The MCYT Hunger Games

Chapter 23

Guess who's back

Back again

Ember's back

With angst and pain-

Scar's PoV

I gather sticks from around as it grows dark. Grian's still sitting next to the stuff, watching me. It doesn't take long to light a (safe) fire,
settling down near it. 

'Here, come closer.' I pat the ground next to me. After a second, Grian crawls over, sitting next to me, just as the music starts. 

There's a gap in the trees we watch it through... seeing the names appears.

District 2: DocM

District 3: Fwhip

District 11: GeminiTay

'S***... Doc's dead.' Grian murmurs, blinking as though it'll change what happened. 'Oh my goodness... he's...'

Silence follows as the music fades, Grian left staring blankly up at the sky. For a moment I just watch him, resting a hand on his shoulder. He barely reacts. 

'Who's... left now?' I have to ask. ... I know Me, Grian, Joel, Etho... Tango and Impulse... And then I don't know the rest. I haven't met them. I think there's one of the careers left...

No answer.

'Doc... wanted to kill me.' Murmurs Grian, as though unaware I even spoke. 'After I took his trident. And now... he's dead...' He looks down, over at the fire. 'What... or who... could've killed him?' 

'Either the flood or... something else. Or Gem died to the flood. I don't know. We won't find out how. We won't get to find out. We won't get to know if they were nice, and kind, and just desperate... or... or...' And then I'm stuck thinking about Cub again. Who I'll never see again. Who's dead. And it's my fault. I could've done... if I could've done anything better. If I could go back in time. Bring him back. Even just be there for him when... 

'Are you ok?' Grian's quiet voice brings me back to reality. I blink, realising I'm just looking down at my feet, eyes blurring from tears. 

'I'm... I'm just thinking about... him.' I can't say his name without crying, fighting the sob choking me. 'It's fine.' I wipe the tears away. 'I'm completely fine.'

'Scar...' I can feel his struggle to find the right thing to say, resting a hand on my shoulder. 'It'll be ok.'

I don't reply. I can't speak without sobbing. The only thing I can think is that Cub's dead. As much as I thought I'd be alright. As much as I thought I could push through... I can't. Joel killed him. Joel murdered him. And I didn't kill him back.

I sob, and then can't stop. Grian shuffles closer, murmuring that it'll be ok. He's lying. His friends are dead too. He knows the black hole it leaves in you, pulling you into the kind of thoughts you don't want to consider. One of us is going to die. Or both of us. Or...

'I hate the Hunger Games.' I pause at Grian's mutter. 'I hate it so much I can't find the words. I hate what it does to people. I hate that we have to watch people die. I hate everything about it and I hate that Cub was right to break everything and burn everything and cause chaos because this place is the epitome of everything wrong with the universe...' And then he's crying too. I glance over, hugging him with my arm. 'And I hate the person it turned me into.'

And then I realise what I have to do. I crawl over to the bags, fishing through until my hand closes around it. And then I return to Grian.

'Here.' I hold Cub's vex pin out for him to take. Grian's eyes widen.

'Scar, I can't.' So he knows what it is.

'Take it.'

'Scar, seriously. I don't deserve it.'

I force it into his hand, holding onto it, looking into his eyes.

'Grian... If you hadn't found me, I would've killed myself.' The words barely come. 'I would've killed myself in front of Joel and Etho. You... You're the only reason I'm here. All you knew about me is that I cause trouble and get my friends hurt and you crossed the server and rescued me.'

'And you're the only reason I'm here... If you hadn't saved me from the flood... I don't deserve this, Scar.'

'Cub trusted you and I do too.' I shift away, leaving him with the vex pin in his hand, back to my arena next to the fire. Fighting the urge to grab the pin back. Keep it to myself. But I don't.

'Thank you, Scar.'

'It's nothing.' I watch as he attaches the pin to his torn clothes, stifling a yawn.

'You need sleep.' Grian frowns. 'I can keep watch.'

'No... Grian you nearly drowned...'

'And you saved me. And you took the last shift. Sleep. I'll keep watch for Joel and Etho.'

'Grian...'

'Sleep or I knock you unconscious.'

I give a laugh, shuffling over to what's quickly become our bed.

'Wake me if anything happens, ok?'

'I will.'

I watch Grian for a moment as I lie there, see him cross over towards Joel and Etho's base, starting to make some kind of trap, before closing my eyes, shuffling to find some kind of comfort... After a moment, I manage the best I can, not realising how tired I must've been until I fall asleep almost instantly.

And dream.

'HEY!'

Cub pushes me away as the sounds of Joel waking up reach us...

'RUN!' 

There's nothing else I can do.

I abandon him here, stumbling painfully away, each step bringing me further from my chance to rescue him... Barely faster than a walk. The sounds of their fighting behind...

Cannon shot. 

And he's dead.

I run back and he's dead.

The Peacekeepers come and he's dead, dead, dead, dead, because I got into trouble. Because I didn't do what he said. Because Joel caught me. Because I set the tree on fire... I hear my heartbeat in my ears, the Peacekeepers calling for me to 'GET UP, SCAR!' I hear the distant laugh of the audience as I hear him tell the world we never wanted to win.  The growl of 'SHE'S GOT A WOLF SCAR GET UP PLEASE!' getting closer... Someone pulling me to my feet... 'SCAR WAKE UP!'

Cannon shot.

I blink awake, already on my feet. Grian's in front of me, shoving a bag into my arms, grabbing my hand. 'What's- what's going...'

I see the figure in the trees, dressed in a cloak stained red with blood. Blood in her hair. Blood on her face. Blood on her hands and the sword she holds in one of them. Blood on the muzzle of the wolf growling on the ground below her.

And for a moment I can't remember her name. But Grian does.

'It's Pearl.'

I had no idea how this ending was going to work-

But I guess 5am Pearl gets to introduce herself personally