A Crown's Game|✔︎UNDER MAJOR EDITING

-Chapter Nineteen-

Onix falls to the ground, missing my open arms. No. No. No. Please, no. Don't do this to me. Don't leave me. No!

I rush to her, my hands shaking as I move her head onto my lap. No, no, no, she won't make it.

"You're okay. You're okay. You'll be fine." I say quietly, my voice choked up. She's not fine, she's not fine, she won't be fine.

"I'm-I'm-not." She stutters, blood leaving her mouth. I shush her softly to prevent the blood exiting her mouth. Her face is turning pale, her lips are losing color. Her dark eyes are turning lighter.

I'm letting myself cry silently now, because I'm losing her. I'm losing my best friend. The girl I hated a few days ago, even a week ago is now my best friend, and she's already slipping away. What am I going to tell her? She's not dumb, she knows that she can't survive.

"You know, when I was little, in Serenade, we would go into the woods in the morning." I say. The tears are coming more now, dropping on her face. "And every time I'd rush out to see the sun peek out behind the pine tree's in the morning."

She struggles to get her next words out. "That-sounds-amazing."

"And it was beautiful, the way the mist parted side ways just to let the sun in, the way all the animals stopped and stared, the way it would glow on us in the summer times, to the way it brought life to a forest in the winter." I choke out. "Can you imagine that? Can you imagine yourself there?" I say softly.

She nods. "Tell-tell-me-more."

"Oh, and my mother would sing me songs. Ones about the meadows in Taube, and the seas in Whitings, and the jewels in Goffrid, and the colors in Johnston. And of course the grain in Serenade. I can sing one for you if you'd like, but you must imagine the landscape if I do, because the vision is beautiful" I say, almost sobbing. I gently clear my throat.

Where the wind blows, seas are gentle.

Where the animals roam, nature is kind.

Where the family gathers, the flames leap high.

She starts to blink even slower. Come on, Aspen! You're running out of time!

I can't continue. I can't. I don't even think Onix can hear me anymore, but she's still alive. Her chest is rising and falling slowly.

"I'm sorry, Onix. I'm so so so sorry. I don't want you to leave me. Please stay with me." I sob.

Her chest rises so slowly. It's almost over. She opens her eyes and smiles at me. "I-tried. Thank-you.." she pauses. No! No!

"Onix, come on, please! Just a little longer! Goddamit, Onix! Please stay with me! Fight it!" I say.

"Thank-you, for being-my-my friend." She sighs. "Don't-forget me!" She laughs a little, and more blood trickles out of her mouth. I carelessly wipe it away.

"I won't." I whisper. Just a few more minutes! Please, just a few more minutes with her!

"Remember-Aspen. I-"

Her chest goes still.

She's gone.

I've never screamed louder in my entire life, I've never screamed with that much pain. I'm so angry with Thecia, I'm angry with myself. I'm angry at whoever killed her. I grab a near by rock and throw it with as much force as I can. I'm sobbing so hard, I'm shaking so hard. The best thing I could do was pull out the knife in Onix's stomach. It's soaked in her blood.

"Stop overreacting, you little bitch. Man up." I hear from behind me.

I stand up slowly, facing the girl. Her blonde hair is unmistakable, her green eyes are unmistakable. She's Laura Batel.

"Don't you mean woman up?" I glare.

"Whatever. You know, there's only one winner, so stop crying." She almost purrs.

I don't know what to say, because she's right. But thats not stopping me from crying about my best friends death. "And?"

"We all know that the winner's going to be me." She pulls out her knife, which is identical to the knife that I pulled out of Onix. They must be from the same set. I put two things together.

"You killed her."

"And, what are you going to-"

I grab her arm and throw her to the ground with such force that I can hear her crack one rib. She screams in agony. I smile. She deserves it. She deserves the worse suffering in the world. She deserves to be throw to the wolfs and be torn up alive.

I kick her over and over, joy filling me after every crack of every bone. She's so weak now, so helpless because she's even asking me to stop. I'm not going to. When I sit on top of her, she knows what's about to go down. She won't live through this.

I drag the blade along her torso, designing my name with blood, Onix's name with blood, Katerina's name with blood, Billi's name with blood.

For the final blow, I slit her throat. That does it, and she's dead.

I turn back to Onix, and sit down next to her. "I'm going to miss you, okay? Say hi to Jeany up there for me, okay?" I whisper, and kiss her forehead. "Goodbye, Onix."

I raid Laura's pack of water, food, one axe, dozens of knives, and a sleeping bag, and then, I take Onix's black bow and arrows, and the bag on her backside. She'd want me to have them. I walk away, ignoring the sound of Onix and Laura's bodies being collected. I'm imagining that Onix is just walking right behind me, that she'll be back at the clearing to eat supper. She'll be at the fire.

***

I roast my last rabbit. I take a sip of water. I don't do anything else for the night. I can't sleep, I'm too paranoid.

Onix, her last words. What did she want to tell me? That's something that will haunt me for the rest of my life.

The anthem of Thecia sounds, and I look up. To my surprise, seven people died today. First, both girls from Wilburne, and then both girls from Hechts. After that, Billi, and then Onix. I feel the first tear blooming from my eyes. Then it's Laura. Fuck her.

The anthem finishes, and everything returns to "normal".

I can hear a faint chime in the distance getting closer, and closer, and closer. Something drops at my feet.

A letter!

I tear it open, awaiting to see the handwriting, the message inside. Please be Kato! Please be Kato! He's one of the only people left that I truly love.

I'm not disappointed, it's Kato.

Dear Aspen,

Congratulations on making it this far! I really can't wait to have you back home with me in my arms. Now I know that you will win, just wait!

I also want to send my condolences about Onix. I'm so so so sorry she had to go like that, so abruptly. She seemed like an amazing friend to you, and she seemed to have really liked you.

I can't wait to be your husband.

-Kato

Words like that warm my heart. He gets it! He understands! But most importantly,

He believes in me.