Chapter Seven

"I never asked for his dream.
But Mama…
Mama be sayin' that his dream,
Just been, just been askin' for me."
- Jasmine Mans

All of the tributes were supposed to meet on the bus in less than five minutes. Bushido was still giving Huey advice at the last minute.

Most of it was similar to the tips that had been provided in the movie. Following all bodies of water, staying away from the cornucopia at the beginning of the games, finding a good spot to hide.

The only thing that had changed was that Bushido had encouraged both Huey and Jazmine to go ahead and leap off the pedestal immediately.

He believed that it would give them a head start to run and hide, so long as they properly stuck the landing.

"Don't forget." Bushido pointed at him when Rollo called Huey's name. "Survive."

Huey didn't look back. He walked over to the Megabus and sat in the seat next to Jazmine. They were being transported over to the pods, where they would put on their final outfits and be lifted into the games.

It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Helpers were walking around to scan their trackers and to check their vitals before the game.

Nobody would look at each other.

The bus stopped. Rollo spoke loudly and clapped his hands to get their attention. "Alright! You are going to get off the bus in order of your rankings. The doors are in chronological order. That means that Door #50 will be the first door that you see, and Door #1 will be the last door that you see." He handed a bottle of water to all of them and rolled his eyes."It's also hot as hell at the bottom of the arena today. Air went out. So drink up. We don't need any of ya'll passing out before the games start."

All of them groaned.

"Aye! It's BET! What do you expect? This ain't no damn movie!" Rollo Goodlove frowned and crossed his arms. "Ya'll aren't exactly upstanding citizens. You didn't have air conditioning back home anyway. Ungrateful ass kids." He glared at them until they all quieted down. "Now, after you get into your rooms and get changed, you'll hear a countdown. You'll have 30 seconds to get into the pods. Once the clock strikes zero, you'll be transported up to your spot in the arena, and the games will begin."

They blinked, still quiet.

"Any questions?" Rollo motioned to the driver to open the door. They had arrived. "If not, gone head, and go to your spots. May the odds be in ya'll's favor, and may God bless and keep ya'll out there. Good luck!"

Huey brushed his lips against Jazmine's. He didn't have to explain to her that it was all for show. With what they had encountered the past few days, they would have to be more convincing than they had been before. He'd told her that he would be kissing her often this morning, and that she should get used to it. She hadn't objected at all. She'd actually seemed to deal with it better than he had.

He was about to lean in for another kiss, but Rollo interrupted them before he could get any closer. The man made a show of clearing his throat.

"Alright, love birds." He took his hands and pointed towards the door. "To the arena."

They nodded, but before Jazmine departed from the bus, he pulled her into his arms and held her close. "Don't deviate when we get out there." He whispered in her ear. "Stick to the plan we went over this morning. No matter what." But Jazmine's eyes were focused on Vince, on the little girl next to him. "Promise me, Jazmine." He pulled back to look into her eyes.

She threw herself back into his arms the way she used to when they were kids. "I'll do what you say, okay?"

They finally pulled apart and walked off the bus, not saying anything more to one another. The line of kids was huge, and they all dragged their feet on the gravel. It was surreal. They all seemed to have this overwhelming feeling take over. They all knew that they were walking to their deaths.

The higher the rank, the faster each person walked. Huey had to pull Jazmine forward and squeeze her tight to keep her from trembling. She was panicking, and there wasn't much that he could do about it.

They stopped at Door Five. Before she could protest, Huey quickly pressed her against the door to kiss her again, worried when even that didn't calm her down. "I'll see you soon, Jaz." He brushed a piece of hair behind her ear and watched her turn to walk inside until she gently closed the door behind her.

After passing a few more doors, he reached for the knob of Door Number One. He inhaled and pushed it open, only pausing when a familiar face walked over to hand him his uniform. He tossed off his sweats and put on the Gameswear.

"Arielle." He nodded. "You're back."

"Not for long." She walked in front of him, staring intensely before handing him a letter with Granddad's handwriting on it. "This is for you."

He ripped it open and stared at it, reading as fast as he could.

To Huey Percival Freeman, The Knight in Chi's Armor, and My Nappy Headed, Hardheaded, Crazy Ass Grandson Who Needs His Narrow Behind Whooped:

You are crazy as hell for trying to kill Ed Wuncler. You are also crazy as hell for storming off the stage like that. If you ever threaten a world leader again, I'll kill you with my belt myself in that arena. You're too smart to be acting so stupid.

I know that you have a promise to keep to yourself as a man, and I know you well enough to know that there is nothing that I can say to make you do something that you don't want to do. I've come to terms with the fact that I can't in good conscious ask you to go against those beliefs just for my peace of mind. Not anymore.

I've got Riley and will guard him with every last breath in my body, and the boy's stepped it up the past few years. He can make it on his own, even if you two get split up for a while if something happens to me.

They showed some clips of Jazmine fighting back home. So I know she'll protect you when the time comes, just like you've protected her so many times before. You have everybody in the world rooting for you two. It's been good to see some hope around here again.

And it's all because of you two.

I know you two are faking for now, but you and Jazmine have a special bond. One that transcends whatever plans they have for you in that arena. So do everything in your power to keep that bond sacred. Even when the games are over.

I've always been proud of you. From the moment I laid eyes on you. Your brother is proud of you, I am proud of you, and your parents are proud of you.

And soon, the world will be too.

Do what you can and let God's arms reach for the rest.

Love,

Granddad

P.S. – This is Riley. The way you walked out on that stage was crazy! Everybody at school was talking about you. That coat transition was hard as fuck. I see you've been taking notes from Big Reezy. Finally acting like a real nigga. That shit was on point. Deadass. Props to yo' hatin clean ass.

P.P.S.- Not wanting niggas to know you have a girlfriend? Nigga you gay! Tell my baby Jazzy she looked beautiful. Had her looking like a fucking goddess up there.

P.P.P.S. – Jazmine was looking thick as fuck in her pink dress. I ain't know her ass was packing that much heat back there! You the gayest, homoest nigga that's ever lived… witcha hating ass.

He rolled his eyes at his younger brother's words, and then scrambled to search for a pen.

Before he could ask, she handed him one, and he scribbled a few paragraphs on the back of the letter and returned it to her in the same envelope. She put her hands on his shoulders and leaned forward to gently kiss his lips. He pushed forward to deepen it, loving the way she felt in his arms.

"That's for good luck." She leaned her forehead against his and smiled at him. "So, if you come out of this alive, find me. There's a plane ticket to Cuba with your name on it. My treat."

Running away with her to Cuba was the happiest ending he could think of right now.

He smirked at her and licked his lips. "So you're rooting for me."

"Hell yes." Arielle nodded emphatically. "I am. So get that testerone poppin'." She looked around and hugged him again before whispering into his ear. "These games are apparently based on your girl. I'm not sure what that means, but hopefully, that helps in some way."

It did.

He kissed her one last time, savoring the feel of her lips on his, wishing that they had more time. "You've helped in more ways than one. I'll never forget it. Thank you."

The announcer started counting down. Arielle looked over at him and kissed his cheek, lingering near his ear. "Be careful."

He nodded and slowly walked over to the open pod.

Ten.

He thought of George Bland. How he had been killed at the end of what should have been his victory lap. He thought of the anger that radiated through him the day that Ed Wuncler Sr. had shown up to his school. How he had been expelled for speaking up.

Nine.

He thought of his Aunt Cookie. Of her hugs. Of the vegan nachos she made just for him and any friend he dragged along to try them. He remembered how skinny and frail she'd looked the last time he saw her. How he had yelled at her, even if she'd known he was just angry when he'd talked to her the way that he had.

Eight

He thought of his neighbors and classmates that had died in the first round of raids. He remembered how Jazmine had cried into his chest when it happened. How he'd kept his arms around her and Riley. How scared they had all been when the heavy footsteps grew closer and closer to his room.

Seven

He thought of his parents. He closed his eyes and remembered his mother's smile and his father's quiet nature. Of the way he would sit and digest several books in one sitting. How the day they'd died his joy had died with them.

Six

He thought of Granddad. How he had written that letter and somehow gotten it to him despite the consequences. He thought of how he had taken them in and moved them from Chicago to Woodcrest once word had gotten out that his parent's deaths had been carefully orchestrated. He thought of all the times they had loved on each other.

How they had both always understood one another, even if his Grandad had always understood Riley just a little bit more.

Five

He thought of the elects. He thought of Vince and how he looked at Jazmine. He thought of Ming and the crazy kickball match they'd had back when none of this mattered. He thought of how sweet and shy Makayla was. He thought of Cairo and how they had been thick as thieves in Chicago. He thought of the boy who had jumped out of the window. He thought of Tasha's face when Kevin hadn't realized that he'd been spared. He thought of the candidates from other states whose names he'd never even bothered to learn.

Four

He thought of Bushido Brown and the way that he'd lost two of his children. How he couldn't contact his youngest son. He thought of how sad he'd been when he and Jazmine had arrived. How the man had been a hopeless, depressed alcoholic. How he had practically begged him not to go out there and die. How Shido' had become a father figure to him in just a few weeks, even if he'd never told him that.

Three

He thought of Arielle. Of everything they could've had if the games didn't exist. Of the dates they could've gone on. How he would've taken her anywhere that she wanted to go. He thought of how beautiful she looked, even in an apocalyptic society. How he would give anything to take off with her and move to Cuba if the people he loved wouldn't suffer because of it.

Two

He thought of Jazmine. Of her loving nature. Of how she had screamed in the car that day.

He thought about how in awe of her he was now. He thought of how she had giggled when she'd confessed to him that she had gotten her first kiss from Xavier Washington in the 5th grade. How she'd cried when he told her that she probably had herpes because of it.

He thought of how quickly she had picked up on everything in training. Of how she had taught him a few tricks of her own. How she'd held her own against Cindy and Jennifer. Of how it took well over twenty guards to keep her from breaking free to defend him last night.

He thought of how beautiful she looked in that pink dress that day. Of how Riley calling her a goddess wasn't too far from the truth. Of how those braids felt underneath his fingers, how the patterns felt like an elaborate path that he never wanted to forget. How her lips weren't like Arielle's; they were something more, something he couldn't deny.

How there was something underlying between them because they'd known each other for so long that it just felt natural.

How it had always been there, and he'd never once bothered to explore it.

One

He thought of Riley. Of how he'd cried when their parents died. Of the times that they had nearly destroyed each other and everything around them. Of the times that Riley had jumped into a fight behind him without question. Of his brother's gift of artwork and charm. Of how he had been the one to teach him sports and common decency when nobody else would bother.

Of how he and Riley had gotten into trouble when Huey had risked prison time to show him how to drive at only eleven, in case he needed to escape.

Of how much time he'd spent teaching Riley how to interpret the law and how others interpreted the law.

He thought of how skinny he'd gotten. He thought of how Riley's antics had ended even before the raids began. He remembered when his brother had drawn several pieces of him smiling, just to pass the time. Of how all of his more recent pieces were of them in happier settings because that was his wish.

He thought of how it had been him that he'd entered the games for. He thought of all the things he'd done, all the things he could have done, and all the things that he would do to make sure that his brother came out of this alive.

Because for Riley, he'd do everything in his power to return home to him. To keep him safe.

Zero

The pod slowly slid upward, past the concrete walls. He focused on breathing in and out until he finally rose to the surface. He was smack dab in the middle, which meant it would be more difficult for him to run to safety. It would be important for him to jump off as soon as possible so that the pad could launch him higher, over to the edge of the forest so that they could find a spot outside of the mountains to hide in.

The arena suddenly went dark and the stars and moon appeared in the artificial sky of the arena. They could hear crickets, the faint gurgle of a stream, and even owls, making themselves known in the night.

"Welcome to the 4th Annual Hunger Games." An automated voice spoke up, shaking the objects around them. "You know the rules. Today, you will have five seconds before takeoff." The elects started to prepare themselves, clearly nervous. "Good luck to you all, and may the odds be ever in your favor."

There was a cornucopia in the center, full of all sorts of goodies. Expensive, quality weapons, including a flamethrower, an electrical glove like the one that he had at home. Knives and antidotes. And even a bow and arrow that Jazmine seemed to be eyeing. There were hundreds of backpacks full of food and what appeared to be first aid kits.

It was quiet for a moment as the sunlight reemerged in the arena. It threw off everyone's equilibrium, including his.

He tried to focus, hoping that Jazmine was doing the same.

"Prepare for takeoff." The Siri-like voice was so close to his eardrums that it nearly rattled him.
Huey looked at his landing zone out of his peripheral and then trained his eyes on the outer edge. "The games will start in five…four…three..two…"

He crouched down and got into position. The rest of them stayed forward. Jazmine looked at Makayla and Vince, who did the same. Perfect.

"One."

Huey felt his body hurl through the air as soon as he jumped up.

It was exhilarating; like he was flying. He could see the tops of the trees, the beams of sunlight that warmed his face, and the crowd of kids killing one another below him, running into the cornucopia as quickly as they could.

It was like time had slowed down, and he could see every move they made. He couldn't look away from them wrestling over weapons. Even when the stronger players closed in on them, stabbing and beating at every elect they could get their hands on.

There was one girl, with big brown eyes and a curly bun, running to the outskirts with her partner just a second too late. In a flash, Kevin Bryce launched a spear through both her and the boy behind her. He turned and began laughing with Tasha, who high-fived Ming.

They weren't alone. Hiro was in the center of the action, knocking out some stragglers who were bold enough to move inward. He came up behind a teenaged boy and knocked him out cold, strangling him with his bare hands. Ming was busy defending herself against a gang of what looked to be about ten teenage boys. All of them were fervent, determined to kill her.

She fell to the ground with a large thud, causing them to laugh, until she lunged forward and sliced all of them in half, right at their waists. The blood splattered onto the ground as she snatched the weapons they had for herself and took off, moving closer and closer to the heart of the cornucopia.

He landed perfectly and took off running, relieved to see that Jazmine had fallen into stride with him, and so had Vince and Makayla. The plan was to snatch the child once she caught up with them, which wouldn't take long since she was running directly behind Jazmine. It would give Vince plenty of time to run and hide while Makayla and Jazmine camouflaged themselves in the trees.

He ignored the screams in the background and focused on keeping his legs moving. Once the screams in the cornucopia stopped, the real games would begin. Everyone would be looking to eliminate the stronger threats early, including him.

"Where'd she go?" Jazmine whirled around, glancing into the trees. "Makayla. Makayla!"

But it was too late. The little girl was too fast. He could see what she was running towards. A Strawberry Shortcake backpack, full of sugary delicacies that the eight-year-old girl had dreamed of, with Disney movie plushies to seal the deal. Hopefully, Hiro, Cindy or Ming would be able to get a hold to her before somebody else did.

For now, they had to keep it pushing.

He kept running. Vince wasn't too far behind him. They moved deeper and deeper into the forest until Vince turned around, fear dancing in his eyes. "Where's Jazmine?"

"She's right there. Keep moving." Huey pointed next to his shoulder. "Leave it to you to be worried about her over Makayla. Jazmine's not that crazy. She wouldn-"

Except when he looked out of his peripheral, Jazmine wasn't there. He spun around and found that she'd gone after the little girl. She was running at full speed, straight towards the cornucopia where the screams were a lot less loud than they had been before. She'd played right into their hands.

They all had.

"Jazmine, stop!" He didn't care if anyone came for him. He'd kill them with his bare hands if he had to. "Jazmine!"

Huey took off running. He went up the hill, past the creek, and closed in on the deepest part of the outskirts of the cornucopia where Makayla was standing. Jazmine wasn't close enough to grab her. She stood on the edge of the outskirts, frantic as she tried to get the eight-year-old's attention by waving her arms, trying to get the little girl to run to her.

But Makayla was too fixated on her prize. She snatched the bag of goodies and lifted the backpack cheerfully. "Jazmine, look! I got it!"

Huey could see what was going to happen before either girl did. He forced himself to speed up, hurrying over toward Jazmine as he stayed hidden behind the trees where nobody could see him.

"Makayla, come on." Jazmine hissed. "Get your ass over here, now!"

The urgency in Jazmine's voice finally snapped her out of it. Makayla's eyes were suddenly focused on the trees, and she took off towards the distance. She was closing in, running towards the edge so that she could take off with them, but at the last moment, just like in training, she fell; only this time, none of them would be able to save her.

"Well, isn't this just too easy?" A few stragglers who were ranked at the bottom dragged her backwards before Jazmine could reach her. They stabbed the small girl in the legs while she screamed out loudly, reaching out to the orange-haired teen as she rolled around in agony. Her yelling didn't last long. An older boy looked at the others around him before bringing forth a spear and crashing it through the girl's tiny chest. Makayla's eyes went wide, and she fell back onto the ground.

They walked away, clearly pleased with themselves. "That wasn't so bad." The boy remarked.

Huey was running behind Jazmine before he could even think about turning back. She was already past the edge, leaping over the backpacks in her way before picking up a bow and arrow that was on the ground. She shot someone who had aimed for her head with a dagger. It was a perfect shot. The arrow sailed through his back and sliced right through his heart. To both their surprise, the elect fell to the ground with a loud thud. He was dead.

A group of boys surrounded Huey as soon as he arrived at the edge of the cornucopia. It was an even more challenging obstacle course than before, thanks to all the dead bodies lying around. The stragglers that had killed Makayla were now surrounding him with extra people. There were about ten of them,getting closer and closer while he broke into stance.

"What's up, dude?" A guy with a Californian accent stepped up to him first. "Not so cocky without our weapons, are we?"

He drew a large katana from behind him and gripped the handle tightly. "Too bad your girlfriend's gonna be next."

Huey didn't need weapons. He launched his foot behind him, kicking the unsuspecting group of stragglers down as they all fell like dominoes, one over the other over the other. He snatched a large blade from one of them and blocked the sword swinging towards him with ease.

The other stragglers had taken off running into the middle, where Jazmine was busy blocking hits of her own.

She held her bow and arrow close as she moved further out to get to the spot where Makayla had fallen.

"What's up, dude?" Huey smirked, mocking the Californian, who seemed much paler than he had before. "Not so cocky without our audience, are we?"

He sent the blade crashing through his chest before he could react. "Too bad." He murmured before snatching the large katana out of his hand and carrying it with him, ignoring the boy's final croaks and running over to Jazmine.

"Makayla's gone, now." Kevin Bryce blocked his path and shoved him backwards. His strength, even injured, was undeniable. "Which means I can kill the front runner right now and get it over with."

Huey tried to get around him. He really didn't want to kill him and make an enemy of the Chicago kids. Hell, he didn't want to kill a fellow Chicagoan who felt they were doing what they had to do, but he could see the way that things were starting to turn. It had only taken all of them one kill to be a little too comfortable doing it again.

They were all running off adrenaline at this point.

"Move, Kevin." He warned him, drawing his katana. "I don't want to have to kill you already, but I will if you don't back the fuck up off me."

A few more stragglers ran past, tugging on his shirt and trying to yank him towards the ground. "Bring that ass here afro boy!" One of them said. "Your ass thinks you too good to die, dontcha?" Another brought a fist down until it collided with his chest. Huey sent his fists flying right back, pacing himself so that he wouldn't tire out before the boy did. "Now, Quentin!"

Huey crouched down just in time for the blade of a knife to miss his head. He charged forward with his katana. It immediately sliced through Kevin's stomach, along with the two other boys standing behind him. Huey grimaced when he withdrew his weapon from their bodies, realizing that a fourth boy had died by his sword as well.

"Babe?" He could hear Tasha in the background just as he retrieved his katana and ran over to Jazmine's side. "Kevin, c'mon. Kevin?" She kneeled down, blocking someone from hitting her with just a glare. "Get up, baby. It's me. The girl you're in love with. The girl that you promised you'd never leave. Remember?" She was crying. "Please, Kev. Please!"

He could see Cindy McPhearson, running parallel to Jazmine. When she turned to get over to Makayla, who was lying a few feet away, Cindy lifted her arrow. She pulled back as Jazmine stood frozen, glued to her spot in the field with her hands up.

The blonde narrowed her eyes and then lowered her arrow.

At first, Huey was just as surprised as Jazmine, until he noticed that Cindy had looked down and discovered the small girl's body in the grass. "Just this once, Dubois. I'll hold the stragglers bitch asses off. Do what you gotta do."

The girl motioned over to Ming and Grits, who seemed surprisingly calm about walking away.

Tasha, however, wasn't pleased. She was drenched in her boyfriend's blood, and Huey knew that she wanted nothing more than to pay Huey back by killing his girlfriend like he'd killed her boyfriend.

But for now, none of that mattered.

"Makayla?" Jazmine gently pulled the girl into her arms just as he closed in. "I'm here."

"It…hurts." The little girl drew in a shaky breath. Her voice was hoarse. Her breaths were shallow. She didn't have much longer. "Take…it…out."

Jazmine shook her head, holding back tears as he reached forward and pulled the spear out of her chest, watching as the girl glanced at both of them. Her eyes focused up towards the sky. "I'm ss-o-rry." The girl managed. "Sh-should've k-kept ru-nn-ing."

"Shhhhhhh." Jazmine rocked her. "It's okay. You did good. You did so, so good."

"H-uey." The girl was gasping now, her breaths getting more and more ragged. "Jaz..crying-"

"I got her, Mak." Jazmine glanced up at him when he drew both girls into his arms before reaching over to gently stroke the girl's hair. "We got you. It's okay."

Her eyes were focused all the way up. "I'm- fl. Floating." The girl's voice was so low they both had to strain to hear it. He tied the katana behind him, glancing into one of the backpacks to see if there was some sort of antidote. Something similar to the cream that Bushido had given him.

When he saw that there was none, he slammed it down, glancing at the small child, furious that she was dying, and he couldn't help her..

"Do-n't." Makayla's words were at a whisper now. "Ple-ase do-n't be mad."

"He's not." Jazmine lied. "It's like I told you. Boys are odd creatures."

"Tr-u-e." The girl remarked, a small smile creeping across her face. "Spe-cially the cu-te ones."

His eyebrows rose when Jazmine managed to let out a small, awkward giggle. He noticed that the field was completely empty. It was just them, the dead bodies, and extra weaponry. Something they could use since Jazmine staying behind had seemed to work in their favor so far.

"Can you tell me the story?" Makayla whispered to Jazmine, a sudden surge of strength seeming to run through her. "Of the beautiful princess in the castle, again?"

Jazmine winced and stared over at Huey, her eyes apologetic. It wouldn't be much longer, now.

"Of course, Kayla." She said, gripping the girl while Huey slowly made his way over, sitting on the other side of them to hold the child's hand in his own. "There was a princess named Haseena, beautiful as Athena, and everywhere that she went-"

"Men couldn't believe that they'd seen her." Huey knew this story. He had told Jazmine this story many times. "She wandered the earth, high and low. For a king with the perfect, picked out fro."

Makayla's breaths were slower now, and Jazmine choked up a little when he looked at her, allowing her to say the final words of his favorite story. The short rhyme that his father had made up about his mother, one that he'd recited to them every night before bedtime.

"Rashaad had searched far and wide…" Her voice trembled but she continued. "Until finally, he'd found his gorgeous bride."

He pulled Jazmine into his chest and finished it for her. "The perfect queen by his side, the perfect jewel, his perfect wife."

The little girl took one last ragged breath, and then her eyes glazed over. She was gone.

Jazmine cried into his chest until he shook her lightly, gently laying the little girl's body upright. "C'mon, we've gotta go."

But Jazmine's eyes were on the flowers, waving back and forth with the wind in the background. In all of the chaos, he hadn't even noticed they were there.

"Jazmine, hold up." He cautioned. "You don't know who's back there."

She hurried over and snatched several flowers out of the grass. She gently placed them around the girl's body, determined to properly bury her, just like in the movie.

He watched as put she more in her hair, in the girl's arms, over the sides of her legs. Huey stared at the little girl and closed her eyes, staring at a mysterious cluster of hives suddenly appearing on the girl's small face.

He glanced back over to Jazmine, who had returned with more flowers.

"Put those down now, Jazmine." He tried to keep his voice calm and steady in case somebody was listening. "I mean it."

"I can't leave her like this. I promised." She was already placing more around the little girl's corpse. "I'm almost done."

He knocked the flowers out of her hands and lifted them up to inspect them. Sure enough, there were hives forming around them, already blistering her hands. He could see her green eyes dilate before she even began to grit her teeth together.

"Jazmine hold it in." He put his hands over his ears. "Don't do it."

She screamed.

This wasn't like the other times when they'd been kids. This was different. It was a scream of pure, unadulterated terror. Where someone was experiencing something so painful that nothing else mattered.

"Get away from me!" She crawled away from him. "I'm not going back with the fairies!"

"With the fairies?" Huey glanced over at her. "Jazmine, stop. I need you to snap out of it."

He yanked her by her top and tossed her bow and arrow over her shoulders. He picked up as many backpacks as he could before lifting her into his arms. He'd worry about the rest later. He'd spotted some medicinal herbs near the creek. With any luck, the rest of the elects would have moved past the bend and migrated inward, closer to the mountains.

He'd counted 38 dead bodies including Makayla's, leaving 12 elects to play against each other for the next two weeks until there was no one left. He took one last look at Makayla and lifted one fist in the air, eyeing the camera for a moment before turning to leave.

The ground shook beneath his feet. The rumbling grew louder within seconds, until it exploded with a searing heat that sent him, Jazmine, and all of the corpses around them flying into the woods. He could feel the heat taking over, could hear Jazmine's groan of pain, and then he could see the darkness, the overwhelming urge to close his eyes.

Before he could stop it, he felt himself succumb to the dark void. The flames welcomed him home.

Author's Note:

Rest in Peace to Kevin Bryce, Makayla English, and to the other 36 elects that you all never got to know.

The next few chapters are coming. So if you don't see them up, I haven't forgotten, but I wanted to give you all a small taste of what to expect going forward.

Thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following my story! I appreciate you all.

Also, the quote is from a spoken word piece by Jasmine Mans. I listened to it to get into a solemn mood while writing the ending. It's called "Birmingham". Go listen to all her pieces. It'll change your life in a good Def Poetry Jam sorta way.

So…

Until Next Time,

Miss Ace Thank You