Day 10
So now we return to the games themselves. Don't forget to answer the new poll on my profile about your favourite tribute. But this one is different. The most popular tribute will win a very special Sponsor Gift! Enjoy the Chapter and May the Odds be Ever in Your Favour!
Julie-Anne Beaker POV
I pick another handful of blackberries and put them next to me. I needed to get away from it all this morning, even for a short while. Picking berries seemed the most… normal and more importantly, the least likely to get me killed. So I slipped out early in the morning. I can't keep fooling Baron. I mean, he still believes me but he's so sweet and… I just don't know what to think.
You have to do this. You don't just have a family; you need to get back to your inventions.
The voice in my head always convinces me what I'm doing is right. Suddenly I hear footsteps behind me. I grab Branna's spear and turn around only to see Branna herself.
"Julie-Anne?" she gives me a confused look "What are you doing?"
"Just picking berries" I shrug.
"Don't we have a lot of them?"
"Well, yeah but, I just thought I'd get a few more."
"Right… you want some help?"
"Err… sure."
She sits down beside me and begins to pick berries from the bush. What we're doing sounds completely innocent- if it weren't for the fact Branna keeps glancing over at me suspiciously when she thinks I'm not looking.
"So" she says casually "You and Baron? That's going pretty well."
"Yes. It is" I whisper.
"Cut the crap Julie-Anne. I know."
"Huh?"
"It's all fake isn't it? You don't love him."
I stop picking berries.
"W-what do you mean?"
"Look, don't do this to him. He doesn't deserve it."
I let out a high pitched laugh.
"Branna I know you're a little jealous of Baron and I, considering he's your brother but I can assure you my feelings are real."
"Stop it. Julie-Anne we can tell Baron together. He'll understand. You don't have to leave the alliance."
I stand up, my back turned to her.
"When did you find out?" I ask, shakily.
"When we found you yesterday and you hugged Baron. I saw your face. You didn't look happy; you looked guilty" she explains.
I gulp. I didn't want to have to do this yet. I turn around and aim Branna's spear at her. Branna goes pale.
"Julie-Anne, don't do this. You don't have to" she pleads.
"I'm sorry Branna but I do. I have to get back to my family, not to mention my experiments." I throw the spear and close my eyes, not wanting to see Branna die, especially at my hand.
"NO!"
I open my eyes just as Baron jumps in the crossfire and the spear hits his torso. He falls to the floor and Branna runs to his side.
"Baron please; please don't die" Branna cries.
She holds his hand and he squeezes hers.
"I should have listened" he whispers in reply, his eyes closing.
BOOM
Branna looks down at the dead body of her brother, her tears dripping onto him. I take a step towards her but she stands up, pulling the spear out of Baron's body on her way. She points it at me.
"Get away from him! Is this what you wanted Julie-Anne? Is it?"
I shake my head, tears dripping down my cheeks. Branna looks at me as a new wave of tears fill her own eyes. She throws the spear to the ground and goes back to Baron's body. She hugs it and sobs into his now bloody shirt. She looks up at me one more time.
"Go ahead. Kill me. KILL ME!" she screams at me before lying her head back down.
I leave the spear where it is. This isn't what I wanted. I'm a monster.
Danny Suvillian POV
I peer out of the trees, Airmet by my side. I need to find Shimmer. Glinda was my friend; she almost reminded me of my sister in a way. I can't stop thinking about seeing her dead body and I'll never forget that image. Shimmer's going to pay. Airmet and I have been looking for her since this morning. Then, I see a girl walking through the woods alone. It's got to be her. I tap Airmet on the shoulder.
"Airmet, there she is. Let's do this." I say.
"Wait, Danny, I…" she begins but it's too late, I've already jumped.
I land on Shimmer's back. Airmet jumps down after me and lands on the ground just as I've stabbed my knife in Shimmer's neck. But it's too blunt; it barely makes a scratch.
"Danny stop! It's not her! It's not Shimmer!" yells Airmet.
What? I look at the girl properly. She doesn't even look like Shimmer. The girl throws me off her back and glares at me, clutching her sword. Looks like I'm gonna have to fight after all. But then, the girl looks behind her at Airmet.
"Did you say Shimmer?" she asks.
"Y-yeah" stutters Airmet, shaking.
"You want her dead?" the girl lowers her sword.
"So what if we do?" I reply.
"That bitch took away my only real alliance. What's say I help you, then we go our separate ways?"
"Sure" Airmet agrees quickly before I can object "What's your name?"
"Tansley"
Amy-Leigh Gizmo POV
I don't know why I agreed to this. I hate Branwen. I just do. Yet here I am helping her pluck the birds we caught. Terro is in the corner trying to start a fire. I wish I was helping him; he's funny. Branwen's trying to be chatty but I'm in no mood to talk to her.
"You know, you might be able to pluck it quicker if you use one of my arrows instead of that axe" she points out.
"Yes, well, I don't need to rely on you for supplies ok? Some of us can survive without sponsor gifts" I snap back.
Branwen goes quiet for a minute.
"I'm ok here. You could go and help Terro if you want" she suggests.
"Why would I want to do that?" I say.
Branwen says "Hmm" knowingly and carries on plucking.
"What is that supposed to mean?" I scowl.
"Oh come on Amy. You're telling me Terro's just your friend?"
"Yes! No! I don't know!"
"Ok what about the other day; when Terro was stung by the tracker jackers?"
"That was… well that was nothing!"
Flashback
The rain fell hard; every drop felt like a gun shot.
"Come on, we're almost in the cave" I had encouraged Branwen.
Eventually we'd got Terro into the cave and pulled out the stingers but every time we pulled one out or he moved a little, something inside me went tense. By the time we were done, I felt unusually on edge.
"Shouldn't we do something? Is there anything else we're meant to do? What if he died because we took the stingers out? Are you even supposed to do that?" I quizzed Branwen.
To my surprise, she laughed at me.
"Look Nurse Amy, you should probably just leave him" she joked.
"But he could die when we weren't looking. He could die while we were chatting or something and we wouldn't have a clue"
"We would; the cannon would tell us."
It felt like we'd switched places for a moment. For the first time in these games, I was panicking and Branwen was reassuring me.
End of Flashback
"Go; I don't mind, honestly."
I look over at Terro, who's just got a fire going. Do I love him?
"No, we'll go together. Let's finish the plucking over there." I say.
I know that's a total cop out. But I need to know for sure how I feel about Terro before I say anything. Is Branwen trying to help me or distract me? Maybe it has something to do with that note she got. I need to find out what it said.
Brynn Kale POV
"Brynn?"
I ignore Phoenix and continue sharpening my axe.
"Come on baby, talk to me."
I stay silent. I hear his footsteps but don't turn around. I'm not giving him the satisfaction.
"You could give me that freebie you still owe me."
When I feel his hand on my back I jump in surprise but I still don't respond. Suddenly he grabs my shoulder and turns me around then he kisses me forcefully. But I'm not Wonder. I push him away and slap him as hard as I can. He flinches, something I've never seen Phoenix do.
"Listen arsehole! You touch me again and I'll slit your throat, do I make myself clear?" I growl.
Phoenix doesn't answer. Instead, he grabs me and holds me against the cave wall. I'm scared, but I'm not being another Wonder.
"Look baby, I don't think you understand how this works. You see, you don't call the shots. I do" he smiles sinisterly.
I take a death breath… and then spit in his face.
"I'm not your fricken baby. I'm not Wonder!"
"Wonder was a waste of space!"
"She loved you!"
"She was a mutt!"
"No, you're the true mutt. You're an arrogant murderer who just kills his problems just to hide the face no one cares about him."
"Shut up!"
"You gonna kill me? Go ahead, because we both know you can't survive these games alone!"
Phoenix raises his sword but then pushes me down. He walks over to the corner and begins to sharpen his sword. I stay where I am, seemingly unable to move. After a while Phoenix goes to sleep in his sleeping bag. Then I stand up, close my eyes to think for a moment. Then I grab my axe and some food and do what I have to.
I run.
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Death List
24th: Chime Hathaway- I killed him purely on the basis, that it makes Wonder guiltier.
23rd: Dallas Cho- Not strong enough and I struggled a bit to write for him.
22nd: Camera Jackie- No real reason other than the fact I couldn't see him winning.
21st: Sevtamira Maroon- I couldn't see her winning and I wasn't very good at writing for the character.
20th: Elliot Klemes- I was debating in my head so much as to whether to kill off this character especially after writing his interview but in the end I was choosing between him and Tansley as to who died.
19th: Alice Felsworth- I had quite a few ideas for this character but her dying made the most sense, story wise. I did like the character a lot though; she was interesting.
18th: Wolfgang Star- I must be clear I had a list of a few tributes and this wasn't an easy decision. After much deliberation I had to let Wolfgang go.
17th: Jesse Frogan- Sorry Jesse, there's only room for one arrogant arsehole in this story from now on and unfortunately it's not you.
16th: Topaz Martin- You were annoying and arrogant. Yet I will miss you quite a lot and to be honest I needed someone to die to break up the alliance and I chose you; apologies.
15th: Metro Cahidra- This guy was such a sweetie and I felt bad getting rid of him but the blood flow isn't moving fast enough so I had to kill someone else and unfortunately it was Metro.
14th: Wonder Jones- It broke my heart to kill her off. I definitely did consider her winning at a point. I adored writing for her and she only died because of her relationship with Phoenix (yes I know this was my idea and I do apologise).
13th: Glinda Odair- Loved her but had to lose her. I needed to kill off another girl as I only have 4 boys left.
12th: Baron Chrome- It was sad for you to die but you died a good man.
REMAINING TRIBUTES:
Shimmer Starlight from District 1
Both District 2 Tributes
Branna Chrome from District 3
Danny Suvillian from District 4
Julie-Anne Beaker from District 5
Both District 7 Tributes
Tansley Marie Hepperly from District 9
Airmet W. Jumpneptune from District 11
Branwen Pritchard from District 12