Born Amoungst the Beasts {Overseers/Critics Day 4}

I’m exhausted.

Two sleepless night and days filled with no rest but there is a risk of sleeping and never waking up. There is nothing to eat but the plants collected yesterday, oh I wish I had stayed with that giant chicken, a feast would have really freshened me up; I bet the others have scavenged on it. Beatie’s days will be numbered if these leaves do not settle an erupting stomach, survival is survival and sometimes that mean sacrifices. All she is useful for is collecting those delivery birds but I think I have done enough damage with my last gift to Wendell.

A dead District partner.

Teddy has already lost his, after the four cannons sounding today; I may have just lost mine. I don’t think I’d feel anything if I saw her face in that sky. I have nothing but a shared home in common with her and I can’t say there is anything particular thrilling about Ten. The Capitol a polar opposite but too much for me, Six or Seven, a middle ground, anywhere without chickens that are alive and running.

It is staring me, the replica toy of Teddy’s. How he can still carry that around after today is beyond me. I promised I’d remove its stuffing if one of us died and well, promises can be twisted. I raise my cutlass in the air, this will be a swift execution, I don’t need to endure looking at its head for the remainder of my days. I pull the blade down; it connects with the outer lining of the toy and continues past the stuffing and to the other side. Its head topples onto the ground and the ivory woollen insides burst out. Hints of blood mix with it, small droplets, remains from the real thing that have yet to dry up on my blade, what a lovely sacrifice.

"You gotta tie the plushie up. It's my koalas' bed."

Teddy and his damned koalas, I swear he has accumulated more since the fight ended.

”Fine then.”

I just stare down at the remains of the toy, how I am going to perform the request of fixing it, I do not know. A sigh rolls from my lips, this isn’t something I should be worrying about, tending to this big kids possession but yeah, I was the bully who broke it. I have been tormenting a bully since stepping into here and look at me now, typical.

Predictable Rory, becoming the person I detest.

I just sit down beside it, fiddling with the stitching. Beastie rolls off my back and lands onto the toy, forcing more stuffing to fall from it. The covering becomes looser when she lands and so I just tie it in a knot, containing all of its insides.

Crimson stains have blended together on my blade, Clementina, Dandy and the chicken, three contrasting beasts, to compare the them would be comical but the might of the bone crusher was proven today. A photo worthy kill, he is so silent and deadly, how long until I must break free before his blade takes a journey across my own neck? He can be forgiven for stabbing me in the back, there are actually people here that want to survive, that didn’t step into this by choice. Rodrick didn’t come here by choice but it was someone else’s.

And so I sit in silence as I watch the night, my first experience of the anthem, four cannons and I am still surprised that my name is not attached to any of them.

Aline Larkin, not one I ever acquainted myself with but I witnessed her end that must mean something.

Dandy Gordon, the supposed relative of the bully who I am out to torment; I hope he is looking up at her face right now, alive and healthy. Well, that little gift of mine will hopefully erase that image.

Jacob Wickham, we shared the same training score but nothing else.

And Clementina Ogden, gone. Her mark still remains on my sword that I am looking at and my attention just moves to Chester, I see nothing. There is relief, someone took revenge for the uptight queen that mishandled a gun and got herself killed.

The end.

So Wendell still walks, I need to catch more of those delivery birds.

”So many of us left.”

Silence.

There is nothing but a blank expression on both of them, for two nights we have exchanged words but they look lost in their thoughts. I’d venture there too but all I see is the face of the person I fled from. I may be tormenting others but I am not here to torment myself. So sleep it is then, may my dreams bless me with a decent conversation.

---

It is movement that wakes me and then a more absurd noise than the screaming from the chicken, which still rings in my ears.

Honk!

A photograph drops from its beak as it lets out the noise, I pick it up and I immediately want to claw out my eyes. Somebody’s butt, directed straight at the camera with a middle finger in the view. Authentic writing in blood just signs it off, ’bite me.’ Oh this is so Wendell, his retaliation is mild and yet, it feels like he is inviting me into his backside, if this is the way he is going to answer; I dread to think what close up of his body I will get next.

I just tear it in half and in half again, until dozens of pieces fall from my hands onto the obsidian floor. I just wish I could tear up the image that is now printed in my mind; I need to witness a horror to forget that.

And so we begin walking, back to the forest that we were forced out of by the beasts that reside in my pouch. They are doing no harm resting there, they are just like toys but if I decapitate them like I did that chicken, there will be no stuffing to erupt from them. When the craving for meat comes, my bear may be spared for them.

There is nothing but calm here, no giant chicken, nothing to tear us down.

Have we been granted with a day of rest?

No.

I am Rory Benstaloe, nothing pleasant comes my way.

”Ow, fuck.”

Something bites at my thigh; a weapon leaves more than a mark on it, a burst of crimson. For three days, I have witnessed such a thing explode onto others and so it is my turn. Chester walked away, Raquel walked away and so did Clementina, a parallel of events are likely to begin, a predictable day of clashed weapons. There is no giant chicken to distract us.

I take a glance up from my wounded lower limb, Wendell and his gang.

It is fucking Wendell.

”I am not interested in your butt Wendell. It is not a pretty sight anyway; maybe try that method of flirting with someone else.”

Before I can further the verbal attack, another sword connects with my leg, the damage less heavy than the previous. Two girls have taken a strike and yet Wendell hasn’t moved.

”Come on Wendell; don’t let these two girls do ya dirty work. Come on, face me and me alone or I will kill one of them.”

Chester tore down his District partner; from the picture he will probably think it was me. Any normal person would take Wendell’s life because of my hate for him but a prolonged torment is what I want Wendell Gordon to endure. A bully doesn’t deserve an easy death, he deserves to suffer and hurt in more ways than one.

Teddy and Chester have been accused of being violent and I have been overlooked.

There is no spotlight on me but this is my story, my final chapter and I deserve to be the focus.

Unlike Clementina Ogden, I am going to kill the District One, it is her fault she decided to ally with that beast.

”Hey One, didn’t ya kill Teddy’s partner? I swear you own partner said yesterday. I’d be worried if I were you.”