A/N- And one more made up challenge! Thanks for reading!
Chapter Twenty-Three:
"Good morning, campers!"
Duncan woke up to the sound of Chris' voice.
"Please meet at the Spa Hotel for today's challenge!"
He looked around the room to see Scott, Mike, and Cameron slowly waking up.
Well, here we go.
Meanwhile, in the girl's cabin, Zoey had been awake for hours.
How could I sleep with everything that's been going on? I can't even think…
"Good morning, everyone!" Heather had a wide smile on her face.
"Ugh," Courtney groaned. "Morning."
"Zoey!" Heather cheered. "You look exhausted. Hmm," she frowned.
"Thanks, Heather," Zoey didn't have the energy to answer.
Courtney…I can't say anything. Not here, not now. Wait until after the show.
"This is exciting, yes?" Heather kept going. "Final…seven? Who knows, maybe you'll get your finale thing. Friendship finale! Wouldn't that be cute?"
I really can't do this…
"It's too early to think about that."
"Courtney! Maybe this could be your year?" Heather offered, sensing Zoey wasn't going to give in.
"Yeah, if Chris lets that happen," Courtney was fixing her hair.
"Well!" Heather smiled. "You never know."
On the walk over, Zoey had made brief eye contact with Cameron, but as agreed, neither of them mentioned anything from the day before. In fact, barely anybody spoke on the way to the Spa Hotel.
Duncan looked at his fellow contestants.
Weird…I wish Gwen were here.
"Guys," he complained. "Someone say something."
"Like what?" Scott asked, still riding the high of last night's win.
"I don't know," Duncan whined. "We're just not acting like a team."
"We aren't a team," Heather huffed. "It's every man for themselves."
"A million dollars on the line and solidarity goes out the window," Duncan rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I get it."
"Some of us care about winning," Courtney stated matter-of-factly. "It's not that crazy."
Oh, she wants to win so bad. She would do anything.
"Hey, I care!" Duncan insisted. "Of course I want to win."
But not really. Maybe I should just forfeit- these guys really care about this, and I've already won. I wonder if I could get them to vote me off? Chris would never let me leave voluntarily, but I could vote myself off. Hmm…Courtney and Scott would do it, and Heather would, and probably Mike if I asked him, right? But then again…
He looked over at Mike, Cameron, and Zoey, who were walking quietly.
I know they really want to vote Scott off next. They've been trying for days. And if I leave, they'll never get the votes to do it. What to do…
"Hey, are you guys alright?" Mike whispered to his friends. "You both look tired."
"Yes," Zoey answered quickly. "All good here."
"Yeah," Cameron was looking at the ground.
Just play it cool.
"Welcome, campers, to your next challenge!" Chris announced once they reached the Spa Hotel. He was standing on the front steps. "Well, you're all looking well-rested. Most of you, that is," he smiled.
Definitely talking about me…
"Today," Chris continued, "your challenge will be based on the spy movie episode from Total. Drama. Action! Inside the Spa Hotel, we've hidden a valuable diamond for you to find!"
"Really?" Courtney was skeptical.
"Well, it's a model of a valuable diamond, so we're counting it. Anyways, your task is to navigate the Spa Hotel through a series of complicated traps and bring the diamond back here. Whoever finds it will win the challenge, and immunity from tonight's elimination! Now, follow me into the Spa Hotel!" He flung open the front door and gestured for the contestants to follow him.
"Now Chris," Courtney began with a note of suspicion in her voice as she followed him through the front door, "when you say traps, what do you mean by that?"
"Yeah," Heather frowned. "Like how Gwen was stuck in a bear trap?"
"What happened to Gwen was a terrible and unfortunate accident, and we hold our safety measures to the highest possible standards," he parroted a speech no-doubt written by his lawyers. "With that being said, yes, there will be some…tricks. Now!" He stopped walking. The group was standing in the entry room of the Spa Hotel. "As I previously mentioned, there is a valuable diamond hidden in this building, and it's your responsibility to find it! Are you all ready? On your marks, get set, go!" He ordered the contestants to begin searching.
Duncan looked around the room.
When I explored the Spa Hotel with Cameron and Sierra…I wasn't paying attention at all. Great, that came back to bite me. Well, let's see…There's a staircase leading upwards, the library to the left, a sort of living room straight ahead, and a hallway to the right. But this house is huge, and kind of creepy.
Courtney and Scott immediately ran up the stairs, while Heather took the kitchen.
So that's ruled out…Well, I know the other three really want to win, and I don't want to hold them back. I'll just go straight ahead.
"Alright, bye, guys!" Duncan waved to the trio.
It's so funny how they do all of these challenges as a team. Really removes the competition aspect, no?
"Oh! Good luck!" Zoey beamed.
"Ah, thanks, you too," Duncan walked off towards the living room, leaving the remaining three to discuss their options.
"We could try the hallway?" Zoey offered. "Nobody went over there, I don't think."
"Sure," Mike agreed. "Or, I was thinking, maybe we split up this time? I think we would cover more ground that way."
He does have a point…we should look in as many different places as possible.
"Sounds good to me, Cameron, what do you think?"
"That does make sense…why don't we check different rooms in the hallway? That could be a good place to start."
The three campers walked towards the hallway on their right.
As long as Scott doesn't win- oh, right!
"Guys," Zoey realized, "we need to get somebody else to vote for Scott tonight."
"You're right," Cameron agreed. "Obviously Courtney's out, and Heather might be difficult to persuade unless we offer her something in return."
"Maybe Duncan?" Zoey offered. "But Courtney's his friend."
"I think he'll do it," Mike decided. "At least, he's our best chance."
And after we eliminate Scott…Well. That's a conversation for later.
"Should we choose at random?" Cameron gestured to the line of doors in front of them. They all appeared to be the same, apart from their different colors. Cameron stood in front of a blue door.
"Open it," Zoey whispered, suddenly nervous for what might be on the other side.
Cameron barely tapped the knob until the door swung open, leading into a dark room.
Shaking, he took a step inside and the door slammed close behind him, trapping him in the room.
"Cameron!" Zoey yelled, banging on the door. "Can you hear me?"
"Zoey!" Cameron yelled from the other side of the door. "Get me out of here!"
"Hang on!"
She looked over at Mike, who was standing behind her.
"We have to find him," she decided.
"Well," Mike paused.
"What?" She narrowed her eyes.
"I'm wondering if that's the best use of our time," he smiled sheepishly. "If our goal is to find the diamond before Scott-"
"We can't leave Cam behind."
I can't believe that he's even suggesting- well, I wouldn't have believed it, but now? I'm not so sure…
"Alright," Mike realized he wasn't getting anywhere. "Let's get him out." He walked over to the door that Cameron had opened and yanked on the knob. It didn't budge. "I wonder," he trailed off, then looked at the next door, which was also painted blue. He opened it and Cameron ran into the hallway, letting the door slam closed behind him.
"Oh, I'm out!" He clung to the wall of the hallway. "That was so scary," he trembled. "It was so dark."
"Cam, are you alright?" Zoey was panicked.
"I'm alright," he nodded. "Thanks for saving me," he turned to Mike, who just shrugged.
"It was nothing, maybe we should try another door?"
He doesn't look that concerned…
Mike noticed the two of them looking at him.
"Ah," he sighed. "I'm sorry, guys, for being impatient. I just really want to get through this challenge so we can vote Scott out of here. It's just that we've tried so many times, and I'm worried he might win if we don't move fast."
But then he makes a good point…We have to vote for Scott tonight.
"Alright," Zoey nodded, seeing the reason in his argument. "Let's keep going."
She opened the next door, which was red, while Mike opened the green one and Cameron stayed in the hallway, still frazzled.
Zoey stepped into the small room, which contained several stacks of paper and various books.
I could look in here for hours…how big is this diamond? Will he make it easy to see, or is it buried somewhere?
After a cursory glance, she didn't see a diamond, so she went back to the hallway where Mike and Cameron were already standing.
"Nothing," she shook her head. "But there was a lot of stuff in there. I don't think we have time to look through it all."
"We should keep going," Mike decided. "If the room is hard to search, we have to bank on the fact that nobody else has time either."
They moved on to the next portion of the hallway.
Meanwhile, Duncan had wandered through the living room, barely paying attention to his surroundings.
What am I supposed to be looking for? Oh, right. A diamond.
All of the sudden, Heather turned a corner and almost walked directly into him.
"Oh, hey," he stopped walking.
"Hey," she brushed by him.
"Good talk."
"Yep."
He kept walking.
Is it worth exploring where she just came from? May as well.
Duncan rounded the same corner where Heather came from and found himself in the kitchen.
Alright, wait, I swear the kitchen wasn't here before. Am I spun around?
Duncan walked through the room, looking for anything out of the ordinary. He opened the fridge, which emitted a loud beeping sound. He quickly slammed it closed.
Don't want to know what that means.
He decided to keep walking.
If I remember, the bedrooms should be right- they're gone!
Sure enough, the row of bedrooms had disappeared and been replaced by another hallway.
How much time did Chris spend on this? Fuck that, how much money? It's like a different building. No wonder his interns are so tired.
Meanwhile, Mike, Zoey, and Cameron had run of doors to check.
"Well, that was a bust," Zoey frowned. "Should we double back?"
"The hallway keeps going," Cameron noted. "We could see where it ends?"
"Let's do that," Zoey agreed, then heard a loud 'click' noise.
The trio immediately froze.
"What was that?" Zoey looked around, bracing for a trap. "I don't see anything…"
"Up ahead," Mike pointed out. "What's that glowing?"
The campers took a few steps closer to notice that a series of lasers prevented them from walking through the hallway.
"It must have been activated by the floor tile," Cameron mused.
"I don't think we can get through that," Zoey tried to find an opening that wouldn't require some incredible display of skill. "I guess we'll have to double back."
That sucks, we came so far…
"Ah. I could make it," Mike said, "if you don't mind me continuing alone."
"Really?" Zoey looked skeptically at the lasers. "What happens if you touch one of them?"
"I won't touch any of them."
"I'm not sure that's physically possible," Cameron rubbed his chin. "The openings are way too small."
"I'll probably jump over."
"Impossible," Cameron frowned.
Mike was already walking backwards. Then, he took a breath.
"Mike," Cameron repeated, "I really don't think-"
"Ah, Cameron! Is been long time, da?"
"Svetlana!" He had no idea what to say.
"And Zoey!" Svetlana smiled. "Everybody back together again. Wonderful!"
Svetlana…maybe she'll listen to reason. She always has.
"Hi, Svetlana," Zoey greeted her. "Mike said-"
"Ah, yes, the lasers!" She gestured widely to the web of red lasers. "Mike wants to jump over, yes? This is no problem- no problem at all!"
"Are you sure-"
"Of course! I know these things," she stretched her knuckles. "Everybody, step back, please!"
She gave a running start and jumped over the lasers, throwing in a couple of turns while she was at it, and landed gracefully on her feet.
That's so impressive…
"See?" She flashed the other contestants a smile. "This is what I tell you. I jump, I land, all good."
"Do you see any diamonds?" Cameron asked.
"Diamond?" She looked around. "No, I see hallway up ahead. Do I go?"
There's no way I can make it over there.
She looked over at Cameron, who appeared to have the same idea.
"Go ahead," Zoey decided. "We'll double-back and try to find a different way over."
"You are sure?"
"Yes," Zoey nodded. "Go on without us."
"Alright," Svetland smiled. "Good luck!"
She turned and walked down the hallway and out of sight.
"Well," Zoey watched her leave. "Let's keep looking?" She asked Cameron.
"I guess so."
Meanwhile, Duncan returned to the kitchen where he had paused for a few minutes.
The bedrooms were supposed to be down there, but they weren't…Did Chris change the entire layout of this building? What happened to the walls? He doesn't have the budget for that…But something seems different. Think, think. What could he have done?
Once again, Duncan walked down the hallway and back again.
It's smaller. That's what it is. Hmm…
He pressed a hand against the wall and felt something give.
That's it! Fake walls! That's how he did it…There must be something behind them. Should I break through? Maybe there's a door somewhere?
Duncan walked back towards the kitchen.
If only-
"Oh. Hey."
Mike was standing in the kitchen.
"Fuck- you scared me," Duncan jumped. "Where is everyone?"
"Ah, well," Mike paused. "There were some lasers, it was this trap thing, so…"
"You were the only one to get through?" Duncan guessed.
"Yeah."
"You're such a fucking show-off," Duncan smiled. "Of course you made it."
"Shut up," Mike stared at the floor.
He hates the attention.
"Well, welcome to the kitchen."
"Yeah," he sighed.
"You don't look happy to be here," Duncan observed.
"That's not true."
"I know you're lying."
"Well," Mike sat down at the kitchen table. "I'm frustrated. I was hoping that the hallway would lead somewhere new, but you've already been here. Have you gone-"
"That's where Heather came from."
"Oh," he looked disappointed.
He seems genuinely upset…
"What's wrong?"
"Just would've been nice to win this one," he shrugged, "but we've been going in circles. I guess I should go upstairs?"
"Why do you want to win this one in particular?" Duncan was curious.
"Not even win, just find the diamond before…Scott."
"Ah, right."
"Speaking of which," Mike spoke slowly, "I was wondering-"
"I'll vote for him."
"Really? Just like that?"
"Sure, fuck do I care?"
I knew someone would ask me to vote for him.
"Thanks!" Mike smiled.
"Yeah, yeah," Duncan waved him off. "You just better hope he doesn't win."
"Right," Mike nodded. "I should get going. Maybe Courtney and Scott missed something upstairs, right?"
Should I tell him? He looks so eager to win…I can't let him wander in circles.
"Or maybe not."
"Hmm?" Mike tilted his head. "Where do you think I should go?"
I'll point him in the right direction.
"Let's think about it. So far, nobody has found the diamond, even though I'm sure someone has been in every room. So, that means one of two things. Either this diamond is in one of these rooms and extremely well-hidden, maybe it's really small, or we haven't actually seen every room." He stopped to let Mike consider what he had said.
"So, we should be looking harder?"
"What looks different about the kitchen?"
"Duncan, I can appreciate that you're very good at this game, but this is out of my wheelhouse."
Well, I tried.
"It's smaller."
"Woah, really?" Mike looked around. "Smaller? How?"
"Chris put up fake walls to change the layout of the buildings. There's rooms on the other side of those walls. If we break through them, we'll find the diamond."
"How the fuck did you figure that out?" Mike looked wildly around the room.
"Dunno, kitchen just looked different."
"See, you're the show-off," Mike decided. "That's unreal. How do we get through?"
"There has to be a door. Unless we smash through the walls, but that might be the last resort. I think we need to check the deepest point in the wall, so, the pantry," Duncan decided as he walked into the pantry, Mike behind him. "And if we push on this wall…it moves!" He pushed the wall which revealed a small passage to the other side. "See? There you go." He stepped back so Mike could step through. "Good luck!"
"Aren't you coming?" Mike asked him.
He wants the win…
"Aren't you worried I'll steal the win from you?"
"Would you do that?" Mike's eyes bugged.
"No, dumbass," Duncan followed him to the other side of the wall, closing the entrance behind him. "I wouldn't have told you about the wall thing if I was going to take the win for myself."
"Well, you're confusing sometimes."
The two of them stared at the dark passage ahead of them.
"Alright," Duncan nodded. "Let's go."
Meanwhile, Zoey and Cameron had doubled back through the hallway and were standing in the main entrance.
I want to talk about it so badly…but no. We agreed. After the show.
"Should we try the left?" She offered.
"Sure," Cameron agreed.
The two walked in silence.
When Zoey opened the door, they stepped into a large library.
"Oh, jeez, that thing could be hidden in any of these books…" she scanned the shelves. "Maybe there's a book on diamonds? Some sort of clue?"
"That's a good idea!" Cameron brightened up. "Maybe it's a kind of code." He started to look through the shelves. "Let's see here…It looks like they're alphabetical."
While Cameron was searching the pages of a particularly large book, Zoey opened the door to the next room, just to see what was inside.
Woah, what is this?
"Cameron, come here!" Zoey called out. "Look at this."
Cameron stood on his tip-toes to look over her shoulder.
"Chris…we shouldn't be surprised."
Zoey took a step into the room, which had an array of hand-painted portraits of Chris McLean hanging on the walls.
"This is creepy," Zoey walked up to a large portrait. "It's like he's looking right at me."
In the center of the room sat a large table with various plates of food.
"I wonder what these are for?" Cameron pondered.
"Oh, weird," Zoey picked up a dish.
"Wait, don't!"
A crashing sound echoed through the room, causing Zoey and Cameron to duck for cover. When the sound stopped, they looked up to see that the walls, and portraits, were covered in paint. Zoey ran a hand through her hair and noticed it was blue. She looked up and saw Cameron in the same situation.
"I see you've found our paint trap!" Chris' voice echoed throughout the room. "And…my portraits…" he sniffled. "I should have thought that one through."
Zoey tried to rub the paint off her hands to no avail.
"Back to the library?" Cameron asked her.
"Yeah," she sighed. "Back to the library."
Meanwhile, Mike and Duncan were quietly walking through the dark passage.
"This is boring," Duncan announced. "Tell me a joke or something."
"Wha- how are you bored?"
"Lot of walking."
"It's not my job to entertain you."
"But I'm bored," Duncan whined.
"Then be bored quietly."
"You don't want me getting bored. I could get dangerous and unpredictable."
"Then I better look out."
"Fine," Duncan gave up. "I'll entertain myself. I'm going to count every step we take out loud."
"I'm begging you not to do that."
"You're not giving me a lot of options- ooh, who are you guys voting for after Scott?"
I really think I might sacrifice myself, but I'm curious to see what he'll say.
"No idea."
"You're no fun."
"Then why'd you come with me?"
"I like hanging out with you."
That's fine to say. We're friends now.
He heard Mike almost trip next to him.
"Woah, you good?"
"I'm fine," he answered quickly.
"Was I ribbing you too much?"
"I can handle it."
He's acting too quiet…Why isn't he playing along today?
"Alright…" Duncan paused, unsure what to say next. "I'm sure we're almost at the end of this thing."
"I hope so…Do you think Scott found it first?"
"Nah, Chris would have stopped the challenge."
"Hmm."
"You really want to win, huh?"
"Against Scott?"
"Sure, but…in general? Like, you want to win the whole thing?"
I'm getting an idea…
"Of course. What kind of question is that?"
Duncan stopped walking.
"Hey," Mike noticed, "what are you doing? We have to keep going."
"Everyone says they want to win," Duncan clarified, "but do you really want to win? Like, it would mean a lot to you? Think about it."
"Duncan," Mike looked at him. "Yes, I really want to win."
"Alright," Duncan started walking again. "Then…meet me in the cabins after we vote tonight. I have to tell you something."
"Can't you just tell me now?" Mike caught up with him.
"Nah. It's something important and I don't want anyone overhearing."
"Um, alright," Mike's voice shook slightly.
"Sorry!" Duncan smiled. "I didn't mean to make you nervous…but you'll meet me, right? I promise it won't take long."
"Sure, yeah, I'll meet you," Mike was staring straight ahead.
"Great."
Why's he so nervous? What does he think I'm gonna say? Surely he doesn't actually know…
Up ahead, they could see a sliver of light through the door.
"We made it," Duncan observed, then stepped through the opening, Mike behind him. They were standing in a completely different part of the mansion.
Suddenly, a pair of voices came from nearby.
"See! I knew that would work," Courtney could be heard just out-of-sight.
"You're so smart," Scott swooned.
Mike rolled his eyes.
"Start looking, I'll distract them," Duncan ordered. "Hurry."
As Mike disappeared into the next room, Duncan turned a corner to meet Scott and Courtney.
"Oh, hey guys!" Duncan smiled.
"How did you get here?" Courtney was bewildered.
"Fake wall, found an opening, it was a whole thing…But what about you guys?"
"Fake walls," Courtney echoed. "Damn, I should have realized that. We took the air vents."
"Wow, you guys play to win."
"Speaking of which," Courtney started to walk. "We better get looking."
"Don't!" Duncan yelled.
"What?" She jumped.
Shit, what do I say?
"Just…wouldn't it be nice to stand here for a few minutes at least? And enjoy each other's company?"
"I don't enjoy your company," Scott sneered.
"That hurts, because I enjoy yours."
"No you don't. You told me that you don't."
He's right. Well, I tried.
"Fine, fine," Duncan put up his hands. "Don't let me keep you from winning."
The two of them consulted each other.
"Take the left," Courtney instructed him. "I'll take the right."
Suddenly, Chris made an announcement over the loudspeaker.
"And the diamond has been found!"
Courtney and Scott both stared at Duncan, looking absolutely pissed.
"Huh. Weird. Wonder who found it."
"Congratulations to Mike for winning the challenge!"
Duncan winced at that. Courtney and Scott were still staring at him.
"Well, good for him," Duncan shrugged. "I'm sure he worked hard for that."
Courtney took a deep breath and let it out.
"Well," she forced a smile. "You've certainly made your feelings about the contestants on this show quite clear."
She can't seriously be mad at me when she'd vote me off the moment she gets a chance. She can't stand me. And she's gonna be DOUBLE pissed when we vote off her boyfriend.
"Wow," Chris chuckled over the loudspeaker. "That last trap is certainly intense…but you're fine, right, Mike?"
"Are you going to go check on him?" Courtney smiled.
"I don't think that will be necessary," Duncan smiled back.
"Haha, seriously," Chris kept going. "Hey now, don't panic!"
The contestants listened intently to this one-sided conversation.
"Well why did you- why would you lock yourself in?"
Duncan, Courtney, and Scott could vaguely hear Mike's muffled response coming from nearby.
"Woah, that's a bold accusation to make! Just- alright, calm down, I'll turn it off- hmm, that's weird…"
"You really don't want to go check?" Courtney asked sweetly.
Duncan was unwilling to lose the power struggle.
"Why don't you go check, if you're so nervous?"
"Oh, I'm not."
"Guys," Scott cut in, "I don't know what this is, but shouldn't someone check on him? I don't like the guy, but I don't want him to die-"
"He won't die," Duncan didn't take his eyes off Courtney.
"Ah, shit," Chris could still be heard over the loudspeaker. "Um, alright, everyone in the Spa Hotel, be prepared to run."
"What!" Courtney yelled up at Chris' disembodied voice.
A loud crashing sound echoed from one of the nearby rooms, and then another one. Suddenly, Mike rounded the corner, soaking wet and yelling.
"Run!" He screamed.
"Hey, what happ-"
"Go! Go!"
A large wave of water followed close behind him. Suddenly, one of the pipes in the ceiling burst, spraying cold water over the contestants.
"Left!" Courtney yelled, leading the four campers as they ran through another hallway. Another pipe burst. "Run!"
Meanwhile, Cameron and Zoey had started to run through the library. They stepped into the main entry room into a puddle of water.
"Where's this coming from?" Zoey looked around. Cameron had opened the front door.
Suddenly, Heather ran into the room.
"Fucking Chris," she swore as she ran through the door with Zoey and Cameron behind her.
Meanwhile, Duncan, Mike, Courtney, and Scott were still running through the hallway. At the end, someone had opened a door leading outside. The contestants raced through the Spa Hotel, running through the door and away from the building, where the other campers were standing with Chris.
Zoey was watching the door with wide eyes. When Mike ran outside, she exhaled a sigh of relief.
"Oh, you're alright!" She ran over to him. He pulled her into a hug. "And…you're soaking."
"And you're covered in paint," he grinned.
"Hello, campers!" Chris walked over. "I see that water thing might have backfired a bit."
Courtney was wringing out her hair.
Mike looked up at Chris, but his hair was completely covering his eyes. He combed it to the side with his fingers.
"Well!" Chris clapped his hands. "The important thing is that everyone is alright. Right?" He looked at Mike.
Mike paused for a moment, then smiled.
"Ah, you're right. I shouldn't have jammed the door shut anyways."
He's not even a little bit upset about whatever happened?
"This water is freezing," Scott whined.
"Fine, I'll get you all new clothes after you vote," Chris decided.
"But Chris," Cameron spoke up. "The Spa Hotel is completely flooded!"
"Oh, that old thing?" Chris appeared unbothered. "Who cares? Now, get to the voting booths!"
"Hey," Mike pulled Zoey and Cameron aside. "Duncan said he'd vote for Scott."
"Oh, that's great!" Zoey smiled.
Alright, at least that's taken care of.
Duncan watched the three of them talking.
I don't care whether Scott goes or not…I just need Mike to meet me later.
Still, Duncan upheld his word and voted for Scott.
After voting, Chris gave out clothes to the freezing contestants. Zoey and Cameron gathered near the bonfire while Mike was still getting changed.
"So," she started.
"So."
This all feels so…empty. Counting down the days until I have to force Mike to talk to us.
"At least Scott is going home?" She offered.
"Zoey, can I be honest?" Cameron asked.
"Of course, Cam. I always want you to be honest with me."
"I don't know if voting for Scott is actually making me feel better."
"You know, Cam, I'm thinking the same thing."
Because voting for Scott, what will that actually fix?
"Hey, guys!" Mike walked over, a huge smile on his face.
"Hey, you look happy," Zoey noticed.
"Yeah," Mike started laughing, then stopped, then started again.
"What's going on?" She couldn't stop herself from smiling either.
"Sorry," he tried to contain himself. "Sorry." He sat down next to her. "I'm just happy."
"Why?"
He grinned, lying down on his back in the dirt. "Because everything is going to be alright." He closed his eyes. "It's a nice feeling."
What's he talking about?
She looked at Cameron, who was equally as puzzled.
"Mike?" Cameron asked. "What happened? Is everything alright?"
"Everything is great," he was still smiling.
"Is it because we're voting for Scott-"
"Scott can go fuck himself."
"Are you…" Cameron paused, then whispered, "under the influence?"
Mike smiled even more at that. He opened one eye.
"No…but that's a good idea," he sat up. "Cam, you always have the best ideas. This is why the three of us are such a good team."
"Yeah?" Cameron asked.
"And we have to do something tonight. To celebrate."
Celebrate what, though?
"Mike, what are we celebrating?"
"I have to tell you later. After the elimination ceremony. Actually," he looked at Zoey, "I have to tell you a lot of things later. I don't even know where to start."
"What kind of things?"
"Important things that have happened. Well," he laid back down. "I'm sure you're wondering what's been going on with me lately. I'm sure I've seemed distant."
"Yes, actually," Zoey was surprised that he was bringing it up.
"Well, I'll tell you guys everything. Tonight."
"Really?" Zoey was intrigued.
"Yup," he smiled. "And it's gonna be a long story."
Is this it? He's going to tell us by himself? Just like that?
"Alright," Cameron was a little unsure.
"Ah, shit," Mike sat up. "I told Duncan I would meet him- who knows what he wants…but I'll see you guys after the ceremony, alright?" He stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes.
"See you later," Zoey watched as he walked away. Then, she turned to Cameron.
"What do you think he'll say?"
"I have no idea," Cameron shook his head. "But I'm fascinated to find out."
Meanwhile, Duncan was sitting on his bed alone in the guy's cabin.
Don't tell me he forgot to show up…No, he said he would. He won't go back on it.
Duncan stood up from the bed and began to pace in circles.
Maybe I shouldn't do this…It's too aggressive. What am I even going to say? I should make it brief, if I launch into a speech he might freak out…This is a good idea. I have to do this. Then, I'll ask to be voted off, and this will be over.
The door opened. Duncan looked up to see Mike standing in the doorway.
"Hey," Duncan smiled. "Shut the door behind you."
Mike shut the door.
"So," he stared at Duncan, who had stopped pacing. "What did you want to tell me?"
"Right," Duncan smiled.
Why am I so nervous?
"So," he kept going, "sorry. I don't know why I'm nervous."
Mike just shrugged at him.
"Anyways, I know earlier you had mentioned that you really wanted to win, and it got me thinking that I haven't had my head in the game for a while, and I know we didn't get off to a great start this season, and it was nice of you to say all that stuff to me about wanting to be my friend and I hope this will make us even."
Duncan reached into his pocket and pulled out the immunity idol. He stared at it for a moment, then held it out to Mike.
Mike stared at Duncan in disbelief.
"Here. Take it."
Mike looked around the cabin like someone might be hiding in the shadows.
"Um, Duncan," Mike broke into a nervous smile. "What is this?"
"It's the immunity idol."
"Oh, I get it. It's fake, right? That's what this is?"
"How would I find a fake one?"
"Scott used to make fake ones- ohh, I get it," Mike smiled a genuine smile. "He put you up to this or something, right?"
"No, it's real," Duncan also started to smile.
What's happening right now?
"It's real?"
"It's real! I've been holding onto it for a while."
Mike stopped smiling.
"And you're giving it to me."
"Yeah," Duncan reassured him. "It's yours."
"Why?" Mike was staring at him now, back almost to the wall. "Why would you do that?"
Why is he upset? Am I missing something? He said he wanted to win!
"What's going on-"
"What's your deal?" Mike snapped at him.
"Woah," Duncan took a few steps back. "Don't get angry."
"Why are you doing this?"
"Because you want to win? And I want you to win?"
"No, you don't! Stop saying shit like that," Mike clenched his hands into fists. "You don't want me to win."
"Sure I do, that's why I'm giving you the statue."
"No, no, this is something else. I don't know what this is, but you don't want me to win. This is some trick so you can win."
Where's he getting this from?
"No tricks. I'm asking Courtney and Heather to vote for me tomorrow."
"You're not!" Mike took a few steps closer. "I know you're not."
"Mike," Duncan took a deep breath, trying to stop whatever was about to happen. "If I didn't want you to win, then why did I hand you the challenge today?"
"That's part of it!"
"Part of what?"
Mike started pacing.
"Part of what?" Duncan asked again. "I don't understand what's going on. Mike, either take the statue or I'll give it to someone else. You're freaking me out."
Mike stopped walking and stared at him.
"You really want me to have it," he stated simply.
"Yes. Why do you keep asking?"
"Because I'm trying to spin this any other way."
"Why? Why can't you accept my answer? What's going on?"
Mike sat down on his bed and massaged his temples.
"Duncan," he gave him a wry smile, then quickly looked at the ground and whispered so quietly that Duncan strained to hear, "I can't believe I fucked this up."
What does that even mean?
"Hey, it's alright," Duncan kept his distance, unsure of what to do. "You don't have to take the statue, I'll just give it to someone else-"
"Keep it."
"What was that?"
"You need to keep it," Mike looked up at him.
"Why? I already said I'd ask Courtney and Heather-"
"Please. Keep it," Mike was starting to beg.
"Why would I need it? We all voted for Scott."
Mike didn't answer.
"Mike," Duncan looked at him. "What's going on?"
Mike stared up at the ceiling, then back down at the ground.
We voted for Scott. He asked me to vote for Scott. The four of us voted for Scott.
Duncan walked past Mike.
"Stay there," he mumbled as he walked out of the cabin.
I know for a fact that the four of us voted for Scott.
Duncan walked through the woods and towards the confessional, not paying attention to his surroundings at all. He discovered the door was locked, but after shaking the metal, he was able to open it.
Chris doesn't lock it all the way…To encourage…
Duncan stepped inside to find the votes in an envelope. Without even pausing to think, he opened the envelope and poured out the contents.
Staring up at him were seven pictures of his own face, each covered with a dark red 'X'.
Duncan opened the confessional door, stepped into the cool night air, and vomited waffles.