Author's Note:

Next chapter for you all. Hope you enjoy it!

And this is a friendly reminder that I do not own Total Drama or any of the characters associated with Total Drama.

"I'm sorry…a mutant shark?"

Gwen nodded, pulling the blanket tighter around her. "That's what I saw."

Sanders and MacArthur exchanged a look. "Do you really expect us to believe a crazy story like that?" MacArthur asked.

"I know what I saw," Gwen told them.

"Mutant sharks walking on land? Do you hear yourself—"

Sanders held up a hand for her partner to be quiet. "It's not that we don't believe you," she said calmly. "It's just that what you saw probably a bear. The storm was probably messing with your head."

"Along with whatever drugs you're on," MacArthur added. Sanders shot her a warning look.

"I'm not on drugs!" Gwen exclaimed. "I don't touch them!"

"So you say."

"That's enough, Deputy MacArthur," Sanders ordered.

"She's telling the truth." Duncan, who was sitting nearby, also wrapped in a towel, stood up. "I saw that thing too."

MacArthur snorted. "Like we're going to trust anything you say, delinquent. You think we're going to take the word of someone with your record?"

Duncan scoffed. "Whatever. I'm out of here." He started for the door.

"Duncan, wait!" Gwen called. But he ignored her, leaving her house without even looking back.

"Look," Sanders said calmly. "You've had a rough night, kid. Why don't you take tomorrow off to recover? I can call ahead to the school to let your teachers know what happened and that you'll be staying home."

Gwen slowly nodded. "Fine."

Sanders scrawled a phone number out in her notebook, tearing the sheet off and handing it to her. "If you happen to remember anything else about the attack, call this number."

"Yeah…anything that isn't crazy talk," MacArthur added, chuckling as she and MacArthur filed out the door. "Mutant sharks. What will they think of next?"

Gwen sighed, shrugging the towel off her and staring into the fire, watching the embers start to fade away. They didn't believe her. Of course they didn't believe her. If she hadn't seen it if her own eyes, she wouldn't have believed it either.

But she knew what she saw. And she knew that she would never forget it. Those horrendous arms and legs. The dark gray of its skin. The grinning, savage rows of teeth in its mouth.

Gwen shuddered, her heart beginning to pound again. If it hadn't been for Duncan…she would've died. Hopefully he got home okay, and that shark monster wasn't still lurking around. For all she knew, it could be right outside.

She sighed, staring deep into the flames. Sleep, she knew, would not come easily tonight.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to see her so soon after what happened?" Bridgette asked Trent as the group turned down Gwen's street.

"Hey, we have to know she's okay," Trent replied. "She missed school over what happened."

Owen munched on a doughnut. "Do you think she'll appreciate all the food we're giving her?"

"Not if you eat all of it before we get there, big guy," Leshawna told him, yanking the now half eaten box of doughnuts away from him.

DJ looked around nervously. "Are you sure that…thing isn't still lurking around?"

"Chill, dude," Cody told him. "That thing's probably long gone by now."

"Do you think the rumors about what it is are true?" DJ asked.

"About this monster being some sort of mutant shark?" Cody looked at Bridgette. "You've surfed farther away from Boney Island than anyone else. Ever hear of a mutant shark?"

"This would be the first," Bridgette admitted.

"Girl, there aint no way this thing is a shark," Leshawna decided.

"If Gwen says it was a shark, then I trust her," Trent decided.

"But how can a shark walk around on land?" Leshawna asked.

"What if someone experimented on the shark?" Owen asked. "Like that Drama Corporation facility near the island?"

Trent laughed. "Owen, buddy, the Drama Corporation ships equipment like cameras and microphones to reality shows all over the world. There's nothing sinister about that."

They soon reached Gwen's house. "Now, remember, be gentle and supportive," Trent reminded everyone. "We're here to support Gwen after what happened last night."

"You don't need to keep telling us that, Trent," Bridgette replied. "We're her friends."

"Well, friends might be pushing it a little," Cody admitted. "We're the people that she tolerates the most."

"That's…actually pretty much accurate," Bridgette admitted.

"Just…let's just be there for her," Trent said as he knocked on the door.

Gwen jumped when the knock on the door came, nearly drawing a long streak on the sketch she had been working on all day. She glanced wearily at the door and then, deciding that mutant sharks wouldn't knock on doors to announce themselves, she picked herself up from the couch and went to open the door. Outside stood Trent, Leshawna, Cody, Owen, DJ, and Bridgette.

"Guys, what—" That was as far as she got before Owen grabbed her and squeezed her tightly.

"I'm so glad you're not dead!" he yelled.

Gwen gasped in pain as the big guy squeezed her tighter. "Gah—Owen—can't—breathe—" she croaked.

Owen eventually released her, causing her to stumble back, gasping for breath.

"How you holding up, girl?" Leshawna asked her, giving her the box of doughnuts that was in her hands.

"I'll be okay," Gwen told them as she let them enter. "I'm just…a little shaken up from all this."

She opened the box of doughnuts and stared down at the remaining contents. "You guys let Owen carry the doughnuts, didn't you," she guessed, shooting a look at Owen's crumb and icing covered face.

"Told you it was a bad idea," Cody muttered to DJ.

"You didn't get hurt, did you?" Trent asked. "That monster didn't get you at all?"

"It just cut my leg. That's all." Gwen suddenly frowned. "Wait…how'd you guys know?"

"It's all over school," DJ told her. "You're famous now."

Gwen groaned. "Great."

"That new guy's more famous though," Owen added. "He's a local hero now after saving your life."

"You saw Duncan?" Gwen asked. "He came to school today?"

"No, but Harold did spot him spray painting the wall of the school earlier," Trent said, scowling slightly. "I think he's a little unhappy about all the attention."

"It's because he's only been here for one day and his tough guy image got ruined," Bridgette guessed. "Can you imagine if something like this happened to Eva?"

"The fact is that he's more famous because he saved you from—" Cody started to say.

"—from the mutant shark," Gwen finished.

The others all exchanged looks.

"…you guys don't believe me, do you," she guessed.

"Gwen…" Bridgette said slowly. "You have to admit, it sounds a bit crazy."

"I know what I saw," Gwen told them, grabbing her sketchbook and showing them. "That's what I saw."

Everyone stared at the image of the large gray shark with arms, legs, and rows of sharp looking teeth. DJ shuddered. "That looks…really, really real," he said.

"That's because it's real," Gwen told him. "I saw it. I barely escaped with my life. I would've gotten eaten, just like Katie and Sadie, if Duncan hadn't been there."

"And are you sure that it wasn't the storm playing tricks on you?" Bridgette asked. "Or that it wasn't Izzy in a costume? You remember how she got into a bear costume and pranked us all on that class camping trip, right?"

Owen laughed. "Oh yeah, that was funny."

"Even when she attracted a real bear and forced us to hide in a tree all night?"

Owen's smile faded. "Oh yeah…"

"It wasn't Izzy," Gwen confirmed. "It was real. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true."

"I believe you, Gwen," Trent spoke up.

"You do?"

"Yeah, I do," Trent repeated. "But your story is already getting discredited by the mayor. He's already called for a meeting to address people's concerns about this beast."

"That didn't take very long," Gwen muttered.

"He probably wants to try to keep everyone calm and not to jump to conclusions about this monster."

"Do you get the feeling that he's trying to hide something?" Gwen asked.

Trent shrugged. "He's a politician. Politicians are always hiding something. But this is your chance to tell everyone what really happened. Tell them the danger is real."

Gwen looked down. "I don't know…"

"I can go with you if it'll make you feel better."

"Well…okay," Gwen gave in.

"Cool. I'll pick you up later tonight then?"

Gwen nodded. "I guess so."

"Then I'll see you then." Trent turned back to the others. "Come on, guys. Let's let Gwen rest." With a final look back at Gwen, he and the others headed out.

Gwen closed the door behind them, still pondering what exactly was going on…and if the mayor really was trying to hide something about all this.

Alive: Alejandro, Beth, Blaineley, Bridgette, Chris McLean, Cody, Courtney, DJ, Duncan, Eva, Fang, Geoff, Gwen, Harold, Heather, Izzy, Justin, Leshawna, Lindsey, MacArthur, Noah, Owen, Sanders, Sierra, Trent, Tyler

Dead: Katie, Sadie

As promised, this chapter was a little bit longer than my previous ones. But the really long chapters probably won't come in until we get on the ship. And, for those of you wondering when that will be, I can safely announce that we'll finally be getting onto the ship in roughly two chapters. So, not the next chapter, but the one after that we'll finally board the Wawanakwa and set sail on a fun voyage of drama, romance, and bloody carnage when Fang starts eating everyone.

I hope you noticed the several references I made to classic Total Drama Island in this chapter. Expect more callbacks to Island and other seasons throughout the rest of the story.

Anywho, that's about it from me. Make sure to hit that favorite/follow button to stay informed on future updates, and don't forget to leave a review to let me know how I'm doing. Until next time, this is Guest 1138, reminding you that cats love playing in cardboard boxes. Ciao!