Task 6: Semi-Finals (The Phoenix)

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     Multi colored leaves calmly swirl down from their branches in a nonexistent breeze, peaceful like the calm after a storm. Watching them is a bloodstained girl, her emerald eyes tracing the every movement of each rainbow leaf as they sift slowly to the ground. Lazily she sits back on a high branch, leaning back against the trunk of the yellow barked tree without a care in the world. Below her lay the carcasses of three great reptiles, all disembowelled and bleeding out their heated blood over the soft pink grass.

She'd been like this for a while now, like a princess sitting in her tower awaiting rescue, except this princess had already rescued herself, she just feels content enough to not move. Her stomach is full and her thoughts are sleepy, leaving any half-baked fears of other tributes finding her to hide somewhere in the back of her mind. She almost could have drifted off into an easy sleep, in fact she would have, if it isn't for the change in the falling leaves.

Her attention is piqued by a soft beeping noise coming from somewhere above her, and she shifts her eyes up to search for its source. It doesn't take but a moment to find it, as a familiar glinting of silver stands instantly out among the colorful leaves. The sight of it snaps the drowsiness instantly from her mind, and she abruptly sits up in her seat to watch the small silver container slowly float down on its white parachute, the object eagerly being snatched up by her as soon as it's within reach.

She practically rips the parachute off of it, instead allowing it to flutter down to the ground with the dead raptors and soak in their emerald blood. Her eyes are only for the the metal orb cupped in her hands. Contrary to what she'd expected, it isn't much of a container at all, rather it's more of a sphere shaped machine, a glowing blue circle of light at the center of its surface. Andie's wide eyes are glued to it as she looks down at it, her knowledge of what the machine's function is only increasing her awe and bewilderment.

Her momentary hesitation lasts only for a second, before she quickly brings her other hand up to tap the blue icon, her stomach churning with both a mixture of anticipation and eagerness. The machine gives a beep of acknowledgement, before the blue light sweeps up and projects itself onto the air in front of her like a screen. The circle spreads and its blue color fades to reveal what seems like a very real window into another universe altogether. Andie's wide eyed look only pales further at the sight of the person situated in the center of the holographic screen.

With cold amber eyes and a hard expression, the man seems to be taking in her appearance just as much as she is his. His raven hair is tousled and very much similar to her's, aside from the dark orange highlights that run through it in seemingly random patterns. His skin is pale like her's, and he has sort of intimidating hawk-like appearance with the sharp contours of his face, one that is only enhanced by the piercings he has all over his face and ears, and - Andie knows - over the rest of his body. She can only see him from the shoulders up, with only the two silver piercings in the bridge of his nose and the two below his lower lips visible.

Andie would be able to recognise him anywhere.

"Dex..." She mumbles in disbelief, the first of the two siblings to speak.

The syllable is immediately followed by a startled sob that escapes her throat at its own accord, her eyes starting to tear up at the familiar sight of him. She has to bring her hand up to press against her mouth to choke back more ecstatic sobs.

Dexter Kendall frowns. No, he scowls at her at the sight of her emotional reaction to him. "Andie," he says firmly, "stop crying."

Andie hiccups a laugh at his directness and shakes her head, only seeming to irritate him more. A wide smile is hidden by her hand, her happiness so immense she couldn't stop the flow of her tears if she tried. Just the sight of her brother fills her with so much homesickness and surprising relief that she's overwhelmed. At this moment, she wants to just reach through the hologram and hug him more than anything.

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