Day Four Part II:
Avery Billings, District Ten
We march in silence, no-one speaking about what we just saw a few hours ago. It's like they're trying to forget about it. Unlike me. That was surprising as hell, but it was awesome nonetheless. I seriously thought that Adonis had us beat... Gritting my teeth, I stop as the rest keep walking forward.
Emil turns around, noticing me, finally in top-notch shape again after the sponsor gift that he received healed all of his wounds. ''You alright?''
''No, I'm not alright,'' I shake my head, slowly reaching into my pocket for a knife. Everyone else turns around, all staring at me with questionable eyes. ''You guys are pathetic, you know?''
''What do you mean by that?'' Emil wonders.
''Don't act stupid, kid!'' Usually I can compose myself and hold back my feelings, but this time... No, never, not after everything that's happened so far. ''You're all failures. A bunch of lames! Four days – can we think about that for a second? Four fucking days, and we've only acquired five kills; and those were all the way back in the beginning. Joining you losers was a mistake.''
Clarice raises a brow, eyes fixated on me. ''Yeah, I guess it was. So you should leave now, correct?''
''Yeah,'' I nod. ''Being out on my own would be for the best. Packs have to break sometime, right? Why not now?''
''Because it's only you that wants to leave,'' she sighs, controlling her emotions and not being 'Ms. I Want Things To Be This Way'. Surprised at how calm she is, I grit my teeth.
''You're weak,'' I point, hands shaky in the wind. ''And you, and you, and you, too!'' Zeppelin stands away from the rest of us, a little bit behind Atlas – who looks all types of fucked up, I should add. Adonis' extreme death has fazed him. ''You've all let the Game get to your heads. Death is so bad for y'all? Didn't you guys volunteer for this because it's what you wanted to do? – kill, for whatever cliché reason you hoes came up with?''
''You volunteered for this, too, didn't you?'' Clarice leans forward. ''What makes you so much more different than us, other than the fact that we're more experienced and trained?''
''I fucking enjoy this shit, that's the difference,'' I answer. ''You guys aren't even in the mood to fuck some shit up anymore. Originally, I was planning to screw this Arena apart – the entirety of Panem was waiting for us to tear this bitch upside down, but we've been nothing more than disgraceful, unmotivated, irrelevant, ill-advised, laughable Careers!''
''Nobody asked for you to give us a lecture,'' she chokes out. ''Just leave. I don't have any use for you anymore. You're a wild-card, someone who's unable to be controlled. Go out and do whatever you want. We don't want you in this alliance anymore. Every night that you slept, we pondered whether we should have killed you or not. You're alive because we had strength in numbers – not because you were a necessity – which allowed us to scatter even more. But you've been just as sluggish as us.''
''Oh?'' I stare daggers at her. ''Really? So not only have you guys been spewing shit, but you dare put me in the same impotent category as yourselves? You guys aren't anything special! And you know what? I am leaving.''
''Good, bye.''
''But not without blood on my hands.''
When I charge, nobody's sure of what to do. ''Wait!'' Zeppelin cries, trying to be the peacemaker, but my conflict isn't with him – it's with her. She barely manages to slip the knife out of her skirt when I cut the back of her wrist, drawing blood in a fine line, watching as it flies through the air and lands on the ground in little droplets.
''Slick,'' she says, paying no attention to the cut. Her knife gleams in the light as she arches it forward, swinging for my neck so quickly that my mind doesn't make sense of what's happening. I lean backward, feeling the knife graze my chin and cut a piece of skin off.
''Sucks that you don't have range with that stupid spear you're so fond of. Fortunately for me, Emil burned it a few days ago. Thanks, Emil!'' I laugh. Realization hits me when, through my peripheral vision, I see that all three of the boys are just staring at us. ''Your allies aren't helping you? Aw.''
''Don't need 'em,'' she spits, literally. A wad of saliva blinds me for a second, pissing me off to the core. I wipe the disgusting body fluid away from my eye, rushing and tackling her to the floor. She groans; I groan. Trying to get the best of her, I slam my knee into her gut, making her wince.
''You're confident for someone so fucked,'' I breathe, brandishing my knife against her cheek. ''I would say 'Don't worry', but honestly, I'm gonna cut you piece-by-piece, open you up until I reach your heart, then I'ma pull it out and shove it in your mouth.''
My mind travels back to her wounds, and I remember that she was stabbed in the shoulder... Though it is sorta healed, she hasn't been placing enough of the cream on it to make a true difference. Shoving my knife into her shoulder, I twist and twist, cackling as she screams.
Her knee tries to shoot up at my crotch, but I hoist myself off of her, ripping my knife out. ''You think I'm stupid? That's, like, the go-to move for every female when fighting a male. Thought you 'Careers' were supposed to be the superior beings who were unpredictable.''
Because I'm so lost in my cocky thoughts, I don't see her thrashing up, grabbing me by my collar, and stabbing me in the side of my rib. A haunting scream emits from me, but my lips soon twist into a sickening smile. She looks at me confused, eyes hard, though.
''Come on, more!'' I shout, fueled by the fight. Her elbow slams into my chest, and she uses all of her weight to force me backward, my feet skidding against the wet, encrusted streets of this beautiful city. I feel my back slam against a rough building, my head bouncing with a crack. My vision goes hazy, but I don't care – I'm loving this.
Clarice brings her knife up with both hands, aiming for the center of my chest, but I bring down a hand and hold on tight, countering her failed attempt at an attack. Her hands quiver with force, but they aren't inching anywhere near me. ''You're being overpowered by a fifteen-year-old,'' I shine light on her. ''What are your peers thinking back at home?''
With the knife in my free hand, I push it into her abdomen, right where Adonis struck. Yeah, that's the spot... Her horrifying, gruesome shriek brings so much pleasure to my ears that it's almost like a symphony. Tears well up in the corner of her eyes, and she tries to wrestle my grip away.
I rip the blade out and shove it right back in. Two times, three times, four times. The fifth, sixth, seventh, eight, ninth, tenth and onward should surely kill her. But just as I try to stab her again, I feel a sharp, thick, long blade go straight into the side of my belly. Looking down, I see my blood locking itself around Zeppelin's quarterstaff, dripping and splatting in rivulets.
''Oh?'' I ask. ''What's this?''
''I must ensure that District Four has the best chances of a Victor, and that includes protecting and assisting my District Partner at all times,'' he says, like he's reciting something that someone told him to repeat through an earpiece.
''Wow, and you couldn't have come at a much worse time,'' I roll my eyes, speaking clearly through the pain.
Clarice takes advantage of my weakened grip and stabs her knife into my chest, right in between my ribs, and my body goes numb. Slumping over on my knees, she catches me, and my head rests on her stomach. ''Suck it,'' I chuckle, using all of my force to swipe my knife at her left eye – unfortunately, it just misses and hits the underlying part where her bags are located. She screams out in pain, clutching at the wound, and I try to take advantage but the earlier attack limited my movement – I'm completely exhausted.
After a few minutes of her screaming, crying and sniffling, she places me down softly, staring down at me with blood dripping from her eye's general area. She looks so uncomfortable, and that's how I know I've left an impact on all of these kids. If she's been fucked by my words and actions, then surely the rest of them have been as well.
''What a bitch move,'' I say, looking up at Zeppelin. Using my last breath to let a little bit more out, I add, ''I'll have my revenge on you from beyond the grave, pussy.''
Clarice angles the knife perfectly, and as it descends, I see it curving straight for my parietal lobe. Entering through my head and touching my brain with the amount of force that she's put into the attack, blood pools from the tear. I barely feel it, to be honest, but even so, a smile glues itself onto my features.
I was born in blood; I went out in it.
Atlas Aureliano, District Two
Avery's cannon sounds, bouncing off of the luxurious building walls, and we all go silent. Zeppelin looks like he's okay with the kill – nothing like the way he looked after ending the little girl from Twelve's life way back when.
Maybe it's because he was protecting his District Partner, someone who he's got a tight bond with, I guess. Either way, everything's been different ever since earlier today. The tension and pressure has hit me harder, and I feel like something's just not right.
Someone's close, I can sense it, and I'm afraid that we're gonna have to fight. After everything... I just don't feel right. I don't even want to be here anymore. Volunteering for the District's honor? What was I thinking? What's making them proud compared to my life? What if I do return to the District, but in a casket?
My life would be wasted... I want these Games to end already – and the only way to make that happen is by killing off the rest of my competition – but I feel so wrong.
''Hey, come on,'' Zeppelin bumps my shoulder softly, smiling as he walks past me. ''Time to go.''
Dragging my feet, I casually catch up to the rest of the pack, staring back at Avery's body. The blood is just pouring out of the wound in his head, like a never-endless waterfall. It's creepy and disgusting all the same – although, I can't help but feel like the kid was happy with the way he died. He was obsessed with blood, after all. Still, though...
''Don't look at it,'' Zeppelin orders. ''I can tell that things have changed for you... We've all been messed up by this Arena one way or another, but, the best advice I can give you is to just keep your head up.''
''I know,'' I whisper, scratching at the goosebumps on my arms. ''But I've become uncomfortable lately, and a lot just doesn't feel right. The air smells differently, my movement's shifted, and I'm feeling a little suspicious about everyone.''
''You're probably paranoid,'' he sighs. ''I am, too, though. I'm not into this whole killing stuff all too much, and I can tell that you've fallen off the conflict radar as well. After what happened, I think we just need to sit down and rethink our ways.''
I ponder what he just said for a few moments, nodding with my own little seal of approval. But just as I open up my mouth to speak, Clarice says, ''There's someone near. I heard weeping.''
Oh, brother. As I listen more intently, I can hear the noise growing louder and louder. Clarice turns back and stares at us, ready to take out the same bloody knife that she slain Avery with; Emil turns, too, holding his hands over the back of his head.
''Don't get too excited to go after them,'' he warns. ''You ever heard of something called an ambush? What if whatever or whoever that is saw us and is only trying to lure us after them?''
Chime!
A golden spear drifts from the sky and lands at Clarice's feet. She picks it up, rips the note off, reads it slowly, and then says, ''That's okay, we'll manage. I've gotten my final, most expensive sponsor gift of the Games, and you have like, thirty more of those explosives in your box. If all hell breaks lose, just toss 'em around and get us out of there.''
''Gotcha,'' Emil smiles, though when Clarice turns around, his happiness fades away. Even he seems like he's been messed up. He didn't even spare a glance at her sponsor gift – and usually, he would've been wanting to sabotage it in some way.
Looking up at the sky and barely managing a breath, I almost laugh out loud. This just isn't fair. Two's probably keeping their eyes locked on me at every moment, including right now. I'm their only chance at a Victor for the duration of these Games, but my odds don't seem to be the best since a ton of other Districts have both of their tributes still remaining.
Four, Eleven, Three, and Six, as of now – but then again, three cannons sounded today. One we know for sure was... A-Adonis...
''Hey,'' Clarice grabs my hand and squeezes it tightly, dragging me forward. ''You can't just stay still like that when everyone else is moving. Chill out with the silent treatment that you're giving us, because we've found another victim.''
Victims, we're now calling them – not opponents, not adversaries, not competition, but victims. Around the corner of a little neighborhood of homes that are the height of towers, water floods on the street, draping all of us up to our shins. The water's deep enough to drown a person in. Maybe you could get rid of someone right now? Better your chances.
No... No.
There's a boy sitting on the doorsteps of a particularly small home, holding both hands up to his head as if he's trying to block out certain noises. ''Leave me alone, leave me alone, leave me alone!'' he curses at himself. Clarice, being ballsy as ever, drifts through the water, not giving a care in the world to make her movements quiet and unnoticeable. She reaches him, lifting her legs up onto the steps, and splashes water in the kid's face, his eyes springing open.
Before he can even do anything, she stabs the spear into his shoulder and hoists him up. The kid would've probably stayed sitting down if the spear wasn't tearing into him and controlling his movement. ''I'll make it quick,'' she promises. ''I've got no time to waste, so just kindly let me kill you.''
''Get away!'' he screams the same words that Adonis did, slamming his hand into her chest and pushing her back. The spear rips out, and Clarice falls back into the water, her entire body becoming soaking wet. She pushes her hair away from her face and jumps back up, ascertaining as the kid turns away and runs.
''You guys ready for a hunt?'' she questions, clearly hell-bent with the jumping emotions on her face. If it wasn't for the water that she fell into, I would have accused her of crying.
''Of course,'' Emil yawns. ''I mean, who isn't excited when it comes to another death? Things like this happen everyday, don't they? This is just regular Panem in a tightly compacted Arena with fewer people. Hurry and eliminate him – and if he has an alliance, then just have more fun.''
''That sarcasm?''
''I don't know what you're talking about,'' Emil responds.
I can just feel the Capitol cheering outside, ready for some more action. But I'm not. Taking a single step forward, I turn to Zeppelin and shake my head. I'm so uncomfortable at this point, but the entertainment must go on, right? And Two; I can't disappoint them, can I?
Wanting to say something sarcastic, feeling myself boiling up on the inside, I keep my mouth shut and tighten my fists. My shoulder flings my backpack off and I reach in for my machete. Keeping myself in check right now is difficult, but lashing out won't do me any good.
''Yeah, let's go. The fun's only begun.''
When we reach the area that the boy ran off to, we see him speaking with another male, scared out of his mind. What catches my attention is a girl lying on the floor lazily, like she's drunk or high or something of the sort, making weird noises and babbling out nonsense.
''Ahem...'' Clarice coughs, forgetting the advantages of a surprise attack – once again. The boy from Eleven, I judge by the number on his shoulder, looks up. His eyes grow wide, and he searches everyone in line, trying to find someone with a hint of hesitation in their stare.
When we make eye-contact, my eyes flutter uncontrollably, and I feel as though he senses the pity that I feel.
Clarice, sticking her spear out forward, calls out and says, ''Make it easier for yourselves and just...''
Kaster Navelle, District Eleven
''...Give up?'' I ask, interrupting her sentence and almost laughing out loud. ''Sorry,'' I grunt, picking myself up and grabbing my weapon, hands gripped confidently, ''but I'd rather hang myself than sit still and let you kill me.''
''That cannon... that you just heard?'' the Four girl returns, pointing up to the air. ''Was because of me. It's your decision, but either way, all three of your cannons will be because of me as well.''
Her District Partner looks down at her with a glint in his eye that says she's lying or something. He shakes his head calmly, then stares back up at us, a breath drawing from his throat. ''Whatever,'' I yawn. ''I'm not scared of you or your alliance, or anyone at all, as a matter of fact.''
Pointing at me now, her arm declining, she states, ''You're dead!''
Preparing myself as she charges, I grin widely. ''Maybe it'll end up being the other way around, don't you think?'' She swings her spear at my neck, and swiftly, I duck under it. Using all of my strength, I do the best I can to slam the end of my warhammer into her shin, and it hits.
Bingo. Honestly, if hatred was visible, the air would have been scarlet by now. I can basically see the fumes ascending from the top of her head. Something takes over me, and the feeling I'm getting currently is the same one that I get whenever a new adventure arises. Live it up, kid.
It's like a new high for me, even as I pressure her backwards. I swing at her head, her shoulders, her chest, her legs. Each and every time that I attack, she lets out a grunt and holds her breath in, trying her hardest not get smacked. Her legs falter quite a bit, and I'm guessing that the pain from the earlier blow is starting to really screw her over.
As she falls away, I grab her by the hair and say, ''No you don't.'' She pants heavily, trying to rip my hand away from her by clawing at me. Her long fingernails dig into my arm, so deep that my skin rips and I holler in pain.
Now, I feel something grab my hair, and all of a sudden I'm brought to my knees, a kick to the groin carrying me down. Over and over again, I feel like I'm going to explode down there. The pain is unreal, but I still manage a small smile.
A scream breaks out, and I hear someone calling my name, but it's so incoherent for me – like, this fight is everything that's going on in my mind right now, the only thing that I can think about.
Just as the Four girl brings her foot up again, I clutch it with my left hand and twist, cursing as she yanks her foot away and hobbles backward to gain some space. The water, I make note of, progressively increases, almost like this fight has a certain time period before we all die.
The girl growls at me, rubbing her foot aggressively. She's a ticking time bomb. Always, and forever will be. Any provocation, no matter how small or insignificant, and her temper will blow. There's a cold burning to her rage, and it's almost unnerving. Almost.
Limping, I casually approach her, giving her no room to rest. Using minimal force, I slam my boot into her shoulder and press her body back. Lifting my other foot up, I attempt to stand on both shoulders and hold her head underwater, but she quickly realizes what my intentions are and rips a dagger from her side, flinging it up.
The dagger comes nowhere near me, but I still fall, losing my balance. The fear of getting hit by the distant weapon threw me off. She's smart, I gotta give her that. She knew she wasn't gonna hit me, but if she just managed to scare me enough, she would be able to get free.
Shaking my head, I react too late as a fist slams into the underline of my jaw, jolting my tongue up to my teeth. Blood floods my mouth automatically, though no source of pain is felt. Only after a few droplets touch the water and stain it do I feel the burning sensation.
''Almost cleaved your tongue in half,'' she chuckles, swaying her head from side-to-side. Just as I'm able to answer her when the pain subsides, she grabs me by my neck and forces my head underwater. I have no time to take in air, and bubbles float from my gaped mouth. Instincts flood in, and just as she did to me, I kick her in her private area.
Honestly, I wasn't expecting a reaction, but she gets off of me immediately. Screaming in pain, she pants, crawling away and flicking me off at the same time. ''That hurt like a bitch!'' she complains.
''Didn't think it would...'' I admit. ''But now you know how I feel, right?''
''Fuck you, asshole, that was my pelvic region! That shit's sensitive!''
Something rushes into me, and the Four boy goes flipping over my head and into the water. I stare up above me, noticing Beckett pushing him away. He rips out the machete in fear, trying to intimidate the both of them away. The Four girl smirks as a shadow arises behind us, and I somehow manage to bring my weapon up to block the sharp sword from entering my throat.
Emil and I stare at each other, both of our gazes cold. His eyes quiver subtly, and I force my weapon up, ripping his free from his hands. ''Back away,'' I order, hesitantly swinging it at him.
Ear-pitching screams emit from behind me, and I study Beckett trying to fight with the Four guy. Beckett's overcome by fear, and his swinging is rapid, wild, and uncoordinated. If he's not careful, he's honestly going to end up stabbing himself.
''You've never fought someone with a weapon before, have you?'' the girl asks. ''You're struggling. You're gonna fuck up and die.''
''Beckett!'' I shout, catching his attention. ''Fall back!'' He does just as I say, and he narrowly avoids the pointy blade of the guy's staff-like thingy.
''ZEPPELIN, ATTACK!'' The female looks at her District Partner, almost disgusted by the shaking of his head. ''You dare defy me?''
''I don't want to do this anymore. It's just wrong.'' With that, he tucks his weapon away from harm's reach.
Her eyes lower, her gaze cold as hell. With a put-upon sigh, she nods her head. ''Okay.'' She rubs the back of her neck, disappointed and aggravated. ''Leave.''
Wait, wasn't there another one? I suddenly snap back into reality, after so much fighting. ''Hold on!'' the words come out of my mouth in no time, and, hovering over Bree, I spot the boy from Two levitating his weapon in the air, right over her heart.
''DON'T YOU DARE!'' I scream, running forward. He turns around and looks at me, and I see tears in his eyes. They're wobbly and scared and regretful. The weapon slips from his hands, and I barely manage to catch it by the handle, jumping up and landing on top of Bree. Glaring up at him, I'm about to curse him out until a low-pitched cry escapes someone's mouth, and then a cannon goes off.
Boom!
Staring back, my hands shaking, I pray to God that it's not Beckett, even after what he's done. The Four girl rips her spear out of Beckett's body, but not only his. Beckett and Zeppelin were connected together for a short period of time, both of them being penetrated by her spear. I only know that he's still alive when his arm shakes and a piece of Zeppelin's torn insides fly out and into the water, a puncture in the area where his heart is supposed to be located.
The Two boy – Atlas – holds his hands over his head in disbelief, finding the sights in front of him unimaginable. He makes no noise, but his hands twitch, and with sudden force, he pries his machete away from my hands, shoves it into the pocket-area of his pants, and takes off running in the opposite direction of his dead partner.
''CLARICE, NO!'' he screams, fading away into the background. Beckett tries crawling, but Clarice, once again, stabs the spear right in between his shoulder blades, paralyzing him. He's not dead because Zeppelin was taller than him, protecting him by accident, and his heart didn't get stabbed – but it was awfully close. That, for certain, is where I break. I never thought I'd reach a point in my life where I've been so blinded by a five-course serving of rage, but today is the day.
Tears well up in the corner of my eyes, and as I bite at my lip, everything tastes bitter, yet surprisingly satisfying. I stand up, reach out, and with a burst of speed, I rush at her and slam my fist into her jaw. She falls to the ground with a wail of pain as I try to shake the aching after taste of the attack off of my hand.
Much like a drug, I take another hit, knowing that I'll only be drawn more and more into the high. I tackle her, rushing her into the water and using my knees to hold down her shoulders so that she won't be able to fight back – and even if they weren't pressed together, I doubt that she'd get away because of how fast my fists are continuing to hit her face.
No guilt. No remorse. No nothing. I continue, even as my hands grow numb and I can't feel them anymore. What I can feel is her struggling, though, kicking underneath me, trying her hardest to break free, but I won't stop. So many years of holding back all the shit that everyone's been wanting to let out – that everyone didn't have the balls to do – that everyone was too fatigue to do.
Lowkey, I feel guilt surfacing to my throat, but I swallow it down and sink it deep into my mind, adding a spice that completes the vexed dish that I'm serving. I know that I should stop this, that I should just let her go and avoid the murderous consequences, but I just don't have it in me to stop.
My vision goes blurry, but before my body starts to feel as if it can't move anymore, I lunge my hand outwards for her golden spear. It shimmers in the daylight, and as I hover it over her head, the water grows more and more. Now, it's up to her ears and at the corner of her lips. Tears start streaming from her eyes, and I feel utterly disgusted.
''First you kill your own District Partner, and now my ally's gonna die because of you,'' I state. ''Just how many?''
It's like she enjoys this, but she doesn't. I know that she doesn't. I remember what she was like in the beginning, and she's quite different now: less loud, a better temper, more calm, to name a few traits of hers that have changed. These Games have hurt her in some type of way – a way that she wishes they hadn't. ''It'll be four after his cannon sounds. And you?''
''You'll be my first,'' I frown, anger searing through me.
''You know you won't do it,'' she taunts. ''Just put the weapon down and let me go. Besides, you don't even know what you really wanna do to me. I do, though. Let me go, the Gamemakers have their death – and oncoming death. We can just go on and move our separate ways.''
I cast my eyes to the wound in her abdomen. ''Who were they?''
''Who were what?'' she asks, acting dumb.
''Who'd you kill?!'' I grit.
''If you must know,'' she starts, ''the first person I killed was Atlas' District Partner, Sigrid. Oh, how annoying she was. Then it was a fellow Career ally, Avery, and then my own District Partner in Zeppelin; and currently, my latest victim is your ally over there.''
''So everyone that you've murdered so far has been an ally?'' I ask, unable to comprehend her answer. She nods, like she's proud or something. ''Are you kidding me? You're lower than the dirt beneath the earth.''
''Say what you want about me,'' she laughs, the water foaming in her mouth as spit drifts away. ''But I regret it all. Everything that I've done was a mistake. My goal – what I wanted so dearly – wasn't worth this. I should've just told them upfront...''
''Save it. You're not getting any pity from me,'' I whisper, not trying to assuage the imminent outcome of this battle. ''And, for your reference, I do know what I want to do with you: I don't want to kill you, I wanna put you in a pit and add the shovels of dirt slowly until your Goddamn mouth is full of muck. I wanna hear your cries as your casket gets lowered into your grave, the sounds being thicker than a hail storm. I don't care if you're sorry now, or if you're ashamed of what you've done, I don't wanna hear it. You Volunteered for this – you should have made the smarter decision when you had the chance.''
''Never said I was sorry,'' she shakes her head, gulping for air as the water begins to flood her mouth. ''I'm just ashamed of myself – falling to you, failing to commit to what I've been wanting to do for as long as I can remember, and defying my own motto by not going after what I wanted in the first place. That's upsetting.''
''Bye.'' As I decline my hand with rapid speed, she does her best to get out her final words.
''MILAH, TELL THEM EVERYTHING! I'M SO SORRY THAT I FAILED, I SHOULD HAVE NEVER DONE THIS. I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I ALWAYS LOVED YOU! YOU WERE THERE FOR ME WHEN NO-ONE ELSE WAS! I KNOW THAT YOU'RE WATCHING THIS NOW, AND I WANT YOU TO MOVE ON AND DO SO MUCH WITH YOUR LIFE! YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL, STRONG, FAITHFUL, AND INDEPENDENT! PLEASE, NEVER FORGET—''
Her own spear, held in my hands, slices across her throat in a soft manner, drawing a wide-open smile across her neck. It gapes open, the blood pouring out and the gurgling sounds from her mouth growing louder. Her legs thrash in the water for multiple seconds before she stops and dies down, her cannon resonating off of the walls.
Getting up and off of her, my lower body covered in blood, I turn my attention back to Bree, ignoring the fact that Clarice's head is now submerged underwater. Helping her sit up, I push her up against a house and turn my gaze back to Beckett.
''Hey...'' he twitches on the ground, breathing heavily. ''I was beginning to think that she overpowered you and killed you... G-Glad it w-was y-you who came out on top...''
''I should hate you, you know?'' I wipe away the tears. ''After what you did to Poet... But, you're still an ally, and I forgive you.''
''You d-don't k-k-know how happy t-that... m-m-makes me...'' he tries, his expressions contorting from pain to fear and back to pain. ''But... I don't have much time left, and neither do you i-if yo-you don't l-leave...''
''What?'' I ask. ''N-No, you can still live. It's just a wound, surely a sponsor gift will be sent or something. O-Or we can just patch it up and stop the bleeding!''
''T-There's no need for that,'' he says, averting his eyes to the side, trying to get me to follow along. ''L-Look what he's got in his hand... I-It's tic-ticking... I s-swear that thing's gonna explode, and y-you've got to r-run a-away with B-Bree... You can't carry the b-both of us, so leave.''
''I can—''
''K-KASTER, G-G-GO!'' he screams, just as I observe the flying object soar away from the Three boy. His eyes grow with excitement as the item ticks at my feet, but he looks at me as if he's apologizing silently. The beeping grows faster and, looking back at Beckett, I feel his arm push at my leg and force me forward, away from him. He used the rest of his strength to help you live.
Grabbing Bree and hoisting her up, I race to the flimsy shelter behind a building. If it wasn't for these sturdy and dense walls, I'm sure that the ongoing explosion would have had a chance to discharge my insides before the acrid smoke had a chance to choke me and Bree.
I hold a fetal position away from the explosion, hearing ignition of a fiery ball of yellow flames, billowing outward, escaping from the little object and engulfing everything in its way. Briefly, I hear Beckett's screams, but they're soon overshadowed by the sound of a cannon.
The noise reverberates over my grueling crying as efficiently as a thunder clap, and by now, I'm almost completely broken. Staring down at Bree, my tears dripping onto her head, I notice her eyes slowly closing.
Oh, shit! No! ''NO. NO, NO!'' I almost scream, realizing that her time might be up. Poet told me that people wouldn't survive any longer than a few days, and it's been about two-to-three. Fuck, fuck, fuck!
Just as her eyes slip shut and her mouth closes, I put my fingers on her carotid pulse, feeling no beating at all.
Chime!
Something small drifts downward, and attached to it is a note, reading:
''Hey, this is for Bree. There's an antidote attached to the note, and this took me forever to get; you won't believe the troubles I had to go through to find someone willing enough to pay for this. Anyway, just pop a pill into her mouth, and if she won't swallow that, inject the small needle into one of her veins. In a few hours, she'll wake up. Sorry for the series of events that just occurred, but... keep your head up, kid. Oh, and take care of her, she's your last ally remaining. I have faith in you two.''
''- Dalan.''
Wasting no time, I quickly rip open the pill package, use my hands to manually open her airway, and toss it in there. I feel tired as heck, though, so I'm unable to stay awake for whatever happens next.
But before I black out, I see the Three boy walking away, waving his hand in the air. It's not a 'Sorry' wave, but a 'See you later' wave. Maybe I actually will see him again. After all, we both killed one of each other's allies...
...And he's calling my name.
Cathodette Lyte, District Three
You know what almost makes me laugh? It's the fact that, what, like, seven cannons have boomed today, and none of them have been mine.
I'm still alive, for now, yet seven other tributes have lost their lives – preferably quickly, too... Maybe Ceres is one of the fallen. Honestly, it wouldn't hurt me if she was. She deserves it, for not betraying only me, but Clarence as well.
Or maybe she's still alive, searching for another temporary alliance with some other unfortunate tribute. But who's stupid enough to ally this late in the Games, especially since it's usually right around this time that alliances get destroyed and burned.
I lie on the ground, my eyes closed in a grimace. Barely managing to hold my head up, I take note of my left hand, skin pale and clammy. I try to rub the dry blood away, but it's too stained to remove now – and who cares? This blood's been pooling my body for hours now. When Adonis said a slow death, I didn't think he meant this slow.
He knew exactly what he was doing when he struck my pecks. I don't know what he hit, but it was definitely something important. Maybe an artery was ruptured or something. After all, blood keeps on escaping me, and it just keeps expanding to new heights – but if he hit an artery, I would be dead by now. Smart boy, he is. Whatever he did, he kept his words. This is the definition of slow.
As I try to move again, a painful scream leaves my throat. But this torturous noise is different from the rest. It has a special quality of a person consumed entirely by pain, and it knows no end or limit. ...She should have been by my side and kept the promises that she created. We could have been something different, an alliance that could've eliminated the other tributes and made it to the final five, maybe – and instead of proving the doubters wrong, she threw us into their words and strengthened their opinions.
I wonder how many people bet on me and are now losing tons of money? Who loves me in the Capitol? Who cares about me and will actually miss me in this Arena? Will anyone even remember my face, or will they know me as that quiet girl who gave everyone mean looks?
It doesn't even matter anymore. Struggling, I try to pick myself up, biting my lip in anxiety. I don't know if it's just my vision or not, but the forest has become tannin-brown – or maybe it's because of the time change. The grass feels crispy underneath my entire body, and when I look up, the trees look like skyscrapers to me.
My stomach feels empty and growls, but I pay no attention to it. Taking my mind off of it, I gaze at my surroundings. The sun's setting, and only a few swallows of the sky are left. Come to think of it, I wouldn't mind if I was swallowed as well. I'm just beginning to notice, for the first time, that this is my hallelujah moment; it's an epiphany so profound that I know it'll never be bettered. I can lie here for a thousand years until death consumes me.
To me, it's as if someone's lowering the volume of my environment. The swaying wind is growing quieter, the scurrying and footfalls across the trees soon mute themselves, and even the sound of leaves flying don't reach my ears. Everything rings out with a crystal and piercing clarity, almost as sharp as the cuts in my chest.
Black fills the edges of my vision, and the only thing that I can hear now is my own heartbeat. My breath hitches in rapid, shallow gasps. Seconds pass as I just chill here, realizing that my time's come. This is nothing like the pain I've felt before – this is like having a gun held to my head and the person holding it is telling me not to let my heart beat anymore.
In life, I gave less of myself than I could have. Everything that's happened to me was for a reason, perhaps. Father, Mother, the baby, killing it, being tortured and fondled whenever possible. It's been a struggling battle for years now, but I can't complain.
No more pain, no more crying, no more agony, no more nothing. I'll be able to leave all that crap behind. Closing my eyes, a smile crosses my lips as I can finally die happy now. My fragile, human heart beats one last time, and the last thing I remember before my escape is the involuntary sob that escapes me. Whatever way you look at it, I'm still a winner.
Gladly, though, an almighty hand touches my heart, and this girl is gone.
13th - Avery Billings, District Ten
12th - Zeppelin Cross, District Four
11th - Clarice Auden, District Four
10th - Beckett Leighton, District Five
9th - Cathodette Lyte, District Three
Caleb, ahhhh, man. Avery was a monster. Kid was ruthless, bloodthirsty, awkward, all types of things you wanna avoid in a person. First tribute I received for this story, and one of the few good psychopaths, in my opinion. I decided to only choose one, and Avery just had that special spot. He was just something else. Kid had problems in the head, everything with death, all that was his drug. I loved writing for him, hopefully you could tell. I didn't initially plan to kill him this early. I think I told you the plans already of him killing like, two Careers and going to the top 6, and I swear I had my mind set on things. Honestly, I wasn't expecting to change things up when writing this story - I had everything planned and I knew it, but sorry about this. Hey, you got a new placement, though, and that's good. I decided to kill him off here because I knew conflict was gonna stir between him and the Careers. After rereading Zeppelin's form and starting his fight with Clarice, I knew there was no possible way that he would have managed to escape alive. It's unfortunate, but the kid died the way he came in. Think he's happy? R.I.P.
Nate, Jesus, Zep was a great Career. Writing his development was fun. His whole edge was fun. The stony, trying-to-act hard guy who's really kind of a softy on the inside, or just the guy who didn't want to really hurt others and have them rely on him. His family relationship, his background, his partnering with Clarice, all that was amazing for me. Oh, and him and Atlas, that friendship... God, I honestly wish it could have lasted longer. The reason I chose to kill him off here was because Zep was changing. With Atlas influencing him and turning him, sorta, into more of a good guy than an anti-hero, he was becoming less useful to Clarice. They knew each other well, and he basically had control over here. And that's the thing about Clarice. She usually does what she wants, but Zep was a hazard to her. If she kept him around, he would be telling her this and that, calming her down and such, and she'd be unable to do much. Zep was fun to write while it lasted, and helping Clarice live, with that patriotism he had... Man, I tried to live it up with this tribute. Thanks for submitting, he was honestly really fun.
Cloe, speaking of another fun tribute, Clarice was a female Career I hadn't seen before. She was so detailed in the personality region that it was hard to capture all of her, but I got most of what I could do. Her background was the most amazing part about her to me. Her mom abandoning her, her figuring it out with the help of Milah, her feelings, everything was just fantastic. Hands down the most fun yet challenging tribute to write for, but that's what was thrilling about her. I could explore new things and change her up a bit every now and then. Make her angry at this point, make her calm and collected at that point. I always knew she was gonna fall by pissing someone off, and Kaster so happened to be that guy. Tbh, she was like, final 8 for me, but I don't know why but I changed my mind literally while writing this chapter. I always knew Zep was gonna fall to her, but adding Beck in the mix, that just gave me an idea to set Kaster off. Sorry that I killed her, but I hope I did good enough with her. R.I.P., Clarice.
Sophia, wowwwww. Beckett was just like Poet, which gave me all of the ideas that I had for him. The kid was awesome, but I'm only mad at myself that I didn't develop him all the way that I wanted to. Those little voices in his head, I wanted to make those disappear and have him conquer the Arena, in a good way, and just start feeling confident. He knew who he was and what he had to do, which is why he didn't hesitate to kill when he really needed to. He was one of my favorites, with his perfect smile and all that and the important stuff that you brought out of him. He was so simple yet so full of personality that there were endless things you could do with him. Killing him, though, that was a tough choice. I didn't know whether or not I wanted to end it right here, but this gives me an opportunity to develop three of these remaining tributes in a good way. Beckett had an impact on this story, whether some of y'all know it or not, and I hope I did him justice.
Em, ahhhh. Now she's dead. No, but seriously, Cathodette went way further than I originally had her going. She was supposed to place around her predicted placement at like 18th or something, but then, after getting into the Games, other tributes just started falling and she was one of those that I wanted to keep around. Despite her death here, she's finally free. Everything about her changed peoples' opinions. I think not too many liked her at first, but then after discovering who she was, they saw her as that pity tribute. I felt bad for the girl, too, and though it could have ended much sooner, I thought dragging it out would be interesting. With Ceres and all that, oh wow, that was fun to write. Her feelings for the alliance she had, it made her feel safe, even if she didn't show it completely. She's been hurt so much that, when she came to the Capitol and made friends, things seemed to brighten up for her. Unfortunately, it came to an end rather soon, with the whole betrayal and hurt. She was used to it, but wasn't too expectant of it again. But hey, she's free now. She always wanted just that, and whatever way I, or anyone else, look at it, she's a true Victor.
A/N: Ayeee, so we're done to eight tributes! Feast should be soon, though I gotta rearrange a few plans for upcoming chapters. Anyway, truth be told, I was hella unmotivated for this chapter, which is why, maybe, the first few POVs weren't too good. School started again, just when I was getting back into the writing mood, too, so yeah. And Algebra 2 is kicking my ass rn, and is honestly the only stressful thing in my life, but it's like a major component, so. Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. As annoying and repetitive as it is, sorry for the terrible proofreading. I decided to change it up this time and try a new method, but that shit doesn't work for me at all - I thought it would be quicker, but it took a while and I had to space it out because I had plans with friends and crap to do. Well, a few questions, if y'all don't mind?
Surprise deaths?
Opinions on the POVs?
Were you expecting this final 8?
Anyone you were expecting who's survived to die this chapter?
What would you guys like to see, or expect to see coming up? (This won't really change anything, but I might tweak a couple of things here and there to please y'all. But I'm mainly just curious as to what's running through your minds with this story.)
Also, if it bothers anyone, sorry that Kaster's POV was so long. Really, he's been the last to receive one, and I was saving him up for this. I felt bad, though, since everyone else has been getting love, and it's been a while since we've heard from him personally. Not the standard, current, five POV chapter, but that's because it would be way too much. This is already a long chapter as it is, and I'm not down with writing more. It's a Saturday night over here and I'm trying to get this up before going out with friends, so sorry if it seems rushed. I hope, whatever time it is for you guys, that everything's going good and you're all alright. Thanks for reading, and I'll see y'all next chapter, bye! ^-^