A Collection of my Writer's Games Entries

Hourglass Games: Task 7 (Maisy Bellon) D10 *Quarter-Finals*

"That's me, May." He smiled. But I couldn't tell. What did my father look like?

His blonde hair was sleek and his eyes were a deep chocolate brown. His skin was slightly tanned and he wore a fitting black suit.

He wasn't my father. My father would never come to the Capitol.

"You're not my father," I hissed. He dropped my gaze.

"He isn't," a voice whispered, my hair fluttered despite there being no wind, "He's here to kill you — to make you weak." It spat.

"May, what have they done to you?" he asked softly, "What happened to my daughter?"

"I'm not you're daughter!" I shouted and he flinched.

For a moment, I remembered him. He pushed me on the swing and I would tell him to make me go higher as I giggled at the ticklish feeling in my tummy.

I shook the memory away.

"I'm a better person now; I'm stronger and better than before." I told the mutt.

"Maisy, it's not you. Don't you remember me?" his voice broke, "You always have to remember."

**

"Higher!" I squealed, and I felt his hands push me higher than ever before. The clouds got closer to me, before I swung back down.

"That's enough for today," he told me, and helped me off the swing.

"Please!" I whined, pulling him back to the swing.

"Maybe later," he smiled. And I smiled back.

"Race you to the house," I yelled and started running to our little cottage. Suddenly a huge heat wave knocked me to the ground and a loud explosion forced me to cover my ears. I watched as the roof of the house went up in flames and my home was destroyed. Dad ran to the flames screaming Mum's name, because she was in there. I called out for Dad, and he met my eyes and ran over to me. I asked him why he was crying, it was the only time I had seen him cry because he said that you always have to been strong. You always have to remember.

**

"Get away from me!" I yelled at him and lunged for him. He jumped out of the chair and I crashed into the wall.

I didn't like reliving my mother's death. It was like he could show me these things, or he was making me remember.

"May, I need you to come back. What would your mother say to you?"

Mum. I had her blonde hair, and her pale skin.

"Don't talk about my mother!" I growled.

"Tell me, May. What did they do to you in the arena? I was always watching for you, but some things we don't see. What happened after you went in that cavern?" he said in desperation.

A girl. Her dark ebony hair. Her pale skin. Vega, was what had happened.

"Nothing," I snarled.

"May, this isn't you. Where is the girl who wouldn't even hurt a fly?"

"Dead, just like you will be."

"May, just try remember me. I'm your father, for god's sake!" he begged. Tears began creeping down his cheeks and his eyes showed fear.

"You're not my father!" I yelled, "You hear me? I'm not your daughter!"

"Go on, kill him. I dare you." The voice whispered hauntingly.

This time, I jumped straight onto him. He stumbled back onto the mirror which cracked on impact. Shards scattered on the ground but I ignored them. I punched the man in the face, but he got my arm and restrained me.

"May, this isn't you!" he searched my eyes for something, for anything that resembled this 'daughter'.

I wanted to hug him and hit him at the same time. My mind was split in two.

"Destroy him," the voice taunted, "He is your weakness."

"You're not real," I whispered, "None of this is."

"May, I'm real. I'm always here for you."

"Then you're a liar." I twisted out of his grip, forgetting about the hurt in his eyes, and kicked him to the ground.

"You stupid mutt!" I yelled at him as he lay on the ground, "You think you can do better than that!" I directed that to the roof — to the Capitol. I kicked the mutt again. It was just another game that they played.

Suddenly a blinding pain struck my head and I tripped over the chair and fell. I turned around to find I was, in fact, alone.

Just as quickly as he had appeared, my father — or the mutt — had disappeared. I did another scan of the room, but only found my reflection.

My blonde hair was frizzy with snapped twigs and leaves scattered in it. The glass surrounded me like the headstones had in the cavern. My skin was dirty with blood, mud and ash. My eyes shimmered, as if they were the only thing living within me.

"You've ruined it now," the voice laughed, it echoed quietly and carried through the air like a whisper in the wind.

Vega was right — I ruined it with my father. I shouldn't have been questioning who he was when the real question was: who am I?

And what's the answer to that? Easy and simple: I was the one turning into a mutt.