I Trust Nothing, Not Even My Shadow

This is the 6th episode of Survivor: Ivory Coast!

Challenges
Redemption Island Duel (Day 14): Jail Break Locked in a makeshift jail cell, players must use sticks and rope to create a long pole to retrieve three keys. These keys are to be used to unlock three locks. First person to open all three locks and get through their door stays alive. 'Winner: TBD

Reward/Immunity Challenge (Day 15): Concentration The castaways would play a variation of Concentration with thirteen pairs of items plus four unpaired dummy items hidden under covers. One tribe member at a time would uncover two items. If the items matched, they would score one point for their tribe. However, the tribe leaders would have the option of forfeiting the point and taking the uncovered pair. The tribe with the most points at the end of the challenge would win.

Reward: Shampoo, deodorant and soap Winner: TBD

Redemption Island Duel (Day 16): Soul to Squeeze The castaways must each use metal tongs to transport a ball across a series of teeter-totters. When they reach the end, they will place the ball on a stand and head back for the next ball. If at any point, they fall off or the balls drops, they have to go back to the start. The first person to place all six balls in their stand wins the duel. Winner: TBD

Immunity Challenge (Day 16): Angry Chair One castaway will be hoisted up on a chair by their tribemates to grab 10 numbered tiles- in numerical order- at a time. This will repeat until 30 tiles are grabbed (1-30). Once the castaways have the numbered tiles they will use turn those tiles over to discover letters, which they will then use to solve a phrase. First tribe to solve the phrase wins immunity and reward. Reward: A basket of fruit Winner: TBD

Redemption Island
(The night opens with Panda's boat arriving on Redemption Island. She gets out and leans her torch against the tree before heading down towards the shelter.)

"none"

- I'm not surprised it's me tonight. Abraham got the first punch in, Winona hates me, and people thought I was close to Riley. When Winona took Jasmine into the woods that first day she got to Korhogo, I sort of knew my time was coming to a close. That being said it really baffles me that they took me out over Abraham. Why would they keep the weakest, most manipulative, most untrustworthy player over a strong, trustworthy one? It just doesn't make sense to me. They must have been threatened by me in some way to turn the vote against me like that. (a determined frown crosses her face) I'll show them how threatening I am! I'll defeat Byron and all comers and make my way back into the game! Then they'll be sorry they took me out!

(Having heard the torch against the tree, Byron stands up and exits the shelter to meet the newcomer. Upon seeing Panda, a look of surprise quickly crosses his face before vanishing again.)

Byron: Hello! I don't think we've met properly. Panda, right?

Panda: Yeah, that's me. (she inspects the shelter) Pretty neat structure.

Byron: (smiling) Thanks, but I can't take the credit for it. This was Orselina's doing. Come sit down.

(Panda puts her bag in the shelter. She and Byron sit down.)

Byron: So what happened? I know absolutely nothing about your tribe. (laughs)

Panda: Well, I started out in a foursome alliance with Riley, Abraham, Ricky and myself. My downfall sort of began when I was out in a boat with Riley and Betty-May and accidentally let slip Riley was my best friend. She told Abraham and he'd been gunning for me ever since. The day before tribal, I overheard him making a deal with Jasmine to cut me, so I tried to get him out myself. That alliance of three girls- Jasmine, Winona and Betty-May- really had me convinced they were on my side, but the votes came in against me. Why they'd keep a weak, manipulative, untrustworthy player over a strong, trustworthy and non-threatening one is beyond me. I was the strongest performer in pretty much every challenge.

Byron: (winces) Ouch, nasty. So you weren't expecting it?

Panda: I sort of had a feeling the votes might go against me. Winona has hated me from day one.

Byron: Why's that?

Panda: She thinks I'm crazy because I'm obsessed with Pandas. People never really got to know me outside of the panda talk. I could have been a strong player if I'd survived that vote.

Byron: Man, that sucks. Seems like I've got a tough opponent on my hands, then! (laughs)

Panda: You most certainly do! (laughs) My panda senses are telling me you'll be a strong opponent too.

Byron: (laughs) Panda senses?

Panda: (laughs) My instincts. They were right about Abraham being a snake. My panda senses are telling me you want this really bad and you'll be tough to beat. I think they'll be right about you too.

Byron: We'll see. Okay, I'm gonna crash for the night.

Panda: Me too.

(As Panda and Byron settle down to try and sleep, the camera focuses on Byron.)

"none"

- I can definitely see why they got rid of Panda. You can't get a read on her strategically because she's so involved with her panda-obsession. What I did notice though is that she seemed like she did have a good head on her shoulders despite all that craziness, and with her being the strongest person on her tribe physically, I think I'm gonna have a big fight on my hands. (laughs) Imagine me telling people my toughest opponent was a 51- year old lady in a panda costume. People will think I'M crazy!

Korhogo Tribe
(Following Panda's elimination, the Korhogo tribe return to camp.)

Jasmine: I think that went well!

Betty-May: Let me tell y'all, I thought I was a goner when that first vote for me came up, but y'all pulled through! Thank y'all!

(Betty-May, Jasmine and Winona all head to the shelter and set their bags down. The camera focuses on Betty-May as her smile grows wider.)

"korhogo"

- Tonight the girls chose to vote for Panda. There were a number o' reasons: 1) That lady is a few sandwiches short o' a picnic and there were no way o' tellin' how she'd handle things. 2) We wanted to make this seem like Abraham's move so all the blame for it'd go on him and away from us. 3) We wanted to break up that alliance as much as possible. If we voted for Abraham, Riley'd probably forgive her and we'd be back to square one and if we voted for Riley, those other three'd probably be so mad at us screwin' 'em all over that they'd align regardless o' votin' for each other. And 4) We wanted to keep the trust o' Abraham 'n' Ricky so they'd vote with us in the future. Everythin' worked out perfectly fine and Abraham thinks he's the brains behind it all! (giggles)

Abraham: Thank you so much for siding with me on that vote, girls. It means a lot.

"korhogo"

- The vote went almost perfectly tonight. Panda went home with five votes, as was expected, but I myself got a vote. Through process of elimination, it must have been Panda, which means Panda knew about the plan. That scares me a little but I'm not going to let it ruin my game, because things went the right way in the end. Riley seemed a little angry when the votes were read, but hopefully I can calm him down when I explain everything and we can work together again.

(The camera changes to Riley, who throws his bag down in the shelter and marches towards Ricky and Abraham.)

Riley: You two, come talk with me, now!

"korhogo"

- Tonight's vote was ridiculous! It should have been a straightforward 4-3 vote against Betty-May but it went 5-1-1 against Panda! That means I'm the only one who voted for Betty-May and my entire alliance turned on me. It just baffles me how stupid people can be. Why the hell would they let those girls back into the game? Abraham and Ricky better have a VERY good reason for turning on Panda, let me say that! I am NOT happy with how this vote turned out!

(Riley storms off. As Abraham and Ricky follow, Abraham leans over to Ricky and whispers in his ear.)

Abraham: (whispering) Play along with everything I say and don't question it.

(Ricky nods. The two follow Riley down to the beach. When they get there, he turns on them angrily.)

Riley: What the hell did you guys do that for? You just let them back in the game!

Abraham: Riley, just let me explain-

Riley: Damn right you'll explain!

Abraham: There was one vote against me, right? Panda was voting for me all along. I found out, I felt threatened, I targeted her in return. The girls voted with Ricky and I and now Panda's gone. That's all that happened. It was a purely reactive thing.

Riley: And why, pray tell, would Panda suddenly target you?

Abraham: I have no idea what was going on in that woman's mind. All I knew was she was targeting me, so I had to target her back.

Riley: Well, you could have easily come to me and told me Panda was targeting you! I could have talked some sense into her and put her back in place, but no, you guys went behind my back and voted Panda out anyway! Do you not trust me or something? Is that it?

Abraham: (taken aback) That's not what happened at all! We were worried that, if we told you and you told Panda, she'd still vote for me anyway. There was nothing that could be done, because even if the three of us stuck together and voted Betty-May, there still would have been four votes against me. I had to act to save my own game and that, unfortunately, involved leaving you out of the loop.

Riley: This is just so ridiculous! I can't believe you guys didn't even give me so much as a warning that you were voting for Panda. You all let me think the vote was 4-3 against Betty-May. It just shows how much you trust me, regardless of what you say! (turns to Ricky) And you, Ricky, have absolutely no excuse for voting Panda instead of Betty-May!

Ricky: What? Dude, voting for Betty-May would have been pointless. I knew the votes were going against Panda so I just followed suit. I don't wanna piss people off when i don't have to.

Riley: Do I not count as "people"? Because I'm pretty pissed off right now! You knew about all this and you didn't even so much as drop a hint that both Panda and Abraham were against each other!

Ricky: For the exact same reason Abraham didn't tell you! There was no way Panda wasn't voting Abraham and no way Abraham wasn't voting Panda. I couldn't tell you anyway. It wasn't my place to tell! Abraham and Panda needed you out of the loop to pull their plans off. Why would I anger them for no reason by spilling the plans to you?

Riley:  this. I'm going to sleep. We'll talk about this in the morning. Thanks for showing me where I stand in the alliance, guys.

(Riley marches back towards camp, furious.)

"korhogo"

- I am beyond livid right now. Regardless of the fact that Panda was trying to turn against Abraham first there was no reason to leave me out of the vote! If I'd known, I could have tired to fix things with both Abraham and Panda or I could have just voted Panda, but they left me completely in the dark! It shows me just where I stand within that group and it shows me that Abraham and Ricky are in this together, only for themselves. In fact, I'm having serious doubts as to whether Abraham's is even true! And so help me, if it was Abraham who initiated this plan, he will rue the day he double crossed me!

(When Riley is out of earshot, Ricky turns to Abraham.)

Ricky: We screwed up, big time,

Abraham: I think we might've, Ricky. Oh my Lord.

"korhogo"

- It turns out that plan might not have been the best move after all. Riley completely lost his cool at the both of us, despite my explanation, and feels completely betrayed. I have no idea where Riley's head is at: is he going to stick with me and believe my story or launch a revenge vote campaign? I can't believe that things have gone so horribly wrong. Riley took that a hundred times worse than I ever expected. I'm not safe anymore. I need to do everything I can to protect myself.

(From Abraham's confessional, the camera fades to black.)

Author's Notes

 * This is the first pre-merge episode of Tangle's fanon series to have two Tribal Councils on separate days.