Layla Stratton, District 5
Despite everything we have to endure, having Holden by my side makes it better.
I've never been one to rely on others to get by. You can only trust yourself in this world. But when forced into an arena, where everyone is banking on your death, having someone you can rely on by your side makes it a hell of a lot easier to endure.
I finish off the last of our water bottle, hoping it settles the hunger in my stomach. I think about the berry bush we found earlier, and wonder if returning to it would be a good idea. We could fill up on food and water while we're in the area. I suggest my idea to Holden and he shrugs.
"Food and water never hurt." He states. And with that, we collect our belongings and walk back towards the direction of the lake.
We walk slowly, staying alert. I use this time to dwell on the future. While I try not to think about it, knowing only one of us can survive stresses me out. How could either of us return to the district and live out our lives like nothing happened? What if it comes down to the two of us, how could either of us live with that guilt plaguing our every thought?
I glance over at Holden, his face glaring at the grass that lies ahead of us. I wonder what thoughts flow in his mind.
He stops dead in his tracks and holds his arm out to stop me from walking. We crouch and I look at him, confused. He turns and mouths to me, "Up ahead". I focus my senses towards that direction and my heart stops when I hear the voices of fellow tributes.
I poke my head out of the grass and make out two, no, three tributes sitting together by the edge of the lake. Two girls and one boy sit there, but I can't distinguish who from this distance. I try to get a good look at their supplies. I see a few weapons and a decent sized bag, most likely containing all of their supplies. Holden nudges me.
"What's the plan?" I shake my head with uncertainty. We could probably take them, they all seem smaller and younger than us. But could we leave without injury?
That's when the boy turns in the direction we stay. He stands quickly, picking up the sword that laid next to him.
"Get up." I hear him tell his allies. They listen, both pulling out daggers. Now I'm starting to question our chances, thinking our pointed sticks won't be much use here.
"I'll reveal myself. Prepare to attack." Holden tells me. I'm about to argue when he stands, holding his arms up above his head. God dammit.
"I was just searching for water, I mean no harm." His tone of voice is almost convincing. I watch the other tributes keep their eyes on Holden. I move over slightly to get out of their direct eyesight, waiting for the right moment.
"Are you alone?" The boy asks. Holden nods. One of the girls tilts her head sideways, in confusion.
"His district partner…." She whispers, slowly realizing Holden's lie. That's when I reveal myself. I throw my stick at the boy in the center. He reacts in time and ducks out of the way. Holden runs forward and tackles the girl to his right, and I tackle the other girl. I am able to get my hands on her dagger, but she is able to shove me off. The boy comes at me with his sword and I roll back. He pulls his sword out of the ground, but not before I stab him in the back. He cries out and falls to his knees, dropping his sword. The girl I tackled picks up his sword and swings it at me, cutting my arm. I swear loudly, covering the cut with my hand. The pain is excruciating.
"Holden!" I shout as the girl swings at me again. He runs towards me with a dagger in his possession. He takes my good arm and pulls me away from the attack.
We run far and fast and I can feel myself losing consciousness from blood loss. We run into the forest and it becomes harder for me to keep my balance. Eventually, I can go no further and collapse in the woods. Holden holds me as I slowly fade asleep. Right before I lose consciousness, I hear the unmistakable sound of a cannon firing.
Rally Toyota, District 6
The crashing of footsteps nearby scares the crap out of me. I crouch behind a tree, hoping and praying whatever is out there won't detect me. There is a loud crash before the noises cease. I hold my breath, terrified. A cannon fires.
"Please, please don't do this to me." I hear a boy say, tearing up. A few seconds pass before he breaths a sigh of relief.
I hear more rustling and slowly find the courage to see who my new neighbors are. I see a boy and a girl that I recognize as the pair from Five. I realize the girl is bleeding uncontrollably in the arm and is much paler than I remember. The boy is taking off his jacket, trying to cover the wound. His hands are shaking like crazy. It's obvious how much he cares about her.
I hear him take a few deep breaths and stand up, brushing the dirt off of him. He makes her a little bed, covering her with nearby foliage. For a moment, I feel like a spectator, rooting for this boy and his partner to be victorious. It takes me a moment to come back to reality, to realize I am much more than a spectator. I am a competitor, and these two must perish before I can return home.
However, I cannot find the will to attack. Even if I killed the girl, the boy would kill me next. So instead, I leave the pair and retreat further into the woods.
Neptune Kingsman, District 4
The cannon makes us stop dead in our tracks. I instinctively turn to look at Majesty, who still stands. I breath a sigh of relief at both of our safety.
"Who do you think that belonged to?" My ally asks me. I shrug.
"There's no way to know. Maybe Callista is out hunting." I shudder at the thought. She may be weaker due to a lack of supplies, but she's smart and she's lethal. I'm sure she's found a way to stay alive out there.
We continue our hunt throughout the grasslands, keeping a lookout for food, tributes, anything really. We have enough supplies to last us a while, but we have to stay active to keep the Gamemakers happy. If we start to slack, there's no telling what they could throw our way.
We come across the edge of the lake and take a quick breath to refill our bottles and eat some food. We finish off our apples and one full bottle before moving along.
"Did the water level seem lower to you?" Majesty asks me as we turn away. I look at him confused.
"Maybe it's just me." He says, ending the conversation. I look back at the lake, but I can't tell from this distance. I shake my head, hoping the Gamemakers aren't trying to mess with us so soon after the attack.
Suddenly, I am extremely aware of the heat that has come over the arena. I can see Majesty sweating as well and am suddenly fearful of the Gamemakers. We find ourselves at one of the doors leading into the wasteland outside. Majesty opens the door and we stand in front of it, letting the winter air cool us down.
The sun slowly begins to set on the arena. I stop to take in the beauty of it. The sun beaming over the horizon, beautiful lighting, peace and quiet. It reminds me of home.
Suddenly I am aware of an unnatural light shining in the forest. Majesty recognizes the threat before I do.
"Fire." He says so calmly I don't realize how threatening it is right away. I look at him and his eyes are wide with fear.
"Let's get out of here." I say, taking a deep breath before running as far away from the wildfire as possible.
It's about to heat up in this arena.
Samuel-I'm so sorry bud, you were a good kid with a bad past. You and Grant are together now.
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