Author Games: Return To Seasons

Task Two: On The First Day Of Christmas - ☀ Summer Entries ☀

District 4 Male - SOREN AUGUSTINE

The world was bleak, cold. Far from the comforting warmth of District Four, Soren knew he was at a disadvantage. The ground was covered in a layer of fine white. At first, he couldn't really see but his eyes adjusted shortly after his arrival on the surface. He wasn't sure how deep it was or what exactly lay beneath. That unnerved him. He liked to be in the know, aware of his surroundings. This just threw him off completely. What confused him even more was the change of scenery; a bright and sparkling village was in the north whilst a swamp filled the west, slowly rolling into hills. The east was covered in dark forest and if Soren blinked, something seemed to move around.

What filled his field of vision at the moment was a large tree, nearly sixty feet in height. Littered golden lights, the tree seemed the make the snow beneath seem brighter. Light was scattered across the area, bouncing off the weapons and supplies that were piled beneath the branches. It was a sick representation of a Christmas tree. Soren almost preferred the Horn of Plenty.

He shivered, watched as his breath spiraled out in front of him. Snow fell around him in big, lazy loops. The other tributes watched for the countdown nervously. As a snowflake hit the tip of Soren's nose, the clock began to chime. His limbs ached and he really didn't want to move but he forced himself to prepare for the mad dash. There was a little irony. Children always dashed for the presents under the tree.

The clock ticks resonated within his chest, pacing his heart and coiling his muscles tighter. For a brief second, he tittered on the edge of his plate. Pulse racing, he pulled himself back before he fell into the snow. He must not have been the only one. There was a horrible shriek before the ground shook with a heavy explosion. The District Five girl's platform was empty, save for bits of gore that clung to the side. There was a large, red spot that covered the ground before her former place.

A few groans of disgust filled the short silence. Soren's eyes were drawn to the clock again. It dropped to five seconds. Then four. Then three and then two. But it paused at two. For only a brief second. Soren blinked. And still the timer did not change from the :02 that it presented. He glanced around, exchanging confused glances with others. The timer seemed to shake before it flickering purple. There was an ear shattering boom before it disappeared from the sky.

Silence.

And the with fatal clarity, the gong sounded and Soren jumped. His shoes sank into the snow.  Shocked, he stumbled and then regained his footing. He raced, quite sloppily to the pile of weapons and supplies. It wasn't the wisest decision to make but in this type of environment, he couldn't afford to go without a weapon of defense and something extra to give him energy and warmth. He grabbed a knife, gasping at the sudden cold that arrived on contact. His fingers began to turn pink.

He turned, wading through the snow towards a backpack. The boy from Fourteen threw himself towards the same pack. Frantically, Soren lunged, swinging with the knife. There was a hollow punching sound before the other boy gasped. He pulled away from Soren, wide eyed and clearly pained. Blood bubbled underneath his hands, pulsating out in nasty chunks onto his jacket.

Soren choked on the cold air, unsure of how to process what had just happened. He reached forward to help the boy stand but it was no use. The boy stumbled away fearfully. Unable to keep his footing, he collapsed and lay still in the snow. For a moment, all Soren could do was stare. The blood shook, like the boy was still alive. Globs, nearly frozen, slid slowly down the crevices in the boy's clothes. It was then that Soren realized that the ground was really shaking.

Screams from nearly everyone filled the air. There was a loud creak from above. Soren watched as the sky began to fall in large, hexagon shapes. Like others, the moment he realized what was happening, he bolted. There was a loud scream as the girl from Three was ripped apart by shrapnel. Her blood arched through the air, seeming to float in space before it splattered everywhere.