The Devil

Despite having two axes, the Ox Girl from District One has a huge amount of stamina. On a good day, maybe, she could outrun me. Not today. I hear strange howls from the trees, but have no time to look up. The sun has gone down and I have to navigate my way through the dark forest with the devil on my tail. One trip or fall over a rock and I'm all hers. I can feel her bloodlust creeping on me.

I make a sharp turn to the right. I decide to run wild and make no pre conception of which direction to go in. I zig zag between trees hop over bushes in an attempt to lose her, just for one moment. I tuck and roll down into a small ditch then change direction again. I feel the moment is right. I turn behind a thick tree that is big enough to hide two people. I press my back up against the tree and listen for her footsteps. I can hear breathing, heavy. She is as exhausted as me, but I hold my breath. She stops right on the other side of the tree.

"Come out Five…I'm not going to hurt you!" she says in between breaths.

"I'm actually glad you got rid of Leo for me, he was one of the best. Could've easily killed me, had he the chance."

This girl is out her mind if she thinks I believe her crap. I hear her start walking, as if she listening for me, waiting to rush toward my footsteps. I pull out my slingshot and load it. I shoot off a rock about thirty feet in front of me. It hits a tree and ricochets into the bushes. I don't know if it hits an animal or scares one, but it lets out a scream. I notice the howls in the trees start up again.

"You're mine Five!" she whispers as she runs right past me. Racing toward the noise she just heard, not even turning to see my pale face sweat in the moonlight. I double back behind the tree and wait there for a moment. Loading my slingshot and making sure she hasn't come back.

I hear a piercing scream cut the air. It's the Ox girl for sure, though she never sounded so feminine. I peek my head around to observe the situation. I can see the girl swinging her axes around. Her grunts are mixed in with the squawk of a bird. I can't make out what she's fighting but it soon comes into focus. I can make out the black feathers, the long neck, and the bright red beak. The birds head stands taller than the girl who must be at least 5'8. It launches its head toward her face and pierces her eye. She lets out a ferocious roar, swinging her axes around blindly. The bird backs away, flapping its huge wings and making aggressive sounds and movements with its neck. The girl opens her good eye to get a position on her target. As she runs for the bird, it stretches it neck forward and grazes her neck. She drops the axe in her right hand and locks her arm around its neck. She twists its neck as she flips the large bird down to the ground. It starts flailing its massive wings and calling out for mercy. She hops up still holding its neck in her right hand while chopping its neck off with her left.

A monster fighting a monster. All of a sudden two more birds appear out the bushes. The girl starts laughing as they stare at her with blood red eyes. Her red hair is what makes me think of the devil. She picks up her other axe and charges at the birds. I take advantage of the moment and make my escape. I run for about twenty minutes before I hear the sound of the cannon.

As the anthem begins playing, I look up into the stars. I see the boys from One, Three, and Eleven. I see the girls from Three, Four, Six, Nine, and Ten. When I see Oscars face, I feel the loss of a close friend. Then it hits me that the girl from One is still alive. Hopefully she is injured and blind. It sounds cruel in my head but she is a killer. I notice one of the black birds with its neck extending toward the ground after passing a brush of trees. As I get closer I see it is drinking from a river. Water! I fire a rock at the bird; this sends it running off into the forest. I take off my clothes and jump in the river. I'm not worried about anything in the water at this point. The cool water feels good against my skin.

How much longer til my face is in the sky?