Nightlock

*Just a little something I wrote for English....*

[Disclaimer: The Hunger Games belongs to Suzanne Collins, and the idea of bloodthirsty unicorns, (particularly the karkadann) belongs to Diana Peterfreund.]

I stroked Nightlock’s neck, and murmured into his furry ear. I could feel him trembling as I absently petted him. A loud howl echoed around the arena, and a near inhuman scream followed it closely. A canon boomed. Peeta and I looked at each other. This could only mean one thing. The finale of the 74th Annual Hunger Games was here.

I peered towards the trees, an odd light coming from them. They looked like...eyes.... Suddenly, a huge wolf-like mutation leapt out of the shadows and came sprinted towards us, mouth wide open in a vicious, bloodthirsty snarl. I leapt up onto Nightlock, pulling Peeta on behind me. The mutt was nearly upon us. I drummed my heels into Nightlock’s sides and he began to gallop. I pointed him the vague direction of the Cornucopia; it was the only safe place from these deadly beasts. Peeta wrapped his arms around my waist and clung on for dear life as we sprinted through the forest, weaving between trees and jumping over fallen logs.

More mutts picked up our trail and I urged Nightlock for more speed. The clearing where the Cornucopia was situated was dead ahead. I could nearly feel the beasts’ reeking breath as they began to catch up on us. I reached for my bow, but it stuck between my back and Peeta’s whimpering form. I swallowed the lump in my throat and gave Nightlock another kick. He pinned back his ears and bucked, throwing Peeta to the ground.

“PEETA!” I screamed, as the mutts tore into him. Nightlock turned instantly and sprinted back towards Peeta, sensing y distress. I quickly notched an arrow and it thudded into the neck of a mutt. The mutts paused their attack on Peeta and started towards me. I gulped. There was nowhere left to run. I was about to notch another arrow when Nightlock began to shake. He shook with such rage that his skin became burning hot, and scorched my legs. He screamed, and a long twisting object began to break through the scarred skin on his forehead. I was paralyzed. So were the mutts. Peeta was as white as the rooms in the Remake Centre. I stared at the black twisting horn protruding from Nightlock’s forehead, and before I could move, he plunged forward and thrust the horn through the nearest mutt’s heart. I grasped his mane with both hands, struggling to breathe as an unknown force pressed in on my lungs.

Within seconds, Nightlock had slaughtered every last mutt... I thought it was all over, until I heard footsteps behind me. Nightlock whirled around so fast I slid off and crumpled to the ground. Cato stood a few feet away, bloody sword in hand, barely standing as he was. He opened his mouth to speak but Nightlock speared him through the heart, like the mutts, and threw his lifeless body against the wall of the Cornucopia for good measure.

While Nightlock was busy devouring Cato’s shredded remains, I helped Peeta to his feet. We stood stock still, gasping for breath after the shock of what had just happened.

“U-u-unicorn...” Peeta stuttered, still utterly terrified. I nodded. I had heard tales and rumours of bloodthirsty unicorns that roamed the land outside of the Districts of Panem. I’d finally seen one in the flesh, and the Gamemakers had put it in the arena. They tricked me into thinking it was an ordinary horse like the mustangs back in District 12 by cutting off its horn... now, the ‘horse’ I had fondly named after Nightlock berries turned to me, fire raging in his eyes. I felt the suffocation feeling again, and fell to my knees. I wondered why the Gamemakers hadn’t ordered the unicorn away. We were now the Victors... weren’t we?

“An Attention tribute, the previous rule change has been revoked. There can only be one winner.” Said an emotionless voice over the loudspeaker.

I looked at Peeta, and he stared into my eyes, begging me to kill him. He dropped his dagger and stepped away.

“Just kill me. I want you to live.” He said, his voice nearly breaking. I widened my eyes. I could never kill him... he’d saved my life a couple of times before, and it was time to repay him. I threw my bow away.

“I can’t kill you.” I said, tears glistening in my eyes, I stood next to him and motioned to Nightlock. He snorted and stamped his hoof. The fire left his eyes.

NO.

“Please...” I whispered hoarsely, my lungs were being squeezed so hard I could barely breathe. Peeta looked anxiously from Nightlock to me, and back again.  I stared pleadingly at Nightlock and he started towards us at reluctant canter.

“He’ll get to us on the count of 5...” I said to Peeta.

“5....”

“4....” Peeta echoed quietly.

“3....”

“2....”

“STOP! Stop!” The loudspeaker yelled. Nightlock slid to halt, horn inches from my heart. “May I present to you the Victors of the 74th Annual Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, the star-crossed lovers of District 12!”