Reaper ~ THG AU

Ch. 31: Last Light pt. 3

"Acacius!"

My scream sounds through the clearing, my eyes filling with shocked tears. Augustus pulls free his sword, blood spraying with the movements. I'm helpless as Acacius falls to the ground, gripping the hole now in his stomach.

A giant pain fills my chest, knocking me back into the daisies and morning glories. My breath leaves me completely, an uncontrollable pressure taking over my chest. It takes me a few minutes to realize that a knife is sticking out of my bust. Time finally seems to return to normal as laughter fills the air.

"Did you see her face!"

"I think she's crying!"

My eyes find Acacius, my chest still crying out for air. Blood drips from his mouth, a cough leaving him as he looks down at his wounded stomach. I see Jovie step up to him, bending down to the belt of knives still strapped to his waist.

"Thank you! I've been looking for these!"

She laughs, unclasping the belt before pulling it off of him. Acacius doesn't put up a fight, his focus on his bleeding torso. A shadow stands over me, blocking the little light left from the setting sun above. A sharp pain follows, landing right into my side.

"That's for the tackle, Bitch!"

"I'll be taking this."

A laughing Caraty and Augustus stand over me, the female on my left as the large male bends down and grabs my sword. A cough leaves me as the careers begin to gather everything they want. At first it's just our weapons, then I see Dante reaching for my backpack.

"Leave it."

"Why? They won't be needing it."

Augustus steps up to Dante, towering over the younger boy in more than one way. Dante doesn't back down, his arms crossed with his bow now over his shoulder. Caraty and Jovie share a look, the former reaching for her spear that lays on the ground near me.

"You want to carry it all the way back to the Cornucopia?"

A silent understanding settles through the two male tributes as the females roll their eyes. Caraty glares at Dante as she grips her arm that still holds the arrow. It sticks out of her bicep, no doubt causing tension between them.

"Let's go. We still need to find that bitch from 5."

I stay down, my breathing finally coming back to me. My chest still screams, the pressure causing bruising no doubt. They finally disappeared into the trees, leaving me alone with the coughing Acacius. Once I feel like it's safe enough, I scramble up and over towards him.

I reach up, pulling the throwing knife from where it's embedded in the metal vest covering my chest. A small cut bleeds underneath, only the tip of the knife causing any real damage because of the vest. I would thank Acacius if he wasn't gasping for breath just meters away from me.

A pool of dark red surrounds him, soaking the dirt and staining the white flowers. I drop down beside him, grabbing his bloody hand into my own as tears begin to fall. My other hand grip his wound, trying to slow the bleeding. His eyes find mine, pain and fear clearly shining through.

"W-w-w-w-"

"Sh..sh..don't speak.."

Blood continues flowing from his wound. The sky continues to darken above, taking away what little light we had. Another cough over takes him as he keeps trying to get out whatever he's trying to say.

"W-w-w-w-"

"Ace...please...save your strength..."

I sniff away the flowing tears best I can, my vision becoming blurry. I feel his hand grip my own tight. The smell of iron fills the air as the warm, sticky liquid continues to flow. His other hand reaches up, gently touching my cheek with his bloody fingertips.

"W-win..."

He coughs before gasping, a heavy wheeze leaving his bloody mouth. His hand drops as he starts to gasp for air. My worry grows as more blood sputters out of his lips.

"Acacius...Acacius...Acacius!"

Suddenly he stops, his eyes looking up at the darkening sky. A cannon sounds, as my tears flow freely. My mouth hangs open as I question everything.

"No...no..nonono..no.."

My hands shake, my breathing becoming rapid as my tears blind me. My bloody hand reaches up to grab his cheek. Flashes of his smiling face mix with the sword plunging into his chest over and over again. I shake my head, blinking away the memories as more tears flow. A deep sob leaves my chest, making my already aching heart hurt more.

My head falls back, the pain and grief taking over. More pain filled sobs leave my chest as I call out to the sky above. All that I feel is the grief and loss of my brother. Memories of his smiling face now just that, memories.

I will never get to see that again. Or hear his laugh, feel his hugs when I need them, or smell the scent that wafts off of him when we do hug. Everything about my brother will now be in the past from now on. He will never get to live past seventeen, or get married, or have kids. He will only exist in the memories of those so fortunate to remember him.

That's it...

A pain filled scream leaves me as my grief turns to anger. I glare up at the sky as a show of just how rage filled I am. I want them to know. All of them. Even the career pack that spilled his blood. Even the game makers and Capitol citizens who take pleasure from the deaths of innocent children every year.

Even President Snow himself...

My eyes fall onto the last light, seeing the reds and oranges bleeding into a golden strip right on the edge of the world. My breathing is heavy, my fists tight as I glare right at it. The only thing on my mind being Acacius and revenge.

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