The Red Rose
Dear Diary,
This will be my final entry before I'm taken into the arena. My mentor, Astrik, has sworn on his life that he will get this diary back to the district. I fear I won't make it back. No, I must make it back, even if there is no one to welcome me with open arms. As the last of my people, I must live on. It is time to show my true strength and let the spirits guide me now. I take back what I said about Thales earlier. He's not like the other kids from District Five. The ones who have never needed to sign up for tesserae. Live in houses and never go without. He has a kind heart unlike me. I've lied to him and only wanted to use him in the games. Making an alliance with someone you must eventually kill? He is way too naive. I figured our mentor Rose would understand. She only won five years ago. I was ten at the time and remember watching the games outside the town hall building. It was the best time to pass out flyers for Mrs. Venda's Jewelry store. My family had already died in the accident and it was the only way for me to make any money. Everyone was cheering on the girl from Five who managed to survive the cornucopia and made it down to the final five tributes by making alliances.
She found her final ally in a girl from District One. I can barely remember the conversation between the two, but both girls agreed to go up against the other three tributes. All three of them careers. Normally, the careers who made it to the end would fight it out in a free for all battle. Knowing this, the girl from One devised a plan. When the girl from One arrived at the careers camp with Rose they all clapped in applause, waiting for the girl to make the kill and start the final killing ceremonies. None of them considered Rose a threat and only the audience knew that Rose had only survived by stabbing her allies in the back. The girl from One lifted her crossbow and aimed it at Rose's head. It was the only time I had seen such a weapon in the arena, and might have been the most expensive gift from a sponsor ever. Instead of shooting Rose though she hits the boy from Two right between the eyes. Before she could load another bolt into her weapon, the boy from One and the girl from Two start to charge at her. That's when Rose reveals the knives she has been hiding behind her back as she stabs the boy from One in the chest, the girl from Two jumps on the girl from One an starts viciously punching her in the face. The boy from One is chasing Rose with the knife still in his chest. He launches himself on top of her and hold her arms down. He rips off her clothes and starts to grope her naked body. He grabs the knife out of his chest and thrust it into hers. She lets out a scream but he covers her mouth. As he leans in to give her a kiss on the neck she bites his fingers causing him ease the pressure off her arm. With her other knife still in hand she stab him in the neck and rips out his throat. As he bleeds all over her, she forces herself up. Rose is in critical condition, and can barely crawl but she notices the bag the girl from One was carrying. The girl from One is under the girl from Two with blood streaming from her face. The girl from Two is tired and can barely swing her arms anymore as her hair is being pulled with all the girl from Ones' remaining strength. Then the girl from One pulls the knife from inside her shorts pocket and stabs the girl in the eye. Then continues to stab her repeatedly.
"Whats your name?" I remember Rose asking, right before she loads the crossbow with a bolt from the girls bag. "Marissa", the girl said. I remember because it was so silent outside the town hall that the audio was crystal clear. "Goodbye Marissa!" Rose said as she shot the girl dead. The Red Rose. She got her name when by the end of her games she was covered from head to toe in blood. Someone who I used to look up to now refuses to even train me. I guess she chooses Thales. I just hope I don't have to be the one to kill him.
-Addis Madina
JUN 15 MMDXII