The Last One(30)

The window behind Tracker shows a setting sun. At the camps the sky is dark and the moon is high. Our narratives are out of sync.

A roaring blare rips through the camps—a sound like fear itself, loud and hard and everywhere. Contestants become a tangle of confused, waking limbs. Waitress yelps; Air Force is on his feet, injury forgotten; Exorcist freezes, tense and waiting.

“Good evening!” comes the host’s voice, amplified. “I need everyone in the center of the field, double time! Bring your gear. You have three minutes.”

Blinking heavily, Zoo shoves on her glasses, then tugs on her boots and shoulders her pack. Carpenter Chick is ready just as quickly. Engineer can’t find his glasses; his eyesight is worse than Zoo’s. Carpenter Chick is twenty-twenty; she spots his frames on the ground and hands them to him. Waitress is near tears, she’s so tired. She doesn’t think she can do this, whatever this is. Zoo and Engineer disassemble the water-filtration system, quickly. Bandanas are reclaimed. Zoo almost dumps the charcoal ash from hers, then changes her mind and ties the bandana into a little bundle as she walks.

Cheerleader Boy stalks toward the center of the field, alone. Air Force is hard-pressed to make it in time; he’s feeling the ankle again. Black Doctor hangs back and offers an arm, which is politely declined—the walking stick is enough. Exorcist drifts along beside them, his pack casually slung over one shoulder. “When you’ve dealt with those who dwell in Hell,” he says, “an early wake-up call isn’t so bad.”

The host is waiting. He holds a steaming mug of coffee. Waitress nearly tears it from his hands.

“Where’s the other team?” asks Cheerleader Boy.

“Good morning!” says the host. “And it is indeed morning. Twelve-oh-four a.m., to be precise.” All eight contestants have arrived within the allotted three minutes. A shame—the host was looking forward to penalizing someone. “It’s time for a Solo Challenge. Here are maps.” He indicates a bin to his left. “And here are flashlights.” A bin to his right. “First five to the waypoint get to sleep indoors. The quicker you finish, the more sleep you get. And, go!”

Engineer springs toward the maps; Zoo, Carpenter Chick, and Waitress for the flashlights. Zoo takes a flashlight for Engineer, and Engineer takes four maps.

Waitress is terrified. She knows she can’t make it through the night woods alone. Carpenter Chick catches Zoo’s eye and nods a question.

“I’m happy to work this one as a team if you guys are,” says Zoo. If it was daylight, or she wasn’t the leader, she’d be less inclined to cooperate, but right now working as a team seems prudent. The others agree; Waitress wants to hug them all.

Air Force and Black Doctor’s cooperation is rightfully assumed. The level of mutual trust they’ve built in a day is remarkable. The producers will share a phone call later, seeking a way to use the allegiance against the allied.

“Maybe we should all stick together?” says Black Doctor to Exorcist and Cheerleader Boy.

Cheerleader Boy is still looking around for Tracker’s team, the best team. He doesn’t want to be locked into this one. Black Doctor and Air Force are okay, but Exorcist? Any minute spent in his company is a minute too long. Cheerleader Boy allows personal dislike to overwhelm common sense. “He said it was a Solo Challenge,” he says. “So I’m going solo.” He flips his former teammates a salute and then walks away—but only a few steps. He needs to consult his map.

“So we’re here and we need to get…here,” says Zoo. Her finger cuts across a flashlight’s beam to cast a thick shadow across the map.

“What are all these symbols?” asks Waitress. Her voice shakes.

“Look at the key,” says Carpenter Chick. “Each means something different.” She pauses. “What’s a knoll?”

“They live under bridges,” says Waitress.

Her teammates look at her, incredulous.

“That’s a troll,” says Engineer.

Waitress’s embarrassed flush is hidden in the moonlight. She’s rattled; her brain isn’t working right. Laughter from the producers, laughter from the viewers. Perfect.

Cheerleader Boy is on the move, he’s the first to leave. Northeast, he thinks. He’ll just follow his compass northeast until he finds the stream above the waypoint, and then he’ll cut south. Easy as pie.

“Look,” says Engineer, “there’s a road, half mile south. It’s out of the way, but it passes right by the waypoint.”

“Genius,” says Zoo. “That’ll be much easier to follow in the dark. Let’s do it.” Carpenter Chick agrees, and Waitress is along for the ride.

Air Force watches them go. “I bet they’re making for the service road,” he says.

“Should we do that too?” asks Black Doctor.

“Pah,” says Exorcist. “Too far out of the way.”

Air Force is torn. He’s trying to maximize his decision—what’s worth more: shorter distance or easier terrain? If his ankle were healthy, the answer would be easy. Bravado and practicality war within him.

“The road seems like our best option to me,” says Black Doctor. “I don’t want to be tripping over roots and sticks in the dark.”

Exorcist jiggles his flashlight tauntingly, but Air Force allows his new friend to guide him to the better decision. “You’re right, let’s take the road.”