𝔞𝔪𝔭𝔥𝔦𝔱𝔯𝔦𝔱𝔢 ✩ 𝔣𝔦𝔫𝔫𝔦𝔠𝔨 𝔬𝔡𝔞𝔦𝔯

2 2

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

✩ ✩ ✩

Nightmares were something of which were intended to plague one's mind during their hours of rest. Demons imagined in the minds of innocents of which they would never even have the unfortunate chance of seeing in reality.

Terror was but the newest constant in her mind, causing it to be ever so increasingly fragile. Fear entertained her on the graveyard of which was her newest playground and darkness clouded her vision, immersing her in a deep blanket of pure horror and rage.

Such a terribly sickening experience was that of being forced to live out one's worst nightmare.

Of course, over the years Odelya had suffered from an array of tormenting dreams; but none compared to her current situation which seemed to somehow redefine the meaning of the word. Such cruelty of her government would ensure that the need now fight to the death in the same arena of which the slaughtering of her beloved siblings took place.

Speaking of murderous activities, Odelya was forced to watch on, in such a way that she were wrapped up in a self inflicted state of paralysis as her fellow Careers inflicted a great loss to the family of the tributes from District Six.

Upon Poseidon's name, she cursed each and every last one of said cruel executors to the pier back home in Four. And if she herself were to be in charge of such a nation, they would have weighty rocks filling their pockets and chains binding their limbs together as they fell to the floor of the ocean.

Luciana was the one to first have fallen victim to a hidden trap, getting caught up in a conspiracy of ropes which hung her limply from the lowest branch of a pine tree. Her partner, in more a sense than just that of a District ally screamed bloody murder at those who carved out the heart from his love's corpse.

Such a heartbroken boy went by the name of Cassius and he was fully aware in such a moment that he would die a martyr, even with the knowledge that his beloved who hung deceased would beg so desperately for him to flee with his life.

His cried for vengeance reminded Odelya so painfully of Apollo and the way he screamed out in the reaping square when Melody's bloody murders was projected upon a large canvas for the entirety of Four to see.

Such a poor boy deserved a swift and painless death - one of which most certainly would not be delivered to him by the most homicidal of her allies. Only Odelya could gift that pained child an ending fitting of a brave lover.

And so, he took his place in line behind all of those of who had their life snuffed out by her blood coated hands. With a mace studded dent in his face, Cassius fell to the ground in a lifeless heap of martyrdom.

Eight.

Cheers applauded her and hands slapped her back in celebration of their mutual victory. Having been raised since birth in the most privileged of District's, it would have made sense for them to be more civilised as they had little reason to rebel. However, they seemed to typically be inclined to savagery without cause, ever more so than the poorest of tributes.

Life could be seen as funny in this sense. Yet, such inhumane behaviour merely fuelled her with such an intense desire for revenge, despite never having known or even spoken to the Career's victims. Her plan needed to be executed with haste, tonight  would be the time of which Odelya would surely transform into the Capitol's Siren. Someone who lulled people with her beauty and talent but would ultimately lead them to an unprecedented demise.

Darkness had overcome their little world inside of the arena, days seemed shorter in the snow forest than would be expected in normal life. As the moon awoke from the horizon, the deadline on her plan counted down tantalisingly, if she weren't to act now, Odelya was not quite sure that she would ever strike up the courage again.

Such a fire in her belly seemed to warm her up on the coldest of nights, but it was time for it to be extinguished.

Odelya was the last awake that night, with the others being quite exhausted from the day's proceedings, she had suggested that the safest option was for her to take the first watch alone. The other agreed on the premise that they were to be woke immediately if any kind of trouble stirred, apparently they were slightly annoyed at her stealing the majority of their kills.

So, with her spiked mace clutched tightly in her fist, Odelya untied her complicated pulley system from the pine tree and gathered all of the resources of which would fit in the largest of backpacks that the Careers had collected from the Cornucopia.

With the simplest stage of her plan complete, Odelya advanced nervously towards the next, it would be an additional cause of nightmares in her sleep until the very day that she died and the reason for her being known as nothing but a mere coward.

However, Odelya had such little chance to back out now, for rectifying the situation would be much too noisy to not stir her allies from their slumber.

One swift blow to the head would be enough to end the lives of each of them. Not too hard as for them to die instantly, as the cannon would wake the others and there was no chance that she could fight off any of them awake. This was why she had chosen to kill them in their sleep.

Somehow over the last few days an order of which these murders would be carried out had formed inside of her mind. Most likely she had planned to kill them in such a way due to the threat of which they posed to her and her true allies.

Mars would go first; as he was the most powerful, but a thought gnawed at the back of Odelya's mind that she had not quite hit him hard enough. Surely this was just guilt fuelled paranoia.

However, it was enough to frighten Odelya and ever so quickly did she bludgeon Orla then Romulus then Pansy. Hard enough that she was positively certain that cannons would soon sound.

Carrying such worry with her, she ran just as quickly as she possibly could without slipping over in the snow. Odelya would travel across the arena all night, as far away from the crime scene as physically possible.

Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve.

Oh, thank Poseidon that all four cannons would sound the air that night. Despite how convinced Odelya was that her plan had certain hitch to it, all thoughts had been caused by her worrisome mind rather than that of a true reality.

The Careers had all met their destined fate that night.

✩ ✩ ✩

Please vote, comment and share.

I love you to the stars.