Writer Games | Masquerade of Martyrs & Family Ties

Task Two: Premature Burial

"I could swear this has been done before."

Vienna sighed, looking  to her son which was a mix of good humour and a slight condescending  quality. "Of course it has. Every good arena - and quite a few bad ones -  has been done by now. What we do within it will make the difference.  Now come here, Cicero. Look at the Holo with fresh eyes. Feel the terror  within it. This is the perfect place to fill with death."

As Vienna directed  Cicero's attention back to her arena, she scanned through it once more.  Tunnels filled her sight, connecting with each other time and time  again, until they formed a pure labyrinth of soil, each one positioned  in a way to make sure it led to some of the horrors that laid in wait.  She smirked at the sight of the few traps that rested in the ground  itself, just waiting for a step before they came crashing down atop the  tributes. And in the centre of it all, one big room, not unlike the  final resting place of the rich and famous in one particularly old  civilization whose name eluded both her and the history books.

"I remember the last  time this system was attempted, there were complaints about a lack of  opportunities for tributes to come face to face," added Cicero.

"Yes, dear, I know.  That's why there are only four staircases leading out of the tomb room  and why each tunnel meets with at least three of the seven others.  They're even more likely to run into each other than into one of my  traps - and those, as you well know, are everywhere."

Cicero nodded. Vienna  smiled. The two stared ahead, focused on the burial ground before them.  It was so close to perfection. So close to completion.

All it needed now were some bodies.

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THE TASK:

- This is it: the big  bloodbath task. No, there isn't some fancy way to avoid doing; I firmly  believe in starting the arena this way simply because it makes sense.  You do, however, have the option of running away from the bloodshed and  exploring the arena, though this means there will be no supplies or  weapons for your tributes until a task in which I state you have a  chance to get them - and I will keep a list of those who choose this,  trust me.

- For those who do want  supplies and weapons, that leaves you with writing the bloodbath, which  is very straightforward. Everybody enters in the big centre room, and  you fight to the death.

- Kills:  Four deaths in your entry, four ballot deaths. Please send me a  complete list of your kills at the end of the entry - otherwise they  will not be counted. Ten will go up for votes, with eight of those ten  dying. Kill counts will be halved, as seen in HeadOnJackwards 's Games.

- Word Limit: 1,250 words (not characters)

- Deadline: Friday, December 19th at 10 PM GMT