Chapter 1
I sit on the beach and look out at the ocean. The water is calm, serene unlike me. Inside I'm a nervous ball of energy. Not even the ocean of District 4 can calm me. Today is the reaping for the Hunger Games, but not just any reaping. It is the Twenty-fifth Hunger Games, the first Quarter Quell. Each district has to vote for who they want to represent them. This makes it much worse than the usual random name drawing. I start pulling my long, dark hair in stress. What if I am chosen? Would my neighbours really send me to my death thinking that I might be able to win? I plunge my hands into the sand, trying to calm myself. Well, if I am chosen, all I have to do is fight my way out and I know I can do that. I hear footsteps in the sand and glance over my shoulder. The twins, Brandon and Nick, run towards me, grins on their faces. They both tackle me and I laugh. "Happy birthday Mags," they both say. I grin. "Isn't it just awesome that I turn eighteen on the day of the reaping?" I ask sarcastically.
"Totally," Brandon agrees and gives me a light kiss. I smile and pat his cheek. I love Brandon with all my heart and I hope that he wouldn't be chosen for the Games. I glance over at Nick and saw his blue eyes staring at me. I gave him a little smile. The twins were as different as night and day. Brandon was kind, compassionate and even though he was a Career, he didn't like being trained to kill. He thought there was nothing wrong with being trained but he didn't want to kill. If he had it his way, he would make sure he would win without killing which is impossible. But Nick was like any other Career, arrogant, vicious and bloodthirsty. Besides his twin and me; he is one of the best Careers at the Academy. The Academy was where we trained to be victors if we were chosen for the Games. They trained you to use weapons to kill and to kill without hesitation. It was despicable but I can see the reason behind it. If I had a child, I would want them to have more of a chance to come home. Anyone would.
I stand up and brush the sand off myself. The twins do the same. I hold Brandon's hand as we walk back to town. The twins say goodbye to me at the edge of the Victor's Village and I turn to walk back in. Both of my parents are victors and they won in consecutive years. They were best friends for years until they fell in love after they won. But my mother died a year ago from a brain tumour. It got her in her sleep. My father has never been the same and often wakes up in the middle of the night, screaming or crying for her. Or the usual nightmares about the Games. I find him in the study, in a drunken stupor. He didn't notice when I took the alcohol from his hand and emptied it down the drain. I try to shake him awake but he only mumbles at me. I sigh and go upstairs and prepare for the reaping. I put on a sea green/turquoise dress that matches my eyes. I tie my black hair into a bun with curly strands escaping it. I put on the necklace with the sea glass charm from Brandon. I pat it lovingly and go back downstairs. My father has somehow wakened up and is cleaning up in the kitchen. He still looks awful with dark circles under his eyes and he desperately needs a shave. But it's better. I help him into some clean clothes and give his hair some brushing and a shave. He doesn't object, he just watches me with sadness in his eyes. "You look as beautiful as your mother, Mags," he whispers. That is a big compliment. My mother was very beautiful, one of the most beautiful people I had ever seen. I smile at him and help him up. We walk to the main square of District 4 and I go into the section of eighteen year olds. The twins are there too and Brandon takes my hand in comfort. I squeeze it and smile at Nick. Nobody could miss the excitement in his eyes as he watches the District 4 escort, Annika Sunray, with her rainbow hair and too-white skin. Her eyes are two different colours; one is violet while the other is bright blue. The mayor of 4 starts it off talking about the Treaty of Treason and how the Hunger Games were created. Then she explains about the Quarter Quell and how for the 25th Hunger Games, each district has to vote on their tributes. Annika Sunray replaces the mayor and trills out, "Ladies first!" She goes to the ball that is usually filled with all of the girls names that now contains an envelope. A "lucky" girl is going to be chosen. She opens the envelope and looks at the name. She pauses for suspense and gazes upon the crowd. "Congratulations to Margaret Clearwater, this year's female tribute!" she says and claps lightly. Margaret Clearwater. That's me.
Chapter 2
I froze. I am a statue, with no thoughts or movement. Before anyone can shake me from my shock, I walk woodenly towards the stage. I mask my feelings on my face. I can see myself on the big screens. I appear to be bored as if being voted in to go to the Hunger Games is no big deal. But it is. I might die and never see the ocean or Brandon again. Just to provide the lie that I am happy with being voted in, I give the cameras a smirk to portray some confidence. Annika proceeds to the boy's plastic ball and opens the envelope. "Congratulations to Nickolas Sea, our male tribute!" Oh no. In order to survive, I might have to kill Brandon's own flesh and blood. How could I? I watch as Nick mounts the stage confidently with a smirk on his face. He wanted this. He wanted the glory and the fame. But didn't he know that in order to get that, he would have to kill other kids, to lose some of your humanity? I find Brandon in the crowd and there are tears in his eyes. He knows that only one of us can come home alive. But who does he want to live? Me or his twin? We may love each other dearly, but I do not underestimate the power of family love. He will obviously choose his brother over me, no matter the heartbreak. Nick and I shake hands. I look into his eyes and I know if it comes down to it, he will kill me. He squeezes my hand to the point of pain and he looks for my reaction. I just smile at him, not bothering to hide the malice in it. We go into the Justice Building and are escorted to separate rooms. I sit on the couch and wait. The first to come through the door is my father. He weeps openly and I hold him. "I don't want to lose you, Mags," he whispers. I rub his shoulder. "You won't. I'll come back and I'll be a victor like you," I said. He nodded and the Peacekeeper escorted him out. Now was the moment of truth. Brandon could either visit me or Nick. But not both of us. Some friends from the Academy came and visited and told me how lucky I was that I was representing District 4 in the Quarter Quell. Yeah, right. Then my last visitor came. Brandon. He grabs me and kisses me. I let one tear escape and I pull away. He holds my face, not letting me break eye contact. "I love you, no matter what happens," he says. That's basically saying that he wouldn't hate me if I killed his twin. Or if I turn into a monster tribute. "You're going to come home, Mags, and when you do, we're going to get married," he exclaims. I smile at him and tears start to swim in my eyes. He pats his pocket and slides a ring on my finger. Instead of a diamond, there is a little piece of sea glass, the exact same colour as the one on my necklace. I hug him tightly and we cling to each other until the Peacekeeper takes him away. It's a short car ride to the train and we board quickly. My father was a mentor before until my mother died and he went off his rocker. Now we have to twenty year old twins who won in consecutive years, Austin and Allison, who won around two to three years ago. They both have sea green eyes like me and have blond hair. Austin is already chatting and planning with Nick. I know that we and the other Career tributes would already have an alliance. We watch the reaping on the television. All of the tributes are eighteen years old. There are no volunteers, which surprises me. Especially from Two. The tributes from One are both blond and have light blue eyes. You can't mistake the way they hold themselves. They look at the cameras with brutality and aggression. Same with the pair from Two. The boy is packed with muscle. His dark eyes dance with light but when I see him gaze into the camera, it feels like he is looking at me. It makes me quiver slightly in fear. The girl is tall and lithe and projects viciousness. There's District 3 with their pale skin and dark hair. Then there is our reaping. There are comments on me. They don't doubt the daughter of two victors will be an amazing fighter. They believe that it will be an interesting Games. The reapings go on and on. Some of the others catch my attention. The pair from Ten are tanned and muscular. The pair from Eleven have dark skin and wise, sad eyes. But the pair from Twelve is what really catches my interest. They both have black hair, gray eyes and olive skin. They both look underfed especially the girl. The boy was very handsome and his gray eyes looked dangerous. He could be a Career. I quickly flee the room and go to my compartment. Thinking about the reapings; I realize that this Hunger Games were going to be the toughest yet. Any of them could kill me. I was the smallest tribute in the entire group. I may be strong and muscled but I am tiny in stature, only five foot four. I am naturally thin too. Even the underfed girls outsized and outweighed me. Now, I am sure that I'm going to die. Maybe not at the bloodbath but later. There was a television in my room and I turned it on. There was a rerun of past Games. I recognized it as my mother's. She looked just like me. They showed when it came down to her and the boy from Two. The fight was bloody but my mother ended it with a knife to the boy's neck. It was scary, seeing my doppelganger mother kill him. But she had no choice. It was all in self defence, it was do or die. I fall asleep, dreams about the Games haunting me.
Chapter 3
Alison wakes me out of my nightmarish dreams full of blood and dying kids. I come out of my compartment and look out the window. We are in the Capitol finally. We pass the beautiful, grand buildings and then the window goes black. Light emerges again and we are in the station. Capitol citizens in all of their crazy getups press against the train in excitement, trying to catch a glimpse. One man in a turquoise suit and a hat resembling a canoe sees me and puts a hand to the glass, knocking on it. I knock back and he smiles. I give them all a smile and wave grandly. Maybe there are sponsors there and they like what they see. That's at least what I'm hoping. I twist my new ring and think of Brandon. He would have loved to see the Capitol. But I wouldn't wish that on him. That would mean that he would have to be a tribute. We are ushered off the train into the Remake Center.
The Remake Center was a place of pain. They plucked at my legs, eyebrows. But not much. The prep team bathes me in suspicious gels, liquids and lotions. By the end, my skin feels tight and fragile. They leave and my stylist comes in. He just gives me a once over and smiles. "Hello, Margaret. My name is Sean. Have a seat," he says. He hands me a robe and we sit at the table. A meal appears on the tabletop with the press of a button. As I look at the meal, I think of all the kids that didn't have enough to eat while the people in the Capitol had plenty to spare. As a daughter of a victor, I've definitely had enough to eat. We had so much food to spare. I always went to the poorer part of District 4 to give them extra food and clothing. But the suffering in District 4 wasn't as bad as the other districts, especially in District 12. My parents had told me how awful it was there, to see the kids with their sunken cheeks and empty eyes. I dig in and stuff myself until I feel so bloated, I might be sick. I knew that some tributes had died of starvation in earlier Games. It was best to prepare for it by putting on some extra weight. Sean eyes me and then leaves to get my chariot costume. He comes back with a mermaid costume and I sigh inwardly. The mermaid costume has gotten the most skimpy it has ever gotten. I don't even have a shirt. Just a sea shell bra. Sean helps me into it and I get in to my skirt. The fabric gives the illusion of shimmering water and scales. My hair is down, the black curls tamed into glossy ringlets. The top layer of my hair is pinned up in a half-up-half-down style. I have a circlet crown made of shells and blue beads. He leaves my necklace and ring. When I glance fully in the mirror, I almost don't recognize myself. I look beautiful, like a mermaid princess. But there is an edginess to it that portrays to not mess with the mer-princess or else you end up dead or worse. I absolutely love it. Sean claps his hands gleefully and trills, "You're gorgeous, darling. They'll love you!" He then leads me to where the chariots are. When I walk in, everyone stares at me. The male tributes openly look at my bared flesh. The girls look at me with hatred or envy. I put my chin up and ignore them and focus my attention on Nick. He is a merman, with an identical long skirt with the shimmery fabric. He is completely shirtless and I am baffled about how much he looks like his brother, except for the eye colour. He eyes me and I can almost feel his gaze on my skin. I hold back a cringe and smile at him as I reach him. We mount our chariot and next thing I know, we are being driven to the City Circle. I wave and smile at the crowd and they go berserk, some hands trying to touch me. President Snow gives the official welcome and then we go to the Training Center.
Chapter 4
Training started the next day and would last for three days and then it would be our private sessions. Since we had the privilege of having two mentors, Nick was mentored by Austin while I was mentored by Alison. I didn't want Nick knowing my skills that I kept secret. At the Academy, we were taught to specialize in one weapon. Me, on the other hand, could use any weapon they gave me. My parents had taught me to use them because they wanted me to be prepared just in case I was reaped for the Hunger Games. It was stupid though to only specialize in one weapon. You could end up dead for going for the one and only weapon that could be your salvation. I remember that happened to the male tribute last year. He was going for a spear when the girl from Seven got him with a axe blade to the head. It wasn't pretty. My best weapons were throwing knives and using a sword. But I could use a spear or a bow with excellent skill. My parents also taught me a bit about survival skills, like making fires and shelters and identifying edible plants. Usually Careers were only trained in weapons and that was it. The art to kill is important but so is the art to surviving on the land. If a Career didn't die in combat, they died because they ate something poisonous and didn't know any better. That wasn't going to happen to me. Alison knew all of this already. She even helped me train. Annika hammers away at my door and tells me to hurry or else I'll be late. I roll my eyes and quickly pull hair into a ponytail and proceed to the elevator. Nick and I ride in silence that is thick with tension. When we enter the gymnasium, I realize we are one of the latecomers. The District 12 tributes come last and Atala introduces all of the stations and let us loose. I notice that all of the tributes know how to use a weapon with at least moderate skill. I see the District Two girl throw a spear and it impales the dummy right through the head. I first head to the survival skill stations to brush up my knowledge. I feel a gaze on me and I turn. I see the non-Career tributes watching me with scepticism and surprise. My fellow Careers are all at weapons stations while I'm at survival stations. I can see that the boy from Ten has marked me as easy prey and he smirks at me. They don't think that I'm good. I don't know why but my temper flares. They are at the spear station. Good. I walk tall and confidently towards them and grab a spear. "Are you sure you want to do that, princess? The spear looks like it weighs more than you," a voice remarks. The insult came from the boy from Ten. I shove past him and channel my rage into my throw. It skewers the dummy through the heart. I turn to the boy and put a hand on my hip. "Are you sure you want to do that?" I bump my shoulder into him and go to the sword fighting station. I brush up on my skills and then go to the knife throwing one. This is where I excel at. I grab my knives and start to throw. I aim at all of the most fatal spots. The head, heart, stomach and thigh. With the thigh, you have to make sure that you get the arteries. If you get the arteries, your opponent will probably die from blood loss. My dummy is lined with knives by the time I'm done. Atala calls for lunch and I get my lunch and sit alone. Next thing I know, I'm surrounded by my fellow Careers. I glance over at the other tributes. They all have gathered at one table and they eye us openly. I nudge Nick. "Looks like there is another pack and it's targeting us," I whisper in his ear. He glances over at them and then quietly tells the others. The boy from Two, who is named Aaron, announces the plan. "Kill as many as possible at the Cornucopia. We will hunt the leftovers after," he says. We all nod and I feel nervousness tug at my gut. I look over at the other table and catch the eye of the boy from Twelve. I consider going off on my own but that wouldn't be smart. Then I would have the Career and the non-Career pack hunting me. The arena would only be so big. Then a brilliant idea hits me. I could be in both packs. Pretend to be in one of them while actually being in the other. But which pack do I choose? The Career pack has the skill but the other has the numbers. I would be smart to help them eliminate the other Careers and then I could easily swoop in for the win after they were dead. The planning felt cold hearted but it was necessary. I had to get back for Brandon and my father. It was settled. As training ended, I explained my plan to Alison. She pondered it and nodded. "It's smart but risky. Either way, there is more of a chance that you'll win."
Chapter 5
My work on the others began the next day. The tributes from 3, 7, and 9 immediately wanted to be my allies. The tributes from 5,6 and 8 were sceptical but were considering it. But the tributes from the remaining districts were hard. They regard me like a wild predator; like I am dangerous and unpredictable, which is completely accurate. The Career Pack was wondering what I was doing. "I'm pretending that I'm joining their group and going to help them kill you. But I'll just lead them to us so we can kill them," I whisper to them. Aaron nods; he approves. All of the Careers grin viciously and snicker to themselves. I smirked. My plan was working. Then the private sessions were upon us. I walk confidently towards the Gamemakers and all of their eyes are on me. I start with my swords and walk to the dummies. I decapitate one, amputate another and then stab the last in the gut. I took out the sword and whirl, throwing both swords. They skewer two dummies through the heart. I run to the knives and start to throw. They hit all of the lethal points. "Thank you, Mags," they say and I leave. I take the elevator back to the floor designated for District 4 and wait. After the Gamemakers reveal our scores, there will be the interviews. Then the Hunger Games themselves. My body quivers slightly with fear and anticipation. It was the first Quarter Quell. That meant the Games were going to be more horrific than usual. What was it going to be? A desert with pits of snakes? A giant meadow that had no means of being able to be concealed from other tributes? I sit in front of the main television and the screen flickers on. Nick, Austin, Alison and Annika sit with me as we wait for our scores. The tributes from One both score nines, Aaron and the girl from 2 received tens. The pair from 3 both got identical scores of 4. Then it comes to District 4. Nick receives a 10. Then my picture pops up. I got an eleven. I smile and watch the other scores. The tributes from Districts 5 to 9 average around an 8. The boy from Ten gets a 9. The girl from Eleven gets a 6. Then the District 12 tributes. The girl receives a 8 while the boy receives a 10. Usually with the other tributes, the scores are lower. But then again, this tributes were chosen by their fellow citizens to represent them this year. They would only send the ones that they thought would have the best chance of winning. I bite my lip nervously and go to bed.
Chapter 6
The interviews are next. I have a session with Alison to decide on how I'm going to be presented. We decide on being elusive. With elusive people, you never know if they can be trusted or not or if they are always truthful. It's easy for me since I'm lying to pretty much everyone. I'm playing both sides. Then Alison rushes me to my prep team and they pretty me up for the interview. I am dressed in a fitted blue dress that has slits that almost go to my hips. My hair is done like it was on the reaping and they put beautiful teardrop earrings in my ears. I wear heels which isn't a nice experience. I tittered around, trying not to fall on my face. Once I got the hang of walking, I was escorted to where the interviews took place, in front of a live audience. All of the tributes look beautiful in their fancy wear. Many had tremors in their hands due to nervousness. The girl from 5 actually got so nervous that she started to puke in one of those potted plants. I went to her aid and held back her hair as she emptied her stomach. She wipes her mouth and smiles at me gratefully. I smile back and give her an awkward pat on the shoulder. We take our places in the line and proceed to our seats and the interviews start. I don't really pay attention to the interviews, not even when Nick talks about me a little. I'm too wrapped up in my own nerves. Then they are calling for me and I walk with false confidence to my seat. Caesar Flickerman grins at me and quiets down the crowd. This year, his hair and lips are dyed gold, which doesn't look good on him. "So, Mags, how do you like the Capitol?" I wonder how he knows my nickname when I answer. "Very different from District 4, Caesar. Very different." He nods thoughtfully. He hold my hands and looks at my ring. "Do you have a sweetheart back home?" I nod. "He is actually Nick's twin brother and his name is Brandon. I love him more than anything," I say quietly. I don't like the whole world knowing my personal life. They will be excited to watch me die. They shouldn't know this. Caesar brings me back with a gentle squeeze of my hand. "What did you tell him when you left?" I close my eyes and hold back the tears. I don't want to show any weakness. I look at the crowd and then at Caesar. "I told him I would win so we could get married when I come back," I practically whisper. There are sobs and gasps in the crowd. The buzzer goes and I can leave. I go back to my seat and look down at my feet. A hand grasps my wrist hard and I snatch my hand away. Nick leans forward and whispers in my ear; "So, you're getting married. That's sweet." His voice is dripping with acid, he isn't happy with this news. I glare at him. I look at the other tributes and see all of the boys leering at me. Especially the boy from Ten. He smirks at me when I glance at him. I sigh inwardly and lean back in my chair. The girl from 5 pats my hand and says "Congratulations," in my ear. I smile and nod. This girl has been kind to me and I definitely want her as an ally. If I didn't win, I wanted someone like her or one of the other non-Career tributes to win. I remember that her name is Anna. We grasp hands and I know that she wants to be my ally too. I'll try to keep her alive through the bloodbath. The rest of the interviews go by fast and finally it's the last interview. The boy from 12 is surprisingly charismatic and friendly. His name is Alexander. Once he comes back, everyone stands for the anthem. We go back to our floors. I try to sleep but I can't. This is the first Quarter Quell, which means it will much worse than the usual Hunger Games. I could be dead tomorrow. I start to feel guilty about tricking everyone into thinking I'm on their side. The option of going alone is tempting but it's not smart and I'll definitely end up dead. I long for Brandon and his company. I think of my father and I know if I die in the arena, he will lose his dwindling amount of sanity. I have to win. For them. I fall asleep with determination in my heart.
Chapter 7
I am woken early by Sean and he takes me to the roof. A hovercraft appears above us and two ladders drop. Once I get on the ladder, a current freezes me to the ladder. I guess some tributes actually managed to jump off the ladder and kill themselves. I'm lifted into the hovercraft and a woman injects a tracker in my arm. I sit and look out the window as we fly. It's beautiful, up here in the sky. There's a sense of freedom. As I enjoy the feeling the scenery gives me, the windows black out and reminds me where I'm going: the arena. I'm escorted to the catacombs of the arena and sent into a Launch Room. I'll be the only person who uses it since arenas are never re-used. I bet some Capitol citizen would love to re-enact some scenes and maybe my death. Sean gives me some food and I eat a little, not wanting it to come back up out of nervousness. I drink lots of water. I don't know if it's a desert above me so it would be best to hydrate now. He then helps me in this year's tribute outfit. Black skin tight leggings with a simple blue t-shirt. Over the t-shirt is a thin, well fitted blue coat. Sean analyzes the outfit and pinches the fabric between his fingers. "It isn't very warm; it looks like it's made for warm weather. But not hot."
I nod. A pleasant female voice announces that it is time to launch. My hands squeeze into fists and my nails dig into my palms. I walk over to the metal plate and stand tall. Sean pats my hand and says; "Go win it for your sweetheart, hon." Then the plastic cylinder lowers over me and the metal plate pushes me up. There is darkness and the gust of fresh air. Light blinds me temporarily and I squint. The light lessens and I take in my surroundings. There's the Cornucopia, golden and beautiful, right in the middle of the meadow. There are ridges and hills in the meadow and we will have to clamber over them to get to the Cornucopia. Picturesque sea green water surrounds everything. We are on an island. Woods and mountains are at my back. I survey the bounty at the horn quickly because I have to make fast choices. My instructors at the Academy always said to go for your weapon, get some supplies and start killing. Usually with the Cornucopia, the most valuable objects are at the mouth, luring us into a fight. This time, all of the objects are valuable, even the ones close to the metal plates. But the weapons are close to the tributes while the survival supplies are at the horn. A few steps away from me is a vest full of knives and on the back, there are two machetes, just like the ones I used in my private session. That is for me. There are spears that are stuck in the ground that I could easily just grab. Weapons were good but I need a pack. My eyes land on a blue pack. It's not a huge pack but it isn't small either. It's right at the mouth. Looks like I have to go for it. I take all of this in seconds. I position my feet to run. "Ladies and gentlemen, let the Twenty fifth Hunger Games begin!" We all wait. All of the tributes are facing the horn. They are going to fight for it too. I was hoping some would just run. I see Nick practically shaking with excitement. Anna is right beside me and we nod at each other. We are allies. I find the boy from 10 grinning at me again. He wants to kill me. I grin back. I tense my muscles. The gong sounds.
Chapter 8
The first thing I do is grab the vest and pull it on under my jacket. I pull out a knife and run towards the horn. Anna is right beside me and I toss her a spear. She catches it and is at my side, guarding me. I grab a spear for myself and look around. I see Nick gut the girl from Three and she falls, dead. Anna cries out when the girl from 6 kills the boy from her district with a knife to the heart. Anna leaves my side to avenge her district partner. I whip around and see the girl from 7 with an axe and she is charging towards me. I throw my spear and it impales her in the chest. I clamber up more of the ridges and finally reach the mouth of the horn. I grab the pack and pull it on. I feel a presence behind me and I whirl, taking out a knife. It's the boy from 10. He grins and swings at me with his sword. I dodge every blow except I get a cut on my arm and leg. I get an opening and my knife goes hilt deep into his shoulder. I pull it out and swing. The bloody blade cuts his cheek and he falls. As I'm about to kill him, a body slams into me. It's the girl from 10 and she pins me to the ground. She raises her knife and it falls towards my chest. I grab her arms and push at the knife. The blade touches me and adrenaline makes me push harder. While holding the knife with one hand, I press my fingers hard into the crook of her elbow. If I apply enough pressure to this pressure point, she'll be knocked out. She cries out and falls forward, pinning me with her weight. She falls right on the blade of the knife. I see Nick standing over me and he picks up the dead body of the girl and pulls me up. The adrenaline is gone now and I tremble from exhaustion. Nick keeps a firm grasp on me and I pat his shoulder in thanks. Several dead bodies lie in the meadow, staining the green grass with red. Annie is waiting for me too, the other Careers eying her like she's a meal. I smile at her and she smiles back. When the girl from 2 was going to kill her, Nick told her to stop since she was one of my allies. They also thought that she was a good fighter so they let her in. The cannons start to fire, one after another. I don't keep count. We stock up on weapons. I add leg and ankle sheaths for my knives. I pick up a black bow and eye it. Nick laughs at me from behind and I raise an eyebrow. "Are you actually serious, Mags? I've seen you shoot, and you're terrible," he chuckles. Oh yeah. To lead the other Careers off, I purposely did horribly at archery. I'm actually good but they can't know that. I shrug and take the bow and stuff the arrows into my bag. "It'll be enough to hit someone," I say nonchalantly. He shakes his head but doesn't bug me further. The boy from One grabs the other bow and slings it on his body. Anna gets some extra spears. We decide to make camp at the Cornucopia. We set up tents and shelters until night falls. I find those glasses that see in the dark in my bag. I hide them from the others except for Anna. She smiles. The sound of the anthem blares on and the death toll starts. At home, we would be watching the coverage of every death. But here we just see our pictures with our district numbers. It starts off with the girl from 3. Both tributes from 3 are dead. Then the boy from 5, both from 6, the girl from 7, both from 8, the girl from 10, both from 11 and the girl from 12. Twelve gone, twelve left to play. I see everyone put their glasses on and we go to the woods. We split up in teams. The District One tributes in one group, the District Two tributes in another and I pair up with Anna. Nick decides to go alone. As they leave, I hear a rustling. I take out a knife and wait.
Chapter 9
The rustling gets louder. There's a cry from Anna and I turn. Anna is hanging upside down, a rope coiled tightly around her ankle. Someone set a trap. The bushes rustle and two tributes emerge, the boy from 12, Alexander, and the girl from 11. How is she alive? She is supposed to be dead; I saw her face in the sky. Her arm has a bloody bandage on it and still continues to bleed. She took her tracker out of her arm. I knew that the tracker also monitored your heart rate, therefore, being able to tell if you're alive or dead. By taking it out, there was no heart beat to monitor. She pulled one over the Capitol and they weren't going to be happy. I could imagine the outrage of the Gamemakers in the Control Room. They were going to either kill her off with a mutation, blow her up where she stood or drive her into a fight. Either way, she was going to end up dead and sent back to 11 in a crate. I eye them and keep my knives out. "If you attack me, you know I will kill you," I tell them. This sinks in and they lower their weapons. I lower mine but don't put them away. Without breaking eye contact, I throw one of my knives and it cuts the rope that Anna is hanging from. She falls with a thud. I walk over to the tree and take out the knife, taking care with the blade. I tilt my head at them and cross my arms. Alexander laughs and goes to help Anna. The girl from 11 shakes my hand and introduces herself as Flora. I relax and smile. I wish that it didn't have to come to all of them dying in order for me to survive. These were nice people and if we were back in District 4, we would be friends. I didn't want to kill them. I could only wish that something or someone will kill them instead. Alexander and Flora lead us to their camp. They camped at the edge of the island. I went to the edge and look down. Falling down would mean instant death on the rocks. The waves crash against the rocks and I'm instantly reminded of home. I back away from the edge and nearly crash into Anna. The other tributes come and they take out their weapons. There is the boy from 7, the boy from 10 and both tributes from 9 left. The boy sees me and charges me. I take out a knife in self defence but Flora and Alexander restrain him. His brown eyes are locked on mine with an intensity I've never seen. I can see the cords in his neck stand out and a vein pops in his forehead. He snarls and tries frantically to get to me. It's like watching a rabid animal in a cage, driven by a rage that is endless and uncontrollable that won't be sated until it gets out and gets what it wants. I am tempted to go closer to him but I don't. I make a risky gamble to gain this boy's trust. I tell Flora and Alexander to let him go. Luckily for me, he doesn't have any weapons except for his own strength. He tackles me to the ground and I don't protest. I'm covered in weapons so if it gets really out of hand, I'll be able to kill him. He punches me hard and my head snaps back. Blood starts to dribble from my nose. The boy from 10 grabs my arms and pins them above my head. The cut on his cheek starts to bleed again and his blood drops on my face. He smiles while breathing heavily. I stare into his brown eyes. "Why aren't you fighting me? Do you want to die? You nearly killed me. Do you think I won't kill you?" he says, shaking me. I just stare defiantly into his face. His grip on my wrists tightens until the point that it's painful. But I don't cry out or whimper in pain. The boy from 10 releases me and I relax into the grass. I find an awl lying in the grass and I tuck it into my vest. I brush myself off and look at the camp. It isn't much and from what I can tell, they don't have much food. I dig out some rope from my pack and start making a net. Then I make a couple of fishing hooks which is my specialty. The others watch my progress as the sky lightens and its morning. "You can use this to fish," I say and then leave their camp. I nod to Anna and we leave. It's a long journey back and by the time we reach the Cornucopia, its afternoon. The others wait for us and Nick races up to us. They'll want to know why we took so long. Aaron is not far behind. I can see the relief in both of their faces to see that we're alive. But how do they expect to win if they want us alive? I am tempted to kill them all right then and there just to get it out of the way. But I can't since I have to keep using this plan. I sigh inwardly and lie down on the grass. I look at the ridges where not so long ago was littered with dead kids. I was one of the ones that contributed to the body count. I remember the major rush of fighting and killing. It's disgusting to say that I like to kill but it's true. I wonder what Brandon is thinking about me as he watches me on the television screen. Does he wish he hasn't promised to marry me when I come back? He probably does. As I look at the sky, I realize it has darkened. Lightning flashes in the clouds and thunder rocks the earth beneath me. Lightning strikes the Cornucopia and we are blown backward with the force of the strike. Nobody was leaning on the Cornucopia so there was no electrocuting. We must have gotten boring. The Gamemakers decided things need spicing up a bit. A lesson from my parents resurfaces. We were talking about the arenas and the Gamemaker weapons. With the arena, certain parts of it are rigged for the use of weapons. But once you get out of their range, you're safe. That was what my mother said. I started running from the Cornucopia and head for the sea. Everyone follows suit. Lightning follows us as we run. The earth rumbles under our feet and some of the earth opens a fissure. From the fissure emerges a snake mutt.
Chapter 10
I gesture for the others to run ahead of me so I can face the mutt. It's a giant cobra and its hood opens as it hisses at me, baring sharp fangs that drip bright green venom. I first take out a knife and throw it at its throat. I try to take back my knife from it but it knocks me away. Some of its venom drips onto my skin and I scream. It's pure agony in one drop of venom. It slowly advances towards me. I lie in the grass, helpless. The venom has seeped into my skin and has started to paralyze me. I shakily reach for the awl and I clamp it between my teeth to prevent my screaming. The cobra mutt rears back and lunges. I hold out the awl and the cobra lands on the spike. It squeals and I withdraw the awl. Its blue blood covers my hand. One of the teeth has broken off and has punctured my hand. I take it out and then my limbs start to spasm. Pain racks my body and I scream endlessly. The others come back and surround me, their faces looking down at me. Anna is crying, her tears dripping onto my face. A cannon fires. One of my spasming hands grips hers. It wasn't my cannon. Things start to get fuzzy and I know my cannon will fire soon. I close my eyes. I'm sorry Brandon, that I wasn't able to come home for you.
I wake up on a beach. I must be dead, to be on a beach. I expect to see my mother waiting for me since I'm in the land of the dead. But then I look around. I'm still on the island arena of the Quarter Quell. Beside me, I notice an empty syringe discarded in the sand. I sit up and my body protests. Someone tackles me to the ground in their joy of me being alive. I hug the sobbing Anna back and pat her back. She is crying so much that she starts to hiccup so I pull away. She's a very emotional person. Why care for a person in the arena when their death means your survival? This deeply confuses me but I let Anna hug me again. My shirt is soaked with her tears and I stand up. I carefully make my way to the water and walk into the surf. The water feels good on my skin and I strip to my undergarments and dive. Immediately, the world goes quiet. As I swim deeper, brightly coloured fish swim by me, passing through my fingers. None of them are poisonous breeds. I could get a big meal and save some for the others. Or I could just let them starve, bringing me that much closer to home. But it would be easier and faster to lead both groups to their mutual destruction. I stand up and the water goes to my waist. I look to the sky and see a silver parachute heading my way. It's a trident. We use these at home to spear the fish. Besides my knives and swords, the trident is my best weapon. Or it's one of the ones that I prefer to use. I grab it and stay completely still. The fish will scatter at the slightest movement. I see a group of them near me and I quickly spear them. I'm going to need a net to hold them all. There's a little splash of water and I know Nick is beside me. He holds out a net which already has some fish in it. He must have caught them while I was swimming. I dump my speared fish into the net. He throws the net over his shoulder and with his free hand, hands me another net. This one has rocks on the ends so it will trap the fish at the bottom. I nod to him and I see a tiny school of fish approaching. I throw the net and it successfully traps all of the fish. I splash over to the trapped fish and spear them. I pick up the net and Nick and I wade to shore. Everyone gets all excited, seeing all of the fish. Nick and I clean and gut the fish. I practically have to shove Aaron away because he tries to snatch some fish away and eat them. I'm tempted to let him so he'll die of sickness. But no, I push him away. Why keep them alive when I can just let them die? Nick would know that I purposely let them have raw fish. We start a fire to cook the fish and smoke trails up into the air. The others now know exactly where we are. Hopefully, they don't decide to attack. It would be better under the cover of darkness and with more of a surprise element. I know that I wouldn't be surprised if we got attacked. Then they would all be dead and all there would be is us. That would be a bloodbath all on its own. As we gutted the fish, I noticed that the fish that had deep red scales has poison sacs. I analyze it further and see that veins connect the poison sac to the skin. Taking one bit out of that fish and you would be dead. I show this to Nick and we discard all of the red fish in a pile. We check all of the fish but it looks like it's only the red fish that are poisonous. We eat around half of the fish and we save the rest. They put me in charge of the rations and I smile a bit to myself. I can give some fish to the others. I pack the cooked fish into a container and wrap the meat in plastic to keep the freshness. I look at my new trident. How am I supposed to carry all of these weapons? I look at my bow and have an idea. I could hide it in the Cornucopia. Night started to fall. There were no faces in the sky tonight. "How many nights was I asleep?" I ask.
"Two," the girl from 2 says.
I raise my eyebrows. "What happened while I was out?"
"The boy from 7 and the girl from 11, which was really weird since she was dead already."
"Oh, she just pulled out her tracker. So, they thought she was dead but she wasn't. I found her while I was hunting and she knocked me out with a good punch."
My cover up was a bit weak but they believe me. I wasn't surprised that the Gamemakers finally killed off Flora. She pulled one over them. The Gamemakers have given me the opportunity to recover but the audience is going to be bloodthirsty. I stand, pull on my outer clothes and grip my trident. "Let's end this," I announce.
Chapter 11
We first stop at the Cornucopia. I hid my bow and arrows in there. I discover that my trident can be condensed into a small metal rectangle with a press of a button. I shove it into my pocket. There were only eleven of us left. I put on the darkness glasses and I nod to Anna. We were going to try and reach the others first and get them prepared for the attack. We run into the forest. I can hear the others crashing into the forest, their loud, muscled bodies breaking roots and branches. Anna and I are much quieter. We finally reach the other camp. The tributes arm themselves and race towards us. I go to Alexander and grab his shoulder. "What happened to them?" I ask through panting breaths. "The lightning," is all he says. "
"They're coming," Anna tells them. The other tributes tense. I have a sudden idea. "We can trick them," I say. "We take out our trackers and then they'll think we're dead."
We take turns taking out each other's trackers and as they drop to the ground, covered with blood, cannons go off, one after another. As soon as the cannons go off, the anthem starts and we see our faces in the sky. It's strange seeing my face in the sky as part of the death toll. But now, the Gamemakers were going to kill us for pulling one over them. We stand at the edge of the trees. "I'll fight with you," I tell them. They nod. There's a crahing in the trees and an axe comes flying out of the woods. And it lands in Anna's chest.
Chapter 12
The girl from One materializes and I throw my knife and it flies into her skull. I didn't hesitate. I kneel beside Anna but she's already gone. A cannon fires; it's the girl from 1's. I see a pair of blue eyes glaring at me in the darkness. It's the boy from 1. He doesn't come and attack. He runs and I hear him crashing farther and farther away. He's going to go tell Nick and the tributes from 2. We're still alive. And I'm on the side of the non-Careers. We move away when the hovercraft comes and picks up Anna. I let a few tears escape. I lift my face to the sky. "Goodbye Anna."
We wait for them to come but they don't, not even when morning comes. We eat the fish I brought. I remember my surprise weapon and search my bag. I dig out the water flask and shake it; still full. When they weren't looking, I had drained all of the poison sacs from the fish. I didn't know the effects of the poison but since it was developed by the Capitol, I knew it was bad. Maybe it caused instant death or pure agony like the snake mutt venom. Or it causes madness that has no cure. Whatever it does, it's dangerous and I can use it against the other Careers. Trumpets blare and we all look to the sky. Claudius Templesmith, the announcer of the Games, invites us to a feast. He says that there is only so much food to go around and we have to be there by late afternoon. I nod to the others and we start to run to the forest. As we leave the camp, I kick at the District 1 girl's body. Her flat eyes just look to the sky, beyond caring. The hovercraft arrives and picks up her body. It was a late pickup but I didn't think too much about it. Now was the time. Today, someone was going to become victor. We run through the woods, not caring if the Careers hear us. We stop at the edge of the forest and I can see the Cornucopia glowing in the sunlight. Right in front of the horn, the ground opens, and a table covered with red cloth rises, holding a complete Capitol meal. I know the Careers are just lying in wait before someone makes the first movement. I race to the Cornucopia, climbing and tripping my way up the ridges. I slam to the ground when I hear something coming at me. A spear flies over me and gets the District Nine boy in the head. He falls over, my eyes glued to the bloody mess that was his head. I see the boy from 10, whose name is Steven, take on the girl from 2. Aaron is fighting the girl from 9 and she is surprisingly holding her own. I stand up again and an arrow gets in my shoulder and I fall down. I take the bloody arrow out and I try to stand but I end up falling again. My limbs feel suddenly weak. Agony starts to wrack my body. The arrowhead was coated in snake mutt venom. I could see the slightest hint of green on the blood coated arrowhead. I scream. Going through this once was bad enough. I grit my teeth and take out my trident. I spot the District One boy not too far away with his bow already loaded, bowstring pulled back. I throw the trident and it lands in his gut. He drops to his knees and I see the light leave his eyes. District One gone. But through this entire fight, I haven't seen Nick. As my answer to Nick's whereabouts, a net falls over me and metal hits me in the head, knocking me out.
Chapter 13
I wake up tied to a tree. Why am I not dead? Why did Nick keep me alive? If I was him, I would have killed me as soon as I was knocked unconscious. But no, knowing Nick, he'll probably torture me, making my death slow and painful. I look and find Alexander tied to the tree beside me. I look around. We're at the edge of the island, where the non-Career pack had made camp. I see four figures at the cliff. The District 2 tributes flank Nick as he lifts Steven off the ground by the neck. Aaron and the girl from 2 slowly push a knife into him and he screams in pain. I shudder against the tree. They drop him and I can hear him screaming as he plunges. They cut off when he hits the rocks. His cannon fires. I struggle against my bonds. Even though it's still day time, the sky darkens to dusk and a hovercraft picks up Steven's body. I slip a hidden knife out of my vest and start to cut my ropes. Once I am free, I flick the knife at Alexander's ropes and they cut at the slightest contact with the blade. The anthem starts up again and the death toll starts. Anna, both tributes from 1 and 9 and Steven are now dead. As the others reach us, I can't help but notice the happy glow in their faces after a kill. That look sparks my temper and nodding slightly to Alexander, we attack. The girl from 2 takes out Alexander in an instant and they all face me. Alexander's cannon fires. I know the citizens of Panem will be glued to their screens. This will be the shortest and bloodiest Hunger Games in history. When I reach behind me, I realize that I somehow have my trident back in my pocket in its metal rectangle form. My swords are still there in my vest. These guys have no brains at all. Kicking Nick in the chest, I whirl, taking out my swords and I throw them. They fly into both Aaron and the girl from 2 and they fall, dead. Cannons fire and a hovercraft comes to pick them up, my swords still in their bodies. All of my knives are gone, so are my swords. All I have left is my trident. My poison is gone, probably dumped into the ocean. Nick has already recovered and tackles me to the ground. Storm clouds gather above us and lightning cracks. He laughs as I struggle against his weight. "Why didn't you choose me Mags? Why do you want Brandon when you can have me?" he asks, his breathing heavy in my ear. I struggle more but he just places his entire body weight onto me. I start to pant out of fear. There's no one to help me. There is just me now, alone. Nick starts to laugh madly and I can feel it through my bones. Nick has definitely gone off the deep end. But something inside me always knew that he was just holding on to his sanity. But now, it was completely gone. That meant if he killed me, he wouldn't feel guilty, he would probably just laugh. I head-butt him and he rolls off me in shock. I scramble to the cliff and take out my trident. It goes back to its normal form when I press the button. The storm wind blows at my now unbound hair. Nick rushes me and we fight and fight until we're both bloody and weak. Nick's sword had cut me across the chest and it's bleeding heavily. If I don't move now, I'll die of blood loss. I scramble through the woods and I can hear him crashing after me. In my panic, I throw my trident at him but it misses, only grazing him. He laughs as I flee. Rain bears down, soaking through my clothes. Lightning hits the beach and creates a crater. A wind storm called a tornado touches down at the edge of the island where we just were. Finally, I get to the meadow with the Cornucopia and I clamber up the ridges on my hands and knees. My blood stains the grass as I run. My legs give out and I fall. I lean against the Cornucopia for support. I leave a red handprint as I stagger into the horn and find my hidden weapon. I shakily nock an arrow and exit the horn. Nick is out there, waiting for me. He laughs as I shakily advance. His hair is plastered to his skin. His eyes are dangerously bright, the blue irises glowing in the dark. "You can't shoot Mags. You're dead. And I will be rich and famous while you rot here in the arena. Enjoy being dead," he announces joyfully. As he charges, his bloody sword blade raises to take my head. I raise my bow and pull the bowstring. My arrow flies. Nick dies with an eternal surprised expression and an arrow right between the eyes.
I won. I am the victor.
"Congratulations Mags Clearwater, tribute of District 4, this year's victor of the 25th Hunger Games!"