Hey, all! Here's the next installment for Ghost! This chapter's a little shorter than the last, but hopefully still worth the read. And at long last, this is the big chapter: it marks game: start! Hurray!
I know chapter 16 is no big mile marker, but considering we finally made it to the games, I'd say a big thank you from me is in order. So, thank you profusely for following Tobi this far, and leaving so many wonderful comments! It really has made all the difference, and I hope you will consider to support this fic through the rest of Tobi's adventure.
Love you all!
S.S.
The craft lands perhaps twenty minutes later on a building which bears shocking resemblance to the one we just left. The machine releases a soft whine as it powers down, as though forlorn. I smile to myself—I never expected to get more sympathy from a machine than from my fellow humans.
We unload in utter silence and with slow, deliberate steps. The careers lead the pack, leaving the rest of us to carefully place one foot after another. Stepping off the craft is far more terrifying than boarding it. Worse still is watching the wings flutter back to life and lift their heavy, insectan body away into the indigo; we've been left stranded on an island of metal and glass to watch our only escape buzz away on a head wind.
Once the craft is a mere black spot in the sky, a swarm of Avox's emerge from within the building, escort us off the roof one by one. I'm approached by a dark-haired boy who takes my arm in exchange for a small, sad smile. As I allow him to lead me away, my gaze remains glued to the sky until a heavy metal door blocks it from view. I hope whatever the arena's design we have a good view of the sky.
The hallways are painfully bright-fluorescent lights ricochet from the stark white walls and tiled floors-and so labyrinthine I'm shocked my guide can navigate them. By the time we reach our destination (yet another heavy, metal door) I'm blinking and disoriented. The Avox knocks on the door three times, steps back and nudges me forward with another bitter smile.
"Thank you," I nod. For a split second, I imagine that his smile stretches into something bordering on genuine, then the door clicks open. With a final nod to the Avox, I step into a room only slightly less stark than the hallway, but of an infinitely preferable light scheme. I notice Flux instantly where he stands beside a mostly empty clothes rack. I walk to him as one half-dead, legs stiff and spine oddly straight, eyes fixed on a spot in the air right beside his head. When I reach him, Flux engulfs me in a fierce, though short, bear hug. I'm a little surprised; Flux and I have a good relationship, but it's never really been warm and fuzzy. Nonetheless, when he holds me away after the hug, there are tears in his eyes. For a moment we simply stare at each other, communicating something mutual and beyond words. A shared recognition, perhaps, that he is just as helpless as me and Oscar and Finnick.
Wordlessly, Flux reaches for the single jacket on the rack, holds it out for me. I slip my arms inside, movements jerky from nerves. The material is light, but insulated.
"Looks like you'll have some cold nights," Flux comments as though reading my mind, then holds out both fists. "Pick a hand." I raise an eyebrow, point at the right. He scoffs, shrugs. "Close enough." He opens his left hand, palm up, and I can't suppress a gasp. In his hand, my little figurine perches confidently, a little wire threaded through the hole I made.
"Flux…" I start, unsure of what to say. He holds up his free hand.
"You need a token, right? Now, this little wire can weave into the zipper of this pocket," he gestures to a little zipped, clear plastic pocket on the inside of my jacket, leans in to attach the little fish. "There, see? Now it won't break, and you won't lose it. Unless you lose your jacket, that is." I'm beaming; the little fish seems to waggle its wings at me from inside its little pocket. I meet Flux's gaze.
"What on earth could a pocket like that be meant for?" I ask slyly. He shrugs, looks away.
"Well…that jacket may be one of the very few with a pocket like that…" he trails off, gives me a wink. I get it—he had the pocket installed just for me, which is technically against regulations. He could get in a considerable amount of trouble.
"Thanks, Flux."
"Anything for you, Tobi." A hissing sound startles both of us, and my head snaps to the left. A large, clear tube occupies the left wall of the room, and half of the cylinder is sliding over to present an opening. I gulp; I'm supposed to get in there.
"I guess this is it." The words sound strained and far away, as though from someone else's mouth. Flux reaches both hands forward and squeezes my shoulders.
"Tobi…we all believe in you," he whispers. "You're stronger than you think. Trust me. I'd put my money on you." I nod, start for the tube. I seem at first to make no progress at all, despite my even footsteps. Then all at once I'm there; one step up and I'll be in the tube. I hesitate, turn around. Flux offers a grave nod, then breaks into a grin and gestures to his jacket, clearly referring to the fish. I chuckle, and he holds a finger to his mouth.
Without giving myself the chance to run away, I turn and climb into the tube. No sooner have I passed the curved, plastic wall than the door slides shut with a mechanical hiss punctuated by a sudden, thick absence of sound. My heart jumps in panic, and I spin around, hands pressed against the plastic. Flux grins at me, meets my gaze and points to his head. I nod, turn slowly around and look toward the circle of light perhaps 6 feet above me. Keep your head, Tobi, I tell myself. Use your brain. Don't panic. I've seen what happens when tributes succumb to mind-numbing panic; it never ends well. Flux probably knows this even better than I.
Abruptly the floor beneath my feet starts to rise. I'm in a human-sized straw, being sucked up by the capitol, and the light is growing ever closer. My breath condenses against the tube wall as I glare straight at my own reflection in the plastic, forcing myself to remain calm. Breathe in, breath out…My glare is fierce. Good. It's never a bad idea to look scary.
Within moments, my head breaks the surface, and my eyes snap closed against the sudden glare of light. Calm…be patient. You've still got 40 seconds. 39…38…On the 35th second I open my eyes, allow them to flicker spottily around the arena. I could cry in relief. Directly across from me, just past the cornucopia, is the end of a considerable forest. To its right is a shimmering lake. Water!
It takes everything I have to tear my eyes away from the lake. Obviously I can't go there…it's exactly the kind of place Finnick told me to stay away from. That leave the trees, or…no. I barely afford a glance to the thick, tall grasses over the rest of the arena before turning back to the cornucopia and scanning the assortment of packs and weapons seemingly spewed from the mouth of the great, metallic horn. My best bet is probably to grab one of the packs littering the ground. It won't be difficult to hook the straps as I run by…
Knees bent, head forward, eyes fixed…muscles coiled but not tense…I carefully shift on my pedestal, eyes glued not to the flashing numbers above the cornucopia, but on a large, black pack perhaps three yards ahead of me. My heart has somehow synchronized with the deep, hollow sound of seconds passing by; every one of my cells seems to wait for the blast signaling game: start, and part of me wonders if maybe my heart will simply explode when at last it sounds.
As an afterthought, I wonder where Oscar came up. I almost look up to try and spot him, but the incessant beating warns me not to. I'd be in quite a fix if the proverbial gunshot went off while I was distracted…
5…4…my blood roars in my ears right up until a golden 2 is hovering above the cornucopia. Then, for an impossible eternity, my biological functions seem to stop. Everything is completely silent, still, and glued to the 1 flashing in front of me.
Then the canon goes off, and the world explodes.
There, you see? We made it! Now, let's just hope Tobi can hold out through the bloodbath...also, I realize that technically I've robbed you of the excitement of starting the games all at once, but I wanted to sort of separate Tobi's last conversation with Flux and her dive into the games. You know, sort of the "before the games" and then the games. So the next chapter, as you can imagine, will be as action-packed as I can make it. I would say something like "i won't post till I get such and such reviews," because I've seen that work for other people, but let's face it: I will totally still post when I feel like posting. So I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and stay tuned!