Life at Odds (Hunger Games Fanfic)

Chapter 12

That is when I hear it. The laugh of Demetrius.

I quickly wake up Axel. David is outside the tent filling up his water. I grab my axe and knives and Axel grabs his sword. We run outside to where David was.

"David! DAVID?" I shout.

I see a figure in Demetrius' headlock. Axel and I get closer, and I see that the figure is David. The careers turn around.

"Would you look at what we have here!" Demetrius laughs.

"Let. Him. Go." I demand.

"And why should we do that?" Xavier says.

"Because if not, you will have a knife in your heart." I say, very intimidating.

They look a little scared, and let out nervous laughs. I look at David, who is practically frightened to death. I feel a tear come down my cheek, but I don't care. David is probably going to die.

All of the sudden Demetrius breaks David's neck. They immediately run off in the opposite direction. Axel and I both run to David. The cannon goes off. I start crying over David. Axel is crying so hard that he has to turn away. I see a camera zoom in on us.

I stare at the camera for a couple seconds, and then go up to it.

"THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED ISN'T IT? YOU WANT TO TEAR PEOPLE's LIVES APART!"

Axel tries to pull me back but I push him off of me.

"THIS IS JUST A GAME TO YOU GUYS! YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE HERE AND WATCH ONE OF YOUR BEST FRIENDS DIE!"

"THE CAPITOL IS SICK! TRASH! MONSTERS!"

I fall to the ground crying. Axel is trying to comfort me while I try to comfort him. David was like a younger brother to us both. No. The Capitol wants me to cry. They want us to break down to the point where our hearts can no longer love. I mustn't give them what they want.

I wipe my tears away and stand up. I help Axel do the same. We have to be strong for David. We wouldn't want us to be mourning.

"Shall we make him a grave?" Axel asks. I look at him with a smile on my face, and nod. I dig a hole while Axel cleans David off.

Axel lays David in the hole and we neatly cover him with dirt. I put small stones all around it, and Axel sprinkles flower pedals overtop. 

BOOM

A cannon goes off. 10 people left. 

After the grave is done Axel and I walk back to camp. There is a solemn silence. I hear a beeping above us and see two sponsor packages. One to me, one to Axel. I open mine and see a golden axe with silver lining to it. Axel's has the same, but as a sword. The notes both read,

Get some payback on those careers, and do it in style.

I let out a small laugh. The first laugh since this morning. I decide I want to give a message. To show who David is.

I turn towards one of the "hidden" cameras. I hold up my wrist that has the golden bracelet on it.

"David was young. Only 15 years of age. He was very talkative and lively. It was never a dull moment with him."

"David was close to me. I have two brothers, but I am not very close to them. David was like the little brother I never had. He was so innocent. I am glad he never had to kill anyone in the arena."

"But then, he got thrown into these games. The very games that people in the Capitol watch for entertainment. He changed. David almost never spoke a word since the bloodbath. His eyes, that used to be full of life, were then filled with sadness."

"These games not only physically killed a 15 year old boy, but killed his heart. He never got to grow up, to find love, to have a job. Now he never will."

"Here is a message to those in the Capitol who find these games entertaining. If one night, your child was taken from yours hands, and killed before your very own eyes, would you find it fun? Would it be entertaining for you to watch? If so, you are a sick person. You don't deserve to even be called human. That is all."

I lower my hand and look into the camera for a few seconds. Then I turn around and crawl into the sleeping bag.

"That was really nice Ryder. I mean it. If the Capitol ever wants revenge on you for it, just know that you did the right thing," Axel whispers, drifting off into sleep.

The Anthem plays and I see first, Davids face. Then, the girl from 7, Axel's District.

Soon  enough I fall asleep as well. The thing that made me think, was the fact that David will never see his Family again. It was practically his dying wish, and it wasn't able to happen.