Anything I can do to move at this point is useless. I don't eat that night, but Pisces belts me in. Keeps me in place. I barely register the belt and start to slip away from what's real. All imaginable is Aris and I having so much fun tying knots at the rope station at the training center. Her last line chokes me up. "You have to win."
"You have to win."
Blue light shines ever so brightly through the dense leaves above me. In sight I see
The Fallen
Aris, District 12
I hate that anthem. I hate these games. Aris is dead. I very well should be. I have a couple of bows and arrows, but nothing less of myself. Actually I am less of myself as shown in my dream.
I'm in the tunnel that lifts me into the arena, for a brief second I'm lifted into white light, and there I am, stuck in the tube. Water spills at my feet and there's no way up. I'm drowning, and pounding my hands at the glass. Claustrophobia is a new fear that rose from the fate of Aris, but without her I couldn't survive. Once I am drowning Aris' lifless body is drifting near me. The glass shatters and I am drifting in the murky waters with her. For a moment her dark eyes flutter open, and give a look, her irises penetrating my soul. Then she closes them. I reach out for her handhold, but as I do a brush of heavy debris swirls around me, blocking me from her.
The words hang in the dark water. It's pitch black. You have to win. Aris is gone! You idiot! Couldn't you protect her?
"No."
I wake up gasping for air, the dark water conjured up in my nose and mouth. The trees drip with water, and Pisces is wrapped in his neatly woven ivy blanket. Aris is--I expect Aris but she isn't present.
Hazel is slanted up a tree, almost falling down. I jump up and grab her, walking on my legs on the thin branch, no safety cares at all. I am at risk of myself, and Aris' death had made me realize her bravery might've helped me win in the future.
The announcers voice rings in my ears:
"Eight tributes remain. At the deep woods level field you will walk into a bunch of tributes. Any killing of any kind will grant you death. "
Luckily, Hazel and Pisces hear this. He holds his trident steadily, wishing he won't fall. Hazel grips her how and raises her head slightly to listen.
"There you will be sorted into teams of four. I will announce then."
"You have ten minutes."
Our adventure goes well, as the field is close by noting we had adventures a little after the floods. The woods re wet, and once we make it to the field I see two benches. I see Ludrissa, the girl from 8 that tried to kill me at the bloodbath enter first, knife in hand. She's still alive? I never noticed.
Maximus and Grant arrive last. The tributes present are Maximus, Hazel, Pisces, Axel, who comes right before Maximus, Ludrissa, Grant, me, Natiel, who comes before Axel, and that's it. I expect Aris to come but she doesn't.
The announcer rings in at our special arrival. "These are the teams. Team one sorts into the benches on left field. Names follow: Hazel, Pisces, Natiel, and Azalea."
Natiel? I am slightly relieved I got everybody. But I fear the next team knowing each will overpower us.
"On team two, located at benches right of the field: Maximus, Axel, Lidrissa, Grant. Both teams will begin fighting N now, and this is the first round of the finale of the thirty-fourth annual Hunegr Games. Teammates must not kill eachother until further notice. You may fight to the death!"
We all stand, and I notice the flash around the field. This is the finale. The moment I've been waiting for. Maximus is grinning at me, and all of a sudden he has bolted at me. He pummels me, shoving me into the earth. He pulls his sword and tries to stab me in the side but I roll over pulling my knife, but he see this and grabs my wrist. His force is so powerful, and I can't overcome it. He stabs me through the arm and I scream. The gash extends from my wrist to my elbow. I push him away and throw a knife into his arm. Not right aim, but Grant is running to him. I sprint away and ready an arrow. From behind team one bench I aim my arrow at Axels head, but Ludrissa grabs me. My head is dizzy. I see Hazel get beat down by Grant and slashed through the neck. Her cannon fires. Meanwhile Pisces is gone. Gone?
Ludrissa has grabbed her knife and stabbed me through the arm, making the air piercing with my screams. She grins and licks her lips, sliding the knife down my bones. Te screams mock the overall excruciating pain, like a hammer to my whole body, a knife through my arm. I grab her face with my left arm and knock her against the benches. A lot of blood is lost so I take my jacket and wrap it around my arm, applying pressure. I fall in the Grass, and I hear Ludrissa scream as Pisces' trident enters he'd abdomen. A cannon fires. Maximus, Grant, Axel, Pisces, Natiel, and me remain. Natiel has been stabbed with Axels axe, and Pisces is battling Grant. Maximus is pummeling Natiel, and I notice I acnt let him die. I ready my arrow to make its travel and it punctures Axels neck. A cannon fires as he drowns in a pool of his own blood. Grant has just come to me and tackles me. I grab my knife and stab him through the eye. He lets out a loud yell and the brute falls. Pisces has just stood in front of Natiel to save him. I am running to him with my bow and aim my fire but it misses Maximus. That's when Pisces' head gets snapped.