All-Star Survivor: Greece Episode #4 Not That Innocent

Taygete Tribe: Dirk Been, Carl Bilancione, Jessie Camacho, Debb Eaton, Kel Gleason, Ramona Gray
Alkyone Tribe: Ryan Aiken, Gabriel Cade, Stephanie Dill, Hunter Ellis, Peter Harkey, John Raymond, Tanya Vance

DAY 10


The morning broke early over camp Taygete. The warm weather of the past few days had already given way to a gentle rain, which was currently blanketing the small island. The six members of the losing tribe were fortunate, however, in that they had a dry shelter. They still had a house. Currently, four of them were still huddled up underneath its sturdy walls and roof, the same roof that Carl and Diane had reinforced just the day before. And now, it looked like their hard work was paying off. No rain was getting in.

As the rest of the team stayed indoors, Dirk and Jessie were taking a hike this morning, having volunteered for treemail duty. The camera crew had tipped them off that something was waiting for them, so Dirk offered to go out and check. He had asked for volunteers, and Jessie was more than happy to keep him company, and so off they had gone.

"We should have voted out Carl last night," said Jessie, as she stepped over a fallen tree branch. Her blue buff draped around her neck, she turned towards Dirk, trying to study his response. She knew he was no fan of Carl, and figured he would be on the same page as her. And if not, she was pretty sure she could persuade him to be.

"I don't know," said Dirk, as he reached to help her step over the branch. "Carl's a punk, but we probably need him. I don't want to have to do all the challenges myself."

"Awwww, why not?" Jessie cooed. "You've done great so far. Besides, it's not like he's in great shape or anything. You've always been the best we've got."

Dirk smiled, blushing. But she could see the extra spring in his step now, his inadvertant response to even the smallest compliment. She smiled to herself, pleased. Jessie Camacho was not the most scheming player in the game, she was not the most strategic, but she was no stranger to the effect she sometimes had on men. And Dirk Been was no exception. She had learned early on that he could probably be influenced, if she needed him to be. Ramona had pointed this out several times as well, in fact she had been insistent upon it.

"Talk to him," she would say, "Or just smile at him. Do whatever you have to!"

Jessie was enjoying herself out here in Greece, definitely. She was having a lot of fun. But she had still been a little hesitant about using Dirk like this. It didn't quite feel right, trying to use his own innocence against him. And besides, it really wasn't her style. It was a bit mean. But, of course, as the game progressed, and the stakes were raised higher and higher, Jessie was finding it more and more neccessary to try and sway his vote. Simply put, he was a potential ally, no more and no less. And sure, it was kind of fun to play with his emotions, although she didn't intend on going too far with it, of course. It was really nothing more than flirting, right?

But still... in the long run, it was probably going to be useful. And she knew it.

"I didn't mind getting rid of Diane," said Dirk, "She was hella annoying. She talked too much."

"I know, huh?" agreed Jessie. She sighed, thinking about her old friend. It had been hard to vote her out, as expected. "Diane's nice and all, but she was getting on my nerves, too."

The two peered through the rain as they neared the treemail box. Jessie saw a small wooden cart on the outside, hanging down via string. And inside the cart was a note. It looked like it was challenge time.

"Sweet," said Dirk, as he picked up the cart. He handed it to Jessie, and read the note out loud himself.

"You've heard the story of your home
And how it got its name.
But today you have a different task-
Another type of game.
Push your cart, run the course,
Don't let it go astray.
For if you protect the prize inside,
You'll dance the night away."



^^




"Dancing?" asked Tanya, as Hunter had finished reading the note. He looked up at the sky, mulling over what he had just read.

"Maybe we get a feast," he said, thinking out loud. "Or some type of... Greek... I don't know. Some sort of festival."

"Well, y'all are gonna have a hard time," Tanya joked, "Because there's only two girls here and five guys. Y'all are gonna have to fight over us." She laughed. "Or just dance with each other."

Hunter smiled, laughing. Whatever this reward was, it should be a lot of fun. Assuming they won, of course. And assuming nothing more of theirs was burnt down in the process. Quite frankly, that was getting kind of old.

As Hunter and Tanya were bringing their wet piece of treemail back to Alkyone, Taygete had found a second part to their instructions. Dirk brought the mail back to camp, where Debb had seen the postscript on the back. She turned it around and read it aloud."

"P.S. Taygete - With Diane gone, you need a new team captain. Please be sure to pick one before the challenge."

Debb looked around, at the five other members of the team. With Diane gone, there was a noticeable void as to the voice of the tribe. Diane Ogden had not been the most vocal leader, nor the most charismatic, but she had been the one that picked them. This had been her team, made up of her friends. She had been the team mom.

And now, it was time to pick her successor.

"Who wants it?" asked Debb, as she squinted her eyes against the light rain. She assumed that Carl would be a natural fit, but he didn't even look at her. He was still standing in the doorway of the house, leaning against the wall, just staring at the ground. It was clear that he had mentally checked out from this team. He just wasn't here to play nice with the rest of them anymore.

"I vote Carl," suggested Ramona, as she huddled under a raincoat. Her eyes peeked out from underneath the blue tarp, as she pointed towards the dentist.

"Me too," seconded Jessie, as she stood underneath a tree.

"Carl, buddy," asked Debb, "What do you say?"

"No thanks," he said, waving one hand. "Not interested."

"Come on, man," said Dirk, "We want you to be captain. We need one."

"Screw you," said Carl, looking right at the lanky athlete. "You be the captain. What do you need me for? You haven't needed me for anything so far, and you don't need me for shit now." Carl stared at Dirk, clearly not pleased with the latest turn of events in camp. He didn't like how the elders were all being picked off. And then he looked at Debb. "I vote Dirk."

"Awww, no way, dog," said Dirk, smiling. "I aint no leader."

"Then I pick Kel," said Carl. "Kel, you always wanted it, so here's your chance."

Kel Gleason grinned slightly, as five pairs of eyes turned towards him. All of a sudden, the spotlight had turned directly on him, and he wasn't sure what to think about it. The strategist in him screamed that this was dangerous. But the egotist in Kel told him that this was his chance to control the game. And Carl had known that, without hesitation. Kel was a sucker for any chance to grab power. It was what he had wanted all along.

"Kel," asked Ramona, "You up for it?"

The Army captain paused for a few seconds, just staring at them.

"Pleeeease?" pouted Jessie, doing her best little girl pout.

Kel smiled, chuckling. But of course, it had never been in doubt. He just liked prolonging the drama. He would have said yes all along. After all, he was military. He was used to running the show.

"Okay," he said, clapping his hands together. He already had the plans all set... in -his- mind, anyway. "I'm in. Now, for the challenge, it looks like we'll be pushing or pulling some sort of cart." He pointed at the dentist. "Carl, you and I will push the cart from behind. Dirk, you're in front, with Ramona. Jessie..."



^^




Jeff Probst greeted the two teams when they arrived at Asterope Island.

This was the first time either team had been here, the most northwestern member of the island chain. It was by far the most lush of the group, with rich, green grasses covering its rolling hills. It looked like a large, untamed meadow, although the loud waves crashing on the beach helped to break the illusion.

And of course, there were large clusters of purple flowers as far as the eye could see. Purple, everywhere you looked was purple. In fact, Jessie already had one tucked into her hair, for good luck.

"Welcome to today's reward challenge," said Jeff, as he stood before them in a black shirt. "And today, you're gonna have to work for it." He turned and pointed to a pair of large wooden carts. Each of them stood about four feet high and looked very heavy.

"I'm sure by now," smiled Jeff. "Most of you know the history of the islands. You know about the seven sisters, their relationships to the gods, and so on. But what you -don't- know..." he stopped and grinned, "Is the eventual fate of the Pleaides. You guys don't know what happened to them in the end."

Jeff smiled, but his grin faltered somewhat when Gabriel answered out loud.

"They became stars?"

Jeff shrugged his shoulders and sighed. Of -course- Gabe would know the answer. Gabe seemed to know a little bit about everything.

"Well, before that," Jeff answered. He leaned up against one of the carts as he spoke. "The Pleaide sisters were known for one thing, above all others. Yes, they had purple hair, but above all, they were known for their virginity." He smiled. "And if you know anything about the Greek gods, you will know that they -luuuuved- their virgins."

Tanya giggled, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. On Taygete, Dirk had a wry smile on his face.

"The gods," continued Jeff, "Were -constantly- after the sisters, trying to... for lack of a better term... defile them. Zeus, Poseidon, all these guys, were doing their best to catch the sisters and have a little fun. And it got so bad that some of the other gods said -'Stop! Enough!'- They took pity on the sisters and transported them all up into the heavens as stars, where they would be safe and could live in peace forever." Jeff pointed up into the sky. "And if you look up in winter, you can see them. Sailors use them to guide their ships."

Hunter nodded, looking at the carts. A nice enough story, but how did this relate to the challenge?

"Your job today," said Jeff, "Is to protect your virgin." Several people laughed, but Jeff continued. "You will pick one person to ride in the cart, and she, or he, must be protected throughout the course of the race. If they fall out at -any point-, or touch the ground, you are disqualified. You will push your cart over this bumpy ground, from one end of the island to the other. The first team to the other side," he smiled, "Wins reward." He paused. "Wanna see what you're playing for?"

He reached into one of the carts and pulled out a large black box. It had a handle on top and speakers on either side. It was a boom box.

"You're playing for music. A little stereo, to help keep your tribe morale up. We've got batteries here, as well as a bunch of CDs. You guys can have your own dance party, or anything else you want to use it for." He turned and smiled at them. They all looked excited. Jessie and Peter, in particular, were beaming. "Worth playing for?"

They all agreed it was, and so it was time for each team to select their virgin. It was time to pick who would be transported in the carts.

"It's gonna be you or Steph," said Hunter, looking at Tanya. The Alkyones were in a small huddle, as they talked about their choice.

"Why me?" asked Tanya, coyly.

"You're the smallest," answered Hunter. "Easiest to carry."

"Plus you're the most likely vihgin," joked Peter, earning one of Gabe's laughs.

Tanya gave a quick glance at Stephanie.

"I ain't no virgin," Stephanie quipped. "Don't look at me."

"Looks like it's you, T," said Gabe, patting her on the back. "You're our virgin."

"Don't worry, baby," smiled Ryan, raising his eyebrows in a suggestive manner. "We'll keep you pure."

"Oh great," deadpanned Tanya.

As Alkyone selected Tanya, the Taygetes were having a harder time with their choice.

"Does it have to be an actual virgin?" Carl asked. He was looking at Jeff, but was only half-kidding.

"Pick whomever you want," Jeff yelled back.

"Good," said Kel, "So it doesn't have to be Dirk."

The tribe of six started laughing, with Dirk blushing slightly. But he wasn't that embarrassed. Religion was a subject that was very important to him, and he would talk about his virginity freely, and without prompting. It was a subject that always seemed to fascinate other people.

"I wanna run, man," he said, "Don't put me up there."

"Okay," said Kel, taking charge. "If no one has a better idea, I say we pick Ramona. She's probably the smallest." Ramona shrugged, but no one had any arguments. She was unanimously elected.

"Great," said Jeff, "Let's line up and start the race."



^^



The two teams stood behind their carts, as Jeff stood directly in front of them. Tanya sat inside the Alkyone cart, while Ramona sat inside Taygete's. The two women nodded at one another, wishing each other good luck, as Jeff raised his right hand.

"This is for reward," he announced. "Survivors ready..." He paused. "GO!"

Hunter and Gabe started pushing the Alkyone cart with all their might, as Tanya held onto the sides for support. The carts proved to be lighter than they looked, and traveled quite smoothly, but the hilly ground was definitely going to be a problem.

"Hill!" shouted Tanya, as Alkyone crested the first grassy meadow. There was only room for four people behind each cart, and Ryan and Peter had joined Gabe and Hunter as pushers, the four men applying a good deal of force to the cart. It was moving fast though, almost too fast for the first hill.

"Slow it down!" yelled John, as he walked alongside it, next to Steph. "You're gonna topple!" And indeed, the cart very nearly -did- tip over as it hit the bumpy ground, but Hunter was able to right it, using his great strength. They had managed to avert tragedy, but it didn't prevent Tanya from clinging to the handrails inside, holding on for dear life.

"You guys," she said, looking behind her, "We're ahead, you don't need to go so fast."

Sure enough, Alkyone was winning. The Taygete cart lagged only a few seconds behind, but it was clear that the older team was already beginning to tire. Kel, Carl and Debb were applying the most force to the cart, and were doing a good job. They were -almost- keeping pace with Alkyone, but it was proving to be a great effort.

"We can't keep this up," panted Carl, "We have to rotate pushers."

Dirk and Jessie swapped in, giving Carl and Debb a breather, as they pushed Ramona's cart over the first hill. They were actually a pretty strong bunch, and were not far behind Alkyone at the moment. It was going to be closer than either side had expected.

"Keep the pressure on them," wheezed Kel, as he pushed with his left shoulder. "If they push too hard, they might tip over."

After about ten minutes, Alkyone was still leading by a small amount. Tanya was doing a good job of pointing out the obstacles before they reached them, and Gabriel was now running ahead to scout the path. They were working well as a team. They always seemed to work well together.

"The paths intersect up ahead," yelled Gabe, as he returned to the cart. "We criss-cross, then we're gonna combine into one." Up to this point, the two teams were each following their own dirt path, cut deep into the grass. But up ahead, it was about to get a little more competitive. They would be competing for the same path. And that was not good news.

Alkyone pushed ahead, reaching the intersection a few moments before Taygete. They had crossed numerous hills by now, and were used to the terrain. And now that they were ahead on the path, they could afford to slow down. The path was narrow, and there was no room to pass. It was time to catch a breather.

"They can't get around us," said Hunter, "Slow it down a little. Just save your energy, guys."

As Alkyone slowed down, the Taygete cart slowly came into view. It wasn't traveling as smoothly as theirs, but Tanya could see the determination in their faces. Dirk, in particular, looked to have a fire in his eyes as he pushed. His face was red with exertion, and sweat was dripping off his chin.

"Guys," said Tanya, from atop her perch, "They're gonna catch us. Watch out!"

Sure enough, Taygete soon was right behind the white cart of Alkyone. And then, it all started to happen very quickly. The Taygetes decided not to wait behind their opponents, and they started to move -off- the path, and onto the grass. They were trying to steer around the Alkyones, as Kel was showing them where to go.

"Go around them!" he yelled, pointing to Jessie. And behind the other cart, Hunter noticed this, and started chuckling to himself. Did Kel actually think that Alkyone -couldn't- catch them later on? It was going to be a short term lead at best. The guy was delusional. But Hunter's light-hearted smile quickly turned to a grimace, as the game suddenly turned serious.

All of a sudden, it wasn't funny anymore.

As Taygete's cart passed next to Alkyone, closely, the corner of it bumped Ryan Aiken. A wooden dowel caught him on the side of his hip and slammed him into the side his own cart. Caught off guard, he cried out in protest, and ended up getting entangled with Dirk. The two men from opposing teams tumbled to the ground, both ending up on their butts.

"Get the fuck -off- me!" Ryan yelled, as he shoved Dirk, angrily. The tall farmboy was caught off guard, and ended up on his back in the grass. Ryan, meanwhile, pounced up angrily, ready for a fight.

The two carts stopped immediately, as the bigger males came over to calm Ryan down. But the young model was livid, and almost had to be restrained by Hunter. Ryan was practically screaming now, pointing and shouting. Meanwhile, his adversary, Dirk, was no less upset, as his normal smiling visage was now dead serious. He was practically challenging Ryan to come take him on, staring right at him.

But after a few tense moments, cooler heads prevailed. Jeff Probst came over to see if everyone was okay, and they were. Dirk was fine, and Ryan had only a small scrape on his hip. But they were ready to go, and the race was back on. It resumed right where they had left off, as Alkyone again took the lead on the narrow path, and Kel called for Taygete to try to pass them again.

"Go around," he called, "Up the slope!"

As Taygete slowly inched into the grass, Ryan took the chance to edge over to the side of the Alkyone cart, smiling. He was doing his best to block their path, and was doing a good job of it too. He edged out juuust far enough to make their task a little more difficult.

"Asshole," said Carl, as Ryan just grinned at him.

But rather than take the chance on another collision, Kel had Taygete push their cart a little further to the left. They went a little further off the path than they should have, and that was when disaster struck. The cart hit a rock. It was just a small rock, hidden in the tall grass, but it was enough. The cart lurched to a stop, and Ramona stumbled atop it, losing her balance. She tried to grab the side, but was unable to, and she fell forward. Debb managed to catch her somewhat, but Ramona's butt still landed in the grass with a soft thud.

She had fallen. And Taygete had lost.

"Alkyone!" announced Jeff, from behind the carts, "Wins reward!"

The white-buffed tribe erupted into cheers, as Tanya leapt down into Hunter's arms. He held her up, cheering, as they celebrated their victory. John made sure to check out Ryan's shoulder, which had also been slightly injured from slamming into the cart, but he appeared okay. Ryan was fine, and they had won. It had been a tough battle, but Alkyone had come out on top.

And now they would get a boombox.

"Congratulations, you guys," said Jeff, as he hoisted the black boom box into Peter's hands. "You guys are gonna have a party tonight." He grinned, and then went over to the Taygete cart. The losing team looked upset. They were defeated. They were tired. And most of all, they looked -angry-. Ramona sat with her head in her hands, upset at herself. She was a student of karate in real life. She was very, very good at keeping her balance. She was dumbfounded that she had fallen due to such a little rock. And she blamed herself.

But Dirk looked angry.

And so did Kel.

And overall, the vast majority of the Taygetes felt cheated. They did not like the way they had lost. Kel had already asked Jeff if he had seen what Ryan had done, and could do anything about it. But the ruling stood. And that meant one thing, one absolute truth about today's loss.

This was a challenge that Taygete was not going to forget.





DAY 11




Hunter Ellis was sitting in the shade of a tree, sharpening his knife against a rock.

"You ready, brother?" asked Gabe, as he popped his head up from around the corner. "I think the waves are gonna pick up, we have to get going soon."

"Yeah, I'm set," said Hunter, as he hoisted himself up. It was hard to get one's balance in the sand, and he steadied himself for a second, before sheathing the knife. But they were set to go. It was time for the fateful hour.

The sheep hunt was ready to begin.

A few days ago, during the labyrinth challenge, Hunter had spotted the herd of sheep on Maia Island. Always keen on finding a new food source, the big man had suggested to Peter that they come back some day, and try to catch one of them. If they had time, of course. But Hunter had no idea how quickly that day would come along. He had no idea that their lack of a fishing boat would wreak havoc on their ability to gather food. To put it in clearer terms, Alkyone was slowly running out of things to eat. They had no fish, they had no meat, and they had very little fruit.

They were starving.

And so the great sheep hunt had been planned for today. Gabriel, Peter, and Hunter, the three largest and strongest of the males, were going to swim over to their neighboring island and try to capture a sheep. Except Hunter would have to do the actual kill, of course. Peter and Gabriel had already mentioned they could not take part in the killing of the animal. They were both against that sort of thing. The two of them would only be there to help out.

It was going to be Hunter Ellis' show, and he knew it. Everyone knew it.

"Bring something that floats," suggested Stephanie, as she held up one of their water jugs. Filled with water, it would make an excellent pontoon on the long swim across the sea. "In case the water gets choppy."

"Good call," said Hunter, as he reached for two of the jugs. He tied them together with a rope and hoisted them over his left shoulder. "Hey Peter, you ready?"

Peter emerged from the makeshift shelter, smiling. He had adorned his face with a mixture of green and black warpaint, from Stephanie's art kit. He was taking this hunt seriously, and wanted to make sure he looked the part.

"How do I look?" he asked, arms spread out.

"You look like you're ready to kill something," joked Hunter. "Nice touch."

With their gear tied down and safe, their knives sharpened, and the water as calm and placid as it was going to get, it was now time to go. Stephanie went down to see them off, helping carry their gear down the shore.

"Y'all be safe now," she said, as they waded out into the water. Maia was very clear, off in the distance, and looked closer than it really was. It looked like an easy swim, but they were all aware of the danger of swimming in the sea. Hunter, in particular, had warned them about trying to fight the current, and to just tread water if they got into trouble. But as all three men were strong swimmers, they felt they could handle it. Besides, if it worked out, they would get fresh meat tonight.

When you were hungry, that more than made up for the danger.




^^



Over at Taygete, the six person tribe was sitting around the fire, lamenting their latest loss. Within the past few days, things had begun to spiral downward. And at times, the whole tribe threatened to veer out of control altogether. But they were aware of this. These were all smart people, and knew the perils they would soon be facing. They all knew this was a critical time in the game. But there was one small catch

Nobody seemed to be sure of how to snap out of it.

"We just need to go over and kick their butts, man," said Dirk, still angry over the last challenge. He was sitting with his back to a tree, as he whittled away a piece of wood. "Alkyone needs to go down and they need to fall -hard-. There ain't no two ways about it."

"They totally cheated," agreed Jessie. "That guy was trying to shove us off the path." She really wasn't the best with names, and Kel had to remind her that the guy's name was Ryan. Ryan Aiken was the one who had really rubbed them the wrong way. No one was going to forget that.

"I can't believe Jeff allowed it," Debb put in, as she stoked the fire yet again. "That was just flat out sabotage."

Ramona sat in the back of the circle, her head down against her knees. She wasn't looking up right now, she wasn't really even contributing to the discussion. She was more or less trying to brainstorm how they could snap out of this funk of theirs. That was what she did. Ramona was a thinker.

"I'll just say one thing," said Carl, as he rested. He was taking a -very- rare break from daily tasks today. This may have been the first time he had sat down in two weeks. "If we don't win tomorrow, we might as well kiss this thing goodbye. We get down seven to five against them, and we're toast. I don't care -what- alliances you have, it won't make a difference against the Harlem freaking Globetrotters over there."

Kel sighed, as he tossed a rock into the fire. As their elected leader, he knew it was his job to pull them out of this. He was the one they trusted, and he was the one onto whose back this would fall.

But the catch was that he had no idea what to do. They seemed to be simply outgunned.

"I don't know, guys," he said. "I'd love to say I have some magic idea or great strategy, but when we lose, it's not even close. We just get creamed."

"Well then let's just cream -them-," said Jessie, as she wistfully looked over at the other team's beach. None of the Alkyones were visible right now, she had no idea what was going on over there. "We just haveta beat them at their own game."

Kel smiled at her. "And how do you propose we do that?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "That's up to you guys. We just haveta do it."

Carl shook his head, chuckling. As always, he was amused at the plans and aspirations of his youthful teammates. They generally consisted of lots and lots of vague, non-specific goals, and no clear path to get there. Just a lot of faith, and a lot of cockiness. And Jessie Camacho seemed to be the spokesperson for this particular theology.

"Can I make a suggestion?" said Carl, finally speaking up. They all turned to look at him. "And I'm just throwin' this out there. You all can tell me to go to hell if you want, but here's my two cents."

He looked at Debb. He knew she would at least be receptive to this, if no one else would. He flashed her a quick smile.

"Let's all work our buns off today," he said. "And all do something as a team for once. Can we at least do that for one day?" He glanced at Ramona. "Can we at least try?"

"Just tell me what you want me to do," Ramona said, barely glancing up at him. "And I'll do it."

"Same here, man," said Dirk, trying at least to be cordial. "What do you want us to do? Just tell us and it'll get done."

"Well, for starters," said Carl, "Why don't we get some of the clothes and crap cleaned up around here." He pointed over to a pile of shirts and socks. "We can't have our house looking like a damn refugee camp. At least take some pride in what we've been given." He pointed out towards the boat. "And let's all go fishing today, as a -team-, and try to work together. We've got too many wheels spinning in too many different directions around here, and frankly it kind of makes me sick."

No one said anything, so Debb took the initiative. She stood up, grinning, and nodded at Carl. Always a workaholic, Debb had tried very hard to tone down her basic nature out here. Out of fear, paranoia, and just plain being gun-shy, Debb had tried very hard to fit in with everyone, particularly the younger players. She had adapted so well, in fact, that some of the people here didn't even realize she was very much like Carl Bilancione. She could almost be his sister, in many ways. The only real difference is that she was more reserved than him. She could keep her mouth shut about the camp laziness.

Carl could not.

"Let's do it," said Kel, trying to get some enthusiasm behind the idea. "We need to work together, or we're not gonna -win- together."

"Let's do it, baby," said Dirk, trying to psych himself up. It was rather difficult to do, when you were talking about chores, but he was doing his best. "Let's work it, old school."

And thus it started. Within an hour, Taygete had cleaned up their camp to Carl's satisfaction. Even Jessie seemed to be helping, as she worked on washing a lot of the dirty clothes in the sea. For now, temporarily anyway, they seemed to be a new tribe, a unified tribe. For once, they were working as a team.

And now, it was only a matter of time as to how long it would last.




^^




As Taygete was doing their best to get their act together, the three hunters from Alkyone were finally spotting their prey.

"I see two of 'em," said Peter, as he peered around a medium sized tree. His white buff around his neck, he pointed to the small pair of sheep. "Theah and theah."

"Okay," nodded Hunter, taking command. He took a small glance around the grassy meadow. This is where they had run the labyrinth, just a few days ago. This is where Sonja had lost the game for herself. But the area looked a lot different now. For one, the labyrinth structure had already been dismantled, so it was basically just a large field of grass. But besides the grass, there was something else.

There were two sheep here. Just the two sheep and the three men. And it was just about time for the hunt to begin.

"We're never gonna outrun them," Hunter added, under his breath, "So we're gonna have to get them in a corner." He pointed to a rocky area off in the distance. "Gabe and I can chase them over there, into those rocks. Peter, it's your job to trap them."

"How?" Peter asked.

Hunter grinned at him, squinting against the bright sun.

"Use your imagination. Just fall on top of 'em if you want. Just so long as you hold them until I get there."

With this rudimentary plan in mind, Hunter and Gabe slinked off into the waist-high grass. They stayed low, trying to avoid detection, but it was clear within minutes that the sheep were onto them. Hunter wasn't within a hundred feet of the first sheep when its head shot straight up. It looked in their general vicinity and then... the best description would be that it bolted. The fluffy white sheep was there one minute, and then it was gone. It simply disappeared.

"Get them!" yelled Hunter, as he started running. He came from one angle, while Gabe rose up from another. Both held homemade spears, although Gabe had made it perfectly clear he wasn't going to be stabbing anything. He was here mainly for support.

Gabriel Cade ran, his blond hair flying in the wind, as he tried to corner the second sheep. Hunter Ellis was sprinting from the other direction, the large shirtless pilot yelling as he approached. And the sheep had no option but to retreat. It turned and bolted in the direction of the rocks, where Peter was crouched down.

Only Peter Harkey stood between him and freedom.

"He's coming towards you!" yelled Hunter, running as fast as he could. But Peter could see it all too well. The sheep, like a ball of white lightning, hurtling towards him at top speed. And he wasn't going to stop. Panicked, Peter took a step backwards, and that was all it took.

The sheep came hurtling at him, at kneecap level, as it zigged and zagged around his body. Peter reached down, but the sheep was too fast, and it rammed into his arms. The impact was hard enough to send the big man sprawling, as he fell backwards, landing on his butt in the process.

The sheep had officially knocked him on his ass.

And within seconds, the little white thing was gone. It fled around a rock, into the grass, and then disappeared. All that was left of the encounter was a very humiliated man from New England. Peter sat now, rubbing his sore behind, as Hunter and a laughing Gabriel finally entered the rocky area, just a few moments later. They had seen the whole thing, and would never be able to get the comical image out of their heads.

"Did you see that thing?" asked Peter, "He nearly killed me!" He ran his fingers through his dark hair, as his blue T-shirt was dripping with sweat. "I almost became a sheep casualty!"

Gabriel was laughing so hard now, he had to bend over. Hunter, originally upset, was chuckling now as well. He came over and placed a hand on Peter's shoulder.

"Nice try, m'man," Hunter said, panting to catch his breath. "But next time, try staying in front of the thing."

"Next time," said Peter, "-You're- on catching duty. I'll just be chilling on the rock over theah."



^^




Hunter and company returned from Maia about an hour later, empty handed. They had no sheep to show for their efforts. It looked like there would be no meat in their bellies tonight, which was always a sad prospect.

"We almost had one," embellished Peter. "We had a couple'a spears in one, but we couldn't bring 'im down." In truth, they hadn't even seen another sheep after the first attempt. They had mainly just talked strategy instead.

John's early morning fishing trip had really gone no better. He had gone out with Stephanie that morning, and the two of them had tried their hand at spear fishing. John seemed to know what he was doing, but today luck just wasn't on their side. They had also returned empty handed. It looked like the whole tribe would only have fruit for dinner tonight.

"And no offense," Hunter had said, "But fruit sucks."

"Sorry, guys," said Gabe, as he bit into his third fig of the evening. He liked figs, as they all did, but after almost two weeks, they were beginning to get sick of them. "We'll have to go get some sheep again tomorrow."

Despite their rumbling bellies, and their lack of protein, Alkyone was definitely the happier of the two tribes right now. They all seemed to get along, they worked great as a team, and they simply dominated most of the challenges. The ones they had lost had been very close, and they weren't really concerned about losing many more. No, despite the loss of their shelter and their fishing boat, Alkyone still seemed to thrive. And without being too cocky about it, most of them could agree on one thing.

The game had been very easy for them thus far.

"It's like we haven't even had to start playing yet," Gabe had said that morning, in a confessional. "No one has had to make any tough choices, and I know that's -killing- some people. I know that a few people here are aching to get into it, and start mixing things up. And probably the most antsy one is John."

John Raymond had been one of the focal points of the strategy talks since day one. Nearly every strategic discussion thus far had either started or ended with him. And people knew it. But it was only natural, as he was the most interested in building alliances. And in his mind, John -had- a great alliance right now. Despite all the drama between Tanya and Stephanie, both of the girls had agreed to forego personal feelings and vote as one. For now, anyway. And so John's alliance currently consisted of Stephanie, Gabriel, Peter and Tanya. They were the big five. They always had been. And at any point now, they were really in a position to take the game over, whenever it came to it. They had the numbers. They had the athletes. And they had the brains.

They were going to be tough to beat.

But John was getting antsy. Oh yes, he was getting antsy. The way things were going, he wasn't sure they would -ever- go to Tribal Council again. And if they didn't ever go to council, who knew -what- might happen...

"Guys," said Hunter, as he chewed on a piece of orange. He was sitting on a small piece of stump. "Those guys just aren't gonna beat us. They're demoralized." He looked off towards the Taygete camp, where a small fire was burning on the shore. Someone was tending to it, although he couldn't tell who it was. "You can see it in their eyes, they think they're gonna lose, and they -are- gonna lose."

"Straight up," said Gabe, as he knocked fists with Hunter. Gabe had originally been a little leery of having Hunter on his team at the start, but they had proven to be an excellent duo thus far. They hadn't butted heads on a single issue, as Gabe had been smart enough to stay out of the way, and let the big man take charge. And so far, Gabe would be the first to admit, the two of them had made a -great- team. Unlikely, but effective.

"Hey," said Steph, "What are we doin' here, sittin' in the quiet? We got a stereo, let's get some music goin'."

She walked over to retrieve the camp boombox, which was uncharacteristically turned off. It had been playing almost constantly for the past 24 hours. The reward from yesterday's challenge had been a -huge- morale boost, much bigger than they had expected. With music playing in the background, chores became that much easier, the monotony was more easily broken, and things just became more fun. Even Ryan seemed to be more a part of the team lately, probably due to the stereo. With his choice of music blaring at maximum volume, he was at his most animated the louder it got. He would hop around, singing along, and would try his best to entertain his teammates. It turned out that sometimes Ryan could be pretty fun, after all.

If you could get past his high-strung nature, that is.

"Let's see here," said Stephanie, rummaging through their small pile of CDs. "We got rap, we got country, we got Britney Spears..."

"Put in Britney," Gabe said, laughing. "You have to see Tanya do her impression."

"No!" Tanya said, jokingly swatting at his leg. But she smiled, good naturedly, as Steph popped the CD into the machine. And after a few seconds, the opening chords of "Oops, I Did it Again" blared into the dark Greek night sky. Amidst the cheering of the others, Tanya stood up and started doing a Britney impression, lip synching the words along with the song.

"Yeah!" cheered Hunter, clapping.

"I think I did it again," Tanya mouthed. "I made you believe, we're more than just friends..." She was laughing as she did this, as she danced in front of them, enjoying herself. "It might seem like a crush, but it doesn't mean... that I'm seriouuus." At this point, Tanya had trouble staying in character, because she was too busy watching Peter. Peter was just too distracting. Because.... well, because he knew all the words, and was singing along with the CD! The tall man sat on the sand, cross-legged, a wide smile on his face, happily singing along.

"Cause to lose ALL my senses," he sang, "That is just so typically meeee!"

Tanya started to lose it, as did the rest of them. The site of Peter singing along was just too much to take. He seemed to know all the words by heart. The rest of them sat and watched the strange duet, Tanya and Peter, as they exchanged verses. They were all enjoying the show, except for Stephanie, who seemed to be in her own world. She had her eyes closed, swaying softly to the music as she sat.

"Oops, I," sang Peter, "Did it again. Your heart."

"Got lost," answered Tanya, smiling. "In this game oh baby."

"You think," smiled Peter, "That I'm sent from abooove."

The two of them closed out the song together, with a rousing finish. Tanya got to deliver the last line, letting loose her best sexy smile, winking and lip synching "I'm -not- that innocent!"

The song finished, and the rest of the team started applauding. It had been quite a show. Ryan was doubled over in laughter, his eyes streaming with tears, and he was not alone. Everyone had found it amusing. Peter sensed an unspoken question hanging in the air, and was quick to clarify, in his usual manner.

"What, you guys think I don't know that song?" He looked shocked. "I own a bowling alley, you guys. Britney is the -queen- of midnight bowling. I hear that song every night, it's one of our most requested!"

The rest of the evening was spent in joyous celebration, as the Alkyones danced and laughed the night away. With the big immunity challenge looming tomorrow, it was good to let off some steam. Alkyone was hungry, they were cold, and they weren't all the best of friends.

But at least they were still having fun.





DAY 12



Ryan Aiken and Stephanie Dill were in charge of tree mail today. The two of them walked along the shore, the sea breeze blowing through their hair, as they went to retrieve news of today's challenge. And they were talking, of course. There was, after all, a lot to discuss.

"John's been tryin' to pull somethin' together," admitted Steph, "Since the start." Her hands jammed into the pockets of her shorts, she walked briskly as she spoke. "He's had an alliance in mind pretty much since day one, and he's been workin' it."

"Yeah, I know that," said Ryan, as he glanced over at his tall teammate. "And I know I'm not invited." He scowled. "I never was, was I?"

Steph shrugged, as she tossed a small rock into the sea. She didn't have a response.

"So whose gonna go next then?" Ryan asked. "Is it me?"

Stephanie just looked over at him, sympathetically. This really wasn't her area of the game. It never had been. She preferred to keep a pretty low profile, when the strategy and lying started to come up. She preferred to keep her inner thoughts to herself at that point. And it would seem to be out of character to most of those who knew her, the ones who knew the -real- Stephanie Dill. After all, she was outgoing. She was fun. She was talkative. And she was, in her own words, a little crazy.

But she was not a good liar. She wasn't even close. She couldn't lie to someone if her life depended upon it.

"Probably," she said. "It's gonna be you or Hunter. And most of 'em at least respect Hunter."

"Crap," Ryan said, inwardly wincing at her bluntness.

As they walked, Ryan's mind wheeled. It had been racing for at least a week now, as he struggled to find just the right angle to play. This was all he had thought about for the past few days, as he had been obsessed by it. How would he save himself? What strings could he pull?

"Who do I have to sleep with to win this game?" he had asked, in a confessional. He then grinned, his normal, boyish grin. "I'm joking."

But at the moment, he knew that he was clearly more expendable than Hunter. Clearly. Hunter was their leader. He was where it started and ended. Contrast that to Ryan, who had no definable role whatsoever, and it would be a pretty obvious choice. The team would surely boot cocky, smart-ass Ryan over golden boy Hunter, and he knew it.

That option was going to be a dead end.

"Well then, what about John?" Ryan asked, casually. "Can we get him out?"

Steph looked at him again, empathizing with the kid's plight. But there was only so much pity she could give at the moment. At a certain point, his grand schemes were just plain painful to watch. John? Ryan Aiken thought he could boot out -John Raymond?- And sure, once we get John, why stop there? Why not just vote out Jeff Probst too?

"Uh," she said, stalling for just the right words. "I don't think that's gonna happen. Everyone likes John."

"What about Gabriel?" Ryan suggested.

"Dude," she said, interrupting, "Just stop. It aint gonna happen."

"Well," he added, frustrated "-Somethin's- gonna happen. We just have to plan it out."

Steph shrugged at this comment, non-commitally. She wasn't about to tell Ryan no. She knew better than that. She sensed he wasn't exactly the patient, "Well, we can still be friends" type. And besides, she liked hanging out with him. He was a cool guy. He was a funny guy.

But a strategist he was not.

"I love Ryan," she would later say in a confessional. "I really do. He's got a sweet heart, and I love 'im for it. But you just listen to him talk all day and eventually you can't take it anymore. All you hear all day is overthrow this, and overthrow that. John this. Hunter that." She sighed. "He just doesn't know when to quit."

Stephanie had no problem listening to Ryan yammer on, but it was getting a bit tiresome. He just never seemed to realize that she was in a perfect spot in the tribe, at John's right hand. And she wasn't going -anywhere-. She had it too good as it was.

"I think," she finally said, truthfully, "That you better work on winnin' immunity for now. 'Cause I aint got a whole lot to do with what goes on here. I never have."

And with that, they reached the treemail box.





^^




"We got tree mail!" Debb announced, as she returned to the Taygete camp. She had gone for the hike alone, as usual. It happened quite a bit, as Debb was simply not the most popular hiking companion. People found her hard to talk to, except for maybe Carl. And he had stayed in the warm shelter today, along with the rest of the tribe.

The rest of the Taygetes gathered around, as they huddled together in the chilly morning air. Debb pulled out the odd piece of mail, and passed it around the circle. And this one was a bit different.

There was no poem. There were no words. And there were no instructions. All they had was an eye. One large glass eye.

And a sword.

"Sweet," said Dirk, as he hefted the sword up into the air. The brass hilt gleamed against the light of the sun, as he swung it around in a lazy arc, testing its weight. "Do we get to keep this? It would be awesome to have a sword around here."

Ramona reached over to touch the eye, checking it for any hints, or hidden messages. But there were none. It just stared at her, lazily.

"I don't have a clue," she said. "We're gonna look at something, I guess."

"We probably have about an hour," pointed out Debb. "The challenge'll probably be before lunch."

And with that, it was time for them to get their game faces on.

"Okay guys," said Kel, suddenly switching into challenge mode. It was a little more difficult for him than for most leaders, since he was rather soft spoken. But this was his job now, and this was his role. It was his mission to make sure they were all ready to work together.

Because Taygete could really use a win today.

The intrepid little band of six had gone through some hard times thus far in the game. Petty squabbles, character conflict, and a general lack of any cohesive effort had been their main enemies. But as of yesterday, after their first group work day, things had begun to improve. Carl and Dirk had actually begun to talk. Debb had sat down with Jessie and Ramona, and the three ladies had begun to bond a little. And Kel, of course, was their new leader. This was going to be -his- challenge today, on -his- shoulders.

And he was sure he would be up to the task.

"You guys," he said, a small smile on his face. "We really need this one. We really, really do." Thinking he needed more, he went around the circle, commenting on his team. He looked at Dirk first. "Dirk, my man, you're going to be our MVP today." Dirk smiled at this, as his long arm was draped over Ramona's shoulder. "If we need speed, if we need running, if we need strength, we're gonna need you."

"It's in the bag, brother." said Dirk, grinning. He appeared very cocky today, even moreso than usual. After all, he had a bone to pick with the Alkyones today. They had made the mistake of angering him. Especially Ryan. Dirk remembered Ryan's face well.

"And Carl," said Kel, turning to the stocky dentist. "We need you as much as ever. You're our rock, you're gonna be in the middle."

"Whatever you want me to do," said Carl, his blue buff tied around his forehead, "I'll do it. This is your show, just tell me what you need." His voice had far less sarcasm in it than usual, as Carl was legitimately trying to fit in with the kids now. But had you paid close attention, you would have caught it. You would have caught the slight tone of defiance in his voice. After all, Carl still felt that Kel was full of crap. He thought they -all- were, despite his "changed" attitude.

"Okay," said Kel, placing his hand in the middle. "This one's for Taygete."

"For immunity," said Debb, smiling, her hand joining in.

"For them cheating in the last challenge," joked Jessie, joining them.

And now, there was silence, for just a split second, before Dirk punctured it with one of his trademark outbursts. It was how their team huddles -always- ended.

"Let's kick some butt, baby!!!!"



^^



The two teams arrived at a meadow on Alkyone island around lunchtime. Jeff greeted them both: The happy, healthy looking Alkyones, and the straggling, scruffy misfit Taygetes. The two sides, looking like night and day. Jeff winced. The days had not been kind to the tribe in blue.

But both tribes -did- appear unified, at least for the challenge. Taygete wore their blue buffs around their foreheads, in the same style. Alkyone, for their part, had wrapped their white buffs around their biceps. And both teams looked ready and determined. They were both here to win, although Taygete had added one small touch to their look.

Per Kel's request, they all wore war paint on their faces. Made from ash and dirt, it was supposed to send a message to the other team. Taygete was here to play today. They wouldn't be going down without a fight.

They would be patsies no longer.

"Welcome, guys," said Jeff, "To your fourth immunity challenge." He got the idol back from Hunter, and placed the marble statue of Zeus up onto a pedestal.

"You're comin' home today, Kenny," joked Dirk, to the immunity idol. Only a few people even got the joke.

"The game today," continued Jeff, "Is called "The head of Medusa."

Jeff turned and pointed at the field behind him. A large, bronze statue had been placed at the far end. It was tall, female looking, and naked from the waist up. But it also had the lower half of a serpent, held a fierce looking longbow in its hands, and featured a very, very distinct looking head. With snakes as hair, the statue glared at them now, angrily, savagely.

It was a statue of Medusa, the most famous of the gorgons. And she looked pissed.

"Your challenge today," said Jeff, explaining, "Is based on the story of Perseus, one of the -most- famous of the Greek heroes. Now, Perseus was a guy who was given a test- A very difficult task. His job was to come to an island and bring back the head of this thing." He pointed to the statue. "To slay Medusa. But what made the task so difficult is that he could not look directly at her. -Nobody- could look directly at her. Cursed by the gods, she was so ugly that -anyone- who looked upon her face would be turned to stone."

Dirk chuckled, but Jeff ignored him.

"So Perseus found a way around that. Using the back of a magic shield," Jeff held up a bright silver shield, "He used it to watch her reflection, thus being able to see her. And this way," Jeff picked up a sword. "He was able to cut off her head, and complete his quest." He smiled, pausing. "The first team to do the same thing today will win immunity, and will earn yourselves three more days out here."

With that, Jeff picked up ten blindfolds. Five were white, and five were blue.

"The catch is that you guys won't be able to see what you are doing. Five of you will wear these things, and will be led through a series of tasks by a leader." He held up his right hand, fingers splayed out. "Five tasks, five people. And the last task," he smiled, "Is to slay Medusa."

Both teams were required to select a caller for the challenge, the person who would be directing them around the field. Taygete selected Debb, because she was good at giving orders, and had a loud voice. Besides, she hadn't had many chances to participate yet. This was going to be her big chance. Alkyone wanted to select Gabriel, but he declined, wanting to take part in the tasks instead. Besides, he had lost a very similar challenge for his team back in the Marquesas, and he wasn't about to take that chance again. So he nominated Hunter, and the big man was more than happy to take the helm.

"Everyone else, put on your blindfolds," said Jeff, as he went over to explain the rules to the two callers. He led them through the course, pointing out the obstacles. It was going to be a challenging course, although not impossible. But, of course, there was a catch. Jeff still hadn't broken the bad news to them yet.

"Now the catch," he smiled, "Is that Perseus had to do this using a reflection. And that means you guys do, too." He walked over and picked up two large mirrors. He held them up, as Debb groaned. "Your back will be to the field, and you will be using these mirrors to direct your teammates." He had nothing else to add, so he simply wished them both good luck.

"Enjoy."

The teams lined up, all ten at the starting line. Since Alkyone had one extra member, they had chosen to sit out Stephanie. She sat in the grass, watching, as Jeff got ready to start the challenge.

"This is for immunity," he announced, as he glanced at the two callers. Debb and Hunter stood slightly up a hill, so as to get a better view, their backs to the field. And they each held a mirror in their hands.

"Survivors ready... GO!"

Debb and Hunter immediately called out the names of the first players chosen, John and Jessie, as they directed them towards a grove of trees.

"You're trying to find a rope!" called Hunter, watching the reflection of the action in his mirror, "It's hanging from a tree!"

"...And there's three knots on it!" yelled Debb, trying to direct Jessie. "You're going to find it and untie the knots."

Jessie stumbled forward, walking in the high grass, her hands held out in front of her. She couldn't see it, but John was a few steps ahead of her, walking at a slightly faster pace.

"John," called Hunter, "About ten steps ahead is the tree. The rope is hanging to your...," he paused, squinting to figure out the side it was on. The reflected image made it much more difficult. "On your left side. You're gonna reach up and grab it."

John had reached the trees, and blindly groped for any sort of rope. He couldn't find it.

"Where is it?" he yelled, just as Jessie walked into him. She had gone too far, passing her own rope.

"Sorry," she muttered, as Debb directed her back. And finally, Jessie found the Taygete rope. She reached up and grabbed it, feeling three heavy knots in its middle.

"Untie them!" shouted Debb. "Hurry!"

Jessie's nimble fingers started working on the first knot, as John had finally found the Alkyone rope. He also started untying, and it was now a waiting game.

"Jessie's got the first one done!" Jeff announced, and the Taygetes cheered.

"Jessie's got number two done," Jeff yelled, moments later, "And John has his first!"

And within moments, Jessie had untied her third knot. She let go of the rope, and it slid upwards into the tree. This, in turn, caused a large iron key ring to fall from the tree, crashing into the grass.

Taygete was officially ahead.

"Carl!!" yelled Debb, excited. "You're going to walk over to the tree and get the keys! They are in the grass!"

John finally finished his third knot for Alkyone, just as Carl took off through the grass.

"Which way?" Carl yelled, and Debb directed him in the right direction.

"Gabe!" yelled Hunter, selecting his second Alkyone teammate, "You're gonna run over to the tree, and pick up the keys!"

Carl walked quickly through the grass for Taygete, his hands out in front, as Gabe attempted to jog the distance.

"Step high!" yelled Hunter, "There's rocks. Don't fall!"

Gabe managed to step over the rocks, and finally reached the high grass where the keys had fallen. Alkyone was now slightly ahead.

"They're in the grass!" Hunter yelled. "I can't see them! You'll have to search around!"

Gabe dropped to his hands and knees, searching, as Carl reached his own grassy area. He dropped down and started searching as well, and once again the teams had to wait, in silence, to hear who found them first.

"Got it!" yelled Carl, thrusting the iron keys into the air. Taygete now had regained the lead.

"Ramona!" yelled Debb, her voice nearly cracking from the strain. "Go out and get the keys from Carl! Walk ahead about thirty steps!"

Ramona stepped out, tentatively, as she gingerly walked through the grass.

"Faster!" yelled Debb, as Ramona finally came near Carl.

"I got them!" yelled Gabe, as he held up Alkyone's keys. Hunter turned and called out Tanya, and the social worker hurried over to get them from Gabe.

"Taygete is in the lead," Jeff announced, "But Alkyone is not far behind!"

Debb was trying to direct Ramona to Carl now, but was having problems with the reflected image.

"Right," she screamed. "Right... NO, left! Left!" Ramona moved sideways, like a zombie, but her hand finally brushed against Carl's shoulder. "That's him! That's him! Get the keys! Get the keys!!"

Ramona grabbed the keys out of Carl's hand, and Debb told her to turn around.

"There's a treasure chest behind you, about thirty feet! Go there and unlock it!"

Ramona turned around, shuffling away through the grass, as Tanya neared Gabriel.

"Gabe," yelled Hunter, "Stand still! Hold your arm out!" Gabe complied, so Hunter directed Tanya in, almost like an air traffic controller. "One step ahead. One more. Now steady, slide to your right. That's it. Reach up." Tanya grabbed the iron key ring. Three tasks down, two to go.

"It's to your left!" yelled Debb, directing Ramona. Ramona was still walking gingerly through the grass, so as to not bang her shin, but Debb soon had her at the treasure chest.

"Unlock it!" She yelled, "Unlock it!" She turned to Kel, the fourth Taygete runner. "Kel, start walking forward! You're going to take the stuff out of the chest!"

Ramona had her chest unlocked, just moments before Tanya had unlocked Alkyone's. The contest was almost neck and neck now.

"Ryan!" yelled Hunter, choosing the cocky young model to go fourth, mainly for his speed and athleticism. "RUN! Ryan, RUN to the chest!!"

Kel was now reaching down for Taygete's chest, as Debb directed him to go forward a few steps. Finally, he reached it. He opened the heavy lid, hearing it creak against its hinges, as it revealed its treasures.

"There's a sword and shield inside!" Debb called, cupping her hands to her mouth. "Take them out and bring them back to the start!" Kel rummaged around inside, finding a sheathed sword and a large silver shield. He took them out, just as Ryan was opening Alkyone's chest.

"Good job!" called Hunter, impressed at Ryan's speed through the grass. "Now take them back to Peter! Get them back to the start!"

It was now basically a race. Only one task remained, and it would all come down to Dirk and Peter. The two men waited patiently at the starting line, blindfolded, as they could only hear the action unfold in front of them.

"Get it back to the start!!!" Debb called, as Kel finally reached Dirk. "Dirk! Take the weapons!!" Dirk grabbed the sword and shield from Kel, after a moment's difficulty due to their height difference. "Go to the statue!!" Debb finished, now screaming, "About a hundred feet ahead of you!" Go to the statue!!"

"The statue!!" yelled Hunter at the same time. His hands were now cupped around his mouth as well. But Peter had the weapons and was now ready for the final task, just like Dirk. "Peter, go to the statue!!"

The two men walked briskly through the grass, being careful not to go too fast. Jeff had warned them not to run with the swords. Although sheathed, and therefore not sharp, they were still long and pointy, and could cause some damage if you were to fall. But the statue now stood directly before them, with two thick ropes protruding from its side. Alkyone's was on the right, and Taygete's was on the left. The first one to cut their rope would send the statue toppling to the ground.

"Where is it?" yelled Dirk, as he had about a three second lead on the slower Peter. Dirk waved the sword around in a slow arc. He touched nothing.

"To your right!" Debb yelled, sensing a Taygete victory. Her voice was cracking heavily now, from the excitement. "There's a rope, pulled tight. You're gonna cut it! CUT THE ROPE! CUT THE ROPE!! CUT THE ROPE!!!"

But in Debb's excitement, she had forgotten that she was looking at a reflected image. She watched in horror as Dirk started walking in the wrong direction.

"NO!!" she yelled. "LEFT! LEFT!"

"What?" Dirk yelled, turning towards her. "You said right!"

"LEFT!!" yelled Hunter, calling to Peter. "Cut the rope! Cut the rope!"

"Left, or right?" called Peter, confused by all the yelling voices.

"LEFT!!" yelled Debb and Hunter together, almost simultaneously.

Peter moved to his left, reaching out with his shield. And he felt it. A large, thick rope, stretched tight. This was it.

"Cut that bad boy!!" yelled Hunter, grinning.

"Debb!!" yelled Dirk, confused. He could feel nothing before him. Unbeknownst to him, he had become turned around when he twisted to face her, and now was a few feet away from his rope. He was lost.

"Where am I going??" he yelled, angrily.

But it was too late now, as Alkyone was done. Peter unsheathed his sword, a small crescent weapon called a -harpe-, and brought it down across the rope. It sliced through easily, and the chain reaction followed quickly. The rope snapped, releasing the tension against the right side of the statue. The Medusa wobbled slightly, leaning sideways, and finally crashed to the ground with a loud thud.

Alkyone had won yet again.

"Alkyone," yelled Jeff, as Hunter was already cheering, "Wins immunity!"

The tribe in white erupted into cheers, as they tore off their blindfolds. Hunter ran down the hill to greet them, as the devastated Taygetes had no choice but to watch.

"Darnit!" yelled Dirk, frustrated, as he tore off his blindfold. He stood with his hands on his hips, watching as an ecstatic Peter was hugged by a mob of teammates. It was just too much to bear. How many more losses could they take? Dirk turned to look at his rope, wanting to know how close he had been. And there it rested, no more than seven feet to his left, just out of arms' length. Taygete had been -so- close.

Dirk dropped his shield into the grass, no longer needing it. He didn't want to watch any more. None of them did.

"Congratulations," said Jeff, walking over to the victors. He handed the immunity idol to Peter, who held it over his head with both hands. His smile was back as well, and the tall man grinned from ear to ear. This had been his moment of glory. Sheep or no sheep, Peter Harkey was now the hero. He was now king for the day.

Then Jeff glanced over at the Taygetes, seeing the flip side of the celebration. And they all looked depressed, almost miserable. Jessie hadn't even taken off her blindfold yet. She simply sat in the grass, chin resting on her palm, not talking. Dirk had already retreated off towards their boat. Carl was giving a hug to a devastated Debb, who was already in tears. Kel was laying on the grass, staring at the sky. And Ramona was nowhere to be found. She was simply gone.

And despite all their proclamations, Taygete did -not- look much like a team at the moment.

Jeff winced, already knowing how snippy the Taygetes were towards one another. There was no love lost over there, and today may have been the straw that broke their back for good.

The vote tonight was going to be ugly.



^^



The blame game had started even before Taygete got back to camp.

"I'm sick of Kel," said Jessie, in the back of their transport boat. "I can't take him anymore." She was currently whispering to Ramona, as the two ladies sat in the very back row. They were talking low, trying not to be overheard, and luckily the sound of the waves lapping against the boat helped to cover her voice. "I don't want to deal with him!"

"I know," said Ramona, as she peered forward, looking at the back of Kel's head. "I don't like him anymore than you do."

Kel really had nothing to do with their agonizing challenge loss. In fact, he had performed as well as anyone out there. But his personality had really been the deciding issue in Jessie's mind. He fawned over her. He flirted with her. He ordered her around. And he was just plain annoying. In her mind, there was no option. Kel Gleason had to go. Tonight.

"But Debb's going to break down," said Ramona, nodding her head towards the prison guard. "Look at her." Sure enough, Debb was sitting in the front, just staring down into the blue water of the Aegean Sea. She appeared to have checked out of the game for a while. And it was really no wonder, for Debb had put a -lot- of emotional energy into the challenge. They all had. They had psyched themslves up into such a high beforehand, and been so close to victory, that the loss had been particularly devastating. They had all learned one valuable rule of Survivor today, and had learned it the hard way.

The higher you go, the further you crash.

Debb's sullen nature had become even more pronounced on the ride back. She blamed herself. Simple as that. They had placed their trust in her, she had done her best, but she had let them down. And for a person as sensitive as Debb, that was brutal. She craved acceptance. She lived to please people. And letting down her team, on the day of Tribal Council, no less, was just not what she needed right now. She continued to stare at the water, not thinking of anything, just staring.



^^




Taygete had an hour at camp before the big vote, and everyone was a bit on edge. But it didn't stop Kel from sidling up to Jessie, minutes after they stepped on shore, to reiterate their alliance plans. You see, Kel still had a master plan. He still had his alliance in place. And Jessie was his final two partner, of course. She was going to go all the way to the end with him.

"It's going to be Carl tonight," he said, revealing the plan. "Carl, and then Debb, and then Dirk." He ticked off the order on his fingers. "Unless there's a twist."

"There probably will be one," said Jessie, "What then?"

"I haven't figured it out yet," he admitted. "But if it happens, it will happen tomorrow, when we're down to twelve. You have to watch out for the even numbers. So whoever goes tonight has to be someone we don't want around for a twist." He looked at Carl. "We don't want someone around who will defect."

Jessie nodded, understanding the logic. It wasn't the plan she had in mind, but she had to admit that the guy had planned this out. Carl was dangerous, particularly for the fact that he didn't seem to like any of them much. If he had -any- opportunity to screw his old Taygete buddies, he would. And they all knew that.

"What does Ramona want to do?" Kel asked, to which Jessie shrugged. Ramona wanted to vote out Kel. But he didn't have to know that.

As Kel talked to Jessie, Carl had finally managed to corner Dirk. The two sometime adversaries had found themselves together near the fire, all alone. The awkward silence had been broken by the dentist, of course. Carl felt that Dirk needed a little wake-up call at this point in the game. And he was certainly the guy to give it.

"Look," Carl said, "I know you've got a thing for Jessie." Dirk looked over at him, eyes narrowed, not saying a word. "We all know it, man, you don't have to hide it. But do you think she'd really give you the time of day anywhere else? Face it, man, the girl's high maintenance. She wants nothing to do with you." Dirk chuckled, looking back into the fire. He still said nothing.

Carl shut up as Debb walked by. The prison guard appeared to be almost catatonic today, as she carried a load of laundry out to be washed. Carl had tried his best to talk to her, but it was a simple fact that she thought... no, she -knew-... that she was going tonight. She was just trying to mentally prepare herself.

"Look," said Carl, speaking under his breath once Debb was gone. "You come vote with Debb and me, and we take out Jessie tonight. She's not worth a damn out here, and you know it. She doesn't help anyone, and believe me, she doesn't give a crap about Dirk Been."

Dirk let loose a small smirk, but still hadn't spoken. So Carl decided to change tactics. "Or vote out Kel instead. I don't know if you've noticed or not, but he's also got the hots for your little girlfriend. So take out the competition, why not give yourself a chance?"

Dirk stood up, quietly, intending to go change clothes before Tribal Council. He really didn't need to hear all this right now. Carl talked too much, and was full of crap, everyone knew that. But Dirk couldn't deny that the guy had touched a nerve. He had just touched on some of the feelings that Dirk had felt for a while now, and the weird little social dynamic that seemed to revolve around Jessie.

But mainly, Dirk just didn't want to talk about this subject. It was too personal, and too complicated. So he excused himself instead.

"Look," said Carl, "I'm just trying to help you out. Everything I just said is the God's-honest truth. You stick with the girls, and you're setting yourself up for a huge fall."

"Well maybe that's what's supposed to happen," said Dirk, speaking as he walked away. "Who am I to say what God intended for me in this game? I just go about my business. Its all good, man."

"She thinks she's too good for you!" Carl called, but Dirk wasn't answering. Dirk was already lost in prayer, his eyes closed, asking for advice as he walked. It was just one of the things that Carl found so maddening about the guy.
Sometimes, Dirk just didn't hear a word you said.



^^



The Taygetes arrived at Tribal Council just after dinnertime. Ramona had whipped up a decent batch of fruit salad as a meal, and now the six of them were sitting in their usual seats, the dark menace of the Tribal Council set looming around them.

"We're gonna change tactics here tonight," said Jeff, as he stood in front of them. "And talk about the makeup of the tribe." He looked at Ramona. "Ramona, you've been pretty quiet at most of the councils. You don't talk much, you don't get in fights. How do you see yourself fitting in with the team?"

Ramona smiled at him, her knees drawn up to her chin, as usual. She generally sat that way at Tribal Council, almost balled up.

"I try to stay out of the way, mainly," she said. "We've got a team of leaders, and I'm not really like that, so I just offer moral support." Jeff didn't respond, so she kept talking. "I cook, I get fruit, I do a lot of the little stuff around camp."

"What about you, Jessie?" said Jeff, turning towards her. "What do you offer to the team? What would you say your role is around camp?"

"Well..." said Jessie, smiling at him from under the blue buff on her head, "I help out with the food gathering, and I help keep the camp clean too."

"Dirk?" asked Jeff. "Do you consider yourself a valuable member? Do you do as much work as, say, a Debb?"

"Of course," Dirk responded, "But I just don't do it the same way. Just because I don't cook the food, or come back with armloads of fish, that don't mean I'm slacking off. It just means I spend my time in other ways."

"Doing what?" asked Jeff.

"Resting for the challenges." Dirk smiled. "I need my energy to make sure I'm ready."

"Well, let me say this," said Jeff, seizing the opportunity. "You guys are getting -destroyed- out there. Every few days, I hear you guys talk about how you're gonna come back, how you're gonna get it together," he smiled, "And how one of you is going to win. But I'll just flat out say it. I don't think -any- of you are gonna win." He looked at Kel. "Can you honestly look me in the eye and say you think you guys have a chance?"

"Of course we do," the captain shifted in his seat, uneasily. "Things happen all the time in this game. You never know who's gonna come out on top. But we're working at it, we're working hard."

"Feel safe tonight?" Jeff asked, point blank. But Kel didn't flinch.

"Yes."

"What about you?" said the host, turning to Debb. "I have to think you feel some blame for the challenge loss today." He hated to go there, but it was his job as the host. Sometimes you just had to make them wince a little. "Feel vulnerable tonight?"

"Very much," she answered, peeking out from under her red hair. "I have no doubt that I'll probably get some votes tonight."

"And you, Carl?" said the host, finishing up with the big guy.

"I think I very well may go," he said. "And I've felt that way during every vote, so it's not really new to me. When you stick out like a sore thumb, you're bound to get hammered down eventually."

"Okay," said Jeff, finishing up. "Here's how it's gonna work. You guys are gonna vote out one of your own tonight. And after tonight, you'll be down to five. You lose any more after tonight, and you run the risk of being taken right out of this game." He paused for a long moment, letting it seep in. "So make sure you think about that before you write down a name." He nodded to Debb. "Debb, you're up."

Debb Eaton stood up, nodded to Jeff, and walked over to the podium. She pulled out the pen, wrote down a name, and held up the card.

"Jessie," she said. "You're a sweet girl, but you don't really do much for us as a team. And I hate to say you've earned this, but I think people are getting tired of your act."

She placed the ballot in the box and walked back to her seat. Carl Bilancione was the second to walk to the podium, and he cast a second ballot for the girl from Orlando.

"I'd prefer to be on a team of grownups," he said. "That's it."

Kel Gleason was the third to walk to the podium, and he wrote down four letters.

"Carl," he said, holding it up. "Too much tension. You're just getting in the way."

Ramona Gray was fourth, and cast a second ballot for Carl, per the plan.

"You're a great guy," she smiled, "And we'll miss your work ethic." She paused. "I will, anyway."

Jessie Camacho was fifth, and walked up slowly to the podium, her black glasses covering her eyes. She pulled out the ballot and wrote down Carl's name.

"I like you more than I thought I would," she said, "You're a nice guy. And I'd rather get rid of someone else, but this is the way it's gonna go." She shrugged, almost apologetic. "Take care."

The final vote was to be cast by Dirk Been. He was a pivotal vote tonight, and he knew it. And he had intended to vote for Carl, without question. That had always been the plan. Carl had nagged Dirk endlessly since day one. Getting rid of him would be "like taking a thorn out of my butt," as Dirk had explained to Ramona.

But at the same time, Carl's message to Dirk at the campfire had been weighing on his mind. Dirk knew that Jessie was pretty much worthless around camp. He knew that voting off Carl's strength at this point was pretty much strategic suicide. He knew it was the wrong move. He -knew- it.

But sometimes, of course, it just didn't matter.

"Carl," he wrote, sighing, feeling like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. He held up the ballot, shaking his head. "Sorry, man. I know you tried your best out here, and probably hated every minute of it. And I appreciate the advice, I really do. But sometimes I just gotta do my own thing." He placed the ballot in the box. "See you around, doc."

Jeff went to retrieve the votes, coming back moments later with the ballot box between his two hands.

"The person voted out tonight must leave the Tribal Council area immediately," he said, as the greenish metal gate slowly started to swing open. The players could see down the exit path now, and saw the creepy boatman standing, staring at them. He stood there stoically, next to his boat, just waiting. He was in no hurry. One of them would be joining him soon enough.

And with that, Jeff pulled out the first vote. It was for the dentist.

"Carl," he said, watching as Carl nodded.

The second vote was also for Carl.

As was the third.

Carl now had three votes against him. The best he could hope for was a tie. And he had no choice now but to stare at the ballot box, hoping that there was not a fourth.

"Jessie," read the fourth vote. Jessie just sat and stared, the campfire reflecting off her glasses, making it impossible to read her emotions.

"Jessie," read the fifth vote. It was Debb's. That was two.

"That's three votes for Carl," said Jeff, "And two for Jessie." He looked down into the ballot box. "And now, the final vote."

Carl closed his eyes, looking upwards. He wasn't watching, he wasn't praying. He was only listening... listening to see if Dirk had heeded his good advice. Listening to see if Dirk had indeed voted against his little girlfriend.

But of course, he hadn't.


"Carl," said Jeff, holding up the deciding vote. Carl winced slightly, but knew it was over. Taygete was officially dead now. They wouldn't be able to win without him. His team was officially doomed.


"Carl," said Jeff, "Please bring up your torch." The dentist nodded and picked up his staff. He nodded slightly to Debb, and gave a quick shrug to Dirk. -I tried!- Then he walked up to the front, where Jeff extinguished his flame.

"Carl, the tribe has spoken."

The dentist from Florida bid his team farewell and walked through the metal gates. He traversed the long dirt path, nodded to the silent ferryman, and stepped onto the boat. The ferryman did not make a sound, he only turned and joined Carl on the boat, placing his oar in the water. And within seconds, Carl, and the boat, had disappeared into the haze of the night.

"Well," said Jeff, turning back to face the tribe. "Interesting night." He smiled at them. "And I guess only time will tell if you guys made the right move." He could see in their eyes that some of them were already second guessing the decision. The tribe looked a -lot- smaller and weaker all of a sudden. "But then again," finished Jeff, "This game never appears to be quite what it seems." He nodded to their boat. "I'll see you guys tomorrow. Bright and early. We have a big day, so be sure to get a good night's rest."

The five remaining Taygetes filed back into their boat, now a much quieter group. Kel sat in the front, with Jessie close beside him. Dirk sat in the middle, next to Ramona. And Debb sat in the back, two rows behind the rest.

She was the only outsider left.

And she suddenly felt very, very lonely.

- Read Carl's Final Words!

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