No Peace for the Wicked

The next morning no one had breakfast. “So Makaya, did you know Walin?”

“Not really,” Makaya replied. “I mean, he went to the High School. My little sister is a year apart from him, but she really didn’t know him. Honestly, I didn’t know who he was until he won a little bit ago.” She said. “So, honestly, even then I didn’t think much. He was like twelve when he won, so I thought, ‘Cool.’ But nothing else. Everyone makes a big deal when someone from your own district dies in the games, it’s weird.”

“Oh, well then,” Carmella’s eyes hinted that she wasn’t very fond of what Makaya just said. “Hey, Makaya, why don’t you stay behind here, then? While we go hunting,”

“Fine by me, Carmella.” She replied.

All of us went. Since twelve people are left, I spoke up, “When are we splitting up?” I asked.

“Don’t be so eager,” Galen said. “It’s not like us breaking up will be clean, you know. If you’d know what I mean. And, only half of the arena is gone. We’ll probably break up when ¾ of the arena is gone.”

I grimaced. That’s not too far away. As we walked in silence, I became hungry. “Carmella, got any food?” I asked her.

She glared at me, and turned around. Oh, great. We kept walking, and we started going into mountains. “Do you see that?” Galen asks. “It’s a cave!”

I step forward, and I peek through the hole. “Shh!” I say, “I’ve got to hear what they’re saying.” I look back in, and there is Kyjuan, Para, Tadlin and Naytia. They’re eating meat, some type of it.

“OK, before we split up, we’ve got to finish off the Careers,” Kyjuan said.

“I know that, but how? How can we do that?” Para asks. “Carmella is scary, Loren is slick and tough, Galen is mean and Ren never does anything.”

“You answered the question, smartie.” Said Naytia. “Ren. And you forgot Makaya.”

“Makaya’s fast,” Kyjuan said.

“Even on these rocks?” Tadlin questioned.

“Yes,” Kyjuan said. “And, we can target whoever we want. You see, I can. I killed Maaden. Who I’m guessing was the ‘leader’ of the Careers. Loren got away, but I’m pretty close to killing her. Anyway, Para, who are you planning to kill? We’ve got to set order.” What type of sick, sick pleasure is this?!

“I’ll go with Ren.” She said. I saw Naytia roll her eyes, and I had a feeling she really didn’t like Para for some reason.

“What about you, Tadlin?” he asked.

“Why are you remembering this? Can’t we just like, kill whoever we see? And, anyway, I want to kill Loren.” He said. Not surprised. I think he’s related to Misha, and I really want to say sorry to him, too.

“What if Para kills Loren and you wanted revenge on her because she messed with Misha?” Kyjuan said. “That’s why.”

Tadlin shrugged, and Kyjuan went on, “What about you, Naytia?”

“I don’t know. Carmella is fine,” she said. “Blonde,”

“Red head,” Carmella said in defense, even though she said it so lowly I had trouble hearing.

“OK, so I’ve got Naytia: Carmella. Tadlin: Loren. Para: Ren. And me . . . hmm whoever’s left. I’ll make sure I don’t kill any of your targets.” He said. “Hunting, anyone?”

“Oh, crap!” I exclaimed.

“Attack!” Carmella broke through, and started battling with Naytia. How surprising. Tadlin went to me, and almost hit me with the knife.

I missed his arm by an inch, and he missed my face by about half of an inch. I punched him, sending him down, knocked out. I spun around, sensing someone was behind me. I heard a cannon. I didn’t know who, though. Naytia was starting to slice at me. She stabbed my arm, losing her knife. I stabbed her, before she could get her knife from me. She fell down, and the cannon fired. I saw Ren, dead on the floor, with Para above him. I quickly got out of the cave. I hid somewhere in a valley. Two people. Naytia and Ren.

That meant that fourteen were dead. Four more till the Careers break up. As soon as I heard Carmella’s laughing, several voices, I jumped up; “Loren’s dead?” Someone – Galen questioned.

“No,” I said. They spun around, seeing me. “I’m right here.”