We are so close to the end! Four tributes remain! With the death of Xander, the wrath of Dionysus is upon the tributes. Yes, the story is almost over, and then I can start on to my next one. The upcoming chapters may be a little shorter mostly because I want to finish this. I really want to thank everyone who has stuck with this story and have been reviewing. I really appreciate it. Now, it's time to get along with the story. Enjoy!
Randon Hawthorne, D4
Voices. Voices mumble inside of my head. Sometimes they shout, but they mostly whisper. I see hallucinations all around me. The trees burst into a sulfuric powder and then turn into a million butterflies. I hear myself laugh at the peculiar event, but yet I'm screaming on the inside. It's my worst nightmare. My worst fear. I am losing my mind, going insane, crazy. I hear a scream in the distance it may be another tribute facing their fear, or it might just be my imagination. Rain still sputters from the sky. The raindrops fall from the sky in different shapes and sizes. A beach ball-sized raindrop lands to my right and drenches me in water. That's the problem with madness, ou can't tell what is real and not real.
My stomach gives a loud rumble. I only have a few crumbs left. I eat the crumbs vainly to trying to relinquish my hunger. I then start to play with the rain. Controlling water is a pretty cool ability. I freeze the water in midair. The rain stops. I feel the weight of the water pushing down on me. I collect the water into a whip. I use the water whip to slice a tree. The large oak completely slices in half. I give a laugh of satisfaction but it quickly dissipates as a swarm of beetles rushes out of the tree. It may just be a hallucination but I don't want to risk it. I use a small wave to push the beetles back but they keep advancing. Thousands scuttle towards me. A crazy plan then pops into my head.
I collect the surrounding water and shape it into a levitating surface. I freeze the water into ice. It's a hoverboard made of ice. I hop on the board and send another wave of water into the beetles. I then force the board forward. I almost fall over but I quickly adjust to my new ride. I race through the woods on my ice board, it is much faster than running. I don't go too far before I have to quit. The hover board takes a lot of energy out of me. I sit down and rest against the trunk of a tree as the rain falls around me. The voices still whispering incoherent words in my head.
Witherly Frumpter, D11
Xander is gone. I should have stayed and fought alongside him. I haven't moved from this spot, the spot where he laid dying beside me, his blood pooling around us. I can't believe he is really gone. I can't get his goofy laugh, bright smile, dark hair, and his beautiful green eyes out of my head. I still feel his soft lips and rough hands. And his last words replay over and over in my head.
He touched the woven engagement ring on my finger and looked straight into my eyes and said, "Witherly, this ring is a promise. It's a promise that no matter what, we will always be together. Remember that I will always be with you, and that nothing can separate us. Not even death." He then kissed me with his blood cake lips. I saw the light leave his eyes and heard his last gasp of breath.
I saw his face in the sky that night. It wasn't a good picture of him. It was him in his arena outfit and a grimace on his face. That's not the Xander I will remember. The real Xander was funny and caring. I will remember him running barefoot through the orchards wearing his tattered overalls and his dingy what-use-to-be white t-shirt. Xander liked to tell jokes and stories. The wrath of Dionysus was supposed to unleash the tribute's fears. My fear was losing Xander and how painful it is to face that fear.
Christian Shawn, D10
Fire everywhere. Flames reach upward to the sky and lash out at me. I run through the burning trees trying to find a place of sanctuary. Every turn I take, a blaze of fire erupts in my face. The flames don't seem to be burning the trees. I can still feel the heat and pain of the flames, though. Fire has ruined my life. I run towards the mountains hoping that the barren ground will help me escape the inferno. Blister begin to spread across my arms, and I feel sweat drenching my shirt. I keep running, I have to escape, I have to survive.
I reach the edge of the woods and run out into the rocky landscape of the mountains. the flames don't follow me. I give a sigh of relief. I then notice that it is still raining. Inside the woods, I hadn't felt a drop. The flames must have evaporated the water before it reached me, or maybe I just mistook the rain for sweat. To escape the rain I run into a small cave. Inside I see that the cave is much larger than I expected. Luminescent goo drips down the side of the cave giving off an eerie green glow. I hear a rustling deeper into the cave. I walk deeper into the cave expecting to find another tribute or worse another fear. I walk to the end of the cave and don't find anything. It must have been the wind. I sit down on the cool stone floor. The goo gives enough light that I can see if a tribute approaches.
I must have dozed off because another rustling sound jerks my head up. This time, it is closer to the entrance of the cave. I grab my sword. OUtof the dimness comes a large three headed monster. It looks like a dragon, a creature that is told in stories back at the orphanage. The powerful knight always defeated the dragon to rescue the fair maiden. I see the dragon but no fair maiden. The creature has four large talons on each foot and a long slick tail covered in spikes.
The monster then does something that I never expected. The middle head shoots a rocket of fire from its mouth. I guess they forgot to mention that part in the orphanage. I dodge the inferno by inches. It swings its tail at me, the spikes almost impaling my face. I duck underneath the tail and swing my sword upward, cutting the tail clean in half. Purple acid rains down on me. the acid burns my already burnt skin. The drops of acid burn all the way to the bone. I scream out in agony. The monster charges after me again. I try to raise my sword but my arm cries out in pain. To escape the monster's charge, I dive and roll to the side. During the summertime, I would get sunburned from working at the ranches. This feels one hundred times worst. As I try to push myself back up, a head snatches the end of my backpack. I dangle in the air for a few seconds before dropping out of my pack. On my descent down I turn and swipe my sword against one of the monster's neck. I land on the ground hard. I hear my ankle crack. It must have been at least a twenty-foot drop. More acidic purple blood rains down on me. I lay on the ground motionless. The pain is too overwhelming. Hoping that I killed the beast I open my eyes. I give a shout mixed with anger and pain. Where there once was three heads there is now four. When I cut the head off, two more took its place. I try to stand, but I crumple back to the floor. Pain shoots through my body. Flares of intense heat rocket through me. Tears fall from my eyes as I see a head snap toward me. The mouth of the beast engulfs me.
Katrina Kramer, D7
Boom! A cannon rings out across the arena. Three left. It's surprising that I have made it this far. I wonder who all is left. I guess I will see tonight. The rain sputters down around me. I know that with the death of Xander, I am supposed to face my fear. The only thing I have faced is figures of Cleavus chasing me. I have encountered him four times today. I know he is dead, so it's just a Gamemaker trick. The first time I used my super speed to run away. The rest of the times I decided to practice my trident skills and killed him. The Cleavus mutt isn't nearly as cunning or strong as the original. It has been fairly easy each time to kill him. I know he is just a mutt so I don't feel any remorse.
Now I sit up in a tree looking out across the horizon overlooking the edge of the arena and the ocean far below. I haven't been everywhere on the island. I never went to the mountains. I wonder if I could walk straight pass the mountains and leave this dreaded arena. They say that a force field surrounds the arenas. In the last fifty years or so a natural boundary has surrounded the arena. Like this ocean. Maybe I could make a boat and sail off in it. Maybe I could find my way home to Seven. I don't even know if the arena is even in Panem, or on the other side of the world. In school, they say that the world used to be filled with people and multiple countries. Then disasters ravaged the Earth. Only Panem remained and everyone and everything else ceased to exist. I had always hoped that a ship filled with people would wash up onto Four's beach and they would overthrow Panem and end the Hunger Games. Through time my wish has also ceased to exist.
The anthem plays above me. It's the moment of truth to see who all is left. I five a small yelp when I see Christian's face in the sky. I had expected it to be Witherly. it may be for the best because I would not want to face Christian in the finale. The only people left are Randon and WitI know Inknow Randon will be a tough competitor but I don't know about Witherly. I don't remember her training score and who knows what type of condition she is in now that Xander is gone.
What do you think? Did you like the chapter? Are you excited? It's the final three. Who's your favorite tribute left? Any predictions for the victor? I have had this chapter mostly done for a few days and have already started the next one. The next chapter won't be the finale. I will explain the reason why next chapter. The finale will be after that, and then another chapter to conclude with the Victor and their journey back home. Then I can post the first chapter for my SYOT because these two stories will be in the same universe. Although a lot will change in the next twenty-five years. I might have the next chapter up tomorrow, with maybe the finale chapter. Just depends on how much time I have. Until next time, Beauthg03.
The Fallen
Christian Shawn, D10- killed by Hydra mutt