! We've been waiting for you!"
The background was now a normal shot of the campground, but the silhouette was still there. Then the TV turned off, and the mess hall was completely silent for a while. No one could understand what was going on, and it was started to unnerve them.
"This show tries too hard," Jason commented, "to be weird at times, doesn't it?"
"Definitely," Ryan said, scratching the back of his head. He was glancing at the quarterback alongside Jamie, trying to hide his disappointment; however, the unusual announcement was making it hard to have a positive focus.
"Maybe we should just go," Rachel said. "They can explain why we've been treated so strangely since this started. I don't appreciate the fact that I was touched without permission."
"Really now?" Greg said as he stood up. "You already seem touchy to begin with."
As the SJW glared at him, Jamie walked over to Rachel. "Wait, please just one minute, what do you mean, Rachel?"
"I was on the boat here when I suddenly felt really tired, and I may have passed out; however, when I woke up, I was on the island, in one of the cabins!"
Rachel clenched her fist, and declared, "How dare someone pick me up and carry me without consent! There's so many things wrong with that, that I-"
"Wait wait wait, that happened to me too!" Jamie declared. "Did… did that happen to you all as well?"
As she looked around, everyone seemed to be nodding or raising their hands. It appeared rather unanimous, though Bryan still wasn't participating in any of this. Jamie decided to ignore him, and asked everyone else, "Does anyone else get a bad feeling about all of this? We couldn't all have had fainting spells, carried in when unconscious, and then given no explanation to all this?"
"Okay, no contract can allow this," Rachel said with a snarl. "We should sue them."
"We haven't even started the show yet," Alicia said. "Do you all really want to start trouble before we're even on the air?"
"I think we're all kind of jumping the gun here, folks," Brandon said, stepping up. "Why don't we all just head on out, and see what's going on?"
"I want," Lexi declared furiously, "to be on this show, so let's just go!"
She started on her way out, and most of the others followed afterwards. The only ones in the mess hall were Jamie, Jason, Ryan, and Rachel. The two J's and two R's were exchanging glances, wanting answers for everything.
"Okay, I have a real concern here," Rachel said, holding her hands up, "and I get the feeling that I'm not the only one."
"True, but I don't think," Ryan said nervously, "that we'll get answers standing around here."
"You okay, Jamie?" Jason asked, taking her hand into his and holding it firmly. "I mean, I only just woke up a few minutes ago, but yeah, I'm getting a bad feeling about this place."
Jamie stammered, then let out a huge sigh. "Maybe I'm just overreacting. Let's go, see if they have an explanation for this."
The four of them walked out, Jamie holding her boyfriend's hand tightly. She winced as she saw a figure amongst the contestants, and recognized the person immediately.
It was almost true what the rumors said, she could smell the styling gel from where she was. His signature rugged look with that blue jacket, masculine stubble, and the most smug of smug expressions were famous by now; Jamie, however, had thought this would be the worst part of the show.
Chris Maclean, world famous host of many television shows and star in numerous movies, was practically the face of reality TV nowadays. Making a return to this show where he had been given free reign and shown his sadistic creativity to the world was something Jamie knew many wanted, for some reason.
The host was reading off of a list, sounding rather bored and annoyed. "Andrea Guerrero, the Super-Duper Amazingly Awesome Gymnast?"
"Here," the gal shouted, raising her hand.
Chris shrugged, and said, "Ryan Garvin, the Super-Duper Amazingly Awesome Law Student?"
"Back here, sir," Ryan called out, jumping up and down in the back.
"Lauren Nelson, the Super-Duper Amazingly Awesome Business Tycoon?"
The business lady twiddled her fingers at Chris, and the man looked her over. When his eyeballs shamelessly scanned her, she posed a little, and there was a grin on his lips. A lot of the others weren't entertained by this.
"Why are you doing the entire title?" Aaron asked, crossing his arms. "You really don't need to, it's not like we're airing-"
"I'm sorry," Chris declared suddenly, not even bothering to look at Aaron as he spoke, "did I ask for the opinion of someone who isn't anywhere near as important as me?"
There was a moment of silence, and then he continued, smirking at how much he had slammed the guy down. Jamie groaned quietly, and muttered under her breath, "Oh great, he's just as mean in person as he is on TV. I was hoping it was all an act."
"Just remember to try and keep on his good side," Jason whispered to her. "I wouldn't want you to get voted off if you got in an argument with him."
"I'm not an argumentative girl," Jamie responded as she nudged him playfully.
Chris was meanwhile struggling with something on the list. "Zuh… Zah… oh wait, that's a B. Bryan, the Super-Duper Amazingly Awesome Street Fighter?"
"Here," Bryan said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Wait, what's your last name?" Chris asked. "Is it this scribble right here they partially erased?"
"I don't have a last name. Leave it at that."
"What the hell is a talent like that, street fighter?" the host said with a rude laugh. "What are you, some kind of homeless punk that beats up other hobos?"
"He's still more clean-shaven than you," Jamie said under her breath.
But alas, it wasn't under her breath as much as she thought it was. In fact, random circumstances had led her remark to be heard by everyone. The entire cast turned to look at her in surprise, as Chris leveled an awfully sharp glare.
"Watch it," the host snapped, "or we'll find an excuse for you to go first, little country girl!"
Jamie felt herself blushing so heatedly that it almost hurt. She could barely lift her head, but when she did, she could see some of the cast members smiling approvingly at her, including a small smirk from Bryan.
"Not so argumentative, are you?" Jason teased her.
The rest of the roll call went by without incident, but Chris insisted on using the full length of the title for everyone. It further served to remind Jamie that it had to have been his idea to give them those titles. Then when Chris was finished, he proceeded to complain about everything.
"I have no idea what's going on, so stop asking," the host griped. "I haven't seen any of the hairstylists, or camera crews, or the lobster chefs…"
"Where is Chef?" Jamie asked. "Is he going to be on the show? I really wanted to meet-"
"Shut up, hairy girl! I've no patience, I haven't had any lobster in several hours, and I'm working with the worst interns in the world! They're actually speaking out for themselves, I have no idea where the hell they get that crap!"
Jamie bristled, and crossed her arms. "You know, maybe the terrible feeling I had was with him."
"You really shouldn't provoke him anymore, sweetheart," Jason insisted. "Just remember, it's a bit like a coach, you gotta follow the orders even if you don't agree."
Chris walked away from the campers, crumpling up the list and throwing it into the campfire pit. "This is ridiculous! I'm not a babysitter! Why am I stuck here with the contestants?! HEY! HEY YOU GUYS!"
He was frantically waving down to the men and women who were gathered up on the boats at the dock. He stood in place, shouting for them to come down and help them out, explain the situation, serve him lobster.
"This guy," Lexi grumbled, "is a bigger diva than anyone on my show."
Sabrina sighed and puffed her bangs away from her face. "I guess we're going to have to get used to that sooner rather than later if we're going to make it on this show."
"I'm sure," Micah said with a bright smile, "he's a big fuzzy pushover deep down."
Chris stomped his foot as he walked slightly towards the docks. "Hey! Hey, why aren't you listening to me, you disrespectful interns?! Hey are you all brain-dead stupid? Or are you just-"
Before the host could continue, there was a sharp whine of megaphone feedback. It seemed to be coming from all over, from the speakers up on the posts that were next to the cameras.
"He-lloooooo! Welcome to my show, campers! Who wants to be famous, upupupupu?"
It seemed to sweep through the cast, as they all turned towards the source of the voice that was becoming more prevalent by the word. Before anyone could say or do anything, the general direction they were facing was the outhouse, famous for being a confessional booth for the cast members to vent their frustrations.
The door swung open violently, as a three foot bear kicked it open with a loud battle cry from within. This bear, making goofy noises as it walked towards them, was half white in a soothing teddy bear likeness, and half black with a sinister possessed doll likeness. The gleaming red eye shaped like a thunderbolt, or maybe a jagged cut, shone malevolently…
Then the bear jumped into the air, posed triumphantly, and landed on one of the log benches near the campfire. "Ta-da! Haha, now how's that for an entrance?"
He lifted his paws into the air, as if waiting for people to applaud. When there was none, just confused stares, he shrugged and said, through some kind of digital device inside because his mouth didn't mouth at all, "Aww, nothing? But I thought that's how it was done on shows like this… oh well. Might as well go for the other approach!"
And that was when the bear reached behind itself, then brought forth what appeared to be a grenade. He pulled the pin, and tossed the grenade behind himself without looking. Jamie's sharp eyes allowed her to witness that explosive fall into the confessional outhouse…
The intense explosion knocked so many of the contestants off their feet, the shockwave hard enough to feel like a massive punch to the chest. Almost all of them fell down, with only the strong and agile managing to maintain on their feet.
"What the hell!" Jason shouted, holding his free arm up to cover his face.
Jamie shrieked as she held herself up and close to him. Bryan, Andrea, and Greg were also the ones who managed to stand up, and they were equally floored.
"That's nothing like it is in the movies," Andrea shrieked. "That physically hurt! My ears! Are they bleeding?"
"You could have hurt someone, ya fucking bear!" Greg hollered.
Bryan said nothing, but his eyes were wide in shock. He stood there, breathing hard as he observed the cackling bear. The others were getting up, all rather upset.
"You could have killed someone," Alicia snapped. "That was a real explosion!"
"You… you just destroyed the confessional outhouse!" Lexi whined. "I wanted to use that first!"
"Okay, what freaky promotional creature are you," Timmy shouted, "and what gives you the right-"
"That was AWESOME!"
Chris Maclean walked over towards the white 'n black bear, and clapped happily. "Now that's how you get the action going! Please tell me you got that all on film."
"Oh, I doubt that," the bear said, shrugging. "We're not filming."
"We're not?"
"We're not broadcasting. And we never will."
The bear chuckled, the devious nature of his laugh and voice chilling Jamie in all sorts of awful ways. She found her will to speak, and asked, "Wh-what do you mean? Is this your way of saying the show is cancelled?"
"Hello, Jamie Porter," the bear said, and it made Jamie shiver hearing it speak her name. She didn't like hearing it address her in the least. "I believe that what I am saying, yes."
"What?!" was the response from a lot of the contestants.
"Oh hell no!" Chris shouted, attitude changing instantly. "You do not come in here and steal my limelight away! This season was my idea, and I had so many plans! You shitty little-"
"That is, in fact, because I have devised a new contest for you all! By the way, my name is Monokuma! I am the bear who cares, and I dare you all to compare!"
Monokuma walked back and forth on the log bench, playing a balancing game. Everyone just watched him, and he chuckled to himself. "So then, Mr. Monokuma," Micah spoke up, nervously poking his fingers together, "what contest will we be doing?"
"Oh hello, Micah Reilly! I am glad you asked, or someone at the least one person did! I would like to announce that we're now in Monokuma's Western Killer Drama!"
"That… sounds intense," Micah said with a very apprehensive laugh.
"Kind of unfortunate usage of words," Aaron said, "if you consider the first letters."
"Why's that?" Sabrina asked. "MWKD?"
"More like WKD, which is something used a lot in video games," the game designer said. "People who play a lot of games have a WKD record, which stands for Wins, Kills, and Deaths."
"I heard that, Aaron Snowsen," Monokuma blurted out, somehow red in the face as he shouted, but then calmed down, "but you know what? It's quite fitting! Because there's winners, killers, and deaths in my game!"
Aaron winced, the stoic attitude he had had until now gone. "You're really starting to make it sound serious."
"That's because it is serious! Monokuma is a name to know for serious business, boys and girls and all others! And in Monokuma's Western Killer Drama, there is only one way to seriously win the game!"
The black 'n white bear rubbed his paws together, then leaned in, his red eye casting a malevolent light on the people in front of him.
"And that is, I want you all to commit the perfect MURDER."
The silence that impacted everyone was like a punch in the throat and the gut, and most prominently, the heart. Jamie was having a hard time breathing, and she felt herself clinging to Jason. She could feel how hard he was breathing too, his heartbeat was pounding.
"Um, haha, dude?" Micah said, his voice quivering as he forced out a laugh. "That's really not a funny joke."
"It's no joke!" Monokuma barked.
"Quit lying," Alicia snapped, "there's no way something like this could happen!"
"It's no lie either!"
"Oh, I see how it is," Lexi said, as she checked out her face in a compact mirror. Out of everyone there, she was the only one who didn't appear phased in the least. "We're gonna play this like a murder mystery series, and you're a mascot for merchandise."
"It's no… what?"
Monokuma actually seemed stumped by this, as he stared down the reality star. There was a solid ten seconds before she bothered to look up from her mirror, and stared at the bear. "What? I've worked with TV for a long time, I know how this works. You're just trying to pump us up and all that."
"What? What what what?"
"You blowing up the confessional and all, it's just your way of making us realize how much you want us to realize how much serious business this season is going to be. Though I must say, you're the ugliest thing I've ever seen in my life. Who designed you?"
"… WHAT."
"You look like the imagination of some emo… or a goth punk. Yeah, you're like the creation of some teenaged goth girl. Oh, was it the first one on this show? Feh, I'm so not following in her footsteps-"
"Okay, that does it. That tears it!"
Monokuma reached behind himself, and pulled a gun from wherever he had a storage compartment. He pointed it at Lexi, shaking with outrage. "I wanted to keep it to sixteen as planned, but maybe it is time to go against plans and be a little bit chaotic with the prologue!"
Everyone flinched, staring at the very realistic gun in the bear's paw. Lexi appeared concerned at first, then rolled her eyes. "That's not real, cut it out. You're just doing this to promote the twist to this…"
As she spoke, Monokuma cocked the hammer, and aimed for her head. She continued to speak, until a horrified shout cut her off.
"No, that's real!"
A flash of gray and blonde darted in front of Jamie, and the person tackled Lexi. It was relatively easy, with how petite the socialite was. The explosion of a gunshot rang out, so sharp and sudden that it rattled their brains and ears.
The bullet embedded in the cabin, the sound of wood splintering an impact that was dull and sharp at the same time. Lexi was rather dazed, and stared up at her savior, shouting, "What are you doing?!"
"He… he had a real gun," Sabrina declared. "He tried to shoot you!"
"He's promotional, dumbass! Will you get your stupid tits off of me, you're making me look bad!"
Monokuma scratched the back of his head with his gun. "Huh, I missed. Maybe that's a sign that I should stick to the original plan… but it seems I'm not being taken serious enough-"
It was then that Chris Maclean stomped up towards Monokuma. "Okay, that's enough! This is my show, my way, and no one else's! I make the calls here, and no one, absolutely no one, endangers their lives except me!
"And what kind of lame-ass method of scaring them is that, shooting at them? Why don't you just take this stupid promotional material the hell out of MY show…"
Chris lifted his foot, and stomped down on Monokuma's face, pinning the bear on the ground. "And FUCK off!" he concluded.
Strained, struggling noises came from Monokuma, as he squirmed pathetically under the boot of the host. His gun had dropped away, out of his reach. "Errgh… blargh… o-okay… if you won't take THAT seriously…"
The bear reached behind himself again, despite the squashed situation, with his other paw. He pulled out a remote, and his paw quivered as he aimed to press a button. "Maybe you should all see… that you aren't leaving my game."
The claw pushed a button, and then, the world swiftly transformed into a living, breathing nightmare.
Explosions rocked the air, the shockwaves felt against their backs. The deafening sounds made them unable to think straight at first, yet they all turned to see what had happened. There was no preparation for what they witnessed.
The boats, every last one of them, had violently exploded. Some of the husks were burning, some sunk into the waters, all of them utterly destroyed. Pieces of metal and wood came falling down from the sky, having rocketed into the sky by the explosions…
And there were also body parts among the debris. So many body parts, so much blood.
Jamie could see the crew in visceral pieces scattering across the water, the dock, on the boats. The carnage was absolute, there could be no survivors, nor could something like this be staged; the smell of blood and gore reached them all with how the wind blew.
The sixteen contestants were staring, thunderstruck, all of them realizing this was real. The reality TV show they had signed up for had become a hostage situation, and blood had already been spilt.
"What are you doing? GET ME DOWN!"
The sound of Chris Maclean shouting alerted them, though only some of them could tear their sight away from the boats. When Jamie looked, she was so startled by something that had changed, her mind didn't even register it at first.
Where the campfire had originally been had opened up like a missile silo. There was also a missile protruding from the silo, with chains wrapped around the center. If it wasn't for the fact that this sort of thing would sometimes happen on the show, it might not have even registered entirely.
She could also see Chris Maclean's legs were kicking around from the other side of the missile, the side of his face and well-gelled hair peering around it frantically. "Let me go! This isn't funny anymore! What the hell are you doing, you cannot treat me like this! I demand-"
Monokuma waddled from behind the missile, waving what appeared to be the same remote around in his paw. "I always hated you. You were the worst part of anything you were ever involved in. Time for me to do the world…"
The bear pressed another button on the remote. "A beary big favor!"
A heavy rumbling shook the earth, and the missile quivered in place for a minute before taking off. The scream of the host could heard over the roar of the burning fuel, and then it shot into the air.
The missile took a sharp arc, and went behind the large hill in the middle of Wawanakwa. There was a moment of silence, as if the world had to pause for what followed, and then a fireball with the most teeth-rattling detonation ever felt.
The terrible inferno that rose up incinerated the trees that had once stood there proudly. The heat and smoke that rose up felt like the opening of Hell behind the hill.
Between the fiery destruction on one side of the island, and the ravaged boats caked with blood and gore, the message had come through very, very clear to the sixteen contestants.
Monokuma pressed one last button on the remote, and tossed it aside. The remote fell into the missile silo, after which the campfire rose back up and appeared as normal as any other camp.
"Let that be a lesson to you all, not to attack your new host," he shouted, crossing his arms and posing with triumph. "Now then, if you don't want to end up like our previous, putrid host, or the hired help that's now blast marks across the dock…
"You all might want to pay very close attention, if you wish to survive my Killing game. Upupupupu~!"
…
16 Contestants remain on Wawanakwa Island…
But this is only the start. And the start isn't finished yet.