It All Started...

With a 'Death Wish' (contest entry)

"Settle down settle down!" called the leader of the group. He was moving his hands in a 'get quiet' sort of manner. Jared stood at the front of the group smiling widely. "Welcome to all our new recruits! Today you will be able to enter Death Wish! Today you will become one of us Death Wishers... That is if you survive!" he said using his catch phrase.
  A few of the Death Wishers laughed.
"Ok enough fiction. You will survive, of course we are not trying to cause you any harm. But before we begin the ritual I will need all your forms." A few of the more experienced Death Wishers stood up and began collecting the forms.
  Amongst them was Phoenix Mazer. She had been one of the first Death Wishers. Jared smiled as they all handed him the forms. Death wish was all about taking risks and dares. The members of the club went on a lot of field trips and adventures and we're known as the bravest kinds of people. Though some took that for stupidity. Phoenix didn't mind though. She was the quiet type of person, and usually just a follower. But when it came to the Death Wish Club she was one of the bravest leaders. She didn't do stupid things, like jumping off a bridge for example.
  The Death Wish Club was all about discipline and courage. There were 8 squads and 8 squad leaders. Jared was the only exception. Being the founder of the club. He overlooked everything everyone did.
  Today was squad choosing ceremony. The new candidates would go through  'tests' and get an aptitude for their courage. Phoenix led the group that had the most members. She lead the low aptitude group.
  Jared believed she could pass on her 'knowledge' and make them wiser. Fortunately most of her 'students' from the previous year has graduated to the average aptitude or higher. And Phoenix was proud.
  What she didn't know was that this year there would be more candidates which would mean more work.

  "All right are we ready?!" Jared shouted. In return there were cheers from everyone around him. "THEN LET'S GO!" he roared.
  The Death Wishers and recruits followed him through the dense forest. It was a shortcut as Jared called it. Everyone else just called it his excuse to talk about his past.
  They finally reached the graveyard that they always held the ceremony in. A large sort of pot thing sat in the middle of the small cemetery.
  Passing each tombstone Phoenix bowed like she always did around spirits. She believed in ghosts and she did not want to get on their bad side.
  After everyone had sat down Jared cleared his throat and threw his cloak around himself in a dramatic way. The Death Wishers followed, knowing what was coming next.
  They all swished their cloaks in the same dramatic way and pulled the hoods over their heads. Jared's face glowed green in the light of the large pot and he gestured his hands widely.
"Legend has it that 5 years ago on Halloween the founders of Death Wish stumbled upon an old graveyard. They explored a bit and finally decided to test their courage. Ever since this pot has been here holding some of the craziest things human kind has ever faced!" The recruits focused on Jared, their eyes bulging.
  "I missed trick-or-treating for this?" a brown haired boy asked. He glared at the Death Wishers and stalked out of the graveyard. "I hope he doesn't make it out of here..." adds Jared in a low tone.
  "Come on we always get one or two of these we still got over 60 new candidates this year." Phoenix had tried to lighten the mood and it had worked. Jared's smile was back and he faced his recruits. " LET THE CHOOSING CEREMONY BEGIN!"

  "Quentin Jaeger! Come face your first task!" Jared looked around the group, as a boy with choppy blonde hair approached them. He was trembling but not too much. Reluctantly he reached into the pot wincing. No one knew how the green light emanated from the pot and the recruits were seriously scared. But Quentin should've learned by now. They were already in the J section of last names and he had seen many recruits before him reach into the pot.
  He slumped down as he read the piece of paper that lay on his hand.
"I-i have to kiss one of the girls here..." he looked around his face scrunched up and flushed a bright red. " Is there a Ph-Phoenix here?" he asked and looked around. Immediately Phoenix turned to glare at Jared and at the rest of the squad leaders. They must have slipped that paper in while she wasn't looking. Glaring she raised her hand.
  Quentin looked at her and nodded weakly. Still trembling he walked over to her.
  "Let's just get it over with. Pucker up." Phoenix muttered. Did she mind that she would share her first kiss with a complete stranger? Maybe a little. And yes it was true. Phoenix had never had a kiss on her 19 years in this earth.
  She leaned in, like she had seen girls do in movies to find no contact at all.
  Seconds later she felt a hard slap on her back causing her to crash down face-first. "WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT FOR?!" she yelled, sputtering mud out of her mouth.
  "I'm so sorry! The paper said to do it!" Quentin held out a hand and helped her up. Jared was smirking while everyone else was laughing.
  So it had been Jared after all. She walked over to him and slapped him quickly. The sound was deafening. The mark of her hand could be seen clearly in red.
   Jared rubbed his cheek and the sputtered, "I deserved that..."
   "You did very much. We moving on now?" he nodded and they hugged quickly. Applause could be heard and the other squad leaders were muttering in unison. "AWWWEEE! SEE WE'RE ALL FAMILY!" Phoenix had no idea what had happened but bodies were now pressed against hers. Apparently everyone had decided to join in on the hug. Chuckling they all let go and the ceremony continued.