Chapter 9: Decisions
"God damn it!" I hiss as Topaz rubs some sort of ointment to keep off infections with.
"Oh deal with it," Topaz says unsympathetically, "It doesn't hurt that bad."
I glare at her and snap, "This damn ointment's going to burn my frigin' skin!"
She rolls her eyes and mutters, "Idiot."
"I heard that."
"Good."
I continue to glare at her as she finishes up my wounds and leans back. She puts it away as I sit there with my arms crossed. The wounds start to feel a bit better so I'm able to walk around a bit. I don't know what that shit is but it sure did do the job.
"You shouldn't walk," Topaz points out, "If you want them to heal you have to sit."
"What, are you a doctor now?" I shoot back at her as I sit down.
"Don't be such an ass-hole," She snarls at me, "You should be lucky we have that stuff."
I'm about to say something when Gemini cuts in and snaps, "Would you shut the hell up?"
"No," I mutter.
She glares at me and I'm sure I'm close to going on her death list, but I really don't give a shit. My whole body hurts like hell and I haven't been able to get any sleep. I have to stay here while the others are off looking for Tributes. I know they're intentionally staying away from us.
One more dead I'll leave.
It's been nearly a week in the arena, probably around 5 or 6 days. So far half of the tributes are dead. I just need one more cannon to go off before I split. But I'll have to take most of the supplies here, it'll be helpful.
But then I wonder, what will I do about Topaz? Should I leave her here? I don't think she'll ever go with me, and though I'm concerned about her safety, I know I shouldn't be. She'll die one way or another. Though whenever I think of her and her daughter, Aquaria, I doubt whether or not I should go home.
Don't think about that, it'll only make you die, I tell myself silently.
I suddenly hear footsteps and Aidan and Flint are back. They have nothing except some stuff they managed to find here. They're sweating from the heat, but even I'm sweating and I'm not even moving. I'm starting to think of the Gamemakers are planning on boiling us to death.
"No one's around," Flint mutters as he throws his weapons to the ground, "You would think they would be near the only water source."
"You never know," Topaz shrugs her shoulders, "They could've found some water somewhere else."
"Doubt it," Gemini mutters.
"They have to be somewhere," Aidan says, walking around, "maybe if we go downstream we might find some people."
"But that's where all the rocks are in the river and where it gets wider," Topaz points out.
"Not to mention the rapids," I say.
"It's worth a shot," Aidan says, and we don't disagree any further.
"Can you walk?" Flint nudges my foot with the stub of his sword.
Topaz is about to say something but I'm already on my feet. "Of course I can," I snap, stumbling a bit and wincing but walking a bit.
Aidan looks at me but then shrugs as we leave. Topaz has to guard with Flint while Gemini and I come with Aidan. We head out down the river. The water starts getting rough as rocks pile up. You soon see the rapids and it'll be impossible to swim to the other side. At least where we camp, it's much narrower and calmer.
"Damn," Gemini mutters, "You'd drown here."
"Obviously," I say, "We have rivers like these back in District 4, even whirlpools."
"Whirlpools?" Aidan echoes.
"Where the water swirls downward," I explain, "It's a sure way to drown."
"I bet," Gemini mutters.
I suddenly stop when I hear something. I turn around and I just made it out of the way when spear comes hurtling towards us. Gemini cusses something as she dodges it. It falls to the ground and Aidan hurls it back towards where it came from.
The bushes rustle and Gemini goes after it while Aidan and I stay put. There's a bit of a pause until Gemini comes back, holding a girl by the hair. The girl is from District 9, I recognize. She has medium-length brown hair with fierce brown eyes. She's struggling out of Gemini's grip, but the Career is much stronger than her.
"What should we do with this one?" Gemini asks, seeming amused almost.
The girl struggles and mutters, "Bitch."
Gemini punches her in the face, making her nose bleed.
"Let's see if she can fight any," Aidan murmurs, looking pleased.
The District 9 girl stiffens, but her free hand idles by the knife in her belt. I watch her carefully, making sure she doesn't try a fast move on us. I take out my knife as well, readying myself for a fight.
"Alright," Gemini smiles cruelly and pushes the girl forward, "Let's fight."
The girl automatically throws a knife directly at Gemini. She deflects it with her sword as I chuck my knife at the District 9 girl. It slams right into her thigh and she screams, crumbling down. But she refuses to give up.
She pulls out the knife and weakly throws it at me. I dodge it as Aidan takes his knife and slams it against his hand. She screams as her hand is detached from her arm. I feel like I might get sick, but I force it away as I take my spear in my hand.
"No," Aidan tells me, "Wait for that, let's have a little fun first."
I don't' know what else I'm supposed to do, and honestly I feel like I'm going to barf as the girl groans and cries out, gripping her arm and where her hand is supposed to be. I try not to look at the hand that lies on the ground beside her.
I lunge forward, though, raking my sword against her side. It isn't a bad wound, but it's something to show the rest of the Careers I'm not weak. She keeps moaning and screaming and tears are streaking down her face. She's covered in blood now and it'll have to end soon or she'll die from loss of blood.
Gemini is having her fun causing the poor girl pain as Aidan just digs his knife into areas that won't kill her. I'm definitely close to vomiting now either that or just chucking the spear at her head. Either way, she's going to die, might as well end it. Just like that boy from District 5…
Suddenly Aidan takes the spear from my hand and lunges it towards the girl. She's covered in wounds and is lying in a puddle of blood. She stopped screaming a while ago, now it's just soft moans. Aidan, thankfully, throws the spear towards her and it buries itself in her head. Her cannon goes off immediately.
Well, I think, about ready to be sick, at least I can leave the Careers now.
She was the last person I needed before I decided I would split. And as we walk off, back towards the camp, I start to figure out my plan. I'll have to leave at night during my shift, and take my nets with me. Then I'll cross the river and go on from there and walk the rest of the night. But should I leave Topaz?
The thought unsettles me of leaving her alone with the Careers. I mean, it's hard to say since only one of us will live, but I guess we're friends. Maybe, I'm not so sure. But still, I don't want to leave her. What will I do?
My thoughts are cut short when I hear Flint ask, "So who was the unlucky bastard?"
"Bitch," Gemini corrected.
"The girl from District 9," Aidan cracks his knuckles, "we had some fun with her."
Topaz mutters, "Well good for you," rolling her eyes, but I think I'm the only one who pays attention to her.
"Let's eat before it gets cold again," Gemini suggests.
The sun sets while we eat and Flint offers to take the first watch. I rub some more ointment on my wounds, ignoring the stinging. I fall quickly asleep, but that night I have nightmares of the girl from District 9 and the horrible torture she went through…
"Hey," I hear a voice through my nightmares, "Wake up, it's your shift."
My eyes flash open and I realize I'm sweating. Aidan is looking at me and I just nod to him as I struggle out of the sleeping bag. The air is icy cold and it feels refreshing from how I was burning up in that sleeping bag.
I wait for Aidan to fall asleep first before I start packing up. I look around and try to think of what I'll need. The less the better, then they will just suspect that I went out for some food or something instead of ditching them. That means I'll have to leave my sleeping bag, but oh well, I'll risk it.
I gather together my weapons and push my knives and swords under my belt. I'm starting to get cold out in the open, but I'll have to grit my teeth and stick it out till morning. There's nothing I can do without them suspecting something.
I finally grab some fruit that was lying on the ground and start eating it. I'm just about ready to leave when I remember about Topaz. Should I get her to come with me? But what if she tells the others I was trying to leave? I stand there for a couple of seconds pondering over it, until I finally make my decision.
No, I can't. It's no more Mr. Nice Guy anymore; I have to be tough, fierce, and willing to kill. I'll have to kill and I can't give a damn about anybody else. Show one weakness and I'll be as good as dead. I'll be on my own now, I can't be the good guy anymore.
And so I leave, crossing the river and putting Topaz and the rest of the Careers behind me.
