A/N: I have a poll up by the way!
Dylan Angel
District 4, 18, Male
I slam my fist against the wall of the cornucopia.
"Damn you!" I scream and stick my middle finger at the bushes, hoping for it to reach Caesar. He had left the cornucopia unguarded and ran off with half our supplies. To be honest, I don't think Caesar would've been able to carry them on his own but still! All I wanted to do was slam a knife through his chest.
"Can we go find him, then?" Vidia sneers and I am surprised by her sudden cooperation.
"Ah, Vidia..." Brooke says and catches my eye. I remember what we talked about last night and let go of a sigh.
"Vid, you see-."
"Did you just call me Vid?" Oh, that was a mistake. Vidia slaps me across the face but Brooke acts fast and trips her before she can do any harm, Vidia lays on the floor with a snarl on her face.
"Look, I'm sorry but this alliance is messed up and I and Dylan are leaving."
"Fine with me!" She cries and jumps to her feet.
The rest of the morning, I and Brooke packed and began to strategize.
"When are you leaving?" Vidia asks and I see her eyes, they are red and puffy. A wave of guilt floods over me as I realize that she had been crying.
"Look, we're sorry," I say, sympathetically.
"I know, I understand." She nods and I see a different side of her, a more emotional side. Kliar's death must have hit her hard. I nod and Brooke walks in, acknowledging Vidia.
"Ready to go?" She asks and I notice the bags over her shoulders. I hesitate but eventually answer,
"Yes."
Brooke leaves and I take my bags.
"Well, I guess this is goodbye."
"Yes, I suppose it is." I throw her into a hug and she slowly wraps her arms around me,
"Good luck," I whisper and let go. I quickly leave as I see the tears in her eyes, I take hold of Brooke's hand and squeeze it. She quickly slaps my arm back but gives me a warm smile.
Caesar Gold
District 1, 18, Male
No one had died for a while and that makes me uncomfortable. The more people that die, the less time I have to spend in this sh*tty place and the sooner I can get back home to my newly found riches and glory. I had never gone to the beach, there was only one in 1 and no one bothered spending their time there, that was what fools like Brooke and Dylan would do with their time. In 1 we were smart and strategic. In this arena, I had come to the decision that I hate sand. It's hot and grainy, making it useless. Like Sapphire in a way, she was hot but useless in every way possible.
I run my fingers through my hair and settle down next to a cactus that sits on the outskirts of the ugly forest. I was so pissed with the arena and so done with the Games! Suddenly, my middle finger sticks into the air and I blurt out, "How f*cking original you pieces of sh*t! Can't even do your f*cking job, wow." Well, that was a bad idea I think as the cactus beside me begins to turn and I shuffle out of the way.
Pew. I hear as one of the spikes from the cactus flies past my face.
Oh crap.
I scramble to my feet and spikes fly into my back and up my arms.
What do I do?
I run, it's the only thing I can do. I look behind and see 3 cacti bouncing towards me, spikes still flying from them, they sink into my skin and one reaches my eye. I shriek with pain and try to get it out but it is no use, it's lodged inside.
Finally, I reach a sand igloo and press my back against the wall as I process what's going on. I can't be killed by mutts?! I take a peek outside and let a sigh escape me as I realize they're gone. My eye starts dripping with blood and I cup my left hand over it, sword in my right. But as soon as I don't expect it, something emerges from the sand. It starts to build slowly, arms, legs, and a monstrous face that stares back at me. A sand monster?! What the hell?! I stab into it but more sand flows over the hole.
The last thing I see is its wide mouth engulfing my face.
Arlene Marven
District 3, 14, Female
I sneak around the cacti, bushes, and dead trees because I had just heard some movement. It was like a rustle up above. I kept my eyes glued above and slowly go from cactus to cactus.
"I won't kill you if you don't kill me!" A hushed voice cries and I look up, trying to find the source of the voice.
"I won't, come down." I drop the sword for proof and hear movement from the tree to my right. A small boy with light, blonde hair, he was skinny and I could see his bones on his body. "You're the boy for 12?"
"My name is Friday."
"Yes, Friday." I pretended like I knew but I hadn't been bothered to learn his name, he looked like a bloodbath but he had killed that girl from 10.
"How are you?"
"Look, I'm sorry, but I'm not looking for an ally." I felt bad for the small boy but I needed to get out of here alive.
"I know, me neither." He takes off the backpack from his shoulder and pulls out a loaf of bread. "I got it from a sponsor gift, along with some broth that I already ate." He got a sponsor? I mean he did kill someone but technically so did I. He splits the bread in half and hands one half to me.
"Why are you helping me?"
"I want someone in the arena to trust, someone I don't have to be afraid of. So how about if we see each other we don't kill each other?"
"Sounds good to me!" This excited me, one less person that didn't want to kill me and a loaf of bread! I pull him into a tight hug and let go almost immediately.
"See you, Arlene."
"Goodbye." It never occurred to me that I may never see him again.
I drag my feet across the sand, unwilling to walk any longer. I had been eating little bits of the loaf of bread every 10 minutes or something like that. I reach a crowd of igloos and recognize them as the ones the careers had gone to earlier. At that moment, I hear voices in the closest igloo to me. I stop dead in my tracks and freeze, I couldn't move because of how scared I am.
The voices get louder.
"Harrick you'll be ok, me and Reuben are just going to get some water."
"Bye Harrick." I know I can't run now I had to stand and fight. I raise my sword as they come through and almost immediately a knife slices into my chest, I cry out in agony and look up at the face of Reuben. He is petrified at the sight of me, I know it had been his first instinct to throw the knife. I couldn't be mad.
"Please, end me." I choke out and Lex hands Reuben a similar knife.
"I'm so sorry." The 12-year-old whispers as he sinks the knife into my neck, bringing me to my doom.
Lex Cole
District 10, 15, Male
I lean against the sand igloo, my heart racing. My head is facing opposite to where Arlene's body is getting picked up by a hovercraft, the deafening boom had confirmed her death. Harrick ran out and squealed as he saw the lifeless body of Arlene being pulled up in the hovercraft, I pull him into a tight hug and he cries into my chest. The boy had been through a lot and to think I had almost wanted to leave him.
Reuben was struggling, a lot. It had just dawned on him that he'd killed someone and he began to freak out.
"I'm freaking 12! I can't kill. Why did I do that?!" He too begins to cry into my chest and I feel like a Father, something I'd always wanted to be but now, that wasn't possible. I begin to cry, for Sophie, for my brother, my mom, and for these 2 young kids, having to go through all this.
Sophie would be proud of how far I had come. Judging from the cannon earlier, we were in the top 12. That meant only half the tributes remained and that gives me the courage to do this. I knew if I wanted to win I had to kill the person at the finale but I don't think I can. It hurt enough killing Xavier and he was, well he was Xavier and I'd have to see these 2 die to get there. Could I do it? Could I see these 2 people that I know treasured in my heart, die in front of me? What if it was us at the finale? I couldn't kill them!
That was a long way away from now, what I have to focus on is the present, if I didn't stay alive now I wouldn't even make it to the finale and that isn't an option.
Nevaeh Rechwhal
District 11, 15, Female
In my opinion, the Hunger Games have been easier than I expected. Of course, I miss home but nothing seriously traumatizing has happened and I didn't feel too miserable. We had received 2 sponsor gifts, one with food, and one with water. I felt full to the brim as I at the last bit of broth in my bowl, it reminded me of the soup my Mom used to make back home and I and Saoirse used to gobble us up. She called us monkeys and we'd run off to play outside. What would Saoirse do if I died?
The least I want them to do is replace me but I want them to be happy and if that means getting another daughter, so be it. I am so angry at the Capitol for what they have done but I know to keep that inside and make sure some mutts don't come along and chew me up. The sunset and the heads in the sky begin to appear. Caesar and the girl from 3.
"Oh, Arlene!" Loren cries.
"Wait, guys..." Sapphire thinks. "If Caesar is dead, doesn't that make us tied in first with the careers?"
"Not sure. Someone could've joined the boy from 8 and 10. Like the boy from 6."
"That's true.
"But we're up there." At the moment she says up I look up at the sky and see the stars.
"Guys look," I whisper and they both lookup. "They dance. All the souls that were forgotten in the arena are up there. Shining stars."
"Embry." Sapphire whimpers.
"Kliar." Loren says hesitantly.
A/N: And there we have it. Top 12!
Deceased:
24th- Xavier Hunter (D2M) - Killed by Lex Cole (D10M) - Stabbed by a knife repetitive times -
23rd- Winston Harvard (D3M) - Killed by Xavier Hunter (D2M) - Stabbed once and slowly bled to death -
22nd- Quail Arend (D11M) - Killed by Vidia Ciele (D2F) - Stabbed in the back by a throwing knife -
21st- Piper Ramms (D12F) - Killed by Brooke Reefside (D4F) - Beheaded by a cutlass -
20th- Mahala Grisbon (D10F) - Killed by Friday Evans (D12M) - Stabbed by a dagger repeatedly -
19th- Field Bracken-Lietré (D9F) - Killed by Kliar Hydren (D5M) - Pierced through the heart by a spear-
18th- Embry Doe Ri (D8F) - Killed by Jack Sanford (D9M) - Pierced through the head by a falling sword-
17th- Kliar Hydren (D5M) - Killed by Vidia Ciele (D2F) - Stabbed in the heart by a throwing knife -
16th- Jean Broderick (D6F) - Killed by Dylan Angel (D4M) - Stabbed in the back by a trident -
15th- Jack Sanford (D9M) - Killed by Arlene Marven (D3F) - Mercifully stabbed in the chest by a sword -
14th- Caesar Gold (D1M) - Killed by a mutt - Eaten alive - Oh, Caesar. Like Xavier I hated you and yet I loved you. You were an awesome career with such a great personality that I enjoyed writing. Unfortunately, no one in the arena is going to care that you are dead because you're a total asshole but oh well.
13th- Arlene Marven (D3F) - Killed by Reuben Boyle (D8M) - Stabbed in the chest and then throat cut by a knife - Awwwww, my sweet Arlene. I loved you in every way and it's sad that your journey had to end here. Poor Friday will be heartbroken but so long as he lives you will be remembered. Your strategy was good but just not good enough.
Alliances:
Lovers and Haters: Brooke and Dylan.
Forever and Always: Eoghan and Samara.
Girl Power: Sapphire, Loren, and Nevaeh.
The Smart, The Strong, and The Broken: Reuben, Lex, and Harrick.
Solos: Friday and Vidia.
Kill Count:
Vidia Ciele (D2F): 2 (Quail Arend, D11M, Kliar Hydren, D5M)
Xavier Hunter (D2M): 1 (Winston Harvard, D3M)
Arlene Marven (D3F): 1 (Jack Sanford, D9M)
Brooke Reefside (D4F): 1 (Piper Ramms, D12F)
Dylan Angel (D4M): 1 (Jean Broderick, D6F)
Kliar Hydren (D5M): 1 (Field Bracken-Lietré, D9F)
Reuben Boyle (D8M): 1 (Arlene Marven, D3F)
Jack Sanford (D9M): 1 (Embry Doe Ri, D8F)
Lex Cole (D10M): 1 (Xavier Hunter, D2M)
Friday Evans (D12M): 1 (Mahala Grisbon, D10F)
What do you think of Caesar's death?
What do you think of the career split?
Will Friday be affected by Arlene's death?
Will Reuben be affected by Arlene's death?
Night 3 next!
-James