The Demigod Games

12

PERCY

The piranhas are now at the point of being able to breathe on land. And I'm terrified.

All the fish flop after me, their pointy teeth treating to puncture a vein or vital organ.

I'm most definitely faster. I know I am. At least I think I am.

Because suddenly, the fish start convulsing again. Except this time, it's something more horrible.

The fish...they're growing legs. 100% real, absolutely human, legs.

Soon, I'm staring at an army of horrible mutant fish-things, and I don't doubt theses are the creations of the Capitol.

I even heard that once, during the second Revolution, President Snow sent lizard mutts into the sewers after a band of rebels trying to infiltrate the Capitol.

Anyway, because I don't know how fast the creatures are, I bolt off.

I run, run, run, faster than I've ever run before.

I stop in my tracks when I reach the President's Mansion. My eyes sweep my surroundings. People. People everywhere. Someone will spot me. And I will die.

But what to die to? Mutts or Guards? Who will find me first? Will I be able to evade both?

I turn my head, and see a squad of Peacekeepers running toward me. Well, looks like I'm going to die to Guards.

One Peacekeepers cuffs my hands together, and the other two rope my legs together so I can't move. They hoist me up, and carry me to the entrance of the President's Mansion. They march inside, and stop in front of a big door marked with the Capitol Seal. The President's Office?

They open the door, and step inside. "President Snow, we found this Tribute wandering the streets," one Peacekeeps says.

The President looks up, and I wish he'd look down. He's a small man. White hair, black suit, and what looks like a white rose tucked into a jacket pocket. But those aren't why I want him to look down. It's his lips. They're huge and puffy, and the skin tightly peeled back. He looks like a snake. Then again, I suppose he is a snake, what with making the Games and all.

President Snow just stares at me for a minute, and then looks at the Peacekeeper who spoke. "He is the only Tribute alive. But he broke the rules. He cannot be Victor...execute him. Take him to the balcony, and hang him. I'll send a camera crew up as well."

The Peacekeeper nods, and they all carry me out of the room. They all walk to another room, and swing open the doors. The room is completely empty except for a huge balcony. The balcony that I will be hanged on.

The Peacekeeper just dumps me onto the cold floor, and he and his lackeys take out what looks like a real-life version of the thing in Hangman. They get out a long rope, and make a noose. They tie the noose to the Hanger (yeah, let's stick with that).

Suddenly, four people burst through the door. One is holding a camera; a second person is holding a long mic; the third is wheeling in an old-timey 2008 classroom TV, and the fourth is bringing in another camera.

The Peacekeeper hoist me up again, and carry me to the noose. They put my head through the loop, and just drop me.

I dangle in the air, my journey to death now beginning.

The camera crew aim the cameras at me, and I'm able to get a view at what everyone is now watching. Viewing me own death. How nice.

The mic is floating above my head, and I don't doubt it wants to get every desperate grunt and moan.

My eyes still on the screen, I feel my breath starting to slow.

My eyes are starting to droop. My breathing is getting even slower.

My eyes still on the screen, the last thing I see is me dying.

BOOM!