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You have to win. You have to win. You can do it you finally have a chance.
Joel’s thoughts are rapid and harsh as he suddenly springs up surrounded by an unfamiliar environment and a very familiar voice.
“You’re finally awake we’ve been waiting for you for ages! I’m so proud of you!” Lizzie exclaims while suddenly jumping at him with arms outstretched. In Joel’s mind time seems to slow.
Where is he, what is he doing here? Why is Lizzie attacking him? They were supposed to be allies? This doesn't look like anywhere on the map that he knows of. Why is his inventory empty, who took his weapons and how?
Questions filled his head but the only thing he knew was that his wife was attacking him. The only person he thought he could always trust was trying to kill him in a moment of weakness. He knew that no matter what she did he could never hurt her, and with his empty inventory he couldn't have done much if he tried, so his only choice was to run.
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Lizzie was so excited to see Joel again. Wild Life had gone on for what felt like forever and she didn't realise how much she had missed them just being together. No alliances, or death games, or eliminations to worry about, just two people deeply in love.
And this time Joel has finally won. She never understood why he cared so much about the stupid games but now that he has been crowned victor he’ll be able to relax
and just enjoy their time together like he was able to before third life ever existed.
Her thoughts were cut off as Joel finally woke up, ending the agonising wait she truly didn't have the patience for.
“You’re finally awake we’ve been waiting for you for ages! I’m so proud of you!” She reached out to hug him after so long apart but suddenly he was sprinting away. Away from her. Away from his wife. Away from her dreams of what they could do together. Away.
Her insecurities consumed her. Was she not good enough for him anymore now that he has won and she is still a failure. Did he suddenly find her disgusting enough to flee during what was supposed to
Be a joyful reunion. Was the mere presence of her so repulsive he couldn't stand to stick around for even a minute.
Everyone else was inside waiting for them. What would she tell them? Would they agree with him? Would they blame her for the guest of honor’s dissapearence? Just thinking about it made her feel sick.
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He escaped. She didn't event attempt to chase after him which, while he was grateful, was definitely odd. His first instinct was to try and find Gem… but if even Lizzie attacked him then maybe his family couldn't be trusted after all.
Even if he wanted to find Gem he still had no idea where he was. He thought he had explored every inch of their limited borders early on but evidently he must have somehow missed this because he knew he would have remembered it.
The dull grass seems endless with no trees or structures in sight. The only building was the bland house Lizzie had been standing in front of. That must be the bam-bunker he has heard so much about yet never been trusted enough to be let in.
Who cares, he certainly doesn't. Who needs a dumb bunker anyway - only people with secrets. His base was out in the open for everyone to see, and it was much cooler then whatever this was. Now if only he could find his way back to his precious car he could re gear and arm himself. It was too late in the season to be running around defenseless with red names around every corner.
He was disoriented and clueless so his only hope was to pick a directoon, walk, and hope for the best, so that's exactly what he did.
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“He's, he's gone” Lizzie finally managed to choke out between her sobs.
“What do you mean he’s gone” a confused and disbelieving Gem questioned.
“He finally woke up and then I went to hug him and he just ran, he left us, he left me”
Though her eyes were closed she could practically feel the judging stares cast from everyone in the room. It was her job to greet him and bring him in to the rest of them. She had failed.
“I’m sorry”
Grian was quick to dissolve her worries. “It’s not your fault Lizzie. Winning can be really disorienting I’m sure there's more going on then we know”
“What could possibly be going on?! He ran away from me! He clearly doesn’t want me around”
“I’m sure that's not true. How about me and Mumbo try to find him and bring him back.”
“Just… make sure he knows I love him. Please. And that I'm sorry for whatever he is mad about”
“Sure thing”
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He was so lost. He has walked until his hit the world border and since then has been wandering in circles desperately hoping to find some familiar terrain despite hitting border after border which all seemed even closer together than the ones he was used to.
As the barely visible blue border came I to view for what felt like the millionth time he heard footsteps from behind him. His eyes scanned the area before settling on two distant blobs that were steadily approaching. It was Grian and Mumbo.
How was Mumbo alive? Didn't he die on red or did Joel make that up? His memorys seemed fuzzy. No he was certain it happened Mumbo should be dead. But clearly he isn't. Maybe the wild card brought him back? What was the wildcard anyway? How long did he have left in session?
“What are you doing here? Stay away or else” his opponents didn't need to d to know he was unarmed. He could seem intimidating if he wanted to.
“We’re not here to fight we just want to bring you back to the house, everyone misses you”
“What house? Do you mean the bunker. Why would you of all people ally with them? I thought you hated Jimmy! They let you in! How could Lizzie trust you and not me?”
“What are you talking about? I only hated Jimmy in the game you know that right? We’re still friends outside of it, and besides I blew up the bunker? We’re in the void again, the games over you won.”
“You’re lying I know you are. The games Arent over they can't be” if the games were over Joel must have lost again and he couldn't do that. He refused to.
Finally Mumbo decided to chime in though Joel still didn't know how he was here. “If we're not in the void where are we? This isn't any part of the Wild Life map I ever saw? Don’t you recognise it? You've been here before”
Joel realised Mumbo was right. He did feel like he recognised this place. But he refused to accept the games were over, they couldn't be. That would be too easy.
“No you're lying you're tricking me youre trying to kill me
Grian seemed to be growing frustrated, good! Joel wasn't going to go down without a fight that was for certain.
“Are either of us carrying weapons?”
Joel glanced at the pair before shaking his head.
“Have we attacked you at all?”
Once again, Joel reluctantly shook his head.
“If you were us, and we were trying to kill you wouldn't you have just charged and attacked? Its two vs one and you're backed into a corner with the border, we could have won easily but we didn't because, for the last time, WE DONT WANT TO HURT YOU AND THE GAMES ARE OVER”
He considered Grian’s words and couldn't find anything to argue about.
“But The games can't be over”
“Why not?”
“Because I needed to win, I told Lizzie I was going to win and I have to to show her that I’m strong and worthy”
Now even Mumbo was frustrated. “THATS WHAT THIS WHOLE DEBACLE IS ABOUT?You DID win and when Lizzie tried to congratulate you, you ran away from her so now she thinks you suddenly hate her!” Both Mumbo and Grian continued berating him but he couldn’t hear any of it.
Joel couldn’t believe the words. He won. Cool. But more importantly Lizzie was mad at him. Not cool. Shoot.
He ignored Grian and Mumbo’s complaints as he sprinted past them back towards the house. Not the bunker after all.
As he ran he realized this place did seem familiar. His memories began to solidify and he realized this was the place they stayed after they were eliminated and between seasons which had been not so affectionately dubbed the void. Wild Life must be over after all.
As he ran all he could do was worry about Lizzie. He felt absolutely awful knowing he hurt her.
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The concept of time seemed to disappear as Lizzie mourned her lost love. She was happy he achieved his dream of winning but she wished it didn’t mean she had to let him go. She was sitting in the corner watching all of her friends attempt to enjoy their well deserved break. Everyone was clearly on edge because of her and Joel, hopefully soon he’ll come back and they will be able to civilly coexist even if he no longer loves her. She’ll never be able to get over him but she’ll pretend she can if it means the rest of the group stays intact.
She was shocked out of her self pity as Joel, speak of the devil, flung the door open and rushed towards her.
“I’m so blumming sorry babe. I thought we were still in the game and that you were trying to attack me so I ran so I wouldn’t have to hurt you and then Grian and Mumbo found me and made me realize how much of an idiot I am and I made you think I hate you which I don’t obviously. I love you so much and you are the most perfect thing to ever happen to me and I hope you forgive me I am so so sorry baby—“
She cut off his barely comprehensible rambling “Wait… you don’t hate me?”
“Of course not baby and I am so sorry I ever made you think that I love you more then I could ever hope to express and I am—“
As soon as he confirmed he didn’t hate her she wrapped her arms around his neck embracing him. She was so unbelievably happy to have her husband back.
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The next few weeks were filled with bliss and love. Lizzie and Joel were practically inseparable and the rest of the group seemed to get over Joel’s disappearance easily after Grian briefly explained the scenario. Eventually the watchers would grow hungry again and they would be sent to a new death game with a new twist but now they knew nothing could come between them and they would be ready to face the next green light. Together.