Here we are with Day 4! This chapter was surprisingly difficult to write, so y'all better enjoy it! Plus I ventured a little ways back into my social life, prolonging my update date.
Ha! Just kidding. I don't have a social life!
Seriously though. It's bad.
JK.
Gosh, just read the chapter, okay?
Unless you don't want to, then don't.
But I will be extremely offended if you don't.
Yes, that was sarcasm.
Mostly.
Reviews!
Mystical Pine Forest: I'm glad you liked it! This chapter was a little late though… Thanks for the review!
dreams and desperation: Look. I'll judge if I wanna judge, okay? Okay. Besides, I'd do the exact same thing XD. Thanks for the review!
Clis2339: It very well could be a Career year, I suppose. There are three left, all scorers of ten… They have thirteen opposing them though, so who can tell really? Don't count Devon or Infiniti or Henry or Cheyenne or Willow out yet. Thanks for the review!
Wolfie McCoy: Sorry about your exams! They suck, and I can only imagine what they must be like for your final year! Honestlt, Than hates his mentor. And his deceased Partner. And just about everyone else. Makes him fun to write . Thanks for the review!
roses burning: That's the thing with predictions: they either prove to be correct, or they don't. I could predict that- wait. Whatever I write in this story actually does prove true :P. Thanks for the review!
Infiniti Reagan, Age 17, District 3
District Three Female, Sixth Quarter Quell
I'm surprised at how well I'm honestly doing thus far, but I know that I could potentially be in trouble if I don't find water soon. The five water bottles I got from my pack in the Bloodbath have sustained me thus far, but my last bottle is half empty and my lips are dry. It is because of this that I've left my sanctuary and begun to wander a bit. I suspect the Careers are nowhere nearby and I need this.
I can't help but wonder if it was a good idea to bring my pack. It's a decision that I struggled with this morning, and I'm still doubting myself. While it would very likely have been safe back at camp, there's always the chance a tribute will stumble across it, and what then? I'd lose my supplies and my shelter. However, bringing it with me has certainly slowed me down, and I may have to ditch it should I have to run. I never thought much about the decisions made in the Arena, but I suppose that makes the difference between the Victors and the deceased.
I've made sure to keep the beach in sight, the small stretch of sand and the crash of waves certainly help me with my sense of direction, though I could probably just watch the sun. I'm heading East today, racking my brain as I try to remember what the trainer had said about finding what it is I'm looking for.
Kenzi would have known. My heart pangs for the hundredth time as I recall memories of my former ally. I never saw her in the Arena, and I should perhaps be thankful for that fact. If I had seen her any time before the gong, I likely would have died with her. Had I seen her after, well… I'd have been looking at the corpse of someone who was probably my only friend in the Arena.
I can't help but wonder how she went. Spear? Arrow? Sword? The list is endless, and it doesn't help that I don't even know what was in the Cornucopia. Weapons weren't on my mind those first seconds, not that I could really use one anyway.
I reach down to my belt, where my whip hangs. I haven't really practiced with it yet, and I imagine I'll likely have to soon. Nobody ever has it easy in the Arena, and I grunt in frustration as I'm forced to pull my boots from the mud again with a wet pop.
Mud?
Most of what I've seen in the Arena so far is greenery somehow sprouting from volcanic rock. There's pretty much no dirt whatsoever, let alone mud. But if I've found a substance that's wet…
I march forward, splashing loudly through the mud, but I don't care. I look to my left, and it registers that I've lost the ocean. It's fine, though, water is much better. My socks are beginning to squish around my feet, the liquid so deep that it goes over my boot and halfway up my shins. I'll be wading soon, and the water is cold. I need to figure this out and get out fast.
Then I discover the source to the Arena's freshwater: A massive sinkhole that likely goes several meters down. A… cenote, I think. As far as I know, however, they aren't usually this close to the surface.
I bend down by the rim of the cenote, cupping my hand in the surprisingly clear water. I bring the liquid to my lips, tentatively drinking as small amount as I can. I'm relieved to find that the water isn't salty, nor poisoned as far as I can tell. I'm still alive, and I almost jump in excitement. I quickly pull the bag from my shoulders, awkwardly trying to hold it in one hand while removing the bottles. I want to laugh as I remind myself of my own parents, so busy with a million projects that they can't physically carry all the information.
At last, I decide to drop my supplies a little ways from the edge of the overflow, so in order to fill each of the bottles with less difficulty. I'm forced to make three trips anyway, the water bottles hard to open and hold at the same time.
After an eternity, I'm satisfied. My bottles are filled, a couple drops of iodine in each. I would prefer chlorine tablets, but the blue bag I got didn't have any such thing. I'd better count my blessings, I suppose, and I'm happier than I have been so far. I figure most, if not all, the other tributes must be somewhere along the flow of water coming from the cenote, so I decide to head back to camp instead of exploring further.
I have a water source, one I can hopefully find fairly easily. I have shelter, a source of food. Things are pretty good in the Hunger Games, other than the ever-looming threat of death.
Jetta Carter, Age 17, District 6
District Six Female, Sixth Quarter Quell
I sit quietly as I watch the Three girl pack up her things. I curse myself inwardly for thinking I could leave later, that an early start would have been fruitless. Had I been here, I could have stolen a water bottle or whatever else I wanted from her bag. While I'd feel horrible about robbing this girl at first, I'm sure I'd have gotten over it. Now, however, I won't get the chance.
I sigh, looking over the pool of water the girl just collected from. As much as I want to go dive in headfirst and rink to my throat's content, I know that that wouldn't be advisable. The Three girl may have survived that pool, but who knows what the Gamemakers might have cooked up for me, should I partake? No. I have found the river now, and I will follow it to a place that I feel safer.
The girl vanishes into the trees for the last time, and I wonder if I might have made a mistake. Could I have Allied with her? She had an Ally, if I remember correctly, and she died the first day. We could have helped each other, though I don't really know what I could have done. I stare after her longingly for a moment, before turning back to the river. It's deep here, though the current is slow. I wonder if this is the only water source, and if so, how many of the others have already found it?
I march forward, around the reaches of the pool and to the banks of the river. It's still quite deep, and I move on, following the bends of the liquid mass.
I rub my neck as I stare longingly, and while every fiber in my body screams for a drink, I know I must resist. I'm sweating already from the morning sun, from the closeness of the trees and the sheer distance I walked today. The heat is blistering, and I remember the few seconds I spent on the side of the volcano. I'm certain it's going to erupt, but when, I have no idea. I was overwhelmed that day, stressing over what was to come.
Day Four. That's how long I've lasted so far, outliving ten others, children with lives and dreams. What do I have? A snobby rich-girl's life, filled with everything I could ever want, though I never wanted it. I wish with all my heart that I was home now, but that won't be possible for several more days. As long as I am here, I will have to deal with starvation as I never have before, mixed in with terror and death. A horrible brew from the witches of Panem.
I pause as my foot smacks down into water again. I look up, annoyed, at the banks of the river, overflowed and still. There's another pool here, water gathered from the river and unable to breach the upper lip of the ledge, from which the sound of a crashing waterfall can be heard.
I quickly make my way around the pool, and watch in awe as the geography slopes downward, into a paradise of fruit and drink. The falling water creates a curtain of blue-green as it runs parallel with the eight-meter cliff, a beautiful oasis of gold and emerald.
Cautiously, I make my way down, the oasis calling to me like a song, a song of survival and wealth. I need to get down there, to the fruit and drink that will save my parched throat. To my new source of survival.
There's a small tree hanging over the pool at the base of the falls, and I catch sight of mangoes among the leaves. I catch one with ease, allowing the juices to run down my chin. I sit next to the tree, lying back and simply enjoying.
It's from here, on the ground, that I spot something interesting about the cliff behind the waterfall. It appears as though there's a small cave back there, and my heart leaps: shelter!
I smile as I take back all I thought about getting up early. I never would have found this if I had gotten up earlier.
And, for once, I can be selfish and not feel guilty.
Mason Lepodolite, Age 18, District 2
District Two Male, Sixth Quarter Quell
The girls found water yesterday, and like a pack of animals, we have been gradually moving our camp to said river. The work has been excruciatingly slow, as we cannot carry all the weapons at once. I have the four bags slung over my shoulders, my crossbow and sword in either hand while the girls bring one pile of weapons forward, place it on the ground, and then move back for the next pile. We've been at this since we first got up, and only now has the base of the volcano vanished between the trees.
It has occurred to me, more than once, that I could make a break for it right now if I wanted to. I could run while they're distracted, while I have all the supplies and my own weapons. I know I won't though. Running away from allies, away from a fight, is dishonorable. It's not what Annie did. It's not what my family or my District would be proud of, and so I stay, though I'll still grumble about it.
"Remind me again why we can't go any faster." I say aloud as Cassia places another pile by me. She looks up, glaring as she sees me up against a tree, watching. "I mean, don't get me wrong, this is very nice, but I don't see how we're going to get there before dark." I flash her a grin, and she snarls.
"Because you and Mera decided it would be best if we moved things while you stood watch. Because "Malaya or Blue or Nine might show up and attack." She turns away in disgust, off to do more work. I enjoy seeing her anger, her inability to stand against Mera or me. I know it's just a façade, a mask she'll remove when the time is right, something that will take Mera by surprise. But not me, no. I know her tricks, I will not be so easily fooled.
It is several hours before we reach the river, and a little longer to find a nice spot to camp. The spot we choose is quite beautiful; the ground slopes downward to the water, and there's a waterfall, soaring over a cliff to our right. Around the pool below the waterfall, short trees, laden with fruit, hang over the water.
It's about midday, and we've already finished setting up camp, not that there was a lot to set up. As I look around at my allies, I remember again how much we've been diminished over the past week. The boy from Four declared he wouldn't be with us, the One girl ditched in the Bloodbath, and Marcus died yesterday. Already, we're down to three, and there are thirteen out there besides us. While we are still the strongest tributes in the Arena, we are still heavily outnumbered, a fact that leaves me worried.
Not that Marcus was much help. He just went and died, something that is perhaps my fault but I honestly don't really care. He was never going to win anyway, and became dead weight after the Bloodbath. Oh, I'm still angry with the One girl, the Nine boy, but we'll catch them sooner or later, and then I'll have my fun. Cassia's excited to find the Three boy, too. They made fools out of us, and they will pay with their lives.
"Alright, who's going hunting today?" I hear Mera call from the river. I look up, seeing her soaking wet and attempting to dry her hair as she makes her way back. She seems unconcerned about what Cassia and I's answers will be; I know she likely will have already decided.
"Mason and I will go!" Cassia calls back, and I catch her glare at me before returning to her knives.
How am I supposed to keep the alliance together with these two dip wads?
Aran Quade, Age 17, District 6
District Six Male, Sixth Quarter Quell
Malaya decided that I would learn how to use a bow today. I don't understand why; it seems too complicated and I'm sure she spent years honing her skills. Yet here I am, in the middle of a clearing, trying to send the arrows into a vine that hangs between me and a tree. We've been at it for the better part of the day, and I've only nailed it once: my very first shot.
Something's different about Malaya today. She seems happier, more at ease than she had been when I first met her, less burdened since she saved me at the Cornucopia. As she sets another arrow to the string, carefully pulling my arm back and lining up the shot, I have to choke down a laugh. The conversation this morning seems so unreal, so trivial and impossible given our situation.
She sets the arrows down by the bag and her javelin, her bow lying across her lap. I recall her falling asleep on my shoulder last night, though she was gone when I woke up. I remember the sly grin that illuminated her face as she came back soon after, a newly filled bottle in hand. "About time you woke up." She said.
She has that coy grin now as she looks me up and down. "You know," she says, casually looking down at the weapons she had collected the first day, "I can't do the fighting for the both of us."
I tense as images flash through my mind. Countless tributes, suddenly expended when their usefulness had expired. I instinctively reach into my jacket pocket for the saw knife, a prize from the bag I won. I watch for any betrayal of hostility as I respond. "Okay?"
She laughs. A sweet laugh, laced with humor and astonishment. "Well, I can't very well use both of these at the same time." She gestures to the weapons around her, the smile never leaving. "Besides, I'd rather not leave anything behind."
"What are you saying?"
"Aran Quade of District Six, how would you like to learn how to shoot a bow?" She holds the weapon out to me in both hands, and I take it reluctantly. It feels unnatural, wrong. But she shoves the quiver into my other hand before I can respond, and immediately begins ordering me into "ready position."
I really don't understand her. Does she actually like me? I wouldn't know, no girl has ever liked me, save Reyna, of course. I'm pretty sure that doesn't count.
What advantage would she have by teaching me to shoot? If I can't, she'd be able to kill be in an instant. She still could, I suppose, with that javelin. But I could shoot back? She's a Career. She trained for this for the better part of her life. Surely, she understands that we can't possibly both win. Has she gone mad? She did just find out that her Partner died…
I cannot let her distract me. I need to get home for Reyna.
"Remember to keep both eyes open. Keep your target to your left side. I want your forearm flush with the arrow. Don't let the string slide off your fingers. Stay still as you release." She's begun to repeat her tips now, though she doesn't seem to be getting frustrated yet. I feel a grunt escape my lips as I send off another arrow with a quiet twang. This one lands itself in the tree again, along with eight of the others. They're grouped rather well around the vine, yet I still can't hit it.
"Great! We have two more, you can hit it, come on!" She appears at my side again as I go through the motions, plucking an arrow from the quiver, setting it to the bow, taking my stance. She checks over my form before she nods, stepping behind me. I had joked earlier about her being afraid of my aim, though I understand the safety measure now.
"You can do this." I whisper under my breath. I draw back, lining up my shot, about thirty-five yards away. I feel my breathing slow, my chest rising as I breathe deeply. Calmly, I release it, and with it goes the arrow. There's a shredding sound, before the thunck of metal burying itself in wood.
Malaya runs forward, examining the vine before proclaiming, "You did it! Now, one more time, and we'll stop for the day."
She's flashing her teeth as she grins excitedly, and I look back in disbelief. I actually did it! If I did it once, I can do it again.
I go through the motions, lining up the target and breathing deeply. I feel my breath bouncing off the arrow, anchored in the corner of my mouth, as I let it out, I imagine the arrow going where I want it to as I prepare to release.
I'm startled suddenly as a bird shrieks from nearby, and I jump, the arrow speeding past the tree and into the darkness. I look around quickly, and find Malaya clutching her stomach as she laughs.
"Alright, I think that was enough for today. You get the others out of the tree, I'll go look for your stray." She says, wiping her eyes. "You can come join me when you're done." She winks before she disappears, and I shake my head as she goes. Definitely unexpected.
I only just start to walk toward the hole-y tree when a scream of pain and terror shatters the jungle. I freeze at the sound, looking in the direction my ally had just gone.
Without thinking, I grab Malaya's javelin and break for the trees.
Jasper Blue, Age 16, District 4
District Four Male, Sixth Quarter Quell
Henry and I are walking through the trees when the sound of misplaced air reaches my ears. I hit the ground as it grows loud, before my hearing is penetrated by the unmistakable sound of an arrow striking a tree. I survey my surroundings before standing, and when I see no other sign of danger, I look for Henry. He's standing frozen, looking at the silver shaft sticking out of a trunk three feet in front of him.
I rush toward my ally, toward the thing that could very well have killed one of us just now. Ripping the projectile out, I look at the Eight boy, thinking. I feel panic rise in my chest as I remember who all used a bow in training. The girls from One and Ten, though the Ten girl truly sucked and wouldn't have survived as she retrieved one anyway. No, this is a Career's arrow.
I swivel my head in the direction the arrow came from, gripping the shaft of my spear tightly. I look at Henry, who seems to have come to the same conclusion. He's unsure of what to do, I can tell. He has no weapon, no way of defending himself. He's looking to me for guidance, but there's nothing I can say or do to assure him of anything.
I can't let him die. Not here. Not to them.
"What are we gonna do, Blue?" He asks, panic filling his voice. He could survive without me, for a time. He's my brother here. Family I never had.
"You are going to hide." I gesture to some thick bushes a little ways away. When they get here, a moving target will be the most desirable. If I run for it, drawing them away…
"No." He says, backing away from the underbrush. "I won't leave you. I can't"
"Henry." I say, taking a step forward. I pause as crashing sounds ring the air, and I know we're out of time. "I'm sorry." I lunge at him, shoving him backward. As the shadows and foliage envelop him, I give a salute, a symbol of farewell in Four. An honorable sendoff.
I run toward the crashing, throwing myself against a tree as I crouch down, spear lying flat on the ground. The crashing stops as a pair of legs appears, and I don't hesitate, striking out at the person's thigh before they realize I'm here.
There's a shrill scream, and I roll out into the clearing, brandishing my weapon at my foes. But there's only one. A girl, with fiery orange hair. The One girl. She collapses to the ground as the wound becomes too much to bear, looking up at me in horror.
"Where're the rest of them?" I ask her angrily, looking around at the shadows. An invisible enemy is the most dangerous one, the hardest to predict or counter. "Where are your friends?"
She takes on a brave face, yet is unable to hide the grimace as she spits out, "I'm alone. Left them the first day." She tries to crawl back a pace, but her hand flies to her side as another scream threatens to tear her throat.
I step forward. "Oh yeah? Where's your bow, if you're so alone?" I level my spear at her, the tip aimed at her face.
"Target practice." She explains calmly. "I missed, and came looking for the arrow. I left the bow behind. Didn't think I'd need it." She looks behind me, and relief softens her features. I feel bile in my throat as another voice breaks the air.
"Blue?" I turn around, and to my horror, I see Henry, standing in fear. He's giving me a hunted look, and I quickly see why. The Six boy has him in a headlock, knife pressed against his throat.
"Step away from the girl." He says, looking me in the eye. "Leave here and you can take him with you. Nobody needs to die today." I glare at him, but know there's nothing I can do. He's standing perfectly behind the younger boy, so that any throw I made would injure or kill my ally. Not that a throw in such close quarters is all that smart anyway. The javelin lying under Six's foot only shoves me deeper into my box.
I step back, the Six boy and I watching every move the other makes as I do, before he seems satisfied and drops the knife, releasing Henry. He quickly retrieves the javelin and sprints to the fallen girl. "Malaya! Malaya, are you alright?" He seems more panicked than he was moments ago, sitting beside the One girl.
They stand slowly, Six glaring at me as he supports his ally's weight. They slowly make their way back into the trees, in the direction they had appeared from earlier. He never looks away from me, and as shadow claims their figures I can still feel his eyes on me, waiting for a sign. A betrayal of any act I might have conceived.
After I'm sure they're gone, I turn to Henry, who is examining the blade that nearly ended his life. He seems shocked, and I understand. We don't have time to talk about it though. We need to get out of here.
I take him by the wrist and drag him in the opposite direction of One and Six. He comes with little resistance, to my relief. When we finally stop and reassess ourselves, one question begins to nag at the back of my mind.
How did we get through that unscathed?
Darius Line, Age 17, District 5
District Five Male, Sixth Quarter
I haven't moved much today, something that is probably unwise but I don't really care. I've had no desire to leave my current spot. Granted, I have had no desire to do much of anything.
I'm on the bank of a river, something that I suspect most, if not all, of the living tributes have found themselves nearby by now. I haven't found any food as of yet, not that I'm looking. I have water. That in and of itself can sustain me for a while.
No cannons have rung today, and I can't help but feel conflicted about it. On the one hand, nobody else has died, suffering the fate of ten others. Nobody new has taken a life, though I suspect I am the only outlier to do so. On the other hand, I am a day deeper and no closer to going home. I want so bad to be back now, it amazes me. It's like some strange fantasy: familiar but tantalizingly out of reach. The thought of killing another shouldn't hurt this much, but she was so young. Too young. If I recall correctly, nine of the remaining sixteen tributes are my age or older.
If I were to go home, seven others will have their lives cut short before they really began. I wouldn't mind killing any of the Careers. I wouldn't think twice about killing the girl from Three or the Sixes. Dev, I'd feel bad about, but I'm sure she'd respect me. The little boy from Thirteen though? The Twelve girl? Eleven? The girl from Nine?
And even if I were to go home, what would come of it? Her brother, a Victor, would likely kill me. I mean, he likely would have done something similar in my situation, but.
No, he wouldn't. Wheat Miller, like nearly every other Victor before and after him, won with honor. How could I kill a defenseless young girl, whom really had no chance? So what if she scored a nine in training? She didn't deserve to die. It's not her fault she was here. And now she's dead.
"Why me?" I groan, bringing my knees up to my chest, head folding down. "I don't wanna be here."
I'm brought back from my misery as a slight, metallic beeping rings through the air. I look up, shielding my eyes as the fading sunlight reflects into my eyes from the parachute, a gift from Matt. Sponsored by the Capitol. I almost want to wad it up and burn it, but a curiosity overcomes me as it drifts down, landing silently next to me.
I open it cautiously, the small container sparking hope in my chest. A sign from the outside world. That I'm not alone.
Inside, I find myself in possession of a bag of jerky, which honestly won't last me long, but I can find food before it runs out. Below it, folded neatly, is a note. I carefully unfold it, reading the short message as the jungle becomes pure darkness.
Don't let her sacrifice be in vain. -Matt
Placings!
26th: Sparky Montgomery, Age 12, District Thirteen Male
25th: Kenzi Williams, Age 16, District Seven Female
24th: Tulle Salane, Age 15, District Eight Female
23rd: Thorn Ashburry, Age 13, District Eleven Male
22nd: Keola Foeba, Age 13, District Twelve Female
21st: Harvest Miller, Age 14, District Nine Female
20th: Rebelle Rine, Age 13, District Thirteen Female
19th: Soot Maloy, Age 13, District Twelve Male
18th: Denny Rico, Age 14, District Ten Male
17th: Marcus Caelum, Age 17, District One Male
Kills!
Marcus Caelum: 1 (Kenzi Williams, D7F)
Cassia Lyra Maurise: 2 (Thorn Ashbury, D11M; Sparky Montgomery, D13M)
Mason Lepodolite: 2 (Tulle Salane, D8F; Keola Foeba, D12F)
Esmeralda "Mera" Annalise Dawn: 2 (Soot Maloy, D12M; Rebelle Sunflower Rine, D13F)
Darius Line: 1 (Harvest Miller, D9F)
Other: 2 (Marcus Caelum, D1M (Sepsis); Denny Rico, D10M (Jaguar))
Sponsors!
dreams and desperation: 254 (Cassia Lyra Maurise, District Two Female)
The Fangirl in Pink Jeans: 111 (Infiniti Reagan, District Three Female)
caitiebug007: 117 (Devon Cynthia Rose, District Five Female)
roses burning: 151 (Devon Cynthia Rose, District Five Female)
The First Adventuress: 223 (Aran Quade, District Six Male)
JaymanRepublic: 127 (Logan Woodson, District Seven Male)
Clis2339: 179 (Henry Reynoso, District Eight Male)
Wolfie McCoy: 67 (Thanatos Rize, District Nine Male)
Mystical Pine Forest: 207 (Cheyenne Bruno, District Ten Female)
Alliances!
Careers (254 points): Mason (2), Cassia (2) (254,dreams and desperation), and Esmeralda (4).
Malaran (Araya?) (223 points): Malaya (1), Aran (6) (223,The First Adventuress)
Brains and Brawn (179 points): Blue (4), and Henry (8) (179,Clis2339).
Loners!
Infiniti (3) (111) (111,The Fangirl in Pink Jeans)
Cordin (3)
Devon (5) (268) (117,catiebug007) (151,roses burning)
Darius (5)
Jetta (6)
Logan (7) (127) (127,JaymanRepublic)
Thanatos (9) (67) (67,Wolfie McCoy)
Cheyenne (10) (207) (207,Mystical Pine Forest)
Willow (11)
Questions!
Thoughts on today's events?
Who do you think we'll hear from next?
Favorite POV?
Least favorite?
I mentioned Luxuries in the story title. There's (at least) one in each POV. How many can you find and name?
If you could ask me any question, knowing I would answer honestly, what would your question be?
