Alliances – Just to clear up any confusion…
CAREERS:
D1 - Seve Akonda – Loves being a career and loves being with Tanner
D1 - Ruby Zershmeide – She just wants protection, but she will kill to stay alive
D2 – Rat Hues – LOVES being a career
D2 - Freya Kalen – Loves being a career
D3 - Graphite Edgley – Sticks around because she has a thing for Gabe and she knows she'll die if she leaves them
D4 - Gabe Tiburon – Leader of the Careers
D4 - Selena Lennock – Is a Career to win this thing
D5 - Tanner Shala – Hangs around for Seve and wants to kick some serious butt!
Alliance 1:
D12 - Anton "Tony" Urie – Rio and Robin are smart, but he knows they wouldn't kill him, at least he hopes..
D9 - Rioro (Rio) Ire – Is in for the advantage of an alliance, and Robin
D9 - Christina Robins – Can outsmart both of them when she needs to, but now she is with Rio she'll just have to leave them when the time comes.
Alliance 2:
D5 – Darryl Faines – Conan is loyal, and Darryl needs protection
D6 – Conan Beckon – For the advantages of the alliance
Alliance 3:
D7 - Beatrix "Trixy" Morgenstern – She wants to take care of the younger kids
D10 - Alloura Marzougi – She feels safe with Beatrix
D12 - Chrysanta "Chrissy" Mercade – They are nice people, but she will leave them and look for Anton
Alliance 4:
D8 – Elliot Weber – Daisy is soft-hearted, easy to kill when the time comes
D8 – Daisy Crest – Needs the security of an Alliance, plus Elliot isn't very smart, so she could leave any time
Loners:
D6 - Chrissy Van Pelt – Swore revenge on district 1, and no one can get in her way
D7 – Imnio Chastic – Isn't very good at making friends
D10 - Vulcan Mead – He doesn't trust the other tributes
D3 - Randalf Kim – Wants an alliance, but then decides he would rather go solo
D11 - Smarth Vital – He operates better alone
D11 - Trixi Tawers – She is a born loner, and works best without anyone by her side
Anton Urie – District 12
Despite everything, I'll miss the little things of my normal-ish life, the sounds of the winter wind whistling against my bedroom window, it's cracked blue paint, the sound of Karly playing with Micah happily by the fire place, Braeden wiping his soggy boots on the door mat before entering, Mum giving me a kiss on the forehead when I was sick, the sound of Hugo's laughter, Evelyn leaning over to sniff a flower, or the way she tucks her sweet hair behind her ear when she's nervous and when she smiles, it lights up the whole room. I'll miss the vivid colour of the first rose to bloom in spring, creeping out from under the snow, the stars glistening in the night sky, my mother's chirping singing, Chrysantana's sheepish little smiles, Sequin's squeals, the sound of little Pulchra's heels clipping on the tiles every time she runs after Apollo insisting she does his nails…it's the little things in life that count, and I have a lot to be grateful for.
Like at the opening ceremonies, Chrysantana's hand crept onto mine, and I squeezed it gratefully. She was shaking, her lip quivered, and her pulse was going one hundred miles an hour. She scrunched up her face in concentration, like if she couldn't see it, the reality of our fate wouldn't be there. We have so much to live for…so much to die for…I didn't want to be in the games. Our fingers relinquished as we said our goodbyes. I leant down to whisper in her ear.
"I would never kill you, ever,"
"And I could never kill you either," she breathed.
Sequin's eyes brimmed with tears as she clutched her stomach, like it would somehow stop us from leaving. Poor sentimental Sequin, a year younger than I, yet she watches us be sent to our deaths…On impulse she pulled Chrysantana into a warm hug.
"When you come back, you'll be able to see the baby…" she told her. Chrysantana nodded.
"Sequin…if I die…will you name the baby Quille? For me?" Chrysantana asked, her eyes shining. Quille, what a perfect name. It rang with the spirit that shone from Chrysantana's glassy blue eyes that gazed at the older girl. It pulsed brightly upon the earth, like Chrysantana's little smile. It was almost a tribute to the dead children, who met their end at the Capitol's hands. The gut-wrenching eeriness of lingering death from the hunger games that destroyed the lives of families and friends that fed upon their despair was being battled by that one name.
"Of course…" the tears that were welling in Sequin's eyes spilt over. "Q-u-i-l-l-e right?" Chrysantana nodded.
"And if it's a boy, Q-u-i-l-l?"
It was Sequin's turn to nod.
"Good luck," Apollo nodded professionally, shaking my hand.
"Bye Anton!" Pulchra said mistily.
"Bye, everyone," I gulped.
I walked into the tube and took one final look at my make-shift family before rocketing off, with their sullen faces becoming more distant. Will I ever see them again?
Seve Akonda – District 1
I said goodbye to everyone in a rather hopeful way. There was a one in twenty-four chance that I was coming back, and I wasn't going to let that get to me. I said my goodbyes and entered the tube. I shot off, leaving my entourage behind me. I stole a last glance at Ruby before she climbed into her own transportation. Her pale face was flushed pink as she closed her eyes, wishing she could go home. At the pit of my stomach, I was feeling that too, anxiety, longing. I just wanted to run to my family, and to Tanner, the beautiful girl I loved, the beautiful girl who will have to die so I can live. Yet I could never really kill her or Ruby, Tanner's changed me, and I don't know if it's for better or for worse. I wasn't going to let anyone know my weakness. From here on in, it doesn't exist, and neither does love. Tanner is just a girl - a girl who is getting in my way of victory.
Chrissy Van Pelt – District 6
I am ready, I am set, and I am yearning to go. I picture my sister's innocent face, crossing with pain as those district 1 tributes tore her apart, and I knew from then, I wanted revenge. It was like a burning fire in the pit of my stomach, tearing me apart, destructing any fondness or pity in its path. My sister's televised screams pierced my skin with torment, and buried themselves deep inside of me, lingering, just waiting for me to use it to my advantage, to my dead sister's advantage. Everyone was going to pay. Everyone, anyone. Bring it on, District 1, because you're about to get slaughtered.
Beatrix Morgenstern – District 7
With my nimble fingers I pushed a strand of my pixie-like black hair behind my ear, and said my final goodbyes to my stylists. They may have been terribly annoying, but I'm going to miss them. I glanced at my reflection in the surface. Those slim, muscled limbs are going to come in handy. Oh boy will they. I think of my mother, buried somewhere underground, in a dreamless sleep, never waking up, not thinking, seeing or breathing. Right now I want to be just like her, oblivious. I can care, though; I will care, for myself, and Alloura and Chrysantana. Poor children. They're so frightened; I can see it in their eyes. They have a whole life ahead of them, and that is what I'm going to give one, a life, while I die in peace. First I have got to survive for them, for my father, waiting at home.
Rioro Ire – District 9
The first glimpse of the arena I see is rock. Big, red, rock, with the midday sun pulsing upon it in visible waves. As I rise above ground I notice several hundred meters to my left is Rat, and to my right is Trixi from Eleven. The cornucopia, glinting and golden in the sunlight was the only thing sitting on the sparse advance of rough, rocky land that stretched for half a kilometer around, in the middle of the canyon, which snaked around the edge, for as long as I could see. I looked over my shoulder, and noticed I was standing a few meters from its edge.
It was barren and literally deserted, silent, except for the intake of my breath. I squint as the harsh sunlight beats upon my face. The canyon is eroded to a point where the descent is too deep to see clearly, just a black expanse so close…how easy it would be if a tribute just slipped off the edge, into their grave of darkness. The first bead of sweat rolls down my face, even though I've only been in the arena for a few seconds. On second glance, the canyon is not as deep as I thought it was, it still was a long way to the bottom, but I could see cliffs, crags and caves and platforms in the rock, all joined by barely visible trails of dirt. It glowed red, copper and earthen, maximized by the heat. That left me two options, the first to run down one of the steep slopes with Robin and Tony to escape to a cave, hopefully finding some food, or finding danger, who knows what's down there? The latter is to face the sun out in the open, with the advantage of seeing everywhere around you, but that could easily become a disadvantage when the others could as well…
Cristina Anne Robins – District 9
Oh hell! A canyon! Birds can't survive without trees; out in the open was where they were most weak! Rioro nodded at me from across the cliff. I raised my head back. My breaths already come out in pants, and my skin is saturated with sweat. Now I understand why we needed the suits. Claudis Templesmith's voice boomed through the arena out of nowhere. He must be dead old now, he had been announcing ever since the first Hunger Games, 98 years ago. I shake my choppy dark blonde hair out of my face and concentrated.
"Let the 98th Hunger Games… begin!" His voice fades, yet his words still ring in my ears. I can practically hear the clock ticking. This will be my last minute of peace. Ever.
50 seconds. To beside me I can see the silhouette of Tony and Selena. She seems ready for anything, facing the arena with unimaginable strength.
40 seconds. The clock seems to go unusually slow, so much different from what you are forced to watch on television every year. With the cameras moving from each tribute's face, it seems like an eternity.
30 seconds. Find yourself a weapon, girl! I think furiously, with my eyes scouring the ground. At my feet is a bundle of cloth, and at the base of the cornucopia, is the glint of a sword. From where I was standing, I could see its immaculate blade. It was made for me; it wanted me to wield it. I must get it, it's my duty.
20 seconds. Food, I need food. Next to the cloth is a package of dried fruit. A foot away is a can of soup. I could almost hear my stomach rumbling, yet I had eaten just before I arrived…
10 seconds. I'll grab the sword and some food and meet up with Rio and Tony, find some place to stay. I'll take my chances with the canyon; at least it provides shelter from the scorching sun.
3, 2, 1 go!
The gong sounds and without hesitating, I jump off my platform. Hell breaks loose. Everything is madness. I sprint as fast as I can, my lungs burning to breaking point. My fingers clasp around the hilt just as another hand does. Conan Beckon.
"Get off!" I hissed. My voice was saturated with venom.
"Make me, birdie!" he growled back.
I lunged at him, pulling the sword out of his hold with my free hand. I tightened my grip on the sword at turned on him. Weaponless, but still standing, he wheezed.
"Kill me if you want, but I won't go down without a fight" I looked at him hesitantly.
"Get out of here!" I told him urgently. He nodded and then turned. I did the same. That's when I heard his cry. I whipped my head around in time to see the silver blade of an axe swish through the air, and plant itself deep in his skull. His eyes rolled backwards as he fell limply to the ground. The cannon fired, thundering through the arena. Beatrix Morgenstern, I should have guessed, judging by the axe. I swung my sword round, but she evaded harm and grabbed another 2 axes at the Cornucopia and took off, with Alloura and Chrysantana with her.
Ruby Zershmeide – District 1
I see Beatrix slice Conan through the head and I wince. That Robin girl fights back, but District 7 sprints away. I get my hands on a leather pouch and brandish the knives from inside, perfect! I see Robin with Rio and Tony, slinking off down the slopes unnoticed. Daisy from 8 screams as Gabe's trident spears her through her stomach. Another cannon. I see Seve's sword just inches away from my back.
"It's me!" I snarl. He nods and turns defensive.
"Scout around don't let people get to the supplies!" he instructs. I agree and take off. I don't cherish the idea of killing, but if it means me getting out alive, then what has to be done has to be done.
Freya Kalen – District 2
Only a second after the gong sounds something hard hits me in the back. I stumble and turn to see Darryl from 5 standing over me. Without thinking, my weapon impales him. He drops to the ground and as his eyes flutter closed, I can hear him whisper,
"Sorry," his cannon went off in a bang.
I kick him away and sprint over to the cornucopia to see Selena and Gabe fighting the boy from 8. He's not giving up. Selena shakes her head at him and throws a punch in the direction. It makes a sickening crunch as her fist made contact with his jaw. He fell onto the ground just as Gabe cut through him once more. Another cannon. Gabe solemnly pats Selena on the back and then went off fighting again.
I run up to the Cornucopia and see Imnio Chastic from 7 lunge at Rat. He was bigger than him so he flattened the twelve-year-old. Rat cried out, his eyes raking desperately for the rest of the careers. Imnio stabbed him in the shoulder, making Rat scream in torment.
As much as I hated Rat (which was a lot), how would it look if I let my district partner die? I took off, narrowly missing the knife that was sent whizzing by the place where my head had been only seconds before. Chrissy Van Pelt, the offender, swore violently, grabbed another, and aimed it at me once more. The dagger went slicing through the air in my direction. I ducked just in time, and it lodged itself in Imnio's leg. He immediately let go of Rat, and staggered about wildly. Not wasting a second, I hurled myself at the unsuspecting tribute, and ended his life quite suddenly. He just gasped, and toppled onto the ground. Over the cannon, Rat looks at me with wide eyes.
"W-why did you?"
"Why did I save you?" I laugh. Honestly, Rat can be so stupid. "Because you're worth saving, idiot!" he chuckles with me and then winces. I only just remember his arm. I look down, and see it's coated in scarlet blood.
I extend my hand gingerly, and he took it. Together, he was hauled up. We run to the Cornucopia, meeting up with Seve, Ruby, Graphite, who was clutching her forehead, trying to staunch the blood flow that came from her wound, Selena, Gabe and Tanner. Apart from stone-age and Rat-boy, all of the others were unscathed.
"That Vulcan guy's done for," Seve points to the ground a few feet away, where the district 10 boy lay panting on the ground. Blood flowed from his stomach in huge amounts; his eyes were bloodshot and staring blankly upwards.
"He snuck up on me," Seve explained. "I just acted on instinct." Yeah, as if. Seve is such a hypocrite. He is a career. Careers go hunting, careers kill people for fun. Careers DON'T kill people because the snuck up on them on instinct, they make them regret it.
"Are you sure you shouldn't end it for him?" Ruby asks.
"I'll do it." Selena volunteered. She walked over to the unsuspecting, dying Vulcan, and swiftly swept her knife over his chin. His cannon immediately sounded.
"I had to do it," Selena told us. She looked a little sad, "I couldn't let him suffer,"
"I could!" Rat said gruffly.
"Oh yeah?" I challenged.
"Yeah."
Alloura Marzougi – District 10
The terrain is rocky. That pretty much sums it up. I don't care. It doesn't matter. All that does is the fact that my district partner, Vulcan, is dead. I know I wasn't exactly close to him, but he was the closest thing I have to home. I bet every tribute, regardless of whether they had lost their district partner or not, will think that.
"I'm sorry about Vulcan," Chrysanta murmurs. Beatrix pats me on the back and echoes 'sorry'.
"Thanks," I mutter.
We walk in silence. "Ah!" I exclaim. My foot crumbles the sandstone under me, and I fling back onto my back. It aches. But that's not all. I slip downwards, scraping my exposed skin on the rock. The burning sensation doesn't stop when I do, it just stings more. I look up, and see Beatrix and Chrysantana standing several feet away from me.
"Al!" Chrysantana calls. She and Beatrix work their way down to where I sat, moaning.
"Can you get up?" Beatrix asks, concerned. I cringe. She pulls me up by my shoulders and surveys my injuries.
"Oh god!" Chrysantana draws breath, when she sees my red, scraped raw hands.
"It's okay!" I assure her. "I'm okay!"
"No you're not." Beatrix contradicts me. I wince as she examines my hand more closely.
"I just need to rest," I sigh.
"Well, we'll just have to camp here." Beatrix decides. I nod, and look at Chrysantana for her opinion.
"We have to move out! The bloodbath will be over soon and people are starting to clear out! We're so close to the top…"
"No." Beatrix says firmly. "We can't go. Not with Alloura in her condition."
"I'm okay!" I insist, and try to sit up. I can't it aches too much.
"We have to find Tony!" she persists.
"No." Beatrix and I both say. "Sorry," I add meekly. "It's too dangerous."
Anton Urie – District 12
Robin and Rio walk on either side of me in silence. The sun is too bright to look up from the ground, so I just keep my head down. My body is saturated with sweat, it literally pours down my face. I turn my head slightly and see Robin, clutching her precious sword that nearly cost her life, and a pack of water. She tries not to get enticed by the liquid, to save it, but it just looked too good. She unscrewed the cap and drank it down greedily. I looked down at my own water at then at Robin again. My fingers itched towards the liquid, but I balled up my fists and kept walking. The cliff face was very steep, and often I had to clutch at the collapsing rocks around me to keep me from falling to my death.
"I think we should stay here," Rio points to the cave.
"Fine," Robin huffs.
I look inside, and it seems okay.
"Hey, what's that noise?" Robin asks, squinting into the darkness. I strain my ears, and hear a low, grumbling noise.
"I dunno," I answer cautiously. It's getting louder. It's a roaring noise, husky and low.
"Oh hell!" Rio moans.
I whip my head around, and see what my worst fears confirmed…
"Mutts!" Robin screams.
So how did you like the bloodbath? Tell me in your review! Here is the death toll, and who killed who…
1. Darryl Faines – killed by Freya Kalen
2. Conan Beckon – killed by Beatrix Morgenstern
3. Elliot Weber – killed by Gabe Tiburon, injured by Selena Lennock
4. Daisy Crest – killed by Gabe Tiburon
5. Imnio Chastic – killed by Freya Kalen
6. Vulcan Mead – killed by Selena Lennock, injured by Seve Akonda
So right now, Gabe and Freya have the most kills. Keep watching for the next chapter! Please review….