Okay. So instead of continuously lying to you guys aout when Im updating, I will try my best to update before or by every friday. I'd lov to get some reviews to see what you guys think of it so far or to see what you think will happen next!
-Miche
Chapter 13: Day 2, Trick 'n Die
I woke up with a jolt. Everything from the day before hit me in one blow the second I notice whose arms I was lying in. Barley's Dead face flashed in my eyes, and the sight of Grey running from me haunted me as well. Someone was stroking my hair, pulling the small pieced that had fallen out away from my face and behind my ear. I pushed him away, still afraid of what my dreams had contained.
"Well good morning, sweetheart." He whispered sarcastically. "Did you sleep okay?" I turned away, not wanting him to touch me. Hopefully it didn't come across that way.
"No. You?"
"Pretty good actually. I-" suddenly a scream from outside startled the two of us. Solar crouched in the tent to see outside, and I reached for my trident. Thinking now, I could kill him, grab my things and run. I could've killed him right there, but I let him leave the tent. He was safe from me for now.
I followed him to see the sun up and all the snow gone. It was warm like it had been the day before.
The opposite of what we thought was happening, was actually happening. Solar laughed and I just leaned on my trident as we watched Zyre chase Ginger around the beach with a fish. Obviously they were flirting, but we all knew from day one that they had established a small relationship. Prompted by the Capitol or not, they probably hoped it would bring in more sponsors to their side.
Today was the day we'd be killing Titan. We knew he was in the woods, and all agreed to get him after lunch that day.
"So since you two are done flirting, can we please cook that fish for breakfast?" Lockwood said preparing one of the pots we found in the cornucopia. We had the fish, some eggs, and orange juice made from tablets ginger found in one dead tributes pack. It was too bad no one else was able to get it.
"How did you catch the fish?" I asked Zyre.
"There was this net in one of the larger crates and it looked simple enough."
"You do know I have a trident, right?"
"Yeah, but this is easier than that." I'm glad that's what he thought because for me, I could have three fish by the time he caught one.
"You could've woken me, though, since I am from the fishing district-"
"You need your sleep for lover boy-" Zyre spit out, my blood pressure spiking in an instant
"Don't you dare-!" I stood, ready with my trident.
"Easy, Rain! Easy!" Solar tried to defend him. "You knew better than to fall for you mentor-!"
"I don't love him-!"
"The you shouldn't have let him get to know you so well!" he then proceeded to put his arm around me, giving me the creeps.
"So what do we do now that we have a camp set up?" I asked Zyre.
"Wait for the other tributes to kill each other off. That or kill them ourselves until it's just us."
"And then what? Ration what we have and split until were either killed by natural means, one of us hunting the others, or the game maker bringing us together again?" everyone looked around slightly confused as what to do.
"Well…"
"If it comes down to it-"
"I'm not splitting up!" Ginger claimed, holding Zyre's arm next to her.
"Okay! This is what's going to happen!" everyone stopped. "Those who wish to split up can split up once it's down to the six of us. The rest will stick together until things unfold the way they're going to."
After lunch that day we started to set up the false scenario which would allow us to kill Titan. Just as we were packing things up so no one could try and steal anything when we were gone, I heard a dinging noise. It was a small parachute. It landed right by Ginger and we all knew it was for her. She smirked before opening it up, discarding the parachute and lid, and saw something.
"What is it?"
"A piece of paper?"
"Its my highest score for the most dummies hit with a knife. I had the record."
"So its an inspiration thing?"
"Yeah." Later that day we discussed the strategy for killing Titan.
"Okay now what I was thinking is one or two of us go off first and hide in the bushes to make sure things don't go wrong. Then Ginger will go and cause a scene for Titan to protect her while we make it look like we're looking for her, giving her a chance to hide with him. Then the moment they are gone, Ging will try and get him to think she's on his side."
"And that's when I kill him?"
"No, but we will come out from hiding and act like we are going to kill both of them. He'll go first and right as he thinks I'm gonna take his head off, you will stab him through the heart with your knife, making him die afraid." They all agreed, but I could only sit and watch them laugh at the death they will cause. I had to get out of here.
"Rain!" Solar said my name, walking to where I sat. My legs were partially in the ocean as a sat on the beach. He sat next to me as silence followed. "You're the one who will hide in the bushes if something goes wrong. They trust you to kill Titan incase he doesn't trust Ginger." He looked at me. "Are you okay with that?"
"Sure why not? I've killed before, it's not any different than an animal or fish really." That was a lie.
"You'll use your trident right?" he then asked, cutting off my thoughts.
"Um… yeah."
"It will be okay, Fish Girl. There's only one person making it out of this thing so you better try and make it yourself." As he got up to leave I couldn't help but notice everything about him. He was overconfident . Not in the natural way but in a way that seemed forced. He was putting up a charade of what he wanted to be, so people would like him, rather than be himself. What was he really like? What were his family members like and how did he grow up? You could spend a few days with someone, think you know them, but then once you hear their story, your view on them changes dramatically.
So does that make me a bad person for not wanting to know it? By knowing someone and how they think, it just makes it harder to hate them and want them dead.
Diamonde returned from spying on Titan's small camp to tell us any changes.
"Nothing different, however he has a small blade that he's used for scavenging and building a small shelter."
"Did it look like he had any contact with any others?"
"No. Just him." She smiled. These people were malicious.
"Everyone got the plan right?" Zyre asked. All of us had weapons, knew who was going to do what and if anything went wrong, we knew how to counteract it. "Are you ready?" he asked me. I was the backup plan, after all.
"Yes." I tried to smile. Acting wasn't my strongest talent but I believe I fooled them.
We left the camp soon after that. My Trident was close to my side in a defensive position should any tributes jump out. We traveled the short distance to Titans camp, but soon ran into a problem.
"Its up in a tree?" Zyre whispered to Diamonde.
"I didn't think it really mattered!"
"It does! Ginger can you climb well?"
"Of course, Zyre dear." She smirked. "Okay everyone in their positions. Out of sight. Rain, you need to get close in case you need to climb that thing and help Ginger out." I nodded. "Let's go." And we all separated. I heard them moving away a bit so when they did make their appearance it would sound like they were actually chasing her.
There was a small ladder that Titan had made to get to the safe spot in the tree, about 30 feet up. However, you could only get to it by jumping from a large boulder nearby and pulling yourself up it till your feet could reach a step. I hid in between a bush and another tree near by.
I waited.
About ten minutes went by until we heard Titan moving back to his camp. He had raided our camp and took a few of our bags with supplies in them. I watched as he readied himself to jump for the latter, when a piercing scream made him stumble. Ginger came out of the woods running. She looked a bit sweaty and very frightened, a good show.
"Please help me-!"
"Stay back!" he held out his blade, but where was hers?
"Please-!"
"Shhh! How do I know I can trust you?"
"Because they're coming and I'm telling you to hide!"
"What did you do to make them chase you? I thought you were in with them..."
"They saw me as a weak part of the team and thought if it was best to just get rid of me now!"
"But you have weapons. Why didn't you use them?"
"I don't really know how to use them!" she clumsily handled one showing him. She was doing well. There was a rustling of leaves and they both flinched at it.
"Okay, come with me." He showed her where his camp was and how to get up the latter, which he boosted her up towards. He followed her up, Ginger faking like she was almost too weak. Once they got up there, he pulled up the rope ladder and they hid behind some thicker branches. The trees were very sturdy with the environment almost like a jungle.
The other members of the group returned and were definitely heard as they neared the trees.
"Alright Miss Ginger, where did you go?" Zyre asked with his sickle sword in hand. Everyone looked ready to strike at anything that came at them.
"Where do you think she went, Zyre?" Diamonde asked.
"I don't know. Lockwood, use your tracking skills." Tracking skills? The larger boy looked at the ground a bit giving the impression that he was searching.
"It looks like she was alone but then met with someone else. They look peaceful and then they go in the same direction." He walked with the others flanking him to the tree. "And they stop here." He picked up one of Ginger's Knives she had dropped. I watched Ginger in the tree as she gasped.
"They're up there! Look, Solar they're up there hidden in the branches!" Lockwood spotted them after Ginger snuck a look from one of the branches.
"Hahaha yes!" Solar looked excited.
"Yeah!"
"Look out pretty girl we're coming for ya!"
"A-and how are you gonna get us?" she asked, looking hesitant.
"Well you have to come down some time for food or water." Zyre responded. Titan attempted to sound tough but fell short.
"Bad news for you because we've got supplies for weeks!"
"We got time." There was silence for a brief moment before it broke. A blade hit the ground next to Zyre. It was Titan's blade.
"Ginger! That was my only weapon!"
"You're not going to need it." Her true confidence was finally let out.
"And why not?"
"Because you'll be dead."
"What-AH!" she stabbed him with a knife. He gasped when she hit right between his ribs. Ginger then held him by the shirt over a gap in the branches, thirty feet over the ground "hmmm… and I was beginning to think you were attractive. Tata, sweetie." She kissed him before letting him go. He yelled and landed head first, snapping his neck. Instant death.
"Victory: Ginger!" Zyre said before watching her nimbly climb down. "Did you get anything valuable?" he kissed her.
"Nope. I just thought to torch the thing." She said pulling her knife out of Titan's still body. They all thought it was fun to talk about what happened, listening intently to her side of the story as she described Titan as a wimpy, fragile person.
Two things I noticed that none of the others did. One: we were being watched by two other tributes (Starle and Sheah), and two: no cannon went off for Titan's "death."
The careers walked off and I stayed behind collecting his old blade before running to his body where it lay at the base of the trunk.
"Titan? Titan are you still there?" I whispered, patting his face. Nothing. "Titan, you have to know that I'm not apart of what they do. I was just following what they said and I promise that I'm not lying like Ginger!" he was still. "Please tell me you're there!"
"I-… can't feel… my body." He gaped, jaw a bit numb as he started to feel the blood leave his body.
"I'm so sorry this happened."
"Can you do me one favour when you win?" he was faint now.
"I'm not going to win-."
"I heard your confession." I was glad someone did. " You are going to win. Tell my mom I love her, and my dad and siblings. Christy, Liz, Jon- ah!" He was struggling more and more. "And Susan..."
"It's okay, it's okay." I stroke his forehead like I had with Barley. He began to become unresponsive. "Listen! listen to me just listen.." I began to sing an old song, my mother hummed in her dazing and working.
"Down yonder green valley where streamlets meander,
When twilight is fading, I pensively rove,
Or at the bright noontide in solitude wander
Amid the dark shades of the lonely Ash grove."
His eyelids were beginning to drop. I was shocked at myself for not crying at another death.
"'Twas there while the blackbird was joyfully singing,
I first met my dear one, the joy of my heart;
Around us for gladness the blue bells were ringing,
Ah! Then little thought I how soon we should part."
Now his breathing was slowing and becoming more pained for him.
"Still grows the bright sunshine o'er valley and mountain,
Still warbles the blackbird his note from the tree;
Still trembles the-" a cannon shot interrupted me. I stopped singing. There wasn't anyone else to hear me now. Titans head limply left my hands as I stood, cleaning my face from the one tear. A rustling in the trees around me snapped me to the present.
There was a tribute near me, I felt it in the hairs that stood on end on my arms. Suddenly a flash of red hair jumped down from a tree near me. I had my trident ready, but didn't swing right away. The girl had her hands up in surrender, asking for help. It was Maple, the girl from Seven. What did she want?
"You're not trying to kill me. Why?" I asked her.
"Titan and I were in an alliance. He's dead now, but I know you know where your district partner and the others are." I didn't but still kept my guard up, looking around incase there were others.
"If this is a trick I will kill you right here, right now."
"It isn't!" It wasn't. "Please!" I thought for a moment. Abby had told us on the first day that once we went in to look for higher ground, if possible. You never know if there would be an avalanche, flood, or other tributes that would try and attack. It was safer to have the advantage of altitude. "Look for any place near higher ground with water. I saw him hed toward the south side of the island, so I'd check there." She was quick and made to leave.
"Wait!" and I thought it generous to give her Titan's old knife, so I tossed it to her. she held it dear in a way I knew they had been quick friends. "To protect yourself. And give them this when you see them. Tell them I'll see them in about five days or less." I also tossed her my district token: my necklace. Grey would know it was sincere. I wouldn't be dead and as long as no other cannons sounded before Maple got to them, she would be safe. This was me repaying letting Titan die. This way I had some redemption.
"I promise I'll tell them."
"Thank you." and we went our separate ways.
I'll be puting up another chapter for y'all tomorrow because I accidentaly skipped the last week... again im sorry :(
[Gee my spelling sucks...]
-Miche