Lightning Crashes - Throwing Copper.
"The Universe doesn't like secrets. It conspires to reveal the truth, to lead you to it." - Lisa Unger.
4 minutes 42 seconds.
4 minutes 42 seconds, is how long the teens remained silent as they watched to screen with wide eyes.
4 minutes 42 seconds is how long the teens couldn't move, couldn't breath.
4 minutes 42 seconds felt like forever.
Because, 4 minutes 42 seconds is how long it took them to realize exactly what the Hunger Games is like.
4 minutes 42 seconds is how long the bloodbath at the cornucopia lasted.
4 minutes 42 seconds. And there were already 18 dead.
The arena could be described as the most breathtaking place imaginable. The Cornucopia was sat in the middle of a sweet and beautiful green meadow, and the sky was a blinding blue, with fluffy, white clouds. The meadow went on for miles, and far in the distance, there was a forest on one side, and a snow-capped mountain on the other. Anyone who was just looking and didn't know what it was, would have thought it was the most peaceful place in the world.
Of course, that is if you took out the bloodbath that was happening.
There were people - no kids - running around everywhere. Some were running to the kill, some away.
They watched as the normal looking young adults, suddenly turned into power-hungry, blood thirsty monsters. Running after 14 year old. Killing
12 year old. Cutting people's heads, arms, legs, whatever, off.
Others where trying to run for cover. Trying to get away. The smart ones didn't stick around at the Cornucopia for long. Just long enough to grab a backpack, or whatever they could find and grab. Then, they ran out of there. Taking cover in the woods or mountains.
All this happened in just 4 minutes 42 seconds.
All this happened, and 18, out of 48 people, were already killed.
"So..." Finnick started, then cleared his throat. "That's the Hunger Games."
"It shouldn't be this big of a surprise," stated Tessa. "I mean, they explained like, every chance they got, what the Hunger Games were. It shouldn't be this big of a shock."
"But it is," said Hope. "This is just so... Why? This isn't right. People shouldn't have to fight like this. They shouldn't have to watch it, let along tap it."
"I want to know what happened." Hunter added.
"What do you mean?" Finnick asked.
"The Hunger Games aren't around anymore," Hunter explained. "Something had to of happened to make them stop. Because, by the sounds and look of it, the Capitol people like their Games."
Tessa narrowed her eyes. "The Capitol's just sick."
The teens watched some more as the screen flicked between different people. They watched as the kids ran into the forest or mountains, running away from each other. Trying to stay alive.
The four watched for about 20 minutes, and nothing happened. It was just kids walking around a forest, taking everything in and trying to find somewhere to hide. Or kids climbing mountains, trying to get up high so they could see all over.
"I don't like this." Hope said.
Finnick looked at her. "Well Hope, I don't think any of us really like the fact that kids are running around killing each other..."
"Not that you idiot," Hope rolled her eyes. "The fact that nothing has happened in the pass 20 minutes."
"And that's bad because..."
"Because Finn," Tessa jumped in. "This game is meant for people to kill each other. That hasn't happened in 20 minutes. The Capitol monkeys must be planning something big."
"Or someone is close to something bad." Hope added.
"Guys look," Hunter pointed at the screen. "It's Haymitch."
Finnick, Tessa and Hope turned to the screen and they saw Haymitch walking through the forest with nothing but a knife in his hands.
"A knife?" Finnick said. "That's all he has. A knife."
"Finnick. Shut up." Tessa rolled her eyes.
They watched as Haymitch stopped walking and looked all around. He looked up in a tree and there were some apples hanging.
He walked over to the tree and climbed up a little ways, just far enough so he could reach for an apple.
Once he had the apple picked, he jumped back onto the ground.
Haymitch looked over the apple with narrow eyes and after a few minutes it looked like he was about to take a bite. But, right before he bit into it, he brought the apple to his nose and sniffed it.
He stood there for just a few moments, staring at the apple, then he suddenly throw the apple as hard as he could at a tree.
Haymitch then started to walk again.
"What was that all about?" Tessa raised an eyebrow at the screen.
"I don't know," Finnick said. "But that was really weird, even for Haymitch."
Before anyone could say anything, the screen cut to a boy about the age of 13.
Just like Haymitch before, he had an apple in his hand.
But, unlike Haymitch, he didn't look over the apple. He just took a big bite out of it.
He ate the apple slowly, closing his eyes and enjoying the taste of the bright red fruit.
"See," Finnick commented. "The apple couldn't have been that-"
The boy's eyes suddenly shoot open and, before the teens could even blink, he fell to the ground. Dead.
They all stared at the screen, not believing what they just saw. Then, Hope turned to Finnick.
"You were saying?"
"Okay. Never mind. The apple was bad." Finnick crossed his arms.
"That's not the only thing that's bad." Hunter pointed at the screen.
It was almost like the Capitol made a montage of all the people who died by eating fruit or animals or plants and by drinking water. Mostly everyone found out that all these things were poisonous. But there were a lucky few, who didn't.
The screen suddenly cut to black and the words End of Day One: Death Count came up on the screen.
"A death count?" Tessa said, her voice full of disgust.
"Of course Tess," Finnick narrowed her eyes at the screen. "They need some way of letting people know who were killed."
They watched the screen as face after face flashed in the sky, showing the person's name and distract.
"27." Hunter whispered once it was all over.
Sighing, Hope said, "That means there is only 21 left."
"And 20 of them are going to die." Tessa added.
The words The Arena: Day Two faded onto the screen.
"I have a feeling that these days in the area are just going to get worse." Finnick commented as he leaned back onto the couch, arms crossed.
And he was anything but wrong, even though the next few 'days' weren't as bad.
They sat back and watched as kid after kid flashed on the screen, showing them trying to keep going and to keep living. For their friends. For their family. For themselves.
The teens watch for a good 45 minutes, which ended up being around four days, and only about four people had died. That was, until things finally started to heat up.
"It's be four days and nothing has happened!" Tessa sighed.
"Actually Tessa," Finnick smirked. "It's only been 40 minutes."
Tessa glared at Finnick as Hunter spoke.
"I don't think the Capitol likes that nothing is really happening."
"You thing they are planning something." Hope narrowed her eyes at her brother.
Hunter shrugged. "Seems like something the Capitol would do."
Suddenly, there was a rumbling sound and the teens turned back to the screen.
They saw about 10 people, walking up the biggest mountain that was in the area. The rumbling started up again and the 10 people stopped and looked around, trying to find out were the sound was coming from.
Smoke started to come up out of the top of the mountain as the rumbling came again.
Before anyone, teens and the 10 people on the mountain, could even blink, a white hot liquid poured out of the mountain and made it's way done the side. Fast. The same side the 10 people were standing on.
The four teens could do nothing but watch in horror as the 10 kids/teens tried to out run the lava. But they didn't stand a chance. The lava quickly reach them, and they were gone.
"A volcano?" Finnick said in disbelief. "They disguised the mountain as a volcano?!"
"This is horrible!" Tessa said. "They just watched as 10 people were killed and did nothing about it!"
"Maybe they couldn't do anything about it..." Hope commented.
"Do you really think that Hope?" Tessa asked. "This is a game the Capitol made so they could watch kids kill each other. I doubt that they have no control over what happens."
Hope didn't say anything. She just turned back to the screen as the words End of Day Five: Death Count came up on the screen and they watched the same 10 people flashed in the sky.
Day six in the Arena begun and it started just like any other one. Flashing between kids who were trying to live.
The teens, however, got a feeling that this was going to be a short day because a) the Capitol seemed like they were trying to kill people off as soon as possible and b) they only showed a few people before the teens had to see one of the most heart breaking things they ever saw.
"Hey," Hunter pointed to the screen. "Isn't that Samara?"
There, in the forest, was little Samara. Her long blonde hair was in a mess, she was covered in dirt, looked like she hadn't eaten in days and the all black outfit had rips and was covered in mud.
She was running, pushing branches out of the way as she panted harder and harder, but she didn't slow down.
She finally came to the edge of the forest and once she stepped into the filed she stopped. and screamed out a name. Just one name.
"Randy!"
"Oh god," Hope covered her mouth with her hand.
Finnick placed an arm around her and pulled her close as they watched the screen in front of them.
Samara ran to the middle of the meadow, where Randy was lying. With blood all over him.
She fell to her knees next to him.
"Come on. No. No. Randy. Wake up." They heard her say as she tried to wake him up. When that didn't work, she tried to get him breathing.
"Randy. No. Get up. Come on. Don't leave me."
Tears were felling from Samara's eyes as she stopped trying to wake Randy up. She slowly lifted her hands in front of her and saw that they were covered in his blood.
"I want to go home. I want to go home." She said over and over, placing her head in her hands.
Her head suddenly snapped up and she looked to the left.
By now, Hope and Tessa had tears silently felling down they faces. Finnick had his arms still around Hope and she was cuddle next to him as he tried to hold it together. Hunter had his head in his hands and Tessa's legs were pulled up to her chest.
But, seeing the long blonde hair, blue eyed monster that was running towards that little girl, with an axe in her hand, made everything 10 times worse.
And the fact, that when Samara saw her coming, she just sat there, holding Randy's hand, with closed eyes, didn't help one bit.
When that... monster brought the axe up, Hope hide into Finnick's side, as Tessa placed her hand on her knees and Finnick looked down. Hunter didn't even move from his spot.
That was the loudest the canon ever sounded to the teens.
Finnick reached onto the coffee table, picked up the remote and pressed paused just as The Arena: Day Seven came onto the screen.
No one said anything. They all just sat there. Not moving. Not speaking.
They just stayed there. Taking it all in.
They stayed like that for a good 5 minutes until Hunter sighed.
"We knew it was going to be bad."
"Yes," Tessa looked up, as well as Finnick and Hope. "But we didn't knew it was going to be that bad."
"So what? Are we going to keep watch? Or not?"
"Keep watching." Hope said, sitting up. "We need to."
No one argued as Finnick pressed play on the remote.
Day seven opened differently there the rest. This time, it showed four people, getting ready to fight. And by the looks of it, it was one against three.
"Wait!" Finnick said. "That's Haymitch."
"That's Haymitch, getting ready to fight three other people." Hunter added.
"And by the looks of it," said Tessa. "These three other people have way better weapons there a small knife."
They watched as Haymitch and the three others started to kick, hit, and punch each other. One guy came after Haymitch with a big piece of wood, but Haymitch grabbed it, kicked the guy in the stomach and was able to take the wood and hit them so hard over the head that it killed him.
"Okay. Remind me never to get Haymitch made again." Finnick said as they watch Haymitch slit the second guys throat.
"That's so gross!" Hope wrinkled her nose.
The third guy was a lot harder to kill. Him and Haymitch kicked and hit each other until they fell in the ground and started to roll around.
The guy was able to take the knife out of Haymitch's hand and roll them over so Haymitch was on his back with a knife to his throat. But, before the knife could cut him, Haymitch kicked the guy off him, making the knife go out of his hand.
Haymitch started for the knife, but the guy got there first. He took the knife and grabbed Haymitch by the hair, pulling him onto his knees, and held the knife to his throat.
Right before he could slit open his throat, the guy let go of Haymitch.
Haymitch fell to the ground and turned over on his back as the guy pulled a dart out of his neck. Then, he dropped dead.
Haymitch slowly stood up and walked over to the guy. Once he was sure he was dead, Haymitch took back his knife.
He then turned and looked in the direction the dart came from.
This was when the teens saw Maysilee come out from behind a tree.
"You know," started Tessa. "I think that would have been a lot more... scary if we didn't know that Haymitch lives."
"Tessa. That was still scary as hell!" Hope glared at her.
"God Hope. If we knew that these tapes would make you so... girly, then we wouldn't of watched them." Finnick teased.
Hope then turned to glare at him while Tessa and Hunter laughed.
"In other news," Tessa said once she calmed down. "Looks like Haymitch and Maysilee will be sticking together for a while."
"I hope so," Hope said. "But I also hope it doesn't come down to just them two."
Over the next few days of the Games, the teens watched as Haymitch and Maysilee teamed up and helped each other stay alive.
Maysilee, somehow, find food that was safe to eat and they would drink when it rained, which they also find out was safe to do.
They went on like this for a few days, walking in a random direction, heading to some place Haymitch was determined to get to.
"Where is he trying to go?" Tessa questioned.
"Now listen. If you go asking the whole time we are watching these tapes what is going on, I'm going to slap you so hard, my hand print will be on your face for weeks." Finnick smirked.
Tessa just glared at him. "Shut up."
Finally, on day ten, they came to the edge of a cliff.
"So that's what he was trying to find!" Hunter said.
Tessa, Finnick and Hope gave him an odd look.
"Care to explain brother?"
"Think about it. The Arena can't go on forever. It has to end somewhere."
"Alright," Finnick started. "But what was the point of Haymitch finding the end on the Arena?"
Hunter's face fell. "I don't know."
"And it looks like Maysilee doesn't know also." Hope pointed to the screen.
When the teens looked up, they saw Maysilee tell Haymitch that she didn't want it to come down to the two of them then she turned and walked away.
"So..." Tessa said. "What now?"
Before the other three could answer him, they saw Haymitch pick up a rock and throw it off the cliff.
"That's right Haymitch, you show that rock!" Finnick rolled his eyes.
"His in an Arena with people trying to kill him, and he's throwing rocks..." Hope raised an eyebrow.
"Did you see that!?" Hunter jumped up.
"What?" Tessa, Finnick and Hope asked.
Before Hunter could answer them, Haymitch picked up other rock and throw it off the cliff.
"Don't say anything," Hunter told them. "Just watch."
And they did. Tessa, Finnick and Hope watched as the rock that Haymitch just flicked off the cliff came back.
"I still don't understand," Tessa started. "What does this-"
Suddenly, a blood curdling scream came from the screen and the teens looked up to see Haymitch run off in the direction Maysilee just took off in.
After a few minutes of running, Haymitch came to a clearing with tall grass.
"Oh god, not again." Hope whispered as she moved closer to Finnick.
Lying in the middle of the tall grass was Maysilee, she had both her hands at her throat.
No one need to say anything. They all knew what was happening.
Haymitch didn't saw a word as he fell to his knees next to her.
Maysilee just lifted one hand and Haymitch held it in his, staring at her as she slowly died.
Once again, the girls were in tears. All four teens stared at the screen as they watched Haymitch stay with Maysilee until she was gone.
"I can't believe it." Tessa whispered, not knowing with else to say.
"He stayed with her." Hope gave a sad small smile.
"Do you hear that?" Finnick said suddenly and they all knew he was talking about the Games.
It was almost as if Haymitch heard him too, because once he was on her feet, Haymitch turned around and saw that same girl who killed Samara, standing behind him.
"Hold on," Hope said, turning to Hunter. "Hunt. How many people are left?"
Hunter looked from his sister, to his best friends then back at the screen.
"They are the last two."
Finnick turned back to the screen. "I believe a fight is about to happen."
And he was right.
Haymitch and the girl started to kick and punch each other. Haymitch grabbed her shoulders and hit his head off her face, giving her a bloody nose. He then lifted his knife and cut her right across the arm.
"That was not good." Hunter said.
"She is gonna be really mad now." Tessa added.
The girl lifted her foot and kicked him so hard in the stomach that he flow back onto the ground. She started to run towards him but Haymitch got to his feet and knocked her feet out from under her, making her fell to the ground.
Once she was up, she tried throwing punches at him, which he blocked. Then, when he wasn't expecting it, she took her axe and nailed him in the stomach with it.
"God! That's gross!" Hope winced.
Haymitch doubled over in plain as the girl lifted her axe to kill him for good. But, Haymitch lifted his knife up and stabbed it in her eye, making her scream and fall to the ground. Then, as fast as he could, Haymitch started to make his way up the hill.
"The eye! Really?" Finnick said, looking away.
"You know, I'm started to look at Haymitch in a new light," Tessa said. "He is a really strong man."
"That maybe true," said Hope. "But why the hell is he going back up the hill!?"
Haymitch tried to run up the hill, even though he kept falling, but he knew that once he stopped, he was gone.
Once Haymitch made it to the end of the cliff, he turned around and fell to his knees. He saw the girl standing there just a few feet away.
She lifted her axe and throw it at him, but because she couldn't see out of one eye, she throw it to far to the left.
"Of course!" Hunter said suddenly. "Remember what happened with the rocks."
Then, it all clicked and they all understood what was going on.
"Man," Tessa smirked. "The Capitol monkeys aren't gonna like this."
Haymitch and the girl just stood there, staring at each other. Then, suddenly, Haymitch bent over and the axe came flying over his head, hitting the girl right in the face.
It was all over.
The 50th Annual Hunger Games had ended. And the victor was Haymitch Abernathy.
The teens stay silent as Hope lifted the remote and turned the TV off.
"So," Finnick said. "I think it's time for a break."
Man, it's good to be back!
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. This one killed me!
Big thank you to all that reviewed and congrats to ThereAreMuchWorseGamesToPlay , who was the 103rd reviewer!
Hope to see a lot of reviews!
Oh, and get excited for next weeks chapter, it's gonna be a special one ;)
Love you all to the moon and back, xox
** LittleGirlBigImagination just reminded me. This chapter is based off of the MainstayPro video on youtube! Go check it out, it's amazing!