A Collection of my Writer's Games Entries

Misfortune: Task 2 (Tessa Whitlens) D7

** Task - Blood Shall Spill **

I was pushed up into the sunlight of the arena. I squinted a little and shaded my eyes. I waited until my eyes adjusted before I looked around. These Gamemakers don't make it easy for us, do they? There was a green forest with mountains sticking up everywhere. I had never seen mountains so tall, I think it was snow that topped the peaks. My mother had died in the snow season, when Rohan was born. I rubbed my forefinger and thumb on my silver coin to calm myself. I felt the pressure of my mother's ring - it was still a mystery to how it came to me - against the palm. I hid it in a tear that I made in my suit, or whatever they make us wear. My heart rate slowed a little as I thought about my family. Clara. I'm here for her. Rohan. I can't leave him on his own. Dad. He can't let another person go after Mum. Mum. If I don't make it out, I'll be with her. Forever. I dug my nails into my palm. Stop being soft, I told myself. That's what little girls do. I am not a little girl. I searched for Niles. He said he would always help me. Well not in those exact words, but more or less. I spotted him to the left of me, almost behind the - what did they call the gold thing in the middle.... - that's it, Cornocopia. The creep, well Aaron, was to my right. Three tributes away. The ten second count hadn't even begun yet. I watched the careers nod and gesture to each other. They were looking at me, and other young tributes, like we were meat. I thought about just running for it. I could see no sling near the Cornocopia, there was no chance for me. I was risking my life by being here, yet I couldn't take risks when I was here. 

Mum's belly was about to explode - that's what it looked like - but it wasn't going to really. Mum hadn't been feeling well about this, and I overheard the doctor that the thing inside her could be fatal - I didn't know what that meant at the time, but I had asked Dad and he said 'death'. After Dad told me that I went up to Mum as she was gardening, so we could have food for the year. Even though she wasn't meant to do it.
"Daddy says you might die," I told her. I was too little to know what should be said and what shouldn't.
"It would be worth it, my dear. For this little munchkin," she pulled me into a hug. Tears fell onto her shoulder,
"I don't want another kid if it makes you go away," I sobbed,
"Oh, sweety," she rubbed my back, "Promise me to always remember this, I would rather die a meaningful death than live a meaningless life,"

Three weeks later, she died. The countdown started, 10. I had always remembered my Mum's words. 9. I was too scared to face death in the head on. 8. Was this my new life. 7. Hiding from my fears. 6. Mum's words. 5. Can I do it? 4. A meaningful death. 3. Or a meaningless life. 2. Which one? 1. I think the meaningful death. 0. I started sprinting to the Cornocopia.

Running was all I remembered. I didn't even realise that I picked up the bag. I saw, what looked like, a career tribute snap someone's arm. A felt a shiver go down my spine. Niles was already tackling a tribute, I headed for weapons. If I could get Niles a weapon, everything would be fine. I sprinted faster. I veered to the left, that was away from the careers. I ran into a girl about my size and we fell to the ground. We rolled, struggling to get a grip on one another. I was so close to the weapons, the sling caught my eye. I tried to run, I didn't want to kill anybody, but she grabbed my ankle. I saw Niles on top of someone, strangling them. I fell over, my chin hitting the hard ground beneath me.  Forgetting about being nice, I kicked her in the face, I swear I could hear a crack. She screamed. Damn it girl! I didn't need attention. I put my hand over her mouth and pinched her noise. By now, the other tributes were scattering. I watched as the girl from District 1, the prettiest girl I had ever seen, slit a girl's throat with a knife. I gasped as she turned to me. I only just realised that the body next to me was no longer moving. I stared into her her eyes for a moment. They were glassy, her brown eyes were dead. I killed someone. What have I done? I feel my body lifted from the ground. I screamed. The pretty girl had picked me up. She smashed me against the Cornocopia. I was like the water between two rocks. Several bodies were scattered around the clearing, all of them dead.
"Niles," I screamed, "Help me!" I kicked my legs, her hand was moving to my throat. I got desperate, I brought my leg higher and kneed her in the stomach. She dropped me to the ground, I coughed and spluttered. 
"Niles," I screamed again, my voice was raw,
"Tessa," I heard him call back. I got to my feet and ran to his voice. I was so focused on getting to him that I forgot everything. I fell over a body. I screamed in fright and turned to a laughter behind me. District 1 girl. She twirled the blood-stained knife in her hand.
"You really thought you could get away," she laughed, coming closer. I could not move. I was frozen in place, "You have no chance of winning, you're too small and worthless to win"
I flash catches my eye. Suddenly Aaron, a blur, tackled her to the ground. I took the chance, and ran. Straight into Niles.
"What are you doing?" he growled, I went to reply but he cut me off, "Let's go!" he threw me over his shoulder and ran for the trees. I lifted my head and watched Aaron fight the girl. He was throwing fists at her, and then another boy ran in and knocked pretty girl over. The boys' ran off together, into the trees. I'm glad Aaron made it away. He saved me. Now I owe him. Niles placed me on the ground.
"What were you thinking?" he hissed at me, and started walking quickly,
"I don't know,"  I shrugged, "I saw you kill people,"
"I saw you suffocate a girl," I could sense a hint of humor but it wasn't funny.
"I didn't mean to,"
"You should have," he turned to me and came down to eye level, "Tessa, in this Game you have to kill to live. That's the only way to survive. So, do you want to live?"
"Yes," I whispered, that was when the cannons started to boom. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7. 7 tributes dead. I killed one, Niles killed two, pretty girl one or more. Normally twelve die in a bloodbath, on average. That's what our mentor said anyways. More survivors. Niles has now come back into reality.
"Well, don't go running into District 1 girl's who can kill you in less than a second, you got lucky. I can't save you all the time, just as well that creep was there to help you," he turned back and started walking, "Now we'll have to go back and get weapons. But, thanks to you, we will have to wait until nightfall. Until then, don't die,"
I smiled to myself. Niles even said it himself. She could have killed me in less than a second but I survived. I'm not going to get cocky, if that's what they say. I know that it was pure luck I survived that but I can't help being giddy with joy. I looked into death's eyes and for once, death blinked first.