Chapter 10 #2
Apparently, Alex isn’t done yet, because he reaches into a pocket and pulls out what look like two rolled-up pieces of parchment, one tied with blue string and the other with purple.
“There’s one more little thing I need to tell you about,” he says, holding the scrolls for us to see.
“Instead of a reward, both tribes will receive a clue to a hidden immunity idol that we’ve hidden at your camp. ”
My heart starts beating even faster as soon as he says the words “hidden immunity idol,” and I doubt I’m the only one.
The show introduced the concept around season ten, and it quickly became a fan favorite.
Basically, the producers hide a small totem or bracelet at each tribe’s camp, and whoever finds it can use it to negate all the votes cast for them at a single tribal council.
It’s not game-breaking, since each idol can only be used once, and whoever finds it has to choose when to use it.
Still, anything that keeps you in the game even a day longer is powerful, and we’ll all have to take it into account if we want to stick around.
“Now, some of you will know that this is not the first time we’ve done something like this on Marooned,” Alex continues.
“However, there is one big difference this year: unlike in past seasons, this idol must be played after the votes are cast, but before they’re read.
That means there’s a whole other layer of strategy to consider, because if you play the idol and nobody voted for you, it was wasted.
Conversely, if you don’t play the idol and you get voted out, you’ll have missed the opportunity to save yourself.
But there will be plenty of time for you to consider that later.
” He hefts up one of the sacks and walks over to us.
“Now, let’s find out our new tribes. Don’t peek or reveal your rock until I’ve told you to—we’ll wait until everyone on both tribes has drawn their rock, and then reveal them together. ”
He goes down the line one by one; I’m fifth, so by the time he gets to me, there are only two rocks left to choose from.
I pick one without looking, as Alex instructed.
I’m not sure who I want to leave our tribe—I mean, preferably no one, but it doesn’t seem like that’s an option—other than that, I don’t want it to be me. Come on, let it be purple.
Alex moves on to Marina, who takes the last one, while the rest of us stand with our fists clenched. Then it’s Sika’s turn, and Alex repeats the process for the six of them. Most of them look anxious, but the young Black woman has a thoughtful expression on her face as she reaches into the bag.
Finally, after what feels like an eternity of waiting, Green Hat draws his rock, and Alex steps back. “Everyone will reveal on three,” he says, as we all lift our fists, holding them out in front of us. “One … Two … Three.”
On three, I open my hand, revealing a purple rock, and breathe a huge sigh of relief. Good. That could have been much worse.
My relief is short-lived, however, as I remember that somebody had to switch.
I scan up and down the line of my tribemates, looking for the telltale blue rocks.
The first one I see is held by Jing, which isn’t ideal, but it isn’t the end of the world either.
I’d rather lose one of my allies than two, even if it means Jing has a chance to team up with the Sikas.
When I see that Cole has the other blue rock and my heart drops.
That really sucks. I may not want to sit next to Cole at the end, but I can’t deny that I’ll miss his presence at camp.
I don’t know any of the Sikas, but I doubt any of them will be nearly as good at cooking as him, and that’s not even mentioning the fact that he’s just generally a good guy to be around.
Maybe it’ll be good to get a break from him for a little while.
For some reason, that thought feels as hollow as the buoys bobbing out in the ocean.
My train of thought is interrupted when Alex clears his throat. “Looks like Cole and Jing from the Meru tribe will be swapping with Alina and Juan from the Sika tribe,” he says. “You four, please trade your insignias and move to the correct mats.”
At Alex’s indication, Cole and Jing step away from the rest of us, taking off their necklaces and exchanging them with Alina and Juan—the frizzy-haired white woman with large glasses and the muscular Hispanic man from my boat on day one.
Don’t worry about Cole, I tell myself sternly as the two newest members of our tribe come and join the rest of us.
Focus on getting yourself through the next few tribal councils.
For better or worse, I don’t have very long to dwell on my emotions because Alex wastes no time getting down to the immunity challenge.
“For today’s challenge,” he says, “two members from each tribe will swim out to a marker, where they will dive down and release five buoys, then work together to bring them back to the mat. Once you’ve retrieved all five buoys, another member of your tribe will attempt to throw the buoys into the container.
” He gestures to the large stationary cylinder.
“The remaining three tribe members will be stationed in the water near the container, collecting any missed shots and returning the buoys to the platform. The first tribe to land all five buoys in their container wins immunity. Understood?” He waits for us to nod.
“All right. I’ll give you a minute to strategize, and then we’ll get to it. ”
Gathering together, the new Meru quickly decides to send Katie and Marina to release the buoys.
Juan will be our thrower, and Alina, Rhonda, and I will collect the stray shots.
I’m a bit apprehensive about someone I don’t know taking the most pivotal role, but Juan seems confident, and he’s performed well in the other challenges.
Plus, he and Alina are first in line to go home if we lose, so I suppose he has an incentive to do well.
In short order, everyone on both tribes is ready. Marina and Katie line up at the front of the platform, ready to dive in. On the other side, Jing and the young Black woman are going for Sika.
Once everyone is set, Alex raises his hand in the air. “Castaways: ready … set … GO!” he shouts.
The four swimmers immediately dive in and begin to make their way out to the markers, while the rest of us cheer them on.
Katie and Marina reach their marker first, but only barely.
Katie takes a deep breath and dives down, and fifteen seconds later, five purple buoys pop up to the surface.
Katie surfaces a few seconds after that, shaking water out of her hair, and she and Marina begin corralling the buoys.
Meanwhile, Jing pops up for air without her tribe’s buoys, costing her precious seconds as she dives down again, allowing Marina and Katie to open up a bit of a lead.
However, Jing gets her buoys on the second try, and by the time Marina and Katie have managed to gather all their buoys together and begin making their way back to us, the two Sikas are less than a minute behind.
It takes some time for both pairs to corral their buoys and get them all back to the platform, the lead constantly changing as one tribe or the other loses a buoy in the waves and has to go back for it.
After what feels like forever, Katie and Marina reach the platform, and the four of us help them get both themselves and the buoys out of the water.
Once the two swimmers and all five buoys are on the mat, Alex shouts, “Meru, you’re good!
” and Rhonda, Alina, and I dive into the water, while Juan gets ready to shoot.
As I’m swimming away from the platform, I hear splashes behind me.
Sika must be right on our tail. I glance back at the platform to see Cole stepping up to shoot for Sika.
Some emotion I can’t quite place twinges in my brain, but I stomp it down just as quickly as it comes and pick up my speed. Focus, Ryan.
Once the three of us reach the cylinder, we begin treading water while Juan starts shooting the buoys as though they’re basketballs.
His first few shots miss, and there’s a delay as we go collect the missed shots and throw them back to the platform.
Meanwhile, Sika cheers as Cole lands his first buoy.
Barely ten seconds later, they start cheering again as Cole makes another shot.
“You can do it, Juan!” I shout, almost saying Cole, but catching myself just in time. “You got this!”
Thankfully, Juan makes his next shot, briefly raising my spirits and cutting Sika’s lead to one, but Cole quickly lands his third and fourth buoys.
After a few misses, Juan lands his second, but he just can’t keep up with Cole’s pace, even though Cole’s shots are fewer and far between now—he only has one buoy left, and if he misses, he has to wait for his tribe to return it before he can shoot again.
And then, while Rhonda and Alina swim out to retrieve one of Juan’s shots, Cole steps up and shoots.
His buoy arcs through the air, landing perfectly in the funnel and quickly sinking down into the cylinder.
He raises his hands in triumph, the rest of his new tribe cheering as Alex shouts, “Sika! Wins immunity!”
As soon as he does, Juan tosses his own buoy away, his shoulders slumped. But I only have eyes for Cole, who celebrates with his tribe, an expression of immense relief on his handsome face.