Beckett limped through the snow, Anastasia and Bellona helping him as they moved through the forest. They all could see their breath in the air, and as they shivered another cold breeze picked up, snow starting to fall once again. A sizzle rang throughout the forest, burning their bones and causing the hairs on the back of their necks to stand on end as goosebumps popped up on their skin.
"Whoa, this is weird," Beckett said. He was breathing heavily as they continued forward. Beckett had been injured when a maddened tribute had snuck up behind the two girls. He'd risked his life to save theirs. The attack had left them all shocked, their mindsets going from something peaceful to more and more ferocious and hateful by the minute. They passed tree after tree through the woods, each beginning to look the same, and the brisk air bit into their skin. Wafting through the air along with the cold was the smell of burnt meat and smoke, and just a bit to their left a fog was growing lighter against the sky.
"Do you smell that?" Bellona asked, breathing in deeply. Against all reasoning she ran forward and pushed away the bushes that separated them from what was cooking. An elk lay on the ground, body blackened and bits of blood on the snow around it. The air was electrifying, sizzling through her bones as she dragged the elk back to where the group was.
"Bellona, don't you even think about eating it," Anastasia said coolly.
            "And why not? I mean, it's perfectly fine. I'll go look for some berries! Stay here and hack at it, will you?"
            She ran off again before they could say anything, her hands stained from the blood that'd risen when her nails had dug into the creature's fur. Bellona licked her lips as her body brought her forward, leading her to where she'd seen a bush filled with berries before. She couldn't feel the burns on her arms, as they'd gone numb from the cold and the electricity didn't burn through her jacket. With trembling fingers she grinned, her eyes caught on the bush.
            Just as she was leaning in to pick some, a boy left the shadows and held out his hands to stop her. "Wait! I wouldn't touch those," Wiley said.
            "Well, good thing you're not me, kid." She just wanted her berries, she wasn't looking for trouble. She whistled, voice close to that of a wolf's howl, and Wiley cowered. His hands rose and covered his head as he shook.
            Anastasia ran through the clearing with her weapons raised, Beckett close behind. "Really? You're away for five minutes and you find trouble." Only Anastasia had time to scold someone when their life was on the line.
Wiley shook his head, "Y-you know Bellona? Y-you remind me of this princess from a fairy-tale. People told her not to follow the green light, but she did it anyway. I'm telling you n-not to touch those berries like Narian did." Wiley's lips trembled as he remembered the terrifying sight. "I-I tried to stop her, but she said they were safe!" Tears filled his eyes and started tumbling down his cheeks. "They're not safe, Bellona d-don't touch them!"
"Why aren't they safe?" Anastasia asked sharply.
Wiley put a finger to his lips. "L-listen."
They all grew silent, straining hard to hear what Wiley was talking about. All at once, it made sense.
Beckett's hand shot out and grasped Bellona's arm, slowly pulling her away from the bush. "Sh*t." Beckett gasped, out of breath. Anastasia steadied him and at Bellona's confused expression, he explained further, "Narian was obviously electrocuted. I'm pretty sure the whole arena is rigged."
Bellona's eyes went wide as she turned to Wiley, "What about the water! Don't tell me that has electricity in it too?"
Wiley just nodded his head grimly, "Y-yeah, it is. I passed a pond back there and saw fish floating on the water. Everything's rigged."
Anastasia scowled. Only the Game makers could think up something so evil as this. All of a sudden she had a strong urge to just punch something, and her fist clenched at her side. Suddenly, something rustled in the woods. The foursome perked up. Bellona raised her hunting knives and Wiley raised his own knife. Anastasia unsheathed her dagger and protectively stood in front of Beckett.
James suddenly appeared from the trees, clutching his left leg, his chubby face contorted with pain. "You saw the girl too, didn't you?" he asked. His voice was calm and steadied as he looked at all of them.
Wiley's eyes widened. "W-what are you d-doing here?" He cowered even more, backing away from James.
"Jesus Christ, calm down," James said with a chuckle. "I'm here to help." His words were cut off by a gasp as he touched his left thigh, the blood staining his clothes.
Wiley looked over at the others, as if waiting to see what their reactions would be. The others appeared to be waiting as well, looking around to see if anyone believed the kid.
"Relax," James said, "seriously, I'm here to help. I--there's a safe place only a little bit off. Shelter's there. No other tributes have found it yet...we could be safe from the wolves and tributes." An odd smile crossed his face as he said wolves, but if anyone caught on to it they said nothing. Bellona caught on, but she didn't say anything. She just thought it was a kid smiling.
Wiley looked a little jumpy being around those he didn't know, but he looked like he was starting to relax. "Y-you promise i-it's safe?" he stuttered, glancing nervously at the berries.
"What, you think I'm lying?" The challenge hung in the air. "It's safe. We better hurry, though. The tributes were coming this way last I saw. Come on, let's go. Besides, it's dangerous enough here. Don't want to be like Narian."
No one moved. It was if each one was waiting for another to make the first move. Slowly, Beckett looked at his allies. Bellona stepped forward. "Well, if there is shelter... is it far enough away that we won't get electrocuted by anything?"
James' mouth curved up in a smirk. "Didn't I just say it was safe?"
Wiley stepped forward with an uneasy look. "Okay. I'll go if they go. Where is it?"
"There's a cave just a little ways up, out of the way of everything. I stumbled in, wouldn't have seen it if I hadn't seen the w--this deer leaving it." James gave them a small grin, then started walking away, a limp in his gait. The trees were cleared back down the path he went, almost as if something had walked the path several times and wore it down until any grass or shrugs were well hidden in the snow.
Anastasia, Wiley and Bellona followed him easily despite how weary they looked to be doing so. Beckett, on the other hand, strained to move his injured leg through the thicker snow. "I'll catch up!" he shouted to them, breathing heavily.
The others nodded and continued on.
They came up to an empty clearing, where an elongated cave sat. Before, it had been empty, but the creatures had just gotten back, their latest kill left in the dirty snow. The rabbit was chewed down to the bones and the half-starved wolves looked up at the tributes just as James suddenly took off running.
Wiley stopped suddenly, staring in horror at the beasts in front of them. It had been a trap! The girls behind him gasped in horror. As they watched, the smaller wolves slinked back into the cave as a larger one let out a low growl, its yellow eyes locking on the tributes.
"Don't move," Anastasia whispered.
But suddenly, as if entranced by the wolf's eyes, Wiley slowly started moving forward. He was tired of all the running and the fighting, tired of being scared and helpless.
Maybe this was the way to freedom.
The beast snarled, showing a full set of jagged teeth, slick with saliva and a faint red. Drool flew out of its mouth and landed on Wiley's cheeks, in his eyes. He didn't back down. Nothing could change his mind now, nothing could convince him there was something to live for. Being ripped apart by animals seemed much more appealing than being ripped apart by humans, people that he'd once called his allies. People he'd trusted. But just as soon as they'd gained that trust, they'd taken it and ripped it to shreds. Ty was dead. Aslane was dead. And soon, he'd be dead, too.
Anastasia and Bellona stared at the scene, their hearts drumming inside their chests. The latter tightened her grip on her blade. Both shared the same thought: they couldn't move. If they moved, the wolf would spring, and Wiley would be a goner. No one wanted to see the most innocent tribute in the Games be torn apart for no good reason.
Meanwhile, James peeked from behind a mound of rock. A chuckle threatened to burst out of him but he managed to keep it down. He was genius. These idiots actually fell for his trick. If the other districts were this dense, it was no wonder no one had figured out how to take down the Capitol. It was kind of obvious, wasn't it? No matter, there were more important things to pay mind to. Like the show that was about to take place with Wiley. Such a shame that Beckett would miss it.
A sound like something heavy dragging in the snow met everyone's ears. No one other than James dared to look to the source. There was Beckett, limping his way towards them, leaving a snake's trail in his wake. Giddiness rushed through James. This was where the show would begin.
"Hey...guys," Beckett said, voice still hoarse and pathetic from previous burns. He gave a weak smile as he rounded the mound of rocks, James' excitement hidden only a few feet away. "What'd...I...miss?"
The wolf answered his question with a haunting howl. It jerked its head back and forth, the fur whipping out like a lion's mane, and it settled on its haunches. Then, it pounced.
The hind legs launched the creature into the air and it landed on the frozen earth, talon-like claws digging up snow. Wiley briefly imagined the snow as his flesh, and gulped. In a matter of seconds the wolf had already halved the distance to the boy. James was on the edge of his seat, nearly slipping off the rock that was his new abode. His fingers drummed his "seat" impatiently.
The wolf was just feet away from Wiley, and he squeezed his eyes shut. The only sound was the wolf's ragged panting and the wild thumping of his heart. Death was inches away. The hot breath of the wolf hit his face, and yet Wiley remained still, giving into his temptation. Giving into death.