The Last Hunger Games

Chapter 30 - The Jump

We set off, our feet pounding against the ground and my pulse loud in my ears. The mutt can't be far now, I can hear it gaining speed.

"Follow me!" I yell over my shoulder, overtaking both Egnatia's and beginning to weave around buildings and under crumbling archways, all the while trying to scan for pods and deciding with split-second instinct that I didn't know I had whether or not they're safe to go down. The narrower the alleyway, the higher the risk of there being pods. But the wider the alleyway, the more easily the mutt gains on us. We seem to be in an impossible situation. 

This thought vanishes from my mind though as we suddenly come across the collapsed building where Celestia was poisoned by that damn spider. Immediately my heart rate picks up even more, and in turn so does my breathing. I have to tell my brain to get its act together, to think of a way out of here, saving both me and my allies in the process. All around we are surrounded by tall piles of rubble or tightly packed buildings.

There is no way out.

Or is there? The crazy idea that's just come into my head could work - it's possible- but it's dead risky and very dangerous. The sound of the mutt's gnarly claws on the rocky ground get ever louder and closer, and I guess it's now or never. 

In a panicked tone, I croak out, "This may seem crazy, but just do what I do and trust me."

"Well, it's been nice knowing you both," Jack says sarcastically, and I stamp on his toes. He whines, but hardly for long as the mutt is much too close comfort now. But then again, I don't think our wrecked minds and emotions can remember what 'comfort' means anymore. Taking a big breath of air and gesturing for the others to follow, I begin to wildy work my way way up the mountain of rubble, my feet moving as nimbly as they can. I try to tread lightly, as I know that if I step on one loose piece of debris, then I'm a goner. 

Almost there now, there now, there can't be much more of the pile to maneuver my way up. My next task though, is trying to make the six foot jump onto the unreliable toof of the nearest building. First I attempt to get myself in a steady position on the top of the pile. I nearly fall face fist downwards when Jack bumps into me from behind.

"Jump already, would you? The mutt's here!" Jack shouts into my ear. 

And so I do.

I take a giant leap off the rock I was standing, and lunge my whole body forward, towards the roof.

I land with a thud, my knees skidding across the gravel. When I check them they are grazed and bleeding. Next to jump is Jack. He jumps exactly as I did, grunting as he lands on his side. I look back and take a sharp breath.

"Jump, Vi! Hurry!" I yell, for the mutt is at the base of rubble tower and trying to claw its way up. Just as it looks as though it's going to launch up and grab Violet, it positions itself instead in the gap between where Violet and we are.

"You can do it, Vi! We'll catch you up!" Jack shouts. She's terrified - quite literally - and I swear my heart skips a beat as she daintily yet determinedly jumps from where she's stood.

The world around me goes into slow-motion, which makes everything all the more tense. My heart must skip more than a single beat as I am made to watch the sharp teeth of the bite straight through Violet's ankle, taking it clean off. At this point everyone's screaming. Suddenly the world speeds up again, and me and Jack reach out just in time to catch a wailing, screaming Violet. 

A/N: Just so you know, I think ima update this roughly once a week. Hope you're still liking it. and sorry this one's so short, the next one will be longer! :D