Iris

I slowly climbed down from the cornucopia, my legs felt still like lead and my heart was racing. Everything that had just happened was a blurry haze, like seeing something through fog. I brushed the dark hair from Morpheus eyes, blood was still dripping down his face and collecting in a pool beneath is still form.

"Morpheus?" I shook my brother's shoulder, he didn't answer. "Morpheus I know you're okay because your eyes are open." Still nothing. A cold feeling spread through my body and I tried to shake it away, he was still alive. I could never have killed my brother, my annoying, caring brother. No way. I removed my hand from my brother's face; it was soaked with blood. How could someone possibly bleed so much? I stood up, tears falling down my face. Out of nowhere a hover craft materialised, a metal claw lowered down and scooped up my brother. I screamed,

"BRING HIM BACK, BRING HIM BACK!" The hovercraft disappeared; I tried to run after it without any success. How could you pursue something you couldn't see? I stopped running, by now my tears had stopped falling. I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand,

"Oh dearie me…" A soft, melodic voice cooed. I turned around, shocked someone had spoken.

"Who's there?" I snapped, my hand automatically reaching for my sword.

"If you kill a goddess you'll go to Tartuarus…Oh my darling Iris, so beautiful." In the distance I could see something shimmering, someone tall, athletic and stunning. I blinked, but the figure was still there.

"Come a little closer," The hypnotic voice murmured, I walked forward almost in a trance by how wonderful the voice was. As I walked closer I began to recognise the woman. She had long black hair with several tiny braids intertwined in a complicated fashion. Her skin was tanned and her eyes the most stunning colour of brown possible. The woman had a long, ivory colour dress that flared at the bottom. All around her tiny sparks of energy fizzled.

"Do you know who I am my child?" The woman murmured I nodded.

"Messenger Iris, goddess of rainbows. Why are you talking to me?" The woman laughed, her laugh made me want to dance and sing and smile, it was so heart-warming.

"Because you my dear are special, you have always been so very special." Iris walked up to me, placing her hand on my cheek, where she touched I felt sparks of warmth that tingled all the way through my body.

"Oh Iris, because you are so special you have to win and the only way you can win is to kill." I blinked, kill, of course.

"I'll kill everyone, goddess, I'll kill all of them."

"I'm sure you will, the best of luck my dear, the whole of Olympus is watching you." And with that, the goddess disappeared back into the desert. I pulled my sword out of my belt loop; I had never felt so full of life and blood lust pumped through my veins. I needed to kill someone or I would go insane. I started to run towards the rocky ledges, I knew some tributes would be camping there because it was safe. Well, it used to be safe but not anymore. I stumbled down a rocky path, leaping, tumbling and slipping down the rock face until I eventually reached the bottom. I could feel the sticky wetness of blood on my cheek but it didn't matter, nothing mattered except killing. I stared around the clearing. My breathing was heavy and ragged and I wouldn't be surprised if any tributes around here would be able to hear me. I took a few steps forward, straining my ears to hear any sounds.

"The rocks Iris, there hiding under the rock," A voice murmured around me, I smiled. I crawled under a rocky ledge and into a pitch black cave. This place was definitely being used as a camp, there was a backpack slumped in the corner and a few animals bones had been carelessly thrown about the place. I laughed softly, my voice echoed of the cave walls making a spooky sound. If anybody was in the caves now they would know I was here and there wasn't any escape as far as I knew. I walked further into the darkness, a gently dripping sound bounced on the cave walls signalling there was a supply of water in these caves. Suddenly, something heavy crashed into the side of my head, knocking me to the floor. I stumbled back to my feet, swinging my sword and slicing through what I thought was flesh. My attackers whimpered, but its voice sounded weird, echoing and it zoomed around my head like…bugs. I screamed, slashing, hacking and chopping at the noise around my ears, I know I was hitting something because I could feel the sound getting louder. They were attacking because I was hurting them. I slipped on the wet rocks and smashed my face on a rock, the sounds by now had faded and all I could hear were groans.

"Well done my sweetie, you've killed him." Iris's voice giggled, I smiled, ignoring the pounding pain in my head. I stumbled to my feet and managed to crawl out of the cave and back into the light. Bloodlust pumped through my veins and all of my senses were on fire. I needed to kill again. A shadow fell across the stones, shading my eyes from the light. I turned around surprised to see as familiar figure staring at me. James. His eyes were wide and alert, but I could tell he hadn't slept since we arrived because he had black bruises under his eyes from lake of sleep.

"Liar," I spat, blood spraying the floor. Had I knocked a tooth out when I fell? I traced the inside of my mouth, no everything was there. Thank the gods that was the last thing I needed. James didn't speak to me, but from the way he held a knife in his hand he was ready to attack.

"Watch yourself, Iris, this child is dangerous. Kill him, kill him right now." I leapt forward, slicing my knife at James. He quickly sidestepped, stumbling slightly. I stabbed my knife at his shoulder but he was faster and dodged. James struck his foot out and I slipped on the rocks, I grabbed James' leg, trying to pull him down to me but this boy was built like an ox and it didn't even faze him. James kicked at my head and stars danced across my vision. I rolled over, leaping to my feet and punching James square in the face.

"Stab him, stab him." The goddess voice chanted,

"I am stabbing him!" I snapped, biting my lip I thrust my knife at James heart, it just missed and grazed his ribs, but from the sound he made I knew it had hurt him. I gripped my knife and jumped at the District 7 boy, he dodged yet again, but his foot slipped on a rock and he tumbled down a rocky slope. I laughed, my heart pounding more adrenaline around my body. James stayed very still for a few long moments so I thought he might be dead, but this kid was a fighter. He grabbed his knife and half ran half stumbled away.

"YOU'LL BE DEAD BY SUNSET; NO ONE CAN SURVIVE AN ATTACK AGAINST ME. I AM IRIS, THE CHOSEN ONE. YOUR GOING TO DIE, LIAR, THE GODS WILL STRIKE YOU DOWN!" I screamed James didn't look back at me. Terrified, Ha! I couldn't help but be annoyed by that boy, he had acted weak and vulnerable, easy prey, yet he had managed to survive this long with only a few tributes left. How many were actually left? I wasn't sure, I had lost count. But somewhere at the back of my mind I remembered something, a slither of information. Celina, she was still alive and she had been mocked me. No boy ever mocks me and gets away with it. I was going to kill her. I burst out laughing, raising my bloody knife in the air.

"ALL HAIL IRIS, KILLER OF ALL THE TRIBUTES!" This was going to be so much fun.

Okay, I just wanted to say thank-you to all the people who are reading this and have reviewed, it means a lot to me and Moonlit Rook. I just wanted to say, if you liked the character James he is a character from my story, don't just die (Summers-Sky) and check it out if you liked him!

Thank-you for reading and review!