Celebrity Hunger Games

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

~ Luke Hemmings' P.O.V ~

Luke had forgotten what it felt like to be alone in the arena. He forgot the chills that ran down his spine when he thought he felt a pair of eyes burning into his back. He forgot how truly vulnerable he was by being alone. When he had seen Taylor Swift's picture in the sky just last night, His stomach was churning with mixed emotions. Grief, of course, as Taylor had saved his sorry ass multiple times, but relief, as well - Wasn't it better for him that he wouldn't have to face off with her?

She probably would've killed him anyways.

Taylor's death also meant that him, Calum, Harry, and the boy from District 5 - Michael, was it? - were closer than ever to facing off against one another. For the first time, Luke realized that he had a real shot at going home. Granted, life in District 7 would never be the same, since he would never have to lift a finger ever again, but Luke would be a changed man. He would never take the scent of charred wood and pine needles that stuck to his clothes for granted ever again, but see it as the smell of home. As if to hold on to the memory, Luke lifted the sleeve of his jacket to his nose, inhaling and closing his eyes. He didn't smell like pine needles or freshly shaven wood - He simply smelled cold. It was like the smell that clings to you when you've spent all day outside. Luke wasn't home. He was just sitting under a tree in the mid afternoon sky.

"I miss you," Luke shut his eyes tightly, letting the words pour from his lips to nobody in particular. "I miss you so much." His blue eyes drifted to the cloudless sky, wondering just how many Gamemakers, sponsors, and viewers were watching him suffer at this very moment. He had seen each tribute die every single year, always pitying them but never feeling any true grief or sorrow for them. And now he felt it.

All of the grief came crashing down on him in one, over powering wave of sadness. As Luke lifted his hands to cover his face, they came away to be wet with the hot, salty tears that were now traveling down his face. He didn't even know he could still cry, since he most likely was dehydrated, but Luke didn't care. "I can't take it anymore!" he sobbed, voice cracking. "I can't do it!"

Suddenly, a twig snapped behind him, and Luke didn't even bother to look over his shoulder. Whoever it is can just kill me now, he decided, continuing to let out all of the frustration and pain he'd bottled up since arriving in the arena. But the voice that spoke next didn't belong to Michael, or even Harry.

 It was Calum.

"Luke?" Calum's voice was soft and timid.

Luke's head whipped up, eyes widening in realization. "Calum?" he called out, looking all around. "Calum where are - " but Luke dropped off when he saw Calum standing in the trees, most certainly not looking like himself. Calum's dark eyes were dull and lifeless, harsh purple bags ghosting under his eyes. His lips were dry and caked with blood, and a large, purpling gash in his throat was now streaked with black veins that spread like shattered glass from his neck all the way past his shirt to his chest. "What happened to you, Cal?" Luke asked quietly, fingers lingering by his pocket with his knife.

Calum only shook his head, face crinkling up in disgust. "You did this to me," he spat, using the tip of his knife to gesture to the wound pulsing in his throat. "You made this happen! You made the tracker jackers get me!"

Tracker Jackers, Luke thought with a cold stone forming in his chest. Infamous for having deadly venom that caused intense pain and hallucinations. "Calum, you aren't well." Luke said cautiously, sitting up and taking a careful step towards Calum.

Calum backed up, shaking his head and glaring at Luke with pure hatred. "No," he let out a dry chuckle. "I've never been more well. It's all never been so clear to me. If you hadn't betrayed me, I never would've gotten stung. It's all your fault."

All your fault, the words rang through Luke's mind as he shook his head, throat tightening. "No, Calum, it wasn't me." Luke said quickly, voice trembling.

But in a way, Luke realized, it was.

If they hadn't split up, Taylor might've still been alive. And Calum wouldn't have been dying a slow, agonizing death he was hardly aware of.

"YES IT WAS! STOP LYING LUKE! I WILL KILL YOU! I WILL FUCKlNG  KILL YOU!" Calum's voice rose to a shout as he waved his knife around, splashes of red appearing on his cheeks as his temper flared. "I WILL DESTROY YOU LUKE HEMMINGS!"

Luke's mind barely registered Calum charging at him with a blade until he raised his own blade in defense, feeling it tear through flesh as Calum ran straight into it. Luke blinked down in surprise to see Calum's blood, dark with poison, running over his hand and dagger as Calum's body slid to the ground. "Calum?" Luke whispered, limbs too numb with shock to move as Calum only slumped to the ground, dark eyes brimming with tears as he blinked up at Luke. A shred of sanity so faint that Luke might've imagined it gripped Calum for a sliver of a second as he spoke weakly.

"I'm free."

And the air suddenly seemed to grow cold as life slipped away from Calum Hood.

Luke sank to his knees, afraid to touch the lifeless body of Calum, letting out a choked sob. Now he officially had lost everyone in the arena that he had cared about. Niall. Zendaya. Taylor. Ashton. And now Calum. Luke was the only one left in their alliance against the Careers. And the weak part of him knew he didn't deserve to be the one to win. Yet the other side of Luke also knew that if he truly wanted to avenge the deaths of his friends, he had  to win.

And that's exactly what Luke Hemmings was going to do.

~ 3 TRIBUTES LEFT ~