"Rose, take deep breaths. It'll help, I promise," consoled Jackie Tyler. Rose, who had been engaged in a series of violent, rapid breaths, was now attempting to slow her respiration in an effort to calm down. "It was all a bad dream," Jackie cooed, "You're going to be okay." She stroked Rose's thin blonde hair, and held her shaking hands.
"It felt so real, mum," Rose assured, "I could've sworn there was a monster in my closet."
"I know it might seem that way," Jackie Tyler said, walking over to the closet, "but if you look a little closer," she opens the closet, "you can see that there was nothing to worry about after all. Rose hopped out of her twin bed and ran over to the closet, rummaging through all the coats and shoes and boxes, looking for any trace of a monster. "See?" assured Jackie, "there's nothing there!"
Except that wasn't true now. Something was there. Something that was trying to kill her. Jack was pulling her alongside him, Rory following close behind. "Just," Rose said, trying to catch her breath, "a minute." They stopped running.
A pertinent scream filled the arena, shaking trees and souls. That is, until it stopped. The loud boom of a cannon filled the arena instead. "Rose, we have to run," Rory said matter-of-factly. "They'll be catching up to us any moment now."
"Oi! Harkness!" a vicious, arrogant voice shouted. Rose slowed a bit, getting a chance to glance behind. In his arm was a girl loosely twirling her sandy-coloured, much like his own. A slightly younger girl, although it couldn't be more than a year or two, was behind them wearing a slightly devilish smirk. Jack put his arm out in front of Rose, and turned around.
"What do you want, Blaze?" Jack yelled back.
"Yeah, if you're gonna kill us, just kill us!" Rory spouted weakly. Blaze and the girl in his arm snickered.
"What do you reckon Velvet?" Blaze taunted, "should we show them mercy?" Velvet shook her head, and put on a wicked grin.
"Nah, I'd rather not. Somehow it just doesn't seem nearly as fun." Blaze nodded in agreement. He brandished a long dagger, with curved, sleek edges. He pointed it at Rose.
"This one's for her," he threatened. Rose started to panic, but she stood her ground. Jack stepped in front of her.
"You're going to have to go through me first," Jack said bravely. Blaze shrugged.
"Works for me," he sneered. His head jerked to the left, and Quartz bolted in that direction.
"Rose, stay behind me," ordered Jack. Rose detected a heavy sense of fear in his voice.
"No, Jack, I'm not letting another person die for me," she asserted. Jack looked like he wanted to protest, but refrained from saying anything.
"Uh, guys, a little help?" Rory yelled. He was currently pinned down by Quartz, who had a knife brandished over his throat. Rose ran over and pushed Quartz away from Rory. Rory quickly stood up and stepped behind Rose.
Quartz ran at Rose, wielding a knife in Rose's direction. Rose furrowed her brow, panicked, and reached into her backpack and pulled out her dagger. She pointed it at Quartz.
"Is that all you got? Quartz laughed. Rose nodded.
"I reckon it'll be more than enough," she bluffed. Quartz reached forward, and grabbed Rose's wrist. She flipped Rose onto her back. Rose grimaced as a sharp pain shot through her shoulder. Quartz lurched on top of Rose, and Rose managed to kick Quartz in the chest. She fell backwards, and immediately reached forward and stood up. Rose was still on her back, breathing heavily. Quartz took on a devilish grin, and held her knife and let it dangle directly over Rose's abdomen.
Jackie Tyler anxiously watched the broadcast, watching someone dangle a knife over her daughter. There was a constant wetness on her face that had been there for the past few weeks, ever since the day Rose got reaped to go to the games in the first place.
It was her last year, it wasn't fair. Another few months and she wouldn't be eligible to compete in the Games anymore.
She couldn't help but think how proud she was that Rose had made it this far. In all honesty, Jackie didn't expect Rose to make it past the bloodbath on the first day. On one hand, it terrified her that Rose had made it this far. On the other, she was relieved. She had a chance, however slim it might be, to make it home. Jackie burst into tears as she watched Quartz drop the knife.
Rory lurched toward Rose, and pushed her out of the way, not before it managed to drive a huge gash in his ankle. He yelped in pain, and Rose pulled him away from a scowling Quartz. "Now you're going to pay," she screamed, and jumped forward.
Panicked, Rose drew her knife. Not having any time to react, Quartz fell directly onto the blade. Quartz screamed like a banshee. She cried in anguish. Rose ripped the dagger directly out of Quartz's chest, who let out a painful sob. Blood spilled out of her jumpsuit, and she toppled to her knees. "Please," said Quartz weakly, "put me out of my misery." Rose had a sudden realisation. Quartz didn't want to be in this arena any more than Rose did. She wanted to escape this hellish Rose shook her head, on the brink of tears. Rory took the knife out Rose's hand, and drove it into Quartz's heart. There was a weak scream, and then her eyes rolled back into her head. A cannon boomed in the distance.
"Are you okay?" asked Rory. Rose shook her head. She finally understood the true horrors of the Hunger Games. Suddenly, another cannon boomed. Rose and Rory looked at each other, more frightened than they had at any other point in the game. A third cannon fired. "If I'm counting right," Rory started, "that just leaves us… and one other." Rose's face fell.
"What are the chances that it's Jack?" Rose megared.
"I'm almost hoping it isn't Jack, so we won't have to turn on each other," Rory said blatantly. An ugly laugh pierced the arena. "I don't think that's him," Rory said gravely. He grimaced, and grasped his bleeding ankle. Blaze stepped into sight, and laughed.
"Your boy put up a good fight, but he couldn't win," he cackled. He held up a hand, which Rose could only assume was Jack's. "I wanted you to know that he suffered before he died." Rose vomited a little in her mouth. "Now it's your turn."
Before he could do anything, a chorus of elegant metallic slamming pierced the arena. Rose looked back, and was horrified to see what looked like metal men approaching them.
A horrible, artificial, emotionless voice sunk through the air. "You will be deleted."
A/N: I am so very sorry for the unannounced hiatus, I'm just a terrible procrastinator. I don't even have anything to defend myself with, I'm just a trash bird with no concept of a deadline. But as far as I know, we are back on schedule! Exterminate! is going strong!