The Last One(68)

After this confessional comes a montage, complete with pump-’em-up music. It’s kitschy; it’s catchy. Air Force’s gait becomes increasingly secure under Black Doctor’s watchful eye. Waitress struggles to carve a figure-four-deadfall trap; her cuts into the wood are sloppy and often on the wrong side of the sticks—and then: It works. Her cuts aren’t quite perfect and her hands are covered in nicks and blisters, but the trap stands, precariously supporting the weight of a long, heavy stick. She’s so happy she tears up. Banker builds a snare that actually catches a squirrel. Carpenter Chick and Engineer weave together branches to create a lattice roof for their shelter. Engineer has taken to wearing his maroon-and-brown bandana as a do-rag. Almost everyone is learning to gut and skin small game; Exorcist is a natural. He collects the tail of each squirrel he preps, lets the stub dry, then stuffs it in his pack.

Already the contestants look skinnier, tougher. Faces and hands are perpetually smudged with dirt. Biology’s breasts have shrunk and her cheekbones have grown flirtatious in compensation. The group’s average skin tone has darkened a shade; the camp is largely in shadow, but they are outdoors, always. Zoo has become the primary fire caretaker, and her jacket is dotted with tiny burn holes from floating, snapping sparks. In one shot Tracker stands beside her, almost smiling as she shows him her perforated sleeve, the fire behind them, flames appearing on either side but not between. Nearly everyone has a rip in the knee of their jeans or the cuff of their shirt. Engineer’s green boxers can be glimpsed through a small tear beneath his back pocket.

One negative line runs through the montage: Exorcist. He has been invited back into the group, and though he accepted the invitation with apparent humility, he undermines the efforts of the others. He nudges Waitress’s figure-four with his boot to set it off, then winks at the camera. While collecting firewood he stays away just long enough and brings back just little enough that everyone suspects he’s slacking, but the only way to prove it would be to quit and watch this episode when it airs. His boldest but quietest move: Late one night he urinates into one of Waitress’s water bottles. He dumps it out and fills the bottle with clean water, but in the morning Waitress notices a slightly acidic taste she can’t identify.

Montage slides finally into scene: the contestants sitting around the fire following their third full day of group camp. While everyone else chats and bonds, Exorcist carves the ends of his dowsing rod into points. Zoo is stewing the day’s catch—a rabbit—with rice and dandelion greens. Carpenter Chick sits close to her and the two joke about joining a commune or kibbutz. “Maybe they’ll make an exception for our not being Jewish,” says Zoo, “now that we’re homesteaders.” Across the fire, Black Doctor is practicing tying a square knot with his yellow bandana and Air Force’s dark blue. Tracker is reclining, eyes closed, taking a rest all agree is well earned.

Exorcist stands suddenly and chucks his sharpened dowsing rod over Waitress’s head into the dark woods. He chases after it, crying, “Got one!” Waitress is startled, but once Exorcist sprints past her she simply rolls her eyes. “He wants a reaction,” she says. Tracker’s lids crack open and he surveys the group. Zoo gives him a thumbs-up and he returns to his rest.

That night, unknown to the contestants, the first episode of In the Dark airs. Viewers watch Cheerleader Boy stalk off on his own; they watch him fail.

The next night Exorcist takes two of his collected squirrel tails and ties them in place over his ears with his bandana. “What now?” asks Rancher, as Exorcist begins to dance a bowing, twirling dance.

“I feel them,” Exorcist cries. He flails his arms and spins. “I hear them!” One of the squirrel tails flies loose, landing in Banker’s lap.

Banker picks it up with two fingers and considers tossing it in the fire. “Who exactly are you hearing?” he asks.

Exorcist spins close, grabs the tail from Banker’s loose grip. And now he’s singing, “They want us to leave! They bid us to go-oh-oh!” His voice, so irritating when spoken, is surprisingly soothing in song.

“He should talk less and sing more,” says Air Force. Black Doctor nods.

More dancing, and the other tail falls, a gray fluttering at Biology’s feet. Exorcist poses, thrusting his arms back and bending his front knee, and howls, flushing an owl from a nearby tree. His howl drifts to a close and Exorcist hops to perfect posture. “It’s okay,” he announces. “The spirits say we can stay.”

No one is even looking at him.

The next day, Carpenter Chick and Zoo are sitting together on a fallen tree. Carpenter Chick is carving a crude spatula while Zoo hones a figure-four deadfall. “They should have kicked him off, or at least confiscated his cross,” says Carpenter Chick. “I know,” says Zoo, in the tone of you’ve said this before. Then Zoo looks up, perplexed. Someone is approaching, crunching heavily through the woods. She knows it’s not another one of the contestants. Even the noisiest woods walker among them has adjusted, moving now with steps that are at least careful if not quiet. These steps are proud and destructive. They are alien. Carpenter Chick looks up too, and a moment later the host appears, as clean and arrogant as ever, several cameramen in tow.

“Good morning!” he booms. Zoo and Carpenter Chick exchange a glance, and Zoo mouths, Morning? They’ve been awake since sunrise; ten o’clock feels much later to them than it does to the host, who awoke only two hours ago. “Gather ’round, it’s time for your next Challenge.”