The silence of the night was broken only by the crackling of the fire as the campers who were still awake slowly gathered around her. Izzy suddenly jumped up, crazy lights flashing in her eyes.
"Okay, guys, here comes the Night Madness Patrol!" she shouted, immediately drawing a rainbow-colored, winding course on the ground filled with small obstacles, swings, ropes, rubber balls, and a couple of completely absurd objects that seemed to move on their own.
Eva laughed, Duncan hesitated for a moment, then finally joined in. Gwen entered the circle curiously, Trent followed cautiously. Heather watched Izzy's every move with her usual sternness, but eventually she joined in to stay awake. Ezekiel's eyes widened, but he slowly entered the game, trying to stay relaxed. Justin stood motionless in a corner, everyone thought he was awake.
Izzy threw in more and more crazy ideas with every step: mandatory jumps, maze-like tunnels, colorful confetti, swings, a gummy bear that immediately "came to life" and screamed with joy at every move.
The campers stumbled, fell, and got up, but their characters remained: Gwen concentrated, Trent was amazed, Heather was tense, Ezekiel was watching logically, Eva laughed with delight, Duncan carefully followed Izzy's crazy rhythm.
Finally, Izzy pulled out a huge, rainbow slide: "The ultimate challenge! Whoever manages to slide down before the fire goes out gets a secret bonus!"
For a moment, the light of the fire glinted in their eyes, everyone focused. Izzy screamed, jumped, and clapped madly after each obstacle. Eva and Duncan smiled, Gwen focused, Heather remained stern, Trent wondered, and Ezekiel slowly but surely followed the course. Justin remained motionless, just watching the chaos.
The fire crackled, the wind rustled, and the campers were completely immersed in Izzy's crazy, comedic universe. Everyone reacted according to their own character: laughing, concentrating, being cautious, or simply enjoying the sheer madness.
Finally, Izzy shouted, "Now let's go for the Big Madness Cloud!" — and the camp night descended into absolute chaos.
The group staggered back toward the fire, which was now just glowing embers. The night felt heavier, the laughter quieter. Trent's head nodded forward as he talked to Gwen about constellations, Eva rubbed her eyes angrily ("I am NOT tired!"), Duncan leaned against a log pretending to be cool. Heather paced, muttering about strategy.
Ezekiel sat a little apart, knees drawn up, watching. His gaze drifted to Justin again – still perfectly still in the corner, "eyes" open, no twitch. Painted eyelids. Smart move... but risky. He could say something. One quiet word to Gwen or Eva, and Chris would be all over it. But... why? Justin wasn't hurting the team. He was just surviving the only way he knew how. Quiet. Unseen. Like Ezekiel used to be, before everything went wrong.
Instead, Ezekiel stood up slowly. He stretched, walked past the group like he was just pacing to stay awake, and paused near Justin. Not too close. Just enough.
"Long night, eh?" he murmured, barely loud enough for anyone else to hear. "If the eyes get heavy... there's still some water left by the log. No one would notice."
Silence. Justin didn't move, didn't blink. But Ezekiel caught it – the tiniest shift in posture, like a shoulder relaxing just a hair. Listening. Acknowledging.
Ezekiel gave a small nod, then walked back without another word. He sat down again, staring into the dying embers. A minute later, Justin's hand moved – slow, careful – and adjusted his stance slightly, like he was settling in deeper. No one else saw it. But Ezekiel did.
The fire popped one last time and went out. Darkness wrapped around the camp. Chris's voice crackled over the speakers: "Hour fifty-two, campers! Still hanging in there? Or ready to dream?"
Izzy started humming a creepy tune again. "Round two, anyone?"
Ezekiel glanced back at the motionless figure one more time. Maybe this time... we both last the night. No tricks needed.
The group staggered back toward the fire, which was now just glowing embers. The night felt heavier, the laughter quieter. Trent's head nodded forward as he talked to Gwen about constellations, Eva rubbed her eyes angrily, Duncan leaned against a log pretending to be cool. Heather paced, muttering about strategy.
Ezekiel sat a little apart, knees drawn up, watching. His gaze drifted to Justin again – still perfectly still in the corner, "eyes" open, no twitch. Painted eyelids. Smart move... but risky. He could say something. But... why? Justin wasn't hurting anyone. Just surviving quietly. Ezekiel stood up slowly, stretched, and walked past the group like he was just pacing to stay awake. He paused near Justin – not too close.
"Long night, eh?" he murmured low. "If the eyes get heavy... there's water by the log. No one notices."
Silence. Then the tiniest shift – Justin's shoulders relaxed just a fraction. Listening. Ezekiel gave a small nod and walked back without another word.
A minute later, Justin's hand moved – slow, careful – and he adjusted his stance slightly. No one else saw it. But Ezekiel did.
The fire flickered out completely. Darkness wrapped the camp. Chris's voice crackled over the speakers: "Hour fifty-five, campers! Still going strong? Time to crank it up!"
The remaining awake ones – Ezekiel, Gwen, Trent, Heather, Justin, Duncan, Eva, Izzy – shuffled closer as Chris appeared with a portable projector and a smug grin.
"Since you guys are tougher than expected," Chris announced, "I've got just the thing: the world's most boring movie ever made. 'The History of Paint Drying – Extended Edition'. Enjoy!"
He hit play. The screen lit up with... literally paint drying on a wall. Slow pans. No music. No narration. Just beige paint slowly... drying. For minutes on end.
Trent stared for about thirty seconds, then – thump – his head dropped forward. He slid off the log like a ragdoll, snoring softly. Gwen sighed, half-amused, half-exhausted. "Great. Now it's just us weirdos."
Eva fought it longest – she growled, stood up, paced, but the monotone visuals were killer. Suddenly she grabbed Izzy (who was still bouncing with manic energy) and started lifting her like a barbell.
"One... two... rep three!" Izzy giggled wildly.
"Higher, Eva! Make me fly!" Eva managed five reps before her arms gave out – she collapsed backward, Izzy landing on her like a human blanket. Both out cold.
Heather lasted longer, arms crossed, glaring at the screen like she could intimidate the paint. But even she started swaying. Finally, her head lolled to the side. She curled up on the ground like a grumpy wildcat – knees tucked, hands like paws – looking oddly cute and vulnerable.
Ezekiel noticed. His cheeks heated up. He quickly looked away, embarrassed. Not now... focus.
Chris clapped appreciatively from the shadows. "Impressive, you five! But wait – there's more!"
A few minutes later, he pulled out an ancient cassette player with a sadistic smile. "And now... the world's most boring music. Guaranteed to knock out even Chef!"
He pressed play. A slow, droning kazoo solo started – no melody, just endless flat notes, like someone forgot to tune the instrument. Chef, who had been watching from the edge, yawned hugely at the first note... and face-planted right there. Snoring like a chainsaw.
Chris chuckled, but even his eyes started drooping. "Okay... maybe this one's too strong..."
Duncan tried to stay cool – leaning against a tree, arms crossed. But the drone hit him like a brick. He toppled backward like a felled tree – right onto the returning sleepwalking Owen, who had wandered back naked again. Thud. Both down.
Justin finally cracked. He lifted a hand to shield his face (the paint smudging slightly), head dropping forward. Out.
Now only three remained: Ezekiel and Gwen from the Screaming Gophers... and Izzy from the Killer Bass (somehow still humming along to the kazoo like it was party music).
Chris blinked, surprised. "Whoa. Seventy hours in, and we have... three? You guys are monsters!"
He rubbed his chin, thinking. "Alright. Give me a minute... I need something even worse to break you."
He wandered off muttering. The three sat in the quiet darkness – Izzy bouncing lightly, Gwen rubbing her temples, Ezekiel breathing slow and steady.
After a long pause, Ezekiel glanced at Gwen shyly. "Uh... hey. You... holding up okay?"
Gwen looked over, surprised but not annoyed. "Yeah. Barely. You?"
Ezekiel shrugged, small smile. "Been worse. Remember that time we talked about constellations earlier? You said you like the quiet ones."
Gwen raised an eyebrow, then softened. "Yeah. The ones that don't scream for attention. Kinda like right now." She paused. "What about you? Any... stories from home? To pass the time?"
Ezekiel hesitated, then nodded. "My dad used to tell me about the northern lights. Said they're like nature's fireworks... but quiet. No noise. Just light." He looked up at the sky. "Kinda like this night."
Gwen smiled faintly. "That's... actually nice. Tell me more."
They talked softly – constellations, favorite colors, random things – while Izzy hummed in the background, still full of energy. The challenge wasn't over... but for the first time, it felt a little less lonely.
The darkness was broken only by distant owl hoots and Izzy's quiet humming. A minute later Chris returned, holding a dusty old book and a flashlight. His grin was pure evil.
"Alright, you three stubborn souls," Chris announced. "Since the movie and the music didn't break you, here comes the classic: the world's most boring folk tale. Get ready—this is a forty-minute epic about slowly growing Canadian pine trees."
He sat on a rock, opened the book, and began reading in the flattest, most monotone voice imaginable. The story was about a pine tree growing over centuries: how one needle falls… how snow settles… how wind barely touches it… very, very slowly. Even the words seemed to stretch like the tree's branches.
Izzy fought it at first—jumping, making faces, yelling "Come on, get to the exciting part!"—but the monotone waves gradually dragged her down. Gwen and Ezekiel sat side by side on the ground, backs against a log.
For the first ten minutes they still whispered.
"…that part about the snow is actually… kind of interesting," Gwen murmured, her voice already sleepy.
Ezekiel nodded with a small smile. "Yeah… slow, but… peaceful. Like back home, just staring at the sky."
Gwen glanced sideways at him. The faint flashlight glow caught the freckles on his face, his serious but now much softer eyes. Something shifted inside her. Trent was always there—kind, musical—but Ezekiel… he was different. Quiet, attentive. The kind of person who didn't show off, just stayed. For a second her cheeks warmed, and she quickly looked away.
Ezekiel noticed the moment too. Gwen's hair fell over her shoulder as her head tilted slightly. His heart beat faster. *This… feels weird.* He'd never felt anything like this before. He didn't know what to do with it. But he wanted to be polite, kind—in his own awkward way.
Carefully, almost without thinking, he slid a tiny bit closer. Their hands rested on the ground, fingertips only a few centimeters apart. After a long silence, Gwen's finger moved—just a light touch against his. Not grabbing, just… touching. Like a quiet question.
Ezekiel's breath caught for a second. He blushed, but didn't pull away. Instead, slowly, very carefully, he turned his palm up a little, offering if she wanted to hold on. They didn't say anything. They just sat there, hands close, while Chris droned on about pine needles in the background.
Around the fortieth minute, both of them were barely keeping their eyes open. Gwen's head slowly sank onto Ezekiel's shoulder. He gently—almost instinctively—took her hand. Not tight, just enough so she wouldn't slip. They fell asleep like that, sweetly, peacefully, side by side.
Izzy managed one last triumphant jump. "I'm the queen! Bass forever!" she shouted—then the next second she collapsed face-first into the dirt, completely spent.
Chris chuckled in the dark, turning off the flashlight.
"Well, congratulations, Izzy! The Killer Bass wins the Awake-a-thon! The Screaming Gophers… you've got voting in six hours. Someone's going home. Sweet dreams—or rather, sweet wake-up, campers."
The camera slowly pulled back from the three sleeping figures: Izzy sprawled on the ground, Gwen and Ezekiel leaning against each other, their hands loosely linked in the grass. It was just a tiny spark—nothing big, nothing dramatic. Just a possibility hanging in the air before sleep took them both.
The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon as the campers dragged themselves back to their cabins, groggy and sore from the marathon Awake-a-thon. Six hours until the vote—six hours for the Screaming Gophers to decide who to send packing. The air was thick with unspoken alliances, regrets, and the faint smell of Chef's questionable breakfast slop wafting from the mess hall.
Gwen rubbed her temples, flopping onto her bunk in the girls' side of the Gophers cabin. Her head was a whirlwind—part exhaustion, part confusion. What was that last night? She replayed the moments in her mind: the boring folk tale droning on, her head on Ezekiel's shoulder, their hands brushing... no, touching. It wasn't like with Trent—Trent was easy, familiar, with his guitar and that chill vibe. But Ezekiel? He was... unexpected. Quiet, but not in a creepy way. Thoughtful. And that blush when their fingers met—it was cute, awkward, real. Trent's great, but... Ezekiel feels like someone who'd actually listen without trying to impress. Could he be... boyfriend material too? The thought made her cheeks flush again, just for a second. She shook her head, burying her face in her pillow. Get it together, Gwen. It's just sleep deprivation talking. Or is it? That spark... it was there. Tiny, but real. But Trent's still Trent. And now we've got a vote to deal with. Focus.
She sat up, glancing around.
The team was scattered—some napping, some whispering. The sleep order from last nights loomed over everyone: Owen out first (naked sleepwalking disaster), Noah second (sarcasm couldn't save him), then Lindsay, Beth, Cody, Leshawna, Trent, Heather, Justin... and finally her and Ezekiel tying for last. The early sleepers were toast—weak links in the challenge. But alliances would decide everything.
Meanwhile, in the boys' side, Heather huddled with her core alliance: Lindsay and Beth, perched on a bunk like a queen holding court.
Heather tapped her nails, eyes sharp. "Okay, girls—time to strategize. We lost because some people couldn't stay awake. Owen was first—total embarrassment with his naked wandering. But Noah... he's smart, too smart. Sarcastic little weasel might turn on us later. Who do we target?"
Lindsay tilted her head, twirling her hair. "Um, like, Owen? He was all... eww, naked. But Noah's kinda funny sometimes."
Beth nodded eagerly. "Yeah, but Noah didn't help much. Owen at least eats everything Chef throws at us without complaining."
Heather smirked. "Exactly. Owen's loyal—dumb, but loyal. Noah's a wildcard. We vote Noah. Spread the word quietly."
Across the room, Noah overheard enough to know he was in trouble. He slouched over to Ezekiel, who was sitting on his bed, staring at the floor thoughtfully. Justin lingered nearby, arms crossed, silent as ever.
Noah sighed dramatically. "Okay, prairie boy—level with me. Who are you voting for? I'm sensing I'm on the chopping block here."
Ezekiel looked up, honest as always. "I... don't know yet. Gotta think about who hurt the team most. But early sleepers like Owen or you... yeah, it's rough."
Justin shrugged, still quiet, but his eyes flicked to Ezekiel with a hint of that budding respect from last night. He didn't say anything—just shook his head like he had no clue either.
Noah grabbed his head in frustration. "Great. Just great. I'm doomed."
Nearby, Cody fidgeted, his face still red from the trauma. Owen's gotta go. That naked sleepwalking? It's burned into my brain forever. No way I can share a cabin with that nightmare. He glanced around nervously, not voicing it yet.
Owen, finally clothed and back to his jolly self, paced anxiously by the window. He pulled a hidden cookie from his pocket and nibbled it stressfully. Why me? I just get sleepy when I'm full... or empty... or anytime. Please don't vote me out—I love this place!
Gwen wasn't the only one reflecting alone. Trent lounged against the cabin wall outside, strumming an imaginary guitar. Last night was brutal. Fell asleep way too early—Heather's gonna hold that against me. And Gwen... she seemed okay with Ezekiel at the end. Nah, just friends. But I gotta step up or I'm next.
Leshawna sat on the steps, arms crossed, fuming. Early out? Me? Nah, that was just bad luck. Owen and Noah tanked us first. Owen's sweet, but that boy needs a wake-up call—literally. Noah's sneaky. Heather's probably gunning for one of 'em. As long as it's not me...
The tension built as the hours ticked down. Alliances whispered, regrets simmered, and that tiny spark from the night before lingered in Gwen's mind like a quiet what-if. But survival came first—who would the Gophers first boot?
Across the cabin, Justin finally spoke up—quiet, but smart, the way he sometimes did when he wasn't just posing.
"What if we voted Beth instead?" he said casually, leaning against the wall. "She's nice… but she's glued to Heather. If we take out one piece of Heather's little group early, it weakens her grip. Less predictable than going after Noah."
Noah blinked, genuinely surprised. A small, rare smile tugged at his lips. "Huh. Didn't expect that from you, pretty boy. I'm… actually okay with it."
Owen, who had been nervously munching his hidden cookie, perked up. "Yeah! If it keeps me and Noah safe, I'm in! Beth's cool, but… yeah, let's do it!"
Cody hesitated. He thought about Trent (who looked cool even when half-asleep) and Justin (who somehow always seemed effortlessly smooth). *If the cool guys are doing it…* He swallowed. "Uh… sure. Beth, I guess."
So the boys' side shifted: Justin, Noah, Owen, Cody → all voting Beth.
Ezekiel watched from his bunk, arms crossed. He didn't know what to think. *Beth's sweet. She doesn't deserve this. But Heather's gonna be furious if her alliance loses someone this early. This could blow up big time.* He stayed quiet, thinking.
Meanwhile, Leshawna had already made up her mind. She muttered to herself while braiding her hair: "Noah was out second. Boy's brain couldn't keep his eyes open. He goes."
Trent, after a quick, low conversation with Justin ("Trust me, man—Beth's the safer play right now"), nodded. "Alright. Beth."
Gwen, sitting alone with her sketchpad, doodled absently. *Noah's annoying sometimes, but he's not useless. Beth… she's nice, but she follows Heather like a puppy. If we weaken that trio early…* She sighed. "Noah."
The votes were in:
- Heather, Lindsay, Beth → Noah
- Justin, Noah, Owen, Cody → Beth
- Leshawna → Noah
- Trent → Beth
- Gwen → Noah
**Noah: 5 votes**
**Beth: 5 votes**
Dead tie.
Ezekiel took a slow breath. "Heather's mad either way. But Beth's part of her core. If I vote her out… things explode. If I vote Noah… Heather's alliance stays strong, and maybe I can work with that later." He rubbed the back of his neck, awkward as always.
Who will Ezekiel vote out?