Day 3 – Settling in

Pleb Solvent's POV:

I couldn't stop crying, like my eyes would not stop streaming with tears, no matter how long I sat still. No matter how much I tried to rationalise the situation or give myself some positive thoughts instead of the current ones.

My alliance was dead, day one Lem and Amber had both died. There had been another day since of that I was sure, at least it had gone dark twice. But I'd just spent it wandering the arena in a haze. I guess I'd been lucky to not bump into any other tributes in my wanderings or I'd probably have joined Lem and Amber.

I run my hands over my face trying to wipe away the tears, but more just replace them.

I was pathetic, I was a dead man and at the moment I didn't care.

Tek Kilo's POV:

He's crying the boy from Nine, I can see him from my bush, just wandering slowly through the forest of this arena, probably to his death. I almost wanted to help him he looked so pathetic but I stopped myself.

I'd seen this act before, weeping tributes drawing in their kind prey before going in for the kill, I was too smart to get caught in a trap like that.

He did look really pathetic though and crap … now he was looking straight at me.

"What you staring at" he says, I guess he was trying to be intimidating but the dribble of snot running down his nose proved otherwise.

"nothing" I stutter starting to back away from this potential threat, however my foot becomes tangled in some kind of root or vine and I tumble to the floor.

"Ouch" I cry as I sit up rubbing my back, I can see he's walking over towards me now and I scrunch my eyes shut waiting for the end.

"That looked like it hurt" he said eventually and I carefully opened my eyes again to see him extending out a hand. I considered running for a moment but I knew I'd never be able to outrun a boy like him; up close I can see he's got some strength properly from working in fields all his life. "Let me help you up, I'm not going to hurt you Tek"

"How'd you remember my name?" I whisper feeling bad I couldn't remember his.

"There's only twenty-four of us" he replies "I was always good with tribute names watching the games so I don't see why I'd suddenly be bad at it now."

"Oh I see" I reply taking his hand and letting him hoist me onto my feet, my back twinging a little as he did so.

"I'm Pleb by the way" he adds

"Oh okay thanks" I mutter, now I'm stood up it's clear he is much taller than me though at a guess I'd say we were a similar age. I'd always been short for my age, even when around the stunted people of Three.

"You got any allies?" he asks as I see his eyes dart around the forest, he's probably expecting Mac to jump out at him or something.

I shake my head "Didn't want any allies, didn't think I needed anyone."

"Past tense" he comments "How about now?"

I shrug "Now I'm just lonely, thought I'd be dead by now so I'd not considered it before."

His eyes seemed to have stopped crying by now and he had a calm look on his face "I lost my alliance already" he said.

"Was she from your district?" I ask

"No" he snaps and I jump a little, he takes a deep breath "Don't know where Auvita is and I don't really care. I was with the pair from Seven" he sniffs a little more snot back into his nose "They were a nice pair, innocent"

"We're all innocent Pleb" I whisper "It's the sins of our ancestors that got us here"

"deep"

I shrug "Just been thinking a lot the last couple of days, trying to distract myself from the hunger" my stomach cramped as I spoke as if to remind me it existed.

"Food and Water" Pleb says standing a little straighter, "now that's something we can do together"

Olivia Visious' POV:

Lysandra was driving me mad, Cassius was driving me mad and the pair from One were just infuriating me by day three. I'd set myself up quite nicely as mistress of the food supply over the last couple of days but I knew where my real skills were.

We all did, Cassius and Cy had gone out on a couple of scouting missions and so had Cliona and Hellios but they'd always returned before dark without a cannon between them.

"This is useless" Cassius announces just after midday on day three, "We should all head out and hunt"

"We have to leave someone to guard the base though" Lysandra suggests "How about you Olivia"

"No frickin' way" I respond too angrily for my jokey unserious persona, I take a deep breath and laugh, "I'm not missing out on all the fun. Not being able to share the stories round the campfire later"

"We should have included a patsy" Cliona says "someone we could leave with the stuff and dispose of them when we were done"

"There's still time" Lysandra says "I could get someone now"

"What?" Cassius shouts "is there something you're not telling me?"

"Only that the girl from Twelve, the one with the broken arm, she's only been up the beach the last two days"

"What?" Cassius shouts and I laugh, of course Lysandra would keep something like that to herself.

"You been sneaking her treats or something Four" Cliona says stepping right up towards Lysandra, "keeping her as your little pet."

"Of course not no" Lysandra replies "Just been aware of her presence that's all. Poor little things starving by the looks of it."

"Lysandra take me to her" Cassius orders "The rest of you wait here"

"I'm coming for this kill" Cliona snarls, "I'm owed one"

"You're owed nothing" Cassius shouts back "and we're not going to kill her while she can still be useful"

Maddie Peters POV:

I was cold, I was hungry, I was tired and my mouth was so dry I struggled to breathe, I'd had hungry days back home of course, everyone did. But thirst, that was a new feeling, we could always rely on a supply of water from the well back home.

I'd tried chewing on a couple of leaves but both were disgusting so I'd stopped trying in case I ate anything poisonous.

My eyes felt constantly tired, but I had this feeling that if I shut them, they wouldn't open again.

Maybe that wouldn't be so bad

There are worse ways to die in the games.

I feel my head going weak so I slip my eyes closed and take one final breath.

"ugh, ouch" two hands hit my shoulders and I open my eyes with a start. I'm looking straight into the eyes of the District Two boy his bright blue eyes looking straight into mine.

"Wakey Wakey Twelve" laughs the girl at his side, his district partner also blonde.

I screamed and his hands move from my shoulders to over my mouth, "shut up twelve" he commanded and I stopped trying to cry out.

"I'm going to offer you this once and only once you hear and then I'm going to let my friend Olivia here kill you.

"Ohh Cassius your so kind" the girl swooned, she was playing the cameras for sure this one.

"Now Twelve, we need a look out here in the sand while we go out hunting. It's a simple job, just watch our crap, don't steal anything and if anyone else turns up blow this whistle three times. Loudly" he pulls a whistle from his pocket.

I open my mouth to respond but he clamps his hand over it again.

"Now girlie, don't think that this is the way the cripple from Twelve wins the games. Oh no, once we are done with you, you will die. But If you do a good job we'll ask our sponsors to send you some nice tasty poison or if we're not happy with you Olivia here has some nice sharp knives don't you love"

"Oh the sharpest"

"I'll do it sure…" I stutter "All I … need .. is some water and food … please"

Minutes later and I've been dragged over to the careers camp I had been watching but avoiding for the last few days. My useless arm is tied to a tent pole and I'm thrown some food bars and a half full bottle of water to struggle with as the careers sat around the camp fire laughing and planning their next day's hunt."

I knew I'd never be able to hurt them but there were some other strong tributes out there, maybe one of them will slay the careers and rescue me.

Or maybe not.

A/N: Another short one here, I always seem to lose momentum once the games start.

Update on the alliances:

Careers: Cliona, Hellios, Olivia, Cassius, Lysandra, Halcyone (and Maggie)

1: Pleb and Tek

2: Cecil and Auvita

3: Ethel, Grace and Christine (Demi)

4: Axel and Sussex

Solo: Mac and Porsha