Submerged

Chapter 8

Sorry for yet another long wait. I just started high school, and the math is the worst thing ever.  To make things worse, I'm not sure when  I'll be able to write upload another chapter. I have about 8 books that I need to read (not including BoO), and The Blood of Olympus comes out so soon (not soon enough, yet also too soon)!

Btw, this is the same author, I just changed the name so I could tell you guys about my Youtube.

Chapter 8

                It didn’t take long to teach Aspen the throwing knives. He was already pretty good and a fast learner.

                The second, and last, day of training, I wanted all three of us to work together. It turned out that Dylan had no skill with the bow, so we spent half of the day trying to find a weapon that would suit him. None of them worked. Finally, Aspen suggested that we just move on and try to learn a few more survival skills.

                I could leave him, I thought, I have Aspen now. Dylan is just a deadweight. Do I really want to die for him?

                I forced those thoughts out of my mind. If I abandoned him, Dylan would certainly die, and that wouldn’t guarantee my survival. Even if I let him die, Navyy would hate me forever.

                Learning about the plants was kind of interesting, but it was also scary that one plant was completely harmless, but its twin could kill. Wouldn’t it be ironic if I went to so much trouble to protect Dylan and then got him killed by feeding him?

The idea of the interview was enough to make me sweat. I had been given specific instructions on how to act, walk and talk, but the nervousness kept swirling up inside me like a swarm of bees. When it was finally m turn, I squeezed Dylan’s hand and stepped onstage.

Bright lights shone down upon me, making my outfit a bit warm, but I ignored that. There were so many people that I felt like a fish out of water- literally.

Mara had dressed me in a long, pale blue mermaid gown and covered my head with an itchy, blue wig. It seemed like a bit much to me, but Mara probably knew what she was doing. Probably.

“Ah, Miss Delta Rio,” Caesar began, “when did you trade your legs for a tail and swim into the ocean? You look like a mermaid!”

I blush a little, not used to compliments, and said, “Thanks, my stylist did a great job, but if I’m still mad at her.”

“What did she do?” He asked, “I can’t imagine why someone would want such a warrior on their bad side.”

“Well,” I paused, a little embarrassed, “It might be easier to show you.”

Then, I reached up and pulled the annoying wig off, revealing my newly shaved head.

“What do ‘ya think?” I asked, pretending to care, “Do I make it work?”

“Of course you do!” He chuckled, “Now tell me, would you still have volunteered if you had known this was what you were getting into?

“Yes, yes,” I assured him and the audience, “Honestly, I had no choice. My best friend was going to volunteer this year, but then Dylan was picked, and, well, he’s her brother.”

The audience gasped with sympathy, and I knew I had won them over.

                That night, I found myself awake- tossing and turning when I should have been sleeping for the games. Maybe it was a good thing I was awake; otherwise, I wouldn’t have heard the voices outside my door.

                “Shh! We need this to be a complete surprise!” warned one voice.

                “Yeah, I know,” agreed a second, who sounded suspiciously like Mara, “I’ll be ready.”

                It was odd; the strange conversation should have woken me right up, but I suddenly felt so tired. Each time I blinked my eyelids shut, they seemed to stay closed for a bit longer than before.

                My mind started to protest, but I just couldn’t resist the call of sleep. I could deal with Mara and the stranger in the morning.

                The smell of smoke and hand on my arm shook me out of sleep. I bolted up straight, gasping for air.

Hair:

https://img0.etsystatic.com/005/0/6952910/il_570xN.382863312_5ptq.jpg

Makeup:

http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=82619934