Seia Loam, 14, District 11
SLAM
A gust of wind strikes the window to the right of where I'm sleeping, shaking me awake.
The rooms in this manor are nice, certainly larger than anything I'm used to back in Eleven. Plus, there's a bunch of them in here, so we each get our own room. I made sure to lock mine.
But sleeping wasn't that easy. Especially now that I have two unknown tributes in the picture. Even Nadia could turn on me at any second, it's not out of the realms of possibility.
Even so, as I rub my eyes open, laying on the soft mattress, I can't help but feel some appreciation? That was definitely the best night's sleep I've had in a while and it's for sure nice to get a proper bed, rather than lying on the ground, with roots and twigs sticking into my back…
Although, I can't see the Capitol letting this blissfulness last, they never do. They always have a way of ruining everything. We've survived vampires and werewolves so far and I'm sure they are just waiting with glee to unleash their next terror on us.
I'm fast to leave bed and am already downstairs before even I know it, rubbing my sleepy eyes. They need to be as peeled open as they possibly can, to prevent the next person from stabbing me in the back.
Hurriedly, I veer round the first door from the stairs, which leads into the main dining room.
"Nadia!" I exclaim, almost crashing straight into her and knocking her mug of herbal tea onto the floor.
The orange liquid swivels a little in the glass mug, but she manages to steady it.
"Hey! What's the rush?" She groans, after glancing up from her drink, slightly agitated.
"The rush?" I sigh.
I roll my eyes and begin tapping my foot.
"We're in the hunger games, in case you haven't noticed - everything's a rush."
Slipping past her into the dining room, I begin rummaging around the room to see if there's anything useful to stuff into my bag. They don't seem to have much food left either.
"Now, we're running low on food, so we could grab some of their stuff before we leave…"
"Seia!" Nadia gasps.
After tossing an old clock over my shoulder, I spin round to see my ally with her mouth wide open and arms folded with irritation.
"What?" I shrug.
"What are you guys talking about?" A high-pitched male voice suddenly blurts.
Beckett.
He practically leaps in the middle of us from the kitchen. His squinting eyes move between us with a playful smirk.
Nadia begins stuttering.
"We… we… we…"
"I'm kidding, I heard everything," he giggles.
Nadia is now flushed red with embarrassment however my eyes just roll again to the ceiling. We don't have time for politeness, I thought Nadia of all people would understand that. Is she just trying to be nice to them to get on their good side? I have no idea. If she's just being nice for the sake of being nice then she truly has changed.
"I get it, if you guys wanna leave then we're not stopping you," Beckett says.
"No, no, no… Seia was just kidding," Nadia stammers.
"I wasn't…" I mutter under my breath, but I don't think anyone hears me.
I don't get Nadia. When I first met her, trying to get her to open up to anyone seemed like an even harder task than me, which is saying something. But now she just seems to be trusting and taking to everyone she meets. Heather, Beckett, Conrad… even Charon. I would be lying if I said I wasn't happy for her and even a little envious. She does realise however, that half of those people are now dead… so what's the point in getting close to them?
Maybe I do know what it is. She witnessed the horrors of the world from a young age, just like me but her family died from a disease. She never saw a boy with a gunshot wound blasted into his forehead, blood splattered on the ground… that orange rolling across the grass under the Peacekeeper's white boot, before he promptly proceeded to kick it away.
Yeah, I'd love to believe that everything and everyone is sunshine and roses but that's not the world we live in. Evidence: we're currently fighting for our life in a death game. That's all our lives are to them, a sick game.
Nadia and Beckett are now sat at the dining table, chatting amongst themselves. Her hands are rested on the table as she's deep in conversation. She finally seems… relaxed. Well, I'm glad she's found a friend in this eccentric little boy, he'll be better company than me, I guess. At least he's helping to distract her from this horrible situation.
My ears finally tune into the end of their conversation.
"Has anyone ever told you… you talk too much?" Nadia says with her blank expression.
"All the time," Beckett chuckles in response.
Beckett seems thick skinned enough to put up with her bluntness. Then they truly will get along, it seems. Now that Nadia is more open, it seems to be difficult to get her to shut up… especially about alchemy. Beckett appears interested enough though, as long as he gets to share his facts about bees in return.
Shaking my head, I move past them, over to the large double window behind the table. The morning light is belting in, the white glow is irradiating the dull, old, brown room.
Birds are singing and leaves are blowing in the wind outside. I'm almost feeling… peaceful. I used to enjoy simple things like this. Nature. Back when I was working as a gatherer and spending a lot of time up in the trees.
I used to sit there for hours… just listening to the birds chirping…
A breath of tranquility suddenly courses through my chest… it's so nice but fleeting… my mind can't help but return to the reality of the situation.
Conrad is out of the window, crouched on the wooden pouch, eating his breakfast whilst staring out at the sunrise. I've been trying to figure out what his deal is. He seems like he was always a big contender, being physically big and strong but he also seems a little mysterious… despite his outgoing, charming appearance.
I'm not too bothered about Beckett, to be honest. I'm pretty sure that silly, excited, goofy boy is harmless, but Conrad is another story. Out of the two of them, he'd be able to snap us like a twig in a matter of seconds, which is another thing to consider, but also, I don't know why but I feel like there's a hidden danger in him. He seems different to Beckett. In that, I think, he may have had some kind of a rough upbringing. The only thing is… it doesn't seem to have made him cynical like me. I don't trust people like that. He's seen some things for sure…
I don't like people much but I'm good at figuring them out…
"Hey, what's up with him?" I ask, turning back to Nadia and Beckett from the window.
Their deep chatter is paused, their heads tilt to me simultaneously.
"Oh… nothing. Conrad's fine… he just likes staring dramatically at the sunrise now and then," Beckett chuckles.
Nadia joins in the laughter, and they soon go back to their hushed conversation. With a roll of the eyes, I turn back out of the window to Conrad, crouched in the glowing sunshine.
After finishing his breakfast, he rises from his crouched position, brushing the crumbs out of his hands and flicking his messy hair out his face. Then he turns and heads back towards the front door.
A few moments later the front door swings open, followed by the tall boy appearing in the dining room door frame.
"Conny!" Beckett yells out, excitedly.
"Morning," he smiles, leaning against the frame on his shoulder.
His folds his arms and lets out a yawn.
"Everyone sleep well?" He asks.
Beckett and Nadia mumble in response, nodding their heads.
"Yup!"
"Uh huh."
His eyes then fall on me, only half expecting a response, I imagine.
"Yeah I slept well… what about you?" I retort, in a more accusatory tone than I had intended.
He nods his head before rubbing his eyes and taking a seat beside Beckett.
"Can't complain."
Maybe I did get Conrad wrong… maybe he's not hiding anything other than… I sense there's something bothering him, on the back of his mind. Something not even Beckett has managed to see.
Silence ensues on this sunny morning in the dining room. The two boys and Nadia's eyes move between each other awkwardly, while I remain standing above them with my hands on my hips.
Suddenly Beckett's eyes light up, something just on my right catches their attention.
"I've just had the most excellent idea!"
He bursts up from his chair and whizzes past me like a gush of air. My eyes follow him around until he produces a chessboard in his right hand, shaking it about enthusiastically!
"Board games!"
Unexpectedly, my heart jumps somewhat. Jumps with excitement. I've just remembered… I like board games. I used to like playing them with my brother. They gave me a kind of mental stimulation.
I'm about to reach out and challenge him to play me but I manage to stop myself in time.
"Nadia! Wanna play?" He requests.
She raises her eyebrow, glancing over to me.
"Don't look at me," I mutter.
"Alright…," she agrees, shrugging.
Beckett bounds over to her and clumsily spills the chess pieces onto the table, causing her to jump back.
"Whoops!"
As Nadia and Beckett set up their game and prepare to face each other, I'm ok sitting on the sidelines for now, just chewing on my nails. Conrad remains sat behind Beckett but leans in on his chin, studying the board carefully and helping Beckett set up his pieces.
I'm intrigued. Mostly intrigued to see what Nadia does. She's always struck me as someone whose strategic and very resolute but as much as me? I'm not sure. So, I pull my chair up beside her but make sure to sit so the back of the chair is in between me and them.
Beckett is playing as white, so he goes first. He quickly storms forward, placing several of his pieces aggressively up the board; however, this just allows Nadia to cleverly counter, taking both his bishops and a knight in the process.
"No fair!" He groans after each loss.
"Hey! This was your idea!" Nadia retorts.
Nadia started off the game closed off and defensive, with her pieces bunched around her queen and king but as Beckett continues to place his pieces forward, she begins to open up to counter him.
A smile has appeared on her face as she continues to outsmart the goofball. I can't believe I'm thinking this but I'm actually happy for her. Happy that she's managed to open up to some people and enjoy herself, even if I'm not.
It's the first time I've seen her smile since I met her… I think.
The way she lost her family… I can't even imagine. Now that I think about it, losing the people around her is what appears to have made her stronger. From her mom and sister to even Charon and Heather giving their lives for us. Perhaps that's where I've been going wrong…
Despite being down several pieces, Beckett also appears to be enjoying himself but then again I've never seen him not. Even if he's losing, he has his precious breadsticks by his side, which he's happily munching on between each go.
The game then slows slightly because Beckett is finally being more cautious, taking more time to think on and between each go. He's calming down at long last. However, he accidentally exposes his queen by moving a pawn into the wrong place. So, with a huge grin on her face, Nadia moves her rook to take his queen.
Beckett's eyes open wide in despair but before she can take it, he snatches his hand on the queen.
"Can I take that go back? I didn't see that!" He begs.
"No!" Nadia shoots back.
"Please," he continues.
"No!"
"Please."
"No."
"Please. Please. Please…"
"Beck… play fair. Give Nadia the queen," Conrad interjects.
"Awwwww."
Reluctantly, he hands her the queen and falls into a sulk, stuffing some more breadsticks into his mouth.
"Beckett… it's your turn," Nadia reminds him.
He glances over to the board and moves a piece, lighting fast, without much thought.
Nadia, on the other hand, begins taking a good long look at each piece, while examining the board, calculating her next move…
My hand slaps my mouth to prevent me bursting out in laughter. Beckett! I've never met anyone quite like him I don't think…
While Nadia was studying the board, he stuck a breadstick in either one of his nostrils.
"Hey Nadia," he laughs, a huge grin lining his face.
She glances up at him and jumps back in shock, clasping her heart.
"What are you doing?" She laughs.
"Trying to put you off… is it working?" he giggles.
Her eyes go back down to the board, but she can't help but continue to look up in amusement at the clown
"Ok… it's working," she finally concedes with a sigh.
Conrad's face is in his hands from embarrassment until he reaches across and removes the breadsticks from Beckett's nose.
"Sorry Nadia… I'm apologising for him," the older boy smiles, tossing the breadsticks to the side.
After a brief silence, the three of them burst into laughter. I want to join in but manage to keep my poker face for now.
When the laughter has stopped, Nadia's eyes narrow in on the board again, trying to return to the game.
"So remind me… what did you just do?" She asks, her finger darting in-between each piece.
"Stuck breadsticks up my nose?" He smirks.
She peers up at him, rolling her eyes.
"No literally. I just stuck breadsticks up my nose. That's what I did."
"Before that," she responds, chuckling.
The game goes one for roughly fifteen more minutes, thanks to Becketts delaying tactics. Until Nadia comfortably puts him in Checkmate.
"Noooo," he groans, throwing his hands across his face.
"No fair," he repeats again.
"Hey, she beat you fair and square. No excuses," Conrad cuts in from behind, smirking at his ally.
Beckett removes his hands from his face and glances over his shoulder.
"Oh yeah? Like you could do any better…" he retorts, frowning.
Conrad tilts his head smugly.
"I'll give it a go."
He stands up from his chair.
"Never one to back down from a challenge," he continues, rolling up his sleeves.
He switches places with Beckett and shuffles in forward to begin setting up his pieces, before his dark blue eyes turn on me.
"Seia. You wanna have a go?"
Instinctively, I step back in surprise however Nadia is nodding me on, encouragingly. A chance to play a board game with some people? There's just no way I will give up this opportunity. It may be my last one, after all.
"Then it's a good thing I'm also never one to back down from a challenge," I agree, raising my eyebrow.
Waving Nadia out the way, I park myself where she was sitting while she sits behind me on my seat.
Conrad's eyes zone in on the board and then on me with a smile. Something tells me he'll be more of a challenge than Beckett…
He begins the game off as chaotically as Beckett, but somehow manages to lose less pieces. In fact, we are almost even on loses at the start of the game. With him taking two of my pawns and a bishop, whilst I took three pawns and a knight.
His moves are fast and seemingly without strategy but as I'm observing him, his eyes maintain a surprising amount of focus while he leans his head on his elbow. There seems to be method in his madness after all…
On the other hand, I'm taking longer with my turns because I'm following every piece and calculating in my mind every single possibility that each one can do.
But my thought process seems to be getting nowhere, my brain is just whirling with indecision. His chaotic and unpredictable tactics don't help either. It's proving difficult to keep up with him.
Eventually, I jump my knight forward towards his queen.
"Took your time with that one," he remarks.
"I was thinking," I shoot back.
A close-lipped smile appears on his face.
"That's the difference between us…" he begins, shooting his rook out, seemingly from nowhere, and placing me in check.
"I try not to think too much… it's dangerous," he finishes, smiling up at me.
This move simultaneously opened up his bishop to threaten my queen.
But since I'm forced to move out of check. I have to give my queen up to his bishop, which he smugly takes.
"I bet you're proud of that one, aren't you?" I sigh.
"Just a little," he replies, leaning back on his chair with his hands behind his head.
I raise my right eyebrow.
"Not bad for a racer," I comment.
Beckett leans in curiously with his hand under his chin.
"Boy, this is getting intense…I much prefer silly Conrad to serious Conrad," he complains.
Towards the end game, Conrad keeps making his awkward and unconventional moves, but it seems to be working. Although, I still manage to give him a fight and take several of his pieces along the way.
His favorite piece seemed to be his remaining knight that he happily bounded all over the board, causing me all sorts of trouble. So, a feeling of glee filled my heart when I finally took it and he slumped in irritation.
After I took his favorite piece, his moves became suddenly more aggressive, so much so that hardly any pieces remained on the bored by the end of it. In contrast to Nadia's and Beckett's game, which ended much sooner.
In the end, he finally places me in checkmate with the two-rook combo, trapping my king.
Beckett's eyes are glued to the board. Super-glued even.
"Who are you? And what have you done with the real Conrad?" He laughs, astonished.
Conrad looks back over his shoulder at his smaller friend.
"Hey! I did grow up on the street ya know? It took some brain power to survive."
Beckett rolls his eyes and shuffles in towards us.
"Oh here we go again…" - ""I grew up on the street"," he forces his voice to be deeper, impersonating his older, rougher ally.
Beckett then turns to us and places his hand on the side of his mouth...
"He thinks he's some kind of gangster… don't indulge his fantasy," he whispers out loud.
Conrad bites his lips at first but bursts into a chuckle, rubbing Becketts hair. Nadia soon joins in the laughter and I…
I can't help but feel a smile form across my face at the general silliness. Everyone soon takes note of it as well, their eyes zone onto me. Yes, the silly boy forced a smile out of me. It happened.
Suddenly, something even more unexpected happens and it transforms into a full chuckle. They say laughter is infectious after all.
We're in a death game, being forced to kill each other and yet we're sat here, unapologetically playing chess and enjoying each other's company. Something is ironically funny about that alone.
The Capitol won't be happy about it, which pleases me. No doubt they'll think of some horrific way to force us to kill each other soon but for now I'm just enjoying this moment. I might as well.
"Thank you…"
The words escaped my mouth entirely out of my control.
They continue to stare at me in surprise.
"I… enjoyed it," I mutter.
Nadia in particular looks pleased.
But the moment ends as quickly as it began.
A voice interrupts our enjoyment. A deep booming voice. The mayor. The good feeling is over, I'm transported right back into the reality of the situation, again.
"Attention all remaining tributes. Later this afternoon, a great feast will be held at the cornucopia where you all began this adventure. Beware though, it will not be as you left it."
The announcement abruptly ends after that vague warning and now the four of us are left staring at each other around the table. What do we do?
They couldn't just allow us to enjoy ourselves, could they? Boy, I hate being right all the time.
Marrisa Grey, 17, District 4
We were the first to arrive here after that announcement of the feast. The cornucopia has disappeared and in its place is a gigantic, silver, castle, glimmering like a pearl in the sun.
I led us through the huge wooden gate, just like I own the place. Oh wait, I do.
The main corridor out of the entrance is large and hollow with circular arches all throughout. Only a few candles are fleetingly scattered about which does nothing to illuminate the empty blackness of the hallways.
A cool air seems to close in around us with the sounds of screeching bats.
"We should pause for a minute, get our bearings," I whisper to the others, who are trailing, lost in their own worlds as usual.
I slide my back uncomfortable down one of the stone walls in a heap, letting out a groan. My hands then fiddle inside of my bag until they can feel my map. They unfold it in front of my eyes, with the candlelight flickering just above my head.
No unfortunate souls have popped up on the map… yet. I guess we'll wait for now, we didn't care much about the food or supplies. We figured it would be a good opportunity to ambush some tributes… or I did.
The Two's… both of them are useless. Franz has been unable to lift a finger so far and Tatiana… she's been up to something for a while. She's a terrible liar, I hope she realises that.
She is perched up on one of the stone slabs, laying against a gargoyle. She's been twiddling her thumbs for the last ten minutes, staring off into space as always. She was never this quiet during the pregames.
As sneering and sly as Taliesin was, I think he would have made a better asset than these two. But I chose them, and I'm stuck with them. So, I'll have to make do.
A shadow blocks out the light of the candle on my map. Franz's shadow. He slides down the wall into crouching position besides me.
"Hey," he mutters.
He wraps his arms around his chest and stares at the floor.
"I… I never asked you how you were holding up… ya know with Jade's face appearing in the sky a few nights ago," he continues.
My eyes dart over to his with more hostility than I had intended. He seems to jump back a little.
I don't need a buddy or a shoulder to cry on. I need an executioner and so far, he isn't doing his job. I don't care about Jade anymore, I'm fed out with being in other's shadows, my sister, Jade. It's not about them, it's about me now.
"I'm fine," I shoot back, turning my head away from him.
Suddenly, a dot pops up on my map. The District Eleven male. Harrison!
Franz's eyes widen with mine. The time has come to face our former ally.
"It's Harrison. Let's move!" I declare aloud, so they can both hear.
They both waver for a moment, locking eyes with each other. I forgot; they were the ones who originally recruited Harrison into the careers. So, this must feel like an ultimate betrayal to them.
"Don't forget, he betrayed us first by leaving us," I remind them.
"So… is there a problem?"
Their eyes flicker between each other but they end up shaking their heads sheepishly.
"Good," I affirm.
Harrison's dot leads us through a narrower and darker corridor. A circular arch lies before a much wider, dimmer room.
Giant gargoyles loom above us, their claws and teeth are extended out like they are trying to bite and slash into our flesh.
I glance down at my map again. He's here, in this expansive room. Hiding.
"Get ready," I whisper to the others.
We then form a defensive perimeter, drawing out our weapons.
The voice of a young male calls out through the black room.
"There you go again, mindless pawns of The Capitol. Pathetic."
Harrison!
"Enough talk!" I call back, pointing my weapon into the darkness.
A shadow moves in between two of the gargoyles, so I trace it with my sword.
"At least I can die with some dignity, not clawing desperately for the approval of that ridiculous rabble of clowns."
"That's why I left the alliance. You are all beneath me," his voice continues to echo.
I need a way to draw him out. I can grind his gears, anger him, that'll do it.
"Says the boy from Eleven," I snap back.
A pause of silence. Then a garlic comes flying out of the shadows directly at my face! I'm just able to duck my head out of the way but a flash of light bursts out behind me! A ringing reverberates through my brain!
We don't burst into flames like the vampires, but it still seems to function as a kind of flash bomb!
As more of them are hurled through the air towards us, I dart behind one of the statues, keeping my sword gripped firmly in my hand.
Franz is now on the floor, in the centre of the room, clutching his hand and groaning in pain. The first garlic bomb must have hit him directly.
"Looks like I touched a nerve," I yell out again, with a smirk.
My head peers around the statue, just a touch.
BOOM
A garlic bomb strikes just where my eyes were, almost blinding me!
"You outer Districts will always be in the shadow. Almost every year you are forgotten," I continue to taunt.
When I peep my eyes around the statue again, he is there! His face flushed red with fury, his teeth bared, and his hands clenched around his garlic bombs.
"You always were an asshole," I remark.
Time to strike! Fast and hard!
My feet slide out at him with my sword aimed at his chest! Ready to run him through!
But he doesn't waste a second either before he's hurled another one into my face!
BANG
The impact knocks me flat on my back. My head smacks against the concrete!
Grimacing down from above me, he proceeds to hail more of them down upon me!
Each one bursting and disorienting me!
He raises his hand to slam another into me, his eyes wild like an animal!
Someone slips into him on the left, he screams in pain and the garlic bomb rolls out of his palm!
Tatiana has impaled her spear into his abdomen. Her mouth is gaping open, her hands are shaking against the shaft of her spear.
Harrison yanks the spear out of his body with his right hand and staggers away behind us, groaning. His hand is pinned to his bleeding, open wound.
And he's gone, into the archway from where we came, leaving a trail of blood.
Mine and Franz's heads are now buzzing from agony on the castle floor. A thousand insects feel like they are bouncing around the inside of my skull for what feels like over an hour!
Those vampires had a lucky escape, it seems.
Instead of pursuing her kill, Tatiana stays with us, nurturing our heads with a wet cloth from her bag.
The cool sensation on my bruised head is pleasant enough but she should have taken the opportunity to finish him off. That's what she's here for isn't she. If these two don't start stepping up their act then I'm going to have to take things into my own hands. Desperate measures will be needed! I am the desperate measures.
Tatiana moves over to Franz again, so my hand snatches up my map from my bag. Harrison! I'm going to kill him! I can't believe I let him get the better of me!
His dot is gone though but there are others. His District partner and that cocky boy from Six. The last thing I saw of him, he was flipping me off smugly from that train. Let's see if he'll be so smug when I'm running my sword through him.
"We have a new heading," I announce, slapping my finger against their dots.
I almost pass out when I rise up from my slump. My head is still so… dizzy.
Tatiana glances over to me, dragging Franz up by his hand. He's still rubbing his head.
The dots point to a direction through the walls. So, we'll have to cut around them using the arch.
"Wait!" Franz halts me with his hand.
Still moaning in anguish, he reaches inside his bag and produces his monocle in his palm.
He shakes his head rapidly to try to remove the last of the dizziness and shoves the monocle over his.
Slowly, he uses it to scan around the room. I wonder what he's seeing exactly?
"That way!" He points towards the dim purple wall on the right.
"Secret door?" Tatiana beams, excitedly.
He nods with a slight smile.
"You are handy," she says, patting him on the shoulder.
Just not at killing people - I don't say this out loud, of course.
"Lead the way," I gesture, staring at Franz.
Time to wipe the smug look off the boy from Six's face or kill Harrison's district partner. Either would be a big win.
Conrad Martell, 18, District 6
Two of us will go, two of us will stay behind, one from each alliance. That's what we agreed. A logical plan.
It was surprisingly easy to get Seia and Nadia to agree to it. In fact, the only one that has a problem at the moment is Beckett.
His little footsteps plod along behind me on the corridor, as I stuff everything I'll need for my little excursion in my bag.
"Conrad… stay… please," he begs me, for what feels like the hundredth time.
After a brief glance down at him, I gather my jacket up in my hands and head towards the front door.
"I don't have a choice…we're running out of supplies… fast," I shoot back, swinging the door open to reveal the midday sunshine.
Seia is waiting on the orange- glowing grass just outside. She already has her bag on her back and is scraping her foot against the ground.
"Wait!"
His hand tugs at my arm to swivel me back to him.
His eyes have sunk to the floor, with his shivering arms wrapped around his body.
"I'm… I'm just scared… I have a terrible feeling something awful is going to happen to you," he murmurs.
His eyes rise up to face me.
"Just let me go… I'm small and nimble. They'll never see me!" He exclaims.
My head shakes automatically.
"Not a chance," I reply, about to depart again.
"I thought we were family!?" He suddenly yells.
"In families, no one's life is more important than the other!"
His shoulders are now back and he's breathing rapidly.
"I'm thinking about your real family Beck… and I can't let them watch you die… I can't," I respond.
I can't look him in the eyes anymore.
"I'm sorry."
"And I can't watch you die," he retorts.
"Maybe you won't have to," I mutter.
He crumbles down against the wooden porch in a sulky heap, his cheeks now blood red. That last bit was too far, wasn't it?
"I'm… I'm coming back! I promise!" I affirm.
His lips are now quivering and stuttering.
"I wish I didn't know you," he murmurs, before burying his red face in his hands.
That burnt deep into my heart, deeper than any bump or broken bone that I've had in the past. In a way, I return the sentiment… he's right, our connection has cursed us to dying here.
So, I turn back to Seia, jolting my jacket onto my shoulders and around my arm, my blood is now flushing my face red. When my bag is slung around my back, I storm up to Seia, whose eyes are fixed on me the entire time.
"Everything ok?" She questions.
"Let's go," I respond, strolling past her into the trees.
Not taking a second to look back.
The trees pass us fairly quickly, brushing our way through the leaves and branches. We both arrived here separately at the same place. So, it doesn't take long to navigate our way back to the old, rusty train station at the edge of the tree line.
The train soon comes rattling along, blowing smoke into the air and coming to a halt in front of us. Following a glance and a nod we mutually agree to board.
The wooden interior is lit by the blazing afternoon sun, reflecting through the windows.
When the train begins shifting sluggishly off, Seia takes a seat by one of the windows, resting her chin on her palms while I remain standing, leaning against the window and staring out at the land zooming past us into a blur.
The train looks as though it will do a loop and circle back towards the cornucopia. Then, the plan is to jump off, grab the food and jump back on again, as quickly as we can. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Right?
But heart is racing. Many things could go wrong but then they always could have in my life, that's why I don't think too much about the specifics, Seia came up with our strategy.
No, I think my heart is racing because of what Beckett said before I left. They have stuck in my mind like glue to paper.
"I wish I didn't know you."
My throat feels heavy with despair.
"So… why are you doing it?" Seia's voice echoes from behind under the rattling of the train.
I turn back to her, removing my arm from the train wall. She's leaning in on her elbow inquisitively, for the first time.
"What?"
"Still protecting that kid? You seem like a pretty smart guy… so it just doesn't make sense to me," she shrugs.
My eyes stare out of the train window again. I can't answer that question, partly because I don't even know the answer myself. Being on the very same train in which we escaped those careers from that night… I do know the answer, even if I don't know if I can express it in words.
"You have a family, right? Wouldn't you do anything for them? Isn't that what families do?" I ask it as a genuine question not rhetorical because truly, I don't know.
We hop off at the station just up from where we came racing out of the cornucopia… that seems like a different life now…
It doesn't take long for us to make it through the trees to where the cornucopia was…
It has changed.
In the place of the metal dome there is now a huge, majestic, silver castle, twinkling in the sunlight. It is tipped off by towers with round, colorful roofs.
We rush forwards, taking cover behind a fallen log, peering over at the castle.
Moments later, I'm already half leaping over towards the large front gate however Seia seizes me by the sleeve to stop me.
She rolls her eyes.
"What are you doing?" She whispers.
Then she points towards a much smaller, subtle door, hidden under a shadow of the castle.
"Yeah that's… an idea," I whisper back, patting her on the shoulder.
I now find myself racing across the grass towards the mini hatchet of a door. Only one thought continues to roll through my mind. Grab the food, then back to the train… to Beckett. I can't let him down! I can't leave it the way we left it. I need to make it right.
"Conrad!" Seia calls from behind me, panting and stumbling on the grass.
"Wait up!"
I did it again. My feet are as lost as my mind at times.
After we've made it over the moat and through the door. Inside, we've found ourselves in a very expansive, stone corridor. It's lined with orange, glowing candles on the ceiling. On the floor, a red and golden carpet winds its way across the vast corridors, disappearing left and right into different rooms.
I turn to Seia.
"What's our play?" I ask
My voice rebounds through the corridor like a travelling light in the darkness.
She strokes her chin, eyeing up the corridor.
"I reckon these different rooms are meant to confuse us… I say head straight forward," she answers.
"Sometimes the simplest solutions are the right ones," I nod, facing back the empty corridor in front of us.
So, we proceed on, through the hollow shadow. Our footsteps echo against the walls… well mine are worse than hers and each time, I catch her glaring up at me. At least the fancy carpet helps to muffle the noise a little.
At the end of the large corridor, we pass through a second door to reveal another room… a grand hall.
It is huge, yet… stuffy and dusty. It's cluttered with barrels, cobwebs and even a throne at the far end with a skeleton sat on it.
Lining the edge of the room are full armor-plated statues. Their gauntlets are clasped around a sheathed sword at their waists.
Bellow us, past a stone staircase, is a giant table, stretching from one end of the room to the other. It's a warm brown, thanks to the candles that are spread throughout it, flickering on the silver plates.
And the food… there's lots of it, meat, vegetables, bread. The table is lined with black sacks for us to nab the food.
I practically leap down the stairs and am already stuffing one of the sacks full of food!
"Conrad wait!" Seia begs from behind.
There's no time! I have to get back to Beckett. I'm his Guardian Angel!
CRACK
It's the sound of a finger moving… a bone finger. We glance up simultaneously to find the skeleton king pointing at us with its decaying finger, riddled with holes.
Suddenly metal scrapes all around us, piercing the hollow room!
The metal statues have drawn their swords and are steadily pacing towards us, flanking us between them at the table.
"Not good," I mutter to Seia, as we find ourselves back-to-back, staring the statues down.
"Run!"
I vault up over the table, ducking under a swing from one of the statues but a receiving a slight haircut in the process. That's ok, I probably needed it.
Behind me, Seia has managed to squeeze her way through the attackers!
"Let's go!" I shout, as we trace our way back through the corridors!
I feel as though I'm running at a million miles an hour already through the winding stone corridors but wait! Stop!
Seia has paused behind me, staring down a different corridor on the left!
"Conrad! Wait! Was it this way?" She pants, frowning with desperation.
"I don't know! No time to think!" I blurt.
"There they are!" The District Four girl's voice booms though the corridor!
Before I know it the three careers, that I managed to slip away from all those days ago, have descended upon us! How did they know where we were? Doesn't matter!
Seia has disappeared into the corridor she was pointing at, pursued by the Four girl and Two boy. I on the other hand, am met with the sight of the angry Two girl hurtling towards me, her teeth are gritted together with determination!
So, I'm already speeding in the opposite direction but she's fast! Very fast! The echoes from her boots are getting closer. I slam into yet another corridor as it suddenly pivots right but she is already upon me! Her hands clasp firmly around my jacket at the speed of lighting, while simultaneously her left leg comes in front of both of mine, tripping me up and tossing me face first towards the floor!
As I crash down, my food sack is also ripped from my hand!
I'm on my butt now, facing her… unable to get to my feet but she's also frozen! As soon as her eyes locked with mine, she seemed to stop… in stark contrast to the determination she had to catch me, only a second ago.
Her bright, blue eyes are wide in shock. She's breathless.
My eyebrows furrow in confusion as she backs away slowly, her freckled face is burning red.
With a quick jerk of the hand, she tosses my food sack back into my hands and vanishes back through the left corridor, the way we came.
I'm left just staring, astounded. I have no idea what happened there, but I'll roll with it.
So, I'm back to my feet again, running. Zooming off somewhere, like I always have been, but these shadowy corridors seem to never end… just like my troubles in life.
My feet activate some kind of tripwire and I'm sent tumbling down a pipe, into another room below.
A dungeon. Chains, skeletons, and strange devices that I don't even want to know what they're for. It's all here.
I'm back on my feet already, wiping the dust off my pants.
The place has nothing but prison bars guarding multiple cells in a murky, cobwebbed room.
CLANG
Idiot! I was standing in one the entire time and now it has slid shut! I'm trapped in here.
My fist thumps the cage door in rage! There's no telling how long I'll be stuck here or if they'll even let me out at all! It's a good job I have this food bag, I suppose.
I fall down against the cold prison wall, burying my face in my hands, all alone. Beckett… I'm coming back. I promised!
Nadia Miniera, 13, District 12
Tik-tok, tik-tok, tik-tok
The sound of the ticking clock on the wall is relentless, reminding me how fast my time is ticking down, as I stare out of the window into the darkening night…
Through the window, grey clouds cover the twilight sky, blocking out the twinkling stars and replacing them with gradual snowfall. The snowfall started slow, but it's started to pick up suddenly, sending a new freezing air through the entire manor.
The hairs shoot up on my arms even under my jacket.
The other two are not back yet but at the same time, we heard no cannons, so they must be alright, we figured.
Beckett, always the optimist, insisted that they're okay. I have to say, Beckett with his glass half-full mindset is a breath of fresh air from Seia being well… Seia.
The Gamemaker's' onset of winter was sudden, just like the winter that hit my life…
But I was able to get out of that winter, I was able to figure out how coal could become diamonds. Now that I'm a diamond, I'm about to figure out what it needs to do to survive in this world, to stay a diamond.
Tick-tok, tik-tok, tik-tok
Two dangerous people are still after us. Maybe they went to the feast, maybe they didn't. We can't take the chance.
A deep breath. Time to enact my plan of survival.
Beckett is sat on his chair by the fireplace, rubbing his hands together to warm himself up from the biting cold of the outside.
He is quiet for the first time that I've known him. He's fidgeting with his fingers while staring pensively into the flames which are dancing off his eyes, making them orange bright. I know something happened between them before Conrad left. A falling out maybe? That's good.
I move over to where he's sitting, standing above him at the fireplace.
"That Conrad seems like a really sweet guy," I mutter to him.
He looks up at me in surprise, broken out of his trance.
"Yeah he's… he's the best…"
He glances back down to his hands again, smiling.
"But you're having reservations?" I inquire, plainly.
He pauses, losing his smile.
"We've talked many times but for some reason… he can't find a way to not value his life under mine… I…I can't let him die for me," he stutters.
Wow. It's not difficult to get this boy to talk.
"With Seia… I have the opposite problem," I begin, staring off at the dirty ceiling.
"Even after everything we've been through… I still feel like she doesn't trust me. I'd rather have an ally that trusts me," I state, now staring directly into his eyes.
He stares back for a moment, hopefully getting the hint at what I'm suggesting. We don't have much time, they are coming and I don't want to go at it alone for the remainder of these games. I've gone at it alone far too much in my life. Diamonds can't thrive alone.
He inhales, finally.
"I just want him to be safe and I feel sometimes that I might be the greatest obstacle to that," he mumbles.
I nod… placing my hand on his shoulder, which catches him off guard.
"Sometimes to protect the people we care about… we have to distance ourselves from them," I say, my mind casting itself back to my dad fleetingly.
He shoots himself off the chair, scraping it against the wooden floor.
"What are you suggesting?" He breaths, wide eyed.
"You're saying… I leave him?"
I just give him a shrug.
"It's your decision… I'm just putting it out there," I reply.
His eyes narrow back to the fire, he's now panting under his breath.
"I think they balance each other out quite well… they'll be safe together, like us," I smile faintly.
He still looks at me blankly, I guess I've put a moral dilemma in his mind. I didn't mean to. I just want to live on for now and this is only path I can see to that, at the moment.
The only way a diamond can continue to shine.
"It's your choice…think it over," I finish, now backing out of the room and leaving him to contemplate.
I can only hope he'll make the right choice.
No more deaths today but we're in the feast and setting up for some tings plus character development. This was a nautics only chapter!
Roles
Serenity: Vigilante
Taliesin: Disguiser
Harrison: Vampire Hunter
Conrad: Guardian Angel
Nadia: Potion Master
Charon: Werewolf
Marissa: Ambusher
El: Pirate
Tatiana: Arsonist
Franz: Transporter
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.
Day 4
0 deaths.
Day 5
0 deaths.
Day 6
15th: Jade Hastings (D1F) Killed by Charon Aytigin – Throat ripped out.
14th: Charon Aytigin (D12M) Killed by Serenity Jasper – Shot in the chest.
Day 7
13th: Heather Monroe (D5F) Killed by Taliesin Ulysses – Throat slit.
Day 8
No deaths so far.
Jade: 1
Taliesin: 4
Marissa: 1
Heather: 1
Serenity: 2
Charon: 1
Mutts/arena: 2