102 FIGH
"Zoe… Zoe...."
Zoe opened her eyes and saw Kristie.
She blinked her eyes again and shut them tightly before opening again.
"How could you be in Terra?"
She glanced around to check on where she was. A yellow tent was covering her view of the day time sky.
"Terra? You got a name for your tent?" Kristie grinned.
She put the wet towel back on the basin. She has been dampening her with cool cloth as soon as she sees her.
"I'm in his tent? How come? Am I back to Lord Howe Island?"
Zoe curiously asked as she unzipped the tent to check on her surroundings.
She was right as she instantly saw the glittering sand which ended at the sparkling ocean.
"Why? Did you leave the island? You said you slept here," Kristie asked in confusion.
"Anyway, please get back to your bed. I think you had a fever and you need to rest."
She added as she pulled her back gently and made her lie down again.
"No I'm not," Zoe replied even though she felt a little dizzy.
She touched her neck with the back of her hand to check on her temperature.
"That's odd." She indeed was slightly hot.
Still, she needs to get up. There is so much revelation in just one night! She needs to do something about it.
"Nothing like paracetamol won't fix," Zoe tried to stand up again.
Kristie was physically stronger than her during that time.
"No, you won't. Mr. Gao told me that you must stay here and rest. Don't worry, I told them about your health. And they advised you to rest too."
Kristie cheered on her. She pulled out a pill and a bottle of water.
"Here, drink these."
"Thank you."
Zoe's pale lips curved upward as she received the medicine from her.
It feels great to be taken care of as she was used to treating others for their sickness.
But she was expecting another person to be in the room.
"Where is Mr. Gao?"
Kristie stopped preparing Zoe's food.
"I thought you know. He said there are some things that he needs to attend to. He'll come back later."
Zoe's eyes narrowed as she thought about what happened.
The last thing she could remember was Raigon and Azra was defending her from the wolves.
'Are they perhaps safe? Is anyone killed by those ravenous beasts? How did she return to this island?'
'And that royal place in my dreams. Were those flashbacks from the past?'
She needs to find out.
"How long have I been like this?" She asked Kristie who was busy preparing her meals.
"Almost a day," Kristie replied.
"What?! Thank you, Kristie. I-I think I can handle myself now."
She feigned a fake energetic response.
"You can go back to the tribe. They must be waiting for you."
"Are you sure?" Kristie responded.
"Because we are really behind on the game. We haven't scored at all against Savannah and her team. One of us even got injured during a challenge."
Kristie's optimistic face suddenly frowned.
"What?! What made her this evil?" Zoe exclaimed. "Is she that desperate to win this game?"
Zoe's blood started to boil.
Her temperature went higher than when she has a slight fever.
"Give me my food," she ordered Kristie.
'We will win. I will get my lost memories. I will know about that city. And nothing can stop me!'
Kriste was stunned at Zoe's abrupt response but she immediately got the soup that she prepared for Zoe.
Zoe finished it in just one minute.
"I'll just take a quick shower and I'll be out in a few minutes. Just tell them to hang on!"
She commanded her as she took her bag and went to the nearest restroom.
Her dizziness seemed to dissipate as she rushed outside.
"But -" Kristie tried to stop her. But what can she do against the determination of the mighty queen Zoe?
In a few minutes, Zoe was bolting towards the challenge area.
It seemed that the fever she felt flew out of fear of her raging temper.
Savannah and the Tasmans were just cheering for each other after winning a game again when they noticed Zoe coming back.
"Zoe!" The Norfolks uttered in disbelief but were secretly thrilled to see their sick comrade appearing on their behalf.
"Are you okay? You don't have to take this challenge," Clay asked in a concerned tone.
Zoe was about to answer him when Savannah butted in.
"Well, well, well. I was about to visit you because I heard you're sick," She crossed her arms as soon as she neared them.
"But it seemed like you're just faking it now, " She added as she glanced at her from head to foot.
"Why are you here? Don't worry, you could continue resting and hiding your face. Your teammates are here to continue the game anyway. Even after you made them lose and spend the night here like beggars. You have such a sweet team."
Savannah openly mocked her, which is agreed upon by the rest of the Tasmans.
Kristie was about to butt in and defend Zoe when Erin stopped her.
"Let her handle it."
Zoe's lips curve up. "I'm sorry, Savannah. But you're wrong. I'm not the kind of person who hides behind friends and then leaves them after using them."
Savannah's eyes widened in bewilderment. "What do you mean by that? Are you talking about me?"
"I'm talking about myself, silly. Not unless you're guilty about it."
Zoe snickered as she went back to her tribe.
"I'm not!" Savannah declared out loud, rolled her eyes at Nella and the others, and went back to the rest of the Tasmans.
The other Norfolks cheered as they high-fived Zoe.
"Okay! It seemed we're now ready for our next challenge. The latest score is 0-2, with the Tasmans on the winning side. Will Zoe Cheng be a blessing or a curse to the Norfolks now that she's back? We'll find out. Are you ready castaways?" Erin announced.
"We're ready!" They all shouted in unison.
***********************************
You may see me struggle
But you'll never see me quit.
-Zoe
***********************************
Zoe opened her eyes and saw Kristie.
She blinked her eyes again and shut them tightly before opening again.
"How could you be in Terra?"
She glanced around to check on where she was. A yellow tent was covering her view of the day time sky.
"Terra? You got a name for your tent?" Kristie grinned.
She put the wet towel back on the basin. She has been dampening her with cool cloth as soon as she sees her.
"I'm in his tent? How come? Am I back to Lord Howe Island?"
Zoe curiously asked as she unzipped the tent to check on her surroundings.
She was right as she instantly saw the glittering sand which ended at the sparkling ocean.
"Why? Did you leave the island? You said you slept here," Kristie asked in confusion.
"Anyway, please get back to your bed. I think you had a fever and you need to rest."
She added as she pulled her back gently and made her lie down again.
"No I'm not," Zoe replied even though she felt a little dizzy.
She touched her neck with the back of her hand to check on her temperature.
"That's odd." She indeed was slightly hot.
Still, she needs to get up. There is so much revelation in just one night! She needs to do something about it.
"Nothing like paracetamol won't fix," Zoe tried to stand up again.
Kristie was physically stronger than her during that time.
"No, you won't. Mr. Gao told me that you must stay here and rest. Don't worry, I told them about your health. And they advised you to rest too."
Kristie cheered on her. She pulled out a pill and a bottle of water.
"Here, drink these."
"Thank you."
Zoe's pale lips curved upward as she received the medicine from her.
It feels great to be taken care of as she was used to treating others for their sickness.
But she was expecting another person to be in the room.
"Where is Mr. Gao?"
Kristie stopped preparing Zoe's food.
"I thought you know. He said there are some things that he needs to attend to. He'll come back later."
Zoe's eyes narrowed as she thought about what happened.
The last thing she could remember was Raigon and Azra was defending her from the wolves.
'Are they perhaps safe? Is anyone killed by those ravenous beasts? How did she return to this island?'
'And that royal place in my dreams. Were those flashbacks from the past?'
She needs to find out.
"How long have I been like this?" She asked Kristie who was busy preparing her meals.
"Almost a day," Kristie replied.
"What?! Thank you, Kristie. I-I think I can handle myself now."
She feigned a fake energetic response.
"You can go back to the tribe. They must be waiting for you."
"Are you sure?" Kristie responded.
"Because we are really behind on the game. We haven't scored at all against Savannah and her team. One of us even got injured during a challenge."
Kristie's optimistic face suddenly frowned.
"What?! What made her this evil?" Zoe exclaimed. "Is she that desperate to win this game?"
Zoe's blood started to boil.
Her temperature went higher than when she has a slight fever.
"Give me my food," she ordered Kristie.
'We will win. I will get my lost memories. I will know about that city. And nothing can stop me!'
Kriste was stunned at Zoe's abrupt response but she immediately got the soup that she prepared for Zoe.
Zoe finished it in just one minute.
"I'll just take a quick shower and I'll be out in a few minutes. Just tell them to hang on!"
She commanded her as she took her bag and went to the nearest restroom.
Her dizziness seemed to dissipate as she rushed outside.
"But -" Kristie tried to stop her. But what can she do against the determination of the mighty queen Zoe?
In a few minutes, Zoe was bolting towards the challenge area.
It seemed that the fever she felt flew out of fear of her raging temper.
Savannah and the Tasmans were just cheering for each other after winning a game again when they noticed Zoe coming back.
"Zoe!" The Norfolks uttered in disbelief but were secretly thrilled to see their sick comrade appearing on their behalf.
"Are you okay? You don't have to take this challenge," Clay asked in a concerned tone.
Zoe was about to answer him when Savannah butted in.
"Well, well, well. I was about to visit you because I heard you're sick," She crossed her arms as soon as she neared them.
"But it seemed like you're just faking it now, " She added as she glanced at her from head to foot.
"Why are you here? Don't worry, you could continue resting and hiding your face. Your teammates are here to continue the game anyway. Even after you made them lose and spend the night here like beggars. You have such a sweet team."
Savannah openly mocked her, which is agreed upon by the rest of the Tasmans.
Kristie was about to butt in and defend Zoe when Erin stopped her.
"Let her handle it."
Zoe's lips curve up. "I'm sorry, Savannah. But you're wrong. I'm not the kind of person who hides behind friends and then leaves them after using them."
Savannah's eyes widened in bewilderment. "What do you mean by that? Are you talking about me?"
"I'm talking about myself, silly. Not unless you're guilty about it."
Zoe snickered as she went back to her tribe.
"I'm not!" Savannah declared out loud, rolled her eyes at Nella and the others, and went back to the rest of the Tasmans.
The other Norfolks cheered as they high-fived Zoe.
"Okay! It seemed we're now ready for our next challenge. The latest score is 0-2, with the Tasmans on the winning side. Will Zoe Cheng be a blessing or a curse to the Norfolks now that she's back? We'll find out. Are you ready castaways?" Erin announced.
"We're ready!" They all shouted in unison.
***********************************
You may see me struggle
But you'll never see me quit.
-Zoe
***********************************