𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐊 | 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐜𝐡

twelve

Nothing happened for a while. All the tributes were scattered around in the tunnels, hiding from one another.

Inside the auditorium, the atmosphere grew increasingly subdued as the anticipation waned. The initial excitement of the event had faded, replaced by weariness. Some students had succumbed to exhaustion, their heads nodding as they dozed off. Cordelia, too, felt the weight of drowsiness creeping over her, her attention drifting from Lucky's monotonous drone about district weather patterns.

It wasn't until the sound of static and Lucky, who stopped talking, that caused heads to snap back towards the screen. Lamina's figure emerged from the debris where she had taken refuge during the bloodbath, capturing the attention of the audience. Pup sat up in recognition as he whispered Lamina's name, a sense of urgency creeping into his voice.

Lamina's cautious gaze swept over the scene as she made her way towards Marcus, who dangled precariously from the beam. With measured steps, she began to ascend the rugged surface of the beam.

On the beam, she knelt beside Marcus, her touch gentle as she ran her fingers through his hair. Marcus, though weakened, managed to lift his head and utter a few unintelligible words to Lamina, his expression fraught with silent desperation.

Lamina's trembling hands reached for the axe secured at her waistband. With a deep breath to steady herself, she firmly gripped the handle, her knuckles whitening with determination. With a hesitant glance at Marcus, she steeled herself for what she knew must be done, lifting his head slightly to expose his neck. As she raised the axe, Cordelia couldn't bear to witness the impending horror, shutting her eyes tightly against the gruesome scene about to unfold.

A deafening boom reverberated through the auditorium, accompanied by gasps of shock and awe. In the tense silence that followed, Cordelia could hear Pup's whispered exclamation of triumph, a stark contrast to the grim reality playing out before them.

Cordelia opened her eyes to see Lamina on the other side of the beam, deftly severing the ropes binding his hands just as Marcus's limp form tumbled to the ground.

Lucky, undeterred by the grim scene, carried on with his forecast, "A cold pressure is gonna swoop on in bringing cool temperatures and so much relief to our coal miners out there. At least until early evening and that's the weather."

Cordelia felt a mix of confusion and revulsion at Lucky's ability to move forward after witnessing such brutality.

"Was it mercy? Was it murder?" Lucky's tone was casual as he posed the question, shrugging nonchalantly while holding the microphone to his lips. He signaled for the camera to follow him. "Either way, that's what happens when you do stuff! You get attention."

"Citizens, send your money." He urged, advancing toward Pup. "Now, once they get your money, the mentor can choose to send food or water using our newly developed drones from the war. We have programmed them with facial recognition. This ensures that your package goes directly to your tribute. Isn't that right, Pup Harrington?"

"Yeah." Pup replied distractedly, his focus elsewhere as he pondered what to send to Lamina.

"I've got a hunch Pup is gonna seize this opportunity." Lucky remarked to the camera, covering his microphone with a knowing grin.

Cordelia leaned back in her seat, anticipation mounting as Pup prepared to send Lamina a much-needed resource. All eyes fixed on the big screen; the tension palpable. Lamina, perched on the beam, angled her body towards the source of the sound, her movements cautious yet determined.

As the drone approached, she extended her arm, reaching out for the glass bottle, but the drone failed to stop in time. With a sudden lurch, Lamina barely managed to evade disaster as the drone careened past her, crashing into the beam and shattering on impact.