Update # 2!!! I'm in a good mood!!! For those of you who don't know, there is a boat that you row called a single (I'm in crew), which is the boat that my coach put me in as a Freshman!!! I'm not even that big (5'4 and not even breaking 100lbs.), and I suck at it (as in I'm really slow- my technique is good), but I feel happy being able to row it. I will get smothered at competition^^
Anyhow!!! This is built off of two suggestions (dedicated to such)--
xXKillerxxCupcakeXx who said an island with coconuts and... well, I won't spoil it ^^
and WritingIsLife8 who said a brother and sister as the final two.
Disclaimer: I wish that I owned the Hunger Games... maybe I could make money off of this than...
Damian Zap (Age 18) male – District 4
"Hello, Damian." I freeze in my footsteps. I knew the voice that spoke behind me, the very voice that I had dreaded ever since I entered the arena. The sweet sound had once been a beacon of happiness, but now it brought only pain and sorrow into my mind. I take a deep breath and turn around. Behind me is my sweet, little, thirteen-year-old sister dressed in a tattered shirt and jeans. By her side is a sword, one that is much too big for her small little body. Volunteering for the Hunger Games should be an honor. This has made it into a curse.
"And the male tribute is…" I smile as the air-headed escort Miles Donner picks the first tribute of District 4 for the 57thHunger Games, "Jarok Yarkley!" I sit in patience as the boy is brought up to stage and introduced, a trembling young boy, I am surprised that he can keep his voice steady. Then my adrenaline starts pumping. "Do we have any Volunteers for young Mister Jarok?"
I shoot up to the stage as fast as lightning. "I, Damian Zap, volunteer to take the place of Jarok Yarkley as the male tribute of District 4 for the 57thannual Hunger Games!" The words flow perfectly off of my tongue, as they had been rehearsed multiple times before. The relieved Jarok moves back to the twelve-year-old section as my district erupts in cheers, and I take my place proudly on the stage.
Miles moves over to the female orb, and I know whoever'sname is called is stuck with the position, none of the female Careers were volunteering this year. I stand there and look pretty: Unworried about whomever's name would be selected.
Then my world shatters. "AzealaZap!" My neck turns sharply and I look at Miles wide-eyed. Surely he made a mistake, he didn't call that name. But, I look to the stairs, and I see my teary-eyed little sister walk up to the stage. My legs collapse underneath me and I do the most un-Career, unmanly thing ever. I faint. My whole world collapses around me as I hear the wail from my little sister.
"Hello, Azeala. How are you doing?" I can tell by her expression that she is close to tears. Why wouldn't she be? She made it to the final two, but the last opponent was her brother, the eighteen-year-old Career prodigy. I don't know why my fragile sister hasn't broken down yet.
"I'm fine." She speaks in barely a whisper now. "What are we supposed to do, Damian? Fight? I don't know…" I look to the ground. I see a coconut lying there, and I kick it in frustration. I wasn't found of the idea of killing my sister. She always looks up to me to find out everything which is new to her.
I look up sharply. I know that I can kill her within seconds. But I need to give her a fair chance. "You have to catch me to kill me." I take off running towards the ocean. I can tell Azeala is in close pursuit, as I thought she would be. Palm trees brush by me, and I barely manage to avoid tripping over several coconuts. But this is too familiar to my home, everything here seems so natural. Within seconds I'm on the rocky edge of the sea and diving in, and through that, swimming for my life. I hear a splash behind me, and I know that she is still following me. So far, so good.
Azeala Zap (Age 13) female – District 4
I remember back in District 4 my brother and I would play a game. It was a race, whoever could swim the furthest into the ocean without being caught would win. If the Peacekeepers patrolling the water spotted us, game over, but the other would always come to whoever'srescue so he didn't get in to much trouble. I figured that was what we were playing now. So I followed my brother, I kept my sword with me though, unlike him. I don't know who would be the Peacekeepers this time. The water was dark and stormy: You couldn't see to the bottom. Though, I kept swimming, trying to follow the path of my brother, as I had done for most of my life.
"Is is scary, Damian?" I ask: My eyes wide with curiosity.
"No. They won't expect you to be amazing your first day, so they won't push you that hard. They will just try you out on a lot of weapons. When you get to my age, then they push you harder." My brother offered a smile of reassurance. We were walking to the training building, where all the Careers prepared for the Hunger Games.
"Are you going to volunteer this year?" My voice much softer than before.
"No, not at twelve. They say I should be ready at eighteen." My nose scrunches at the idea of my older brother being in an arena. It seemed miserable to live a month without the presence of him.
"What about me?" I see his smile fall for a second, but then he pulls it back up.
"You are small. You might not have to volunteer at all." There seems to be hope in his voice as he says this.
"Is that a good thing?"
"It can be."
I lose my concentration as I remember this, but then I regain awareness. That was one thing that I was good at: Keeping aware of my surroundings. And everything looked normal to me. Then I saw the shadow.
I stopped swimming and started to tread water. I scan the surface, but all I see are choppy waves, I can't spot Damian. Then, I see spikes emerge on the top of the water, and realize that they belong to a spin. Each one was probably five feet high, taller than myself. Before a second had passed they disappeared. I started to swim, thinking the danger had passed. Then, a head the size of car emerged. It was golden, with exposed, jagged teeth worse than daggers, ready to kill. My eyes go wide with shock and disbelief. The head strikes at where I am in the water. I do what I have done for almost my whole life. Beg my brother to help me. "DAMIAN!! HELP ME!!!" I scream at the top of my lungs.
Before I heard a response or even a cry of agony or remorse from my brother, I am consumed by the giant sea serpent. A sharp tooth brings itself down on my arm and I feel the shattering pain of a broken bone, but before my agony allows me to show it another tooth brings itself crushing through my skull. I was caught, and my brother wasn't even here to take the blame with me.
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Most people think that I didn't kill my sister, the sea serpent did. Sometimes I wish that I could have believed them. I knew that the serpent was there, I lead her to it. And I could have gone to save her when she screamed. But I didn't. I stayed there. True, there was the chance that I would have been consumed instead, but it was a risk that I would have taken at the moment. I needed victory then, no matter what the cost, it was what I had trained for. I let myself suffer on the inside. I did that to avoid ridicule from the inhabitants of my District, who knows what their reaction would be otherwise. It worked. But guilt still consumed me. I killed my little sister. And only I knew of my agony.
I lean against the wall in the lightless, windowless room and bang my head against it. Why? Why?! WHY?! My mind screams to me. Why did she have to die? How could everything be so cruel? Tears stream down my face. Azeala… Azeala, my baby sister. Why couldn't I have been withyou one more day? Why couldn't I talk withyou one last time? Why couldn't I hear you laugh for one more reason? The guilt consumes me like the serpent consumed her. I can't tell anyone. And there is no one to sympathize with. I wipe the tears from my cheek.
I thought if a waited a year, maybe two, things would get better. But they haven't. My knees let me sink to the hard, concrete floor, next to an object. I open the case, the only object in the whole room. In it is a syringe, which holds a silvery substance. I take it in a shaking hand and lift it to a vein that is showing on my emaciated arm. It is the price of being Victor, the horror and guilt of what you did. Some don't let that show, for some there isn't even an effect. I wasn't that lucky.
I press the liquid into my arm, watching as every molecule is deposited inside my body. My arm starts twitching, first in numbness, then in burning pain. It soon spreads to my entire body. The numbness, and then the pain, I'm on the ground twitching. In no way can it compare to what I have suffered in the last three years, but it is still monumental. I know that the suffering is worth it though. Azeala, I'm so sorry… I'll be there soon.
Bet you weren't expecting that, were you? Two deaths in one? Yeah. Hehe, I hope you enjoyed. Please review:D If I have any errors, please point them out, I don't like looking like a gramatical idiot (which I kinda am). Feel free to give suggestions:D I'll try to update soon. Thanks for reviewing :D ^^ :)
