I'm Dumb, but Not That Much

This is the penultimate episode of my first fan fiction, Survivor: The Cursed Idol.

Previously on Survivor...
Curtis continued to taunt Wes to join his alliance. After being informed that the season will end in a final two, Wes bickered with Carly at the Reward Challenge, causing their mutual trust to break. With this, Adrianna, Brock and Curtis won reward, giving them an opportunity to explore the Caramoan Islands as common tourists. While shopping, Brock discovered a clue to another Hidden Immunity Idol tucked inside his cash. Over breakfast, Curtis lobbied to vote out Wes, stating that whoever sits beside him would have an easy shot at winning the game. At the Immunity Challenge, Wes' irrational behaviour continued, carrying over to his performance. In the end, April took home immunity, leaving Curtis vulnerable. Before Tribal Council, Brock found the Hidden Idol, while the majority alliance targeted Curtis for his strategic surges on Wes and his frequent medicals. In the end, Curtis took the fall, leaving April as the last outsider. Five are left one more will go.

Challenges
Reward Challenge: Head's Up! Players must collect water from a water tower using their mouths and must spit the water they collected to a tube with a ball. They must then use the ball to shatter a tile to invert a slide puzzle which they must solve overhead. First person to solve the puzzle wins reward. Reward: A brand-new 2012 Ford Mustang, and a tailgate party with a chosen tribemate. Winner: Brock (with the tailgate party shared with Wes)

Immunity Challenge: Second Chances Players must relive some of the challenges they have encountered throughout the season. They must first carry a weighted crate to a finish mat (Day 1 RC). Once they reach the mat, they must open the crate revealing pieces to a ladder (Day 19 RI), which they would use to go to an elevated platform where they would use war clubs to take down 30 tikis (Day 5 R/I C) to release a bag of puzzle pieces which would drop from an overhead trapdoor (Day 24 IC) to a table in front of them. First to solve the puzzle (a more difficult version of the Manunggul jar puzzle; Day 12 IC) wins immunity. Winner: Brock

Day 31
Morning of Day 31, the Salamat tribe awoke amidst a terrible storm, with Carly visibly shivering. Later, the strong wind was able to rip their tarp roof off, further stressing the tribe. Wes caught the flying tarp and hurriedly reestablish it to their roof.

With everthing in sight totally wet, starting a fire was an impossiblity. The five remaining castaways decided to huddle in the shelter, waiting for the heavy rains to subside. That afternoon, the rains finally stopped, and creating their fire was a chore in itself.

Day 32
Salamat finally embraced sunshine when the sun rose early in the morning. Wes and Brock tried to make fire, and after few attempts, they finally ignited one. April and Carly collected coconuts at the beach, when suddenly, the former talked strategy. April stated that it would be the right opportunity to blindside the men since they had the gender majority, and the females won't stand a chance if the remaining challenges required brute strength. Carly stated she was sincerely moved by April's plan, and pinkie promised her to pull Adrianna to their plot. The three girls then met at the shelter, and agreed that if neither of the men won immunity, they would exploit Wes' Cursed Idol and split the votes in the event of a Hidden Immunity Idol. {C} {C}The final five survivors met Jeff Probst for their final Reward Challenge, where the host revealed the reward: a 2012 Ford Mustang, and a tailgate party waiting for the winner and his/her chosen companion.

Using his mouth to the fullest extent, Brock collected a huge amount of water, with Wes right behind him. Carly secretly drank some of the water after realizing it was clean. Brock retrieved his ball first, but cannot shoot the tile, allowing the others to catch up. Adrianna closed the gap by getting her ball and crushed the tile at her first toss moving her on to the puzzle. While Brock and Wes struggled to destroy their tile, April and Carly caught up, while Adrianna was dangerously close to finishing her puzzle, until she realized the last piece was still misplaced. This gave time for Brock to catch up. While Adrianna struggled to fix her mistake, Brock immediately caught up with her, and finished the puzzle first, winning himself a brand-new car. Brock chose Wes to join him at the tailgate party.

After the girls left, Brock and Wes started grilling their sandwiches and ate with their hearts' content. During the meal, Brock expressed his worry that the women might brew a plot against them. After their meal, Brock and Wes packed some uneaten burgers to share with the women.

Back at Salamat camp, while Adrianna was collecting water from the well, she was approached by Carly and April. Noticing that Carly and April together, which was a rarity, Adrianna asked if they were making a strategic plan on their own. April stated that she knew she was next if their foursome remained strong, but she explained that if Brock and Wes are threats at winning the final Immunity Challenge. And as proposition, April asked the girls to blindside Brock at the next Tribal Council. Carly then proposed that if Brock wins immunity, voting Wes out will be their simple alternative. The three agreed to band together to eliminate the men.

That afternoon, Brock and Wes returned back to camp, sharing their leftovers to the girls. While the women were busy eating, Brock invited Wes to the bushes and discussed strategy:

"Brock: 'Wes, do you think the girls are plotting against us? I have a sinking feeling they do.' Wes: 'I hope not.' Brock: 'I have a plan. But I need you on this. In case they do plot against us, either you or me should win immunity, because I would pull an upset that was never done before.' Wes: 'Do you have an idol? I hope we do not that to go through that. But just in case, count me in.' Brock: 'I'm begging you, don't tell, or you'll blow our cover. If the girls are sticking with us, I don't need to use nor even tell them I have it.' Adrianna (secretly following the men, but did not hear conversation, though she knew they were talking strategy): 'Well [taps Wes shoulder, to his shock], don't you worry, were not plotting anything. It's still us four till the end.' Wes [visibly shocked]: 'How long you've been there?' Adrianna: 'I saw you guys went to the woods, and I became suspicious. Don't get paranoid. April's going home tomorrow.'" That night, while the boys were already asleep, Adrianna talked to April and woke the already sleeping Carly, saying that the men may usurp their plan. Carly then said she would look for a Hidden Immunity Idol, not knowing Brock found it in secret.

Day 33
After receiving Tree Mail, the five remaining Salamat tribe members assembled for their next Immunity Challenge, which would be an amalgam of some of their past challenges.

Brock earned an early lead by using his immense strength to pull the heavied crate, with Wes right behind him. April and Carly were visibly struggling, while Adrianna was in third. Brock and Wes came to the designated finish mat, opened their crates and immediately assembled their ladders. Brock finished first, and went to the platform and started clobbering his 30 tikis. Wes who, was right behind him, whispered to him if they will implement their plan. Carly saw the murmuring incident and relayed the information to the other girls. Adrianna whispered to April that the plot against the men is on. Brock finished toppling his tikis, receiving his puzzle pieces, with Wes still in close second. The girls soon arrived and started attacking their tikis, flustering both men. Wes gained a small lead when Brock was struggling, but once he realized that the final piece did not fit in the last hole, Brock gained hope. Finishing his puzzle first, Brock took the much-coveted Immunity Necklace.

Back at camp, the while Brock and Adrianna collected coconuts, April and Carly were at the water well, and confirmed that Wes should be going home, with Carly planning to look for the Hidden Immunity Idol (still oblivious that Brock already had it). While Carly was scouring at the woods, Wes who heard the entire conversation, immediately approached her, and asked how long they have been plotting this. Carly told Wes that she and Adrianna were just playing April, and told him that the plan of eliminating April will still be in action.

"Wes: 'Carly, what is this..?' Carly: 'You're not going home tonight.' Wes: 'I thought our alliance --' Carly: 'We're just kissing her ass. You're not going home tonight.' Wes [who looked pale, visibly worried]: 'Are you sure?' Carly: 'Stop this s***. I said you're not. By the way, did you talked strategy with Brock after the Reward [Challenge]?' Wes: 'Yes and no. 'Yes,' because we affirmed April's going, and 'no' because we're not plotting against you. Not yesterday, not at the challenge, not later.'"

Minutes before Tribal Council, Brock approached Wes, stating that since one of them has immunity, their backup plan is in place.

At Tribal Council, Carly revealed that the women plotted against the men after the storm two days ago; and with Brock immune, it was imperative that Wes was in their sights. Brock and Wes also revealed that they did talk strategy at the tailgate party, but both said that they were thinking what should they do in the event that Carly and Adrianna turned their back at the alliance they held so strongly. Brock added that they had nothing else to do anymore because they are in the minority in terms of gender, his and Wes' plans were of no use. When Jeff brought up the Hidden Immunity Idol, everybody was oblivious about the existence of another idol (still unknown to everybody, Brock had the clue by accident after winning the previous Reward Challenge). Before the vote, Brock made a surprise move by giving up the Immunity Necklace and gave it to Wes, stating that he would want to see Wes stay longer and defeat the women, and added that if there is anybody deserved it more than him, he felt it was Wes, stating that Wes' mother has colon cancer and needed immediate operation. During the voting process, the women all voted for Brock.

But before Jeff reads the votes, Brock again surprised everyone by pulling a double-cross. He pulled out his Hidden Immunity Idol, and telling the tribe "I'm dumb, but not much." With the idol, this negated all votes cast against him, effectively keeping both him and Wes safe for the night (because the individual immunity was passed onto him, his Cursed Idol vote from Curtis was nullified as well). Brock and Wes' votes were revealed, both for April, sending her home. Jeff revealed that the next Tribal Council will be the last time that the Cursed Idol will be in play, with April handing the Cursed Idol to Wes for the third consecutive time.

Voting Confessionals
{C} {C} {C} {C}

Next Time On Survivor...
The fearsome foursome alliance has prevailed...now what? Who gets the title of Sole Survivor?

Author's Notes

 * The puzzle stations at the Reward Challenge were arranged circularly to discourage cheating.
 * At the Immunity Challenge, when Wes' bag of puzzle pieces dropped from the trapdoor, the bag fell on his head.
 * This episode revealed that Wes' mother was suffering from colon cancer.