I didn't know that cans usually have salty water in them. I learn something new every day. In this case, the Gamemakers made the water less salty, because I put the cans in so not everyone would die of dehydration. A lot of the cans are fruit anyway, and I've seen enough Holes to know you can definitely live off peach juice. That and you really don't want to get bitten by yellow spotted lizards.
Desiree Redwood
I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard Electra whimpering. I thought we were getting attacked and she'd had her throat slit. But there was no one around, and she was still asleep. She kept tossing and making little noises, like she was having a bad dream. She jerked awake suddenly and sat up, panting.
"It's okay, it was just a dream," I said. It took her a second to recognize me, but when she did, she started to relax.
"Sorry I scared you," she said.
"It's nothing. Probably everybody has nightmares now," I said. But that wasn't it. She'd mentioned her life back home, though she didn't talk about it at length. Something was really wrong if I talked about the Hunger Games to disguise her other problems.
And problems was something we had a lot of. We were already through our canteen. We wouldn't last more than two days without water, especially Electra. She was so much smaller than me, and even the Capitol food hadn't gotten her up to a really healthy weight. Circuits and switches couldn't make water. Our only hope was to find it.
I didn't want Electra to do much walking, but it was the lesser of two evils for us. We had to keep looking for water while we could still move. Everything depended on finding it before it was too late. We tried to go downhill, but it was hard to tell with all the rocks. Sometimes we had to clamber up and over the stones, and I worried about it draining our strength.
A patch of green stood out like an emerald among all the stone. My heart sailed at first. I thought it was an oasis. But it wasn't big enough, and there was no water around the plant. My heart didn't stop sailing, though, because it wasn't just any plant. It was a cactus.
"It's a cactus!" I proclaimed, in case Electra couldn't identify the spine-covered plant. I ran to it, disregarding my sticky mouth and tired legs, and carefully grabbed a thick chunk of it between the spines. I tore off a round lobe and ripped it in two. Water didn't pour out like I'd hoped, but the flesh inside was so moist it glistened. I shoved it in my mouth and its spongy flesh broke apart like the wettest ice cube in the world. It was the best salad I'd ever tasted.
Demarcus
To be strong enough to have any chance against a Career, I needed to take care of myself. A sponsor had sent me a set of brass knuckles, but I had to be in top condition for them to make any difference. Food wasn't a problem. The gels were crazy filling and I still had four left. Water was the issue.
I knew I was dehydrated. I had a headache and there wasn't any spit in my mouth. I got tired far faster than I should, and I knew I'd be in bad shape soon. I did my best to climb on the rocks, looking for shadowy pools, but it was dangerous. I wasn't a natural climber, and it was even more precarious in my present state.
It was almost high noon when I found a puddle. It was shallow and murky, and there was a white crust around the rim. It probably would have killed me if I didn't have purification tablets, and I probably still would have risked it. It was awful waiting an hour for the tablets to work, and when the water was finally ready, I drank the whole batch in one go. It tasted nasty and metallic with the tablets, but I could feel it replenishing my body. I started another canteen full and sat beside the pool in a crotch in the rocks.
It would be better to wait until the Careers broke up before I tried anything. I knew enough about fights not to start one when I was outnumbered. I'd settle this solo.
Theo Kasius
It was good having Valerie back. I felt like a real pack again when she, Careen, Karyssa and I all set out to hunt. Angelo stayed behind to guard the camp. He never was as enthusiastic as the rest of us, but that just meant he'd be easier to kill when the time came. I expected it would be easier to find the other Tributes this year, since they'd be weak with dehydration. I was ready to get it done. I wanted to get back home to Suki. My family too, of course, but they understood why I'd left. Suki was a dog.
We wound have found them anyway, but the sound of a falling rock told me precisely where our targets were. The pack and I pressed down the rocky corridor until two Tributes became visible. High up in the rocks, so high we could barely see him, was the boy from Five. Down on the ground, and a much more tempting target, was the boy from Eleven.
Hoban Tam
Ventrix was out of sight, and nothing could have made me happier. She'd excused herself to take care of some lady stuff, and Kerry and I politely declined to ask what that meant. Kerry was so far up the cliff I didn't think an arrow could reach him. They were both safe. I was the one that was toast.
I ran toward a split in the path, hoping to reach the side of the fork that Ventrix hadn't taken. Theo's arrow stopped me and I fell. He must not have been as good with a bow as he was with an axe, because it didn't kill me. I looked back and saw the female Careers clustering under Kerry's cliff while he threw rocks at them. None of them paid attention to me. I was Theo's prey.
I tried to get up, and I made it to my feet even as another arrow hit me in the chest. I leaned forward and charged at Theo before he could shoot again. He easily threw me to the side and took out his axe. I grabbed his leg with both arms to get inside his strike. He hefted his axe handle higher in his hands and hit me in the back with a less forceful but still damaging blow. I grabbed the bottom of the handle and tried to haul myself up to face him. He head-butted me and I lost my grip. He drew the axe back for a mighty blow and it crashed into my ribs. It laid me open like a split log. My breath sucked and bubbled as I tried to get up and fight more. Theo's face was flecked with my blood, and it grew redder with each strike. There was hardly anything holding me together, and soon there wasn't anything at all.
Ventrix Webb
Even with the puddle, I could tell we were still dehydrated. I only hoped the cameras weren't on me when I checked to see. I was pulling up my pants when I heard Hoban cry out. I didn't want to rush in before I knew what was going on, so I crept nearer the fork in the rocks that separated us and peeked around.
I knew at once that all was lost. Theo was walking toward Hoban, who was stretched on the ground with an arrow in his back. The other Careers were behind him. There was no escape.
I'd always hated giving things away. I used to hoard bits of newspaper or pieces of metal I'd found around the fields, just in case I needed them someday. I hated the permanence of throwing something away and the change it entailed. Hoban was the most important thing in my life, but that didn't change what I had to do. I'd taken the machete with me in case I got attacked at the worst possible time. I crept back to where I'd left it, picked it up, and fled silently down the corridor. I tried to lock the worst of the feelings away until I was safe, but there was so much I couldn't contain.
14th place: Hoban Tam- Shot and axed by Theo
Hoban and Ventrix were sent in as friends, but there was something different about them. Their submitters noted that though they were best friends, they wouldn't die for each other. That was unique and also realistic, especially in-universe since Katniss said usually even siblings don't volunteer. I knew one or the other would abandon their friend when the time came. As far as the Games go, Ventrix was stronger both in skills and mentally, so it made sense for her to live. She does dearly miss Hoban, though, and she'll be different without him. Thanks Lisaisanut for Hoban. I always know you'll make good Tributes and leave erudite comments.