To Lose a Friend [Ike O'Nyle Day 3]

Claudio and Kassandra were safe.

The cannons of the day ring in his ears, just like the cheers of the rich folk of Eight who used to see their matches. Bloody lips and bruised skin linger in his mind. The wounds on his body having been stitched up by his own gentle hand. Careful to avoid the pain of the dead mutts on his skin. A sigh from his lips as the lab grows as quiet as it can with the pure white cleanliness of the area. Fingers touch cubicles, which once had to have held scientists or people from before. The eerie area of this place should make him on edge, but he's comfortable in the white walls of the lab.

GUNNE stares at him with those red eyes reminding him of the broken body of Emily that barely fit into his bag. Pulling her out, he stares at the emptiness of where the red lights had once been. A silence in those dead eyes. Fingers touch gently along the dent to the top of her metal frame. A sorrow filled sigh leaves his throat as he stares for a moment and begins to speak.

"I-I am sorry. I should have paid attention more."

Nothing.

"I uhhhh I found friends though. You were my first in this place, but they're not so bad. Claudio may be a bit on edge all the time, but he's actually very helpful. Also, he can paint on warpaint pretty well for what it's worth. He killed the insect today. I wish you could have seen the ugly thing. You would have loved it..."

Metal glimmers against florescent lights.

"Kassandra is younger than us, but the girl can really cause some damage with those weapons of hers. She told me my future you know, told me I'd win, but uhhhh as time keeps going. I'm beginning to doubt her talents. The mutts today really did a number on me. I hope she's okay. I'm kind of worried about how both of them are holding up."

No red light staring at him.

No calming presence.

No feeling of comfort.

"GUNNE is still here at his nest. I don't know what's in them, but he seems happier to not have been disturbed. I miss home so much. I miss my mom mostly. She'd be able to calm me down in this place. She'd tell me to sew something to calm my nerves, but I don't know. It's weird being here. I feel like I don't belong here. I don't think I really ever did."

Volunteering had been a mistake.

A dumb mistake because he was a selfish boxer with a title. He didn't think about Klein. He didn't think about his mother. He didn't think about his father. Ike just threw himself to the fire in order to be reborn as a legend, a phoenix, and a dead man. Kill them with kindness didn't work in this place. Everyone had a reason to live, but he was a selfish man who wanted to live. He wanted to go home and sleep in his bed. He wanted to sew blankets and garments for the people of Eight. He wanted to creature the stuffed animals for the children down the street, but he was no longer than man.

"I really just want to go home. I'm so tired. I'm so scared. Everything here is awful."

Nothing.

"Everything here is awful, except for you and the other tributes."

The plug falls to the ground as he notices it with a sense of hope on his chest. Emily. He plugged her in to give her life. A silence falls as he grabs the plug, carrying her gently in his arms. His thoughts running rampant as he moves swiftly to the same spot he had been at when he first came to this lab.

"C'mon. C'mon. C'mon. C'mon please work!"

The plug fits perfectly as the sound of electricity begins to pulse through the metal. He sets Emily down softly on the ground, waiting for something to happen. Waiting for his friend to come back. Waiting to fix a broken thing. Except, it's silent. A moment passes as his heart begins to fall. A spark ignites somewhere and for a second it almost looks like Emily will turn on, but then the powering down sound rings in his ears.

Tears follow the sparks as he rips the plug out.

The dead don't come back.

They stay dead.

"DAMNIT! DAMNIT! DAMNIT!"

Fists slam against the ground as he hits over and over again, until he's breathing hard once more. Silently, he lets himself fall and crawls over to Emily's broken form. His hand is placed on the center as he just lingers there for a moment. Losing a friend was the hardest thing to ever go through. Losing a friend because of himself was world ending. A moment passes before he takes a few deep breaths and peels himself from off the floor.

"I'm not losing you yet. I-I swear, Emily."

Emily's lifeless form stares back at him.

"No matter what."