The Blood Games

Chapter. 4

Chapter. 4

Haley's POV

I stuttered over a rock as we were 'escorted' to the blood games base, where we would be equipped with supply's and allowed one night before the games, which were tomorrow at six o'clock in the morning. I saw Tom smirk when I tripped over, only making me angry, and if it haven't been for my hands tied behind my back, the vampires guarding the main ten vampires, and the thousands of crowds watching us, he would be dead. I was locked in a bright modern room. All the walls were a clean white, with a pretty four poster bed, with veils hanging from it, in the centre of the room. There was a glass balcony, but it was completely closed over like a glass room. I peered at the mirror hanging on the wall, I looked a wreck. I had a blotchy face from crying so much, mad hair from the wind, and pale skin from fear.

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I heard a knock at my door, of course I couldn't let them in, I was locked in. Instead I just waited to hear the lock be picked by the key, then the handle turn.

"Hey Haley." Tom grinned entering the room, almost proud of his rhyme he just said. "You happy I picked you for the games?" he said sarcastically.

"I'd rather jump off a cliff." I muttered through gritted teeth.

"Well, that's a bit extreme, your not gunna die if I pick you. Oh wait, you probably will either way." He grinned sarcastically.

"Shut up." I moaned, before lying down on the bed. I would pay all my life saving, just to get him to leave.

"And what happens if I don't, it's not like you can hurt me, 'cause I have power over you." He sneered, jumping onto the bed and laying next to me.

I lifted my leg up and kicked him out of my bed. "Get out!" I moaned. With vampire speed, Tom was already next to me again, through the blink of an eye.

"You might as well start liking me, seeing as your stuck with me. Don't pretend you don't like me," he taunted in my ear. I gave him a slap, in annoyance. "I wish you were more like Sydney, she does what ever I say and still likes me." He said mockingly.

"I wouldn't want to be like her, if it was the last thing I could ever do." I sneered. My back to his body. He was so cold, if it wasn't for my body temperature, I'd be shivering like mad.

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I felt Tom roll over and wrap his arms around me, whilst I tried to shake him away. "Your pretty stupid to think you would out beat my strength." Tom teased. I went silent not knowing what to use as a comeback, he'd won this time. I peered at the clock, it was almost ten o'clock at night. I realised there was no hope to get him off me, so I just fell asleep.

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I woke up abruptly after having one of those moments when you thought you were falling in your sleep. I then realised something, Tom had gone and it was light outside. This meant the games were closer. It started at eight o'clock in the morning, and it was about five o'clock now. I laid in bed, waiting for someone to burst in and force me down stairs to be equipped for the games. Instead I heard a gentile knock at the door, not like Tom's powerful knock but more of a friendly knock. They opened the door, without needing to unlock it first. Since I woke up I could have walked out of my room, I didn't realise my door was unlocked. I looked up to see Joey, I panicked at first hoping I wasn't in pyjamas or something embarrassing but I was in the same clothes as yesterday. Joey smiled, as he always did, but this time it was more of a smile that was forced not one that just came naturally. "Don't worry," he said doubtfully, "just try your best and when it starts run off and hide, don't go and get the food in the middle, that's when the vampires get their main feast." He said as if he'd done it before.

"How do you know all this stuff?" I asked almost wide eyed. Joey hesitated, not really knowing how to say it.

"It's a long story," he said trying to not have to say why.

"Please tell me!" I begged, now intrigued. He paused then said slowly,

"Fine, it all started at least three years ago, I've forgotten which year it was." He said rubbing his chin, "I was selected in the draw, then taken to the arena. As soon as it started, I just ran for my life, I climbed up a tree and hid there. I watched our kind running to get food, as the vampires had starved us before. In the centre there was an enormous selection of food, enough food to last a year, but as I was watching, the ten vampires just took their chance and attacked them all, draining out the innocent humans blood. I stayed hidden, but then it got worse. There was only eight people left in the first ten minutes, but then I heard a loud bang, saying the games were at a pause. Then several prefects came over to the tree I was hiding in and told me my life would be spared. However, my family had spent our entire life savings to bale me out, and I watched them slowly starve, I occasionally nicked some bread and brought it back to them, but they refused to eat it for themselves and made the younger ones in the family eat up first. But after a year of stealing food and my mother passing away, the prefects came for me, they arrested me for stealing. I was in jail for a year or two, I chose to forget how long, but when I came back to our home, there was blood everywhere, then my dear family." He paused, taking a breath to avoid crying, "my poor family had been killed, they were to weak to get to the draw from lack of food, that the vampires came for them and killed them."

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I realised I was now crying from his story, as it brought back memories of watching my family being torn apart by the vampires. Joey sighed then said, "just remember what I said, and don't loose hope." I nodded firmly, grateful of what he'd told me. I heard my stomach rumble, realising I hadn't eaten for a few days. I then realised what Joey had warned me, they starve you. They starve you without you realising. I reached into my pocket, finding my uneaten ham sandwich from yesterday. They hadn't found it on me. I broke it in half, I thought I should give the other half to Joey when I next see him. Instead of eating my half, I wrapped it up in a tissue and put it in my other pocket, to save for the games.

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I shuddered as loud alarm went off, meaning all the tributes must go downstairs to be equipped. They didn't use to equip the tributes, but now it made the games last much longer. I walked down the stairs, wandering why I hadn't seen any of the vampires yet. The corridor was blocked with tributes trying to get through in a rush, but I spotted Joey as he spotted me. As he walked beside me, I slipped the half sandwich into his pocket. He looked at me as if I'd given him a million pounds, "are you sure?" He asked wide eyed.

"Take it, I have the other half." I grinned back at him.

"Thank you, I really owe you one," he said almost relieved. I nodded, not really knowing what to say next. The tributes formed a cue, as we were directed into a large room, where a prefect handed us a rucksack full of supply's and a weapon. All the weapons were different, but of course, I was given the only weapon I couldn't use, a bow and arrow. I was given a thick coat to put over my jacket, but I insisted I didn't need it. Warmth wasn't going to be an issue for me, seeing as my body temperature stays almost burning the whole time. I looked at my prefect that was equipping me,

"Where have the vampires gone?" I asked mine,

"They have been taken to the arena, they didn't want to risk loosing a tribute before the games." The prefect replied. I was all prepared, with twenty plastic arrows with flint on the end and thirty pure wood arrows. I looked at my waterproof rucksack then looked at the prefect when she spoke, "you are not allowed to look in your bags until the games have started." The prefect spoke in an annoying modest tone. I groaned at her reply, before waiting for the next instruction.

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