Chapter 5
The next morning, a motorboat stops at our beach, and Neema tells us all to get on board.
The rest of yesterday, our second day on the island, passed much like the first day did, with all of us trying to improve our living situation as much as we could.
Well, all of us except for Ashley, who spent a good amount of time in the shelter while the rest of us worked, claiming that she was trying to conserve her energy for the upcoming challenge.
It didn’t really bother me—it’s not like having nine people working makes a huge difference compared to eight people—but I could tell that a few of my tribemates were upset.
Especially Rhonda, who frowned slightly every time she looked in Ashley’s direction.
“Conservin’ her energy, my rear end,” I heard Rhonda mutter at one point.
“She better hope she’s right, ‘cause if not, she might be goin’ home first.”
Now, we’re on our way to a different island, where our first immunity challenge awaits.
As with the other times we’ve been off camera, we’re not allowed to talk to each other, so I just sit back and try to relax a little bit.
The thought of competing in a challenge makes me nervous—I’m not exactly the most athletic person, and I don’t want us to lose because of me.
I tell myself that all I can do is try my best, and whatever happens will happen.
It doesn’t really help, but it’s better than nothing, I suppose.
After about fifteen minutes, we pull up to yet another perfect little island surrounded by turquoise water.
Just like the last two days, there’s no rain, and the sun shines down on the green trees and the yellow-white beach like we’re in a magazine ad for a high-end resort.
Honestly, add a real bed, a roof, and some good food, and you probably could market this place as a five-star luxury destination.
I’d never be able to afford it, not until Arielle’s bills are paid off and I can start saving some money, but I’m sure the rich and famous would absolutely love it.
As soon as the boat reaches shore, we get off, pausing for a moment so the producers can mic us up. Then, Neema has us get in a line, and hands Beck—he’s at the front, because of course he is—a bamboo pole with a purple flag that says “MERU” on it, along with this season’s logo.
Once everyone is in position, we march into the challenge area: a large, rectangular, cleared-up space on the beach that has some wooden boxes and poles scattered throughout.
A large wooden fence running the entire length separates the area into two halves; in one, all the wood objects are painted purple, and in the other, they’re painted blue.
At the near end of each half is a large mat, again painted in the respective tribe's colors.
As we walk in and stand on our mat, the other tribe comes in from the other side and stands on theirs.
Of course, tons of cameras are positioned around the space, ready to catch the upcoming action, while a few people that I assume are producers stand off to the sides, out of view of the cameras.
Standing about ten feet past the mats is Alex, who waits for us with a TV-ready grin on his face. On either side of him is a small wooden platform, each with a burlap sack covering something; the one on the left is tall and cylindrical, while the one on the right is short and flat.
Once we’re all set, one of the producers motions to Alex, and the latter’s grin widens.
“Meru, Sika, welcome to your first challenge,” he says.
“For this challenge, each tribe will be split into groups of three. The first group will work together to carry a heavy box containing three bags of puzzle pieces over and around several obstacles. They will then hand the box off to the second group, who will open it by untying a series of knots and make their way over a balance beam, each carrying one bag across. After all three members of the second group have gotten across the beam with their bags, they’ll give the puzzle pieces to the third group, who will use them to complete a puzzle.
The first tribe to correctly complete the puzzle wins the challenge. ”
He pauses to let it all sink in. “Now, today’s challenge may seem complicated, but the prizes are not.
” He turns to the platform on his left and pulls off the burlap there, uncovering a two-foot-tall wooden carving of a bird with its wings spread wide.
“Most importantly, the tribe that wins today’s challenge will take home this immunity idol, meaning they will not attend tonight’s tribal council, where someone will become the first person voted out of season nineteen of Marooned.
The losing tribe, however, will attend and will vote out one of their own members tonight.
“In addition, you’re also playing for reward.
” He turns to his right and reveals a large tarp.
“It may not seem exciting,” he continues, “but it will help keep you dry when the rain comes. And unlike the immunity idol, which you’ll only retain until the next challenge, the tarp is yours for the rest of the game.
Sound like something worth playing for?”
We all nod, and there are a few scattered cheers from the castaways.
Alex claps his hands together. “In that case, I’ll give you a minute to strategize, and we’ll get to it.”
As soon as Alex finishes giving his spiel, the cameras surrounding all of us turn off, and Neema comes over to us.
“Despite what Alex just said, you’re not quite ready to begin yet,” she says.
“Before we run the challenge, Steve and I”—she gestures to the producer we met aboard the pirate ship on day one, who’s currently talking to the Sika tribe—“are going to walk each tribe through it separately to make sure you all understand what you’re expected to do.
If you have any questions while we’re doing the walkthrough, I encourage you to ask them, and I will do my best to answer.
Afterwards, we’ll give you a few minutes to decide which tribe members will take part in each phase of the challenge.
Once both tribes are ready, we’ll get started.
Any questions so far?” Nobody says anything.
“All right. Your tribe will do the walkthrough second, so just hold tight here for a few moments.”
She goes over to join Steve, and the Sikas follow the two of them as they walk around the various obstacles. Then it’s our turn, and Neema explains each portion of the challenge as we walk through it, answering our questions patiently before leading us back to the mat to strategize.
Once we get back, we huddle together to decide who will do each of the three portions. “I can do the first part, carrying the box,” Beck says. “Cole and Jing, you’re both pretty strong—do you want to join me?”
Ashley raises her hand before Cole and Jing can respond. “Actually, I’d like to do the first part,” she says. “I think I’d be pretty good at it.”
Rhonda looks at her, one eyebrow raised. “Are you sure, honey? That box looks pretty heavy to me.”
“I’m sure,” Ashley replies, her jaw set. “I may not look very strong, but I can pull my weight. Trust me.”
Rhonda looks like she wants to argue more, but Jing steps in. “It’s all right,” the latter says. “I can do the second phase. I’ve got pretty good balance.”
“I can do that part too,” Marina adds. “I don’t think you want me on the puzzle anyway.”
Joe jumps in right after her. “I’ll take the balance beam too, if that’s all right.”
“Excellent,” Beck says. “So that leaves Ryan, Katie, and Rhonda for the puzzle. Does that work for everyone?”
Rhonda frowns and crosses her arms, but in the end, she just nods, and after a second so do I. Personally, I would have volunteered for the puzzle portion anyway, and if Ashley says she can carry the box, I’m not going to argue with her.
Hearing no dissension, Beck gives us all a winning grin. “Awesome. Then let’s get out there and win!”
A few minutes later, we’re all in position and ready to get started.
Rhonda, Katie, and I are all at one end of the challenge, standing in front of a large wooden board on a platform about three feet off the ground, where we’ll eventually make the puzzle.
Some distance away, in the middle of the course, Jing, Joe, and Marina wait, while the remaining three are at the far end, my view of them partially obstructed by the box they’ll be maneuvering through the challenge.
Across from us, the other tribe is set up similarly; Green Hat, Mustache, and a middle-aged blond woman stand ready to carry their box, while an athletic-looking Black woman, a short Asian man with wisps of gray hair coming off his head, and Model One stand across from Joe, Jing, and Marina.
At the puzzle station for the Sikas are a middle-aged woman with frizzy light-brown hair and glasses, and two men, one tall and young and the other shorter and maybe my age, wearing a blue polo shirt and thick glasses.
Meanwhile, Alex stands in the very center, waiting for the all-clear from production. Once he apparently gets it, he raises his hand in the air. “Castaways: ready … set … GO!” he shouts, dropping his arm on the last word.
I can barely hear him all the way down here, but Beck, Cole, and Ashley shoot off like rockets towards the box, reaching it at about the same time the Sikas reach theirs.
The three Merus work together to lift the box and begin walking towards the first obstacle; based on the strain in their expressions and the pace at which they’re moving, it must be really heavy.
Still, they reach the first obstacle—a triangular protrusion that pokes about five feet out of the sand like a shark’s tooth—relatively quickly.
“Come on!” I shout. “You can do it!” Rhonda and Katie join me in cheering, while the Sika puzzle-makers do the same for their tribe.
The Meru trio gets the box up and over the first obstacle without stopping.
But by the time they reach the second obstacle—a series of wooden poles that they have to weave the box around—they’re slowing down, the effort clearly taking a toll on them.
The Sikas are having trouble too, though, so we’re still in good shape.
Then, halfway through the poles, Ashley lets go of the box and bends over, her hands on her knees, taking a break while Cole and Beck struggle on without her.
With Ashley out, the two men move noticeably slower, and Sika quickly gains a lead, reaching the third obstacle—a raised set of tracks that the box has to be lifted onto and pushed for about fifteen feet—well before Cole and Beck.
A cold spike of fear shoots through my body despite the warm sun; if we don’t pick up the pace now, we might lose this challenge in a landslide.
Ashley rejoins the men just as they finally get their box to the third obstacle, but by then the other tribe has already finished the first phase, untied their knots, and sent the first person across the balance beam.
Finally, after what feels like forever, Cole, Beck, and Ashley finally lug the box to Joe, Jing, and Marina, who take over while Ashley collapses to the ground next to them.
By the time they finish with the knots, two Sikas have already made it over the balance beam, and the third, the young woman, is halfway done, a determined look in her eyes.
She makes it to the end while Jing is just getting started on our beam, and the other tribe quickly gets to work on their puzzle.
Thankfully, Jing makes it across the beam without falling, as does Marina.
“You got this!” I cheer as Marina crosses, despite a sinking feeling in my chest. Joe falls once, sending my heart rate spiking again.
I studiously avoid looking at the other tribe, trying with all my soul to will my tribe to go faster.
It must be working, because Joe quickly makes his way back to the beginning of the beam and crosses again, this time successfully. Then he, Marina, and Jing run to us as fast as they can, and hand us the bags with the puzzle pieces in them.
As soon as I take my bag from Jing, I tune out everything but my job.
The pieces are heavy and wooden, each of them maybe six inches in diameter, and we dump them all on the board before getting started on the puzzle.
It takes me less than a minute to figure out what the final image will be—the logo of this season, the same one that’s on our tribe flags—which means that all we have to do is find the right piece in the pile we’ve made, place it, and search for the next one.
Fortunately, Rhonda, Katie, and I work well together, and after a few false starts, we’ve got the edges of the puzzle complete.
I have no idea how the other tribe is doing, but I think—I know—we’re still in this.
We place another piece, and another, and another, as the pile of unused pieces shrinks—ten pieces, now eight, now seven, as the three of us work to catch up to the other tribe.
But then, just as I grab another piece from the pile—only five left, we can do this—I hear cheering off to my left, and screams of “Alex!” from the other tribe.
I glance up for what feels like the first time in hours to see Alex running over to the other tribe’s board, and my heart sinks.
Maybe they missed a piece or something, I tell myself, continuing to work frantically just in case. It might not be over just yet.
Placing one last piece, I look up just in time to see Alex raise his hands in the air.
“Sika! Wins immunity!” he shouts. It takes a moment for his words to sink in, but once they do, I deflate like a popped balloon, bending over and resting my head on the unfinished puzzle as the Sikas begin to celebrate.