The Fiction Games

Chapter Twelve - Dead Rising

They seemed to trample over each other without hesitance, scrambling to reach the top. The pyramid’s peak swiped just at Michonne’s feet, clamping its jaws dangerously close.

 “Any ideas?” said Michonne, scurrying up a higher branch.

Rick cocked back his gun, determined to fire. He knew a few bullets wouldn’t stop them from proceeding up the tree. In fact, he’d do the walkers a favor for laying a new stepping stone closer to Michonne’s ankles. There wasn’t another option. BLAM. BLAM. Clean through the skulls of two of them. Soon another hungry creature replaced them on the mountain of bodies. Katniss racked her brain for answers. She couldn’t saw off a tracker jacker nest down on them; even if she found one nesting in the trees one had the assumption ravenous humans were immune to the wasps’ venom.

She called down to Rick and Michonne, “Follow me!”

Katniss relieved herself from her perch and scurried up the boughs, her bow dangling off her shoulder. Higher, higher she went until the branches split into fragile twigs, and Katniss could see over the ocean of trees. Rick and Michonne were careful no to touch the loose stems.

"They're not going to stop," Rick said, peering at the animals. "We can't last up here."

Katniss shimmied along the end of her branch, praying it was sturdy enough to support her weight. At the tip, her fingers could just reach the end of another tree's branch. 

"We have to jump from tree to tree," Katniss resolved.

"Are you insane?" shouted Michonne. "It won't be the walkers who would kill us from this height."

"Do we have any other option?" Rick said. "Lead the way, Everdeen."

Her palms began to sweat. So much that she might slip off her branch and become a midnight snack for those..."walkers." Katniss mustered a breath. Just seconds away from jumping, her brain wrapped around the depth of the ground below. She let herself free, arms flailing for something-- anything---  to grab hold of. Her hands found rough bark. 

All her strength was devoted to cling on, and she reeled herself on the branch. She encouraged the others, "Hurry!"

Like clockwork, Rick and Michonne met Katniss at the next tree. 

"We should've been using trees back home," Michonne joked, her voice faltering at the end of her setence.

Katniss put one foot before the other, tightroping across the branch like a circus performer. Rick and Michonne waited for the clear signal. A bough prtoruded out of a wall of leaves, and Katniss leapt for it. 

Crack. Katniss was motionless. She seemed to be lowering by the second, closer to the ground. When the branch attained its maximum flexibility, Katniss used her arms to climb to the heart of the tree. Her heart seemed to have penetrated her ribs.

"Come on!"

She wished she hadn't said that. The moment Rick thwacked onto the perch he was sent spiraling down with it, landing on a bed of leaves. Katniss didn't know if he was dead or not. From below, he didn't seem to be breathing, yet a cannon wasn't fired.

Rick Grimes coughed to life. Michonne stiffened like a board as one by one walkers noticed fresh bait.

_____________________________________________________

Hermione waved her wand, "Partis Temporus!" 

An invisible wall split the crowd down the middle, knocking a few of them into others, spiraling most out of control. She, Percy and Peeta broke off out of the cornucopia and into the trees, sprinting as fast as they could back to camp. Katara, Harry and Annabeth sit idly by as bloodthirsty humans headed their way.