FicWad

BROOKHAVEN CULT
DAY 6

“Do you really think Dr. Kaufmann stole the idol?” Douglas asked. He and Cybil were on the second floor of Brookhaven hospital, inside the women’s locker room. They were going through the lockers, looking for anything of value—or even better, the missing idol. So far, nothing had turned up except a few bottles of nail polish, perfume, old magazines, and other personal items.

“I doubt it,” Cybil said. “I put him on the spot because I didn’t care for his implications.”

“What do you mean?” Douglas asked. He opened a locker and checked inside.

“Well, just his attitude. He brought us all in the day room and started accusing the rest of us of stealing the idol, as if it was a given that he was innocent. As if just because he’s a doctor and the self-appointed leader of the cult, then he couldn’t have had anything to do with it.”

“I see,” Douglas said.

“I wanted to take him down a peg, that’s all,” Cybil said. “He probably didn’t steal the idol. He’s an ass, but not a thieving ass.”

“Then who do you think did it?” Douglas asked.

“You know…” Cybil said. “I don’t have a clue. I tried to start with a motive. Who would have a reason to steal the idol? And I can’t come up with anything. It doesn’t make sense to steal the idol in this situation. I figured that whoever did it wasn’t thinking too clearly when they stole it. That it was an impulse theft, not premeditated. I was hoping that the idol would be returned last night, saving us all a load of hassle, but no such luck.”

“I have a crazy idea,” Douglas said, “If you’re interested.”

“All ears.”

“After the reward challenge, when a bunch of the others and I went out looking for food,” Douglas said, “James let it slip that his wife, Mary, is in Alchemilla.”

“Really?” Cybil said.

“Now call me crazy, but wouldn’t it make sense for James to take the idol and then try to join up with Mary after the merge and then use it to double-cross both teams?”

“Hmm… it’s possible,” Cybil said, “But do you really think James has it in him? He seems like the honest, dopey type to me. Hardly a criminal mastermind.”

“Never watched The Usual Suspects?” Douglas asked.

Cybil stopped and looked at him. “Douglas, are you really a detective, or do you just watch a lot of detective movies?” Cybil asked.

“Heh,” Douglas said, “You caught me. It’s a little of both, I’m afraid. I’m no Dick Tracy. I’m not even Duck Twacy.”

Cybil laughed. “Sorry to hear that. But I suppose your theory is sound, if James were more the conniving type.”

Cybil paused and closed a locker door. “But…” she said. “Maria does follow him around like a lost puppy. If Maria and James are in an alliance and they make it to the merge with Mary and have an idol, the three of them could do a lot of damage.”

“So I’m not crazy after all?” Douglas asked.

“Maybe not. But we’ll see,” Cybil said. “Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s much we can do, unless we get lucky and someone slips up or we stumble across the idol. Something along those lines.”



DOUGLAS: BROOKHAVEN CULT
Cybil and I didn’t talk much the first couple of days we were here. But in the past few days, especially since the idol’s been stolen, we’ve gotten together more often to discuss strategy. I talk and joke with the others in the group, but she’s the only one who talks to me about the game itself. I guess the rest of us have gotten a bit lazy, since we haven’t had to think about strategy much yet. But not Cybil. She’s always thinking about the game. I guess that makes her a threat, possibly the biggest threat in the team. My reasoning is, if she is indeed a threat, then I’d rather be on her side than in her path.

ALCHEMILLA CULT
DAY 6

“And they belched when you hit them?” Alex asked.

“Yeah, even if I like, hit them on the head,” Henry said. “One time, I knocked one down a set of stairs. It belched every step all the way to the bottom.”

“Travis, can you beat that?” Alex said.

“Naw, I got nothing like that,” Travis said. “Best I ever saw were these bear… pig… things with these massive flabby asses.”

Henry and Alex chuckled.

“Seriously,” Travis said, “Each cheek was the size of my hips. And they jumped at me when they attacked. I’ll point one of them out if we ever see one.”

“I had these S&M bondage monsters,” Alex said. “Looked like a man with a woman taped to his back with electric tape.”

“No kiddin’?” Travis said.

“Honest truth,” Alex said.

“I dunno, Henry,” Travis said. “Looks like Alex has you beat. S&M beats burping nurses any day.”

“Aw,” Henry said. “Thought I had him with that one.”

“Better luck next time,” Alex said.

There was a knock at the storage room door. Without being invited, Dahlia opened the door and peeked inside. She looked at Henry.

“Henry, may I have a moment?” she asked.

Henry looked to Travis and Alex. Travis waved for him to go with Dahlia.

“I don’t think you can tell her anything she doesn’t already know,” Travis said.

Dahlia smiled. Henry stood up and left the storage room. He followed Dahlia to the stairs. There, she closed the stairway door and turned to him.

“And who receives the honor of your vote on this night?” Dahlia asked.

“Well… I um… It’s just that we,” Henry said. “We have this idea…”

“It’s me, is it not?” Dahlia asked. “Do not be ashamed to speak the truth.”

“I umm… yeah. It’s nothing personal though. You seem like a nice lady.”

“How very kind of you. You seem quite the gentleman yourself.”

“Thanks.”

“Your honesty will get you far in this game,” Dahlia said. “Do not be tempted to turn to deceitfulness to solve your woes. That path leads only to sorrow.”

“You sound like a fortune cookie,” Henry said.

“I shall take that as the highest praise,” Dahlia said. “Run along now, and do not worry for me. You must do what you must do, after all.”

“I guess,” Henry said.

“Best of luck to you.”

“You too.” Henry opened the stairwell door and walked back to the storage room. He entered and closed the door behind him.

“What did she say?” Travis asked.

“Same thing as last time,” Henry said. “Wanted to know who I was voting for.”

“Did you tell her?”

“Yeah.”

“How’d she take it?”

Henry shrugged. “She didn’t seem to mind. She said, ‘you must do what you must do,’ and wished me good luck.”

Travis crossed his arms. “Really… Hm…”

“She’s up to something,” Alex said. “No one just shrugs off elimination. Even with the Water Prison as a safety net, you’d think she’d fight more than this.”

“Yeah, she’s up to something all right,” Travis said. “But what?”



DAHLIA: ALCHEMILLA CULT
Balanced on the head of a pin, I am, beset by enemies on all sides. To save myself, I need everything to be working in harmony. But there is hope yet for myself. Hope, because Travis and Alex think they are wise, that their leadership inherently begets wisdom. It is this arrogant foolishness that shall undo them. With their own misplaced confidence, I shall destroy them.




“They told you to vote for Dahlia, did they not?” Claudia said. She and Angela were in the first floor waiting room, which was rarely occupied anymore, as most of the survivors in Alchemilla had found places on the second and third floor that were more convenient for clandestine meetings.

“Yeah,” Angela said. “They told me yesterday.”

“What was their reasoning?” Claudia asked. “Did they say why she should go?”

“Something about her being a threat. I don’t know. They didn’t say much.”

“A threat? And you believed them?”

“I-I don’t know. Maybe.”

“What would you say makes Dahlia so threatening?” Claudia asked. “Why would they want her gone?”

“I… don’t know.”

“Exactly. They are feeding you lies, Angela,” Claudia said. “Dahlia is no more threatening than you or me. But she is smart. And that is why they want you to vote for her. Anyone who can challenge their throne must be exiled, for the sake of their little kingdom.”

“So I’m not smart enough to be voted off?” Angela asked. “Is that it?”

“No, you are, but they do not see it,” Claudia said. “They judge quickly and thoughtlessly. They value physical strength, muscles, dexterity. That is why they chose to vote out Eddie, why they now call for Dahlia’s sacrifice, and why they will come for us after that.”

“You really think so?” Angela asked.

“We are outsiders here, Angela,” Claudia said. “Outsiders because we do not fit with their narrow definition of ‘strength.’ We cannot allow them to define the game as they please, for they will define it in a matter that mirrors themselves. They see themselves as strong, and thus will give favor to those who are most like them.”

“Because we’re not like Travis and Alex… they don’t like us,” Angela said.

“It is simple human nature,” Claudia said. “We are drawn to those most like ourselves, and repulsed by those who are different. But it does not have to be that way. Travis and Alex do not see it, but they are in the minority here. There are more who are like us than there are who are like them. And it does not matter the swiftness of your feet, or the power of your muscles. Tonight, all votes cast are perfectly equal. Why should the vote of the majority favor those in the minority?”

“I… think I know what you’re saying,” Angela said.

“Then you understand what needs to be done. They can only rule us if we allow them to. There is a plan in place that can show those two that there are many types of strength, and we need not accept the rule of those who do not care about our interests. But it requires your assistance, if you’re willing to lend it.”

Angela looked at the floor. “What do you need?”



CLAUDIA: ALCHEMILLA CULT
Angela’s heart is weak, malleable. I sense from her a distrust of men, or at least authority figures. I’d like to learn more about her, but now is not the time for probing personal questions. I understand her well enough to know what to say to her, and, for the purposes of this game, that is enough. My only job for now is to follow Dahlia’s plan and ensure that no obvious link can be formed between myself and Dahlia, or myself and Angela. If I can do that, then we may soon have unquestionable control of this group in as little as two eliminations.




“Pop quiz, Angela!” Travis said. Angela jumped.

“Sorry! Sorry,” Travis said. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”

“You shouldn’t sneak up on people,” Angela said. “Especially not in this town.”

“Yeah, dumb move on my part,” Travis said. “We’re just going around and double-checking everyone’s vote. We thought we had the Eddie vote in the bag, and that came back to bite us on the ass, so we’re being extra careful this time around. You know who you’re voting for, right?”

“Umm… yeah,” Angela said. “But about that…”

“Hm?”

“I um…” Angela said. “Can you… keep a secret?”

“What’s this about?”

“Can you?”

“Cross my heart, hope to die,” Travis said. He used one finger to trace an X over his heart.

“Dahlia…” Angela dropped her voice to a barely audible whisper. “Dahlia has an idol.”

Travis closed his eyes and ground his teeth.

“I knew it,” he said. “I knew it. She’s been planning something this whole time. I knew it.”

He opened his eyes and looked at Angela.

“So she showed it to you?” Travis asked.

“I um… yeah, she did,” Angela said. “She said she umm…” Angela looked at the floor. “She said she umm… wanted me to vote for Alex. That she was going to use the idol and umm…. Backside?”

“Blindside?” Travis said. “That’s what they say in Survivor when someone gets voted off unexpectedly. They got blindsided.”

“Yeah, that’s it. She said she was going to blindside you,” Angela said. “I-I mean Alex. She was going to blindside Alex.”

“So she definitely was one of the people who voted for Alex last time,” Travis said. “That means…” Travis shook his head. “Did she say anything else?”

“No… but I told her I was gonna vote for Alex. Then I left. And then I was gonna tell you about it.”

“Thank you so much, Angela,” Travis said. “You trusted the right person. For now, let’s just keep this between us, okay? And stick to the plan for now. Vote Dahlia.”

“But… she has an idol…”

“Let me handle that,” Travis said. “I need to figure out some numbers, then I’ll get back to you. But if I can’t get to you between now and the vote, just vote Dahlia, okay?”

“Okay,” Angela said.



ANGELA: ALCHEMILLA CULT
I already told you, I don’t like these interviews. I don’t have anything to say.

EDIT

Y-Yes, I trust Claudia… More than Travis and Alex.

EDIT

I don’t know why. I just do, okay?



“Guys, big problem,” Travis said. “Huddle up.”

He, Harry, Henry, Heather, and Alex were in the third floor storage room. Travis had done his best to surreptitiously pull them each aside and summon them to the room. He believed he managed to do so without drawing Dahlia’s attention.

“It’s not going to be easy, is it?” Henry said.

“I guess it never will be,” Travis said. “But this time is different. This time we have a jump on them.”

“I’m still voting Dahlia, no matter what,” Harry said. “That isn’t going to change.”

“Hear me out,” Travis said. “Dahlia has an idol.”

The others looked surprised.

“How do you know?” Harry asked.

“Think about it,” Travis said. “She knows this town better than anyone else. She knows this hospital. She knows the secrets. She could have found it.”

“That doesn’t prove anything,” Harry said.

“Let me finish. She knows were voting for her. She knows. Henry even told her to her face. And she’s not panicking. She’s not scheming. She’s not pulling people aside. Because she has an idol, and she wants us all to vote for her. Tonight, she’ll play the idol, and all six of our votes are going to go down the toilet. And then she and the other two who voted for Alex are going to hit one of us, and we’ll get sent to the Water Prison with a pitiful three votes. And I’ve been thinking about why she keeps pulling Henry off to the side to ask who he’s voting for. It’s so that she knows whether or not to use the idol! She’s using Henry to test the waters, to get a glimpse of the upcoming vote. She asked him last time and he said Eddie, so she kept the idol for herself. But now that we’re coming for her, she has no choice but to play it this time.”

Harry held up a hand. “It’s… it’s possible, but that’s nothing but a hypothetical. She could have gotten an idol, yes, and her having an idol would explain why she’s not panicking, but she might have something else in mind entirely. I sure as hell don’t presume to know what’s going on in her head, much less the idea that I can somehow predict and then outwit her.”

“One more thing,” Travis said. “But you guys can’t say anything to anyone, got it? Dahlia showed the idol to Angela.”

There was another round of surprise.

“And you know this…?” Harry asked.

“Angela told me herself,” Travis said. “Dahlia tried to hedge her bets, and that’s where she screwed up. She knew that if we found out about her idol, we’d try to split the votes, three for Dahlia and three for someone else. She also knows that she only has three votes herself, and if we split the votes, then we’d just have a tie. And then we could easily win in the revote. So she tried to pull Angela over to her side by showing the idol, that way she could beat the tie, even if we found out. But Angela sided with us and told me, so Dahlia’s plan is __ed.”

Harry didn’t have an answer right away. Neither did anyone else.

“Well?” Travis said. “Makes sense, right?”

“That… does seem plausible,” Harry said. “But why didn’t you bring Angela here? If she’s on our side, shouldn’t she be here as well?”

“I thought about that,” Travis said. “But I don’t want Dahlia to know that Angela is with us. So I’m going to leave her alone and make Dahlia think she hasn’t talked to anyone.”

“So what do we do?” Heather asked.

“Okay, I’ve been thinking about the numbers,” Travis said. “We split the vote, three votes for Dahlia, and three votes for Mary.”

“Why Mary?” Heather asked.

“Haven’t we been over this?” Travis asked. “She knows the game, and she’s Dahlia’s roommate. I’m almost sure that Mary voted for Alex. Taking out Mary would be almost as big a move as taking out Dahlia herself.”

“But Claudia voted for Alex too,” Heather said. “You even said it. Dahlia has three people on her side, including herself. You don’t think the five of us here voted for Alex, or you wouldn’t be telling us all this stuff. And you don’t think Angela did it, or else you wouldn’t trust what she says. So that leaves Claudia, Dahlia, and Mary as the three who voted for Alex.”

“And you think we should go after Claudia instead of Mary?” Travis asked.

“Yeah,” Heather said. “Claudia’s part of that same screwy cult as Dahlia. If we can’t trust Dahlia, then we can’t trust Claudia either.”

“Okay, okay, fine,” Travis said. “Here’s how it’ll work. We split the votes three for Dahlia, and three for Claudia. Either myself or Alex will get three votes from Dahlia’s little posse. If Dahlia plays the idol, then the votes cast against her get thrown out, so that leaves three votes against Alex or me and three votes against Claudia. There will be a revote and Alex and Claudia won’t be allowed to cast a vote. So the five remaining of us vote for Claudia and the two remaining for them vote for Alex, we get a five to two victory and Claudia is gone. If Dahlia tries for some weird mind game and doesn’t play the idol, then it’s a three way tie between Dahlia, Alex, and Claudia. Then we all vote for Dahlia and it’s a four to one victory, and Dahlia is the one who gets the boot. Either way, we win.”

There was a long pause. “But if you’re wrong, we’re screwed,” Heather said. “If Angela’s lying, we’re screwed.”

“If we all vote for Dahlia and she does have an idol, we’re screwed,” Travis said. “In my heart of hearts, I believe Dahlia has an idol. We have to split the vote. Anything else is just too risky.”

“Okay, so then who’s voting what?” Heather asked.

“Harry, myself, and Angela are going to vote Dahlia,” Travis said. “You three vote Claudia. Angela already knows to vote for Dahlia, so we don’t need to tell her anything. In fact, we shouldn’t say anything to her between now and the vote. Just so that Dahlia thinks that it’s all going according to plan.”

“One more time,” Alex said. “Are you sure about this? Because if you’re wrong, they’ll probably hit me again and I’ll be the one who gets sent off.”

“Alex,” Travis said. “If you get voted off ‘cause of me, then I’ll have everyone here vote me off next, and then I will deliberately lose to you in the Water Prison. But I really think I’m on to something here.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Alex said. “And you won’t need to lose to me on purpose. I’ll kick your ass even if you give it your all.”

“Heh, I don’t doubt it,” Travis said.



HEATHER: ALCHEMILLA CULT
Travis’s whole plan revolves around the idea that Mary is guilty and Angela is innocent. I like Mary and I wanna trust her, but I can’t shake the feeling that she’s up to something. Like everyone’s been saying, Mary knows how to play the game and the people. I guess this will be the moment of truth, when we find out whose side Mary is really on. And the best part, if we’re wrong, then it will probably be Alex or Travis who gets the punishment. And I’m okay with that. I don’t like this plan, but I have to admit, it’s kinda win-win here.


CULT ASSEMBLY
NIGHT 6

The nine members of Alchemilla Cult pulled their boat up to an island in the middle of Toluca Lake. They disembarked and entered into a small church. They carried with them the lit torches they’d received from their previous visit to Cult Assembly. They’d lit the torches using flint and tinder that had been given to them by Joseph on their previous visit to the island.

Inside the church were the same familiar pews, Joseph, and a large baptismal font filled to the brim with water. Nine stands were lined up behind the pews, and the survivors placed their torches into those stands before taking a seat on the pews.

“Once again, Alchemilla faces Assembly,” Joseph said. “I’m beginning to think you guys like it here.”

The group murmured in disagreement.

“So what happened?” Joseph asked the group. “You aced the reward challenge, so it’s not as if Brookhaven is invincible or you guys simply can’t win. But when the time came, when immunity was on the line, you couldn’t finish the job. Travis, any thoughts?”

“One word, Joseph,” Travis said, “Cybil.”

“Cybil?” Joseph said. “The police officer in Brookhaven Cult?”

“That’s her,” Travis said. “Most of us here are more or less familiar with guns. But I would say that none of us has her level of experience with them. We were right with Brookhaven every step of the way until that eighth challenge, the shooting challenge. She hit what, five targets in six shots through that fog? No one could even see the targets, and she still managed to destroy us.”

“So it was the perfect challenge for Cybil?” Joseph asked.

“Right,” Travis said.

“Henry,” Joseph said. “You were the one up against Cybil that challenge. Your thoughts?”

“What Travis said,” Henry said. “I could barely see the targets. I’d catch, like, a glimpse of one when the wind shifted the fog a little, but it would be gone before I could line up the shot. I was shooting blind. And I think the targets were moving.”

“No, they were fixed,” Joseph said.

“Oh. Seemed like they were moving.”

“Now before everyone starts laying all the blame on Cybil,” Joseph said, “I feel the need to mention that you guys had a considerable lead for a while, until Claudia’s challenge. The dunk tank, if I recall.”

“Yes, that was me,” Claudia said.

“What happened there?” Joseph asked.

“The challenge would have been difficult enough without the added twist,” Claudia said, “The addition of monsters made it one of the most difficult challenges of the nine.”

“So you feel you were stuck with one of the hardest challenges there?” Joseph asked.

“Not necessarily hard in terms of skill,” Claudia said, “But the addition of the monsters gave a heavy element of luck. Even with the greatest accuracy in the world, I had to wait for an opening before I could attempt a throw.”

“So it’s not Claudia’s fault; it’s not Henry’s fault,” Joseph said. “Is anyone to blame for yesterday’s loss?”

No one replied.

“You gave it your all, but Brookhaven had a little more to give?” Joseph asked.

There was a low murmur of agreement from the survivors.

“You realize that that doesn’t bode well for you,” Joseph said. “If you do everything you can and still come up short, then this cult and I will be having quite a few more chats at Assembly in the upcoming days and weeks.”

“I don’t think it’s quite like that,” Mary said.

“Oh?” Joseph said.

“It just wasn’t our challenge yesterday,” Mary said. “A string of individual tasks that all played to a very specific skill. We did fine—really well actually—in the reward challenge, but the immunity challenge was a totally different beast. It didn’t suit our strengths.”

“Do you think Alchemilla works better as a team than as a group of individuals?” Joseph asked.

“That might be the case,” Mary said. “And Cybil acing the shooting task didn’t help matters either, of course.”

“So if you guys are better as a team than as individuals,” Joseph said, “Surely that means that there must be a lot of unity at camp, right? Last time I inquired about that, I got some… let’s say conflicting answers on the subject. Harry. What’s it like at camp, now that Eddie is gone?”

“Without a doubt, Eddie was the right choice to be voted off,” Harry said. “The team has better focus and drive, and we’re not wasting so much time with petty arguments and tantrums.”

“I’ve been sleeping better too,” Henry said.

“And Henry’s been sleeping better,” Harry said. “Nothing but positives since Eddie has been gone.”

“So you’re better as a group in challenges,” Joseph said, “Better as a group at camp. This next vote has to be pretty rough then, if you’re all as close as you claim. Alex. If no one flubbed the challenge and everyone’s getting along, how do you single out someone for elimination at Assembly?”

“We’re better than we were with Eddie,” Alex said. “But we still have room for improvement. We can get better still.”

“So there’s at least one person still holding the group back?” Joseph asked.

“Not really holding the group back so much as… umm…” Alex paused and thought. “So much as not being the best players on the team. Everyone tries and does their best, but some people’s best isn’t good enough.”

“And who did you have in mind?” Joseph asked.

“I don’t want to single anyone out,” Alex said.

“But you’re going to vote for that person?” Joseph said.

“Yeah,” Alex said.

“You won’t single anyone out in public, but you will vote them off behind their back,” Joseph said.

“I never said that.”

“Yes you did. Not those exact words, but you refused to single someone out in public, and then admitted that you’d vote for them anyway. How is that different from how I phrased it?”

“It’s… umm…”

“It’s not different at all, is it?” Joseph asked.

“No, I guess not.”

“Moving along. Dahlia.”

“Yes?” Dahlia said.

“Alex thinks there are weak links in this otherwise fine chain known as Alchemilla Cult, but he won’t say who. Does that make you nervous, like maybe he has you in mind?”

“We’re all in danger, with every trip we make to this church,” Dahlia said. “I would be a fool to think that I am somehow above this common threat. My name can be written as easily as any other.”

“But do you think you could be who Alex is talking about when he says some people aren’t as the best players on the team?” Joseph asked.

“I don’t presume to know Alex’s thoughts,” Dahlia said. “But all things are possible.”

“What would he see in you that would make him vote for you?” Joseph asked. “Why would he think you aren’t pulling your weight?”

“You would have to ask him that,” Dahlia said. “I wouldn’t know.”

“You have no appreciable weaknesses that you’re aware of?” Joseph asked.

“If they exist, I know them not,” Dahlia said.

“Bold claim there, Dahlia. Or just very unaware. Angela!” Joseph said. “Any words of wisdom?”

“…No,” Angela muttered.

“Fair enough. Heather! Who do you think Alex is talking about when he mentioned weaker team members?” Joseph asked.

“Well it depends on what he means,” Heather said. “If he means like, physically strong, then that’s pretty much everyone here except him. He’s probably the strongest person here, physically.”

“Is that what you meant, Alex?” Joseph asked. “Physically strong team members?”

“It’s… it’s a combination of things,” Alex said. “Not just physical strength. If muscles were all that mattered, every challenge would be a bench-press contest. But puzzles and other stuff factor in as well.”

“So someone here is weak in several areas, not just physical strength?” Joseph asked.

“We all have our different strengths and weaknesses,” Alex said. “There’s a lot that goes into this decision.”

“Alchemilla Cult,” Joseph said, “Kings and queens of vague, noncommittal answers. Well let’s get this moving then, shall we? Time to vote. You guys know how this works. Whoever gets the most votes is going to be sent off to the Water Prison to face Eddie in a challenge. Mary, you’re up.”

Mary stood up and crossed the church to the small confession booth on the far side of the room. She wrote a name down on a piece of paper, folded it in half, and placed it inside of a large clay jar. One by one, the other cult members repeated this process until everyone had voted.

“I’ll go tally the votes,” Joseph said. He returned later with the clay jar. He set it next to him. “If anyone has a hidden immunity idol and you wish to play it, now would be the time.”

There was a long pause. Without moving his head, Travis stole a glance over at Dahlia. Alex looked as well. Dahlia seemed oblivious to the attention she was getting. She kept her eyes focused on the front, towards Joseph and the jar. She did not stand up.

“All right,” Joseph said. “All votes cast are final. The person with the most votes will be asked to leave the Assembly area immediately. First vote…”

Joseph took one of the votes out of the jar, unfolded it, and read it aloud.

“Claudia,” he said, turning the vote around so that the survivors could read the name.

“Second vote…”

He took another name out of the jar.

“Dahlia. That’s one vote Claudia, one vote Dahlia.”

Claudia and Dahlia seemed unfazed by this. Their expressions never changed. Alex shifted in his seat.

“Third vote,” Joseph said. “… Travis. That’s one vote Claudia, one vote Dahlia, one vote Travis.”

Both Travis and Alex seemed surprised by this, since they had both expect Alex’s name to come up, not Travis’s.

“Fourth vote,” Joseph said. “… Travis. That’s two votes Travis, one vote Claudia, one vote Dahlia. Fifth vote.”

He reached into the jar and pulled out the next name.

“Fifth vote is for Claudia,” he said. “That’s two votes Travis, two votes Claudia, one vote Dahlia.”

Alex shifted in his seat again. Travis took a deep breath.

“Sixth vote,” Joseph said, “… Travis. That’s three votes Travis, two votes Claudia, one vote Dahlia.”

Travis nodded.

“Seventh vote,” Joseph said. “…Dahlia. That’s three votes Travis, two votes Claudia, two votes Dahlia.”

Joseph reached into the jar and pulled out another vote.

“Claudia,” he read, showing the name to the others. “That’s three votes Travis, three votes Claudia, two votes Dahlia, one vote left.”

Joseph reached into the jar and read them name to himself before saying, “Ninth and final vote, and the second person going to the Water Prison—”

“You’re kiddin’ me,” Travis said.

Joseph turned the paper around. “Travis,” he said. “Grab your stuff.”

Travis stood up. He shook Alex’s hand, then Henry’s and grabbed his torch. He stepped up on the pulpit with Joseph and faced him.

“Travis, the cult has spoken,” Joseph said. Travis dipped his torch into the baptismal font, extinguishing it. “But you will have a chance to reenter the game and continue your pursuit of the million dollar prize. Go to the Water Prison, where you will face Eddie in a challenge tomorrow.”

Travis nodded, then turned to face the others. He smiled faintly. “Well, at least I won’t have to deliberately lose to you now, Alex,” Travis said.

Alex smiled. “Guess not.”

“Good luck, you guys,” Travis said to the others. He stepped down from the pulpit and exited out a side door in the church.

When Travis was gone and the side door was closed, Joseph addressed the remaining members of the cult. “Clearly, this scattered vote tonight shows that there is no unity in Alchemilla, despite what you guys claim. You may do well as a team in the challenges, but when it comes time for the vote, it’s every man for himself. Grab your torches and head back to camp. I’ll see you at the next challenge.”



TRAVIS: ALCHEMILLA CULT
I still don’t know what happened there. Call me crazy, but I still think Angela was on our side. Lying about Dahlia having in idol just doesn’t seem like something she’d do, even if Dahlia coached her. I think, honestly, that Dahlia tricked Angela into thinking that she had the idol, and then got one of the others to flip, maybe Harry. That’s my best guess. But I suppose I won’t know until these episodes air and I can see what happened for myself. In any case, I did not see that coming at all. I probably should have.