Before I got too comfortable where I was I pushed myself off the slick bathroom floor, gritting my teeth as my body throbbed and started collecting anything I dropped during the fight. I traded out the carving knife for two of Siavash’s throwing knives. I didn’t dwell too much on what happened. I knew what I was getting myself into the moment I turned back down the hall.
I went back into the stall and checked his pockets. The only thing of use I found on him was a key shaped like a fish. I forced a puff of air from my nose in amusement at the object and took one last glance at his body still face down in the toilet, an oddly comfortable silence hanging in the bathroom.
“Shit head.” I spat under my breath sarcastically and closed the door.
A faint movement behind me drew my attention as I scooped up my switchblade, a parachute hanging mid-air. I sighed in relief when I saw the first aid kit and painkillers inside, and the water was an extra bonus.
I went over to the sinks to start patching myself up, wincing as I unbuttoned my shirt to get a better look at the damage Sia caused. Glancing in the mirror I saw the left side of my face was burnt, blood and plasma causing it to shine under the lights bearing down from the ceiling. I told myself it could have been worse, even with the multiple stab wounds and bruises forming around my body.
I dug out the sheet from my bag and tore it into strips, running the water in the sink until it was warm and started cleaning myself up. The gash on my back was awkward to reach. Once everything was clean and bandaged I started working on my face. Wiping it down with water made me cringe and the ointment Aaru sent stung at first before the pain started to dull.
I threw all the bloodied rags into the sink once I was done. Through the mirror I saw Sherry watching me from the doorway.
“I’m happy you’re alive!” She chirped once I came out of the bathroom and shut the door behind me, “So, are we going to find Adam now?”
I took my blazer back from her and sighed, “Later.” I murmured, walking past her and down the hall to scoop up my key I had thrown. I didn’t have the energy to even entertain the idea of going on another hunt, much less do anything else right now.
The homey atmosphere in room #2 didn’t do much to alleviate that. I secured the door with strips of sheet I cut off and tied to the support of the nearest bunk bed before collapsing onto a bed and digging out the second half of my sandwich and a bit of the chocolate bar. I washed it down with water and a painkiller, then curled up on the mattress.
“Tomorrow then?” I heard Sherry ask from a top bunk somewhere in the room just as I was drifting off..
“Yea. Yea, tomorrow.” I said halfheartedly and passed the fuck out.
Ridding myself of room 8, I move out and look around the first floor of the college. I had yet another temporary setback fighting those mutts. It seems as though I can never find the right room. I must be either doomed, or purposely picked it. I don’t know why, I mean I’m a fun girl?
Coming around to room 2, I slowly turn the knob and peer inside.
Just as my eyes begin to settle on the pages of the blue book, I’m interrupted by the shuffling of feet and desks. I flick my eyes upwards in following the sound of commotion, spotting all three of the now alert test takers and their mangled appearance. I’m immediately both surprised and turned off, dropping the booklet by my feet. They appear ugly, and scarred. Something that has never walked the earth as a human before. Something created in a lab. Mutts.
“Ok, maybe I’m not your sub.”
Like a switch, they rise to their feet, armed to the teeth with makeshift school supplies as weapons. Each of them ready to destroy me. I move away from the desk in enough time and swing my bat out in a defensive maneuver. It luckily connects to the boy on the left and strikes his temple. The boy sways under the blow and tumbles to the ground.
“The answer to number 6 is Guam,” I call out.
Like the head of a hydra, two other mutts quickly move in replaces their fallen classmate. My eyes widen as both of them lunge at me with their sharpened rulers. I strike without thought and manage to break off the tip of their rulers. Before I could finish them off, I feel a tug and a slight burning sensation at my leg. I look down and notice the first fallen mutt is at my feet and haphazardly scraping my thighs with a half broken pencil. My bat promptly finds its way around to his head and repeatedly smashes into the middle of his face.
As he taps out like a bitch, I bring out the taser from my pocket and freely jump atop of the other mutts. They bow under my weight to which I place my boots on their heads and pin them down. I flip the taser to on and safely fry their ass to kingdom come.
Brushing my hair out of my face, I hop off the mutts and smile as all three lie motionless on the ground. Righteous. I pick up the fallen blue booklet again and carefully begin reading all of the answers to the test out loud.
Immediately as the lights went on, Polly felt cool air on places she hadn’t since yesterday. Quite similarly to her own high school experience in district eleven, her tiddy bresses were out in the open more than once within the last twenty four hours. As soon as it was announced that she was about to be a nude model, Polly couldn’t believe her ears. As much as she loved herself, she knew the terrifying haunted easels didn’t deserve to see her in all of her glory.
However, she decided to put on a bit of a show. Pose after pose, Polly let the Capitol see parts of her nobody ever wanted to see. But, oh, did she show them. Even without prompting from the voice telling her what to do, Polly pulled out all the stops. Knowing there were people cheering from home on her rockin’ body and that obviously nothing else was happening in the high school outside of her little art room, she owned every second of being that nude model.
So, when the time came for her to be allowed off the small raised stage, she pouted slightly before gathering up her clothes and redressing herself. Disappointed she couldn’t be brought to the Capitol to show off all of her lovely lady lumps, Polly continued to pout and stew as she gathered her things and left the art room behind.
I winced slightly as I pulled my jacket off to get a better look at the bite on my arm. The sleeve of my shirt was coated with blood. I didn’t have a first aid kit in my bag or see one in the room. I took the bag back from Sherry and poured some of the water I had left over the wound to clean it, then used the carving knife to rip off some fabric from the bottom of my shirt and fastened it around, and another small strip to wipe the roaches blood off the switchblade.
“There isn’t a nurse’s office around here, is there?”
I moved the desks away from the door and opened it a crack to check if anything had changed overnight.
My eyes snapped open and body flinched when a sharp bell rang somewhere in the distance. I quickly scanned the room and saw that the door was still barricaded shut and Sherry was passed out with her head against my shoulder. It was a little unnerving, then again I took the fact she’s still here and I’m in one piece as a good sign, for now at least.
As tempting as it was to shut my eyes again I didn’t want to stay in one spot for too long, “Hey, Sher. We should probably get going. Got a bully to find, remember?” I started coaxing her awake. She had only started coming to and rolled off my shoulder when a crack came from the ceiling and two forms fell to the ground. Two mutts, rather: a bloated purple cockroach with bursting toxic warts, and an emaciated rabbit with a set of teeth that looked all too familiar.
I heard Sherry gasp beside me and cling onto my arm as the two mutts turned on us, “Sher, listen to me.” I began calmly while I passed her my backpack, my eyes traveling between the two, “I want you to take one of those desks and block yourself into a corner. If they come at you, swing.”
I saw her slip off out of the corner of my eye as I slowly rose to my feet, dug out the switchblade and carving knife, and began walking along the wall, forcing them both to move with me. I’ve done this before. Locking eyes with the rabbit, it hissed a sharp growl, barred its teeth and lunged forward. I bolted to the nearest desk and shoved it in the mutts path, forcing it back for a moment. It recouped quickly and with another roar propelled itself into the air, hopped across a few desks and crashed into me. I brought my arm up to guard against its fangs ripping into my throat, gritting my teeth as they pierced through the blazer and into my forearm, the force behind its charge and weight knocking me off balance and to the ground.
I groaned on impact and brought my free arm up to drive the tip of the carving knife into its side repeatedly until it let go. I snaked a knee up to my chest and pushed the rabbit off as its fangs grazed against my chest as I got to my feet and saw the cockroach closing in. I didn’t wait and already began weaving my way through the room to avoid it coming in close. If I had a choice I’d take another bite from the rabbit over one of those warts bursting on me.
It came forward with more speed than a normal bug should have and with my options limited I took a page out of the rabbit’s book and climbed up on the nearest desk and began using them as a broken path to stay out of range-
“Shit!” I ducked to avoid having the rabbit take my head off as it soared over the desk and landed with perfect grace. It spun and shrieked, it’s teeth slick with blood. A hiss from behind me drew my attention, the cockroach emerging from the few desks it knocked into during its charge-
“Fuck me.” I spat when it rose a few inches off the ground and landed with a dull thud as its wings folded back along its body.
I was flat out fucked, and flanked with the rabbit in front of me and roach behind. Neither looked like they were slowing, if anything they were more agitated and looking the come in for round two in the blink of an eye.
That gave me an idea.
I steadied my breathing and glanced between the two. If I wanted this to work I’d have to time it perfectly. I saw the roach begin to advance out of the corner of my eye, it’s back coated in ooze as I turned to the rabbit and hurled the carving knife in its direction, forcing it into motion before the weapon even landed. It sprung forward on its haunches with its teeth bared and claws extended, just as the cockroach spread its wings and took flight, causing them to collide mid-air as I dropped from the desk and fell to the floor.
A high pitched shriek came from the roach as it fell onto its back with the rabbits fangs digging into it. I snapped up to my feet, switchblade in hand and threw myself onto the rabbits back, grabbing onto one of its ears and sank the weapon into its skull. It roared and bucked wildly until it toppled over onto its side, finally laying still.
I grunted and pushed the mutt off. The roach’s underside was bloody and some of its legs were twitching at awkward angles. I wasn’t going to give it a chance. I withdrew the blade from the rabbit’s skull and sank it into the top of the roaches stomach and dragged it downwards, slicing it open. It writhed and hissed on the ground several times before it died.
I panted softly and backed up, falling into a free chair and taking a glance over at Sherry. She was still in the corner of the room, wide eyed and clutching the backpack.
Just before I am able to arise naturally, a sudden and obnoxious school bell wakes me up. It’s harsh tone sends a ringing in my head that just won’t quit. It’s not until after it finishes when I realize it wasn’t the bell that caused this feeling. My entire body aches like I was put through a wood chipper. My nose is runny and my vision is blurry. The only logical explanation I come across is that I’ve acquired the common cold. Normally I’d push through and ignore the symptoms, but this is different, more severe. Out here, everything must be more severe I suppose.
Popping a pain killer out of my bra and into mouth, I pick up my items and prepare to move onwards. Theres only fourteen of us left now, making that chance of going home a little more. I just needed to stay low today and get rid of this sickness. Who knows what I’m capable of in this condition? Things were getting to me faster than usual and I’ve worked up one helluva cold snap.
After fleeing the outskirts of the high school bushes, I manage to ignore the path and bee line to what appears to be two very large parking lots with cars. There seemed to be some kind of of commotion going on so I ignored whatever was happening and cunningly trekked alongside them.
Somewhere along the way, I find myself standing in front of what appears to be another large building. This one proved to be more extravagant and opulent in its architecture, standing at least two stories tall. A shiny jewel atop the Capitols murderous crown. I wanted in. I look around to see if anyone was near and carefully opened its door with my bat leading the way.
