Mack puts four days’ worth of protein bars into her bag. She’ll take another four days’ worth tomorrow, and another the day after that, and another and another until she’s eliminated or she wins. She goes back to the table. There are a few random supplies. Some sunscreen—she opens it and sniffs, then rejects it for being scented. Bug repellent is bypassed for the same reason. There are several empty mason jars. She takes two, along with some wet wipes and a pack of tissues.
Ava’s eyes widen with understanding. “Right.” She begins copying Mack. Mack wishes she could have prepped in private, but there will be no privacy until the game starts.
“What if we start our periods?” Ava calls out. Linda flinches, looking at the men as though embarrassed at the very idea.
“That will be…unfortunate.” The way she says it is much too serious. Her eyes get sad. Mack wonders if Linda—surely menopausal for actual decades at this point—has forgotten what periods are like. They suck, but they happen. Linda clears her throat. “There are supplies in the bathroom.”
“I’m not due to start my period for at least two more weeks,” Jaden says in falsetto.
Ava pats him on the shoulder. Cuffs him, more like. “My man, I’ve passed blood clots with more stamina than you.”
Mack laughs. Oh, she hopes Ava gets out quickly. She likes her way too much.
Jaden, red in the face, reflexively pushes his well-sculpted chest out. He’s doing it for the wrong audience. Mack turns back to the table, finishing her supply run. Ava takes a few water bottles, grudgingly, and follows Mack back to her cot. But Brandon already has the one next door. Mack is glad as Ava keeps going to find somewhere else to sleep. It’ll be easier when Ava’s gone. She finishes eating and curls up under her blanket.
“Who’s gonna stay up to make sure no one wanders off?” the intern asks.
“I’ll sit vigil tonight,” Linda says, stroking the intern’s hair in a motherly way. Maybe they bonded over a shared love of pantsuits. “This is the only night I’ll spend with you, but you can all sleep well knowing I’m keeping watch.”
Mack doesn’t care. She closes her eyes. She has to be ready, and physically is the only way she can prepare. Tomorrow she’ll be alone, hiding, with only her thoughts. And nothing she can do will prepare her for that.
DAY ONE
Mack double-checks her pack. She’s leaving half her clothes on her cot—which pains her—but she needs room for her supplies.
Jaden and another guy are stretching. Beautiful Ava joins them. Then half the camp is stretching like they’re at the starting line of a race.
It’s a decent theory. Whoever’s looking for them might start near the camp and range out from there. But it’s such an obvious strategy, Mack suspects near the camp is as likely to be safe as anywhere else. Now that she can see more of their surroundings, the whole thing feels absurd. How could they find anyone in this mess? Trees arch overhead; the paths around them crowd and teem with undergrowth turned to overgrowth. All the walkways are lined with either impassable shrubbery or walls high enough they block sight lines. It’s still dark, but even if it wasn’t, she couldn’t see ten feet past their camp clearing. From the drive in, she assumes the rest of the park is the same.
“You gonna run?” Brandon asks, face flushed with excitement.
Mack shakes her head.
“Cool. I think I’m going to. Good luck!” He holds out his hand, his smile guileless. Maybe Mack will miss him. She takes his hand and shakes.
“You, too.” She does wish him good luck. She just wishes herself better luck.
Linda is sitting on an ATV. It’s humorously incongruous with her jewel-toned pantsuit. There are tears in her eyes as she looks over the group. Then she frowns, as though considering something. “There’s a twist you should know about,” she says. Everyone freezes, waiting for this new information. “If you find a book—small, leather-bound—you get a bonus for bringing it to me.”
“What’s the bonus?” Ava asks, at the same time Jaden shouts, “Where is it?”
Linda’s eyes flash with something like annoyance, but her tone comes out singsong sweet. “If I told you where it is, finding it would hardly be a challenge.” She claps her hands, something she does whenever she’s shifting the conversation. “It’s time to start! Good luck! And…go!” She revs her ATV and peels out.
Linda didn’t answer the question about what the bonus was, and Mack’s sure it wasn’t in the packet anywhere. Seems like an odd addition at this point in the game. Without a good reason to look for it, Mack resolves to forget about it. Actively trying to find something while someone is trying to find her? Not worth the risk.