Montego Bay was a paradise of turquoise water, white sand, and a sun so bright it felt like it could bleach the sins right off the Total Drama contestants. But as the Total Jumbo Jet touched down on the Jamaican runway, the cabin was anything but peaceful.
Chris McLean, however, was in a remarkably steady mood. He had spent the flight listening to a meditation app, and his blood pressure was a perfect 110/70. He looked out the window at the palm trees and sighed. He knew what he had to do.
The Dignity of the Stalker
In the quiet shade of a hangar before the cameras started rolling, Chris gestured for Sierra to step aside. She was currently hyperventilating, scratching at her arms, and muttering Cody's name under her breath like a mantra.
"Sierra. Look at me," Chris said, his voice unusually soft.
She looked up, her eyes wild and bloodshot. "He's on the other team, Chris! He's with the Myrmidons! He's being corrupted! I need to save him! I need to—"
"You need to breathe," Chris interrupted. He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a fresh, sealed bottle of her medication. He hadn't stolen this one; he'd had Chef pick it up during a secret supply run. "Take them. All of them, as prescribed. Keep your dignity, Sierra. Don't let the viewers see you like this. Be the girl who knows everything about the show, not the girl who loses her mind on camera."
Sierra stared at the bottle for a long moment. She looked at Cody, who was laughing with Noah in the distance, and then back at Chris. She took the pills with a silent nod.
Twenty minutes later, when the cameras started rolling, the contestants were baffled. Sierra wasn't screaming. She wasn't lunging at Cody. She was standing perfectly still, her hands folded, observing the surroundings with a calm, almost predatory analytical gaze.
"Is she... okay?" Gwen whispered to Heather.
"She's quiet," Heather replied, narrowing her eyes. "In this game, quiet is usually much more dangerous than loud."
The Treasure Hunt and the Melodic Regret
The first challenge, "The Treasure Hunt of Death," required the contestants to dive into the crystal-clear waters to retrieve golden Chris-head necklaces. It was supposed to be a standard physical challenge, but the heat and the atmosphere led to a mandated musical break.
Chris pointed a finger at Noah. "Noah! Since you've been looking like you're contemplating the mysteries of the universe since Paris, you're up. Give us something with a Jamaican soul."
Chef handed Noah a battered acoustic guitar.
Noah sat on a driftwood log, looked out at the ocean, and began a slow, reggae-infused rhythm. His voice was surprisingly deep, tinged with a sarcasm that couldn't quite hide his genuine confusion.
Song: "Oh My Izzy" (Noah's Reggae Version)
(BPM: Slow, laid-back reggae beat)
> (Verse 1)
> Yo... I thought I was the smart one, the guy with the plan,
> Thought I understood the cards in everyone's hand.
> But then there was this girl, a whirlwind in green,
> The wildest explosion this show's ever seen.
> I called her a nutjob, I called her a freak,
> While I sat in the corner, cynical and weak.
> (Chorus)
> Oh, my Izzy... you played the part so well,
> Turning this whole game into a living hell.
> But the masks we wear, they start to slip and slide,
> I never saw the person you were trying to hide.
> Yeah, Izzy... you're sane? That's the real crazy part,
> You acted your way right into... well, whatever I call a heart.
> (Verse 2)
> She's talking to spiders, she's eating the sand,
> While plotting her career in a faraway land.
> A Hollywood starlet in a camo-print suit,
> While I'm just a guy who thought her 'crazy' was cute.
> Now the seat is empty, and the joke's on me,
> I'm the only one left who can't see what to be.
> (Chorus)
> Oh, my Izzy... the master of the screen,
> The greatest actress that's ever been seen.
> I'm singing to the ocean, I'm singing to the sky,
> Wishing I'd asked the real 'you' a better 'why.'
> (Outro)
> Yeah... stay sane in Hollywood, Kaleidoscope.
> Because compared to us... you're the only one with hope.
>
The guitar faded out. The silence on the beach was broken only by the sound of the waves. Heather actually wiped a stray tear from her eye before quickly turning it into a cough. Leshawna gave a low whistle.
"Damn, Noah," Leshawna said. "I didn't know you had a soul under all that snark."
"I don't," Noah muttered, handing the guitar back to Chef. "It's just the humidity. Makes the strings vibrate weirdly."
The Bobsled of Death and the Hypnotic Sting
The final challenge was the "Bobsled of Death." Chris had built a massive, twisting slide made of polished wood and ice-chilled water that snaked down a Jamaican hillside. The contestants had to navigate it in makeshift bobsleds.
Team Victory was in the lead. DJ was at the helm, his massive arms steering the sled with power and precision. After his rocky start in the season, he felt like he was finally finding his footing.
"We've got this, guys!" DJ shouted to Bridgette and Ezekiel. "No curses today! Just pure speed!"
But Alejandro, trailing just behind in the Team Myrmidon sled, wasn't about to let them win. He saw his opening. He knew DJ's greatest weakness: his superstitious fear of nature and "the curse."
Alejandro reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, highly polished silver coin—a prop from the museum in Paris. As the two sleds neared a sharp, dangerous turn over a ravine, Alejandro pulled up alongside DJ.
"DJ! Look at me!" Alejandro shouted over the wind.
DJ instinctively looked over. Alejandro began to tilt the silver coin, catching the Jamaican sun and reflecting a blinding, rhythmic strobing light directly into DJ's eyes.
"Look into the light, mi amigo," Alejandro's voice was low, melodic, and strangely resonant. "The ocean is rising. The Great Sea Serpent of the Caribbean is beneath the ice. It's coming for the one who broke the animal's heart. See its scales? See its teeth?"
The combination of the flashing light and Alejandro's hypnotic tone hit DJ's panicked brain like a freight train. In his mind, the blue water of the slide transformed into the gaping maw of a mythical beast.
"THE SERPENT! IT'S REAL!" DJ screamed.
In a fit of blind terror, DJ yanked the steering lever too hard to the left. The Team Victory sled wobbled, hit the guardrail, and spun out of control, crashing into a giant pile of safety foam at the bottom of the hill.
Team Myrmidon soared past them, crossing the finish line in first place.
The Final Farewell to a Giant
The elimination ceremony was held under the orange glow of a Jamaican sunset. Team Victory sat on the logs, looking defeated.
"DJ," Chris said, standing by the fire. "You were the MVP of the strength challenges. But today... you saw a sea serpent in a wooden slide. That's a new record for 'psychological breakdown' on this show."
DJ sat with his head in his hands. "I can't do it anymore, Chris. The curse is too strong. Every time I think I'm okay, the world shows me another monster. I need to go home. I need to see my mama."
Ezekiel stepped forward, placing a hand on DJ's massive shoulder. "You're a good man, DJ. It wasn't your fault, eh. That Alejandro guy... he did somethin' to ya. I saw the light flash."
"It doesn't matter, Zeke," DJ sighed. "I'm tired of being afraid."
The votes were unanimous. Even the Team Victory members voted for DJ—not out of malice, but because they knew he couldn't take another day of the stress.
"DJ, you're a legend," Chris said, handing him the final marshmallow. "But your flight ends here. The Drop of Shame is waiting."
As DJ walked toward the plane, he stopped in front of Alejandro. The Spaniard was wearing a smug, victorious grin.
"I hope you find what you're looking for, DJ," Alejandro said smoothly.
DJ didn't yell. He didn't fight. He just looked Alejandro in the eyes. "I'm going home to people who love me, Alejandro. I think I've already won. You're the one who has to stay on this plane with yourself."
Alejandro's smile flickered for a second, but he didn't look away.
As the Total Jumbo Jet took off, leaving the island behind, Noah sat in the lounge, staring at the floor. He looked at Cody, then at Sierra, who was calmly reading a book in the corner.
"The teams are getting smaller," Noah whispered to himself. "And the sharks are getting hungrier."