Uncharted Waters [1]

Chapter 26

Stone emerges from the Cornucopia, as fresh and clean as she could get. Mira notices that she only has two arrows left, but she knows that Stone won't let those numbers go to waste. There was no other place to go at that moment. They would either plummet to death or be pierced by an arrow in the chest. 

Destan wouldn't do much damage either. He already lost a lot of blood, and the only one who had a weapon was Mira. 

"Wow, the odds are really in my favor for bringing you two right in front of me. Like dinner on Thanksgiving, ready to be devoured." She smirks and slyly takes out an arrow. "I might as well end both of your sufferings now. Destan wouldn't make it that long." She points out. "And you Mira? I bet you couldn't even curse me right now." She chuckles in madness, getting ready to release her arrow. 

Mira bites her lip in anticipation. It was better this way anyway. At least she would die together with Destan. 

Then Slate emerges from the forest, presenting himself high and proud. "I guess I'm just in time-" 

Boom.

A canon.

"Great, now he made me lose an arrow." Mira stares wide-eyed at the now-dead body of Slate. The girl in front of her was dangerous. And she didn't even bat an eye when she released the arrow that killed her district partner. 

Stone reaches behind her to get her last arrow. 

"Don't look at me like that." She rolls her eyes and plays with the sharp tip of the arrow. "He was in the way." She explains as if it mattered. "If I didn't kill him first, he'd kill me. That's just how these games are played, and so far, I'm in the lead with the highest score. Impressive right?" She boasts. "I'm aiming for the female victor with the highest kills. I'd make history if I were to achieve that." She sighs dreamily. "And now, my dreams are about to come true. How exciting is that?" She squeals like a little girl who has just received a new doll. The only problem is that she sees two dolls in front of her with only one arrow left. 

"The dilemma is this: there are two of you, and only one-" She raises her arrow. "of this." Mira looks nervously at Destan who is still trying to hold on from the pain. 

"Now, I'd have to make the right decision. If I run back to retrieve my arrow from Slate's corpse, you may have a chance to stab me in the back. In the end, I lose." She pouts before continuing. "But I could also play it like this," Stone smirked and played with her arrow, starting to move it back and forth between the tributes from District 4. 

"Eenie-" She starts pointing the arrow towards Mira, and she stiffens. Even when Destan reached down to hold her hand, she was still tense and afraid. It was as if she was meeting death herself right now. 

"Meenie-" Mira grips the spear in her other hand, contemplating on what she would do next. 

"Miny-" She didn't have enough time. 

"Moe-" What if she misses?

"With-" What if she dies first and then Destan won't be strong enough to beat Stone?

"My-" She should have trained like the other careers.

"Bow-" She should've died even before she was put in this situation. 

"I'll-" Destan doesn't deserve this.

"End-" What will happen to her friends and family back at home?

"This-" Will Finnick miss her?

"Show." 

When she thought she was going to be shot first, she braced herself in anticipation. But at the last minute, Stone changes her direction and aims at Destan. In fear, Mira quickly raised the spear and threw it towards Stone just before she released the arrow. The spear pierced through her body.

The three of them were in shock at the sudden turn of events. 

Mira killed her.

Stone's dead body slumped on the ground with a thud. And all Mira could do was stare at the wide-open eyes of the girl she just killed. 

Then she lost it. 

She was in hysterics, stepping back and almost falling to her death if it weren't for Destan. The young boy was quick to grab her and pull her in his arms, making sure that she avoided his injured abdomen. Destan strokes her head, soothing her in his arms despite his current situation. 

Feeling wetness on her body, it finally dawned on her that the person comforting her had something lodged in his body. "How selfish of me." She wiped her face with the back of her hand. "And here I am acting like a baby when you are in this situation." She tried to calm herself down, but the events that had transpired were just too much for her. 

She was not used to this. 

To everything that is currently happening.

It was all new to her. 

And so she burst out in tears again. 

"Hey, look at me." He encourages softly, trying to make Mira look into his eyes. "Remember when I promised that everything would be okay?" At that question, Mira's eyes widened in realization. She knew what was running in his mind, and she did not agree to it. 

"Absolutely not! No more sacrificing for me Destan. No more. I can't bear to see you die right in front of me-" she pauses "I just can't." Her voice breaks at the last part as she looks up into Destan with pleading eyes. 

"And you won't!" Destan quickly affirms. "Before I kill you-" Mira flinches at the statement but nods nonetheless, "I want to kiss you first."

"W-what?" 

"Kiss me because it will be your last kiss from me before I win." Mira was taken aback at the request and stared into Destan's pale face to make sure he was not joking. And yet again, he looked serious as ever before. 

Mira didn't even think twice before agreeing, "OK. Let's do it." She says in determination and stares at him with open eyes. Destan lets out a huge grin and whispers "Close your eyes." Before leaning down to kiss Mira properly on the lips as she closes her eyes. 

This was her first kiss.

She can't believe she lost her first kiss during the Hunger Games.

She was going to die after this. 

She felt his chapped lips on hers for a few seconds, until she couldn't feel Destan's lips on her anymore. The tingling feeling of his lips on hers was still there, and she was about to open his eyes, but Destan stopped her. 

"Close them. It will be quick. The pain of death will be quick."

She braced herself and waited for the inevitable. 

She remained still, eyes still closed, and waited. Then, a sudden breeze blows her hair over her face before she hears a canon. 

She flinched at the sound but was confused as to why she was still there standing. Then, she opened her eyes, but Destan wasn't in front of her anymore. 

It happened all too fast.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to present to you the victor of the Sixty-ninth Hunger Games, Mira Fairkin. I give you- the tribute from District 4!"