The 65th Hunger Games - EDITING

Chapter forty-four

I'm running as fast as I can to escape the mutts that keep getting closer. The fact that I'm slowed down by the heat, the fatigue and the dehydration is really frustrating. Everything hurts, but I keep pushing myself forward. Soon enough, I start having trouble breathing.

You're almost at the end of the field; you just have to run a little more. You can do it. You can...

I can't even finish that sentence. I stop abruptly, making me fall on the ground. I can't continue in that direction; not anymore. Ahead of me, not too far, one of them is standing, looking right at me like a hungry child looks at the fish it's about to devour. The mutt is standing at the edge of the woods, where the field meets the first trees of the forest. That's exactly where they stopped when they were chasing me and Adenias. Slowly, I extend my arm, trying to reach my trident. When my hand meets the emptiness, I quickly turn my head towards where my weapon fell when I crashed on the ground. It's not there anymore.

"Looks like you lost something. Looking for this, pretty boy?"

I don't even have to look back to understand what just happened. I immediately recognized the arrogant and aggressive tone of voice. Refusing to have my back turned on my enemy any longer, I turn around. She's standing there, looking as exhausted as me. Her entire body is covered in sweat and her clothes are damped in the smelly liquid and something else: blood. She's holding my trident, ready to kill me.

"No one can save you now, not even your generous sponsors."

"I don't need saving." I reply with the same arrogant tone, immediately hating myself for making her angrier.

"Do you really think being arrogant is going to help your case?

"Do you?" I mutter.

"You know, I had doubts that you were incredibly stupid the moment I saw you on the screen and those doubts became a certainty when you killed Filip." she says, half laughing. "Thing is, when I saw all that smoke, I told myself that it couldn't be you, that you were not this dumb. I sent those two idiots, thinking that you were close to the Cornucopia and that maybe I could find you before them. It's when I heard the first canon that I understood. Who'd you kill first, pretty boy?"

"It doesn't really matter because you're next." I answer with the same irritated tone she used.

"You seem to forget who's holding the weapon. While we're speaking of that, it's a beautiful trident; too bad they wasted their precious money on a loser."

As soon as she ends her sentence, she bolts in my direction. I dodge her assault by rolling aside. My left arm is the only body part I couldn't move away from the blade of the trident fast enough; I can feel the thick hot liquid where the blade slashed it. It's probably only a superficial cut; it doesn't hurt that bad. At least, it didn't cut anything else. I quickly stand up, facing my opponent. Behind me, I can hear the mutts. Others must have joined the one I saw earlier. They're producing a weird noise that awfully looks like an evil laugh; it weirdly reminds me of all the excitement the Capitol's people always show towards the annual Hunger Games. It sounds like their mocking us. They're hungry and one of us is the meal.

I need to find a way to escape. The girl from two is still standing not even ten feet in front of me, ready to attack a second time. I can't go forward and I certainly cannot go backward. I slowly make a step on the right, then another one and another one. To my surprise, she moves to her right, making sure to continue facing me while keeping a safe distance.

She's scared of me.

I continue to slowly move in the same direction in a circular motion, imitated by her. Soon enough, her back is turned on the mutts, we have switched position. She keeps looking down at my hands anxiously. She's probably trying to hide her fear, but I've always been good at noticing the small things people like to keep secret. Without breaking the eye contact I initiated, I make a step forward, trying to show as much confidence as I can. Unsurprisingly, she makes a step back. Maybe if I continue walking in that direction she'll eventually end up between the mutts' teeth. It's not a realistic wish, but who knows. Anything can happen in the Hunger Games.

She continues backing up as I move towards her. The mutts are howling louder, probably excited to have their meal delivered to them. She starts looking back at them every time she has to take a step back. She's starting to become angrier with every inch that she loses between the mutts and her. I know that she's going to attempt another attack soon and she too knows it. I have to do something before she does, but what? She has my trident and my knife is in my backpack; I have nothing. I could find a way to retrieve my weapon, but how?

A distraction.

Rapidly, a plan starts taking form into my head. Of course, everything in it could go wrong the second she makes a move that I hadn't anticipated. Even if it's far from perfection, I don't have any choice but to act right now. I step forward in her direction once again, making her look behind her before backing up. I take advantage of the fraction of a second she spends looking at the flesh-eaters to remove my backpack in a fast and precise motion. Surprised, she quickly turns her head back in my direction, but it's already too late. The bag is already on its way to her face. Of course, she lets go of the trident to free her hands and catch the backpack before it reaches her head. I don't wait any longer before charging in her direction. I hit her violently, sending us rolling on the ground, closer to the mutts.

When she turns around, it's already too late; I'm standing over her with my trident. She looks at the tip of the weapon, then at me with an arrogant smirk. There is blood dripping from her mouth, she probably bit her tongue or her lip when she hit the ground.

"So, what now? You're gonna kill me like you killed your little group of friends, pretty boy?"

"There is only one winner, after all." I answer, trying to ignore her comment about my allies.

"And you think that's gonna be you, don't you?"

"Well it certainly won't be you."

"That's where you're wrong, pretty boy. You're even more stupid than I thought. Deep down you know it, you're never going to win this thing, you're never going to escape this hell. In the end, I'm the real winner." she replies, laughing.

"You seem to forget who's holding the weapon." I answer coldly, using the exact same words she told me earlier.

When the trident penetrates her chest, she still has that arrogant smile on her face as if she was teasing me, even though her heart stopped beating. Blood is still dripping from her injured mouth, marking each second that passes. As soon as I hear the sound of the canon, I fall on my knees, completely exhausted.

I did it.

I watch the mutts leaving while fighting the tears that threaten to roll down my face at any moment.

I did it.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you the victor of the 65th annual Hunger Games!"