Chapter 7

*Thirteen hours earlier*

While Daphne opens her eyes on the embankment, Noemi wakes up at the other end of the island on a beach. Sitting down for a few moments to collect herself, the youngest looks around, hoping to be at Heartland, but she doesn't recognize anything. A few meters further, she sees Brooklyn with her lower body in the water. Asking no questions, she rushes to her friend to get out of the water completely. Once done, she gives her a few slaps to wake her up, which works perfectly since Brooklyn opens her eyes almost immediately.

- Where are we? Brooklyn asks him straightening up.

- I have no idea. On the other hand, I don't have the impression that we are in Heartland.

Brooklyn takes a quick look around.

- Do you notice anything? Noemi continues.

- No...

- We're alive! she replies with a smile.

- It's true, Brooklyn answers with a simple smile.

- You don't seem so happy.

- I don't see the others.

- They certainly failed elsewhere... Do you know what we're going to do? We take our minds and we start looking for them. It suits you?

- All right... Let's do this.

Having allowed themselves a long time to collect their thoughts, the two young ladies stand up and begin their walk; taking advantage at the same time of this warm-up to discover this new landscape which is offered to them. Continuing forward, they discover a sign that reads "Public Beach" with a paved road going in an opposite direction five hundred meters away from them. Preferring to continue along the beach with the hope of finding the others, their search finally bears fruit, finding ten minutes later some other young ladies, unconscious. Immediately, each goes to one person, with Brooklyn opting for Jessica.

- Jessica? Brooklyn inquires as soon as she opens her eyes.

- Ouch, my head, she replies, straightening up. The waves brought us home as we hoped…

- Er… I don't think so…

- Really? wonders Jessica. Where are we in this case?

- I have no idea.

Jessica is happy to still be alive. A few moments later, she gets up and goes to hear from the ladies.

- Are you girls, okay?

- It seems so, replies Noemi, joining their manager. They are a little stunned, but they are alive. It is the most important.

- I think I owe you and Jessica a thank you, says Brooklyn as she addresses Jessica and Noemi. It's thanks to you two that I'm still alive...

- I told you everything would be fine. We just have to find out where we are.

- There's something I haven't told you yet, Jessica, suddenly continues Noemi, somewhat embarrassed.

- Who is it?

- We are not complete.

- Who is missing?

- When I counted, there were only eight of us, begins Noemi. Daphne, Aurore, Gabriella, Jennifer and Anne-Sophie are missing. "I hope my Jenny is doing well…"

- I'm sure she is, Brooklyn told her with the idea of ​​reassuring her.

- Where can they be? asks Anais.

- They could be anywhere, Brooklyn answers. Besides, we, Noemi and I, woke up a little further.

- We'll have to look for them.

Jessica gets up and approaches the sea before walking along the beach, looking for the missing young ladies at the same time with the hope of finding those who are missing. During this time, the young ladies gather and do not miss an opportunity to criticize their neighbor.

- Look at her, Kelly launches to the others, making fun of Amber. Now that she finds herself on her own, I would like to know if she will continue to be a plague. Take a look! Strangely, there she no longer wants to annoy her neighbor. I don't know what's holding me back from celebrating.

- It's not the time, Brittany stops her.

- Why not? Do you think it was a good time to sabotage Daphne's bikini when she did it? she asks before turning once more to Amber. What are you doing in your corner? You no longer have the strength now that your friends are no longer there to laugh at your nonsense?

- Can you leave me please? she replies without looking at her. I don't really want to talk.

- Leave you? Truly? connects Brooklyn by joining Kelly. You don't lack nerve! You've really ruined our competition as far as I know.

- I beg you...Leave me, ask Amber said once more as her eyes filled with tears. I need to be alone.

- Girls, leave her alone, Chelsea intervenes.

- Leave her alone? Brooklyn retorts. This is out of the question. You see? What's happening to him right now is a very nice backlash. By dint of having hurt his neighbor, it is his turn to suffer.

- Ideally, her two friends would have drowned, continues Anais. That would give her a good beating...

- Anais! Chelsea is surprised while Amber, disgusted by what she has just heard, runs away. How can you say such a thing?

- Why are you defending her? Kelly asks her.

- Do you realize what you're saying? You want someone dead anyway! There, Amber runs in the nature while we have no idea what's lying around here...

- She only has what she deserves, simply launches Brooklyn.

- I'm going to get her, Chelsea informs them and, before anyone has time to comment, she's already gone.

- What's happening to him? Noemi wonders as they watch her walk away.

- I have no idea, Anais replies.

- As far as I know, she's your friend!

- Yes, she's my friend, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I understand everything she does! We will have a conversation when he returns.

- It just shows that Chelsea has a little more heart than you girls, Brittany interferes.

- You're not going to lecture us, Brittany. When Amber was constantly being mean to us, no one was asking her to stop. On the contrary, we were told not to respond to his attacks. Today that we have the opportunity to ruin his life, I don't see why we should deprive ourselves of it!

- Anais is right, agrees Kelly. Not a day has gone by that Amber hasn't made us regret taking part in this contest.

- I've often advised you to complain to Jessica, Brittany replies. Yet not one of you has done it.

- You know very well that if we had done it, Amber would have made our lives a living hell! It's easy for you to say that kind of thing since she's never screwed you up.

- Personally, I don't really understand why you dwell on this when Amber only got what she deserved... Noemi says. The ideal thing for all of us would be for her to disappear for good.

- Really? Brittany asks him, surprised by such a comment. Imagine you woke up and Brooklyn was gone. How would you have felt?

- It's a stupid question since Brooklyn is very much alive.

- Well, you want to play this game... Fine! If Brooklyn goes swimming and a shark eats it, how will you react?

- Why are you bringing this back to Brooklyn? We are talking about a person who has constantly been mean to us!

- And that's a reason to want Aurore and Anne-Sophie dead?

- It's true that I shouldn't have said that, Anais repents. I don't want them to be found dead. I just wanted to hurt Amber and I succeeded.

- The least you could do is apologize Anais...

- Excuse me? Apologize to Amber? This is out of the question.

- Is it that hard for you to swallow your pride?

- When it comes to Amber, it's hard to do, Brooklyn replies. If it was Daphne who had said such a thing to him, would you also ask him to swallow his pride?

- It's not the same scenario...

- Yes, precisely! It is! That's what we're trying to make you understand. To Daphne, she made a mess of it during the competition but, to us, it was outside of the competition that she did it to us. Do you have any idea how many of us shed tears because of his wickedness? Who told her that she was doing wrong with us? reacts Brooklyn, annoyed by the turn of the conversation.

- The girls, the missing ones aren't around... launches Jessica, back among the girls. What do we do? Uh, I don't see Chelsea and Amber. Where are they?

- There was a little problem with Amber. She misses her friends and she has isolated herself. Chelsea went to join her so she wouldn't be alone, Brittany lies.

- I understand her... Poor thing.

- Forgive me for interrupting you Jessica, but I have an idea, launches Kelly taking the floor. For those who are willing, you can get into groups of two and walk along the beach in opposite directions. If the girls are around, a group is bound to find them.

- Kelly's right, support Brittany.

- Are there any volunteers among you? asks the manager.

- Noemi and I are in, Brooklyn replies immediately without consulting her friend, having something in mind.

- I'm going with Kelly, continues Anais.

- Very well, Jessica accepts. As the two groups have been formed, you can set off. On the other hand, if you sense the slightest danger, you immediately return here, is that clear?

- Very clear, they answer in chorus.

The two groups move away taking opposite directions. If Anais and Kelly have every intention of going along the beach to hope to find those who are missing, such is not really the case for the other group. Brooklyn is determined to find out where the road she spotted with Noemi earlier leads. Instead of following the beach, they have in mind to follow the road and see where it leads in the hope of coming across a civilization that can help them to regain Heartland.