I own nothing sadly. Enjoy!
I run, not once looking back. I can here feet somewhere behind me, but I don't stop.
I run until my feet are aching.
I run not caring about the branches and plants that scratch at my skin.
I run until I finally fall, and then I tumble down a hill.
When I finally stop falling I crash into a tree.
After that my eyes close and the world goes dark.
The sun is still bright and burning hot when I wake up. My body aches and my mind…my mind…I don't know how it is. I groan as I try to sit up, but the pain from my body and head only makes me dizzy. Instead I stay on the ground and try to analyze my surroundings as I roll slowly onto my stomach. This was a part of the arena that I had never seen before. The land is rockier and the dam is practically at my shoulder. The other tributes must be hiding here, and why not when this part was probably the most dangerous. The careers would never look for them here. It wasn't common for a weak little tribute to face the hidden dangers of an arena. Not even a career was willing to face the arena itself.
After a while of analyzing the surroundings I begin to feel my dizziness slipping away, and slowly I get up from the rocky ground. Leaning on a tree for support I inspect my body for any injury. Cuts and bruises line my arms, but it's my hip that has the most damage. The bruise takes over the once perfect skin. I gently touch the bruise, and immediately pull back my hand with a gasp of pain. Ignoring the pain for now I move onto my lower half, regretting it instantly when I see blood. The cut on my leg means nothing when I see my boots stained with blood.
Blood from him.
From the nice boy.
The head that fell off a body.
I gag as I relive every moment of his death in my head. I throw up when I recall his head rolling over to my feet.
I cry and I cry until the sun goes down. I should be running or hiding from the beast that is searching for me, but I can't stop crying. I cry even more when I hear the anthem and close my eyes tightly when I see their faces. I cover my ears from the noises and try to hide from the world I was in. The pain my body is enduring is nothing compared to what I feel inside.
I'm about to pass out again from the pain when I hear a strange sound. I look around and then up over my head where I see a small white parachute. Hanging from it is a protective casing and inside could be anything. I immediately know it's a sponsor's gift, my first gift. Standing up I grab it before it gets caught in a tree up high. Carefully opening it, I find an oddly folded piece of paper and a small tin can. I inspect the note first, and I can't stop the stupid smile that covers my face when I see the perfectly white sugar cube hidden inside. To the cameras it might be a flirtatious act, but to me it was a kiss. A kiss that tasted of this exact sweet, and made me crave it over and over again.
Taking the sugar cube I rub it slowly on my lips, wanting to savor every bit of it. Looking back at the small not I read the few words that are written on it. My smile grows behind the melting sugar cube and so does my will to live.
Every thought, every breath, and every heartbeat I have is yours. All I ask in return is for you to keep your promise Annie. You need to keep it.
'' I'll keep it,'' I whisper as I finally eat the sugar cube, allowing the sweet to bring to life my palate. '' I'll keep it no matter what.''
After the cube is all but gone, only leaving behind a sweet after taste I take a deep breath wanting to calm my tense and battered nerves. It's then when I have trouble breathing that I remember my bruised hip and the other gift that was left forgotten on the ground. Reaching down I grab the tin can and pop it open, sighing in gratitude when I see it contains salve. I gently apply it to my damaged skin and practically moan in happiness as the medicine begins to soothe away the pain. Closing the tin can I place it in my pack for later use and search for anything useful that can cover my hip.
Some protein bars…canteen…new shirt…
'' Wallah,'' I say as I find a bandage.
I wrap it around my hips and secure it tightly, before pulling my shirt back down in place. Once I feel more comfortable than before I push away any other though and begin to formulate a plan. I'm not dead so that's a start but I am hurt, and with a hurt body there isn't much I can take on.
'' What now Anwyn?'' I ask myself.
I stare at one of my three daggers as if they would give me an answer, but I feel just as lost as before. I huff and look up towards the trees, and it's then I jump up with the memories the trees bring.
'' Kas!'' I yell out before slapping my hand over my mouth.
'' Kas, I need to find Kas,'' I whisper this time.
The district 7 boy could be a valued ally, and besides he owed me a life. I needed to find him as soon as morning came. For now I would try to rest my body at least for a few hours, but I needed to leave fast before Ony-the beast- came this way.
Grabbing the spare shirt from my pack I fold it into a pillow and lay my sore head on it. With my dagger in hand I rest on the rocky ground. So different from the grass of the cornucopia and nothing in comparison to the Capitol bed I had slept on. My eyes close, but resting is not what my mind had in store. As I drift into a light slumber I'm back to that moment. The moment I will never forget if I got out of this arena.
'' Lake! Run!'' I scream, but it's too late.
The beast swings the sword and the once kind boy loses his head.
The head rolls and there's blood.
There's so much blood.
So much blood.
And I scream.
I scream just like the boy couldn't.
'' No,'' I whimper.
'' I'm sorry,'' I cry.
'' No! Stop!''
My eyes fly open and then I have to cover my mouth, before I scream at what I see. It's him, the boy that has no head. But here, he has a head…sort of. In front of me he stands with his head tilted to the side ready to fall and blood covering his neck. His once ocean eyes are black as he gazes down at me.
'' No. No. You're dead. I saw you die,'' I cry in fear.
'' I'm dead because of you Anne. You killed me,'' he says.
I cover my ears at his words and push myself away from him, and into a tree. He's still there. Blood flows down his body as he moves closer to where I was sitting.
'' Anne.''
'' Go away. Go away. Go away,'' I cry as I rock myself. '' You're not real. You're dead.''
'' I loved you Anne and you got me killed,'' he says sadly.
'' I'm sorry,'' I beg.
'' One day, you're going to pay. You're not safe,'' he says and then the blood takes over.
His head falls and rolls over to me, while the blood pools around his headless body. I kick and kick so the head will get away from me but it won't.
I can't breathe. I can't breathe.
'' He's not real. He's not real. He's not real,'' I whisper to myself.
I can't breathe. Why can't I breathe?
'' He's not real. He's gone. He's gone.''
I repeat it like a mantra; the words I know deep down are true, but for some reason my mind chooses to ignore them.
'' He's not real. You saw him die. He's gone.''
I repeat them all through the night as I rock myself back and forth. Sleep never comes and I'm glad, because the thought of waking up to see him again is too much to bear. Soon, the sun is up and I don't have to fear drowning in the darkness. I decide to munch on one of my granola bars to give me the much needed energy for day, but to me it tastes like nothing at all. The water I have in my canteen does little to soothe my sore throat after all the screaming it had endured. And my mind is still not the same. After my small meal I go in search of Kas, not knowing where he was but knowing he was my only ally left. He owed me a life and now it was time for him to pay up by helping me against the beast.
I walk blind around the arena. Occasionally, I would trip over the bumpy and rocky terrain. This land was nothing like the grassy side of the arena I had seen for the last few days, and not even close to the sands of District 4. Caves and more caves surrounded me, while the massive trees almost created a maze hiding everything and everyone from view. I never once gave up my search, even under the blazing sun's rays. I paid no attention to my bruised body and my aching feet knowing that if I stopped it could be a death sentenced.
Hours pass and the sun still shining brighter than ever adding more difficulty to my search, but I'm determined to find this boy. When I think I will never find him I do, because I still have some luck left it seems. He's not alone though, and he has absolutely no clue that he isn't. Another boy, tall and dark skinned, is ready to end his life with some sort of dart. Before he can I end his.
Another canon sounds.
Another death is added to my list.
His body falls to the ground, lifeless.
My dagger, it now has his blood.
Kas immediately stands up, startled by the sound of the cannon and the boy's body hitting the ground behind him. Looking up from the now dead boy his hazel eyes finally turn to meet my own, sea green ones. His gaze is just as surprised as before when I had saved him from the beast's clutches.
He owes me two lives now. I had lied for him and now killed another for him.
'' You,'' he says.
'' You have horrible hearing,'' I say, '' that boy was breathing down your neck ready to kill you.''
'' I could have taken him out,'' he replies hotly.
'' So why didn't you?'' I ask arching my brow.
'' I was waiting for the right moment.''
'' Sure you were,'' I mumble.
'' Why did you save me? Again,'' he asks.
'' I need your help,'' I answer smoothly and honestly.
'' Why would a career, ask for a lonely boy from 7's help?'' He asks with humor etching every single word.
'' You owe me a life, well now two,'' I reply shrugging a shoulder.
'' Don't you have a boyfriend to help you out?'' He mocks swinging his axe, back and forth.
'' We weren't compatible,'' I lie.
Don't think about him, not the beast. Don't think about the beast.
'' Sorry to hear that, but it's not my problem. I'll tell you what though I no longer owe you a life,'' he says.
'' Of course you do or did you forget who helped you escape last time, or maybe you should look at that dead kid over there for a reminder,'' I say arrogantly.
'' No, no I haven't forgotten. That's why I'm letting you live and get out of here without a scratch on that pretty head of yours,'' he smiles.
'' How kind of you,'' I respond back in a bored tone. '' Fine, but you still owe me another life. I saved you twice. A life for a life-''
'' Duck,'' he says forcefully.
'' What?'' I ask bemused.
'' Duck!'' He yells pushing me out of the way.
From the corner of my eye I see his axe digging into the chest of another male tribute, and soon another canon goes off. Kas pulls his axe out of the boy's chest and then looks back at me, stepping so close we're sharing a single breath.
'' A life for a life, my debt is repaid,'' he breathes.
The moment someone saves a mermaid's life she will find that kindness does exist. An alliance and friendship will be made, and she will never forget that person.
Sorry guys for the short chapter, but I promise next chapter will be longer! Please review and keep reading.