Sole Survivor

Day Thirty-Five

We're all up fairly early this morning. I have no idea if Pete ever came into the shelter last night; there are only four of us in here this morning. If he did come in to sleep, he must have left before dawn.

It's slow going today. Everyone is tired, and most likely ready for the game to be over. We all expect today to be a day off, since Tribal Council isn't until tomorrow night. So it's a surprise when we're told to check our mailbox.

Ellen and I go out and retrieve the challenge notice and a small box. We come back to find everyone sitting around the fire pit, waiting – even Pete. Ellen reads the rhyming note, which tells us we'll "all be waiting, breathless" to see who gets voted out tomorrow night. I open the box to find swim goggles for everyone.

"So a swim challenge of some sort, then?" Kiki twirls her goggles around her finger by their strap.

Ellen takes her own goggles. "I wonder how difficult it will be. Seems like the challenges keep getting harder."

"Difficult for you, maybe." Pete grabs some goggles from the box. He stands there for a moment, turning in a slow circle to glare at the rest of us. "Some of us aren't weak. I fully intend to win any aquatic challenge." With that, he turns and trudges down the beach for more Pete Private Time.

We sit quietly for a moment, looking at each other. Finally Kiki shakes her head. "Well, that was interesting. Let's all try to win that challenge today, shall we?" Ellen, Malfoy and I couldn't agree more.

"Why do you think the challenge is a day early?" Ellen asks.

Malfoy runs his hand along his jaw. "Maybe they want to throw us off. The further we make it in this game, the higher the stakes. I'm sure they want to add more tension, more paranoia. Looks like it's working on some people." He tips his head down the beach toward Pete.

I look down the beach and watch Pete's shadowy form grow smaller.

- - - - - - - - - -

We emerge onto the usual beach used for water challenges. Marcus isn't standing there waiting for us – he's out on a floating platform. Most of us swim out slowly, not wanting to waste too much energy before the challenge. Of course, Pete has to be different, and he swims out to the platform so fast one might think he believes that the water is on fire. The rest of us climb onto the platform in a more leisurely fashion.

"So, now we're down to five." Marcus smiles wide. "Whoever wins immunity today will have a one-in-four chance of winning the million. However, for the rest, there will be a very difficult night of decision-making before tomorrow night's Tribal Council." He steps over to Ellen and takes back the immunity necklace.

"Immunity is now back up for grabs. Today is a very simple challenge – all you need to do is hold your breath." He indicates five painted areas evenly spaced around the edge of the circular platform. "You'll each take a spot. On my go, you'll all go underwater. There's a bar down there to hold on to. Last one to surface wins immunity."

We shuffle around to take our positions. Malfoy watches Pete, then puts on his own goggles.

"Fair and square?" I ask him. I'm sure Malfoy's still determined to beat Pete at a challenge without any magical help.

"Fair and square." He quirks an eyebrow at me, then gives me a big, genuine smile. "Good luck."

"You too." I adjust my goggles so they're well situated and not pulling on my hair. To heck with fairness – right now I wish I had some gillyweed, or that I could do a bubble-head charm without the cameras on me. But I can see divers down in the water, circling like techno-sharks with underwater cameras ready to record the exciting breath-holding action.

We all get down into the water and hold on to the side of the platform. Marcus walks a lap of the platform, checking to make sure we're all in position. "All right," he starts.

As soon as he starts speaking, I start to hyperventilate. Lots of quick, shallow, panting breaths, in an attempt to saturate my body with as much oxygen as possible.

"All right," Marcus says. "On the count of three, take your breath and get underwater. Good luck. One, two, three."

On three, I take one last enormous gasp of air and push myself down into the water. The water isn't perfectly clear, but it's good enough that I can see everyone else around the platform. Ellen is next to me on my right. Just as I look over at her, she's kicking her feet and all I can see is from her shoulders down. She's already out. I can tell that Marcus or someone else is talking – it's more like I can feel the sound as pressure in my ears than actually hear what's being said.

I decide not to watch my fellow players anymore – it's easier to concentrate on a task if I can shut off the outside world. I close my eyes and try to let my mind wander elsewhere. The first thought is that this is what it must have been like during the Triwizard Tournament so many years ago. Ron and I were both unconscious through most of it, but Harry described it fairly well afterward. My mind drifts along to another water- related memory; the traditional Gryffindor midnight skinny-dip in the lake two nights before graduation. We were still young enough to believe we were getting away with something – though now I'm sure the staff intentionally turned their backs on us. Even Snape had enough human decency to allow us that small bit of carousing before we had to leave school and face a real world in the middle of a war.

I keep my eyes shut as my mind drifts, wondering if Malfoy participated in any similar Slytherin traditions. Just another thing I'll have to ask him once the game is over. Sounds occasionally press on my eardrums, then a period of silence. I wonder how long I've been underwater. My lungs are starting to protest, and there's a slight burning feeling in my chest and throat. The urge to take a deep breath is starting to grow strong.

I hear louder voice sounds, then feel a light tap on my shoulder. I open my eyes and see a cameraman right in front of me. I look around him and wonder for a moment where everyone's gone. The cameraman is moving his hand in a thumbs-up gesture. I can see him smiling behind his mask, and I realize I'm the last one underwater.

I pull myself up with my hand and give a couple of weak kicks with my feet. It's enough to pop me up out of the water, and I take a deep gasping breath. Marcus and Malfoy both reach down, and I take each of their hands. They haul me up on the platform. I feel a little weak and shaky, and Malfoy holds my arm to help support me, as Marcus places the immunity necklace around my neck.

- - - - - - - - - -

"So we're sitting there," Ellen says, "and the three of you are still under. Marcus calls out three minutes. I didn't know people could even hold their breath that long."

Malfoy leans back. "I tried to stay under as long as I could, but I just couldn't win this one. I checked out Pete, who was staring at me, and then I looked at you. It was like you were in some kind of trance. I had to surface, I guess it was right after Marcus called three minutes and thirty seconds."

"So it was you and Pete." Ellen shakes her head. "Kiki and I were worried that he would win. Not that we didn't have confidence in you, but ..."

I smile and nod to let her know I understand. "So Marcus is calling out the time every fifteen seconds or so. I was amazed when it passed four minutes, then four and a half. And finally at four minutes and about fifty seconds, Pete came up."

"And boy, was he angry," adds Malfoy. He grins at me. "If I couldn't beat him, I'm glad you did."

"Thank goodness you did." Ellen gets up, brushes the sand off her legs and walks away, leaving Malfoy and I alone.

I draw some lines in the sand. "Looks like now you'll never get the chance to beat him fair and square."

Malfoy sighs, then shrugs. "Difficult as it is, I've had to learn that you can't always get the things you want." He leans over and gives me a gentle kiss. "Though sometimes, patience pays off."

"Knock it off, you two." Kiki strolls from the jungle back into camp. "Hermione, it's your turn for confessional." She leans in close and drops a wink. "It's the cute cameraman with the black hair, so be a good girl. He's waiting for you by the waterfall."

Kiki holds out a hand and helps me up off the sand. I brush the sand off my rear and start down the trail to the pool and waterfall. I hear Malfoy comment as I leave, "but I thought I was the only one who thought that guy was dreamy!" It makes me smile, and think about how lucky I am. I have a goofy grin on my face as I walk down the path. I'm already planning what I'll say to the cameras, as I usually do. A little preparation beforehand never hurt in anything.

I get to the pool and follow the shore to the right, toward the waterfall. I watch my footing along the wet shore, so it's a surprise when I look up where the interviews are usually held and don't see the black-haired cameraman.

I turn around. "Hello?" I call. No answer. This is weird. I crane my neck to look into the brush beyond the pool, but I don't see any sign of another person.

I hear a rustling behind me. I start to turn, then suddenly I'm looking up at the trees. And my face hurts.

I open my mouth to shout, but there's a weight covering it. Pete's grinning face enters my field of view. I can feel the weight of his legs on mine. I try to hit him, but realize that my arms are pinned over my head. I try to scream, but he has a hand clamped down over my mouth. His hand hurts a lot, but only on the right side of my face. Finally I understand – Pete punched me. The bastard punched me in the face to knock me down.

His face is contorted in malice. "You have no idea," he says through teeth gritted in an evil grin, "how good that felt."

I try to throw him off of me, but he's too heavy. I can only manage a little bit of motion. He laughs in my face. I try to shout a spell at him, but can only make muffled sounds against the palm of his hand.

"You little bitch, you think I'm going to let you steal that million dollars from me?" I try to shake my head.

He clamps his hand down harder on my mouth, pressing up into my nose as well. It's getting hard to get enough air. "Don't you lie to me, bitch. You stole immunity from me today. There's no way I'm letting you vote me off this island." He tilts my head to the side, and now I can see a sturdy hiking boot and part of a khaki-clad leg sticking out of some bushes. The black-haired cameraman will not be coming to my rescue anytime soon.

"I'm not going to let them stop me." He moves my head so I'm forced to stare up at him again. "And I'm not going to let you stop me. You and your little blond boyfriend are going to pay for trying to steal my money."

Throughout the whole game, I've wondered what Pete's problem is. Now I see, the problem is simply that he's insane.

Once again, I feel the burning in my chest from not enough air. But this time I can't just kick up to the surface and take a deep breath. Pete's hand is clamped over my mouth, with the side of his hand crammed up against my nostrils. I make another effort to get away, but I'm barely able to move. The heavy burning feeling in my lungs is joined by a light dizzy feeling in my head. I can still see Pete's snarling face above me, but it's as if he's in a spotlight, and everything around him is dark. The darkness slowly creeps in further from the edges of my vision, threatening to take over. Pete's saying something else to me, but it's too low to make out over the dull buzzing sound in my head. I can see his lips moving, but his face is growing blurry and dim.

Above the buzzing, I hear a shout, then the pressure on my legs is gone. I hear dull thumping sounds, but can't decide if they're outside my head or inside. I feel my whole body twitch, then try to breathe. Miraculously, the pressure around my mouth and nose is gone, and I can suck in a ragged half-breath. The fuzziness is still there, as is the darkness around my vision.

I see something bright above me. Hair. Malfoy's hair. And his face, surrounded by the darkness. His mouth is moving, but the sound is muffled and keeps cutting in and out, like he's at the end of a very long tunnel. I can feel him shaking me.

"Hermione, don't ... are you ... never thought ... kill that son of ... come on!"

I want to tell him, "I guess you beat him fair and square this time." I manage to croak out "I geh," then everything warps into blackness.