I didn’t talk strategy to a single person. I kept my mouth shut and listened, and remained pleasant at all times. Someone would come to me soon enough. And if they didn’t, that was a sign that I was the one going home and there’d be nothing I could do…
Except win the challenge, of course.
“We’ve got mail,” someone shouted.
Kissy and I hurried with our firewood back to the beach. Saul stood there, Kip at his side, and they were examining the note. I’d noticed that the two men had paired up immediately, and I didn’t like it. Saul plus Alys plus Kip plus Kissy equaled winning numbers. I had to break that up.
“Challenge this afternoon,” Saul announced. “Here’s what it says: Today’s Judgment challenge is simple - last one standing wins.”
“That doesn’t help us very much,” Leslie pointed out.
“Maybe they got tired of silly rhymes,” Kip said, then looked over at me thoughtfully.
“Maybe,” I agreed, and moved to put my wood next to the fire. “We should probably bank this if we’re heading to the challenge soon.”
Kip nodded, and to my surprise, he came and squatted next to me as I pulled a big log over the fire. “We need to talk later,” he whispered. “Post challenge. Last season, they got rid of the reward challenges and staggered Judgment with the actual vote days. We’ll have time to form a plan.”
I know that, idiot. I played last season. But I hid my dislike. “Okay. We’ll talk later.”
This ought to be good.
~~ *** ~~
Six hours later
I squatted miserably atop a pole, my arms wrapped around my legs as the rain poured down on me. My teeth chattered as lighting blasted across the sky, but I remained locked in place.
It had been hours since the challenge started. Hours, and my legs were killing me, my entire body was wet and numb with cold, but I held on.
Today’s challenge was theoretically simple; we’d gotten to the beach to see seven colored poles in the water, each one topped by a wooden disk the size of a dinner plate. Our task? Stand atop the pole until everyone else gave up.
It wasn’t so bad the first hour. My bare feet ached a little and the sun had come out, but it was do-able. Everyone was still up on their platforms while Chip lounged in a director’s chair under an umbrella and drank fruity cocktails.
After that first hour passed, though, Chip got up and pulled out a big tray. “Anyone want to jump down for some nachos?”
Kip had immediately jumped, and Saul after him. No one else had moved. We watched with watering mouths as they devoured the biggest plate of nachos I’d ever seen.
An hour later, Chip brought out cake and ice cream just as the skies clouded up and began to drizzle. At that point, Emilio and Leslie jumped. Kissy, Alys and I had to endure watching them lick their fingers and then their bowls as they moaned with delight.
Assholes.
After two hours, my feet were killing me, so I hunched down to balance my weight a bit more. I figured it’d probably be ugly naked, but I also didn’t care. Kissy adjusted her balance, trying to copy me, and fell into the water. I could have cried for her - all that standing on the pole and she got nothing to eat.
Now it was just me and Alys. The hours wore past and the storm picked up. The rest of the contestants huddled under a tarp on the beach while Alys and I had to endure the storm on our perches. The wood was slippery and the pole rocked back and forth with the waves, but I managed to stay on.
“Five hours, girls!” Chip called. I barely heard him through the haze of pain that was my feet. My teeth chattered so loudly that I had to hold my jaw shut to hear him. “This is the final enticement. If you come down now, you get this—“
He pulled out a big red thermos.
“Hot coffee.”
Alys gave a moan of pain, and I looked over at her. Her thin face was pale, and she was trembling hard. The day was just growing colder, and it was clear that she wanted that coffee bad.
But I was vulnerable if I got down. No amount of food or drink was going to make me leave this pole. If I had to be up there all night, I would be.
She looked over at me. “You going to go for it?” Her voice had a vibrato from her shivering.
I shook my head. “I’m staying.”
Alys considered for a long moment. Then, she called, “Does it come with sugar and cream?”
“It can,” Chip said. He looked over at production and someone brought out two canisters.
“Fuck it,” Alys muttered, and hopped into the water, off of her pole.
I clenched my fists with excitement, my only outward sign of relief. Alys shivered in the water and began to head to shore, and then it really hit me. My knees went weak, and I had to clutch the small wooden plate I stood on to stay in place.
I’d won!
With immunity, I was safe. The three pairs couldn’t pick me off – with immunity, no one could vote for me. I watched gleefully as Alys swam back to shore, waiting for the go-ahead to get down from my perch.
“All right, the last one standing is Annabelle,” Chip called, and waved me in. “Come down and receive your immunity medallion!”
I didn’t hop down as much as I sort of fell into the water, my cramped legs no longer working for me. It took me a little time to swim to shore, and my muscles were aching and I was pretty sure my lips were blue with cold. But Chip put that necklace around my neck - a thick, ropey twine with a big sunburst medallion at the end - and I felt damn good.
Whatever happened, I was here for another three days.
That was for you, Jendan.
Chapter Eighteen
“Being on the jury’s not so bad. Nice clean bed, all you can eat…company’s kind of shit, though.” —Jendan Abercrombie, Juror Number 2, Endurance Island: Power Players
“We need to talk,” Kip whispered as I huddled in the shelter, wrapped in my blanket. I’d managed to steal it back from Leslie and had been hogging it all day. I figured I deserved it after freezing my ass off out on that pole all day yesterday while the others had feasted.
I glanced over at Kip, who was poking a stick at the fire and trying to seem all casual. “So talk.”
“Not here,” he hissed, glancing around. “You should go get some water.”
I just stared at him. Really? I hadn’t left the shelter all day because I was coming down with a cold. The others had taken care of me for that day - either trying to curry my vote or out of genuine sympathy - while I sniffled and sneezed. Like they’d believe I got a wild hair up my ass and decided to retrieve water for the group.
“Come on,” Kip said, casting another quick look down the beach. “Tell everyone you have the shits or something.” He got up and stalked away.
I watched him go. No one else seemed to have notice Kip’s disappearance. A few people were down the beach, and Kissy was under a tree a short distance away, sitting on a pillow and trying to weave herself a grass skirt.
I guess I had to talk to Kip after all. I sighed and crawled out of my nice warm bed, moving across the group camp to get my canteen.
“You okay?” Kissy asked, concern on her motherly face. She touched my forehead. “You’re still hot.”
“I’ll be fine. Just need to take a walk in the woods.” I gave her a weak smile. “Stomach trouble.”
Except win the challenge, of course.
“We’ve got mail,” someone shouted.
Kissy and I hurried with our firewood back to the beach. Saul stood there, Kip at his side, and they were examining the note. I’d noticed that the two men had paired up immediately, and I didn’t like it. Saul plus Alys plus Kip plus Kissy equaled winning numbers. I had to break that up.
“Challenge this afternoon,” Saul announced. “Here’s what it says: Today’s Judgment challenge is simple - last one standing wins.”
“That doesn’t help us very much,” Leslie pointed out.
“Maybe they got tired of silly rhymes,” Kip said, then looked over at me thoughtfully.
“Maybe,” I agreed, and moved to put my wood next to the fire. “We should probably bank this if we’re heading to the challenge soon.”
Kip nodded, and to my surprise, he came and squatted next to me as I pulled a big log over the fire. “We need to talk later,” he whispered. “Post challenge. Last season, they got rid of the reward challenges and staggered Judgment with the actual vote days. We’ll have time to form a plan.”
I know that, idiot. I played last season. But I hid my dislike. “Okay. We’ll talk later.”
This ought to be good.
~~ *** ~~
Six hours later
I squatted miserably atop a pole, my arms wrapped around my legs as the rain poured down on me. My teeth chattered as lighting blasted across the sky, but I remained locked in place.
It had been hours since the challenge started. Hours, and my legs were killing me, my entire body was wet and numb with cold, but I held on.
Today’s challenge was theoretically simple; we’d gotten to the beach to see seven colored poles in the water, each one topped by a wooden disk the size of a dinner plate. Our task? Stand atop the pole until everyone else gave up.
It wasn’t so bad the first hour. My bare feet ached a little and the sun had come out, but it was do-able. Everyone was still up on their platforms while Chip lounged in a director’s chair under an umbrella and drank fruity cocktails.
After that first hour passed, though, Chip got up and pulled out a big tray. “Anyone want to jump down for some nachos?”
Kip had immediately jumped, and Saul after him. No one else had moved. We watched with watering mouths as they devoured the biggest plate of nachos I’d ever seen.
An hour later, Chip brought out cake and ice cream just as the skies clouded up and began to drizzle. At that point, Emilio and Leslie jumped. Kissy, Alys and I had to endure watching them lick their fingers and then their bowls as they moaned with delight.
Assholes.
After two hours, my feet were killing me, so I hunched down to balance my weight a bit more. I figured it’d probably be ugly naked, but I also didn’t care. Kissy adjusted her balance, trying to copy me, and fell into the water. I could have cried for her - all that standing on the pole and she got nothing to eat.
Now it was just me and Alys. The hours wore past and the storm picked up. The rest of the contestants huddled under a tarp on the beach while Alys and I had to endure the storm on our perches. The wood was slippery and the pole rocked back and forth with the waves, but I managed to stay on.
“Five hours, girls!” Chip called. I barely heard him through the haze of pain that was my feet. My teeth chattered so loudly that I had to hold my jaw shut to hear him. “This is the final enticement. If you come down now, you get this—“
He pulled out a big red thermos.
“Hot coffee.”
Alys gave a moan of pain, and I looked over at her. Her thin face was pale, and she was trembling hard. The day was just growing colder, and it was clear that she wanted that coffee bad.
But I was vulnerable if I got down. No amount of food or drink was going to make me leave this pole. If I had to be up there all night, I would be.
She looked over at me. “You going to go for it?” Her voice had a vibrato from her shivering.
I shook my head. “I’m staying.”
Alys considered for a long moment. Then, she called, “Does it come with sugar and cream?”
“It can,” Chip said. He looked over at production and someone brought out two canisters.
“Fuck it,” Alys muttered, and hopped into the water, off of her pole.
I clenched my fists with excitement, my only outward sign of relief. Alys shivered in the water and began to head to shore, and then it really hit me. My knees went weak, and I had to clutch the small wooden plate I stood on to stay in place.
I’d won!
With immunity, I was safe. The three pairs couldn’t pick me off – with immunity, no one could vote for me. I watched gleefully as Alys swam back to shore, waiting for the go-ahead to get down from my perch.
“All right, the last one standing is Annabelle,” Chip called, and waved me in. “Come down and receive your immunity medallion!”
I didn’t hop down as much as I sort of fell into the water, my cramped legs no longer working for me. It took me a little time to swim to shore, and my muscles were aching and I was pretty sure my lips were blue with cold. But Chip put that necklace around my neck - a thick, ropey twine with a big sunburst medallion at the end - and I felt damn good.
Whatever happened, I was here for another three days.
That was for you, Jendan.
Chapter Eighteen
“Being on the jury’s not so bad. Nice clean bed, all you can eat…company’s kind of shit, though.” —Jendan Abercrombie, Juror Number 2, Endurance Island: Power Players
“We need to talk,” Kip whispered as I huddled in the shelter, wrapped in my blanket. I’d managed to steal it back from Leslie and had been hogging it all day. I figured I deserved it after freezing my ass off out on that pole all day yesterday while the others had feasted.
I glanced over at Kip, who was poking a stick at the fire and trying to seem all casual. “So talk.”
“Not here,” he hissed, glancing around. “You should go get some water.”
I just stared at him. Really? I hadn’t left the shelter all day because I was coming down with a cold. The others had taken care of me for that day - either trying to curry my vote or out of genuine sympathy - while I sniffled and sneezed. Like they’d believe I got a wild hair up my ass and decided to retrieve water for the group.
“Come on,” Kip said, casting another quick look down the beach. “Tell everyone you have the shits or something.” He got up and stalked away.
I watched him go. No one else seemed to have notice Kip’s disappearance. A few people were down the beach, and Kissy was under a tree a short distance away, sitting on a pillow and trying to weave herself a grass skirt.
I guess I had to talk to Kip after all. I sighed and crawled out of my nice warm bed, moving across the group camp to get my canteen.
“You okay?” Kissy asked, concern on her motherly face. She touched my forehead. “You’re still hot.”
“I’ll be fine. Just need to take a walk in the woods.” I gave her a weak smile. “Stomach trouble.”
