The Very First Hunger Games

Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Night seventeen/ Day eighteen in the Arena  

"Alright. Nobody move" Antonio shouts.

He has me in a tight grasp and has a knife to my throat. Cleo skips though the trees into sight.

"Well this is nice isn't it?" Cleo says. "All us friends here together. A little birdie told me you were camping near the lake. We couldn't believe you'd still be alive so we had to check it out. And here you were sitting with your three new best friends with a mountain of supplies. Oh, by the way, it wasn't a little birdie that told me. More like a little mermaid"

Coral.

"Stop messing around. Just get on with it" Antonio says.

"Since when do you me boss around?" Cleo asks.

"I don't. It's just we don't have a lot of time" Antonio replies.

"Relax none of them are going to move. Not unless they want Willow dead" Cleo says packing our food supplies, weapons and blankets into a huge backpack. "All because of their stupid loyalty to one another".

That's a good point. It is obvious Alexis can't stop them. She's on the ground with tears streaming down her face, trying to keep Mason's jacket on her wound. Mason isn't going to do anything to stop them. He just stands there in awe-struck horror.

"Where's the other one?" Antonio asks.

"He's probably still caught in the snare we set out for him" Cleo smirks.

"You're the one who has been setting snares around the arena" I exclaim.

"That's right. My trainer taught me how to do it" Cleo said, beaming.

"Well he didn't do a very good job" Luca shouts emerging from the tress, carrying an axe.

"Cleo...he still has an axe" Antonio quavers.

Cleo quickly zips up her backpack, throws it over her shoulder and runs.

"Slice her throat and run" she screams.

I wait for the sliced throat and the gasp for air that would soon follow. It doesn't come. Antonio's arm stays in the same position.

"Kill her now" Cleo screams.

"You said we wouldn't have to kill anyone" Antonio protests.

"That's right no one needs to get hurt" Luca says calmly. "You can lower your knife and we can settle this like human beings"

"He's trying to trick you. Just kill her already" Cleo shouts.

"I don't know about you, but I don't want to be hacked to death" Antonio says.

"That's what you think I'm going to do?" Luca asks.

"It would most likely be decapitation" Mason adds.

"I don't know what that is, but I'm sure that's not the way I wanna die" Antonio says, dropping his knife.

He doesn't want to kill me. I don't give him a chance to change his mind. I spin around and drive my knuckle into his right arm, where I stabbed him with my spear. Antonio crumples to the ground with inhuman groan.

"Antonio" Cleo screams.

Luca grabs my arm and drags me away. Alexis and Mason are right behind us, although Mason has to help Alexis hobble along. Alexis must be in so much pain; she sons uncontrollably.

"It...h-hurts" She screams.

"I know I know, but we have to move quickly" Luca says.

"You'll...n-never get away with me draggin' behind. You have to leave me behind"