The 1st Writer Games: Powers

Orion Hunt - District 9

"Ember, Ember shut up!" I snap. I've given up on determining whether I'm crazy or not, at least consciously. 

"Oh, you've got a fucking right to say that-"

"Ember shut the hell up, gamemaker!" says Brianna, and we all stop to listen.

"...lizabeth, Orion, and Gemini - have made it to the finals! Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favour."

I blink, my hand tightening around my axe. Finals? So almost...

Brianna and Ember are arguing again, and finally a yell comes from someone else that they're all dead, and they should just shut up, and-

"No!" I yell, swinging my axe down into the dirt. I stare at it, as if it will move. "Not dead, not dead, not. Dead. Not. DEAD!" 

But when I look up, everyone is gone. 

No, not gone, they can't be, no, no, no... Wait. 

I get to my feet, wrenching the pole axe from the ground. Some mutt is in the trees, moving forwards, towards me. I've never seen anything like it- except I have. Mutts. They're all the same. Bloody Capitol creations.

Hah. Bloody. I giggle aloud, then laugh. That was actually funny, in an ironic sort of way. 

My laughter is the only sound I can hear in the entire arena. Bloody Capitol. Bloody mutts.

Mutts? 

My laughter turns to a small choked sound as I finally get that this mutt is after me. Scrambling a little, I turn around and run, branches whipping at my face, not even daring to turn around. Run, run, run.

Running. It sounds like so much effort. 

But it's not.

Not when you have something to run from. 

I come out into the cornucopia, breathing heavily, just as Lizzie and Gemini do the same. The mutts trail behind them, but stop and begin the circle. A small growl behind me, tells me the mutt behind me is doing the same.

This is it.

Lizzie and Gemini both have swords, while I still have my axe. The three of us hesitate a moment, then all run forwards. I veer towards Lizzie, swinging my axe at random, and I get pulled up short when it catches on the cornucopia. Gemini stumbles past me, stabbing a sword through the spot where I was with a scream. Lizzie jumps back, sword in hand. She's also got some sort of bow-thing, but it won't work for close combat. 

With a feral yell I had no idea I could make, I ran at Gemini, jumping on her and bringing us both to the ground. She rolls over and tries to stab me as Lizzie tries to gut her. I grab Lizzie's ankle, pulling her down and swinging my pole axe clumsily over her head. She grabs the handle, and I pull it back, managing to hit Gemini in the face with the pole as I do so. 

Suddenly there's so much blood, and I don't know where it's coming from, my leg hurts, I can't tell who I'll hit with my weapon anymore, oh god I can't see anything-

I scream as someone gets a fistful of my hair and tugs, swinging the axe wildly, not even caring. With another jolt of pain, coloring my vision red, I realize I've cut off part of my foot. I yell again, fueling everything I've felt in the arena, all the misery, pain, anger, loss, every emotion the Capitol has made me feel into a single swing, accompanied by the most animalistic yell I've ever heard in my entire life from any creature. I don't care who it hits, I'm done caring-

THUD.

I stop moving in time for Gemini to slice away part of my arm. But I'm too busy staring at the axe in Lizzie's head to even think otherwise. And the sword that has fallen limp, but was only moments ago about to enter my neck.