Total Drama Revenge of the ForeverMine

by acelaces

Eight teenage campers. Seven dangerous beasts. Six billion dollars. Five days. Four deciders of their fates. Three hideous lies. Two chances to make things right. One abandoned mine. Zero escape. Or is there? ;D Love, hate, angst, deception, magic, teamwork, sabotage, confession- and death. And shipping. Alot of shipping.

6. Nevermine'd

Last time on Total Drama Revenge of the ForeverMine:

Friendships were forged, Bro-liances were born- but our two tougest teammates couldn't get on the same page.

Our two most twisted TV-hosts played trick-or-trap with Scott, but in the end he managed to outsmart a certain landshark.

Mike was made out to be a con-artist, by a con-artist and there was a grudge-match between eight teenagers and a mutant moth- with explosive results.

What will happen next? Tune in for this week's episode of Total. Drama. Revenge of the ForeverMine!

(This episode was brought to you by the good people of VOOM and Fresco Cola)

---

acelaces: Well I've just finished the latest chapter of Total Drama Revenge of the ForeverMine- now this one's pretty long, but you'll have to read it to find out who dies at the end!

Mike: You're actually gonna kill someone off?

acelaces: Yep!

Brick: Who are you going to kill?

Cameron: And why?

acelaces: Lightning, and because I can.

Lightning: Sha-what?

acelaces: I'm just kidding- you'll have to read and find out.

Anne Maria: That's like a thousand words

Cameron: Forty-one thousand thousand, eight hundred and forty-six to be exact!

acelaces: Yep, I'll be back with my reading glasses!

*acelaces exits, Jo immediately starts rummaging through the closet*

Zoey: What are you doing, Jo?

Jo: Finding that notebook of hers- if she had the nerve to kill me off I've got some adjustments to make. Aha!

*Jo bandishes a pink notebook* got it!

Cameron: And here's an etymological encyclopedia!

*crickets chirp*

Scott: Let me see that...*takes notebook* what's with all the sketches of tunnels?

Zoey: Hey, there's one of you, Scott! ...why are you in Chris' hottub?

Scott: Uh, how should I know- *leans on broomstick to flick off lightswitch

Mike: what was that?

*broom falls and door slams shut*

*Cameron climbs up a shelf to reach for encyclopedia- falls backwards into door*

Jo: It's locked shut. Great goin, Stringbean.

*Lightning bangs head on door* this door is like its made o solid wood or somethin!

Scott: I found a paperclip.

Jo: Excellent, we can pick the lock. I'll slide this card through the door slit and Brickhouse can manipulate the wire.

Brick: Sure *starts trying the tines while Jo swipes the card through*

Lightning: Ahh!

Brick: What's wrong?

Jo: Don't you drop that clip.

Brick: I have to. *runs over to back of closet* What's wrong?

Lightnin: Bugs! Bugs all over the Lightnin!

Jo: Agh! Dammit- papercut!

Brick: I'm sorry- we can still get out!

Jo: No we can't. *points at lock with broken paperclip stuck in it*

Lightning: NO!

*Scott slips out through the other door* Losers...

---

JO

Yesterday was good. I'd got everybody out of their one-day slump and even though we didn't get out I single-handedly took care of our unwanted guest and figured out that those barrels could be put to use after all. I took a look around at all the oil barrels in the room-

You mean cave. Dammit, Jo, you're acclimatising to this place already!

I could try to trigger another explosion, a big one this time- and blast open the sealed off cave exit. I got up and knocked one of the barrels to see if it was full. The sound it made echoed round the cave and shook a few shotput sized rocks from the ceiling. Hey, it was more than half full!

On second thought, after yesterday's quake another shock like that might bring the roof down. It wouldn't be a great escape if only fifty percent of the team made it out..

The team? Oh man, Brickhouse's pull-together attitude is starting to rub off on you. Watch out, Jo.

Last night I knew what he was about- trying to make me look like some kind of reckless pyro who almost got everybody killed when I had the whole situation completely under control.

And it wasn't like I had time to set up a safety net- it was do or die, and I knew he was just trying to get the others on his side- he didn't want to be ,my teammate, he wanted to be Captain, he'd called himself my friend, but last I checked friends don't usurp their friends.

Exactly. You know what he's after, anyways.

On the other hand- if he was trying to break my leadership, why was he waiting so long before telling everyone about my hockey team drug bust?

And why'd he look so upset when I said it

I'm not your friend.

I shook my head and began my morning workout routine. Starting with a couple dozen crunches. I looked up at the ceiling, there were cracks everywhere.

Maybe there was a chance he didn't side with Spence like the rest of my so called teammates.

Time for jumping jacks. A hundred ought to do it. The cave was empty, my fault for sleeping in. I don't know what happened. I made a point of being up at the crack of dawn every day. But last night had messed with my head and thrown my compass off kilter. I remembered the way he looked at me last night, when I'd almost told him about my...affection. Then I remembered how he looked when I said what I said. His shoulders, which were usually held firm with that military boy pride he always had- his shoulders just sunk. And he'd held my stare for what felt like ages, but what was probably about eight point five milliseconds by my watch. But it didn't feel like a staring contest, I always win those. This time it was like I'd lost. Like I lost bad.

Were his eyes wet before they turned dark?

Quit it, Jo. Wondering isn't helping you train. It's not helping you get out. Captain cadet isn't suddenly going to want to play sweethearts with the girl who can't pose pretty in a dress, but can out-run out-throw and out-rank him. You're just his rival, an obstacle like any other in an outdoor drill, but an obstacle to his leadership. Remember lesson number one: The track that starts with hope ends with disapointment.

But...maybe I was off track before, maybe he did want to be my friend.

Ouch, my wrist! Maybe I shouldn't have attempted one-handed push-ups on my right hand. I tried to go on but it was hurting, bad. I think it'd actually got worse 'stead of better after time with the sling off. If Brickhouse was telling the truth about that, then maybe...

Alright. No more maybe. If I'd missed the mark on something I'd need to make up for it. I'd find another way to get us all out of here. I'd show the rest of them I wasn't all threats, manipulation and cleverly constructed nicknames. I'd show them I could perform. I'd do whatever it took, and I'd do it all without risking getting everybody else disqualified!

You mean killed.

I mean killed!

---

Back at Chris' cabin the sun was shining, the ice was melting and that one tree with the tusks, for some reason was...growling. The sunlight that filtered into the living room fell onto the onyx velour tipped eyelashes of Blaineley O'Halloran which far from waking up only caused her to furrow her brow slightly and roll over.

Instead it was the Blainerific ringtone of her mobile that woke the hostess up with a start. She snatched it up and put her hand over the speaker to avoid waking up a sleeping Chris.

A sleeping Chris?

Oh God, thought Blaineley as she got up, manoeuvering carefully so his arm slung over the arm of the sofa from where it had been resting around her shoulder. Avoiding the distracting sight of Chris McLean's slumber-toussled jet black hair in the sunlight and the line of his devil-may-care stubbled chin, she checked the caller ID, even though she was already 90% sure of who it was.

"Yes?" she whispered harshly into the receiver after flipping it open.

She was answered by a very low voice.

"When you kissed McLean the other day, I thought at first you were just being careless, and of course, I sulked. But then I thought maybe it was just your twisted desire to mess with him even more than we've planned, and for a moment I felt profoundly...proud."

"But now I'm starting to think you've actually started to fancy him, which means of course, you're gambling my trust, my time and..."

He paused for emphasis and Blaineley rolled her eyes as if to say Get on with it old man, even though she was secretly glad he couldn't see her defiant expression, before realising he probably could see her and freezing still.

"...my money." he finished finally.

When only her silence responded he laughed coldly.

"I take it the gravity of this isn't lost on you. You're a smart girl. You understand the plan, don't you?"

Of course Blaineley knew the plan of which he spoke. It was the flipside of his promise to get her Chris' show.

Phase one

Once she'd given him the idea McLean'd agree to cohost if she poneyed up the equipment and finances all compliments of Mr. S, which she figured must have been chump change for the multimillionaire.

Phase two

Gain her cohost's trust by any means neccessary, attempt to get an inside influence in the mine. Initially the plan to do this had involved coercing interns and penetrating the mine itself, but when Scott had so willingly walked into their sights she decided to harness his influence. Preferring the opportunity as it didn't involve tracking through dirty tunnels in heels.

Phase three

On the day of the final episode shooting (which involved her and the aforementioned cohost dropping in on the eight losers via helicopter to record their reactions to the revelation that not only were they trapped on purpose under false pretences, but also under the constant eye of the entire global viewing audience) when the sun is at its highest in the sky and the helicopter is directly above the mine, push a certain Chris McLean off, and watch him take the long way down.

They would use the loophole in the contract to their advantage, even though shooting was technically done with Clause 33 was still valid, meaning if one cohost's got too many broken bones to hold a mic, the other gets complete control. They could reshoot all the intros, all the commentary without McLean and for once this Blonde haired star would be able to shine in her rightful place, beneath a single spotlight.

Today was the sixth and final day of shooting.

"You know how showbiz works. We all have a role to play, and you've already learned yours." said the voice, half reassuring, half threatening.

"Now it's just as simple as one, two, three, action."

There was a click as he hung up.

Across the room Chris rolled over in sleep and grunted something about Goodminton.

Today was the day. Blaineley thought as she walked to the kitchen. She wasn't even up in the air yet and she was already in vertigo.

Mike was sitting up a rock in the middle of the lake. He'd already began to feel the first pangs of hunger even though it was just mid-morning, although it wasn't like you'd be able to tell in this dimly lit underground air-pocket.

"I'm almost starting to miss breakfast chef style" mused Mike.

Anne Maria was trying to set up a bonfire 'like the ones we used to light up back on the shore' with an empty barrel and some of the old newspapers. It would bring some light to the place, but it was only going to make it hotter than it already was, and it was getting pretty hot.

"If you're willing to risk another mystery meal á la Hatchet, things must really be bad." said Zoey wading over to Mike's rock and giving an emphatic look.

"Can I see one of those newspapers, Anne Maria?"

"Knock yourself out." she said, tossing him one while dumping another few into the barrel.

---

ANNE MARIA

I guess the little book nerd must've been spazzin out over the lack o readin material all this time, an now he can read it cause I'm settin up a blaze.

Anne Maria you are just too good for words. Ugh. I'm startin to sound like that meat-crazy jock with the earrin, 'the Lightnin'.

The sooner we get outta here the sooner I'm getting away from these weirdos.

Speakin o which, Zoey was hangin out with that mystery creep again, she was skippin stones with him earlier and now this.

Across the cave Zoey had swum under a large arched rock under which there was a steady stream of water that dripped from a crack in the cave ceiling that hadn't been there yesterday. Mike sat up watching her bite her lip uncertainly before disappearing behind the veil of water and emerging with a smile and soaked hair.

"It's not so bad, actually," she said as Mike clambered into the water and swam over to where she was,

"...kinda like a waterfall if you squint your eyes"

"What, to picture it better?" he asked quickly dunking his head beneath the waterfall.

"Or so you don't get water in your eyes" she said.

"Heh, of course" said Mike,"I knew that,"

looking away and mouthing 'ow', his eyes smarting.

---

BRICK

It was hot today. Even at seven a.m when I got up, did 100 pushups :fifty left-handed and fifty right-handed (to make sure I'm not right-biased) and came down to do a few laps. The water wasn't warm, but it wasn't sharp and cold as usual, so it didn't exactly help snap me out of thoughts about last night. Jo wasn't even awake when I got up, or maybe she was, cause she was sleeping on her side and wasn't facing me(instead of on her back with her arm crooked over her eyes like she usually did, not that I made a habit of checking. While I did backstroke I noticed a sizeable crack in the roof of the cave. Last night's explosion was too much for the structure to handle. We'd need to find fortress soon, and food. For now, everyone else seemed okay, I guess me and Jo were the only ones who took things seriously.

In war you need to move as a unit and watch eachother's backs, or you're headed for defeat. In a race when someone takes a fall, it won't stop you making the win. Its as simple as that- Uh- except in that Tour de France...then everyone goes down with you! Or horse racing, except…wait don't they just restart? Uh...you get the idea.

---

Cameron sat in the shallow end of the lake, looking at the newspapers with keen concentration, or it could have been because his glasses were off. Every few seconds a drop of water would land on his head and he'd look at the ceiling in annoyance before shifting around, only for it to happen again.

It was seriously a hindrance to his focus, but then again maybe if he'd been wearing his glasses he'd have noticed by now it was just the distant splash of Brick's strokes as he went back and forth across the lake.

Anne Maria tried shining a piece of slate to see if she could check her reflection.

Mike sat under the arch of rock showing Zoey how to 'skip some serious stone' after a while they lay back and he spoke.

"You know...if someone had told me before I auditioned- that I'd end up trapped in an abandoned mine for(basically)ever," he opened his eyes and looked at the bleak ceiling,

"I'd have run the other way."

Zoey sat up and said without meeting his eyes,

"And what if afterwards say they happened to mention...you know...us?" she looked at him from under her bangs.

"What'd you say?"

"Hmm. she heard him say, climbing to the top of the arch and suddenly appearing over the edge, hanging by his knees.

He smiled all coy,

"Where do I sign up?"

---

MIKE

She smiled back for a moment and for one thrilling perfect second I thought she was going to kiss me again, but then I realised my shirt was falling down and I had to stop to pull it back up, quick.

"So...it's true about the shirt thing? How it makes you...you know...switch?" she said softly, part because she didn't want anybody else to hear and part because I think she felt sorry for me.

I nodded but she still looked unsure about something.

"So how'd..."

This was it. Exactly what I'd avoided talking about for so long, that my doctor had told me not to talk about (tune out the negative stimulus- find your happy place and concentrate on it, he'd say, and my happy place happened to be the shore of lake MicMac) , the stuff that Cameron was urging me more and more to tell someone.

I changed the subject. I couldn't do it now.

"Hey, Zoey if this is a waterfall, 's that the beach?" I said, getting up and pointing at the shore, which looked far away from up here.

I helped Zoey up and she looked around,

"Yeah..there's the sand-"

"Check" I said, checking off an imaginary clipboard.

"And the salty sea breeze'' she said holding her finger out in front of her and then pretending to taste the tip.

"Double check" Then I gestured towards Brick, who was mid-air after diving off the track.

"Hey, Zoey...Seagulls: check!"

Unfortunately on hearing this Brick faced front with feet together at attention, which wasn't the best thing to do while in freefall he discovered as he smacked against the water below.

"Oops-sorry, Brick!" called Zoey.

"Not a problem, Miss!" replied Brick with a nod, though he seemed to be talking to the rock on the opposite shore.

"What are you doing?" asked Mike, as Zoey had lay back on the stone arch.

"Looking at the clouds." answered Zoey, staring up at the ceiling.

"Girl has gone crazy." said Lightning, pausing in the middle of what had seemed to be an intense imaginary football game.

"Nobody's gone crazy." said Brick before offering Mike in a lower tone,

"But it does look like cabin fever's started to set in."

"Oh, you mean those clouds?" said Mike, pointing upwards and laying close to Zoey.

"Uh, guys...there aren't any-" started Cameron looking perplexed.

"They know dat," said Anne Maria rolling her eyes,

" it's just pretend. Either that or they got into some more whiskey." She arched an eyebrow before adding,

"Did you get into more o dat whiskey? If you did, divvy it up, you can't just leave the rest of us trapped in here sober."

"Actual, moving clouds, remember that?" said Zoey, closing her eyes. Mike kept looking at her.

"Yeah...this beach is perfect"

"Your beach is borin me to tears ova here." interrupted Anne Maria.

"It's not boring!" said Mike defensively.

"Sure it is," she said plainly, " I mean, it's just a bunch of nobodys and clouds," she said, gesturing towards the room at large.

"But invite a decent crowd maybe a little music," she started indicating the different corners of the cavern and talking fast, "some subwoofers, a DJ and a minibar right over there (usually if there's two you get everything for cheap) but we won't have any room for another unless SOMEBODY MOVES THEIR BIG HEAD OUTTA THE WAY" she ended nearly shouting at Cameron who was apparently blocking some prime minibar real estate.

There was a short silence and Anne Maria blinked in surprise,

"What just happened?"

"You just had a notional eruption!" replied Cameron pointing his index.

"Ain't that a guy thing?" she answered skeptically

"What? You mean-" started Cameron but Zoey offered an answer before the despectaled innocent's mind could be deflowered.

"A creative outburst..sorta" said Zoey.

"Don't tell me this stuff's contagious." said Anne Maria backing away.

"Oh, it is, right Zoey?" said Mike, "In fact..." he held out both his open palms, then got up and waved them in front of him.

"It's airborne!" he shouted dramatically –and a folded newspaper crane appeared in the air.

"Cool!" said Cameron.

"You wanna know how I did it? See, it's tough with short sleeves but-" he faltered when he noticed Zoey had missed it, she had been asking Anne Maria something about seaside amusement parks.

"Oh, sorry Mike- could you do it again?"

"Uh-" he said, indicating the paper bird that had landed in the water and which had just sunk like the Titanic. "-guess not." he finished.

Anne Maria shrugged and went on.

"Zo?" he said too quietly for her to hear.

"Well anyways the joint is packed and everything's hot, even the water after bein under the heat all day, oh yeah the sun's hot too, and everyone'd get serious burn if they weren't already tanned, which they are, cause everyone in the crowd is a hottie, and the music is rockin and your mojo is peakin and you're just pickin up the hottest guys like crazy tonight, it's like you're on FIRE!"

"I think this beach is getting a little too..um...hot." said Cameron to Mike.

"Want to go somewhere cooler?" offered Cameron. When Mike nodded they headed off down a side tunnel.

"Geez, was he tryina put the moves on you or what?" said Anne Maria pointing her thumb at Mike as he left. "Good thing I swooped in in time or he'd have got you fallin for his Mike act, amirite?"

she elbowed Zoey who looked distracted,

"Uh, yeah...good thing I didnt..."

---

Over at Chris' cabin both host and hostess were kicking back in the hot tub, which Chris had ordered an intern to fill with ice cubes. The only thing worth escaping for them was the heat.

"This is just like the time I played the SeaCaptain's daughter in the sinking scene of Olympic..." said Blaineley, tracing the sugared rim of her Lemon Cola drink.

"You mean, minus the fake tears and bad English accent?" said Chris, "pretty much, yeah."

"I...uh, like you better as a washed up hostess than a washed up actress anyways."

"Really?" said Blaineley, blinking in surprise. He didn't say anything but he nodded yes and sunk deeper into the water.

She looked at him a moment, then kicked some of the chilled water at him.

"Who's washed up now, McLean?"

"Hey- you almost got me in the eyes!" said Chris, ducking.

"Which is quite the accomplishment seeing as they're such small targets." said Blaineley, moving in close and squinting.

"Hey, these babies made the cover of Starstruck magazine,the Reel Hotties edition." said Chris, framing his face with his hands.

"Yeah, I know, you framed it up in the living room." said Blaineley, rolling her eyes and adding,

"God, you love yourself."

"Wouldn't you?" he answered, leaning towards her.

Neither or them spoke.

"Did either of you see my tuna casserole?"

Chef's voice interrupted the quietude and they pulled apart, "Man I swear I left the dang thing on the-" he stopped when he opened the deck door, he knew somethin was goin on.

"Uh...nope" said Chris, running his fingers through his hair.

"Can't say I have." stated Blaineley, sipping her cola.

Chef was unimpressed.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I made one since somebody forgot to switch off the gas for the oven." he looked at Blaineley.

"It was a mistake." said Blaineley.

"I lost my eyebrow!" shouted Chef pointing at his forehead.

"It's right there!" she scoffed.

"Well it grew back!" he finished.

"Anyhow what I'm sayin is we've got a food thief on our hands."

"No we don't, Farmboy's stuck in that cave now Fang's on the loose." said Blaineley, checking her nails to make her apathy perfectly clear, that was until Chris brushed his ankle against her leg and she shot him a warning glance, to which he returned an obnoxious grin.

"Then it's gotta be the shark." said Chef, clenching his fists.

"Wha-Why would he be eating our stuff if he's got a lake full of mutant fish to eat." said Chris, more than a little annoyed already at Chef's 'totally like, interrupting the Blaineley moment I had goin there.'

"I dunno, but if there's one thing this miserable life's taught me," said Chef, "it's never to trust a shark." he said gravely, now scanning the edge of the woods.

"What? You're crazy." said Chris.

"Crazy?" asked Chef, "Or wise?" he said, tapping his head before heading back inside and shutting the door.

"Yeah, my money's on crazy." said Chris, looking over at Blaineley.

"Where are we?"asked Mike, being led down a winding tunnel by Cameron who seemed to be counting his steps.

"Seven to the right, seventeen straight forward...watch out there's a stalagmite three steps in front of you."

Mike sidestepped the spike and was about to ask again before he saw the answer. They were in a small downward-sloping cave that seemed to contain many small glassy pools of water. The pools were deep blue and reflected several specks of blue-ish light. and Mike froze for a second because they looked so much like small windows to a starry sky. The image of a way out was always in the back of their minds. He stood blinking in a trance and Cameron had to point out that the specks of light were mutant bioluminescent insects that had long settled in this cooler cave in the lower mine. For a moment the two of them watched them circle and drift near to the ceiling among the stalactites.

---

CAMERON

"I found this place the other day when I was looking for you." I said, sitting down on a rock and observing an interesting specimen of lichen growing around the tiny pool.

"How far down does this mine go?" he asked, sitting down.

"About four thousand feet." I said after a moment's reflection. Mike blinked in surprise.

"Cameron buddy, what's it like to know everything?" he asked in mock awe.

"Ha ha. It's actually just a rough estimation based on-" I caught myself before I explained more fully. I was beginning to realise some of the things I found fascinating were confusing at best to my new friends.

There were more important things to discuss.

"Mike..." I started, "What happened just now-"

"-Yeah," he said, "I know, I know paper cranes are so lame...should've done a swan- girls like swans, -of course!" he hit his head against a stalagmite,"Ugh so obvious!"

"No, I mean if you want to hold Zoey-"

"Yeah I know!" interrupted Mike, "I just wish there weren't so many people around, this whole desperate survival thing is murdering the mood!"

"Mike!" I said a little too loud. He blinked at me.

"As I was saying, if you want to hold Zoey's attention, you're going to need to tell her everything."

"You mean, how I got my MPD?" he said, backing up.

I nodded.

"Aw but Cam, you don't know what it's like, you're not...I dunno, you're not like me." he said, struggling with the words.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well...you're...I dunno.. brave?" he said.

"Brave?" I repeated it out loud, it was definitely not something I was used to being called. Intelligent, of course. Dilligent, many times, every synonym for 'puny', yes.

But brave, never. Inwardly I smiled, he thought I was cool.

"You know, even when you're up against something bigger than you...you know, tougher, stonger- less small-"

"I get it" I stated.

"- you just suck it up and face it, and even if you get beat up you just come out stronger for it."

"I ..." I started to deny his claim before I remembered how much I'd conquered over the last 13 days. "...suppose you're right"

"See, that's not me- I'm not like that, as long as I can remember I've been hiding from stuff. Every time something scary or frustrating or tough came my way I headed for the hills-not the real hills, you know- the hills inside my head!" he said, pointing.

"Uh...right" I said, though I wasn't sure what he was leading to.

"Every time something bad came my way -instead of standing up and fighting it, my wussy subconscious just took the exit door and let somebody else operate the controls until I was ready to come out from under my invisibility cloak." he riffled his fingers through the air to indicate ephemereality.

"Invisibility cloak?" I asked, "You mean you read-"

"Yep. You?" he replied.

"I've got the celtic and the latin editions!"

"Look," he stated getting back on track, "I just mean, maybe I'm just not made of the same stuff as a normal guy. Guy stuff- I'm not fast like Lightning or strong like Brick , even Scott's got that whole hard working thing- and I'm just this...I dunno big milky wimpshake." he finished, kicking a pebble across the cave.

I didn't know what to say, but something told me he wasn't finished yet. For a while we sat silently. There was water running inside the walls, you could hear it trickling from above. Maybe we were under the lake. There was no real way to know. Finally, I heard his voice, though he was facing the dark edge of the cave.

"Wanna know the worst part about my MPD? It's knowing that the same personalities that make people pick on you, call you a freak and beat you up, are the only friends you've got at the end of the day." He swung around to face me, but his eyes were shut tight, like he was thinking hard.

He went on,

"And as much as you hate them swarming in your brain and taking over, they're also the ones who protect you, so you don't have to face the world on your own, you can just float away and they'll take care of it. it kind of makes you feel less lonely when you're ...on your own."

Suddenly I realised what he was doing, he was backing out of his promise, he was giving up.

"Wait, Mike, if you face everything on your own you won't need to have your alternates anymoe, and even if it means reliving what happened- it'll be worth it when you learn to control it!" I said, gripping the pullstrings of my hoodie.

"I'm just not sure if I'll be able to give that up. When I'm On my own, who knows if I can deal. Cameron..." he looked me in the eyes, he was serious. I could tell because Mike had a way of making everything seem okay even if it really wasn't. I looked back at him.

"Maybe the stuff I'm made of doesn't come out stronger, maybe it just shatters into smaller and smaller pieces." His voice wavered briefly. I reached my hand out to his shoulder.

"...maybe I don't want to risk it." he finished. Before I could stop him he'd pulled away and left.

"Mike!" I called after him, but it was no use.

---

Chris walked into the kitchen where Chef was kneeling industriously with a toolbox by his side. He looked up when the Chris opened the fridge.

"Gettin more drinks for you and your girlfriend?" asked Chef.

"No." retorted Chris. "I'm getting ice." and he pointedly scooped a few cubes into the icebucket.

"Dustin for shark fin-prints?" asked Chris in the same teasing tone.

"Well..." said Chef, holding up the brush and chalk. "Yeah, I was."

He got up.

"Look, man. I need to know you're ready to do what we gotta do today."

"Psh, course I am." said Chris, avoiding his gaze.

"After bossman producer-guy gets here we're gonna need to shove Blaineley off of the helicopter halfway through the intro so we get to do a reshoot and the closest she'll be to signin autographs is signin hospital bills. Now obviously gettin her to trust you was the easy part, I need to know you're up to breakin it when the time comes." said Chef, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"I said I was, alright?" said Chris, shirking him off, "Man."

"Alright." said Chef, getting up and taking something out of his tool kit. It was his tranquilizer gun, but the red tranq darts had been replaced with shark poison.

"Time to get rid of that big-toothed problem once and for all." said Chef.

"Hey, you can't go all killy on Fang, he's the only thing keeping the pitt-sniffer out of my- I mean, our contract." said Chris.

"Man, that little punk ain't gonna show up outside anyways, an I bet that shark is out there right now," said Chef, "laughin at us." He took a step forwards but Chris stood between him and the door.

To anyone else this kind of standoff would seem crazy, seeing as a man Chef's size could have crumpled Chris up like one of the sheets of cheesecloth he used to make his famous custard tarts.

But Chef knew that look Chris was giving him. It was like he was holding an invisible lighter to his paycheck. This was the part where he slump off, cursing under his breath. Goddamn job. Goddamn McLean. Goddamn sharks. Not this time.

"And how bout if you let me make that shark disappear, I make...these disappear." he whipped out some polaroids and held them in plain sight. Chris'eyes widened when he realised Chef had got hard proof of his night with Blaineley. Ouch. That wasn't going to be good for the rep, the McLean name wasn't supposed to get mixed up in all that Blaineley-brand celebrity trash exposees, musical talent searches and...entertainment journalism. Pure high-octane, adrenaline-pumping, drama-rific gameshow entertainment only. Not to mention Blaineley's ratings were probably about to drop faster than she could plummet out of a helicopter.

Just thinking about it gave Chris a wicked case of the chills, or maybe it was the thought of a couple million dollars of cold hard cash landing in his bank. The final push meant more of that for him, and keeping Scott away meant even more.

"I've got copies." said Chef dangerously.

"Whatever floats your boat, my dear Chef." said Chris with defiance. And he walked back to the deck, ice in hand adding, "Oh, and do something about lunch, would ya? Blaineley hates your tuna casserole."

If Chris'd looked back he'd have caught a glare so icy he wouldn't have needed the bucket.

---

MIKE

"Are you lost?" came a voice somewhere to the left of him in the darkness. It was Scott.

"Or just lookin for somethin?" he appeared, watching me.

I heard myself reply

"I...guess I'm lost..."

"What's the matter?" he asked with concern. "You can tell me anything." I felt like walking away but he held me there with that staring, and every time I took a step he did too.

"Well...me and Zoey-" I started,

"Ah yeah, I couldn't help but hear what she was sayin to Anne Maria back there." he said, picking the dirt from under his fingernails.

"What, did she say anything about me?" I asked, unable to hide the panic in my voice.

"Not much, but neither of em trust you," suddenly he looked up at me, "ever since you told her about your MPD."

For a moment I actually felt my heart stop.

"Oh, was I not supposed to know?" he said, putting his hand to his mouth. "Well... she told Anne Maria and you know how she is-"

"She told?" I asked,"But-"

"I'm sure she didn't wanna rat you out, it's probably just because she's so ...freaked out." He shook his hands around in the air.

"Freaked out?" I asked, and it was getting harder and harder to keep the panic out of my voice, it felt like I was choking.

"Well I mean come on, you just out-and-out told her you're insane in the membrane, what'd you expect?"

"I dunno..." I said. What did I expect? Zoey didn't seem so upset the other day, but then why'd she keep asking me questions about it?

"I just..."

"-Don't worry about it, it's not like it's your fault you've got a few extra roommates up there, you were born with it, right?" he asked, glancing at me.

"Actually it just started when I was little..."

"Really?" he said with surprise, "What'd you do?"

It was funny how he made it feel like it was my fault, but I guess it kinda was.

"Well, it started with this teacher at the performing arts school back home- went there for a summer training course and she-"

"Wait," he interrupted, "what was her name?"

"Well, she called herself Madame Vorzana."

"Pavlena Vorzana?...Tall gypsy lady, bald head, big earings,white silk-"

"-gloves, yeah! You know about her?" I asked.

"Know about her? She's my godmother." he said, with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah, she used to read tea leaves on the other side of Pristine Estates."

He looked at me all surprised and I knew what he was gonna ask.

"Which is the name of the Park n' Stay trailer park."

"Oh." he said.

"She didn't stick around for long- ever since that reality show scam she's been a bigshot acting coach- I think she's somewhere in Paris." I started walking off, (mostly to test how badly I had him.)

"Wait...tea leaves?" He nearly came running behind me. I smiled -still not facing him.

"Are you sure you, you know- know her?" he asked.

"Recognize this?" I said, whipping out the heavy gold pendant that Blaineley had got from the lady herself, via some serious over-the-phone blackmail. Seriously, it was a verbal bloodbath-even I was a little disgusted watching it, and I've eaten fish outta Backwater Creek.

"That's hers!" he said, all wide-eyed. "She always wore it...said it was some kind of...heirloom."

"Well she said I was some kinda heir." I said. "And I say we're dealing with the same chick." I dropped it in his hand, and he kept lookin at it.

"So you said you don't remember exactly when you went all loopy?" I asked.

"Y-...Yeah." he answered.

"Well, you want the good news or the bad news?" I asked, lookin at him face to face.

"Good- no no wait, bad...uh, is there a moderate news?" he asked, scratching his head.

"The bad news is: you've been hypnotized."

"Hypnotized?" he asked.

"Yup. Messing with people's minds was her specialty."

At least that's what Chick Mclean told me. What a coincidence- hey... maybe we are related.

"I figure she used this to hypnotize you into acting the part, trouble is she never snapped you out- so let's say that maybe every time you heard the trigger word-"

"I got another alternate!" he finished hitting his palm to his head with his eyes wide open.

"- Wait, so it could happen again?- What's the word?" he asked, grabbing me by the shoulders and looking at me real desperate.

"It's probably somethin rare. Something weird... Somethin she's got locked up somewhere in her twisted mind." I said, peeling some rust off the tip of my pickaxe.

"Oh man, no way no way no way!" he said, running around and around in a circle like some kind of spazz.

"The good news is, I gave her her startup money after my first lemonade stand so...she owes me a favour." I said, cracking my knuckles.

"You mean you can get her to un-hypnotize me?" he asked, stopping to stare at me.

"Sure." I said, "Just one phonecall and that head of yours will be cleaned out faster'n you can say drillbit."

"Yes! Oh man, you have no idea how much I've wanted to be- just, you know, normal- finally! I don't even know if there's a way to make it up to you-" at this point he was smiling like an idiot and hugging me round the ankles. I resisted the urge to try to fix his head problem- with my foot.

"You know, now that you mention it...there just might be one way." I said.

"Sure, whatever, anything!" he said, hopping up.

"I found Anne Maria's tin o' tint just lying around and I'm pretty sure she wants it back. Just don't tell her it was from me."

"How come?" he asked. I had to think quick-

"Uh...Cause I've got the hotts for her or.. whatever- and you know, chicks hate it when you're too...eager"

"They do?" he asked, blinking.

"Uhuh." I said. I wanted to get away before he asked anymore questions. I hated talking anyways, Never liked it, it was like work, and I always made a point of getting all the pay without none of the work. The thing about my first lemonade stand- I didn't need to make a single jug of lemonade- just guilted those suckers into paying me, played the poor mom-less dummy. Worked every time.

"Oh- and don't go wandering off again, wouldn't want you to step into some stray foot-traps." I said, heading off in the opposite direction.

"Heh- will do, and thanks again!" he said, waving and smiling like the doofus he was.

---

CAMERON

I wandered around in a circle following footsteps I thought were Mike's. He usually walked in long strides, but the steps I heard were low and shuffling. I supposed he was still upset. I was surpised to see that it was in fact Scott who'd been walking in the dark.

"Hey buddy, how's it going?" he asked me.

I didn't quite know what to say after how things had gone with Mike,

"...I'm-"

"Watch out!" he said suddenly, putting out his hand to stop me. I looked down; it was just a piece of string.

"Oops-" he said, "thought it was one o those electrical wires."

"No, it must be some of Zoey's- wait, did you say electrical wires?"

"Are there any other kind"

"Yes, actually-" "wait, where did you see them?"

"This place is full of em," he said, with a shrug. "just need to know where to look." and he tapped the ground with his heel.

"They probably don't work- I mean the cameras are all history." he added.

"No," I replied, "as long as they're still connected to the power supply...they should work!" I couldn't believe it, Scott had just offhandedly given me the key to helping everyone out of here and making up for trapping us in the first place.

"So ya think they're any use?" asked Scott.

"Well yes," I answered, "using the electrical current from the wires I can power up the ePhone and-"

"Cause I can help ya find some if you want." he said. He looked certain about the whole thing. I realised how close I was to saving everybody from this place, before it became a mausoleum.

I was ecstatic and I nodded feverishly.

"Anything to help out my buddy." he said.

His hand on my shoulder was cold and his grip was hard, but I didn't care. I knew we'd be getting out today!

---

On the cliff that overlooked the lake a very nervous host and hostess, along with a very ticked off Chef stood watching as a silently whirring blackbird helicopter hovered above them.

Suddenly it came to a halt on the ground. The blades slowed to stop and there was quiet.

click

The door of the helicopter opened and a man stepped out. For the most part he was straight-to-business. Clean-shaven, tall and slender in a grey pinstriped suit with a neat dark brown tie. If you had happened to miss the large, steel-toed brown leather cowboy boots and and hat, he would have come across as the average CEO of a fortune 500 company.

"Mr. R ! Hey, welcome to Camp Wawanakwa-" said Chris grandly waving towards the landscape, "I guess you're probably thirsty after your flight so I had Chef", he snapped his fingers "get you a glass of-"

"Take me to your control room." he commanded.

"Uh- okay..." said a taken aback Chris, holding the lemonade Chef had handed him.

"right this way sir."

And they followed his steady stride down the slope of the cliff.

---

MIKE

On the way back to the lake I ran into Cameron. He looked like he was in a good mood for some reason.

"Mike! I thought something might have happened to you." he said, running up to me.

"Something did happen to me! Something super awesome!" I said picking him up and spinning him around.

"Well what happened?" he asked dizzily. Then I heard Zoey's voice from the cavern

"Mike, is that you?" and suddenly I was the dizzy one.

"I'll explain later- just, I'm not giving up- I'm going to get rid of my MPD forever." I said putting him down and hurrying out to see Zoey.

---

CAMERON

Mike was deciding to take my advice and I'd be getting us all out of here all in one day. Everything was going perfectly.

Mr. Rohke stood, eyes set on the screens in the dark of the room. After waiting uneasily in the quiet for what seemed like three commercial breaks.

"And what's become of the kid?" he asked suddenly,

"The one who got out."

"It's taken care of." said Chris hastily, "He's scared of-"

"-The shark." he finished, "Yeah, I know. Well how about we alleviate the issue altogether,hm?" he turned to face them, pressing his fingers together.

"What, you mean..."

"Seal the cave exit." he said, pointing behind him at a screen, somehow the exact one that showed the tunnel that opened to the outside. "Permanently." he added.

"But- Fang-" said Chris before he was cut off,

"Kill the shark."

---

Blaineley was uneasy. Chris was confused. Behind them Chef was grinning.

"Your glasses," said Mike, indicating Cameron's specs, that had been thinly coated in soot since yesterday's explosion.

"How come you still haven't cleaned them off?" he asked, as Cameron quit inspecting them and put them on.

"Hey, from here you could pass for a sixties beatnik, Cam."You look like a blind guy, or one of those, you know non-blind super guys who wear them to play golf but then end up wearing them everywhere anyways, for no reason." said Zoey, talking quickly,

"Ha, yeah," said Mike, sliding nearer to where Zoey sat on the lakeside rock, before adding, "What's a beatnik?"

Cameron piped up,

"Ever since my first heroic rescue, I've been looking for something to wear in order to reflect," he said, getting up and looking at himself in the lake, " my newfound cool factor-" he said, snapping his fingers for emphasis.

Zoey stiffled some giggles and Mike asked,

"I don't think they reflect anything, can you even see through them?"

"My friend, in the words of biochemist and astrophysicist Isaac Assimov: who cares!" said Cameron, who took a few confident strides before tripping on a pebble and landing chin first at Lightning's feet.

"Are you blind little girl? Can't you see Lightnin's tryina teach his bro to pass?" shouted Lightning, pushing Cameron out of his way with his heel and picking up the pebble.

""Little girl?" said Cameron in surprise, wiping his soot covered specs on the sleeve of his hoodie.

"I think you're the one who's blind." said Mike, frowning at Lightning and getting on his feet to help Cameron up.

"Excuse me? Did I just hear you ask for a beatdown?" said Lightning, grabbing Mike by the collar of his shirt and and eyeing him dangerously, "cause Lightnin can arrange that."

"Get away from him! Why do you have to be such a bully?" said Zoey, pushing Lightning off of him and facing the angry jock.

"Oh yeah? Why do you have to be so annoyin? Lightnin can't stand any more of your crazy talk and girly music robot-"

"Music robot?" said Cameron, raising an eyebrow.

"Girl, you better take out those headphones and start cheerin for the Lightnin, otherwise get out of Lightnin's way, cause he's bout to make a touchdown on Tall Dude's face." he ended pulling back his arm and taking aim at Mike, who tried to pull away.

"Did I say blind? That's just...an expression, you know like "your cheque is in the mail-"

"What? Lightnin already checked, is a hundred percent male- AND he ain't blind!" He suddenly dropped Mike to the floor and picked up a small stone.

"In fact, Lightnin's got 20-24/7 vision!"

"Go long, bro!" he shouted, tossing the pebble in the direction of Scott who was sitting on a rock on the other side of the cave, looking intensely bored with his chin in his hand.

The pebble joined several others strewn at the feet of Scott, who, after glowering at Lightning for a moment picked up a considerably larger rock and sent it heading for Lightning via slingshot.

It hit its mark with a thump sound that made Mike, Cameron, Zoey and Brick (who'd just finished doing laps in the lake) flinch in unison (Anne Maria who was lazing on a rock in the middle of the lake didn't bat an eyelid and continued trying to imagine herself somewhere 'sunnier and less full o' weirdos.')

"Good one bro!" said Lightning, holding a thumbs up and wincing,

"For the next one, try aimin a little closer to the goal line, and a little less close to Lightnin's face!" he pointed to a crudely drawn line he'd drawn on the floor of the cave with slate.

"Lightnin'll show you how it's done!" he said, picking up a stone and taking aim, "Sha-stand back!"

"Where's Jo?" said Mike, handing Brick his dry shirt as he came out of the water.

"She slept late," he responded,

"And my guess is she doesn't want to come down here under the -uh...the circumstances."

A moment of speechlessness passed in which Brick thought about Jo and tried not to think about Jo at the same time, with the end result of putting his shirt on backwards.

---

BRICK

Backwards

"Just completed a ten K run backwards, at full speed, uphill." she'd said with superiority, then she'd prodded my chest and added,

"beat that."

"I did my 10 kilometers backwards, full speed, uphill through sand." I countered, folding my arms.

"Oh yeah? Where'd you do that," she replied quickly, indicating the landscape of the island,

"Hilly beach or the sand-covered hill?" she'd said, mocking me.

Then we'd raced through the woods back to mess hall. I still remembered how I couldn't quit looking over at her instead of at the path ahead, which in retrospect was probably what led to me getting smacked in the face by a tree branch.

"Ah- darn it, that really smarts!" I said stopping. "Wait- that wasn't poison oak was it?" I said

"Uh, Captain Oblivious, poison oak is a vine, not an actual oak- …but it could be some kind of mutant tree."

"Well it itches like crazy-" I said, stopping and checking my reflection in my dog tags

"Ah, shake it off soldier-" she said shrugging and jogging in place next to me.

"it's getting worse- it's like it's on fire, the situation is definitely degenerating, Ma'am..."

"Simmer down, cadet, you're not dying" she said, stopping and holding my chin for a moment and looking at me closely.

Immediately my face went hot and my brain felt stupid and I just stood there and blinked at her. It was the closest we'd been back then, and I felt a pang of what I thought then had been some kind of side effect of mutant poison oak, but I knew now to be something way way different, something that felt way better and could hurt ten times as much.

"You're hot," she said, looking away, "but not feverish or anything- it'll probably get better in like an hour anyway."

All I could do was nod slightly, not wanting to lose the feeling of her touching me.

"It's sorta turning red but that'll wear off too" She brushed my cheek briefly before taking her hand away.

She reached into her hoodie and took out her water bottle. She never drank from it cause she said, and I quote:

"Water's for wimps! It takes real application to run dry. I fill the bottle anyways, just use it as a weight to really amp up my morning workout."

But what was she doing with it now?

"Here," she said, putting it against the side of my face. I shivered cause it was cold, but it did do the job, I felt myself go numb.

"That should keep the situation from degenerating anymore." she said arching an eyebrow. She started walking ahead with her hands in her pockets. Then she turned around and said,

"Meet you back at mess hall, Major Meltdown!"

For a moment I stood there holding the bottle against my face. Then I sprinted up in front of her (running backwards) and answered, grinning

"Not if I get there first."

She pushed past me and we were at it again.

That's what it felt like now, like I was going backwards, but not in that crazy fun way where you don't know where you're going but you keep at it anyways cause you don't care where- cause, you know you're with her (even though technically you're against her). This was bad backwards. I didn't know where I was going and I didn't know where she was going either. I'd tried reaching out to her and she'd slapped me in the face. It stung more than mutant poison oak.

---

Chef stomped through the forest, ears tuned to every falling leaf, every snapping branch and the occasional giant growling Raccoon, which he took out with one blast of his tranq-gun.

After a while he reached a rocky clearing where the massive body of the mutant shark stood. It was hunched over a fresh kill, wildly tearing out its entrails. Chef was splattered with blood. Something smelled good.

"Wait a minute." he said, touching the stain on his shirt and tasting his finger.

"Marinara?"

He stepped into the clearing. Clear as day Fang could be seen sitting hunched over a baking dish, scooping tuna casserole into his large toothy mouth. The sound he was making was as close to sobbing as a shark could get.

"Aw for the love o-" said Chef, putting his hand on his forehead,

"is this all because that punk still got your tooth?"

Fang nodded before bursting into salty tears.

"Look. I'll cut you a deal." said Chef finally, he couldn't stand watchin a grown man (or in this case landshark) cry. Fang looked up at him and sniffed.

"I gotta score to settle with that little creep too, so how bout I get him to leave his little cave o safe-itude and you can do whatever you want with him. That'll teach him to mess with me-" said Chef, wringing the air as if he was strangling an invisible redhead. "-I'll tell him too," he chuckled darkly, "if there's anythin left of him."

Fang's expression changed into a sharp-toothed grin.

---

CAMERON

Scott led me down the main tunnel, further than I'd gone before. The tunnel forked into three and that was where he stopped.

"This is it." said Scott, stepping hard on a spot that made a reverberating sound.

He dug his fingers between the two floorplanks and ripped it off. Under it was a metal box with screws in it which he quickly did away with using his sharktooth like a screwdriver.

He tossed the lid aside and aimed the flashlight at it. He cut across the wires with the edge of his tool.

"Knock yourself out." he said, then he walked off down one of the tunnels. I wasn't exactly an engineer, but I could navigate the tangle of wires pretty well- red went to the positive plate and black to the negative plate of the battery socket. It was actually going pretty well despite the darkness and the dust. There sure was alot of it in there- for one sickening moment I thought it was the same stuff I'd got into the other day- mold spores- but it was something else, a smell I didn't recognise. I didn't have time to wonder because right then I'd got it, everything was hooked up right and I took a deep breath before pressing the power button on the ePhone.

Nothing.

---

MIKE

Me and Zoey were just laying around listening to this one song over and over – when I noticed Cameron looked kinda down.

"Hey Cam, wanna listen to some music?" asked Zoey. She offered the mp3 player to Cameron and the sorta-silence of the cave came back when it popped out of my ear.

"I'm not supposed to," he replied, adjusting his glasses, "in fact I've hardly listened to music at all except for Kids Tunes and the Lena Lerner records my mom plays when she thinks I'm asleep."

"Oh?" said Zoey in the cutest way humanly possible (well, I thought so).

"Yeah, she says teenage music's too fast- it'll make me too excited, which could lead to an increased heart-rate and ...possibly..." he turned away and tugged at his sleeves, only mumbling the last part, which sounded alot like, "death."

"Not all teenage music is fast, though, right?" said Zoey, shrugging, "I mean, there's always twee-"

"Wait, did you just say dea-" I started, but Zoey went on.

"-That's okay Cameron-" she said, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"I totally get it if you don't want to hear it."

"And miss out on the opportunity to experience the authentic adolescent rebellion that is expressed in the righteous passion of its music? Not even for a million dollars!" He said with excitement, taking the mp3 player and coveting it in his hands.

I passed Zoey the left earbud and spoke,

"Heh, a million dollars, remember when that was it, you know- before it turned in to-"

"Just trying to stay alive?" said Zoey, smiling. "Yeah...well I mean, it might sound kind of dumb but- I think what really brought me here was, how much I wanted to find real friends."

"Yeah, me too! People who I could, I guess, start over with!"

"Exactly!"

"I dunno, does it ever sometimes feel like from day one there was just something...that made people stare at you like you were something gross or just look through you like you're not anything at all. That made …that made you the one people always talk about and never talk to, or walk around you in a wide arc that just says 'don't feed the freak'"

She got me, totally and completely. I laced my fingers with hers and squeezed.

"Oh, do I ever."

"Do you ever feel like..." she started,

She was playing with her bangles again, I think she did that when she was nervous. It was hard to imagine someone being self conscious around me of all people. I wasn't what you could call cool or tough, and I definitely wasn't Mr. Smooth. Maybe I was reading her wrong, maybe she was just uncomfortable...I was Messed-up-Mike after all. Zoey spoke and I snapped out of my thoughts.

"Like...maybe there was something wrong with you?" she said finally.

For a fraction of a second my heart skipped, I guess usually when I hear the words 'something wrong' followed by 'with you' it usually means the inevitable end of whatever short friendship I'd just screwed up. Then it hit me full force that she was talking about herself- maybe Zoey knew that feeling just as much as I did.

"Wait, what? Aw, Zoey, how could you- I mean, why would you-" I struggled for words and she looked up at me from under her bangs.

"you're okay- like, more than okay, like-"

"-Fascinating!" shouted Cameron.

"Not really the word I was looking for but-"

"No, I mean- this music! The beat, the bassline, the invigorating creshendo of-"

"-Actually, Cameron...that's the just the sound it makes while it's powering up." said Zoey.

"Oh" he said, sitting back down.

"Here, let me help you find a song," she offered, pressing some buttons. She selected a song and Cameron's eyes widened. He sat there with pupils dilated and knees pressed together.

"Doesn't get out much, does he?" said Anne Maria, pointing her thumb at him.

"Don't talk about him behind his back!" said Mike angrily.

"What? He can't even hear me- watch dis" she said, stepping in front of him and speaking,

"Ey, Cameron- where'd ya get glasses made so they're big enough to fit your head?"

I was about to tell her off but then Cameron just kept smiling and started nodding his head in time to the music, then Anne Maria gave me this look like "See, wha'd I tell ya?" and I did, I giggled before I could stop myself. Mike didn't notice, he was glaring at Anne Maria.

"Hey, leave him alone!" he said, getting up to his full height, "Why do you have to act like such a jerk?"

"Yeah you'd know alot about that, huh "Mike" said Anne Maria, meeting his glare and making exaggerated air quotes.

"What's that supposed to mean?" said Mike, he was still mad but a little confused I guess.

Anne Maria turned to me.

"Don't you think he's been acting like a jerk, Zoey?"

Anne Maria looked from me to him. Mike looked from her to me. She looked like she just realized something. Then he looked... worried? Maybe?

"What, no, Mike's-" I started, she looked at me like she was saying ''wrong answer.''

"Uh, Could you excuse us for a minute?" said Anne Maria as she took me by the wrist and pulled me aside.

We were jammed in a dark alcove behind a boulder. The light that there was came from the bonfire she'd lit, and was reflected by her eyes.

"What the heck are you doing still talkin to him?" she whispered harshly.

"We're just-" I began,

"Hello, don't you remember what Scott said? He's a two-timin, lyin son of a-" she eyed him from across the lake and shook her fist. I covered it with my hand.

"Mike explained everything, he hasn't been acting, he...he-" I couldn't actually tell her what he told me, but I couldn't let her think he was a liar, even though he didn't tell me the whole truth...but then-

"He what?" she asked skeptically, hand on her hips.

"He's not ...he's just-" I trailed off. Her expression softened a bit and she rested a hand on my shoulder.

"Listen, Zo. I'm not sayin this cause I'm mad- it's just I gotta look out for you, we're-"

she was interrupted by a shout and we both looked out. Mike took a running jump into the water before slipping on the slick slate and winding up falling head over heels into the lake. Seconds later he showed up at the surface , shook his head "Heh, I'd like to see Svetlana top that." I smiled at him and he saw me and waved, blushing slightly cause I'd seen him slip. He was so off the charts adorable. Cameron was looking too but he wasn't smiling, he looked at Mike like he was trying to figure him out. Even Brick looked suspicious.

Anne Maria was glaring hard. She faced me.

"Zo, your hair may be red as a stoplight but you're green as grass if you trust this guy after he blew you off."

"But he didn't blow me off," I replied, "you're the one he-"

I stopped myself, but it was too late. I thought I saw her anger flicker to hurt for a second before it switched to full on resentment.

" So this is the thanks I get for tryina help you out." she said, narrowing her eyes.

"Ya know what, you can just forget it." she tunred her back to me and stormed off before I could say anything to fix it.

---

ANNE MARIA

"Kind of makes ya miss Chris challenges, huh?" said Scott when I was walkin past.

"Ha, yeah- that's a good one." I said, stopping. I wasn't really goin anywhere anyways. Red was pissin me off and it just seemed like the thing to do, ya know?

"Doesn't seem like those two are in too much of a hurry to get out, does it." he said, pointing his elbow at Zo, who was kicking off her shoes and getting back in the water with 'Mike.'

I sat down next to the guy, he looked pretty bored.

"Why do I waste my time tryin to clue people in if they just-"

"go on bein clueless anyways?" he said. That was it. Exactly.

" I thought she was s'posed to be inter-lectual." I said, foldin my arms.

" Yeah, so much for 'smarty-pants-ness...itude'" he said.

"I was just tryin to help her out..." I said, still watchin em. He kept tryin to touch her hand, and she was lettin him! It was so annoying, but I couldn't stop lookin.

"You wanna know what I think?" said Scott.

"Shoot." I said.

"I think they're not lookin for a way out, cause they've already found one." he said, eyein me seriously.

"Who...Vi- I mean, Mike?" I aksed.

"Bingo." he said, pointing finger-guns in Mike's direction.

"I knew it- no wonder he's got that smug smile on his face. And he thinks he can play us for morons." I said, getting ticked.

"You knew? Well, I'd say you're pretty smart..." he said,

"For a city chick." an he was grinnin at me.

"Well, you're not so bad yourself," I said,getting up. "- for a guy who's probably never set foot in a club -or from the looks of it, a tan booth."

He rolled his eyes.

"Hey!" I said, Lightnin just ran into me outta nowhere, lookin angry.

"Hey, girl can't you see Lightnin is tryin to get his game on with his bro Scott!" shouted Lightnin.

Scott facepalmed.

"Well obviously he'd rather talk to alll o dis than catch your stupid rocks." I said, poitning at the merchandise (and by merchandise, I mean the four feet o full-on hotness called yours truly)

"What?" said Lightnin, lookin me up and down, "My man Scott aint gonna fall for your crazy girly mind tricks and eyelash battin- the dude is g-"

"-oing to rip my hair out if I have to keep playing catch." said Scott real quick. He glared at the jock.

"Ha! See." I said.

"What no, come on dude!" said Lightnin, "Bros before-"

"You'd better not think of finishin dat sentence if you wanna keep your teeth." I said, shakin my fist.

"First they take Lightning's gold, then his lunch, -now you're gonna take his teeth? What's Lightnin gonna have left?!" He shouted at the ceiling.

"Oh man," I said, shakin my head, "when they were givin out brains, they really screwed you over, huh."

Scott snickered. I'd never heard the guy laugh before.

"Psssh, who needs brains when you're a hundred percent muscle!" said Lightnin, whippin off his shirt and liftin the nearest barrel over his head.

"Yeah," said Scott, "more like a hundred percent-"

"Beefcake! Tell me about it, Who knew under that preppy 'i'm lookin for a sports scholarship'- shirt there was a set of abs you could grate cheese off of!" I said, steppin closer to check out the guy.

"Uh, for the record- that ain't what I was gonna say." pointed out Scott.

"Beefcake? Where?" said Lightning, lookin around wildly.

"Right..." I said, trailing my finger from his abs up to his chest,"...here."

He looked at me confused for a second, it was like a bagel-toaster-tickin-minute before he got it, then he was all smiles.

Scott cut in, "...Yeah speaking of which, what's for breakfast?" he said the word extra loud for Lightnin to hear.

"Shhh- can't you tell the Lightnin is workin his charm over here?" he said, pushin him outta the way.

"Yeah, let the guy talk, Rusty." I said, stepping closer.

"Rusty?!" he said, raising his eyebrows.

That's when Lightning put his arm round my shoulder and leaned in real close, and I started burnin up- and everything felt, I dunno good again, and things went kinda fuzzy round the edges and I...I wanted him.

He started talkin.

"Ya know, of all the many chicks Lightnin has met, you've got the most perfect-"

Please say eyes, please say eyes- for some reason, guys never look at my eyes even though I always make sure to apply Dazz-L eyeshadow in neon aqua like in the salon mags, you know, to draw attention. It's always 'hot hair, baby' or 'you got one rockin body' or 'those jeans would go great with the rest of my mornin laundry.' Not even Vito'd said anything about em yet (but he didn't talk much and I guess...he had this way of lookin in em so it didn't even matter but now here I was with this guy sayin how I've got perfect-

"taste!" he yelled.

"What." I said.

"You picked yourself one awesome dude, if Lightnin does say so himself!"

"Ugh." I said, and I shrugged his arm offa me.

He started flexing at this point but to tell ya the truth I didn't even feel like lookin.

---

"Guys, breakfast? Anyone?" said Scott.

"Nevermind, I've lost my appetite." said Anne Maria, glaring behind her at Lightning who yelled,

"Well the Lightnin is STARVIN!"

"Hey yeah, what's for brunch? Is there any food left?" asked Zoey.

"Last time I got some it was too dark to see, but the day before I..think there were more- I dont really remember though- it's kind of...fuzzy" said Mike, looking at the ceiling as if he was unable to re-call.

"You mean the food?" asked Zoey.

"Um, in that case I'm not hungry." said Anne Maria.

"No- the memory." said Mike, shaking his head.

"It was just forty eight hours ago. Are you sure you can't remember?" I asked him. He wouldn't look me eye to eye. I didn't want to be quick to judge Scott right but he was one suspicious soldier.

"Absolutely.." responded Mike in a voice that didn't sound very absolute.

"What about you, Anne Maria?" I asked.

"Eh, when me and Vito were pokin around, I mighta pushed a couple cans out of the way. Can't say if they were okay to eat tho." she said, shrugging. I could tell everyone was hungry, even though they didn't seem very willing.

It was time to take action.

"Alright men, uh- and girls. We've got to head to the stock room to search for what's left of our rations. If search turns out negatory then-"

"We panic?" suggested Mike.

"Nope. Then it's time for plan B.." I said, hitting my fist into my palm. Jo never made plan Bs. But Jo wasn't here, which was fine by me, I had a situation on my hands and didn't need her every-man-for-himself attitude. It was Brick McArthur's turn to make a plan.

"Which is..?" asked Zoey.

"Simple. We improvise." I said.

"Lightnin's all for it!" said Lightning, "If 'improvise' means 'eat the little guy'" he said, lifting up Cameron by his hoodie.

"Hey!" said Mike but one look from Lightning made him reconsider. Lightning dropped Cameron, who dusted himself off.

"I may be small, but at least I'm smart enough to know third grade vocabulary." he said angrily.

"You know, you sound like Felix Jensen- the new guy on team Lightnin back home- always tryina impress us with his big words, stead of movin grass and kickin butt on the field- thought he was gonna get in easy- but you can't run away from the Truth forever!" said Lightning loudly.

"and the truth was...?" asked Anne Maria.

"What? No, girl- the Truth's the name of Lightnin's pittweiler! It was a test of stamina, and big words dude only lasted about a half an hour."

"That's just mean." said Zoey.

"Sha-yeah! Fool ran onto the freeway! Lightnin's dog coulda been killed!"

"I don't know what's more amazing, that the guy's still alive, or that you're more self-centered than you are clueless." said Mike, frowning.

"How is Lightnin selfish?! Lightnin once played a whole game on a broken ankle- after Ryan Steeple started cryin about how his leg was hurtin. That dude needed to be taught a lesson in takin one for the team." Lightning pounded his fist into his palm "Sha-learnin!"

"So...anyways, breakfast?" said Scott.

"Right. Are you sure there's food left?" I asked Anne Maria.

"Guess so." she said, checking her nails. "I- ey, what's this for?" she asked looking at the torch I'd handed her.

"There you go Miss," I said, lightning it with a piece of lit wood from the bonfire.

"You two are in charge of the expedition to the kitchen today, as Mike knows what to do and you know where the remaining stocks are." Mike was startled. He looked from Anne Maria to Zoey.

"Are you willing?" I asked, holding out a torch for him.

"Um-" he said.

"No way." said Anne Maria, crossing her arms, ""get it yourself."

Cameron was furious.

"How can you afford to be indolent at a time like this?"

"I wasn't sassin anybody, shortstuff. You're the one usin words bigger than your head." she tapped his forehead.

"Okay then, how about 'lazy'." He said.

Anne Maria sure seemed upset. My isntinct was to intervene but...I could just use her hot temperedness to make her more cooperative.

"Well, you haven't really been helping out much." I said, scratching my head.

"What the-? What about dat?" she pointed at the bonfire. Even though the heat wasn't much help I couldn't honestly call her out for laziness. And honesty is one of the four pillars of leadership. Unless you're Jo, then leadership is more of a pedestal.

"You're right. You don't have to go, me and Mike will get the stocks," I said. Then I thought of something. "-and you can stay here with Cameron, Lightning and Zoey."

She looked over at them. Zoey was holding hands with Mike. Cameron was still glowering and I'm pretty sure Lightning winked.

"Forget it, I'm goin." she said, heading for the exit tunnel.

I looked at Mike, he hesitated, but he went.

Not a bad outcome, I thought. Maybe Brick McArthur was built for leadership.

---

ANNE MARIA

We were walking down the tunnel and he was kinda behind after tripping a couple times, but I wasn't stoppin fuh dat jerk.

"Wait up," he said, catching up to me. I didn't say nothin. It was quiet a while then he talked again

"Heh...sure is dark down here..."

"I know what you're trying to pull." I told him flat out.

"Huh? What do you mean?" he said, for a sec he had this look on his face, I can't describe it- sorta like he knew I knew what he knew, you know?

"Yeah, dat's right. I know what you're hiding." I said, facing him.

"What? Oh! You mean this?" he took somethin out of his back pocket. For a second I thought it'd be a gun. It was just like that time when I got jumped takin a shortcut down an alley behind the deli. Man that was one crazy night- lost all my cash an everything, the guy even took my rings (jokes on him cause I got em for 2.50 at a mall kiosk) He even threatened me a little, thought I was gonna die. But it takes more than that to shake a chick like me.

So anyways, Mike took out this can of hairspray, my hairspray, and handed it to me.

It felt full. I pressed the nozzle and orange mist came out.

"But it was empty.." I said, still couldn't beleive it.

"Must've been stuck, I guess." said Mike, shrugging.

For a split second I could've kissed the guy- before I realised what was goin on. He wasn't there yesterday to see my last can run out. He obviously had to have got this one from my supply -back in the cabin. So dat meant he really did have a way out. Man, Scott...when you're right, you're right.

"Listen, about what went down here the other day...we should just forget it ever happened, you know?" he said, lookin at me nervously.

"Forget what ever happened?" I said, frownin at him, tryin to get his angle.

Then he put his hand on my shoulder, and I felt all swoony and dizzy again. Stupid warm hands. Stupid big brown eyes and messed up smile.

---

MIKE

"Anne Maria...I don't know how to say this, and I guess since you probably already know...I-I'm different than other guys, and I guess now you're probably upset cause Vito might have had you think that I actually-" I was fidgeting but when I saw she was looking at me questioningly I tried again,

"Vito- he...uh...wanted me to tell you that he...misses you- uh...alot." I finished, feeling stupid.

Anne Maria's eyes lit up for a second, then she turned away.

"He said that? Like, for reals?" she asked.

"For reals- I mean, yes. He really liked-..likes you. Even though he's not-" I said.

She whipped around and looked up at me long and hard, It felt like she was searching me.

"Could you tell him somethin for me?" she asked.

"...sure" I said. She was silent for a moment, then she spoke.

"Ditto."

In the greater cavern Brick was marching back and forth in a straight line, deep in thought most likely about strategical plans.

"Brick, it looks like you're in a rut." commented Zoey.

"Negatory,miss. I've got everything under control without her help, it's not like I need her to function

or-"

"No, I mean literally you're-...in a rut" said Zoey, indicating the pebbled ground into which he was wearing a small depression.

"Oh." he said, looking down.

---

ZOEY

"I hope they're okay." I finally said aloud. Any day before that would have meant I hope Mike got his hands on some food instead of on Anne Maria- but I was worried about her too.

"You think they'll be okay?" I asked, trying not to sound as worried as I was.

"Course, Mike was a junior park ranger scout, he's good with directions." said Cameron, still fiddling with the ePhone.

"He was?" I asked.

"Yes,why, he never told you?" answered Cameron.

"I guess..there's alot of stuff I don't know about Mike..." I said, looking down.

"He wants to tell you

I know, he will...when he's ready, right?

"Uh..." he set his eyes back on his work and replied, "of course.."

---

ANNE MARIA

What was goin on? Just when I figure everything out- I mean it's obvious he's lyin about sneakin out, and he was definitely a two-faced two-timer, but why was he bein so sweet on me all of a sudden, unless he had a thing for me...but then again, what about Zoey- oh yeah, she was just flat out lying to me. For some reason I couldn't think of her doin that...but why would Scott lie about that? It felt like I couldn't trust anybody. This mine sure messed with your head.

---

MIKE

We'd got the cans, though it took alot of digging around, well, me digging and Anne Maria rolling the cans out one by one with the tip of her platform shoes. When we were done I piled them into a small crate to carry back.

We'd almost appeared out of the tunnel exit when she grabbed my wrist.

"Wait." she said, looking at me right in the eyes. Was she going to kiss me or something?- oh man, this wasn't good.

"What?" I asked.

"-...Nothing," she said, "you just got a little shmutz -" and she brushed my chin with her thumb. She stayed like that for a moment then

"C'mon, we better head back, don't want Jerky Jock to get all ansty." she said, heading into the cavern.

---

"Was the mission successful?" asked Brick upon their return.

"Well, I don't know if you'd call it a success-" began Mike.

"Here's what we got." said Anne Maria, tossing a can to Brick, who checked the label.

It was written in a language even Cameron didn't recognise and there were pictures of old people on the front.

There was a pause of silence as they considered it.

"I dunno, I mean is it really-" asked Zoey,

"-It can't be" said Mike.

"Hey, if it's old people puree then why are they smilin?" pointed out Anne Maria.

"That guy doesn't look very happy." said Brick indicating the label.

"Is he...crying?" asked Zoey.

"Grandpa?" Lighting grabbed the can, staring at it.

"They told Lightnin you went on vacation to Bora Bora!"

There was a crack sound behind them as Scott had just opened one with his shark tooth. It seemed to contain a pinkish-brown mush.

"Sha-protein!" shouted Lightning before trying to use his teeth to open the can.

"You just said that coulda been your grandpa-" remarked Anne Maria.

"He never got Lightnin any decent Christmas presents anyways." said Lightning shrugging and downing the contents of Scott's can, while Scott rolled his eyes and opened Lightning's bite-mark covered one.

After heating the cans over the bonfire they'd dug in.

When everybody had finished theirs (which involved alot of eye-shutting and nose-pinching) and Lightning had eaten his and the remains of the others' he shouted.

"Where's seconds, Tall Dude?"

"There IS no more, doctor Einstein." said Anne Maria.

"Actually, Einstein wasn't a doctor-" started Cameron,

"Nobody asked you, four-eyes." said Anne Maria.

"No...more...food?" It took about three seconds for the idea to click in Lightning's head. His eyes widened and he stood up.

"What are you doin sittin around, it's a Sha-mergency!" he yelled, and with that he ran into the lake and prepared to dunk himself under.

"What are you doing?" asked Brick half amused, half confused.

"Whats it look like? The Lightnin is goin fishin!" he said angrily.

"Right,but there aren't any fish in there." said Brick.

"Sha-yeah- Lightnin's man Scott said-" but he was cut off by a stone to the head. "Ow, bro!" he said, looking at Scott.

"Whoops, I guess I still need to work on my aim." he said, unable to hide a sneer which Lightning interpreted as a good humoured smile.

"So what's the plan of action, Captain?" he posed to Brick.

"Captain?-" asked Brick before clearing his throat, "I mean, yes, we do need to start a search for an alternate food supply."

"Which means..." asked Zoey,

"We're going hunting." stated Brick.

"Who's we?" asked Anne Maria with narrowed eyes.

"I know I normally help with the…uh- food detail but hunting's not really my-" started Mike,

"Understood." said Brick, though he wasn't sure if it was Mike's non-violent nature or some sort of plot to sneak off.

"Scott?" he asked.

"Hunting's my specialty." said Scott, which was the truth, aside from whitling and manipulation Scott could catch anything that moved.

"If Scott's in, Lightnin's in-" said Lighting, "so don't even think about sneakin a bite before Lightnin's had at it!" he said to Scott, giving him a noogie.

"We better go up to get supplies." said Brick, leading the way.

---

After trekking up the rocks to the track (the recent explosion-triggered rockfall had blocked off their usual shortcut.) they'd just crossed the track over the lake and into the tunnel that led to the exit cave. Suddenly Brick stopped short. There was a break in the track, a big one, where at both ends it tapered to a brittle and twisted stop.

"What the-" said Brick, looking from the track, to the deep chasm below, that was apparently populated by stalagmites of varying sharpness as well as a stream that trickled down to the lake.

Mike noticing, stopped too causing Zoey to trip." Woah" she said, unsteady on her feet.

"Got you," said Mike, catching her by the waist. Pulling her a little closer he added

"I..won't let you go."

"Ey, you're holdin up the line." said Anne Maria pushing forwards, before stopping short and causing Cameron to tilt sideways, so that his knees buckled and he almost fell, if it weren't for Anne Maria, who caught his wrist.

"That was close, thanks Anne!" said Cameron, pulling himself up by her tresses.

"First of all it's Anne Maria, -get it right.

Second you'd better let go of the hair-or you're gettin a one-way ticket to the bottom of this pit." she said, pointing down.

Lightning, who was running at full speed could've caused quite the domino effect if Scott hadn't slingshotted a pebble his way, making him stop to rub his forehead and exclaim, "Dude! What was that for?"

Scott pointed at Brick who was still staring at the broken track.

"Jo." he said softly, before shaking his head and hardening his expression to resolution. He stepped back, then took a leap across the too-long-gap, landing on his feet and moving quickly as the rusty track disintegrated below him. As he ran ahead he shouted back to the rest of them, "I'll be back, stay right here!"

The echoes vibrated down the walls , and a few loose bits of ceiling fell down. When the sound reached them it was confused.

"After a nap he'll be right where?" asked Zoey.

"He needs to get a map then we'll slay a deer?" suggested Mike, with slight repulsion.

"We're not under attack so there's no need to fear!" stated Cameron.

"Nah, I heard him." said Anne Maria, "He said I'll be right back- hey nice hair."

"That doesn't make any sense." said Mike.

"Oh yeah? Well your hair ain't so perfect either." retorted Anne Maria.

"He obviously said somebody drove a cart and forgot how to steer." said Scott, pointing at the twisted tracks.

"DID SOMEBODY SAY BABY-BACK RIBS?" shouted Lightning, pushing past the others and taking a running leap across.

---

"Jo!" I couldn't help myself yelling when I saw her. She was okay, she was alive! I ran up to her and hugged her, tight. She smelled like effort and sports-stretch cotton. Man did I miss that! It only lasted a moment though cause she pushed me off.

"ah What are you doing, you're getting me all wet!" she said angrily.

"Sorry, it's just- you're alive!" I said, still grinning like an idiot.

"You bet I am!" she said, turning around.

"We're getting out of here today. I can feel it in my lats." I followed her gaze and my jaw dropped when I realised what she'd been working on.

It was a gigantic stack of carts piled almost to the ceiling, right beside a staircase-like stack of crates.

"Woah.." I said, cause I couldn't find the words.

"Sha-Skyscraper!" said Lightning, climbing into the cave from the track.

It was so impressive it took me a moment to realise what she'd done. Our only way of accessing the rest of the mine was gone.

...

"How could you do this?" I asked.

"Oh, it wasn't easy-" she said smirking, "the other day Egghead brought up the problem of stacking the carts too high to stack carts on top of em- I was up for hours just thinking about it- then it hit me, stack the crates high enough and boom- it's almost high enough." she said pointing at the top."Looks like Stringbean came in handy after all, huh." she said, grinning.

"'Stringbean' almost fell off the tracks just now, why didn't you just co-ordinate your plan? Good thing they didn't try crossing- It's going to be a real task getting back there." I said frustrated.

"Uh, yeah about that gap, it's alot, uh bigger now." said Mike, followed by Cameron at the cave entrance, looking winded. "How are we getting back to the lake?" he asked.

"Details, details. Won't matter once we get outta here. Which we will." said Jo

"And if we don't, we'll just be trapped in here without food or water, Jo." I responded, facing her.

"Did you by chance miss the part where I said, we will?" asked Jo, folding her arms challengingly.

"No, I'm just saying that-"

"-We will. end of story."

"Jo-"

"What did I miss?" asked Zoey, walking in.

"Just these two are fightin as usual

'stead of makin out like normal people do (when they're obviously diggin on eachother.)" said Anne Maria with annoyance.

"I'm not-"

"-We're just-"

the two said defensively, at the same time. When they noticed the stopped and stared at eachother. After a moment's flustered silence Lightning spoke,

"Sha-akward!"

"Ugh- I don't have time for this." said Jo, pushing past him and climbing to the top of the crates.

"Hey, Svetlana, get up here. You're about the right height for this." she said, calling to Mike.

"What do you want me to do?" he asked warily.

"See that crate there, the one that's sticking out at an angle? Yeah, stand on that part and tiptoe real sharp- n' hold your arms up so I can get this last one to the top of the stack." she ordered. Mike climbed onto the precipice-like crate that jutted out. He looked down and saw a long way's drop in the narrow space between crates and carts.

"But- I can't do my Svetlana act- not now, unless...well...it's complicated." he said lamely.

Jo raised her eyebrows and even though the cave was hot Mike couldn't help feel the cold wave of suspicion that swept the room.

"He needs to feel like he's in danger," said Zoey quickly, "you know -it's like an acting trigger."

"Danger huh?" asked Jo, "Well that's easy- maybe I can give you the push you need." she said shoving him sideways so that he swayed sharply off the edge and over the deep vetical space.

"Mike!" cried Zoey.

"Svetlana!" cried Lightning.

And in this case Lightning was the one who was right, it was Svetlana who, smiling, caught herself at the last second, bent in an impossible angle and balanced on only one toe. She then stretched out long enough to nearly reach the ceiling, the other toe pointed gracefully back.

"Ta-daaa!"

"Did it check out okay for inspection?" asked Brick, "I mean- what about the base, do you think it can hold its weight in carts?" he pointed out the bottom of the stack that seemed to sink slightly into the slate of the floor.

"Everything checks out. What's the matter? You scared, Captain Quake?"

"No way, this is nothing compared to the time I scaled Cress Clifface with two incapacitated cadets slung over my backpack." said Brick, taking the bait.

"And one incontinent cadet under it." said Jo.

"Agh-I told you I do not-"

"Yeah yeah," said Jo, "Keep your pants on, Brickhouse."

Jo heaved the cart that was atop the pile of crates so that Svetlana could give it a final lift to the top of the stack, which she seemed to do with unearthly effortlessness.

Lightning stood staring with his mouth open until Jo called him out,

"Hey, Muscle Head, why don't you quit staring and get up here -and while you're at it help me push this eyesore out of the way." she said, pointing at the tree trunk which blocked their way of escape.

Lightning charged to the top of the stack, eyes still on Svetlana.

"You too, Sergeant Scaredeypants." called Jo.

"Well when you put it like that-" said Brick, folding his arms.

"Fine. Scott?" said Jo.

"Hey! I didn't say no-" said Brick, climbing the crates to take his place beside Jo.

"Just can't stay away, huh" said Jo, smirking. Brick rolled his eyes.

The three of them started ramming themselves against the trunk.

"Wait, Jo- it doesn't make sense to move the tree by applying force vertically," said Cameron, "it's got too much length, mass and leverage!" he said, drawing lines in the air.

"So what do I do?" asked Jo impatiently.

"Don't push up- find the niche and roll it over!" answered Cameron.

"Roll. Got it." said Jo.

---

SCOTT

They were on a roll. Things were working out way too well. At this rate they'd be out of here and I'd be out of a million buckaroos. But where ever there was a will thee was a wa-a-ait a minute- what was that sparkling silver over there. One of Zoey's 'knitting needles.' A smile crept across my face. That gave me an idea.

---

BRICK

Cameron was correct- it was moving, little by little the trunk was moving, just a foot or two more and we'd all be outside safe and sound and not in the dark. The light was already on us, I could see it in Jo's eyes, it was like she was reaching for the Sun. She was smiling, and I was smiling and she was smiling back and Lightning was using the side of his head to push the trunk and my hands were on hers and we exerted our efforts to the same one end.

---

CAMERON

We were all staring up and I think everyone forgot how hungry we were cause we just wanted out so bad. The tiny patch of light had turned into a small half-moon that I imagined I could fit through. If we were going to make a dash for the exit I'd need my medications.I turned to get them, and that's when I saw the tip of one of Zoey's needles Scott was unscrewing the planks of a crate. The planks that kept the crate crate that was supporting the entire structure. In the shadow of the stack he was out of view of the rest of them, but I saw. I dropped the pill bottle. He looked up sharply.

Needless to say I was terrified. And then he did the most terrifying thing, pulling out the last screw, he grinned at me.

First there was a jolt. A crushing sound as one crate collapsed in on itself then another as the two beside it buckled from the shift in pressure. Brick's eyes widened as the tower swayed dangerously to the left then dipped. Both Jo and Brick held onto the cart while the whole thing was in freefall, Jo jumping off the side and Brick tuck-and-rolling out as it hit the ground. Cameron was picking up his pill bottle when a crate fell from above but Mike, well Svetlana, was prancing around the room in elaborate high-jumps. Zoey had a close scrape between two carts that slammed dowm on either side of her."Ah!" she gasped. Mike came to and whipped around. "Zoey?!" he called out. There was a shout as the crate came crashing down onto the spot where Cameron was, or had been, Anne Maria had shoved him out of the way, and had to duck to the side so fast that her heel bent and broke. "My shoe!" she yelled furiously, along with some other words. Lightning was still holding on, with one arm gripping the rocky edge of the gap, looking desperately down.

---

LIGHTNING

Here Lightnin was about to take the fall and nobody was there to catch him, and if Lightnin died his football career'd be over! Lightnin had to hold on but the Lightnin was sweatin and his hand was slippin like babyback ribs fall off the bone. So this was how the Lightnin was gonna die, hungry and with nobody to- hey, there was Lightnin's man Scott, but why was he standing off in the corner like that...just- watchin.

"Hey, bro! Lightnin needs a hand!" yelled Lightnin, tryin not to look too lame.

---

SCOTT

Oh great. Now I needed to stop the quarterback from breaking his back. I was trying to lay low over here but then he looked at me with that desperate doofus look and I ended up doing exactly what I didn't wanna. Rocks from the ceiling were falling everywhere and I had to keep stepping over the crates and running around the carts and he kept dropping lower and I wanted to yell just quit it already ya moron, how hard is it to hold on for just a second?!

But then I noticed something else. I had decided I needed to get the short one off my scent since he caught me screwing with that crate, and now I had my chance. Looks like Cameron's dropped his meds. I thought. And what kind of guy would I be if I didn't pick em up for him. I hopped over a crate to get it. Perfect. I thought, pocketing it.

"Bro!" shouted Lance. I snapped back and saw him lose his grip. His eyes were wide and he grabbed the air pointlessly while he fell. Then I did something I never did. I tried.

I scrambled over some shrapnel to get across, but there was no use. I did something else I never did. I failed.

---

"Aghhh!" shouted Lightning, slamming painfully on his knees on the slate floor. He gripped it sorely.

"Lightnin's knee!"

"Cameron, buddy, you okay?" asked Mike over Cameron, who had landed on his head.

"Mom, is that you? What happened to your hair?" asked Cameron dizzily before falling unconscious.

"Sha-agony!" shouted Lightning, eyes screwed tight.

"All right people shake it off, we're taking this from the top." said Jo, dusting off her elbows.

"Hey Bigmouth," said Anne Maria, getting up, "did you miss the part where we almost became floor pizza?"

"Jo, you've just injured two teammates- one of which could've been killed." said Brick pointing at Lightning.

"What- he's fine, you're fine, right?" said Jo.

"Nnnhhhh" groaned Lightning, still holding his knee.

"What?" asked Jo.

"Nnnhh!" he said again, biting his tongue to make sure there was nothing that could be mistaken for waterworks.

"-He says he's not." said Scott, annoyed.

"You said you checked it out!" said Brick eyeing Jo angrily.

"I did!" said Jo, "It was a fluke! " now she was glaring at him.

"First of all we need to regroup before even thinking about trying something like that again-" said Brick, gesticulating.

"We wait: we starve to death." said Jo, with arms folded.

Brick went on ignoring her interruption.

"-second. How are we going to build a sturdy structure out of broken crates-" he indicated the room at large.

"If we just hurry up this time it won't matter if-" started Jo

"-and third." said Brick, "Look at the ceiling Jo," he said, pointing at the cracked ceiling above, at which Jo didn't even spare a glance,

"if we try that again, it just might collapse on top of us." finished Brick.

"Or, we just might get out in time instead of dying waiting around." said Jo sharply. Then she looked up at the light that flooded down from the gap and spoke softer, addressing Brick.

"Come on, Cadet. Can't you see it?"

"I..." started Brick, looking from the tiny patch of blue sky down to where they reflected in Jo's blue eyes that were looking at him searchingly.

"...don't." ended Brick.

"You look up and see another way out Jo, take a look down and see what it's cost you." he pointed at the room. Lightning was lying curled in pain, Cameron was unconscious. Mike was prying Zoey out from between two carts. "You want to get out, so you're pushing everybody, but you can't push people this hard without breaking them. Well I'm through getting pushed around. And I think everybody else wants a break from it too.

"So what, you're all going to quit on me?" asked Jo incredulously.

"Don't take this the wrong way but, you jeopardized my boyfriend's life- and that's really not okay!" said Zoey.

"Boyfriend?" asked Mike hopefully.

"Mhm." said Zoey.

"You broke my heel, you crazy broad!" shouted Anne Maria, shaking her fist.

"Next time you decide to gamble, maybe you should just put your neck on the line. Go ahead an take that the wrong way, I don't give a-"

"Sha-Jeez! Y'all are just pathetic. Lightnin ain't about to quit on his man, Joe! Sure he's tough- but if that's what it takes to get you losers to get Lightnin out of here then Lightnin says Joe is the man with the plan."

Suddenly Jo grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him slightly off the ground.

"Listen Sparky, now I'm going to say it, loud enough to get through that dense skull of yours. I am NOT a guy, Got it?" she said through gritted teeth.

"Quit talkin crazy, dude! Lightnin's eyes do not deceive! And if you ain't a dude, then how come you're all muscle and sideburns stead of lipstick and miniskirts, you know, like a girl'd be!" said Lightning perkily.

"grrr...You're dead, Meathead!" shouted Jo, rearing back her fist,

"What'd Lightnin sa-" started Lightning befo9re getting hit one heck of a mean punch that landed him right in the eye.

"-Ow!" he said, falling back to the ground "Lightnin down! Lightnin down!"

"Whadya do that for?" asked a notable ticked-off Scott.

"This is what Lightnin gets for stickin up for his-" said Lightning, sitting up and opening his bruised eye, "wait a sec, what'd you do to my man, Joe, angry girl?" he asked peering at Jo, who grunted and pushed past him..

Brick got up and headed towards the tracks. The rest of them started to follow, except for Jo who stood bolted to her position in the middle of the cave.

"What, so now you're going with him?" she said.

"It's nothing personal," said Zoey uneasily, "but I'm less scared of Brick, so-"

"Yeah, your attitude stinks." said Mike.

"Lightning's been betrayed by a girl!" shouted Lightning.

"Ha, She got you good!" said Anne Maria with her hands on her knees.

"Sha-please! Lightnin can take a punch from any guy- let alone a girl." he said, springing up and wincing with the weight on his leg.

"You can't walk out on me!"shouted Jo.

"Psh. You kiddin me?" asked Anne Maria, "I'd run if you hadn't just busted up my 50 dollar heels."

"Fine! Go ahead! But don't come crying to me when your plans go down the tubes!" said Jo, folding her arms and turning away so she didn't have to see them leave.

---

BRICK

"So what's the plan, Captain?" asked Scott somewhere behind me. I turned around. I still felt an empty ache in my ribcage that I knew had only one cause.

"Those of you who can, help me bridge the track."

"With what?" asked Mike.

"We can use the strips of wood from off this crate, and use the nails to attach them lengthways. Then we can put three in a row. That way it'll be long enough to cover the gap, but strong enough to carry our weight, well,as long as nobody runs." he glanced over at Lightning, who didn't look up to much running or even walking.

"I have another plan for escape, in a part of the mine that's not so risky. Now it might take a while, but if we find a way to get back and we work on the wall of rock nearest the elevator lifts- we might be able to do this before sundown tomorrow."

---

After fashioning some decent weapons out of shrapnel from the fall, planks with nails, sharpened splints and a large club Lightning had made from a stalagmite he'd pulled out of the ground, the hunt had begun.

Torch in hand Brick descended into the lower tunnels with Anne Maria Lightning and Scott, whose creeping sense of unease heightened with every step they took closer to the exit. His exit.

---

SCOTT

There had to be some way to get Mister Mission out of charge. Luckily he'd be easier to sway than Jo.

"Oh man! Dumb Scott – I forgot my slingshot back at the cave!" I said.

"Real specific- in case you haven't noticed there are caves all over da place." Said Anne Maria rolling her eyes.

"You should just leave me behind, I'll just hold everything back." Said Scott, slumping away sadly.

"No, of course not. We're a team, and nobody gets left behind on my watch." said Brick forcefully.

" I'll go get the tooth and you can wait here," he left, signaling to halt.

He headed back up the tunnel to the lake cavern and disappeared.

---

SCOTT

I grabbed the torch.

Sparky started groaning "Lightnin is tired o waitin-" he said, "When are we gettin that grub? he said, rubbing his hands together.

"Brick just said to wait." said Anne Maria

"Look at the guy, he's starving!" I said, putting my hand on Lightning's shoulder. "Brick'll probably be glad we went anyways."

"Whatevs." she said. "How are we doin this?"

"Lightnin's got an idea!" said Lightning, rubbing his hands together.

"Well dere's a first time for everythin, isn't there." said Anne Maria, lookin over at me.

---

ANNE MARIA

Why is it that one minute Freckles has a whole nice-guy thing goin on, and then every now an then he's, I dunno more like a real person- the kind o guy who can recognise a chance for a laugh, who knows how to kick back- who ain't just some kind of panicky do-gooder workaholic.

I didn't know what to make of that guy- but I decided to keep an eye on him.

Lightning had run off and veered into a tunnel further away. Scott was almost nervous until he noticed a familiar smell that told him he was far enough from his exit. The smell got stronger and they ened up outside a dank cave.

"Sha-Scorpions!"" said Lightning staring inside the cave.

When we caught up there weren't no scorpions around. But then Lightnins voice vibrated on the walls and they stated crawlin out from everywhere. And wouldn't ya know it he started hittin em with the dull end of the pickaxe. He got a few but then when he bent down to pick em up more started comin and crawlin up his arm. "Ow! "Ow!"he said gettin stung hard a couple times.""Stay still so the Lightnin can kill you!"

Soon the whole floor was covered in em and we backed away.

"Not a good idea, doofus, said Scott kicking down a barrel so it fell between us and the scorpions. But obviously the Lightnin wasn't gonna give up so easy.

---

LIGHTNING

Lightnin's man Scott threw down that barrel, which gave the Lightnin an idea! Lightnin hopped onto it and started runnin- fast. The barrel was rollin now and Lightnin pretended to lose his balance a couple times (you know, to keep the audience in suspense!)

Those scorpions didn't stand a chance against the Lightnins barrel-rollin sha-skills! Lightnin could hear their pathetic bodies crunchin beneath him. Lightnin turned around- now he was doin it in reverse! Lightnin couldn't tell who was swoonin harder , Orange Girl or Scott.

In no time Lightnin had crushed every last one, and the ones who were too chicken to face the Lightnin all ran away- back to their loser scorpion mamas!

Lightnin hopped off the barel and picked up a scorpion between two planks, holding it like giant chopsticks.

Scott held out his torch and Lightning scorched the thing until it sizzled. "You're not actually gonna-" started Anne Maria before Scott tore off a piece and ate it.

"nope, ya did." she ended.

"Not bad..." said Scott before snapping off a leg. Lightning chomped off the tail end, stinge and all.

"Spicy!" he said, smiling. Scott held out a piece for Anne Maria.

"Ew, like I'm eatin dat! I'll stick to starvin to death, thanks."

"More for Lightnin!" said Lightning, finishing one and picking up more until he had a pile of them in his arms.

Scott aimed his slingshot at him

Hey! The Lightnin was savin some for you! said Lightning quickly.

"I'm not gonna- ch, just duck, you doofus."

he said and he let loose a stone that hit something on the ceiling, something which screeched and landed with a thud. Anne Maria poked it with her splint.

"Dat's one ugly duck." she said.

Scott grabbed the splint and speared it before swiping it through the flame of the torch.

Lightning took a bite.

"Gravy-y!" he said before eating the rest.

"Isn't that the wishbone?" pointed out Scott.

"It is? Sha-score!,Lightnin wishes for more bats." Said Lightning.

"Or you could wish for us gettin out of here sometime before November." Snarked Anne Maria.

"Ya cant say it out loud -thats bad luck." Said Scott.

"Bro! Bad luck can't touch the Lightnin!" Said Lightning, before a wad of bat guano landed on his shoulder.

"Sha-nasty!" he said, wiping it off while Scott and Anne Maria snickered.

"You die first." said Lightning narrowing his eyes at the bat directly above him.

Comin right up! said Scott, taking aim.

---

ANNE MARIA

After about a hour o dis (with those two sickos gettin nothin anybody'd wanna touch with a four foot fork) I decided I had enough.

Could we just find somethin to eat that doesn't make me wanna clamp my mouth shut?

"Whats the matter girl, you on one o them sissy protein free diets?" asked Lightning. He held a bat-on-a-stick in her direction and I pushed it away with disgust.

"Yeah, or maybe she's just chicken." said Scott, smirking

Man I could go for some o dat right about now. Chicken fingers like the kind they served next to the arcade- with mozerella sticks and fries and about a gallon of fresco soda.

I hadn't had anythin to eat in like a million hours. Suddenly somethin streaked across the tunnel so fast I barely caught a glimpse.

It was pale and small, maybe a pig? Nah- how'd a pig be able to get into this dump?

I walked down the tunnel. I could hear its footsteps Where you goin girl? asked Ligthtnin I just kept goin after it, I think it rounded a corner so I did too. Man this was hard to do in messed up heels, my feet were killin me but I sped up anyways. Somethin about bringin back the bacon and seein the look on foureyes' face, somethin about the runnin itself, you know? Gettin closer every step, turnin right left, thinkin quick and runnin quicker. It felt like the wind was messin up my hair but I didn't even care cause I knew I was gonna get that little whatever it was good.

It ran down a side tunnel and I followed. It was completely dark here. And even kinda cold. I took a step but had to shuffle back quick cause the ground was cumblin there and the stones were fallin down. Way down. I heard the thing stop runnin, it was obviously nowhere to go and there was nothin between us but a botomless pit and a little bit o walkway. It turned and I saw its big eyes glowin yellow in the dark.

I leaned back flat against the wall so I could walk across without fallin off the edge. My heels were on the ground but the tips of my toes weren't on anything. Some more pebbles fell loose. I made sure not to look down.

It was scary as hell, like a ferris wheel except the scary didn't just last for five seconds. I was around a quarter through when the wall started to lean forwards, great, now I had to look down.

It was dak down there. Real dark. Probably kill ya to fall down there. Probably kill ya the moment you hit the bottom. My heel was wobblin like crazy- I swayed but I caught myself just in time to grab onto the wall with one hand and hold out the other to try to balance.

I closed my eyes an kept goin. It was dead quiet. I imagined I was just takin a walk on the sea wall. Maybe at night, real late when everyone was either too drunk or too tired to keep dancin, some kid set up an illegal bonfire an somebody who could play was tryin out some guitar songs real slow-like.

And people just sit around in the sand and the only light was ripplin off the water all blue.

Hurk

The thing made a sound. I opened my eyes, I made it!

Wooh! Oh yeah! Who's goin down? Not me, not today! Nuh-uh, who's your daddy!

It blinked twice and then the stupid thing bit me!

Ow! Then it ran away while I grabbed my ankle and hopped on one foot.

"Oh you are so gonna be dinner." I said,and I went after it. Now it was cornered. Nowhere to go.

It backed up and I knew I had it, but then it disappeared- like it squeeezed through a hole in the wall!

Cripes! I said, poundin the wall with my fist. Wait a sec, was it hollow?

I hit it again, it was some kind of cave on the other side blocked off with a slab o rock.

There's gotta be a way to open this up.

This'd be a good time for Cameron to show up with his whole 'let's solve it with science' kick. Wait a sec, one o his ideas was givin me an idea.

I tore the bracket off the wall and hooked it into the crack. I pulled it but it bent. No good.

I saw something further away, a pickaxe. I dug it behind the boulder and pushed it, hard. There was some rumblin and the boulder started to move away from the wall- bam, leverage, just like dat.

It was abouut enough for me to squeeze though, I stopped pushin but the rumblin didn't. Actually sounded more like snorin..from the other side of the rock. No, growlin. An it was loud.

How many of those pig things were there?

Unless...

I edged in close and leaned to look inside.

Next thing I knew I was eye to eye, or more like eye to teeth with the biggest mutated giant mole-thing I ever saw. Behind it was the small one from before lookin all smug.

GRRRRRRRRR

It came at me all of a sudden, snapped its teeth shut where my head was a second before.

"Yikes!" I said, pullin away.

I leaned with my back to the rock, tryina push it back but the thing was pushin harder.

Oh crap oh crap oh crap I said runnin all frantic. I heard a cash behind me and it sounded the rock had blasted away an landed into the pit. It growled again, I could almost feel its breath hot on my heels. I I don't know how I made it across that ledge the second time but all I remember is not lookin down and not lookin back.

---

JO

I wandered off while everyone else had gone...elsewhere. I wasn't used to wandering- usually I moved with purpose...but without leadership I didn't have much of a purpose anyways. Brick had seen to that.

For a second back there I thought he was on board with my new plan- they way he looked at me when we were so close- (to getting out of there I mean). I thought he finally appreciated my strong leadership. I should've took my own advice and escaped alone- my way- stead of trying to get everyone involved- which ended up being a mess. You can't blame me for their lack of co-ordination.
It wasn't my fault, so I'm a little tough. You can lead a team to victory but you can't expect things to stay all chummy. I knew that one by heart. Then why'd it feel so bad to see them ditch me and follow him? Without even hesitating...

I ended up in a low-ceilinged cave full of stuff. Broken stuff- mostly pickaxes. Reminded me of something the cadet said. He was saying I treated everyone like tools. So maybe I played a couple weaknesses. So maybe I used a few strengths to convenience. The same ones who were whining about their injuries- wouldn't they all be thanking me when we got out of here?

It wasn't like I hated them cause they fell short in the skill of survival. It wasn't like I didn't care whether they lived or died- (that was the whole point of getting out!) It wasn't like I couldn't be nice. Heck, I'm the best nice...person- type..thing I know!

But he wanted me to be nice.

Nobody respects nice. Nobody listens to nice. And nice doesn't get you out of deathtraps.

I would never know now. They were ready to jump when he said jump- and they were probably all smiles about it too. He was probably with em right now, having the time of his life now he could finally act out his Troop Leader McArthur fantasy. Of course dragging me through the mud for it didn't make him the bad guy.

No, that was me. I was heartless.

I wished I was- then I wouldn't feel so at home in this room full of stupid broken useless junk.

---

CAMERON

I was dizzy and lightheaded. So many things had happened this morning, but I had the nauseating feeling it had something to do with my lack of medication and the spore inhalation of the other day. I didn't have my bottle of pills, I remembered picking it up but, my memory was blurry and just trying to remember hut my head. I must've dropped them...

The one thing did stand out, was the image of Scott loosening the screws of the base crate, deliberately compromising the structural integrity of Jo's tower. I knew there was something suspicious about him, but why would he do something to thwart our escape? I couldn't figure it out, but keeping my eye out for him was going to be very difficult now ...I could hardly keep... my eyes open.

"Cameron!" called Zoey, running over to me. I seemed to be on the ground.

"You okay man?" asked Mike, offering me a hand.

"Mushrooms!" I said, pointing out a few that sprung up between a rock and the cavern wall.

"Hey, yeah" said Zoey kneeling to take a look.

"Rhodocollybia maculata." to be exact. I indicated the brown spots on them.

"Spotted Toughshank! They're the kind that's safe to eat." said Mike.

"You read Ezwhich's Encyclopedia of Fungii too?" I asked with suprise.

"Um, no...but I did earn a plant identification patch back when I was in the Junior Park Rangers." replied Mike.

"These shouldn't go to waste," I said picking them up.

"We could have them with whatever the others bring back." said Zoey, "although something tells me it won't exactly be-"

"Bats on a stick, Zoey." said Mike, They're going to come back here with bats on a stick."

"Oh yuck, no way...even Lightning wouldn't eat that even if it is protein" said Zoey in an impression of Lightning's pitchy voice.

"Oh yeah?" said Mike, "Well twelve bucks says he will."

"You're on." said Zoey.

"Well, I'm off." I said, getting up and starting to clamber up the rocky slope that led to the tracks. Or at least attempting to, the ledges were so high.

"Woah woah woah, you're not going up there," said Mike blocking my way.

"I've got to get my pill bottle." I said, reaching for the ledge. It was so high up, high and spinning and-

"Cameron!" said Zoey again, I was on the ground again. That was happening alot lately. For a second I thought my glasses had fallen off before I realised my vision was just extremely unclear.

The next thing I knew Mike was picking me up and laying me out onto a flat-topped rock.

"You're not going anywhere." said Mike and before I could protest he said, "I'll get it, just stay here and no more going exploring" he said, and just like that he'd headed up the rocky slope to the tracks. He turned around again and added, "and don't move" in the process stumbling backwards over a rock and shooting back up again.

Well, I was already started on the not moving part. I closed my eyes and blacked out.

When I woke up my forehead was burning, my eyesight was cloudy and it felt like my chest was in a mideival clamp device. I could hardly breathe and I was sweltering. This cave felt like an oven and I couldn't move. I felt heavy or like a candle that'd melted and stuck to the rock. I pulled myself to sitting.

"Want some water?" asked Zoey, she'd just come back from the spring high up in the wall we used as a sort of tap.

"Thanks." I tried to say, but no sound came out. My throat had seized up and it felt like I was being choked.

Zoey winced and laid me back down. "When you lose your voice you're supposed to lie down. Or was it stand on your head- no, wait that's hiccups..." pondered Zoey before looking at me apologetically. I made something out in the distance.

"Mike?" I said, or tried to say. He was sitting hunched over on a rock and he looked upset.

"I couldn't find your tablets," said Mike. "I'm sorry I-"

"It's no problem-" I tried to say. He looked sort of sad. I knew that look, like he thought I was good as dead.

I looked up at the ceiling, the track, it was broken again, even worse this time.

"I broke it." said Mike, "by accident, but..."

---

ZOEY

I didn't actually see when Mike broke the track, but how did he manage to do it anyways? Brick had screwed it together solid- all of us were able to cross, even though it took a while for Scott to get across...something about fixing his shoelaces so he wouldn't trip and risk any of us falling. Poor guy, he seemed so...so selfless, always acting all concerned about everyone- going off all the time to find a way out, hardly touching his food, and trying to warn me and Anne Maria about what he thought about Mike.

I was starting to wonder who to believe. I mean everything in my head told me Scott was right...breaking the track, sneaking off, avoiding anything to do with his MPD, and Anne Maria have this look on her face after they'd gone off together this morning.

But something else told me Mike was Mike, and he was different- good different. I guess, things never worked out for me with stuff like this...aw but everything was going so perfect! Except for the whole slow agonizing death thing- Mike was just so confusing- there were times like when he stands so close and how he looked so cute that my knees start knocking, then there were times that he just gave you this strange feeling like he's hiding something, like part of him was in shadow and you could only see a part of him- it was so weird...

The others were coming back- I knew I might'nt get another chance at this.

"Mike," I said pointing at the exit tunnel, "walk with me?"

He smiled and got up. Here goes, I thought.

LIGHTNING

Lightnin and his man Scott were headin back to the lake with lunch when Orange Girl came runnin down the tunnel. Girl didn't stop in time and crash tackled into the Lightnin, knockin him off his feet and everythin.

"Watch out girl, you tryina kill the Li-" The Lightnin stopped and looked up at Pretty Girl, and she was lookin at Lightnin too. Lightnin knew he was gonna say somethin important but right now but believe it or not there was nothin in Lightnin's mind! Girl's hair was all over the place, and her lips were parted cause she was breathin like she was scared or..somethin. Lightnin realised somethin- Pretty Girl was Sha-gorgeous! Lightnin tried to say somethin, somethin cool. The ladies love cool.

"Uh-" Lightnin said while he got up. Aw man, that was the opposite of cool, fool!

"Are you just gonna stand there starin or are ya gonna help me up?" asked Pretty Girl, pickin herself up anyways.

Lightnin shook his head.

"Woah girl, you hit like a pro- which doesn't make much sense since you're a girl!" said Lightning, smilin. Pretty Girl didn't smile, she was angry at Lightnin!

"Well they taught a jackass to talk so i guess anything's possible." she said, walkin off ahead of us.

"what'd Lightning say?" Lightning asked his main man, Scott.

"I dunno." said Scott, "...chicks."

"Oh no, Lightnin's not givin up that easily!" said the Lightnin, joggin ahead.

"this is one guy who ain't joinin your team anytime soon!"

"Team?" asked Scott raisin his eyebrow. "wha- ahhhgg -I'm not,- I don't like- ah forget it." he said, followin the Lightnin, draggin his feet like always.

---

CAMERON

I lay there holding onto a tin can that Zoey'd fixed up with a string of twine so it was connected with another one that she'd taken with them. Mike told me to tap it twice if I needed something- but I'd be fine, and anyway I figured he was finally about to breach the subject of his MPD with Zoey- so I didn't want to distract him. They were just about to head out when Lightning sped in followed by Scott and Anne Maria, holding up what looked like a giant burnt bat-kebab.

"See! What'd I say?" asked Mike.

"Okay fine, so you were right." said Zoey, poking him.

"You know the rules, pay up." said Mike.

"Aw sorry, I left my cash in that other abandoned mine." said Zoey with a shrug.

"Are you losers gonna eat or what?" asked Lightning, clearly annoyed that no-one had appreciated his efforts.

"Um...maybe later?" said Zoey not wanting to hurt his feelings but looking wearily at the 'meal'

"Speakin of food, what's eatin this guy?" asked Lightning pointing his thumb at me.

"Just a bout of pulmonary malaise triggered by spore ninhalation and reduced immune function." I said clearly, from the blank looks on their faces even if they could hear me they probably wouldn't have understood.

"He's sick." said Mike.

"Well yeah," said Lightning, "That's whatchya get for overdoin it at lunch, kid."

"I had half a can of mystery meat." I said.

"Sha-yeah, half a can Lightnin coulda used to refuel from all this work!" he yelled, waving around the bats on a stick.

I was suddenly nauseous. I bent double leaning over the rock and was sick all over the floor.

"Dude! Lightnin's sneaks!" said Lightning angrily jumping out of the way.

"Give the guy a break," said Mike, pulling me up and handing me the tin of water, "he doesn't have his meds so he could die!"

Then he realised what he said and cringed "I mean-"

"Die?" repeated Lightning loudly.

Mike was embarassed for the outburst and I tried to mouth 'It's okay, I'll be fine."

MIKE

"So...what'd you wanna talk about?" I asked after about a minute of walking down an empty tunnel.

"Um-" said Zoey.

"Hey, wait- I know this really cool spot." I said, leading he down a side tunnel to the cave Cameron had shown me earlier.

"Oh wow!" said Zoey, looking around at the tiny specks of light above. Her eyes were full of that blue and I couldn't stand just watching anymore now we were alone. I stepped closer and held her hand.

"Mike..." she said, pulling away. What was wrong? I unconsciously held her hand tighter.

"I was wondering if...you'd tell me a little more about your multiple personality complex." said Zoey, looking up at me.

"Disorder." I corrected.

"Oh...sorry," she said looking down and wrining her bangles.

"No, that's- that's okay-" I said reaching out to brush a stray strand of hair from in front of her eyes.

"I've actually never heard somebody say it like that, usually 'disorder's' the part people stress..." I admitted.

She looked at me curiously then she spoke quickly like she'd been bottling up something for a long time.

"How'd you get your MPD?" the question startled me and I blinked at her.

"I mean- you said it was something that happened to you..."

"Oh, that..." I said. Suddenly I was terrified. It felt like I was under a gigantic spotlight when she looked at me like that. I really wanted to tell her so things would be okay again- but what if they weren't? What if after she knew how easy I was to break- how broken I was...What if she'd leave?

My brain was going back and forth and I felt like I was on a timer and I was going to explode. I was losing control, I felt Chester getting nearer with every second.

Then I remembered Scott and his deal- how soon I'd be able to tell Zoey that- that there was nothing to tell! That I was a normal guy and I could protect her from all the scary stuff without anybody's help- me, Mike. I could finally be alone with her, nobody else.

"There's nothing to tell." I said, "Long story short I got hypnotized by my old acting teacher, Vorzana but don't worry about it, I'm going to get it reversed so this whole MPD thing will be history." I said.

"So, you and your teacher…are you close?" asked Zoey, looking at me weird.

"I guess you could say I keep tabs on her, yeah!" I said.

"Oh..." she said. For a minute she didn't say anything or look at me. She was looking into one of the reflective pools of cave-water.

"What were you and Anne Maria talking about earlier?" she asked suddenly.

"Nothing!" I said too quickly. Did Zoey think I would- that I would ever..? I realised I sounded defensive so I tried adding casually,

"Uh, canned goods mostly. You wanna head back?" I pointed to the tunnel outside.

"Yeah...I think that would be good." she said and she trailed off, looking at the ground.

---

ZOEY

He was walking just a foot away from me, but why'd I have the funny feeling I was totally alone. Scott was right. Anne Maria was right. Why was everyone always right when they said I got things wrong?

Love makes you naiive, that's how the song goes. But I knew it was just stupid me being clueless as usual, wanting to believe that somebody really liked me, somebody who I was really starting to-

Love stinks. That's how the song should go.

Gone, everything was gone, all the feeling had left and I was cold inside 's weird how when you're cold all the time, you're used to it. But after you feel that first hint of warmth come and go, the cold is just that much more unbearable. Mike was like the weed that wrapped itself around my heart, and I guess I should've known from the first- that he'd crush it to pieces. The kind of pieces that were too small to fix with a craft kit and a tube of sticky-stick.

SCOTT

I finally got a chance to ditch the others. Sparky was busy workin out by the lake and Miss Thing was off fixing her hair.

I decided to check on my exit, see if maybe the coast was clear. I'd go back to Chris' place and make sure they knew what I thought of their stinkin plot.

I looked out of the hole into the light.

The coast was definiteley not clear, the shark was right there, wait a second...was he-?

I walked a little closer. Sharky was layin on the ground, belly-up with his mouth open. Those teeth sure looked sharp, musta been about a hundred of em. Make that ninety-nine, seein as he was missin one of em, the one I had in my back pocket.

I looked closer. The doofus had a tranq dart stuck in his side, except it was green stead of red. Chef must've finally taken the stupid shark out for good. Well, at least he was good for something. It was quiet out here...too quiet.

I heard a rustle in the bushes. For a second I got that feeling you get right before somebody jumps outta the bushes and shoots ya in the foot with a tranquilizer gun. But then I saw a guy walkin through the woods who I didn't recognise and I hid behind the nearest tree. He was talking and I thought he'd seen me, but he was talking on a phone.

"What do you mean, Milton- she's just a kid- put her to bed, buy her a convertible or something, we don't need any distractions. I assure you everything will go according to plan. I can't say no-one will get hurt, but if they do, I won't be to blame." he stopped walking very close to where I was.

"Yes, yes. Goodbye." he said and hung up. Suddenly he spoke aloud.

"What are you doing in the bushes, Mr. Hatchet?" asked the man.

"Uh, I was just gettin rid of our shark problem." said Chef.

"Hm, I see. And is it dead or just paralyzed?" asked the man.

"Dead." said Chef.

"Alright, well I notice the exit to the mine is still open, anyone could just wander out, and we don't want that do we?" he said slowly.

"Uh, nope.." answered Chef.

"Good. So hurry up and seal it shut." said the man. He started walking away, his boots were loud and heavy.

I looked out from behind the tree to get a good look. He stopped all of a sudden.

"And..." he said, "While you're at it, kill the shark properly, would you? I can hear its pulse from here."

He picked something up off the ground and tossed it to Chef before walking off.

Something that glinted in the sunlight.

My pennknife!

---

LIGHTNING

Lightnin was just hangin back and workin out, which usually was great! But Glasses Dude was a lame audience-lyin around makin little cryin noises in his sleep. At first Lightnin wanted to smack some sense into him- but then Lightnin thought about the time the same thing happened to his dog back when he was a puppy. Lightnin had just brought him home from this place where they make champion dogs ('for champion kids' said Lightnin's dad) and not loser dogs like you find in the pound. Lightnin was sittin in the car thinkin about all the fun stuff we were gonna do together but right after Lightnin got home the dog started cryin and whinin and it wouldn't even eat its delicious protein-packed bacon strips, even after Lightnin showed him how! Lightnin felt bad, like he was losin a best bro- then Lightnin came home from school and his dog was gone, and a new one was there, they looked mostly the same but Lightnin could tell the difference. Lightnin could see really close stuff back then.

Lightnin asked his dad where his dog was and his dad said he was on vacation in Bora Bora. Lightnin didn't believe that, but Lightnin's dad would never lie to Lightnin! So Lightnin named New Dog 'The Truth!'

Lightnin already loved First Dog but he decided to leave Lightnin, so Lightnin decided he would love second dog like if he was two dogs- that's math! Lightnin knows cause Lightning is smart, even though sometimes Lightnin got the feelin everybody thought he was stupid. Back then Lightnin was just Lance, and lance wasn't smart or good at nothin, Lance was seriously a loser! Then Lightnin earned his name and title when he became QB in freshman year- Lightnin ran so fast everybody had to look. Even Lightnin's dad started lookin at Lightnin different. Now with Lightnin people didnt care if he couldnt do complicated quatriple equations and area of a sqaure or all of that, Lightnin realised all that mattered in a man was sports, and if you were good at them you had it made, girls like you boys wanna be you -if you were bad at them well you got beat up. Nobody cared about Lightnin's dumb grades- scores were the only numbers that mattered. For the first time in Lightnin's life today somebody wasn't a fan o Lightnin. Red Hair Girl was all tellin Lightnin he's selfish. Sha-please! Lightnin wasn't selfish.

Lightnin used to help take care of his momma after she got sick. Lightnin was only five and he used to sit on her bed and bring her suppliment drinks. It was weird cause before she got sick Lightnin's mom used to bring Lightnin his cocoa to his bed (She always put an extra scoop in so Lightnin'd grown up big an strong).

Lightnin don't exactly remember everythin about her, even when Lightnin tries- Lightnin remembers her sayin stuff like "Close your eyes and say night night, Lance." And how Lightnin would ask her to stay and read him a story. And how Lightnin would pretend he couldn't read so his momma would stay longer. She would always smile at the Lightnin like she knew he was pretendin. But one time Lightnin heard his dad's voice whisperin to her in the hall when they thought he was sleepin.

"I told you the kid ain't too smart- just another reason we gotta get him into sports! Good thing he's got his dad's fast feet." said my dad.

Lightnin stopped tryin to read after that, the words were gettin blurry anyways. Lightnin liked to hear his momma's voice. He could always remember it, even though he couldn't remember her face so clearly. Lightnin's doctor started talkin bout blah blah blah degenerative condition blah blah blah corrective lenses, but then Lightnin started learnin to play football and his dad said glasses were just gonna affect his game. Sometimes Lightnin felt like his dad only cared about what Lightnin did while he was on a football green, and after that Lightnin was invisible. One time Lightnin found some of his dad's old pictures and found out they used to call his dad Thunder Thorton and Lightnin realised if his dad was happy playin football then his dad probably just wanted to make Lightnin happy the way he was. As long as there was a game on TV or at the stadium they'd have somethin to talk about. Lightnin remembered the last time they talked about somethin else, it was right after mom died. Lightnin was sittin in the car on the way to the hospital after kindegarten.

"How come mom's not comin home today like she promised?" Lightnin asked his dad.

"Lance...your momma's not coming back home..." he said, and he wasn't lookin at me he was just starin at the road with his hands on the wheel. "..she- she's dead, son."

Nobody every told Lightnin what that word meant, but the way he said it I...I knew he meant she was gone.

"W-Why's she dead, daddy?" I asked him, cryin my eyes out.

"Sometimes...when you get too old and your bodys been trying to win against something... sometimes your body's too weak, and it has to give up."

Lightnin was hurtin inside, bad. Lightnin felt like his mom didn't wanna stay with Lightnin anymore, it felt like when he was half asleep in his bed holding onto her arm -and she got up and left.

For a while Lightnin had a lotta nightmares about demons under his bed comin to make the Lightnin die. But Lightnin knew if he trained hard enough he'd be strong enough to take them head on.

Lightnin cared alot about for his momma, and later on Lightnin knew she cared about him too. But carin about things was a waste of time in the final minute, cause it ended up leavin you anyways.

If that made Lightnin selfish then so what.

Lightnin kicked a pebble into the lake. Small Dude made a sound and then he coughed a little bit. He reached over for some water but there was no more left. He didn't do anything except lie back down and look at the ceilin. Man that kid was weak!

"Hey, Little Man-" I said, walkin over to him. "You better take some of this."

Lightning took out his last can of VOOM. Lightnin was savin it up for an extra burst of energy when they finally tried to get out of here for good.

Little Dude tried to say somethin but Lightnin just said, "Do it quick before all the bubbles go away."

The kid drank the rest of it. Lightnin felt better now he didn't look so pathetic.

CAMERON

My better judgement told me drinking that corrosive concoction of sugar and stimulants was a bad idea at most, but Mike had told me never ever to mess with a guy who was a) desperate and b) bigger than you. And Lightning was some of both.

The stuff tasted strange- it was so carbonated I felt like the fizz was going to spurt out of my nose. It was sharply sweet and acidic at the same time, my eyes watered.

"The burn means it's workin!" said Lightning. He clapped me on the back causing me to accidentally gulp down the rest.

I think I'm gonna be sick again. I thought.

He got up and started jogging. I lay back down. Why did I think it'd have any effect on me? Lightning had been strong his whole life, It wasn't like I was going to stop being the sick kid after 300 mililetres of liquid energy. His dad probably educated him in all things athletic before he could even spell his name. I was born this way- and the closest thing I had to a goalpost was the bedpost my mom had covered with bubblewrap so I wouldn't hit my head. I remember taking it off once just to prove her wrong, then hitting my head about fourteen times in one night while I was trying to sit up and read. It wasn't my fault encyclopedias were so heavy. I mean, there were the times I liked, for instance when we sat and watched movies together or just talked over dinner (though topics were restricted from anything either 'creepy' or 'crawly') and sometimes she took me to the hairdresser with her to get my monthly cut, and I'd listen to the other moms and give them advice when I was all out of old Aquarium Enthusiast magazines and then after we'd walk home with her squeezing my hand tighter than neccessary and me slowing down to look at the kids in the park. But sometimes I'd look in on the barbershop, full of guys talking about guy things- things I could only guess at through the glass. It seemed like everything I looked at was through glass, whether it was the plexiglass of my bubble or my spectacles, I never got a chance to be a part of something until now- well, until I got sick and my vision turned dizzy.

Scott, this was all his doing. Why didn't he want out? He obviously didn't like it in here because he was always running off alone...or maybe he was running out! The sense of urgency that consumed the rest of us hardly even nibbled at Scott's mind- he had found an escape and was covering it up. So many answers- but the question remained: why?

"Lightnin would love to sit around watchin you be tired an all but he's gotta meet his man Scott!" he said getting up and cracking his knuckles. I had to tell him, he could alert the others. And if Scott was really so malevolent he was walking right into danger.

"Lightning, Scott isn't to be trusted- he's lying to us- he's found a way out, maybe you can find it too but don't let him know you know." I said quickly.

Lightning stared at me, "You're gonna have to raise the volume, dude! Lightnin can't read lips!"

I must've tried about seven different sign language spellings of Scott.

"Sha-scuse me? Lightnin's pretty sure you're not supposed to use words like that on TV!" said Lightning.

I slapped my forehead. I decided to pickup a rock and see if it'd make a mark on the ground. It was ineffective, I tossed it away but it hit Lightning in the shin. Ow! You been takin lessons from Scott or what?

I pointed dramatically.

What, lessons? takin? Scott?

I nodded.

What happened- is Lightnin's bro in trouble or what?

I shook my head. Suddenly I pointed to the newspaper.

This week's winning lottery number is

I pointed at the word is. He squinted but he got it

"Scott is..."

I searched the page but I had to flip it a few times. I could tell he was getting impatient and his attention span was short. What one word would sum up my meaning?

I found it.

claims that recent statements made by the governor were a lie

I pointed at the word lie.

He took longer to register it this time.

"Scott is lie?" said Lightning. "Lightnin thinks..."

"Lightnin thinks you gotta be jokin- -either that or you can't handle a whole can of VOOM!"

and he left before I could say try to say anything else, crushing the empty can against his head before running off.

The can made a hollow sound when it landed.

The batteries! They hadn't stopped working- they'd just slipped into a crevice in the groundwork of the first cave. If I could get down there I'd be able to retrieve them and fix everything- then we'd be able to phone in some help!

I was suddenly motivated- my lungs were clear, my eyes were sharp, my throat was ...still sore (and I don't think that drink helped much in that regard) but other than that, I was ready to do this. It wouldn't take too much out of me to get back up- Brick had laboriously fixed up the track again (though it didn't look like much was keeping it together) but that was one of the advantages of being lightweight. "Step small, walk tall" mom always said. And I knew if I just kept moving I'd be fine!

---

MIKE

Zoey didn't seem as thrilled about the whole idea as I thought she'd be...okay, she actually looked sorta sad. Maybe she thought we really were going to die in here, oh no- that was it- she thought I was never going to change- to be a real guy, the kind of guy she deserved. She walked ahead of me, with her arms pulled close to her like she was cold or something. Man, I wanted to hold her n and...I dunno warm her up a little.

But I knew it wouldn't make a difference as long as I was still...you know. She couldn't even look at me like this.

I was scared, like everything was going to be over but I thought, what would Cameron do?

I knew what I was going to do. I was going to find Scott and get that trigger word out of him no matter what it took (short of beating him up, of course).

"You wait here, Zoey-" I said suddenly. "I'm just going to uh- check that thing...in that place- with the rocks!" I improvised before running off down to the lower tunnels.

---

ZOEY

Mike ran off, probably to his exit route. I thought, kicking a stray pebble.

"What're you doin here?" came Anne Maria's voice before she stepped into the tunnel.

"You were right." I said bluntly.

"Yep." she said, folding her arms before adding, "Wait, what are we talkin about here?"

I couldn't stop myself- the next thing I knew there were tears running down my face and it felt like I'd swallowed a sting.

"Hey- hey- hey, none o dat." she said, pulling a tissue box out of her pouf.

"Hey, why'is there-" I started asking

"Doesn't matter." she said flatly. "The worst thing to do is let it get to ya- that just means he wins." she said wiping off the tears and taking out her compact to fix up my makeup.

"So when he went off with you he-"

"Tried to win me back, yep." she said simply. I felt the tiniest shred of hope in me wither and burn out like an ember.

"Don't worry, doll- the next time he sees you that jerk will cry his eyes out for playin you for a fool." she said, pulling the scrunchies out of my hair and teasing it out. Then she took out a can and started to spray. I backed away

"But I thought yours-"

"Mike got this one from outside." said Anne Maria, "Tried to bribe me with it- hold still!"

I ducked and narrowly missed a cloud of the stuff.

"Uh, I think we're good for the sprucing-" I said motioning for her to stop.

"He's probably off heading for his secret exit now anyways." I said bitterly.

"Ugh. Guys." said Anne Maria. We stood there looking down the tunnel for a moment before it hit us,

"Which way'd he go?" she asked quickly.

"Straight! Then he took a left!" I said, and we started down the tunnel as fast as we could.

---

BRICK

There was no sign of Scott's sharktooth back in the exit cave, and I turned the place upside down looking for it, when I did try to leave something from above caught my attention.

My dogtags- they were gone- they weren't up there anymore, but they weren't on the ground either.

They must've been taken down when Jo-

Jo! She took them down while she was up there, before we even started even, because they weren't there when we were moving the tree.

I didn't think, I headed down the track to the lake and past several tunnels, forgetting my mission to regroup with my hunt team. I didn't know where Jo was, where she'd gone to, but something was pulling me deeper down into the mine. My heart was beating with purpose so loud in my ears it was a wonder I heard something so soft.

The sound of a faint beep, followed by a sniff.

I looked into a small cave cramped with equipment. Jo was laying on a crate, setting and resetting her watch.

"What do you want." said Jo without looking up.

I held out the dog tags for her to see.

"What, is that why you followed me here?" she asked.

"I was worried about you." I answered truthfully.

Jo scoffed loudly.

"Why do you care?" she asked, sitting up. "You got what you wanted. You're the good guy and I'm the jerk, they're under your command now." she glared at me, she was unbelievable.

"You think that's what I wanted?" I asked, already getting frustrated. "To get everyone to follow me?"

"You said it, Cap'n!" she said with sarcasm.

"You want to know what I want?" I said getting closer.

"Yeah!" she shouted, getting up and returning my stare.

"What I really want?" I said. Now we were standing face to face the pressure building up to an intense degree.

"I just said yes, Brickhead what are you de-" Before she could finish I kissed her. Just shut the space between us and pressed my lips against hers hard enough to take her to the aching confirmation of this crazy feeling I'd kept jammed down for so long.

Well now it was exploding inside my chest like field-day-fireworks and all I wanted to do was just try to show her how I felt, to make her feel what I was feeling. For one short second I felt her give- before she pushed me away.

"You...don't like me." I said heavily.

"Of course I like you," she retorted.

"You're strong and determined and good ad honest and noble and good looking and ...-you're not the sharpest hook on the shelf but -I figured you were smart enough to know I-" she stopped short and she flushed slightly,

"...that I like you."

"Don't pretend." she said, looking away.

"I know what you're after- and now you're finally Captain of Team Brick, better start making the T-shirts."

It was quiet for a moment. She looked back to me like she expected me to react.

"Why do you think everyone is after something?" I asked instead, "Is it cause of Spence?"

She whipped around.

"It's got nothing to do with him." she said. "You've got your code, I've got mine. After alot of B.S I figured out all about that 'friendship' you're always talking about. Well turns out it can break down pretty quickly once people get sight of what they really want. And once they do..." she stopped and kicked a hammer handle at the opposite wall.

"There are only weak people and people who'll do anything to win. You've got to keep your eye on the prize and not get distracted by-"

"-love?" I said defiantly. She turned and I flushed under the look she gave me- but I kept going.

"-by trusting someone? feeling like you're part of something bigger than you? Is there something wrong with that?" I asked. She said nothing.

"That's just some kind of game to you- to the big race for the win... you're willing to give all that up?"

"I've given up alot of things to be great. To show people that I'm..." she struggled with the words and pounded her fist into her palm. I flinched a bit because it was the injured one.

"-I need to fight that part of me- the weak part that wants me to fail, self sabotage, see?" she said. "I'm always fighting."

"No." I answered.

"No?" she asked.

"You're not fighting, Jo..you're running." She stared at me like I was insane.

"You've been treated wrong,I know. You were betrayed by someone you got close to and you never let yourself forget it. So you punish yourself over and over. You feel like you've got to be the best cause that's all you're worth. cause the real jo wasn't enough for your dad and wasn't enough to keep spence from..." her eyes widened for a second but then she looked away. "...from hurting you."

I wanted to go right over there and kiss her again almost as much as I wanted to give Spence a message he'd never forget. Instead I continued. It had to be said.

"-So you block out the real Jo and the one everyone gets to see is the Jo who treats people like they're expendable, just like Spence treated you. Pushing them around you're pushing them away so they never get close enough to stab you in the back."

"Where do you get off telling me I'm not one-hundred percent me one hundred percent of the time?" she said, folding her arms stubbornly. I couldn't help smile,

"The Jo I know, she's not like that, she's strong, the Jo who stepped off that boat looking ready for anything. The Jo who looked right at that obstacle course of doom and said 'is that it?' the Jo who even after all that talk about 'dead weight' pulled me out of that hole in the ground and snapped me out of my panic- who-..who made me want to do better."

She smiled. I don't think anybody else would have noticed it, but I sure did. I think it made me brave enough to reach out and put my hand on her shoulder.

"The Jo that wanted to get out of here for all of us- not just cause she had something to prove."

She looked away again, and said nothing.

"I mean, isn't that the reason?" I asked. She looked like she was thinking about something and then-

She kissed me. Pushed me against the wall, grabbed me by the hair and claimed me with her lips.

I used the hand she wasn't pinning to pull her closer, gripping her against me through the rough jersey knit and deepening the kiss with greater urgency than I could contain.

Just so darn good.

Midsections struggled in a battlefield of...just wanting, me wanting her so bad and her just taking me- and I liked it.

I nudged my face closer to hers and stroked her tongue with mine. It earned me a fierce tug harder against her.

There was a rush of heat up my neck and I knew I was blushing.

I brought my hand to her chin and brushed my thumb along her cheek. She ran her hand up my chest and the feeling was so strong my knees nearly gave.

And just like that she terminated the kiss, leaving me breathless and red-faced, and soreley missing the feel of her after she pulled away, looking at me with a satisfied smirk that had me ready for more.

"Well you're right about one thing," said Jo,

"Josephine Baker isn't heartless."

I leaned closer so her hand was on my chest again. For a moment I thought she'd take me again -but instead she tucked her hair behind her ear and headed for the tunnel. I unconsciously moaned in objection.

"Where are you going?" I asked. She turned around to face me.

"What's the hardest part of being a leader?" she asked. I knew that one by heart- I answered,

"Taking responsibility for the errors for those in your charge."

"Right, What's the hardest part of being a friend?" she asked. I got her meaning and said,

"Giving apology after you've wronged someone."

She smiled, cocked an eyebrow and said

"Then I'd say they're about the same thing."

"Come on, soldier." she said, signalling me to follow her out of the storage cave. "Apparently I've got something to prove."

---

MIKE

I started out walking with purpose but at some point I realised finding Scott would be alot harder than I thought- down here the tunnels were narrower, and at evey turn split into several more.

"Scott?" I callled into the thick darkness that surrounded me and my torch. There was no answer- not even my echo, it was like the emptiness swallowed every sound.

"Scott?" I tried again, louder this time." No answer again- but this time I heard a sound off in the distance- something like footsteps. I swung a left and picked up my pace.

"Where are- oh oops" I tripped and dropped my torch and the flame flickered, someone was breathing next to me.

I got up and braced it till the fire came back.

"- hey Scott is that-" I held up the torch and nearly dropped it again.

Giant

Mutant

Mole

Okay, don't panic Mike- don't panic, they can smell fear, stay in control- whatever you do, Mike- just. don't-

"RRRRRUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHUUUUUUUA AAAAARRRRRRRR"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I yelled, running in the other direction as fast as my legs could carry me.

It was galloping behind me at full speed and its breath was hot on my heels. I rounded several corners and I was pretty sure I lost it before it jumped out in front of me from a side tunnel.

"Ah!" I dived down a wooden stairway that led to a narrow tunnel.

"I think I can hear him this way-" I heard Zoey's voice and then saw her enter further down the tunnel.

"Stop right there, jerkface." said Anne Maria, stepping in front of me, when I didn't stop she said

"Hey what the-"

"Can't stop, big mole, huge mole!" I said, grabbing Zoey's hand. Anne Maria took out her compact and checked her reflection.

"What? I don't got a- oh." her eyes widened when the thing appeared at the end of the tunnel, rearing back its head and gnashing its large teeth. She dropped her compact.

"So, how come you saved my tags?" Asked Brick, striding down the path to the lake with Jo leading the way.

"Do we have to go over this again? I like you, okay?" said Jo.

"No, I mean- was it to return the favour?" persisted Brick.

"What favour? You mean for bandaging my wrist?" asked Jo.

"For bringing you back your whistle that time." said Brick, pointing at the whistle she wore around her neck.

"What?" said Jo, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, wait- forgot I gave it to Scott to give to you." said Brick, "I found it by the woods that morning after you went running early."

"Wait, wait- first of all I never took an early run- and second, Scott never gave me my whistle, I found it in that Dawn girl's bag of stolen loot. She must've nicked it off him." said Jo.

"She couldn't have. I gave it to him outside your cabin." stated Brick. Jo whipped around suddenly, eyes wide.

"Which means-" she said.

"Scott!" they said simultaneously.

Jo punched the wall.

"That lying scumbag! Wait till I get my hands on him-"

"He could have been lying all this time!" said Brick, stamping his boot.

"I knew it! Not rescuing Lightning from those scorpions..." said Brick, "But why?" he turned to Jo.

"He's got a way out." said Jo, eyes narrowed. Brick looked around.

"Well he can't be far, he's probably still waiting for me to get back from-" he smacked his forehead.

"What? What is it?" asked Jo.

"He tricked me into abandoning the team-" responded Brick, "which means..."

"-He's probably right there- at the exit!" said Jo, turning around.

"Come on, let's go show Dirtboy he just messed with the wrong team." said Jo, brandishing the torch and storming down the tunnel.

Brick took a moment to appreciate the word , then took his torch and surged forward.

---

SCOTT

After I got to Chris' Cabin I didn't look back. Looked like nobody was home. First thing I did was open the fridge and take everything that looked even sorta eatable and pile it up on the table.

Then I went into the living room and made myself nice an comfy. I kicked my muddy shoes off and took off my socks. The place already smelled like home.

Switched on the TV and took a swig of coke.

It looked like the news, boring. I was about to switch the channel when I heard Chris' voice.

I nearly choked on my soda.

It was the show- this show and Chris was in a helicopter over the island. I looked out the window and there it was.

Note to self, when you're a millionaire, get one o those in blue.

"If you liked Total Drama Revenge of the Island-"

"-or if you didn't," added Blaineley.

"You're gonna love Total Drama Revenge of the ForeverMine, the reality show where they don't know!"

"T.D.R.O.T.F.M takes us into the deepest darkest pits- of teenage desperation! And shows us just what happens when you take eight unsuspecting teenagers and trap them in an abandoned mine, jam packed with mutant monsters and fake toxic waste."

"-they think they've been deserted on an island, but what they don't know is we've hooked the place up with enough cameras and microphones."

"So you don't miss one disgusting, terrifying or embarassing minute." finished Chris emphatically.

"Let's see what's going on right now." said Blaineley, before the screen cut to a shot of the inside of the mine. Zoey, Anne Maria and the Spazz were being chased by two giant mutant moles- and one small one. Josephine and Brick were making out- with their torhces dropped on the ground. And Sparky- he was walkin around like he was lost or something and he was eating some of those bats on a stick.

He kept tripping cause of his bad knee, what kind of sicko would wanna watch this stuff.

Oh dangit, I was outta popcorn.

The little guy was reaching down that crack in the ground to get at his pills or something. Then the guy just cawled right in! Desperate was right- it was okay though. If he was tryina find the batteries they wouldn't work on the ePhone after I busted it up- if he was goin for his meds, well I knew he wouldn't get to em cause I found the bottle lyin on the ground next to my exit tunnel.

wait a sec...

I dropped the popcorn bowl.

"...Oh crap."

---

CAMERON

The crevice had only widened since the explosion, now it was within my ability to drop into it. And it sure was a drop, I landed on my feet but my knees knocked together and I fell. I was in some kind of pit. I looked up. Right, well maybe jumping down here without a rope or any means of climbing up wasn't one of my best ideas. It felt like the VOOM was making me act faster than I thought. Hey! One of the batteries was right there! I picked it up and pocketed it.

But where was the other one? I looked around. Anne Maria's diamond was still here from when Lightning had used it as a football. There were walls all around and one big stalagmite, then there was a tunnel opening. I looked inside. It seemed to be downward-sloping, so it was likeley the second one had rolled. There weren't any loose stones to kick so I tossed the diamond down. It just kept rolling for almost a minute before- actually, I wasn't so sure if it was a stop or a drop- so the tunnel might have a dead end. It didn't matter. I felt...what was the word? Pumped! I could take anything that came my way!

Well, there was only one way to go.

---

JO

Brickhouse and me were heading down the mine and I was just thinking. After all this time thinking the cadet wanted me off the team he just wanted ...me I guess- I know, right? We were hurrying and I looked back at him- he was marching. I dug that about him, he looked like he was ready for anything- like he'd take some names and watch my back. Speaking of which I did catch him looking over at me a few times. It was a good thing I was going faster than him- he couldn't see me smiling like this. It just wouldn't quit, my heart was beating fast enough to win gold. Man, was I sunk for him or what.

We looked at eachother at the same time and he looked away. He was grinning too. He charged ahead and I picked up the pace without going past- I was kinda enjoying the view.

CRASH

Whe whipped around. A gigantic mole beast hit the wall after rounding a corner. It shook it off before fixing its yellow eyes on us.

We bolted so fast down that tunnel we almost ran into the lake.

"Wait, Jo- what if it hates water?" asked Brick, turning to me.

The beast entered the cave and immediately singled us out.

"Worth a shot!" I said, and we took a dive.

We were halfway across when the stupid thing took a running jump into the water, making it splash everywhere. It disappeared under the surface- where'd it go?

Brick climbed onto a rock and held out his hand for me.

God, even at a time like this.

RRRRRUUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH

it reared its ugly head right under us and we had to head for the slopes.

"Jump!" I shouted- it got up onto the rock behind clambered up to the top and and reached for the tracks. Brick had trouble pulling up- I looked down and his boot was caught-

"Jo, it's got me- let go!" said Brick- looking down. The beast had him by the foot- it was gripping it between its teeth.

"Quick- it's taking me down." shouted Brick, he was trying hard to grip the track but it kept tugging him violently, and each time his hands slipped more.

"Not on my watch!"

I held onto his wrists and gave one more pull.

He winced as the boot came off, along with some of his skin. The beast landed back on the rock

"Gah!" he shouted, landing on top of me he rested his head before getting up to standing. There was blood on his ankle.

We started heading up the track with his arm slung over my shoulder- the beast was growling beneath us and running in circles.

"We can't leave the others behind -" said Brick between clenched teeth, "with that thing down there."

"We have to." I said.

"What? Jo, how can you-"

"No, I mean we have to leave them behind-" I said, pointing at the creature- that had taken a running jump up into the track tunnel, right under us. "Cause now it's up here!"

---

ANNE MARIA

The thing chased us into dis huge circle-shaped cave with a low ceilin. We were all backed up against the wall when it locked onto us. It looked like it was sizin us up to eat us and from the look o those teeth I could tell they'd be a real pain in the neck. I nearly tripped. I had enough.

"Jeez louise these heels are gonna kill me!" I shouted, takin it off and throwin it across the room. It hit the mole thing right between the eyes and it made this high pitched sound before bitin the air and rushin at me. Quick as I could I took off the other one and threw it. Bam- right in the kisser. I hate to break a streak- I started tossing everything I could pick up.

Bam!

RRRRRRR

Thud!

Hurk!

Thwack!

eiii eii eii

"Ha ha! Take that, ya jerk!" I catcalled, hittin it with another rock, a big one.

"Uh, Anne Maria" said Zoey, tapping me on the shoulder,

"Yea, what is it?" I asked, not taking my eye off the thing.

"I think the jerk invited friends." said Mike, pointing at the cave entrance- where there was another mole along with the little one.

"Damnit- shoulda eaten you when I had the chance." I said.

"Huh?" said zoey.

"Nevermind." I said.

It headed straight for Zoey and Mike wasn't gonna let that happen apparently cause he stood in its way.

"Mike!"

"Zoey, I need to do this."

The mutant thing started windin an turnin around the stalag- stalac- the big spikes on the ground, but it was comin at us faster and faster.

"No, you don't-" I said, rolling my eyes- I picked up this huge rock and swung it over at the thing. Instant miss.

"Uh, actually you can go ahead." I told him, and I hid behind him.

The thing was almost right up to us after turn

Wait a second... I thoughta somethin that just might work.

I took out my hairspray can.

"Now? Really?" said Mike.

I grabbed the torch and swiped the can through it- the label burned off and the nozzle melted- then I tossed it over at the things feet.

The can made a hissing sound- then it spun itself around an around while the hot spray came out -then- BOOM!

It exploded and blasted the big pig up into the air and back on the ground- where it landed flat on its back- it was out- i think. Yeah, it was out.

"How'd you think of that?" asked Zoey reliefully.

"You kidding? Ever left a hairdryer on next to one o those things?"

By this time the other one was already shakin off the headache I gave it.

"Okay, I'm out of ideas." I said, lookin around. "And stuff to throw."

I was already right at us and ready to strike. This was it.

"Run!" said Zoey, and swe scattered over behind the body of the other one. The bigger one turned all of a sudden short of the wall and started chasin after us. Mike stood up and held out the torch at it- for some reason the thing stopped watchin it and Mike waved the fie back and forth.

"You are getting very ...not hungry." said Mike.

Then the thing sneezed and the fire went out.

RRRRAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHH

We split up running like nobody's business and headed in opposite driections. Zoey climbed up a couple o crates and clungto the wall behind her. It only made the thing lock onto her and get up on its back legs to try and reach her- snappin its tusks at her feet. Man was she in a bad spot.

"Zoey!" shouted Mike- he looked like he was about to lose his lunch. Then his face set and he ran up to the other wall and grabbed the small one- it squealed and tried to bite him -and that made the big one look around at him and growl.

He ran across the cave and shouted, "Hey, over here!"

It pawed the ground and ran at him top speed. He picked up the blanket and swooped it in front of himself.

What the heck- this was no time to play superhero- maybe he really was nuts.

But when it got near to him he disappeared - the thing charged right through the cloth and behind it was the cave exit- before it could stop itself it hit the wall of the tunnel head first- Mike stepped in over the body - he was out in the tunnel so I figured he musta ducked and sidestepped so quick you could blink and miss it.

---

MIKE

We'd just had a close scrape with death by mole-mauling and I stayed in control the whole time- it was crazy. Maybe it was because of how fast everything was happening, but maybe it was Zoey, wanting to stop her getting hurt and knowing that I could do it better than any of my alternates. I couldn't leave her life in their hands.

After running over to Zoey I caught her and hugged her tight.

"Zoey- I'm so-"

"Me too" she said, looking up at me brightly. Then she kissed me lightly on the lips and I swayed dizzily on my feet. I nudged mine back to hers and I cupped her face in my hands but Anne Maria spoke and we pulled apart.

"Geez-" she said, standing next to the collapsed body of the giant mole. She picked up its leg and let it drop- it was definitely out.

"You really are nuts."

"Hey, take that back!" said Zoey in my defence.

"Ah, its okay -alot of people don't really get the whole MPD thing right away." I said plainly.

All she did was stare at me.

"What?" she said.

"Guess I should've been the one to tell you myself 'stead of Zoey."

"I didnt tell her anything about your MPD..." said Zoey, looking at me questioningly.

"But I thought you-" I started

"no, I didnt-" she said again.

"Well thats what Scott said.." I explained.

"What else did he say?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He said he could help me get over my MPD- permanently." I said. It sounded stupid now- I suddenly felt like a kid who was staying up for Santa.

"Could ya just quit usin that word without sayin what it is already-" said Anne Maria, annoyed, "-you're givin me a headache."

"MPD spells Multiple Personality Disorder- which...well it spells alot of trouble for me -but mainly it's the reason sometimes I'm Mike- and other times I'm somebody else even when I don't want to be." I said.

Anne Maria stared at me a second.

"So...you're sayin when you do that Chester an Svetlana an Vito thing it's not an all just some act?"

"Yeah..." I said.

"So you're not doin it on purpose?" she said, looking at me closely, "Like, right now this is-"

"The real me." I said. "The others are just projections that take over sometimes."

"And what about Vito," she said, angry all of a sudden, "you expect me to believe he's just some guy in your head? Some kinda figment o your imagination?"

"Well...yes- but once I learn how to deal with my MPD, he won't be there anymore." I said, a bit uncomfortable under the stare she was fixing me with. She searched me for a second before turning away.

"Well if what you're sayin is the truth." she said, stressing the word 'if'. She turned her back on me with her arms crossed, staring at the ground- I couldn't tell if she was still angry but when she spoke again it was almost too low to hear.

"tell Vito I said...seeya around."

I almost corrected her-I'd basically told her that Vito wasn't real- and that soon he'd be gone forever- but I stopped myself.

See you around?

I wondered what she meant.

---

BRICK

Jo and I ran down the track with the mole right beneath us, lunging at us. My ankle was cut up- but I wasn't going to let it stop me. The track and the track tunnel started to merge and it was almost on level with us.

We dived into the main cave but it was right behind.

There were broken crates everywhere- no planks big enough to use against it. We were standing back to back when it appeared at the entrance.

"Any ideas Ma'am?" I asked Jo.

"Piss, Brick! Piss for your life!" she said. I gave her a look.

"Sorry," she said, "couldn't resist."

I edged backwards,out of the light. Trying not to make a sound. Without our torches the place was dark except for where the light came in from above and the mole's giant yellow eyes. It was sniffing around by the crevice in the ground.

I realised I was bracing Jo with my arm. I guess I couldn't resist.

There was a sound from under the ground.

"Who's up there Mike, is that you?" asked what I recognised to be Cameron's voice.

The creature started clawing at the ground and digging where Cameron was.

I had to step in.

"Hey Tiny- fight fair or not at all." shouted Jo, stepping out into the light.

It was so great to see finally see Jo this way- I felt proud of her- and let's just say there was a part of me that was definitely at attention.

It whipped around and darted directly at us. Jo pulled me behind an overturned crate and we ducked- it jumped clean over us and landed on its feet.

I thought fast- I think Jo got the same idea- we grabbed the cart and flipped it over with effort- it was hard on Jo's hand because she winced and bit her lip to stop from crying out.

Right then the giant mole swerved but bumped into it, but we were not quick enough and it wasn't much of a critical hit.

All we did was make it angry.

It thumped the ground and came right back at us.

"Brick, get the cart-" she said, pointing across the cave at another one. I ran over to it while she leaned the cart sideways- the mole ramming into it over and over undeterred.

When I got to the cart she called over to me, "Push it over here- on my command-"

I nodded. But it was really hard to stand there just watching her take the shock- the force of its weight.

What was she planning to do?

She answered my question by dropping the cart onto its wheels right when the mole was about to launch itself at her again.

It reared back as the cart hit the ground- but Jo didn't look unphased- maybe she was thinking of something else.

"Now!" she shouted and I pushed the cart across to her- at the same time she heaved her cart up again.

It was right about to take a final shove at her when it heard the cart rattling towards it from behind- it turned, but not in time and the cart jammed right into it. At the same time Jo pushed her cart so it landed heavily on top of it.

We waited for a moment but it didn't move.

It was unconscious.

"What just happened?" came Cameron's voice again.

"Just one of those moles from before." said Jo, "You should've seen it- hey, why are you down there?"

"Retrieving the batteries for the ePhone!" said Cameron excitedly, "I've already found one!"

"Do you need help getting out?" I asked, kneeling next to the hole in the ground.

"Eventually- yes!" he said, but he still sounded happy.

"Wait, if this one got to us, the others might still be in trouble-" said Jo over my shoulder.

"You're right-" I said, "Cameron, can you sit tight until we get back?" I called out to him.

"I'll be fine- I'm going to get the ePhone on- we're getting out!" he replied.

I looked at Jo and she nodded- we headed for the tracks.

---

SCOTT

When I got back to the mine I went straight for the main cave- by now I knew the lower tunnels better than anyone- but it was still a relief to get past Team Lightning.

I never ran so fast in my life- I knew what was at stake, the million, the money and the cash too. I could just picture the look on my dad's face if I came home with diddly squat.

I grabbed a splint from what was left of Jersey Chick's bonfire and barely noticed how hot the unburned end was. I was a streak of orange till I finally got to the main cave. I was wiping the dead bugs off my face (I went through a swarm at some point) when I saw one of those giant mole things- thankfully it was dead- or asleep, it turned out you could never be too careful about that.

My eyes locked on the crack in the floor. I could just barely hear him there, humming or something. His voice got fainter and fainter as he moved further into the mine.

I took my secret weapon out of my back pocket- it was the last stick o dynamite from Chef's stash. That'd stop him from gettin to my exit. Even if it didn't make that escape hatch cave in- ne look at that splodey stick and he'd be climbin back up so fast his glasses'd fuse with his face.

I lit it up- the fire was nice to look at- mom used to cook over a flame-broiling stove but dad mostly cooked over an engine.

The dynamite sizzled and I tossed it down the hatch.

I blew out the splint and dropped it.

The giant thing growled in its sleep- I decided it was time to split.

---

CAMERON

I heard a sound from above- like footsteps or something- I tried to say "Who's there?" but my voice was failing and I started to feel weak- the effects of the energy drink were quickly subsiding.

I pressed on, only now realising the extent of this tunnel- which was getting narrower and narrower with every step. It was getting hard to breath- any opening was out of sight and it was pitch dark- my head grazed the ceiling and I knew this was it, I would have to crawl from here.

But before I got down I saw something- something bright flitted down the tunnel ahead of me- I crawled towards it but I immediately discovered that was a big mistake.

It was dynamite!

---

LIGHTNING

"There you are, dude!" said Lightning, walkin up to him.

"Yeah... I was just checkin on the little guy." he said.

"Oh yeah? well how was he doin?" asked the Lightnin

"Doin great- just layin around you know sick and all... I helped warm him up." he said, lookin around. Wait a second, wasn't the little dude sweatin when Lightnin was there? Somethin wasn't addin up here.

"Warm up?" asked Lightnin.

"Yeah...-actually he said I should go get summore wood for the fire aand that's what I'm doing." okay, things were really startin to not make sense to Lightnin- why would he ask for fire- fire's hot! Lightnin has learned that the hard way! And how would No Voice Charades Talkin dude say anythin at all?

"He said that?" asked Lightning.

"Yup." said Scott, tryina sidestep the Lightning and go on his way. Lightnin stopped him.

"with his voice?" asked Lightnin again.

"Uh...yeah?" he said, raisin an eyebrow. "I'm gonna go but you stay here alright-" said Scott- tryin to pass Lightnin again.

Why did he look so shifty- he kept shiftin his weigh from one leg to the other-

"What about your knee, dude?" asked Lightnin.

"Oh it still hurts-" said Scott grabbin his left leg and makin a face. "But I'm just gonna walk it off-" and he tried headin off again. This time Lightnin stuck out his arm and blocked him. He pushed him in front of him and spoke to him face to face.

"No you ain't." said Lightnin.

"Lightnin knows youre up to somethin. Glasses Dude was right about you. You're a lie!"

"What are you talkin about bro?" he said, laughin nervous-like.

I squinted at him. It was like Lightnin was seein him clearly for the first time. And Lightnin did not like what he saw.

"I am not your bro, bro."

Then Lightnin dropped him and shouted

"You lied about the gold, you lied about the demons- you lied about the fish!"

"No I didn't-" said Scott, Lightnin yelled, "you're lyin right now!"

Lightnin was so angry- but also sad, Lightnin needed to punch out his feelins before he did somethin stupid. Scott was tyina creep away again but Lightnin backed him up to the wall.

"Lightnin was talkin earlier about Ryan Steeple- did Lightnin forget to mention what Lightnin does to limp-fakin liars?" said Lightnin slowly.

"Uh, give them a speech about honesty?" asked Scott.

"Wrong answer." said Lightnin, grabbin him by the shirt.

---

"What else you been lyin about? Don't lie to me, else you'll get struck by the Lightning!"

"Ack- nothing, I swear!" said Scott receiving a punch in the ribs.

"Ey-whats goin on ova here?" asked Anne Maria, appearing out of another tunnel with Zoey and Mike.

"Dude is lyin' the Lightnin!" he yelled dramatically.

When nobody said anything but aimed pointed glares at Scott Lighting asked,

"You guys knew too? Man the Lightnin's been straight-up be-trayed!"

"He lied to everyone, you ain't special." said Anne Maria.

"Where's Cameron?" asked Zoey.

"He's in the crack in the ground upstairs." said Scott, pointing upwards. "That's all you're getting out of me."

"You wanna bet?" asked Anne Maria, threateningly swinging around her high heel shoes that were laced together.

"Okay okay- there's also...dynamite." said Scott.

---

Mr. Rohke.

It was high noon. Everything was going as planned. At 11:45 the blackbird was ready and running.

The camera equipment was eady to shoot the intro for this last episode The Reveal.

Also reading was the magnetic tape eraser magnet in my pocket. There wouldn't be a scrap of evidence once the plan went through.

Once I pushed those two egotistical ignoramuses out of the helicopter cabin they'd land on that mine. It'd be easy now their attentions were on eachother, Blaineley would be trying to push Chris out of a moving copter and as I heard from well, close observation Chris would be planning the same thing.

But the landing wouldn't be just career ending, once the bomb box went off the entire mine would be blown to bits, leaving the much more precious oil reserves beneath just a drillbit away from my grasp.

From a little coalmine operation had sprung forth such a vast supply of wealth, but as it was now I'd never be able to mine.

Imagine my chagrin when they told me I couldn't drill for oil on protected state lands. Imagine the hours I spent pacing my office room and poring over for legal loopholes. They told me that it'd be too much of a drag on the environment. Well, I don't take rejection very well. For a while it seemed I wouldn't have a chance until a Mr. Mclean fell into some pirate cash and was allowed to rent the land for his pathetic little show on the condition he not cause significant harm to local wildlife.

Well as soon as I realised Chris McLean was not the type who put preservation over profit, after he let me dump a couple hundred metrics of nuke waste for chump change.

The next step was getting an inside intern to unknowingly set up a chain of bombs throughout the mine (along with the special recording equipment that Blaineley's cohost contract promised) all ready to detonate at 12:31.

The mine would be destroyed, yes...along with the teenagers (an unfortunate loss for an incomparable gain).

McLean, O'Halloran and the Chef would also find their ends.

That one intern would also have to go. There could be no survivors, no, it wasn't a matter or witnesses (cause I'd just tell the courts the explosion had been an unhappy accident, probably the result of teenage hijinx, ten year old explosives and oil barrels.

The ownership would then slip from the unmoving hands of Chris McLean to one of his shareholders, none other than hotel tycoon Dean Milton, who'd given McLean a sizeable payoff to accept his daughter's audition late. I used to know Milton well,he used to be a real game player, but then he had a kid, and kids make you go soft. But after a few knots in the plan earlier I'd set him straight. Next he'd hand the useless land over to me and it'd finally be mine again.

All mine.

As the CEA would by that time have received my envelope of photos and samples showing the leevel of damage to the environment Chris had caused, they'd already be declaring the land 'a virtual wasteland' no longer under the environmental preservation act, and it could be fully exploited, a multimillion oil operation, it'd be the shiny black gem on my chain of business.

And now it was time. I stepped in. The other two were stalling, I could tell. Chris was so distracted he didn't realised he'd checked and rechecked the equipment list a dozen times. Blaineley had pinned her microphone to her hair. They kept looking over at eachother when they thought the other couldn't see. This was going to be interested.

Chef buckled up and flicked some switches on the dashboard.

"Ready to go." he said, grabbing the steering jack. I stepped in. Chris nodded gravely and Blaineley followed him into the helicopter before we rose into the sky.

---

CAMERON

The energy had drained out of me so completely that I could barely even form the words, though with the pain in my throat I knew it would be futile anyways. It was like I'd swallowed a crude mix of sand and petrol.

I tried to blow on the wick of the dynamite until it stopped sparking, but every time it went out sure as anything it'd be up and burning within seconds. This must've been old dynamite- that wasn't good. Old, explosive and unpredictable. Even if I did manage to blow it out it could still explode anyways. There was nothing to do but try to escape. I thought of going all the way down but I had no idea what was at the end of this tunnel, and then when it blew up and caved in I'd be stuck in the capped-off crevice. I tried turning around to go back up but there wasn't enough room. Gathering the last of my stength I started to crawl backwards in the suffocating darkness. It seemed to go on for hours but I knew it had only been a few minutes of struggle- with the knowledge that every moment was crucial. Then there was a voice.

"Cameron, are you there?" asked the voice that I guessed was Zoey's. It was distant but it was reassuring.

I couldn't reply of course so I tapped the side of the tunnel till my knuckles were sore.

---

"He can hear us, he just can't talk." said Zoey to the others. She'd tried dropping the tin-can telephone down the crack but there was no Cameron there to receive. They figured he was wayy deeper down.

"Why's he tapping so much?" asked Mike.

"I dunno, maybe you should ask the stick of dynamite he's got with him" said Jo, rolling her eyes.

"Wait a second- that's morse-code-" said Brick.

"Alright Brickhouse!" said Jo, "What's he saying?"

"He's saying...he's stuck...stuck in a downwards-sloping tunnel- explosives...do not pursue do not follow."

"Well there's got to be some way to get him outta there-" said Anne Maria, "Or kablooey!"

"We could grease the tunnel with oil- tie some string to him and you know, pull him out?" suggested Zoey.

"We could send Freckleface to go get his pickaxe and mine him out." said Jo, eyeing Scott.

"Or- we could just use water." said Brick with a shrug "That'd put out the dynamite."

"That works!" said Jo, getting up and heading for the tracks-

"Hang on, Cameron!" said Zoey

"Don't die, small dude!" yelled Lightning.

---

Above the mine, the blackbird circled the sky. Blades chopped violently at the air. Four people went up- one was going down.

Chris and Blaineley stood on the edge of the heli cabin, trying to look at the camera instead of behind them, at the distance that separated them from the ground.

"And there it is- the abandoned mine where our eight unlucky teens have been for the last five days." said Blaineley, she was smiling broadly but she kept blinking distractedly- trying not to look at Chris.

"Let's drop in and give em the news-" said McLean, choking on the word 'drop' "that not only was the setup fake- but everything they've done since then has been recorded and will be premiering in front of a seventy million viewer audience- that's global, people!"

said Chris laughing a little too loudly.

"Chef, take us down" said Chris- his smile stiffening.

Chef pulled a lever and steered the helicopter lower. Mr. Rohke prepared to make the final push- and then to take care of the Chef with one of his own darts. His gun weighed heavily in his right boot.

The mine was directly below them now.

The time was 12:29.

The two of them froze. Nobody remembered whose line it was- for a second they did nothing- then they took action. Chris closed his eyes Blaineley closed hers. When nothing happened they opened them and looked at eachother. For one giddy moment they were relieved to see eachother still standing there- until Chris noticed Blaineley's foot hooked around his and she saw his hand ready to shove her from the side.

"You-" they said at the same time, accusatory and hurt.

"No, you." said Mr. Rohke, giving them both a two armed shove over the edge. They flailey helplessly for a moment before falling backwards through the air.

Chef whipped around in shock, but he was too slow for Wrohke's quick finger. He was hit in the neck by a stinging tranq dart and was out.

"I'd like to stick around, but I won't be." said the man, opening the side door and hauling Chef's stiff body out of the open window.

He got into the seat, slammed the door and flew off.

Everything was according to plan

It was 12:30.

---

Jo came back with a couple empty cans full of water piled up in her arms.

She bent over and emptied them all down the hatch- taking a bottle of water out of her hoodie and pouring it out as well.

There was tapping from Cameron

"Dynamite was old- it was lightweight- floated all the way down the tunnel- out of sight." said Brick, translating.

"So do we start plan dig-him-out yet?" asked Jo.

"That will take too long- There's got to be another way to get him out." said Brick seriously.

"Hey Cameron, is there an opening at the other end?" asked Mike.

There was some more tapping, weaker this time.

"He says he can't see- it's too dark down there." said Brick.

Jo grabbed the flashlight and threw it down the crack.

"Did you get it?" she called out.

taptap-tap

"He says 'ow'" said Brick.

"What, no thank you?" said Jo crossing her arms.

"Can't tell- reflection of diamond."

"Dis is no time for bein a poet, kid-" said Anne Maria, "Wait- you don't mean my diamond, do ya?"

"But where does it lead?" asked Jo, looking around to the tracks-where Scott was attempting a discreet exit.

"You know something, Farm Boy." said Jo- storming over to Scott so fast he keeled over backwards into a cart.

"And you're not getting out of here in one piece til you spill the beans."

Scott hesitated- but the fist that Jo held to his chin made a very convincing argument. Besides, something he'd seen on TV that day gave him an idea.

---

CAMERON

It was dark in here, dark and close and fraught with gaps and holes-it was like being in a giant suffocating solid sponge.

I could only try to edge myself loose- but every move was becoming agony. It felt like my blood had thinned to water and my bones had gone brittle- like some kind of delicious peanut-and nougat based confectionery.

I was starving too- I didn't know if it was just my eyes getting tired or the flashlight was dimming- but everything started to go black.

With Scott's direction they hurried to pull Cameron out before he was blown to bits. He seemed to know the tunnel system better than the others and he took them deeper and deeper down- although Jo would have usually outstripped him in a race even she found it hard to keep up with his constant switching of direction. Brick didn't trust him being ahead- it meant he could try to make a break for it- so he made sure to keep him constantly in sight.

Suddenly he stopped.

A part of the mine none of them had been in yet- there was water all over the ground- in the corner was a battery and a bottle of medicine.

Scott pointed lazily at a hole near the ceiling- it was jammed by Anne Maria's diamond.

There was a fractured light on the other side of it- whether from the flashlight or the dynamite they couldn't tell- there was no time to lose.

Brick grabbed the pickaxe and started digging at the wedge between rock and diamond- it wouldn't move.

"You've got to try to break it!" said Zoey.

But pounding it with the axe only drove it in more tightly.

"Around it- dig around it- so it'll come loose!" said Mike.

He started chipping away at the edges with his axe. All of their eyes were fixed on this- not one of them noticed Scott slip away.

Through the fog I heard voices ahead of me- but then I heard something behind- Something dropped into the tunnel from one of those holes and started rolling down- I knew a thing or two about resistance-and I knew my body wouldn't make for much of it. The rolling became louder and closer-

My head and chest were locked in place but I took one painfull breath and summed up all my remaining strength to struggle free.

It didn't work- It was seconds to impact and I shut my eyes.

Brick had almost got the fake rock free when the tunnel erupted with a crash- sending the diamond shooting at the opposite wall and the contents of the tunnel landing heavily on the ground- The diamond was on top of Brick- but something was holding onto it- it was...Ezekiel.

Ezekiel shook off the crash and then hissed at Brick before snatching the diamond away and clinging to it protectively.

"What the-" said Lightning.

Across from them something coughed- Cameron had landed on his back after being forced out of the tunnel by the furious impact of a raging homeschooled teenager-turned-mole king.

Mike rushed over to him,

"Speak to me, buddy!" he said- but Cameron was out like a light.

They suddenly noticed a light coming from just outside the cave opening- the kind of light that came from outside. They all fell quiet- a beckoning wind flooded in around their feet.

Then there was the sound of a faint sizzling echoing off the walls

"Where'd the dynamite go?" asked Jo suddenly.

They started looking around- but something flashed past the cave opening- it was Scott- he was holding a squealing mini-mole and he released it from his grip so that it flung across the room at them wailing at an ear-splitting pitch.

"See ya later, suckers." said Scott, running for the exit. But the exit was sealed off with concrete- it was the end of the road for him.

Lightning had barely taken a step in his direction when the opening was blocked by a massive wall of pink with teeth.

RRRRRRRRUAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH

It growled before pouncing into the cave. Ezekiel suddenly rolled onto his feet and jumped onto its back- causing it to charge blindly- it ran in circles making them scatter before it slammed Mike roughly into the wall. It pulled back and he slid down to the ground- it was ready for another crushing blow when it turned around- Zoey was hitting it repeatedly with the end of a pickaxe.

"That-Wasn't-Very-Nice!" she shouted in between hits.

It turned on her suddenly.

"Um...but that's just my opinion?" said a wide-eyed Zoey- backing up as it advanced towards her.

"Give me a boost-" said Jo. Brick crossed his forearms so that Jo could get onto them like a platform. His arms heaved upwards while Jo took a flying jump- tumbling onto the back of the Mole next to a startled Ezekiel who hissed before being pushed off. Jo took hold of the ears of the beast and pulled hard. It reared upwards and Zoey ran out from under it- just then Lightning pushed over two barrels and kicked them over to the giant mole-which landed with its front paw on one and its hind leg on the other- causing them to roll in opposite directions- bringing it to crash land on its belly, head-forwards.

Something rolled out from behind it- a red something that had a strong flame burning dangerously near to its end.

"Come on- let's get out of here! Go! Go! Go!" shouted Jo, jumping off of the beast and running out of the cave just as the giant mole started getting up.

Lightning raced out and Brick picked up Cameron, slinging him over his shoulder fireman-style.

The beast got up and growled so loudly the ceiling shook. Anne Maria made a dash to the cave opening, almost tripping over the overturned barrel. Zoey helped Mike to his feet and urged him to the exit- then,

***BOOOM!***

Fragments of rock hurtled through the air so fast they hit skin like hail, boulders were blasted to bits and the walls collapsed-

It took a minute for the dust to clear.

---

Mr. Rohke

By my watch it was 12:32- then why were there no fireworks- it looked like just a part of the mine was blown up- and now the exit was open again. What was going on?

I steered the blackbird lower, to investigate- but the craft was unstable-

Those morons must've banged up the landing leg on the way down.

I switched on the autopilot button and walked over to the deck.

A hand grabbed my ankle- I was looking down at the face of Chris McLean.

"You see, this is why I wear sandals-" He winked at me before yanking my boot- which slipped off the deck and into the air- my arm swung out and clutched at nothing- I grabbed one side of the door and managed to steady myself when I was pulled down sharply by the tip of my hat.

"And that- is why I don't wear one of these." said Chris before I keeled headfirst off the deck and through the air.

"Plus I can't let anything obscure the hunkliness." said Chris, climbing up onto the deck and holding out a hand for Blaineley, who was still on the rope ladder.

She didn't take it- and he remembered why.

"You were going to push me off." said Blaineley.

"So were you!" said Chris incredulously.

"...good point." she said, sticking out her hand for him to pull her up.

They stood in the cabin for a moment. It was silent. Then the words came pouring out;

"It was just-" started Blaineley

"-show business, yeah! You know how it's always"

"it's just a cut-throat industry and-" said Blaineley

"I had to-"

"yeah until-"

"-but then I"

"I didn't want to-"

"-just"

Neither of them could think of what to say and for a moment they just stared wordlessly into eachother's eyes before kissing furiously for one long swooning moment.

They broke apart suddenly- and Chris took a moment to regain his composure before offering his hand in way of official handshake.

"So...how do you feel about a new contract?"

Blaineley was curious,

"What kind of contract? A co-production or a standard partnership?" she asked.

"Mmaybe a little of both?" said Chris, grinning.

"I'll have my people call your people." said Blaineley, shaking his hand. Their hands lingered before separating and Chris glanced at her cherry-red lips for a second.

Chris slid into the pilot's seat and grabbed the wheel. Blaineley buckled up in the seat next to him.

"Where are we going?" she asked kicking her heels up onto the dashboard and leaning back.

"We could ditch the losers for a while, maybe hit a couple premiere parties in the land of faame?" said Chris, hunched over the steering wheel.

"Toronto?" she asked.

"Yep!" said Chris.

"Or New York." she suggested.

"Maybe!" he replied, grinning.

"Hollywood?" she questioned, turning to him.

"Sure-" said a too-confident McLean.

Blaineley looked at him before saying flatly,

"You have no idea how to fly this thing, do you."

"Nope!"

Coughing and blinking they stepped out. Out of the mine. When the dust cleared away, the first thing that hit them was

"Sunlight!" Oh yeah, that's what I'm talkin about, If anybody needs me i'll be catchin some zs, hello!" said Anne Maria, strutting off to the beach.

"You can hear everything, the birds, the trees, the bird-tree mutant hybrids..." she noted a strange-looking tree with a beak -"everything's just so-"

"-Perfect, yeah..." said Mike looking misty-eyed at Zoey before being thwacked in the head by Lightning's outstetched arms

"Sha-Freedom! Point me the way to the nearest meatsource -and Lightnin will go for it!" yelled Lightning, looking around.

Scott picked himself up and pointed across the woods.

"Pfft, I don't need your help, Sha-traitor, Lightnin can find the goods on his own!" said Lightning, heading across the beach in the opposite direction.

"But the kitchen's that way-" he started, then he dropped it. "Ugh. Finally I can get away from the rest of you." And with that he stormed off.

"Fresh air, truly invigorating..." said Cameron, coming to. Brick swung him back onto his feet and Mike gave him a steadying hand.

"It's just nice to be on good solid ground again." said Brick, stomping with his one boot.

"Terra firma!" said Cameron enthusiastically.

"That too!" said Brick, smiling into the sunshine- he turned around- "Hey- Jo, I knew we'd get out, it was just a matter of-" all he saw was the grey streak that was Jo, running off into the distance.

I guessed what she missed was going solo. he thought- staring after her.

Scott was nowhere to be seen.

---

JO

I was leaning on a tree next to the lake. I'd already checked the numbers and now I was just looking at the lake.

"What are you doing?" asked Brick out of the blue. How long had he been standing there?

"I'm just checkin the time." I said, not wanting to let on too much.

"Oh" he said. He let it drop, but I didn't want him to confuse the lack of detail with dishonesty, so I told.

---

BRICK

"We were in there for one hundred twenty hours, zero minutes and six seconds exactly." said Jo, holding out the wrist with her watch on it for me to see.

It was a kids watch, I realised. The plastic kind that seemed to be held together by cleartape. The number on it was backlit.

"I told myself if I couldn't get out of there by 123:45:67.8 I'd just give up." she said, turning back to look out at the lake.

"But when we finally got out of there, I didn't even check- it was like it didn't even matter anymore." she said, shrugging. "Weird, huh?"

"I agree. Almost as weird as the thought of you giving up." said I said, smiliing at her. She smiled back and just like that I knew things would be alright again.

"Ma'am- permission to ask why you don't just get a new one-" I asked, pointing at her watch.

She stopped smiling at me and looked at it.

"Back when I used to train hockey out on the lake by my house- Spence gave it to me...so I'd remember to meet him every morning for practice." said Jo. She fidgeted with the broken band of it for a second and she closed her eyes. That did it. jealousy pounded in my chest for one second- but I controlled it and something else took over me.

I took her hand- the other hand, and held it. Her wrist was pink from the sprain so I was extra careful when I brought it closer. She looked at me questioningly. I looked right back at her and pressed my lips to her palm. She froze for a second and I thought she'd take her hand away, but I was insistent and I felt her relax.

That feeling surged through me again, and even though I could've kissed her again- I wanted..I needed more to give her this- everything else could wait.

Jo, I thought.

And I inhaled her scent.

---

It seemed like the world had turned since they'd first got stuck in that mine- and Cameron would most likely point out that it had- five times to be exact- which would probably earn him some sass from Anne Maria who would probably have missed the point anyways.

Nevertheless they couldn't just shake off the feeling of finally being free- of seeing the light and feeling the wind and knowing they could close their eyes without fear of the dark and the things that waited in it.

But mostly they were hungry.

"What is there to eat, I'm starvin ova here." said Anne Maria, who was laying on one of the benches in the mess hall.

"Is there anything left in the kitchen?" asked Zoey, swinging her legs under the table idly.

The kitchen door swung open and Lightning appeared and hastily tossed a chicken bone into the bin.

"Uh- nope- Lightnin just finished the chicken- I mean checkin...out the place!" said Lightning.

"Oh wait- I think I found something," said Mike, opening up a cupboard behind the counter.

"As long as it ain't from a can, I'll take it." said Anne Maria.

"You want the bad news now or later?" asked Mike, holding up two cans of buttered lima beans.

"Ugh- Whatever, hand it over here." said Anne Maria.

Cameron had taken a double dosage of his immunity pills- he'd already taken a shower and got into his jammies and was running around outside, chasing after bluebottle butterflies-

"that ain't how you do it." said Jo- "you've got to chase em into a crosswind first, then swoop them from the side. Helps to carry two nets."

"Isn't that...cheating?" asked Cameron, he looked warily at Jo who caught three of them in one go, with the hoop of the net against the trunk of a tree.

"Kinda. But I figure you can anyways- it's a fair price for their freedom." and she pulled the net away cleanly so that they fluttered upwards and got lost in the blue of the sky.

"Hey, about earlier I just wanna say I'm-"

"It's okay. You don't have to say anything."

"Cool." said Jo before turning around. "-Hey wait, are you saying I can't apologise? Because I can-"

"I'm not disputing that, I-"

"Cause you can ask anybody- I'm great at apologies...excellent even!" said Jo, up in arms.

"Okay, okay- go ahead." yielded Cameron.

"Uh..." said Jo, looking at the ground and holding one arm with the other, "...I'm, you know...sorry." she said inaudibly. Then she shook her head, took a deep breath and stormed towards him, poking him in the chest.

"I, Jo Baker apologise. I'm sorry, got it?"

"Yes- yes I do" said Cameron nodding quickly.

"Good." said Jo, heading into the mess hall.

---

"Okay, so that didn't work out so well." said Chris, pulling Blaineley out off the helicopter, which had landed nose- down in the forest of the far-side of the island.

"I knew I shouldn't have let you drive-" said Blaineley, fixing her dress.

"Yeah right- like you'd have done any better-" started Chris before a shadow fell on both of them. It was ticked-off looking Chef who had just plucked a tranquilizer dart out of his neck.

"Oh, it's just you." said Chris. When he saw Chef grab the helicopter and tip it back on its landing legs.

"Hey, woah- what are you doing?" he asked.

"We gotta get out of here, McLean." said Chef.

"What? Why- it's almost my lunchtime." whined Chris. Chef turned.

"We are on an island full o kids who probably want us dead, a crazy CEO who wants us dead, and a mutant shark-"

"Who wants us dead?" suggested Chris.

"Bingo." said Chef.

"Fiiine." said Chris, getting into the helicopter before adding, "I never get to have any fun."

---

After nightfall things got cooler and quieter. Everyone was pretty tired, especially Cameron. It turned out another side-effect of his medicine was a crash, which happened thankfully right when he was reading aloud from one of the many books back in his cabin, with which he'd had an excited reuinion. He had just been talking about the mytho-historical backgrounds of all the constellations he could name when he'd gone out like a light. Falling asleep on a log.

After finding a few hotdogs and surplus of non-glowing marshmallows they all sat around the campfire, roasting their dinner over the crackling fire.

Lightning had retired early, tracking back to his cabin with his roasting stick trailing lazily through the dust. Eventually Jo had gone inside after staying up listening to Brick's stories about bootcamp and saying things like "You think that's tough? Try doing it with one hand tied behind your back-" and "Not bad, not bad at all, soldier." Brick offered to walk her to her cabin.

"You're kidding!" she said skeptically, "Nobody does that anymore, cadet-"

"Why not?" said Brick, shrugging.

"Go ahead." said Jo, "Do what you want." Brick leaned closer so only she could hear.

"Is that an order?" he asked.

Zoey, Cameron, Mike and Anne Maria were the last ones at the fire. Anne Maria was flipping through GLOSS! FAB! WOW! magazine and pulling a melted marshmallow off the end of the stick.

"Your hair-" said Zoey, pointing out Anne Maria's 'do that was the same, except for being up in a ponytail.

"Oh yeah, I had to keep it in control back there, things were gettin crazy." said Anne Maria. She yawned.

"Might leave it like that for a while, till I get summore hairspray, anyways." Then she got up, partly because she was tired and partly so that she didn't have to be the one to get more firewood. She picked up Cameron and waved lazily

"Night." she said, leaving Mike and Zoey alone.

"I should go too-"said Zoey, getting up I was losing my chance-

"Wait, Zoey- If you want…I can tell you about…everything." I said.

"Everything?" she asked.

"A-about my...MPD, remember?" I said, suddenly self-conscious. I did what Cameron had instructed. Deep breaths. Keep focus. Take down the walls. (The walls in my head that he said were blocking up the memories, that he said my doctor had only helped fortify by sending me to my happy-place). I looked at Zoey again. She looked like she was ready and suddenly things felt...easier I guess. I was ready.

"I did go to a performing art school but it was just for two months in the summer- and then...I couldn't go back there, Zoey"

"Because you had problems with the other kids?" said Zoey.

"What? Who said that?" I asked. We realized at the same time. Scott.

"I guess it all started that summer," I said.

"The summer I went to the performance school in Piney Peaks. It was supposed to be fun my parents said, and great for my future. But they were wrong. It was bad, really bad, Zoey. And I think it messed up everything that came afterwards..."

Vorzana was the theatre teacher. She was really tall gypsy woman, she didn't have any hair but she had these big gold earrings, that matched her gold pendant. She wore a white shawl and silk gloves that made her look, theatrical I guess. And black eyes.

I was just joking around backstage practicing my magic -when she took me away.

You ever think of acting?

No

You are going to be acting for me, yes.

What

Acting for me. In the summer drama-

But I don't like acting.

Tell me, have you a problem with your mind?

No

You aren't an idiot, correct?

I didn't know what to say. I must've looked like an idiot just staring.

Is there something stopping you from understanding me when I am speaking?

I said nothing, but shook my head.

You will act for me. I have an eye, a third eye for the arts, and I see that you have the mind for it.

She stroked her bald head.

It is my duty to harness your mind, to make you a vessel for skill, a possessor of talent- I will pour it into you and concetrate it to its purest form on the stage.

But- who would I play?

You are going to be my Vito. The star of 'Streetfight on the TurnPike'

You are going to come here every day when the clock chime rings four times for four o' clock- and you will shed this shy exterior before me and show me your inner Vito.

She looked at me with something like hunger. The other kids sometimes said she peeled off children's skins and ate them, well right now I believed them.

But Randy's playing Vito

Not anymore. But he will understand, won't he? You will tell him the job has gone to one of higher qualities.

I knew it wasn't true. Randy already didn't like me and wasn't going to be shy about showing it after I told him. Somehow I found myself nodding anyways.

My Vito of the tall, tan-skinned and tough.

She sneered at me for a moment- I got the strangest feeling that she hated me.

I couldn't do anything about it. I came back every day when the bell rang four times- the bell so lopsided you could just make out the odd clunk of it hitting the wall every other ring, louder and louder the closer you got to the theatre house.

I looked at the poster for the play. And she was right that I looked like him.

But she was wrong and I acted badly, I thought it would make her leave me alone - she kept stopping me and the pianist would falter and then she'd say horrible, but she smiled while she said it., like she'd planned it all. Then I'd have to start over again, again and again and again until one time- the day before the first performance, everyone was going to be there and they would see me screw up.

We'd been practicing the fight scene and my hand had punched the car prop so many times my knuckles were badly hurt

This time with feeling.

Finally I went to the back and was going to the bathroom to wash off when her voiced stopped me.

You're not leaving are you?

No

Your hands- they are bleeding...yes?

For a second I thought she'd offer me a bandage or something. Then she said,

No, leave them like that. Vito wouldn't wash them- suck the blood out then bite your knuckles, yes like that.

I did everything she said. It was like I couldn't stop once she'd already said the words. I was terrified of her.

Come here, wipe those tears.

Vito wouldn't cry.

My, you're making a pretty awful mess of this aren't you? She asked. But it wasn't like a question.

The play, everything.

I didn't know what to say. I felt a twisting sense of dread.

I do not like when children spoil my work- especially as you are doing it on purpose.

I gulped.

Theres only one thing that can be done. That you leave now.

The play?

I asked hopefully.

And the school, of course my child.

My heart sunk.

You didn't think they'd let you back in after quitting out did you? And what a pity for your parents, if you knew how dearly they paid to see you pursue your passion within these walls.

We turned away from the stage now and I was facing the armoire. I never noticed how strange it looked. Heavy- like it could crush the stage.

Would you like to know what's inside?

I nodded even though I wasn't sure. She started to speak.

Some teachers try to make actors out of children, they say that it's ~easy, that you can use ~fun as a tool. Well you'll find that the tool I use is much more potent, even though it may be a little unpleasant- a tool that takes actors out of children...a sort of extraction.

What do you see when you go to the lake?

The question made me uneasy. How did she know how much time I spent there?

Stones, everywhere. Pebbles lie- wasting on the shores. Dense, coarse- impervious to water, like this chest- made completely of lake-rock. It's strong- but ugly. Don't you think?

I didn't say anything. I wanted to leave.

No?

When a pebble is turned to glass you see why is it that it makes so little brittle glass- it is only the finest parts of the pebbles, concentrated while the rest goes up the smokestack.

When the glass is taken out, it is delicate but flawless- giving the perfect reflection.

I want you to be my pebble. I want you to become my glass. I want you to show me the image of Vito, perfectly reflected.

A masterpiece.

The tool is inside.

She said, pointing at the armoire.

Don't believe me? Go and see for yourself.

I opened the chest. Why did I open the chest?

It was empty- completely empty but before I could turn around she'd pushed me in and shut the door.

I am not going to let you out. You will be transformed. You will be in here until the music ends.

Liquid started rising out of a grille in the bottom of it, under my feet. It was dark coloured.

No, its not water.

She said, reading my mind.

It's Fresco Lemon Cola. Vito's favourite drink if you remember your script.

The music started to play and I knew I wasn't getting out. I think she'd put a stereo on top of the armoire. I just remember sitting and rocking back and forth until it started rising faster and I stood shaking. I tried humming to drown out the music but my tune went tuneless and the music drowned it out- it drowned out all my thoughts- except for the thought that I was going to drown.

I tried to lift my head above it but no dice- it was brimming just below my eyes completeley engulfed my nose and mouth and everything beneath. The bubbles popped against my eardrums inscesently like the neverending sound of nameless bugs in the woods at night when you're all alone.

I knew she'd left.

There was no light- no cracks in my airless prison and my eyes swallowed the darkness. I tried and failed to tiptoe and stretch out of the liquid's grasp I crammed my head to the roof of the box- whee the sound was an unbearable agony of sound flooding my ears. I remember seeing etched on the inside of the armoire: per ardua ad astra.

Then it was full and my eyes were shut tight because it burned and I knew I was going to die. I was never going to see my mom and dad again- never going to ride my bike back down that hill to home.

I just remember wishing I'd been better- so this wouldn'tve happened to me- and I could be somewhere else, anywhere else- maybe back in my room right now reading the School for Sorcery series.

In my room full of air and my house full of quiet.

Then I felt my lungs give up- and open themselves to a flood of carbonated soda.

And my eyelids parted to the sharp stinginess that was lemony Fresco Cola.

Then the world closed up around me.

I panicked- my heart beat in my chest like it was wringing the last oxygen out of my blood- I needed air bad my lungs were burning- they spasmed weakly like a hiccup and I died.

Like, literally died- well, I thought I did- cause I saw myself from above me- I saw myself suspended in dark fluid- limp, like I was asleep. I felt so peaceful here- and I floated away, to the rafters. Then I saw her. She stepped back and closed thhye curtain on the stage. Slowly, deliberately. She walked near to the armoire and switched off the stereo, even thought the music wasn't playing. She put her hand to the handle- stroked it, took her hand away again. Considered it a moment then suddenly opened it- there was a clunk and my body collapsed out of it with a flood of liquid, she stepped over to my body and tapped it on the arm a few time I felt a tug on my own arm and I swooped back into it.

Air- I needed air. I coughed and splutteed and my lungs emptied of coke and something redder.

I felt something cold pressing down on my chest when I came to. It was her hands- her horrible hands. I only had a glimpse of them before she put her gloves back on but could tell that something..was wrong with them. She wore them all the time but I guess she didn't want to get them stained.

I opened my eyes and I saw her face above me, smiling. Smiling like she'd just made a fresh batch of waffles and was calling to tell me breakfast was ready.

Get up you silly boy. Now you see that wasn't so bad, yes? You were so dramatic for nearly nothing. Perhaps there's some theatre in you after all. she said with a shrug.

You will be doing very well. I don't see any excuse you could find for telling anyone about this.

I don't remember going home- I barely remember anything anymore.

The next night I was in the dressing room- people said she'd be worried- but I knew she wasn't- I was her secret weapon. I was so scared, in the bathroom mirror looking at myself wishing I was looking from above again. Wishing I didn't look like this whatever it was about me that had made me her target.

I looked at the little window that led out to the bushed behind the school. I wanted to badly to get out- it felt like I was suffocating again and I wanted to be there, in the infinite air - to lie under the stars like I did when they looked like the future- not like the one on my dressing room door- my dressing room which was my prison. I wanted to go back to that time before this mess.

My eyes started to blur with crying and it only made the stars twinkle brighter. Then I realised what was staring at me in the reflection off the glass pane. It was her.

Taking some tiime to reflect? Or are you just trying to run out on me?

On the stage I didn't see my parents though I searched for their faces- but the audience was a dark and faceless shadow that morphed and distoted with movements and was hidden by the glae of the white lights. Not like the stars- they were unwavering and they exposed me completely. That was how I felt now with my shirt off in those ripped jeans. The rush of air on my chest suddenly hit me- everything came flooding back to me- the coldness of her hand on me- the coe moving up my spine so steadily- like her stare and suddenly I was disturbingly aware she was out there, watching me- waiting to take verything away from me- to punish me when i failed- to kill me again.

There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Every move I made was under a microscope and I froze.I left my body again- I sailed up to the ceiling. I was safe I figured- - there, I headed for the window and the way out- for freshness and freedom. There was a rush of wind in my ears and then Vito's song. I felt a tug stop me- like a coil of rope around y throat- suffocating me- pulling me back. No. I wouldnt . I was careening towards the body and the song was louder and I hated it and I had to go and-

Two things happened at once.

I tried to pull away while I was being pulled back. I felt myself tear- there was searing pain and then nothing. somehow I was still watching me but the me I was watching had gotten up, had hit Tony with very real fisticuffs and had started talking in a voice that wasn't mine. The me that was watching- I was relieved because I felt safe- but then it felt like all the energy had been pulled from me and I kinda fell asleep- deeply asleep. There was loud clapping and I woke up to standing ovations and the next thing I knew I was being pat on the back by a man in a suit before he took her out back she was smiling more than ever.

School after that was tough. The other kids thought I was a teacher's pet- that I'd kissed up to her to steal the sta role. Nobody would talk to me. And one day I caved- I told my counselor everything- everything that happened. It sounded riddiculous. I think she'd planned it that way- and you know what she did?

She wrote on my record saying i was disturbed- how i was hurting the other children and making up stories. Then she left, it turned out that guy was a scout and she got a big job in the actor's guild, broadway- I didn't know. I never looked back at that place. I never rode past it on my way to public school. I neve saw her again.

I thought it'd be the last time but afterwards there were other things.

---

ZOEY

I stayed up with Mike, and if I was tired I didn't notice. He talked about where his alternates came from. He didn't take his eyes off the fire the whole time, even when it had burned down to a few tiny embers he prodded it with the tip of his roasting twig.

He told me how Chester had shown up when some kids in his middle school had tried to make a shock bomb during the halloween dance- but how they'd botched it and left it in his hands on their way out, running for the exit so they wouldnt get caught.

How he'd tossed it back out of instinct and they'd hot-potatoed it around between them like it was some kind of sick game- how he lost when they finally shoved it in his arms before speeding off- and then how he got shocked- shocked so hard his hands couldnt break contact with the sizzling device. How the frustration and pain had mounted as loud as the obnoxious teenage music in the auditorium until- he was floating again floating asleep. The box stopped sparking and he watched himself angirly toss the shock bomb down the hall after those 'young whipper-snappers with their complicated doohickeys'

He told me how Manitoba had surfaced one day on a juniour park rangers campout on Mount _. How the park ranger told them stories in the dark that night about past park rangers- of fearless conquests of the roughest terrain from the Yukon to the _ then how he'd roped their food to keep it out of the way of bears.

That night a stray ember from the fire drifted onto his tent- and how he had woken up sweaty and panicking as the fire ate everything- how he'd stumbled out through the searing heat and how the park rangers had gathered everyone to safety and how he couldn't breathe inside, the trees all around had turned to smoke and the air was thick with it. The troop leaders had done a head count and gone back for the one missing boy. He heard the pak ranger signal through the smoke but couldnt speak for coughing. He finally held his ranger hat over his face and wandered endlessly through the smoke that hid the rippling tongues of fire that seemed to appear at every turn. That he felt faint and then, floaty. How he'd somehow managed to lasso his way acoss a burning tree up onto the safety of the outpost tower.

Last he told me how he'd gone on a skii trip with his mom and dad- how he sat alone in the lodge room flipping channels on the tiny TV- there was nothing on but Olympic coverage, every other channel was snow, just like the view out the window. How his dad convinced him to go outside, to have some fun- how his mom'd introduced him to two guys his age, how he'd run outside with them hurrying back to thank her.

(making friends was okay for him, but by then he'd learned that keeping them wasn't so easy) how suddenly he'd been eager to hit the slopes as they was- But then how they'd taken him off track- 'a shortcut to the big time slopes' they said. He'd followed them to a gap between two cliffs.

By the time he got there they were already on the other side, and their landings had crumbled ice off the opposite edge.

C'mon, hurry up 'fore the line's too long

Just jump it man, don't be such a girl.

How he'd looked down into the deep pit below, at the ice that'd freshly landed there, how more crumbled off with each step forwards.

How he saw them walk off anyways

Whatever, man.

How he'd been so quick to go after them he took a blind step into mid air. How he grabbed for something, anything- but there was nothing but down.

Until he left himself and just saw himself do a soaring backflip onto the cliff before taking a running leap across the gorge with toes pointed, eyes closed and a high-pitched sing-song 'Ta-daa'

How he'd landed spectacularly and the guys had stared at him before bursting out laughing and running off to the slopes.

He told me how he got his MPD.

---

Afterwards he sat there, stirring the embers. Sitting hunched with his head resting on one hand.

"I can understand if you- you know..." he said after a while.

"If I what?" I asked.

"If you don't want a delicate case for a...a boyfriend." he said shrugging sadly.

"Delicate case?" she asked

"It's what my shrink calls it...Zoey, you should be with a guy who can face- I dunno, tigers for you- not a guy who can't even face his memories..."

"But you just did that- just now!" I exclaimed.

"I did?" he asked, blinking at me.

"Yeah- Mike you told me everything and you- you're still you!" I said, pointing him out. "I happen to think that's pretty amazing."

"You do?" he said, perking up a bit.

"I do." I said, sitting closer to him.

"And I did fight off that beastie earlier- so you might say you owe me." he said, sliding his hand next to mine.

"Ah you forget I saved your butt not half an hour later," I said poking him in the side, "so we're even."

"Oh yeah." he said, remembering. "Hey.. but wait- you owe me twelve bucks!"

"What? Oh yeah!" I said thinking about Scott's brunch of disgustingness. I'd forgotten all about that. "Um...I don't actually have any money here..."

"Well...you could find some..other way to pay me back." he said holding my hand and smiling hopefully.

"Hmm, I guess." I said, "Do you take CTM coupons?"

"Ha ha very fun-" I tugged him closer by the hand and kissed him. He smoothed his hand through my hair and tried to zip closer to me on the log but ended up toppling us over onto the side.

I was pressed against him in the cool grass. His skin was warm where he was blushing. I was pulled gently down nearer to him and he kissed me quiet and we just stayed like that for a while, him stroking my hair with one hand and my back with the other, still pulling me to him when we were close as we could get. The sky was open and he was looking up at the stars. The forest made little sounds every now and then but I wasn't afraid. Wrapped in the protective circle of his arms I felt totally okay.

---

Mr. Rohke

I dragged myself out of the lake I knew for sure my blackbird hadn't gone far, and those three twits would have to be exterminated before they did anything with that tape. The mine would also have to be sealed off again- thankfully the far-end had been blasted open and no-one had escaped. I did have one question on my mind.

Why hadn't my bomb gone kaboom?

---

Zoey: Maybe there's a way out behind this shelf-

Anne Maria: it's just a bunch o stupid cobwebs

Anne Maria: What'd I just trip over?

Mike: Oh, it's me- how long was I out?

Zoey: Well we're still in here.

Cameron: My foot's stuck in something!

Mike: Is that a tin of lasco?

*Lightning yanks him out and empties the tin into his mouth*

Mike: No, wait...I think it was glitter.

Lightning: Sha-nasty!

Brick: Stacking all the boxes to reach the ceiling vent didn't work-

Jo: Then there's only one way to get out of here. I found some matches.

acelaces *opens back door* Hey you guys I forgot I don't wear reading gla- is that my notebook?

*Jo is holding notebook in one hand and lit match in another*

acelaces: Yeefus, if you'd just read the chapter you'd know nobody dies.

Cameron: What a relief.

acelaces: ...yet :D

---

The day is done and the waiting is over, they're out of their mine! But is this the last for danger, deceit and...doom?

Next time on Total Drama Revenge of the Forevermine-

Will Chris and Blaineley's newest 'contract' become null and void?

Is this the last of the homeschooled homeboy himself (I'm talking, of course, about the self-elected King of the mutant moles)?

Was it Jo's sock to the eye that gave Lightning his newfound clarity?

What has become of our favourite landshark?

Where is Scott- and is this the end to his scheming ways?

What else does Mr. Rohke have up his pinstripped sleeves?

Has Anne Maria given up on Vito or will she get him yet?

Has Mike done away with his MPD or will he still be needing that magic word?

Does Brick wear boxers or is he, you know...more of a briefs man? ;D

Brick: Hey!

All of this and much much more will be answered in the seventh and final chapter of Total Drama Revenge of the ForeverMine!