Ruins of the past

Chapter 21

It's a cold day, the sky light grey and the water I walk besides freezing. I'm closer to the mountains, gigantic and covered in snow.
Not too many of us are left, if we don't find each other soon the gamemakers will help us.
About twenty feet ahead, a small palm leaf hut. The leaves half rotten and a dark green, one entrance, no windows.
On it's side, a few small symbols, bird like but weirdly distored.
I decide to ignore it, maybe it's a trap and I really can't risk that at the moment.
The waves break against the black stones that started to appear a while ago, the ground becomes softer, sand. It's easier to walk on said stones, fast and quiet.
I already have no idea how long I'm in here anymore, days blend together and if I'm honest, it doesn't even matter.
What matters is that I survive, can get back home, prove my father wrong, hug my mother and Res.
But to win I have to kill again, even if I can manege to let the others kill each other, in the end there will still be one left.
I could also talk to Vastus, tell him how it's his fault that an innovent child died. But I'm sure he doesn't even care.

Crimson bricks, empty window frames, covered in plants. Two small ruins, this time no symbols.
I slowly approached them, being as careful as possible.
I need food, water is no problem here. I know you can survive long without food, but you still get weak, which would be my death.
The first one only has two walls left, the second one just a few feet away still has three and a roof. Shelter.
The girl from seven, Wes!
Right as I spot her she looks at me, her eyes sunken in and exhausted, her wavy black hair full of blood and dust.
While she jumps up I take my sword. A slim but barbed knife in her hand she stumbles towards me.
So they did leave her alone, most likely attacted her too.
A scream. Hot blood and then a sharp pain in my arm. I closed my eyes when I swing my sword, don't want to see it.
But she still has to alive, no canon shot and heavy breathing, well, that could be my own.
She's on the ground, has to hold her arms up to shield her head against my attack. Her hands next to her, my stomach feels like someone punched it.
Tears rolling down her pale cheeks she looks at me.
"Please", she finally whispers.
I turn my head away, ignoring the pain in my arm lift my sword again.
I can't do it. But I have to.
A canon shot. She's dead.
Standing there for a few seconds, slightly shaking.
Then I look at her, a broken speer next to her.
A small backpack, a few packages of dried meat that I quickly take, along with a thick black hat next to it, keeping a small water bottle warm.
Another kill, this time I could have run away. Nobody would have died, not now. But later on.
A sharp pain reminds me of my wound, bleeding. I sit down a few feet away from her corpse, so that the hovercraft can take it, and start treating my arm. Now I'm more than glad to have found the package at the start.
It's already late, so I lay down in the bigger ruin and close me eyes.
It smells like rain.
I just want home, be happy again and forget about all of this.

I painfully press my hand on the wound Wes gave me, yellow ooze and died blood all over it.
It hurts like hell, I can feel my heartbeat in it. Is it infected?
I cleaned it with water, maybe I should do it again.
The pain gets worse for a moment, then it's a bit better. I can't move my arm. "Fuck", I whisper to myself.
I have to get up, or the gamemakers will make me.
But even if I can fight with one hand, wearing my backpack is nearly impossible since it slides off when I try to run.
Shaking with fear, I sink down and lean against the wall.
Cold and wet, so it has rained.
That's it. My end. I'm going to die here, I can't go and risk getting into a fight, that would be suicide.
The only way to survive is to either wait till it's cured, which is just unrealistic, or to get a sponsor.
But there are still careers in the game, why would anyone help me? I mean, yeah, I've come far but still.
I close my eyes, take a deep breath. It's cold, only now I realize that I'm shaking.
A fire would help, but there's nothing here to start one.
All that's here are bricks and plants, dust and a lot of sand.
Finally I try to relax my body, panicing won't help.
But I won't see my family again, or Res, or grandma, or my home.
The small house, the smell of burning tires and plastic, the loud and never ending machines. I miss it, would give everything to just be there, safe.
Slowly tears start rolling down my face.