Author Games: Return To Seasons

Task Three: Rudolf The Red Nosed Rebel - ☣ Hybrid Entries ☣

District 14 Male - SKY WHITE 

Sky woke up so fast he hit his head on the ceiling.

"Ow." He muttered, rubbing his head. He took a sharp intake of air and breathed out.

Then all the memories of the Games came back. He had gotten... He couldn't remember the details. His leg hurt tremendously, along with his grazed shoulder, still bloody. He remembered the giant Christmas tree, filled with weapons and food. He remembered the pinkish-blue ice palace, sitting atop the mountain. He remembered... He remembered the claw, coming down to retrieve him as he fell unconscious...

"Ah, I see one of you is finally up."

Sky was so startled he almost hit his head on the low ceiling again.

He whipped his head around and saw a man. Taking in the man's details, he noticed one certain thing. His nose was red, as if he had a cold. But a much brighter red than normal, an unnatural red.

"Welcome to the revolution."

For a millisecond, as Sky took all that in, he was quiet. Then he was speaking, loud enough to almost be a shout.

"Where am I? Who are you? Why aren't I in the Games, or dead? Why am I here?!" He demanded, asking a question a second.

The man slightly smiled. "Well, to answer all your questions, you are in a Oppidium hovercraft, stolen by yours truly. Made into a sort of hospital thing and revolution hovercraft." At that point Sky cared to notice the other seven or so tributes lying down in beds, unconscious. Heath Hawthorn, Sunny Azalea, Cutepid Folant...

 The man continued.

"I am Rudy Dolff, and-"

Sky cut him off. "Rudy Dolff? What kind of name is that?" Sky found it so funny, even in that dark moment, that he began to laugh. "Rudy Dolff? You can't be serious."

Then Sky saw Rudy's serious expression and fell silent.

"You aren't dead, well, because you didn't die. You aren't in the Games, because I've kind of captured you. And lastly... You are here, as I said, for the revolution."

Sky swallowed. "A revolution... Against what?" He asked, although he was afraid he already knew the answer.

"It's obvious, isn't it? The Oppidium." 

Sky freaked. "But we can't! I mean, I would love to rebel against them, but they're stronger than us, you must admit that! We're all just children, you have to consider that!"

The man smiled just slightly again.

"You may be children, but you are experienced. And I know that you have determination to be seen not as the shame of Aurōrae, but as the heroes of Aurōrae. You have enough fight in you to do this." Sky noticed Rudy looking at his eyes, and he shifted uncomfortably. He was silent for a moment.

 "So what happened to all the other tributes? There were definitely more."

Rudy nodded. "Some died, obviously. As for the others... We couldn't get to them. Taken by a different hovercraft, to who knows where."

Sky raised an eyebrow. "What do you plan to do about that? Obviously, the Oppidium will know about the rebellion, and, and..." He trailed off, not sure of what to say next.

"The Oppidium definitely knows. That's a fact. The thing is, the Oppidium took the other half of the tributes, and I think it's so that they can try to overthrow us. But they won't."

 Sky was quiet again. Then he asked, "What season are you? Or are you a hybrid like me?"

Rudy smiled his sad, sunken smile. "Let's not get too off-topic." He paused. "So, the real question is, are you with me? With us? Will you rebel against the Oppidium?"

Sky closed his eyes, thinking. He could die. But then again, if they overthrew the Oppidium, no more children would die. No more sacrifices. Nothing.

There was was a thick tension in the silence that followed. 

"I'm in."

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District 15 Female - PLUMPKIN PYE [1]

I feel myself falling for what feels like an eternity before my body finally crashes onto something solid. My head pounds to the beat of footsteps that seem to get louder and louder until they stop. My eyes open slowly, burning as light fills them for what feels like the first time in days. As the room begins to clear up, I squint to identify my surroundings. A man is standing above me, glancing down with worry in this wide, brown eyes. “Are you alright?”

 “Wowza.” I whisper, looking at him in awe. “I always told Mother Mary that the angels were gonna be the most beautiful things I ever laid my eyes on.” I take his hand and stand, my legs feeling like jelly as I cling to the bed beside me for support. The room is plain, just stretchers for beds and no windows. “Except I thought Heaven was going to be prettier.” 

I realize the other stretchers hold more people, all still and laying straight on their backs. My eyes get wide as I recognize Cutepid on the bed behind mine. “No!” I shout, frowning. “He wasn’t supposed to die. Now Eros will never love him.” My eyes search for the man again, looking for some sort of sympathy. “This is Cutepid. He is my favorite.” I drop my voice to a whisper. “Except he likes boys and he might want to make babies with you.” I speak normally again, my face serious. “Just say no.”

I find the pair from One, side by side on their stretchers. “This is Heath and Emerald. They aren’t as sunny as One. Neither of them is very nice but they are pretty. Mother Mary always said, you can either be nice or pretty in this word. I, of course, am nice.”  

“Oh, speaking of being sunny, this is Sunny. She is really mean. Except she doesn’t eat meat and neither do I, so I like her.” I turn to Rudy, my smile wavering a bit. “Are they all dead? They don’t deserve to die. Oh nuts.” My eyes begin to fill with tears and my lip quivers. 

Rudy realizes what is happening immediately and escorts me to my bed. “Maybe you should sit down.” I comply, attempting to climb onto the stretcher gracefully. They were a couple feet high, much higher than any bed I had ever seen. “I’m Rudy.” He extends his hand towards me and I stare at his, analyzing how dirty his hands are. He pulls it away just as it clicks that I was supposed to shake it. 

Making the entire exchange even more awkward, I stick my own hand out after he puts his back in his lap. “I’m Plumpkin. Except you can call me Plump, everyone does.” He smirks a bit as I tell him my name, as most people do. Though, its much better than the confused laugh, and I decide that I like him right then and there. “Are you dead too? I don’t remember seeing you at the Cornucopia.” 

Rudy shakes his head, trying to offer some explanation. “I am not dead. And neither are you.” He adds the last bit as I begin to try and talk over him. “You have actually been selected to be part of a revolution.”

I stare at him incredulously, shaking my own head. “Wait a second, is a revolution the same thing as a rebellion? Because rebellions are illegal and Mother Mary says if I get in trouble, Santa Claus won’t come.” 

“Santa?” He asks, probably thinking I am referring to mayor of District Ten. I wasn’t of course, amateur mistake. 

I nod proudly, knowing something more than someone else for the first time. “Oh yes, a very long time again when the world was still happy, a man would come and he would deliver presents for all the good little children. Mother Mary told me about him. He still comes every year, but secretly, of course.”

Rudy stares at me for a long time, long enough that I begin to feel uncomfortable. Then, just as I am about to open my mouth and break the silence, he smiles. It is a giant smile, bring attention to the red on the tip of his nose. “I think you’re going to fit in perfectly around here, Plumpkin.” 

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