Author's Notes
HAPPY LATE HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!
This chapter came much earlier than expected, and that's because I was quite motivated to write. However, I must tell you that during this month I will be very busy with my studies, so the next chapter will take time to come out.
I'm also thinking about the content of the next chapter, because that will be the Halloween special that I have planned. Until then, enjoy this chapter full of surprises.
But before continuing, we will respond to constant reviews.
Guest 1138: Don't worry, Otis is aware that he must be careful with that information. Karen will now have to be careful, especially after the end of this chapter.
ZNBT: Big Momma is based on Lord Dominator (and partly on King Louie), Sledge on Krang, and the Insectoids on Cy-Bugs. If you haven't seen Wander Over Yonder, I highly recommend it. It is definitely one of the best Disney animated series of this decade. The first season is good and entertaining, but the second is where the best really begins.
Total Drama: Enchanted
Chapter 16 - The Lost Treasure of the Golden McLean
Sonya was on her bunk, tuning the chords on her guitar, before playing a few little tunes. Next to her was Ginger, who was tidying up the mattresses and sheets.
"What are you doing that for, Ginger?" the rocker asked.
"I like to keep things in order" replied the girl.
Confessional
Ginger - "I admit I have a little obsession with cleanliness and order."
Ginger offers to order Sonya's bunk, but she declines.
"No thanks" said the rocker. "I like having it like this."
Ginger arches an eyebrow, looking at the messy bunk, with clothes thrown around it and several crumpled sheets of paper, before turning her gaze back to the girl.
"Yeah, I like my mess" replied simply the rocker.
Rita was locked in her cabin, working on a new experiment. There she had items that you would find in a science lab, such as a microscope, several test tubes, a flask, a thermometer, a scalpel, etc. Also, she still has the small portable lab she had built in the gladiator challenge.
After mixing a few chemicals, she removes her goggles and wipes the sweat off her forehead.
"How good it feels to be back."
Confessional
Rita - "I was already missing working with chemicals and making new formulas. The whole thing about Erika being an android, the alien Tony, the nosy Clover, and the teleportation device have distracted me from my old projects, but now I can get back to work where I left it, like Fang's DNA that I had collected but never investigated."
Karen was calmly sitting at the dining room table, trying to eat Chef's disgusting breakfast. Across from her sits Hunter, who seems interested in starting a conversation.
"The truth is that our alliance to kick Chantal out was quite effective, Karen" commented the hunter.
"Do you believe that?"
"Sure, I know people like her, always like a never-ending toothache" Hunter sighed. "Having her out is going to make this easier."
"Wow, I never considered Chantal such a fearsome rival" said Karen. "I was just sick of her repeating the same words comrade and sailor nonstop."
"I don't deny it, but you and I were instrumental in her elimination," Hunter pointed out.
"Sure…" Karen said, with a mysterious smile. "Who would you like to go now?"
"I wouldn't mind losing sight of Yoshi or Felix."
"Speaking of Yoshi, where is he?" Karen asked.
"He sure is hiding so he won't face the truth," Hunter guessed. "Now that we've found out, he knows he's finished."
"Sweep you scum!"
From the kitchen, Chef pushes Lucas with a broom into the dining room. He gave him the task of sweeping the floor after he had thrown away his plate of rotten salad.
However, Lucas was holding the broom upside down, and he used the wrong end to sweep the floor, only causing several irritating squeaks.
"Hey, Lucas" Hunter called him. "Did you come from Stupid Town?"
"No, I came from the kitchen" Lucas replied.
"How has he managed to stay here?" Karen asked Hunter.
"Good question".
Confessional
Karen - "There are people I don't consider great annoyances, like Lucas, Ginger, Raymond and Sonya ... Then there are the annoyances, like Felix, Rita and Yoshi ... and at the end there are the BIG annoyances, like Otis and Hunter. Uhm ... I should. make a priority list."
Otis - "I have not forgotten what Diego told me before he left ... In fact, I already suspected Karen since the canoe challenge. I knew that this girl is not what she seems ... But I must be careful. I have seen the other seasons, and I know I mustn't be conspiratorial and challenge Karen right away, or I'll be next in the slingshot."
Hunter - "Unlike the rest, I am not naive. I am convinced that Yoshi is not the mole because I have met people like him, and they always walk around as honorable beings who would not play dirty, although their lives depend on it. "With honor to the end" ... I also don't suspect Felix, being as irritating as he is, not bothering to hide a facade. I also don't suspect absolute fools like Ginger and Lucas ... My suspicions go towards Rita, Otis, Karen, Raymond and Sonya. I mustn't discount anyone."
Lucas - "I'm very happy that nobody cheats or causes the eliminations of our teammates."
"Attention, explorers!" Chris called over the speakers. "Get ready for one of the greatest expeditions of your lives! Report to the entrance of the caverns in 10 minutes! McLean out!"
The 10 contestants had appeared in front of the entrance of the cave they had crossed in the first episode. Chris was waiting there, dressed in pirate clothes, and a plastic parrot strapped to his shoulder.
"It's giving me déjà vu…" Hunter commented hatefully.
"Arrgh, my comrades!" Chris exclaimed. "Welcome to the Pahkitew Caves, home to hundreds of treasure legends! Hundreds of treasures are hidden on this island, and not only in caves, but also at the bottom of the sea where ships sank ..."
"Like that old submarine you locked us in yesterday?" Karen asked.
"Are you going to make us go to the bottom of the sea?" Otis asked with a frown.
"No, because that would be very expensive ... Either we pay for the oxygen for some diving suits, or we pay the lawyers for the lawsuits after their drowning deaths" Chris explained. "Today's challenge will be much simpler than that."
"IT'S NEVER SIMPLE!" cried Felix.
"But this island is not more than a year old since it was built," Rita said. "There can be no hidden treasures and legends on a renovated artificial island."
"Oh, yeah? Well, this is my island, and I can create my own legends" Chris replied. "Also, this island does have its own treasures, like the one you have to find in today's challenge."
"Let me guess… you dumped some precious item of yours in there and forced us to go and retrieve it for you?" Hunter guessed.
"Good guess, Hunter" Chris replied. "Today's challenge is to find the Gilded Chris Award that is found somewhere in these caves. Easy and simple."
"And the first to bring him back will win individual immunity?" Rita asked.
"Yes, it will earn immunity ... for its team" Chris corrected. "What was the reason for that comment?"
"We are already sixteen chapters, and there are only 10 contestants left!" Rita explained. "We have to reach the merge at some point! In case you haven't noticed, Otis and I are just a team of two!"
"And DJ was a one-man team for more than one chapter," Chris noted. "Patience, the merge is closer than you think, but for this challenge, the teams will still remain."
"Wow, it does seem simple" Raymond wondered.
"The problem is that they only have 3 hours to inspect the caves. As soon as those three hours pass, the caves will collapse."
"What?!" they all yelled.
"And what will happen if no one returns with the statue?" Yoshi asked.
"Well, both teams will go to elimination" Chris shrugs.
Hunter commanded his companions to get around him.
"This is the plan: We will divide into groups of two. That way we cover more ground."
"And how are we going to meet again when someone finds the statue?" Sonya asked.
"It won't be necessary. Whoever finds it first, go straight to the exit," Hunter explained. "The others should leave before the three hours are up."
"And who will go with the cheater?" Raymond asked, pointing at Yoshi, who groans in frustration.
Confessional
Yoshi - "Since Felix convinced everyone that I am the mole, everyone now sees me as a cheater and they no longer trust me ... I am trying to achieve inner peace, but thanks to that pompous child, I start to get very stressed".
"I'll go with him" Hunter replied. "The others form the pairs they want."
Sonya grabs Ginger's shoulder, who smiles in response. Raymond and Lucas high five. Felix and Karen look at each other and shrug.
"What is the plan, captain?" Rita asked him only partner.
"The Rabbits' plan is pretty clever," said Otis. "We are going to separate to cover more ground. If you find the statue, take it and go straight to the exit."
"Well, if we will do that, then I suggest you take some of these" Rita said, pulling some glowing chemical balls out of her pocket. "In case you get locked in a cavern, then use them to cause a small explosion to clear the way."
Otis nods and takes three chemical balls, and puts them in his tool bag.
Confessional
Rita - "Normally I would not give those chemical bombs to Otis, but with the terrible numerical disadvantage we suffer, I need to do everything I can to win this challenge or we will both be finished."
The ten contestants stood in front of the entrance to the dark cave.
"That place looks scary," Lucas commented.
"Rather dangerous" said Karen.
"Don't be cowed now. I'm going to show you that there is nothing dangerous about this cave" said Felix, grabbing Karen's hand and they both went into the cave. "See? There is no dang- AAAAAAAAAAH!"
A trapdoor had opened under their feet and both contestants had fallen through it. Then the hatch had closed.
"Karen!" exclaimed her companions.
"Oh… And, uh… Felix!" Raymond added, realizing his failure.
"Chris! They fell through the hatch" Lucas told him.
"Obviously the caves are littered with my proprietary traps," Chris commented, shrugging.
"Not that I care, but someone has to go help them, and that won't be me," Hunter commented.
"Yes ... but access to the caves is difficult. We will ask our most qualified interns to come rescue them ... And by qualified interns I mean the three who are somehow still alive" Chris smiled.
The two teams ventured into the dark caves, wondering what dangers will lie within.
"Good luck!" Chris exclaimed cheerfully.
Hunter led his companions through the dark cave. Their only scouting equipment was a flashlight and a rope, so they had to be very careful.
"I'm scared…" Lucas whispered.
"Fear is just a perception of real danger" Yoshi explained wisely. "This emotion can function as a method of survival, as it alerts your senses to danger ..."
"But there is no danger here," Hunter interrupted.
"Well it's pretty dark" Sonya commented.
"I have read on the Internet about various legends of ghosts inhabiting caves, protecting their treasures from any invader who wants to steal it," Raymond said.
"G-G-Ghosts?" Lucas repeated, horrified.
"Ghosts don't exist," Hunter said. "And if they did exist, I highly doubt they would want to inhabit this hideous artificial island."
"Of course they exist!" Raymond commented. "There are hundreds of stories about ghosts, like the Flying Dutchman, Bloody Blaineley, Splendorman, Smiling Cat, Siren Mouth, or Jackson Vorehell."
"Jackson Vorehell is not a ghost. He is a psycho killer" Sonya corrected him.
"The point is, there are ghosts," Raymond said. "If you say Bloody Blaineley five times in front of the mirror while you comb your hair she will come and tell you a juicy gossip."
"In Japan there are also legends about creepy rituals" Yoshi commented. "Like the game of hide and seek with a doll possessed by a spirit during 3 in the morning."
"Aaah! Don't say that! It's scary!" Lucas exclaimed.
Hunter lets out a sigh, fed up with this boring talk. A smile is born on his face when they come to a fork, indicating that it is time to part.
"Yoshi, you come with me" Hunter ordered, pointing to the cave on the left. "The others go the other way, and separate when they reach another fork."
Hunter and Yoshi go left, and the rest go right.
Karen and Felix lay on the floor of the dark grotto after the fall they had just suffered. They had been lucky, as within a couple of meters from where they had fallen there was a pile of sharp stones that would have caused them a slow and painful death.
"Felix, are you okay?" Karen asked, trying to ease the pain of the fall.
"Get your hands off me!" Felix exclaimed angrily, wiping the dust off his expensive suit. "We have to get out of here now!"
"Why the rush? Surely Chris is coming to rescue us…"
"Ha! Do you really think so?" Felix boasted. "In your contract, without going any further, it says that you can stay locked up for 2 weeks without posing legal problems for the program."
"What are you saying!? And not yours?"
"No, I made Chris change it," Felix replied, shrugging. "I can only stay 3 days."
"THREE DAYS? Can we spend three days in here?" Karen sobbed.
"Well, yeah ... Look, I'm going to take advantage and do something useful" then Felix said.
He got up, took the pages out of his destroyed book and began to do something with them.
Confessional
Felix - "When Maggie destroyed my book I was left without my best weapon ... But I have a plan!"
Hunter and Yoshi kept moving through the caves. Despite finding other forks, the hunter insisted on sticking together.
The two boys came to a cavern, filled with bright red crystals. At the other end was another path, which was obstructed by a collapse of rocks, leaving the cave through which they came as the only entrance and exit.
Yoshi starts to admire the crystals, but then his warrior instinct warns him that something bad is about to happen. For a few seconds, he cannot find the threat, but soon he understands that this danger was already with him since they separated from the team.
"Hey Yoshi" Hunter spoke, with a wicked little smile. "Tell me something: would you like to hear a proposal?"
Yoshi takes a serious expression and turns to see Hunter, who stares at him from the entrance of the cavern as if he is his prey.
"The way things are going, it will only be a matter of time before we both take our own trips through the Sling of Shame."
"Speak for yourself" Yoshi replied. "I've seen that more than half the team has their sights on you, including me."
"Although you will even manage to get rid of me, you will be next for your current situation as the alleged cheater" Hunter explained. "No matter how well you behave in front of others, there is no guarantee that you can change their minds."
"What do you want to come up with?"
"The merge is imminent, and everyone else is already plotting against the two of us," the hunter explained. "My proposal is this: form an alliance with me, and I will help you overcome any obstacle and we will go together to the finale."
"I know this play well" Yoshi said. "What do you hope to get in return?"
"Well, if you accept my interesting proposal, you will have to give me half of the prize in case you manage to win the season. We will divide the money between us, fifty and fifty" Hunter replied. "If you can promise me that you will do that, then I wouldn't mind cooperating with you."
"What!?" Yoshi was stunned.
Confessional
Hunter - "My father has a lot of experience doing his business. One time, he demanded immediate payment from his client just to end his ..."pest problem", or he was going to cancel it. To be rude to him, my father demanded that they double the payment. He is an expert in manipulation, and I learned several tricks from him."
"What's your opinion about it?" Hunter asked with an evil grin. "My offer is quite tempting, but it is for a limited time only."
Yoshi was speechless. He could peer into Hunter's triumphant expression, looking at him as if he already had victory assured, as if he had just caught his best prey.
However, Yoshi has his answer more than clear, and does not doubt it for any reason. He closes his eyes for a moment, pondering his answer, before opening them and responding:
"I decline the offer."
Now it's Hunter who was stunned. He was convinced that Yoshi would accept his proposal, or at least give it more thought.
"I can see your plan perfectly: you want to use me to be the one to win at the end of the season, but I am not willing to negotiate with evil."
"Heh! That I'm evil? You have no reason to think such horrible things about me" Hunter scoffed. "I can only assure you that, once I get back to the team, I will make everyone believe that you are the mole, and that will ensure you a direct trip to the losers' gallery. I am the only one who knows the truth, and I'm offering you your only chance to reach the finale."
The two were staring at each other murderously, like rabid animals ready to attack each other.
"Last chance, Yoshi. Are you on my side, or against me?"
"I think the answer is more than clear" Yoshi replied with a frown.
Hunter looks down and lets out a loud sigh.
"You have dug your own grave."
He pulls out a knife hidden in his boot, and throws it towards some stalactites above the cave entrance, causing a chain reaction that knocks over the rocks, sealing the entrance and leaving Yoshi with no way out.
"Now I'm going to make sure you're the next to get shot by the slingshot!" Hunter's voice came from the other side. "Even if you change your mind, it would already be too late to accept my offer!"
Hunter's evil laugh was the last Yoshi could hear before he walked away, leaving him alone and trapped in the crystal cavern.
Ginger, Lucas, Raymond, and Sonya continued to advance through the caves, while continuing to tell stories about ghosts.
"… and then I had to go back downstairs, where the ghost was supposed to come in to keep me company" Sonya narrated her own paranormal experience. "The elevator went down to that floor, and when the doors opened…"
"Did the ghost appear to you?" Lucas asked, terrified.
"No, it was the security guard, telling me to stop fiddling with the elevator buttons and get out," Sonya finished.
The four of them laugh, imagining what the rocker had to go through with the security guard after that. They then fall into a quiet silence, as they continued to advance through the tunnel, entering different caverns and searching for the treasure without success.
"You know guys, we're really getting along a lot better than I expected," Raymond commented.
"Despite having formed a boys against girls alliance?" Sonya asked.
"Meh, by this point, the alliance of boys is totally disbanded, with Felix being quite annoying, Hunter trying to control our movements, and Yoshi having been the cheater all this time" Raymond explained.
"What are you thinking?" Sonya asked.
"How about we form our own alliance?" Raymond offered. "The four of us will form our own brotherhood and go to the finale together."
"Only two of us can go to the finale," Lucas commented.
"Well, we go together to the final four" replied Raymond. "From there, everyone will be on their own."
"I like the idea" said Lucas. "Let's do it!"
"I'll have to think about it, but I like the idea too" Sonya commented.
"I want to be part of something too!" Ginger exclaimed.
"Well, then it's decided," Raymond concluded.
Confessional
Raymond - "The merge is close, and I have not formed any alliance that really stands firm. Since Felix accused Yoshi of being the mole, the alliance of boys went down the drain. I think I can go very far with three contestants I can really trust."
"Uuuuuh! I'm a ghost! Uuuuuh!" Lucas said.
"Uuuuuh, I'm a ghost, uuuuuh" his echo repeated.
"AAAAH! A ghost!" Lucas yelled, horrified.
"Lucas, that was your echo" Raymond told him.
"Wow, we only got the fittest on the team, huh?" Hunter commented sarcastically, when he had finally caught up with them.
"Yeah!" Lucas stated happily.
"Where have you been?" Sonya asked. "And what happened to Yoshi?"
"S-Surely Bloody Blaineley took it!" Lucas exclaimed.
"Ghosts don't exist," Hunter said wearily.
"Well, I do believe the manifestations of the afterlife," Ginger said. "Once, when I was driving on the road at night, a skeleton of a horse with a long neck appeared to us and warned us to go back the way we came, since an accident was going to happen at our destination."
"And I say, you have not eaten hallucinogenic berries or something? Ghosts DO NOT EXIST" Hunter sentenced.
"Maybe you're right" Lucas said. "But you can't deny that ..."
"That they don't exist!" exclaimed the hunter. "Yoshi ran away. He knocked me out with his pressure points and left me in a cavern that was about to collapse. I was lucky to get out unscathed."
"But that's already cruelty!" Ginger said. "I can't believe Yoshi did such a thing."
"Well believe it, girl. That cheater is surely planning some trap for our outing."
"Or maybe he was caught by Bloody Blaineley," Raymond guessed with a mocking smile.
Hunter lets out a loud sigh. "Anyway, I just came to warn you about that."
After that, Hunter wanders off into another cave, totally fed up with the ghost talk.
Confessional
Hunter - "I am surprised that such a team has gone so far having lost only three members ... Someone was undoubtedly sticking their noses in MY territory."
When Hunter left them alone, they continued with their ghost stories, until they saw Ginger paralyzed, as if he had seen a ghost.
"Hey guys," Ginger said, looking straight ahead.
"What happens?" Sonya asked.
"A ghost. There" she points to the front.
And it was true. An infernal being was in front of them, staring at them and floating above the ground.
"Thieves ... Leave my treasure ... Thieves ..."
"AAAAAAAAAAH!"
"Inner peace…"
Yoshi was meditating, trying to stay calm, but it was very difficult for him to be at peace when he knows that his entire team despises him for a misunderstanding.
"Inner peace… Ugh"
He falls to the ground, not knowing what to do. The two roads are sealed, and there is no way to remove the rocks, and even if he could, he would not remove them in time before the caves collapse after three hours. An explosion would be the only thing capable of clearing the road.
BOOM!
An explosion occurs through the cave that was sealed before, knocking down the rocks. Yoshi reacts immediately and jumps out of the way, dodging the rocks that almost crushed him.
"That was convenient" Yoshi commented, when he saw that the explosion was caused by Otis, with the help of Rita's chemical bombs.
"What are you doing here?" Otis asked, seeing him in that isolated cavern.
"I got trapped" Yoshi replied. "Hunter tried to negotiate with me, but I declined his offer, and these were the consequences."
"Well, good it got here, or else you'd be trapped in the collapse" Otis commented, pulling out a flashlight. "Follow me."
The two boys leave the cavern, and go by another way, looking for the treasure, or in the best of the cases, the exit.
"And what did Hunter want to do with you?" Otis asked.
"After I was indicted as the mole, everyone on my team is ready to vote me out when they get the chance," Yoshi explained. "Hunter wanted to take advantage of my situation to form an alliance and win the finale."
"Wait a second" Otis told him. "So they seriously framed you? Does everyone think you're the mole?"
"Yeah, even Raymond refers to me as a cheater now" Yoshi replied. "Now that we talk about it, I am surprised that you are helping me. I thought that you also believed in the words of Felix."
"I didn't really take it into account, considering we were in the middle of a challenge trying to find the impostor" Otis replied. "However, I am convinced that you are not the mole."
"How can you be sure of that?" Yoshi questioned.
"Because I know who the real mole is."
Yoshi's eyes widen in surprise. "Do you really know?" he asked with interest.
Otis nods his head. "I can tell you, but for that you have to trust me."
"You let me into your thoughts to help you with your fears, and you have freed me from that cave" Yoshi explained. "I am willing to put all my trust in you."
Otis nods, and takes a couple of deep breaths, before leaning close to Yoshi's ear and whispering:
"The cheater ... is Karen."
Otis was slightly worried that Yoshi might not believe him, but he could make out the Japanese boy's expression. He was thinking carefully about things, as if he was connecting dots in his head.
"Now that you mention it to me, it makes a lot of sense" Yoshi said. "She stays out of it all, and fits in nicely with various inexplicable events. The camera she had in the sea monster challenge…"
"It was my team's" Otis replied. "She stole it from me, and she surely planted those explosives just for fun."
"Also when Bianca brought her back to camp in the hunting challenge. She sure tricked her into taking her away from the challenge and causing her defeat."
"Bianca mentioned that she had helped Karen with her broken ankle, but everyone was so upset with her for making us lose that time that no one believed her" Otis explained. "The letter to Erika, the explosives in my canoe, the lost camera, the tricked dice, the lost box in the snow…"
"And surely she was the one who loosened the knot on the sandbag so that it hit Sonya" Yoshi added. "However, Felix decided to blame me, and Karen was there to highlight the points, taking advantage of the fact that we were locked in that submarine."
"I can't believe she did all that under our noses, and we never would have realized it," Otis grumbled.
"How did you find out?"
"I had suspected her since the canoe challenge, but I couldn't be sure if it was her, or if there was a mastermind behind that move," Otis explained. "In the end, before being eliminated, Diego confirmed it to me"
"Maybe the boy was crazy, but he was practically the most sane one in this case."
The two boys laugh, until they reached another cavern, but found nothing that can be defined as treasure.
"Now that Diego is gone, I'm totally alone in the mole's case," Otis commented. "I'm going to need an ally that I can trust for this job."
"This is a deal that I will accept" Yoshi smiled. "You can count on me".
The two boys bump fists, forming an official alliance against the cheater.
AAAAAAAAAH!"
The four members of the Rabid Rabbits who remained together were fleeing through the narrow grotto of the ghost. They managed to take a lot of advantage, but it was only a matter of time before they reached a dead end and were at the mercy of the specter.
"We have to do something! I'm too young and cute to die!" Lucas exclaimed.
"Uhm, I have a plan," Raymond said. "Two of us have to be the bait and get the ghost's attention. The other two will catch him and knock him out."
"Why do I feel like you got that idea from Skippy Doo?" Sonya commented. "Anyway, Lucas and Raymond will be the distractors, and Ginger and I will take him down."
Felix and Karen were still locked in the cavern. Felix was writing something, leaning on his knees. Karen was tapping the rocks around her subtly, hoping to find a hole that would lead to an exit.
"Are you going to tell me what you are doing?" Felix asked him.
"I try to find a way out. Maybe there is an area that is hollow and leads to another cave," Karen explained. "What about you? You've been writing boring notes all the time."
"These are not boring notes" said Felix, offended. "I'm rebuilding my rule book. I'm going to regain the advantage lost to your ally."
"Again with that pathetic book? You barely made use of it" Karen commented.
"I could have accomplished great things these last few days, if it weren't for Maggie tore it apart," said Felix, staring at her. "Yeah, Maggie is out and she is not going to take the prize ... but you are still here."
"What do you mean with that?" Karen frowned.
"I'm not stupid, Karen ... and I don't even look like it" said Felix. "I know perfectly well that the girls tried to vote me out in the snow challenge."
"So what? Now you are planning your revenge against us? Don't make me laugh" she scoffed. "Thanks to having accused Yoshi as the mole, your little alliance has completely dissolved. It is only a matter of time before everyone gets tired of you and vote you off."
"You think I didn't plan that? That's why I accused Yoshi of being the mole" Felix smiled. "Now everyone is pointing to it, and the next time we lose we will all vote for him, and Hunter is also an easy target for the next vote. Besides, that is why I am also rebuilding my book, in order to regain the power I had over all of you, and I will have all the advantages that I got as the only one who knows the rules from head to toe."
"You're crazy if you think that will serve you long" said Karen. "Unless there is a rule that says you can't be eliminated, those advantages won't do you any good."
"Crazy me? Shall we talk about you?" Felix said, getting up.
"Leave me alone! I don't want to talk to you again! Maniac!"
"Psychopath!"
"Obsessed!"
"Nobody!"
"Pandora's box!"
BOOM!
They are both silenced by an explosion, which makes its way to another cave and gives them a way out. From there appears Rita, who had caused the explosion with chemical bombs.
"I was looking for a treasure and I only found an elderly couple" commented the scientist.
"Shut up!" they both yelled at him.
Confessional
Felix - "I am aware that Karen is the leader of the girls alliance, and she wants to cause me to lose the contest ... Not if I can help it."
Karen - "Felix is crazier at times. I have the feeling that one day he is going start with his "poetic justice" with the use of a gun".
Ginger and Lucas were hiding from the ghost while Raymond and Sonya set the trap.
"Hey, ugly ghost!" Raymond exclaimed, drawing her attention.
"Pursue us if you really exist!" Lucas yelled.
The ghost began to chase them, furious. The two of them ran through the tight corridors of the grotto as the ghost raced behind them. It was then that they passed where Ginger and Sonya had set the trap, and at that very moment the two of them threw themselves on the ghost with the intention of knocking him down… failing vilely, because they launched too early and instead fell on the boys.
"You girls should wait a few seconds!" Raymond claimed, when they could get up.
"And the ghost is still standing," Ginger commented, pointing to the ghost, who towers over them in a terrifying way.
At that very moment they heard screams approaching from above. Above the ghost some rocks collapsed, and Otis and Yoshi fell from there.
"I knew that path was unstable," Otis commented.
"Guys, you've crushed the ghost!" Raymond smiled.
The two boys raise an eyebrow, and see that below them was the ghost, who was trying to get rid of them without success.
"This is not a ghost" Yoshi explained. "He is just one person severely injured by the collapse."
They all tied the ghost with the rope, and then looked at it worriedly.
"Let's find out who it is" Sonya said, approaching the ghost.
She removed the mask, and everyone watched in horror who it was that had been chasing them throughout the challenge ...
"Old Man Jenkins?" they all exclaimed.
"Wait, this is another mask" Sonya commented, looking closely at the other mask, before removing it as well and revealing the true identity of the ghost ...
"Pearl?"
"Hi guys" said the girl, blushing and aching at the same time.
"What are you doing here?" Sonya asked.
"Why were you chasing us? We missed the chance to search for the treasure!" Raymond exclaimed.
"Well, you guys see, it's just ..."
The ground began to shake under their feet, and everyone realized, horrified, that the three hours had passed and the grotto was going to collapse.
"Everyone out now!" Otis exclaimed.
Hunter was tracking the treasure, stealthily searching through various caves, until he came to one that had a treasure chest.
"Finally ..."
The hunter approaches the chest, hoping to finally find the treasure that will ensure another victory for his team. He takes the lid and opens it to find… nothing.
"Empty?!" growled the hunter. He starts sniffing the chest carefully, trying to figure out if it was always empty ... or if someone was here before.
The scent is familiar, disgustingly familiar. Suddenly, his hearing picks up the sound of a pebble falling to the ground behind him. He turns around and discovers the person who was there before: Rita.
The scientist had the Gilded Chris Award in her hands.
"YOU!"
Rita pulls out a chemical bomb and throws it at Hunter, who, due to the limited space inside the cavern, cannot do much to avoid it and the explosion sends him flying.
The scientist runs towards the exit with the treasure in her hands, while behind her she sees a furious hunter chasing her like a tiger after its prey.
Felix and Karen exited the cave quickly when they saw that it was beginning to collapse. Behind them come the other contestants with the ghost at their side.
"It seems to me that each one of them is still missing a team member" commented Chris.
Just before the exit collapses, Hunter and Rita jump outside when the statue falls to the ground. Hunter puts a hand on top of the treasure, just as Rita puts her own hand on it.
"If I can't win, then nobody can."
The scientist makes a quick move by turning her hand into a fist and placing the other on top, before striking Hunter's hand hard, causing the hunter's hand to destroy the treasure.
"NO!" Hunter growled angrily.
"In the end they all made it out unscathed," Chris said, and then he turned to a man next to him. "Mr. Coroner, you can go."
"Did you give us up for dead?" exclaimed Raymond, horrified. "That's so cool!"
"Well, let's see what they got," Chris said with a smile, as the coroner went crestfallen.
"This statue comes from me!" Rita exclaimed, taking the fragments of the destroyed statue.
"I put my hand on it last! The statue is mine!" Hunter exclaimed. "You were the one who broke it!"
"Always blaming me for everything! It was your hand that destroyed the statue!" Rita yelled at him.
"I'm sorry, but a destroyed statue is invalid" Chris explained.
"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" they shouted to the other, indignant.
"Didn't they bring anything else?" the host asked the rest of the contestants, ignoring the discussion.
"Nothing" Sonya replied plaintively. "The grotto fell on us and ..."
"They have me" Pearl smiled, taking off her ghost costume.
"What is SHE doing here?" Karen asked, not believing what she saw.
"Well you see, my dear" said Pearl with a smile. "Life sometimes surprises us."
"Wow, I see they found you ... or did you find them" Chris was surprised. "But you got caught after all."
"Does Pearl count as treasure?" Karen said, raising an eyebrow.
"No, she was only supposed to be here to scare you and complicate your search" Chris explained.
"And what if no one had found her? Pearl would have been crushed to death in the landslide!" Ginger exclaimed.
"Details…" Chris shrugs, dismissing the matter. "However, since no one brought the treasure that I had asked for, both teams will have to go to elimination."
Everyone lets out loud sighs of frustration.
Confessional
Felix - "Karen's scoundrel, her days are numbered. I know she is one of those who is targeting me, but I will deal with her later. For the moment I will focus on reducing the defenses of the other team. My vote is for Otis."
Karen - "Felix doesn't scare me. He is nothing without that boring rulebook. When the time comes I'll get rid of him. For now, I have to get rid of an annoying obstacle, also known as Otis."
Raymond - "I still believe that Yoshi is the mole, so it is better to get rid of him before he becomes dangerous. I'm sure the others in the alliance decided to vote with me."
Hunter - "That brainiac has to pray not to be the next to go out the slingshot, but now I must keep my pact with Karen, and therefore I will vote for Yoshi. That idiot has made a serious mistake by challenging me and saying no" .
Rita - "That hunter is going crazier than Diego. Very soon we will need a leash for that cyclops."
Otis - "I know that Yoshi and I are among the most likely to be voted, and no one will vote for Karen for no reason, so this time we agreed to vote for Hunter."
All ten contestants had performed at the elimination ceremony. Most had worried expressions, and the rest were glaring at each other. No one was safe this time. Chris has made an appearance, along with Pearl, who was holding the plate of marshmallows.
"Contestants, your performance today was not all bad, but it was still not enough to win, considering that only two of you really tried hard to find the treasure."
Rita and Hunter glare at each other.
"The following people are safe ..."
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"and Rita"
Rita grins mischievously, taking her marshmallow and returning to her seat.
Otis and Yoshi glared at Hunter, who glared back at them.
"The next marshmallow is for ..."
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"Hunter"
Hunter went with a smile to pick up his marshmallow and, returning to the group of contestants, he winked mischievously at Karen.
Otis and Yoshi share a look of fear. As they had predicted, the two were in danger.
"Otis. Yoshi. This is the last marshmallow of the night." Chris lifts the marshmallow into the air. "Whoever does not receive it will have to ..."
"I'll give you $100 if you skip the speech," Felix said, handing Chris a bill.
"Deal!" exclaimed the host taking the bill. "The last marshmallow goes to ..."
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"Both!"
Chris pulled out another marshmallow hidden in his shirt pocket, and tossed a marshmallow at Otis and Yoshi.
"Another non-elimination round?" Hunter growled. "This is already the third time! At this rate the season will never end, McLean!"
"Relax, it's normal for the franchise to have non-elimination rounds" explained the host. "The first time it was for the announcement of the teams and about the cheater, the second time it was just not to lose the habit, and this time again it is because I have great announcements."
Everyone is silent and listens carefully.
"Guys, I have three important announcements to make," Chris said cheerfully.
"Make it quick, I want to go to rest" said Felix.
"The first news is something that seems to have been forgotten" explained the host. "Do you still remember the McLean Immunity Idol?"
"Oh, yeah! What happened to that?" Hunter asked with interest. "I checked every last millimeter of this island and found no trace of that piece of wood!"
"Yeah, about that ... I'm really good at hiding my stuff" Chris explained awkwardly. "Since no one could find the idol, we decided to remove it. Don't bother looking any more."
Hunter grunts in frustration. His whole search was in vain.
"The second announcement: we are not kicking anyone out, so everyone can rearrange their bunks and move in, since there are no more teams… We have reached the merge!"
"Finally!" Rita and Hunter exclaimed disdainfully, before glaring at each other.
"From now on each one will fight at their own risk. All are at risk of being eliminated and each one will have to earn their own immunity in the challenges."
"And what is the last announcement?" Karen asked, taking a sip from the glass of water she was drinking.
"The last announcement is that… Pearl is officially rejoining the contest!"
Karen spat the water in Lucas's face, and looked at Chris with a contorted face.
"Alright!" Otis said. "Welcome back, Pearl!"
Everyone seemed happy with Pearl's return ... All but one person.
Confessional
Karen - "Pearl's return to the contest has been a serious blow to my strategy ... I have to plan how to act now."
Everyone returns to their cabins, some happy to have survived another night, and the rest were dissatisfied that their plans are complicated by surprise at the end. When everyone was gone, Chris turned to the camera.
"And we've finally reached the merge. The drama between the contestants has grown to new levels. New alliances have been born, along with new feuds. And now that Pearl is back, Karen is going to start taking things seriously. Will Karen do now that an old enemy has returned? Will Otis and Yoshi's alliance against the cheater be successful, or will they both be over? What will Felix do now that he has retrieved his rule book? Find out next time on…"
"Total! Drama! Enchanted!"
CONTESTANTS
Felix, Ginger, Hunter, Karen, Lucas, Pearl, Otis, Rita, Raymond, Sonya, Yoshi.
Eliminated: Bianca (Raptor Falcons), Isaac (Raptor Falcons), Erika (Raptor Falcons), Chantal (Rabid Rabbits), Tony (Raptor Falcons), Clover (Raptor Falcons), Agatha (Raptor Falcons), Julien (Raptor Falcons), Nigel (Rabid Rabbits), Maggie (Rabid Rabbits), Diego (Raptor Falcons)
WE FINALLY REACHED THE MERGE!
I am glad that we have finally reached the merge. Lately things have been complicated for me with a team of only two members, but now the strategies that everyone has been planning will finally be put into play.
I'm sure no one expected this ending with Pearl's return to the contest. I hope you enjoy the chapters in which Pearl reappears.
Why, of all the characters, did I choose Pearl to return? Well, a comeback is always nice to watch, and Karen was too quiet throughout this first stage of the competition, so now she has to get serious, or her facade will be over. In addition, Nigel is no longer present, so Pearl has a free hand to compete for herself, without falling in love with a scammer.
A chapter quite loaded with interesting events: the alliance between Karen and Hunter, Rita goes back to work on her experiments, Otis and Yoshi team up against the cheater, the return of Felix's rulebook, the new alliance between Ginger, Sonya, Raymond and Lucas, the new enmity between Rita and Hunter, the return of Pearl, and the merge of the teams.
Like the previous chapters, this one also has its hidden references lying around. The series Sonya mentioned and Raymond and Lucas's comments about ghosts are actually changed names of different legends and creepypastas. Can you guess who they really are?
Why has no one been eliminated again? That's more for argumentative reasons, but here I clarify one thing, which possibly counts as a spoiler: there will be no more non-elimination rounds. From the next episode onwards, in all challenges someone will be eliminated.
Well, I think there is nothing more to clarify. I just want you to leave your reviews and give me your options to be the next eliminated. See you next time. Goodbye.