Lone Wolf

Chapter 8

The game was very obvious now. The group was continuously being gassed at the beginning because they stuck together. After Mike had been taken away, the group agreed that from here on out, whoever was voted out would leave the voting area first.

To those who didn't know, Juwon revealed that Mike had been put on trial for sexual assault against nearly one hundred of his company's female employees. He had joined the game in hopes to have all charges dropped. Juwon had been let go from Mike's company when Juwon forced himself on a co-worker in a supply closet, but Mike was almost untouchable...almost.

Juwon was pleased with the group's decision to release Mike, but he wasn't much help around the camp. Al and Sheamus built a shelter strong enough to survive the rain that had been coming in at night, and while everyone helped out, Juwon couldn't do much because of his arm. Al suggested quietly on multiple occasions that Juwon should be the next to go, but Taya and Addison were busy trying to actually deduct who might be the odd man (or woman) out.

A full day passed since the last vote and no one had seen or heard anything that might suggest the next advantage challenge, at least until Taya and Addison went for one of their evening skinny dips.

They had been flirting a lot more since they had began to know each other, but in the back of Addison's mind, she couldn't help but wander why Taya was there. Maybe she was the lone wolf. She continued to say, "It was just a misunderstanding," but Addison was still curious. If anyone knew what a misunderstanding was, it was for sure Addison, so she gave Taya the benefit of the doubt. As she always said, "innocent until proven guilty."

The two were in the ocean while Erin waded in the shallow water when a small raft was seen out in the distance with what looked to be a dimly lit lantern sitting on it. Aside from the three girls, no one else was awake.

"Do you think it's safe?" Addison asked. Erin silently shook her head, but Taya's "no, but we probably have to do it," was much more convincing for her to swim out to it.

Taya told Erin to stay back and watch everyone on the beach as she and Addison headed to the raft.

It had to have been fifty feet from shore when the pair got hands onto the poorly crafted wooden raft. It was drizzling rain, but the waves were luckily calm even at that distance. They both climbed atop with Taya grabbing the lantern that sat directly in the middle, a heavy chain attached to the bottom ran straight down through a hole.

"This is it," Taya said as Addison pulled her hair back out of her face.

She read: Advantage 3. The task is simple. At the bottom of this chain is a white flag. Swim down and retrieve the flag. Do this, and you can steal a vote from any other islandmate. Good luck.

"Short and sweet," Taya laughed as she flipped the parchment over to see if there was more to the note.

"Why do I feel like there's a catch?" Addison asked as she tried tugging up on the lantern. There had to have been a boat anchor at the lower end.

"How far down do you think it goes?" Taya asked. Addison shrugged. "You confident in your swimming ability?"

Addison shook her head, "I don't think it'll take much skill. The best bet is just pull yourself down the chain."

Taya agreed to go down and win the advantage, but they stood for a moment, hyping Taya up for her dive. Neither knew what was down there, and neither really wanted to find out; but just as she was about to dive in, a hand reached up from the water and grabbed Addison's ankle, causing her to scream out and fall backwards, almost into the sea.

Erin pulled herself up onto the raft much to the dismay of the other girls, but without even reading the note, she spoke, "Let me."

Taya and Addison stood in shock and awe for a moment. Erin hadn't said a word since the first day, but she had heard what the note had said. "I'm sorry?"