Lenny gestured for the nearest camera to come closer. He turned to the rest of the survivors. “I think your teammate might need some help calming down.”

Ashley was whispering. Maybe she’d been whispering the whole time.

“It’s okay,” she said to James. “So we didn’t find berries. That’s okay. They got the footage they needed. We just won’t do it again.”

“They lied,” he said.

“Maybe not. Maybe Lenny thought there really were strawberries.”

“He made it up so we’d do something dangerous,” said James. “Sure, maybe he thought there was a chance. But he also knew it didn’t matter, because there was nothing we could do about it if he was wrong.”

That seemed plausible enough that nobody said anything for a while.

When Ashley spoke again, her voice cracked, like she was already bracing for the response.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to do this,” she said. “You can go home.”

James started to cry. His back shook, and he sucked in air with a gulping sound, high-pitched, like he couldn’t get enough of it. Like he couldn’t get it out of his lungs fast enough, either. It made Mara uncomfortable. She wished he would stop.

Kyle looked away sharply, like someone had dropped their robe. Ashley was bravest of all, because she scooted close and put her hand on James’s huge shoulder.

“No one would think less of you,” she said. “I promise.”

James was sobbing now, clenched forward. Wiping snot on his wrist. A thin whine came out of him, which broke apart into hiccups. Finally he pulled himself together. Heavy swallows, choking a little before he spoke. His voice was low. Like he was talking just to her, or to none of them at all.

“I can’t afford to,” he said. “We need the prize money. My wife needs . . .” He swallowed again. “I can’t afford to leave.”

None of the rest of them had much to say about that. They needed the money, too.

MARA WENT TO THE LAKE AND POUNDED REEDS FOR A WHILE. BUT SOMETHING MUST have changed, because when she got back, James was preparing to leave. The survivors sat with their teammate, although he wasn’t really their teammate anymore. Two cameras hovered close. One of them was Tom. Mara didn’t look at him.

“What about the money?” said Mara. She felt relieved to see him go. James was a lot.

“I need it,” said James. “But I don’t trust this. You guys will probably be fine, I’m not saying that. But I’m not going to die for reality TV.”

“Nobody’s dying,” said Ashley.

“I know,” he said. “But it’s not impossible, you know?”

Dying was always possible. Mara wasn’t sure what his point was.

James made a show of giving away his machete. Holding it out to Ashley with two hands. “I want you to have this,” he said, like it wouldn’t be the biggest dick move to take it with him, although of course the cameras loved the scene. “I hope it helps you get through this. All of you.” And back to Ashley: “You’ve got this. I know you do.”