Maximus Lexington, 40, District 1 / Lea Mistgrove, 19, District 4
Maximus opens another crate. A pile of sickles and knives pooling out and onto the rocky surface.
"Nothing in this one," he says.
No response.
Maximus walk out of the cornucopia. The extreme heat of the sun having no mercy on him as he steps out into the light. That and the moisture of this arena makes him feel like he is being boiled alive ever so slowly.
"You've given up?" He asks.
Lea stands at the edge of the island, peering into the water. "We can fish," she says, "there is seafood in the there."
"Well, that solves our food issue but can we drink it?"
Lea turns, her expression almost answering the question for her. "Are you serious?"
Maximus looks on...Yea?
"It is salt water. That is why no one drowned despite being horrible swimmers. They loaded the water with enough salt that a person would basically be a feather in it." Lea answers.
"You got all that just from the swim?" Maximus says.
Lea doesn't bother responding to another question. She arms herself with her spear and dives into the water. Heading straight down to the bottom to collect the shellfish and other creatures.
Well, Lea gathers food, Maximus begins to circle the cornucopia. He looks on into the thick jungle. Anastasia has already died but two other of his friends are somewhere in there. Duncan is good at hiding and laying low but Hayley relied on movement to stay ahead of death. By the looks of the jungle from the cornucopia, it will be hard to keep at a constant pace. Especially with this heat.
Maximus slumps down at the mouth of the cornucopia. His token — a picture of him and Sapphire — has been ruined by the water from when he first dove into the waves but still, he can make out her face. His hope. The reason he fights now. She's been abandoned by her mother, she won't be left behind by her father too.
Claudie Watts, 37, District 5
"Move, move, move," Claudie mumbles to herself. "Water...then food...3 days-3 days without water...3 weeks without food. Water first...Jungle..."
Claudie stops, peering up at the trees around her. The leaves full of dark green leaves...Not light. That means they are getting a good source of water...But where? Claudie feels the ground. Moist but not wet enough to sustain this plant life. The only water she has seen has been at the cornucopia. And it has been at least three or four hours since the gong sounded, in this heat the moisture would have been pulled from the Earth...So it isn't rain.
"How did you get water?" Claudie asks the trees.
She runs her hand along the trunk of one. The bark feeling more flexible than it should. Smooth not rough.
Claudie reaches to the nearest branch and yanks on it. The branch doesn't break but instead, bends. She lets it go and it quickly snaps back to its previous position. There are twigs and branches on the forest floor, brittle and easily broken but also different texture from the trees...
Claudie pulls out her knife and jabs it into the side of the tree, pulling it out. For a moment, nothing happens. She waits for the sap to ooze out to further examine why the trees in this arena are different but instead, she is met with water. A clear, steady stream of water pours from the hole in the tree.
She gasps and instantly cups her hand, chugging the water back. Never did she expect it to be here but now she has immense knowledge. Information that she could see barely any of the other tributes obtaining on their own. Information that she can use to kill...
Mercedes Buckler-Marque, 67, District 6
Mercedes stays on the move...Though it isn't exactly fast. Since the gong sounded, she has managed to clear the bloodbath area but if she is to turn around she can still see the golden glimmer of the cornucopia. Still, make out Maximus wandering around the small island.
"Careers" she mutters, "so lazy."
Mercedes hated most of the career victors. The only one she really liked from this year was Maximus. She might be able to stand the two from 2 but they were so sappy and lovey...It only made her ache for her husband.
Just the thought of him...His balding head that he always denied but kept hidden with a cap, how he always dressed up even if he never left the house, the extravagant over the top dates he held for Mercedes. The picnic on the hill, Using money to rent a room in the justice building where they ate and enjoyed each other's bodies, how he spread roses all throughout the house on their anniversary.
She smiles at the memories, sitting down on a fallen log to take a break. She can hear his voice. "C'mon, Mercedes, is that all ya got? I can be carrying you and still move faster."
"Then do it," the words escape Mercedes mouth before she has time to stop them...Memories...He isn't here...He's gone now. There is no point in speaking to hallucinations and thoughts. Still, it is enough to have brought on a few stray tears from her eyes. To make her body team with excitement and then crash with sorrow at the reminder of his death.
"Kids," Mercedes speaks to her three children. "You need to dip into mama's victor earnings and send me some bloody water. It's hotter than hell here."
Laura Grace, 16, District 11 / Sarah Jane, 26, District 12
"Where's Jack? Milo?" Laura asks.
Sarah emerges from the jungle to the spot they agreed on. In the direction, the sun was for about a half a mile. There the alliance Jack made agreed to meet.
"Milo died," Sarah mumbles, "his body was floating in the water."
"And Jack?"
"He is probably coming. The last I saw, he was beating down the male from 6."
Laura stays alert though. Despite not really caring for Jack and his egotistical cocky attitude, she still needed him. Not only for an alliance to help keep her alive in this games but also because of Sarah. If Milo was dead, then Jack was her only safeguard from Sarah since Sarah didn't seem to keen on the idea of an alliance until Jack bribed her. If he is a now show then there is nothing stopping Sarah from turning on her.
"Did you get any water?" Sarah mumbles.
"There was none at the cornucopia. Haven't seen any puddles or rivers yet either."
No response.
CRUNCH!
Laura perks up. Her blowdart gun to her lips.
CRUNCH...CRACK!
"It's probably just Jack," Sarah mumbles.
Sarah is almost too calm. She heads toward the sound. Laura, knowing there is safety in numbers, follows her.
"Jack, you need to learn to walk quiet cause the people -" Sarah pulls back a bush to see it isn't Jack...
For a moment, Sarah, Laura, and Verizon stand still. Each sizing one another up, predicting what will happen, or just frozen with shock.
Verizon is first to move. He might not be the best swimmer but he can run. He kicks off from the ground, barreling into the jungle. A cluster of stubby bushes and tall ferns being his destination. He will be able to lie low, hurry away without them noticing.
"Get him!" Sarah hollers. She readies her sword and runs after Verizon.
Laura moves to the nearest tree, holding her blowdart gun between her teeth, she grabs onto the branches. Scurrying up the tree in a matter of seconds. Vanishing in the thick leaves and branches above.
Verizon dives, leaps, weaves through the bushes and trees. He doesn't slow down, doesn't stop. He can hear her. Sarah crashing through the trees. The twigs snapping beneath her feet. Though they are getting further away, he knows she hasn't given up yet.
Verizon turns right, flinging himself forward. He drops onto his belly and scurries to a bush. It isn't pretty but someone will miss him easily in a rush.
He starts to think. Should he attack? Kill them? No. They have weapons and there is two, the odds not being in his favour. And the thought of killing again...Of turning into the bloodthirsty monster he was in his first games. No. He will not kill. He will lay low, wait for them to pass, then hurry away.
CRK!
The sound of a branch makes Verizon hold his breath. For a moment, there is nothing. Then, Sarah springs out of the jungle, into view. She can't hear him anymore, the tracks vanishing. She looks side to side. Where did he go?
A monkey lets out a holler. Sarah figures that is her best bet. She runs off towards the sound.
Verizon waits. A minute goes by, two, three. Still no sign of the other one, the girl from 11. Could she have double backed? Taken an alternate route in hopes of cutting him off? Either way, he can't stay here any longer.
Verizon slowly emerges from his hiding spot. He is cautious, watching for any movement, any sound. The coast is clear. Verizon jogs off in the opposite direction when suddenly, pain. It hits the back of his neck, moving down his spine.
Verizon turns around, ready to fight but there is no one there. He reaches up, feeling the back of the neck, something wedged in it...A dart. Before he can remove it from his body, he coughs up a glob of blood. His throat seeming to close off. His breath turning into wheezing.
Laura watches from the safety of the trees. Another dart loaded into the blowdart gun just incase he needs a second shot but Verizon collapses in a fit. His body jerking in every way.
Boom!
Cypress Darrow, 22, District 7
Cypress coughs as he leans against a tree. The sun setting has done a lot to reduce the heat but still, it is almost unbearable. That added to the fact he can't find water has caused a string of hallucinations, headaches, and tiredness. The thought of being back in the desert arena plaguing his mind. How he walked for days in extreme heat with nothing to ever quench his thirst.
He drops down till he is sitting on the ground, staring at the forest around him. The sudden sound of the national anthem shaking him from his delirium.
The deaths. He looks up at the sky, seeing the female from District 1...Then the female from District 3, the male from District 3 and 4. Along with the District 6 and 8 males. And finally, the male from District 12.
Seven gone on the first day...
Sebastian Runne, 52, District 2
Sebastian stares up at the sky as Jack's face vanishes into night...He was so close...So close to killing his wife. The entire day, Sebastian has been reliving the experience. Seeing his wife and Jack thrashing around in the water. His wife just trying to escape and then they both were pulled under. The cannon firing. the body floating to the surface...Jack's.
Sebastian rushed over, believing Alyss had just killed. But he was wrong. Maximus surfaced, helping Alyss to the island. Killing Jack not out of the kindness of his heart but to keep the career alliance numbers up.
Alyss and Sebastian wonder if them leaving the career alliance pissed Maximus off, especially since he saved Alyss thinking they were going to stick around.
DUN, DUN, DDUUUUUNNN.
So seven are gone. What do you all think of that and the surprise twist of who really died?
There might be grammar errors here. My keyboard was having a fit today and I read over and fixed all the ones I could find but there might be some I missed.