TW: Heavy violence and gore past this point and just general intensity.
Franz Kubo, 18, District 2
A thud vibrates against the floorboards in the house we've been sleeping in. My eyes curl open.
Tatiana has tossed her rucksack on the floor and is rummaging around, hectically stuffing various bits of food and supplies inside.
She hasn't noticed that I'm awake yet, lying here on my bed with my eyes just slid open.
While she jolts up the zip, she's panting and twitching with her clammy hands as she wraps herself in a coat and hauls her bag over her shoulders…
She creaks past where I'm laying, passing through the door and outside into the snow-covered town. My eyelids shut immediately but then quickly creep open again when she's gone.
Once she's plodding outside the window, I spring up from my bed - straight to the window.
My eyes follow her through the glass panel until she disappears behind one of the stone houses.
The girl that mysteriously disappears… that's what she was always known as at the academy and she's still at it, even now.
I never knew her very well, nor did I know anyone for that matter, also she was a few years below me. Even so, she was pretty famous for this little disappearing act that she did. People mostly just made fun of her about it. Besides, it wasn't any of my business what she got up to, nor did I really care. I always just imagined it was normal-person problems. So, I never paid much attention to her.
But then she turned up as my District partner at the age of fifteen. That immediately created suspicion. Not any kind of overt suspicion but it was there. Buried deep down, subconsciously.
She was just so chatty and friendly. I needed a friend. I'd never really had one before in my life. I just never trusted a single one of these false people that surround us and everyone else just saw me as some alien, trapped on an island, separated from the rest of the world.
The birds never saw me as an alien. I could just sit amongst them, observe, and be accepted. Never needing to be worried about being stabbed in the back.
That's where Tati comes into it. You see, she was the same. She was different from everyone else. Not for the same reasons as me - I never had a disappearing act.
Either way, it didn't matter. I'd finally found someone I could relate to. I'd finally found a friend. So, I pushed the distrust to the back of my mind, determined not to believe it. In denial.
But now it's resurfaced like a growing tumor in the back of my thoughts. We're in the final Eight, we need to come clean to each other.
Hesitantly, I move away from the window and scrape my chair out, parking myself down on the wooden table.
A coin twirls between my fingers. My eyes fall shut. Time to open up the map in my mind, time to finish connecting the dots.
They're all there, scattered in my brain in different places. But it's all in there. Their strengths, their weaknesses, everything they've ever said and done. Taliesin was always on the forefront of my suspicions but after we split, I calmed down a little.
That is until Tati said what she said yesterday. It wasn't some freaky family poem. I never believed that for one second. There were rumours of a secret rebel group hiding in the outskirts of District Two. Some said they even used hypnotizing methods on people. Specifically, their rivals.
My logical brain dismissed it at first but what she said yesterday… began the seeds of doubt.
Then there was what she said to me back on the very first day of the games, whilst we were wandering down that sunny path, trailing the other careers.
"There are things about me that you wouldn't like if you knew," her soft voice echoes through my brain.
She was so unlike herself when she said that. So nervous. She was about to dispel something; she was about to give herself up. She was about to admit the truth to me…
She's a rebel.
But not just any old rebel. There are many that want to take control of this collapsing regime. No, these are more like counter rebels. What were they called again? The Thunder? Or something like that. All I know is that all the others were trying to stop them… so they can't be good news.
I've never cared much for the Capitol, but I do care about my District and our standing. We have a good standing in Panem and I can't let them or her take that away! Does she really want us to become like one of the outer Districts? How does she know her regime can do any better than the Capitol? Why take the risk? Why not just keep things how they are? We get to train our kids for the Hunger Games.
It's time to confront her in front of the entire world. She must have her side of the story to tell, and I'll give her the chance to defend herself. She may be my friend, but I have to do what I think is right for the country.
My eyelids shoot open. I'm already up off my chair peering at her footprints in the snow. They're winding their way around one of the houses at the far end.
So, I dart over to the wardrobe, clawing around for a winter coat. My hands produce a dirty looking fur coat that's soon over my body to keep me warm out there. I never did well in the cold.
My sword, that's the last thing I'll need. Swords were never my strong point, but it'll have to do if things go south.
Once I'm out of the door, my feet tap down the stone steps towards her footprints on the snow. It's only occasional light snowfall for now, so they are sparkling bright for me to see.
They take me all through the town, right to the end of it, over a hill of snow.
The path of footprints goes on and on for hours across this now snowy wilderness.
By the time I've crossed the railway, the sun is setting. The town around me is lit up in its usual display of lights, warmly reflecting off the snow. She can't have gone that much further? What is she doing?
I'm getting tired now and face is so numb from the cold.
Shivering and rubbing my arms, I'm about ready to call it a day when…
My heart jumps!
The footprints lead to a hazy silhouette of a girl, kneeling in the snow next to one of the wooden huts. There she is!
But her back is facing me. It's the only thing I can make out, other than her long, straight, black hair running down it.
My hand scrambles to my sword to ready it, however my boot suddenly plants in the snow as my boot comes forward. Too loud!
Her head peeks up to the noise, my fingers tighten around the hilt of my sword in response.
Steadily and oddly calm, she rises up to her feet with a spear prepared in her hand. Now I can finally see the sponsor box attached to a parachute that she is standing over.
She turns to face me. Her eyes seem blank yet poised with purpose.
My chest heaves out with a deep breath.
"Tati… I know," I declare.
Her eyes remain the same, fingers scrunching up a thin, slip of paper which she must have got from the sponsor box.
"It's too late… we've already won," she responds, shaking her head.
Suddenly, all the lights of the town are plunged into darkness leaving us in almost pitch black, but the snow is reflecting brightly enough to show her silhouette.
She steps closer, revealing her freckled face again, her teeth are gritted tight with venom which pumps my heart with adrenaline. Here we go.
Conrad Martell, 18, District 6
THUD
My right fist impacts the coarse bark of the snow-covered tree. A pain stings up my entire arm however it's nothing to me now. No physical pain can ever come near to what happened to me.
THUD
My left fist. I keep steadily slamming my fists into the tree, until my knuckles are dripping with blood. I'm just practicing what I'm going to do to his face when I find him. It's the only way I can cope at the moment.
Beckett was all I had. That boy was the only family I've ever had… and he took him from me.
What does that mean for me? For him? I'm going to hurt him, that's all I know. How can I match how he hurt me? I have no idea. I don't imagine he has anyone close to him. Anyone important to him that I can force him to watch die in his arms. I can't torture him psychologically like he did to me. I can only do it physically. That's the only way I know how.
My frantic eyes dart around the snow blanket to my bag, lying there. I've packed everything I think I'll need to track him down and kill him. Our climbing rope, that we were sponsored, some food and water if it proves long and tenuous.
The food I got from the feast was for all of us… so I have plenty.
I packed empty glass bottles to make molotov cocktails (something I learned during training).
But I've thought of a better use for them… my only purpose now is to cause as much pain as possible to him, right?
Scurrying over to my bag, I yank out two of the glass bottles. Then, I whip out my belt and gnaw my teeth through it. When it is snapped in half, I begin tying the glass bottles around my knuckles. Once they are fastened tight around my fists, I smash them into one of the trees!
Now I have vicious, sharp, broken glass lining my knuckles.
A sly smile lines my face. Perfect.
With my bag now slung on my shoulder and sword strapped to my back, my hand reaches one last time into my pocket… for his bee necklace. The only thing I have left of him.
My throat clears… staring down at it.
"Hey, little guy…"
"I'm sorry for what I'm about to do," I croak, clenching the necklace tightly in my palm.
Before I know it, my foot has hit the gas and I'm marching on again. To fulfill my purpose.
The footprints from his boots in the snow are still clear enough to see, since it did stop snowing a few hours ago.
The sun has broken up from the horizon as well, behind the pale clouds. So, it is easier to see past the red mist of my vision.
It should be biting cold all around me, but I feel nothing. Just boiling rage in my heart.
My trek through the thick snow and trees continues. Right up until his footprints fade.
My gaze moves hastily all around me! There are mounds of snow encircling where I'm standing.
Where is he?
"Taliesin!" I screech through the air.
For a small moment there is silence but then…
"Citizens of Panem! It's main event time!" His voice echoes between the trees.
My eyes narrow to a shadowy figure standing above me in the haze. My target.
I'm already striding in his direction. My veins are boiling with fury at the sight of him, my fists are clenched firm.
I clamber up the mound until he's only meters away. He has his usual grin on, unmoving. With his hands behind his back…
"Uh oh - here he comes!" He giggles.
"Let's hear it for our star of the show! The Guardian Angel!" He calls into the sky.
I'm seconds away from hitting him! A truck slamming into a rat! My chest is huffing and panting violently.
With my right arm, I swing with all my might!
SLAM
My right fist impacts his face! Spinning him around and slicing it deep!
His hand darts up to his face in shock! But he's still smiling.
SLAM
My left-hand impacts his other cheek, knocking him further back. His blood bursts out and stains the snow at our feet red.
Right, left, right, left!
I can't stop hitting him, screaming in anger!
I'm now gripping the top of his tangly hair with my left hand, whilst pummeling his face with my right.
Still, he's not fighting back. I don't know why but I don't care. I'm enjoying smashing his face in too much, seeing it dripping with blood! If I'm going to kill him, it has to be as painful as possible. That's the only way I can equal the pain he's caused me.
Lastly, I land a front push kick into his gut, which sends him hurtling back into a tree! His head crashes into the bark!
He's now rubbing the back of his head, stunned slightly.
"Not bad racer boy," he smirks, spitting out blood.
I'm already descending upon him again, but he suddenly whips out a black knife, directly at my throat!
His eyes are now bright with excitement.
"My turn," he says, licking the blood off his lips.
But I'm unmoving. Not a single ounce of fear is flowing through my body, only anger. Fury that's puffing out. I have no fear because there's nothing he can do to me that's worse than what he's already done.
His eyes gradually seem to realise that. They widen a little, in surprise, with his blade touching my neck.
But he continues sneering, leaping up into the air with a spin and landing a kick into my gut!
His heel shatters against my ribs and my body fly's back down the mound of snow, rolling around, down and down until I'm on all fours, panting and coughing.
"Still mourning the loss of your precious bee boy, I see?" He taunts from above.
"You should be thanking me really. I made the hard choice for you… now you don't have to kill him…"
My head moves up to face him again. I still can't get rid of that grin, but my eyes fall down to the snow, regretfully.
"Oh… you were gonna fall on your sword for him, weren't you?" He realises aloud.
"How sweet."
I glare back up at the devil. All I want to do is rip him to pieces!
"In case you hadn't noticed, we're in a death game and killing is all part of the performance. So, believe me when I tell you, that you are taking this all far too personally!" he calls down.
Still, I glare at him, crunching my teeth together.
"That's all life is… a performance… a show and we're putting on the greatest show on Earth, together Conrad, you and me," he continues.
His grin changes to a more genuine smile after this, almost inviting, yet still unhinged.
"It's all I ever wanted," he finishes.
"And what about what Beckett wanted huh? He just wanted to live in the moment. Didn't that matter too?" I shoot back, clutching my ribs and panting heavily.
He curls his lips together. He's unable to answer my question with one of his usual sly remarks. Has he never… in fact… thought about what another human being might want, other than himself?
"And what do you want Conrad Martell?" He asks, softly this time.
"Revenge," I hiss.
My answer is immediate, no second thought was needed.
His blood-soaked face lights up.
"Come on then… orphan from Six… come and get your revenge," he hisses back, raising his arms up in an embrace.
With a growl of anger, I charge back up the mound, simultaneously drawing my golden sword from my back!
He slides under my first swing, backward across the snow.
But I keep coming at him, slicing ferociously at his head. The slimy bastard is so quick, ducking under each swing at his neck and each time I miss, my sword takes a chunk out of any nearby tree!
Sparkles fly out of my blade, the heat flows into my hands! When the metal is ablaze, it burns through the tree trunks on impact!
He slips off again to my right, behind a bigger trunk and he's gone! Just like a shadow when a light is switched on.
My gaze moves all around me, in every direction, circling. It's just the pale blanket of snow and murky tree trunks in front of the misty, grey clouds.
Two daggers come whistling through the air toward my face, but I manage to dart my head behind a trunk in time! Both stick deep into the bark!
His voice crackles through the wind again, echoing between the trees.
"That's why I like you Conrad, there's not a lick of fear about you… just like me."
"Oh give it a minute, it'll sink in," I call back.
His voice seemed to be coming from my right, so I poke my eyes out of that side of the tree trunk.
Nothing. Just the icy wind blowing.
I may have to think for a second, clear the red mist from my eyes just enough for a brief moment to collect myself. His main defense is his throwing knives and they are finite. If I can get him to run out of those, I'll be free to chop him to pieces.
To get him to waste them, I need to anger him.
"I know a scared, little, pathetic man when I see one," I call out.
Another knife suddenly embeds into the tree near my face!
Then, he is suddenly flying through the air from my right at lightning speed! He plants a kick into my ribs again, knocking me down onto the snow!
After landing, he's above me again, in his defensive stance, his left leg and right hand forward.
"I have shown you respect; you could do me the courtesy of returning the favor," he says, his eyes are sulky, genuinely offended.
BOOM
My hands cover my ears!
A bullet ricochets an inch away from his head, splattering chunks of bark everywhere!
Serenity Jasper, 16, District 9
Everything is piled high in my brain. Ricky's head rolling across the grass, the bodies that Taliesin left in his rampage, his blood-covered face…
Will killing him make all the pain go away? I'm not sure. I could sit it out for a while, I don't have to face him now…
But then again, I've always taken the risky option in my life, and it's always gotten me somewhere. Without the risk, the gamble and the thrill, my family would never have survived.
That's it. That's how I'll kill him. That's how I'll win. I can only fight his fire with my own.
I lift up the bucket, filled with water, and douse my fire. Enough rest. Time for action.
I've never stopped tracking him after that incident with the scarecrow. I can't afford not to. Anyone that keeps their eye off him is soon found dead.
I think I'm one step ahead of him at the moment. Although, I'm never sure if I truly am or if he's just playing one of his sick games with me, leading me into a false sense of security and hope. I can never tell with him.
He doesn't know where I am… I'm pretty sure.
But my eyes are straining and weary against the icy air, the big black bags are weighing them down. I can't sleep, not until he's dead and out of my mind.
He took the train after the young Twelve and the Eleven girls, but I was too late to stop him from doing something horrific.
Though, I've become so numb to the sight of dead bodies and blood. It doesn't shock me anymore. He's left a trail of blood everywhere he's gone, and I helped with it. That's what's eating me up inside more than anything.
When shouting and screaming echoed through the white forest, I traced his footprints in the direction of the commotion, past another burnt-out fire.
The boy from Six is attacking him, swiping at him like a wild animal. I've never seen anyone so angry. Bloodtide killed his ally, that young boy from Three. That's all I know.
My fingers stammer down towards the gun around my belt. Here's my chance. I can finish him here and now. I've spent the best part of these games helping him on his murder spree. Now I have the opportunity to end it. Once and for all!
The boy from Six darts behind a tree while Taliesin launches several daggers in his direction. They stick deep into the bark, as they are now trading words back and forth.
Taliesin then finally comes into my view, leaping through the air and slamming his heel into the boy with one of his flying kicks.
He's in my line of sight now! My gun comes up from my waist, targeting his head.
My hand… it's shaking still. Why? I'm so poised to kill him. To win the game. To see him finally lose. I'm so sure of my conviction, so why is my hand shaking?
My right leg! I catch it pacing again! That's what it is.
His head suddenly lines up in the perfect position. My finger pulls the trigger instinctively! I wasn't ready!
BOOM
The bark explodes outwards, only a hair away from his head! No! A miss! I only have one left now.
Before, I had one for each of them.
But he's already vanished behind the tree, into the white fog! My hands quickly work to reload my gun but by the time it's loaded, he's long gone for sure.
My body shivers round and round, facing the white abyss in between the trees. My hands keep my gun gripped hard. He could jump out from any direction. I know him.
My gun at last finds itself pointing at the panting boy from Six, lying on the snow. His face is red hot with rushed blood.
He holds out his shaking hand.
"Wait," he croaks.
My gun remains pointed between his forehead.
"I don't care about you. I'm going after him, so either he dies or I die trying…"
He tilts his head.
"Either way, you win," he finishes.
His eyes are so wild that they are almost demented. My eyes find their way down momentarily to his knuckles, they are caked in blood, stained against glass, wrapped around his fist. Yet, I know inside that all his hate seems to be directed at one person… Taliesin.
He's a loose cannon at the moment, capable of doing some serious damage. So if I could just aim him at the right person…
Beyond that, I can see he hurt this boy deeply, he deserves whatever it is he wants to do to him.
"Okay," I agree, lowering my gun and offering out my hand.
His shivering hand takes mine and I haul him to his feet. He's very tall, now that I'm next to him, over six feet for sure. Although, he looks so sunken and dreary.
"What's your name again Six?" I ask, staring off past the trees, to try to calculate where Taliesin has most likely gone.
"C-conrad," he stutters.
My eyes scan him briefly.
"Serenity," I reply with a slight smile.
There's no way I can shake his hand. This isn't that kind of alliance. I'll probably have to end up killing him in the end, anyway. Taliesin is our priority for now, however. Our common enemy.
He twirls his sword in his hand again but is soon focusing forward, marching on to his destination.
"Conrad wait!" I call, jogging to catch up to him.
He pauses, turning back to me.
"So… you got any kinda plan up your sleeve or what?"
"My only plan at the moment is to slowly dismember him," he answers, blankly.
And again, he's striding onwards, not looking back.
"Works for me," I shrug.
We trudge on through the deep snow, mostly in silence. We don't have much to talk about, after all. This alliance is just for our mutual benefit. We barely know each other. The last thing I remember about Conrad was all the way back to the interviews. He seemed so carefree, charming, and weirdly jovial. The person standing next to me now is a shell of that, an entirely different person. I understand. Bloodtide changed me too, he infects everyone he touches.
After a few hours of walking, we pause for a quick rest bite, wiping the snow off a log and plonking down. Conrad only takes a couple of hurried sips from his water bottle. I, on the other hand, need to take my time, my brain needs to try to slow down to devise the best strategy.
Knowing when to bluff or fold, I always had a strategy for that… but taking down a career? Especially one like Taliesin. That's a different story. But if I and Conrad combine our brain power? That might be the only way.
My lips part to speak.
"A word of warning," I begin.
He's broken out of his trance.
"As much as I'd like to go in all guns blazing. It's never that straightforward with Taliesin… he's always one step ahead. Trust me, I've spent a lot of time with him," I say softly.
He raises his eyebrows, unable to maintain eye contact all of a sudden.
"Had enough of helping him then I see," he jabs, shaking his head.
Suddenly, I jolt at his sleeve, aggressively.
"You think I wanted this? You think I asked for this?" I jab back.
"You think any of us asked for this?" He retorts, staring me in the eyes again, red in the face.
"You think Beckett asked for this? Or Nadia? Or Seia? Or Elijah?" He continues, raising his voice.
He's naming a bunch of people. His friends? I wonder how many of them Taliesin has killed. Beckett? That boy in the bee costume, check. Nadia? Was that the vacant-looking girl from Twelve? Check. Elijah? The boy from Seven? Check. He's right, I didn't have to ally with that monster. Maybe I am just as bad.
But Conrad's eyes are staring at the ground again, shamefully.
"I'm sorry," he says, softly.
"I'm not blaming you for what he did… I-I just need to find him," he stutters.
"You and me both," I reply, staring at the gun in my hands.
I take a deep inhale.
"So, here's how we do it. I have the ranged weapon; I'll draw him out. Then you can rush in and surprise him," I suggest.
He turns his gaze back to me.
"H-he loves those throwing knives, so we need to get him to run out… remove his favorite toy," he adds.
I nod.
"Good shout."
We seem to bounce ideas off each other fairly smoothly. If only I had allied with him from the beginning. We probably would have gotten far together.
Together, we stand up once more, readying our weapons in our hands.
But he suddenly lets out a deep, raspy cough, placing his hands on his knees, like he's choking inside.
"You good?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.
He nods casually, pointing forward.
A vast icy plain now spreads between where we are; at the edge of the tree line and at the end, in the distance, a train track stretches across the land.
That's it! We force Taliesin into the train. In an enclosed space, Conrad will have a much better chance of doing damage to him. Where he can't slip away and hide.
"There!" I gasp, pointing up to a shadowy silhouette perched up on a boulder.
Conrad is already gritting his teeth, about to leap out after him however, I quickly drag him down by his shoulders behind a fallen log.
"Remember the plan," I whisper, staring him in the eyes.
"I'll go first."
With a deep breath, my hands push me over the slippery, snow-covered log.
I force myself to approach him slowly and cautiously, around the edge of a tree line, so I'll have somewhere to take cover. My feet skip lightly over the snow, he could have easily laid a trap underneath.
I'm meters away from him now. His shadowy figure steadily rises from his sitting position and a knife soon whisks through the air toward my face!
I manage to get out of the way, behind a tree but almost trip on the sticky snow. Dammit, he's fast.
"What did I tell ya? Didn't I say you'd miss your shot?" He calls.
"I bet your right leg is pacing behind that tree!"
Urgh, I so want to jump out and blow his brains out! But that's what he wants, for me to make mistakes. His words are one of his greatest weapons. So, my back stays glued to the tree, for now, regaining my panting breaths. That was too close.
Remember what Conrad said - we need him to exhaust his throwing knives.
But I only have one bullet left too… I need to play this very carefully. He has to die for all the misery he's caused!
Taliesin Ulysess, 18, District 4
Blood erupts from all the gashes inflicted on my skin; it tingles painfully against the frozen air!
My hand slithers off my face, now also dripping with my blood.
It matters not. I'm Bloodtide. Blood only makes me stronger.
My enemies have united against me. So What? When I'm finished with them, I'll be decorating the place with their blood.
Sigurd, Triton, Raynes, Thames, Neptune… Corsair, everyone I've killed in the last 10 days, even that boy sat on that chair, with the sack over his head and the bullet hole in his skull.
They're dead because they weren't worthy. Worthy of the spotlight. Worthy of the greatest show on earth.
Suddenly, Serenity zips out between two trees in the distance in a blur. My knife toss is too slow, it whizzes just behind her back before she's ducking behind a tree closer to me.
She needs to line up her shot. Her last shot. That's what's going through her brain right now. Does she know how much she stands out in the reflecting snow?
"I always liked you Serenity. Ya know why?" I yell.
She doesn't answer but she can hear me. I know it.
"You're a survivor. A pragmatist. Just like me!"
She dashes out again but is already behind a closer tree. In a frustrated retaliation, I unleash a torrent of throwing knives in her direction, one after the other.
All wasted.
"You, me, and Conrad. That's why we're worthy of the greatest show on Earth!" I exclaim!
"The perfect trio for a perfect climax!" I continue, crunching my teeth together with glee.
A split second later, she shoots out from behind the tree at lightning speed. The barrel of her gun facing my eyes!
But I'm able to throw myself backward under the boulder - laying on the snow with my palms before she can get the shot off.
The train station is directly ahead of me. A trap. Yes, I'll lay a trap for her.
My legs spring me up. The train is plowing its way through the deep snow, coming to a halt at the station.
The noise of Serenity's delayed footsteps in the snow follows me right into the train carriage as I rip the door open!
A sharp rock bounces off my face, bruising it purple!
She's fast on my tail! After unleashing the rock from her hand she's already inside the train behind me with her gun raised!
With a snap of my head, I twist my body and plant a kick straight into her gut! She tumbles onto her back but lifts her gun up again at me simultaneously, squinting her left eye!
I'm too fast! I've already closed the inside door to the next carriage and bolted it shut.
When she's on her feet again, she clenches her jaw, slamming her fist on the glass window in annoyance.
A grin creeps upon my face. She'll always be one step behind.
I'm backing away from her now, still smiling into her soul. There's only one way she can get through that door and that would involve wasting her last bullet. How wonderfully frustrating for her.
The train is moving off again to its destination, leaving me and Serenity alone in here, I'll be able to outsmart her. To find some way of stabbing her in the back. In a way though, I don't want to see my only intellectual competition gone. It'll make things incredibly boring. There will still be Conrad to toy with and torment, I suppose.
THUD
Behind me! Conrad!
He's hanging off the back of the train while it's moving!
This was all a set up! I turn my gaze momentarily back to Serenity, who now has a smile on her lips.
A split second goes by, giving me no time to think before he has already smashed through the door with his legs! The momentum carries his feet straight into my chest with force! I'm sent hurtling across the train floor, landing on my back and cracking my head on the floor!
I'm fast to recover but so is he! We stumble to our feet together, locking gazes!
His eyes are still on fire with fury! What he just did was insanity! I would never have thought in all my life, that I would meet someone as mad as me after I smothered my boyfriend. But I have!
He's not like Corsair. I could have never tamed him in the same way. Have I truly, at long last, met my equal in this world?
Conrad grips his sword solidly, gritting his teeth at the very sight of me.
"You know you were right… what you said to me that night in the Capitol - not everyone gets a happy ending," he exclaims, animalistically squinting his eyes in on me.
Did… did he really just throw in a punch line as well? Throw my words back in my face?
I can't help but grin at the person I've made him, as I slip a dagger into my hand from my sleeve.
We narrow our eyes together before he takes a big swing at my head! I saw that coming from a mile away. I'm able to duck under, slicing his face upwards with my knife several times! My body takes advantage of this distraction, and it twists, placing another high, spinning kick into his trachea!
He stumbles back, clutching his throat with a little cough, his face now dripping with his blood.
However, he's ignoring the deep red slashes on his cheeks, his vengeful eyes remain fixed on me!
I twirl my blade in my hand with a smirk but he's already charging at me again! He is much faster this time, slicing directly at my hand! The unusual movement catches me off guard and his sword swipes my blade out of my clutches!
He's already coming back with another swing! Intending to cut me in half! I'm… I'm tripping backward now towards the door!
No! Regain your composure! I can't beat him with fear as I did the Five girl, I'm going to have to put his chaos to the test. See how far he'll go for revenge.
He won't stop slashing at me, I'm forced to duck and slip out the way of every strike. I can tell he's never been trained before, but he knows how to swing that shining sword hard!
Leaping at me, he takes another huge swing at my neck. My head moves underneath again but this time the sword impacts the train window to our right, shattering it into tiny shards of glass!
The splintered glass blows everywhere, all around our heads in a gush of wind!
Still, he's unbothered. He's just staring at me whilst his hair blows in the zooming air, shaking with anger and breathing heavily.
This time when his attack comes, I slide to the right, straight out of the window!
Freezing evening air slams against my face, almost blowing me away! It's getting dark outside.
Still, my hands clamber their way up to the train roof as the belting wind tries its best to send me tumbling off.
I'm clawing and crawling my way across the top of the train now against the force of the wind.
Although my eyes are stinging, they begin to scan my surroundings. The train is moving into the town again, to its final destination.
My eyes then half glance over my shoulder only to find him there, straining against the wind on his belly! He followed me up here! Who is this person I'm fighting? He's crazy!
My lungs let out a howling cackle, and the blood from my face flies back into his eyes causing him to squint and groan in confusion.
He's swiping at my feet, but I shove my boot into his face.
Once
Twice
Thrice
Enough for his hands to slip and for him to slide backward on the train.
Then some relief! The train slows ever so slightly, allowing me to stand upright again. Although, behind me, Conrad does the same, already charging across the top!
SWOOSH
His sword narrowly misses my spine, he's slicing at my back now, sluggishly, battling the flow of the moving train.
I chamber my leg and smash the bottom of my foot into his chest and just like that he's flying through the air like a lost, dying bird in the wind.
The force of the wind carries him several meters across the train until he slams back down, almost sliding off to his demise, but he narrowly hangs on.
I curse his luck but at the same time, I don't want our games to end. Not yet.
It does give me enough time to jab my boot against the glass window until it shatters. Then, using my arms, I swing my way back inside one of the train carriages near the front.
Here we go! Another chapter! Mostly continuing from the plotlines of the last chapter. This and the next chapter were originally supposed to be just one chapter but it ended up being so long that I had to split it in two, so it really is just one chapter in two parts. So sorry if it seems like some characters/plotlines are fading but we will get back to them in due time! We're trying hard to give everyone screentime/povs while also telling a coherent story. Thanks for reading - Jay/ Nautics.
Roles
Serenity: Vigilante
Taliesin: Disguiser
Harrison: Vampire Hunter
Conrad: Guardian Angel
Nadia: Potion Master
Charon: Werewolf
Marissa: Ambusher
El: Pirate
Tatiana: Arsonist
Franz: Transporter
Darrah: Medium
Eulogies
Day 1
24th: Ricky James (D9M) Killed by Serenity Jasper - decapitated.
23th: Tristan Card (D8M) Killed by Jade Hastings – Slashed through the chest.
22nd: Jonathan Priel (D10M) Killed by Taliesin Ulysses – Knife thrown through neck.
21st: Elijah Axenfros (D7M) Killed by Taliesin Ulysses – Blunt force trauma.
20th: Emily Lynch (D6F) Killed by Heather Monroe – Knife thrown into torso.
19th: Kalen Demner (D5M) Killed by Marissa Grey - Sliced with a sword.
18th: Aeliana Decima (D8F) Killed by vampire mutts – bitten in the neck.
Day 2
17th: Henry Haines (D1M) Killed by Taliesin Ulysses – Throat crushed and neck snapped.
Day 3
16th: Adelina Claire (D10F) Killed by Gargoyle mutts.
Day 4
0 deaths.
Day 5
0 deaths.
Day 6
15th: Jade Hastings (D1F) Killed by Charon Aytigin – Throat ripped out.
14th: Charon Aytigin (D12M) Killed by Serenity Jasper – Shot in the chest.
Day 7
13th: Heather Monroe (D5F) Killed by Taliesin Ulysses – Throat slit.
Day 8
12th: Electra Shielle (D3F) Killed by Franz Kubo.
Day 9
11th: Seia Loam (D11F) Killed by Harrison Jones – Stabbed through the back.
10th: Nadia Miniera (D12F) Killed by Taliesin Ulysses – Knife thrown in into torso.
9th: Beckett Amory (D3M) Killed by Taliesin Ulysses – Stabbed.
Day 10
No deaths yet.
Jade: 1
Taliesin: 6
Marissa: 1
Heather: 1
Serenity: 2
Charon: 1
Franz: 1
Harrison: 1
Mutts/arena: 2
