Masterpiece // Monstrosity [Safina Day 4]

Masterpiece // Monstrosity

It all felt like a blur now. Nori falling dead in the sand. Sera slinking away. Me standing above the body of my enemy, chest heaving in a mix of exhaustion, rage, and lungs desperately pulling as much oxygen as they can out of the stifling air. Darkness is in full swing now, and the darkness only seems to make the flames that burn inside me smolder brighter.

The chain on the beast has been broken, my will to hold it back weakened into submission by the scorching heat and the brain that would love nothing more than not to think for a while. To let something else take the reins for a bit. Now the beast is running rampant within me, shredding the parts of my humanity with razor sharp claws until I'm not sure what parts will ever be salvageable. I'm not even sure I care about salvaging any of it. I'm not sure I care about much right now.

The beast is no longer just free to take over me; it pushes the truth into my place on a dented and scratched silver platter. I've been denying it for so long on the hopes that if I say it enough times it'll become true, like a self-fulfilling prophecy. The beast isn't inside of me. The beast is me.

Safina the girl is gone. Safina the demon is what remains as the sand settles.

I can no longer deny that I am a killer. Nori's battered body was as damning of evidence as there could be to show just how much of a killer I was, and I was sure the carnage had been on display for the entirety of Panem to see me embrace my demonhood with open arms. My family would've seen it. Daughter, sister, demon, beast. One and the same now.

I had since left the scene of my kill. Stumbling my way through the scorching sands in search of some relief from the heat. But also, something else. Something more. The death of Nori Halliday was not enough to sate the beast, calm the rage. I has tasted blood. Now I want some more. Sera had been smart to put distance between us when she did or I'm certain I'd still be swinging at her and trying to add another body to my count in this arena. After all, they will all need to die if I want to win. Sera, Vera, even Tide. I'm too filled with fury to care about any of it. There's no difference after all between allies and friends any more. Blood will be red no matter who it pours from.

Despite the infernal engine fueling me to keep going, start a hunt and find a target to channel this fury into, I stop. Finally, the weight of the wounds I've suffered are collecting their debts. If I want to go on I have no choice but to stop and address these, at least. Even the fiercest beasts need to lick their wounds.

I rustle through the backpack for some supplies and my hand stumbles upon the little algae plant. I almost forgot about the night before when I was covered in the creatures, all rushing to soak up the tears of a grieving young girl. Now it seems almost to shrink away at my touch, as if it can sense the transformation I have undergone out in the desert. Perhaps regretting its decision to come with such a foul beast. Offering itself to a killer.

Yet it makes no move to leave. Even as my hand returns from the bag and the opportunity to flee shows itself. Perhaps it is too scared. Perhaps it does not think it would make it out successfully. Or perhaps it can still sense that the girl is here still, has swapped places with the beast she once fought to keep under control. I can still sense her in there, locked in the same cage that once held my beast tight, small and fragile and wholly her. Trapped by the monster she created to keep her alive. Her brilliant and deadly creation turning on her, transforming her into the demon she needs to be.

I know well how small that cage is. I won't be letting her out though. Especially when there's still so much work left to be done.

I hear the beep of the parachute before I see it, bouncing happily towards me with a capsule promising a bounty. I grin at the sight of it. It seems the sponsors have made their judgement on the demon on their screen.

They want to see more.