Chapter 8

Victory

The Arena

Suddenly, the trees shook and the air swirled, throwing dust over my face, onto Tide and Pepper. It whizzed around, stinging my arms, digging into my eyes,

I gasped, but sand just went down my throat. I stood up and stumbled out of the thicket, running. I tripped over something, and managed to open my eyes and look at the horizon.

It was giant cloud of tan: Sandstorm.

The Gamemakers were driving the final three of us together, and it was working. I saw Hendirx;s footsprints leading away. Standing up again, I rain as fast as my legs would carry me away from the storm. Red hair flying, I could feel the cameras on me, showing I was moving. My hands clutched my axe, and Lexi's ribbon.

Where was I going exactly? I had no idea where the Gamemakers were leading us, all I knew was that I wanted to get away from the giant sheet of sand.

As my legs burned, I urged meself to continue. Things gradually came back into veiw. The little spring I collected water at, the giant cliff, the pine trees until... The boulder feild.

Of course, the rocks would break up the wind! I ducked inside, behind one, and for a few minutes curled upon the ground with my head against the rock, feeling slight breezes that got by.

When the howling stopped, I lifted my head slowly.

This was a mistake. Something striked my head, and the world titled as I fell onto the ground. I saw a flash of yellow, and my blood boiled: Shimmer.

She's about to raise her club again, but something tackles her. My vision clears a little, and I realize it's Hendrix. He raises his sword, and stabs Shimmer in the stomach.

She screams, clutching the bloody wound.

Hendrix breathes heavily. "That's for Lexi."

Shimmer glares at him, and then clubs him as well. Before I can react, she hits him mroe tiems than I count. I try to yell, but a squek comes out instead.

I can't move. Once she stops, the air splits with a cannon. Tear rise in my eyes. Hendrix is dead. He was so close.

I regain my footing, leaning against the stone. She turns around, and laughs.

"Are you kidding me?"

I weakly raise the axe, my hands shaking. I ignore the streams of blood surrounding my boots, but focus on her face.

Shimmer smirks. "And here I was thinking that two against one was unfair. One of them is knocked senseless and the other is dead."

I ignore her last comment, and lunge forward.

She slashes me on the back when she dodges with a blde she must've pulled from her pocket.

I gasp, feeling the warm liquid stain my already dirty green shirt. She just smiles. "One against nothing is fair to me."

Nothing. The words bubble in my ears, and I think back to when Pine was speaking to me in the Justice Building:

"You will survive, Fern."

"I'll try."

"No, not just try. You'll win."

"Pine, I-"

"No! Don't you let them crush you into nothing. You are somthing. Your smart, strong, and clever. You can do this. You aren't nothing, you are perfect just the way you are."

"Pine, I really don't-"

"Stop it! Don't talk, only hug me... I'll see you when you get home, okay? When your the Victor."

I shake my head. "No, sending two Careers after a twelve year old is unfair. That makes you nothing."

In one swift motion, I pul her leg out from under her, and she gets the wind knocked out of her when she hits the ground.

I look down at her. "I am something. I am perfect the way I am... I am the Victor."

And I swing my axe down, and just as cannon sounds, I drop to my knees and cry.

Just cry.