Chapter X, Arena: Dead By Dawn
- Six Feet Under -
The Twenty-Fifth Hunger Games
Heavenly Limos.
Do not recall the sins and failings of my youth. In your mercy, remember me, Limos, because of your goodness.
Cosette's body trembled from the immense power. Electricity flowed through her veins down into the frozen dirt, static wild in the air, as if a thunderstorm was brewing on the horizon. Strands of dark hair and shards of broken, blackened flesh began to fly away into the arctic breeze.
Wash away the evil that perpetuates my body and deliver me into your holy light. Protect me from the corruption of my duties. Uplift me in my honour as I do your bidding, almighty Limos.
Memories began to flash across her mind again, broken fragments. The stuffiness of the closet. The statuette of Limos staring down at her. The harsh scolding. The ugly truths that her parents spat at her.
I have grown in your name, Limos. I have learned to shun those that denounce you. I have learned to shun those that use your name for their own sins. I give my life to you, Limos, in whatever you want.
Her hands began to manically vibrate as fissures in her skin zigzagged down her legs, breaking open her flesh until it bled dark crimson, as they ruptured into the earth.
Her mouth opened silently, a wretched cry for battle, pitch black eyes staring up into the eye of the blizzard as snowflakes melted within her vicinity.
Give me your strength, Limos, and I will not fail you.
I will spill blood in your honour.
I will claim their lives for your hunger.
I will kill in your name.
The fissures in the ground opened outwards in an arch, surrounding Cosette's body as, within the circle, her body was engulfed in black light.
Even out in the forest, Ares felt the tremors beneath her knees, shaking the arena. It momentarily distracted her from the small flicker of white flames that lingered on the pile of ash that was the monster.
"Ares…" Isla mumbled again, voice lost in the wind.
"I just have to make sure," Ares felt the cold seep into her bones from the snow. She refused to look away, almost expecting the beast to rise once more. She couldn't feel safe. Not until she knew.
"I'm… losing a lot of blood…"
Ares turned around and looked up to where Isla lingered behind, a shadow in the blizzard. She rose quickly, realising that her ally needed her more.
"I don't have anything," Ares whispered, "I—"
Isla moved her hand briefly, but it was enough for Ares to see the blood gushing out. If she had gauze, or something just to patch it up, she could stem it. The more they waited, however, the more Isla was going to bleed out. They just need something to seal it, to completely cut it off…
The idea made Ares' stomach drop.
"I… I have one idea," Ares didn't even know how to word it.
Isla let out a choked sob, "I'm all ears at this point."
"Do you trust me?"
Ares had to ask. She still didn't know if Isla did, or if her own self-view was really that self-deprecating at times. After all, Ares couldn't help but feel the weight of the world on her shoulders for everything she had caused.
She shook her head, "I need to know… before I do it…"
The snow battered around them constantly, never easing up. Ares didn't feel as cold any more. The fire — the righteous, white fire that burned through her hands — seemed to warm her skin enough just to keep the cold at bay.
Isla nodded, movements masked in the shadows, "I do."
"It's going to hurt…" Ares raised her hand, "Can I?"
Isla seemed to immediately understand. She sobbed again briefly as she released her grip, allowing Ares to go ahead. Ares' fingers squelched in the exposed sinew and muscle, feeling Isla's body throb as it bled. She distanced her thoughts away, just enough to focus again on summoning the fire.
"I'm… so sorry…" Ares mumbled as she felt the warmth in her hand explode.
Isla screamed, knees immediately buckling, and Ares quickly swooped in to hold her up, never releasing her hand as the wound simmered in white flames. Isla's body waned in Ares' hold as she pulled her hand away, soaked in blood.
"I'm so sorry," Ares whispered again, voice cracking, "I'm so, so sorry. I— I think I did it."
Isla was unsteady on her feet even more now, but the wound was cauterized, sealed up by burnt flesh and tendons. Ares held on to Isla as she leaned over and upheaved her entire stomach contents into the snow.
"Please… stop apologising…" Isla replied, shivering from the cold and the pain, "Get me… to a house… quick…"
It was no small feat what Ares did, but it felt barely anything. She felt like she could never repay back the kindness and understanding for as long as she lived.
But until then, she had to do everything she could to repent, if only for Limos' potential judgement.
"Here, here. Lean on me," Ares took Isla's full weight onto her despite knowing she wasn't strong enough to do so, "We can do this."
The two girls continued their journey through the snow slowly, methodically, towards a danger they didn't know awaited them all.
Eight more tributes in my way.
Odell had to shake the guilt, no matter how much it burdened him. The longer he sat alone, gritting his teeth from the pain in his infected leg, the more he convinced himself that he could spend his whole life healing and making amends, that he didn't need to do it right now.
The further he convinced himself, the more resolute he became in being proactive to speed it up.
He didn't want to kill. But he would. He would blind himself from his actions long enough to secure his future.
It felt callous — and Odell had learned, over the course of his time in the Capitol and the Hunger Games — that he bordered somewhere between giving a shit and not giving a shit. Two very different roads that made him feel like two different people at times.
He was human, after all. Complex and confusing. A boy forced against his will to choose kindness over survival.
Odell paced back and forth in the house, placing more and more weight on his leg, feeble attempts to strengthen it. If he had to fight, he needed to be as strong as possible. He couldn't let it get the best of him. Outside of the house, the blizzard began to wane, just as a tremor shook the house.
It caught Odell off-guard, rattling the floorboards and shaking the walls. He stumbled, catching himself onto a doorway.
What was that? Odell's mind raced. Was it the arena? Or a tribute?
It better not be a tribute, Odell could only hope. He honestly needed the remaining tributes to be as weak and easy as possible, if only for his own benefit. He swallowed the bile in his throat. Gotta face it, man.
He moved to the window and stared out, scanning the blanketed white area for some sign of life.
There was none. Everyone was most definitely holed up in the other houses.
Can I catch them off-guard? Odell thought, ignoring the plea for rationality that cropped up. He had to do it like this. There was no way. The longer he sat around, the quicker the infection would spread and take him down.
The longer he waited, the less of himself he'd be. The less he'd be able to win.
He stretched his leg out, the wave of pain making his stomach somersault. He chose to ignore it. He had to.
He had to move, and fast.
Odell edged towards the door, taking a deep breath. Don't think. Just kill. Don't look them in the eyes… never look them in the eyes. The sharp, cold metal of the knife pressed against his hip. A forgotten weapon tucked at the back of a kitchen drawer.
Don't look them in their eyes…
Odell swung the door open. The howling blizzard smacked him right in the face as he ran out, turning left, and aiming for the first house he saw.
"Shall we play rock, paper, scissors?"
Niobe just stared at Rafe, "Huh?"
"I want to say that I'm bored but then that would be ridiculous," Rafe replied, "I didn't realise I both liked and hated sitting around so much."
"I guess it's tricky… on one hand, we're both safe, which is better than not being safe—"
"—Yeah, I'm an ass, I know—"
"—Hey, I never said that," Niobe frowned, "I was gonna say that it makes sense to be bored, too. It's hard to just sit around and wait, never knowing what is gonna happen next."
Unlike Rafe, Niobe was used to sitting around and doing nothing. When she wasn't tending to the chickens, she was holed up in her room, staring out of the window and reading her books. It was strange for her to think about how being alone was surprisingly nice back then. She craved it, sought it, asked for it. And now… she couldn't bear the thought of her last moments being alone.
"Let's do it then," Niobe turned to face him, squeezing her fist and raising it to meet his, "Rock, paper, scissors—"
The house suddenly shook. Niobe's eyes widened as she jumped to her feet, heart skipping a few beats alarmingly.
"What was that—?" Rafe shouted, pulling himself up steadily, "Do you think it was Sanjay?"
"It came from underneath us…" Niobe mumbled, mind racing ahead herself. She had no clue what an earthquake felt like. She could only assume it was similar to when bombs would drop during the Dark Days, hitting the faraway fields and sending ripples through the ground.
"It could still have been him!"
Niobe wasn't convinced. Sanjay didn't come across as ingenuine. If he wanted to hurt them, his opportunity had passed several times over, whereas this was new, violent… external.
"Calm down," Niobe muttered, moving quietly towards the window and staring out. She couldn't see anything apart from the flurries of snow. They didn't fall as hard or fast any more, a slight break in the storm. "We'll be fine as long as we stay quiet."
Rafe scoffed before falling oddly quiet, "I'm sorry… yeah, you're right. I just hate this."
"I'm not fond of it either," Niobe replied sadly.
"Can I help?"
"No, no… I don't think anything else is going to happen. I think we're safe."
We're never truly safe, Niobe couldn't help but admit. It was easy to say that they were safe in the house — and truthfully, they were no doubt doing better than most — but it wouldn't be forever. At some point, it would crumble around them. It was only a matter of time. Niobe hated waiting for that moment to come.
Niobe turned back to Rafe, "You can sit down now. We're gonna be fine."
She made it a few feet back towards Rafe when the front door violently banged, silencing the whole house. Niobe's eyes widened again as she turned to face the noise.
"Niobe…"
Niobe didn't answer. Her heart was in her throat, strangling her voice. She edged back towards Rafe, eyes flicking between the door and the mediocre barricade they had placed up against it.
It will hold, Niobe reassured herself. It has this whole time.
Even if nothing has tried to get in before.
Her hands trembled as she spun around, moving into action.
"What are we—"
"Up, up," Niobe mumbled hastily, "Get into the kitchen."
Rafe, however, was stubborn, "No! We can fight it together like we did for Cosette—"
"Rafe, please," Niobe begged quietly, "Not now."
She bent down to grab their backpacks, shoving them into Rafe's arms despite his silent protesting. He allowed her to push him towards the kitchen as the door slammed again, the drawers on the dresser blocking it coming undone.
She knew Rafe wanted to fight. It was in his blood, after all. Niobe, however, needed them both to play it more tactically. It was less about hiding and more about surviving.
"We're trapped…" Rafe grumbled as Niobe moved to the back door, ensuring it was quietly locked.
"We're fine," Niobe smiled reassuringly, pushing away her own fears, "If it's another tribute, the blizzard will scare them away. They're probably just looking for safety like Sanjay was."
She stared expectantly at the main door, releasing it hadn't banged in a while. Her stomach wound itself in knots as Rafe moved to sit in one of the kitchen chairs, flopping their backpacks up onto the table.
"See?" Niobe breathed a sigh of relief, "They're gone."
It didn't stop her staring at the door, though. She almost tortured herself with how she couldn't look away, refusing to let it go. Their luck had been so good so far. What if time is up?
"They're gone…"
The door behind Niobe swung open forcefully, slamming into her back. The momentum threw her to her knees, skidding out onto the floor as fire erupted across her spine. The door eerily swung to close, before it was kicked open once more, Odell from Seven storming in.
Don't look them in the eyes…
Odell saw one on the floor. She scrambled to get back up, completely thrown off-guard. Another was at the table as Odell craned his head to see. The boy managed to get to his feet before Odell punched outwards, connecting his fist with the boy's jaw and sending him crashing into the table.
Don't look them in the eyes…
But it was too late.
Odell knew who they were. The loud-mouthed little runt, Rafe, and his meek, maternal partner, Niobe.
Their names left a sour taste in Odell's mouth. Two more names he'd unfortunately remember until the day he died. Two more names to make amends for.
Odell stormed forward as Niobe climbed up to her feet. She turned around, raising her arms defensively as Odell grappled with her. He was much stronger, much taller and broader, easily dominating the fight as he threw her into the door frame, cracking her back onto the splintered wood.
She cried out in pain, "Rafe! Run!"
Odell tried to yank his hands back but Niobe latched onto them, holding him in place as Rafe threw himself onto Odell's back, wrapping his arms around his throat.
"Get off of her!" Rafe roared down Odell's ear.
The pressure stole the air from Odell's lungs, crushing his windpipe. Darkness curled in his vision as he pushed back with all of his might, hoping to tear one of them off of him.
He needed a way to make the fight fairer. He squeezed his eyes shut, preserving his breath, as he dug into his muscles with all of his might. With explosive strength, he tossed Niobe as if she was a ragdoll, slamming her into the counters. Her grip released from his and, reaching back, he was able to pull Rafe around and launch him into the main room.
Niobe threw herself forwards, only for Odell to catch the blow sloppily, pushing her off of him and onto the floor.
I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry… Odell pushed the apologies to the back of his mind, coldly asking himself if he really was after instigating it.
The pain in his leg caught up to him, however. His strength waned as he caught himself, knee giving out.
Rafe ran back into the kitchen but Odell easily tossed him to the floor, also, besting the pair of them.
"I'm sorry…" Odell let the words slip out involuntarily, reaching into his pocket.
"You don't have to do this!" Niobe pleaded, raising her hands, "Please… just let him go."
Rafe was next to her, lying on the floor, "No! No, no— me!"
"Don't be stupid!" Niobe lambasted him.
"I'm not a kid, Niobe!"
The fighting confused him for a moment. He stared down at them, paused in motion, as they argued about who was going to sacrifice themselves for the other. It caused Odell's throat to tighten from guilt as his fingers curled around the blade, pulling it out. The muted light caught the silver, glimmering in Niobe's eyes.
"Me…" Niobe stood up, standing over Rafe, "Not him. Me."
Don't look them in the eyes… Odell looked away.
"Niobe—"
"Stop!" Niobe shouted thunderously, looking to try and meet Odell's eyes, "The least you could do is look me in the eye as you kill me."
The words were so calm, so levelled, it was scary for Odell to think that she was so readily accepting her fate. What more was that Rafe didn't move from his spot on the floor, frozen in time.
"Do it…" Niobe whispered, "Look me in the eye and kill me."
Don't look them in the eyes…
"I can't," Odell trembled, his grip on the knife unsteady.
Don't look them in the eyes…
His black veins pulsated as his insides somersaulted. He was dizzy and exhausted; the infection widespread through his blood. Time was running out. He could feel the hot sweat that lingered on his skin, just under his shirt.
"Do it!"
Odell opened his eyes to face, "I can't!"
And then, everything went dark.
The clatter of the knife hitting the kitchen floor was explosive; as loud as the tremor that made Rafe's heart skip two or three beats. He watched as Odell left himself vulnerable and open, even for a moment.
Rafe knew what was coming. He reached out with his leg, hooking his foot behind Odell's ankle, as Niobe pushed out with both of her hands. Odell made an inaudible sound as he toppled over, hitting the floorboards with an almighty bang.
"Niobe!"
Niobe breathed heavily, "I—"
"Quick! The knife!" Rafe scrambled forward, grabbing the knife from the ground. The weapon felt so foreign in his hand, the weight of the blade more than he felt trusted with. "Here… I don't want it."
Niobe shakily accepted it, "What— what do we do?"
There was no time to think. Odell recovered relatively fast, blinking horribly as he tried to regain the eyesight that Niobe had cleverly ripped from him.
"What did you do!?" Odell shouted, hands out as he staggered around, just out of reach.
Rafe felt fire in his belly as he clenched his jaw, "She took your eyesight, dumbass! You picked the wrong people to mess with!"
Odell let the words sink in, momentarily paused, before he lashed out with a battle cry and surged forward. Niobe was too paralysed to react quicker enough so Rafe jumped in front, fists squeezed tight, defensively blocking Odell's helpless attacks.
"Niobe!" Rafe shouted, "Move!"
Even with his eyesight taken, Odell still had more body strength than Rafe, and easily overwhelmed him.
Lost in trance, Niobe came back as Rafe took a hard punch to the face. Stars exploded in his vision as he staggered, hands scrambling to protect himself as Odell grabbed him by the cuff of his shirt, striking him in the face once more. Niobe was suddenly there — knife abandoned on the side — as she grappled with Odell to release Rafe.
Odell let Rafe go, just for a second, luckily striking Niobe across the face.
"Fuck you!" Rafe screamed, mouth full of coppery blood, quickly caught again by Odell's hands.
Odell staggered backwards into the main room, dragging Rafe with him, the younger boy helpless. He felt dizzy and sick, fiery pain coursing through his eye socket as he struggled to see out of it.
Niobe tried to help once more, but it was becoming apparent that her stealing his eyesight had greatly weakened her; to keep his eyesight took a certain amount of focus.
An eye for an eye, unfortunately.
Niobe was easily thrown to the ground once more, only this time, her head bounced off of the floorboards like a ball. Suddenly, Odell's vision came back, eyes no longer blistering white.
Rafe realised as he built up the bloodied spit in his mouth and spat it out, "Fuck you!"
Odell held his hand on Rafe's collar, staring him down, before Rafe felt his legs being swept out from underneath him, and the momentum of the air as he was slammed into the floor. Odell's hands quickly moved from the collar to Rafe's throat, squeezing tight around his windpipe.
Rafe weakly scrambled and scratched at Odell's hands, but it was no use.
Darkness curled at the edge of his vision as his body began to spasm, fighting for air. The blood filling his throat began to spill from his lips.
Odell closed his eyes as his blackened veins moved, sapping the energy from the younger boy. Rafe could feel it leaving his body as everything around him became more muted in colour and sound, replaced by coldness.
His eyes fluttered shut. He thought of his Mama, his friends, Niobe… oh, Niobe…
The hands around his throat suddenly released. Rafe's eyes shot open as blood erupted from his lungs, coughing it up. The world returned to its full, horrible glory as Odell crashed down on top of him, screaming.
Rafe panicked, kicking and fighting with very little strength, until Odell was shoved off of him.
Niobe towered over them both, eyes widened in shock. Rafe gasped for air, spitting out blood, bruised and beaten as he dragged his sorry ass back to his feet, using the wall for support.
"I—" Niobe didn't know what to say.
And that's when Rafe saw the knife lodged in Odell's upper back.
Odell squirmed as blood pooled beneath him. It felt like an eternity until Odell stilled to nothing, and only seconds later, a wolf howled.
Niobe let out her choked sob, "I—"
Rafe reached out for her, shakily taking her hand and squeezing it, "I know… I know."
Waves of pain clawed through Isla's body as they reached the far end of the village. It almost felt like they would never arrive. Isla stumbled, feet made of concrete, determined to keep going despite her body begging for respite. Thankfully, Ares wouldn't give up, even as the weight of the girl plus general exhaustion made her body buckle.
"See… we're here…" Ares breathed, dragging Isla along.
Isla gasped for cold air, filling her lungs, "We… made it…"
"We'll get inside and we'll patch you up properly," Ares mumbled soothingly, "I'm sure we'll find something inside. We did last time, didn't we?"
Isla couldn't remember. Her memories were fried by her pain. Everything was a fuzzy, scorching mess and Isla was barely able to put one foot in front of the other, let alone replay time.
Isla just had to trust that Ares knew what she was doing.
The two girls stumbled into the far end of the village, away from their original starting spot. Isla caught a glimpse of the wreckage that ended Cal's life before the cold, harsh reminder cut the thoughts off entirely.
No, Amryn ended his life. Not the house. The ally that betrayed him.
Ares seemed to have the same feeling, too, purposely choosing a much larger building compared to the others around them. It was beyond the crater — tall and bowed, seemingly curved by the storm. As Ares pulled them both up to the main door, Isla saw the bell tower that towered above them.
"It's a—"
"—I know," Ares gently pulled Isla up the steps, perching her against the wall, "I just realised. I promise I wasn't— I didn't pick this one for this reason."
Isla nodded stiffly, "Is it open?"
Ares tested the handle. The cold rattle showed no sign of easing. "No…"
"A window…" Isla breathed through gritted teeth as another wave of pain made her insides somersault.
Ares stepped back out into the suddenly waning snowstorm, curving the building. As a wolf howled on the horizon, the flakes above began to ease, a silver lining in the blistering white sky. Isla was finally able to see the village in its entirety — two destroyed houses amongst the mass, the crater frozen over.
"There's a window!" Ares cheered, rushing back to scoop Isla up, "Come on, we can get in!"
Isla hobbled alongside Ares to the side of the building. Shards of broken glass lay in the snow, the window hastily broken open.
"This isn't… a good idea," Isla breathed.
"I— I broke it," Ares replied.
"Did you?" Isla didn't know if she believed it or not. A religious place of worship? Could Ares bring herself to do that?
Ares only nodded, "Yeah…"
Broken by her pain, Isla didn't know if she had the fight left in her to counter it. She had to trust Ares. Without her, both of them would surely be dead. She'd never put them in danger on purpose… not after everything she had been through, right?
Through blurry eyes, Isla tried to read Ares' expression. Can I trust you still?
"Let me help you in…" Ares said, leaning down to hoist Isla through the pane.
Isla hesitated, just for a few seconds, battling with the feelings. Did Amryn's betrayal really make me question everything? Or am I just feeling that awful? The festering, burning wound on her shoulder made her stomach wretch.
She took a deep breath, accepting Ares' help through the window.
Amryn didn't know when she had woken up; only that she was covered in blood once more, though the floor showed no signs of red. Her body ached so incredibly hollow that, as sad as she felt, she felt equally as numb.
She didn't know how she stared at the opposite wall, eyes grazing the rivulets across the plaster, picking out the patches of damp and mold.
She didn't know how long she had been scratching at her palm, nails ripping away flesh until she felt something more than empty guilt that tortured her mind, over and over, horrendous acts she'd never be able to forget for as long as she lived.
Am I a good person?
Amryn's mind was blank.
Am I evil?
Amryn felt nothing any more. Nothing but guilt — not even necessarily for her actions, but for what she had become.
Amryn didn't know how long she stayed in the house, torn between fight or flight. The awful silence of the home made every voice in her head louder, deafening to the point that she couldn't stand it. Before she knew it, she was back out in the snowstorm, stumbling with heavy legs and cradling the blood as it dripped from the hand she had torn up.
She saw the bell tower. It vaguely reminded her of what her parents wished to build — somewhere to be themselves.
Can I find forgiveness?
Amryn was drawn to it regardless, charging up the steps and yanking on the locked door. She tried, over and over, desperation filling her throat as she began to scout the building, determined to get inside.
When she saw the window, she didn't need to think. It shattered on impact from her hand. She barely felt the glass as it cut her palm open wide. Gelatinous blood pooled on her skin, soaking back in as she hauled herself through the window and into the abandoned building.
Ares held onto Isla as she guided her through the building.
It was everything Ares had ever wished for — warm oak benches, a pew, Limos' statue in the far back. Each window seemed more colourful than the last, even in the muted, greyscale of the arena. It all looked perfectly intact, too, as if it had never been touched before.
"I… I can't go on…"
Ares' heart ached for Isla's pain. You did this… "How about I get you upstairs?" Ares smiled sympathetically, seeing the winding steps that led way up into the rafters.
"Ares, please—" Isla's body shuddered, sweat building on her forehead, "I… I need to rest."
Ares couldn't just leave Isla downstairs, exposed for if someone turned up. The least she could do was place her somewhere safe, out of danger. Her stomach twisted itself into a knot. Like how you lied to her about the window?
It was the storm, Ares tried to comfort herself. She subtly stared around the room as they passed through it, trying to determine if anyone had made it their sanctuary for survival. The deeper they went, however, the more Ares felt an inkling better in her decision to pass a little white lie.
"I've got you," Ares took on more of Isla's weight, "I've got you."
Isla moaned as Ares began to climb the stairs, ignoring the burn in her muscles as she pulled the full weight of Isla on top of her.
It was a small burden, Ares reminded herself. It was all that she could do.
The floor above was more than Ares thought it would be; a long, narrow hallway, clothed in a red carpet with many rooms on either side. Candles hung dim on the walls, the warm, amber glow cutting through the dark and coldness they had both become far too accustomed to.
Ares pushed on, opening the first door into a bedroom.
"I'm gonna… put you here," Ares felt her lungs burn as she finally took a deep breath, the fire in her muscles making them tense. Isla plopped onto the bed, half-lucid. "I'm going to search for a kitchen, or something, see what this place might have to help us."
Isla moaned, "Okay… don't be long."
Ares edged herself out of the room, smiling sadly, "I promise."
Shutting the door, Ares finally allowed herself a moment to grieve. The tidal wave of emotions made her body shudder but she couldn't cry. Her inner light, so bright and resilient, refused to let her.
Crying won't fix anything, Ares composed herself, wiping at her dry eyes. I have to fix what I broke.
She straightened herself up, heading down the hall in search of supplies that would help. With her back turned, she didn't notice the shadow that loomed at the other end of the hall, watching her leave.
Isla writhed in the sheets, a hot flush clinging to her skin. Her eyes fluttered open and shut, tormented by the jarring room that she didn't know. It had felt like hours since Ares had left — although Isla's perception of time was fraught by the agony that burned through her body.
"You don't look so good, you know."
She clenched her teeth as another tidal wave of pain rocked her body, causing her to squirm on the bed. I don't feel so good either. Who knew it would hurt this much?
The ghostly apparition of Cal didn't crack a smile. Through her strained, fuzzy eyes, Isla saw that Cal's 'face' was no longer intact; the bottom half — his comforting smile — was smeared in greyscale, as if someone wiped it away.
"You can't stay here. It's not safe."
Isla screamed as the pain dragged itself through her upper chest, stealing away at her breath. Oh? She clawed herself upright, head spinning. I don't think anywhere is safe any more. Are you even safe? Are you even the real Cal?
"I've always helped you as best as I can… but I'm fading. You're dying, Isla."
It was words that Isla didn't need to hear. It felt like a punch to her stomach, knocking away any lingering confidence that hadn't yet been destroyed by her experiences thus far. She stared at the spectre, trying to read lifeless eyes.
How can I trust you?
"I've never lied to you," Cal answered, "Why would I want to hurt you?"
You might not even be real, Isla fired back through clenched teeth. You're just a figment of my imagination, out to kill me.
"She's coming."
Who? Who is coming?
"Run! Now!"
Cal's spectre fizzled completely into the darkness, leaving Isla with nothing but his haunting warning that she was coming. Urgency filled Isla's body as she pulled herself off of the bed, staggering towards the door. Her body pitched over and she almost fell into it, catching herself by holding onto the handle.
Waves of pain and nausea rolled through her body. Her head spun, as if she was floating on air, as light as a feather. She opened the door to the dimly lit hallway, swaying as she stared out.
"Ares?"
There was no response nor movement. Her stare swayed as spots began to pepper my eyes. She held onto the door frame, fretful that she would just collapse.
Get it together, Isla. It's all in your head. The ghosts… they're not helping you.
Isla was all about to head back in when soft footsteps broke through the fuzziness in her ears. She turned, realising a shadow moving at the far end of the hallway, slowly coming at her.
"Ares?"
The face was illuminated by the soft candles. The eerie, haunting gaze of her former friend made Isla's heart seize in her chest.
Amryn's dark red eyes flickered, a torrent of blood now gushing down her palm and onto the carpet below, pooling at her feet. Isla's breaths grew ragged as she realised that Cal's words were true.
"Amryn…" Isla choked.
Amryn didn't respond. She stood still, eyes fixated on Isla, pupils replaced by a wall of red that made Amryn almost feel inhuman.
A lump formed in Isla's throat that she was barely able to swallow. Her body shuddered as it fought the growing infection from her shoulder. Sweat lingered on her back, soaking her shirt.
Isla knew that if Amryn wanted to fight — voluntarily or not — that her chances were slimmer than before. Instinctive and drive wouldn't be able to save her.
In that moment, Isla knew there was no other option.
"Ares!"
Isla threw herself back into the room as fast as her unstable legs would carry her. She slammed the door shut and locked it, just as Amryn crashed into it, making Isla scream again.
"Ares! Ares… help! Ares!"
"Ares!"
Ares' eyes widened as the small bottle of pills fell from her hand, clattering onto the floor. For a split second, she paused, fear freezing her to the spot. She heard her blood pulsing in her ears, the sound of her heartbeat drowning out everything else.
There was no fight or flight instinct.
"Ares… help! Ares!"
Ares didn't think twice as she ran as fast as she could back to Isla, placing her own desire to run away behind that of saving another.
Am I evil?
Amryn slammed her shoulder into the door, over and over, determined to open it. She felt the weight of the wood shudder with each blow, the lock barely being able to sustain it.
Why am I doing this?
No answer.
The thick, gelatinous blood continued to pool on the floor, a puddle so thick that, at the back of her mind, Amryn wondered how she was still even standing. It coiled like a snake back up to Amryn's palm, forming a solidified, red axe.
Amryn slammed the blood axe into the door, hearing it splinter. She raised it behind her head once more, bringing it down with so much force that a huge chunk of the wood came away, revealing a line of sight into the bedroom.
The axe turned back into liquid, splashing onto the floor as Amryn eyed up the crack. With a flurry of her hands, the blood shaped into two large hands, wrapping around the opening in the door and prying it open.
I just want to live.
I just want to live.
I—
The door shattered into splinters. The blood followed Amryn as she stepped into the room, finding Isla backed up to the bed, fists raised lamely in defense.
Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, Amryn didn't want to do it. Isla had befriended her from the first day in the medical bay, both tending to injuries. They had built a bond from trust and kindness — they had been through hell together, side-by-side, even as Amryn couldn't stop herself from sinking into darkness… after murdering Cal.
She's my friend…
"You… don't have to do… this…"
The blood turned into a sword once more. Amryn retreated in her mind, allowing her body to move on its own as she slashed out with the sword aggressively, hearing Isla's distant scream.
Isla's gut-wrenching scream only made Ares surge on faster, throwing herself up the stairs as quick as her legs would carry her. When she turned into the hallway — seeing the remnants of the door scattered across the carpet — she knew that she was wrong.
They weren't alone. They most likely never were.
Ares felt her heart in her throat as she slowed down, edging nervously to the door. Isla's whimpers beat at her ears relentlessly until she was at the door, staring at the back of their former ally looming over Isla's crumpled body.
"Amryn…" Ares mumbled. "What are you doing?"
Amryn looked behind her, blistering red eyes soulless. The red sword in her hand was menacing, dripping eerily onto the floor where Isla laid in the fetal position, clutching at her stomach.
"What did you do?"
"Ares…! Help me!"
Ares switched her gaze from Isla to Amryn to the sword, ignoring the nervous twist in her gut. Ares raised her hands defensively as Amryn turned fully around, revealing the blood splatters across her body and face.
"Amryn…" Ares said softly, "You can put down the sword. Let's talk about this before anyone else gets seriously hurt."
There was no response. Just a vacant, evil stare.
"Isla is seriously injured and I found some antibiotics and gauze. We… we can fix this, and— and heal her up. I just need you to put the sword down— please, Amryn."
The sword continued to drip, drip, drip. Isla writhed in pain, bleeding out heavily from the slash in her belly. Her movements were weak and slowing down. There wouldn't be enough time to save her unless Ares acted quickly… and faced her inner demons.
"I'm sorry," Ares whispered as she squeezed her eyes shut, hands igniting in white fire.
Amryn startled at the sight as she edged forward, sizing Ares up inaudibly. Ares' entire body stiffened as her muscles cried for respite. It hadn't been long since she defeated the monster, and now she had to face another — one a little too close to home.
Isla writhed again, "Ares…!"
Amryn used the distraction to attack, jabbing out with the sword. Ares instinctively moved her open, fiery palms down to defend herself. The blade hissed as it melted on impact, though it still hit Ares' skin, slicing open one of her hands.
Ares screamed, staggering backwards, as Amryn pushed forward.
"Amryn! Stop!"
The sword disappeared as Amryn grabbed at Ares' wrists, holding the flames out of reach. Her skin instantly blackened and welted, but Amryn didn't react, red eyes only flickering as her face was expressionless. Ares felt her back hit the wall in the hallway as Amryn overwhelmed her.
"Please! Stop!"
Amryn paused, Ares' fiery hands now raised up to her head. "No."
It's not Amryn. The voice was guttural and raw, as if possessed by something evil. Ares trembled as her own hands inched towards, heat permeating on her skin. Her eyes shook as Amryn's face disappeared behind the flames and then—
Nothing. Ares' hands flattened against her cheeks, still fully lit, but she felt nothing even as the flames danced on her skin.
Ares squeezed her eyes shut as she jerked her knee up, connecting with Amryn's gut and giving her enough leverage to do it again as she buckled from the blows. Ares dug deep for the strength to yank her hands free, the fire extinguishing as she grabbed Amryn by the hair and slammed her head first into the wall, stunning her.
All thoughts of apologies were gone as Ares allowed her survival instinct take over.
"Think about this!"
Amryn rebounded quickly, faltering slightly in her step. There was a crack in her facade. A glimpse of the real Amryn breaking through once more.
"I know you're in there…" Ares whispered, backing herself up into the doorway to protect Isla, "I know you can hear me. I— I know you don't want to do this, Amryn… you're a good person!"
"I… killed Cal…"
Ares shuddered, "I know… I know you did… but I'm sure you had a good reason to—"
"—You don't know me!" Amryn screamed. The red eyes disappeared as warm hazel returned. Amryn buckled to her knees, weeping so tremendously loud that it shocked Ares, lingering over. "You… don't know… me. I killed him because I want to live!"
Ares reached out with a trembling hand, "We all do…"
Her hand exploded in fire suddenly, startling Ares as it made contact with Amryn's shoulder. Amryn screeched, throwing herself backwards into the wall. Her body spasmed as her red eyes returned, stoic stare looking up.
Ares didn't have time to react as Amryn formed a knife from the blood down her arm, stabbing forward. It slid straight into Ares' calf, making her scream as she fell backwards into the bedroom.
Amryn rose silently, "You don't know me."
Ares quickly latched her hand onto the bleeding wound, scrambling further back towards Isla, "I do! I know you're a good person!"
"No," Amryn paused, "I'm not."
Am I evil?
She had them both on the floor at her feet, bleeding out onto the carpet, soaking it in their blood. Her body trembled but not through fear… through power. She could feel it exploding in her veins, rushing through like a turbulent wave.
Her blackened hands bubbled and welted as her skin burned. But it didn't faze her.
Nothing fazed her any more. Amryn was too scared to face her actions, her corruption, and so, she hid as far back into her mind as she could, allowing the darkness to take over her body like autopilot.
Am I truly evil? Is this my doing for questioning Limos?
Did I deserve this?
Yes. You did.
Amryn vaguely felt her skin beginning to peel away as the soft, muted voices of Ares and Isla pleading fell on deaf ears. Her body broke into shards, clumps of flesh hitting the floor, slowly coming undone.
The sword formed stronger and darker. Her blood was no longer red — it was as black as her soul.
She stabbed down with all of her might, vaguely hearing a scream.
"Forgive me!"
Ares didn't know what happened. She felt the fire inside of her. Burning away, simmering, festering… and then, she couldn't contain it. Her entire body ignited like a bomb before it exploded, sending waves of heat throughout the room.
They crashed through the walls, toppling them down, as the entire building was set ablaze in a fury of white fire.
w w w. sixfeetunderhg. weebly. c o m.
The Fallen:
9th — Odell Martinot, killed by Niobe Nervanthis
I think what I loved the most about Odell was his self-preservation. He wasn't callous or a villain — he truly just wanted to live above all else. I admired his tenacity and resilience and he probably didn't make the best choices in his tenure, but I respect the fact that, compared to a lot of the tributes, he was willing to do all that it took. I will miss him lots!
I really said we're gonna go into our very last two chapters with eight tributes still alive. I am a clown.
It's weird to think this story is almost over. I hope people are ready for a possible sequel (he says, knowing full well he is doing one~)!
~Corey.