Chapter Nineteen: Decoded
There was absolutely no one.
The area around us was…empty.
Other than the sound of the rain pattering heavily against the stone at my feet, I was completely alone and the maze was totally silent. I looked back to see both Capri and Lani mourning over the loss of their companion. I wished I could feel the same pain they were so that I could relate, but in all honesty I couldn't help but feel a little relieved…I didn't trust Marley at all and to have him out of the way was a benefit. It was even better that I hadn't gotten any of his blood on my hands because me killing him could have resulted in Lani and Capri turning against me. Though they may not have been the perfect companions, they were all I had and had stayed loyal to me.
However, because I had not killed Marley…there was mystery as to who actually did…
It was haunting really to think that an arrow had come flying out of, seemingly nowhere, to come to my rescue. There was something very eerie about the situation, this being the reason why I couldn't pull myself to go back into that Cornucopia. There had to someone or something that would indicate why this had happened.
Hardly caring that it was raining, I kept a tighter clutch on the knife in my hand and strolled around to the back of the Cornucopia. As soon as I turned the corner, two kids were standing there, staring me straight in the eye. Both of them were unarmed, but they scared me so terribly that my first instinct was to release the dagger in my hands. It was common knowledge I wasn't the most skilled with this type of thing…
Once again, I watched the blade, seemingly in slow motion as it went soaring through the rain to penetrate itself square in the middle of the boy's chest. I hadn't the slightest where the both of them were from, but it must have spooked the other girl so terribly that she went running in the opposite direction. In all honesty, it even frightened myself. They hadn't even done anything and that had been my first response?
As the girl ran, I sprinted over to the boy's chest to pull out the dagger sitting there. I contemplated chasing after the girl, but seeing as she had no arrow in her hand nor slung over her back. I found energy would be wasted to go chasing after her and if I just so happened to run into either Lila, Flux, or Zane…I may as well should have been dead. Watching as the hovercraft came overhead and the ground began to shake once more, the boy was lifted into the air and taken away by the Capitol workers.
The Capitol was still continuing to amaze me with how they were running these Games. Typically, they didn't want everyone to die in the beginning…they needed a long, drawn out process which would result in more anxiety amongst the viewing audience and more tension amongst the tributes. The longer the Games went, the more money the Capitol would make, not to mention the more fear they would suck from the people, allowing them to realize how powerful and cruel the Capitol really was. As I pondered this, I watched as the hovercraft stalled for a long period of time, as if waiting for something.
It took me several minutes to realize they needed Marley's body. Seeing as the Cornucopia covered him…I knew what they were asking for. I wiped off the blade on the side of my pants before strolling back into the somber atmosphere of the Cornucopia. There was no welcome from neither Lani nor Capri, but simply looks of absolute devastation and upset.
Slowly, I approached them on the ground as they looked at the dead body, still refusing to believe what had happened.
"Did you find the one who did it?" Lani asked, in a more gruff voice than usual.
I made eye contact with her as I shook my head," No, no I didn't ."
"Someone died," She added, her voice still monotone and unchanging.
"Yes, but it wasn't someone who could have killed him," I said simply, looking at the dead body. "The hovercraft is outside."
Capri wiped away a tear to look at me," They want him?"
"Yes, that is what I presume," I answered, or whispered nearly. I knew this was hardly the time to have the body ripped away from them, but the Capitol had little reverence for that. Since I suspected the Capitol had some sort of relation to the death of Marley, I did not want to further test their patience by withholding his body from them.
I placed a hand on his foot, hoping this would be enough of a signal for the both of them to let go. Nearly immediately, they shot me a look that appeared to be a look of some hurt, but Lani spoke to break the tension," Take him, Savera. Get him out of our sight."
I looked to Capri to confirm this before pulling the dead body out into the driving rain storm. After receiving a nod from her, I proceeded with taking him out for the hovercraft to carry away. I dropped his foot as soon as I had him in the middle of the gathering. I stepped several feet away from him and watched as they dropped down the large claw to grasp his waist and pull him up into their craft.
I stood there for several more seconds, watching as they flew away before returning the Cornucopia.
It took days for me to even ask if Lani or Capri wished to move from the Cornucopia. Of course, I knew what it felt like to lose a loved one. My own brother died in these very Games and had I not been at home…I wouldn't have made it very far. It was for this reason I didn't dare ask either of them if they were ready to move on. I did, however, take advantage of the time to do a little exploring around the main area to see just how these directions were connecting to the symbols on the water bottle.
To my surprise, the rain had stopped by the next morning and the sun was actually shining for the next couple days. Seeing as both Lani and Capri had cried themselves to sleep the nights before, I thought it would be respectable to allow them to sleep in a little. Therefore, I pulled my backpack over my shoulder (after grabbing my needed notebook and water bottle) and head out to the sunny day that awaited.
Had I not been surrounded by tall, grey, stone walls….and there hadn't been two other vicious teens hunting me…it might have been an okay day. It had been rather peaceful over the past couple days and rather surprising that no intervention had come about to encourage more death and killing.
We had been able to survive off of what little saltine crackers and fruits were still remaining in the Cornucopia and rainwater that I had been able to "purify" in my water bottle.
Lani and Capri had informed me before going to bed that Flux and Lila had turned on Zane, killing him right in front of them. Lani and Marley had been able to camouflage themselves from the Careers sight, but when Capri told me the story (Lani had told her)…she said it really must have been quite gruesome. Capri said Lani was almost more shaken up by the sight of two teenagers making a game of killing the poor boy from District One than she had been seeing Marley's death. At least Marley had been killed quickly…thinking of Lila and Flux killing Zane slowly was strange to me seeing as I thought they would stay true to their alliance until the end. Then again, Lila and Flux had always been more fond of one another…for reasons still unknown. She said it was unlike anything she had ever seen before and that alone was a reason she wanted out of all this.
Unfortunately for her, there were only two options in this game: kill or be killed. There was more blood to be shed before Lani, Capri, or I could set ourselves free from this sick game.
Pushing that to the back of my head, I located each of the four stones once more and recounted to see that there were six corridors between every stone. The interesting part about this was the last time I walked those stones…there were far less barriers buzzing to block off the destroyed corridor. Now, as I counted, between nearly all of the stones, only one corridor was still remaining…other than between N and E which had two. Together, those made five corridors remaining, five tributes left.
I pulled out my papers with all of the letters and numbers on it, holding it in my hand and examining it for several moments before taking action as to what I should do next.
N L2
E R5
W R4
S L1
"N L 2," I muttered to myself, as I walked over to the stone labeled "N". I stood atop of it as I decided what to do next. "Well, let's see…if L means left…left two? Could it be that simple?"
I turned my head, counting two corridors to the left of the stone. To my demise, there was a barrier buzzing, as if verbally telling me that I was wrong. I groaned before stepping away and scratching my head at the situation.
"What the heck does this mean," I mumbled to myself, looking to the other stones.
At this moment, I heard a beep and looked up to see a package floating from the sky. I held out my hand and watched as the package landed delicately into my open hands. Slowly, I unwrapped the package and pulled out the note from Enobaria.
If at first you don't succeed…try again.
-Enobaria
I furrowed my brow and shook my head at this before crumpling the note and shoving it into my pocket. What type of advice was that? It was like stating the obvious…
Nevertheless, I pulled open the package to see another package of crackers sitting in there. I smirked at this before tossing them into my backpack.
"Guess you don't want me to starve just yet, huh?" I asked, more to myself than to anyone else, but I'm sure the audience back home had seen my moment of attitude toward my mentor. I probably should have been a little more grateful, but this puzzle was killing me (literally and figuratively) and I needed to figure it out.
Just when I had turned to enter back into the Cornucopia, I remember the words on Enobaria's note…
If at first you don't succeed…
I looked at the note with all my codes on it.
Try again.
Forgetting the Cornucopia, I moved over to the next stone and stood atop of it. I looked down at the directions for this stone and read," E R5...East stone, right five."
Again, it was a bust. I almost didn't even do the last two because I was so disappointed. Whenever West was also a bust, I found that it would have been easier to simply quit and find something else, but Enobaria had given me the note for a reason and I had found these codes for a reason. At that moment, for all I knew, I had deciphered the notes completely wrong, but when I stood on the stone that had a large "S" engraved on it.
"Left one better be here…" I muttered under my breath and from the corner of my eye, I looked to the corridor directly to the left of the stone.
To my relief, there was a corridor there. Looking over my shoulder, I walked down the corridor slowly looking around to see just what was so special, if anything, about this corridor rather than the other ones. I walked until I reached the wall and saw the bricks were arranged in a rather strange way. I furrowed my brows before running my hand along the wall. Inhaling deeply, I touched the bricks, one by one, to see what would happen. Perhaps there was a certain order in which they were to be pressed, or perhaps there was just a little detail that needed to be noticed.
There was one brick that was askew from the others. My eyes widened as I pulled the brick out and the wall behind it began to rearrange itself into a narrow door. I bit down hard on my lips, debating what I should do. This was either a blessing or curse…what if this was some trick the Capitol was playing on me to get rid of me…give me clues and then lead me to my death. I wouldn't have put them past it, but then again, Enobaria would not have sent me a note had it been something that risky. I also thought back to Capri and Lani sitting in the Cornucopia.
They already knew about the codes.
Why shouldn't they know about this?
Quickly, I ran back to fetch the both of them. Unhappily, they came along with me. I knew they needed time to mourn, but we needed to move soon otherwise we would be setting ourselves up to be hunted. When I showed them the passage for the first time, they were both slightly in awe.
"How in the-" Lani started, looking at the wall as if it were something of magic.
"Have you been in it yet?" Capri asked, looking me straight in the eye.
I looked down the dark hallway," No, not yet. I thought it be best if we experience it…together."
And that was precisely what we did. Slowly, with myself at the front, we entered the dark passage way to see what the Capitol had led us to.
Author's Note: I realize how late I am and I apologize greatly for that! I've been on vacation for the last week or so, but now I am fully rejuvenated and ready to write some more! Please, please, please let me know what you think! It would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for reading :D
