Author Games: World Seasons

Task Five - Autumn Air - St Patrick's Tributes

Terry O'Brian:

When I wake up I can hardly breathe. The air around me is dark as night, I can't see the stars, the moon or the sun. There's really no way of telling what time of day, or night, it actually is. I begin to cough. Damn the fact that where I come from, the air is so clear and pure and all that shit. I bet the tributes from Bonfire are more used to this smoggy air.  

Then I see a light. It's so beautiful in the darkness I can't help but walk towards it. Only it slowly becomes hotter and hotter, the air smoggier and smoggier. Fire. That's what it is. The crimson flames quickly envelop the entire forest I was in.  

Either the grass all burned down or the Gamemakers made it disappear. Same with the roots. The terrain is as barren and desolate as ever before, was this what it was like under the snow on day one?  

Now day one seems so long ago. So many innocents have lost their lives to the fucking Games. I'm about to yell up a curse to the Gamemakers, and the Capitol in general, when Vinella appears.  

"You better find shelter. I wonder where it is..." She laughs maniacally. If I ever get out of these Games, the first thing I am going to do is take my bow and... I remind myself to save my vengeful thoughts for later. Now I have to find shelter. The only thing that comes to mind is the fire retardant Christmas tree in the middle of the arena, of course fire-retardant is the only kind of Christmas trees made anymore. I guess Santa started to smoke and... 

Rudolph from the Christmas district bursts through the flames, how ironic thy I was just thinking about that District. His nose is literally on fire, along with other parts of his body but the most noticeable is his fiery red nose. He is screaming in pain so I shoot him to put him out of his misery.  

My bowstring then decides to snap from the heat. Damn it! What the hell am I supposed to do now? I sprint down towards where the giant Christmas tree should be. So many are in so much pain from the fires. It is unbelievable! Victoria, Hailey and Love are all convulsing on the ground in pain. Each of them receives a stab through the neck, courtesy of the bow-less arrows.  

I look down at my hands. Love's blood is fresh on them. Hailey's, Victoria's and Rudolph's are dry. Four are dead by my hands. What the hell have I let the Gamemakers turn me into. Damn each an every single one of them to hell. That's where they sent each and every single one of us tributes anyways.  

The smog is clearing and I go to the Christmas tree. So far only Ash, Blaze and Bunny are there. Bunny is up in the tree and knocks down one of the manifold ornaments. I remember my training session. Yes! Now I have a weapon. I put a long shard in between my knuckles and wait for them to stumble upon me. First Ash who gets a punch to the neck. Then Blaze who I get in the temple, he must have been near death because his cannon fires really quickly. Finally Bunny falls out of the tree, onto the floor. I figure the more kills I get the better to the fucking Gamemakers. I hold my fist up and wait for the sickening sound of an innocent person getting impales by my claws.  

Hopefully one of the other tributes can kill me, one that is innocent. Hopefully I can take the guilt away. Nobody would feel guilt about killing a monster like me. 

Lucky Patricks:

Did not hand in.

Patrick Shamrock:

As soon as the game-makers voice faded I began to run in the direction I thought the Corucopia was in, I couldn't be sure, the smoke from the trees obscured the sky, making it impossible to see which direction I was facing. I had wandered endlessly looking for Lucky, being unable to find her, I had begun to expect the worst, this was just the whip cream on top of the cake.

The fire was crackly loudly, making it impossible for me to hear anything, I wondered if I would run into anybody? As if in answer to my question, somebody burst from the trees and ran staight into me. As I was smaller, I was soon underneath them. I pushed myself back and struggled to get out from under them, after a moment, I was able to, as the person seemed as stunned as I was to find myself on top of someone surrounded by fire.

Before the person could recover I pulled out my dagger and stabbed it into the persons chest, pulling it out a moment later, I founf myself face to face with Victoria, I yelped and jumped back in surprise, dropping my half pulled out dagger in the process.

"Did you kill Hailey?" she asked quietly, looking between me and the girl at my feet. I slowly nodded, and her hand moved towards the knife on her belt. "But you're only 10..." she said, and suddenly lunged at me, I ducked under her oncoming arm and with my momentum, swung my staff at her head.

Unforunatly, I misjudged, but before she cut cut me, my magic froze her. She stood stiff, a faint smirk on her face, thinking she was about to cut me. I scowled at her, and swung my staff at her head. For all I knew, she could have killed Lucky...

Anyone could have killed Lucky.

Victoria fell to the ground and I grabbed my dagger and began running again. I had to be close, I needed to be close. Please let me be close! I suddenly burst out into open air, in my surprise I stopped, upon looking around I saw trinutes running from the tree's from all directions, all towards the centre of the arena.

The Cornucopia.

I almost cried with relief, and walked forward, not getting far before I felt a sharp pain on the side of my face. I reach my hand up and it comes back slick with blood. Turning I saw Bunny, slowly advancing on me. I ducked as her whip danced at me again. I pulled out my dagger, and attepted to throw it at her, it caught her in the side and she bent double in pain. I swung my staff at her, and she fell dead.

How many times had I swung my staff at people?

I heard a yell behind me and ducked just as Jefferson swung his pestle at me. Not yet having my dagger back, I swung my staff yet again, hoping to disable him in any way. My hope diminishing by the second.

"Little boy, where's that girl that was with you? Lucky, somthing or other, is she dead?" the question was harmless enough, but the anger it pushed through me, made me use my magic to freeze him. He stood stiffly and stared as I walked towards him.

"She isn't dead, she's here, and you're not going to stop me from finding her," my tone was icy, surprising even me, I swung my staff as hard as I could, and Jefferson fell dead beside Bunny.

I looked wildly around, and saw a flash of green amid the crowd, and began running towards it, pausing only long enough to grab my dagger.

As I approuched, my heart leapt, it was Lucky! Somehow she had survived and was fighting off Blaze and Ash, both of whom looked delighted at the fire blazing in the tree's. I jumped on Ash and stabbed him in the neck, he fell, and almost immediately stabbed Blaze.

The bloodbath seemed to be ending, and I was glad that Lucky and I were both safe, and that I got to see her again. I took a step forward.

"Who's there?" Lucky asked through clenched teeth.

"It's me, Patrick."

She gasped, "Patrick, where are you?" I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her waist, she pulled me tightly against herself, "I thought I would never find you!"

"How did you find your way here?" I asked her after a moment in confusion.

"Shhh, sush now, that's a story for another time."