Junie Brett
I was cramped and sore when I woke up. Of course, Ree and I had barely slept at all. She was pretty scared of being up so high, and we were both scared of mutts and the other Tributes. I felt like all my muscles were wooden and I wanted to run inside my house and burrow into soft blankets.
Just me adjusting my position woke up Ree, and she scrunched harder against the trunk as she looked down at the ground so far beneath us. I was about to say something when I noticed something more important.
"Look, dew," I said, pointing at the leaves around us. They were wide and round, and they all shone with droplets. I tapped one and water dropped off it, falling against the trunk with an audible plop.
Ree took out our half-full bottle. Back in the Capitol, the training assistants showed us how to capture dew. I took off my shirt and dabbed the leaves with it, careful not to knock off more droplets. It was weird and a little cold to be on camera in my bra, but some things have to be done. The Capitol must have been worried about topless 12-year-olds, since they provided us girls with sports bras that covered a lot of skin.
When I had enougn dew collected, I wrung my shirt out and water poured into our bottle. It only took a few swipes to replenish our supplies. This time around, the Gamemakers wanted us to die hard.
It took us a long time to get down from the tree, since it was wet and Ree wasn't as used to climbing as I was. We hesitated on the last branch and looked around for any evidence of dinosaurs. I could tell neither of us wanted to be down for long. It felt like back when I was little and we pretended that the floor was lava. We were only safe in the tree.
The plants here were different from the ones in the Capitol. I assumed they were prehistoric, but I could still recognize ferns, and I knew ferns were good to eat. You're supposed to fry them, but raw was good enough for us. We gathered as much as we could stuff into our shirts and pants and retreated back into the tree. With food and water, we wouldn't have to come down for a long time.
Zetan Thompson
We didn't have any supplies, but we all got out of the Bloodbath alive. I almost didn't, though. I was next to Floki, and when he started to charge I was sure he was coming at me. Instead he smashed past me like I was grass, and he knocked me over. I looked up and saw Jynx aiming an arrow at me. It was too late to move, but something flashed in front of me. Gizmo helped me get to my feet with one hand, since the other arm had Victory's arrow in it. Nubu and Arter fell in with us as we fled, not even bothering to grab supplies.
"Are you okay?" Arter asked Gizmo when we were far enough away to stop. Gizmo was examining the arrow in his arm. His breath was pained but he seemed to be lucid.
"It didn't hit anything important, or it would be bleeding more," he said.
"Should we pull it out, or will that make it worse?" Nubu asked.
"The worst that could happen is infection. It's wet here, and we don't have any medicine," Gizmo said. "There's hardly anything we can do. The best we can do is break off what we can and hope someone sends us medicine or we can start a fire to cauterize it."
"Thanks. For helping me, I mean," I said. I was horrified that Gizmo got hurt and guilty that he was helping me, but I felt really good to know Gizmo would do that. He didn't even hesitate. I wasn't a bully to him. I was just his friend. I liked that much more.
Arden Grake
I wasn't about to stay on the ground, not with Careers and dinosaurs rampaging around. There weren't many trees in ten, but climbing one was pretty self-explanatory. I stopped when I was halfway up the tree, past the reach of any of the meat-eating dinosaurs.
I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to kill anyone, and I didn't even know if I could. I wasn't trained like the Careers and I wasn't brutal like some of the others. I wasn't even used to hacking wood like the Tributes from Seven. All I could hope to do was outlast the others.
I jumped when the ground shook, but then I knew I didn't have to be afraid. A dinosaur that large had to be a sauropod. It was still stunning when I saw the sheer mass of the creature as it came into view. I'd seen houses smaller than it. Fallen logs crunched under its feet and saplings bent beside it as it wandered closer to my tree. Its head was as big as I was. Its pockmarked skin was greenish brown and its tail seemed to go on forever. It was just awe-inspiring, and I felt blessed to get to see it.
The dinosaur plucked a branch twice my size from a tree and picked off all the leaves. It dropped the barren branch and picked another one closer to me. It was so close I could almost reach out and touch it, and I felt its warm breath. I didn't think about what that meant until its head grew closer and its mouth opened to reveal dozens of spoon-shaped teeth with flecks of leaf between them.
"Oh no," I said. I tried to squish farther up the branch, but it was too late. The teeth got closer until I actually could touch them, and then I did. The dinosaur chomped down on a lot of greenery and something much more red and squishy. As the teeth punched through my skin, I hoped my parents weren't disappointed that their son got eaten by a herbivore.
Gabriel Farad POV
A cannon sounded earlier today. Delilah told me. It was night, and that had been the only one. The Careers must have been disappointed.
I had already said the required prayers, but at a time like this I needed all the help I could get. I told Delilah I was going to scout around and sent up a few extra ones just in case. I felt like a brave hero when she didn't hesitate. She didn't say, "But Gabriel. You're deaf. Shouldn't I look around? You stay here where it's safe." I was her partner, and she trusted maybe. Maybe I even helped her feel braver.
The night was alive with colors, aromas, and movement. Soft ferns brushed against me as I walked and that lovely after-rain scent hung in the air. White flowers clung to some of the fallen logs and a dragonfly the size of my hand buzzed by my ear. I was happy that despite all that had happened, Delilah and I got to share such a gorgeous Arena. I wished it could last forever, but I knew the Careers could be around any corner.
Something prickled at the back of my head, and I turned around in a circle. There was no sign of movement or enemies, but still I was uneasy. I smelled something peaty and then something pushed me over from behind. It landed on top of me and I turned over to see a spotted cat with long fangs. They weren't long enough for a sabertooth, but they were long enough for me. I knew my last moments had to matter, and I tried to scream a warning to Delilah. I barely got anything out before the cat bit into my neck, crushing it shut. It bore down on me, cutting off my air and blocking any escape. Of course, I spent my last moments praying.
Allah is merciful. Please, be merciful to Delilah.
18th place: Arden Grake- Chomped by a brontosaurus
Arden was generally absent from people's votes. His creator suggested this cool death scene and I didn't think people would mind getting another Tribute out of the way. Arden was a last-minute addition, but I think he stood out. He was quiet without being another cliche quiet Tribute. He seemed more like an introvert than another loner, and I appreciated his subtle drive. Thanks lisaisanut for providing a Tribute after so many fell through and for giving him a tailor-made death. Also I'm sorry I spelled his name Ardun all those times.
17th place: Gabriel Farad- Eaten by a xenosmilus
Xenosmiluses aren't exactly from the same period, but the Gamemakers don't care as long as it's cool. I really liked Gabriel. I was hoping he'd win even though I would have to work to make it realistic. I think a combination of realism and people who were afraid he was too popular did him in, and I was surprised how many people voted for him. Thanks PrinceofCorinth for Gabriel. I always like it when unconventional Tributes get into the Games. I wish he had lived longer so he and Delilah could have had more time.
A rich Capitolite has sent Lyra a compound bow and a dozen arrows. Lucky her!