Chapter 10: Apocalypse Later

It was breakfast a few days later. The cast members were trying to ignore the bugs crawling on it and force down their food. "I really miss DJ's cooking", Harold said. "It was as awesome as this is completely grossitating." Then he looked at the table. "Hey, these bendy straws look just like the ones from at the hospital where I got my kidneys swapped!" "You had your kidneys swapped? Most people just get a transplant", Bridgette said. "I know. I'm a rare case." "Got that right", Heather said. Harold rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm keeping these." He shoved the straws in his pocket.

Chris walked in, smiling. "Good morning, cast members! Guess what time it is..." "I think I know", Heather said. "Exactly what torture have you concocted for us today?", she asked. "Oh, nothing, just that your day will be a total disaster. As in, a disaster movie theme! People running for their lives from from volcanoes, earthquakes, asteroids, tidal waves... the more disastrous, the better."

Confession Cam: Lindsay

"My hair is a total disaster already! It's been three weeks since I had a trim. I'm in split ends city! How much worse could it get?"

The cast members finished their food and followed Chris to an uphill set. "Your first challenge is the earthquake of inevitable pain! Each team has to run the obstacle course, challenging your dexterity, maneuverability and other mad monkey skills. Meanwhile, Chef will be throwing things at you! First team to the top wins this round, and best two out of three earns today's reward. On your marks... get set... and, action!"

Chris blew his air horn and the teams took off up the hill. "Are you ready to rock!", he shouted. He pulled a lever on the control panel in front of him and the set began shaking. The campers fell over. Eva landed on Izzy. "If you break it, you buy it!", Izzy said. "I'm gonna be buying an arm soon if we don't win this challenge." Meanwhile, Chef started throwing things. He knocked Bridgette and Harold off the monkey bars. Owen fell down and threw up. He gasped. "No! My delicious food, lost forever!" "Oh, yeah, that reminds me", Chris said. "Lava time!" He hit a button and the set opened up. Fake lava began spewing out and coating the ground. The campers all got to higher ground. "Whew, is it getting hot out here? How about a cool, refreshing hail storm?", Chris asked. He got in a golf cart and began shooting golf balls at the teens. He hit Izzy and Cody and knocked them both down.

The set split in half from the shaking, and Lindsay fell in the gap between the halves. Cody grabbed her hand and pulled her up. "Oh, Cody, you saved me- again!" She kissed him. "My hero..." Cody smiled. "Glad I could help, babe. Now let's win this challenge!" "Oh, you'll win a lot more than that!", she said. While they were talking, the other team got ahead- except Harold, who got shot by Chris and fell over into some water. "Everyone, get behind me!", Owen told the Grips. They did so, using him as a human shield. Then, Chris ran out of golf balls. Owen sighed and went on with the challenge. "Chef, do something!", Chris yelled. Chef nodded and resumed throwing things. After a while he pulled out the last item he had. "Ah, my unpublished novel. So many hours put into this... I always hoped it would be a hit." He threw it and it collided with Owen's jaw. "And it was!"

Owen fell backward and landed on a log. "Owchie, that hurts!", He said. Then he started mumbling unintelligibly. Eva and Izzy ran over to him. "Owen, are you okay?", Izzy asked. "Come on, get up!", Eva yelled. Owen began howling in pain. Cody walked up to Chris. "Um, Chris? Why doesn't the crew go up and help him?", he asked. "Yeah, yeah, as soon as we get some shots of him in agony. This makes for great TV! Good news is, since you lost a player, I'm gonna give you guys the point for this round." "Oh come on!", Heather said. "Yeah, we got our whole team across the finish line!", Harold said. "Dude, I make the rules, not you. I just punish you if you break 'em. Remember?" Harold sighed. "Gosh, of course I do." "You just make up the rules as you go along, don't you?", Heather asked. Chris nodded. "I love my job..."

After Owen was taken to the hospital, it was time to resume the challenge. The cast members walked over to a submarine set. "Anyone know how Owen's doing?", Izzy asked. "I got a call from the doctor. He's fine, just a broken jaw. Shouldn't take more than four to six weeks to heal", Chris said.

Confession Cam: Chris

"This is what release forms are for, correctamundo?"

"Alright, now it's time for the second disaster themed challenge. Who's excited?" No one responded. The campers got in the life boats by the submarine set. "Because of Owen's win, the Grips have the advantage of getting this handy dandy piece of paper for the second challenge. He folded it into a plane and threw it to Lindsay, who got hit in the eye. She winced and picked the paper up. "What good is this? It just has some dumb numbers on it", she said. "I think it's a lock combination", Izzy said. "Okay, time to get inside", Chris told them. The campers did has he asked. "I don't like this", Bridgette said. "I'm more at ease above the water, not below it." After the teams got in their two chambers, an alarm went on and the lights turned red. Then, Chris turned on the in-sub intercom. "For this challenge, you've gotta get out before it's too late." "Too late? Too late for what?", Heather asked. "Oh, you'll find out..." They did soon, when the pipes in the chambers began to burst and the lights went out.

Cody looked at the rising water. "Oh no... if we don't get out on time, we're gonna drown!" "You don't think Chris is really mean enough to let that happen, do you?", Lindsay asked. Eva shrugged. "A challenge is a challenge, now let's get to work. Meanwhile, the Gaffers were already working. "This water is freezing, and I can barely see anything!", Heather said. "Don't worry, I can handle it", Geoff said. "I go to a lot of late night, outdoor parties." He stumbled over to a box and pulled out some flashlights. "Ah, there we go." He passed them to the others. "Let's win this challenge!" They looked up, then down, and settled on down. "Let's try the floor exit", Bridgette said. "Anyone know how to pick a lock?" "Actually, I learned how to open a combo lock at Picky Steve's Lock Picking Camp." "Good, get to work!", Heather said. He did so.

In the other chamber, the Grips were turning some valves. Eva turned one all the way and ripped it off the wall. "Okay, I guess that was the wrong one", she said. Izzy tried to do the same, but lost her grip and was sent flying into the wall. "Wow, what a head rush!", she said. She stepped on the box of flashlights. "Hey, look what I found!" "Yay for Izzy's hard head!", Lindsay said. They looked and found the two possible exits. "I'll try the upper one, you guys get the lower one", Eva said. She began turning the valve on top, while Cody checked the other. "It's a combination lock!", he said. "How are we ever gonna open it?", Lindsay asked. Izzy took the piece of paper from her. "With this!", she said. She went toward the lock, but Cody bumped into her and she dropped the paper. She gasped and picked it up, but it was smudgy. "Well this sucks", she said. Finally, Eva got the other latch open and a shark popped out. She punched it and it went back up. "Okay, forget the paper, just try every combination until the lock works!", she yelled.

Back in the other chamber, Harold was working on the lock under water. He came up and gasped for air. "I can't do it, I need more time!", he said. "If only I had gills." The water kept rising. Heather and Bridgette got the upper latch open, but a jet of flames came out. "Well, maybe we can just leave that open and turn all the water to steam?", Geoff said. Heather just glared at him. "What? It's the best idea I've got!" Harold gasped. "I have a better one!" He pulled the straws out of his pocket. He put one in his mouth and handed the others to Heather. "Quick, help me make a snorkel!" They did so, and Harold dived back under the water. He worked on the lock for seconds, then a few minutes. Finally it opened and he swam out. The others followed him, and the water gushed out of the submarine set from both chambers. "Whew! This'll make escaping from under water waaay easier!", Lindsay said. Eva smacked her.

Confession Cam: Harold

"I had it all under control. You see, I work best under pressure... pressure! Get it? Like water pressure? I'm hilarious..."

The cast members went back to the trailers and sat around a campfire, trying to dry off. Chris walked up to them, smiling. "Well, that was a pretty exciting day, huh?", he said. "Looks like today's reward goes to the Gaffers. Maybe the Grips will win it next time, but I wouldn't hold my breath", he said. He laughed and pulled out some paper. "Now let's see what the Gaffers have won... Oh, an all expense paid trip to beautiful British Columbia! That's right, you'll be staying at a luxurious inn on the volcano. A charming lodge, teetering on the edge of a little known active volcano on Vancouver island. To get you there, you'll be enjoying a midday hike up the-" "No thanks", Heather said. "I think I speak for all of us when I say we'd rather stay here." "We'll just take some chips and pop if that's okay", Bridgette said. Chris shrugged. "Suit yourselves. More money for my end of the year bonus", he said.

Confession Cam: Heather

"That's what they call a prize? Right. Like we really needed a disaster themed vaycay."

Chris wheeled Owen over by the trailer and whispered to him. "Okay, I can let you eat with the Gaffers, if you promise not to sue." "Promise", he said. "Promise, promise? Not like fake promise, right?" Owen nodded and Chef brought him some food. "Well, that was easier than I thought!"