"Last time on Total Drama Island," Chris began. "Our campers participated in a pirate battle and launched cabbages at each other! Giselle and Audrey almost scored a second win for the Ferocious Trout, but a sudden comeback by Tracy sent them to elimination, where Alex was sent packing, which I can't say I'm surprised by that outcome. Oh yeah, and Grace started to stir up drama by accusing Ben of tampering with Audrey's strategy, hehe. That's always my favorite part of the show."
"We're down to fourteen campers, but only thirteen will continue competing after this episode. Who will walk the Dock of Shame next? I don't know, but let's find out, right here, right now, on Total! Drama! Island!"
Hey what's up I'm here to slay-
(I think you guys get the point now)
Ben was sitting outside of the cabin, a book in his hands. Suddenly, he heard footsteps and turned towards the source of the noise, raising an eyebrow.
"Hey," Desmond said, taking a seat next to him. "Listen, I just wanted to talk about the last challenge. I know-"
"Of course it was her," the bookworm replied, shaking his head before turning his attention back to the book. "I could guess so based on how fast she was to point fingers."
"Well what do we do?" Desmond asked, adjusting the scarf around his neck.
"Right now? Nothing," Ben answered. He flipped a page.
"Nothing? How come?"
"If we throw out accusations with no proof, she will have the upper hand and a potential ability to get us voted off for falsely claiming something that while we know may be true, the others do not," the bookworm explained.
Confessional - Desmond
"I'm not entirely sure I agree with his plan of waiting. Yes, she may have caused a problem in the last challenge, but if Ben really does just want to wait and collect evidence, she could continue to cause problems without us knowing." He let out an exhale. "But I trust him, so let's just see how this goes."
"What if waiting goes wrong?" Desmond prompted, looking at the bookworm. The other boy just shrugged his shoulders.
"If you don't want to wait, be my guest," Ben remarked. "But don't be surprised if she targets you as a result."
The advisor nodded. "Ah, okay. But what if she continues trying to accuse you of messing up in the last challenge, or this challenge?"
"We'll cross that bridge once we know who won the challenge today," he answered. "I don't wish to think about that right now."
Confessional - Ben
"Do I think I'm in immediate danger? No. Besides, she has no proof I did anything wrong either. Trying to point fingers now is fighting fire with fire."
Speaking of Grace, she was walking through the woods, trying to figure out a plan of action. "Okay, you have to get yourself together. You should be in good standing for now, but you need people who will listen to you. Let's see here.."
Suddenly, the sound of humming caught her attention. She quickly turned to see Audrey. Seeing the opportunity, the photographer decided to approach her.
"Hey Audrey," Grace said, her tone slightly patronizing. "I hope you're doing well this morning."
"Oh, hi Gracie! How're you?"
"I'm doing well, thanks for asking," the photographer replied. "Your strategy in the last challenge really helped us! Just a shame Ben decided to go against it."
"Uh, yeah..thank you!" she replied, seemingly a little uncomfortable with the compliment.
Confessional - Audrey
"I wouldn't say I'm the only one who helped with the challenge.. "
"So I was thinking we could form an alliance," the photographer continued, completely ignoring Audrey's discomfort with the compliment.
"Alliance? With me?" Audrey gasped.
"Oh yes," Grace replied. "Our combined smarts could help us survive the next few eliminations, which we'll need to get through in order to get to the merge."
"Oh! Well uh.." the girl hummed for a minute before beaming. "Okay! Sounds good, Miss Grace!"
"I'm glad we could come to an agreement," the photographer replied, smiling. "I'll see you at the challenge."
"Okay!" Audrey exclaimed. "See you later!"
"Yeah..bye," Grace nodded before heading off. Once Audrey was no longer in her line of vision, she let out a sigh of both relief and annoyance.
Confessional - Grace
"I'm not doing well in numbers right now. Desmond and Ben are probably going to vote for me the next time we lose unless someone convinces them otherwise, and although Giselle may also vote with me, Theresa and Thayer are wildcards. If I can secure at least one more person voting with me at elimination, I can guarantee myself a few more days of safety. Audrey just so happens to be my best bet, even though she's…" she hesitated. "Kind of annoying, to say the least."
Thayer stepped out of the bathroom, heading over to the dining hall. Once he got his slop, he sat down at the table and began to poke at whatever Chef had cooked up.
"Good morning darling," Theresa said, sitting beside him at the Dining Hall table. "How are you this morning?"
"I'm doing alright," the prankster responded. "Just tired is all."
"That is rather unfortunate," the dollmaker remarked. "I do hope your day gets better, darling."
"Thanks," he replied, giving a drowsy smile.
Confessional - Thayer
"Theresa is a nice person. Really, she seems sweet and all. I'm just not a fan of nicknames."
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the dollmaker pulling out what looked like some thread and a sewing needle. "Are you working on something?"
"Of course I am, darling," she replied with a giggle. "I always enjoy working on my projects. I must presume you are the same way with your own artistry?"
"Ah, yeah, mostly," he agreed, biting his lip. He could remember unintentionally scaring Giselle and looked downward. "But y'know how it is, sometimes people don't like an artist's work."
"Those cases are truly tragic," she agreed. "Those poor souls who spend their life judging others' work are oblivious to the realm of wonder that awaited them once."
"Uh huh, yeah," Thayer nodded, slightly confused by the dollmaker's wording. However, he decided not to bring it up again. Suddenly, it seemed as though a light bulb went off in his head.
"I may just be able to do something before the day ends," he commented, beginning to smile. "Thanks, Theresa." He stood up and left the dining hall, leaving his 'breakfast' at the table.
Confessional - Theresa
"I am glad I could help him," she giggled. "He has a good heart, even if it is masked by the horrors one may see in his art field. I hope Thayer learns from this talk."
Tracy was sitting on the steps to the Frogs of Death cabin, before she heard footsteps behind her. Melaine stood there with a sheet of paper in her hands.
"Hey, Mel," Tracy greeted. She moved over and gestured to the space next to her. "Come on, have a seat."
"Oh hi-" Melaine began, before looking at the sheet of paper in her hand, narrowing her eyes in concentration. "Uh…Tracy?"
"Yeah, that's right," the gamer commented, slightly surprised. She noticed the paper and raised an eyebrow. "What's that for, though?"
"Oh! I ran into Five and…Mitchell last night," the actress explained excitedly, as though this interaction was the biggest event of the competition. She took the seat next to the gamer. "And they helped me with names! This is to help me keep track of who's still in!"
Tracy blinked in surprise, before smiling. "Well, I'm glad you're getting assistance with getting to know people. If you need any help, I'm sure the rest of the team would be willing to provide some."
"Oh! Mitchell already offered, but you're so kind for saying that!" Melaine replied with a smile.
Confessional - Tracy
"I'm still not sold on keeping Five around, but it's nice to hear about them talking to people," she remarked. "Although they still haven't done much challenge wise."
Confessional - Melaine
"I'm super thankful that…Mitch was able to help me out last night," she said before letting out a yawn and rubbing her eye, only for it to smear her eyeliner. "Aww, but I just applied this makeup."
Speaking of Five, they were seated on a stump by the campfire that was currently extinguished. Their guitar was seated by their feet, and they seemed calm.
"Hello!" A sudden exclamation from behind Five caught their attention.
"Gah!" That seemed to actually startle the guitarist as they turned to look at Quinn, who was looking at them with excitement. They regained their composure and sighed. "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for some new shipping material, nyohoho!" she answered with a laugh, pulling out her notebook. "So, share! Anyone caught your eye?"
"Uh, what?" Five questioned, more confused than annoyed at the moment. "What are you talking about?"
"We've been here long enough, nyohoho!" Quinn laughed, holding out her notebook. "So, tell me, who're you talking to? Has any girl or guy caught your eye? Is there anyone you like-like?"
"Nobody that has caught my eye in that manner. I just don't want a partner here," the guitarist repeated, rolling their eyes. "Can't you take a hint?"
"Well, I dunno if it matters as much," she remarked before tilting her head. "Why do you nyot want a partner?"
"Because of past experiences with people," Five grumbled, keeping their answer as vague as possible. "And why are you so insistent on pairing everyone up?"
"It's my life's work, nyohoho!" She answered. The guitarist blinked in confusion before letting out a sigh, pinching the bridge of their nose.
"That answered nothing and everything and I don't think I want to know more," they concluded, sounding rather annoyed. "Just don't try and get me with anyone on the island, okay? That's my only request."
Quinn seemed almost distraught for a minute, before she quickly regained composure. "Okay! I'm off to find someone else, nyohoho!" The matchmaker laughed again, almost completely ignoring Five's tone, before bolting off in another direction.
Confessional - Five
"I don't think I can really understand her," they commented. "What did she mean by 'her life's work?'…Not really my business, I suppose."
Caleb was in the trees in the woods. Much like Five, he seemed tired, although he continued before the branch he was on snapped. He fell, hitting the ground hard.
"Ow."
The simple statement caught his attention as Julia dusted herself off. The gambler paused, realizing exactly what had happened.
"Ah dammit, I'm sorry!" Caleb apologized, more awake and aware now. "I didn't mean to knock you down, but man, that was a fall. Would take the fall again, just not on a person."
"It's fine," she replied bluntly, standing back up.
"Ah," he nodded, standing up as well. "Well, maybe I could go back to climbing. Although maybe there's something else I could do..eh, I'll get back to climbing."
"Have fun," she shrugged.
"Do you have any hobbies?" Caleb asked, seemingly curious now. She paused for a moment, as though taken aback by the question, before the neutral expression returned to her face.
"Why do you ask?"
"Because out of everyone on the team, I feel like I know you the least. So, what do you like to do?"
She shrugged in response. "Exercise."
"Really? What kind of exercise?"
"I don't think that part matters."
Confessional - Caleb
"Man, Julia needs to lighten up a bit," he commented before perking up. "I got it!"
"So, how about that challenge yesterday?" He asked.
Julia just blinked at the gambler before turning away and walking in another direction.
Confessional - Caleb
"That could've gone better," he admitted before grinning. "But nothing is better than starting a fight about it!"
He paused for a moment, as though getting lost in thought. "I wonder if we get to fight bears in this competition…that'd be sick!"
Mitchell was in the boys' side of the Trout cabin. He seemed to be searching for something. "Someone's gotta have a wallet or something here," he whispered, continuing to look around.
"What are you doing?" A sudden voice caught him off guard. Giselle stood there, confused.
"Well hello there," the thief replied. "How exactly did you find me?"
"I was coming back from the mess hall and saw you," she explained. "I'm not sure what you're doing here, but I'd prefer if you leave."
"Ah, so you're fascinated by me," he noted before smirking. "I don't exactly blame you, y'know?"
"I-" Giselle's face turned bright red. "That's not anything close to what I meant!"
Mitchell chuckled. "Ah, I gathered. But I digress, I don't think that's the part that matters. What do you say? Dinner when this is all over?" he proposed, a smirk on his face. "It'll all be on me."
Before she could respond, the intercom turned on. "Alright campers! It's challenge time!" Chris's voice exclaimed. "Meet me at the beach for your next challenge!"
"Aw man, so soon," Mitchell stated. "Good luck in the challenge. And just know, I eagerly await your answer to that dinner date." He winked at her before heading off to the beach.
Once all the campers were at the beach, they were once again greeted by Chris's presence. "Welcome to Total Drama's most grueling challenge, EVER!"
"Ever?" Five questioned. "There were six seasons and a spinoff before this, how is this the most grueling challenge on the show?"
Chris proceeded to ignore the guitarist. "One person from each team will be selected to sit out and watch the rest of their team compete."
"So are you going to draw names or do we decide?" Grace asked, crossing her arms.
"Well, we drew names!" Chris announced. "So whoever's name we drew gets to sit out this challenge on the sidelines."
"Something's telling me this isn't quite as simple as you're making it out to be," Five commented, raising an eyebrow. "So what's the deal with the sidelines?"
"Correct, you won't just be watching from the sidelines," Chris confirmed. He pressed a red button on his remote, and two clear tubes popped up, one with the Trout logo and one with the Frog logo. "You'll be sitting in these bad boys!"
Ben took one look at them and felt an immediate sense of dread, his eyes widening.
"Are you okay?" Desmond whispered in confusion, to which the bookworm just nodded. He still seemed nervous, which the advisor took note of.
Confessional - Desmond
"Ben doesn't seem like the anxious type, even when it comes to challenges," he commented. "I know we've only known each other for a few days, but I'm kind of worried about him."
"Sitting out for the Trout, Ben!" As soon as the host made that exclamation, the bookworm froze and seemed to panic.
"Chris, I can't!" He exclaimed. "I-I'll do anything to not sit in that!"
"Coward," the photographer murmured under her breath.
"Ben, relax, it's going to be okay," the advisor spoke up, putting a comforting hand on the bookworm's shoulder.
"No it's not! Can't…can't you redraw names or something?!"
"Can't do anything about it now, kid," Chef responded. "We drew names already. You're going to have to deal with it as it is."
The host had decided to ignore the bookworm's pleas and continued on with the show. "And sitting out for the Frogs, Melaine!" Chris announced.
"Huh?" The blonde looked at Julia in confusion. "What am I doing?"
The runaway just shrugged. "Sitting out."
"Oh, yay!" the actress cheered. "I was worried this would ruin my makeup!"
"That's the least of our concerns," Julia remarked.
Confessional - Melaine
"Makeup being the least of our concerns? It's a pretty big concern if you ask me! I have to look presentable on camera, after all!"
"Alright, you two, come this way," Chris said, gesturing for them to follow.
"Don't worry," Melaine said, giving him a pat on the shoulder and offering a comforting smile that seemed off somehow. "It'll be okay."
The tubes' lock symbols flashed green and opened. The bookworm looked mildly uncomfortable with the tubes being opened. "Just step right in here and we'll be ready to explain the challenge."
Melaine stepped inside of the Frogs' tube. Ben, meanwhile, stood frozen in place. "You're sure you couldn't-"
He couldn't even finish his sentence as the host went ahead and shoved him into the tube. Once he was in, the tubes closed and locked the two teens inside.
"The rest of you, put on your helmets!" Chef instructed. "Because this is known as the Obstacle Course of Death!"
"Then why wear helmets?" Caleb questioned.
"Lawyers," Chris sighed. "But it's still a dangerous challenge. First you have to complete the army style rope climb up a wall."
"After that, you head down to the barbed wire crawl, and then cross the platform covered in grease. Once you cross it, use the rope to swing across and grab your flag. Once you get your flag, you must run all the way back to the lock pad to enter the number. Once you've entered the number, the next member will repeat the course. This will keep going until you finish the code and free your teammate," Chef added.
"Um, why are we sitting out?" Melaine asked from the Frogs tube.
"Each teammate must bring back one number of the code before returning and allowing the next teammate to go," Chris continued. "And you'll need all six digits to release your teammate inside of the tubes-"
"From what?" Five questioned, much to Chris's dismay. However, that dismay quickly turned into a slightly sadistic grin.
"I'm glad you asked," the host chuckled. "From the water that will begin filling the tubes NOW!"
As if on cue, water began to fill in the tubes. Melaine had a mix of confusion and panic on her face, while Ben still seemed panicked.
"Hey, you guys asked. I can't have people sitting out and then just do nothing related to the challenge. That removes them from the drama," Chris complained before clearing his throat. "Oh yeah, and don't just try to take the easy route with the elimination if one of them drowns."
"You're seriously telling me that I could drown?! In an enclosed space?!" Ben yelled out, more panicked than he had been previously.
"You're telling me that if they drown, they're still stuck competing?!" Giselle asked. "That seems like a safety hazard!"
"So this is the part of the obstacle course that contains death," Thayer remarked, rubbing his chin.
Chris decided to ignore the cheerleader's statements. "We also decided who was going first and last. Quinn, Desmond, you're up first. Giselle, Mitchell, you'll be the last to go."
Confessional - Grace
"So when it comes to sacrificing a teammate, the hosts spin a wheel, and our first and last racers are also pre selected?" She huffed. "Sounds about right for this dumb show."
Confessional - Chris
"I'll have you know this show is not dumb, okay! It's been airing for fifteen years!"
"You all have three minutes to make your decisions on who goes from second to fifth," Chris remarked. "So get to talking with your team!"
Ferocious Trout
"Maybe we should have some of the stronger players start," Thayer commented. "If no one else offers, I can go second."
"I do not expect anyone to object to your idea, darling," Theresa piped up. For once, she seemed rather unhappy with what the challenge seemed to be. "I can go fifth,
"What if I want to go fifth?" Audrey asked. She twiddled her fingers anxiously. "I-I mean, I dunno if I'd be the best to go early."
"Don't worry about it, Audrey," Grace replied, trying to sound reassuring. "I'm sure you'll be fine going earlier than fifth."
"Dearie, if you wish to switch positions with me, you are more than welcome to do so."
"Really?" Audrey questioned, looking at her friend. The photographer narrowed her eyes in disdain.
Confessional - Grace
"I need Audrey to listen to me, not Theresa," she commented. "But how do I get her to listen? Hmm.."
"Audrey, wouldn't just going earlier help save you from elimination? No pressure about a strong start or finish," Grace commented, her tone the same sweetly patronizing one it was earlier. "After all, you wouldn't want to go home this early, right?"
"N-No, it's fine!" Audrey exclaimed, trying to diffuse the situation. "I'll go third."
"Then I'll go fourth," the photographer added on, crossing her arms with a smug look in the dollmaker's direction. The other girl seemed to ignore the look sent her way entirely, however. "That way, our entire team order has been chosen."
"I kind of wish we could pick first and-" Desmond was cut off by the sound of some muffled screaming and the sound of a punch. He turned to see Ben, his eyes wide and a bit of sweat on his forehead, punching the tube repeatedly.
"Is he okay?" Giselle asked, turning to look at the bookworm and actress. In contrast to the boy's panic, Melaine just seemed confused.
"There's nothing we can do about it, you two," Grace commented with a frown. "If he wants to blame anyone for his circumstance, he can blame Chris."
Confessional - Giselle
"That was kind of mean of her, but she's also kind of right," she thought out loud. "I just hope we can pull through with a win today, heh, go Trout!"
Frogs of Death
"So, how do we decide what our order is?" Mitchell asked.
"Oh! Oh! Let me go second!" Caleb pleaded. "I can make up for the lackluster performance in the last challenge, I promise!"
"Well, in that case, then the only people who haven't really shown themselves to be assets would be Five and Julia," Tracy remarked. "Nothing against you two, however."
"She was out second for our team in the last challenge," Five retorted before looking at the runaway. "How can we trust you to pull through and perform well towards the end?"
"I could say the same to you," she replied bluntly.
"Julia's right, Five. You kind of have an attitude that makes it hard to work with others," Tracy remarked.
Mitchell thought for a minute. "Maybe Julia can go third and Five can go fifth?" He turned to look at Tracy. "Unless you want to go third or fifth?"
"Is Julia going third really a smart move?" Five commented, raising an eyebrow. "We're seriously trusting the two people who were out first and second for our team in the last challenge? Why not have Tracy go third and Julia go fourth?"
"She was the first back for our team with an egg in the first challenge," the thief shrugged. "Although you don't seem opposed to going fifth, so we'll just have you go then." The guitarist shrugged at that.
The runaway shrugged in a rather neutral manner. "I can go third," she answered before the intercom turned back on.
"Alright campers! Your decision making time is up! Get ready to race!" Chris exclaimed.
Once the campers were back on the beach, Chris pulled out the air horn and pressed the button on top. Quinn and Desmond both instantly took off running to the climbing wall. Desmond was slightly ahead of Quinn as they began to climb.
As the advisor climbed, a bear claw suddenly popped out from the wall. The advisor let out a yelp and wrapped his legs around the rope, trying to avoid the animal.
"There's bears here too!?" Desmond questioned as he gripped the rope tighter.
"Oh. Yeah, I completely forgot to mention that," Chris chuckled before clearing his throat. "Just try to avoid the bears living inside the climbing wall!"
Confessional - Desmond
"What is with Chris and not telling us about certain aspects of these challenges?" he asked.
After a few more minutes of climbing, the advisor soon reached the top and headed down to the barbed wires. The matchmaker was close behind him, noting the sparks coming from the wires.
"Nyo, I wonder if the electricity would ever create a fire," Quinn murmured out loud, prompting the advisor to pause in panic.
"Why do you ask that?!"
"Just curious, nyoho."
"WHy is that something you'd want to know?" Desmond asked, trying to crawl at a faster speed. Quinn parried the question, though, and quickly caught up to him. He was further ahead and reached the platform first.
"Okay, slow and steady…" he whispered. However, he took two steps and slipped, landing on his face with a groan.
"Okay, enough playing around Adwood," he whispered to himself as he stood back up. "You got this." He took three steps forward, only to fall on his face once again.
Quinn walked past Desmond, only to also land on her face. "Nyo, okay, that hurt." She stood back up. She could see the rope, as could Desmond, and they both began hurrying to get past the platform.
The matchmaker got there first. She grabbed a hold of the rope and swung across, grabbing the green flag. She fell onto a mattress on the ground. Not long after she landed, Desmond grabbed a red flag and fell onto the mattress. They both began running, although the matchmaker got there first.
"Here you go, nyohoho!" Quinn laughed as she put the first number in Melaine's lock pad, as Caleb began rushing to the climbing wall.
At around the same time, Desmond arrived and put the first number into Ben's lock pad. The prankster took off running as the advisor noticed how the bookworm continued pounding his fist against the tube. "Uh, Ben? You okay?"
"Yeah! HURRY!" Ben's yell was muffled. He tried punching the tube from the inside to emphasize his point before he winced. "That could've gone better..but still, HURRY DAMMIT!"
"Ben, only one of us has finished the challenge," Grace remarked as she rolled her eyes. "You'll be in there a while."
The bookworm just groaned.
With little to no time wasted, the gambler grabbed a hold of the rope and began to climb. The bear swiped at Caleb, causing him to fall back a bit on the climbing wall.
"Whoa there buddy, I mean no harm," the gambler said, before grinning. "But perhaps I can try to speed run this wall climb!"
"Caleb, if you're thinking of going faster, don't do it!" Tracy yelled from where she was standing. "Just focus on avoiding the bear!"
He didn't hear her as he proceeded to climb at a faster rate than he had been, trying to avoid the bear claws. The bear seemed angered at this, swiping faster at the boy.
This allowed for the prankster to close the distance between the two, since the bear seemed busy trying to catch Caleb off guard. Once the gambler finished with the wall, he went to the barbed wire pit and began to crawl. The prankster was right on his tail before he paused, an idea coming to the teal-haired boy's mind.
"Look, a masked killer with a chainsaw!" Thayer yelled out. "Behind you!"
"Huh, where?" Caleb asked, turning around. Unfortunately, as he did so, he touched the barbed wires. An electric shock was sent through his body, allowing Thayer more time to get ahead.
Confessional - Thayer
"Sorry, Caleb," he apologized. "I hope you're not too mad about that!"
Although the prankster got to the platform first, Caleb quickly caught up. Thayer was about a fourth of the way across the platform, which gave the gambler enough time to begin to run forward in an attempt to catch up.
Of course, he slipped and landed face-flat on the platform, but he paid no mind as he stood back up. Caleb hurried over to the prankster, trying not to fall again, and wrapped his arms around the Trout's waist.
"What are you doing?!" Thayer asked once Caleb wrapped his arms around the other boy's waist. He began to lose his balance. "You could throw both of us off of this platform!"
"It's worth the risk, for the team," the gambler said apologetically, and as to be expected, both boys fell off the platform.
Confessional - Caleb
"Hey, I needed to slow him down somehow," he commented, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sorry Thayer, but it's a risk I needed to take."
Thayer groaned as he got up off the ground. Caleb, meanwhile, hurried back over to a ladder nearby the platform. Once the prankster noticed Caleb was back at the platform, he got up and also headed to the ladder.
Once he was back on the platform, the gambler continued to try and run. These attempts proved unsuccessful, as he kept slipping and falling. This gave Thayer a chance to catch up to him, and eventually pass him as he reached the rope to get the numbered flag.
"Took you long enough," Grace remarked once Thayer began sprinting back to the pods.
"Go easy on him, madam," Theresa responded calmly. "Did you not watch him on the platform?"
"And?" the photographer scoffed. "He still should've gone a bit faster. What if Caleb caught up to him?"
"WOO HOO!" the cheer of the aforementioned boy could be heard as he grabbed the green flag.
"As I said earlier, do not worry about it. Caleb just got the flag, he is not at risk of catching up anytime soon."
"I suppose," she grumbled as Thayer hit the number on the pad, allowing Audrey to start heading towards the climbing wall.
Once she was at the halfway point towards the wall, Caleb reached the pods and entered the number to Melaine's pod.
Confessional - Caleb
"Now that's a challenge," he said with an eager grin. "I hope we get more challenges like that, that was exhilarating!"
Unfortunately for Thayer, any lead he may have gotten for his team was almost instantly lost when Audrey began attempting to climb. It was clear she was struggling with the climb, and the bear was not making things easier.
"Hey, Miss?" Audrey looked at the runaway. "D'you happen to know the best way to avoid the bear?"
"Please don't call me Miss," Julia said simply. "It feels oddly formal."
"Oh, okay," Audrey replied. "Sorry M- Julia."
The runaway ignored the apology as she reached the top of the climbing wall. Once she reached the barbed wire station, she began the crawl. Audrey remained a few steps away from the top, still trying to avoid the bear.
"Don't worry Audrey, you got this! Go Ferocious Trout!" Giselle cheered at the bottom of the climbing wall.
Audrey reached the top a bit after, jumping down to the barbed wire pit. Julia clearly had a lead, and she needed to catch up. She quickly began crawling and grabbed a hold of the Frog's ankle.
"What are you doing?" the runaway asked, annoyed with the sudden hold.
"If we both keep our heads low, we won't be electrocuted."
"And you need to have a hold on my ankle in order to allow for this?"
"If we stick together and stay low, we'll both be able to make it without touching the wires. This will ensure we stick together."
Confessional - Julia
"I don't get her idea..what is she up to?"
"If we were on the same team, I'd consider it," Julia remarked, continuing to crawl forward in hopes the Trout would let go.
"But aren't you worried about what they think of you? I'm trying to help you."
"The last challenge's results don't matter anymore," the runaway answered, a hint of anger noticeable in her voice. "You need to stop looking back on what's already been done and move forward."
With that, she broke free from Audrey's grip and crawled forward at a faster pace than she had been.
"Okay, seriously, where are they?" Grace questioned, an annoyed look on her face.
"As I said earlier, do not worry about it, madam," Theresa replied, trying to be soothing. "I'm sure Julia and Audrey will reappear soon."
"I'm inclined to agree," Melaine piped up from the tube. "This water is already ruining my outfit, I don't want it to ruin my makeup as well!"
"Don't worry," Mitchell replied, trying to be reassuring. "We'll get you out of there before you know it."
"Maybe instead of continuing to ask, you could prepare for your turn," Tracy suggested, cracking her knuckles nervously. Soon enough, both girls were back in view.
"It's about time," the photographer noted as Audrey came into view. "What took you so long?"
"No time for chatter," Thayer noted as the girl put the number in Ben's lockpad, with Julia putting the number in Melaine's not long after.
"Both teams are tied neck-and-neck!" Chris announced as Tracy and Grace both took off. "This is going to be a close challenge for sure!"
"Please just let this challenge go faster.." Ben groaned, having given up on punching the tube.
"You know, I'm starting to think Chris designed this to go as slowly as possible," Grace complained as she climbed the rope wall.
"Hm, you seem to complain a lot for someone who's not doing much right now," Tracy remarked, climbing near the top.
"Hey! I'm just saying, this stupid bear makes it near impossible to make progress!"
"Maybe if you're you, apparently."
"Shut it, gamer girl," the photographer rolled her eyes. Tracy ignored her and reached the top, giving the Frogs the lead again.
Confessional - Tracy
"I've dealt with angrier gamers on voice calls and streams before, compared to them, Grace is perfectly calm," she remarked. "Although she does a lot of complaining for someone who signed up for the show. Really, she should've expected some sort of obstacle course."
By this point, Grace had finished climbing up the wall and was crawling desperately in an attempt to catch up.
"So you were saying earlier?" Tracy commented. This made the photographer scowl and crawl faster, closing the gap between them just a bit. Once they reached the platform, the gamer made it about halfway across before falling.
"See you at the ceremony," Grace mocked as Tracy struggled to get up. However, her lead didn't last long as she also fell.
Confessional - Grace
"This could be going a lot better," she remarked with a scoff. "But I don't know what Chris expects. It's not like any of us are professional parkourists here."
They both reached the rope at around the same time, although Grace missed the flag on her first swing. "You've got to be kidding me," she murmured.
"Seems like they're not," Tracy commented as she landed on the mattress, a green flag in hand. "See you at the finish line!"
The photographer rolled her eyes as she went for a second attempt and grabbed the red flag. Once she landed on the mattress, she began running back over to the starting point.
She didn't get there first, though, as Tracy arrived and inserted the fourth number into Melaine's lockpad. She looked at Five, who took it as a silent gesture to begin running towards the climbing wall.
The photographer arrived not long after, worn out from the challenge.
"Took you long enough," Ben remarked, the water halfway up his stomach at this point. "You couldn't've afforded to go any faster? I feel like I'm suffocating in here!"
She wordlessly entered the number into Ben's lockpad, shooting him an angry glare in response.
"Madam, are you alright?" Theresa asked. "You seem exhausted."
"Just start running!" Grace yelled. Theresa was taken aback by this, but began running. She was running a bit slowly due to her attire, but she reached the climbing wall while Five was dealing with the bear.
Confessional - Theresa
"May I just say, there was no reason for her to yell," she said calmly. "She would have seen if I was not making any progress in starting the challenge."
"I'm never trusting McLean with my life again," Five grumbled as the bear swiped at them again.
"You were the one who signed up for the show, bud," Theresa mused as she also began climbing up the wall. However, she still seemed further behind the guitarist.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," they rolled their eyes in response. "But I didn't expect a bear to be here!"
"Why, is it unbearable?" Thayer asked from the ground, before chuckling. "Haha, un-bear-able."
"Do not worry about the bear, just keep going," the dollmaker said, before continuing to climb.
"Were you talking to me or-and you're near the top, okay."
Once Theresa reached the barbed wire pit, she began crawling. She did seem to be having trouble getting across, as she kept accidentally touching the wires and getting zapped.
"Ouch," Five winced when they arrived at the pit. They quickly began to crawl, although like the dollmaker, they wound up touching a couple of wires and getting zapped.
"That makes two of us unhappy with Chris, bud."
"Huh?" The guitarist blinked. "Are you calling me bud?"
"Of course, I try to nickname everyone."
"We're not buddies though," they scoffed, continuing to crawl. However, they brushed against a wire, zapping them.
"We may not be buds in your eyes, mx. Thornton, but I will call you as I please," Theresa concluded, turning to give Five an eerie smile. As she did so, she also brushed against a wire.
"O…kay, I'm just going to go," they concluded before crawling faster.
Confessional - Five
"What the heck was that about?!" they questioned, confused. "I don't recall being friends with Theresa! I thought she was friends with the other girl from the Trout team, not me!"
It surprisingly didn't take too long for Five to cross the platform, while Theresa seemed to be crossing at a much slower rate. They grabbed the rope and swung across, only to miss the flag on the first swing.
Theresa soon finished crossing the platform as the guitarist went for swing number two, which proved to be successful as they grabbed the flag.
Once on the mattress, Five looked at the green flag, which had the number 5 on it. "This feels almost insulting," they remarked before beginning to run back.
"Do not be insulted," the dollmaker replied from behind Five, having caught her flag. "I assure you it is probably a coincidence." The guitarist huffed at that as they continued running, with the dollmaker close behind them.
"They're almost back," Giselle noted as both Five and Theresa ran back, Five being slightly faster than the dollmaker. She turned to look at Mitchell. "Good luck."
"Likewise," he said before winking. "And hopefully you'll be able to be impressed by moi."
"Mitchell, this isn't a runway," Five breathed out as they arrived. They entered the number in the lock pad. "Now go!"
The thief took off running as Theresa arrived and entered the number into the lockpad. Giselle took off running, trying to go as fast as she could.
The thief was holding the rope tightly, trying to keep climbing up while avoiding the bear. He actually seemed to be doing a decent job at the climbing part, although he did have to fall back a bit when the bear kept swiping.
Giselle, meanwhile, was not having a good time. She couldn't seem to get a grip on the rope, and the bear did not seem to help.
"Here's some motivation for you," Ben remarked as the water continued filling up the tube. "I don't want to drown, so GO FASTER!"
"Ben, don't worry," Desmond put a hand on the glass. "You'll be out of there soon enough."
"I couldn't get out of here sooner?!"
"I'm trying to go faster, Ben!" Giselle yelled, wincing a bit when the bear swipe got a little too close to her. "Just give me some time!"
Confessional - Desmond
"He seems to be having a bad time with this challenge," he sighed. "Maybe I can talk to him after the challenge? Assuming he even wants to, but I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to try."
Once they hit the crawling pit, Giselle began crawling quickly, trying to bypass Mitchell. While she couldn't quite get around him, she caught up to make them neck and neck.
"You know, I gotta hand it to you," Mitchell breathed out with a smirk. "I'm impressed."
"You are?" she paused, confused.
"Yeah. Go Trout and all," he chuckled as he began crawling faster. "But I'm more of a Frogs fan than anything."
Giselle bit her lip as she continued crawling.
Confessional - Mitchell
"Hey, I gotta work that Mitchell allure somehow," he remarked with a smirk. "And that seemed to do just the trick. Hopefully she's not too mad."
Mitchell reached the platform and began to cross. Giselle arrived when he was around a fourth way across. She quickly began to cross, although she slipped and fell.
"You're keeping this close," he commented. "But I like a challenge." He winked at her.
"Stop talking to her like you're not in the challenge!" Five yelled from where they were standing.
"Your teammate's right," Giselle commented. "I promise we'll talk once this is done." She passed him, eventually reaching the rope.
Once she grabbed the rope and swung across, Mitchell arrived and also grabbed a hold of the rope. By the time she landed on the mattress, the thief had grabbed the flag.
"And it's a neck and neck race to the finish!" Chris announced with a gleam of excitement in his eye. "Ah, I love when challenges are a close call! Makes the conclusion more dramatic, wouldn't you say?"
Once Mitchell noticed he was neck and neck with Giselle, he took a deep breath and began running faster. "There's sirens! Sirens I say!" he yelled loudly, trying to distract the cheerleader.
"What is he talking about?" Julia whispered to Quinn.
"I dunno, nyoho, but he seems to be running faster," the matchmaker replied. She wrote something in her notebook.
The thief's words seemed to fall on deaf ears as Giselle kept running. She almost caught up to him, but he sped up and reached Melaine's pod first. Once Mitchell entered the last digit of the code, the door opened and water spilled out. The actress stood there.
"What's going on?" She asked as some of the Frogs of Death began to cheer and the Ferocious Trout began to groan.
"And the Frogs of Death win!" Chris announced. Giselle, dejected, walked up to Ben's tube and entered the number, unlocking the door. Without any warning, the bookworm opened it and immediately bolted away.
"Hey! No one said you could leave, boy!" Chef exclaimed before sighing. "Ferocious Trout, you know the deal. Meet us at the campfire tonight. One of you will be going home." Some of the Trout turned their attention to Giselle, who looked simultaneously downcast and afraid.
Suddenly, the cheerleader felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at Grace, who had a smile on her face. "Don't worry. I'll be keeping you around. Do you trust me?"
"Of course," Giselle answered without hesitation.
"I'm happy to hear that," the photographer replied. "Just listen closely…" she leaned in and began whispering in the cheerleader's ear, which caused her to raise an eyebrow.
"Are you sure that's what you want to do?"
"I'm positive," she responded in a sickeningly sweet tone, with an innocuous smile on her face. "After all, you trust me, right?"
"I do," the cheerleader repeated with a hesitant nod. After what the other girl considered to be an awkward wait, she let out a sigh. "Okay, I'll do it. I hope it works out."
"I know it will," the photographer replied, offering a smile of reassurance. "Just keep calm and keep moving forward. I'll make sure you have nothing to worry about."
Giselle returned the smile. "Thanks for being a good friend, Grace. I'll see you at the ceremony."
"See you then," she replied, still with a smile on her face. When the other girl walked away, her friendly demeanor turned into one of annoyance.
Confessional - Grace
"Look, I have to start somewhere, alright? This alliance thing just needs to work out for tonight to establish a majority."
Audrey was about to head off before Grace gently tapped her on her shoulder. "Can we talk for a moment? In private?"
"Of course Gracie," she said, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Whaddya need?"
"Yeah, about that," the photographer continued. "I think we should go for Ben again. He was applying too much pressure."
"But why not that cheerleader instead," Audrey suggested, fidgeting with her fingers. "She's the one who cost us the game, and Thayer's kind of scary."
"Thayer and Giselle? We need them," the photographer replied, waving a dismissive hand at the idea.
"Why do we need them and not Theresa?"
Grace was about to answer, before she paused. "Actually, you may just be onto something," she commented. "Why don't you talk to Theresa about voting for Ben and I'll talk to Thayer and Giselle."
That seemed to be enough for Audrey to be convinced otherwise. "Alright, miss Gracie!" With that, she headed off to find the dollmaker.
"Perfect," Grace smiled before heading off in another direction.
Confessional - Audrey
"You know, I'm really happy I'm in an alliance and all, but…" she bit her lip before looking back at the camera. "Why did she need to talk to me without the others..?"
Ben was seated on the stairs to the cabin. He was reading, trying to take his mind off of things.
"Hey," the advisor said. "Are you okay? You seemed uncomfortable earlier, and I don't think I've ever seen you that way."
"I'm fine now," the bookworm answered, raising an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"
"Because you're my teammate," Desmond answered. "And I think we're friends?"
"We're not friends, we're just teammates."
"I'm aware, but still," the advisor insisted. "You can tell me what's going on. I won't tell anyone."
Ben looked at him for a moment before sighing. "I don't like enclosed spaces," the bookworm confessed. "I would've rather participated in the challenge than sit in that..." he shuddered.
"So you're claustrophobic?" Desmond repeated, his voice full of confusion.
"What about it?"
"Nothing's wrong with that," the advisor replied. "I'm just making sure I heard right. Did you want to talk about it?"
"No." The bluntness of Ben's answer somehow didn't surprise Desmond, who only nodded in understanding.
"Do you think you're in danger?"
"I don't know, but there's a chance," the bookworm concluded, closing his book. "All I know is I've decided who I'm voting for."
"Aw, man, what a challenge, am I right guys?" Mitchell asked as he leaned back on his bed. "Another day, another successful win."
"Yeah! And the challenge was actually a fun one!" Caleb agreed. "I liked the part where we had to climb up the bear wall, haha. Although the rope swing was a close second."
"The wall was a bit rough," the thief remarked. "I preferred the crawl part. What about you, Five?"
Five, who had been strumming their guitar, perked up at the mention of their name. They just shrugged. "I'm not really an obstacle course person," they answered.
The gambler gasped, as though the statement was meant to personally offend him. "You take that back!"
"I'm just being honest," the guitarist shrugged, going back to strumming their guitar.
"So, either of you have any plans for the rest of the night?" Caleb asked, hoping to change the subject. Five shook their head in response.
"I wanna see if one of the Trout ladies has her eyes on the Mitch allure after the ceremony," Mitchell remarked. "So I'll be out for a bit. See y'all later."
"Did he really just refer to himself in the third person?" Five asked once the thief was gone. Caleb just shrugged.
"Okay, Five said they weren't interested in anyone, but someone's gotta be interested in someone else here," Quinn murmured to herself. She was walking around the forest, clicking a pen rapidly as though in thought. "Come on, there's gotta be something I can work with."
Looking around, she noticed Julia sitting on a tree stump. The matchmaker walked up to her before sitting in front of the runaway.
"Hello, nyohoho!" She laughed. The runaway looked up from the ground with a confused look on her face. "Is there anyone here who has caught your eye? Come on, spill the details nyohoho!"
"No," Julia answered bluntly. "Why does it matter?"
"You seem lonely, nyoho," Quinn laughed. "So I'm talking to you! Plus I'm just curious if anyone caught your eye."
"What? I'm not lonely."
"But you seem so lonely! Isn't there someone who you're seeing?"
"I don't see why it matters to you so much. I'm perfectly fine by myself."
"Hm…if you're sure! Unless you're secretly eying someone, nyohoho!" The matchmaker laughed.
Confessional - Quinn
"Is it too early? Maybe, but usually this is when relationships start to become noticeable, nyohoho!" she laughed before pulling out her lighter. "I wanna see these ships be beautiful like fire. Although maybe I'm talking to the wrong people.."
Tracy was seated on a stump by the campfire, playing on her video game console.
"You seem awfully content," a sudden voice from behind the gamer caught her off guard. She turned around to see Theresa standing there.
"Yeah, you could say I am," she admitted with a shrug. "I mean, my team just won the challenge, so I feel fine."
"I am glad to hear you feel fine," the dollmaker acknowledged with a nod. "May I accompany you?"
"Yeah sure, knock yourself out."
Once the dollmaker was seated, she turned her attention from the gamer to the flames. "They are truly a unique symbol here, would you say? One of safety?"
"Uh, I guess," Tracy answered with another shrug. "I just wish it didn't mean risking going home."
"I see where you are coming from, but do not fret," Theresa commented. "I do not believe you are at any immediate risk."
"You're positive?"
"Of course I am."
Tracy was about to respond, when the sound of footsteps approaching caught both her and Theresa off guard. Audrey stood there. "Hey, uh, can I talk to you Terry?"
"Of course, dearie," Theresa answered with a smile. She turned to Tracy. "Our short chat was a rather nice one. Enjoy the rest of your evening."
"Thanks," Tracy said as she stood up. "And good luck with the ceremony tonight." With that, she headed off, leaving the two Trout to talk.
Thayer was in the communal outhouse, icing a bruise on his chin he'd acquired from the challenge. He seemed to be contemplating something as he did so, seeming almost unsure.
The sound of the door opening caught his attention as Melaine entered with a makeup kit.
"It's the end of the day. What's with the makeup?" He asked with confusion.
The actress, however, seemed oblivious to him. She looked in the mirror, almost intently, as she began to apply lipstick.
"Uh, hello? Earth to Melaine?" He waved a hand in front of her face, only to be unsuccessful with catching her attention.
He pulled a small, plastic spider out of his pocket. He placed it on her shoulder, and the touch alone was enough to catch her by surprise.
"Agh!" She yelled out as the lipstick smeared. "You scared me!"
"Ahaha, sorry, but I needed to catch your attention somehow," Thayer said. "You just entered the bathroom with no explanation."
"Oh! I was, uh, doing my makeup! That's all!" she exclaimed, waving a hand. "Don't worry about it!"
"If you're sure," he remarked. "Although you got a bit of lipstick on your chin."
"I do?!" Melaine gasped as she quickly turned her attention to the mirror.
"Once again, I'm sorry!" Thayer exclaimed. "I just-"
The intercom turned on. "Oh Ferocious Trout! It's ceremony time! You all know the drill by now, please meet at the campfire to vote off one of your own," Chris exclaimed.
"You were saying?" Melaine asked, tilting her head to the side.
"Ah, I forgot," the prankster admitted.
"Aw, really? That's a shame."
"Yeah. Well, I'll see you later then, hopefully," he shrugged before heading out, leaving Melaine to do her makeup by herself.
She didn't notice the plastic spider left on the ground, nor did she see the plastic snakes left on top of the sink.
Elimination Ceremony - Ferocious Trout
"Ferocious Trout! I am not surprised to see you all back here again!" Chris laughed. "You all know what to expect by now. Whoever does not get their marshmallow must walk down the Dock of Shame and be picked up by the Drone of Despair."
"Giselle, you were the last to finish the obstacle course. It could have given your teammates the assumption that maybe you're not the most physical asset," Chef remarked.
Confessional - Giselle
"Okay, so I screwed up…and badly. But I really think I can prove myself if I don't go home." She chuckled sheepishly with a meek "go me."
"Grace, some people on the team may be starting to get annoyed with you and the apparent attitude you have," the cook continued. The photographer just rolled her eyes at that.
Confessional - Grace
"Oh please, two of the Frogs members are far from people…people," she commented. "If anything, they should be getting called out for that instead of me. At least I talk to my teammates!"
"Ben, although you may have your reasons for not wanting to go in the tank, you still continued to yell at them while in the tank," Chef called out. "Some may have felt that you were adding pressure to the challenge at hand."
Confessional - Ben
"I didn't even participate today, and here I am," he sighed. "I just need to hope I pulled through."
"Let's start the ceremony," Chris chuckled. "First one safe is Audrey!" He tossed her the marshmallow.
"Desmond and Grace!" The advisor smiled weakly as he caught his marshmallow.
"I figured as much," Grace remarked with a prideful huff, catching her marshmallow.
"And Thayer, all of you got zero votes!" Chris announced, throwing the marshmallow to the prankster. He looked over at the remaining three contestants. "And the next marshmallow goes to Giselle." She let out a sigh of relief.
"Theresa, Ben, this is the last marshmallow, and it goes to…" Chris trailed off, allowing for suspense to temporarily fill the air as both teens eyed the marshmallow.
"Ben," he said as he tossed the bookworm the final marshmallow. The bookworm sighed with relief while Audrey gasped. Theresa took a deep breath, remaining calm.
"Theresa, I'm shocked at this outcome," Chris confessed, before chuckling. "But I love a surprise elimination! The Drone of Despair awaits you."
"Very well," the dollmaker said as she stood up. She turned to face her former team and curtsied. "Thank you all for a splendid time. May the competition do you all well." With that, she turned and began to head towards the dock..
"Wait!" Someone called out as the dollmaker was about to leave. The eliminated contestant turned around as Audrey promptly hugged her. "I'm sorry that voting out Ben didn't go the way I thought it would."
"I'm right here," the aforementioned boy spoke up, only to get nudged by Giselle.
"Not now," she whispered to him.
"I am sorry too, dearie, that our time together has been cut short," Theresa replied, returning the hug. "I do believe you can continue, just be aware of those who speak and do ill for gain."
Giselle looked guilty, turning away from Audrey and Theresa. Thayer bit his lip, twiddling with his fingers. Grace looked smug, her arms crossed and a smirk on her face.
"As much as I love all the drama going on here," Chris interrupted. "But we have a time slot to maintain, people! Theresa, it's time to go."
The dollmaker pulled away from the hug. "Just know I'll be rooting for you, dearie," she said before heading to the dock.
All Audrey could really do at the moment was watch as her friend walked further away from the campfire.
Confessional - Grace
"Yeah, I told them to vote for Theresa," she confessed without a care. "It was relatively easy too. But if Audrey is going to continue to be in our little alliance, I can't risk her choosing her friend over me."
"Audrey?" The cheerleader spoke up. "Listen, I'm sorry about the ceremony."
"Y-You're not," the other girl responded through shaky breaths, trying to keep herself from crying. "Y-You , you-"
"Of course I am," Giselle responded. "I just, well I was worried I'd be in danger, and-"
"So you did vote for her! I-I knew it!" Audrey exclaimed, backing away. "G-Go away!"
"Guys, let's just calm down," Desmond tried to intervene, stepping between the two girls. "I know there's some emotions after tonight's ceremony, but we can talk about this! Right?"
"I don't think there's much we can really talk about," Thayer replied, not liking the sullen atmosphere at the campfire. "I mean, the votes were cast and she's already heading towards the dock."
The sound of footsteps caught everyone's attention, as she was now headed after her friend. Everyone stood there for a minute, the only sound being the flames crackling at the campfire as the tension seemed to only increase due to the silence.
"You know, why did you feel the need to vote for Theresa?" Giselle questioned, looking at the photographer.
"Me? I'm not the only one who voted for her," Grace remarked, looking over at the cheerleader with her smug look remaining on her face. "So I wouldn't be talking if I were you."
"Aha…guys.." the advisor spoke up, only to be ignored.
"I didn't stay after the ceremony just to watch everyone argue over matters that were already decided," Ben commented, turning his back to the rest of the Trout. "I'm heading to the cabin. I'm willing to bet the other team will profit off of this in the next challenge somehow." With that, he headed off.
Giselle looked like she wanted to say something, but Grace kept the smug expression on her face. The cheerleader just huffed and stormed off in another direction.
Desmond couldn't do much as Thayer and Grace also headed off in separate directions. He stood at the campfire by himself and let out a sigh. He grabbed a stick and began roasting his marshmallow.
The scene cut back to show the dollmaker walking down the dock, before suddenly stopping as a pair of arms wrapped around her torso.
"Audrey?" Theresa questioned, seeming confused.
"I don't want you to go," came the muffled response.
"Dearie, I wish things could be different," the eliminated contestant replied. "But I believe you can do well here. Perhaps you can accompany me the rest of the way."
Audrey sniffled. "Yeah…okay."
Final Confessional - Theresa
"Such a shame my journey in the competition ended the way they did," she lamented, although a slightly sad smile was still on her face. "I am happy to say I have made a friend, even if my time was short."
Once they reached the dock, it didn't take long for the Drone to arrive. It picked Theresa up by her head, and she flew off into the distance. Audrey watched it fly away, while the host turned back towards the camera.
"Well, that's another contestant down! And a rather dramatic ceremony if I have anything to say about it!" Chris exclaimed with a chuckle. "How will Audrey cope with the loss of her friend? Will Mitchell actually win Giselle over? How will Grace's little alliance and the rest of the Ferocious Trout fare? And will we uncover more of our contestants' fears? Find out all the answers to these questions and more, next time, on Total!
Drama!
ISLAND!"
13/16 Remaining
Reasoning for Elimination: This was the first elimination I felt that actually hurt to write. Theresa is such a fun character to write (and I hope she's been fun to read!), but I didn't have any plans for her in this season. And, as much as I wanted to keep writing her, I couldn't find any spot for her in my plans past this episode as a competitor. The other part of this is I needed someone to eliminate someone to establish Grace as a season antagonist, and unfortunately that role ultimately went to Theresa. Sorry to any Theresa fans.
Vote Distribution
Theresa: 3 (Giselle, Grace, Thayer) - Eliminated
Ben: 2 (Audrey, Theresa)
Giselle: 2 (Ben, Desmond)
Ferocious Trout: Audrey, Ben, Desmond, Giselle, Grace, Thayer
Frogs of Death: Caleb, Five, Julia, Melaine, Mitchell, Quinn, Tracy
16th - Jude Willis-Weaver, The Awkward Author (Frogs of Death)
15th - Alex Parker, The Pessimistic Klutz (Ferocious Trout)
14th - Theresa Brown, The Dollmaker (Ferocious Trout)
Author's Notes: And now we're down to 13! I would like to say we're starting to get a bit more dramatic at this point. With alliances starting to form, relationships starting to be hinted at, and all the drama Chris loves to witness is starting to bloom. We are also halfway through the pre-merge, and I'm excited at what's to come in the story.
And about the elimination ceremony and the argument that happened afterwards…yes, Theresa was always planned to be a blindside-betrayal vote. I did wind up toning down the ceremony because originally it was going to be a slightly bigger argument, but I didn't think it was a good idea for a ceremony fight three episodes in. She was also originally slated to go last episode but my plans changed a bit, so she's going here.
One last thing, I appreciate anyone who waited for this chapter. I had some burnout and mental health problems come up, as well having some stuff to do during the summer, so all that combined with the challenge made it a bit of a wait compared to the first two episodes. It was an absolute blast to write even if it took a while lol. Episode 4 is in the works already so hopefully it isn't too long of a wait but I digress. See you all next time!