Bloodbath
Belladonna "Bell" Betony, 18
District Eleven Female
There were things that were keeping Bell up the whole night, even as the universe slept on.
Memories and instances that crept into her already volatile thoughts, sneakily chasing away any sweet tendrils of sleep and drowsiness. Her eyes flew open as she stared at the dark ceiling, except that she could see nothing, and the darkness was the only companion of her silent tears, tears of sadness and frustration and worthlessness and hatred and every other negative word that she couldn't think of at the moment, for she was busy feeling bad. It was not without reason, indeed, things were going for a toss, and she wondered again why she had wanted to be in the Games in the first place. her wish had been granted, she had been Reaped, but would her wish be granted if she truly desired to come back alive out of this mess? Her fingers curbed around her sheets as she pulled them up to her neck, like a child as frightened as one that was lost and distanced from their parents, and she was trembling due to that same fright, for she missed home.
But was there really anything to miss? She recalled with a vivid clarity how her friends always belittled her, never listening to what she had to say, ignored her very existence to the point that she started seeking attention in any way she could. Her parents had work, a lot of work, and could not give her time. Nobody in this wide world could give her time other than herself, and even she ended up being unkind to herself by taking numerous efforts to please those petty creatures that she was surrounded with.
When her life was most likely about to end, she regretted having so many regrets in life, and it was what made her cry harder, sobbing and pulling the sheet to cover her head too, for the cold air of the air conditioner was making her shiver, but when was she going to experience such cool rooms again? Probably never, so she didn't turn it off, and kept shivering and crying under the sheet till she decided she needed a blanket. The warmth of the woollen beauty couldn't take the coldness away, nor could it make her sleep, and she sighed in exasperation as memories kept on flooding her conscience, making her regret a new thing every single second. She was exhausted by this drama, and she called out for anyone who would listen, but obviously, as usual, nobody answered her distressed cries. She kicked the bed in frustration, sitting up quickly, and ran over to the floor to ceiling window, pushing the curtains away with such an aggression that it got ripped off, and she opened the window and stepped into the balcony.
The city was dark and gloomy, unlike the beauty that she had heard of. It was almost as if people were trying to go unnoticed, in stark contrast to her own self, and she frowned as she was met with nothing but scary silhouettes of large skyscrapers. There was no sign of life anywhere, and why would there be? Bell was aware that nobody else in the Capitol would be as tensed as she was, as the tributes were, for they could just relax at home and be happy that they're somewhat safe even in the new regime. She envied their safety, the fact that they had so much and she so little, that these families might have love amongst them, and here she was, the most wretched, the loneliest and the most pitiable creature in the world.
She thought about jumping off the balcony. It would do what was about to happen to her a little faster. She pondered on whether anyone would miss her. Family? Probably… but they were never proud of her, not that she had done anything worth feeling proud of. Friends… She had none. As she remembered how none of the people that she cared for visited her when she was handed her death sentence, tears clouded her eyes and her throat was choking. Was she really so bad that she didn't deserve a single friend? A single loving person? She was highly tempted to finish things off now, for who would miss her? But then she recalled the force fields that were put in place, and she knew her damaged heart couldn't deal with another failed attempt at anything, even if it was reaching her quickly. She sighed in annoyance and screamed into the silence, her shrill voice piercing the deadly quietness of the night as if cut by the sharpest of knives, and it was this action that satisfied her a bit, just a little bit, but it was something.
She was panting hard, heaving, taking in deep breaths, and she screamed again, screamed obscenities at the Five and her 'friends' and her family and everyone who could hear her at 4 AM. She did not know how she would meet her end, but she hoped that it would be quick and painless, for she did not know hope. The lack of it was motivated her to scream even further, until her throat was raw and hurting, and she promptly collapsed on the floor, lying down still as she stared at the starry sky through blurry eyes, and she whimpered as she remembered Basileus, who was definitely out to kill her. She wasn't as oblivious as people believed her to be, and she knew he was out for revenge. However, she did not know whether she would be able to save herself… or even try to. She did not know, she did not care, and it was probably this thought, this thought of not giving a damn about the future, that calmed her down, calmed her enough for her to fall asleep in the balcony, for she had been tired all along.
Fortunately, there were no dreams.
Estefania "Cupid" Sanchez, 18
District Eight Female
Cupid couldn't handle it anymore.
The pressure, the impending doom, the mental countdown… it was breaking her apart. Her heart raced a little faster, her mind a little more turbulent, and her breathing a little more ragged. She was exhausted, exhausted with everything that was happening, and she was wide awake. How could she sleep? How could anyone who was about to be robbed of everything?!
She was on the common balcony at the moment, up on the fourteenth floor, and she was not alone. She threw a sideways glance at the boy who had single handedly annoyed the whole training centre, who could spit nothing but venom, and who looked really tensed…
They were not far apart, but Cupid noticed that his gaze was strong whenever he looked at her. It wasn't often that he did so, his eyes mostly scanning the starry skies and he himself basked in the gentle moonlight, but he looked different now. More… genuine.
She blinked, realising that she was staring hard, and turned away to look at the streets beneath her, deserted and devoid of life. Cupid bit her lip, for she couldn't help what kind of a person Kai Jung was in reality, behind the appearance of an obnoxious idiot. He had managed the interviews well, he had been pleasant enough with her despite being arrogant towards everyone else, and Cupid was sure that there was a layer underneath all this over the top drama, a layer that she was increasingly curious about.
And then she recalled why she was there in the first place, and her heart tightened in her chest again even as her grip on the railing became stronger, her eyes glaring at the sky. She did not deserve this, she did not deserve to die. None of them did, and the unfairness of the situation pressed on her so hard that she broke into a sob, for she was tired.
"Don't cry."
Cupid was taken aback by the voice, for it sounded eerie in that deafening silence that clouded around her, and she looked up at her companion, who had not bothered to glance at her.
She ignored his words, for why would he care about what she did, and continued weeping quietly for what felt like a few blissful seconds, before Kai ordered her again to stop crying.
She was angry now, a rarity for Cupid, and she finally faced him in totality, eyes burning even as the tears stung, but she wasn't about to back down.
"What is it to you?!" she demanded in her soulful voice, even as it cracked, for she was still an emotional mess at best, and she continued to look at him as he turned to face her, his face haughty in the likeness of a king, and he folded his arms across his chest.
"I don't like seeing you cry."
"What?"
"I mean anyone crying. It's annoying."
Kai turned away at that, averting his gaze, and Cupid's ears perked up despite themselves, for she could smell it, and she tiptoed to him, her earlier predicament pushed to the back of her mind.
"You were saying?"
"Nothing!"
"Oh come on! Tell me!"
Kai glanced at her for a second then looked away, and because Cupid was Cupid, she spotted the colour in his cheeks in the absence of light as well, and she gasped aloud, clapping her hands to her face.
"Oh my goodness, you like someone…here?!"
"Who's here worth liking?"
"Everyone is worthy of love! That's what's so beautiful about it!"
"I don't like things that are so common and mundane."
"it's simplicity is its beauty!"
"If it's so nice and all, why don't you have love?"
It wasn't a jibe, it wasn't a mockery. Cupid was surprised to sense the genuine curiosity in Kai's voice, the voice of a person who probably did not understand love but was completely capable of it. She took in a shaky breath, for how was she supposed to explain it to someone like him, who'd proven that he wasn't interested in understanding anything?
"I…"
Kai just looked at her, an inquisitive frown on his face as he regarded her.
"I don't swing any way."
"What?" he asked, confused. Cupid could gather that he did not understand and she did not blame him, she hadn't really been very clear about it, so she started again.
"Most people desire a physical connection when they're in love. I… Don't. I just want simple love, with hugs and cuddles and telling each other everything and baring the soul, not the body. I- it's been hard to find someone who would accept me and my love the way it is and not, you know-"
"You're a romantic asexual?"
Cupid looked into his eyes with higher clarity now… She'd been going round and round with her words because she had underestimated his power of understanding such things, and she realised how wrong she was. He got it, he got what she wanted and desired with all her heart, and she bit her lip even as he tilted his head.
"Well, your situation sucks because most people just want to… ButBut I'm sure you'll find someone who's worthy of you and your love, since it means so much to you."
"I won't find anyone," she whispered, "I'm not getting out of this alive, I know it. Plus, nobody takes me seriously anyway, when I tell them I don't want a physical relationship."
She didn't continue further, for it echoed in her mind how many times she'd heard that 'her beauty was wasted if she didn't like it' and how she hated that line. She admitted she was somewhat pretty, but being pretty was not the only thing going for her! She didn't want to spell out her struggles with love to a stranger, she'd done that enough for the night.
"Then those people are not worthy of you."
Cupid looked up, startled, even as Kai leaned against the balcony wall, his hair gently swaying in the night breeze, and there was a slight smile on his face.
"You're a decent girl Cupid. You deserve better. You deserve what you desire because you're-you're good."
He stepped closer to her even as she felt a warm feeling in her heart, a slightly happy feeling. She hadn't delved into it much before, not because she was uncomfortable, but because people just couldn't understand when she tried to explain. And here, the most unexpected stranger got it in a few moments… Life was indeed a strange adventure.
"If I'd known you," Kai started haughtily, "I would never turn you away. You're a gem in a field of garbage."
And he walked away from there, not saying another word, and Cupid turned around to see his retreating form, his words playing in her mind again and again. That had been a weird way to put a compliment, a typical Kai way from what she'd seen, but… Did he really say what she thought he said?
Her lower lip quivered as she tried to hold the tears in, and she shut her eyes as the words continued to echo in her mind. It was a great feeling, the feeling of acceptance even if it was from a person who put on such an arrogant persona, but it meant a lot. She was sad too, because there was no future for her, but she was glad that there were people who understood, who accepted.
Maybe Cupid would die deprived of love, but somewhere in the world, some Estefania Sanchez would be loved by someone for who they were.
Ark Zagog, 12
District Seven Male
Ark had been unable to swallow a single morsel of his breakfast, much to the annoyance of his mentor/escort. His mind was racing and he was petrified even as his mind played tricks on him. It made him think of lightning, of loud sounds and waters that drown the mightiest of surfers, and needless to say, he was not having a good time.
He had not managed to get allies. He had not managed to impress in the private sessions or the interviews or in any other way possible, being uninteresting throughout, and he regretted it.
He was changing his attire now, into the strangest arena outfit he'd ever seen. It was so plain, so regular, that he had a hard time believing they were going to fight in it. It was just a turtle neck T shirt and rather flexible leggings, along with a very warm jacket and long boots, and even as Ark put these on, he realised how surprisingly light these clothes were. It would make running easier to be honest, much easier and Ark cheered up for a second… and then he remembered that Careers will find it easy too. His shoulders slumped at that even as despair clutched his tiny, fluttering heart and he buried his face in his hands, trying to block out all the negativity. However, it was not in the nature of pessimism and hopelessness to back down, and they attacked him with twice their might, until Ark just broke down. He missed his parents, he missed Nathan, and he was sure his brother missed him too. Ark wished he could hold his hand for comfort, for Nathan's presence always gave him the strength to carry forward, but without him… well, it was hard for Ark to collect himself.
He inhaled deeply, trying to calm himself for what was to come, for Ark did not believe in simply giving up, when the sudden sound startled him.
"Attention tributes! Please stand on your pedestals."
Ark gave a squeal of terror, and he wanted nothing more than to run, run far, far away from this land of misery and fear, and he instinctively, he rushed for the door, trying to pull it open but to no avail.
"Please let me out!" he cried out, banging his tiny fists on the door, but nobody heard his pleas, nobody heeded his cries and he kept on punching the door as if he could magically break it.
"Attention tributes! Please get on your pedestals. We're about to launch."
"NOOO!"
He wasn't going to get on it. Probably, there was a chance he'd survive if he didn't? Ark honestly did not have an answer to it, but he was not going to stop on, not going to step on it, not going to-
The door swung open inwards, and Ark yelped as two very burly men marched in, and lifted him up straight off the floor. He struggled hard, bit on their hands, but they were unaffected by everything. He cried out, kicking in the air, pleading to them, but they roughly threw him on the pedestal, and even as he stood up clumsily to get off, the glass tube started to ascend around him.
Ark felt suffocated, as if somebody had grabbed his windpipe and was crushing it, and he yelled at anyone who would listen to stop this. Ark started hitting the glass, his punches as hard as he could muster, but the glass held on firmly, each punch breaking his heart, destroying his hope little by little, raising his desperation exponentially. His small fists were glistening with the shade of red, but he did not stop, smearing the glass with the same red, staining it with his innocent blood.
The tube was rising as if he were rising when about to be hanged, and he shut his eyes for he did not want to see. After what felt like an eternity and a few seconds at the same time, the pedestal came to a halt. He could feel the glass walls going back in almost soundlessly, and he was hit by a warm gust of find, almost pushing him and that terrified him even further for he knew what happened to those who fell off the pedestals…
He opened his eyes slowly, the strong sun making him shut them again quickly even as he covered them with his bloodied hands, before squinting again.
He had expected an open arena just because those were popular, but this wasn't something he had imagined. The grey pathways that led in all directions, the massive structures piercing the bluest sky he'd seen in his life, the dust that flew around him, the lush green grass that lay beneath his pedestal, the most calming thing around him, and he turned around to see swings nearby, painted in a pastel yellow and lime green, as if to the fancy of a child, and he saw a large arched gate, intricately crafted designs on it. The buildings were huge, and seemed to be created out of metals and materials he couldn't quite place, reflecting the sunlight in ways that threatened to blind him. Everything was in an almost sickening order, like a futuristic hospital, and Ark felt bile rising to his throat as he took in the various neon colours that surrounded him. As he looked past the gate, he noticed cars, cars that he'd never seen in Seven but definitely noticed in television commercials. In this extremely ultra modern place, this green park was the only thing he could relate to, the only thing with natural colours, and he suddenly knew where he was.
Ark frowned at the choice of the arena, for none of the Games had ever done something like this. Yes, there had been cities before, cities that were ruined, cities that were little more than villages where facilities were concerned, cities that were just barren buildings and houses, cities that existed within the Districts.
The arena… He knew what it was. The Five were mocking those who were in power earlier by doing what they had done, for Ark Zagog was in no ordinary city; he was in the Capitol itself.
"The countdown is about to begin. It is requested that tributes don't step off their pedestals before they are asked to."
The sound had startled Ark, and he almost lost his footing, before regaining his balance. His frightened gazed at the heap of stuff that was placed on the centre point from all their platforms on a raised circular metallic platform of its own. The cornucopia… He saw the bags that were placed neatly. He saw the medical kits. He saw the weapons. But would these things really help him survive?
He gulped hard and turned his gaze away rather forcefully, only to see that he had Jupiter on his right… And he looked mean. He turned the other way and saw, with further dismay, Basileus looking as mean as well.
As the top ten countdown began, Ark realised that he had no hope. He was sandwiched between two of the most brutal people he knew.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
And at once, all chaos broke loose.
Dekker Mattson, 18
District Five Male
Dekker was not prepared for the chaos that ensued despite reminding himself for the past few days of what was to happen.
There was something morbid yet surreal about the situation, the city as beautiful as he had imagined it, for the tributes had seen nothing other than the Games centre and a few rare glimpses when on their way to the said place. And in this beautiful place, the kids were running madly, most of them racing to the cornucopia, and in spite of telling himself that it was a terrible idea to do the same, he found his legs carrying him towards the circular pedestal at the most rapid pace that they could attain, and he felt his body dive at the platform, his long fingers holding a single bag and pulling it roughly. Its straps were, however, entangled with the other bags that were resting there peacefully, and with a mighty heave, he pulled off three bags, dropping them on the soft grass with a heavy thud. He tried to pull out whichever bag he could out of the three, for he had only a few seconds at best, and none at worst, and even as he managed to disentangle a small bag in the shade of neon pink, he found that most people had reached the cornucopia.
Dekker knew he was in trouble, and he instinctively reached out for any weapon he could find on the platform, but it was yanked away from his reach in the last second, and his hand met nothing but the burning metal. He yelped at it, and started pushing people away, shoving them, ducking from their move, just trying to save himself. He saw Kespar in the distance, and the sneaky boy already had a bag, a bi one too, and Dekker rolled his eyes at it. The snake.
He hadn't made it very long when a loud, shrill cry raised the hair on the back of his neck. Despite himself, he turned around to see Margaery had impaled Calista with a spear, and he felt himself go sick as the blood seeped out of the wound. It was even worse when the Career pulled out the spear from her back, the cry so loud and so wretched that almost all the tributes whatever they were doing and watched it as it happened, with Calista Birchwood falling forward on the grass, a cannon exploding in the wind.
Probably this was what everyone had been waiting for. And Dekker, who now wanted his legs to take lead and run, was enraged that they refused to obey him, for he saw everything clearly as it happened.
Jupiter had cornered Avni, even as the girl tried to get away anyhow. He approached her like a predator relishing the hunt, and she kind of just stood there, bewildered and petrified, when another Career jumped in between like a shield, and now it was Jupiter and Josephine going at each other even as the female told her allies to gather supplies.
Dekker watched in horror as he watched Napoleon attack Kespar, his body so agile that his ally did not really have much time to do anything, and the next moment he was gone, a clean, clinical slash across his throat even as another cannon rang out. At the same time, Nereus sent a flying arrow at Rook, but due to some cruel fate, the arrow pierced little Ark Zagog's heart.
It was these events that terrified Dekker, terrified him enough to move, and he started for the gate of the park as quickly as he could, oblivious to the events occurring around him. He saw Aron and Akira run past the gate, the boy holding a single pouch of sorts and the girl with a water bottle, and they were probably the first tributes to make it out. Dekker followed them as quickly as his legs could carry him, but there was an obstacle, a very big obstacle in the form of Cruxia Marshall, who just magically appeared in front of him, and Dekker came to an abrupt halt, staggering back even as she took position to attack.
In the blink of the eye, Cruxia pounced on the boy. Some long lost animalistic instinct kicked in within him, and Dekker jumped to the side, dodging the attack with an unintentional grace that would have certainly appealed to the viewers. Cruxia, however, was not to be underestimated, and she swerved around in no time, a powerful kick slamming against Dekker's jaw. It was so hard that he felt it break even as he tripped and fell down in agony. Cruxia kicked hard on his chest, the boot crashing down with some force that he had not expected from her, and his breath exploded, sending him into a coughing fit. He tried to roll out of the way regardless as another kick came his way, the foot hitting the ground hard, and he stood up shakily, trying to run but Cruxia pounced on him again, landing on him and taking him down on the ground, and Dekker screamed as her hands wrapped around his neck.
His struggles, his screams and his breath all stopped when she snapped his neck.
Cat Doyle, 13
District Three Female
She had warned her against it.
Cat Doyle had not been in the favour of going into the cornucopia for supplies. She knew they could survive if they just handled things better, but her ally thought otherwise. Tink just ran blindly, ran to the platform that was surrounded by the deadliest of Careers, and pulled a bag that was on the ground that somebody had dropped earlier.
"Come back!" Cat called out and clapped really, really hard, for she was terrified right now and just wanted to get away. What kind of person would not be terrified in such a situation? Tink, however, seemed to not have such a thought process, and Cat was mildly surprised and greatly relieved to see that she was back, with supplies too, having a triumphant grin on her face.
"Let's leave quickly," Jet said wisely, startling Cat, for she had honestly forgotten that he had been with her too. He had just been so quiet, so invisible, that nobody could really blame Cat for it. She nodded at his words, all too eager to get away, and the three of them started off. Cat glanced around, only to see tall walls standing at the perimeter, blocking their way, and there was only one exit… and her throat went dry on seeing what was happening there.
The Careers had blocked the exit, not in totality, but to a great extent, and there, sprawled across the grass, were three bodies, the red of their beings staining the green. Cat felt her blood turn cold and she was sniffing hard now, shaking her head almost violently, clapping hard too. Cat saw, with a guilty relief, when the other big alliance attacked the Careers, engaging them in battle. Only Josephine was skilled enough to match them in entirety, but she saw that the others were holding their own too. She saw Cairn getting injured, but not too badly, and she saw her own District Partner being bodily lifted and slammed down hard, but Rook seemed to be working on pure adrenaline, for he narrowly avoided the next blow, a fatal blow, with a panicky ease.
"I think we should get away," Tink said, and while Cat could see that she was trying hard to appear strong, the paleness of her skin and the wide eyes gave away the intense terror.
"You're right."
"Should we really move past them?" Cat asked, pointing towards the fighting groups. She noticed that the Anti Careers was also just trying to escape, but the predators had something big against them, and thus they were deliberate in their action of charging at them.
What Cat saw next made her scream in terror.
It was Cupid, the lovely girl from Eight, who was trying to make it away through the gate, when suddenly Jupiter slipped away from his own battle and pounced on her. He was strong and brutal, and Cat knew he was capable of finishing it in one go.
But he did not.
Grabbing her head forcefully, he slammed it against the gate, again and again and again, and none of her pleas reached his purposefully deaf ears. Blood trickled down her smashed head, but he continued beating her up mercilessly, as if trying to get out all his frustration on the poor girl. Cat vomited at the sight, for it was too much for her, and yet she could not peel her eyes away from the repulsive scene as the other girl's face was pretty much mutilated.
"Well, we certainly can't go through that way…" was all Jet remarked.
The fighting tributes had all stopped now, watching in horror at what was happening.
"Jupiter, stop!" Napoleon cried out, but the boy from One ignored him.
Cat couldn't turn her gaze away from the limp body of Estefania Sanchez, but there had been no cannon. She also noticed Rook quietly beckoning to his allies, and even as Avni opened her mouth to intervene in what Jupiter was doing, he slammed his hand against her mouth and pulled her away hard. The Anti Careers had taken advantage of the situation, some reluctant and some conniving, and had gotten away.
Cat needed to do the same.
The gate was out of question, as the Careers had still not managed to calm down Jupiter's rampage, and Cat felt ashamed of herself for ignoring Cupid this way. She felt a tug at her elbow, and was startled by it, only to see Tink pointing at a tree near the wall.
"Can you guys climb it?" she asked.
"Yes."
"No."
Cat felt useless right now, probably for the first time in her life, and she was so anxious that she started clapping really hard now. She felt sick and weak after throwing up, and even if she didn't, she had no idea how to climb a tree so high. And even if they did do just that, wouldn't they break their legs if they jump off the wall to the other side?
"Jet," Tink said urgently, and despite the situation Cat was impressed by her leadership qualities, albeit a little impulsive, "Go and climb that tree and wait there. Cat, come with me."
The kids parted ways, with Jet running off towards that tall tree that was apparently their only hope, and Tink and Cat raced to the circular pedestal.
"What exactly are we looking for?"
"Ropes. At least two."
Cat was panting by the time she reached there, and felt like throwing up again as bile rose in her throat. Tink didn't look any better, and she didn't notice the rope for a few seconds despite it being right in front of her, frantically searching the heap of supplies instead. Cat brought her attention to this, and the girls had soon acquired the thick ropes they needed. They had started running towards the tree, Jet already up on it, when they heard the cannon explode.
Swallowing a lump, Cat and Tink both looked back, terrified, a cold shiver running through their hearts, only to see that Jupiter was still stabbing the poor girl, crying and stabbing, even as the other Careers asked him to stop, though none of them tried to stop him physically. Basileus glanced towards the girls once, his face unreadable, and a chill went down Cat's spine. However, his action was unexpected, for he beckoned at the ever so slightly, to get away fast.
Cat did not need another reminder.
"Jet!" Tink called out once they reached the tree, "Tie this rope tightly around the branch. Quick!"
And with that, she threw one of the ropes at him… that missed his grip and just fell down on the ground.
Tink yelled in frustration as she picked it up and tried to give it to Jet again, but he missed it. Cat bit her lips nervously, and she said," Tink, you can climb, right? Just go."
Tink's eyes seemed to gleam at those words, something that was unexpected, and she exclaimed, "Yep! I can climb alright. Just wait here!"
And it was almost like watching a monkey climb it up, for she was so agile at it, as if she had a lot of experience climbing trees. Cat kept looking back at the Careers, and saw, both with fear and sadness, when Napoleon finally stepped in and snatched Jupiter's weapon from his hand, pushing him hard.
"She's already dead! What're you doing?!"
"Cat!"
The girl from Three had forgotten all about the tree and the rope, but it was dangling beside her now. She looked up at Tink who yelled at her to start climbing it for they were running short of precious time, and Jet too joined in encouraging her to start, something unusual for him. Cat did not have the courage to look back and she was soon climbing it. But she was no Tink, and she was struggling with the rope even as she panicked, her progress steady but slow. She felt a force at the rope, and on looking up she saw that Tink and Jet were pulling the rope with all they had, the rope grazing their palms to the point that they bled, and Cat was soon with them on the tree.
Jet got onto the wall, a thick path for him to walk on, but he could fall off none the less.
"What now?" he asked, his concentration on balancing his body on the wall.
"Those beams," Tink pointed out. Cat followed her finger to see that there were, indeed, horizontal poles jutting out of the wall. However, she was not very certain about its strength. Could it really hold their load? Also, how were they to get there?
The last question was answered pretty soon, for Tink ordered her to get on the wall. Cat blinked, for she couldn't have heard that right, but her ally had soon joined her other ally and Cat, without even knowing it for her body now seemed to be moving in a trance, was beside them.
She reached out for Tink's hand, for she was had never done anything like this before, and the other girl held it tightly.
"You can lie down again the wall and crawl forward," she advised and did the same, Cat following her.
Jet was already quite ahead, the other rope held between his teeth. Cat couldn't understand how he moved so fast, she herself suspected that she'd fall off any second now.
She made one mistake that she shouldn't have, she looked back at the park, and saw with terror that the Careers were coming at them.
"Quick!" Tink cried out even as Jet reached one of the beans and started tying the rope around it, still calm in the face of adversity. Cat saw that Jupiter and Nereus had pointed arrows at them, they must have grabbed them at the cornucopia.
"Let the kids go!" Basileus exclaimed.
"Yeah, we're not killing them until it's the only choice left," Cruxia added sternly.
"We've already killed a kid. Three more won't make a difference," Nereus said blankly, his eyes holding nothing but rage as he took aim at Tink whereas Jupiter aimed at Cat.
"That had been accidental!" Margaery retorted, "Let them go! There are a lot of other tributes to hunt!"
At the mention of other tributes, Cat saw Dakota and Kai go through the gate. The boy stopped for a moment to look at the mutilated corpse of Cupid, and she thought she was mistaken, for she could hear a single sob from him, even as they ran away.
But here, her life was on the line. Jupiter had been swayed, he looked more lost and guilty and ashamed than angry, and he lowered his bow, but Nereus, who she'd assumed to be a better Career, let the arrow fly, and Tink quickly rolled away, dangling from the ledge on the other side. Cat did not know whether her grip was good enough to hold on even as she herself struggled to stay on the wall, but she reached out with one hand to hold Tink's wrist as the younger girl just hanged on somehow.
Nereus nocked another arrow, and Cat knew this one would kill her for sure. She shut her eyes, bracing herself for the impact, when she heard something hit something else, and she opened her eyes to see that the how had been knocked out of Nereus' hands.
"We won't attack them," Cruxia stated firmly.
"And why is that?"
"Because I said so."
And there was such strength in her voice, such vigour and such rigidity, that none of the Careers said another word, and Nereus simply turned away angrily.
Cat couldn't believe their luck. The Careers were literally allowing them to go unscathed! She hastily Tink back on, and they hurried towards the beam. Tink caught on the rope and climbed down rapidly, and Cat followed suit even as Jet and Tink watched.
She couldn't believe when her feet touched solid ground, a posh pavement, and that she had survived this nightmare. Cat felt weak right now, a little dizzy even, but she ran along the road automatically, panting and heaving, heart beating faster than it ever had, and she did not know how long they'd been running until another cannon rang out.
Cat was sad for whoever had left this world and she shed tears as she ran. They kept running and running and running blindly, until their bodies collapsed due to exhaustion and they fell right down on the road. The three of them dragged themselves to a building, a tall glass skyscraper, and Cat knew she should take stock of the surroundings, but all the three of them just fell down on the polished floor, no energy left in them, and Cat didn't even realise that she had passed out.
Margaery Goldman, 18
District One Female
Marge had been unable to see the torture that she had just witnesses.
Despite years of training, despite knowing what she was here for, she couldn't help but feel sick as Jupiter tortured Estefania. And in spite of everything, she couldn't bring herself to stop him from committing this heinous crime, for she had seen the look in his eye, the look of destruction, and she was aware that poor Cupid had only fallen prey to the storm of fury that Jupiter was. It wasn't until she had died, and Jupiter had continued his assault regardless, that she realised that it probably hadn't even crossed his mind that he had killed someone, or that he was attacking someone, and Marge was just sorry for both of them, for Cupid because she went out so painfully, and for Jupiter because something had caused so much trauma and hatred and bitterness in him.
It wasn't until Nate had pushed him hard did realisation come to him, and then Marge saw it as it happened. Jupiter had locked eyes at the corpse that he had created, and his eyes widened in horror even as she gaped aloud, and she saw them going bleak.
"Did- did I…?"
"Yes," Napoleon had whispered, a sad frown on his face even as Jupiter had just stared at the corpse, swaying a bit just once.
That had been a while ago. Now, Marge had just been observing Cruxia as she stepped forward as the strong voice among them, the one girl who had been quiet all this time, but now her voice rang out loud and clear, and even as Nereus turned around in anger and the kids continued going the way they were, but she saw that Nate and Basileus were just looking at Cruxia, who had crossed her arms across her chest, daring them to say a word.
Marge didn't, and simply looked away, moreso to see if there was anyone left that they could finish off, preferably not as horribly as Cupid. Her eyes scanned the park, the soft breeze making her hair sway and cooling off her sweat. At first glance, there seemed to be absolutely nothing, and that they were alone. However, she could hear it, a very faint sound that was almost inaudible, but it was there, and while the others were focussed on something else that she couldn't quite place, Marge started moving towards the slides slowly and soundlessly, holding a spear tightly, and as she neared the spot, the sound grew more and more audible, and she could tell what it was. It was someone's breath.
Marge had truly outdone herself this time, for who could have heard breathing from so far away, but here she was, and she could see the hair, the long hair, and she crouched down silently to see that Belladonna was cowering behind the slides, face buried between her knees, and breathing hard. Marge felt terribly sorry at the state of the girl, and for the events that were about to occur. She decided she should kill the girl by herself, for Basileus would surely not go easy on her, and as she prepared to impale her, her attack was blocked.
Belladonna started and upon seeing them, she screamed and scrambled to her feet, trying to run away, but Basil grabbed her leg and pulled her back, slamming her on the ground.
"Finish her off quick!" Margaery said, her voice much more serious than it had ever been, but Basil seemed to have not heard her, or that he ignored her words altogether in his own favour. He grabbed Bell's arms and pinned them down, practically sitting on top of her, his body weight keeping her in place even as she struggled against his grip. Marge reached out for her spear to finish the story, for she knew what Basileus was capable of, but then he spoke, "There's no need for that."
And Bell's eyes widened just as Marge became even more nauseous. And yet, what happened was not something that she had expected, and she cried out in surprise, for Belladonna did not even have time to blink before Basileus snapped her neck, killing her immediately.
And Marge… she just watched as the boy from Eleven got off the corpse, his face that of a sad man who did something bad only because he had to. Marge had never expected Basileus of all people to give Belladonna the most painless death in this bloodbath, and it was now she saw another facet of him. Despite whatever he showed, he wasn't as bad as everyone, including herself, thought him to be.
"I think we should rest up a bit," he said, behaving like business as usual, "It's been a long day."
"I agree," Marge said, and the two of them started back towards the group. The bloodbath wasn't big, but it had been something, and Marge was glad that she had survived it.
Now, she just had to be careful and make it to the end.
Hello everyone! So, I guess this chapter is a surprise because I'd said it'll come after one more, but I thought that exploring the Five's reaction after the bloodbath would be better because all this is so new for them. So, here we are, and here the Games start. This is the longest bloodbath I've written, and I'm sad to have to kill off all these characters because I loved them so much, but it had to happen. There were deaths that were going to be much more graphic, very detailed too, but I decided against the idea because I did not want to make anyone uncomfortable. Also POVs are of uneven lengths, but that happened mostly because of the flow of the chapter, so I hope it isn't too bad.
Eulogies:
24th- Calista Birchwood (killed by Margaery goldman): Calista was a nice and sweet girl, and was overall a nice character among so many hot-headed kids. She was calm and collected, but I did not know how I could continue with her. Rest in peace Cali, you'll be missed.
23rd- Kespar Lynx (killed by Napoleon Walter): I'm sure this was surprising. Kespar was a good character, and had things that made him interesting. He had traits that were fun to write, and it's sad that it was his time to go. He'll be remembered. Rest in peace.
22nd- Ark Zagog (killed by Nereus Naga): This was hard to write, because Ark was just such a realistic little kid, and a really good character. He was fun to write, but I think most of you already had predicted that he'd go. Rest in peace kiddo.
21st- Dekker Mattson (killed by Cruxia Marshall): Dekker was the most realistic person of the group, hands down. I guess we could all see ourselves in him, because he was such a well created character. It was just his bad luck that he had to go. Rest in peace.
20th- Estefania Sanchez (killed by Jupiter Aeneas): Okay, Cupid did not deserve this. I'm really sorry for the way she went, I know it was brutal. I loved, LOVED Cupid so much and she was such a fun girl, such a vibrant girl. You will be missed Cupid, rest in peace.
19th- Belladonna Betony (killed by Basileus Paladino): I loved Bell so much as well, she was certainly one of my favourite characters, but I just could not see her go further. Basil and Bell were destined to fight, and I couldn't really explain off Basil at Bell's hands when he had a whole group with him and she had kind of lost all hope. You'll be missed so much Bell, rest in peace.
I hope you guys liked the chapter. I would love to hear your thoughts on this, and I hope you guys review. Thanks for reading, see you next chapter.
Alliances:
The Hunters: Jupiter, Margaery, Napoleon, Nereus, Cruxia, Basileus
I'm Playing You: Aron, Akira
This Was Bound To Happen: Kai, Dakota
This is so Random: Cat, Nell, Jet
Anti-Careers: Josephine, Lyanna, Cairn, Avni, Rook
Have a great day!
