Writer Games | Masquerade of Martyrs & Family Ties

Task One: The Decision - Males

District One - Hyde Labyrine

"Labyrine!"

And for the third time  in my life, I could have sworn my heart skips a beat, right then and  there. I know what will happen now. I didn't think there was a single  chance in this shitting world that it could, but I was wrong. And  suddenly it doesn't seem surreal - the idea of myself back in that  arena. Suddenly it seems like ironic destiny.

The first time, it was a  late afternoon, and the games had been on for three whole weeks. I  walked through my rising starvation, weak and alone. I played it just  right. All down to the last wave of a sword. Ally and enemy alike didn't  stand a chance. A day earlier, a swarm of locust mutts had seen to the  elimination of every food source in the arena. And now on the final day,  the water had also vanished.

By the time I finally  found the boy from Six, he was half dead anyway. By that right, his  death should have been the easiest. At least, it should have been the  quickest... but a lot of things are supposed to happen, yet never do.

When I arrived home as  victor, as expected I was showered in praise and bathed in glory. Pride  is a strange thing. In my victory - this 'win' for District One, people  seemed to of forgotten that it was in fact I who cut the throat of the  District One girl. That was the day I realised that blood doesn't matter  in District One. So long as it sparkles like gold.

That's why the boy from  Six was so hard to kill... Training for the games was all I had ever  known. Strangely, I didn't want it to come to end. I found more glory in  the process than in the victory itself.

We are then sent to the  Justice hall, and lead into small rooms that I know all too well. The  décor hasn't even changed. The sick warmth of the air still lingers the  same way as it did that day. Nothing can churn my stomach more. For  other families, they will be using this time to make the biggest  decision of their lives. For us, we get to use it to say goodbye.

"Well, I think we know the matter is settled. I shall go." I say, looking at each member of my family in turn.
There  is silence until my Father's booming laughter hits the air. "With your  crippled leg? I don't think so." He grins, but a wave of fright is  behind his tone. "I'll go!" He says.

"Fuck that!" I shout  back at him. "You need to stay here, with the business and with your  son!" I call him out and his anger retreats, flushing his face with an  uncomfortable shade of red. He isn't a pretty man, needless to say we  certainly get our looks from my Mother's side.

"Oh and so you think  you'll go?" My Mother pipes up. She takes a seat and rubs her forehead.  "Your fiancee is pregnant, Jarret, what if you left her and died out  there, hmm?"

"So what if I did? It'd  be no different if it were anyone else here!" I yell, growing angry at  my Mother's stubborn disability to understand that one of her sons will  have to go.

"That's not the point." My Mother says through a shake of her body.

I look around at my  family. My sister frowns and my youngest brothers sit together, Arga  resting his tired head on Howl's shoulder.

"I'll go." Howl says.
~
I  haven't really realised I have said the words until I notice each of my  family staring at me strangely. If anything, their silence proves just  how much sense it makes. "... Was it something I said?" I grin,  attempting to keep the mood on my level of sincerity.

"Absolutely not." My  mother spurts out and I simply roll my eyes. Jarret looks at her and  frowns expectantly. "No, no I won't have it, I won't have any of it!  Don't you dare take my boy away from me!" She shouts, covering her mouth  with a strip of silk cloth. Her eyes are already swollen and damp. It  pains me to see the strength of this woman fall at a time like this. Her  children have always been her weakness.