Annabelle Royce,18, District 1 female
I sit on the edge of my bed as i polish my nails in preparation for tomorrow. They'll be the color red since it'll match up with all of the blood that's going to be spilled tomorrow and I just can't wait! I finish up my last nail and stand up to look out the window as I look up at all of the stars up in the sky. Everything here is man made, it honestly wouldn't even surprise me if the sky was created in some lab or something.
That doesn't matter to me though, what matters is me walking out of that arena as victor and my only concern is that this'll be too fucking easy. I mean a win is always more satisfying when you work for it, yeah I'll still obviously be happy with a victory but it'll be lame if everyone just crumbles without giving me a challenge!
I think of my allies and honestly don't see them as much of a threat. Amos might be the strongest one stylistically for me but he still shouldn't pose much of an issue. I'll cut that cocky grin right off his face!
After looking out the window, I sit in front my mirror and start putting on some more make up after washing off that ugly shit they had on my face earlier for the interviews. I preferred my make up! Not that capitol brand stuff.
Anyways I won't have any time in the morning to do this so that's why I'm just doing this now. My hair is already done so I just wrap a scarf around it so it doesn't get messed up. I put my lipstick on me and think of Marisa and my fat slob of a father. After I come home as victor, I'm going to move Marisa in with me. That fat slob can just rot in his house all alone. I pop my lips and begin putting on some eyeliner and do a confident grin, look at this face, the face of a victor!
Teddy Trismegistus,14, District 1 male
I keep my fists clenched as I pace around my room. That fucking Barbel, I swear I'm going to fucking kill him! I got one of the highest scores and busted my ass trying to impress him, just trying to earn my keep in the alliance, but he just kicks me out anyways, and why? Oh cause I'm 14? What kind of reason is that? I angrily knock my lamp off my dresser and it clatters onto the floor as shards spread everywhere, but I don't care.
I'm all alone now, no allies, nothing but myself. Barbel's face flashes into my head though and I clench my fists even more. None of the careers take me seriously, they only view me as some sort of pushover just cause I'm the youngest, I'm going to prove to them though that I am the best, and I'm going to prove that by cutting down their leader, after I fuck this guy up they'll have choice but to acknowledge me as one of them. The moment that gong sounds, I'm going right after him and he better be ready!
Victoria Aspen,18, District 2 female
It all begins tomorrow, me fighting for my life against everyone else. These last few days went by so quickly. It's almost surreal knowing some of us will be dead tomorrow. Everything is just so quiet and peaceful right now, the calm before the storm, that's what it's called. I think of Emmett and even that smug look Karen always has on her face. I need to get to him as quickly as possible. I know she's going right after him. I promise you though Emmett, I won't let her get to you.
"You're getting too attached to that kid." Amos' voice plays back in my head.
"You need to get your shit together!" Barbel's plays back and I close my eyes for a moment.
Look what I've gotten myself into, I wanted to be ruthless, I wanted to just not give a shit about anyone, but just seeing that kind helpless boy being mistreated, I just feel like I have to keep him safe, at least until after the bloodbath, will that be enough though? Will I feel the need to just completely abandon my alliance just to keep him safe? I really don't know. What I do know though is that I care about that boy, and it'll likely lead to my downfall…
Amos Walton,17, District 2 male
I sit at the dining table as I eat a blueberry scone by myself. I look at the scone and smile at it as it brings back so many memories. When I first got with my girlfriend Dana, the first place I took her to was the corner bakery. We ate Blueberry scones together while we talked for hours. I really do miss her and after I return home as victor, I'm going to propose to her. She's the one, she's the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. I finish up the rest of my scone and walk out to the balcony as the night breeze flies by me.
Tomorrow is the day and these hands of mine will likely be stained in blood, likely the blood of a tribute only trying to protect someone they love. Will that make me guilty though? No. I don't revel in it, but I'm not afraid to take a life. I'll do whatever I need to do to get home. Everyone has someone or something to protect and I have my family and friends waiting for me back at home, whatever is presented to me in that arena, I will overcome it.
Zananova "Zan" Pixa,13, District 3 female
I close my book as I let out a yawn and lay across my bed with a smile plastered across my face. Tomorrow, if only it can just hurry up. I'm so excited that I can't even sleep since I'm thinking about the experiments I'll be performing on those pesky 'allies' of mine. They're both weak so I expect atleast one of them to die in the bloodbath, the one that survives though will be my pin cushion for me to poke up as I please. I can't help but let out a maniacal laugh as I think of all of the different toxins I'll be entering into their bloodstream. They'll scream, they'll beg, they'll cry and I'll just revel in all of it!
I look at the ribbon that's still coated in the bloodstains of my parents and I remember them getting executed as I hid right under the bed and squeeze it tightly. How would they feel knowing who I was? Will they accept me or will I terrify them? I'll never know the answer to that, but I know I have one person who can relate to me. Tyvon, just watch me, you'll be proud.
Xavarion "Xavi" Odoro, 18, District 3 male
I stare at my shadow on the wall that's only standing across from me, just staring. I clench my fists as I look down at the floor for a moment and it all begins to dawn on me. I'm going into the arena tomorrow, and that can very well end up being my grave. I'm going to have to fight, there's no question about that and I've gotten the attention of some of the most dangerous tributes in the arena this year.
I think of Milah and Ryder, how I can't let either of them down, I also think of how he kissed me… my sister will be so broken if she ever found out that happened and I'll take that to my grave if I have to. Regardless how we feel about each other, I can't hurt my sister like that. She's happy with him and they both need to take care of each other.
I look up from the floor and back at my shadow as I put my hands in a fighting stance and bounce on my toes before I start shadow boxing. I envision Barbel across from me. I lead with my jab keeping him at bay and to also set up counters and combinations. I then throw an oblique kick at his knee causing him to wobble and lower his guard and deliver an uppercut followed by a left hook. That should be enough to drop him and make a run for it. If I stay in the cornucopia too long, the careers will surround me and eventually overwhelm me. I can't let that happen, especially not when I have Oswine with me. I throw several more combinations at my shadow mixing up punches with kicks. I have to keep my opponents guessing, I can't become too predictable out there. I need to use everything in my arsenal, everything if I want to have any chance of walking out of this arena alive.
Barbel Beacher,18, District 4 male
I weave all of his attacks and land a punch on his jaw before taking him down to the ground. I know what he's going to try. He's going to try and stun me long enough so he can make a run for it. He knows the odds will be severely stacked against him the longer he stays and I know exactly what he's going to try and I'm prepared to counter it.
He won't be my only target though, I expect Teddy to try and do something, he'll fail but I still expect him to try none the less. He's not just going to accept that he isn't on the level as the rest of us, so I'll beat him down so he can slowly realize that and then end him. I look at my shadow on the wall and see the other me. It's bloodshot eye's and crazed grin gazing right at me.
"You won't control me." I mumble to my shadow as I clench my fists. If I lost myself in the arena, if I allowed this monster to control me, it was over. I wasn't just going to be fighting against 23 people, but I'm also going to be fighting with myself. None the less though, it'll be me walking out of that arena alive.
Vendetta McClain,18, District 4 female
Sleep vendetta, sleep I think to myself as I try and close my eyes to fall asleep but I can't. I open my eyes again as I gaze up at my ceiling and I think of Mattias burning in the sea of acid as he let's out pained screams and I turn to my side, trying to close my eyes again.
"Vendetta…" I hear a ghostly voice, no.
"Go away…just go." I mumble as I feel my eyes begin to water.
"Look at me you pathetic little man!" I hear my father's angry voice and I turn around to face him.
"Leave!" I say louder but he only grins.
"So this is your way out huh? You're just going to sleep it off and wake up like nothing's happened huh?" He laughs as he paces the room.
"Just leave me alone." My eyes continue to swell.
"This is your retribution Vendetta? This is how you're going to close the book on this? All this training, all this pain you've had to endure only to turn a blind eye on the sole person responsible for it all. Mattias will be so upset with you." He insults me.
"No he wouldn't." I state. Mattias wouldn't want this, he wouldn't want me to avenge him.
"Hmm hmm, you're probably right, But what about you Vendetta, what do you want? Do you want to live the rest of your life knowing you're a coward?" he levitates over me.
"I'm not a coward." I sternly say.
"Then prove it!" He laughs.
"I don't need to prove anything to you!" I say through gritted teeth.
"Not to me, to yourself cause you don't even believe the bullshit you're spewing from your mouth right now!" He scolds me and I only clench my fists.
"So go ahead Vendetta, you want to live your life like a wimpy little punk, go ahead, close your eyes and fall asleep." He laughs as he disperses in the air and I sit up on my bed as I take several deep breaths. Mattias…I just wish I can speak to you.
I look over on my dresser and see the knife I used to cut into an apple earlier and slip it into my pocket before leaving my room and walking up to Maria's door before knocking on it. It opens seconds later and I see Maria with a robe on as she smiles.
"Hey you ok?" She asks with concern.
"Can I come in?" I ask her and she opens her door all way.
"Of course, come in, make yourself comfortable!" She invites me in and I walk in and sit on the edge of her bed, noticing a half empty bottle of booze on her dresser.
She pours me a small cup of it and hands it to me before I gulp it down, feeling a burning sensation going down my throat.
"Still having trouble sleeping? I know tomorrow's a big day." She comments as she sits next to me.
"Yeah…I just have a lot on my mind right now." I admit.
"Want to talk about it, get some of it off your chest?" She asks as she takes a sip from her cup.
"coward…" my father's voice echoes as I shake my head in frustration.
"Vendetta, what's wrong?" she worriedly asks as she puts her hands on my lap and I close my eyes for a moment as I get my thoughts together but tears begin rolling down my eyes as my lips quiver.
"Vendetta, it's ok." Maria tries to assure me as she rests my head against her torso and rubs my shoulders. Mattias, what do you want me to do…please answer me!
"It's ok." She repeats as I continue crying, I'm so overwhelmed just thinking about all of this, I just want it to end.
"Maria…" I sniff.
"Yes?" she calmly asks and I sit up from her chest and look into her ocean blue eyes. All I see in her eyes is pain, sadness and guilt but they're still so beautiful.
"Maria…Mattias was my fiancée." I admit and her eyes widen in shock and her mouth opens but doesn't say anything.
"Oh my god, Vendetta no…no." her mouth quivers before she covers it but I comfort her by putting my hand on her shoulder.
"it's ok Maria. It is…" I calmly say as tears begin coming down her eyes.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." she sobs.
"Mattias, he would want me to forgive you, he would." I sniff as she continues crying but looks at me.
"He will want me to forgive you, he knows that you didn't do anything wrong." I try and console her and she sniffs again as she looks at me.
"Vendetta…thank you." She cries and I nod.
"It's not about what he wants anymore though." I state and before she can react, bury my knife into her throat.
Her eyes widen in shock and pain and she reflexively tries to throw a punch at me but I grab her arm and twist it before slamming her on the mattress. She tries to scream but only spurts up a mouthful of blood. I pull my knife out and stab her in the torso as she's still struggling trying to kick me off of her but I continue stabbing her in the torso numerous times as her blood is splattering everywhere on and around me. I stabbed her so many times but she's still making pained agonal sounds as she's coughs up more blood trying to scream while blood is pouring out of the dozens of stab wounds in her body.
"It's hurts right? It fucking hurts doesn't it?" I say through gritted teeth as tears pour down my eyes holding the blood soaked knife above her as she's breathing erratically and gurgling up blood.
"Well imagine how I felt! Imagine what I went through losing the only person who cared about me! You made me this way! I am a monster because of you!" I cry, but she manages to gently touch my face with her blood soaked hand and I continue crying. I look in her eyes as tears roll down them, taking her last breathes and still gurgling blood from her mouth. I betrayed her and even then in her final moments, she tries to comfort me…
I let out another pained cry before plunging my knife into her chest, her eyes roll back into her head and i fall to the floor crying and hyper ventilating, looking at my hands covered in her blood. I then sink my head into the floor as I begin crying more. This is who I am now. I chose the path to revenge, retribution and hate instead of the path to forgiveness, peace and love. I have to live the rest of my life knowing that…
Here's part 1 of the goodbyes, a relatively short chapter. This'll probably be the longest of the three final thoughts chapters. Part 2 will begin as tributes are boarding the hovercraft that'll be transporting them to the arena, and part 3 will take place in the launch rooms. This was a very emotional chapter for me to write and it's only going to continue from here, Till next time!
The Careers- Annabelle Royce, Victoria Aspen, Amos Walton, Vendetta McClain, Barbel Beacher, Vladimir Licht
The Three Stooges- Zananova Pixa, Sariah Hurd, Acalistor Macalister
Unbreakable Bonds- Fall Baromet, Winter Baromet
The Total Package?- Thomas Powell, Lykrie Ellisman, Percival Klein
Addicting Chemistry- Lysta Crank, Rylee Turbin
Beauty&The Beast- Citrus Sabrilla, Calla Fable
Big Bro&Lil Bro- Xavarion Odoro, Oswine Nanshope
Loners- Teddy Trismegistus, Mercedes Swift, Emmett Portland, Karen McShole