HEY, THIS REALLY /IS/ THE RAT GAMES// WD VS. RATS.

[gamemaker kelsier]

A S A R E A U

We walked far that first night and in the darkness we became something else.Perhaps we already had. The others could see with their night vision goggles but for me there was only the dark and the knowledge that it was not something I could control. I chose not to light my lamp or flick on my flashlight because it would ruin the purpose of the goggles. Instead I relied on the soft voice of Barnabas who was on my back, warning me about trip-ups, telling me where to go. It served me well for navigation, and him for staying alert through his pain.

I preferred the veil of darkness that rested over my eyes because it was restful despite the by on my back and the pack on my front. I could not feel the soreness in my feet as long as we kept a steady pace and despite our tenseness, Barnabas whispered stories from when he was young into my ear, somehow it calmed me.

Every now and then I would stop and hitch him up on my back if I felt him slipping. I somehow found it easy to bear his weight despite the decrease in my level of adrenaline hours after the bloodbath. We would take small rests and the respite then somehow made it worth it. It was like floating afterwards and the effect in the dark was enchanting. I didn't mind.

We made camp last night (or at least when we figured night was) against the wall, keeping the use of light to a minimum. None of us had any food but I found that I wasn't hungry anyway. Something about the stench of blood that had followed us from the bloodbath. We were unable to clean ourselves because of the lack of water. All day I had been straining to hear the sound of running water but had heard nothing in the silence. It should be a priority for us to get some, even before seeking out other tributes to brutally murder.

Trix took first watch and I wanted to trust her because Pearl said that we could but I had ruined that trust already by believing her an enemy. I do not regret my threat from earlier. Barnabas was my first priority but I also did not want there to be any enmity between us. I am tired of that, if hatred and uncertainty. I have spent an entire lifetime in fear of my father and brother, I don't need to spend my last week alive being afraid of someone I am meant to trust. However, I do not know how to breach the chasm that my words have created between us. The feeling of certainty has left me. Once again I am plain old, useless Asa.

The anthem begins, first with sound spilling loudly through the tunnels and then by a growing glean light lighting up the ceiling. For the first time I can see my friends around me. They appear as ragged as I feel. Barnabas and I sit against the wall, his head in my lap and me leaning into his form, using him for support just as he is using me. I watch, silent as the faces of those that we killed light up the rock ceiling. Four faces appear. Our alliance is responsible for two of them. My hand find's Barnabas' and I hold on tightly to him, horror and the knowledge of what we have done resulting in a moment of weakness.

Soon after, we settled down to sleep. I was sore all over from the long walk, but satisfied as well. It had been a hard day, extremely physically demanding but we were safe and Barnabas was okay. I had let him rest by carrying him which would benefit him tomorrow. By all rights I should be sleeping like the dead right now after my night spent awake already but my body was still buzzing and somehow I couldn't. I had felt the tension all day and I knew that there was something coming tonight, that I couldn't let down my guard, not just yet.

I was correct.

An hour or two after we have settled down I hear the sound of feet coming closer and the soft breathing of someone other than Barnabas. I knew it was not Pearl. Pearl was asleep only a foot or two away from me. I could hear her breathing and shifting every now and then. The only one it could have been was Trix. My body tenses slightly but I am careful to not alert her to my status of being awake. I don't know her intentions, it's best to assume innocence and at least pretend to trust that she isn't probably planning on getting rid of me tonight. I shouldn't have let my fear for Barnabas hinder my thoughts. She's dangerous. I threatened a huntress.

My voice cuts through the silence, a whisper in the dark. "What are you doing?" I ask, voice strangely calm despite the severity of my situation. For a moment there is nothing and then the sound of retreating footsteps. It doesn't stop. She's leaving.

I spend the next few hours straining to hear her return, if there even will be a return. I don't know Trix, not the way Pearl does. It was stupid of me not to make an effort to know her. Barnabas monopolized my time. Eventually I fall into sleep and as my eyelids droop I swear I can hear her returning.

We can't tell when the morning comes but we all awake around a similar time. Barnabas has to prod me awake, I slept so thickly that I didn't dream. My body is sore and cramped from yesterday's exertion and the way I slept against the wall. When I stretch out my bones pop and I feel like an old man.

The rats are upon us before I am fully awake. I hear a shout- I don't know who from as they come out of the darkness, bigger than my head and my hand goes to the chain whip I looped and cinched to my waist. I tug it free and it rattles to the floor like a snake preparing to chase it's prey. Just as quickly, I shout a warning and pull out my flashlight, flicking it on so that I can see the enemy; I do not have the benefit of night vision goggles. I am careful to keep it aimed away from my friends.

I do not hesitate as I drag the whip across the floor and raise it with a crack into the air. I cannot allow a repeat of yesterday.

d o n ' t
s t o p

[Asa attacks rat #1]
|hpJQ2oIwhip
[Shallow Cut on Neck -- 4.0 damage]

whip

[rook]

PATRICIA VALFIERNO

Living in a cruel world, drudging with my feet in the snow
On a day out, and it's a night now
Doctor, I've been walking by the side of the road
For a long time, and I'm going out of my mind.

Endless tunnels going on and on, sending us further down the throat of a cobblestone creature. I wonder, if we keep going, how long until we reach the belly of the beast? Stalactites point angrily down at us, whilst smaller stalagmites jab at our feet with every step we take. It is harsh terrain, not helped by the unrelenting blackness. People will go mad in these tunnels without light. I can already hear their faint screams - Or perhaps that is a breeze? Maybe. I'm living on false hope, pretending that there is a way out. I think part of me already knows the truth.

Asa takes steady, seemingly confident strides through the dark. The gremlin Barnabas clings to his back like a leech, his night vision goggles allowing him to see clearly through the abyss. So, he directs Asa, acting as navigator for our grand adventure. I walk wordlessly with Pearl, perhaps the only person in here who I can fully trust. The memory of the bloodbath still lingers at the front of my mind, showing me brief flashes of the girl I murdered. I don't even know her name. I swallow hard, trying to shake off the flashes each time they force their way forward. Pearl too has killed. She doesn't fully know it yet, but she has. I should have told her then and there, that she was the one to kill the second girl. I took that truth from her, and planted a lie instead. That was me being nice. For all my flaws, I wouldn't wish a bloodstain on anyone's hands.

As each minute passes, it becomes increasingly apparent that there isn't going to be an easy way out of here. My plan was always to escape the Arena, and I had a rough plan to do so, using the forcefields. Yet how could I have predicted the terrain would be so unique? They don't need forcefields when they bury us deep underground and turn off the lights. That's probably what scares me most - There definitely isn't a way out. I mean, I guess I could dig, or pick at the rock, but who knows how long that could take? I don't even know how thick the walls are, but I'm guessing they took into consideration that some might try to get out. Even if I do pick through, all I'll find is a forcefield, and with no sunlight or weather conditions, how can I exploit a weakness? It's just a consistent environment of rock - No change, no movement. Just rocks and darkness.

When our legs refuse to carry us any further, we resign for the night. We find a secluded tunnel that is easy to guard, and prop ourselves against the walls. We are all tired, and it doesn't look like we'll find a way out of this cave today. We're not even sure what time of day it is, or even how much time has passed, but we know we need to rest. I stray off fifty metres or so from the others so that I can pee in privacy. As I crouch down in my own corner of the Arena, I am aware of cameras on me. The nation is watching me urinate. I wear a scowl on my face, struggling to manage it with the thought of Panem's eyes on me. I push the thought away and try to stare at a point on the floor. How humiliating.

After I'm done, I lean against the stone wall for a while, thinking about the day as a whole. Did I do okay? I indirectly killed three people, and I think I'm okay with that. I'm just worried what Rose thinks. Does she hate me for becoming a murderer? If she's still the girl I raised then I know she understands that I did what I had to do to survive. We both learned that sometimes you don't have a choice. I try to scrub the dried blood off my blade, forcing away the thoughts of the dead girls from this morning. A clean blade is important - That's what they told us at the training center. Keep your weapon sterile.

The cave walls shimmer suddenly. For a few seconds, I am blinded. I tear off my nightvision goggles and take panicked steps backwards. The walls are glowing green, like they are radioactive. Not just here, but everywhere. Distorted faces force their way through the stone, screaming at me as they ripple past like underwater spirits. A girl I vaguely recognize, the boy from Three, and then the girl I killed - Her name is Zelphyr Bastille. Finally the fourth tribute, the one who Pearl finished off. Ryin. I remember their names. They are victims not of our murder, but of the Capitol's oppression. I refuse to forget them.

The walls fade back to their usual dull state, and so I reattach the night vision goggles to my head, and pace back to the others. When I return, they are all fast asleep. Barnabas sleeps close to Asa, whilst Pearl is further off on her own. They were foolish to allow themselves to fall asleep without anyone on guard. I check our supplies to make sure none were taken in that black period without me. Thankfully all of our stuff still seems to be here. I lean against a rock spire and begin my watch.

I can't stop thinking back to the Bloodbath, when I went to attack Barnabas, thinking he was just another Tribute in our way. Asa acted so fast to stop me - He could have killed me then and there, if not for something inside of him that made him stop. I was afraid of Asa then, and his distrust is incepted deep in his mind already. I can't change his opinion of me, not straight away at least. I wouldn't put it past him to kill me in my sleep. I've seen Careers do it before - Why is he any different? They're all the same. Emotionless, cold, dangerous. I glance to Pearl and chew the inside of my cheek. She's different. Maybe that's why I trust her. I do not trust Asa.

I grip the handle of my blade and take a deep breath. With a slow step in his direction, I assess Asa Reau. He is the epitome of a Career. His physique unrivalled, the perfect build of strength and speed. Not so large that he is cumbersome, yet not too small to be weak. The true athlete. Yes, I'm sure he could kill me and not even bat an eyelid. I have to be as ruthless as him. I have to. That's how we survive - The fittest prevail, and right now Asa is the fittest. I can't let him be top of the food chain, else he will chew me up - Especially as I'm the one threatening his place as king. Kill or be killed, Trix.

"What are you doing?"

I freeze. Asa looks up. I can feel his gaze from behind his sunglasses. I thought he was stupid for wearing them, but now I see why. I open my mouth to explain, but there's nothing. How can there be an explanation? My weapon is drawn and pointed at his neck - It can only mean one thing. I lower my sword and back off. All he does is stare at me, the question still hanging in the air. I have no answer for him, only excuses. My forehead stings, and patches on my chest and arms start to itch with sweat. My throat becomes narrow, like these tunnels. Nothing escapes it.

I turn and run, my heart thundering against my chest. Is he chasing me? I glance over my shoulder. He isn't. He sits there watching me. I bolt round a corner, panting hard. How could I be so stupid? If he wasn't going to kill me before, he sure as hell will now. My panic is audible in wheezes and short breathes. I look around the corner. Asa still sits there, but now not looking at me, but at the boy next to him. My shoulders drop - He is not angry?

I can't show my face. Not now. He knows my intentions and my fears, of course. I was reckless for the second time today, just when I promised that I would stay composed. I lost my mask, my false identity. I became a scared little girl on the streets of Five again. Stupid, arrogant little girl. I keep saying I'm a survivor, but I'm not so sure.

Maybe I've just been incredibly lucky, because I've been making the wrong choices since all of this started.

"Hey, Trix, time to wake up." Pearl's soft voice wakes me. I must have fallen asleep around the corner. I reach for my neck, massaging it softly. He didn't slit my throat in the night. I lazily pull on my nightvision goggles and immediately I look for Asa. Barnabas is over talking to him. He looks relaxed. That still worries me. I place a shaky hand against the wall and push myself up. I can't tell if it's night or day, it's still dark. I sigh. The nerves fill my stomach. We have no choice but to press on.

"Please don't call me Trix." I say to Pearl as I walk past.

The walking continues, deep into the veins of the earth. Consistent rock face, cavern and tunnel. Nothing changes. This Arena will drive people insane, of that I am certain. Surprisingly, we eventually reach an area that is much more open. The tunnels split wide into a large cavern with a ceiling so high that I pray I am looking at the night's sky. I somehow doubt it very much. An expansive pool dominates the room, the liquid is black and still. The smell is potent and strange. I don't like it. I definitely don't think it's water.

Figures move in the dark, and of course at first I think they are other Tributes. I am alert, on my toes and weapon drawn, trying to focus on the movement. Too big to be people. Too fast, too unnatural.
"Oh my god." I push Pearl behind me, "They're rats!"

I don't even think about it, I just attack the nearest one.


[Patricia Valfierno attacks Rat #1, Bone Sword]
klUns8FDsword
[Deep Gash on Left Forearm -- 8.0 damage]
[Blades -- 1.0 damage]

Sitting on a rooftop, crazy days are coming again
I'll be running, but I'll be hidden in the masquerade
So far from me now, but oh I can hear the sound
Can't you hear the bells singing alone? You will hear it on the radio

word count: 1717, graphics: rook
theme: hear the bells by porter robinson

sword

[Python]

Pearl Millison

It was impossible to distinguish between night and day. There was no yellow sunlight or pastel colors of sunset; only black, and the various shades of green when she donned her night vision goggles. She had politely thanked Asa for the advantage, and ventured into the twisting pathways with a weary gaze and fluttering heart. Patricia was always at her side, bone sword clutched in confidence. Barnabas was latched to Asa’s torso like a monkey, acting as a navigator with night vision goggles that gave him bug eyes. Their unspoken chemistry remained another puzzle to solve, but it was not a priority. The maze, however, was.

It didn’t take long for the group to lose themselves to the winding paths. There was nothing but solid wall to their left and right, smooth and unable to be scaled. They were rats trapped in a labyrinth, sniffing for cheese and searching for an exit. They possessed no sense of direction, no memory of which turns they had taken after the first hour, and no strategy by which to track their footsteps. It wasn’t until the beeping echoed above their heads that they paused, Pearl tilting her head back to watch the parachute descend from unknown darkness. If there was a ceiling to his underground cavern, how had they managed to launch a parachute? Capitol technology: an enigma, she thought, clutching the box that branded her name.

A bone sword almost identical to Patricia and Barnabas’ rested neatly inside of the box. There was no note attached, and it made her wonder whether this was her mother’s doing, or the effort of another. How could they send her something so valuable after her exposure as a fraud? She gripped the hilt and tested the weight in her hands. Suitable, yet the very idea of wielding it made her stomach somersault. Throwing knives were her specialty, but they possessed a massive disadvantage in an arena consumed by darkness. Any long-range weapon would prove hindering to death’s demands. But fighting close range was not what she had planned. She wanted – needed – her distance. It was a coward’s wish. How could she fight somebody up close and personal? The Bloodbath was one thing; an adrenaline rush at best, allowing her body to monitor and manipulate itself. Even then had she panicked and hesitated. How was she expected to fight during future encounters?

She couldn’t complain. Such a gift was expensive and valuable in a life-or-death circumstance, so she quietly thanked her sender and tucked her torch away. Then she felt it in her satchel – the permanent marker she had snatched earlier. For no apparent reason had she grabbed it and shoved it inside, thinking little of what she was doing, but now that it was in her hand she had an idea.

After every corner she left a marking on the walls, a zigzag shape that could be recognized at a distance with any light source. If they ended up walking in a circle, the marks would warn them of their previous venture, and they could choose another path to make progress inevitable. Eventually they came upon an ending to the suffocating roads, and the space expanded to a circular enclosure with a water source in the middle. Except the surface tension looked different than it should’ve, thicker and more resistant. She slipped her goggles over her forehead, pulled out a flashlight, and flicked it on. The beam of light revealed a silvery flash. It was everywhere; a lake of silver, and she had no idea what it was.

”It’s probably not safe to drink,” she whispered, and she wasn’t going to try. It could be toxic to the touch, perhaps even toxic to breathe if they strayed too close. They decided against disturbing the sleek surface and set up camp. “Camp” was simply placing their bags in one of the nearby tunnels and resting their heads until the anthem illuminated the high ceiling. Pearl removed her goggles completely to watch the green displays flicker. The four faces of the Bloodbath appeared by order of district, including Ryin Sileece, the girl Patricia said Pearl hadn’t killed. That means Patricia has killed two tributes already. She was a force to be reckoned with.

Sleep was easy to acquire, but a struggle to keep. She woke up countless times with a sore spine, and panicked when she opened her eyes and found no difference between illuminations. Everything was black and silent, save for the occasional soft sigh from Barnabas or Asa. When it was her turn to take watch, she merely slipped on her goggles and paced in front of the lake with her sword in hand. There was something soothing about the texture of the lake’s liquid despite how unnatural and dangerous it appeared. She watched it until Asa and Barnabas stirred. The absence of dawn to manage their sleep cycles would certainly impair their sense of time, but as long as everyone managed to catch at least five hours Pearl figured they would be okay.

”Hey, Trix, time to wake up,” she whispered. She couldn’t imagine how drowsy they all must’ve felt waking up to darkness like this. She was about ready to gather her things when she heard a scuffling to her right - loud scuffling that created too many echoes to be a trick of the ears. She glanced up to see three thick furry figures staring at her with beady eyes. They had twitching whiskers longer than her arms, and hind legs that stretched them into six foot towers of mischief.

Enormous, ugly, ferocious rats. That was an accurate way to describe them.

Pearl shrieked. She fumbled with her sword as they charged, but Asa was already ahead of her; he flicked his chain whip and caught one at its neck, navigating through the darkness with his flashlight. ”Oh my god,” Patricia said, ”They’re rats!”

She shoved Pearl behind her and lashed out with her bone sword. Pearl heard the sickening squelch of metal on muscle and blood, but couldn’t quite see the damage she caused. I have to defend myself, she thought in a panic. It was three against four, but any of them could be devoured by those massive teeth. Asa and Patricia couldn’t fight alone, and neither could Barnabas. She had to respond. Move!

With both hands, Pearl thrust her sword out.

[attacks Rat #2 - bone sword]
cUAQhWDhsword
Severed Head -- 40 damage m8

sword

[[nyte]]

b a r n a b a s  s t r o u d

He had slept soundly, arms wrapped around Asa's waist and head in his lap. It was comforting to have his friend there, someone he trusted utterly and completely. They had grown so close in the prior two weeks and Barnabas wondered if this was how all friendships were formed. Or was their relationship rushed because death loomed over the both of them like the shadows now did. Barnabas awoke to a faint rustling and even that was enough to send his heart into desperate palpitations. Shaking hands turned the dial upon his lantern and bathed the hell which they slept into an orange light. More rats. He could see their ugly snouts poking towards them, dirty creatures threatening his friends. More fucking rats. 

"Asa!" he prodded the boy gently, voice carrying an urgency he hadn't felt since running into the bloodbath the day before. Had it been a day? There was no real way to tell. The others had begun to stir once more and relief overwhelmed him. They'd fight this adversary together. Like they should. His sword was heavy in his hand, still stained a rusty orange from the blood he had tried to wipe clean. It terrified him to think that once more his weapon would be stained with blood. Yet he was thankful this time it would not be human. 

"Oh my god!" It was Patricia's voice, "They're rats." he felt for the girl, those horrid rats had wounded both Pearl and she the day before. He felt a fire within him, a want to protect Asa and Pearl and Patricia. Barnabas was not strong, he was not a trained career or a fighter. But he would sure as hell protect them with all he had. Asa strikes and then Patricia and Pearl. Blood flies about the cavern and to his horror a rat's head. He had hesitated, he would fail the others did he not strike now. "Good guys!" He kept his voice soft, but took a fistful of Asa's shirt, to give him strength. 

And he struck.

[attacks rat #3]
4Ll0UWzesword
[Severed Right Hand at Wrist -- 9.0 damage]

sword

[✨ zozo.]

[RIZZO]

Rizzolagant the Rat was running around admiring things with impeccible manners and singing, because Rizzo liked to hear her voice echoing off the walls of the caves. Not that she was vain or anything because she was the loveliest most happiest, polite rat you've ever met. (Although she does like to dress up and take gorgeous selfies every once in a while). Anyway, whilst Rizzo was reciting every known musical number ever and yelling "LIES AND SLANDER" every 0.2 seconds, she stumbled across 4 lovely looking tributes and said "Hello friends I am here, my goodness you are looking lovely today uwu. Also did I mention Koreans. Koreans are uwu. Please excuse me whilst I take a nibble at you I'm terribly sorry but you look quite delicious uwu."

And then her wifey dropped dead at her feet and all hell broke loose. Rizzo screamed at the top of her broadway-style lungs and unleashed all hell.

[attacks asa]
szS7bQgCknife
shallow cut 3.5


[NIMH]

Nymhe the Rat was looking for cute girls and taking cuter selfies and planning on naming her children Petra and Petra II when she heard her wife yell "Hello friends I am here!" in her lovely Canadian voice (which to others would just sound like squeaks). Nymhe paused in her ultimate quest for The Cutest Girl ever to simply say "( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)‎" and proceed to sing bountiful versus of the 'Anaconda' chorus whilst joining her wifey in feasting upon the cutie tributes. 

And then she died. Oops. Such a cute face

[JERRY]

Jerrook the Rat was too busy playing XBox and playing soccer and playing soccer on the XBox to hear what the girls were doing, but taking a moment from live-snapchatting his favourite New Zealander the spider war that was happening in his bedroom, he joined the fight whilst mumbling in something that vaguely sounded like "Fookin fook u wot m8 i'll wrek u m8 1v1 rite now wot".

[attacks pearl]
knife
miss

knife�knife

[gamemaker kelsier]

A S A R E A U

I flew my flashlight of the scene as we went into battle, blades swinging and my whip crackling through the air. We were an efficient bunch, no doubt about it. Pearl's sword swung gallantly through the air, coming down in a wide arc to sever the head off of one of the rats. Barnabas takes a paw and Patricia carves through one easily. Myself on the other hand, I am pretty useless with this whip. It sounds deadly and is beautiful to behold, striking out like the hands of Death, rattling across the floor like a final breath. Altogether less effective than a blade.

Just as I am thinking so, a banging sound similar to what we heard earlier comes from above, a box descending from what was a seemingly complete ceiling. I raise my flashlight to it, the length and width similar to Pearl's box that came earlier. As I am distracted, one of the rats darts up, clawing my leg. It hurts yes but I am too busy to properly react. You learn to stop reacting to small hurts when you have a sadist for a brother.

I stick the flashlight in my mouth and catch the box in both hands, the parachute falls gracefully on top and then slides off of the lid to hang to the side, revealing my name engraved in the top. Carefully, I remove the lid, steal and bone glint at me in the darkness, light from my flashlight reflected on the blade. I don't know who the hell got this for me, I whisper a thank-you anyway before tucking the parachute into my backpack and dropping the whip in favour of the sword.

It falls with a rattling sound, crashing in death. For a moment, there is a sadness attached to the letting go of such a fear-inducing weapon but I have no need for it now. I have a duty to my allies to use what strength I can. You might have to be closer to a person to swing a blade than you have to be with a whip, but if it means survival than I'll do it. All those years of abuse, all those times I might have curled up and died. It has taught me how to survive.

I wrap my hand around the hilt and grab Barnabas by the back of his shirt. "No use sticking around," I say, loud enough for them all to hear, "Grab the dead one and let's go."

d o n ' t
s t o p

[Asa receives a bone sword from sponsorship]
[Asa performs first aid on self for -3]
[Asa flees the fight]

[rook]

PATRICIA VALFIERNO

Living in a cruel world, drudging with my feet in the snow
On a day out, and it's a night now
Doctor, I've been walking by the side of the road
For a long time, and I'm going out of my mind.

The stench of them is rank and foul. Wet fur and rotting skin, a smell so bad that my stomach hurls and my eyes water. These are creatures that were never meant to be made - For them to have grown this large is unnatural. Their decomposition is visible, like their frames are far too big for their thinning exterior. Ribs stick out from their scrawny pink chests, their teeth are too large and sharp. Then I see their eyes. Black. Just black pools. When they cry out, my body shivers and my face screws up. Yet for all their unsightliness, they are dangerous. Fast, far too fast for their withering bodies, and strong too, yes. They should not be this strong. Thin legs like those should not be able to support their body mass, and yet they stand on their hind legs like bears. Impossible creatures, and yet here they are.

Having struck the closest rat to me with a somewhat powerful slash, I dart back, dancing on my toes, never allowing myself to stand still. It bares it's dark yellow fangs and screeches, exhaling a gust of rancid breath.

Nabil Faouzi once told me that my attention span was too short for me to make anything useful of myself. He said that a technician must be patient with their work, whilst also remaining diligent in their knowledge pool. He had kind eyes and a soft face, but his words were harsh. He knew how to get the best out of people, through thought-provoking criticism. Keeping up to date with systems and their contextual jargon is critical in the world of server administration and security bypass. Nabil said that this was not just true for our field, but for all. What you think you know now will not be of use to you when the game changes.

And the game is always changing.

My attention span is short, my mentor was right. I was a brute of a child, always looking for a way to rebel or fight authority. This became especially true after mother and father abandoned Rose and I, as I needed to become strong to survive. Yet I am soft inside, weak and merciful unless I force it out. Concentration and assertion are the only ways to squeeze out that natural human behaviour, and become something darker and stronger.

Asa cries out, calling for us to double back on ourselves through the tunnels. He breaks away before I can protest - These rats will tear us apart in a confined space. Then again, they might leave us alone after finding out that we are not easy prey. I don't want to get separated from the others, so I have no choice but to do as Asa says. I grab Pearl by the collar.
"Let's go, blondie!"

[Patricia receives Rat Meat from Pearl]
[Patricia uses First Aid on Asa for -3]
[Patricia flees the fight]

Sitting on a rooftop, crazy days are coming again
I'll be running, but I'll be hidden in the masquerade
So far from me now, but oh I can hear the sound
Can't you hear the bells singing alone? You will hear it on the radio

word count: 467, graphics: rook
theme: hear the bells by porter robinson

[Python]

Pearl Millison

It reared on its hind legs. Eyes like buttons gaped at her, empty and soulless, as its enormous teeth bared themselves. Its ferocity was fitting of a mindless mutation. At home, she had always feared the different monstrosities the Capitol would conjure for the sake of tribute butchery. Dragons, scorpions, krakens – there was always a monster from a nightmare, and she wasn’t sure which she feared most, tributes or creatures. Facing the latter, she wanted to scream and run in the other direction, but before she knew it her sword was in front of her. She couldn’t simply abandon her friends, and she didn’t know if she could outrun something so large. It would know the territory much better than she did. She was practically blind compared to this beast, even if she did have the advantage of night vision.

It was in perfect position. Her timing was accidental, but flawless. One swing of her blade and its edge was slicing through fur and muscle and bone, spraying a fair amount of blood until its head simply thunked against the cavern floor. Its body dropped backwards, leaving her in a state of awe. Diamond had always been the expert swordswoman. Only she could cut clean through a dummy’s head in one swipe. How a blade could accomplish such a feat was odd until one felt how sharp its bite was, yet she always thought it was more dependent upon the strength of its wielder. How had she – a weakling – severed a mutation's head in one movement?

Amazing.

But it was an accident. Or was it? Truly she had meant to wound it, to defend herself and save her own life. But it was accidental luck. It stood on its hind legs the moment she let loose her blade, and that was how she managed to kill it. That was the only explanation she could conjure.

She was still in shock when she heard Asa’s voice. ”No use sticking around,” he said, ”Grab the dead one and let’s go.” He was right. One rat was dead, surely the others would scamper once they left the scene. Mutations hardly ever chased tributes for miles. They were quick to give in and return to their primitive lives. However, they were still in the danger zone; as soon as Pearl noticed the shifting rag of fur and angry eyes darting toward her, she ducked out of the way. It lashed out with its paw and met nothing but air, but she could feel its fur tickle her arm. A close call.

Her collar suddenly clutched at her throat. ”Let’s go, blondie!” It was Patricia, dragging her away from the scene. She complied and sprinted away without question. Rat blood coated her hands, and she should’ve felt guilty for harming an animal. Back home she never would’ve hurt a fly. But these were different, right? They were engineered for evil. They were pests and menaces, not innocent creatures.

At least, that was what she would tell herself.

[Pearl flees]
[collects rat meat, drops permanent marker]

[[nyte]]

b a r n a b a s  s t r o u d

It was dead and they had to run. The blood on his blade sickened him, but also kept his head firmly attached to his shoulders. Surely, rat meat was not an ideal meal, but it was better than nothing and so they would have to make due. One of them had snagged Asa and he was worried about his friend. The longer they stayed the more dangerous the situation became for all of them. Canons had rung strong today and he couldn't help but feel glad that it was not their fault the faces would appear in the sky. This Labyrinth seemed timeless, as though weeks could have passed or absolutely no time at all. But he had to hurry. He didn't want Asa hurt any more than he already was, and exposing the others to danger was an apalling thought. The rat couldn't feed all of them and he knew that, but his fear was so potent in that moment his only thought was of running.

He grabbed the remnants of the dead rat and shoved them into his pack, glad the dreadful thing was out of his sight. Run. Run. Run. It was his only thought. Catch up with the others and ensure their safety. It was all he cared about. Not life or death or his survival or the rats behind him. His friend's safety. Asa's wounds. His lantern spread bouncing light upon the cavernous walls as he ran at a dead sprint, adrenaline allowing him to bolt past the others and to his injured friend's side. Tugging at his shirt slightly he revealed the scratch,  it had been tended to skillfully enough. He ran his hand over the wound, it was shallow upon his hip and whilst he was not happy any of them had been injured, he counted their blessings that it was little more than a scratch. One that did not need more serious medical attention. 

"Fuck, I just-" his eyes flew from Patricia to Pearl to Asa "We're okay." he laughed, not of happiness but of relief. "We're okay. We're all okay." 

Thank the gods.


[barnabas flees]
[picks up rat meat]