Let The Games Begin // Billie Eilish

Chapter 34

A/N: the start of this chapter is a little slow but just stay patient🥰

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Cove's POV

I slowly open my eyes, squinting as they adjust to the blinding morning sunlight. For a brief moment, I forget about everything that happened yesterday, and I expect to still be in the comfort of the cave beside Billie.

But then it all sinks in, and Billie isn't here, and I'm laying under some random tree that is God knows how far from the cave.

I spent all of yesterday evening searching for her. I kept thinking I could see her from the corner of my eye. Every time I saw a branch swaying in the wind, I convinced myself it was her. Every sound of a twig snapping behind me I had hoped was her running to catch up to me, but it never was.

With every second that passes, I can't help but feel more and more worried that she's gone, but I don't allow myself to even think about it before I tell myself that she's alive and looking for me too, and that we will find each other again. I mean, she's Billie for God's sake. She's well capable of defending herself, there's no way that she's gone and I'm still here.

I have to try to stay alive until I find her.

I peel myself off of the ground and clumsily brush the dirt and leaves off of my clothes.

The pain in my neck is insane, do not recommend sleeping on the floor without a pillow.

I decide to continue on straight ahead and hope for the best. I know The Ring is big, but surely it can't be too big that I won't run into her eventually.

I take in the views as I walk. The trees are towering over me, the ground is basically just dirt and leaves around here, unlike the grassy area surrounding the cave, and the grey sky is illuminated by the beaming sun.

I'm so caught up in my own thoughts that I barely notice the sound of my stomach grumbling. Damn, I haven't eaten since yesterday morning when Billie gave me her cupcake. No wonder I'm feeling so lethargic. I guess I should eat something in case I need the energy to fight off a player. Or at least try to.

I shift my focus to the bushes on my left, and crouch down beside them in the hopes of stumbling across some berries. I notice one particular bush has some blueberries growing from it's branches, so I reach over and pick as many as I can. I fill both of my jacket pockets with berries until they're completely stuffed, and pick a few more to hold on my hand. As I continue back on my trail, I shove some into my mouth, almost damn near moaning as the fresh juice coats my tastebuds.

God, I love eating.

I hungrily finish all the berries in my hand and some from my pocket, and decide to save the rest for later.

The next couple of hours are honestly a blur. I don't even care about the fact that I could easily cross paths with a different player. My mind can only focus on one thing. Or, more importantly, one person.

Billie's POV

I didn't sleep a wink last night. I found a rock beside the river and tried to get some sleep whilst sitting up against it, but my racing mind kept me awake all night. I don't even feel tired, I just can't stop thinking.

One minute I'm replaying the moment I stabbed James over and over like a movie on repeat in my mind, and the next I'm thinking about Cove and questioning if she is even alive at all. There was a canon not long after Peter went missing, was that for her? Did she hear James' canon and think it was for me? This whole situation is such a mess. "

Essentially, I'm in hell.

Realistically, that canon probably was for Cove. She didn't have a weapon with her, Peter probably found her and...I don't even want to think about it. I'm trying to hold onto hope that she's still alive but who am I kidding? She could barely even hit the target at the knife station in the training centre.