A/N: Thanks to krikanalo, Oxenstierna D. Yuki-Rin, richards25, Kman528, mangesboy01, DigbyThompson, RealFiction, NewbornCrown15 and Nevergone4ever for reviewing!
In response to Nevergone4ever's review, the story concerning the 66th Games, 'Second Time Unlucky', is posted on my profile, if anyone else is interested in reading it.
But anyway, on to more important matters; the results of the second competition.
Well, this has definitely been a tough decision. Far tougher than the last competition, I think. But eventually, after taking a couple of days to think this through, I have my winner.
I hope that you all like QuietConspiracy's winning chapter :)
P.S. This chapter, like MJElliot's winning chapter for the 51st Games, is in American English :)
P.P.S. QuietConspiracy chose this song, not me :)
"Because of you
I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me."
- Kelly Clarkson, 2004
The 69th Annual Hunger Games
Bronze Bradley (18), District 1 Male
Kelly Clarkson - Because of You (2004)
The tube closes around me, leaving me alone with the sound of my heart pounding.
I've never been one for small spaces, but now that I'm here I don't have a say in the matter.
I close my eyes and remember why I'm here.
My mother's words come back to me, words no child should ever have to hear someone say about them, let alone their own parents.
"You're worthless, weak, disposable, despicable. You don't deserve to live."
I remember my sister's cruel laugh, egging my mother on. Her words replace my mother's, like a broken soundtrack that you can't take off repeat.
"You think you're so great don't you?" She does a high-pitched yet cruelly accurate imitation of my nine-year-old voice. "'Look at me, I'm Bronze and I'm so perfect and I want everyone to love me and treat me like a prince. I'll just be a doormat and they can stomp all over me.'"
Even now, those words still cut, but they weren't the worst things I heard. Those came from the creature who dared to call himself my father. I remember his reaction when I told him throwing knives and maces were going to be my weapons of choice.
"You think you can handle those girly weapons and call yourself my son?" He chortles, a harsh and rather unpleasant noise. He pins eleven-year-old me to the wall and spits in my face. "Well, you're wrong. Real Bradley men learn the way of the sword and machete, not the way of some sissy weapon you can't even use when someone's towering over you and going to stab you in the heart." He drops me on the cement floor of our wine cellar, not even caring when my arm makes a sickening crack and I wince, holding back the tears. He walks to the cellar door, opens it, and stops to say one last thing to me before he goes. "Guess your mother really did cheat on me to spawn you." The door slams, leaving me more alone than ever.
The kids at school and the Academy didn't help the situation either. Not like I would've entrusted any of them with the gift of my friendship anyways. Who was I to trust someone that may stab me in the back some day, perhaps even literally?
Not like I wanted to volunteer anyways, but if you are selected for this so-called honor, you either go or your family dies. And no matter how much they despised me and treated me like I was nothing, the three of them were the only stable figures in my life.
Being from District 1, I wasn't surprised when my district partner, Treasure, and I were selected to be members of the Careers. I think what shocked the tributes from Two and the boy from District 4 (the only other Careers, seeing as 4's girl was only thirteen and practically useless to us) the most was that Tre and I weren't exactly stereotypes of what our district's Careers were. Tre's short, choppy, and dark hair, blue eyes, and willowy physique only added to her tomboyish nature; on the other hand, I was at least two years older than the rest of the alliance, and I think Serenity, the girl from Two, just about died laughing when she found out I preferred throwing knives over spears or swords. She needn't have worried; after all, my knife skills got me an eight in training.
My interview angle was funny, cocky, and charming; while I pulled it off quite well, according to my mentor, my half-finished heart ached for a chance to show Panem the real me.
But all these things are of no consequence now, and I open my eyes just as the plate starts to lift. I look down for an instant, and see that the thin t-shirt that is the only thing protecting my chest from the elements is already soaked from sweat.
Great. I just hope no blood or tears are added to the mix, for both would show weakness and make me the laughingstock of District 1.
As my eyes adjust to the light, I take in my surroundings. The arena is composed of rolling sand dunes as far as the eye can see, save for a small cluster of palm trees hidden almost directly behind the cornucopia. Tre is three spots to my right; Serenity is directly to my left. The other members of my alliance must be on the opposite side of the cornucopia.
Speaking of the giant metal horn, I look to see what's in the mouth. Some crates, several backpacks, assorted weapons, and both my knives and my mace about arm's length apart.
Perfect.
I suppose Claudius Templesmith makes the announcement for the beginning of the Games. The clock counts down.
60.
I steal a glance at Serenity, who's focusing in on the lone tomahawk in the mouth. No doubt Tre's doing the same with her sword.
50.
But suddenly, a wave of doubt rushes over me. Am I really doing the right thing, becoming a Career, bringing the supposed honor to my District?
40.
Of course I am. I have to live up to the Capitol's expectations, at least through the bloodbath; the longer I'm with the Careers, the more sponsors I get.
30.
But are sponsors really all they're cracked up to be? And besides, I'm my own person, not some stupid Capitol pet, even if I'm a Career.
20.
Besides, I can't stand the thought of leaving behind my precious weapons and losing the chance to get some form of supplies.
10.
But on the other hand, I'm a human being as much as the next tribute. I need to prove I've got some form of a heart, don't I?
5.
Oh, who am I kidding? My heart is scarred, broken, chipped beyond repair from the years of emotional suffering my so-called friends and family put me through.
0.
And there's the gong. I run to the cornucopia, and am there third only behind Serenity and the little blond girl from Six.
I ignore the little girl and dive for my mace and the pack of throwing knives. There's a utility belt with room for the knives; I grab that, too.
A whizzing noise passes by my ear, followed by a quiet sound of cloth ripping. I look up and see an arrow impaling one of the backpacks; the girl from District 6 is surely the culprit, seeing as she's the only one I remember picking up a crossbow during training. Perhaps that's how she earned her score, which was only two points below mine.
I turn around, and without thinking I take a knife and throw. The arrow-user falls, and I realize that is in fact the little girl from District 6.
I should feel guilty that my first kill is something so small, young, and innocent; I don't. She was obviously aiming for the kill when she shot the arrow at me; I did what I had to protect my own life.
The girl from Three's limping over to one of the crates, less than a mace's swing away from where I stand. She's already got a few gashes in her leg, so I lunge forward and swing the mace at her head. She's gone before she hits the sand. Foolish girl.
Seven or eight more tributes are nearing the mouth by this point. I don't see Joshua from District 2 yet, but Kaden from Four's got his spears and has already taken down two of the other tributes.
Serenity's battling the girl from District 8; Tre's preoccupied with the boy from Twelve. They'll be fine, seeing as both their opponents are from outer districts, untrained save for the last few days in the Capitol, and at least two years younger than my allies.
Most of the other tributes have taken their supplies. Some have escaped with their lives; most, including the girls from Districts 6 and 3, both of which are my kills, haven't.
Kaden takes down the boy from District 11, making this one's death long, dragged-out, and unusually sadistic for a bloodbath kill. As Kaden twists his victim's head to the side, the boy's eyes lock on mine. In them, I see terror, fury, and accusation; I could be helping him escape instead of standing there useless. Kaden stabs the boy in the neck with a curved blade of some sort and is rewarded with gushing blood and a loss of light in the victim's eyes.
I know now what I must do. As soon as Kaden's back is turned, I grab the nearest pack and run for my life.
As soon as I finish my trek up a sandy dune, I look at the carnage I've left behind. Two tributes are dead because of my actions. It is no matter; soon, many more will be dead, and I don't plan to be among them.
Because of you, District 1, I will not fight with the sadistic Kaden as a true Career would. It is not a path I wish to follow, despite being raised that way.
Because of you, Mom, Dad, and my oh-so-dear-to-me sister Silvera, I will come back and prove that I'm not as worthless as you believe me to be.
Because of you, Capitol citizens, I will survive and promise to make these games interesting without wiping my bloody fingerprint all over it.
And President Snow, it is because of you I'm in this mess. That's all right with me; either way, I'll be out of this hellhole sooner or later.
Just you wait.
The 69th Games had a total of twelve bloodbath deaths, including Joshua from Two and both of Bronze's kills. With Joshua's death and Bronze's abandonment, the three remaining Careers were left to hunt down the remaining competitors who'd scattered throughout the arena.
Meanwhile, Bronze found refuge in a second, more secluded oasis and an ally in the boy from District 9, who was skeptical at first but reluctantly agreed when he realized Bronze held the upper hand in both strength and size. Together, Bronze and his ally, Gresham, took out another three competitors before they had a run-in with Treasure and Serenity on the fourth day.
The fight was one of the few, if not the first, to ever be censored during the Games for its goriness. In the end, only Treasure and Bronze managed to escape.
The seven remaining tributes survived without another death until the Gamemakers set the larger oasis on fire on day seven. The fire killed another three tributes, including Treasure. While Bronze was saddened by his district partner's death, he was also relieved that he wouldn't have to kill her in the finale.
Another two days passed before the final tributes (Bronze and Kaden from District 4) were forced together not far from the Cornucopia. Kaden may have been more sadistic and ultimately the better Career, but his hunger and dehydration made him an easy kill for Bronze Bradley, who became the victor of the 69th Annual Hunger Games.
A/N: A review for QuietConspiracy, anyone?
I'd also like to point you all in the direction of QuietConspiracy's profile. I'd recommend checking it out, if you're interested in Harry Potter (and really, who isn't?) :)
P.S. Normal service will be resumed with the next chapter, where we'll be meeting Annie Cresta :)
