Chapter Forty Seven: Fight or Flight

Silas Alberec

Word Count: 1607

Silas stood and stared at Rory. Shear dread and terror looming up within his chest like some cancerous disease. She couldn't be saying these words. Could she?

No...not after all I did to get to her. She wouldn't do that to me. He thought staring at the love of his life as she stood with her arms folded across her chest, biting the nail of her left index finger whilst looking at the soil covered ground. He'd put his point across and she'd just stared straight back at him, a strange look of panic across her hawk like face that he'd never seen before, she'd always seemed so composed. So strong, so powerful, she was his rock in this place. And as he watched she was crumbling beneath him. All he wanted to do was run over and hold her. Wrap his arms around her body and tell her everything was going to be alright, and no matter how much she kicked and screamed he knew he'd never let her go. But some alien part of his own pride held him back. A tiny voice in the back of his head whispered dark thoughts to him. She doesn't want you hear...after all you did for her...she's sending you away. It whispered like a daemon sitting on his shoulder. That alone kept him back from her as she stood in the centre of the dozens of traps he'd lain out around them while she slept. It was still night. A rough guestimate told him they had about three hours until sun up.

'Rory...I'm not leaving you,' he finally croaked. Her sapphire eyes rested on him, a sharp anger behind their crystalline surfaces. 'I came through too much sh*t and nearly got killed too many times to turn back now! And I nearly lost you once Rory, I am not, letting that happen again!'

'I can leave Silas, you'll never find me.' she said with a quick shake of her head.

'You're good baby but I'm better. I've tracked foxes across the Dead Sands and I've tracked human beings longer than you studied to mix your little chemicals together in your lab. I will find your Rory and you know it!'

'Screw you,' she whispered spitefully. That hurt but Silas was quick to disguise it in his usual manner, humour.

'It's a date, I like it rough.' he winked with a small grin. Rory's top lip curled in anger and she dropped her hands.

'This is just one big joke to you Isn't it?' she said taking a menacing step towards him.

'Life's one big joke baby girl, you can't take it too seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.'

'Silas! Stop it! You juvenile, immature moron!' she spat quickly. 'Get out of that childish f*cking head of yours for just one second and see what I'm telling you! Leave...now. We've both got better chances alone.'

'Oh yeah because you managed so brilliantly on your own against Tyberos didn't you!' he shouted, using his anger to cover up the deep mental scars her words were creating in his soul. 'I don't know why you've suddenly woken up Rory and decided to go it alone but you shut your mouth and listen to for once! I'm, not, leaving!' he said the last three words as slowly, as loudly, and with as much inflection as possible. He could see the anger that welled up inside her like a coming storm on the horizon, but it was a storm he was going to have to weather. Whatever she was about to hurl his way he'd need to take with a pinch of salt because the deeper reason of her fear she wasn't admitting even to herself. Bracing himself for the verbal barrage Silas was greatly surprised when Rory just sighed, slumping her shoulders and lowering her burning gaze.

'Fine Silas, you win. If you won't leave...then I will.' moving towards their hollow in the tree Silas stepped in front of her. His massive bulk and wide shoulders almost totally eclipsing her lithe slender frame. 'Get out of my way Silas.'

'Nope. You want to leave you need your things, and they're in the tree, the trees behind me...I'm sure you get the picture.' he said with a charming smile pushing her back gently. Rory took a few steps back and shot him a look of such disdain Silas was sure she could hear his heart breaking.

'F*ck you.' she hissed.

'You have. Several times.' he winked.

Walking towards him again Rory tried to push through him but again he pushed her back. 'Silas! Move!' she yelled pushing hard against his chest, knocking the air from his lungs. 'Don't make me hurt you.'

He knew it would make her angry, he knew and he wanted it to. So he laughed in her face. 'You hurt me?' he chuckled. 'You'd have better luck platting fog gorgeous,' that was as far as his sentence got before her fist collided with his jaw in a thunderous punch. The shear pain and shock of the attack sent him back a few steps, his teeth rung in their sockets sending a high pitched whine into his ears. Shaking his head Silas laughed more. 'Good girl. I'll let you have that one.' ducking her next attack Silas spun around her, 'Missed me.' he winked. Her grunt of effort as she spun and delivered a spinning back fist to the side of her head filled his ears before the pain seared across his face. The ghost burn that was on the left side of his face screamed painfully as the healed nerve endings screeched under the attack. Stumbling Silas blocked her next three attacks, Rory's face a horrific mask of anger and hatred as she powered blow after blow onto him, her fists rattled against his chest and arms harmlessly. Pattering against him like rain. But he'd be lying to himself if he said the blows didn't hurt, each one was a small amount of pain, but the sheer number of her blows enhanced the pain more and more.

Blocking her kick and pushing against her chest with his open palms she staggered backwards, panting with her eyes wide and her knuckles white as she clenched her fists. Noticing his foot inches away from one of his trip wires Silas slowly drew his foot back whilst rubbing the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. 'I knew there was a reason why I loved you so much.' he grinned as she paced like a caged lion in front of him.

'Gods dammit Silas why can't you just leave! Everything will be so much easier then!'

'Because then I won't be able to do my job and protect you!'

'Okay well answer me this, what happens if we're the only two left? What then huh? There's only ever one winner Silas, we both can't win. And the longer we kid ourselves that our stupid little romance will save us the harder its going to be when the time comes!'

Silas couldn't believe he was hearing the words come out of her mouth like this. Stupid little romance, is that all I am to you Rory? He thought staring at her with tears brimming in his eyes. 'Stupid little romance...' he whispered shaking his head. 'You know something Rory, I loved you because I thought you were different. But you're just as fatalistic as the rest of them! You sound just like Fox.'

'Excuse me!' she said loudly.

'You heard me. I thought you were like me and saw the good in this world, the good that could come from the people, from what could be if people were brave enough to stand up and fight for it! But you're just like the rest, like Fox and Odin and like Aeon, when the going gets tough. You give up!' mentioning Aeon probably wasn't the best idea. Yelling at him Rory sprinting towards him. He reacted from pure instinct. Dropping down and picking her up in one fluid motion, spinning her arse over eye balls he placed her on the ground with enough force behind the motion to shake her bones slightly. Quickly manoeuvring himself over her Silas pinned her down as she kicked and trashed out beneath him, 'Rory!' he bellowed as she screamed and cried. 'Rory...' he whispered loosening his grip and holding her hands in his. 'It's me baby girl. Silas. You know me and I know you. I know you're scared and I know you're worried about what's coming,' with her words Rory's sapphire eyes found his emerald green and held there. Tears rolling down her face into her hair. 'But no matter what. I'm always going to be right here,' he said holding her hands. 'That's never going to change.'

In truth he didn't know why she was so upset. It could have been the nightmare she had, or hormones or just the sheer pressure of the arena. But whatever it was he saw the fear of it disappearing from her eyes as she finally unclasped her hands and laced her fingers with his. 'It's not?'

'No Rory, it's not.' he chuckled. 'I crossed oceans, deserts, cities and a f*cking quarry to get to you baby, I was nearly killed three times and killed two people to get to you...I'm not about to let one little argument undo all that work. I told you I'd never leave you again. And I intend to keep that promise baby. Whether you like it or not.'

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Author guidance for This exercise

A closed collaborative work between Lilley and rhetoric.

A Hunger Games prequel spin-off. For Mature audiences.

*the Hunger Games trilogy was written by Suzanne Collins. No copyright infringement is intended.

Ratings: Ratings are always up to the reader, but if you're going to rate something below a 4.0, it would be very kind of you to leave a few helpful suggestions for the writer. Otherwise, please don't bother rating; it's rude to rate something down and not give the author a reason why.

Characters:

Name: Silas Alberec
Author: Lilley
Age: 19
District: 13
Personality: Hardy, Orphaned with his sister Eliza (13 years old) when their parents were murdered by Government soldiers during a political demonstration, Will die or kill to protect his sister. See's the games as a chance for her to get a better life.
Appearance: Six foot one, shadowed eyes and raven haired that is platted into shiny dreadlocks. He has the similar tribal mentality of Samurai and Sumos, believing all his strength and power to be in his hair and not letting anyone touch it or cut it for the Press meetings. Is slim due to malnutrition but doesn't lack muscle, incredibly flexible and is able to escape most physical situations via running or evading his opponent's blows.
Brief History: Born and raised in the hell zone of District 13 he has fought and clawed for survival everyday of his life. Hunting illegally, stealing food only when absolutely necessary, wants desperately to enter and win the games in order to give his sister a better life in another district.

*

Name: Ruarí (Rory) Savage
Author: rhetoric
Age: 19
District: 3
Personality: Ruarí is temperamental, volatile, and caustic. She has a nasty edge to her personality that strikes most of those around her as "meant for the Games," but Rory has never wanted anything but to leave the fences of the District; to leave and never come back, that is. Rory has a soft side but it is so rarely evident that even she forgets its there. Rory is incredibly moral and determined; she accepts no defeat, no bull!*!^, and offers no excuses. She's impatient but not impulsive.
Appearance: Rory is five-foot-eight with a very lean figure. She has glowing cerulean eyes and full lips, with a narrow jaw and dark eyelashes. Her hair is chestnut brown and falls to her mid-thigh. More often than not, her lips are drawn in a tight line and her eyes are dark with thought.
Brief History: Rory's mother died giving birth to her, and her father died during a breach in viral weaponry at the pharmaceutical lab when she was 13. She'd been given a hefty wealth from both of their insurance policies, which provided more than enough for her to live on, but she hardly touched it. Despite the laws, Rory constantly leaves the District through a small hole in the fence that seems to go unnoticed, to hunt. She made her own weapons and leaves them hidden in the woods. Inside the District compound, she goes to university and apprentices at the organic labs. No one knows of her trespasses beyond the fence. She lives her life entirely alone - associating only with those at the lab or in university when she has no choice.

*

Name: Tyberos Guilliman the Second
Author: Lilley
Age: 24
District: Capitol
Personality: Determined, single minded to the point of obsession, volatile, demands everything is given to him, no sense empathy or care for those who he sees as 'beneath him', incredibly intelligent, not afraid to speak his mind and never apologises for anything even if he was to blame.
Appearance: Six foot five, built like a professional heavyweight boxer, blonde haired, blue eyed, classically handsome with soft features, has an easy smile and can be charming when necessary but really hates everyone.
Brief History: His father Tyberos the First was the most decisive winner of any Hunger Games in history, killing everyone of his twenty six opponents, and his own brother, in less than four days. His Sponsors nicknamed him 'Tyberos the Red Wake'. His children Tyberos the Second and Francesca are Career Gamers, training a hundred hours a week with their trainers. Always feeling beneath his fathers shadow Tyberos dreams of entering the games and besting his father's record and earning his inherited title.

*

Name: Aeon Neil
Author: rhetoric
Age: 22
District: 3
Personality: Shy and thoughtful; keeps to himself but primarily does so because other people are stupid and bothersome. A bit of a hobbyist - bounces from one interest to another, never quite settling on one but nearly mastering all of them. Jack of all trades. Patient, intelligent, and self-sacrificing.
Appearance: Six-foot-two with long, smooth brown hair that reaches his shoulders. Long, sharp features and contemplative black eyes. Lean and in shape, albeit not muscle bound.
Brief History: Aeon grew up in a wealthy home; both of his parents work at the pharmacological labs and he hardly sees them. He has no siblings and no extended family. Aeon was top of his class in university but never took his academic abilities farther, despite the push from his parents to pursue teaching on a university level.

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Name: here
Author: here
Age: here
District: here
Personality: here
Appearance: here
Brief History: here

updated Feb 22 by rhetoric