Darrah Arinori, 12, District 7
We've been traveling on and off across the arena for nearly 6 hours now, and each time we stop, I'm convinced it will be for the last time. We're running out of steam, due to the lack of food and the stress of being out in the open. But Adelina is determined to reach the fortress, and El doesn't seem to care either way. I've tried to voice my concerns, but I've either been shut down or flat-out ignored. I don't know which is worse.
The Gamemakers clearly don't want us to hide away from the action, that's the only reason I can think of why they'd collapse our tunnel on top of us. So I don't get why either of them think another structure will be safer. I wouldn't be surprised if another tribute or alliance have already settled there, I'm sure most groups have settled.
But again, I'm outvoted. So I keep my mouth shut and keep my ears open for trouble.
We had to sneak by the main town early this morning after hearing voices in the distance. We couldn't determine who the voices belonged to, but we assumed they were Careers. No one else would be reckless enough to talk that loudly. Oh, to be as strong as the Careers. What we all would give to have that level of skill.
After we seem to pass by any danger, I force my alliance to stop. I collapse on the ground, appearing more dramatic than I actually wanted. My legs shake underneath me, my calves are on fire, and the back of my throat can't hydrate no matter how much water I drink.
"Are you okay?" El takes a seat beside me. Adelina continues to stand, staring off into the distance. I pretend not to notice her antsy behavior.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just need a minute." I say. Fortunately, she's understanding. I think she's a bit relieved to have a break as well. I glance over at her face, where her usual fearless demeanor appears to be cracking a little.
"Are you okay?" I lower my voice a hair. She shrugs, avoiding eye contact.
"You wouldn't believe me if I said yes." She says. I nod.
"No, I wouldn't." I look over at Adelina, who seems to be distancing herself from us further and further. She looks around the forest, but her eyes always end back on us.
"Do you think we're doing the right thing?" El asks in a whisper.
"In what regard?" I ask. Are we doing the right thing traveling across the arena to an unknown area? Are we doing the right thing leaving a big water source?
"I don't know. In regard to everything. I feel like we're just missing something." She sighs.
"Well, I think the only thing we're missing out on is dying. Is that what you want?" El laughs.
"No! That's not what I meant." She shoves me.
"Are you sure? I can arrange that. I'm sure the Careers would love to visit us! Do you want me to go find them?" I pretend to stand up and El shoves me down to the ground. We explode into laughter, receiving a dirty look from Adelina.
"Keep it down!" She scolds us. I look at El, then over at Adelina, breaking back into laughter. El does the same, and despite Adelina's stone-cold expression, I can see a hint of a smirk appear on her face.
"Alright, alright, alright. Come on." El stands up and holds her hand out to me, helping me up to my feet. I brush off the dirt and follow my two allies further into the woods.
We reach the gate of the fortress sometime in the afternoon. A large gate sits at the entrance, with two large stone statues on either side of it. The statue has a head like a beast, with sharp fangs showing and horns sitting on its head. Its fingers are sharp, and large wings sit on its back. It sends a shiver down my spine as we get closer to it. I might have imagined it, but I swear its eyes follow us as we approach. I don't like it.
"Are the doors locked?" I ask Adelina, who's still in front. She pushes on the gate and it rattles.
"Guess so," El says. We circle the structure, looking for another way in, or over, or under, the gate.
"We could climb over it," I suggest.
"Yeah, and which one of us gets the honor of going over?" Adelina shoots back.
"I will." I say, masking my fear with the desire to get out of the open. At any moment, I expect a group of Careers to burst through the treeline, taking us out before we even know what hit us. You see it happen over and over again on the TV back home, bewildered that kids could be taken off guard so quickly. Like literally, one moment they're fine and the next, just gone.
I don't want that to be us.
"No, not yet. We're stronger together." El says. After a loop of the building, we end up back at the front of the gate, not any closer to getting inside. I can tell we're all getting more and more frustrated, and antsy.
I bet people are loving this. I can only imagine the commentary being said every time it cuts back to us.
My eyes keep finding their way back to the statues. There's something so unsettling about them, but I can't place my finger on it. I'm not sure if it's how they look, or the eyes, or all of the above. I don't know. I hate it.
But that's when I see something I didn't notice at first. The left statue isn't sitting straight on its platform. It's like there's something stuck underneath it.
I walk over to the statue and try to lift it up to no avail.
"Give me a hand?" I ask my two allies. They come to join me, and although it takes all three of us, we manage to push the statue off the platform. It crashes on the ground, a crack forming through the middle. And as I expected, sitting underneath the platform was a key.
With the gate open, we funnel inside and lock the gate behind us. Fortunately, the same key works for the front door and soon we're inside.
The inside of the fortress is creepier than the outside. A little bit of sunlight lights the dark wood walls. A large stairway sits in front of us, with a large mosaic glass art letting in the only bit of light. The stairs are cracked and covered in rubble that has collapsed from the ceiling. Both the left and right sides have hallways that lead to who knows where. The ceiling is tall, and a large chandelier hangs by a thread right above us. A bird flies across the foyer, cawing at us.
"Lovely place," I say to no one in particular. Adelina moves forward to the staircase, with El and I following behind.
At the base of the staircase are two more of those weird statues, although these are much bigger and are in much better condition than the ones outside.
And something happens as Adelina passes through the statues and puts one foot on the staircase. A loud screech causes us all to cover our ears. The eyes on the statues shift from gray to red.
"They're alive!" El yells as the statues start flapping their wings, circling the space above us. Their screeches are ear piercing, and they have their sights on Adelina.
I grab her arm and yank her back as one of the mutts swoop in, just barely missing her leg.
"Go, go, go!" I yell, pulling her up to her feet. Following El, we run into the hallways on the left side of the foyer. The hallway is long and narrow, with multiple rooms situated on either side. We run down until we're almost at the end, then El pulls us into one of the rooms and locks the door behind us.
The room she pulls us into is a large bedroom with two small single beds and a wooden desk. A few old books sit scattered across the desk. There's a window on the other wall with bars across it. There aren't blankets or pillows on the bed, only mattresses.
The three of us are quiet for a bit, as we listen to the screeching of the mutts in the distance. They never seem to get closer or louder though, they just screech and screech and screech for what feels like an hour until they just stop.
"Are we safe?" I ask El. She shakes her head.
"Maybe for now. Come on. Let's rest." We put our collective supplies on the desk, the limited amounts of stuff we have left, and we each get comfortable in the room. Adelina moves to the bed, and that's when I see her injury.
"Are you okay?" I ask her. Below her knees are covered in dirt and blood, and she moves with a slight limp. She sits down and shakes her head.
"Yeah, it just happened when I fell. I'm fine." She says, looking away from me.
"Are you sure?" El asks, sitting across from her on the other bed. Adelina nods.
"Yes. Just let me rest." She takes off her boots and lays down on the bed, with her back towards the two of us. El looks over at me.
"You rest too. I'll keep watch." I tell her. She nods.
"I bet there's food and supplies in here. This place is massive." She lays down.
"I wonder what those mutts are protecting. Did you notice they only activated when we started going upstairs?" She asks. I nod. I also noticed how they didn't follow us down the hallway. Infact, they probably returned to their posts in front of the staircase. Which means whatever's upstairs, they're protecting.
The question is: what?
Marissa Grey, 17, District 4
"Harrison!" I yell in frustration, staring over the tight-packed houses, from a hill.
It's hard to get me angry but last night we got lost after the vampire attack. So, I listened to Harisson when he said he could navigate with the stars… the stupidest idea in my life…
He scampers to my side awkwardly, still fixating his attention upwards.
"We may have taken a wrong turn yeah…"
I roll my eyes to him.
"I can't believe I believed you when you said you could navigate using the stars."
Serenity and Franz join us now at our side.
"We must have overshot the manor by a mile… we're now in a straight-up town," Serenity murmurs.
I fold my arms to give the clear message that I'm annoyed. The others, back at the manor, must think we're complete clowns getting lost like that.
"That's the last time you're put in charge of navigation," I shoot daggers at Harrison.
"Alright let's not get bogged down with whose fault it is…" he says.
"Why? Because it's yours?" Serenity chimes in.
"Hey! Whose the one that saved our ass's from the vampires back there?" He exclaims.
"That was so yesterday, you can't keep using that," I reply.
I begin examining the town further until a plan begins forming in my head.
"We're in a town… so there will be plenty of supplies. Let's say we find some refreshments and then try to find our way back to the manor from here?" I suggest.
Given that they have no other option, they all nod in agreement to this. The blue, murky town squashes us in from the side. The brick streets curl around the houses until they all meet in a kind of town square in the center, I'm guessing. We slip into one of the large houses on the right. Inside is an ensemble of tables, chairs, and various different nourishments. I move quickly to swipe an entire table of bread, cakes, and tins of sardines into my bag. Ah yes fish, a typical meal back in District 4. Although, we could afford much better fish than sardines. Not that my parents ever successfully bought my love. They tried but it was always clear that they had none for me… only my sister. When I join the victor's village I will personally request that my family gets none of my glory and never comes near me again after what they've put me through.
Next, I head over to the downstairs window, staring out at the town. Already the sun is dipping, concluding the second day. Each day I think we'll have more time, yet we have now been lost for almost 24 hours. What an embarrassment. Outside the rising smoke from the chimneys has become more clear in the twilight air. The streets have become pitch black almost from the shadows cast by the houses. A chilly air also has begun to run through the house, tingling my skin.
But, outside lights begin to flicker on. Bright, glimmering, yellow lanterns, dangling over the streets by rope. They bring just enough light to make out vague details amongst the alleyways.
Out of the corner of my eye, through the window, I notice two figures moving through the dark streets. Two Silhouettes. They appear to stop briefly, maybe catching their breath or gaining their bearings.
"Over here," I whisper through the dark room.
The others join me by the window.
"What is it? More vampires?" Harrison whispers back.
"No… they're behaving more like tributes."
I turn to the others, nodding for them to bring out their weapons. Serenity cocks her gun, while Franz prepares his crossbow and Harrison gets a short sword ready.
We tiptoe through the door towards our targets who, are now standing in the town square. They are still mostly shadows in the night but I am able to make out the male who is very tall with a silver mane… the boy from Twelve. The other one must be the girl from Five… they are still allied then. As we get closer and close to them, the sounds of their hushed voices become more apparent. They sound like they are bickering with each other about something. We are close enough now for Franz to get a decent aim up in the dark, he raises his crossbow next to me however they appear to notice us just in time!
"Look!" The girl exclaims.
Like lighting, she unexpectedly unleashes a knife directly at Franz's head, causing him to duck out of the way!
"I killed your district partner! I can kill you!" I yell at the girl.
I move to leap at the girl with my spear however the boy suddenly flings a shield directly at my gut like a boomerang! The impact knocks me back a few inches and vibrates through my lungs! I'm winded!
My hands tighten around my spear in anger and frustration! I'll kill that rat boy! By now though the pair are already speeding in the opposite direction, down one of the alleyways.
We charge after them together through the street however the pair split at the end, one going left and the other going right through a narrower street. So, we do exactly the same! Me and Harrison go after the boy while Serenity and Franz pursue the girl. The boy is unexpectedly fast for someone with such a tall frame, he can sprint that's for sure. I'm guessing he did a lot of it back in Twelve. In the pursuit we find ourselves now at a crossroads, leading to four different streets.
Breathing heavily, our eyes dart between them, wondering which way our prey went. Suddenly we are met with the sound of… screaming… it sounds like a male screaming. The boy from Twelve!
Me and Harrison exchange confused looks, still panting endlessly. A few moments pass and then there is the sound of a… howl. Like a wolf. It echoes all throughout the town.
"Up there!" Harrison points!
I glance up to see what he's pointing at! A large figure leaps onto one of the roofs. It's hard to make out a lot of details but its body is thick, muscular, and … hairy. Its head is covered in coarse, greyish-blue hair. Its face extends into a snout with a gnarling jaw and it has fierce yellow, burning eyes. Much like the vampires. It stands well above six feet with razor-like claws.
"It's… another mutt," Harrison gulps as we both take a few steps back.
It leaps down and hits the pavement with a thud, now beginning to stalk us, growling and snarling wildly.
"Isn't this your area of expertise? Vampire hunter?" I whisper, stuttering my words.
"Does that look like a vampire to you?" he shoots back.
After a brief look of irritation from me, he takes out a garlic bomb. He tosses it towards the creature and it bursts into flames as usual on impact however it appears to have no more effect than a pebble. Although, the monster doesn't take it well. It begins snarling violently again and steadies its feet to pounce.
"Great! All we did was piss it off!" Harrison exclaims!
"Run!"
We turn and charge back in the way we came, my eyes go back briefly to see it prancing on all fours through the narrow street. Its tongue is hanging out its mouth, its teeth gnaw at each other… desperate for our flesh! It's gaining on us fast! We can't outrun it!
I have to think fast! I grab Harrison by the shirt and shove him through a door on our right! As I follow him through the creature swipes with its claw at my head! I have to duck out the way. I feel its claw swish over my hair before taking parts of the doorframe with it! After we bolt the door shut our eyes move quickly around the room together for our escape.
"That won't hold it long!" I yell.
"Back door!" Harrison answers.
We race through the back door just as the sound of the front door getting burst open fills the house! I can hear it tearing through the room, snarling like a wolf as we charge through the street! I think we got away… for now. Time to find the others…
Heather Monroe, 16, District 5
I hide behind one of the houses, hearing the yelling of the Careers behind me. In the commotion, I lost sight of Charon. He was right behind me, and now he's gone.
He can handle himself. With the Careers seemingly distracted, I sprint further away from the Careers and get deeper into the town. I quickly glance over my shoulder and I see something large, something not human, jump towards the group. I see the Careers split, two run towards me, and two run away. Whatever that animal is, that mutt, it chases the latter pair.
I duck behind another house, trying to catch my breath. I hear the pair of footsteps running closer and closer, then a voice.
"What was that?" It's a girl's voice.
"I don't know. It looked like a wolf. But it was bigger." A boy.
"And… I dropped my crossbow back there. Damn it."
"We should go back for Marissa and Harrison. They could be in trouble." The girl. I peek my head around the corner. It's the girl from Nine and the boy from Two. I could take them.
"Yeah. Yeah, okay." The boy glances back to where they came from. "We need to be careful." They're about to go when the boy looks in my direction. Shit.
"There's the girl!" He says, and the two of them take off towards me. I don't wait. I sprint away, weaving in between the buildings in an attempt to confuse them.
I stumble on a raised platform in the stone and have no choice but to turn and face my pursuers. I raise my knife and they slow down in front of me.
"You want me? Come and get me." I spit at them. Both the Careers glance at each other, clearly uneasy.
The boy rushes me, but I dodge him. I throw my knife at him, barely missing his arm. I duck underneath his swing, managing to get to the other side and retrieving my knife.
The girl takes her turn to strike. She misses her swing, and I manage to slice her hand. She screams and drops her weapon, grabbing her injured hand with her other hand. She gets behind her ally, but not before I can arm myself with her sword. Her quiervering, bleeding hand now reaches for what looks like a gun on her belt! I need to act fast. I've faced people with guns before, I just need to close the distance between me and her ally so she cant get the shot off!
Feeling much more comfortable, I advance on them. The boy blocks my strike, slightly backing up to protect his ally and avoid a strike. I smile.
Just before I move in closer, I hear growling in the distance, and I see the mutt jump on the roof of a house directly next to us. We all turn our attention to it.
I jump out of the way as it leaps towards me. Fortunately, it overshots and lands between me and the two tributes that were tailing me. The mutt snarls at me, then back at the Careers.
I don't hesitate. I sprint away. My throat is dry from all the running, my lungs are on fire, but I don't stop until I reach the edge of the town. With not many options left, I go inside the house and lean against the wall, making sure no one can see me through the windows.
Where is Charon? A canon hasn't fired, so he's not dead. Maybe he managed to get away when the mutt appeared. But that doesn't mean he'll stay alive. I don't really want to look for him while the Careers and the mutt are still out there. I know he's not going to look for me.
I hear muffled voices outside my house. I can't catch a break.
I stay low, with my knife ready to strike should it come down to it. Fortunately, there's only one entrance into this house, so I should be able to take them out one by one.
I stay crouched as the voices get louder and closer. I can't make out what they're saying, but I can tell it's the other pair of Careers, the pair that wasn't chasing me. Based on the tone of their voices, I can tell they're not in the best shape.
I keep waiting for them to enter, waiting to spring into action. But eventually, they just leave and I allow myself to relax.
Hunger plagues my stomach, but I refuse to leave the comfort of this house with the Careers still so close and the mutt most likely still out there. I'll get some rest, and after some time passes, I'll go out looking for food and my ally later. But right now, I need to take it easy.
Then, sniffing. From outside the wall behind me. More sniffing, getting closer and closer until I can praactiaclly feel the mucus flowing out of it's nostrils. It's that mutt again. I think it's following the two careers but i'm not sure. It's footsteps seem to move off a little… There's a window on my right with the shining lanterns from the street running through. My curiosity gets the better of me so I peek my head out of the window and…
Two glowing yellow eyes staring directly into mine! The mutts teeth and bared and grating against each other. I cover my mouth to prevent my gasp from bursting out, quickly slipping back behind the window! I close my eyes inhale, preventing my terrified pants from being too loud…
Tatiana Emery, 15, District 2
I lean against the manor, keeping watch for the return of my allies, or for the appearance of another tribute. Not that I expect anyone else to show up. No one would be brave or crazy enough to show up near our base.
I'd like to think that I'd kill anyone that would come by, but after these last two days, I'm not so sure anymore. It was so much easier back home in Two, when anything was a possibility. When I could conjure up any idea in my mind. Now, everything I could have ever imagined has crumbled into oblivion.
What was I thinking? Volunteering to be here, in this arena, surrounded by…people like Taliesin. And Jade. People who don't sleep until everyone around them is dead. Who want nothing more than the pride of a victory.
And to everyone around me and everyone watching, I'm nothing more than one of those.
I rub my head, trying to think about something else. I wonder how the hunting is going. A cannon hasn't fired, which I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing, to be honest. One more dead means one less person in between me and my return home. I shake my head. No. You idiot. There is no home. After all is said and done I wont be going home, we have bigger plans than that. We are going to make a new home. I'm doing my part. I just need ot wait for the signal.
Stop it, Tatiana. I try to get out of my own head to no avail. Thinking about my allies hardly works. Thinking about back home makes it worse. I can't win.
Where is Franz? He went out hunting, with Marissa, and Serenity, and Harrison, but they've been gone for way too long. I'd assume they'd have returned by now. Minus Marissa, that group contains all of the sane Careers in this group. Henry is a good kid but he has too much going on. Jade and Marissa together are going to continue causing friction. And Taliesin, well, I don't trust him as far as I could throw him.
The manor door opens and Jade comes out. She stretches out her arms and looks over at me. What she did last night is still cycling through my brain but I have to act normal. It's going to be tough but I have to until the others return. It cant be that difficult right? I've been keeping a secret my entire life.
"Anything?" She asks. I shake my head.
"Do you want to keep watch?" I ask, the ache in my legs reminding me how long I've been out here. Jade shrugs.
"Yeah, sure." She grabs her sword from inside and comes down the stairs, taking a spot beside me.
"Do you think they'll come back soon?" I ask Jade. She shrugs.
"Why? Don't tell me you miss them." She smirks and I roll my eyes.
"Please. Everyone can see how you look at Marissa." Jade's smirk drops and I can tell I've hit a nerve.
"None of them would notice if you went missing. Just saying." She glares directly ahead of her and away from me. Now it's my turn to smirk.
"Let me know if you need anything." I pat her shoulder and half expect to lose my hand before I slip into the manor.
I'm not sure what's going on between Jade and Marissa, but I have noticed their friendship exploding during their time together, both in the Capitol and ever since we arrived in the arena. For a while, I assumed it was just a common enjoyment of harassing Henry and Taliesin. But now I wonder if it isn't something more.
Speaking of Taliesin, where is he? And Henry? I can't recall them leaving the manor but…I would be lying if I said I was fully engaged with every second I was outside. I bet I zoned out once or twice, if not more.
If there's someone I trust less than Jade, it's Taliesin. And if he's alone with Henry…well, I don't expect that to end well for one of them.
I go to the other side of the manor and peer out the window. I don't see anyone or anything in the distance. I take a seat along the windowsill, pulling my legs into my chest as I watch for my allies, trying to ignore the rising of my anxiety as I once again sit here and contribute nothing. Nothing to aid in my chance of winning, nothing towards my alliance here, and definitely nothing towardsThe Storm yet. I'm sure the Capitol hasn't even shown me on screen once. For the first time in my life, I feel completely and utterly worthless.
Taliesin Ulysses, 18, District 4
I was having the most beautiful dream. I was bathing in the blood of my enemies, also known as the tributes of the 95th hunger games. I was bathing in my victory, my newfound wealth and prestige.I, along with my family, will be rich at last. No longer needing to rely on drugs or arms smuggling. The Ulysses name will go down in history and Bloodtide will forever be remembered as the godfather of it.
Then I was awoken by an irritating mouse, otherwise known as Henry. He shakes my eyes open into the darkness.
"Taliesin," he whispers in the dim room.
"Huh… what?" I groan, sitting up from my bed and rubbing my eyes.
"I need to show you something… it's Jade. I think she might be planning to kill us!"
It seems like he has to have fallen for my trick… last night I disguised myself as Jade and sabotaged some of our ropes and first aid kits while Tatiana was walking about. She must have told Henry! Sabotaging my way to victory… just like old times. A breath of nostalgia runs through my body. It's why I was always the best. Not because of my strength or skills necessarily… but my cunning. However, Henry might be about to screw it all up. Although, he doesn't seem to have put my disguiser role together with what happened last night. I guess he trusts me, well at least a lot more than he trusts Jade.
"I hear you," I reply back.
"We need to act quickly… I didn't expect her to make a move like this so fast," I murmur, trying my best to sound tired and disorientated when in reality I am as clear as day. I sleep with one eye open not to be their prey.
Henry guides me out of my room and down the huge creaky staircase in the expansive main room of the manor to the lower floor.
"The others not back yet?" I ask.
"No… they must have gotten lost. We don't have time to wait for them," he answers.
He leads me down into the dungeon where I was performing my antics last night. There is a single candle in the darkness. A flame doing its best to light up this otherwise pitch-black abyss.
"Look here," he gestures below the candle, opening up our bags and rummaging around.
"She sliced our ropes and slashed up all our bandages," he explains while showing me the torn-up bandages.
Yes, I did do that Henry...
A wonderful and devilish idea suddenly materializes in my mind. No, this could be perfect. Everyone already suspects Jade. Henry is the only one who knows about my disguiser role, well… not for much longer. If the next few moments fall perfectly to plan, then I could end up framing Jade for sabotage and Henry's murder.
He turns back to me with his oblivious little eyes in the dim candlelight of the black basement. The same look Corsair gave before I dispatched him.
"So… what should we do?" he asks.
I point back towards the bags, furrowing my eyebrows to faint concentration on what he's talking about.
"Show me that again," I request politely.
As he turns back to show me, I seize him by his neck from behind and begin crushing down on his throat. He wriggles, struggles, and desperately tries to scream but I place my left hand over his mouth and continue crushing his throat from behind with my right arm. The only sounds that escape his mouth are some faint muffled groans that no one can hear. No one is going to save him. As he begins to lose consciousness, I transition to a rear choke and use my entire body weight to put pressure on his neck, twisting at the same time. Eventually, I hear the sound of snapping, and his body flops still. A cannon fires. The cannon was unnecessary to me, I know when I've killed someone all too well.
I casually let his body slip to the floor and then drag him by his feet across the stone slabs to conceal him around the corner. His eyes are now cold, lifeless, and blank. The only life in them is the flicker from the candlelight behind us. That's all people are when it boils down to it. Just meat sacks whose lives can be taken as quickly as they were given. Meaningless. That realization is why I can no longer hate myself for everything I've done like I once did. Human life is meaningless, so why should I feel bad about taking it? It used to be a gaping dark hole that would swallow me up every night but now I realize that it's my destiny, that I am that dark hole and whoever was there before is trapped deep down in it. The dark voice is no longer a dark voice, I am the dark voice. This is who I am. To be their pantomime, their twisted meany and that's exactly what I'll be. They'll get their show, it's my destiny and no one can stop my destiny.
I do want the others to find Henry but I will at least make it look like Jade was trying to hide his body.
I glimpse one final time at my night's work and I can't help but let out a faint cackle before joyfully puffing the candle out, leaving the dungeon in complete darkness.
Lastly, I scamper back up out of the basement, silently pulling the door shut behind me. I sneak up the stairs and slip back into my bed. Nothing happened, I know nothing. I can't help but grin to myself in glee as I shut my eyes, preparing for my plan to unravel tomorrow before my eyes…
Conrad Martell, 18, District 6
The orange rays of the sun radiate against my skin through the windows of the house that I slept in last night. My eyes flutter open, finding myself staring at the old, cobwebbed, wooden ceiling, reminding me exactly of where I am. Deep down in my deepest thoughts, this was all a terrible dream and I woke up back home. Well, at the mechanic's… my home. Ready to get yelled at by my boss and then go junker racing in the evening with my pals. It's funny, I thought if this ever happened to me, I would be ready to die because like with my parents I know life ends abruptly, that it's fragile, that it's hanging by a thread. So I might as well take every day like it's the hunger games itself because I could have died at any moment. I could have had a fatal crash in my junker, I could have been murdered on the street, I could have been electrocuted at work. All likely possibilities. Yet, now I'm not ready to die like my parents did. Yeah, yolo is a thing but life is still precious and it's valuable. Everyone has value, everyone that's died here in this awful place so far. So I don't think I'm ready to die just yet.
With a groan, I rub my eyes and place my feet against the wooden floorboards. Here I am in the hunger games pondering over life like some kind of philosopher. Who do you think you are Conrad? You're just some dumb street rat from District Six, aren't you? That's what my boss always used to tell me at least, like a broken record it goes round in my head.
I push myself up and begin munching on my canned rice and beans that I discovered in this house yesterday, until my belly is no longer rumbling. I spent my fair share of nights back in Six with a rumbling belly at night, barely scraping through. So, I could get by without eating but at the same time, it will do me no favors when I come to fight the careers or other tributes.
The small door of a wardrobe creeks on my left causing my heart to jump and my hand to dart to the machete that I managed to snag from the cornucopia. I've been like this ever since the horrors of day one. I've seen enough violence in my life but nothing on that level. Either way, I've got no time to sit around getting jump scared by wooden doors. I've got a mission to do, a promise to fulfil. I'm going to find him today… Beckett. He's alive, there was a cannon last night but my heart was relieved to see the face of the District Eight girl rather than Beckett in the sky. He's alive and I've got a promise to keep.
I was going to search for him yesterday but I ended up having to hide in this house from tributes walking about outside.
With a new flame ignited in my heart, I force my way up from the table, sling my bag around my back and barge the door open into the fresh air and sun outside. During the bloodbath, I remember pausing on the edge and scanning around for Beckett briefly, before being set upon by a spear flying through the air. I had enough time to catch sight of a small boy disappearing into the woods at the bottom of the cornucopia. That had to be him. I know it in my heart.
The house I slept in last night was on the right side of the cornucopia. So the first thing I do is scout around the houses until I approach the forest from the east. The tall, brown trees rise above me with their warm, fluttering leaves whistling in the wind. I could almost feel relaxed if it wasn't for the fact that I could be ambushed at any second and from any direction by a tribute. They could jump out from behind a tree, or be hiding in a bush.
Keeping my guard up and staying alert at all times, I begin shifting my way through the ever-darkening forest. Searching for any sign of a dead campfire or a small boy huddled up a tree somewhere. Something Beckett would undoubtedly do. I remember him mentioning something about a tree in his apiary back in one of the training days. I wish it was true, I want to be able to just call him down and reassure him that everything's going to be alright while I'm around. But, I get no such luck.
The afternoon begins drawing to a close in the forest. I'm only stopping to rest and munch on an occasional ration once or twice from my pack, only to be startled by noises from the increasingly thickening forest around me.
It's whilst I push my way on and the sun begins to disappear entirely under the canopy, is when the forest begins to… change so to speak. The trees become blackened and lose their leaves, bending into all sorts of unnatural shapes around me with jagged spines and roots. Worse than that though is the number of the trees growing around me, clawing at me like they are trying to snatch me up. There is also a low-lying mist all around the forest, turning my surroundings grey and murky. Panic begins to set into my heart no… I need to think of this like a race, panic never won a race. What did I do when I was in last place? I put my foot down and shot ahead! My heart reignites and I begin hacking furiously at the saw-like branches around me with my machete, carving a path through the dead forest. I've put my foot down on the gas! However, with each strike of my arm, the night draws further in and it gets darker until I can almost see nothing, except for the charcoal black trunks, sandwiching me in between them. To make it worse there is suddenly a cannon.
BOOM
Beckett! No that's not him! I know it. I don't know how… I just know it. Somewhere deep down in my soul. I haven't come all this way for nothing. I made… I made him a promise. A promise! I hack viciously at a dozen more branches all around me until I am exhausted and my hands are all cut and splintered. With the last swing, I collapse down to the ground with it onto my knees. I'm nothing more than a child again, helpless, powerless, and afraid. I keep the tears from welling up in my eyes and rinsing down my face. Have I failed him? Have I failed myself? I'm exhausted, cut, and trapped in the dark and so is Beckett somewhere out there. I've failed. The arena has beaten me.
Then, all of a sudden under my tear-filled eyes, I notice something… something dangling from one of the thorns of the branches, just behind the trunk in front of me. A bee necklace! Beckett!
With a groan I push my way back up and stumble towards it, almost ripping it into my hand! He was wearing that around his neck during the entirety of the pregames! He's close. He has to be. There's still hope. There always was! Then, I spot a bag also attached to one of the branches. I swoop it up in my hands along with the necklace. My heart becomes fuzzy with warmth! He went and got a bag for the alliance even though I told him not to. Even though I told him I would do it. He wanted to be valuable.
Where did he go from here? Where is there to go? Obviously, he was in a panic which is what caused him to lose his bag and necklace. He can't be far!
Then, only an inch away, I spot a hole, narrow but wide enough to fit a person. Especially someone little like Beckett. It's a tunnel that disappears deep down underground into the darkness but it doesn't matter! I'm going in! He has to be down there! There's nowhere else to go from here. No need to look back, I never need my wing mirrors anyway!
I practically leap into the hole and begin sliding downwards into blackness. A misty aurora that's fast spreading all around the tunnel engulfs me as I descend further down. Finally, the tunnel comes to an abrupt end and I shoot several feet through the air before landing on one of my knees with a thud! Glancing up, the new… cave I've found myself in is illuminated now by some kind of neon green lights. I almost gasp as I see above me where the green light source is coming from! There are some puffing and pulsating sickly green domes on the cave ceiling and who knows what horrors the game makers have inside waiting for me! If Beckett is alive, he may not be for much longer! I have to find him now!
"Beckett… Beckett… Beckett," I begin whispering his name through the hollow cave but making sure to keep my words sharp so he hears me.
All while narrowly avoiding a circular ditch in the center of the cave, leading to some spikes. This sends a gulp through my throat.
"Beckett … Beckett…"
From the corner of my left ear, I hear a meek little voice that anyone else would have missed.
"You found me…" It croaks, broken and weary… but I know it's him. It's Beckett…
Can it be true? It's his voice! I did it! I turn to my left and find him huddled up with his hands around his knees, hiding under some old roots from the ground above.
I crouch down in front of him, peering under the roots.
"Well… I made a promise didn't I?" I smile.
"... I always keep my promises," I remind him.
This causes a slight smile of reassurance to appear across his face but it soon returns to gloom. His face and hands are cut and bruised. He is red and his cheeks are soaked with tears from where he's been crying. He is dirty and his eyes are drained from exhaustion and fear. His clothes are all torn. Has he truly been here for two whole days by himself, curled up and afraid? My heart sinks.
"Elijah… he tried to kill me," he murmurs in a broken voice, his watery eyes drifting downwards, all trust seeming to have been sucked from his voice.
"Hey… you know me…we're pals remember?" I reassure him.
The sound of hatching begins to creep through the cave. I look back at the egg-like structures, they are starting to split and crack open. I can just make out some… giant pincers scraping their way out. My heart begins to race …we need to hurry.
I turn back to him, offering out my hand.
"Now come on… you've done so well buddy. We just need to get ourselves out of this cave. Can you help me with that?" I ask.
He nods hastily and finally clasps his cut fingers around my hand, accepting my help.
SPLAT
I arrived just in time it seems! Behind us the domes begin busting and from inside dozens of metallic, man-sized, bug-like creatures begin swarming out, buzzing all around the cave! They have large, green, glowing beady eyes and pincers on their multiple legs that could cut an arm clean off! The sound filling our ears is horrible! It's an extremely loud, constant buzzing that puts me in mind of an engine.
"Come on!" I yell, yanking Beckett up to his feet!
I charge back towards the entrance from where I came in, dragging Beckett along by his hand. Hopefully, we'll be able to scramble our way back up.
"Watch out!" Beckett yelps.
One of the creatures zaps towards me through the air however I brace myself with my machete like a baseball bat and manage to slice its head clean off! Green goo splashes all over my face!
"Gross!" I complain, wiping the goo from my face.
The tunnel to the cave has now been blocked off entirely by the mutts.
"Now what?" I shudder.
"Conrad!" I hear Beckett's voice call from behind.
My eyes shoot back to him, he's pointing towards a small exit hidden under some roots to the left.
"This way!"
One of them leaps upon me again! Clawing and scraping at my back! I manage to seize it by both its pincers and launch it off into the spikes below but not before taking some slashes, skin deep!
Then, I run back to where he's standing by the exit.
"There's always another way," he smiles.
"Come on!" I exclaim! Pushing my way through the roots, making sure that he's close on my tail.
The corridor narrows and caves in around us but at the end, there are roots extending back up… to the surface. I turn back briefly to be met with the sight of the buzzing creatures swarming through the tunnel straight at us.
"Hurry," I say, boosting Beckett up simultaneously.
He clambers onto some of the roots and begins hauling himself up the tunnel with the help of his legs. Grunting and groaning. Where has he got the energy from? I rapidly follow suit, being tall enough to reach the roots without a boost.
With Beckett just above me, I soldier on up the tunnel, hauling myself up the roots with my cut hands. The noises of buzzing and screeching echo from below us as the insect creatures pursue us up the tunnel. They slither their way behind us in single file. The first one to arrive slices and claws at my leg! With a struggle, I plant a swift kick to its head with my heel! Sending it back down into the others. That has stalled us a bit of time!
After what seems like an eternity, we finally crawl our way out! Finding my hands grasping grass at last! Beckett helps me wiggle my waist out and my lungs are finally met with the fresh night air, replacing that stuffy cave! Relief!
It doesn't last long however as the sound of buzzing wings begins humming from below us. With what little energy we glance at each other for a split second…
"Move!"
We sprint now as quickly as we can, just as the creatures erupt from the earth around us. Following a path, lit by a row of yellow and orange lamps against the fence.
We stop at the first house we come across and burst our way in! Rapidly locking the door behind us! The silhouettes of the bug mutts flutter across the window outside. While they glide above, their sounds continue to drone through the air with them.
Beckett slumps down on one of the wooden chairs behind me, panting heavily and red in the face.
"Hopefully the buzzers won't find us in here," he mutters.
I turn back to him from the window, furrowing my eyebrows.
"Buzzers? Is that what we're calling them?" I ask.
"Well…I was going to go with giant, mutant, flying, lobster squirrels," he pants.
…
"...buzzers it is then," I agree, crouching down beside him.
He lets out a slight chuckle, it is only now under the light of the lamp that I can see how sliced, dirty, and torn our clothes are.
"You must be hungry," I realize, pulling out some protein bars from my bag along with a bottle of water.
Gratefully, he excepts them into his mouth and consumes the bar in a flash.
"You get me any hot chocolate this time?" He asks under a gulp of water.
"Don't push your luck," I laugh.
We pause for a brief moment to collect our breath and our thoughts. All I know is it feels good to have my funny little bee friend back…
"Oh," I remember out loud.
"I've got something for you," I smile, reaching into my pocket and taking out his bee necklace.
His eyes light up in delight when he sees it however his expression suddenly changes to a frown. He pauses, pushing my hand back to my chest.
"Keep it," he says, looking me dead in the eyes.
"It's to bring you luck."
I look back down to the bee pendant in my palm.
"Well… lucky me," I chuckle.
But it's true, I am lucky. I found him.
The sounds of the Buzzers have now died down outside allowing our hearts to settle down ever so slightly.
A few minutes later Beckett nods off next to me on his chair. It's then I become aware that he probably hasn't slept for two days. So I'm happy to just stay here on the lookout to give him his much-needed rest. I just have to make sure to… keep… my eyes… open.
Serenity: Vigilante
Taliesin: Disguiser
Harrison: Vampire Hunter
Eulogies
Day 1
24th: Ricky James (D9M) Killed by Serenity Jasper - decapitated.
23rd: Tristan Card (D8M) Killed by Jade Hastings – Slashed through the chest.
22nd: Jonathan Priel (D10M) Killed by Taliesin Ulysses – Knife thrown through neck.
21st: Elijah Axenfros (D7M) Killed by Taliesin Ulysses – Blunt force trauma.
20th: Emily Lynch (D6F) Killed by Heather Monroe – Knife thrown into torso.
19th: Kalen Demner (D5M) Killed by Marissa Grey - Sliced with a sword.
18th: Aeliana Decima (D8F) Killed by vampire mutts – bitten in the neck.
Day 2
17th: Henry Haines (D1M) Killed by Taliesin Ulysses – Throat crushed and neck snapped. Poor Henry. I really enjoyed Henry as a character, he was very unique and just generally a nice guy. He was very ambitious and skilled but he just lacked the experience and knowledge of some of the older careers which is what led to his death. I think he was just in the awkward position of being trashed on by Jade which allowed Taliesin to manipulate him. I think many predicted he would be the first career casualty and they were right. Thanks for the submission wiifan2002.
Kill count
Jade: 1
Taliesin: 3
Marissa: 1
Heather: 1
Serenity: 1
Mutts/arena: 1
Povs written by Team Shadow: Darah, Heather, Tatiana
Povs written by Nautics: Marissa, Taliesin, Conrad