G E L L Y — had managed to limp out of the arena, slowly and steadily. She could feel Treech's eyes on her as he was sitauted in the van. He inhaled a deep breath and gave her a shallow wave before he was pulled deeper in the van by his allaince.
Gelly's eyes scanned around, noticing Facet not in the van, and Gaius wasnt out here. No, he wasnt anywhere. Her eyes darted around worriedly, "Festus. . . Wheres Gaius?"
Festus frowned at her confused, and began looking around aswell, "I dont know, he'll probally be out her soon."
Gelly froze, "hes still in there?"
Festus hesitantly nodded, they're eyes wandering to the entrance and before Gelly could even relize what she was doing, she bolted past the peacekeeprs gaurding the doors and into the arena again, ignoring everyone's shouting for her to stop, calling after her worriedly, but she didnt let them stop her, not even when the peacekeepers tried to grab onto her, to pull her out. She skimmed past them, barely avoiding their grip.
Treech from the van, had heard their screaming and he bolted up from his spot next to Mizzen, peeking his head out the door, he could see Gelly's figure bolting into the arena again. "Gelly!" He called after her, going to run after her, but the peacekeepers held him back, pushing him back into the van.
"Dont touch me!" He shoved them back, it was already too late, Gelly by now was far in the arena. "You cant let her go in there!"
"Shes already in." The peackeeper told him, shoving him harshly into the van floor, "sit your ass down!"
Mizzen grabbed onto Treech's shoulders, trying to calm him down, but Treech shrugged him off.
"I said sit your ass down, kid." The peackeeper repeated.
"Not untill I know shes safe." Treech told him.
Gelly wasnt safe, no she was in the middle of a blazing fire, searching desperatly for her older brother.
"Gaius!" She shouted, but she didnt get an answer, "Gaius!"
She wandered around helplessly, crying out to him, but she got no reply. He wasnt here, but he also wasnt out there. She had seen Facet's body at the entrance, he was shot, but Gaius wasnt anywhere with him.
Debri still fell around her, and orange flamed brewed even higher. The arena collapsing around her, but she didnt mind. She'd do anything to save her brother.
"Gaius—" she suddenly froze, seing a figure on the ground, exactly where Gaius stood before the explosions went off. "Gaius." She whispered, rushing over to him, before she collapsed onto her knees beside him. It was Gaius, his dark hair littered with dirt, and his face was bloody, scratches scattered him everywhere, and his lips were cracked ever so slightly, that it made him look like he was breathing, but he wasnt, atleast not when there was a stadium pole sticking out from his stomache, tearing his uniform shirt, leaving it tattered and bloody. Gaius was just a school boy, not even eighteen yet, and his life was already over. He had never gotten his happy ending, he had never gotten to know what it was like to live without abusive parents, he never got to walk without the burden of reputation, and he never got to have the family he so desperstly wanted of his own, he would never marry Lysistrata, the girl he had been inlove with since second grade. He was gone, any chance of knowing what a happy life was, ripped away from him. Just for some school project. He had been saved just to leave again, and for what? His tribute was dead, his parents gone, there was no reason for him to have to go too, and as Gelly searched depaerstly for something to make it all make sense, she couldnt find it. The world was cruel, and Gaius had just happend to fall on the wrong end. He just wanted to make a diffrence, his work had gone unnoticed, and it was all for nothing.
Tears fell down Gelly's face relentlessly, clutching onto Gaius hand, begging him to stay with her, "Gaius— please."
She sniffled sobbs, and hicupped out whatever she could, but her words were mumbled by how much she was crying, and she wasnt making any sense. "Gaius, please get up— tell me this is all a joke. . . Gaius?" He wasnt answering, frozen still, his body limp, and his eyes stared foreward. The sight of him only made Gelly cry even more. She didnt know life without him, she didnt want to know a life without him. She couldnt bare living without him. Her shaky hands reached to his neck, yanking off the chain he wore, and held it in the palm of her hands. She glanced around her sourounding and got to her feet, sending Gaius one last empty look before she sulked to the doors. The necklace dangling from her hand. Each step she took away from him weighed on her, heavier by the second. It was like life was being ripped away from her, everything she had ever dreamed off was being stripped away, falling between her weak fingertips. She knew nothing but the fualty dreams she had made in her head, but what did they matter if she was doing them alone? She had dreamed to find Geo in nine, runaway from her family and bring Gaius with her, but it all seemed stupid now without him.
Her small figure stepped into the light, looking up at the gate, her peers stood on the other side, staring at her emptily, but she stepped through regardless. Normally she would shy away from they're gazes, but now it seemed as if she didnt even have the strength to do that.
"Gelly—" Lystrata began, and Gelly looked up at her, the grip on the chain becoming tighter.
"Hes gone—" she told them, not belieiving it herself. She expected this all to be a dream, for her to wake up and Gaius to still be situated at the kitchen table, leg propped up, smiling. She knew it wasnt, she would never see him smiling again, or crack those stupid jokes she hated. He was gone, stuck in that arena like so many helpless souls would be.
Gaius was gone, lost in the burning flames of this never ending war.
The war was supposed to end years ago, but it was still raging, atleast for the few unfortunate souls who had been cuaght in the wrong end. When would people relize that nobody was benifiting from this?
The districts lost children
The capital lost children.
And the only thing they seemed to share was hope, but neither of them had it, not anymore.
AUTHORS ANNOUNCMENT
GUYS IM SORRY, not really actually, but Gaius is dead.... Kinda sudden, but its supposed to show that nobody won the war, and nobody would win. Gaius was such a good character and such a good brother :( and now Gelly's alone.... its only gonna get so much worse... sorry
