Chapter 27: To Be Indifferent
Aria Meneme: Still Day 3
Aria Meneme jumped as the world vibrated, it was as if a bomb had gone off or something. A loud noise echoed around the arena. The trees had shaken, and branches had fallen from the trunks.
Her ears were still ringing.
It had to have been a bomb; there was smoke in the distance, and she could hear shouts from the other tributes, though which ones she wasn't sure. It didn't matter, she was the strongest of any of them, she could kill them all with her eyes closed.
She had found a grove of trees down in the south end, and it didn't seem like any of the other tributes were in that area. There was a stream of fresh water, and squirrels a plenty. Her stomach was pleasantly filled and her throat was nice and moist. She was well off.
It was time to go on the hunt, time to go see what was going on with the other tributes. She had left them alone for a few days to give them a false sense of security, but now she was out for blood. Now it was time to make them sing in pain.
She smiled just thinking about what was yet to come.
Aria jumped to the ground from her perch in the tree. She slung the pack over her shoulder and gripped her knife tightly in her left hand. She was right handed, but the other tributes didn't know that. She was so brilliant with a knife, it didn't matter which hand it was in. But she found that when she fought with her left hand, then the person she was fighting usually switched over to the left hand as well, giving her an advantage.
She was as quiet as a hunting lion as she stalked the forest, looking for the other tributes. She didn't care which one she ran into first.
Then it began to rain. AGAIN. She bit her lower lip and tried not to panic.
It's okay, she told herself as she made her own path. It's just rain, it won't hurt me.
But she didn't believe herself. She had always hated the rain, even before Lix had drowned in the lake. Her mother used to love the rain, she would lie in bed and just listen to the pitter patter that it made when it fell on the roof top.
The rain made Aria tense up. She hated hearing it, hating feeling it on her bare skin. Aria rarely took showers and baths because she hated the feel of water on her skin. Instead, she bathed in perfume and deodorant. Her hair was always greasy because she couldn't get up the strength to be in the water long enough to clean it.
Whenever it rained back home, she would hurry to shelter. She had always hated getting caught in it, and she always carried an umbrella wherever she would go. Everyone had a security blanket, an item that they had to make them feel safe, an umbrella was hers. It was gray and ratty, had seen many years, but it was hers, and the only thing she loved in the world.
She had no umbrella now. And it had been raining off and on for the past few days, and she hated that. At least the trees weren't pine, that was one good thing. They were ceiba trees; huge things with huge branches that protruded out of the ground.
She wasn't sure how she had known that, it was just one of those random pieces of information that her brain had soaked up.
The rain pooled on the leaves, and would fall down in a puddle once the leaf got too weak to hold it. Aria had been drenched several times already because a leaf released it right as she walked underneath it.
She would kill for an umbrella right about now. Well, she would kill in general.
The rain was washing away the smoke, but she was getting closer to where it had originated.
She ran into them without warning. The two from Ten were both on the ground. The girl was out, Aria wasn't sure if she was unconscious or dead. She hadn't heard a cannon fire, but it might have gone off when the bomb had gone off.
The boy was hovering over the girl, he seemed genuinely concerned about her.
Aria rolled her eyes, it was never good to become attached to someone. He would learn his lesson soon enough, just like everyone else did.
They had no idea that Aria was behind them, that she had a knife in her hand. They were the perfect prey.
Aria took a careful step forward, watching the ground to make sure that she didn't make a single noise. She didn't want to alert the boy of her whereabouts.
Whoever had set off the bomb still had to be around somewhere, and she congratulated whichever tribute it was who knew how to build a bomb. It definitely hadn't of been the Gamemakers who had put in the bomb. They didn't do things like that. They liked to send in mutated monkeys who liked to tear the tributes limb from limb like peeling bananas.
It had to of been one of the tributes from 3, probably the boy. The girl was too clumsy to deal with dynamite.
And where there was one bomb, there was probably more. Aria should probably get out of there before anymore were set off, but she had the perfect opportunity to kill two tributes. But if the tribute who set off the bombs figured out that his targets were still alive, he wouldn't be happy.
Aria lifted up her left hand and brought it back, lining it up with Ryan's back. She was going to throw it. She had a perfect aim. She knew that she could do it, kill him in one strike.
But something struck her first, a rock to the back of her head. She crumpled to the ground, her face hitting hard.
She blinked as she tried to get clear her head. What had just happened? Aria Meneme did not get taken down by a measly rock. Who had it been? Because that tribute was going to die, right now, right here.
She slowly got to her feet and took in her surroundings. The Ten boy was fervently trying to get the Ten girl to wake up so they could leave.
Aria turned and found herself face to face with the girl from Twelve. She had dried tear stains on her cheeks, and her eyes were still red and puffy. Her hair was a mess, as if it hadn't been washed or combed in years. She looked like a girl who had just lost the love of her life. The boy from Twelve had died yesterday. That was why one shouldn't fall in love. Love was pointless, and painful, and it hurt everyone who was unlucky enough to think they found their soul mate. Well, it was time for the girl to join her boyfriend in the afterlife.
Aria flashed her knife.
"You ready to have some fun?" Aria smiled at her.
"Does fun include me slicing your cheeks open?" Twelve smiled back, her eyes sparkling. She pulled up a sword, leaning forward as she tried to get used to the weight. Her arms shook as she aimed it at Aria.
Aria just laughed. The Twelve had no idea what she was doing, and she was too weak to handle such a heavy weapon.
This was going to be a piece of cake. Preferably chocolate cake with ganache, and plain vanilla bean ice cream. Nothing too fancy.
"So Twelve, how do you want to die?"
"My name is Jewel, and I want to die of old age, in my sleep, with my husband, my children, and my grandchildren by my side."
"Aw," Aria said sarcastically, "that's so sweet. But unfortunately, that's not possible."
Aria and Jewel circled each other. Jewel had the long sword that she couldn't hold properly, and Aria had a short knife.
Ryan watched from the ground, where he was still trying to get Romy to wake up.
Four tributes and not one of them was dead yet. Aria wanted that to change. Starting with Jewel.
She lunged, but Jewel rolled to the ground, missing the blade by inches. Her sword fell from her hands.
Aria growled, very animal like, as Jewel got back up to her feet and began to sprint, leaving her sword behind for Aria to grab. Now she had two weapons to use.
But Jewel wasn't the best runner and began to wheeze. Aria caught up to her and spun the knife that was still in her left hand.
"Oh, so you want to play now, do you?" Jewel taunted, backing up.
Aria glanced over at the Tens- they weren't there anymore. Dammit, she lost them! Guess the girl wasn't dead after all. Oh well, she would hunt them later. She had Jewel cornered, and a bird in the hand was better then two in the bush.
"You and me sweetheart. You ready to say goodbye?" Aria taunted.
Jewel sneered, "Don't call me sweetheart, and you'll be the one saying goodbye."
Jewel made a move, but then shrieked and her face turned to one of terror.
Aria laughed. "What's wrong sweetheart, scared of little ol' me."
Jewel was shaking in her boots and pointing at Aria.
Aria sneered again and took a step forward.
Jewel was still frozen in the same place.
Perfect. Aria was about to strike when she heard a noise from behind her.
She whirled around and saw exactly why Jewel was so frightened.
Aria wasn't exactly sure what it was, but she knew that it was a mutated animal. A mutt. Damn Gamemakers.
"Wh..wh..at..is it?" Jewel stammered. Aria had never before seen someone this terrified. It was actually rather funny. Jewel's eyes were wide in fear, her bottom lip was swollen from being bitten, and she was digging her nails into the palm of her hand.
Aria tried to figure out what type of mutt it was. It didn't really matter, because Aria was going to get credit for the kill, not some stupid mutt.
It looked like a sloth, but moved like a monkey, swinging from vine to vine; something that sloths didn't do. Sloths were lazy and moved like an inch a day. (Aria had no idea how she had know that either.) She was on a roll today. It would have been a great day to have a test. She would have aced it.
The slothkey barred its teeth. Or would it be called a month. No, definitely a slothkey. Rolled off the tongue much better. And 'month' was already taken. Aria wasn't a plagiarist.
Its teeth were sharp, it had long slender fingers with sharp nails, and it did not look friendly in the least bit. It looked rather hungry.
"I hear Jewel's very tasty," Aria told the slothkey. "I mean, I wouldn't eat her, but I'm sure you'd find it a gourmet meal."
The slothkey didn't say anything, it just headed closer. Aria turned back to Jewel, but the girl was gone.
She probably got over her fear and used the opportunity to escape.
Aria wasn't happy. First the two from Ten got away, and then the Twelve girl.
Aria was going to make a kill, and she was going to do it now. So she turned and lunged, killing the slothkey instantly.
She picked up the animal and found the place where the bomb had gone off. It was still hot. She roasted the slothkey and made a meal out of it.
She wasn't going to let the meat go to waste.
It tasted just like chicken.
She would go after Jewel later. Right now, she was eating. In her book, food was the most important thing.
She had a few hours left in the day, and a few days left in the Games. At the moment, she was going to enjoy her slothkey.
She only ate a leg and carried the rest of it, using her new sword like a spit.
She went back to her hunt. Her belly was full again, and her anger from losing three tributes was dissipating.
Aria had a plan. She knew that someone had been watching her while she had been cooking and eating her dinner, so she had accidentally left of a leg of the animal Now she was hiding in the woods watching, wondering who had been the one watching her.
And like they say, "what goes around, comes around".
It wasn't long before a tribute crept out and headed for the animal. She grinned, more blood was going to spill tonight.
She lunged, but the boy turned around before she could slide her knife through her back.
It was the one from Nine, the crazy one.
He jumped up, waving the chunk of slothkey around.
He was shouting something, weird words spewing from his mouth.
Aria always thought the world would be a better place without the crazies. No one would miss this boy, who could love someone like this? He never made sense, he was constantly talking in rhymes and counting to five. He had a personality that only a mother could love. And most mothers were insane anyway.
He had no weapon, no way to protect himself. An easy kill. But she had already said that a few times today, and had nothing to show for it. She wasn't going to let this one get away. Aria Meneme refused to get beaten again. It wasn't good for her pride.
She turned the sword around so she was holding the blade, and he could take the handle.
"Here, go ahead, you look hungry," Aria smiled at him, trying to reassure him.
He reluctantly took it.
"What's your name?" She asked him, making nice.
"Silas," he said, sliding the rest of the slothkey off the blade and munched on the meat.
"That's a handsome name for such a good looking boy," she purred. He blushed. She squashed the urge to roll her eyes.
"Thanks, spanks, hanks, ranks, tanks."
"How about yanks and lanks?" She asked, trying to keep the frustration from creeping into her voice. Seriously, how did people put up with him? He was so annoying. It was time to end his life, and end it now. While he was busy with the food, she slashed his wrist with her knife, and he cried out in pain. She smiled at the sound, it made her want to rejoice. It was a sweet sound. He dropped the sword and her dinner hit the ground. Dirt glued itself to her slothkey. She growled, "That wasn't very nice, now it's dirty." She slashed his other wrist. He fell to his knees and tried to nurse his injuries.
"Remember, it's down the road, not across," she smiled at him, leaning down to grab her sword.
She watched him bleed out, it didn't take long for the color to disappear from his face and for him to fall backwards with his eyes still open.
The sound of the cannon ricocheted off the trees. Her ears loved that sound. It meant that she was that much closer to winning. She could smell victory, and it smelled so sweet, like a buttery croissant filled with flaky layers straight out of the oven.
Aria didn't bother to clean off her knife. She sat down and basked in the glory of having another kill.
The sky lit up and the anthem began to play.
Only one picture was shown that night.
The picture of the boy from Nine. Eight down, fifteen left to go.
To be indifferent, she had to let go of all feelings.
Trivia Question: What is Nat's full name?
Previous trivia answer: Tamisicous was Flamiken's sister, and she died because Flamiken allowed Ritch and Jael into the arena which led to Ritch's death.
~*Misty*~
