Interactive Hunger Games 4

Night 6, Part 2: Confliction

- M A D D O X -

     "Wait, Lyka?" I press. "Revolution Lyka?"

     "Yeah, and Tender!" Ike exclaims. He was explaining his long story about trying to find me after the arena blew up, getting shot, waking up from a coma, having a robotic arm, the whole long story.

"So that's why you were gone?" I ask, a little sigh added. It sucked with him gone, my life had been hard. Actually, I guess it still is.

Ike sighs. "I couldn't help being in a coma." He says, putting his real arm around me. "I'm sorry, I really am."

"No, I get it." I stammer. Then a small laugh escapes my lips. "I volunteered to avenge you, you know."

"So I've been told." Responds Ike, looking at me. "You shouldn't have done that. You're smarter than that."

"Not in that split second." I say, laughing. It quickly fades as my somber mood returns. "I didn't have anyone to lean on, Ike. I- I'm somehow still alive despite it."

"You've got me." Ike says. "I won't leave. Never."

"V-" I sniff as a tear rolls down my cheek. "Van- essa told me th- that too. When that guy blew the arena up. She said she wou- wouldn't leave me."

Ike chokes as tears Well up in his eyes. Sarah and Kable looked on, with despair and a stone cold face respectfully. "P- please. It's not my fault, is it?"

I break into full on sobs as I fall onto a log to sit. My legs were giving out from emotional weight. "I knew when you arrived back here." I start. "I left Vanessa to go see you. I was so close, but I was whacked by a peacekeeper." I sob. "At that point they had already gotten inside Vanessa's room in the bakery. It's not your fault, it's mine."

"You couldn't control that." He says, and I lean into him, resulting in an embrace. "That was the fault of the peacekeepers."

"But I left her." I stammer. "We were safe, and I ruined it. Now she's dead."

"It's not your fault." Ike repeats, standing me up. "None of it."

"Thanks for.. not blaming me." I state, standing up. "Let's get the hell out."

We continue walking, going at a swift pace and cutting down many leaves to traverse the brush. Kable stood at the front, chopping leaves while Ike and I stood in the middle. Sarah watched the rear.

Ike's face suddenly lit up as a sound came through the earpiece. "Hello!" He exclaims. "We're on our way, give us five minutes."

"Who was it?" I ask.

"Lyka." Ike states. Lyka was the girl in the last games who took an axe to the gut and survived. No clue how she managed that.

"We need to hurry." I say. "Let's go."

"Agreed." Ike says. "We don't have all day."

"Then let's get going." Kable says, quickening the pace.

"Yeah. Sounds good." Sarah comments, following along. We go through the forest even faster, sweating like a hot spring. When we finally hear the sound of helicopter rotors, we go even quicker.