Chapter One: Beginning of an End
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Faux Gertrude, District One Male POV
It's not the early morning sunlight that wakes me up, but something far worse. I've only gotten, like, two hours of sleep last night, tortured by nightmares of Xena's painful death. Normally, I would be on high alert, but fatigue and feelings of loss (towards Xena) and hatred (towards that DEMON OF A BRAT from District 10 that I will kill today) have gotten to me. No, the sun doesn't awake me this time, it's the nearness of a person, and the scent of death. I don't realize this is foreshadowing my own until the shadow stabs her knife into my throat.
So this is how it feels to die, I think to myself. Oh, the PAIN, and TORTURE! I'm choking on my own blood, struggling for air I know I will never consume. My body seems to be shutting down, the muscles I have had since I was five and training at the academy are useless.
No, they're NOT! I try to force the child off, realizing she's the horrible one that killed my district partner. But my writing seems to only exist inside my mind, and I can sense no hope. I give in and close my eyes, hoping my sister knows I love her and will never volunteer for this.
BOOM
Cassidy Pollert, District Ten Female POV
As I walk away from the corpse that used to be my enemy, the one that killed all of my allies, the first thought that comes to mind is 'You're a murderer.'
The next… my brother and sister. Then I realize; that boy had a family, too, and I just deprived them of him.
Well, it's really his fault, he volunteered, a voice at the back of my head whispers, but I know it's wrong. I killed him.
The whir of a hovercraft behind me is distorted through the sounds of my sobbing. Really, I'm officially a murderer now, having killed two people, and I think I've been slowly going crazy ever since the Bloodbath, three and a half weeks ago. I shouldn't be crying. I should just give up. But I have to keep going, for my family, because no matter how messed up I am, they are worth it.
After all, I'm in the final two.
Lubbock Suery, District Ten Male POV
The cannon jolts me awake. I'm still alive. With one person left.
Was it Cassidy or that stuck-up Career? I wonder. I haven't seen my district partner since the fifth day, if I remember correctly. Now, she's either lifeless or coming to kill me. I bet the former. Now that bloodthirsty monster will come to put me out of my misery. Won't want to hurry that up, I guess. I'll wait until some awful mutts come and chase me out of the rock wall I'm hiding in.
I quickly fall back to sleep, but the whole time I'm wondering are there bats? Spiders? Monkeys? Killer insects? Coyotes? Cheetahs? Mutants? The list goes on and on as I run away from my worst nightmares.
This time, though, my wake-up call is more abrupt.
The beast is lurching out of the rocks behind me, and the only warning I have is its ear-splitting roar. I don't wait, not even to identify the creature; all my senses go into overdrive as I run to wherever the Gamemakers want the finale to begin. My nightmares could not have predicted even this. From my one glance, the creature is at least twice the size of me, with gray fur to match the rocks. Its heavy footsteps reveal it has four feet and a stampede of just this beast is worse than all the cattle at home.
My only weapon is a knife. I left the other tools and weapons back at my camp. Looking back at the rampaging mutation, I realize there's no way to get them now. I curse under my breath.
I jump over boulders and sprint through tiny streams, all through the parched arena that was my home for almost a month. After a while, I haven't gained any room away from the monster, and it seems as if our destination will never, ever, get any closer. My legs are on fire; the only thing keeping me going is my fear, driving me home and away from certain death. I look back one more time… and fall off a cliff.
Really, how could I be so stupid? This isn't for the finale at all, the Capitol just wants to kill me! Why me? Why—
WHOOM. The ground jerks up to meet me and I roll down a steep hill. There is no question anymore that they want me to live—at least until whoever else fell into this crater kills me.
My whole body is laced with pain, and my lungs are burning for air. I tilt my head upward to see that the top edge of the crater. The breath leaves my lungs; at least twenty of the beasts are prowling up there, making it obvious that my last stand, win or lose, will be here.
"Howdy," a voice calls from behind me. There's no question, that's Cassidy for sure. I'm overjoyed, yet pained; there's more of a chance I will win, not fighting a Career, but this fight will also be personal. Cassidy is in my ranch sector at home, and we're friendly. Now, of course, this will all change.
I pull myself to my feet and grab my knife out of my belt. The first thing I see is my enemy, virtually unrecognisable, covered in mud, sticks, sweat, and blood. Is it hers? I don't know. She's obviously injured, but is ready to fight for victory.
We size each other up; she's carrying a long knife - double the size of mine - and a long hemp of rope, which she sets down. Then, without warning, she kicks me in the face.
My nose gushes blood and pain lances my whole head. Cassidy runs at me and twists my arm behind her back. My knife falls and lies abandoned on the ground.
"Aaauuuugghhhhh…," my cry of pain is long and drawn out, but she hangs on, and I can feel my arm about to break.
Why do I always get the injuries? Fight back! I think. At home, I used to get so beat up...HOME! I HAVE TO GET HOME!
I swing my other arm back at Cassidy's face, but she ducks, expecting it. She loosens her grip on my arm, and the pain stops so suddenly I sigh in relief. But I'm not done yet. I grab some of her hair with both fits and yank it with all my might. Cassidy screams and almost deafens me. She shoves me to the ground, and I pull out some of her short tresses.
Her face reminds me of angry cattle, showing no remorse for those they're about to kill. I don't know how she does not feel pain for her murders.
My enemy shoves her knees into my stomach, and I cough up blood. The sight of it makes me faint. Suddenly, I'm aware of how tired I am, and as I look up at Cassidy, she shoves her knife into my chest.
I just look up, knowing I will die, trying to escape, reaching for my own weapon, because if I can kill her first, I will still be victor and live. All the while, the knife is being stabbed in and out of my body in a completely random assortment.
I'm finally dying. My senses cannot perceive anything but cold and blood. I smile to show my dad that I will die happy, for him.
Dad, if you're watching this, I'm sorry.
BOOOM!
Cassidy Pollert, District Ten Female POV
"Ladies and Gentleman, may I present our victor, CASSIDY POLLERT, TRIBUTE FROM DISTRICT TEN!"
The broadcasted cheering from the Capitol blocks out my cries of hatred to the people that make children die every year. I'm yelling the worst things I can imagine, not caring at all if they hear, because, guess what? I don't even care anymore.
As I killed Lubbock, I felt like it wasn't me, someone else filled with that much rage and evilness. I was somewhere else.
The muttations stay put along the edge, spectators to my final goodbye to the arena, where somewhere, my old self lies, and will never come out again.
I have died just like everyone else.