Using my lips, I daintily picked up a bundle by the end of the string, feeling the knot loosen as I did. I began to run to the pit designated for Team 8, and the entire bundle fell apart as I did, leaves fluttering to the sand.
Whoopsie.
With fake exasperation, I turned around and headed back to the station, starting over again. When this bundle held together (stupid bundle!) I plopped it on the scale next to the pit with my name on it. One pound. Well, at least I’d need ten of those. Heading back out, I went for the leaves again as Jendan raced forward, another bundle in his mouth. He looked like he was making serious tracks in this challenge. Good for him.
I managed to utterly destroy two more bundles by ‘accidentally’ untying the string twice more. Kip passed me once, growling with anger through the bucket handle clenched between his teeth. I blithely ignored him and dropped my final bundle of leaves on the scale. Ten pounds. Using my nose, I nudged the stack off the scale and into the pit. On to the meat.
I headed to the station at a fast trot, wondering why it was deserted. Everyone was busy with the other stations and seemingly avoiding this one. As I neared, though, I could see why. The smell of cooked, overly-sweet meat touched my nostrils before I saw the problem.
Our pig was covered in barbecue sauce…and flies.
“You’re kidding me, right?” I said aloud as I approached it. Thick reddish sauce clung to the cracked, greasy skin of the thing. There was a gash in one side, where I supposed we could ‘chow down’ and grab chunks with our teeth. It reeked of hot grease and barbecue, and as I watched, a fly buzzed forward and landed in the sauce.
As I stared, Jendan raced to my side, took one look at the pig and bent double. I could hear him dry heaving. Oh Jesus, this just got worse and worse.
Fighting back my own bile, I stepped toward it. If ever there was a time to throw a challenge, it was now. I glanced around the challenge area frantically. Sunnie was at the rocks station, delicately rolling one along with her nose. Summer elbowed past me, heading to the banana leaf station. Wow, she was going slow. Alys and Saul were still at the first station, and Kip was hauling buckets of dirt at the far end of the course, ahead of everyone else.
Dammit, why did my partner have to be so quick at everything? We were never going to get voted off at this rate.
I looked over at Jendan again. His hands were on his knees, and his face was extremely pale. I sidled closer to him, pretending to inspect the disgusting pig. “You ok?”
“I’m…kinda a health nut. Not so good with gross food.”
Well that was obvious. “Make Sunnie do this station, then. You guys can’t come in last again.”
He shook his head. “She won’t do it. She’s a vegetarian.”
“Jesus.” I stepped forward, eying the hunk of grotesque meat in front of us. “Look, Jendan, if you’re in last again, you might go home.”
“I know. Just…give me a minute.” He breathed deep, clearly trying to calm his stomach.
Lovely. Now I had to somehow throw the challenge to get rid of my partner and manage to help Jendan at the same time. I moved closer to the pig and the gigantic gash cut into its side. At least it was cooked all the way through. I blew at a fly zooming in too close and leaned in. I could always pull a piece of meat from the pig’s side and pretend to drop it, and have Jendan grab it…but the beach was super sandy and the pig was coated with barbecue sauce. I doubted Jendan’s weak stomach would be able to handle that. Maybe…maybe I could pull a big chunk loose but leave it hanging by the skin (ugh) and Jendan could swipe forward and pull it off.
“I’m going to help you, okay?” I whispered. “I’ll pull some loose. Just grab it with your teeth and go.”
He nodded and made a quiet gagging sound.
Men. Sucking in a deep breath of my own, I shoved my face into the cut gap. The pork smelled fragrant, and actually pretty damn good. My mouth watered, starving. I bit at a big chunk of the pork, got it between my teeth, and then pulled back, trying to drag a large chunk away.
It tore with a wet, fleshy sound that made Jendan hurk in his throat again.
I left that flappy piece hanging and shoved my face back into the gouge again, pulling another long strip free with my teeth. Damn, it smelled really good. I was tempted to take a bite, but remembered the flies swarming on it, and my stomach gave a little lurch of its own. Gripping a piece in my teeth, I looked over to see if Jendan was moving forward. He had, a little, and was eyeing the flap of meat I’d loosened for him.
“Grab it under your arm if you have to,” I told him through gritted teeth, and yanked my piece off. Barbecue sauce covered my cheeks and brows, and I turned and struggled toward my team’s station. Like it or not, it looked like we were in first place. Well, shit.
I’d just have to wait a challenge to get rid of Kip. If I dragged my feet too much at this point, someone would think something was up. Dumping my mouthful of pork on the scale, I passed Jendan, who had the hunk of pork tucked under one sauce-covered arm. “You’re the best,” he told me as he huffed past.
I nodded, hurrying along. I had to get back to the pig before Jendan did - and before any others - so I could help him get another piece. I picked up the pace…and face-planted into the sand. Damn it! Coughing sand out of my mouth, I awkwardly pushed myself back to my feet. My entire face was now covered in sand and barbecue sauce. Sexy.
Trotting back to the pig station, albeit at a much slower pace, I returned to it and immediately pushed my face back against its side, trying to pull more out. I managed to get another hunk loose for Jendan just as he came up and concentrated on getting another piece for myself just as Kissy came up to my side and went bobbing for pork, face first. The others were catching up. I returned to my station, and was relieved when Jendan pushed the meat off his scale and then ran to another station to go help Sunnie. I dumped my meat on my scale. 9.7 pounds.
Maybe I’d still lose this damn thing after all. I looked down the line. Maybe not - all the single participants were struggling with the challenge. It clearly wasn’t weighed to do them any favors. With a small sigh, I headed back out to the pig for one last mouthful of pork, then spit it out on my scale. Done with my stations, I turned…and barbecue sauce slid into one eye. I squeezed it shut and tried to see where Kip was on the course. Someone was heading in my direction with a bucket clenched between their teeth. My partner.
He shoved past me — I guess I was in the way — and pushed his bucket onto his scale, then dumped the contents into the pit.
“Team Eight is safe!” I heard Chip call. Kip whooped with excitement, and flung a hand around my shoulders.
“Hands please,” I said, shrugging my shoulders in an attempt to point at my hands. “I have barbecue sauce in my eyes.”
“Can’t until the challenge is over,” Chip called cheerfully, and then announced, “Team Two is safe!”
Jendan and Sunnie were in the clear. Good. I pushed my face against Kip’s shoulder and tried to rub the sauce out of my eye while we waited.
One by one, the other teams trailed in. Kissy and Rusty were next, then Leslie and Emilio. Saul was the first of the solo players to come in, and watching Alys and Summer limp to the finish line made me a little wary.
I wanted to get rid of Kip to ruin his game, but if I was solo, would I ruin my own chances, too? This challenge had been extremely rough on Saul, Alys and Summer. And being at camp by myself for days on end would be rough. I’d have no one to depend on but me.
Whoopsie.
With fake exasperation, I turned around and headed back to the station, starting over again. When this bundle held together (stupid bundle!) I plopped it on the scale next to the pit with my name on it. One pound. Well, at least I’d need ten of those. Heading back out, I went for the leaves again as Jendan raced forward, another bundle in his mouth. He looked like he was making serious tracks in this challenge. Good for him.
I managed to utterly destroy two more bundles by ‘accidentally’ untying the string twice more. Kip passed me once, growling with anger through the bucket handle clenched between his teeth. I blithely ignored him and dropped my final bundle of leaves on the scale. Ten pounds. Using my nose, I nudged the stack off the scale and into the pit. On to the meat.
I headed to the station at a fast trot, wondering why it was deserted. Everyone was busy with the other stations and seemingly avoiding this one. As I neared, though, I could see why. The smell of cooked, overly-sweet meat touched my nostrils before I saw the problem.
Our pig was covered in barbecue sauce…and flies.
“You’re kidding me, right?” I said aloud as I approached it. Thick reddish sauce clung to the cracked, greasy skin of the thing. There was a gash in one side, where I supposed we could ‘chow down’ and grab chunks with our teeth. It reeked of hot grease and barbecue, and as I watched, a fly buzzed forward and landed in the sauce.
As I stared, Jendan raced to my side, took one look at the pig and bent double. I could hear him dry heaving. Oh Jesus, this just got worse and worse.
Fighting back my own bile, I stepped toward it. If ever there was a time to throw a challenge, it was now. I glanced around the challenge area frantically. Sunnie was at the rocks station, delicately rolling one along with her nose. Summer elbowed past me, heading to the banana leaf station. Wow, she was going slow. Alys and Saul were still at the first station, and Kip was hauling buckets of dirt at the far end of the course, ahead of everyone else.
Dammit, why did my partner have to be so quick at everything? We were never going to get voted off at this rate.
I looked over at Jendan again. His hands were on his knees, and his face was extremely pale. I sidled closer to him, pretending to inspect the disgusting pig. “You ok?”
“I’m…kinda a health nut. Not so good with gross food.”
Well that was obvious. “Make Sunnie do this station, then. You guys can’t come in last again.”
He shook his head. “She won’t do it. She’s a vegetarian.”
“Jesus.” I stepped forward, eying the hunk of grotesque meat in front of us. “Look, Jendan, if you’re in last again, you might go home.”
“I know. Just…give me a minute.” He breathed deep, clearly trying to calm his stomach.
Lovely. Now I had to somehow throw the challenge to get rid of my partner and manage to help Jendan at the same time. I moved closer to the pig and the gigantic gash cut into its side. At least it was cooked all the way through. I blew at a fly zooming in too close and leaned in. I could always pull a piece of meat from the pig’s side and pretend to drop it, and have Jendan grab it…but the beach was super sandy and the pig was coated with barbecue sauce. I doubted Jendan’s weak stomach would be able to handle that. Maybe…maybe I could pull a big chunk loose but leave it hanging by the skin (ugh) and Jendan could swipe forward and pull it off.
“I’m going to help you, okay?” I whispered. “I’ll pull some loose. Just grab it with your teeth and go.”
He nodded and made a quiet gagging sound.
Men. Sucking in a deep breath of my own, I shoved my face into the cut gap. The pork smelled fragrant, and actually pretty damn good. My mouth watered, starving. I bit at a big chunk of the pork, got it between my teeth, and then pulled back, trying to drag a large chunk away.
It tore with a wet, fleshy sound that made Jendan hurk in his throat again.
I left that flappy piece hanging and shoved my face back into the gouge again, pulling another long strip free with my teeth. Damn, it smelled really good. I was tempted to take a bite, but remembered the flies swarming on it, and my stomach gave a little lurch of its own. Gripping a piece in my teeth, I looked over to see if Jendan was moving forward. He had, a little, and was eyeing the flap of meat I’d loosened for him.
“Grab it under your arm if you have to,” I told him through gritted teeth, and yanked my piece off. Barbecue sauce covered my cheeks and brows, and I turned and struggled toward my team’s station. Like it or not, it looked like we were in first place. Well, shit.
I’d just have to wait a challenge to get rid of Kip. If I dragged my feet too much at this point, someone would think something was up. Dumping my mouthful of pork on the scale, I passed Jendan, who had the hunk of pork tucked under one sauce-covered arm. “You’re the best,” he told me as he huffed past.
I nodded, hurrying along. I had to get back to the pig before Jendan did - and before any others - so I could help him get another piece. I picked up the pace…and face-planted into the sand. Damn it! Coughing sand out of my mouth, I awkwardly pushed myself back to my feet. My entire face was now covered in sand and barbecue sauce. Sexy.
Trotting back to the pig station, albeit at a much slower pace, I returned to it and immediately pushed my face back against its side, trying to pull more out. I managed to get another hunk loose for Jendan just as he came up and concentrated on getting another piece for myself just as Kissy came up to my side and went bobbing for pork, face first. The others were catching up. I returned to my station, and was relieved when Jendan pushed the meat off his scale and then ran to another station to go help Sunnie. I dumped my meat on my scale. 9.7 pounds.
Maybe I’d still lose this damn thing after all. I looked down the line. Maybe not - all the single participants were struggling with the challenge. It clearly wasn’t weighed to do them any favors. With a small sigh, I headed back out to the pig for one last mouthful of pork, then spit it out on my scale. Done with my stations, I turned…and barbecue sauce slid into one eye. I squeezed it shut and tried to see where Kip was on the course. Someone was heading in my direction with a bucket clenched between their teeth. My partner.
He shoved past me — I guess I was in the way — and pushed his bucket onto his scale, then dumped the contents into the pit.
“Team Eight is safe!” I heard Chip call. Kip whooped with excitement, and flung a hand around my shoulders.
“Hands please,” I said, shrugging my shoulders in an attempt to point at my hands. “I have barbecue sauce in my eyes.”
“Can’t until the challenge is over,” Chip called cheerfully, and then announced, “Team Two is safe!”
Jendan and Sunnie were in the clear. Good. I pushed my face against Kip’s shoulder and tried to rub the sauce out of my eye while we waited.
One by one, the other teams trailed in. Kissy and Rusty were next, then Leslie and Emilio. Saul was the first of the solo players to come in, and watching Alys and Summer limp to the finish line made me a little wary.
I wanted to get rid of Kip to ruin his game, but if I was solo, would I ruin my own chances, too? This challenge had been extremely rough on Saul, Alys and Summer. And being at camp by myself for days on end would be rough. I’d have no one to depend on but me.
