bit coyne. (coyned) wrote in colosseum, @ 2014-03-16 17:44:00 |
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24 plates rose out up out of the floor, 24 heartbeats pounding in their chests and Bit swore he could hear them all. Last year had they all been this terrified? When he watched, horrified, as they killed one another until the girl from 2 outlived them all, she had been cruel in her kills.
And now he was here.
He looked around, everything seemed so red and harsh, rocks were everywhere. This was nothing like home.
The countdown finished and Bit ran as far away as he could until he couldn’t run anymore. He had only managed to grab a club. Maybe he could just hide until the games were over. He didn’t want to be a killer, he didn’t want this.
~*~
Water. He knew he needed it, sunrise and sunset were hard to tell in this arena, but it had been a while and he knew that he would have to do something soon. Tributes had received gifts last year, would they again? He glanced up at the sky.
It didn’t look like it was about to rain, a parachute or water.
~*~
The cactus.
He had only seen one in a book once, but as he hid behind a red rock he remembered. His head was pounding and his mouth was completely parched, it tasted like something had died in his mouth. But he remembered.
He glanced around, the coast seemed to be clear from people and mutts and he stuck his spear into the cactus.
The cool liquid spilled onto the ground but Bit had his face under the water before it was all gone. Now all he needed was a cup.
There was a sound he didn’t recognize and a silver parachute appeared in front of him, holding a flask. Be a clever boy, they like that was what he heard but he opened it and filled it with water.
~*~
The water made him feel better. It had a funny taste to it, it tasted like earth and less like water, but it refreshed him. He had water, that was one thing taken care of. The other problem was that there were 17 people between him and his way home. 5 had died the first day, 1 the next, and 1 today. Who they were, he wasn’t sure.
Something would need to happen so that he can go home and he didn’t like thinking about what that was.
~*~
Shaking he watched as the snake mutt tore the boy from 1 to pieces.
He threw up twice as he ran away from the muttation, he should have looked to see if it was coming from behind him, but all he could do was run, the images of the boy from 1’s throat being torn out by two large fangs.
~*~
His grandfather had always said not to do what the Capitol wanted, but he knew if he wanted to win he would have to do what they wanted, he would have to become a killer. Never do what they want you to do.
But he had to if he wanted to make it home and he wanted to make it home.
He set his trap, a flask with water in it, he made it look like he had left, a bloody handprint on the flask, and left it out. Then he waited spear in hand.
When the tribute came, this time he didn’t throw up.