69 BLOOD COMPACT

"What is she doing here? Did she really have the guts to join us in this challenge?"

Zoe overheard one of her former classmates, murmuring to her comrade.

Zoe glanced at them. 'Do you want me to answer that for you?'

Zoe smirked and uttered to herself. But she didn't speak it out loud.

She didn't want to reveal her changed nature just yet.

She scanned the area where they are.

Most of her classmates were also sizing her up with the same look on their faces.

'Stare all you want, I don't care.'

She drew in a deep breath and resumed walking. She found a spot at the back on the right, crossed her legs, and seated herself.

Enzo, who was still following her, was supposed to sit with her when Savannah called his attention.

"Enzo! I reserve a spot for you here."

She waved her hand and pointed to the spot beside her.

She was on the left front part of the area.

"Sure!"

Enzo nodded his head and went there.

One corner of Savannah's lip twitched upward as she mocked Zoe with her gaze.

"Poor Zoe, no one wants to be with her," she whispered to the girl beside her, who was one of her longtime followers.

They both simpered as they watched her sitting alone without a companion.

"As if I'm not happy being by myself. Actually I'm really not happy. I'm overjoyed."

Zoe smiled to herself, knowing deep down that she scored a point on this one.

She was not the type to chit chat around.

She preferred to be reclusive and uninterrupted from whatever her mind was fixed on at the moment.

'As if she didn't know that about me,'

She uttered in a little bit of regret as she recalled the times when Savannah was still her bosom pal.

Erin's orientation distracted her off from her reminiscing moment.

"Greetings, castaways. Before we proceed, we must prove that we will stay until the end of this game and not back out. Can you do that?"

She said in a severe tone and eyeing each and every participant from her left to her right.

She didn't miss a single person.

Everyone gulped and nodded as they met her stare except for Zoe, who just rolled her eyes at her.

Erin didn't change her stance.

"Prove your loyalty, castaways. Stand up and fall in line."

All the participating challengers stood up and obeyed her.

They made a straight column. Savannah was at first, and Zoe was at last.

They were not aware of what's coming next.

"Now, let's do a blood compact!"

Erin raised a large knife and made an evil laugh.

All the castaways' eyes widened in terror, including Zoe. Some even wanted to back out.

She went out of the queue and stark-stared at her friend.

'Have you gone mad?'

She knew what a blood compact is.

It was an ancient ritual in the Philippines to validate an agreement.

The contracting parties would cut their wrists and pour their blood into a cup filled with liquid, such as wine, and drink the mixture.

Zoe was about to romp up and check her crony's head for loose screws when she suddenly grinned from ear to ear.

"But of course, we would not use your own blood. We would use these instead!"

She calmed them and held up a bag full of fake blood capsules.

Everyone heaved out a big sigh of relief.

Erin laughed and bowed in apology. She gave away a capsule to each one.

When it was Zoe's turn, she whispered in Erin's ears.

"I now know why you presented yourself as the coordinator. You're the one who's having more fun here, are you?"

"I'm just starting,"

Erin grinned at her like a Cheshire cat. She shoved her to the end of the row again.

She instructed them to pour the red liquid on their hands and imprint their palm print on a white banner flag.

She then posted it on a hole on the sand and hoisted it up together with Koby.

"Wow."

Everyone stared at it in admiration.

The white flag, covered with each of their palm prints, waved proudly to all the people on the island.

"Let the games begin!"

Erin yelled with her mouth, cupped between her hands.

"Woooh!"

Everyone hooted with a tribal shout.

Zoe chuckled as she crossed her arms.

"Not bad!"

She said in appreciation of her sister's efforts.

Erin went back to her commanding mode as she delivered her instructions.

"You will now go to your respective groups, which are carefully chosen by our council. There will only be two houses for all of you. The Tasman Tribe and the Norfolk Tribe. As I call your name, please step forward."

Everyone babbled as each group of friends wanted to be part of the same clan.

"Savannah Xiang."

Savannah bit her nails in eager excitement.

All of her homegirls were on the Norfolk Tribe while Enzo was on Tasman Tribe.

"You will be in the Tasman Tribe."

Savannah balled up her fist and shook it with a triumphant smile.

Her close friends grimaced as their leader was not among them.

"Zoe Cheng."

Now everyone looked at her in anticipation.

*******************************************

Being behind the scene is as much as fun as being in the front. - Erin

*******************************************