Caged | The Hunger Games AU ✓

xvii. demise

seventeen - demise

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"no!" carly screams, her voice echoing through the woods. before i can blink, an arrow whizzes past me so quickly it's a blur and lodges itself in titus' eye, killing him instantly. he slumps to the ground, lies motionless, and bliss looks shocked for about two seconds before launching into action.

she moves to attack matthias, who is tending to a fallen asher, and i wonder if there's any hope for the district four boy to stay alive for much longer. i rush forward, all my terror gone, and instead focus on my increasing rage that bubbles up like lava exploding from a volcano. i am so furious that bliss had something to do with asher's soon-to-be death that i am blinded by it. i don't care. i want this girl dead.

i unsheathe my knives from my belt and body-slam her backward before she can chop matthias's head off. she grins sickly at me, her long, black hair falling into her face from where it has come out of its ponytail.

"ready to take on a career, twelve?" she sneers, swinging her axe around threateningly. i used to be terrified of her. now i'm not the least bit afraid.

"only asher can call me that," i growl, and saying his name only makes me even angrier. right as bliss swings at me, i duck and roll. the good thing is that since her weapon is so heavy, it takes her longer to move, costing her precious seconds. the downside is that she has much more momentum from it, and it can basically kill me with one chop.

i reach as close as i dare and make a deep scrape along her arm before jumping around to different positions, confusing her. bliss looks around wildly. as soon as she spots me, i move to a different position. it's extremely tiring, but it's working.

"you little–" she swings. i try to move out of the way in time, but the tip of her axe grazes my side, tearing my clothing and skin open. it burns like fire, but i try my best to ignore the searing pain and reposition my knives in my hands, ready to retaliate at her.

i move to stab at her, but she ducks in the nick of time. right as she stands back up, one of carly's arrows hits her in the stomach. she immediately breaks the shaft and tosses it to the side– she must know that haphazardly pulling it out will only cause more damage. now we are both moving slowly due to our injuries, but i'm still quicker than she is.

but right when i see the window of opportunity, i second guess myself. do i want to kill this girl?

but then i remember. it's the hunger games. it's kill or be killed. it's me or her. and so i reach my arm back and plunge a dagger into her stomach beside the arrowhead and drag it to the left, watching blood pour out of her mouth and gut after i do. i have no desire to watch as she dies, so i yank the knife out and run to asher. 

matthias is above him, putting pressure on his wound as asher lays on his side. he is fading fast, i can tell, but he's alive right now and that's all that matters to me.

"listen to me," asher commands, his voice weak and uneven as he struggles to breathe. "when any of you win–"

"when?" carly repeats. asher glares at her for the interruption before wincing in pain.

"let me finish. when any of you win – and i'm saying when because i know one of you will – and you're on the victor's tour, say something to my siblings." he swallows before continuing. "please. that's all i have to ask."

i nod quickly, tears rushing to my eyes and blurring my vision until it's nearly impossible to see. my voice sounds quiet and not like my own when i speak. "of course, asher. of course."

"okay, i'm dying and i know it," he continues. "i've been dying since i got stung."

i'm confused by this. "what do you mean?"