Part VI – Exile

"Heather, why did you call us here so early?" Beth asked nervously, though secretly thinking that she was getting rather tired of these sudden, secret meetings of Heather's.

Heather raised her eyebrows at Beth. "Are you questioning me?"

Beth flushed rapidly. "No, of course not!" she blustered, shying away from the icy stare Heather was directing at her.

"Good," Heather replied curtly. "Well then, you're here because we have a situation."

"Again?" Lindsay said, her eyes wide.

Heather sighed. "Yes, again. Although Duncan is not in power, he still has a lot of influence, and the island is laced with traitors and spies working for him.

"We can't let them take over, so what I want you to do is to go through the campers and figure out who's still loyal to Duncan. Bring me back two names each by lunch, and then we'll deal with them."

"Two names?" Beth echoed. "What if there aren't that many traitors?"

A cruel smile spread across Heather's smile, an action that seemed to becoming habit. "Then make some up. We need to . . . make an example for those who might consider turning."

"Even if they're innocent?"

"Of course," Heather retorted. "And make sure you bring them with you at lunch. If they don't want to, force them. Use Saskatchanaqua if you have to."

Lindsay and Beth both gasped. "Saskatchanaqua?" Lindsay whispered.

"Didn't I tell you?" Heather said. "Saskatchanaqua has agreed to offer his services in return for two bags of marshmallows every day. So get him if the traitors – real or supposed – won't cooperate. Now, I suggest you get moving if you want two by lunch."

As Beth obediently slunk away, she began to wonder if following Heather really was the best idea. Surely, a good leader wouldn't punish innocents . . .

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When night fell, the campers found themselves clustered around the small stage behind the mess hall that had served for their talent show and announcement of losers during the age of Chris' rein. The place incited bad memories for them, and somehow they knew that it wouldn't be any better this time.

Just then, Heather strode onto the stage, and silence descended upon the crowd. Heather smiled, relishing in the effects she had on her . . . followers. It was good to be queen.

"Good evening, all," Heather said, her smile cold. "I'm going to cut right to the chase: hardly one day has gone by since we overthrew Chris, and we already have traitors and conspirators in our midst. But we have to keep the new Lake Wawanakwa clean of such problems so that we don't fall into the old terror of Chris' rein – the same reason we had to get rid of Chef as well."

She paused to let this sink in, sensing the discomfort that ran through the campers. Then she continued: "Lindsay has already brought me two who don't see the righteous way – Noah and LeShawna." As if on cue, Saskatchanaqua strode up onto stage at that very moment. Immediately, the campers shrieked and scrambled backwards as far as they could from the stage without inciting Heather's stone glare. But it Saskatchanaqua seemed oblivious to their terror, and if it wasn't for the kicking and biting teens under each arm, he could have passed as a tame bear.

Heather's smirk twitched in amusement. "Noah and LeShawna have been complaining about the way things are run here, and have proven themselves disloyal to the new regime. And so, to protect you dear, true campers, I have decided to exile them to Boney Island."

At this, no one could restrain a gasp of shock. Boney Island was undoubtedly the most dangerous place in Ontario, and possibly all of Canada. Chris had staged several challenges there, from which many campers, including Cody, had come within an inch of losing their lives.

Heather seemed to remain oblivious to this. "Of course, there are a few more treacherous campers that we must deal with. Firstly, Beth. Come up here, Beth."

In the audience, Beth gasped and shrunk back, trying to blend into the trees themselves. But Heather fixed her with an icy glare, and she felt her heart stop. Her limbs seemed to be frozen, and she found she couldn't move. The other campers were staring at her. With a nervous swallow, Beth cautiously approached the stage, her head hanging.

"Beth, here, tried to protect several traitors," Heather was saying. "And she is now to be punished as any other disloyal camper would be – she, too, will be exiled to Boney Island."

Beth felt tears of anger prickling behind her eyes. It wasn't fair. Heather was twisting her words; all she had done was not come up with two names for exiling by lunch. But Beth said nothing, and let her tears splash onto the stage at her feet.

Heather's smirk returned. "But her rebellion was in vain, for I have discovered the traitors on my own. Cody, Trent, come up here."

The campers still on the ground buzzed with shocked chatter as Cody and Trent, bewildered, wandered up to stand behind her. Surely, they thought, they could not be accused for treachery, as they had followed Heather's instructions to the letter.

"Cody has divided alliances; I think we are all painfully aware to his puppy-love of Gwen, and that is turning him into a danger to us all."

"What?!" Cody cried, but Heather ignored him.

"And Trent is ever worse so, for he was actually dating Gwen," she continued. "And he has made his alliances clear. In his most recent song, he sings his loss of Gwen along with complaints of our new island. He is a threat to Lake Wawanakwa."

"How did you get that song?" Trent demanded.

Heather smirked. "We have camera's everywhere, remember, Trent? Nothing goes unnoticed. But we have one last traitor to mention. Duncan, come up here."

But unlike the previous campers, Duncan crossed his arms staunchly and did not move. "Are you kidding me, sweetie? I have done nothing wrong."

"I said anyone who slacked in their work would be punished accordingly, did I not?" Heather retorted. "And you failed to hijack the boat. Therefore, you, too, shall be exiled. Now, get up here."

"No," Duncan snapped. "It's not my fault I never learned how a boat worked."

But Heather was undaunted. Tossing her head, she spoke to Saskatchanaqua: "Get him."

Realizing what was about to happen, Duncan turned and ran. His black outfit blended into the shadows, and he quickly melted into the forest, unnoticeable to the average eye. Saskatchanaqua started after him, but Heather cut him off suddenly.

"Never mind. Leave Duncan for now, but if he ever returns, he knows what will be waiting for him."

Saskatchanaqua blinked at her dumbly, but obediently returned to the stage. Heather addressed the campers before her: "Well, that's all for tonight. Don't prove yourselves one of them, and you are free to go now."

"Wait," Lindsay said suddenly. "What about their jobs?"

"Oh, well you'll just have to split those amongst yourselves," Heather replied apathetically, as the remaining campers exchanged horrified glances. This was not the way they'd imagined freedom.