Dead in the Water | An Odesta Fanfic

Chapter Twelve

Annie was off and running the moment that the games began. She could hear nothing but the heartbeat pounding in her ears. The ground was firm beneath her feet, and her boots thudded against it in a constant rhythm as she ran. On every side of her, other tributes were doing the same, dashing for the nearest pile of equipment. But they were only blurs of speed in the corners of her gaze. Annie kept her eyes trained on a backpack and a knife, just feet away from the cornucopia's opening.

​She nearly fell to the ground as she reached it, fumbling to sling the bag over her shoulder and scooping the knife up off of the dusty earth. But as she picked it up, she knew it was useless. A knife that small might be helpful in cutting vines or skinning an animal, but what use was it if she couldn't defend herself? One throw and the knife would be lost, and it was too dangerous to risk such close combat while she was protecting Kai.

​Several yards away, just inside of the cornucopia, was another pile of weapons. Just a few feet. She could make it there without a problem. She only needed to dash in, snatch a larger blade out of the pile, and be off on her way. Back to the trees. Back to Kai. It would only take a moment.

​So Annie was off again, step after step, foot after foot against the ground, inching closer to the weapons. But it was further than she had thought, and it was only then that the other tributes began to swim back into view. There was Mazie, gaining on her, running for the same pile of weapons. There was Apollo, already staking his place in the cornucopia, sword drawn and ready to fight. There was Fern and Blaise and other tributes whose names she had heard from Kai more times than she could count. They were all frantically scrambling for some prize in the cornucopia, fearfully dodging away from each other as if they hadn't been sharing a meal at the same table just a few days before.

​Annie dropped to her knees as she reached the pile. There was an axe on top, but she didn't want an axe. She was no good with an axe. She had to have a spear. She could keep them safe with a spear. It was all she could do to keep herself sane, repeating the plan to herself again and again. Run to the cornucopia. Find a weapon. Find a spear. The spear would keep them safe. Meet Kai at the trees. Try to survive.

​And there it was. A spear. Just past the axe, sitting alone on the floor of the cornucopia as if no one else wanted it. As if it was waiting for her. Annie grabbed the shaft and jumped back up to her feet, turning to run for the trees.

​She collided with someone as soon as she turned around. It was Mazie again, looking frantic as she met Annie's eyes. She was small, not much taller than Kai, and as she looked down at Mazie, Annie found herself hoping desperately that Kai had followed the plan and run in the other direction. He wouldn't have a chance here, with so many bigger tributes towering over him. Mazie wouldn't have a chance here. What was she doing?

​Mazie opened her mouth, as if to speak, but then her eyes went blank. She toppled forward, a blade buried deep in her chest. Annie caught her as she fell, watching as blood trickled out of her mouth and blood from the wound soaked into Annie's hands. She could feel tears running down her face again and tried not to imagine that it was Kai dying in her arms.

But then the blade was pulled out of her back, and Annie looked up to find Apollo holding its handle. She dropped Mazie's body and scrambled away, but not before the sword came swinging by her ear, whistling through the air as it went past. It was too close. A few inches closer and Annie might have lost her head. She couldn't die. She didn't want to die. Try to survive. That was the plan. Annie turned and stopped a second blow with the shaft of her spear, throwing Apollo backwards as the sword clashed against it.

​It was enough to surprise him and throw off his balance, and Annie took the opportunity to keep on running. Step after step. Foot after foot. Steadying her breath and running as far from the cornucopia as she could. Heading for the trees. Kai was in the trees.