Tobias Haycraft – task five: Brace for the Fall, Together.

“Miles,” I whispered harshly, gently giving him a nudge. “Psst, Miles!” I hissed into the darkness once more.

   “Mmu-what.” The young man replied in a rather deadbeat drone, breathing his fruit-flavoured breath directly onto my nose.

    “Move over, would ya?” I begged, tired of sharing my sleeping bag with, well, with another boy. If we weren’t chained together I’d never be caught dead sleeping with a man. But unfortunately, our attempts to sever the chain linking us together or picking the lock had thus far failed. Somehow the Capitol managed to rig up an impenetrable metal. There would be no getting out of each other’s hair lest one of us should die.

   “Oh-mmmkay.” Miles moaned and shifted, causing the damp material to constrict around his body, thus pulling me closer to him. I groaned, yanking some of the covers back to myself. I wondered if this would be what it was like sleeping with Caira – I mean, a woman, once I was married of course. With my mind going in a completely awkward direction, I resolved to distract myself from any thought concerning Caira. I grew to miss her terribly over the weeks spent apart. I never truly realised how important she was to me – how important all of them were – until we’d been separated for so long. Wishing my body could be in a different place rather than just my heart, I carefully, so as not to wake Miles, pulled my legs out of the silk folds and sat in the grass next to our bed, keeping my arm just where Miles felt comfortable. I sighed, giving way to picturing home and the things which I missed. I felt a cold, wet nudge on my tied wrist, glancing down to find that my movement had woke Buck. He trampled over our cuffed wrists, causing Miles to stir but not wake, and onto my lap. I smiled, caressing his back gently, gazing over the orange and yellow sky, natures sign that morning was drawing near. I knew Lumen had volunteered for the latest watch, it must’ve been him I heard sharpening knives by a distant tree. Seaver slept soundly at his side.

    “Alright, everybody up!” Lumen shouted just as Buck and I were feeling comfortable. Sighing heavily as Buck jumped from his place to bark at Lumen for the disturbance, I too rose and coaxed Miles out of his slumber. Somehow this moment seemed like a boot camp, where we were presently being forced to participate in some sort of group exercise involving the cuffs linking us together. Perhaps our cabin master would be teaching us trust, or bonding or something. In fact, as I thought about it, perhaps Occisora was doing that very thing, bonding us, or testing the durability of our bonds.

   Several hours after breakfast had been caught and prepared – believe me this was no small task. Being unavoidably detained by another human being’s inability to hunt is never easy – Lumen decided it was time for us to go looking for this ‘flag’ Occisora spoke of at yesterday evening’s delightful assembly.

   “Why? We’ve got a couple hours before noon.” Seaver retorted as soon as the proposal was made. Lumen looked at her with brief indignation before explaining himself.

   “That’s exactly why I’m suggesting that we leave now. We’ll have to search for the flag Seaver, it’s not like she gave any of us directions or a map.” His voice sounded stern and almost to breaking point, yet he kept his cool and never lost it. Seaver, plastered with embarrassment for such a silly question, shut up right away and scuffed her shoe at the ground casually. Everyone else was in agreement, and so we were off, looking high and low for this flag. We came across several pairs of tributes along the way – some with no partner and smeared in blood – but for the most part none were hostile. We just carried on our way, pretending that we hadn’t seen each other or acknowledging the other’s presence but carrying on anyway.

   At last Amabel cried out to us that she’d spotted the flag. Good thing, as far as any of us could tell the sun was nearing the middle of the sky, and that meant noon. I shuddered to think what might happen to any tributes who didn’t make it to the flag in time. Poor souls. 

   At first, we all groaned to discover the flag’s location. But soon enough we all agreed we must continue our mission to it, or we’d all be dead by one o’clock. Lumen and Seaver led the way down a little incline just beyond the tree line, which was the direct route to the flag. Amabel’s partner had long since been killed, in his sleep no less, so she was at least absolved of her duties to a partnership. Mira still clung to hers, but only because she was a little girl, and besides Miles insisted we not kill little Ki. Something about her made me uncomfortable, however. Perhaps it was only because I didn’t know her and that she was a stranger, but she just, her innocence rubbed me the wrong way I guess. I felt like it was a deception. But what could I do? I certainly wasn’t going to be the one to kill her. Lumen didn’t seem all that interested, Seaver could’ve but not if it meant the alliance would betray her. Other than her, Amabel would be the only other one to take Ki’s life, and that’s only if things got out of hand or she needed to. The truth is, she would’ve hung onto Jasper awhile longer if he had not tried to kill her first. It was a game of chance to her. That brings us to Miles; his behaviour worried me. Whenever the matter of Ki came up, he got all defensive, like she needed someone to be her guardian. He hated that we even considered getting rid of her. For what reason he took to her so quickly, I hadn’t a clue. We could only go along with what he wanted for so long anyway, and then it was every man for himself. I dreaded that day with a fiery passion.

   Once we’d managed to skid to a halt at the end of the incline, Amabel was the first to jump to her feet and prepare herself for battle. I admired her preparedness, wishing to be only half as prepared myself. I was such a clumsy, unready person, it would be nice to have reflexes like hers for once. One day, I just may end up getting myself killed.

     “Truce!” We heard tributes calling to us instinctually. The fear on most of their faces caused us to gulp, almost simultaneously, and proceed with caution.

   “Truce! Truce! Truce!” Several were still shouting as we approached. Hiding Buck further in the folds of my jacket, I waved my other hand – the one chained to Miles – as a show that we understood. There would be a temporary truce, no killing. For the time being it was suitable for all of us. Though not many remained cuffed, presumably because their partners had been killed or died, but those who were seemed by now casual with it. A cannon rang out its death blow just as we arrived at the deep ravine; everyone was silent, realising it was one minute past noon and someone out there had not made it. I shuddered, keeping my fingers gently strapped around Buck’s jaw as he squirmed to find freedom. I couldn’t take the chance, however, that, upon his release, someone might find it amusing to kick him into the ravine. Or simply kill him off however they found a means to. People here were unfortunately were not as loving toward animals as one might think.

    Once our ears quit ringing we were thrust back into the moment, forgetting completely the sound we just heard which signified the death of a tribute, and focusing instead on what we saw before us; a great ravine stretched across, traveling so far in either direction that we couldn’t see the end, no matter how hard we strained our eyes. Safe to say, we wouldn’t be skipping around it to reach the other side.

    “What do you think we’re supposed to do?” Miles inquired in a hushed tone of voice, his being the only distinguishable one from the crowd of murmurs around us.

    “I’m not entirely –” I paused mid-sentence, as my eyes landed on a woman standing the other side of the water. She had long, flowing hair that graced over the wind in such a way as only a royals would. Her stance was poised and elegant, like she had just returned from her coronation and bore the crown of her country. Or in this case, of her profession.

    “Hello my dears,” her voice was barely audible across the wide expanse of rushing water, but it still clung to that motherly, overbearing quality we all knew too well. Occisora brushed stray wisps of strawberry colored hair out of her lips before speaking.

    “You have come a long way, and you’re very nearly there.” It was strange, today she sounded thrilled to see us – not in her usual, ‘I-can’t-wait-to-see-you-die’ sort of thrill. It was more like, she had this glow about her, she was our friend for a moment, she cared. But how can I be asked to believe that knowing, seeing, all the things she’s done? We all know we can’t trust her, so why does she continue to pretend?

    “Behind me you’ll find nine doors, one for each of you.” It was then I realised a thick layer of fog rested over the valley behind her, coming to a strict halt just before reaching the place where her long, trailing dress began. It was like she commanded it so; like she ruled over it, and kept it at bay.

    “If you can make it this far you will be safe behind the door. But first, you much reach it.” Her arms made a wide horizontal arch, directing our eyes to the obstacle which lie between us and safety. The water rushed by at an ever increasing speed, there was no way we could swim across it wihtout being swept away or chilled to death. It was most likely cold, as the air around us seemed a bit chilly.

     “The only way to cross the ravine is by tight-rope. We’ve provided one for you, take a look.” I gazed across the water, studying every inch of it til my eyes caught on the thick wire stretching just a few feet above the water, all the way to the other side of the bank. “Some of you may fall to your deaths...” she seemed her usual self again, careless, coldhearted, sadistic. “However, if you remain on your side of the banks certain death will come to you.” Her smile could just be seen, the sun reflecting off her pristine teeth. She then raised her arm and pointed one finger at a clock, sitting atop the pole of the red flag, flying high. “When the clock strikes one, the woods and everything in it will be blown to smithereens. That way, I am assured there are no survivors. That leaves...” she placed her hand in the position one would take to solute, blocking the sun from interfering with her eyesight, and gazed at the clock. “Less than one hour to make it to safety.” People all around us began clammoring, chatting wildly and agonising over the predicament.

     “Enjoy the walk to freedom.” Occisora sang pretentiously, casting the length of her dress to the side as she turned on her heel, causing it to flow around as a cape, thousands of tiny jewels glinting in the sunlight until she disappeared, into the fog, dragging it with her. The thickness of it soon dissipated, revealing these nine doors. Were there really nine of us left? Had it been that long since we started? It didn’t feel that way. But, I had to accept reality. Soon one of us would be heading home. Soon, my alliance would be scattered in every which way.

  At once everyone was in a hurry to cross. Being that there was only one wire, tributes spilled over in a funnel-like fashion, all anxious to get over before one o’clock. I felt Miles tugging at my wrist.

   “Hurry let’s go, or we won’t get a spot and we'll have to cross last!” He was saying. I refused to budge, watching in disgust as people trampled others, screamed their way through the masses, and started fights in every free space. Lumen and Seaver were hanging back, talking, so I pulled Miles in their direction instead.

    “Wait but the wire –”

   “We’ll get back to that Miles, don’t worry.” I gave a tired sigh as we approached Lumen and Seav. I would really love to let Miles try the tight rope without me, but obviously that was never going to happen with the metal practically fused to our wrists. How we would ever survive past this seemed to bewilder me. How Miles had any friends, being so reckless and so impatient, was almost as bewildering. But, aside from those undesireable qualities, Miles was actually one of the nicest guys I knew.

     “Let’s just wait for everyone to pass and then we’ll go. I don’t want to be pushed off the goddamn wire with all those kids fooling around on it.” Lumen urged, glaring at the tributes like they were those kids in gradeschool who stole his favourite toy on the playground. Seaver groaned, although she didn’t argue this time, and threw her head back. Amabel just silently watched the movements of the other tributes, studying them as if already formulating a plan.

    “We need a better plan.” Miles snapped in return. “We can’t just wait, what if we don’t get our turn until it’s too late? I don’t know about you, but being blown to bits does not sound appealing to me.” I calmly breathed a little bit of air in through my nose, and let it out slowly through my mouth, calming the rising anger.

    “Well, if you want to go get yourself killed, be my guest. But I’m waiting.” Lumen retorted rather loudly. It had been awhile since I’d seen him blow up like that, it was actually kind of strange to see it happen. Lumen was always so calm, precise, indifferent to anything that could potentially grow into an argument. I watched carefully the events unfold before me.

    “Yeah, well it’s not exactly like I can just run off by myself. We both have partners to consider, and they have their own opinions. For example, Tobias?” Miles turned to me, causing me to go wide-eyed in surprise. Why was he dragging me into this? Perhaps because I was his cuff-buddy?

     “What do you think. Should we wait, or should we go while we still have our limbs attached?” His tone was rather hostile, like he was trying to persuade me to agree with him. But, like he said before, I had my own opinion and I wasn’t going to shake it.

    “Well,” I said with a slight hitch to my voice. Clearing my throat, I continued bravely. “I don’t think we should wait too long –” evidently Miles assumed I was taking his side, although I could see no clear sides, and chimed in before I could even finish my thought.

    “Ha! You see? We need to go now.” He shouted.

   “But...” I interrupted. Miles slouched in disappointment. “I also think we should let the crowd die down a little. Catch our breath, take it easy, and figure out how we can get across without falling into a raging river of death.” Everyone was silent. Had I said the right thing? I sure hoped so, otherwise that would be embarrassing.

   Finally, Amabel spoke. “Sounds good.” She tossed a stick into the mud, landing it perfectly upright and walked a ways away from the bank. Mira and Ki followed close behind, chatting amongst themselves about the ravine. Miles growled, and jerked my arm as he attempted to storm off from the rest of us. Very awkwardly, he returned to my side, apologising under his breath. I grinned, and forgave him, taking a seat by Seaver and calculating the amount of weight that wire could hold. Probably somewhere around two-to-three tributes at a time. That was actually most likely why, halfway across, many of them going in groups of four suddenly bent the wire too far and fell off into the river. Seaver was chuckling to herself every time this happened. It amused her, their level of stupidity. I smiled, though not alerting her to my thoughts. I just waited with the others in contentment as the tributes began slowly to figure out that not all of them could cross at once. It took quite a while, but eventually everyone would either cross or give up, allowing fate to consume them in the coming explosion I guess.

    Once only three or four of them remained on our shore, or tried desperately to swim back to our side of the bank, Lumen dubbed it time to try our luck. He and Seaver took the lead, walking slowly toward the ravine. Amabel was breathing rapidly, I guess worried that alone she might not make it, and Mira walked with her head held high, confident in herself and Ki. Miles glanced toward Ki, but held back saying anything. Could it be possible he knew her? Unlikely, they were from separate districts, none of us really knew our neighboring districts. The more likely explanation was that Ki reminded him of someone he was close to; a sister back home perhaps? Whatever his reasons, he worried over Ki, stranger or not.

     We had at last reached the very edge of the rushing water. No one was really around, they were either in the water or hugging their knees at the bank, crying their eyes out because they knew they were failures. I didn’t really pity them all that much; I hardly knew them, it was all I could tell myself just to move on, leave them be. They’d accepted their fate, why shouldn’t I?

    “Who wants to go first? Miles?” Amabel inquired, slowly becoming more intimidated by the appearance of the wire up-close. It certainly did look much smaller than when we were far away; and less sturdy, it could snap any time it seemed. Or it could be cut; but as far as I could tell, the others had already made it to their doors and disappeared through them.

     “We’ll go.” Said Seaver. Surprised, I raised my eyebrows at her, wondering why she would do it. Whatever her reasoning, Lumen agreed to go with her, and off they went. One foot carefully placed before the other, shuffling sideways and trying desperately to keep their balance, they slowly made progress toward the other side. Those of us remaining along the shore bent, and ducked, copying their movements, whispering encouragement to those crossing although really, we ourselves needed it. Finally, we were able to let out a simultaneous breath we’d all been holding as Lumen and Seaver made it safely across. They waved to us, encouraging us that it wasn’t as bad as it seemed. At this point I just so happened to glance at the clock, realising it was 12:45 already.

    “Guys! Hurry! One o’clock is right around the corner!” I shouted to the others. Mira and Ki offered to go next, but Amabel took their place, apologising but nonetheless continuing down the tight rope. She was eager to get over her fear and get across I guess.

     “Mira, you guys go ahead of us.” I spoke beore I had the chance to consult with my partner.

    “Wh-hey! My life is at stake too you know.” Miles objected, stopping the girls from crossing. The clock struck 12:47.

   “Come on, who cares if we’re last.” I argued.

      “Look,” Miles continued. “I get that you’re a nice, selfless guy concerned with the safety and well-being of others, but can you please stop thinking about your reputation? I am stuck with you whether either of us likes it or not, we are going to cross at some point – why can’t we cross now?” I struggled with a comeback convincing enough to change his mind, but the clock struck 12:50 and we were wasting time with this silly little argument.

     “Miles – ” I began, but Mira interrupted.

    “Oh for Pete’s sake, go! Go! We don’t care.” She yelled. However, Ki had other plans. She quickly spoke up, dragging the disagreement on longer.

     “What! Hey, I want to cross before we all die. Let me go, now!” She squealed like a pathetic six-year-old.

    “Ki, we don’t have time to discuss this.” Mira replied. It was now 12:52.

   “But do we have time for this?” Ki’s tone of voice changed drastically to one of dark intent, and her eyes grew shaded, and cloudy. “Oh Eno, wanna have a little fun?” She taunted, turning her head to the side and giving mira a sadistic look, one very similar to Occisora’s sadistic face. And who the hell was Eno anyway? Before any of us could even think to react, Ki was launching herself at Mira and nobody could stop her. The tiny girl of only thirteen years had seemingly transformed into a dark, evil killing machine. She was crawling all over Mira like a mad ape, screaming and pulling Mira’s hair, pinching her, biting her, and sadistically banging their skulls together. On instinct I pulled my crossbow up to my shoulder, but there was no way I could hit Ki without hitting Mira. Angrily, I thrust it back and glanced at the clock, then Miles. 12:53. Miles caught my drift, and pulled out his axe. But this, too, could not land a proper hit. He retrieved some of his knives, hoping his aim was as good as he thought it was, and preparing to throw one right at Ki’s back. Before launch Mira managed to slip her hand under Ki and shove her violently off her body. Miles had a small window of opportunity where he could throw the knife, hit Ki and avoid Mira before she came crashing down on top of the little girl. Miles took his shot; with baited breath we watched it spiral and heard it make contact with flesh, but we couldn’t tell who it hit as Mira fell on Ki and just lay there. For a moment the two of us assumed she’d been hit, but were relieved to find she was all right as she removed herself from the girl and pulled the knife out of Ki’s body.

    “What was – she was like a – like a monster.” Miles could barely believe his eyes. He stared at Ki’s body while Mira mutilated it, searching for the key to her handcuffs. I placed my free arm around Miles and hugged him, knowing that if Ki had looked anything like Caira I would’ve reacted the same way to her death. Insane or not, Ki meant something to Miles, and her death was hard.

     I released him from our embrace and looked down at Mira, watching as her fingers dug deep inside Ki’s heart cavity, completely soaked in blood, the body still warm no doubt. I wondered how Mira could do such a thing; it was necessary, but I know I could never bring myself to actually reach inside another human being’s dead form, as they lay, eyes still staring up at me. I felt like bending over and shutting the eyelids of Ki, but the thought of even touching her after death caused me to stiffen.

    Our eyes widened as Mira grasped something, and brought it out. Although completely soaked with blood and flesh, the thing still resembled a key, and could be fit perfectly into the lock. Miles and I could do nothing but stare as reality struck us; before it wasn’t really real, of course we knew what was inside us, we knew it could be retrieved but to actually see it put a whole new perspective on things, it made the keys and the riddle real. It made me feel sick inside, made my heart beat faster; I could nearly convince myself I could feel it inside my chest now.

   Mira dropped the key once her cuffs had been released, and ushered us to go on. We might all make it, the clock only read 12:56, we had a slim chance. Miles and I locked our elbows together, walking back to back we could push on each other, so that every time it felt like one of us was falling forward we could push back on the other, stabilizing ourselves. The water rushing under us made us quiver in fear, and almost give up on several occasions. But our need to survive, the thought of our families and the longing for home was just enough to carry us through to the end. At last our feet hit solid ground, 12:57, Mira could make it with a minute to spare if she took as long as we did. If she got here sooner it would better, but she was allowed to take her time.

    “Jeez you guys move slower than my grandma.” Seaver complained. “When she’s herding turtles!” She added playfully. I smiled, politely acknowledging the joke but at the moment too concerned for Mira’s safety to laugh properly. Miles had been silent ever since Ki passed, he wasn’t in the mood for joking either.

    She seemed to be making good progress; 12:57, soon to be 12:58. If she could just get over the middle section where it dipped slightly because of all the weight it once carried; before it was straight as an arrow, but after several hundred-pound kids tried to pile on all at once, it obtained a slight dip in the centre. She wobbled, it looked bad, but she recovered and continued with her arms outstretched and her feet following one right after the other. She was going to make it; it looked very good. Hence all our shock as she began leaning too far to the left, her foot came loose from the wire as she desperately tried to steady herself. But it was of no use. Mira fell head-first into the rushing, freezing waters, her blonde head the last thing any of us saw of her.

   “Mira!” I screamed with a panicked sound I had never heard coming from myself before. I was prepared to run in and dive after her, but Miles stopped me as a distant booming sound met our ears. Black smoke mixed with clumps of dirt and uprooted trees, half blasted off, met our eyes in the distance. It had struck one in the afternoon, and everything beyond the ravine was being torn to shreds, blasted to oblivion. I couldn’t hear the sound of my own voice as I screamed for Mira, screamed for her to swim to us. The explosions crept closer and closer, Miles yanked me with the others so we might escape the debris. Mira’s small head bobbed to the surface of the water, just as the blasts tore the earth right out of itself behind her. The look of panic and then realisation that formed in her eyes and across the ridges of her forehead would forever haunt my eyes. She didn’t have time to turn around and calculate how much longer she had left, before a blast shot her body and the entire length of the deep ravine straight up to the sky. She was no more. I suppose the sight was fantastic, like Moses parting the Red Sea, but all I saw was the emptiness in Mira’s expression minutes before her death. Was that going to happen to the rest of us? This feeling I felt as each one of us died? Why did it hurt so bad, when I knew and expected it would happen?

     My ears and my vision suddenly snapped back as a little click sounded by my right arm, and I gazed down to see the cuff’s mechanism release my end, splitting in half and falling away, sliding off my wrist as Miles took it. I suppose he found a key in the door with his name on it. I trailed my eyes along the doors until spotting my name, and entering without concern for the others. As the wooden door swung shut carefully behind me, I felt safe. Safer than I’d ever been in my life, not just from the Games. Buck suddenly dropped from my jacket, barking excitedly as he spotted something in the darker portion of the room. I grasped the lantern hanging on a hook by the wall to my right, casting its glow over whatever object Buck had been so excited to find. I gasped, dropping the lantern to the floor. Luckily it stayed upright, and allowed me to see the item before me; it was a small, not very well-built doghouse. I recognised it as the one I made for Buck a long time ago. It wasn’t secured to the house or the ground or anything, and sadly had been stolen the night it was finished. I never knew what became of it, until now. But how on earth would the Gamemakers have gotten a hold of it? More importantly, how did they know about its existence in the first place? I only just became known to them at the reaping. They wouldn’t have been able to predict the future and know I would be chosen, could they? Buck yapped twice, getting my attention as he sat inside, wagging his little tail.

   “Yap, yap!” He insisted, curling around the way dogs do when they make things their own. I slowly shook my head; the mystery began to deepen more and more no matter how many clues you found. Nothing made much sense, and so it would be, I supposed, until I could get out of the arena and get answers. I was not about to let this go without explanation.