Castaways Read Online Free PDF Page A

members—Mark, Jesse, and Stuart—followed Stefan's group, recording their conversation. Ryan and Shonette were in front of
    Jerry and Becka. Troy stumbled behind them, slapping at mosquitoes.
    Becka glanced over her shoulder. Matthew trudged along silently with his spear, keeping several yards' distance between himself and the rest of the group. He stared straight ahead, as if trying to bore a hole between Troy's shoulder blades with his eyes. His face was expressionless. Another cameraman brought up the rear.
    The network's construction crew had built the path. It was outlined with lime, so the contestants could see it at night. (For safety reasons, midnight strolls through the jungle were discouraged, unless, of course, it was for something that would bring in ratings.) Bamboo handrails were positioned at swampy or hilly spots. But despite the conveniences, the dense tropical undergrowth crowded the path on both sides. As they walked, Becka noticed how still the jungle was. Normally, the terrain was alive with insects and birds. The trees and sky were usually filled with parrots, albatrosses, honeyeaters, frigates, gulls, and boobies. At times, their noise was almost deafening. Now there was only silence.
    Jerry paused, staring into the dense jungle. Becka and Troy stopped with him.
    "What is it?" Becka asked. "Is something wrong?"
    "I don't know. Hear that? It's quiet. No birds, nothing. Just silence."
    "I was just thinking the same thing. Maybe the helicopter scared them all away?"
    "Maybe," Jerry agreed.
    Troy slapped another mosquito. "Or maybe these fucking bugs got them all. Swear to Christ,
    I'm down a fucking pint of blood. I don't weigh but a buck-oh-five to begin with. By the time this is over, I'll be nothing but fucking bones."
    Grinning, Becka and Jerry started forward again.
    "So, do you have a girlfriend?" Becka immediately regretted asking.
    "No," Jerry replied. "But I'm always on the lookout. I figure that once I win the million dollars, finding a girlfriend will be a little easier."
    "That's why you wanted an alliance," she teased, "so you could win."
    Jerry feigned surprise. "Well, why else would we form an alliance?"
    "I don't know. It would be nice to have someone to trust."
    "Yes, it would," Jerry agreed. "But an alliance doesn't mean you'd be able to trust me. What if we play the game all the way to the end and avoid getting exiled, and then it comes down to you or me? What then?"
    Becka grinned. "Then I'd have to kick your butt and win the million. But don't worry, I'd give you a loan."
    "Thanks."
    Ahead of them, Shonette let out a frightened squeal. All the contestants stopped walking. Ryan and Shonette stared at the ground. Shonette stumbled backward, pointing.
    "What the hell is that?"
    Mark and Jesse jostled past the others. Mark trained his camera on the disturbance and Jesse leaned closer with his microphone.
    The group gathered around them. Only Matthew
    remained in the background, leaning on his spear and looking disinterested. Troy pressed up behind Becka, craning his neck to see, and accidentally shoved her forward. She recoiled in disgust.
    In the center of the path was a small, wormlike creature, as thick as a pencil and about eight inches long. It was so small that Becka was amazed Shonette had noticed it at all. The creature was gray and pink in color, with ugly splotches along its length. The thing's head was not offset from its body, and Becka couldn't tell which end was which. She peered closer and saw two tiny black dots on one end—the creature's eyes. The worm wiggled back and forth. Becka thought back to the research she'd done on the region before leaving home, but didn't recognize the wriggling creature.
    "What the hell is it?" Shonette asked again.
    "Disgusting," Ryan said. "That's what it is."
    "It's a fucking worm," Troy said. "What's the big deal? Step on it. Or better yet, eat the fucker."
    "Oh, man," Raul moaned. "You'd eat a worm, dog?"
    Pauline