Welcome To My Twisted Mind

We would just like to thank Austin and Mary for bringing their wonderful Tributes to our Games and brightening up our dashboards! Joan and Cyprus were both wonderful contributions to the Games! You both now have the opportunity to mini-sponsor a Tribute of your choice up until the final battle task is posted!

Cyan vs. Wednesday

A parachute lands infront of Cyprus as he’s taking in the store around him, there’s an over the shoulder belt that contains 6 shuriken. 

Seeing that Cyprus has a sports drink, I realize that with the increasing temperature, I’ll probably need one too for threat of dehydration. Grabbing a pink bottle for 2BN, I nod to Cyprus.

“All hell broke loose overnight,” I say, and still can’t hear myself talk. I can feel the vibrations and the vague murmur of general sound, but my ears still have pain terrorizing them. He nods, goes to open his mouth to speak, but then probably remembers I can’t read lips, and shakes his head.

I wander around the store, making sure to keep one eye on Cyprus, staying where we can see each other. The last thing I need is to not hear something advancing on me, or not hear his shout for help. But unlike the clothing store we’d visited earlier, this store seemed safe enough for now.

I know what I’m looking for as I walk through the aisles, peeking around corners to make sure Cyprus is nearby. I keep murmuring to myself, trying to test my ears, and every now and again I think I hear progress. Heading to the outdoor activities section, I crouch down, finding exactly what I wanted.

I grab the roller blades, checking the price and nodding. If I want to get anywhere fast - and by the looks of the stores slowly closing and monsters surprise attacking us, I do - I’ll need these. I put the pair of roller blades under my arm, not sure what else I’d really need, but decide that for now, this is enough.

Walking to the counter, I place 5BN down and change out of my shoes and into the blades, tying my shoelaces and draping them over my shoulders. Might as well start using the skates now. Thankful for my flighty feet, I adjust to the wheels nicely, holding onto the counter to steady myself before rejoining Cyprus.

Well shit if she was going to be speedy then I needed something to keep up.  But I can’t skate.  But a razor scooter should do the trick.  6BN, it read. 

13 coins left.   What to buy, what to buy.  It was only now after catching my breath that I realized how parched it was, and the increasing temperature didn’t help.  I removed my leather jacket, rolled it up, and put it in my bag.  2BN for a sports drink.  I swug about half of it with a satisfying gulp.  

I screeched when I saw something shimmering over by the skating section.  They weren’t the same ones I used back home, but essentially my token (which I forgot to bring because I’m stupid) was laying right there for me.  And they only cost 1 BN?!!?  Hell’s yes I’m buying two yo-yos.  

That gives me 7 left.  And since although the arena was getting hot, I knew it could get cold once again.  I wanted gloves, fencing gloves.  A pair costs 5BN apparently.  Not too bad.  

He squinted and figured it out quickly, muttering something else before flipping his hand a few times. Run, I figured, because he took off afterwards. I followed, easily keeping pace with alongside him, even though we were running as if our lives depended on it. Because it kind of did.

My ears hurt, throbbing with every step I took, but at least it didn’t hinder my performance. We found the food court that was listed on our map, but kept running past it. There was no one in the main cooridors, and for that, I was thankful. It was a clear shot until we got to the yellow section of the arena.

We paused at the entrance, scouting out what we were about to face. To the left, we could see a small girl running around a shop, but she hadn’t left yet. Brunelle! I felt a smile creep onto my face, but knew that I didn’t want to be anywhere near her - I didn’t want to have to fight her. In front of us was another shop going haywire. Through the glass was another girl that I recognized from the anthem and reruns of yesterday’s killings. There was a giant bug in the store, and I was thankful the door was closed and it was contained only to there. Finally, to our right was the group I recognized at the alliance of three. They were stationed at the front of their store, but were preoccupied with someone in a creepy hat.

All three potential threats were dealing with their own issues right now, fortunately for us. Cyprus and I exchanged a look, nodding and running through the yellow section and to the right. We made it without being noticed, and even if we had, they wouldn’t have been able to dislodge themselves from their distractions. Skidding to a stop in the midst of the new yellow section, the only issue we saw was a brawl between…

Grateful we hadn’t been killed in our sleep, I stood up from my nest of sponges and stretched. It wasn’t as comfortable a bed as it looked, but it made do. I was sure my hair was a mess. Turning to find a mirror, I stared at my reflection, furrowing my still-dark eyebrows. 

Right. I had weird grey-peach-white hair now. Turns out the dye was kind of wonky, leaving me with patches of different tones. I didn’t care - I just figured I should try it while I’m here in case I, you know, die.

Smelling a strange scent, even for this store, I turn around and try to figure out what’s causing the change. Even through my thin clothes, I could feel the temperature spike, and I was thankful for my new haircut so I wasn’t immediately sweltering. Flames were licking the sides of the rooms, and all at once, everything went crazy.

Blaring, siren noises bombarded the room, causing me to stumble and clamp my hands over my ears. Water shot down from the ceiling’s sprinklers, dousing the store.

“Fuck,” I managed and made sure my pockets were full of whatever I had taken in there. It was disorienting, and I tried to block out the noise, but it was deafening. I doubled over, gritting my teeth as I tried to focus through the pain reverberating through my ears.

As the mannequins advance on Cyprus and Joan, one of the ceiling tiles slides open and a parachute drops through to land infront of Cyprus. Inside the package he finds a sturdy leather jacket.

“Dolla makes me holla honey boo boo child.”

I seethed as I felt my headache pounding.  Another migraine, great.  Though I was hit in the head, and hadn’t eaten, or drank at all.  Guess it wasn’t so much of a surprise really.  And my bloody nose didn’t help.  After using one of the alcohol wipes to clean my face up a bit, I found a pile of loofas and arranged it into a makeshift bed.  

I leaned back and ate about half the strawberries, feeling my stomach fill as my parched throat was hydrated by their summertime moistness.  They made a nice snack as I watched a projection on the screen of the fallen.  

In order, they played starting with that circus girl’s head falling to the floor.  “Oof.”  I announced.  “Joan, you watchin’ this?  Told you that Alice kid was crazy.”  Shit I forgot to remember to learn her actual name.  Oh well.  

Chewing on a strawberry, I watched with intrigue as the tongueless killed Reuben.  The boy looked longingly at Judas despite having a knife in his heart.  “One sandwich down.”

“Hey isn’t that your district partner?”  I ask Joan.  “Oh ew...was your partner.”  Geez Wednesday is messy.  Guess she wasn’t lying when we talked earlier.  Hopefully she remembered that she promised a quick death for me.  Wait, what am I talking about?  I’m the one killing her.  

And just like that, the circus girl was alive again, back in the bloodbath.  Thoughinstead of her head rolling, it was Lux’s eyse rolling into the back of her head as a knife tore her throat.  “Meh.”

“Again with the necks?”  I comment as Wednesday stomps on Benji’s.  “Guess that makes two kills for the 2 girl.  Think that’s the record now.”

Yet again a neck was stomped on until death.  Only it was my district partner crushing under the might of my...what the hell do I even call Salem at this point?  Wait a minute, he was with his district partner when Alice went all mad hatter on them.  But his face didn’t show up.  If he did survive that, he can’t be in good shape.  

Haha, oh yeah.  I forgot I killed John Smith.  Though as I looked at my determined filmed face as I crushed the boy’s face open, I realized something.  I looked really good.  Blood splatters are the new black.  

Oh boo there goes Fox.  Looks like my strategy isn’t so bad now is it?  Course you can’t really answer with a whip wrapped around your neck.  Oh shit is that Alice again.  “Yeah we gotta watch for District 3′s girl, Joan.  2 kills in one day?  Nothing to brush off.”

Yet another neck related kill as Judas opens the throat of Valentina.  Poor girl, never had a chance.  “Judas too.  They and Wednesday are all tied for the most kills in the--”

“Wow okay nevermind.  That Alice chick.  She needs to go if we see her.  3 kills in one day and not even a career, let alone someone with mental stability.”  After Canary’s lifeless body dropped to the ground, the anthem played once again, signalling the perfect time to sleep.  

“Hey you know there’s testers back here right?”  Joan mentioned.  

“Oh.”

Regretting my stupidity, I decided to test them out before selecting one to buy.  There were only two bath tubs, but  to make things easier for whatever entity was controlling the events of the games, I decided to test them all out at once.  I grabbed two containers of bath salts from the shelves, opened them, and carefully poured the contents out into two piles to return later.  I then scooped the empty jars filled with water and dropped in a sample of bottle rocket and tingly skin sensation.

Then in the tubs, I dropped holla and white noise.  

“Oh.”

Regretting my stupidity, I decided to test them out before selecting one to buy.  There were only two bath tubs, but  to make things easier for whatever entity was controlling the events of the games, I decided to test them all out at once.  I grabbed two containers of bath salts from the shelves, opened them, and carefully poured the contents out into two piles to return later.  I then scooped the empty jars filled with water and dropped in a sample of bottle rocket and tingly skin sensation.

Then in the tubs, I dropped holla and white noise.  

How the hell the mannequin head was still alive, I hadn’t the slightest.  I peered inside the hollow neck hole and saw a chip inside the skull.  Eh, I’ll figure it out later.  For now, we had a store with an ominous name that we wanted to check out.  Only two stores over, it was lucky how incredibly close we were to our new destination.  

“You need to hold them off. Blind them with your suave moves, or something.” I grit my teeth, and he looked at me wildly, as if I was crazy. And I kind of was, so he had a point. He shoved the mannequins back, glancing over at me and then back to the mannequins.

“You better have a damn good plan,” He yelled over as I broke away.

“Lead them this way.” I said over my shoulder, darting through the store. I cursed myself for trading away the rope to Maude, thinking for the next best thing. A rack of accessories stood in front of me, and I figured it was the closest I was going to get. I didn’t have very long before Cyprus and the dummies caught up to me, so I worked as quickly as I could.

Cyprus worked the mannequins back, trying to keep them at a distance for as long as he could manage. The amputee mannequin smacked the pole out of his hand, it clattering to the ground. Before he could react, the mannequin hit Cyprus upside the head with its detached arm, sending him sliding backwards with ringing ears. He recovered, making sure the brass knuckles were secured tight in his palm, and ran into the racks of clothes nearby, so that they would have to weave through racks to get to him, splitting them up.

I took a stack of belts, unclasping and reclasping the buckles to hook them all together. I worked quickly, glancing up every now and again when I heard a swear come from Cyprus’s direction. The noises were growing louder, signaling that they were making their way over to me. I finished the string of belts, hooking one end to a clothing rack and then hooking the other to another rack opposite it, a few meters away. 

Climbing on top of a tall shelf meant to display sweaters and t-shirts, I could see Cyprus grab one of the mannequins and slam his fist into the side of its head, standing back up to kick one of the other mannequins down. It was a never ending job, it seemed, to defeat a mannequin without a blade. But I could see that the knuckles had dented in one of the mannequin’s heads, leaving it looking like a deflated basketball. It twitched as it walked towards Cyprus, its feet bouncing as it walked, as if it was damaged. Good.

I stepped carefully over the belt and ducked back as Joan tugged on her end of the makeshift rope.  The ankles of the mannequins were snared in a loop and rose up as Joan hopped off the counter, suspending them in the air.  She tied off the end of her rope to a nearby drawer as they mannequins struggled in the air.