24. Episode 16 Celeste
“Pull!” Lex yells, her voice carrying through the steady patter of the morning rain. “We’ve worked too hard. We’re not losing immunity today.”
The rope bites further into my palms, making me wince in pain.
Rain has been our Achilles heel throughout the entirety of the game.
The rain started falling during the first leg of the relay, taking our wide lead with it.
Every ounce of our energy is pouring into the rough fibers of the line, our heels digging into the slick earth as we fight to pull the crushing weight of a giant crate to finish the second leg of the relay.
Behind me, Lex is our anchor, her whole body leaning back with a force I didn’t know she had, her feet buried in the sand. Beya is at the very front of the line, her jaw locked, muscles straining as the heavy wooden crate drags inch by inch.
Across the field, Team Femme is pulling against their own crate. Same struggle. We’re barely ahead, our momentum crashed when the rain came and leveled the playing field.
“How much longer?” Bo gasps from behind Beya, her voice strained.
“Until the bag drops,” Lex grunts back, her posture unyielding as she takes another heavy, deliberate step backward.
“That’s not a number, Lex.”
“Then count to whenever the damn bag drops—”
“Just keep pulling.” I cut in, the wet rope threatening to slip through my fingers. “Both of you.”
Playing tug-of-war with this heavy ass crate, dragging it across a beach that feels more like quicksand, is hard enough without bickering.
Once we drag the crate across the line, the weight triggers the pulley, and our bag filled with puzzle pieces drops down.
We’re almost to the last leg of the relay.
The first team to solve the vertical fire puzzle wins immunity.
Gritting my teeth I struggle through pain, risking straining my neck to check our progress. Only fifteen more feet.
Then traction gives out. Bo slips, her full weight taking everyone out behind her like a bowling ball. The whole team tumbles backward to the ground.
“Team Masc’s lead is literally slipping away!” I hear Steph yell. No shit. I have half a mind to yell back.
Instead, I curse in Spanish under my breath at the searing pain from my screaming muscles and rope burns on my hands. Lex hits the ground with a heavy thud, losing her anchor position. We’re now a tangle of sweaty limbs, rope, clumped sand, and rain.
My lungs fight for air. On my hands and knees, I blink the rain out of my eyes, and grab the rope again, a desperate attempt to not pass out post whiplash.
I hear shouting from our opponents and when I check, Team Femme’s crate is sliding past ours.
They seize the moment, their chants in unison echoing as they capitalize on our mistake. We blew our lead.
“Team Femme is flying past Team Masc. If you don’t want to go to the Summit, Team Masc, you have to dig!” Steph shouts, and I can’t remember a time she’s been more goddamn irritating.
Beya rises to her feet first, shaking patches of wet sand from her hair. She doesn’t hesitate, diving right back into the line, but the rest of us are struggling to get up.
“I can’t move my legs. Give me a minute.” Bo groans on the ground.
Beya hovers over her like a bite-sized drill sergeant. “Do you think the itsy bitsy spider gave a fuck about the rain?” she yells, pulling the rope taut with both hands. “No. She locked in and climbed the spout again. Pick up the rope, right meow.”
Lex grunts on her way up, then yanks me to my feet, a grim expression of determination across her features as she plants her feet. “We’re almost there. Let’s go.”
We pull as one. Hands raw, lungs burning, the crate moves forward inch by inch against the resistance of the wet sand.
Rain runs down my back in cold streaks, but my focus narrows down on getting across the line a few feet away.
I’m exhausted and Lex and I still somehow have to use our brains to build a puzzle.
A loud guttural grunt escapes my throat as we pull one last time.
Finally, our crate crosses the line.
Above us, the overhead rope releases with a sharp, echoing snap. The heavy puzzle bag drops six feet straight down.
Lex catches it cleanly on the run, her instincts perfectly dialed in. “We got this.”
Lex and I sprint to the vertical puzzle station, leaving the rope behind.
Lex is already sorting the pieces by color before I even reach the wooden table.
Reds go to the base, oranges fill out the middle, and the bright yellows are set aside for the top.
I grab the first heavy wedge of crimson wood and slide it securely into the bottom slot. The vertical frame holds.
Across the field, Paya and Arlie’s pieces are already organized in groups. Of course we’re facing off against those two. Both of them are sharper with patterns than anyone else on their team. This is going to be incredibly close.
Lex and I work in a hyperfocused rhythm. She keeps her hands steady at the base, passing me the interlocking segments and ensuring the bottom layers don’t shift or collapse. The vertical flame structure rises before our eyes and I can’t believe we’re still in this fight.
Steph darts back and forth between the teams. “Paya and Arlie moving like a freight train. Only five more pieces to go! Team Masc behind by three.”
One wrong placement or rushed move and the entire puzzle could slide out of the grooves and topple to the ground. I push myself to move faster. Lex’s steady hands keep our foundation perfectly still while I handle the top.
“Team Femme is on their last piece!” Steph’s gripping her hat.
I hold my breath, carefully pushing another wedge of yellow wood into place, despite my hand shaking from the pressure.
Lex passes me the final flame tip and I attach it, my stomach in my throat.
The full shape locks into place. We lift our hands to the sky signaling we’re finished. The puzzle wobbles, but doesn’t fall.
“Team Masc wins immunity!” Steph’s voice booms across the arena and I scream like it’s the greatest sound I’ve ever heard.
Beya roars and pounces on me, tumbling straight into Bo, who’s shouting something incoherent. Lex collapses forward against the puzzle table, head down, finally letting herself breathe. Tears well up as the tension in my shoulders releases for the first time all day. We’re safe.
Then the bittersweet reality hits me. I yank my attention toward Paya. She’s still frozen mid motion, tightly holding the last puzzle piece in her hand. When she meets my gaze, my heart breaks at how defeated she looks. The winning piece of the puzzle drops from her hand onto the platform floor.
Steph approaches us and hands me the team immunity totem. “Team Masc, here’s your immunity talisman. Carry it back to camp knowing your team is safe another night.”
I smile ear to ear at the beautifully carved wooden rooster statue. A deep breath later. I let myself fully feel the relief of the win for a quick second longer before gravitating toward Team Femme.
Paya is standing, Arlie and Saffron closely at her side. Her shoulders are tight beneath her damp shirt. There are only five players on her team left. Someone is going home tonight. Please let it not be her. She flashes me a weak smile when we lock eyes for a brief moment. Then she looks away.
Steph faces the losing team. “Team Femme, get ready to climb. I’ll see you at The Summit. Someone’s going home tonight.