Flagrant Fragrant by Heron Djenne Canvasback

War Games (#1 - #3) (horror-thriller)

I Lost the Game (War Games #1)

We're playing Hot Potato with a lit grenade with twenty-five people, and ten people so far didn't make it to the next level. The injuries are pretty ugly and graphic, but that adds to the thrill of the game. We're in a field near the woods on a back road. I distract Derek with the memory of when we played Duck, Duck, Goose with a taser (the goose didn't get shocked, only the ducks, unless the goose was caught). It goes off, and chunks of him and other things fall like fireworks on us.

"Should we call an ambulance now?" Greg asks.

"No, I can win this! Do you want to go to jail? In war it's every man for himself!" Josh says as he lit another and passes it to Tamari.

"We're playing until there are only five of us left. Step up your game, or quit," Samantha says.

We started counting. "Austin, did we win the home game against New Kent?" Bill asked.

"Yeah 21-2," I answers.

"Sweet! Seth owes me ten bucks," Joy says as it went off on her.

"You're going to need that for a deposit on your hospital or funeral bill," Josh mocks.

"You'll be next," Greg tells him.

"Don't jinx him," Tim says.

"It's not just about luck. You need good strategy and timing," Pierre says passing it to Katelyn.

Piper gets it on nine, and throws it to unlucky Samantha. "Sorry about that," he says as it goes off.

"Did y'all see that new horror movie?" I ask.

"Yeah, it had mad swag," Greg said.

"I really liked it when the civilians got hit with explosive bullets," Josh says on eight. "Thank fast," he says to me on nine grinning. It's game over for me now.

Winners Take All (War Games #2)

Josh wasn't who he was supposed to be. He should be a congressman trying to build up his reputation, so that he can run for president when he's older, or in the navy or the air force getting closer to being a four or five-star general, but the military discharged him because they thought he was mentally unstable. Now Josh is reduced to teaching ROTC at a high school.

Josh told his class that they were playing dodgeball with Mrs. Goetz class. 

When they got to the gym. "This is no ordinary game of dodgeball; it's survival of the fittest! You will not make it by merely throwing or dodging; you have to have a perfect combination of both! Remember, young soldiers, to strike out the weakest first. It's a dog eat dog world, and if you aren't one of the big dogs, you're going to be torn to shreds!" Josh said. "In these boxes are the dodgeballs, or rather the weapons you will use to prove your strength. Most of you will not make it, and to those who don't, you are no better than the contents of box number one."

"My class will stay on this side. Cory and Britney open the boxes," Mrs. Goetz said. When they did, they found dead rats in box number one and daggers in the number two. Some people squeaked or screamed, and the rest were waiting for the punch line. The class was reluctant to participate, but the look on Josh's face got the most daring to step forward. They placed them on the half court line. "Everyone must be completely against the wall before the whistle is blown!"

"Mrs. Goetz and I will be observing from the balcony." Josh said.

When they got up there. "Let the war games begin," he said blowing the whistle. The gym too quickly became a battlefield; body parts fell and rolled, and the soldiers tripped on them, slain and badly injured classmates, rats, and the spilled blood. Different sounds of triumphant, laughter, crying, death, and everything in between infested the gym, but the biggest killer was fear. Some tried to retreat only to find out that the doors were bolted, and they were taken out for their cowardice.