Broken Promises

chapter 6

“Get an axe and a backpack from the pile and kill as many people as you can.” She sternly orders Athena. She nods her head obediently before Johanna gives her a reassuring kiss on the forehead. Johanna and Athena always seemed to have a connection that she and Jason never did. She walks towards the hovercraft that will take her below the arena and climbs the first step. She’s momentarily frozen on the ladder, every nerve in her body still. Briefly, she gets a chill down her spine. She sees from the corner of her eye the Careers staring at her menacingly. She takes a seat near some of the smaller tributes as far away from them as possible. A woman walks over to her with a long needle and abruptly grips her forearm, injecting a tracker into it. She suppresses the urge to scratch through her flesh until she can violently remove the tracker but she knows that she would be severely punished for doing so.

 *

Moments before the initiation of the games, Athena walks straight into her arms. She smells of fruity perfume and makeup.

“Thank you, for everything.” She whispers into her bright orange curls.

“You’re going to get out of there. I know it. You’re stronger than you think.” She whispers back as a tear streaks her pale blue cheek. Athena wipes it away and gives her a small kiss on the cheek. She might not have enjoyed being dressed up as a toy doll, but she did admire Genevieve’s kindness toward her. She leads her over to the small couch where her arena outfit has been laid out. Athena notices the material is thin to the touch. Hopefully, it will be suffice for the weather of the arena she will be plunged into. She pulls the black tank top over her curled hair and slips into the tight black pants. The black boots aren’t very sturdy and seem hard to run with as they pinch her toes partially. Genevieve pulls the jacket over her shoulders and stares momentarily at the axe dangling from her thin chain.

“You’re going to make a beautiful bride one day.” She breathes into her ear cheerfully. Athena stares blankly at her chirpy expression.  Is she implying that she is to marry Jason in the future? Her scattering thoughts are cut short as Genevieve pushes Athena into the tube which will take her up into the arena. The tube closes between their fleeting gazes and Athena is pushed out into the open air.

Instantly, Athena’s eyes begin to water from the foul stench of the garbage piles behind her. She turns forward to see a giant Ferris wheel with weapons scattered around it. Towards her right, a carousal has been abandoned and left to collect rust and mildew. She gets the urge to cover her ears from the eerie music playing in the background. The other tributes seem to be intoxicated by the music as well but the Careers and Athena seem the most focused. The tributes must wait 60 seconds on their pedistal before the games begin; if stepped off too early, they are blown to bits. The gong sounds after 60 seconds and she breaks in a run towards the Ferris wheel to find an axe sitting precariously near a backpack. She grabs both and in the process sees the small girl from District 6 struggling to free another backpack hanging from a branch. She lodges her axe into the girl’s back before she has a chance to turn around. She spits red gooey blood from her mouth and falls forward with an audible thud. Athena takes a pack of throwing knives that the girl landed near.

“Nice job Athena.” She whips around to see Jason standing a few feet away with a sword clutched in his hand. She takes a cautious step back and he reaches out to her.

"Alliance?”  Athena contemplates whether forming an alliance with him is the right choice. She’s taken aback when she sees the Careers circling the Ferris wheel towards them.

“Run Athena!” Jason hollers. He grabs onto her wrist and pulls her away from the drift of the music towards the silent woods behind it.