Not Just A Game

Chapter 25

I take my knives from my jacket slots, and poise them in my hands, ready to be thrown.

The orange bottle of ointment was shoved into Dustin's pocket as we slowly round the corner and peer into the clearing near the pond.

I'm anxious to see what awaits us.

I hear voices coming from the clearing, but can't make out who they belong to. I try to remember who's alive, and who's not.

Out of the six careers, Blazer and Sandy are dead. That leaves Blair, Talon, Triton, and Mink.

Nobody else was remarkably dangerous.

Except us.

As I peek my head around the corner, I spot exactly who I thought expected. The career pack lounges on the rocks, talking and laughing.

..."Remember when we killed Preston? He was crying like a baby.... That was so funny... That one girl didn't even fight back..."

It makes me sick watching them joke over the people they've killed.

Although I killed three people, Sandy, Beth, and Greyson, I only regret the latter two.

Sandy was a cruel, killing machine. I won't say she deserved to die, but I didn't have a problem with throwing the knife that ended her life.

I swat those thoughts away, and focus on the four targets in front of us. If I can pick them off from here, then it would end the time in this Arena, so we would go back to the Capitol to prepare for the Major Games.

We only have to kill three of them. Maybe a hit and run tactic.

If only three have to die, who will I pick?

I know Blair and Talon aren't too smart, so I know I'll kill them, but last so they won't be able to figure out where the knives are coming from.

But I want to get rid of the smart ones. Triton is actually quite cunning and clever, along with the fact that he's a death machine when he gets his hands on a triton.

I'll kill him first, then I decide to kill Mink. She's smart and fast. She's good with weapons, but only long distance.

Then I decide on Blair. If I had to pick one of the two dead-talkers, it would be her. No point needed.

I raise my knife to aim, and focus completely on Tritons ear. He's facing the side, so that's the center point I go for. It's a good thing that they're sitting on the rocks, not moving around while walking.

They don't even notice us hiding in the bushes, far away from them, concealed by the thick foliage of the trees. I draw my hand back, and throw.

I watch the split second that the knife twirls through the air and flashes slightly in the sunlight.

Triton didn't even see it coming.

It sticks right in his ear as he tips over lifeless into the pond.

He sinks beneath the surface out of sight as the three remaining careers look around frantically, drawing their weapons.

Dustin nods at me to throw again, so I take another knife and aim at Minks head. A cannon goes off, signaling Triton's death, and I re-aim, because the sound threw me off my train of thought.

After centering my focus on Mink's nose, I launch my second knife at her and it too sticks, slightly left of where I aimed, so it actually lodges itself into her eye.

She has time to shriek before a cannon goes off and she crumbles to the ground.

Talon and Blair are now panicking, whipping their heads around to find the attacker.