The rest of us, well, how do they say in Germany: A beer is a meal.
Make that 2.
The afternoon then took us back to the Eastern beach, where upon arrival the helpers took the buoys into the water. Aha, the next challenge involved going into the water. I personally wasn't exactly happy about that, because I hadn't brought a swimsuit. Usually I wouldn't think twice about things like that (I'd go in naked), but out of respect for those prude citizens of this country I decided my black underwear would have to do.
However, the challenge: The game master put a bunch of colored wooden bars (each with 5 little holes in them) in the sand, and every player had to pick one. Attached to the buoys in the water was a rope, and attached to that rope where 40 little flags, 5 flags per color. And who would have thought, appearantly these little flags in the water fit exactly into the little holes in the wooden bars. The task was simple: On the signal, run into the water, get a flag of your color, bring it to the beach and stick it into your piece of wood, then run back for the next flag, and so on. The player with all their flags in place first wins the challenge.
Well, that seemed easy enough. All you had to do was be fast. I hurried to pick the right color for me, I wanted a bright and easily recognizable one (without my glasses I am basically blind), which was orange.
Everybody took of their unnessecary clothing and lined up next to their piece of wood. I felt kind of weird in my underwear. Fuck those who succeded in making me self-conscious about being on the beach in underwear! I tried to ignore it. Crazy locals with their cover-thy-knee swim-shorts. How could one ever want this much heavy water-soaked fabric on their body?
The game master asked: Everybody ready?
I put my glasses in my shoes and was ready.
This was the moment where our (Blondie and I - for ?$§%!!'s sake, I seem to be unable to recall her Survivor name) mysterious envelope came into play: A 30 second head start for the both of us!
The game master held up her watch:
Ready!
Set!
Go!
I ran into the waves as fast as I could, Blondie next to me. I tried to jump the waves to minimize the resistance. The flag-rope was about chest-deep, my orange flags were easy to see. I went to the right-most flag first; they were tied to the rope with some kind of string, I pulled the flag off and hurried back. When I reached the beach 30 seconds had passed and the others started dashing forward. This advantage was really worth it! Two steps up the beach, I stuck my flag into the sand and ran back into the water.
I figured with that kind of head start I had a pretty good chance to win this one. If everything went smooth all I had to do was to be faster than Blondie, which seemed entirely possible.
If everything went smooth.
I brought my second flag home quickly, but flag number 3 was kind of stuck on the rope. I couldn't get it off. After trying for a what seemed an eternity but was probably more like 5 seconds I went for the 4th flag instead, which came off easier. Back at the beach I took a moment to wriggle my flags into the piece of wood - which was tricky, too, they barely fit the holes. And back into the water!
Around me everybody was swimming and running and splashing and racing; there was absolutely no way of telling who was in the lead. It was crazy. When I reached flag 3 for some reason it came off pretty fast, easier than expected, I grabbed it and turned to make my way back to the beach. My legs were starting to get heavy though, lifting them up and through or over the waves became harder and harder. I risked a quick look at the other flags when I placed mine in the its hole, it seemed promising, so many flags to count, though, I was probably ahead, but without glasses I couldn't be sure. No time to lose!
As I ran back in Blondie was coming out with her 4th flag, so I was in the lead! Just grab the last flag, Ethan, and you're home free!
But when I got to my flag the fucking thing didn't come off. I pulled, I turned, I pushed the damn thing, it wouldn't budge. Next to me people were arriving empty-handed and departing with flags, and I stood there, losing time, stuck with this motherfucking flag that didn't want to move. The cord that tied the flag to the rope must have tightened or something, I tried undoing the knot, but that was impossible. So I pushed and twisted the flag like crazy, voices in my head screaming: THIS IS TAKING TOO LONG! THINK, GODDAMNED, THINK AND DO SOMETHING!
The flag was slowly moving. In the corner of my eye I registered Blondie reaching her last flag. I still had about 2 or 3 inches to go. TWIST, Ethan, pull that flag out!
Blondie grabbed her flag (Why did her's come off so easily?). 2 inches to go!
Blondie was making her way back to the beach.
This was too much. Fuck you, flag! I had to go all-in, either they'd disqualify me or I'd win this thing. I broke off the last inch of the flag and swim-jumped after Blondie as fast as I could. There she was, just leaving the water. With 1, 2 big strides I was next to her, past her, she dove to the ground, arm stretched out with flag in hand, I threw myself forward, chrashed into the sand and brought my flag down and stuck it onto the board.
A bit to the right Blondie had done the same.
2 seconds passed, and another one.
Who had won? Who was first?
The game master looked at Blondie, looked at me, and finally she said: "I have no choice."
She stood up: "DOUBLE IMMUNITY!"
Blondie and I had both won the challenge.
flags in the sand
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