MPA Student Work

Here is an excerpt from an assignment by Prabhjot Kaur Virk, Grade 9, where she writes an alternate ending to the story "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell. She worked on it for weeks, and it's so long, we can only give you a taste. Her version starts after the **************


Rainsford did not smile, “I am still a beast at bay,” he said, in a low hoarse voice, “Get ready General Zaroff.”

The General made one of his deepest bows, “I see,” he said. “Splendid! One of us is to furnish a repast for the hounds, the other will sleep in the excellent bed. On guard Rainsford….”

*************************************************************With those words General Zaroff lunged at Rainsford but Rainsford was ready for the attack. He quickly sidestepped and punched General Zaroff in his stomach. For a moment General Zaroff stood there with the wind blown out of him. He tried to punch Rainsford but Rainsford stopped the punch, and returned one right to General Zaroff’s face. General Zaroff lay on the floor, blood coming out his mouth and it looked like he might be choking.

Rainsford was about to attack again when he heard someone knocking on the door. His first instinct was to hide, but when he heard women’s voice calling for General Zaroff to open the door, his curiosity got the better of him. He walked over to the door and slowly opened it. He felt a great blow on his head and in seconds he was on his knees holding his head. He looked up through the searing pain and his mouth fell open. There in front of him stood the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

He looked at her taking everything about her in, from the dirty bloodstained dress to the beautiful face. She was just a little shorter than he was, “Just the perfect height,” Rainsford thought to himself. Her hair had dirt in and was in a braid but it still looked like flowing wheat. She looked a little pale and skinny but was still very radiant. In a proper unstained dress she would look like a goddess. She was holding a baseball bat in one hand. That was what she had hit him over the head with.

She smiled and said apologetically, “I am so sorry good sir, I had not meant to hit you. I thought you were the General for a second, though I don’t know how I could have thought such a thing. I mean you are so much more handsome. Hahahaha!” Her voice got very serious and she continued, “You see I have been waiting, no hiding from General Zaroff, lingering at every corner so I could keep my promise to my father. I thought tonight would be the perfect time, while he would be expecting you, he would find me, a person he thought dead long ago.”

At that moment Rainsford looked at General Zaroff and saw the way he was looking at the woman. His eyes were very wide as if he was in shock and he was trembling all over. There were beads of sweat sliding down his face. What type of woman could strike such fear into a man, Rainsford wondered.

The woman continued, “I have been waiting so long to hunt the hunter but I have had no success. I have been living in a small cramped closet for six months. Ivan felt pity on me and used to bring me food and water. That’s right Zaroff your Ivan brought me food and water. I have been gathering strength so that one day I could kill the man I once called brother,” She sighed a title no longer worthy of him. He killed both my parents in the game. My father died saving me and when he was taking his last breaths I vowed it would be me that killed General Zaroff. Any man that can kill hisown father and mother deserves to die.”

Rainsford looked at Zaroff with pure loathing and horror “Your own parents,” he said in a shaky whisper, “How can anyone kill the people that raised them, the people that worked hard every day just so that you could be happy. It’s just not right.”

General Zaroff was trembling and tears were sliding down his face and mixing with the blood coming from his mouth. He looked really pathetic and weak, not like the crazy mad man he looked like when he was hunting. Ransford almost felt pity on him but it was the kind of pity you would give to a lion, the king of the jungle, when it is dying. His mouth opened and closed but no words came out. He took a long shivering breath, and then whispered in a pleading voice, "Please, Liza, I didn't mean for our parents to die. I was just ... I was just ... just playing. I never meant it to go that far but Father made me angry and I shot." He sobbed and suddenly screamed a sound that would send a chill down any man’s spine. He continued, “I didn’t mean it. I really didn’t. I was just playing. I never meant for it to go that far but father made me angry.” He kept sobbing and crawled to touch the edge of her skirt. The lady, no Rainsford thought her name was Liza, Liza was crying and looking at Zaroff with a mixture of hope that he meant what he said and with the sorrow of knowing that Zaroff would never mean any of it.

All of a sudden Zaroff got up and grabbed the bat from Liza’s hands and threw the bat to the other side of the room. Zaroff looked at Liza with great loathing and punched her very hard in the stomach. She immediately started coughing. He took advantage of that moment and shoved her head against the wall. Her forehead had a gash in it and was bleeding, but she still kept struggled though her punching was getting weaker.

Rainsford came up behind Zaroff and punched him on the back of his head.That one moment gave Liza enough time to crawl away. Rainsford punched Zaroff a couple more times and held him up. “He’s all yours my lady. Now you can complete your vow to your father,” Rainsford said.

Liza didn’t need any prompting. She drew out a gun from the hem of her sleeve. She asked Rainsford to move out of the way ...