div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" Although I was scared out of my wits to go back down into that death trap, Carter was not getting away with my weapon and throwing away my supplies. If I had my flashlight it would have been easier to follow him down in those tunnels, but someone had recently disposed of it. However, I managed to keep after him. Then, it hit me. By some stroke of luck, we were going down a route I knew. We were going to run straight into my net./div
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div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" Once we were getting very close, I slowed my run down a bit. Nervous jitters coursed through me. I still wasn't sure if it would work. Then, Carter howled in pain. The horrid noise bounced of the walls strangely. It took only a few seconds for me to catch up. My net was tangled all over Carter. He looked up at me, tears streaming down his cheeks. His arms were pressed against his chest, rendering his stolen weapon useless. "Please," Carter quietly begged. I observed his condition, determining that there were 5 of my poison barbs stuck in him. "You're in bad shape," I muttered. "If you're going to do it, make it quick!" Carter yelled at me furiously. I looked down at my knife and then back at Carter's depressed state. "Give me my axe and any other supplies you have and I'll free you. But those barbs will get you soon if no one helps you," I proposed. Carter's frown deepened and he spat, "Then leave me. I'll die here with your beloved axe." I shrugged and turned on my heels to leave. That's when I heard the distinct beeping noise./div
div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" /div
div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" In the darkness I could only see a small red light slowly approaching my position. When it finally got close enough I recognized the silver parachute and package as a donation from either Carter or my sponsors. The package glided into my palm and I tore it open. Inside was a small box containing 10 little white pills. There was also a note that read, "For the barbs. You need someone on your side Chase. -Skye". Slowly, I turned my head back to Carter. He was giving another futile attempt at getting Aqua's axe free. Releasing a long sigh, I said, "Carter, do you want to work together?" He shook his head violently. "Not unless you find some miracle that will save me!" Carter hissed. I shrugged and walked to him. Then I started untangling my net, careful to avoid the barbs. Surprisingly, Carter didn't say a word. Once I had set the poisonous net aside and pulled the barbs from Carter's skin, he looked up at me, his face now a ghastly pale. At that, I pulled a single pill from the box and tossed it into Carter's hand. After he determined its purpose, he swallowed it quickly. I helped him to his feet and he blubbered, "Thanks Chase."/div
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div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" Carter helped me reset my net and then I showed him to my base from the beginning of the Games. "Woah," he said, "This is awesome. Why did you ever leave?" I looked down at my shoes and timidly told Carter the story about the teleportation device, how the Careers used Luke to get to me, and then how I had run away and then ran into him. "Well I guess all of us regular tributes are lucky the Careers have been fighting against each other," Carter said with a shrug. "Wait, I thought that was a one time thing," I spluttered. "Nope. They split up a while ago. At first it was Aqua, Marlin, Iron, and Sapphire against Supreme and Vengeance. But after Aqua's death, Iron and Sapphire left Marlin on his own. Ever since, Marlin has been following Supreme and Vengeance around, hoping to stop them," Carter explained nonchalantly. My jaw dropped. "How do you know all that?" I asked. "Well I talked to Woody. That kid hates the Careers. He refuses to fight any regular tributes and constantly spies on the Careers. Recently he teamed up with Marlin to try to destroy the Careers from within. Obviously Marlin isn't fond of the other Careers so he is happy to help," Carter answered. I was learning so much about the dynamic of this game. "Where is that Woody kid?" I inquired. Carter shrugged. "He travels all over the Arena. Most of the time he trails Supreme and Vengeance with Marlin," he said. I nodded. "But what about Iron and Sapphire?" I questioned. Carter shook his head and replied, "No clue."/div
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div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" "We need food and water," I stated after that had been cleared up. Carter nodded and stood. "I have a stash. I have been stealing a lot from a whole lot of people," he said with a smirk. I shrugged and answered, "Then let's go." We carefully left my base, leaving the traps set up, and made for the exit of the underground labyrinth. Walking in the silence and darkness gave us nothing to take our minds off of our grumbling stomachs and dry mouths. "Where is it?" I finally hissed after an hour of walking. "Hidden in the amusement park," Carter replied as if this was obvious. "What's an amusement park?" I wondered aloud. "I don't know that's just what it said on the sign," he said. It took us several hours but we eventually found our way out./div
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div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" Once Carter confirmed that the coast was clear, we rose from the staircase and took off at a steady trot towards the looping roller coasters in the distance. To our backs I could see the glittering Cornucopia and I slightly picked up the pace as I thought of the Careers who likely inhabited it. I silently hoped Carter's stash was enough for the both of us because I had nothing left after the loss of my backpack. Iron's knife remained secure in my pocket along with Liz's bracelet. I had allowed Carter to keep the axe for the time being but I never let it out of my sight. At last, we had arrived at the sky bridge leading into the amusement park./div
div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" /div
div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" "Right there," I said spitefully pointing at a spot on the left side of the bridge where my beloved supplies had fallen from. Carter turned to me with an apologetic expression. "Sorry about that," he said with a nervous chuckle. We hurriedly ran through the creepy park, dodging fallen trash cans and rusted booths. Then, Carter lead me into a small room lined with lockers on both walls. Approaching a large bottom locker in the corner of the room, he squatted down and swung it open. Carter pulled two small backpacks out, along with some other loose items. In the food category he had four packs of crackers, five packs of jerky, a half of a loaf of bread, and even six slices of cheese. Tossing me a piece of his bread, Carter revealed a pair of water bottles from the locker. He handed me one and we ate in relative silence./div
div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" /div
div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" I continued to study my newfound partner as we lounged around the locker room. Carter had light brown hair that he had grown down to his shoulders where the ends curled up, giving his shaggy head a more cultured appearance. Carter's eyes were a deep brown and his skin was slightly darker than mine, although we were both white. He was a fairly short kid, no taller than 5 foot 7 I suspected. He had some muscle along his arms but he wasn't very fast. I recalled that he had scored a 7 prior to the Games. While Carter's stash provided enough food for several days, even with two of us, we still only had Aqua's battle axe and Iron's knife for weapons./div
div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" /div
div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" Night fell and we listened to the anthem. No one had died. Carter reminded me that there were still 5 Careers left. Then he listed the names of everyone in the Arena. Supreme and Vengeance were still out there, though I had seen Vengeance take an arrow from Marlin so there was no doubt she was somewhat hurt. Then there was Iron and Sapphire, both of whom I hadn't seen since the start of the Games. Marlin and Woody from 7 were apparently still teamed up somewhere out there as well. I was glad the Careers were so divided but also worried that Carter and I wouldn't stand a chance against any of the pairs listed. The only other regular tribute left besides Carter, Woody, and I was Shannon from District 11. Neither of us knew anything about her so we went to sleep, thoughts of how to beat the Careers swimming through our minds./div
div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" /div
div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" Once we were getting very close, I slowed my run down a bit. Nervous jitters coursed through me. I still wasn't sure if it would work. Then, Carter howled in pain. The horrid noise bounced of the walls strangely. It took only a few seconds for me to catch up. My net was tangled all over Carter. He looked up at me, tears streaming down his cheeks. His arms were pressed against his chest, rendering his stolen weapon useless. "Please," Carter quietly begged. I observed his condition, determining that there were 5 of my poison barbs stuck in him. "You're in bad shape," I muttered. "If you're going to do it, make it quick!" Carter yelled at me furiously. I looked down at my knife and then back at Carter's depressed state. "Give me my axe and any other supplies you have and I'll free you. But those barbs will get you soon if no one helps you," I proposed. Carter's frown deepened and he spat, "Then leave me. I'll die here with your beloved axe." I shrugged and turned on my heels to leave. That's when I heard the distinct beeping noise./div
div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" /div
div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" In the darkness I could only see a small red light slowly approaching my position. When it finally got close enough I recognized the silver parachute and package as a donation from either Carter or my sponsors. The package glided into my palm and I tore it open. Inside was a small box containing 10 little white pills. There was also a note that read, "For the barbs. You need someone on your side Chase. -Skye". Slowly, I turned my head back to Carter. He was giving another futile attempt at getting Aqua's axe free. Releasing a long sigh, I said, "Carter, do you want to work together?" He shook his head violently. "Not unless you find some miracle that will save me!" Carter hissed. I shrugged and walked to him. Then I started untangling my net, careful to avoid the barbs. Surprisingly, Carter didn't say a word. Once I had set the poisonous net aside and pulled the barbs from Carter's skin, he looked up at me, his face now a ghastly pale. At that, I pulled a single pill from the box and tossed it into Carter's hand. After he determined its purpose, he swallowed it quickly. I helped him to his feet and he blubbered, "Thanks Chase."/div
div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" /div
div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" Carter helped me reset my net and then I showed him to my base from the beginning of the Games. "Woah," he said, "This is awesome. Why did you ever leave?" I looked down at my shoes and timidly told Carter the story about the teleportation device, how the Careers used Luke to get to me, and then how I had run away and then ran into him. "Well I guess all of us regular tributes are lucky the Careers have been fighting against each other," Carter said with a shrug. "Wait, I thought that was a one time thing," I spluttered. "Nope. They split up a while ago. At first it was Aqua, Marlin, Iron, and Sapphire against Supreme and Vengeance. But after Aqua's death, Iron and Sapphire left Marlin on his own. Ever since, Marlin has been following Supreme and Vengeance around, hoping to stop them," Carter explained nonchalantly. My jaw dropped. "How do you know all that?" I asked. "Well I talked to Woody. That kid hates the Careers. He refuses to fight any regular tributes and constantly spies on the Careers. Recently he teamed up with Marlin to try to destroy the Careers from within. Obviously Marlin isn't fond of the other Careers so he is happy to help," Carter answered. I was learning so much about the dynamic of this game. "Where is that Woody kid?" I inquired. Carter shrugged. "He travels all over the Arena. Most of the time he trails Supreme and Vengeance with Marlin," he said. I nodded. "But what about Iron and Sapphire?" I questioned. Carter shook his head and replied, "No clue."/div
div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" /div
div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" "We need food and water," I stated after that had been cleared up. Carter nodded and stood. "I have a stash. I have been stealing a lot from a whole lot of people," he said with a smirk. I shrugged and answered, "Then let's go." We carefully left my base, leaving the traps set up, and made for the exit of the underground labyrinth. Walking in the silence and darkness gave us nothing to take our minds off of our grumbling stomachs and dry mouths. "Where is it?" I finally hissed after an hour of walking. "Hidden in the amusement park," Carter replied as if this was obvious. "What's an amusement park?" I wondered aloud. "I don't know that's just what it said on the sign," he said. It took us several hours but we eventually found our way out./div
div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" /div
div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" Once Carter confirmed that the coast was clear, we rose from the staircase and took off at a steady trot towards the looping roller coasters in the distance. To our backs I could see the glittering Cornucopia and I slightly picked up the pace as I thought of the Careers who likely inhabited it. I silently hoped Carter's stash was enough for the both of us because I had nothing left after the loss of my backpack. Iron's knife remained secure in my pocket along with Liz's bracelet. I had allowed Carter to keep the axe for the time being but I never let it out of my sight. At last, we had arrived at the sky bridge leading into the amusement park./div
div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" /div
div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" "Right there," I said spitefully pointing at a spot on the left side of the bridge where my beloved supplies had fallen from. Carter turned to me with an apologetic expression. "Sorry about that," he said with a nervous chuckle. We hurriedly ran through the creepy park, dodging fallen trash cans and rusted booths. Then, Carter lead me into a small room lined with lockers on both walls. Approaching a large bottom locker in the corner of the room, he squatted down and swung it open. Carter pulled two small backpacks out, along with some other loose items. In the food category he had four packs of crackers, five packs of jerky, a half of a loaf of bread, and even six slices of cheese. Tossing me a piece of his bread, Carter revealed a pair of water bottles from the locker. He handed me one and we ate in relative silence./div
div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" /div
div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" I continued to study my newfound partner as we lounged around the locker room. Carter had light brown hair that he had grown down to his shoulders where the ends curled up, giving his shaggy head a more cultured appearance. Carter's eyes were a deep brown and his skin was slightly darker than mine, although we were both white. He was a fairly short kid, no taller than 5 foot 7 I suspected. He had some muscle along his arms but he wasn't very fast. I recalled that he had scored a 7 prior to the Games. While Carter's stash provided enough food for several days, even with two of us, we still only had Aqua's battle axe and Iron's knife for weapons./div
div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" /div
div style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;" Night fell and we listened to the anthem. No one had died. Carter reminded me that there were still 5 Careers left. Then he listed the names of everyone in the Arena. Supreme and Vengeance were still out there, though I had seen Vengeance take an arrow from Marlin so there was no doubt she was somewhat hurt. Then there was Iron and Sapphire, both of whom I hadn't seen since the start of the Games. Marlin and Woody from 7 were apparently still teamed up somewhere out there as well. I was glad the Careers were so divided but also worried that Carter and I wouldn't stand a chance against any of the pairs listed. The only other regular tribute left besides Carter, Woody, and I was Shannon from District 11. Neither of us knew anything about her so we went to sleep, thoughts of how to beat the Careers swimming through our minds./div
