Author Games: Superhuman {Closed}

Finals :: Marissa Claire Entry

MAY reach first place

The glass cleared up, and Marissa collapsed to the ground. She could smell smoke, and realized that the room outside of the tube was in ashes, other than the other tributes areas. The tube had fallen back over her again, trapping her back inside.

"Just let me out," she said. "Just let me go home." Tired and upset, she tested her head against the tube and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, wiped her eyes, and opened them. Standing in front of her was a human-shaped figure, clothed in white. It slowly spun in a circle, looking at each tribute. When it's eyes stopped on Marissa, it winked. She desperately wanted to look away, but she couldn't detach her eyes from its soulless black eyes.

Finally, after what felt like forever it continued in its turning, releasing Marissa. She took a deep breathe, relieved.

"Welcome," a voice boomed in the glass tubes containing the tributes. "Congratulations! You've made it! Woop. Dee. Doo." The figure chuckled, and Marissa realized it was him who was talking.

"Seriously though, good job. Just one problem." He swiftly pulled a pocket-watch from his coat to a place where all of the tributes could see it. He dangled it around.

"You see," he said. "You're running out of time. And, honestly, it's quite boring." He sighed, then started to fiddle with the chain of the watch. He made eye contact with each tribute, coming to Marissa last. She didn't know what it was, but he was making her really uncomfortable. He smirked.

"So!" He said. "Without further ado, let the hunger games begin!" He clapped his hands together, and a gas filled each one of the tubes. Marissa gagged, and realized that this dangerous gas was causing her lungs to swell. She couldn't breathe, and her vision kept getting cloudier. She yelled and clawed her throat, desperate for fresh air. She heard laughing, and was just barely able to make out the man in white, laughing uncontrollably. He was doing this. Marissa pushed herself up, ignoring the tears pouring out and the pain spreading throughout her chest. She summoned up all the strength she could, and willed for a flame to burn through the glass. When nothing happened, she heard the man laugh louder.

"Fire," the man said directly to her, "cannot live without oxygen. And it seems that you are all out!" Marissa's eyes widened with fear, and her vision started to become black from the outside in. The man clapped his hands again, and the tanks drained the poisonous gas. Marissa gasped and fell back to the floor. She took in as much air as she possibly could. She looked around, and saw the two boys were on the ground as well, Darius clutching his throat and coughing.

Marissa reached into his head. /He needs to die/, she said. Darius nodded. The female tribute then reached into Justin's head, but didn't have to do anything. He was already thinking /kill him. I HATE him/.

All the rage that had filled up in Marissa throughout the games filled her up again. The loss of Eva. The pain of all her injuries. The memory of her sister. The loss of her parents. The vulnerability that this man had caused. Her face went from hurt to a terrifying darkness that no one had seen before. None of that happened by chance. This man had made her life a living hell. She had noticed the gamemaker badge on his uniform. He had planned all of this. He would pay.

Every bone in her body wished the tube would go up. And, almost as if hearing her, it started to go up. Almost entirely up, time slowed, and her eyes came into contact with the man's. He had a calm confidence in his stance and eyes. His voice filled Marissa's head. "You're a monster," Marissa said. He smiled as he responded. "Then dear, we are one in the same."