The tenth day
-Kendal, D7M-
There are three.
How did this happen so fast?! And yet, it feels as if it's been years since I've seen the sun. It's amazing how it works like that.
I sit by myself and tie knots. Over and over again. Tying and untying. Staying on guard. Knife at the ready. Trying to tell myself that I can do it.
What if I don't?
What if I die? What if this is the end? I'm in the final 3, but that doesn't mean Victory yet. Someone has to get third. And someone has to get second. Only one will survive.
I saw my ally's face in the sky last night. I don't know how Raoul died, but I don't want to know. I know that it's for the better, because I don't know if I would have had it in me to kill someone I spent so much time with, but… It's still unsettling. Images of these last few days are still playing around on a loop in my head, as much as I try to get them to go away. The visions of Cyra's disfigured, burnt body stumbling after me. The gunshots, the birds, the dancing silhouette of Serafina Anya, and, worst of all, Callum's shrieks. The initial panic I felt when I first heard what I thought was Agata's voice. I thank the stars that I was able to discern the sound of the jabberjays and the impersonator before I totally lost my marbles. Otherwise I'd probably not be here right now.
I tie knots, trying to calm myself down. Usually I would have the assurance of the Capitol's wishes for equal fights that would help me sleep, but now it's a total free-for-all. I have no idea what's going on out there, but you'll find that I'm quite a curious person, and will do through a lot of trouble to learn. It's one of my proudest qualities.
Then again, if I want to know, if I want to hug my Aunt Linette again or talk to Agata, if I want to play games and make jokes about finding Aunt Linette a partner even though she doesn't need one, if I want to see my parents again, I might have to take lives.
Breathe, I think, as my heartrate begins to speed up. Maybe they'll take each other out or something… It's… Plausible. They're both strong, determined tributes. If they find each other first, I'll luck out. Fate's been kind to me lately. It's possible.
It's also possible that my luck could run out.
Either way, I'm glad I didn't go to the feast. There wouldn't have been any kind of miracle elixir there for me.
I sit by myself, focused on knots. Tying knots. Staying alert. Keeping my guard up.
Just when I think I can't get any more nervous, I hear a noise. I look up and see a parachute coming down from the sky, in my direction.
My eyes widen. This can't be.
But it is.
Luck's really helping me out today.
I quickly get to my feet to retrieve the present. When I open the container, I find a basic first aid kit and… A note. Quickly, I open it and read.
You've inspired more people than you know. You make people smile. Don't give up your light.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath, reflecting on the words.
Me? Inspiring people? How?
Sure, Victors have been inspiring in the past. Some that didn't seem like they would have been but have made a big impact on history. Gio Piccozzi, for one example. I read a whole book about the 36th Victor once. It was Capitol-biased, as are all of the Victor biographies in the library, but it was still an interesting read. How a homeless, pansexual boy from District 3 suffering with OCD was able to reach out to so many people. Or, even going back before then, Ottile Nevin, 34th Victor. She wasn't really an underdog, but her fighting spirit inspired the masses. Even people recently, like Pit, who never shuts up about matters that are important to her.
I guess that's what a Victor should be. Using the title, the fame, to make a difference. Somehow. Unlike Adler and Heather, who just sit around lazily, get drunk off their asses, and intentionally dehumanize and disrespect people for fun, like it's some kind of hobby.
I try to get off of that thought before I get too pissed. After all, Cobra's been doing really well for me, and I have full faith in them. Somehow, we got this far.
Don't give up on your light.
I don't feel like I have any light. The darkness has eaten it all up, absorbed it, drained it out of me until I became nothing but a hollow shell of a person with nothing left to shine. I never thought it could happen, but here I am.
Somehow this person, whoever they are, thinks that I could be able to give something. Offer something. Impact something. If they see that in me, then I owe it to them to keep going.
I open the kit and get to work rinsing out my wounds, wincing a bit as they sting. Once I'm done, I decide to keep moving, hoping that something will work out and I'll avoid the other two. I hold tightly to my knife just in case, though. I have no idea where the others are. If they both came to the feast, they're close.
I keep walking until I see something I recognize.
Food carts. Loaded. Looks like they've barely been touched. I quickly open my backpack and stock up on food. I need food, I need energy, if I want to have any hope of surviving these last few battles. Just beyond the food supplies, I see another spicket. I fill up my canteen quickly, drinking as much as I can manage in one sitting. I'll need to be well-hydrated, too. This is an advantage the others may not have. Then again, I have no idea where they are. Maybe they do.
I leave the food carts and the spicket, going back to a place behind the rubble that will better conceal me. There, I sit and wait. I don't want to hunt yet. I just want to wait and see if the other two find each other.
The day drifts by, and no cannons shoot off. I stay in place, hoping that maybe both of them are just dying slowly.
Surely a cannon will shoot soon…
Surely someone will die soon…
The Capitol anthem begins.
No faces appear in the sky.
The tenth night
-Riella, D7F-
I sit alone and munch on beef jerky I got from a sponsor. It's fresher than the stuff in my backpack. The difference is barely noticeable, but there is a difference. Even if it is only in my head.
You're almost there, don't give up, she's waiting for you.
I'm so close to home. I can practically taste it. I can practically taste the victory booze. Andy. I miss her more and more each second that ticks away in this hell. When I say hell, I really, really mean it. When I thought things couldn't get any worse, they started tormenting me with her screams. Her and Maggie's, together.
Oh, Maggie… Her poor girlfriend must be beside herself. I want to get back for Maggie's sake, too. Sure, the other Careers were alright. Iridesce and I always held some tension, but Callum wasn't so bad, just quiet. But Maggie and I… We were friends. We had a relationship that was much closer than I ever meant to make in the Games. And losing her only reminds me why I have no other choice but to win.
I have to avenge her. Somehow. I don't know how. After all, from how it sounds, Maggie's killers are both dead already before I had the chance to ruin anything about them.
Although, I guess I already outsmarted them by not dying in their little obstacle course. They both got what they deserved, from the sounds of it. At least that job's already done.
I want to be the Victor that defied them. I want to be that girl who lived, against all the odds, in the year they didn't want a Victor. I can be that person. I have the drive to win.
I'm all Andy has left. And as much as she pretended to be okay before I left, I wasn't fooled. I know more about Andy than anyone, and sometimes that includes the girl herself. I know how she bottles up her emotions. I know how she drowns her sorrows in a vat of lung cancer and liver disease. I know that without me there to stop her, she'll self-destruct. I know she's hiding, hiding from everyone, lashing out at those who are just trying to help. I'm the only thing that can save her.
I know she wishes she would've volunteered for me.
If I were in her shoes, I'd be beside myself. After days and days, so many days I've lost count, of watching her in an Arena and knowing that with two words I could have stopped her from experiencing all of this pain… I don't know what I would have done. I can't leave her on her own, dammit, I can't.
The Capitol seal appears, the anthem plays, and no faces appear in the sky.
As soon as the song is over, the speaker comes on again.
Great. Major Asswad here for another round.
"Attention tributes." It's Saxon again. It appears as if they're trying to make these last few days as normal as possible. After everything that's happened, I don't blame them. However, even Saxon's voice is tiny and timid, nothing like the loud booming burst of personality she usually has on television. It seems as if everyone's been pushed to their breaking points. If only I could be there, sitting there safe and sound. If anyone has the right to quiver, it's us.
Whoever comes out of this shit pit alive has the task of fighting the hell back. Winning revenge for what happened to us. Speaking out. Making them all sorry. Getting revenge. Justice for all 23 of the others that suffered, but especially the final 10. We did nothing to deserve what we've been through. I want to be that person. I want to fight back. I want to win justice. I want to be that person. I won't let them push us around any fucking longer.
"I speak to you all with direct orders straight from the President. Each of you is currently receiving a map of the Arena. On it you will find the locations of your fellow tributes, for convenience's sake. As President Rutilus said, we would like a hasty end to these Games. These will help you to finish in a matter of a day or two."
The parachutes come down and I reach up to collect mine, taking it out of the container.
"To make it start, press and hold the big button at the bottom."
I do as she says, and when I do, a hologram of the Arena appears. On it, I see two dots, though it doesn't say which is Kendal and which is Kade.
"The President is less than satisfied at the lack of action today, and therefore, he has started to follow through on his promise to threaten your loved ones. If another kill is not made by sunrise, Miss Sophia Cole will find herself in some danger."
I'll have to go to the nearest tribute. Even though it's not Andy's life on the line, I don't want any of us to suffer like this any longer. And, frankly, I don't want to wait until it is Andy they're announcing. This girl obviously means something to someone, I think Kade if I remember right. And I'll fight for her. I'm not running away anymore.
"Time is running out. We're… Trying to give you as much time as we can, but…" She gasps a bit, as if something on the other side is threatening to kill her on the spot. "Finish this. May the odds be ever in your favor."
The announcement ends with a click.
I collect my stuff, hefting the axe over my shoulder. The dot that's closest to me starts to move, and I decide to meet him, whoever it is, halfway. I agree, I just want this nightmare to be over. I'm going to have to end it myself.
.
-Kade, D9M-
Sophia is in danger.
I have no idea if they showed this on TV or not (the crooks, it wouldn't surprise me if they censored it), but all I know is that I have to fight, kill, win, before they can so much as lay a finger on her.
I don't know where these protective feelings are coming from. They're a different kind of feelings then I've had for Rachel. They're different than feelings I've had for anyone else I've ever known. I live to see her smile, I want to please her. I want to take her sadness and walk with it, I want her to laugh, I want her attention. I get jealous when she's flipping her hair at guys for spare change. Something about it is just… Unsettling.
I think I might be in love with her.
I know, I know, horrible timing. And it's especially horrible timing to be confused.
It was something I realized as soon as Saxon announced that she's in danger. Sure, we were never really safe, living out on the streets like that. We've both had far too many close calls to count. But… I always knew that Sophia was capable of tackling the threats of the streets. She had been since she was a little girl, after all. She has a reputation as a top dog, and nobody really messes with her.
This is totally different.
It would be so easy for the Capitolites to kill her. They'd do it without batting an eyelash. Even with all the fight in her, Sophia would fall short against them. They have power unlike any of us ever imagined. After all, they caused me to break down in a matter of days. Even after losing my entire family, I didn't experience that level of pain and fear and misery like I did in those few days. It was so overwhelming, every horrible event of my life simmering into one horrible concoction of all the nightmares I could think of: and some that I couldn't have even imagined until I was experiencing them.
I know I've often thought, or often said, that Sophia was in danger, but looking back she was never in true danger. She always had a way out. There was some kind of string she could pull to get out. And I was there to save her if her Plans A, B, C, and D failed.
Now, though, no amount of plans would save her. I realize that I can't lose her. I can't stall any longer. Today was a much-needed day of regrouping, and now I plan to strike the other two down and take home the title, the house in the Victor's Village, and Sophia.
I love her. I don't know how much. Maybe I just have very strong platonic feelings. After all, I've never had many friends. Maybe I'm getting it confused. But, on the other hand, the feelings for Sophia and the feelings for Rachel are different. I had very strong platonic feelings for Rachel. Sophia, it's different. It's so much deeper than that, so much more. I never want to leave her side. I never want to lose her. I want us to be together forever. Oh God, what if it is more than just friends?! I can't think about it now. First, I have to get back home. Then we'll figure it out.
As soon as the announcement is over, I start on my way towards the closest tribute. Soon, I break out into a run, though each step causes my body to scream with exhaustion and pain. I have to get there before tomorrow. I have to finish off one of the 7 tributes.
I don't know which it's going to be, but keep moving. I can find out when I get there. The other dot soon starts moving, and I know that whichever it is, they're going to be ready to fight me right back. I can't help but feel relieved when I see a silhouette in the distance.
It's Riella. Definitely the more challenging of the Seven tributes, but it's either fight her now or later. I'm ready to take her on.
"I need to fight for Sophia."
Riella nods understandingly. She appears a person that has been cracked and patched with duct tape. That's exactly how I feel.
I look into her eyes, and in that second we have a moment of understanding. We've both been through too much. We're both desperate to get home. We're both broken beyond repair, hollow shells. We're both haggard and weary. We're both ready to win or go out swinging. We're both ready for quick, clean fights. Only one of us can live.
She charges, and I'm ready for her. I hold the sword I won from a sponsor, feeling much more confident with the weapon than I would have with the spear. In a fight as close as this, I need my best weapon.
Riella comes closer but I pick up my foot to kick her away, bringing out my sword and charging. I just want to kill her quickly. We've all been through enough.
Both of us grunt and groan as the momentum of the fight shifts back and forth. One second I'm in control, forcing her backwards and stabbing with my sword as she hits my strikes away, the next she's in control and I'm on defense.
I know that I'm not going to be able to land a direct hit quick kill. I know that I'm going to have to aim for non-lethal spots and try to subdue her by wearing her down. That's what I do, and once I get in a stab on her shoulder, the whole atmosphere of the battle changes. She knows full well that we can't continue trying to make it quick. She strikes back, driving her axe down my shoulder, returning the favor. The pain explodes, but I know I can't break. I have to make it home. I kick her away from me and swiftly close in, changing to a slashing motion and landing in some hits on her chest and arms. I just need to hit enough to make her bleed and falter for just a second. My arm screams, but I don't stop. I get in another clean stab on the other shoulder, and she lets out a small scream. I know it's going to take more than that to get her to give up, though.
She pulls up the axe again, and in that second I stab forward, hitting her in the abdomen. She screams as she brings her axe down on my shoulder again with all her might. The force of the action knocks me down to the ground, but I'm not ready to give up yet. It doesn't look like I hit any vital organs in the stab, as she's still moving, ready to bring the axe on me again. Swiftly, I move my feet on the ground to knock her feet out from under her.
I try to get back up, but it appears as if she's rendered my non-dominant hand useless, which is making it a challenge to balance enough to get my footing.
She's the first to get to her feet, and just as I'm getting up, she grabs her axe and quickly dashes back over to me.
The next few seconds happen in slow motion. Her bringing the axe up and swinging it back down at me. The ripping, roaring pain on my stomach as the force knocks me to the ground and knocks the wind out of me.
A last-minute frenzy of trying to apologize to Sophia, trying to put into words how I felt about her.
"Sorry," I choke out, as white starts to cloud my vision.
I hear voices, ever so distantly, but this time they don't have evil intentions.
No… They sound… Joyful.
"Kade!" I hear my sisters' giggles. I hear Rachel's laughter. I see them, beckoning. I hear my mother's gentle voice inviting me back into her arms. Through the pain, through the tears, I smile.
In the darkness, I've found my light.
In the sadness, I've found joy.
District 7 is going to have a Victor this year.
And that's okay. I can finally be at peace with my family, where I belong. Sophia will make do. She always finds a way.
I'm smiling as I release my last shaking breath.
I close my eyes.
Rachel takes my hands and takes me away from the nightmares.
~.~.
A/N: Have you ever seen a determined duck at work? Because now you are experiencing it firsthand. I have three (or four, I'm not sure yet) more chapters and four more days to do them all. And I'm really going to aim for that. Which means that by tomorrow or Saturday I need to have a Victor chosen. Sorry if this feels like it's rushed because the updates are every day. Hopefully they're meaty enough that it doesn't feel like I'm just throwing this story away at the end. I want this to be a really impactful ending- the reason I'm updating fast isn't because I want it to be over, it's because I'm so excited with each coming chapter at the action and the emotions.
Alright, well, since next chapter I'll be asking about the Victor and the epilogue will probably be something sentimental, I'll ask this now: would you submit to me again? If not, why? What do you think I could do differently to make it even better next time around? What aspects of this did you like/ thought were unique? Any big qualms or grudges?
Keep checking up on the blog and for updates! If you haven't voted on the poll yet, there's still time (although obviously a vote for Kade won't do much good anymore, unfortunately).
Thanks so much for Kade, Hope. I hope you liked what I did with him.
This is your last chance to sponsor before the finale! Next chapter, we will have a Victor!
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