AN: Hi guys and thanks for reading this! This is the prequel to the 35th Hunger Games and A Game of Chance. These are the final days starting with the feast. The POV is Pash Cursor of District 4.
Please review and give me any advice you can give and please correct me if I make a stupid error. Thanks!
Enjoy! I'll be posting more soon.
"Welcome to the final eight, tributes!" Elatus Alacris's voice booms over the arena. I can just imagine his blue hair swooping down across his face as he enthusiastically announces his news. "I'm pleased to invite you to a feast at the Cornucopia tomorrow morning in the center of the arena. Now, I am sure that many of you are declining, but before you do, know that this may be your last chance. There will be backpacks with your district number on it. It will contain what you need the most." Then, just like that, the arena is silent once more.
Declan glances at me and I know in an instant what it means. He wants to go to the Cornucopia, but I know better. This is a chance for all the other tributes, especially the Careers, to eliminate competition. I saunter over to him, shaking my head. "No. It's too dangerous. Both of us aren't in shape to go out there," I say. My sword is a couple of feet away, and I fetch it in case anyone tries to ambush us.
"You heard Elatus. This is our last chance," he replies, his intense green eyes boring into my blue ones. "You need whatever is in that pack. Both of us do and you know it." Dec is good at reading me, but maybe I'm showing too much. Why can't I be like him? Tough. Passive. Unreadable.
I push back my long, dark hair back behind my ear. It was in a ponytail, but since I've been through in this arena, I've lost my hairband. Now, it falls down my back like a black waterfall. "If you've got a plan, then we'll go. But it has to be a good one. And if it isn't…"
"Don't worry. You'll kick my butt. I get it. I expect nothing less." Declan smiles at me and runs a grimy hand through his greasy hair. We'd only washed ourselves half an hour ago, but those Careers started to hunt us down. There are three Careers left, two from District Six, one from District Ten, then Declan and me. There were two others, but they died today and I don't know what districts they're from. Declan's from District Nine and I'm from District Four. Our alliance was unexpected, but we knew we'd last longer together than alone. I just hope it doesn't come down to the two of us or I'm not sure what I'll do.
I sit down, leaning against a tree and rummage through my small orange backpack. I tried to camouflage it, but it didn't work. Somehow, the dirt and mud comes off. Inside, there is a knife, water canteen, and a blanket. I'd received one thing from a sponsor, a first aid kit. It was small and had a few things, but it served its purpose. The sky begins to darken as the sun sets. There is an explosion of oranges, purple, and pink across the sky. Moments after, the Panem symbol flashes across the sky and the anthem plays.
Two faces appear… Nolan, my district partner, and the girl from District One. I'd heard two cannons go off today, but I didn't know who died. I'm surprised that the boy lasted as long as he did. I'm curious to know Nolan's strategy. The anthem fades out and the holograms dissolve into the sky.
We don't even dare to start a fire. It's practically a huge beacon screaming at the Careers to come and kill us. Declan and I will have to stay warm with a small shred of a blanket I have left. The rest is acting as a bandage for his arm and leg. He was stupid to be in an alliance with the Careers. Even though he left early in the Games, he made himself a target for Caedis. I've also made myself a target throughout the Games. Venatrix of District Two is out to get my blood.
I scoot over closer to Declan as he draws out a plan in the dirt with a stick. He draws a circle with a dot in the center that I believe is the Cornucopia. It's hard to figure out his plan now, so he must be in the early stages of brainstorming. Declan purses his lips and furrows his eyebrows in deep thought.
"If you think any harder, you'll make your brains explode." I pull out the dark blanket and wrap it around myself. Soon, I'll be taking watch and make sure Careers don't attack. He'll sleep for a couple of hours, then he'll guard our small campsite. We eat the few berries we'd gathered and go over the plan.
"I've been looking at this whole arena like a target and the Cornucopia's a bullseye," Declan says, drawing one of the rings. I nod as he continues to explain.
"We should get up earlier than all the other tributes. That way we can get a head start," I say. I pass him the blanket and stand up to stretch my legs. It's going to be a long night full of anxiety.
"Pash?"
"Yeah?" I comb my tangled hair and glance at him. I don't even have to say anything to know that he's scared. More like terrified. "You're scared, aren't you?" I plop down next to him, sighing softly.
The wind picks up, ruffling his hair. Then I wrap my arms around my knees, shivering slightly. The Gamemakers decided to make it really cold at night and I'm pretty sure one tribute died because of hypothermia. Declan shudders too, pulling the blanket tighter. It's so thin now I'm not sure if it provides much warmth.
"Don't worry, Declan. Just, just keep thinking positively," I tell him, even though it's a big, fat lie.
"I can't help but worry," he says. He's got a point. "One of us is going to make it home. Just one. That means you may go home or I might go home. I don't want it to come down to the two of us."
"It's going to be alright," I reassure. I touch his arm empathetically, but the effect is kind of ruined since my hand is shaking so violently.
"You don't know that." He refuses to look at me. "I don't want anything to happen to you."
"And I don't want anything to happen to you." My voice is low and soft. Perhaps I can play the star-crossed lovers strategy to get sponsors. The Capitol loves a good forbidden romance on live television. The bad thing is that it requires some manipulating and Declan would probably get the wrong idea.
"What happens if my plan goes wrong?" Finally, his gaze leaves the ground and he meets my eyes. They're full of fear and innocence. He's not as tough as he appears.
"If anything happens," I say, "run." I end the conversation there. He goes to sleep rather quickly and I sit, watching the trees sway in the wind. I wonder what would have happened if I became part of the Career pack. Would I last longer? Although, in the long run, I might be more of a target. If I did one thing Caedis didn't like, he'd snap my neck like a twig. I've seen him a couple of times. He's big, muscular, and downright scary. Don't even get me started on Venatrix. She's terrifying with her ashy brown hair and sharp jawline. She could also snap me like a twig, but I'm sure she would prefer to cut me up into little pieces. Why do all the psychos come from District Two?
In a couple of hours, I wake Declan up and he takes my spot. I wrap the blanket around my skinny body and lay down on the ground. My legs move restlessly and my arms can't seem to get warm. The ground is hard and cold and I yearn for home. I miss my bed. I miss my mom. I miss my siblings. I miss everything. One event could turn my world upside down. The simple calling out of a name can change anyone's life.
Declan shakes me awake and I squint at the dim light. The sun is beginning to come up, meaning it's time to head to the Cornucopia. After we eat some bread and berries, we pack the few things we have. Declan yawns and looks to me. He's tired. So am I. Even if we go to bed early, our minds are exhausted. The Games are wearing us out physically, mentally, and emotionally.
As we pack, I realize, I'm desperate. I need to win. My stomach is practically doing flips I'm so nervous. I have to get home. I have one last resort. I have one last idea.
"Declan?" I say. He turns to look at me and before he can react, I press my lips to to his. I'm sure the Capitol sees the kiss. They've already seen the chemistry between us. Many will view us as star-crossed lovers, but I see it as survival.
I pull away, biting my lip. Declan stares at me, obviously surprised. He processes what happened and he gives the slightest of nods. He knows exactly what my plan is. Our "love" means our survival.
Seconds later, a bag falls with a parachute attached. I catch it and open the sack. I'm not sure who the bag is for, but whatever's inside, we need it. There are five silver, beautiful arrows. They look expensive and I can tell that a wealthy person in the Capitol bought them. The weird thing about the arrows is that there aren't points on the end. The end is flat and tinted red. It takes me a few seconds, but then I understand what they're for. Declan is the one with the bow and arrows, but his arm is injured and he can't use it anymore.
But I can.
We take a twenty minute trek towards the Cornucopia. Apparently, Declan and I weren't the only ones with the idea to arrive to the feast early. Across from our hiding spot amongst the trees, Districts Six and Ten. What's scary is that the Careers aren't anywhere to be found. Something's wrong. Normally, Careers would jump at the chance to go to the feast. It's a chance to get rid of tributes.
Declan watches my back with my sword as I string his bow. The quiver hanging on my back has the new silver arrows and twelve black arrows. My hand rests on the knife strapped to my belt. Nothing has appeared in the Cornucopia yet and neither have the Careers.
"Welcome to the feast, tributes." Elatus's voice emanates across the arena. There's the sound of birds cawing as they jump from the trees and fly away. I glance up and watch them. I wish I could fly away. Away from this Game. "Remember, for some of you, this is your last chance. What you need most is in your pack." The packs slowly rise up and everyone dashes towards the Cornucopia. I could be at the Cornucopia by now, but my legs are heavy like lead. I'm a fast runner, but my legs are just exhausted and my body aches.
Declan and I head to the Cornucopia. I load one of the silver arrows, aim, and fire at the tributes from District Six. As soon as the arrow touches the ground, there is a huge explosion. A mixture of red, orange, and gray erupts and I hear screams. I wince and spin around to look at Declan who is staring in awe.
I spot two more tributes and one of them is Caedis. It's shocking to see him without the rest of the pack. Where are they? I move closer to him and the Cornucopia, loading two arrows. We're almost there. Soon, we'll have our packs and be gone. I pull the string back, aiming at Caedis. He's the perfect target. How can he not see that? Just as I'm about to let go of the string, there's a strangled cry. I release and suddenly something rams into my side, knocking me to the ground. My bow is knocked out of my hands and the arrows go flying. I curse as I see that my arrows missed. The force that hit me was too small to be male, so it had to be…
"How's it going, District Four?" Venatrix asks, her lips curling back in a malicious grin. She bares her scarily pointy teeth. I hear a knife being taken out from its sheath. The tip is put to my neck. I whip out my knife, but she slaps it out of my hand. I turn my head, searching for Declan. He's being held by the District Three boy in a death grip with a knife at his throat.
"Let him go!" I shout on impulse. My cheek burns and I realize Venatrix has slapped me. Blood rushes to the side of my face, making it tingle and become numb. Her smile gets wider as she drags the blade across my cheek.
"Shut your mouth, traitor!" she seethes.
I clench my teeth at the stinging pain as the blood flows down the side of my face. "Let's start over, shall we?" Venatrix says. There's a grim edge to her voice. Her eyes burn with hate. Her mouth screams that she's hungry for blood. I begin to squirm and attempt to get away from her, but it's no use. She's well rested and stronger than me.
"Pash!" Declan cries out. I can tell he's struggling against the District Three boy.
"Shut it, District Nine!" Venatrix snarls. She glares at the Career boy, then returns her focus on me. She pulls her tweed ash brown hair to the side preparing to cut my face up. "I think I'm going to return the favor after um…" She turns her head to the side and forces me to gaze at the large gash on the side of her head. The cut goes from the side of her head to her jawline. It's a miracle she hasn't died of blood loss. Of course, the Careers had all the supplies. They probably had medicine to fix her up.
The knife is just starting to slice into my jaw moving towards my temple when I wrap my fingers around something round. It's one of my arrows. It's not the silver arrow. It's not cold like metal. I quickly slam the arrow through Venatrix's vulnerable neck. I grit my teeth as I skewer her pretty little throat. Red fluid spurts everywhere. The warm blood soaks my clothes and coats my skin. I kick her off of me and scoop my knife from ground.
The District Three boy gets ready to slice Declan's throat, but I'm faster. Declan ducks, escaping the boy's hold and I throw the knife. It slices through the air and hits its target with deadly precision. The blade embeds itself in the center of the boy's skull. A dark liquid seeps from the wound and dribbles down his face. His unseeing eyes go glassy and his gaze freezes on me. The heavy body sinks to its knees and keels over, a pool of blood surrounding it.
One cannon goes off.
Declan breathes heavily as he makes his way over to me. I peer down at Venatrix who's choking on her own blood. She's pressing her slender hands to her throat as if she had a chance to stop the bleeding. From her throat comes an odd gurgling sound as she tries to breathe, but it's filling with blood. She looks at me with pleading eyes, as if I'd give her mercy. I saw what she did to the little girl from District Eight. Venatrix deserves no mercy.
Perhaps I am a Career after all.
I pick up my arrows and shove them into the quiver. Some are broken, so I leave them there. I have two silver arrows and six black ones left. Declan shakily fetches the sword and runs to the Cornucopia. My grip on the bow is so tight, my knuckles turn white. I follow Declan to the Cornucopia in hopes that Caedis left.
As we enter the large, golden structure, Venatrix's cannon sounds. Declan picks up our bags and turns around. There's an awkward yelp and I notice the sword skewering Declan through the chest. I let out a blood curling scream as I see Caedis looming over Declan's fallen form. Caedis sends me an evil grin, and I feel a dark laugh coming on. I quickly load a silver arrow and aim at him, but he's gone.
Why did he leave without killing me? I know the answer to that already. I turned my back on the Careers and I'd just killed two of his allies, one of which he was particularly fond of. He wants to take his sweet time torturing me in any way he can. And one of those ways is for me to watch Declan die. He must have seen me kill Venatrix and the District Three boy. He wants me to suffer. I throw down my bow and collapse next to Declan. It's impossible for me to stop the tears from cascading down my face.
"No. No…no," I keep repeating. I pull the blanket from my pack and start to tear it with my knife. The bleeding just won't stop, even when I apply pressure with the shredded blanket. He stops me and holds my hand. He realizes it's his time to go, but I don't. I don't want to accept that he's going to die. It makes me think of what my mother said to me long ago when my grandmother died. There are five steps of grief. Step one: denial.
"Pash," he whispers.
My heart feels like it's being ripped in two as I hear how broken he sounds. Me not being able to put him back together again makes the pain worse. I pull him into my lap and have his head resting on my thigh.
"I'm here. I'm here, Declan," I say, holding his one bloody hand in my two bloody hands. "Don't go. Please don't. Don't leave me all alone." I hate that my voice sounds so broken, just like his body. "You'll be okay. I—I promise." My body shudders and I can't control the tears. Why am I crying so much? I know the answer to that too. I love him. I'd been in an alliance with him for a few days and I've fallen for him. Who knew the whole forbidden love thing could actually happen. The arena brings us together, then rips us apart.
"I'm not going to be okay. But promise me you'll win," he says softly. "I wish I had more time to get to know you."
"Don't say that," I tell him, stroking his unruly hair. "You'll be okay. You'll be with your family and Garrett and Xena." My voice begins to quiver and a lump forms in my throat. It gets hard to swallow and tears threaten to flow again. I attempt to smile and comfort him, but it's hard.
"Promise me you'll win," he says in the quietest voice. We both know his time is up.
"I promise…"
He smiles at me and I kiss him one last time. The kiss is bittersweet, mixed with tears, sweat, dirt, and blood. His hand goes slack and he exhales one last time. Declan's eyes become glassy orbs, staring up at me. I burst into tears again as I gently close his eyelids.
"I love you," I say. Hearing is the last sense to go and I hope he heard me. It seems silly to say that I fell in love with someone within a few days, but I truly did love him. Moments later, a canon goes off. I control my tears and tell myself not to cry. I'm one of the last five tributes. I have to win. For Declan. For my parents. For my siblings. For District Four.
My whole body goes numb for a while. The shock doesn't sink in yet. My brain can't process what's just happened. When it does, it rattles me to my core. For a few moments, I just let the tears fall. I hold Declan and don't do anything else. My body shakes with my sobs. Soon, I calm down and take several deep breaths.
The Gamemakers want us to clear out as soon as a tribute dies, but I can't bring myself to do that just yet. Gently, I move away from Declan's cold body. I open his pack and find medicine. I laugh loudly at the bitter irony. I don't even check my bag, but I take Declan's and his sword because I know I'll need it eventually.
As I exit the Cornucopia, I scan the premises. Venatrix and the District Three boy's bodies aren't there, but the memory of the fight remains. There are two large blood pools where I killed them. I close my eyes for a moment and take a deep breath. It's time to move on. With the sword strapped to one side, my knife on the other, and the bow in my hand, I'm unstoppable. I still have two silver arrows left.
Step two: anger.
As I leave, I kick the ground and throw a few rocks at the Cornucopia and trees. I rip some branches off a tree and throw them against other trees. An insane and loud laugh erupts from my throat. The pure irony of everything is just hilarious to me. Why does the Capitol continue to have these games? Hasn't Panem suffered enough? So many children have lost their lives to these games and for what? For entertainment. For fun! When I win, the Capitol will face my fury. I'll die trying to bring them down.
After my small breakdown, I head for the woods. It's essential to get away from the Cornucopia as fast as possible. I pause once as I see the hovercraft picking up Declan's body. Then, without a moment to lose, I dart through the dense forest.
It's Day 19 and I'm running out of food and water again. There was food in my pack from the feast, but I've eaten it all. I'd received meager amounts of bread and water. The memory of seeing Declan's face as a hologram in the sky keeps repeating in my head. His face was preceded by Venatrix's sly smirk and the District Three boy's timid grin. Their faces taunt me. They prove that I have turned into a monster like everyone else. One night ago, I heard a canon go off. It was the boy from Ten. I assume the Caedis got to him. I'm surprised that I didn't see the smiling faces of District Six's tributes. They must still be alive somewhere. They somehow survived my explosive arrows.
At night, I can't help but think, if only I had checked to make sure Caedis had left. I could have stopped him. I could have saved Declan. I could have blown Caedis to pieces. I was too late. If only I'd gotten there sooner. If only it was me that died and not him.
Step three: bargaining.
If only…
Day 20. There haven't been any deaths for a while and I'm positive the Capitol and the Gamemakers are growing bored. The creek that I usually go to for water has been dried up. I let out a huff, throwing the canteen to the ground. They're trying to lure me and the other tributes together so we can fight for victory.
Into the woods again. This time, I start to go further and further away from the Cornucopia. The arena has to end and I'm sure the Gamemakers don't expect tributes to move away from the probably only water source. As I walk, a girl slams into me. I fall over and draw my knife. I half expect it to be Venatrix, even though she'd dead. But it's not. It's a younger girl, probably no more than fourteen, maybe even a year younger. She stares at me with huge green eyes. Her hair lays in a messy heap on her head and falling into her eyes.
"Don't kill me. Please don't!" she pleads. There's a moment of recognition in her eyes. She knows I'm a Career. I don't know though if she knows I turned my back on the Careers. She's probably got a stereotype for Careers. We're ruthless, menacing, and psychotic. Every district not one, two, or four hates us.
"I won't hurt you," I say, holding my hand out to her. It's a stupid thing to do seeing that she could probably stab me in the back as soon as I turn around, but there's something that says she won't do that. "What's your name?"
"Chlora. District Six," she replies. There's still fear etched on her face and I wonder what she is running from.
"Why are you running? Are there mutts? Caedis? Where's your district partner?"
"Caedis has Remus!" She takes my hand and pulls me away. We start to run and I hear a canon go off. I assume then that Chlora and I are in a temporary alliance. After hearing that canon, it reminds me there are three of us left now. Chlora, Caedis, and me.
I pull my hand away from hers and continue to dash through the woods. Soon, we decide to stop and rest. We figured we were far away from Caedis by now. He's fast, but we got a head start. Wherever we stopped, there is a cool ocean breeze. We are beside an ocean, which means, I have an advantage. District Two isn't near an ocean so most people there probably don't know how to swim. District Four, on the other hand, all the people can swim.
"We camp here tonight and keep moving at dawn," I say in a strong tone. I admit, since Declan died, I'd been lonely and at times I would talk to myself so I wouldn't go insane. Whenever I spoke, my voice sounded weak, but now it sounds stronger than it's been since Declan's death. Perhaps it's the feeling of being in charge and being the leader.
Chlora nods and starts to make a fire. I stop her before she can light up the tinder. "Do you want Caedis to come and slaughter us?" I ask her harshly. She shakes her head and backs off. We eat the scrawny rabbit I caught and go to sleep. I volunteer for first watch because I'm too scared to fall asleep just yet.
Without Declan, I feel vulnerable. Without him, I know that I am alone. I'm on my own. Before the games, I never cared much about relationships, but being with Declan changes things. Being in the freaking arena changes things. It makes you realize what you had and what you wish you could take back.
"Do you think you'll win?" Chlora asks in a low tone.
I have to think about it for a while, but don't come up with an answer. This is a game of luck. Anyone can win. It'd be my luck mutts come after me before Caedis gets the chance to torture me. It'd be my luck that Caedis and I suddenly drop dead and Chlora will win. "Why do you ask?"
"I don't think I'll win, but you look like you have a chance," she says.
"You still have a chance. How old are you? What? Thirteen?"
"People have said I look at least fifteen." She lets out a nervous chuckle. "Yeah, I'm thirteen. You're like eighteen, aren't you?"
"Seventeen."
"Oh." I glance over at Chlora, who is stargazing. Half an hour ago, the anthem had played and her district partner's face flashed across the sky. "You got that high training score. Ten."
I nod. That ten made me a target from the start and I think that's exactly what the Gamemakers wanted. They want me to get hunted down by the other tributes. "Get some sleep. You'll be back in District Six soon enough." To be honest, as Chlora's sleeping, I'm tempted to kill her. It's a dirty thing to do, but it'd spare her the torture from Caedis. If I die, she certainly doesn't stand a chance against him.
A few hours later, I grow tired and Chlora takes my place. I don't sleep for long because the nightmares keep coming back. I don't think people understand how scarring the Hunger Games can be. A sea of dead eyes watch me and I stand there on a scaffold. I can't help but feel like it's my fault that four tributes were dead. I am a Career though. It's what we do. We kill. We kill to win.
That's not true though. I feel remorse unlike Caedis and Venatrix. I am killing to survive. I try and think of the difference between me and Caedis and find only a few miniscule differences. Step four: depression. A few tears fall as I think of Declan and how he deserved a second chance. I should have been the one to die. Why did it have to be him? He was innocent.
A scream rings out through the arena. My eyes snap open and I jump up, unsheathing my sword. My eyes search for Chlora, but she's not there. Where could she have gone? Wasn't she keeping watch? Another scream and suddenly, I'm blindly sprinting through the woods.
"Help me!"
"Chlora!" I bellow. I come to a clearing and see two figures: one smaller and one much, much larger. Caedis is holding Chlora by her blonde hair and has a knife at her throat. He must've snuck up on her and yanked her through the woods by her hair. The pain and fear that girl must be feeling right now.
"Let her go, Caedis!" I command. I start to reach for a silver arrow, but all I have is the sword. I must've left the bow and quiver at our camp site. Desperately, I wish I had a silver arrow.
"No can do, District Four," Caedis sneers. His dirty hair mixed with his grimy face and crooked smile makes him all the scarier. He's become a monster. The arena has turned him into a killing machine. Out of twenty-four tributes, I'm sure Caedis has killed more than the rest of the Career pack combined. He has the power to kill anyone with his bare hands. He's surely capable of snapping Chlora's neck and throwing that knife towards me.
"Pash. Save me," Chlora says, tears streaming down her face. We both know it's too late, just like Declan and I knew it was too late to save him. The arena is all about being early, on time, or late. Like I said, it's a game of luck. I'm not lucky. I didn't get here in time. Right now, I'm too stunned to do anything. History seems to be repeating itself. And I'm sure, it will repeat again.
"Game over, Four." Caedis slices the knife across Chlora's neck, nearly decapitating her. Her head begins to fall back and he tosses her to the side like a ragdoll. Her eyes are wide with fear, and her hands try to staunch the never ending flow of blood. She's trying to keep her head from separating from her body, but it's a futile attempt. Within seconds, her canon sounds and her eyes fix on me. I stand in horror as the light goes out in her eyes.
Two tributes left.
Caedis sends me a nasty grin as he comes after me. By instinct, I turn and run back to the campsite. Luckily the pack is already on my back and I just have to scoop up the bow and quiver. I slide the quiver on my back and sheathed the sword. The bow is in one hand and I hold onto it tightly. Caedis comes barreling through the forest, his laugh echoing. His cackles sends shivers down my spine, but I keep sprinting.
I turn my head for a second and notice he's armed with a sword, a sword that's twice as long as a normal one. I glance at him again and as if magically, the sword's on fire. That must've been in his bag from the feast. My lungs start to burn and my heart's fixing to pound out of my chest. My calves ache and I'm growing weary.
He starts to gain on me and manages to cut me with the flaming sword. I yelp and pick up the pace. My jacket catches on fire and I'm forced to rip it off. I throw it back at Caedis, pushing myself to run faster. The fire engulfs my jacket and attacks Caedis's face. He yells in frustration and calls out obscenities to me.
Up ahead, I approach a cliff and stop short, looking down. Blue. Pure blue. An ocean. A beautiful sea. Water. I can swim. He, best bet, can't. Caedis lets out a roar and is getting closer. The sword's too heavy. I won't be able to swim with it on, so I unsheathe it and throw it at Caedis. He easily dodges it as it lodges itself in a nearby tree. A black arrow probably wouldn't work. If he could dodge a sword, he could dodge an arrow. Caedis is fast and strong and he knows it. I frantically load a silver arrow and fire it, aiming it at his feet. The ground vibrates as the arrow explodes. Smoke fills the air, shielding me from Caedis's view.
I use it as a diversion and throw myself off the cliff.
The water is cool against my hot skin. It's salty, but in a way, sweet. It reminds me of home. The sea of blue engulfs me and I swim to the top. As I break through the water, I gasp for air. The cliff seems so far away. It must've been a long drop. I'd closed my eyes, so, I don't really know how far it really was. All I remember is the air whistling in my ear.
I've lost some more of my black arrows, but I managed to save the last silver arrow. I drag myself onto a sandbar that's still a good mile away from the shore. Lying down, I stare at the bright blue sky. There are a few clouds, but they're small and wispy.
Caedis is nowhere to be found. I can only assume that he was blown up, drowned, or somewhere in the water swimming. As I think about it, he couldn't have been blown up or drowned or I wouldn't be here right now. He survived my arrow and the fall. I still have to face him.
I dig through my pack and wish I had some water and food. This game needs to end soon. I take my knife and play with it precariously. I've nothing left to lose it seems, although my life is still on the line. Maybe the odds will be in my favor.
In what seems like hours later, but is actually about fifteen minutes, Caedis still doesn't come into view. What's he planning? I stuff the canteen into my bag and head for the shore. I'm rested for now and the water's not that deep. It's not shallow; it comes to my knees. It shouldn't take me too long to get there.
Halfway there and someone tackles me. I fall under the waves and a pair of hands holds me under. I struggle and try to throw off my assailant. Caedis was waiting for the opportune moment to take me down. He punches me in the face and I feel my nose break. I gag, sputtering blood that fills my mouth. Eventually, I kick Caedis as I'm flailing about and knock him away. It gives me enough time to greedily take in as much air as I can. None of the arrows are missing, so that's good news. Luck might just be on my side.
I consider shooting an arrow at Caedis, but decide to run instead.
"Where are you going, District Four? Don't you wanna fight?" Caedis shouts. He laughs mirthlessly and takes long strides towards me. "Come on, traitor. Let's go out with a bang!" The waves splash around him. I trip and stumble as I scramble for the shore. Once I get to solid shore, I'll get a better chance when I fight him.
I'm almost there when something drags me under. I scream and reach for something to grab onto. Except, I'm in the middle of the ocean and there's nothing there. I open my eyes under water and see a medium-sized, rainbow fish gripping my leg with giant incisors. Mutts. I kick it away and stand back up. My leg is bleeding profusely. I'm positive there's more damage than it seems. I scan the area for Caedis and he's nowhere to be found. Is he trying to do another surprise attack?
A cry of pain brings me out of my musings. Caedis is being wrenched under by the rainbow fish. His sword comes out of the water for a moment before going down. His head bobs above the water as he gasps for air. He's pulled under again, then something jerks me under the waves. I accidentally suck in water and immediately choke, taking in more water. The salty water burns my throat and nose. As I look at my feet, I notice that there's even more fish. There's got to be about five or six.
With several kicks and punches, I free myself from the mutts and do my best not to pass out. I'm losing a lot of blood and my legs are going numb to the point where it's hard to use them. I gather one last burst of strength to stand up and make a beeline for the shore. Within moments, I'm face down in the water, spurting and coughing, trying to breathe correctly. My bow falls from my hand and into the water with a splash. Something's being wrapped around my neck, like a belt. Caedis is trying to strangle me. My hands fly to the belt to loosen its hold. My eyes burn from the salt and my ears fill with water. There's pain that spreads down my arm and red tinted water enters in my mouth. It has the faint metallic taste of blood.
I swing one of my hands around and my arrows go everywhere. Hopefully, Caedis won't pick one up and kill me with it. Maybe it's better if he does though. He'd end my life quickly. It'd be better than this torture of being strangled in an ocean. All I can imagine at this point is what my parents and siblings are thinking as they watch their second eldest daughter being drowned.
Thankfully, his grip loosens as he's attacked by the fish. He lets out a scream as rainbow fish jump up and bite his arms. I crawl away, falling onto the hot sand. My blood spills onto the white sand, staining it. My breathing is heavy as I watch the fish mauling Caedis. He fights the fish and tumbles onto the sand about twenty feet from me. He rips the last of the fish off of his arms and thigh.
He whips out a knife charges after me. I reach for my knife, but it isn't there. I must've lost it in the water. Where's my bow? Caedis thrusts his knife downwards and I grip his wrist and stop the blade from entering my heart. I throw him off of me and jump the other way. As I stand, intense pain shoots up my legs. The pain blinds me and I feel like I might collapse at any point.
Something catches my eye. Something's glittering in the bright sun. The one silver arrow. A little down the ways are a few arrows and a little further is my bow. Some of the black arrows are broken, but that doesn't matter. The luck! Perhaps I am lucky. Perhaps the odds are in my favor. Now, I just have to gather the strength to dart across the sand and grab my weapon.
Adrenaline boils in my blood and I decide this is my last chance. I scurry, slipping on the sand every now and then. I pluck the silver arrow from the ground and collect two black arrows. I'm almost to the bow. So close.
My fingers wrap around the bow and I quickly load an arrow. I don't have time to make sure I'm aiming accurately so I just fire. Caedis growls and rips the arrow out of his shoulder. I fire the next black arrow and it slams into the middle of his chest. He stops short, sinking to his knees. He grins at me and throws his knife. It implants itself in my shoulder.
I shriek in pain as the blade tears through muscle and ligaments. I summon one last bit of power and load my last arrow. The silver arrow. I've got one shot. One shot could help me win or make me lose. If I miss, it'll be a showdown of who can live longer with severe injuries. I won't win that showdown.
One shot.
"You said you wanted to go out with a bang, Caedis," I yell seconds before I release the string. There's a moment where Caedis's animal-like gaze meets mine. The utter shock on his face almost makes me regret my deciscion to kill him. Almost.
I'm blown backwards from the deafening explosion. The force knocks the wind out of me. I struggle to sit up and breathe. My ears are ringing and my body's shaking. Bits of Caedis's flesh and blood cover me. A groan of disgust escapes my lips. Bile rises in my throat and I throw up. I roll to the side, clutching my shoulder. Whenever I move it, the pain is unbearable. I grit my teeth, ripping the knife from my shoulder. I scream in agony and fall back onto the now blood red sand. My legs feel like lead and my right shoulder is now useless. All I can think now is that I'm going to die from blood loss.
Trumpets sound and Elatus's gleeful voice announces, "Ladies and gentlemen! The victor of the 34th Hunger Games is Pash Cursor of District Four!" His voice fades in and out as I stare up at the sky, dazed. I'm lightheaded from the loss of blood.
Surprisingly, I can see Declan clearly. He's smiling at me. "Good job. I knew you'd keep your promise," he says. I laugh crazily and feel myself being lifted into the air by the hovercraft. Now, Declan's waving at me. Finally, I understand. He died so I could live, so that I could avenge all the other tributes' deaths and kill Caedis. He died and I know that now.
Step five: acceptance.
I'll miss him, but he won't be forgotten.
I feel the solid metal floor of the hovercraft and I know I'm safe from the arena. I've done it. I've won the games. Luck was on my side. My mentor gazes down at me. "Good job," she says over and over again. Suddenly, she's gone and a group of what look like doctors in white coats loom over me. I'd fight back, but there's no fight left in me. My vision grows blurry, and eventually everything goes dark.
The sheets are scratchy and remind me of a hospital's. The lights are too bright for me, making squint. I sit up and discover I'm alone. My legs ache slightly and my shoulder throbs. Bandages are wrapped around my legs up to my knees. I hadn't realized how dangerous those mutts were and how much damage they caused. I wince at a splitting headache. How long have I been out? How long till I get out?
I throw the covers off and swing my feet over the side of the bed. As soon as my feet touch the floor and I apply pressure, there's a quick twinge of pain. The pain leaves as quickly as it came when I start to walk around. I stand in front of a mirror and examine myself. All scars from the arena are gone. As if it never happened. But, I know the truth and I know that it all happened. It's not a dream. It was real.
A couple of days later, I'm good as new. I'm clean and in perfect condition. My hair is in an extravagant do and I'm wearing a stunning aquamarine dress with silver high heels that complement the outfit. I didn't want to wear the heels in fear of breaking an ankle, but my stylist insisted. In order to get him to shut up, I agreed.
I settle down in a comfy, red chair and cross my legs elegantly. Tonight, I'm a beautiful girl with perfect manners. The complete opposite of the girl in the arena. It's not exactly how I want to spend my night. I'd much rather be at home with my family.
Artu Regelo sits down next to my seat with a huge grin plastered on his face. A whole makeup team tends to his hair and face. "Thank you," he tells them as they walk away. Seconds later, all lights are on the two of us. A camera focuses and we're on live television. "Hello, I'm Artu Regelo. I am currently with the victor of the 34th Hunger Games. Let's congratulate Pash Cursor of District Four!" He holds a hand out to me as the audience claps their hands.
I continue to smile and wave to the people. They don't realize the war raging inside of me. All they see is the happy Career girl that won the Hunger Games. I want to scream and shout, telling them how ridiculous and cruel the Games really are. "Thank you for having me, Artu," I say in a soft voice. I play pretend just as I did during my interview. Now, I'm Pash, the quiet and polite girl. Complete opposite of what I am.
"No problem. Now, please, tell us, how did you win?" Artu asks with enthusiasm.
I don't need to think about an answer. "Luck. Sheer luck."
The crowd chuckles and I can't see why it's funny. "Well, Pash, let's watch the Games and see what really went down." He laughs lightly, turning to a screen.
The lights dim and the 34th Hunger Games begins.
The anthem plays and the seal of Panem flashes across the screen. They replay all of the reapings, starting with District One. Its seal fades in and fades out. In District Two, Caedis and Venatrix both volunteered. District Three had two reluctant people clamber up the stage.
Finally, it reached District Four. First, I was reaped, then my district partner, Nolan Ackers, a dark, socially awkward kid about a year younger than me. Emilia Fiore jumped for joy when we walked onto the stage and shook hands. They went by the rest of the lower districts quickly. Apparently, to Panem, the lower districts aren't as entertaining since they all see the Hunger Games as a death sentence. Only two or three tributes volunteered in the lower districts for siblings and friends.
The cameras switch to the tributes loading the train. District Two gave triumphant smiles as if they'd already won the games. I appeared to be very sullen as I went aboard. District Ten, Eleven, and Twelve all looked particularly glum. Next, it's the chariots. District One was in shiny, shimmery outfits as if they were made of diamonds. District Four was in sea green outfits with fishnets wrapped elegantly around us. District Seven had on their traditional tree outfits. I felt bad for District Ten because they were dressed as cows as they are just about every year. District Twelve usually had the worst outfits. They had coal mining outfits.
Soon, the interviews begin. Artu was sitting fixing his too long violet hair and smoothing out his matching plum colored suit. He plastered a grin on his face and started to talk to all of the tributes. The girls of the district go first, then the boys. I watch snippets of the interviews. They show my entire interview though.
"So, Pash, how is life in District Four?" he asked.
I smiled politely, crossing my ankles. My dress was a lovely sand dollar color and strapless that hung around my ankles. I'm not a particularly tall person; I'm about five foot six inches, but this dress fit my frame pretty well. "Good. Smells like fish 24/7, but it's great."
The crowd chuckled at my lame humor. "A pretty girl like you must have a boyfriend at home. What's his name?" Artu questioned.
I flashed a smile, laughing lightly. "No boyfriend, Artu." He widened his eyes as if he were surprised. "I am single."
"Well! How about this? What do you think your odds are in winning the Games?"
"Pretty good I guess. I'm a Career, so I believe the odds are in my favor."
The whole crowd laughed again and the rest of the district interviews play. Next comes the tribute scores. The Careers get relatively high scores of course. Caedis got a nine, Venatrix, an eight. I received a surprising ten. Declan got a nine. Chlora got a pretty solid six and her partner, Remus was given a seven.
The screen fades to black and soon, they show the tributes beginning to enter the arena. They have several shots of tributes on their platforms as the glass comes down to encase them. Slowly, the platforms rise up to the area. There's a beep as the clock counts down from sixty. Sixty seconds.
The arena looks pretty plain with a forest on one side and a lake on the other. Birds flew through the trees and the forest is crawling with wild life. All the tributes are observing their surroundings and making sure they know who their allies are.
The gong sounds and all the tributes dash towards the Cornucopia. I watch myself as I sprint, scooping up a small back, sword, and a couple of knives. I'm surprised that I got out of there unscathed. I guess the Careers were so preoccupied with killing off the younger tributes that they forgot that they wanted to kill me. Back in the training sessions, I'd pretended to be part of the Careers, but when Venatrix talked to me about being in the Career Pack, I refused. That pissed her off. Suddenly, I'm gone. Seven tributes died in the Bloodbath.
There were probably two or three alliances including the Careers. Few decided to work alone. There was a pack with District Five, one from Eight, and one girl from Three. Another pack had tributes from District Six, one boy of District Eleven, and one girl from District Nine. The Careers had District One, Two, the boy from Three, and Nolan. That left me, Declan, and a tribute from Ten both working alone.
Early the next morning, two tributes were killed by Careers. One from Eight and Eleven. Every now and then, they'd cast the cameras on me as I walked through the woods. They switched to the District Three boy who was attempting to rewire the mines to make other tributes explode if they should step on them. The alliance with District Five and Three traveled towards one end of the arena near some caverns. The pack with District Six and Nine stayed in the woods. The Careers of course stayed near the lake and Cornucopia.
There were a few shots of Declan trekking through the woods, heading away from the lake and the caverns. He went towards the jungle with the waterfall. He had managed to grab a bow and arrow and a pack larger than mine. He'd gotten to the Cornucopia and left quickly.
Day Three, no one died. Day Four, the Gamemakers released their first muttations for the 34th Hunger Games. They were over-sized carnivorous rabbits. The girl from Three noticed one of the rabbits and tried to pet it. The rabbit attacked her and a couple others came and finished her off.
Twelve left.
Day Five and Six didn't have any action. On Day Seven, the Gamemakers made the arena very cold. No one died over night, but within two more days, the boy from District Five died of hypothermia. On the ninth day, Caedis killed the girl from Five.
Day Ten, I was hiking through the woods when four people ambushed me. The boy of District One, Venatrix, and Nolan, my district partner. That left me to fight with Venatrix and the boy from District One. That was when I cut her face. She didn't die at my hands, obviously, she escaped. When she ran to save her own hide, the District One boy and I were fighting to the death. Just as the District One boy was about to stab me in the face, he coughs up blood and collapses next to me. The knife falls and was merely inches away from my head. I sigh in relief and look at the dead body. An arrow was protruding from his back. A canon went off.
I looked around for who could have shot the arrow. It was none other than Declan. My Declan. He came over to me and lowered his bow. He had no intentions of killing me. "Even a Career like you shouldn't have to die that way," he said. He started to walk away when I yelled at him.
"A Career like me? Is that supposed to be an insult?" I snapped.
"A simple 'thank you very much for saving my life' will do," Declan said, giving me a funny look.
"Just so you know, Nine," I said, jabbing a finger at him, "I am not like the other tributes."
"Just so you know, yes, you are. All of you are the same. And it's Declan, not Nine, Four."
"What? So, I can't call you Nine but you can call me Four? My name is Pash, you twat!"
"Okay, you know, I do not have time to bicker with you. You're worse than my mother," Declan said, rolling his eyes.
"Oh, don't roll your eyes at me!" He began to move away. "Hey! I'm talking to you!" I started to confront him when I heard a low growl and leaves being rustled. "Don't…move…" I breathed. I slowly picked up my sword and knife when a twig snapped. Two wolves sprung out of the brush and charged towards us. I scream and push Declan forward. "RUN!" Without looking back, I ran.
We leaped over fallen logs and climbed up some trees. The mutts could jump pretty high, but we climbed up fast and were up high and away from them. They sat there, waiting for us to come down. I glanced at Declan who was laughing lightly.
"Um. Nice to make your acquaintance, Four," Declan said, holding out his hand. "I'm Declan."
"Pash," I said, watching the dogs walk away. I didn't bother to shake his hand. "Allies?" He nodded and we sat up in the tree for a while. Over time, we became better friends and talked about each other's district. I hadn't noticed it during the Games, but I could see in his eyes that he loved me. I wish I had noticed it sooner. Everything might have changed.
On the eleventh day, the Declan's district partner was killed. First the Careers tortured her, then the mutts came to finish her off. Day Twelve and the Careers decided to attack one of the alliances. It resulted in the death of the District One girl. Somehow, Nolan snuck off, but was later killed by tracker jackers. The idiot walked straight into a nest. Died in minutes.
Finally, it came down to the final eight and the feast. It went by in a blur and I couldn't stand to watch it. They have a quick cut of me kissing Declan. They have me trying to blow up Districts Six and Ten. Then comes the fight between me and Venatrix. I watch as I plunged the arrow through Venatrix's neck and killed the boy from Three. Seconds later, Declan was being stabbed by Caedis.
They show me crying, but quickly cut to the death of the tribute from Ten and Remus of District Six being killed. He was mutilated and murdered by Caedis. There's the shot where Chlora and I formed a temporary alliance. I get to see how Caedis attacked Chlora. He'd taken her by surprise. He grabbed a bunch of her hair and dragged her through the woods. They show me watching Chlora's death and me jumping off the cliff.
They play every second of the showdown between Caedis and me. We were both brutally attacked by the rainbow fish muttations. Twice Caedis tried to drown me. I lost a lot of blood as I ran to get my bow and arrow. There was a huge explosion of flesh, orange, and red. The ocean was so full of blood and the sand was stained by the time the Game ended. At the very end, I passed out when they announced my victory. Then, I was being lifted up by a hovercraft.
The seal of Panem pops up on the screen once more, then anthem plays, and the 34th Hunger Games comes to an end. Artu laughs and looks at me. "Wh-o-o-a-a. Wow. Pash. That was an incredible game!" He grins at me and I grin back, trying to be modest. Of course, on the inside, I want to strangle Artu and ask him if he really loves the games. I want to know why the Capitol enjoys these games. I want to know how many people truly want to put an end to the Games. But that means certain death and that goes against everything I promised Declan. I didn't just promise to win. I promised to live.
"You were excellent. I really liked the part where you blew Caedis up. Uh-mazing!" Artu chortles, shifting in his seat. "You should be proud of yourself, Miss Cursor. Thank you for sharing your time with us. Hope to see you soon. Good night everyone."
He waves to the crowd as the cameras and lights are turned off in the studio in the Capitol until the Victor's Tour.
When I get back to District Four, my family hugs me and kisses me. My siblings cheer for me and say they want to through a party. I'm just not in the mood though. After re-watching the Games at the Capitol, I've been having nightmares. I keep seeing Venatrix's snarl, Nolan sneering at me, and Caedis being blown to bits. No family should have to go through the pain of losing their child through some cruel game. Nolan's friends hate me for not joining the Career Pack. They believe that I abandoned him when Venatrix and the District One boy attacked me. They wouldn't understand though.
After a couple of weeks, the camera crew finally leaves and my family and I are settled in our new home. My siblings love the place and my parents feel like they can finally relax. I, on the other hand, feel as if I'm being hunted and watched at all times.
I walk through the streets, heading towards the Victors' Village. There are quite a few people living there and I'm sure that there are more in the Villages of District One and Two. Most people that win are from District One and Two. Four has a pretty good chance at winning too, but the psychos usually take the cake.
Now that I'm victor, I get the lovely "privilege" of training next year's tributes. I don't want that. It's like sending off sheep to be slaughtered. The big macho boys and the overly confident girls that volunteer for the Games have no idea what they're getting into and what will happen if they should win. They don't know the consequences. I have so many sleepless nights thanks to the games. My number of friends went from tons to about two. To some people, I'm a monster for killing Venatrix and the District Three boy so "brutally." Some people cheer and congratulate me, but they don't know the truth. It's not a proud thing to say I won the Hunger Games by killing children. We may be teenagers, but we're kids none the less.
Soon, the Victor's Tour will come around. Soon, the reapings for the 35th Hunger Games will come around, too. Soon, I will be mentoring two new tributes. Soon, the 35th Hunger will have come and gone. Soon, the cycle will repeat.
I miss Declan a lot, but I know that we would never work. Only one could go home. I remember Declan and even have a small memorial to the tributes that died in the 34th Hunger Games. For Declan, Chlora, Remus, and the other innocent tributes that died. No one knows about my memorial, and I doubt anyone ever will. It's my little secret.
When the 35th Hunger Games comes around, I'll teach them. I'll open the new tributes' eyes. They'll know that the Hunger Games really isn't about skill or being the best. It's all about luck. The Hunger Games are a game of luck. Sheer luck.
May the odds be ever in your favor.
Don't forget to review! Also, if you want to be a part of A Game of Chance, send in a tribute. :)
DarkeningTurquoise: Thank you for the review. I picked District Four because I had this idea in my head and could create a plot with it. I didn't know that District Four non-Career pack females were cliché. I haven't read too many fan fictions for the Hunger Games. But thanks for pointing it out for me. By the way, I finished One Shot, but it's over ten pages so I'm posting it in parts.