Waiting for my birthday party to start, so I'll be posting again today. Now that the flooding is over holla.
You'll see a bit of everyone in this. I won't have a POV from each alliance because to be honest we've seen a lot of Lorena and Thorn xD
Thanks Anna (Fat Nercrosis) for Beta. You're awesome friend.
You don't know how it feels,
to be outside the crowd.
You don't know what it's like.
To be left out.
You don't know how it feels, to be your own, best friend.
On the outside looking in.
Cascade Waters, 18
District 4 Female
"We need to take Payne out as soon as possible." says Dior as she sits next to the fire we've made out of the sponsor gifts given.
Dior perplexes me. She knows what she's doing, and in theory, I think she knows how to handle herself, but she's such a mess that I don't think she cares. I mean, this had to have worked for her somehow in District 1. Otherwise she wouldn't be in here right now.
"I actually quite like Payne." I say.
Dior pauses and looks at me with an upset look. Not one like "you just hurt my feelings.", but more like "interrupt me as I talk again and I'll lay you out."
"I don't care if you like her Cascade. I don't. She has to go."
I lean my back up against the cornucopia and sigh. I know Dior doesn't like me, and I thought by getting in with her, I'd have some sort of advantage and be able to work my way through the other Careers. I don't have any training really. That seven was a total fluke. I feel like I'm working so hard to accomplish being the Victor, and I don't even see how I could possibly be it.
"Is it true you want to be a boy?" ask Dior, relaxing her face.. Probably scared she'll catch some wrinkles.
"Yes. I do."
"Why? You're stunning."
Someone like her wouldn't get it. Someone like her who has had her whole life handed to her on a silver platter of course wouldn't get what it's like to feel trapped. My parents used my looks for everything they wanted in life, and I used them for absolutely nothing. I'd rather look ugly and manly and work for everything I have. Rather than pretty and dainty and have it all handed to me.
"Just how it goes." I say not wanting to open up to her that much.
"Well it's rather foolish. You should be flattered that I find you stunning. I don't find very many people up to par with me."
I'll add that to the things I wish I cared about. The thing is Dior is exactly like my parents. That's why I think I gravitated towards her so quickly. Because even though I hate them, they're familiar. She's familiar. She's my childhood, my teenaged years, and now she'll be the end of my life. If only District 4 was a bigger career district. After Emily and Knox died the next oldest tributes were 14.
"You ladies didn't cook us anything?"
Neptune, Castor, and Leif are all walking back to the camp. Payne and Ares are missing, and at first I get a little nervous, but then I remember I've only heard one cannon. So at least one of them is alive.
"Where's Payne and Leif?" Dior asked as she rolls her eyes at the initial comment. Clearly she decided not to respond. I doubt this girl knows a hard day's work if it bit her in the butt.
"They jumped into some water and didn't come up. I figured they're okay. We haven't heard cannons." says Neptune nonchalantly.
"Are you kidding me?!" I say as I jump up. "Guys, that's not cool! That's potentially two of us that are dead!"
"Calm down, sweetheart." says Leif in an overly confident tone. "Like we said, we didn't hear any cannons."
"Where's the water? I'm going to look for them." I say
"I'm bored. So I guess I'll come to." says Dior as she stands up clearly not worried about the other two tributes.
"It's in the beach part of the arena. Go through the portal, and it's a straight shot from there. Go until you see a group of trees, and then walk towards the water. You'll see a bridge that's submerged. If you still feel brave, when you get to the bridge...jump."
"Trust me." I say picking up my trident and a net. "I will."
"Wait, I have to get my hair wet?!" says Dior as she throws her head back and begins to stomp her feet as she follows.
'Cause we are broken
What must we do to restore
Our innocence
And oh, the promise we adored
Give us life again
'Cause we just wanna be whole
Squirrell Langston, 15
District 7 Female
Penelope is very nice. She has been one of the best things to happen to the Games since the fact I found allies. She's given us food, water, and even offered me and Rehan time to rest. We just woke up from a nap. Although I wish I knew what time it was.
"Welcome to the great hall. This is where you'll be having lunch." says Penelope. "It's with great honor that we offer you this buffet."
Rehan has been really uneasy of Penelope this whole time. Hasn't really been saying anything. I don't know why. She's just trying to make sure that her guest are taken care of. I notice movement behind me and I turn to see a man standing in the doorway with the girl from 2 and the boy from 12.
"SISTER I HAD DIBS ON THE GREAT HALL! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!"
"Calm down Blue." says Penelope softly. "We can share."
"NO NO NO NO NO NO NO- wait. Someone else is here!" he says as he turns and runs from the hall and back towards the white room that we entered from.
"I apologize that you had to see that." says Penelope. "You two are welcome to join us." she says indicating to District 2 and District 12. "I hope my brother didn't cause you to much trouble. My name is Penelope."
"Payne."
"Ares."
"It's a pleasure to meet you. Do sit down." she says indicating to the table.
It's the first time I really got a chance to look around the room due to Blue's tantrum. It's lavish. A wooden oak table sits in the middle of the room. Red curtains are dawned on all of the windows, and the frame of each window is of gold. The floor boards have a very interesting design on them, it's almost like water is trapped in the tile, but looking closer it looks like it's a...wait. Is that a person?
"What districts are each of you kids from?" asked Penelope as if she's used to entertaining kids competing in the Hunger Games.
"District 2." says Payne as she flops a sandwich down on her plate and grabs a handful of potato chips. "Do you happen to know what time it is?"
"Oh lovely, you have a good shot then!" says Penelope clapping her hands together and smiling. "It's in the middle of the third day now."
What!? We got here at the beginning of day 2! It couldn't have been that long. How long was our nap...it only feels like it's been a few hours.
"SISTER, THERE IS MORE AND THEY'RE PRETTY!" says Blue as he re-enters the room with the girls from 1 and 4.
"You two have to be from 1 and 4." says Penelope as she places a chip in her mouth and chews excitedly.
"Uh." says the girl from 4. "Yes. Yes we are. Can I ask you how we leave though? We don't exactly want to stay, we just came for our friends and we can get out of your hai-"
"My child, you don't get to leave." says Blue.
"What do you mean, we don't get to leave?" Rehan asked.
"My little sweet Rehan." says Penelope, "Look down at the tiles carefully."
"Rehan, don't!" says Payne as she stands up and throws the food across the room. "These mutts are recycled. I knew I recognized them from somewhere."
She runs to the window and yanks on one of the red curtains. The curtain falls and it reveals a staircase that leads upwards somewhere. She begins to run and she doesn't turn back. I grab Rehan's hand and we begin to run to the stairs, and quickly everyone else follows suit.
"PAYNE, WHAT IS GOING ON!" says Dior as she follows her. "How did you know that this was here!"
Payne continues to run, and then ushers us into a room that is at the top of the stair case. It isn't long before we hear Penelope and Blue banging on the door.
"Children! Children! OPEN UP THE DOOR THIS VERY MINUTE!" I'm not sure who is saying what anymore. We are all just looking at Payne for what to do next.
"Those tiles hold dead tributes in them. They've used these two in three other Hunger Games. The 4th, 9th, and 11th. They fill the chamber with water, and then they use some sort of shrinking thing to make you small. Then they cement you into the ground."
"I'M TO PRETTY FOR THIS DAMNIT." screams Dior as she jumps up and down on the floor. To everyone's surprise she almost falls through as another secret passageway gives, and a ladder leading down is revealed.
"Where does this lead?" I ask, looking at Payne
"I have no idea, but whatever is down there has to beat getting killed by these two." she says as she begins climbing down the ladder.
"I always knew I'd save the day!" says Dior with a hairflip and smile. "No need to thank me. Actually, yes. Thank me by staying behind and distracting them."
"Shut up Dior." says Ares as he begins his climb down the ladder.
Now I am invincible.
No I ain't a scared little girl no more.
Yeah, I am invincible,
what was I running from?
Tora Wilson, 15
District 5 Female
Our group dynamic has been a bit weird over the past day and a half. Declan has been super quiet, and Remi is always looking over her shoulder. It's little things really. The two aren't making it exceedingly obvious that something is wrong, but when you grow up in politics you can tell when something is happening.
I watch as Remi is walking back and forth in the center of our camp. She is distraught, obviously. Declan sits on his butt looking at a wall, and every once in awhile if Remi says something he jumps. Skyler is the only one being normal, and it's weird because I don't even know if I like Skyler.
"Okay, what's going on?" I say as I look at everyone as they are doing their things.
"What do you mean?" ask Skyler. She has just thrown a rock across the cave. I listen as the echo goes through the cavern.
"You two." I say pointing at Declan and Remi. "You're both acting super sketchy, and I just really don't appreciate it. So tell me what happened."
Remi looks down and then sits down on the floor. She looks like she's about to cry and then covers her eyes with her hands. Declan goes over to comfort her and sits next to her. He puts his arm around her and she puts her head in his neck.
"Your reflection visits me." she says looking up at me.
My jaw drops. I didn't realize that our reflection could visit other tributes. Let alone tributes in our alliance. Is this some sort of thing to make us doubt each other? Is this some cruel trick played by the game makers?
"What did she say?" I ask with fear in my voice.
"She wants to kill Declan." she says as she starts to cry hard.
Declan moves his arm from her and stares at Skyler. I can tell he has something to say to her, but he isn't sure how he should bring this up. "Remi's reflection visited me, and she wants to kill Skyler."
Skyler, who has not been listening at all, looks up at that statement and stares Declan down as if she is about to plunge a knife into his throat. She clearly doesn't like her name being brought into the conversation.
"I've done nothing to you." says Skyler as she stares at Declan
"I know! I haven't planned on killing you Skyler! You're on my team." replies Declan.
"I don't trust you now." she says as she stares him down. "Like 100%."
Everything I've built is falling apart before my eyes, and I can't even handle it. I thought these kids were smarter than that. I picked them because I saw something in them. They weren't typical outer district kids. They had a fire in them. A desire to get out.
"Everyone stop it!"
They're all looking at me in shock as I scream at them. They are acting like children, and if they can't handle a group where everyone is equal, I'll make it to where there is a leader. Me.
"You're all acting like children! Just because these reflections appear to us doesn't mean that we have to do what they want."
"We don't know what kind of mind control that it has on u-"
"Shut up, Skyler. No one is killing anyone and we are together through the top 10 like we promised."
"Maybe we tried to kill the wrong person." says a voice that sounds like Remi but with more harshness in the tone.
We turn and see the 2 reflections staring at us, Declan's and Skyler's reflections join them and they stand in a line as they look down on us.
"Should have just killed them, kids." says Declan reflection. He takes a step forward with a vindictive smile on his face.
And now I'm all alone again,
Nowhere to go.
No one to turn to.
Without a friend, without a home, without someone to say hello to.
Rehan Chase, 15
District 6 Male
What the hell is going on?!
We're running down some corridor that we have no idea what is down here. The siblings that put tributes in tiles are potentially chasing us as we speak.
"Payne, where are you taking us?!" says the pretty girl from District 4 as she is running closely behind the girl from District 2.
"I told you all I remember is that they are reused. I don't know the layout of the entire mutts. The tributes they showed us in "History of Games" class didn't make it this far."
We continue to run until we stop at a fork in the hall. Both sides look identical and I assume that it's just a matter of hoping you don't hit a dead end. I start to walk down the passageway on the left, when the girl from 2 holds up her arm and blocks me.
"I remember this part also, Payne." says Dior as she walks up to the fork. "One side is cleared, and the other side is booby trapped. It's impossible to get through. This happened in the stairs last time, I don't know why they moved it." says continues. "Two people need to volunteer to run them."
"I will." says Squirrell immediately.
"Squirrell no!" I say quickly.
"If they catch us down here just standing, we're dead, anyways. At least this gives you a fair shot."
She takes off at a sprint down the corridor that I was about to walk through. She makes it about halfway before a spear shoots out of the wall. She dodges the first one, and a second flies and hits her in the side. She falls to the ground, and the entry way begins to have a glass screen come up and block it.
"NO!" I scream as I try and jump over the barrier. The boy from 12 grabs on to me and holds me back. "SQUIRRELL! SQUIRRELL!"
Water starts to rush in the hallway and Squirrell begins to struggle to be above it. She is pushing up and continues to go to the other end. Maybe if she can reach the door we can help her!
"CHILDREN, STAY WHERE YOU ARE! ONE OF YOU ARE ALREADY BEING MADE A TILE, THE REST ARE NEXT!" says Penelope as she and Blue have busted through the door, and found us.
Payne begins to sprint down the opposite hallway of Squirrell. Nothing happens in this hallway, and we all make it to the other end. I stand and wait for Squirrell to emerge from the other door, and I'm greeted with my worst fear.
BOOM!
"No, Squirrell!" i scream as I bang on the door and begin to cry. I didn't even know her that well. I don't know why I'm so upset. I'm all alone again though. I don't want to be alone.
A knife flies through the air and it lands in the girl from 4's chest. She falls wide eyed to the ground as her eyes are quickly glazing over. Blue and Penelope emerge from the door and are quick to try and throw more knives.
"RUN!" is the last thing the girl from 4 says. Her cannon goes off and her eyes glaze over.
I am first this time to run down the hall and I end up at another door. When I open it, I'm in the middle of what looks like a tree house. I'm quickly pushed through the door as all of the careers ram into me, and slam the door shut.
Upon closing the door, it disappears. Blue and Penelope are nowhere to be seen, and now I'm standing in the middle of a treehouse with three careers, and no way in hell I get out of this alive.
"So, what do we do with him?" ask Dior as she stares me up and down.
Holy crap I really enjoyed writing this chapter. It was fun. At the same time super hard. If your tribute made it past the bloodbath, me deciding who the hell I was going to kill is super hard. Nonetheless someone had to.
Eulogies
16th Place: Squirrell Langston, 15, Killed by Penelope and Blue: Transcendentelvnranger, I'm so sorry to kill Squirrell she was great, and she was selfless, and she was observant. Mostly she was brave. I felt like I initially flubbed her in her reaping. So I felt really bad, and then I tried to bring more qualities into the form. I really hope you enjoyed her. I'm sorry she didn't make it farther.
15th Place: Brooke when I originally got Cascade, and the forms were still coming in, I thought she was my victor. I enjoyed her. People enjoyed her, but as I wrote her something just didn't click. I didn't understand what was going on, or why she was so hard to write, and then I felt like I wasn't doing her justice. I'm sorry she died.
Announcements:
I have all of my tributes for Chained: Forever a Slave in. So I will start getting those out as soon as possible. Yes, I will be juggling two stories. No the quality of either will not be affected. I'm on a time crunch currently and would like to get everything out.
Secondly, I decided to do another All-Stars, but this one is with a huge twist. I'll have the form up on my profile soon. So be thinking about which tributes you'd like to get into those games. There is 24 spots, and to my outer districts...don't be concerned if your tribute isn't a career...this game is going to be stellar. Please do not just submit me tributes that I've already written for. My favorites last time were people that I read and fell in love with, anyways forms are on my page. AND RULES I SWEAR IF YOU DON'T FOLLOW THE RULES I'LL STRAIGHT UP NOT EVEN RESPOND.
Lastly, new poll open, and I'm interested to see your views.
Keep it classy,
Caleb
