Feeding Frenzy

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

Previously on Survivor...
The survivors outbid each other at the Survivor Auction, where Alanna chose a local dessert over a sealed item which revealed to be a Hidden Immunity Idol. Adrianna on the other hand won an advantage at the next Immunity Challenge. Desperate for make a move, Curtis taunted Wes to betray his alliance. At the Immunity Challenge, Adrianna put her advantage to good use, securing herself immunity. Back at camp, Curtis found the Hidden Immunity Idol, but he was caught by Carly. At Tribal Council, Curtis attempted to scare the majority alliance by telling he will be using the the idol, but instead gave it to April. But to his dismay, Adrianna, Carly, Wes and Brock voted for Alanna because she was a more physical threat in challenges. Before leaving Alanna returned the favor by awarding the Cursed Idol to Wes, telling him to man up. Six are left, who will be voted out tonight?

Challenges
Reward Challenge: Fallen Comrades The tribe would be divided into two groups of three. Members must paddle a traditional boat called a vinta around a circular course to collect seven bags of tiles and three bags of ladder rungs. One team would be going in a clockwise direction, while the other will be going counterclockwise. Once all ten objects are collected, they must return at the starting point, where one teammate will assemble the ladder. The other two members would climb the ladder and then assemble the tiles according to question number, revealing ten questions and ten name plates (with ten extra "trick plates" which are incorrect answers) denoting their ten fallen comrades. First trio to answer correctly wins reward. Reward: The winners will be brought to an inhabited beach in Caramoan, where they will be given P50,000 pocket money (around $1200). It is up to them how will they use the money (lodging, field trips, food, etc.). The winners will rejoin the tribe in time for the next Immunity Challenge. Winners: Brock, Adrianna and Curtis

Immunity Challenge: Jenga Fever Players will use one hand to steady a balancing board while simultaneously building manipulating a jenga tower with the other hand every five minutes. If a player topples his or her tower, or fails to place a block after 5 seconds, they are eliminated form the challenge. Last person with his/her jenga tower intact wins immunity. Winner: April

Night of Day 30
The Salamat tribe returned to camp after an explosive Tribal Council, where Alanna was voted out by the fearsome foursome alliance. Curtis continued to castigate Wes for riding on his alliance's coattails. Wes completely ignored him and went to sleep.

Day 31
Brock awoke the tribe while holding their latest Tree Mail, which implied that the next Reward Challenge will be a memory game about the past 30 days. After a draw of rocks, April, Wes and Carly would be the green team (which will be paddling in a clockwise direction), while Brock, Adrianna and Curtis would be the purple team (counter clockwise). The tribe then convened with Jeff Probst for the challenge, where Jeff made a stunning announcement, there will be only two people who would face the jury.

After Jeff's go signal, the purple team had the lead because Brock and Curtis had a good rhythm in paddling, whereas the green team floundered when Carly and Wes bickered about their paddling leading their boat off-course. The green team never recovered, as they did not even reached their first station; while the purple team flourished, finishing all ten questions with relative ease, winning themselves reward.

Questions:


 * 1) Which male castaway had a tattoo of an eagle on his back? Answer: Seth
 * 2) Which castaway took odd jobs like garbage collecting and beer testing? Answer: Cyrus
 * 3) Who was the landscaper? Answer: Freddy
 * 4) Who posed for several versions of Vogue magazine? Answer: Hallie
 * 5) Who has a twin brother? Answer: Belinda
 * 6) How old was Serena when she underwent gender reassignment surgery? Answer: 22
 * 7) Where is Carson's home state? Answer: Michigan
 * 8) The number of Delia's children? Answer: 12
 * 9) How many pounds did Eddie lose after applying for Survivor? Answer: 14
 * 10) In her church choir, what voice was Alanna? Answer: Alto

While the purple team rejoiced for their win, the green team rejoined the tribe in disgust after a blowout loss, with Wes and Carly continued their bickering. Moments later, a helicopter landed to fetch Adrianna, Brock and Curtis. Back at Salamat camp, Wes tried to patch things up with Carly, but the latter went fishing instead.

Upon reaching the inhabited beach filled with beachgoers, the trio decided to split for a while to shop, with each bringing with them P2000 ($46 -- with Adrianna holding the remaining unused cash). While Brock was strolling alone, he realized that his money had a folded note sticking out in the middle of his cash. Realizing that the note was a clue to another Hidden Immunity Idol, he took the note and tucked it inside his pocket.

While they are separated from each other for a while, all three were surprised by how inexpensive their items were. Before deciding to find a decent lodging place, they bought items for their tribemates back at camp. After finding a good beachfront hotel, the three enjoyed a dinner and a massage before calling it a night.

Day 32
Brock, Curtis and Adrianna were having breakfast, when Curtis talked strategy. He stated that Wes is not a threat because he is easy to take at the end because of his lack of assertion in the game; and if he stays longer, whoever sits beside him at the final three would would win.

Three then decided to go to the beach and to parasail. Since Adrianna and Brock already had the opportunity to be hoisted in the air two episodes before, they let Curtis do it first. Curtis was visibly enjoying the ride, until he was pulled down, where he felt nauseous. The three then enjoyed surfing and banana boat riding. Before heading back to their hotel and went to sleep, they made one last round of shopping, where they bought more stuff to bring home for their families, and some food and additional supplies for their tribemates back at camp. They decided to surrender all the items they bought to the production team who would place these items as part of their luggage when they head home after the game. Back at Salamat camp, Wes again begged for Carly's forgiveness, but Carly still would not want to talk to him.

Day 33
The six remaining castaways were reunited at the next Immunity Challenge, where Adrianna, Brock and Curtis surprised Carly, Wes and April with some food they bought from Caramoan. At the challenge, Wes was visibly frustrated after being the first player eliminated, throwing his pieces around the area, raising eyebrows from his tribemates. Carly accidentally dropped her block and failed to pick it under five seconds, eliminating herself as well. Seconds later, Brock's tower collapsed. Thirty minutes in, Adrianna, April and Curtis were still hanging on. The upper half of Adrianna's tower came crashing down, leaving Curtis and April, who happened to be the next ones to go. Out of nowhere, Curtis coughed incessantly, accidentally dropping his tower, leaving April as the winner of the challenge. Curtis was attended by the medical team to see if his condition was still good enough to let him continue the game. After a brief check-up, Curtis was cleared yet again, bewildering Curtis' tribemates.

Back at camp, the alliance regrouped stating that there is no chance that they would let Curtis stay longer because they are seriously worried of his health. Wes used this as an opportunity to seek Carly's forgiveness. Carly forgave him, but she decalred that things will never be the same again.

Later, Curtis and April conversed strategy, stating that they should fight till the end by continuing to persuade the others in voting Wes out. They approached Adrianna and Carly to weigh their options, stating that Wes is a dead space at the final Tribal. Meanwhile, Brock was looking for the idol, where the clue led him to the water well area. Twenty minutes before Tribal Council, Brock found the idol nestled in the well's rocky perimeter wall.

At Tribal Council, Curtis and April continued their crusade against Wes, prompting Wes to make a rebuttal that the alliance would vote against Curtis because his poor health worried them. After the vote, Wes received three, including the Cursed Idol vote from Alanna. But with four votes against him, Curtis was voted out, but not before leaving without giving Wes the Cursed Idol for the second straight time.

Next Time On Survivor...
One castaway might pull one of the biggest blindsides yet.

Author's Notes

 * 1 dollar = 42 Philippine pesos
 * Caramoan is actually a hotspot for several international versions of Survivor namely, France, Bulgaria, Serbia and Israel.