Away From Reality - Jack Maynard - IM A CELEBRITY - COMPLETE

Through The Outback

"Hello, can you hear us guys?" A sudden Geordie accent echoes through the abnormal screen placed in-front of us. All around is a huge field in the Australian outback, with a huge chopper behind.

"We can hear you!" Jamie agrees as we all give a wave to the screen.

"So the trial has come to an end, and we can tell you that the boys had the victory over the girls!" Ant informs. "So Jamie and Dennis. Congratulations. Get in the chopper and we wish you luck! Girls, commiserations, but let the games begin!"

——————————

Holly P.O.V

"I'm so pissed off." Becky groans, pulling the grass harshly from the muddy ground with her face scrunched and red. "We are gonna lose this now."

"We've got this Becky. It's only 5 minutes. They can't be too far ahead."

In that moment, a sudden cutting, loud, stuttering noise cracks the air, and the chopper comes straight over us from the sky.

"Here we go Becky." I cheer, struggling and lifting myself from the floor, wiping the mud off of my trousers. Lifting Becky up and running to the helicopter once it has landed, a ranger helps us in, making sure we are secured before the blades spin and lift us back in the air.

The last time we were in the helicopter, I was sat beside Jack on the way into the jungle. The next time I'll be in one will be on the way out, flying away from this incredible journey.

"We are here girls." The pilot instructs, looking over his shoulder and signalling for us to take our headsets off. "Good luck."

"Thank you!" I say in a light voice, jumping out of the chopper and joining Becky, jogging over to a laminate. Looking around, all in the distance is trees upon trees, with no other life in sight.

"Girls, this challenge will face your strengths and weaknesses in a race through the Australian outback. You will complete three challenges, all based on the 4 world elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water. At each challenge, you will find a flag, and the first team to collect all of the flags, and at the end assemble all of the flags to signal the helicopter will win the challenge. Pack your bags and follow the map to your first challenge. Good luck."

"Let's pack." I hurry, looking around for my backpack. Sliding my boots off and packaging them in the bottom of the bag and slipping on the new boots, I pack up my goggles and rest of the mapping equipment.

"We've got this Holly!" Becky smiles, patting my helmet and taking hold of the map, studying it with intricacy. "This way."

Jogging behind Becky, who's directly following the path of the map, I jog over sharp and cobble rocks, through the forest and trusting Becky's instinct not to get us completely lost. "Come on Holly."

"Right behind you Becks," I call as we reach the first challenge. "Girls-" I read. "This is the first challenge, for the element of fire. You must work your way through the ravine, and build a fire to light the candles and travel through the cave. You will find the flag and then you can move onto the next challenge."

"Let's go!" She chants, observing the map, and running off northwards. With the boys nowhere in site, surely this determination has to be enough to at least narrow the margin between us. Trekking through the rocks, climbing and jumping through the sediment whilst getting dust all over my hands, we get to the lamps, but no fire in sight.

I look at the floor, "we need to start a fire." Bending down and grabbing some wood, some kindling and tinder, I arrange it all in a cone type shape.

"I've got a flint and steel in my bag." Becky breathes in a hurry, scrambling through her bag. "Got it!"

It doesn't take a few seconds for a spark of white light to emerge from the material, combusting the kindling and slowly, spreading to make a roaring fire. Removing the candle from my lantern, and holding the wax over the fire until it catches, myself and Becky have our candles lit in no time.

"Let's get moving," I say. "We need to find the flag."

Using the candles to aid our way through the ink black of the microscopic cave - luckily enough none of us suffer from claustrophobia - it is not long until we come across the burning red flag with the fire symbol on. "Got it."

Following Becky, who scans over the map before gaining her sense of direction, I follow her footsteps swiftly through the jungle for what feels like only a couple of minutes. "We have to be close to the boys now for god's sake!"

Knowing Jamie and Dennis, they certainly aren't a pairing to give up on anything and I have no doubt that they're both striving ahead. But, with Becky being so determined and strong, I have a feeling that we may be on their tail.

The next trial to face is air; up ahead, I look and scan a huge cliff, where we so happen to be at the top. "Girls. To claim the next flag and map, you must abseil down the cliff side and retrieve the flag in the middle of the cliff face."

"So we're abseiling then?" I question, following Becky's footsteps towards the cliff side. Stepping over the small cobbles, and looking over the 50-foot drop onto piercing rocks, it makes my stomach flap with anxiety.

"Oh my god Holly look." Becky points with exasperation. Following her finger whilst a ranger guides me into a harness, Dennis is abseiling down the mountainside with Jamie hurriedly waiting at the bottom.

I look over to Becky, laughing at her shocked but proud reaction we've caught the boys. "They're gaining on us J!" Dennis calls down to Jamie, whilst unhooking the flag.

"I'll go first," Becky calls, being harnessed to the wires. With no hesitation and all determination, she's over the cliff side and retrieving the flag. "It's on your right when you go down Holly."

"Thanks," I shout back. Watching Dennis unclip himself and arranging their two flags, they run off into the distance once scanning their map. "We've gotta get a move on babe!" I exclaim to Becky, being harnessed to the wires by another ranger. Given the all clear, I take a few steps back and holding the rope, the floor gives way below me, causing my heart to shoot into my throat.

"Come on Holl!" Becky cheers from the bottom, packing away her flag.

The sudden gust of wind knocks my balance slightly, whilst playing with the tangled cord that the flag is attached to. "I've almost got it but it's stuck." Shouting down with frustration and a hard tug on the knot causes the rope to snap, and I slide the flag straight out. "Never mind!"

Abseiling to the bottom and being unclipped, Becky has already mapped her way to the next challenge, and once again, we sprint off through the evergreen in the hope to catch Dennis and Jamie.

—————————

Hey everyone! It's finally Christmas holidays! From now on I think updates will be pretty frequent, but I will keep posting conversations on my wall, telling you when the next updates are, so keep a lookout!

Also, comment your favourite Christmas song, because I'd love some new songs to listen too! Xxx