The Loric Games

Chapter 15: Messages

Christina's (Number Ten) POV

I leave Marina and Eight in peace and go down the hall to the main room. I stare out one of the many windows and think about the others out there. One, Two, Sarah, Mark, Sam, Blake and Ella...Poor Ella she's so helpless now and we're trapped here, waiting for the games to begin.

I sit down on a plush couch and take out my sketch book. I start working on a picture of willow tree near a small babbling brook. I let my mind wander to the next few days,

An entire day of training for our interview and then we're being dressed up like show dogs and having to talk to this annoying guy called Cesar Flickerman about how we feel and stuff. Then it's game time... we're going into the arena...

Nine is strenuously objecting to this, but I personally think that if we're constantly in front of the cameras, the true nature of the Mogadorians will be revealed and we can hopefully get the districts to wise up about their president.

I'm working on a willow tree when the phone rings in my bedroom. Immediately I drop what's in my hands and run for the door. I slip through and Marina's on the phone. Eight is practically on top of her waiting for news. I call the others with my telepathy and stand right in front of Marina to get the news.

Marina listens intently and I rub my hands together. Nine, Adam and Three climb through the back window within minutes of my message. I leave the door open so Six and John can sneak in. My heat is pounding like crazy and I'm scared that the news is not good. I am slightly re-assured now that Blake is with the others as a full team and are able to protect each other as well as Ella.

John and Six sneak in and close the door behind them. The entire room goes quiet as we listen for any re-assurance or worry.

We see Marina's face fall and her eyes well up a bit. She looks at all of us and shakes her head. No change...

Poor Ella is what we're all thinking about. I feel like Nine maybe right now, we need to get to Ella to protect her and hope for change.

When Marina hangs up the phone, Eight wraps his arms around her and kisses her head.

"No change..." Marina says softly. "She's still unconscious and on the the odd occasion going back into the seizure state. She's constantly screaming and sweating, like she's having the worst nightmare ever... Blake was doing his best to keep her hydrated and comfortable. The others just got there late last night. Sarah misses you John and Blake misses you Christina. Sam misses you Six and One misses you Adam."

The four of us smile slightly, knowing that our loved ones are thinking of us. I guess that is some solace, everyone is together and can even take shifts in sleeping for looking after Ella, but the comfort stops there. If Ella gets any worse, she may be hospitalized and then our secrets could be blown to bits and getting the others in serious trouble. My stomach flips when I think about Peacekeepers descending upon them. I know for a fact that they are under a strict training regime and constant brainwashing. They believe that they literally are "Peace" keepers and that their service to the Capitol is good and wholesome. Only I truly know the blood lust they harbor deep inside their minds, a lust similar to their own President. They never hesitate to shoot or attack the innocent and they never question orders. They're the human versions of vat-born Mogadorians, expendable, but loyal to the end. I shudder slightly to think what the Capitol would do to a soldier who hesitated for a single second about ending someone's life. Probably thrown out or "disposed" of like a used Kleenex... there's always one more to take its place.

We're all silent for awhile, sad and contemplating our next move.

Eventually it's time for the scores to be read out. I turn the T.V. on and we all hang around on my bed watching Cesar Flickerman read out the scores with our pictures next to them.