AMillionArrows: MILLIONS OF TABLES!

Tears of tomorrow twisted treacherous routes down the blooded sides of Bailey's cheeks. Kizzy's body still mingled as fresh as his corpse upon her tortured mind. Within the eternally shuddering palms of Bailey's hands, the scarlet stain of Hypatia Anning still shone clearly through the morbid darkness. Sobs fixated upon sorrow suffocated Bailey's breaths all while the wind never ceased to howl. Already one tethered soul had been severed from safety and a sense of dismay only made Bailey believe that among the many horrid cannons that had sounded, more of her precious lights would be found depleted of brilliance. It was a feeling as wicked as when she allowed Esme to slip into rotten hands five years earlier. A feeling riddled with the same wretched question, were they alive? A question no one should ever have to ask.

 Across the beaten battle field Bailey had grown disturbingly accustom to, she could just barely see another war coming to a cease fire. Screams traveled the winds like falcons piercing Bailey's ears with extreme detail. Murder, horror, and sadness all clung within the screeches' hollowed tones. Ruins of what Bailey could make out as once two tributes remained at the fled scene. Ice trickled in inlets down Bailey's spine until a full water fall was frozen within her. Hands unseen by the viewing world but far more powerful than real ones wrapped themselves around her neck as her worry devoured every last one of her thoughts. Aside from the winds which howled constantly not another single noise rang out from the tribute depleted battle. The screams had silenced and Bailey was certain a single pin dropping could be heard throughout the entire cave. 

One step forward. 

Bailey's heart began to quicken as her muscles remained stiff in fear of the possible. 

Two steps forward.

Disbelief veiled Bailey's senses as the bloodied blonde's mismatched eyes all but discovered the identities of the mangled victims. 

Three steps forward.

Whatever small sliver of hope and humanity which remained valiant against a storm of numbness shattered as certainty left Bailey's questions answered. Tears once again poured from the different irises in Bailey's skull while her knees grew weaker. There was never any give in the world, only take. And now it had taken all that remained leaving a butcher and nothing more.

Bailey's feet exploded into a vicious, rapid run until she fell to the side of her second dying ally. 

Beautiful brown danced in layers of red as though her hair was the bark of a cherry tree. Iona Holbrook's delicate frame seemed even more petite as her silent mouth hung agape with what Bailey believed was fear. Inaudible whispers of despair and grief bubbled from Bailey's cracked lips. Hands stained with the same red as Iona's wounds swiftly pulled the dying child firmly against her heaving chest. So many words wanted to wash out from beneath Bailey's teeth yet only ones of falsity seemed to greet Iona's precious ears.

"Don't worry Iona, it's going to be alright. Tonight we will fall asleep together under the stars. I can tell you about the wonderful fields of gold in District Ten. I can tell you any story you would like. Don't worry, when you are in my arms nothing bad can ever..."

A canon's blast declared Iona's heart to be at rest leaving Bailey once again left adrift in an ocean of failure. 

Gentle hands, although covered in blood of stolen life and by the dying, laid Iona upon the smooth stone. Lightly a finger ran down the young girl's cheek belonging to Bailey's shaking hand. Droplets of salted water sunk into Iona's clothes from Bailey's raining eyes. Death had made its daily verdicts and still it hadn't had enough.

Blood spurted from Weaver Rhodes' mouth in hideous amounts all while his eyes laid wide searching for any one to fall upon. Answering that call was Bailey as she drastically attempted to repair the wound resulting in his drastic blood loss. Deep within the cellars of horror Bailey contained in her find she knew loneliness would soon be her only companion. Still he hands worked endlessly as her eyes repeatedly found his. However, this time no lies left Bailey's lips while the tears made her work harder and harder to do. Then finally frustration left her collapsed with her head on his chest as her sobs echoed endlessly in the cavern.

"You aren't allowed to leave me damn it. You can't leave me like they did. Don't give me another reason to hate myself. Don't join Esme yet, please stay with this Truus a little while longer... Weaver..."

Bailey's pointless pleading was cut short by the glinting of a silver parachute and the sounds of what normally to tributes deems hope. Only anger radiated from Bailey's skin as she snatched the silver package from the air. However, the moment she discovered the contents of the container she returned back to Weaver's side with all her anger dissipated in a mere millisecond.

"Listen Weaver, before you go I have something I need to read you...{full letters to be revealed in Weaver's death post}"

Bailey had survived two canon shots, but the third broke her entirely.

A statue, that was what Bailey had become. Next to her the rotting bodies of her three once most sacred people laid in eternal sleep. Overhead the winds had grown quiet while the arena awakened from its terrible hibernation. Omens of tragedy filled the bloodied cavern with an eerie glow of blue. A cacophonous symphony of mixed mutts howling followed the ending of the anthem. Day Three of the Seventy Third Hunger Games had concluded yet hell itself only just now appeared to be awakening. But still Bailey didn't even shudder. Her senses had grown still and her emotions obsolete. Bailey was no longer human, only a beast with a butcher as a title.

Beauty illuminated the "sky" in various constellations until hell finished waking. The earth trembled with the muttation symphony still in full swing. Half of Bailey wished to never move but her logical side emerged victorious as she soon found herself in a foreign place. A pool of purity in the form of gold outlined the hellish figure of the King of Sin himself.

Along the edges of the pool shadows skirted like mice near a cat. Streaks of blonde pulled Bailey's attention to Natalie who Bailey was certain still felt the weight of her own sin just as Bailey did as well. It almost seemed too ironic that they had been forced into this same battle for their sins, yet Bailey knew the Game Makers always loved to add shocking turns of events to their Games. Undoubtedly this would be one of them.

Suddenly the shadows convulsed as Minos from District Five sent his words far sharper than his attack towards the beast who's judgement was supreme. Bailey was standing within death's court now yet she had nothing to hide. No defense attorney to keep her quiet. Every tribute was a sinner, some were just more laced in blood than the others. So with her horn firmly in her hands she spoke out from the shadows as well. "I have no sins to hide. I killed Hypatia Anning. I am a murderer. Give me your judgement as I will give you mine." Then Bailey lashed out against Death himself.  

Bailey Truus