Teria Simmons POV
It was terrifying. People everywhere were running from the bombs and the attacks sent by the airborne Capitol, yet our District refused to use the technology we had. Our weapons arsenal included force fields and nuclear weapons, and they remained just like that, in the arsenal. Our government refused to send any degree of help, while they were probably sitting back in a bomb shelter, eating pastries.
Finally, the alarm bell was rung, and the pathway to the underground city opened. I knew just where it was, as I had stumbled upon it by accident the other day. Others, however, were not so lucky. They were on a wild goose chase, blind and unaware of their destination. I saw several get blasted to pieces, and I knew that memory would haunt me forever.
Distraught citizens were pouring into the passageway, coming from every direction. I was almost there. I chanced looking behind me, only to be rewarded with a grotesque sight. The city was almost deserted by the living, full of the dead. Focusing my attention back to running, I thought of everyone I had to live for. My mom, my dad, my little brother, my boyfriend…I was only sixteen; I had so much of my life left to live. The Districts tried to unite, to fight and rebel against the hand that fed them so many bad things, the hand that would punish them.
Now I could see the opening, could hear people screaming to get through, could smell the fear, could taste how close I was, and could feel the crowd pulsing against me. Somehow, I got pushed around and was walking through the crowd facing backwards. I looked just in time to watch our District send its second act of help today, a missile. They sent three more, and ejected a force field. It shimmered, and stopped the onslaught for only a few seconds, when it broke and shattered to the ground, its artificial remnants falling on and trapping some, killing others. We were now not only ambushed, but ending the lives of our own. Surely, they had to know that was going to happen. Were they so eager to dispose of their enemies that they didn't care who they disposed of in the process? The thought made me sick.
I managed to turn myself back around, and desperately pushed through the crowd, elbowing and kicking as best as I could. The pathway began to close, grass tiles that were stronger than they looked slowly covering our safety. People were screaming for the government to open it back up, but it was clear to me that they had no intention of doing so. They had enough people for their District to survive, but enough in body counts to convince the Capitol that we had been annihilated, defeated. So I mustered one last burst of speed, lunging ahead of others, some who I knew, some who I didn't, but all who would probably not make it. I was now only yards away, but I could tell there were only seconds left. My legs ached for relief. Once I'm inside, I can sit. I can sleep, and rest, but I have to get in, be safe.
I was there, just feet away; I was pushing through the cluster of those who prevented me from reaching my goal, slowing me down. The doors were almost closed; there was enough room for a person to squeeze through. One did, and that was the end. The gates to freedom were closed, leaving us to fend for ourselves. One small, sad, lone missile was ejected from our building, and the launch pad closed. Unfortunately, the Capitol had the same idea at the same time. Their missile hit ours, and all heck broke loose. A rainbow of colors was created by the explosion of these two projectiles as they hit the ground, and hope was lost.
Where they hit, it was hard to say, but it had to be a good mile away from where I stood. Yet the effects were just as bad, knocking us down and clouding my vision with blood. I could feel the effects of the nuclear poison seeping through my veins, slowly killing me. The people around me were dying too. Women, men, children, elders, every age was here, being destroyed by the Capitol. The war continued, but it was one-sided, the Capitol bombing different parts of our District, stopped by no one. Eventually, they were out of sight, but I could still hear them in the distance. As I felt my heartbeats decrease, I thought about my family and friends. I hoped that they made it to safety. I hoped that the other Districts didn't have the same fate. I hoped that the lucky ones underground would rebuild our capital city. All I hoped was that my death wouldn't be in vain. I had so much of my life left to live…
And I took my last breath. Goodbye, Capitol. I hope you think you won. District 13 will be back…