welcome to the new age ; the 9th labyrinth game [Aubergines]

[Deleted]

THE N I N T H LABYRINTH G A M E.
_______________________________________
_______________________________________

Welcome to the 9th Labyrinth Game, Aubergines! The road from here on out may be bumpy since this is the first in character Labyrinth Game. Please me mindful of the rules and read them carefully before posting.

RULES:

1. There are two turns in each week of the LG. The LG lasts three days in game time, three weeks in real life time. It doesn't matter what order you post in. It only matters that you post. There are thirteen players this time, so there are thirteen posts in each turn. Do not post twice in one turn.
2. There is no usage of weapons, so no maiming or killing.
3. No teaming up with any other players.
4. Don't argue when points are deducted from your seeker or when someone else gains points and/or gets ahead of you. I will not favor myself at all, because dices are random. We're using dices to keep this fair, but the dices are not for combat. They are strictly for movement around and labyrinth.
5. If you fail to post within one turn (you have three and a half days to post), points will be deducted from your seeker. I understand that some people may be busy, so post fillers to keep the thread going.
6. You must roll a dice every time you post. Refer to the information below on dice rolls so you know what to edit into your post after you see the dice result. Example:
fvBhcowA1-49
[result here]
7. Items are strictly for point gaining, not for the seeker to use as a tool, weapon, or as anything but an object that is worth points. Each seeker has a leather satchel that contains three jugs of water (one per day) and a meager supply of food. It is optional to write about your seeker drinking and eating. Remember that no death is allowed in the Labyrinth Game.

DICE ROLLS:

Use the code [*roll range="1-49"] when rolling dices. Remove the * for the code to work.
1 - 8 = Move straight ahead.
9 - 16 = Turn right.
17 - 24 = Turn left.
25 - 27 = Spotted by another player. This is only effective if another player in that turn rolls 25, 26, or 27. If no one rolls this, then you're fine and nothing happens. You do not roll again. If multiple people roll 25, 26, or 27, then they all see each other and all of them lose points. If you are seen, the person who saw you will stamp you and you will stamp them. A purple S should be on the shoulder of your seeker after they are seen.
28 - 32 = Finds a Class Five item.
33 - 36 = Finds a Class Four item.
37 - 39 = Finds a Class Three item.
40 - 41 = Finds a Class Two item.
42 = Finds a Class One item.
43 - 45 = Caught in a simple net trap. This trap will capture the seeker and bring the seeker a few feet above the ground. The fragile rope net is tied to a pillar. The net is easy to rip open, so there is no turn delay. But if you get caught in this trap, please write about your seeker ripping open the trap in the next post.
46 - 48 = Gets caught by a tree spring trap. A tree spring trap is also known as a noose trap or a snare. A pillar acts as a tree since there aren't any trees in the labyrinth.
49 = Triggers a fox trap. If you roll this, your turn is delayed. This is the only form of maiming. This trap will not take off the seeker's foot, however the experience of having your foot stuck in the metal teeth of a fox trap is excruciating, and there will be blood.

ITEMS WORTH POINTS:

You get to decide what you find, but make sure it is one of these and keep it within the correct class! Each item has the number of points that it's worth written in black marker. Refer to the point gaining selection to see how much an item is worth.
Class Five items: A brown maple leaf, a bluejay feather, a green bandana, and a red ribbon.
Class Four items: A red rose petal, a dreamcatcher, an orange ribbon, and an eagle feather.
Class Three items: A bronze bell, a bronze cape, and a yellow ribbon.
Class Two items: A silver necklace with a single charm on the chain (the charm is a maze) and a green ribbon.
Class One item: A gold medal with a blue ribbon attached to it so that the seeker that found the item can wear it around their neck.

POINT GAINING:

One turn without being seen = 5 points gained. This won't count if you don't post.
Two turns without being seen = 10 points gained. This won't count if you don't post.
Three turns without being seen = 15 points gained. This won't count if you don't post.
Four turns without being seen = 20 points gained. This won't count if you don't post.
Five turns without being seen = 25 points gained. This won't count if you don't post.
Six turns without being seen = 30 points gained. This won't count if you don't post.
Finding a Class Five item = 10 points gained.
Finding a Class Four item = 20 points gained.
Finding a Class Three item = 30 points gained.
Finding a Class Two item = 40 points gained.
Finding a Class One item = 50 points gained.

POINT DEDUCTIONS:

Being seen by another seeker = 10 points deducted. If no one else rolls this, you do not lose 10 points, however you gain none for not being seen within 1, 2, or 3 turns (however many you haven't been seen in).
Running into a net trap = 10 points deducted.
Running into a tree spring trap/noose trap/snare = 20 points deducted.
Running into a fox trap = 30 points deducted plus a turn delay. If this happens to you on the final turn on the Labyrinth Game, you will lose 10 extra points instead of having a turn delay.
Fighting physically with another seeker = 20 points deducted.
Failing to post within one turn = 10 points deducted.
Posting more than once in one turn = 10 points deducted.

PARTICIPANTS:

Nirvana [Pogue]
Victory [Briar]
Glory [Briar]
Liberty [Ella]
Wallflower [Briar]
Temerity [Kendall]
Zeal [Dreams]
Dread [Oath]
Valor [Reasons]
Lithe [Dreams]
Charm [Kendall]
Jubilant [Lyss]
Shy [Puppy]
If you/your character is not on this list, do not post in this thread.

* = points have not been counted up for current turn.

SCOREBOARD:

Glory	155 points
Liberty	130 points
Jubilant	125 points
Wallflower	125 points
Temerity	80 points
Charm	60 points
Shy	50 points
Nirvana	40 points
Victory	40 points
Zeal	-50 points
Valor	-50 points
Dread	-50 points
Lithe	-55 points

CURRENT TIME: The Labyrinth Game is complete.

Alright, I think I've covered everything. Have fun, guys!^^

I'M WAKING UP

I FEEL IT IN MY BONES

A dark journey awaits me. It is not something that a ten-year-old should ever have to experience, but age doesn't matter to my family. They would ship me off into the Hunger Games at this age if they could. They wouldn't think twice. They wouldn't even blink, let alone cry. I fear for my future and for my relatives' future. We will be tainted and bruised by our parents' cruelty. The image of their disapproving stares will be burned into our minds forever. A permanent mark.

My bones are stone and my veins are ice as I approach the labyrinth. It looks dank and endless and painful. How long will I mean flailing through the dark? How long must I endure this? I will have to walk for miles through the dark for three days, out of contact with the world. I'll be alone, really alone. Maybe it will be like death. (Death is dark. Miserable. Endless. Painful.)

There will be no Wonderland for me in these three days. I will not be able to leave the world for a few moments to travel to Wonderland, a place that exists only in my head. It is an asylum, a place where I am free from my cold parents, from their harshness and their obsession with their children's training.

Fear has grasped me with its sharp claws, but I can't struggle. If I do, I'll collapse from panic. I'll crumble like an old statue, and eventually, I'll become chalk-like dust. I'm not strong, but I'm not as weak as my parents think I am. I'm strong enough to pull myself together, which may save me from curling up on the ground and bawling my eye out.

My thoughts are interrupted by the voice of my uncle, Adalricus. "Let the Labyrinth Games commence."

I don't hesitate. Without thought, I dart into the dark maze. The labyrinth is a monster; I am running right into the mouth of the monster. The labyrinth is not a murderous monster. The labyrinth is a monster that turns your insides to ice, makes you go practically insane because of fear, and haunts your every nightmare. The labyrinth is a sadistic monster that tortures, but never kills.

It is the most deadly monster of all.

I want to scream and turn back as I am engulfed by darkness, but I can't. Be stronger, Wallflower, be stronger, I tell myself. I am running blindly through the dark, wondering when I will see the sky again. Can I trust that it will really be three days? There are cracks and holes in the roof of the labyrinth, which lets just enough light in so that the inside of the labyrinth can faintly be seen. The roof is made of twigs and foliage, like the walls. The labyrinth isn't as sturdy as if appears, but if I dared to slash down the wall, I'm sure I would be beaten by my parents.

There's light in the labyrinth, but not enough light. The sun cannot kiss my hair and my skin. I won't be able to see the twinkle of the stars and the luminous moon. I won't be able to lay down and watch as the clouds form new shapes.

The farther I travel through the labyrinth, the more dread fills me.

1-49
[turns right]

Words: 542

Wallflower Aubergine. Female. Ten years old. District Two.

X

1-49�1-49

[Deleted]

Shy Aubergine:

"Let the Labyrinth games commence." Shy heard his Uncle say. He forgot which one because he had so many members in his family. Isidorus gave Shy an 'uplifting' pep talk before this. Only if you call yelling at your son to not be a wimp an uplifting peptalk. Anyway, Shy knew he would be beaten by his father if he didn't go into the maze. Shy ran inside following many of the other Aubergines, mostly staying behind to try to get away from all of them.

Eventually there was know one near him which relieved him. Shy looked around to see if there was any place to hide. He swore under his breath. There was only smooth white walls which he would stand out against. Shy wished he was in the same spot as his last Labyrinth game when he waited it out.

Shy had been doing the Labyrinth game for two years now and it wasn't something he liked to talk about everyday so he started to think on what he does like. I don't care about winning like Victory. I don't even care much about training. I like running, I like hiding, and that is it. Shy had now realized in his whole life he hadn't even decided on a favorite color because his whole life was train train train.;


_V6beEuT1-49
(Caught in simple trap)


Shy shrieked in terror as a net pulled him to the ground. Shy stopped screaming so no one could hear but he was still breathing heavily from the surprise. He carefully started to undo the shoddy knots in the net, breathing heavily.1-49

[Dreams]

Lithe Aubergine

I remember when I used to like games.

But now, standing here, I am reminded once again how horrible the last Labyrinth Games were. That panicky feeling that gnawed at my stomach, that false hope that tainted me for those three days. Those three days that felt like an eternity. Those three days of darkness. Those three days of claustrophobia. Those three days where I will miss my beloved sunrise and sunset. Those three days where birds will not wake me up, and crickets will not lull my asleep. Those three days of horrifying blindness, and the mind numbing thought of losing yourself and everything you can hold onto. Those three days of Silvius' snarl whispering in my ear. Be better, do better. I can't wait until I get to move out and never participate in these games again. But until then, I will have to endure this. Only three days. It will be fun. It will be fine.

I'm so stupid, lying to myself.

In three days, S's will tattoo our skin, even my most tidy cousins will have their hair wild and clothes rumpled, and one seeker shall have a grin of victory on their faces. I really hope they aren't a bragging type. My ears will bleed if I hear any boasting. But I will be happy for the victor, because I know it won't be me. It hasn't been me since the year I turned ten. I will not win. I can try. But only a little. It annoys my parents a lot, so whatever annoys them is something I like to do. It's delightful for me to have the slightest bit of power over them. When they grow old, I'm sure none of us would be happy to help them. At least, I wouldn't. They'll probably be nastier and grumpier and--

"Let the Labyrinth Games commence." Uncle Aldaricus' voice boomed in my ears. Oh dear. That would be my cue.

My feet carry me into the intimidating darkness, the sureness of my steps slowly ebbing away as I am engulfed deeper and deeper into uncertainty. Faint light filters in, and the feeling of being underground chews me up and spits me out over and over again. The shaky fear that all of this will collapse over me and the reprimanding I will get for not winning this year claw at me, letting any happiness bleed from my wounds. My chest tightens as I run, feeling closed in. The unnatural light that filters in at intervals doesn't help me. It just makes me remember that I am no in my element. The twigs and branches that lace into walls try so hard to look real, but fail to achieve anything comforting.

I wonder how nice it is outside.

8Sxkg2h51-49
[ sprang tree trap; -20 points ]

---

Oops I'll make it pretty when I get home from vacation

1-49

[Deleted]

[presto][/presto]

[presto][/presto]

"Let the Labyrinth Game commence."

My entire body aches from training last night, but I find myself running as fast as I can. I am soaring through the air like an eagle, brave and proud. My legs are my broad, powerful winds, propelling me forward. I have broken free of my fear, and I am ready to win. My fear formed iron bars around me, keeping me contained and helpless. My fear was a cage.

There will be no fighting, only running and hiding. No clashes of metal swords, no shrieks of agony. There will be no blood spilled in these three treacherous days. But without blood, there is no glory. There can be victory without blood, but there can be no glory unless at least one drop of blood is spilled.

I am seized by the darkness, but the lack of light doesn't stop me. I used to wonder how bright the sun would shine the next day, but not anymore. After four years of the Labyrinth Game, I have grown to think of it as a game (what it really is), not torture. (It is an awful game, but it is a game.) My skin will be smeared with grime and my hair will be a tangled mess by the time the Labyrinth Game is over, but I won't be dead. I will be hungry, because there is not a lot of food in my satchel. There's just enough to keep me alive.

I'm running, running, running, and I don't stop. I don't even stop to think what nasty surprises await.

KOZtneuB1-49
[turns right]

Words: 259

Template by Margie @ Adoxography

FOURTEEN

DISTRICT TWO

GLORY AUBERGINE

1-49

[Ella]

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Today is the day of the Labyrinth Games. The ninth, to be exact. I'm not sure exactly how I feel about them, to be honest. You can't get hurt, which is a plus. Nobody wants to hurt you because they don't want points deducted from themselves. I'm not going to win though, no, I know that for sure. It shouldn't be that bad, it wasn't too bad last year. There's no danger really, but it's still quite scary. You never know what will come next, you could find a beautiful piece of jewelry, or a big trap could find you. Hopefully it's the former, the latter will make you lose points. Points are everything, because you can't die, there's no other way to decide the victor.

I wish I was what my namesake says. Free. Well, that's what people say it is. 

I'm interrupted by my dad, everyone else's uncle. "Let the labyrinth Games commence!" Without a second thought, I dart away into the maze for the second time. It's dark, and I'm nervous. Not exactly Wonderland. Plus, a demon could like, be hiding... anywhere. There could be one right behind me (there probably is, but I choose not to look.) A fellow seeker could be demon meat at the moment. I don't want to think like that, though, it'll make me even more nervous. I hope it's not one of the 'Skeleton Reds," those scare me so much I could just pee. They're these skeletons with glowing red eyes that can look deep into your mind, and also can kill you. 

Hopefully, the odds are in my favor. (They probably aren't). I remember when I was nine, and thought that the Games were quite literally, Games. That killing was no big deal and being a tribute was a piece of cake. Only now do I know how fucking wrong I was, though I'll probably discover I'm even more wrong if and when I'm actually reaped. 

I look upwards, but instead of the sweet sky, there's only a black roof. This will be a very long three days. 


WC: 348 [Sorry it's so terrible and short agh]

[attr="class","anzbox"]

LIBERTY AUBERGINE
ELEVEN FEMALE DISTRICT 2
template by anzie

h6ZRJFWh1-50

1-50

[Deleted]

N I R V A N A A U B E R G I N E Five years. Five years I have been thrown into the labyrinth, darkness swallowing me whole. Five years I have come out messy and grumpy, purple and blue. Stained with the injuries of others. I twist the satchel that is around my waist so that it is resting on my bag, water inside splashing around as I do so. The sky seems to have stopped today, clouds taking a seat, ready to watch the entertainment that would unfold in the next three days. The wind circles around me, dancing at my legs and arms and running through my hair. My hands go to my hips, eyes piercing the ground before they shoot up and look at everyone around me. Shy, Zeal, Liberty, every Aubergine in this place reeks with the indistinguishable smell of false glory and pride. Because that's all they wanted, glory. I am a tumbling mess of limbs and hair as the Games begin, racing into the darkness that looms before me from the maze, satchel bouncing ever so slightly against my back as I prepare to do what i've been trained to do my whole life. Win. I smack face first into a wall, skin smashing against the hard, rocky surface and teeth vibrating from the sudden force, legs grinding to a halt as I press my palms to the stone, tiny blood droplets latching to my fingers as I run them across my cheek. It is a scary, dark, and dreary place, smelling of sweat and dried blood and utter emptiness. In previous years, i'd try to stop and listen for voices, for footsteps, for fingers brushing against stone, anything that could help me find someone, or avoid them, if need be. But then I realized something, the gears started grindin' in my head, a little lightbulb popping up above my skull (though it didn't illuminate anything at all, unfortunately). There was nothing in this place. Nothing but the sounds you imagine, the must, the rodents, the spiders, the traps. Nothing but you and your family, desperately trying to fight for something that everyone liked to call glory. It is not something I fight for as I make my way through this giant death trap of a maze, hands sliding against stone as I twist and turn. Glory is something I need, craving it with a hunger that matched the starving people of District Twelve. Needing it like the people of Four needed fish. Like my father and uncles needed fame. Like the Capitol needed death. And i'll be damned if I do not get glory from this. _________________ My hands guide themselves along the stone walls, rubble running through my fingers, clanking against my fingernails before they drop to the ground, leaving no sound to distinguish them by as they hit the hard,cold floor. It took my eyes a while to adjust, but eventually, they had dimmed themselves and the maze had once again become visible as it had for the past five years. But even then, I nearly completely miss the object that sticks out from the rock, yearning for someone to notice it. My eyes bypass it with little care, but it is my hand that feels it, soft bristles tickling my hand and pulling me to a halt. A feather. A single feather in this crazy labyrinth, poking out from the wall like a hand waving at someone. I pluck it ever so delicately from it's resting place, surveying it for a moment, running the object through my fingers before I place it into my hair and move on, making sure to check if it is still there every once and a while. template by chelsey

z0F9gz161-49
{finds class five item}1-49

[lyss]

Jubilant Aubergine

Today was a day filled with mixed emotions. Usually, the day of The Labyrinth Game was a day that I looked forward to for 360 odd days. Today, though, my veins were half-filled with excitement and half-filled with dread. I was coming close on competing in my share of games, and I had yet to sweep away a victory. I couldn’t risk disappointing my father for a seventh time. Disappointed Aubergine men were a force to be reckoned with.

It hadn’t helped that I had experienced that force before. After my third return home empty-handed, the assault had rotated from verbal to physical. A violet bruise laced my left cheekbone for weeks. That was the motivation to give my attitude a whole 360. The venture into the labyrinth changed from being a fun game into a victory I had to work my ass off to swipe. My training regiment was beefed up to the max, and the small life I had shriveled up into oblivion.

It would be worth it, though, my father promised. So far it hadn’t paid off, but I just knew that this year would be my time to claim victory. Seven was a good number; seven was lucky. I would come home to a voluptuous trophy filled with beautifully wrapped stacks of money. 500 dollars normally would mean nothing to me, but it was 500 extra dollars I could spend towards tessera. The best part of it all was the glory that would be draped over my shoulders for weeks on end and the sense of fulfillment and pride that would be rewarded to me from father.

Today the skin of Aubergine children had smatterings of freckles running from their shoulders to their ankles, but when we returned we would inevitably be inked with purple s’s. And that was the goal; that was the whole point-to not be seen. Of course, there were other objects-to not fall into traps, to not get lost-anything that would help you in the big time games. You had to learn how to look out for things; you had to learn how to thrive on your own. “Allies won’t last,” my father had said one night while watching the finale of a game.

I knew what he had said was true, but I knew that when my time came to go to the actual games, I would have to have allies. Hell, I’d probably have to be in the career pack. Being a pretty girl only got you so far these days. I needed to be witty and intelligent and strong and sensitive and hit home with the rich viewers of the Capitol. I had to have too many qualities that I couldn’t develop in the short span of three days. I was just Jubilant; just Jubilant was happy and clever and determined and strong.

Today, just Jubilant would get me far enough. I just had to watch where I was going and stay well hidden in the brush. Nothing could distract me from my prize. I couldn’t worry about Zeal or Nirvana; I could only worry about what was in front of me. Before I had left, I made sure that both my thick, white shoelaces and thin strands of hair were tied in a tight knot. My clothes were sparse, but they were warm enough to keep me well throughout the night.

The nights were the worst part. Usually I had enough adrenaline to keep me moving and awake through the night, but the last two nights were filled with restless sleep. When I no longer had any acid flowing through my muscles, I would slump against a hedge a gulp warm water from one of my jugs and snack on the bare-bones proportion of food that I was supplied with. It was hard to sleep during the nights, for my dreams were filled with visions of being spotted by a night-owl of a cousin. Some years when I was smaller I could crawl inside a hedge at night and rest my head on my satchel and have a near-peaceful sleep.

I decided I had to stop thinking so much when I spotted the twisted maze in the valley ahead of me. My heart pounded in my chest as I hugged my father goodbye. “You’ll make me proud,” he whispered as his bony fingers squeezed my shoulders.

My thoughts of strategy blurred as I walked towards an entrance. I was left with a memory-the memory of the first time I used a dictionary. I had looked up my name and beamed with pride at my mother when I recited the definition.

ju·bi·lant [joo-buh-luhnt]
adjective
feeling or expressing great happiness and triumph.

Jubilant-a destiny set in stone for me since the day I was born.

“Let the Labyrinth Games commence!” Aldaricus boomed.

I darted into the maze, my shoulders brushing up against pointed twigs and broken leaves, and I couldn’t describe my actions in any but this-

I was soaring.

wERo3cbC1-49
[turns right]

1-49

[Deleted]

DAY TWO: TURN ONE
Since no one posted in the second turn of day one, no points were deducted. However, those who did not post in the first turn of day one lost ten points. The following posted in the first turn of day one: Wallflower, Shy, Lithe, Glory, Liberty, Nirvana, and Jubilant. If your character's name is not here, they lost ten points.

Scoreboard:

Nirvana	15 points
Glory	5 points
Liberty	5 points
Wallflower	5 points
Jubilant	5 points
Shy	-5 points
Victory	-10 points
Temerity	-10 points
Zeal	-10 points
Dread	-10 points
Valor	-10 points
Charm	-10 points
Lithe	-15 points

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

victory aubergine

fourteen plot fourteen district two

How long as it been? An hour? A day? A week? I thought I saw the twinkle of stars not long ago, indicated that night had fallen. I can see watery light streaming in from a few cracks overhead. I can hear the faint whistling of birds from outside. With little light to guide me, I continue to walk through the dark maze. There is no patter of footsteps behind me or anywhere around me. I am alone, completely isolated from another soul. Shivers have been crawling up my spine since I was imprisoned in the labyrinth. My mother told me that the labyrinth game was supposed to be fun. How is this fun? Thirteen children are forced to spend three days in the dark, fumbling around for items, yearning for the glory of winning. I cannot fathom why our parents force us to do this. They are like stones. I don't think they love us: their hearts are made of stone, how could they love? The words "I love you" have never escaped their lips, at least not that I have heard. They never hugged me before I went to school, they never comforted me when I was sad. They have never been there for me. I've been alone my whole life, and I am alone now.

credit to alisha of adoxography.

7gZcpOBc1-49
[turn left]

1-49

[Deleted]

Shy walked along in the Labyrinth as quietly as possible. Thinking to himself, he tiptoed along a paved walkway surrounded by stone walls. He was just in a section with hedges when the net got him tied up. The net was easily untied but it was annoying and he was just plain lucky no one saw him. When Shy looked up at one of the walls he saw it was slightly slanted with grooves where the bricks which made it where. He carefully climbed up one but he couldn't climb to the top because it was too steep.

If they really want us to find each other they should make Labyrinth walls easier to climb. Shy carefully edge around a small pothole in the middle of the path, scooting along the side of the wall. Shy had half a mind to call out to see if anyone was there. It just seemed so quite, too quite, unnaturally quite.
sQuRk_|i1-49
(Found by someone)

Shy heard a few twigs snapping behind him. "Curses." He said out loud in exasperation. "I thought I was quite enough. Now you've found me." Shy turned around to see who was there.1-49

[kendall]

C H A R M A U B E R G I N E

B E A U T Y Q U E E N
O N A
S I L V E R S C R E E N
_____________________________

All these years I watch from the sidelines as my brothers, sisters and cousins fight the Laybryth Games. And now it's my turn to show them that even though I was small,, I had a chance. A chance to win. Yet as my uncle called the games to a start I never would have guessed a sense of fear would run through my veins. I felt a surge deep in my stomach of all the times people have called me weak and a user. Were they right? I was more scared of them being right then the actual games themselves. I was alone, by myself and the maze or narrow spaces, twigs and leaves made me feel like I was being crushed.

It was nerve racking. I felt screams flood my own head. I felt like the only sameness inside of me was trying to fight the darkness that was closing it. I felt trapped. I felt small and hopeless. The screams echoed as I ran through the maze. Follow the screams. But the voices just followed me. They were me. No one that I loved. I was trying to find myself and run away from myself all at the same time.

How could I make my family proud if they found out I wasn't capable because I succumb to my fear of closed spaces. Would they shut me out? Be disappointed in me like they were in Audacity? I didn't want to end up like her. I wanted to win. I couldn't let Wallflower beat me. No one could beat me.

My breath was fast and heavy. I slowed down and took deep breaths making sure I could tranquilize the fears of being trapped. The screams began whispers of all my fears. Whispers of my family telling me I was a disgrace. Why would I let my fear over come me for the day I had been training for since I could remember.

Charm, you need to stay focused. I was already loosing. What did you expect from a little girl who can't keep her fears in line? Mother and Father weren't hear to save me now. It was my turn.

pAYSZ91J1-49

As I stepped I felt my foot press down on something. Before I knew it I was hanging in a net all over the place. I shrieked and breathed very heavy. I felt trapped and I started to feel tears in my eyes. What if I couldn't escape. i would be trapped and I couldn't move. The fear of closed spaces was going to be the death of me one day.

template by chelsey

1-49

[Deleted]

I'M WAKING UP

I FEEL IT IN MY BONES

There is nothing but darkness and the smell of dirt and leaves.

My hands, no doubt brown with dirt, are pressed against the walls. They glide as I move, hitting a few leaves along the way. I turn to the right (I think I am turning right) to find more dirt and leaves and darkness. There is no one here, but at least I won't be found. The Labyrinth Game is like hide and seek, but with traps.

I haven't figured out the goal of the Labyrinth Game. It is supposed to prepare us for the Hunger Games, but how? We train, yes, but in the labyrinth, we don't fight. Stealth must have been what they were going for. But what's the point other than winning? All we do is wander around the labyrinth, hoping not to be found and hoping to find an item, and willing with all of our might that we don't fall into a trap.

I would much rather be finger painting my dagger, just like Mommy told me not to do, or writing my name on the wall, just like Daddy told me not to do. I would rather be listening to birdsong while I read a fantasy book. Anything but walking in a labyrinth. Walking is all I will do for two more days.

Walking, walking, walking . . . .

Until I drop from exhaustion or get my foot stuck in fox trap.

The labyrinth is endless. We will stop after three days, but the next year, we will suffer through the labyrinth once more. Every year until we're nineteen, we'll do this over and over and over again. It is a form of training, one that is more rigorous than most. And what do we do when we're done with the Labyrinth Game? We train.

The labyrinth is endless, at least until we're over eighteen.

eW2MS8Bn1-49
[moves straight ahead]

Wallflower Aubergine. Female. Ten years old. District Two.

X

1-49

[lyss]

My day was spent on a loop; I turned right at every chance I got. Whenever the labyrinth path forked, I always went right. Even if it dead-ended, I would turn around and, technically, turn right again. It was a long, tiring day, but I had made it roughly eighteen hours without being seen. When I could no longer see the whites of my nails in front of me, I had plopped down on the hard dirt and reclined against the bushes.

Inside of the army green satchel each of us was provided with was three full jugs of water and barely enough food to keep us energized for the three days of hell lying before us. I blindly snatched inside of the satchel until my fingers wrapped around a handle of one of the jugs and yanked it out. I popped off the lid and pressed the container to my lips, gulping down half the jug in a minute, choking and sputtering as the water was desperately pushed down my throat. My fingers groped along the edges of the bag until they found something that felt like it could be food. I crammed the morsels into my mouth, not caring that they tasted like what I could only imagine as the flavor of pencil shavings.

"Only two mores days," I whispered to myself, slowly winding a loose strand of hair around my pinky finger. I silently sipped on the rest of today's water supply as I listened to the sounds of nighttime encasing the labyrinth. My thoughts ranged from my sisters to my father to the delicious meal that my mother had prepared only hours ago. Time lazily passed by-much like the speed that I was trying to conserve my water at. Certain sounds would fade away and others would protrude forward as the hours passed, and the air eventually became to cool for me to consciously deal with.

I capped the small amount of water I had left and packed up my satchel. I parted the twigs and leaves of the maze wall behind me until there was a hole large enough for me to stuff the bag in. I lightly pressed my head into the indentation, testing it to make sure my head wouldn't fall through in the wee hours of morning. Once I was settled, I tucked my knees under my chin and squeezed my arms around my legs. Come at me, assholes, I thought, taunting the demons that consistently appeared in the nightmares of the first night.

-

The first night is always the worst.

Sadistic as it is, I've always dreamed about what it would be like to die in the labyrinth on the first night. The previous night I was eaten to death by insects. It was probably the most terrifying nightmare of them all, but I caught on that it was a nightmare when I could still see the bugs crawling on me after they swarmed my eyes.

I woke up with loose strands of hair stuck to my forehead with streams of sweat paired with a racing pulse. I downed the rest of the water from last night and squinted at the light dancing around me. The first realization I had was that a whole day had passed and I had not found any items yet, but I hadn't been spotted or fallen into any traps yet. I could only be slowly gaining points at this point. I smacked the back of my head into my satchel out of frustration and let out a sigh of exasperation.

I pushed myself off the ground and slapped my palms against my thighs. I tucked as many hairs into pins as I could before slinging my satchel over my shoulder. I was ready for the day ahead of me, so I marched onward.
sCCKNwM51-49
[goes straight]

1-49

[Deleted]

[presto][/presto]

[presto][/presto]

Streams of light greet me with open arms and a kind smile when I turn to the right. There is a small opening in the roof of the labyrinth. It is not quite enough for me to see a cloud in the sky, but it is enough to let me know that the next day has come. I am one step closer to getting out of here.

Two days. Only two days left, and I'm free from the labyrinth for a year.

I know what I will do when I get out of here. I will go to the training center every day and annihilate dummies with sharp, cold metal weapons and I will beat punching bags with my fists. I will try to be stronger, I will try to please my parents. I will try to forget everything that happened to me.

I will try to erase the bruises on my skin.

The bruises will fade after a while, but the cuts and the bruises on my heart and my mind will never fade. I will try to heal them with my parents' approval and forced happiness, but I know that it will have a minimal affect on me. Trying to forget is the hardest thing I will ever do, and it will be no use.

But I have to try.

The only thing keeping me going is the hope that I'll live to eighteen. I could do whatever I want. I will be free of my last name when I get married, and I will have cheerful children, who will never know the pain of training or the Labyrinth Game. I could run away, too, but I don't think I could live like that for the rest of my life.

As I walk down these dim paths, I wish that I could punch through these walls that keep me engulfed in darkness, but I'm not strong enough. (I'll never be, no matter how hard I train.) I wish that I could dig myself out of here, or sprout a pair of wings and fly out of an opening in the roof. I sound like Wallflower, my ridiculous, naive cousin as I think these thoughts, but what does it matter? No one can hear me think.

If they could, they would be disappointed.

8iVzKaTP1-49
[finds a Class Two item; charm necklace]

Template by Margie @ Adoxography

FOURTEEN

DISTRICT TWO

GLORY AUBERGINE

1-49

[Ella]

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One day down, two to go. I'm not looking forward to the next two days, as yesterday was miserable. It's like the labyrinth was trying to eat me up so I would never see the light of day again. The darkness blinded me as I moved straight ahead. I'm an adventurer. Though, I can just sense a demon standing behind me. It's trying to reach it's claw over my head to grasp it, but it can't. Because he can't see me, either. It's too dark here. He has to wait. Which is why I wish I could just stay in the dark forever, and take everyone with me into the dark so that they, too, will be safe from them. I'm not sure if all the other humans would want to, though. They're fine right where they are in the light, even if it could cost them their life. Though hey, who am I to judge? It's their loss, to be honest.

I glance around me, and see the dimmest light coming from around me. That 'dimmest light' could kill me. But the dark... I can't see the creatures, so I don't know if they're following me or not. If they're watching me hungrily like they're the predator and I'm the prey that they are about to eat. I am not dead meat, or food for the creatures trying to kill everyone I know, love, and hate in life. I am Liberty Ever Aubergine, not something a creature could just come and eat the life out of. 

Last year, maybe. I was a failure. I got last place in these Games, but this year, I know what to expect. I'm not the youngest here. Charm and Wallflower are, not me. Yes, I'm older by a single year, but that's a lot if you think about it. One year worth of knowledge. One year of danger. One year of the Games. Just one extra year of nearly everything. This year, they'll lose badly like I did.

This year, I'll become victor and beat everyone else who comes in my way.

---

zsqWg37P1-49

I feel my hand around a bit on the cold wall, and keep my hand on it as I walk to a light I see a few feet ahead. There are little cracks and crevices (They could hold those little demons, what are they called?) that my hand skims as I drag it along. It's just plain, really. Rocky and cracky, but plain. What I don't expect is for my hand to come across something. An object, not just a bump in the wall. I glance over to it, expecting to see a worthless piece of junk. But it's not. There's a stem-like thing holding the little fuzzy strands together.

A feather. Actually, I think it's an eagle feather.

That's when it hits me. I'm standing in the light, where either another seeker could spot me or even worse. a demon could spot me and where would I be then? Gone with no hints as to where I went. They would think I had gotten lost, look for me for about a few days, then give up and carry on with their lives. All the while I'd be sitting grumpily inside a stomach (bigger then me) with a bunch of gross objects inside. I turn my head back towards the darkness, and sprint towards it, also slipping the eagle feather into my blonde hair.

I am a warrior, and nothing can stop me now.

[attr="class","anzbox"]

LIBERTY AUBERGINE
ELEVEN FEMALE DISTRICT 2
template by anzie

1-49�1-50

[Deleted]

N I R V A N A A U B E R G I N E The Labyrinth has an odd way of making you feel things. Voices, whispers of stone, footsteps made in leaves, all of it echoed through these walls and at certain points I just had to stop, close my eyes, and try to shut it all out. One of these years, I am fully expecting someone to just snap like a stretched rubber band and end up bashing their head against the wall so hard their skull cracks like a water balloon and their brains stain the floor of the maze until the next year. I wonder how pencil-dick Viggo and all my uncles would feel at that point. You tend to lose all sort of direction and paths as soon as you enter this place, light giving way to a darkness so thick that it covers your tracks better than any hunter could ever imagine. Down could be up right now, for all I know, and as far as I can say I can't even tell you if i'm going left or right, up or down, diagonal or backwards. I had no fucking clue. This feather is the only thing keeping me sane, locking my sanity inside my skull simply because these walls have a way of doing things to you. Screwing with your mind, making you hear voices and see shadows and sometimes you can just feel the presence of someone behind you. That's what they couldn't prepare us for, my uncle's and their abusive training methods. They could pump glory through our mind and cram the thought of victory far into our heads but they could not and would not be able to prepare us for the effects of the darkness in this musty piece of shit. Maybe that's why we have people like Victory, who are too afraid to even do anything just because they're afraid of the demons that haunt them. Two more days. That is how long I have to survive in this place, with bruises on skin and gashes on my knuckles. Two more days until light will blind me and my eyes will adjust and then it is straight back to being behind a closed door and being victim to my own father's fists. Two more days of hell, dark, eternal, unforgiving hell, filled with people that want nothing more than to beat me down and for me to not get back up. One of these years I might actually fight back for once, ball my hands up into fists and just shoot it straight at someone's jaw like i've been trained to do for years now. But for now, i'll just stick to guiding myself through these walls. yNX3sMJV1-49 {finds class five item} ________________ It is not my fingers that find my next object, but my eyes. I am far from what I was only a few minutes (or hours, I have lost track at this point) ago, and my eyes focus in on anything and everything with as much determination as I can use until they are strained to their limit and I have to blink again. So when this object sticks out from between stones, green color shouting at me against a dark wall by eyes catch it immediately, and my hands are upon it almost as fast as my eyes were. A slight tug and I am left with a green bandana wrapped around my fingers, cheap fabric rubbing against my knuckles. Perhaps later I will use it to cover up cuts that I always seem to get, but for now I choose to wrap it around my head, tying it in the front with a large knot. And with one last check to see if the feather still sits between my locks, I am off again. face="arial" color="000000" size="1"] template by chelsey

OOC- So bad I can't even fathom i'm sorry1-49