"What do you mean, pulled you under?" Alison asked.

"I fell off the tube - that was my own stupid fault, I know - but I was doing okay."

"Doing okay? You were floundering around like some kid whose dad thinks the way to give a swimming lesson is just toss them off a dock into the water," Clarice said.

"Okay, so I wasn't on the swim team like I said – and I didn't spend my summers as a lifeguard at some fancy camp like Clarice -- but I know how to keep my head above water." Jolene looked around the group. "And I know when something grabs me by the ankle and pulls me under."

Travis looked at her. "You think a shark grabbed you around the ankle and pulled you under," he said, looking at her bare feet, "but didn't even break the skin?"

"Jolene," Alison said, "when Clarice boosted you up onto the boat you had seaweed wrapped around your ankle - you'd had a lot to drink, you were panicking, and you probably weren't used to swimming in salt water." It was the only reasonable explanation, but even as Alison said it she pictured Jolene - flailing about one moment and, the next, her head disappearing completely under the water.

"I don't know," Jolene said, looking uncertain. She stretched out her legs, studying her ankles and feet for some trace of damage and finding nothing.

"You're probably right. It's just - hitting the water was a shock after that last wave you hit--" she looked at Alison, "How fast were you going? - anyway, one second I was just bouncing along, then the next thing I knew I was off the tube and swallowing all the sea water and I kept trying to get my breath then all of a sudden it was like something had a hold on my ankle, pulling me under."

"Between the undertow and the grasses out there, I'm not surprised you panicked," Alison said, recalling guiltily how her own hands had tightened on the accelerator as she imagined Gwen in her element, pushing the waverunner to its limit, streaking across the blue waters of the Island shore with the wind blowing back her hair, the future filled with limitless possibilities. She'd known Jolene was in no condition to be riding a tube after all the beer she'd consumed, much less riding a tube while trying to wriggle out of her bikini top and flash the cameraman on Brogan's boat.

"And then there was this loud noise and I was back at the surface gasping for air again, and all I could hear was Miranda screaming." Jolene gave a little shudder. "I think I'll pass if you ever want to drag me behind a jet ski again," she said, looking over at Alison.

"Maybe you wouldn't have fallen off if you'd have paid more attention to holding on and less to trying to take your top off," Clarice said mildly.

"Whoa," Daryl said, "did I just hear topless? Let me get this straight. We're off in the woods hunting rabbits, and you girls are out there running around topless on the beach."

Travis looked over at them. "Brogan told you to take your tops off?"

"Um, well," Miranda said. "Actually I kind of started that and then Jolene . . ."

"Shit," Billy Ray said. "How about a repeat performance?"

"Yeah, you girls want to give us little cameo?" Daryl grinned.

"You'll just have to catch it on the uncensored DVD version," Miranda said.

* * *

As soon as Alison got to the campsite the next morning for breakfast, she noticed a new announcement on the notice board.

Good Morning Swingers

Your task today is to follow the red trail markers and retrieve Key #2.

Travis came up behind her at the board. "Swingers. Somehow I have a sneaking suspicion that we're not talking about couples who switch partners."

"On the dance floor or anywhere else," Alison said, considering for a moment. "Actually, I'm picturing you as Tarzan on a vine."

"Probably not too far off, Jane," he said, "considering our rock climbing adventure the other day."

"Yeah, well, I'd just as soon not go through that again."

"I've been wanting to ask you something," Travis began.

Their conversation was cut off as the rest of the group came down the trail from the cabins and gathered around the notice board.

"Yikes," Miranda said. "I wonder what Brogan's got in store for us today."

"Just so we don't have to kill our breakfast this morning," Clarice said, walking over to the food storage bin.

"Powdered eggs and biscuits," she said. "although I'm not complaining."

"What is it with Brogan on this whole food thing?" Jolene said.

"Mind games."

They all looked over at Luke. They were so used to him not speaking that they could almost forget he was even there.

"Life is nothing but mind games anyway."

"O-kay," Clarice said. "Now back to our regularly scheduled program, does somebody want to help me rehydrate these eggs and open up some of the biscuit tins?"

"I'll do it," Miranda said, walking over.

* * *

After about an hour and a half of hiking along the marked trail, Alison was glad she'd thought to bring her small backpack. She felt a warm trickle of sweat run down between her shoulder blades. The sun came through the canopy of leaves in a dappled pattern, but the humidity was unrelenting.

At least she had a couple water bottles and an energy bar, which was better than the beer and peanuts offering Brogan had made the day before. And she had already used the bottle of bug spray on the whole group - the farther they went inland away from the breeze coming off the ocean, the more they were annoyed by small flying insects that buzzed about intermittently in small swarms.

She noticed that Clarice was wearing a fanny pack - designer, no less - but probably similarly provisioned. It was a safe bet neither of them would be whipping off their t-shirts in drunken abandon, even if alcohol and peanuts were all Brogan intended to provide in the way of refreshments.

Jolene and Miranda were as understocked on hiking gear as they were overstocked on clothing and cosmetics. For the hike today, at least, Miranda had shoved a water bottle into the waistband of her cut-offs and Jolene was munching on a chocolate bar as they rounded an outcropping of rocks, although heaven knows where she'd concealed it in the shorts and tank top that seemed molded to her body.

The group came to an abrupt halt at a fork in the trail. One path lead up through more rocky terrain, while the other wound back down through the vegetation. There was no sign of any trail markers. Travis turned and looked at the rest of them.

"So, anybody want a flip a coin?"

Jolene stepped forward. "There was a note under my door this morning. It was typed, all caps, in a plain white envelope. It said: "Take the right path.""

"Take the right path? Can I see it?"

"Sorry, I left it in the room. I mean, it was just too weird. Sounded like something my old man used to say. Only his was more like, "Take the right path, Jolene, and the Lord will steer you away from evil and into the ways of righteousness."

"What was he," Miranda asked, "a preacher?"

"No. Just a sanctimonious sack of shit."

"Tell us how you really feel, Jolene," Clarice said, as she pulled a water bottle out of her fanny pack and sat down on a rock.

"Ancient history." Jolene shrugged. "Spinning in his grave to see me now, but whatever. Anyway, now I'm thinking maybe that note was literal. As in, take the right path instead of the left path at the fork in the trail."

"Well, it's as good a reason as any to pick one over the other."

"I don't know," Travis said, "could be it's just too easy."

Alison looked at him thoughtfully. "So you think we should go left?"

"What do you say we split up?" Daryl suggested. "Then at least somebody will be picking the right, I mean the correct, trail."

Travis nodded. "That makes sense."

"Well, I'm taking the 'right path' - I'm the one that got the note, and there might be points awarded for following instructions."

"Unless the note was meant for me," Clarice said. "We are in the same cabin."

"So come along."

"We don't know what we're going to run into on either trial," Travis pointed out. "So, I'd suggest we split up evenly - two guys, two gals each path."

"I guess that leaves you and me to the left," Miranda said to Alison.

Travis and Billy Ray decided to take the left trail, and Daryl and Luke took the right with Jolene and Clarice.

As she watched the other group climb up the rocks and disappear, Alison hesitated. "I hope we're doing the right thing, splitting up. Maybe we should have all stuck together."

"Suit yourself," Billy Ray said. "But I'm heading in this direction."

"Come on," Travis said, and Alison and Miranda started down the trail. "It's not a life or death decision, you know. It's just a walk in the woods."

There were rustlings in the undergrowth, and Alison started when a bird flew out of the foliage suddenly, filling the air with squawks.

Alison laughed nervously. "I'm glad it was just a bird."

"As long as it was just us coming down the trail that spooked it," Travis said.

"Got your gun, Billy Ray?" Miranda asked.

"Don't you worry, little missy. I've got you covered," he said, patting his right hip.

Travis looked over at him. "You want to tell me again how it is that Brogan gave you a gun?"

"Well now, I figure he just thought I was the only one who knew what to do with it. Done much huntin', stockbroker?"

Travis was silent.

"Yeah, I didn't think so."

"You keep flashing it around, somebody might just take it away from you." Travis's voice was low and even.

"Listen sonny –" Billy Ray said, taking a step forward.

"Back off."

For a moment Alison saw something in Travis's eyes. Apparently Billy Ray saw it to, because he took a step back and lost a bit of his swagger.

"Aw, come on, Travis, I'm just joshin' with ya'. No need to get all upset, right?" Billy Ray licked his lips. "How the hell would I know why Brogan gave me a gun? If there's a script for this thing, I sure ain't seen it."

"If there is a script, I think our friend Brogan has the only copy," Travis said, and Billy Ray nodded.

Alison felt the tension ease a little as Travis and Billy Ray moved away from their face-off and continued down the trail. She would have to reassess Travis.

And suddenly, she wondered what it was he had meant that morning when he said he'd been meaning to ask her something.

Writer's Note

What do you think Travis wants to ask Alison? 

I'll be updating the story every MWFS at 7:00 pm Eastern Time. Check back to see what happens next! And thanks for reading :)