Thanks to everyone for reviewing the last chapter – I'm now over 100 reviews :) Woot! :) A virtual prize goes to Gabbie for being the 100th reviewer – thank you very much.
100 review attaining gloating over, I hope you enjoy this chapter.
The Careers did set up camp in the middle of the first island, but there are no medpacks to be found. Obviously they all carried the kits on them. It's what I would have done so it's not too much of a stretch, even if the way Careers think is so obviously different from me.
On a proper island in the middle of the round lake the Cornucopia has landed. It sits with its tail in the water and its mouth out of it, and would probably be quite a nice sight if I was in the mood to notice nice sights. But I'm not in the mood, so I only pay attention to the golden horn to see if there's anything worth scrounging from there.
By the time I've walked the whole way round the tiny lake it's pretty obvious that the Cornucopia has been emptied. Makes sense, I guess – you don't want to go swimming every time you need to get something. Better to just move everything at once. And that's assuming that the supplies – if there were any – survived the fall. Maybe they're scattered all through the forest, but somehow I doubt it.
After deciding that there's nothing round the Cornucopia I head back to where I'd seen the remains of the Careers' camp. It's not much – most of the things they'd had must have been taken with them at some point or another. There's the remains of a campfire, days old I think, a muddy and bloodstained white backpack – it's empty, to my annoyance – and some blood splatters on the ground and surrounding trees.
The ground's all scuffed up. There must have been some sort of fight here, I figure. And when I look again, I notice a long thin sword half-hidden by some bushes. That's pretty odd – most people don't usually leave weapons just lying around, especially not in the Hunger Games.
Suddenly my senses are on full alert. If there's a weapon then maybe there's someone else lurking around waiting to spring a trap on me. I wouldn't put that past Abbie – I'd almost expect it, after what she did to her District Partner – and Glint might be the type to set traps as well. At least hide and jump out screaming type traps.
Almost before thinking it the axe is in my grip and I'm scanning the surrounding area for any sign of a trap or another tribute. A branch moves – there! I jump at it with the axe, but it was just the wind. There's no one there. It must just be the obvious signs that this place was once a camp that are making me jumpy.
Even so, I still keep on edge. Gingerly I pick the sword up – it's also somewhat bloodstained – and walk to the edge of the small lake. I throw the sword as far as I can and watch it crash down with a satisfying splash. Now there's one less weapon lying around for someone else to use on me.
Still plenty of weapons in the Arena, though. Three of us left and I doubt anyone's unarmed. It'd be too much to hope for that Glint and Abbie kill each other off, wouldn't it?
The Games seem to have slowed down now that we're in the top three. I spend the rest of the day following a different river than the one I came up down to the edge of the island. Staying near the centre lake puts me too much on edge, and moving at least gives me the feeling of doing something.
By the time I reach the island edge it's starting to get dark. Nothing interesting for the Capitol happened all day, at least not on my end. I don't think anything happened with the other two either, because at this stage of the Games 'interesting' would mean someone dead.
In the morning I'll keep moving. Soon enough the Gamemakers will get bored enough to figure out a way to force the three of us together. For the moment my only option is to move and hope I run into someone.
When I wake up from another night of fitful sleeping it's already light. It's the work of a few minutes to shove everything into the pack, keeping a ration pack pulled out. There are still quite a few left and there are only three surviving tributes – I can afford to eat a bit more now. Probably need the energy now too. I munch on the food as I walk along the island edge in search of a rope-gun, and after maybe half an hour's walk I find one.
The issue is what the rope-gun can shoot at. There is an island, but it's as tiny as the one I had lunch on a few days ago. Rocky, barren, less than ten metres across. But if it's the only destination then it must have been put there for a reason, so I shoot out the rope-bride and climb across.
Nothing happens when I end up on the island at first. It's only once I've examined every detail of the tiny island, noticed nothing at all that could help, and begin to look like I'm going to climb back off the island that the Gamemaker interference becomes obvious. The rope-bridge disconnects itself, and now I notice that there's no rope-gun on this island.
I'm stuck.
I don't know how long I stay there trapped on that tiny rock in the middle of the sky. It is long enough for me to begin to get very bored and for my thoughts to start wandering off into territory I'd rather they didn't – Rowan mostly, or the way I killed the girl from Four.
Finally, though, just when I'm about to do something reckless just to drive those thoughts away, something happens. The island starts moving, with me on it. I'm very glad that I'm sitting down, because it starts suddenly enough that if I'd been standing it would knock me off my feet.
I sit there, looking around in half amazement and half apprehension as the little rocky island carries me down and under the Cornucopia island. As we move I pull the axe out of where I'd strapped it to the bag, and feel better for having a weapon in my hands.
Then the moving island clears the bottom of the main one and I realise what's going on.
Across from me are two more of the small moving islands, with Glint standing on one and Abbie kneeling near the edge of the other observing whatever's below us. Each island is about an equal distance apart and we're all converging inwards and downwards onto something – I'm not quite sure what.
Suddenly it strikes me that Abbie might have the right idea. Slowly I stand, move to the edge and carefully look down.
Underneath me, and what the three islands must be heading towards, is a perfectly flat and round island. It's bigger than the one I'm standing on, but still smaller than any of the others I've seen all Games, though it might just look like that because there aren't any trees. Instead, this island is flat and rocky with big boulders strewn about it every so often. Not a bad place to stage a final battle, really, and a three way battle's always so much more interesting than a two way one. For the viewers, anyway.
There's nothing under this island but sky, and even if there was something else my bag doesn't have its parachute. That means it's useless, so I don't put it on in preparation for arrival. It'll just get in the way when I'm fighting, anyway. Instead I make sure that there's a knife in my belt and an axe in my hand, and hope that the other two still think I'll be easy to take out once they've gotten rid of the other.
Now I'd better figure out a way to look as pathetic and non-threatening as possible while still holding this axe. I end up sitting down again, with my knees tucked under my chin and the axe held loosely in my right hand, almost like an after thought. With a bit of luck, it might just work.
Only a few minutes later the small islands arrive at the final one. Instead of rope-bridges these islands just stop moving close enough to the main one so we can step off onto it. Glint steps off his first, then Abbie, who's interestingly still wearing her backpack, and I only climb off mine once it looks like the other two are preoccupied with each other.
Once I step off my island it flies away again, and I notice the other two have as well. So now there are only two ways to get off this arena in an Arena – kill or be killed.
There isn't really enough room to hide out, but I try anyway, figuring both'll ignore me in favour of taking out the person they don't think is a complete and utter weakling first. So I crouch behind a boulder, trying to look just like someone who only lived this long by accident.
It seems to work, because I'm left alone. Glint rushes towards Abbie, who shows she's agile as well as fast and sidesteps him. And so the battle begins.
I watch them duke it out from my hiding spot. They both know I'm here – it's not like it's a particularly effective hideout - but they'll leave me for later. This battle is between the two of them, between Abbie and Glint. District Three and District One. Brain versus brawn.
Abbie with her small stature, dark haired and pale skinned, cunning and smart and cold. She dodges and weaves and runs, always on the defensive, avoiding Glint for long enough to send him into a trap. Not that I can see how she'll have had time to set a trap down here.
Then there's Glint with his hulking size, muscled and red haired, strong and skilled and determined. He charges forward with sword in hand, always on the offensive, ready to kill the moment he can catch her.
And they're both equally monstrous. I remember Glint in the lift, trying to terrify two innocents who would most likely die anyway. Enjoying the effect he had on us. I remember his interview and signing up for the glory. I remember lurking in a tree, watching Abbie cold bloodedly murder her own District Partner because he'd outlived his usefulness. I remember her emotionless determination and Oran implying she'd done the same to District Eight.
They might be utterly different in all respects, but these two are both equally dangerous. They both want to win at any cost. They've both killed before, and will happily do so again. They're both complete monsters.
And, I realise, neither of them can be allowed to win the Games. They say that being in the Hunger Games changes you, and maybe it does. The Johanna Mason who came in here isn't me anymore, and it's not just because I dropped the act. Imagine how the Games could change those who were already terrifying before them, like Glint. Like Abbie too, I imagine.
So I'll let the two of them fight it out, brain versus brawn. Then I'll fight the victor, and kill them. I'm going to win these Games. For Rowan, for Vince, for myself. For everyone in Panem. Nobody ever called me a nice person, mostly because I'm not. But at least I still have a shred of humanity left. Neither of these two do.
So I'm going to win these Games. Because I don't want to die, and because I have to.
I realise the danger in internally monolouging when the battle comes too close to me and I have to duck and jump backwards to avoid Glint's sword slicing off the top of my head. He seems to properly notice me for the first time and raises his sword to attack me instead. I tighten my grip on the axe and prepare to use it to block.
Then Abbie comes in, taking advantage of Glint's momentary lapse in attention on her, and manages to get a relatively deep gash with her knife in his side. This angers him, and probably saves my life. I might be able to take Glint in a fight with the axe and the element of surprise, but not when I'm on the ground.
As Glint chases after Abbie – who is fast; especially for a District not renowned for their physical ability, especially for someone still carrying a heavy-looking pack – I scramble to my feet, though still keep the axe hanging from one hand like I don't know how to use it. No sense giving up my advantage quite yet.
Instead I watch the fight, and try to keep out of the way. Glint is stronger, larger, and obviously a better fighter, with a better weapon. But Abbie is agile and quick and takes advantages where she can find them, so the fight lasts a while. Eventually Glint begins to tire out, but Abbie does too.
"Truce for five minutes while we rest?" Abbie asks, barely audible what with the distance and her puffing.
Glint nods, and while he catches his breath Abbie turns away from him and pulls something out of her bag – I can't see what. Quickly she puts the bag back on and starts running again, and just in time because Glint's really just been faking his tiredness and tries to attack her again.
She doesn't run for long, though, just past the next set of boulders. I move backwards a bit; looks like the fight is heading back here. Abbie stands, squares her shoulders, and I notice what it is she's holding in her hands.
It's the firing bit of a rope-gun.
The girl from District Three has managed to use the Arena to her advantage, yet again. She's even more dangerous than I thought. Again. And I thought I was the one everyone was supposed to be underestimating.
Glint comes charging through the boulders, notices what Abbie has in her hands. I can see his expression change; it's almost comedic. Then Abbie pulls the trigger. He doesn't have time to duck.
He doesn't need to; her aim is off. Maybe it's her, maybe it's the weapon – but either way, Abbie's master plan has failed. It takes minutes to wind up the rope gun. If you used it was a weapon, you only get one shot. And she missed. Her back is to me, but I can still see the change in posture as she realises her plan has failed.
Abbie drops the rope-gun and runs. Leftover rope streams out of her bag – it would be almost funny, if it wasn't for the situation. As it is, it's just sort of pathetic. You can see that she's out of ideas and just playing for time. It doesn't do her any good, though, because she might be faster but Glint has more stamina. It takes a while, but eventually Glint catches her.
They're pretty close to me when it happens, so I can hear the conversation between them.
"You can't run anymore, District Three."
"I know," Abbie puffs, "but don't you dare think I'm not going down without a fight."
He slashes at her and she ducks, moving backwards – backwards towards the edge of the island. Slowly Glint manages to back her off until she's only a metre or so from the edge, ducking for all she's worth and trying to slash him with the knife. The hit she got on him earlier was lucky, though, and it's pretty obvious he'll win.
"You're not that good," Glint laughs, when she's almost at his mercy, when the fight has turned from a fight to a show. "How'd you get Amethyst and Thetis, then?"
I don't hear Abbie's response, but it must have been a question, because he clarifies, "District One and District Four."
"I didn't," Abbie says, and doesn't duck quite quickly enough this time. Then she just stops moving in shock. "I didn't, you didn't. So that leaves-"
She never gets to finish her statement, though, because Glint's foot shoots out and kicks her off the edge of the island, knocking her into the endless sky. He looks down and watches her fall with satisfaction.
So now it's down to Glint and I, Glint who seems to be doing the maths a lot more slowly than Abbie did. I creep up behind him slowly, axe at the ready.
"She says she didn't kill the others, but she must've. She was lying. I didn't kill them, so she must've." He stops muttering to himself, and I see his body tense with realisation. "Unless…"
I swing the axe at him. He's a Career though, and trained, so his reflexes are fast enough to help him avoid being killed. He spins around and raises his left arm to block my swing, so instead of hitting his neck the axe just puts a nasty looking gash in his arm.
"Unless I did," I finish. "But no, that's impossible, isn't it? Because I'm p-poor blubbering Johanna Mason." I force tears from my eyes, something that's almost second nature by now. "No, Glint, p-please don't k-kill me. I'm too p-pathetic to k-kill."
While I'm talking Glint tries to attack me, and I parry his sword with my axe. We fight for a while, pretty evenly matched. I need to say something to put him off guard, something to bring back the shock he must be feeling at my reveal.
"You know, District One, there's this brilliant thing called acting. It's what I've been doing all Games. And guess what? It worked. So how stupid do you feel now?"
Glint blocks my axe and lunges forward with his sword. You can see he's surprised, but it isn't impacting his fighting. Well of course it wouldn't, I realise with a sinking feeling. He's a Career, they've probably been trained to put emotion aside during a fight.
"Not stupid at all, because I'm still going to win this. You might have been pretending to be weaker than you were, but I bet I'm still the better fighter. You're still just meat – just maybe slightly tougher meat than expected."
I step out of the way and use the curve of the axe to hook his sword hand, pulling him off balance. At the same time I stick a foot out and kick one of his feet out from under him. Glint goes sprawling, but reacts faster than I'd thought he would and rolls away back to his feet before I have a chance to kill him.
He lunges at me again, and I step aside. The fight continues. We might have started off evenly matched, but soon it becomes clear that Glint's training gives him the upper hand and it's all I can do to prevent his sword from connecting with my body. I have to do something now, and quickly.
Then I have an idea, and can't help grinning even as I barely parry his sword blow. The next time he steps in with his sword I duck the swing. While I do this, I also position my axe between his legs and swing it upwards. Glint is a trained Career, supposed to have a higher pain tolerance than anyone else.
He's also a guy, and he's just gotten a blade to the groin.
Glint collapses to his knees in pain, dropping the sword. I kick it away and then kick him backwards so that I'm standing on his chest preventing him from moving. My axe is at his neck – all I have to do is kill him and I win.
But I hesitate. Killing him now is different to killing him in battle – I have him at my mercy, pretty much. And I don't think I want to kill again, not after what killing the girl from Four – Thetis, she was called – did to me. But I don't have a choice. I have to kill him. Even so, I can't help but hesitate.
The hesitation costs me though. A sharp pain burns through my thigh and I realise that Glint must have had a knife he managed to grab while I waited. The temptation is to drop the axe and clutch at the agonising stab in my thigh, but I grit my teeth and swing the axe down. It cuts into Glint's neck and the cannon fires.
I collapse onto one knee, hands reaching for the wound at my thigh. I've won – why haven't they announced it yet?
Then I remember. Abbie. Her cannon hasn't fired. Slowly, painfully, I crawl to the edge of the island and look down.
Abbie's parachute has opened. All I can see of her is a light blue and black dot against the slightly darker blue sky, and the dot is getting smaller by the second. She falls and falls and falls, and the parachute doesn't do anything because she has nowhere else to go.
Minutes pass. I start to wonder what will happen now – will we just wait until one of us dies of hunger or something? I have lots of ration packs left – I can cope. Hope my wounds don't kill me first though.
A few more minutes pass. Then there's a bright flash of light, and a cannon shot, and when the light is gone there's nothing left of Abbie but a faint wisp of smoke.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to present to you the winning Tribute of the Sixty Ninth Annual Hunger Games. I give you – Johanna Mason!"
As the voice booms out over the Arena I collapse backwards, like a runner after a very long and exhausting race. Then a hovercraft appears above me and lowers down a ladder. I grab on and am frozen in place as the ladder retracts into the white interior of the hovercraft.
Then a woman, in white but not an avox, approaches me and I spin round instinctively, brandishing the axe, pain ignored while I still have an enemy.
"Calm down, Johanna. It's over. You've won." Then, as an aside I'm probably not supposed to hear, "someone calm her down."
There's a pricking sensation in my arm and the world starts blurring. Fuzzily I look down and notice a dart sticking out of my arm, and then the world goes black and I know no more.
To all guys reading this – I'm sorry ;)