Beauty and a Beast

Chapter 12

Rayna doesn't stand a chance against such massive cats. They rip her open within seconds, her crossbow flying to the ground beside her. I find myself hoping her death comes quickly.

It does.

Link shoots arrows at the jaguars like crazy, and Hal spears one right in the stomach. He immediately runs to pull it out. The cats are a bit busy with eating dinner... but they'll get to us eventually. As of now, one jaguar's dead. The others- I count a total of three- are still very much alive, unfortunately. And they're done eating. I have no choice but to face them head on.

"Here, kitty kitty," I tease, waving my sword.

They don't just come forward. They sprint, and all I see are blurs of tangerine and coal fur. I strike just as one nearly knocks me over. My sword slices its shoulder.

Not enough. Not near good enough, my dad would say. Well, duh. I'm gonna die if I don't step up my game.

The jaguar crouches, watching me for my next move. I realize the sword won't really do much unless this mutt gets close. Thank God I picked up some knives, too. I've always been taught how useful it is to have multiple weapons. Perfect advice. As the cat jumps, my first knife meets its belly. It tips backwards into the grass. Not dead, but struggling to stand. Just what I hoped for.

On either side of me, I hear Link and Hal battling their jaguars; the clash of metal against claw. Sounds as if they're losing. My cat swipes its paws at an invisible opponent. I'm still a good foot away. It tries rolling to one side, and it almost succeeds. Soon it might actually get back on its feet.

Now or never, I think to myself.

I walk around the jaguar, towards its head, and I lunge. Make one fast, deep slit to the neck with my sword. I watch closely as the animal's breaths decrease.

Up... Down... Up... Down... Up... Down... Then, a motionless chest.

Yes! Kitty's gone. I just took on a four-hundred pound beast and won! What a rush. The remaining two cats are still facing off with Link and Hal. Link's bow and empty quiver lie discarded beside his bag. Once he'd used up all the arrows, he'd taken up the metal-pronged club that he obtained at the beginning. It feels like an eternity ago. The cat he faces is nearly dead, thanks to his handiwork. Arrows and puncture wounds decorate its bloody, crusting fur. Link delivers another blow, but I've turned my focus on Hal.

What I see makes me wanna vomit. My district partner doesn't look human anymore. Anywhere I see skin, there are deep scratches and bite marks. He looks as though he's been sliced through a meat grinder. His feline opponent hasn't been unscathed, either. It's constantly shaking out crimson drops; drops that I'm sure aren't Hal's. I've learned a lot about blood spatter patterns since I entered the arena.

Despite all his strength, Hal isn't able to fend off his jaguar for much longer before-

Oh crap.

He's being eaten alive.

There's nothing I can do for him now, and the reality hits me like a bolt of lightning: I'm sick of seeing people die. I don't have to take this. I can shorten his suffering, is what I can do. Slowly, cautiously, I approach, and I stab one of the jaguar's hind legs. But...

"Great," I groan.

It notices me. Obviously, it would.

I extend my sword out as it comes; hey, go big or go home, right? The only problem with that? Injury is inevitable. I get a claw in the forehead for my troubles. That doesn't stop me from striking again.

Like a cut's gonna kill this monster. Hal did plenty of work with the spear, but mutts are abnormally strong. It opens its jaws to bite me-

Oh, Kitty, you're too kind-

-and so, I block it. Just barely. It grabs my shoulders in return, claws piercing deep through my tank top. My teeth grind against each other. If I can find a good way to kill it from this position, then it'll be worth it.

I'm still holding the sword up. Now for the fun part. I push my shoulders high, even as those claws dig deeper. In a blink, I've swung the sword at the back of its neck, and I chop away. Chop at it like the dummies I destroyed in exhibition.

Finally-finally- it drops dead.

As soon as I double-check to make sure this is true, I check on Link. He's almost done killing his mutt. First he has to get it off of him.

In the meantime... there's a dying boy who I must say goodbye to. Floating in the moat, with his entire left arm and right foot gone. He collapsed there after I took the jaguar's attention away from him. His missing limbs are sprawled out by the Cornucopia.

This can't be Hal. Not the guy who loves my sister, who I'd easily have accepted into our family.

No. Hal Dennison disappeared a long time ago.

He won't acknowledge my presence as I drag him onto land. The lack of cannon sound is my only assurance that he still breathes. I can't even see his chest move. But it makes me feel better, just being by his side.

Hal blinks once. Smiles at me.

And there goes the second- to- last cannon.

"So, it's just me and you."

Link. The last tribute standing between me and victory. His jaguar now lies dead, and he's breathing heavily, clutching his club. He doesn't have any major cuts. The boy looks healthier than most tributes do if they get this far in the Games. I bet my own appearance is pretty ghoulish.

Here comes the moment I've been dreading. A battle with my greatest threat.

"Do your worst. And may the odds be ever in your favor," I jeer, giving him a mock curtsey.

He refuses to walk towards me. He tackles me underneath him, as if I'm a wild turkey that he's caught for dinner. My sword falls to the wayside.

Crap. I have no weapons on me anymore. I can punch him all I want, but the boy's extremely strong. Doesn't help that he's got his knees pressing my legs down. With one hand, he holds my left wrist, and with the other, he raises his club.

I sure picked a bad time to be small, eh?

So the torture begins. I watch the club swing behind him. Feel it pierce the palm of my right hand. Rather than satisfy him by screaming, I bite my lip, grunting.

He stabs me again. In my other palm. In my ankles. My shoulders.

I try so hard to fight back, even though I doubt it will amount to anything. How can I win in such a weak state? I'm bleeding, dehydrated, and starving, with this bulky guy on top of me.

Think, Enobaria, think.

The idea I arrive at is sadistic. Animal. But I'm willing to go there.

I do still have a weapon... my teeth.

Link doesn't see it coming, doesn't understand why I bend my neck towards him. So when I bite into his throat, his scream is one of surprise. I hold on tight; like the beast I always knew I was. One good, hard rip

And

The

Final

Cannon

Goes

Off.
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Hey guys, there's more of Enobaria where that came from :) Catch up with her in the 3rd Quarter Quell, in my new story "Beauty and a Beast: Beast's Reprise". The link is right below here!

http://www.wattpad.com/story/19761028-beauty-and-a-beast-beast%27s-reprise