Chapter 9: Remus Woolesby, D8 Male


A/N: Sorry the update's late... Lots of revision... Ugh. Today we have the District 8 male. I just noticed I've been killing off all the guys. That is pure coincidence, sorry to all the dudes reading this! I will kill off some girls next time. R&R please! Your opinion matters!

Disclaimer: Suzanne Collins owns the Hunger Games. I own the Thirst Games, but that didn't take off so well. No money earned.

The gong rings and I leap off my podium, ignoring the loud explosion. If I dwell on it too much, I will become unfocused. And if I become unfocused, I will die.

I run toward the Cornocopia, beating all but the girl from 5. I pick up a blow dart gun thing that I could use to my advantage.

I spot some extra darts in the mouth of the Cornocopia. I run toward them, focused. If I become unfocused, I will die.

I grab the darts and run out, focused on my destination- the meadow. It looks nice, so that means it's poisonous. I will dip my darts in some poison I find, then run to the woods, where I will snipe people from the trees.

I am focused- if I'm not, I will die. I charge toward the meadow, veering off to the left when I see that my district partner April with a throwing knife and a pile of stuff also heading my way. Hopefully she won't throw it- it looks like her only one and her aim will be a bit off considering what she's carrying. Plus, I'm her district partner, but better safe than sorry. We aren't allied- she picked the boy from District 11 over me- and I regret not asking to join their little group.

I reach the meadow, and see a bush with dark berries on it. Blueberries? I step closer to the bush and identify the berries as nightlock. Perfect for my darts. I crush the berries up in my hands, and dip the darts in the poison.

I go to the nearby stream to wash the juice off, but leap back when the water burns. It's scalding hot. I shout up to the sky.

"Got any water?"

A silver parachute falls down. There's no note. I open up the water bottle and find that it's not a water bottle- it's a cooler bottle. There are tubes of ice and cold water with coolers inside, designed to cool boiling hot water.

Carefully I scoop some hot water from the stream, watch as it cools, and pour it all over my hands, making sure I've got all of the nightlock off. I am focused- if I'm not, I will die.

Suddenly I hear movement among the bushes, interrupting my final check to see if my hands are truly clean. "The shout came from here," I hear a girl's voice say.

"Wyre, we don't have any weapons!"

The girl who must be Wyre responds, "Yes we do." I hear the sound of a sword being sheathed.

The bush is hacked apart by Wyre, from district 3, and Laurissa, district 11, soon follows her ally.

"I don't want to fight," I plead.

"Oh, phew," breathes Laurissa.

"Laurie, don't be so quick to judge!"

As they are arguing I grab my poisonous darts and blow gun. I insert one dart into the gun.

"Leave, or I shoot."

Wyre and Laurissa turn around. They look at my dart.

"Laurie... That dart's coated in nightlock... Run!"

The two allies turn and flee. Good.

I keep moving, noting not to shout again. Soon I find an apple tree. I pick an apple, and sniff it. It smells normal. I take the tiniest bite and wait for a few minutes. Nothing. If it was poison, it would be unlikely such a small dose would kill me. I'm focused, this is how I'll survive.

Gradually I build up the size of my bites until I'm freely chomping into this apple. It is delicious, and apparently totally normal. Who knew an encounter with two tributes would make me so hungry?

Just as I'm about to throw the apple away, I see there's just a teeny, tiny bit more I could eat. I bite into it and a strange, sweet taste spreads across my tongue. Frantically, I check my hands. Sure enough, there's a small purple streak from in between my index finger and my middle finger to the apple.

I curse myself for not washing my hands properly. I curse myself for being greedy and wanting the last bite of the apple. I curse myself for not staying focused.

If I was unfocused, I would die. That's what I told myself.

And die I do.