Chapter Thirty-Eight – You're a hunter, Charlie Brown!
The next morning, all the campers were present in the mess hall for breakfast save for Heather, who was still nowhere to be seen since last night's elimination. In her place at the table this morning was the newest intern to date: Linus Van Pelt.
"That's one heck of a story kid," Gwen said as Linus finished telling the tale of how he had come to be on the island.
"Indeed," he replied. "But I still would have rather come here the traditional way with no adventure required."
"Aw. But then you wouldn't have had that amazing story to share with the rest of us," Cody teased.
"Again, I would have liked that very much," Linus assured the tech geek.
"Yeah. But still, it's too bad that you got roped into being Chris' intern," Charlie Brown said.
"Well, I don't mind," Linus replied with a shrug. "After all, at times like this, I am reminded of a very important philosophy: work requires will and ambition; not complaining and remorse. Therefore, I am confident that in spite of being forced to work for the show, my works will come around in full circle and reward me in regards to the kind of job that I have done."
Confession Cam
Chef – Let's see if he'll say the same thing once he gets his paycheck...or IF he gets his paycheck.
END
Suddenly, the peaceful morning was interrupted when the doors to the mess hall flung open at such velocity that the entire building shook from the force that the doors hit the walls with. And standing at the doorway was none other than the queen bee herself. To say she looked frightening that morning would be an understatement.
Ever since Harold had pulled himself from the game, Heather had become an emotional wreck. Unlike others who had lost someone special to them in the game (of course, Heather wouldn't admit that Harold had become special to her), Heather was not sad. Nay. Instead, she was mad. Furious really. She had decided that if she was going to have a bad day, then everyone else was going to have a bad day.
"Move it jock boy!" Heather growled as she pushed Tyler out of her way. "One side surfer girl! Make path delinquent or my foot goes up your butt!"
Once the said contestants obeyed her without any question and cleared a path for her, Heather stormed to her seat. She gave Linus the evilest glare she could muster and the six year old, with a quiver of fear, jumped out of the chair and and sat next to Beth. This, of course, scared the farm girl to no end.
END
"Good morning Heather," Beth meekly greeted.
"What's so good about it?" the queen bee snarled. "And why are you just sitting there? You know I like my apple juice at this time in the morning! Get to it!"
"But..."
"But? Do I LOOK like I'm in the mood for 'buts' today pig farmer? I said MOVE!"
Beth shuddered as Heather yelled at her and before she could be belittled any further, Beth went and got her the drink she requested.
Confession Cam
Beth – (Twiddling her thumbs) I know Heather really liked Harold, which ith why thee'th acting the way thee ith today. But thtill, that doethn't give her the right to be tho...nathty towardth everyone!
END
"Sheesh...nice to see you too Heather," Duncan grumbled. "What kind of a badger crawled up your butt this morning?"
"Shut up pierce-face," she grumbled. "I'm NOT in the mood today!"
"Please. You're never in the mood for anything."
"I'm in the mood to shove my food up your butt right now!"
Before anymore bickering could take place, Chris's voice rang out through the loud speakers.
"Attention campers! Please report to the elimination ceremony area for your next challenge! And you might want to bring your game faces cause you're gonna need them!"
Heather grumbled as she stood from her seat. At that moment, Beth had run up to her with her apple juice.
"Here you are," she huffed.
"Didn't you hear the announcement? You're too late! We've got to get going! Thanks for nothing!"
And with that, Heather slapped the cup out of Beth's hand, spilling the contents within all over the farm girl. Then, without another word, she stormed out of the dining room and headed straight for the said location for the start of the challenge.
Beth just stood there for a minute. A hurt expression had overtaken her face. Then, without a word, she bent down to pick up the now empty cup that once held the apple juice within. She stared at it blankly for a few seconds. Then, a terrifying expression came across her face as she crushed the cup in her hands.
(At the Elimination Area)
"Good morning campers," Chris greeted as the remaining contestants filed in one by one. "I trust you all had a fulfilling breakfast and a good night's sleep...cause today, you're going to need it."
"Since when have we had a day on this God-forsaken island when we didn't need that?" Gwen asked.
"Anyways," Chris continued, ignoring Gwen's question, "for today's challenge, you're all going to be going on a little hunt for wildlife."
He was interrupted when a sudden gasp filled the air. Immediately, all heads turns towards Bridgette, who had a terrified expression on her face.
"Hunt?" she exclaimed. "You mean...SHOOT at the wildlife?"
"Relax Bridgette," Chris assured. "National law prohibits us from actually killing wildlife on live television...though that's a shame, really. It would have made for some 'killer' television."
Chris took a moment to laugh at his own joke while everyone else just stared at him awkwardly. Or, in others cases, uncomfortably.
Confession Cam
Bridgette – Okay, I'm convinced. Chris is a psychotic whack job that escaped from an insane asylum.
END
"Anywho," Chris said after clearing his throat, "For this challenge, you are all required to hunt down an assigned animal and capture it. What animal you will be hunting is all up to chance! Chef, if you would be so kind?"
Chef Hatchet approached the contestants with a small bag. However, that wasn't what the contestants were looking at. Instead, their attention was fixed solely on the huntress costume that Chef was wearing. This costume consisted of a simple short, ragged, leather skirt that showed off more leg than anyone would care to see as well as a ragged leather bra to match. In addition, Chef was also given fur boots and a small hunting knife that he carried on his almost bare hip.
Confession Cam
Bridgette – (Shuddering) I'm also convinced that Chef Hatchet has some mental issues too. I mean, what man in their right mind would WANT to wear that stuff.
Chef – (Still in his huntress outfit) For cryin' out loud! You think these maggots would learn how to stomach this after awhile! Why, back in the army, we had to learn how to stomach more gruesome sights than this in order to just survive and keep our mentality in check! Again, these pukes wouldn't last a minute in my platoon! (He pulls out a mirror and applies some matching lipstick to go with his costume)
END
"Inside this bag are some lottery balls," Chris explained. "Chef will come by each of you and you will select a ball from the bag. Inside those lottery balls is a piece of paper with an animal on it. Some animals are friendly...others, not so much. But as of now, we have all eleven animals locked in secure locations around the island. On my signal, an air horn will ring throughout the island. That sound means that the animals have been released from captivity. Your challenge is to track down your animal and bring it back here in our cage."
"But...why would anyone want to do something like that?" Bridgette questioned, sounding disgusted by the mere thought of the challenge.
"Because it makes for good television," Chris explained. "I mean, have you seen some of the shows out there lately? 'Hog Hunters'; 'Deadliest Catch'; the list goes on! People eat this sort of ting up!"
Confession Cam
Duncan – (Rolling his eyes) Just goes to show that people are stupid enough to watch anything.
END
"Anyways," Chris continued. "For today's challenge, I've decided to grant multiple invincibility again today. For those who are able to bring back their animals to the cage within the time limit, you're safe from elimination tonight. "But for the first person to bring back their animal, he or she will receive a full fledged meal courtesy of 'Joe Cool Catering!'"
Just then, a vehicle could be heard approaching. Everyone glanced over to see that the cameraman with a funny looking nose was now driving a small van with the words 'Joe Cool's Catering' written on the side. He pulled up next to the campers and nodded politely at them before jumping out of the van and beginning to prepare the feast that awaited the grand prize winner.
"Okay then! Let's get this bad boy underway! Bridgette, since you're the most eager about this challenge, I think I'll have you pick first."
Chef approached the surfer girl with the bag and held it out in front of her. She looked down at the bag with unease at first. But finally, she reached in and pulled out a lottery ball. She cracked it open and read aloud the animal written down on the piece of paper inside.
"...the great...brown...bear..." she shivered as her face went white.
"Ooh, that's a tough one. Too bad Bridgette," Chris teased.
"Tough luck Malibu," Duncan snickered as he pulled his lottery ball out next. He continued to laugh at Bridgette's misfortune as he cracked open his ball, which greatly annoyed her much to his delight. However, once he saw the name of the creature written down on his parchment, his eyes bulged with pure terror and his skin had gone even more white than Bridgette's had. Within seconds, his face had lost all color.
"Oooh, judging by your expression Duncan, I think I know what you drew," Chris chuckled.
"Can I switch?" he frantically begged the host.
"Sorry dude, but all decisions are final" the host sinisterly smirked.
Everyone thought they heard Duncan swear under his breath. But that's not what had them worried. They were more concerned about the creature he drew. It wasn't everyday that they saw the delinquent shiver with pure terror as he was at this point in time. It made them all feel a little uneasy inside. When they asked him what it was he had to capture, Duncan just quivered. He was too pretrified to even speak the creature's name.
Next was Cody. He drew a seagull. It wasn't the tech geeks first choice, since birds were so difficult to capture. But he could have gotten a bear or whatever it was that Duncan got.
Tyler boldly drew from the bag next. The jock read his paper and shrugged casually. "A frog," he smiled. "I can do that."
Lindsay was next to pull out a ball. She reached in and dug around for a minute, trying to decide which one just felt right. Heather barked at her to hurry up, to which the blonde apprehensively obliged. Nearby, Tyler, Cody, and Beth just glared at the queen bee.
"...oh no," she whimpered as she read her piece of paper. "I've got to capture...a shark?"
"How the heck are you supposed to capture a shark?" Gwen demanded. "That's impossible!"
"Not if you're the Fonz," Chris chuckled. "I mean, if he can tangle with a shark, then anyone can."
"'Happy Days' is a fictional show!" Cody snapped. "You can't expect her to pull this off!"
"Well, then it looks like she'll be up for elimination tonight," Chris shrugged.
"Hey! I'll trade with Lindsay if she doesn't want hers!" Duncan instantly suggested.
"I already told you! No trading allowed!"
Duncan hung his head in despair and fear. There was no way he was ready for what he had to face. In his mind, Lindsay had the easier task ahead of her.
Heather reached into the bag next and pulled out a ball. She smiled when she saw that all she had to capture was a measly rabbit.
Next was Beth. The farm girl had pulled a raccoon. She nodded her head, a stern and serious look on her face the whole time.
Gwen reached in next. The Gothic girl quirked an eyebrow when she saw that she had pulled the duck. An odd choice, but doable nonetheless.
Geoff reached into the bag next. The party animal hung his head when he saw that he had to find a way to capture a snake. He knew that those things were no easy creature to handle.
Izzy reached in the bag next. She was like a kid in a candy store as she excitedly dug through the balls that were still inside. Finally, she pulled one out. She crackled madly when she saw that her target animal was a deer.
"Woot! Just like 'The Deer Hunter'!" she excitedly proclaimed. "Now Izzy can take her place in history alongside one of the greatest movies to ever be made!"
Last was good old Charlie Brown. The six year old dug into the bag and pulled out his lottery ball. He nervously cracked it open and read the name of the animal written on the piece of paper inside.
"...a moose..." he read. "How the heck am I supposed to capture a moose?"
"I'll leave that to you," Chris shrugged. "Okay then! Now that you all have your animals, the hunt will begin in ten minutes. First, you're all allowed to go into the boat house and grab any necessary items you'll need in order to successfully capture your animal. Anything you want or can imagine is in there. Then, you'll head for the woods. Once you hear the air horn, that'll mean that the animals have been released that the challenge will officially begin!"
Confession Cam
Heather – I know I 'm still a main target to all these creeps. But you know what? As far as I'm concerned, they're all main targets to me as well. I don't care who goes home next. The only thing I care about is getting invincibility.
Izzy – (Grinning) Oh yeah! This one's gonna be all Izzy! No one can hunt better than me!
Bridgette – Oh, I don't know...I guess since we're not shooting any of the animals...oh, I just wish we didn't have to do this inhumane act towards those poor, innocent creatures...(she sobs slightly)
Duncan – (He's still shuddering) Okay, Malibu can say what she wants about the other animals being poor, innocent little creatures all she wants...but she doesn't have to hunt what I've got to hunt! And you guys want to talk acts of cruelty...brr!
END
In the boat house, the contestants were searching around, trying to find anything of value that could assist them in the challenge. Beth found some carrots hiding in the corner. What carrots were doing in a boat house, she didn't want to know. But she did know that raccoons would eat just about anything. She was about to leave the boat house with her find when...
"Give me those!"
Heather didn't even give Beth a chance to respond as she swiped the carrots from her hands in one, swift motion.
"Hey! Thoth are mine!"
"Not anymore."
"But...I found them firtht!"
"Well, I found them from your hand, so finders keepers!"
"That doethn't even make any thenth!"
"Then how about this: as the leader of our alliance, I'm invoking my ability to take anything that you own to use however I so desire! Don't like it? Then you don't have to be in my alliance! Now move! I've got invincibility to win!"
Heather harshly pushed Beth out of her and into a pile of garbage in the corner. She didn't even take time to see if she was all right. She just stormed off into the woods. She had a rabbit to capture.
Beth adjusted her glasses as she just looked at the messy slop that was now all over her clothes. She was almost certain that the stains would never come out of her clothes and that they were ruined. But was Beth distraught? Nay. Rather, she was starting to get angry.
"Woah...harshness."
Geoff interrupted her thoughts as he approached the farm girl and helped her out of the pile of filth. "You okay bra?"
"I'm fine," Beth grumbled as she brushed herself off as best she could. "But I've thtill got to find thomething before the animalth are releathed for the challenge."
"Well, you've got the raccoon, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well, then you could probably use this!"
Geoff smiled as he handed her a container labeled 'Raccoon Food'. Beth's eyes widened with surprise and joy as she accepted the food.
"Thankth!" she beamed. "But...what about you? Can you find anything to capture the thnake?"
"Well...I found this snake trap," he shrugged as he showed her a cage that was disguised as a house with a sign on it that read 'Snake House: All Snakes Welcome For a Good Time'.
"Well...lookth like the material in here for uth to capture our animalth is quite convenient for uth all," Beth smiled.
"Indeed it is," Geoff agreed. "But still, who in their own right mind would think of making a cage like this?"
"I dunno...but I'll bet Chef utheth thith raccoon food for hith mealth."
"Cha! That's probably why is tastes so bad," Geoff chuckled.
Confession Cam
Chef – Oh, I resent that! I do NOT use raccoon food. That's just plain disgusting! (He grumbles under his breath a little) I use badger food! High in protein and fiber, you know!
END
Tyler managed to find a small net fitting to capture a frog. He helped Lindsay find a giant net. One big enough to capture a shark. The blonde was appreciative, but still apprehensive about the upcoming challenge.
After a few minutes of searching, Gwen found a box labeled 'Badger Food'. Shrugging, she tossed it aside and then pulled up another box labeled 'Duck Food'.
"Well, this'll work just fine," she smirked.
Cody scrounged around the piles of junk, looking for anything he could to try and help him catch a seagull. Unfortunately, he wasn't as lucky as some of the other contestants were. All he found was a rope. All the other nets had been taken and Izzy had come across the tranquilizer gun before anyone else could find it.
Charlie Brown didn't have much luck either. All he found was a red cape that was usually used for bull fighting. How this would help him in catching a moose, he still didn't know. But according to his philosophies, it was better than nothing.
Bridgette gasped in horror as she held up a bear trap in her hand. Refusing to use anything that would bring harm to an animal, she threw it out into the lake and searched for something else. Something that wouldn't hurt the poor creature she was being forced to bring into captivity.
"Hey! I could have used that!" Duncan snapped.
"Nuh uh!" the surfer girl snapped back. "There's no way I'm letting you or anyone else use something that gruesome and cruel to harm any of these animals."
"Malibu, I don't have an animal! I've got a creature so terrifying..." Duncan stammered. Just the thought of having to deal with it was enough to make him want to pass out.
Bridgette, not believing Duncan, continued to search for something that would aide her capture of a bear in a non-violent method. The best she could find was a fishing rod.
She glanced over at Duncan, who had managed to scrounge up a chainsaw. The delinquent was clinging onto the weapon for dear life. He knew he was going to need it for the task that lay ahead of him as he slowly followed the other contestants as they all made their way into the woods.
Some of the contestants decided to break off into smaller groups while others decided to have at it alone. One group consisted of Tyler, Cody, Gwen, and Lindsay since their animals could be found near bodies of water. Geoff and Beth made up a group of their own. Heather, Duncan, Izzy, Bridgette, and Charlie Brown were left to fend for themselves.
(Tyler, Lindsay, Cody, and Gwen)
"So...what do you guys say? Once we've captured our assigned animals, we help one another catch theirs that way we all win invincibility," Cody suggested. "I don't care about the meal. Just so long as all four of us are safe, I'm happy."
"Me too," Lindsay agreed. "I'd hate to see any of you guys go...oh, and you too Gwen."
"Gee...thanks," Gwen rolled her eyes.
"I think it's an awesome plan!" Tyler agreed. "Besides, I think Lindsay's going to need help catching the shark. And, well, since all I've got to catch is a frog, I'll be the first one to help her."
"Aww," Lindsay awed as she smiled at the jock with appreciation.
"Yeah...uh...me too," Cody weakly added with a frail smile.
"Thanks Cody," she chuckled. "But you know, you've got the easiest one to catch I think."
"You think catching a seagull is easy?" Gwen asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Sure! I mean, anyone can do it. I heard that anyone can catch a bird if they can mimic the kind of bird's call. And the seagull has the easiest bird call of them all!"
"You know the seagull bird call?" Cody asked.
"Sure! It's really easy. It goes like this."
Lindsay stopped in her tracks and cleared her throat. Gwen, Tyler, and Cody watch her, amazed that Lindsay knew something as complicated and skill oriented as bird calling.
Then, Lindsay opened her mouth and immitated what she believed the be the call of the seagull:
"Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!"
Confession Cam
Gwen – Yeah, I know I've probably said this before. But it bears repeating: Cody and Tyler do not like Lindsay for her brain.
Lindsay – (Looking confused) I don't get it. It worked in 'Finding Nemo'. Maybe I need to lower my voice a little. (She clears her throat and tries again in a lower voice) Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!
Seagull – Mine!
END
(Campfire Ceremony)
Chris glanced at his watch.
"...five...four...three...two...one...TIME!"
Chris blew on his air horn.
"It's time to release the animals! Chef, give the word to our newest intern!"
Chef gave Chris the thumbs up and pulled out his walkie talkie.
"Four Star General to Airnaruto45! Four Star General to Airnaturo45! It's time to release the animals. Over."
Chef waited for a response from the other end, but none came.
"BLANKIE BOY!" he hollered.
"Oh. Sorry," came the voice of Linus on the other end. "I guess I'm still not used to this whole codename thing yet."
"Yeah whatever," Chef grumbled. "Anyways, it's time to release the animals! Now get to it!"
"Are you sure," Linus asked back. "Some of these animals look pretty vicious and..."
"Your job isn't to think! Your job is to be a slave to me and Chris! Understand? Now let the animals go!"
"...yes sir..." Linus miserable replied. Chef then heard the sound of a button being pushed followed by the sound of buzzers going off. Chef grinned wickedly and flashed a thumbs up to Chris, who grinned sinisterly back with an evil satisfaction.
(Charlie Brown)
The six year old blockhead was wandering around the forest, helplessly lost. He was beginning to think that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to venture out alone and that he would have been better off going with someone like Bridgette, Geoff, or even Gwen and her group.
'Well, there's nothing I can do about it now,' he sighed as he continued his hike.
Suddenly, he heard the air horn that Chris had warned him and the other campers about. He froze dead in his tracks and began to search around his surroundings frantically. He knew that a moose could be quite territorial and that if it was a moose that Chris had caught, it would probably be twice as aggressive as a normal moose.
'Bridgette's right,' he shivered. 'Chris is sadistic.'
But his thought were interrupted when he heard what sounded like a metal gate being swung open a few yards away from him. That sound was then followed by the frightening sound of a creature howling and thunderously galloping around. The sound grew louder and louder until finally, the creature came into view a measly fifty feet away from Charlie Brown. Just as he feared, it was the moose he was supposed to capture.
The moose sniffed the air and, sensing the boys presence, sharply turned his attention towards the six year old. Charlie Brown could only shiver as he stared into the blood red eyes of the moose. Whenever the creature exhaled, it almost looked as though steam was coming out of it's nostrils. But what really had Charlie Brown on edge was the mere fact that, without a shred of doubt, this was easily the biggest, meanest, and deadliest moose that he had ever seen.
Charlie Brown gulped and weakly smiled at the moose, hoping that it would tame the creature a little bit. Unfortunately, he would get no such luck. The moose could sense his fear and, grinning evilly, it slowly turned it's body so that it was facing the child. In response, Charlie Brown began to slowly back away, holding his red cape in front of him as though it were a shield. Then, the moose began pawing at the ground, grunting and huffing all the while. Charlie Brown continued to back up, but faster than before.
Then, in an instant, the moose charged. It's antlers were pointed straight down and it had targeted the six year old for extermination. Taking the hint, Charlie Brown let out a great cry and bolted in the opposite direction as fast as his little legs could carry him. He had let go of his cape, which the moose disintegrated as it raced by it.
True, the moose was very fast. But with pure adrenaline now flowing in his veins, Charlie Brown was now running just as fast as the moose in an attempt to escape the murderous creature.
(Izzy)
"Whoo Hoo!" Izzy cheered as she heard the air horn go off. "It's time for the hunt! About time too. My finger was beginning to itch with anticipation."
She cricked her neck and fingers as she braced herself for the challenge. She held up her tranquilizer gun and began to track down her prey.
A few minutes later, she heard something in the bushes nearby. Acting purely on instinct, Izzy leaped up into a tree branch and pointed her gun in the direction where the noise came from. Indeed something was in the bushes and it was on it's way out.
Grinning wickedly, Izzy put her finger on the trigger, and readied to fire. Seconds later, the creature came out. To Izzy's disappointment, it wasn't a deer. And, to her horror, it was something much, much worse.
The red head gasped in shock and then quickly silenced herself, for fear that the creature might have heard her. She began to sweat profusely when the creature lifted it's ears up and heavily sniffed the air as if to try and smell the location of whatever made a noise.
Izzy didn't move. She didn't breathe. She didn't think. She didn't blink. She knew that one wrong move could be her last and that with a creature this dangerous and vile, she had to have all her senses at perfection. She did her best to control her intense sweating and heavy heartbeat. For a creature like this could sense fear and wouldn't hesitate to attack on the slightest impulse.
She watched as the hideous thing ate something in it's hand. What it was, Izzy couldn't quite see. But she didn't dare adjust her body to take a better look. The creature made somewhat of a grunting sound as it dug into the ground and relieved itself. The repulsive smell almost made Izzy vomit,but she controlled the urge to in order to save her life. It didn't help that the thing didn't even bury it's filth after it was done. It just sniffed the air a little more and nibbled some more on whatever it had in it's hand.
Finally, after what seemed like years, the creature scurried off on all four legs through a thicket. Izzy stayed in the tree a good five minutes before she dared to come down.
The first thing she did was bury the rancid wastes that the creature had left behind. Then, without waiting another minute, she raced off in the opposite direction as fast as her legs could carry her.
Confession Cam
Izzy – (Still shivering) Woah! I'm telling you all right now, Chris needs to be put in jail for even letting a creature like that onto the island with teenagers and a midget. Not even Izzy would dare tangle with a creature that vile and gruesome. You'd have to be beyond my level of insanity to even attempt to take on that...that...(she quivers in fear again) Now Izzy knows why Duncan is so scared.
END
(Beth and Geoff)
"You seem down bra."
Geoff and Beth had been walking in silence ever since the challenge had officially begun. They hadn't had any luck in tracking down their assigned animals.
"Well...it'th jutht...I'm tho fed up with thith game!"
"But...the challenge just began. You can't be frustrated with it already."
"No, no. I mean the game overall. All the lying, cheating, dethieving, back thtabbing...when ith it all going to thtop?"
"Until there's a winner...unfortunately," Geoff sighed. "But yeah, I hear ya bra. It IS beginning to get really intense. I mean, what with Duncan picking on Bridgette, Heather being meaner than usual, Izzy and Charlie Brown...dude, why can't I ever just say his first name? Did you ever notice that?"
Beth didn't reply. She appeared to be thinking really hard about something. Something that had been bothering her for quite some time now.
"You know," she finally said, "when I firtht went into an allianth with Heather, I thought it wath a really good idea. You know, thecurity in the game. But now...it'th jutht one big meth. I mean, tho many people have been hurt throughout the game and...and..."
Beth began to tear up a little. "...and I helped her do all thoth thingth...I was powerleth to thtop her or thtand up to her. And becauth of that...Lethawna...Gwen and Trent...and latht night, almotht Bridgette...what have I become Geoff?"
Geoff didn't know what to say to the wannabe as she poured her soul onto him. There was nothing he could tell her. As much as he wanted to tell her it wasn't her fault, she DID play a major role in the elimination of Leshawna and Trent. And he didn't know how to feel about her almost voting off his dear friend Bridgette.
"I'm...I'm jutht ath bad ath Heather," she cried. "And I don't want to be! I really don't! But Heather...thee told me that if I didn't do ethactly ath thee told me to do...thee...thee would kick me out of the allianth and then vote me off. What wath I thuppothed to do Geoff? I don't want to loth the contetht. But...ith it all worth it?"
Geoff just took a deep breath as he continued to listen to Beth. Finally, he spoke.
"You know Beth...I can't say I'm not disappointed a little. I mean, you are one of Heather's pawns after all. I know that's harshness to say, but it is what it is."
She hung her head in shame as she wiped a tear from her eyes.
"...but...in a weird way, I can see where you're coming from. Like you said, we all want to win this game and the sad fact is that only one of us can win. So yeah, bad things are going to happen and some people like Heather are going to play dirty in order to get further in the game. And I've got to hand it to her, she's done well to get this far without getting voted off. Shows how strategical the dudette really is, huh?"
Beth didn't say anything. Geoff rubbed the back of his head. He wanted to help Beth, but he wasn't sure if he knew the right words to say. But he shrugged and decided to wing it.
"But ya know what? It sounds to me like you're afraid to ditch Heather's alliance because you think you need her to get further in the game. The way I see it though...you don't need her. She needs you."
Beth looked up at the party animal with a confused look.
"What do you mean Geoff?" she asked.
"I mean, without you, none of her plans would have succeeded. She needs you to carry out her plans and needs your vote to get rid of the people she wants to get rid of. Without you, she probably would have been voted off a long time ago."
Now, Beth was really intrigued.
"I guess what I'm trying to say bra is...you're the one amongst us all that really has the power to stop Heather and have her eliminated. The only question left is...what do you want to do with that power? Do you want to use it to help Heather? Or use it to put a top to her? It's like Captain Planet says, 'The power is yours!'"
Beth just looked at Geoff. It looked like his words had really sunken in and had made an impact on her.
"Wow..." she whispered. Then, she broke out into laughter. "You actually watched 'Captain Planet'?"
Geoff's eyes went wide with surprise. Indeed, the party animal admitted that he watched that show.
"Hey now! Cut a guy a break! It was the only thing on during that time slot Saturday mornings!"
Then, he and the farm girl shared a laugh together. But their fun was soon cut short.
"Beth!"
The two stopped dead in their tracks. Standing in front of them was a certain queen bee that the two had been recently talking about. She was covered in mud and looked quite upset.
"That stupid rabbit managed to escape my trap and stole all of my carrots!" she growled.
"Well, did you uthe them all at onth?" Beth asked.
"I didn't think the rabbit would escape! Why didn't you tell me rabbits were sneaky like that?"
"Why is it her fault your rabbit got away?" Geoff demanded.
"Shut it party boy! I'm in no mood!"
"I'm with Duncan! You're never 'in the mood'! And quite frankly, I'm getting tired of it! We all are! You're totally killing the party, bra!"
"I'm warning you, pea brain! One more word and you'll be the next one to go home!"
Beth gasped in shock.
"But...Geoff never did anything wrong," she pleaded.
"He's here, he's talking back to me, and he's keeping you from helping me! That's reason enough to vote him off next! Now quit your blabbering with brainless there and go back to the campgrounds and get me some more carrots! I'll see if I can't get a better trap ready!"
Heather turned around and began pulling on some nearby vines. Beth looked back and forth between her and Geoff, who was now standing there looking somewhat hurt. She couldn't help but feel bad for him. After all, he hadn't done anything wrong and had been the only one who was supportive of her even though she had voted against him and his friends countless times.
"Are you still there?" Heather barked. "Go get me some more carrots!"
Then, Beth wasn't quite sure what happened, but something in her head snapped. She had found courage inside herself that she never knew she had. Angrily, she took a deep breath, stomped her foot, and uttered that one word Heather hated most of all.
"…...no..."
Then, as if she had been kicked, Heather whipped around. A look of shock and anger had overtaken her face.
"What did you just say to me?" she demanded.
Beth took another deep breath. "I thaid...no!"
(Bridgette)
The surfer girl was deeply regretting having gone off alone. She was so distracted about having to hunt down one of mother earth's beautiful creatures that she had forgotten that she was petrified of being alone in the woods.
'And to make matters worse, I've got to find a bear to boot,' she thought to herself as she shivered.
Even the slightest sound would cause her to body to tense up and sharply turn around and search the area frantically for any sign of something that might jump out and attack her.
''Gwen...Geoff...Charlie Brown...Ezekiel...where are you guys?' she gulped as she hiked deeper and deeper in the woods.
Suddenly, the bushes behind her began to shake vigorously. Bridgette froze and stared wide eyed at the said bushes. She was like a deer looking into the headlights of an oncoming car.
After what seemed like an eternity, something finally came out of the bushes. Or rather, someone. And to her dismay, it was a certain green Mohawk wearing delinquent.
Duncan gasped when he saw the surfer girl standing in front of him. Relieved it wasn't the thing he had to hunt, he took a deep breath and relaxed his body.
"Oh, thank God," he sighed. "For a moment there, I thought you might have been...brr..."
"I thought you might have been the bear," Bridgette replied. "Though now I'm kind of wishing it was."
"Aw, come on Malibu. You're happy to see me and you know it," the delinquent teased.
"No, I'm pretty sure I'm not happy in the least bit. In fact, I'd rather be alone right now. And giving that we're in the woods, that's saying a lot."
"Aw come on! You're not still mad that I got your boyfriend eliminated from this contest, are you? I mean, it wasn't like I got him voted off or anything. He made his bed. Now he has to sleep in it."
"You provoked him!" she snapped, sounding irritated. "You wouldn't stop harassing him about me. So as far as I'm concerned, you ARE the reason he's eliminated!"
"Okay, so maybe I am," Duncan snickered. "So what are you going to do about it Malibu? I mean, you tried to get me eliminated yesterday. That worked like a charm, didn't it?" Heck, if the dork hadn't volunteered to leave the island on his own will, you wouldn't even be here right now!"
"Harold sacrificed himself because you and Heather made him feel so low and he didn't want me to have to pay the price for his mistake!"
"Which is proof that once again, the surfer girl can't do anything without someone there to protect her. All the boys here have to look out for you. You're more useless and worthless than Bella Swan!"
Bridgette gasped in horror. Duncan had taken it one step too far now. Bridgette may have had her weak moments on the show and a fair number of men have come to her aide. Geoff. Harold. Even little Charlie Brown once. And, of course...Ezekiel had stood up for her when Duncan had bad mouthed her. But one thing she was not, nor would ever allow herself to be, was useless.
"...I'll have you know..." she growled, a fierce face now forming on the normally calm face of the surfer girl, "...that if there's anything that I hate, I mean REALLY HATE...it's being called useless..."
"Ooh, I struck a chord in Malibu's head and now she's mad...kinda sexy, if you ask me," Duncan grinned.
"Oh really? Then this should really turn you on," the surfer girl retorted as she prepared to charge the delinquent.
"You're really going to fight me?" Duncan laughed. "Didn't you learn from the hick's mistake? You'll be expelled from the game."
"It'll be so worth it," Bridgette growled, raising her fists. Normally, she wasn't this violent. But given the circumstances, she was more than willing to make an exception.
"Well...I'm waiting," Duncan casually smiled, almost as if he was looking forward to it.
"Not for long you won't...cause here..."
Bridgette was interrupted when something could be heard growling menacingly in the nearby bushes, catching both of the contestant's full attention. Judging from the way the bushes were shaking, it was something big and dangerous.
Instantly, Bridgette's rage subdued and panic began to fill her once again. Her first thought was the bear had found them. She had spent so much time arguing with Duncan that she hadn't had time to put her plan in motion.
Unfortunately for her and Duncan. It wasn't the bear. It was something worse...far worse.
The creature jumped from the bushes and fixed it's attention on the two humans standing in front of it. Duncan and Bridgette both gasped in horror as the creature slowly began to make it's way towards them. It licked it's chomps and snarled viciously as it drew closer and closer to the petrified teenagers.
"I-I-I-I-Is that...you..."
"Uh huh," Duncan answered, now quivering with uncontrollable fear. And who wouldn't when something you had to capture was this horrendously ugly and dangerous to even be in the same vicinity as.
The creature continued to creep it's way towards the terrified campers. As it approached them, it continued to eat at the small object it held in it's hand and drink from another object it had in the other hand. It's almost disfigured face and body was facing directly in the direction of both Bridgette and Duncan. It could sense the complete fear the two had of it and growled with excitement. It knew that this was going to be easy prey to capture.
In pure excitement, the creature stood up on it's hind legs and shrieked these words...
"...Snooki want smoosh smoosh!"
A/N – Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I know I've made so many Jersey Shore jokes already. In all honesty, I was going to have it be The Predator originally. But a couple weeks ago, I saw the episode of South Park "It's A Jersey Thing" and the way they portrayed Snooki...I just couldn't help myself. Any attempt I get to trash that show, I take.
Anyways, sorry there wasn't a whole lot more action going on in this chapter. But I promise you that the next one will have a whole lot of action. And them some.
Oh! And congratulations to airnaruto45 for being the 300th individual to review my fan fiction!
So here are the questions for next chapter: Will Bridgette and Duncan be able to survive the attack of the Snooki? What will happen with Beth and Heather? How will the team of Gwen, Cody, Lindsay, and Tyler function? And will Charlie Brown survive the moose assault? Tune in next time and find out!
Quick Cheat Sheet of animals the contestants have to hunt
Beth – Raccoon
Bridgette – Bear
Charlie Brown – Moose
Cody – Seagull
Duncan – Snooki (Oh dear)
Geoff – Snake
Gwen – Duck
Heather – Rabbit
Izzy - Deer
Lindsay – Shark
Tyler - Frog