And the follow-up chapter! I wanted to get this out sooner rather than later so you guys got the full ending to the last one. It isn't an action-packed chapter like last time, but I think that's okay! Some down time is much needed after the whirlwind of events from the challenge.

There isn't much to talk about this time around, but I will say this: I want to write the final chapter before posting anything else after this one, so it may take another bit before it gets up. It's likely going to be a long one, and I want to make sure it is as thorough and in-character as possible. Plus, it's the holiday season, I've got a job that takes away a lot of my time, I'm moving in the next few days… I've got a busy next few months. We're in the homestretch now, which means I want the story to be as good as it can get, which means it'll take a while before it gets to be that. I hope you all understand.


Chapter 12.5: Thanks for All the Melodies

An inappropriate fanfare began playing, as if Ella crossing the makeshift finish line was some Olympics-level achievement. Applause roared from the speakers and confetti shot out from openings in the nearby rocks. All this did was make everyone (except Chris) incredibly uncomfortable. Jasmine and Sky gave each other awkward looks, while Ella turned back around to glance worryingly at Sammy.

Sighing inwardly, Sammy gave Ella the biggest smile she could muster. I guess that's it for me. It's all on you now, Ella.

Sammy crossed the line herself and made to join up with the others, but Chris beat everyone to the punch and spoke first. "Congratulations to our new Final Three," he said, gesturing to Ella, Sky and Jasmine. At the very least, they chose to look happy at their accomplishments. "You guys'll be put through the wringer for the next two days, so make sure to savor this moment while you can." He then turned to Sammy with an obviously fake look of disappointment. "And just like her sister before her, Samey has come in last and is our next eliminated player." He tutted and shook his head. "Samey, I expected better of you than this. You could have at least pushed Ella across the finish line instead of talking it out. Would've made for a more dramatic finish, y'know?"

Sammy didn't bother to hide her snarl. "The one good thing about losing now is that I don't have to deal with you anymore."

He immediately started laughing. "Wow, you look just like Amy there, y'know?"

She growled at him. "That's because we're twins!"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," he said without pause, and walked back over to Sky to give her her reward.

Ella approached her with a pensive look. "Are you sure this was the right idea?" she asked.

Shaking off Chris's attempt at angering her, Sammy could only shrug. "I guess we're going to find out. But I'm positive you'll pull through."

She gave a half smile. "No pressure or anything, right?"

Being someone who could understand the pain of others, she felt her own anxiety rise in response. Sammy gently placed both of her hands on Ella's shoulders. "No pressure at all, okay? If you end up losing, then I won't hold it against you. Nothing will change between us. Got that?"

Ella hesitated for a single second, and it did not go unnoticed. Despite this, she grasped Sammy's hands in her own, and nodded gratefully. "I do, yes."

She was nervous, that much was for sure. And who wouldn't be? Sammy did pretty much just dump all responsibility of winning on to her. But Sammy also believed in her, trusted her, and knew that she would try her best to win. If she didn't, then that was fine. They'd find some other way to help each other out.

Just as she was about to get lost in her eyes, Sammy once again felt the trickling sensation on her forehead, and went to wipe it away. When she saw that her hand had been practically stained with blood, she hastily wiped it in her skirt and gave Ella a shaky smile. "Uh, sorry," she said, gesturing to Ella's shoulder. "Kinda forgot about that."

Ella nonchalantly wiped at the spot, though there didn't appear to be anything there to begin with. "At this point, it's fine. These clothes are getting thrown out the minute I get home."

"OMG, same. I don't think any amount of washing is gonna get the stink out."

Slowly, Ella raised her arm and tested out her own body odor, only to pull away in revulsion. She shuddered and said, "This is most definitely not how I expected my first romance to go."

Sammy laughed hard. "Mine too!"

Chris then called out to everyone that that was a wrap, and he left the summit of Mt. McLean through a hidden elevator in the rocks near the back. Left to their own devices, Sammy and Ella approached Jasmine and Sky, the latter of whom was holding a greasy bag of Prairie Oyster Palace between her finger and thumb. "I've had Oyster Palace before," Sky said with a grimace. "It gave me stomach cramps for three days afterwards."

"Maybe don't eat it then?" Jasmine asked, holding out her hand underneath it.

Sky simply dropped the bag into her open palm. "Yeeeah, I think I'll stick with the berries and fruit for now."

Jasmine noticed the two girls approaching and held out the bag of fast food towards Sammy. "You want in on this? It'll probably be the last bad meal you have in a while."

Rolling her eyes, but not being able to deny the enticing smell of the burger and fries, Sammy nodded. "I'll split the garbage meal with you, sure."

Giving her a thumbs up, Jasmine began rifling through the bag. At the same time, Sky was giving her a sullen look. "So you guys decided that… you're the one going home?"

Sammy and Ella shared a glance, and they gave each other sad smiles. "We did, yes," Ella said for the two of them. "I'm not sure how… effective it's going to be, but I suppose there's no going back now, is there?"

Sammy nodded along. There was no ulterior motive for her to get Ella to continue the competition - she genuinely thought it would be better for her to win and put those bullies in their place. Starting off, neither of them intended to win, but when Ella made it known that she had her sights on the prize, Sammy felt compelled to help her earn it by any means necessary.

And if that meant she had to come in last and get eliminated for her to keep going, then she would gladly do it.

Maybe it wasn't the most rational decision to make - Ella had a point when she said Sammy was the more athletically-competent of the two. But winning would, honestly, do Ella more good than it would Sammy. It wouldn't be the first time the winner of a season was the underdog and came out more confident because of it, either.

"I'm positive it's going to be fine," Sammy told her. "It… won't be easy," she sent a knowing look at the other two girls, "but it'll be fine."

Jasmine, setting aside the bag for a moment, smirked at Ella. "She's right you know," she told her. "It won't be easy. I'm not planning on pulling my punches just 'cuz you've never been in a fight before."

Ella paled slightly and rubbed at her arm. "I… certainly hope that there won't be a fight at all."

Giggling slightly, Jasmine nonetheless softened her expression. "I'm not actually gonna hurt you," she insisted. "I wouldn't do that to you, not unless you deserved it. But don't think you can relax just yet. From here on out, I'm going all in."

Frowning, Ella merely nodded. "Right."

At that moment, the sound of a Ding! was heard, and the elevator opened up once again. Chef Hatchet and a handful of interns came out; while the latter group went about their business, the cook stared straight at Sammy. "Blondie, get over here!"

Sammy blinked. "Me?" she asked, pointing to herself.

Chef raised an eyebrow. "You see any other blondes here?"

Sammy looked around - no one, not the three other contestants, or the interns, or the crew members were blonde. "Uhh… Apparently I don't."

"No, you don't," Chef replied. "I need to take a look at that cut of yours. We're headed to the infirmary, on the double."

The scrape had at least slowed its bleeding, but she did have to admit that after everything that had happened, Sammy was beginning to feel a little tired. "Okay," she called out to the larger man, and to her friends said, "I'll see you guys in a bit, after they're done patching me up."

"Will you be okay?" Ella asked, ever the worrier.

"Oh yeah, Chef's not as scary as he makes himself out to be," Sammy told her as she stepped towards the elevator. "Besides, I'm basically a regular at the infirmary by this point. I'll be fine!"


"Ow, ow! OW!"

"I told you it was gonna sting," Chef grumbled, gingerly applying the disinfectant to her forehead. "Now sit still and keep quiet!"

Tensing her muscles, Sammy sat as still as she could as Chef continued to dab the cotton swab against the cut. It hurt like crazy, but after everything that had happened, she wasn't about to let this be the one to get the best of her.

Soon enough, Chef took the swab away and placed a sterilized bandage over the wound. Now that it wasn't being disturbed, the pain gradually faded, and Sammy allowed herself to sigh in relief. Now all that was left was to let it heal fully.

"Thank you," she said to Chef as he took a seat at his desk.

"It's what I'm paid to do," he said dismissively. He opened up a kit on the desk and then tossed a small packet of alcoholic wipes at her. "Here. Scrub your hands down."

Sammy nodded in response, and began cleaning. A lot of the blood was dried on, but it came off easily enough with a bit of elbow grease. When she was done, she tossed it into a nearby garbage bucket and leaned backwards on her now-fresh hands.

She stared at the tent's ceiling for a few moments, and couldn't help but let her mind wander. This was going to be the last time she was in the infirmary, she realized. Which, obviously, was a good thing. A great thing, even. And that also meant it was going to be the last time she was going to get any injuries from this godawful show, which was nothing short of a blessing.

That said, didn't they usually have some or all of the cast members come back for the finale? What were the chances she could get hurt again before this whole thing was over?

Those chances are… actually pretty high. Darn it.

"You listening?"

Sammy was snapped out of her thoughts by Chef. "Yeah," she said.

"Alright, 'cuz I'm about to tell you something important."

Sammy raised her brow at him. "Which is…?"

"Hold up," he said. "Don't let anyone know that you know what you're in for, and if someone does find out, you didn't hear it from me. Got it?"

Sammy frowned at that. "Uh… Okay."

Chef took a look out of the tent, both to the left and the right of the entrance, then turned back and sat down once more. "So. The cannon."

That got Sammy's full attention, and she sat up completely to listen.

"That thing is trouble. I told Chris and the producers it was taking things too far, 'specially after the catapult and that goddamn toilet, but they weren't listening. We're lucky it hasn't caused any actual injuries yet, aside from causing one kid to soil his pants."

Sammy cringed at that. "Ugh! TMI, man!"

Chef continued as if he didn't hear her. "What you're gonna experience ain't like no ride you've ever been on before. The cannon shoots you out at about 160 kilometers an hour-" Sammy gulped in fright, "-and is aimed at a giant net on an island to the northeast of here. The flight itself won't take long and it'll be over before you know it, but make sure to tuck your arms and legs in before you land so you don't hurt anything. There'll be crew working with you the second you touch down. They'll help calm you down and provide a comfort blanket, then they'll guide you to the area where everyone else is at."

"Where is everyone else?" Sammy interrupted.

Chef quickly shook his head. "There are just some things I'm not allowed to talk about. But I'm sure you have some idea."

Sammy hummed in response, but understood what he meant. Please be another five-star resort. Give us something good after being on this stupid island for two weeks.

"Anyway, my advice?" He sat up straight and turned once more to his desk, grabbing a pen and writing on a few sheets of paper. "Grab a'hold of the net, so that it doesn't bounce you back up. And the second you get with the others, brush and floss your dang teeth. We don't need you kids losing anything on account of the show."

Sammy covered her mouth self-consciously, but her mind had another question for her to ask. "Can I ask something else?"

"Shoot."

"Why exactly are you telling me this?"

His pen stopped, and he breathed deeply. "That's because after every damn thing this island threw at you, you at least deserve something because of it. And that was the best I could do."

Unwittingly, Sammy found herself smiling at the older man. Guess he really does have a soft spot for kids. This guy is leagues more likeable than Chris. Why isn't he the host instead?

"Thank you, Chef Hatchet," Sammy said earnestly. "For that, and this," she tapped at the bandage above her eye, "and all the other times I've been in this tent. I - and my health - greatly appreciate it."

Chef chuckled under his breath and waved a hand. "You're welcome. And you're free to go. And don't go tellin' anyone what you just heard!"

"Sir, yes sir," she said, lazily saluting to him and heading through the exit.


After getting directions from an intern, Sammy soon found herself back at the flower field. It hadn't changed or moved since that morning, and Sammy took the opportunity to commit it to memory better than she already had. If this was the last time she was going to be there, she needed to remember this as best as she could. If only I had my phone with me, I'd at least be able to take a picture…

She didn't have much time to take a mental photograph, however, as the Final Three were seated in the center of the field, and were waving and calling her over. Sammy jogged up to them and sat alongside Ella and Jasmine. "How'd it go?" Ella asked the second she reached them.

"Just fine," Sammy said, pointing to the patch on her head. "Nothing drastic, just a bit of disinfectant and a bandage. It'll scar, yeah, but it's not something I'm worried about." And also not something a little makeup can't fix.

"Good to hear," Jasmine said, and offered her the bag of takeout. "Now what would you rather - burger or fries?"

She heard and felt her stomach growl, and eyed the bag hungrily. "Haven't had breakfast yet, so whatever's more filling."

"Burger it is, then." Jasmine fished it out and tossed it to her, and Sammy caught it, only fumbling just a little.

She removed the wrapper and tore into it, not caring that she was getting ketchup and mustard all over her face. She barely managed to catch Ella's and Sky's only-slightly disgusted expressions, and covered her mouth instinctually. "Sorry, I'm famished. I swear, this show is making me lose weight with how little food there is to eat."

"And at how unvaried it all is," Jasmine agreed. She took the fries from the bag and plucked a few out of their little cup. "You're not gonna get a balanced diet by eating fruits and veggies alone. You need some well-cooked meat to make sure you're working properly, and that has been sorely lacking here."

"I beg to differ, actually," Sky said, munching away at a banana. She had her head turned up in the air proudly. "As a vegetarian and an athlete, I can say for certain that meat isn't entirely necessary for a well-balanced diet. You just need protein from other sources, and those aren't hard to find."

"What sorts of other sources?" Ella asked, flicking a few berries in her mouth.

"Dairy products, like milk and yogurt are good," Sky told her. "Also eggs. Cheese, broccoli, spinach… There's actually quite a bit, if you take the time to do the research."

"Wow, I never would have considered all of those as substitutes," Sammy said with a mouthful of slightly stale beef. "Then again, I'm happy being a carnivore, so it really had no reason to cross my mind to begin with."

"That's the spirit," Jasmine said with a laugh.

"I'm kind of curious, actually," Ella said to Sky. "I'm aware there are differences between vegetarian and vegan, but I'm not sure what they are."

Sky grinned at her, and Sammy could tell that the floodgates were about to open. "Then allow me to educate you."

The conversations went on from there, light and easy and not tense whatsoever, and it almost felt to Sammy that there wasn't any million dollar reality TV show competition currently happening. This felt… natural. This felt good. This wasn't normal, because normal for her was keeping your mouth shut so you don't get ridiculed. But if this could become a new normal - talking with friends about anything and everything - then Sammy could accept that. She'd gladly accept that.

By the time they realized, several hours had passed. The sun was beginning to fall towards the horizon, and the bright blue of the sky was turning a bit more yellow. "Guess it's almost time," Sammy noted, trying not to let the worry be too apparent in her voice.

The mood quickly turned somber, and the Final Three gave her saddened glances. Sammy hadn't meant to turn everything on its head, but she supposed sooner or later that was going to happen anyway.

With a yawn and a stretch, Jasmine rose to her feet, the empty bag of fast food crumpled up in her hands. "I'm gonna find someone to dump this with," she said to the girls, and began walking away. "Thanks for the company, ladies. I'll see you lot at the campfire tonight." With an affectionate ruffling of Sammy's hair, she left the field.

Trying to put her disheveled hair back into place (though after ten days of being unable to wash it, that was likely not going to happen), Sammy thought for a moment. "I think I'm gonna find the confessional," she said. "I've got some stuff I wanna get off my chest."

Ella smiled at her and nodded. "Did you want to meet up afterwards?"

"Yeah, of course I do!" she agreed, and stood. "I'll see you two later, then." She waved goodbye to her and Sky, and made for the woods.

By now, it was fairly easy to navigate her way to the outhouse, with mostly everything shut down and such. She passed no one along the way, and took in the standard forest sights once more. This was the sort of scenery she'd never tire of, even if she was a city girl at heart. I can't wait to get back to civilization, she thought. And my own bed. God, it's been too long. And… so much has happened here.

She said as much to the confessional's camera after she plopped down on the seat. "I had no clue this much change would happen when I first landed on the island. Back then, I was absolutely certain things would go the way they always were - Amy controlling me and manipulating the others to think poorly of me, and my own lack of self-esteem allowing her to do that. It's happened so many times before that I had already accepted my fate before it even began…"

She smiled warmly, and her mind's eye drifted back into her memories. "But then I met Ella. And Sky, and Jasmine, and Beardo and Shawn and they all… lifted me up, when I was forcing myself down. They were some of the first people who chose me over my sister, and helped me realize my own potential and that I could be more than what I was. With them backing me up, I was able to stand my ground and break away from Amy's control, and I have never felt more free! I… I owe them so much. I don't know how I could ever repay them.

"That said… This show wasn't just an eye-opener for me. It was the same for my sister, and Ella too. Amy finally confronted herself about being a bully, and vowed to stop treating me like dirt. I guess time will only tell if she plans on sticking with it, but… I have a feeling she will. She'll probably need help, and I'm willing to give it to her, but like I've told her, she's far from forgiven. I wonder what life at home will be like now that I don't have to start worrying about her tormenting me every time I leave my room…

"And Ella… When I first met her I wasn't sure what to make of her. The way she acted was so unlike how anyone else I knew acted. It wasn't weird, per se, but different enough that it stood out to me. But her positivity was such a nice change of pace from how my life used to be, and somewhere along the way I guess… I guess I fell for her. Crazy, huh?

"That's not to say she wasn't without her own issues. Because of her parents, she leaned a bit too heavily on playing the role of a princess, and because of that the other kids at school bullied her, and… well, one thing led to another. I don't think for a second that I'm her 'cure', but I do intend on doing everything I can to help make it easier on her. If she wins, there probably won't be any trouble with that. If she doesn't… well, we'll figure it out."

Sammy sighed, and leaned her head against the back of the outhouse. "We all have our problems. Not just us three, but everyone. You don't know what the person you pass by on the street is dealing with. They could be suffering from something, or they might have just lost a loved one. It helps to be sensitive to other people's issues, to be empathetic towards their issues, so don't just judge someone based off of their outer layers. People are far, far more complex than that." She paused and ran that through her mind once more. "Honestly it just sounds like I'm pulling all of this out of thin air, but it's something I, myself, need to work on. I need to give people more chances to prove themselves, I think, just like I did with Amy. And I'll start with everyone else who I never really got to know."

Wrapping up, she exited the confessional and saw Ella sitting by a tree a little distance away. She was looking at something in her hands, and though she was a few paces away Sammy could tell what it was. Or rather, what it had been.

"Our flower crowns…" she said sadly upon approaching her. She was worried this was going to happen - there had been too much running during the challenge that they must have ended up crushed against the pickaxe with each step they took. And of course, throwing it aside part way through and forgetting about it almost entirely didn't do it any favors either.

"An intern delivered them to me," Ella said, her eyes not leaving them. "It's a shame, but I can easily make more. It wouldn't be a problem."

"I know it won't," Sammy said, but then she looked upwards. "That said, maybe hold off for now. I don't think a hand crafted accessory would survive the, uh, the trip out of here."

Sighing and placing the crowns on the ground, Ella stood and brushed off her skirt. "I suppose it wouldn't, no."

"We can make them when we meet up again after the show's over," Sammy offered.

"That would be lovely," Ella replied with a smile, and then gasped. "Oh! I know of a cute shop near my apartment where we could buy the flowers. It's not even a ten minute walk!"

"Ooh, that sounds great!" An idea popped into her head, and choosing to go right for it, Sammy smirked. "Speaking of a walk, did you uh…" She motioned deeper into the forest. "Want to go on a walk with me? Together? Just the two of us?"

Ella stared for a few moments, then snorted and turned away to laugh. "Was that an invitation for a date?!"

Sammy blushed and covered her face. "I-I mean, I guess so! It just came out of nowhere!"

"Ahaha!" Despite her embarrassment, Sammy revelled in the sound of Ella's laughter. It quite honestly felt like it could extend her life by years. Ella took a hold of Sammy's hand and pulled her along to start their walk. "Well I thought it was quite charming. Now c'mon, let's go by the beach for a while. I want to watch the sunset with you!"

"Oh! That's a great idea!" Sammy agreed, happy that her awkwardness had been taken in stride. Hand in hand, a smile on their lips and a cheerful conversation they easily found themselves lost in, Sammy and Ella made their way away from the confessional, and hoped to spend the evening with each other one last time, before they lost their chance.


Perhaps a bit unnecessarily, Chris brought everyone to the campfire pit rather than take them straight to the cannon. He said something about them needing to get in another iconic elimination ceremony moment before they ran out of people to eliminate, but to Sammy he was just delaying the inevitable.

"Marshmallows for Sky, Jasmine, and Ella," he said, tossing each of them a treat of delicious safety. "And a big plate of nothing for Samey."

"Would it kill you to call me by my real name for once?!" she asked him venomously.

"Yes," he answered plainly. "Yes it would." She rolled her eyes and chose to end it there. "Anyway, we all know the drill: Samey, as the loser, will become our next willing human cannonball and leave this island for the foreseeable future. If anyone has anything left to say, do so now, or forever hold your peace or… whatever."

Without so much as a warning, Sammy was bombarded by three bodies, all tackling her in a hug - first Ella, then Sky, then Jasmine, who lifted the three of them up off of the ground. "Ah- guys!" Sammy cried out, half in surprise and half in laughter.

"We'll miss you!" Sky said. If Sammy didn't know any better, she'd say Sky was on the verge of breaking down. "I'm sorry you have to leave now of all times!"

"It's okay," Sammy told her. "It was probably gonna happen eventually anyway."

"When we get off this island, I am so giving you my phone number."

"I'll hold you to that!"

"You be careful out there, y'hear?" Jasmine said. "I have no clue where you're gonna end up, but you take care of yourself!"

"I will, I promise!" She found it slightly difficult to talk, given how smushed together they were, but she didn't care.

Strangely, despite everyone pouring their hearts out, Ella remained silent. Before Sammy could ask her about it, Chris had the group hug broken up, and directed them all to the lower cliff.

Sammy had been incredibly apprehensive about the cannon - she never knew if she was going to be its next victim, or if she got the chance to fret over it for another day. Now that she was going to be its next victim… she really didn't mind. She did everything she wanted to do, needed to do. She survived the island blowing up, being crushed under an avalanche, was trapped by a bear and escaped it, and, among it all, confronted with and made peace with her sister, and found a kinda-sorta girlfriend in the mix of it all. After experiencing so much in the course of a week and a half… Sammy found she wasn't as scared of the Cannon of Shame as she thought she'd be.

Chris and Chef were standing next to it, while Sky, Jasmine and Ella were standing behind her. Sammy stared up at it, and though it dwarfed her in comparison, she didn't cower from it.

"Any last words?" Chris asked her. "Because we're running low on time."

Sammy nodded, and turned around to her friends. They were all in various states of dismay, but were putting on wide smiles to make it seem like they were not. Feeling herself about to become overwhelmed, Sammy said to them, "Thank you guys so much for your support these last few days! I honestly don't know where I'd be right now if it wasn't for all of you. You guys helped me through so much and I don't think I can ever repay any of you. I-"

She was interrupted by Ella rushing forward and throwing herself on her once more.

"Hey…" Sammy said softly.

"Please don't go," she whispered. Sammy almost immediately felt the droplets of tears on her shoulder. "I already miss you."

Sighing yet smiling, Sammy wrapped her in her arms in the best hug she could give. She knew Ella had been holding back, but didn't fault her for it. Sammy would be feeling the same way if their positions were reversed. "I know. I miss you already too. But you're going to be okay. It's just two days, tops. You'll see me again soon. And it doesn't matter if you win or lose - I'll still love you and still be proud of you no matter what." She pulled away and looked Ella in her beautiful brown eyes, glistening with sadness and sorrow. "I believe in you. You can do this on your own. Okay?"

Ella took a moment to gather her thoughts, and in the end she simply nodded. "Okay."

They shared a tender kiss, longer than any other one they'd shared, because they knew that the moment of truth was upon them. Ella would have to go it alone, against two of the game's strongest competitors. Sammy knew she'd be able to hold her own, and that great things could happen when she put her mind to it. And though she was somewhat anxious, she chose to push through that anxiety rather than dwell on it. It would be good if Ella won, obviously, but she promised herself that Ella came first and foremost before any sort of monetary prize.

The kiss had gone on a little longer than it had any right to, but Sammy didn't want to pull away. When she felt that she had overstayed her welcome, she planned to pull back, but before she could she heard from behind her, "No no, give them a few more seconds. This'll boost the ratings for sure."

Her eyes burst open and she swiftly pulled away at the same time Ella did. "Yeah I think the cameras have had enough."

"Agreed," Ella said, sending a glare at Chris.

"What?" he asked innocently. "Only in some countries!"

Sammy rolled her eyes and groaned. Leave it to Chris to be a creep. Nonetheless, she set that aside and focused on what mattered. She shared one last lingering look with Ella, gave Jasmine and Sky one last wave goodbye, and accepted the helmet Chef Hatchet held out for her as she walked by him. He didn't say anything; he simply nodded, to which she did the same.

He helped her up and into the machine. It was cramped and cold and, now that she was actually in it, beginning to fill her with dread. Her mind was trying to get her to think that this was a mistake, that she should hop out and make a break for it and stay far, far away from the danger.

Her younger self might have done that, might have given in to the flight part of her fight or flight response. But now, she knew she had to do this. There literally were no two ways about it.

She locked eyes with Ella once more, and tried to give her a comforting smile. Teary-eyed though she may have been, she sniffed loudly and nodded as bravely and resolutely as she could.

You're gonna do great, Ella. I know you will.

"Say hi to your sister for us!" Chris called up to her.

Sammy looked down at him, and smiled sweetly. "Yes!" she said to him. "Yes I will!"

He narrowed his eyes at her, muttered "Whatever," and went for the button on his remote.

Sammy quickly sucked in a breath, closed her eyes, and prayed for the best.

This whole experience could have been better in some parts…

But in other parts, it was more than perfect.

BOOOOM!


And thus, Sammy's time on the island comes to a close… for now.

Sammy was always intended to not be in the Final Three. Some people picked up on it before, since I had made sure to have her realize she was really only there for Ella anymore. I think this is a good send-off for her! Now we'll just have to wait and see what happens to her…

Also, fun fact: Chris mentioning that Sammy should have pushed Ella across the finish line instead of talking it out was actually referencing an old draft of the previous chapter where she does just that. I thought it would be more dramatic that way, but it ended up being way too out of character for her, so I ended up going back and scrapping it. It was for the best!

So where do we go to now? Who knows! Well, I knows. Just to remind you all, the next chapter may not show up for a while yet, so please be patient as I work on it!