Task Description:

Mayla releases hoards of 'Fire Trolls' upon the unsuspecting tributes, they go on a killing spree.

“Amethyst, I think I love you.” I croaked as another sparkly bow was entangled in the mass of hair on my head. I felt like someone was choking me. Gah! I asked girls out all the time back in my district without breaking a sweat, I mean why should I? Iis not like I am going to be turned down or anything. Divulging this to Amethyst made me want to pee my pants.

There was a long pause. I held my breath. I held my breath until I saw black spots dance before my vision. “Whats… love? I forget.” Amethyst asked pawing at at my hair, I felt her curl a lock around her finger.

I let out my breath, gasping for air. “Oh. Umm. Love?” I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. “Love is when a man lets a woman put sparkly bows and braids in his hair on live television.” I said trying to word it the best I could. I was failing. I had better throw a few fancy words in there. Women loved fancy words. “Love is when two equally fabulous people get together for forever and stuff.” Yes I was blowing this.

There was another long pause. “Well I am fabulous. And you are letting me put bows in your hair. I guess I love you too!” She grinned continuing her mass murder of my hair.

I shook my head, “No… Its deeper than just that.”

“Soooo best friends?” She asked, the topic going straight over her head.

“Deeper.” I said racking my brain which had chosen a wonderful time to seize up.

“Super best friends?” Amethyst asked pulling a ribbon with pink kitties out of the parachute that had so conveniently fallen from the sky last night while I was asleep.

I saw Bryant peek his head out of the his shelter and rub his eyes sleepily. Bryant was smart, maybe he could help. “Bryant!!!!” I yelled waving. I thought I saw him shudder, the signature ‘I-really-don’t-want-to-talk-to-those-idiots-but-I-have-to-because-I-am-trying-to-be-a-good-person’ shudder that everyone had. I must have been mistaken though because- lets face it- who in their right mind wouldn’t want to talk to me?

He trudged over. “Nice hairdo Maverick. What do you want?” He asked yawning.

I decided to ignore his first comment out of the kindness in my heart. “Bryant I’m trying to explain to Amethyst what love is. Could you help?”

Bryant sign enthusiastically. He must not have been a morning person. He looked undead- what if he was undead? I regarded with with sudden suspicion.  He looked between the two of us. “Amethyst. Have you ever heard of another girl having a boyfriend?”

Amethyst’s eyes lit up. “Ooooooh I know what a boyfriend is! I got this little pamphlet yesterday that explained it! So Maverick wants to be my boyfriend?” She giggled clapping her hands excitedly.

She got a pamphlet? That wasn’t important. She seemed excited. She was going to say yes! “So Amethyst do you want to be my girlfriend?” I asked excitedly jumping to my feet and turning to look into her gorgeous purple eyes that clearly reflected her deepest innermost thoughts; butter.

She opened her mouth to respond, but never got to start her statement because the dark lord Cardamom swooped out of nowhere and said  “What's going on?” His piercing blue eyes glared at me accusingly.

I glared at him. “Hello Cardamom.” I said flatly, willing a blunt instrument to fall on his head or something. That would make my day. It would make my week if he fell into a coma, that way I wouldn’t die and I wouldn’t have to deal with his annoying behaviors, such as trying to charm the love of my life away from me with his freakishly shiny teeth and downright charming manors.

Cardamom ignored me looking straight to Amethyst. I noticed that Bryant took this opportunity to make a break for it. I don’t blame him, Cardamom’s dentist reek is enough to clear any room. “Amethyst, is Maverick bothering you?” He growled.

Amethyst shook her head. “Maverick just asked me to be his boyfriend!” She jumped in a circle around Cardamom giggling hysterically, I decided not to inform her that she could never be my boyfriend because she was a girl.

“Oh,” Cardamom said turning away, “Well thats strange… I was just going to ask you to be my girlfriend….”

To my disappoint this seemed to make Amethyst very happy. “Oh I-” She started to exclaim excitedly but stopped abruptly, she frowned and glared at the ground. She punched Cole in the guts and he doubled over.

I grinned, “Go Amethyst! Now impale him with something!” I yelled pumping my fist in the air.

They all ignored me.

“It’s not fair!” Amethyst whined, “Why can’t I have two boyfriends?” She began kicking the ground fiercely and sand flew everywhere. “In Butters name!-” She stopped and covered her hands with her mouth in horror. “Forgive my language!” She looked up at the sky as if she expected something to swoop in and kill her.

Cardamom rolled his eyes, “Relax Amethyst, butter is just a fat filled ingredient that comes from cows. It’s not going to hurt you.” He took a step toward her as if to comfort her but never got any closer because Amethyst whacked him in the head with a branch.  I didn’t see her even pick it up, just one second she was near tears and the next a branch was crunching his face in.

“Treason!” She screamed continuing beat him with a branch. “Kill the nonbeliever!” Cole curled into fetal position in an attempt to block the blows.

I trotted over to her, “Do you want help?” I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was when she was beating people. Hell, Amethyst could be rolled in dirt and have green polka dots and she would still be beautiful.

She cast the branch aside and turned to me, a desperate look in her eye. “Mav… Do you belive in the power of butter?”

I gulped, of course I didn't! I was a rational person, but I saw how much it had hurt Amethyst (and Cole in the literal sense) that Cardamom didn’t. I didn’t want to do that to her, but I didn’t want to lie to her either. I felt sick. “Yeah, of course I like butter, it tastes great on a slice of bread but-” Suddenly the branch was in my face. I hit the sand hard.

She looked down at me with tears streaming down her face. “You eat butter? You monster!” She ran off sobbing, her hands cupping her precious face. She ducked into her tent, and disappearing from my sight

I rolled over onto my stomach so I was facedown in the sand. “I am a terrible person.”

“She’ll get over it.” Cole grunted next to me. “But yes, to answer your question. You are a terrible person. Why don’t you go cause yourself some unspeakable bodily harm that won’t kill you but will come very close to it? And do it so I can watch.”

Man-bitch, I thought angrily.“Cardamom, why don’t you go eat your fake balls or something.” I growled without moving  and trying not to eat the sand from my mound of shame.

Something hard hit my side. “You know that isn’t true!” He snapped angrily. I pictured his face getting all red and sweaty like it does when he’s pissed. Like right now. I almost smiled- and then I pictured Amethyst crying and fell back into my eternal sorrow.

“What is that idiot doing?” Sabrina’s voice cut sharply.

“Amethyst is mad at us for insulting butter and Mattress over there isn’t taking it so well.” Cardamom grunted, rolling his eyes. I couldn’t see it of course, but thought it was a pretty safe guess that he was. Dismissive eye-rolling was about the only thing Cardamom was good at.

Sabrina sigh, “Well fix it.” She demanded, “I was just about to call a meeting and I need him functioning.” She hesitated, “Hes actually really smart when he isn't being an idiot. Which is almost never.”

I snorted and got a bunch of sand up my nose, which is not a pleasant sensation might I add. “Please SabSab. We all know you love me.” I grunted cocilky, though my heart wasn’t really in it.

She kicked me in the stomach. It hurt. “Don’t get your hopes up.” Normally I would have sent her some witty reply, that kick must have been magical or something because an idea suddenly popped into her head.

I grabbed her ankle and lifted my face up to her. “SabSab! Your a women! Tell me how to make it up to Amethyst!” I cried desperately. “That is- if you are a women and not actually an alien from outer space sent to dominate our country as we know it.” I added, to see if I could catch her off guard and make her spill.

She kicked me again. “What? No you idiot. Are you high?” Darn. She didn’t spill. “And you don’t need to make it up to Amethyst. She will forget by tomorrow.” She tried to shake my hands from her leg. It didn’t work.

“Noooooooooooo.” I moaned, “Teeelllll meeeee hooowwww tooo maakkkeee ittt uppp tooo heeerrrrr.” I rolled over giving her my best puppy dog face. It always worked.

Sabrina’s reaction confirmed the fact she was an alien. “Let go of me you freak!” She shrieked, kicking my face, I let go grasping my poor nose.

“Owww… You monster. Do you realize a face this perfect comes around once in a lifetime? And you're trying to destroy it!” I yelled. I took a deep breath to get ahold of myself. I grabbed her ankle again, “Please SabSab, I’m begging you! I’ll do anything!”

Sabrina wrinkled her nose. “Fine. Just pick her flowers or something.” She turned around and storming off, “Man, I can’t wait to kill you.” I heard her mutter under her breath, my blood went cold.

My eyes shifted toward Cole, they locked with his. “How many pairs are left in the arena….?”  I asked cautiously, “Like as far as outer district tributes.”

“Three pairs. It’s almost time to start backstabbing.” Cole said, clearly unnerved, “Next pair that we kill we have to get out of here.”

As much as I hated to agree with Cardamom, he was right. “We have to take Amethyst with us though….” I said glancing over at Amethyst’s tent. I could hear the poor girl crying- and grunted in frustration as she broke things.

Cole hesitated, “Maybe.” he said, his voice strangled.

That was when the ground started shaking. My eyes shot over to see water part to make way for a huge purple mountain. Maverick Jr. splashed in the water, terrified by the unnatural occurrence. I pushed myself upwards from my mourning place and I sprinted over to comfort my poor little baby. “Its ok.” I cooed stroking his rough side. “Daddy’s not going to let anyone hurt you.” He calmed down and the two of us rocked in the waves as the mountain only continued to rise.

Finally it stopped, shining majestically against the artificial blue sky. I crained my neck around to see the rest of the pack who stood on the beach gaping. “You know. That mountain is actually really pretty.” I commented, it didn’t seem evil or dangerous in the least. It was kind of disappointing.

The mountain burst into flame.

Huge spurts of lava and debris poured down the side of the mountain. I threw my fist in the air and screamed, “Yay!” Now things were getting interesting!  The other tributes didn’t share my opinion.

Amethyst fell to her knees, “Butter is punishing us all! We are all doomed!” She sobbed, my heart melted a little.

“Run! Into the woods!” Bryant shouted.

Sabrina punched him in the face. “Thats MY job.” She snapped, “Run! Into the woods!” They all turned and ran into the forest, Bryant dragging Amethyst. Cole waited impatiently on the beach.

I stroked Maverick Jr, “Hey buddy, I gotta go on land now. I want you to swim far underneath the surface so the lava can’t get you. I’ll meet you later.”  I said, Maverick Jr. pouted, his deep black eyes betraying his feelings. “Don’t mope. I’ll be back before you know it.” I said stroking to shore where Cole practically pulled me out.

“Its a shark! It can’t understand you! Do you realize how much time you've wasted?” He slapped me.

“It’s a Cardamom! I don’t speak idiot! Do you realize how much time I’ve wasted?” I mimicked slapping him. He shot back up and glared at me, for a second I thought we were about to brawl with the lava racing toward us, but Cole’s eyes darkened as they focused on the mountain behind me.

I spun around to see what he was looking at, thousands of little demon lava creatures were charging down the mountain, emerging from the top of the volcano. Now was definitely time for our dramatic escape. “Shall we run?” I asked Cole raising an eyebrow.

“No you moron lets have a flipping picnic- yes we run!” He hissed grabbing my arm and yanking me behind him. We tore into the woods following the sound of our pack ahead of us. Our footsteps pounded through the forest, the branches cracking under us every time we brought our foot down. Out of the corner of eye I saw a sharp movement. I shoved Cole to the ground roughly falling on top of him as a flurry of arrows raced over our heads.

“You-” I shoved Coles head into the dirt before he could finish his sentence, drawing my bow and peering into the direction the arrows had come from. I saw nothing, I held my breath straining to hear whoever it was.

I slowly got to my feet, “Fee, fye, fo, fum, I smell the smell of an tributes blood.” I said all creepy like, my eyes straining to see some type of movement. I thought I heard Cardamom sigh in annoyance. He probably did.

I saw a small movement directly in front of me, I let the arrow fly. It whirred, spinning through the thick leaves, slicing through them until it embedded itself in it’s target. A strangled yelp notified I had hit my target.

I loaded another arrow and started toward whoever it was. While my god-like aim was always accurate, I hadn't really aimed so it wasn’t necessarily a fatal blow. I heard Cardamom get to his feet and follow me, sword drawn.

I heard an ‘umph’ as Cole was jumped behind me, probably by the idiot who had decided to shoot us’s partner. I heard blades clash along with lots of manly grunting. I continued advancing forward. Cole was a big boy, it was time he learned to function without me always saving his butt. Besides I knew I had to get to whoever had launched that arrow.

A knife whooshed past my ear, clipping it. I let the arrow fly, this time I saw the body go down crushing the brush underneath it.. I peered over to see the little girl from 3. I instantly felt sick for killing such a young girl… I looked away, fingers touching my cut ear.

I realized that the tip was completely gone. I thought a lot of bad words. My ear looked like I had been neutered. My face flushed as I  remembered of how in district 4, there was a cat problem. There were just too many stray cats, so in order to stop them from reproducing they were neutered and then the top half of their ear was cut off. Like mine had just been.

I glanced at Cole who had managed to kill her partner, also a young girl. He scowled at me, ignoring my gushing ear. “Come on. Who knows how far away the other careers are now.” He took off and I followed.

“Don’t I get a ‘thank you’ for saving your life? Honestly I save your life so much you should just bow down and worship me.” I smirked as we broke into a full out sprint.

Cole ignored me completely.

It surprisingly only took us a few minutes to come up behind Bryant, Amethyst, Sabrina and Ashler. They were being chased by a herd of fire trolls. “Attack formation! Sandwich the trolls!” I yelled at the top of my lungs hoping the others could hear me. I sliced the troll in front of me to the ground lava spilled from its innards and I hopped away to avoid it.

I started hacking my way through the masses, Cole followed suit. Though lets face it, he had way more trouble than me. I make everything with the exception of thinking look easy.

Lava burned my legs and arms as I the trolls down, I’d like to say I was just in kill mode- but honestly the only thing that consumed my thoughts were Amethyst. I had to get to her and convince her I was sorry. I had to make her love me again.

When the last troll fell I ran toward Amethyst who was lying on the ground away from the battle. I spun around wild eyed to look at Sabrina. “Is she ok?” I demanded not even waiting for a response as I knelt beside her.

“She’s praying to butter.” She laughed obnoxiously, throwing her head backward letting the echo ring through the arena.

Her eyes were closed and her breathing was shallow. I shook her, terrified she was dead. Terrified I’d never hear her laugh again. Terrified we could never be together….

She punched me. I grasped my nose moaning. “You’re still mad at me?” One look at her face and I knew it was true. “Look. I can’t lie to you. I don’t believe in butter. I don’t believe in it’s power. And I eat it. A lot. But if it hurts you, I will try to believe and I will never eat it again. I will love and worship butter, because you love and worship butter. I will follow you wherever you go, and no matter how hard you try you will never be able to get rid of me.” I wrapped my arms around her and little shocks of electricity ran up my arms from the sensation. It felt so perfect. She didn’t hit me with a stick this time. “And you know what? We can build butter a temple together. It will be the grandest temple for butter in the world.” I added rubbing her back.

She sniffled. “Are you serious?”

“Dead serious.” I said.

“Can the temple be pink? And sparkle?” She asked hopefully.

“It will be the grandest, pinkest, most sparkly temple for butter ever constructed.” I said.

“Does Cole say the same thing?” Amethyst asked looking over toward Cole who smiled pleasantly and opened his mouth  to say something but I cut him off.

“Cole’s an Anti-Butter. Don’t trust him. Everything he is about to tell you is LIES.” I whispered freverently in her tiny perfectly shaped ear.

Cole glared at me. “Maverick is the one who’s lying!” He snapped, “He lies about everything!” I looked deep into his eyes and realized he hated me, like utterly and completely loathed me. It kind of scared me.

“Would you two girls shut up?!” Sabrina shouted forcefully, I could see the venom practically dripping from her lips with every word she spoke. Nobody moved for several seconds. “Now we have to get back to camp, see if the lava reached it.” She stormed off, Ashler right on her heels, careful not to step in any of the lava filled carcusses.

I stood up with Amethyst, I hesitantly took her hand and held it. It felt very nice. We both began following Sabrina, Cole was just ahead of me. His shoulders were tense and his head was down. This, I determined, was his angry stance. Bryant walked next to him, but his stance was more like ‘I am surrounded by morons.’ I must have misinterpreted that one, because the only idiot here was Cardamom.

That was when it happened- without warning we were jerked off of our feet into the air. Everyone was crushed together in a net. A net? “What…? Is everyone ok?” I choked, having two 180 pound guys on you as well as hot girl was not good for ones talking ability. I was tempted to tell them to lose weight.

“Umm yeah, I think so. Quick, someone cut us down.” Bryant groaned, looking around.

“Here I’ll do it.” Cole said kicking me in the face as he reached to grab his sword. He did it on purpose. I’m sure of it. I was tempted to twist his ankle off.

“Watch it!” I snapped in annoyance.

“Huh?” He said doing it again.

“You know I am seriously going to kill you!” I said slapping him with my free hand.

“Yay!” Lets all kill each other!” Amethyst giggled happily.

“No!” Bryant yelled, “You guys can kill each other later, back at camp.” He snapped, I was about to tell him I could kill people whenever I wanted when Amethyst spoke, looking at someone who was standing outside the net.

“Maverick! Maverick! He stole your hair!” She screamed pointing at someone outside the net. I peered outside the net. I peered through the tightly woven vines to see the five kid.

I glowered. “I thought I killed you!” I yelled, “Twice.”

He laughed, tossing the spear from hand to hand. “Of course not, I’m smarter than that-” He was promptly cut off as he was jumped by a herd of fire trolls. My eyes bulged as I watched the skin get yanked from his  body, as the trolls dismembered the five kid’s. One of the trolls scalped him and screamed holding the bloody mess above his head, “Fire hair!”

A group of lava trolls jumped him and tried to steal scalp.

My eyes widened in horror and my hand hubbed my curls to make sure they were still there. The monsters.

Cardamom fell into hysterics. “Hey, don’t fight! My buddy over here has plenty of ‘fire hair to spare-”

“FIRE HAIR!!!!!” One screamed pointing at my head. They all began jumping, trying desperately to reach the net.

“You psychopathic, sadistic, maniac!” I screamed, clawing my way above him. “You're going to get us all KILLED!!!!” I turned to shake my fist at the trolls, “You’ll never get my hair! never!”

Cardamom laughed, “Relax. These lower life forms will never figure out how to get us down from here! They will never notice that peg over there that keeps us suspended. Right now this net is the safest place to be.

I felt bile rise in my throat as I saw one of the fire trolls wearing the five kid’s scalp. If I could say nothing nice about that guy, I can say his hair was nearly as fabulous as mine. Nearly.

Bryant let out a strangled laugh. “You better be right, or I am killing you Cardamom.” He snapped, also trying to get to the top of the net.

Amethyst suddenly hugged me. “It’s ok. I won’t let them touch your hair. I will kill them.”  

I smiled, almost feeling ok- even though I was totally capable of taking care of myself. That feeling left me pretty quickly though when one of the rejected troll dolls ran over to the peg that nailed the rope into the ground. “Ohhhh. Me wonder what this peg do. Hehe.” It kicked it nonchalantly.

“NOOOO!!!!” Everyone screamed as we fell into the masses of trolls. I fell on Cole, saving me from getting the burns his back would undoubtedly suffer. Sucks for him. I yanked my trident free, kicking several trolls out of my way as their hands grasped for my skull. I jumped to my feet and began hacking away. The last of the pink ribbons that Amethyst had shoved in my hair earlier was yanked free by some troll. Secretly I was kind of glad to not have ribbons in my hair anymore, though I’d never tell Amethyst that. I stabbed that troll anyway.

The trolls threw themselves at me. I tried to block them- but there were just so many! I had this terrifying feeling these burns weren’t going to heal…. I thrust my trident into yet another creature. My arms stung from the burns, I looked around. My allies were nowhere in sight. I was alone. I felt my heart drop. Even Amethyst. They had left me. I felt my eyes water…. At least Maverick Jr. still loved me. Three more lava trolls fell to my trident, but hundreds more advanced.

That was when a rope fell in front of my face. I grabbed it hesitantly. I was jerked upward, above the masses. I crained my neck upward to see my alliance in the tree, pulling me upwards. So they hadn't left me! They pulled me onto the branch next to them.

I laughed with relief.

“Your crazy, Maverick.”Sabrina scowled at me. “Can you four do anything without me?” She hissed, “Ashler and I got to the campsite and saw you weren’t behind us and we had to come back here and find you.”

I hugged her, “SabSab I knew you had a big mushy heart.”I resisted the urge to break into hysterics as she let out a stream of profanities.

I turned to Amethyst, she smiled at me and hugged me. “Now we can build the temple!” She grinned. Her body fit perfectly in my arms, like we were made for each other.

“Yeah.” I grinned, and on a crazy impulse I leaned forward and kissed her….

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