Sadie Wilson, District 2, 18
On the sixth day in the arena, the three of us began the day together. I started putting together some breakfast, Muir checked his traps as usual, and Glowla readied the weapons. We ate on the picnic tables, and then Muir and Glowla prepared to leave.
"You sure you're fine staying here alone?" Glowla asked.
I waved her off. "After my last adventure… yeah, I'll be fine. You guys remember the plan?"
Muir and Glowla nodded.
"Go down the list," said Muir.
"I hope we find the big alliance," said Glowla. "They're already hurt. I don't think they'll be difficult to deal with."
"Wait, they're hurt?" Muir asked.
"I may not have killed anyone in the Bloodbath, but I still did some damage," said Glowla. "I hit one of the older girls for sure when they were running."
"That could be helpful," Muir noted.
"You did do some damage," I agreed, smirking. "You did hit Isla, after all." Unfortunately, my smile went a little wider than I'd intended, and my cheekbone started to burn. I tried not to flinch at the pain.
A small smile crept onto her lips. Glowla looked away, trying to hide it, but she wasn't quick enough.
"That was on purpose, wasn't it," I said, not even bothering to phrase it as a question.
She looked back at me. "I can't say I regret it," she said.
"She deserved it," said Muir.
"One more thing before we go," said Glowla. "Sadie, if we run into, you know…"
Muir looked over at me, eyebrows raised.
I crossed my arms. "Do what you need to do," I said. "Of course, I'd prefer to do it myself, but sometimes plans don't work out. I doubt you'll see him, though."
"Probably won't be an issue," Glowla agreed. "Just wanted to check."
"Thanks," I said. "I'll see you back here soon."
Glowla gave me a little wave. Muir nodded in my direction. Then, the two disappeared down the southeastern path, setting our plan into motion. It was about time we kicked things up a notch.
I sat back, beginning my watch scan. Left to right, right to left. I sighed. It was nice to finally have a little alone time, just me and my thoughts. It had been an eventful few days. I brought my hand to my face, touching my sliced cheek gently. I winced. Glowla had helped me patch it up, but it definitely needed stitches. Every time I replaced the old bandage with a new one, there was a fresh red stain on it. I knew it had to be swollen, although I had no way of seeing what I looked like.
Speaking of knowing what I looked like, I was filthy. The arena was ungodly hot, and by this point, we were all sweaty messes. Our hair shone with grease, especially Glowla and I's. We were doing our best to keep our braids tightly woven, which seemed to help. Still, I wanted to make another lake trip. It could be a two-in-one- rinse off all the sweat and dirt, and kill the girl who Virgil had let escape the other day. I made a mental note to mention the idea to Glowla and Muir when they returned.
I had to be honest- I much preferred the Career alliance without Virgil and Isla. Although Glowla and Muir were strong tributes, and would be threats later down the line, it was nice to know that we had each other's backs for now. The secretiveness that had shrouded the Cornucopia had cleared for the moment, and I was enjoying it while it lasted. After all, who knew how long it would? I was pretty sure we were all going to stick to the agreement, but things were always shifting in the arena. If Glowla or Muir caught me off guard the way Virgil had, would I still come out the winner? I couldn't be sure.
Was I even capable of handling another major betrayal? Hopefully, I wouldn't have to be the one to take them out. They were both good people, and for now, I trusted them.
I prayed I hadn't placed my trust in the wrong people. Again.
Journie Teffs, District 9, 17
When I woke up, it took a moment for yesterday's events to hit me. It wasn't until I realized that I was alone that the memories sank back in.
Chaney betrayed us.
Reese is gone.
I buried my head in my hands for a long while, trying to pull myself together. How naive I'd been to forget where we were. These were the Games, and people died in them. Kids killed each other for the chance to survive. I'd let myself forget about all of that because it was easier that way. It was easier to forget that in the end, no matter what, I would lose my friend.
It was strange to think we'd only known each other for… eleven days. I had to stop and count it out. Eleven days, but it felt like we'd known each other for so much longer. Tears sprung to my eyes at the memory of meeting them on the train. I'd been so relieved to find out that my district partner was friendly and warm and loved their family like me. We'd clung to each other, serving as our pieces of home for one another. We'd trained together, strategized together, and grieved together, an inseparable duo for eleven days.
And now, on the twelfth day, I was alone.
I looked around the forest blankly, unsure of what to do now. Was I supposed to go somewhere? Should I just sit tight where I was? Maybe I needed to avenge Reese. Yes, maybe that was it. Chaney had betrayed us. She needed to answer for what she did, didn't she?
Almost as if it had heard my doubts, a silver parachute caught my eye. It fluttered to the ground, and I finally got up off my ass, interested to see what it was. I opened the small silver box the wrong way, and a piece of paper floated to the ground. I bent down and picked it back up, taking in the illustrated surface.
It was a map.
I analyzed it for a while, trying to figure out where I was. Eventually, by looking up at the sun and remembering which direction the lake was, I was able to vaguely make out my general location.
I looked up at the sky. Our Mentor Marius had told us once that every gift was a message. The map was a fairly clear one: I needed to keep moving. Part of me wanted to chase Chaney, but I could hear Reese's voice in my head steering me down a different path. Something they'd said to me once echoed in my ears.
I know it's the Games, but I don't want to hurt anyone. And I hope neither of us will have to.
And also:
You have to win. You have to, okay?
I sighed. Reese wouldn't want me to seek revenge. Reese would want me to keep my hands clean and make good choices. Their dying wish was for me to win. I couldn't lose my head and let them down. I gathered our things- my things- and studied the map again. After a moment, though, I got distracted by my hands. They were freckled with blood from yesterday, and the sight of them made my throat tight. I immediately decided to return to the lake.
When I arrived at the lake, knife drawn, it appeared to be empty. A lump rose in my throat at the thought of what had been going down during my last trip, but I forced it down. I decided to loop around the lake and wash off on the other side so that if I saw the girl again, I'd have a head start. I also wanted to be out of spearing distance. I began the loop, skirting around the trees in the directions of the cabins.
After a minute of walking, my breath caught. I pressed up against the back of a thick-trunked tree. Ahead of me, on the ground, back to me, was a small bundle. I was pretty sure it was the same girl- I could see her braided dark hair, and there was a spear nearby on the ground. Her chest rose and fell, so she was still alive, but she didn't seem to notice me. Alarm bells went off in my head. Maybe she was just faking being asleep. Maybe in a second, she would whip around, ready to attack me again.
I darted to another tree, getting closer now. I could see her more clearly from here- she was definitely alive, and I thought I even heard her snoring slightly. I squinted at her, trying to get a definite read on whether she would attack me, when I caught a look at her shoulder. On the left side of her upper back was a gaping, bloody mess of flesh. I wasn't the greatest at first aid, but I knew enough to be sure that it was horribly infected. How on earth had she managed to throw that spear at me? I shook my head, trying not to imagine how painful it was. Either way, at this point, I was sure she was asleep. I headed back in the other direction, looping around the lake the other way. Even if she was hurt, I didn't want to chance a run-in with her.
When I got to the other side, I rinsed Reese's blood off my hands and washed my face, dunking my whole head in the lake to get some of the dirt out of my hair. I ran my hands through it, finger-combing the tangles out as best as I could. It was at my shoulders now, and could definitely use a cut. If I were at home, I'd have my mom cut it, but here, it was almost easier to tie it back. I fished for the hair ties Reese had stashed in the bag- the stylists had braided their hair the first day, but they'd quickly undone it, preferring their usual loose style- and pulled my hair back.
Then, I headed north along the river, my heart heavy.
Sienna Asher, District 12, 14
For the first time since getting to the cabin, Jess decided to go outside. Her calf wound had actually healed a decent amount, and she was finally able to put some weight on it instead of just hopping around everywhere she went. Since Ianto was freaked out, and Levi was the best at distracting him from his paranoia, I ended up being the one who helped Jess get to the lake.
"Oh, God, that's amazing," said Jess, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
"What is?"
"Fresh air," she said. She opened her eyes. "It's so stuffy in that cabin."
"Yeah," I agreed. I slipped my arm under her shoulders, helping to brace her, and we slowly headed towards the lake. After a while, we made it, sitting down at the water's edge. We made sure to sit by the tall grasses so that if anyone came, we could hide.
Jess smiled contently. "Hmm."
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing," she said. "Just enjoying being outside. Reminds me of home."
"Is this what Ten is like?" I asked.
"Not really," she said. "It looks very different. Ten has lots of open fields and rolling hills. But the peace… the peace is the same. It makes my heart full."
"That sounds wonderful," I said.
"Why, what's Twelve like?" she asked.
"You want to know about Twelve?" I asked, a little surprised.
"Well, sure," she said. "Why wouldn't I?"
"I just… I wouldn't have thought you'd be interested," I said.
She sighed. "I've had a lot of time to think in that cabin. I could've been kinder to you when we met. You and Salome both. I think I underestimated you, and you didn't deserve that. But I'd love to hear about your home."
I studied her face for a moment. She was sincere. And knowing Jess, that was probably as close to the words I'm sorry as she'd ever get. "Thank you."
She nodded. "Mmhm."
"Well, home is pretty gray," I said. "It's all about clouds and smoke and coal dust. Even away from the mines, there's no real getting rid of it. It's always under your nails and in the cracks in the floorboard and lining the window panes. When it rains, everything's a little cleaner for a little while, but it always gets dirty again in the end."
"Does it get in your food?" Jess asked.
"We try to be extra clean in the kitchens. My friend Penny's family owns a bakery, and they're always cleaning it to get rid of the coal dust that gets tracked in."
"Man, I could really use a cupcake right now," Jess said, her eyes far away. "What I'd do for some Capitol food…"
I closed my eyes. "I wish I had some of Penny's mom's sweetbread right now."
"That sounds amazing," Jess murmured.
Snap.
My eyes flew open. "Get down," I hissed.
"What?" Jess whispered. For once, though, she actually went with my suggestion.
"Did you hear that?" I whispered. We went silent again, listening for noise. Sure enough, there were footsteps. Two sets. I risked a peek back at the cabin, but the door was shut, and Ianto and Levi were nowhere to be seen. Which meant…
"Someone's here," I whispered.
Jess's eyes, wide and afraid, met mine. "Sienna," she said, her voice breaking, "I can't run."
My heart dropped. "Maybe they're peaceful?" I said.
Jess leaned over, looking in the direction of the footsteps. Then she looked back at me. From the look on her face, I immediately knew that they weren't peaceful.
Careers, Jess mouthed, confirming my worst fears.
My breathing started to pick up, my heart thumping in my chest. I looked around wildly. There had to be a way out of this. I just needed to think for a second…
Jess grabbed my shoulder, pulling her face close to mine. "Listen," she hissed, so quiet I could barely hear her despite being inches away. "Here's what we're going to do. I took a knife from the cabin. I'm going to distract them, and you're going to run as fast as fucking possible. Okay?"
"Jess…" I whispered. It occurred to me that I'd never heard Jess curse. The realization of what she was about to do dawned on me. "No!"
"I can't run right," she said. "I don't have a chance. And as you once told me, you're fast. Better one of us die than both."
"Jess," I pleaded, my vision going blurry.
"There's no time," she said. She smiled softly. "I hope you get your sweetbread."
"Please don't," I said.
"Go now," she said. She pushed herself into a sitting position, and then quickly stood. "Hey!"
I stared at her for a moment. But then I heard the Career's footsteps again, and I took off running.
Muir Jansen, District 4, 16
Glowla and I arrived at the lake relatively quickly.
"It's beautiful here," Glowla murmured.
I nodded my agreement, lifting my spear. "There should be a cabin over there."
Glowla pulled out a knife, and we began to circle the lake, watching each other's backs. I accidentally stepped on a twig within the first few steps. We froze, looking around, but nothing happened.
"Sorry," I whispered.
"Learn from the mistake," Glowla whispered back. Then we continued forward, keeping an eye on every angle.
I had to admit, out of the original Career alliance, I wouldn't have anticipated that Glowla would end up being the one I worked best with. Ever since our first trip out searching, we'd been mostly in sync with one another. Not that I minded. I'd liked Virgil, but the guy was just too sketchy. Plus, he was way too tight with Isla. Glowla definitely had her own plans, but she didn't spend all of her time playing mental games and plotting against everyone. She was just much more genuine. I trusted her more than Sadie, though.
A rustling noise came from the grasses by the lake. We both froze, our weapons ready. Then, out of nowhere, a dark-haired girl popped out of the plants.
"Hey!" she shouted.
I recognized her immediately as a member of the big group. Glowla seemed to as well.
"Don't kill her," she murmured. "She could know where the others are."
I nodded.
"Over here!" she shouted again, brandishing a knife.
We exchanged a glance. It was obvious she was baiting us, but that meant that there were more people around. And honestly, it was an easy kill. We both ran towards her. She didn't make an effort to get away. As we came closer, I noticed a large bandage around her leg. That had to be why. We quickly closed the distance between us.
I ripped the knife from her hands as Glowla pressed a knife to her throat. "Where's everyone else?" she asked, her voice calm and cold.
"I don't know what you're talking about," the girl replied, her demeanor surprisingly composed. Only her eyes, darting from Glowla to me and back to Glowla, gave away her terror.
"Don't play games," I said.
She started breathing faster. "I'm not with anyone," she lied.
Behind her, something caught my eye. No, not something- someone. A flash of blonde hair disappeared into the trees.
"Liar," I said.
She glared at me, trembling. She didn't say anything, but she did glance at the path behind us. She seemed to realize her mistake and fixed her eyes on me, but by then it was too late.
Glowla followed her look. "Is that-"
Before I could react, the girl brought her fist back and popped Glowla in the jaw. Glowla recoiled, irritation crossing her face. The girl brought her hand back again, but before she could deal Glowla another blow, Glowla used her throwing knife to slit the girl's throat. She fell to the ground, clawing at her bleeding neck desperately, before going still.
Boom.
"Let's go," I said. "Before the other one gets away."
She rubbed her jaw, nodding grimly, before we took off after the second tribute.
Ianto Baines, District 8, 16
"Hey!" Jess shouted.
Levi and I, who had been talking in the cabin, went to the windows. We both immediately ducked down upon seeing the Careers.
Jess was standing in the grasses among the lake, holding her knife. Behind her, Sienna was sneaking quietly towards the path. It was a little hard to see everything through the trees, but the cabin had a good view of the lake.
"Over here!" Jess called.
Levi and I both watched, frozen, as the Careers ran over to Jess. The girl immediately put a knife to Jess's throat, and the boy wrenched her knife away from her.
"Why isn't she running?" Levi mumbled.
"I… I'm not sure," I said. The three began talking. It seemed like the Careers wanted her to tell them something, but she was resisting. As they talked, Sienna disappeared into the trees, heading towards the other cabin.
Just as Sienna cleared the path, Jess punched the girl in the face. It was a solid hit, too. But before she could throw another punch, the girl used her knife to slit Jess's throat. Levi barely stifled a shriek as Jess sank to the ground, clawing at her neck. There was blood everywhere, and I honestly had to look away from the scene. It was horrible. Once her cannon fired, I peeked out the window again. The Careers took off after Sienna, and then everything was silent again.
Levi looked at me, horror on her face. She was speechless. I stood, running back towards the table, and began throwing all of our things into our bags.
"What are you doing?" Levi asked slowly, still comprehending what we'd seen.
"We have to get out of here," I said. "It's not safe. The Careers will come back this way eventually. Come on, help me!"
"What about Sienna?" she asked, looking dazed.
"We have no idea where she is," I said. "For all we know, she's trying to save our lives by distracting them. Come on!"
"But if she comes back, she won't know where we went," said Levi.
"She's smart. She'll figure something out," I said. "We don't have time for this. Levi, get over here and fucking help me!"
Levi finally snapped out of her daze, standing and running over to the couch. She started piling things into bags with me, condensing our original four bags into two. I went to the window, peeking out of it to look for more tributes. Nothing.
"Come on," I said, pulling the door open.
This time, I didn't have to repeat myself. Levi followed me out the door as we fled into the woods, both of us keeping an ear out for a second cannon.
I hoped Sienna was okay.
Caligula Van Zandt, District 2, 18
In Cabin C, there were two rooms. The big one with the table and chairs, the small couch, and the rug, and the small one with the bed in it. I was sitting in the small room on the bed when I heard footsteps on the porch. The front door opened and shut. Heart racing, I grabbed my harpe and entered the big room, intending to catch the intruder off guard.
In front of me, pressed up against the door, stood a girl. Her chest was heaving and her blonde hair was spilling out of her messy braids. She froze when she saw me, her eyes going huge. I glanced at her shirt- the number 12 was embroidered on it.
I recognized her from the Bloodbath. She was the one who had screamed Salome's name.
I lowered my harpe. "I'm not going to hurt you," I said softly.
She didn't respond, just stared back at me.
"Is someone chasing you?" I asked.
She nodded slowly, her eyes still enormous.
She was terrified of me.
Suddenly, the sound of familiar voices pierced the air.
"I think she went this way," called a girl's voice. Glowla.
"Yeah," came another voice. Definitely Muir. I tightened my grip on my harpe, cursing under my breath.
"Get behind me," I hissed.
The girl didn't move.
"I'm not going to hurt you, but they will," I said, my voice tight. "Come on."
The girl studied me for a moment. Then, without warning, she darted away from the door, slipping behind me. There was a good distance between us- she wasn't getting too close, which I didn't blame her for.
Glowla and Muir's boots pounded closer. Before they could get to the porch, I stepped forward and threw the door open.
"Hey!" I shouted.
Glowla and Muir, who were about twenty feet from the door, stopped. Muir held his spear and a knife, and Glowla had a throwing knife in each hand. One of them was already covered in blood, and it wasn't hard to connect the dots on who'd caused the last cannon.
"Get out of here," I said. "Or I'll kill you both."
"You won't kill us," Glowla called back. "You're bluffing."
"Want to find out?" I said, brandishing my harpe.
Glowla and Muir exchanged a look.
"You might be able to get rid of me, but you won't both make it out alive," I said. "Or uninjured."
Muir took a step towards me. I flicked my wrist, bringing the weapon around to point at him. He stopped. We stared at each other for a moment. Then I shifted my stare to Glowla.
"Is that where the girl went?" she said. "You're protecting her now?"
"I-" I glanced behind me. The girl from Twelve had come closer now, eyeing each of us as we spoke. She looked back at me, her eyes wide and pleading.
"Yes," I said. "If you want to get to her, you have to get through me first."
Glowla sidestepped toward Muir. "Doesn't she have other allies?" she asked, her voice much quieter now.
"I think so," said Muir. "Bet they're in the other cabin."
I gave the girl another glance. The horror on her face confirmed his statement.
"They split up days ago," I called. "Haven't seen them. They're probably on the other side of the arena at this point."
Glowla raised a single eyebrow. "Couldn't hurt to check."
She and Muir exchanged another look, then bolted back down the path. The girl, having crept up beside me by now, gave a little gasp, clapping her hand over her mouth. After I was sure they were gone, I retreated into the cabin, frantically gathering my things.
"I… they're going to kill them," said the girl, her eyes full of tears.
"They might not. We've given them a head start," I said. "Hopefully they used it."
The girl watched me collecting my stuff, apparently overwhelmed. After a moment, she said, "What are you doing?"
"We have to get out of here," I said, shoving everything into my backpack. "I don't want the Careers knowing where we are."
"We?" she asked.
"If you'll come with me, yeah, we," I said.
Her lips turned downwards into a small frown. "I don't know. You… you killed my friend."
I stopped, turning to look at her.
"Or did you forget?" she asked.
"No, absolutely not," I said. My shoulders sagged. "It's the biggest regret of my life."
She squinted at me, studying my face, before she spoke. "Do you even know her name?"
"Her name was Salome," I said softly. "She was from Six."
She stared at me. Her lower lip trembled a little, and her eyes became watery.
"I'm so sorry," I said. "I'm so, so sorry."
"I'm not the one who needs the apology," she said, her voice shaky.
"I know," I said. I rubbed my face, trying to figure out what to say. "I know. And I know I don't deserve your trust, but if you give it to me, I won't betray you. I won't turn on you. I'll take you to the end, and you'll win. I can protect you, and help fend off people like Glowla and Muir."
"Why?" she asked. "Why would you do that? You'll die."
I shrugged. "Because you don't deserve to be here."
She thought for a moment. "What about my allies?" she asked.
"Hopefully, they're long gone and alive," I said. "At least you guys split up peacefully and didn't turn on each other. Trust me, it sucks."
Her face crumpled. "But we lost Jess," she said quietly, clearly fighting to keep it together.
"I'm sorry," I said. "I really am."
She wiped at her face, studying me again. She took a deep breath. "I don't know if I trust you," she said simply.
"That's okay," I said. "Here, take this."
I dug around in my bag, pulled out a knife, and handed it to her.
"You can kill me if you want. I'll understand," I said. "I won't fight back. Honestly, I deserve it."
She took the knife, turning it around in her hands, before looking back at me. Then she tucked it in her pocket and stuck out her hand.
"I'm Sienna," she said.
I shook her hand. "Caligula."
Travis O'Quinn, District 7, 17
Around the middle of the afternoon, we set off, saying goodbye to our campsite of several days. It had taken us a while to decide which direction to go, but ultimately, we settled for traveling along the river. Water was a precious resource, and neither of us were willing to give up consistent access to it. Besides, Dale found the tents creepy, and honestly, he had a point.
After an hour or two of walking, we arrived at a bend in the river. As we were both dripping with sweat, we decided to rest there and take a dunk in the river. After checking to make sure no one else was around, we both stripped down to our underwear and headed in. It was decently deep in the middle, coming up to our waists. We both sank down into the water.
"This is amazing," said Dale. "It's so nice and cold."
"It comes down from the mountains," I said. "Keeps it fresh."
"Whatever it is, it's great," said Dale. He sighed, closing his eyes in pure bliss. I had to admit, it was really nice. We'd both been sweating and getting dirty for close to a week now, and the river was helping to finally clean some of that away. It also helped with the stiffness of sleeping in trees.
After we both took some time to ourselves, rubbing off dirt and cleaning grease from our hair, Dale let the current pull him closer. "So, what's next?"
"Next?" I asked, picking at the dirt under my nails.
"Well, yeah," he said. "If we want to keep the Gamemakers from offing us, we need to stay interesting, right?"
"Fair point," I said. "Did your Mentor give you any advice about that? I don't think mine did."
Dale thought for a moment. "I think her exact words were 'don't be afraid to be eye candy.'"
"She said that?" I asked, wrinkling my nose.
"Yeah," he said. "I guess doing this is technically good, then, right?"
"I guess," I said dubiously. "I was thinking more along the lines of being active with other tributes, stuff like that."
"You don't mean…" he said, turning to look at me.
"Well, yeah," I replied. "It's the Games. Kill or be killed."
"Huh," he said quietly. He played with the water for a moment, swirling it around his hand.
"You okay with that?" I asked.
"I… I don't know," he said.
"You don't know?" I asked. "Are you serious?"
"I don't know if I could actually, you know, do it," he said.
"I did it, and I'm fine," I said. "It's not that difficult."
"That's absolutely terrifying," he replied. "Do you even hear yourself right now?"
"Do you?" I countered. "We've both seen the Games enough times to know what happens to pacifists, Dale. They die every single time."
"It's different in self-defense than it is when you're actively tracking down other tributes," he said. "That's a whole 'nother level. That's some Career stuff right there."
"Careers win, Dale," I said. "They live. In the past five years, do you know how many Careers won? Three. Outer district tributes only won twice. And that's not on accident."
"I know that Careers win. I'm not stupid," he said. "Where I come from, tributes never come out on top. Never. Three times in the entire Games. Three freaking times, dude. So if I'm guaranteed to lose, why should I have to compromise anything? Why can't I die without blood on my hands?"
"What are you trying to say?" I asked. "That you're better than me because you haven't killed anyone?"
"I'm saying that trying is pointless when I'm going to die anyway," he said.
We were silent for a moment, only the sound of rushing water filling our ears.
Finally, I broke it. "Well, if you've already given up, of course you're going to lose," I said.
Dale sighed. "I don't know, Travis. I don't know what to do."
"Well, I know that you don't become Twelve's winner number four by giving up," I said. "You have to try. You really want your family to see you give up like this?"
Dale glanced back at his pile of clothes. I assumed he was looking at his token, which he'd shown me once. Apparently his brother had made it for him.
He looked back at me. "Do I want them to see me kill someone, though?"
"You're impossible," I groaned.
"Sorry," he said.
"Look," I said. "Let's try it my way. You can let me handle most of the action. But I'm not giving up on getting out of here, and I really think we're better off together than apart. Who knows, maybe I'll get killed and then you'll be right. But I can't go out without a fight. I refuse to."
Dale was quiet for a moment, thinking this over, before he responded. "Okay."
Chaney Hallows, District 7, 15
As the sun set on the sixth day, I peered through the top of the trees to see the dead. Only one face tonight- the girl from Ten. Then, the arena was silent again.
I sighed heavily. I was exhausted. I'd slept terribly last night. Alyvia had haunted me, as usual, but now she had a friend named Reese joining her. Between the two of them, I'd pretty much given up on getting any rest.
I really deserved it though, didn't I? I'd really done it this time. I couldn't even look at my knife anymore, let alone clean the blood off of it. I was terrified of myself. I'd thought that the rage inside of me had died with Alyvia, but in truth, it had only been dormant. Better yet, I'd admitted to what I'd done. In the arena. In front of all the cameras. There was no way that scene wasn't aired, especially since Reese had died right afterwards.
I buried my head in my hands. My whole family had to know now. My mom, who had believed me from the very start, knew. Illana and Lincoln, who feared my temper but never that I could hurt Alyvia, knew. Cedar, who'd always looked down on my lack of control, knew. My dad, who'd shown me how to be truly angry, knew. Everyone knew.
Even if I made it out of this, how was I supposed to face my family? I remembered countless nights of walking into the kitchen only to find my mother weeping. I remembered my father's face at his child's funeral. The way Illana had cried for a week straight. The way Cedar, who always had a sharp comment, had gone silent. The way the shadows under Lincoln's eyes had never quite disappeared. I'd broken them. I didn't deserve to see them again.
I was a monster.
As the realization hit me, my eyes began to well up, making the trees blurry around me. I tried to wipe them away, but they poured from my eyes and down my cheeks, and I couldn't make them stop. The hollowness that had filled me for months melted away, and it was replaced with pain. I gasped as everything hit me at once, overwhelming me. It hurt so badly. I didn't know how to make it stop, so I let it keep hitting me again and again and again in waves, one after the other. It took what felt like hours for it to all empty out of me until I was hollow again.
I really am a monster, I thought.
Just as I'd wiped away the last of my breakdown off of my cheeks, a sound rang through the forest that sent a chill down my spine. One wolf's howl. Then another. And another. In the distance, I could see their eyes, and my breath caught in my throat. I scrambled to my feet, threw on my backpack, and began to run.
I might have been a monster, and I might have deserved it, but somehow, I didn't want to die.
I sprinted through the trees, the wolve's howls coming closer and closer. I could hear their feet pounding against the forest floor, getting louder by the second. I pushed myself harder, forcing myself to run faster as I wove through the trees.
Trees! I realized. That's it!
I ran to the nearest tree and grabbed a branch, pulling myself up. The wolves were close now. My arms were tired from not sleeping at all last night, but I forced them to lift me into the air. I swung one leg around, trying to catch the branch. I missed. I didn't want to die.
Just then, the wolves caught up to me. One of them snapped at my other foot. I shrieked. Another caught the leg that was swinging around from trying to catch the branch, biting into my ankle. It began to pull me backwards, teeth stabbing my skin.
"No!" I screamed. "No!"
I grasped desperately on the branch, trying to pull myself closer. I was the rope in the tug-of-war, and I didn't want to die. Another chomped down on my other ankle. I screamed, involuntarily letting go of the branch above me as I reacted to the pain. The wolves yanked me to the ground, knocking my head on the firm dirt. Stars swam across my vision.
"I'm sorry!" I screamed. "I'm sorry!"
I desperately tried to pull away, my nails digging into the dirt, but the wolves leapt on top of me. One scratched my back, and I screamed again, spots staining my view. They began to drag me backwards as I desperately clawed at the forest floor, trying in vain to resist.
"I'm so sorry!" I screamed, my voice already hoarse.
The wolves descended on me.
I don't want to die.
Senna DiCaprio, District 8 Mentor, 22
Boom.
I winced as the wolves went in for their last attack, the girl screaming and crying until her cannon fired. It was a horrible way to go. Both deaths today had been absolutely terrible. I didn't blame Dimitri for going off to find a drink.
I looked over at the desk next to me, where the two most recent Victors, Piers and Acadia, sat. It had been rather sweet to watch Piers help Acadia. I would have if both Levi and Ianto weren't still alive. Piers had always been one of the more resigned, hopeless Mentors, even in just his first year, but he'd been putting on a brave face for Acadia this week.
Now, they were staring at their feeds, horrified by what had just happened.
"I think I'm going to be sick," said Acadia, rising shakily from her chair.
"Here, I'll take you to the bathroom," I said, standing as well. I put my hand on her shoulders, guiding her towards the bathroom. Piers shot me a grateful look as we went. We made it inside just in time- as soon as we were beyond the door, she ran to the nearest stall and vomited. I followed her in, pulling her hair back. I patted her back gently with my other hand until she finished.
"It's okay," I said gently.
She turned to look back at me, tears in her eyes. "Is it like this every year?" she asked, her voice small.
"Some years are worse than others," I said truthfully. "This year… this year has been worse."
"I hate this," she said. "I hate watching that and not being able to help her. She didn't deserve that. That was horrible."
"It was," I agreed. "Sometimes there's enough drama that the Gamemakers sit back and let the tributes roam free, and this is one of those years. But they still like to remind everyone that they exist, and they have the power to change things at any time."
She looked like she wanted to say something else, but she held her tongue. Smart girl.
"It's hard," I said simply. "It sucks."
"How am I supposed to face her family after this?" she asked. "I have to go home and see them. And if Travis doesn't win, I have to face our friends, our mutual friends, and know that I couldn't save him."
"It sucks," I repeated. "My girl this year, Levi… I don't know what I'll do if I lose her."
Acadia thought for a moment. "Oh, right..."
"Yes," I said. "It's not a great time."
"It's terrible," she said, her eyes shining.
"Come here," I said, pulling her into a hug. We sat like that for a while, clinging to each other on the bathroom floor, trying not to let the anxiety carry us away.
*Eulogies:
13th: Jessie "Jess" Tucson, D10F (knifed by Glowla): Jess was always a really interesting character to me. She wanted to change and become a better person, but she didn't always succeed: she had many moments where she lost her way and slipped back into old habits. Given the circumstances, I don't blame her. The Games aren't a great time for self-improvement. In the end, though, she proved to herself that she could rise above her flaws and make the best choice. Thank you to Penguin Parade for submitting Jess.
12th: Chaney Hallows, D7F (mutts): Chaney was easily one of the most tortured characters in this story. She brought a lot of angst to the table, and her inner conflict was extremely intense. Her guilt and regret consumed her. I honestly really enjoyed writing Chaney. I've always found it more difficult to write the loners than the bigger alliances, but Chaney was never a struggle. There was so much to explore in her story and her thoughts. Thank you to chcolate for submitting Chaney.
Kills:
Glowla- 2 (Ethan, Jess)
Caligula- 1 (Salome)
Sadie- 3 (Virgil, Ainsley, Deltro)
Damion- 1 (Halley)
Muir- 3 (Damion, Isla, Parker)
Travis- 1 (Samuel)
Chaney- 1 (Reese)
Mutts- 1 (Chaney)
Alliances:
The Careers: Glowla, Sadie, Muir
Chatty/Secretive/Conflicted Bros: Travis, Dale
District 8: Ianto, Levi
Bodyguarding: Caligula, Sienna
Loners: Journie, Alula
And that concludes Day 6! We've now reached/just surpassed the halfway point. As a fun update, once we reach the top 8, two things will happen. The first is that I'll put another poll on my profile. The second is that we'll get a fun, short little Gamemaker POV chapter. The update schedule will stay the same for the foreseeable future.
On another note: congrats to chcolate, G00N, and glimmerglint on your 3 brownie points! You guys nailed it: it was Chaney, Caligula, and Journie. Thank you guys for your reviews as well, they were so interesting. I can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts on this chapter! I've been itching to write the big lake encounter for a while now. Anyways, the blog will be updated ~momentarily~ and I'll see you guys next weekend!
-r-b*