𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬: 𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 ✔️

Chapter 42 - Soren

^Iris, Robin's mentor from District 3.

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Chapter 42

POV: Soren (District 4)

Time: Day 12

Tributes Remaining: 9

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I slowly awaken, pulled from unconsciousness by a voice.

"Soren!" It's Lacie.

I open my eyes, immediately letting out a scream as I see Dalia's body lying at my feet, blood gushing from her chest. I try to scramble away, but I'm tied to a tree, making me panic even more.

"Soren, stop!" Lacie commands, and I stop, looking over to her. She's tied to another tree with wire. My heart is pounding - what's going on? How could this have happened?

"We need to get out of here," Lacie tells me. She's tied to a nearby tree, but she's tied up with wire, while I'm tied with rope.

"Where's Robin?" I ask, looking around.

"He must have drugged us and tied us up because the Arena event is today," Lacie says quickly. "We're in the section where some sort of water event is supposed to occur.

I struggle against my bonds. "How do we get out? Robin's the expert at knots."

"So am I," Lacie reminds me. "Too bad it doesn't work on wire... probably why he tied me up like this."

I look around, hopeless. I can't seem to take my eyes off of Dalia's corpse. I still can't believe she's dead, or that Robin would do such a thing. Where are all my supplies? I feel like I'm still dreaming.

"I can try giving you two step-by-step instructions verbally. Hopefully, if you manage to get out, you can help me down."

"How will I get you down, though?" I ask her. Robin probably knew Lacie would know how to escape, which is why she's tied up with metal wire.

Lacie thinks for a moment before she gasps, looking down at her jacket pocket. "I completely forgot! When we got our very first sponsor gift, it had a switchblade in it... I hid it in my jacket pocket just in case. Only Nia saw it, so Robin didn't know I had it!"

"Let's go," I urge her. "We only have so much time."

"Okay, hold your hands out in front of you, wrists up," she tells me. "Listen closely."

Lacie gives me step-by-step instructions. As I said, Robin is a master of knots, and he tied me up expertly. It takes over ten minutes to undo his knots around my wrists. I follow Lacie's instructions with as much precision as I can. I know both of our lives depend on it.

After my arms are free, I roughly reach down to free my legs without bothering to untie the rest of the rope.

I'm forced to step over Dalia to reach Lacie, but I don't have time to think about that. I reach into Lacie's coat pocket, cheering when I find the blade within.

Once again, it takes far too long to saw through the wire. I try to find the end of the wire to untie it, but Robin's hidden it within the coils of wire. I'm forced to saw through it with my blade.

My arm aches from the exertion, but after many long minutes of sawing, I finally slash through the wire. Lacie sighs in relief as I let her down from the tree.

As soon as Lacie's free, she springs into action. "We have to get out of here," she says, jogging away. "Now. The water event is coming any minute now."

I follow her. As we run, I hear a loud rumbling noise from behind me. The ground begins to shake underneath my feet.

"We have to go faster!" I cry. "Lacie, get on my back."

For once, Lacie has no response, simply climbing on my back as I sprint as fast as I can. Because of my long legs, I can run much faster than her, and she's quite light and easy to carry.

I glance back to see a wave of water approaching, slamming into trees only a few hundred meters behind me.

I don't think about the wave. I only think about what's in front of me. Putting in one last push, I throw myself, with Lacie still attached, out of the jungle and onto the beach of the Ultimate Solvent lake by the Cornucopia. Less than a second after we hit the sand, a large boom erupts behind us as the tidal wave hits an invisible border.

I look back as one cannon shot booms. Entire trees, ripped from the ground, float in the milky blue liquid before slowly dissolving into nothing. Lacie lays next to me wordlessly as I pant with exhaustion.

I feel hopeless. Dalia's gone, and Robin's betrayed us. Lena and Rex are gone, as is Jomilee. It's just Lacie and me now.

The end is near.