The Second Annual Writer Games!

Finalist- Jude Shadow

Jude Shadow:

A volley of coughs erupt through my body again as I try desperately to cough out the dust and powder that the bombs put into my lungs. The tributes that remain are all around me in the graveyard. Tired and broken from the events that just transpired we can't muster any energy to fight each other. As the Capitol anthem plays the holograms appear showing the faces of the dead. First is Nutmeg, even though she only got a three in training she surprised everyone by making it even this far, next is Hazel from two. This one really surprises me. She was a fighter and I was certain that she could survive up until this point. The next face appears in the sky. Daniel the guy that was always saying how he was better than all the girls, I chuckle a little bit at the thought that I was the only male left, maybe I was the only one smart enough to not underestimate the females in these games. The final face appears, the crazy girl from District 7 , Adelaide. I breath a sign of relief as I realize that with her dead I no longer have to worry about being tortured before dying.
I check the dead tributes off my mental checklist, the only tributes remaining were Kat from four and my allies Amy and E-Beth. I open my backpack and pull out a pouch of water after taking a gulp I offer it to Amy, she takes it gratefully and then hands it to E-Beth. As Adelaide's face disappears from the sky Draco appears. He looks down on us as he says, "So... you're the tributes who survived oblivion."
We all look up in the sky as Draco continues talking, "Impressive, but as you could've guessed, you're not done yet!" We all look at each other, Draco's words are making us all uncomfortable.
"All the tributes here in this cemetery, your friends and enemies, dead and alive."  He says continuing his speech. "I hope you don't get emotional with them all here, you don't want to spoil the fun."
As soon as he finishes the sentence the crows in the cemetery start going crazy they circle around us over and over as Dracos eyes look down on us. All four of us get closer together as the crows start forming into a figure. The figure has no face just black clothes with a hood over its head.
"Death lingers in this cemetery and he's finally ready to come out and play." Draco continues, "And he's hungry to claim his final prize... you!" our eyes grow open as the floating figure pulls out a scythe, just like the one Claudia used to use.
Draco's face disappears as Death screams thunderously "YOU ARE MY PREY!" and lunges towards us. I pull out my crossbow and fire the bolt that was loaded, on any other target the bolt would've been a sure kill as it goes through the head Death doesn't flinch the bolt goes right through it as if Death was just a figment of our imaginations.
"You can't kill it!" screams E-Beth as she pulls out her sword.
"What are we going to do?" Asks Amy as we all dive to the right to avoid Death's swing, she pulls out her spear as we try to formulate a plan.
I swing my crossbow across my back as it seems ineffective and pull out my sword. "There's gotta be a way to kill it!" I scream back at them.
"Yea! Its called being a career!" Kat screams confidently she walks up to Death, her whip already ready. She swings the whip at Death's leg trying to wrap it around its leg and bring it down, predictable the whip doesn't have an effect on Death as it goes right through.
Kat looks up shocked as Death brings the scythe down on her, she dives to the side fast enough to save herself but not her leg. She screams in pain as the scythe slices through her leg, I imagine if Death had a face it would be smiling right about now, the scythe again comes down but Kat parries it with a knife, she tries dragging herself away from Death's grasp but she's not fast enough, Death again swings its scythe, but this time faster than before. Kat isn't fast enough this time as the scythe comes down on top of her head, her canon fires out of formality even though we all know she's dead.
"We can't stop it!" says Amy.
"What do you mean?" E-Beth asks clearly confused.
"You can't kill something that's already dead." Amy says growing more panicked by the minute.
She walks over to the edge of the cemetery looking at oblivion. If either of you survive... please tell Kylie that I love her very much. With that Amy falls into oblivion, her canon sounds and E-Beth looks at me.
"What about you?" I ask, "do you wanna end it now or go down fighting?"
"Let's do this!" E-Beth screams as we both run at Death, he swings at E-Beth with his scythe and she parries it with her sword. I try lunging my sword into Death's back but just like before it just goes through with no effect. As we fight our despair grows more and more. Amy's words ring in my ears as we block, parry, swing and lunge at Death. "You can't kill something that already dead!"  her face as she plunged into oblivion keeps appearing in my mind.
Death kicks me into Declan's gravestone, as I connect the stone breaks in half with the force. E-Beth smashes into the tomb next to me and we take some time to regroup. As E-Beth gets ready to fight I remember how important victors are in the Capitol. They NEED a victor, and then I realize how to end this. As E-Beth faces off in the direction of Death I stand behind her. It's the perfect opportunity, my sword plunges through E-Beth's chest I don't see her face as she dies, but I hear the canon which is almost as bad. Death looks down at me, I was the only tribute left, the victor but Death shows no sign of stopping, maybe I was wrong about the Capitol needing a victor, Death walks towards me picks up E-Beth's bodies and they both disappear just like he appeared, in a flurry of crows. Draco's face appears in the sky once more.
"I'd like to present the victor of the Second Annual Hunger Games! Jude Shadow from District 5!"
I was alive, I was safe, I had survived the Hunger Games, but I knew I'd never be the same, I'd watched too many friends die. Killed too many innocent children to be where I am now. I'd never recover from this... but at least I get the chance to try.