Survivor: Chaos Cove

Day Five

Nuara Tribe

The storm continued all through the night, drenching the jungle and everything in it. Nuara spent its night sleepless, huddled for warmth, as their mediocre shelter fought to keep rain out. It was better than nothing, but it couldn't stop anyone in the tribe from getting soaked. Eventually, the sun rose, casting its light through thick clouds that showed no sign of leaving anytime soon.

The tribe stayed huddled as the darkness receded. Many of the tribe's members were shivering, and everyone looked miserable.

"Good morning, everyone," Ryan said, breaking the silence.

"No," Victor replied.

Victor: Heh... this storm is nothing. I've survived worse when people were actually trying to kill me. The jungles of 'Nam weren't the friendliest place in the world, but I got through it just fine, with only minor psychological scarring. (He grins, shivering.) Then again, I was fifty years younger and in much better shape... (He shakes his head.) No. I still got it. Just you wait and see.

The tribe went silent again, and nothing broke it for a while.

A lightning bolt crashed down, closer than anyone was comfortable with. Alexander, Isabelle, and Miriam all yelled aloud, but it startled everyone.

"Anyone want to wager on whether we get struck?" Godfrey asked.

"You're the tallest one here, Godfrey," Stella pointed out. "Go out and be our lightning rod."

Stella: Hoo boy... I ain't never done anythin' like this before. All I been tryin' to do is stay focused on why I'm here: that million bucks. You know what they say. No pain, no gain. And this is a whole lot of pain. So there ain't no way I'm losin' this game after today.

Godfrey scowled. "Excuse you."

Marta stifled a chuckle. "Yeah, c'mon Stella, that ain't funny."

CRASH! Another lightning strike came down, ending their lighthearted conversation.

Miriam curled herself even tighter. "Does anyone know how long this is supposed to last?"

"Oh, it's gonna be like this for most of the day at least," Victor replied. "You better get used to this. Unless you plan on quitting."

Miriam glared at Victor, then wordlessly looked down.

Miriam: (She sat under a tree, shivering and crying.) I can't believe anyone would do this to themselves just for a stupid game... If this is how it's going to be, I don't want to be here anymore. But I also don't want to quit and disappoint my fans. So, like... what am I supposed to do?

"That was uncalled for, Victor," Isabelle said. "Now is not the time for petty jabs."

"Petty jabs," Victor dismissed her with a wave. "Sorry if you're offended, but this is what we signed up for. Complaining isn't gonna help."

Ruby nodded. "That's right. If it's too much for you, then maybe you're not cut out for this. No shame."

Conversation ceased again momentarily, until a loud rumble rocked the shelter.

Alexander's eyes widened. "Was that an earthquake?"

Alexander: The only thing I knew about Survivor was that it's supposed to be hard. But this is completely awful! I mean, look at me. I'm like a hundred and thirty pounds soaking wet. I'm probably gonna freeze to death. I was having fun before, but this – literally – rained on my parade.

"Sure sounded like one!" Stella exclaimed.

"Horrid timing for the apocalypse," Godfrey commented.

Lukas clutched his stomach. "Naw dude, that was just me. I've never gone this long without eating…"

Lukas:'Sup Rhodes bros...(He sweeps his normally big, poofy hair out of his face.) One hell of a downpour today, huh? Don't worry, this is just a tiny hurdle in the way of takin' this thing home. It's nothin' I can't handle. (His stomach grumbles.) But, man, I could really use a bite to eat…

"If it is any consolation," Isabelle said, "I think we are all there with you."

The tribe murmured in agreement as the storm continued. As they talked, the rain lightened from a downpour to a shower.

Ruby, eager to stretch her legs, stood up. "This is gonna be our only chance to get food. I'm going if anyone wants to help out."

Ruby: As much as this weather sucks and everything, I'm not gonna have a problem with it. My day job involves grueling training six days a week, so this'll be a cake walk for me. It might even be good; nothing will weed out the weak better than a thunderstorm of this caliber. If they can't survive this, they're not worth my time.

Stella hopped up too. "I'm in."

"Allow me to assist," Godfrey said.

"Wait for me!" Alexander also joined them.

The group grabbed a couple sacks and went off to pick berries in the rain.

"You guys better hold it together for me," Ruby said. "I won't carry you back."

Stella munched on the berries as she picked, shivering. "I'm doin' my best. Don't worry about me."

"We are all handling the conditions well, relatively speaking." Godfrey hugged himself, his long hair dripping. "At least we possessed the strength to p-peregrinate here."

"Yeah, just look at Miriam… She hasn't been doing too hot," Alexander added, not doing too hot himself.

Alexander: Because of the storm, the whole tribe's been stuck in the shelter together. It's agonizing. No one's been able to leave, so none of us can strategize. And I have to strategize to push the target off Isabelle. So yeah, I joined the first group who left the shelter. I'll probably survive the rain… it's the game I'm more worried about.

Ruby frowned. "I've been thinking the same thing. If she doesn't quit, we should take her out. At this point she's a burden."

"I concur," Godfrey said. "I've been saying her name would come up, and for good reason." He glanced at Stella. "What say you?"

Stella hesitated, then looked away. "Yeah sure. Miriam it is."

Stella: Funny. Just like Godfrey said, everyone's eyes are shiftin' over to Miriam. And, I dunno. (She crosses her arms.) I ain't happy about it, but I can't deny that Isabelle's pullin' her weight while Miriam lost us the tarp.

Ruby nodded to each of them. "Good. Glad you came around. We've got a good haul so let's head back before you guys die."

As they returned to the shelter, Godfrey tapped Alexander's shoulder and whispered in his ear. "I have a significantly better idea to save Isabelle, but I can't tell you until we have a moment to ourselves."

Alexander hesitated, then nodded. "Looking forward to it."

Te Dei Tribe

The conditions were just as bad over at Te Dei's camp, but they were able to take advantage of the same break in the torrential downpour as Nuara did. Madison, Mike, Shawn and Vanessa left their tarp-covered shelter to restock their firewood while they could.

Vanessa: I'm so thankful I could get out of the s-shelter. All nine of us are stuck together in there, and I haven't been able to escape K-Kristen. Sure, I barely made it back without freezing solid, but it's worth it for a break from the awkwardness. S-Surprisingly, she's been civil so far, but you can cut the tension with a knife.

"You okay?" Shawn asked Vanessa, who'd fallen behind. "I can take a few of those for you."

"I got it." Vanessa had put Shawn's oversized jacket over her own, but not even that could stop herself from getting chilly. "Are you sure you won't need this?"

Shawn nodded stiffly. "A hundred percent. Let's not wait around though."

Shawn: I have a lot of respect for Vanessa. She pushes herself so hard, way harder than she needs to, to prove she's an asset. But sometimes I worry, man. We've all got our limits. If she works herself too hard it won't be pretty. Far bigger guys than her've been taken out by far less, and we're gonna need all the help we can get.

"We're almost there! Just a little further!" Mike called back. He turned to Madison. "Don't suppose you know when the drench'll pick back up, do ya?"

Madison chuckled. "Unfortunately, my spirits aren't privy to weather patterns. I don't like the looks of this though."

"What, you don't know any dead meteorologists?" Mike asked. "Those clouds aren't gettin' any prettier. I say we've got less'n five minutes before it gets bad again."

"There you go. How about we just hurry?"

Madison: (She's curled up for warmth.) I can't believe there are people who go their entire lives without braving the elements like this. I was going to be one of them until I came out here! Now I'm living right beside a guy who does this for a living, who I'd see on TV and dismiss him as a maniac. Maybe Mike had it right all along. This is exhilarating!

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Shawn jogged ahead while Vanessa struggled to carry her load.

Vanessa strained to keep up. "Don't leave me behind, please!"

"Wouldn't dream of it, mate!" Mike replied. "You're part of the team."

"Thanks. I'm glad you guys appreciate what others do for you, unlike some people."

Nobody answered her. Shawn nearly did but changed his mind, while Madison pursed her lips and Mike let out an annoyed grunt.

Mike: There's an elephant in the room, and it's the worst safari I've ever been on. Staying in the shelter is hell 'cuz of Kristen and Vanessa's little spat. Then when we leave – (He throws up his arms.) – Vanessa followed us out to complain summore about it. There's no escape. I could stand it if I could open a tinnie and drown 'em out, but instead I gotta sit tight 'til one of 'em goes home. The sooner the better!

The group made it back to camp just as the rain started to pick up again. They took cover under the tarp with the rest of the tribe and dropped off their firewood.

"Y'all are just in time!" Kat, stoking the fire as it started to weaken, nodded, impressed. "Y'all brought back a good haul."

"Yup." Mike took some wood. "Here we go!" He threw it on the fire. It was wet so, while it burned just fine eventually, it released a ton of smoke into the shelter and made the whole tribe cough.

The smoke dissipated before long, and so did the coughing. "Could've used a warning," Britney said. "This would've been so much worse without a fire, it's not even funny."

Britney: Is this what all the s-storms in Survivor are like? As someone who's never camped before, I gotta say, this isn't so bad. Then again, I expected the worst. But still, I could probably do this for a whole nother d-day if I had to. (She sweeps her wet hair back.) I miss the fire though... Can I go back now?

"Of course!" Vanessa beamed, feeling better now that she sat close to warmth. "It was nice to walk around a little."

"You did a lot just now," Shawn said. "I'm impressed, but take it easy for a while, okay?"

"Fine, but only because you asked so nicely."

"Now yer speakin' my language!" Steve said. "When we're camping and it gets crappy like this, the boys 'n' I spend the day in, crack open some cold ones and order pizza or somethin'. Good times."

Steve: I ain't gonna lie, all this sittin' around and waiting is boring! I wanna get out there, do a challenge, blindside some sucker, anything but this! We ran out of stuff to talk about hours ago, and now it's just awkward. We got the easy vote in Kristen and that hasn't changed since day two. I wish she'd try somethin' crazy just so we'd have somethin' to do.

"Isn't that what you do all the time, Steve?" Anthony asked with a chuckle, the other tribemates joining in.

"No, sometimes we go out to the lake and drink our beer there. I'd give anythin' to be out on the lake right now."

"I feel that," Kristen said, after having been silent until now. "I'd give anything to be in my bed and not out in this misery."

"That's what's on your mind right now?" Vanessa scoffed. "You can't think of anything positive about this place?"

The rest of the tribe waited with bated breath for Kristen's retort.

Kristen shook her head in exasperation. "Not since this conversation started. It was a lot better when you were out there."

Kristen: Normally I couldn't care less if someone has it out for me. I've got enough friends, and way too much going on to worry about some loser on the internet. But here, there's nothing to do but stew in the discomfort of having Vanessa right beside me, and knowing that she hates my guts. It's so unbearable.

Vanessa scowled, then shrugged. "Well, I'm here now. But you can leave at any time."

Kristen rolled her eyes. "I'm well aware."

Nuara Tribe

Nuara's excursions came to an end as the storm returned with a vengeance. Having somewhat satiated their hunger, the castaways fell silent once again. Marta rubbed the homemade necklace she wore and sighed.

Marta: Homesickness has been startin' to set in hard for me. I ain't never been away from my four boys for longer than a work day. There's been enough goin' on with all the challenges, and gettin' to know people, and gameplay to distract me, but now we're all alone with nothin' but our thoughts and the rain. (She hugs her legs.) I'm sure my husband Mikey's got it all under control... But I still worry.

"What do you have there?" Isabelle, sitting beside Marta, whispered.

"This?" Marta took it off and showed her. It was simple; six big plastic beads on some twine with random household knickknacks between them. "My youngest made it for me. Each bead represents someone in the family, so they'd always be by my side. Isn't that so sweet?"

"Aw, that is wonderful. They will be overjoyed to see it on TV later!" Isabelle's expression fell and she looked away. "I wish I had something like that. My father went on vacation instead of sticking around to see me off."

"Oh, that's terrible! I couldn't imagine that. At least he'll get to see you on TV!"

Isabelle smiled bitterly. "Perhaps, but I would be surprised if he even tuned in."

Isabelle: I am p-positively chilled to the bone! This is easily the hardest thing I have ever gone through. (She shivers.) But I came here to have new experiences and escape my tiny world, and that means taking the bad with the good. Hopefully the good comes sooner rather than later…

xxx

While the rain put a stop to the game, Survivor continued as normal. The castaways were called one by one for interviews. The process was mostly uneventful until it came time for Miriam's turn. She hobbled out of the shelter, then Ruby addressed her remaining tribemates.

"Everyone, listen up." She waited until she had their attention to continue. "I'm gonna cut to the chase. We need to get rid of Miriam at the next vote."

Ruby: Normally in the age of modern Survivor, it's stupid to target someone publicly in case of idols, but this is different. We gotta have a plan in place if we lose tomorrow and the storm keeps us from talking. I figured that I could sell it to the rest of the tribe as me worrying about Miriam's wellbeing, when really… I just want her gone. Plus, do you think she of all people would find an idol?

The rest of the tribe broke out in surprised whispers.

"Whoa, hold up!" Lukas furrowed his brow. "Where's this coming from?"

"Have you seen her, Luke? She's holding the rest of us back. We could dominate without her."

"Not cool, dude." Lukas threw his arms up angrily. "Not cool."

Lukas: Man, I don't get these people. Ruby's joking, right? Plotting some kinda crazy move? Why else would she go after my girl like that? She's supposed to be on my side! Besides, Miriam's been a great person to have on the tribe. It's better to have her here than old farts like Marta and Vic, at least.

"Who would you rather boot instead?" Victor asked, his eyebrow raised. "I'm all ears."

"Huh?"

"If you don't want Miriam gone," Marta said, "who do you want out?"

Marta: That Lukas… Somethin' about him just rubs me the wrong way. I ain't surprised he wants to keep Miriam, but I gotta wonder who he wants out instead. I'm just spitballin' here, but he's the person I've talked to the least and he ain't making any attempts to get to know me, so it's probably me, right? (She clicks her tongue nervously.) Can't help but wonder.

Godfrey cracked a smile. "Hmhmhm. I too am curious as to your thought process."

"Oh," Lukas said, "that's easy-"

"Lukas," Ryan said. "Everyone else is here."

Ryan: (He laughs nervously.) The storm is affecting Miriam a lot, and it must be getting to Lukas too. This is the part of the game I was dreading, and I was right to dread it. But even so, I think I'm handling it better than some people? It's surreal to watch people I look up to, people I'd expect to be better than me at this, just completely shut down. I'm a little worried about them, to be honest.

"Huh?" Lukas, confused, looked around as he worked out the problem, then sat back dumbfounded when he realized his misstep. His thousand-yard stare could pierce through one's very soul. "Ah."

Alexander chuckled along with the rest of Nuara. "That's rough, buddy."

"I'd be lyin' if I said I didn't wanna know who you'd target either," Stella said, smirking.

"I dunno…" Lukas trailed off. "Not gonna lie, I didn't really think that far ahead."

Victor smirked. "You know, I actually believe that."

Victor: Having lived with this tribe for a few days, I don't know what to make of them. I'm still confident I can maneuver around them without much trouble, but it's been a real challenge to work out what their strategies are. I'm not convinced some of them even have strategies. I'll probably have to rip a page out of the queen's book and go with the flow, so long as it's not me. And if the conversation we just had is any indication… so far so good.

"Anyway, I'll ask again," Ruby said. "Are we on the same page? Miriam it is?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Lukas didn't look up.

Nobody else objected, and the topic was dropped just in time for Miriam to crawl into the silent shelter, soaked and miserable.

Miriam: Back and forth… I've been thinking about quitting this game this whole round. It barely feels worth it to stay in. But then I realized that I can't give these people I hate the satisfaction of beating me. (She's still shivering.) I-I don't care how vain or catty it sounds, but I'm not a quitter. I'll do whatever it takes to win this stupid game even if it means powering through on spite alone.

"Awfully quiet in here," Miriam observed. "You guys okay…?"

Nobody answered for a few moments. A few people glanced at Lukas, but he didn't say anything.

Miriam sat down with her tribe. "Ooookay then."

Te Dei Tribe

With nothing to do but wait out the storm, Te Dei stayed bunched in the shelter. Mike spent that time recounting stories of hardship, horror and heroism to his captive audience. The rest of the tribe had reactions that ranged from impressed fascination to annoyed boredom.

Britney was the former. She leaned in close. "Where's the favorite place you've ever been?"

"Good question, mate," Mike replied. "Tanzania last year was sick. I'd probably go with that."

"What's in Tanzania?" Vanessa asked. "…Where is Tanzania?"

Vanessa: Mike's stories have opened my eyes to how much I've been missing out on in life. He's my age, and he's trekked through all seven continents while this is only my second. I really do think Survivor is a new beginning for me. When I get back home, I'll be a completely new person. Maybe I'll follow in Mike's footsteps, travel the world. The sky's the limit!

"It's in east Africa. I got to watch lions and swim with sharks on the same day."

"Wow, sharks and lions?" Kristen cringed. "I'll stick to the zoo. I'm not into getting my face bitten off."

"Naw, the real deal is something else. You haven't lived until you've seen all their sharp little teeth up close."

"Well, you sold me. I'm never going to Tanzania."

Mike shrugged. "Suit yourself, mate."

Mike: Out of everyone on the team, Kristen clearly isn't used to being out in the bush. Even Greg gave some of the jobs 'round camp the old college try, even if he wasn't any good at 'em. Kristen's a smart cookie when she wants to be but getting her to quit bludgin' around and try new things is like pulling teeth. It's no surprise to me that Vanessa wants her outta here.

Vanessa sighed and leaned to Mike, the closest person to her. "The negativity just doesn't stop, does it?"

In response, Mike rose and donned his jacket. "I need protein. I'm gonna go check my snares." He left into the rain without waiting for an answer.

Anthony called out for him in vain, but neither he nor anyone else got up to follow.

Anthony: I have a bad feeling about Kristen and Vanessa. They keep taking potshots at each other across the shelter, and we're all stuck in the crossfire. I don't know what to do… I don't want to step in and piss one of them off. My strategy is to make as few enemies as possible. But, letting them fight is bad too, because we need to stay united as a tribe. (He throws up his hands.) So what am I supposed to do?

"What was that about?" Kristen asked. "Was it something I said?" When nobody answered, she threw up a hand in defeat. "Whatever then."

The wind picked up suddenly, making the tarp flap wildly and loudly.

"Uh-oh, take cover!" Shawn called as everyone donned their jackets.

Snap! The stick holding up the tarp broke in half. The tarp folded inward, exposing the tribe to the rain. Instantly they were soaked, and the fire died shortly afterward.

Kat got up, checked the break, and put her hands on her hips. "Snapped clean off. We'll need to replace it!"

Kat: As bad as it was that our shelter broke apart, I was excited that I could finally show my worth to the tribe! I'm a mechanic by trade. Fixin' stuff is what I do. And I'm tired o' feelin' like Mike 'n' friends don't need me around. Mind you, I don't normally work with wood, or shelters, or without my tools, but it all takes the same kind a' know-how!

"Doesn't look like a hard fix." Steve joined her. "Probly just gotta grab another stick."

"We can do better than that. If we build a good frame this thing'll last us 'til the end of the game."

Steve nodded. "I like the way you think!" The pair grabbed the machete and left.

Steve: I work a rough 'n' tough 'n' dirty factory job back home, and jobs like that attract very particular kinds of guys. Lemme tell ya, not many people in this game would last a day doin' what I do. But Kat… It's too bad Kat's so dang close with Shawn. She's the exact kinda person I'd work with in real life. No, she's the exact kinda person I like workin' with in real life.

"Mike is still off by himself," Shawn said. "We should probably go looking for him."

Everyone else agreed and went to search. After all, there wasn't any reason to stay in the shelter. Having spread out through the jungle searching, Kristen and Madison ended up together.

"We're just going in circles," Kristen said. "We should just go back."

"I thought we were going back to camp…" Madison replied.

Kristen groaned, shivering, but kept following Madison anyway. "Hey, c-can I ask you s-something?"

"Of course, but I can't p-promise my readings will be any good right now."

Kristen rolled her eyes. "Whatever, I'm not asking your spirits. I want your honest opinion. Do I have any chance at surviving a Tribal?"

Kristen: I swear I'm not trying to piss anyone off. In fact, I've been trying really hard to do the opposite lately, but it doesn't seem to matter. Vanessa's always got something to say and everyone else just sits and watches. The worst part is not knowing who's even on my side. Maybe she's poisoned the well so badly by now that everyone just hates me.

Madison blinked. "That's unexpected. Truth be told, it's not looking good. Your name's the only one I've heard since yesterday."

"Damn." Kristen kicked a rock. "Yeah, I figured as much. Thanks anyway."

"I'm surprised you even care. Honestly I thought you were looking forward to leaving."

"I mean, yeah, at first." Kristen sheepishly rubbed her neck. "But now that I've gotten this far, I have to at least try not to get voted out. It'd be a waste. You know?"

Madison nodded thoughtfully. "True enough. I'm not going to promise you anything, but I do wish you good luck." Madison grinned. "Maybe you'd like to consult the stars with me, see your future?"

"…No thanks."

Madison shrugged. "Worth a try."

Madison: (She shakes her head.) I'm not worried about Kristen trying to save herself. If anything, she'd more likely come to me for a vote than actively try to blindside me. At least, that's what I'm going for. I'm trying to come off as a wildcard-y kind of player, and I want to be used for my vote. That's what's going to get me far in this game.

Kristen and Madison emerged from the jungle to see the rest of the tribe, including Mike. They were nestled under the repaired shelter, drying off.

"C'mon y'all!" Kat called. "Get outta the rain!"

They did so without argument.

Nuara Tribe

As the day continued toward its end the skies cleared up and, mercifully, the rain moved on, leaving behind a jungle that was more like a swamp. Nuara's collective sigh of relief could be felt all throughout Chaos Cove. The sun poked through, bathing the jungle with a gentle wave of heat.

Ruby: Color me impressed. With just a couple hours of daylight left the storm broke, and everyone made it through. Even Miriam. I haven't changed my mind about booting her, but she exceeded my expectations. Don't get me wrong, they spent most of the time complaining and sulking, but they survived. There's nowhere for them to go but up.

Stella left the shelter, her arms outstretched. "Damn, that feels good!"

The rest of the tribe followed her out, their bad vibes extinguished by the sunlight. But they didn't get long to celebrate as another huge rumble erupted from Lukas, so instead they split off to help put camp back together.

Well, most helped. Godfrey, searching the forest high and low but finding nothing, ran into Ryan.

"Hey Godfrey!" Ryan waved. "What are you doing?"

"Ryan! I was hoping we'd cross paths," Godfrey said. "Quite the interesting development today, yes?"

"You mean Miriam?" Ryan shrugged. "It sucks, but I saw it coming."

"Indeed…" Godfrey grinned. "But what if we kept her around?"

Godfrey: I normally lead a reserved, solitary life, spending most of my leisure time absorbing stories. 'Tis a lifestyle that doesn't garner much respect, but it suits me. Here in Survivor though, my humble existence back home is immaterial. I alone can orchestrate this game's direction, influence my tribe's fate, such that the others must take me seriously. Call me a villain if you please. I care not. I will win regardless.

"How would we do that? Everyone was on board except Lukas."

"Perhaps that seemed so, but you'd be surprised." Godfrey extended his hand. "Will you accompany me?"

Ryan gulped. "Yeah, sure."

Ryan: Godfrey was the first alliance I made out here, and he's the person I'm the closest to. We talk a lot, about the game, school, life… everything, really. Well, he usually talks at me. Still, he's an interesting guy. But sometimes I feel like he isn't being honest with me. He'll tell me one thing, but it's like he's already thought ten steps ahead of that. So I'm left wondering what he's really thinking.

Godfrey led Ryan through the jungle until they happened on…

"Isabelle, Alexander!" Godfrey greeted. "There you are. What are your thoughts on voting out Miriam?"

Isabelle answered with a shrug. "She is probably the person other than myself that will get the most agreement, so it works for me."

Godfrey nodded. "As expected. What if I offered you a plan that would allow us to seize control instead of going along with those who would eliminate you?"

Isabelle and Alexander shared a glance, then Alexander waved Godfrey on. "Lead the way."

Alexander: Apparently Godfrey has this master plan to flip our tribe, and Isabelle and I are "pivotal" to its "execution." …Okay. It's sketchy as hell, but I definitely wanna know what he has up his sleeve. Survivor's starting to become fun! I'm on the edge of my seat! (He grins.) …And maybe Victor doesn't have to know about this.

Godfrey took them back to camp where Lukas and Miriam stayed to watch the fire. The others were still in the jungle.

Everyone except Godfrey sat in front of him. "I'm sure you're all wondering why I assembled you here. Well…" Godfrey flashed his glasses. "…I've come to you with an opportunity. I'm sure you've heard the news, Miriam?"

"No…?" Miriam raised her eyebrows. "What news?"

Lukas crossed his arms. "You're the new target."

Miriam frowned, offended. "Who wants me out? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Ruby did, and I was gonna-"

"May I suggest an alternate target?" Godfrey interrupted.

Nobody objected, so Godfrey continued. "The person we should eliminate is…" Godfrey paused for effect, "...Stella."

The others gasped.

Godfrey: I'm targeting Stella for a multitude of reasons. She's stubborn and a physical threat. And unlike Ruby who's also those things, Stella has enemies, so assembling votes against her should be simple. But above all... she's simply disrespectful. This morning she casually, needlessly ridiculed me! I scant need such contempt on my tribe. So farewell, Stella. Then afterward, Ryan will be firmly in my back pocket. Two birds, one stone.

"Why her?" Ryan protested. "She's-"

Godfrey looked him dead in the eye. "I need you to trust me."

Ryan went quiet.

"Why not do Ruby?" Miriam asked. "She's the one throwing my name out."

"Stella was perfectly pleased with the plan." Godfrey looked at Isabelle. "She realized she was outnumbered when it came to you. I figured you would want to get revenge."

"Indeed..." Isabelle said.

"I'm down." Miriam stood up. "Let's do it."

Miriam: The last couple minutes have been a roller coaster ride, let alone the rest of this day. Apparently Ruby turned everyone against me, but now we've got this plan to blindside Stella. Maybe sticking it out was the right choice after all, 'cause now I can stick it to this crappy tribe!

Lukas jumped up too and, after some contemplation, the others stood up too. Even Ryan.

Godfrey grinned. "Pleasure doing business with you all."

The group dispersed to continue their jobs. Isabelle, bringing back her haul, crossed paths with Stella, and the two were alone for the first time in days.

"So…" Isabelle broke the awkward silence. "We are voting Miriam now?"

Isabelle: Well, it appears that the tides are turning for me! I am no longer in immediate danger, but... (She looks down.) It is bittersweet. Everybody in that alliance thinks they are doing me a favor by blindsiding Stella but, truly, the last thing I want is for her to leave with a burning hatred for me. So I am glad we could talk.

Stella didn't look up. "Sure seems like it. You wanna rub it in?"

"Of course not! Do you really think so little of me?"

"Ugh!" Stella gestured to the distance. "Camp is that-a-way! Why'd you gotta come and bother me when I'm mindin' my own business?"

"Because," Isabelle stood her ground. "I have something to tell you."

Stella crossed her arms. "Uh-huh?"

Isabelle told her about the meeting Godfrey just put together and Stella's jaw dropped.

Stella: Apparently Godfrey's throwin' my name around now? And Isabelle told me before Ryan? Didn't I have an alliance with those guys? I don't know what the hell drugs washed up on shore but, in the hour since the sun came out, things got real messy! I won't lie, I have half a mind to make a scene over there, but I better get to the bottom of this before I do anything brash.

"I understand if you do not believe me, but I swear it is the truth."

Stella hesitated. "I gotta do some diggin', I can't just believe you. If you're tellin' the truth, I'll hit you up. But if you're lyin'?" Stella ran her finger across her neck.

Isabelle gulped and nodded. "Of course."

Te Dei Tribe

Te Dei had a productive evening, splitting up to clean their camp and restock their supplies. The castaways spread out along the jungle, excited to hold private conversations again.

Britney went out to pick more berries, and Anthony tagged along.

"I'm glad that's over," Anthony said. "We're finally back to business as usual."

"No kidding," Britney replied. "Is it really business as usual though? I feel different."

Britney: (She's smiling ear to ear.) Just like that, the weather cleared and it warmed up, and I made it through my first ever storm! If you asked me a week ago how I thought I'd do in a situation like that, I'd probably laugh in your face and run far, far away. But now? Bring it on, that was nothing!

Anthony cocked his head. "Different how?"

"I dunno." Britney tapped her chin. "Different in a good way. Like all this stuff that seemed overwhelming at first is just… whelming." She laughed awkwardly. "Like I know I can handle it now."

Anthony's chest swelled with pride. "I'm happy to hear that! I'm not surprised though; I knew you had it in you all along."

Anthony: I'm so proud of Britney. This whole time she's been worried about whether she has what it takes to play this game, and she finally realized that she does. It's the same thing I try to instill in my students as a teacher. I think everyone has the means to tackle the challenges they face in their lives, it's just a matter of believing in and applying themselves.

"Honestly…" Britney looked away bashfully. "I don't think I could've done it without you there. You and Shawn have been my lifesavers out here."

Anthony dismissed her with a wave. "Nonsense. I didn't have anything to do with it. But thanks anyway."

xxx

Steve and Madison stood at the water well, refilling the tribe's canteens.

"Finally it's just us two," Steve said. "I been meanin' to talk with you since Tribal. I got something important to tell you."

"Oh?" Madison perked up. "I'm listening. What do you have for me?"

"Glad ya asked!" Steve grinned. "Buckle up, 'cuz this one's a doozy."

"Well?"

"There's a big alliance," Steve replied, pointing at Madison, "and you ain't a part of it."

Steve: It don't take a know-it-all to tell that the alliance we made on day two ain't gonna last this whole game. Not that I got a problem with any of 'em other than Shawn, but I know this game well enough to know that alliances are only as good as the word of the people inside 'em. And when there's a million G's on the line, people's word ain't worth crap. So I pulled Madison aside – she'll be my ace in the hole.

Madison's eyes widened. "For real?! That's good to know. Tell me more."

"Eyup." Steve nodded. "Me, Anthony, Mike, Kat, Shawn, n' Vanessa are in it. You, Britney and Kristen are 'on the outs.'" Steve made air quotes. "But ya ain't really on the outs." He winked.

"Are you sure? Because, from what you're telling me, that's exactly where I am."

"Sure, technically yer on the bottom. But that ain't gonna last forever. Kristen and Britney are leavin' next, then after that a few of us wanna blindside Shawn." Steve put his hands on his hips proudly. "Yer name prob'ly won't even come up."

"Well then." Madison sat down on a nearby stump, running the numbers. She looked at Steve. "Thanks for letting me know, but are you sure I'll be safe if we get to that point?"

"Don't see why not. Me and Anthony and Vanessa all talked about gettin' out Shawn. We should be good."

Madison nodded. "That's four out of seven… It checks out. My fortunes are already looking up."

Madison: I just knew aligning with Steve was a good call! I'm still not sure what to make of our conversation, but I think it was good for me. Sure, I've been excluded from the big alliance, and finding out how little power I have felt like a slap in the face. But Steve felt close enough to me to sell them out completely, so I'm not without options. I'll just have to keep a close eye on things going forward.

"I knew you'd come around." Steve held out his hand. "Bring it in partner!"

Madison shook it. "To unexpected partnerships."

xxx

Kat and Shawn went through the jungle, chopping bamboo and collecting firewood.

"How are you holding up?" Shawn asked.

"I'm fine 'n' dandy now that we can go outside again." Kat wiped the sweat from her brow. "Sittin' in that shelter was painful."

Kat: This tribe has fallen so far since that first day, when we were tight 'n' workin' together like a family. That's to be expected in Survivor considerin' the game we're playin', but I still hoped we'd be able to keep it lighthearted. Instead we've had to deal with Vanessa's vendetta against Kristen, and it's just toxic. It's another reason for me to flip on that alliance, but I don't wanna flip without Shawn if I can help it.

"Yeah, no kidding. There were a couple times I wanted to pull a Mike and risk hypothermia to get away from those two."

Kat frowned. "Do ya really think Kristen is as responsible as Vanessa is for the fight? I'm sure ya know my opinion."

Shawn rubbed his forehead. "I don't know, Kat. I mean, I get why Vanessa doesn't like her, but she does need to get over it. She was the one preaching unity this whole time."

"That's what I'm sayin'! I don't think she's as worried about unity as she says she is." Kat crossed her arms. "In fact, I don't trust her much at all. I'm startin' to wonder if this alliance is even good for us."

"You're thinking about flipping?!" Shawn covered his mouth to quiet himself. "I get that's the game, but you have to have a plan for afterward. If we screw it up, we're the ones who're screwed."

Shawn: Dammit, Kat… Now she wants to flip on the alliance, which is what I was afraid of. I'm glad that she's coming to me about it at least but, man, I still don't think it's a good idea. She probably just doesn't understand what it's like to have your name come up so early on, but the alliance is the only semblance of stability I have in this game. Without them, all someone needs to do to get me out is take the shot.

"I know, and I'm workin' on it." Kat gazed up at Shawn. "Can ya just think about it for me? I know it's a big decision, but it might be the right one for us."

Shawn let out a protracted groan. "Yeah, fine. I'll think about it. No promises though."

Kat smiled. "Thanks. That's all I'm askin'."

xxx

A/N: The final 19 just survived the first blistering storm of the season, but the game doesn't let up for a minute. Next chapter, the castaways will participate in their second immunity challenge and the second person will get their torch snuffed. I've already started work on Day Six and I'm hoping to get it done by the end of February. Things have been building up on both tribes, so I hope it's satisfying no matter which tribe loses! Thanks so much for reading up until now.

Hey, real quick, before you go. Chaos Cove is unlike anything else I've ever written. Survivor fics and the like are a very different beast from traditional stories, and I'm kinda figuring it out as I go. It's also different from most other competition fics I've seen in terms of format and style, for better or worse, and I'm not really sure which it is. What I'm getting at is that I'd really appreciate some honest feedback. On anything that stands out, good or bad. The story, the prose, the characters, whatever. It's really hard for me to tell how the story's actually coming across from the perspective of the reader and any insight helps.

Thanks once again and I'll see you next time!