Post by Seryna on Dec 24, 2012 13:30:05 GMT -5
As the careers and team bada** raced to the horn, Lacey was commanding her alliance through the ruined city. "Cotton, get Bailey." She demanded. "We're moving out."
"Where's Roger-" Bailey wondered, but Lacey brushed by her. "Lacey, your face-"
Shock bloomed over the girls' face, but Cotton swept her into his arms. She was light; holding only her blowgun case. The three crashed through the undergrowth, moving into the city proper. Lacey led the way onto porches, swearing when the acid ate holes through the roofs. She drove them on, ignoring the stings on her arm, commanding Cotton to stay with her.
She spotted a gray wall underneath a cluster of palm trees. Frowning; she rushed to it, but found only one smooth wall. The building was camoflaudged with trees and rocks, so that Lacey could not detect a door. "Put me down." Bailey insisted, desperation tinging her voice. Bailey moved to the hatch that Lacey hadn't noticed, opening it to reveal a keypad. Lacey's fingers flew over the pad and within moments, a black shadow opened around a 'rock'.
Cotton slammed the hatch door shut and pushed the girls through the shadow, collapsing in after them. The three were lying on a flat floor in darkness. As Bailey and Cotton straightened, a motion sensing light flickered on above thier heads. Lacey had collapsing on the floor, breathing heavily. Her cheek had started bleeding again. Cotton leaned out to close the door when he noted two white parachutes floating near them. He snatched the parachutes, hissing as a bite of acid hit his arm. Cotton slammed the door shut, thrusting the chutes towards Bailey. Bailey began picking through them as Cotton sank down to the floor, recovering from carrying Bailey through the city.
"First aid kit, water conteens and..." Bailey picked up a long tube. She opened it to reveal a +3 staff. " - a gift for Lacey."
Cotton took a canteen, taking a drink before leaning over Lacey. "She's not good."
"I'm fine. " Lacey protested. Lacey's cheek had been cut an inch below her eye and ran down her cheek bone; stopping an inch from her lips. Bailey leaned in besides Cotton, shaking her head. Cotton pressed the canteen to Lacey's lips, forcing her to drink. He gently lifted Lacey, placing her back against his chest. He had her hold the canteen, encouraging her to keep drinking.
...
The First Monitor - Lacey, Cotton, & Bailey
In the Watchtower what remained of Lacey’s alliance was safe. Bailey had informed her that there was no way inside. They were secure at least for tonight. They each drank from their waterskins, their throats dry from all of the running. And they waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Nothing happened; the noises were the rain and the rumbling of their stomachs.
“We should heal you up Lacey…” Bailey finally, said. “That cut doesn’t look like it’s getting any better.”
Lacey nodded. “We’ll have to clean it first, do either of you know how any medicine?”
The other two shook their heads and their leader sighed. While Lacey thought of what to do next, it was Bailey this time that spoke up.
“I could clean the wound if you tell me what I have to do… Cotton… I think he can sew up the gash,” she suggested.
Lacey held a hand to her cheek and slowly she nodded. Her eyes drown in doubt. But she agreed and began to walk Bailey through what she was going to need to do to clean the wound.
“I won’t be able to talk during it,” Lacey said. “And without painkillers it’ll hurt. No matter what I do, don’t stop cleaning it.”
She explained to Cotton how to stitch her up, using their shared experience living in District 8.
“It’s just like stitching up a rip in your clothes. Just be careful and don’t go too deep,” Lacey told Cotton. And he nodded.
What followed was the worst hour of Lacey’s life. Bailey was able to clean the wound without hurting her alliance mate in the process. But it was Cotton’s nervous hands that sent deep bolts of pain shooting through Lacey jaw with every flick of his wrist.
As Bailey and Cotton bandaged Lacey’s face, Cotton was all apologies.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“It’s okay. You did fine.”
It was true but if Lacey survived, she’d have one hell of a scar.
“We all need to sleep,” Lacey said, ignoring her stomach.
“We need to eat too,” Cotton countered.
“Hey… Look,” Bailey pointed to the security monitor showing the careers moving away from the factory. “I thought 9 and 12 were with the careers. Didn't they attack you and Roger”
“Yes,” Lacey admitted. “But only after we attacked them.”
“And they killed Roger,” Cotton said.
“Two careers killed Roger,” Lacey replied. “I'm just saying don’t you think it’s odd that they haven’t killed or at least tried to kill the others inside?”
“Maybe they are waiting to take them by surprise,” Cotton threw out there.
“That doesn’t make sense either,” this from Bailey. “If they were like the Careers they would have gone after us. They didn’t. They let us run away.”
“They didn’t let us do anything,” Cotton said, heatedly.
“Hear me out, Cotton,” Bailey pleaded. “They could have run after us. Like that career did with the kids from district seven. I’m just saying maybe they aren’t all that bad. Roger said the girl from twelve was kinda funny. ‘Scary but funny.’”
“What are you suggesting, Bailey?” Lacey asked, actually curious.
“I dunno… It’s just that factory is big and there’s already nine tributes in there…” the girl from district three trailed off.
“Big alliance take two?” Lacey asked.
Bailey shrugged. “We don’t have any food. We’ll drink the rest of the water tonight. And we need to eat. In a few hours we’ll start getting weaker.”
Cotton’s eyes widened. “You want to move tonight?! Are you crazy?”
“Well maybe not right now. But closer to dawn. I dunno… It’s just a thought,” Bailey said.
Lacey nodded. “We'll talk about it later. Right now we need to sleep. Cotton you take first watch, then Bailey you take the second and we'll move just before my watch is over. If we decide to do that.”
...
As the evening approaced, the group tended to Lacey's wound once more.
"We need medicine." Bailey said to Cotton as Lacey went limp in Cotton's arms, drifting into a pain induced faint. "Its clean; but its going to become infected. She ran through that rain; diety knows all the contaigons in this city..."
"Focus on what we can control." Cotton interupted, dabbing the cut on Bailey's cheek with an iodine swab. Bailey stood, moving around the room. Awe was taking over her face, looking at the clean tile floors, the thick walls and the television screens displaying the hatch that they had entered through and a grassy area. Bailey took a seat on one of the two computer chairs, inspecting the controls. She read a laminate over the computer keyboard.
"The watch tower."
Interest sparked in her eyes as she began scanning the screens. "The factory." She read a caption; looking at the factory that the careers and team bada** was converging on.
"Oh, ****." She beckoned Cotton over. Cotton spread a blanket over the sleeping Lacey and took a seat besides Lacey, watching the factory with growing anticipation.
As the careers moved in, Bailey and Cotton watched with the rest of Panem. They had a unique opportunity to watch, as an announcer commented to those in the Hall. Most tributes knew only the blast of the cannons. As the careers slipped into the fence, Bailey made a command decision. It made her breathe a little faster, for the slip of a girl was not used to doing so.
"We can move now when we know where the careers are. "
"You want to go to the factory; where the careers are-"
"Not right away. We need more water. And more food would be good for the run. We'll hurry over and help whoever survives the careers..."
"Not a terrible idea." Lacey groaned as she sat up. She winced as Bailey washed her terrible cut with water and dabbed on more gel from the first aid kit.
Lacey took stock of the gear and sponsor gifts, gripping the +3 staff. She handed her original staff to Cotton. Cotton packed the first aid kit into his pack, surveying it.
"Before we got into it with that Cotton boy, we got a length of rope, a flash light, a cooking pot and fishing line. "
"We can fill the pot with more water and... am I hearing a river?"
The three cautiously exited the watch tower, pausing to listen. Lacey led the way for Bailey and Cotton, peeking around the tall and shadowy trees. The three moved in silence moving towards the rushing river.
Cotton rolled 4 dice to "l" 9,5,3,2 (1 successes)
Lacey rolled 7 dice to "Outrunning the rain [wp]" 10,8,2,3,10,7,6,4,5 (3 successes)
Cotton rolled 7 dice to "Outrunning the rain [wp]" 7,9,5,8,5,5,4 (2 successes)
Bailey rolled 10 dice to "Computer hacking watchtower [wp]" 2,7,3,7,5,7,5,4,9,9 (2 successes)
"Where's Roger-" Bailey wondered, but Lacey brushed by her. "Lacey, your face-"
Shock bloomed over the girls' face, but Cotton swept her into his arms. She was light; holding only her blowgun case. The three crashed through the undergrowth, moving into the city proper. Lacey led the way onto porches, swearing when the acid ate holes through the roofs. She drove them on, ignoring the stings on her arm, commanding Cotton to stay with her.
She spotted a gray wall underneath a cluster of palm trees. Frowning; she rushed to it, but found only one smooth wall. The building was camoflaudged with trees and rocks, so that Lacey could not detect a door. "Put me down." Bailey insisted, desperation tinging her voice. Bailey moved to the hatch that Lacey hadn't noticed, opening it to reveal a keypad. Lacey's fingers flew over the pad and within moments, a black shadow opened around a 'rock'.
Cotton slammed the hatch door shut and pushed the girls through the shadow, collapsing in after them. The three were lying on a flat floor in darkness. As Bailey and Cotton straightened, a motion sensing light flickered on above thier heads. Lacey had collapsing on the floor, breathing heavily. Her cheek had started bleeding again. Cotton leaned out to close the door when he noted two white parachutes floating near them. He snatched the parachutes, hissing as a bite of acid hit his arm. Cotton slammed the door shut, thrusting the chutes towards Bailey. Bailey began picking through them as Cotton sank down to the floor, recovering from carrying Bailey through the city.
"First aid kit, water conteens and..." Bailey picked up a long tube. She opened it to reveal a +3 staff. " - a gift for Lacey."
Cotton took a canteen, taking a drink before leaning over Lacey. "She's not good."
"I'm fine. " Lacey protested. Lacey's cheek had been cut an inch below her eye and ran down her cheek bone; stopping an inch from her lips. Bailey leaned in besides Cotton, shaking her head. Cotton pressed the canteen to Lacey's lips, forcing her to drink. He gently lifted Lacey, placing her back against his chest. He had her hold the canteen, encouraging her to keep drinking.
...
The First Monitor - Lacey, Cotton, & Bailey
In the Watchtower what remained of Lacey’s alliance was safe. Bailey had informed her that there was no way inside. They were secure at least for tonight. They each drank from their waterskins, their throats dry from all of the running. And they waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Nothing happened; the noises were the rain and the rumbling of their stomachs.
“We should heal you up Lacey…” Bailey finally, said. “That cut doesn’t look like it’s getting any better.”
Lacey nodded. “We’ll have to clean it first, do either of you know how any medicine?”
The other two shook their heads and their leader sighed. While Lacey thought of what to do next, it was Bailey this time that spoke up.
“I could clean the wound if you tell me what I have to do… Cotton… I think he can sew up the gash,” she suggested.
Lacey held a hand to her cheek and slowly she nodded. Her eyes drown in doubt. But she agreed and began to walk Bailey through what she was going to need to do to clean the wound.
“I won’t be able to talk during it,” Lacey said. “And without painkillers it’ll hurt. No matter what I do, don’t stop cleaning it.”
She explained to Cotton how to stitch her up, using their shared experience living in District 8.
“It’s just like stitching up a rip in your clothes. Just be careful and don’t go too deep,” Lacey told Cotton. And he nodded.
What followed was the worst hour of Lacey’s life. Bailey was able to clean the wound without hurting her alliance mate in the process. But it was Cotton’s nervous hands that sent deep bolts of pain shooting through Lacey jaw with every flick of his wrist.
As Bailey and Cotton bandaged Lacey’s face, Cotton was all apologies.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“It’s okay. You did fine.”
It was true but if Lacey survived, she’d have one hell of a scar.
“We all need to sleep,” Lacey said, ignoring her stomach.
“We need to eat too,” Cotton countered.
“Hey… Look,” Bailey pointed to the security monitor showing the careers moving away from the factory. “I thought 9 and 12 were with the careers. Didn't they attack you and Roger”
“Yes,” Lacey admitted. “But only after we attacked them.”
“And they killed Roger,” Cotton said.
“Two careers killed Roger,” Lacey replied. “I'm just saying don’t you think it’s odd that they haven’t killed or at least tried to kill the others inside?”
“Maybe they are waiting to take them by surprise,” Cotton threw out there.
“That doesn’t make sense either,” this from Bailey. “If they were like the Careers they would have gone after us. They didn’t. They let us run away.”
“They didn’t let us do anything,” Cotton said, heatedly.
“Hear me out, Cotton,” Bailey pleaded. “They could have run after us. Like that career did with the kids from district seven. I’m just saying maybe they aren’t all that bad. Roger said the girl from twelve was kinda funny. ‘Scary but funny.’”
“What are you suggesting, Bailey?” Lacey asked, actually curious.
“I dunno… It’s just that factory is big and there’s already nine tributes in there…” the girl from district three trailed off.
“Big alliance take two?” Lacey asked.
Bailey shrugged. “We don’t have any food. We’ll drink the rest of the water tonight. And we need to eat. In a few hours we’ll start getting weaker.”
Cotton’s eyes widened. “You want to move tonight?! Are you crazy?”
“Well maybe not right now. But closer to dawn. I dunno… It’s just a thought,” Bailey said.
Lacey nodded. “We'll talk about it later. Right now we need to sleep. Cotton you take first watch, then Bailey you take the second and we'll move just before my watch is over. If we decide to do that.”
...
As the evening approaced, the group tended to Lacey's wound once more.
"We need medicine." Bailey said to Cotton as Lacey went limp in Cotton's arms, drifting into a pain induced faint. "Its clean; but its going to become infected. She ran through that rain; diety knows all the contaigons in this city..."
"Focus on what we can control." Cotton interupted, dabbing the cut on Bailey's cheek with an iodine swab. Bailey stood, moving around the room. Awe was taking over her face, looking at the clean tile floors, the thick walls and the television screens displaying the hatch that they had entered through and a grassy area. Bailey took a seat on one of the two computer chairs, inspecting the controls. She read a laminate over the computer keyboard.
"The watch tower."
Interest sparked in her eyes as she began scanning the screens. "The factory." She read a caption; looking at the factory that the careers and team bada** was converging on.
"Oh, ****." She beckoned Cotton over. Cotton spread a blanket over the sleeping Lacey and took a seat besides Lacey, watching the factory with growing anticipation.
As the careers moved in, Bailey and Cotton watched with the rest of Panem. They had a unique opportunity to watch, as an announcer commented to those in the Hall. Most tributes knew only the blast of the cannons. As the careers slipped into the fence, Bailey made a command decision. It made her breathe a little faster, for the slip of a girl was not used to doing so.
"We can move now when we know where the careers are. "
"You want to go to the factory; where the careers are-"
"Not right away. We need more water. And more food would be good for the run. We'll hurry over and help whoever survives the careers..."
"Not a terrible idea." Lacey groaned as she sat up. She winced as Bailey washed her terrible cut with water and dabbed on more gel from the first aid kit.
Lacey took stock of the gear and sponsor gifts, gripping the +3 staff. She handed her original staff to Cotton. Cotton packed the first aid kit into his pack, surveying it.
"Before we got into it with that Cotton boy, we got a length of rope, a flash light, a cooking pot and fishing line. "
"We can fill the pot with more water and... am I hearing a river?"
The three cautiously exited the watch tower, pausing to listen. Lacey led the way for Bailey and Cotton, peeking around the tall and shadowy trees. The three moved in silence moving towards the rushing river.
Cotton rolled 4 dice to "l" 9,5,3,2 (1 successes)
Lacey rolled 7 dice to "Outrunning the rain [wp]" 10,8,2,3,10,7,6,4,5 (3 successes)
Cotton rolled 7 dice to "Outrunning the rain [wp]" 7,9,5,8,5,5,4 (2 successes)
Bailey rolled 10 dice to "Computer hacking watchtower [wp]" 2,7,3,7,5,7,5,4,9,9 (2 successes)