GOLDEN REBEL HEART

Chapter 17

A/N: I will now put the songs I recommend listening to while reading. And for this chapter, the songs are:

Nothing To Hide, Diego Garcia
Into The Fire, Thirteen Senses
Bells, The Naked And Famous

-

Taylor didn't warn anybody of her new and risky trip to the most dangerous zone of the North. She didn't warn Rue, or Karlie, or Sanjay. She just left her shack in the early hours of Saturday morning, the hood of her grey sweatshirt covering her head as she furtively sneaked off Utkarsh with one of the technical cars parked a few meters away from the entrance of the town. Her hands tremble, her eyes dart back and forth the wing mirrors, and the fact that the territory she's diving into is unsafe and filled with enemies make her whole body shake with both fear and adrenaline. Her knuckles turn white, as the death grip she has on the steering wheel tightens. The American doesn't know how much time it will take for her to reach this arena; she doesn't even know what it looks like. That old man had just told her that she would recognize it, since she had to park her car at the end of a long cobblestone staircase that would eventually lead her to the entrance of the arena. Taylor doesn't even know what to expect from this; will she really be able to kill all of those animals? Will she be able to kill wolves, and perhaps bears, and foxes? The fact that the answers to these questions are all a mystery make her throat go dry and heart beat wildly inside her ribcage, because — what if she dies? What if she doesn't make it, and overestimates her skills? What would Karlie say, or do, or think of her? What would Rue do without her?

However, before she could regret her decision and go back to Utkarsh, Taylor finally spots the end of the staircase and parks the car along the road. She quickly crosses the street and ascends the stairs in a hurry, not wanting to be exposed for too long. The American reaches the top with heavy breath and reddened cheeks. She pulls the collar of her jacket up her neck, shivering because of the cold temperatures.

Nobody recognizes her; or perhaps, nobody looks her way. There is a large crowd in front of the entrance, and she pushes her way through until she stumbles upon a topless woman. Her sapphire eyes can't help but ogle at the naked patch of skin, and she blushes when she sees the smirk on her face once she meets her stare.

"Welcome to Noor's Games," her voice is deep and sultry, and Taylor swallows. "Would you like to play?"

The blonde stiffens when the other woman trails her hands up her clothed torso. Taylor remembers the old man's words, and nods quickly. "Yes."

The woman's smirk grows. "Perfect. Follow me."

-

Her heart has never beaten so hard before.

Taylor can hear everything; from the sound of her blood flowing in her veins, to the cheers beyond the cobblestone door. Everything is loud, every noise reaching her ears amplified as she desperately holds onto the only weapon she's been given; a simple shotgun. With only seven bullets, who knows how many animals she has to kill in order to win.

"Alright, dear, good luck," the woman from before whispers against her neck, and her wandering hands briefly touch Taylor's tense sides. Just then, the doors open, and bright lights blind her as she's pushed inside the real arena. Not enough air reaches her lungs, as she's wonderstruck by the sight before her. The arena is flat, there is sand beneath her feet, and people are screaming her way as she stands alone. Taylor looks like a caged animal, as a horn echoes and another door across her opens. There, her first real enemy silently walks towards her; a fox. Its orange fur almost looks soft to the touch, but the blonde attentively moves to her right, never disconnecting her eyes from the animal. It almost looks innocent, as it keeps watching her with a feral gaze. Taylor tries to remember Karlie's lessons, when she had taught her how to hunt without losing control over her body. But it seems like a difficult task, as the first thing she does when the animal leaps towards her is run for the hills. The people surrounding the arena cheer, obviously entertained by the scene unfolding beneath them as Taylor tries not to trip. She hears the hungry growl of the fox, and before it could latch on her calf and hurt her, she turns around and hits him with the back of her shotgun. The fox whimpers, now taking a few steps back as it snarls at the blonde woman. Taylor aims at it, and with shaky fingers, thinking it's now or never, she pulls the trigger and kills him on the spot. The crowd applauds and whoops, and she looks up at them with wide and bewildered eyes.