Chapter 54:

Eirene Talos, District One, Age 18

Victor of the 129th Hunger Games

Their numbers were dropping like flies – and for some of them, they were quite literally dropping like flies, snatched up by the carnivorous plants surrounding them. But it couldn't just be that every plant was dangerous. No, some were harmless and they didn't know which ones could kill them until they got too close.

Eirene really just needs a damn break from it, the constant feeling of being on edge and always glancing over their shoulder, ready to run if a vine was starting to make its way towards them. They sigh loudly as they sit down, swinging their bag around in front of them to get their water bottle. Wynne sits across from them, looking around nervously. But they can't blame her, being the last two careers left.

"Do you think it's safe here?" she asks quietly, glancing around the jungle surrounding them at the edge of the clearing.

Eirene could only shrug at their District partner. "Nowhere is safe," they say casually and stretch their arms above their head. "But if we don't get some sleep, we'll make a dumb move."

"Seems risky," Wynne says and Eirene just shrugs as they get up to start gathering some wood to make a fire.

"Wouldn't be the first risk I've taken," they reply, dumping the sticks down before dropping down next to them. They crack their tattooed knuckles in front of her and watch her gaze go to them, before back up to their face, unable to hide the judgement in her eyes over their appearance and past. They're honestly shocked she's stuck with them this long, considering the disdain she showed them every day in the Capitol – but not all of them could have prissy parents to pay for training – or any parents. Some of them had to work on the streets, using the things they learned to protect those weaker than them from getting taken advantage of. "If you don't like it, you don't have to stay."

Eirene takes her silence as her sticking around as they get to work on quickly putting the sticks together, before lighting a match and tossing it into the kindling. They wait until the fire has spread up the branches before looking up at her, and they play with their septum piercing. "I'll take first shift, since I feel comfortable here and you clearly don't." It's completely a lie, but they sure as hell aren't sleeping first.

Wynne scoffs at that suggestion. "I am not afraid!" she says, but her voice cracks a tiny bit at the end. Eirene raises an eyebrow at her and she sneers back at them before laying down, putting her back to them. "Fine, I'll sleep first. Don't let a plant eat me in my sleep."

"You let one plant eat your competition and suddenly people assume you'll do that to everyone," Eirene says, chuckling when she glances back over her shoulder to glare at them. "Hun, just because Dracana is my mentor doesn't mean I'm going to kill you. Trust me, I want One winning." Just with them winning, not her. But there are still too many outliers left to let her get killed just yet. "Sleep already so I can sleep sooner."

Wynne grumbles to herself as she gets comfortable and Eirene ignores her, adding more wood to the fire before getting comfortable next to it. They take out a small knife, fiddling with it in their hands as they stare at the fire, fighting off the exhaustion that's hitting them like a brick now that they stopped moving. Sitting in front of the warm fire, they can feel their eyelids getting heavy already and fight it off as much as they can. Just a few more tributes, that's all they have to stay focused for. Then they can get back home and get their brother out of the orphanage and stop their found siblings from having to sell themselves on the streets. It's going to be so worth it…then they can sleep all they want…

Eirene jolts at the sudden movement and lets out a cry when they start getting dragged by the ankle. They grab at the ground for anything, but their fingers go through dirt, some fingernails getting ripped back as they desperately try to stop themself from getting dragged towards the forest. Wynne screams as she runs after them and when Eirene follows the vine pulling them up to the monstrous open plant, they start screaming as well and flailing. "Help me! Oh God, I don't wanna die like this!"

Wynne catches up to them and grabs under their shoulders, digging her feet into the dirt to slow them getting pulled, but they're still getting closer and closer to the gaping mouth of the plant. The vine tightens around their ankle and they grab a knife from their waist, leaning down to try and cut it loose. But it digs into their ankle with its thorns as acid starts coming out of the wound, disintegrating the knife before falling onto Eirene's ankle, and they let out a bloodcurdling scream at the pain. Their eyes water in pain and fear as they get a few feet from the plant, realizing there's no way to get it to let go of them.

The only way they're getting free is without that foot. Fuck, they would rather die of blood loss than get eaten by that plant.

"Give me your machete!" they scream at Wynne as they grab onto the first tree lining the edge of the clearing. Wynne freezes for a moment before running back to their fire as Eirene clings to the tree for dear life.

She sets the machete next to them before grabbing their waist as they sit up. "What are you-" she starts screaming when they bring it down on their leg, just below their knee. Their own screams drown her out as they start hacking away, desperate to survive, until suddenly the vine snaps towards the plant, holding onto their leg and snatching it up, as Eirene and Wynne fall backwards from her losing the tension she was pulling against.

Eirene's hands shake as they try to move away from the edge of the clearing, holding the stump of their leg as it gushes blood, and their head starts spinning. "Tourn-" they get out as Wynne starts dragging them back to the fire. "Tourniquet."

Wynne's hands shake as she digs through their bags for rope, breathing quickly and continuing to glance back in fear. But she's taking too damn long and Eirene can feel themself getting lightheaded.

"I'll do it myself," they mumble as they pick up their leg and without hesitation, stick the bleeding end into the fire. They don't recognize the scream they hear for a moment until realizing it's coming from them, until Wynne pulls their leg back.

"The fuck are you doing?!" she screams as she starts tying the rope just above their knee. But Eirene can't feel it, not after their whole body is screaming at them in pain and the world around them starts spinning, until they slam into the ground and everything goes black.

Eirene is just a straight up BADASS omg I forgot how much they were until I reread this today. Like damn! Yeah I knew when going into this that I had to make them badass since they're one of the last victors we've never seen before! And honestly, I could probably write a whole story about them a la Ashes lol. We'll see how I feel when Memoirs is done lol.

So yeah, there we have Eirene Talos, Victor of the 129th Hunger Games! Also when back in One, they are totally the type who will take off their leg and beat someone with it if they piss them off lol.

Next week, District Eleven finally gets a second victor!