The Anacondas returned to camp. No one had much to say, so they quietly went to bed.
Dolly passed out in her tent, but something woke her up. Rubella was muttering to herself, her face buried in her pillow. Dolly waited, but Rubella only became more intense.
"Are you okay?" Dolly asked.
Rubella scoffed. "Yeah. Obviously."
"...Are you crying?"
"No!" Rubella shouted. "I'm just...it's just...I'm chopping onions!"
"You-"
"Shut up Pinky! What's it to you?"
Dolly glared and was ready with a comeback, but stopped herself. Adjusting her eyes to the darkness, Dolly could make out that her roommate's mascara was running.
"This is about elimination, isn't it? About Arwen."
Rubella sniffled. "Who cares about her? I didn't go home, so that's what matters. I mean sure it sucks for our alliance, but it wasn't me. So...so why do I care?"
Rubella couldn't hold it in anymore. The dam broke and she started sobbing.
Dolly was taken back, but reached over and patted Rubella. "Just...just let it out."
"Why Arwen?" Rubella asked. "Why her? She didn't do anything wrong!"
"I know, I know."
"Arwen worked hard. She tried in all the challenges. She was super positive and good hearted. She'd always tell stories or make jokes at the campfire, mostly references I didn't get, but they were nice. And now...now it's over! They're over, she's gone and...it's not fair!"
She sobbed more and more. Instinctively, Dolly pulled her into a hug. Both girls seemed surprised at this, but Rubella hugged her tighter.
"It doesn't make sense. And...why am I so upset?"
"Because Arwen was your friend. She was my friend too."
Dolly found herself starting to tear up too. "She was awesome. The most fun person here. She didn't deserve to go out like that."
Rubella nodded. "She didn't. And now we'll never see her again."
"We will," Dolly said. "She's not dead."
"But it's not the same," Rubella replied. "She's gone. We can't talk to her, we can't play D&D anymore here."
Rubella hung her head, pulling away from Dolly. "It's over. Arwen's gone and I...I don't understand why."
Both girls laid down in their sleeping bags.
"I miss her too. I'm sorry Rubella. I'm sorry she's gone. But we have to keep going for her."
/
The next morning, the Capybaras woke up later than usual. The night before they caught a couple of large catfishes and had a big dinner to celebrate their victory. Then they used their portable dryer to warm their hammocks and pajamas. It was the coziest night they had since coming to the Amazon.
They were in good spirits as they had a late brunch. Octasia had even managed to find a tree of mangos. They were green, unlike store mangos, but were just as juicy and delicious.
"You always have find some great random fruits," Zane said. "How do you do it?"
Octasia shrugged as she sipped from her mango. "Just lucky I guess."
"Maybe you should lead a foraging expedition," Norris suggested. "We haven't really gone since Welker left."
"And almost poisoned me with a mushroom," Cecilia said. Zane gulped.
"Nah," Octasia said. "I am better at fishing."
Norris nodded. "You are our best fisherman eh."
"Growing up on an island has its perks," Octasia replied.
The Ham looked annoyed as she ate. She mumbled to herself, "Wish I could go hunting."
"Do you need any help?" Plath asked her.
"Like what?"
"Maybe cutting your food?"
"When have I ever cut my food?"
"Sorry. I just feel like-"
"Plath, you're my friend," Heloise said. "But don't give me any of your pity!"
"You broke your leg and arm," Cecilia said. "It's only natural she'd worry."
"I'm aware it's broken," Heloise replied. "I appreciate someone actually showing concern."
A few of the Capybaras looked down in shame.
"But The Ham is not some injured puppy dog! I don't need everyone treating me with kiddie gloves. I'm the WTH champ! I bite werewolves and they kill over because The Ham is a human silver bullet!"
Plath sighed. "I know, but you're only injured because you saved me, Zane and Vida."
"Yeah," In A Gadda Da Vida said. "Can't we do something for you?"
"Not make a big deal out of it," The Ham replied. "Do that for me. I'll be out of these casts in no time."
There was a lull in the conversation.
"So," Cassidy said, "anyone have any predictions for the next challenge?"
"Other than us winning?" Giovanni replied with a smirk.
"Who knows what Rhonda is coming up with," Zane said. "Hopefully something less dangerous."
"I don't get how someone like her is our host," Cassidy said.
"My friends back home say they liked her as co-host," Norris said.
"Co-host?" Vida asked.
Norris nodded. "She started off on one of the new Canadian seasons. She was pretty likable…don't know what happened."
"You'd think the network would want someone else," Cassidy said. "Someone semi-attractive or has talent or at least has…I don't know, a personality?"
Plath shifted uncomfortably.
"From my experience," Cecilia said, "in the business of famous people, talent only gets you so far. You either have a lucky break or you have connections."
"Most reality show hosts don't have a huge career," Norris said. "They'd be in too high demand to dedicate time to the show. She's basically a producer."
"I guess," Cassidy said. "I never heard of her before this show. It's fishier than our dinner last night."
She turned and grinned at Cecilia. "So what was it for you? Connections or a lucky break?"
Cecilia forced a smile. "A lucky break. Hard work got me a lot of understudy jobs. Once I filled in on opening night and well…that was a long time ago. Ancient history."
She shook her head. "I'm honestly happy I'm here than on some stage. At least I'm with genuine people."
The others smiled.
"To the Capybaras," Cecilia said, raising her mango. "May we continue to own the Anacondas and thrive in the Amazon."
"Amen!"
"Here, here!"
"Heck yeah!"
Heloise chuckled. "You know, as much as it sucks being injured, I can't regret it. My teammates were sulking all the time. We win one challenge and now we're living good! How can I be upset?"
As had become routine, Luis and Brantley went foraging in the jungle. Today, Luis led them towards the basin.
"I feel like you're looking for something in particular," Brantley said.
Luis smirked. "Yeah, I'm craving coconut jerky. I figure the coconuts would be around the shorelines."
"Coconut jerky?" Brantley asked.
"It's one of my favorites," Luis said. "I make it all the time at home. The white part of the coconut works great as a meat substitute. People even call it coconut meat."
"Sounds delicious."
"It might be pretty meh without spices and seasoning, but I'd love for you to try some!"
"If you can forage vegan jerky out here, maybe you can forage spices."
"The Amazon is the origin of a lot spices; cinnamon, pepper, vanilla and more. I like my jerky spicy; it's the Cuban part of me. Add some lime, cilantro, garlic powder and cumin."
Brantley grabbed his gut. "Stop teasing my stomach."
The two laughed. Brantley's smile soon faded.
"You okay?" Luis asked.
"Luis…I really owe you a big thanks," Brantley said. "I was…I was almost blindsided. If you didn't-"
Luis put his hands on Brantley's shoulders. "You came to me when you thought I might be going home. We're friends. We watch out for each other."
Brantley smiled a little.
The two reached a shoreline of the river. As Luis hoped, coconut trees were growing. They started shaking the trees .
"If nothing else, coconut milk will be a nice treat," Luis said.
Brantley gathered several in his arms. "It really is amazing when you really think about everything that originates from the Amazon."
Luis nodded. "One of the reasons protecting the rainforest is so important. We need to continue using these resources."
Brantley raised an eyebrow. "No offense, but I kind of assumed you'd be against using the rainforest for resources at all."
"None taken," Luis said. "I mean I think we do it too much and we're not smart about it, but most environmentalists aren't against using natural resources."
"You've lost me."
"Environmentalism is complicated, but to me environmentalism is not about separating humanity from the environment. It's recognizing our relationship to nature and improving it."
Luis gathered the last of the coconuts in his arms. He shrugged. "I don't want to get on my green soapbox."
"I don't mind if you did," Brantley said. "I'm still not following."
"I'm saying, I think people believe environmentalists are against using nature in any way. But most environmentalists are more concerned with managing resources in a just and sustainable way."
"So you're saying that some environmentalists are okay chopping down trees?"
"If we're sustainable," Luis said. "Sustainability has three pillars; environmental, social and economic. Something is sustainable if it considers all three pillars. You have to recognize that people are dependent on natural resources, but also balance that with maintaining the environment and making sure we can keep using that resource. I do believe nature has an inherent value regardless of its relationship to humanity, but I understand that people live off and use nature too."
"Makes sense," Brantley said. "It's business savvy to be sustainable. You can't expect long-term economic growth if you deplete the entire resource. Still, it's weird hearing any environmentalist say that."
Luis shrugged. "What were you expecting? More hippie-dippie ideas? Or should I blow up a dam?"
Brantley paused. Smirking, he shot his taller teammate a look. "Was that an Edward Abbey reference?"
"Monkey Wrench Gang. Though I prefer his memoir Desert Solitaire."
"I rarely meet anybody who knows his works of literature."
"I like nature writing," Luis replied. "I'm more inclined to transcendentalist works though. You ever read any Thoreau or Leopold?"
Brantley grinned deeply. "Transcendentalism? You don't know what you're getting into bringing early American philosophy up to me."
Luis returned his smile as the two began another conversation.
"Luis is full of surprises," Brantley said. "He's very nice and cares about a lot, but he thinks deeply about why he cares. I respect how smart yet open-minded he is. I admit, I can be a little rigid. Maybe it's more intellectual to be open to more ideas.
"I can't believe how much we have in common. I never thought badly of him or anything, it's just surprising. I…I wasn't expecting to make friends here."
His expression turned more grim. "Especially because I almost lost. I was this close…if someone hadn't flipped, I'd be gone. I can never let myself get that close to elimination ever again."
On the edge of the riverboat, Plath was staring out into the rainforest.
"Uh, yo Plath."
She turned to see Giovanni standing there.
"Hey Giovanni."
"Has The Ham left yet? Zane was saying she has to go to the infirmary?"
Plath nodded. "A couple interns just picked her up in a jeep. Nothing serious. Only a check-up."
"Cool. I just wanted to tell her…and I guess I wanted to tell you, I'm sorry."
Plath tilted her head. Giovanni kept his hands in his pocket, but shrugged. "I feel bad about being more concerned about losing a number than if The Ham was okay. You were right. No one deserves to go out like that. After how we reacted, we don't deserve The Ham."
Plath smiled a little. "Thanks. I understand. I don't think Heloise is really that mad."
"I'd be."
"Honestly…same."
The two shared a laugh.
"Giovanni, can I ask your opinion?"
"Knock yourself out."
"Is everyone going to vote for Heloise now?"
Giovanni rubbed the back of his head.
"I won't lie, if I'm on the chopping block I'd campaign for her."
Plath looked to the ground. Giovanni shrugged.
"Who knows though. She did win the last challenge. Everyone likes her. Heck, maybe we won't lose challenges and Heloise will heal fine. I don't pretend to know what's going on."
Plath smiled a little. "Thanks. You really are a nice guy."
Giovanni bit his lip. "Yeah…You too I guess."
"I know Plath's targeting me," Giovanni said. "I've known since day one. But like...the more I think about it, the harder it is to believe? She's not exactly the type to lead an alliance. Am I wrong? But then why was I told that? Nothing makes sense anymore."
The infirmary was a large tent that had been put up at the crew camp. Heloise, arms crossed, sat on an examination table and waited inside.
Finally, Jenny and Toby walked in. Both wore oversized lab coats.
"Are we done?" The Ham said.
"What?" Jenny asked. "Don't like doctor's offices?"
"You'd have to be a doctor for this to be a doctor's office."
Jenny pouted. "Hey, we have our P.H.D.s!"
She pointed to the wall, where two degrees were framed.
"What school passed you two?"
"You have to go to school to be a doctor?"
The Ham facepalmed with her good hand. "Let's get this over with."
"Sure," Toby said, "There's good news and bad news."
Jenny ran out, then came back in riding an electric scooter.
"Good news is we got you a scooter," Toby said. "The next challenge is going to require a lot of back and forth between areas, so this will be easier and faster than hobbling everywhere."
"The wheels are even all-terrain," Jenny said, "or as close as the network could get."
Heloise shrugged. "I'd argue, but it sounds like I need it. The bad news?"
Jenny sprung up. "Bad news is we did some x-rays and tests, and on a scale of 1 to 10, you're a yikes!"
The Ham glared. "What the heck does that mean?"
Toby handed Heloise an x-ray. "The short of it is, your injuries aren't healing as well as you think they are. Your leg in particular is pretty messed up. If we don't see progress soon, it may require surgery."
"Which means you're leaving the show," Jenny added.
"Worse," Toby said. "It's not just the boulder. Your legs are naturally getting weaker. These injuries are just speeding up the process. I don't want to hurt your feelings, but also I don't care. You might have to quit wrestling."
Heloise chuckled. "That's a problem. Wrestling will not quit The Ham! THE HAM IS TOO TASTY BABY!"
"This is serious stuff," Jenny said. "You don't need a degree in doctorology like us to see that you're not healthy."
Toby nodded. "You might be spending a lot more time in the hospital."
Heloise stood up, grabbing her crutches. "Yeah, but that's if I don't get better."
"Yeah, but-"
"If you want to scare me, get a real doctor," Heloise replied. "Till then, don't tell me what will happen to me. I've worked hard to leave the hospitals behind. I'll do it again if I have to."
/
The next day, the Anacondas went about their daily tasks as usual. Alone at camp, Brantley was adjusting his and Luis' tent.
"Hey Brantley."
The prep school boy looked up to see Dolly standing there.
"Morning," Brantley said.
"Wanna grab some firewood?" Dolly asked.
Brantley smirked, but nodded. The two went off a little ways from camp and started gathering branches.
"So," Brantley said, "what did you really want to talk about?"
I want to know," Dolly said, "Why did Arwen go home?"
"No clue."
Dolly pouted. "Yeah right. You obviously voted for her."
"True. Who did you vote for again?"
He started to walk off. Dolly chased after him.
"Okay, look. It was nothing personal in voting for you-"
"Neither was my vote for Arwen," Brantley said. "If you want the truth, I heard my name was being passed around. Despite you dear friend Rubella told me otherwise."
"Rubella isn't…I don't control what she does."
"I voted for Arwen to save myself. Nothing personal."
Dolly growled. "Someone had to give you a name!"
"Yes," Brantley said. "But why should I tell you? Someone protected me. I'm not willing to let it slip."
He stopped. "Unless…"
"Unless?"
"Unless we wanted to exchange information."
He turned to the girly girl. "I'll tell you who engineered Arwen's elimination…if you tell me who was targeting me."
Dolly looked down at the ground. "I don't know."
"Then what is there left to discuss?"
Dolly started to wring her hands. "How about I offer something else?"
"What else do you have to offer?" Brantley asked.
"How about an alliance?"
Brantley stopped again.
"I'm vulnerable now that my friend is gone," Dolly explained. "You're smart and not in bad shape. We'll keep the team strong and make sure someone else has at least two votes. Keep ourselves out of the bottom two."
Brantley rubbed his chin in thought. "That does sound nice. But…can I trust you?"
Dolly held up pinky finger. "We'll swear on it."
Brantley held out his pinky finger. The two crossed their fingers.
"So," Dolly said, "Since we are in an alliance…"
Brantley didn't let the pinky swear go. "Since we're in an alliance, I'll tell you. But I need a promise, a serious promise. If I'm in danger and need your vote, I have it."
"I promise."
Brantley let her finger go. "Let me ask you, who would dislike Arwen?"
"Nobody," Dolly said. "She was super nice, friendly, cool-"
"Not in everybody's definition."
Dolly dropped her firewood. She gritted her teeth. "Of course! I should have known!"
As the two walked back in camp, they didn't notice Montana in the treetops. But he noticed them.
/
On the deck, Norris, Zane and In A Gadda Da Vida were finishing a game of Old Maid.
Norris drew a card from Zane's hand. He smiled as he laid down a pair. "The Queen of Hearts. Sorry to steal your girl."
Zane smirked. "It's okay. I'll find another girl. Just don't let your sweetheart find out you're two-timing her with two queens."
Norris blushed as In A Gadda Da Vida raised an eyebrow. "Is Norris engaged to the Queen of Canada?"
"Canada doesn't have its own royal family," Norris laughed. "Zane is just chirping. Like he's one to talk about having a crush."
"You're not wrong," Zane laughed.
Vida perked up. "A crush? Who do you have a crush on?"
Norris blushed. "I don't really. It's nothing serious."
"Uh uh," Zane said, "Dude I know a crush when I see one."
"Yeah?" Norris asked. "Then…do you think someone else has a crush on me?"
Zane scratched his forehead. "Well…maybe?"
"Some love guru you are."
"She's kind of hard to read! Sometimes I think she does, but then she doesn't?"
"If you want romance advice," In A Gadda Da Vida said, "you should come to me. I mean me and Welker were madly in love."
"Yeah, and didn't it go up in flames?" Norris asked.
"It sure did," Vida swooned. "Like all the steamiest romances."
She held out a card as Zane drew it and made another pair.
"My advice is that if you think she's on the fence," Vida said, "do a grand romantic gesture! Either she'll realize how much she likes you…or reject you publicly on international television."
Norris frowned as Vida went to draw from his hand. "Who says if I'm even sure I like her eh? Maybe I don't want to date someone."
"Don't come on Total Drama single then," Zane replied.
"Not everyone hooks up. Besides, this is a competition."
The Canadian drew a card from Zane and frowned.
"Maybe I like someone else too eh."
"Do you like someone else?" Zane asked. He drew from Vida and finished his last pair.
"I didn't say that," Norris said. "I'm just saying…I don't know. No offense, but if I'm looking at you two's romances in the Amazon…I don't want that. Maybe it's safer if I don't act on any feelings I have for anyone. I'm happy if someone considers me their friend."
Zane smiled. "I'm happy to call you my friend. If you want to be just friends with her or anyone else, you can."
Vida drew a card from Norris. "Did you know that in German speaking Switzerland the hearts suit is instead flowers."
She played her final pair. "The King of Hearts. I'm out."
"Nice!" Zane said.
"Norris," Vida said, "my romance with Welker may have ended tragically for me…and I guess him too, but I don't regret listening to my heart. I doubt Welker does either. If you really like someone, don't miss out on your chance. You don't want to end up-"
"An old maid?" Norris asked. He held up his one card left. "Too late."
He threw down the single card, which was actually a joker.
"Or maybe I'll end up the fool if I do."
"Maybe you'll be the fool if you don't," Vida said.
"If you do ask her out," Zane said, "and she has sister, we could double date."
Norris smirked. "Shuffle the cards Romeo. I want a re-match."
/
That evening, Dolly was at the river bank. She perked up when she saw someone approaching.
"Hey. I've been wanting to talk to you."
Kaobawa looked at her but said nothing.
"Do you want to go for a walk?"
"Just getting water. Dinner is soon."
"Oh. You haven't led a hunting party recently. Should we-"
"I got a rat. It will do for dinner."
He started to leave. Dolly followed after him.
"Are you avoiding me?"
"No."
"Then why haven't you talked to me in the past two days?"
"Why should we talk?"
Dolly frowned. "Because we always talk. Because we're close. Because…I like talking with you. It makes me feel better."
Kaobawa paused. His face softened as he sighed.
"Everything recently has felt crappy," Dolly said. "Super crappy. This show isn't fun, but right now camp is miserable. I know it's stupid. We've only lived here a couple of weeks. But…I really miss Arwen."
"...Then why did you vote her off?"
Kaobawa stared at her. Dolly looked away.
"I…"
"Don't lie. Rubella is not good at pretending, J.C. is too confident. It wasn't me. You flipped. You sent Arwen home."
"What choice did I have? If I didn't, one of us could've gone home!"
"I didn't flip," Kaobawa replied. "I wasn't scared."
"It's called being smart!" Dolly yelled.
She immediately caught herself. Kaobawa glared.
"I didn't mean that-"
"I'm not stupid," Kaobawa said. "I may not speak English great, I may not know what 'Total Drama' was or random American…'things', but I knew I could go. I still voted Brantley! I made my choice. I was fine with it. You didn't flip to save me. It was for you."
"I'm sorry," Dolly said. "I wasn't ready to go home, especially not by random chance. I didn't want to vote off Arwen…but, but isn't that just giving up? Shouldn't I try to stay?"
"So you sacrificed Arwen?"
"She's still my friend," Dolly said. "Don't act like you cared that it was her. You just wanted Brantley gone!"
"Don't blame me!"
"I'm not, I'm just saying it wasn't an easy choice. I just…we couldn't both win. If there was another option I would have. There wasn't. It felt like…me or her."
"Arwen trusted you…should she not have?"
Dolly opened her mouth, but looked down.
"If you were in a tie," Kaobawa said. "I would not vote you out. …I don't think you would do the same for me."
Neither said anything for a couple of minutes. Eventually Dolly left Kaobawa.
/
The next afternoon, challenge time rolled around. The explorers gathered at the reward zone. The hosts came from behind the three purple curtains to meet them.
"Hey gang," Rhonda said. "You guys remember all the fun you had exploring that temple last time?"
Heloise rolled her eyes while Plath openly glared at their hostess.
"Great!" Rhonda replied, "Because you guys are super cursed."
Zane rubbed the back of his head. "Oh yeah, that temple was cursed, wasn't it?"
"Allegedly," Brantley said.
"We need to appease Supay so the curse will end," Rhonda said. "So we've prepared a special ritual as part of today's challenge."
The camera zoomed in as Rhonda grinned darkly. "To lift the curse, you're going to have to face your worst fears."
Half of the explorers' eyes went wide, while the other half looked confused.
"Wait, isn't this a classic challenge from the first season?" Norris asked.
"One of my faves," Jenny cackled. "I've been itching to try it. I think Supay will enjoy the sacrifice of your fear!"
"How would you even know our worst fears?" Tim asked.
"Honestly, most of you filled it out in your applications," Toby said.
"If you didn't, we went digging," Jenny added. "Interviewed your family, friends, doctors, classmates. Casual interviews while secretly fishing for your phobias!"
Everyone started looking more nervous.
"However," Rhonda said. "Jessica Crystal and Heloise will not be participating."
Jessica Crystal sighed, which brought a tear to some of her teammates eyes. Heloise just looked annoyed.
"I don't need special treatment," Heloise replied.
"It's not," Rhonda replied. "Truth is, we couldn't find anything the two of you might actually be afraid of."
Heloise chuckled. "Obviously. THE HAM FEARS NO ONE! YOU FEAR THE HAM!"
"I was afraid this would happen eventually," Jessica Crystal admitted. "I'd be treated differently and not able to do the show like everyone else."
"Sorry," Rhonda said. "But you're special; you don't fear anything! You doing this challenge would be impossible."
"Jessica Crystal and impossible can't be used in the same sentence," Montana said. "Oh wait, I just did."
Rubella groaned. "She's not that special. Can't J.C. just tell you what she fears?"
"I don't actually fear anything," J.C. admitted. "Not that I'm aware of at least."
The hosts turned to the other explorers, smirking. "The rest of you won't be so lucky."
Jenny held up their finger. "Eeny, meanie, minie...Cecilia!"
The actress froze.
"Come up on stage and start us off."
Holding her head high, Cecilia joined the hosts on stage. Jenny snapped her fingers. Interns came out carrying a chair and a table with a checkered tablecloth. They forced Cecilia into the seat and scooted her into the table.
"What's her fear?" Giovanni whispered. "Getting a bad review or something?"
"Don't know eh," Norris replied. "Maybe they're just bluffing."
"Are we going to get this over with?" Cecilia asked.
Jenny replied by shining a spotlight straight into her eyes. Toby strolled out carrying a covered platter. Cecilia squinted, but eyed it nervously.
"For your test," Jenny said. "You have to-"
Toby lifted the tray. It was a bowl of spaghetti.
"Finish eating this spaghetti!"
"What, she's afraid of noodles?" Brantley asked.
"Or carbs," Flynn said. "Pasta is a lot of carbs."
"Did you know spaghetti is the plural form of the Italian word spaghetto?" In A Gadda Da Vida asked.
An intern tied a bib around Cecilia's neck, handing her a fork and knife. She slowly, carefully poked the pasta and waited.
"Is there a time limit to how long we have to complete these?" Tim asked.
Rhonda shrugged. "Not really. But if we feel like you're stalling or have chickened out, it's over."
With poise, Cecilia twirled spaghetti around her fork. She went to take a bite, when music started playing. There was a sound of tiny tap dancing. The spaghetti began shaking like jello.
"Oh no," Cecilia said, "It's not-"
"Cecilia! Cecilia!"
Bursting out of the spaghetti was a trio of cockroaches.
"Ahhhhhh!"
"Ewww," Dolly grimaced.
"You're afraid of cockroaches?" Cassidy asked.
"I wouldn't want to eat that spaghetti," Zane said, sticking his tongue out.
"Those aren't ordinary cockroaches," Jenny said. "You know what they are, don't you Cecilia?"
Before the actress could answer, the cockroaches chanted, "Cecilia, Cecilia, Cecilia!"
They suddenly stood on their legs, revealing realistic but uncanny human faces. All the explorers seemed to freak, some even screaming. The cockroaches each pulled out a hat and cane, beginning a synchronized tap routine.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!" Cecilia kicked the table, sending the spaghetti to the floor. Jenny giggled, clutching her sides as the others looked on in horror.
"What are they?" Dolly screamed.
"That's not natural," Luis said.
"Kill it!" Octasia screamed. "Kill it with fire!"
"That's enough," Rhonda said. Jenny pouted, but whistled. The cockroaches stopped and scurried away.
Cecilia, hugging her knees, was shaking. "H-how?"
"We know a cockroach wrangler," Toby replied.
From backstage, a nice girl in pink helped the cockroaches remove their masks as she blew them kisses.
Cecilia shook her head. "How, how did you know? I mean I've only told one or two people about that."
Jenny rubbed her hands together. "We did our research."
She turned to the Anacondas, who seemed to cower. "Who's next?"
/
Rubella stood in a clearing. The others sat in wooden bleachers, watching her.
"Ready to face your worst fear?" Rhonda asked.
"You mean...dying alone?" Rubella asked.
Jessica Crystal and Dolly shared a look.
"Back in the temple," Dolly said, "when we thought we were going to drown she said…"
Dolly sighed. "Rubella is a lot more complicated than I gave her credit for."
"Uh, no," Rhonda said. "Your other worst fear."
Rubella gasped as two interns brought out an old trunk. Rubella eyed it, turning to Rhonda who nodded and motioned to it. Slowly, she crept over and opened it. She shrieked.
"Bad haircuts!"
Dolly facepalmed. "Nevermind."
Inside the chest was a collection of outdated and tacky wigs.
"For the challenge you'll have to alternate between these horrible wigs," Rhonda said.
Rubella stared at her. "You mean I don't just have to look at them? I have to be seen, on camera, wearing them?"
"If you can wear them until the end, you'll score a point for your team."
Rubella looked at her team, back at the wigs, and back at her team. She stood up. Most of the Anacondas sighed.
"Fine."
To their surprise, Rubella stood there as Rhonda placed a rainbow afro on her head. She shuddered, but didn't remove it.
"Looking good Rubella," Octasia teased. "The Internet will love that look on you."
Rubella scowled.
"The Internet will love how brave she is in facing her fear," Tim stated. Rubella smiled slightly, but stopped as she looked up.
"Alright Capybaras," Rhonda said. "I think next-"
"-I'll go," Norris said, not entirely confident.
His teammates gave him concerned looks, but he nodded.
/
At the reward zone, Norris stood on stage. He flashed a nervous smile to his teammates. Jenny and Toby wheeled out something on a tarp.
"What is it?" In A Gadda Da Vida asked.
"Maybe we should just admit all our fears," Plath said. "Then we won't be surprised. I'm afraid-"
"-Don't," Rhonda interrupted. "It'll ruin the surprise. Now Norris, like Cecilia you've got a special meal planned."
Norris gukped, but he stood up straight and approached the tarp. With a quick swoop and stepping back, he threw it off. Inside was a bald eagle, who cried out.
"He has to eat a whole eagle?" Giovanni asked.
"Not the eagle," Jenny laughed.
The eagle leaped, cawing at the Canadian. Attached to his talons, was a box from…
"Dunkin' Doughnuts," Norris gasped.
The others stared.
"You're afraid...of doughnuts?" Brantley asked.
Norris glared. "Just Dunkin' Doughnuts."
Norris sat with his arms crossed. "Okay, look I wouldn't say I'm afraid of Dunkin' Doughnuts. Just...I don't care for them eh. I grew up on Tim Hortons. I worked at a Tim Hortons. They're the superior doughnut! Tim Hortons' doughnuts are one of my homeland's greatest inventions since the telephone or the skidoo."
He sighed. "I tried to keep an open mind. After my first week in the states, my dad bought me some doughnuts to cheer me up. I knew it wouldn't be Hortons, but I tried it. Took one bite…"
Norris' whole face soured. "Turned to ash in my mouth. I can still feel it, burning on my tongue...ughhh. As for bald eagles, that's just sensible. They're giant birds of prey!"
"Seriously?" Heloise asked.
"Nah, Dunkin is garbage," Giovanni said. "My dude needs to try some Krispy Kreme."
"Dunkin is more for coffee anyway," Plath added.
"Norris," Rhonda said. "If you can secure the box from the eagle and eat the doughnut inside, you'll score a point for your team."
Norris nodded. He stared at the cage, the bald eagle glaring.
"Nothing to do but get after it," Norris admitted. Slowly, he stepped towards the cage. The eagle turned his head, not carrying for the Canadian.
"You got this Norris," Plath cheered. "He's in that cage. He can't reach you."
"Don't injure the poor guy," Luis said.
"How about he don't injure me?" Norris muttered. He slowly stuck his arm through the bird cage's bars.
The eagle shot his head around. With a piercing cry, he raised his wings. He pushed open the door, flying at Norris.
"You didn't say the cage was unlocked!" Octasia screamed.
"You didn't ask," Jenny replied.
Giovanni ran up on stage, tossing off his shirt and throwing it on top of the bald eagle.
"Get outta here! Scram, A-sap!"
The eagle cried out, flying off into the sky.
Giovanni offered Norris a hand. Norris blushed, letting Giovanni pull him off the floor.
"And the Capybaras are still falling behind," Rhonda said. "Brantley, you're next."
Brantley tensed, but marched up to the stage.
"You've got this Brantley!" Luis cheered. "You're smart enough to know there's nothing to fear."
"Any guesses?" Jenny asked.
"I didn't mention any fears," Brantley said. "I admit to having my phobias, but I tend to keep that private."
"But you do fear something."
With a sing-song voice, Jenny added, "And somebody told us!"
Rising from a trapdoor in the stage was a chimney. Brantley started to shake.
"Wotcha guv'nor. Care ter 'ave your chimney swept?"
Jumping out of the prop chimney was a lanky fellow dressed in Victorian clothing and covered in soot. Following him was a short but heavy man, carrying a big brush and tipping his tophat at Brantley.
"Chimney sweeps?" Dolly asked. "Has he not watched Mary Poppins?"
"And I never will!" Brantley shouted. "Wh-wh-what do you want?"
"Aan't ya kna the bleedin' old stories?" the sweep asked in a terrible Cockney accent. "Ya 'ave ter kiss a sweep fa' right good luck!"
The sweeps stepped forward. One puckered his lips, the other turned and pointed at his cheek.
Brantley started to back away.
"Don't be shy," Jenny teased. "Don't you want good luck?"
Brantley stopped. The chimney sweeps batted their eyes. Slowly, the highbrow leaned towards the shorter sweep's cheek. He stopped, held up his sleeve and wiped the sweep's face.
"You aan't afraid ov soo' are ya?"
"More like bronchitis," Brantley groaned. Brantley nodded. With a deep breath, he pushed out his lips…
...then pushed the sweep to the ground and ran backstage.
Brantley sat in the confessional with his arms crossed. "Between my almost elimination and...that display, this show has humiliated me more in four days than my life combined. But how did they know? It's not that I fear them, not really...who I'm kidding, you saw! I've been afraid of chimney sweeps after seeing a wretched play when I was just a child. Only my family knows."
He rubbed his temples. "My little sister must have brought it up, thinking she was sharing a harmless anecdote. Thanks Evelyn."
The explorers made their way to a clearing. Montana's eyes grew wide first.
"Oh no," he said. "Not that sound."
The others heard the hissing soon.
"Sound familiar?" Jenny asked the adventurer.
"Isn't it the Capybaras turn?" Montana asked.
"We can't make it too predictable," Rhonda said.
In the clearing was a large hole. Luis looked inside and gasped.
"Look! They're cute little cobras!"
"You're afraid of snakes?" Tim asked. "There must be a certain irony of being on the Anacondas team."
Montana shook his head. "I don't worry about most snakes. Well, more than you should. But those are asps! Very dangerous."
Montana peered down the hole. Slithering inside were several gold-brown snakes, about five to seven feet long.
"They're often called Cleopatra's asps," Montana shuddered.
"Why?" Rubella asked. She was wearing a bad redheaded bouffant wig. "Did she have them as pets?"
"Legend says she used them to commit suicide."
"Cleopatra killed herself?" Rubella asked.
"I'm surprised you know she's dead," Dolly teased.
"Puh-lease. I know Cleopatra died like a hundred years ago."
"It's said Egyptian cobras are one of the most deadly snakes in all of Africa," Rhonda said.
"Egypt is in Africa?" Rubella asked.
"You can't actually have Montana interact with such sinister snakes, right?" Tim asked. "That's crossing a line!"
"Crossing lines is what I love about Total Drama," Jenny giggled.
Montana gulped. "This isn't my first encounter. I was bit by an asp as a kid while camping in the Sahara. Luckily my nana always carries tons of anti-venom on her. But I had pretty bad convulsions. I was sick for almost three weeks afterwards."
Jenny placed a hand over her heart. "Wow, I didn't realize it was so painful and personal to you Montana."
She snickered. "Just kidding, I totally did! You need to dig up the treasure buried in that pit or you'll have angry Anacondas to deal with instead."
The Anacondas looked more worried for their teammate than anything, but Montana was too occupied watching the snakes.
Without warning, he suddenly leapt into the pit. The cobras startled, they immediately scattered.
Luis tapped his chin. "Interesting. Most cobras spit venom, but it looks like Egyptian cobras don't."
"Good for Montana," Flynn said.
In the center of the pit was an obvious dirt mound. Montana poked it with his foot. It crumbled, revealing hissing, angry cobras.
"Sheesh," Jenny said. "You think they're still cranky about being moved here from Egypt?"
Montana jumped back, grabbing his hat to keep it from flying off. In the center of the mound, asps crawled through a human skull.
"What kind of treasure is that?" he asked.
"The intern who fell in," Toby said. It was an obvious lie; the skull was clearly plastic.
Montana made his way to the edge of the pit. But instead of turning away, he stopped and stared at the snakes.
He bit his lip. "Okay, okay. I can't rush this. Not with all this asps going crazy. What would Nana Dukes do?"
Montana snapped his fingers. Rummaging through his backpack, Montana pulled out a weird, reed instrument.
"It's not a pungi," Montana said. "But a pib-corn will have to do."
Wetting his lips, Montana began to play. The other explorers started covering their ears.
"What is he doing?" Kaobawa asked.
"Snake charming I think," Tim replied. "He wants to use the music to tame the snakes."
"Should it be bad?"
Montana smiled. "Well, I did say I'd teach myself to play. Now's as good a time to learn as any."
The adventurer swayed as he played awfully, getting close to the snakes. Now snakes can't actually hear a snake charmer's music; they lack an outer ear. Instead, snakes respond to the performer's movements, usually in a defensive position.
Montana's sporadic movements confused the asps, who moved back and forth to avoid it. Already dazed and realizing they were in unfamiliar territory, fearing a possible predator, the cobras scattered.
Freestyling the pibcorn in one hand, Montana grabbed the skull. He tossed it out the pit, bouncing it off Jenny's head.
"And it looks Montana scores the first official point of the challenge!"
The Anacondas cheered as Montana raced out the pit, his teammates pulling him off the edge.
/
The teams started to head back towards the stage, but were stopped halfway there. Nearby was a shallow entrance to the river.
Rhonda pretended to scan the horizon. "Now what is that?"
The others slowly turned, but it was the Capybara's prankster who cringed.
"Pelicans," Octasia groaned.
Sitting on top of the river was a big, stocky pelican.
"Why are you afraid of pelicans?" Cassidy asked. "A bad childhood encounter?"
"I don't need a reason to be afraid of pelicans," Octasia said. "I mean, look at it."
The pelican gargled water in his throat pouch.
Octasia shuddered. "Disgusting."
"If you think that's disgusting," Jenny said, "Wait until-"
"I have to get something out of its beak?" Octasia said. "That's my challenge, ain't it?"
Jenny pouted. "How did you-"
"-It's what I'd do."
Octasia forced a smile. "I suppose I can't take a moment, maybe use the bathro-"
"Nope!" Rhonda answered. "It's now or never."
Octasia groaned, but stared down the large water bird. She looked up as she felt Norris' hand on her shoulder.
"It's nice to know someone else is afraid of birds," Norris said with a laugh.
Octasia smiled and patted his arm. With a nod, she marched towards the pelican.
"Hold your head high," she muttered to herself, "it's best if it's you. Lead by example, like you always do. You're brave, you're the big sister…"
"Alright birdbrain," she said, "Open wide!"
The pelican screeched at her. Startled, Octasia jumped…onto the bird. Pinning it down, she forced her hand in its beak.
"She's going to hurt the poor guy!" Luis yelled.
Octasia groaned as it slapped her with his wings. "Ow, ow, ow…gotcha!"
From his throat poach, she pulled out a golden idol. The pelican headbutted her and flew away. But Octasia held up the idol.
The Gregarious Capybaras cheered. Norris ran over, helping Octasia to her feet. She shrugged and dusted off feathers from her shoulder.
"And the scores are tied," Rhonda announced. "But there's more to go."
/
In A Gadda Da Vida was seen entering a cathedral with a bell tower. From the top, the Hunchback of Notre Dame appeared. Vida ran out and straight to Plath, tackling her into a hug.
"Fail," Jenny announced.
/
Flynn cautiously approached the stage. He froze, when he heard robotic beeping.
"Exterminate!"
What looked like a human pepper pot with wheels and a mounted gun rolled out.
"He's afraid of…military trashcans?" Dolly asked.
"It's a Dalek," Tim said. "I'm not that familiar with Doctor Who, but it's pretty recognizable from the franchise."
"It's some kind of robot, right?" Luis asked, shuddering.
Flynn immediately curled into a ball. "How could you-"
"It's so easy to get dirt on you kids," Jenny giggled. "You've been using social media since elementary school."
"But I deleted the posts that-"
"-Everything on the Internet is forever," Toby stated.
Rubella, wearing a greasy mullet wig, nodded. "That's why all my posts are top tier."
"Exterminate!"
The Dalek rushed at Flynn, who ran off the stage.
"Fail," Jenny announced.
/
Back at the clearing, a coffin stood upright outside it.
"Kaobawa," Rhonda stated. "It's been said you have a fear of being buried alive."
Kaobawa raised an eyebrow. Jenny pulled out shovels.
"You do?" Dolly asked.
Kaobawa shrugged. "Kind of. Improper burial is a…bad sign to the Yequmamo."
"Like a taboo," J.C. suggested.
"I think," Kaobawa replied. "We don't really bury our dead. We see it as hiding them. To bury a body, live or not, is seen as disrespectful to the person and the rainforest."
"So you're not really afraid?" Brantley asked.
"It was the best we could come up with," Rhonda admitted. "Plus, it's an infamous callback to the first time this challenge was done."
"So we win the point easily then?" Rubella asked.
"I didn't say I was going to let them bury me," Kaobawa said.
"But it's not really a phobia."
"It's still a disgrace to the Yequmamo. To my family."
"You're really going to let your pride get in the way of our team?" Flynn asked.
Kaobawa stared at him. "Flynn…Exterminate!"
Flynn immediately dropped down into a ball. Kaobawa smirked.
"Another fail," Jenny sighed.
"I'd hate to waste a perfectly good coffin though," Rhonda said.
Rhonda and Jenny shared a smirk.
…
They both stood there waiting.
Rhonda cleared her threat. "I mean, it's such a well made coffin. I'd hate to waste it!"
Jenny tapped her foot. "She said-"
"I heard!"
Toby groaned as he wheeled out three big tubs.
"Maybe someone could help me set all these up," Toby suggested. "Since so many interns have quit."
"Who?" Jenny asked.
Toby rolled his eyes. He popped open the lids, revealing tons of worms wriggling inside. He poured the worms inside in the coffin, slowly to better show off how wiggly and alive they were.
"Cassidy, would you be a dear?" Rhonda asked.
Cassidy approached the coffin.
"Maybe you shouldn't have made a blog post about your fear of worms," Jenny teased.
"Whatever," Cassidy replied. "What's the lame dare?"
"You have to stay in the coffin for three minutes."
Cassidy shrugged, throwing herself into the bin. After three minutes, she popped up. She grinned, holding up worms in her hands. The Capybaras cheered, holding up Cassidy and carrying her off.
"And the Capybaras steal the lead!"
/
After the season finished, Cassidy was interviewed on The Blaineriffic Talk Show. When asked about this moment, she openly admitted she heard a rumor about the show recreating the phobias challenge. The blog post about fearing worms was made simply to trick the show. She didn't fear worms, never had.
"It worked like a charm."
/
"For our next challenge, someone has a special appointment."
Dolly immediately yelped. The hosts nodded at her, confirming her fate.
Leaving the stage, the explorers went deep into the jungle.
"What is it?" Rubella whispered. She was now wearing a gray beehive hairdo.
"Something horrible. Something evil."
They arrived at a classy dentist office.
"I hope you've been brushing your teeth," Jenny teased.
"You're scared of the dentist?" Tim asked. "That's not that unusual."
Dolly shook her head.
They entered the office. Toby was behind the desk, wearing scrubs.
"The doctor is running late," he said. "We'll go ahead and seat you."
Kaobawa frowned as he watched Dolly trembling.
"I want to hug her," Kaobawa said. "She's so happy…She hasn't been in…days. I can't trust her…but I can't hate her either."
Dolly almost jumped when she felt Kaobawa's hand on her shoulder. She smiled a little, nodding and following Toby into the office.
She gulped and took a seat in the high chair.
The explorers stood in a room next door, watching from a two way mirror.
"So what's the deal?" Rubella asked. "She have a cavity before?"
She was drowned out by the sound of circus music. Dolly froze. The color drained from her face.
"They're real! They can't be real!"
Toby threw open the door. "Dr. Giggles will see you now."
A tiny clown car came crashing through the wall.
"Hey hey hey!"
The car door opened, a big red shoe stepping out.
"Do you know how a dentist practices?"
Dolly screamed as a balding clown popped out of the car. He smiled a toothy grin. He was over six feet tall, obese with a huge hunch yet uncomfortably long and noodly limbs. He wore a head mirror, blue rubber gloves and a white lab coat over a garish multi-color suit.
"They do lots of drills!"
Some of the other explorers screamed or stared in horror.
"What kind of demon is that?" Kaobawa asked.
"A clown dentist," Luis said. "Two horrible things made worse together!"
"Why would you want to be a clown and a dentist?" Dolly cried.
"To save on laughing gas!" Dr. Giggles laughed.
"Dolly, you have to stay in the room for five minutes with Dr. Giggles to pass your test," Toby said. "Of course, you're welcome to leave anytime."
Dolly looked at the door, biting her lip. She sighed and laid against the chair. "Let's just get this over with."
"Hippy Hooray!" Dr. Giggles cheered. "Now, heh heh, open wide..."
Dolly fought back tears as she opened her mouth a tiny bit, but Dr. Giggles pried it open. He pulled a flashlight out of his sleeve, shining it in Dolly's eyes before into her mouth.
"Oh dear. Looks like we might need to head to Panama."
Dolly's eyes widened.
"Because someone needs a route canal! Get it, route canal? Like a root canal?"
Dr. Giggles chuckled. "I'll just need my drill, a scrap, pliers, a bottle of seltzer and-ahhhhhhh!"
Dolly bit down on his hand.
"That's it!" Dolly screamed. "You want my teeth? Come and get them."
Launching herself out of her chair, Dolly delivered a roundhouse kick to the clown's face. She took a karate pose, let out a battle cry and started wailing. The other Anacondas cheered. Even the Capybaras couldn't help smiling.
With a final uppercut, Dolly managed to knock out one of his teeth and send the good dentist to the floor.
Dolly breathed in and out deeply. She turned to Toby. "Has it been five minutes yet?"
Toby slowly nodded while backing away slowly.
/
"The scores are tied again," Rhonda announced. They had returned to the stage. "So now it's time for another fear. Anyone want to guess who's next?"
The five remaining explorers felt eyes on them.
"I'll give you a hint."
From her pocket, Rhonda pulled out a pencil.
Giovanni sighed. "Sweet. I'm not afraid of number two pencils…not that I'm afraid of anything of course."
"This explorer will be using their pencil for their test."
"What's the test?" Flynn asked.
"It's…an actual test!"
A curtain parted, revealing a single desk. Jenny, dressed like a school matron, stood at a blackboard drawing obscene doodles. She lowered her fake glasses and smirked. "Plath, you're late for your exam."
Plath gulped.
"Oh," In A Gadda Da Vida gasped. "You're afraid of ugly teachers. That's fair."
Jenny glared as Toby snickered backstage.
"No," Plath admitted. "It's not so much a phobia, but I have real bad anxiety when it comes to exams. Last finals week I had three mental breakdowns in the library. Per day."
"You don't have time for that," Jenny said. "Since you're late, you have thirty minutes to finish!"
She dropped a thick stack of papers on the desk.
" I haven't even studied!" Plath gasped. "I don't even know what the subject matter is."
"We made it a little easier for you," Rhonda said, "It's on the Amazon."
Plath smiled a little. She climbed on stage.
"What does it matter?" Giovanni asked. "I mean you don't have to pass, you just have to take it."
"He has a point," Heloise said. "It's not for an actual grade. You got this Plath."
Plath was beaming now. She took the pencil. "That's true. It's silly to be nervous, right?"
"Yeah," Jenny said. "Except you actually are getting a grade for it!"
Plath snapped in the pencil in her hand. "What!?"
"It wouldn't feel like an exam if it didn't matter," Rhonda said. "That's why you don't just have to pass, you have to get an A or you fail the challenge!"
"But, but, but-"
"By the way, your time is still going," Jenny said. "I'd say you have twenty eight minutes…"
"That's a little too ridiculous," Octasia said.
"It's totally unfair," Zane added, "but if anyone can do it, it's you Plath! You got this!"
Plath didn't answer, muttering to herself and trying not to hyperventilate.
"While she tries to ace her exam, let's move on to our challenge," Rhonda said.
The explorers reluctantly followed Rhonda as Plath was already using her eraser.
/
Back at the earlier clearing, the explorers came upon two workers in hazmat suits.
"Tim," Rhonda said. "Care to admit any fears?"
Tim adjusted his glasses. "I have many fears. I fear heights, closed spaces, monsters, violence, crime…you know, normal things."
Most everyone was not assumed.
"We have it from good authority that you have a few not normal fears," Rhonda said.
The two hazmat workers stepped aside to reveal a see-through refrigerator. Inside was a clear container with some kind of liquid.
"Holy electrons!" Tim exclaimed. "Is that Krypton?"
Brantley turned to his confused teammates and Capybaras. "Krypton is element 36 on the periodic table. It has its uses in lighting and photography."
"Is it dangerous?" Flynn asked.
"It's a noble gas. That means it can't react with other elements. As I understand it's non-toxic."
"It's not harmless," Rhonda said. "Breathing it in as a gas is likely to cause asphyxiation. Exposure to liquid Krypton like this will cause frostbite. Did you know that Tim?"
Tim frowned at her. "What's the challenge here?"
"You simply need to simply transfer this liquid from one vial to another safely."
"Doesn't sound so hard," Tim admitted. "What's the tricky twist you tied to it?"
Rhonda shrugged. "Honestly, it's hard to use a non-toxic gas as a convincing fear and clear it with legal."
"Legal cleared everything else we've done on this show?" Tim asked.
"Time's ticking Tim. We have other phobias to face."
Tim sighed but stepped forward. The hazmat workers handed him gloves and a face shield…before running away. Tim donned the equipment and slowly stepped forward. Inside was an empty vial next to the liquid element.
"He'll have to be careful," Brantley guessed. "If exposed to any higher temperature, the liquid will quickly transform into gas."
Tim lined the bottles before slowly starting to pour.
"Where did you even buy liquid Krypton?" Cassidy asked.
"We didn't," Rhonda said. "A fifth dimensional imp gave it to us."
On hearing those words, Tim slipped and dropped the vial. The liquid quickly combusted into a see-through gas.
Tim groaned as Rhonda smirked.
"We also heard it from good authority you're afraid of fifth dimensional imps Tim. A shame. Looks like you weren't ready to face all your fears."
Tim rubbed the back of his head. "I should have kept my cool there. My gut was telling me those malevolent masters of ceremonies had more tricks up their sleeve. But I guess…I was distracted by recent events."
He glared. "I have an idea of who blabbed about my weaknesses. The Justice Squad knows but has sworn themselves to secrecy. No, only one of the members of my rogues gallery knows and would be twisted enough to share that information. And only one villain knows my…aversion to travelers from the fifth dimension of space. My arch-enemy."
The explorers were brought deeper into the rainforest.
"Anyone know which Capybaras still haven't gone?" Rhonda asked. She was grinning, so she clearly knew the answer.
"The one that doesn't wear a shirt and afro boy," Rubella stated. Her current wig was a dark brunette bowl cut. The hair looked like a helmet and made Rubella look like a little Amish boy.
"Shut up Coconut Head," Giovanni replied.
"Don't tell mean you boys are afraid?" Rhonda asked.
"As if," Giovanni said.
"Yes," Zane said at the same time.
"Great," Rhonda said. "Then we'll save Giovanni for last!"
Giovanni facepalmed. Zane gritted his teeth.
"Care to share Zane?"
"You already know, so why not," Zane replied. "There are two things that really freak me out. Poisonous mushrooms…and-"
As if on cue, Toby popped out of the bushes. A saxophone around his neck, he started playing it. Toby seemed to actually know how to play a saxophone, though a few notes were obviously wrong and the tune wasn't catchy.
"-bad jazz."
"What's scary about that?" Giovanni said.
"You'd know if you listened to good jazz," Zane said.
"While Toby serenades you," Rhonda said. "You'll have to do some mushroom hunting. There are a few in this area. Bring us a safe one."
Zane nodded, but his legs were shaking. He ran off into the forest, before stopping and looking around. "So…how do I look for mushrooms?"
"We don't really forage on the Gregarious Capybaras," Zane explained. "We take fruits when we find them, but ever since the second challenge we don't make it a routine. That's for two reasons.
"First, we won all that fishing gear. We spend a lot of time on that. Second, we tried. The only one with any foraging knowledge was Welker. He led one trip. That ended with Cecilia getting a rash from a bad shroom."
Zane gagged. "So yeah, that put me on edge. I feel bad, but I was kind of hoping that I wouldn't find any mushrooms. I could say I tried and maybe get a point for listening to Toby, or at least not have my team hate me."
Zane's plans were quickly foiled. Rhonda had some more experienced locals clear out the area first, leaving revealed mushrooms in relatively obvious spots. After five minutes, Zane had found seven different kinds. He hadn't touched any yet however.
Between Montana's wilderness expertise, Kaobawa's experience living in the Amazon and Jessica Crystal being there, the Anacondas were experienced in foraging. By now, they all at least knew the basic signs of a dangerous mushroom.
Zane didn't. He was struggling to guess. He reckoned to avoid slimy ones. Red means danger right, so not red ones…right? This one was solid white. This one had dark spots.
Eventually, Rhonda gave a warning.
Zane slowly grabbed a mushroom. His skin not reacting, he sighed and brought it to Rhonda.
"Finally," Rubella sighed. "How long does it take to find one mushroom?"
"Maybe your mushroom cut scared them all," Octasia replied.
"Here," Zane said. "A totally not poisonous mushroom."
"Great," Rhonda said. She took it…then handed it right back. "Eat it."
"What?" Zane asked.
"Prove it's not poisonous. Eat it."
Zane stared at the mushroom. "Are you sure you should be telling a teen to eat shrooms on TV?"
"Do it kid," Toby said. "I'm getting tired of lugging this saxophone."
Zane closed his eyes and brought the mushroom to his lips…before tossing it away.
"I'm sorry guys."
"Don't be eh," Norris said. ""If you were wrong you'd die and fail. Be kind of pointless, no pun intended."
"Actually you'd still score," Rhonda said.
"What?" Zane asked. "But you said to find a non-poisonous-"
"-Yeah, but whether it was toxic or not, if you ate it you'd still have faced your fear. Plus, we'd revive you if it was actually poisonous."
"But it wasn't," Dolly said.
She broke into a smile as the rest of the Anacondas' poker faces dropped. Zane kicked himself for the rest of the day over it.
"With that, our scores are still tied," Rhonda said. "And each team only has one explorer left. Let's head to our next destination."
/
At some point during Zane's trial, Plath silently joined her team. When In A Gadda Da Vida directly asked how her test went, she only shook her head.
The explorers followed Rhonda and were confused at their destination; the Incan temple home to their elimination ceremonies.
"Luis," Rhonda said. "You're the lucky last Anaconda."
Everyone turned to the tall boy. He was clearly on edge.
"I hate to ask," Luis said, "you're not going to make me eat meat, are you?"
"I suggested that," Jenny said. "But you already dealt with that two chapters ago. Besides, you fear something else. Want to guess what's inside the temple?"
Luis hung his head. "I know, but I can't say."
"Why not?" Montana asked.
"It's sort of silly."
"Sillier than chimney sweeps, bad haircuts or doughnuts?" Dolly asked.
Brantley rubbed his chin. "I hate to pry, but you said something about robots during Flynn's challenge."
"Daleks are scary," Flynn insisted.
"I think we're all afraid of the eventual A.I. revolution," Toby said.
"The uncanny valley of the human-like has always struck fear in humanity's hearts," Brantley said. "Being afraid of robots isn't unusual."
"It's not just robots," Luis admitted. "It's…haunted robots!"
Everyone stared blankly at him.
"What's a haunted robot?" In A Gadda Da Vida finally asked.
"You know it's like a ghost…but also a robot," Luis said. "It's the ultimate creepy mixture of sci-fi horror and supernatural evil!"
"How does that…work?" Zane asked.
"Luis is about to find out," Rhonda said. "You have to spend five minutes in the temple with our special guest."
Luis gulped. "I don't know if I can."
Brantley put a hand on his shoulder. He stared his roommate in the eye. "Luis, you faced an Amazon cryptid. You saved us from a jaguar. You're way braver than you realize. I know you can do this."
Luis smiled. He grabbed Brantley in a surprise bear hug. "Thanks man."
Brantley gasped for air. "You're…welcome."
Luis dropped him. With a deep breath, he headed inside.
The other explorers waited outside.
"I'm still confused," Vida said. "Is the robot possessed by a ghost or is it the ghost of a robot?"
"Robots can't have ghosts," Cassidy replied. "They don't have souls to leave behind and become spirits."
"Robots can totally have souls," Montana said.
"Yeah," Dolly said, "Are you going to say WALL-E isn't alive?"
"Optimus Prime or the Iron Giant?" Heloise suggested.
Thomas the Tank Engine," Giovanni said.
"Thomas the Tank Engine isn't a robot," Dolly replied.
"He's a machine that's alive," Giovanni said. "That's a robot!"
"I thought Thomas was like a magic train?" Zane asked.
"I don't think so," Dolly said. "But he doesn't feel like he's a robot."
"Robots are sci-fi," Flynn said. "They can't be magic."
"What if you use magic to make the robot?" Plath asked.
"If I bring a machine to life with magic then it isn't a robot," Flynn said.
"It's a machine that's alive," Giovanni repeated. "That's a robot!"
"I think robots can do magic," Dolly said. "Why couldn't it?"
Brantley rolled his eyes. "This is silly. A robot isn't alive like a person or animal, so it can't really die."
"Of course robots can die!" Octasia said.
"Not like a person," Brantley said."Your computer isn't alive."
"But if the robot's AI is so advanced, then it's as cognizant as a human," Plath said.
"Does that mean that to be considered alive you have to a certain level of intelligence?" Zane asked.
"No," Tim said. "A computer can be smarter than a dog, but the dog is alive and the computer isn't."
"Unless the computer is a robot," Octasia added.
"Ooh, what if it's a robot dog?" Rubella suggested.
/
Inside the temple, Luis crept slowly.
"I'm just stumbling in the dark," he said to himself. "Waiting for it to pop out at-"
A robotic hand suddenly reached out from the ground, grabbing Luis' leg. He jumped back, but the hand didn't let go.
A metal man pushed his way out of the Earth. He had a very retro futuristic design, like something out of a 60s cartoon or a theme park. Still, Luis was shaking. The robot's eyes opened, glowing an eerie green light. He opened his mouth, letting out a ghostly moan…in 8-bit sound effects.
Luis shook his leg, until it was freed from the robot's iron grip. He fell to the floor and started crawling backwards. In a very stilted manner, the robot slowly marched towards him.
"Um, hi. Listen, you just rose from the dead right? D-don't you want to do something more fun than haunt some old temple?"
The robot didn't answer, only reaching forward.
Luis kept backing up until he backed into a corner. He covered his eyes and waited.
…
He opened them to see the robot still trudging forward. Luis stood up, ducking under the robot's arms and running past him. The robot stopped, slowly pivoted and continued the pursuit.
Luis smiled. "He's really slow, like a zombie. Well a zombie robot is haunted I guess."
He frowned as he watched the robot creeping to him at a snail's pace.
"I kind of feel bad for him now."
Luis approached the robot. The spooky steelman put his arms around the nature lover.
"Aww, he wants a hug! I bet if I just rose from the grave I'd want one too. Maybe you're not so scary after all."
Luis squeezed the haunted robot…and its head popped off.
"Ahhhhhhh!"
/
A few minutes later, Luis walked out carrying the droid's head.
"I knew you could do it," Brantley said.
"You actually fought the robot?" Tim asked.
Luis sniffled. "Even after dying and coming back, he wanted to feel like a person. He just wanted to be loved. What's more human that?"
"And you killed it," Jenny said. "Hilarious!"
"If it's a ghost can it die?" In A Gadda Da Vida asked.
"The Bootylicious Anacondas take the lead!" Rhonda announced. "We have one test left and it's the Capybaras' only hope."
All eyes turned to Giovanni.
/
At the reward stage, Jenny and Toby ran backstage.
"So, what are you afraid of Giovanni?" Vida asked.
The jersey jock crossed his arms. "Who says I'm afraid of anything?"
"Come on," Octasia said. "We're all afraid of something…except Jessica Crystal and The Ham."
"There's no shame in it," Zane added.
Cassidy nodded. "So man up and tell us."
Giovanni glared at Cassidy, forcing her to smile. He stopped as he felt Norris' hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry bro, eh. We're not going to laugh. Not just because none of us have the right either. We'll cheer you on."
Giovanni sighed. "Okay, the truth is-"
"Giovanni!" Rhonda announced. "Join us on stage now. Or forfeit it."
Giovanni groaned but climbed onto the stage.
Toby pushed out a big wooden chair. It looked like an electric chair without the helmet or straps.
"Take a seat."
Giovanni cautiously did.
"We interviewed your aunt," Rhonda said. "She let it slip about your little fear."
Giovanni's eyes went wide. "So…so what? What are you going to do about it?"
"Jenny. Lower the cage."
From the stage rafters, the cast could hear Jenny giggling. A small, round cage lowered in front of Giovanni. He yelped. Inside the cage, two rats were fighting each other.
"Rats!" Giovanni yelled. "I'm freakin afraid of rats!"
"You have to admit, it's kind of funny," Cassidy giggled. "The gym rat is afraid of rats!"
Rubella shuddered. "I have to admit, I kind of feel bad. After my…rat incident in the tent, I completely understand fearing them."
"Your challenge is simple," Rhonda said. "We're going to tie this cage of half-starving rats to your face. If you sit there for two minutes…you win and tie the scores."
"What happens if the scores are tied?" Brantley asked, hoping to psych out Giovanni. "There's no guarantee if he does this the Capybaras still won't lose the tiebreaker."
"We'll find out…if Giovanni does it."
Giovanni turned to his teammates. Cassidy was filming with her phone. Octasia raised an eyebrow, as if to say, how could you not? Zane and Plath gave him sympathetic looks. Norris smiled at him. In A Gadda Da Vida was staring off into space.
Heloise raised her fist. "Come on Giovanni! Show those rats who's jungle this is!"
Giovanni sighed and closed his eyes. "Just do it."
"Alright. But you can't close your eyes the whole time."
Toby pulled the cage towards the explorer. Opening one end of the cage, Toby placed Giovanni's head inside and tied a strap to the back of his head. The rats ran at him, hissing. A thin little grate of bars separated them and Giovanni's face.
Giovanni gripped the arms of the chair and started screaming. He stopped when he realized the rats couldn't reach him.
"I…I got this. I got this, I got this…"
Heloise looked over at Cassidy's phone. With a swat, she smacked it out of her hands.
"Hey."
She turned to the wrestler, but said nothing. Even in a cast, Heloise could still give an intimidating look.
"One minute passed," Rhonda said. With a nod, Toby lifted the grate. The two rats stormed Giovanni's face. He started screaming again, at an even higher pitch. He almost jumped out of the seat, but caught himself at that last moment. He tried to keep his eyes open, as the rats started biting and clawing.
"That can't be allowed," Norris cried. "They're hurting him!"
"Oops," Rhonda said. "They were supposed to give him kisses."
Toby yanked the cage backwards and closed the grate.
"Hey," Jenny complained. "It hadn't been two minutes."
"He faced his fear," Toby said. "The scratches on his face are proof."
Untying Giovanni's head, the tall co-host hauled the cage away. Giovanni was taking several deep breaths, and had a few minor scratches, but looked fine for the most part.
"Well, with that…Giovanni scores the point!" Rhonda announced.
The Capybaras burst into cheers. When Giovanni realized what was happening, he smirked and fist-bumped the air.
"Heck yeah! Suck on that!"
He rejoined his teammates, getting high-fives from most of them.
"With that," Rhonda said. "We don't have any more challenges. Some of you really chickened out, but hopefully this was enough to appease Supay."
"Who cares about all that," Cassidy stated. "The score is tied 3 to 3. Who wins?"
"We may have finished with the phobias, but we haven't finished totaling all the scores. Rubella?"
Everyone turned to the social media mogul. She was currently wearing a big, done-up, 1960s flipped bob wig.
"You may stop wearing those awful wigs. You passed!"
The Anacondas turned to her, smiling and cheering.
"I actually did it?" Rubella asked. "I did it. I did it!"
She threw the wig up in the air and jumped in place. "I did it, I did it! I mean…of course I did. I'm amazing."
"That was amazing," Dolly said.
"You just won the challenge for us," Jessica Crystal said. "That's more than amazing."
"I can't believe I'm going to say this," Rhonda said. "But…you're wrong Jessica Crystal."
Everyone gasped. The Anacondas. The Capybaras. Jenny, Toby, the interns. The two rats in the cage. Nearby tree frogs. Rhonda herself.
Jessica Crystal scratched her head. "I'm sorry…I didn't hear you. What did you say? Rung? Gong?"
"Wrong might be the poor choice of word," Rhonda said. "But the Anacondas haven't won."
Toby handed Rhonda a paper. "Because we have Plath's test graded…and she aced it!"
It was the Capybaras turn to smile and cheer at their teammate.
"But…how?" Plath asked. "I was sure I bombed it!"
"You got a 93," Rhonda said. "You did pretty well on your multiple choice, but your essay got you the most points. It was well-constructed and argued."
"Do you usually do badly on exams?" Giovanni asked.
"Well…no," Plath said. "I usually get As. I just get really nervous taking them."
Giovanni stared at her with a dumbfounded look.
"So," Octasia said. "The scores are tied again; 4-4. What's the tiebreaker?"
Rhonda, Jenny and Toby all shared a look. "About that…we kind of told a fib earlier."
"Shocking," Brantley said.
"The truth is…Heloise and Jessica Crystal also had their own tests," Rhonda said.
"We did?" Heloise asked.
"We actually couldn't find any specific fears for you two…but we had an idea. We did secret tests without telling you."
"Secret tests?" Montana asked. "What could Heloise or Jessica Crystal fear?"
"Heloise," Rhonda said, "your test was being faced with the possibility that you might have to live in a hospital again. Jessica Crystal, your fear was being treated differently than everyone else for being so amazing."
"Wait a minute, you mean when doctors Dumb and Dumber gave me that check-up a couple of days ago-"
"We lied," Toby said. "You're healing just fine. Faster than expected even. You didn't show any fear when faced with that possibility. Technically, you scored the first point out of anyone."
Heloise chuckled, slapping her knee…and cringing in pain.
Rhonda turned to the Anacondas. "Which gives us the biggest surprise of any challenge. Remember when we told J.C. she wouldn't have a test at the start?"
/
"However," Rhonda said. "Jessica Crystal and Heloise will not be participating in today's challenge."
Jessica Crystal sighed, which brought a tear to some of her teammates eyes.
…
"I was afraid this would happen eventually," Jessica Crystal admitted. "I'd be treated differently and not able to do the show like everyone else."
/
Once again, everyone gasped. Even the hosts already knowing the answer. Even you, the reader, gasped.
"You mean that….Jessica Crystal failed?" Dolly asked. "That's not…possible, is it?"
"She reacted poorly and didn't put up a fight," Rhonda said. "In our eyes, we're saying she gave up when faced with her fear so…yeah. Jessica Crystal failed."
Jessica Crystal stared blankly. "I'm sorry, I'm not sure I understand what's happening."
Dolly put her hand on her shoulder. "It's okay J.C."
"Everyone keeps saying this word and I can't quite hear it. Instead it's almost like TV static going off. Flailed? Frayed? Frailed?"
"O. M. G." Rubella stated. "Jessica Crystal wasn't able to face her fear. She failed her test. And I actually succeeded. I did something Jessica Crystal couldn't. I was better than Jessica Crystal."
Rubella threw up her hands into the air.
"This is the best day of my life!" Rubella cackled. "Hahahahaha! I proved I was better. The stupid look on her face! Hahahahaha! Hahaha-"
She stopped as she accidentally swallowed a strand of hair and started choking.
Jessica Crystal stared blankly for a solid minute at the camera. "Hold on. Was Rhonda saying that I…f…f…failed?"
She paused, holding a hand up to her lips. "I almost couldn't even say it. I've never failed at anything before. Not when opening my own chain of nail salons, not when in charge of CBS' new Thursday night timeslot, not when performing my first open heart transplant blindfolded. I…I don't know how to feel."
She continued to stare off blankly.
"Failed. Failed! Failed?"
"This is a sign of the apocalypse right?" Montana asked.
At the reward stage, Jessica Crystal was still staring, her face showing visible strain as she was trying to process this.
"I'm not sure that really counts as failing," Brantley said.
"Well we are," Rhonda said. "Which means with a score of 5 to 4, the Gregarious Capybaras are our winners!"
The Capybaras cheered. They lifted Octasia, Cassidy, Plath and Giovanni into the air. They would've done the same with The Ham if they could.
"Since we're here," Rhonda said, "Let's get to the rewards! What's under curtain number two?"
The second curtain lifted, revealing a magazine.
"What is it?" Octasia asked. "A subscription?"
"It's a Swedish furniture catalog," Rhonda explained. "Your reward will be getting to pick any two pieces of furniture from the catalog. We'll have it built and shipped to your camp the next day. It'll provide you with some fancy, and needed, amenities."
"Interesting," Cassidy said.
"Should we take it?" Zane asked.
The Capybaras discussed it. Overall it didn't seem like a bad reward. It was more open-ended, but the promise they could get anything from it was exciting. Some much needed comfort? Or something practical? Maybe both since they got two items.
"We don't need beds though," Octasia said. "The boat has our hammocks."
"True," Cecilia said, "but we could get blankets or pillows off the bed."
"I say we take it," Norris said. "If the Anacondas pick something better we can steal, but maybe they'll get something worse. Then the reward is really just for us."
The others agreed and so the Capybaras took the catalog.
"Anacondas, which curtain?" Rhonda asked.
"Three?" Montana asked.
The third curtain lifted, revealing a plate of sandwiches.
"Work up an appetite facing your fears?" Rhonda asked. "How about some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? You'll return to your camp to find a tray full of sandwiches. We even cut off the crust."
"How many?" Tim asked.
"We'll include enough so that everyone can have at least three," Rhonda said. "We'll even throw in a milk carton for every explorer on your team. Have to wash it down with something."
The Capybaras eyed the sandwiches and had another discussion. What was better, new furniture or a meal? Peanut butter and jelly wasn't exactly a typical dinner, but both teams would kill for that kind of food.
"The furniture might be a better reward in the long run," Plath said, "but the sandwiches would be immediate."
The Capybaras debated it, but when asked who felt like making another fish dinner, especially after the day they've had, the answer was obvious.
"We'll swap," Heloise said. "The snakes can take the Swedish furniture. Tonight, we feast! We feast like elementary school children!"
The Anacondas looked slightly annoyed, but took the catalog. They couldn't deny it also proved interesting.
"You can look at the catalog tomorrow and make your order," Rhonda said. "We'll deliver it before the next challenge. But someone won't get the opportunity. You'll have to be brave at the elimination ceremony tonight."
/
That night, the Bootylicious Anacondas sailed back to the temple. Luis sighed as he passed the haunted robot's body, still lying on the ground.
After the vote, Rhonda was given a platter of eight cocoa pods.
"Montana, Dolly, Luis and Rubella," Rhonda announced. "You four faced your fears. You don't need to fear at this ceremony."
All four came and received their pods. As Rhonda said, they hadn't nothing to fear and were pretty confident in their safety.
"Jessica Crystal."
Maybe even more of a given than the fearless four. The goddess still seemed to be straining and took a second to realize her name had been called.
"Tim."
Tim sighed in relief.
"And the last person to not get any votes…Brantley."
Brantley remained stoic, but shot a quick glare at Rhonda. He assumed he was called so late to make him sweat after his close call at the last ceremony.
"Flynn. Kaobawa. I have one cocoa pod left. Both of you boys chickened out, but one did worse than the other."
Flynn turned to Kaobawa, but the native wasn't looking at him. He was trying to appear unconcerned, but he and Dolly were sneaking looks at each other.
"The final pod goes to…"
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
"Kaobawa. Flynn, you've been voted off."
"Seriously? You can't be serious. …You are serious."
Flynn looked at the others. Brantley gave him a surprised look briefly, but he didn't seem torn up. Jessica Crystal was still trying to figure out what happened earlier. Dolly blew him a raspberry while Rubella glared. It was an unusual expression from her, looking very bitter and angry. Montana forced a smile and rubbed the back of his head. Luis shrugged.
"Not cool," Flynn muttered to himself.
To Flynn's shock, the only person who seemed truly sad was Tim.
He approached Flynn, giving him a hug. "I'm sorry. I know we didn't always get along, but for what it's worth...I consider you my friend here."
"I…I don't know what to say," Flynn admitted. "I wasn't a good friend. I wish I was."
He walked towards the slab but turned back to Tim. "I want to say…sorry."
"You don't have-"
"Nah, I do. For a lot, but most of all…I think I pressured you to make the wrong decision."
He looked like he wanted to say more, but couldn't find the words. He sighed and threw up his hands.
Flynn walked to the stone and sat down. He made eye-contact with Brantley again. He glared, but Brantley pretended not to notice.
Flynn closed his eyes and laid down. With that, he was sent over the edge and towards the Fall of Losers.
"There is only one last ritual for the day," Rhonda said. "Sleep. Get some rest. The next challenge won't be easy, but the reward will be worth it."
Author's Note
I did it! I finished and uploaded a new chapter and it hasn't been an entire year since the last chapter!
"Yeah, but you only beat it by 8 days so-"
Shhhhhhh. Let me have this. Please.
Okay, it has been way too long for an update. I'm not sure I have a specific reason, mostly because I'd have to recap eleven months. I don't even remember most of that. Also, I feel like almost every author's note in this story starts with a comment about the time between chapters. Maybe that's just part of writing fanfic, but eh.
My goal was to get this done before it had been a year and I did it! When will the next chapter be up? Who knows. I'm not sure anyone is reading, but if you are, do me a favor and leave a small comment. It'll motivate me and make my entire day.
Onto the actual chapter. I don't want to color anyone's views on it, but I have mixed feelings. I think that's because it did take a year. On one hand I'm proud because it's finished and happy how easy it was to slip back into some of these characters' voices. On the other hand, I hate it took a year when it should have been so simple. I had started it and got through about a third or more of the phobias pretty soon after finishing the last chapter. It seemed like a simple challenge to write. It was and wasn't?
The Challenge
I think Total Drama Island's Phobia Factor, where the challenge comes from, is iconic and classic. Most fans remember it and the specific phobias. It's a clever idea and a great way to provide characterization.
Why did I decide to do it? I swore I remember reading about an Incan fear god, which made me think it could thematically fit. When I tried to find any source on that, I couldn't. But I had already grown fond of the idea and had made plans for it. Hence the slightly forced Supay connection.
On the wiki I originate from, you can make pages for your characters. One of the first things I do when creating characters is write bios. It helps flesh them out. It lists their family members, their biggest fear and their talent (a reference to the talent show in canon). All this is probably a hold-over from how character pages were designed on the Total Drama Wiki once.
Basically, I gave all the characters fears before I wrote the first chapter. It was a nice way to flesh them out. I tried to make them creative. Some fit the character, some were references, some were just silly and random. (Notably, all the eliminated explorers and the characters from Genesis have fears. The phobia I think would've been the most fun was Welker, but the challenge couldn't be done before his elimination. If you're curious about those phobias check out their character pages on the wiki.).
I think some of these phobias felt a little awkward to translate to challenges. J.C. and Heloise's bios don't list fears, it didn't make sense for their characters or their bio, but I think their tests worked well enough as a final twist.
Quite a few of the phobias were call-backs to the original. Like I said, it was iconic and I love a call-back. I think they made sense for those respective characters too. Cassidy's in particular is a nod to how Beth seemed to have no trouble facing her fear…and let me do another canon shout-out.
Point is, I think it made writing this chapter of weird but in the end it worked out. I hope it was fun to read. (Points to anyone who noticed the cameo from a certain Genesis contestant).
I do worry given the gap between time, not everything from last chapter would be remembered. This is bad because for the Anacondas, the fallout of the tie and Arwen's elimination effected a lot. If you were confused, my bad. I think re-reading the last elimination will clear it up. I honestly had to cut a scene for Tim and Flynn reacting to Arwen's elimination just for the sake of it. Too many pre-challenge scenes and I wanted an even mix between the Capybaras and Anacondas.
I imagine the elimination wasn't shocking. Flynn was the last character created for the story. I didn't have any deep plans for him and the couple of wiki readers who left comments early on didn't like him. I can't blame them. He's not the nicest guy.
So…is it weird I'm sad to see him go?
Since the safari chapter, I've found Flynn interesting to write. I didn't create him with much in mind, other than secretly hiding he was a geek or nerd. (Heck, I didn't even realize how he'd interact with Tim until writing). But whenever I paired Flynn with another character, I ended up enjoying it. I found interesting things or perspectives about those characters and him.
I think it helps that Flynn is so flawed. It doesn't make him likable, but it was useful and interesting to explore. In a way, I kind of see him as a tragic figure. I'll actually miss him and I'm surprised at that.
What's next? Whelp, big plans with bigger twists, bigger rewards and more shocking eliminations. Look forward to it and let me know what you're wanting to see!
Appendix: Elimination History
Eddie (Anacondas)- 24th
Quinton (Anacondas)- 23rd
Mana Somebody (Capybaras)- 22nd
Welker (Capybaras)- 21st
Savannah (Capybaras)- 20th
Arwen (Anacondas)- 19th
Flynn (Anacondas)- 18th
Remaining Contestants:
Gregarious Capybaras: Cassidy, Cecilia, Giovanni, Heloise, In A Gadda Da Vida, Norris, Octasia, Plath, Zane,
Bootylicious Anacondas: Brantley, Dolly, Jessica Crystal, Kaobawa, Luis, Montana, Rubella, Tim,
