Ep 8: The Cave at the End of the Lane
"Tanner! Trevon!" Julian yelled from within the HQ primary lobby, as multiple, nameless interns frantically scattered around with sheets of paper dangling out of their sweaty arms. "We got a situation outside the perimeter! I require immediate supervision!"
"Yo, who made you head assistant?" Trevon casually strolled out from the hallway, entering the lobby with his arms sternly crossed, observing the mess of papers dispersed across the tile floor. "Why you makin' the low-end interns do the dirty work? And where's our boy, Topher?"
"Out of commission? I don't know, man. I just work here." Julian shrugged, calmly smirking. "Just following orders, dude."
"And who's orders would that be?" Tanner spoke from behind, raising an eyebrow. "You Hailee's new butt boy?"
"She's out on who-knows-where, remember? The head producers are runnin' it, man. Who else would it be?" Julian facepalmed. "Look, point is… we got a show to run. Ya' know what would be a real stinger? Demotion. Don't want that on your record, right? So… get to it!" He pointed sternly towards the exit, much to his fellow assistants' grudging aggravation.
"Change your name to Jopher, dawg." Trevon fired back, strutting alongside Tanner towards the exit as he jaggedly nudged his co-worker's shoulders. "Get it?" He lowered his voice. "Topher plus Julian equals Jopher. Comedy-gold, man!"
"Hilarious." Tanner blankly muttered back.
"Hailee's gonna call me Trevon Sandler from here on out. This 'dat comedian perks, I'm tellin' ya'."
"No, she's not."
Julian silently observed their mumbling and bickering from the lobby, face-palming. "Calvin! Assistance is required!" He firmly yelled, as a cameraman suddenly approached him from behind.
"We ready?" The confused cameraman raised an eyebrow, pointing the lens in front of his face.
"A few steps back, please? Thanks." Julian gently moved the camera away from his nose. "Alright, let's just shoot now before management grips my neck."
From a few steps back, the cameraman flashed a thumbs up. "Ready and live."
"Excellent." As soon as Julian cleared his throat, the awkward assistant arrived, just in time.
"Sorry, I'm late." Calvin stuffed his hands in his pockets.
"Whatever, man." Julian shrugged, facing back towards the camera with an awkward smile. "Pardon our… unprincipled conduct. Let me properly introduce myself before we begin. Name's Julian Lattanzi. I've been personally assigned temporary host until management could work out a few… minor missteps. Topher's out of the job. He merged the contestants an episode too early. Like movie directors always say; you jump off the script, you get the boot." He crossed his arms. "That's show biz for ya'…"
"Um, actually…" Calvin pointed out, finger in the air. "You weren't supposed to hos-"
"Anyways," Julian shoved him out of the spotlight, flashing another awkward grin. "Onto the drama! Let's sum this up; we had an out-of-the-script merge! For the first time, each competitor had to fend for themselves in an all-out fruit war! Or, rather, teams of two. Regardless, there was betrayal. And awkward love stories coming into fruition. Spencer and Nanci made out. Hunter and Daniela also made out. Arnold broke off his secret alliance with Hunter. And finally, Hunter had immunity, until he didn't. Finally booted off in a shocking twist of events. The look on his face was priceless, I will admit…"
"Um." Calvin interrupted shyly. "You f-forgot going over the video game challenge. And the deer-hunting challenge. And Hunter r-ravaging the camper's compound. And Hunter's stuff blowing up. And-"
"Woah-oh, getting ahead of yourself, man." The inexperienced, temporary host settled him down. "Anyways, let's step outside, shall we?"
Julian and Calvin speed-walked out the exit doors, revealing a late-night sky as an army of special agents suited in black armor and uniform marched out towards the misty rainforest.
"Operation Brilliant Red is upon us." Julian announced, casually grinning as he witnessed a helicopter hovering away from headquarters. "You may be asking yourself!" He yelled while the helicopter blades loudly muffled over his voice. "Operation Brilliant Red? What on Bakuhatsu is that? Well, buckle your gym shorts! Grab your popcorn! We got plenty of surprises to throw right back at ya' for today's episode of… Total! Drama! Bakuhatsu Island!"
Opening Theme
(Multiple cameras popped out of the lush bushes and palm trees found within the island)
Dear Mom and Dad, I'm doin' fine,
(The camera did its signature zoom across the island, as it quickly flew by Hailee and Phil arguing on the camper's compound.)
You guys are on my mind.
(The camera then entered a deep pond found further inland covered in dark, dense vegetation.)
You asked me what I wanted to be
(A gleeful Arnold found a treasure chest deep within the pond, but it was quickly snatched by Hunter's fishing rod as he raised it onto the wooden boat. Arnold swam up onto the boat and threw his fake, plastic cutlass sword towards him, but Hunter deflected it and whipped it into the air, as it flew across the sky.)
And now I think the answer is plain to see,
(The cutlass falls and lands with the blade stuck on the ground, frightening both Kiara and Kayla, as they stood right next to it.)
I wanna be famous.
(A large, green snake with bright, red eyes slithered out a nearby bush and hissed at Kiara and Kayla, frightening them once more as the snake chased after them.)
I wanna live close to the sun,
(Spencer and Nanci were both on a motorboat, cruising through a river in a dense, swampy region. A couple of random crustaceans jumped onto the motor and pinched it, causing the motor to glitch. The boat then sped uncontrollably, zooming through the river. Spencer and Nanci were panicking.)
Go pack your bags, 'cause I've already won,
(The boat quickly passed by Alexander, as he continued playing his pipe flute.)
Everything to prove, nothing in my way
(The crustaceans that were on the motorboat jumped out the river and pinched on all over Alexander's body, as he then screamed in immense pain.)
I'll get there one day.
(Lily leaned onto the outhouse confessional and noticed Alexander's screams from a distance. She took photos of his inconvenience with her camera but was then startled by a sudden arrow piercing through the confessional door. It was revealed to be Emily carrying a bow and arrow, who then had an apologetic smile.)
Cause, I wanna be famous!
(At a region near the beach, Rashon tried to carry multiple coconuts at the same time, presumably for someone else, but clumsily tripped on a rock, dropping all the coconuts at once. Zane creepily stared at him from near a palm tree.)
Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na!
(Soraya and Daniela were seen arguing on the beach. Soraya was standing with her arms crossed, while Daniela sat on a black couch with her hand resting on her face.)
I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be famous!
(On the main dock, Oliver pulled out a line graph from the sky, seemingly out of thin air, as he pointed out the downwards slope in viewership and ratings for Total Drama.)
I wanna be, I wanna be, I wanna be famous!
(The dock exploded out of nowhere, dropping Oliver into the water. As he swam back up, it was revealed to be Phil. He stood on the leftover part of the dock, holding a remote control in his hand as he grinned menacingly.)
(Whistle)
(Spencer and Nanci smiled and looked straight into each other's eyes, but suddenly, Arnold popped right in between them, waving his sword in front of their faces. Nanci's face turned to confusion, while Spencer was completely annoyed. The camera then zoomed out of the campfire site, revealing all the contestants sitting in a circle.)
Rain. Lots and lots of rain gracefully sprinkled across the entire island. Wet palm trees dripped plentifully under the gray sky. Quiet, serene sprinkles were obviously not enough to wake the campers, especially on an early morning.
"Wow." Nanci thought, observing the hidden beauty that the island offered. Laying her back onto rugged tree bark, she remained seated, pondering deep into her thoughts as she continued gazing each splattering rain drop.
As she rested the back of her head onto the tree, her left ear picked up faint footsteps. Strange, given that all her fellow campers were still asleep. Or so she thought…
"Weird," she pondered, looking to her left. She saw… nothing. Almost like ghosts strolling and skipping about. "Hello?" She stood up and dusted the dirt off her shirt. Crouching and sneaking towards the source, she heard footsteps again. This time, louder and clearer than before. Her forehead timidly dripped nervous sweat as she sneaked towards a massive bush, silently crawling inside.
As she cautiously peeked her eyes out the bush, her jaw dropped from the revelation. She could not believe what she was witnessing. Her wide-opened eyes slowly watered, with tears rippling down her face. Upon shutting the leaves closed, she wiped the tears off her face. She still could not believe it. How could she believe it? Doubt and insecurities were slowly creeping back to her, but she fully expected it. Hoping it was nothing but a hallucination, she peeked out again…
Nothing. There was nothing there. Just trees and bushes. The rain had suddenly disappeared. Eerie emptiness. Baffled, she rubbed her eyes and opened them again, making sure her sanity remained intact. And, yet again, there was…
Nothing.
She closed her eyes one last time…
Nanci gasped, waking up from a seemingly frightening nightmare. Swiftly lifting her head, her entire balance wobbled, with the entire cold room spinning around her as if she were riding a rollercoaster. Her head injuries remained, and her hatred towards Hunter rose, no doubt.
"Ouch." She rubbed her head. As her vision slowly stabilized itself, she knew something was immensely off: the cold room. Upon frantically glancing around, it was obviously not her room. Rather, she was surrounded by stone and rocks. A cave. Entirely featureless. Just grey, jagged rock all around her. The cave was almost the same size as her room back at the Electric Eels cabin. A tiki torch leaned in an angle to her left, dimly lighting up the cavern. Straight ahead is a narrow exit, leading towards darkness, presumably a pathway that led who-knows-where.
"Hello?" She yelled out, hoping for a response…
Nothing.
"Anyone out there? Please?" She continued yelling out hopelessly, almost tearing up from the isolation alone, but she remained blank. Her heartbeat escalated, followed by heavy breathing. The first thought that came to her mind was, "should I stop crying like a baby and walk out? There's a torch just sitting there. Should I take it? Oh, but what if the fire goes out? I don't know how to start a fire! What if I lose myself even further? Maybe this is all just a challenge? Or maybe we were kidnapped, and a rescue party is coming to save us? Maybe I should just stay put in case it's a kidnapping situation? I-I don't know what to do!"
She glared towards the torch, then back towards the exit, then back to the torch again. "Screw it," she muttered, shivering, grabbing the tiki torch, while facing the cave tunnel. Long, deep breaths were the last things she took before fearfully walking towards the dark exit, extending her torch ahead, gripping to the pole as tightly possible.
"Nothing will happen, nothing will happen, nothing will happen…" She mumbled, finally picking up the courage to speed up her walk towards the seemingly endless cave system. Completely pitch-black. Her tiki torch was the only light source, holding it with extreme caution to avoid putting out the fire. The narrow, tunnel-like cave remained relatively straight, surprisingly no twists and turns.
The further she walked ahead, the warmer the temperature raised around her. Upon walking for almost ten minutes straight, she stumbled upon splitting pathways. Three pathways, to be exact, branching out like roots under a tree. Her heart raced even further, quivering as she observed each path. She noticed an ominous, faint red glow towards the middle, straight ahead. An obvious nope, leaving only the left and right path. Turning to her left, darkness. To her right, more darkness.
"I could always return back." She muttered, reluctantly walking towards the path to her right.
A couple minutes had gone by, but in her mind, it seemed like hours. Still, everything around her remained featureless. Just rock on top of more rock. Only difference was, stalactites began emerging the further she walked ahead, frighteningly glancing at the stone cave roof appearing rougher and spikier. Her legs quickly fatigued from her rather hopeless situation.
"IS ANYONE HERE?" She screamed desperately, dropping down to her knees as she cowered away to the cave wall, leaning the back of her head onto the jagged rock, tearing up in despair. She just wanted to stumble upon anyone. A fellow camper, the host, the interns, anyone. She was already fed up with isolation.
At this point, she had given up hope. Alone and forgotten, she cried softly. Her hands wrapped around her bent legs, leaning her forehead on her knees in defeat.
Suddenly, her left ear picked up faint footsteps. Including a faint whimper. Strange. Immediately upon sensing a presence, she stood up frantically, tightly gripping on the torch. Her mind ran through two choices…
"Either do the smart thing and run away, or face it head-on," she thought. "Spence told me it's best to face the unknown fearlessly. Or maybe he meant metaphorically? Oh-if only he was here!" Upon deciding her next move, she heard a soft voice straight ahead, startling her as she instinctively crouched in response.
"Help! Help!" A faint, echoing cry for help was heard. Belonging to a familiar, female voice. Unquestionably a human. Nanci sighed in relief that, finally, she was no longer alone.
"Coming!" She replied, jogging straight ahead, hoping not to trip over the rough cave floor, given her prior stumbly incidences. The closer she approached the source, the clearer she figured out who it was…
"Yay! A human! Finally!" Emily quietly cheered, laying on the ground while rubbing her bruised knees.
"What happened? You good?" She gasped, staring down at a grimacing Emily.
"Tripped and fell. Lost my torch as well." She continued massaging her legs, leaning her exhausted head onto the cave wall. "If only Spencey were here. He's such a marvelous massager. You're so lucky to have him!" She smiled with her usual sunshine, albeit with tired eyes.
"Um, thank you." Nanci smiled back awkwardly, with her hands stuffed within her pockets. "Need help walking? You seem really hurt."
"Aww, thanks! But it's okay. I think I'm fine!" Emily grinned with her eyes gleefully closed, swiftly standing up with ease as she dusted pebbles off her skirt. "Think I saw a moving shadow a couple more steps ahead. Could it be one of our competitors?"
"Maybe," she rubbed her chin, pondering. "I, um, I have a torch. Wanna find out?"
"Absolutely! Yay!" She instantly hugged Nanci, catching her off-guard.
"So, if I may ask, what do you think of Spencer?" Emily wondered timidly, skipping and hopping like a young schoolgirl.
"Oh, I-um, he's just, um… he's cute." Nanci blushed, rubbing her arm. "But also, smart. Funny. Crazy observant. Um, also relatable. Occasionally serious sometimes, but it's also kinda… charming? Am I making any sense? Hopefully, that made sense." She chuckled nervously.
"Absolutely!" She smiled. "And wow! He sounds like an amazing boyfriend. Wished I could spend more quality-time with Calvin. But he-"
"Wait," she suddenly interrupted. "You guys are official now?" She cleared her throat, awkwardly realizing her bluntness. "Sorry if that sounded rude. It's just… I, um, I haven't seen you two hang out in a long while."
"You weren't rude. No worries!" She giggled. "We plan on going out after the show ends. He's just too busy right now to spend time with me. The head staff are bossy, so I understand!" She flashed another smile. "May I ask you a personal question?"
"Sure!"
"You ever noticed how Spencer is sometimes inconsistent with himself?" She timidly held her hands behind her back. "Sorry if I'm sounding cynical, but I just couldn't help but wonder; could he be… hiding something from us?"
"What do you mean?" Nanci tilted her head, baffled.
"Super-duper sorry for eavesdropping, but I once overheard Spencer telling you about how he has no sisters. But that doesn't make sense because he told me personally that he does have an older sister." Emily rubbed her chin. "Strange, right?"
"Yeah, I've also found that really weird." She rubbed the back of her head. "Like, um, yeah. He doesn't like talking too much about his life back home. Especially his family. Think he just likes to keep to himself. Reminds me of, well, myself." She giggled. "Could just be a slip-up. What else did he tell you?"
"Nothing much, really." She affirmed. "Thought I should let you know, since you've been a super-nice friend to me!"
"Thanks." Nanci gave a thumbs up, smiling. "Once we find a way out of here, I'll nag him about the sister-no-sister mystery. Oh, I'm shocked as to how he could withstand my presence sometimes," she giggled awkwardly.
"Aww, but you're not annoying." Emily held onto Nanci's left shoulder. "I've seen his heart-eyes pop out every time you're around. No need to doubt yourself!"
"I was just being sarcastic, but thanks!" She smiled back.
For a couple minutes, they were continuously walking through the same, dark, monotone path. No twists and turns yet again. Just a long, straight cave tunnel into the void. Unnervingly silent aside from their timid footsteps.
"What was the very last thing you remember doing before waking up… here?" Nanci attempted to strike up a new conversation.
"That I went to sleep?" Emily glared at the cave ceiling, rubbing her chin. "I think I did hear loud, marching footsteps sometime in the evening. Sounded like they came from the Eels cabin. But I was too scared to peek out the window. Sorry."
"Could it be that we've been kidnapped?" She rubbed her elbow, shivering. "This island is huge. Spencer theorized that the entire island could just be some giant experiment, almost like Pahkitew. Your thoughts?"
"Spencey is such a smartie!" Emily gushed. "But yes! That does make a lot of sense."
"Sorry, but I, um, I just had to wonder…" Nanci assumed. "You and Spence have been, um, really close lately. You two are, um, like, just really good friends, right? Nothing extra, or… um, sorry, I'm assuming again. I'm really sorry..."
"No-no, I understand!" Emily looked to the ground. "I won't step into boundaries again. You can count on me! As a friend!" She looked back towards Nanci, grinning shyly.
"Thanks! You're honestly so understanding." She smiled back, until suddenly, they heard a monstrous echo from afar, its soundwave traversing through the tunnel like an earthquake. Their friendship mood suddenly shifted into terror, startled by the unnerving, unidentifiable roar from behind.
"What was that?" Nanci panicked. Upon hearing the roar a second time, both were frantically jump-scared, instinctively dashing away from the source. Nanci gripped the tiki torch tightly, unwilling to let go. It seemed like the monster behind was roaring quieter and quieter, with its terrifying echoing roar slowly disappearing.
"I think the creature's gotten tired." Emily took a breather, gasping for air. "And so am I…"
"C'mon Emily!" Nanci braked, turning her head around, witnessing Emily's hands on her knees. "We gotta keep moving! Better safe than sorry. Please, Em!"
"Okay-okay. You're right!" She nodded wearingly, sprinting right alongside Nanci, continuing through the unusually straight path. Upon running nonstop, they suddenly spotted an orange aurora of light from afar, akin to the light emitted by the tiki torch flames.
"Think that's another person?" Nanci asked, panting.
"You might be right! Yay!" Emily cheered, extending her arms in the air.
"Wonder who it could-" And before Nanci could finish, she face-planted into someone else, not expecting anyone wondering in the dark, willy-nilly. Both fumbled to the ground, and both caught in a surprise upon the reveal.
"Dani!" Emily clapped ecstatically, looking down where Nanci and Daniela fell. "What a surprise! I wasn't expecting seeing you here too!"
"Hey, dudes!" Daniela greeted, reaching her hand out to Nanci while dusting pebbles off her black tank top. "Figured we'd find you guys here as well…"
"What do you mean… 'we'?" Nanci raised an eyebrow. "You with the other competitors?"
"Yup." She nodded. "In fact, we with the whole campin' crew. Spence, Olive Oil, Pirate Patch, Kay, and… think that's it."
"Wait a sec…" Emily recalled, pointing her finger up as if a lightbulb popped out of her head. "Your phone! You still have it with you? You tried dialing for help?"
"Don't have it with me, sorry." Daniela crossed her arms. "Lost my phone in the wilderness. You dudes don't remember? I slept outdoors. Losin' last challenge was a total payoff, am I right?" She said sarcastically, grimacing at the thought of sleeping with the wildlife.
"Oh, sorry, that's gotta be rough." Nanci tried comforting her, but Daniela simply laughed it off.
"Bro, don't sweat it." She shrugged. "So… we just gonna be standin' here and talk about our girly feelings, or you both wanna start headin' into our sweet little hideout? Side note, cooler temperature over there. Fresh and chill, just the way I like it."
Nanci and Emily glanced at each other, noting each other's fatigue eyelids. Finally, questions were to be answered. Well, at least, they hoped.
"Sure!" They answered back ecstatically, relieved that no longer would they be alone…
After following Daniela, the trio finally reached the supposed hideout. A small, barren, spherical room surrounded by mundane rock, akin to where Nanci woke up. Only differences were, thin stalactites engulfed the entire roof, and the remaining competitors laid restfully over the sturdy ground, waiting for Daniela's arrival.
"Guess who's back!" Daniela grinned, entering the dead-end room with the last two campers. Upon hearing the news, Spencer immediately stood up, eyes wide-opened, scanning the two silhouettes behind Daniela. First to step out of the shadows: Emily. Not the one he hoped to see. Ignoring her, he peeked behind her on his tiptoes. As soon as he spotted Nanci, he smiled in relief.
"Back again?" Oliver finger-gunned, grinning with his back leaning on the wall, fully relaxed.
"Dani's back." Daniela winked, finger-gunning back.
"Tell a friend." He returned the favor with his signature finger guns as they both prepared to sing along simultaneously…
"Guess who's back? Guess who's back? Guess who's-"
"Guys, cut it!" Kayla held her arms crossed, halting their attempted singing. "You two can't, like, take this seriously? We're, like, dragged into the caves with no food or water and you two decide to, like, sing? Like, no joke?"
"Chillax, Kayla," Daniela leaned her elbow onto the wall, resting her head on her hand with a blank expression. "Don't forget, we're in a reality TV show, dude. We'll be fine. Bet this is just a challenge disguised as a kidnapping or hostage or, whatevs'."
"Oh, now you know what it's like livin' the fourth wall." Oliver crossed his arms, grinning.
"Uhm… sure." Daniela blankly stuck her lips out.
"Hey guys!" Emily walked towards the middle, smiling ecstatically. "What matters now is that we're all together now, safe and sound! Whatever the circumstance, I believe we will all make it out in one piece. And once we do, we will throw a celebratory party with confetti and rainbows flying across the sky!"
"Wow. Optimism? In this dire situation? You surprise me sometimes." Spencer tensely chimed in, wide-eyed by her enthusiasm.
"Aww, thank you, Spencey!" Emily blushed, looking down to the ground with both hands behind her back. Everyone else looked over their brief exchange without a single care, except for Nanci, raising an eyebrow at their peculiar interaction.
"So, um…" Nanci blurted out after an awkward second of silence. "Now what?"
"Well…" Emily chimed in. "We should all work together and find an escape route."
"If there even is one…" Daniela murmured, still leaning her elbow onto the wall. "Before you two showed up, we've already tried, for like, almost two-to-four hours, actually. Wherever you two have been, y'all are late."
"Plus, we like, can't leave this area." Kayla sighed, staring at the ground, almost as if she were zoning out. "There's some, like, weird creature circling around us, blocking the pathways out of our little hideout, waiting to, like, pick us off one by one. Couple hours ago, that thing was, like, chasing me around like, like, I was some lost chihuahua…" She wiped a few flowing tears off her face. "I just, like, I just wanna go home…"
"Argh! You'll be okay, m'lady." Arnold attempted to comfort her, patting her right shoulder. "Tell ya' what, I'll go slay the beast me-self!"
"Oh-pfft!" Spencer rolled his eyes, dumbfounded by what he just heard. "Really? Really. With what? Your toy sword?"
"As a matter of fact, yes." Arnold pouted, both glaring at each other. "Time for thee captain to prove his worth." He turned around to face his other competitors. "I will scout the area for potential exit escapes. Arnold… will be right back! Argh!"
"Yay! You can do it!" Emily cheered. "I'd wish to help, but my legs are really fatigued. Stay safe out there!"
"Sure." Spencer crossed his arms, doubtful that Arnold could succeed. "I totally believe that you will slay the creature singlehandedly and lead us out of this infinite maze of impossibility. Woohoo."
"Thank you all for your support." Arnold briefly dropped his pirate accent. A rare occasion, indeed. "Arnold, out!" He casually saluted, strolling out into the darkness with his cutlass gripped tight in a battle stance.
"Great." Spencer facepalmed. "So much for our, quote-on-quote, teamwork. Who does he think he is? Captain Crack?"
"Oh boy." Daniela held her giggle. "Freak-out Spence is comin' to town, dudes."
"I'm not freaking out." Spencer lightly blushed from the callout. "We're stuck out here. In the deep, murky caves. No food. No water. No idea as to why we're here in the first place. No idea if we were taken hostage or not. No clue on a single thing. Arnold just left to face the who-knows-what, all on his own without a care in the world, like some deluded madman. Like he's some sort of fictional superhero. No-no, I don't buy that one bit. Seriously. Why aren't you freaking out? How can you be so chill about that? Matter of fact, how can you be so chill with everything?"
"Dude," Daniela's eyes squinted, smiling teasingly. "You're freaking out again. Thought you were a smartie pants but let me spell it out for ya'. We're on Total Drama, a reality show. A show with dangerous stunts. Surely, we can't be taken hostages. That'd be impossible. There are cameras everywhere, always rollin'. You're being too cynical, bro. No offense."
Spencer tensely crossed his arms. "I'd rather be cynical than blindly optimistic. No offense, Emily."
"None taken." Emily smiled, standing in between their arguing. "May I add my two cents? You two are right. We should stick together in the meantime, but also, not freak out. And maybe, not joke around too much. Just an itsy-bitsy less comedic relief. No offense, Oliver."
"Oh, my turn! My turn!" Oliver grinned, pondering. "Maybe you guys should also not, um… not hog too much screen time? No offense, Arnold. Oh, no-no, wait. That's not right, he's not even here. Joke fell flat on its face. Yeah, Oliver's runnin' out of wacky zingers today. Whoopsie-doo, I'm tired today. Okay, I'll stop talking now." He zipped his lips, as everyone blankly stared at him awkwardly.
"Either way," Nanci continued. "We can't stay here, or else we'd go hungry. Unless by some miracle, we find food underneath these rocks-"
"ARGH! Guess who's back?" Arnold shouted, arriving at the hideout, dragging a mysterious, red backpack over the bumpy rock floor. Massive in size, seemingly heavy.
"Back again?" Oliver grinned, preparing to sing for the second time.
"Not this again." Kayla rolled her eyes.
"I don't know what you're talkin' about… but the captain's got some good news!" Arnold opened the zippers, reaching his hand into the backpack, pulling out a giant, ripe apple, and bottled water. "The captain's found food! And water!"
"Yay!" Emily clapped, hopping up and down. "I knew you'd help us!" Everybody else smiled along and sighed in relief upon hearing the news. All except for one…
"I don't buy that." Spencer squinted, glaring at the pirate. "You were only gone for a couple minutes, and then you magically stumbled upon a bundle of food? And how'd you even avoid the creature? Surely, the backpack wasn't anywhere near the hideout because I've already ran across this region multiple times."
"Spencer, like, what are you insinuating?" Kayla scoffed as her stomach growled. "It's, like, literally abandoned food. Like, what else could it be? Poison?"
"Yes." He fired back. "Poison. It could be poison. It could be explosives disguised as fruit. Who knows? Fact of the matter is, we shouldn't trust Arnold. The food was conveniently stored inside a convenient backpack that he conveniently found. Pretty suspicious if you asked me."
"Oye, careful." Daniela chuckled. We got Freak-out Spence in the house."
"And we got Careless Daniela judging over other's practicality." Spencer fired back.
"Spence, Dani's got a point." Nanci whispered to his ear, gently holding his hand. "You're worrying a bit too much. Food probably belonged to some lone explorer who forgot his backpack."
"No." Spencer let go of her hand. His shift in moods startled Nanci, slightly frowning by his dismissal. She had never encountered Spencer with similar immense stress before. "No-no, I refuse to eat whatever's in that bag. And neither should you guys." He walked over to Arnold, snatching the backpack out of the pirate's hand, zipped it up and shoved it across the other end of the cave room.
"S-seriously, Spencer?" Kayla rolled her eyes. "You're, like, forcing us to, like, not eat? We've been here for hours already. What's wrong with you?"
"I'm with Kayla on this one." Daniela crossed her arms. "You're actin' like my mom. I dug sarcastic Spence better."
"Yeah, Spencey. I'm hungry too." Emily gloomed; puppy eyed.
"Here Em," Daniela tossed an apple from behind her back. "Hunter taught me a thing or two on those sneaky-sneakies." She winked.
"Daniela! What did I just say?" Spencer shook his head.
"Argh! It's apple time!" Arnold stabbed inside the backpack with his sword, pulling out an apple.
"Sorry, Spencer," Kayla reached her hand within the backpack. "But, like, your rules stink."
"Whatever then." Spencer walked to a corner. "I'll just… starve alone."
"Mind if I join you?" Nanci gently sat beside him. "Not on your whole going-hungry phase though," she teased, leaned her head onto his shoulder.
"So…" Upon hearing the creature's faint echo from afar, Oliver awkwardly glanced the roof. "Since we're stuck here for the time being 'till that who-knows-what goes bye-bye, how about we talk about our thrilling character backstories-"
"No." Everyone fired back in unison.
"Okay," Oliver sighed. "Filler, bottle episode, it is."
"I got, like, a better idea," Kayla remarked. "You guys encountered, like, anything weird before we were taken away? I have plenty of weird stories on this island. Like, crazy-weird."
"Um…" Nanci raised her hand. "I have one. Although, um, could just be nothing, but it was still super weird. Happened some time ago. Hope you guys don't mind boring you with the extra details."
"No worries, you won't." Spencer smiled.
"Well then," Nanci gritted. "I'll try to, um, summarize…"
10:37 AM, Camper's Compound, Some Time Ago
"Soraya, wake up." Nanci gently shook her shoulders. Still in heavy sleep. Not even the loud bed creaks were enough to wake her up. "Think we got a challenge in an hour. Please, wake up!"
"Mmm, I love your curly hair, Rock Moss…" Soraya murmured under her breath, eyes shut.
"SORAYA!"
"Wha-what?" Soraya lifted her head, rubbing her eyes. "What? This better be important…"
"Rumors has it, we have a challenge in an hour. Were you up late at night? How are you this sleepy?"
"Don't worry 'bout it." Soraya stood out of her bed, stretching her arms out as she walked out the bedroom with her messy, black hair flowing without a hair bun. "Need my morning breakfast first. Whatever Phil throws at us next, it better not be more running…"
"Heard rumors that he's in the hospital right now." Nanci rubbed her chin. "New host this week, maybe?"
"Better not be that skinny, snobby blonde." She rolled her eyes as they both continued walking towards the dining area, stumbling upon two of their fellow teammates already sitting at the wooden table, gossiping. "Ugh, speaking of skinny, snobby blondes…"
"Excuse me? Like, I heard that!" Kiara retorted, glaring at her polished nails. "So, we got, like, broke, artist-wannabe loser calling me skinny when you're also skinny yourself. Find better insults, or like, don't talk to me. Like ever. Period."
"Oh, THAT JUST DOES IT-"
"Soraya, not now, please!" Nanci gripped her arm, preventing an arm throw. "We can't waste our energy arguing when challenge time could be today."
"You're right," Soraya breathed in and out while entering the kitchen. "I'm grabbing pancakes. I'll just eat outside since this skinny brat won't be sharing the table."
"That's right, I won't." Kiara scowled in disgust. "Have fun, like, eating out in the woods, you pig."
Soraya ignored her insult, dumping stacks of pancakes onto her plate as she headed straight towards the exit, flashing a middle finger behind Kiara's back. "Brat-hole." She muttered under her breath.
"Hey, Nanci!" Kiara waved hello as Kayla also followed along. "Why don't you, like, sit with us today? We'd love to have you join us. By the way, I love your jeans today! Like, oh-my-gosh, those could be the new wave, right Kay?"
"Oh-totally!" Kayla nodded, smiling as she turned towards Kiara. "Think Brooke had those same jeans too, right? Yup. So, like, the new trend!"
"Um…" Nanci glanced around awkwardly, timidly sitting across from them. "Thanks? Really nice of you, I suppose?"
"So…" Kiara leaned her chin on one hand, peering at Nanci. "Like, I've been thinking, I was wondering if you've given any long thought about my… alliance proposal? If you're not interested, that's okay. It's your choice, after all. But, like, could you do me one tiny favor? As a friend."
"Um, what kind of favor?"
Kayla suddenly stood up from her seat mid-conversation. "I gotta, like, use the restroom. Sorry."
"Ugh, hurry!" Kiara eyerolled. As soon as Kayla walked away, she glared at her nails once more.
"So…" Nanci continued. "The favor?"
"We'll talk about it once, like, Kayla finishes. Go grab yourself pancakes or whatevs."
"Okay?" Nanci stood up, awkwardly strolling to the kitchen. Upon opening the fridge, she heard the front doors creak open, accompanied with soft footsteps. Someone familiar returned to the dining area, sitting across from Kiara where Nanci once sat.
"Ahem, excuse me?" Kiara glared back up, frowning. "Cough, cough. Thought I told you, like, to eat outside! Shoo!"
"I just want to apologize…" Soraya looked down. "For calling you a 'skinny, snobby blonde'. It was not nice, and I only nicknamed you out of jealousy. Please forgive me."
"Hmm…" Kiara squinted, puzzled by her quick, sudden apologetic mood. "Nah. Unless, like, you let me lead for next challenge, then maybe. If I feel like it, of course…"
"Done and done. I'll let you lead next challenge. I promise." Soraya tilted her head back up, facing towards Kiara, smiling. "All this time, I've been nasty towards you out of pure jealousy. I've envied your beauty. Just wanna say, I'm sorry."
"Uhm…" Kiara squinted further, leaning her head outwards. "Uh-okay, really? You… promise? Like, real promise. No, like, take-backsies? None of that?"
"Yup. You should take charge. You're better at it than I am." Soraya looked back down, twiddling her fingers.
"Well, if you say so…" She smirked, crossing her arms. "See? Like, that wasn't so hard. From this point onwards, we'd get along just fine if you, like, follow my lead, do whatever I command, 'kay?"
"Sure." Soraya smiled, her elbows laid on the table surface as her chin rested on both her palms, gently gazing towards Kiara. "Your grey eyes are lovely. Have I ever told you that?"
"Um… what?"
"Sorry, it's just, you're such pure beauty. May I confess something?"
"You're, like, weirding me the hell out, but, like, whatevs. Go for it." Kiara sliced another pancake piece with her fork, almost finishing up her breakfast.
"I've, um… the reason why I've been really nasty to you was because… um… I, um… I secretly had a crush on you the entire time."
Kiara spat out her pancake mush onto the floor, flustered by what she just heard. "WHAT? Is this, like, some sort of prank?"
Upon noticing Kiara's slim hand gently resting on the table, Soraya reached over with one hand, laying her pale hand onto Kiara's. "Sorry if I'm moving too fast, or if I'm weirding you out, but um, do you, um… wanna set aside the game and go on a little date sometime? Try it out and see where it takes us? Maybe it'd be fun?" She held her hand.
"Uh-pfft, um…" Kiara remained speechless. "Sorry, what? I've, like, literally called you a fat pig today, and now you're, like, confessing your love for me? During breakfast? Out of nowhere? Wha-what the hell am I supposed to say?"
Soraya stood up, laying her knees on top of the wobbly table, hands tightly gripped onto the wooden edges, leaning her tired face closer to a sitting, wide-eyed Kiara. "Then, say no more." She flashed one last grin, then just like that, their lips touched, softly locking lips as both their eyes closed shut. Had anyone stumbled upon their sudden, passionate make-out, they would have passed out from utter shock…
"Whaaaa-?" Peeking behind the kitchen counter, Nanci's hand was over her mouth, baffled. She could not believe what she just witnessed. Kiara and Soraya? Kissing? There was absolutely no way anybody would have believed her had she spilled the beans. Upon continuously spying on their spontaneous love, she noticed Soraya's eyes suddenly widened open, halting their kiss.
"BLEH! WHAT WAS I THINKING?" Soraya immediately pulled her lips out, spitting out saliva while vigorously rubbing her lips with her fingers. Kiara remained seated; eyes wide-opened, confused. "Why am I on my knees? Why am I on top of the dining table. And WHY WERE WE JUST MAKING OUT?"
"WHAT?" Kiara scowled, attempting to rub the blush off her face. "You-YOU KISSED ME FIRST!"
"But you still KEPT GOING! YUCK!" Soraya sat back on her seat, her tongue sticking out from disgust.
"Yeah, 'kay, like, I don't wanna talk about it." Kiara looked away, rubbing her arm with a frown on her face. "I demand that we, like, never speak of this little incident again. Tell anyone we kissed, and I'll, like, make your life miserable. Got it?"
"Why would I ever tell anybody that I kissed a spoiled daddy's girl?"
"Okay, you know what? This convo is over, and that's final, 'kay? Bye."
Soraya stood up furiously. "Going back outside, where there's no ungrateful brats roaming around the wilderness. Oh, and don't forget, I'M STILL IN CHARGE OF THIS TEAM!" She pointed to herself before leaving while Kiara glared back to her nails, aggravated and baffled by what just happened.
"So, basically…" Nanci concluded. "That's what happened."
"Wait, seriously?" Kayla crossed her arms in disbelief. "No way. I don't buy that. Were their heads smashed or something? Like… wha'? And like, why didn't you ever tell me?"
"I couldn't believe it either." Nanci rubbed the back of her head. "Soraya must've been affected by something. She looked so out of her element that day. So weird."
"Meh." Daniela shrugged. "Those two were always inches away from kissin'. Maybe they secretly loved each other the entire time?"
"No way." Kayla shook her head. "They despised each other. You'd understand, like, how bad it got if you were on our team."
"Kiara x Soraya? I'd ship it." Oliver scribbled on a tiny notepad.
"Of course, you would." Spencer remarked.
"Argh! This reminds me of a super weird encounter I had once durin' thee storm…"
"Oh, great…" Spencer eyerolled, frowning.
"Avast ye…"
11:25 PM, Campfire Pit, During Thee Storm
"Sorry I'm late, but…" Emily asked, rubbing her eyes as she looked down at an exhausted Arnold, stiffly seated on a wooden log with his boots stuffed under the beach sand. "Why did you call me here this late?"
"You're an archer, right?"
"The best archer you'll ever meet!" She flashed a huge grin. "Do you need assistance? Oo! Oo! If you need help hunting, I'm your girl! Yay!"
"Well," he pointed towards the rainforest inland. "There's some creepy shadow lurkin' underneath the trees and I'm too scared to walk back to camp alone. Could you… keep me guarded?"
"Sure!" Emily nodded. "And may I ask why you're here all alone?"
"Um, I… got lost in the forest. I just need protection. Please?"
"You bet!" Emily lifted one of the campfire logs, revealing a bow and quiver underneath.
"Woah, you're crazy-prepared!" Arnold smiled in relief. "Which means, more protection for thee captain! Argh!"
"Arrrrrgh!" Emily giggled. "Okay, I'm ready. Let's roll!"
"And basically," Arnold concluded. "Emily saved me from that dreaded shadow! The end."
"I can confirm!" Emily raised her hand. "I was there. And we made it back safely. We never saw that shadow again. Yay!"
"That's it?" Spencer crossed his arms, rolling his eyes. Everyone else shared the same, blank, disapproving expression. "That was your weirdest experience? Why were you even in the campfire pit so late in the first place?"
"Big island. Pirates can get lost too, ya' know?" Arnold retorted.
"Well, that was totally filler." Oliver remarked. "Kayla? You said you had a weird story, right? Maybe you'll save us from this episode. The Total Drama viewers demand answers! So many unsolved mysteries need deciphering…"
"Uh-okay, well…" Kayla pondered. "I do have, like, one super-weird story. Dani, you were there with me, right? Wanna tell it? You know which one, right? By the ATVs? My memory needs refreshing."
"Sure." Daniela shrugged. "Think I know exactly what you're talkin' about. Sit tight, dudes. This one's pretty weird…"
5:48 PM, The Deep End Zone
"Guys, like, I think we've been going the wrong way." Kayla quivered. Her eyes frantically shifted left and right as she followed Daniela and Rashon from behind, walking through the dark rainforest off-path.
"You don't say." Daniela retorted. Alarmed, but her eyes remained relaxed. "Rashon, I thought this was the shortcut?"
"Uh-oh, I think we went the wrong, wrong way." Rashon gasped. "We need to head back to-"
And before he could finish, faint whispers echoed around them. A blanket of shadow wrapped over the wilderness.
"We run back where we went?" Kayla pointed back. Her forehead dripped heavy sweat, terrified by the whispering mist. "No-no way I'm, like, staying here. Please, Dani!"
Rashon glanced back, facing both his teammates. "Kayla, lead the way! Me and Daniela will follow!"
Kayla nodded, sprinting as fast as she could, and as far away from the whispers as possible. Daniela and Rashon followed pursuit, with their legs quickly fatiguing from the previously long, aimless walk. Pure adrenaline rush, their hearts racing at terrifying levels. The shadow above continued engulfing them, almost as if it were a race. Upon facing the darkening sky above, Daniela stubbed her toe against a pointy rock, faceplanting to the muddy ground.
"Rashon! Help!" She yelled, with her legs in an almost-cramped state. "My legs are fried, dude!"
Rashon slowed down, briefly glancing back. In a shocking turn of events, Rashon turned away, continuing his sprint. "Sorry, but you're on your own." He blurted frighteningly before leaving her behind…"
"W-w-w-wait a sec," Kayla rapidly paused her retelling. "That's not what happened. Like, you got that part wrong."
"Thought you said your memory needed refreshin'?" Daniela remarked, looking displeased.
"I can 100 percent guarantee you that, like, that did not happen." Kayla rolled her eyes. "Dani, you didn't trip. Rashon tripped. And Rashon didn't leave you behind. You left him behind."
"Um-que?" She laughed. "First off, why would I lie about somethin' like that? Secondly, you weren't exactly with us. You sprinted so far ahead of us, dude. Remember?"
"No, I wasn't!" Kayla fired back. "Dani, I saw you! Either you, like, totally forgot, or you're lying. It's as simple as that!"
Daniela crossed her arms, casually leaning her back onto the wall. "Kayla, I would never do such a thing. I may be nonchalant on a lot of things, but definitely not on leavin' friends behind. Like you said earlier, your memory needed refreshin'."
"Oh-my-gosh, guys?" Kayla glanced around for help. "I know you guys weren't there, but can you, like, back me up? I'm not going crazy, I knew exactly what I saw…" She gave Daniela a squinting glare. Daniela, however, shifted her eyes from left to right in apparent confusion.
"Settle down, you two," Oliver grinned, raising both hands in a stop sign. "Before this mystery gets heated, how 'bout we switch directions for this episode and talk about… the dreams we had before waking up here! Fun, right? Eh? Ehhhh? I'll go first! So, in my dream, I had a steamy encounter with a trampoline-"
"I'll stop you right there." Spencer's face scrunched in disgust. "Anybody else with a… less-picturesque dream? Nanci?"
"Oh, um, I don't remember." Nanci grinned, awkwardly clenching her teeth. "My ability to recall dreams are lacking."
Kayla raised her hand. "Had a weird dream about my bestie Noemi showing up on this island. Telling me something, like, 'sis, someone on this island is not what they seem,' then drifted out the cabin like a ghost. So weird yet felt so real."
Spencer rubbed his chin. "I had a similar vibe. There's an old saying that dreams are just a summary of your mood before heading to sleep. A recollection of things that made you ponder deeply during the day. Something like that. Funny, I was dreaming about walking home from school. Alone, of course. Then, a tall, bulky silhouette began chasing me from behind. And so, I had to sprint. Ever had those dreams where you would run, but it feels like you're running in slow motion? As if you were underwater? This was one of those dreams."
Kayla yawned. "Okay, and then?"
"Then once I reached my house, I walked inside. But then suddenly, I ended up here, on this very island. The silhouette continued chasing after me, like it hopped dimensions alongside with me. I glanced back at it and noticed the silhouette had changed shape. No longer tall and bulky like back home, but short and skinny. And yet, I was still afraid. Why? I don't know. I continued running away from it, wandering aimlessly into the forest…" He glanced towards Kayla, then Daniela, then finally, at Emily. "Before heading to sleep last night, I recalled an old saying, that 'darkness comes in all shapes and sizes.' I always found that line cheesy, but… that dream just made me realize how true it actually was…" He continued gazing at Emily, who simply flashed an awkward smile in return, playing with her hair. Everyone else seemed unbothered by their brief staring, but Nanci rubbed her eyes in confusion.
"Deep." Daniela blurted out. "Didn't know you're a philosopher," she winked.
"Just simple observation." Spencer concluded.
"Guys…" Emily cupped her ear, attempting to pick up the faint, monstrous echoes that circled around them, but she heard nothing. Just silence. "Sounds like the creature is gone! Yay! Should we head out now?"
Kayla nodded in agreement. "Yeah, before it returns. Let's all, like, make a run for it."
Arnold raised his sword. "We need to cover more ground. The captain suggests we split up-"
"No!" Spencer rolled his eyes. "Haven't you learned from the rescue challenge?"
Daniela smiled teasingly. "Spence, don't doubt your pirate buddy. He's right. In this case, we gotta cover more ground."
"What?" Spencer stood up, aggravated. "Have you two lost your mind?"
"Yes." Daniela snickered while picking up a reddish rock. "Look dudes, when Hunter was on this show, he would carve out markings on tree bark using certain stones like these…" She walked out the pathway, carving a giant 'X' onto the stone wall. "If our exploring goes south, we use these markings to find each other. Easy."
"Smart." Kayla stood up, dusting herself. "I'm in."
Emily hopped, clapping. "Me too! Yay!"
"Count the loveable Olive man in!"
"Sounds like a plan… ish." Nanci walked towards the group, waiting for a hesitant Spencer.
"Fine, I'm in, I guess."
"Argh! Now that's the spirit!" Arnold raised his sword triumphantly. "Oliver and Emily go left, Kayla and Daniela go right, and me, Nanci and Spencer will charge straight ahead. Let's roll!"
"I can't believe I agreed to this…" Spencer muttered, walking behind Nanci and Arnold as they continued traversing through the lengthy cave tunnels. "Hey Nance, don't you think we would've been better off had we gone together as a group?"
"I mean," she pondered. "We did say working together was the charm. Guess your bossiness earlier scared them away." She giggled.
"I'm a paranoid dude that reads too much horror novels on my spare time, what can I say?" He shrugged jokingly. "Classic horror trope. We split up, and the creature could pick us off one by one. Haven't you watched The Flinging?"
"Nah, I hate horror movies. They're too goofy."
"Arrrrrgh!" Arnold looked back, waving his torch around. "You two have to see the new pirate horror reboot! Jason McJackson will be playin' this year's Captain Crack!"
Spencer rolled his eyes. "You have… really weird taste in movies."
Nanci walked in between them. "Wasn't the original Captain Crack rated R?"
"Yeah, and the reboot's PG-13. Basically, a lame, watered-down version."
"Arrrrgh!" Arnold swung his sword. "Trust the new producers! They know what they doin'-" And before the pirate could finish, a screeching roar blasted from behind. The soundwave traversed through the pathway, strong enough to rattle the walls. The trio's eyes widened open, hearts racing, and heavy sweat dripped from their fatigued bodies.
"Run, run, RUUUUN!" Spencer screamed.
"So, how was sleepin' with Spencer been? Ehh? Catch my drift?" Daniela teasingly bumped Kayla's shoulders with her elbow.
"Pfft. Not my type," she remarked, blank-faced. "Slept in, like, separate rooms. He's one of those… quiet types."
Daniela giggled. "No wonder Nanci's all over him. But aye, sometimes, he just… intrigues me. Like, he's so reserved and the dude's so smart. You gotta wonder what he's thinkin'. Am I weird for thinkin' that?"
Kayla peered at her friend, playfully smirking. "Seems like your cruuushing."
"Pfft. Naaaaah," she brushed it off. "Too bad he sees me too much of a bro, ya' feel? Not that I'm crushin' or anything…"
"You're crushing."
Daniela held her hands on her hips, teasingly smirking. "Ya' haven't told me your eye candy yet. So, who is it?"
"None of these boys are, like, close to my type. Besides, I'm not here for relationships. Boys could ruin my chances of winning," she looked back, checking if anyone were spying on them, then faced back towards Daniela, lowering her voice. "So, like, I've been thinking. We should form an alliance together. Just you and me. Nanci and Spencer are, like, basically inseparable. They could pick us off if they wanted to, which, like, kinda worries me. So, whatcha say?"
"What about Emily? Or Oliver? Or pfft, Arnold?"
"Emily, like, she seems so attached to Spencer and Nanci. Also, don't know her too well. Oliver and Arnold? Yeah, no."
"Wow, you went from follower to leader real quick. But yeah, dude, of course. Count me in," Daniela extended her fist, waiting for a fist bump as Kayla slowly and awkwardly answered back with her own.
"Rad, bro." Kayla attempted a surfer dude accent, prompting laughter from her friend.
"We gotta work on your bro talk. But hey, that's funny."
"Nanci! Arnold! Can you guys hear me!" Spencer frantically screamed, cautiously speed-walking along the featureless pathway alone without any light. The only source of light he used was a mysterious, red glow meters ahead, almost lighting up the entire pathway with a dark-red aura. "What is that?" He muttered, approaching the glow, with its light appearing brighter and brighter the more he walked. Once he reached the source, he walked towards it, hidden behind a giant rock. Upon further inspection, he squinted further. "What in the-"
"Spencer! My man! Oh, I'm so glad to see a fellow main character!" Oliver shouted gleefully, walking towards him as Spencer quickly snatched the mysterious, glowing artifact, hiding it under his thin coat.
"Oh, hey Oliver. What's up?"
Oliver swung his tiki torch in front of him. "Just here to… lighten the mood."
"Wow. Hilarious." Spencer answered with an are-you-kidding-me expression. "Didn't you go with Emily?"
"Creature chased us around, separating us. Shame. Was just getting to know her. We could've been an iconic duo."
"Uhm… sure, man."
Oliver somberly sighed. "It's a bummer. We're already halfway through the season, and it still feels like I haven't found my own footing. My own breakthrough. Almost like I'm just a… spectator on this show. Like, 'hey, who's this nerdy character that no one cares about? Oh, you mean Oliver? Yeah, irrelevant.' And even worse, my Total Drama trivia knowledge came to no use. Why? 'Cause the whole show's going bonkers, man. Off the script. Unpredictable. Basically, I came into this show as a nerdy character stacked with reality TV knowledge. Now, I'm just… a character. Thought this was my life dream. Appearing on reality TV. Making a name for myself. And yet, I feel… empty? Like, once I'm out this show, my name will fade to obscurity. My few moments of fame? Whoosh, gone, within a matter of seconds. See what I mean, man? Scary."
Spencer crossed his arms, casually smiling. "I feel you, dude. Mostly on the whole being-a-spectator part. As cheesy at it sounds, you just gotta… be yourself. And ya' know what? You're already doing just that. You're not just a character. You're Oliver. And you've made it. You wanna be famous? Well, you've done it."
"Cheesy, but thanks." Oliver grinned, quickly regaining confidence. "Ya' know what, dude? You and I are not so different. You're basically a more serious and grumpier version of me, and you're basically the main character of this story, but hey! Great minds think alike, am I right?" He flashed his signature finger-guns.
"Know what? On first impressions, I found you a bit… obnoxious, no offense. But now, I think we'd get along just fine. If we met at the same school, you'd definitely be on my Facybook friends list."
As Oliver was about to speak, they both heard an unnerving, deep groan a few meters ahead in the darkness. Turning towards the source, Oliver stepped forward, frighteningly walking with his torch extended outwards, with Spencer sneaking behind. Upon reaching towards it with the torch lighting up the area, their jaws dropped upon the revelation: a short, wounded person wearing all black, with his worn ski mask still intact, sitting down while wrapping a bandage around his left knee…
"Z-Zane?" Spencer stepped backwards, eyes wide opened and body shivering. "W-what are you d-d-doing here?"
"So, you are important to the story arc." Oliver rubbed his chin. "Hey Spencer, check it out! Turns out Zane wasn't fodder after all."
Spencer rolled his eyes. "Not funny, dude."
As soon as Zane finished treating his leg, he attempted to write on the wall with a rock. However, his message appeared incomprehensible. Jagged and scribbled. He had no other choice, no other method of communication. For the first time on the show, he opened his mouth…
"B-b-b-b…"
Spencer and Oliver stood back, jump-scared from his sudden speech. Zane's voice was deep. Very deep…
"Beware of Red." Zane finished before coughing.
"R-red? What's that?" Spencer's eyes widened even further.
"A cryptic message? Oh, come on, man!" Oliver's desperate shouting caused an echo throughout the cave tunnels, alarming the creature from afar as it answered back with a screechy roar. Spencer, Oliver, and even Zane stood up frantically, preparing to run away from the creature once again.
"We gotta run! NOW!" Spencer screamed. The trio ran away from the terrifying, animalistic source. A few seconds after sprinting, they stumbled upon three branching pathways. Zane zoomed towards the left, Oliver dashed through the middle, and Spencer turned to the right, without daring to look back.
Alone and frightened, Spencer continued running using the red glow within his coat as his light source. Detecting four, faint silhouettes a couple meters ahead, he desperately shouted, hoping they were his fellow competitors.
"Hey guys!" The closer he approached the shadowy figures, the easier he could pinpoint their faces. Once again, he felt safe.
"Spencey!" Emily shouted with glee, running towards him with a friendly hug.
"Um, hey Emily." He gently shoved her away, walking towards the rest of the group. "Hey Nanci!" He hugged her tightly, then awkwardly glanced at the remaining two. "Oh, hey Daniela and Kayla."
"Hey." Kayla answered blankly.
"Get a room, you two." Daniela teased.
"Okay, so, guys…" Kayla interrupted. "I think I saw another tall shadowy person walking past us by, like, an intersecting pathway. At first, thought it was Spencer. But he's here, so, it can't be him."
"Then it's either Arnold or Oliver." Nanci countered.
"No-no, it couldn't be them. The person was, like, tall-ish? Oh-my-gosh, guys? I think we're not alone…"
Faint footsteps could be heard ahead of them. Daniela and Kayla both grabbed their tiki torches, extending them forward as the shadowy figure appeared closer and closer. Squinting, Spencer detected a few familiar colors on the person's outfit: a teal-colored long-sleeved shirt, khaki pants, and a scheming smile.
"Guys, guys, it's me…" Upon stepping into the light, the group's eyes widened open, completely baffled as to why he appeared…
"TOPHER?" Everyone blurted in unison.
"Yup. Shocker." Topher dusted off his shirt. His face was visibly bruised up, hair messy, and shirt worn out. Almost like he was left in the caves for days.
"What's going on here?" Spencer demanded. "Why are we here? Why are you here?"
"I was dumped here. Same as you guys." Topher reached within his pockets. "But it's not over yet. I know of a way out…" He pulled out his phone, completely intact and scratch-free. "Back in Pahkitew Island, we had an escape-the-cave challenge. Being stuck with a claustrophobic Jasmine, I knew I had to take brief charge. But then, it quickly struck me: Chris's phone. I used his signal bars to guide us out of the caves. That's how Jasmine and I escaped. And that is how we'll escape…" He smirked. A few of the campers remained uneased and skeptic, especially Spencer.
"Still doesn't explain why you're here." Spencer squinted.
"That's not important. What matters is that we escape out of these treacherous caves in one piece." The fatigued host smirked. "Just follow the Topher."
"Four bars! Yes!" Topher shouted in excitement upon finally reaching the exit, observing the bright-day sunlight. Bright-blue sky, with no clouds on sight. Palm trees surrounding the cave entrance. Fresh air. Birds soaring. Nanci, Spencer, Emily, and Daniela quickly caught up from behind, breathing in the fresh air, looking up towards the sunny sky with the brightest smiles on their faces. "We made it out, guys! We made it! See? The Topher man doesn't lie."
"Woah. Turns out you were right, I suppose." Spencer sighed in relief, unwilling to glance back at the cave of darkness.
"Now," Topher called their attention. "Who here is hungry-"
"TOPHER!" An angry Julian screamed from a few meters away, stomping towards him with an aggravated look on his face. The rest of the competitors stood and watched from behind, puzzled. "W-WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING? You trying to get me fired? Well, congrats. You just played yourself. Producers just called. After screwing me over by directly interfering with the challenge, and quite frankly, disrupting the entire episode, you are now fired from the show permanently for disorderly conduct. Pack your bags. Go home. Your hosting career is over."
"Wait a sec…" Kayla interrupted. "This was a challenge the entire time? Like, I woke up from an uncomfortable sleep, within the caves, crying. No food, no water for the first few hours. I totally thought, like, I was a goner! I-I thought I was taken away! You guys, like, scared the living hell out of me!"
"Yeah!" Spencer agreed. "Dragged us all to the caves during our sleep without any prior announcements? What gives?"
"Hey, I'm just following orders!" Julian retaliated. "You guys weren't briefed on a challenge because that was the point. Part of the challenge was: you guys having no idea why you've woken up inside a cave system and basically, last camper that made it out loses in a sudden-death elimination. That was the plan. But guess what? Since your former host Topher lead all four of you out, we lost plenty of potential footage."
"Nah-ah-ah. Not so fast there, Julian," Topher wagged his finger. "You expect the producers to fire me, after you failed to properly execute the challenge by not keeping me under a leash? You expect the executives to let the contestants' poor treatment slide under the rug when they could reign fire with lawsuits at a moment's notice? You expect them to keep you running as host after a 100 percent disapproval from both the cast members and the entire staff?" After a few seconds of awkward silence, Julian's phone rang from within his pockets. "You better answer that." Topher smirked.
"Yes?" Julian answered his phone. "So, Topher is staying? Okay. Okay. Sounds good. Thank you." He turned off his phone. "Congrats, Topher. The producers are giving you one last, final chance to stay. However, you're still off hosting duties. A new, temporary host will be chosen by next challenge."
Topher grinned. "And that's what I like to hear…"
Confessional:
Topher: "Patience… is key." He smirked. "Only a matter of time until I snatch back my hosting gig. Julian's butt-kissing can only take him so far. Luckily for me, I've already faced this same exact predicament back at Pahkitew. I know exactly what I'm doing: planting the seed of doubt…"
-static-
Oh, and as for you guys?" Julian turned to face the competitors. "Congrats. Challenge over. You five dodged elimination today."
Upon hearing the good news, the entire cast of campers cheered and a few sighed in relief. Emily clapped, Daniela and Kayla high-fived each other, and Spencer and Nanci gently hugged. However, two more campers were left to escape the cave systems. Which meant, the challenge would not be over yet…
Spencer glared at Julian. "What about Oliver and Arnold?"
"Oh, one of them had already beaten you guys to it," Julian flashed a grin, surveying a boulder behind the campers alongside the cave entrance. "Yo! Come on out now!"
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"ARRRRGH!" Arnold hopped onto the boulder like a spider, swinging his sword in the air. "After the terrifying creature finished pursuing me, I saw light at the end of the cave, and the rest was history!"
"Great." Spencer muttered to himself. The rest of the contestants reacted indifferently with Arnold's victory, but Spencer rolled his eyes at the sight of the pirate.
"Arnold," Julian announced. "As the winner of today's challenge, you now have access to the suburban cabin. Congrats, I guess."
"This pleases the captain." Arnold grinned.
"Anyways," The host continued. "Before you guys return to the compound, there's been a couple… changes." Everyone raised their eyebrows upon hearing the cryptic news. "You'll see what I mean once you guys arrive back. In the meantime, I'll see everyone at the ceremony tonight…"
Confessional:
Spencer: "So, final six? Crazy how far I've made it." He rubbed his chin, staring down the camera with alarming eyes. "Being stranded with my competitors in a confined space for hours quite literally, opened my eyes. I learned a lot about them. Gathered more insight than ever before. Noticing some weird, off-putting things. Which is why I haven't told anyone about my encounter with Zane. Well, besides Oliver, 'cause, he was there and all. I'll probably tell Nanci about it later, but for now, keep my head low, and trust no one. You can never be too careful…"
-static-
Kayla: "Wow!" She rubbed her hands ecstatically. "Can't believe I've survived, like, yet another challenge! Never thought I'd say this, but being leader is so my forte! Anyways, I hope that Dani and I stick to the game plan. Yeah, Spencer and Nanci are nice people, but this is a game, and they will vote together inseparably, no matter what. Which means, Dani and I must stick side-by-side if we, like, have a shot at the finale. Oh-my-gosh, even saying the word 'finale' makes me, like, wow!" She smiled, already deeply envisioning the million dollars in a briefcase.
-static-
Arnold: "Argh!" He swung his sword. "I've been thinkin' of droppin' my pirate accent, but after my spectacular performance today, maybe movie directors would reconsider my potential? No clue, but I won't give up method actin' just yet! Even if Spencer eye-rolls my every move! ARRRRGH!"
-static-
Oliver: He looked to the wooden floor, disappointed in himself. "Just like I predicted earlier. The end of my journey. Welp, I had a good run. Might've not beaten Sierra's placement on World Tour like I wanted from the start, but hey, after this episode airs, the viewers will appreciate my impressive character growth and off-the-charts killer zingers. This is Oliver… signing off."
-static-
"Swim of Shame just a dive away." Julian pointed, as Oliver continued walking over the wooden dock, under the night sky. The rest of the contestants remained seated near the campfire, chewing on their marshmallows. "Ready for a swim?"
"Give me one sec." Oliver paused, turning around, waving to the contestants. "Farewell everyone! My Oliver moments were fun while it lasted, but hey, I wanted to be a comic-relief character, and now, I paid the price. Oh, and Spencer? Take this…" He hurled his personal notepad towards him like a football. "My personal notes filled with theories, notes, hints, clues, secrets and some fun little Easter eggs. All based on my own… observations," he winked.
"Thanks." Spencer smiled. "Take it easy, man. You will be missed. No sarcasm this time."
"See ya', Oliver!" Nanci waved a somber goodbye.
"I'll miss you too!" Emily waved, flashing a smile.
"Argh, matey! You were one tough pirate!" Arnold shouted, whatever that meant. After Arnold's goodbye wave, Daniela and Kayla simply followed along with a brief, expressionless wave, seemingly indifferent on Oliver's departure.
"Oliver… out!" He extended his arms outwards, dropping backwards into the ocean water. Julian turned his head around, scratching his head.
"Strange exit, but whatevs," the temporary host shrugged. "Oliver down. Six more to go. Who else will drink sea water? Who will replace me as the new temporary host? And will we ever reveal what occurred under Operation Brilliant Red?"
"Operation what-now?" Kayla blurted out.
"Stay tuned if you want that exact question answered on the next episode of Total! Drama! Bakuhatsu Island!
Midnight sky. Near full moon. Under the moonlight shine, Spencer dug a compact hole onto the ground with his bare hands. As soon as the hole was spacious enough, he reached within his coat, grabbing the artifact found earlier in the cave, and cautiously dropped it inside. Scrambling dirt back into the hole, he heard footsteps nearby. Alarmed, he sped up the process, wiping sweat off his forehead, remaining crouched…
"Spencey? What are you doing?" Emily called him out, with her arms timidly behind her back.
"Emily?" Spencer squinted at her. "W-what are you doing here? How'd you find me?"
"Oh, I was walking alongside Dani in the forest, but seems like I've lost her. Seen her, by any chance?"
"She crashed asleep a long while ago?"
"Oh-oh really? Well, you might be right. Thank you so, so much for your help, Spencey! You're the best!" Emily waved goodbye, yawning, smiling gleefully as she turned around, ready to head to bed…
Until Spencer stopped her, with a question…
"What swamps beneath the water, striking its prey like a sniper? What sheds tears of insincerity, yet gleeful of its victim's misfortunes? What has thick, impenetrable skin, shielding its inner, cold-blooded maneuvers from the outside?"
Emily turned back around, confused. For a long moment, Spencer observed her face in great detail, noting her puzzled smile and yet, the rest of her face remained cold and stiff. Her eyes frozen in place like stone.
"Crocodile. Obviously."
"Oh, oh-right!" Emily grinned, as she turned and walked away. A few seconds later, she stopped. Unsure whether to continue walking away…
Or to confront him.
"I'm impressed, Spencey. Those observational skills really did come in handy after all. Now tell me; how quickly did you find that immunity idol behind the rock?"
Upon hearing the revelation, Spencer's eyes widened open, glancing at his dig site, then back at Emily. She stood still, with her back facing him, facing the dark trees ahead of her.
"You-you knew." Spencer mumbled. "You hid it. You had the idol all along and hid it near me, didn't you?"
She gazed up at the night sky. "Ya' know? Full moons are my favorite nights. The moonlight shining over us like if darkness had its own little sun. Anyhow, I'd love to chit-chat. Really. We could go all night, talk about my game plan, my cute little schemes, but like I've said earlier, I'm exhausted. Hey, I have an idea! Let's have a chat the next morning. Just you and me. Alone. Cool? Cool. Anyways, well, I'm super-duper beat. Goodnight Spencey! Talk to ya' tomorrow! Love ya'!" Emily walked off, ending the conversation…
With a smirk…
The Votes:
Sudden-Death Elimination: (Oliver)
Elimination Table:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7. Oliver
8. Hunter
9. Soraya
10. Rashon
11. Kiara
12. Lily
13. Zane
14. Alexander
Remaining Contestants:
Daniela, Arnold, Emily, Spencer, Kayla, Nanci
And… that's a wrap! Like the previous chapter, this one took me quite a while to figure out the flow. Also, in case you were confused, I changed the chapter title. Felt like this new title was more fitting than the previous. Now, let's dive into what my thoughts were when writing this chapter in particular…
First off, you've probably noticed the lack of confessionals in the entire episode. Well, not to worry. I didn't forget, of course. It was a stylistic choice I wanted to explore prior to writing this episode, as I wanted a more bare-bones chapter that would highlight the psyche of each character (or so, I hoped) by having them interact with each other under a confined space, and also, to push forward the urgency that the contestants woken themselves into. Definitely a bit of an experimental TD episode (at least, in my opinion), so feel free and let me know your thoughts on that! (and no worries, the normal confessional format will return by next episode. Phew!)
Oh, and Oliver was just eliminated. On a sudden-death elimination episode. Fun fact, my early outlines actually had him further ahead in the game, but I decided to completely rework his post-merge plotline in favor for a more… risky plot (in my opinion, at least. You'll see what I mean once the following chapter releases). Anyways, I had a lot of fun with this character than previously anticipated.
So, overall thoughts? Your thoughts on Emily and her reveal towards the end? Who are you rooting for? Any additional theories and predictions?
Thank you to all my fellow readers and reviewers! You guys are truly great! Hopefully, the following chapter releases a lot quicker. Five more chapters to go, so stay tuned for more updates!
