Tick Tock {Zagreus Onshot}

what part

of living

Tick tock, Zagreus. Time is running out.

Regret was the immediate feeling that plagued me as the reaping concluded. I could have volunteered and fought to bring honor to my family, but I didn’t put myself forward for the opportunity as it so clearly beckoned to me. The thought of what my parents would think of my lack of volunteering worried me, and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to get myself to go straight home. I needed to take a detour, and give myself time to think. Perhaps I could cause some trouble and get myself noticed that way. Though, that was something I did all the time, so it would really be no different.

Tick tock, Zagreus. Your time is much too short.

As soon as I departed the District Square where the reaping took place, I turned the wrong way. Or at least, turning left would have been going the wrong way if I wanted to head home. I didn’t, though. I was headed elsewhere, and I didn’t care if anyone followed me. Going down the street, I was full of anger and frustration at myself, which caused me to pick up the pace quite a bit. If I wasn’t going into the Games this time, I needed to prepare myself for next time.

Tick tock, Zagreus. You can’t fight time as it passes.

Right then, I was wishing I could turn back time. If only I could go back to the reaping and maybe even be the first to cry out to volunteer. Rage was what I was feeling now. Anger and frustration were starting to morph into full blown rage. My feet thudded against the concrete sidewalk as the dropped down in anger. The way I carried myself was certainly not in a delicate way. I needed to get away from the reaping, get it out of my mind, and possibly just go break something.

Tick tock, Zagreus. There’s no such thing as anti-time.

Finally, I arrived at my destination. This particular abandoned house was one I’d burst into many times by breaking down the door, and it seemed to be boarded up again each time I made my return. I didn’t care, though, as it didn’t take much effort to get back in. Approaching the rotting, wooden door, I lifted my leg up and pounded my foot into the door. It snapped off its hinges and snapped, falling to the ground. I stepped over it and entered the building as a small mouse skittered out the entryway, as if it had been waiting for ages to escape.

Tick tock, Zagreus. You can’t turn back the clock.

When I entered the small, run-down shack, there wasn’t much to see. It wasn’t any different than last time. I could recall that the one time someone had seen me in this building, I convinced her to come inside with me. She’d asked me if I thought there were ghosts there. A smirk crossed my face as I remembered this. If only I believed in ghosts. That would make things much more interesting.

Tick tock, Zagreus. What will you do now?

That particular smirk that appeared on my harsh features was likely the first of the day for me. I didn’t find very much satisfaction in daily routines. Normally, my satisfaction came from chaotic events; generally ones that I created. When I awoke, I wouldn’t be thinking about how I could help people. Instead, I’d be wondering what type of mischief I could devise that day.

Tick tock, Zagreus. It’s a missed opportunity

Inside the small home was what I was used to seeing. There were four chairs around a small, round, wooden table. One of the chairs was lopsided and missing a leg. I remember my embarrassing discovery of that. Sitting down in said chair was my way of finding out that it wasn’t all too stable and was missing a limb. I’d fallen out of the chair, crashing to the ground, and was just grateful that I’d been alone.

Tick tock, Zagreus. What will you do without the adrenaline you desire so much?

There were various cabinets lining the walls, and I could recall the last time I’d visited. They were completely empty, likely having been raided by the Peacekeepers. I used to steal from the cabinets, but I don’t have that ability anymore, now that they’re bare. Luckily, I have a fair amount of wealth, and only stole for fun. I didn’t need the extra items that I too, whereas I knew some people in the District did.

Tick tock, Zagreus. Where is the time going?

I knew I was wasting time, but I didn’t really care. My parents wouldn’t be worried if I didn’t return home when they were expecting me. Sure, they would be angry at me, and I may even receive a minor beating from my mother, but that wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. I continued to look around the one-room building that I’d burst into, but there was nothing new. At least, I didn’t see anything new on my first look around. When I was ready to leave, however, I spotted something different.

Tick tock, Zagreus. Will you ever have that chance you wish for?

A floorboard was loose, and I didn’t think twice about prying it up. What resided underneath this particular floorboard may not have been of any interest to most people, but it was to me. For whatever unknown reason, there was a broken clock. I picked it up and briefly examined it, before anger overcame me. It was just another grim reminder of the time I’d wasted.

Tick tock.

Just then, I took the already damaged clock, and put as much force as I could behind it, smashing it against the wall. It shattered into an immense amount of little pieces, and I yelled loudly. My rage was building again, and I couldn’t seem to control it. Some of the glass pieces from the clock’s face had impaled my hand, but I ignored it. Little bits of pain like that didn’t bother me, especially when I was so angry.

Tick tock.

I tore out of the small, abandoned house that I’d made such a mess of, and made my way back down the street. If anyone was going to deserve to see what a rage I was in, it was my parents. They were the reason I always felt that I was obligated to volunteer, so they should feel the wrath of my regret. I stormed into my house, and slammed the door shut behind me. My parents wouldn’t be surprised to see me this angry, but for once, I’d let them know that they were the ones that did it to me. When I looked around for them, however, the house was empty.

What will you do now, Zagreus?


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1121 words

says you

gotta die