A deadly beginning (blue, chaos)

[BlueShift]

Leeroy Holland

It's dark now, the last of the sunlight is fading over the horizon. I must finish soon, the wolves come out at night and I'd rather not get caught between them and the way home. A twig snaps somewhere to my left, showing me the location of unwary prey. I knock an arrow and quietly, stealthily, glide across to the clearing where I heard the twig snap. Theres some sort of creature there feeding on the remains of what would appear to be a deer, although it's hard to tell by the way the body has been mutilated by the savagery of this creature.

I look closer towards the creatures head, seeing if it's some kind of mutt that managed it's way into District 9. It turns around revealing it's face, one eye is seeminlgy clouded and blind, it's body is covered in scars and it's covered in blood and mud but it's clear to see that this... thing is at least vaguely human. I look closer, things become clearer and I make out that she is in fact a she - or at least as far as I can tell.

But then it gets me thinking, how can something so human yet not be real? Was it something from the Capitol? Maybe she was here to kill me? It would explain why she was so close to my usual hunting spot.

I do what I try to do best. Survive. Pulling back on the string of my bow, I take aim carefully aiming for the heart taking special care not to miss. But just as I am about to loose the arrow, I lose my footing on the mud, the arrow flies off course, she stares at me - my position now obvious -, and I just twist around and slide through the mud. I run as far as my lungs allow me which is only about a few hundred meters or so, which she has no trouble following with. I attempt to knock another arrow, but none remain for they all fell out when I slid across the mud. Just my luck I would lose all my arrows the time I needed them most.

From the inside of my grey jacket a pull out a crude, jagged knife which glimmers under the remaining sunlight as I scramble to get up. I succeed in cutting the bottom of my legs in various places on unidentified objects, but it's the least of my concerns.

[sadniss everdeen]

The trees pass by at blinding speed, my vision reduced to an endless tunnel of foliage as I run without destination, seeking to escape the pointed arrows that follow in my wake. Breath coming in nothing more but ragged gasps I fly across the brush, branches whipping at my face and roots threatening to trip me up. Sucking in air at a desperate rate I allow myself a feral smile as the running behind me ceases, unable to keep up with my breakneck pace. One hand comes up to cradle my healing side, still bruised and tender despite the month and a half I've been out of prison. I've slowly started gaining weight but I'm still thin, face too angular and ribs too prominent - sliding against my bronzed skin.

Run. You aren't free yet.

The wind cools and I find myself slowing, legs refusing to keep up the speed I've been pushing for a straight half hour. My stomach burns for nutrition, and I find myself casting my head around in an attempt to find game. It's difficult to concentrate; my thoughts are broken and hazy, always an effect of the monster. Intelligence is replaced by speed, coherency by instincts. Humanity by beastiality. The scent of blood hits and saliva pools in my mouth, elicting a snarl from my throat.

Low to the ground I slither through the trees, coming upon a wounded buck that flails helplessly, legs churning in the damp leaves. Hide that glistens with sweat and crimson, pumping from the ragged wound in his side. With no hesitation, I lunge.

Jaws snapping I descend upon the animal, taking care to avoid the thrashing horns. My teeth clamp around its neck and blood sprays me, gushing into a pool on the ground. Stygian darkness creeps into the small clearing where the moon fails to penetrate, obscuring its figure as the liquid drains into my throat. I remain until it stops jerking and grows still, the great brown eye glazing over in death. Yanking a sword out of its hold I slash a long wound across its side, revealing the pink meat that calls. Burying my face into its flank, everything else is a blur that fades away.

Finally filled, my head snaps up as movement is located along the edges of my blind side. It's given away by the arrow that flies wide over my head, a buzzing noise as it whistles through the air and skitters to a halt on the blood soaked ground. Nails digging into my kill my lips curl up to reveal scarlet teeth and eyes that glitter sticky bright in the darkness. What I can see is a figure, slipping away on itself to run. I hesitate, not knowing whether or not to take chase.

kill, resist. kill, resist. killresistkillresistkillresist--

With a feral scream I launch after the retreating figure, feet pounding against the ground below.

[BlueShift]

I back away from the girl, who I now know to be a girl. I run towards her blind eye, hoping she won't see me loop around and sprint for my arrows. I take the chance, using up my remaining effort in a dash to the mud and scoop up the arrows and put them in my quiver. I reach them, putting them in sheath and running through the remaining mud.
Grabbing one from my quiver, and returning my knife to it's sheath, and lock it in place with my bow, but I can't shoot yet. She would most certainly get me. I must get to higher ground, get away from here, maybe up a tree, maybe along the remaining mud. But I keep running, hoping my memory won't let me down, hoping my cuts won't hinder me.
I stop for breath in a slightly raised clearing with mud around it. Then I see the dead carcass of an animal I can't recognise. Then I see that I have gone around in one great big circle in my panic, disorientated by fear and paranoia. Theres nothing more I can do, aside from pull back on the bow and wait for the attack.

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[sadniss everdeen]

(OOC: Really sorry it took so long, Shift. I got really busy. Might I suggest RP tutoring? You're doing pretty good for your first time, but our tutors will help you become great. Btw, try and write a bit more. What's our plot gonna be?)

The arrow I see before he can fully draw it taut and I blur to the left, nails scraping against rough bark in my passing. Wind whistles through my ears to accompany the steady rush of blood pounding in my head; the buck's strength flowing in my veins to make me feel invincible. For a moment I truly feel like an animal, only worrying about the immediate future and the pointed stick the boy is struggling to thread. But reality comes crashing back and I waste no time in following him when he bolts. While I could probably catch him if I really pushed myself my legs are protesting from earlier fatigue, dragging me down and slowing my steps.

He's panicked. Fear travels to me on the breeze and a feral smile contorts my lips, lending me speed. Nothing but the ragged intake of breath and the frenzied crashing through the bushes; I absently wonder if there will be a body to find. It's been a long time since I've played a game of cat and mouse, and I'm feeling rather sadistic today... perhaps I'll string him along.

Strange though, I don't think I've seen him before. I've usually encountered atleast a good majority of the residents in passing; and my reputation preceeds me, they all know who I am. Maybe he's new, from another District? It's probably why he was insane enough to try and shoot me, and not just quietly turn tail and run.

Again we burst into the clearing, realizing that in his blind scramble he's gone in a circle. A low, rumbling laugh starts in my chest - eyes gleaming sinister in the lowlight of evening. With a decided sweep of my feet I hunch my shoulders and spread my fingers apart, curling them into claws. Jaws snap in mid air and a continuous humming snarl escapes from my throat, vibrating throughout my whole body. Maybe I can convince him I'm possessed? It's strange what people believe when they're scared.

"Well?" I hiss, voice shifting like a drop of oil in water. Shifting, unable to be held. "Can you shoot another human being, boy?