Tomas Fields (15)- D11M
Drew and I are silent as the sun sets over the horizon, barely moving. I don't really mind the silent part, but moving has always been apart my day. Playing with my siblings when I was younger, working on the paper in tight deadlines, trying to gather enough food together for the day; I've always kept myself busy. But now that we're here in the arena, everything seems to have come to a stop. I feel trapped with nowhere to go, nothing to do; the cliff is too steep for Drew to climb, no matter what he says. We can't go back the way we came, and climbing the mountains would be even harder for him. There's nothing to do except stay here in our cover behind the boulders, and rest.
I glance at Drew in the fading rays of the sun. He's staring at the sky, his eyes unseeing. One is blue, like the color of the sky at noon, and the left one is green, the color of the sea below us. I've never seen the sea before, so the comparison is new to me. I analyze my reflection in the small pot next to me, designed to boil salt water. My own eyes are the same color, the sea-green that I didn't know were like the sea, my inheritance for my father.
Ever since my mother revealed my true parentage, I had hated my biological father, I never knew him, but I knew that he had led on my mother and convinced her to cheat on her husband, and eventually disappeared without a goodbye. I started to hate the way I looked, my green eyes and lighter skin and straw hair. It was all parts of him that were passed down to me, and I hated anything having to do with District Four.
But sitting here with Drew makes me wonder if I had been wrong. Maybe there were some good people in Four after all. Maybe looking like this isn't the worst thing in the world.
"Do you remember what I look like?" I ask suddenly, breaking our long silence.
Drew turns to look in my direction, though his eyes look past me. He thinks for a moment, then says, "Tall, skinny, dark-skinned. A typical Eleven boy."
I huff. "Not exactly. For District Eleven, I'm not dark-skinned at all."
"Oh," is all he says, turning away.
"I have green eyes and blonde hair," I continue despite his disinterest. This isn't so much for him as it is for the rest of Panem. "I didn't think about my appearance a lot, but my mother told me why a few years ago."
"And why is that?"
"Because my father was from Four."
That gets his attention. He turns to face me again, his eyes expressionless. "How?"
"He was a Peacekeeper." I draw circles in the sand with my fingertip, trying to seem unconcerned for the cameras. "I don't know who he is. My mother won't tell me anything about him, but I thought that if I got to know you, I could get a sense of what he was like."
Truthfully, I couldn't care less about the identity of my father, but I can't deny that I was drawn to Drew because he was from Four.
"I'm probably not anything like him," Drew says flatly. "Peacekeepers are of a different breed. They're trained to help people and I'm trained to kill."
I can't tell if he's lying for the cameras or not. Everyone in Eleven knows that Peacekeepers are about keeping peace like hunting hounds are about bringing their prey back alive to their master. But maybe things are different in Four.
"But you know what it is like there," I say. "He left to go back to Four before I was born. He must have loved it."
"Everyone loves where they grew up," Drew says instantly, but then he smells the air and sighs. "It's a lot like this place. The salt, the wind, the waves. And the beach, if we ever get to it."
"We'll get to it," I say. "And then we'll both be home, I guess."
The corner of his mouth lifts in a half-smile. "Maybe. But I won't be able to see the water."
"You'll be able to see the light reflecting off of it," I insist. "Can you see anything right now?"
"Nothing," he says quietly. I feel so bad for him. If I don't win, I would want Drew to make it, even if it seems impossible. He deserves to have his sight fixed and go home and live in beautiful District Four for the rest of his days. I shiver from the chilly night air, and suddenly an idea pops into my head.
"Hold on," I mutter, rummaging through our bag of supplies for the right equipment. I'll give you something to see. We didn't spend all that time at the fire-making station for nothing."
Willow Whitebeam (17)- D7F
My face is throbbing in pain. The kid from Nine that punched me was small and couldn't do much damage, but Seb really gave me a beating when we met in the bloodbath. It's a shame I didn't kill him, but at least I survived. I gently dab some medicine onto my swollen lip, then hesitantly scoop up some more for my eye. It's closing shut to the point that I can't see much, but I won't tell the others that. I don't want to be left behind for this important Career ritual, .nor do I want to miss opportunities to prove myself to the Capitol that I can kill, but I think I may have to sit this one out. I can feel exhaustion behind my eyelids and in my chest.
I smooth the cream over my purple eye. I hope my reflection in the Cornucopia's wall is distorting my face, and it's not actually that deformed. I need to look good for the cameras if I want sponsors. I'm not at all like Tiffany, who is perfect as always. Her hair still looks professionally curled and done up in her high ponytail. She's very attractive, admittedly, but it's annoying.
"Is everyone ready to go?" I hear her call out from outside the Cornucopia. I turn my flashlight to the entrance, illuminating her feminine figure. "It's time to get going."
"Coming," I say, as Hadrian grumbles on the ground beside me. He's been sleeping since we returned from our little expedition. He may think that he's doing a good job of hiding his pain, but he can't fool me. It shows in the way he clambers to his feet and the glazed look in his eye. Seb's little ally really got him good.
We trudge out of the golden horn, where the last remnants of the sun are dissipating over the horizon, clearly visible in between the two mountains that rise on either side of us, illuminating our path.
...
Despite my objections, everyone insists that I accompany them on the hunt. I'm not exactly disappointed, but I was looking forward to getting some sleep.
As we start our journey to the beach, I adjust the knives on my belt. One is already missing, accidentally given to Seb and his other little ally. The empty space bothers me. I hope we come across the two of them so I can get it back. Maybe missing a night of sleep won't be so terrible after all.
Our trek to the beach will take a couple hours, according to Tiger. I wonder if anyone will be there when we arrive. Finding water is a main priority for tributes, but surely they won't be stupid enough to do it right now, when they know we will be out looking for them. But Tiger says that they will think they are safer in the darkness, so our chances of finding someone are good.
The temperature dropped almost immediately after the sun went down, and now it's actually kind of chilly. My nose and ears are cold, but the rest of my body is warm from jogging. I can see my breath if I exhale loudly. Tiffany says that some tributes might be starting fires to keep warm, so we should keep our eyes peeled.
The moon lights up our path, but most of the scenery is dark and the mountains loom over us threateningly. As we approach the beach, the moonlight shining off the water is visible before the water itself. When we finally arrive at the cliff, the sea extends before us, colored dark and swirling around restlessly. It almost seems like the water's behavior is matching the atmosphere of the arena. The Capitol is longing for blood, writhing in their seats as they await the chase.
"How do we get down?" I ask.
"I found a place earlier, over here," Tiger says, waving us over to where the river flows over the cliff and down to the beach. "I saw evidence of someone sitting here, and footprints on the sand." He points at his feet, and then over the side of the cliff. "Someone was here, for sure. I didn't have time to look carefully, but they can't be far."
"What is that?" Hadrian asks suddenly. We all look to where he's pointing, to the mountain to our left. I squint as hard as I can and eventually make out a small orange flame crackling in the distance, flickering as if partly hidden behind something.
"Good eye, Hadrian," Tiffany says in approval. "Let's head over there."
"We were going down to the beach," Tiger says lowly, his face partly illuminated by the moonlight, eyes dark.
"We still will," Hadrian says, unsheathing his sword. He winces as it pulls on his shoulder injury. "But we need to check this out first. I call first kill."
"Not if I get there first," I say, raising an eyebrow. He huffs and starts a light pace to the fire, which I easily match. He's not going to kill anyone if he can't push through the pain.
Tesa Sherman (16)- D3F
I continue to hide among the rocks until the faces of the fallen disappear from the sky. I know I will have the upper hand to everyone else in the dark.
After my close encounter with the Careers, I stayed where I was and tried to figure out what I should do. I know I don't stand a chance without any supplies. Once I get some water and food, I will be able to find a place to hide away from the action. Climb the mountain and then stay in one place, killing anyone that gets too close.
Once the sun starts to set, I realize it's happening quicker than it does in nature. The Gamemakers are eager for the show to begin. The Capitol must be frothing at the mouth for blood by now. There haven't been any cannons since the bloodbath, and I can only hope that several will disturb the quiet desert tonight.
Once the sun is set and the moon is the only light I have to go by, I start my trek back to the Cornucopia. It will be dangerous, but it's the only chance I have of survival. The Careers are only four now, so it's not likely they would leave someone behind to guard their supplies. And if they did, I will just hang around until the golden horn is unattended and then take what I need.
An hour or so after beginning my journey, I can start to see the glint of the gold in the distance. It seems close, but it will take another half hour or so before I reach it. Despite the cold weather, I'm still sweating as I approach the Cornucopia from behind. I stop and listen closely, but I hear no one. Maybe they really did leave it unprotected.
I start to sneak toward the horn, making sure my footsteps are silent on the sand. I creep around the edge of the Cornucopia, readying my fists for a fight, but nothing comes. I peek inside, overjoyed at what I see. The boxes are still in the same places, apparently not yet sorted, but they have clearly been rifled through. I quietly open a nearby case and do my best to see what's inside by using the starlight. I can barely make out a baggie of food or possibly matches, and snatch it up.
I open a different crate and gleefully pull out a flashlight, turning it on facing the ground. The light seems unnatural in this deep darkness, and I know it will attract someone to me if I use it for too long. The baggie I took does have some dried meat in it, and I look for more among the boxes. I can't find any drinking water, so the Careers must either have all of it with them or have hidden it somewhere. I decide not to worry about it and find some iodine instead. I find some after a few minutes of searching, along with a small curved knife. It won't be too useful for throwing due to its shape, but it will have to do. I need to leave before anyone notices my flashlight.
I also take a sleeping bag I found stuffed in a crate, and a bag of oranges. I stuff all of my new acquisitions into a large bag and swing it over my shoulder, making sure to smirk for the cameras before flicking my flashlight off. Now all I can hope is that the Careers don't notice any of their things are missing.
Tiger Emerald (18)- D1M
My heart is pounding in my chest as we jog toward the source of the light, but not in excitement or fear. In anger. I told everyone that heading down to the beach is our best bet, so what happens? Hadrian distracts everyone with another lead.
I try to calm myself as we silently approach our prey. Kills are kills, no matter where we make them. What's going to matter is who makes them, and how.
The other tribute, whoever they are is hidden behind a cluster of boulders at the base of the mountain. It was foolish to light a fire, no matter how cold it is. In the Hunger Games, foolishness leads to death.
Hadrian and Willow reach the boulders first, apparently in some sort of race against each other. Willow draws a knife from her belt as she slows down, poised behind a boulder as she waits for the rest of us to catch up.
"You're not carrying a heavy sword," Hadrian is grumbling at her when Tiffany and I get closer. "That's why you won."
"Whatever," Willow says, bouncing on her heels, eyes flickering with barely concealed excitement. "Let's do this."
"We will do this," Tiffany says firmly. "You need to stay back."
Willow rolls her eyes, but doesn't complain. After all, we don't know who is behind those rocks. Our voices might have alerted them to our presence already, but it seems that they aren't moving. Perhaps they're asleep.
Hadrian holds up three fingers to Tiffany and I. He starts counting down, and when the last finger folds into his hand, the three of us descend on our opponents with fury.
Hadrian roars as he swings his sword towards the young boy sitting beside the fire, but his skinny frame ducks out of the way just in time. "Drew!" he screams.
I whip my head around to see Drew from Four sitting there, frozen against the rock. As the boy from Eleven scrambles away, I bring my axe over my head and swing it at Drew's chest. The blade buries itself deep into his body, and he immediately screams and chokes for air.
"Damnit, I knew I should have brought a bow and arrow," Tiffany says under her breath beside me. I look up from my victim and realize Hadrian is gone, chasing after the boy.
"I can do it. Hold on."
I reach for my axe handle, ignoring Drew as he gurgles for air. "Tomas?" he gasps out as I rip the axe from his chest. He slumps over himself, his blood staining the ground dark red. The thick liquid drips from my axe blade as well. I leave the cluster of boulders and try to make out Tomas and Hadrian in the dark. They're far away, but I can see their retreating figures. They're too far away to throw at, but I might as well try. I start on a sprint towards them, lifting my axe above my head. I surpass Hadrian easily with his shoulder injury, and throw my axe with all of my might. It misses my several feet.
"Let's go!" I wave the others forward, continuing on his trail. I retrieve my axe when I pass, squinting in the dark to see his figure. The little bugger won't be getting away from us tonight. Not while I just made a kill, the thrill of the hunt surging through my veins. Past victors talk about bloodlust before, but I didn't know it would be so strong, so potent, almost enough to make me scream into the night with desire. It's time for more blood.
Amelia Waltraud (16)- D5F
The night is quite peaceful. The sound of the waves against the beach is comforting. Directly below me, there are strange curved boulders that jut out of the water at strange angles. They are both fascinating and worrying; I know something like that probably doesn't exist in nature, and that they were created by the Gamemakers for whatever reason. Still, they are fun to watch as the waves crash against them, sending salty spray into the air.
I sleep with my back against the wall of the cave, facing the entrance so that I can see out if I wanted, but no one is likely to see me in the dark. The moonlight shines on everything outside, but I still feel uneasy sitting here in the dark, knowing there is a long system of caves underneath these mountains that can hide any number of things. I resist the urge to light a fire with my kit, instead toughing it out. I eventually fall asleep, Caleb's dying, smiling face swimming at the forefront of my mind.
Then in what feels like seconds, I'm jolted back to consciousness. At first I don't know why, but then i hear the footsteps racing toward sme, echoing down the caves.
I look around frantically for someplace to go, but I can hardly see anything. The footsteps are coming faster, nearer. My eyes land on the divot in the ground at the center of the cave, the hole of dark water. The footsteps are getting closer. I don't have a choice.
I grab my bag of supplies and hurry over to the pit, submerging myself and my supplies completely. The water is extremely cold, but I take a deep breath and hold my head under the water. I can feel the bottom of the pit underneath my toes, not as deep as I expected it to be. From underneath the water, I see a shadowy figure emerge from the other cave and through this one, disappearing into figure appears as well, running after the other figure. I wait for a little while after they disappear, until I feel like I'm going to suffocate myself.
I poke my head up from the water and gasp for air, dragging my supplies up with me. I clamber out of the pit just as someone else sprints into the cave. I gasp with surprise, looking up at the huge man above me. It's the guy from Two, the one that can chop a dummy in half in one swing of a sword.
"Willow? Tiffany?" he asks, his eyes locked onto mine. He grips his sword in his hand, starting to stalk toward me. "Get over here!"
I turn around as fast as I can, heading toward the exit of the cave instead of disappearing into one with the other tributes. The ledge outside the cave is small and precarious, but I'm thin enough to speed down the cliff, running as fast as I can. The ledge gets skinnier and skinnier the farther I go, the wind off the sea nearly knocking me over as I edge along.
I look behind me and see the Career is struggling along the ledge, roaring furiously at me. He's much bigger than I am, but I know he'll find a way to get to me eventually. I look up the mountain above me and take a deep breath. Elanor and I became quite fit after running around the district everyday, and I practiced the obstacle course in training a few times. I can do this.
I find a good handhold, reaching up to grab it while finding a place to put my foot. I try not to think about how high up I am as I climb slowly up the mountain, out of reach of my pursuer. My heart races in my chest as he shouts for his companions beneath me. I have to keep going. My body runs on autopilot as I continue to climb, gasping for air as I pull myself up. The chilly air and breeze makes me shiver, all of my clothes soaking wet and hanging heavily on my body.
I spot a place at the above me that I can stop and rest, a flat place that I can fit on. I pull myself up higher, about to reach it, when my wet hand slips against the rock and I start to fall, crying out loudly as I start to fall. My fingers scrape desperately against the rock, finally finding a place to grab, steadying myself with a shaky breath. I pull myself up to the ledge and collapse.
After a few moments of gasping for air, I peek over the edge. My stomach swoops unpleasantly at the drop below me, and even more at the look on the boy from Two's face as he glares up at me, barely illuminated in the moonlight. Two girls stand at the entrance to the cave, watching me with disappointment.
"I lost the Eleven kid," another guy says as he appears from the cave. I can't see what he does next, but I hear him say, "But it looks like we have someone here, don't we?"
Nicolette "Nikki" Anderson (18)- D4F
Jason and I had wander along the beach for a little while before finding this place. The large rocks and jut out from the water provide a nice cover, albeit a wet one. I can tell Jason isn't used to being in water from his furrowed brows as we huddle on the curved side of one of the rocks. The water crashes against the rock every now and then, sending a spray of water onto us, but it isn't too bad. In fact, the salty spray is somewhat welcome after being away from the ocean for so long .The Capitol might have the finest luxuries in the world, but we in Four have nature's most beautiful luxury: the beach.
There is hardly any space on our rock, so Jason and I are huddled close together, wrapping our jackets around us tightly. I know we won't get much sleep tonight, but I'm still hoping for a few hours of shut-eye. Jason told me he would keep watch, so I slipped into the sleeping bag and closed my eyes, trying to get some rest even if I can't fall asleep. Every now and then, I peek at him through my eyelashes, just to make sure he's alright. His bright blue eyes never close once, apparently too worked up to sleep, watching the sea attentively. He winces every time he moves his right arm, but the wound isn't bleeding anymore.
I yawn and sit up, pretending like I had been asleep. I rub my eyes and ask, "Are you ready to switch?"
"I'm fine keeping watch," he says in his Peacekeeper voice. I've come to realize that when he does that, it means he's deadly serious.
"You should get some rest, though," I say, reaching over to grab my trident. It's been cleaned in the salt water, now back to a shiny silver instead of glistening crimson. "Don't worry, I was trained just like you were. I can handle danger."
"Not saying you couldn't," he grumbles, but he reluctantly takes the sleeping bag from me, leans back, and closes his eyes. I watch his face for a few moments before I realize what I'm doing and turn away. I don't have the luxury of doing this right now. Jason will die eventually. He has to so that I can live. And I know it will probably happen soon. He's a good fighter and survivor, but he doesn't have what it takes to kill.
The beach is like a dark abyss at night, but as the sun rises, so does the water. It's the most gorgeous sight on the planet, I'm sure. And I couldn't have asked for a better arena. I more than anyone am suited for these Hunger Games. I breathe in the morning air, smelling salt and fish and sun, all of it reminding me of home.
My stomach is starting to grumble by the time the sun is nearly positioned above us, but I ignore it. I've gone through fasts to prepare for this, even more than recommended by the Academy. My parents forced me to go for weeks without food and days without water while still performing my training. It wasn't pleasant, but I understood why. That experience will be useful now. I glance over at Jason, who has actually fallen asleep despite his initial objections. His face is slack and his arms stretch in odd angles around him. One of them twitches into my lap. He won't be used to living without food. District Six is poor, but Peacekeepers fare well. I reach over to rummage through my backpack, finding the dried fruit. He can eat some for breakfast while I try to catch fish with our net.
"I know she's an easy catch, but we shouldn't have to wait for her for days," a female voice says not far away. I suck in a breath and quickly lean back so the rock is hiding me. A salty spray of ocean water hits my face, drowning out another sentence before the female voice says again, "...while we could be out finding other tributes."
"That's what we're doing," another voice replies, sounding somewhat annoyed. I recognize that voice. That's Tiger from One. The sight of his smug, cruel face in my mind makes me grip my trident tighter.
"Hadrian will get her eventually. In the meantime, we'll make as many kills as we can."
The voices are getting closer. Surely they will check around each of the rock formations, inevitably finding us here. It won't be an easy battle, but we will win. Jason and I have the upper ground. I glance over at his peaceful face. He make make a noise if I wake him up now. I can hear footsteps getting closer to us in the wet sand, followed by sloshing water.
I grip my trident tightly, ready for whatever comes. I peek from behind the curve of the rock, adrenaline pumping faster when I see Tiger and the Seven girl moving toward us. They didn't see me yet, so I duck back in my hiding place and prepare to strike.
"Who I really want to find is my district partner," the girl says. "Seb, you remember him."
"I do," Tiger says gravely. "And I'm looking for Nikki, the girl from Four. They both scored tens after all. And besides, I'd like to take out one district in one night."
The hair on the back of my neck stands up. Drew made it out of the bloodbath, but did Tiger just kill him? I feel my blood start to pulse angrily. Drew was an insatiable Career like the rest of them, but he was kind and loyal. And Tiger killed him when he couldn't defend himself.
I jump out from behind the rock and immediately throw my trident down at the couple beneath us. It misses by a hair, making me scream in rage.
"Get her, Willow!" Tiger yells, immediately trying to climb the rock. The girl takes a knife from her belt and throws it up at me. I easily duck out of the way, reaching for Jason's sword.
"What are you doing?" A voice stops me. He's watching me with wide blue eyes.
"Do you want to live or not?" I snarl, gripping the handle and swinging it around just in time to meet Tiger's axe. The blades ring out loudly. I parry the weapon and manage to swing the sword loose, bringing it towards him again in a rage. I hear commotion beside us, but I don't have time to see what Jason is doing. Tiger lurches towards me with his axe, but I block him with another clash of metal and he stumbles away. Just as I steady myself again, an uncharacteristically large wave crashes against the rock, the water enveloping me and sweeping us down to the beach. I feel the squishy sand under my hands, coughing for a few seconds before reaching for the sword.
My fingers feel its smooth handle and curl around it, but then a foot steps on my hand.
"Day hi to Drew for me," the girl from Seven laughs as she raises Tiger's axe above me, already dripping red with blood and water. I squeeze my eyes shut tight, Jason's solemn face appearing behind my eyelids.
There is a crunching sound above me and I open my eyes immediately. The girl drops beside me, her back spearing through with the point of my trident. She gasps for air, fingers digging into the wet sand. I grab Jason's sword and stand.
I pull the trident from her body, turning to frown at Jason. His black hair falls in ribbons around his face. "Where's Tiger?"
"So much for a thank you," he says before grabbing my arm and pulling me with him. I notice he's carrying both backpacks and the sleeping bag. I hear Tiger roar in rage behind us, and glance back to see that he's just now standing, his clothes and body soaked in water.
I hand Jason his sword as we run as fast as our legs can take us. He's covered in sand as well, and blood. Maybe I was wrong about him after all.
Hey everyone! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. This one is a little different than the others. Not all of the tributes got a perspective or were mentioned, and some of the perspectives aren't the same length. I think the rest of the chapters will be like this as well, to better explain what's happening in the Games. If a tribute wasn't in the spotlight this chapter, they will next chapter.
We also lost Drew and Willow in this chapter.
14th: Andrew "Drew" de Luce (18)- D4M- killed by Tiger. Created by TheAmazingJAJ. Drew has quickly become one of my favorite characters after I started writing him. He had one of the most unique arcs of all the tributes, and he was kind and sweet. His family will mourn him and so will Tomas.
13th: Willow Whitebeam (17)- D7F- killed by Jason. Created by iridescenteverdeen. Willow was one of the characters I enjoyed writing the most. She was such a fun, reckless, fearless girl. She was tough and wanted nothing more than to return to her life in Seven. Her best friend Jupiter will miss her dearly, and I'll definitely miss writing about her.
What do you think of the Careers' hunt?
I know these updates have been coming slowly, but I'm trying to write faster. Please stay tuned for the next chapter!