The Challenge

Chapter Thirty

They smell. There is no kind way of putting it; between the layers of slick sweat dripping from their bodies and the nasty swamp water soaked into their clothes, she knows they smell horrific. Little wisps are trying to escape her braid, curling at her temples and she can only imagine how unhinged she looks right now.

She's gasping for clean air but it's so thick and muggy today. Thankfully, they are pulling up to the next station after another two or three mile hike. She recklessly drops the cart with their puzzle pieces, in a rush to reach for the water on her back.

"You're killing it with that damn thing," Killian compliments in hopes to boost her ego but she's feeling so damn defeated. "Come on, we need to start the next checkpoint!"

She nods along, never releasing the tube from her mouth as she jogs behind her partner. When they come to a clearing, her heart bangs severely against her chest in an attempt to escape and quit this damn game. Regina and Naveen are still there, her heart breaking when she sees her secret lover holding her hair back as she vomits off to the side. Naveen is dressed up in a helmet as he kneels down, yanking on a giant slingshot and trying so hard to aim. She swallows thickly.

"Swan," Killian calls to her, handing her a helmet. "Okay, we have to slingshot these golf balls into those targets. We each need to break through twice. Every time we miss, we have to drink a beer."

"A beer? What in the actual...there is no way we can finish this challenge drunk!"

"Relax, love," he chuckles, clipping his helmet into place. "They are non-alcoholic beer."

"Still," she grumbles in disgust because she knows how heavy that liquid is going to feel in her stomach. "And god, how far is that target?"

"I'm not sure, maybe one hundred feet?" He smiles brightly her way, slapping her upside the helmet as she finishes clipping it into place. "You wanna try first or would you like me to go?"

"Uhh...you go first," she nervously replies as Regina proceeds to hurl from the heavy liquid filling her stomach that is most likely already sick from the scorching heat.

Killian places a neon yellow golf ball into the small patch, his fingers never releasing the ball as he yanks back hard on the slingshot. He closes one eye, focuses on his target and then releases the slingshot, sending his ball soaring through the sticky air. Unfortunately, the ball hits the metal poles between the targets and falls straight to the ground.

"Well, cheers, mate," he mocks, gingerly lifting a pint into the air before chugging, what she can only assume is warm beer now after sitting so long under the blazing sun. He never quits, opening his throat like a professional frat boy and downing every last drop, forcing her eyebrows to leap in astonishment. "Go on, hurry up," he grumbles just before he lets out a rough burp.

She snatches a golf ball from the bucket and places it inside the slingshot but the target seems a lot further and more daunting now that she's standing here. She inhales sharply, pulls back, stretching the cords as far as possible and then releases. The ball flies awfully fast and she thinks this is great for busting through the target, except the ball launches up and over where she needs it most.

Well shit.

"Aye, good effort. Good effort," Killian praises, slapping a hand upon her shoulder as they pass one another.

"I know but I don't think my stomach can handle this right now," she whines, picking up the glass and grimacing.

"Chug it, so you can hurry up and take your next turn," he instructs as he lines up his next shot.

She nods, closing her eyes and chugging as fast as those days that she and Lily would sneak into parties and would drink as much and fast as possible before anyone noticed them swiping the alcohol. The liquid is hot and only making her dehydrated but she keeps on swallowing, not wanting to let Killian down. This could be a huge break for them, a great opportunity to pull ahead.