Writers Games: Ghost

Quarter Finals ~Entries~

Viper Pandora Welsh

 DID NOT TURN IN!

Dayta Sparke

Lying here in the dark, it's like my entire time in the arena has blurred together.

It's just a foggy mess in my head, a screwed up mix of blood and pavement. It almost scares me, not entirely remembering how many people I've killed, how many people have died. I'm a murderer. A monster. My life before the games feels like some sort of fairy tale, with the happy endings I've only ever seen in the books I would read to Wyre before he would fall asleep at night. 

I try not to think about home. I don't have a chance, never have. Thinking about home just makes my heart ache, and I as I roll onto my back and look at the stars above my head I can feel warm tears flowing down my cheeks.

I'm so far away, and yet I'm so close it hurts.

"Dayta, you sure you want to take watch tonight?" asks Rhea from the other side of the roof, struggling not to yawn. I hope she doesn't see the tears as I sit up and wipe them on my sleeve, turning towards her voice in the darkness.

"Yeah. I've got it," My voice cracks a little as I speak, but if she hears it she says nothing. "You just go to sleep. You need rest if you're going to get out of here you know."

"Well so do you!" Rhea's voice raises slightly, but she quickly returns to a hushed whisper before she can attract much attention. "You've taken the night watch for the past three days, and I don't think you've had a wink of sleep since we got in here. You need to rest Dayta."

"I'm fine," My voice has an unintentional sharp edge to it, causing Rhea to step back slightly. "Just go to sleep. You know just as well as I do that I'm going to get my way whether you like it or not."

Rhea sighs as she lies back down, pushing her hair out of her face as she closes her eyes. I smile as I turn away, carefully sitting down on the edge of the roof. I can see the entire city from here in daylight, but now the only light is from the few tiny stars I can see through the thick clouds.

"Dayta!"

I'm on my feet in less than a second. I heard my name, I'm sure. Yet, as I walk slowly around our camp I hear nothing but a faint breeze and Rhea's quiet snores.

"Dayta! Help me!"

A cold gust of wind slams into me like a brick wall. I stumble backwards, my right foot slipping over the edge of the rooftop. I shriek as I struggle to right myself again, collapsing to the pavement just before I would have tumbled to my death. I stand back up slowly, pushing a lock of hair out of my face. I heard it that time, I know I did.

"Dayta! Please!"

The voice. I hear it, clear as day. It's hauntingly similar to my own, so identical that to a bystander it's almost scary. I've only ever heard one like it before, and my eyes widen in horror at the very thought.

"Elektra!?"

The wind seems to stop dead. I squeeze my eyes shut as they begin to brim with tears, just the thought of hearing my sister's voice again overwhelming.

"Dayta, come on. Please?" The voice is nothing more than a quiet whisper in my ear. It sounds so real, so much like my sister, but I know better. 

"You're not real," I stutter, not daring to open my eyes. "It's just another hallucination. You're not actually here."

"Dayta, stop it!" Elektra's voice pleads "I'm sorry, but-"

"It's not real!" I scream, dramatically sinking to my knees. I can hear Rhea wake up behind me, but even as she runs to my side and puts her hand on my shoulder.