Young Writers Society

"Any questions?" the Professor asked, looking up from the board and seeing glazed faces.

Alan looked around, then slowly raised his hand.

"Yes, Alan?" the Professor said blankly, barely even giving him a glance as if she knew it was him without even looking.

Alan opened his mouth to speak but then caught Alistair, Elias, and Mel staring daggers at him. Don't you dare ask about the assignment, their eyes said. Even Evaline seemed to tap on her watch, as if telling him to hurry things along so they can leave.

He smiled. "I just wanted to say I hope you have a good birthday weekend."

The Professor smiled, looking quite pleased that someone remembered. "Thank you, Alan. Class dismissed."

"So this is how you get good grades, huh?" Elias said, elbowing him.
"As if," Alistair grumbled. "He's just a people pleaser."
"Hey, let's go," Evaline said, already at the door. "We're going to be late."

"What's the rush?" Mel said innocently. "It's not like we have anything going on." The three of them looked at her like she lost her mind, and then Mel offered a smile. "Just... kidding? Is that how it goes?"

"Remind me to teach you sarcasm later," Alistair with an amused smile and roll of his eyes, then looked back at Alan. "Hey, you coming?"

Alan hung back and watched his friends bicker, smiling at their siliness. Ever since Mel and Alistair discovered how to manipulate the Sector system with their powers, they've been experimenting with how far they can go. This will be the second week of their shenanigans, but he did wish he can help out more. Perhaps reading a tactical book will help while he relaxes under the shade of the tree.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, "but I'm going to go by mom's first. I'll meet you guys by the tree in twenty minutes?"

"Oh good," Elias said. "Because I'm hungry and you're going to eat all my snacks if I don't get any more."

"You're not even the ones doing the work," Alistair said. "If anything, Mel and I should be getting the extra snacks."

"Okay, twenty minutes, onetwothreego!" Evaline interrupted,

It was supposed to be a countdown to scatter and meet back soon, and Alan blinked as he remembered passing through the door. He was supposed to be in the hallway, but he wasn't.

He blinked again and again, hoping it was just a weird daydream, but alas, he was in a completely different place.

"What..." he found himself saying out loud as he looked around and noted a castle in the distance with bushes and flowers all around it. Was he still in Sector 3...? The sky looked different and even strained his eyes if he looked at it too long.

Where was he? And is this real life?

Suddenly there was a soft thud and something rolled up to his feet. It was an apple, although it looked like someone bit into it. Alan bent down to pick it up, inspected it, then looked up and saw a girl his age looking just as shocked as he was a couple moments ago.

"Excuse me, miss," he said. "I think this is yours." He walked over and extended the apple to her but paused. "Something tells me you have no idea where you are. Because I don't either."

What a wretched existence he had been so laboriously dragged into, to be tethered, against his very will, against the very needs of his soul, to a creature so demonic as she. She, oh she, the demon, the disgraced undead, who had now once more schemed so deviously to twist Connery's very life into something ever so very hellish.

Oh, he despised group projects.

"Quit scowling at me," the devil sneered, her deathly gaze boring into him. She must resent that she could not control his mind as her brethren could, she must hate her very existence for that inability.

Connery stuck his chin in the air and peered mightily down at her. The bored indifference with which she met his gaze was surely to mask her utmost intimidation. "Quiet your mouth, demonic creature," he ordered.

Her eyes rolled in their sockets, and she returned to her task. What a wonderous actress, was she! Were she human, were she not such a foul creature, caught between the clutches of life and death with such hatred in her heart, he would wish for her skill be put to use in his troop!

She scrolled through the page detailing the processes of matter transference with the use of pixy dust, gaze flicking through the paragraphs, searching, her predatory instincts kicking in even now as she sought the smallest scrap of useful information.

Connery felt no fear of her, rest assured. He simply picked up his bags for...unleatated and completely justified reasons.

"I will study in the yard!" he grandiosely announced.

"Good," came the terse response. He could practically see her shaking in fear of him, almost see her sigh of relief as he left her presence.

As he left the classroom at his quite prestigious university, which he entered not by manner of privilege, but skill. With his sharp mind and incredible acting ability, he was able to charm and win his spot here in this classroom, and in the yard, where he would study away from that horrible abomination.

As he grandly tossed open the door and stepped gloriously into the hall, it was not tile that his foot met, but grass.

In the yard already?

No, he couldn't be....

He turned in a slow circle, confusion muddling the mind, keeping him from quite realizing what it was he gazed upon until he had come to a full stop, staring up at a massive wall of greenery. Beyond it, in amongst the dusky morning, or perhaps evening - Connery had lost his sense of direction quite completely - towered a castle so very grand, he thought for only a second that he had been transported, perhaps through the will of his undoubtedly noble blood, to the lands of his ancestors.

But there was no buzz of magic in the air, so unseemly stench of death. This was not the desecrated remains of the mighty fortresses of the past.

There were also, to Connery's mixed relief and horror, other people here.

All of them were human, much to Connery's great relief. He could not stand to look in the face of another of those awful undead so soon after escaping such a fate.

Aska came to a stop behind the doors.

He couldn't hear anyone talking right now. If they were, it was so quiet that it didn't carry over the rosebushes. But even though there was no new conversation, he knew that more people had arrived. He wasn't entirely sure how. He could just feel it. Aska didn't know enough about magic to even begin to theorize how a person could be tied to a place, but he wouldn't have been theorizing even if he could.

He had a job to do.

He pressed his shaking hands against the wood of the door, pretending that he could somehow feel how rough it was. He had to follow his instructions. He would bring them inside. He would lead them to the throne room. And then Aska wasn't really what had happened, because it was at that point in the planning where Aska felt another person arrive - realized that they needed to rush so they wouldn't be caught off guard.

All he knew was that there would be a sword involved; Aska had seen him trying to yank the castle's finest sword off the wall.

...Aska wasn't going to question what the sword was going to be used for.

Trying his best to steel his nerves, Aska pushed the door open.

It was a quiet, calm morning. Little birds flit between scarred rosebushes. One even briefly landed on his shoulder. It didn't seem to mind that he was walking.

The rosebushes could be like a maze to anyone who had never been to the castle, but Aska had taken this route countless times before. He knew exactly where to turn to get from the front of the castle to the woods that bordered it.

He was too distracted by all of the birds and animals scurrying around to notice how close he was to the group. When he did realize it, it happened suddenly: he bumped right into one that had been pacing around.

Aska took a step back, armor clanging together. The bird on his shoulder was so startled by the impact that it flew off - leaving Aska to fend for himself.

"Um," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

He looked at everyone there.

There was an older man with a frying pan; Aska flinched at the sight of what he guessed was a weapon. There was an old woman, too. She didn't seem as scary, but Tieth didn't really seem scary, either. And Tieth could curse and kidnap people...

He shook the thought away.

There was a younger man. He had pretty purple eyes and a strange white coat that Aska had never seen anything like before. That alone was cause for alarm. There was an unassuming skinny girl, but Aska knew that looks could be deceiving. That was the same with the boy with glasses and the tiny girl. They didn't look all that terrifying, but Aska hadn't even spoken to them. It was hard to tell for sure.

The boy he had bumped into was wearing fancy clothes, so that couldn't possibly be good. Aska hadn't ever really met nobles or much royalty, so he had to go off of what other people had said. And what that other person had said wasn't all that good, so this boy probably wasn't the best, either.

And then there was the girl with pink hair.

The sight of her - and her hair - scared Aska so much that he went tumbling back into the bush behind him. There was only one kind of person that had hair like that, and it was exactly the kind of person to be avoided!

Why had he thought this was a good idea? This was a terrible idea! They were going to be in so much trouble, and Tieth couldn't even come to scare the strangers away!

He took another step back, completely forgetting about the rose bush behind him.

A second later, he gave a startled yelp as he went tumbling backwards.

Aska had thought that the day couldn't get any worse, but it was determined to prove him wrong. There was a clang as his helmet hit the ground, followed by a loud pop! as it broke free from the rest of his armor. Legs awkwardly propped up against the rose bush he had tripped over and arms flailing to catch the helmet, Aska just knew he had made a terrible first impression.

And that they were going to be terrified of him and hurt him.

Because with his helmet off, it was very, very easy to see that there wasn't a person inside of his armor.

He was the armor.

If suits of armor could cry, Aska would have.

Devony came to her senses when a boy no older than her stopped right in front of her and held out her fallen apple.

"Something tells me you have no idea where you are. Because I don't either," he said.

Devony took the apple and smiled shyly. "Oh, thank you," she said quietly. And you're right. I was walking home when I suddenly was here."

She looked helplessly around, noticing other people. "I don't recongnize anyone. Is this some sort of sick trick?" She tried not to stare at the claw marks.

Was this a pre-games show the Capitol came up with? Were its people becoming bored with the Hunger Games already?

The apple hung loosely in her hand, but Devony didn't feel like eating anymore, even when her stomach panged with hunger.

Suddenly she heard a startled yelp and a clang. Devony turned to see a man in a suit of armor tumbled over a rose bush. His helmet fell off, and Devony gasped in surprise and horror.

There was nothing underneath.

There were a few minutes of silence until Devony realized the thing was trembling. She felt a little sorry for it as she remembered a child trembling in the arena years ago. Devony picked up the surprisingly heavy helmet and walked over to the armor. She placed it on the ground.

"My name is Devony," she said soothingly. "I know you're scared. I am too. I don't know where I am. But no one is going to hurt you." She walked a little closer, slowly. Can I help you up?"

She smiled, hoping that it knew she was sincere.

"Frederic, I highly recommend that you stash away that frying pan somewhere. I don't think anyone here would take too kindly to being hit with that any time soon."
The man frowned and said. "I have nowhere to put it, so you can't make me."
Sinestra sighed. She snapped her fingers, and--
Nothing happened.

Snap.
Snap-snap-snap.
SNAPSNPSNAPSNAPSN--

Sinestra gazed upon her left hand and started snapping her other fingers. Still, nothing.
"No," she muttered. "Not again. You're real, funny, God, but you can't do this to me again..."
"Sinestra...?"
"Shut up," she growled, "and keep that frying pan at the ready. "For once, I'm actually just a mean old lady with a cane. I changed your diapers when you were little, which was cruel and unusual punishment. You're bound tom protect me-- or die trying. And given that we're in a Disney film and we have no idea which one of us is the villain in this story-- that is a strong possibility."
Frederic just blinked at her. "It doesn't look too bad here," he said. "Sure, the hedge might be messed up... but that can be fixed! We just have to find the hedge trimmers. How does a nice baby elephant sound?"
"My God," Sinestra muttered as she gazed at the sky, half-mad, half-sad, "where did I go wrong this time? Did I kill too many demons and your other workers were unable to finish their quotas? Answer me!"

Connery had hardly existed in this unusual place long enough to get his bearing before they were torn every so callously from him by some being in full-plate armor crashing unceremoniously into him. The iron-clad bafoon then went stumbling back into the wall of hedges like a teetering toddler where their helmate fell from their head.

Or, it was meant to, but it did not, for, truly! Connery stared, face aghast, and stricken with disgust, as the armor revealed itself to be merely an enchanted set.

He scoffed indignantly, "Show yourself, sorcerer!" he called to the being which had so clumsily lost control of their enchantment, "Your inadequate spells disgust and insult me!"

Rea gaped at the armour, then scrambled around madly. "A pen! I need a pen! Give me a pen!"

Vankous tried to take in all that he was seeing. Honestly there are worst places to spend a vacation. I might just settle here for a couple of weeks. I have snacks and that castle looks like it'll have a bed or two.

He peered into the maze to see if there was a way around it. There were several people wandering about but none of them struck him as an immediate threat nor did any of them look like they had a clue what was going on. Better to ignore those morons and figure out how to get to the castle first. Hmm...maybe its like that Pre...Holy Mother of Flying Pigs, what is a moron doing inside a suit of armor in this century unless...it isn't this century? He took a couple of steps closer as a barely audible "um" was muttered by the person.

Then it proceeded to look at each of them before letting out a yelp and stumbling backwards. Classic. Of course its a clumsy person. I bet that stupid bird that flew off can probably talk.

Then the thing's helmet fell off to reveal...nothing.

Oh come on. A freaking magic trick. And its so pathetic. You have gotta be kidding me.

He stalked towards the suit, mentally running through a list of diagnostic charms to figure out where this thing was from and who was enchanting it when one of the morons, this one dressed like he was cosplaying some ancient noble, started calling out to the sorcerer that did it.

That's my line...

Sinestra nudged Frederic towards the armor with her cane. "Go on, freak of nature. That way. And don't make me cane you."

The mere mortal sighed, shoulders drooping as he slowly moved towards the armor. Sinestra followed him like a shadow.

"Quit breathing on my neck," the man hissed.

"Don't make a dragon out of a hen!" she snapped. "Move it, young'un!"

"...you haven't had your vitamins today, have you?"

"Sadly, no. Walk, miscreant!"

Aska almost gave a startled cry when the thin girl (Devony) suddenly picked up his helmet, but he was too terrified by everything else to. The older man (Frederic?) and woman (Sinestra?) were bickering. The younger man with the strange white coat was coming closer. The tiny girl was asking for a pen - Aska didn't even know what a pen was, but it sounded like a frightening kind of weapon.

And then there was the boy who completely ignored him. Aska normally would have been happy about that, but the boy made it sound like he wasn't a person. He wasn't a suit of armor enchanted to be a person; he was a person cursed to be a suit of armor! And it wasn't a good idea to insult Tieth's magic. That was what had made him become like this in the first place, according to her.

Aska grabbed his helmet with shaking hands and plopped it where it was supposed to go.

With one last, awkward push, he got himself off of the rosebushes. He almost bumped into the ones now currently behind him as he went to put more distance between himself and everyone else, but this time he caught himself before he could trip.

"Thank you," he quietly said to Devony, giving a tiny little duck of his head. He didn't need her help to get up, but he appreciated the offer.

Then he turned to everyone else, hoping that he could hold his own long enough to get them inside. His gaze lingered on the noble boy. He was still scared of him, but he had been trying to be brave lately. He could handle talking to him, couldn't he?

"It's...It's dangerous to insult the magic here," Aska nervously said. "I'm not an object. I'm-I'm a person. I was human before..."

He pushed away thoughts of open blue skies and a body that didn't feel remotely like this one; thinking about little remnants of memories wasn't going to help him right now.

He balled his hands up into shaking fists.

"I was cursed," Aska added. "And...And I'm not inadequate!"

He faltered, suddenly losing all of his temporary gusto.

"...But that's not important right now," he whispered. "I...I have to bring you to the throne room."

Ari's mouth hung open as she watched everything unfold. The talking and moving piece of metal wanted them inside. Inside the what? The throne room.

She looked up at the looming castle. A shiver ran up her spine. She had heard the old woman, Sinestra, say something about being in a Disney film. Ari pieced things together. Roses, castle, supposedly cursed knight? Ari had never been into fairytales growing up so she had no clue what was happening or what would happen.

She wanted to shake everyone and ask them where they were and why they were here and how to get back home and -

She took a breath. Breathe, her therapist's voice echoed in her mind.

"Of course," she whispered. She closed her eyes then snapped them back open two seconds later.

Shakily, Ari strode towards the suit of armour and folder her arms. She would ask him who he was and why they were here. She would make him cower in fear because of how strong her voice would be.

But her words came out as squeaks. "Who are you and where are we?" she said with a crack in her voice.

Alan didn't even realize there were other people nearby until the girl he gave the apple to pointed it out. A quick glance around and he could that she was right, but he did stare at some longer than others because they just looked so... different. He had never seen people with such drastic features and colors before, and he wondered if they were in costume or were an illusion. The girl next to him didn't seem to recognize the others either, so he had a feeling that they were very real, and they were indeed very random.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud clang by a person wearing a metal suit, and next thing he knew, the person was not a person but rather... well, nothing. There was nothing where the head was supposed to be. Maybe the illusion theory was proving to be true after all.

What was even happening right now?

Incessant bickering ensued as the invisible creature put the helmet back on and had to explain that he was a person, but cursed. Alan couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy; he was too confused to know what exactly he meant by curses and magic, but he understood that he was someone he did not want to be.

He briskly walked over before the others continued to harass the poor guy, getting in just in time as the pink-haired girl squeaked at him.

"Hey, hey, let's give the guy a little space," he nervously said as he slid in between everyone and the metal-man and then threw his hands out in front of him. "I don't think he knows any more of what's going than we do." He turned back to the metal-man, offering an apologetic smile. "What's in the throne room?"

Even with the boy's intervention, Aska still couldn't help but start shaking even worse than before. The pink-haired girl didn't sound terrifying, but Aska knew exactly what she was. He didn't want to go against her!

"My-My name is Aska," he stammered. He looked back in the direction of the castle. He knew that he was on his own right now, but he kept wishing that the front doors would suddenly swing open.

They didn't.

He turned back to the others. He tried making eye contact with the pink-haired girl, but he had to look away after a few seconds of staring.

"We're in the f-forest on the edge of the kingdom of Laetae," he whispered. He stared down at the ground, taking comfort in the clawed footprints that had been almost perfectly preserved in the dirt. "And we're outside the Castle of Blood."

He snuck a look up at the boy standing in front of him.

Aska wished he had an answer. He wished that he wasn't trying to improvise. All he knew was that a sword was involved, and a sword probably wasn't the most reassuring thing to hear about right now.

"...I...can't tell you," Aska said. "I just have to bring you there..."

The Castle of Blood didn't look inviting.

Devony craned her neck up, looking at the dark corners of the enormous building. The suit of armor didn't look like an experiment of the Capitol, and the old woman had mentioned a "Disney" film, whatever Disney was. So, a great sense of relief washed over her.

She was free.

Devony smiled a little too brightly at Aska when he thanked her. She didn't feel comfortable explaining her backstory, so she would let it slide.

The boy she had talked to earlier asked him what was in the throne room.

"...I... can't tell you," Aska said. "I just have to bring you there..."

Devony's mood sullied. He's hiding something, she thought. It's a trap.She wanted so desperately to call Aska out on it, to tell him to call his master and let him deal with them. She wanted to stand her ground.

But she remembered what her dad told her on her first Reaping.

"Make them think they can step all over you," he said, speaking of the other tributes if she got chosen. "Be quiet; you're not a threat unless you make yourself one. And when the time comes, make them remember why you're still alive."

So Devony would wait and see what the others would say.

Ari jutted her jaw outward and took another breath. Her therapist would be so proud knowing that she was working on her temper and patience. She looked up at the castle.

Castle of Blood, she thought, how... fun.

She looked back at the talking armour. "Look, Aska," she said. "I'm not blindly following anyone, okay? I -" Ari noticed how scared he seemed when she looked at him. She opened her mouth to say something but then shut it.

No one had ever been afraid of Ari. She had always been the type to stay far away from people but here she was, in the midst of eight. And one of them seemed genuinely afraid of her, like she was about to kill him.