The seventh night


-Raoul, D10M-

"It's getting kind of down to the wire."

I could see Kendal perk up from where he was sitting. "Hm?"

"Y'know. Not both of us can win."

"Oh. Yeah."

Awkward.

"I feel like… Maybe… We should…"

"Split. Right." He didn't sound happy about it, but we both knew that this is for the better.

I have to make it back home, after all. I have to get back to my family and to my one true love, the violin. I'm not done changing the world. In fact, I've only just gotten started.

"Peaceful split?" I asked, swallowing a nervous lump in my throat.

"Peaceful split." Kendal started going through his pack. "The night-vision goggles are yours, and so is this food. The rest is stuff I won from the bloodbath and got from sponsors."

"Yeah, right." He handed me the goggles and food. "Thanks."

"Mhm."

"Well-"

I saw Kendal stand up. "This is your spot. I wouldn't want to stay here much longer, anyways. It won't take long for the others to figure out where you are."

"Oh. Right."

"But, to each their own. So, um…"

"Right. Yeah."

Kendal walked away from me so I could barely make out his features anymore.

"Thank you for sticking by me, Raoul. I'll see you on the other side."

I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I couldn't have thought of any better parting words myself.

I was alright until the darkness fell. Suddenly I couldn't find anything anymore. After moments of silence when all I could hear was my heart beating, I could hear rain hitting the top of the carousel. I stayed huddled there for a while, until I heard the voice of a smug Iridesce, waiting to hunt me down. The footsteps sounded so real, as if they were coming closer and she was ready to kill me. I couldn't risk it any longer. I got up and ran, I ran out of there and into the storm.

The gigantic roller coaster is now in shambles, and I sneak around behind that until I hear a noise.

Edgard starts screaming in my ear. It's a different kind of scream than has been happening before. This time, there's no doubt in my mind that that scream is coming from the outside, from the open. Edgard keeps screaming. I cover my ears, and the noise muffles and I feel better, until I hear another scream that I recognize far too well. Vera. Suddenly I start to panic. I don't know where they're coming from, but if they got my friends into this Arena with me, I'd have to find them. I start running blindly, not sure what to do. When I hear Kendal screaming, I clap my hands over my ears and squeeze my eyes shut, anything to make it stop.

I feel something that feels like a dart swoop down and grace across my back painfully, letting out another scream. I know I need to keep running, but I can't make myself get up and move. I keep covering my ears, trying to silence the screams of my family, my friends, Vera of all people. I've barely even talked to Vera and somehow they know what to use against me. I feel another dart-like thing cut across my back and cry out loudly. Surely I'm going to die here. Surely someone is going to die.

I sit by myself, holding my ears, until suddenly an even louder noise assaults my ear-drums. When the pounding of metal on metal stops, the screams are gone.

I freeze, unsure of what happened, and practically jump out of my skin when I feel a light touch on my back.

Kendal takes my hand and helps me up, smirking. "Did you know that jabberjays have an intense hatred of loud and sudden noises?" He drops the pieces of the roller coaster that he'd been banging together.

"H-How did you know-" I gasp out.

He smirks. "I know what Agata's screams sound like from those times we chased each other around. I knew it was an imposter. The impersonator they used sounded ever-so-slightly different from Agata. I put two and two together and decided to test my theory. It was right."

"Thanks…" I say sheepishly.

"Mhm." He shouldn't have helped me and we both know it. We'd agreed to separate, after all. It was too nice of him. He had mercy on me. He should have let those birds kill me.

Kendal doesn't say anything else, though. He turns around and runs the other way into the distance, as more lightning illuminates the sky and thunder booms.

.

-Cyra, D3F-

I wander around the halls of darkness.

I have no idea how long it's been, I have no idea where I am, and I have no idea what's going on.

Ever since I've ended up in this hell-hole with the specters of my allies chasing me around, I've been trying to get out. It seems I'm lost in an eternity of mirrors. I've been using my flashlight as sparingly as possible, knowing that the batteries are going to die sometime if I keep on using it. Not like it helps me know the way out of this maze.

Some time ago, the darkness fell and stayed. Since then, my flashlight has been basically useless, and I've just been walking around, skimming the wall with my fingers with the hope of feeling some kind of door handle or even just unique marking that will tell me I haven't been walking around in circles for the past who-knows-how-long. The only light I've had was that of the thunder outside, that shone a bright white and practically shook the whole house when it boomed. I don't know what's happening outside, but part of me thinks it's best to just stay in.

Finally, when my legs get tired, I sit down and open up my backpack, reaching blindly for the bag of dried fruit left in my backpack. It's the only food I have left. I hope that this will be over soon, because if I run out of food, it'll be a slow, painful death. I don't want Lennon and my family to have to watch that.

I draw my knees to my chest as the room starts to shake some more with another strike of lightning. I hope it's stable enough to stay up…

My heart-rate quickens. What if the Gamemakers are aiming for me? What if they make lightning hit the building? I start to panic, jumping back up to my feet so much that I get light-headed. I've barely slept at all. The only sleep I've gotten was very light and very brief, and I'm exhausted. My body moves slightly sluggishly as my head stops pounding and I keep walking, quicker this time, trying to find the door.

Suddenly, I hear a voice.

"You've hidden in here long enough."

I scream a bit. "Wh-Who said that?!"

I see a ghost-like Silhouette. It's Kendal. "Found you!" he taunts.

"N-No… You're not real…" If it were really him, I wouldn't be able to see him so clearly. This is fake. This is an illusion.

Kendal raises a knife and charges for me. I don't know if he can hurt me, but I don't want to find out. I start running.

"What, are you scared?!" Kendal taunts me.

"Poor Cyra's scared!" I hear Raoul's voice.

"She just knows she's going to die!" Kendal laughs.

"Who gets the honor of killing her?" Iridesce asks. "I want to kill both 3 tributes."

I keep running, trying to tell myself they're not really here. I keep on running, looking behind my shoulder to see the figures of the other tributes, now realistic-looking shadows that could catch me at any second, continuing to chase me.

I scream, tears squeezing out of my eyes.

"Why don't I kill you, just like your pathetic little ally!?" Martina shouts, and it pounds into my head. She laughs. I keep screaming. I have to get out of here. This has to stop.

I keep running, glancing back, as the others taunt at me and laugh in my head. I run until my body runs full-force into something. I sprawl out across the ground, standing up quickly. I feel around, hoping this is some kind of door, when suddenly the unfathomable happens.

A hot flash of lightning strikes down the center of the fun-house, and I'm thrown backwards by the force of the thunder. The thunder booms as I hit the ground, sending an intense pain that feels like it's exploding in my ears.

I feel nothing but searing pain as I look up and the building around me is clear as day, the light of a fire illuminating it.

I force myself to get up, coughing as smoke enters my lungs. I know I'm going to have to get out of here, and fast. I start to move, going as fast as I can. I try to cover my nose and mouth as I try to find the way out of the fire, focusing on nothing but putting one foot in front of the other to get the hell out of there.

I run through the fire, coughing and spluttering, until I see the darkness and run towards it, allowing it to engulf me.

I gasp for air, coughing. During the time my mouth is open, though, drops of rain touch my tongue, and I realize with horror that this isn't just any kind of rain. It's blood.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I scream at the top of my lungs.

However, I before much time stop cold at the realization that I can't hear a damn thing.

.

-Iridesce, D1F-

I don't know how long this has been happening for. I don't know how long the Arena's looked like a disaster of hell. I know that it has to stop soon.

I sit on the ground and tuck my knees to my chest. The darkness is so thick I can practically touch it when I wave my hand out in front of me. I don't know where anything is anymore. I don't know what building I'm leaning against. I don't know what else is out there. I don't know anything. All I can smell is blood, hot sticky blood that's crusted on my hands, clothes, in my hair, and it keeps coming. The lightning continues to boom. I want to go home. I need to be home. I don't want to be here anymore. I want to be dry and in my bed, shelter, with no worries.

N…Not that I am worried. I could still easily take these other tributes. I have nothing to fear, right… If I run into Vi I'll be able to kill him. Maggie and Riella know better than to face me. I can do it. I can take them on.

That doesn't mean I want to.

I shiver a bit with chills, even though the blood is warm and, if anything, making me sweat. I stink, and I probably look like a creature from a horror movie, but at this point, I can't make myself care.

I nibble on some dried fruit that I received from a sponsor, and try the night vision goggles again. They make things slightly better, but even with them I can barely make anything out. I just want to see light again… I want to be back home with my family, even if they annoyed me, and I want to tell Diamante that volunteering isn't what it was made out to be. The Games are serious and Gravity is lucky he isn't here right now. Now, I wish the same had happened to me. At least I would be safe and warm and happy with my friends. I would get over it. Now, though… Now, there's no getting over this. I doubt I'll ever be able to sleep again.

Lightning makes a scar in the darkness and booms loudly, causing me to jump again. They always take me by surprise and the noise is starting to make my ears ring.

I'm about to beg to make it stop, but before I can I take a breath. I can't show my vulnerability. Not now of all times. I have to be the strong one that everyone wants to sponsor. Shaking, I manage to get up to my feet.

Nine more tributes, Iridesce, I tell myself. You just have to kill nine more tributes and then you're back home. Just nine. Maybe this will take out one or two. Not all hope is lost.

I start walking, not sure where I'm going at all but hoping that I'll find something. I keep walking until I see a light source up ahead. I approach it cautiously, not sure what's happening.

Suddenly, I hear screaming.

Real screaming.

I quickly grab my weapon. If I make a kill during this crazy time, I'll surely be showered with sponsor gifts. I start slowly towards the noise. The noise stops abruptly as I approach the huge fire that's consuming one of the buildings. I see a figure by the fire and get my spear.

I can't see much of the girl from 3 but a small shadow in the darkness, but I know that I can get a direct throw if I just move a little bit closer. The figure doesn't move and seems almost dazed, as if she's zoned out, but I can't be too careful. Another bolt of lightning strikes and thunder shakes the ground, causing me to gasp, but Cyra doesn't even flinch. I move in closer, thinking maybe this will be an easy kill.

Suddenly, she turns around and notices me. She starts the other way as fast as she can go, and I start to chase after her. The direction that she's running, she's either going to have to choose death by me or death by fire. The poor suicidal little pansy.

I lose sight of her but keep hot on her trail, knowing that pretty sure she'll be cornered. I keep going, moving close to the fire, when I start to wonder if she might not be at the end of a trail after all.

I move in closer to the fire, trying to use the light to figure out where she could have gone. Suddenly, I'm brought to the ground by the girl from 3, who has a knife in hand. My fighting sense immediately kicks into action, and we struggle against each other. If she hadn't had the element of surprise on me, she'd be dead right now. It's no worry, though, surely I'll be able to figure it out.

I start to focus on getting my spear hand at an angle where I can jab with it, but Cyra keeps struggling. Things suddenly get very bright as the fire inches closer to us.

"You'll burn too," I spit at her through a laugh before coughing as smoke comes in my nose. "You'll burn to ashes with me!"

"YOU KILLED DUCTOR!" she yells so loudly I can't help but cringe a bit. "SHUT THE FUCK UP, BITCH!"

What has gotten into her? I can't say I'm not interested.

She holds the knife to my chest, and I fight her off. Suddenly, I smell smoke, and too late realize that my beautiful hair has been set ablaze. Another bolt of lightning strikes as the stench of blood fills my nostrils. I squirm and fight her roughly, desperately trying to get her off of me as flames lick my cheeks and forehead.

Agonizing pain crawls down my head, and I can't hold in the screams anymore. This is becoming dire. I have to fight her off.

More flames consume us, and the light burns into my eyes as I cough and hack, feeling like I'm choking. Before I can see anything, I feel a sharp pain driven into my chest as the weight is lifted off of me.

I see Cyra's silhouette starting to run away, and in my last moments, strike her clean in the middle of the back with the final, most perfectly-placed throw of my entire existence.

~.~.

A/N: Pretty intense chapter here! Hope you liked it though. Let me know what you thought! It's really getting to the point where I've been going back and forth on tributes for a while. I hope you guys're enjoying the story though! And to Dreamer and Crystal, thanks for your tributes! I hope I did them justice and gave them interesting/intense deaths!

Alright, down to five. I have one more poll up for what I should do after this, and I'd really appreciate it if you let me know what you think! I'm pretty torn. Next chapter, though, I'll have a poll up for Victor! :D That's so exciting!

Also, there is a moment of epic-ness in this chapter that I've LITERALLY BEEN WAITING TO DO SINCE THE FUCKING REAPINGS AND FIRST PERSON TO FIGURE OUT THAT MOMENT WHY NOT I'LL GIVE YOU 10 POINTS

Alright, this chapter question comes from Peppermint! Is there a certain tribute you feel deserves a second chance at life? If so, which one and why?

My answer is yeah, I think a lot of them that would've made fine Victors. Three that come to mind are Vidarr, who deserves a chance to get home and be a cute dad, Rachel, although honestly she probably wouldn't want one, she would've just wanted more time to look after Kade, and Edgard, just because he was so confused and sweet and could've done so much more.

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