Author Games: Dacnomania Nexus Accourt

Quarter-Finals - The Face in the Dark - Females

District Two - Bellona Blake

The moment Atilius’s face disappears, it is replaced by the face of Alithia. Is that…jewelry she’s wearing? I think. And she almost looks impressed.

Unlike Alithia wearing jewelry, I can understand Alithia being impressed. This is the final eight. There are no weaklings anymore.

“Congratulations to our final eight! This has been a difficult Games,” Alithia says, “And to get this far has taken determination, ability and willpower. You should all feel very proud of yourselves, as your families are.” I blink.

Alithia continues to explain. I listen with careful ears to her words. “From here it only gets harder,” She finishes, and her face disappears.

In minutes, I’ve picked up my sword, and Laurent has gathered his missile spears. From here we’ll go our separate ways; his house is located in the opposite direction of mine.

“After we see the messages, we meet back here,” Laurent says.

I nod. “Don’t look for trouble,” I add.

But this is the final eight of the Games. Both of us are perfectly aware that the odds are against both of us living to return, and the Gamemakers not doing something that will prevent us from rejoining. Even though Laurent was never my favorite ally, I’ve grown to trust him over our time in the Games together. It seems wrong to leave it there.

“Good luck Laurent,” I add.

“You two,” Laurent says with a nod.

The walk to my house is short and silent. The walk takes three minutes, maybe five at most.

When I get to the door, I see a crisp white note stuck to the doorknob. I pull off the note and read it.

Dear Bellona Blake, You will find that we have restored/installed the screen in your house. Turn it on. It will show you a section of the interviews, during which we asked someone to record a special message just for you. But it may not be who you expect. Best wishes, A. W.

Repressing the memories, I step into the house. Without breathing a single sound I find the screen and turn it on.

For a brief moment, I wonder who it will be. Father or mother, most likely. Selene and Julius wouldn’t care enough to send me a message, and Proserpina isn’t stable enough to go through long interviews.

My father and mother, at least, I am certain are proud of me. They’ll be even prouder when I win.

Proserpina’s face appears on the screen and I nearly let out a gasp. It is not the sight of her alone that shocks me, but the focused look on her face.

I haven’t seen my aunt look so focused since that day when I was twelve and she was sixteen, and together with the rest of my family we spent a whole twelve hours watching my uncle be ripped apart by mutts, all the while screaming and begging for someone, anyone, to come kill him and end his agony. That was the first day I learned that to kill can be an act of mercy. That was also the first day I ever wished for someone to die, when I wished that another tribute would shoot my uncle to end his suffering.

“Bellona,” My aunt says on the screen in her light clear voice, “I’ve missed you.” She even sounds saner.

Proserpina continues, “Your parents and I are proud of you for making it this far. But, did anybody ever doubt you would?”

I smile, not just at her words but how calm she delivers them.

“We’re cheering for you. But your mother’s nervous. She doesn’t want to watch you die like she did our brother,” For a moment, Proserpina’s gaze grows distant. But then she refocuses and goes on