I cant just not say it: Lolz Melody doesn't know what a marshmallow is XP (i couldnt resist)
Ah! I'm such an idiot, why am I so dense?! I always do this, I get myself caught up in something big and act like its nothing, while it weighs in the corners of my mind, and then right before said "Something big" happens I always freak out when the situation (And the reality that I'm doomed) hits me like a bag of bricks! WHY AM I SUCH A MORON?!
"Earth to toothpick~ Come in toothpick~!" I was snapped out of my miniature mind rant when I noticed the boy from 1, Marvel, was literally inches away from my face, I let out a surprised yelp and fell backwards off the edge of the roof of the training facility, instantly to be sent flying back by a force field, landing directly on top of my idiotic "Ally" who was stupid enough to startle me in the first place.
I groaned as I rolled off him, my head still spinning, "Why does everybody call me that?" I asked in exasperation while managing to stay "In character" at the same time, an amazing feat I might add.
"Because it suits you 12, why else." he laughed as his hands slid under my arms and lifted me to my feet, he bent over then studied my face for a moment as if waiting for me to reply, so I did, giving Scout a teeny tiny bit of backbone.
"Then why do people call big men Tiny?" I asked blankly, ever since our little training "mishap" followed by our "Alliance" he wasn't acting as irritating as before towards me, instead of treating me like something to eat he treated me like a little kid, although now that I think about it I'm not sure if that's an improvement, anyway, my point is, I can somewhat, SOMEWHAT, relax around him, well, at least enough to stop stuttering, twitching, and flinching, and allow myself to let out some of the sarcasm that's been bundling up inside me since I was now supposed to be Scout 24/7.
He chuckled and blew some air into my face causing me to scrunch my nose and squeeze my eyes shut, he then stood back up to his full height and ruffled my hair in a not-so-soft manor that actually somewhat hurt.
"H-Hey!" I miffed, patting my hair back down, after getting changed out of my interview outfit I put on a simple black tank top, a pair of mid-thigh spandex training shorts and a black zip-up training jacket with a "12" in big blocky print in the back, after all, my current wardrobe only consisted of training outfits and that dress…
And after changing I headed up to the roof to think considering with Effie tromping around the penthouse like a crazed mentor shouting at everybody it's kind of hard to think, besides, it was suffocating to be in the same room with Peeta after his little confession earlier tonight.
"By the way marshmallow, the hair's a good look for you, well, at least now that the sparkles are gone, are you gonna dye it back before we go into the arena?" I contemplated a moment before answering.
"Nah, I kinda like it, and I've been meaning to ask someone because everyone keeps calling me one, but…what the heck is a marshmallow?" I asked as I cocked my head to the side, I had asked Effie and even Haymich but they just laughed and walked off, I'm okay with being called toothpick and twitchy, at least I understand them, but what the flipping fuck is a marshmallow?
Marvel looked at me for a second and blinked before bursting out into laughter, "W-What, what's so funny?!" I huffed as I felt my cheeks flare red.
Marvel finally collected himself and answered my question, "A marshmallow is a small cylindrical snack food made mostly of sugar, its soft- and sweet and- squishy…" he choked out before he began laughing again as I raised an eyebrow and dumbly pointed at myself, "So…all this time…people had been not only comparing me to food but one that's, soft, sweet, and…squishy?" I questioned, I shook my head and sighed, well, it's to expect, I've broken the record of lowest training score in district 12, considering we normally average a score of 5-7, a seven considered extra rare, therefor having Peeta's 8 break the scale.
After bantering for a little while longer with Marvel I head back to my room, and as much as I hate to admit it that little bit of laughter and joking put my tensed nerves at ease for a little while, but the instant I woke up the next morning, it all hit me like a ton of coal.
Effie gathered Peeta and I bright and early for breakfast, which was taking place two hours early so that we could be in the arena by seven, breakfast, unlike usual, was delivered to our floor, while I opted to eat alone in my room, Peeta doing the same.
I made sure to eat the most protein filled things I could find even though I had little to no appetite at all, so after two small helpings of eggs, a small salad, a glass of milk, a glass of orange juice, and apple, and some sausage I called it quits and was instructed to head down to Cinna so he could get me ready.
My area uniform wasn't much different from training, the first layer was a black tank top that was cut off an inch or so below my breasts, then over that was a black t-shirt and on top of that was a two layered waterproof field jacket, then I was gifted with a pair of dark dirt brown riding pants and a pair of black leather topper boots, Cinna did my hair up into hundreds of cornrow braids then pinned it up into a bun, one: to keep it out of my face, two: because I may find use for the bobby pins or elastic bands, seriously one year this girl sharpened her bobby pins with a pocket knife then coated them with the venom from a snake she had killed to make blow darts, she took down at least 4 tributes with them, and the game makers were surprisingly chill with it.
Cinna took my shaking hands and looked me dead in the eye, "You can do this Melody, you are a strong girl, you just need to bring back that confidence of yours, and if you do end up with districts 1,2, and 4 then you just need to lay low and try to make yourself of use to them, then the first chance you get, grab a weapon, and run, you can do this Melody, you smart, strong, and have common sense, which is more important that a weapon sometimes." he said as he smoothed out my jacket, inconspicuously pinning something to the inside flap, I saw a shimmer of gold, it was the mockingjay pin that Katniss had given to Prim.
"Apparently Prim gave this to Katniss to give to Peeta who gave it to me to give to you." he whispered as he held a finger to his lips, he then planted a kiss on my forehead before gently leading me into the tubes.
My breath hitched as the tube came down around me, sealing my fate, I tried to calm my breathing and shaking hands as the tube lifted me into the arena, blinded by the light as the booming countdown became all that I could hear.
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Calm down Melody…breath, I inhaled as my eyes shot open, I scanned the cornucopia and the area around it for something good, not wanting to risk going too far in, my eyes zeroed in on a pack only 100 yards away from my platform, it was a good size and leaning against it was a large ax, while I wasn't really the lumberjack type at this point any weapon would do.
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Then my eyes kept moving, looking at the weapons and other goodies scattered in the grass as I mapped out the path that I would take to the woods, first I would grab the pack and the ax, the veer right where another couple yards later was a small belt with various knives, the grass around it long enough that I doubted Clove could see it from her pedestal, after all, the last thing I wanted was a head on collision with her.
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From then I would turn completely right, picking up a small flask, even though I was sure there would be one in the pack, the more room for water the better, and from there, I would run like hell and not look back.
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My heart thudded in my chest as I looked over at some of the other tributes, Cato was focused on some swords in the mouth of the cornucopia, while Clove wanted at a nice crate of knives that sat next to Cato's swords, Glimmer was after a bow, my bow, which I'll get back from her later on I'm sure, while Marvel had zeroed in on some spears, the girl from 11, Rue if I remember correctly, was watching me, when my gaze caught her's she looked away, her partner eyed me as well, I could see the gears turning in his head, not good…
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Finally I looked to Peeta who was already turned towards the forest, ready to take off the instant the countdown was up.
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My legs suddenly felt like lead, could I do this?! I shook my head and slapped on my game face, forgetting momentarily that I was supposed to feign innocence, when I remembered I dropped the look instantly.
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Everything seemed to move in slow motion as everybody jumped from their pedestals at once, minus some of the outer districts that were too afraid to move. I took off in a mad sprint towards the bag, my bag, arriving in a matter of seconds I slung one strap over my shoulder and took the ax in my right hand, ready to swing at any moment, dropping my ruse as I knew everyone would be too focused on themselves to notice that twitchy was more than she made herself out to be.
I then veered to the knives, also grabbing the belt with my only free hand as I slid to a stop, instantly taking off again towards my destination, the flask, as I ran I realized that I would only drop something should I stop, so instead I ran straight past it, I wasn't taking ANY chances.
Suddenly my feet were knocked out from under me as someone grabbed onto my pack, which I refused to let go of, it was a girl from three, spear in hand as I lay delirious beneath her, her foot on my stomach, just as she was about to plunge it into my gut she was knocked to the side, it was the boy from 11, he smashed her head against a pedestal that was only a few feet away, he ripped her pack off her shoulder and grabbed her spear, his eyes darted over to me as I lay on the ground in shock, he was contemplating weather or not to kill me, but I wouldn't give him the chance, I scrambled to my feet, nearly tripping over the body of a fallen tribute as I continued towards my original destination, the woods.
I crashed through the bushes, not intending on slowing down any time soon, I ran for what seemed like hours, even though I knew it was only a good twenty minutes, before I stopped, it was a miracle I had run for as long as I had, it was the adrenalin probably.
I then found myself a decent tree with thick leaves and began to climb, my ax strapped to my belt loop while the knife-belt was clutched tightly in between my teeth, when I reached a good enough branch with decent enough cover I dropped myself down onto it and hung a leg over each side so as not to fall while I leaned against the trunk.
The first thing I did was take the ax from my belt and jam it into the trunk beside me, deep enough so that it wouldn't fall, but not so deep that I wouldn't be able to get it out, I then went about looking at the knife belt, there was one that was small and delicately sharp, made for skinning, then another for sawing at brush, and then a few for just plain old throwing, when I was content I strapped the belt around my waist, then moved onto my pack.
In one of the smaller pockets in the front was a pack of matches and some water purification tablets, both very useful, in another small pocket was a packet of crackers and little baggie containing a few strips of dried pears, apple, and some raisons and a few different nuts, but it wasn't much, it would last me a day and a half, two days tops, and I don't want to have to rely on that, next I opened the medium sized pocket on the side, in it was a very thin sleeping bag, a bunch of rope, and a pair of leather fingerless gloves, which I immediately pulled on, if I was gonna be spending the next few weeks climbing trees and swinging a bug ass axe around I was gonna need these unless I wanted some serious blisters.
Next was the main pocket, which was mostly empty, containing a small first aid kit, a travel sized sewing kit with only two needles and two small spools off thread, a flask - which was empty, I checked - and some coiled wire, night vision glasses, a bottle of iodine, and a piece of flint.
After packing my supplies back up I helped myself to a couple of dried pear strips and a single cracker. Then I slung the pack back over my shoulder before tucking my ax into my belt and climbing down the tree, I didn't have much food, and fruit wouldn't keep my energy up nor would it keep me full, I needed meat, I would look for water in the morning, and I say morning because I must have spent more time running for my life and hiding in trees than I thought considering that the sun was only a few hours from setting.
Back in the Capitol, W/ Claudius and Cesar, No POV:
"Well than Cesar, it may just be a hunch but District 12's Melody Vloss may be more than she's made herself out to be, did you see the way she handles herself back at the cornucopia, and that agility, definitely not the Melody everybody saw in training." Claudius mused as they watched the petit red head snaring squirrels and picking berries.
"I agree Claudius, just the other night she was shaking like a leaf, and now she's skinning squirrels by a practically smokeless fire." Cesar agreed.
In the Arena, during the countdown, Cato POV:
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My attention was locked onto the long swords by the mouth of the cornucopia, they would be mine- I felt someone looking at me, I tore my attention from the swords and instantly I spotted 12, her eyes just leaving my face, though she hadn't noticed that I had caught her looking.
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I held back a snarl as she looked helplessly over to her lover boy, who was already ready to run, was she going to try and go after him, try and escape out alliance?
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Her eyes went wide as she momentarily forgot to breath at the ten second mark, she looked around desperately her senses on high alert. Then something changed, her featured hardened, and for a moment she looked perfectly calm, almost content, as if she noticed the look on her face she shook her head and then continued to cower.
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Before I realized it the countdown was over, I was off the pedestal before anybody else, making a beeline for the cornucopia, I'm the first to grab a weapon, though Clove gets ahold of what she wants mere seconds after I.
Clove makes the first kill of the games, taking out the boy from 9 with a thrown knife to the back as he fights with another tribute over a backpack. Then I take my first Kill, the boy from 5 as he scrambles to grab a spear from the cornucopia, wrong move.
I catch a flash of red out of the corner of my eye, its 12, I'm pretty sure her name is Melody but I really don't know, she's moving faster than I've ever seen her move before, she practically throws herself at a pack that was placed close to her pedestal, not even hesitating as she slung it over her shoulder, then she does something impossible, she picks up the ax that was leaning against the pack, clenching it tight as she begins to run forward once more, and in a brief moment of stupidity, I actually though that she may be running towards me, but she's not, she skids to a halt a few moments later, pulling a belt of knifes into her free hand before doubling back to the side.
I duck a blow and swing towards my attacker, taking down the girl from 10 who was stupid enough to come after me with a spear, my attention is instantly back on the toothpick, she's meters away from the woods, I feel my anger snap, oh no she doesn't! I pause as she's flipped onto her back by the girl from 3 who's now holding a spear from her gut, and from where I'm standing, I can't tell if she's already been stabbed or not.
Then the boy from 11 comes barreling in, knocking 3 away and smashing her head against a pedestal, stealing her pack and spear, Melody doesn't hesitate to get back to her feet, shooting 11 one more terrified glance before she disappears into the woods, most likely to try and track down her lover boy so they can cuddle under a tree or something.
The blood bath passes by quickly after that, Twelve total tributes are dead:
-the boy from 9 (clove)
-the boy from 5 (me)
-both tributes from 9 (Marvel and Glimmer)
-the girl from 3 (11)
-the boy from 4 (11)
-the girl from 10 (me)
-Both tributes from 6 (clove)
-Both tributes from 7 (me)
-the boy from 8 (Marvel)
We sit around the fire now, camping in the mouth of the cornucopia with the girl from 4 whose name I can't bother to remember, I'm still pissed at 12, I told her that it wouldn't be smart for her to run away from me.
Pretty Pretty Please Review~
P.S. For those of you who read B.T.M. AKA my story "Behind the Mask" I have the next few chapters done but i wrote them in my notebook when i was on vacation without wifi and I'm too lazy to type them all up right now...i know...I'm pathetic...I AM NOT WORTHY!
