The Victor -Pollux-

Chapter 8

Carson tumbled down the ridge, her body hitting the ground with a soft thud. The sand absorbed most of the impact. She opened her eyes, noticing Lucas rushing down the ledge after her. One of the Careers had thrown her over. "Nowhere to run now," the female from District 1 laughed. The boy from 2, Taylor, stared down at her hungrily.

"No." She tried to kick Lucas away, but he was stronger than her. "Lucas," she squeaked. It was hard to fight him. She knew Lucas. He was a year old than her. They sang in the assembly together when they were kids. His brother was the same age as hers. They often played together. Now, he was trying to kill her.

"It's not personal," he muttered. He slammed her back onto the ground, the air leaving her lungs. The fight momentarily left her, giving him the upper hand. "I got her pinned!"

With the news that it was safe to approach, Taylor began climbing down. Carson knew that she had to escape Lucas soon. She would die if she didn't. Fighting against him, she searched for anything useful. The only thing around her was sand. Suddenly, an idea forms in her mind. Grabbing a handful of sand, she closes her eyes. Using what strength she has, Carson tosses the sand in his face.

Lucas sputters, releasing her as he tries to wipe the sand from his eyes. It burns. It blinds him entirely. Carson screams, lunging at him. The two other Careers freeze, watching the scene unfold. Her actions are violent and quick. Now, with the upper hand, Carson pins Lucas to the ground. He stares at her, eyes wide with fear and still full of sand. There wasn't a chance for him to react. She takes the knife and plunges it straight into his chest. The force causes blood to splatter. It stains her clothes, but she doesn't care. Carson takes the knife out of his already dead body and stabs him again.

She's angry. She's angry that her fellow District member tried to kill her. "Go, go," the girl from District 1 yells at Taylor. Carson pushes off the dead man's chest, breathing heavily. The two Careers take off in the opposite direction, but they're not too far yet.

Carson rips the knife from Lucas's body and throws it at Taylor. It's as if her actions are in slow motion. There was no thought behind the toss, just anger. The knife spins a few times before embedding itself in Taylor's skull. He stops running, standing still for three seconds before falling forward. The other girl screams in terror but doesn't stay around to meet the same fate—the scream echoes for miles in each direction. Two canons follow it. Carson had just killed two more people, making it a total of four dead at her hands.

Each day was different. Life in District 13 was drastically different from what she knew. It wasn't like District 10. It was entirely underground, making it harder to adapt. Carson grew up outdoors. She spent nearly all day attending to cattle.

Most days, things are hectic. There was always a place for Carson, but not today. Today she's falling victim to her thoughts. She struggles to stay grounded. It's been a while since she's spiraled. But she's spiraling fast and struggles to find her footing.

Carson tries to forget the bad, but forgetting is impossible. Most days, she can ignore the memories, but they're never really gone. They visit her in dreams. It makes sleep hard. So, she does without.

She's sitting in the garden center, legs crossed as Charlie and Finnick chat on the ground. She has a new book, courtesy of Pollux. Carson finds it odd that the man is being nice to the girl. What did he stand to gain? Was he trying to win Coin's favor, or possibly hers? Everyone always did something for a reason.

"I finished my book," Charlie declares randomly. "I'm going to see if Pollux has another."

As she goes to stand up, Carson stops her. "Not so fast." The two on the ground stare up at her. "I don't want you talking to him without me. To any of them."