Author Games: Dacnomania Nexus Accourt

Final - The Final Twist - Tommy Barton

District Ten - Tommy Barton

The pain is unreal. It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before, not even when that colt had kicked in the bottom half of my face. This is blazing, searing stabs that burn at every inch of my body. I’d felt the first bite of discomfort a few hours earlier, and figured it was just hunger kicking in. I’d not eaten much from what I’d taken from the feast; just the tiny loaf that I’d assumed had been my safe package, and a nibble here and there from the other packages. I’d tossed them all away in the end, because I’d figured a slow death from hunger would at least give me a little more time to play with.

I’d regretted that pretty much straight away, but at least I was still alive. And where there’s life, there’s hope, as the old men of the district would say.

The sun had been still high in the sky when the real pain had started. It’d been like a kick to the stomach; sudden, violent and unexpected. Then it had passed, leaving me shaking and confused. I figured it must have been something I’d eaten, and that maybe not all of Pandora’s poisons worked as fast as the stuff the kid from Five had eaten. This was much more their style - leave me weak and damaged, but still alive enough to give them a bit of a show.

After a few minutes, the pain recedes a bit, although there’s still an ache that won’t go away. I’m exhausted, and there’s a clammy patch on my back where I’ve been sweating. A finger of sweat rolls into my eye and I blink the sting away. My head hurts and I press a hand to my temple, feeling the pulse there even through the fabric of the suit. I’m sick, I know that much. Earlier I’d checked the suit, expecting to find a rip or busted seam, which would explain things. I’d found nothing, which left me confused and... I hated to admit it, even to myself, but there was no denying it. I was scared. Tributes, I could cope with, the same went with the mutts they’d sent after us. They were things I could fight. Things I could see. This...this was different. There was nothing but pain; invisible and unpredictable and no matter how much Pa shouted in my head, it was still there.

I pull myself back to my feet, brushing the dust and broken rock off the knees of the suit. It’s almost loose now, the fabric slipping over my skin. At least I didn’t have to worry about it busting every time I moved. Not that I was moving much anymore. Every time I tried the pain reared up. Just a little at first, and it’d be bearable, than a few minutes later it’d come at me like a charging bull and leave me crumpled up on the ground, trying not to scream.

I’ve still got my spear. There’s a sip of water left in one of the canteens, and I’ve got my rope. I’ve lost the knife at some point, but I don’t really care anymore.

Nothing really matters except the pain now. I’ve almost forgotten about the other two kids left. The boy from One and the girl from...I shake my head, but I can’t remember where she’s from. Doesn’t matter now. It never mattered where anyone was from when we got here, then they all died and it still doesn’t matter. All that matters is not giving up. I squint up at the clouds and can almost imagine Asha’s face picked out in the swirling mess.

‘til you come back, Tom-tom. That’s what does it. The idea of not seeing her again is too much. There’s not much in Ten that I love apart from her and Ma. Pa too, I suppose. It’s not much, but it’s worth fighting for.

I take a few cautious steps, gnawing at my lip as the pain flickers into life. There’s something in my boot, pressing up against the side of my foot. I wiggle my foot, but it doesn’t move. It’s not painful, just uncomfortable. It’s too soft to be a stone, but I’m not sure what else it might be. I give up after a minute. Not sure how a anything might have gotten in, but I’ll worry about that later.

One foot, then the next. One step at a time.

The day wears on in a jumble of pain. At some point my vision goes funny, the right hand side of the world blurring into a mess of grey shadows and blurry lines. No matter how much I blink, it doesn’t come right, and I’m left feeling lopsided and off balance. The fear comes back then, and it’s a real struggle to get it back under control again. I wonder half-heartedly if I’m losing it.