The Survival Games

Chapter 12

"So you're telling me that they're-"

"Yes I'm telling you that they are." Julio just explained his entire theory of whatever Emily and Devon were doing behind the wall, which I will say wasn't very pleasant. Then I hear this pounding noise. Like someone was hitting a gong or like a clock was inside your head. As if the light ticking were low, humming bangs instead. Is it only me? Am I the only one that can hear this?

  "What the hell is that noise?" Julio suddenly says, springing up from the boulder and walking toward the open side of the cave.

  "I guess not then," I mutter as I follow him. By the time I make it to where he is, he doesn't move. "Julio?" Still nothing. I follow his gaze and realize why he wasn't answering. There were these giant glowing digits on the sky, counting down from 20 seconds. But for what? I wasn't sure, until it finally hit me. "No," the words softly escaped from my mouth. Julio and I look at each other and run to tell the others.

  We look everywhere (except that one place), but we couldn't find any of them. Then a voice from outside counted down, starting from ten. Tears started to well up in my eyes, and Julio pulled me in for one last hug. We stood there for the remaining 7 seconds in each other's arms, not knowing if it would be the last time doing so. I close my eyes, unable to bear it anymore.

  But when I open my eyes again, I'm back at the cornucopia.

  Scanning the arena, I realize that only nine of the 100 pedestals are occupied with someone on them, including me and the team. But why did the gamemakers change the game so early? Wait hold on, why did they even change the rules in the first place?! You can never trust those damn gamemakers. I look to my left, and there I see a girl around my height with pale skin and reddish-orange hair. On my right is Julio. He stands with his knees slightly bent, with more of a relaxed posture. When he turns to look at me, I can read what his eyes tell me. Let's get out of here. I nod and Julio puts his hand on his pack, readjusting it. When the sirens sound, everyone rushes into the cornucopia.

  We both turn away and run. A canon has already been sounded once we've made it to the edge of corn. Swimming away, back to the beach with the cave, we devise a plan to break the barrier trapping us within, using the coil to tie onto one of Julio's arrows. Once I've shot the arrow to the barrier, the coil would cause it to malfunction, shutting it down and giving everyone else on our team an escape out.

 We both run to the highest point of the arena, endlessly trying not to get struck by lightning. The sky's getting dark quickly, which will leave us with a huge disadvantage if anyone does try to sneak up behind us. When we finally make it to the top of a cliff, Julio passes me his bow and quiver. They have a familiar scent, something like..

  "Roses," I barely whisper. The wind's starting to pick up as well, so I try to focus my aim already. "How'd you get the scent on your weaponry?" I practically yell to him.

  "I kept a few rose petals in my bag, it started to smell." 

  "Strange, isn't it?"

  "Nah, not really. Now hurry up before we get killed!"

  I pull the bowstring back and aim to the sky. I draw in one last deep breath, and let go.

  It happened all at once. As I saw the arrow hit the shield, the coil still catching up to it, sparks started to fly everywhere. Bursts of bright light, starting to set the trees on fire. Canons were sounded as well. The barrier started to break down, the entire sky had gone black. Suddenly, chunks of metal were falling, and all I could hear was the screaming of the people from the cornucopia.

  "Well, they're loud today." Julio is standing at my side, and he grasps my hand. When I turn to look at him, one question suddenly crossed my mind.

  "Julio," I say loud enough for him to hear. He invests his attention into me, and it takes me a short while to ask him the question. "Will I ever see you again?"

  "You probably will," he replied, smiling.

  "So until then, I..." I start to feel something get caught in my throat, working up the courage to say the final words, "I guess this is goodbye." He pulls me in again, making this the last hug I'll ever receive from him. Well, at least for now. As the light coming from the gaping hole in the arena brightens, I close my eyes tightly, leaving the feeling of the wind against me and the sound of falling pieces of metal.

"Jayme," I hear a voice call from the other side of the room, "JAYME!!!"

  "Gahh." I spring up from my bed. No, was that a drea-

  "It's nearly noon!" I start to recognize the person as my younger brother. "Why were you sleeping for so long?!"

  "Sorry, okay?" Intruder. much?

  "Grandma's getting worried about you. I have to keep telling her that you're trying to be taller. And guess what?"

  "She's not buying it?"

  "YES!! Now hurry up before she yells again."

  "Alright, alright," I tell him. He exits the room, walking down the hallway. When I can't see him again, I check my phone. 11:49 AM - JUNE 18, 2013. How did I end up back in my bedroom? Was that even real? Am I going insane? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?! My phone goes off, scaring me a little. I check my messages, and there's a text from an unknown number:

Hey, whatever happened the night of the deathmatch was amazing. Thanks for being a great companion and team player! Lol, that sounded weird.. Anyway, now that you have this number, maybe we can chat sometime? Seriously can't thank you enough for what you did that night. You surely won't be forgotten by me :) - Julio

  When I read the last section of the text, my mind goes blank. Everything around me moves slower than normal, and adrenaline rushes into my veins. I feel like screaming, and running around, and telling the whole world that I have been noticed by one of my biggest idols. Then I remember that I might as well be in a mental asylum. So for the rest of the day, I keep it in and show no signs of insanity to anyone. But even though I got that text, one final question still remains.

  Did any of this really happen?

- - - - - - - END - - - - - - -

Finally finished it! I don't know if it was a good way to end it, but here you go! Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing/making it! Deciding whether or not to make a sequel? Only time will tell :P