Author Games: Dacnomania Nexus Accourt

Task Five- 'Little' Pests

The dust storm dies down, giving you just enough time to take stock and have a welcome sleep before the usual interruption. As you have come to expect, the Capitol anthem brings with it faces. Benjamin Winthrow, Dylan Enik, Rowan Winsor and Lynx Cola take their turn looking down out of the sky. Also as normal, the dead are followed by a moving picture: Khave looks down on you all with a mischievous smile on his face. Even from in the sky, his teeth are blinding.

“Hello there tributes! It's nice to see you all alive. However, I must say, things are getting a little dull if you ask me. I'm bored. Yes, it's all very nice to see Pandora messing with your head, and Vinella, with her pretty dust, but it's just not enough. I want action. I want a show. I want drama. And I have just the idea!”

Suddenly you hear faint buzzing all around you. Flying insects, with a radioactive glow to them, seem to be swarming the area. With an appearance similar to tracker-jackers, they are each the length of your forearm, with fangs the size of your finger. Khave decides to point out the obvious anyway:

“Trust me, these little pests aren't normal bugs. Alithia tells me that they're descendants of tracker-jackers, badly affected and mutated by years of exposure to radiation. All I know is that they're vicious and very, very territorial. So a bit like Vinella, then!" He laughs hearitly at his joke, while the insistent buzzing gets louder. "You see those gorgeous fangs? One bite from them could crush the bones in your arm. And that stinger can pump enough poison to swell you up like a tangerine! And trust me, ladies and gentlemen, that is not a good look.”

The bugs' faceted eyes seem to lock on to you.

“Oh, would you look at that! It looks like you're in their territory! Have fun, tributes. Best of luck!” The audio stays on for a moment, and you can hear Khave's final words, “Well, I wouldn't want to be them. Now, I could really go for a drink! Where's the bar?”

Without giving you time to catch your breath, the bugs charge.

Task:

-Kill the bugs. They are, as Khave mentioned, very territorial and, like tracker-jackers, are impossible to evade. A bite or a sting will kill you.

-Three people must die. They can die at the hand of your tribute, the bugs can get them, or you can just come across their dead body. It doesn't matter, as long as it's clear who is dead. As always, send a list of deaths after your entry. We will not make amendments to your entry. No italics, no spelling corrections, no line breaks. Nothing.

-Please also include two Ballot Deaths after your entry.

-Word limit: 1500 words

-Sponsor Perk: No word limit. Go nuts! Sponsored tributes still have their items from the previous task.

-Deadline: 22:00 Capitol time [BST], Saturday 27th July. As always, not handing in will put you up for votes, and not handing in twice will end in immediate disqualification. Handing in within twelve hours will result in +1 death penalty.