The Demigod Games Book One: Knives of Blood

Chapter Eleven: In Her Memory

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunger Games or Percy Jackson

Chapter Eleven: In Her Memory

Frank ran through the forest, leaves crunching underneath his feet. He had no weapons, no food, and the memory of Hazel's dead body was hammering against his mind.

Hazel Hazel Hazel. She was dead. Hazel. Hazel. She was gone and now they would never go horseback riding, she would never get to see her horse Arion, never find out who her dad was and never get to grow up and get married and start a family... 

Hazel. 

Frank had to live. He had to do it for Hazel. He had to survive in her memory. He would get back and find Hazel's dad and beat him up for being such a lousy father. He would ride Arion and tell him how much Hazel had loved him. And if he ever did get married, he would name his daughter Hazel.

Hazel.

How could he think of living when Hazel was dead? She was gone, snuffed out, dead.

Hazel.

Frank would never see her smile again. He would never see her golden eyes looking into his, watch as she tried to comb down her frizzy brown hair that she had thought was horrendous but Frank thought was beautiful, wild and free just like her.

Hazel.

Frank settled at the base of a huge oak tree, hunkered down on his hands and knees, and began to sob.

Hazel. Hazel was gone. Gone forever, never to smile or laugh again.

Hazel.

He missed her. He wished that she was there with him right now. She would know what to do. She always had a plan, always knew what was the right thing or the wrong thing.

Hazel.

The afternoon melted into night, and the anthem played above him. Hazel was up there, her face captured in a look of confidence. Hazel was always confident. 

Hazel.

She had been confident that she could run to the Cornucopia and get that sword. That she could run away and that she and Frank would be in an alliance, and one of them would make it home.

Hazel.

The night melted into day and Frank was hungry, so hungry, and he tried to stand but he couldn't do it and fell back down again. The world was spinning and fading into black and he could see Hazel again, Hazel was waiting for him. She was smiling and her golden eyes were flashing with amusement. 

Hazel. He could see her again.

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On the other side of the Arena, Leo Valdez was trying not to explode.

While the rest of the Careers- Luke, Clarisse, Drew, Octavian, and Jason- hunted down the other Tributes, Leo had been set to work digging up the landmines that surrounded the platforms and re-activating them around the net and crates full of their food.

It wasn't like he had much of a choice. The Careers had assured him that if he made any moves of any kind that endangered their existence, he would die a slow, painful death opposed to a quick one.

Secretly, Leo was hoping to find the right time to use his work against them. He didn't care if he died along the way. He just wanted to avenge Calypso.

Calypso. He missed her. She had been so kind, so caring and beautiful- and she laughed at his jokes! He would miss her beautiful almond eyes, how she always smelled like cinnamon, her smile...

Calypso.

He would find a way to kill these Careers. Especially Clarisse, who had killed Calypso. Her death would be slow and painful and even more painful than Calypso's had been. He fiddled with one of the explosives, aware of the power he held within his hands. His mind was whirling with possibilities, of a horrible, awful plan that would end them all.

He was hesitant to kill Jason. The guy had been nice to him. He had snuck him extra food and had never jeered at him or hit him, although that didn't really saw much. When he had the guard shift he had talked to him, told him about his life in District 12, how much he missed his sister.

Realistically, Leo knew he would probably never be able to kill any of the Careers. But maybe, somehow, he could help someone else do it for him.

He watched out of a corner of his eye as a blob of red slowly crept through the trees, moving to the grass in a crouched position so that the Careers wouldn't be able to see her. She moved stealthily, with the skill of someone well trained in the art of deception. Leo didn't remember her name, but in his head had taken to calling her Foxface because of her red hair and sly nature. He watched as she skipped around his land mines, carefully reaching the net of food and grabbing a few items, ones she knew wouldn't be missed. Leo had known that she was watching him, had allowed her to so that maybe, in some way, she could bring an end to it all. Whether it was intentional or not he didn't care, but he needed for justice to be done in some way.

It was unlikely, but Leo would avenge Calypso. Whatever it took.