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ACT IV
CHAPTER LV
the others
TEARS STREAM DOWN Thana's face as she manages to just pull Latif away before the beast can kill him as well. The boy leans on her for support as they try to make their way through the jungle. Blood from her brother getting all over her as she tries to steer him away from roots and low hanging branches. The beast on their heels as Thana takes a sharp left, hoping to lose the beast between the trees.
"Come on Latif," Thana cries as they go deeper and deeper into the jungle.
The Jardin siblings walk straight into a forcefield, restricting them from going further into the jungle and away from the Beast.
"God damnit," Thana curses, taking a brief look on her pocket watch revealing that it is almost 7 o'clock in the morning. "Get behind me," she instructs her younger brother.
The beast slowly makes his way to the two Jardin's. Looking at them with calculated eyes as if he already knew what the girl closest to him would do. Unconsciously Thana takes a step back, pushing Latif with his back against the forcefield that cornered them.
"I am sorry," Thana says to no one in particular. "I am so sorry," her voice cracks.
In a split second, Latif falls and pulls Thana with him. The beast stands up to look even bigger and more threatening. But as he goes for the attack, the forcefield is back up. Protecting the two tributes from the beast who looks anything but pleased.
"That was close," Thana chuckles, "let's not do that again." She laughs softly trying to shake off the event before looking at Latif, "Holy shit. Has it stopped or is it still going?"
"I don't know," Latif mutters with tears in his eyes, "I don't dare to look."
"It is okay," Thana hovers her hand above the wound, not wanting to bring her brother in more pain, "I am afraid you are still bleeding; we need to apply pressure."
Just as she says that, she feels the ground shake underneath them. Thana grasp Latif and pulls him up, looking around widened eyes as they see the trees shake.
"What the fuck is going on?" Latif asks and Thana shakes her head.
"I have no idea," Thana says, "I hope it stops soon."
The siblings walk through the thick jungle, never ending shaking happening that seems to go harder every shake. Standing straight or walking barely possible, but still, they continue in hopes of finding the beach. Behind them many cracks can be heard with occasional booms following them.
"I sure have no idea what is happening," Latif breathes, "but I do know we need to get away underneath these trees." His breathing is becoming laboring.
"Are you okay?" Thana's concern making the two stops momentarily. "Latif, you are still bleeding, why didn't you say anything?"
"I am okay," Latif says unconvincingly, "we need to move."
Thana and Latif walk about four meters before there is a really hard shaking movement in the ground, cracking more trees and they start running as the falling trees come closer and closer to them.
"Take my hand," Thana holds out her hand for Latif to grasp.
CRACK! Thana looks behind her and tears well up as she hears Latif scream in pain.
"Oh my god," Thana takes her brother's face into her hands, "look at me."
Latif raises his eyes to the light brown one's he has known all his life, "I am sorry Thana," he breathes with great difficulty, "you have to let me go, make it out of here." The younger sibling is right, the tremors still happening just like all the thuds of trees falling.
"I can't leave you," Thana cries, stroking his face. "You're all I've got."
Latif smiles sadly, trying to keep is tears in, "tell our family I love them all dearly." With his free hand he holds out the necklace with family photos. "Take this back to mom," his voice cracks as Thana slowly puts it around her neck.
"I love you so much," Thana kisses her brother's forehead. "I won't leave you."
"You must Thana," Latif tries to reason with his sister, "I am dying."
"And I don't want you to die alone," Thana gives him a sad smile. "I don't want you to die at all," the tears threaten to fall again, but she tries to withstand.
"You need to find the others," Latif speaking gets worse with every time he speaks, his voice failing him as his body tries to keep him alive as long as possible, "find Johanna." Latif gives his sister a pointed look, "stay with her and don't go after the careers. Go to Johanna."
"Latif," Thana gives her brother a sad smile, "I'll go find Jo."
"Good, good," the boy mutters as tears slowly fall down his cheeks, "I am scared Thai."
"It is okay to be scared," The older sister holds on to her brother as life seems to leave his body, "you'll go on just another journey." She kisses his forehead again, "and I am so proud of you, I'll always be proud of my partner in crime."
"Together till the very end," Latif smiles at his sister, "but you'll have to endure alone."
"No, I won't," Thana shakes her head, "you'll always be with me. I love you, Latif."
"And I love you," Latif grins up at his sister before his eyelids start to flutter, the shaking of the ground finally stopping. Making Thana look around just as Latif's eyes fully close.
Thana frantically shakes her brother, "NO! don't close your eyes, look at me Latif."
BOOM!
Thana let's out a gut-wrenching scream, not caring if anybody else would hear and come to kill her. No, why would she? She just lost her brother; she just lost the boy she grew up with. If death would welcome her right now, she would take his hand without a second thought, the misery, the horrifying torments, all of it would be gone and Latif would be in her arms again, laughing and dancing. Death would seem the greatest gift she could get right now, so obviously as she hears the hovercraft that is going to take Latif away, Thana stumbles to a hiding place before she would go towards where she thinks the beach would be. Maybe the careers could show her mercy and kill her as swiftly as possible.
...
A quarter before 9, that is the time Thana finally gets up from the place she chose to hide as they took Latif away from her. The girl tries to step over trees and all the other mess the shaking caused about an hour ago. It is a long trip, but unsurprisingly it doesn't matter to Thana, she isn't tired anymore. No, with all the things that happened in the very early hours of the morning she is wide awake.
"Beware of this stupid jungle," Thana mutters to herself, "beware or it grasps you like a poisonous snake." The girl wipes away some fallen tears as she gets to a piece of the forest where all the trees are still standing and there are no marks of what she now thinks was an earthquake.
"How peculiar," the whispers as she touches a tree.
...
Nora speaking!!
Latif sadly passed on. (This was always my plan, I wasn't a fan of any of my ideas for him past catching fire and wanted Thana to lose somebody close to her in that arena, and for obvious reasons and some future ones it couldn't just be Rohan. He is still needed for the rebellion)
Oh, and dear Thana is starting to realize how weird and fucked up this arena is, though she won't know for certain till she finds the others
Side note:
For the ones that noticed, I did change the time line a little. Peter (district 10 male) wasn't supposed to die in the morning, but rather 12 hours later.
Furthermore, I already killed of district 5 female's tribute, so nobody shall die during the big wave.
Quick important information about my schedule of publishing chapters!
As you might've seen, I have been updating quite regularly on Tuesday for some time now, and today isn't a Tuesday.
I have decided to take a little break from writing and publishing because of the summer holiday/vacation. I expect to start updating regularly (haven't decided if I want to change days yet) around the ending of August, so I'll 'see you' in about a month <3
Thanks for all the love and support this story has gotten so far <3