Broken Promises

chapter 14

Jason jumps to the ground and lands squarely on his feet. The clowns almost immediately run straight for him. He slices the head off of three and they land with delightful thuds. He’s squirted with warm, sticky blood. He stops to wipe his eyes momentarily. For a brief second, all is still then he receives a blow to the side of his head. He falls to the ground and everything seems as if in slow motion. He sees the rabid clowns feasting on the heads of the others. The bloody meat stains their pale skin. They stop suddenly and snap their heads in his direction. Their serious expressions turn into psychotic smiles, and all at once begin laughing. Hysterically laughing one, ominous, joined laugh. He can bear it no longer. Jason snatches his sword and lunges for the group. He starts hacking into their bodies one by one until there’s nothing left but pieces and brightly colored limbs scattered. Jason sighs a breath of relief and takes one last look at all the damage he’s caused. He smiles slightly, he needed to protect Athena. He is about to return to the tree when a sharp pain shoots from his back through his entire body.

He slowly turns to see one last clown with his horrendous smile and tattered clothes. His eye makeup looks slightly like Peaches. He gently pulls out his knife and pushes Jason to the ground. He lands on the wound and that’s when he knows he’s going to die. He knew it was going to happen anyway. He wants Athena to win and return back to District 7 where she belongs. How is he still thinking in his subconscious mind if he’s already dead? Lightly, he hears a faint whisper. Jason… it sounds like the coo of a dove. It whispers again.

“God?” He asks idiotically.

“No, stupid!” The dove turns into a heartless crow. He snaps his eyes open. There sits a small girl with long brown hair and big grey eyes. He recognizes her, he knows her, and he loves her.

“Athena.” He breathes as he goes to embrace her. He stops when a pain trickles over his body like a waterfall. He suddenly feels weak and exhausted. She lowers him back against the tree.

“Rest Jason. You’ll need all the energy you can get.” She caresses his face gently; he takes her icy hand in his and kisses it. She smiles slightly then looks away. Jason finally gets a memory of the night before. The clown, his smile, the knife. He thought he was dead. How did he end up here with Athena again?

“Athena, what exactly happened last night?” He stares at her with confusion adorned on his expression. She looks at him with wide eyes and bites her lip. She opens her mouth and begins the story of the damsel in distress and her prince’s life being changed forever.

 “Well, I saw everything from the top of the tree and how you were doing fine until there was only one clown left. I regained some energy after he stabbed you in the back to-” Jason cuts Athena off.

“What did you do Athena?” His tone is serious and demanding of an answer.

“I told you to stay in the tree. What if something happened to you?! I wasn’t there to protect you Athena!” His voice rises as he begins shouting at her.

“You wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for me!” She yells at him with as much intensity. He relaxes suddenly and lies back down against the tree.

“I jumped down and chopped the head off of the clown before he could eat you alive. I applied some antibiotic cream and bandages to your wound then carried you up the tree.” She ends her story with a dramatic sigh.

“All by yourself?” He asks surprised.

“Yes Jason. I’m not a child. I can do things on my own.” Athena huffs loudly before crossing her arms over her chest.

“I know you can do things by yourself Athena. It’s just that, you’re so small, I didn’t think you’d be able to carry me.” His tone is softer as he brushes his fingers through her hair methodically.

“Well I’m stronger than you think.” She replies softly. She looks up into his eyes and his glance meets hers. And that’s when as if a force draws them together and their lips meet. She kisses his soft lips with hers and her arms go to the back of his neck where she usually plays with his light curls. His arms go around her back and he pulls her close. She gets the familiar tingling sensation in the pit of her stomach. She doesn’t just want to kiss Jason to make Tyler jealous. She’s beginning to fall in love with the guy she’s supposed to hate.

She pulls away slightly and lays her small hand on his chest. They both pant until they get enough air back into their lungs. He goes to kiss her again but she turns her head slightly.

“Athena, what’s wrong?” He asks her concerned. Her small face contorts into a distressed expression as if she’s going to cry.

“I’m just a little thirsty. Could I get the water bottle?” She asks quietly as she reaches her arm out to grab it herself but cries in pain as she grabs the side of her abdomen. He notices the side she’s holding is the opposite side than her first wound. He hands her the bottle but eyes her suspiciously. She seems nervous by his relentless looks. She fumbles with the backpack putting the bottle back in.

“What?!” She finally asks breathlessly.

“Let me see your wound.” Jason demands sternly.

“I..I don’t want to show you.” She replies softly as she wraps her arms around her waist securely. He grabs her hands roughly and lifts her shirt. She has the original bandages on her right side but on her left is a purple and black bruise with dried blood surrounding it.

Jason doesn’t understand how Athena is still conscious. She has broken ribs plus the gash from yesterday. There is still one question unanswered. How did she get the broken ribs? The answer is sitting right in front of him playing with her long brown hair and averting her grey eyes from his.

“Athena what happened to you?” He grounds out while rolling her shirt back down. She bites her lip and tells him the real story this time.