The Price of Fame and Fortune (Hunger Games)

24

In the field we were surrounded by nothing but a hundred doors and an empty wooden table. Liam took my hand, a weird gesture he's been doing since I went for my 'swim'. 

I felt my grib tighten on my axe just in case some tribute was lingering behind one of the many doors that sourrounded us. We stood before doors 45-50. Liam's eyes lingered on each of them before he turned to me and shrugged. "Any of these seem like they'd be Blight's arena?".

I shrugged and casted a dirty look at door 50. "We can rule that one out. Abernathy won it".

Liam smirked. "Great. So which of the other four doors do you want to try out?".

No fucking clue. I bit my lip and turned to Liam. "He hates Blight, he might not even be in there".

He nodded. "Okay. Look, we can either waste time looking for Trent or we can hunt tributes down.  If we work as a team hunting then one of us will probably make it out of here in a week depending on how stretched out the tributes are".

I scoffed. "You're that confident".

He smirked. "I'm that confident".

It was tempting. And honestly, it wasn't that hard to believe. Between the the two of us tributes don't stand a chance, even if they were armed. We're simply too elite. 

I blew out a shaky breath. Tempting, but it's not me. Screw it. "Let's try door fourty-nine".

I didn't wait for a response before opening the door with a thunder like clap. The both of us fell through it in a tangle of limbs. I pushed him off me while he grumbled in annoyance beside me. 

The both of us stood in the middle of a swamp. Trees with vines surrounded us and the water looked like it had a layer of green fur ontop of it. The air was buzzing which means they're bugs or mutts. I cringed, 50/50 chance that these bugs aren't fatal. 

Liam brushed the mud off him and tusked at the arena we'd just entered. It's nothing but mud and filth. The cornecopia, contained five belts of knives. Liam bumped my shoulder and indicated to the cornecopia. "Did Blight win the games with knifes?".

"Nope". It fell from lips without even registering. I was too in awe of the ghastly arena. It stinks too, like rotting plants. What a shit place to die in. 

He chuckled. "Then Trent definitely isn't here. Let's go!". 

He didn't waste any time before tuning on the spot and exiting the arena, myself right on his heels.

Back in the field we stood before doors 45-48. Liam shrugged. "Fourty-eight?".

I nodded. "Might as well try it". 

And just like that we entered another deathly arena. 

Rocks, heat and sand. I frowned, we're standing in the middle of a canyon. 

Instantly I felt Liam tap my shoulder. "Look".

I turned to what he found was so bloody important and gripped my axe until my knuckles turned white. Before us, was a table made out of red rocks but what scared me the most is that it's empty.

I swallowed. "Someone's been here".

Liam nodded. "And could still be here".

I sighed, closed my eyes and turned to the sky in frustration. "And by opening that door we just loudly announced our arrival". 

Liam tusked and started walking to god knows where. "Come on, Mason. There's a chance it could be your precious Trent". 

I clicked my tongue in annoyance but followed after him anyways. I'm just happy he wants to lead because I know if we come across someone that isn't Trent, then I'm not making the first move. 

We hiked in the sun, however the never ending canyon provided the occasional relief of shade. It twisted and spiralled as we walked along the bottom of the huge basin. It was a giant cave, a giant maze and with every step I tried not to think about the twenty-three souls that'd lost their lives in here. 

Even more so, I tried not to picture a young Blight trapped in this place. I frowned from behind Liam. What had gone so wrong in Blights games to make him abandon his son?. He'd won. I frowned, Johanna had won. Yet, they both couldn't face us. It's not like we were bad kids either. The majority of the time (when we weren't stealing from the district) we were quite well behaved. I'd watched her games. They were traumatic but not warranting to shun a child, abandoning it for life.

After all I'm stuck in the games right this very second. I still know if I miraculously got knocked up I wouldn't ignore my child. Or try to drink it away like Blight. No. This isn't traumatising.

Well, not yet. I bit my lip and looked briefly at the end of Liam's trident. Maybe it's all to do with killing and not the constant fear of being in here. It has to be. I opened my mouth before I quickly shut it again. I shook my head at my own stupidity. Was I really just going to ask Liam Odair how he feels after killing someone?!?. Hell, maybe I'm crazy and I don't even know it. Asking Liam that question is probably the best way to end up on the other end of that trident.

I was so stuck in my own head that I hadn't even realised Liam had stopped walking. I skidded beside him in effort to avoid bumping into him. I quickly peeked my head out from behind his shoulders and visibly paled. 

Tributes.

I hadn't seen anyone but Liam in days. But here they are, as if to remind me that this is real. That we're trapped and the only way out is to kill or be killed. I could feel myself inhale in slight fear while the grip on my axe intensified.

Liam wasn't tense like me. He was calm and collected. A slight smirk was on his face and it felt like I wasn't standing next to Liam Odair. But like, someone had swapped footage of him for a young Finnick Odair I'd watched many years ago. 

The tributes were still but their eyes were on the both of us. Following our every move. My eyes connected with the girl's dull brown ones. I tried not to show any emotion on my face but I couldn't help swallowing down bile while she pushed her little brother behind her.

I knew them. It was only three nights ago I'd rolled my eyes at the awkward way they hung around Cecilia before their interviews. District Eight. My neighbouring district. I can't kill them. Surely not. 

The boy who looked just the same age as me stood forward and then shielded his sister. I felt my heart nearly break. They were trying to sacrifice themselves for eachother. Pushing, shoving until...

BOOM.

The boy was on the ground, Liam's trident handle the only thing left standing. Immediately her scream echoed around the Canyon. It was deafening and forever repeating. I felt my eyes stare at Liam's. His sea green eyes searched mine before I felt him carefully cup my cheek. It was just as disturbing as it was distracting. 

But I know he could sense my hesitation. He knew I was stalling. I opened my mouth and he rose an eyebrow at me as if to say 'go on'. "I-I want the screaming to stop".

I have no idea what he's doing but I couldn't look away. I didn't ever want to look away. Otherwise, I'd forever see a sister screaming over her dead brother. 

I could feel his lips linger on my forehead before he whispered. "Then make it stop".

Fear washed over me but I never tore my eyes from his. Not when I let go of my axe as if the fear had a mind of its own. I could hear the silver weapon whiz through the air. 

Only to rip my gaze from his as I heard a loud gasp that cut of the echoing screams. My axe is expertly nailed  directly between her eyes. Eyes that are still glued to my soul. I watched as those eyes slowly lost focus and started to dull. 

A single line of blood drips down her forehead before she slumps to the ground lifeless. 

BOOM.

When you're in that arena with an axe in your hand you won't even know who you are anymore because like me, it's all you know.

Maybe I am just like Johanna after all.