The 53rd Hunger Games- Two Words

39. Red and Gold

Hadrian, Argus and Jem keep fighting. Both Argus and Jem are eager for revenge, and are fuelled by their rage. I sit frozen, watching Arabella’s blood drip off my hands and hit the forest floor. The colour is drained from her face, and her lips are shockingly red, painted by blood. I should get up and help Hadrian fend off Argus and Jem. I’m too shocked by what I’ve done to move though. Arabella’s torso is hopelessly mangled, and horrible to look at. Streams of crimson still run from her body. The minute we leave the area, a hovercraft will come and pick up her corpse.

And her name will go on my kill list. I’ve already got the boy from Five, and the girl from One under my name.

“Eunia!” Hadrian calls, snapping me back to the present. Argus and Jem are both attacking Hadrian at the same time, wielding swords. Hadrian tries to fend them off with his trident, but he looks irregularly pale and sweaty. The injury to his shoulder must be taking its toll.

I pick my axe off the ground, gripping it gingerly. The hilt is red and slick.

I kick Argus, or try to. Before I can connect with the back of his knee, he steps aside. I swing my axe, but if I throw it, it’ll take time to recover.

Argus easily blocks it. My movements feel loose and sloppy, as if I’m not quite in control of myself. Killing Arabella makes me feel like I deserve to die myself. It’s a horrible thing we’re forced to do, and if I hadn’t killed her she’d happily have killed me. Still, the thought of the blood and gore...

Argus takes a swing at me with his sword. I clumsily deflect it off my axe blade, and aim a low sweep. I spare Hadrian a glance, and see that now he only has to worry about Jem, he’s easily besting the lesser Career. Jem’s pressed back by Hadrian’s endless blows.

Argus kicks me, and I stumble. His sword grazes my side. It doesn’t cut into anything, but it’s a warning. I’m suddenly awake. I try another kick, and land a blow on the inside of his knee. Argus swears and takes a step backwards.

Hadrian steps away from Jem, and slashes his sword down Argus’s chest. He doesn’t want to kill them, only incapacitate them. Why he’s being so merciful, I’m not quite sure. Maybe he feels rushed, although if he did, slitting their throats would be quicker.

Argus backs away from the fight with his sword still in hand. Jem knows that he has no chance against Hadrian, and swings desperately at him. Hadrian locks the blade, and forces it away from Jem’s hand. It flies dangerously close to Argus. Jem stands with his lips pursed, ready for Hadrian to kill him. Hadrian just grabs my arm, and starts to drag me away. We’re almost behind a cover of vegetation, when he lets go of my hand and darts forward to Arabella’s body. He grabs something that must be latched around her neck; her head snaps forward grotesquely as his hand descends, then hits the ground with a thud. He starts walking back to where I am, pocketing whatever it is he took off Arabella. His fingers wrap around my wrist, and he leads me away. He doesn’t take his eyes off Jem until we’re out of sight.

“Why didn’t you kill him?”

Hadrian looks at me. “Because I was afraid to.”

This almost makes me choke. Hadrian afraid? I’m sure he has every right to be, but he’s never said anything before. It’s a horrible truth; Careers can be afraid too. Hadrian always seemed so perfect. There were only moments when he was no longer indestructible. The tidal wave left him broken, and he patched himself up. I’m willing to bet the visions in the mist left him wounded too, but you wouldn’t know it.

“They’re going to come after us,” I say. I start to feel distracted and wobbly again as I start to run. Hadrian catches me.

“Eunia, they’re going to be licking their wounds. I think you shocked them, too, more than anything I did. I don’t think they’ll be after us for a while, yet.”