The Fifth Day

Olympia Rush (17) D2F

The feast. It was here.

There was no running now. I had to face my former allies. I had to kill them. Being so close to home… no, I couldn't just give up. There was a lot at stake. My honour, my District's honour, all the people back home who wouldn't be able to realise their dreams just because they are from poor or middle class families.

I gritted my teeth. This was not going to be easy. I had to kill people who I considered my friends, even if we knew each other only for some time. It still counted. It was not going to be easy.

The sun had just risen but I was already at the cornucopia. Last night, I had been given new helmets and suits so that I could enter the garden. However, now was not the time. There were invisible walls around the garden, and I could just make them out in the sunlight at certain angles. There was nothing other than to wait.

My weapon was all I had. I had no other supplies, I didn't think many people would. From behind the tree I was hiding I didn't think anyone else was there.

But being a Career I knew better. Galilee and Amaranth would surely be hiding. Amaranth… I didn't want to meet him. Meeting him would mean hurting him. I didn't want to do that. He was too sweet for that.

In the cornucopia I saw the bags labelled with our district numbers. I saw the array of water bottles they had laid out to tease the tributes. My own parched throat seemed to be getting even drier just at the sight of water. I needed that. I needed that so much…

But for now there was nothing for me to do except for waiting.

Mateo Dorsani (15) D9M

My feet were aching from waiting, my heart was beating too fast. But I was hungry. Very hungry. It was strange how things like hunger and thirst could reduce a person to so less, but it did. I wanted the feast to start soon.

No, I wasn't keen on killing or being killed but I was keen on filling my empty stomach. I already felt too weak…

The gong rang.

So suddenly? Who would have thought? I waited for someone to appear, anyone to come forward. And just when I thought that people had either decided not to attend or they were in hiding, a small figure raced into the cornucopia, grabbed her bag and a bottle and ran out swiftly, before anyone could do anything.

As soon as Alessandra was gone, chaos broke out.

All of us ran to the table at once, some driven by hunger, some by thirst and some simply by bloodlust, but everyone was present there.

I didn't care.

Snatching my bag from the table I leapt over it with a bottle in my hand when I felt her sword almost slice my neck. I jumped aside and landed on my right elbow, twisting it at an impossible angle.

Olympia was towering over me and she brought her sword down and I rolled over. I kicked at her feet and she jumped, avoiding the kick and then struck at my head. I ducked then head-butted her in the tummy, taking her aback.

Her sword cut me in the thigh though and I howled in pain. It hurt so much! She was on her feet in an instant and she was muttering apologies but then she took the sword and swung it and I threw myself in the other direction. Maybe she had anticipated my move, because the sword just appeared out of nowhere and went right through my side.

"AAAHHHHH!" I cried out in pain, tears dripping from my eyes in torrents. I couldn't die! Not in the final six! Not after all I did! I couldn't die when I was so close! I couldn't-

Galilee Schwartz (18) D1F

I saw Olympia standing over Mateo's corpse, her hands shaking as she held the sword and stared transfixed at the dead body. I wanted to cry right now. This was not right! None of it! But…

"Handle the others," Amaranth said and then he had drawn his spear and was darting towards his District Partner.

"Olympia," he said softly.

The girl looked at him in a somewhat gentle manner.

"Amaranth…"

"I don't want to do this."

"I know. Me neither."

They looked at each other for a second maybe, and then Olympia struck. Ama was ready and he dived over her head and then struck. The two fought hard with grace, and it was like watching a dance. It was terrific yet beautiful. But then my eyes went back to Mateo's corpse… it was bloody. So the suits had been torn. But then why were the radiations not working? He should have disintegrated by now…

The knife almost took my eyes out but I ducked just in time. I saw Sevarian standing in the distance and I could clearly imagine him smirking. I took the knife he had thrown at me and then hurled it at his waist. Just as he moved aside I ran at him and tackled him to the ground.

He was stronger than I had thought.

He was soon on top of me and was trying to strangle me. I tried to push him off, and just then I caught Amaranth run his spear into Olympia. The next moment her head was resting in his lap and he was singing for her. A lullaby… for her peaceful departure. Olympia squeezed his hand.

Maybe Ama's song distracted Sevarian too, and I seized my moment to throw him off, just as Olympia's cannon rung.

Final four.

Sevarian Vaask (16) D5M

Galilee's gaze was fixated on Olympia and I smirked. This would be so easy.

I tackled her to the ground again and tried to take off her helmet. She fought off strongly and made things very difficult but I wasn't going to lose in the final four. I could not.

She pushed me back and I kicked her and then her ally punched me in the stomach, sending me flying away. I threw my knife at him and he dodged the attack.

"Aahh!" Galilee cried.

I laughed. The knife was stuck in her abdomen. If only I could dig it in deeper…

No!

She just pulled it out and threw it at Amaranthine, who caught it and stared at me.

"I can't let you live, Sev."

"Same."

And I knew that this was the perfect chance to flee. Two Carers could easily kill me, it would be no problem at all.

So I ran.

They came after me with the speed of a horse. I was doomed, there was just nothing I could do…

No, I could do something.

I ran towards the cornucopia instead. This was my only chance of staying alive now. I had to ring the bell.

I didn't want to. My family, colleagues, everyone would die. But I would live if I did it. And that's all that mattered. I had to live.

On the way, I yanked Olympia's sword to fend them off if the need arose. I was almost at the bell. Almost, when I felt a knife hit my helmet.

Galilee was ahead, Amaranth was behind. She was about to strike again and in my desperation I just threw the sword at her.

It went right through her stomach.

She took a deep gasp. And stared at the sword sticking from her abdomen. She didn't cry, she didn't wail. She did nothing, just fell on her knees. I heard Amaranthine's cry, I saw his fast movements, and I knew I had to escape.

The cannon rung and the spear hit me in the back.

Everything else was a blur. The bell was so close… but Amaranthine had turned into a monster. He pulled out the spear only to stab me again, yelling like a madman.

All I knew that I was dying. And honestly, it was so surprising that I didn't even notice the pain. How could I die?

Boom.

Amaranthine "Amaranth" Carteret (16) D2M

The final two was here and Galilee had failed to keep her promise. Failed so terribly...

I was far away from the Garden now, unable to stay there for a moment after I killed Sevarian. I had killed Olympia too… how could I? She was a friend… And maybe something more. How would I ever forget her, what she meant to me? And what I felt for her...?

And I killed her. Murdered her brutally.

There was no way I could stop the tears. I wailed and cried, yelling at the top of my voice. For the first time I felt that it was a wrong decision to volunteer. This bloodshed, I couldn't handle it. not anymore.

"WHY?!" I yelled out in anger and sadness. Killed my friend, saw another friend die. It wasn't fair. I was such a fool…

And the other finalist, the other finalist was a thirteen-year-old girl. A girl who was mad at me. But I had to win, for Olympia who always put her district's honour ahead of everything.

I already dreaded that I would have to kill Aly.

Alessandra "Aly" Farro (13) D9F

Four people dead! Four cannons went boom boom! I was certain that one of them was Mateo's and that was very sad and all, but there had to be at least two dead Careers! That was a reason to rejoice!

I gulped the water in one go. My bag was full of bottles too. I didn't have to go thirsty any more. Tonight that one other tribute would be dead. There was no denying it. Oh how fun it would be to slice their neck! I laughed. Yes! Yes! YES! I was so close to home. So very close…

"I'm coming home for certain," I cried, "Watch out everybody! I am coming home and there is NOBODY who can stop me!"

And I meant it. Nobody could stop me. Nobody was strong enough.

Except the other finalist, but I'd take care of them.

The feast is here! I know this is incredibly short but yeah… I hope you all enjoyed! What do you think of the finalists?

Eulogies:

6th: Mateo Dorsani- Mateo was unique and fun to write. He wasn't the best person around, and I always like those type. He was not evil either but I did like his approach a lot and that's what most people usually are like, maybe. Rest in peace.

5th: Olympia Rush- Olympia was just amazing. She was the perfect Career and a perfect tribute. Maybe that's why I could never really think of her as my victor. I wanted someone with a truck-load of flaws and Olympia was a pretty classic Career. But I loved her, because if I didn't she wouldn't have made this far. Rest in peace.

4th: Galilee Schwartz- She was going to be my victor. Really, she was. but something happened, and I felt that I just didn't develop her well enough and didn't write her well and the placing completely changed. The victor was supposed to place fourth actually. I loved Galilee and I can say that she was truly an amazing character and very deep. She will be missed.

3rd: Sevarian Vaask- Sevarian was my ultimate villain. He was so ruthless, kind of sadistic that I loved him. Writing him was slightly hard but I enjoyed it so much that I couldn't really complain. I hope I didn't mess him up. Rest in peace, you will be missed.

Who do you think will win? Did you expect any of the finalists to be in the final two?

Have a lovely day!