Chapter 8: Death of an innocent

"You and I'll be safe and sound..."

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   Emme woke up bright and early the next morning with excruciating headache and pain in her ribs. Last night when coming home trying to sneak in to get Mrs. Figgs to get rid of the uniform. You came face to face with your father getting the rifts of his rage while her mother and sister slept soundly. 

  She rose from her bed and got ready for the day taking a pain reliever or two that she keeps in her bathroom. Before sneaking out to go back to the auditorium. Once she walked into the auditorium taking her seat Lucky Flickerman started back with his announcements.

"Wakey wakey, my Capitol friends. I'm Lucky Flickerman and welcome to day number two of the 10th annual Hunger Games." Luck said through the PA.

"Now, while most of you were getting your beauty sleep last night, something scintillating occurred. Bobbin from District 8, slaughtered." 

  Emme tensed slightly before looking over at Coriolanus who was looking at her. They gave both each other a knowing look not to say a word about the night before but also one that said they were they're for each other as the buzzer buzzes and students cheered for another opponent gone.

"Which of these beasts slayed Bobbin from District 8?" Lucky asked. "Either way, it doesn't matter. 10 tributes remain."

"Reaper still at the top of the boards." Lucky announced.

"They aren't showing us what happened to that little boy. He clearly was killed right there." Somebody said confused.

"There's cameras everywhere. It doesn't make sense." Lyssie said trying to figure out what happened.

  Emme felt slightly guilty for what had happened but if Coriolanus didn't commit that crime she would be the one mysteriously dead.. or gone. Emme shook off the situation and turned her head back to the screen.

"They said they were old cameras, Lyssie." Festus said next to her. "Probably just another one of Coral's."

"Festus, sit down." Lucky said annoyed. "Same seats."

"What'd you do to me?" Jessup asked as he startled awake looking at Lucy Gray aggressively.

"Nothing!" She said. Emme sat up taller in her seat trying to find out how he could change on her so fast.

"Lyssie, what is he doing?" Coriolanus asked looking over at the girl.

"Something's wrong. He wouldn't turn on her like this." She replied equally confused .

"Jessup going after Lucy Gray." Lucky said. As Jessup started chasing Lucy Gray out of the tunnels and into the open.

"Go to the stands, go to the stands." Coriolanus whispered aggravated.

"Stop running! What did you..." Jessup yelled at her as he groaned. "What did you do to me?"

"I didn't do anything."  Lucy Gray said backing away from him.

"Both tributes from District 12. The same district folding in on itself." Lucky joked. Emme looked at the screen a bit closely.

"Wait, look." Emme said pointing at the screen grabbing both Lyssie and Coriolanus's attention. "The foam."

"I didn't do anything to you!" Lucy Gray shouted.

"I think it's rabies." Emme stated, Coriolanus eyes widened as did Lyssie's.

"That bite. From that train." Lyssie muttered. Coming to realisation.

"Send him water." Coriolanus said going up to Lyssie.

"Wait, what?" She asked.

"You remember the posters in the war?" He asked her. "Rabies. It makes you afraid of water. Send him a drone."

"That'll scare him." Lyssie said looking down.

"Yes. Away from her." Coriolanus pointed out."Jessup is done."

"Lyssie, you're the only one that can get it right to him." Coriolanus pushed. Lyssie sighed in defeat as she went to her pack and sent a water.

"Thank you." Coriolanus said appreciatively.

"Nothing to be proud of." Lyssie spat back coldly.

  Before leaving her seat to go sit down in one of the benches. Coriolanus gave Emme a slight nod in appreciation for her catching it. She gave him a slight nod back.

"Please, please, please!" Lucy Gray shouted as she tried to get away.

  The drone came buzzing in and smashed against Jessups chest as he started freaking out more pulling at his shirt before stepping back to far and falling backwards landing on the ground with a thud. Lucy Gray Gasped as a few students cheered. Emme tensed and looked away at the fallen tribute part of her feeling bad for Lyssie.

"J-Jessup?" Lucy Gray asked shuddering as she made her way to him.

"I'm not going anywhere. Okay?" Lucy gray said to Jessups now corpse.

"You watched over me, now I'm watching over you." Lucy Gray said exhaling as she reached up and closed his eyes. "Sleep now, Jessup, sleep."

  Just as the moment of grief began the quicker it was taken by Coral and her tribe of allies.

"Lucy Gray." One of them sang out as they began to circle her like prey. She tried to move away before having a trident pointed at her. "You stay right there."

"Oh, look at this." Lucky said intrigued. "The Pack doing what they do best. Packing it in. Lucy Gray is swarmed, cornered."

Emme looked at the screen then over at Coriolanus as he started going for his communipad. Emme shrank in her seat at the scene and what he was doing. The drones came buzzing in startling the tributes as they came all around them.

"These drones are not very good." Luck said unimpressed.

"Hey! You can't attack the tributes." A student said. Emme shrank not wanting to get into this looking over at Coriolanus.

"I'm just sending water." Coriolanus said cockily.

  The girl huffed in irritation and annoyance at his actions and Emme shook her head looking back towards the screen. Seeing Lucy Gray had a chance to escape and hide from the pack.

"You idiots." Coral Groaned. " How did you possibly let her get away?"

"I couldn't see a thing." One of them said who Emme recognised as Treech. Coral rolled her eyes before pointing her trident thing to him.

"Get this water into a pile, lumberjack. And then when you're done, you two can watch that beam while we get your little friend from back home up there at least." Coral said pointing up towards Lamina. Treech followed her gaze his eyes saddening as he hesitated to do what Coral asked. "Now!"

  Treech complied as Coral took off running up to the platform and disarming Lamina of her weapon. Emme looked away as she heard as the trident plunged into her and being taken out as she fell.

"Again, a fall..." Lucky sighed as the buzzer goes off "...ending a tribute's game."

Emme looked back at the screen her eyes saddening a bit seeing Treech standing over Láminas body with tears slipping out of his eyes. Soon the pack went off chasing after another tribute.

Then, Lucy Gray came out of her hiding place dumping out all of the water except the one she had in her hand sitting it down next to all the now empty ones. Soon one of the tributes from Corals pack saw her and started to chase after her.

"Lucy Gray on the move." Lucky announced. "And so is Pup Harrington. Thank you, Pup."

"Now, I wish we had a camera inside of the duct, but we don't. But we will next year." Lucky said Lucy gray made her way safely into the air duct.

"Hey. You really think you deserve that water now, Tanner?" Coral sneered at the boy as he held the water about to take a drink.

"Look, you just said watch the beam." The laughed at Coral until she had finally had enough and end him as gasped.

"Coral." Mizzen said Coral looked over at him. "It's Wovey. The little one from 8."

"This should be easy." Coral said nodding her head at the group before leaving.

"Seven tributes remain." Lucky said as the buzzer went off. "Merciless Mizzen, Cunning Coral, Treacherous Treech, Dill, Reaper, of course, and the lone wolves, little Wovey and Lucy Gray."

Emme looked off not wanting to hear what else he had to say until she started to hear an all too familiar cough. She quickly turned her head up to the screen to see Dill.

"And who do we have here? Ah! It's ill Dill. Tuberculosis on legs." Lucky Joked Emme Scoffed rolling her eyes slightly.

Her heart stopped as she took in what was happening. Dill and taken sip of the water and now chocking more with blood coming out of her nose.

"No.no.no" Emme kept whispering her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as Dill slowly laid down on the ground.

Coriolanus's breath got caught in his throat Turing his head slightly towards Emme who had her one hand on her mouth eyebrows furrowed in what could only be described as confusion. He felt slight guilt but he was doing this for a reason for a better future for him, his family.. and her.

"Dill?" Reaper called as he came out seeing her. "Dill? Dill, wake up. Dill."

Emme hand now covered her mouth as tears formed in she'd eyes at the loss of Dill and Raapers reaction.

"No. What happened? Dill?" Reaper called shaking the girl slightly. "Hey. Dill, hey, wake up."

"Dill!" He said as he shouted in pain making tears flow from Emme's eyes. Reaper now on his knees. "I'm so sorry."

The buzzer buzz's cueing Emme to leave her station but she didn't she stayed tears slowly flowing down her cheeks. Then a big clank was heard from the screen.

"He just tore down the flag." Lucky said speechless. Emme looked at the screen and stood up Coriolanus's eyes following her.

"Are you gonna punish me now?" Reaper said looking directly at the Camera. Putting his hands out.

"Are you going to punish me n..." He started to yell but the camera cut to Dr.Gaul.

"Capitol citizens, I'm afraid I must interrupt our Games to announce a tragic loss, one that affects us all. Felix Ravinstill, son of our beloved president..." Dr. Gaul said.

Emme covered her mouth again in sadness and shock before grabbing her jacket and making her exit.

"Has, this morning, succumbed to his injuries sustained in the rebel bombing. Out there in the districts, they will be celebrating this young boy's death as a triumph. I will not allow my Games to give our enemy such a victory. I swear to you, here and now, before the sun goes down tonight, a rainbow of destruction will engulf our arena. Even if it means there's to be no victor in these Games." Dr. Gaul said in an angry outrageous tone. As the camera cut back to the games.

"Get me a drink. Get me a drink right now." Lucky ordered to one of his guys as they rushed off.

Coriolanus looked at the screen in shock mixed with horror he looked over to Emme to find her gone. He looked back as he got up and left as he remembered the hanker chief.

Emme walked off to one of the outside parts for fresh air to help calm herself down but froze as she saw the tanks of Dr.Gauls snakes all being hauled into a big tank. After Coriolanus put the handkerchief into the snake hit he paused as he saw Emme before looking around and going up to her.

"Are you okay?" He asked coming up next to her.

"I'm fine but uhm what are they doing." She asked hesitantly pointing at the big tank. Coriolanus followed her gaze at the tank his eyes widening remembering she missed the part of Gauls speech.

"Felix is dead. And she said that she was releasing a rainbow of destruction." Coriolanus replied looking at her as she tensed.

"I was afraid of that.." Emme replied taking a deep sigh.

"theirs to be no victor.." Coriolanus said jaw clenching. Emme looked at him in shock before pulling him into a hug.

"I'm so sorry Corio.." She whispered. He wanted to tell her that he had a plan but.. being in her embrace made it all the more better. He pulled away taking her hand giving it a feathery kiss.

"Come back and be there for me.." He whispered to her. Emme hesitated. "I need you there." Emme sighed letting him tug her with him as they went back in.

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Word Count: 2058

(A/n: One more chapter than we are completely done with act 1!!! Took me awhile but I am finally getting this ball rolling for this book! In act 2 I have some BIG surprises coming and I hope you guys will enjoy and think it's interesting in the turn of events for Emme! But until then! Comment you can be brutally honest also give it like/vote if yay want!)