The Girl Who Disappeared
This was fucked up. What happened to all of my strategies, all my years of training? And for what? A winged boy with a sense of humour and a useless girl who didn't know the first thing about surviving.
I gave an irritated sigh. The reason why I bloody put up with these two dingbats was because they were my friends. Eugh. And not friends like those I had in the trials. They all died and it was an uneasy friendship anyway, all competition. Which was weird because with Cinder and Theo it truly is a competition to the death. I fucking wish I never met either of them. I want us all to win! And that isn't gonna bloody happen. I don't want Theo or even Cinder to die!
I needed to kill something. Arghh. Vent out my anger. But who? There is no one that I know of around for miles.
I look back at the two sleeping bodies. Theo was a lot better after I set his wing back to normal, but it was still a broken mess. He wouldn't be flying anytime soon within the games. And that's in addition to his blind eye. Cinder had helped me clean it but it didn't appear to look any better. The tissue looked like it had gone through a blender and his eyelid could no longer go over it. The gash went above his brow as well and stretched down to his top lip; if he won the medics would have a hard time fixing him up.
The few days that we had been holed up here had been good for him. The tendons in Theo's arm look like they're knitting themselves back together, which is just extra evidence of the mutation crap we have gone through and the golden shit I stole at the feast. I'm just glad about his extra healing though. The last healing stunt I did to Clio and Theo left me confused, and I truly didn't have a clue how to replicate it. If I could heal Theo from being skinned alive surely I could figure out how to heal his broken body now? No. Maybe the Game Makers disabled it because they want to see everyone suffer. I wouldn't put it past them.
I think with disgust how I used to love and revere both the Capitol and the Games. Now, I realise how fucking stupid I was. Why the hell did I want this? After my sister died surely that should have been a wake-up call to not go into the games and risk my life. But no, I was a stubborn fool and here I am protecting two completely useless allies. No, not allies. Friends. But the uselessness is still valid.
Cinder stirs next to Theo and blinks up at me in the dim light.
"Liv you know we're safe here. Get some rest." She says reasonably. But, of course I don't like taking advice and I just pretty much hate being told what to do I give her the finger. I mentally stab myself with a fork, why am I so horrific? She huffs in annoyance, and sits up fully. The lattice branches around her eyes make her look fairy like, but the mussed hair and sleepy eyes take away the enchanting effect.
"So why are you up then?" She asks awkwardly.
"Keep it down or you'll wake him. And I'm up to protect your ass obviously."
"I've already told you! I don't need protecting. I can work a knife now, I'm not completely useless! And we know I'm gonna die anyway, no need to lose sleep over it."
"Shut up." I grumble.
She runs a hand through her hair. "Oh, whatever." We sit in silence for a while, and I can tell she's dropping off until Theo groans in pain.
Immediately the two of us are on alert. Cinder rushes to his side and helps Theo get into a sitting position, huffing and panting. I grab our medical kit, which is never far, and quickly rifle through the box. I take out some antibiotics but we will run out if we aren't careful.
He coughs and gives a weak grin to Cinder. Even in the half-light I know that he is pale and sweating. Cinder's face is clearly etched with worry as she looks at him. I'm careful to keep my expression blank, if not bemused. Feelings are weaknesses, I have always known that. If people know how you feel, it makes it so much easier for them to hurt you. And I am not necessarily hiding it from Theo or Cinder; surprisingly I trust both of them. But the cameras are always, always watching.
"Oh Cinder, no need to look so worried." He wheezes as he scooches away from her towards the wall. Theo leans his back onto to cool earth with an agonised cry. My heart clenched painfully.
I chuck him the bottle of antibiotics. "Take two." He nods and pops them into his mouth, swallowing hard. A sheen of sweat glitters his chest and forehead. He saw me looking at his chest and with his uninjured arm pretends to cover himself.
"Ladies ladies stop looking at my hot bod. I'm feeling violated. So easy for you to take advantage when I'm in this state." Despite myself a smile tugged at my lips. Cinder, of course didn't get the joke and shock played out onto her face.
"What! No Theo please don't think like that. We are only trying to take care of you! You have no idea what Oliv-"
"Cinder!" I cut in sharply, giving her a glare. Her eyes go wide and slams her lips shut.
"Hey, you did what?"
"Nothing." I say evasively, mentally murdering everyone in this room. Including myself.
"Tell me!"
"No, now shut up." I growl.
"Fuck off with all the menacing crap." Theo says with a dramatic one eye roll. "I can see through that shit now tell me what you did!"
"Fine you big fat baby! Jesus it was nothing alright? I just got you some extra medicine to fix you up is all? Cinder helped anyway."
"Liv it was more than that! Theo, she was missing!" Cinder butted in, but looked like she instantly regretted it with the look of fear on her face. Theo put a comforting arm on her shoulder and I resisted to rip it off.
"Cinder don't be scared of her. If she wanted to kill you she would have, which means she likes you around." She beamed like an idiot at that and I rolled my eyes. They could both shut the fuck up. And die. "You can tell me what happened Cinds."
And then she launched into what happened two days ago.
Cinder
Once Olivia came back into consciousness, I immediately gave her some more water. She smiled gratefully at me as I saw her body filling up with energy. With these new powers, it seemed she really didn't know her limits. Olivia could just be passing out right now, but what would happen if she went too far? Would she die? Probably.
I curiously wonder what it was like to fully exercise my power. The biggest stretch I have ever had to use it for was to create our tunnels, and my escape. The escape tunnel was hardest, half dead with pain and exhaustion. The three of us, Cotton and Barbie were all tied up to chairs in a bedroom. We were barely fed, and our only interaction was with India… if we spoke amongst ourselves we would be punished, which we learnt early on. It didn't help that India had burned out Barbie's eyes and so the girl was too frightened to do anything at all really. India would come in now and then, twice a day or so. Rant like a crazy person, and when she was really riled up her eyes would glow red and her hair whipped around her in flames. Her hands weren't on fire or anything like that, but they emitted such an intense heat when she touched our skin, immediately the flesh began to cook and burn.
Our screams rattled the house. Of course, she had lots of this special cream to heal us all. She would keep muttering to herself while she healed us "Have to keep my girls safe, safe, safe." Then one day she suddenly got so paranoid that other tributes would find us, she untied us and set us to walk to a new house. The three of us were crazy not to try and escape. I ran and ran and ran, but not before she stabbed me in the hip. With every ounce of energy I had I opened up the earth and fell in. Trembling, after a few minutes I extended the hole to create a tunnel as I had learned to do in training. As I was connected to the earth, I could sense life forces and that's when I found Olivia and Theo. I obviously didn't know who they were at the time, and why I had run towards them in such happiness. But I am glad I did. I truly am.
I saw that Theo was looking a little better. His fever seemed to have gone down, which was a good sign.
"How long?" Olivia asks, nibbling her lip in worry.
"Half an hour, not long." She nods in thought. She is silent for a while, and I know that she is thinking of some new strategy that would get me killed. Great.
"We need to go hunting." Olivia says to me, watching closely. I know that she is testing me, her smirk on her face says it all. I feel sick to the stomach at the thought of this. Hunting. As if all these children, these people are nothing more than animalistic beasts. This is one thing that I hate about Olivia. Her sadism. Her grin gets wider as she watches me squirm, but I fight to remain strong. This is the Hunger Games. I can't afford to be the weakling she already thinks I am. My revulsion turns to confusion as I realise, if I was so weak why hadn't she killed me yet? Maybe she wasn't entirely evil after all. I mean, when we were setting up our cosy little cave she truly looked like she was just a normal teenage girl, if not a little unearthly beautiful and a creepy weirdo sometimes.
I didn't want to dwell on it too long. There wasn't much point. If she was going to kill me, well I wouldn't go down without a fight, I never do!
"Don't worry." Olivia continues, softening a bit to her obvious macabre glee. "We still need to fix up Theo first. His wings are never going to heal set like that. We need to make a frame to set the bones. Open up the cave and let's get a move on!" She bosses.
I nod like a puppet and without any prompt rush to get some weapons. I return shortly with 2 knives, the baseball bat and the sword all balanced precariously in my arms, careful not to stab myself.
Olivia quickly snatched them out of my grasp. I was thankful, if I stood like that for too long I would kill myself if I held them like that. We got a knife each, Olivia got the sword and I got the baseball bat.
We quickly scrambled out of the cave, I closed it up and we rushed down the street to a house to get more supplies. I filled a bucket with fresh water from a faucet while Liv guarded. I grabbed a dipper, a few towels from a clean pile I found on a shelf in the bathroom, and then, on my way out, I paused near a tray of moss that reminded me of a thick, green carpet. I stood there chewing my lip indecisively as instinct warred with my conscious mind, until I finally gave in and pulled up a long row of the moss. Then, mumbling to myself about not knowing how I knew what I knew, I left the green house and returned to the bat cave.
It was horrible. There was blood everywhere. In the brief time that we were gone, his condition had gotten so much worse. With the moss that I had collected I instincly knew it would provide a good sponge to aid Theo in stopping the blood flow. When I told Olivia she nodded immediately, trusting me completely. I had a brief moment of intense pride before I set to work, strapping the layers of moss onto the most severe wounds and tying them tightly with string. His arm looked like it had suffered the most damage, apart from his wings. I had no idea how we would help fix all of his tendons, but I didn't mention it to Liv. Not by the way she was flitting around his wounds with a look of such deep desperation. I hastily looked away. What was between them was private. I had learned the hard way what being nosy meant.
Once all of his bleeding wounds were cleaned and bound, she painfully twisted him until he was lying on his front with his back face up. He woke up briefly, screamed, and passed out again. My whole body cringed with shame, as I had no idea what this kind of pain felt like and was glad it wasn't me. I might be able to handle some stuff… but I couldn't be strong enough to handle this. I didn't realise I was sobbing until Liv slapped me around the face.
I stared at her with shock into the silence. Every plane of her face was etched in pain, and she pulled me into a tight, bone breaking hug. "We have to stay strong!" she whispers harshly into my hair. I nod roughly and we continue playing doctor. Liv and I had tried to set Theo's wings straight with a piece of a thin chair leg. He had woken up again. I didn't hear what Liv was saying. She was barking orders at me a look of pure fear etched on her features. He had begun to bleed again, from his leg, his arm, his face and all of his wounds in his wings. She thought he was gonna die, I knew that. I thought he was going to too. His screaming had stopped, which was a bad sign, and his heartbeat had slowed down so much it was hard to even find it. I was so frightened. More scared than when India had come at me and the others with the fire.
He had fought to save my life. He had injured himself to protect me and Liv... If he died because of that, well I would always hate myself for it. And I knew Liv would too, from the way she gazed at him when no one was looking.
Olivia slapped me out of my trance by gripping onto the wound in my hip, digging in her nails on purpose with such strength it made me scream.
"Snap out of it!" She yelled, her face glistening with sweat and tears. I nodded and we both set to work. It was hard and I concentrated as much as I could but I knew that I wasn't enough. I never would be. There was rarely any need for me to be strong, but as Olivia cried in desperation to slow down the flow of blood I realised that I had to be strong. For both of them.
We quickly bound his wing tightly to his back with rope, tying it so tight that it created rope burns onto his side. A lesser wound compared to the rest of the damage.
I centred myself into the middle of the cavern and raised up my arms. Olivia barely noticed as I closed my eyes. I felt my body heat up with energy as I focused on channelling all the life and power from the earth into myself. Quickly I pressed my pulsing palm onto Theo's chest and sent him all my spare energy. A green light glowed around his body, the blood flow from his wings slowed and he got some colour back into his skin.
His heart beat stronger.
Olivia sat back in exhaustion, looking at me with bleary eyes. I knew if she wasn't so tired she would have concealed that look of gratitude in her face. It made me feel so happy. I wasn't useless after all. I could help save my friends.
After that we went to sleep. Well, I tried. I was kept awake by all the memories of my life flitting through my mind. My family life, where I learned to be weak and helpless to not provoke anyone in the household, my mixed emotions of being reaped, living in luxury, meeting my friends, getting super powers! And then the Games began.
The next morning we moved homes again, spending all our energy travelling more tunnels to another houses' back garden. The set up was pretty much the same, and Theo managed to walk there completely by himself but after that he passed out until present time. As Olivia and I got more supplies from a nearby house, we had quite an assortment of odd weapons, the announcement was made.
A large, booming voice echoed throughout the arena with a true sense of superiority. Instantly I knew it was Claudius Templesmith.
"12 of you have survived over a two week period. Congratulations!"
Olivia and I share a look and she makes a sarcastic "Woohoo!"
"As you all will have realised that these games we have provided you all with luxury, food and shelter. Well, because of this generosity it is mandatory that one person from each alliance, or the individual must attend a feast we have prepared for you all." A sick feeling churns in my stomach. I know it will be Olivia that goes, it has to be. She is the only one of us with a chance of survival. But what if she doesn't make it? Up against India…
My whole body shudders involuntarily with revulsion and fear. She was a disgusting version of herself, gone crazy with power. Without realising it I let out a whimper of fright. Olivia glances over at me, obviously assuming it is because of the feast. A look of grotesque humour contorts her face as she looks at me, turning her beautiful features into something ugly and menacing. I like her company, I really do. But in these moments, she does not let me forget that she is the predator and I am the prey. I will never amount to anything. I will die here. She knows it. Everyone knows it.
I rapidly blink away the tears from my eyes. No use getting upset over it. It truly wasn't like I had a good life before the games. I was almost glad. An abusive father and a mother who didn't care was what I grew up with. Knowing I would either die never seeing them was a bonus, but on the off-chance that I did win – well I would have all the money in the world to keep them away from me for good. I realise that Olivia thinks that I am extremely weak, I couldn't kill a person, hell no! But what the audience and Olivia don't know is that I persevere! Through the torture I stayed strong, and I will continue to stay strong as long as I can!
I just have no idea what being strong will take.
"Feast begins at noon in two days at the cornucopia. I must warn you that if you do not attend, a very painful death will await you. You must announce which one of your alliance is attending, and a special compulsory outfit will be shipped to you from your generous sponsors! Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favour!" And with that Claudius Templesmith's announcement has finished.
Immediately Olivia was all business, her mind wirring with strategies and concepts. I can't help but admire her. She truly is a warrior. She notices me watching her and gives a genuine reassuring smile.
"Hey, don't worry. You won't be going to that feast. No way." She says to me, and despite me already knowing this, the tight knot in my stomach lessened. She grabs the rest of the medical supplies and suggests that I do the same, and we both trod back in silence towards our little cave. My stomach tightens again as I remember the state that we left Theo in. Mostly patched up but he had passed out.
Before I closed up the cave, Liv stayed on top and awkwardly announced that she was going to be the one who was going to the feast for our alliance. She waited, her hair curling and uncurling impatiently, until a tribute parachute flew down. Unlike most, this was propelled by multiple small parachutes and it dropped delicately into her arms. She grinned and waggled her eye brows at me as she examined the clothes bag.
"Should I open it now? I hope it's some new armour!" She says excitedly as she clambers down next to me. I seal up the earth and sit down beside her in the half light of the Sun Beams. I don't say what I'm really thinking. That this Games seems to be much more about social and cultural factors. There are no elemental (ignoring the ones that we control) factors or anything that will kill us. It all has to be us pretty much, except for the mutts. Liv told me about her snake incidence. My suspicions were confirmed as Olivia opened the bag to find a set of beautiful underwear inside, and behind them the most stunning dress that I had ever seen.
A look of angry crossed Olivia's face as she beheld the dress before her. With an angry grunt she zips it back up and throws it into a corner.
"Guess it's a fashion show then." She snaps at me, seething.
I hold my hands up in a 'back off' gesture. "No need to take it out on me. Its compulsory Liv, no need to be so angry. Everyone else who goes is going to have to wear something similar." Olivia looks at me with a smile that almost has a hint of respect.
"True, true. Now, who do you think is going to be there from the alliances that we know of?"
"India. Definitely." I say with absolute certainty. Liv raises a razor sharp eyebrow, judging me and testing me. I breathe deeply, knowing I need to impress her. I am not completely useless. "Well, she hates your guts. During torture time," I try to say as casually as I can, "she would rage on and on about nonsense really, but you angered her the most. She said that you were forcing us to do the torturing, and that it was all your fault that Theo escaped and basically blamed you for everything."
"What the hell?!" Liv yelled, her hair striking out dangerously. "I have barely fucking seen her the entirety of these games. Psycho bitch." She mutters. And then she looks straight at me, and I realise how little eye contact she makes. Her midnight blue eyes hold me in place. "And do not make light of how she treated you. I blame her for the damage on Theo, but Cinder if you truly want… she dies by your hand."
I answer with something that has shocked me since, right down to the core. And I do not regret it. "I will kill India." And Olivia smiles, her eye narrowing and looking cruel as she takes pleasure in my turning to the dark side. And despite myself, I cannot help but mirror the twist of the lips.
The next day Olivia trains me up. We have an assortment of knives that we have collected, all shapes and sizes. She teaches me how to thrust and parry effectively with the sword. Well… I say effectively, but I at least learned how not to kill myself with it and how to hold it up correctly. We spent more training with the knives.
"I'll try keep people away from you as much as possible, but when you're in short range fighting you must be able to hold your own or you'll be a goner. Got it?"
I learned how to stab and get inside peoples defences. Because I was small and petite, quite similar to Liv, it helped me be nimble and get inside her defences. I knew she was going really easy on me, but it helped with my confidence. I at least knew how to protect myself a little. And if all else fails, I can just let the earth swallow me up.
The next day Olivia woke up at dawn and after refreshing all of Theo's moss bandages, the two of us creeped into the nearest house and took a luxury of a shower. I had never been in a shower before; we didn't have that kind of money in 12. Just a tin bath full of cold or lukewarm water. I relished in the luxury of it all, never having been so clean in my life. In 12 there was always some residual soot ingrained into your skin.
The dark brown hair dye that we had found we rubbed into my hair. I was sad, to see my blonde locks disappear into a mess of black, but that couldn't be helped.
In accordance to our plan, Olivia and I began to get ready. Along with the rest of the houses in the street, this home was still outfitted with couture dresses. I picked one that was just above my knees which meant that I would be able to run.
The two of us dried our hair and got into our clothes, Liv wearing the stuff that the Capitol had sent her.
She slipped into the underwear, which was a bra and matching boy shorts made of white satin beneath a glistening gold lace overlay. She saw me looking and made some vomit noises.
"Grosses me out so hard that they know my sizes." I giggle at this, and pick out a plain black cotton bra and panties for myself. Obviously, because I'm not an animal, I go into a separate room to change – unlike Liv.
Earlier that morning a box filled with accessories had been delivered to the house we had gotten ready in, so when we went downstairs for breakfast, newly washed and in dressing gowns, we opened the intricately decorated wooden box to find all sorts inside.
A rueful grin twitched on my face. "I almost wish I was going with you to this feast." Liv stuck her tongue out at me and laughed.
I selected the most expensive and the most gorgeous dress I could find. A dress of dark navy that was skin tight with a deep v line neck that went just below my breast bone. The neckline was so deep and plunging that I had to take off my bra. But I didn't mind. I wasn't supposed to be me. The navy dress had gold plated leaved embroidered all over, making it look enchanting. The skirt hugged to my hips, with gold embroidery on the edge of the dress, and climbing upwards with swirls of leaves and flowers. It was gorgeous, but nothing like the exquisite dress Liv had to wear.
Liv set to doing my makeup before we begun. She painted the bark on my shoulders a deep, shimmering blue with a paint set we had also found. She had painted it to make it look somewhat like scales. Nothing like hers, but they were similar. My green gems on the corners of my eyes were painted red, and glittered like drops of blood. I looked in the mirror, at my dark hair and at the eye markings on my face.
I nibble my lip. "Liv, this will never work! I don't look a think like you!" She studies me, a look of concentration on her face.
"From far away you'll get away with it. Just don't talk which shouldn't be hard, and basically look as taunting and haughty as you can. Don't worry, I'll be right there with you." and then she fishes out a masquerade mask that was made of gold detail, something that we had found yesterday as well. After deciding on the plan we had to hunt for the supplies to make it work, which wasn't hard due to the neighbourhood that we were in. "This should be fine. You can still see the jewels but it covers most of your features. Most would guess you're me." She nods, and then sets about getting on her dress.
A white corset bodice that hugs to her hips and breasts amazingly (as someone with very little boobs I could not help to be impressed) with miniature crimson rosebuds sewn into the neckline, glittering deliciously when they hit the light almost as if they had been dipped in blood. Satiny black laces that crisscross at the back, and then dangle in a bow at her waist. At the front, a black latticework of metal goes from the top of the chiffon skirt and spreads up onto her bodice. A fitted white, ankle-length skirt hugs her lower half. Liv had matching black gloves that hooked onto her middle finger and around her wrists, the same black patterns from her eyes covering the backs of her palms. Under her dress she was in plan trainers, but had a spare pair of black shin high boots that were sent for her to change into. I did the same. Put into the box were red roses that matched those lined up on her bodice, and I struggled to put them in her writhing hair.
"I have no idea why we have to go to a damn feast so lavishly." Olivia grumbles, as another lock of hair twists out of my reach. I resit rolling my eyes. Who cares what the gamemakers have in mind. I just hope I don't die! Once I accomplish her hair, it falls down as though it was styled by a Capitolite and automatically curls itself glamorously.
The two of us kitted out for the feast we head down for one final check with Theo, leave a note and head underground towards the cornucopia.
We trudged there mostly in silence, except for the duffle bag of weapons clanging on Liv's shoulder. I wonder about what's going to happen. I don't bother imagining it, there is no point. It never works out how you hope it will, as I have recently learned. But, feeling absolutely stunning it did put a spring in my step. I didn't care if I died right now, I was happy. I almost felt like a normal teenager. Despite myself, I was beginning to care a lot about Liv. It's not like I didn't have friends at school in 12, but ive never had friends as real as Liv. I think that could only be due to her openness about her violent tendencies, but she never hides anything from me anyway.
I held up my hand to stop Liv as I felt it. Another life force pulsing not far ahead of us. She nods solemnly and the two of us change our shoes. We move a little more ahead and settle down to wait. I grow some moss onto the floor to not ruin our dresses.
"How superficial!" Liv whisper snorts.
I giggle softly, and the two of us talk until we know it's time to put our plan into motion. She tells me of her time when she was training for the Games, and I tell her about my abusive childhood. She tells me about the death of her sister, and the more I get to know her, the more I realise she's not some evil unfeeling murderer. I knew her sister had died from her interview, but I never knew that it was what drove her to volunteer for the games. As I explained to Liv about my experience in 12, and how life had been really hard growing up I think she saw me in a new light. I knew she no longer thought I was a complete weakling, but I think this is one of the first times she saw my strength.
And then we knew it was time. A gong chimed loudly above us, and I knew that it was time to part ways.
Liv pulls me into a hug. "Stay safe. I'll look out for you." I grin back softly, trying to ignore my thuddering heart and the sick feeling worming into my stomach. I stashed a knife into the bodice of my dress, but I lazily carried my sword, as if I didn't have a care in the world.
As softly as I could, I opened up the tunnel, and the two of us climbed out and were standing behind the cornucopia. Liv gave me an encouraging grin, as I strode out and went to the table where the majority of the tributes were sat.
There were name tags on the exquisite table, laid with a red table cloth there were so many rich foods laid in the middle. Braised pork to buttered shrimp, plates made of gilted gold and glasses filled to the brim with pink champagne.
I straightened my shoulders and strode towards the table, swinging the blade in my fingers as if I didn't have a care in the world. A smirk tugged on my lips as I took in the tributes already assorted. The feelings were all fake, a stone had settled in my stomach and I had already started sweating in fear. But I must continue the ruse, otherwise Liv and I would both be dead.
Iowan was sat at the head of the table, his hair styled professionally and a deep purple blazer covering his golden bare chest. As he caught sight of me he gripped onto his sword by his waist as his tail swished nervously. Oscar, the little bloodthirsty vampire was sat beside Iowan on his left. He caught my glance and flashed a pair of fangs. A did a throaty laugh and the little boy put them away. I nervously took my seat beside Hart, the brother of Sibylline. As I noticed around me, all the males were dressed in very handsome suits. Except for Hart. His was fashionably ruffled and destroyed, giving his already animalistic features a more deadly aspect. Cain, the boy who volunteered for his younger brother from District 10 is on the other side of me.
He has obviously taken his berry or whatever it was to activate his power: Death Mist or something. In the bright sunshine he almost looks like a ghost, his skeleton almost visible through his papery skin. He obviously has more abilities than just looking dead, but I wasn't planning on sticking around too long to see.
And there was a chair spare next to Oscar which had the name plate India.
"Fucking fabulous." I whisper softly under my breath.
Everyone is seated at the table and there is an awkward tension. Everyone is wondering who will strike first, if we're even allowed to begin killing before India arrives.
Sighing loudly, acting the part of Olivia, I begin heaping my plate with food, and begin eating. I pretend that I am completely consumed with eating, but instead I know I am completely aware that everyone is watching me. I swallow my mouthful and give a sarcastic smile. As I continue to eat, I notice everyone around me actually does begin to pick at the food shown as well. Hart begins sniffing the food oddly, and then rips into the whole slab of beef with his bare hands, blood dripping from his fingers.
"Now, now Hart. There are knives and forks provided for a reason." India says as she glides through, graceful as ever. Her black hair is tied in an up do, but flames crackle on top, looking crazily like her hair is on fire. She is in a deep red dress that shows off all of her curves and body, almost inappropriately.
The silence stretches on as she takes her seat lazily, and I notice she doesn't have a single weapon. She thinks she can get by with just her powers. I cringe inside as I remember what she can do, but I ignore it. I am not Cinder right now. I am Olivia Bellona, District 2 tribute.
I smile sarcastically at her, and purposefully with food in my mouth I say, "How lovely of you to finally join us India. I was beginning to think you were going to be a no show!"
She studies me thoughtfully, but I see the sparks of anger behind her eyes. I definitely riled her up.
And suddenly, silver clamps snap out of the chairs and strap us into the seats by our waists. Immediately all the tributes cry out and begin to struggle against the restraints. Oscar snarls and gnashes his teeth together in fury. Uh oh, this wasn't supposed to happen.
And then something that has never happened before, happened. A hologram of President Snow appeared at the other end of the table. Everyone stops struggling and stares, open mouthed at the figure. A slow, menacing smile pulled along his face. I resisted a look of disgust stretching out on my face.
"Well done my fellow tributes. Thank you for participating so well this year. It has been very enjoyable to watch." Oh gee thanks, glad my torture scenes pleased you. Assprick. "And so, I bestow upon you all gifts that will aid you in your eventful journey ahead. Now, I must say, I was surprised at the trickery that is taking place here." He says, staring directly at me. I feel my face going red and my sick feeling worsens. But then he chuckles heartily. "It will never stop surprising me the ingenuity of tributes on their quest to win!" Snow smiles almost genuinely. At this most of the others around me look confused, but India is looking directly at me, a dark sinister look on her face. "Your gifts are placed below the chair in which you are seated. Have fun." He said darkly, and then the screen switched off.
Everything was silent, and then the latches sprung loose. Immediately everyone reached beneath the chairs. I groped blindly, but there was nothing there. Scared, I looked around at Hart, but he found nothing either. He leaps up on top of the table, his body writhing in fury and anger. Fur begins to sprout onto his face and knuckles. I know what's going to happen next, so I run from my chair and a safe distance away, holding my sword out in front of me.
"Running away so soon!" India calls after me, cackling like a witch. "Who knew a district two tribute would be so cowardly."
A loud, derisive laugh comes from inside the cornucopia. Olivia emerges, looking like a deadly goddess, ready to seek her revenge. A mad glee glints in her eyes, but I move further away, knowing not to get involved.
Everyone stops, and nobody makes the next move.
And then Oscar moves fast, faster than the eye can see and rushes up to India. "Where is my present?" He screams loudly, and before anyone can react Oscar sinks his fangs into India's side. Her scream was bone rattling, and then her body glowed with an intense heat. She grabbed his neck and he gasped, panting like a dog. Burns bubble up on his neck immediately as she chokes him with both hands. No one moves to intervene. I watch in horror as the broken body of the little boy is thrown to the side as the cannon booms. In the space of two minutes someone was already dead.
I glance at Olivia, and I am not surprised by the triumphant look glinting in her eyes.
And then everything becomes all motion.
Liv leaped onto the table, agile as anything. Her black hair flew around her in a dark wave, and her expression was fierce, deadly. I knew if I wasn't her ally, I would run. Hart locked gazes with her, and sensing deadly intent he transformed into a menacing wolf man. He became more animal than man, with his long claws, shaggy hair, dark slitted eyes which seem feral.
And the two of them collided. They started moving, and I could barely tell what they were doing exactly, because they were nothing but a blur. A flash of black there, a flicker of dark red. Hart grabbed Olivia by the arm and swung her up high, and landed back onto the table with so much force it rattled all the plates and sent food flying. I spare a glance and I see Iowans fading figure galloping away, and Cain was nowhere to be seen. Liv flew back up to her feet, and took a battle stance, her fists raised. Hart ran at her with an inhuman speed, sending everything remaining on the table flying with a loud smash. India watched, amused. Olivia remained stoic as Hart charged, har hand out at the last minute before they collided she grabbed his neck and slammed him down so hard his expression turned dazed. She wirled until she was sat on top of him and started repeatedly punching him in the face until it was a bloody mess. But he wasn't done yet, with his claws he slashed Olivias face, disfiguring the beauty in one fell sweep. Barely noticing, Olivia continues her attack on his head, and with one final punch his body goes limp. Visibly unconscious Olivia quickly leaps off the table and scrambles on the floor for her knives.
Picking one up, she straightens her body… and ends up face to face with India.
Olivia takes one surprised step backwards. Hurriedly, I rush to Olivia's side and stare defiantly from India.
She studies me curiously. "How did you get away with this little doppelganger Livvy?" She asks.
"Ask you heard Snow, I am ingenious. There was no reason for me to think that Cinds couldn't come to the feast. And technically, I was there, I was just waiting for the right time to come and chop of your heads." She said sweetly, completely incongruous with her words.
India raised her arms menacing, and I knew they were heating up. Liv mimics her motions and as India tries to make the ground set fire, Liv is just as quick doused it. the mixture of the two opposite elemental forces created a thick soupy fog around the three of us. It obscured my view of everyone, and I could feel my fear building up. I could hear no one, see no one but this thick fog. I ran as fast as I could, not even being able to see my own feet beneath me. Which direction I was going I had no idea. But I knew I had to get out of there.
And it was all black.
When I woke up, I was laid in the field next to the cornucopia by myself. I had no idea where everyone had gone, why I had been spared. Even Hart was gone.
As I stared around at the burned field around me I felt alone… truly alone. The moon shined bright onto me, like a spotlight. I could feel the cameras eyes on me. I shivered, wrapped my arms around myself and tried not to cry. Had a canon boomed while I was out? Had Liv's body been removed from the arena?
I dreaded to think it.
Silently, I opened up the ground and burrowed my way back to the tunnel by myself.
Olivia
I woke up tied to a chair in a dirty, dingy basement. What hit me instantly was the dirty metallic smell of old blood that pervaded my nostrils. The stench was so think it was like a smog, along with the visions of pain that must have accompanied the smell.
I blink a few times, and my eyes quickly adjust to the dimness. I notice that there are other chairs around me with passed out girls. Instantly, I knew I was in India's torture cave. Eugh. I shifted uncomfortably in the chair, and tested my bonds. The rope burned my wrists, and I knew that they were too tight, that even if I broke my own thumb I wouldn't be able to slip out of them. Fuck.
"Hey!" I yell into the silence, and a few of the girls stir. "Fucking wake up you shit heads." I scream.
"Shut up!" A form replies in a harsh whisper. "We're not supposed to talk!" She says with true, raw, unabated fear. I snort derisively. India is just a bully. The gamemakers would never let a psycho like her win, and I'm counting on it.
"Stop being such a baby. Who are you?" The girl sniffles and I get no more from her. I snarl angrily. How long had I been here? Did Cinder escape?
In the thick fog that the two of us had created, I had searched blindly to find her. Accidentally thinking Cinder was India, I knocked her out, and leaned down for the kill until India grabbed a huge fistful of my hair and yanked me back. Of course, my hair didn't like that, and it whipped out like a blade, slicing her cheek. Her wound almost mirrored the one I had sustained by Hart. The two of us grappled on the floor uselessly. There was nothing around for us to use as weapons, no rocks or anything. I had lost my blades when India had yanked me back. I wince even now, gingerly thinking about my bloody torn roots. We faught brutally, ripping eachothers clothes and biting any flesh that I could get my mouth to. At one point, a large chunk of flesh was torn from India's arm, and as I felt my mouth fill with her hot sticky blood, I couldn't help but grin like a devil. And then she began to glow hot red, and grabbed hold on tight to me. I tried to struggle away but it was no use. Steam rose up off my skin, my water power protecting me as much as possible from the increasing heat. It was no use; her body began to thrum like molten lava, turning her clothes to ash. Through the pain I remember absently wondering why the fuck her stylist didn't create her a fireproof suit, but whatever.
The heat made me pass out, in addition to the burns I had sustained on the side of my neck and arms. And then I woke up here.
I giggle slightly, imagining a naked India dragging my limp body to her base.
Then remembering that if I didn't escape soon, I would definitely be on her kill list, I start rocking my chair as hard as I can. With enough momentum I slam the chair into the concrete floor on my side. The wood weakens and splinters, while I feel a trickle of hot blood slide down from my head and into my ear. I lay there for a while, panting and recovering from the throbbing pain in my cranium.
I glance around, and see that all the girls were up and awake, watching me with wide eyes.
"Are you fucking serious? Not one of you tried this?" I pant, saving my breath and not laughing at the dimwits. With a groan of effort I push my battered body onto the back of the chair as hard as I could, and I hear a satisfying crack as I break the already weakened wood. Freed from the back of the chair, I struggle into a standing position, hopping away from the broken remains of the chair.
I easily keep my balance, silently sending a thankful prayer to Annabeth once again for my amazing training. However, I wasn't free yet. I search the area around me with alert eyes, trying to find something sharp enough to cut my bonds.
With an irritated snap I snarl at the girls still tied up, "Is there nothing in here that I can use to cut the rope? No? Of course." The girls stay silent, meek and as quiet as ever. I guess I will have to make do. I head to a shelf made up of metal slabs and lean by back against it. I set to work sawing through the rope against the metal, ignoring the intense pain around my wrist, and how the motion of my arms cause my burns to flare up.
India was stupid. Turning up to that feast weaponless. Yes, okay I know she killed a tribute and kidnapped another, but seriously it showed how much faith that she had in her powers. My powers aren't aiding me at this moment, and that makes me better than her. I can do more than she can ever do. When she doesn't have powers, she is nothing.
I just have to figure out a way to isolate her from her powers.
I grit my teeth in pain as I continue to fray the rope.
"So ladies," I say between my teeth, "When will India be back?"
Silence. Until a hoarse voice speaks up, as though it has broken from screaming too much. I shudder in revulsion. "Once a day pretty much. She's been in today to deliver you, she won't be back until tomorrow."
"Any clue what time it is?" No answer. "Great."
"The Great Olivia, captured by a lowly outlier district." A different girl mocks, and I find myself instantly filling up with anger. "How do you think the capitol will like that?"
I laugh, carefree and slowly. "Oh sweetie, I am going to give them one hell of a show. Who the fuck are you anyway?" I ask, but I know the answer before the voice responds.
"Forgotten me already? It's Clio sweetie." She said with as much venom in her voice as she could. I sigh.
"Well, you can hardly say that I'm not pleasing the gamemakers. Look at the lot of you, pathetic. Just sat here waiting for India to come back. It's getting boring ladies." I say, and feel my body lighten as I sense my rope loosen around my wrists. I rub harder and faster, and I feel blood from my wrists drip heavily onto my hands. I ignore it. I need to get free. The first layer snaps and with a shout of triumph I slip the rope off from around my wrists. I quickly sit down and set about to untying the rope around my ankles. After a while of tugging and pulling and with bloody fingernails I manage to free my ankles.
Searching, I find my boots up against the wall, and slowly slide the soft material over my swollen ankles, hiding my wince of pain.
Without a second glance to the three girls still trapped, I head up the creaky wooden stairs, throw open the door at the top.
No need for stealth.
I end up in a clean kitchen, and I immediately rush towards the drawers. Surprisingly, all the kinves within the drawerer were still there, further indicating India's confidence in her powers.
"India!" I scream into the house, booming my voice as loud as I can. "Come get me bitch!"
I waste a good ten minutes before I realise India isn't even in the house. "I would definitely fight her if she was here right now." I mumble, hoping the audience hears.
I head back down the creaky stairs to where Snake Face, Cotton and Clio are still tied up. I instantly go to Cotton and Barbie, break their bonds.
I am immediately showered with thank you's and hugs, which with a disgusted snort I push them away from me.
"No, you're not completely free. You guys owe me. Ever killed anyone?" I ask, a cruel smirk playing on my lips.
The hollowed out eyes of Barbie stare at me, as she stands proudly in front of me, hand out stretched. I place a blade in her hand, and before anyone can react, she thrusts the blade deep into her own eyesocket and deep into her skull. Her gurgled scream is drowned out by Cotton's yell of fright. She tries to run, but I keep hold onto the back of her shirt. I instantly let go, feeling the grime of the shirt sting my wrists. Ew.
A cannon goes off into the silence.
"Well that was unexpected." I sigh, shutting myself off from my emotions. There is no time to deal with this now. I must be strong. Entertaining.
As if the task annoys me, I approach Barbie's disfigured body and wrench the blade from inside out of her skull, sending a splay of blood through the air.
Cotton trembles. I hand her the blade and indicate at Clio.
The innocent girl shuts her eyes as I watch with malice filled hate as Clio is stabbed over and over in the chest. The bitch locks eyes with me, and I can't help let out a giggle bubble out of my lips. I wave playfully as the life slowly drains out of her. Good fucking riddance.
Cotton follows me up out of the house, snivelling as she mourns the death of her friend and the death of her innocence.
"Eugh, enough of that." I snap. "I saved you. Be thankful. Now. Piss off." I say as menacingly as I can. "Before I change my mind about letting you live." She gulps loudly, and wincing at the sun runs off, her short stubby legs failing her due to lack of use.
I watch her fading figure into the suburbs. It was bright enough to see outside, but I knew it was falling dark. With an irritated curse, I started to make my way back to our base. Hopefully Cinder hadn't moved yet.
I had just crossed the garden of India's house, when the gal strolled up the path, bags of food in her hands, whistling as though she didn't have a care in the world. I ducked behind a bush, hoping she didn't see me. Pain shoots up my legs as I crouch down. She walks past me, not noticing a thing.
I knew that I promised her kill for Cinder, but what a missed opportunity! Before I could even talk myself out of it, I leaped out from behind the bush and slid by blade around her neck.
"Surprise." I whisper deadly into her ear. She jumps in surprise and drops everything that she is carrying.
Before she even has time to react, I slide the blade into her back until it protrudes out of her front.
Blood immediately soaks everything that she touches as she falls. The path, her dress, the grass. There was so much blood there was no chance for a recovery.
Pleased with my achievement, I waltz away from her body, confident in her death.
It was night fall before I arrived at our old base.
Laid on the top of the grass was a box wrapped up like a present. Wary, I approach the box and examining it. Sensing no threat I remove the ribbon and lid, and inside a letter flutters out.
Your well-deserved gift from the feast.
Inside was a bottle of golden gel. No label or anything on it. Warily, I dabbed the tiniest droplet onto my rope burns. Immediately the pain subsides.
I begin uncontrollably sobbing. I could save Theo!