miranda tern (fins) wrote in colosseum, @ 2014-02-15 11:14:00 |
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Tossing and turning, wrapped now in her own jacket and the tatters of Machine's jacket, Miranda couldn't help thinking about the carousel. It had been a trick -- she understood that on one level. But it hadn't tried to hurt them, had it? It would have done something else, if that had been the Gamemaker intention -- shoot bolts, set them on fire, drown them. But nothing had happened. So she slipped away from camp, creeping down on Main Street, armed to the teeth as the foggy sun began to rise in the arena. It would be a five minute indulgence, she told herself. Five minutes and nothing more, but entirely worth it to hear the songs from childhood again. (And as it was, Zipporah was as much a liability to the Careers as she was, right now. She wasn't worried.) She began to walk faster. It was only when passing the arcade that she stopped short, hearing the distinct noises of scared whispers inside. Shielding her eyes from the early morning sun, she paused to consider it. It sounded like a little girl. Another quick kill, a little carousel music and some breakfast? Who could pass it up? The door opened easily for her, and mace aloft, Miranda stepped in. "Hello?" she called out. "Anyone home?" It was deathly silent, and she surveyed the dusty seats and games with confusion. Clearly, no one was here. A tiny trickle of dirt was running down one of the walls, and she processed what it meant a second too late. The roof above her collapsed. Screaming, Miranda dove out of the way, covering her head and crouching in a corner, gasping with shock and horror and staring up at the patch of foggy blue sky now visible through the opening in the roof. Her shoulder above the splint was stinging, and she tugged at the tattered sleeve and sighed with frustration at the sluggishly bleeding gash. Idiotic. The priority, Miranda knew, was to get back to camp and have Ariel sew up the cut -- it was fairly deep, but no worse than anything she'd seen lately. (No quick kill and no carousel music, but at least there would still be breakfast.) "I'm fine!" she called to the sky, giving the rubble a kick as if to prove it. She stubbed her toe. "Totally, completely fine!" |