The Fandom Games

PART III: Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17 – THE RIVER TO THE WOODS

All I need is a puddle. I'm so thirsty... I thought desperately to myself, though it didn't do much good in actually finding me water.

Finally I came across a muddy river. I wrinkled my nose in disappointment, but the quiet was slightly intimidating and it looked like this was the best I was going to get.

By letting my arm flop lifelessly at my side, my backpack slid off of my shoulder and onto the ground. I let gravity pull me to my knees in front of the water and lazily unscrewed the cap of my flask.

But before I could lean forward far enough for the lip of my canteen to touch the murky water, something floated in front of me and obscured my vision. I jumped back, but I had nothing to be afraid of. The parachute floated nicely to the ground. Something from a sponsor! Quickly I set my flask aside and transferred my attention toward whatever I'd been given.

A note was attached, signed Water from a Pond. I pressed my lips together in a kind of smile; just seeing her signature made the day so much better. And the joke was much appreciated. I looked to see what she had sent me – a water filter! "Yes! Thank you, I love you..." I felt foolish muttering the words out loud, but I knew the cameras were on me now.

When I had detached the filter from the parachute and the note (which I tucked safely in my bag), I reached for my flask again.

My fingers had hardly brushed the surface of the metal when a shrill scream cut through the air, echoing wildly. It made my ears perk up in alarm. My eyes widened while I tried to discern which direction it had come from.

The second scream was distinctly a word. "RAPE!"

I clumsily fumbled with the lid of my flask, trying to screw it back on as quickly as I could. Adrenaline kicked in fast, and all of my senses seemed to be heightened. I stood. Fight or flight? Fight or flight??

I dropped everything and took a half step away from the noise, and then veered rightward, hating myself for it all the way. The voice kept shrieking. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears, my footsteps beating on the ground and stepping expertly around fallen branches and roots I could have easily tripped on if I wasn't so desperate – I wondered briefly if I was running toward my own death. I wondered if I would pass out and the screaming would die along with the body it came from and that would be the end of it. For a moment I wondered if I was running in circles, but that couldn't be, as the screaming was getting louder. I was nearing it. It was right in front of me. Right next to me. My eyes darted around and caught a glimpse of blonde and black hair lying on the ground before my vision was obscured by a tree again. My heart beating fast, I quickly tried to mask my footsteps with the sounds of her screams for help. I slowed my running and it felt unnatural to suddenly be moving so slowly after moving so quickly before. As I made my way behind her attacker – her rapist – I came out from the cover of the trees and saw the tearstained, tortured face of Avril. She saw me over the shoulder of the man on top of her and her yelling subsided, but I quickly motioned for her to keep making noise. My widened eyes and overall panic-stricken face must have helped her understand, as she took a deep breath and let another yell tear from her throat.

Carefully I fished into the bag left behind by one of the two of them and extracted a blade. The blood pounded in my ears and I didn't have time to think twice. I jumped onto his back and made a long slice down his spine.

Tate screamed loudly and Avril rolled out of his way, scrambling to her feet and tears streaming down her face. She adjusted the clothes he'd torn and begun to remove, ignoring the bloodstains on them. They weren't much of a surprise to find; blood was everywhere – on the blade and dripping down my arms, on the ground, on her and obviously on him. I stared in horror at the scene, horrified at myself to see the pain I'd caused, even if justified, in a way. I didn't have time to wait and see if he would die. All I could do is help Avril up and run with her as far away as we could.

I took her back to the river where I had left all of my things, only to find that everything had been taken, small bloodstains where the bag used to lay. I slowed, and she sat on the ground, completely inconsolable.

Something glinted near the rocks. It seemed that whoever had taken all of my supplies hadn't noticed the water filter rolling away. Using my hands, I collected some water and eventually got Avril to drink some of it. I knew it was best to let her cry. Of course she should have expected violence in the Games, but this was another kind entirely. A cannon shot was heard.

"He's gone now, shhh..." I whispered.

The Doctor found us there by the time the arena was dark. I did my best to fill her in on what had happened and even got myself to admit I'd killed someone. As soon as I did, the Capitol's anthem played and my victim's face appeared in the sky one last time.