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Chapter 14 – Embracing Darkness - Ramos's POV
The platform rose slowly or maybe that was just how it felt for me, I knew once this final stop came to be I'd then be officially starting in the hunger games. I'd done everything to this moment now how it was needed, I got the scores, and won over the audience and now I had to do everything I could to win, so I could go home.
I'd for so long ignored what my parents must think of me but now I wished for just a second, to be district four and to see them both. I knew though that should I even return to district four a victor, I would no longer have a place in my parents' lives, what I'd done, who I'd become to survive here was like I'd spat in the faces of everything they believed.
It fuelled my anger though; fed a side of me. I was scared of more than the tributes, which perhaps saw me as a monster with the intent to kill them all. The nightmares had kept me from a restless sleep all very similar to the one I'd experienced before but with different victims, all while part of me had hated and felt an odd excitement. For all my outward dislike and disdain for my fellow district tribute helping her in this setting would be my one act against the capitol, my one act of good and I would accept that.
The light blinded me at first but then I blinked it away raising my large hand to shield me from the beaming sun above, I quickly took in everything around me. The arena's environment was just as lethal as any tribute in the games so many died from what was around that I couldn't let myself forget the importance of surviving my surroundings. At first it was just a wide expanse of blue sky as I looked around me trying not to fall from my platform. I fixed my eyes then forward and noticed the golden yellow sand so much like certain areas of district four; I noticed all of the tributes were in a circle around what appeared to be a large dip into a large sand dune.
It was steep and looked like a large distance to the bottom but sitting there at the bottom right dead centre was the cornucopia. Too far to even be able to tell just what exactly was gathered there but I could assume what would be there, weapons, food other needed supplies to survive the arena. I turned around now knowing that we were all on high land and turned and looked down behind me a large pool of red water surrounded the sand and then just a little further was what I could only described as long plants shooting up to about my shoulder height past it.
The only supplies were at the bottom, it was a choice between descending down into the unknown or heading across the odd red water without any supplies at all.
I then focussed on the tributes looking at the others from the career pack, Jazz caught my eye and gave me a smile and wink as if this arena pleased her somewhat. I doubted at this moment the environment favoured anyone, I guess the red water around us would be an advantage to myself if I chose to swim across to avoid the cornucopia but I wasn't running, no I was going straight into this. I wondered which of these people would be the first I'd have to kill, it seemed to sink in more now I'd done things in the past to avenge my mother but killing these tributes was like killing someone who had done nothing to me all while knowing their family watched.
"You made your choice Ramos" I hissed to myself then turning my eyes on Autumn and glared at her nodding my head as if to tell her to go if she took my warning I would find out soon enough.
"4,3,2,1..." the loud clang of shrieking was all I needed before I leapt from off my platform feeling unsteady on the sand beneath my feet, I didn't run though as I made my way across the sand knowing it would only pull my feet in.
When I came to the edge of the ground where it began to slant downwards towards the cornucopia, I jumped down knowing that sliding down would be faster and maybe easier to control then trying to run. I didn't allow myself the time to look around as I watched the cornucopia grow closer as my body was jostled and roughly thumped against the sand. It was as I began to move to stand that I heard the whistle of movement behind me and felt a body cleanly sweep me off my feet as we rolled down part of the slope together. The scream let me know it was a girl but as I latched my arm around her head as we twisted and rolled I clenched my eyes shut and squeezed my large bicep trying not to think of it. It was as our bodies twisted that when we finally came to a rough snap with her body partly under me I heard the sickening crunch and snap to see the head full of braided hair, her neck had been broken. I kneeled for a second hesitating as I looked down at the vacant eyes of the female who simply looked up at me with those glazed over eyes. I pushed up and placed my hand over her face to shut the eyes before I moved over her body and ran towards the supplies, tributes who had been faster already there some trying to take and dash for the slope while other's tried to fight over certain items or weapons.
I moved forward and all I could think was that I'd already done it although I'd held her head in that lock I hadn't out right tried to kill her. It didn't make a damn bit of difference though she was dead and it was at my hands, I barrelled forward when I heard a loud female scream and I turned to my right my eyes widening. Jazz was pinned beneath a male as she flailed screaming for help, Dalton didn't even blink leaving her to fight off her attacker alone. I waged what was best if I let this male kill Jazz it meant Autumn was safe from her rage but if I let Jazz die now so soon I lost an alliance that could prove to be beneficial to me she seemed fondly taken with me.
My body was moving before I had time scooping up a bag of supplies and throwing it over my shoulder as I continued forward, the male was slightly chubby and was hitting Jazz with open hands. I could hear her cries and even see the slight blood on her face as I closed in, he didn't even see me coming as I approached but Jazz did. I clenched my large hand tightly shut and used my running to add to momentum as I crashed my fist into the back of his skull. The loud clash was deafening and it knocked the male out cold as he collapsed on top of Jazz, I pushed him off Jazz then helped her up.
"Thank you" she said her nose and lips bleeding, she shocked me when she leant up and pressed her lips under my jaw and then turned to the cornucopia "bring him to the weapons I want to have fun with him" she sneered spitting down at him.
I didn't argue even though I wanted too, I knew she had a nasty side to her I also didn't agree with the idea of prolonging someone's death. I couldn't argue though I'd made it known to all that I would be the perfect career to fight her on this after saving it would only waste my time and effort so I reached down and gripped the back of his shirt neck dragging the heavy set boy through the sand.
"We deal with him quick" I said with a huffed out grunt panting from all the running and how hard it had been trying to move through the sand it was too soft it left you sink in. I could see in Jazz's reaction she wanted to argue but didn't I guess she owed me one, although I doubted she really believed in things like owing someone a debt after being saved.
The other careers were now in control of the weapons and fighting those that had come down to the cornucopia a few bodies were scattered over the sand in bloody messes. I could see other's who had taken some supplies running right back up the slope and away from the us careers, Gabi was waiting for us as we moved into the mouth of the cornucopia she handed over to Jazz some throwing knives.
"I see you brought your kill with you" Gabi chuckled morbidly as I looked down at the groaning male as he came back to I could see the slightly large bump forming at the back of his head, my knuckles slightly bruised from the punch I'd delivered to him so powerfully I threw him then at Jazz feet and went to inspect the supplies.
Maybe the others were too busy looking at the vast spread of weapons but I noticed the shoes a corner in the pack they at a glance looked like socks. It stood out though and I moved to them quickly and kicked off my shoes and pushed them on and felt the sand under my feet firm up as if I was on normal ground and grinned but kept silent about it. I removed the supplies bag from off my shoulder and didn't bother to look in as I threw in an extra pair of the socks, I dropped it to the ground then and looked around and took a small knife and placed it in with a bottle of water and a bag of dried meat and closed it. Autumn may never see this, maybe she'll never know I collected supplies for her but it didn't matter I would do what I had promised I just needed a way to get these to her. I moved to the weapons grabbing the metallic bow and a sheath of arrows slinging it over my shoulder then.
"He's getting away" Dalton growled out as he stood holding his arm as it bled "he got my fucking sword" he roared out angrily I looked out seeing the retreating form that was running with the large sword in hand up the slope
"I'll go get him" I offered turning to Dalton "you guys stay here I'll take care of it don't leave without me though okay" I tried to sound nonchalant as if there was no ulterior motive behind me leaving on my own, I expect someone to argue none however did maybe they hoped I wouldn't come back
I didn't wait around though as I quickly headed off in the same direction as the tribute and where Autumn's platform had been, the socks made it so much easier walking across the sand and I hoped no one else had noticed them. This advantage made me faster on the sand which I wasn't used to I'd thought my speed would be my disadvantage but with these I wasn't as slow compared to other's. It didn't matter though by the time I reached the top of the slope the tribute was nowhere in sight, it didn't bother me I'd had no plan on actually going after him. I moved to the water and dove into the freezing cold water and rose from under it gasping for breath and then pushed on moving through it just imaging it was any other day in district four. I pulled myself out of the water once across throwing the supplies, sheath of arrows and bow onto the ground and looked around.
"Now where do I leave this crap" I grumbled pushing back my wet hair the heat already making me feel as though I was drying off under the bright sky "bury it" I grunted and then started to push up sand using my large hands as a shovel and making a hole big enough for the supplies. I looked around once before placing them in and then keeping an arrow and flattening the ground of the supplies. I used the sharp point of the arrow I kept and slashed it against my palm and squeezed my hand shut over the area and then let my blood drip into the sand trying my best to make it stand out subtly.
I stood up then looking around me as if I was being watched which wasn't that hard to believe, when I saw how tall the plant life were that was only a few feet away. I wondered what was on the other side of the plant life and if there was any water like autumn had hoped to go out and find, when she decided she'd distance herself from the other tributes from the get go. I stepped away from the puddle of blood on the sand and then looked around once more wiping my hand on my pants leg turning my head up.
"That's my debt paid" I growled out and then headed back towards the water and dived in swimming back to the career pack it was time to think of only myself now, survival was what I had to focus on.