OK then. Only a few people left, and after the deaths in this one we're pretty much down to the finalists, which is about five people? I was going to kill Allie last time but…I don't know. I just didn't in the end. So yeah. Let me know if you have any preferences as to who you would like to win, et cetera.
Roxana's head had been hurting all day from the blow she'd received the other day. It looked like Shiloh had used the battle as an excuse to avoid the alliance, but unfortunately Jade was still hanging around with them.
The arena was cold, the winds blowing all around and sweeping her hair across her face. She had to yell to be heard and no matter how many layers she put on the wind blew straight through her. She could see Corey was suffering from the winds too, but Jade simply ignored them and tied her hair back into a tight ponytail. Roxana wondered how they made the wind, was it a gamemaker trap for someone else? It wasn't natural, surely?
Corey and her had taken down the tents in the morning, Corey was afraid they'd simply blow away and then they'd be stuck with no shelter for the night, but Roxana wanted a windshield more than anything.
The winds were storming and brewing outside and Brita was glad that the entrance to the cave she was hidden in was blocked by a large boulder. She could peek through the gap she used to get in, and watched the trees struggle to stand upright.
She was beginning to get an idea of who'd been living there before her. But whoever they were they were almost certainly dead by now. There was a circle on the ground covered in black ash that had clearly been a campfire, and Brita had found several coats in a corner, including an impossibly small one. Surely that must have belonged to one of the very little children?
She hadn't seen anyone in ages. Who was even left? Most of the careers, Jade, Roxana, Corey and Shiloh. She'd seen Eliana's face light up in the sky at the very last minute last night, just after Cole. That left Allie and Jarsen from the alliance. Was that everyone? She thought so, but something nagged at the back of her mind.
Sitting in the cave was insanely boring, but safe. Her mind kept on drifting back to Tane. What kind of life would he have led if he'd survived the Games? A good one perhaps. He'd probably become some sort of merchant, and live an ordinary sort of life. But if he'd lived, she wouldn't have.
And that was it. Once your name was picked there was no going back to normality. Once you'd been in the games, you'd seen death, maybe someone you liked or loved. You might have even killed. You might have become a murderer, which was how Brita saw it. But she wasn't going to stop those dark thoughts from preventing her from winning. She'd become a murderer if that's what it took to get out alive. Her only regret was that now she was going to leave, instead of Tane.
Living on the very last remnants of her dehydrated food wasn't nice, but she wasn't leaving now. She needed to recover from the day before. Eliana had managed to hit her several times and Brita wanted to make sure she was strong before she moved again. So she lay down and began to cry. She didn't care how loudly; no one could hear her over the winds.
Jarsen was experiencing a mix of emotions. He was incredibly sad that Eliana was dead, and partly guilty that he'd been the one that killed her. But relief battled the other two emotions. Eliana would never die screaming and crying now. Her last memory would have been of security and safety. He knew that she would disagree with this profoundly, that she'd say she much rather die trying to stay alive but that would most likely be painful.
He shook his head. Thinking about Eliana too much was distracting him. He needed to concentrate on right now. The wind was stopping him from hearing much but he needed to keep his eyes open for anybody else. He didn't want a fight after yesterday but he still needed to keep an eye out just in case other people didn't think the same way he did.
Electric hadn't moved far from the waterfall. Before Allie had come there that was where he was hiding, in a crevice between two rocks, but now he couldn't get there without being spotted. A stick cracked behind him, followed by some cursing. Electric turned and wished that he'd risked his chances with Allie.
Allie had known for quite some time that someone was watching but she hadn't done anything to find out whom. If they weren't attacking that was fine with her. They could do as they pleased. But now she heard a crack that was definitely someone new. Allie looked between her tents and the dark forest, and decided to make her way as fast as she could to the darkness of the trees.
She watched as the small boy she'd followed to the waterfall ran towards some rocks, but stopped and froze as Shiloh appeared. Allie froze too, but recovered herself quick enough to yell to the boy.
"Kid! Over here, quick!" She yelled, gesturing to him. He ran towards her whilst panting and wheezing. It looked like the kid had asthma and although he hadn't been running around like crazy, like his breathing suggested he looked like he was having real trouble getting to her. The fright of seeing Shiloh after him must've done that.
Now Allie had two problems. The kid wasn't getting to her fast enough and Shiloh knew where she was. She took a risk by running forward and grabbed the kid around the waist. Fortunately he was lighter than he looked and Allie was able to run whilst carrying him. But Shiloh was faster. Allie scanned the forest for a hiding place and spotted a dark spot behind a boulder that could mean a small cave. Still carrying the kid, who looked like he was about to pee his pants, she ran and all-but commando rolled into the small gap.
Brita had finished crying when someone flew into her. And quick as lightning Brita retrieved her knife and stabbed the first thing she saw.
"No!" Hissed a girl that she couldn't quite see. Still holding the knife and ready to attack at any moment, she turned to look.
She'd stabbed a small kid. It was hard to see him in the dark because of his dark hair and clothes. There was also a girl, whose bright, auburn hair made it simple to see her. She put a finger to her lips in an urgent manner and Brita quietened her breathing. She heard someone speed past the entrance to the cave and a minute after the girl, who Brita had decided was Allie, breathed out in relief. She turned to look at the boy who was by that time dead. Wherever Brita had stabbed him it had been effective.
"I think he saved my life, in the battle." Allie looked kind of sad as she looked at his body. "Will you help me get him outside so that they can pick him up?" Brita nodded and watched as the kid's dead body was brought up to the Capitol ship.
"Sorry for jumping in on you like that. Will you call a truce for a while? I need to stay here a bit. I lost my supplies" Allie asked and Brita shrugged.
"Yeah. Sure"
The night fell quickly and the only face in the sky was that of a small boy that Roxana couldn't remember seeing. The wind had calmed down and she could finally hear something other than her own thoughts and the wind in the trees. The quiet soon lulled her into sleep.
Roxana woke in the night. As soon as she opened her eyes she knew someone thing was wrong. Jade was standing over Corey…with a bloody sword
She sat bolt upright and screamed. "No!" Jade looked over to her calmly.
"And what are you going to do about it?" She asked. "This is the Hunger Games. He was bound to die eventually." Roxana knew exactly what she was going to do. She was going to kill the little bitch. She looked around to find a weapon but all she saw was a knife.
"Oh look. Nothing but a dagger. I guess I win after all" Roxana shook, with both fear and anger. She'd been terrified of daggers since her father threw one at her when she was a kid. Swallowing she rolled over and grabbed the dagger. It was unfamiliar and cold in her hands. She'd had no training with this weapon, but how many times had her sadistic father told her that if she wanted to kill badly enough, she could?
She stood up, looking at Jade who was waiting patiently. She had a sword which had more reach, but Roxana was quick. Jade thrust forward in an attempt to kill Roxana but Roxana dodged and got close enough to stab Jade in the arm. Jade cried in indignation. After a few more stabs and thrusts at each other to no prevail, Roxana saw her chance. Right in the stomach. And she went for it.