The survivors that had escaped the Bloodbath spread out over the city and the beach, exploring what the arena had to offer. They soon found that the empty city had an eerie vibe to it—despite the perfect appearance of the buildings, the fact that no one was living in them made it ominous. The lack of people and cars lining the streets made the entire place feel abandoned. It was as if everyone had just up and left for some mysterious reason, a looming threat that would soon reveal itself…
Julia ignored the chill that crept up her spine as she wandered through a maze of alleys. She had no clue what to do and wished she had managed to grab a weapon. The small backpack she had gotten ahold of wasn't anything special…it had a package of dry crackers, a canister to hold water, a flashlight, and an extra pair of socks.
For a while, she just wandered, allowing her feet to draw her away from the park that contained the Cornucopia. At one point, the cannon blasted nine times, signaling the end of the Bloodbath. Julia wondered who the casualties had been, but she kept on walking, ignoring protests from her tired limbs.
When she got to the edge of the city, she was met with an extremely tall concrete wall. Obviously, this was the edge of the arena. She walked along it for a while, headed in the direction of the beach. As she rounded the corner of a building, she nearly tripped over a body.
She gave a short gasp and stumbled backwards. It was the boy from District 12—Carson. He was passed out on the ground, no doubt hungover from the previous night. He must have been really sick. She kneeled besides him and gave him a light tap on the shoulder. "Hey…" She whispered.
He didn't respond. She stood up, wondering if she should just leave him there or not. He's hot…but I don't think there's anything I can do for him. She hung around a while, waiting to see if he would wake up. When he didn't, she entered the nearest building, deciding to check out what it had to offer. The interiors of the buildings were nearly empty too. She tried the sinks and was surprised to find that they worked. She filled up her canister with cold water and tucked it back into her backpack. She opened pantries, but they were empty. She opened the fridge and inside was a hunk of raw meat, which she took. Figuring out how to cook it would come later. Right now, exploring was her main priority.
Maybe other buildings will have more to offer in terms of food…. She thought, locating a staircase and heading up to the second floor. She wasn't too hopeful she would find anything useful. Just as she reached the top of the steps, she happened to glance out a window and what she saw nearly made her heart stop.
The Careers—Hip, Channa, Bridon, and Sienna—were making their way down the path she had come. Each of them were holding weapons. She was surprised to see them and had assumed they would want to take inventory at the Cornucopia before going on a hunt.
Julia's first instinct was to hide, but then she remembered Carson, passed out right outside the door. She clambered down the steps and burst outside. She could hear the voices of the Careers drawing closer. She lurched over to Carson and started shaking him roughly.
"Wake up! Wake up!" She hissed desperately, "You have to get out of here!"
His eyes snapped open and he whipped his head around, confused. "What's going on?" He asked groggily, reaching up to stifle the pounding in his head.
"The Careers are coming." Julia whispered, and then she was gone, disappearing as quickly as she had come.
Carson lurched to his feet and started to run after the girl, but he had lost sight of her. The Careers are coming. Her words throbbed in his ears, filling him with panic. The Careers are coming.
Then he could hear sudden, excited shouts behind him. The Careers had rounded the corner and spotted him fleeing. They came after him, whooping and hollering, their weapons held high above their heads.
Carson ran blindly, as fast as his legs would go. Spots flooded his vision, making it difficult to see his surroundings. His head was pounding unbearably and he felt as if he were going to pass out. But the threat of death pumped adrenaline through his body and he ran like he never ran before.
Suddenly, he was aware of where he was. He was running down a boardwalk, the beach to his left, and the city to his right. He was headed straight towards the towering Ferris wheel, which had started turning at the beginning of the Games. Not far from the base of it was a carousel. Carson had never seen a carousel in his life, but for some reason, he found himself making a beeline for it.
His breaths were coming in short gasps and he felt as if he were going to throw up, but still he pushed on. The Careers were gaining ground, and fast. With no other options, Carson took a flying leap onto the carousel. He crashed clumsily to the ground and lay there, stunned. A twisted, carnival version of the Capitol anthem was blasting in his ears. The flashy colors of the horses blurred his vision. His stomach rolled as he spun in circles.
He couldn't hold it in any longer and emptied what was left in his stomach.
Hip and Sienna, the fastest of the four Careers, skidded to a stop by the carousel. Sienna chucked her spear, but Carson rotated out of reach. The weapon hit a horse and bounced off. Sienna went to retrieve it as Channa and Bridon came sprinting up. Bridon didn't slow and tried to leap on the carousel after Carson, but misjudged the speed of the spinning horses. He full-on crashed into one and was thrown back. He landed roughly, sprawled on his back. He sat up, cursing.
Hip looked amused. "Name: Bridon Jakkels. Cause of death: Carousel Pony."
Bridon ignored him; his eyes searching the carnival ride for their escaped prey.
"I'll do it." Channa hissed. She stepped forward and began to run alongside the horses. Then she easily hopped through a gap and began searching for Carson. The momentum of the ride made it difficult for her to keep her balance, but she clutched at the bobbing horses for support.
"You got this, Channa!" Hip cheered from the sidelines.
"Thanks, don't bother helping me or anything." She grumbled.
There was a loud thump as Bridon landed on the spinning platform, mimicking what Channa had just done. He shoved past her without a glance, eyes searching for his prey.
It barely took a minute to find Carson. He had crawled into a tiny carriage and was crouching there. As soon as he saw Channa and Bridon, he tried to make a break for it. But they descended upon him without mercy. Channa slashed her swords through the air and two neat gashes appeared on Carson's back. He whipped around, arms flailing. He had decided to put up a fight instead. But he was in no condition to do so.
He managed to give Channa a push that threw her off balance. But then Bridon threw himself at Carson, easily knocking him onto his back. He pinned the smaller boy to the ground. Carson struggled futilely, his eyes rolling around in his head like a frightened animal. But it was no use. Bridon raised a large knife and slashed it across Carson's throat.
Channa laughed, clinging to a horse for balance. "Good job! I guess District 12 is out of the running for this year."
Blood gurgled at Carson's lip as he struggled to breathe through his mangled throat. His eyes were wide and unseeing. His life was flashing one last time before his eyes. His family. His sacrifice he had made for them. And the days that had led up to the Games, distorted with alcohol.
Ronnie, Bentley…I let you down… Carson thought miserably, closing his eyes and allowing death to take him. Suddenly, he felt his surroundings change. He was no longer spinning. His headache was gone and his stomach was calm. He was lying on the ground and someone was standing over him.
Carson opened his eyes. It was not the Career from District 2—it was his father. He was looking down at him, face crinkled up in a kind smile. He leaned down and offered his son a hand. Carson smiled weakly.
Dad. Carson thought, feeling very tired, I missed you. He reached out and grasped his father's hand, just as his heart gave one last dull thud.
As if sensing the battle had ended, the carousel slowed to a stop and the blood-chilling music box shut off. Hip and Sienna circled the ride until they found Channa and Bridon proudly standing over Carson's corpse.
"Plus one for Channa and Bridon!" Channa bragged, cleaning the blood off her weapons, using the dead tribute's shirt.
"You mean plus one for Bridon." Her fellow Career corrected, scowling. The cannon boomed, confirming his kill.
"Nice." Sienna murmured.
"Whoa!" Hip cried out suddenly, "Look!" He hopped up onto the carousel and motioned at the horses. "It's us!"
It was then that everyone noticed the horses had been painted to resemble each tribute. Their coats and manes matched each contestant's hair and they were trussed up in the chariot costumes they had worn on the first night of festivities.
Hip walked over and patted the rump of a dark horse decked out in a shining gold saddle, studded with amethysts; it was wearing a laurel proudly atop its head that matched the brown horse next to it. "Okay. Who wants to ride me?" Hip invited, a wide grin spreading across his face.
No one responded. "Our horses are the coolest." Sienna commented, and she was right. The District 2 horses looked amazing covered in war paint and feathers. They looked as if they could spring to life at any moment, ready for battle.
"Come on. Let's check out the rest of this dump." Bridon growled. The Careers moved away from the horses and proceeded to explore the rest of the amusement park area. There were lots of bright, flashy lights, carnival games, and food stands, which contained no food whatsoever. There was even a House of Mirrors, but they avoided that. They knew a deathtrap when they saw one.
Then they approached the Ferris wheel, looking it up and down. Sienna and Bridon were impressed with the gigantic contraption, but tried not to show it.
"Hey Channa! Wanna ride the Ferris wheel with me later?" Hip asked, putting on his award-winning smile and winking.
She rolled her eyes and said with false excitement, "Oh wow, okay! Should that be before or after we kill each other?" Then she copied his smile and batted her eyelashes for extra sarcasm.
"Preferably before." Hip answered smoothly, "I'm not into necrophilia."
Channa grimaced. "Oh. Ouch. That was totally uncalled for."
"Riding the Ferris wheel would be like waving a flag that says, 'I'm over here! Come kill me!'" Sienna said, eyes narrowing with disapproval.
"I wasn't serious." Hip tried to argue, but Bridon cut him off.
"Hey, check that out!" The older boy said, walking in the direction of the game section.
He had discovered a claw machine, but instead of being filled with the usual stuffed animals, it contained all sorts of items: Matches, water bottles, throwing knives, night vision glasses, and other goodies. Best of all was a grenade, shoved in the farthest corner from the claw. It was like seeing a free ticket to kill anyone you wanted in one clean shot.
"What the heck is this thing?" Bridon asked, looking up and down at the strange machine. The Head Gamemaker's face, which had been plastered to the top of it, grinned back down at him.
Channa sneered, "Wow. I pity you. Haven't you ever had a carnival in District 2? We always have one whenever someone from District 1 is in the Victory Tour."
Bridon clenched his jaw and didn't respond.
"I call the grenade." Sienna said flatly.
"You'll have to beat me out for it." Hip said, putting his hands on the controls, "Those glasses are pretty tempting too, though…" The Career tried to move the control stick, but the claw didn't respond. Hip frowned. "Oh, shoot. We don't have any money to play."
"Then this is just here to taunt us?" Bridon growled, glowering at the goods that were just out of reach.
"Surely there must be some way to play…" Sienna murmured, studying the machine. But she had never seen one before now, just like Bridon, and she wasn't sure what to make of it.
Hip lifted up his mace. "These games are impossible to win anyways." Then he swung it right at the glass. But instead of shattering through it, the mace bounced off of it harmlessly and flew out of Hip's hands, shooting right past Bridon's head.
"Watch it!" Bridon spat furiously.
Hip ignored him, looking disappointed. "Well that sucked…I guess this stuff is impenetrable."
"Guys!" Channa shouted, a little ways off, "Come look at this!" She had grown bored with their attempts to figure out the claw machine. Besides, she knew it was near impossible to beat those games. So she had wandered off and found a different game, one that looked far more promising.
It was what appeared to be a large, tall pole, with flashing lights running all the way up to the top of it. At the bottom was a large switch with a big, square hammer lying next to it. At the top was a bell.
"The point of the game is to hit the switch hard enough that you ring the bell." Channa explained, "Here, I'll show you." She picked up the heavy hammer, swung it back, and struck the switch. The lights flashed a little bit less than halfway up and blinked a few times. A score popped up on a tiny screen. Bridon didn't look impressed at all. "It's harder than it looks." Channa said quickly, her face reddening.
"Let me try." Hip said, taking the hammer from her, "This'll be easier to win than that stupid claw game." He swung it forward, bringing it down heavily on the switch. The lights flashed higher this time, more than halfway up, but he was still nowhere near ringing the bell.
"My turn." Sienna said, taking the hammer from Hip and smashing it into the switch with blinding speed. The lights lit up exactly where Hip's had. She ended up with the same score as him.
"I was just warming up, let me try again." Hip said quickly, going to steal the hammer back from Sienna, but she had already passed it on to Bridon.
"Stand back." He said fiercely, flexing his muscles and cracking his neck side to side. He raised the hammer and brought it down forcefully. The lights flashed all the way up to the top and the bell rang. As soon as it did, something began exploding out from the top of the pole and showering down on Bridon. His first thought was that it was some kind of prize—but upon closer inspection he realized that these were definitely not prizes.
"Mutts!" Bridon snarled, as dozens of crabs rained down upon him, snagging him with their claws. Others that missed their target and landed on the pavement rushed at the rest of the Careers, snapping their claws aggressively. They were larger than your normal crab and their beady black eyes seemed to be filled with hatred.
Hip swung his mace, taking out a handful of the crabs in one shot, but more came skittering in to take their places. He kicked at them, backing away from the other Careers so he wouldn't accidentally bludgeon one of them. Then he went all out, spinning in circles, sending crabs flying every which way.
Channa stabbed relentlessly at the ones that were clustering at her feet, screeching, "Get them off! Get them off!" as they tried to scale her body. But her choice of weapon wasn't the best for fending off mutts such as these. Finally, she gave up using her swords and just started jumping up and down, flattening the crabs into the pavement.
Sienna's spear was a blur as she killed crab after crab, listening to the satisfying crunch that sounded each time she broke through their shells. The ground around her was covered with disembodied crab parts.
Meanwhile, Bridon was swinging the large hammer in his hands wildly. Crabs covered him from head to toe, digging their claws into his skin and hanging on. He was immune to the pain as he continued destroying the mutts left and right. He fought on, unaware that they had finally ceased spilling out of the pole. Only when the other Careers gathered around him, did he realize the worst of the attack was over. He lowered his hammer and stood still, letting the rest of his alliance work over him, peeling off the remaining crabs. He grimaced in pain as Sienna reached up and ripped off one that had been dangling on his ear. They took the crabs and crushed them under foot.
"That wasn't a very good prize." Hip said dryly, once they had finished destroying the last of them.
"Look at it this way," Bridon said, straightening up, "We get to eat crabs for dinner!"
"Eww, are you serious?" Channa said, rolling her eyes, "First of all, why on earth would you want to eat a mutt? Second of all, haven't you ever eaten crabs before? You have to cook them while they're still alive. Otherwise they get all disgusting and green. Ugh!" She shivered at the thought of consuming such a horrendous meal.
"Fine." Bridon relented, "But for your information, I have eaten crabs before, I just haven't cooked them. Now let's get out of here and find another tribute to kill." He looked pissed.
"Are you sure?" Sienna asked, looking at the many bruises that were now forming on Bridon's body. A few cuts oozed blood.
"None of these are deep." He argued in return.
"They could get infected." Channa pointed out, "Come on, let's get you cleaned up back at camp. I'm sure Cole will be dying to hear what happened."
Bridon hesitated, prepared to argue with the rest of them. But then he realized that they were right. It was only the first day. He needed to be in top condition for when he killed his opponents. So he gave in and the four of them headed back to the park.
Frederick, who had seen the Career pack pursuing the District 12 boy from a distance, was hiding under the pier that the Ferris wheel rested on. Luckily, the Careers hadn't checked around and had left after a short while. Frederick watched a hovercraft come and collect Carson's body.
Poor guy. Frederick thought, sighing, though I must admit, them getting attacked by crabs brightened my day.
With a sigh, the boy slumped down and opened up the backpack he had obtained. Inside were a sleeping bag, a pack of beef jerky, an apple, sunglasses, a small pail, and binocular lenses. He had scored big time. Frederick first put on the sunglasses, wondering if they were the kind that would allow him to see at night. Unfortunately, they weren't, but they would still come in handy. Next he brought the lenses up to his eyes. They would help him get a fire started while the sun was out.
He scanned the landscape, taking in the sights it had to offer. No doubt, this place was beautiful. Flags, decorated with the Capitol emblem, hung on every lamppost. Gardens flourished and palm trees bearing coconuts swayed in the breeze. The spotless buildings stood with tiny balconies facing the ocean.
Pelicans and laughing gulls soared overhead. Dolphin fins flashed above the surface offshore. Frederick, with his knowledge of the ocean, could even spot a riptide further down the beach. It was just like home.
Then the Career briefly remembered catching sight of the girl from District 6 headed down the beach earlier, going in the opposite direction. She hadn't been a threat, so he hadn't attacked. But now, it seemed, she was nowhere to be found.
For the time being, the coast was clear. Frederick stepped out from under the pier, taking a deep breathe of familiar sea air. Maybe it was foolish to stay out in the open like this, but the ocean was a comfort to him. He would set up camp here and fish to his heart's content.
Calista was trying not to hyperventilate as she charged up an endless flight of steps. She had sprinted away from the Bloodbath as fast as she could go and escaped into the first building she had come upon. She had ascended a few floors and watched the end of the Bloodbath play out, trying to figure out which body belonged to whom. But it was too hard to tell from such a far distance.
She watched as the Careers left the bloody battlefield in order to allow the bodies to be collected. One remained behind, staying in the vicinity of the Cornucopia—no doubt to take on anyone who would dare come back to steal its treasures. Then, as the four Careers drew closer and closer to her building, she began to grow scared.
She flew up the last few floors to the very top one and hid inside a closet. The closet was empty, providing plenty of room, but nothing else to hide behind. There, she waited, her ears straining to catch any noise.
She thought she heard the faint sound of footsteps, but she couldn't be sure if it was just her mind playing tricks on her or not. She held her breath, listening intently. No, it hadn't been her imagination. The footsteps were soft, but steadily growing louder as they came slowly up the steps. Then the door creaked open and the person was standing in the same room as her.
I should have found a better place to hide! She closed her eyes, hoping that they couldn't hear the sound of her heart trying to escape her chest. They coughed lightly—she knew then it was a male tribute. She wasn't strong or fast. If he discovered her, she was doomed…
She heard the sound of rustling as the boy scoured the room, probably looking for supplies. Calista tensed every muscle in her body. He was definitely going to open the closet. When he did, she would burst out and tackle him to the ground, stunning him. Maybe then she would have a fighting chance.
The footsteps sounded right outside the door. The doorknob was turning. With a shriek, Calista busted out of the closet and tackled the huge male tribute. He hadn't been prepared and was easily knocked to the ground. She prepared to strangle her adversary, but stopped herself just in time.
"Tasi?" She cried out in disbelief. "I thought you were…! I thought…!" She scrambled to her feet, letting him stand up. He stood there, rubbing the back of his head, looking at her with wide eyes.
"You nearly gave me a heart attack…" He admitted.
Calista wrapped her arms around him, exclaiming, "I thought you were dead!"
"You thought I was dead?" Tasi echoed, still dazed.
Calista drew back, nodding tearfully. "I saw you running towards the Cornucopia. And the cannon fired nine times, and I thought maybe…"
"No. It wasn't me." He said wearily, "A big fight broke out over some knives. I managed to grab a backpack near the edge, but I didn't dare try to get a weapon. I've got an injured knee and I'm not very fast."
Calista blinked. She hadn't known that about him. "Well, I'm glad you're okay." She said quietly.
Tasi frowned. "Well, I'd better get going…"
"Wait!" Calista protested, "Don't go."
"But I thought you didn't want an alliance?"
"I know I said that…" Calista said sadly, "But now…" She couldn't put how she felt into words. She had been so scared, wondering if he was dead. And as she hid in that closet, thinking she was about to die. She knew she had tried to avoid making an alliance with him, but now that he was here, she didn't want to part with him.
"Okay," Tasi agreed, smiling softly, "I'm glad. But I promised someone else that they could be in my alliance. Let's go see if we can find Bassin."
But Tasi and Calista never found Bassin. They searched long and hard, keeping to the shadows cast by the buildings. The day was coming to a close. Finally, they had to give up.
As the sun set, everyone made sure they had a clear view of the sky to see the deceased tributes. The Capitol seal appeared in the sky and the national anthem blared loudly. Large letters spelled out, "The Fallen." Then came the pictures.
Of course, no faces from Districts 1 or 2 appeared. The top Careers were too powerful to be killed on the first day. Instead, the first pictures were of Jack and Gadgette from District 3, putting their district out of the running for this year. No one gave them much thought—they had never held much promise.
Then Bassin's face appeared in the sky, her blue-green eyes dull and hopeless.
Frederick felt shocked when he saw her. He had been under the impression that she had secured a position among the Careers. They must have betrayed her. He thought angrily, clenching his fists. This was exactly why he despised Careers.
Tasi and Calista were upset when they realized the third member of their alliance hadn't made it. Tasi shook his head sadly, "I should have tried harder to get her to come with us…but she had already put her trust in the Careers." He said softly.
"Don't blame yourself." Calista whispered.
Bassin's face disappeared and was replaced by Cassia's. No one was too surprised there. She had boasted the worst odds of them all. Still, Cole couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. He gave a heavy sigh, trying to push her from his mind.
Surprisingly, both tributes from District 6 had made it out alive. Same with District 7. The next image belonged to Ash from District 8. Abbadon, hiding out at the very top of one of the biggest skyscrapers, felt amused, wondering who had been the one to kill the hotheaded girl. A shame I couldn't have shut her up myself. He thought, smirking. Oh well.
Drake's image appeared after that. Cara was astounded to see his face looking down on her. He had been so strong, so confident. The way he had spoke of his plan…he had made it seemed as if it was going to work. And she had never doubted him. But obviously, the odds hadn't been in his favor. The Careers had probably killed him off because of his disability. She closed her eyes, holding back tears. I'll win for you, Drake. She promised silently.
Shem's picture was next. Olivia's heart fell when she saw it. The smiling boy that had danced with her the night before was gone. It wasn't hard to guess that the handsome Career had gotten to him. She silently cursed herself for ever falling for his charm. Now it was up to her to win for District 10.
Shem's picture was replaced by Caden's and was followed by Carson's. Julia felt her throat close up with sorrow. So neither her district partner nor the cute guy she had tried to save had made it. Oh, Caden… She thought tearfully, recalling the night before, the way he had danced with her, made all of her worries go away…
Thank you for everything.
The last picture was of Ellis. No one would mourn her death—she had no family to do so. But now, she could be at peace with her brother. The anthem played one last time, and then faded. The last picture disappeared, allowing darkness to descend.
Not long after, clouds began to move over the city and thunder rumbled in the distance...
RIP Carson. 10 down, 14 remain. Yay we reached the double digits! …Maybe that's not a good thing to celebrate. Also, last night I dreamed I was at the beach, on that carousel while some girl chased me, threatening to gouge my eyes out with a spoon. Yeah.