The Rapid Sparks of the Cord; A Hunger Games Novel

Chapter 9

6 people remained in the arena.

Lith and Bean were both among the final tributes. Although knowing that they would have to plan accordingly, they postponed it for as long as they could.

From years of watching the Hunger Games on television, Lith knew that by the time it came to the last kids in the arena, a special event would happen. In this arena, anything was possible. An avalanche, a blizzard, a tornado, or a mutt release. The fire had already happened, but he was suspicious of if it truly was a purposeful disaster. No matter, though. Bean and Lith had scavenged for tons of food and water; there was no way they wouldn't survive this.

Rustling in the bushes. Bean turned her head to look. Snowflakes trickled off the leaves of a bush, maybe around 30 feet away, landing in the white heaps that had essentially morphed into sludge after multiple days in the arena.

This time was different than the other instances where she had heard movement. It didn't stop. In fact, it was nearing closer.

She tapped Lith on the shoulder, indicating that it was time to run. Lith turned his head, but not before a large animal, what species he was uncertain, pounced out of the bushes and onto Bean.

He regained his sense, but couldn't make any of what this animal was. He didn't want to, but he had no choice. He ran off.

He sobbed like he hadn't before. Bean was his best friend growing up. He knew one of them had to die in the arena, but he couldn't ever prepare himself for it. He thought about all of the memories he had with her, in just what felt like 4 seconds.

He couldn't live with himself if he didn't go back to save her. He was determined to make sure that she was making it out of the arena. He ran back down the trail, dodging low-hanging branches that seemed sharper than ever.  A snow storm kicked up, blurring his vision. Nevertheless, he stumbled through, with the ambition of a soldier whose kill is mere inches from him. 

He heard the screams of his friend echo through the woods, bouncing off trees. He hadn't thought about it for the entire game, but vocals don't echo off of trees. He looked up, not stopping to spare a second, and saw hexagonal shaped cyan electrical charges, so faint that if he hadn't a clue what he was looking for, he would never have seen.

That made sense. The mountain landscape they were dropped in was large, offering many potential getaways otherwise.

This didn't matter to him once the screams drew louder and closer, and once he reached his friend, he realized what the animal attacking her once.

A brown bear, smaller than what he was expected to know in the training center, but big enough that a slash that looked almost like tire marks was left in Bean's chest.

He charged at the bear with a fallen branch, and it retreated into the dense thicket. He dropped the weapon immediately and ran for Bean. There, she lied limp on the ground, her blood soaking in the snow.

Her eyes were barely open, but her chest was rising up fast enough to indicate life. Lith ripped off his jacket, tearing off strings in the process. He placed it over the claw marks, and packed snow on top of the jacket.

"You're gonna get cold.....dummy." Bean muttered, her eyes just slightly more visible than before. "And you're gonna die." He tried to laugh, but all he could do was let out a river of tears.

He couldn't watch his friend die. Not like this. Not at all. The girl he would go on picnics with every Reaping Day. The girl he watched tumble down a hill after jumping for a hanging fruit. The girl he had thrown an orange at on the playground, hoping it could sustain her another day on this planet.