Day 8
Valentine Ford, 17, D6
"You're not going to Six!" Miles barks.
I huff and roll my eyes, "Yes, I am."
"There's no point in you going. We're making it just fine."
"That is the point! We're just making it. We haven't done much these Games and the Gamemakers are probably getting restless. We need whatever gift is in the Cornucopia."
"Alright fine we'll go," he says slinging on his pack.
I tense, "Maybe you should stay here to get the gift from the Twelve Cornucopia."
"There's no way in hell, we're splitting up!" he shouts.
I expected this reaction. "We have to. I can take care of myself and you can take care of yourself. I can take the night-vision glasses and get to Six at sunrise and be back here by noon. I'm a fast runner."
This time he rolls his eyes, "I don't like this."
"But you know we have to. We can't live off of berries and forest mice."
"Fine but you're taking this as well." He hands me Gabe's ax. My eyes widen in fear. "Take it, you have to be able to defend yourself."
"What...what about you? You need a weapon too." I stammer.
"I have the knife. It will make me feel more comfortable if you take it."
I reach out for the ax but I freeze. A flashback of the crunching sound of Gabe's skull and the spraying of blood and grey matter. I can't do it. I can't take the ax. Miles gives me a curious look. I shake the thoughts away and take the ax. This is the Hunger Games, death happens. It's either kill or be killed. Miles pulls me close and tightly hugs me. I always feel safe with him. "Run fast," he whispers in my ear.
I give him a quick kiss, sling on my bag and grip the ax. "I'll be back soon."
I give Miles another hug and kiss. I slip on the glasses and take off. I head south towards Six. The woods are silent and the moon shines brightly above and reflects off the snow-covered ground. The glasses are a great help and I easily navigate through the forest. I start to sweat and my breathing gets heavy. I then start to cry because I'm scared. I basically grew up on the streets but I've never been afraid as I am now. I hope I didn't make a terrible mistake.
Sheen Carver, 17, D1
I don't sleep much through the night. The thought of Florence being alone right now and the feast have my mind racing. It must be a few hours after midnight by now. I gather my things and leave the shack. I'm too restless to stay still. The snow crunches under my feet, the full moon above reflects off the snow. I move east. I might as well head over to One. Something cracks a few yards away. I don't pay it much attention it's probably just a squirrel or something. A more audible crunch sounds. I whip around and ready my war hammer. I can't really see anything. A shadow moves and I spot a figure walking a few yards away. I crouch down. I recognize him as the boy from Twelve, Miles. His tall stature gives him away. He walks towards me. He doesn't notice me, he's focused downward and I hear him mumbling to himself.
My heart starts to thump. If he is here than Valentine must be nearby. He's about twelve feet away when he finally spots me. He doesn't shout out a warning or anything but instead takes off sprinting. I take off after him. I haven't gotten a kill yet in these Games and I need to prove to the Capitol my worth. Miles' long legs help him, but he's clumsy. He doesn't shout out to Valentine. Has she left him or could this be a trap? Did they kill Gabe? I don't have time to think about it. I continue running. The ground starts to slope downward and Miles slips on the snow. He falls and slides down the small hill. I lose my footing and fall as well. I crash onto the hard snow and roll down.I crash to the bottom. My head swims but I adjust quickly and grab my hammer. Miles is a little disoriented as well. He sluggishly charges towards me wielding a knife.
I hold my hands up in defense and search for my hammer. I spot it a few feet to my left. I roll to the side but Miles manages to slice the knife into my shoulder. I groan in pain. Miles swings his arms again but I evade it. I grab the hammer from the ground and swing it. The hammer smashes into Miles' stomach. He gasps for breath. I swing it again and this time it crashes against his temple. A thunk echoes and Miles collapses to the ground. He's unconscious and his breathing is shakey. Blood runs down my arm. I quickly remove my shirt and open my pack to get the first aid kit. I apply some antiseptic and a bandage to the best of my ability. A cannon booms. I look over to Miles, his chest has stopped moving. I slide over and yank off his pack. I dig through it but don't find anything of use. I leave the pack but take his knife. I move on towards One.
Ezekiel Pierce, 16, D2
A creaking noise wakes me up. I look out from my resting place on the bottom of a shelf and see a figure dart through the door. The first rays of sunrise are etching across the sky. I quickly grab my bow and a knife and take off. I quickly open the creaking door. The air outside is much cooler and brisk than any day before. I scan the area looking for the person. My best guess is that it was the girl from Three. Either way, it will be an easy kill. A few shrubs line the area between the warehouses, I go over to investigate to see if the tribute is hiding there. The ground starts to violently shake beneath me and I lose my balance and fall to the ground.
I look up to see the Cornucopia start to rise from the ground. I hear a low groaning and then silence. A transparent tube rests in the center of the Cornucopia. I can't tell exactly what is inside. Movement catches my eye as the girl from Three sprints from behind a warehouse towards the Cornucopia. I quickly notch my bow and aim. I follow the girl and then release the arrow. It lands in the girl's back and she crumples to the ground without a whimper. A cannon booms. I run to the Cornucopia and come to the tube. There is a simple handle on the outside and I pull it open. Inside the tube stands Codi Watts and she holds an ax. I stumble backward and try to notch another arrow. Codi hisses and her eyes change to red. She is quick and before I can even pull my bow back she swings her ax towards my head and the world goes black.
Anya Evans, 15, D5
I make it to the valley of Section 5, a few inches of water still remains after the flood. A lot of the cement houses are slightly destroyed but still stand. Snow falls softly making the area seem miserable and dreadful. I tread through the water, my knife gripped tightly in my hand. A cannon goes off. It's the second one of the day. Another one soon follows that's three.
I expect to find Jacqueline somewhere around here. I don't think both of the other Careers will be with her. Cyrus may be with her but I bet Hope went to Seven to the Cornucopia there. I walk down what used to be the main street of the subdivision and end at the cul de sac. The Cornucopia is there gleaming, a stark contrast to its environment. There is a tube inside, its covering is milky and I cant tell what's inside. I scan the area and don't see any sign of Jacqueline or her friends. Maybe they didn't want to take the risk of meeting me.
I make it inside the Cornucopia and stand in front of the tube. I waste no time and pull open the tube. I smile as Parker Knoppe walks out. He's smiling too. My smile disappears when I notice the large scythe in his right hand. It's strange to see this typically gentle man holding such a large weapon. He steps towards me and I quickly step back. This could easily be a Gamemaker trick.
"Don't worry Anya, I'm not going to hurt you," Parker says soothingly and drops his weapon.
I give him a cautious look.
"Is it really you, Parker?"
Parker and I both turn our heads. Jacqueline rushes out of the shadows of the back of the Cornucopia and gives Parker a huge hug. Has she been there the whole time?
"Yes, it's really me. I'm here to help y'all. To help one of you win. You've both officially made it to the top eight so congratulations!"
"That's almost hard to believe. Do you know who the past three cannons were for?" Jacqueline asks.
"The one early this morning was for Miles Tuure of District Twelve. The other two went off after I was released into the tube."
"We should get going to Seven that's where Hope and Cyrus are," Jacqueline says reaching for Parker.
"Excuse me? I'm sure as hell am not going to be with the Careers again and I'll be damned if you take Parker for yourself, especially since I opened the tube," I say.
Jacqueline glares at me and she moves her hand to the knife on her belt.
"Girls stop, we have to stick together. I'm here to protect both of you and I can't do that if we split up," Parker says harshly.
"Well, what do you expect us to do?" Jacqueline asks.
Parker pauses for a moment, "We should go to Section Four to get out of this water and the docks will provide protection."
Jacqueline is pleased with his response. I'm sure that's where she and her allies were going to meet this evening. I don't argue, I don't expect to stick around long. Parker barely managed to win his games and that was years ago. I doubt he had a day of training before entering in here again. Parker picks his scythe of the ground. A fourth cannon booms, Parker doesn't even flinch instead he leads us out of the Cornucopia. I turn to Jacqueline but she isn't paying attention to me and she follows behind Parker. Something is off and I don't have a good feeling about any of this.
Hope Wilde, 15, D7
Cyrus and I march through the forest of Seven. It's the first time for me to be in this part of the Arena. It's unnerving on how similar it looks to the woods at home. I half expect to turn the corner and end up in the town square. Of course, this doesn't happen instead Cyrus and I clomp through the slushy ground in search of the Cornucopia. Thankfully the flooding isn't as bad here as it is in Five.
"How do you think Jacqueline is?" I ask.
Cyrus adjusts his bow on his shoulder, "I'm sure she's fine. She can handle herself."
"Yeah, I'm sure she's fine." Three cannons have gone off today and I can't help but be worried about her. "We shouldn't have left her alone."
"Well, we can't do anything about it now. All we can do is find the Cornucopia and meet her back in Four."
Cyrus is right, we need to be as quick as possible. It doesn't take much longer for us to come to a clearing with the Cornucopia sitting in the middle. I spot a tube inside and Cyrus and I run to it. I look to Cyrus, "Open it!" he says practically jumping up and down.
I open the tube and Topher is inside. "Topher?" I say bewildered.
He flashes a smile that quickly into a grimace when he looks to Cyrus. In a flash, Topher thrusts his katana into Cyrus' chest. I scream as blood sprays from Cyrus' mouth. I instinctively swing my ax into Topher's arm and he falls to the ground. Topher snarls and tries to get back up but I kick him in the face. I rush to Cyrus' side as he crumbles to the ground. Blood covers his chest and he's choking as he tries to speak. "Shhh please don't try to talk," I say rubbing his hand in mine.
"Why did you do this!" I yell at Topher.
"He's the enemy!" Topher says baring his teeth.
Something isn't right. This isn't the kind, funny Topher from the train rides. This is something different. It must be some type of mutt. Topher grabs his katana and starts to move closer to Cyrus and me. Rage fuels me and I throw a small knife from my belt. It's not my favored weapon but it meets its mark. The knife embeds itself into Topher's forehead and he falls to the ground and I turn my attention back to Cyrus. Tears stream down his face and I can't help but start to sob.
"I'm so sorry," I repeat over and over until his cannon booms.
I stay there by his side. He looks peaceful in death. I know his parents and siblings are at home yelling at the screen. He was a great friend and ally. I remove his pack but leave his bow and arrows, they're of no use to me. I walk away from Cyrus and Topher. I don't head to Four instead, I decide to stay the night in Seven, in the forest that reminds me of the peacefulness and security of home. When the anthem plays that night the first face is of Cyrus and pain pangs my heart. I'm shocked to see Ezekiel next. Did he go to his own Cornucopia or did one of the other Careers open their tube and he had the same fate as Cyrus? Next is Harmony of three. I'm not too surprised; she was goofy from what I could tell while our short time together in the Capitol. Finally, the face of Miles flashes across the sky. I smile at our memory of the climbing wall together. Another face flashes in the sky. It's of Topher with the words "Mentor of District Seven" scrawled underneath. My breath catches. It couldn't have actually been the real Topher Matthews. He just recently got engaged, his life was going great, they couldn't have forced him into the Arena. Then again I'm forced here too. It has to be a Gamemaker trap. Right? I don't get much sleep throughout the night.
Sorry for the late update, I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter because I took a lot of breaks while writing so I'm iffy about the flow and but it is a pivotal point in the story. But we went from top 11 to top 7. The top 7 is Sheen, Anya, Jacqueline, Valentine, Hope, Florence, and Aster. Is anyone surprised by these tributes? A lot of death this chapter and I'm sorry for all of the tributes that passed. It's really hard having to kill off these people because they're all so great. Thanks again for reading and sticking with me guys. We are nearing the end, I'll probably end up merging planned chapters together in order to finish the story faster and maybe get updates out quicker! I do plan to do a lot of writing over Christmas break and after finals. Let me know what you thought about the chapter, thanks again!
Location of Tributes Mentor Mutts
Careers Alliance (Separated)
Sheen Carver, D1- Heading to Section Eight w/ Relic Delacourt
Florence Javier, D8- Cornucopia in Section Eight w/ Suede Clark
YC Alliance- (Separated)
Hope Wilde, D7- Cornucopia in Section Seven
Jacqueline Voltage, D5- Docks of Section Four w/ Parker Knoppe
Iffy/Troubled District Five Alliance-Docks of Section Four w/ Parker Knoppe
Anya Evans, D5
Jacqueline Voltage, D5
Loners (not alliance)
Valentine Ford, D6- Cornucopia in Section Six w/ Margot Bendetti
Aster Oakley, D11- Cornucopia in Section Eleven w/ Ida Williams
Eulogies
Miles, you were awkward and slightly goofy but I really liked you and your connection with Valentine. Unfortunately, your time is up, thanks to WhyNotWriteFanfiction for Miles!
Harmony you were an angel. I really enjoyed your background and personality and I always enjoyed writing you. I was always iffy on where I wanted to place you but here you are. Thank you Goldie031 for the great tribute!
Ezekiel, I really liked you. You were strong and a great Career. Thanks, ThomasHungerGamesFan for Ezekiel.
Cyrus, you may have been overshadowed by your peers at times, but I really liked your backstory and writing you. Your relationship with Hope and Jacqueline was fun. Thanks to luka11303 for the tribute!
Deaths
24. Richmond Clarke, 12, D9- Head Trauma Induced by Aspen Harper, D7
23. Wallace de Brugge, 13, D10- Burnt Alive by Harmony Haven, D3
22. Doe Galloway, 15, D10- Burnt Alive by Harmony Haven, D3
21. Leaf Sarill, 13, D7- Stabbed in the back by Anya Evans, D5
20. Sage Stone, 14, D12- Chest slashed by Florence Javier, D8
19. Gadget Mordhix, 17, D3- Arrow shot into head by Cyrus Bronze, D2
18. Luke Melilot, 12, D7- Knife thrown into back by Aster Oakley, D11
17. Wanda Butron, 12, D12- Ax chopped into back by Hope Wilde, D7
16. Catclaw Ruddock, 15, D7- Drown
15. Aspen Harper, 17, D7- Drown
14. Yvonne Esmeralda, 12, D12- Drown
13. Marina Walters, 14, D4- Strangled by Harmony Haven, D3
12. Gabriel Amarillo, 18, D8- Ax chopped into back of head by Valentine Ford, D6
11. Miles Tuure, 18, D12- Head smashed by Sheen Carver, D1
10. Harmony Haven, 14, D3- Arrow shot into back by Ezekiel Pierce, D2
9. Ezekiel Pierce, 16, D2- Head slashed by Codi Watts mutt
8. Cyrus Bronze, 14, D2- Stabbed in the chest by Topher Matthews mutt
Kills
Aspen Harper, 17, D7 (1)- Richmond Clarke
Harmony Haven, 14, D3 (3)- Wallace de Brugge, Doe Galloway, Marina Walters
Anya Evans, 15, D5 (4)- Leaf Sarill, Catclaw Ruddock, Aspen Harper, Yvonne Esmeralda
Florence Javier, 18, D8 (1)- Sage Stone
Cyrus Bronze, 14, D2 (1)- Gadget Mordhix
Aster Oakley, 16, D11 (1)- Luke Melilot
Hope Wilde, 15, D7 (1)- Wanda Butron
Jacqueline Voltage, 16, D5 (3)- Catclaw Ruddock, Aspen Harper, Yvonne Esmeralda
Valentine Ford, 17, D6 (1)- Gabriel Amarillo
Sheen Carver, 17, D1 (1)- Miles Tuure
Ezekiel Pierce, 16, D2 (1)- Harmony Haven
Mutts (2)- Ezekiel Pierce, Cyrus Bronze