LEONA SOLARI, DISTRICT TWO
11:50 AM, THE GAMES BEGIN, THE LAUNCH ROOM
Today was the day that Leona Solari had been training for. Every grueling hour of training, every night spent icing her sore muscles, every note she'd ever taken on previous Hunger Games—All of it had brought her to this moment.
Now, standing in the launch room, Leona was calm. This was where she was meant to be. The thoughts of home and of her family and of Diana were not something to feel homesick over. Leona intended on using them as means of encouragement. She would be seeing them again soon. Something in her heart told her so.
As the District Two girl waited for her Stylist to arrive, she kept her breaths even. Her eyes continuously moved back and forth between the clock on the wall and the tube that awaited her a mere ten feet away. Just above that tube, the Arena was waiting for her. Leona had heard a few of the Tributes on the hovercraft whispering back and forth about their predictions. In truth, Leona had none of her own.
During her time at the Academy, they had dedicated an entire unit to the study of Arenas. In that time, Leona had learned a lot about some of the Capitol's most famous Gamemakers. She'd learned about the signatures that each Gamemaker had, she'd learned about the favored Arena types of the Capitolites, and she'd learned about what sort of elements to expect from particular Gamemakers.
Stellan Templesmith was a wildcard that even the history books hadn't been able to account for.
The Arenas he created, the muttations he brought forth, and the environments that he thought up all seemed to be devoid of rhyme and reason. Stellan simply did as he pleased, leaving the Tributes in his Games at his mercy. If there was one thing that Leona had gathered about him during her studies, it was that he played a patient game. He had a willingness to wait unlike any other Gamemaker. The lulls in the Games that he ran were where his genius truly had time to mount until it eventually made its appearance when the Tributes and the audience were least expecting it.
Leona knew that she if she was going to come out of the Arena and return home to District Two, she would need to consider everything a threat; The Tributes, the environment, the muttations, the Gamemakers. That was the best approach. That was the most sound path of thinking.
"You ready?" Allegro, her Stylist, asked as he entered the room.
She nodded, "I am."
"Fantastic," Allegro told her before moving to a small closet that was built into the wall of the room that they were in.
He pulled the doors open to reveal a parka. It was dark grey in color, with thick white fur lining the hood. Allegro took the jacket off of its hanger, moving to Leona and extending it to her. She took it into her hands, running her fingers along the soft fur. Surely this meant the Arena would be cold… Leona put the jacket on over her black tank-top and looked down at her attire for the environment that awaited her. Sturdy boots, black utility cargo pants, a tank-top, and a parka—Though, Leona had also been allowed to wear the moon pendant that Diana had given her prior to her departure.
"You're going to do phenomenal, Leona. I know it."
"Thank you, Allegro. I do hope you know how grateful I am for everything you've done for me over the past days. I aim to repay you someday," Leona smiled back at him.
Allegro shook his head, "Ah, don't be ridiculous, girl. It was my pleasure."
A voice came over the small speaker near the door of the launch room, "Ten seconds."
"That's your cue," Allegro told her, gesturing to the tube.
Leona took a deep breath as she moved toward the cylindrical glass. It was already open and waiting for her. She stepped up onto the platform and into the tube. Allegro gave her a thumbs up as the tube began to move upward. Leona placed her hands at her sides and took a deep breath as she was lifted ever closer to the Arena, ever closer to the fight for her life.
CHERRY GOLDEN, DISTRICT SEVEN
11:59 AM, THE GAMES BEGIN, THE PEDESTALS
The vibrant light that greeted Cherry when she fully ascended into the Arena was overwhelming. If she hadn't known better, she would have thought that she'd met death.
Unfortunately, she hadn't been so lucky.
When the light stopped overwhelming her vision, she was standing on her pedestal in the middle of a large body of water. Cherry raised a hand to shield her eyes from the unforgiving sun as she looked around. The water before her was serene and still, but she couldn't swim. She'd never learned. Fortunately, there were tiny landmasses that had been constructed from stone which could be used as stepping stones leading up to the Cornucopia. Supplies overflowed from the center with some of lesser value leaking out onto the platforms that surrounded the area. So long as she maintained her balance, she could potentially escape with some supplies.
Cherry's heart was pounding as she looked around. To her right, the boy from District Twelve examined his surroundings as well. To her left, the boy from District Six looked like he was prepared to faint. Cherry could hardly blame him. Her hands were trembling as she looked beyond the Cornucopia and beyond the faces of the other Tributes. In front of her, there was a massive, dense forest that was blanketed with a thick sheet of snow. Above the trees, she could see the peaks of mountains.
She looked over her shoulder, expecting to see more of the tundra, but was instead met with the sight of a vast expanse of desolate earth; A desert that sprawled for as far as the eye could see. In the distance, there was another treeline, though this one consisted of palms rather than pines and firs. The desert, though empty, was significantly closer than the tundra that sat on the other side of the body of water that everyone was situated atop. Cherry looked around for her allies. If she could find her allies, maybe she could escape with all of them.
Emmanuel was the closest to her. He was only four pedestals away. Pepsi was a bit further off, but Sonora was clear across the water. Cherry hoped and prayed that they would all be able to convene and get out of there as quickly as possible. With the Career Pack so evenly dispersed among the Tributes, the District Seven girl was certain that it was going to be a bloodbath.
"Five… Four… Three… Two… One…"
The gong sounded out and Cherry leapt off of her pedestal and onto the land closest to her. The world seemed to be moving slower than ever as some Tributes jumped from their platforms and swam away from the starting area, others opting to charge straight into the Cornucopia. Cherry watched as Emmanuel jumped directly into the water and swam toward a nearby platform, snatching up the navy blue pack that waited there and then swimming away from the carnage that was about to unfold.
Cherry ran and jumped along the platforms amidst the chaos, her pulse pounding so rapidly that it was the only thing she could hear. Emmanuel swam in her direction and Cherry frantically tried to get closer to him with the help of the landmasses. When she was finally close enough, Emmanuel looked to the nearest land—The desert.
"You need to jump in! We need to get out of here! Pepsi and Sonora are going to be headed this way and we need to be ready to meet them!" Emmanuel said breathily.
The District Seven girl looked down at the water, her eyes wide. Emmanuel extended a hand and she threw herself into the water. It was shockingly cold, sending a chill through every inch of her body. When her head came back above the surface, she drank in a breath and latched onto Emmanuel's arm. The District Three boy proceeded to swim in an awkward fashion as he lugged both himself and Cherry toward the desert, the sounds of the bloodbath finally falling on their ears as they made their escape.
ISAAC OPPENHEIMER, DISTRICT FIVE
12:00 PM, THE GAMES BEGIN, THE PEDESTALS
Isaac had made a mad dash for the Cornucopia the second that the gong had symbolized the start of the Games. His legs had carried him faster than they ever had in his life, leading him directly to the center island that the supplies had all been set up on. He hadn't been the first to reach it, but thankfully, the Career Pack had already established their hold on the area. He watched as Leona closed in on the Cornucopia, grabbing a hefty-looking shield along the way and using it to bash another Tribute off of the landmass that she had stepped onto.
It was the girl from District Eleven, if his memory served him right. He watched as the force of the blow knocked her into the water and caused her head to collide with another nearby landmass. For a second, he was certain she wouldn't resurface. When she did, however, it was clear that she was drowning. Leona paid no mind to what she had done, focused only on getting to the Cornucopia. When she arrived, she snatched up a weapon and then took off in the direction of the Tributes who were scrambling for supplies.
Her District Partner, Vitus, had managed to get his hands on a mace and was waiting for the boy from District Eight to come within striking distance. Much to Isaac's surprise, Eight didn't stop running. Vitus took a swing at him and the boy from Eight ducked, snatching a sword off of a nearby crate and attempting to grab a pack within arm's reach. Vitus went to strike again, but this time, the boy from Eight thrusted the sword forward to defend himself.
He plunged the blade into Vitus' throat and a mist of blood shot out of the District Two boy's mouth, raining down onto his attacker. Eight withdrew the sword and turned on his heel, ready to run when he nearly collided with Erebor, who swung his shield upward and into the boy's jaw. The sickening crack that followed paled in comparison to the thunk that sounded when Erebor swung his axe directly into Eight's shoulder. The District Eight boy slumped to the ground near Vitus, blood pooling around his body.
Erebor turned and move back toward the Cornucopia, ready to defend the hold on the supplies with the Pack. Isaac could see them fanning out to kill any other Tributes who approached. Figuring he should do the same, he snatched a machete from a crate beyond the mouth of the Cornucopia and moved out. He saw one Tribute that wasn't too far away; A young girl who was attempting to maintain her footing as she skipped away to the tundra. It was the little one from Eight who had been palling around with the freakish from Eleven. Isaac hurried after her, determined to earn his first kill of the Games.
He bounded across the landmasses as he closed in on her, his balance impeccable and his speed unmatched. The girl looked over her shoulder and proceeded to hurry away from him, almost in a choreographed manner. It was too late, though. Isaac had closed the gap. He raised the machete and slashed at the back of her legs, sending her falling to the ground. The girl rolled onto her back and attempted to scramble away on her hands, but Isaac lifted the blade again, this time cutting across her throat.
Her eyes were wide as she reached for her throat and sputtered, gasping for air that would never come. Isaac felt a smile sprawling across his lips as he watched the color drain from her face, the blood from her throat dribbling down her neck and onto her clothes. Her hands had gone from pale to crimson in a matter of seconds and Isaac looked on in satisfaction as the life left her eyes. The rush that he'd gotten from killing her was unlike anything he'd ever known.
He could hardly wait for his next kill.
ATTICUS BURNHEART, DISTRICT TWELVE
12:01 PM, THE GAMES BEGIN, THE PEDESTALS
"If you can grab something, grab it! There're always supplies within reach and it's totally worth it to grab them and get the hell out if you can." Henry had said, "We'll find each other and meet up when we can! Just remember not to get caught!"
Atticus had started between the District Seven girl and the District Thirteen girl. When the countdown had ended, he'd run for the supplies nearest to him. Thirteen had broken off into a full blown sprint before him and Atticus had watched as her hand closed around a pack at the same time as the boy from District Eleven. Not wanting to fight for the pack, Eleven had put an end to it quick.
He had grabbed her by the face like a rag doll, pushing her onto the floor with such a tremendous amount of force that Atticus could've sworn her neck had snapped in that instant. Her head lolled to one side and Atticus could see the way that the back of her skull had caved in entirely. The boy from Eleven, uncertain of whether or not he had succeeded in killing her, kicked her off of the platform and into the water.
His fingers closed around the pack again and he took off in the opposite direction. Atticus grabbed a small supply pack of his own before attempting to find Henry and the others in the chaos. Henry, who had started a few pedestals away, was making a break toward a hefty looking pack that was brimming with supplies.
Atticus' heart sank in his chest when he saw one of the Careers making a beeline for Henry. The girl from One was surprisingly fast as she barreled toward him, sword in hand. Henry could see her and he wasn't running away. Atticus could hardly believe what he was watching. Did that idiot really think he could outrun her? Did he really think he was fast enough? Atticus navigated in Henry's direction as he tried to split his focus between making sure that his ally was alive and keeping his eye out for danger.
When he looked back, Henry had reached the supply pack.
And so had District One.
Time threatened to stand still as Atticus watched the girl drive the sword directly through Henry's gut. Blood dripped from the end of the blade as it protruded from his back, leaving him impaled to nearly the hilt of the sword. Atticus could see the way that Henry's eyes had widened. He saw how Henry's mouth hung open and how his lips twitched, his eyes unblinking. The girl from District One pulled the blade from his body and watched as he fell to his knees, his hands shaking as they moved to his abdomen to clutch at the portions of his entrails that bulged from the wound.
She crouched down and took the pack from him, pivoting on her heel and walking away like what she had just done was utterly meaningless to her.
"Atticus!" Nami's voice cut through the ringing in Atticus' ears that he hadn't even realized was occurring until just then, "Atticus! We need to go!"
He looked to his allies, who had formed a small group on the snowy shoreline to his right. Atticus took a step toward them and looked back to Henry, who had fallen onto his side and was still trying to hold together his abdomen. The District Twelve boy thought that he was going to be sick as he forced himself to run toward the group. Everything in his body was screaming at him to get as far away from the Cornucopia as possible, but he couldn't ignore the voice in his mind that was telling him that Henry wouldn't leave him behind. He needed to drown it out. He needed to be realistic.
It's useless. He's dead. There's nothing I can do for him now. There's nothing anyone can do for him. He's dead. He's fucking dead.
There wasn't time to turn back. Atticus forced himself to run toward his allies, keeping his wits about him as he jumped between stone platforms. At one point, he saw another Tribute running alongside him—The boy from Thirteen. Atticus attempted to put some distance between them, unsure of the boy's intentions. However, the next time that he looked over his shoulder, he watched an arrow go flying through the air before connecting with the boy's back. He staggered, trying to continue on until another arrow hit him in his head, bursting forth from behind his eye in an explosion of blood and tissue before sending him face first into the ground.
Atticus quickly directed his attention forward and met with his allies, who looked genuinely happy to see him. Their smiles felt wrong after he had watched Henry die. They should have been leaving together. They should have been hundreds of yards away from the Cornucopia with Henry leading the pack. Instead, Elesa and Nami paved the way as Atticus and Nicholas followed them into the dense forest ahead.
No more time to turn back.
THE FALLEN
26th Place: Callista "Calico" Cantonburough, District Eleven - Cause of Death: Drowning
25th Place: Vitus Heilmine, District Two - Cause of Death: Killed by Kolton Falco
24th Place: Kolton Falco, District Eight - Cause of Death: Killed by Erebor Pierce
23rd Place: Jubilena Pin, District Eight - Cause of Death: Killed by Isaac Oppenheimer
22nd Place: Nova North, District Thirteen - Cause of Death: Killed by Sett Epicus
21st Place: Henry Stratum, District Nine - Cause of Death: Killed by Aenea Regina Singh
20th Place: Adam Preston Tuner, District Thirteen - Cause of Death: Killed by Clio St. Francis
EULOGIES
Vitus Heilmine, District Two - Vitus was such a treat to write. I know that there are tropes within the community but I'll be the first to admit that writing some of them is a massive guilty pleasure for me and Vitus was no exception. I loved the cocky playboy attitude and his ability to flirt with anything with a pulse. Thank you to kremit1000 for submitting him!
Kolton Falco, District Eight - Kolton was a wonderful submission that I enjoyed writing, but ultimately could not develop a well-thought out arc for. I thought that him coming from the background he did was a far cry from the extremes that you typically see for the Tributes in this community and I liked how it played a role in molding him into the person that he was when I wrote him. I thought it was fascinating how he wasn't exactly an extrovert, but was just content to listen to the others around him. Thank you to TyQuavis for submitting him!
Jubilena Pin, District Eight - Jubilena was a Tribute that I adored writing. Her whimsical approach to most everything and her wild imagination pushed me to explore elements of my writing that I had never experimented with before. She encouraged me to be descriptive and wordy and she was honestly such a joy. Unfortunately, I could not envision her going far and I decided that this was where her story world end, but I will never forget her for being so unique! Thank you to AuroraMiri25 for submitting her!
Henry Stratum, District Nine - Oh, Henry. The way that you were submitted as a bloodbath and tragically stole the hearts of so many readers was one of the richest experiences I could've asked for. I thought you were great from the start but writing you only made me dread killing you more and more. Honestly, though? I have zero regrets and I am eternally grateful for the impact Henry had. Thank you to silvers shade for submitting him!
Callista "Calico" Cantonburough, District Eleven - Calico was too fun to write and I'm glad that I got the opportunity to write her. Her weirdness factor and catlike delusions were so entertaining for me to expand on and I've never had more fun with a bloodbath. Thank you to BradiLain for submitting her!
Adam Preston Tuner, District Thirteen - Adam was a good boy who just wanted to live his best life and deserved better. I appreciated his intellect, but I found that his lone wolf approach to the Games was not something I could see working out in his favor. Thank you to z-fun2001 for submitting him!
Nova North, District Thirteen - Nova was such a fun concept and I absolutely adored her on paper. Her daredevil nature was something that showed promise but also had the potential to put her into significant danger. In this situation, it ended up costing her her life. She was so entertaining to write and I wish I could've seen her going farther! Thank you to A Proud Bibliophile for submitting her!