Author Games: World Seasons

Task Four - Oh So Grassy - St Patrick's Tributes

Terry O'Brian:

I woke up falling to the ground. Today was the second night in a row that I had fallen asleep randomly. If I kept this up it was only a matter of time until someone killed me in my sleep. I noticed the tree that I was sleeping in was slowly disappearing. Another Gamemaker's face appears in the sky and starts to talk. Damn, the Gamemakers are chatty this year.  

The grass around my feet is slowly starting to grow. I get out my knife and start to slash at the grass, so that it doesn't grow too closely around me. Unfortunately, the grass just keeps growing. I have a stubborn satisfaction that the grass around me is only knee-high unlike everywhere else where it reaches my waist.  

As I celebrate my victory, I notice roots growing around my feet. I stab the roots until they stop growing. I hear screams of other tributes who must be going through the same thing I am. I hop around, the grass giving me small cuts as I hop around it. Eventually, I just cut down all of the grass and miraculously it doesn't grow back. Through out the day three cannons fire, thankfully none are my kill.  

If I jump I can see that some of the grass is stained red with blood. Maybe the cuts I received on my legs were just minor reflections of the grass' raw power. As if on cue, Clover comes bursting through the grass, her body covered in cuts. I shoot her instinctively and she falls to the ground. It probably only took her a second to bleed out. I shudder, I put her out of my misery I tell myself. When night falls I see that Rudolph, Love and Ephetemus have also died.

Lucky Patricks:

(Have not received)

Patrick Shamrock:

The grass towered over my head, I wondered if it was the same way for the other tributes, but I was youngest, I was shortest, I felt a rush of giddiness. I could climb... and this grass gave me even more cover then the other tributes.

I turned to tell Lucky this and felt my heart sink, "Lucky!" I said and clamped my hand over my mouth, hoping no nearby tributes had heard me, holiday knows where they could be, Lucky and I weren't the only ones thrown.

Lucky... she was all alone, and blind too.... how was this at all fair, how could she protect herself? How would she find me, and me her? I started to hyperventilate, and it was at this moment that I noticed the roots slowly snaking up my legs, I swung my staff at them, to no prevail, my magic didn't work neither did my dagger, as it was to small.

I felt tears begin to leak from my eyes and quickly wiped them away, showing my youth, I tried to calm myself down, I didn't have the biggest problems in these games, Lucky was probably having a worse time them me.... I looked down at my legs, and up at the tree above me, maybe if there was some way to get up there...

I relaxed and moved slowly towards the tree, to my delight, the roots loosened enough for me to get to the tree, and up its trunk, until I was safe in its branches. I jumped around to different tree's, trying to recognize anything, and not being able to.

My head snapped to the ground below me as the grass rustled, in the setting sun I could faintly make out Rudolf, his candy cane glowing, I swung my head and saw, heading toward's Rudolf, Jefferson, holding some sort of weapon above his head. After a moment they met in the middle and Rudolf, I suppose had the advantage, and was able to kill Jefferson with his candy cane.

Rudolf began to walk towards my tree, I grabbed my dagger, and in a desperate attempt to keep him away, threw it at him, somehow managing to hit him in the side of the head.

"Why can't I do that with a bird?" I muttered to myself as I dropped beside Rudolf's dead body to receive my dagger. After a second I ran, I don't know where I was heading, but all I knew was that Lucky should have been here, we should have been together, she helped me through having to kill. I was 10!

I slowed as I heard voices ahead, and darted towards the nearest tree, after settling in, I strained to hear the tone, hoping I knew one of them.

The loudness of them stunned me, and after a moment, I realized that they were under the tree across from me. With the last rays of the sun, I saw a girl with blond hair, and another, covered with shadows, I think she had dark hair. Hope jumped in my chest, Lucky had dark hair!

"Have some jam!" The blond girl said, her voice told me it was Clover, I had heard she had jam... but bad jam, Lucky had warned me not to eat anything Clover had.

The girl reached out and grabbed the jam, stuffing it in her face, after a moment of silence, Clover laughed evilly and said to the girl slumped at her feet, 'You're dead because of jam! How pathetic!"

She killed, that, that, wha-, what if that's Lucky? Before I could stop myself I had jumped from the tree and landed almost right behind her, she started to turn, but didn't get that far, as my staff cracked her skull.

I stared at her for a moment, then muttered, 'I'm sorry Clover" and rushed to the other girl, who upon me turning her over, I saw was Hailey. I almost cried with relief as I stood and walked away.

The stars had begun to appear and I climbed another tree and tried to keep myself warm, waiting to see the seal appear. I would have to tell Lucky, hopefully, I don't see her face appear...

I stared at the sky and felt a tear leak from the corner of my eye, and this time, I didn't brush it away.

Clover Whisk:

(Have not received)