Could We Burn, Darling?

A Ghost Inside

I spent the night lying on the ground near the incident - checking on my cut every few hours. The pain kept me awake until the sun came up and the heat of the arena rose. Seven of us were left; only three being Careers. I sat up and analysed my cut again, dampening it with the last of my cream. I had to find another hiding spot before Lila found me again - more vulnerable, this time. I took a deep breath and placed my weight onto my arms as I lifted my torso off the ground. There was a loud thud coming from the speakers of the arena, I looked up and sat back down. Martena - the arena controller appeared on the screen; she cleared her throat. "There are now only seven of you left in the arena. We've decided to give you all some.." she paused as she looked down then back up into the camera "...motivation" she finished. I raised an eyebrow as Martena's video cut off and screams began to fill the arena through the speakers.

On the screen were families, tied up, screaming and crying. I gasped as my eyes widened. No one I recognized yet but the horrors were just as intense. The camera zoomed in on a woman - long brown hair, slender figure.

She looked like Lila.

I gulped as I saw the life leave her eyes. She screamed louder "yeah, yeah, keep screaming punk" a man muttered as he grabbed her by the neck until she was white and lifeless. He threw her on the ground and the footage continued down the line of family members. I waited - I just waited for what I'd expect to see. My mother.

More families, more screams, no one I recognized. The video cut back to Martena. She was smiling. Only Lila's mother had been killed so far. "An extra special edition for our District 7, thanks to Sarah going home; Drew Woolnough has the honour of getting to watch us have all this fun" I started breathing heavier as my heart beat faster. "No." I said quietly as my mother appeared on the screen. Her face was blank. She was staring past the camera, it moved to show what she was staring at. Elsa Johanna. I held my breath as the camera turned back to my mother, holding a gun.

A gun.

I felt weak, I didn't know what to expect. My mother, pointing a gun at my sister. The camera showed her eyes - red. Solid red. Tears started forming in my eyes. What was happening to my family? I heard a whisper from behind the camera. "You know the deal. You shoot and we can guarantee your son's safety." Her eyes looked possessed, she wasn't thinking straight; she couldn't have been.

"Mommy" I heard a faint cry. The camera quickly turned to Elsa Johanna. "KID, YOU BE QUIET, YOU DON'T WANT A REPEAT OF THIS MORNING, DO YOU?" The deep voice yelled at her, she began sobbing, wailing, crying. The tears were now streaming down my face. I kept my gaze firmly on the screen. It killed me - knowing that I couldn't stop this monstrosity from happening. My mother had no control over her own actions but she wouldn't dare kill Elsa Johanna no matter what state she was in. The cameraman moved to the side, giving the entire arena a side view of the scene. The gun was pointing straight at my little sister. Not even flinching, she pulled the the hammer at the back of the revolver. Two hands gripping the gun. She blinked once.

She turned the gun around and shot it straight through her own head. Elsa Johanna screamed louder than she's ever done before and ran over to her. Blood everywhere, gun slipping out of her hand. The video cut back to Martena, now clapping and laughing. "What a show!" She said between laughs. "Now, Drew." She leaned in closer and whispered. "Is that enough to motivate you?" She winked and the screen vanished.

I sat and stared at the spot on the arena's dome where I had just witnessed my mother take her own life. My eyes were still, my arms were weak, my being was decaying. I let go of my body weight that was resting on my arms and fell on my back. I lay there for a few hours. Maybe even a few days. The sun came and left multiple times. I didn't move. I didn't blink. Maybe I was dying. Maybe my soul was drifting, but I wasn't moving.

I heard footsteps come up behind me, I lay still, not moving. Whoever it was could kill me. I was dead anyway.

Two hands cupped under my arms and dragged me away from the scene. I started laughing. I didn't know why. I started laughing hysterically. My body started to shake in the person's arms as I continued to laugh. My eyes started darting from one side of the arena to the other, my laugh got louder and louder until it started to turn to screaming. Screaming, crying, laughing. The person dragging me and I finally stopped. We were at the lake, by then the laughing had died down, an awry smile was pasted onto my face as I stared at the ground the person had just dropped me on.

Whoever it was, was about to reveal themselves. They appeared directly in my line of vision and squatted down next to me. My eyes still, I waited for them to lower themselves even further. I wanted to know who it was; hoping they'd kill me fast so that I could be done with this senile decay.