Filly Marcoffe (18)- D10F
I sit and watch the national anthem play, popping grapes into my mouth and swinging my legs over the edge of the cliff. My heels gently bump the jagged rock as the faces of the fallen appear in the sky. First, they show the boy from Six, the one who wanted to become a Peacekeeper. His smile is genuine in the photo, and I feel a tug at my heartstrings. He would have made a great one. It's a shame he had to come here.
The next face is the little girl from Twelve, her eyes wide and fearful, but a sweet smile on her face. The last one is the guy from One, his green eyes hard and piercing, his jaw clenched. Not a bad day for these Games. Two powerful tributes died along with another. We're down to seven now.
After the anthem fades away, I stay on the cliff for a while longer, watching the desert below me. In the distance, I can hear the mournful howl of a canine creature. Insects chirp loudly, reminding me of home on the ranch. After half an hour or so, I decided I should go to sleep. I barely notice my stomach rumbling as I drift into dreamland. I must be getting used to living here.
In the middle of the night, I startle awake from my usual nightmare. Someone was holding me down, their body completely dark and shadowed, their face having no features, eyes or nose or mouth. I shake with fear in my bed after waking up, rubbing along my arms where the demon-like figure was holding me. It's just a dream, I remind myself, trying to get back to sleep. I shouldn't be so scared of some nightmare when there are far worse things awaiting me in the real world.
Though it's difficult, I eventually drift back to sleep for the remainder of the night. The next morning, I'm glad to see the sun has risen and illuminated any places that the demon could be hiding. I cautiously head out for some more grapes, on the lookout for any other tributes, but the grapes have grown scarce. There are four large grape vines and a few smaller ones that I've been eating from, but I've exhausted most of their fruits from eating them day and night for nearly eight days. My water is nearly gone too. My growling stomach says I should find another source of food somewhere, but my heart says I should stay here, near the shack, where its safe. Who know how far away the other tributes are, and I've already proven that I can defend myself on my own turf.
I sit in the shade of the shack, reading more of the journal and eating the last of the grapes that I have. Perhaps I could start eating the little green buds that aren't quite grapes yet, but might provide some nutritional value, no matter how small. But the buds taste bitter in my mouth, so I spit them out and try to ignore my hunger.
In the book, the people who live in the mountains are starting to grow worried about some unknown threat. The couple that lives in the shack is aware of the problem as well, but are in disagreement about what to do. One wants to leave and sail across the water to escape, the other wants to stay and wait out the disaster, which is only discussed in very vague terms. They argue for several pages about what to do, and end up deciding to stay for at least a little while longer. They leave the shack and go farther down the mountain for dinner, picking various fruits along the way. I know that I saw fruit trees on my way up here, even taking a few to eat. But would it be safe to leave my shack for some food?
I decide now is better than never. I take my knife and adjust my clothing so that it would be easier to fight, then slowly start to descend down the path from the shack. I see nobody, not even any animals, but I proceed with caution anyway. After several minutes of walking, I come across two apple trees that are laden with heavy red apples. Some have fallen onto the ground and rotted,with bugs flying around them incessantly. I reach up and grab as many as I can, until my arms are full. This should be enough to fill me for a few days.
Spool Nylon (12)- D8M
After cleaning Seb's wound last night, we settled down in the cave with the hold in the ground, where we can see the beach. We figured the cat mutts are either all dead or now know not to mess with us, but we still didn't want to be in the front of the cave system where they could see or smell us. I settled down in the dirt for the night, while Seb sat against the wall, keeping watch over the beach. I listened to the national anthem play and watched the faces in the sky appear. Three tributes have died since this time last night. One was even a Career. Now that there's seven of us, with only two Careers left, my anxieties about making our mark are lessened a bit. If we kill, it will probably be out of necessity than anything else.
I'm awoken in the middle of the night by Seb, for my turn to keep watch. I do so until the sun rises, at which point I wait for Seb to wake with the sun like he usually does. Instead, he continues sleeping until I have to lightly shake him awake. He blinks with confusion as he sits up, his face unusually pale. "Sorry," he says roughly, clearing his throat. "Did you see anything?"
"No, it seems that the girl from Four either left while we were gone or hasn't moved from the rock." I frown. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," he says, wiping sweat from his brow. "We need to figure out what we're going to do today."
We still have the carcasses of the two cats that we killed, which will feed us for several days. But our clean water has completely run out, and we've been drinking from the river for a few days now. It seems clear and clean, and is never standing still, but I know from watching the Games all my life that any untreated water can be dangerous. That combined with the fact that any fire we make is very small, using only the twigs we can find around the caves, means that our meat isn't as cooked as we would like it to be. It will be a miracle if we don't get horribly sick before we either win or die.
I side-eye Seb as he shakily gets to his feet. Perhaps one of us has already gotten sick. We washed his open wound with the possibly contaminated water, after all. And those mutts were rather nasty looking.
"I'm going to make breakfast," I say, getting to my feet and dragging one of the cat carcasses to me. I start skinning part of the body, wrinkling my nose at the foul smell and blood that runs over my hands. Regardless of the cats' genetic engineering, the meat seems normal and makes a good meal. I just have to get all of the fur and skin and bones away from it, build an adequate fire, figure out how to hold the meat over it without burning myself-
I hear something colliding behind me, and I turn and realize it was Seb's body meeting the ground. I hurry over to him, helping him sit up. His face is sickly pale, sweating from a fever, his forehead hot to the touch. His eyes are out of focus, even when I call his name and snap my fingers in front of him. I lift up his arm to look at his bite, the two puncture marks bright red and angry against his pale skin. I carefully lay him back on the floor, trying not to get any cat's blood on him from my hands. The meat couldn't be it , and this happened too quickly to be the water. The cat's fangs must be poisonous.
I try to wrap Seb's jacket around his tighter to keep him warm, but he merely shivers more. I leave his side for a moment to open the mouth of the cat I'm currently skinning, moving the lip to reveal the sharp, pointed fangs there. I wrap my finger around one, careful not to prick myself, and pull it out of the gums. Blood leaks out from the where the tooth was, but the tooth itself doesn't seem so dangerous. I pocket it carefully. I might need it later.
Tomas Fields (15)- D11M
The girl still hasn't left yet, sitting on the rock without moving. I had trouble sleeping last night due to her presence, afraid she secretly knew I was here and would come kill me in my sleep, or that I would snore and alert her of my presence. But I drift off eventually, into a restless sleep that leaves me feeling more tired than before. The morning sun has been beating down on my incessantly for hours now, but I still haven't gathered the courage to leave my rock yet. Where would I go? Try and sneak away, hoping the girl won't see me? Or make a run for it and hope I can lose her? I realize too late that I should have left while she was sleeping.
At around noon, she apparently becomes hungry and climbs down from her rock, large trident in hand, gleaming in the sunlight. She wades knee-deep into the water, her brown hair now braided into a long braid. Her back is turned to me, and I wonder if I should take my chance and run away. She stands still in the water, like a bear that's waiting for its prey. I gulp nervously, slowly grabbing my bag and the bottle of water, slipping off of my rock and into the water. I make a small splash, wincing at the sound. I listen closely for any sign that she heard me, but I hear nothing. I wait until she lunges for a fish to run away, so that the splashing disguises the sounds of my footsteps in the water.
I run as fast as I can, hoping against hope that she won't hear me. I reach the shore and glance over my shoulder, heart pounding. She's standing in the middle of the water, watching me with sharp, keen eyes. I gasp loudly and pick up my pace, running as fast as I can. My feet sink into the sand, making a squishing sound with each step. I look over my shoulder again, but realize she isn't following me.
I slow down for a moment in confusion, then speed up again. I can't let a Career's mind games get to me. I'm leaving as quick as I can.
I run for an hour or more, slowing down every now and then for a drink of water. The sun beats down on me relentlessly, but as far as I can tell, the girl isn't pursuing me. Once I can't run anymore, I collapse into the sand. I close my eyes, the sun still burning through them so that I can see the veins in my eyelids. My stomach grumbles, my legs numb from exertion.
I stand slowly, all of my joints protesting. I've barely outran the large rock formations, which rise up behind me, towering over me. I trudge over to the nearest one so that I can plop down into the shade. The tide lightly laps at my feet, gently caressing me. Surely the girl won't be able to find me now. I can't help but wonder why she didn't follow me. Was she too shocked to follow me after I revealed myself, or merely not willing to put energy into chasing me? Whatever the reason, I'm grateful.
As I lay there, I hear a familiar tinkling sound above me. I open my eyes, grinning wide as I see the silver parachute descending to me. I jump up and grab it midair, ripping open the case eagerly. Inside is another message from Seeder, "Enjoy yourself, stay alert."
I smile as I grab a handful a roll from District Eleven, light and fluffy just how I like them. There is also a ripe apple and a sweet-smelling peach. I much on the peach as I watch the distant expanse of the ocean.
I pull the pearl my mother gave me out of my pocket. The black one that my real father gave her as a gift many years ago. With the support of my district, surely I will be able to win. I have to.
Hadrian Cato (18)- D2M
For some reason, I had a hard time falling asleep last night. I should be sleeping easier now that my biggest rival in the Games has been killed. Tiger was a madman, but he was a lethal fighter that would do anything to win, even slit the throat of an ally. But now that he's dead, I think I've realized that my worst enemy might never have been him the entire time, but the girl that saved me from him. It's embarrassing to think that a girl from District One, who are notoriously air-headed and win merely on their looks and sponsorships.
There's no denying that Tiffany will make a formidable opponent when the time comes. But right now, we're still on the same team. Tiffany helped me away from Tiger's body last night so that the hovercraft could take him away, back to District One where his parents will surely weep over his body and curse Tiffany for killing him. But soon, he will be forgotten like all dead tributes. And if he is remembered, it will be for his mood swings and outrageous behavior.
After he's taken away, Tiffany and I sleep in the Cornucopia together. I lay awake for hours, trying not to toss and turn so as not to hurt my shoulder. The next morning, Tiffany helps me prepare for the day with a breakfast of oatmeal and some warm apple juice that's been sitting here under the desert heat for a week. It doesn't taste the same as it does in the Capitol, but I'm grateful to have a meal with another human being.
"Thank you for helping me," I say to Tiffany as we pack our bags for the next hunt. "And not just last night. You helped me after I fell, and I never thanked you."
"You didn't fall, you were pushed," Tiffany says indifferently. "But you're welcome."
I swallow my pride, turning away before I say something I'll regret. "Fall, pushed. I'm still grateful. We make a good team."
Tiffany turns to smile at me, and for a moment, I can see the girl that charmed the nation during her interview with Caesar, her blonde hair framing her face like a halo. "I think we do too."
"Why did you save me this time?" I ask before I can stop myself, ever curious.
Her eyes turn dark again. "Tiger wasn't victor material. District One wouldn't approve."
I hold back a snort. It seems she is still naive about victory after all. "Why not?"
"He was too reckless, and too concerned with honor."
I look up in surprise. "That upsets you?"
"It's like you said," she says, swinging her bag onto her back. "No one can win with honor, let alone someone who's driven by revenge."
"What drives you, then?"
She thinks for a moment, her blue eyes unfocusing. "I'm not sure anymore… What about you?"
"Desire, I guess. For all of it; the blood, the riches, glory, everything else. Are you ready?"
"Ready."
Sebastian "Seb" Cassara (18)- D7M
Seb!
I can hear someone calling my name from somewhere far away. The tone is urgent, pushing through my deep sleep. It feels good to be unconscious for a while, to escape whatever troubles are surely plaguing me in the real world. What troubles were they again?
Seb…
It that my mother's voice. It sounds so soft and concerned, so it must be. Was I knocked out again from father's drunken antics? If it was just me, then I'll be fine. But if he hurt mother too… then I won't be able to let it slide. Not again. If he hurts her, I'll…
Sometime later, in what could be a minute or a day, I feel myself being pulled back into the conscious world. I try to resist, content with staying in my own realm of nothingness. But the more I try to stay asleep, the more I'm pulled back out of it. I can feel the rough terrain under my back, my hands coated in dust, the particles of sand filling my mouth and making it feel gritty I cough as I attempt to sit up, my face drier than it's ever been.
"Mother…"
"Seb! You're awake!"
Tag scrambles up from where he's sitting at the mouth of the cave, hurrying over to me. He kneels down beside me, feeling my forehead. "You're still feverish."
I open my mouth, my lips sticking together, dry as a bone. "H-how long?"
"A few hours."
"Only a few?" Despite my weak voice, I can hear my own incredulity. How could the illness have worsened so quickly? I thought I would have been unconscious for days for the intensity of it.
"I think it's the bite from the mutt," Tag shakes his head. If I'm not mistaken, I think I can see his eyes glistening. "I should have known."
I picture the creatures in my head, tongues lolling out and eyes red, framed by the puffy manes of hair around their faces. Tag is right. I glance down at the tiny two bite marks in my forearm that are causing me all of this pain, horrified to see the green veins that are snaking away from the wound. It looks like the poison is filling my veins, stretching around my arm and down to my fingers, up even to my shoulder. The two little puncture marks hurt worse than the wound I sustained in the bloodbath from Willow, especially when I move my arm.
"I thought you weren't going to wake up," Tag says shakily, his eyes welling up with tears. "I'm so sorry, Seb. It's all my fault!"
"It's not your fault," I assure him weakly. "The cats attacked us."
"It is my fault," he sobs. "If I hadn't have tried to capture that first one, they wouldn't have come after us."
"You think the Gamemakers would care if we tried to kill one or not? They're bored of us. You were right about us. We haven't done anything since the bloodbath, and they were ready to kills us and be done with it."
"Well, we won't go down so easily." He smiles tearfully, sniffling.
"Now, are you going to let me die?" I ask, feeling the blood in my arm pulse with pain. I try to swallow down my own panic and stay calm for him. "Or are you going to save me, just like you did before?"
"I'm going to help you," Tag whispers. "And we're going to be the last two here, I promise."
I don't have the heart to tell him that that is a strange request. The thought of the two of us being the final two tributes in the Games leaves me feeling even more sick to my stomach, and I lay back down before I vomit. My head feels like it is splitting in half, my body feverish and achy.
I know that I will be dead within the fortnight. I can only hope Tag will be able to survive on his own.
Tiffany Silk (18)- D1F
Hadrian and I set out for the eastern mountain at dawn, ready to taste blood again. I can feel my blade singing for it in my scabbard. After tasting Tiger's blood, I can feel the desire for more inside me. How many is it that I've killed now? Tiger, the nine-scorer from Six, the Capitolite girl from Eleven, and the pregnant one from Nine. Four lives, maybe five, probably more than any of the other tributes have taken. None of the victor's interviews, or my few conversations with victors from One, ever told me how it felt to kill. How your limbs buzz with the desire to do something, anything. To fight and slice open the belly of the opponent that thought they could challenge you.
If this is what victory feels like, then I am ready to feel it for the rest of my life. NO matter how short or long.
"We're getting closer," Hadrian says.
Truthfully, the mountain is still far away, and the sun is starting to hang low in the sky already. We've been traveling slower due to Hadrian's injuries, but he insisted he would accompany me. I understand, of course. Sitting in that Cornucopia all day probably bored him out of his mind. He'll be wanting the taste of blood on his lips. But this also means that I have to travel much slower than I would alone. Hadrian can walk, and fight, but it's a tedious process. We'll likely have to set up camp for the night soon, and start fresh tomorrow. I wouldn't mind it, except there is no shelter where we are, out in the open for anyone to descend on us.
"We should at least reach those rocks," I say, nodding ahead of us, where a cluster of boulders sits just past the river. "We'll have a water source if we run out, and shelter."
Hadrian doesn't answer, which I take as consent. He grunts heavily with each step, sweat beading at his brow, but he doesn't complain either. It's good that he's determined. He'll need persistence if he wants to end up on top in a fight with a strong tribute. The girl from Ten, the ten-scorer from Seven, and Nikki are all still out there, and won't be easy kills unless they are dehydrated and weak. I'm hoping on at least one such opponent, but I shouldn't rely on it.
We reach the boulders by the time the sun is starting to set. As we start setting up camp, a cannon blasts throughout the arena, echoing off the rocks around us.
I look at Hadrian, who is smirking at me. "Just six to go."
He's right. There are only four opponents now, and once we see the face of whoever died today in the night sky, we'll know just how strong they are. My training is telling me that I should hope for a strong tribute to have died, but I'm secretly wishing that a weaker one has perished, so that I will be able to experience the thrill of battle once more.
We finish setting up camp, reclining underneath the setting sun. Hadrian lays to my right, hand on his sword as we listen to the insects chirp their familiar tune.
"Why did you kill him, really?"
I turn to look at Hadrian, hands clasped behind my head. "Tiger? Oh… he had to die sometime."
"Well, of course," he says, apparently unsatisfied. "But what about your district? They will be upset with you."
"I don't care," I say, staring up at the emerging stars. "They can hate me if they want. It's not their love I'm after."
"You said you didn't know what you're after," Hadrian scoffs.
"Well, I've figured it out."
"And?"
I turn to him with a soft smile. "It's what I've been saying along. The thrill of accomplishing something for myself. I don't need anyone to rely on, not even him. Or you."
Nicolette "Nikki" Anderson (17)- D4F
The sun is hanging low in the sky, and I'm still trudging along in the wet sand. The tide lightly laps at my feet as I continue on, the colors of the sunset stained across the sky. To my right, the mountain looms above me. I've been tracking the little tribute for hours now, and I have no idea whether or not I'm any closer to reaching him.
I don't know why I didn't kill the boy when I first saw him. He was right there, only a few feet away, soaking wet from the water and sunburnt beyond belief. His eyes were filled with fear, and I just let him get away. I didn't even raise my trident.
After an hour or so, my pondering over the boy started to turn to frustration. Even now, I don't understand how I didn't see him, camping only a few boulders away from mine? And why didn't I kill him right away? It's not like I have a choice in the matter. My parents, District Four, and worst of all the Capitol, will wonder why I let a defenseless boy live when I could have taken his life. I have no choice other than to pursue him.
This is the price that I pay, I tell myself. To avenge Jason and Eryn. Just thinking about Jason's last scream of my name makes my blood boil with anger. This boy didn't kill them, but the only way that I can make sure Jason's memory will live on forever is to win the Games. If this little boy from Eleven wins, or anyone else, then I along with Jason and Eryn will be forgotten as fallen tributes that were sacrificed for the sake of the country.
But this boy won't be sacrificed for strangers. It will be for me.
He isn't hard to track. His footprints in the sand are obviously his, and without any weapons he's not likely to stand a chance against me. He'll be weak and tired, probably hungry and dehydrated. An easy kill.
As the sun just starts to disappear into the sea, the hazy orange light casting a strange light on the land, I hear a noise near the curved rocks. The water has washed away some of the boy's tracks, but I can still tell that he's came this way. Could he really be here, just out of sight yet again?
I grip my trident tighter. I haven't eaten since last night, but I still feel pure energy rushing through my veins. I don't need food, water, or anything else to survive. Just myself and my pointed trident.
I creep around the corner, eyes peeled. There isn't anyone sitting atop the rock. Perhaps he is lying in wait for me, a secret weapon in hand that is poised to slice open my throat. Or perhaps he is simply asleep, and will make an easy target.
But it turns out to be neither. The boy is laying in the shallow part of the sea, running his hands through the flowing water. Beside him, a silver sponsor case is floating, bobbing with the tide. Maybe he's not so underfed after all.
I move toward him as softly as possible, just in case he had been gifted a weapon. The boy doesn't notice me approaching until my feet hit the water, and it is impossible to mask the sound of my footsteps sloshing through. His head pops up immediately, his eyes wide. But then he relaxes, slowly swimming toward me. His dark skin say District Eleven, but for some reason, those green eyes remind me of my own, and many others that I've seen in District Four.
"Hello," he says in a timid voice.
I freeze and quietly reply, "Hello."
"Would you like some food?" he asks, reaching for his silver case. I grip my trident harder, prepared for him to pull out a knife or worse, but it really is just food. Rolls from District Eleven. "You look hungry."
I don't answer, but I lower my trident a little. If this boy is open to an alliance, would that really be the worst thing in the world? Jason would say to accept it, and protect each other.
"I was allies with Drew, your district partner," he says, chewing on a roll. "Until the Careers killed him."
I narrow my eyes at him. "I know. I killed one of them for it."
"Did you?" he seems surprised. "Well, hold on. I have some water, too, if you'd like."
I draw closer, the water now up to my knees. The points of my trident dip into it. The boy reaches behind him, pulling out his canteen of water. I take it eagerly and take a large swig, keeping my eyes on him.
"You could put down your weapon," he says.
I snort. "So that you can try to drown me?"
"Who says I don't have a weapon of my own?" he says, raising an eyebrow.
"Is that a threat?" I ask, raising my trident again.
"If you take it as one."
He meets my eyes, and I remember his Reaping, when he knocked the Reaping ball off the stage and spat at Caesar's feet during his interview. Is he possibly trying to trick me? Or maybe weighing his options, as I am.
I see him reach underneath the water, pulling out something from his belt. Alarm bells go off in my head as I see the object glinting in the sun. Without thinking, I thrust the trident into his fragile body. Blood begins to stain the jacket around the wound, thin red lines swirling in the water. He gasps out for air, his eyes wide and surprised, as blood leaks out of his mouth.
I pull the trident out, and a flood of red liquid permeates the water. I feel my breath coming heavily as I grab the food, pocketing it and the water as the boy falls face first into the sea. In his hand, I can see what he was trying to grab for.
It wasn't a weapon at all, just a black pearl. It gleams in the light, slowly floating out of his fingers. I've never seen any kind of pearl like that since leaving Four.
I wade out of the water as his cannonshot echoes off the water. I didn't have to kill him… but I did. I feel tears well up in my eyes, and I can't will them away this time. I collapse into the sand, my trident spearing the ground. What would Jason think of me?
Hello, everyone! I hope you had a great week. This chapter, we lost Tomas.
7th: Tomas Fields (15)- D11M- created by TheAmazingJAJ. Killed by Nikki. Tomas was a very interesting character that I honestly haven't seen before in a SYOT. He was lonely but fierce, and didn't belong anywhere but could fit in wherever he wanted. He was a kind, brave person that definitely didn't deserve all of the things that happened to him in his life. His family will certainly miss him, as will his District.
Thanks for reading! Please leave a review if you enjoyed the chapter.