Second Chance

Chapter 99

"What the hell is a Tribal Trial?" Maria demands, as I tell her what Bev just told me.

After arguing with the leader of the Valley Tribe, as she called it, she finally agreed that Maria would not participate in this trial. I will be representing her and myself, and I'm hoping I can win this thing. Otherwise, we're totally fucked.

"Bev was very vague about it." I admit. "She didn't really tell me, only that it's mandatory to go through before we can be fully accepted into the tribe."

"How did we come to this? Yesterday I was dragging you through a mall, and today we're trying to earn a membership into an actual tribe." She wonders, leaning back on her hands.

We're currently sitting in the Healer's tent, and luckily Maria doesn't have any major injuries. Just a few scratches here and there. I on the other hand, have a few cuts on my arms, neck and probably face, from a bunch of different things that have happened over the course of the past month or so. Speaking of which, my birthday is coming up. Although, I have no idea what day or month it is, so I'm just guessing at that. I might even have some cool mystical feeling when I turn eighteen, or I could just crumble to dust, or I could feel totally normal and average because this is real life and I'm just being stupid and delusional.

I'm broken out of my wandering thoughts as Bev comes striding into the tent. She looks down at me, and asks, "Are you ready?"

—-

"I don't want to do this." I mutter, examining the thick and very dark forest in front of me anxiously.

"You can do this, Justin." Maria says encouragingly. She takes my hand in hers and guides it to her stomach. "For our baby."

I smirk at her. "For our baby." I echo.

The loud sound of a horn getting blown catches me off guard, and when I look to my left, Bev is standing directly beside me. "The objective is to spend the night in the forest alone. There is a statue hidden in there, and it is holding two necklaces. Retrieve them, and bring them back here. You have until dawn, and if you don't make it back in time, you do not receive immunity."

"And I get voted off the island." I add, bringing out my dry sense of humour, since that is my best mask for when I feel worried or scared.

Bev gives me an odd look, then says. "You will face multiple tasks and obstacles within the trial in the forest, and your main objective is to stay alive. Do you understand what you have to do?"

"Yeah," I answer. "stay alive, get the necklaces, get my ass back here before the sun rises." I make sure not to mention the fact that I have never been camping before in my life, because I would much rather spend my time in a hotel room with a bunch of alcohol, then be stuck out in the wilderness with a bunch of bugs.

"Yes, now go. There is no time to waste." She nods towards the forest, but before I go, I turn back to Maria and kiss her briefly.

"I'll come back, I promise." I say to her quietly, cupping her face in my hands.

"Good luck." She responds, smiling faintly, then kisses me again.

I pull back and return her smile, then turn around and walk towards the forest. I really fucking hope I can keep my promise, because I do not want to leave Maria and our child. I need them, and they need me. We need to be together, forever.

—-

I stalk through the trees, keeping my eyes peeled for a statue looking thing. I'm briefly distracted by that phrase, as I realize how stupid it is. The mental image I get from it is someone ripping my eyes out of my skull, and using an apple peeler to peel them. It's gross and weird and stupid, and totally does not match the description of what I'm trying to do right now.