The MCYT Hunger Games

Chapter 28

PoV: Scar

I just killed Martyn. 

I just saved Grian's life.

The truth doesn't really set in as me and Grian stand in the bloodbath. Pearl... Martyn... and Etho died too. Eating poison berries. 

It's just me and Grian versus Ren. 

'You should sleep.' Grian offers. 'Rest your... shoulder.'

I glance over at the bandages covering it. Grian steps closer, helping me lie down... with every movement, my shoulder hurts. But I can't let Grian know it does. I can't make him feel any worse about it.

I lie on my good side, staring up at Grian for a moment before closing my eyes. It takes a while to fall asleep as I just lie there, eventually drift off into uneasy dreams.

Joel screams as Pearl murderers him

Grian yells as he stabs me in the shoulder 

Cub lies dead on the ground in front of me 

Martyn raises his sword to kill Grian and-

'NO!'

I scramble up, fighting a scream of pain as my shoulder shifts. Grian's attention snaps over.

'Oh my goodness... Scar? Are you ok?'

'Ow- ow it... it hurts...'

He runs over to my side, eyes wild with concern. 

'It's ok... it'll be ok.' He hugs me. I try to hug back with my good arm. 'I grabbed some of the healing supplies while you were sleeping so... if you want...'

He holds out the set of bandages. I nod back, smiling in thanks as Grian carefully unwraps the shoddy bandages I couldn't quite get on properly myself. It's still day, but I missed the capitol coming to take Pearl and Martyn. Tilly's run off or been taken too.

'Tell me if it hurts.' He murmurs, cleaning up the blood with some of our water, replacing the bandages and creating a decent sling to keep my arm still. I watch him as he works in silence. But by the time he's finished, he's blinking tears.

'I'm sorry.'

'It's ok.' I insist. 'You were tired and upset... you weren't acting rationally...'

'I nearly killed you.'

'But you didn't.'

'I TRIED to kill you...'

'You were upset. I understand.' I don't. One small movement and I'd have been dead. My arm doesn't even seem to work any more.

'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.' He's just crying, collapsing in my lap, curling up. I run my unhurt hand through his hair as some form of comfort.

'It's ok. Everything will be ok... just have a rest and then we'll find Ren... and then...' I trail off. 'And then we can burn down this arena and claim a joint victory. Ok?'

No reply. Grian's not crying any more, just lying there. I can't see his face. 

And then he speaks.

'Am I a good person?' 

'Of course!'

'Don't lie. Don't... don't try to make me feel better. Just tell me honestly, am I a good person?'

I have to think. He's killed people. He killed Impulse in cold blood. He killed Jevin. His actions led to Keralis, Iskall and Fwhip's deaths... he tried to kill me. But he saved my life. He chose to cross the entire arena and put himself in danger to help me. When he didn't know me. When he definitely didn't like me, knowing his reaction every time he met me before the games began. 

'You're the best friend and ally I could've hoped for.' Is what I come up with. Grian gives a sad laugh.

'That was Cub. He was your best friend. I just... I just killed people and acted irrationally.' 

'You kept me alive. You protected me. You gave me company.'

Another laugh.

'Thanks, Scar.'

'Now sleep. You need it.' I insist. 'And we'll go from there, ok?' 

'Yeah.'

'I'll tell you if anything happens.'

But he's already drifting asleep, silent.

I sit there with him asleep in my lap, thinking. When Ren's gone... one of us will have to kill each other. But I can't think about that now. Not when we still have Ren to kill. Time to spare. Time to enjoy our lives before... 

Music. I look up as the faces appear in the sky... False... Impulse... Etho, Pearl and... 

Martyn.

His bloody body appears in my mind again. Him running out of the trees and murdering Pearl in front of me. And then...

I can't think about it. The music fades out and, clearly woken, Grian stirs, mumbling something to himself. 

'Good morning, sleepyhead.' 

'It's... still night...'

'Well... it's night. But saying good night makes it seem like you're falling asleep.'

He rolls off my lap, standing, holding out a hand to help me up.

'Come on, let's grab our stuff and find Ren.' 

I accept the assistance, smiling at him. He smiles back, and we return the shortish journey to our base. My shoulder's better with his help, and I make the whole journey in very little pain at all... we gather our bags of stuff, weapons... Grian insists upon carrying more, even though he's  smaller and I'm stronger than him. I grab some rope to tie on more than I physically carry before we head off into the wilderness of the arena to find Ren.

Grian knows his way around better than me. I never explored further than my base and Joel and Etho's. I just follow behind as he walks somewhere towards where I think he was before... everything looks the same to me. The same trees. The same grass. The same lack of any other creatures...

'Grian! Grian guess what?'

'What?'

He stops, turning. I smirk back, dropping my supplies.

'TAG!' I hit his shoulder with my good hand and break into a run. 

'What- Scar- HEY!' I glance back to see him sprinting after me. I'm not fast enough to outrun him so I duck behind a tree, weaving around through the forest in attempt to escape him. He's quick, and smart, and cuts me off, tagging me back.

'Tag yourself, Scar.'

'REN! REN! DO YOU WANT TO PLAY TOO?' I yell. 

'REEEEEN! WE'RE HERE PLAYING GAMES! IT'S A LOT OF FUN!' Grian joins in. 'COME ON REN!'

We're both just laughing, intoxicated by this absurd friendship. I lunge to get Grian back as he's distracted, yelling for Ren to join us. He catches me, stumbling away.

'Scar!'

'Worth a shot...' and then I actually get him. He gets me back. We're still laughing and grinning at each other. For a moment neither of us speak or do anything except smiling. Grian frowns.

'Hey... hey Scar... what's that?'

I turn to where Grian's hand is pointing. 

'What's what?'

'I... I saw something. I swear I... saw something...'

I squint, trying to catch a glimpse of Ren... Nothing. But I trust that Grian's seen him. I trust that he's right.

'I can't see anything... he might've moved somewhere elsewhere... he must've heard us shouting.'

'Y... yeah.' Something's changed in Grian's voice. I barely catch the next thing he says. 

'Scar, I'm sorry...'

I turn.

Grian's there. 

With his trident raised to kill me. 

:')