Snowager Prize

     It all began one day when I got the mail. I had gotten some rejection notices from the Neopian Times, some Trading Post offers, the usual stuff. The last thing I opened was a flyer saying I had won some contest. Well, I didn't remember entering any contests, so I didn't read the flyer too carefully. I made myself some dinner, and settled down for the evening with 'The Sad Shoyru'. It's a book I'm reading about a poor Shoyru who had lost everything he loved. I fell asleep with the book on my stomach.

     I woke up the next day and remembered that flyer I had been sent the day before. I found it buried underneath my five rejected Times submissions (I try too hard, I know) and read it more carefully. I had been randomly selected as a winner of some contest.

     "Cool," I thought, and eagerly looked to see if there was a prize involved. I found the section regarding the prize quickly.

     "Since you are this month's random winner, you will be receiving our mystery prize! Come to the Ice Caves on the 22 day of the month of eating to claim your reward!" Then I realized something. Today was the 22 of the month of eating! Making a mental note to complain to the White Weewoo Mail Service about slow delivery, I got ready and set out for the Ice Caves. I had been worrying about how I would find the contest people, but there was no need to. The second I entered the caves, I saw a huge banner bearing the name "Amber."

     When I reached the banner, some official looking Kougra said, "You must be Amber, yes?"

     "Yes," I said hastily. "Where's my prize?"

     "Right over here," the Kougra said, and brought me over to a deep cave set into the ice. A violent roaring sounded from within. Amber shivered, but followed the Kougra into the cave, the roaring sound growing with every step.

     "Here we are," the Kougra said. "Your award is right here."

     I looked ahead and saw a mountain of rare items, everything from neggs to rare battle weapons. There was also a huge worm, which looked down at me from his perch on the top of the riches. This worm was of course the Snowager.

     "I get all this treasure?!" I said, not believing any of this.

     "Ha ha, of course not," The Kougra said with a chuckle. "No, your prize is to experience the life of the Snowager. Amber, you are going to do the Snowager's job today!"

     Thinking that the treasure would have been a better gift, I just stood there. Be the Snowager for a day? I thought. What an odd reward.

     "Be warned," the Kougra said. "The Snowager will not be happy if his treasure gets stolen." And with those words, he and the Snowager left.

     "What?" I said in disbelief. What did they expect me to do? It had all happened so fast, and they had never given me any instructions, except don't let the treasure be stolen. "Some reward." I said angrily, thinking that my day would have been a lot better if I had just stayed home and finished 'The Sad Shoyru.'

     But I decided to make the most of it. I climbed up onto the huge pile of treasure and sat down. I idly picked up a plushie and started tossing it up and down to myself, but got bored real quick. 'What does the Snowager do all day' I wondered. I had been sitting there for maybe a half hour when I heard voices coming down the cave. A few minutes later, a mutant Meerca and a Christmas Bruce came into view. They looked around, but didn't see me.

     "Hee hee," the Bruce giggled. "The Snowager must be out. No one's guarding the treasure! Let's grab as much as we can, then come back for more!"

     "Good idea! We're going to be rich!" the Meerca exclaimed.

     The words 'Don't let the treasure be stolen' popped into my head. "Hey you!" I screamed down. "Don't take anything!"

     "You think that's going to stop us?" the Bruce laughed, and continued picking up neggs from the pile.

     Instinctively, I started to pick up plushies and throw them down at the Neopets. This did make them drop the neggs, but that was only because they wanted the plushies instead. Once they each had around a dozen plushies in their arms, they ran out.

     "That didn't work," I said slowly. I heard more voices, and grabbed the first thing that I saw, which happened to be a Cobrall Dagger. A mutant Cybunny and a rainbow Poogle ran into the cave and started to pick up key chains.

     "Stop that!" I screamed and threw the dagger down. It came down right through the Poogle's paw. "Wow. Good throw."

     "Owww!" the Poogle shouted up. "You stabbed me, you idiot. What kind of person throws daggers? Honestly now!"

     "You were stealing the treasure!" I shouted back down.

     "Yeah, but you don't go around throwing stupid daggers at Neopets!" The Poogle and Cybunny walked off.

     I felt all proud that I had managed to prevent them from taking anything, but then I realized that the Cybunny had left carrying twenty key chains. Darn. Determined not to let this happen again, I grabbed a Desert Arrow Launcher and climbed down the mountain of riches, strapping the Launcher on my wrist as I climbed.

     When I heard the third set of voices, I ran to the entrance of the chamber and stood to one side of it. When I could hear that the Neopets were almost in the chamber, I walked into the opening and pointed my Launcher in their faces. The intruders were a blue Chomby and a coco JubJub.

     "You're not taking any of this treasure," I said, still pointing the launcher at them. "If you even think of it, I'm not afraid to use this thing. Turn back."

     I thought I had won and had finally prevented a theft, but instead the Chomby grabbed the Launcher off my wrist and ran off down the chamber, the JubJub close behind.

     "Oh, come on now!" I said angrily. "There's no way this is possible! What are these Neopets, professional thieves?"

     I ran back to the pile of items, and started picking up all I could carry. "I earned this," I muttered. "Leaving me in a dark and smelly cave like that and telling me to guard the treasure. Well, guess what Snowager!? I can't guard the treasure! So I'm taking it!"

     My screams echoed around the empty cave. After I had grabbed as much as I could, I ran down the cave, passing the Bruce and Meerca that I had seen earlier, who were back to take more. I didn't stop running until I reached my Neohome. I rushed inside, slammed the door, threw all the Snowager's stuff I had taken on the floor, and picked up 'The Sad Shoyru'. I read until I fell asleep.

     The next day I woke up and got the mail, like any other day. Six rejected Neopian Times submissions, just one Trading post offer, and another flyer. I flipped open the flyer and read out loud, "Congratulations! You've been randomly selected as the winner of the Mystery Island annual contest! Come by the Tombola stand for your prize! What is your prize, you ask? You get to be the Tombola Man for they day!"

     I screamed and tore up the flyer into many pieces.

The End