( Sorry this chapter is so late, I was unable to upload because I was on vacation. The idea of the river skags in this chapter is due to the inspiration of theraisaredeemer { u/13246023/ } . Thank you! )
Chapter 12: River Skags
Lightning flashed through the sky and the rain grew steadily harder. Instead of cursing of current situation, I made the most of it and tried to capture as much water as I could hold in my mouth. It re-energized me and felt good on my skin, slowly washing away the dust and grime.
It wasn't long after the storm had started that Hawk came over and dragged me down to a scraggly shrub. Without a word, he untied and tied my hands to the stalk and then ran back to the others. I didn't bother to struggle, what was the use?
Escape from the waters was impossible now, with my body changed inescapably in the dip of land. Already a stream of water was rushing over my lower legs. I could see the careers quickly pack up and haul their supplies onto the cornucopia. When they were all up on top, they then spread out a plastic canvas and covered themselves with it.
The storm grew fiercer by the minute with a howling wind shaking the trees and rain falling in torrential sheets. My thirst quenched, I shivered in the cold and tried to pull my legs up farther from the water that was now running past my knees and up my back.
Death by drowning and being burned alive were the two deaths that I most feared and loathed, besides being slashed or stuck through with a sword. Even though I was a decent swimmer, the thought of being trapped under the surface, unable to breath or call for help, made me shudder. Here I couldn't even try to save myself.
As the thunder and wind deafened me, I closed my eyes. I would not give the Capitol or audience the satisfaction of seeing me cry. For my family, I would die without fear or self- pity.
Suddenly, a pair of hands shook my shoulders and I gave a startled yelp. Twisting my head, I turned to see Andrew, sopping wet and crouching in the rising waters. By now it had covered my whole torso and I had to lift my head to escape it.
''Andrew!,'' I exclaimed.
''Hey,'' he said breathily and took out a knife. With a few swift movements, he cut the line connecting my hands and feet and then severed the ropes binding them individually.
''Thanks,'' I said, pushing myself with eternal gratefulness up to a sitting position with my good hand. He stood and I took his hand to help myself stand, but as soon as my legs straightened, they buckled and I fell back into the stream. I gritted my teeth as cramps seized the muscles that hadn't moved in days.
''Whoa, you okay?,'' he asked and knelt down at my side. Andrew all at once cried out and swung the knife at his leg. I looked to see the problem and gasped as he pulled up a lifeless river skag. We looked at each other in terror.
River skags were mutated salamanders that had been designed years ago for the Hunger Games. They had dog-like teeth and stood about six inches high with a length of two and a half feet. Their flat tails alone were a foot long and powered them upstream with the help of their serrated wings, which protruded from their shoulders and extended to the base of their tail. Two more fins ran along the ridge of their neck. Their claws were razor-sharp, in addition to the poisonous spines running down their tails and lengthening to a size perfect for whipping into skin. River skags were gray and brown striped, mimicking the riverbed for camouflage. They hunted in ''packs'' and, like piranha, frenzied with the taste of blood and flesh. They were the closest thing the capitol had ever made to dragons.
Andrew and I watched the waters being to writhe downstream as a gush of blood from his leg washed away. They were too close to run. As long as they were wet, river skags could pursue their prey up to as fast as a person could run; a nice, Capitol bonus. Their poison could also cause a condition of somewhat drunkenness with spasms thrown in. Some survivors had described the spasms as feeling like volts of electricity coursing through you for about six or seven seconds.
I tried desperately to get up as Andrew stood infront of me and readied his weapon in the pouring rain. Luckily, there was a washed up branch on the bank next to me so I grabbed it and struggled to control my weak limbs against the current. With my own weapon raised, we struck the skags the moment they fell upon us. In the darkness, all I could do was smash the stick on the bodies as they attacked us with their claws and teeth and spines.
No one could tell how many there were, but I did know that they didn't band together with more than eight to a pack. Andrew slashed around his legs again and again, both of us crying out and yelping when the mutt's cut through our pants or boots to our skin.
After an eternity of three or four minutes, I collapsed to the bank, unable to stand anymore. Two skags jumped out after me, one heavily bleeding from a gash on its side. I scrambled back and bashed them away with the limb, my arms and legs screaming from pain. The mutts hissed and a flash of lightening illuminated their forms.
Andrew jabbed at the water one last time and then rushed toward me, driving his knife into the back of the head of the unwounded river skag. I gave one, last, powerful swing with my good arm and hand holding the stick and it collided with the wounded skag's head, sending him flying backwards where it lay motionless. The one remaining mutt gave a wretched screech as Andrew withdrew his blade and it fell, dead.
Breathing hard, we both were still.
''Let's go,'' Andrew said, and pulled me up again. I grimaced but forced my legs to run after my friend into the woods. With adrenaline pumping through us, we crashed through the foliage.
In the middle of pumping his legs, Andrew suddenly cried out and fell to the ground. In horror, I saw his face contort and his body jolt, just as if he'd been electrocuted. I dashed to his side and bit my lip, knowing I could do nothing. Like clockwork though, I collapsed to the ground and gasped in agony as well. Sheets of rain fell upon our helpless, jerking bodies.
( I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It's one of my personal favorites. In a day or two I hope to upload a link to a picture of a drawing I did of the river skags, so check back soon to see it! )
