The Last Hunger Games

Chapter 29 - Fight gone wrong

Hi, I'm so sorry it took me at least a week to update this, been busy and then as soon as I go to update it, the laptop either runs out of battery and someone's hidden the charger, or turns out I've got a social life and there's plans. Or homework. Anyway, enjoy and sorry it's so short :)

Luckily the mutt turns and hurries back to where the remnants of Lydia's corpse remain. Suddenly, like a curtain being pulled, four mutts are revealed, all as horrifying as each other. Instantly a bunch of tributes run away into the city, and even though I see a few drop some vital survival items, not one person turns around even the slightest bit to retrieve them. 

However I watch them run off for a second too long.

I don't see the mutt leaping towards us, and luckily Jack tugs me away at the last moment. The mutt turns on it's heels, and then leaps towards...

Violet.

Immediately both me and Jack dive in front of her, and I kick out with my foot, somehow catching the mutt's neck and sending it down for a couple seconds.

"Jack, protect Vi!" I yell just in the nick of time before the mutt comes in for another attack. One second later and I would have been unprepared and dead. 

My issue right now is that I do not have extensive knowledge of fist fighting or any type of fighting, only the basics that you've got to know if you want to survive the Capitol Academy. I know that to beat a boy in a fight (or a girl, I've come close to fighting one back home, but not quite. This would probably work just as well on girls, but then maybe it wouldn't, because we can put up with more pain than boys.) Anyway, to get started you have to make the first move by kicking them in the groin when they least expect it, and whilst they're recovering - even if it's only a one second window - you bring your leg up and get them right in the side; the kidney, to be precise. Then you make an uppercut to the jaw with your fist and by that point you should be done, but if not keep repeating it. That's worked a few times on boys in the Academy - Jack one time - and I'm hoping that a mutt won't be much different. First I kick it hard where usually it makes them bend over double (which is quite amusing), however the mutt doesn't even flinch. So then I kick it with all my might in the side, but it grabs my ankle and starts dragging me towards it. It is surprisingly strong for such a lanky thing. I thrash around and try to break free of it's grip, but it's no use. 

"Jack!" I screech, hoping he will do something. I guess this moment will test how strong this alliance really is. 

"Avita!" I hear a desperate voice call out from behind me, and to my surprise it is Jack, sprinting towards me and the mutt, clutching two sharpened spears. 

As he gets closer, I flip myself onto my stomach and try to grab onto something - anything - to stop this mutt dragging me any further to my imminent death. There's a clatter as Jack drops one of his spears and reaches for my hand. I do too, and I just about manage to get a firm grip. As the mutt turns around for the tiniest amount of time, I take my opportunity and tug my leg free of it's grasp and Jack pulls to me my feet, but being the clumsy person I am, I trip over a rock. Luckily Jack catches me, his huge hands under my arms, and I shake him off, quickly breaking into a run in the opposite direction of the Cornucopia and mutts. Jack and Violet dash after me.

I didn't know I was capable of running at such a speed. My lungs and all my muscles are burning by the time we reach the edge of the city, and we pause for just a moment to allow ourselves to breathe and not take four steps a second or something crazy fast like that. Violet seems especially knackered. 

"You..guys..okay?" I say, still struggling for air. They just nod in return and then we hear the all-too-familiar light tread of a mutt. Some sort of silent, unspoken agreement passes between us, and then we all set off running again, our feet pounding the rocky ground and my pulse loud in my ears.