So, my vacation plans for next week are if-y. Updating, yeah, not sure how it'll work. (Shrugs) Oh well, let's just get to it
Drale Shetler, District 10 Tribute
"Mutts don't kill tributes, grr, grr," Robyn anxiously singsonged. "The Capitol kills tributes, grr, grr. With mutts." The Cornucopia shook again. I grabbed onto the woven gold, as well as Robyn's wrist. I casted her a slight glaring, "you're crazy" look.
"Sorry, trying to lighten the mood." The Cornucopia rattled again, and I knew one of the mutts had gotten a tight grip onto the side. I barely made it up here with both my legs. Robyn- she lives in District 11, give me a break.
A snarling girl, who I guessed, by her dark complexion, was Robyn's supposed friend, lept up, her claws inches from my feet. I pulled back, trying hard to balance on the tall structure.
"Ways we can die," Robyn's voice called out. "Mauled by mutts, death by smashing our skulls into the ground below..."
"Or?"
The girl shrugged, her face pretty hopeless. "I have no idea. This is the Hunger Games. The Capitol could electrocute us with some random ass bolt of lightning if they wanted too."
Well, life was good while it lasted.
Boom!
At the sound of the cannon firing, the mutt screeched, plummeting down to the ground. These things may be deadly, but they're quite fragile beings. Like any person, just tricked out with fangs and claws, and strange strength and abilities.
Kind of, a little bit, like Tanya...
Teagan Aniston, District 12 Tribute
He's around here somewhere. I know for a fact.
The black arrow felt cold in my hand. The way it was shot, I know it hadn't been meant to kill me. If anything, a warning. My finger ran along the shaft, down to the pointed tip. Even after striking the ground, the point still grazed my finger with a sharp touch.
Suddenly, I heard the snap of a twig. The steady hum of the stones and chirps of crickets melded together, but the sound was distinct. I stood, pressing the arrow into my palm.
My breathing sped up, and I struggled to calm it. My brain was just muddled and overworked, the hum constant in my ears. I backed away from the source of the snap. My back pressed against something, but it wasn't a tree.
I gasped, squeezing my eyes shut. This was it. This was the end. A mutt, and if not, another tribute prepared to finish me off.
A hand brushed against my shoulder. "Teagan?"
My nerves eased. "Kellen." I saw the vague outline of his silhouette, the moonlight glinting off his ashy blonde hair. He gestured toward the tree, giving me a slight boost up into the tree. As I helped him up, I opened my mouth, wanting to ask what he's been up to. But he simply pressed a finger to his lips.
Perched upon the branch, Kellen swayed easily with the wind. I had stupidly left my jacket behind, not really thinking I'd need it. I barely made it through the first night alive without my toes freezing off. My teeth chattered. Scratchy wool scratched against my face, and I blinked up to see Kellen.
"You're chattering may give away our position," he said, his face scrunching up apologetically. I took it still, snuggling in the slight warmth still radiating from it from Kellen.
Somewhere, in the bushes, there was a shake. Peering through the darkness, I observed a dark head, not jet black, but also not blonde. Brown hair? It was long, and I don't recall any of the boys having long hair. The body shape was hard to figure since she wore the wool coat, but I was pretty sure it was a girl.
Kellen pulled back the bowstring, an arrow notched. The feathery part met just about the corner of his mouth. My eyes fluttered down at a sudden breeze, snow tickling my nose, sticking to my hair. With that movement of my eyes, I caught sight of a flash of movement.
Soon, the figure rose, in a position out of Kellen's view. The shadow rose, what seemed to be an arm pulling back...with the sharp point of some sort of weapon casting a shadow over their face.
"Watch out!" I screamed, shooting up, and shoving my partner down. He lost his balance, sending his arrow wide, and falling. When my feet lost any feeling of something underneath me, a sharp, shooting pain flitted up my arm. I landed ontop of Kellen, while he landed on, thankfully, a pile of snow.
"What's your-" Kellen started off in hushed anger, but he halted, mid-sentence. With a light hand, he grabbed my wrist, pulling my arm in closer to closely examine the wound. He tugged out whatever the weapon had been, shoving it in my hand.
"We gotta move," he urged, coming to his feet. "Can you hold yourself together?" I nodded my assent. Glancing around, Kellen darted off, his quiver of arrows bouncing on his back (how lucky was he to score those?)
Then, another flicker of movement. I turned to face it, somewhere to my right.
I barely lept to the side in time to dodge the vicious girl's knife. I realized then what I had been hit with; some sort of blade made of wood. Isn't this the girl from Seven? That must explain it.
I guess she had been hoping on ambush, because instantly, she slipped back into the woods. I saw the fly of an arrow and a moment later a cannon.
My eyes blinked once, twice. I only then realized the buckle of my knees and cold of the snow against my cheeks. Kellen kneeled by me, and the fog of my breath blew into his face. My whole body felt sore and I couldn't even imagine standing.
"Teagan," Kellen whispered anxiously. "We still gotta move, we're not safe."
This is the Hunger Games, Kellen. We're never safe.
Jayden Crush, District 11 Tribute
I found myself sitting on a tree branch across from Quint. We had ran for a good portion of the night, and we had finally gotten the sense to hide. He had the general idea that we were not in a general, mutual alliance.
"All we have to do is keep quiet, and try to track down the other tributes," he rambled. I didn't even realize he had been talking. He never does seem to need rest it seems. He'll probably shut up when the grass stops growing.
I've never been so mean. That's Quint for you. He could probably turn a baby into a cold-hearted murderer.
Seeing me fully awake, he stood, inching across the branch carefully before snatching onto one from my tree. The first tendrils of daylight lit up the sky and I could make out his face. He scrambled up, sitting comfortably next to me.
"So, I assume that, by now, Westria would have left the pack. She seems like the type to just be annoyed by the Careers. And Trey and Brooke are alone together. Carson, well, he's hard to figure out, he could be with anyone. Kellen seems to be watching out for Teagan. And Dorian may be a little off his guard, with a broken heart and all. Or ready to kill whatever is in sight. Robyn and Drale...not fully sure about them, do you think there's something going on between them?"
He's letting me speak? (Wow, I've spent way to much time around Robyn...)
"Oh, uh, well, it looks like they're allies," I said. I should really just go. I tried to stand, but Quint just tugged me back down.
"Well, yeah, but do you think they may like each other?" I raised my eyebrows at this. How would that affect if we hunt them down?
"Um, Robyn never seemed like the type to fall for a guy in the Games."
Quint cocked his head to the side. "Oh, is she like a lesbian or something?" Okay, that's it. I'm done.
Easing to full height on the tree, I wandered down the branch. Quint snatched at my ankle. "Wait!" In that movement, he pulled my foot back, and my balance wavered.
"Crud!" I yipped, and my body weight flew downwards, tugging Quint down with me. We flew for a moment, before landing hard. The wind knocked out of me, and as I breathed in again, I heard a cannon fire.
My head swung around, and my stomach churned slightly. Is Quint's neck supposed to bend at that angle? Oh, god. Struggling to my feet, I found my leg broken as well. Hot pain shot up my leg, and I shouted in pain, sinking down onto my bottom.
The rustle of leaves made my head jerk around. And then an unmistakable hiss.
I've been hunted. And as the creature I thought was my sister strides towards me, I breathe in my last breath.
I flash of movement, and I here the sounds of screaming. The last thing I take in is that the screams are mine.
Rocker Tripp, District 8 Tribute
Allie was bleading pretty badly. Honestly, my hope wore thin. Kyla could treat her somewhat, but her face slowly drained of color as the sky started to brighten. For one moment, we had been scared half to death when a cannon fired. But after a rattling, uneven breath from Allie, we let out a nervous sigh of relief.
The snow started to ease, and I estimated it to be about 5 o'clock. There's something up with this stuff, because once the sun would come up, it melted within an hour or two. Kyla glanced at me uneasily.
Boom! Boom!
We both glanced around nervously towards Allie, who just fluttered her eyes in a gesture of I'm not dead.
I lay back, reviewing our options. Seeing that we have none, I turn to Kyla.
"You have any ideas?" Kyla chewed her bottom lip, her lightly freckled face deep in thought.
"We can pray." Pray? Not many people believed in a God any more. We mainly see it as, if there was, he would have stopped this fro happening. God never stopped the Capitol from taking over.
I'm not sure what I believed. I shrugged, going along with Kyla.
She took my hand, as well as Allie's, closing her eyes, and bowing her head. I followed suit, peeking open my eyes to give the girl a side-long glance.
"Dear Lord," she said in a voice much older than a 12 year old. "Please help our friend, in her time of need. Protect us, and please forgive us for the sins we have commited. Just please, save Allie." Her voice choked up. "I know you have plans, and that we are all meant to do these things for a reason. Just please, don't let Allie go just yet."
Dropping hands, we all leaned back. "So what happens now?"
"It's a prayer," Kyla explained. "God answers it, when the time is right. Or just by helping when we need it."
"But we need help," I said. "Now."
Kyla shrugged. "Sometimes, God has his own plans, plans we don't always share."
Furrowing my eyebrows, I slammed the ground. "That's just bull. If God is so important and powerful, why can't he help us save Allie."
"Maybe he is saving her by letting her go on." The words were quite true, but I didn't want to believe them. My mouth opened to argue again, just when a silver little package floated down in front of us. That's impossible. Who would send us a package? Kyla tour off the paper, revealing a first aid kit.
Blinking, my gaze traveled over to Kyla. And when I thought a smile could never make me so happy.
The girl started treating our friend. I excused myself, wandering off to check the perimeter.
I looked up at the traces of brightening blue in the sky, a smile creeping across my face. "Thanks, Big Guy."
*P.S. You were all saying, oh, you won't kill Allie. I started actually debating killing her then, just to keep you on your toes*
And the dead pile up...
Rimmer Kamerman, District 2
Nicholas Calloway, District 3
Kaeden Whitrow, District 5
Reeda "Ree" Kails, District 7. Death by wound inflicted by an arrow, caused by Kellen
Quinten Wilkens, District 9. Death by broken neck from falling from tree
Jayden Crush, District 11. Death by wounds inflicted by his own mutt
It's that time of chapter again. Questionaire time! Of those still alive, and based on what has happened in the Games:
Favorite Tribute(s)
Least Favorite(s)
Worst Death (In Whatever Manor You Feel)
Most Likely To Win
Tribute You Want To Win
Next Death?
Favorite Arena Moment