the poppy poison
If
the poppies before were hungry, now, oh now they are ravenous. The iron smell of blood filling the air suddenly awakens them, until all the field and all the meadow seems suddenly alive with flowers writhing like living things beneath your hooves. No matter how fast you run, no matter how far you leap, they are there to welcome you when you again land amidst them.Perhaps now you think the flames appear malevolent, laughing and licking their teeth as the first drop of blood — your blood — sizzles in the flames.
Or maybe you see the whisper racing along ahead of you still, the promise of the finish line, of victory, of relief. Maybe you see now that you are alone, and you wonder if they have fallen to the flowers or disappeared within the flames. If you pause to pity them, it is only to remind yourself that you were made for more than this.
And so you continue through the midst of them, bold and powerful as a wildfire —
oh!
The way before you is clear when you finally make your way free of the poppies, pairs of bonfires lighting each step you take. The colorful lights of the finish line is just ahead of you, the distance closing with every stride. With every step, you are just a little bit closer
And with every step, you are just a little bit slower.
The poppy poison travels quickly, weighing down your limbs as though they have been filled with lead. And perhaps you can feel the toll they take on your mind, the way visions flicker in the corners of your eyes and voices that are not there surround you. Perhaps you can feel the way your heart stutters, and burns, and starts to panic. Perhaps you have stopped thinking entirely, and feel only the way the world begins to grow dim.
To conclude the race, you must post a closer. There is no word limit, and you can be as creative with the prompt as you'd like! A bold decision, to run through the middle of the hungry poppies -- and perhaps your character is beginning to regret their choice now, as the poison settles into their veins. The effects of this poison are up to you -- they can slow your character down, cause hallucinations, or otherwise distort the world around them!
You are free to write your character crossing the finish line in this post, or you can simply write them reacting to the poison. Once all the race threads are completed, a dice will be rolled to determine the winner and the results will be posted in each race thread.
Thank you for your participation, and good luck! We hope you enjoyed the event!
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