The Name of the Game • C.S

6

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I glanced around me. The hands of Lucy and her mentor intertwined sent my stomach into knots. Peacekeepers lined us up to the markers where our tributes would enter the games and I immediately began looking for any sort of hiding spot Samuel could use.

Nowhere.

Not one single hole, tunnel, or any sort of secluded place that would keep him safe.

Suddenly, the air grew thick as a faint buzzing was heard, just as I was about to comment on the quiet noise, a much louder one interrupted me.

A sound I can only describe as a boom hard enough to crack the bones in your body ricocheted off of the enclosure. A ringing in my ears began as more and more explosions happened around me. Smoke and dust filled the dome, and shrapnel crumbled all around.

My hands caught me as I fell to the ground from the shake of the blast.

I stood up, trying to not breathe in the smokey atmosphere. Another explosion shook the no longer steady concrete and fell, hard. I swear I heard a crack when my side hit the ground.

Screams and cries were heard all around, there were holes blown through the walls and the chunks of what was the ceiling flew around.

People ran towards the exit, I saw Lucy Gray run through the doors with no sight of Coriolanus.

I searched around, noticing Samuel had run into the rubble instead of out. My eyes fell on Coriolanus Snow, pinned to the ground by a pillar.

I ran to him, I sprinted, and knelt down.

I vigorously tried to pry the extremely heavy cement off of him. I stood up to get a better grip and felt it give some room, a sigh of relief came from the boy as weight lifted off his legs, but not enough to pull him out. I tried to push it back but it had caught on his leg, it needed to be lifted and I wasn't strong enough.

"Sam!" I called out into the dust.

"Samuel!!" I screamed.

Suddenly, he appeared through the fog with Wovey.

"Help me lift this, please."

"Iris, we gotta go, the whole place is caving in."

"I'm not leaving him!" I cried pathetically.

"He's right, you have to go." Coriolanus groaned out.

"I'm not leaving you. Now please help me get this off of him." I pleaded.

"Go to those doors over there, Wovey, okay?" He pointed and Wovey quickly ran to the doors. I couldn't help but watch to make sure the sweet girl got out safely.

Samuel moved to the other side of the pillar and lifted it up enough for us to toss it to the other side of the arena.

"Let's go!" He pulled me away before I could get Coriolanus out.

"No! Put me down!" I screamed and hit his arms with all my strength and kicked my feet. I looked like a bratty toddler, but I didn't care. How could I be worried about appearances when my best friend laid lifeless in front of me.

I watched as his eyes shuttered closed once he saw us pass the gate.

A pulled myself away from Samuel as soon as his grip loosened.

Everybody was now standing on the outside of the arena, bloodied, beaten, and bruised. All in shock from the recent events.

"Iris-" Samuel called.

"I hate you." I snapped at the boy and walked away to the group of mentors.

Sejanus rushed over, he had been out for a while.