Author Games: World Seasons

Task Five - Autumn Air - Bonfire Tributes

Fiametta Embers:

Flickering plumes of bursting colours twist and furl all around. Gleaming snatches of proud colours dance in the air as a thundering and crackling smoke prevails across the sky. The warmth caresses my skin and enfolds me in a comforting blaze of jubilant excitement. Amongst this chaos I find myself. The air fills with muffled screams of panic. But the only noise that emerges from my silent admiration of the new setting is a chuckle that resonates in the depth of my throat.

“Thank you.”

A ferocious crack echoes as a nearby tree surrenders to the destructive force of the flames. From the wreckage emerges a startled Bunny. She stops for a moment to readjust to the surroundings while choking on a lungful of smoke. Her fear widened eyes seem to take in every blur of landscape; apart from me hiding in the shadows of smoke.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” She nearly jumps out of her skin when I speak. But as I emerge into her view a frown trickles across her brow. My nonchalance clashes terribly with the roar of destruction.

“My only criticism would be that it is lacking… panache.” I let the last word hush slowly from my lips whilst I meander forwards.

“What?” Bunny delivers her blunt response amongst a splutter of coughs.

“Fireworks, it is missing fireworks.” I carefully extract a vile from my pocket and fling it towards her. It lands by her foot with a soft tinkling as the glass hits against the dried ground. For a moment Bunny’s frown deepens as nothing of notable consideration happens. But a slight hissing begins and in moments the ground where she once stood transforms in an explosion. A blur of blue sparks scatter into the air. Amongst the smoke a stench of Bunny’s burning flesh permeates the air.

Illuminated by a particularly bright burst of light I find a pair of eyes gazing into my own. Terry lies to face the pluming clouds of smoke. The explosion has impaled a branch into his stomach and the growing circle of deep red around the blackened stump of tree is clarified with two echoing booms of the canon.

The fires begin to flit across the arena until a blaze of orange stretches across the distance. There is one obvious haven where the startled players in this game will turn to. The Cornucopia. A chance to reunite with my allies. Launching myself over a burning carcass of a fallen tree, I begin to run with the rising hope of finding Love, Rubyn and Epethemeus. With each gentle thud of my feet against the ash ridden floor my optimism soars.

The gleaming image of the highest light of the cornucopia tree guides me through an otherwise unrecognisable maze of smoke. As I near the fires appear to trickle away affirming my suspicions that a reunion will take place. My concentration is broken with the sounds of a tribute carelessly thrashing towards me. From the shadows of smoke I eventually recognise April.

“You have to turn back; it is almost like a second blood bath.” My eyes flit to the gash along her cheek secreting a constant dribble of blood.

“No thanks.”

“But…” She places a hand on my arm. Her trembling fingers enclose tightly.

“Why would I want to miss out on the fun?” With a curl of my lip I slash my knife down across her wrist. Her hold on my arm drops with a scream of pain. An unexpected fight becomes apparent in her expressions but it is too late. My hand encloses around her throat providing further suffocation to the billowing smoke. I haul her through the flames until the lights of the cornucopia are freed from smoke. Now I see what she was running from. She was not exaggerating.

Unfazed by the erupting violence, I throw April to the floor. Before I can make another move a silver blade slices into her neck spraying me with blood.

“Glad you could join us.” The sound of Rubyn’s voice and the sight of Love beaming at me put an end to my yearning for company. Distracted by the welling relief I gently place a hand on Rubyn’s arm in an outward display of friendship. Repulsed by my own affability, I promptly remove my hand and return to normal. “Shall we?” I suggest while ambling towards the fighting.

I barely take two steps before a screech of pain seers across my upper arm. A knife has left a slight nick and blood trickles to the floor. In the centre of the battle field the owner of the knife awaits retaliation. She’s a strange little thing stood alone. Hailey seems to keep herself to herself. There is something about her solitude that creates an air of vulnerability. I decide to be kind.

“You missed,” I mutter under my breath. With a swift flick I send my knife directly into her chest. She drops to the ground almost instantly.

“But nice try,” I add whilst moping at the lingering trail of blood on my arm.

“Hold it right there, sweetheart…” Jack stands with a bloodied scythe pointed threateningly towards me. I imagine the grin he fixes his lips into with precision is meant to be attractive. To me it is overwhelmed with a smarmy and sickening arrogance. Every moment his eyes linger on me I force down a shiver of nausea.

“Sweetheart really?” My frown combined with the tilt of my head expresses my incredulousness. Immediately I begin planning all the ways I can put an end to that repulsive smile. “Fine, we’ll do it your way. Please don’t hurt me I am a weak willed woman, defenceless against your manly charms.” I enact the damsel in distress with a mocking exaggeration.

“Are you being serious?” He asks while I contain my mirth at this dim-witted chauvinist.

“No. Fuck you.” I grab hold of the scythe and drive the handle into his stomach with a sharp jab. It snatches the air from his lungs causing him to hunch over in shock. Taking my opportunity I drive my knife into his neck.

“Don’t. Ever. Call. Me. Sweetheart.” I speak through gritted teeth as the blood squelches between my fingers. In a series of sharp flourishes I sever through the flesh and bone until his head is fixed in my grasp.

In the middle of the fighting the dull thud echoes through the chaos. In muted horror they watch Jack’s head roll to a stop. The obvious brutality removes their thirst for violence. The fighting stops abruptly.

“I suggest you leave.” Their eyes fall upon me; arm still outstretched from throwing the head into their vision. No one stops to question my advice. They scarper back into the smoke leaving the cornucopia in the possession of Love, Rubyn and I.

“You can avoid the smoke if you climb up the branches. I can stay down here to keep watch.”

“But what about you?” Love asks. I notice she makes a concerted effort to avoid the decapitated head as she joins us at the tree.

“I get punished a lot back home.” It takes me a few moments to realise the two Valentine’s tributes won’t understand. “They burn criminals at the stake in my District. A common punishment for minor offences is to be given the task of keeping the flames burning. I’m used to breathing in a lungful of smoke.” I cannot explain to them properly. There is no way to put into words the stench of ash mixed with melting flesh. Just like there is no way to block out the screams of the dying. I don’t flinch at the deaths in the arena, only because I have been forced to do worse at home. “Go on up, I’ll wait for Eppie.”

“Etta… did you not see the sky last night?” Love’s voice cracks a little with the threat of tears. I silence the scream of anguish. My anger melts away any tears. I take my moment to steady myself with a calming breath.

“I understand… It is safer for one of us to stay here all the same. Go on. I’ll join you when the smoke clears."

Blaze Conflagration:

Did not hand in.

Ash Wilde:

Did not hand in.