my little dove - sejanus plinth

(013) it all seemed slow

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MY LITTLE DOVE.

(chapter thirteen, it all seemed slow)

the academy / capitol park / snow penthouse, 2248.

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AS THE AXE BEGAN to swipe at Lucy Gray, she leaped into Treech's arms, clinging to him. The two seemed to embrace each other for a long moment, but Treech's eyes went wide in horror as he pushed her away, dropping the axe.

He tried to grasp at something behind his neck and when he did, he pulled back a pink snake. Treech smashed it to the ground repeatedly before collapsing to his knees, falling dead to the ground. And as Lucy Gray stood over his body, she whipped around to find Reaper rocking himself in the stands. 

And as the audience applauded, Vipsania growled and took her seat, storming off as she snapped something at Lepidus, Dorothy feeling faint as they arranged the chairs in the centre. Reaper and Lucy Gray. Those were the two tributes that stopped Sabyn from winning. And she had made it to top three. 

"Dottie, are you okay?" Coriolanus asked her, noticing the look on her face.

"I feel like I'm going to be sick," she muttered back. And that was true, for after Festus had arrived to bring the trio some sandwiches for lunch, Dorothy rushed to the toilet and emptied the contents in her stomach. 

In the arena, it was only Lucy Gray and Reaper visible, for Sabyn was still in the tunnels somewhere, which seemed like a good thing for her since the sun beamed down on them. 

Lucky gave them all a detailed weather report, saying it was a heatwave and he was right since the dependable coolness of Heavensbee Hall failed to beat the heat, causing many students to strip of their jackets and fan themselves with notebooks. By mid-afternoon, fruit punch was available, but despite how many times Clemensia and Coriolanus ushered Dorothy to the stand to get some, she did not let the screen out of her sight. 

Lucy Gray was sitting on a bit of rubble, keeping Reaper in her sights, but neither one made a move to engage. And suddenly, she got up and walked back to Treech's body. Grasping one ankle, she began to move him to the morgue, but Reaper bolted up and began to shout something at her, hurrying down the stands. At this, Lucy Gray let go of the body and ran to the nearest tunnel, causing Reaper to sigh out of relief and drag Treech to his morgue. Satisfied, he made his way back to the stands when suddenly, he heard something echo from the tunnel, something that the mics couldn't pick up. Even Lucy Gray stopped as she appeared out of a tunnel. Sabyn.

Reaper didn't notice Lucy Gray and bolted into the tunnel. Everyone murmured in confusion as they watched the boy disappear, Lucy Gray looking at the camera with a raised brow. And then a girl let out a bloodcurdling scream. A scream that caused Dorothy to jump from her seat, standing up. Sabyn. 

Sabyn came darting out of the tunnel, fear on her face as Reaper followed after her. Dorothy felt her heart in her throat as she clung to Coriolanus, who stood up to stop her from falling. But nothing could support her trembling legs as she watched Sabyn run for her life, arms and legs pumping and as she nearly reached the barricade, Dorothy felt a sliver of hope. But then Reaper grabbed Sabyn's flying hair, yanking her back, causing her to go tumbling onto the ground. And everything that happened then was in slow motion for Dorothy. It was so excruciatingly slow.