Episode 4: Why Should I Trust You?
Night Two
The Flying Monkeys returned to their camp and rested their torches against the outside wall of the shelter. Some did this in relief; happy to know that they are guaranteed another night in the game. However, others were thinking about their fallen tribe member.
Benny walked slowly into the shelter and lied down; his mind lost in an abyss.
He knew the vote count; only one voted for Rickie. Who it was, he didn't know. This was the first time the tribe had ever seen each other's handwriting, and nobody could figure out the author of any of them other than their own. Benny wanted to believe that Cedric was the one who made that vote, however his fueled fight with Macy made the truth a blur. No matter the circumstance, it wouldn't matter; it was only one vote.
But Cedric's cruelty didn't end there. There was still the matter of the others. The fact that Cedric deceived him and Ed into thinking they would be the deciding votes made his distrust toward the man with the mohawk even stronger.
It was now certainly clear to the spiked-haired man that Cedric must be the next to go. To him, this truth is manifest to the rest of the Flying Monkeys and must be executed as soon as possible.
Benny wanted to go to sleep, however he heard a voice.
"Come on, Benny."
The spiked-haired man looked up and saw Jordan.
"Why?" he asked.
"We're all going to sit around the fire." the blonde answered.
"Right now?! I'm so tired.." he said.
"Don't worry. We were all affected by this Tribal Council in one way or another. That's exactly why I want one." Jordan said.
Benny was a person who could be condemned to his emotions, but also by kind words.
The spiked-haired man found his way up and found his fellow tribe mates, sitting around the fire. He found a seat next to Ed, who was as solid as a rock.
Jordan went over to his bag and took out a long wooden pipe. This pipe had various textures and fabrics upon it. It was truly an elegant design.
The blonde brought the pipe over and took a seat around the fire.
"What is that thing?" Macy asked.
"This is a Ceremonial Peace Pipe. I brought it as my Luxury Item."
Each contestant was allowed to bring one Luxury Item that they could use around camp. Although others took advantage of this opportunity, Jordan was among the first on this tribe to showcase it.
"Well that sounds pretty Native American to me." Riley commented.
"Yes, I am Native American." the blonde said.
Some were utterly surprised by this revealed. They were mainly thrown off by his hair and accent. However, the main physical indication is the man's tanned skin, which the tribe finally started to make the association with.
"What tribe are you from?" Rickie asked.
"Cherokee."
"Well you don't look very Indian to me?" Cedric added.
"That's because I'm only part Native American. I'm also Scottish, which should explained the diverse look." Jordan answered.
"I think it's pretty cool." Melika complimented.
"Why thank you. Anyway, I brought this thing out to raise hopes. I know that Tribal Council was rough, but we can all relax now with a little puff."
The blonde then proceeded with an inaugural exhale into the tube, sending mystical smoke toward the stars. He then placed it down and offered it to everyone else.
Rickie accepted this offer and took a smoke. He wheezed a bit, however he was glad to have had done it. The dark man then offered the pipe to the rest of the tribe.
"No way! I'm not letting my mint condition lungs be damaged by that joint!" Macy sneered.
"It's not about smoking, it's about friendship. Nobody's forcing you to smoke this pipe." Jordan explained.
Everyone took that word, and refused to take up the blonde's offer.
Jordan then placed down the pipe.
"What will I do when you are gone?
Who's gonna tell me the truth?
Who's gonna finish the stories I start,
The way you always do?"
Rickie had noticed Jordan, who had begun to sing in a soothing tone.
"I know that song!" he noted.
"Feel free to join along, then." the blonde added.
When somebody knocks at the door,
Someone new walks in.
I will smile and shake their hands,
but you can't make old friends." the two sang in unison.
"Come on everybody!" Rickie cheered.
As the following verse was being performed, the four allied girls join with them.
"You can't make old friends
Can't make old friends
It was you and me, since way back when.
But you can't make old friends."
Benny wished that he could join in, however he had never heard of this song. Macy and Cedric weren't in the mood to sing. Ed remained his normal self.
"How will I sing when you are gone?
Cause it wont sound the same." Rickie sang solely as Jordan provided accompaniment with his hands.
"Who will join in on those harmony parts,
When I call your name?" Jordan relayed. The other singers joined in for the chorus.
"You can't make old friends
Can't make old friends
It was you and me, since way back when.
But you can't make old friends.
When Saint Peter opens the gate,
And you come walking in.
I will be there just waiting for you.
Cause you can't make old friends
Cause you can't make old friends.
When I am out on the stage all alone
And I hear the music begin.
We all know the show must go on.
But you can't make old friends.
You can't make old friends.
Can't make old friends
And you and me, will be young again.
You can't make old friends.
You and me, will be together again.
Cause we both know, we will still be old friends.
You can't make old friends
Not the way we have always been."
The six singers cheered as they finished their song. The experience sure was fun for them, but not too moving for the isolated. Jordan didn't mind, knowing that they probably had no interest. None the less, the blonde hoped that morality would return to him and his fellow tribe mates. Before heading to bed that night, he looked up at the stars that had just witnessed their performance.
Day Three
Life around camp was boring. The idea of winning a million dollars by just sitting around a beach for thirty-nine days sounded easy, but there were many obvious challenges that came along with it. The major one that people fail to see until they arrive is boredom.
This fact came down especially hard for Skylar, who was used to a fast paced life. Everywhere she went was faced with excitement, sound, and action. To her, nowhere else in the world could she be in a place that skewed farther from those parameters.
To try to pass the time, she thought of ways to pass the time; things she could recreate with such limited resources. Sadly, without the aid of an outlet or a signal, she couldn't do much. But she couldn't think very hard while lying in the shelter with the rest of her tribe, so she got up and sat in the sand.
The redhead then thought of the very basics. With the new mindset, she had an idea.
Getting off the beach, she grabbed a machete and headed into the forest. She found a smooth tree and cut a slab of its bark off. Skylar then returned and found a total of twenty-four small and similar rocks. But it was the next step that left her stuck.
Though she knew it was helpless, she rummaged through her bag in the hopes of finding a writing instrument. She would've brought a game of Twister as her luxury item, however the producers wouldn't allow it. She instead brought a frisbee, however she knew from years of experience that it wouldn't be enough to have just one form of recreation.
She then saw the other bags; some were resting against the sandy shelter wall and others were hanging atop one of the wooden poles.
Skylar thought to herself if it were right to search through the others' bags, granted it was their property. The redhead considered refraining from the invasion and just heading back to bed. However her wild spirit told her that her idea would entertain the entire tribe. Besides, even if she didn't find anything, then nobody would have to know.
The redhead started to grab a bag, when she stopped again.
"What if someone wakes up?" a voice in her head argued.
That was a good point. The girl looked out at the partly cloudy sky where the sun had already ascended into day. The termination of sleep, even from just one one other person, was inevitable at this point. Skylar was bound to be untrustworthy and voted out. The girl couldn't bear to let that happen.
The redhead dropped the bag and returned to the shelter; but just as a blonde was awakening.
"What are you doing?" a child-like voice uttered.
"Nothing." Skylar answered.
The redhead didn't hear another sound for a few more minutes, when more people started to wake up. Obviously, since they weren't there, they didn't question her.
As the tribe awakened, Simon made his way over to the rice bag and started to distribute the Jumping Seagulls' rations. Cooper made his way over to Alexis and whispered something nearly inaudible by the others.
"Meet me after we get our rations."
The little blonde complied and found her seat on the sand where Cooper was waiting.
"What did you want to talk about?" she asked.
"We're talking about eliminations." the male blonde affirmed.
Alexis' blue eyes widened.
"Now?! We aren't even up for voting yet!" she gasped.
"I know, but an alliance needs to have a plan for when it happens."
The little girl was unconvinced.
"Who said we were ever gonna lose?!"
Alexis' attitude didn't surprise Cooper, given that she was young.
"Well what are the chances that we're going to win every challenge?" Cooper said.
"As long as I'm in this game, I won't have to go to any stupid voting thing!" Alexis yelled.
Cooper quieted her before continuing.
"Okay, let's take out the whole losing thing. If you could get rid of anybody on this tribe, who would it be?" the male blonde asked.
Alexis thought about the question, taking into consideration all of the tribe members faults.
"Angel." she merely answered.
"Why's that?" he asked, trying to assume the appearance of a decent "parent" figure.
Her true reasoning would sound far too complex for a six-year-old to comprehend. An idiot with her knowledge would've responded somewhere along these guidelines:
"She's far too weak to help us in the challenge. In addition, she's with Simon, the butler. She could be getting better treatment than us."
With that second tidbit, Cooper would've bound to notice her break from character. With her great improvisation, though, she pulled through a proper response.
"Did you see her in the challenge yesterday? She couldn't do anything!"
"Well it is true that she didn't do great at that first one, but how do we if she's good at puzzles? She could be a decent asset in those."
The little girl had thought that he would bring up Angel's "relationship" with Simon, but he had completely ignored it. This clinched her belief of superiority in this alliance. Cooper truly was dumber than she thought.
Sitting alone in the water was a certain brunette. Her hair came all the way back to float along the sea's surface despite the girl sitting upright. But she wasn't in the water to escape the heat. Although originally intended, that necessity had died down. Besides, the partly cloudy sky had robbed the water of its bright, sparkling surface. Instead, the girl's blue-gray eyes were focused on a certain on a certain man who was lying down in the shelter. The man shared her eyes, but that wasn't the girl's motivation. She wanted to talk to him more than anything, however she had a thought that it would be a temerarious battle that would cost her her reputation.
Her eyes then glanced over to another man with moderately long black hair. This man's eyes were a brighter shade of blue- a clear sky. Knowing this man's loyalty to the tribe, the brunette felt as if she could seek help from him.
Getting up, she made her way over to the man. Up close, she could see clearly the man's face. Although he looks good, the brunette reckoned that he wouldn't be interested in forming a relationship.
"Excuse me, sir." she made out.
The man suddenly jumped up.
"Miss Aubrey. How may I assist you today?" the man asked eccentrically.
Aubrey shuddered for a moment; nearly regretting ever initiating this plan. But she made out her words.
"Um...I need your help...to start a relationship." the brunette said.
Simon seemed on board.
"Well I'm not too great with romance, but I can try to help you."
Aubrey followed through and listened anyway.
"The first thing you should do is figure out why you like this man." Simon explained.
It wasn't terribly hard for the brunette to find an answer to this.
"He's very cute both appearance and personality wise, he's also very nice and seems like a fun guy." Aubrey answered.
The loyal servant listened intently.
"Okay, now what do you two have in common?"
The brunette thought about this. The more she thought about it, she hasn't spent a lot of time with her love.
"...I don't know..."
"Well, try spending time with him and learn about him." the servant said.
Aubrey took that in, and he thanked Simon.
"Thank you. I'll try my best!"
"I know you will, Miss Aubrey."
In the midst of seeing her only true companion in the game hanging out with another girl, Angel felt it was time for herself to start making other friends. This action has been contemplated ever since yesterday when she started to analyze her fellow tribe mates in group meetings and the challenge. Considering her outburst from the other day, the blonde still had a feeling of doubt that anyone on her tribe would want to stay true to her.
She looked around her tribe to see who could have potential. She wasn't interested in Cooper due to his somewhat perverted nature. And the fact that he had been spending a lot of time with Alexis would signify an alliance. To her, the only way to get to the smaller blonde would be the get past Cooper, which she had no interest in.
Other than that, Angel's interests seemed to be rather diverse. She would accept nearly anyone that she felt she could connect with. However she felt that besides Simon, Benjamin seemed to be the most compatible. That man's geek-like nature got to her.
"He could make a great boyfriend." she thought.
The blonde made her way over to Benjamin and gave him a proper greeting. The redhead seemed happy by her presence.
"Oh hi Angel. What brings you here?"
"Nothing much. Just thought I'd pass the time with you." she answered.
That seemed like a good enough reason for him.
"How wonderful! Johnny, Skylar, and I thought we'd just chill out and talk about life. Want to join us?" the redhead asked exuberantly.
Angel accepted the man's offer and gladly took a seat around the bonfire.
"So who would like to go first?" Benjamin asked.
The redhead quickly volunteered.
"Me! So...um...I went to my first party back when I was seven. I really liked it and I chose to party some more...and now I party all the time." Skylar said off the top of her head.
Benjamin didn't mind.
"Not bad."
Johnny then decided to go next.
"Growing up, I lived in San Diego. I've always been an enthusiast for film and television. I also have a penchant for acting."
"What are your favorite movies?" Benjamin asked.
"I appreciate quite a bit of filmmakers; Tarantino, Kubrick, Nolan. But in all honesty, film isn't quite my favorite medium. That would have to be anime and manga."
"Cartoons and comics? How childish." Skylar whispered to herself.
Sadly, the brunette heard her.
"Childish?! As sensitive as American programming, anime and manga are rich art forms! They can test your mind, push you to your emotional limits, and truly satisfy-"
"Can we please not start a war! Think of what the viewers are watching!" Benjamin intervened.
Johnny sighed.
"Sorry. I just get angry when people make stupid comments like that."
"It's alright. We all have our pet peeves." Skylar said.
"What's yours?"
"People who try to boss others."
"You mean people who disagree with you?"
"No, just girls at school who do nothing but brag and spit in everyone's eye, and they would have girls who stick by their side even though you know they're not even going to know who they are after high school. Those people just drive me insane."
"I can see where you're coming from." Benjamin commented.
"Yeah, so who would like to go next?" Skylar asked.
"Alright, then." the male redhead said.
"Basically, my entire life was centered around my five older sisters. Sure I had parents, but they were always working. I love them and all, but I can safely safe that the sisters took over."
"What did they do to you?" Skylar asked.
"Girl stuff, really. We spent our days watching American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing With The Stars, and America's Got Talent. But then later we started watching The Voice as well. And we also did other things like reading magazines and talking about fashion. It's just great!"
Benjamin then turned to Angel, who hasn't said a single word in the entire discussion.
"Hey, Angel. What's life like for you?" he asked.
The truth was that the blonde was interested in listening to everyone else, but couldn't quite secure her place in the conversation. It really is fascinating to learn about the life of another, but telling one's own story is dragging.
"The truth is, my life...isn't very strange like your's...It's sad, really..., because I really wish I had a lot to say." she said slowly and unsure.
"Well then, don't be afraid. Tell us what life is like for Angel." Benjamin encouraged.
"Well...um...I have a brother...younger...and he's kind of annoying...there's also my parents. You know I have a normal old father and my mother...she's great...I love her very much"
The blonde thought for a moment. She looked up at the others; wondering if she looks suspicious.
"And that's really it. Nothing too special." she finished.
Benjamin noticed that she had said her statement somewhat awkwardly, but he dismissed for the tone of this discussion.
"Well I think that's wonderful!"
And thus the discussion continued about other things. That was until a certain brunette decided to find her seat next to Benjamin.
"Oh hi Benjamin...I see that you have your whole pack with you."
"Why yes, Aubrey, we were all just talking. Do you want to join us?"
The girl looked around the group, who was staring at her.
"Um...I think I better talk to you later. I don't think these sloths could stay awake for this one-on-one."
The others started to grow confused the girl's excessive use of metaphors.
"Okay..."
"Why great!"
The brunette then grabbed the male redhead by his arm. Everyone else looked at each other.
Aubrey dragged Benjamin through the woods. She wanted to be certain that no one could hear her.
"What's going on?" the redhead asked trying to be eccentric.
"Um...I can't believe that a pup like me is meeting the alpha dog! So..."
The brunette started scratching the back of her head.
"It's crazy...you know...when messages have to be delivered. It's like a worker bee reporting this to the queen."
"Well...what is it?" the redhead asked.
"It's just..."
Aubrey had suddenly realized that she didn't think things through.
"...Never mind." she sighed.
Benjamin looked at her funny before walking away.
The board and pebbles remained on the ground, sand partly coating them. A certain male brunette had discovered it, just lying there. He picked it up and shook the sand off it. He then examined the wood along with the many tiny rocks and came up with an idea.
The man looked out and saw a certain girl whom he had a discussion with. The girl had curly, red hair.
"Hey Skylar!"
The girl then turned to the brunette, who was holding the board and the rocks.
"Yeah" she said nervously.
"Want to play checkers?"
Skylar suddenly looked relieved and started to make her way over.
"The only question is how do we signify pieces and lines." he said.
"Well do you have any paint?"
"No. I brought manga as my luxury item."
Skylar then looked at all the bags on the side of the wall.
"I know what you're thinking." the man surprised her.
She practically jumped.
"I wasn't going to-"
"It's okay! It's okay!"
The redhead then turned to a certain man, sleeping under a tree. His bag was by his side. She thought about it before sighing.
"Look over there." she said, pointing at the ominous man.
The brunette gazed his eyes in Skylar's direction. He was surprised.
"Huh...never met him."
"I don't think anyone has. So clearly taking from him couldn't possibly affect us."
Johnny thought about it.
"Well...if it gets the rocks painted."
Skylar sighed.
"Alright."
The redhead knew what she was doing wasn't right. No matter who it was, stealing was terrible and could signify a label for the felon who commits it. But at the same time, she felt that if this man did have anything art related that it would be for the greater good. It would seem like a great way to pass the time for everyone. And maybe, just maybe he will come out and join them. Skylar was by no means a meddler in one's beliefs, but sometimes she just feels opt to make things proper.
And thus she rose from the sand. Johnny also got up as well, but the redhead stopped him.
"No. I don't want you to be eliminated."
"What are you talking about?"
"Who knows? That guy might wake up while his bag is being searched and we will both be thieves."
"But didn't you say no one knew him."
Skylar froze. She looked at the male brunette and then back at the distant one.
"I do."
"What?"
"I've talked to him a couple of times."
"Are you friends?"
Once again, Skylar was in position of confusion. She briefed over the times she had interacted with him.
"Just...leave...I'll get around..."
"We're still kind of warming up to each other."
"So then...why don't you just ask him for it?"
"Won't that...seem weird?"
"Then just take it! If he's sleeping, he'll never know!"
The redhead drew in a deep breath and then exhaled softly.
"Okay."
Skylar started to make his way over to the tree. As she walked, she keeps bringing up her ideology; that he will come over.
But it was then that she thought of what everyone else would think. Of course, somebody had to have seen her next to the spiked-haired man before and assume that they're friends. But this was also an environment where one can never be sure. What could be a friendly conversation would be just code for "he's got to go".
"What if Johnny uses this as leverage to get me out?" the redhead thought.
Skylar believed that was nonsense, or at least, she wanted to.
The girl was now within five feet of the spiked-haired man.
His head was propped against a tree. It was unsupported against the rough bark. His dark hair was far straighter in the back than in the front. His skinny stature was rather loose and open. The man looked so peaceful, yet so vulnerable.
Skylar suddenly felt horrible for herself; to steal from such a innocent being. She had wanted to abort the mission, but at the same time couldn't return to Johnny empty-handed. And not just that, but her own structure of beliefs, which centered around having a good time, would be contradicted. And the redhead did have the hope of this man coming over.
With that, she reached down and saw the man's black bag, which was against a nearby tree. Luckily, all the bags the contestants received were provided specifically by the producers. And these bags just so happened to open by just unbuckling a hatch. It was quick and easy for Skylar to get the bag open without even the slightest sound.
Inside was a rather similar layout to the girl's own bag; a change of clothes and a luxury item. Skylar rummaged through the bag before bringing out a small plastic bottle. The exterior was yellow and had a white cap. Along its surface was black text that read "Yellow".
The redhead opened the cap and gently squeezed the bottle. A small dab of yellow substance appeared on her finger.
"Yes." she said to herself.
Looking around again, the girl closed the bag and started to get back up. It was then that she noticed something on the man that she didn't before. On his right wrist rested a bracelet. It was composed of black string and had various pieces that made it up. They were all white.
Not willing to risk awaking him, Skylar silently, but diligently left the scene; hoping to have left zero traces.
The redhead approached a patient Johnny, who was pleased to see the yellow bottle in her hand.
"Alright. Just take some rocks and color them."
Skylar followed his "orders" and took half of the rocks.
"Would he be upset?" she asked herself.
"He can't be! This is for the better. Remember?"
This argument convinced the redhead to continue.
Before she knew it, she had finished the duty, but had paint smeared across her finger. She didn't mind, though.
"Alright, which color do you want?"
"Black." she sighed.
Skylar proceeded to take the unpainted rocks and place them on her end of the board. Johnny took his and organized his accordingly.
"You may move first." Johnny offered.
Trying to resume to her normal attitude, the redhead accepted the offer and moved one of her pieces across the board.
"So you know that guy who you took the paint from." he said, recalling what Skylar had told him no more than five minutes ago.
"Like I said, I don't even know his name."
"You've spoken to him a couple of times, but you don't know his name?" he asked confusedly.
"Well I can't say our interactions are that extensive. He's kind of shy, so that's why he won't fess up and say it."
"Then why do you hang out with him?"
"Because I want him to get out there."
The brunette took a yellow rock and made his move.
"Well don't you think he's kind of doomed at this point. After all, it's already day three. There are alliances and bonds among us."
"Think of it this way: three is only one thirteenth of thirty-nine. He's still got twelve thirteenths left."
Johnny wasn't convinced by the redhead's defense.
"You're pretty confident that he'll make it that far."
"Look, if nobody knows who he is, then no one can vote him out. He's under the radar."
"Except for us."
Both of them exchanged turns, each putting a new piece into play.
"If someone who's on the chopping block found out about this person, then they could just use him as a scapegoat."
"Scapegoat?"
"Well, maybe not a scapegoat, but definitely a way out."
"But that's stupid! If someone is clearly a threat, then it's a threat to get out as soon as possible!"
Skylar had already made her move at this point. The brunette remained silent as he moved yet another piece; this one aimed directly for one of Skylar's pieces.
"What if he's seen as a threat?"
"What? You mean like he's planning something?"
"Yes. Nobody likes to tell outsiders about their plans. It entirely messes up their plan. My bet is that he's coming after you."
"But where would he have the numbers?"
"Who knows? Maybe he has a secret alliance of his own and is plotting something big."
Skylar had placed her piece in a bad position, allowing Johnny to expunge it.
"Have you ever read Death Note?" the brunette asked.
"No."
"Well in it, there's this detective named L. He has to be the greatest in the world. And he solved the most difficult cases in the world; posing an absolute danger to any criminal who comes to his attention. But he's incredibly secretive; going to great measures to make sure that nobody ever finds out who he is. And when I mean great, I mean great!"
After the redhead made her move, Johnny was able to knock out another piece.
"But he doesn't look like someone who's trying to plot something."
Or at least, that's what Skylar thought. And thus she moved one more piece.
"Maybe you're right. Maybe he's just a little nervous. But listen, try to be a bit more attentive. Try not to trust someone too much. Because otherwise, you'll find yourself dead."
Johnny then rose and offered his hand.
"Good game." he said.
Skylar looked down and saw that Johnny had successfully moved a yellow rock to her end of the board.
"Okay, then." she said, taking his hand.
Far off, under a tree, a man rested. But it was now that his mind chose to return to the game.
He opened his blue eyes and raised his head.
It took him a moment to realize where he was and he looked to the right, where he saw a redhead and a brunette sitting on opposite sides of a board, talking.
The man raised a smile for some reason as he saw them having fun. He wanted to join them.
"Look at them, they're having a blast! Go over to them!"
It was true, and the idea excited him.
He started to get up and make his way, but then a burn struck him.
Said feeling resisted the motion and instilled him with fear.
"They don't want you. They're fine just the way they are."
"But look how they play."
The man tried to brush off the negative feeling and took a step closer to them. But the sensation only grew stronger.
Not willing to endure more of it, the man got back down on the tree and sat as he usually did.
Soon after Skylar had left the game, one of her friends came up to her. The dark girl smiled as she approached her.
"Hi there."
"Oh hi Natasha. How are you doing?" the redhead asked kindly.
"Great!"
Skylar then remembered her checkers game.
"So listen, I made a game of checkers. Do you want to play?"
"Sure." the dark girl answered.
Natasha started to follow her when another girl approached.
"Meet me in the woods right now." the voice whispered.
Natasha turned to see Monica. For the first time, the dark girl could see Monica's pretty emerald eyes; much purer than Skylar's, who had tints of hazel in them.
"Certainly." she answered.
And thus, Natasha turned the other direction towards the trees, which were lush and full of life.
This action was noticed by the other redhead, who saw the dark girl walking in the other direction with Monica.
"Should I trust her? After abandoning me yet again." she asked herself.
Natasha leaned back against a tree to relax while Monica was more comfortable standing straight.
"What did I tell you yesterday?" Monica asked angrily.
"About what?"
"Skylar! She's your enemy! Remember?!"
The memory of their conversation from the previous day suddenly hit the dark girl's mind.
"Oh, yeah. But she doesn't-"
"I know she doesn't look evil! But don't you see?! She's playing you!"
"But... why?"
"The same reason everyone else is! To win!"
Natasha thought about this for a minute.
"But wouldn't that mean that you're trying to get me out too?"
The redhead slapped her face with her hand.
"No. Because I like you and I want you in the finals with me. Skylar on the other hand does not."
"So what are we going to do to eliminate Skylar?" Natasha asked.
For a person who normally had words come to her, Monica was at a loss. She leaned back against the tree, trying to think of possible options.
"I don't know. But I will figure it out. Just give me some time, okay?"
"Alright." Natasha said before walking back to camp.
Natasha stepped foot once again onto the sand and took a look at Skylar, who was kindly playing checkers with Benjamin.
She knew she was ordered to not like this girl in the least bit, but yet she couldn't abide. Not due to natural forgetfulness but by a yearning. The dark girl couldn't exactly explain it. But the way this redhead speaks, the way she looks, and by the way she acts just fills her with a sense of enchantment. Not just tender sweetness as any other would feel, but something that struck her; something that's- at least by a conservative's view- unnatural.
If only she could be brave enough to share it.
Today was just another morning for some people. Even after cheating fate and people's minds. But some people just never learn and have fun.
This was definitely true for Cedric, who felt as if he hadn't had his full share of enjoyment.
The dark man looked into the shelter, where another dark girl was still sleeping. But everyone else was awake at that point, which to him meant laziness and also an opportunity.
One of the other things that the Flying Monkeys have won during the initial reward challenge was a bucket; supposedly to be used for boiling water. And at this moment, it was being used to filter out the tribe's morning ration.
Cedric made his way over to the fire pit, lifted the stick that was holding the bucket, and removed the container.
"What are you going to do with that?" a voice said.
The dark man turned to see Rickie, who was worried.
"You're not going to-"
"Nonsense!" Cedric answered.
He then started to walk back to the shelter.
"Please don't! This is not the time to be-"
"Can you relax?!" Cedric yelled.
Unfortunately, for Rickie, the other man was already in front of the shelter.
"No! Don't do it!"
But it was too late. Cedric had splashed the hot water over the sleeping girl. He was definitely lucky that the water hadn't reached boiling point yet.
The girl let out a scream as she awoke in agony.
The dark man couldn't help laughing after his little stunt.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Macy yelled.
"Good morning, sunshine."
"I'll kill you!"
"Okay. Okay. Cedric, don't you have other business to attend to." Rickie said.
"Well with all that done. I think I'll take a walk."
The dark man then left the scene, leaving Rickie and Macy alone.
"He has got to go! Now!"
"Now hold on, Macy. I'm sure some fine tuning will-"
"No it won't! He'll just continue this shit for as long as he wants! He doesn't care!"
"Now everyone has good inside them. If you just give him some time, then-"
"I bet even you want him gone!"
"No I don't. I care about each and every-"
"You have to vote for somebody!"
"I'll have you know that all those decisions are extremely difficult to make."
Macy snickered.
"Whatever."
The dark girl then went back into the shelter to get some beauty sleep.
Rickie sighed.
One of his friends then approached him.
"Must be rough." Jordan said.
"I know." Rickie whispered.
The two then started to walk away from Macy, who could still hear them. The dark man then continued.
"I really don't get it, Jordan. Cedric just keeps on making her life miserable, no matter how much she tells him otherwise. I know there's another side to this, but to be honest, I'm starting to get scared."
"I see what you mean. It's like he has no empathy for anyone."
"And at this point, I'm starting to wish that he would just disappear...voted off, I mean."
"I'm definitely with you on that one, Rickie."
"Luckily, with you and Macy, we have three votes already. Now the question is where do we get the other three?"
"I'm not sure."
"This meeting of the Girl's Alliance will now come to order." Mystery decreed.
Lola, Melika, and Riley sat in the sand and took in their leader's role-playing.
"So what should we talk about on this fine morning?" the leader asked.
"Well...who we should vote out next, of course." Riley said.
"Well that's obvious, Cedric." Melika responded.
"Agreed." Lola answered.
The girls' unanimous decision didn't quite convince Mystery, though.
"Well hold on. Now I also believe we should eliminate Cedric, but we should at least consider possible outcomes."
"Okay...um, Macy won't be screaming anymore." Riley said.
"That's true, Riley. But I'm talking about long-term. What could happen by say...Day 20 if we do this?"
"I think Macy will also be gone by then." Melika said.
"Maybe. But we shouldn't be quick to assume that we will become the majority on this tribe. We still need to eliminate three more outsiders." Mystery said.
"Cedric will probably be the easiest to vote out because I think safely say that he's the annoyance of everyone." Lola added.
The other two girls concurred with this statement.
As Mystery wanted to believe this, though, she remained skeptical.
"Now Lola, it isn't safe to assume."
"Well alright then. Cedric will likely be easy to get out." Lola corrected.
Riley started to grow suspicious of Mystery's proclamations. She was beginning to feel like this alliance's own leader wasn't entirely loyal.
"Wait a minute!" the rainbow-haired girl jumped in.
"What is it?" Mystery asked.
"Why are you suddenly acting like this?"
"Acting like what?"
"It kind of sounds like you're disrespecting us!"
"In what way?"
Mystery appeared curious to know.
"Look at yourself? You're constantly disagreeing with what we're; like we don't know how to play the game!"
"Well Riley, this is Survivor, one of the hardest games in the world. You can never be certain about anything! Just when you think you're all nice and secure, bam! You're now sitting at home, watching yourself on TV, and asking 'Why didn't I see that coming?' You need to consider every option! There's a chance that there's someone right now contemplating your own demise."
The rainbow-haired girl thought about what her own leader had just said.
"Well how do I know that it's not you?" she responded.
"Because I'm in an alliance with you. And if I turned on you like that, now I would be on the chopping block. And Lola and Melika would want my head on a pike! Do you understand?"
Riley nodded her head.
"Good. So, I think we should start off by splitting up and talking to the other tribe mates. Not right now, but probably soon because everyone else is probably seeing us having this meeting as we speak. We should just pass it off as some girly discussion and then, approach 'em! Riley, you should probably talk to Benny and that guy he hangs out with. They seem to be tight and we will be bound to get two more votes on the spot. Lola, you can talk to Jordan and Melika, Rickie. I'll take on Macy."
"Alright. I can live with that." Melika said.
"As can I." Lola added.
"And what about you, Riley." Mystery asked.
Although she still had her doubts, she decided to go with the alliance.
"Okay. I'll do it."
"Next order of business, who do we vote out next?" Mystery asked.
"Well one of the biggest threats in the game right now is Rickie and Jordan, two very smart people. They'll take over as long as they're together." Melika said.
"Then why don't we do that now?" Riley asked.
Melika looked at her funny, as if she had just said something stupid.
"Because we don't have the numbers. No one else is going to want to get rid of them at this point. And even if we tried, then the outsiders will still have the numbers to cripple us."
"She's right, Riley. It's a risk that we can't afford to make at this time. Once we get a majority, then we can pick off whoever we want." Mystery added.
"But that's only assuming that we continue to lose Immunity Challenges. So I say let's throw them and influence people to vote our way. Kind of like what Scott did in Revenge of the Island." Lola said.
Melika raised her arm and pinched her nose.
"It wouldn't work." she answered.
"What do you mean?"
"That season of Total Drama was scripted."
"I don't think it was." Mystery added.
"I know it wasn't! But when you think about it, it looked like it operated on a poorly written script. Scott could have been caught a million times the way he did things, but everyone acted like idiots and did what the script told them too. But this isn't a work of fiction, this is real life. People are smarter than the characters that were crafted in that reality show equivalent of a blockbuster sell out! As you said Mystery, this is Survivor! People on this show don't just fall under a "false sense of security". These people think things through and can draw suspicion from even the smallest clue. We would all be in trouble!"
Mystery took a moment to absorb Melika's finding.
"That is a good point." she responded.
"Besides, the mere will have to come someday and we will be back at the bottom."
"Alright, so we'll vote Cedric out then." Lola said.
"Exactly!" Melika answered.
"Yeah, I don't think I can give anything less than a hundred percent at challenges." Riley commented.
A tall man decided to head out to get the daily Tree Mail. Although he had originally intended to go alone, he was accompanied by Benny.
"So how are you doing?" the spiked-haired man asked.
The taller man ignored and continued to walk until he reached the wooden container.
"Ed, are you going to answer or what?"
Ed continued to ignore him as he grabbed the piece of parchment that Tree Mail held.
"Oh, I see. What challenge are we having today?" the spiked-haired said as he snatched the paper.
"Many parts you must pull together
and there are many dead ends.
But if you are able to crack the code
then the water will be your friend."
"Huh. Looks like we'll be solving some sort of puzzle."
The taller man acted as if he didn't even hear him and started to walk back to camp.
"Hey! Where are you going?!"
Again, the other man gave out no answer.
"Why doesn't he want to speak to me?" he asked himself.
It seemed like he had done something wrong, but the spiked-haired man was sure that he hadn't offended him in any way.
"Did he not hear me?"
As absurd and unlikely it sounds, the spiked-haired man wanted to believe it.
"That's right. Benny Watson; the invisible man! And his only Ryan is a mountain of firewood back at camp. How did it get here? It just did!"
But Benny was not crazy nor depressed. He does have a good spirit and will to live, similar to that of many others. But the mystery of this man's previously open nature is unsolved. Maybe later or maybe never. And all the spike-haired man would want is to have his "friend" go back to normal.
Day Three, Reward Challenge
The setting was relatively different from the physical competition that yesterday brought. Instead of having structures in the water, two smaller ones were set up along the beach. They were two long tables with walls up along each of them. On the front end was a giant bag tied to a small rack. Beside Malcolm was his own personal table with a tarp covered over it.
"Come in, guys!" Malcolm said.
Almost on cue, the two tribes entered in from two paths on opposite sides. They rested their banners on their side.
"Are you ready to get to today's reward challenge?"
The two tribes nodded as they yearned to listen to their host.
"Okay, today's challenge is going to focus on the mental aspect of this game. What you're going to do is select one person from each tribe who's going to come up here to solve a puzzle."
The contestants were surprised by the simplicity of the challenge.
"That's it?" Macy asked.
"Yes. Your representative is going to untie the bag of puzzle pieces and use them to solve it. Once your representative thinks they have solved, I will go check it. First tribe to accurately solve the puzzle will win reward. Do you want to know what you're playing for?"
The tribes nodded, and Malcolm removed the tarp off the nearby table, exposing the contents. Along the table's surface was a metal lobster net, a fishing pole, a spear, a fishing net, a pair of swimming goggles, and a snorkel.
"You will be playing for fishing supplies. The waters surrounding this island has some belly-filling fish that will really help you out. Also, a canoe will be sent to your camp that will be awaiting your return. Worth playing for?"
The two tribes nodded.
"Okay, you have one minute to choose your representative."
The Flying Monkeys immediately began discussion.
"So who's good at puzzles?" Rickie asked.
"You know, I'm pretty good at puzzles. I get straight A's at school, plus I like to take one for the team."
"Well, fantastic. Make us proud!"
The Jumping Seagulls were also quick with their decision.
"Growing up, my mom and I would always do puzzles together. And I've built up quite the skill." Angel said.
And with that, the competitors have been chosen.
"Okay, we have Jordan from the Flying Monkeys and Angel from the Jumping Seagulls. Survivors ready?"
They were most definitely.
"Go!"
Both players began to rapidly untie their knots. Knots weren't usually a problem for competitors on Survivor, however that didn't make them by any standards simplistic. But, as precedent goes, both knots were undone within seconds.
Jordan happened to finish his knot first and he started to dump the pieces all over his board. Angel wasn't too far behind him.
As he organized the orange pieces, the blonde man started to notice that most of the pieces had big, black letters while others had blanks.
"You're looking for a phrase." Malcolm announced.
Angel had similar pieces, only her's were yellow to correspond with her tribe.
The girl examined the different types of pieces. There were a total of twenty-two; two blanks and twenty letters.
Jordan decided to place the blanks on the ends of the board, thinking that they were mere ends.
Angel, on the other hand, used them as spaces between words, to form a grand total of three.
Jordan then started to notice something about the letters. There were exactly three "O"s, three "U"s, and three "T"s, making three instances of the word "Out". Now thinking about this, he moved the blank pieces from the end to try to figure out a phrase, as opposed to a long word. He then decided to formulate the phrase "Out Out Out"
"I think I got it, Malcolm."
"Jordan thinks he's got it! We'll let's see."
The host then examined his phrase.
"Nope, that's not correct. You're supposed to use all the tiles."
Jordan then started to go back to the drawing board.
Angel then noticed that there would still be eleven letter left to choose from. It was then that she noticed two extra "T"s to work with. She also started to notice two "A"s and an "I". These extra vowels gave the girl a sense of relief.
Jordan also started to make her observations. Although he couldn't see her work due to the walls, his mind was still working fast on its own. He also noticed a "W", a "P", a "Y", and two "L"s.
It was around that time that Angel started to remember something from past seasons of Survivor. She wasn't really an avid fan, but she had seen the logo of the show before and something about it reminded her about this arrangement of letters.
And with that, she quickly started to form her phrase. It did require some deep thinking, however she was certain that she remembered it properly.
"I think I figured it out!" she said.
"Okay, let's see."
He then examined her result.
"Outwit, Outplay, Outlast! Jumping Seagulls win reward!" Malcolm cheered.
The tribe started to celebrate as well as Angel returned.
The blonde couldn't have felt happier. For it was the first time that she has proven herself in this competition.
"Okay, Jumping Seagulls, you are free to take your fishing supplies back to camp. And a canoe will be resting on the sand when you get there."
The winning tribe grabbed the various tools and started to lug it all back to their camp.
"Flying Monkeys, I got nothing for you. Grab your stuff, head back to camp."
The losing tribe did as the host said and solemnly walked back through the jungle.
Soon after the challenge had concluded, Malcolm had resided down to his chair. It had a great view of the late afternoon sun. The mix of orange, red, and yellow filled the sky with beauty. And with purple clouds that were starting to form.
He would be expecting an intern any minute now to take his order for dinner. But not before another one arrived with an a phone in his hand.
"Mr. Stevenson, someone would wish to speak with you."
"Well, who is it?"
"He said you'd best find out from him."
"Alright." he said, taking the phone.
"Hello." Malcolm greeted.
"Oh, it's you! I've been trying to call you all day!" an angry and tired voice rang over the phone. It sounded familiar to the host.
"Chris, I'm not letting you come back!"
"I'll have you know that you are in violation-"
Malcolm hung up the phone before the man could finish his sentence.
"I'll have a steak." he told the intern.
He obeyed and started to make his way back to the kitchen.
The host looked out at the setting sun and hoped for the clouds to clear.
This is my Christmas present to you guys. And I'm also going to declare my New Year's Resolution right now (even though it won't be 2014 for another two weeks). So here it goes: In 2014, I, Gumball2, will update more often to you. Also, this story is now available on Total Drama Fanfiction Wiki, here's the link:
wiki/Total_Drama_Survivor
Happy Holidays everybody!