Episode 5 Celeste
“Welcome to your first immunity challenge,” Steph Rhodes greets us as we enter onto the beach, her voice booming over the sound of the ocean breeze.
She gestures between our two groups. “Win today, and you’ll get the immunity talisman, meaning your team is safe.
Lose, and you’ll head to Sappho’s Summit, where you’ll vote one of your own out of the game. ”
My eyes drift to the immunity talisman resting on the center pedestal. It’s a two foot wooden totem of a half beast, half warrior, a diamond talisman shimmering around its neck.
I dig my toes into the hot sand and peer out toward the ocean at the platforms we’ll be competing on under the sweltering island heat.
My hands still ache from the early morning hours I spent working on our shelter and hiding, quietly carving a piece of wood into a fake duplicate of the relic.
It’s almost finished, although I haven’t decided on where I’ll plant it.
I smile at my new secret insurance policy I hope I won’t need to use anytime soon.
Steph’s attention drifts toward us. “Paya and Celeste, I’m sure you’re happy to be back from Outcast Isle. Get a new view of Team Femme. Rachel, the influencer, quit while you were away.”
Paya gasps, her hand flying over her mouth. She turns to her teammates and asks what happened.
Steph seems almost amused that a player chose to exit the game voluntarily less than one week in. “On the way out, Rachel said, and I quote, ‘Reddit didn’t prepare me for how hard this game is. I’m out.’”
A few people chuckle, but the reality of living on an island with limited supplies, strangers, and no shower is settling in.
Before Steph tells us about the challenge, she turns to Dana.
“Dana, you’re a fan favorite and a three time veteran.
The last time you played, you almost made it to The Final Summit.
Now you’ve returned from a hiatus. What does it take for a team to make it out here?
And what would bringing home the Sole Champion title and one million dollars mean for you? ”
Dana beams, her calloused fingers squeezing the brim of her hat.
“Steph, I’ll be married twenty-three years this December.
I don’t have all the answers, but just like at home, communication and trust is everything out here.
My wife and I choose each other every day.
She’s the reason I’m here and—” Dana’s voice cracks with emotion.
“To make sure she gets the best medical help possible. She refuses to quit. The least I can do is fight for her to live.”
I step closer and rub Dana’s back as a few tears slip down her cheeks.
It’s a harsh reminder that I’m not the only one who needs to win life-changing prize money.
Dana has become the camp dad, constantly reinforcing our shelter, keeping everyone fed, and cracking terrible jokes to keep morale up.
I understand why Meg loves her so much and also why she’s the one to beat.
“We’ve raised six wonderful kids in our cottage built by our own hands,” Dana adds, sniffling as she forces a small smile. “Then again, our children are all baby goats.”
That makes us laugh, brightening the mood. Beside me, Beya is unusually quiet. I turn and find her peering across at Team Femme, her jaw agape. I follow her line of sight and land on a gorgeous Brazilian woman and immediately see why she’s staring.
I observe the woman wearing all black standing a half foot taller than Paya.
A bikini top hugs her brown skin. She stands firm, hands on her hips, an athletic frame surrounded by voluminous dark curls in a ponytail.
She hasn’t blinked in almost a minute. The icy intensity radiating off her is evident she isn’t here to make friends.
“I’m going to marry her one day,” Beya whispers a little too loudly.
I huff a laugh. Clearly, by the glare Beya’s receiving, the woman has zero interest other than fierce competition. “Right. Good luck with that.”
“I’m getting some serious black cat energy from that one.” Dana pats Beya on the shoulder. “I believe that’s Arlie.”
“I do love cats,” Beya mumbles, smitten. Her attention traces each step Arlie takes as we walk toward the massive wooden structure.
Steph steps forward, gesturing to the course.
“For today’s challenge, you’ll be running a relay.
One at a time, you must climb the wooden tower, jump off the edge to break a tile with a small club, and dive into the water to retrieve a key.
Once all keys are collected, you’ll unlock and untie your puzzle pieces.
First team to correctly spell The Final Summit wins immunity. ”
We swim to the platform on the far side, stand at the base of the wooden tower, and wait for the challenge to start.
“Players, ready?” Steph’s voice cuts through the wind. She lifts her arms and drops them. “Go!”
The challenge kicks off in a blur. Lex takes our first leg, scaling the wooden tower and hurling herself off the platform into the ocean below.
I watch from our team platform, cheering until my throat is raw as the relay cycles through.
We match Femme blow for blow, the lead trading hands with every splash.
Next, Beya scales the massive wooden structure and with the club in hand, leaps off the edge, but misses smashing the tile. I grimace at her belly splash and she starts over, thankfully successful on her next attempt and swims the next key to us.
By the time Paya takes her turn for Team Femme, the midday heat hits its peak.
Hands on my head, I watch as she races up the wooden slats.
She grabs her club, smashes her tile in a single clean strike and disappears beneath the churning waves.
When she finally lifts herself out of the water, I gawk at the way her fingers adjust her bikini bottoms, slowly tracing the curve of her round ass and toned legs.
She turns around and pauses when our eyes meet, a slow grin forming on her lips.
She tosses me a wink, knowing she caught me checking her out.
I look away, trying to focus on our next runner, cheeks blazing and not just from the sun.
A sudden rush of energy surges through, separate from the stress of the game.
“Femme has their final key! Masc is right behind!” Steph’s commentary rings out over the water.
Once the physical portion is over, we all hustle to the next station and rush unlocking the wood chest holding our puzzle pieces. Dana and Beya dump our canvas sacks onto the table, untying the knots with trembling fingers. Across the lane, Saffron and Blair are already arranging their letters.
“Both teams are working their puzzles!” Steph shouts, standing in the center. “One team is going back to camp safe, the other has a mandatory date with me at The Summit tonight. And let me tell you, I’m no cheap date. It’s going to cost you a teammate!”
I yank my attention back to my team’s puzzle. We’re losing by a wide margin.
“The T goes here. No, wait!” I hear Beya yell, her hands flying over the blocks.
My heart hammers as I watch them scramble. The heat and exhaustion are taking their toll.
I glance over to Team Femme’s table. Saffron slides their final block into place.
“Steph! Done!” Blair screams.
Steph jogs over, scanning their board. She raises her hand high. “Team Femme wins immunity!”
Our table falls still. Beya drops a wooden ‘M’ back onto the pile, her shoulders slumped. Dana lets out a heavy sigh, leaning against the wooden frame. We were only two letters away.
Femme erupts into a massive huddle of cheers and hugs. Through the celebrating bodies, I catch Paya’s eye one last time. There’s no wink this time. Just a quiet, lingering look of sympathy. She knows what tonight means.
“Team Femme, you’ve earned a view from the top,” Steph declares, passing Blair the team immunity totem. “Everyone’s safe. Head back to camp.”
Steph turns back to us, her expression shifting into something far more serious. “Team Masc, you lost the immunity challenge. Tonight, you’ll make your first climb to The Summit, where you’ll vote out a member of your team. See you then.”
My stomach tightens at the weight of her words sinking in. The game just got real. I look around at my teammates, sweating, defeat on our faces. One of us is going home tonight.
* * *
“We’re voting Beya out tonight,” Atlas commands, less than five minutes after we get back to camp. We were on our way to cool off in the water when she practically cornered us while Beya walked ahead.
Before anyone can protest, Atlas pulls us into a tight huddle I never consented to. “She’s weak, annoying as hell, and if I have to hear one more thing about her stupid cats, I’m going to throw myself off The Summit.”
She takes our stunned silence as compliance. “Good. I’ll go tell Bo the plan.”
As Atlas storms away, I catch Lex’s eye and mirror her arched brow. Did she really just speak to us that way?
Lex huffs. “More like what she is doing. We didn’t even get a say.”
Dana lets out a dry chuckle. “Clearly, Atlas is a dog person.”
We finally make it to join Beya in the water, but the moment doesn’t last. Not even fifteen minutes later, Atlas is screaming from up at camp.
What now?
Reluctantly, the four of us climb out of the calm ocean to go investigate the commotion. Past the thick foliage behind our shelter, Bo is staring at the ground with slumped shoulders over the empty wooden slotted pen. Oh no. All three chickens from the first challenge are gone.
“What do you mean you lost the chickens?” Atlas snaps, throwing her hands into the air. “Is anyone competent on this team?” she scoffs. “I can’t coach everyone and play the game.”
I ignore Atlas. “Bo, what happened?”
Bo’s already flushed cheeks deepen. “I—I don’t know. All I did was open the crate and got attacked. Those damn things fly! Did you know that? I swear I tied down the crate. How was I supposed to know they were super chickens?”
“More like soup-er chickens.” I hear Lex mumble next to me, then she lets out a groan. “Not anymore.”