The answer to my previous trivia question was: She was skewered through the neck by pink candy colored birds.
The receivers of those points were Munamana who answered first and got six sponsor points. The following three each received four sponsor points: i-am-foxface, TheKatieKat, and the epic bookworm.
District Six male tribute – Age seventeen- Collin Matthew Wrathers point of view
Tortured blood curdling screams is all that can be heard, being carried along the chilled wind. Nel and I remain huddled within the hallowed out depths of a beast deceased, but here in the silence are we forced to listen to one of our fellow tributes come face to face with the calls of death. The screams are distant, but they feel much closer than they really are in reality. I place my hands over my ears in an attempt to block them out, but still they slip through the cracks, disrupting my thoughts. I wonder who it is they belong to, but perhaps it is better if I never find out.
"Maybe they just came across a spider or a rather large bug," I say quietly, clinging onto these false hopes. I don't want to accept the reality of the situation so I will continue to paint these pictures of false truths that will make this situation easier to cope with. Yet I would soon learn that this technique would only aid me for so long.
"You keep telling yourself that Collin," Nel mutters, her blade still held tightly between her clutches until her knuckles begin to turn a ghostly shade of white. I breath out slowly, taking her words seriously and continue to softly mumble under my breath, "It's only a spider." Nel simply rolls her eyes at me, but I pay almost no notice. We have been held up in our shelter for several hours now; not having crossed a single soul in this barren wasteland, but already the competition has dwindled down in numbers, this much I am sure of. While the late afternoon sun hung low across the horizon, casting flickers of gold and orange across the land Nel and I slipped into this structure. It was Nel's suggestion and without a second thought I followed her blindly. Perhaps this is why the world sees me as hopeless, but I never was one to listen to what the rest of the world has to say. The only opinion other than my own that really matters is Nel's. Not the Capitols, not my fellow tributes, not those betting on my survival; just hers and mine alone.
After a few more moments of simply listening to the screams of the dying are they cut short, the sound of their cannon booming in the distance. "One less tribute for us to worry about," Nel mutters under her breath. One step closer to victory is the single thought we are both thinking. I lean back against the cool bone structure, stretching out my long legs, my throat parched by thirst. Already my lips have begun to dry from my body being denied the vital aspects that it needs. I have gone without before, but it is different when you know your life is hanging in the balance by only a thread. I glance towards our single backpack of supplies and know within its pockets is a water bottle full of the gleaming crystal clear fluid of water. Earlier today we found a small stream snaking its way through the land, but before I could bring the liquid to my lips Nel pulled me away by my hair, hissing about how it may be unsafe to drink. I listened to her reasoning, but that did not stop us from filling our water bottles full, that way the option of diminishing our thirst is ever present, even if it means taking the risk.
While my entire form remains calm Nel is on edge; twitching her head back at the simplest of sounds. She is far more into these Games then I ever will be, but that is just the clash in our personalities shining through. Nel realizes what is at stake in this moment while I on the other hand remained relaxed, as if we have never even left home. I want to imagine we are home, instead of in an arena built merely to keep us all trapped. I want to think about climbing up the large maple tree that looms over my home, having been there for as long as I can remember. I don't want to imagine being sent home in a box; I want to remember home being alive and full of life.
I reach down flicking a few pebbles so they bounce off of Nel's boots and in return she fixates her eyes into a glare in my direction. She is set on staying up the night, keeping watch for those who pose a threat to us, but I am simply breaking her train of concentration. The look on her face clearly reads that if I do not stop she is going to hit me, something she has done many times before, but I know she always means well by it, even if at times it actually does hurt. I flick a single pebble at her once more despite the look and in return she snatches it up, flinging it at my head, hissing for me to fall back into silence. I rub my head, my eyes tracing the smooth surface of the bone structure and I find myself wondering if they can see us in here. The answer is most likely yes, but that doesn't stop me from pulling a face, hoping the cameras can see. At the sight of me pulling faces for all of Panem to see Nel reaches over, smacking me in the back of the head. "Collin can you act mature for all of five minutes?" She asks with her usual edge to her voice. "Sorry," I whisper sheepishly, but we are both cut off by the sound of a pair of voices being carried along the breeze.
"We've been walking for hours Theo; do you really think we are going to find anyone now?" The voice of the female tribute from District Four is close, as the sound of her boots against the ground blending in harmony with her partners makes this fact clear.
"I know their out here, their just making things difficult for us by hiding," Theo almost snarls, the bloodlust practically dripping in his tone. I don't even allow myself to imagine how many tributes he has slain already so early into these games. I quickly glance towards Nel, who has edged closer to the entrance of our shelter, her knife still held tightly between her clutches. She was always reckless and self-destructive, but the look her in her eyes screams that the thoughts that are spiralling out of control in her mind are on the brink of both insanity and stupidity. Attacking two trained and equipped careers with only a simple knife to defend yourself is beyond reckless. I quickly grab Nel around the waist, dragging her back within the shadows of our shelter, clamping my hand over her mouth. She struggles against my hold slightly, but we both fall still, listening to the voices of the quickly approaching careers.
"Your just disappointed you only got one kill during the bloodbath," The girl almost coos, but as I rack my brain I cannot recall her name.
"One kill is one more than you got," Theo almost growls and the intensity of his tone causes a shiver to rivet down my spine. I would never understand what it would take for a person to become like that; to lust after the bloodshed of another. I never have and never will see the value in it, as what are they really proving? They are proving they are powerful, but at the cost of what? In my mind it would just never be worth it, no matter what the rewards could bring.
"No, need to sound so bitter, you're just angry that you let the pair from District Five get away. Well they are a little more of a challenge than that pair from District Six; I swear the boy has nothing even noteworthy in that skull of his," As these words slip free from her lips they both burst into a chorus of cold laughter. I feel Nel tense up, as they insult me, but I keep a firm hold on her, as to keep her from acting rashly. Their words don't bother me, why should they? Eventually their voices fade into the distance, until they can no longer be heard. Once we both know they are gone Nel lightly bites on my hand covering her mouth, demanding that I let her go, which I do.
She sits next to me with her arms crossed. "I could have taken then down you know," She mutters, as the Capitol anthem begins to play. I simply shake my head, as I turn my attention to the night sky. We have both survived the first day; we have both outlived the nine tributes that have already fallen. It's just one step closer, but to what exactly. If I have to lose Nel to make it home then is home even really worth it? She was always been there to pick me up when I fell; without her there would I ever be able to stand again?
District Five female tribute – Age eighteen- Alexia "Alex" Tide's point of view
One would believe that in this moment my mind would be lurking along the depths of despair, questioning why it was my name that was chosen to be carried out along the breeze for all to hear on that fateful day of the reapings, but instead my mind is lingering along the edges of the few shreds of positivity of the situation I continue to live through. One would also find themselves questioning what forms of positive light there could be left in this world of darkness. Many would not be able to see this side, but there are the rare few that are able to see through the anguish and the pain to the valuable aspects they still hold dear. I cannot deny the fact that a sinister presence has been imprinted upon my being, but that is not what I focus on. I do not focus on the concept that it was my name that was chosen, I do not focus on the idea that Pike is at my side, and I don't even focus on the memory of taking away the life of that boy whose name I do not even remember. What I do focus on is the fact that I am still alive.
I am still breathing, the vital parts of my being still clinging onto my humanity. That is the most valuable concept we hold onto in these games of blood, betrayal and insanity. Humanity is what is lost year after year. Growing up watching the Games you find yourself learning to be able to tell when a tribute has let their mind go; giving into the creation the Capitol craves for us to bid birth to. There is something about their eyes that changes, the life already seeming to have flickered out even though the steady rise and fall of their chest gives the illusion that they are still alive.
I find my mind falling to the memory of a victor past. He was a boy that once stood tall, a boy who was proud to call himself a career. From District One is where he was born, a place I'm sure he can no longer call his home, as after what he had turned into you find yourself pondering if home is even really worth it. The Games didn't appear to destroy him until the early morning where his District partner was slain before him. It was clear for all to see that she meant more to him than she ever should have from the beginning and it is in that moment I saw him morph into something entirely new, something born from pain and hate. Everything that stood in his path was destroyed and a path strained in crimson followed him in his wake. I find myself wondering if he had willingly changed or if it was all against his will, but the one thing that is clear is that very same change could happen to any of us remaining tributes.
I glance up at Pike who walks at a steady pace next to me, the light of the paling moon illuminating his body against the hazy stained sky. Would Pike go through those same changes if he was to watch the life leave my own eyes? The most unsettling aspect about this thought is that I would never be able to know the answer to this question. The answer would forever be lost to me, but I find myself praying that things would never come to that in the end. If I am to perish by this twisted play of fate I want Pike to hold onto his humanity, to keep a strong hold of his sanity, but year after year all of Panem has seen what the Games can do to even the strongest of wills; snapping them like nothing more than slender twigs.
I quickly push these thoughts away with a single shake of my head, focusing on the positive plays of fate. Both Pike and I escaped the crimson stained clutches of the bloodbath with minimal injuries. I was able to claim a backpack as my own that held several valuable items that will only aid us in our quest for survival; including two water bottles full of water and a thin but wickedly sharp sword. The sword can be seen glistening menacingly from the holds of Pike's belt; even if he doesn't know how to wield it with skill at least he is armed. While I on the other hand have a spear held tightly between my clutches. I claimed two as my own before I speared one through the neck of the boy whose name does not register in my mind. Our paths never crossed in the games we played before we stepped foot into the arena, but he threatened to take my Pike away from me before I am ready to lose him so his death was unavoidable. I never meant any ill feelings towards my fellow tributes, but I cannot allow myself to show any mercy; in these games mercy is what ends up in people being slain.
Pike and I have been walking for hours, with almost no sense of direction. We both know we need to find a source of water, but with a sea of inky darkness spiraling out of control before us I know the wiser decision would be to find shelter for the night. I glance up at Pike once more seeing the steely determination that is laced with looks of tiredness dancing across his features. "Pike, I think it's time we settle for the night," My voice is barely above a whisper, as my eyes sweep over the surrounding area. The land that we chose to venture down once we fled the cornucopia is a land riddled with fissures and cracks running in all directions through the ground. Some are deeper than others, with seemingly no end, but there are others that could easily be climbed down to be offered to us as shelter. Pike nods simply and as if reading my thoughts; he cautiously approaches a rivet that runs through the ground, dropping to his knees to get a better look. "The ledge isn't far down at all, but no one would be able to find us unless they were specifically looking," With those hushed words hanging in the air he gently takes a hold of my hands helping me down, only moments later sliding down to land next to me.
Our new surroundings are simple, nothing but the solid earth holding us in, nothing more than a simple drop from the rest of the world above us. Small crevices are all these are, to add another level to these Games. Anything could be lurking down here in the dark, but never once does that thought ripple across my mind. I slide down the wall, setting down my weapon and supplies next to me, but leave them so they are still only a fingers grasp away from me. I watch Pike, as he warily takes in our surroundings, his guard still up. I reach up, taking his hand and pull him down next to me. It is only in this moment does my body really register just how cold the night has become, as gooseflesh has begun to pin prick its way across my skin. I continuously remind myself that it is only the cold and as much discomfort as it could bring it could also be a lot worse.
When Pike is finally settled down next to me I don't release my hold on his hand, but instead I simply intertwine our fingers. A simple symbol of unity is what our bonded hands are, but to the pair of us it means so much more. Pike glances down at our hands, but he goes not pull his hand away from my own, which causes a small faint smile to dance across my lips. We are safe for the night as far as we are both convinced and we are still together and there is nothing in this wasteland that shall take that away from me. "I wonder if the cameras can see us down here," I wonder out loud after a few moments.
"I wouldn't be surprised if they could," Pike opens his mouth to say something else, but is cut off by the Capitol anthem. The first day of this year's Hunger Games is being brought to a close and it has now fallen to the time where the fallen who were not able to hold onto their lives to be shown for all to see. We both fall silent as peering through the cracks stretching above us are we able to make out the features of the diseased. The first face to appear in the sky is one I did not expect to see so soon. The dull blue eyes of the boy from District Two peer through the night sky and I find myself wondering just how he had met his end. I paid witness to him slaying another girl during the bloodbath with no remorse reflected in the surface of his eyes, but someone or something got to him. There is a part of me that is glad there is one less career to look out for, but with my humanity still intact I know there is nothing right in taking pleasure in the death of another; even if they must fall for either Pike or myself to return home. Some may find it odd that I don't celebrate the fact that there are less tributes standing in our way of returning home, but instead I find myself thanking whoever it is who could be possibly be listening that they are now free. His features slowly dissolve, giving way to the image of the boy of District Three. I watch with startled fascination as the features continue to change until they come to a face that is familiar to me. The moment the image of the boy from District Nine comes into view Pike gives my hand a light squeeze, this action of simplicity is enough to keep me grounded.
The moment the sky goes blank once more I rest my head against Pike's shoulder, taking in all the warmth his body has to offer. "Pike can I ask you something?" I say after a few moments of silence, sounding like a ghost of a whisper. He simply nods once, waiting for me to ask a far more complex question then one would first expect me to ask. "What do you think it's like? To die," This is a question I had been continuously asking myself as of late. There is no way to know until death knocks on your door, but it is not uncommon to wonder.
"I want to imagine that it's like falling asleep; simple and effortless, perhaps even peaceful," I take a moment to allow his words to sink in, but instead of allowing any words to slip free from my lips in response I simply close my eyes. I want to ask, but what if one can never sleep, but I don't want to trouble either of our minds with these questions, as there are already enough elements at play in our lives in this moment. His words as simple as falling asleep continue to dance across my mind, as I find myself edging closer to the brink of slumber. Tucked away in this shallow crevice for the night we are safe, protected from those who want to claim our lives as their own, but little would either of us know that this form of shelter would soon prove to be a greater threat. We would not notice how the cracks continue to dance across the land, increasing in multitude and depth. We wouldn't know of their plan to swallow this land whole until the time was right, but in this moment as I drift to sleep in Pike's arms the only thought that drifts across my mind is how do I tell him those few choice words before it is too late?
District One male tribute – Age seventeen - Dapar Radsha's point of view
I count each of the faces that appear in the sky on my fingers; nine in total, one of those faces including Morgan, the one career who strayed away from the pack earlier then would seem wise. Foe and I are the only ones left at the camp, as both Vencitiy and Theo left to carry out the hunt for the rest of the competition. While they were off we listened to the screams that came from the direction Morgan disappeared to. Both Foe and I came to the conclusion that those screams belonged to him and his face being shown clearly in the sky only justifies that. I sit on top of one of the small crates filled with supplies meant for our taking, while Foe leans against the cornucopia, calmly flipping her knife between her slender fingers.
"Nine isn't bad for the first day, but we could have done better," Foe says coolly, her sharp tone cutting through the still night air. Although she does have a point, as Games before our own there have been times where over half the competition fell before they even got the chance to see the second day, but there have also been Games where most of the tributes were able to live past the nightfall of the first day; merely prolonging the moment where twenty three of us are to die. I simply shrug, stretching my arms high above my head, glad that I am still one of the live contenders in these Games.
"Just be glad that it isn't less than that," Foe shoots me a sharp look before she carries out cleaning the dirt beneath her nails out using her knife. With the settling night falling down upon us Theo and Vencitiy left a while ago, deciding two of us should remain behind. In my opinion that is the first wise decision Theo has made as our leader. We don't know who could be lurking in the shadows, waiting for the moment to claim our supplies as their own.
"I think making sure someone kept watch is the first smart decision Theo has made since he made himself the leader of our alliance," I voice my thoughts out loud and Foe simply rolls her eyes in response. "He really is a moron and I can't wait until we split from them. Won't they both be surprised when one night we are gone with as many supplies as we can carry; I was even thinking of a little goodbye present we could leave for them," A sly smile tugs at Foe's lips, as she walks over to sit next to me. Our plan had always been simple; we would play the role of going along with the rest of the careers that stood by our side, but once the pressure became too much we would slip away during the cover of nightfall, taking the supplies we needed with us. Foe and I argued about slitting the throats of our fellow slumbering careers, but Foe talked me out of that idea for the simple reason that she believes it won't be as simple as that. Theo would easily be one of those careers that sleeps with one eye open at all times, with a blade held between his clutches in case a threat such as backstabbing allies were to approach his slumbering form. After Foe's explanation I decided to just go along with her; take what we needed then slip away until we are the final two. Perhaps it really is foolish that I am placing so much trust in her hands, but it will take the element of time to see if the cards I have decided to play were the right ones or not.
I glance over at Foe, that dangerous look that first drew me to her rippling across her features. "What exactly do you have in mind?" I ask, my tone dripping with curiosity. The way her eyes glimmer in the paling light makes it obvious that she has some plan to hinder our fellow careers that we soon plan on leaving behind. "What is it that always gives us an edge compared to the rest of the careers?" She asks me and I scratch my head trying to come up with an answer. "The fact that we know how to fight while the rest of the tributes barely have a clue?" Instead of simply stating this, my words are carried along the words of a question and the way Foe rolls her eyes at me I know my response is wrong.
"You really are clueless sometime Dapar, you're lucky you at least have some skills that are useful to me. The reason careers are able to last longer than the rest is because we have supplies; without them most of us would die off quickly," I nod my head in understanding, the pieces beginning to slowly fall into place. She wants to somehow foil the remaining supplies, after we take what he need, greatly hindering the District Four pair. I open my mouth to question how exactly she plans to do this, but Foe quickly hushes me when the voices of Vencitiy and Theo enter our ears, being carried along the breeze. "Just keep your mouth shut about this and we might be able to get away with it," Foe hisses before she stands up to lean against the cornucopia once more. I look up at the returning pair and both of them appear to be on edge. "Just what I want to deal with," I mutter beneath my breath.
"Your weapons look awfully clean," Foe says with a slight smirk tugging at her lips, but in a moment Theo is standing in front of her, bringing his axe down upon the cornucopia right next to her head so sparks are sent shooting through the darkened air. Both Vencitiy and I remain still, watching this scene play out, but Foe doesn't even flinch at Theo's violent actions. "You know you're really not as intimidating as the rest of the competition and Panem seem to think," Foe says coolly, keeping her form calm; even if all of Panem knows she would take great pleasure in sinking her blade into his flesh.
"Don't test me One, otherwise I might just dispose of you sooner rather than later," Theo says through his teeth before he walks over to the fire that crackles in the night air. "Boys," I hear Vencitiy mutter under her breath, which causes a soft chuckle to escape my lips. Foe does not appear bothered by the threats that were uttered to her and I could care less about their useless fighting. To the rest of Panem this alliance may seem almost useless; a ticking time bomb to be exact, just waiting for the right moment before it goes off. I'm just hoping that if it does go off I will not be one of the causalities that fall because of it.
List of tributes that are still alive :3
District One - Phoenix 'Foe' Sterling
District One – Dapar Radsha
District Two – Kenzi Rodgers
District Three – Kallina Censura
District Four – Vencitiy Corbinette
District Four- Theo Macdonald
District Five – Alexia Tide
District Five – Pike Rivers
District Six – Nelira 'Nel' Blue
District Six – Collin Wrathers
District Eight – Rylinn Abrith
District Nine- Astoria Delacorte
District Ten – Buck Wolfe
District Eleven – Hadley June Chevalier
District Twelve – Bluebell Hart
Nope, no deaths in this chapter just getting caught up with some of the tributes so you know where they are, but I'll make up for the lack of deaths in this chapter in the next ;)
Anyways to all my lovely readers make sure you review and here in the sponsor question for this chapter :3
What color is Prim's cat Buttercup?
Make sure you are specific about your answer.
The first to answer correctly will receive six sponsor points and the next three to answer correctly will receive four sponsor points!