Outlaster- A Hunger Games Tale

Chapter 19- Blood

Q'uira got up from the body. She looked at Maliery, who was on the floor, crying.

"He's gone," Q'uira said, standing up. Maliery looked up and wiped her face.

"Yeah," Maliery replied, getting up as well. "There's nothing we can do about it."

"Now I have to lead you to victory," Q'uira stated.

"No, you're not going to die because of me!" Maliery exclaimed. "We... we should go."

Q'uira got up to look at the lava. There was no corpse, but she knew Jay was dead. Q'uira watched as sparks flew across the liquid's surface. Tears gathered in her eyes. She had no strength left.

"I loved him," Q'uira whispered, and fell to her knees. The volcano started to rumble. The two glanced at the lava, which had begun rising.

"We have to go!" Maliery yelled, waving her friend over.

"I'll catch up," Q'uira said listlessly, watching the lava rise. Mal started running full speed down the mountain. The lava got higher the farther she ran. Q'uira was still sitting there by the time it had reached the edge of the volcano. She was lost in her thoughts.

By the time she realized what was happening, it was too late. The lava was at her feet. "Jay, I'm right behind you..."

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Ximena looked at the three tributes, who were slowly taking in all of this. They all had different levels of concern showing on their faces.

"You can join our alliance, if you want," Alaya suggested. The boys nodded.

"Sure, why not," Ximena replied. Right after, they quickly looked over to the forest. They knew someone was there. "I hear someone in the woods." Ryan grabbed his sword and jammed at a nearby bush.

"I don't see anything," he said, pulling his sword back. They all turned towards the cornucopia. Seconds later, Jean and Rian emerged from the trees. Rian had taken Paul's old spear, and Jean still carried her bow.

"Hi! We're just going to take your lives, if you're okay with that," Rian greeted with a smile.

"It's four against two. You're outnumbered," Max responded, sitting on a rock

"Actually, I'd say it's more like two against three and a half. You don't count as a whole independent person!" Jean told him, smirking. She shot an arrow at his foot, causing him to flinch. It opened up to a bloody wound that could be seen through his worn-down shoe.

"Ow," he said, touching it gingerly.

"Aw, did you get a boo-boo?" Rian asked in a high-pitched tone. Alaya charged at her and they began wrestling. Jean hopped up to the top of the cornucopia. She was shooting arrows left and right, trying to get a good shot at Ximena and Ryan.

Ryan gave up on Jean after a moment, turning to face Alaya and Rian.

It was surprisingly easy to run his sword through Rian's chest.

She dropped to the floor, and the cannon went off. Jean froze in place. She was stunned. Everyone she'd ever loved was gone or dead now...

Jean looked at Ryan, her eyes narrowing. She shot an arrow straight into his chest, almost exactly matching the place where his sword had perced Rian. The boy's blood rushed out of the wound and he fell to the floor. His locket had fallen off on the ground, revealing the picture of the girl again. He looked at it and rubbed his thumb across the picture.

Seconds later, he was gone. The remaining tributes sat there in silence, staring at Ryan's body. His wound was still leaking blood.