Humanity- A Hunger Games fanfic

Part 17- The Feast

I sit there for a few hours, willing them to leave. But they don't. They stay right there. I have the upper hand here. They don't know I'm here, so they'd be unprepared if i just jumped down.... No. I couldn't do that. But Dominic killed Bruce, and who knows who killed Em, it could have been him. I climb down a couple branches and rest the bag on another. I clench a knife in my hand and jump down.

I land, and fall, but I use this to my advantage. I kick Dominic, stabbing the boy in the stomach and twisting, slicing Dominic's throat and kicking the boy back. Two cannons go off, but I can't stop. I stab Dominic again and again, slicing him with his own weapon, taking all my anger out on his lifeless body. I stop, and realise what I've done. There's Dominic's blood everywhere, and I just murdered a 13 year old. I stand there, sobbing, my hand over my mouth, before I come to my senses, grab my bag, and run.

I run and run, and don't stop. I only stop when I get tired and I learn against a tree, sobbing, saying only two words, "I'm sorry,". I don't know who to, but I can't stop. I do it again and again. I've become my worst fear. And then the feeling comes. The same feeling I felt a week ago. The heartbeat. The nauseous feeling, the dizziness. The cold sweating and trembling. Gasping for breath. But it's worse. My chest is compressed, my stomach is knotting. So many thoughts whizzing through my head, the world yelling at me. I'm overcome with emotion, my cheeks wet, but I never recall crying. I feel like I'm dying. My heartbeat is going millions of times faster, threatening to rip open my chest. Then i'm forced through a tube, i feel like i'm racing through time and space at the highest speed imaginable, then it stops. I'm empty and emotionless, numb to the world. Nothing in me. Then I'm weighed down by life again. I sit in the same position, rocking, crying, when I'm brought out by a sponsor gift. I catch it, and it's tissues and a book. I look up to the sky, thank the world, and dry my eyes and blow my nose. I sit down and just read. It's my favourite book from when I was little. A folk tale of a sailor and a siren, named, unsurprisingly, The Sailor and The Siren. As I read, I sing. First I choose the wedding folk song from home. It reminds me of the happiest day of my life.

I was a little 5 year old bridesmaid for my mother, with May. It was a wedding on the beach by the sea and it was beautiful. The wedding was timed perfectly at the exact date and time, so they would be married, not too late, in the sunset. No one could stop smiling. The reception was the most fun I'd had in my little life, and it went on well into the morning. I cry of happiness and nostalgia whenever I think about it. I wanted to be part of the wedding choir, but i couldn't as I'd be walking down the aisle, but i learnt the song and sang my little heart out anyway. I remember Mother helping me fill the bowl with seawater, for them to dap it on each other's lips before the kiss, and Casp in a little suit, holding the rings and draping the grass net over Mother's shoulders with Father. Casp had a little pushchair with May in it, and I had one with my doll.

It brings tears to my eyes, reminding me of a simpler time when I wasn't trying to survive in the Hunger Games. My mother used to sing me a lullaby when I was younger. I've always grown up around these games, but on occasion I'd see a bloody, barbaric death on TV when my parents weren't quick enough to take us out of the room. The images would disturb me and May, and on occasion Casp, when we'd try to sleep. Mother would come into our bedroom and sing it. I try to remember what it was. After a minute or so the chorus comes to me,

Just close your eyes,

The sun is going down,

You'll be alright,

No one can hurt you now,

Come morning light,

You and I'll be safe and sound.

It's a beautiful melody, and tears sting my eyes, threatening to spill.

When I'm singing, I also notice Mockingjays. I've never heard them before, only on TV, or I've studied them. They don't like the sea, I guess. The only birds we get are seagulls. Idiot things. If they were around here I'd happily kill them all. The Mockingjays mimic the tune, creating a beautiful chorus behind me.

Dominic and the boy from 12 show up in the sky. I can imagine Titus whooping in happiness in Dominic's death. If i ever get to tell him, he'll be delighted at the state I left his body in. There's just us and the Axe Twins. I don't know their real names, but I'll nickname them. I don't really pick up names quickly, but I'm very good at recognising people. There should probably be a feast soon. I'm slowly running out of food, too. Water is not a shortage, though. I have the stream.

~

In the morning I go to the beach from a week ago. I throw knives and swim, pausing for lunch. At around 2pm, the voice of Claudius Templesmith rings out over the arena,

"Ladies and Gentlemen, there are 6 of you left in the game. To celebrate this, There will be a feast held at the meadow island pointed to by the cornucopia. You are all running out, but what is here may possibly switch the odds around to you. And with that, may the odds be ever in your favor,". I knew it. I pack up everything and eat most of the last of my food. I need energy, and there'll be food. There always is, most of the time, anyway, but they've done enough mixing up this year. Don't want to make it a Quarter Quell. There'll be food there. I dive into the water and swim to the smallest island, I approach it, and now there's trees lining it. Definitely courtesy of the capitol. Now it's like woods, with a small, grassy clearing with a table. It's very cramped, and I spot the other 3 walk up. I rush to them,

"Hey, guys!" I whisper, a few metres away so I'm not within death range,

"Brianna, you're here!" Evangeline lowers her bow and runs to me,

"How are you, 4?" Mars hugs me,

"I'm good. And alive, most importantly," I laugh,

"Dominic is dead!" Titus says excitedly,

"Everyone saw it in the sky, Titus. We know," Evangeline pats him on the back,

"You have me to thank for that," I say,

"Was it slow?" Titus may as well be jumping up and down,

"No, but I, well, I took everything out on his corpse," I mumble,

"That's my girl!" Titus hugs me, which makes me smile. Titus isn't really an emotions guy, so it's probably pretty rare to get a hug out of him.

"Ok, let's focus. So Brianna, you're fastest I think, so run in and get all the bags. We'll cover you," Evangeline tells me,

"Okay," We prepare ourselves, and I run in, causing chaos. I circulate the table, managing to dodge knives and Evangeline's arrows, get all the bags and run back. As I head back, But then one of the Axes throws an axe at me. I go to dodge, but it's too late. I wince, waiting for death, but it doesn't come. I open my eyes and the axe is deep inside Mars.

Evangeline shoots an arrow, but the twins dodge it and give up. We have their packs now anyway. I run to Mars, who must have sacrificed himself for me,

"Ouch," He says, as i run to him,

"No no no no no, why?" I ask, trying to do anything i can to stop the bloody flowing out of him, but he only answers by pulling me down and kissing me,

"I love you, 4"

"Why'd you do that? I can't let you just die!"

"You can, don't worry. You're going to forget about me when you win, because, let's face it, Titus can't,"

"Thanks buddy," Titus says, making me and Evangeline laugh, though I soon start crying again. We sit there, as I let my tears fall,

"This is taking too long, anyone want to kill me?" Mars says, before coughing up blood. Titus takes a knife and cuts his neck right where it's painless and instant, and the cannon sound rings through the air and I lay there hugging him, holding on, sobbing. I can't let go. I refuse to, dreaming about what could have been if we had played our cards right. But there's no way around it. This is the Hunger Games. This is my reality.