Author Games - Ghost Town

Task 7 - Clara Clearwater

It all seemed so surreal, the Games, up to this point. I never imagined I would make and lose so many valuable friends. But even with my disbelief, seeing Winter and Caella's face in the sky seemed to open up a fresh wound in my heart. Seeing her calm, big eyes looking down at us from the sky seemed to twist a knife in my side, pouring salt in an already agonizing wound. Clement was useless to comfort me as my wails filled the air, tears streaming down my dirty, bloodstained face. My arms clutched my sides as my body was racked with sobs, until my crying eased into slow sniffles. 

Suddenly Antonio's smirk lights up the grand room, forbidding and demanding. "Hmm… so you're the ones who survived Lockdown?" As if he didn't already know. "Congratulations. But I wouldn't celebrate quite just yet…" His face went out, submerging us in confusion and suspense. Clement and I clutch onto each other, horrified for the coming minutes. Soon, the finale would be upon us; soon, three bodies, stiff and cold, would be laying unmoving, with one left victorious. Maybe the odds are in my favor after all; I mean, I made it this far, haven't I? The machines surrounding us slowly quiet down to a slow murmur before shutting down completely. The lights flicker out, plunging us into darkness once more. Next to me, Clement lets out a low moan of terror. I grip his hand tighter, my whole body shaking violently. From the far side of the chambers, Stone screams, accompanied by Alex's sharp cry of pain as something metal strikes flesh. The loud slap resonates throughout the room, echoing once or twice. I jump at the sound, biting my lip in suspense. 

The cold steel doors of the factory creak open with a shriek, displaying all of the arena ahead of us. The buildings are crumbling to dust, releasing plumes of ash and debris into the cold night air. Gloomy clouds covered the expanse of the sky, a dark promise of a storm to come.  Little puffs of unwilling breath escape my chapped lips, leaving behind trails of white smoke. Cautiously, we travel warily into the vacant, decaying arena, awaiting the next stage of destruction. Around us the soil stirs, sending clumps of dirt sprawling to our feet. Alex limps over, strangely more scared than threatening. His expression changes to a look of pure horror as half-rotten corpses slowly churn up the ground, decaying hands thrusting out of the soil where buildings once stood. These zombies were here to take revenge. I guess the Capitol couldn't wait for the drama; this is it, the finale is upon us. 

Stone pulls out his spear, glancing nervously at the last of us tribute. "Whatever happens, whoever wins-" he chokes up, breaking down into sobs. "I just don't want to die…" he cries, watching drearily as a body drags itself nearer to him, it's jaw unhinged and open as wide as a snake's. I scream in horror as it begins to stand, wavering back and forth. Clement grabs my arm, preparing to turn and run; before we make it far, however, a ring of fire explodes in front of us, trapping us in with the undead. I whimper, clutching the front of Clement's shirt. My strong, independent façade has long since fallen, displaying the inner me for all of the Capitol; a scared, selfish, foolhardy girl who only entered a fight to the death, not for fame, but as an escape from the hell of ordinary life. And now, all I want is to be back home, living the most normally, dreadfully boring life possible, free from all the death and destruction of the arena. 

Clement pushes me behind him, pulling out his sword. "No matter what happens, Clara, keep fighting." He lets go of my hand, allowing me to pull out my spear. "Clara, I have to tell you something, before we, you know, end up the final two-" I interrupt him by smashing my lips to his. He nearly drops his sword in surprise, gently caressing my cheek with his free hand. The kiss barely lasts for a second, but it is enough to take my breath away. Hesitantly, I push myself away, clearing my throat. 

"Now shut up and fight," I say, picking my spear back up, thrusting it through the head of an elderly woman, dead of course, that had managed to creep up behind us. Clement obeyed automatically, helping us fight our way out of a corner and closer to the other tributes. The waves of zombies were gradually increasing, and Alex was quickly overwhelmed by a middle-aged man in a business suit, screaming loudly before being abruptly cut off. The man munched silently on the boy's flesh, drawing other walkers to it. They swarmed him, helping us pick them off quicker.

 Within minutes, Stone, Clement and I were able to kill hundreds of zombies, leaving the earth covered in their grey-red blood. I gagged as one exploded in burst of a sickly green substance as I killed it, the foul smell blurring my vision and clogging my throat. It managed to coat every visible inch of my front, soaking me to the bone. All at once the slime began to burn, horribly painfully, the sticky liquid inflaming my body in severe waves of agony. I screamed, dropping my spear. Clement turned, distracted by my wail of pain. Stone turned as well, glancing between my huddled form on the pavement and Clement's worried glance. He took his chance, sprinting to my ally. "Clement, watch out!" I gasp, but alas, it was too late. 

Stone launched himself in the air from a block of cement, sword drawn. With a cry of anguish, I watched as Clement was stabbed through the stomach by Stone, dropping to his knees in shock. "No!" I shriek, dragging myself to him as Stone continued to fight the zombies. They seemed to sense our weakness, drawing ever closer as Stone tried to fight them back. My flesh was red and swollen, the skin peeling back as if sunburnt. My whole body was a flaming column of agony, mental and physical, as I pried my way to Clement's weak figure. His eyes were wide open, shocked, darting around, unfocused. "Cl-Clement-" I stutter, raising a shaking, red hand to his cheek. The contact burned painfully, drawing another sting of tears from my eyes. "Clement, please," I plead, biting my lip. 

His eyes meet mine as they focus for a millisecond, full of meaning and burning passion. In that time, he struggled to sit up, pulling my face down to his. Our lips met in a rush, the touch sending shivers down my spine; He tasted like blood, smoke and ash, but no kiss had ever been sweeter. "Now shut up," he gasped quietly in my ear before slumping back, eyes closed. He pressed a small dagger into my hands, his breath becoming weaker. "And fight." With a shaking, weak nod, I accepted the knife. Then he died in my arms with a whisper, his final breath trailing to the heavens in a swirl of white steam. 

A sob escapes my chest as I set his head gently back to the ground, his blood coating my front. My small hands wrap around the brown leather hilt of the dagger, testing the grip. I struggle to stand, but the effort is worth it as I spot my last remaining opponent standing a mere meter away from me. I raise the silver blade, fighting back a scream as I plunge it into the back of Stone, who was busy fighting off the walkers while Clement died. The exertion from the movement erupted my body in another wave of agony, my skin raw and rubbing away where the foul liquid had doused me. His cannon sounded a moment later, stopping the rest of the zombies in their tracks. A crack of thunder explodes overhead as the cloud let loose a torrent of rain, soaking the ground underfoot. Each drop of water brought relief from the poison costing my body, washing away the pain. The zombies dissolved on contact with the water, melting away in large brown puddles of decaying organs with low moans of protest, until all that surrounds me is water. 

I wade through the ankle-deep water until I reach Clement's half-submerged body, kneeling slowly. He looks so at peace, a faint smile painting his pale face even after death. "Rest in peace," I whisper, kissing his face gently. With a squeal of noise and flicker of light, the Gamemaker's face shines down on me, smirking. 

"Ladies and gentleman, Clara Clearwater; Victor of the one-hundred-fifty-third annual Hunger Games," He announced as the hovercraft soared above me, lowering the ladder to me. "Congratulations." 

I stepped onto the ladder. As it hoisted me up, I took one last glance at Clement's resting body before I was swallowed up by the hovercraft.