| FINALE | Interactive Hunger Games 6

Night Six: Finality

"An end is only a beginning in disguise." - Craig D. Lounsbrough

This will be a long chapter, going just over 3k words. Buckle up. Also, you should watch the video above. If you didn't know what I looked like, now you know. Thanks for 5k!

- R O M A N - A R M S T R O N G -

     Watching the sunset over the peak of the western mountains was pretty beautiful. I didn't think it would, with the impending doom and the ash cloud, but it was one of those special moments. I could die here, after all.

     It was unlikely now, with all my cool shit. But, anything could happen. Seriously, who could've predicted the volcano? Everyone must have been caught with their pants down. I'm just glad Merryn and I hadn't been caught in Reine when the tidal wave hit.

     Still, though, I couldn't get over Mari dying. If only we hadn't gotten so extreme, maybe Mari would have been with us. Survived 'till now. That poor girl. I knew I couldn't blame myself, but I desperately wanted to.

     Nearing the end, it was more important than ever to keep my composure and my morals. In the training center, I'd watched too many games where people that betrayed their morals in the games lived a sad and miserable life afterward. I didn't want to be that guy.

     So, someone else had to find Cecilia. I wouldn't. Even if she was a Capitol spawn, I wouldn't hurt a damn twelve-year-old. That chokehold on her was enough. She surely wouldn't pursue me now, I hope.

     It was turning to night rather quickly now, and all that was left of the arena was this valley on the far southern border. A small elevated lake surrounded by steep mountain cliffs. Fitting, since only four of us, were left.

     Damn. Twenty-Two dead. That would be more surprising if it wasn't so morbid. This was a fucked up situation. And yet, I'd volunteered for it. Then again, anything would be done for my sister. 

     Catching my attention quite readily, a sharp object flies past my head. A dagger, I think. I spin around quickly, seeing... oh great. Fucking Cecilia. She stood there, scared as hell, with her ballistic knife thing from the feast.

     "Did you not take the hint?" I ask angrily, holding my sword out toward her. "You know, to get the fuck away?"

     "This is the most logical thing I can do," she counters. "You're the biggest threat with the most supplies."

     "Go, before I have to kill you," I threaten, knowing full well I couldn't kill a twelve-year-old. I put on my most angry face, trying to scare her.

     "You killed Cameron," she mutters. "Fuck you."

     "Someone call the Wambulance," I retort. "Shit happens in the Hunger Games, honey."

     She loads another knife into her launcher, and I notice it's her last one. "You killed him, damnit!"

     "What do you want me to say?!" I sneer, getting a bit defensive in my stance. 

     The knife launches from her gadget, flying to my left again. She was out of weapons. I could incapacitate her. I could leave her for someone else, maybe. I wouldn't be the one to stick the knife in, but I could set it up. 

     As she reaches for another knife, I lunge at her and deck in the head. She already had one black eye from the last punch I delivered, so maybe she'd gain a second. She stumbles over, spit flying out of her mouth as she falls to the ground.

     I drop my sword, walking over and flipping her over. Yeah, that was a hell of a black eye. I just needed one good punch to knock her out for a minute or two, letting me get away and her not see.