The Third Annual Writer's Game: Roots

Natura Nihil Frustra Facit | Females

District One - Crystal Caverly

Crystal loved storms. The thunder, the lightning, the wind, all violently crashing together into nature's own symphony of tears and wails. But she didn't love being in the middle of it. Especially this one. Rain hit her face hard, slamming against her face like tiny drops of glass. Thunder rumbled above her head, so loud it reverberated through the air and made the ground beneath her feet vibrate. When lightning struck, it lit the sky so brightly it looked like everything turned white before going back to normal. Damn Gamemakers.

Pushing her wet hair back with an equally wet hand, Crystal squinted through the sheets of rain for somewhere to hide from the rain. The shelter she'd built had quickly been destroyed near the beginning of the storm, forcing her to look elsewhere. Come on, there has to be some type of shelter. Finally, her gaze landed on a cave, and Crystal darted towards it eagerly. Her feet slid on the wet ground, and she had to slow down in order to avoid falling. Her movements were slowed by the water that had soaked into her clothes, and she cursed. My clothes are going to be completely ruined.

She looked ahead again, frowning as she saw a dark shape inside the cave. What is that? For a moment, indecision filled her. Should she risk whatever might be in the cave, or the storm outside? Crystal stood still briefly, considering before she started towards the cave again. Swiping a hand against her face once more, Crystal let out a long, slow breath as she darted into the shelter of the cave. A sharp intake of breath alerted her to the fact that someone else was there, and immediately, she tensed. Instinctively, Crystal reached for her knives, only to realize that they must have washed away with the rest of her supplies. Shit.

She looked up at the other person in her cave, raising an eyebrow when she realized the other was the girl from Three. Crystal couldn't help the snort that escaped her. This girl was no threat to her. Should I kill her? The thought was appealing to Crystal, and she considered it as she studied the small girl warily. If she remembered correctly, the girl was from Three, and uncommonly pretty considering her where she was from. But she was small, and looked like a good breeze could knock her over as she shivered in the cave. Crystal shook her head. She could get rid of the girl later. The cannon could give her position away now, and besides, if that didn't, then the girl's dead body would later. Unless she decided to spend some personal time with a corpse. The mere thought made her nose wrinkle in disgust.

Crystal glanced outside, frowning. The storm wouldn't be ending any time soon. She pursed her lips and settled against the cold cave wall, keeping her eyes fixed on Three. The brown haired girl looked wary, but not terrified like she had in the beginning. It was disappointing. For several minutes, they stood in tense silence, pressed uncomfortably close together due to the cave's tiny size.

How long is this going to continue? Crystal sighed heavily. For all she knew, the Gamemakers could decide to keep the storm going to the very end. There was a pleasant thought. But what do they want from this? To give us a break?

Crystal's thoughts were disrupted by the sight of Three's hand moving, and she reacted instinctively. Her own hands reached out, twisting the other girl's wrists painfully until she whimpered with pain. The sounds were pleasant in their familiarity to Crystal, and she smiled.

"Don't try anything. Or I will kill you," she said clearly, and enjoyed the look of fear that flashed across the other girl's face. She squeezed Three's wrists a little tighter before releasing them. Crystal leaned as far away from her as possible, blowing out a long breath. This was going to be a long storm.

The storm outside continued to rage, raindrops like marbles hitting the ground hard enough to dislodge tiny pebbles and dirt. Wind rushed through the air, sometimes blowing the rain into the cave and drenching both girls with a mini shower. Other times, thunder exploded in the sky like it was signaling the end of the world. It was beautiful.