Author Games: Written in the Stars

Task Four- It's All Fun and Games- Males

AQUARIUS - Aura Caelum  

Aura Caelum was not entirely sure what scared him more: facing his fear, or facing the other tributes.

Being suspended in the air alone had certainly terrified him. He walked with a slight uncertainty, his hands trembling as he thought about exactly was below the clouds that he walked on. He could only think of the long fall, a certain demise, if the cloud was to disappear. However, Aura was beginning to wonder if that would be preferable to his current ordeal.

The carpet beneath him was still finely spun of cloud fibres, creating a soft and spring feel as Aura walked along it. Instead of being exposed to the elements, however, the young boy was confined by ornately decorated walls. They were coated in a thick, intricate red fabric and adorned with flickering lighting. Tables and chairs had been carefully dispersed around the room and the whole area had a slightly overwhelming fog of alcohol. Aura recognised the scent, but he could not quite realise where from.

The sound of the room was almost deafening to the small boy, making him long to throw his hands over his ears so that he did not have to listen. The main ambience was constructed of a quiet instrumental track, accompanied by the quiet chatter of all the other tributes. Their outfits, just like Aura's, were far from the bloodstained clothes they had worn during the game and now seemed to sparkle in the dim light.

They were not fighting. For that moment alone, the tributes had laid down their weapons in favour of elegant glasses full of brightly coloured liquids. However, Aura could only where they had hidden their blades – maybe the girl sitting at one of the tables had a knife concealed under the red satin folds of her outfit, the boy hunting for another drink had a sword sheathed beneath the sleeve of his dinner jacket. Aura knew enough about this cruel game to know that the truce could only be temporary. This was a small break to allow everyone to catch their breath, like a time-out. He had to be ready to run the moment the game was back in play.

The other tributes had begun to move around each other, managing casual conversation despite the threat that loomed over them. Occasionally, there were bursts of laughter as another tribute told a joke but the sudden loud noise simply made Aura jump rather than smile. He wandered aimlessly around the tight maze of tables, examining the glass that waited him on each one. A particular blue drink enticed him but the moment the liquid hit his tongue it filled his mouth with a bitter flavour. Although the aftertaste was one of sweet blueberries, Aura left the glass on the table and vowed in silence never to drink anything else within the confines of that room.

Not worried by the taste, many of the other tributes seemed to be consuming the bitter drinks without any sign of hesitation. They spoke with large smiles, occasionally waving Aura over to join in their small conversation. A couple felt sorry for the small boy who wandered alone, but most were just under the clutches of the drink and searching for new friends to talk to. Aura did not dare to approach them.

Soon, as the music got louder and more upbeat, the conversations turned into dancing and, in some cases, the socialisation turned into something far deeper. It took Aura a few seconds to realise exactly what was happening; this was a party, an event of fun and excitement hidden within something far more sinister. This was just another form of entertainment, just like the game itself. The small boy did not even try to consider why this particular event had been chosen, but he wanted it to end. He was beginning to finally understand the rules he had to play the game by, but this was something brand new that he had not yet figured out.

What he was supposed to do? There had to be a set of rules and formulae behind everything that happened. If he simply followed the actions of the other tributes, he would find himself locked within a conversation, attempting to socialise when he possessed no skills with other people. If this was part of the game, there would still be a winner and Aura knew he was not strong enough with his own words to keep himself in pole position. He was reduced to retreating into a corner, simply watching.