The Demigod Games

9

PERCY

I have to find a place to hide. No one can find me here. If anyone finds me, especially a Capitol authority, they'll kill me. Who knows, someone could come out from a bush behind me and shoot me right now.

All these thoughts running through my head, and something occurs to me. The Gamemakers. They didn't stop me from escaping. So one of them will die.
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GAMEMAKERS' ROOM

"Where's the District 4 boy? Where did he go?" The Head Gamemaker, Trish Qui, asks.

"He's...he's under the arena!" One of the Gamemakers says, his eyes wide. "What do we do? The drain leads to a river. The Tribute could get to the outside world."

"Oh, God...we have to do something," she says.

"What can we do? We only have control over what's inside the arena. Not under or outside," another Gamemaker exclaims.

Trish paces around the floor. She mutters,"I have to tell the President."

"But if you do, he'll kill you!" A third Gamemaker exclaims.

Trish thinks for a bit. She gets an idea, and says,"Okay, what are you sending into the tank next time the water comes?"

"Uh, piranhas. Why?" Gamemaker 1 inquires.

"Next time the water drains from the arena, make the piranhas go down the drain. Don't get rid of them. They can kill the boy."

"How? They're not land creatures," Gamemaker 3 wonders, staring at the boy's tracker's location. "He's on the grass, right next to the river."

"Then mutate the piranhas! I don't care! Make them have the ability to get rid of their gills! Give them human lungs! Anything so that they can follow the boy!" Trish demands.

Suddenly, a door opens. "Ms. Qui?" President Snow calls from the top of the staircase. "Can I see you for a moment?"

"Yes, sir!" She replies back. She marches up the stairs, knowing what's coming. She stands in front of the President.

He doesn't look pleased. "From what I overheard, the boy, Percy, has escaped?" he asks.

Trish nods her head uneasily. "I just commanded the other Gamemakers to kill him."

"Not good enough. Tributes cannot get out of the arena unless they are either dead or Victor. He is neither." The President pauses for a second. "Follow me."

Trish follows President Snow down a long hallway, and stops in front of a large metal pair of doors. President Snow opens the doors, and gestures for her to go in.

Trish slowly walks into the room. In the far corner is a small bowl. She goes toward the bowl, and sees it's filled with water...and tiny jellyfish. She looks at the President. "Eat up," he says.

He closes the door, and the last thing he hears is Trish's screams as the jellyfishes' tentacles shock the inside of her mouth.
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JASON

"No! Piper!" I scream as soon as I hear the cannon. I turn to Annabeth, and grab her shoulder. "What do we do? She's...she's dead!" I yell.

"We don't know that!" she replies. "Maybe it was someone else!"

"It had to be her! Whatever's in the water killed her as soon as she stepped in!" I reply, frantic. "And we left her mad at us! We can't take that back!"

Annabeth throws my hands off her shoulder. "Jason! Calm down! Okay, yes, maybe Piper died! But--"

"Look," I interrupt. "Over there."

Annabeth look toward where I'm pointing. A pink top is floating on the water right next to the Cornucopia. It's Piper's.

Annabeth looks at me, and see the sadness in my eyes. "Jason, I'm so sorry."

I stare down at the floor, the water around my waist. "What've we done, Annabeth? We killed our best friend, and let our other friend go into the water angry at us, and her dying at the end. We're monsters."

Annabeth glances at me, shame in her eyes. "I know."

"We can't redeem ourselves. Even defeating Gaea won't be enough."

"I know."

"This is all our faults."

"I know."

"STOP SAYING THAT!" I yell. I look her dead in the eye. "We've messed up big time, and all you can say is Okay?"

I stand up, and, even though the water is up to my neck, start pacing around the Cornucopia.

Annabeth gets up, and put a hand on my shoulder. "Sound familiar?"

"What do you mean?" I ask, irritated.

"The conversation on the train. When we found out our friends were headed to the Games. Remember?" She says. She must see the remembrance in my eyes, and takes a step back. "That's what I thought."