Any Other World.
Cos it's all in the hands of a bitter, bitter man. Say goodbye to the world you thought you lived in.
Stitch Hill, District Eight Male.
I graze the tip of the sword over the tiled flooring of the room. Fern's blood is stained on the end, like wispy tendrils creeping up the silver more and more. She never expected it to happen. I guess that's the most amusing thing of it all. Somehow, I managed to convince someone as distrusting and angry as Fern to believe for even just a split second so that I could spike her with a sword and then crush her skull with my boot.
People look at me and just assume that I'm quiet and polite. That my smile doesn't hold the many secrets that it does.
I don't think I'm that manipulative. I don't even really like people that much, I would much prefer to actually spend my time on my own. But, sometimes in dire need, you need to interact with others, and then my social skills come into play. I could be anyone's friend if I really needed too, because no-one doesn't not trust this smile and warm shield. I stand up, twisting the sword in the air. I could go and hunt for someone, but what would be the point in that? Much prefer if someone found me, rather than going out of my way to find someone who would be just as stupid and naive to believe me.
Mirana is probably the only person whose taken my pity.
Same with the littles.
I'm manipulative, but I'm not cold or cruel. Little kids can't defend themselves. Mirana is far too innocent and crazy to be sound. Fern, on the other hand, wasn't exactly weak or innocent. In a sense, I could be seen as a vigilante, killing the tributes who are threats to save the ones on the top of their lists to murder.
My eyes catch a glimpse of something large searching on the other side. I blink a few times because no, no, I can't stand spiders.
But, my heart sinks as I look at the leather skin shimmering from the apparent rain rolling off of it. It's large, almost the size of the entire windows that keep us open and vulnerable, legs tittering against the floor on the other side. The grip around my sword tightens as I move to the door, twisting the handle and slipping myself out, never letting my eyes leave the creature across from me. It's not hard to miss the thousands of shiny black eyes flickering at every sound and light.
I hear a horrid screeching sound, and on instinct, I spin around.
The spider is just a few feet away, touching and feeling the ground around it. But it hasn't noticed me, otherwise I'd be pinned to the ground or dead by now.
I watch it carefully move along in rhythm with my feet stepping back.
No.
The sword raises just a little in the air, poised to fight back. I hate spiders, there's no way I'm going to die to one. Anything? Yes. Spiders? Hell no.
It's eyes flash up as my foot clips the other, tripping me up. I stagger back as it launches itself forward at a horribly fast speed.
I slash with the sword, but with a simple flick of one of it's eight legs, the sword spins from my hand, smacking against the barrier with a pop. My reflection stares back at me from the deadly eyes, and I'd be lying if I didn't want to holler and scream for help.
Instead, it pounces, catching me by surprise and taking me to the floor. I fight back the scream, grabbing a hand on two of the legs and holding them in place as grotesque pincers snap at me hungrily, just inches from my face. Back at home, if I wanted to get rid of a spider, I'd get the maid that cleaned our house to kill it, even if she hated them too. The life of luxury some would call it.
It gets closer and closer, and I probably could see my life flash before my eyes.
Yet, my hand slips off of one leg and my fingers manage to graze over cold silver, and I'm quick to curl them around it and bringing it forward as quick as possible.
It lunges forward once more.
My sword appears in front of my face.
In a flash, I feel the sickening warmth of the spider's blood spraying down onto my face, slipping into my mouth and making me gag and choke. But I continue to push despite the urgent cries that rings out. With a muted thud, the spider falls to the side. I can't hear much except for the blood pounding in my ears, my heart racing much too fast and pounding much too hard. I lay there, exhausted, black blood on my face.
I hate spiders so much.
Addilyn Helix, District Three Female.
It didn't take long for Koel to spot the spider creeping up the stairs. In fact, the moment he did notice, he screamed like a little girl and pointed frantically at the window as if that was enough advice.
Alto looks at me with eyes that seem so unnaturally calm.
"Alto, I have an idea," I say calmly, getting Koel to crawl across the floor and get my backpack. He does so, bringing it back to me and Alto, all three of us hidden against the wall underneath the window. "Could I have one of your arrows, please?"
His eyebrows knit from the confusion, but I just smile.
"It's a really good idea I promise you."
"I've never doubted you before," Alto mumbles as he snakes an arrow from the satchel. "Lets just hope it'll kill the spider."
I smile as I spill the wires out from my bag. Koel instantly recognises the blue one, the conductor, and excitedly points at it. I scoop it up, studying the little object and picking more and more wires from within the bag. Finally, after much consideration, I connect the wires together by their little adapters and connecting units. Koel leans forward a little, and from the corner of my eye, I can see Alto just studying my every move. I can't help but smile at the two of them suddenly gaining interest in my weapon.
"Koel, do you think you could provide a distraction?"
He frowns and slowly nods his head. "W-What are you going to make me do?"
"Nothing that's going to get you in danger, don't worry," I wrap the small part of the collection of wires around Alto's arrow, right at the bottom, and hand it back to him. "I just want you to go out there and cause a lot of noise to attract the spider. Get it to come after you."
His face contorts into horror, but I delicately place my hand on his shoulder.
"Nothing will come of you, I promise you that much," I try to reassure. "It's just a little theory I want to test, and well, I know it will work. You're the only one that can do it, Koel."
After a moment of thinking, Koel sucks in some air through gritted teeth and stands, broadening his shoulders. I murmur a thank you to him as he opens the door carefully, slipping away silently. I look to Alto, not wanting to waste any time.
"Okay, come and wait a moment," I wiggle my finger at him. "I want to tell you the idea."
I mumble the idea into his ear, and with each word, I get a sigh and grumble in response. Slowly, I pull away, rising to my feet. I peek out the window to see Koel standing idly, watching the creature move around sullen and sluggish. When I see the beady eyes from afar, I'm not surprised. The pieces fall into place. These spiders, whilst large and deadly, have a little vulnerability of sorts that a tribute could exploit.
They're colour blind.
My fingers tug into my thin little belt. Yep. That's why we're wearing these. For once, they gave us an advantage. Spiders who can kill, but rely on sound and seeing our colourful little belts on show. Koel's lime green should be doing wonders to the dozens of eyes.
The spider notices Koel, and from behind, you can see him stiffen at the sight. It races around the corner far too quickly, stomping and making a complete disaster of everything. Koel spins and I nod, and Koel begins running down the walkway away from the creature.
"Get ready."
It passes us, and I whip the door open, holding one end of the wire, the other connected to Alto's arrow. I see Koel's body still sprinting, hidden mostly by the leather skin of the monster. Alto lines up his arrow, and with a ping, the arrow flies into the distance, piercing through the creature's abdomen. I throw myself across the gap towards the electrified barrier, placing the raw wires against it. The electricity comes to live, sparking and shaking as it runs through the wires. It absorbs straight into the spider, and with a gurgled cry, it's body racks with bolt after bolt, until it dies. As it falls, Koel stands behind it, shocked.
"Well done Koel!" I shout over the black smoke coming from the animal.
Koel just grins. "You just electrocuted him!"
Alto looks at me, smiling faintly. "Looks like we've found our way to kill the others."
Theo Cassius, District Two Male.
The first spider throws itself at us, but no surprise, Garnet is quick to thrust his sword in a straight line, catching the spider straight between the mouth with a sickening squelch. He smirks triumphantly at the kill, watching the spider crumple to nothing more than a brown heap.
"Well done," Astor mocks him from a behind, a pick-axe now in her hands. "You were able to kill a creature."
Garnet glares for a moment before his eyes soften, as if he's just realised what he was doing. "Such wit, Astor. How about you get the next one."
On cue, another spider the same size climbs up the stairs nearest us, black beady eyes watching us with hunger and lust. You can see the lump in Astor's throat bob up and down as she gulps, steadying herself as the creature jumps.
It flies through the air for a moment, before Astor spins and sends a swing at the spider, slashing the side of it's face. Black, thick blood leaks from the wound, but it doesn't seem fazed. I look to Garnet who proudly stands there with arms crossed over his chest, flexing his muscles just a tad. He gives me a knowing wink, as if he finds this entertaining. I turn back in time to see Astor deliver a kick, followed by another slash with her pick-axe.
It takes her a while to kill it, and the whole time, I just watch.
I watch.
Like I watched the boy from Seven almost kill Lorelei until I reacted.
Like I watched Garnet murder the boy from Five.
Like I watched the little boy from Eleven shoot an arrow into Delaney's throat.
Like I watched the life and colour drain from her eyes, the whole time wondering how I couldn't do nothing to save or stop her.
I shake my head to rid the thoughts as Astor moves over, pick-axe stained black and a proud, sarcastic smile playing on her lips delicately. She throws a wink at Garnet as she stands near me.
"Oh look, I'm just as good as the monster known as Garnet." Astor smirks.
Garnet lets out a little laugh. "As the monster known as Garnet. Funny, that's a new one you've used. You say monster, I say extraordinaire."
"You say extraordinaire, I say a complete egotistical idiot."
It's almost like a battle between the two. A constant throwdown of words and wit. Yet, every time I actually look at Garnet as he retorts to Astor, I can hesitance. I know for a fact that he isn't as mean to her as he could be. He holds it back, like a fire tickling paper but never fully engulfing it. Part of me wants to believe he likes her, but the real part believes that he could possibly be playing a cat and mouse game with her. Luring Astor into a sense of security to rip it away.
As they throw some more words, I can't help but compare it to me and Delaney. We were just the same. I know Astor and Garnet didn't know each other before the Games, Astor made that very clear, but in here and out there, me and Delaney were like them.
A pang of guilt hits my heart, dropping into my stomach.
I can still feel her blood on my hands, her cold, ragged breath whispering to me, telling me to win for her.
"You okay Theo?"
I snap out of my daze to find Garnet staring at me. "I'm fine."
"Yeah, I'm sure you are," Garnet frowns a little, and it surprises me, because he treats me like a friend when I've never treated him any differently to the other Careers. "Is it Astor? I can see why it could be. She annoys me too."
Astor makes a disgruntled sound as she kicks a leg of a dead spider away from her, leaving a trail of black on the white floor.
"It's not her," I reply as short as possible, hoping he just leaves it at that. "I'm just... In my head a lot."
Garnet shrugs the assumption away, looking around at the minor chaos both he and Astor caused. "Now what do we do?"
I look at Garnet, letting my eyes graze over Astor in the background, still inspecting the creature that Garnet killed. I know what to do. I know what I want to do, what I have to do, but it doesn't make it easier. I'm not attached to either of them. I never was. I felt a small amount of pity for Waverly, respect for Lorelei, Garnet and Astor, and friendship and warmth for Delaney. But I'm not attached. I could make it without either of them.
"I think we should split now." I state simply.
Astor snaps up quickly, a look of confusion but excitement in her eyes. Garnet, on the other hand, doesn't look so pleased.
"You want to just destroy the alliance now?"
I shrug. "There's not much left. Not even ten tributes left and two Careers are dead and one has walked out because she's devious. We'll probably cover more ground if we separate, anyway."
A little light flicks in Garnet's eyes. "So we just go out and kill and then meet at the end?"
I don't have anything to say to that. A smile forms on my lips as I hold the morningstar in my hand more tighter. I think he gets the point, since his mouth makes an 'o' and he looks at Astor, giving her a curt nod as he begins to walk to an escalator heading upwards. I think a part of him feels wounded from the idea of being on his own. There I was thinking Garnet was some monster, capable of bloodlust, but I genuinely think he needed us with him, sort of like mocking encouragement.
Astor just stays put, and I take that as my cue to leave. I know where to go.
And who to find.
Gavan Dior, District Six Male.
"Incy wincy spider, climbed up the water spout."
I try to block out Mirana's haunting singing, but it's too hard. I can still hear it above all else, loud and clear, whilst my eyes just stare at Cameron's uncertain ones. For once, I can look at Cameron and say that yes, she looks scared, a side I've never seen from her.
"Down came the rain and washed the spider out."
"Gavan, put your hand over her mouth!" Cameron hisses.
I look to the left and the right, any excuse not to do what she says. Putting my hand over Mirana's mouth would mean that spit and germs would get onto it. Even the mere thought of it sends a shiver down my spine. No-one understands my OCD, the fear of getting dirty and the germs.
"Out came the sunshine and dried up all the rain." Mirana sings loudly, getting quiet at the end of the line.
Something in her song clicks in my brain, but I don't know what. Her words rattle around my brain, before I see a large shadow cross over the glass, and instantly, the words are replaced by the sound of my own heartbeat battling around my skull. I sink lower and lower down to the floor, desperate to not be seen. I doubt it could anyway. Cameron's urgent eyes never leave mine, though, and Mirana continues to rock back and forth, staring into nothingness.
"And incy wincy spider climbed up the spout again."
A large crashing sound rings out, glass shattering and spraying down on us. Mirana lets out a giggle and excited cheer as the leg of the spider swipes angrily through the hole in the window. Every slash, Mirana laughs and cheers it on, whilst Cameron presses herself up against the door and wall, bracing herself.
I try to make it across the floor by crawling, but little pieces of glass cut into my hand, sparking it red. I watch as it dribbles down, still determined to make it to Mirana.
But as I get close, another leg swipes into the room, this time, though, Cameron manages to get to her feet and using Jack's hatchet, she slams it down on a leathery leg, which falls into the room. A squelch and screech rings out, but Cameron's quick to throw the door open, tugging Mirana with one wrist whilst I grab the other, practically dragging her along as she continues to chant and cheer.
We run down the walkway, the spider chasing us. Something soon snatches onto my legs and I trip, finding myself tangled. Mirana and Cameron go down with me, though Mirana just laughs it away lightheartedly. White, sticky web clings my feet together and the spider storms downwards, piercing a leg down. We manage to avoid it, barely, and Cameron rolls herself over, slicing air with the hatchet.
She's been caught too.
I look to Mirana's feet, noticing web also around them.
The spider steathily dodges each swipe of Cameron's new-found hatchet, Mirana's giggling filling the air. But this time when he stabs towards the ground, it pierces through Mirana's lower leg. Her giggling turns into a banshee scream, wailing hard and loud. It somehow urges Cameron to break out of her web, standing up and cutting through the leg pierced into Mirana's.
Another squelch, just as I break out of mine and get up, grabbing Mirana by her arm as tears fill her eyes and stream her face.
I begin to hobble away from Mirana crying. I feel guilty for her. She lost Jack, had his blood smeared on her face, then attacked and injured by a stupid spider. Cameron, surprisingly, throws her hatchet much like a throwing knife. It lands straight in the mouth of the broken, disabled creature that just collapses over.
"Wow." I manage to breath out, though she probably can't hear me over Mirana's crying.
Cameron looks at me with slightly wild, terrified eyes.
"Lay her down."
I do as she commands, resting Mirana down onto the tiled flooring, making sure the hole in her leg doesn't begin to expand or anything. Cameron retches her hatchet from the spider, walking over to us.
"What are we going to do, Cam?" I ask pitifully, trying my hardest to block out Mirana's crying, much like her singing.
Cameron's hollow eyes just stare at Mirana's writhing, crying body that laughs every other second she's not in pain. She's gone. Even if she lived, she would have been too traumatized by the events. I look to Cameron, but she already knows. She gives a little curt nod, swallowing down her hesitation and stepping forward, bringing the hatchet down as hard and fast as possible onto Mirana's chest.
A cannon sounds immediately.
But when Cameron looks at me, I don't see a subtle, sarcastic warmth anymore. I see hardened, dark eyes that seem troubled and overwhelmed. She stares at Mirana for a split second, before walking off. Mirana's body lingers in the corner of my eye, before it becomes too much, and I end up chasing after Cam.
Astor Sheen, District One Female.
The moment I know that both Theo and Garnet are gone, I sit down, relishing in the thought of being alone. I've always hated being referred to as a "Career". A Career is for someone whose been trained and worked hard most of their life specifically for this point. I haven't. I'm not trained. I'm thrown into their category because of the district I come from.
Talk about stereotyping me.
I'm not as strong or trained as the others, but I'm just as tough. A life of rough and tumble, play fighting and living on the rough streets of Blackdamp, you learn a thing or two about survival and how to do it. I might not be exceptionally pretty or be able to swing a sword with grace, but I won't give up. My fighting spirit is as strong as it could ever be, and I will win. I will overcome all the others, because I've lived like that.
Not trained like that. But born and bred into that.
They pushed themselves into it, whereas it came naturally to me.
Although, a part of me will miss Garnet's stupidity and Theo's silent and sullen exterior.
You grow close to people you dislike when you spend enough time with them.
My eyes gaze around the sight before me, splattered blood littering the white washed tiled flooring. Black against white. A contrast. I almost laugh at myself for making that sudden comparison in my head. Gloss would be proud. Marvel would be disappointed and mocking.
The thought of both of them bring on two different types of guilt and longing. Marvel, because he's my brother, my blood, and we might be different, but there isn't anything I wouldn't do for him. In a twisted sense, I'm here for him. Gloss, because he's an arrogant ass, but he brought me a sense of belonging that could rival my life back in Blackdamp. When I volunteered, it was almost like a giant sense of loss.
Then I met Gloss, and it was renewed, because he was just like my brother but older.
A little bit more better looking, too.
But every time I try to focus on Gloss' face to remind me that if he done it, so could I, it's replaced and morphed into Marvel. The idiot, self-righteous brother of mine that was more disappointed and disgusted in being a simple pauper kid from Blackdamp. No. He wanted to be better, thought he could be better, hanging with the popular kids from the richer side, particularly that girl, Glimmer, who he often talked about.
Said that he could get her if he wanted too.
But deep down, he must have known that no matter how he acted, his label, his home, would have determined his future. Glimmer, a rich child, would never date a poor boy like Marvel.
Reality just doesn't play like that.
I get up, letting the pick-axe fall to my side. I could hunt. I should hunt, actually. Twelve tributes left, halfway, and already a Career has fallen. Good thing I never actually liked Delaney anyway. She was far too obnoxious for my own liking, and that's saying something, since I'm obnoxious myself. My feet echo against the ground as I begin to walk, eyes never leaving the sight of the fallen spiders. What was the point in them?
Did they actually kill anyone? Harm them?
Or just a pointless, exciting act to pick up the speed a little. I have no idea. I kind of don't really care, either, because it might take a Mutt to actually kill Garnet, since he believes he's invincible. In fact, I kind of want to be the one to kill him, just so I can smirk in his face. Another thing that Marvel would disapprove of. Me finding the fun in killing someone who technically deserves it.
Well, he doesn't deserve it, but he's definitely asking for it.
I creep closer to the barrier, peeking over and down to the Cornucopia. The snow has melted away, the rain has stopped, and you can practically feel the sweltering heat laying on your skin. Instead, the sky up above suddenly goes from a bright orange with a sun, to a skin pink and then a dark, azure blue with black clouds. The anthem tune rings out, echoing against the hollow, concrete arena. The first picture to pop up is Delaney, obviously, whilst following her is the girl from Eight with her bright red hair. Next up is the girl from Eleven and then the girl from Twelve.
All the girls are just falling.
That just makes my chances rise and fall at the same time.
Chord Wickers, District Ten Male.
I stop to rest by a small shop on the corner of a floor. I watched the spiders run through, but they weren't bothered with me. I easily just hid and waited for them to disappear. Even if they were to attack, I could have just roped and wrangled them like I did the cattle back in Ten.
My top sticks uncomfortably to my chest, and I pry it off with two fingers.
It's slowly getting warmer. It was never this warm when the Games began, neither when it began to snow and then constantly rained down on us. Yet, it's humid and becoming increasingly hard to handle. I stealthily slip the water bottle from my bag, taking a swig.
If it gets any hotter, we'll all die of dehydration. Then again, with the shops full of them, a bounty of food and water, no-one should die of starvation or dehydration. Even if they couldn't drink from a water bottle, there's the puddles from the rain and melting snow down below. I don't even know why I'm thinking of the other tributes. But that little part of me that's human, warm and kind, still thinks of others. Particularly the other little children that remind me of Sami.
The harmonica tightens in my hand, the thought of her death still lingering in the back of my mind.
I tried to save her and I couldn't.
And to make up for it, I managed to spare the girl from Twelve the horrifying death at the hands of the Careers. Only to see her face wavering in the false night.
I pause for a moment, prying my top from my chest one more time. Beads of sweat roll down my forehead, but I wipe them away roughly.
"Hey."
I freeze, my muscles tensing up with friction. I recognise the voice coming from behind me, but it's not my time just yet. My fingers twitch for the lasso trapped in my thin belt. I spin around, releasing the weapon and preparing to hit someone.
Instead, I'm met with the confused face of Two, a smirk playing on his lips.
"That isn't exactly going to save you."
The morningstar, his precious weapon that I remember teasing him about in training, hangs down by his side, not ready to be swung. That confuses me. Another thing that confuses me is the gentleness in his eyes for some strange, apparent reason.
"Shouldn't you have that up and ready? It isn't exactly going to save you."
The smirk plays out fully, making his whole face light up just a little bit. He was never as nasty as some of the other Careers, and I always promised myself that I would never attack him since I knew he wouldn't hurt Sami. Yet, at some point, I might have too.
"What do you want, Two?" I say, trying to make my voice sound rough and hardened.
Two shrugs his broad shoulders. "You can use my name, you know. Two sounds annoying when you repeat it. I'm Theo."
"Chord."
"Well, Chord," Theo smiles faintly, motioning his hand out. "How about allies?"
I look at the hand extended towards me, before my eyes flick up to his. He never looked terrifying. For a Career, especially from Two, he wasn't as menacing and murderous as his other allies. Slowly, I extend my free hand, grasping his and giving it a simple shake. Just once.
"Allies."
Any Other World by Mika.
The blog for this story is - glasshousehungergames . blogspot. com - just take out the spaces. Deaths will be notified there.
Mirana Capulet, District Eight.
Sorry to the submitters that lost their tribute. In all honest, these were the tributes I struggled to write and connect too, and in all fairness, I couldn't keep them around and constantly struggle throughout. Please stick around, but if you don't, that's fine. These are the Hunger Games and this is how it works.
Again, I'm sorry.
Since there is no points system now, a question might be asked sometimes that I would love for you to answer.
Who do you not want to make the converted top ten spots?
All deaths will be based on realism, favoritism, and whether or not the submitter is reading the story (obviously, reviews let me know this). Each decision is painstakingly hard, but must be done. Another factor will be whether or not I see a future for your tribute, or whether I can write more and more for them.
Hearts, ohmygosh, I did love Mirana to the moon and back, and then to the sun and back.