Desperate to Survive
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Victorious, Zoey 101, Survivor or Dan Schneider!
Texts in italics are when a character is giving a confessional that the others cannot hear.
Hibachi Tribe - Day Thirty-Three
The morning dragged on painfully. No one had been in a good mood since the now complete desolation of food had forced them to go without three meals. Everyone had already been losing weight and getting weak but now that absolutely nothing was going into anyone's stomachs, the overall rate of deterioration of strength was rapidly increasing. The fire had taken much longer to start than usual in spite of the nice weather. Andre, Cat, Chase, Jade and Quinn all sat weakly around the fire, thinking about what food they would want to eat. Michael was just now groggily getting out of the shelter.
Michael: *yawn* What's for breakfast?
Jade: Nothing, you jerk. You ate everything we have, remember?
Michael: But I'm hungry!
Cat: Sorry. We all are too. I don't feel so good...
Andre: Me neither...my tummy's all wonky...
Michael: Do we really have to do the challenge today?
Chase: Yeah. Isn't there a twist where you can choose to sit out of the challenge and eat?
Michael: There is? I'll take it! I'll take it!
Quinn: Yeah...but it's too deep into the game for that twist to be used.
Michael: Awww...
Jade: Quit whining everyone. Let's just get going and get this over with.
Cat: Don't we still have to wait for the tree mail?
Jade: Screw that. If we keep waiting, not all of us will make it to the challenge...well, actually in that case...
Everyone Else: No!
Jade: Fine, let's go.
Still, not everyone got up and left right away. It was only when Andre shakily stood up and began trying to walk that everyone else followed suit.
Chase: I'm not sure how today's challenge is going to go. We're all suffering since we've been eating a lot less. I mean, you can actually see my ribs starting to poke out if I lift my shirt. Hopefully, we can pull through and finish the challenge because each of us knows we really need a win.
Immunity Challenge
Andre, Cat, Chase, Jade, Michael and Quinn all walked to the challenge beach, groaning but trying to do it quietly. Today, there were six baskets elevated on high platforms. Directly underneath the platforms were giant logs with planks laid perpendicularly on them so as to look like a seesaw. Out in the water were six colored platforms floating on the water with what appeared to be a bag atop each one. As they lined up on the mat, Dan stood waiting on them, immediately wearing an expression of concern when he looked at their faces.
Dan: Good morning guys? Ready for your next immunity challenge?
Everyone nodded weakly. Dan hesitated before going on.
Dan: First things first. Andre, I'll take back that immunity necklace.
Andre walked up and took the necklace off before handing it to Dan. Dan took it back, hung it up on the immunity stand and began to speak.
Dan: All right. For today's challenge, each of you will have to race out and swim into the water to retrieve a sand bag. You will then swim back to shore with your sand bag. Take your sand bag and put it on one end of your plank. You will then jump on the other side of the plank to try and launch it into your heightened basket. First person to get their bag into their basket wins immunity. You have a one in five chance at a million bucks. Losers, one of you is going home tonight. Make sense?
Everybody: YES!
Dan: All right, we'll draw for spots and we'll get started.
*Minutes Later*
Dan: All right, we know what's at stake. Immunity and a guaranteed spot in the final five! Survivors ready? Go!
At the call to start, all six of the players immediately ran into the water as they could before their legs were too buoyant, requiring them to swim. Chase and Jade seemed to be the strongest swimmers right off the bat with Andre and Michael in the middle and Cat and Quinn bringing up the rear. Jade reached her platform first, grabbing her bag and then swimming back to shore. Chase was close behind with Andre steadily catching up. The other three were running out of steam rapidly as they attempted to swim against the waves of the water pushing against them. Chase eventually grabbed his sand bag as did Andre. By then, Jade was passing Cat, Michael and Quinn who were all slowing down more and more.
Dan: It looks like Jade is in the lead. Chase and Andre are still in it though.
Jade eventually made it back to shore and trudged to her basket. She immediately began to adjust the plank underneath so that she could begin launching it. Chase and Andre were swimming back with their bags. Michael had finally reached his platform but was instead sitting on it to catch his breath. Cat and Quinn were doggy paddling to their platforms as well. Jade placed her sand bag on the edge of her plank and then stomped on the other side. There was far too little power in her stomp though as the bag didn't even reach the bottom of the basket.
Dan: There's a huge learning curve in this challenge.
Jade: I don't have freaking time to learn! They're right behind me!
Andre and Chase had caught up and were starting to position their planks as well. Quickly, Jade set up for another shot and launched. This shot was higher but still barely touched the bottom of her basket. Andre set up a shot and overshot it to the right. Chase set up a shot as well and shot it too far to the left.
Dan: It is between Andre, Chase and Jade fighting for immunity! Michael, Cat and Quinn...have all quit?
It was true. Too tired and beaten to go on, Cat, Quinn and Michael had returned to shore but had all collapsed and laid down on the beach. Cat was on her back, grasping at the air as if trying to find something to pull herself up. Quinn sat down, clutching herself and moaning. Michael was on his stomach, trying to muster the strength to crawl forward but also gasping in pain.
Michael: Can't...go...on...it's...over...so...hungry...
Andre, Chase and Jade all launched their bags again. Chase undershot his bag, which bounced off the front of the basket. Andre over shot his, which also somehow flung his bag to the right. Jade's bag flew perfectly and landed right on the edge of the basket.
Jade: That good enough?
Dan: Nope, it has to go in the basket.
Jade: But I can't get it back down!
Dan: Find a way then.
Jade started grabbing one of the legs supporting her basket and began shaking it. Meanwhile, Andre readjusted his plank again, moving it more to the left to center his shots which kept going to the right. Chase pulled his plank towards him to give his launches more leverage. Both guys went to the other side of their planks and prepared to jump. Jade kept shaking her leg to get her bag to move. Unfortunately, it fell off the edge of the basket and landed at her feet. Before Jade could react, a bag was launched into an adjacent basket ending the competition.
Dan: Andre wins immunity!
Andre: Yes! Yeah baby!
Jade: Damn!
Andre pumped his first, gasping in exhaustion. Jade kicked some sand before collapsing on her rear to catch her breath. Chase too was grabbing onto his basket's leg in order to support himself. Michael, Cat and Quinn were all still wiped out on the beach.
Dan: Er...Andre come on over.
Andre smiled as he turned to Dan, staggering all the way and turning away so that Dan could put on the necklace.
Dan: Andre, congratulations on winning your second immunity in a row. However, Cat, Chase, Jade, Michael, Quinn. After thirty three long grueling days, for one of you, that will be it. You guys have the afternoon to figure out who it will be. I'll see you tonight.
Dan watched as the six players gradually gathered their remaining energy and walked back down the path they came. As soon as they were out of Dan's sight, he immediately beckoned the other producers for an emergency meeting.
Dan: Guys...we have a really serious issue here...
Hibachi Tribe - Day Thirty-Three
Everyone returned to camp. No one was in a very good mood, not even Andre the victor due to the ongoing hunger and weakness. Walking was actually becoming painful because it was taking so much strength. Everyone had wandered off in their own direction. Andre and Cat took a short walk down the beach. Cat seemed to be the only one left trying to be cheerful.
Cat: Hey Andre! Great job on winning today!
Andre: Thanks...I guess...I'm just wondering if this is still worth it...
Cat: What do you mean?
Andre: Well we're all starving, I mean we've all been hungry for the past month but now it's even worse and we're all getting weaker...and Tori's not here anymore and...
Cat: Aww, come on Andre. We're almost at the end. And then we can all hang out together and eat cotton candy and ice cream!
Andre: Well, Cat...
Cat: Andre, come on! Smile for me! Pleeeeease?
Andre tried to resist but Cat's dwindling yet defiant spirit got to him and he cracked a weak smile. Cat cheered and immediately pulled Andre into a hug before noticing something over his shoulder.
Cat: Hey, there's a boat coming.
Sure enough, a boat was approaching from the horizon to the Hibachi camp. Dan was standing on the starboard, waving at everyone to signal he was coming. Andre and Cat broke apart and looked at each other curiously before heading back to camp. Everyone else seemed intrigued by Dan's mysterious arrival, from the looks of it.
Jade: Great, now what does he want?
Everyone shuffled off to the shore to meet with Dan. The boat arrived on shore and Dan hopped off of the boat.
Dan: Hey guys, how have you been?
Chase: well, not much has changed since you last saw us about an hour ago.
Dan: Right, actually that's what I want to talk to all of you about. We have a very serious issue to deal with. Let's go sit down.
Dan led the way to the sitting area around the camp's fire pit. Everyone gave a heavy sigh as they followed him so they could sit around the extinguished fire pit. Once everyone was seated around the fire, Dan began to speak.
Dan: OK. Well, during this most recent immunity challenge, there was no way I could possibly deny that there was a severe drop in the amount of energy. This holds for all of you. We could tell that you were significantly weaker than normal. And this drew a huge amount of concern from our crew. So after you all left, we had to hold an emergency meeting with the producers.
This news started to worry everyone as they looked at each other and then at Dan as he continued to ramble.
Dan: We discussed the fact that you guys were only teenagers and had to take into account that you might not be as capable of handling this competition as our typical adult competitors. We also discussed the fact that all of you have shown that you really want to be here and have fought so hard to make it this far. And that's nothing to be ashamed of.
It was starting to sound worse as he went on. If there was ever a peak of tension in the group, this could easily have been it.
Dan: However, we have made a decision. It's clear that you are all getting too weak to keep going. If we continue to let you go forward in your current state, none of you will make it to Day 39 alive. As a network, we have to make responsible decisions. And right now, the most responsible decision is to pull all of you out of the game right now.
Yes you read correctly. And I could not be more sorry.
It kills me to end this story so abruptly. The sad truth is that there's just not enough time in my schedule to devote to writing this. You've all seen for yourselves how the updates slowed down and it's because my free time is evaporating into nothing. So unfortunately, this is the end of the road. Sorry to all of my beloved readers but I'm sure you'll all move on and find better things to read. Thank you all for your support.
BTW Michael wins.
Oceanmistsupporter: Even if I liked Russell, there's no real way I could've ever put him in this story. Too late now anyway.
TobiasFangor92: Ummm...
JuiceBoxLove: Were you expecting this? ;*(
MakingItShine: I enjoyed Rick but I know he's not going to win, way too invisible. Ozzy was tolerable but he only made the finale cause of Redemption Island, it was a free ticket for him. Coach was depressing this season, his legacy has officially died. And yeah I liked Brandon too, he's a good kid and his trainwrecking made for great TV. South Pacific was, at best, not great; there were just too many parallels to last season but I'm going into One World with high hopes.
Roy G. Biv: Well at least someone will be happy I had to kill off the story.
FieryEyes123: Awww =(
Victorious101: Don't ever disobey unicorns. I'm really gonna miss you and everyone else =(
waterpearl15: Yeah, in all fairness if your best friend/showmance mate on the show was voted off, you'd be pretty pissed too.
