Mila POV
Waiting around for something to happen tends to get pretty boring, especially when you are whipping your head around every other second to see if a crazy killer is about to mutilate you. Needless to say, I hadn't gotten much sleep the past few nights. It is the fourth day, and the only thing I've come in contact with so far has been the occasional squirrel and sometimes a snake.
The day before, I had decided to get off my butt in the desert and make it to the woodlands nearby, prompted by the indignant growling of my angry stomach. I am not a hunter, not in the least, so I went hungry for a while until I came upon a berry bush near my force field. Sitting there, eating berries, I decided to make a game out of tossing pebbles onto the invisible barrier and seeing how far they would fly back.
Humming to myself, I toss a rock at the force field, listening to the tiny little pop! as it recoils, spewing a trail of smoke. Suddenly, there is a crunching in the bushes. I mentally do a roll call of the surviving tributes in the arena. The little boy from One had been shown in the sky two days before, so that left the supermodel. Both from two, and my partner is still alive, so both from three. Both from Four and the redhead from Five, none from Six, the siblings from Seven, the cute one from Eight, both from Nine, the blondish girl from Ten, the scrawny girl from Eleven, and surprisingly, both from Twelve. Only seven dead. Which meant the Careers had the arduous task of killing off seventeen more tributes, and I sure as hell did not want to be next.
I slink into the shadows provided by the towering willows and wait.
The crunching noises become so loud and close that it is almost unbearable, until finally the girl from District Eleven shoves through the shrubs. She looks mean, always has, and holds something in her hand. As she glares around at our surroundings, I decide surprising her is better than being surprised by some hidden ally she might have, so I barrel out of the cover of the trees and sprint towards her.
She whips around with a gasp and I crash my shoulder into her ribcage, feeling something crack and not knowing whether it was from her or me.
She lets out a strangled cry as she tumbles backwards.
Right into the force field.
Right into my trap.
Kiki Tavella (D11)
Everything hurts.
It hurts more than hunger pains, the exasperated moans of your belly when a little too much bone is protruding through your skin.
It hurts more than getting your nose broken by some hussy who decided she was better than you and deserved taking everything you had.
It hurts like hell, that's what.
And it all happens in a second.
One minute, I see that girl's brown head barreling towards me, but surprise overrules intellect, and she knocks the breath out of me. Then pain, searing and consuming. It feels like every nerve in my body is on fire.
And for the second that I can keep my eyes focused, I see a surprised expression cross the girl's face and she darts off into the brush, a surprised little deer retreating to safety.
And then its black.
And then I'm dead.
Iota Nightshade (D9)
Celsie is slowing us down. No matter how much Colt tries to deny it, or how persistently Kesha insists she can fix her, it is obvious that the girl from District Five is going to die. And I hate to say it, but maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing.
She is only slowing us down. She's feverish and delirious and in agony. She's only slowing us down.
My mantra is the only thing keeping me going.
She is only slowing us down.
The only thing justifying what I am about to do.
But I can't. Not now, at least. Colt is still in camp, still staying by Celsie's side and getting all agitated when her eyelids flutter a bit. He would see, and he would kill me before I could even pluck a scarlet hair from CiCi's head. He'd have to leave, and then I could blame it on Careers, or something.
Or something.
"Where's Kiki?"
Colt's voice actually startles me, and I look up, not fully alert. "What?"
"Where did Kiki go?"
The District Eleven tribute had a gypsy soul, always seeming to go wherever it was that she wanted without thinking to tell anyone. I suppose it is all the better, her creepy eyes and air of mystery unsettled me, like she had gotten into too many fights and now wore an aura of violence like a cloak, concealing everything vulnerable.
I shrug. "She said she was going to find some food."
Colt frowns. "But that was three hours ago."
"Maybe she got lost."
He glares at me. "You don't care?"
"I do care, Colt—about surviving." I was exasperated now. "Maybe we'll be better off if Kiki got lost. We can't have any members of this alliance holding us back." I look pointedly at Celsie and Colt stands, curling his hands into fists.
"I need to go blow off steam."
I glare at him now. "Go right ahead."
As soon as he disappears into the tree line, I unsheathe the dirk hanging on my belt. Approaching Celsie's prone form, I press the knife against her heart. Her eyes snap open, and they glaze over with fear and delirium. I feel a pang of guilt but press harder.
She is only holding us back. Do what's best for the alliance.
I raise the blade for momentum, prepared to plunge it through Celsie's sickened heart, but suddenly, the blade clatters on the ground, creating a mini cloud of dust and leaves. Everything seems to be in slow motion and I clutch my stomach, which is now bleeding profusely. The world tilts sideways, and I see through my blurry vision Colt, emerging from the woods, a bow in his hands. There is an agonizing rip as he tears the arrow back through my body, and I gasp soundlessly, sucking in air which just seems to escape far too fast.
Colt whispers, "I'm sorry," and the world spins one more time before my vision fades to black.
Gosh, guys, I can't apologize enough. Not only for not updating since last March, but for such a crappy chappie.
I am not a huge fan of this one, but it serves its purpose and the next one will be better. (I solemnly swear!)
What do you think?
Future POVs? THG Movie in March? Jennifer Lawrence? Taylor Swift's THG song?
XOXOXO
Ally-Rose (your sucky author)