THE LUNA CHOOSING GAME - Season 5 Episode 96

That was when I spotted some strange divots in the earth, like lines, where the dirt was falling down into. A sinkhole? I didn’t know.

Veronica didn’t notice. She was looking at the notecard she’d made, likely reading off the next step. She stepped straight beyond the divot, and the ground started to slip beneath her.

Reacting quicker than I could think, I grabbed Veronica’s arm and yanked her to the side, off to the safety of some nearby foliage. But in doing so, I had propelled myself into the danger. I searched for footing, but the ground totally collapsed beneath me.

I fell down, down, down — and then abruptly stopped with a thud. My arm

Sw 719 BONU ached something fierce, but I was otherwise unharmed.

“Piper? Oh my God, are you okay?” Veronica called down. It was unusual to hear such worry in her voice.

I opened my eyes and peered up. I had thought this might be sinkhole, but I could see now that while indeed a hole, this one is entirely manmade.

It was a trap. The net under my feet gave that away. Someone had dug a hole, strung a net overtop it and then covered the mesh with dirt and leaves to make it look like regular earth.

But why? “The rules never said there would be traps!” Veronica said.

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The pit I was in was at least nine feet deep. I couldn’t easily jump out. And if

-y TT BVIZWe Veronica tried to help me, she could just as easily fall in beside me.

“Can you climb out?” Veronica asked.

I tried, clawing at the dirt walls of my enclosure, but the dirt was soft and sandy. It kept collapsing under my fingers. I couldn’t take hold. € “No!” I called back.

Veronica looked around. She grabbed one of the nearby vines and dropped it down into the hole for me. I grabbed it, and used it to start pulling my way out.

Halfway, it snapped in two, and I crashed back down into the hole.

It was useless then. We needed a rope.

Curse Nathan for insisting we didn’t

need supplies.

“Ill go get help!” Veronica said. “With the marker, I’ll be able to find you again!” “Okay,” I’said. I wasn’t keen on being alone, but if Veronica stayed here with me, it would accomplish nothing. “Be careful.” “I’should say that to you.” “I’m not going anywhere.” Veronica gave me one last worried look before trudging back through the jungle the way we came.

I stood down in the pit for a while, waiting. I didn’t know how long it was.

An hour maybe, when I heard footsteps again.

“Veronica?” I called, hope in my voice,

“Piper? Is that you?” My hope sunk down. That wasn’t Veronica. It was…

“Bridget.” Bridget’s face appeared over the top of the pit as she looked down at me, amusement on her face. Immediately I noticed she was wearing a button-up shirt and slacks. She had a backpack and a rope wrapped around one shoulder.

Of course, the favorite would be allowed to have supplies. Nathan had denied the rest of us because he wanted us to fail. T wouldn’t be surprised if this trap had been his idea too.

Whatever. I didn’t care. Bridget’s rope was just what I needed for a rescue. She

could look like a hero, too. I didn’t care.

[just wanted out of here.

“Throw down the rope!” I said. “Help me out.” Bridget smirked. “So you can steal the treasure and spend more time with Nicholas? I don’t think so.” No. No way. She couldn’t mean to leave me here! “Bridget? Please!” “Don’t sound so desperate,” Bridget said. She rolled her eyes. “I’ll come back for you. After I found the treasure.” She laughed. “Stay out of trouble now.” She disappeared from the edge of the pit.

Panic began to set in. She really

wouldn’t leave me down here? Not when she had the means of rescuing me? Surely? But I waited and I waited, and she never reappeared.

I’was alone.