The price of your greed
Is your son and your daughter
What you gon' do
When there's blood in the water
Daniel Muller
District 7, Male, 18
(Day 1)
...
The bloodbath was quick, extremely quick. I'm not sure I'll ever be able to erase the memories of it from my mind, especially the girl from Ten. I don't even remember her name and yet I'm pulling my axe out from her side, I silently walk away from her and back toward the cornucopia. All The Careers do is argue and right now is no different.
"Why the fuck did he do that?" Andromeda shouts at Lira. Her back is facing me and she's standing over Lira who is sitting on the floor, hugging herself. I guess, like me, she's relapsing the dead image of my District partner - Ashanti. I don't blame her for it, Ashanti was an easy kill and, although she was from home, we never really grew close.
"I don't know!" Lira cries, her hands on her head. "Quite frankly, I don't really care at the moment."
"Well you better care! We're down 3 allies now. Who has ever heard of a 3 member career alliance?"
"4 member Career Alliance. There's 4 of us." I state calmly. I don't mind if they don't view me as a Career but I need them to remember that I'm apart of this alliance too so they can protect me. "Whatever, 4."
Andromeda brandishes her knife.
"Lira you better get yourself under control or so help me..." She points her knife at Lira.
"Kill her Daniel," says a voice in my head. "There's only one winner."
It's true, my axe is in my hand and Andromeda has her back turned to me, one swing and she'll be dead. One less person that stands in my way of getting back to my Dad and getting back home. I raise my axe but, before I swing, I catch the eyes of Eric - who is looking directly at me. He shakes his head and I'm snapped out of it. Andromeda could be my best shot at getting home and she can't help me if she's dead.
"Lira. Get up, you signed up for this. Andromeda. Put your knife away, we're an alliance." Eric snaps at the both of them. Andromeda rolls her eyes but places her knife back into it's sheath that hangs from her belt, she then grabs Lira's hand and helps heave her up.
"I'm sorry I just didn't-" She mumbles. "I didn't expect that to be so hard."
"I get it, Lira, but if any of us want to get home then that won't be the last time. Are you ready for this?" Andromeda asks and Lira nods. "Good. Now, first order of business, what direction did Silver head in?"
"North from here." I state, pointing toward a mountain that I had watched them begin to run around. "I assume there's a water source behind one of these mountains too."
"Yes, what does everyone have right now?"
"In terms of supplies? I picked up a couple backpacks on my way over here. They each seem to contain a water bottle, a medical kit and some rations." Eric says, looking through a camouflage green backpack
"Perfect, let's collect all those backpacks and set them down in a pile inside here." Andromeda commands and we all get to work. It's laborious and long work as there are many bags scattered around the cornucopia but it's useful and we end up with around twenty or so odd backpacks. "Everyone has their weapon of choice, yes?" I nod firmly, I had always been good with an axe and received a lot fo experience with it from working hard in the woods to support my father.
"I think we ought to just have a break for right now, today has been a rough day. We can venture out further tomorrow." Eric suggests and everyone agrees with him. I'm exhausted but I don't let it show, I want the careers to think I'm one of them and to think I'm doing what's better for the alliance. No, a victory for District 1, 2 or 4 won't help my father. If I make it out of these Games then he can receive the rehabilitation and help that he needs to improve his life.
That will forever be my main concern. Not The Careers.
Carina Tatiana Delgado
District 11, Female, 18
(Day 1)
...
We cross a stone bridge that stands above a river, it flows happily in the afternoon sun. The scenery is beautiful, grassy mountains surround us and a trail guides us through and around them. This is the second water source we have found in the two hours we have been walking, the afternoon sun beats down on us and causes me to sweat. I'm no stranger to the sun, just a week ago I would have been in the fields after school - working hard to support my family.
The fields weren't so bad, though, I never had to constantly look behind my shoulder and fear the stare of a hunter.
"Is everyone okay with stopping here?" Vinicio asks and myself, Emerald and Charity nod. I'm still unsure on Charity, I only just met her, but Emerald had explained that Charity had saved her life and so Vinicio had accepted her into the alliance. I'm unsure about the alliance as a whole, I was okay with it just being myself and Vinicio but extra additions make me nervous. They both seem harmless right now but we all know there's only one winner.
I sit on a rock and dip my toes into the river, separating myself a little from the rest of the group, and taking in the beautiful scenery. I close my eyes and allow the sun to beat onto my face, taking in the heat but also allowing the bitter cold from the river to even myself out and put myself at peace. I've always had to have some time to myself since he broke my heart, I used to schedule my days to always allow myself to do something that made me happy.
Art was always my go to but it seems that's not really an option in the arena. I trace my finger along the bumpy surface of the rock slowly, keeping my eyes closed. I almost died today. The moment of the boy from Two towering over me, his spear to my neck, was the moment where I thought I would die. I would have died, if it wasn't for Vinicio. I open my eyes and look over at him, he's playing happily with Emerald and Charity in the river, splashing water on them and laughing. I don't know how he remains so happy, so calm. He killed somebody to save my life and that's a sacrifice that not everybody would make.
His eyes catch mine and he smiles at me. It's a warm smile, a caring one, not one of the cheesy grins you pull for photos. It's one of those smiles that nobody can ever take away from you because of the feeling and emotions behind it, it's contagious and makes you feel butterflies inside. I smile back at him. It only happens for a quick second but it's one of those moments that will never seem to leave you.
An hour passes very quickly and the three of them make there way over to me to dry off in the sun. "You should get in and cool off." Charity tells me, smiling shyly.
"I'm okay, thank you, though." I tell her. "Now that we have some time to sit down. What's in the backpack?" I point at the backpack that Vinicio has strapped across his shoulder, Charity also has one. Vinicio hands it to me and I look through it, Charity does the same. Iodine, some matches, a water bottle and a pocket knife. I lay them all out in front of me.
"I have the same." Charity says, also laying her items out.
"We should definitely venture out a little further, people may be approaching this way if they saw us run here from the bloodbath. I don't think that Andromeda girl is extremely happy with Carina and I." Vinicio declares and I nod, Andromeda and Ryan had seemed somewhat close and there's no doubt in my mind that she's not happy about being tossed by Vinicio.
"We can keep heading forward until the next water source. It should be late by then so we can set up camp next to it." We all agree and take a few sips of water each before beginning our walk again.
Raven Dragomir
District 6, Female, 18
(Day 1)
...
"Just a little further." Darius declares, we have been walking all day with only a few sips of water from the bottle. "I saw the District One Boy and the Girl from Three heading around the other side of the mountain so we need to create as much distance as possible from them."
"Did you see what she did to that young boy?" I whisper, the horrors of the bloodbath resurfacing in my mind. "The one from Five. He was so young, 12 or 13. His life was stolen from him today." I had watched as the boy was stabbed in the side, I could've done something, I could've tried to help him or at the very least avenge him. Instead, I stood and watched in horror, unable to move.
"There was nothing we could've done." He murmurs. I know that, though, even if I had tried. Kathryn is easily more capable than I am in combat and fitness, she would've killed me and I would've done nothing but lie next to the boy's small body. We had heard 8 cannons once the bloodbath had finished, already 8 lives lost. It's growing dark and I assume the faces will appear in the sky soon. The only other person I saw die was the boy from Eight, the one who had publicly opposed The Capitol during the interviews. He had stepped off his pedestal and the mines had gone off almost immediately, though, I swear he had stepped off after the cue to go.
We walk for around an hour more along a rocky path, surrounded by hills, until we reach a small cottage. Flowers grow beside it and also grow upon the walls of it, very overgrown but it makes for a pretty and satisfying aesthetic that makes the cottage very homely. "We could stay the night here?" I ask and Darius shrugs.
"We've walked far enough and I could do with a good rest." We open the gate leading to a small garden that's guarded by a stone wall. The cottage itself is, for the most part, empty. There's no furniture and it's a little dusty but it feels safe and cut off from the arena. We make our way to a room that seems similar to a living room and decide to spend the night together in it. "I'll take first watch, I'll wake you up when it's your turn."
With that, I make myself as comfortable as I can be on the wooden floor and crawl up into a ball. It doesn't take long for sleep to take over as I'm completely exhausted from walking and from the lack of sleep that I received last night. I feel peaceful and calm, sleep makes it feel as if nothing can touch me. However, that peace is interrupted as I'm shaken awake.
"Is it my turn alread-" I groan but I'm cut off as Darius' finger touches my lips to silence me. That's when I hear the voices, a girl and a boy, they seem to be approaching. I turn to Darius, my eyes wide with fear. His are the same. I spring into action and take the pocket knife from my backpack, holding it out in front of me. Darius does the same with his fists. We stay silent. There's no window in the room we're in and I really wish we had thought of that sooner.
Suddenly, the door slams open and a boy with jet black hair and pale blue eyes stands in the doorway, a blonde girl stands behind him. The boy from One holds a kama out in front of him and charges without a moment of hesitation, he goes for Darius first and I jab the pocket knife into his side, it doesn't affect him though. Darius attempts to dodge the attacks by the kama but, with only his fists, he can't do much.
"Run Darius!" I scream as I sprint out the door. Strangely, the girl from Three steps out of my way and let's me go, there's a look of sympathy in her eyes. I sprint as fast as I can. "Did we lose them?" I shout but, when I look behind me, Darius isn't there. A cannon sounds in the distance but the tears begin falling down my face before that. I couldn't save him.
I didn't even try.
A/N: First day in the arena and already only 15 remain! I really enjoyed writing this chapter so I hope you enjoyed reading it. Again, you can sponsor tributes by checking the blog listed on my profile. Also, if you didn't already guess it, the arena is the Lake District which is located in North West England.
Alliances
Lira, Andromeda, Eric and Daniel
Tenzin, Gena and Cyra
Vinicio, Carina, Emerald and Charity
Silver and Kathryn
THE FALLEN:
16th Place - Darius Shan (D6M). Stabbed countless times and throat sliced by Silver Rafferty (D1M). Submitted by SakuraDragomir.
Darius and Raven were submitted to me as a pair and I always knew I wanted to kill one of them off early on. I contemplated which one for a while but, inevitably, Raven had trained much more than Darius and ultimately I think I made a good choice. I also couldn't decided whether I wanted to give them a lovers arc but I decided against it, I feel they were brought together through The Hunger Games and they likely never would have connected otherwise. RIP.
KILL COUNT:
Silver - 2
Andromeda - 1
Eric - 1
Kathryn - 1
Lira - 1
Charity - 1
Vinicio - 1
- Neb