Outlaster- A Hunger Games Tale

Chapter 17- Sorry, not Sorry

Maliery, Q'uira, and Jay decided they were going to go on a journey to find more resources. They packed up what they had left and started their adventure. They journeyed out of the rain-filled region to the large valley by the mountains.

"Should we go up there? I don't think anyone will be willing to go up to the top of a mountain range," Jay said, pointing at the tip of one of the mountains.

"Will you be able to climb? You have that giant gash in your forehead," Mal asked, studying the rocky slope ahead of them.

"I'll be fine," Jay replied. He looked determined. Q'uira nodded and the group began to climb.

After about three hours, they decided they were going to eat what food they had left - two apples split amongst the three tributes. They were about a mile away from the top when they noticed something was off. There was a blanket and a pack at the top of the mountain they'd been climbing, along with three stray daggers. Someone else was there - they didn't know who, but they were about to find out.

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Alaya made her way back to the boys, who were now fishing with Ryan's sword.

"Whatcha got?" Max asked, walking up to Alaya. "I'm starved, and this raw fish is gonna take a while to cook." Alaya smirked and shook her head, dumping out a small handful of berries.

"All I found. I have a hunch we aren't the only ones in the region," she said, looking around.

"That gives us a reason to move," Ryan replied, leaning down to drink from the water in the lake.

"Good idea. I was wondering if we could head back to the cornucopia? I don't think anyone is camping there," Alaya suggested, looking at the boys.

"It's risky," Ryan responded thoughtfully.

"Everything we do in the arena is risky," Alaya pointed out.

"True," Ryan said to her. "Let's do it."

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Jean got up, her clothes drenched in blood. Tears flooded her eyes again and she curled into a ball. Rian sat down next to her, trying to calm her down.

"Hey, it's okay," Rian said quietly, rubbing her hand on Jean's back.

"No, it's not okay. He killed them! They're never coming back..." Jean buried her face in her hoodie.

"Okay, it sounds worse when you put it that way," Rian cringed. She had never been the best at comforting others.

"It's just... I may not have shown it, but I cared for Reva like a younger sibling. They reminded me a lot of Devon," said Jean, sniffing.

"Who's Devon?" Rian asked.

"My younger brother. I just wish I could see him again," Jean covered her face with her hands.

"It's gonna be okay." Rian gave her a hug. Jean looked up and the silence intensified. They both leaned in and shared a kiss in the pouring rain.

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Ximena struggled through the forest, pulling a large carcass behind them. They had killed a deer and two squirrels. They reached the edge of the woods and were walking down the small bank next to the stream, almost back to the cornucopia. Something was off. Haliey and Diego weren't yelling at each other.

"Where are they? I swear - if he killed her, I'll strangle that boy!" Ximena walked closer to where they thought the two were. They approached Haliey from behind. Something was wrong.

They were making out.

"What the heck?" Ximena exclaimed, startling the two.

"It-it's not what it looks like," Haliey started to explain. Ximena walked right up to Diego and grabbed him by the neck.

"You messed with the wrong person!" Ximena snarled, beginning to choke him. He started wheezing for breath. They took their spear and stabbed him straight in the chest. They made quick work of Diego.

Haliey was hyperventilating while Ximena finished the job. They turned to face her.

"How could you? I loved you...!" Ximena yelled. Tears flooded their eyes.

"And I love you! I know I made a mistake, please forgive me!" Haliey dropped to her knees, crying. Ximena paused for a moment, then held out their arms as if waiting for a hug. Haliey took it as an open invitation and stood up to hug them back.

Ximena didn't close their arms.

Seconds later, a sharp knife pierced Haliey's back and she fell to the floor, crying.

"I'm sorry, I-" her voice was faint now. She was gasping for air. Ximena walked away from the two corpses as a pair of cannons shot.

"Sorry, not sorry."