The sound of mindless chatter is all that can be herd flitting about in the air around us. The dining hall is where alliances become apparent; this is where we define where we stand. This is where we careers study the groups we will be up against; deciding who we will strike down first. My eyes flit about the room taking in each separate group of tributes that has formed. Several are smaller alliances who eat like they have never had a decent meal in their life; which for many probably holds true.
My eyes fall down to my own plate which I have barely touched. Food was something that was not a rarity back in District 1. It was seen more as a right than a privilege.
"As the leader of this year's career pact I am calling first dibs on blood I want to spill," Aqua announces with a wicked smile creeping along the delicate curve of her lips.
"And what if we don't agree?" The drawling sound of Damien's voice laced with bloodlust interjects into the conversation. I watch the ways his eyes flicker across the room, as if he is imagining the heads of the tributes around us exploding in a sweet harmony, painting the walls in a deep crimson. The dark look that graces his features is something that would send chills down the spines of the tributes that come from the lower Districts. There is something sinister residing in this boy from District 2; something born from nothing more than bloodlust and dark desires. His eyes seem to be glazed over, as if he is somewhere far away. I follow his gaze which is transfixed on the smooth satin flesh of the girl of District 9's neck. He licks his lips hungrily and the thoughts that must be going through his mind is enough to send shudders riveting through my entire body. He is one that will need to be watched; he is one that cannot be trusted on any level.
"I never once said you had to agree, but you don't have any say in the matter," Aqua says in her cool commanding tone. I notice Foe roll her eyes at this comment, as Avery crosses her arms leaning back in her chair. A small smirk dances its way across my lips at the thought of Avery who plays up this roll of a spoiled career girl who has been casted to the side. She believes that this is all just an act to blindside the other careers, but if she only knew I was playing her from both sides. My mind falls to the memory of the night before.
I was one of the last ones to be in the training hall; I danced across the room, as if I was a part of a deadly dance with my wicked blade held tightly between my fingertips. The blade cut cleanly through the air leaving a wisp of cold air in its wake. A dangerous smile tugged at my lips, as my eyes fell upon the mutilated dummies standing before me. Each one pouring out fake deep scarlet blood that coated their surface in the slick metallic liquid.
"It's easy to tell you have been training for the greater part of your life," I turned around to see Avery watching my every movement closely.
"That would be because I have Avery," I answered back coolly, placing my sword back on the stand it belonged to. My eyes followed the sharp edge of the sword imagining just how much havoc I could wreck upon the other tributes in the arena with that blade held between my grasp.
"Dane, I'm going to make this simple and easy. I do not like Aqua being in charge of the career pact. I know she is looking out for nobody except herself," At these words I put up my hand cutting her off in mid sentence.
"Isn't that what we are all doing?" I ask her calmly. I know we may all be part of an alliance, but in reality we all know the only person that really matters is ourselves and nothing else. We are all capable of doing what we must to reach the top; to use others to our advantage then crush them beneath us when we see the time is fitting.
In response a scowl intertwines its way into her features, "Let me finish, as I was saying before you cut me off she is not the best choice for us to follow. She will do nothing, but destroy us when she sees fit. What I am proposing that since we are District partners one night we slaughter them all in their sleep and take off on our own," As she speaks she slowly takes several steps closer to me and drops her voice to nothing more than a whisper.
I had to bite my lip to stop the smirk that threatened to spill onto my features. This is where I see how I can use Avery to my needs then cast her to the sides when I no longer need her. To Avery's knowledge her and I are now working together to take down the rest of the careers. To the rest of our so called alliance we are all sticking together until we will be forced to turn on one another, but in reality my alliance rests with Foe and Foe alone. How tangled up have I gotten myself into in these games of secrets and lies that we play. My addiction only seems to give me that edge which both threatens to tear me down piece by piece until there is nothing left or it helps give me that determination to step on who I must to free myself from this; this way I can start over fresh, new beginnings after the storm.
"I want to be the one who mutilates the pair from District 12, as from day one they have done nothing, but get on my nerves," The sound of Aqua's voice jolts me back into what has now become my reality.
"I want the District 3 tributes; I always thought tributes from there would have more brains then those two have," Sterling the boy from District 4 adds.
"Nobody out of the twenty three rest of us could be lest intelligent than you," Foe mutters under her breath; her comment aimed at Sterling, but it only reaches my ears. This comment forces a small snicker to escape my lips which in response receives me a sharp jab in the ribs by Foe's elbow. I glare at her, but the look I receive in response scolds me to fall back into my usual composure.
"Now who would you like to tall dibs on Dane?" Aqua bats her eyelashes at me in a way one would presume is nothing but innocence. The words that I want to spill from my lips would have me thrown out of this alliance faster than I could blink my eyes. More than anything else I want Aqua to be the one that dies by my hands, but instead a different choice of words rolls off my tongue.
"I want the boy from District 8 and the girl from District 7."
Aqua opens her mouth to respond, but before anyone gets the opportunity I feel something cool being spilt onto the front of my shirt. I glance up to see the horrified look of the girl from District 6, as she realizes she dumped her drink all over me. A scowl plays across my features, as I stand up. The girl slowly backs up, as Foe bursts into laughter behind me.
"I-I'm sorry I didn't mean to," She stumbles over her words realizing she has probably just found the one who is going to take her life in the arena. Most know that something as petty as this in some cases can be enough to make a career want to crave their blood.
"Also add this girl to my list of tributes I have dibs on to kill," I say to the rest of the careers, as I make my way out of the dining hall the sounds of Foe's laughter still echoing off the walls behind me. I walk into the elevator trying to relentlessly brush the drink off my shirt; the moment the doors are about to close Aqua slides in-between the thin space. She stands in front of me with her hands on her hips and her lips pursed together. She takes a step towards me and in response I back up into the wall.
"Dane why must you act this way?" She tilts her head to the side allowing her blonde hair to roll off her shoulders in sweet waves. "This is all harmless fun that I want and nothing more."
"I have someone back home," I say simply, as I wish I could melt back into the wall behind me disappearing from her clutches.
"She would never have to know," Aqua says this as she leans in whispering against my neck. She places her hands on my damp shirt and slowly begins to ride it up with the palms of her hands. I place my hands over hers and try to move them away, but she just tightens her hold digging her talon like fingernails into my flesh.
"Aqua let go of me now," I say to her through my teeth.
"You need to learn how to relax," She whispers seductively in my ear. "I always get what I want," As she says this she bites down on my neck forcing a soft moan to escape my lips.
"Not this time," I say harshly, as the elevator doors open. I see this as my escape and push her away from me. This sudden movement is enough to knock her off balance and gives me time to briskly reach my escape. I can hear her calling after me in the distance, but I continue to press forward. I refuse to be anyone's play toy in this twisted web of games we have created.
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