Chapter 7
Revenge
The Arena
She breaks out of the brush, dashing towards us. Behind her is the boy from Four, Tide. He throws the net in his hand, and it falls over, and the weights on the side seem to cling to the ground. She struggles in the net, screaming for help.
Before me or Hendrix can react, the boy stabs her in the upper abdomen with his trident. He twists it, and she screams again. It's the worst thing I've hear in my life.
Hendrix suddenly begins crying, and clutches his ears, sinking to his knees. I watch Tide give a nasty smile, stick the sharp weapon in her again, and this time... she's silent.
I give a horrible yell, and he grabs the trident and races off. I run towards her, and sink to my knees. "Lexi..."
Her eyes turn and look at me, her bright blue eyes gleaming. She tries to move her hands, but she can't. Instead, I push mine through the netting and take both of them in mine.
She draws in a breath, and it sounds like a rattling cage. She leans over, and hacks up blood. He stabbed her lungs... Tears flood my eyes, and I watch the drops fall on her frial arms and wrists.
She smiles, and it seems like it's the biggest effort in the world. "Fern, I know I'm going to..."
I squeeze her hands and watch as a tear falls from her small face. "You'll be fine."
She swallows. "I want you to- I want you to win. When you go to my District on the," she grimaced, and her grip loosened. "On the Victory Tour... give this to my parents. It'll mean more coming from- coming from you."
She slowly pulls a ribbon from her pocket and tucks it in my palm. "Thank you, Fern. I won't- I won't ever forget you."
She closes her eyes, and then opens them, staring up into nothingness. For a moment, nothing happens. I can hear the vultures crowing in the distance, Hendrix crying, and my labored breathing. Then... A cannon booms in the distance.
I cry more than ever, and open my fist. Inside is her little pink ribbon. Sitched carefully is: I Love You My Little Plum. After that is a heart.
Something changes inside of me. Her parents will never see her again. She's dead now. She's gone forever. They can't speak to her now. They can't tell her how much the love her. The Games have torn another family apart. Lexi was innocent; what crime did she commit against them? She had no control over what the rebel's did. It wasn't her fault!
I find myself picking up my axe, and running. I am going to find the boy from Four. I will not let her death go unsung. Following the broken brush, I hear voices.
Standing quietly, I recognize them. It's Tide and Pepper's.
"Did you kill them all?" I her Pepper ask.
Next, it's Tide's. "Just the girl from Five. Not her District Partner or Seven."
Pepper sighs. "Idiot... Oh well. It's better than nothing... Did she beg?"
Tide laughs. "A little when I found her."
Pepper begins to laugh as well, and anger grows as strong as fire in me. I leap out, and bring my axe down. A second later, the girl from Two is moaning on the ground, and the boy looks horrified. I swing the sharp blade down again, and this time, and cannon goes off.
Her skull bloody, and mouth slightly open, she lies there dead. I turn from Pepper to Tide, and he reaches for his trident. It still has Lexi's blood on it.
I try to hit his neck, but the golden trident blocks it. I kick him in the stomach, and he keels over, and I kick the trident away.
He stares up at me, and begins to cry. "Please, don't hurt me. Shimmer told us where you were, kill her!"
I shake my head. "You're begging? Like Lexi?"
His eyes grow wide.
"Did you show her any kindness?" I ask. For a moment he looks innocent. Then the image of Lexi crying, entangled in that net while her torso bleeds breaks through the surface. I close my eyes, and cut him in one swift motion.
He's dead in a second; the cannon proves it.
I sink down to my knees, and turn to the side to vomit. I stare at my hands, covered in blood. I can't tell who's it is. I just killed two people. Two living creatures. Two animals.
In total, I have murdered four. Both from Four. I have killed Pepper, Tide, Morgan, and the girl from Eleven; all of whom tried to kill me.
I stare at their corpses, and crawl over towards Pepper. Her brown hair that was in a perfect high-ponytail is now black- darkened with blood. Her eyes glisten, looking off nowhere while her mouth is mid-moan. He arms and legs are splayed out.
I push her over onto her back, and rip off her pack. She lays face down on the ground now. Un-zipping it, I find a pack fruit, beef strips, a water skin, a pouch of knives, and a first aid kit.
My mind begins to drift, and I think about both of them- Pepper and Tide. What did they see before I killed them?
Pepper didn't have time to react. She most likely saw a blur leap from the bushes and felt something sharp hit her. The second impact probably didn't even register to her.
But what about the boy? Did he regret killing Lexi? Did he see the fire in my eyes? He had said Glimmer told them...
My anger splits in two, and suddenly Glimmer is my target. There are only three of us left- Me, Hendrix...
And Glimmer