Chapter 25
I am part of what must be one of the most absurd scenes ever shown in the Hunger Games.
Izzie, Corvid, Rubis and I sit in a classroom, in an abandoned college building. Faded posters on the walls tell us the uses of different punctuation, and how to get into university.
The ceiling is non-existent. We are on the top floor of the building, the sky above us framed by cracked plaster that clearly resulted from an explosion. The mystery of this town's destruction remains unsolved. I'll find out when I win, I suppose.
The four of us sit around a fire, made from a desk that Corvid kindly decimated with their axe.
Over that fire, the Goths are cooking the second of Rubis' severed arms.
Meanwhile, I am nursing Rubis back to health, with kind words and affection.
I have the ingenious idea to replace Rubis' arms with something more practical, more lethal, more unique, than the appendage we are having for lunch. I reach into my pack and rifle through my essentials. Some very talented knot-tying and surgical skills later, Rubis has a new set of arms.
"Am I supposed to swing these like nunchucks?" Rubis asks, sceptically.
From the grisly stumps of his shoulders now trail two PS6 controllers, securely tied by their wires.
"You could be like a ninja!" I exclaim with excitement.
"Or feature in Hunger Games crack compilations on YouTube." Corvid laughs.
"I guess these are better than no arms." Rubis sighs.
My heart swells as a result of his gratitude. He takes a strip of arm-meat, offered to him by Izzie, and scarfs it in one go.
"Was that it?" He asks.
"We've gotta share the arm between four of us. You're lucky you're getting some at all." Says Corvid, before tearing into their own portion.
"It's my arm!" Rubis protests.
"We harvested it." Izzie points out.
"If you want more, just tear some off yourself." Corvid smirks, gesturing to what's left of the arm, lying on a desk.
Rubis says, "Okay."
He scoots over to it and raises his feet to take the arm off of the desk.
"No!" Izzie says, snatching it away before he can get his grimy boots all over it. She takes some more meat for herself.
"Fine." She says, "You and Midnight can share this."
Izzie unhooks a small, one-handed axe from her belt and cracks it down on Rubis' wrist. She throws the crispy hand to me. I fumble it in shock and it lands on the carpet.
Before I pluck up the courage to pick it up, Rubis shifts over to me and grabs it in his mouth. Holding the hand between his knees, he strips flesh off of the fingers with his teeth.
"Can I have some food, Rubis?" I ask.
"Get your own." He says, with his mouth full.
I look to the remains of the arm, to see only bones and charred, black lumps.
Izzie and Corvid have the rest of the meat in their hands, split evenly between them.
Before I can even comment, Izzie says, "You can have the burnt bits. Or chew on your PS6."
"I can't eat my PS6!" I burst out, "What if I find another monitor to connect it to?"
Corvid and Izzie start laughing.
Without another option, I begin to pick the charcoal off the bones. I find solace in the fact that this still means some part of Rubis is inside me.
And to be honest, I don't think I could stomach it if it still looked like human flesh.
With one finger poking out of his mouth, Rubis mumbles, "What do you guys want to do for the rest of the day?"
Corvid and Izzie ponder for a moment.
I know what I want to do, but I imagine the Goths would get bored if Rubis and I retreated to another room together.
Corvid says, "I think we should try and pick off Blue before going for the roadmen. Y'know; eliminate the smaller problem, then take down the other gang. There are only eight of us left, now."
I count on my fingers.
Corvid, Izzie, Rubis and I make up one alliance. Pinty, Salto and Elsie are another. And Corvid is right – Blue could be dangerous if we are distracted by the others, in such a small arena. If we eliminate her, we have a lot less to worry about.
"What happens when we're the only four left?" Says Izzie.
"Some of us might die before then anyway." Rubis points out.
I exclaim, "I know you're wounded, Rubis, but you still stand a chance, with me to protect you!"
Izzie scoffs, "Pretty sure he meant you, Midnight."
"Of course he didn't!"
"I did." Says Rubis.
Corvid says, "I dunno… Midnight has plot armour. But Rubis… How the hell are you still alive? Pretty sure even Capitol medicine shouldn't have stopped you bleeding out."
"I'm a fan-favourite." Says Rubis, "I'm sticking around for as long as I can get away with, just to spite the author."
I suddenly become immensely confused.
"Hey! You don't get to break the fourth wall!" Corvid protests.
"What makes you think I play by your rules?" Rubis retorts.
"Er, the fact that my real life counterpart is writing everything you say?" Corvid glares.
"I know, I'm a right pain in the arse." Says Rubis.
Corvid appears taken aback by him playing along.
"Yeah. You are." They say.
I give Izzie a desperate look.
I mouth, "What are they on about?"
She says, "Hell if I know. Anyway, how do we get Blue?"
Corvid's scowl is still fixed on Rubis.
They mutter, "I could really go for an iced coffee to get me through this."
They tear their scowl away from him to answer Izzie's question.
"The few times we've seen her, she's been up super early, while it's still dark. Like when she killed Carni; it was barely sunrise."
"Well, yeah." Says Rubis, as though it were obvious, "If I was completely blind, I'd try to hunt people while it's still dark, too. She has the advantage then."
I clap him on the back and say, "You're a genius, Rubis! Handsome and clever – I'm so lucky!"
He says, "I fill in your missing character traits."
Corvid says, "So, anyway, I say we try to sleep now, and go looking for her in the night, when she's up and about, but not expecting us."
"Good plan." Says Izzie.
"Sounds solid." Says Rubis, "But I won't be able to sleep this early."
"Then you can wake us up after nightfall." Izzie suggests.
"Okay, that works." Says Rubis.
"Hang on." I interject, "Do I get a say in this plan?"
"No." Says Izzie.
"Not really." Corvid confirms.
Rubis says, "Oh come on; let's hear what daft suggestion he has to present. The floor is yours, Midnight."
"I…" I didn't have any criticism, I just wanted to feel a part of the group, "I want to say, whatever ends up happening, I don't want to split up from Rubis. I've lost him once already. And I don't want him going off with anyone else."
Corvid sighs, "You don't have to worry about losing your true love to one of us. He's a prick."
"And I don't think we could pry you off of him if we tried." Izzie adds.
With that, the Goths pull two sleeping bags out of their backpacks.
"Goodnight." Says Rubis, sarcastically.
"Night, Rubis." replies Corvid, "Night, Izzie."
"Goodnight – or afternoon, both of you. Sleep well." Izzie murmurs.
"Night, all." I say.
I get no response.
I try to get comfortable, tucking myself under a desk and curling into a ball.
Minutes pass like hours. I can't sleep in the bright afternoon sun that glares through the open ceiling. And my PS6 does not make a good pillow.
Rubis has begun some sort of whittling. He uses his left foot to pin a piece of wood to the floor – presumably from the pile Corvid made for the fire – while he wields a small knife with his right. I have no idea what he is making. That is, other than a scraping, sleep-inhibiting racket.
But I could never be mad at my boo.
I glance across the room to see the Goths sleeping soundly.
It crosses my mind that they are really the biggest threat in the arena. Besides me. Surely it would be prudent to eliminate them sooner, rather than later?
I convey all this to Rubis with a single wink.
He whispers, "Do you have something in your eye?" which I translate as, Go for it; just be subtle. But I know you won't mess it up. You're flawless.
Carefully, I pad over to Corvid, hefting my PS6 over my head.
I am going to drop it on their skull.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Izzie growls.
She is sitting up in her sleeping bag, with her spear levelled at me.
"I thought you were asleep!" I say.
"I'm a light sleeper. And you move loudly."
The danger in Izzie's tone is sharp enough, without considering the spear in her hand.
"I knew allying with you wasn't worth the trouble." She snarls, "Say your last words to the cameras."
In a panic, I blab, "Err... Haymitch, I never loved you. I'm just a good actor…"
Izzie draws her arm back. Her piercing, blue eyes carve into me.
I step back hastily, spluttering to the cameras, "Give all my things to a museum – nobody else deserves them! And don't look under my bed! It's dried milk on those socks, I swear!"
"You disgust me." She spits.
Rubis rolls his eyes.
He says, "Calm down, Izzie. He was sleepwalking."
"Y-yeah!" I say, "It's true! I sleepwalk. You see, my brain is just so active, it never fully switches off."
Rubis chuckles, "Seriously, he wasn't gonna hurt Corvid. He was slapping his arse like a bongo-drum a minute ago."
Izzie cracks a smile.
Reluctantly, I say, "Oh. Yes. I do that, sometimes."
Even though I have never slapped my own butt in my sleep, my face grows red.
"Anyway…" I say, "I think I'll sleep better – I mean, I won't disturb you – if I move into another room until you come to wake me up."
"Good idea." Says Izzie, coldly.
She slowly lowers her spear.
"Rubis?" I say, "Babe? Do you want to come with me? I can keep you warm…"
"Nah, I need to see the sky to know when it's night." He says.
So selfless – sacrificing Midnight-time to keep us on track.
I trudge into the corridor and down the hall to the staffroom, which has some cushioned seats for me to lie on.
I eventually fall into a restless sleep.
I wake periodically, feeling groggy. Usually, I would be waking up in the mid-afternoon, not trying to sleep through it. But I can't deny that I appreciate the rest, to allow my body to recover from the trauma of the last few days.
What really stops me relaxing is the fear that another tribute could burst in on me any second. Or worse, that Rubis could be cheating on me behind my back.
I remind myself that Corvid and Izzie are way below Rubis' league. They are aggressive and rudely blunt, whereas he is strong-willed and refreshingly honest.
In one of my wakeful moments, I notice that light no longer floods through the window.
I wipe my eyes and shake myself to alertness.
Just then, the sky lights up with a projection of the dead tributes from today.
Rob, Bretta and Yucky. Funny how I never did find out how to pronounce his name…
I guess I could just check the sex-offenders register when I get out of here.
I turn away from the window, impassive to the casualties. The only important person in the world is waiting for me just down the corridor.
I make my way back to where the others were camping out. Now, which classroom was it?
I hear conversation issuing from one.
Izzie's voice is muffled through the door.
"-feel even a bit bad?" She asks.
"No. Why should I?" Rubis replies.
"Because, even if he's too thick to realise it, you're leading him on and bullying him on national TV."
I halt, with my hand on the door handle.
Rubis says, "And you care? He's a bigoted narcissist, who twists literally everything to make himself look good. It's at the point where he semi-believes he's invincible. How is it my fault if he's convinced himself I love him?"
"Oh, I don't care at all." Says Izzie, "I think it's funny."
"You're making him the laughing stock of the Capitol." Corvid says, as though that idea is humorous to them.
"He did that himself." Snorts Rubis.
"That's true." Izzie admits, "So you don't actually have feelings for him?"
"Obviously no. I'm just pretending for the laughs; simple as that. I'm gonna die within days – may as well make other people suffer, before I go."
"I'm actually starting to like you." Corvid chuckles.
I wait for the conversation to turn to tonight's plan, while I wipe the tears from my eyes.
Putting on a strong face, I stride into the room.
"Morning, sleepy-head." Rubis says.
"It's night-time." Says Izzie.
I mutter to Rubis, "Uh, babe… could I talk to you? In private?"
"Ooooh!" Says Corvid, "Lover's spat already?" Then, as an indiscrete aside to Rubis, "Tell us the details after, yeah?"
Rubis follows me into the classroom next-door.
I turn to him dramatically, like an anguished wife in a telenovela.
"I can't believe you!" I say, betrayal etched in my voice.
"What?" He says.
"Don't play dumb with me. I heard you talking to your new friends, all about how you're using me for your sadistic entertainment!"
"Friends? I'm not friends with Goths."
"Wait, really?" I pause, "Hang on! Don't change the subject! You were laughing with them about me!"
"Was I?" Rubis looks at me seriously.
"Yes! I heard them say you were leading me on, and bullying me. And you agreed!"
Rubis seems to consider.
He arches his eyebrows, innocently.
"When have I ever bullied you?" He asks.
I sift through my memories, fumbling to put a moment into words.
Rubis says, "Could it be when I saved you from Tuna? Or when I rescued you from the acid trap? What about all those times I've complimented you, hm?"
"I… Well… Those are the opposite of bullying." I acknowledge.
"And I would never dream of leading you on." Rubis argues, "Give me one example of something I've said to make you love me."
I can't, for the life of me, think of anything Rubis has ever said that should make me fall for him.
"See?" He says, in response to my silence.
I say, "But you called me a… what was it? A narcissist. And then something about me making myself look good."
"You do always make yourself look good." Rubis offers, "From your perfectly set hair to your… er… perky behind; you are very attractive."
"Thank you." I say, flushing, "I like your behind as well. But who were you just insulting, then?"
"Oh, just someone I met recently, who's really annoying, but I won't have to deal with for much longer."
He shrugs. The controllers I tied to him swing with the movement of his shoulders.
He adds, "And did you even hear me say your name? What makes you think it was about you? Because that would suggest you see yourself as a narcissist. You don't, do you?"
"Oh… I guess you didn't say my name." I realise, "It makes total sense now! I guess you won't have to deal with anyone annoying soon… But why didn't you just say it was about someone else?"
"You didn't ask. Should I have to explain everything I say to you, or can you trust me?"
"I… I'm not…"
Before I can voice my uncertainty, Rubis leans in and plants a warm kiss on my lips.
I melt at the contact.
I kiss him back hard, running my hands through his hair and pressing him to me.
He breaks away first. He must be short of oxygen because of the blood-loss.
"I trust you!" I say, without hesitation.
"Good."
Rubis lopes out of the room, leaving me sweaty, with my heart pounding in my ears.
"Woah." I say, breathlessly.
Then, because I know I'm on TV, I say, "Yeah! You saw it! Midnight always scores!"
Author's note:
Somehow I find Midbis to be the most hilarious and simultaneously abhorrent thing I have ever written. I have decided to centre on the two most obnoxious characters out of a horrible bunch. Give me strength…
I wonder if my Grandma has read this far without giving up yet? Well, if I wasn't a disappointment before… XD
And it only gets worse…
Sorry Grandma.
…
Not really.