XV. ROUGH EDGES
THE BLOODBATH
EUAN DARLING, DISTRICT 7 MALE (16)
No, please, Euan prayed as his plate rose, Not now.
He was panicked, definitely. The arena greeted his eyes, and Euan felt his heart beating out of his chest. Was this it? Was this his last moment? Only time would tell.
60, 59, 58, 57, 56, 54, 53, 52, 51, 50…
That precious time dwindled as Euan surveyed his surroundings, keeping in a scream. He couldn't see anything- maybe that was an exaggeration, but fog blanketed the arena in such a way Euan swore the temperature was below freezing point.
Rain hung with the fog- it was a rainforest.
No, a jungle.
He couldn't see farther than a few feet in all directions, maybe six- and because of this couldn't even see the arena. Because the fog made the arena seem almost as if it was night. The sky was practically black.
Aspen was two plates to his right, but Euan couldn't spot Lyana, Tristan, and Peri.
We can do this.
49, 48, 47, 46, 45, 44, 43, 42, 41, 40...
He stole a glance at Aspen, who gave him a reassuring smile, though franticness was disguised behind it. But directly to Euan's right were two Careers- the girl from 1 closest to him, and the boy from 2 next to Aspen. They just had to run, right? And then they'd be able to escape the wrath of the Careers. The good news was that the other half of District 1 was out of sight, and the other half of 2 as well. He couldn't spot District 4, though, and that scared him.
Perhaps he'd like to know where his enemies were so his allies could be safe.
39, 38, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30…
Time was running out. On Euan's left, the girl from 11 readied herself in a stance angled for the forests. So she wanted to cross in front of him, then. The only way to not get stabbed was to let her. She could attack him from behind if he ran ahead of her, and if they knocked each other down they were both dead.
29, 28, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20…
Euan felt strangely detached from the scene, as if he was watching as a spectator, not a tribute. He'd watched that way the previous years, so he recognized the feeling. This couldn't be real, could it? He was sure he'd wake up and be fine, wake up and be back in DIstrict 7. Oh, to live that simple life. He didn't know if he could withstand this, because even if he won it would mean Aspen and his allies would be dead.
And they were Euan's friends.
He didn't mind admitting it.
19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10…
Please, no, he pleaded, not knowing who to. Remembering his family was watching, helpless, he pasted on a hopeful smile.
Look away, Jude.
Look away, Mom.
Look away, Mom.
So little time was left on the clock. The numbers swirled in his mind, and all around Euan, tributes readied themselves.
Because this could very well be their last moment alive.
9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1-
Boom.
Euan jolted off his platform, and he was running. Running to get what, he didn't know. At one point, he stumbled, tripping over a knife and almost impaling himself because of the arena's darkness.
He was doing well, Euan thought after a glance over his shoulder. Nobody was following him as far as he could see (which, to be fair, wasn't that far).
A green pack came into focus, and Euan set his sights on it.
Maybe he could make it.
Just a few more yards.
Maybe he could survive-
He'd made it.
Seizing up the green pack, Euan stood and was about to run when he spotted something through the fog.
Aspen was pinned by the boy from 2.
And in a second, Euan was pinned too.
The boy from 3 threw himself on top of Euan, grinning nastily. "Oh, District 7, you're in a tough spot." He took a lethal looking weapon from the ground, "I think this'll be fun, don't you?"
Euan struggled, choking out "please".
"What's that?" the boy's eyes glinted dangerously. Euan tried to talk, but he was muffled by the kid's hand. "Got nothing to say? Alright then, let's get started-"
And then the boy was thrown off Euan.
The girl from 1 stood there, looking upset as she took a spear, stabbing it right through the District 3 boy as he screamed.
"How- could… you," the boy choked out, before his hand went limp and he collapsed.
She sighed, brushing back a piece of hair that had fallen out of a loose bun, "I'm sorry, Tesla."
Only then did she spot Euan. She glanced around for a second then whispered, "Go."
He was confused. "What?"
"Just go, before I change my mind," the girl looked troubled, and her grip on her spear was tight, so Euan bolted.
And then he remembered Aspen.
Aspen!
His district partner was limp at the boy from District 2's feet as he calmly brushed blood off of his two handed weapon. Euan couldn't comprehend what it was and didn't care, only thinking that this boy had killed Aspen. It couldn't be real, Aspen had smiled at him last night. Aspen had smiled at him during the countdown, but she was gone now.
With a barely controlled sob, Euan attacked the District 2 boy, not at all comprehending who he was fighting with.
Because the boy pinned him in a second.
But at least he didn't draw it out, stabbing his faucheard through Euan's chest.
He stumbled back, the pain almost blinding as he fell next to Aspen's body.
Euan had failed her. Failed his allies. Failed his district.
Failed his family.
TessaAcaciaJudeLyanaAspenTristanPeriTessaAcaciaJudeLyanaAspenTristanPeri-
A blinding blackness greeted his eyes, and Euan relaxed.
Maybe Aspen was waiting for him.
He hoped so.
REYENA JENSEN, DISTRICT 10 FEMALE (13)
Reyena was reasonably scared.
She was the youngest tribute among the masses, and older kids had already fallen.
She had passed Artemis, fighting bravely against the boy from Four until he was stabbed in the side, falling to the ground.
Reyena couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity, but she refocused on herself. A cameo pack was in an abandoned area, and she went straight for it.
Lady Luck was with her (or maybe just an advantage because of the fog) because nobody spotted the small girl flitting between the corpses, taking the pack as well as a small knife. But immediately Reyena knew she'd made a mistake- the only thing in the pack was a water bottle, if her instincts were correct.
However, she didn't have time to take anything else since a figure began to stalk towards Reyena. She panicked, retreating and finding safety as she stumbled into a leafy jungle.
If they could follow her, Reyena wouldn't be surprised. She wasn't taking any precautions with covering her tracks, but who would, considering the situation?
And then she ran into someone, knocking them down. They knocked her down too, and she stumbled up, hoping this wasn't the end of her.
Thankfully, it was Demeter. The blonde's beauty hadn't even faded, though now her beauty was in a panicked frame of mind.
"Reyena, I'm just so glad you're alive," Demeter rolled her eyes. Neither of them trusted each other as far as they could throw each other.
"Likewise," Reyena said sweetly, but tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.
Artemis was dead.
Reyena's poor district partner who she'd never wanted to die.
She was all District 10 had left in the Games now.
Demeter noticed these tears and visibly softened. "Hey, it's okay-"
"You're killing your ally," Reyena ordered.
Demeter's caring side vanished, immediately replaced by a defensive wariness. "Why?" she asked cagily.
"So we're only allied with each other-" Reyena turned pale, and so did Demeter. A heavy pounding was coming their way. Demeter ran, and Reyena ducked behind a bush.
"Reyena?" Bailey called softly.
Taking a deep breath, Reyena put herself back into character, stepping out from behind the bush.
"Bailey, they killed Artemis," she whispered. Those tears she didn't have to fake.
"I know," they muttered, sharpness edging their words.
Reyena hugged her ally tightly, feeling the knife in her sleeve and swallowing. She didn't want to kill Bailey, but she wanted to win.
"Sorry, Bailey," she said sweetly.
"For wha-" Bailey stiffened as Reyena stabbed them, quite literally, in the back, sighing as Bailey's body crumpled to the ground.
Their eyes were large and filled with surprise as they collapsed, and they choked out a final, "I trusted you."
It only made Reyena feel worse. Nevertheless, she glanced away, but Bailey's eyes didn't leave her even when life left them.
"Mia, you can come out now," she called.
With wide eyes, Demeter emerged from out of nowhere. She stared at Bailey's body. "You killed them?" she muttered hoarsely.
"I did," Reyena said calmly. "Now you're killing Miss Volunteer, understand? You don't need to know what'll happen if you don't."
Demeter really had nothing to worry about, because if it came to it, Demeter could easily beat Reyena in a fight. But apparently even though the district 9 girl was so calculating with the sponsors, she succumbed to Reyena's pressure, blowing hair out of her eyes.
"Fine. But I'm getting out of here," Demeter muttered.
"Have fun," Reyena called after Demeter's retreating back.
She knelt down to cut Bailey's pack off of their back, wincing as something sharp inside cut her fingers.
She heard frantic footsteps approaching and stood up, rushing away without Bailey's pack. She'd needed those supplies since she only had water now. And while water was essential, she couldn't survive on it.
In the end, she was just a child. A child who couldn't withstand these horrors.
But Reyena Jensen was going to try.
NICO BENETIEZ, DISTRICT 5 MALE (15)
Tesla was dead.
Nico had seen Lux kill him, which was a terrible prospect. The girl from 1 was the nicest Career in the bunch, and yet had killed their ally. Which meant the others wouldn't have any trouble with killing him.
Lux didn't know Nico had seen her kill Tesla. Through all the fog, it was impossible.
Nico supposed he should've guessed this would happen, and though he wouldn't wish death on anyone intentionally (killing people, he guessed, was fine given his situation) Tesla had kind of had it coming.
The fighting hadn't died down at all. Nico was still concerned for his own safety, constantly looking over his shoulder in the fight for supplies. Luckily, the Careers hadn't turned on him yet which Nico felt the need to rejoice over.
He heard someone call his name. Thinking it was one of the Careers, he rushed in the direction of it to find Ayla on the ground, pinned by Hestia, who smirked.
"Sorry, your district partner's with us," Hestia said, voice sickly sweet. Nico stood paralyzed, debating whether to choose between his own life or district loyalty.
Ayla's eyes were pleading, but he didn't respond.
Why had she called for him anyway? She knew he wouldn't save her.
He didn't puzzle over it anymore, because Hestia stabbed down at Ayla's throat. Nico looked away, his stomach turning, as Hestia decapitated Ayla. The poor girl was dead, though, so she hadn't felt most of it. All in all, though it had been gruesome in description, it hadn't been a terrible death.
Right?
Nico hadn't even killed Ayla, yet his conscience was roaring with fury at himself.
Hestia turned to him, panting. "Have you seen the others?"
Nico opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out. Get a grip.
He caught a glimpse of red curls across the foggy field, the only thing he could make out. "Merlot's over there." A triumphant cry soon followed.
"Alright, let's find him," Hestia said, seeming disgusted.
The pair began to make their way over to the boy from 1. They found him knelt over the body of the boy from 8.
"Seen anyone else?" Hestia demanded, yet in a hushed tone.
Merlot stood up, blood dripping from his sword. "No, but-"
Nero came barreling towards them, a faucheard between his hands. He stopped beside them, panting. "I was looking for you. Who's dead? I killed the Seven pair."
"Boys from 9 and 8, and my district partner," Nico recalled.
"I think the boy from 10's dead too, I saw Angelo take him down," Hestia added.
"Anyone else?" Nero asked.
"I don't think so, but we won't know until we hear the cannons," Hestia smirked.
Nico felt his throat close off. Hestia didn't know he knew about Tesla, right?
She can't, he focused himself. Even I barely saw.
"Where's Tesla and District 4?" Merlot craned his neck, as if this would give him a better scope of the battlefield.
"I don't know, probably still fighting, like we should," Hestia spoke in a hushed tone as the violence raged on around them. "Let's split up, then meet by the Cornucopia. Where is it, anyway?"
"Do you need help finding it?" Nico suggested- yet another of his remarks to break down the Careers' confidence from the inside.
"Do you think I would have asked if I didn't?" Hestia snapped. Obviously, she was cracking under the pressure, because usually she was a very social, extroverted type of person.
"I think north," Merlot pointed out.
"Which way's north?"
Nico beat Merlot to it, pointing out a shadow in the distance.
Hestia huffed, "Well, I'm not going to lose track of that at all." She began to rush away into the fog, and Merlot and Nero did as well, searching for more kills.
Nico was left standing, alone, completely lost. He tried to make his way to the Cornucopia, but tripped over a girl's corpse- he couldn't tell who, but he hoped it wasn't Ayla. Stumbling up, he made out the shadows of a girl sparring with a boy on the Cornucopia until she impaled him. A cheer went up and Nico realized the girl was Tempest. The boy was probably from District 6 or 9.
The fighting was starting to die down, Nico realized. The fog had thinned just slightly enough to see a bit more.
One, two, three… He counted five bodies, counting the boy Tempest had killed, though they were the only ones in his vicinity.
Tempest's shadow approached the group as Nico caught up with the rest of the Careers- Hestia, Merlot, Lux, and Nero waiting for Tempest as well as Angelo and maybe even Tesla if they didn't know he was dead.
That led Nico back to his strategy. He would stay with the Careers until their numbers had at least slightly thinned, he decided. Then it would be safe to run, especially if he killed a few in their sleep. He had to catch them unawares before they caught him.
From what Nico could tell, Tempest had fought the boy in the Cornucopia, him having been stupid enough to run directly towards it. It was ironic, though, because he'd seemed smart enough to have kept Tempest at bay for a minute- but nobody could outmatch a Career, Nico thought grimly.
The blonde District 4 girl emerged from the mist, her braid swinging, "So, I assume it's over, then?"
Hestia nodded.
"Where's Angelo and Tesla?"
"We don't know, but-" Merlot began, stopping abruptly as Angelo seemed to appear out of thin air, gripping a pack tightly.
"Tesla's dead," Angelo said, but there was an odd lilt to his voice.
Hestia should have gasped, but she didn't. However, Nico admired her acting: she'd managed to make her face go completely pale and looked shocked. Nero shared a similar staged reaction, as did Merlot and Tempest, though both of the latter's were of higher quality. Lux, obviously, couldn't act shocked like the others- it was a stretch for even the greatest actress- but she did look ashamed.
"He got himself killed?" Merlot groaned. "Well, at least the pack's smaller now, and we don't have to worry about sharing so many supplies."
Nico felt sweat drip down his neck, and his breathing increased. He had to leave sooner, rather than stay with them for longer. It just wasn't safe. They already seemed ready to kill him, and Nico very well couldn't leave them. His pleasant nature towards the Careers had done absolutely nothing, and now it showed. Even Lux had showed her claws, and now Nico wasn't sure of what was the best thing to do at the moment.
"Then again, a pack should be six," Tempest said sensibly. "But, of course…" She gave Nico a look- not one of loathing, but one that seemed to say she didn't love the fact he'd gotten a spot in the pack. Which, to be honest, was terrifying: Lux had been Nico's biggest advocate, and Tempest had leaned towards letting Nico in as well, and now both were showing a completely different side to themselves.
Nico shifted uncomfortably, and then it clicked.
They hadn't given him a spot after all, but Nico hadn't realized it. They had never wanted him with them in the first place- maybe Lux had, but nobody else had cared about his existence. They were planning to backstab him all along, and he had fallen into their trap like an idiot. Tempest and Nero had been the heads of it, no doubt, with their wits, and had made their manipulation seem like Nico was in charge. He had thought he was, really had thought so.
And now it was too late to learn from that mistake.
"Should we fix that, then?" Merlot humored the group.
"We should," Hestia agreed, moving towards Nico in one swift move.
He tried to run, but it was too late, because Hestia caught him in the back with a spear mid run. The Careers circled Nico like a pack of sharks, but Nico couldn't believe they'd taken him out so early. He hadn't trusted them, but he thought they would trust him.
Pain erased his vision and he collapsed to the ground, hoping he would and wouldn't bleed out at the same time. I can still win. I'm not dead yet. I'm not giving up-
"Well, I hope District 5 doesn't hate me," Hestia mock-sighed.
Lux, however, seemed shocked. "I thought we were only killing Tesla!"
"We weren't going to tell you," Nico thought the voice was maybe Angelo, but he couldn't tell as he squeezed his eyes shut from the pain.
Something blinding filled his vision, and Nico felt himself slipping away.
No!
TRISTAN SOL, DISTRICT 12 MALE (15)
Euan and Aspen were dead.
Tristan knew because they hadn't met up with the remaining three members of their alliance after the bloodbath.
And though he hadn't seen their corpses, neither Peri nor Lyana and not even Tristan himself had seen or heard from them since the bloodbath.
He couldn't be sure, but he definitely got a bad feeling about it.
Peri wasn't giving up hope, though. "We won't know until the projections," she'd argued fiercely. "They could just be lost."
Unlike Peri, Lyana didn't seem too hopeful. She couldn't communicate now with the District 12 pair since neither of them knew sign language, but the gloomy way she carried herself and the obvious tears she held back suggested that she'd given up.
They'd found their way into part of the misty rainforest that was also a jungle, groping blindly as they ran. Peri had fallen once and hurt her ankle, though she insisted it was fine, but was wincing as they kept running.
After several more falls from all of the members in the trio, they decided it was time to stop.
"Let's unpack and see what we have," Peri suggested. As Tristan and Peri began emptying their sacks, Lyana comprehended this too and pulled hers off her back.
Lyana's pack wasn't the biggest, but contained materials by far the most precious- two filled plastic water bottles, four sandwiches, and a dagger. However, Tristan's pack was much less promising, as it consisted of some rope and bandages, plus an empty canteen of water.
"They gave me contacts," Peri held up the 24-piece unmarked container for her allies to see.
Tristan's heart began to race. "Try them on."
"I mean, I've never worn contacts, but I'll try," Peri replied dubiously. She began inserting the contacts into her eyes, wincing every now and then until she blinked, showing they were in. Tristan's district partner gasped, standing up from her seat on a rock.
"What?" Lyana asked expectantly.
Peri's demeanor changed immediately, "I can see!" She gestured wildly for Lyana's sake, but the District 8 girl looked confused, so Peri slid the container over to her.
"Tristan, you try some too." She gave him the packet.
Tristan had never had glasses or even contacts, so it was certainly a struggle, but when he finished the arena was so much clearer. The fog had practically faded from his vision, and everything was clear.
Lyana grinned. "They're working for me, what about y-"
BOOM!
One.
BOOM!
Two.
BOOM!
Three.
BOOM!
Four.
"Are those the cannons?" Lyana asked quietly. Peri nodded.
BOOM!
For Lyana's sake, Tristan held up five fingers. She gave him a grateful grin.
BOOM!
Six.
With each cannon, Tristan's heart stalled, because it only meant that Aspen and Euan had a smaller chance of surviving.
BOOM!
"Seven," Peri said aloud, wiping at her eyes before a tear slipped out. She tried to cover it up, though, and pasted on a smile that bore very few differences to her usual one.
BOOM!
Eight.
Tristan hoped the cannons would stop soon, not only for the sake of his allies but also for the sake of the other kids in the arena. He knew that with each cannon it meant he was closer to the end, but it still pained him to know that even his enemies were dying around him.
BOOM!
Nine.
Peri held her breath, as did Tristan, his fingers unmoving in the air. Lyana froze too, and for a moment, none of them moved. When no other cannons sounded, everyone in the trio visibly relaxed- though not by much. The suspense was still there, still the worry that their allies might not be alive anymore.
It was unthinkable to imagine Aspen and Euan dead. Aspen's light which she'd tried to keep secret could never shine again, and Euan's bright personality and humor would never make them laugh again.
Please be alive, guys.
KILL COUNT
Nero Blastaries: II
Hestia Mclearson: II
Lux Leblanc: I
Reyena Jensen: I
Angelo Marris: I
Merlot Montague: I
Tempest Trinidad: I
Alliances
Don't Wreck My Sanity: Deiondra, Arden
Dysfunctional: Peri, Tristan, Lyana
Careers: Merlot, Lux, Hestia, Nero, Tempest, Angelo, Nico
Let's Go Home: Audelia, Avven
How To Backstab: Demeter, Reyena
24th Place: Tesla Miller (D3M), speared by Lux
Oh, Tesla. Unfortunately, I think we all knew this was going to happen. He was unpleasant and mean, but then again, he was definitely a fun villain to write. His arrogance was so full-blown that it definitely made him one of my favorites. Thank you so much to MeTheFanatic19 for submitting him!
23rd Place: Aspen Meredith (D7F), stabbed by Nero
By no means did Aspen deserve this. She was one of my favorite tributes in the bunch, but this death was planned out for a while. She had such motivation, but in the end it wasn't enough and I hate to say that. Thank you to averyrandomauthor for submitting her!
22nd Place: Euan Darling (D7M), stabbed by Nero
Raf, even before you told me you wanted Euan "to die smiling or protecting Aspen" this was planned out. Euan was so devoted to her, and I always thought that if one D7 tribute went down, so would the other. He was such a sweet tribute, and it's hard to see him go. Thank you to averyrandomauthor for submitting him!
21st Place: Artemis Jade (D10M), stabbed by Angelo
Oh, Artemis. Probably the tribute with the saddest backstory of them all. He was so multi-dimensional and always tried to fight his schizophrenia, and went down fighting in the end. I don't know if his submitter, SetFiresJust2WatchThemBurn, is reading, but if you are please know you submitted a wonderful tribute.
20th Place: Bailey Brearmon (D11M), backstabbed by Reyena
Yeah, this was pretty obvious. Even though I loved them, this was the obvious choice for their bloodbath. Bailey was so caring yet so stubborn and ultimately that's what got them killed. They didn't deserve to go so early, but I never imagined them moving on after Artemis died. Thank you so much to chcolate for submitting them!
19th Place: Ayla Maxwell (D5F), decapitated by Hestia
Ayla was originally going to make it to the top half. Unfortunately, her story ended here, which in the end seemed the most logical thing for me, but she was really fun to write and began the whole journey of And We Run, so she will definitely be missed. Thank you so much to 30777 for submitting her!
18th Place: Linteum Ark (D8M), stabbed by Merlot
Linteum Ark. Saddest death ever, because he was the sweetest tribute of them all. He really never stood a chance, but I loved every second of writing him and his gentle, naive self. Thank you so much to cartierscrown for submitting him!
17th Place: Leon Knox (D9M), impaled by Tempest
Aw, Leon. He was strong enough to move on, and brave too, but just one of the unlucky ones. This wasn't going to happen until I started writing it, and I knew it was where he was supposed to go. Thank you so much to Marie464 for submitting him!
16th Place: Nico Beneitiez (D5M), speared by Hestia
This wasn't actually supposed to happen. Originally, I had him in about ninth, but that changed as I realized he just wasn't making it out in my vision of the bloodbath. He was a pleasant character I really liked writing, and probably the most morally gray out of these kids, so it's sad to see him go. Thank you to LC-it-gets-better-alt-account for submitting him!
- x -
A/N
And there we have our bloodbath! Was it shocking? The twist isn't all that it seems, though. This was such an exciting chapter to write, and I hope you didn't scroll! I'll be back with Day I as soon as I can, but my laptop is almost dead and I don't have a charger where I'm staying so I'll have to work with that. Also, Happy Thanksgiving to all Americans!