Surviving the Swamp (Survivalist Reality Show Book 1)

by Grace Hamilton

  “Every week was a new challenge. A test of our survival skills. We did the fishing and being alone, moving through that length of swamp to get to goals without guidance and sleeping on our own. What were you going to have us attempt after we made it through this past week?” she pried.

  He took a deep breath, sighing as he fed some dry moss into the fire. “We were going to have some shelter building next.”

  She pursed her lips, wondering what he’d been thinking with putting that off. “I think you should have done that the first week.”

  He laughed. “The idea was to have you guys attempt to find shelter on your own. In week three, we would have given you some materials and asked you to build with what you had. You would have had a partner, and whoever had the best shelter would have won the challenge.”

  “What would have been the best shelter? I mean, how would you know who won?”

  “Placement would have been a huge factor. Getting yourself off the ground would also earn big points.”

  “Why placement? I mean, I obviously know we wouldn’t want to be in the water or at the top of a steep rock where we might roll the wrong way and fall, but how can there be any ideal location for a shelter in a swamp? It’s all wet, and everywhere has threats.”

  He nodded thoughtfully, but continued staring into the fire as his familiar teacher tone came back and he answered. “I wanted you guys to pay attention to the surroundings. Look for tracks in the mud or in the area that could indicate you were in the direct path of a gator getting in and out of the water. We’ve had to move people nearly as soon as they started building in the past, because of gators and even bears. You would want to look for insect activity, too. Stagnant water nearby was going to be a huge no-no because of the mosquito infestation.”

  “There’s standing water all over the place,” she pointed out.

  “Yes, but if you take a few minutes to scout out a location, you can see if there is heavy activity or the normal. Trust me—placement matters.”

  She nodded, understanding what he meant. They had come across several of those infested locations. One of the contestants had had a nasty run-in with a fire ant colony even while they’d been near the set. That had been purely the fault of the person because he hadn’t been paying attention, but their own travel through the swamp had offered up enough proof that being vigilant couldn’t necessarily guard against even ants without real issues coming up.

  “Survival in nature is a little different than survival on the city streets,” she acknowledged. “I’ll give you that much, but I think it’s all about your attitude.”

  “I agree. There are plenty of stories of skilled outdoorsmen going into a survival situation and failing. I’ve seen plenty of those types on this show. They come in thinking they know everything and end up tapping out or being eliminated because they can’t handle the mental stress. Being cold, scared, and without the creature comforts we’re all used to can really screw with your head,” he answered.

  Regan smiled. “I’ve seen some of those past shows and people on other shows. I always laugh when it’s the person you would least expect to win who takes home the prize. You had one season where it was a small, older guy. I think he was former military. The guy looked like he would fail in the first week.”

  Wolf chuckled. “Oh, yes. I remember him. You remind me of him in a lot of ways. He was so determined to survive and win, nothing stopped him. The other younger players, all far more skilled and healthier, were dropping like flies around him. He kept going. I talked to him after it was all over and asked how he managed to make it through. Do you know what he told me?”

  “What?”

  “He said failing wasn’t an option. He wasn’t going to lose. His mother used to tell him everything was mind over matter. He was in full control of every situation, even when he was hurt and hungry. Said he had to remember that. He simply didn’t let his brain rule him. He ruled it.”

  Regan could understand that mindset. “I hope I do remind you of him.”

  “Your brain is your best survival tool. Your attitude means everything. If you’re constantly bitching about how awful things are, you’re going to fail,” he said, not for the first time.

  “I get it. I try hard to be positive. I’m not that kind of a girl, but that doesn’t mean I’m not determined to make it. I’m going to make it, but don’t expect a little Pollyanna to be a ray of sunshine around here,” she quipped as she picked up some more of the berries and popped them between her lips. The sweetness was a nice follow-up to the fish, and she told herself she’d have to remember to thank Tabitha in the morning.

  Wolf was smiling at her as she ate, nodding. “Understandable. I can’t say I’m the bubbly type, either,” he added with a chuckle

  They sat in silence a little while longer, the fire fading to nothing more than a small glow until Wolf spent some time working to re-kindle it, making sure it would last well into the night without more attention. Then he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. “Please, at least try and close your eyes for a few hours. I’ll wake you when it’s your shift.”

  Regan knew she wasn’t going to win the battle. Her body was tired and laying down would be better than staring into the darkness with her eyes wide open, as if that would allow her to see better. She could already feel a headache coming on from the eye strain of trying to make out shapes in the dark foliage around them.

  “All right, I’ll try,” she acquiesced, and slowly made her way to the sleeping area Tabitha had put together.

  She reclined by Tabitha and tried to sleep—she really tried, too, but it was futile. Despite the layer of fluffy green beneath her, she was uncomfortable and cold. She couldn’t make her brain rest, no matter how hard she tried.

  Frustrated, Regan finally got up and made her way over to where Wolf had been reclining against a tree.

  “I’ll take over. I can’t sleep,” she offered.

  He looked her over, and then glanced over to the rest of the group. She could tell he was tempted, and reached out to gesture for the spear he’d been holding.

  “Are you sure?” he asked.

  She nodded. “Someone may as well sleep,” she muttered.

  “Okay. Yell if you need me,” he said, putting the makeshift spear in her hand.

  “Got it.”

  He walked away and laid down in the spot she’d occupied moments earlier. Closer to the fire, Regan’s eyes were wide, staring out into the darkness. The moonlight did little to light the area because of the tree canopy, but she could make out outlines of trees and undergrowth, and hear the wandering river.

  With the darkness, her hearing was heightened. It remained eerily quiet. They had been in the swamp for around three weeks, but tonight felt quieter than it had ever been. While the show was based on them being alone in the swamp, she knew they’d never been truly alone. If they’d gotten hurt, all they’d had to do was call out. If Wolf himself hadn’t heard, someone would, and the call would be relayed on until it reached their fearless leader. Then, within no time at all if help was warranted, there’d have been the producer, Wolf, and a slew of cameramen to film the drama. The hum of the random cameras and the little red lights indicating they were on and recording had all been solid reminders that they were never truly alone. Now, they were.

  In the surrounding world, there was nothing. No planes flying overhead or the sound of airboats drifting through the distant trees. It was as if the entire world had stopped. Even the animals seemed to have recognized something was wrong and had gone quiet.

  Her head jerked back and forth, listening for sounds of a silent predator making his way into their camp. She wasn’t sure how long she had sat against that tree before she heard a noise and jumped to her feet, the spear swinging in front of her.

  She blinked several times. “Hello? Who’s there?”

  “It’s me,” Wolf answered, his voice carrying through the darkness.

  “What the hell?” she growled. “You nearly
got speared!”

  “Relax. You should have heard me coming.”

  “I did,” she whispered. “Which is why you were nearly impaled. Why are you up?”

  “I couldn’t sleep,” he said wryly.

  She chuckled at his tone. “Oh, but I thought you needed rest and all that.”

  “Whatever. I’m here. You can try and sleep again while I take over. May as well let the others get some shut-eye since we’re struggling.”

  Regan shook her head, eyeing their sleeping forms and thinking she’d only disturb them. “I’ll stay up. I’m too keyed up to sleep, especially after what you just did. My heart is racing,” she grumbled.

  Together, they sat down again, leaning their backs against the same tree, sitting shoulder to shoulder.

  “How come you never told me about the fishing thing or how to keep the mosquitoes off me? That could have been really useful information,” she commented.

  “I couldn’t show you favoritism,” he answered after a moment.

  “I don’t think it would have been favoritism at all.”

  He sighed. “My producer told me I spent too much time with you during the first challenge. He was worried viewers would think you and I had a thing and that I was setting you up to win. If you would have won, it would have been a scandal. I didn’t want to deal with that, and I know you wouldn’t.”

  Regan went quiet, thinking about that first week. “I guess I didn’t realize you were paying more attention to me.”

  Wolf’s lips quirked up in an embarrassed smile. “I was. It wasn’t on purpose. I was naturally drawn to you for a number of reasons. Your strength. And you’re gorgeous, not to mention the fact that you didn’t care what anyone else thought. Maybe it was because I saw you as a challenge, as well. Your stubbornness and demands to do everything on your own were funny and frustrating at the same time. I’ve seen the footage from that first week, even when I wasn’t around. You’re something else.”

  She groaned. “Great. In my defense, you guys screwed up by putting me with Sunny. That woman could have driven a saint crazy.”

  He chuckled. “That was on the producer. He wanted drama. You two delivered.”

  “Glad I could get you a nice ratings boost.”

  They fell quiet again, listening for any sounds that would indicate they were about to be pounced upon by a giant cat. Thoughts of a potential attack barely distracted her and Regan could feel the tension between them. She had played off his confession of being drawn to her, but couldn’t help being affected. She wasn’t quite sure what to think. She had felt the chemistry, as well, but ignored it. Romance wasn’t her strong suit, and this was not the time for her to get involved in any messy relationships.

  “I’m sorry,” Wolf said, interrupting her thoughts.

  “For?”

  “I shouldn’t have said that, earlier.”

  “You’re going to have to be more specific,” she said dryly.

  “The part about being drawn to you. I can feel your unease. I didn’t mean to make you feel awkward.”

  She turned her head to look at him, and found him staring at her, his lips set in a serious line. Their faces were close, and before she knew what he was going to do, his face moved closer to hers. His mouth hovering over hers, so that if she tilted her head…. He was leaving it up to her, clearly. The situation made her both nervous and excited. She liked him, but starting a relationship with him in the midst of a life or death situation seemed wrong in so many ways.

  “We can’t,” she whispered without pulling away.

  “I know,” he said, also not moving.

  “It’ll complicate things,” she pointed out.

  He finally shifted away. “You’re right. This is not the right time.”

  Regan swallowed hard, and looked to the fire rather than meeting his eyes. Was she disappointed he’d pulled away? She shouldn’t have been, but could feel her heart racing with what had almost happened. “I feel like it’s too easy. We’re in an end of the world scenario, and tumbling into something like this could make things harder. I mean, if we were in the city and we met at a coffee shop, would we have this same reaction?” she questioned.

  She heard him sigh and knew she had her answer. “As if either of us would be in a coffee shop. But, I see your point. Maybe we would or maybe we wouldn’t—I know what you’re saying. Things are crazy enough, and letting our emotions lead us is a bad idea.”

  She agreed with everything he’d said, but didn’t say it. Instead, she went back to staring into the darkness. Having his shoulder and warm body so close to her was comforting. She could feel her body relaxing once again. Her head kept bobbing forward until she finally began drifting off to sleep.

  Wolf’s hand came up and gently pressed her head against his sturdy shoulder. She wanted to protest and tell him she was fine. But she didn’t. It felt good to close her eyes, and to lean on him. She promised herself she would rest for a few minutes, but it wasn’t long before she fell into a deep, restful sleep with his hard shoulder for a pillow, her hand relaxing and dropping against his thigh.

  12

  She should have kissed him, she lamented. Things were more awkward between them than ever. Or maybe she felt awkward, and was projecting. He didn’t seem to feel the same way. He was the opposite, in fact. The man had practically transformed. Regan blamed herself. She had fallen asleep on the man’s shoulder, which he’d apparently taken as some sort of sign they were a thing.

  “You okay?” Wolf asked her.

  She looked up from where she was packing her backpack.

  “I’m fine.”

  He squatted down beside her and nudged her in the shoulder. He had found various ways to touch her all morning. It was unnerving for her, suggesting an intimacy she didn’t know if she liked. At least not in the situation they were in.

  “You’re pulling away from me. Why?”

  “I’m not pulling away. I was never close,” she pointed out.

  He chuckled. “Yes, you were. Don’t worry, I’m not going to push anything. Relax, Regan. We should be walking out of here today.”

  She brushed off her pants and stood up. He straightened beside her and stepped in front of her, waiting until she looked up and met his eyes.

  “What?” she asked defensively.

  He smiled before reaching out and touching her arm. “You’re like a prickly pear.”

  She rolled her eyes. “If that is your way of flirting, you really suck at it.”

  He chuckled, brushing his long, black hair over his shoulders and finding her eyes with his own once again. “I’ll keep that in mind. Practice makes perfect.”

  “Great,” she groaned.

  “Are we ready?” Fred asked, tucking the hammock into his pack.

  “I think so,” Wolf said. “Tabitha, Geno, are you guys ready?”

  “Yes,” Geno answered for them as he helped Tabitha adjust her pack on her shoulders.

  “We should be out of the swamp by this afternoon. We need to keep moving, so make sure you’ve hydrated,” he instructed. “Maybe we’ll find some food, and hopefully running water.”

  “A shower,” Tabitha sighed with obvious longing.

  Regan completely understood the sentiment. It had been way too long since she’d showered. Even when she’d been homeless, she’d managed to get a shower a couple times a week. Feeling dirty and being caked with mud was mentally taxing. Somehow, it hadn’t occurred to her when she’d signed up for the show that bathing would be pretty much impossible, and wading through that river a few days before hadn’t exactly fit the bill. She exchanged glances with Tabitha and knew the other woman was thinking the same thing.

  “Let’s get moving,” Wolf ordered.

  Once again, he reached out and touched Regan’s elbow. She didn’t hate the touching, but it made her self-conscious. She looked up and saw that Tabitha had noticed it, too. Tabitha smiled at her. She simply ignored the look and quickly put on her pack.

  The group g
ot back into their familiar formation. Wolf had already studied the map, using the compass to find the right direction, and they set out. They were all anxious to see what they would find when they emerged from their swamp cocoon. As they moved, it became clearer and clearer that the terrain was drying out, and the foliage wasn’t quite as dense as it had been even the day before. As mid-day approached, Regan looked around Wolf and could see another body of water, causing her to groan inwardly. She was about sick of water. Though, it occurred to her, she might not have argued with a nice clean swimming pool.

  “We need to cross here,” Wolf announced. “I can see an old road on the other side of this shallow river. We’re close, guys!” he said, his voice infused with excitement.

  “Are you sure it’s shallow?” Regan asked, not wanting a repeat of the earlier river incident.

  Wolf nodded his head, glancing up and down along the banks. “Yes, I can see rocks breaking up the flow of the water. Do you see?” he asked, pointing to where a V-shaped ripple could be seen on the surface.

  She nodded her head. “Okay, let’s go. One at a time?”

  “I’ll go first,” Fred volunteered, taking the first few steps into the waterway.

  Regan watched as he slipped and slid on the rocks. The gangly man made it across without falling in face first, but barely. Still, if he could do it, she certainly should be able to. This time, Geno stepped up right alongside Tabitha, and they made it across together.

  Once again, Wolf and Regan would be the last to cross. He walked into the water behind her and ended up passing her, extending his hand to help her the last few feet. She reluctantly took it, simply because she didn’t want to fall. There was no way she would admit she liked having someone look out for her and help her out. That would have made her weak. She was not weak—she was simply being smart, logical.

  Once they were across, Wolf took another look at the map and then nodded into the distance. “Okay, guys, stay alert. We’re going to be on the outskirts of a town that skirts the swampland. We don’t know what we’re walking into. Situational awareness is extremely important. Use all your senses and trust your instincts. If those little hairs on the back of your neck stand up, listen,” Wolf lectured them as they stepped onto a dirt road with deep tire tracks dried in the mud. It was the first road she’d seen since coming into the swamp, and although it was bordered by swampland, it still gave her a thrill. They’d be out soon.