Day 5

Jesse

The sun has just barely risen on the fifth day of the Hunger Games. Jesse and Ross didn't get much sleep. They spent the entire night trying to find an appropriate place to camp. Being extremely stealthy, the two remaining Careers entered the summer field and soon found a small grouping of trees that would make a good place to station at. Working all night, they dragged riot shields from the feast table and back to their campsite, setting them up in between trees in order to fortify it. They grew more and more confident, even though they had less weapons than the other alliances. Ross is very skilled with the gun, and Jesse is strategic enough to form successful plan. "What do you think?" Jesse asks his ally, motioning to their new territory.

"I really like it," Ross answers with a slight smile. "So, what's our plan?"

"We can't just sit here. We need to try and cut down some of those other alliances," Jesse answers, test swinging his baton a few times.

"I know, but who do we go for?"

"Nikki, Conner, and Brian are definitely out. They are way too much for us," explains Jesse with an annoyed sigh.

"What about Claire and Amberlyn?" Ross suggests.

"Maybe, but they're a wildcard. That Claire girl took out Madison, and Amberlyn is vicious. Could we handle them?"

"Who knows. Zach and Konor don't seem like much of a threat, but what do you think about them with that jeep?"

"They're dangerous. Even if we get close enough, they could always just run us over," Jesse answers, making sure the shields are secure.

"We need to go for those District 3 tributes. They didn't get anything from the feast, and they probably didn't have that much to begin with," Ross says.

"But, the thing is, if we noticed that, then so did the others. District 3 will be a target for everyone. We could get mixed up in the crossfire."

"That's true..." Ross is truly amazed at Jesse's strategic mind. He comes up with things that Ross would have completely overlooked otherwise. "So, who are we going after?"

"I think we should just start walking. We'll avoid the winter forest and look for the others. If we don't find anyone before nightfall, we'll just come back."

"That sounds good... Jesse, can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Jesse says.

"You and me, we can't both win. Only one of us can get out of this thing alive. I want it to be me, and I'm sure you want it to be you. We can't just sit here and pretend like this alliance will last forever," Ross explains in a quizzical tone.

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying, we need to set a deadline. We to pick a time that we just have to split up."

"I really just don't want to think about it. Can we worry when it gets closer to the end?" pleads Jesse. "I just wish we would have met under different circumstances. We work good together, and in some other situation, I'm sure we'd be friends."

"I feel the same way, but we aren't in another situation. We're in this one. At top 5, we need to split. Is that okay?" asks Ross.

"It'll have to be."

Nikki

Shivering under the cold conditions of the winter storm, Nikki turns to Conner. "Is it getting colder here? I swear it wasn't this freezing yesterday," she says with chattering teeth.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it is getting colder. The Gamemakers are trying to drive us closer together. We're the only ones in the winter field, so they probably want us to move on. We shouldn't, though, at least for now," explains Conner. Despite the dropping temperature, Nikki has not seen Conner shiver once. He has remained stoic and solid throughout the blizzard like temperatures. At this moments, Brian comes walking back into the clearing, shivering along with Nikki.

"Did you see anyone out there?" the blonde girl asks, moving over to share her body warmth with her district partner.

"No one. They put the cornucopia back, though. I grabbed some more supplies," he says, pulling off his backpack and tossing it to Conner. He opens the pack.

"The bottle of water will freeze if we aren't careful," Conner states, zipping up the backpack so it is tightly secure.

"I was thinking while I was out there," Brian begins, "and I don't really know any of you that well."

"We haven't really had the opportunity to share our life stories," laughs Nikki. Brian laughs as well.

"What's your family like, Conner?"

"There alright, I guess. They're pretty tough on me. That's the reason I volunteered. The would have been disappointed if I didn't. My dad won his games when he was sixteen, and it's always been his dream for me to win. I guess that I just... thought that I had something to prove to them..." Nikki frowns at this. She would have no idea how to live with parents like that. Her mom and dad were severely terrified and sorrowful when Nikki was reaped.

"Do you have any siblings?" Nikki asks.

"A sister, and I'm sure when she's old enough, she'll volunteer, too." Brian turns to Nikki.

"What would it mean for you if you won?" he asks.

"Well," she starts, "the most important thing is that I get to see my family again. We're so close to each other. They didn't know how to handle it when my name got called. We make enough money, so it's not like I want to win for the money. I don't act like it, but my biggest fear is that I'll never get to see my family again." There is a moment of silence after Nikki's confession. "What about you Brian?" she asks.

"I need this. If I don't make it back, I don't know what's gonna happen to my family. I've been helping support them since I was little. If I'm not there... I'm afraid what'll happen," he says, slightly reluctantly.

"I'm glad I'm with you guys," says Conner randomly. Nikki and Brian look at each other, confused. "I know I act like the lone wolf kind of guy all of the time, and I mean, I am sometimes, but everyone once in awhile, you just need a friend. You know what I mean? I just like having someone to talk to. I think it keeps me human." When Conner finishes his revelation, Nikki looks up to see something floating down from the sky on a silver parachute. It floats down directly into Conner's lap. It is long and wrapped in brown paper. Conner looks at his allies in disbelief and slowly begins to rip away the paper. It reveals a four foot tall, golden trident.

"Oh my God," whispers Brian.

"There's a note," Conner says, picking up a small white card. It reads "I'm Rooting For You. Sincerely, R.M." Not one of the three tributes knows who R.M. is, but Conner is definitely thankful for his weapon. "Well, it's nice to know that I have some fans," the District 4 boy chuckles with a massive grin.

Erin

The rain has picked up again, but Erin and Jared are too nervous to notice. "You have to be quick, okay?" reminds Erin. "They'll probably be asleep, so be quiet too."

"I know," says Jared shakily.

"Do you think you can do this? I would do it Jared, but you're faster than me. You have a better chance."

"I know." Erin sighs nervously. The plan is simple really. Jared runs out to the jeep, places the explosive inside, and runs back before Konor and Zach have time to notice him. Then, Erin will set off the bomb, blowing up the jeep and hopefully taking out Konor and Zach in the process. However, Erin has had a strong feeling that something will go wrong ever since she woke up this morning. Last night, she was beaming with excitement at the sponsor gift, but now, she is just terrified that she or Jared will get hurt.

"Are you ready to go?" Erin asks, handing Jared the spherical explosive. He nods and takes the item from her. They begin to walk slowly and silently toward the direction of Zach and Konor's campsite. They had done a little bit of scouting late the night before, concluding that the jeep was the only thing they managed to retrieve from the feast. Erin considers that a pro to the situation. Neither of the groups of two have the advanced supplies and weapons that the others do. That way, they are still on level playing field. Zach is probably much stronger than the two District 3 tributes, and Konor can fight at long ranges with the bow. They would definitely be a challenge if this situation turned into a fight, but all Jared has to do is thrown the bomb into the jeep and run away. It's simple, quick, and easy.

The light rain almost looks ghostly as the sun just begins to set, casting an orange evening light in the spring forest. Erin and Jared had eaten the last of their food that morning, so they'll be needing to find supplies soon. Sometimes, Erin laughs at the fact that both of them are still fighting. It's a rare occasion when just a single District 3 tribute makes it past the first day, but both Erin and Jared are still alive. And they made it past the top twelve no less. They are the exception to the rule.

Treading lightly, Erin and Jared reach the clearing. However, they remain behind the tree line, not wanting to be seen by their enemies. "Do you see them?" whispers the girl. Jared squints his eyes.

"No, I don't. Where do you think they are?"

"They could have went hunting, or maybe they're looking for other tributes?"

"Why would they leave the jeep here, though?" asks Jared, severely confused.

"I don't know... But we need to hurry before they come back from wherever they are. Are you ready?" Jared is silent, but nods his head slowly. "Good luck." Slowly, Jared steps out from behind the tree, terrified Zach or Konor will materialize to kill him. They don't however, an Jared continues toward the jeep. He should be running, but he is too scared that it will alert someone to attack him. The rain patters against his skin, causing him to shiver. He continues to take one step after the other, making solid progress towards the vehicle. The explosive is shaking violently in his hands. Erin can tell his nerves are close to getting the best of him. The girl breaks out in a grin when he finally reaches the jeep. He is about to place the bomb into the jeep, but something happens, something out of place.

Erin hears a slight whistle. She turn her head, trying to place it. She doesn't realize what is making the sound until the arrow buries itself into Jared's back. He falls to the ground, the bomb rolling away from him. A cannon fires. "No!" Erin screams. Zach and Konor appear into the clearing, running for the body and turning their heads to find Erin. The two boys find the explosive and Zach picks it up, holding up in the sunlight. Erin steps out into the clearing, remote in hand. "Looking for me?" she says loudly. The two turn, but before they can even grasp the concept of Erin appearing, she presses the red button. There is a loud mechanical beeping sound, and then the bomb explodes. The force throws Erin off of her feet and cause her ears to ring, but she turns on her stomach and starts crawling away from the scene. Erin is alone now. She has no district partner to back her up. All she has now is a knife and a new found blood-lust.

She is soon able to get back on her feet, and her hearing doesn't seem to be damaged. She climbs into a tree and tries to collect what just happened. Jared is dead. Zach and Konor were killed in the blast that Erin triggered. She has made her first kill. That is hard for her to process. She remains in the tree for the rest of the day, watching the sunset. When Jared's face appears projected in the sky, she frowns and a tear rolls down her cheek. However, when the faces of Konor and Zach are shown, she smiles at her success. She closes her eyes, promising herself that there is not going to be more passive behavior. Erin is now in it to win it.