First of all, I would like to thank whoever put this story into the SYOT Hall of Fame community. I don't know when that actually happened, but I just saw it recently on my story's properties page. It really means a lot 3
Like I said last chapter, a lot of tributes are going to die in this chapter. The decisions were hard to make since I've grown attached to each and every one of these characters. IF yours dies, I hope you consider it a satisfying ending to their story. Ultimately, the decisions were based on who I thought would realistically die, their interactions with other tributes, and what makes sense for their story and the overall story.
This chapter is also told in a slightly different way than many of the others. Since the bloodbath has so much happening at once, I hope you understand that many of these perspectives are simultaneous and therefore not entirely chronological. However, the deaths will be described in chronological order.
I hope everyone enjoys the bloodbath (that feels so weird to say…)
Filly Marcoffe (18)- D10F
The sun is blinding when I am first exposed to it. I automatically raise my arm up to protect my eyes, then quickly remove it when I hear the tell-tale countdown in Claudius Templesmith's voice.
60...59...58...57...56...55…
I quickly look around myself, taking in as much as I can. The Cornucopia is in front of me, glittering gold in the bright sunlight. The sun itself is beating down, making me sweat already. The ground beneath the pedestals is dry and covered with dirt and sand that blows up into my eyes. To my right, a large mountain blocks my view. There's another one to my left, though it's farther away. I can't see past the Cornucopia, but behind me is nothing but barren desert. I can hear running water not far away, but I can't figure out where it is.
40...39...38...37...36...35…
Water is one of our main goals for this first day. I glance around to try to find Denver, finally locating him on the other side of the semi-circle. He's a sickly shade of pale green that I can see even from here. I hope he remembers the plan and runs toward the sound of the water.
20...19...18...17...16...15…
My limbs are trembling. I memorize the locations of each of the backpacks that are near my pedestal. There's a large knife not to far away, leaning against a small bag. It's perfect. I brace myself to start running. All I need to do is grab it and then bolt in Denver's direction. The tribute on my right is the girl from Twelve, and on my left is the blind guy from Four, so I imagine I won't have to worry about getting injured unless I cross paths with a Career.
5...4...3...2...1…
The gong sounds and I feel my feet start moving forward before my body is prepared for it. I reach the backpack and knife quicker than i thought I would, slinging it over my back and holding my knife resolutely. I take a second to take in the scene around me. Everyone is still mostly running either towards the Cornucopia or far away, so I start sprinting towards Denver. He's still there on his pedestal, still too terrified to move. I hear sounds of battle coming from the Cornucopia, but I purposely ignore it.
"Denver!" I shout. "Start running!"
He looks toward me, his eyes wide and scared. Out of the corner of my eye, I see something coming towards him, and I can only gasp as a spear penetrates his abdomen. He falls to the ground and out of sight, his killer blocking the view. The girl from Two turns back to look towards me, her eyes glittering with malice.
Sudden terror rises within me as I stop running, debating on what I should do. The girl turns back to Denver and pulls out her spear, wiping the blood on his clothes and starting to come towards me. I gasp in panic and start to run the opposite direction, moving faster than I ever have in my life. For a minute, I only hear the blood pounding in my ears and not the screams of horror and pain from behind me. I keep running until I reach the sound of the water, a small stream running over jagged rocks and pebbles. I don't stop, wading through the water and continuing to run until I reach the cover of several giant boulders.
I skitter to a stop behind one of them, peeking out to see if my pursuer is still there. I'm breathing heavily and my limbs are aching, and I realize that I've been running for quite some time. My pursuer definitely gave up long ago and stayed at the Cornucopia to make more kills.
Tears well up in my eyes at the thought of Denver lying on the dusty earth, his stomach split open. He died afraid and alone and probably in terrible pain. I wipe my eyes furiously and stare up at the mountainside that looms above me. There doesn't seem to be anywhere else to go, except back to the Cornucopia. The rocks around the base of it provide good cover, and I can see some shrubbery growing on the mountainside. It's a good a place as any to explore.
Grizelda "Zel" Weaver (18)- D9F
My legs are working as fast as they can to get me away from the Cornucopia, my breaths coming heavy and the sun beating down to me. My plan before this was to grab something and run, but after seeing the District Ten boy impaled so cruelly, I knew I had to get out of here. Unfortunately, the pregnancy makes me slower than usual, and I'm no match for Tiffany's lean, trained legs.
"Stop!" she yells at me, as if I would actually listen. A blade whistles past me. It only adds to my urgency as I speed up my pace, but then one of them lands in my calf.
I scream out in pain as I collapse onto the ground, clutching at my leg, red blood oozing out and making me feel woozy. The girl from One grabs ahold of my other leg and starts pulling me back to the Cornucopia. I whimper and try to wriggle away, but it's no use. My leg is a blaze with pain, and terror for my baby and my own life fills every inch of my body.
"Let me go!" I scream as she continues to pull me back to the pandemonium. I hadn't run as far as I thought I had; we get there in no time. I have no idea what she has planned for me, but all I can think of is the horrible torture that some Careers afflict on their victims. Tiffany yells at the other Careers not to touch me as she drags me through the dirt into the inside of the golden horn. I try to kick her to get her to let go of me, but to no avail. Once we're in the Cornucopia, surrounded by supplies, she grabs a nearby rope on one of the cases of food and immediately wraps my body in it, making sure my arms are tightly wrapped inside it as well.
Tiffany rips the knife out of my calf, making me scream in pain again.
"Stay here," she hisses to me, then runs off in search of more prey.
I whimper as I hear the sounds of metal clanging outside the horn. The boy from Two runs in and smirks at me before calmly walking over to a large sword propper against a case. He picks it up and admires it, and I feel more tense than I've ever been. Luckily, he ignores me and heads back out to the battle.
Once I'm sure he's gone, I try to shrug my way out of the ropes, but every movement makes my leg hurt more. It's bleeding substantially, and I can feel it seeping into the dirt underneath me. I don't know what the Careers have planned for me, and I don't care to find out.
Just then, the guy from One sprints in, grabbing a large axe off the ground and grinning maniacally. He sees me and stops cold, raising an eyebrow. "Tiffany?" he calls,. "What did you do?"
"Leave her be!" Tiffany yells angrily from outside the Cornucopia. He shrugs and sprints away, his axe raised above his head, ready to strike. I wonder for the first time if Tiffany actually plans on keeping me alive instead of killing me. What would she gain from that, though? The other Careers wouldn't approve, but she maybe she feels sympathy for me since I'm pregnant. Did my sob story angle really work?
I spy a knife laying not too far away, the handle facing away from me. Maybe if I can reach it, I can free myself and fight my way out of here.
Pixel Mackaby (15)- D3M
When that gong goes off, I really have only one thing on my mind: getting a knife and a backpack which hopefully contains something I can use. I run forward with everything I have, though it's not as fast as many of the tributes around me, who sprint at the speed of light toward the golden horn.
The bright sun is reflecting off the golden surface, making it hard to see where I'm going. I can't see a knife anywhere, and my panic is rising to an unmanagable level. I stop in my tracks and look around, watching as several tributes battle it out for supplies closer to the horn. I feel my breath coming quickly as I scan the area for anything I can use. I spy a knife a few feet away, propped up against a large case. The case is too big for me to take, but the knife will work just fine. After a moment's hesitation, I run toward the knife and grab it, it's sharp edge a terrifying reminder of what I'm here for.
To my right, I hear a scream of pain and watch as the boy from Ten collapses with a spear shaft poking out of his chest. The sight makes me freeze with fear, vomit threatening to come up my throat. His killer, the girl from Two, chases his ally and luckily doesn't notice me. With a renewed sense of urgency, I look around again to find anything that could be of use.
With a jolt, my eyes land on a thin spool of copper wire, nearly hidden in a pile of backpacks and cases near the Cornucopia. I can only see it because the sun is glinting off of it in exactly the right angle, a copper tone instead of a silver one like most of the weapons.
I know what I have to do. Executing my plan is the only way I will be able to survive the coming weeks. If I don't get that wire, the Careers will surely hunt me down and slice me apart. Shuddering, I try to gather my courage to make the sprint over to the golden horn.
There's a sudden scream of terror and pain from behind me, and I turn to see the girl from One dragging the girl from Nine across the ground. Afraid of the strong Career seeing me, I stand perfectly still and let them pass just a few feet away from me. I realize now could be my chance, while the girl from One is distracted, the girl from Two pursuing another victim. It's probably the best odds I could have.
With sudden determination, I set off in a full sprint to the wire. It takes longer than I expected, and with every step, I expect someone's weapons to fly out of nowhere and embed itself into me. But I keep going, hearing my blood pulse in my ears. I reach the wire and scoop it up, breathing heavily. I turn my back to the Cornucopia and look for an escape route through the chaos.
"Hey, little boy."
I turn to see the boy from Two standing there with his broadsword held firmly in his hand, grinning like a cat that's about to catch a mouse.
I scream in horror as his blade swings into my side, the pain not kicking in immediately due to my adrenaline. "No! Please!" I screech as the Career holds the sword above me and drives the point down into my chest. I feel myself sobbing in pain and gasping for air, and eventually the world becomes blurry...
Rufina Fastolf (18)- D2F
After killing the boy from Ten, the very first kill of the Games, I feel like I'm flying high on victor adrenaline. I need to make another kill. Everyone knows that the amount of bloodbath kills made is a good predictor of a Career's chances at winning. The boy's ally is a good bet for a second victim; she scored an eight in training and would make a respectable kill. But she's fast, and eventually I realize I'm straying too far away from the Cornucopia. With a frustrated sigh, I look around and see another young boy sprinting away from the battle.
I grin to myself. I recognize his lanky body as the boy from Twelve. I smirk as I remember him snapping at me in training. An easy kill, but numbers are what matters right now. I start toward him, readying my spear. He notices me coming and I see his eyes widen in fear before he starts running in the opposite direction. My first spear throw misses, burying itself into the earth. I growl in vexation, picking it back up as I run past and aiming again. This time, the spear point pierces his body and goes through. He screeches in pain and falls to the ground.
I jog over to him and pull the spear out of his chest, grinning as he gasps and gurgles for air. Thick, dark blood is staining the ground red.
"That's what you get for being so annoying," I say, spitting on the flailing body. As he chokes to death, I glance around the clearing. In the distance, I can see a rolling desert with next to nothing else. The mountains to either side rise up above anything else. Behind me, the flat, bare earth continues for several miles, not rolling in dunes like the sand past the Cornucopia.
I need another kill. Having two kills already is a grand accomplishment, but both of them are weaklings with no real chance of winning anyway. I need a larger victory, to take out a real competitor. I scan the scene to find someone I can kill that will grant me sponsors. The girl from Ten would have made a good victim, but she's gone.
"Get out of the way!"
I turn to see Tiffany glaring at me, her usually perfect blonde hair tousled over her forehead. I glance behind her, where she's pulling the girl from Nine.
"What the hell are you doing?" I ask as I move out of the way.
"Just focus on what you're doing!" she yells as she pulls the girl past me, leaving a trail of blood behind them as the girl struggles to get away.
I roll my eyes and look around. Willow is pulling her knife out of another body, wiping the blood on his clothes with disgust. I hear a scream of horror not far away and see the girl from Twelve watching Willow and her unlucky victim. She starts to run away, Willow's eyes narrowing as she starts after her.
"Let me!" I shout, taking off as well. "I can do it!"
Willow slows down and leaves me to it, a smile spreading over my face. Three kills is a respectable number for the bloodbath. I'm going to be one of the top picks for victor once the Capitol sees how eager I am for blood.
Rooker by Rufina- two kills and feeling good
Willow Whitebeam (17)- D7F
When the gong goes off, my only thought is to get to the throwing knives at the mouth of the Cornucopia. I know knives are a valuable item in the Games, and I need them to help carry out the plan with the other Careers.
I sprint as fast as I can to the Cornucopia, ignoring everyone around me as I reach the knives. I scoop up the package and pull out the biggest knife, glancing around me. The girl from Three is directly behind me, apparently after the knives as well. She sees me wielding one and runs away, her legs taking her too far for my blade to strike her. Or, maybe I'm just not ready to kill. The knife feels heavy in my hands.
"Go, Willow!"
I turn to see Tiger yelling at me furiously. I take a deep breath and glance around for a potential victim. I spot one near the outskirts of the supplies, where the small girl from Twelve is rummaging through a case. I gather all of my courage and remind myself that I have to do this to survive. I grip my knife firmly and start on a sprint towards the girl.
As I approach, she looks up, her eyes wide with fear. She gasps and grabs a baggie of food before standing to run away. I ready my knife and toss it with all my might. It misses by a long shot and I shout in frustration. I pull out another knife and start to throw it, but then I feel something push me from the side.
I stumble and nearly fall over, but manage to regain my balance. The boy that pushed me starts to run away, and I grab his arm and pull him back to me. It's the boy from Nine that wore that ridiculous little boy costume in his interview. He screams and punches me in the face, making my lip alight with pain. I growl and stab him in the side with my knife, pulling it out and watching him fall to the ground. He gasps up at me, his eyes glazing over with fear and pain. I kick him over and wipe my mouth with my sleeve, part of it coming away red.
My knife is covered in the red, sticky substance, so I wipe it on his clothes, wincing. I turn back to the girl, who is looking at me with horror. She screams as I start to run towards her.
"Let me!"
It's Rufina, already sprinting after the girl. Her jacket is splattered with blood, and her spear is dripping with it. I slow down despite myself. She can take the girl if she wants to. I don't want to move too far from the Cornucopia anyway, even though my job is to stay on the outskirts of the battle.
I glance around for another target. Seb is waiting at the edge of the battle with his little boy ally, both of them watching the fight with obvious horror. I know it would be smart to try and take out Seb… his training score combined with his Capitolite fans will surely make him a competitor.
Just then, Seb starts running towards the Cornucopia. I grip my knife firmly in my hand and start heading towards him.
Spool Nylon (12)- D8M
I stay where I am when the gong goes off, per Seb's orders. He sprints towards me as soon as possible and grabs my arm.
"Where's Sock?" he asks, sounding panicked. "What did she do?"
"I don't know!" I say. "We have to get out before we become targets."
"There she is!" Seb says, pointing to where Sock is running toward the Cornucopia at full speed. Her raven hair is flowing behind her, her eyebrows furrowed in determination. She isn't listening to the plan after all.
"She's too headstrong for her own good," Seb says.
"What do we do?" I ask fearfully.
"Get to the bottom of the western mountain. We'll meet you there. Don't hang around!"
Before I can say anything, he starts sprinting towards the Cornucopia. My breath starts coming quickly when I realize I'm alone here in the battle, without either of my allies. I watch as Sock manages to get to the Cornucopia and immediately opens a box in right in front of the hor and gets inside, closing it over her. What the hell is she doing?
"Leave me alone, you bitch!" I hear Seb scream suddenly, followed by a thud of metal. I watch in horror as Willow throws a knife at Seb, only for him to dodge it and tackle her to the ground. He punches her across the face, but she grabs another knife from her belt and stabs into his arm. He yells in pain and slaps her again, grabbing the knife from her hand and running back to me.
"Go, Tag! What are you waiting for?"
"What about Sock?"
"We have to go!"
He grabs my arm when he passes me, and we run to the mountain together. We pass the boy from Twelve, who is gasping on the ground, blood pouring from his abdomen and his intestines spilling out into the open air. I feel my stomach turn and I think I might throw up. We keep running until my sides hurt and I'm more out of breath than I've ever been, but we can't stop now. I look back and realize anyone can see us from the Cornucopia since there isn't any cover except for behind various boulders. Seb was right; the mountain is our best bet. We can only hope Sock will find us eventually.
This one is shorter than the other mountain, but there are more trees and vegetation is general. It isn't difficult to find a path up the slope, both of us gasping for air as we hike up the jagged but gently curved rock. Though I know in my mind that we will need to eventually find a good place to lay low and get water, but right now the only thought on my mind is putting as much distance between us and the bloodbath us possible.
The loose soil underneath me makes me slip, scraping my hands on the ground. I groan as I stand back up. Seb is staring behind me, one hand pressing against the puncture in his bicep.
"Look," he says quietly, pointing. I turn around and my jaw drops open.
"The ocean!" I say with delight. The water extends for as far as I can see. I've never seen the ocean before. It's a beautiful sight. If only Sock was here to see it. But I know she will soon… she has to...
Amelia Waltraud (16)- D5F
Our plan is simple: Caleb will grab a weapon and I will get a backpack of supplies, two if I can manage it. Then we will meet up and run for the hills. Quite literally, it turns out. The arena seems to be built around two large mountains, the area around the Cornucopia completely desolite.
I meet Caleb's eyes as the countdown begins. He's on the other side of the semi-circle, but we will be able to meet up somewhere.
When the gong goes off, I immediately sprint toward the nearest backpack, swinging it over my shoulder and looking around for another one. There's a bright orange bag near the middle of the chaos that looks like it's bursting with goodies. I decide to take a chance and run towards it. Right as my hand grasps the strap of the bag, another one slaps mine out of the way. It's the boy from Eleven, his green eyes filled with equal parts fear and malice. I grab and bag and furiously start pulling it away, but he hangs on as well. Then he suddenly lets go and turns tail, running away as fast as possible.
I sigh in relief and start to swing the pack over my shoulder when I hear the cry of, "Amelia!"
I turn to see the boy from One standing behind me, one eyebrow raised. He doesn't say anything before he swings his axe over his head and brings it down to where I'm standing. I gasp and manage to barely move out of the way, tripping on the backpack at my feet and falling onto my back. I whimper as I start to crawl away from my enemy, his grin widening as he raises the axe again.
Before he can swing it down, someone suddenly tackles him to the ground, Peacekeeper style. It's Caleb, and he's furious.
"Not my little sister, you brute!" he screams, trying to hold down Tiger's arms. The Career knees him in the stomach and flips him over, raising his axe again.
"What about you then?" he asks innocently as he brings it down onto Caleb's neck. I feel myself scream but don't hear it as I quickly get to my feet and sprint away, forgetting to grab the second bag or even a weapon.
I keep running until I'm out of breath and I find a large boulder to collapse behind. I peek around it to see how far I've gone, and discover the Cornucopia is now a glittering triangle shape in the distance, with some hazy humanoid figures running around it. I cover my face with my hands, not wanting Panem to see me cry, but I can't help it. All I can think about is the shower of blood that sprayed from Caleb's throat, the way his eyes had looked right at me, but were unseeing. But it was the strangest thing… he had been smiling.
I sob into my hands until I'm out of tears to cry. I sit back against the boulder, which is really a few rocks and a pile of dirt and sand, now that I look at it more closely, and open my bag. Inside, I pull out a flashlight with two batteries inside and another little baggie with two more, a small bag of dried jerky, a spool of twine, and a fire-starting kit. It's a generous haul, but I can't feel happy about it right now.
I look up at the tall mountain in front of me and sigh. Looks like it's time to put all that running with Elanor around Five to good use.
Eryn Winters (15)- D12F
I can't help but scream when I see Triple A's blood pouring out from the wound that the evil girl from Seven gave him. It's all my fault. If I hadn't have tried to get any supplies like Triple A told me, he wouldn't be gasping in pain on the barren ground right now.
His killer wipes her knife on his clothes, then glances up at me. She starts to sprint towards me and I can only turn tail and run, pure terror coursing through my veins.
"Let me! I can do it!"
I recognize the voice as the girl from Two, who I've already watched spear Rooker like a piece of meat. My legs are moving as fast as they can, feeling tears of fear well up in my eyes. Triple A is gone, and now I only have myself.
I look behind myself to see how close my pursuer is, my terror increasing when I see her closely following my footsteps. I suddenly run into something in front of me and fall to the ground, gasping up at the large tribute in front of me.
"What are you doing?" the guy from Six asks. He notices the girl from Two and steps around me, eyes hardening and gripping his sword. "Leave her alone," he growls at the encroaching girl.
"Get out of my way," the girl snarls, readying her spear. "Or I'll have to take you out as well."
"Then do it!"
Rufina lunges with her spear but falls away at the last second, making Jason stumble a little before regaining his balance. She easily sidesteps the swing of his sword, and thrusts forward again, still without luck. Unwilling to stay and see how the battle turns out, I scramble to my feet and hurry away, the small pack of supplies in my hand feeling heavier and heavier the farther I run. I traded Triple A's life for this meager bag of supplies.
I can't help but burst into tears once I make it into the sprawling desert. Looking back, it seems the Cornucopia was built in some kind of mountain pass between the two mountains. The desert is hot and unwelcoming, but the dunes of sand will provide me with cover. I keep running, even when the sand under my feet makes it harder to run and sends me flailing to the ground multiple times.
I run until i'm panting and sweating more than I ever have in my life. I gently let myself slide down one of the dunes until I'm at the bottom. It provides me with shade and cover while I go through the contents of my bag. The little drawstring bag contains an empty bottle for water, a spool of twine, and a stretch of sturdy fabric. It's not a bad haul, but I don't have any food or water to help me survive, and it doesn't look like there's a lot around here...
Antonia "Attie" Montgomery (17) D6F
After Tesla's failed mission to grab throwing knives, our plan is somewhat shot. I watch as she successfully evades the girl from Seven, then make her way back to me at the outskirts of the battle. I'm holding our bag of supplies that we'll need to survive, and I know that we have to get out as soon as possible. The girl from Two has been picking people off at the edge of the scene, and we could be next.
"We need some kind of weapon," Tesla tells me calmly when she's reached me. She doesn't seem perturbed at all by the violence that's exploding around us. I watch as the boy from One severs the neck of the guy from Five, his blood spraying out obscenely.
"We should leave," I say, daring to contradict her. "We can survive without a weapon. We have supplies."
Tesla shakes her head, her raven hair bouncing. "How many victors didn't get a weapon during the bloodbath?"
"Not too many," I admit. "But we have each other."
I'm hoping the semi-affectionate words will convince her, but she still looks at me expressionlessly. I hear grunts of exertion and look behind me. Not too far away, Jason is fighting with the girl from Two. I watch the battle go on viciously, hoping the two of them manage to kill each other.
I hear the tell tale screams of pain and turn towards the Cornucopia, where the girl from One is gutting the girl from Eleven, the Capitolite. Blood gurgles up from her mouth as the blonde continues to shove her sword as far as she can into her stomach.
Maybe Tesla doesn't have such a bad idea after all. With most of the Careers preoccupied, we will have a better chance of surviving an excursion to the center of the chaos.
"I see a sword we can use," Tesla says suddenly. She's looking at the middle of the battle, her eyes narrowed.
"I don't see anything," I say truthfully.
"It's right there." She points to a pile of cases and backpacks. "Let's go get it together."
I shrug, trying to seem as nonchalant as she is. "Alright."
We head towards the center of the battle, keeping an eye out for any enemies. When we reach the pile in question, Tesla says, "It's under that case right there," pointing to one at the bottom of the pile. "I'll keep watch."
"Okay…" I bend down to rummage through the supplies, but I can't find anything resembling a weapon. "Tesla, I don't think-"
Something suddenly pulls me backwards by my backpack and pushes me into another tribute's strong chest. It's the boy from One, his clothes splattered with blood. He grins at me menacingly, one hand holding onto my arm.
"It looks like your friend sacficed you to me," he says with a short laugh. I feel pure terror course through me and struggle to get away. He miraculously lets go of me and I turn to sprint away, only to feel the blade of his axe splitting into my back. I can't even scream from the pain, only gasp and try to crawl away, feeling the excruciating pain of my attacker pulling the axe out of my back.
"Sweet dreams," I hear him say before the axe comes down on my head.
Tomas Fields (15)- D11M
After losing the backpack at the Cornucopia to the girl from Five, I scurry to the edge of the battle, far away from where she's surely being clobbered to death by the guy from One. I grab another backpack from the outskirts of the area, glancing around for a weapon that I can use. I spot a curved sword not too far away, but it's close to the center of the battle. I gather my courage and start running towards it. Drew and I will need a weapon to survive. We wouldn't stand a chance without one.
I snatch the sword up, trying to keep my surroundings in perspective to avoid being crept up on. I've watched too many tributes on the television get chopped in half because they weren't paying attention.
I hear a furious shout of pain behind me and look back to see the boy from Two holding his shoulder, thick red blood seeping through his fingertips. In front of him, the small girl from Eight is sitting in an opened crate, holding a bloody knife. She hops out of the crate, but the Career grabs her and slices at her waist with his broadsword. She falls to the ground with a gasp as he hacks at her again, yelling in fury. Beside him, the girl from One finishes gutting Jo. I feel my heart sink when I see her Capitolite face expressionless and covered in blood. I sprint away before her killer can notice me.
Me pounding feet take me to Drew. He's stumbling away from the blood and chaos faster than I expected, the fact that there's no hindrances in his path certainly helping him. I know he'll be an easy target for any tribute willing to prove themself, so we need to get as soon as possible. As I catch up to him, I place a hand on his shoulder, making him jump.
"It's just me!" I yell. "I've got the supplies, we need to keep going straight."
"What is the arena?" Drew asks as we jog onward, his unseeing eyes unfocused on the dusty terrain. "It feels hot. A desert?"
"I think so. There's mountains… we're coming up on something. We have to keep going."
Eventually the mountain pass becomes rocky enough that we have to slow down so I can guide Drew through the obstacles. Maybe it's a figment of my imagination, but the ground seems to start sloping downward. Before long, a strange smell reaches me nose. It smells like salt and fish, a scent I never thought I would smell. Soon, we hear the crashing of waves and chirping of birds.
"It's the ocean," Drew says with longing. "I knew it. We have to get to it."
"There's a cliff," I realize suddenly. The edge is coming up on us fast. I slow him down with a hand on his chest and watch the blue expanse extend in front of us. "It really is the ocean."
"We have to find a way down to the shore," Drew says, trying to move forward. "There has to be a path somewhere."
"Alright. But be careful."
Nicolette "Nikki" Anderson (17)- D4F
After the gong goes off, Jason and I each run toward the Cornucopia with purpose. I saw my trident leaning against the golden horn immediately, just waiting for me to snatch it up. I manage to reach the Cornucopia in no time, admiring the way the silver points glimmer in the sunlight.
Jason and I need to meet up quickly and get out as fast as possible. As much as I would like to get my hands around some of the Careers' throats, it's just not safe. I sprint back to the edge of the battle, past the girl from Seven pulling her knife out of the boy from Nine. I hear more screams of pain and terror from other parts of the bloodbath. It looks like the Games are in full swing.
I hear a clash of metal to my right, and I turn from the case that I'm rummaging through to see Jason fighting furiously with Rufina. She leaves a spot open for him to punch her in the face, and she growled loudly, nicking nhis arm with her spear. She kicks him in the stomach and twirls her spear menacingly, baring her teeth like an animal.
"Jason!" I yell, grabbing my trident and sprinting towards them. Rufina turns to me and her eyes harden.
"Traitor!" Rufina shouts, the point of her spear nearly hitting my shoulder. I parry it with my trident and kick her in the shins, trying to get her to fall. She steadies herself and tries to stab my stomach. I dodge again and toss my trident at her, but she ducks out of the way.
Jason's sword swings out of nowhere, slamming into her arm and making her yell in pain. She throws her spear at his legs but misses, and I kick her feet so that she falls on the ground. I grab my trident.
"Stop!" Rufina screams just before I plow my trident into her chest. Blood bubbles up between her lips, her eyes wide and afraid. They eventually go glassy and her head tilts back onto the dusty ground.
Jason spits blood onto her corpse, hands on his knees. "We have to get out," he gasps.
"Are you alright?" I ask with concern. His arm is bleeding, his jacket sliced up and stained red.
"Yes, I'm fine. Let's go."
He grabs his sword and runs in the opposite direction, his bright green backpack glaring in the sun. I turn to Rufina's body, her blood now seeping closer to my feet, spreading over the ground. I pull my trident from her chest, wincing at the crunching sound. My parents always said that when I made my first kill, I would feel powerful and develop a taste for blood. But I don't really feel that… I don't feel any different at all. The body beneath me almost doesn't seem like a person anymore.
I grab a backpack beside me and run after Jason.
Tiger Emerald (18)- D1M
After I'm finished with the girl from Six, I continue to prowl around the bloodbath looking for more victims. Most of the tributes have dissipated at this point, leaving several bodies to decay on the barren earth. I shake the blood from my axe and take a deep breath. The air smells like fear and blood. It's better than I even imagined.
Inside the Cornucopia, Hadrian is cupping his shoulder, trying to wrap it in a bandage he found in a crate. I can't help but smirk when I see him wincing in pain. It's what he deserves, after all. The girl that stabbed him was annoying and I'm glad she's dead, but she did serve a purpose after all. Her body is hanging over the side of a large crate, some flies already starting to buzz around her.
"Where's Rufina?" Hadrian huffs. "She needs to help me put this on."
"Maybe she's chasing someone," Willow says. She's still holding her knife firmly in her fist. "What is Tiffany doing?"
I sigh. I knew Tiffany was naive, but not this much. Why didn't she just kill the pregnant girl when she first came across her? Instead she chased her down and tied her up, and is now dragging her out into the sun. She tosses the screaming, wriggling girl onto the ground.
"What are you doing to me?" the girl cries.
"I'm saving our baby," Tiffany says. "Try to die quickly."
She pulls the girl's head back by her hair and slits her throat. She gasps and gurgles and writhes as her life seeps out of her body.
Tiffany stands and wipes her hands together to get off the dust. "We need to get away from here so they come get the bodies."
"Let's size up the area first," Hadrian says.
"No! We have to leave so that they can save the baby in time."
Hadrian rolls his eyes and grumbles, tying off the rest of his bandage. "Fine. We need to find Rufina anyway."
I wipe my axe on the pregnant girl's clothes to clean the blood. I've been looking forward to a good chase since the Reaping.
"Guys!" Willow shouts from just beyond where the pedestals are. "Get over here!"
I tighten my hand on my axe and sprint over to her, Tiffany and Hadrian following close behind me. WIllow is standing over a body that's bleeding into the thirsty earth. Willow moves aside, her face stricken, and I can see that it's Rufina, her mouth open in eternal surprise and her chest ripped open with what was unmistakably a trident.
"Nikki!" I hiss. "She's the one that did this."
Tiffany sighs heavily. "It's too bad. But that's the nature of the beast. We should leave and let them come get her."
I feel my heart sink as we leave the area. I can' t help but remember the kind words Rufina said to me just last night. Of course, it's like tiffany said… it's just the way things have to be.
So there it is! The first ten deaths of the Games! I hope that if your tribute died, you weren't too disappointed. I want to do little eulogies for each tribute, so here goes nothing.
24th: Denver O'Casey (14)- D10M- killed by Rufina. Created by iridescenteverdeen. I think most people saw Denver's death coming. He was just too little and scared to really survive a big battle like this one. But he was super fun to write, and it's hard to see him go.
23rd: Pixel Mackaby (15)- D3M- killed by Hadrian. Created by OChirpO. Poor Pixel didn't stand much of a chance either. He had a great plan, but unfortunately things don't always work out. He was another one that was fun to write considering his paranoia and intelligence. He was a great character.
22nd: Rooker Holm (13)- D12M- killed by Rufina. Created by haydesx. I know some of you had high hopes for Rooker, but this is where his journey ends. He was such a sweet boy and didn't deserve such a violent end, but it was at least somewhat quick.
21st: Albert "Triple A" Anderson (13)- D9M- killed by Willow. Created by MaxMan667. Triple A was a tough kid that didn't deserve anything that happened to him. His intelligence and kindness is what especially set him apart and made him likable. Ultimately, he died for his crush Eryn, which is a very noble way to go. I'm sad to say goodbye to him.
20th: Caleb Odalric (18)- D5M- killed by Tiger. Created by LongingForRomeo. Caleb was one of my personal favorites in these Games. I think that I gave him a satisfying and happy ending in being able to save his sister's life. It is, after all, the only thing he's ever wanted. I know that his family and Jett will miss him.
19th: Antonia "Attie" Montgomery- D6F- killed by Tiger. Created by LupineScribe. I think Attie is a character that never really got the spotlight she deserved. However, she was a great character and also one that I will miss writing. Her manipulation of others and unforgiving personality set her apart from the pack.
18th: Sock Northsilk (12)- D8F- killed by Hadrian. Created by CragmiteBlaster. I know Sock was one that a lot of people wanted to see go far. I myself also loved Sock. She did manage to injure Hadrian before her death, so she did make her mark on these Games. We'll miss our warrior princess.
17th: Marjoram "Jo" Paella (17)- D11F- killed by Tiffany. Created by QueensDoItBetter. Jo was an amazing character unlike anything I'd ever seen in a SYOT. She was so noble and kind, but still determined to win. Ultimately, her Capitol heritage spelled out her downfall. I'll definitely miss her as the Games progress.
16th: Rufina Fastolf (18)- D2F- killed by Nikki (and Jason). Created by SurvivalAboveAll. I always considered Rufina to be very relatable and funny as far as Careers go. She was determined to prove herself and just wanted approval from her mother. Unfortunately, that won't be happening now.
15th: Grizelda "Zel" Weaver (18)- D9F- killed by Tiffany. Created by Krystal Fox. Zel's story was always one of the most sympathetic in these Games. Tiffany wanted her baby to survive, so hopefully she will. I think that if Reina lives, Zel would have been okay with herself dying.
Thank you so much for reading! Which deaths surprised you? Stay tuned for the next chapter!