Aversa Jewel POV
"I got her! Come on, let's go mop up the rest!"
Steel's alliance had no business sharing the camp with mine and Marley's. They were a bunch of second-stringers and cops. As soon as we got all our stuff together we were planning to take them out, and it was finally time. The others gathered up their weapons and we set out.
We were cautious as we approached Steel's building. No one in her alliance used long-range weapons, but that didn't mean they couldn't. We watched the windows carefully as we got closer.
Akari was the first one inside the building. She muttered something angrily and we poured in after her. The building was empty. A trail of blood droplets led out the door on the opposite side. We followed them and I caught a glimpse of three figures running off when I looked through a window.
"There they go!" Arielle said. We charged out after them. They were running down the row of buildings toward the one at the end. They were almost there, but Steel was lagging behind. I was more focused on Troy and Cierra. Steel was wounded and couldn't have fought us off even at her best. Arielle must have thought the same thing, since her throw was aimed at Cierra. Her trident stuck into Cierra's back, and she fell.
We were starting to catch up to the others when the mutts came. Arielle shouted and pointed behind her at the approaching herd of dogs. I had no idea what they were, but I didn't want to find out. Akari threw one last knife at Troy, and it nicked his shoulder. We broke off the attack and retreated toward our building as the dogs ran closer. One of them looked right at me and changed directions. Another chased after Troy and Steel, and the rest ran between us without stopping and continued across the Arena.
"Guys, that dog looks really pissed!" I yelled as we ran for the door. We darted inside and slammed the door shut on the mutt. It slammed itself into the door over and over, scratching and biting at the metal. I thought it would get bored and leave eventually, but it just kept going. Akari threw a knife into its head, but it didn't notice. All we could do was hunker down and wait it out. It was going to be a long night.
Cierra Daline POV
My friends were okay. That was the most important thing. I saw Steel and Troy run into the building and shut the door as Aversa and the others turned back as the dogs ran by. I wouldn't have been able to stop them if they'd attacked me, but they paid me no attention. They must have had somewhere else to be.
I could bear dying. I'd done it before. It wasn't so bad. I was just glad Steel and Troy were okay. She was so smart, and he was so strong and cunning. Surely one of them would win. I'd like that.
Mist Hastings POV
What was all this? I felt like I'd been gone from my body so long I could barely remember who I was. I was stuck in some sort of military campground, and people were dying.
I thought things were going back to normal when I saw the dogs. A herd of monstrous dogs was more familiar to me than the rest of this. As familiar as they were, I didn't want to be any closer to them. I liked my new, quiet life. I didn't have to always be scared of the ghosts and monsters. For whatever reason, most of them were gone.
I kept walking until I found a house. It was small and white, and it wasn't like the rest of the drab buildings. I hoped I didn't find anyone inside. Everyone here seemed to be dangerous. I opened the door and stepped inside the house. It was empty. I hoped whoever owned it didn't mind that I was staying there.
I found a bedroom upstairs and tried to collect my scattered memories. I was Mist Hastings. I lived in District Four. I used to have a friend name Troy. I might have killed him. There were a lot of horrible things that seemed too terrible to be true. I knew some were and some weren't, but I wasn't sure which.
The most important thing was surviving. The longer I lasted, the more I could figure out. When I got back home, if I ever did, I could find out what was going on. Until then, I had to stay hidden and live.
Daisy Stem POV
I didn't want to be near the buildings with all the other Careers. Since there wasn't any food or water in the Cornucopia, it had to be somewhere else. I didn't know about food, but I could probably find some water in one of the giant red water towers I saw behind some trees.
I climbed the ladder to the nearest one and pulled open the hatch. A sword shot out and nearly cut my head off. I almost fell off the platform on top of the ladder, and I scrambled to a crouch behind the door.
"Good gracious! Sorry!" I blurted. I slammed the hatch shut and scampered down the ladder. I hadn't known that water tower was taken. There was another one beside it, and I moved over there without giving the current occupant any more trouble. There was plenty of space for both of us. I'd stay on my side of the fence.
I was more cautious entering the other water tower. Luckily, no one was in it. The Tribute from the first water tower must not have wanted a fight any more than I did, since he never even came out of the hatch. I nestled myself into my new home and made plans to fix it up a little once it was dark out. I could use some of the branches from the nearby pine trees to soften the floor, and I'd have to find some food, too. I couldn't exactly ask my neighbor for a cup of sugar.
21st place: Cierra Daline- Trident thrown by Arielle
Cierra was one of the nicest Careers here. That was a huge disadvantage. If she'd run ahead of Steel, she probably would have made it, but that wasn't like her. She got caught in the Games because of a moment's mistake, and instead of becoming a monster, she died as herself. Thanks Kkfanatic for Cierra. She had the skills to win. She just didn't have the cruelty.
The mutt that ran after Steel and Troy has targeted Steel. However, there are some things the Devil Dogs can't do. They can't climb ladders or most trees, just really low set pine trees with multiple close-packed branches. They can't bust through walls. They'll stay by doors until they gnaw through them, but will take all day. They can smell their target, but they're not as fast as most dogs, since they're so massive. Long story short, it's possible to elude them as long as you stay ahead of them. It's just really hard.