The Fifth Night

Alessandra "Aly" Farro (13) D9F

The whole day had passed and yet there was no sign of the other remaining tribute. I had been searching for them since the Feast but to no avail. It didn't matter. If I didn't find them tonight, then surely the gamemakers would guide me to them. I just had to be ready for when it would happen.

Currently, I was making my way back to the cornucopia. That would be the best place to wait. Maybe, just maybe the other tribute would also show up there. That would be fun.

I settled down by a tree, panting. There was not an ounce of strength left in my legs and I groaned in pain. A little rest before the final showdown wouldn't be too bad.

I dug into the feast bag for a water bottle and pulled it out. At least there was no problem of being thirsty. However, a fight could commence anytime soon and it would be better to not drink too much.

Will you be able to kill?

"It's not a question of whether I will be able to do it or not," I chided myself, "It has to be done. I have to win. Do you really think I will fall when I am in the final two?"

Your foe is in the final two as well.

"Exactly," I replied in annoyance, "And that makes it even more important that I kill."

How can you be so heartless?

I went silent at that. What could I say to it? I myself had no idea why I was screaming blood. But that was what I wanted. Win, so that my friends would be avenged. Win, so that my family would not have to feel the loss. Win, so that I could live. And win, to show those *** gamemakers their place. There was just no other alternative.

Maybe I had rested too long.

Putting the helmet back on, I started towards the cornucopia. Or where I thought it would be for I had absolutely no idea but as my gut instinct told me to go this way, I did. gut instincts were usually right.

The white stones that formed the boundary of the garden came into view and I stopped. How many days did I come here? Five? Six? I honestly didn't remember and I didn't care. I stepped over the stones and gazed at the silhouette of the Deserter's Bell. Could I use it?

NO! That's cowardice!

For once, I agreed. It would do me no good to use that. I didn't know for sure whether I would be allowed to live or not. And my family would certainly be murdered. No, I had come too far. It would be extremely embarrassing to desert the games at this point.

Slowly, I proceeded to the looming ancient tree. All sorts of weapons lay there and I laughed. How ironic that despite so many arms available, the careers could do nothing. There was a nice axe there and it felt nice in my hands, better than Oceane's trident.

"So… you're here?"

I turned around rapidly, only to see the large number Two written on the jacket, and from his voice I knew who it was. So, this was the other finalist?

It was going to be so much fun.

Amaranthine "Amaranth" Carteret (16) D2M

The way her figure was hunched up, poised like a lioness at hunt, with the axe in her hand… It was enough to scare anyone.

The girl in front of me laughed, her pitch too high, and the laughter sounded too deranged. My shoulders slumped. The girl had lost her sanity. How was I going to kill her? How was I going to hurt her even? It was going to be hard, so very hard…

"Hello Amaranthine!" she said like a drunk woman, "Nice to see you here!"

I didn't reply to that, and soon the laughter died. She cleared her throat and then said, in her old proper self, "Congratulations for reaching the final two. It's a big achievement."

"Yeah, it is. Congrats."

"I wish, I wish we had something to celebrate with, you know? Music, food, a dance floor. Alas! All there is, is a garden."

I grabbed my spear tightly as she limped towards me. I stepped back.

"Hey! Don't be scared! I'm just a thirteen-year-old girl! I can't harm you anyway. Plus," she stopped for effect, "I'm not in the mood, you feel?"

"Alessandra-"

"You can call me Aly. I don't mind. I don't mind anything!"

"Aly, calm down. You're not well."

"Aww, Amaranth! You're so sweet you might turn someone diabetic. I can't, you know, it's hard for me to digest the fact that a Career can be so sweet."

I pursed my lips as she clapped and laughed. This was seriously not good. In fact, I was afraid. Afraid that she might kill me after all.

And then she came to a standstill, tilting her head in one way and stared ahead. I could imagine a perfectly insane smile on her face. My grip on the spear tightened. This had to be done. There was no way I could let her kill me.

I lunged at her.

It seemed to me that she had anticipated my move as she jumped aside at that very instant. I struck with my leg but she dodged that too. She giggled and then brought down her axe, which I blocked with my spear. I kicked her in the stomach. She gasped, her grip loosened and she held her abdomen in pain.

I thrust the spear forward and she staggered a bit, dodging it again. I kept on attacking her and she went on evading all my moves. Why was I missing so much?!

You don't want to kill her.

Sadly, that was true. I didn't want to kill her. She lunged at me like a predator and I struck, the spear embedding itself in her shoulder.

"AAHHH!" she screamed in pain, and for once her voice was childish again. My heart almost jumped into my throat at her shrill voice that held so much pain and agony in it. my heart was telling me to stop it right there, to not make another move. However, my mind was wicked, and wanted me to kill her right then.

I pulled out the spear.

Her voice rose to impossible volumes and it made me tremble on the spot.

Kill her Ama!

But I couldn't! how could I kill a girl so young? It was against all my principles. All my morals.

I stepped back just a bit and then she threw her axe with all her might. It was so unexpected that I didn't know how to react, but maybe I jumped way in the right direction.

The axe wasn't aimed at me anyway.

It hit the monstrous roses, so many of them, and they all rose into the air. I had thought that maybe they would form a cocoon again, but no. NO! everything had to be different today!

Those horrible plants started giving out spores, very mildly red in shade. I crawled backwards as fast as I could, and I saw the girl doing so too, but the red air, or whatever it was, seemed to engulf both of us, and now we both cried as we could feel our skins burning right through the protective clothing. I could feel it sting at thousand different places and yelled out in pain, feeling my clothes becoming soaked. I was drenched in my own blood and suddenly everything felt to be too suffocating.

Maybe it wasn't really a surprise that I felt the axe come my way and I dodged it just in time. Wasn't she feeling this pain too?! Everything appeared to be so hazy right now and she struck again, and I threw my spear at her.

It got embedded in her knee.

Her cries at that were almost animalistic, for surely a human could not make such a sound. She howled and screamed, trying to pull out the spear in vain and I watched. Slowly, getting to my feet, trying to ignore the unbearable pain in my being, I snatched her axe from her hands. Here was nothing else to be done now. She had to die.

"Sorry Aly," I muttered and raised the axe.

At that moment she pulled out the spear with a heart-rending cry and threw it at me. It got stuck in my upper arm and I dropped the axe, howling in pain. Aly took her axe back and swung it at me, and I rolled aside. The spear went even deeper into my arm and I cried out, unable to stop the tears, mixing with the wet blood on my body. This was too painful. Too painful! I didn't want to die!

Maybe…

Alessandra "Aly" Farro (13) D9F

Amaranthine's screams sounded like music to my ears. The poor guy was afraid of both blood and death, and ironically he was near both of them. My own pain was great, and all I wanted was to stop and cry and get something done about it, but no. that had to wait.

He had forced out the spear as well and at the moment we both had one arm each out of function. I was at an advantage at that, because my injured arm wasn't the one I used for doing any work. For some reason, I was able to ignore the pain in my body and I was grateful for it. Not like this weakling, who seemed to be on the verge of tears. Or maybe he was crying, I didn't know.

He was forcing himself on his feet and I brought down the axe. I staggered back, but I managed to leave a gash on his chest, cutting through the jacket and the shirt. He gasped, and just stared down. I waited for the radiations to work.

Nothing happened.

Oh come on!

Amaranth was on his knees, staring down on the ground. I readied my axe, all the pain already forgotten at the sight of his weak, pathetic self. I laughed lightly and that's when he jumped on top of me with a low growl and forced his spear into my waist.

My breathing stopped, my heart beat faster as I took in the sight of the spear sticking out of my waist. I opened my mouth to cry out, but no sound came. No, no! I couldn't die! I couldn't die, not to him!

With an angry roar I pulled out the weapon, aware of the pain, aware of the blood loss, and yet it did not affect me. I didn't even care about living or dying now, I had to kill him at any cost.

He pushed me back and kicked right at the wound, sending another spark of pain shooting through my body. I fell down and saw him run, run towards the bell. So, this is what he had come down to? I was shocked that a Career like him, who were always on about honour and dignity, was ready to sacrifice his family for his life. I gritted my teeth. No way was I going to let him get out of this.

If he rings the bell, you'll be the victor by default.

"Doesn't matter," I growled and ran, despite the injury in my knee, in my arm, in my waist. Nothing mattered to me, other than to see him die like a bug in front of my eyes. That would be vengeance, a message to everyone. I was not going to let him get away.

He reached the bell that hung majestically in the darkness and his steps faltered. He just stood there and I stopped to, waiting. Why wasn't he ringing the bell?

"I-I'm s-sorry," he whispered in a shaky voice and then reached out to ring the bell.

My axe went into his back just then.

He stopped, swaying gently on the spot, and then fell on his knees, staring at the Bell. Maybe he could feel the life slip out of him slowly as he dropped the spear, I went over to him and grabbed his weapon. He didn't do anything.

"Good bye," I muttered and then pushed the spear into his chest.

The impact hit him too hard.

Wait, what had I done? Did I really…? No, this couldn't be happening. I couldn't have… I couldn't have killed him! NO!

"Amaranth!" I cried. How could I be so heartless?! How could I do this to anyone?!

I heard his cries. He was crying, crying for his family, for his friends, crying about how scared he was. Crying for someone called Galatea, his body was trembling because of crying.

"No…!" I yelled and pulled out the axe. He gasped in pain again, his throat dry maybe, and I laid him down on the ground, settling his head in my lap.

"I-I-I'm sorry," I said, crying myself.

"I'm afraid Aly!" he cried through his tears, "I'm so afraid!"

I sobbed too, unable to believe what I had done. What I was seeing. I couldn't have…!

"Just- just end it quickly Aly…" he whispered, "P-please…"

And now my hands were shaking as I grabbed the axe. They shook when I raised it and they trembled when I brought it down, slicing his throat in an instant.

The cannon rung.

I threw away the axe and fell on my knees. This couldn't happen… I killed him… I KILLED HIM!

I cried and bawled, feeling faint, but yelled in anger and frustration, engulfed in guilt and sorrow. I killed him. I killed him. I killed him.

You got your revenge.

"SHUT UP!" I screamed. I didn't want revenge! I should have been dead! What did I do?

"Ladies and gentlemen, here I proudly present you the victor of the Seventy Ninth Hunger Games: ALESSANDRA FARRO FROM DISTRICT NINE!"

"NOO!" I screamed. I was not a victor! I didn't deserve it! I was a cold-blooded murderer! I-

There was nothing left to think. The fatigue, the blood loss and the sorrow took over, and I passed out in the arena.

Uh, hi. This was the finale, and I am certain that it was not a good one, but I present you the victor. Alessandra Farro from District Nine! In all honesty, it was a hard decision. A very hard decision, considering that I had a very fantastic cast. I loved each one of the tributes with my heart, I did.

Eulogies:

2nd- Amaranthine Carteret: Ama, Ama, Ama, you were such an interesting and unique character. I honestly loved him so much. He was fun to write, he had the right emotions, the right way of doing things. He was brave and always gave his best at everything. Actually, he was about to place tenth but then I just wanted to keep on writing him so he didn't. Then I thought he would place seventh and I never thought, not even when writing the feast, that he would be in my final two. But he did make it. proud of you Amaranthine. Rest in peace, you will be missed dearly. Thank you Meg, for submitting him and for writing a beautiful character.

1st- Alessandra Farro: Congratulation Pine, for your first ever victor! Okay, so the moment the train rides were done, I knew I wanted Aly to win. Why? Well, there are a number of reasons, but one of them was that she was young and morally sound. It is always fun to turn those into sociopaths during the course of the Games. She turned cruel and had a bigger drive to survive than others. Strangely enough, when I got her form, I was about to give her a twenty second placing. I think Aly changed the most during the Games, and it was fun to write that change, even if it did make me sad. And now I have my youngest victor, and I am proud of her, despite everything. Congratulations again.

So… what do you think of the finale? And especially of the victor? Did you ever think Aly would win? Also, I will appreciate your thoughts on the story as a whole. I know it wasn't up to the mark but I did work hard on it.

Thank you all for reading.

Have a great day!