Post by Carlos Bernard on Nov 23, 2011 20:35:42 GMT -5
Survivor: One By One
One By One, it’s a pretty simple concept in theory. Especially in the game of Survivor. It starts with 16, two tribes of eight people. It isn't until there are 10 left does the terror truly begin. One tribe dominates the game early on. Amanda points out after being voted out from the tribe Ian should have been the first member of the Jury of Nine. Eliza brings up that the jury could only consist of seven this season, and no one thought anymore of it. That was 6 days ago. Now merged, with a six to three majority, Chehalis begins picking off the others. Walking into Tribal council, it was clear that Tom's time was up and would be the first member of the Jury. It wasn’t an eventful Tribal, nothing out of the ordinary until Carlos snuffed Tom's torch. Tom walks off into the distance. As the Tribe leaves, Rob turns his head swiftly towards Tom's exit trail and swears he hears a slight, almost hushed, cry for help. He turns his head to Wendy Jo and Aaron, neither of whom heard anything. He chocks it up to being tired and they return to camp.
Three days pass, and the Tribe returns to Tribal Council. Jenna, beaming with the immunity necklace around her neck, knows she is safe. Carlos wears his usual maniacal smirk. To the surprise of the Tribe, he still doesn't introduce the Jury. With only 8 remaining, there was definite concern. Countless thoughts and twists run through the heads of the remaining Survivors. Before the vote Sherea asks to be removed as her broken foot makes it impossible to continue on. After the vote Rocky is voted out 6-1, and just Chehalis remains. Sherea and Rocky walk off together, and Rob's head never leaves their backs. This time there was a scream, a piercing loud scream that no doubt came from Sherea. Startled everyone confronts Carlos, who denies the scream. But there is no hiding it. The tribe returns to camp, terrified.
The next day, everyone waits around camp for Tree Mail. And they wait. And wait. At dusk the tribe receives a parchment in Tree Mail. No fancy decorations, no tribal insignia, just three words. The parchment reads “One By One”, not alerting to a challenge or a change in the game. The remaining Chehails members stay at camp and wait until the following day. Nothing comes, just another parchment. “One By One”. After the third day and third parchment, it is clear there is something wrong. Aaron, as strong headed as always, decides to venture out to the production quarters, while the rest wait at camp. Minutes turned to hours and still no word from Aaron. As the tribe sits around the fire, Amanda spots Aaron stumbling down the path. His clothes are splattered with blood and the gash on his forehead is pouring blood. He makes it to camp, and falls to the ground. Amanda rushes to his aid and turns him over, as the rest watch all of the color drain from her face. He was dead. Amanda reaches down a grabs a parchment scroll form his hand. It read “One By One”.
The tribe scours the island for help or any form of anything. Deserted. The island is deserted. They are deserted. The living castaways return to camp, the five too confused and reeling in shock from Aaron’s death and the abandonment by production. Nothing makes sense. Wendy Jo, devises a plan. There were no ifs ands or buts about it. Everyone had to get off the island.
Rob, Eliza and Jenna stay behind to make a fire signal, hoping to attract a plane. Rob builds a fire, while Jenna and Eliza gather wood for the blaze. Meanwhile, Amanda and Wendy Jo gather water. Upon arrival at the waterfall, Amanda gathers water while Wendy Jo goes off to find a spot to go to the bathroom. A blood-curdling scream echoes from the jungle. Rob, Jenna and Eliza run to the waterfall and see Wendy Jo in tears, and Amanda under water. She was struck by a rock, rendered unconscious and drowned. By the water jugs was a parchment It reads “One By One, Who will be the Sole Survivor?” This is no accident. Terror sets in as everyone realizes just exactly what has happened. Jenna tries to comfort Wendy Jo, but to no avail. Finding Amanda in waterfall was something she wasn’t going to just get over. But Eliza isn't buying her tears. Eliza shares her concerns with Jenna and Rob. They just scoff. Wendy Jo couldn't hurt a fly. Could she?
The castaways take turns standing guard while the others slept. No one said what they were keeping guard from, but they were all thinking the same thing. They were keeping guard from whoever killed Aaron. And each other. Someone watching over, gave some sense of security. When morning broke everyone got up and tried to come up with a plan. That is, everyone except Wendy Jo. She stays in bed awhile longer, still stuck by the events of yesterday. Amanda's face underwater keeps running through her mind. When she woke, she ran to the others and gave each one of us a hug. Taken aback by her action, the three chock it up to needing some form of comfort. As she retreats she grabs the machete and the tribe watches with wide eyes as she plunges the machete into her stomach. Rob and Jenna rush to her side.
“They can’t have me,” Wendy Jo murmurs with her last breath.
Eliza pulls the machete out and tied around the handle is a parchment. “One By One”.
What started out as terror quickly turns to panic. Three people were dead and there were only three left. Escape from the island is vital. Jenna suggests we go to the cliffs as they are most visible to the sky and have the best chance of being seen. The three run through the jungle, Eliza still clutching to the machete and after about 3 hours they arrive at the cliffs. Just as they arrive they hear the buzzing of a helicopter in the distance. It was flying right towards them. Rob, Jenna, and Eliza start screaming and gesturing frantically towards the helicopter. This is it, they were saved. No one else was going to die. They made it. The helicopter was going to stop, it had to have seen them. However, the three watch with desperation and disbelief as the helicopter passes over.
After trying in vain to come up with another plan, Eliza realizes their fate.
“There’s only one way off this Island”.
Hope turns to fear for Rob and Jenna. Eliza is still clutching the machete.
“Only one of us can be the Sole Survivor” she scowls.
Jenna and Rob quickly realize what she means, and everything becomes clear. The reason they never needed a jury, the reason that there were no more challenges, the reason that we were deserted. It had become a game of survival in its most basic form. Staying alive is the only way to win. Seeing your name at tribal means more than being voted out. It was a death sentence. When it was no longer needed, they left the remaining Survivors to take out each other until there was only one.
Eliza swings the machete towards Rob and Jenna. They duck and run to evade her attacks. They backed away and then stopped. They had no choice. Eliza had them cornered. It is either face Eliza with a machete, or fall to their death over edge of the cliff. Eliza swings, knowing she would hit Jenna and a smile breaks on her face. Just as she is about to take Jenna's life, Rob jumps in front of her. With a sickening thud Eliza strikes him in the chest. Jenna stands there crying as Eliza stands there with a satisfied smirk. Eliza looks at Jenna and swings. Jenna ducks and while Eliza’s balance is thrown off from her miss, Jenna pushes her and watches as Eliza falls to her death. She runs to Rob’s side, clutching him tightly. He looks at her and smiles, knowing that she did it, she made it, she would make it off the island. She bent down and kissed his face and his eyes closed.
With his final breath he says “Jenna, you are the Sole Survivor”.