73 A NUMBER GAME TWO

Zoe walked over to their whimpering tribemate.

Koby also ran to their side and offered her some facial tissue.

"Have you ever heard of the story of the Providence Petrels?"

She asked Kristie as she stooped down. She was on her knees, bawling her heart out.

Back then, Zoe would have stayed silent. Or pity the bullied at a corner. But now, she had no plans on keeping mum.

"Are you serious? We're already behind, and you're telling a story?"

One of them mocked her.

"It's okay. We already lost anyway."

One of them responded, which made the tribe whine in discouragement.

"Ugh! I don't want to stay here!" Another reacted.

They were all whining when Zoe stood up and put her hands on her waist.

"Do you guys have another option? Or you would just let me do it my way?"

They were dumbstruck at the sudden confidence of Zoe.

She's not the one who would stand up for anyone, and at most at a group.

"What's all this commotion about?"

Erin asked authoritatively and disturbed the scene.

Raigon went with her to the Norfolk side.

"Their member doesn't want to play anymore. They're done for. We won!"

One of the Tasmans, who were also listening, spoke up with triumphant glee.

The Tasman contestant who was on the balance beam froze as he heard the word that they won already.

"We're not done until we say so!"

Zoe quickly retorted with a commanding voice.

The Tasmans were shocked at Zoe's abrupt response. Including Enzo and Savannah.

Raigon didn't even show a slight hint of surprise. Instead, his lips curved up as if he already knew it would happen.

However, the people around them weren't expecting that.

"Did Zoe just say that?"

As far as they could remember her, she was the one who was always looked down on. And she didn't do anything about it then.

She just allowed them to ridicule and mock her. She thought of her life as trash anyway, without her parents and fortune.

"It seemed like Zoe is possessed!"

Zoe stopped, realizing that everyone was now casting weird glances at her.

"Just give us two minutes. And if we can't pull her on the beam, then we'll accept our defeat."

She proposed to Erin in a softer tone.

The Tasmans grumbled, complaining that they were being cheated on.

"Alright," Erin concluded.

"But I'll give you one minute only. Within that minute, she must be on that beam. And while you're convincing her, the Tasmans can continue to do their own."

"That's fair enough,"

The fourth participant of the Tasman tribe responded as he punched his palm and readied himself to run again.

"On the double!" Erin initiated the timer.

Like a bolt of lightning, the fourth candidate of the Tasman tribe dashed to the balance beam again.

Zoe faced Kristie, who was tearing up again. She was sniffing with her puffy eyes.

"Listen everyone."

This time, Zoe talked to everybody on the team while they are circling her.

Savannah's friends were still smirking at her, but their ears were listening to her as well.

"The Providence Petrels were beautiful birds that were once numerous on Norfolk Island."

She spoke at fast speed.

She kept glancing at Koby if what she was saying are still facts.

She was talking about the information that he shared with her when they were bird watching.

"Yes, go on."

Koby nodded in agreement with her even though his eyebrows were furrowed. He has no idea about what she was planning.

"But transportees who became villagers in Norfolk Island consumed them as food, so they became endangered."

"What's the point?"

One of Savannah's friends rolled her eyes in impatience.

Zoe ignored her and continued on. "Whatever the reason is for transporting them there, they were the outcasts of their society. But in Norfolk Island, they became the predators. And the Providence Petrels became their prey."

They all nodded their heads as if they understood what Zoe was trying to say. One of them shouted as she snapped her fingers.

"I got it! We are the Norfolks Tribe! We are the predators!"

Zoe laughed.

She pointed at the Tasman tribe before she continued.

"Yes. And these beautiful Providence Petrels are our prey."

She smiled an evil grin.

"I'm gonna eat them!"

Kristie beamed as the concept dawned on her.

Zoe laughed. "Yeah. Because you darling is a Norfolk."

She smiled at her and lifted her chin.

She looked at the tribe who was all smiling at her and saying,

"We're Norfolks."

Zoe offered her hand and pulled her up.

"Come on, Norfolk warrior. Consume these species!"

The once sobbing lady jumped up in the excitement and rushed to the beam.

The Norfolk tribe clapped their hands and cheered her as she ran.

"Norfolk! Norfolk!"

"And the Norfolks are back on track!"

Erin announced.

Raigon's mouth curved up. He saw everything that happened and how Zoe managed to lift up the dying spirit of her tribe.

As she gazed at her speaking boldly and strengthening the faith of her team.

"You're just like Queen Mother."

Whenever the city experience a crisis, she would always be there lifting up their crestfallen souls and encourage them to believe and fight for life again.

'She will be a great queen,"

He whispered to himself in admiration.

On the other hand, the Tasmans were cringing in fear as they saw their opponents, all on the same wavelength.

"What the heck happened there?"

They were ahead by two contenders now.

But as they hear the harmonious chant of their challenger, they were now the ones who were falling off the beam.

"It seemed like they were now being 'en-danger.'

The Norfolks were now laughing at them. They were now the ones who were making fun of them.

"What goes around, comes around,"

The Norfolks high-fived at each other.

"Both the Norfolks and the Tasmans are now on the last participant. This is a close fight!"

Erin announced the current status of the ongoing battle of the tribes.

Now it was the battle that they've been waiting for.

Everybody was tensed as they watched Savannah and Zoe ready themselves to run.

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I already know what giving up feels like.

I want to see what happens if I don't.

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