Th_omas

" How about we help each other?" He says and I look up at him, eyes still wet from the tears streaming down my cheeks, heart freshly broken from the public humiliation and betrayal that was Lucas's breakup. I can faintly make out the first droppings of snow floating magically under the light of the street lamps. It's that time of the year, a time for wool coats, a time for relaxing, none of which I'll be doing. "I'm an orphan with a wicked aunt and a boyfriend who left her because she has nothing to her name, how could I possibly help you?" I say another sob escaping my lips. "Marry me" he replies and my eyes widen in anger. Is he mocking me?. I look into the eyes of this stranger and see he's dead serious. "I need a wife, you need a home, marry me and you'll have all you want". I nod.

A Snowy Marriage (A Christmas agreement)

"The tokens come in levels, or rather degrees and values" he says. He holds his own so it's catching the light and all the gold outlets in it gleams.

"It doesn't matter the value of your token, or the degree to which it might be, as long as you participate in one of the games, whoever wins gets all the tokens of the other people that forfeited. The families with the least tokens today will be eliminated from the Winter games".

I grab at the reality of what he has said, this is practically the place some of these kids grew up, and should they be eliminated from the Winter games, I guess it corresponds to being eliminated from this place.

"They will be seen as outcasts begining today" I say, and the cold light that enters his eyes makes me know that I'm right.

"They will be seen as worse". His reply does nothing to settle the crawling in my stomach, as I snapped my head away from looking at each and every person that passes me, from noticing the confident smiles that they all wear and the way they they seem to be sure of themselves. I bide each and every other distraction off and I focus on Adrian.

I don't know exactly what his plan is to win this game today, but it seems the future of his family indirectly depends on it.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" I ask, at the moment the question comes out my mouth I know that it is wrong. There is no way Adrain would tell me to actually do something to help him, he would only see it as putting me danger and I do not wait for a reply.

Instead I walk off into the crowd and get him some water and glucose. I know it seems a very powdery and insubstantial thing to do, but yes that is the first thing that comes to my mind. The meal that we had this morning isn't really that strengthening, I don't think someone can participate in games all day on half a bowl of noodles.

Adrian accepts it with something of a delighted look in his eyes as he cups up spoon after spoon of powdered glucose into his mouth, and drinks some water, he gives me a thankful glance and goes back to staying rigid, as he observes exactly what games are going to take place today.

My head and is in turmoil as I see crowbars, and javelins with sharp pointy edges that could easily pierce a man skin, what surprises me the most though is the circular cleared out area that holds nothing but wooden poles.

Exactly how this place cleared out a fighting ring I don't know, and I'm getting those wooden poles are the weapons. Wooden post that just have to come in a variety of sharpened edges.

My heart drop when I see actual steel among the weapons arranged on a rack. This can't be good.

Chapter 86