Tribute 11
Orla let out a relaxed breath as she set one paw after the other into the chilled waters of the lake she had just discovered a little while after she had slaughtered the fox known as Kixx. Her nose still burned from the scratch he gave her. His alliance should be finding his body soon, but that didn't bother her. She could handle herself. She didn't want to kill the fox, really. He seemed like he could have been her friend, but friendship meant nothing to those who were fighting for their lives. The water was now up to her stomach and lapped at her flanks in a smooth manner. Even with it's freeze, it did not bother the thick-furred lioness. However, something in the back of her mind told her that this was not a good idea, considering the many tributes that had met a watery demise. She closed her eyes and sighed, spreading her wings lightly on the surface. It rippled under the golden feathers and she began to swim.
Swimming had always been a stress reliever for her. Her father had encouraged her and her many siblings to learn in the shallow creek that ran behind her family's poorly made shack. That was until the accident. A shiver ran up Orla's spine at the mere thought of that fateful day. "No...I'm okay." She told herself with a small shake of her head. Her paws moved across the bottom of the lake until it dropped off into the deeper section. The heart of the lake. Time was foreign to her as she swam out farther and farther out into the seemingly endless freezing water with her eyes closed contently. That peacefulness ended when something prompted her eyes to snap open. Her breathing and hearybeat had accelerated almost immediately. What was happening?!
Panting, Orla spun around to look for the shore. It looked like a miniscule patch of land in the far distance. Too far away for her already exhausted limbs to travel. She blinked her eyes rapidly and tried to take deep breaths, though it was getting increasingly difficult. "Focus, focus!" She commanded frantically, spinning around hopelessly as her frazzled mind tried to think of a plan of action. /Get to land, girl! Hurry!/ Her mind finally said. Orla began taking heavy strokes toward the land with her eyelids beginning to droop. Just need to get closer--
"Orla!" Orla froze, her ears swiveling and heart pounding. "Orla! Help!"
"Meeko!" Orla called out, thrashing her paws wildly. "Where are you?"
"Here." And there he was right in front of her. He looked like a ghost standing on the water. His body was skeletal under his light blue fur, each rib could be counted and his hips stuck out painfully from his body. His stormy gray eyes were sunken and cloudy as they stared blankly at a frightened Orla. Seeing her younger brother ignited fear and immense grief in Orla's heart and she looked him up and down.
"How are you...I mean...you drowned..." She whispered, feeling tears start to brim on her eyes.
The ghost cocked his head. "I drowned because you let me die." He said, his voice a cruel hiss. "You killed me, sister!"
"I was too slow, Meeko!" She cried out, staring into the dead eyes of her brother. She could feel her hind legs becoming numb and her chin dipped below the water briefly before she jerked it back up. She sputtered and forced herself to be stronger, thrashing wildly. "I tried to save others because I couldn't save you!" She wailed, closing her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
The sunken eyes of the ghost suddenly vanished and Orla felt herself give in the the exhaustion her body had been fighting. Her head disappeared below the surface and she felt the stinging feel of the freezing water winding around her body. She stared up at the hazy dot of light that had once been the sun as she accepted that this would be the way her games were ending. Her eyes closed and her muscles relaxed while her lungs continued to scream for mercy when they were already dead.
I love you, sister. Her brother's voice whispered into her ear, You'll be with me soon. Orla smiled and closed her eyes as she finally succumbed to the blissful feeling of unconsciousness.
The cannon rang out and sent a ripple through the now quiet lake. The body of the powerful lion bobbed to the surface as a warning to others who wanted to venture out into the chilling waters.
Orla let out a relaxed breath as she set one paw after the other into the chilled waters of the lake she had just discovered a little while after she had slaughtered the fox known as Kixx. Her nose still burned from the scratch he gave her. His alliance should be finding his body soon, but that didn't bother her. She could handle herself. She didn't want to kill the fox, really. He seemed like he could have been her friend, but friendship meant nothing to those who were fighting for their lives. The water was now up to her stomach and lapped at her flanks in a smooth manner. Even with it's freeze, it did not bother the thick-furred lioness. However, something in the back of her mind told her that this was not a good idea, considering the many tributes that had met a watery demise. She closed her eyes and sighed, spreading her wings lightly on the surface. It rippled under the golden feathers and she began to swim.
Swimming had always been a stress reliever for her. Her father had encouraged her and her many siblings to learn in the shallow creek that ran behind her family's poorly made shack. That was until the accident. A shiver ran up Orla's spine at the mere thought of that fateful day. "No...I'm okay." She told herself with a small shake of her head. Her paws moved across the bottom of the lake until it dropped off into the deeper section. The heart of the lake. Time was foreign to her as she swam out farther and farther out into the seemingly endless freezing water with her eyes closed contently. That peacefulness ended when something prompted her eyes to snap open. Her breathing and hearybeat had accelerated almost immediately. What was happening?!
Panting, Orla spun around to look for the shore. It looked like a miniscule patch of land in the far distance. Too far away for her already exhausted limbs to travel. She blinked her eyes rapidly and tried to take deep breaths, though it was getting increasingly difficult. "Focus, focus!" She commanded frantically, spinning around hopelessly as her frazzled mind tried to think of a plan of action. /Get to land, girl! Hurry!/ Her mind finally said. Orla began taking heavy strokes toward the land with her eyelids beginning to droop. Just need to get closer--
"Orla!" Orla froze, her ears swiveling and heart pounding. "Orla! Help!"
"Meeko!" Orla called out, thrashing her paws wildly. "Where are you?"
"Here." And there he was right in front of her. He looked like a ghost standing on the water. His body was skeletal under his light blue fur, each rib could be counted and his hips stuck out painfully from his body. His stormy gray eyes were sunken and cloudy as they stared blankly at a frightened Orla. Seeing her younger brother ignited fear and immense grief in Orla's heart and she looked him up and down.
"How are you...I mean...you drowned..." She whispered, feeling tears start to brim on her eyes.
The ghost cocked his head. "I drowned because you let me die." He said, his voice a cruel hiss. "You killed me, sister!"
"I was too slow, Meeko!" She cried out, staring into the dead eyes of her brother. She could feel her hind legs becoming numb and her chin dipped below the water briefly before she jerked it back up. She sputtered and forced herself to be stronger, thrashing wildly. "I tried to save others because I couldn't save you!" She wailed, closing her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
The sunken eyes of the ghost suddenly vanished and Orla felt herself give in the the exhaustion her body had been fighting. Her head disappeared below the surface and she felt the stinging feel of the freezing water winding around her body. She stared up at the hazy dot of light that had once been the sun as she accepted that this would be the way her games were ending. Her eyes closed and her muscles relaxed while her lungs continued to scream for mercy when they were already dead.
I love you, sister. Her brother's voice whispered into her ear, You'll be with me soon. Orla smiled and closed her eyes as she finally succumbed to the blissful feeling of unconsciousness.
The cannon rang out and sent a ripple through the now quiet lake. The body of the powerful lion bobbed to the surface as a warning to others who wanted to venture out into the chilling waters.
