The Girl from the Seam Book One: Costs

Chapter 20- Bloodbath and Mutts

How could I have been so damn stupid? A bloodbath. Feasts always turn into bloodbaths. Damn it.

"Xavier we cant go-" he was already in the open. "Xavier!" I screamed. Not thinking of myself, I rushed into the fray. The minute I step out, I lock eyes with Riff. He draws a knife and hurls it past a random tribute, then runs to meet me. Xavier is already fighting Tony. Raina is struggling with the girl from 8. 5 and 10 are hand to hand.

"Mirada! What the hell!" Riff yells. "I know, Xavier said we needed more food. But I have to get him out of here." Riff shakes his head vigorously. "No, there's a chance you could win. You need to stay hidden in the bushes until there is only one person left standing. Then you kill." I gape at him. "Riff I can't kill-" Then I remember.

I didn't hesitate to shoot at Nardo. Not to mention he was my first kill. I didn't even think about it. A pain runs through my chest. I killed someone. I killed. Well, he killed Kaya so.... My head is suddenly dizzy and I'm finding it hard to breathe.

Riff screaming at me brings me to my senses. I shake my head to clear it. "What are you saying?" Riff grabs my shoulder and shoves me to the ground. No. No, he's gonna kill me. Well, I deserve it anyway. What's the point? I close my eyes and wait for pain. But it doesn't happen. I open my eyes and see Riff standing over me, knife in hand. But it's not aimed at me. Then he throws the knife and the first cannon booms. He killed someone. I lift my head a little. Who?

Then a scream. The scream came from Raina. Tony is sprawled on the ground, a knife in his chest. Riff's knife. Xavier is laying next to him trying to stand, a wound on his arm. Raina lifts her arm to hurl a dagger straight at Riff's heart. But the Tribute from 8 stabs her in the back and she falls.

Boom.

Quickly, another boom signals a death as District 5 drops dead at the hand of the tribute from 10.

I stand quickly as possible. 4 left. I see the Tribute from 8 aim her knife at a disabled Xavier. My arrow finds her heart and then Boom. I killed another. I look at Riff than look around. Where did the District 10 tribute run to? He looks me, "10. Weren't they just-" Then he lets out a groan and collapses next to me.

Boom.

"Riff!" I scream, then I whirl around. The girl from 10 with scruffy blonde hair grins wickedly at me. "Hi there." I smile at her. "Hi." My hands move fast as I notch an arrow and shoot at her heart. It would have killed her but she dives to the side. But gets it in her right arm. Her dominant hand by the looks of it. She pulls a knife from her pocket and hurls it at my gut. I dive away but it lands in my lower leg. Groaning, I notch an arrow, shoot and pray that it finds its target. A loud boom tells me that it did.

I stumble up and turn around. A gasp escapes my lips. There are bodies strewn all over. Riff, Raina, Tony, the boy from 5 and girl from 10 and 8 whose names I didn't know.

Xavier is sitting up and watching me with wide eyes. His arm has dark blood rushing from a gash on his forearm.

I limp to his side and drop down on my knees. "I'm gonna wrap it. We need to move before someone-" Xavier's hands grasp mine. "Mira..." his voice is soft and gentle. I push his hands away and try to wrap the arm. He lifts my chin so I can see his eyes. "Mira, we're the only ones left."

I stop. No. No. No no no no this wasn't supposed to happen. We're weren't supposed to be the last ones. "I....." I don't know what I say. We're screwed.

"Xavier. We-. You-"

"No, Mira. Listen to me. I am not comprising you. You need to win." I shake my head quickly. I can feel the tears dripping from my eyes. "No, I can't let..." Xavier cups my face. "You have too. I made a promise Mira. You have to win."

Kaya made him promise. I shake my head and my voice begins to crack. "No, I can't just watch you die." He sighs at me. Then I have an idea. "Wait. What if we waited. Wait for the Gamemakers to do something. Like send mutts or a flood or something like that." He pauses. "A knife to the heart would be better the a mutt to the throat." I shake my head. I won't let you kill yourself and I can't kill you." He sighs again. "Fine." I smile at him and wrap his leg gently. We sit next to the lake and eat food. We don't talk. We just wait.

Haymitch P.O.V
So help me that boy if gonna be the reason she dies. I sit and watch them. They both resist to sleep. Afraid the other one will kill themselves. Damn it Mira. Why do you have to be so selfless. I expect Xavier to kill himself. But they do nothing but sit and watch the sun.

I stand to get myself a drink. The minute I tear my eyes away from the screen, I hear a low creaking sound coming from the speakers. So the gamemaker finally decided to play the game.

Mirada P.O.V
It's been a day. I hope we're boring the Capitol to death, the deserve it. I'm laying next to Xavier watching the sun just start to go down. "Xavier?"

"Hm?"

"These games have been so short. Only 8 days so far. Why?"

He shrugs. "Guess we went quicker than they thought."

Against my best judgement, I giggle. He turns his head to look at me. "Why the giggle?"

"I don't know. I think it's funny how they create this game to keep up in check. But in the arena, we don't like to listen to the Capitol at all." He smiles, "They just don't know what to do with us."

Then I hear a creaking noise. We both sit up quickly, looking around. Xavier grabs a knife and I grab my bow, ready to fight if needed. Then the hissing sound starts. It's loud and piercing and feels like a drill in your skull. Suddenly, the mutts come out of the Cornucopia.

I've heard of horned lizard from another game. But except for the spikes, these creatures are nothing like horned lizards. They are huge with ugly coloring and have spikes running all over their backs. They have arched backs, huge teeth and are snarling and snapping. I shoot one but another takes its place. They don't attack but instead circle around us. Xavier pulls me close to his side. "Stay next to me." Then he throws his knife. He kills one, but there are to many. I hand him an arrow and shoot another. Then one of the mutts grabs my ankle and starts to drag me away. I'm screaming and reaching for Xavier, but I can't reach him. The creatures form a bridge between us and force us apart. "Mira! Grab my hand!" Xavier reaches out for my hand and I'm inches away when the creature yanks hard and forces me away.

I stumble up and kick the lizard away. But the mutts don't get any closer. They don't attack. Why? They stay away but snap and snarl at us. The mutts form circles around us. My bow is snapped in the mouth of a lizard. But I have an arrow held up to defensive. Then I see it. One strangely brown lizard crouched down, ready to jump at me. And one black lizard poised ready to jump at Xavier. I raise my arm a little higher but stand as still as possible.

"Xavier, throw at the same time." His bright eyes find mind and I find myself shivering at the look he gives me. Suddenly, I know what he will do. And I am terrified.

His mouth silently forms the words 'I'm sorry'. The he throws the knife at the brown mutt near me. The knife hits the head of the creature and it drops dead.

A scream rips from my throat as the black mutt lunges and buries it's teeth in his chest.