Beckett Amory, 13, District 3
I dreamt for the first-time last night since this nightmare began. Conrad was with me, we were flying through the clouds with golden wings and we were the same. He looked at me, I looked at him and we were both smiling. Free as a bird in the wind. Then I woke up…
"Rise and shine!"
It's Conrad, he peers through the door with his usual warm smile on. He's already awake. My heart is almost immediately filled with comfort.
"Ya sleep ok?" He asks.
I observe my surroundings, nodding my head and rubbing my eyes. I'm still slouched on this chair from last night after he rescued me from those buzzer things…
"What about you?" I ask, looking up at my tall friend.
He just playfully shrugs.
"We Junkers don't need sleep," he jokes but not below letting off a subtle yawn.
Already a smile is appearing on my face, it has been the moment he walked through the door. Actually, the moment I crashed into him back on that training day. That feels like a long-distance memory now…
Still, something has seemed a bit off with him. He's nervous under that smile. I can tell.
"We should keep moving," Conrad suggests, staring out of the window.
"Yeah."
We pack the remainder of our supplies and food into our bags before Conrad energetically swings the door open to the beaming sun on the grass. His energy seems to spread to me somehow causing a deep breath to emit from my mouth. I hold my head high, tightening my straps and following him out onto the path from where we came. The sun-lit stony path winds its way back through some trees, taking a detour.
"Maybe we should follow the path for a bit, we don't wanna get lost again," Conrad suggests, bringing out his machete in his hand. My eyes glance up at it with a gulp. The path leaves us more exposed, yes. However, I don't really feel like falling down another hole which is what lies the other way.
"Yeah… I think you're right," I murmur.
"Although…"
He pivots his head back to me.
"I think I've had my fill of forests for some time," I stammer.
He laughs and places his hand on my shoulder.
"Hey, it won't be like last time. You've got me with you now," he smiles, like the rays of the sun.
He's right. Together we can face anything that comes our way! We press on down the path, through the forest. It is calm, the only noise are the leaves swaying gently in the wind. Nevertheless, we are keeping both eyes open for any tributes. Luckily, the monsters only seem to come out at night. So that's one less thing to worry about.
We continue for hours, stopping only to eat and chat occasionally. Our chats mainly consist of me asking him a question about his junker racing and him giving me one-note answers whilst staring off into the trees. His eyes are twitching around constantly at the treeline for tributes or mutts or whatever horror could await. He's distracted, nervous, not his usual self. So, I keep bombarding him with questions, maybe it will help to distract him? Ease his anxiety? It's what he's been doing for me since the day we met, so it's the least I could do.
"Conrad! What do junkers run on?" I ask in as upbeat a voice as I can manage.
"Ermm… Gasoline," he answers.
"Do you think one could run off of honey?"
….
"How fast can you go?"
"Can you go 100 miles an hour?"
"I've gone 150 before," he answers plainly, still distracted by something in the trees.
"What happens if you crash?"
"Nothing good," he states.
"If I had a junker I'd paint it black and yellow… and give it wings and…"
"Well, maybe we can arrange that after we get out of the hunger games hm?" he interjects.
He then turns to me, smirking.
"Although it would have to be a miniature one," he teases.
"Hey!" I groan.
He reaches over and gives my hair a playful rub, messing it up more than it already was. Although he's probably right. From what he's told me about junkers, I doubt my feet would even reach the pedals.
I'm so glad I've got Conrad back, I don't know how I'd face this thing without him. I'd be as lost as a bee without a nest.
It's already late afternoon by the time the path comes to an end. It is replaced by a dirt trail leading to a train track. With an exchange of a nod, we then make it over the track. There is a kind of wooden shack placed next to the train track with seating in it.
"Hey Conrad," I shake his sleeve.
He jolts nervously to me.
"Huh? Yeah, I told you twice … 150 is my fastest speed," he mutters.
"What… no… look," I point over to the shack next to the train track.
"You're from District Six. Do you think that's some kind of train station? Maybe we could actually get on the train?" I suggest.
His eyes move over to it, and he places his hand under his chin, contemplating.
"I live in the middle of Hindenburg City so we don't really use the trains much to get around…"
"All the more reason," I beam.
"I'm all for risk taking but maybe we should hold off for a little while on this huh? Could be a trap," he answers.
A trap of course… the Conrad I knew before the games would have gone for it.
On the other side is a larger part of the town with stone houses instead of wooden ones. This could mean more tributes but I'm a glass-half-full boy so… also more places to hide. It doesn't take long for our troubles to begin again, however. We are only halfway down the first street when Conrad suddenly freezes in front of me, shaking and shuddering. My heart begins racing with worry.
"Conrad!"
But I can do nothing. I'm shaking his jacket but it's having no effect! He's trying to groan like he can't even breathe!
"Conrad Martell! You have been chosen as Guardian Angel. Proceed to the Blacksmith in front to receive your instructions in the chest."
Then he is released to the ground, panting heavily.
"Conrad!" I cry again, clutching him by his arm.
"That was weird," he comments, shaking his head.
In sync, we look directly ahead at the building at the end of the street. It has a sign dangling from its brick roof saying "Blacksmith."
"I'm guessing that's it," he says.
We exchange a mutual look of agreement and press on the inside.
"What if it's a trap?" I whisper.
He doesn't answer.
"It's probably a trap, isn't it?"
Still no answer.
"Ok, it's definitely a trap…" I continue.
"Let's go," he responds, monotone.
I miss that more fun-loving kid that I knew back in the Capitol, racing around the streets looking for candy shops. He seems to be trying to keep up that appearance, but I can see through it, just about. There's an uncomfortable, nervous boy beneath all the smiles and humour. This place seems to have…. changed him slightly or maybe it's a part of him that was already there, and the arena is just bringing it out slowly. Either way, I need to bring the fun-loving Conrad back out! I can do it! I know I can. I can't let him lose himself.
It is a very claustrophobic room on the inside. Grey, dull, and steaming with warmth. There seem to be many old devices that would be used to make weapons, like swords. Some of these weapons are still red hot. There's such a large array of choices but instead of a sword or something fancy, I snatch up a small hammer into my hand. I give it a few twirl-arounds to test it, it is nice and lightweight but would still pack a punch. I examine it momentarily before slipping it into my jacket pocket.
"Watch out careers… here I come," I mutter under my breath.
Most importantly there is the chest. The one the voice was talking about a moment ago. (who I'm guessing was the announcer). Conrad kneels down to open it but my hand jolts forward and tugs on his arm out of instinct.
"Conrad be careful!" I exclaim.
He glances back at me and smiles.
"When have I ever been known not to be careful?" he replies.
His calmness in the face of danger allows me to release his shirt and he crunches the chest lid open…
Inside, he retrieves a note written on an old, dirty piece of paper. He clears his throat in preparation to read it.
"Guardian Angel, it is your job to protect Beckett Amory of District Three for a total of Three Days. Failure to do so will result in your…" he pauses, his eyes falling on me with shock and a little bit of… amusement in them.
"What does it say?" I demand.
He takes a deep breath.
"Failure to do so will result in your own death," he finishes.
I throw my hands over my face and sink to the floor in shame! Why would they do this?! Is this some kind of sick joke? Now if I screw up and get my dumbass killed, he has to suffer the consequences?
"Really? I've gotta save your ass again for another three days," he says.
My hands slide from my face in despair.
"Conrad I'm sorry… I didn't mean for this! I… I don't want this! I…"
"Hey…" he rests his hand on my shoulder and looks me dead in the eye.
"I was kidding. I'd like to see the game makers try to stop me from protecting you," he smiles.
The warmth returns to my heart and it begins to go back to a somewhat normal rate. Conrad's sense of humor sure picks its moments. Still, I can't help but feel awful. If he dies because of me… well at least I won't be alive to see it.
"Anyway there's more…" he says, returning his eyes to the note.
"Inside the chest is the sword of the Guardian Angel. May it help you on your quest to safeguard the inn…o…cenn."
"Innocent," I finish for him.
"Thanks."
He struggled and stuttered with a few of the longer words in that sentence but I managed to help him out.
He places the note down and reaches inside the chest to reveal a golden, shining sword. It is single-handed but has an impressive hilt with the design of two great wings adjacent to each other, the hilt is also fitted with red straps. Conrad stands up and studies it, giving it a few practice swings! The blade glimmers and glows with each twirl until it lights up briefly with a few sparks! Cracking like an electric current.
"Woah!" I exclaim, my jaw dropping.
It's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen…
He stops swinging it and looks at me again cheekily.
"A magic sword," he smirks.
"It suits you, Guardian Angel," I smile back.
He sheathes the sword and attaches it to his back.
"Guardian Angel…" he mutters to himself.
His eyes then flicker gently back to me.
"See, you don't have to worry Beck, I'm going to make sure you get home," he assures me.
"But… but what happens to you?" I ask, in a timid voice.
Before he can answer our thoughts are cut off by a piercing howl in the distance. It sounds like a wolf but it's so loud and more guttural and… savage.
We both throw ourselves to the ground and crawl across the stone-cold floor to the window at the back of the house. Conrad hesitantly places his hands on the windowsill and peers over.
"Conny… I can't look," I stutter.
His eyes scan around until they become fixed on something on the left.
"It's alright… it hasn't seen us," he whispers.
He talks about it with disgust… what kind of thing is he staring at? My curiosity gets the better of me again. Gently, I place my hands on the windowsill and peep my eyes over. There it is! It's even closer now! I almost duck my head back down in surprise but I don't want to make any sudden movements. It's Huge, hairy, and gross looking. It almost looks like a wolf but stands on two legs with a gaping jaw containing sharp, dripping teeth and a long tongue.
It curls its nose and begins sniffing at the air. Has it caught out scent? Please no.
"Well, someone clearly got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Conrad quips in a hushed voice.
Why is he like this? We are potentially facing the thing that will rip us to pieces, yet still, he almost makes me chuckle. It's something I've noticed he does to cope with stress, he seems to make funny quips. Well, I guess we all have our own ways of coping.
Its yellow, moonlit eyes suddenly focus in our direction. We fall back down instantly below the window, my breath almost pulsates from my mouth but I manage to stay quiet somehow. I look to Conrad and he is now ducking behind as well, with his back leaned against the wall. He closes his eyes and slowly brings his sword back out, tightly un-sheathing it. I've never seen him be so quiet before.
Outside, footsteps plod closer and closer just behind us. It's right here now, I can hear its growling breaths, sniffs, and slobbery snarls. Its silhouette has completely blocked out the window. It's right behind us! The only thing that separates us is a stone wall. Fear stings my chest. I close my eyes, preparing for the worst. I can almost feel its snout on me now.
But it's not the end. The footsteps move off and begin to get quieter and quieter again. The sounds of its animalistic breaths disappear in the night air. Could it be moving on? I open my eyes again, Conrad is already glimpsing out of the window.
"Don't!" I gasp, my teeth still jittering.
He looks at me with more relaxed eyes.
"It's gone," he smiles.
My heart immediately begins relaxing in my chest. So much so that I can no longer hear it pounding at a million miles an hour. Conrad leans back against the wall again and lets out a sigh of relief. Danger averted. We exchange looks and begin chuckling together, about how we narrowly escaped death from another mutt. The question is: how long will our luck last?
"Ya know, I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this place," I sigh, looking off in the direction the mutt went.
"...starting?" Conrad responds, turning his head to me.
I lean my head back on the wall, collecting my jittering breaths.
"Did you… did you just call me Conny back there?" Conrad then queries, with a bemused tonne.
"Oh… yeah. Don't you like it?"
"It's not that," he laughs.
"It's just… no one's ever called me that before."
"Huh… well it just seemed right," I chuckle.
I'm nervous, he's nervous, we're both as nervous as each other deep down, yet we're still laughing. Maybe that's the key? If we can laugh through it, then maybe it's not such a bad thing? Maybe we won't be scared anymore?
Heather Monroe, 16, District 5
"Charon!" I mutter, my voice bouncing off the closely spaced houses.
Last night, when the careers attacked us, I lost him. We split up in the hopes of confusing them. I guess it worked because now there's no sign of them but Charon neither. Then there was that… mutt. I don't know what it was but… I didn't want to find out. It was extremely lethal, that's all I know. I hope it didn't get to Charon, although I heard no cannon. Still, I want him to be ok… yeah me caring about someone other than myself. What's come over me? I don't know. Maybe this whole experience has made me reassess things. My father raised me to be his lying, cold-blooded, ruthless mafia daughter but is that who I am really? Or is it just who he made me? Or maybe I just find Charon so relatable that it would now feel weird without him. I'd never tell him that though. I wish we could both survive and go back to District 5. I would take over the streets with him as my sidekick. Nobody would get in our way!
Another problem about doing this without him is things are so… boring. I've felt so bored today without someone to constantly mock, tease and undermine.
I turn a few more corners of these stone-cold, narrow, winding alleyways, retracing the events of last night as best as I can but everything just looks so… different in the day. Without the warm, yellow lights and lamps to illuminate everything. It gives a totally different feel to the sunlight reflecting off the windows and the pale stone structures.
I divert right, the way Charon did last night at the street where we split, and follow it down for a while. Still no sign of him in this area… it's no wonder. He had to escape from those careers and whatever that monster was…
Still, I continue to scour around for him through this concrete forest of houses. He can't have gotten far. Next, I begin trying to retrace his steps, taking another street behind me. There I find an entrance to a house on my right… although the doorframe has deep claw marks on it, the wood is chipped away and there are even dents in the bricks. The door itself is completely smashed to pieces and all that remains are chunks of wood scattered across the floor. The room itself is trashed and shredded with the tables and chairs flipped around everywhere along with the glasses, pots, and pans. The windows are smashed as well. That monster was here and it must have been after someone… probably Charon! He has to be close now!
I leave the house through the back entrance into a more well-lit, less dense area. When I pass through the shimmering houses I catch a voice vibrating through the air.
"Heather!" it mutters.
It's Charon! I spin around to my right where he seems to be lying in a heap against one of the houses with its shadow firmly cast over him. As I get closer to him it becomes clear that he's badly injured. His clothes are all torn and ripped and he has a deep gash on his cheek! I rush down to him and begin rummaging in my bag for first aid.
"What happened?" I question, my fingers moving around in the inside of my bag.
"That wolf thing… last night. It got me bad," he groans.
There it is! A cloth and some anti-septic. I drag it out from the bag and move it towards his swollen, tired face but he grabs my arm, stopping me dead!
"What are you doing?" He grumbles.
"... I'm helping my ally. Is that ok?" I retort, with a huff.
Sighing, he releases my hand and allows me to clean up his wound. His blood soaks the plain white cloth and runs onto my hands.
"Ugh… kill me," he sighs, tiredly leaning his head back.
"Alright," I reply cheerily.
He simply rolls his eyes at my snarky comeback. His eyes, filled with deep black bags move down again solemnly.
"Why are you helping me? In fact, why didn't you just kill me? There's no way we're both making it out of his," he murmurs.
I lift his chin up to face me and stare him dead in the eyes.
"Hey I may be the daughter of a mafia boss but we do have a code of honor you know," I smile.
"You saved my life on day one… so I owe you a debt. That's how my family does business."
As I am cleaning his wound I notice the front of his shirt has almost entirely been ripped off but his overcoat still remains which he is huddling under. More importantly, is his necklace. The one that his mom gave him… it's gone!
"Your necklace!" I blurt.
He glances down at his chest and just shrugs.
"Oh…I didn't even notice," he says casually, standing up finally and dusting himself off.
This boy makes no sense. Is he really that cold after all? I don't understand him.
"But… your mom gave it to you?" I ponder, rising back up with him.
His eyes dart back to mine until they slide downward again with a disgruntled sigh.
"No… she didn't," he says.
"What?"
"I mugged it off some poor boy a few weeks before the reapings," he mutters.
I stumble back from him… shocked, folding my arms and glaring. He glances back up at me.
"What? Are you actually surprised?"
"Not one bit… just shocked and disappointed in myself… that I didn't figure out your bullshit," I answer.
I can't believe I actually fell for that stupid mother's necklace sob story when it was just the result of some mugging. Man, that's so Charon… how did I not see this coming? Without a second thought, I stuff the first aid box back in my bag and sling it over my shoulder.
"Has there actually been a time since we've known each other when you haven't been lying to me?" I demand to know.
His eyes move upwards and he slides his hand under his chin like he is actually trying to count up all of our interactions to answer my question.
"Never mind don't answer that," I groan, storming past him.
Although I can't help but feel myself smirk a little… this is exactly why I like him. It makes no sense I know. How can one like or want an ally that never tells them the truth? Yet in a way, it means that I can always trust him because I can trust him to be dishonest. Trust him to be my dishonest partner in crime.
El Shielle,14, District 3
My eyes flutter awake and I'm blinded by the light glaring through the glass. I raise my hand to block out the light and give myself a moment to adjust.
My hand sinks into something and I'm shocked until I remember where we ended up yesterday. I sit up on the bed and look at my allies. Darrah is asleep in the other bed and Adelina sits at the desk. Her eyes are glazed.
"Adelina?" I ask. She snaps back to reality, staring at me with wide eyes.
"Hey." She says, still a little out of it, I guess.
"How are you? How's the leg?" I get off the bed and walk over to her, but she pulls her pant leg down more so I can't see anything.
"It's fine. It's healed." She stands up and walks to the window. "We need food."
"I know. I think we can find some, somewhere in this building. It's too big to not have anything."
"You really believe that?" She scoffs.
"I have to. I have to believe in something." I say. I hear Darrah start stirring. She sits up and rubs her eyes. "Good morning."
"Hi." She says groggily. She sits up and looks over at the two of us. "Did someone say food?"
After we all woke up, we decided our best bet was to try and make our way upstairs.
"The mutts didn't follow us. They didn't even attack until we tried to go upstairs. So they're probably protecting something. Something we would benefit from." Darrah determined.
"What if they're not? What if it's a trap?" Adelina tried to convince us.
"We can't not try. We'll starve to death at this rate." I remind her. Although I can tell she's not overly thrilled with the plan, she cooperates.
We carefully make our way back to the foyer. As we expected, the mutts returned to their pedestals.
"How do we want to do this?" Adelina asks.
"We should just rush upstairs. It's going to be hard to kill them both." Darrah suggests.
"That's not a good idea." Adelina mutters to herself.
The staircase goes up and splits into two, then wraps back around to a platform. It's hard to tell from downstairs, but it looks like there's a large open space that leads to hallways on both sides. Similar to what's down here.
"Let's rush it. I'll go up the left staircase, you two go up the right. Once we're upstairs, follow my lead. We can either lose them or fight up there." I say with an air of confidence I didn't know I still had in me. It's almost like I'm back home…
"On my mark." I say, slowly leading the way forward. With each step we take, I expect the mutts to spring to life, to swoop in and take us out.
But there's silence. There's silence with each step we take. Until we reach the base of the staircase.
The mutts let out a horrible screech as I place one foot on the staircase. They fly into the air and immediately circle above us.
"Go, now!" I shout. The three of us don't waste any time sprinting up the stairs. The first mutt dives down and tries to claw my face. I duck out of the way just in time, and ascend the rest of the staircase.
At the top is a balcony, with a wide hallway to my right. The other hallway is blocked off by fallen debris.
"Follow me!" I shout, running into the hallway. With Darrah and Adelina right behind me, we run through the corridor. It's long and dark, with creepy paintings, candles, and cobwebs covering the walls. But no doors.
"Up ahead!" Darrah yells. Yes, I see it! A single black door, right at the end of the hallway.
The mutts continue to pursue, screeching and getting closer. Fortunately for us, they keep flying into each other, or the wall, or the ceiling, and have to slow down.
Darrah flings the door open and Adelina and I throw ourselves inside. Darrah shuts the door.
"We need to secure it!" She yells as the mutts slam into the door with a BANG. I frantically look around the room for something, anything. The room is dark, with three large pedestals side by side. Behind the pedestals is another door.
"Help me grab one of these." I run to the pedestal on the far left and try to move it. I see Adelina go for the one next to me.
As I start pulling it towards the door, a loud mechanical whirring fills the room. I watch helplessly as thick pieces of glass raise, one in between me and Adelina, and one behind me, effectively trapping me in a small 5 by 5 foot square. A piece also raises behind Adelina, blocking her in as well.
"Guys?!" Darrah yells, struggling to keep the door up.
I can feel my heart beating in my skull. How stupid can we be? Stepping straight into a trap as obvious as this one.
"I don't know." I haven't felt this scared since the games started.
The door cracks at the top and the claws of the mutts start to push their way through.
"Try to get us out!" Adelina yells. Darrah glances over her shoulder at us, then back at the door.
"Screw it." She says. She lets go of the door and sprints towards the third pedestal. The same mechanical whirl fills the air and glass encases Darrah at the third pedestal.
The mutts fully break through the door and they land on the ground and just stare at us. For a moment, no one moves. None of us say anything.
A large overhead light turns on and I jump out of my own skin. The stand on the pedestal opens, revealing a screen underneath.
"Welcome. You will find a tablet in front of you. You will be presented with a series of questions. Answer them fast, but correctly. Incorrect answers will not be spared. Please do not discuss the answers to the questions with one another, or you will be penalized." A robotic voice instructs. I glance over at Adelina and Darrah, both of whom are just as confused as me. They both have the same tablet that I have.
The tablets light up. On the screen, pictures of every tribute appear in a random order. A banner fades in at the top of the screen that reads "District One".
"I think we have to assign each tribute to their district." I say instinctively, after getting a good, long look at the pictures scattered around the tablet screen.
"Well, I hope you two have been paying attention." Darrah says before she starts tapping on her screen.
I take a moment to collect myself, then start. I successfully select the two tributes from One, then their photos fade away and the banner's text is replaced with "District Two".
I do this over and over again, successfully choosing District Two's tributes, flying through my own district, and getting to District Six before I begin to second guess my choice. I glance over at my allies. Darrah seems to be speeding through her selections, while Adelina seems to be more apprehensive.
I give myself a moment to release the tension that's built up in my chest before selecting the pair. It's correct.
I am successful in the rest of my choices, all the way to Twelve. Once I finish, the tablet fades to black.
"Congratulations. You have all passed round one. Please turn your attention back to your tablet for round two." I look down and the tablet lights back up. A picture of the girl from One stares at me. A text box sits under her photo, and the alphabet sits underneath. The banner at the top just has one word: Name.
"Shit." I mumble under my breath. There's no way I remember the names of everyone in this arena.
"It just needs first names." Adelina tells us. Okay. That's not as bad, I guess.
I get to work, trying to rack my brain remembering the reaping recap. The interviews. Literally anything we were all a part of.
I find myself doing alright until the boy from Five's face fades onto the screen. He might as well be a complete stranger to me.
I close my eyes and try to imagine him. It takes a long time, probably minutes, but his name finally comes to me. By the time I type it in, I'm only half convinced it's even accurate and not something I just completely made up.
But it accepts it and moves onto the next tribute.
I finish last, but I get every answer correct.
"Congratulations. You have all passed round two. Please prepare for round three."
All of our faces reappear on the screen, and the banner text reads: Day One Deaths.
You've got to be kidding me.
Okay. Take it one by one. If my memory serves me right, seven died on day one. I know all the Careers are still alive. So I can at least eliminate them. Beckett is alive. Adelina's district partner isn't, so I select him. One down, six to go.
Darrah's district partner died as well. I select him, and his picture fades. Five left.
The boy whose name almost escaped me, Kalen. I'm pretty sure he died too. I select him, and that's another correct one.
The crazy boy, the one I think allied with Adelina's district partner, he died too. I select his photo. Over halfway.
I believe one of the districts lost both their tributes on day one. Was it District Five? No, I don't remember seeing the girl's face in the sky. I don't think it was District Six. Did the girl from Six survive? I don't remember.
I carefully select the two tributes from District Eight and lo and behold, I was correct. How many is that, five? Six? I've lost count.
Who's dead? Who's still left? I'm trying to rack my brain for the information when I hear a loud beep. A red light flashes and the three of us look around.
"I'm sorry, that is incorrect." The robotic voice says. Based on the reactions of my two allies, I can tell Adelina is the one who made an incorrect selection.
It all happens so fast. One moment, we're all silent, afraid of what's coming. The next, the mechanical whirl triggers. The glass behind Adelina lowers, leaving her defenseless against the two mutts that haven't moved since entering the room.
"Run!" Darrah shouts as Adelina realizes what just happened. The two mutts screech and fly into the air. The first one dives at her, throwing her back against the other glass. She coughs up blood and holds her stomach with her arm as it flies back into the air.
On her hands and knees, she barely manages to dodge the next attack, but it gets its claws into her leg and leaves a big gash.
"Adelina, please, get out of here!" I yell, the tears staining my cheeks before I even realize they were forming. She looks at me, and I've never seen anyone look so helpless.
She just gets to her feet when the mutts dive back down, creating a big gash on her chest. She stumbles forward, then collapses to the ground.
I can see a faint movement. She's still breathing, but barely.
"We have to help her!" I shout, despite knowing it's futile. Darrah gently shakes her head.
"We need to finish, or we'll be next." Her eyes linger on our ally before she returns to her tablet. I'm hesitant, but once the blood starts to pool underneath her body, I do the same.
I wipe the tears away and try to remember what I was doing.
It's you. I select the girl from Six in a heartbeat, and lo and behold, I was correct.
The tablet turns off and the glass pane in front of me lowers, releasing me. I turn to look back at Adelina.
As I step out, Darrah's glass pane lowers. It coincides with a cannon firing.
"There wasn't anything we could have done." Darrah says to me. I don't respond. I know she's not wrong, but that doesn't stop the pain. The fear in her eyes, those eyes will haunt me for the rest of my days.
Darrah takes my hand and we enter the door together. It takes my eyes a moment to adjust, but when they do, I can feel my jaw dropping. A fully stocked buffet sits to my left, and gallons of various drinks to my right. Directly in front of us are multiple single beds.
"Wow." Darrah says. Wow is right. Is this for us? I ask.
"It…it must be." Darrah says, pulling away from my hand and going straight for the food. She takes a fork and just digs in.
"Take it slow. You don't want to get sick." I say, getting myself a glass of water before taking a seat on the bed. As I sip, I can't help but wish Adelina was here to enjoy this with us. She was alive only ten minutes ago. God, how can the Capitol be so cruel? How can they put on this stupid competition, every year, watching innocent children get slaughtered by other innocent children? This whole thing is a waste of life.
I put the glass down and relax my fingers, not realizing how tightly I was gripping it. I lay down, my back to my remaining ally, and let the tears continue to roll.
Charon Aytigin, 18, District 12
She hasn't really spoken to me since necklace-gate. It's not a big deal to me. I can only be smug at the silent treatment she's giving me because I find it kind of hilarious. She strolls ahead of me through the town vigorously, leading the way with her bag slung on her back.
After some hours of walking, we come across a much larger building. She stops in front of it to examine it, giving me enough time to join her by her side. It has a row of concrete steps leading up to it and huge pillars on either side of the entrance. However, the building is dingy and the concrete cracked. It's also aligned with creepy statues that practically seem like they're staring at me. It gives me the shivers.
We glance at each other with our tired eyes.
"Could be a good place to lay low?" She suggests, breaking her silence.
I agree and we plod our way up the concrete stairs with each step creating an echo through the town. When we reach the double wooden door at the top of the stairs, I look to her briefly, my heart pounding lightly in my chest. She has the same nervous look in her eyes. So far this arena has been nothing short of horrifying with the mutts and traps waiting at almost every corner. I don't want to know what horrors they could have waiting inside but it's better than what's on the outside I think.
She gives me a nod so I turn the golden handle slowly, creaking the door open. We carefully push our way inside this new potential menace to be met with a rush of bitter air. The inside space is large, very large with white, shining concrete walls and floor. When we move into the main room we see various ornaments at every corner. Statues, trinkets, weapons, and skeletons of ancient animals. It's a museum. I actually visited one back on the free day in the Capitol. Ah… that was a fun day.
While Heather moves to the dark corridor on the right, I peer directly upwards at the growing moonlight penetrating in from above. The roof is mainly made of glass in a kind of circular or hexagonal shape, glowing blue in the darkening sky. Below that, the museum descends into several levels with platforms jutting out below the glass roof. Wow, this place is truly huge.
VROOM
It's the sound of a train! Whizzing past by the roof of the building. So the train track is actually operational? Maybe we should just jump on it for the sake of it? Could be a laugh.
I snap out of daydream and jog after Heather into the next room. She jumps back in surprise!
"Don't jump scare me like that!" She complains, clasping her heart.
"Aww does the mafia daughter need her bedtime story to help settle her nerves," I tease.
She glares daggers at me, like she's about to throw one into my eye.
"Only joking," I gulp, giving her a pat on the back.
"I didn't want to lose you, splitting up in this place is the last thing we need," I say.
She relaxes her glare with a nod and we begin investigating the new room together. There are many ancient artifacts on display cases, including golden weapons, armor, and urns.
"Do you think we'll find any potions in here?" I ask, opening an urn to find some gold coins inside.
She closes an urn, tilting her head and looking slightly confused.
"Potions?"
I close my urn shut.
"Yeah… I… I read something yesterday that suggested me find the potion master… this seems like the sought of place," I respond.
She squints her eyes, examining me carefully.
"True, this does seem like the place, but… how do you know it's not a trap?"
"I don't," I shrug.
"But I think it's worth the risk, we need every advantage we can get."
I glance over the window again, evening is drawing in already. Soon the moonlight will replace the twilight.
I skip back to Heather who is already setting up her sleeping bag.
"I think I'm gonna take a look around for the potions," I announce.
She furrows her eyebrows in surprise.
"Didn't you just say we shouldn't split up?" She questions.
"Look, I know what I said ok!" I snap back, unintentionally.
She just shrugs.
"Alright fine, whatever you say," she sighs, going back to rolling out her sleeping bag.
"Hey maybe if I bring some potions back, you'll forgive me for necklace-gate," I smirk.
"I'll consider it," she smiles back.
I'm about to turn my head to head through to the next room.
"Just…"
She pauses.
"Yeah?"
"Just… try not to get lost ay?" she requests, with some genuine concern in her voice.
"When have I ever been known to do that?" I reply, throwing my hands out with a big grin.
Of course, she rolls her eyes and goes back to what she was doing. With a chuckle, I return back to the dark corridor… my smile soon disappears.
Nadia Miniera, 13, District 12
I watch as the sun rises, creating a beautiful hue of orange and blue in the sky. If I were back at home, I'd be enjoying it, thriving in the peace and the beauty of it, using the inspiration and incorporating it into my alchemy for the day. But here, I know the beauty is Gamemaker generated. I know any moment can be my last. And now that I'm not alone, I worry that moment will come sooner than I intended.
I glance over at my new, reluctant ally. To be frank, I'm not sure what inspired her to take up my offer. I was sure she would reject it, or even try to kill me. She didn't realize how close I was to throwing my toxic potion on her. She wouldn't have known what hit her, that's how fast it works. I'm surprised I was able to make it using the limited ingredients out in this arena. Besides, it's been years since I've made it. There's not a lot of use for it back home anyway. But it's efficient.
I drink a bit of water as Seia begins to stir. She glances over at me, but doesn't say anything. I can hear her stomach rumbling, and as she places her hand on her belly, I cut straight to the point.
"I want to explore the rest of these houses." I tell her. She looks over at me,
"Why?" She asks. I roll my eyes.
"Supplies. Unless you have a secret buffet in your satchel you've been hiding from me." She scotts and shakes her head.
"It'll be dangerous. Aren't we right next to the Career's home base?" She shoots back. I shrug.
"Anything we do in this arena is dangerous. If we stay here we're in danger. If we go out there we're in danger. What difference does it make?" I remind her.
"I'd rather take my chances on my own turf than get ambushed out there by kids that have been training for this their entire lives, but that's just me I guess." She stands up and examines my makeshift alchemy station. God, if only I had the setup here that I do at home…I'd be unstoppable.
"Well, then I guess you stay here and protect, and I'll see you in a few hours, or however long I'm gone." I say. I walk towards the door, prepared to walk out, when her voice stops me.
"No, no. Let's stick together." She shakes her head and seems reluctant to follow me, but I don't discourage it. In fact, I was kind of hoping she would join me anyway. Safety in numbers, or whatever.
"So, where are we going?" She asks me as soon as we step outside. I take a moment to think. I've only searched two or three of the houses closest to this one, and none of them had anything worthwhile.
"Let's check the ones furthest out, then work our way in." I suggest. She doesn't argue, instead she leads the way to the edge of the town, and into the first house on our search.
The house has a similar layout to the one we've taken shelter in. It's small, with very minimal supplies. Seia finds a decent sized knife in the kitchen, but other than that, nothing.
"Are all the houses this scarce in resources?" She asks me. I shrug.
"The one we're in had a little bit of food and water purification tablets. It's probably random." I tell her. She nods, and holds the door for me as we move onto the next house.
Fortunately, we find a decent amount of food in the next two houses, enough to last us a few days at least. We even decide to share a packet of dried fruit right then and there. It almost allows me to forget I'm in a fight to the death with a dozen and a half other kids.
The next house appears to be the worst of them all. It's stripped of all furniture, and the cabinets that held some supplies in the previous houses are completely bare in this one.
"It must've been looted already." Seia says, slightly on edge and with a hint of irritation in her tone. What, does she think I've already looted this area?
"I don't think anyone else has been in this area." I tell her. I slowly walk around, my gut telling me there's more here that we're overlooking. Maybe something big.
"How would you know?" Her tone is so drastically different from the one I heard not even an hour ago when we were sharing food. Was this alliance a mistake?
I notice a few boards are slightly lighter than the surrounding ones. I gently press on it with my foot. Although it feels steady, there's an unmistakable bounce to it that the other boards are missing. I kneel down and peek through the cracks in the wood.
"What are you doing?" Seia asks, her arms crossed. I ignore her question.
"Give me your knife." I ask, holding my hand out towards her. Ignoring the idea that she could so easily stab me through my palm, I hold it out until she gently places the handle of the knife in my hand.
I stick the knife through the crack and force the wood board up. Underneath is a hatch door.
"I knew it." I say to myself, removing a second wood board. Once that's gone, I'm able to fully open the hatch door.
"What if it's a trap?" Seia asks as she takes the knife back from me.
"I guess you'll find out soon." I say as I descend into the basement.
It's a small room, no bigger than the house it sits under. I can't make out many details, but I can see a large wooden desk on one side of the room, and a small cot on the other. There doesn't seem to be electricity, but I can just make out a small lantern hanging on the wall. I walk over to it and pick up a lighter that sits on the desk and light the candle.
I gasp when the room illuminates. Am I dreaming?
"What's down there?" Seia asks, still lingering at the hatch entrance.
What's down here? At first glance, it's nothing more than a simple wooden desk and a cot. A nice hideaway someone could use to avoid an unsuspecting attack. It's what's on top of the desk that is invaluable.
Containers of ingredients, from liquid to solid, empty flasks of all sizes, a mortar and pestle set, no, make that two. A small burner embedded at the edge of the desk.
I can't believe it. An alchemy station. I relay this to Seia.
"What?" She takes the ladder down as I step up to the desk. Everything is so pristine, so perfect. I can craft anything here.
I notice a small letter sitting in the middle of the desk. I pick it up and read it.
'Nadia Miniera, you have been granted the role of Potion Master. Underneath the desk are four potions for you to use as you'd like. One will create a fire ball when thrown. One will create an acid cloud where it's thrown. One will heal any wound if ingested. And the last will grant you perfect vision in any weather or lighting condition if ingested. You are also free to craft potions as you'd like.'
Wow. I set the note down and look under the desk. As the note said, in a small crate are four potion bottles. One has a red and orange tint to it. One is purple. One is white with a hint of blue. And one is a dark green.
Fire. Poison. Healing. Vision.
I haven't smiled like this in a very long time.
Serenity Jasper, 16, District 9
Deep grey, low-lying clouds circle in around us from above, they arch and creep downwards into all sorts of unnatural shapes like they are trying to squeeze us in and choke us to death. The meadows around the brick path we are following are dull and grey which, helps to sow the seeds of dread and doubt in my mind. Thanks to Marissa's quick thinking we were able to find our way back to the path which we followed on day 1 to get to the manor.
I catch myself tracing my scar again on my clavicle with my now bandaged wrapped hand, the white cloth stained with my blood. I draw my hand away but not fast enough that Harrison doesn't take notice, his liquid teal eyes sliding away to and from me. Eyes that are looking more and more tired as the days go on, the stubble on his face is also unorderly growing outwards to from a very short, scraggly beard. I can't get a good read on this guy, whether he's friend or foe. At least with Taliesin and most of the other careers, I know they are a foe which is why I'm keeping them close for as long as I can. If I had a deck of 52 cards, I have no idea what I would pick which makes me feel out of control. The other two are strolling just behind us on the road, their eyes drifting downwards in a kind of haze. Nobody has said anything in hours, the events of the last few days were so hectic that we've all just kind of drifted into our own worlds. It's probably a good thing. Right now I'm hungry, exhausted, and damaged which means I'm prone to getting quite irritable. Something I never enjoy.
My feet continue plodding along this seemingly endless path one after the other, tirelessly. Right now I just want to collapse down on a bed and close my eyes, I don't care if I'm surrounded by trained killers and monsters. I'm so done with this place.
There it is again. At the end of the stone path, the decrepit manor looming above us again. A shiver runs through my entire body at the sight of it again. It just looks like something awful is waiting to happen there.
"The house of hell," I murmur to the others.
They all glance at me before continuing forward to rejoin the others. Harrison in particular is rubbing the back of his neck vigorously. I think he senses what I sense. Something is about to go down. While my breath quickens as we enter through the door into the shadows of the manor, I don't much care. I'm just going to throw myself down and close my eyes for one hour. Just one hour. Then I might draw a royal flush and wake up back in my home in District 9 after a terrible nightmare about the hunger games and being forced to ally with this career named Bloodtide.
First though, I'm going to grab my things from the basement where we left them. Just in case something happens and I need them. The stone stairs down to the basement always creep me out, they slither coldly to an old wooden door at the bottom with metal bars on the window.
With a gulp, I proceed down the rock-hard stairs. The walls seem to caver in around me as I reach the bottom which makes my heart race even faster. Inside, it is complete blackness so I have to go back up to fetch a candle. When I return I attach the candle above me on the rack which casts a slowly, puffing, illuminating light through the dim, grey dungeon. Already feeling like I've overstayed my welcome down here, I move hastily around the corner towards where I left my bag until… horror!
Henry! He's… dead. Cold. His skin is pale as a ghost! The flashing candle light reveals his empty green eyes pointed at the ceiling! I cover my mouth to stop the projectile vomit from flying out, stumbling several feet backward and crashing into the wall near the door! Several metal crowbars and obstacles clatter and crash on and around my head. They cause an echo through the entire dungeon and the stairs above…
Footsteps follow! I gasp! Tatiana comes racing down and flings the door open which sets a jet of light through the room. Her eyes are wide and her eyebrows raised when she sees the body. Taliesin comes plodding in after her, more nonchalantly. He doesn't seem as shocked but then he is Taliesin after all.
"I…I….I just found him," I stutter.
"I didn't do anything…"
Tatiana looks down at me, her eyes narrow but then they move to my trembling hands.
"I know exactly who did this!" She exclaims, racing back up the stairs in a flash.
I'm still in shock, slumped against the dungeon wall. My breaths pulsating with the sight of his lifeless eyes still etched in my mind. I take a deep breath which helps me to zone back in. I'm ok. It's still nothing compared to the sight of Ricky's lifeless head rolling across the grass beneath me. I think I'll get over it faster. I'll… I'll be okay. I always am, no matter what situation I've found myself in. No matter who I'm running from. My lucky lady charm remains.
Taliesin strolls over to Henry casually. His black, tight leather boots engulf my sight as they plod on past. He kneels down and inspects the body then his dark brown eyes shoot up to me lying across from him.
"Before you ask, it wasn't me," he mentions.
"How… how do I know that?" I breathe.
"Broken neck," he says, glancing back down at the body with his hand on Henry's twisted neck.
"Not really my style," he shrugs, then he places his hand inside his jacket and taps his finger on one of his knife hilts.
I suppose he's got a point there… this seems much more… Jade.
"Jade?" I gulp.
"Looks that way," he nods.
I push myself up from my slump and peer back around the door to the upstairs.
Taliesin slips next to me, as quickly as a moving shadow.
"What do we do?" I ask, turning to him.
He stares up through the staircase with his chin up.
"Now now let's not be hasty to take sides here…. Chaos is about to go down but they will fight amongst themselves and we'll stick with what's left. Stick to the shadows until your time is right… it always worked for me," he whispers.
Out of the shadows and into the light… that's what he said during his interview…
His head then shifts back to me.
"Stay by my side poker girl, if you want to survive this."
In a weird way, I feel oddly safe with him right now. He's ruthless and vicious, I know that but in a house full of other killers it makes sense to stick with the most capable one. He'll kill the others then I'll kill him. That's the plan. I have a gun. The perfect weapon to do the deed. Yet there's still a part of me, a faint voice in the very depths of my mind trying to tell me something, I think. I can't quite hear her but she doesn't trust Taliesin. Not one bit. There's a part of me that feels like he's extended a dark gooey web from his claws that's trapped me and now I can't escape….
I glance down at the belt around my waist with the gun attached to it. I always have the gun…yes that's my escape.
My eyes move back to him with a smile.
"We stick together," I agree.
All of a sudden he gazes up to the corner of the ceiling where there is a camera pointed at us.
"And so Panem… the intermission is over. It's time for Act Two!" He exclaims, throwing his arms up!
He is a bit eccentric, yes but I don't mind as long as he kills the others for me.
Jade Hastings, 18, District 1
I lay on one of the beds in the manor, realizing this is one of the first times I've been alone since I left home. It's been years since I've spent a lot of time around a lot of people. I didn't think I would overthink being in this large of an alliance.
I guess it doesn't help that I don't like or don't trust nearly everyone here. My own district partner is an idiot, Taliesin is a nightmare, Tatiana and Franz are both in their own worlds, and Serenity and Harrison would stab me in the back the first chance they get.
That only leaves Marissa, the girl that's kept me off guard since the beginning. At first, I didn't really pay her any mind. I assumed she was just another typical Career. Then I realized how similar we both were. Sure, it was fun making fun of Henry together, and it was nice having a friend in training, but as I got to know her, something changed.
I told myself I wouldn't get close to anyone in the arena. The last time I got close to someone and let my guard down, I paid heavily. The price is too high here. But I've never been good at following my own advice.
"Jade! Get down here!" Speaking of her. I feel a little silly at the way my heart jumps when I hear her say my name.
"Coming!" I yell back, getting off the bed and heading downstairs.
I step outside and everyone is standing in a circle. I smile at Marissa, but her face is hollow. She doesn't make eye contact with me, she's too distracted by a conversation with Tatiana. Whatever, I guess.
"What did you find while you were out? I assume those cannons belonged to you guys." I ask Serenity. She shakes her head.
"We had a few run-ins with mutts. Vampires, a werewolf, it was chaotic. We saw a few other tributes, but they all got away." She explains.
"We watched one tribute get killed by a vampire mutt." Harrison tells me. Serenity nods.
"Right, yeah. We did." Serenity confirms. She looks around. "Where's Taliesin? Henry?"
"Funny you should ask." Taliesin appears out from the shadow of the manor. I roll my eyes.
"What, were you just going to stand there until someone said your name? Good to know, I'll never say it again." I cross my arms and look over at him. He has a gloating smile plastered on his face, and it sends a chill down my spine. If Taliesin is this happy about something…
"You're one to talk, Miss Hastings. Would you like to tell the class what you were up to while they were gone?" Tatiana interrupts.
"Tatiana, seriously, what are you talking about?" I ask, various thoughts firing at once in my mind. What game they are playing? Whatever it is, I know I don't like it.
"Care to explain this?" Tatiana steps to the side and reveals a body. My skin becomes cold as all air leaves my body like I was punched. It's unmistakably Henry.
"Jade?" Marissa looks at me, confusion and betrayal in both her eyes and her tone.
"I didn't do that." I look around at my allies, waiting for someone to back me up. To offer an explanation. Most of them avoid eye contact. Most of them, except Marissa.
"Are you sure? Because Serenity over there found him in the basement as soon as they returned." She explains, taking a few steps closer to me, his hands behind his back.
"It's true. It looks like…someone snapped his neck." Serenity says.
"You would be the only one to do something like that, Jade. It's a personal attack." Tatiana says.
"I wouldn't. I wouldn't kill one of our own." I clench my fists, holding in my anger, my tears.
"No? Didn't you…already? Back home?" Taliesin raises an eyebrow at me. How does he know about Rosaline? I bet…I bet Henry told him.
"I would never do this. You know me better than this." I say, specifically to Marissa.
"That's the thing. We don't really know you." Franz says, rubbing the back of his head.
"All we know is you hated Henry, and now he's dead. Seems pretty logical to me." Tatiana shrugs, like it's so easy for her.
Marissa storms over to me, knife in hand, and swipes at me. I back up, holding my hands out in front of me.
"Marissa, you have to believe me-" She swipes at me again, and I dodge, but not before she knicks my forearm. I take another step back and trip on a rock, falling back.
"Marissa, please." I plead. The tears come as the guilt I've locked away for so long fills my entire body. Guilt for what I did to my best friend. Guilt for the way I treated Henry, leading me so perfectly into this situation.
"Get out." Marissa points towards the trees.
"Marissa-" I try pleading one last time.
She drops her knife and shoots to my legs, lifting me up and tackling me to the floor! She lands several lefts and rights on my cheeks, crunching against my teeth! Her eyes are lit up with fire, burning with a rage that i'd never seen!
"GET. OUT." I stand up and run into the trees. I have no supplies, no weapons. But I don't stop until the manor is out of sight.
Once it is, I collapse on a tree. I sink into the ground, hating myself, hating Henry. I even spread my hate to the Capitol. None of us would be here if it weren't for them…
I hear footsteps approaching, but I don't move. I just look up to see who they belong to.
To my utter surprise, and slight annoyance, Taliesin and Serenity are standing in front of me.
"What?" I spit out. Serenity glances up at Taliesin, then passes me a small backpack.
"I can't stay in that manor another minute. Tatiana, Franz, Marissa… they left" She sighs.
"Harrison?" I ask. He's alive, I saw him there. Or did I?
"He left while you guys were arguing. One minute he was there, and the next…" Serenity takes a seat next to me. "I just want to get away." I nod, knowing that feeling all too well.
"And I don't trust you alone." Taliesin says, keeping his distance as he twirls his knife around. Although I want to, I don't say anything to him. Something tells me he knows more about Henry's death than he cares to let on.
But that's the least of my concerns right now.
"If you can prove to be an asset, we'll keep you around, Taliesin smirks.
So two more people got two new roles! Guardian Angel and Potion Master. They both come with their perks and disadvantages. We'll try and give most the people that are left roles eventually to be fair. We have new mutts and we lost Adelina today. Also the careers are split in half Taliesin, Serenity and Jade and Tatiana, Franz and Marissa are the new teams while Harrison has gone solo. There's probably more to say but I'm tired. See u soon - Nautics!
Serenity: Vigilante
Taliesin: Disguiser
Harrison: Vampire Hunter
Conrad: Guardian Angel
Nadia: Potion Master
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.
Day 3
16th: Adelina Claire (D10F) Killed by Gargoyle mutts. Adelina was one of the most interesting tributes in this story. Although the odds were stacked against her, as one of the youngest tributes and her lack of social skills, she was incredibly fun to write, develop, and her alliance with El and Darrah really opened her up and allowed her to grow. She was smart and determined, up until the end. Thank you for submitting her, evilpencilbox, we had so much fun with her!
Kill count
Jade: 1
Taliesin: 3
Marissa: 1
Heather: 1
Serenity: 1
Mutts/arena: 2
Povs written by Nautics: Beckett, Heather, Charon, Serenity
Povs written by Team Shadow: El, Nadia, Jade