Chapter 12

Rye Mellark POV:

Panic raised inside my mind the more the water filled my lungs. My head felt like it was going to explode and my body was numb from the cold.

I opened my eyes and I saw Zara's body floating deeper underwater. I swam further into the arctic abyss. The farther I swam the darker the water became, but I did not allow it stop me.

I grabbed Zara's hand and tried to pull her to the surface. The water began to move more rapidly and I noticed that the Cobra Piranha fish was swimming near us. I swam as fast as I could until I reached the surface.

Zara became slightly conscious.

"Hold onto some of the broken sheets of ice." I said and I turned around and noticed that Rona and Taro were missing.

Zara held onto the ice and I went back under water. I saw Taro swimming from the bottom of the river. I noticed that he was holding Rona in his arms.

I swam closer to them and suddenly the water currents became stronger. Our bodies were being pulled further underneath the ice and the Cobra Piranha fish was slithering its way towards us quickly.

Taro let go of Rona and floated closer to the Piranha fish. Taro tried to break some of the ice that held us under water but nothing helped. He continued to drift away from us and I grabbed Rona's hand before she did the same.

Taro completely vanished and Rona and I knew he was gone. I grabbed Rona's hand and tried to fight against the currents that held us down. Rona was behind me and I could feel her struggling to swim, almost like she was fighting me.

I turned my head around to see half of Rona's body inside of the Cobra fish's mouth.

I held her hand even tighter and tried not to panic.

"Rye, please go." Rona said. I could not hear her but I read her lips.

"No, I am not going anywhere, I will not leave you." I said meaning every word.

The water pulled us apart more and more. The Cobra fish started to shake Rona's body and then became completely still. Blood poured on both sides of Rona's body and she started to cry.

"Goodbye, Rye." Rona said and I let go her hand while the fish swallowed the rest of her body.

I floated away instantly, and I saw Taro slide down the back of the gigantic snake fish. He was holding something in his hand and before I realized what was happening the water around us turned dark red.

We were swimming in a river of blood, and I used my will to live in order make it to the surface. I crawled on top of the ice that was not broken and a bloody pickaxe was thrown beside me.

I tried to catch my breath and I continued to vomit up water. I was so distracted that I missed Taro sitting beside me.

"What did you do?" I asked still coughing.

"I split the serpent into two by stabbing it in the back with the pickaxe, and the more the water currents pulled me the further the pickaxe slid down its back." Taro said with his back pressed against the ice.

"We have to get out of here." Taro said standing on his feet.

"Where is Zara?" I asked looking around.

"I thought she was already outside." Taro said in a confused way.

I was about to jump back into the water, and then we saw one bag floating on top of the water.

Zara lifted her head above the water and swam towards the ice. Taro and I both helped her out of the water and onto the ice.

Zara gasped for air and shivered. Taro grabbed the bag.

"I tried to save as much of our items as possible. I found my sickle and your machete Rye." Zara said.

I picked up the machete. "I also found Rona's bottle of Ipecal. By the way where is Rona?" Zara said looking around in a daze.

I dropped the machete into the bag and threw it over my shoulder.

"Zara, I do not know how to tell you this, but Rona is dead." I said feeling an unknown amount of grief.

"Oh, there is no need for a dramatic pause Rye. We should get going before another mutant fish tries to kill us all." Zara said turning towards the cave's entrance.

No emotion reached her face, and I knew deep down she must have felt some foreign version of remorse.

The three of us walked out of the cave side by side. We carefully moved on the rest of the frozen river paranoid that something could break at any second.

We walked back into the forest, and I finally noticed how our clothes where still soaked in water.

The temperature had dropped and the snow fall became heavier.

"I'll go and try to find some fire wood." I said walking past Zara and Taro.

Zara POV:

Rye made an unimportant announcement about going to find fire wood as if I care about his well being.

The cold caused every bone in my body to ache, so I leaned my back against a tree for support.

I had a brain splitting headache and it felt like my head was filled with air. I was dizzy and nauseous.

Taro started pacing back and forth.
"I am going over there to see if can find some fire wood." Taro said quickly.

"Fine just make sure you do not wonder off too far." I said even though Taro was already gone.

The scent of sour onions entered my nostrils and I followed the familiar smell.

There was one plant in District 11 that always smelled like sour onions or rotten potatoes.

I saw several Aloe Vera plants sitting around a tree. I pulled my sickle out of my belt and removed the plants from the ground.

I placed the Aloe Vera plants into my bag along with the sickle.

I heard a loud bang noise coming from the direction Taro was standing.

I ran toward the area where the noise came from, and my heart dropped when I saw Taro on the ground bleeding. Taro had a dagger lodged in his chest and I pulled it out slowly.

The dagger was covered in Taro's blood and the stab wound was located where his lungs were.

Taro stared at me and at the knife. Taro's breathing became labored and his lips started turning blue. Taro's eyes began to bulge and I can tell he was fighting to survive.

Taro grabbed my hand and I rubbed his hand against my face not caring about the blood on my cheek. Taro's blood was running all over the snow around us and I could care less. Taro's hands were shaking and I could not even feel how cold he was.

"Taro you are like the little brother I never wanted." I said quietly.

Taro smirked. "You were like the big sister I wish I had."

Taro squeezed my hand and attempted to swallow.

"Zara when you go home, I need you to look after my brothers and sisters. They are all very young and since our parents are dead no one can take care of them. Please take- take care of them for me." Taro said struggling to speak.

I paused.

"If and only if I make it out of here alive, I will make sure they never have to struggle like we did." I said trying to comfort him as much as possible.

Taro nodded and his pulse weakened.

"I think we made a pretty good team." Taro said hoarsely.

"Yes we did, surprisingly." I said knowing the error in my ways.

Taro placed a wide smile on his face. His smile was so bright it almost scared me.

I kissed his hand gently.

Suddenly his bright smile faded and it was replaced with an empty, lifeless expression.

I placed Taro's hand over his heart and shut his eyes.

The timid fifteen year old boy who took responsibility for his siblings when his father passed was no longer present. The self sacrificing and emotionally damaged boy was gone and all that was left of him was an empty shell.
The shell of the beautiful boy who lived a tragic life will live on in my mind forever.

My eyes were shining with tears but I refused to cry. Crying is only reserved for the weak.

When I was about to rise off the ground, I felt something cold and solid wrap around my neck.

I looked up and saw a brawny, dark figure standing above me.

"Hello princess." Thane said tightening the chain around my neck.

AN: Alright well I got another difficult chapter out of the way. I may not be able to update in a while because the Thanksgiving break is coming to an end. Is this interesting so far?