Chapter
16: Horrific
“Likewise,
education can direct people toward good or evil ends. When education
is based on a fundamentally distorted worldview, the results are
horrific.” - Daisaku Ikeda
“Sometimes
the way you respond to horrific, evil deeds is the measure of one's
self as a man, as a nation, as people, as a community.” - James
Wood
Tiara
smirked as she spied on Ezra through the brush. It was amazing the
soft boy was still alive. She chalked it up to luck and nothing else.
Welcome luck though, as she'd been growing bored ever since ditching
Troy hours ago and was just itching to have some more fun.
“Hey!
Ezra!” To say that the boy was startled would be an understatement.
The boy had been watching his surroundings closely, and Tiara
sneaking up on him had shocked him to his core. To make matters
worse: it was Tiara. She wasn't exactly the first tribute he would
have chosen to come in contact with.
“Want
to form an alliance?” Tiara asked in amusement as the boy scrambled
for the small knife that was his only weapon.
Ezra
stared at her in shock before stuttering out, “Are you serious?”
Tiara's
smirk only widened. “Of course I am, dear Ezra.”
Ezra
knew it was a horrible idea, but he really didn't have much choice.
If he said no, he knew he'd be killed on the spot.
“Okay.”
XX
Coale
tossed and turned as he tried to sleep in a small crevice he had
found as a hiding spot. He didn't feel safe (probably never would
again), and he was finding sleep impossible. How was he supposed to
rest when there were five people out there that wanted his blood.
Well, okay. Maybe four. Ezra didn't want anyone's blood. But none of
that made anything more reassuring. All Coale could think of was the
horrific things that had happened to him since the games started.
He'd never rest again.
XX
He'd
lost her. Troy had been carefully following Tiara for almost a full
day before she just disappeared. Now he would have to track down
another tribute if he hoped to have any fun. He couldn't believe
this. He'd been so careful. How did she disappear like that? He had
to admit: Tiara was good. She would be a challenge when their
confrontation came, and he planned to make that confrontation come
soon. He wanted to get it over with. No doubt it would be a nasty
fight, but if he could get her, then the path to winning would be
clear for him.
XX
Chloe's
dehydration had worsened, and the longer she went without water, the
harder it was for her to search for the water that she needed. Never
had she thirsted so much. It was torturous, and Chloe couldn't find
the strength to go on any longer. She wasn't surprised when Tiara
appeared. It wasn't as if she had bothered to hide herself well.
Chloe put up no fight. She doubted she could struggle if she tried.
She was too weak and miserable to even be scared of what she knew was
coming. The darkness was a blessed relief.
XX
Jocelin
scrubbed hard at blood that had attached itself permanently to her
skin. Her skin was raw from the useless effort to clean it. Even in
the areas where she had managed to get rid of the residue, she still
felt the blood's presence. It had become a part of her that would
never be gone. The thought only made her scrub harder.
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