Just A Game (SYOT CLOSED)

Chapter 26

So this is the last chapter before the epilogue. I hope you guys aren't angry with me about who won. I just need to thank you all for the tributes, and the support, and the votes. I can't tell you how much it means to me. Thank you all for keeping up with me even when there were long waits. All of your characters were amazing and it was hard killing any of them. I actually feel so sad that this is over, I am going to miss all the characters so much. I am thinking about creating another SYOT if anyone is interested, and that should be up in a few weeks. Thank you all so so so so much. You are all amazing!

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Garland knew the end was near. He could feel it deep in the pit of his stomach, the ache that threatened to swallow him whole. He hadn’t really thought he’d make it this far, not really. He didn’t even have a plan anymore. He’d assumed he’d give his life for the twelve’s to give them a little bit longer. He’d never thought he’d make it to the final six. He felt lost; his brain was muddled and confused.

He’d be forced to fight, to bring one of them to victory. He’d grown too close to them to leave them on their own. He’d have to protect them. He would greet death with an open heart, knowing that he’d done all that he could.

But he couldn’t save them all, no matter how much he wished he could. There was only to be one victor.

The anxiety shook his body, threatening to knock him down. There was still that boy from two: Cinocca… Garland had no idea how he would face him, Cinocca could stop his heart in a second with no effort at all.

He shook Evening lightly, trying not to startle her. She opened her dark blue eyes drowsily, and Garland’s heart clenched a little. He didn’t want her to die; she was just a darling little girl, just a child; innocence still shined on her face. He hated that the Capitol had forced her to grow up so soon.

“It’s time isn’t it?” she asked him. “Time for it all to end?”

He nodded swiftly, hurrying to wake the others. “I will do everything I can to protect you guys,”

Evening looked a little disappointed. “You know that you deserve to win right? None of us were ever meant to win.”

He gathered their few belongings, not looking at her. “You know why I volunteered?” he asked, changing the subject.

“For Rory?” she said it more like an obvious answer.

“No,” he almost laughed. He hadn’t even known the boy he’d volunteered for was named Rory “I just wanted to help you, and Kordeen, and Morelei. I’m not going to lie to you Evening, I’m here so one of you can win.”

She took the bag from his hands. “But it doesn’t have to be that way; you can win if you try.”

“I’m not going to win,” he pointed up to the tree they’d hidden in that day before. “You guys will stay in that tree and I will end this,” he began to walk off.

“Why bother waking us up?!” she yelled at him, obviously frustrated. “You could just have snuck off,”

“I just wanted to say goodbye,” he answered her, not looking back.

“I don’t care about winning!” she screamed. “You should go home,”

But he was gone.

And only seconds later he heard the screams.

Calling what happened next a blur would be an exaggeration.

How could he have been so stupid? He’d forgotten about the girl from four.

He managed to turn around fast enough to see Poplar zooming around the scene, arrows flying with a whizz. And then they were dead, all three of them.

He was blinded by hatred, and anger, and anguish. Before he could even think he had a knife in his hand, running towards Poplar. She had Cinocca pinned down to the ground, who was coughing furiously.

Garland kicked her down, not even realizing that he’d stabbed her in the chest. He couldn’t even stop his hand; his anger controlled him, sending his hand down again, and again, and again…

She looked up at him, not even shocked. She just grinned at him, loving the fact that she had made him into this monster of a person. Soon enough, her face went still, her eyes empty; he had killed her.

Garland broke down after that; Evening’s body lay at his feet, her body cold. He took her hand in his, but it was cold and clammy. He took the three of them, dragging their corpses into a line. He leant down, giving them each a kiss on the forehead.

“I’m sorry,” he gasped. “I couldn’t save you…” his breath became shallow. “I failed!”

He wished they would answer him, but they didn’t.

“I’m sorry!” sobs racked his body, and he placed his hands at his temples. He had failed… He had promised everyone that he would save them and he failed. Garland wasn’t sure he’d be able to stand going home.

He noticed Cinocca pulling himself off the ground, the wound on his stomach bleeding profusely. Garland knew that this was his last chance.

He took the dagger, still coated in Poplar’s blood, and plunged it into his own chest. The pain was unbearable, ripping like a flash fire through his body. He had failed to save them…

He could vaguely hear Cinocca come to his side, shaking him violently.

“No!” he heard the boy call. “You can’t do this, I don’t want this anymore. Don’t be selfish!”

Garland agreed, he was being selfish; he couldn’t stand living knowing he had failed.

“How dare you?! How dare you kill yourself and leave me with this burden?!” Cinocca was furious, the guilt eating away at his heart. He had killed so many; and now she was dead.  It was all his fault.

Garland’s cannon went off, and Cinocca continued to shake the younger boy.

“You!” he accused. “Wake up and be a man you selfish boy!” but Garland was gone and Cinocca was left alone in the arena.

The ladder came down and he was forced upon it, but all he could think about was her… He had nothing left.

He couldn’t even make himself pretend to be happy as they placed that crown on his head, just another weight on his shoulders. He had won, but it was far from over.