The Undead Mockingjay

Chapter 16.

I decide to take Kale to Finnick. We arrive at the mountain and start to climb. We reach the cave and I call out to Finnick. I instantly tell something is wrong. Beyond wrong. Everything is in a mess, it looked like a riot had taken place. There is blood everywhere. We take out our bows and start slowly down the tunnel. Blood is smeared on the walls as if someone was wounded and running away from something.

“Get behind me,” Kale murmurs. Kale etches forward, searching for the cause. The blood looks fresh. I hear shuffling and terrified noises. A laugh echoes through the tunnels. It sounds like it’s coming from everywhere. I start to panic. Kale starts to speak to me in a reassuring tone. I start to calm down but reach a whole new level of panic when I see Peeta and Finnick staggering down the tunnel towards us, bloody and terrified. We race towards them. I hug Peeta and say in a quick tone, “What happened?” He stutters out something indescribable. Finnick is just standing, blank with shock. I hear loud humming, echoing off the caves, coming closer. I grip Peeta’s arm and Kale takes Finnick’s and we pull them to the exit. When we get there they are too frightened to climb down themselves. Kale takes them down one by one, while I keep watch.

I feel a sense of coldness creep over me. I look around, for the source. At the end of the tunnel, Sebastian walks into view. He walks as if he’s strolling through a meadow. He sees me and chuckles.

“My oh my, I might win this thing right now,” he says strolling towards me. The dark Angel on his sword is mesmerizing. Then I stumble back in shock. I stare in Sebastian’s black eyes in horror. While Sirius’s eyes would glow silver, Sebastian’s are like a black hole. Instead of producing light, he sucks it in. His eyes have a bottomless feel to them. I feel the breath leave me. Suddenly the oxygen I need to breath is not there.

Before I know it he’s in front of me, staring at my face. He grabs my chin and forces my eyes to meet his. I can feel a part of me, leaving my body. Just when I feel like I will pass out, the connection is lost.

Kale has come to my rescue. He seizes my arm and throws me behind him, He draws a knife and swipes at Sebastian’s eyes. Sebastian, comes them with his arm, causing a gash to appear. Sebastian lowers his arm baring his teeth.

He is a more viscous, demonic version of Sirius, I think in horror. Before Sebastian can raise his sword, to swing at Kale, I remember how to move. I leap forward and drag my nails down Sebastian’s face, creating, what looks like tiger claws. He snarls and before he can turn his wrath on me, Kale grabs me and leaps off the cliff.

Kale doesn’t have the skill of Sirius, but in a way has much more bravery. He twists his body so when we hit the ground, his body takes the damage. I hear the breath leave him in a huff.
I frantically look to see if Sebastian is following, but he is just standing at the edge of the cliff, staring at us, expressionless. I turn to Kale and desperately try to get him to stand up. He blinks away tears of pain, and shakily gets to his feet.

Finnick and Peeta are huddled together, looking at Sebastian, scared out of their minds. Sebastian shows no sign of pursuing us, as Kale herds Peeta and Finnick away. When we reach our old camp, we seat each down and give them water and food. After they’ve eaten and calmed down, comes over.

“So can you tell us what happened?” He asks. Finnick nods and begins his story.

“Well it started when we sent out a hunting party, for food. They never came back and we heard canons and screams. Before I could send another group to investigate, h- he came.” Finnick rubs his face before continuing.

“He had a hood up and at first I thought it was Sirius, but then I remembered seeing his picture in the sky. He drew his sword and started slaughtering us. Those eyes,” Finnick shudders. “Everyone scattered, and he hunted us all down, and killed us.” Finnick gulps and stops.

“How many others got away?” Kale asks gently. Finnick stares at him with a blank expression but it’s Peeta who answers.

“There are no other survivors,” he says quietly. Kale widens his eyes, and I feel the ground beneath my feet break and fall away, dragging me with it.

“Gale? Bella?” I ask desperately. Finnick shakes his head.

“They were in the original hunting party,” he explains. I touch my heart, afraid it will break. Tears fall thick and fast down my face. I’m silently praying Peeta will comfort me but he just sits there, with a blank expression, staring at his hands.

“So we should work out how many others there are in the arena now,” Kale announces. Peeta gives a bitter laugh.

“There’s only us now,” he says. “And Sebastian.” He will be hunting us soon, no doubt. Kale remains silent but after a while he rubs his face and says, “Sirius would know what to do.”

I grip his arm in a reassuring grip and say, “You’ve done great so far.” He flashes me a grateful smile and gets up. Finnick still has a golden Trident but Peeta has nothing. We give him a spear and some knives. I go to him while he’s practicing with them and hug him close. He crushes me in a hug and holds my face gently, before kissing me.

“I thought you couldn’t stand this any more?” I whisper to him.
“I lied,” he replies just as quietly. “I’ve loved you my whole life, and if there is an after life I will love you then.” Tears spring to my eyes and I bury my face into his chest. That night we sit down and have dinner with a fire. Kale starts to lighten the mood with stories, when the anthem blares. Faces are in the sky for half an hour. I have to stifle back tears when I see Gale, smiling down at me.

“This is my fault,” I gasp. Peeta looks down at me and pulls me closer.

“It’s not your fault. Sebastian would have shown up anyway, and you would have almost died.” His reassuring doesn’t help. I feel so sorry for Finnick, who is in the arena for the third time, but under different circumstances. He’s in this time for helping me. He might not see Annie again. And I thought my love life was bad.

“I’m sorry Finnick for dragging you into this mess,” I apologize to him. He flashes me his famous grin and says, “Don’t worry, Hun, this is my own fault. I live for danger.” I smile tiredly in return.

Peeta helps me into my sleeping bag, and kisses me good night. My dreams are riddled with nightmares.

I can’t breath, or move, the weight of the water crushing down on me. Unable to live, unable to die. I see sunlight sparkling off the top of the water but it’s so far away. So far.

I wake up, gasping, covered in sweat. Peeta wakes up and holds me tightly. He makes a shushing sound and strokes my hair. I glance down and silver catches my eye. I stroke my locket that Sirius gave me what seems like a life time ago. I don’t know if I’m imagining it but, it feels like a tiny metal heart beat in the locket. Not mirroring mine but growing faster and faster.

Before I can ponder on it, everyone is getting up. Kale makes breakfast, while wearing his crown. As I take a good look at him he reminds me of a lion. With his gold hair and gold eyes. The breakfast is great but the weight of grief is still heavy on my shoulders.

After breakfast, We all sit down. Kale starts first.

“Okay. We’ve decided to make the first move. Finnick and Peeta and I have agreed that hunting Sebastian is our best move. We will have the element of surprise.” I agree, without thinking. I want this bastard dead as much as I want President Snow dead. We gear up, but leave the treasure. Although Kale insists on wearing his crown. We have lunch before leaving. Kale makes something called hamburgers. He puts his crown on and holds a burger saying, while wiggling his eyebrows, “I am…the burger king.”

We travel throughout the day. Despite the fact that there’s only one other enemy in the arena we are cautious. The arena has a ruined air around it now. As if Sebastian has poisoned the very air. We agreed to search near the sea. Finnick said he could smell the salt on Sebastian. We’re on the outskirts, of the sea part of the arena. In the distance, I can see a huge jagged cliff that hangs, far over the water. I can instantly tell that Sebastian is there. He would be attracted to such an impressive piece of land. We reach the base and take a break. I breath in deeply, the smell of the salt, and the sea. The sea is churning. I smell a storm coming. We start to climb, the precarious cliff. My hands are bloody and cut because some of the rocks are sharp. Each time I place my hand on a rock to lift myself I chant myself a name. Sirius. Gale. Bella. Thresh. Rue. Titus. Cato. Clove. When I reach the end of the list of names I start over. The others start to chant as well adding there own names when necessary.

A rain drop hits my face, as we near the top. I pull myself over and quickly look around. It is a jagged long strip of land, that narrows into a point, over the water. In the middle of it is Sebastian. He is cross-legged, with his sword balanced on his knees. It Looks like he is meditating or counting silently in his head. We all stand up and draw our weapons.

His eyes are still closed. I wonder if he even knows we’re here. I’m dreading the moment I have to look at his eyes again. We fan out and edge forward to him. I’m directly in front of him, my bow raised.

He opens his eyes, and focuses on my. A calm, deep hatred is in his black eyes, as he stand up. He has an aura around him that keeps us all from attacking. Finnick is the first to break it. He lets out a battle cry and charges forward, directly behind Sebastian. Sebastian doesn’t even move, just keeps standing, staring at me. Finnick’s Trident is nearing Sebastian and still he hasn’t moved. His brow is slightly furrowed with concentration and rage. His black eyes double in intensity. Finnick’s Trident enters his body. And passes right through, with Finnick following. Finnick is now in front of Sebastian, an expression of confusion on his face.

Horror dawns his face. Before he can spin or even move, Sebastian’s arm snaps out and locks his head in a choke-hold. A small smile is on his face. Rain is now hitting the ground hard, plastering all of our hair to our head, and faces. Finnick is doing his best to pry his fingers away, but to no avail. His lips are starting to turn blue.

Before anyone can move to help Finnick, a jagged bolt of blinding white lightning streaks down and strikes Sebastian’s back. He arches his back and lets go of Finnick, screaming. Finnick staggers forward, then turns, gasping. He slashes his Trident at Sebastian.

Sebastian is still recovering from the bolt and has lost his concentration. A deep cut opens up near his neck. Sebastian seems to burst back to life and raises his head to glance at Finnick. Peeta runs to Sebastian’s left and throws his spear has hard as he can, at him. Sebastian turns and leaps into the air above the spear. He falls and literally runs up the spear to Peeta. Peeta stares, dumb-founded as Sebastian leaps off the end of the spear and kicks Peeta in the face.

Peeta stumbles back, clutching his face. Before Sebastian can go any further, Kale fires his bow. Sebastian twirls and catches the arrow before it hits him. He throws it away and advances on Kale. Kale tosses his bow away, and draws to slightly curved swords at his side. He slightly bows his head to Sebastian in a salute. Sebastian does the same, a cruel smile on his lips. Kale breathes in deeply before crossing his sword.

Sebastian strikes out, as fast as a snake. Kale blocks it with one sword and whips the other at Sebastian. He leans back but catches a grazing cut on his chest. Kale executes a series of moves, pushing Sebastian back. Finnick leaps into battle with Kale. Together, they battle Sebastian.

Sebastian is holding his own against the two veterans. I’m afraid to send an arrow at Sebastian, because I might miss and hit one of my friends. Peeta draws a short sword and joins the fray.

Their all ducking and weaving in the rain, unable to finish off Sebastian. He has a cold face and is matching them all, move for move. Suddenly he blasts them all off their feet, with slash, howling. Kale is the first to stagger to his feet. He raises one sword in a poor defence, still shocked. Sebastian easily knocks it away, sending it skittering of the edge, into the water. He swings his remaining sword at Sebastian’s head but he catches his arm, as it falls. He forces his wrist back, until Kale drops the sword. Sebastian smiles a cruel, cold smile, but Kale stares back, defiantly.

Sebastian laughs and slams his sword into Kale’s chest. I let a short scream in denial, as Kale’s eyes go blank. Sebastian viciously rips his sword out. Kale staggers back, one hand covering his wound, covered in blood. He reaches the edge of the cliff still staring at his wound and Sebastian in denial and hate. His golden crown slips off and hits the ground, as Kale Darkbright topples off the cliff, out of sight.

I let out a scream of rage and aim at Sebastian. Though it seems like I’m not the only one with revenge in mind. Finnick leaps at Sebastian shouting, “You will not hurt anyone ever again!” He flings his golden Trident, fit for a God, at Sebastian. Sebastian howls in pain as the Trident enters his chest. He rips it out and snarls, “Die alone!” Before slashing Finnick from hip to shoulder with his sword.

Blood flies like a fountain as Finnick falls. Forever falling. He hits the ground with a final thud. His eyes find mine as the life leaves his. Sebastian is clutching his wound and screams, his face facing the sky. Peeta and I are blasted off our feet, off the cliff, down the way we came. He grabs my hand and grabs a hand-hold. We are hanging, unable to climb. I look down and see a big dent in the mountain.

I tell Peeta and we drop down and grab the edge again. We pull ourselves into the little cave, sopping wet. Tears are falling freely down my face. All I can see when my eyes are closed is Sirius burning, Kale falling, Finnick’s eyes.

Peeta clutches me close and whispers to me that everything will be alright. But I know he’s just saying it to make me feel better, because there’s no way in heaven and hell that will save us.