A/N Hello! It seems like everyone is unhappy about Magique's death. Just a reminder that I don't get to decide who dies. Everything is drawn randomly, and certain conditions affect the number of slips. So please understand that her death wasn't my idea. She just got picked.
Alexander Thul, District One Male
I eye Easton nervously. It doesn't help that I'm leading, so I actually have to turn my head to keep my eye on him. Something about him feels... unhinged, and it's been like this since he killed Chrystal. It's the same gut feeling I got when I first saw Satine. Maybe the pressure of the Games is too much. Maybe he can't handle the stress. Whatever the reason is, there's one thing certain: The Easton following me now is not the same one I met in the Training Center.
I look up at the sun. Man, we've been walking for a while. My arm doesn't help much either. I sit down on a large rock. "Let's take a break," I say. He shrugs.
"I can't believe that we missed the Three girl," he says. Even his voice has changed. It's a lot quieter and creepier. "We could've had... so much fun. And the Capitol would've been please."
I just shrug. I gently peel back my bandage, and my wound looks just as bad as it did earlier, albeit without the blood flowing everywhere. It stings, and I have to grit my teeth to keep from crying out. I hear a ding. It's the first one I've heard the whole time.
I stand up and look around. The parachute is lying just behind a piece of scrap metal, and I eagerly rush over. It must be the medicine. Chalcedony sent medicine. Or was it Azul? I pick it up, and I realize that it's far too light. To my disappointment, there's only a note attached.
You thought this was the medicine, didn't you. If you want even a chance at it, you'll have to do better.
-C
Do better? I think about whom we've killed so far. There were the four in the bloodbath, and then Ember and Magique. I don't think Chrystal and Satine count. Shoot, has it really only been 6? And we're... in the final eight?! Someone else out there has been doing the killing for us, so that's why we have no support.
"You get it now?" Easton says.
"How can you tell?"
"Your face pretty much changed colors," he says, as if it were normal. Another reason to be wary.
I stand up. "Then let's get a move on."
We continue walking, and I don't see anything that could give us any clues. It's already in the afternoon, so this day should be over soon. All of a sudden, I see something in the corner of my eye.
"What?" Easton says. I don't answer, and I walk over to a huge hole in one of the walls.
"Someone's been here," I say.
"How can you tell?"
"The dust here is completely even except for these areas where someone has stepped," I say, as if it were a common skill. He frowns and scratches his head. I grin. "Let's go."
The interior of the building isn't much better than the exterior. Walls and the floor are in various states of disrepair, and it has the musky smell of damp, rotting carpet. It's dark, and the damp air presses against my skin.
We tread quietly, with me following the trail and Easton following me, and we round another corner. The tracks still go on. There's a flapping of wings, and we both jump with a start as a bird flies across the room and out, creating a cloud of dust. Easton sneezes. Oh shoot.
Stream Wrena, District Six Female
I'm in the final eight. The final eight! I never expected to last so long. Though I have a nagging feeling that the Gamemakers are just saving me for the second bloodbath, also known as the feast, I can't help but smile. I slowly continue walking down the metal corridor, squinting to see in the dark.
I hear a sneeze. A male sneeze. That isn't too surprising, since I'm the last girl, but it sounded like an older boy. The Two guy. I turn around, and I see two people rounding the corner. They see me. I run.
I don't have to look back to know that they are chasing me. I can hear their heavier footsteps behind me, bearing down on me. If I want to get out of this alive, I'm going tpo have to do something other than just run. I swerve left into another one of the many hallways. Then right. Then left again. I zigzag through the building, when I run into a wall.
A wall? No, no, no, no, no. I want to scream. That's when I see a door next to me. It's a closed room, but the room is filled with tables. A plan begins to formulate in my head. I know that it might not work, but it's better than standing here. I dash under a table and pull the tablecloth just a bit lower. I hear them enter the room, and I try to steady and quiet my breathing.
"Where is she?"
"I dunno."
"Let's search."
I hold my breath, and I can keep from shaking. If they don't check this table first, that means that they've moved further into the room. Since this table is so close to the door, I'll have a open path out. My heart leaps into my throat as I hear footsteps. I'm going to have to make a run for it, especially if he opens this one. I might have the element of surprise.
The tip of a shoe comes through, peeking past the tablecloth. I hear him bending over and preparing to expose my hiding place.
1...2...3...
I dash out, pushing him as hard as I can and running out the door. Since he was bent over, he loses his balance and falls. I made it out. I made it out! Soon, I hear them behind me again. And soon, I find myself in another dead end. I look around furiously for a door, and sure enough, there is one. I open it, and I see that it's a closet full of cleaning supplies. Oh no. I go inside anyway and close the door behind me. That's when I realize that this door has a lock. I lock it.
I hear them coming closer, but I can't tell where they are or what they're doing. I see a round hole in the door, about the size of my fist, and I look through it. They're just rounding the bend. When they see the door, one of them reaches forward to try the doorknob. I duck, and listen.
"Hey, the door's locked," the Two guy (I think) says.
"No problem; we'll just break it down."
"What's in here anyway?" I hear him get on his knees and look through the hole. I need another escape. I see a metal rod, about a half inch thick and a foot long.
Before I can stop myself, I grab the pole and shove it through the hole.
I almost scream when I feel it penetrate something soft and watery.
My blood runs cold when I hear the guttural, animalistic scream.
I hear something open behind me, and everything begins to go numb as I see the vent appear. I'm being rewarded. Part of me hates it, but I open it and crawl into it. I plug my ears to keep out the screams, and I continue into the darkness.
Pretty soon, a cannon sounds.
Alexander Thul, District One Male
Easton screams and falls back, thrashing and maniacal. My heart skips a beat when I see the metal rod coming out of his right eye. He staggers to his feet, screaming, and he tries to yank it out, causing more blood to flow down his face. He gives up and reaches for his sword.
I knew there was something wrong. Easton has just snapped under the pressure and pain. He's swinging blindly, with blood from his destroyed eye blinding his good eye, and he screams and shouts the entire time. I want to get closer, but my knives aren't going to work as long as he's moving around like that. He stumbles over a bump in the ground, and the sword is knocked out of his hands. He curls up in a ball, whimpering and crying. I feel a tear running down my cheek. Why am I crying? I've been trained in how to hold my emotions back, right?
This is when I see, really see this time, what the Games are. I knew it in my head the moment I thought those thoughts the night before launch, but this confirms it. Everyone in here is just another teen. Some of us are better prepared, but it's still the same. The Games have forced us to become murderers. If we're lucky, we die and never have to face the consequences. If we live... I'd rather not think about that.
I walk closer, and I kneel beside him. He muttering unintelligible things, but I think I make out the words "Dad" and "I'm sorry." Another tear escapes from my eye, and I pick up a knife. Anyone with half a brain knows that he won't be able to recover from an injury like this. I slowly pry his arms away from his body so I have direct access to his heart, all the time telling him that for him, it'll all be okay soon.
"Come on," I say, "I'll be just a few moments. Then it won't hurt anymore."
He relaxes. Even like this, he understands what I'm about to do.
"Nothing will ever hurt anymore," I add. I realize what a connection I felt with him. Since I never had a brother, I didn't realize it, but this is the closest I've ever been to having one. Now that I have to kill him, it's killing me too. I silently count to three.
"Thank you," he whispers. It's garbled and mixed up, but I understand it clearly.
Then I thrust my knife into his chest. He convulses one more time, and then he's still. Deathly still.
A cannon sounds.
I rush out of the room, tears flowing down my face.
A/N Boom.
Easton Gray, District Two Male (8/24)
I liked Easton. I really did. From the beginning, I decided that I wouldn't mind if he became victor. I liked his family and his relatively normal backstory, and I really hated watching him go. I hope his death was a fitting goodbye.
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This scene was really hard to write.
1. What are your thoughts on his death?
2. How did this make you think about Alexander?
3. The Capitol, for now, appears to be on Stream's side. Any predictions?
4. Who do you think will die next? Who do you think will do it?
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Reviews:
IVolunteerAsAuthor: Thanks. I was disappointed that she died too.
santiago. poncini20: Yeah… I do have a lot more boys. Blame the slips :P.
TranscendentElvenRanger: Umm… the Career pack has broken, starting from when the D4s left them. If you haven't read Chapter 32 (Day Before the Interviews), you should. It'll explain Alexander in this chapter a lot better.
Zoesimpson12: Was this chapter long enough?
shadowhunter824: Ellery, Alexander, Rye… Interesting Predictions…
Moonlitt Tears: Thank you for favoriting, following, and review! It made my day!
StellaSlomp: Yep, she's dead… Coil's the only one left of the Power Alliance.
Til next time!
Joseph
