You would think that, as it stands, as our first challenge-the producers would go easy on us, right??
Wrong.
I stood at the top of the cliff sporting my pink and black leopard print bikini with yellow straps where I was to jump off and plummet to my eminent doom. Chris had already explained the challenge to us—now it was our turn just to complete the challenge. "Killer bass!" Chris called out catching our attention, "you're up first," he said with a smug look on his face. God I hate him, I though peering bravely over the edge.
*confessional*
"A cliff dive?!?!" I screamed into the camera. "You've got to be joking. Secretly I've always wanted to jump off of something from a great height but I mean have you SEEN some of my team mates?" I asked, "I don't think half of them will make it." I thought over a bit what I just said—sounded a little rough. "But great props if they do jump." I said with a weak smile and a thumb up.
*static*
"Oh wow, so who wants to go first?" Bridgett asked looking over the edge next to me. Immediately I began to back up, so as not to be mistaken for wanting to jump off from my being so close to the edge. Unfortunately I backed up into Duncan who muttered, "ladies first," and pushed my forward again. Shouting something foul in his direction I ran to the back of the group where I wouldn't get pushed off the edge of a cliff.
"Ok fine I go." Bridgett mutter, "No biggy, It's only an insane cliff dive into a circle of angry sharks." With the last word said she jumped off the edge.
She didn't even scream—which I thought was pretty amazing—but go figure she landed in the safe zone. Tyler gained some confidence from bridges landing and jumped off with out reason or aim…
He landed on a buoy—poor guy.
Most of the team hand jumped off by now and only DJ and Courtney—I really did have to pat my team mates on the back for that, I felt sorry for doubting them. The only ones who hadn't jumped off yet where me and one of the freaky twins, who started a tantrum about not being on the same team as the other twin. Finally Izzy switched with them and jumped of the cliff with ease. The moment had come—my turn. "You're up Esme!" Chris said. I was starting to rethink about jumping off as I peered down at the water, "yeah, about that." I looked back at Chris who gave me a wink and then back down at my team mates. "Come on Esme you can do it!" someone called up; it was Bridgett. "Just jump!!" some one else called. It was Duncan. I took a deep breath and jumped off.
The whole way down I screamed bloody murder until I hit smack dab in the middle of the circle. As I hit the water, rather harsh I must admit, I felt something come lose and fly off. Surfacing I realized what I had lost; panicking I covered my chest and searched around for my swim suit top. My heart sank like a rock when I found it—on the other side of the safety rope.
I may not have been listening but I did hear Chris mention a thing or two about the man eating sharks whom were circling the safety waiting for some one to fall on the other side of the rope. Cursing under my breath I swam over the edge of the rope and tried to reach for the floating top but to no luck-my arms were to short. Maybe they won't notice me? I thought. But at that exact moment a shark fin stalked by my top which, at this point, was beginning to sink. As an act of pure panic I took a deep intake of air and dashed under the rope and made a grab for the suit. Quickly I slipped it back on and looked up in triumph only to be met by an angry shark baring its teeth as it swam towards me. I screamed and lost any remaining air I had left in my lungs; I began to sank as the bubbles floated to the top. I watched, frozen in a state of panic, as the shark came closer and closer until right before it rammed me in the stomach I was pulled out of the way and back into the circle. I reached for the surface and coughed and sputtered all the water out of my lungs and turned to face my rescuer. It was Lashawna and Gwen; "whoa," I muttered breathing heavily; they where both staring at my like they both simultaneously had a heart attack at the same time.
"Girl, we just saved your butt and all you have to say is whoa?" she yelled. I shook my head back to reality and threw my arms around both of them. "OH MY GOD, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!" I yelled to them. They both said the rescue was nothing and asked me why I was over there; they both had clearly seen me jump into the safe zone. I blushed and told them about my top. They both burst into a fit of laughter, "it's not funny!" I snapped, "I could have died!" they calmed there giggles down and Gwen replied, "Your right, but your wrong," I looked at her puzzled, "your right, you could have died. But you're wrong, it was REALLY funny."
I mumbled something profound and hopped onto the boat which carried me back to the shore where I was bombarded my Courtney a Bridgett. "Where were you!!? You scared us to death. We saw you go into the water but you never came up!!"
I scratched the back of my head "oh yeah about that, I um... had some difficulties with a bathing suit problem." I told them and relief washed over there faces.
"Wow guys, that's really cool of you to be worried about me and stuff!" I told them "your our team mate of course were going to care if you end up missing!" they told me.
****
So it ended up like this, all the gophers had jumped and only Justin and Beth hadn't made it. Next it was Owens turn. I really thought that this guy was about to kill him self. Yet I found that I just couldn't stop my self from watching him as he jump off the edge of the cliff.
There was a great splash as he hit the water, so great a big wave came and washed us all back into the trees. I laughed when I found my self at the top of an oak, only to scream in fear at the thought of climbing down. "A little help, please?" I called down; to my surprise Duncan came and ran over to the foot of the tree, "jump!" he yelled up. "Are you kidding me, hell no!!?" I screamed at him "trust me!" he called back
I took a deep breath and let go of the tree. It felt like jumping of the cliff all over again, but this time I wouldn't land in the soft water. I braced myself expecting to hit the ground, but surprisingly he caught me. "See I told you id catch you" he said with a smug look. "Yeah, yeah whatever" I said before muttering a strained, "Thank you. Now put me down." I told him. He obeyed.
"THE SCREEMING GOPHERS WIN FIRST CHALLENGE!!" Chris yelled threw a blow horn.
*confessional*
"aww man…" I wined at the thought of our loss.
*static*
It felt like whatever was inside was getting heavier with every push; we where pushed our crates up to our campsite to make the hot tub. It was so unfair they gophers got wheelbarrows. "What the crap!!?" I screamed to no one in particular, "Is this someone's idea of a sick joke because its soooo not funny!!!" I directed that last bit in the direction of Chris, who was on his four-wheeler talking to Courtney. He didn't hear me apparently because the next thing I heard leave his mouth was "oh my boxers that's bad" he wasn't even paying attention to my ranting. I sighed; did he just say 'oh my boxers that's bad'? I thought pushing my crate as hard as I could, I'm not going to lie—that was pretty lame. And yet it was awesome. The sound of foot steps and a crate grinding against the sand pulled me out of my thoughts.
"Hey, what's up?" Duncan asked as he came up behind me. I sighed, "Oh nothing much, just having difficulty's trying to push this god damned crate." I told him casually. "You know the usual."
I heard a chuckle escape his lips "but I mean how the hell do they expect use to build a fully working hot tub." I said angrily. "I don't know. I mean, this thing better come with easy read instructions or…" he thought for the right words. "Where totally screwed"
I nodded in agreement, "Tru dat."