THE END IS NEAR ? TREECH

When The Sirens Sound

"Please." He silently wept, and Lamina seemed to understand what he wanted.

She tilted his head away from her, exposing his neck and reached for the small axe on her hip.

Evie could only watch as the crying girl from district seven reared her arm back and delivered a clean blow to the boy's neck. Killing him instantly. A mercy kill.

The buzzer sounded right after, and Marcus's face was covered on the small screen next to the main one, signaling his death.

The gasps of the students sounded in her ears. Some turned their faces away from the screen, others covered their mouths shock, but Evie stared with an unblinking gaze.

She had been right about Lamina all along. The girl from seven was stronger than she looked.

Pup pumped his fist in a show of support, her donations increasing on the screen by her name.

Evie found herself looking at Treech's face on his screen above Lamina's his donations still there. She made a mental note to send him something as soon as he made himself known again.

After claiming her first kill in the games, Lamina crawled over to chop off the ropes that held Marcus up. After cutting them both, his body fell into a heap on the ground below.

A clap sounded from Lucky Flickerman, who continued with his broadcast, "A cold pressure is gonna swoop on in, bringing cool temperatures and some much needed relief to our coal miners out there. At least, until early evening, and that's the weather."

Did he stupidly just finish his weather report after that?

"Was it mercy? Was it murder?" Lucky shrugged before making his way over to Pup.

"Either way, that's what happens when you do stuff! You get attention!" He gestured to the screen where Lamina's donations were piling in.

"Citizens, send your money. Now, once they get your money, the mentor can choose to send food or water using our newly developed drones from the war. We have programmed them with facial recognition, this ensures that your package goes directly to your tribute. Is that right, Pup Harrington?"

Pup rolled his eyes slightly as Lucky put a hand on his shoulder and the microphone to his face, answering with a short, "Yeah."

"I've got a hunch that Pup is gonna seize that opportunity." Lucky directed his words towards the camera.

Evie leaned over to watch Pup chose the select option on water, and then all eyes went to the screen. Lamina looked up as a whirring sound filled the air. She slowly got her footing atop the beam, watching as one of the drones made its way into the arena via the holes in the roof.

Lamina reached out her hand for the glass bottle of water attached to the drone, but the drone didn't stop for her. Lamina barely managed to duck out of the way before the drone flew right into where she had been standing and smashed into the concrete beam behind her. The glass bottle shattering and the water spilling everywhere. The drone lay in ruins beneath the beams.

"What?" Pup asked in disbelief.

"Are you kidding me?" Evie turned to make eye contact with Pup, both of the sharing a look of disappointment.