Shit, we woke it up / / New Panem Patriots+ Hell hound RE

The last fight shook me up real good. First, there was coming to terms with the fact that I had been attack by the district 5 male with who must have been his ally running after him. It had hurt when District 5 managed to get me in the stomach, but it was the wake-up call I needed. It didn’t matter that other people were coming in—all I saw at the time was my attacker and how I needed to get him before he could kill me.

So when he dropped after my knife made a gash to the back of his head, it had hit me then that I had killed him. I knew he was District 5, but it was only once I saw his face that I remembered why I knew him: he was the kid who had held up the line in the dining hall because he was just so damn indecisive. I had left the fight quickly, grabbing his weapon before I made after my alliance. It was such a damn relief that my alliance members were there that I couldn’t care about anything else, not even the pain that Chaske, Mason, and I had used on myself. I didn’t even care that we had been separated in the first place; if they hadn’t found me, there wouldn’t have been anything else to worry about.

But as we kept walking in silence, I became more absorbed in my thoughts, coming to terms with the fact that I had just killed someone. He had attacked me but I killed him. He was going to kill me if I didn’t strike back but I killed him. He had no mercy for me but I killed him. If there was ever a good time to become emotional about it, it would have been with him because he was my first kill but he probably wasn’t going to be my last. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to bury it somewhere deep in my memory so I could never find it. The only reminder I would have left would be when I saw his face last across the night sky.

He will not define me. I swallowed a large gulp as I finally focused on the ice pick in my hand. It was nothing like the axes I used at home, but it felt more comfortable than the blade I had used to kill District 5. Now the blade would be used by Prism and I hoped it did as much work for him as it did for me. I gave Chaske the weapon I had collected from District 5—it almost felt like I had plead for them—and in turn, he gave me the ice pick. I had tried it with a few swings before I had smirked at my alliance members because I was now using a weapon I was familiar with. Even by my side, it felt just like home and I knew I was prepared for any fight now.

I chuckled as Prism yelled at the Gamemakers for some weed. He was always an interesting guy, especially from the moment I met him at the same station as I met the rest of my alliance members. But that wasn’t the first time he made an impression on me. I had watched the replay of his reaping and I was pretty sure I laughed when I heard what he had to say. Batshit crazy was exactly how I liked my allies and Prism wasn’t only batshit crazy, he was crazy and looking for a high. Mason, on the other hand, was a deep threat and one I preferred to have by my side. Keeping him close meant that I knew what he was doing and if we worked together, it would heavily be in our favor. It also meant I would have to sleep with one eye open and my hand curled around my weapon.

But then we were in front of two entrances and it was at that time we had to make a decision. We could have easily split up, but after the fiasco from the first time I was separated from them, it was better that we stayed together. It didn’t help that Mason chose for us and Prism went in without any complaint. Letting out a long sigh, I nodded at Chaske before following Mason and Prism and halted when they did.

The beast we were standing face-to-face with did not look happy—almost the same expression my father had when he was coming down and found out there was no alcohol left—and there was no question that we would have to fight it. Prism and Mason charged at it, and I followed, wondering if the ice pick would work for me as well as the axe I was more accustomed to. It made contact with the mutt, but it wasn’t enough to bring it down and I grimaced before laughing. “Guess it’s not the same without a cigarette.”