Navigating through the darkness back to the camp, Hazel's nerves were taut. As she walked in silence, her gaze trailed the bootprints scattered around their makeshift campsite. Amidst the dirt, several rusted brown dots speckled the earth. Drawing closer, she squinted at the trail. Blood. These couldn't have come from Mia. Aaron's hip must be bleeding. Maybe the cut was deeper than I thought. Or perhaps the frantic escape had exacerbated it. If he had used the bandages I gave him, he wouldn't be bleeding all over the woods. Hazel sighed with a subtle roll of her eyes.
As she approached their makeshift post, Ruby and Ethan came into view; their breathing was deep, and their faces were relaxed. Nearby, Mia's form shivered, tossing and turning, forehead glistening with sweat. Aaron was seated with his weapon resting across his lap. He kept a vigilant watch over Mia, his eyes deep with concern.
Hazel's gaze then shifted to Silus, who lay on his side, an arm tucked under his head as a makeshift pillow. His breathing was steady, yet his eyes were wide open, alert, and fixed on her.
Letting out a deep sigh, she settled herself beside him on the cool earth. "Seems I'm a bad influence," she teased. "Didn't I tell you to get some sleep?"
Silus lifted his head, a worried furrow settled between his brows, "I just wanted to make sure you got back. What took so long?"
Hazel withdrew one of her axes, placing it before her. Her fingers traced the handle, picking at its edges. She battled with herself, but Silus knew her too well for her to outright lie to him. Lifting her eyes to meet his, she whispered, "I found some Sapphire's Breath."
"Really?" Silus adjusted his position to face her better.
As their eyes locked, Hazel noticed the gears turning in his head. "I gathered some.”
Silus's expression shifted, his eyebrow arching in a blend of surprise and concern, "That was risky; you know how dangerous those plants are."
"More dangerous than Caleb or Elara?” With a slight nod towards the backpack resting on her shoulder, Hazel added softly, "It's in here. Just in case we ever...." she felt a sour taste on her tongue, "...need it." It wasn't outright deception, she told herself. Like the audience watching from afar, she would let him draw his own conclusions; he would destroy the flowers if he understood why she really had them.
Silus's gaze lingered on the backpack before returning to Hazel. "Do you think you'll be able actually to use it when the time comes?"
Hazel shifted her gaze from him to the group and then to their surroundings. "I don't know," she admitted. "I want to say yes, but my idea of the Games and reality are two very different things."
Silus's expression softened, and his warm palm settled on hers. "Me too.”
"Like I've told you, if you are in danger, I will do what I have to do, but outside of that, I am not sure I can just..." She glanced at their group again before meeting his eyes, "...kill one of them." She hesitated, her tone lightening. "Well, except Caleb, maybe."
Silus' expression remained unchanged, his demeanor serious. "I know you are afraid," his voice was low and deep, like a gentle wind. "But you need to be able to do what needs to be done. I know you didn't feel like killing Elara, Grace, or Owen was necessary, and maybe you are right, but..." He adjusted his position, his grip on her hand tightening. "Just promise me, Hazel, you'll fight when you need to. Even if I'm not around..."
She cut him off, pulling her hand away from his. "Stop," She shook her head, fear bubbling up in her chest. "I don't want to hear it."
He searched for her eyes, which she kept solemnly on the axe in her lap, "Your own life is worth defending, not just mine. Promise me that you will continue to fight for yourself inside this arena." His eyes grew infinitely more serious, "or outside of it."
She felt despair grip her heart; she closed her eyes. Her fingers dug deeper into the axe handle, scraping at it with her nails. No, that is not going to happen. She had her backup plan. It was nestled safely in her bag. Silus would never forgive her, but at least he would be alive. The sting of tears forming behind her eyes made her shake her head. I am never going back to Seven.
Warm fingers slid along her chin. She opened her eyes as he gently turned her head to him, "Promise me, Haze," his tone was serious, shadows of tears heavy against his bottom eyelids.
She searched her brother's face, finding a sobering seriousness. "I can't," she whispered, shaking her head, refusing to accept the idea that he wouldn't live through the Games. "I can't make that promise."
"You can't or you won't?" he asked, tilting his head to the side, eyes imploring.
She didn't answer, instead wiping another tear from her eyelashes with her knuckles.
"Then I will just have to do it for you.” The resolve hardening his features was unlike anything Hazel had witnessed in him before. His jaw was set, lips pressed into a determined line, and the intensity in his eyes was new, startling.
She remembered the times he'd stood by her against her father's mistreatment or the ridicule from the people in their district, yet this fierce determination was something entirely new. Her heart ached as she realized how much he had changed in just a few days; the boy who had left District Seven with her had matured far beyond his years.
Once more, Hazel shook her head, seizing the hand that lingered on her face, and gently removed it. "You need to sleep," she insisted, turning away from him to dab at her eyes with her sleeve before clasping the axe in her lap.
The faint rustle of him readjusting himself on the ground ensued. Then came the sound of his sigh, his deep voice carrying like a soft hum through the night air. "Good night, sis," he uttered.
Without casting a glance back at him, she whispered, "Good night, little brother."
Glancing across the group, she felt Aaron's gaze lingering on them, absorbing their exchange. Refusing to meet his eyes, she fixated on her breathing, her fingers instinctively tracing the contours of her axe.
Blocking out intrusive thoughts, she focused on the ambient sounds enveloping them: the gentle rustle of leaves, the creaking of branches, and the steady rhythm of her fellow tributes' breathing. Though the air was cool, almost uncomfortably so, Hazel embraced it, relying on its briskness to stave off drowsiness.
Hazel remained anchored to her spot, the passage of time feeling like hours. Fatigue began to creep in, blurring the edges of her focus, tempting her with the promise of sleep. Aaron also appeared to be battling his weariness, his head dipping in a fight against slumber.
Stretching her arms wide in an effort to dispel the creeping fatigue, Hazel grimaced when a piercing twinge from the bandages encircling her left side jolted her awareness. She pressed firmly with her right hand, the ensuing tingling sensation coursing through her arm warded off the encroaching sleepiness.
Under her fingers, she detected a hint of moisture seeping through the bandages. With a silent prayer, she hoped it was merely sweat, not blood. I really need to change those.
The moment Hazel's fingers left the bandages, a rustle from the woods behind her broke the silence. Her body stiffened in an instant. Her breath caught in her throat. She froze, ears straining, trying to determine if the sound was a trick of her mind or merely the wind.
Then, there was a definitive *snap* - the unmistakable sound of wood breaking. This was no trick of the wind nor a figment of her imagination. Her hands tightened around the axe's handle. She rose into a low crouch, her axe ready in front of her. Beside her, Silus continued to snore lightly.
Her eyes darted across the forest's darkness, illuminated only by the moon and stars. The dense shadows cast by trees obscured nearly everything, offering scant details. Branches stretched like thin, grasping fingers into the night. The further she looked, the more the forest's shapes blurred into each other, blending into a vague, indistinct mass under the weak light. She squinted towards the source of the noise, yet nothing unusual met her eye.
Hazel's gaze shifted over her shoulder, catching Aaron as his head drooped onto his chest, his eyelids fluttering in a battle against sleep. Ethan, Ruby, and Mia remained deep in slumber, oblivious to the unsettling sounds emanating from the shadowy forest.
Leaning down, Hazel nudged Silus's shoulder. He groaned, the haze of sleep gradually receding. Hazel pressed a finger to her lips, signaling for quiet, then whispered, "I heard something."
"Tributes?" his voice was thick with sleep. Hazel's response was a silent shrug of her shoulders, her mind racing with the grim possibility that their actions had inadvertently guided the District One and Two tributes straight to them. Or maybe it was District Four.
As if summoned by her worries, another *snap* shattered the stillness around them. Silus surged upright, his hand automatically grasping the red-bladed axe at his side.
Despite the lack of visible disturbances, her instincts screamed that they were not alone.
"See anything?" Silus's whisper was as soft as the night air itself.
She shook her head, her pulse racing, every beat echoing in her ears. Then, a fleeting glimmer caught her eye—a brief, unnatural flicker, like light reflecting off glass, hidden in the depths below. Her breath halted, eyes narrowing in an attempt to decipher what she had just seen. But as quickly as it had appeared, it vanished.
"Did you see that?" she whispered, edging closer to Silus.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
"What?" he scanned the area she indicated.
Crack, crack. Hazel's pulse raced harder as the sounds reverberated from another direction. Crack, crack, the unmistakable sound of twigs snapping underfoot grew alarmingly nearer.
Her focus darted back to where the mysterious light had shimmered, and this time, a cluster of orange orbs met her gaze—six glaring eyes. As the sound of branches fracturing behind them filled the air, she stood paralyzed.
Recognition flashed across Silus's face. "Time to go, Haze."
"Aaron," she urged.
Blinking awake, Aaron caught the tense atmosphere immediately. "What's happening?"
"Wolves," Silus whispered. “Or something like wolves.”
Aaron's urgent voice cut through the silence, snapping Ethan and Ruby awake. He quickly helped a disoriented Mia to her feet, offering his shoulder for support as she teetered against a tree. Her shivers were so violent that she was on the brink of collapsing back onto the leaf-littered ground.
In the enveloping darkness of the arena, the distinct sounds of movement echoed, originating from two opposite directions and converging towards their makeshift camp.
Hazel whispered, "We're being flanked."
Ethan readied his bow while Ruby held tightly to a compact pick-like weapon, Aaron raised his sword, and Mia, despite her quivering hands, managed to grasp her knife.
Silus faced them, the red-bladed axe secure in his grasp. "We're going to move down this hill slowly. Back away, but don't run."
Clutching their essentials, they began a tentative retreat down the slope, the disturbing echo of pursuit drawing nearer with each step. Midway, the silhouette of their first pursuer emerged into a pocket of pale moonlight.
A gasp stifled in Hazel's throat, her hand covering her mouth. Towering before her was a wolf of unparalleled size compared to those of District Seven, its orange eyes gleaming with the reflection of moonlight. However, it was the unique quill-like fur that truly captured her attention. Smoke-gray spikes adorned its head, trailed along its back, and ended at its tail, swaying with the creature's movements. Each step caused the spikes to ripple, highlighting the wolf's tense musculature. Its canines were prominent, nestled within powerful jaws.
“What the hell?” Ethan exhaled.
The group retreated as more wolves, their gaze piercing and movements measured, stepped into the light.
Ethan nocked an arrow, "Might be able to take down one or two."
Silus touched Ethan's arm. "That'll only draw their attention."
"And just let them come for us?"
"Wait," Silus whispered.
Despite the warning, the bowstring's release broke the quiet. The arrow streaked toward its target. Upon impact, the anticipated thud gave way to an unsettling crackle. The arrow disintegrated on contact as if the quills on the wolf's back were armor. The creature halted, its side struck, then turned, growling low as its fierce orange eyes locked onto their position. The immediate recognition in its gaze was unmistakable.
"Brilliant, now it knows right where we are!" Aaron's exasperation erupted as he hastened Mia's steps backward.
The wolves responded in an instant, their collective growls deepening into a menacing chorus that echoed through the darkness.
The lead wolf lashed its massive tail in a sudden, aggressive gesture. Three spikes released from its fur, flying towards them. One of the projectiles landed with a thud near Ethan's feet, its length comparable to her arm, sleek yet sharp, embedding itself deep into the soft forest floor. Two more struck a nearby tree, which vibrated from the force, shards of bark flying in every direction.
"Ruby! Let's go!" Ethan shouted, already making his break down the slope.
"Wait!" Silus's call vanished into the chaos as Ruby, Ethan, Aaron, and Mia surged down the incline in the dark.
Hazel's hand found Silus's arm in a tight grasp; together, they darted after their companions, their steps thundering on the forest's dense carpet. They sprinted through the treacherous terrain, ducking branches and vaulting roots.
Behind them, the air was alive with the sound of danger—multiple whooshes sliced through the night air, each one ending with a heavy thud as spikes littered the ground and trees. One after another, the spikes struck. Hazel flinched as one buried itself into a trunk just inches from her head; its wake pushed strands of her hair over her face and sent splinters flying.
The cool night air burned her lungs as she pushed her body to go faster. The dim moonlight hardly penetrated the canopy above. Hazel's foot caught on a root, almost sending her sprawling. Silus snagged her arm and kept her from falling.
The yips and snarls behind their group intensified, the wolves' excitement tangible as they closed in. Another spike whistled by her, so close the wind licked along her ear. It embedded itself in a trunk next to her. The bark fractured around it like shrapnel.
Ethan and Ruby blazed the trail ahead, with Hazel and Silus on their heels. Bringing up the rear, Aaron and Mia lagged. The sound of their thudding boots was drowned out by the impact of the wolves' barbs and their howls of fervor.
Without warning, Ethan's scream cut through the air, and his body hurled backward to the forest floor, eliciting a sharp cry from Ruby. Clutching his face, Ethan's hands covered his nose, his palms stained with blood. A vivid red mark spread across Ethan's now crooked nose.
Crimson seeped through Ethan's fingers, dripping to the ground. "What the hell? Is that a wall?!" His voice was muffled as he stared bewildered at the spot where he had collided with an unseen barrier.
Hazel's eyes traced Ethan's stare into the foreboding darkness ahead. No tree trunk or visible barrier seemed to justify Ethan's abrupt stop. Edging forward, a glint of something unnatural yet familiar caught her attention. Moving even closer, the forest rippled and dissolved, revealing a colossal stone wall that soared nearly thirty meters high.
The wall's blocks disappeared into the distance beyond her line of sight. Hazel extended her hand, reaching out toward the anomaly before her. As her fingers made contact with the surface of the massive stone wall, a cool, uneven texture met her sweaty palm. The gray stones, large and mottled, seemed to absorb the warmth from her touch.
With a few steps backward, the imposing structure blended back into the forest backdrop, disappearing from view as if by magic. All that remained was the dark, unsettling forest as if the wall had never been there at all.
Her ears picked up on growls emanating from both their right and left and little flickers of the wolves' eyeshine barely visible in the darkness.
"We need to keep moving," Aaron insisted as the growling intensified, seeming to emanate from every direction. Ruby hurried to Ethan's side, assisting him in standing as he bent over, coughing and spitting out thick red saliva.
"Where to?" Mia's voice trembled as she surveyed their grim situation. She was almost inaudible over the menacing chorus of growls. "I think we are surrounded..."
Ruby's head tilted to the obsidian canopy above, her sweat-dampened curls falling away from her face, "What about the trees?"
Ethan glanced at the canopy, "I doubt those bastards can climb."
"It's probably our only option," Haze winced at Silus, her voice wavering.
Ruby and Ethan scrambled to the closest tree and reached up, pulling their body weight up into the branches.
Exchanging another glance, Silus and Hazel also approached a tree, ready to climb. The wolves' outlines sharpened as they drew nearer, their growls deepening, punctuated by eager yips signaling their anticipation.
"Can you give us a hand? Climbing trees isn't exactly our forte," Aaron looked at Silus with a hint of desperation.
Silus reached out, urging them to hurry. While Aaron moved closer, Mia remained rooted to the spot, her gaze fixed on the encircling wolves. Illuminated by the moonlight and drenched in sweat, Mia's stance wavered without Aaron's steadying grasp. Her voice, almost lost amidst the wolves' frenzied snarls, was faint. "I can't keep doing this."
Aaron returned to her, grasping her arm. "We've already talked about this," he insisted.
"No, Aaron," Mia’s voice was shaking as much as her hands. She withdrew her knife from her belt and pointed its tip at his chest with an unsteady but practiced grip.
Aaron recoiled, disbelief and panic interwoven in his tone, "What are you doing?" He stepped backward, his posture rigid, hands raised in defense. Dirt smeared across his face, and his expression oscillated between shock and mounting dread as his gaze locked with Mia's.
Mia's demeanor softened as she surveyed Aaron, "Let me go."
Stepping closer, Hazel sheathed her axe, her hands open. "We can get you up in the tree," she reasoned, eyeing the encroaching wolves with urgency. "But we need to move fast and pray those spikes can't reach the top branches."
From their perch, Ethan and Ruby added their encouragement, urging Mia to join them in the safety of the trees.
"Come on, Mia," Ruby's youthful voice floated down.
Mia's brow furrowed, and she shook her head. She stood her ground, her resolve clear, the knife still aimed in Aaron's direction. Her frame shook with the effort to stand firm, yet determination steeled her gaze, tears glistening at the edge of her eyes.
"I mean it, Aaron," Her voice cracked. "Please, just go. I don't want to hurt you."
Aaron retreated a few paces, his features still frozen in shock. He turned to watch the glowing eyes of the wolves take a more definite shape as they surrounded them. "Why?"
Meeting Aaron's gaze, Mia's eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "I'm dying.” She glanced down at her injured thigh. "You're all too afraid to face it, but I can feel it," she asserted. Her eyes sought Hazel's, a plea for understanding in her gaze, "Besides, they told us we had to choose a path...."
Trembling, Mia reached down with her free hand to grasp the spear shaft lodged in her leg. With a sudden jerk, she freed it, a muffled scream tearing through her as the weapon clattered to the ground. Dark, almost black blood gushed from the wound, and she groaned, her body convulsing in violent shudders. The iron smell of blood perfumed the air around them. The scent elicited growling from the encroaching wolves, and they edged closer with each passing moment.
Hazel took a hesitant step toward Mia, but Silus gripped her arm and he pulled her away. "Climb. Now.” Silus pushed her towards the nearest tree. Hazel complied and began to climb, but her heart sank as Mia teetered, on the brink of collapse, knife still in her hand. The wolves had closed in, their growls chilling the air. Mia's anguished scream followed the sound of a spike flying; she crumpled to her knees, and a smoke-gray quill protruded from her shoulder. Her arm went limp, the knife thudding as it found the ground.
The sound of Ruby's sobs descended from above. "She's chosen her path," Silus choked out, squeezing Hazel's arm harder as he helped her to reach the lowest branches of the towering pine before them. Guided by Silus, Hazel hesitated only a moment longer. The wolves' snarls grew louder as another quill lodged itself in the trunk of the tree below her.
Silus then turned to Aaron, gripping his collar, "Come on, man." Together, they started their climb, Aaron's frame quivering with each move. Tears flowed down his face, but he continued to follow Silus. Silus steadied him with one hand and pointed out secure holds with the other.
Hazel's arms burned, and her bandages felt heavier as she heaved herself upward into the trees. She knew the farther up they could go, the better chance they had at avoiding the barbs. Her hand faltered as a gut-wrenching scream tore through the air, curdling Hazel's blood. Her heart pounded in violent pulses. She cast a glance downward, but the darkness obscured her vision, rendering only the faint outline of undulating fur and spikes visible below. She couldn't see Mia anymore, but the agonized cries that echoed through the forest told her everything she needed to know. The relentless onslaught of the wolves' yips and growls intensified, a grim chorus that seemed to penetrate Hazel's soul. She paused her climb, hoisting herself onto a large branch, leaning her forehead against the rough bark. Nausea washed over as her body pressed against the tree.
Silus and Aaron soon joined her, pausing as the horror of Mia being devoured below echoed around them. Aaron's form shook, his head buried in his palms, glittering tears dripping between his fingers and down his forearms.
Ruby was perched on a nearby branch, her eyes squeezed shut and her petite hands trembling as they covered her ears. Beside her, Ethan sat with distant eyes, his jaw tight as he stared straight ahead, running a hand through his hair. Mia's piercing wails continued to tear through the night, mingling with the victorious snarls of the wolves.
Hazel's body trembled in uncontrolled spasms as she pressed her hands against her ears. Tears streamed down her cheeks, mingling with the cold sweat on her skin. She felt Silus's warm body next to her as he threw his arm over her shoulder, pulling her head into his chest. With her ear pressed against his sweat-soaked shirt, she could hear the frantic, erratic beating of his heart and his ragged breathing. After several minutes, Mia's shrieking faded and then ceased, leaving behind a harrowing silence.