Task Description:

Tributes are seperated onto teams and must play a twisted version of Capture The Flag to instead capture the sword.

People are always talking about how there are steps to the grieving process, I’m pretty sure there are steps to the ‘I’m-going-to-die’ process. The first is most definitely denial, I am thorough that stage. The next is much worse, its that bone infusing paranoia that has been known to make men mad.

Or at least I think it can do that, I’ve never actually known a mad man (with the exception of Cory after I’d hung his underwear from the flagpole at school a couple of months ago after he had used the last of the ketchup) but I never hoped to become one. I kind of needed my sanity, because lets face it, just my undeniable good looks and my charming personality won’t get me far if I’m foaming at the mouth.

Well actually, I take that back. Morgan was pretty darn insane. Very insane. Sometimes he’d scream at night, jolting me from my sleep. I mean he wasn’t like jumping around and barking (yet) but he practically lived in the cellar and was obsessive about his art and writing- what could be a greater indication of insanity than art? And writing! I  spoke to a writer once, (besides my brother) she asked me how many stab wounds it would take to kill someone and then when I looked at her like she was a murderer (I wonder why!) she explained she was apart of this cult known as ‘The Wattpad’ where they played The Hunger Games for fun and killed each other for kicks.

I backed away very slowly.

Sorry I got distracted. I do that a lot. But anyway, sitting here in the dim lighting of ‘Doctor Butt’s Dental Care’ I could practically hear my brother’s shaky that always sounded on the verge of collapse play out in my head, shending shivers racing down my spine. I didn’t want to become like that. I wanted to be okay…. but had I ever been? Ever since….. I drifted off not able to bring myself to think about that day a few years ago.

Suddenly Alex was hovering beside me. “You know this isn’t one of your brightest ideas.” He said squatting next to me, unable to stand up or he’d trigger a rope that would send a dagger barreling into his skull.

I looked at him incredulously, “You mean IS one of my brightest ideas.”

He shook his head, “No. This is a hazard to our health.”

I rolled my eyes, why did everyone here fail to see how fabulous my fortification was? It was the only thing between us and the Riox’s. Sure…Murphy had almost died several times already and it was really hard to move around without getting impaled, but we’d get it eventually. “Alex, Alex, Alex, you have no health to speak of. You’re a zombie. Besides, all my ideas are the brightest. You know that! Just think of ‘The Comic Con’ incident of last August! That was my idea. Think of all the free merchandise we pulled in that year.” I said with a small smile as I remember jumping out of the bush outside the con, scaring the children (and adults) into dropping their stuff.

Alex looked as if I had just murdered his puppy. “You realize that we almost got gunned down by the SWAT? Right? Dressing as ISIS militants was a terrible idea. We almost died! If they had caught us I think we’d be in prison!” He said pushing a clump of blonde hair off his forehead as if the thought that the idea of being arrested was inconceivable. Alex was just one of those free zombie spirits who liked bathing in water fountains and using the ‘try me’ perfumes from Bath and Body Works to make himself smell better. Me? I’d do well in prison, I’m tough, sometimes I don’t shower for weeks.

I raised a finger, “Ah, but we didn’t die or get arrested. And I got a copy of ‘Detective Comics No. 27’!” I pointed out with a smug smiled.

Alex sat down, rolling his eyes, a small smile tugging on the corners of his mouth. He’d enjoyed it just as much as I had. “Okay…. So the expressions on the people we scared the hell out of were kind of hilarious.” He giggled. Yeah. I was right, I always was.

Suddenly something made me look over to where Rose and Murphy sat, huddled together, looking deep into each other’s eyes and- my eyes widened in horror- practicing witchcraft! Oh. My. Dear. Fudge-brownies.  I gazed, watching them flap their fingers back and forth casting spells! The stakes had just gotten higher, Rosella Deville was a dark witch! And Murphy was not just a vampire, he was a vampire-warlock!

I flung my arms around Alex and pointed at them, unable to take my eyes off them. “Witchcraft!” I screamed at the top of my lungs. Rose and Murphy’s heads snapped toward me looking at me in confusion.

Alex squinted at them for second and then shook his head, “Umm… no. I think thats sign language. Not witchcraft.”

I wasn’t really able to think beyond what I had just seen so I screamed kept pointing and screamed “Witchcraft!” again. I felt Alex push me off him as Rose’s eyes filled with rage, Murphy just sat there was if he was desperately trying to figure out what was going on. “Do you think this is a joke or something? Murphy is deaf! Making fun of him is just cruel!” She cried starting to storm towards me like she was planning to try and kill me again.

It was my turn to look confused, “Don’t be stupid. Murphy can’t be deaf. He’s a vampire.”

Murphy referenced Rose, his eyes darting between me and her. “Did… he say vampire?” He asked very slowly with the same slow deliberateness that I’d noticed earlier.

I shook my head, “No. I mean you're a vampire-warlock.” I explained helpfully. Was it possible he was unaware of the fact he was a vampire-warlock? It couldn’t be. Unless…. his vampire-e-ness was only triggered by the full moon. But that would make him warlock-werewolf-vampire, wow.

Rose shrieked and flung herself at me, I screamed and backed up against the wall. (What? She hits hard!) Rose was inches from my face when she jerked to a halt, I squinted at her confused as to why she wasn’t maiming me. Oh well, can’t question good fortune so I just pointed and laughed. Then I realized she was entangled in rope… that triggered my traps.

Shit.

“Hit the decks!” Alex screamed as all the daggers we’d collected whizzed over my head as I forced myself to the ground. Rose screamed desperately trying to free herself, but only managed to trigger more traps in the process. Murphy rushed to help her through the flying weapons and food as a swivel chair I’d strapped to the ceiling came loose, swinging towards him.

It crashed into his skull as he fell to the ground unconscious.

A few stray arrows were the last of the traps, and they didn’t even work very well. They just kind of flopped on the floor... kind of like my heart right now. I slowly sat up feeling the familiar fear set in, Rose had managed to trigger every single trap in the room. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled. We now had absolutely no protection, we were vulnerable on all sides.

I shot to my feet, stumbling around the rooms mess clumsily. “C-come on guys! Quick! We have to set it back up!” My heart was really beating now, fear and dread were mounting in my chest. “Quick before they come!” I said desperation soaking my voice, I nearly tripped over a groaning Murphy. I was not going to end up like my brother- No, we were not going to end up like my brother.

Tove shook her head from the dark corner in which she sat huddled in a blanket. “It’s too late. They are already here.” She murmured beginning to rock back and forth.

My eyes widened and I clenched my teeth, stopping dead in my tracks as I heard a curse from behind me. “What the hell?” A deep masculine voice muttered from behind me where the door stood. “You know what? I’m not going to ask. All of you; out here now or I’ll shoot your faces in.”

I slowly turned to see a muscle bound man with grey eyes and hair that reminded me of the fluffy down of a baby chicken. I was torn between screaming and asking if I could pet his head. I decided the latter was a bad idea.

Around me Rose shook Murphy awake as Alex and Tove slowly walked forward. I saw the gun, I was aware of the consequences for not co-operating, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. My body trembled, my brain was numb so I did the only thing I could think of. In one swift movement I’d done a ninja roll behind the desk. My sweaty hands grabbed a bottle of ketchup and I aimed it at the man like a sniper, peeking above the desk. “Eat tomatos man-bitch!” I screamed as the red goo (that tasted like magical dancing unicorns) arced through the air and hit him square in the face. He dropped his gun, swearing up a storm as he tried to wipe it from his eyes.

Everyone looked at me as if I had just signed their death warrants, and I may have. “Run!” I yelled grabbing my skateboard in one hand and the bottle of ketchup in the other as I tore out of the dental office screaming bloody murder, my legs pushing off the ground as fast as they could, my heart beating so fast I swore I was trying to beat itself right out of my chest. I was free. I pushed open the door, I was-

I collided with something alive and fell backward, cracking my poor little skull against the ground. I let out a moan, gah! Didn’t people realize that when you hit your head brain cells die? Didn't they realize brain cells don’t grow back? Didn’t they realize I didn’t have as many brain cells to begin with as everyone else? First Justin Bieber was just lying on the ground waiting for me to step on him and now…. I looked up to see this really pretty guy holding a gun at my face! “You wrinkled my clothes!” He snapped irritably with the look of pure vengeance on his face that I had only ever seen on a woman during her special time of month before.

There was only one explanation to this; he was Justin Bieber’s long lost twin.

Fear racked my body as I stared in horror at the guy with the gun, I raised my arms in front of my face. “Please don’t shoot me, I promise if you don’t I will buy all of your brother’s records and listen to them on repeat! Please!” I begged, my voice cracking as the man’s face clouded with confusion.

“What?” He asked, he asked furrowing his brow and staring at me as if he was questioning my sanity.

I was slightly irritated, “Dude! I’m begging here! Begging isn’t normally my thing. Appreciate it!” I snapped, my anger helping me not to stutter.

That was when ketchup face stumbled out of the dentist’s office herding Alex, Murphy, Rose and Tove in front of him. His now very bloodshot eyes shot like daggers over toward me. “Grigori, take care of them. This one is mine.” He hissed, fear shocked my body as I backed up, sweat was beginning to collect on my forehead as my breathing increased.

I had to distract him so I laughed loudly, “Grigori? That sounds like a pasta brand!”

This only seemed to make him angrier, both of them actually. Grigori’s friend reached forward, his large hand wrapping around my neck. The pressure increased as I was suddenly dangling a foot off the ground. A little choking noise escaped my throat as the  man laughed. “Listen here, bitch.” He started, his grey eyes ablaze.

I watched his lips move to start screaming at me as my brain went into defensive mode (as it generally did when the teacher said the word homework or when I got in trouble for something) and it shut down completely, like I couldn’t hear a word he said.

After like ten seconds of consecutive yelling he dropped me and I fell on top of my skateboard, it’s wheels digging into my back. I had to bite my tongue to keep from yelling something obnoxious at him, probably something along the lines of calling his head a duck-butt. Tove and Alex rushed over to me, hauling me to my feet and shoving my skateboard and my bottle of ketchup into my hands. I looked directly over Tove’s shoulder to see pasta-dude aiming a gun at us tapping his foot impatiently.

“Are you okay?” Tove asked, her eyes wide with worry as they led me towards the group. Tove reminded me of a blanket- no. Not a blanket. I didn’t trust blankets, they were killing machines. Okay… so she reminded me of a trustworthy blanket and I just wanted to hug her and like carry her everywhere. Yeah, that described my feelings toward her perfectly.

I opened my mouth to say something back, however I just kind of croaked… I sounded like a dying artichoke. My throat must not be completely recovered.

We were brutally herded down the hall into a supermarket where a group of other people mulled around uncomfortably. I realized it was the same group of people of whom had mulled around me as we’d tried to force the doors open…. only a lot people were missing. I swallowed hard, a wave of uneasiness washed over me. I glanced over my shoulder, the only thing I wanted to do was go back to my fort and refortify it.

Duck-Butt-Head slammed the sliding doors of the supermarket closed while Grigori kept the pistol aimed at us. Anticipation rumbled through the group, I watched Rose take Murphy’s hand. I wanted someone to take my hand, I needed to know I wasn’t alone. I waited a few seconds before getting impatient and forcibly taking Tove and the random guy next to me’s hand. The blonde haired guy brutally slapped me, “Get the hell out of my bubble!” he snapped crossly and moved away. Pain exploded in my cheek. Man-bitch, I thought on the verge of slapping his face with my skateboard.

“SHUDDUP!!!!” Tove screamed at him clasping her hands over her face. Awww… she was like so sweet. I hugged her about to thank her for sticking when Duck-Butt-Head guy pulled out a megaphone.

“So here’s how it’s going to work. We are going to-”

“SHUDDUP!!!!” Tove screamed again, a startled silence overcoming the crowd.

Duck-Butt-Head looked irritated, but decided to ignore it. “So as I was saying-”

“SHUDDUP!!!!” Tove screamed, sinking to her knees as if she was in total pain, which lets be honest here, she was just acting because she is just a sassy little rebel.

Duck-Butt-Head threw down his megaphone, his eyes blazing as they scanned the crowd. “Who the hell is that?”

“SHUDDUP, SHUDDUP, SHAD-” Rose bustled over to us, clamping her hand over Tove’s mouth. Rose’s face was stricken with fear as she looked over at Duck-Butt-Head. Actually, my entire alliance looked terrified…. Maybe I should be too.

After a second the man lifted the mega-phone back up to his mouth, “If anyone interrupts me again I am going to open fire on the lot of you!” He growled gesturing to the gun that hung from his hip. Well someone forgot to take his happy pills today. “As I was saying, we are playing capture the flag whether you like it or not. Heres now this is going to work, I will announce the predetermined teams, once you have your team go ahead and clump up with them. After that you will head to opposite ends of the store. I will fire a shot off as a signal to go and vo-la! Go find the sword! When I fire two shots that means the game is over because someone already found the sword.” He said with mild amusement. “Please feel free to kill each other- just not the people on your team.”

I wondered if ‘the sword’ he was talking about was the one that I’d shot down from the ceiling earlier, but had dropped as I ran for my life. If so I really wanted to reclaim it. It looked like sword out of Lord of the Rings! I could name it and everything! I would name it…. Fitzgerald. I’d get it a leash and take it for walks and I’d engrave it’s food bowl and everything!

Grigori pulled a crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket, “Okay! On Kyro’s team we have Liyah!”  A small chocolate colored girl stepped forward nervously. “Richard!” A very drunk boy about my age stumbled forward, falling flat on his face at Liyah’s feet. “Cole!” The boy who’d slapped me stepped forward, I watched at he tripped over Richard’s feet and fell flat on his face as well. Wasn’t this team looking promising? “Killian.” Wow. That was a tough name, finally we had some competition! At least that was what I thought until a cuddly looking munchkin skipped forward, giggling and waving a knife around. “Drew.”

Wait- Fudge-Brownies! Was he talking about me? “I- I volunteer as tribute!” I stuttered the first thing that came to mind. Wait no that wasn’t right. “I don’t want to be on Kyro’s team because his hair looks like duck-butt fuzz.” I sucked at improv, at least I’d gotten the point across though.

Actually allow me to rephrase that; shit, I’d gotten the point across! I ducked as Kyro’s aimed his gun at me, the bullet grazed my scalp and exploded into a pyramid of man-diapers that were stacked behind me. “Fine!” I choked, “Somebody was abused by his grandmother!” I cried running over to join the team composed of freaks. I felt so out of place.

“Next we have Wednesday!” Grigori said quickly as if to hope to distract from my comment. I watched a skinny goth girl with big hair come forward with a look of murder on her face. Her eyes flickered over me seeming to say, “I will eat your soul as I drink tea with Satan and we giggle as we trade pokemon.” I bet she was a pooka. She looked like a pooka in human form. “Tove.” Thank God for a normal person! Tove came up and stood next to me. “Murphy.” I didn’t care if Murphy was a wizard/vampire/werewolf, I was just so glad I wasn’t alone. I hugged him as he came over. “And finally….” I waited for them to pick Alex. We’d been through so much together, it would only make sense if we went through hell together too. And now Rose wouldn’t be with us so I wouldn’t have to worry about her killing me in my sleep! “Alex-” Yes! “-is!” What? No. That was wrong! I watched as a hobbit woman stepped forward with a ‘I-am-scared-for-my-life-but-I-am-going-to-smile-and-make-cookies-for-you-anyway’ expression on her face.

I shook my head, crap. I ignored the little weight in my heart as Grigori said, “Everyone else you’re on my team and you're headed to the right hand side of the mall, Kyro’s team, to the left.” It watched as they started to walk off, I glanced at Murphy who looked genuinely terrified. After a hesitation I yelled, “See ya later Alex! Eat their brains!” He turned and waved back, though you could tell his heart wasn’t in it.

I sigh as I started to walk to the right with the rest of my group. (Alexis and Cole dragged Richard behind them) “So… I guess we are a team now.” Tove muttered nervously, looking down at her feet.

Wednesday frowned continuing to stare blankly ahead, “We are going to die.” She said numbly as if she was just commenting on the weather.

“Don’t  be so down! If we work together we can stay alive!” Alexis said cheerily. That was when I came to a conclusion about the hobbit woman- she was too happy. She was clear on drugs. I was about to ask her if I could have some in exchange for Murphy when Tove said, “Seriously what do we have that they don’t?”

I raised my finger, “We have a warlock/vampire/werewolf on our side, see Murphy is one!” I said excitedly.

Murphy covered his face with his hands while everyone else looked at me as if I was a trigger-happy serial killer who wanted to brutally murder them. I was confused. “What are you crazy? We need a real plan!” Cole snapped nervously running his hand through the clump of blonde hair on his head.

I frowned at him. “Sadly, I am the only sane one here.” I informed him sadly.

We reached the end of the shopping center that turned out to be a deil, Cole and Alexis dropped Richard (Well Cole ‘dropped’, Alexis carefully lowered) to the ground and turned to face us. It would be an understatement to say they looked troubled. Cole opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by an earsplitting gunshot that ricocheted off my eardrums, making me flinch. Everyone froze for a few seconds, we locked eyes with one another before Wednesday said, “Forget this! We’ll regroup later!” With that she took off running.

It all happened so fast I could barely process it one second we were all standing still the next we were all blindly following Wednesday, I do believe in those moments of total confusion I would have followed her right off a cliff. The other group charged us screaming  as well, weaving in and out of the isles of shelves. A tall guy lifted his bow, aiming it at us, he let the arrow fly. It raced through the air, ready to peg the unlucky person in it’s path- that person happened to be Wednesday.

My breath caught in my throat as I watched her crumple to the ground, a look of calm indifference spread across her face. I gaped at her, about to rush forward to help when I saw the guy aim the arrow at me. I hesitated half a second before I forced myself to run as the other team hit us and we collapsed into battle. I swung my skateboard blindly, hitting people in the head, desperately trying to break out of this death zone. I watched another girl hit the ground feeling sick from the amount adrenaline that raced through my body making me nauseous. I was going to die. I was going to die! I felt my sanity start to collapsed, I needed something to grab onto to keep me from losing it.

I just had to focus on finding the sword. It was just be and the sword. Its just like a video game Drew, you can do this.

First thing was first, I needed to get above the fighting. I had no time to look for the sword when these crazed nuts were constantly trying to take my head off! I jumped over a dead body and ducked a swing from a sword. My eyes flitted through the utter chaos around me, my heart pounding in my chest. My eyes fell on Tove, I watched a guy sneak up behind her as she rummaged through some boxes. Nobody touched my fluffy, trustworthy blanket and lived. I rushed him and jumped on the little dude’s head in a very heroic  manor. The guy cried out hysterically as we crashed to the ground, I realized with a start he was young. Really young.

Well he should have thought about that before trying to kill someone. I swallowed hard and cracked the skateboard over his head, the wheel entered his eye. The orb popped sending blood everywhere. He cried out as he swung a dagger insanely, desperately trying to attack me. I ducked as his knife grazed my forehead, suddenly his arms flew up in surprise as he fell to the ground motionless; a bloody steak knife protruding from his back.

Tove stood over him panting, a look of horror scrawled across her face. She looked up at me in terror at what she had done, my shaking hand grabbed hers. I was probably twice as terrified as her but we couldn’t dwell on it- no I refused to dwell on it. “Lets climb up the shelves! That way we can look around and try to find the sword!” I said breathlessly as the idea struck me.

I hoisted myself up the shelves, one foot at a time. I silently prayed that no one would see me and decide to use me for target practice. The shelf started to tip towards me suddenly, I cried out, my stomach heaving like a rough ocean wave crashing back into the surf. I held into the shelf for dear life, clenching my teeth together as I squeezed my eyes shut. Tove let herself fall to the ground and threw her weight against the wall to keep it from tipping. “Thanks!” I gasped, trying to force the vertigo from my body.

She nodded as I rolled over the lip of the top of the shelf, my head wheeling. I forced myself to stand up shakily as I looked around, scanning for anything that looked like a sword. Slowly I started walking toward the other end of the shelf, I had my arms stretched out to either side for balance like a tightrope walker. Without warning a flurry of arrows flew past me, narrowly missing my chest. I cried out skipping a few steps and wobbling as I nearly fell, the world seeming to spin around me.

That was when I saw it though, I saw the sword through the glass of a freezer that lined the wall. I also saw an all too familiar figure rushing toward it. I knew what I had to do if wanted to have my happily ever after with Fitzgerald. Another arrow came from nowhere and penetrated the back of my shirt, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I hesitated only a second before letting out a tarzan cry and leaping toward the freezer, wind raced past me as I flailed through the air, and it the glass with a devastating crash that racked my body. I felt a thousand little daggers rip my skin as it collapsed on itself.

Through my delusion I reached up to grab the sword but Alex grabbed me yanking me backward out of the freezer, “Sorry, buddy but the sword is mine.” He said without much malice, instantly I knew he had no desire to eat my brains.

However I didn’t have much of an issue with scrambling his so I brutally elbowed him in the face, “Sorry man.” I gasped launching myself at the sword that still sat in the freezer. Alex grabbed my arms, yanking them behind me as he tried to either dislocate them to eat them or pull me backwards to get the sword. I think it was the second one.

Pain racked my body as I pushed myself forward, Alex the zombie did have the advantage of being undead and having muscles, but I had the advantage of two inches and at least 2 or 3 extra pounds that I attribute to my life source; McDonalds and I wasn’t afraid to use it. I pushed myself forward, inch by perilous inch, until my face was inches away from the beautiful handcrafted blade. Alex had abducted my hands so I used the only other part of my body I could grab something with…

I opened my mouth and closed it around the ice cold blade. Yay! I had won Fitzgerald! I opened my mouth to let out a cry of triumph (and maybe to rub it in Alex’s face a tad) when I realized my tongue was stuck to the blade. “Khab.” I said trying to gently tug my tongue free.

Alex let go of my arms, “I’ll beat you next time.” He grunted, I would have rolled my eyes and said him a ‘poor baby’ because I was generally the one getting my ass kicked. I mean I should be allowed to win once in a while! But all my attention was focused on the large, very embarrassing problem that was stuck to my tounge.

I heard the two shots fired signaling the end of the game. I reached my arms (that felt like Alex had stretched them at least five inches) around to remove the sword from the freezer shelf.

I turned to face the rest of the store, careful not let go of the sword lest it pull my tongue out. Nearly everyone had gathered around me looking at me, I watched as Kyros the Duck-Butt-Head and Grigori made their way through the crowd. “It looks like Team Kyros wins!” Kyros announced smugly, thought it was pretty clear he wasn’t thrilled that it had been me who had brought him the victory.  My teammates let out a unenthusiastic cheer. I really loved the support.

Kyros walked over to grab the sword, “Thuck.” I said desperately trying to pull the blade from my tongue, it was only about now that people started to realized what had happened. I heard a few giggles in the crow accompanied by Alex doing a face-palm. Kyros grabbed the hilt of my sword as if to hoist it above his head in victory, I did the only thing I could do- “Na! Na! Na magh hunge es thuck!” I screamed waving my hands and trying to get the point across.

Kyros looked at me for a very long minute, then a smile cracked his face and he started laughing hysterically at me. I seriously had no clue what was so funny. He tugged at the sword and I stepped forward valuing the skin on my tongue too much not too. He took a few steps toward the center of the room and I was forced to follow. This seemed to bring him the uttermost amusement.  

“Bauigh.” I tried to curse. I was starting to question whether this sword was worth it or not. I sounded like a freaking minion. Well I suppose when I went to apply to a collage now I could put ‘Despicable Me Minion’ down as a second language.

If you don’t die here, a voice in my head chided sending shivers racing down my spine.

Grigori coughed uncomfortably, “Kyros, lets get on with it.” He said irritably checking his perfectly manicured hands.

Kyros sigh rolling his eyes and shoving the hilt of the sword back into my clammy palms. “This game is over, don’t look relieved though, the game has only begun.” He threw back his head and laughed with such venom it sent chills running down my spine.  I stumbled over toward Tove and Murphy trying to push his ominous warning from my head and focus on the real problem here; how the hell was I going to get this sword off my tongue?