So, finally! We have passed Round 1 and are about to start Round 2!
I've decided that this chapter is going to be partly in between the Rounds, but mostly in the beginning to Round 2. I'M ONLY DOING 2 SHORT POVS BEFORE ROUND 2.
Before we start, let's have a moment of silence to remember our lost Tributes:
-Tom Line, 16, Sector 5
-Eima Halde, 14, Sector 4
-Alex Turner, 13, Sector 7
-Bryan Layk, 16, Sector 9
-Jayson DeGrade, 15, Sector 6
-Calista Reamer, 15, Sector 6
-Andrew Sheehan, 16, Sector 3
-Adrian Abernakle, 16, Sector 2
-Tyne Montgomery, 17, Sector 4
-Alton Jones, 18, Sector 10
-Roxen Hullough, 14, Sector 8
-Bryony Amazon, 17, Sector 1
Also, I put up a one-shot under Nightshade Series, Andrea Cremer. Please check it out! I put up explanations; if you haven't read the books, don't worry.
Last, I'm putting up another story, this one under Nightshade Series, Andrea Cremer, soon. Keep an eye out for it! And please review whenever you read my stories. It helps!
Now onto Round 2!
Chapter Eleven- In the Beginning
Synora
I made it. Round 1 is over and I'm alive. Only two more Rounds to survive before I can finally find Griffin. I can't wait.
"Hey, Synora?" I hear. Turning, I see Amaranth looking at me.
"Yeah?"
"Who is it?" I decide to play dumb. "What do you mean?"
"The important person." She reads my hesitation correctly. "Don't worry; no cameras. We're alone, finally."
I shouldn't tell her. But I need to let it out.
"His name is Griffin. He's my brother, my twin. I don't know where he is. When we were fifteen, he left. No one's seen him since. He could be dead for all I know. But I doubt it. He's the one who taught me to use a Kadriel."
"Wow. So that's who gave you that ring."
"Yeah. It was for our fifth birthday. Alec sent it as my Token. He knows it means more to me than anything else I own."
Just as Ranth is about to reply, the door bursts open and two men enter. They pull our arms behind our backs and force us from the room. We're taken through halls and down stairs, all the way to the Tribute tubes.
I guess our half hour is up.
Great.
Zoe
I wonder what the second Arena will be. I've already been shoved forcefully into a Tribute tube. I can see Joshuwa in the one on my right, Wulfie on my left. That's all I care about: seeing the two of them alive and well.
I didn't do much in the half hour I was left alone. I talked to Joshuwa for awhile. Wulfie cried about the deaths all over again. I don't know what anyone else was doing. I didn't look.
The metal plate is still. I wonder how long I'll be in here?
Ranth
After Synora tells me about Griffin, I finally understand her. She misses him. All she wants is to win this thing so she can find him. I know how she feels; if anything happened to my Hope or even Cameron, I would do anything to see them alive.
Now I have to help her win.
Joshuwa
No matter what, Zoe is winning.
I can't stop the thought from running through my head at a million miles per hour.
If anyone wins, it should be Zoe. And I bet I can get the people of the Dome to vote for her, even if they aren't already. She is so kind, taking in first me, the mute kid, and then Wulfie, the broken girl, as allies. She must already appeal to them as the perfect vote. I just have to make sure she's chosen.
And that's what I'm going to do.
Lynzee
I can see Aarion in the tube next to mine. She is looking around, completely oblivious to the fact that we are only in these tubes so we can be sent into another Arena to die. She has no problem. I, on the other hand, am afraid of ending up like Jayson.
Now Aarion is smiling.
Why can't I be like her?
Aarion
What the heck?
One second, I'm talking to my friend Lynzee, and the next, I'm in this huge glass tube, standing on a metal plate. I can see 12 people throughout the room, all in tubes like mine. Lynzee is right next to me. Her face is wistful.
And then it hits me.
This is a Tribute tube.
I am a Tribute.
I am heading into Arena 2.
I smile. Now this makes sense!
Wulfie
I hate this.
But then again, who doesn't? These tubes make me nervous. I hate these things.
I look at my allies. Joshuwa is deep in thought, staring at Zoe. I'm almost 100% sure he loves her. That's good to know.
Zoe, on the other hand, is also deep in thought, though I'm pretty sure she's thinking about Round 2.
Why can't there be Training for each Round?
I think about all the dead Tributes that were announced by the president, Ryder Marx.
And, because it is inevitable, I allow myself to cry again.
So there it is.
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Haha, gotcha! That's not the full chapter! I promised you more, and more you shall get!
So here's the rest of the chapter. Welcome to Round 2!
No POV
This is it. The 12 remaining Tributes stand on their rising metal discs, all holding their breath. They do not want to know what is in the Arena. After the evil mansion, they do not want to know much of anything.
The disks reach ground level, and the Tributes let out a collective breath.
It is a forest.
And an ocean.
And a desert.
All wrapped up into one.
Well, at least its not a mansion. Or a cornfield.
The gong goes off. And Round 2 of the 74th annual End Trials begins.
Zoe
When I opened my eyes and saw the Arena, I was overjoyed. Now, I'm suspicious.
After what happened in Round 1, shouldn't this place be even more difficult? Why does it seem so calm, and relaxed? And normal?
Everything is complete panic. People are rushing off in seperate directions to find weapons and supplies and allies. I see Joshuwa waving to me and signing something that I can't see to understand. I shake my head in confusion.
Then it hits me.
Where is Wulfie?
She was in the tube right next to mine. Its only been thirty seconds since we reached ground level. How could I have lost sight of her so fast?
I run over to Joshuwa and start signing to him so no one can understand me. And then he lays a hand on my arm, stopping my frantic movements.
What is it? I sign with my other hand.
Joshuwa points behind me. I turn to look.
Ranth
As soon as the gong went off, Synora and I were on our way to the woods. Why?
A) The desert is too open.
B) Neither Nora or I can swim.
So, really, the forest is our only option.
We've been in here for five minutes and we've found a new pack of knives, another Kadriel, and two supply bags. I think we're off to a pretty good start.
So far, there have been no deaths, which makes me both wary and relieved. Relieved, because I don't like death. Wary, because only six people have to die for this Round to be over.
Just as I'm thinking this, a cannon goes off.
I think I thought that too soon.
Joshuwa
Zoe turns to look behind her.
Wulfie is standing at the edge of the water, staring at it. Her back is to us, so I can't see her face, but she doesn't look good. Even worse, she isn't paying attention to what's going on around her.
And so she can't see the person sneaking up behind her, holding a knife in one hand and a whip in the other.
Lynzee
We're about five minutes into the Round, and already Aarion is oblivious.
I pull her by the wrist toward the desert, where there are big rocks to hide behind. Plus, no one will think to look there, and there will probably be supplies somewhere.
I hope.
Once I find a group of boulders, I settle Air down and start digging. After about two minutes, I've found a backpack of food, three water bottles, and, luckily, a coil of thick rope.
"Is that rope?" I hear Air ask.
I turn to her. "Yes, it is. I just dug it up. Now we can make snares."
I turn back around and keep digging. After ten minutes of finding nothing, I move to sit by Air. She's holding a knife in one hand and the coil of rope in the other. As I watch, she slices the rope and twists it in her hands, creating snare after snare.
"How are you doing that?"
And then I see that her eyes are clear.
"Welcome back, Aarion."
It's good to have an ally.
Wulfie
I stare into the ocean. Nothing is like I thought it would be. Not that I thought it would be amazing or anything, but I didn't expect it to be like this.
I'm so lost in thought that I almost don't feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
Almost.
But I do.
And I turn just as the knife comes down.
I close my eyes and wait.
But the pain never comes.
Instead, I hear a high-pitched scream and open my eyes.
Jalay Clover is standing in front of me, her eyes wide open. Blood pours out of her mouth and she falls.
I see Joshuwa holding a sharp, bloody rock in his hand.
He just killed Jalay.
And saved my life.
Alright! Finally, I got the chapter up! Please review!
Peace!
-Bree
