chain reaction { roadkill day 2 }

[k!ah]

The tip of my spear buries itself into the things flesh and its body shudders once before going completely still. Dead.

Ripping the spear from its stomach it collapses to the ground. It was different to when I ended the sharks life. The shark had been a predator, ready to defend its territory. It had fought for its home. For its survival. But- but for this thing before me it was different. Yes, it was a predator too, but it didn't fight for anything but the thrill of the hunt. For the kill.

My chest heaves slightly as I stare at the still body, and unlike with the shark I was glad to see its body lifeless, still, dead. Maybe in another life, before it was altered for terrorising children, maybe I might have felt regret, or sympathy towards it. But this wasn't another lifetime. It was reality. And this was the ultimate game of survival.

“A hope speech? This early in the Games, Carter? You think you’d gone soft of me now, girl.”

The words have me speechless, my jaw slightly dropping as I stared at the darker haired girl. Had I gone soft? Had I let my shields lower to quick? I hadn't meant to allow the girl to see past the armour that I was wearing. I shouldn't have allowed it. She was supposed to see a girl who was fierce and deadly and heartless. But when I had seen the fear in Langley's eyes I had soften, I hadn't been able to tell her what I should have: to just get over it.

In the next breath she strikes out at the last creature, shattering its bones as it falls to the ground. Dead. She was strong. She had proved it today, even though she had been scared, she had not failed in her advances. Didn't that make her dangerous? Teeth snagging my lower lip I unconsciously being chewing on it. An ugly habit which mum countless begged me to stop doing. Your going to scar them, you silly girl, she would scold as she gently whacked my chin.

Letting my lip go I turn towards Flynn, putting Langley to the back of my mind. I couldn't think about it right now. Right now I needed to look out for myself, to attend to the gash on my arm. Fishing through my bag I look for some bandages. I sit on the ground beside him, looking up at him with a small smile.


"You got some moves, kid."


Blood coated the fabric of his pant leg, my eyes searching the rest of him for any injuries. "Here," handing him sone bandages I remove my cropped jacket, exposing the jagged gash on my bicep. "let me help you with your leg, then wrap me up please. I've witnessed Revan's handiwork, and between you and me, I prefer to try and do it myself than let him near me."

[d6a georgie cham 🍓🐢 frankel]

My first taste of a real injury. I have broken bones at home before but there were hospitals everywhere for me to check in. All I have now is rolls and rolls of bandages and dodgy looking needles and threads. Not even proper surgical stitches. The modified dear sticks its antlers into my leg, enough to rip at my green trousers and leave a stain of blood behind. I let out a yelp as soon as the damage is done. But before I can stab it again with my little pointy knife, Langley has already cut it down.

Both beasts are dead. My saviours are Nan and Langley. I really thought big Revan would have performed a little better. I guess the girls power the alliance here.

I sit down on the ground, pulling out all the collectibles from my bag. "You got some moves, kid." Nan sits down besides me. It is nice to see a smile sometimes. Especially now. Especially after experiencing a fight like that. Today is just the beginning. I have heard no cannon sounds unless they have a fancy noise in this arena. There is already an eerie ambience here, amongst the broken creaky machinery that surrounds. It is more prominent now that we are all quiet, licking our wounds as we sit by the fallen beasts.

Nan offers to help bandage my leg, not that I lack the ability of first aiding myself. ”You know I am an expert at this? Though I am guessing you are taught basic first aid as a career, it is not just swinging swords and throwing punches?”

Actions in trib maint

[Noah Vau - D2 (Cato)]

Revan Antilles

Both mutts are dead, and I'm running away with a smile on my face. They're dead, but I know they could easily return. So I run following my allies as I celebrate in my own mind, but I have to make it loud. "Nanette, I'll take credit for the mutt you killed. You've trained for how long in Four and blocked? At least I have the excuse of never training. What's yours? Dazzled by the company you keep?" I chuckle slightly. She's a career. I'm just a guy from eleven. Langley has done well for someone from Ten, who am I to judge what someone can and can't do? She's definitely holding her own, and that's needed.

Well, it doesn't matter too much I don't guess. I've got other things to take care of for now. I know I need to take care of my own injuries though. Blood is soaking through my clothes, so when Nanette and Flynn stop, I decide to sit down on the ground by myself for a moment. Of course it's hard trying to stitch myself up, but it's better than nothing right now. I have a few bandages left, and I try wrapping up my own wounds to the best of my ability. It's not the worst. Back in eleven it was a struggle too. Never had much. Less than this, and I've made good with what I had before.

After I stitch myself up, I grab my revolver and I take the ammo. I don't need this because I don't even know how to use it. I slowly make my way over towards him, and when I sit down beside him, I remove the revolver and the ammo. "Here, you can have this. I don't have any use for it." I offer it to him hoping he takes it. He can use it better than me hopefully. And then I get up and walk around. There's a lot here to explore, and I want to see what all I can find. Maybe I'll find something good. At least that's what I hope cause I haven't heard any cannons today. So all of us are still alive, and that scares me. I know they're probably furious at us, but it's not my problem we all want to live. "You want to explore Nanette? Or you going to sit there with a spear you can barely use."

District Eleven

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[k!ah]

"Nanette, I'll take credit for the mutt you killed."

Revan had decided as we turned away from the carcass of the remaining mutt. What the fuck? What credit was he taking? Fucking missing twice?

"-At least I have the excuse of never training. What's yours? Dazzled by the company you keep?"

Then he had the audacity to call her dazzled.

Dazzled?

Dazzled?!

Dazzled by the fucking Buffon whose head was growing larger with each passing second?

I was furious, my blood had been roaring in my ears as I took in Revan's words, at the way he had chuckled to himself at a joke that's punchline failed to land. I had misread the brooding giant from Eleven. I had brought him into my fold thinking that he would be a silent wall of flesh. But instead I got this- this boy with words that so easily slipped under my skin causing me to struggle with reining in my anger.

I had almost punched him in the face right then and there, but instead had decided to approach Flynn, where I sat now waiting for him to accept my bandages.

”You know I am an expert at this?" I nod. I had assumed no less. He says that I too probably knew the basics for first aid being a career and all. First aid was no stranger to me. I had taken classes when I had first found out that mum was ill. I had made sure that I would be prepared if and when an emergency might happen.

I'd also learnt CPR one summer break when I had taken up life saving for a season. I had never thought that I might need it, until one day when a kid had gotten caught in a rip. We had raced out there and when we had brought him to sure he wasn't breathing having swallowed too much ocean water. I had conducted mouth to mouth whilst my partner had begun the compressions. In that moment, as we worked, I had felt the world around me disappear until the boy began coughing up water, spitting it out into the sandy earth beside him.

He had lived.

But I don't say this to Flynn, just giving him a cheeky grin, "yeah, though swinging swords and fists are the best parts."

Then Revan approaches, handing Flynn a revolver and bullets. I don't look at him, waiting Flynn begins to work. But I can feel him looking at me, "You want to explore Nanette?" I bite my lip, my anger resurfacing. He had to be fucking hiding me, right? Surely? Why the hell would I want to do anything with him? Why- "Or you going to sit there with a spear you can barely use."

Nope.

He had done it now.

Ripping my arm from Flynn hands I round on the boy from Eleven

And I slap Revan Antilles right across the face.

Hard.

"What the fuck is your problem? Do you want to fight me? I'll fucking show you just how useless I am with this spear." The growl comes from deep in my throat. My head pounded from radiation and the fumes of perfume I had inhaled. My armed burner and I was already so tired. Tired and hungry and thirsty and I had no intention of putting up with Revan's bullshit.

"Just stay away from me Eleven. Stay away or I'll fucking gut you like the shark in my training session."

I hated that I needed him. Needed the shield his body provided. The bait he might be when time came. I hated that he drove me insane. That he knew just the right way to get under my skin.

"Stay away."