Author's Game Entries

* Task 4: Pods of Horror

    As Ajax looks up to the boy walking in front of him, he can't help but snicker. Xander's drenched in wet, sticky globs of sand; his once fluffy black hair now matted and gritty. The taller boy just clenches his teeth at the other's laughing, but he doesn't turn to look at him as they walk.

"What's so funny?" He agitatedly grumbles over his shoulder.

"Pft, you." Ajax says, and just snickers more, not even bothering to stifle the sound.

"Hey, it's not my fault I didn't see the pod! Why didn't you warn me sooner?!" Xander exclaims, before he stops abruptly to whirl around and drag a hand down his his arm, flicking the sand at Ajax.

The humor visibly leaves Ajax as the sand splatters over his face, and he wipes it off angrily. "Because I thought you were smart enough to avoid it!" He snaps back instantly. "Stop being a crybaby and just fuckin' clean it off!! There's got to be something in that damn bag of yours you can use!"

Before Xander can properly tell him no, there isn't, Ajax has already ripped the backpack from the taller boy's shoulders. The only reason Ajax didn't have a backpack of his own is because the oblivious redhead hadn't noticed the one sitting right behind his platform back at the cornucopia, and he of course hadn't picked it up.

So in simpler terms, while Xander's still carrying the backpack around, Ajax has already asserted that he's going to use it as he pleases.

Xander doesn't protest as Ajax harshly unzips the bag, and instead simply slides his hands into his pockets with a indifferent sigh. He watches the shorter boy rummage through it, but he doesn't expect the sudden "AHA!" that comes from Ajax, and he ends up jumping startledly.

Blinking in surprise, Xander watches the redhead pull out a box of matches gleefully, with a grin growing on his features. He drops the backpack like a discarded toy, and he seems to have completely forgotten about his quest for finding something to clean Xander with. While the matchbox is barely the size of his palm, with probably less than a dozen matches in it, the excitement on Ajax's face is like that of a kid who'd just found candy hidden between the sofa cushions.

"What are you even going to use those for... There's nothing to light here, Ajax..." Xander sighs again tiredly, while still keeping a wary eye on his firebug companion.

Ajax just snorts. "So? There's always use for matches! They're excellent toothpicks and you can write with them!"

Xander crinkles up his nose at the toothpick comment. Really? Toothpicks? "Do they taste good too?" He asks with an undertone of sarcasm, which Ajax picks up on.

"Yes actually," he snaps defensively, "you should try them sometime. In fact, why don't you try the whole box now?"

With this growl, he takes a threatening step towards Xander, and a malicious grin lights up his face. But he doesn't have time to carry through with his threat, as the sound of a loud click suddenly echoes around the small corridor. Both Ajax and Xander stiffen, instantly recognizing the sound from their previous encounter with its source.

"Shit." Ajax curses under his breath.

He can't even look down to see the indented trip plate he'd stepped on before it sinks down and the pod is activated. His eyes widen as an emerald tinged vine slithers its way out of the indent, and he instantly tries to bolt away from it, but he's caught mid-step as it darts out and grabs his ankle.

In less than a second, more vines whip out of the small passageway walls and latch onto Ajax, coiling around his arms and legs tightly as he struggles. He feels a ice cold lump of fear rising in his throat as they tighten, cutting off his blood flow and making his limbs ache. Ajax hasn't ever encountered a pod so bizarre before, but he really doesn't want to stick around long enough to understand why this trap was set.