Dustin Proelia – District 9
My lungs ache. My throat is dry. My muscles burn like someone set fire to them. Wash holds onto a tree so he doesn't fall over. I lean against one, running a hand through my hair. I'm still not used to it being so short.
I laugh suddenly, but not too loudly. I hold my hands over my head and stretch a little. Wash smiles and chuckles lightly. He knows exactly what I'm thinking. We've both made it past the Bloodbath. Wash was a little stupid to challenge that Career girl, but he's alive nonetheless. We're going to make it and sooner than I know it, I'll be back home in Ebony's arms. The second I return we're going to get married. We'll live in a big Victor's Home with my family.
"We made it," Wash says breathlessly. He covers his face with his hands as he continues to laugh with relief. "I think we can do this."
I nod, finally sobering up. "We should make camp here for a little bit, then move on quickly. Only five died in the Bloodbath so the Careers are going to be hunting. I don't want to be first on their list." We open our packs that we collected. There were two sets of matches, one from each bag. Two sleeping bags, two water canteens which were unfortunately empty, and packs of dried fruit and meat, rope, and a compass. Even though the canteens didn't have water, we got lucky with our packs.
We attempt climbing up the trees, but most are too brittle and old. Wash and I are too heavy. A smaller person like a little boy or girl could probably set up a little nest though. We agree to keep an eye on the tree tops in case anyone is hiding out.
"What now?" Wash asks, softly.
I shrug, opening a small pack of dried fruit. "We need to save our food. I don't want to run out and have to go to the Cornucopia to get more food." I hand him a slice of dried apple and take a piece for myself before putting it back. "I don't like the looks of this forest either. Too creepy."
Wash shudders in response. He munches on his apple slice, staring at the ground. We sit down across from each other. "This arena is different than any arena I've ever seen," Wash says. I know what he means. The last few arenas have been basic with forests, ocean sides, and deserts. I've never seen the arena this dark before, although I've only seen a little less than seventeen Games in my lifetime.
"What kind of mutts do you think there will be?" I ask nervously. Mutts are always the scariest things in the arena. I think they're scarier than the tributes themselves. Mutts are creations of the Gamemakers so they could be just about anything.
Suddenly, we hear screams in the distance. It comes from the direction of the Cornucopia. Instantly, Wash and I shoot up onto our feet. We glance at each other and nod in agreement. It's time to go. The screams are a bit too close. We start trekking further and further away from our previous camp site.
Soon, the sky begins to darken. The branches look like monsters trying to grab you. The moon has an eerie glow to it through the fog. The air becomes considerably colder. Wash and I zip up our jackets as we continue to walk. By now, we're wishing we could have flashlights, but that makes you a big target.
Wash trips on a root sticking out of the ground. He scuffs up his knee, but jumps back up quickly and glances around behind himself. "How much further do you want to go?" he asks. He drags his arm across his forehead to rub some sweat off his face.
I turn my gaze upwards to watch the stars. My father had taught me how to follow the stars for directions. Sadly, there are no stars in the sky of this arena. Suddenly, the Capitol anthem sounds throughout the arena.
I jump at the sound, examining my surroundings. My sword is in one hand as I back up against a tree. No one comes out. Wash is the only other person there.
We look up past the branches. The faces flash across the sky. None of the tributes from One, Two, or Three have died. Surprisingly, the girl from Four died. I thought she had a decent chance, but maybe Dictatrix finally got her revenge.
The boys from Five and Eight have died. Then, I realize my partner is in the sky. I sigh at the picture of a smirking young girl with dark hair. She had something against me and I didn't like her for it. However, I never wanted her to die. I suppose though, that in order for me to live, she had to die. The girls from Eleven and Twelve are dead as well. Neither of them stood much of a chance and I'm pretty sure the boy from Twelve took out his partner.
Wash and I collapse from exhaustion. We take out a little bit of food and eat. Tomorrow, our next goal is to find water. Without water, we'll both die.
A small whimper and groan reaches my ears. I hop to my feet, unsheathing the sword I got. Wash holds up his axes and follows me. Another tribute is nearby, and it sounds like a young girl. Wash walks in front of me, following the sound of crying.
A girl with brunette hair is on the ground, leaning against a tree, and clutching her stomach. She's pale and sweating. Her sweat mixes in with her tears. Her long hair sticks to her dirty face. Wash gasps, rushing over to her. His eyes are wide as he kneels down next to her. She's familiar, but I don't know what district she's from.
"It's Clara," Wash tells me.
Bailey Fera – District 11
Sometimes I used to wonder how I could have gotten this far in life. Now, I wonder how I got this far from the Bloodbath. Parrow walks slightly ahead of me, not saying a word. She probably thinks the same thing. She's also probably thinking about Clara, just as I am. Clara decided to go for the axes and she ended up dying. I think about Maize, dead. Her neck was snapped by the girl from Two. Maize didn't get a chance.
I jump when a crow caws above me. When I look up at it, I get stuck on its beady red eyes. It appears to be smirking at me. It flaps its wings, leaping off the old branch. As I turn back around, Parrow is nowhere to be seen. The fog is hard getting hard to see through.
My heart leaps into my lungs and suddenly, it's hard to breathe. Panic begins to set it. I head in the way I think she's gone. My feet step lightly across the hard ground as I jog through the fog. I spin around, unable to find out where she's gone.
Crows caw loudly. Snap! I look down, noticing I stepped on a branch. Sweat creates a thin coat on my forehead. I can't find Parrow and I can't call out her name. This isn't a game where I can start over if I don't want to lose. I have one chance against twenty three players, although after the Bloodbath, five cannons went off. That makes one against eighteen. And right now, I don't know how many tributes could be around me.
My hands are shaking as I continue to meander through the dark woods. I stay on my toes in case I ever have to run. All I was able to get from the Cornucopia was a slingshot. It's not much against what most of the other tributes got.
A hand covers my mouth and another one drags me down to the ground. The panic rises and my mind tells me to fight and run. I begin to thrash, flailing my limbs. As I'm pulled behind a bush, I get a glimpse of my captor. It's Parrow. I relax and stop struggling. She puts a finger to her mouth, shushing me.
She peeks through the black bush. I do the same and am slightly shocked by what I see. Tarragon corners Pietta, the girl from Six, and Trenton, Parrow's partner. Parrow holds her breath as she watches. She doesn't do anything though. Tarragon is bigger and faster than use, plus he has a good weapon: a sword.
He's smirking and eyes his partner. "Sage, I see you were able to survive the Bloodbath. The last time I saw you, District Five was about to kill you. What happened?" He turns so we can see only a part of his face. I stare at the other tributes' scared faces. Parrow and I really should go, but we don't.
Pietta is huddled next to a tree with Rilly and Sage by her sides. Trenton is standing in front of them. He holds a sword in front. His one arm is dark red, dried with blood. Someone had made a bandage from a shirt to staunch the bleeding. He appears to be terrified, but tries not to show it.
I can't help but wonder how Tarragon was able to presumably sneak up on the four. There's four against one. They should be able to kill Tarragon. He continues to taunt them and make smart ass remarks. Pietta, Sage, Rilly, and Trenton are weaker tributes though. I want to help them, but I'm frozen with fear.
Finally, I gather the courage to emerge from the brush. Parrow's hand, however, pulls me back down. She wipes her eyes and shakes her head no. I want to tell her to use her bow and arrow to shoot Taragon, but she doesn't even seem to think about it.
"Run!" Trenton shouts, charging towards Tarragon. With the distraction, Pietta, Sage, and Rilly scramble away, each going in different directions. Tarragon easily overpowers Trenton as his sword flies away. I imagine Tarragon's mouth smirking evilly.
Through the bush, I can see Pietta turning around as she runs with Sage. Time seems to slow down as I see Tarragon's sword slicing at Trenton's neck. Her eyes widen and she screams as the head falls onto the ground. Rilly's disappeared into the forest. Sage keeps running, but I can hear her sobs.
Tarragon wipes his forehead. He wipes his sword on Trenton's jacket, then takes his pack. "Better run, Sage! Run as fast as you can!" He yells. He smiles triumphantly as Trenton's cannon sounds. Finally, he leaves the site as the hoovercraft picks up Trenton's body.
Parrow slowly walks out of the bushes. She stares at the blood pool on the ground and brushes the tears from her face. "We couldn't have done anything," she says.
It takes me a little longer until I come out. My hands are still shaking by the time I stand next to Parrow. "I'm sorry," I say, resting a hand lightly on her shoulder. "Why didn't you use your bow and arrow? You're an archer, aren't you? Why didn't you kill Tarragon when you had the chance?"
"Let's just keep moving," Parrow says. She sighs as she heads in the opposite direction Tarragon went. She holds her bow tightly by her side, ready to use it at any second. I run through a few reasons why she wouldn't have killed Tarragon. Maybe I'll be able to talk to her later.
Gabrielle Dictatrix – District 2
Worthless imbeciles. I'm stuck with pitiful Careers. It's only been a few hours and only five measly tributes are dead. When another cannon goes off, I just about lose it. I kick the ground and throw a knife towards a tree. I snarl as I turn back to my Career Pack. They just glance up as a bunch of crows fly over our heads, then go back to what they were doing. Pathetic.
"Another tribute is dead!" I yell. "We should have been the ones to kill them. And what are we doing? We're sitting here doing nothing!" My face turns red as anger boils beneath my blood.
"Well, what do you want to do about it?" Sapphire asks. There's a dimwitted expression stuck on her face.
I shake my head at her. She's a dumb blonde, nothing more. "We need to go hunting."
"Who will stay and guard the Cornucopia?" Sorren adds. He stands up, gripping his sword so tightly that his knuckles turn white. His expression is the same as his stupid sister.
"Lucien, Morgan, you stay with the nerd," Conrad commands. He points to them, trying to shoo them away. He begins to move further away from the Cornucopia.
I stand in front of him. My eyes narrow into slits at him. "Who the hell made you the leader?" My blood boils underneath my skin from the anger and frustration. My hand balls up into a fist as I prepare myself to punch him.
"I could ask you the same thing!" He points an accusing finger at me.
"Why don't you just get going! Go hunt, then you can decide who will be leader," Morgan says out of the blue. Both of us turn on her, sneering. I should have killed her during the Bloodbath. Why didn't I? Of course, it'd be so easy to kill her now.
"Stay here and watch the camp," I order Morgan, Lucien, and the dork. I glare at Conrad as I pick up my sword and spear. The sword is hooked on my belt, which is also full of knives, and I stick a longer knife in my boot. My spear is in my hand as I stalk off towards the dark woods.
I grit my teeth as the blondie siblings, Conrad, and I start our hunt for tributes. The two siblings stay behind, covering our backs and sides. Conrad is next to me, but I try to stay in front to show that I'm the leader. My uncle had given me tricks on how to track people. My eyes watch the ground for tracks.
A low growl comes from a bush. I spin around and notice two glowing red eyes. Within seconds, the eyes are gone. Many creatures have been created for this arena. I'm not sure if all of them are muttations, but they probably are. I just know that we all have to be very cautious.
Crows caw and I hear the faint hoot of an owl. Creatures scurry across the ground. A few branches snap. The tributes from One talk quietly. "Shut up!" I snap. Finally, I notice a few footprints. "Here!" I crouch down to examine the foot prints. They're wide apart, so someone was running quickly. At some of the prints, it looks like the person had been sliding as they were running. They're small, so it couldn't have been one of the male tributes. There's only one pair too, so there's just one tribute we're tracking.
I follow the footsteps quickly. My footsteps are light and fast like a cat. Finally, I see a girl with short blonde hair running in front of me. My lips curl into a smile as I begin my chase. "Over there," I call out to my pack.
The girl gasps and picks up her speed. She's surprisingly fast. Her breathing is loud as she runs past trees and through branches. Conrad breezes past me, laughing like a smart ass. He gains some distance on the girl. I will not let Conrad get this tribute. I tracked her so she's mine! I push myself to pick up the speed. Sorren passes me and is at the same speed as Conrad. Sapphire and I take longer strides to get up to the same speed as Sorren and Conrad.
We're getting closer to the girl. I recognize her. She's from Eight. Her loser partner got blown up in the beginning of the Bloodbath. Suddenly, she disappears. I stop immediately, unsure of what's happened. I skid and stop right on the edge of a ledge. I hear her screams as she's falling off the ledge. She's tumbling and covers her head. She disappears again as she presumably hits the ground and maybe crawls off. Unfortunately, it's getting too dark to see where she is. She's fallen into some kind of cave or something.
Sapphire nearly runs into me as she stops. I glare at her and shove her backwards. Conrad stares down and Sorren looks ahead. Ahead of us, there is another ledge. A rope bridge Is the only way across. The rope is skinny and everyone has to go in a single file line. I'm not sure if it'd be stable for all four of us. Seconds later, cannon sounds.
I expect a hovercraft to come and collect the tribute girl from Eight's body. Instead, Conrad points to the hovercraft picking up a mangled body from our campsite.
"Let's go back," I command.
Lucien Ritsert – District 4
Morgan has simply disappeared. Maxwell sits uncomfortably with a spear on his lap. He looks from left to right, making sure no tributes can't sneak up on us and steal supplies. I call out her name, but she doesn't answer.
A few minutes ago, she walked past me to cover the other side of the Cornucopia. When I went to ask her a question, she was gone. There is not a trace of her. "Did you see Morgan walk off, Maxwell?" I ask the nerdy boy.
He shrugs with wide eyes. He's scared of me. The boy quivers in his boots.
"Did you see anyone coming?" I ask. If someone had stolen supplies from the camp, Gabrielle is going to kill us all. It makes me think about my options. Should I leave the Careers to escape Gabrielle's wrath? Maybe that's what Morgan did. She's just like all the other tributes from Four from the last few Games. Morgan's another Pash. I bet that Pash gave Morgan advice to leave us.
"Are you sure? You've been sitting here for a while just looking back and forth," I say. I twirl my trident in my hands,
"I'm pretty sure," Maxwell says. "How do you know my name?"
"I watched your interview and learned your name then," I reply.
"None of the rest of you call me by my name," he adds. He glances downwards. "Call me Max."
"No problem. I think our main problem now is finding Morgan. If we can't find her, then she must have deserted us."
"Why did you volunteer?"
"I wanted to play this Game. I want to win, just like everyone else," I say. I wonder what's made him ask that.
"Yeah, but you want to play this Game. Not everyone wants to play," Maxwell says, staring off into the distance. "And you're okay…with killing other kids."
I shrug. "I suppose so. I really want to win. I'd do anything to win," I explain. I'd never given it much thought actually. I just guess that those are the reasons I want to win. To impress my friends. To show my father I'm more than just a lazy teen. To do something where there are no rules.
A piercing scream tears me out of my musings. I jump as the scream grows louder. They're close by and the screams are high pitched. A girl. A girl that sounds a lot like Morgan. I tell Maxwell to stay where he is. He reluctantly nods.
"If I don't come back before Gabrielle comes, tell her I went chasing after a tribute," I explain. Another nod and I sprint towards the cries for help. I'm not too far from the Cornucopia before I enter a clearing. A boy with dark hair is kneeling over a body. Morgan. He's laughing manically, talking to someone named Colby who isn't actually there. I come to a halt and step quietly so that Ector can't hear me. I wince at the sound of flesh being cut.
Morgan is sobbing and cries for help again. I think her eyes find me because she yells for my help. "Lucien!" She tries to yell my name, but due to the blood that's filling her mouth, my name comes out distorted. She coughs and starts choking on her blood.
Ector sharply turns, snarling at me. "Wanna play doctor, Lucien?" he hisses. His eerie grin widens and he leaps after me. He has a bloody knife in his bloody hand. Ector's fast and slashes at me. I dodge the knife and hold up my trident. My eyes dart towards the limp, bloody, and broken form that is Morgan.
As we fight, it's like a weird dance as our feet move. The advantage I have though is that I've been training and Ector hasn't. I take my trident and disarm Ector. I smirk in pride, and then he pulls out a sword. I'm not sure if I can fix Morgan, and I might be too late if I keep wasting time fighting Ector. I move forward, elbowing Ector in the chest and knock him backwards. I send a good kick to his ribs and punch him in the nose.
He yells out in pain. His nose appears to be broken and blood dribbles down his face. I prepare myself to skewer him, until he turns and runs. I almost start to chase him, but it would be a feeble attempt. Ector's fast and Morgan needs me.
I kneel down next to her, setting down my trident. She's barely breathing and isn't moving at all. Her arms, face, chest, and legs are coated with a dark, red liquid. Cuts, and I mean deep cuts to the bone, are all over her arms and legs. It's too late for her. She's already lost too much blood.
"I'm sorry," I whisper. I was too late to save her. My mind begins to go numb and I don't know what to do.
"Hold…hold my…hand," Morgan is able to gasp. I'm not sure if she can feel them, but I take her hand and squeeze it. A tear rolls down her face as she seems to realize she's dying.
"Were you going to leave me and the Careers?" I just have to know that one thing.
"No…" she breathes. Her sea green eyes are losing their light and I know it's a matter of time before she expires.
"You're going to be okay after this. No one will hurt you," I say softly. "Why don't oysters give to charity?" I lick my lips and swallow with difficulty. "Because they're shellfish." I attempt to smile but fail. However, Morgan's lips curl into the smallest of smalls and she tries to laugh. She just ends up choking on her blood.
"Ge…him…f' me…" Morgan says. I can barely hear her, but I know what she wants. A bubble of blood pops on her lips. Morgan exhales and her eyes glaze over. A lump forms in my throat. Her cannon booms and I can't seem to leave. It all seems too real now. Eventually, I have to move away as the hovercraft claims Morgan's body.
As soon as the hovercraft disappears, Gabrielle bursts through the trees with the rest of the Career pack. She scowls at me, asking what happened. I pick up my trident, explaining how the boy from Twelve killed Morgan.
"When I see him again, he's mine. I'm going to kill him," I state.
Dead:
Morgan Colliet – D4
Kage Hatenn – D5
Corduroy Dowlas – D8
Gem Minx – D9
Trenton Cedar – D10
Maize Koranon – D11
Larkspur Fisole – D12
Alive:
Sorren Princeps –D1
Sapphire Princeps – D1
Conrad Avtlift – D2
Gabrielle Dictatrix – D2
Maxwell Hoover Demonico – D3
Pietta Carmelle – D3
Lucien Ritsert – D4
Nayeli Morte – D5
Tarragon Layland – D6
Sage Freedan – D6
Washington Hayner – D7
Clara Lignum – D7
Rilly Jarson – D8
Dustin Proelia – D9
Parrow Hosira – D10
Bailey Fera – D11
Ector Cabot – D12
A/N: Well! What a chapter, at least, I hope it's good.
Are the deaths surprising to you? Or not?
Have any new bets on who will win? Have any bets on who will die next?
Don't forget to check out the forum.
Vote on the polls, post questions and comments, and look at the graphics.
http : / / w w w . f a n f i c t i o n . n e t / forum/A_Game_of_Chance/100130/
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, post it in a review, send it by a PM, or post it in the forum.
These questions are just for fun:
1) Who would your dream cast be for A Game of Chance? Post on the topic in the forum!
2) Have you seen the Avengers? If so, who is your favorite hero? I like Captain America and Iron Man and Loki.
3) Have you seen the shows Grey's Anatomy, Revenge, Doctor Who, or Legend of Korra? Because, they're all absolutely awesome!
4) (This is just a notice) At or near the end of A Game of Chance, a topic will be made in the forum where you can post your favorite moments and vote on the best characters. Also near the end, you can help decide if I should write a sequel featuring the Victor of this year's Games. (And don't worry, after this story, I'll write the 36th Hunger Games)
I think that's it. Sorry there's so many words. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. And stay tuned for Day 2 of the 35th Hunger Games!
