"and remember to get your hand on a weapon. There is a limited number of them and if you don't have one your as good as dead. They are hidden all around the area. Also remember to get an area where you can easily defend yourself. Near a viewing window is good because i can see you and maybe try to help you. And another thing-" Jake ranted.
"Jake" i said louder then his ranting "you have told me this a million times! I know" he looked so scared. Jake never looked scared. I looked down. Jake looking scared made me even more frightened. I was wearing tight back caprees and a black tank top and sturdy, small, black tigh up running shoes.
Jake lifted my chin with a finger and whispered "i love you...so much. i cant loose you. Im so sorry".
"you have nothing to apologize for" i replied "i love you too".
"2 minutes till battle" an invisible voice boomed. I felt a flash of panic but Jake threw his arms around me and hugged me like he's never hugged me before. That sent my panic to ease for a few minutes. I hugged him back, savoring the moment. It could be my last with him. He pulled away and kissed me. He caressed my lips with his, like angle wings. I felt so alive when i was so close to death.
I pulled away when the voice boomed again "one minute till battle".
"ill be back" i promised. A tear fell from his eye as he stared at me. I kissed the tear away, squeezed his hands one more time, and let go. I stared walking backward, trying not to break our eye contact but had to when a bumped into a burly boy with dark brown hair and more muscle then you could count.
"oh sorry" i apologized with a smile.
He looked me once up and down and sneered "you are so dead" and walked away.
I stood there stunned. I shook myself and turned my thoughts to everything i had learned. I gathered with the others on a silver metal plate almost on the floor. It was very large but it had to be to hold all these people. I saw a large clock on the gray walls with green numbers at 25...24...23...22...21. The numbers were taunting me. I made sure to be on the plate. Jake said that if you weren't on the plate when the timer hits 0, you would be killed. I don't know how they would know who to kill. I looked at the clock again and it said 15...14...13...12...11...10.
I looked back at Jake and tried to say "i love you" but no sound came out.
He knew what i ment. "i love you too" i couldn't hear him but i read his lips. His gorgeous lips. I looked back to the clock and it said 5...4...3...2...i close my eyes for a second. I felt no change but when i opened my eyes i was in the arena. I was in the middle of trees. Thats all i saw, trees, grass, and more trees. I looked around for a weapon. Apparently they were hidden all throughout the arena.
Out of the corner of my eye i saw a flash of metal really high up. I mean really high up. In a tree. Why do the trees have to be so massive? I sighed and went to the bottom of the tree. I hear crash through the bushes to my left. Someone was coming and they were coming fast. I turned around with my back to the tree and waited. The big boy that told me i was dead came through the trees and smiled deviously. His smile dropped suddenly and he ran like an angry bull towards me. I ducked and the last minute and he smashed into the tree. I did a James Bond roll and got to my feet. He was already turning towards me and swung a punch. I put my arm up and took the impact with my arm. Again on the other side. He surprise me and punched me right in the stomach. I was thrown back and sprawled on the floor. He came towards me and i swung my left to the side, hitting him almost with my foot. He fell back and i scrambled up to the tree.
Physically, i was no match for this guy. I needed whatever was up in that tree. I started to climb and heard him get up. I climbed faster, reaching, reaching, reaching. He grabbed my foot suddenly and tried to pull me down. I kicked and planted a solid kick in the face. He fell back down to the ground and i climbed further. I could hear him climbing below me so i climbed faster. What seemed like hours past for me to reach the branch with the shining object but it was only probably minutes. He was closing in on me.
I reached the branch and grabbed what i see now is a knife. It was long with a gold handle. At the same moment, the guy below me grabbed my leg and grabbed it hard. I fell on him and he fell too. The tree had to be at least 100 feet. I landed on my back, rolling away from the boy. I had the breath knocked out of me. I lay there gasping for a while. I was panicked because i was defenseless. I didn't know where the knife was. I didn't know where the boy was or what he was doing. And i didn't know how long it would take for me to recover.
By the time i did, i could be dead and break my promise to Jake. I realized, laying there, that i really had no chance of living. I made Jake a promise that i couldn't for fill. I had decived him. I needed to talk to him, now of all times.
All of a sudden, i caught my breath. I felt better but there was still a pain in my wrist. I sat up, looked around then down, and snapped my wrist back into place. Just a flash of pain and it was done. Over. Healed. I hoped no one had seen. I looked over to see the boy on the ground. Dead. He had the knife sticking out of him. He must have been stabbed on the way down. At least i didn't have to fight him off. Then i realized the truth, i had a hand in killing this boy. I had taken his life. It was cut short because of me. I was now a murderer. A killer. A monster. Coming back to Jake was worth it though. It was, after all, self defense...right?
I took a deep breath to steady myself. I could feel a cut on my cheek beginning to heal so i got on my hands and knees and covered my face with my hair. I crawled over to the boy, griped the knife handle, and pulled the knife out. I wasn't about to leave the knife i worked so hard for for someone else to get. I could see now the handle had a swirl design in the gold. It was very pretty but at the same time was so lethal. I had gotten my hand bloody. I had an idea. I "itched" my face, smearing his blood on to cover my blood from the healed cut. I was revolted but it was nessasary.
I got up, and not looking back, walked forward. I wanted to do what Jake said and get to a window. Maybe even talk to him and...tell him goodbye. I heard some grunting and ruselling ahead of me. I hid behind a tree and peered around. There was a girl and a boy fighting with long swords. Mine was smaller but they were equally lethal. The girl had dirty blonde hair, a slim figure, and pail skin. From what i could see, which wasn't much, she was very pretty. They boy had darker skin, small eyes, and a large nose. They were both wearing camouflage. I just watched, not knowing what to do. They fought for a while then suddenly the girl lost her sword.
Now the boy had her at sword point. "please" she begged.
He chuckled and said "i must say, you were a real challenge for a cute little thing" he looked at her in disappointment "too bad".
He reared back to stab her. Before i knew what i was doing, i threw my knife at the boy and killed him. What the hell? I was so stupid. I had just thrown my only weapon away!
"whos there" she asked. I came out with my hands up and said "you aren't gonna hurt me, are you?". I kept my voice steady although i was scared out of my witts.
"you just saved me, why would i hurt you?" she replied.
I laughed and said "guess not". I walked to the dead boy and pulled my knife out.
She looked a little worried and i commented "not gonna hurt you either. Im Katrina".
"Brittany" she replied, skeptical. "well Brittany, nice to meet you" i paused "have you seen a viewing glass anywhere near here?" i asked.
She nodded to her left and said "over there. Not far" i nodded.
"thanks. Good luck" i said and walked to where she said. I didn't look back because although i had barley spoken 2 words to this girl, i trusted her. I just had a feeling. I was right to trust her because she didn't stab me in the back. Literally. This arena would actually be quite nice if it wasn't a death trap. She was right-it was really close. I few steps, pass some trees, and i was there. It was a clearing with a pond to the left and a large rectangular window with Jake front and center.
I took a few steps towards the window when someone jumped on me from behind. I fell to the ground and felt the person pulling my hair. I threw back my elbow and hit them in the face. They rolled off me and were now face up. I got on top of the, from what i could see, guy and punched him several times. He was apparently really strong, and i mean strong. He literally kicked his legs up and threw me up and over near the window. It was inhuman. No natural. I realized that he had powers. They were weaker powers but i guess it was better than nothing. How was i supposed to fight this guy? I stood up as he was running towards me again. All i saw were his eyes. Green as moss and more crazy then my sister. Now that was crazy.
At the last minute i put the knife in between me and him. He ran straight into it. We were knocked to the ground and i heard his dying weez. I rolled him off me and pulled the knife out. It seemed too easy. A few seconds and his life was over. Even his talent couldn't stop death. It seemed like nothing could. I got up and went to the window. Jake was in front of me but the glass still managed to keep us apart. It seemed there was always something trying to keep us apart.
"im sorry" i said. He looked at me in confusion and shrugged his shoulders. I guess he couldn't hear me. I thought about the powers and decided to try something. "Jake" i sent my thoughts to him. He looked shocked and i knew he could hear me like this. Good. "when i made my promise to you, i didn't fully understand the extent of this. I shouldn't have made that promise because i don't think i can keep it. I tried Jake, i really did but only 5 can come out. I don't think i will be one of those 5. Im so sorry. I love you. I always will" tears were welling up and i felt chocked. Jake was doing the same, breathing hard and shaking his head as if trying to shake my voice from his head.
"you cant just roll over and die. You cant leave me. You promised!" he said, the tears spilling over.
"im sorry" he looked so upset i need, literally needed, to console him."but" i added "i will try. I can promise that. I cant guarantee anything though". I saw a glint of something on Jake's face. Hope. He raised his hand and put it to the glass. I put my hand on his, desperately wanting to touch him. My Jake. My love. My half. I saw in the reflection in the glass 4 or 5 people emerging from the forest behind me. Jake had seen. He looked so scared and defeated.
I said "i love you", he read my lips. He actually started to cry. I had never seen Jake cry before. It hurt me so bad. Tears falling like blood down his perfect cheeks. I turned from him, so unwillingly it hurt. There was 2 girls and 3 guys. They looked lethal and happy to be so. They were in a half circle around me. They were drawing nearer. I had no words to describe my feelings. I was so close to being killed in front of Jake, i could feel it.
They each took out their weapon. "who wants this one?" yelled a red head stringy boy to the others.
"this ones mine" a short asian girl called back. She was holding a samurai sword. She took a few steps forward and went into a lung and her hand extended forward holding the sword and the other up above her head. This may have seemed like a weird thing to do but it really freaked me out. It just reminded me of a snake preparing to strike. She held the pose for a few seconds, both of us eyeing each other. I pulled the knife out a little more, trying not to look as scared as i felt. She suddenly burst out of her pose and rushed forward at me. She slashed across and i leaned back limbo style, seeing the knife slash above me. I leaned up swinging my arm over my head to come back around to meet her sword in defense and the swords hissed in protest when the metal met with a clang. I tried the other side but she blocked me again. She lifted the sword above her head and brought it down quick and hard. I got my sword between us just in time. I pushed against her and she was thrown back a step. She spun around to come at me at the side and i blocked it. I was getting frustrated. This exilerated me and i swung my knife so hard at her that the sword was knocked from her hands. She looked up in surprise and i quickly slashed my knife diagonally, slashing her torso. She crumpled and then was still.
I glanced back to Jake and he was going out of his mind. I turned back to see a girl and a boy coming at me. They were both brunettes and brown eyes. They kind of looked related. I bent down and scooped up the dead girls sword. They were almost to where i wanted them. A few more steps. There. I jumped up and did a side roll to the right and brought my sword down on the boy, burying my sword in his head.
"no!" the girl screamed as he fell to the ground. Blood spurted everywhere. Red as a fresh apple. Jake said this move gave my knife more power. I had to admit it though, i felt terrified and guilty. I was taking lives to selfishly save my own. The girl turned from the boy with a crazy look in her eye to look at me and raised her machete dangerously.
"run while you have a chance" i warner as i raised my knife like her.
She considered this for a moment said then said "im going to enjoy killing you". She threw her whole body at me and we were both knocked to the ground. With her on top of me, she raised her machete to finish me and i stabbed her abdomen. She hadn't bothered to restrain my hands and it had cost her her life. She dropped the machete in shock and it landed on my head. I felt it make a deep wound in my forehead. I shook it off in time to see her eyes close one last time. She went limp and slumped over on my body. I shoved her off and got to my feet and was greeted with a wave of dizziness. Blood poured out of the cut like someone had turned a faucet in my head on. I could hear Jake put his hands on the glass behind me and he was scarcely breathing. i wiped my eyes with my sleeve, trying to see. If i couldn't see, i might as well be dead. One rushed me again and i took him down within minutes. They really weren't that smart. If they had more that 2 functional brain cells , they would have came at me all at once. I turned to they last girl after pulling my sword out of the boys head. I could hear metal scraping against bone. I don't think i will ever be able to get that sound out of my head. The girl suddenly lifted up her hidden gun. She pointed it at me. Everything could spiral out of control with that one bullet. She loaded the gun with a click. She went to shoot me, and i literally heard her fingertips brush the trigger, when she jerked forward and had a look of pain.
She dropped the gun and fell to the ground, dead. Behind her stood Brittany. She walked over to her kill and pulled the knife she threw at the girl out. She then walked to me and i made no move to raise my knife.
She said "we are even now". I nodded.
"we would have a better chance working together" i suggested.
She considered this for a second then offered me here hand and said "partners?".
"partners" i replied, taking her hand. With Brittany, i didn't feel so alone. I could hear Jake pounding the crap out of the glass behind me.
I reconnected our thoughts without turning from Brittany and said "what?". "there is someone in the trees! I think they have a bow and arrow or maybe a gun. Get out now!" i lifted my gaze to the trees beyond Brittany to see a chubby boy with red hair loading a very impressive gun. I wonder where he would have gotten that. The gun was pointed right at us. I calmly went to one of the dead boys, who was still holding his knife. I picked it up, dropping my samurai sword. I drew back and threw the knife. I could see everything so perfect. The leaves around him were a crisp green but exactly 18 were a bit yellow on the tree he was on. There was a caterpillar on one of them, eating slowly and was 9 days away from when it would turn into a chrysalis. There was a small, microscopic really, rip in the boys green shirt in the left shoulder and it was ripped on a branch because there was a bit of bark in the rip. The tree was 183 inches.
I threw the knife with a precision that i had never know. I hit my target with ease and he fell out of the tree. Brittany looked impressed. I listened hard for any signs of someone approaching. I heard nothing around us so i relaxed a little.
"some game" i commented "how'd you get rapped up in it?". Was that too forward?
She shrugged and said "i made alot of mistakes in my life. Ran with the wrong crowd. I ran away from home and got caught up in some gangs. I have, well had now, a friend who told me about Carmelo. I had no where else to go". Made enough sense.
"what about you?" she asked.
"i was abused and when i finally stood up for myself, they almost killed me. I had to join for them to save me".
She nodded and said "hard core".
I smiled "very hard core" i replied.
"but i came here for a new start" she added, serious.
I understood what she was saying. Its what i needed too. I had always felt like i had done something wrong to deserve the life i had. Like someone was controlling my life so that it was as miserable as possible. I always waited something to get better...but it never did. If i live to see tomorrow, i think the time for something good to happen to me has come. It was long overdue. With Jake and maybe even Brittany, i felt a possible happiness. I was careful though, if things didn't turn out i didn't want to be too disappointed.
"so your dating Jake, hu?" she commented.
"yeah. We are just staring out as an item but we have know each other for a long time" i was proud to present Jake as my boyfriend. "you have a boyfriend?" i asked.
"yeah, his name is Matai".
"interesting name" i commented.
"yeah, its Hebrew. It means gift of God. He was my gift. I preyed every night for someone to rescue me and thats exactly what he did. We have been together for a year and 3 months now".
That was so sweet. The way she looked when she talked about Matai was so special.
"i will have to meet this savior. Well if we make it out alive of this that is" i said.
"yeah, maybe we can go on a double date sometime". That could be fun. Suddenly Jake's voice came into my head.
"Kat, look out!". A knife came out of no where and caught Brittany on the head, just grazing her skin, but enough to make a river of blood flow through the newly opened wound. She dropped to the ground, clutching her wound and trying to make herself less venerable. I widened my stance and griped my knife, waiting for what was to come. A small man, well a boy really, came bursting from the forest. He had brown curly hair covering his round face with dimples and scared hazel eyes. This surprised me and i was caught off guard when he threw himself at me full speed ahead and i was thrown to the ground.
My head cracked on a bolder i hadn't noticed before. The pain spread quickly around my skull like tiny spiders running around my body, spinning their webs of pain. I felt my head and i could tell it wasn't bleeding but there was a prominent dent in my skull. I dropped my hand and felt the dent already being repaired. The boy, when i looked up, had no weapon out.
"get outta here" i warned. I wasn't going to kill a kid! He crawls forward to me and before i could do anything he put him mouth to my ear and his hot breath tickled my ear.
"you make sure i get out of here alive or i tell Miles. Yes, i know you secret".
Demon child. I glared at him but nodded. I guess it hasn't been the first time i've been blackmailed. But it would be very difficult. I mean, only 5 could live and me, Brittany, and this boy already takes up 3 spots. How many were left? I wanted to leave.
"whats your name?" i asked.
"Ryan".
"Katrina" i responded "and thats Brittany".
He nodded a hello. There was an explosion ,then, that raddled me to my core. I could see the light of the explosion near in the south. Ryan inched closer to me with a scared look on his face. I blinked and then we were on the silver plate again. So that means there must be 10 of us left and it was the time to nurse wounds. But i could see there was a time limit of 10 minutes on the green clock. That explosion must have wiped out quite a few. I could see Brittany running into a boy's arms, who i assumed was Matai. Ryan ran off somewhere and i looked around the sea of bodies for Jake. I couldn't see him, i assumed he was coming from the window i saw him from. I made the mistake of looking behind me to see a person, and i couldn't tell if it was a boy or a girl, who was burnt to a crisp.
They were missing an arm and their face was set it a grimace that not even the boogie man could top. Some nurses came, picked them up carefully, put them on a bed, and wheeled them away. They were as good as dead.
"she's gone" i heard a nurse say behind me. So it was a she. I looked to my left and almost fainted. There was the girl standing next to me, still looking as burnt as ever. She looked at me and then she just looked...normal. She had warm brown cut to her chin, a plump healthy face, and nice spring green eyes.
"can you see me?" she asked, wide eyed. I nodded.
"am i..?" she left the question hanging like she couldn't say the word "dead".
"im sorry" i whispered. She nodded and looked down.
"i guess i knew i wouldn't make it but..you just cant help but have some faith" she said "well now what?" she asked.
"i don't know" i told her "im not dead yet". Yet? Where did that come from?
She whipped her head to the side and cried "Andy?" i looked over but saw nothing. "Andy!" she cried again and ran off.
"wait-" i started to say but it was too late, she was gone. I stared after her blankly. I felt arms wrap around me in a tight hug. It was Jake. He let go after a few minutes but i was still staring after the girl.
Jake went around me to face me and said "what? You look like you've seen a ghost". Ha, that was punny. I stared at him and nodded. He looked confused.
"i had just seen a girl that died run off" i whispered in a shaky voice. He looked shocked. I wrapped my arms around his neck and stifled a cry against his shoulder.
He returned me hug and whispered in my ear "you cant ever say anything like that to me again".
"i can't having you think i was a lier after im gone" he flinched. I needed to give him hope. "but ive made it this far, right? Must have done something right". He nodded and pulled away but kept hold of me. I looked at the clock, 2 and a half minutes left before i had to go back. I turned back to Jake and put my hands on the sides of his face.
"i love you, no matter what happens to me".
"im not going to let you out of your promise, you still have to come home to me" he chocked out. I blinked, trying to clear the tears.
"ill try" and thats all i could do. I leaned in and our lips brushed. He leaned in further and deepened the kiss, sending that electric feeling through me down to my toes. It also made me warm with love.
I felt Brittany tap me and say "30 seconds" quietly.
I pulled back and looked into his eyes "i love you too" he whispered.
I squeezed his hands and backed onto the metal plate. I didnt look back at the clock this time, just stared at Jake.
I waited to be sent into the place where i would die.
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