The Homestuck Games

Preface

There's a time and a place to die, but this ain't it.

“KANAYA!!!”

Karkat's voice echoed more loudly than usual through the trees behind me, that I instantly dropped the firewood I had been gathering a while ago, supposedly for our bonfire later.

I turned around and ran towards the sound of my name, fingers tightly gripping the handle of my chainsaw. The weapons here were somehow ridiculously constructed to be light as a feather, while still being dangerous. Or maybe that was just me since I was used to holding one. It didn't even slow me down while I was running.

One thing I'm proud to say, is that I'm fast.

My long limbs and quick feet have been trained for years – only by myself – in case there was a possibility of me getting chosen at the reaping of this horrible game.

And I had been correct.

In less than a few seconds, I reach the end of the dark forest, and found myself entering the beach with its golden sand and lapping ocean waves nearby. The bright sun almost blinded my eyes since I had been in the forest surrounded by enclosed branches of leaves a while ago, but I kept going.

I could not contain the guttural scream inside me and my mouth tasted of fury when I saw it was the guy from district 10 who spoke with double v's and w's, by the shore. His back was turned and was raising his rifle at Karkat, who I could see was frozen in place with his lone, hook weapon dangling from one hand.

Don't hurt him.

My shriek of anger must have distracted Eridan because he turned around to face me, a look of surprise and confusion in his features.

Being much more faster, I took the chance and made a mad dash towards him, revved my chainsaw in one quick motion, and swung its sharp blade across his torso as if it were scissors through paper.

“You Will Never Harm My Friend,” I concluded with a low growl.

Thick, burgundy liquid begun spraying everywhere, splattering me and Karkat on our faces and attire, as the upper part of Eridan's body fell to the side, completely lifeless. The lower half had knelt, then slumped to the yellow sand as well.

We both just stared at the body for a few seconds, and then I wiped the blood off my face with one hand. “Are You All Right?” I looked up at Karkat anxiously. “Did He Hurt You?” Above us, the sound of a canon goes off.

Karkat slowly raised his head, bits of red still adorned his face with wide and blank eyes. “YOU SAVED ME,” he whispered like he couldn't believe it.

I sighed, relieved. He was safe. “Well, Of Course I Would Do Such Thing. You Are My Friend As I Have Mentioned Before And We Have Known Each Other For A Long Time So...”

My rambling was cut short when I noticed Karkat's blank expression change into a mask of horror, his eyes stared behind me as if he saw something gruesome. And soon enough, a deep, husky voice that could only belong to a guy rang disturbingly in my ears.

“MoThErFuCkInG hOnK, mOtHeRfUcKeRs.”

Two hands seized my neck that made me drop my chainsaw in shock, as I was lifted up from the ground like I was a mere backpack that weighed only a few pounds. My weapon fell to the sand as I choked and spluttered, my throat being squeezed tightly that I wanted to scream from the pain and lack of air.

“NO!!!” Karkat shouted when I was thrown into the beach's ocean in one fluid toss.

Usually the shore in every beach is where the tide is very low, right? But in this game, I realize that they built it backwards, and I am plunged into the deepest part of the sea.

And I hate it.

One thing I'm not proud to say, is that I can't swim.

Majority of the people in our district never learned how to.

It is obvious by the way my arms and legs are thrashing wildly in the water, trying to break the surface without much success. Out of habit, I instantly tried to suck in air, and salt water came in through my nose instead. They were like flames even though the ocean's temperature couldn't have been above negative 6 degrees Celsius.

I couldn't even open my eyes to see how deep I've sunk instead of making progress and reaching the shore.

Slowly, my lungs gave out their last oxygen, already have been reduced by Gamzee a while ago, and I felt my whole body become numb from the cold. I couldn't move anymore.

Quite strangely though, something warm wrapped around my waist and I felt the water moving.

By this point in time, I thought I was dead but then I heard slightly muffled sounds through my soaked ears.

“OH GOD, OH GOD, OH GOD. DON'T DIE, MARYAM.”

I heard a sob, followed by the sound of an angel's clear voice; loveliness overflowing in one sentence.

“Kanaya, can you hear me?”

There was a hint of desperation in her always calm and composed way of talking. I badly wanted to open my eyes and answer this beautiful girl's question, but I felt so tired and my chest ached a lot like it was full of water.

“Kanaya,” she pleaded and I felt something warm on my left cheek that I thought was impossible because it was freezing so bad.

Was I even breathing? I couldn't feel my lungs from the numbness now.

“Kanaya,” Rose called out one last time and added a few words in a voice so low, I barely heard it. “Don't leave yet.”

The last thing I remember before blacking out was that something soft and smooth touched my lips with the lightest pressure.