Revenge of the Island

Episode 25: Now What?

The episode opens with Caleb firmly holding MK's hands behind her back as Damien recounts what happened. Julia, overwhelmed and silent, drifts into the cabin. She glances over at Raj, who's asleep with his back to her, then lies on her bed, staring up at the wooden planks of the bunk above, lost in thought.

Outside, Wayne high-fives Damien, then pulls him into a hug as the group showers both him and Caleb with congratulations. "Where's Julia?" Bowie asks, and everyone freezes, the sudden silence thick with worry. Even MK stops struggling, caught off guard by the tension. Chef quickly reassures them, "Julia's in the cabin. Let's leave her be for now-she's probably just overwhelmed." A few sighs of relief ripple through the group.

After a while, Axel breaks the silence. "So... how do we get her onto the boat?" she asks, hands on her hips. Chef frowns, considering the situation. "It's a long way back, and there's not much room on the boat."

Caleb thinks, then speaks up, "The toolshed. There's a boat in there... maybe more of a canoe, but still." Chef shakes his head. "Listen boy, I've worked with Chris for years-I know this island better than anyone. That canoe isn't big enough for all of us, no way."

Damien jumps in with an idea. "We could tie the canoe to the back of Chef's boat. Caleb and MK can stay in the canoe while everyone else rides with Chef." Chef hesitates. "It's risky. Too risky. If the rope snaps, if the canoe breaks, if MK pulls anything, we're in deep trouble. There are too many ways it could go wrong." The group nods, acknowledging the risks, but Wayne, thinking aloud, says, "Well, we're out of rope-it's tied around MK's hands."

Axel corrects him, "No, we left the other rope at our trap; we never used it."

Caleb, still curious, raises an eyebrow. "Why'd you guys come back to the cabin so quickly? You were back before us, did you just give up that fast?"

Bowie exchanges a glance with Wayne before responding. "It wasn't that. There were these sounds-not from the trees. They were just... off. Like, unsettling. So we ran back." Caleb nods, still processing this information.

Axel stands up. "Alright, I'll get our rope," she says, ready to go, but Chef stops her, his tone firm. "No splitting up, remember?"

She sighs, then glances at Bowie. "Come on, Bowie." He nods and follows her into the forest as Chef and Wayne head to the toolshed to prepare the canoe. The plan isn't perfect, but it's a start.

Meanwhile, Damien and Caleb sit on the porch with MK, who has stopped fighting for now. Caleb glances over at Damien, a hint of doubt in his voice. "You really think this is gonna work?"

Damien stares out into the distance, his voice steady but uncertain. "I sure hope so..."