Beyond The Pale Chapter 19
I do not own The Hunger Games
Horsa Georges, District 10 Male Tribute of the Fourth Hunger Games. City Arena, 23rd July A:D:D 4
Waking up, I turned to my allies. It had been two days since Barbara and Swift were killed, eight days since Claire was speared through. Now there are just five Tributes left alive. Amethyst Rickards, the District 1 female. Ursula Lavene, the District 2 female. Flora Demaine, the District 11 girl. Then there is Harold Hennessey, the boy from District 12. Finally, there is me, District 10's only hope of getting a Victor this year. It's inevitable, that one of us will have to return home, I thought. Grabbing my weapon, a dagger, I joined my allies out on the field.
By lunchtime, I spotted the District 1 and 2 girls. Amethyst looked up, and started to rush towards us. Harold and I dived, as Amethyst slashed at Flora. Amethyst's sword struck Flora in the neck, chest and stomach, as if she is attempting to cut my ally into pieces. Within moments Flora lay dead in a pool of blood, cut up like the sheep, cows and pigs sent to the slaughterhouse. Turning towards Harold, Amethyst rushed towards him, but the District 12 boy was too quick. Armed with his knife, Harold managed to drill the weapon into the back of Amethyst's neck. The District 1 girl dropped her weapon and I picked it up. Falling forward, Amethyst landed on the ground face down. I turned towards Harold, and the District 12 male smiled. At that moment Ursula pulled out from her quiver, an arrow. Her last arrow, I thought. Turning around, I saw the tip was pointed towards my ally. "Harold!" I yelled. Unfortunately, Ursula let loose the arrow and I heard a muffled gasp coming from Harold. Rushing towards my ally, I unbuttoned his shirt and gasped in shock. The arrow has gone in quite deep. It's pierced his heart, I thought as I comforted the District 12 boy. "Just win, Horsa" Harold muttered weakly, as he slipped away in my arms. I grasped at the arrow, removing it from the body of the District 12 male. Placing his right arm across his chest, hand covering the wound, I then grabbed Harold's knife and placed it in his left hand. To show Panem that this is wrong, and also to show Tributes deserve dignity in death. Standing up, I saw that Ursula had thrown her bow aside and was gleefully mocking me. "How does it feel, seeing your ally die? Why, it's like an arrow to the heart." I glared at her, angry at the insult. That was beyond the pale, Ursula, I thought, thinking of the Hennessey family in District 12 who had witnessed their loved one's death on live television. As well as Faith. I remembered the name of the girl from District 12 that gave Harold his necklace. Grasping my weapon, I turned to Ursula, furious that she had the gall to insult my ally like that. I lunged at her and she dodged, rolling to the ground before attempting to strangle me with her bow. I dodged, rolled over and lunged again. This was repeated until I rolled behind her, and with the knife, I plunged the weapon into Ursula's back. I could see her grip on the bow had loosened as she fell to the ground face first. Turning around, I felt lonely. Everyone is dead. I saw Riko die. Taliesin died in front of me. I heard Set's scream. Alicia, Billy, Deborah, Danae and Emily are dead, killed by Oliver and Ursula. Claire didn't make it to us. Gordon died on the bleachers. I don't know how Sophie died. James died with an arrow to the back, one of Ursula's victims. I don't know how Wheat and Ginger died. Swift and Barbara were killed by the Districts 1 and 2 Tributes. Denis is another one killed by Ursula. Jack is the one I killed. Oliver's mistake of underestimating Harold was what caused his death. Flora was cruelly killed by Amethyst. Amethyst made the same mistake Oliver did, underestimating a Tribute from the Seam. I won't forget Harold's last moments until my dying day. Ursula, the girl I killed to return home. Future generations will name them Tributes 69-92, but I will remember them. Riko, Taliesin, Set, Alicia, Billy, Deborah, Danae, Emily, Claire, Gordon, Sophie, James, Wheat, Ginger, Swift, Barbara, Denis, Jack, Oliver, Flora, Amethyst, Harold and Ursula. The Tributes known as the 69th to 92nd Tributes to die in the Hunger Games. Those were their names. I thought as I picked up the arrow and Flora's knife. "Goodbye Flora" I whispered to Flora's body, before turning back towards Harold. Kneeling beside my ally, apart from a blood stain on his shirt, the District 12 male looked peaceful in death. "Goodbye Harold. I'll miss you" I whispered, as I left the Arena, returning to District 10.
The days after my Victory flew by, but I still can't get the images out of my mind by what I had experienced: Riko skewered, Taliesin killed in front of me, Set's cries of anguish, the scene of Harold carrying his dead District Partner, the sounds of Wheat and Ginger being tortured, the discovery of Swift and Barbara's corpses, the shock of killing for the first time, Flora's brutal death, and one image that still remains vivid being the death of my ally. I picked up some alcohol, and drank it down. I just want to forget. I thought.
"It's cruel to pit twelve and thirteen year olds against seventeen and eighteen year olds" I immediately thought of the words Harold said after Claire's death, after I gave him a few words of comfort, and maybe he is right. Maybe the Hunger Games are cruel. Even after a week, I'll miss that Seam kid.
Returning home to District 10 was a quiet affair, with only the Escort, the Capitol undertakers and Barbara's coffin as company. Since her and Swift's deaths, both had been placed in the mortuary in the Arena, along with the corpses of the fallen.
"Claire was only thirteen, and for what? So a bunch of rich people can cheer as twenty four of us poverty stricken kids can slaughter each other so they can satisfy their lust for blood? That's horrible, and it shows how callous the Capitol treats the Districts. They treat us like pieces in their Games, never seeing the person behind the pawn. Guess that's it, Horsa, just pawns for the stone hearted Capitol to play with. Toyed with, even. I know I'll certainly die in the Arena, but I want my death to have meaning, that I am more than a pawn. I don't want to lose sight of who I am as a person. No matter how small it is, and how short our lives are, I will always treasure every moment of my life."
As I went to bed on the ranch after my return to District 10 a month earlier, I looked towards the graveyard, where Barbara had been laid to rest. As I drifted off, I found myself in the Arena. Horsa. I heard a voice call my name. Turning around, I saw Harold standing in front of me. Reaching out to the District 12 male, I felt tears forming in my eyes. "Horsa, thank you for showing respect to me and Flora in our last moments. Don't worry about Barbara, she's with me. I knew my time was over when Ursula shot me. But let me tell you something; I wanted you as my ally because I would rather have an ally that I could trust rather than one that would backstab an ally. The three of us agreed on day 7 that if we were the only ones left, then we should dissolve our alliance. I'm certain my death had meaning, and I hope one day this will end. It's not your time yet, but you will live a full life before dying in your sleep. The Games won't last forever. Horsa, thank you for being a great friend, and although our time as allies and companions was short, I treasured every moment. Farewell Horsa. Remember; although you can't see me, I'm with you always. I'll wait for you."
Waking up, I looked at my desk. Flora's knife and the arrow was still there. Not once did Flora, Barbara, Claire, Swift and Harold lose their humanity. I don't hate Jack. I don't hate Oliver. I don't hate Amethyst. I don't hate Ursula. They're victims of the Dark Days as the rest of the Tributes. Leaving the items on the desk, I ran downstairs to the stables and climbed on my horse, riding across the plains of District 10.
Well, here's the title drop. Horsa loves to ride his horse in order to clear his thoughts. Just two more chapters left of this and it's done.