Writer Games | Death Wish & 51

Task One: Dead On Arrival

The chosen arrive at  night. They flow out of the bus, some in groups, some on their own; they  resemble a wave of sorts, albeit a grey one. Dressed from head to toe  in the grey uniforms supplied to them by the government which itch and  are uncomfortable, they can hardly said to be in a good mood. Even the  excitement some of them feel about entering the Area is tamed by the  hardness of the seats.

You'd think the taxpayer's dime would have gotten them better treatment.

The gates that block out  the Area shine silver in the moonlight. The zone behind them looks  deceptively simple - plain, even. Just an opening to a cave in the vast  plains of Nevada. Hidden inside it is a laboratory under the earth,  holding a myriad of secrets within its maze of hallways. A cave of  wonders filled with its own kind of jewel, even the most apprehensive of  explorers can feel adrenaline rushing through them. But even the most  confident of them can't help but feel a twinge of fear - perhaps the two  are not as separated as most think.

For the first time, the gates open. But the mysteries they contain, however, are still very much locked away in shadows.

--------------------------

THE TASK:

- A bit of a slower task  before we get into the mysteries of Area 51... Write your arrival. From  the moment you enter to the gates on to setting camp inside the cave  for the first night, this task gives you plenty of room to innovate. As I  know you're all skilled writers, this task is designed to test your  knack for setting up an atmosphere.

ON VOTING:

The five characters  whose entries this task are judged to be the weakest will be put up for  voting. Three of these five will not be moving on.

HOWEVER

I've decided to add a  little twist to these Games, inspired by how well you all performed in  your auditions. In each of the three first tasks, the three authors with  the most success will be put up for voting as well - however, rather  than face elimination, the voters will decide who gets immunity in the  next round. This will, in a way replace the thirteens received from  sponsorship. No author can receive immunity more than once.

- WORD LIMIT: 1,750 words.

- DUE DATE: Thursday, October 22nd at 10 PM BST.