The 8th Writer Games & The Reader Games & Writer Games: The Deadly Decade

Round 2: Battles

Karma Snow vs. Griffin Fayre

Griffin's POV

We stood, back on the  platforms, this time each with a weapon. I felt sick holding onto mine.  It would be one thing to kill someone in self-defence, or someone who  was hunting you... It's entirely another to kill someone defenseless in  front of a cheering crowd. The process starts again, and I realize; this  is how it's going to go. This is the whole game plan. This is almost  just as bad as the traditional games. Almost worse, maybe. I'm so  wrapped up in my own thoughts, I almost miss my name being called.  "Karma Snow and Griffin Fayre." I don't move off the platform for a  moment, but Karma does, walking to the front. She fixes her gaze on me,  and after a few tries, I heft my sword and join her in the arena. My  heart is pounding, and when I swing the sword, it's clumsy, and Karma  dodges it easily. She's got a knife, which I don't know where she got  it. She runs forward, faster than I could ever run, and I drop the  sword, jumping to the side only just in time. My sword is gone, and I'm  unarmed. Again. I need to plan ahead a bit. I don't time to do that at  this moment though, because Karma tries to stab the knife into my  forehead. With a gasp, I grab her wrist, the knife only inches from my  head. She puts as much force as she can into the knife, using her other  hand as well. I can feel my knees buckling, and I sink to the ground,  crossing my eyes to look at the knife point. I'm so dead. There's no  ducking to the side on this. If I even loosen my grip, there will be a  knife in my forehead. My heart is pounding,mand I try to block out the  crowd, cheering Karma's name. They seem to switch sides depending on  who's winning. I've got a few words for them I won't say. The knife is  so close now, close enough I can read the words etched on the side:  'Karma is everybody's best friend.' In a last ditch effort to get out of  this alive, I say, "Karma's not MY best friend."

We stood, back on the  platforms, this time each with a weapon. I felt sick holding onto mine.  It would be one thing to kill someone in self-defence, or someone who  was hunting you...

It's entirely another to kill someone defenseless in front of a cheering crowd.

The process starts  again, and I realize; this is how it's going to go. This is the whole  game plan. This is almost just as bad as the traditional games. Almost  worse, maybe.

I'm so wrapped up in my own thoughts, I almost miss my name being called. "Karma Snow and Griffin Fayre."

I don't move off the  platform for a moment, but Karma does, walking to the front. She fixes  her gaze on me, and after a few tries, I heft my sword and join her in  the arena.

My heart is pounding,  and when I swing the sword, it's clumsy, and Karma dodges it easily.  She's got a knife, which I don't know where she got it. She runs  forward, faster than I could ever run, and I drop the sword, jumping to  the side only just in time.

My sword is gone, and I'm unarmed.

Again.

I need to plan ahead a bit.

I don't time to do that  at this moment though, because Karma tries to stab the knife into my  forehead. With a gasp, I grab her wrist, the knife only inches from my  head. She puts as much force as she can into the knife, using her other  hand as well. I can feel my knees buckling, and I sink to the ground,  crossing my eyes to look at the knife point.

I'm so dead. There's no  ducking to the side on this. If I even loosen my grip, there will be a  knife in my forehead. My heart is pounding,mand I try to block out the  crowd, cheering Karma's name. They seem to switch sides depending on  who's winning.

I've got a few words for them I won't say.

The knife is so close now, close enough I can read the words etched on the side: 'Karma is everybody's best friend.'