How can I be Mean? (Lamina x Female oc)

The Tunnels (Ch 14)

            The sun blazes down on the group, covering every inch of their body in sweat. Every passing minute feels like an eternity as they grow weaker and weaker. Vale's mind fills with thoughts of water and food. She desperately seeks refuge in the limited shade provided by the arena. Lamina sits beside her, holding Vale's hand tightly. The three boys wander around aimlessly, kicking small rocks out of frustration. The heat has led all of them to be silent, lost in their thoughts. 

            Suddenly, a buzzing noise startles the group, and their head snaps up to see five drones flying through holes in the ceiling. The tributes eagerly rise to their feet, hoping the machines are carrying food or water. Their excitement quickly turns to fear as the drones fly towards them at full speed. 

            "Duck!" Vale calls out to the others, and she pulls Lamina to the ground just in time to feel a rush of air above their heads. The sound of shattering glass soon follows, and Vale looks up to see that her drone was carrying a bottle of water, which is now shattered on the ground. Vale looks over to Lamina asking, "Are you okay?" 

            "Yeah, you?" Lamina asks back, Vale nods that she's okay. The group lifts themselves off the floor patting the dirt off their clothes.  After seeing no more drones they gather what they can salvage from the wreckage. Treech and Mizzen received bread and cheese from their mentors, and Tanner's mentor sent him apple slices and nuts. Vale and Lamina's drones were both carrying water, but luckily Lamina's bottle survived the crash. Just as the group settles down to enjoy their meager rations, they hear another buzzing noise. Vale looks up to see a single drone flying towards her. She jumps to her feet, ready to dodge it, but to her surprise, it slows down and lowers gently to the ground, dropping a bottle of water before flying away. 

            The group, tired and famished, eagerly consumed everything they had found, feeling their energy levels slowly rising. Vale smiled as she felt her stomach stopped growling for food. However, the scorching sun continued to beat down on them mercilessly, draining their newly acquired energy. They knew they couldn't last long under the unrelenting heat. After some discussion, most of the group agreed to head into the tunnels, with only Lamina hesitating. She stood there, staring apprehensively at the dark, eerie tunnels, barely lit with only a few dim lights to guide the way.

            Vale noticed Lamina's hesitation and tried to reassure her, "We are going to be fine." The girls stood together, staring into the tunnel. Lamina's lower lip started to tremble, and Vale slid her hand into Lamina's to comfort her. "There is a pit in my stomach, something is going to happen," Lamina whispered.

            Vale grabbed Lamina's chin to force her to look at her and said, "Everything is going to be okay. I'm going to protect you." The two girls stood in silence for a while, and then Lamina finally nodded her head, indicating that she was ready to go.

            Vale turned to the others and signaled that they were ready to proceed. They quietly slid down the rubble into the tunnel and felt instant relief as the cool air enveloped them. Vale felt a chill run down her spine from the sudden temperature difference. The group walks in silence, not wanting to alert any other tributes to their presence. Tanner and Treech lead the way, with Mizzen following closely behind. Vale and Lamina bring up the rear, holding onto each other's hands for support.

            As the group walks through the dimly lit tunnel, they come across a series of doors. Tanner tries to open a few of them but they don't budge, and he quickly gives up. As they walk past the last door, a sudden squeaking noise interrupts their footsteps. Vale stops in her tracks, her eyes fixated on the door, which seems different from the others. This door has an opening at the bottom, big enough for a person to crawl through.