The sixth day
-Nebuchadnezzar Spiros, 18, District 2-
I wake up early in the morning with a great sneeze. Instinctively I reach up to wipe my nose, and that's when I see the ash on the back of my hand.
Huh…? Suddenly, the events of the previous day come rushing back to me. My head pounds dully as I recount the battle that was so sorely lost by us Careers… And the smell of the burning smoke and the heat on the door I was leaning against makes me remember the fight that had ended in victory… For me anyways.
But all the joy I'd felt when it happened yesterday has faded away, and the only heat in my whole body is that of the furnace against my arm. Sure, what he'd done was bad, but did he really deserve… That? It wasn't exactly a fair way to end the battle between us.
What was I supposed to do, huh? Bastard shot the weapon out of my hand. I look down at the injury, just barely bandaged up and covered in crusty brown blood. Crusty. Ew. I feel sorry I had to use that word. The knife sheathed in my belt presses against my stomach. If I were sparring with someone in the Academy, surely I would have thrown the knife and ended it easily. Humanely. Quickly. At least Zuli had gotten that mercy.
Zuli. The only reason it happened was because he left his District partner out to die like that. He easily could have taken that brute from District Ten, and he chose not to. The thought of it makes me angry all over again, but at least he got what he deserved. I just wish I felt as good about it as I did yesterday when it happened.
Either way, it's over, and he's dead. And that's what matters, right? He isn't going to hurt me or my allies anymore. I expelled the threat when I could. That was the honorable thing to do, when faced with a threat or a snake. Or, coincidentally, both.
We did the right thing, I tell myself, taking in a deep breath of air and hoping that my body will be less groggy because of it. Then maybe I can rid myself of these… Unsettling thoughts.
I hadn't even been awake to see the faces in the sky that night. Probably for the best. I can't even remember when I passed out. The last thing I can remember is laughing so hysterically over the ashes… Who knows how long I was there, laughing like that? It could have been hours for all I knew. Time didn't matter to me then. All that mattered was the sweet sweet taste of vengeance. But now, I just feel like a fool. I still could have gotten my justice with a quick kill. And instead… Well, instead he was dying for who knows how long? Surely not too long. It was wickedly hot in there, and if anything his agony would have ended by choking on smoke. It was fast. Surely it was fast.
And so would his funeral, considering there wouldn't even be a corpse. District One might just have different kinds of funeral rites… Maybe cremation is already part of it. Well, maybe not forced cremation.
After the intoxicating high of yesterday, I feel hung over this morning. Mostly because of the pounding headache. I just don't feel well. My body aches from various bruises and cuts from the fight, not to mention the more serious injuries I'd sustained. Neapolitan wasn't just a good liar, he was quite a worthy opponent. More worthy than many of the people I'd faced back home at the Academy. He's District One's best for a reason.
Or, well, he was.
But that just proves that I can do this, right? If I could take him down, then I can tackle whatever other challenges are in front of me. If only I hadn't won on such a dirty trick.
It was not a dirty trick. It was what I had to do. I wish I could believe that I really didn't have a choice. I could have taken him in a fair fight, but he didn't play fair with me first. My throbbing hand proves that to me. And now, I'm without a sword, all I have is a knife. I know we have other weapons back at the Cornucopia, but either way, I'll have to learn to use them with my left hand.
Good thing I trained to be ambidextrous, I think, remembering all of those victories back in the Academy that were taken with my left hand only. I can only hope that it'll be enough to get me through the rest of these rapidly-paced Games. The field has more than halved at this point, and with the momentum going forward, it could easily be down to the final eight in a matter of a few days. I'm so close to District Two, the honor and glory, Duchess, my best puppy girl, Chrys's lips… What?! No. Not those. I mean, not that I don't want them, it's just not my main priority to be smooching him again. I mean, I have my family too. They're great. And I miss them greatly. If I can just keep the momentum pushing forward, I'll be home in no time. What a beautiful thought that is.
I get up to a sitting position and try to dust off some of the soot from my face and clothes before reaching into my travel pack and taking out a bag of food. It's best to get my energy up before I try to stand. I have to do all I can to keep myself healthy. Otherwise, I'll just crumble under the stress and pressure and injuries. I can't afford for that to happen.
After breakfast, I sip some water and give it a moment to digest and break down. But ultimately, I know that I need to get back to my allies at camp. There, I'll get a new weapon and supplies to tend to some of my wounds and make sure they don't get any worse than they already are. Together, he and that tiny girl from District Ten really did a number on me. As much as I want to go back and get my revenge, I know better than to go for it today.
I make it up to my feet slowly, and allow myself to bring the world back into focus before trying to walk. My head throbs a little bit, but soon the world is back into its place. Before I can take a step, though, the train rails screech, the room goes dark besides the light of the blazing fire, and I am pushed harshly up against the wall I was leaning on for support. The whistle blares, sending my vision into total redness with pain, and I see sparks erupting outside the small window my face has been pressed so gracefully up against.
Eventually, the lights flicker back on, and the train is once again balanced, continuing to chug valiantly along the track. I grab a ledge on the wall to get back up on my feet, take a deep breath of air, and then get moving. This time, I go through the hallway without entering any rooms. I just hope that no tributes have set up a trap or decided to wait here… I move slowly and carefully, but it seems that most of the tributes had stayed out of the halls. It's almost like the hallways weren't even conceptualized or remembered until I had to fight the District Ten tributes and they had to find a way to hole up before I was working on the door. But that certainly wouldn't be the case. No way.
Tiredly and wearily, I walk back through the hallway until I see the door marked with the numbers 201. I remembered it because they are the Career numbers. My heart starts pounding at the thought of facing my allies again. My heart sinks into my stomach thinking about how I would react if I were them. What are they going to think of me as their leader?
That doesn't matter what they think of me. They'll understand. They'll know that I'm just doing what was best for the alliance by eliminating a threat. Surely they'll know, it was all for Zuli. They'll understand, won't they?
I nervously try to brush off the soot. They don't have to know how it happened, right? I mean, that wouldn't be a lie if I just left out some details. I would still be telling the truth. Not the full truth, but I wouldn't be lying, that's for sure. After all, they'll think lower of me if they know the dirty trick I pulled.
No. Nebuchadnezzar Spiros does not win off of a cheap trick! It was what I had to do in order to put an end to the fight. That's that.
I still make sure to get off as much as I can before I press the button that allows the door to slide open. I walk into the small dining area and see my allies sitting by the Cornucopia through the glass window. I hurry over as fast as my body will allow me to go to open the door and enter the shop.
"There you are Euron!" Lori says. If I had more energy and wasn't so nervous, I would be annoyed. There's no reason to be nervous, though. I have nothing to hide from them, right? Because I haven't really done anything wrong.
"Man, you don't look so good," Garrett says, his kind eyes softening in concern as he comes over to me to assess the damage. "Let's get you taken care of." He heads over to the supplies to find a first aid kit.
"Those bandages are so yesterday," Lori says. That makes me laugh a little bit, until she wrinkles her little nose in offense. "That wasn't a joke!"
"My bad," I say, putting up my hands as Garrett comes back with a first aid kit.
"Lay down Nez," he says. "This might take a little while." He puts down a pillow, and as soon as my head touches it, my eyes feel heavy. I allow them to close as I drift off into a half-sleep. While I'm there, my brain forms all kinds of images, images of bloodshed, fighting, screaming- ow! That really hurt. Mm… Images of fighting, screaming, and the smell of blood. Maybe that's just from my own wounds… No, that's more of an alcohol smell…
The agony on my hand finishes after who knows how long of these daydreams continuing. I can feel them washing the caked on blood out of my hand and the side of my head, behind my ear, with another throbbing of bleeding pain that makes me feel like I'm spinning even though my eyes aren't even open. After the pain subsides, I feel myself drifting off into a deep sleep. Nobody stops me so I let it take me away.
…
"He's waking up finally," a voice says, and that makes my eyes shoot open. The first then I see is the beautiful arrangements of colors in the sky. The clouds are periwinkle, the sun is a soft pink and orange, setting over the mountaintops.
"Nez!" I feel like I'm not in my own body. My body doesn't know how to feel right now. It doesn't know if it wants to be better or worse. The pain has gone down, but my energy level feels the lowest it's ever been. "Get up now big guy," Garrett says, and soon he and Lori are helping me up to a sitting position. It feels better when I have some assistance with it.
"Thanks guys," I say, annoyed at how hoarse my voice sounds. It's probably silly of me to look this weak on TV. I'm sure the crowd at home's been worried sick about me for the past day. Two days, considering how long I apparently slept today.
"Let's get some food in you," Garrett says, hurrying to search through the bags for the healthiest thing while Lori stays close to my side.
"We did the best we could on you. You got it pretty hard man." She rubs my shoulder as Garrett comes back with a pouch of jerky for me to have. After living on cursed raisins for a day, nothing tasted better than the salty, tough, meat.
"I know," I say, eating the sticks slowly for preservation of supplies.
"So…" Garrett says, his voice sounding hesitant, and my heart starts to pound harder as I know what he's going to ask next. "What happened?"
"What's in pain?" Lori asks, and I know she caught me wincing.
"Just… All over," I say. Not a lie. Technically.
"He's exhausted," Lori says. "No need to talk about it right now, Euron. Just focus on getting yourself put together."
"No, it's alright," I say, shifting to a more comfortable position and immediately pulling up my hand that stings in pain at the pressure.
"Nez…" Garrett winces, but I shake my head. The truth has to come out sometime, and it's just best that it happens soon.
"It all started when we ran into the pair from Ten," I say. "I lead the charge and went for the girl, but the boy killed Zuli in a flash."
"Zuli? But… Where was Neapolitan?" Garrett asks, his face contorting into a frown.
"He…" My chest burns with that rage again at just the mere thought. How dare he!
"Nez?" he asks quietly.
"He was too late to save her, and Kaiser didn't even look again before striking him down. At that point, I was so injured by this girl hitting me with her boot that I couldn't even process anything but running away."
Both of them are silent for a while.
"So… What happened to your hand then?" Garrett asks. "Looks like a stab wound."
"Someone sponsored them with damn blowdarts," I say. "Huge things. Stung like a bitch."
Garrett winced. Lori bit her lip, but she didn't say anything. I notice just then the soot that is still under my fingernails and hope to goodness nobody saw it. I mean, they wouldn't have any idea what it is…
Nobody says another word, and thankfully before they have the chance, the anthem plays.
The sixth night
No faces are shown in the sky, the first night with no cannons to show. Probably because Lori and Garrett stayed here nursing me…
"Let me keep watch tonight," I say.
"Are you sure?" Lori asks, frowning a little bit.
"I'm sure." With a small shrug, both of them laid down on their pillows. The cars are all dark, and so is the sky outside, and now I just have to be left alone with my thoughts once again I suppose… Never a good way to be.
After at least an hour I'm sure of watching the dark silhouettes of trees pass by in the distance, I hear someone stir.
"You up Euron?"
"I sure hope I would be," I whisper back, trying not to wake Garrett.
"Good," she says. I can't see her expression in the dark, but the tone of her voice makes me uncomfortable. "Is the fuckboy asleep?"
"Garrett isn't a fuckboy," I say defensively.
"Lower your voice Baby, God." I feel my eyebrows crease at that.
"I'm not your baby."
"No, but you are my partner. It's in the title. Listen, this pack isn't a pack anymore, and it's only going to get uglier from here. And you know how I feel about ugly."
My heart picks up in my chest. "You can't be serious Lori. It wouldn't be fair."
"I think you've already shown exactly how you feel about fair, Euron. You think we didn't catch your bluff?"
I feel sweat beading at my hairline. "I wouldn't lie to you." But you did…
No. I'm not a liar! I'm not a cheater! That's what I despise!
"Sure you wouldn't hun. Now what do you say? Let's take out the Fuckboy and get on with it. Come with me, and I won't make you spill your dirty little secret."
I feel heat crossing my face, and am suddenly glad for the darkness, so she can't see my sweat and blush. "Lori, this is ridiculous. You know I wouldn't pull something like that."
"Then say no."
"I have. And frankly, I'm disappointed you'd even have the thought of that. I trusted you." The fact that she would betray us so coldly like that… My hand is reaching for the knife attached to my belt.
"Oh, don't do this to me Daddy. You know that it's a battle you can't win."
"I'm not going to betray my ally and my friend," I tell her. "But you might want to get lost," I say. My chest feels hot as I quickly pull the knife and get up to my feet.
"If you knew what was right for you, you'd take that back." She scrambles to her feet, not a single injury on her, and the weapon suddenly feels heavy in my hand.
Suddenly, I see another figure behind her, and before Lori realizes the extra threat, Garrett gives her a firm whack on the head with his staff and she crumples to the floor. Quickly, instinctively, I whip my knife at the body, just for security's sake and the thrill of justice. It buries itself into her chest, and just like that a cannon booms. Garrett and I are still, silently staring at each other, not sure where to go from here.
"Thanks," I say cautiously. I don't think I have it in me for another fight.
"It's for the best," he says with a sigh. "That's not the first conniving she's been doing."
Hearing that makes me even more angry. To think that my own District partner would do that!
Garrett lowers his staff, and I re-sheathe my knife.
"Us Careers should stick together," he says, but the warmth in his voice has all but disappeared. "Just for a few kills longer. If the 10 pair is together and as dangerous as you say, it would be foolish for either of us to take them on alone."
"They are," I say, honestly. They are a threat, and he's right. We should stick together.
"Well then, we can make a truce." I release a sigh of relief at that. I can't stand to have another foe to fight right now. Especially because I couldn't even take the first one.
When he speaks again, any warmth in my body is completely gone again.
"But don't think I'm not going to sleep with one eye open tonight, Nebuchadnezzar."
~.~.
-Ott Travers, 15, District 4-
Knowing that we've almost been here a week is absolutely unbelievable to me. It's been almost a week since Bean died… That's even more unbelievable. I've managed to somehow forget about the hole that he left behind. I suppose it's because I only knew him for about six days, if that. They were surely a great six days, but it wasn't a very deep relationship.
That, and also focusing on my friends and family back home. The people that have been in my life for years and years, I want to continue to be in their lives too. And maybe, maybe if I get back I can continue to be in my cousin's life too. A lump appears in my throat… I know that deep in my heart of hearts, that won't happen even if I'm a Victor. They made it clear the reason that we're not allowed to be together anymore, and my parents are unlikely to forgive them for how they treated me, even if I could… For Brock's sake mostly. He can't be squared away from the world like that forever, can he? I'm worried about him. But there's really not anything I can do for him at all if I'm dead. If I live, perhaps I'll actually have a chance to impact his life in some way.
The small pillow I have to lay my head on is pretty comfortable, but I can't sleep. After all, I've known these tributes from Nine for less than a week. And I'm sure that their memory of me could be wiped out in a matter of days. I can't allow that to happen to me. Not to mention I can feel every little click and bump of the train on its tracks down here on the floor. I miss when we had an actual bedroom to sleep in. Now, we have to trade off the pillow and the blanket we have between the two of us that are trying to sleep. I'm not sure which is better, even together I doubt I would be able to sleep here like this.
Zu sits up on one of the chairs around the dining area. She said they're not very comfortable, but that's better because it ensure she doesn't fall asleep on watch. I told her that I would far rather her sleep if she were tired (as I would far rather be on watch) but she insisted, so I let it slide. Hoping that maybe I would actually be able to get some shut-eye tonight, which turned out to be in vain.
Next to me, I hear Blair's very calm breaths, rhythmic and indiscernible unless you listen for them. They look so calm when I crack open an eye to look at their face. I wish I could be as trusting as that, just in that moment where I wanted nothing more than to sleep. But I also want nothing more than to live, which is more important in the long run than a little bit of sleep.
Suddenly, a quiet but incredibly distinct noise makes me crack an eye open. The quietest gasp makes me open both eyes, just enough to see a large shadow flying through the door and it shuts with a quiet noise. I sit up slowly, looking around the room, towards the chair where Zuzanna was sitting. The chair hasn't moved an inch, but now the body was no longer sitting in it.
I sit up slowly, wary to not make a single noise. If Blair didn't know about this… It was probably for the better. Blair barely stirs as I slowly rise up from my place on the floor and crawl over to the door. My heart pounds in my chest as I stand by the door for a few seconds, not wanting to risk the same thing happening to me… It was so sneaky…
I slowly press the button, as if that'll make the sound of the doors quieter. Suddenly, the sound of the sliding doors makes my heart stop in my chest, and I quickly look back to where Blair is sleeping. Again, not a single noise comes from them. I slowly sneak out of the door into the pitch black hallway. This seems dangerous… I can feel my heart thumping in my chest as I slowly walk through the hallway, heading towards a small opening, a window of some sort looking into the next room.
That's convenient… I don't think that was there before. It's almost like these hallways weren't even conceptualized or remembered until someone was in a dramatic fight and the winning party had to find a way to hole up before the losing party could get the door open.
For whatever plot reason was necessary, I stand up on my tiptoes looking through the window. For a moment, I can see into the room, before the window is suddenly obscured by red liquid that slid down the window in thick drops, slowly, slowly… I hear a scream through the door, a high-pitched scream that very obviously belongs to my ally…
I shiver a little bit, but know I can't make too much noise or else…
My heart pounds as I duck away from the window, and hear high-pitched sobs coming through the door. Sobs… Or laughter? I can't tell. I don't want to find out though. I take a deep breath to calm my shaking hands. Zu shrieks again, and I physically cringe at hearing her in so much pain. There has to be something I can do… But without a weapon, do I really have a choice?
One less person that can sabotage me.
Zu shrieks again and lets out a high pitched sob. I look behind my shoulder, my heart sinking into my chest at the possible horrors…
No. This is for the best.
My decision made, I sneak away from there, back through the hallway, and to the place where the chair is set up and Blair is still sleeping deeply. I lay down and close my eyes, but don't really sleep.
Almost as soon as my head touches my pillow again, a cannon booms.
At least it was fast…
I have a terrible feeling that cannon wasn't for Zu though. But who else could it be for? Nobody else would be brawling to death in the middle of the night… Ultimately, it was a quick death.
Blair shoots up, their eyes wide in fear and panic.
"Ott?"
I sit up quickly too, immediately turning on the act of a scared friend.
"Blair!"
"Where's Zu?" they ask, their voice quiet as they point to the empty chair.
I let out a gasp. "Where is she!?"
Blair's eyes immediately fill with tears. I could have tried to save her. "Zu!?" they call, but I quickly shush them. I don't need whatever threat that killed her come back for us. But also, they can't know that I know.
"We need to be careful," I say quietly. "You never know what might be around the corner from us." But I do.
"You're… Right…" they let out a small sniffle. "Do you think it's too late Ott?"
"I can't imagine that these two events, a disappearance and a cannon, aren't related."
"We slept right through it," they said quietly.
"We did," I say quietly, trying to match the pain in their voice. "It must have happened so fast."
"I'm scared…" they say quietly, crying quietly into their hands. "We don't even have a weapon…"
"We'll have to work together," I say quietly. I'm sure that I could outrun them if I had to.
"You're right." They sniffled again. "I can't believe neither of us woke up… She didn't even yell!"
"No, I don't think she did," I say. "Surely we would have known if she did."
Blair can't stop crying at this point, and I put a hand gently on their shoulder. I imagine the pain they feel right now must be great, but surely they'll be over it in a couple of days, just like I was.
"I don't think I'll be able to sleep anymore tonight," they said quietly. "I can keep watch."
"I won't be able to sleep either," I say, completely honestly. "So I'll keep you company."
They release a relieved sigh at that. "I'm glad I won't be alone." They sniffle and more tears spill out of their eyes. I take the chair that Zu had, and Blair pulls up anther one next to me. "I'm so sorry Zu," they sobbed quietly, holding their head in their hands. I want to apologize to Zu too… But I couldn't do it while still being truthful. Perhaps something is wrong to me that I've become so numb now.
But ultimately, Garrett had it right. The only way to win is to be cold. And if that's true, then I'll become frozen by the end.
But if I'm alive, it'll be worth it.
Blair and I stay up for a little while, but they eventually cry themself into an uneasy sleep, their head resting on my lap. Just as the sky starts to lighten up, a second cannon booms, jolting Blair awake with wide and teary eyes before relaxing at seeing me there.
I feel like I know who that cannon is actually for.
"What was that?!" Blair asks, looking around.
"Just another cannon. But we're okay." She wasn't.
"I bet she took out her killer," Blair says, a smile spreading across their face through the tears that were streaming down. "She had it in her."
"She definitely did." I provide a small smile, that cases their tears to slow a little bit.
"Thanks for being really strong, Ott. I'm sure this must be taking a lot out of you, but I really need someone to be calm about this…" They grab onto my arm and start crying into my shoulder again.
"It's hard, but I'm doing my best for our sake," I say in a low whisper. I've cried enough in my life to know how to fake it. Blair nods into my shoulder, trying to slow their tears.
Zu's cannon was first. Surely.
But now that I heard the other one, I can't be sure… That's such a long time for her to suffer. I frown, but no real tears come to my eyes. It's rough, but it's the reality that it had to happen for me to get back home, to the people I actually know, the ones I actually love.
"She'll want us to do our best," Blair said. "I'm ready to do that for her."
"And Bean," I say quietly, adding in a small sniffle.
"Him too," they said quietly. "One of us will win… For them…"
With two Career deaths yesterday, that's becoming more and more possible. More possible than I ever would have imagined before.
"We just have to keep focused," I say.
"Right…"
After just a moment of silence, a loud screeching assaults my ear from outside, and the shrill sound of the train whistle puts me on-edge. The power flickers and shuts off, and suddenly Blair and I are sent flying to the wall, which I slam into with all of my force as the great sound of metal creaking and bending hits my ears.
Suddenly, something outside snaps with a great crack.
I have a feeling that a great change is coming.
The seventh day
Through the crackling speakers comes a calm and quiet male voice.
"Attention passengers, this is your conductor speaking. This vessel is now in a state of emergency." Dim red lights flicker along the bottom of each wall illuminating the path along the floor, and an eerie blue light turns on in the dining room along with it. "You have exactly one hour to exit the vehicle before the emergency breaks release and it goes flying down into the pit in front, which is… Not ideal." No shit it's not ideal.
Blair and I stare at each other as the distinct voice of Claudius Templesmith takes over the intercom, much louder and more powerful.
"May the odds be ever in your favor tributes…"
A lump forms in my throat as Blair starts hurriedly collecting my supplies and I kneel down to help, until the next announcement sends a chill up my spine.
"…And welcome to the Island of Misfit Toys."
~.~.
A/N: So we've reached our final destination for this Games, and a lot of other drama and explosions! I've been so excited to get to this point and from here, it's full speed ahead! I hope you enjoyed the intensity of these chapters and they're only going to keep getting intense! I'm shocked that we're only just about halfway through the field because we've had enough drama for a whole Games though haha.
CQ: What threats do you think lie ahead for our tributes?
Eulogies:
13th Place: Lorelei "Lori" Nyima, District 2, Killed by Garret Wylde, District 4
Man, Lori was so much fun to write. She's a little bit manipulative, or a lot a bit, crazy for fashion, and wanting to be "in" as well as being super sarcastic all the time. She and Nez had a really fun relationship, very divorced couple type, but now it's really come back to bite her because she was so sure he would go with her and betray Garrett. But she was bested by the power of Friendship! Er, maybe. She left behind a huge mess, but now she doesn't have to deal with it. This character was a ton of fun to write and allowed for a lot of laughs, but sadly it ends here for her. Thanks for her Cloe! RIP Lori.
12th place: Zuzanna "Zu" Heeler, District 9, Killed by ?
Zuzanna was a spitfire and she didn't let anything stop her. She was a really interesting take on the 12-year-old that wasn't completely innocent and had a lot of capability. She deserved to go farther than any of the other young tributes, but ultimately, she was really at the wrong place at the wrong time, with an ally that didn't want to put himself on the line for her. She did end up past the halfway point which is an accomplishment for a girl her age. Thanks for sending her in Pine! RIP Zu.
See you next chapter!