Chapter 1 - The Future and the Past
January 25th, 100th Anniversary of the Victors Massacre
Bliss watched in horror as a small child from District 12 began to convulse and fell to the floor. 100 years on, to the day, and history was repeating itself.
As if on cue, a child from 11 began screaming for their mother staring at the blood on their hands in terror.
Across the dining hall Victors, their families, friends and numerous others were showing symptoms of poisoning.
She looked towards the President, trying to gage her reaction. She looked furious and was yelling orders to the staff, Peacekeepers stormed the room taking anyone showing not symptoms into custody.
She forced herself to breath as the Peacekeepers approached her table. She noticed one of her friends staggering closer, fear in his eyes and blood dripping down his face. A Peacekeeper pulled her from her seat but the second the solid surface beneath her was removed, she lost the battle to keep herself upright.
Cyan, collapsed next to her as the Peacekeeper stared at the pair in horror. The last thing Bliss heard was her mother screaming as her vision faded out.
Day 10/11, 171st Hunger Games
Aqua Riva, District 5 Male
Aqua stared in horror as a section of the band on his wrist went black. His sponsor cap had been reached. He felt helplessness rising as he did his best to make his District Partner comfortable. There was nothing he could do for her now.
The games had start off odd. The Girl from District 13 blew up before the bloodbath even began. He had been one the podium next to her and barely managed to stay stop himself from blowing himself up.
His District partner had been on the other side of the Cornucopia. According to her, someone beside her also blew up.
They had done their best grab as much as they could and get out while the other Tributes were fighting. He managed to grab a backpack, a knife and a water bottle, as he searched for her, while she had also snagged some backpacks. As they were heading off into the dunes, one of the Careers from the Capitol threw a knife him. His District partner had pulled him out of harms way, but the knife must had nicked her arm.
They had made it to the safety of some caves by nightfall, the girl from 12 joining them. Her District Partner was dead and of her original allies, one had been blown up and the other had decided to go solo because of it.
When he had been reaped he thought he had a chance. Turba was 18, she was strong, smart and healthy. She actually had a good chance of winning on her own but the amendments that had been made after the Victors Massacre almost a hundred years earlier meant they could both have.
Dusty had known that. She was also 14, her District partner and alliance was her only hope of victory. She had decided to just let them kill her when she approached them, not thinking they would keep her as an ally.
When Turba started getting sick, it was Dusty who realised what had happened. Turba had picked up the knife, it was mostly decorative and looked like the hair pin of the girl from the Capitol. Dusty explained that it was poisoned with something almost impossible to get a hold of.
The poison was synthetic and basically froze you from the point of contact. The only cure was also synthetic. There were some medicinal plants that could help slow it, but as time passed it would get worse and worse.
Dusty frequently snuck out of their hiding place to gather what she could. District 12's chance to medicine meant she was well versed in what could help and what could hinder. After the fifth day they were forced to move. They had stayed in one place too long and Dusty had almost run into the Careers twice as she moved further and further from their hiding place for supplies.
They actually relocated so they were closer to the Cornucopia. Water was plentiful in their little oasis. It had been a miracle that they had found it at all, as it simply looked as if there were a random tree, a few rocks and nothing else next to a massive cliff. Outside their cave was the Oasis proper, but you couldn't see it from above as the cave was a kind of over hang.
Not long after, Turba's band had her sponsor cap section go black. They hadn't received a single sponsor gift so Dusty snuck out to check if they hand landed near the tree. She returned empty handed and disappointed.
Days pass and the other Tributes must have been entertaining enough for them to be ignored. Then Dusty's sponsorship cap was reached. She again snuck out to check if the gift had simply landed above them. She never came back and her image was in the sky that evening.
By that stage Turba's arm was completely frozen and it was starting to creep across her chest. The rest of her body was cooling too, so she was constantly shivering despite the desert heat. And she was kept unconscious using some of the medicinal plants Dusty had gathered.
By the time Aqua's sponsor cap was used, 24 hours after Dusty's face appeared in the sky, he came to the realisation that his mentors must have been backing someone else. Wasting the money that would usually go to their families on tributes from other Districts.
He knew Turba wouldn't last the night. The Ice would reach her heart by morning, stopping it forever.
He propped her up enough to pour more of their home-made sedative down her throat. He may not be able to save her, but he could ensure she didn't feel it as her life finally slipped away.
Aqua could only recall one other time that specific poison had been used. The Victors Massacre had seen 13 people killed by it, including Caesar Flickerman. The first 12 had frozen in minutes as their poison laced drinks had held enough several times the amount needed to kill. Flickerman had lasted another 6 hours, having ingested only a small amount.
Turba's skin had barely been broken, the tiniest amount getting in. It was the only explanation for how long she had survived, even with Dusty's plants slowing it down.
As he heard the cannon signalling her death, another sound filled the air.
Trumpets.
Hi everyone and welcome to the first story in the Amendments/Massacre Universe. Currently unnamed because honestly I am bad at naming stuff. This is an SYOT and details are on my profile.
The world diverges at the 3rd Quarter Quell. There is a list of important information about the Universe. It will expand over time so be sure to check back often.
