Chapter 10-
“Ow. OW. OWWW. Scott!” I whined in pain. “Stop moving” he ordered annoyed as he wrapped my arm in fresh bandages. “It hurts” I growled at him. “Well if you don’t move so much it wouldn’t hurt” he said looking me in the eye. I sighed annoyed but did as he said, trying my best not to kick him for tightening it so much.
Scott and I had found a new place to hide. We deserted the ruins even though I didn’t want to. We spent the rest of the day trying to find another place to spend the night. The rain hadn’t washed the snow away unfortunately but instead had turned everything into ice. Our shoes weren’t designed for an icy arena so we had to be extra careful.
We luckily happened to stumble across a little pond. It was frozen over but it was completely surrounded by trees. The trees were just as frozen over as the rest of the arena. However these trees had spiked icicles hanging from the branches. Any sudden or quick movements would cause them to fall and based on how frozen everything was it wouldn’t be too hard for them to pierce through the human body.
Scott said it was okay to rest here since nobody would take the risk of following us out and going past those icy trees. If somebody did we’d hear them and we could get away in time. I listened and let Scott lead. Now it was dark, well darker than usual that is, and Scott had managed to catch another rabbit. We had already eaten and were waiting for the anthem.
“Ow! I didn’t move that time” I couldn’t help but groan in pain. Scott mumbled an apology and smiled at me. “That time it was entirely my fault” he said looking up at me from under his eyelashes. “I know that already but admitting it isn’t going to make the pain go away” I said giving him a semi-dirty look. He smirked and said “I know how to fix it” I raised an eyebrow at him wondering what he was thinking.
He moved closer to my left arm and placed his lips over the bandage that covered the wound. I couldn’t help but laugh a little. He looked up at me and chuckled. “Better?” he asked. I nodded still laughing, “Much” I replied. He grinned and pulled away as the anthem started playing.
2 faces had appeared in the sky. One was Drex’s and the other was a boy I didn’t know. I sighed and looked at the frozen pond not too far from me. I couldn’t help but feel responsible for Drex’s death. She saved my life in the end and I had let her fall to her death. She had suffered her whole life, alone. I wanted to go back and help her. Scott sensed how I felt because he gave my hand a gentle squeeze and smiled at me. I gave him the best smile I could manage but he knew it was fake.
Luckily he didn’t push me any farther as I took a seat at the trunk of a tall tree. I leaned my back against it and brought my knees up to my chest, burying my face in them. The thought of Kurt’s survival of another day gave me a small sense of relief again although I wasn’t sure why. I knew he would die eventually but part of me was denying it, as if he’d survive and get home.
I glanced towards Scott who was watching me. He gave me a soft yet sad smile when he caught my gaze. “Being alone won’t make things better” he whispered but I heard him clearly. I nodded and he moved towards me, carefully taking a seat beside me. I leaned my head on his shoulder as he wrapped the blanket around us. His axe was at his side and I also had a knife beside me. “You’ve had a long day. Go to sleep and I’ll take first watch” he said smiling gently down at me. I hesitated but nodded my head closing my eyes.
When I finally decided to open my eyes I saw light filtering in through the frozen tree branches. “Good morning” Scott smiled at me. I sat up straight and stared at him amazed. “It’s morning?” I asked. He nodded his head with a smile. “Why didn’t you wake me up? Did you stay awake all night?” I asked frantically. “Calm down Sky” he said with a smile but I could see how tired he was “I did stay up all night. You were sleeping so soundly that I didn’t want to wake you up” he finished. “Go to sleep!” I demanded. He laughed a little and shrugged. “If you insist” he smiled at me and laid his head down in my lap.
“Idiot, wake me up next time” I said moving hair out of his face. He smiled and closed his eyes. “Is it ok for me to sleep? Shouldn’t we keep moving?” he whispered but didn’t open his eyes. I smiled down at him and said “No. Sleep and don’t worry.”
“Sky?” he whispered and shifted a little but kept his head in my lap. “Hm?” I asked playing with his hair, running my fingers through it. “Tell me a story” he whispered. I laughed softly and asked “Like what?” He shrugged and yawned, eyes still closed. “Anything, just don’t start it with once upon a time” he whispered with a grin. I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Once” I started saying. Scott opened one eye and stared at me. “Let me finish. I wasn’t going to say once upon a time, sheesh” I laughed and he mumbled “Yeah you better not” I continued laughing but stopped soon and started the story.
“Once there was a small village in the heart of a forest on an island. On the coast there was a little hut. The hut was old, abandoned and worn out. Everyday villagers passed by the hut to get to the beach to fish. Every day the same thing happened. Raspy and eerie voices were heard coming from the hut but they were never loud enough to make out the words. None of the villagers dared go near it. They avoided the hut at all costs” I said running my fingers through Scott’s hair. He shifted a little signifying he was still awake so I continued.
“One day the leader of the village died from an illness and a new leader had to be chosen. After a lot of debating the village elders decided how the leader would be chosen. Anybody who was brave enough would go to the hut. Whoever could get the closest to it would become the leader. So the next day a large group of the strongest of the village had stepped up. The entire village had gathered to watch their brothers, sister, husbands, wives, and children take the challenge” I said and I knew Scott was already nearly asleep. A bird chirped in the distance. The sky was still bleak and the sun wasn’t visible through the thick clouds. “Keep going” Scott whispered half asleep.
I smiled and continued “One man stepped up. He was arrogant and strong. He promised to win as he walked towards the hut. The whispers from within it grew louder and louder. As he got closer his vision faltered, his lungs burned and his head ached. The voices had grown louder and still louder. They had turned into screams and howls yet he could not make out what they were saying. The man could not continue any further. He collapsed to the ground giving out a scream of his own until he stopped moving completely. Everyday a new person tried to get closer. One after another all of them dropped dead. After that nobody wanted to try and approach the hut again. The village remained without a leader” I paused. “What happened next?” Scott asked.
With a small smile I kept going. “Seeing the hopelessness of the people, one boy stepped up. He was small and definitely not the strongest but he had the purest intention. The villagers did not try to stop him, they merely watched amused. The boy took careful and stead steps towards the hut. Just as the others he heard the whispers grow louder but still could not make them out. The boy’s mother called out to him, begging him to turn back but the voices were hypnotizing. They screamed and shouted and he followed them”
“He was only a few centimeters away from the hut, closer than anybody had gotten before. The voices grew more vicious as screams and cries joined in with the whispers. The boy walked forward with shaky footsteps. His vision blurred in and out of focus, his knees went weak and his head started pounding, the voices growing louder, his mother’s cries screamed from behind. He fell to the ground from weakness, his lungs enflamed yet he did not rest. He pushed himself off the ground and stood up, only to fall again” I continued in a whisper. I wasn’t sure if Scott was still awake or not but I could feel the cameras on me so I decided I go to the end of my story.
“The boy pushed forward until he got closer than any had before him. The whispers had exploded into shouts; one voice screaming over another, yet the boy could make out a few words. They were simple words like death, run, bleed, victory, and the loudest and clearest was life. The boy’s ears started to bleed and he saw bruises and scars covering his arms and legs, that seemed to appear out of nowhere” I kept my voice at a whisper and spoke slowly and ominously enough. “People in the crowd behind him screamed and cheered and even cried. The boy threw the door of the hut open and felt a rush of wind, nearly knocking his breath away. The hut was completely empty except for carvings in the wall.”
“The voices were clear now. A rough deep voice seemed to come from right beside him as it whispered in his ear, ‘Watching them die was like dying myself’. The boy spun around but saw nobody there. A delicate feminine voice whispered behind him, ‘I don’t want this. I never did’. Again the boy spun around in horror. More voices spoke saying all sorts of things. ‘I cannot call this a victory’ one said. Another spoke as well ‘Help me! This isn’t what I wanted’. And yet another said ‘There are no winners no matter how you see it’. The boy spun around in the hut confused and scared. He fell to his knees clutching his head until each and every voice fell silent except for one” I took a deep breath and moved Scott’s hair from his forehead with a smile. “The boy looked up, inspecting the carvings in the walls. There were all kinds of things from a young newborn to an elder, a war and a joining of peace, life and death”
“In the silence an elderly masculine voice spoke, ‘Hear your peoples cries for help’ the voice said and the boy listened, speaking back for the first time. ‘I have heard but I do not understand’ he said and in reply the voice chuckled. ‘Only one with pure intent could come to this hut. You must understand’ the voice told him. The boy spoke up ‘Please help me understand’ he said. After a moment of silence the voice replied ‘A newborn comes into the world and only a mere few minutes later another person gives up their lives. War is fought to bring peace. A man dies fighting to keep another living. People suffer so that others do not have to. One smiles to keep tears from filling their eyes and the eyes of others. People remember hope to keep from falling into despair. Tears can be of joy and of sadness. People bleed to prevent the bloodshed of their loved ones. One dies so that another can live.’ the voice paused but then spoke again. ‘Every end is a new beginning and every person wants to be saved but more than anything every person wants freedom and love’ the old man’s voice whispered then went completely silent. All the voices of the hut were gone” I took another breath and looked at Scott. His eyes shut and his breathing calm.
“The boy walked out of the hut not needing a further explanation. Holding his head high he approached the villagers and with a smile said ‘I love you all so may you love one another and may we thrive on freedom” I finished the story. Amazingly enough Scott whispered, “What was the meaning behind that one?” I smiled and asked “What do you mean?” He sighed and smirked at me, keeping his eyes closed. “Sky, all of your stories, each and every single one has a meaning. They always have. You once told me a whole story just to get the point across that I’d overworked you and you were tired. That story has a meaning Sky” he whispered half asleep. “Then tell me what it is when you figure it out” I whispered and kissed his forehead. He smiled and nodded then shifted his head in my lap and soon fell fast asleep.
All stories have meanings but not all people understand them. I hope that most understood mine.
~
It was a few hours after Scott had fallen asleep. Noon had come and was nearly gone now. My stomach growled but I couldn’t get up to hunt because Scott’s head was on my lap and I didn’t want to wake him and I couldn’t leave him alone while he slept so I waited. I heard a small and delicate noise come from the forest. It had grown very cold again and the sky was still dark. I shivered and rubbed my hands over my arms trying to keep warm. I could see my own breath. Another very faint and distance noise was heard so I cautiously grabbed my knife ready to throw if someone came out.
The last thing I expected however was being ambushed from behind and by the time I noticed, it was too late. I didn’t see my foe but I felt a long, scarf lengthen cloth wrap around my neck, tugging me towards the tree I was leaning against. It pulled tighter and tighter until I could only suck in a bit of air. I didn’t panic though as I reached for my knife ready to cut the cloth.
An ice cold hand knocked the knife away and grabbed my wrist, twisting it and pulling it behind me to the other side of the tree. I gagged and gasped for breath as the cloth was so tight I couldn’t get any air in. I struggled to pull my arms back but every time I did the cloth only got tighter. I started kicking hoping to wake Scott up but he didn’t. He was very tired and usually a heavy sleeper.
My lungs felt enflamed and I knew I probably couldn’t hold out for much longer. I gasped for breath and the cloth was pulled even tighter by my enemy whoever they were. I spotted Scott’s axe by his hand and it was close enough to my feet. With great concentration I tucked my foot under the axe’s handle and kicked it up with all my strength.
The axe flew past me and I hoped it went towards my enemy. My hands were released but the cloth only tightened. I punched Scott’s arm waking him up and then pulled at the cloth with my hands. The moment Scott’s eyes opened he grabbed the knife that was out of my reach and ripped the cloth apart. I fell over panting and gasping, trying as hard as I could to fill my burning lungs with some fresh cold air. Scott ran past me and gave chase to whoever was there.
Once I had finally caught my breath I grabbed my knife and stood up to follow Scott. Instead though, he had come back with his ax in hand. “Damn it. You get a damn 12 and everybody wants you dead” he said annoyed. “Who was it?” I asked my voice kind of raspy. Scott walked over to the bag and tossed me the bottle of water. “That girl, the really pale one with the gray eyes” he said. “Snow?” I asked again after taking some water. “Yeah, her” he replied and shook his head. “Her footsteps were so silent and she blends in with this snow. She fits in to this arena in so many ways, her movements and her appearances. She’s perfectly silent but more than anything this is like a perfect arena for her. She knows how to work around the snow and ice perfectly” Scott mumbled sitting down, rubbing his hands together. I shook my head and drank more water.
“You get a low score and they come after you because you’re weak. You get a high score and they want you dead because you’re strong. You just can’t win” he sighed. “Sorry I had to wake you up” I apologized changing the subject. He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I was having a bad dream anyway” he smiled up at me. “Want to tell me about it?” I asked sitting beside him. He grinned but I could see fear in his eyes. “Nothing important, don’t worry” he reassured me. I nodded but knew he was lying.
Scott’s stomach growled and he said “I’m hungry” I stood back up. “I’ll go and hunt” I replied. “Not alone” he was quick to respond. I smiled and told him “Don’t worry. I wont go far and if I need you I’ll scream.” He seemed very unsure but when he yawned I added “You need some more rest. Just sit tight like a good boy until I get back” I smirked. He grinned. “You have 15 minutes and then I come after you” I nodded and grabbed my knives, tying them to my belt. “Stay safe until I come back” I smiled at him. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself” he winked picking up a nearby rock and rubbing it against the edge of his ax, sharpening it. I nodded and slowly made my way out of the woods.
I ducked under the icicles and slowly walked through the vast ice land, my feet slipping ever now and then but I managed to catch myself every time. I finally made it out of our death trap of a hiding place and proceeded through the rest of the woods. I heard a few sounds in the distance so I decided to go a different way. I couldn’t find anything big but I did manage to spot a rabbit. I followed behind it carefully as it hopped through the snow. I pressed my back to the tree and watched the rabbit.
I reached the knife at my belt and pulled it out. I took aim and got ready to throw the knife when the rabbit’s head shot up; it stared in the opposite direction, and then ran off quickly. I cursed under my breath knowing that somebody was definitely coming this way. I carefully walked backwards to avoid an encounter with whoever it was. I looked around me as I walked away. So far I was safe. I heard the heavy footsteps and automatically knew it was Spark. That guy was way too loud. He was definitely the one who scared off the rabbit. I ducked behind a tree and waited for the footsteps to pass.
“Shut up! I don’t want to hear your rants” Spark said harshly. I couldn’t see them but I could hear them clearly since they were several feet in front of the tree I was hiding behind. “It’s your loud footsteps that scared it off” Troy said in a calm and collected voice. “Please stop fighting. Drex is dead and we have to keep moving on. We fight and we might as well all be dead” Elra said annoyed. “Whatever” Spark growled annoyed and again I heard his heavy footsteps walk away. I heard Elra sigh and follow. I wasn’t sure if Troy was gone so I stayed behind the tree. I really hope that I hadn’t passed my time limit and Scott didn’t come looking for me. “Troy! Let’s go!” Elra’s shouts echoed through the forest from a distance. I stuck my head out slightly to see Troy’s body facing the tree but he had turned his head towards Elra. I took that chance to run to the left. I ducked behind another tree and a few frozen bushes.
“Give me a second” Troy called back to Elra and turned his attention to the tree again. He had a spear in his hand. He raised the spear up and I held my breath watching. Was he really going to stab the tree? He shoved the spear into the tree trunk with such force that it ripped through the trunk to the other side. My eyes widened in shock and I nearly gasped but forced myself to watch quietly. He pulled the spear out and glanced around. I ducked lower and held my breath. He turned on his heels and walked towards the others. I snuck out from my hiding spot and desperate to get back to Scott I threw my knife at a nearby squirrel.
After catching another 2 squirrels I headed back. I had crossed the 15 minute time Scott gave me to be back. I was worried he’d go out looking for me. I ducked under the ice hanging from the trees trying to reach our frozen pond. I heard what sounded like struggling so I ran faster. I ducked below the final tree and saw Scott on the ground, the girl, Snow, had him pinned. She held an arrow head to his neck and tried to cut him. Scott punched her off but she got back on her feet as if nothing happened.
She ran at him, her speed was amazing. With a swift snake like movement she tackled him to the icy pond. I saw the icy layer that covered the pond’s surface start to crack as she jumped on Scott again. Her hands gripped tightly onto his neck. I pulled out my knife. I was about to throw it when Scott flipped their positions and he pinned her to the ice, punching her. “Scott, the ice!” I yelled causing the icicles handing from the trees to start falling. I had to duck away from them. Scott paused and saw the ice was about to give out. He got off of Snow and ran towards me, off the ice. Snow got up as well, her footsteps as light as feathers, and ran after him, throwing the arrow head.
Scott’s body jerked and he fell. Before I could even register what I was doing, I tossed my knife at Snow with full force as if on impulse. It flew forward and pierced straight through her heart. Blood spilled out of her quickly as she collapsed to the ice. It shattered under her weight. I ran out and grabbed a hold of Scott. “Get up” I growled and slung his arm over my shoulder. The ice was crumbling apart. I tugged at Scott, the arrow head had dug into his back and he was slipping. “I-I” he mumbled as his eyes started closing. “Shut up and stay awake!” I said as I broke into a sprint, pulling Scott along. I felt the ice under me start to give out as the ice behind me had already fallen into the water. Snow’s body floating at the top, the water covered in her blood.
Scott was heavy and I couldn’t keep dragging him along like this but I still tried to get him to safety. I felt the ice beneath my feet shatter at my weight and we went down. The water was freezing and I felt my muscles shutting down. I held onto Scott’s waist and his arm remained slung over my shoulder. I kicked with my legs and held my breath. I used the one hand I had to paddle through the water trying to swim up. Scott’s weight and the cold water only made things harder. On top of that, this was fresh water, which was harder to swim in than salt water. I kept trying though. I kicked and kicked, nearly at the top now. Scott’s head hung limp and I knew that it was only a matter of time before he drowned. I tugged him up to the water’s surface. Once my head was out of the water I gasped for breath and coughed then dragged Scott to land.
I pushed him out first then climbed out of the water myself. I tugged him towards the tree and rested him on the ground below it. I was freezing. My clothes clung to my body and the strong winter wind ran through them. I shivered uncontrollably but ignored it. I put my ear to Scott’s mouth. He wasn’t breathing but his pulse was still going, very faintly. I tilted his head back and pressed onto his stomach right under his ribs. “Come on Scott” I begged and pressed again. I counted to 5, still nothing. I tilted his head, pinched his nose and pressed my lips to his. I pressed again then repeated the steps, pressing my lips to his.
Finally Scott coughed and spit water out. I flipped him onto his stomach and I helped pull his jacket off. Then after lifting his shirt slightly I carefully dug the arrow head out of his back. He groaned in pain as I ripped it out. I tossed it into the water and scrambled to get the medicine Elroy sent me. I pulled it out of the bag and rubbed it onto Scott’s back. Because the jar was so small and it required a lot of medicine to help a wound we easily ran out after I put it on Scott. But I didn’t care. I rubbed as much as I needed onto Scott’s back then tossed the small and now empty jar away. I pulled out the bandages and helped Scott up. I leaned him against the tree and started wrapping the bandages around him. His chest heaved up and down slowly. “Hey Sky” he whispered. “Yeah?” I asked cutting the bandages with my knife and tying them tightly.
“You saved me” he mumbled, his eyes dropping. I nodded and smiled up at him. “You actually killed somebody?” he asked surprised. I shivered again and gulped as I pulled his shirt over his head next. My eyes caught on his necklace for just a moment. I smiled at the wooden carving of a bird he had made and turned into a necklace. “Yeah. I just reacted I guess” I whispered sadly, as I pulled the heating blanket over Scott’s chest and turned it on. “You could have left me in the water and saved yourself” he mumbled trying to change the subject knowing I felt terrible for taking a life. I shivered again and gave Scott a dirty look. “Don’t be stupid. I’d never leave you” I said. My clothes were soaking wet and to make matters worse it was growing dark. Scott smiled softly. “Where did you learn how to do that thing when I stopped breathing?” he asked. I gulped and whispered “Elroy taught it to me. He learned it thanks to a friend from District 4” I mumbled as I walked over to where I dropped the squirrel. I picked it up and brought it to Scott then started a fire. I hung close to the fire hoping to warm up.
I started cooking the squirrel. It had gotten dark now and the wind had picked up. I shivered again and pulled my jacket off, hanging it on a tree branch beside Scott’s shirt and jacket to dry. Then I pulled off my shirt leaving me in my tank top. Hopefully everything would dry off faster this way. I shivered and moved as close as possible to the fire. I heard something move and I turned my head to see Scott drag himself over to sit beside me. He lifted up his right arm and gestured to me to get under the blanket. I smiled and did as he said I crawled closer to him, my shoulder and arm brushing against his bare chest as he wrapped his arm and the blanket around me.
“No more splitting up” Scott whispered in my ear. I shivered as his warm breath hit my cold skin. I nodded. “Promise” he demanded. I hesitated but whispered “I promise”
