Reputation (Finnick Odair)

Chapter 13

     "Please, help!" The girl behind Atlas screams, her cries falling on deaf ears. The only thing Atlas can hear is the sound of the twigs breaking beneath her feet as she runs through the thick forest. Her heart is pounding in her ears and the only thing she can think of is the murderous beast chasing her. Atlas didn't even have time to let herself feel guilt at leaving the girl behind to be killed by the disgusting creature. She only sought her own survival. 

     Atlas can't help but think of her family at home as she glances over her shoulder. Were they watching back in District 5? Were they about to watch this beast overcome her? Were they going to watch as Atlas became just a shred of herself once this monster found her?

     She's brought back out of her thoughts when she feels something warm run down her stomach. She glances down and is met with a wound the size of her hand straight through the middle of her stomach. Blood pools out, drenching her shirt with the maroon liquid. Atlas grabs at her stomach, clutching the fabric and holding it as tight as she could. She begs and pleads that this wouldn't be the end, the thing couldn't've gotten her. She couldn't let this thing take her. 

     So she keeps running, panting and sobbing as she runs. She doesn't know where she's going but the only thing she knows is that she needs to get away. Her boots hit the ground loudly, her red hair whipping against her face and her thoughts consumed by fear. Atlas had never been particularly religious but in that moment, she prayed to any god that would listen to please give her a moment of solace and an escape. 

     A loud scream echoes across the forest once again and Atlas tries to glance over her shoulder again. The next thing she sees is the ground as she falls, crashing onto the forest floor. She scrambles as quickly as she can with the stab wound through her abdomen. Her blood-stained hands push at the muddy ground, leaves and twigs weaving through her fingers. 

     Before Atlas can push herself off the ground, a dark shadow rises over her. She tries to look away but her eyes remain locked on the hideous beast standing above her. It's a tall thing with a slim figure and fresh blood drips from its claws. Its eyes are a jade-green colour that reminds Atlas of the fresh grass back home. But when the monster swipes a blood-covered hand over its eyes, the maroon and jade-green remind Atlas more of the grass that her own blood is dripping out onto. 

     The monster steps into the sunlight for the first time and the thing that catches Atlas' eye is the bright blonde hair that falls down the monster's back. It falls smoothly and shines under the sunlight. The monster's perfectly tan-skinned glows under the sunlight and seems almost artificial. Its plump lips are a purple-red colour and seem to have a shiny gloss over them. 

    Atlas' eyes lock on the ivory blade that the monster holds in its hand, red dripping from it onto the forest floor. It clutches the item tightly in its perfectly-manicured hand, its white claws wrapped around the leather-wrapped handle. Atlas breathes heavily, eyes trailing up and down the creature's figure.

    "W-what are you?" Atlas stammers out, voice shaking as she manages to look at the monster's face.

     "I'm you," The creature states simply, shrugging its perfectly toned shoulders.

     "B-but you're a monster," Atlas says, shaking her head. No way this monster could be her. Atlas would never kill anyone.

    "Same thing."

     "But I'm not like you," Atlas tries to reason with the creature in front of her, "I'm not a monster."

     "But you will be and isn't that what defines a monster? Its capability to kill?"

     Atlas thinks about that for a moment before shaking her head. She ignores the pain in her stomach in favour of trying to reason with the... being in front of her, "Shouldn't we judge people on what they will do instead of what they might do?"

     The being seems to ponder Atlas' words for a second before shrugging again, "Well, you will end up killing 16 people to survive so I guess the only way out was to become a monster. Become me."

     The monster raises its sword right above Atlas and Atlas screams out, "Wait!" the monster stops for a second, "Wouldn't you rather die a saint than live a monster?"

     The monster sneers at Atlas before bringing the Ivory sword down through the young girl's chest, killing the only innocence that remained in the being. 

     Atlas jolts awake, a scream dying in her throat as her eyes adjust to her settings. Sunlight streams in through the window, casting a light glow throughout the room. Sweat drips down Atlas' face and she reaches over to the glass of water on her nightstand to take a large gulp. The cold liquid streams down her throat, easing the soreness that had previously caused her throat to ache. Atlas had had a similar dream before. Killing her younger self at least. Although, the monster comments were new. Although she had thought it about herself before. She thought it just hurt more from hearing it from the girl she had once been. The girl who had been so excited to grow up. The girl who never thought the woman she wanted to become so badly would be a monster.

     A knock pulls Atlas from her thoughts.

      "Yeah?" Atlas calls out towards the door, standing from the bed. The door slides open and she's met with the sight of Mars with a concerned look on his face.

     "You okay?" Mars asks kindly, "Heard screaming."

     "Yeah, I'm fine. Just waking up from a dream, you know what it's like."

     Mars nods, his gaze floating around the room before looking back to Atlas, "You have a visitor that wants to talk to you. They're in the living room."

      Atlas furrows her eyebrow, moving towards the closet to grab a change of clothes, "Who is it?"

     Mars just grins and starts to move away from the room, "You'll be surprised. I was."

     As the door slides closed, Atlas rolls her eyes at Mars' vagueness grasping her shirt in her hand and bringing it over her head so she could put the new one on. Once the girl is fully dressed in new clothes, she walks out of the room and makes her way towards the living room. Weirdly enough, she is not met with a single person on the way. Usually, avoxes would practically line the place doing what seemed to be very mundane tasks. But no, the halls are strangely silent.

     Her feet move quietly into the living room and shock overtakes her face at the face she is met with. Plutarch heavens-bee sits on the couch, a glass of some alcohol in his hand and a gold bangle held in the other. As Atlas steps into the room, Plutarch's eyes glance up and catch on the girl. His face lights up and he sets the drink down on the table in front of him. 

     "Miss Fox, just the woman I wanted to see! Mind sitting down? We have a lot to talk about."

A/N

Happy Speak Now day to those who celebrate!!! 

An early chapter in celebration of the new (re-released) album!!!

- Sunny ☀