The 1st Writer Games: Powers

Task #2 - Responses (Males)

TASK #2 RESPONSES (MALES)

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.: Jasper Vaz-Merille - District One :.

I yawn, rubbing my arms. It's cold. Very cold. Everything is covered in pretty frost patterns. The tips of my fingers are blue. Tiamera is just waking up too, combing her fingers through her hair.

"Where's Nazier?" I ask, realizing that the strange little kid is missing. Tiamera doesn't answer, looking around. We're in a tight little corpse of trees, with barely enough room to breathe.

"Perhaps he went to relieve himself," I continue. If my allies won't speak to me, I'll speak to myself.

"Or perhaps..." Tiamera starts, going pale. She's interrupted by a timely scream that's enough to make my blood rub cold, and I'm a hardened, trained Career. I just know that it's Nazier and shudder. Tiamera drops her head. 

As the screams die away, a bubbly female voice giggles across the arena. I wonder where everybody else is. The screams sounded close.

I don't really listen to what the girl says. Something about cold, and warming us up. I already have an idea for that. If I get too cold, I'll call on my sponsors. I'm bound to have one, at least. Maybe I can get something for Tiamera too.

She's frowning, badly affected by the loss of the kid. It makes me feel slightly sick inside; we should have kept a better eye on him. If I find who did that...

"Jasper, can you hear that?"

Something is purring. No, growling. It sounds behind us. But I can also hear tributes, snarling voices, and snatch up the bow. Tiamera picks up her sword. Which will will get to us first? Mutt or tribute?

A black, shadowy shape glides between the leaves nearby. I snap around to look at it, but I don't get a good glimpse. Crap. I draw back the bow, ready to shoot the second I see it again.

Something else moves instead, a slim figure attempting to hide behind a tree. They're the bigger threat; they might have a long distance weapon.

 "There's something there," I tell Tiamera in a whisper, pointing with the arrow in the opposite direction to the tribute. Hopefully that will put them off guard. My arms shake with the effort of keeping the bow pulled back.

Tiamera creeps over to the side, giving me a meaningful 'I know you're lying' look. At the last possible second, I whirl around and send the arrow through the head of the tribute. He falls forwards, crashing into the orange undergrowth. "Keep an eye out for that creature!" I shout. Whatever it is, it's still growling, prowling around. I bet it can smell us. I also bet that it's more used to this environment than me. There aren't many trees at all back home in 1. 

A foul-mouthed torrent bursts out of the trees as a girl crashes towards me. It's the girl from 12, the one who really hates the Capitol. I guess that means she hates me too. I guess that also means that the boy I shot was the guy from 5, the one who beat me. They seem to be allies. 

The girl has knocked me over before I can reload the bow. I hit my head on a tree root but have enough sense to send out a burst of light. While she's blinded, I dig my elbow into her stomach. She doubles up in pain. Tiamera is fighting something; she'll be okay for now.

"I won't effing scream!" insists the girl, glaring up at me with burning eyes. She thinks she's being brave, a rebel.

"Good," I tell her, "That eases my conscience." Then I snap her neck, silencing that foul mouth forever. Was she the girl that killed Nazier? Or was it the boy I shot?