Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games. They belong to Suzanne Collins.
Note: I don't know how I got this one done so fast, but I guess sometimes I surprise even myself! Plus, being unable to sleep leaves me with more free hours than I would normally have, and I always write my best when sleepy :D If any of you can guess what inspired the title of this chapter, then you'll have an idea of the sort of stuff we're in for thus time! :o Also, as Hot Water is coming towards its end sooner than later, now is the time I shall be dropped clues as to who the next protagonist of The Nameless Chronicles will be. Every chapter from now until the end of the story I will give you all a clue here at the start that will help you figure out who is the next tribute to have their tale told. Keep in mind, I am going by the movie continuity with these hints. And thus:
Hint #1: This tribute died during the Cornucopia Bloodbath.
The early morning air fills my nose, and the birds are chirping. If blood was not going to stain the ground around the Cornucopia soon, I'd call it a peaceful morning. Even the weather is pleasant, with sunrise probably only ten minutes away.
Once again, I find myself kneeling amongst the bushes at the forest perimeter that surrounds the clearing...it seems to be becoming something resembling a pattern. I got here about an hour ago and ended up sleeping for thirty minutes. Thankfully, I'm still alive.
The Feast has not started yet, and I cannot see anybody else. It makes me feel better about the chances of my plan...straight in, and straight out. All I need to do is run up, grab the two bags, and then run to the other side of the clearing and not stop until this area is far behind me. I bet I'll be chased, but if they cannot catch me they cannot kill me.
I've been telling myself those words like a mantra for fifteen minutes now…
Clove and Weldar are the ones I really need to be scared of and keep away from. They're made for ranged combat...how fitting they're the other team. Hopefully Rammy will see them as a threat to his own life more than I am and he'll axe them before me.
Though, nobody has to attend a Feast. Perhaps I'll be the only one here? Then I could get all of the supplies or Rue and me. We'd hold all the cards. That'd be amazing!
I shake my head, as I know that is not going to happen. I look up at the sky...it's brighter now.
"Not much longer," I say quietly, slowly getting myself into a starting position for my sprint.
Though, what if the others run out right away?...I'll give it a minute, just in case.
Soon enough the first rays of the sunrise are cast upon the clearing. Even so, it's still not very bright out. Dawn of a new day, and not a sunny one.
...But certainly a bloody one…
"There it is," I say quietly, starring ahead. I feel even hungrier now, knowing that food will be coming soon.
Well, if I'm alive to eat it anyway.
The ground right in front of the Cornucopia opens up. For a moment, nothing happens. But, the moment passes quickly and a table rises out from the ground, covered in what seems to be a fancy white cloth. Looking at the table, it seems like the one Mags has at her house...ah, I fondly remember the time she invited some of us at school over to dinner. Good times…
On the table are seven duffle bags, arranged in a row with District 1's bag at the left and working up through the numbers towards the right, ending with Rue's bag. It looks like on the menu of the Feast this year are seven 'dishes'.
A tall, thin Avocado Green bag with a 1 on it.
A small Rust Red bag with a 2 on it.
A medium sized Mustard Yellow bag with a 3 on it.
A big, fat Seastorm Blue bag with a 4 on it. Mine.
A small and wide Goldenrod Yellow bag with an 8 on it.
A medium sized Fole Grass Grey bag with a 10 on it.
A small Chocolate Brown bag with an 11 on it. That's for Rue. It's the reason I am here.
The seconds tick by at a snail's pace as I stay here in my cover, waiting for the minute I am allowing myself. I silently count down the seconds, waiting for somebody, anybody really, to come out. But it seems like they have the same plan as me...wait for somebody else to make the first move.
Normally, I'd keep hiding until everybody else was gone, one way or the other, but every second I spend waiting here is an extra second the poison is working its way through Rue's body.
I can't waste time.
Without anymore hesitation I leap up and out of the bushes, sprinting towards the table by the Cornucopia. I'm getting closer and closer at a rapid pace. I yank the my big bag off the table and into my hands. I'm just about to grab Rue's bag when somebody grabs me from behind, throwing me to the ground.
Just like two days ago, I find myself looking up at Rammy. I can only let out a small whimper at the sight of him...mainly his face, as he looks to have scars from something and they look like they may be slightly infected. Did a mutt get him?
"I told you the offer was only good once," Rammy says, his axe in hand. "Sorry son, but I-AAACK!"
I don't even let Rammy finish, kicking him hard in his ankle while he speaks. I seem to have hit him hard as he kneels over for a moment, cursing. I run past him, reaching out for Rue's bag, but he grabs me despite his pain and throws me to the ground. I try to get myself back up, but he presses a foot upon my back.
"I've dealt with animals more shy for the slaughter than you," Rammy says, no doubt raising his axe. "Goodb-HEY!"
I crane my neck, looking upwards as best as I can. Lacey has arrived, and she's grabbed her bag as well as Rammy's.
"Bye-bye!" Lacey says in a jittery tone. "Good luck Urchin, you'll need it!"
Suddenly moving becomes a lot easier and I get up to my feet. Rammy has caught up to Lacey in seconds and now they are fighting over the bags. Rammy clearly has the upper hand here, but Lacey is refusing to let go. I quickly grab Rue's bag, but pause for a moment. The Careers might be closing in, and Rammy could throw his axe at me if I try to run.
"Um...I'll just go over here," I say quietly as I back myself into the Cornucopia and crouch down, hopefully not looking easy to spot.
This is almost exactly like the Cornucopia Bloodbath when the games began, with me inside the horn of plenty, trying to hide and wait out the action. But rather than seeing Cato kill the boy from 6, Jason I think his name was, I now see Rammy gaining the upper hand on Lacey...I want to help her, but I can't get myself killed. Then Rue will die too. I shuffle back slightly, waiting to make my move. If the Careers move in and start attacking them, I'll slip out and run.
Rammy throws Lacey down onto the table. She loses her grip on both bags, which fall right in front of the mouth of the Cornucopia, not too far from me. I eye them...I may not need them 'desperately' but even so, I am very tempted to grab them.
I hear a distant yell, maybe from the very edge of the clearing, but my focus remains on the two in front of me. Lacey yells, kicking and even spitting right into Rammy's eye. He flinches, but raises his axe.
"Let me go!" Lacey pleads. "I have corn! Eighteen years olds love corn, right?"
"...Aye, I do," Rammy says, closing his eyes for a moment.
And just like that, in a swift instant he brings the axe down on Lacey, hitting her in her forehead. I close my eyes and almost puke at the sound it makes. I swallow my bile, telling myself that at least Lacey went out without any pain. She was, really, not a bad girl…
Nobody else has arrived, and now Rammy is looking at me once again.
Crap!
Rammy rounds the table, the white cloth now stained red with Lacey's blood as she lays there, lifeless. I quickly get on the move, going around the opposite side of the table that Rammy is on. For a few moments it goes on like this, me at one side and him at the other, both of us making movements to fake out the other before one of us truly makes a run for it.
"Just accept it, it'll be less painful for both of us that way," Rammy says, staring into my eyes. "We both know that even if you get away from here you ain't winning the 'finale' the Game-Makers have in store."
"I might not win it, but I will survive it," I reply, trying not to show how scared out of my mind I am.
We both continue this for a few moments, me making movements and Rammy quickly blocking me off. Without warning he lunges forwards, knocking Lacey's corpse off the now bloodied table along with the unclaimed bags, and swings his axe down. I yelp as I fall backwards to the ground, the axe hitting thin air where my head had been a second ago.
Rammy leaps over the table and lands on both feet before me. I get up right before he gets his bearings and try to run, but an intense pain hits my back and I fall over with a scream. Rammy hit my across the back with the flat of his axe. I'm not sure if he didn't use the blade on purpose or not, but it still hurts so much. I jump back up and then leap backwards, avoiding a swing that would have gutted me like a fish back in District 4.
"Stay still," Rammy says, sounding more annoyed than anything else, like he sees this as a mild inconvenience.
My knife now in my hand I try to take a stab at Rammy. He dodges easily and punches me hard in the chest. As I wheeze he kicks me to the ground. I feel shaky, and I feel a strong urge to puke. I still have it in me to stand but Rammy grabs me by the collar of my shirt with his left hand.
"Shoulda just made it easy for yourself, son," Rammy says calmly.
I try to kick Rammy, but to no avail other than him grunting.
Rammy suddenly screams, clearly in pain...and I know it was not from my struggling. I fall from his grasp as he yanks a knife out from his left arm.
A knife?
Oh no, no, no!
I quickly jump up and run to the side of the Cornucopia. A second later, from where I stand, I see Clove tackle Rammy from behind sending them both to the ground. Rammy lays face down, struggling fiercely, while Clove is atop him with a...look on her face. She takes out a knife, looking sly.
"Oh, what's wrong? ...Oh, you missing your girlfriend?" Clove asks, giggling as her grin widens. "Don't worry too much...why don't I give you a quick ticket to an eternity with her, hm? Heheheh!"
Rammy's struggling peaks, and for a moment it looks like he might be able to throw Clove off of him. However, Clove stays on top of him and stabs him in the back. Rammy screams and Clove raises her knife and stab him again, and again, and again.
I may feel sore all over right now, but Rammy must feel so much worse. It looks like Clove is stabbing him in the most non-lethal areas to get as much pain out of him as possible. I puke against the side of the Cornucopia, pocketing my knife as I do so, the sight of Rammy's blood soaked back sickening me. Clove's playful laughing makes it even worse!
Rammy says something that vaguely sounds like 'Sable' before he lays very still. But still, Clove keeps stabbing, looking entranced. Now is my chance to flee.
With a tight hold on my bag and an extra tight hold on Rue's, I run by the table, now very bathed in blood. I grab up Lacey and Rammy's bags with my free arm, as they won't need them anymore, and run for my life, sprinting towards the forest as fast as my sore legs and tired body can go.
"Oooo Ankles! Wait up! Don't you want to play~?" Clove calls to me. I don't want to imagine what her expression might be like.
I run fast and lead forwards a bit. This way, the bag I am holding are blocking the back of my head. I hear the sound of something whizzing through the air. It seems to have hit one of the bags, leaving my unarmed. I can hear Clove make a sound of annoyance from behind me.
ACK! A knife just hit my elbow! Not a life threatening wound, most likely, but it stings. At least the knife only grazed me, and didn't piece my arm.
For the briefest of moments I glanced back over my shoulder. Clove has stopped throwing knives and now, a knife in both hands, is sprinting towards me with a determined and sadistic looking grin on her face. I yelp, looking forwards and trying to push myself to run faster. But after the beating I've taken, it hurts to sprint.
"I'll catch you, and then I'll kill you!" Clove calls after me. "Slow down!"
"Not giving me much reason to want to do that!" I reply without glancing back.
That blackened patch of ground just up ahead...that's the mine field, where the supplies blew. Are any mines left? Probably not, but I'm not gonna risk it. I've risked enough today already…
I take a big jump forward just as I reach the blackened area. At my speed, I clear the spot that once held the supplies with ease, and keep running. I bet Clove is closing in on me, but the forest is nearby now.
"Gonna get'cha!" Clove giggles.
BOOM!
I'm suddenly sent flying forwards, my ears ringing. Was...was that a mine? If I hadn't made that jump…
I can hear screaming and sobbing. So loud, even with my ears ringing and my head spinning. Four bags in my arms, I limp off into the forest. Moments later I collapse, dragging myself over to some tall grass and a bush, hiding myself as I peer out into the Cornucopia clearing.
My ears may be a bit off and probably will be for the next five minutes, I think, but I can still see just fine and what I can observe tells me everything. It also makes me feel more sick than I am, if it's possible...yeah, it is…
Clove lies on the ground, screaming and crying horribly. The mine didn't kill her, but...I bet she wishes it did. She looks burnt from the blast, and there is basically nothing left of her lower half. Just mangled remains of her legs and her gut looks very crispy. I think she'll probably be dead in a minute at most, but...what a long minute it'll be.
I feel the knife in my pocket...I'd hate to kill again, but this time, well...this time I think it'd be the kinder option.
I'm about to stagger into the open, but I quickly hide myself once more when somebody else walks up this way. It's Weldar, holding his loaded bow-gun like always. He looks at Clove for a moment and lightly shakes his head, as if to himself. He lazily aims and fires the gun, Clove's screams and cries of pure agony instantly ceasing as she lays still.
It's still hard to hear, but Weldar is just close enough for me to kind of hear what he says.
"So much for that rule change," he says as he jogs off towards the table.
Still hiding, my breathing sick and shaky, I silently watch Weldar. He grabs up his own bag and the bag that had been meant for Clove.
He pauses. What's he doing?
Weldar looks around, seems to nod to himself, and then picks up the last bag by the table. Glimmer's! Slugging the three bags over his shoulder he walks away towards the forest, thankfully in a different direction then where I am..
"Hey! Fucking snatcher!" A voice yells, sounding very angry.
Glimmer has finally arrived and is sprinting towards Weldar. She doesn't spare a glance to any of the corpses or bloodshed that have happened. Weldar quickly turns the other way and dashes off into the woods, Glimmer following him. I think he shot Clove with his last arrow, so he is right to run...maybe the thing he needed most desperately was more arrows?
It's over.
As I sit here alone, tired and sore all over I gaze out at the bodies of Lacey, Rammy and Clove. I never felt close to them, but seeing all this happen right in front of me...even when I'm back home living life to the fullest in the Victor's Village, I won't sleep well for months. Maybe I never will.
But, I got what I came here for. I got what Rue needs. And, I got three extra bags of supplies too. It all makes it worth how battered I feel right now. Is this how it feels to be a battered kipper?...Pain makes me think the strangest of things.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
There go the cannons...there's just four of us left now. That means...there is a fifty percent chance Rue and myself can go home! That feeling of hope is coming back again. And with Glimmer chasing Weldar...maybe we'll only have to face off against one of them in the end...and maybe whoever it is might be a bit injured from the fight they are likely to have, so we'd stand a chance.
...Rue might be awake now. And if she heard the cannons, I bet she'd very worried about me. Maybe even panicking?
I won't keep her waiting. And not just because of the poison, but also...I don't want her feeling scared. Hauling myself up to my feet, wincing a bit as I do so, I set off back to the den. It's a long walk, and I feel sore...but you know what?
It was worth it.
(A few hours later…)
It's been a long, sore and starving journey...but, I'm here. It's just past midday now and the weather is still rather nice. Besides the soreness and aching in my body, it's not been a very difficult trek back. Just long, not dangerous.
No cannon has gone off since the three I heard once the Feast ended. Either Glimmer and Weldar are in a massive chase, still fighting...or they ended up going in separate directions. I guess I'll find out what happened eventually, one way or another.
I slowly approach the den and am about to enter, but I pause. I don't want to alarm Rue, and risk being stabbed, so I better announce I am here before I enter.
"Rue, I'm back," I say, trying to not make my voice sound as pained as I truly feel.
I hear a gasp, one that sounds happy and relieved. Seeing this as a good sign, I carefully make my way into the den.
As soon as I am inside Rue hugs me tightly, as though she never wants to let go. Sore though I may be, I return the hug.
"When I heard the cannons, I thought you were dead," Rue says, a few tear in her eyes, her face paler and sicker than before. She eyes me with a deadly pout. "Don't scare me like that again!...Please, don't..."
"I'm sorry Rue...I just couldn't do nothing," I say quietly. "I got you the cure. Let's get you fixed up, shall we?"
"Ok, but we're getting you fixed up right after that," Rue tells me with a tone that suggests any arguing will be futile.
Like I'm going to say no to a little relaxing and my wounds being tended to. I just smile and nod as I open up Rue's bag from the Feast, taking out a small box and a piece of paper. Inside the box is a medical syringe filled with what is clearly the antidote to the snake's poison. The paper says to gently pierce the syringe into the recipient's hip and inject the antidote in one go.
"Ready?" I gently ask, holding the syringe an inch away from Rue's hip.
"Ready," Rue nods.
I gently inject Rue, to which she lightly flinches. I really, really hope that I'm doing this right. In just a few seconds its over, the syringe now empty. I put it back inside the bag it came from, just to ensure we don't prick ourselves on it by accident.
"Feel any better?" I ask hopefully.
"Not sure yet," Rue relies, sitting down. "But...I think I feel a little more, well, feeling in my legs."
"That's a good sign," I nod, running my hands through my curls in relief. "If I'd lost you, I...really do not know what I would have done."
Rue hugs me again in response. We sit side by side as I gather the bags.
"So, who died?" Rue asks quietly. Even now, the idea of death upsets her...it makes me sad too, truthfully.
"Lacey, Rammy and Clove...in that order," I reply. I try not to think of how Clove screamed in her final seconds. "It's just Glimmer and Weldar left...and Glimmer chased after him. Maybe...maybe another cannon will sound soon. And if it does, whoever is left might be too injured to put up much of a fight."
"If we're lucky," Rue says, nodding slowly.
Both of us make unhappy faces and share a glance.
"...It feels wrong, hoping for others to die or be injured so we can...can..." I trail off, unable to finish my sentence.
"Yeah..." Rue agrees quietly. "But, we've come far...we can't give up now. We're going home, together. This is the first time a twelve year old has gotten this far...let alone two."
Rue is right. We can't give up. We're so close…
"I'm starving," Rue says. "Did you get anything good?"
"I sure hope so," I reply, the hunger really hitting me hard now. "I took Lacey and Rammy's bags too...they, well, didn't really need them anymore."
Rue puts a hand on my shoulder. She understands.
I unpack the bags one by one to see what we've got. It was a pretty good haul, and shows me that it was worth going.
Lacey's bag contains a pair of night vision goggles.
Rammy's bag contains a full medical kit.
My own bag...it's full of food! Sandwiches, pie, noodles, sugar biscuits, two big bars of chocolate and soft, very soft bread...I can't stop smiling at the sight, and neither can Rue.
"Shall we?" I say, grinning.
"Oh, we shall!" Rue cheers. "And after this, Dr Rue will make you all better!"
We both giggle and laugh as we share out the food and begin eating. I still feel sore, but moments like this...it feels less like The Hunger Games, and more like a picnic with a close friend I've known for years. I guess I've truthfully not even known Rue for a month yet, but…the tribute parade feels like years ago, by now.
Rue squees at the sight of the chocolate. Nothing can stop my smile.
(Several hours later…)
The day has passed by, slowly but surely, and now it is dark. All of the food except for a few slices of bread has been eaten, and Rue did a great job patching me up with the medical kit. After taking it easy for a few hours, and having a few short naps, I feel much better. Not totally back to normal, but enough so that I can stand without my legs aching and trembling, and the soreness coursing through me is now mostly gone.
When we've not been taking turns napping, we've just been...talking. About anything, really, as right now the plan is to just hide and try to enjoy our shared company until something happens. It's been a pleasant day, just talking and learning about each other, and what random things we may have in common.
There has been no cannon.
It has started raining again a while ago, but thankfully we are not bothered at all because of our shelter. Maybe it's kind of crummy, but it's dry...right now, that is what matters most. The rain is not very heavy though. Rather, just a light drizzle accompanied by fog. If Glimmer and Weldar are fighting, or having a chase, then it's sure to be a difficult duel for them.
"So...ever liked a girl?" Rue asks casually, it being her turn to ask the question.
"No," I reply. Hopefully that didn't sound like too quick of a response.
"You're lying~!" Rue says in a playful sing song kind of voice.
"I can't say," I groan, covering my face. "It's embarrassing, and sad."
"Oh come on, tell me," Rue pleads. "I told you about the apple incident."
She has me there. I take a deep breath, ready to explain myself.
"Well...it's not really much of a story. It's...kind of simple really, if not totally awkward and embarrassing," I say, scratching my curls in embarrassment. "But, well...last year...I had a crush on Marina. She was perfect."
"Whoa...so, what did you do?" Rue asks, her eyes wide. I bet she is trying to hold back her giggles.
"...I asked her out," I admit quietly.
"Cute!" Rue squees. "What did she say?"
"I don't know," I reply. "...I kind of ran away before she could say anything. Well, I guess now...I'll never know for sure, will I?"
Rue puts her hand on mine.
"Any girl would be lucky to have you," Rue says. Aww, how sweet.
"Thank you," I say with a light smile. "So...do you like any boys?"
Rue looks embarrassed. However, before I can try to playfully pressure her for more information the Anthem starts. We both know who will be shown, but...it just feels respectful to watch, and so we poke our heads out of the den and look up at the sky.
The Capital Seal remains in place for a moment, before it vanishes and begins to show the faces of the three who died.
Clove's face appears in the sky. That cold look in here eyes...even now, it makes me nervous. Just seconds later, her face is gone.
Lacey's face appears next. Her expression is neutral, without her usual anxiousness or perkiness. I kinda miss her now…
Rammy's face is the last one to appear in the sky. He made several near successful attempts on my life, but I can't help but wonder...what would her have been like is Sable had been alive? I guess, wherever they are now, they're together forever…
The Anthem comes to an end and once again the sky is empty, and the night is quiet. The rain has also stopped now. With the recap over, we both get back into the shelter of the den and huddle together under the blanket.
"So...what do we do now?" I ask.
"I guess we wait for a cannon," Rue replies to me. "...We should get some sleep. It'll be ending soon...all three of us need to have our energy."
Rue then starts making the sock on her right hand move like a mouth.
"Sleep well...and eat your greens!" Rue says in a goofy voice.
If I can take away anything from this Arena, besides a wonderful friend, it's a newfound love of sock puppets.
We settle down for rest. After being in the Arena for so long now, it's hard to sleep more than an hour or so in one go, most of the time. I think it's a safe bet we will not get snuck up on while we sleep. Not while Glimmer and Weldar are keeping each other busy.
I'm starting to learn how nice it is to be able to hope for something...and actually believe it could happen as I hope for it to. How strange that it was within the Arena I learnt how.
(Later…)
Something is shaking me. What's going on? ...Is it a Game-Maker earthquake?!
Thankfully, no. I open my eyes to see Rue smiling at me as she lightly shakes me away.
"What is it?" I ask, sitting up quickly. "Did...did a cannon go off? Did they show who it was?"
"No cannon," Rue says, holding up two empty bottles. "We're out of water...and, I'm kinda thirsty."
"The stream isn't very far away," I say. "And, we've got those night vision goggles, remember?"
"Yeah, but...I don't want to go by myself. I'm...a bit nervous," Rue says shyly. "Could you come with me, please?"
I'm already on my feet before she finishes speaking, gathering all of our leftover supplies into my backpack, just in case. I pass the night vision goggles to Rue.
"Let's get going then," I say, smiling. "You can take these. Mind leading the way?"
"With pleasure!" Rue says, smiling like sunshine. "C'mon, lets go hydrated!"
Rue puts the goggles on and we exit the den together. She looks funny wearing those, but in a good way. She glances around, looking amazed.
"They're even better than the ones we sometimes use for harvesting back in 11," Rue remarks, looking around in wonder. "Lacey would have liked these."
"Because of how useful they are?" I guess as we start to head off to get water.
"Well, yes. But more because Lacey was scared of the dark. I remember her telling her District Partner that back in training," Rue replies. "Mind that root, you almost tripped just then."
"Thanks," I say gratefully. "Brrr, chilly tonight...and very dark too. We'd better be careful. Even if you see the others coming, well, they won't go easy on us if they catch us..."
"We won't be able to run away for much longer," Rue says. She's right, of course. Sooner or later, probably sooner, the 'final battle' is going to be here. Mutts might be involved too...not a pretty thought.
"Then we better be in the best condition possible when the fight arrives," I say quietly. "Ok, if we go to the bottom of the slope here and go...that way I think...we'll reach the stream I found. Let's go."
Rue nods, holding my hand as she leads me forth in the way I pointed out. Even as a most likely gruesome final battle approaches...it helps knowing I have somebody in here I can count on.
"Oh, by the way...any idea what time it is?" I ask. I did fall asleep...and at this point in the games, knowing how long may help. Have we entered the tenth day yet?
"I don't know exactly," Rue admits. "Maybe...almost midnight?"
"Why do the most dramatic of things always happen at midnight?" I ask, unable to stop my curiosity. "It seems to be a trend."
Rue only shrugs, not knowing the answer either.
(A few minutes later…)
It's gone.
No, really, it is. The stream has dried up, without leaving a trace any water was ever there. Rue kneels and traces her finger along the base of the little steam that once was.
"Dry as last summer was," Rue says quietly. "Where did the water go? It was raining earlier?"
"It looks like the Game-Makers drained it," I say, as it's the only possible explanation.
"But we need water. Why would they drain it?" Rue asks, looking nervous.
Rue rises to her feet and we stand together silently for a few moments, the wind of the night gently blowing past us. I take two knives from my pockets. I keep hold of the barbed dagger and passed the curved knife to Rue.
We look into each other's eyes for a few moments.
"...Because it's the finale..." I say nervously. "They want their final battle, and they want it soon, if not right now."
"I guess there's only one place where we can go now, isn't there?" Rue says lightly. Like me, she seems nervous.
"Exactly," I nod slowly. "...Let's go. The Cornucopia is waiting for us..."
We stand silently for a few moments, before she gently hold hands and walk off back where we came from. We have to start heading to the Cornucopia right now. If we just stand around here then the Game-Makers will send mutts after us.
The only things standing between us and going home...are Glimmer and Weldar. We exchange a nervous glance, and nod at each other. We'd better be ready for a brutal fight…
In the anthem of Panem, they say 'the Horn of Plenty overflows'. Tonight, it'll overflow with death, one way or the other…
Courage.
END OF DAY 9…
REMAINING TRIBUTES
Glimmer (District 1 Female)
Weldar (District 3 Male)
Urchin (District 4 Male)
Rue (District 11 Female)
THE FALLEN
5th- Clove (District 2 Female) - Blown up by a landmine, and then shot in the face with an arrow by Weldar.
6th- Rammy (District 10 Male) - Stabbed in the back with a knife dozens of times by Clove.
7th- Lacey (District 8 Female) - Hit in the face with an axe by Rammy.
8th- Katniss (District 12 Female) - Speared in the stomach by Marvel, and bled out.
9th- Marvel (District 1 Male) - Poisoned by Urchin's tribute token.
10th- Cinder / Foxface (District 5 Female) - Impaled by shrapnel propelled via explosions.
11th- Thresh (District 11 Male) - Thrown off a cliff by Foxface and broke neck.
12th- Peeta (District 12 Male) - Leg cut by Cato with a sword, and bled out.
13th- Cato (District 2 Male) - Stabbed with a throwing knife covered in nightlock juice by Urchin.
14th- Marina (District 4 Female) – Beaten up by careers and neck crushed by Glimmer
15th- Jason (District 6 Male) - Tripped and then slashed to death with a scythe by Cato.
16th- Nettle (District 7 Female) - Speared in the heart with a spear by Marvel
17th- Sparky (District 5 Male) - Pinned to a crate and stabbed in the abdomen with a knife by Glimmer.
18th- Sickle (District 9 Female) - Knife to the lung by Clove.
19th- Wood (District 7 Male) - Slashed in the throat with a crescent sword by Thresh
20th- Miller (District 9 Male) - Knife thrown into back by Clove
21st- Tamora (District 6 Female) - Stabbed with a knife by Glimmer
22nd- Gadget (District 3 Female) - Slashed in the forehead with a sickle by Sparky.
23rd- Sable (District 10 Female) - Skull hit with an axe by Cato.
24th- Callico (District 8 Male) - Stabbed with a kukri by Marvel.
TRIBUTE NOTES
Lacey: I think, of all the post-bloodbath tributes, Lacey stands out as the most odd. While everybody else is competent in at least some way and have something serious about them and their role...Lacey did not. She was bad a survival, bad at any kind of serious discussion...she got very lucky indeed the Careers set out in the direction Urchin went the first night! I guess Lacey could be said to be the comic relief of the story, though she was not exactly planned to be the loopy, silly one...it just kind of naturally happened that way as things went along. I felt kind of affected during her death scene, I'll admit, but that was where things ended for her. In the end, she was simply overpowered by somebody much stronger.
Rammy: Rammy may not have been the most prominent of the tributes, but I really enjoyed his role and writing for him. He certainly made things hard for Urchin, but I wouldn't exactly call him evil or a true villain. Indeed, being Reaped alongside his girlfriend is hard enough on him, but losing her within the first thirty seconds of the Games, unable to save her or say goodbye and then having to try and survive the barbaric Games by himself...it's understandable why he was as he was and did what he did. Not a good guy, but not really a bad guy...just a neutral third party who did what he had to do to survive. Overall, I think he added a good amount to the story and played his role very well.
Clove: Like Marvel, I think I underused Clove a bit, which is a shame as with her psychotic and vicious personality she would only truly benefit from being seen a lot. But as with Marvel, Urchin is not likely going to go out of his way to find/follow the Careers, so it was only natural that Cove would be a bit under the radar. Hopefully her actions in the Feast at least put her on people's radars though. As for her death...while I have no doubt a lot of the Mines blew up at once in the canon movie and this story...was it ever confirmed that every single one of them went off? I never heard 24 individual explosions. We never seen that part of the clearing again, so...I just had the idea, what if one, or two, mines had not gone off with the others? The results are...explosive, to say the least. Clove may have been a minor antagonist in Hot Water, but there are future stories in The Nameless Chronicles where she will be a much more central focus, so stay tuned!
