Chapter Forty-Eight: Figuring Things Out
Still Day Two
Galadia Devinson, District Two Female
You'd think it'd be easier to catch someone when they're running uphill, but I'm not having that experience.
Credit where it's due, this kid is pretty fast and he's been going at this for what I've judged to be about half an hour, and he still hasn't seemed to tire yet. From my glances to the side, I can tell Clara's getting frustrated that we haven't caught him yet, but I'm not as concerned about that.
We'll get him eventually. We always do.
Clara threw the spear she was carrying right at the start, so she doesn't have a weapon right now, but I've kept the machete in hand in case he decides to pull a 180 and charge. It'd be much easier now since the hill just keeps getting steeper the higher up we go, but all he seems concerned with right now is running and screaming, which is fine by me.
Chances were, if Clara hadn't wasted the spear right away we could have gotten him now, but now's not the time to think about that. Stopping to pull out a new weapon means we leave him behind, and trying to take him on without one means at best we're getting cut up and at worst we're getting killed. All we can do now is keep him in sight and wait until he runs out of gas.
I think we're about to reach the top of the hill or whatever the heck we've been climbing for the past few minutes, so my guess is we're nearing the end of this. He'll trip trying to go downhill, or give up once gravity's no longer helping him at the bottom, or try to roll down to get away faster and hit something-
Or just come to a dead stop right in front of us. I guess that works too.
However, once we screech to a halt about ten meters or so away, it's pretty obvious why. Not far away from where our target is standing now, the ground just… vanishes. This isn't a hillside, it's a cliff. And judging by his panicked expression, it's too high up to risk jumping and there isn't a way to easily climb down.
Panting, I turn to Clara, still waiting beside me. "You want this one? I don't care about my kill count."
"You bet," Clara says, reaching into her overstuffed bag to pull a new weapon out.
I begin to keep an eye on our subject to make sure he doesn't try anything funny, and that's precisely when he hurls his ax.
Right at Clara.
Everything freezes for a split second. Someone shouts, someone else screams. Clara remains locked in place, either unaware or uncomprehending of what's about to happen as the weapon flips end over end…
Only to fly about six inches to Clara's right and go tumbling out of sight.
The kid we've been chasing looks right at me. "Well, shit."
"Well, shit, indeed," I say back.
Clara didn't even appear to flinch. Either she's just that good at figuring out where thrown objects go and knew it would never hit her, or she just didn't notice. Doesn't matter at this point, she'll be alive either way unless this kid pulls another trick out of his ass.
He does nothing as Clara yanks out a long blade of some kind, staring at us with an expression I can only describe as vacant. Like he's past caring what's about to happen to him. That's not really any fun, but since when was the Games supposed to be fun? It's a disappointment, not a problem. We'll deal with it.
Clara takes several quick steps toward our target. "Final words?"
He sticks two fingers in the air, no points for figuring out which ones. "Fuck you."
Then, before either of us can react, he leaps backward into empty air and then plummets out of sight in an instant. I'm not above counting the seconds until impact, and I make it to five before I hear a muffled noise that seems to combine a splatter and a crunch followed by a much louder cannon shot.
"Well, one more down either way," I say. "So, I'm assuming you want to go back down this hill, since the odds of any tributes nearby sticking around fall somewhere between zero and negative ten percent?"
"That makes sense," Clara says, tucking the weapon back into her bag, her blade still as unblemished as ever. "Let's keep moving. Hopefully whoever we find next won't pull an honor-suicide or whatever the fuck that was supposed to be."
I agree with that, although at least this was easy. Half an hour of running and one sort-of scare with an ax, but we didn't even have to fight. I'd rather not get into a bloody showdown this early in the Games. Great for sponsors, but not so great in the grand scheme of things if I want to stay alive.
And staying alive, last time I checked, was pretty important.
But now, with our path formally agreed on, we turn back down the hill, ready to hunt once more.
Sotia Vance, District Three Female
You'd think after nearly a day's wait I'd have a better solution to my problem than throwing rocks at it, but here we go.
At the very least, I've figured out this isn't an instant death trap, it's a puzzle. Some of the tiles, so far looking like random chance more than anything, haven't released a jet of flames when a rock's hit them, meaning this is some kind of pressure-plate puzzle. Maybe there's a safe path to the other end, maybe there isn't, but I'm going to find out. While there's a stream nearby so I have a reliable source of water, I haven't eaten anything since I've gotten here. Approximately thirty hours have gone by without anything edible, and my stomach's been cursing my name for at least the past twelve of those if not longer.
I probably should have at least gone looking after a while, but I don't want to leave this place behind. If someone else solves this before I do, let's just say the odds of me making it long-term take a nosedive. I need to be interesting so people will care about me.
Despite that, I'm going to need to find more rocks soon if this keeps up. There's hundreds of tiles I still need to test and only so many rocks I can see from here that are throwable.
Then I hear a slight rustling up above, and that's when I notice the silver parachute. Whatever it's holding doesn't appear to be anything more than a sheet of paper, but I'm rushing over to grab it anyway, especially since a light breeze would mean its contents are probably lost forever. Maybe it's just tinder in case things get really bad, maybe it's a hint, maybe it's just encouragement. No matter what, though, I need to figure that out first.
The paper is blank on the side I see first, but when I flip it over, I see a single sentence, written in Gear's somewhat sloppy penmanship. I can still read it, so no complaints there, but I still have to strain a bit to figure out what message he's sent me.
—The floor's a traffic light.
Gear
Well, that's definitely some kind of hint, I just need to figure it out. I toy with the idea that maybe, like a traffic light, there's some kind of timer I can't see so that sometimes there's a safe path to the food and other times there isn't. That goes out the window pretty quickly, though: seems too complicated for anyone to figure out without extensive help. If the Gamemakers wanted to make a death trap, they'd just make a death trap without feeling the need to disguise it as a puzzle. Then, a much simpler solution hits, one I feel a bit embarrassed for not figuring out more quickly.
On a traffic light, green means go. My best guess on how that translates is that green tiles are guaranteed to be safe to stand on.
A few rocks later, that theory is confirmed. Not a single one of the green tiles I hit spout flames after doing so, although they're far enough apart that traversing them is still going to be a disaster that could get me killed. At that point, I've come up with some additional theories. If the other tile colors follow that principle, red tiles will kill me if I step on them. Yellow and/or orange tiles (I don't know which one the Gamemakers think would fit there) are trickier to translate over. Maybe they're a coin flip, where some are safe and others not. Maybe they're safe to take a quick step on, but if you stay there too long, you get roasted. Maybe you can only step on them after stepping on a green tile. And that's not even getting started on all the other colors that don't fit the description I just got. I'll just assume all of them kill me, I can get to my prize without them.
Even with all the asterisks I have to add, I'm that much closer to having as much food as I could ever want. "Thanks for the help, Gear," I say as loud as I dare.
Then comes a trip for more rocks followed by tossing them, and after a few more minutes of this I think I've confirmed that one, the yellow tiles are the ones the Gamemakers use in their traffic light analogy, not the orange, and two, the first option I came up with seems to be the best one. Some yellow tiles do nothing, others burn and burn and burn. Even now, several of the tiles are still ablaze as I map out what I'm one hundred percent confident is a safe but manageable path. I'll have to make sure nothing catches fire when I cross.
I take my first tentative step onto the nearest green tile, and then everything else flees my mind as I begin the delicate dance that is reaching the food.
Big step forward to the next green tile. Smaller one to a safe yellow tile, make sure not to touch the red one directly behind it. Little jump to the next stretch, gives me a safe runway of green, yellow, green to stop. Almost fall forward, manage to catch myself.
Two big steps to the left. A hop, skip, and a jump forward, landing inches away from a cluster of danger tiles and cursing under my breath as I do so. Last stretch requires a big jump, I need a moving start. Three steps across safe tiles, speeding up all the way, then jump-
And throw myself forward, the back of my back foot just missing the nearest tile before I can set the place on fire.
A few seconds pass with incredulity reigning over all else. Then, the joy starts ballooning, filling my stomach in a way even the food I have way more than enough of cannot. I suppress the urge to release whatever energy I have left into a scream reminiscent of a girl who just got asked on her first date, knowing it'll attract unwanted attention, but that doesn't stop me from breaking into my first smile since the day I got here.
I have supplies.
I'll never want for anything edible again.
Buckle up, other tributes. Sotia Vance has just returned from the grave in style.
Thomiah Marshall, District Eleven Male
Even though the two of us have started making our way back, I can't help but feel a bit nervous that our hideout might be raided while we're gone.
It's a sensible worry to have even though the odds are somewhat low. It's pretty far away. There isn't really much to raid even if someone finds it. With good luck, once they enter, they'll notice the beds and fall asleep on one of them, meaning they'll be open to attack when we ultimately find them.
In terms of looking for other tributes, today was rather unproductive. We saw the occasional flash of someone else, but they always ran when we got close and we were in no position to chase them. Maybe we could try and alleviate that problem by trying to spread out when we hunt, but that just raises the risk of one of us being picked off by the Careers or just another enterprising tribute, so I put that idea on the back burner for now.
Someone's stomach rumbles so loudly that I can hear it from here. "So, I'm assuming dinner will be whenever we get back?"
"My stomach agrees with that," Artesia says. Odysea nods, seeming to defer to the rest of us.
We pick our way through the brush, watching out for any traps as we go. Odysea checks the sky every few seconds for aerial threats, while I remain on the lookout for snares. My job feels especially important right now, because even if the girl from One probably hasn't time to assemble anything yet, I wouldn't be surprised if there's one of those weird rope traps that leave whoever triggered them trapped in a net or suspended by their ankles. (I should know, Richard and Carie pulled a few pranks back home that involved something like that.)
Nothing happens, though, and we return to our cabin without incident. We take a look for any signs that the place was disturbed between when we left and now, but fortunately for us, there isn't anything. No footprints. No plants in places noticeably different than before. The door's kind of askew, but that might just be the wind. From the small patch of floor we can see, no dirt got it.
We enter, weapons out, and scan the cabin from top to bottom, but once more, there isn't any evidence that we got found out. Thus, the next thing on our list is to figure out what we can eat and how tonight's going to work.
I take out three of the cans from my bag and Artesia takes out the can opener from hers. Smiling once more, I say, "Who's ready for some delicious canned food?"
Odysea signals that she is, in fact, ready, as does Artesia. One can goes to each of them, I take my can, we open said cans and proceed to nibble through our meal. Not out of lack of hunger or anything, we just want to make our food last as long as possible so our stomachs can get the hint that we'll have to get used to starvation diets for a while.
Once that's finished, the time comes to figure out how we're going to deal with shifts tonight. Chances are other tributes will be migrating during the night to try and avoid being noticed, and if we have another scare like last night one of us will need to alert the rest so that we have a fighting chance if it gets really bad.
"Okay," I say. "Who wants to go first?"
"I'll do it," Odysea says. "So, who wants to take over from me once that's done?"
Artesia doesn't say anything, but she nods. Naturally, that leaves me with the last spot. Odysea grabs a weapon and marches outside, ready to walk in circles until either she falls or calls Artesia to take up her spot. Artesia sits down on one of the beds and pulls something out of her bag before hunching over it. I just sit. I've got nothing else to do, except maybe prepare to pass out.
"So," Artesia says, taking a break from whatever she's doing. "You think tomorrow's going to be any better?"
"Tomorrow is another day," I say. "Unfortunately, that's the only thing we know about it right now."
"In all seriousness, though, it should be," Artesia says. "We covered a decent distance. Surprised we didn't run into any real threats. Those will come, although I guess they didn't today. We've got to find someone, though. There's only so long the audience is willing to wait."
Unfortunately, that's right on the money. We might have to leave this place, tragic as that may be. Sure, it's not like we lived in luxury back home, but once we lose a stable place to stay, then we're just the same as every other tribute minus the Careers.
"Let's hope they won't be waiting much longer," I say.
On that note, I put down everything, and the two of us get up to start closing all the shutters as night approaches.
Vick Even, District Four Male
The stream's been my guide thus far. If I have water, everything else is possible.
Because the water's moving, it's a bit more likely to be safe than lake water. Since I don't have anything that could purify polluted water, this is the next best option. I haven't seen anything swimming in it and the water looks clear, that's as good as you're getting here.
Whether it's safe to drink or not, though, I've drank a lot of it. I might be regretting it later, but if I don't have any water with me, there won't be a later to regret.
Well, I've gotten thirsty again. Time for another drink. Better to have too much water than too little, right?
I take the few steps down to the edge of the water, glance behind me to make sure I'm not being tailed or approached, then bend down to the stream to take a quick drink. The only thing keeping me from sticking my whole head in the water is that I need to keep my ears perked. Threats could come from anywhere at any time. You'd think I'd have gotten used to that by now, but it needs to settle in.
I take one sip and start to take another before the rustling starts. Sounds like something's moving in the nearby bushes, and whatever it is sounds big. I throw my head out, preparing to make a break for it, and then I notice him.
Definitely a Career, too big to be anyone else. Boy from Two, then, since the other male Career died in the Bloodbath. He seems to be alone right now, maybe the cannon shot I heard not too long ago was for his companion? In spite of everything, I hope it wasn't Sienna.
The stream's too shallow for swimming, so my best bet is running. I make it about three steps before a voice shouts, "Hey, wait!"
Like an idiot, I swivel my head toward the voice, so fast I stumble and almost go down. I don't, though, and that's when I notice two things. One, the Career I saw first was planning to fling a weapon in my direction, and two, Sienna has arrived.
She most certainly doesn't exude the demeanor that her sister did in the Games or even the one she had before the Games started. Her hair's a mess, her eyes somewhat wild, her clothes somewhat ragged, her face stuck with an expression that I can't quite read but in no way resembles confidence. She's got some kind of weapon as well, but it's dangling at her side, and she seems to have no desire to change that.
"Okay, let's address the situation here," Sienna says. "That kid's my District partner, and I really don't want our first kill post-Bloodbath to be him. Can you please just let him be for now?"
Well, that's something I never expected a Career to say, even one like Sienna that seemed relatively benign. Her ally seems to feel the same way, giving her a look like he just told her that Thursday was a lie created by the government. "Sienna, someone already beat us to the punch. I'm not jazzed about this either, but people are going to back out of sponsoring us if we can't kill anyone!"
I'm inching away, but it's like someone flicked a switch sending everything into slow motion: I can't run no matter what I try, especially since the other Career still hasn't lowered his weapon.
"Godric, come on," Sienna says. "I get it. We're the Careers, this is what we're supposed to do. But we need to have some kind of line we don't step across so everyone sees we're still human. And I don't care where that line gets placed, but to me, this would be on the other side of it. For now, at least."
The other Career, no, Godric, lets out something halfway between a grunt and a sigh. "Okay, okay. I'll lay off this time. Just know it's not working like that for my District partner, especially after last night. We run into Galadia, all bets are off."
Hold on. Something about that doesn't add up. I didn't stick around for the Bloodbath very long, but just based on the way they're talking, Galadia (whom I mentally file off as the girl from Two) broke off from the Careers for some reason. If the Careers are split, then… I'm not even sure yet. Does this make my odds better? Worse? I don't know and I have no means of figuring it out, which will most certainly drive me crazy for the foreseeable future, if there is a future for me in the first place.
Sienna gives me a nod. "Let's not meet again, okay?"
Then, she takes several steps back, appearing to melt in the woods. Godric doesn't turn to follow her, though, instead fixing me with a heavy stare that cuts into my soul just as badly as whatever weapon he'd been carrying would have.
"That's your one free pass, kid," he says. "Make the most of it."
The two of them probably turn to depart, but whatever spell had locked me in place is gone now, meaning that now my pace is a breakneck sprint, my feet following the stream but otherwise not taking care where I step as long as it's another one between me and them.
When I glance over my shoulder to make sure they're not following, neither are visible, their silhouettes fading away into the deepening night.
The time has come for me to do the same.
Eulogies:
Aryion Hylus, District 7 Male, 18th Place (Killed by Suicide): Aryion was a tough character for me to write, to be honest. His character bio had a lot of extra dark stuff in it I left out because didn't really feel like I could do justice to it, and his resilience came as a bit of a side effect of that to me, since I felt like it was the only way he could have made it through the trauma conga line that was his life. Despite all that, though, it didn't mean much once the Careers found him. Thanks for sending him, Ripplerz.
Kills:
-Clara: 1 unassisted (Remi), 2 assisted (Faolan, Alexa)
-Galadia: 1 unassisted (Fox), 1 assisted (Alexa)
-Godric: 2 assisted (Faolan, Marius)
-Other: 1 unassisted (Aryion [suicide])
-Sienna: 1 assisted (Marius)
-Artesia, Thomiah, Odysea: 1 assisted (Nascar)
Current Alliances:
-Loyalist Careers: Godric, Sienna
-Separatist Careers: Clara, Galadia
-Anti-Careers: Artesia, Thomiah, Odysea
-Two Broke(n) Girls: Zari, Lacey
-Opposites Attract: Spark, Catarina
-Loners (For Now): Rhaemyr, Sotia, Vick, Romeo, Toren, Maxxer
Author's Notes:
-And here we have our first post-Bloodbath death. Only took me what, six chapters? Don't worry, a few more might be just over the horizon. Who, you might ask? Well, why would I tell you? Stories without suspense are no fun, everyone knows that.
-With Aryion's death, District 7 is the first district to be completely exterminated. Districts 1, 6, 9, 10, and 12 all have one tribute left, while the remaining Districts (2, 3, 4, 5, 8, and 11, respectively) have both their tributes in the hunt.
-Anyway, I'm exhausted, and this chapter is done, I hope you enjoyed it. See you next chapter!