A loud ringing noise hums in our ears and echoes off of the cave walls, reverberating and bouncing to no end. Roma screams from her corner, covering her hands with her ears. The other Tributes do the same, and I'm tempted to, but I don't want to show my wound, don't want to show them my weakness because the second bloodbath is just around the corner, I can feel it. While the others are busy groaning from the pain in their ears Milo has shifted closer to me, and he's peering at my body, scrutinizing every cut and every bruise. He takes the hand that covers my gash and lifts it up, revealing the purple bruising and the rotting stench of dried blood. He wrinkles his nose.
"The Devil's had some fun with you, hasn't he? Is that your own blood on your face?"
"No," I state, point blank. "It's Val's."
Milo doesn't say anything, partly because I give him a look that begs him not to and secondly because the ringing noise in our ears cease, and a sound that can only be that of a key unlocking a door can be heard from all of the weapons along the side of the wall; we are now free to use them. We all stare at each other for a moment, unsure of what to do. Every person in this circle, we aren't fighters, we aren't strong, but somehow, we made it to the very last cave it seems, and now, only one can be crowned the ultimate champion.
"They want a second bloodbath," Milo tells everyone in the circle, calmly. "This is the main event."
"I don't want to fight," the tired voice comes from Roma as she wanders into the middle, her hands in the air. "Just, everyone do their thing and I'll do mine, but I won't pick up a weapon out of hate or spite. I just can't."
I nod to Roma, agreeing with her code of ethics but not with her actions. I will not start the fight, but I will fight to the death. I will fight for my kids, my husband, my rights, my life and my freedom. I may not deserve to win but the Reaper sure as hell doesn't, and that's what's fueling me, that and the blood loss that's causing a small amount of adrenaline to kick into my veins. American is still on the ground, wheezing, coughing, and spitting blood from between his cracked lips.
Kalyd looks around the circle and scoffs. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm fucking going home." Kalyd walks over to the wall of weapons and chooses a mace with confidence. He holds it in his good hand, his other hand free to spurt blood over cave floor and overtop of the shoes of all the other Tributes. He sacrificed his three middle fingers on his right hand, so just his thumb and pinky remain as small stubs on an otherwise slab of flesh. Three fingers. I wonder if one wasn't enough for his soul? He wanders into the center, arm raised high above his head, ready to bring the mace down upon anyone who dares cross his path.
I dart to the other end of the wall, grabbing a spear; the weapon I started my first Games with, and the weapon I will end these Games with. I hold it in front of me, showing the young boy I will fight him, and maybe perhaps I will succeed. Everyone around me has broken, cracked, and decayed. Even though I am weak I feel strong, and even though I am tired I feel more alive than ever before. I let out a large laugh, and I feel all eyes towards me; for a moment I think I'm going to be the one to break first, stab American in the esophagus to end the torture of his pain. Upton is on the ground cradling him now, rubbing his shoulders and whispering sweet nothings into his ear. I inch towards the wall and grabbing a knife, I gently slide it across the ground to Upton. He takes it.
The tension is building between us all, and it surprises me that Milo is the one to snap first. In large swift movements he grabs a sword from the wall and swings it at Kalyd's head, but with his bad hand Kalyd blocks it from slicing his throat and instead a sickening crunch is heard as the blade inserts itself through the bone of Kalyd's wrist, taking his hand clean off. Roma doesn't hesitate to empty the contents of her stomach when she sees the blood streaming from Kalyd's stump.
☠Mia Circuit's 27th Cannon☠
Start from the beginning
