What the hell was that? Barely twenty metres away I had seen something break the surface of the water. It had looked like a reptilian tail with spines lining it. Whatever it was it was shiny and as dark as the night. It was also big. I can barely see, its like the clouds have swallowed up the sun. It's almost as dark as night itself. I stare desperately into the water and get the fright of my life. Now ten metres away, I see a large dark shape moving rapidly through the water towards my island. I am able to scoop up my sword just in time to see the terrible monster as it springs up at the waters edge and pounces on me. I thrust forward with my sword, impaling the creature as its weight forces me onto my back. A foul smelling jaw snaps at my neck as I hold it away with my free hand. Rows of needle thin teeth line the gums of the mouth that smells like death itself. Its dark black eyes peer into mine. Eyes that show nothing but the desire to kill.
I can't yank my sword free and I feel the strength of the creature slowly overpowering me. I reach for my knife buts its trapped between me and the creatures body. I let my wounded fingers let go of the sword handle. I stab my fingers straight in the creature's soulless eyes. It lets out a deafening sound, somewhere between a hiss and a scream. Its head jerks back and I am able to wiggle my body from underneath it. I now grab its head in my hands and drive my fingers further and further into its eye sockets until its body stops flailing around.
I step back from the dead hell spawn. Dark red blood covers my hands. I finally get a good look at my attacker.
It is roughly eight feet in length. It has a long serpent like body and tail and is as black as night. It has long spines protruding from its back, with translucent webbed skin stretched between each spine. Its body is scaled. The creature's head carries the very essence of nightmares. It's teeth like needles. It's eyes like bottomless black pits, now punctured with blood spilling out. The whole creature resembles something similar to a snake, but much worse. My sword sticks out of its belly. I bend down and yank it free. A foul smell fills the air as its guts spill before my feet. This thing I just killed is without a doubt one of the Capitol's Mutations. A mutt.
This is it. This is the end of the Hunger games. Whatever happens within the next few hours will decide whom the Victor is. There will definitely be more serpents on their way.
Remembering the way the serpent had jumped onto land, I decide my best chance is to head back to the Cornucopia. If they follow me on land then at least I will be able to see them coming.
I strap my sword to my belt along with my knife. I hastily put on the goggles and flippers and dive straight into the water. I don't give a seconds thought about the rest of my possessions. They can't help me now.
I swim as fast as I can. My time in the arena has not been without danger but this is the deadliest situation I have been in. I keep swimming. No stopping. If I stop then I'm dead. I constantly peer around the water to check for serpents coming to attack but I see none. The lightless sky makes the water almost impossible to see through. I can feel my legs aching but I force them to keep going without rest. Keep swimming or die. I must get to the cornucopia.
I have no idea how long I've been swimming for but I estimate I must be at least half way there. Suddenly an excruciating pain shoots through my left leg. The needle like teeth of a serpent pierces the flesh of my leg. I look behind me but can't see through the dark water. I am certain I see a glint of its eyes though. I draw my sword to stab at it, when a second serpent wraps its body around mine and begins squeezing. I can just make out its razor sharp teeth as it lunges for my neck, and am able to bring up my sword arm just in time to protect my throat. The teeth sink into my arm instead and I feel my already weak grip, weaken even more. The sword drops from my hand and sinks to the murky depths below. Pain envelopes my body as I am bitten and squeezed to death. I am out of air and my I begin to feel lightheaded. My left hand finds my knife at my side and I pull it free. First, I ram it into the head of the serpent biting my right arm. It instantly lets go. I try and lash out at the one on my leg but I can't reach it. It strengthens its bite on my leg and drags me deeper. Finally I reach it with my knife and slash it across the face. I feel it let go and begin to kick with my feet. My lungs are bursting. I must be ten metres under water. As I feel that I am about to pass out I breach the surface of the water and take in deep gasping breaths. I swim to a large rock jutting out of the water and clamber on.
My leg and arm are in severe pain. The countless needle holes in my limbs leak blood onto the rock. I look out at the water and see numerous shapes swimming in my direction. I must keep moving.
Before I am about to dive back into the water, I hear a scream. I look to a small island barely thirty metres away to my right and see the form of Seven as he fends off three serpents. Before I have time to think I am back in the water swimming rapidly towards the island.
I clamber onto the sand, still wearing flippers and ram my knife into the nearest serpent. I catch Seven's eye and we both know that at this moment in time, our real enemy's are the serpents. We hack and slash at the serpents, killing some and forcing others to retreat. Both of us are bitten multiple times and I begin to feel weak with blood loss. The pain is unbearable. With every serpent we kill, it seems like another three come to take its place.
"Its no use!" I scream, "We have to go NOW!" Seven is wearing his flippers too and we both dive into the murky water. I find that I actually swim faster with Seven at my side. I guess both of us are hoping to get in front of the other one so a pursuing serpent will grab the one that falls behind.
Serpents attack us both as we swim, and both miraculously fend them off. My flippers have been torn and shredded to the point where they are now useless. As I lift my head out of the water I can see the shore within site. The strength in my body has long been spent yet still I manage to keep swimming.
Only thirty more metres. I feel those razor sharp teeth bite into my side. I twist in agony and stab at the serpent's head with my knife. It drops away and my thrashing leg scrapes the sandy bottom of the shallows. I frantically clamber through the rocks, that fill the shallows, towards the shore. Seven is directly behind me.
As the water becomes knee deep I hear Seven cry out. I Splash through the last of the shallows and clamber onto land, then look behind me. Seven desperately battles with two serpents as they bite and twist their way around his body. I see a further fifteen or so serpents quickly advance upon him from behind. I watch in horror as those horrible mouths ravage Seven. I can't let this happen. No one deserves to die like this. I find myself splashing back into the lagoon towards the carnage. I am knee deep when I am able to reach out to him. Seven is in a deeper part of the shallows to me, giving the serpents more room to play. For some reason the serpents don't enter the knee-deep water. Perhaps it is the end of their territory. Seven see's me and screams out again. I reach my hand out to him and he reaches back. We lock hands and I try to pull him towards me. Already I know it's pointless. Seven screams in agony as countless serpents rip and tear at his body. Hunks of flesh fly everywhere. I try with my last remaining strength to pull him to me but his grip breaks and his whole body is pulled into the water. His last scream is cut off as his head is dragged under. The water erupts in a feeding frenzy as tails and fangs lash out of the water. The water that splashes onto my face tastes bitter with blood. Amongst that frenzy, I see Sevens hand gripping his knife. He's trying so desperately to fight them off. I stumble back onto shore and watch. The water is still a violent eruption of movement. I wait for a canon. Nothing. I feel sick. Why don't they just kill him? Another minute passes before I hear the canon. The water becomes calm again. The shallows are now alive with the black shapes of swimming serpents, guarding the lagoon.
I drag my bleeding body towards the cornucopia. It takes me a while to realise that the cornucopia is blazing with flames. The lightning blast I had seen earlier must have set it alight. I don't bother wondering how on earth that golden metal shell could possibly be burning. I just drag myself towards its warmth. When I eventually get there, I take off my glasses and shredded flippers and lie still. The blood still seeps from my wounds and I know I don't have much time until I bleed to death. I look over towards the Cliffy part of the arena and see countless figures prowling its jagged rocky border. Mutts. Just like the serpents, they had been sent to drive any tributes towards the centre, for the grand finale. From what I can see, the Mutts resemble huge cats. Their long ears pricked up. Like the serpents, they have stopped at the end of their territory, just watching.
I lie on the ground, waiting for death to take me. I can't stay alive for much longer. Hopefully Plato will be killed by Mutts any second now. As if on queue, I hear high pitched screeching sounds from the forest. I look into the mass of trees and see giant winged creatures attacking something as it lumbers through the tree line. The human figure stumbles across the field towards the cornucopia, and there we are together. The last two living tributes of the 31st annual Hunger Games. Me, half dead and lying in a pool of blood with only a knife at my side; and Plato. He is now bare chest and covered in bite marks and scratches every inch of his body. Fresh blood creating a shiny layer over his skin. A bloody axe hangs loosely from his right hand.
His eyes catch mine.