The 25th Hunger Games (fanfic)

Chapter 28: The Games

Author's Note: Hey! Hope you like Chapter 28! This is dedicated to CookieHunter. Thank you for fanning!

I don't even think when I run to the door of Crystal's room. I run downstairs, sprinting as hard as I can.

"ZAC! HURRY! PLEASE!" she shouts, frightened. What's happening to her? She is silenced by a loud thud, and then the tries to scream, but it sounds as if somebody has their hand over her mouth.

I sprint down the stairs to the basement and find that the large room is empty of any boxes. But that doesn't mean it's empty. 20 yards in front of me, I can just make out Crystal being held captive by another tribute. The tribute has Crystal in a headlock, making it hard for her to breathe. I run to her, not caring if I die. As I approach, I hear the tribute snicker.

"Well, hello Zac." they snicker. "What a lovely surprise!" I grit my teeth, clench my fists, count to ten, but nothing seems to control the anger bubbling up in me. I see that the other tribute is not a boy, as expected, but a girl. Mom used to say not to hit girls, but I'm sure she's regretting that now. I left my bow upstairs, and now, I'm regretting that. I stare at this girl, but nothing rings a bell. 

"Let,.. her... go," I say, fighting as hard as I can to remain calm. My neck is straining, and my eyes threaten to pop from my head. My fists are so tight that they may as well be glued together. But this girl wants to tease with me some more.

"Aww, what are you going to do about it? I want you to watch as I kill your little sister." I take one step forward, and the girl stumbles back. Suddenly, I realize that this girl is scared of me, even if she's trying to hide it. 

"Too bad you don't have your precious knives with you, do you?" sneers this girl. "That would probably come in handy just about now." I take a deep breath, but that doesn't release any anger. I see that Crystal is fighting this girl hard, but she's no match for this brutal 18 year old girl. Or, that's what it looks like. She's taller than me and is muscular. Extremely muscular. But before I can attack her, I hear footsteps coming down the stairs. I don't have to look to know it's Veronica. 

"Crystal!" she shouts, running down the stairs. She stops by my side, taking in the scene. She gasps as she sees Crystal, her face turning red and blue. If I don't do something now, Crystal may not be on this world for any longer. 

"Zac," whispers Veronica in my ear, so low that only I could hear. "Take the bow." I feel behind me and feel my bow. My bow! She brought it! I thank God and silently take it from her. 

"You better do something," sneers the girl tribute. "You don't want your sister to die, do you?" This just sets me off, and this pleases her. I scream at her, whip my bow in front of me, and take an arrow from Veronica. I aim the arrow straight at her head, ready to kill. I pull back the string as far as it goes, but I don't release it yet. The girl's eyes widen, and she looks absolutely terrified. But as much as I hate this girl, I just can't shoot her. It's just not right. 

"You going to shoot?" she says at me, taunting me. I pull it back even further, trying not to shoot, because I really don't want to kill her.

"Let her go!" I shout, making her step back. At this, Crystal makes a choking sound, and her face is turning as purple as a grape. "I don't want to shoot."

"Aww, you afraid of some blood?" she asks, still teasing with me. "Well, Crystal only has seconds left. Say some last words, Zac." The girl tightens her grip, and right then, I know what I have to do. I release the string and watch as it flies through the air. The arrow enters this girls skull, and she releases Crystal. Crystal collpases on the ground, and I run over to her. She gasps for breath, taking in large amounts of air each time. She's frightened nearly to death, and I wrap her up in my arms.