Bury Me Six Feet in Snow

Chapter 1

     The weather on Idiotic Island was pretty constant. An uncomfortable, humid and heavy heat that hung over the inhabitants every day. At night, it would eventually cool off, but not enough to feel perfectly comfortable. In the evenings, as the sun beamed directly down on them, it was the worst, bordering on unbearable. Paper remembered it being one of his least favorite parts of being there. The heat made it hard for him to sleep, and turned his brain into putty. It caused the days to drag on, blurring together. When he thought of the heat, he thought of the island...
The only time he remembered anything different was Christmas. Seemingly overnight, it snowed. Every inch of the island was covered in it. It was a nice change, for once the eliminated contestants found themselves enjoying the island, if just for that one night. However, the next morning, it had all melted away. Paper sometimes wondered if it was even real to begin with. But it had to be. And for that reason, he loved the snow, because that was what made him the happiest on the island.

     The others didn't understand how it felt to be on the island for as long as he did. Sure, the early eliminated contestants had been there for a long time, but they didn't deal with the solitude of being the first. The first month, Paper was alone. The days and nights felt endless. He could hardly sleep, and when he did, it didn't last long. There was no entertainment but himself. Talking to himself, pacing around the confinements. He hoped constantly that he could find a way out, but to no avail. Nobody else on the island understood this. They didn't understand what it felt like being stuck on an island, alone, for a month. Baseball's arrival was a godsend for him, but he never seemed much for talking. They didn't have much in common. Baseball typically read his book. Paper occasionally asked about what was going on, but never felt invested enough. At least he had someone else around with him, though. The other contestants came in after every month. It's how they started to keep track of time. When they arrived, they all had their own "thing" there, to keep them entertained. Some of them were even friends. Paper felt even more alone. He never had the time in the game to make friends. It slowly caused more issues with his mental health. He felt trapped, even with so many others to find comfort in, he was still left alone with his thoughts. Just him and the heat of the sun beating down on his brain.
     When the snow hit, Paper was the first to react. He was always the first one to notice something new, since he knew the island like the back of his hand. And boy was he ecstatic. The others didn't seem to understand his excitement at first, but Paper felt it deep in his soul, resonating within him. Finally, something new. Something different. Eventually, the others caught on. This was his thing. This is what made him feel a little more sane on the island. The others humored him, making sure the day was spent. Despite the obvious disconnect between Paper and the other contestants, he still tried his best to stay positive and helpful. It didn't hit the mark always, but they knew he tried. So they put aside petty differences for the day, making sure everyone took their time to relax and have fun. It felt almost like an omen to Paper. Big changes were ahead, and this was just the first step! For the first time in months, Paper didn't feel alone, trapped inside his own head. He was finally making friends. Despite the frigid weather, he felt warm inside.
     Before the day ended, a similar crackle of feedback sounded through the island. Mephone 4's voice rang through the air. He was announcing big news. One of the eliminated contestants was going to return to the game! Paper felt his insides bubble with excitement... but also anger. If anyone deserved that spot, it was him. So he fought for it, he demanded it. Something deep inside him knew that this was just another part of the "big changes" he had felt when the snow fell. After their blurbs were said, Mephone left, leaving the contestants back to their lonesome. But Paper didn't feel alone. Instead, he smiled at the others.
     "Something big is happening, and I know it," he claimed, crossing his arms confidently. "The snow brings good news for us! I swear by it." For the rest of the night, he and the other contestants felt a burning fire in their souls.

     Everyone shared the same feeling of dread when they had noticed the snow was gone by the next morning.

     Maybe it was the confidence burning in their hearts that caused it. All they knew was that Paper's mood sunk like an anchor that morning. He never really acted the same after that night. Instead, he kept to himself, stowing away his feelings and turning it into anger. He wanted out so badly. The one thing that he enjoyed melted away, quite literally. He just wanted to feel happy again. The days passed slowly for everyone, blurring together even worse than before. Everyone was anticipating the rejoin. It felt like eons of waiting, but eventually, it was time. The contestants dwindled down slowly as Mephone read out the votes. The final two. Paper felt so many emotions. Excitement, fury, hope. He was willing to fight tooth and nail to get himself off of that damn island. Lo and behold, he managed to scrape by with enough votes to rejoin.
He did it. Paper finally got off of the island. The one thing that kept him going finally paid off. All of the lonesome nights staring off into space, hoping desperately to leave finally paid off. He felt even happier than the night it snowed.
     Rejoining the competition was one of the best things that had happened to Paper. Not only was he finally back in the competition, he managed to actually make a friend this time. Someone who he could hardly see his future without anymore. His best friend, Oj. Oj did a lot for him, not only in the competition, but in their friendship as well. It was more than just an alliance. Oj offered Paper advice to ward off some intrusive thoughts and bad habits he had picked up from months and months of being mentally worn down. He was there for Paper, when nobody else was. When the other contestants would mess around with Paper, causing him to spiral, Oj was simply there to help ground him. To tell him that it was going to be okay, and he wasn't going to be alone like that ever again. Nobody had ever offered that to Paper. He finally felt like someone actually cared enough to be there for him. Paper didn't want to take that for granted. There were too many experiences that he had breezed through, unaware of how impactful it would really be. He didn't want Oj to melt away like the snow did. So he spent all the time he could with Oj.
Paper being re-eliminated was more than earth-shattering for the both of them. Sure, it was only another month apart, but that was also another month back on the island, the last thing either of them wanted. Paper did his best to stay calm, while Oj fought for 1st place, for Paper. And he won, for Paper.