darkness is needed to see the stars//hoa vs. pe; day five

A bitterness has settled into my heart overnight. Maybe there was poison in those laser beams because the one that struck my chest has infected my heart. The knowledge that Hanaa is gone sits heavy in my lungs and I feel like each breath is a struggle. Sullivan is silent beside me as we walk in companionable loneliness. There isn't a particular direction we are travelling in, just away. We walk away from where Hanaa died and away from where we so nearly had killed another person.

My heart sinks when I see movement ahead.

Dread hooks sharp claws into my already straining lungs as I recognize the shapes before me. They are human - tributes - and as we draw closer I realize who they are. Not sure I could feel any worse, but knowing I surely would, I hold my pruning sabre before me. This time I was better equipped. The girl seems to recognize us too, though I don't know if she feels despair or anger at the sight of our weary features.

"What, you guys can't get enough?" I can't see her face in this gloom. The lights had gone out and only the barest shadows were visible if I strained my eyes. I tried to rely on my hearing to tell me where she was but I could only hope that I was able to keep track in this darkness. "You shouldn't have come here."

I couldn't help but agree, though at this point it was far too late for regrets. At least I was surrounded by the lush green garden - the smell still permeated the air, even though the temperature had dropped last night. If I could see I was sure I might have been able to see my breath.

Only I couldn't see, and I'm sure Sullivan couldn't either. Neither of us had any way to light up the dark ship so we were all but stumbling along. I had to use something as a clue though.

The answer came as quick flash and a slice to my arm. Once again I was going to be cut to ribbons as I uselessly struck at those around me. I couldn't help Blue, or Hanaa. Now I wouldn't be able to help Sullivan. I wouldn't be able to help myself.

My only opportunity, my only chance, was to use that quick flash I had seen from the gun as it fired and strike in that direction. I just hoped I would actually land a blow.

Everything was quiet, nothing more than silence and they ran from the craziness that had ensued just moments before. Nothing seemed to make sense as he watched blood pool from Alphabets body.

Hanaa was nowhere to be seen.

Tacit thoughts passed through his mind as he thought about how much Hanaa had fought to try to stay alive, and while he did all that he could to keep her from falling into deaths hands, it wasn’t enough.

He wasn’t enough.

---

The gardens felt out of place here, but a calming nature exuded from the place, and as he sat there, trying to piece together the broken parts of Alphabet, he realizes that Hanaa would have loved this place. That she died so they could go on. She might have been the mouthpiece, but she was their mouthpiece, and Sullivan Plier might have killed someone, but that didn’t make a difference here and now.

Nothing here would.

---

The night passed, or at least he thought it was the night time. He couldn’t be certain because it felt like time didn’t pass here. Like he was stuck on an infinite loop and no one was trying to pull him out of it.

His bones felt sore, and his countenance was set in stone. There wasn’t an ounce of doubt in his body that he felt like he screwed up. That if he just fought a little harder, aimed a little better, prayed a little harder, than Hanaa would be here with them.

But even in death, Hanaa found a way to get the last word in.

---

The anthem came and Hanaa was removed from the chat app on the watches. He sighed, realizing that she truly was gone. He stood for a moment, stretching and catching his breath. It was going to be another long day.

And then a click, and the lights went out.

He didn’t know how, or why. The cable bridge had been hanging through the gardens, and he had even noticed it until the lights had gone out.

But then it was too late.

Others were talking in the distance, voices that he could recognize. The same ones from the day before.

But he had nothing to say to the people that took his friend from them.

They fired their blasters, and before he could even react, he noticed that Alphabet had a sword swinging right down on him. He pushed the laser blaster against it, forcing Alphabet off of him. ”That’s me Alphie.” he spoke quietly.

More laser sounds cut through the quiet, and Sullivan could see them connecting with Alphabets body. He could tell they were coming from straight ahead, but he couldn’t see them.

This was more than unfair, but what was new in the hunger games.

So he took a few steps away from where he though Alphie was, and pointed his laser blaster forward.

All he could do was hope that he would hit his mark.

My sword struck something, but I could tell by the feel of the blow that the blade had been deflected. When Sullivan's quiet voice reached me I felt a terrible sinking sensation in my gut. "That’s me Alphie." I had nearly hurt the person I told myself to protect. The dark was tricking me and the ability for our opponents to see where we were made it impossible for this to have a good ending.

The quick flash followed by slicing pain told me that I had been fired on again. The deadly aim of the two we fought meant I was already in serious danger. My arm continued to bleed and now my chest once again felt like it was on fire. I jumped when Sullivan fired his own gun back into the darkness. The sound of surprised pain that came from somewhere in the shadows didn't lift my spirits. We were out gunned here, and out equipped. I was as likely to hit Sullivan again as I was to strike at one of the two people actively trying to kill me.

I had no hope of surviving here. The small voice in the back of my mind gave me a little comfort as it reminded me that I was surrounded by living green. I was still only a short distance away from the marker I had left in Hanaa's honour. The bouquet might still be sitting there, a sign of my apology. Would dying here make it up to her? No, probably not. To Hanaa, continuing to fight was more important.

Give them hell. Keep fighting for me. Remember, they are all a bunch of rats.

Hanaa would chide me for giving up, even though I was bleeding probably fatally and was sure the next blow might just finish me off. Keep fighting for me. I had failed her once already, I couldn't do it again.

Trying to listen for any sound, I took a deep breath before attacking in the direction Sullivan had shot.

Give them hell.

For Hanaa, I would try.

Good news everyone! Im in cali, but that means i need to filler. Got about 90 miles to go. Stopped at a gas station. Flyss should be taking back over in the morning! If not, i will fill in for them!

filler because I'm at work.

Even in the darkness, Sullivan knew what had happened. This was the first time he had been sentient during a fight in days, and in between flashes of sunbeam red and glacier blue, he struggled to make out whose silhouette lay lifeless on the floor. It was small and hunched over from the final blow, but Sullivan knew. And his heart knew. And he could feel his blood curdling at the thought of losing yet another ally. 

"A-alphie," he sputtered out, part of him still hoping that maybe he'd get a reply from somewhere in the shadows. When nothing came, his heart lurched. "Alphie!" Sullivan's voice was pathetic and cracked at the edges. Maybe he was falling apart for real this time. "Alph--"

"I'm sorry, Alphie." 

In that moment, Sullivan's legs moved faster than they ever had before. Where they were going, he did not know; but what he did know was that he needed to get as far away from the cable bridge as possible. He would be next, wouldn't he? He couldn't let himself be next.