The morning sun hit Wawanakwa with a brutal heat, but Chris McLean was unbothered, standing on the dock in a full, itchy-looking pirate costume.
"Ahoy, scurvy dogs!" Chris shouted, waving a plastic cutlass. "Today, we're doing a good old-fashioned treasure hunt!"
Gwen groaned, wiping sweat from her forehead. "Seriously? Pirates? That's the best you could do?"
"It has a twist, Gothic Girl!" Chris smirked. "What you're looking for isn't hidden, and it's definitely not treasure. It's keys."
"Then why the outfit, man?" Duncan asked, crossing his arms. "If there's no treasure, you just look like a guy who got lost on the way to a costume party."
"Good question, Duncan! And the answer is: because I like the hat. Now, shut up and pick your poison!"
Chef Hatchet held out a battered wooden bucket. One by one, the campers reached in and pulled out small scraps of paper with crudely drawn icons.
The campers scattered across the island, each facing a nightmare tailored to their clue.
* Bridgette (Bunny): She found herself in a clearing filled with aggressive, territorial rabbits.
DJ didn't hesitate; he knelt down, using his "animal whisperer" vibes to calm the lead bunny. Bridgette snatched the key, but she couldn't leave the little guy behind—the bunny hopped right into her arms and stayed there.
* DJ (Tree Branch): He climbed the tallest, most unstable pine on the island. He got the key, but the branch snapped on the way down, leaving him bruised and frustrated.
* Gwen (Skunk Burrow): She stared into a dark hole, smelling the familiar stench of defeat. Ezekiel walked up, offering a long stick and some country advice. "You gotta poke 'em gentle-like, eh? They won't spray if they think you're just a branch." With Zeke's help, Gwen hooked the key without a single spray.
* Ezekiel (Septic Tank): Zeke looked at the bubbling tank of filth. Gwen returned the favor, giving him a bandana for his nose and a pep talk. "Think of it as... farm work, Zeke." He dove in, emerging dripping in slime but clutching the key with a triumphant grin.
* Courtney (Chef's Fridge): She had to ninja her way past a napping Chef Hatchet. She moved like a professional spy, snatching the key from behind a jar of pickled pig feet.
* Lindsay (Bee Hive): She stood frozen in front of a buzzing hive. Izzy suddenly swung from a vine, screaming like a banshee and headbutting the hive. While the bees chased a laughing Izzy into the forest, Lindsay calmly grabbed the key. "Thanks, Wizzy!"
The Chest Ceremony
Back at the beach, eleven chests sat in the sand. Chris stood by with a stopwatch. "Let's see who actually gets a prize! Most of these locks are duds!"
| Contestant | Result | The Prize |
|---|---|---|
| Bridgette | Fail | Her key snapped in the lock. No prize, just a cute bunny. |
| DJ | Fail | Wrong key. He sighed, defeated. |
| Duncan | Success | A stash of Candy bars and chips. He started eating immediately. |
| Ezekiel | Success | Cleaver Body Spray. "I smell like a 'New Man', eh!" |
| Gwen | Success | A Toaster. "Great. I can make toast in the middle of the woods." |
| Courtney | Success | IMMUNITY! She screamed in delight, clutching the parchment. |
| Heather | Success | A Leg Lamp. She looked disgusted. "Is this a joke?" |
| Lindsay | Success | An Accordion. She started squeezing it, making a horrible noise. |
| Izzy | Success | A Calligraphy Set. She immediately started painting "explosive" symbols on her face. |
| Owen | Success | Fried Chicken and Parsley Potatoes. He began sobbing with joy while eating. |
| Trent | Success | Two bottles of carbonated soda. He handed one to Gwen with a wink. |
Night fell over the camp. Heather sat in the girls' cabin, glowing with arrogance. She had her Leg Lamp in the corner and her Invincibility Statue tucked safely inside her pillowcase. With Courtney winning the challenge's immunity, the two of them felt like the untouchable queens of the island.
"Sleep well, losers," Heather hissed before blowing out her candle.
Outside, a shadow moved. Duncan didn't make a sound. He didn't use the door—he used the loose floorboard he'd loosened weeks ago for just such an occasion.
He slid into the room like a snake. His eyes, adjusted to the dark, found the bulge in Heather's pillow. He reached into his own pocket and pulled out a carved piece of firewood that Owen had helped him "detail" to feel roughly the same shape as the idol.
With a surgeon's steady hand, Duncan slid the fake wood under the pillow while simultaneously sliding the real Invincibility Statue out.
Heather muttered in her sleep, "I'm the queen..." but she didn't wake up.
Duncan slipped back out into the night. He stood on the edge of the dock, the wooden statue cold in his hand. He looked at the girls' cabin and let out a silent, jagged laugh.
Heather thought she was protected. She thought she was safe. But in the morning, she would be walking into a trap with nothing but a fake piece of wood and a Leg Lamp to save her.
Duncan now has the power. The immunity is a lie.
The atmosphere at the campfire was thick with tension. Courtney sat tall, her immunity parchment clutched in her hand like a weapon. Heather looked smug, occasionally patting the "statue" hidden in her jacket, completely unaware that she was carrying a worthless piece of firewood.
Earlier that day, Duncan had been busy. He gathered Trent, Owen, and Ezekiel behind the mess hall.
"Look, guys," Duncan hissed, his eyes darting around. "Bridgette and DJ are a power couple now. They're too well-liked. If we don't break them up, they'll sail right to the finale together. We take out Bridgette tonight."
Trent looked hesitant. "Man, Bridgette? She's nice to everyone."
"Exactly, eh!" Ezekiel added, scratching his chin.
"That's why she's dangerous!" Duncan snapped. "It's a game, not a summer camp. You in or out?"
Reluctantly, they nodded. But they weren't the only ones listening.
Heather had been lurking nearby. She smirked. If the boys were going to do the dirty work for her, she was more than happy to help. She quickly filled Lindsay in on the plan.
The Marshmallow Ceremony
Chris stood by the fire, the orange light reflecting off his pirate eye-patch. "Tonight, the stakes are higher than ever. There are only ten marshmallows on this plate. One of you is going home."
He began tossing them out:
* Courtney (Immune)
* Duncan
* Heather
* Lindsay
* Trent
* Owen
* Ezekiel
* Izzy
* Gwen
"Only one remains," Chris said, his voice dropping to a dramatic whisper. "DJ... or Bridgette."
DJ's hand found Bridgette's under the bench, squeezing tight. He had voted for Heather, desperately hoping to save his girl. But the math was against them.
"The final marshmallow goes to... DJ!"
The clearing went silent. Bridgette let out a long, shaky breath, but to everyone's surprise, she started to smile.
"It's okay, DJ," she whispered. "Honestly? I'm relieved. This island is crazy, and I'm ready for a real bed and a shower that doesn't have leeches in it."
She stood up, but before she walked toward the Boat of Losers, she turned to DJ. In front of Chris, the cameras, and the entire shocked camp, she leaned in and gave him a long, soft kiss.
"I'll be waiting for you at the resort," she said as she pulled away, her face glowing. It was official: they were the island's newest couple.
DJ looked dazed but happy. As Bridgette walked past the boys' bench, Duncan stood up. There was no malice in his eyes—just respect for the play. He held out his hand, and he and DJ fist-bumped. It was a silent acknowledgement: It's just the game, man.
Bridgette hopped onto the boat, clutching the bunny she had found earlier. As the motor started, she waved to everyone, looking more at peace than she had in weeks.
As the boat disappeared into the fog, Heather leaned over to Duncan. "Nice work, delinquent. But don't think this makes us friends. I still have the idol, and I still have the power."
Duncan just leaned back, his hands behind his head, the real Invincibility Statue heavy in his pocket. "Whatever you say, princess. Sweet dreams."
Heather is still confident, but Duncan holds the ultimate trump card. With Bridgette gone, DJ is a lone wolf. What will happen when Heather finally tries to use her "statue"?