I told you guys that I would be finishing this by the time I leave for Australia, and I have 18 days. Let's freaking do this.
You're either going to love this chapter, or hate it. I was pissed off for over 93% of this writing this. I'm really sorry ahead of time.
Spinning around, I got a funny feeling.
Turning my whole world upside down.
I'll keep my heart, my eyes on you.
Cause you keep me spinning around.
Ellie Zwiegle, 18
District 10 Female
The column that was once solid and nontransparent is now a giant glass tube that holds. We've been up here since yesterday. We are over the entire arena, and I've seen little black birds flying around everywhere. We watched them tear apart Joseph yesterday. That was scary.
"I think it's safe to say that there isn't any way to get out of here other than what they expect us to do." says Keanu as he is searching back and forth between Kat and me.
It's been a few hours. There was an empty bottle that we had in our bag that is around a 3-liter size that we've used as a bathroom since what we are calling "the ascension." Let me tell you that peeing in a bottle as a female isn't easy. It's not easy at all.
"What do you think they want from us?" I ask a little nervous. This whole experience has been one for the books. It's been long and frustrating, and for some reason, I never saw it coming.
Our parents never prepared us for killing each other. Sure they always said that we would have to. Sure we would always joke and say who would be a bloodbath, but never in a thousand years did I ever think we would actually be in this situation. I believe we are in the top 16 now. 10 of us are dead and had to die in order for me to get here. It's a hard pill to swallow.
What really puffles my jigglies, is the fact that our parents knew what this was like. They knew what it was like to be in the Games. What it was like to watch someone die. To feel the power in your body as you take someone's life. The scary thrill of it all as you actually enjoyed the power.
And not one of them warned us.
I thought this would be easy. I didn't think I would have to deal with so much pain and hurt.
"We won't know until they want us to." says Kat as she inspects her nails to make sure they are all perfect. I never understand how she's so willing to always look like nothing is wrong. I don't see the benefit of looking like a doll.
"Tributes, please settle into your beds."
We look at each other before we walk back to the beds that we have been staying in since the start of the games. Once we are sitting down, a silver box appears around us, and I let out a scream of fright. It's a dark room, and it's small. The size of a twin sized bed. The only light comes from the very center of the wall that is facing me, and it's a tiny red dot.
"Guys?!" I scream. "Is anyone there?"
"Tributes, please shut up." says the same voice.
I have to tell you I'm not a fan of all these voices telling me what to do. All they do is screw me over, and over, and over again. I'm tired of it.
"Don't tell me what to do." I respond haughtily.
"Ellie, shut up." says the voice.
The red dot spreads over the whole entire wall and then fades out. I'm sitting in complete darkness until a blue screen appears on the wall. I reach out and touch it and I realize it's a touch screen.
"What the hell.." I say looking at this weird contraption.
"Tributes, you've been tasked with something very important." says the voice. "Since you were the lucky three to find our room of luxury, we have allowed you to make a choice."
The voice doesn't respond again, and then one by one, all 16 of us that are left appears on the screen.
"Tributes, you three are responsible for picking one tribute to die. You all get one vote, if you don't agree, it'll be one of you. Katarina is represented by the yellow dot on your screen. Keanu is represented by the blue dot on the screen. Ellie is represented by the pink dot. May the odds be ever in your friend's favor."
Nobody's mouse moves, but this is a huge opportunity. We hold so much power. We can take out anyone of the tributes that we want. We can take out a powerhouse like Ares, or Wyatt, or maybe even Honora.
Katarina is the first to move her mouse as it drifts over to Wyatt, the yellow dot begins circling around the picture of the boy from district 1 in a hasty way. Keanu then moves his dot to Honora and starts to write out letters with his dot. It doesn't leave the markings, but I think it says "While we can."
Truth be told both of those are tributes that I would like to not have in the games anymore.
"Can I take out both of them?" I ask myself quietly.
"No.," says the voice.
"I wasn't asking you." I say.
I draw my dot over to the picture of the person that is about to have their last few breaths.
"I'm sorry…" I whisper.
My wish for you.
Is that this life becomes all that you want it.
I hope your days stay big, your worries stay small.
You never need to carry more than you can hold.
Ares Styx, 18
District 12 Male
The ground is shaking.
I can't believe that on top of everything else these people have put us through their adding earthquakes to the mix. This would be a nice time to kill Honora though. I've been waiting. I've waited years for an opportunity like this. I know mom will be mad when I get out of the games, but she really isn't even my mom.
"Everyone, take cover." says Wyatt.
We've all been taking shifts on Ava to make sure she's okay, and right now it's his turn. I know it seems pointless to make sure someone doesn't do something stupid when their death can very well mean your survival. Ava is different, though, she's always been better than the rest of us. Even someone like Edith failed in comparison to her compassion. She's such a sweet and nurturing person, it felt wrong to leave her in self-sorrow.
We split up and all hide near the base of a tree. I'm not sure if that's proper earthquake after all I've never been in one. However, it seems like a sturdy foundation in which that I will be able to take cover.
"Guys," screams Honora over all the moans of the giant platform not to far away from me. "This has to be mutt work. One of us is about to go." she says.
This is too much that someone is allowing them to kill us off randomly by mutts. No one has really killed anyone since the bloodbath, the only explanation I can think of is that our parents want to make it as easy for us as possible to not have to take each other out. What they're doing, however, is giving me anxiety problems. I was about to go take a dump before they started shaking the ground.
"This is such bullshit!" says Wyatt as he looks up at the camera and sneers. "Didn't you kill enough of your own kids yesterday? Can we have a moment to breathe, and maybe, I don't know. KILL EACH OTHER LIKE WE ARE SUPPOSED TO!?"
The ground stops shaking, and we all look at Wyatt in shock and confused.
"What kind of voodoo shit are you into?" I ask looking at him weird.
Ava starts laughing. For the first time since yesterday, you see the old her. Her that lit up the room when everyone was sad, or the one who made it hard to be mad. Don't get me wrong, she's going to have to die, all of these people are. Someone like Ava, though, you can't really keep thinking of that way, though.
"I'm glad you find us dying so funny." says Julian very matter of factly as he begins to stand up from the fetal position.
Ava stands up and then looks at us wide-eyed and afraid. We are all confused, but when we turn around it makes perfect sense. Giant worms the size of trees are slithering towards us at a lightning fast speed. We stand in fear as the worms inch closer and closer. When they get close enough for us to start making out features, the first thing I notice is the rows of teeth. The teeth stretch all across the mouth in four sharp rows, they also spin in the mouth.
"That looks pleasant." I say turning and running away.
The rest of us are turning and sprinting away, as the worms get closer and closer. Running from them is probably pointless at this point. They're moving too fast, however, the survival instinct in me is kicking in. All I know that is whoever is about to die is about to die. They that person selected.
"Guys, I know I've been whiny and emotional the past day and a half, but I just really want to thank you for your help!" screams Ava as we're running.
"Shut up and run!" screams Wyatt.
We make it to the platform, and when we are about to start climbing, the worms close in. They circle around us like a lion stalking its prey and begin to open their mouth wide. We look at each other wide-eyed. Surely they wouldn't kill these many people at once. That would lead to a very short game, and would automatically propel this to the top 10.
Julian looks at all of us with a frantic expression. He starts breathing heavily, and then he runs over to the edge and attempts to jump over the worms, and what happens is brutal.
The worms lift up his mouth, right where Julian was going to be landing, and Julian fell into his mouth. The effects of it were like a blender. Gradually grinding him down. He screams in pain as he tries to jump out, but honestly, the only thing that would do is make his death drawn out. We all stand there in fear as he slowly starts to disappear as the worm continues to grind him. His cannon goes off right as his head goes in.
"Well that's not something we should try." says Wyatt.
"I taught them better than that." says a voice that sounds a lot like Huck's.
"Dad?" says Ava looking up at the sky.
"SHIT!" screams the voice of Huck as his voice goes off the monitor.
"Excuse me," says Wyatt. "Now that we know that you're freaking listening, can you do us a favor and let us do the killing ourselves? This mutt death is getting out of hand."
"Tributes, please refrain from communicating with the outside world." says a voice that sounds like the clown from the beginning of the games.
The worms then start to close in, and everyone is screaming. Then I notice something. They aren't going for me, I move and they don't respond. The rest of the group is in the center, and they're closing in with their mouths towards them.
I step to the side, and reach out and pull Ava with me. She screams as the worm closes in, but then relaxes as she realizes that they didn't respond. As the worms keep restricting, Ava and I were able to fall over one of their sides and begin climbing the platform. Wyatt and Honora stay in the center of the constriction, and I can't tell who the worms are responding to.
"This is so scary. We are already dwindled down to four. If one of them dies no one in our group stands a chance." says Ava.
"They have no effect on us." I respond
"Us?"
"We are obviously going to have to stay a team Ava." I say.
She nods quickly. I think she is embarrassed. She's always had a male attention, and Joseph always did everything for her. I can't imagine the identity crisis she is feeling right now.
"Ah!" screams Wyatt.
We look down, and Wyatt has fallen over the side of the worms. Honora stands in the middle of the worms as she looks with a look of understanding. She nods her head and takes a deep breath.
"You want to play? We can play." she says.
She pulls out a knife, and Wyatt throws her his sword as she sits in the middle of the worms that are launching at her. She's amazing. I was always scared of her, but watching her right now, I'm kind of rooting for the worms. She takes the sword and straight rams it into one of the worms head. It sinks back into the ground as dirt, and then the other 3 swarm her. She had no chance as soon as one got to her foot. She screamed in pain as they ate her lower half, and then run away.
Ava and I zoom down the platform on the cart as Honora and Wyatt lie there on the ground. Her face is pale, and she's fading fast. She has a look of knowledge on her face. Honora isn't a stupid girl, she knows that she is about to die.
"I guess we can't win them all, huh?" she says as soon as we get there.
Ava falls to her knees and puts Honora's head on her lap. She grabs her hand, and Honora closes her eyes.
"I want you guys to know…" she says. "I know…" she breathes heavy. "I know I'm a bitch. You guys have made this worth it though…" she says. "One of you assholes better win." she says as her breaths start to increase rapidly.
Blood is lying everywhere, and I'm currently drenched in it.
"Bye." she says with a weak voice as she relaxes her face one last time, and her eyes glaze over.
Nobody moves. What do you do when your biggest competition to win the games is not in the games anymore? Honora was such a presence. She wasn't someone that we thought would die. I fully expected her to be with me in the final 2.
A package falls from the sky and lands next to me. I open it up to see three pairs of sweatpants and t-shirts. One is pink, one is red, and one is black. I hand them out to each of the rest of the Frat alliance and then see a note at the bottom.
Rachel gave us the okay us leaving y'all be for now. We need to see some action kid.
By the way, that wasn't us. Rachel had Kat, Keanu, and Ellie pick someone to die.
Love you,
Mom.
"Well." I say handing the letter around. "This just got interesting."
"Time for a hunt." says Ava with pursed lips.
"Princess, you sure you wanna damage your perfect rep?" ask Wyatt snarky.
"This is personal now." she says getting up and heading to the platform to change.
I find it kind of funny,
I find it kinda sad.
The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had.
Artemis Merone, 18
District 2 Female
Two cannons back to back is never a really good sign if I'm honest. It means we are boring, and I mean, we are kind of if you think about it.
We've yet to see another tribute group. We haven't exactly been looking. Something about sticking my sword into people I've known my whole life just isn't as appealing as it used to be. In my old games, all I had to worry about was my District partner. Odds were, though, I wouldn't have even had to kill him. Now I have to worry about offing my brother or sister.
"This is a little awkward now." says Vera. "The group is getting smaller and smaller."
The carnival game section in the arena is exactly how you thought it would be. Creepy as hell. Old run down games is scattered everywhere. Tattered canvas coverings over them. The worst part is the people running the Carnival look like mummies. They just stand there. They don't talk or move.
"It is, soon we'll have to separate." says Carmen sadly.
It's weird to think these girls I've conspired with the past two years are girls that will be dead soon. Vera is so full of life and cheer. Carmen so full of angst and rage. It's nice to have them around, and the fact that I can call these two girls actual friends terrifies me.
I'm not exactly a warm personality. People don't normally consider me someone they want to cozy on up to. So for the fact that both of them, and even Edith for that matter, stuck around for as long as they have means the world to me.
I find myself feeling loyal to these girls, and I'll even go as far to say that it's a dangerous loyalty. Loyalty is dumb. It's not for the faint hearted.
"Do you hear that?" ask Vera
Coming down the main road we hear voices. A number of them actually. They're not bothering to hide their noise, so they can't possibly be the small group from Iris' family. This has to be the big group that isn't the frat.
"Caius, we should be quiet." says Hazel as she comes into view with the rest of the group.
"Being quiet is bothersome. This whole game is bothersome." says Caius. "I don't want to do it anymore." he says.
"Well, could you at least be quiet so someone doesn't come and confront us?" ask Jade in an annoyed voice.
I look to Carmen and Vera, there are five of them, and 3 of us. Could we really take them? Our best bet is probably to stay quiet and let them walk by. This is the Hunger Games, though, and far too many have fallen due to mutt deaths, so I don't see us letting them walk by ending well for us.
"Either way we're screwed." I say looking at both girls.
Carmen merely shrugs her shoulders as she comes out of the tent we were hiding behind. Vera and I are quick to follow her as she stands strong, almost like a warrior princess.
"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in." says Sylvia.
"Sylvia, you realize the only reason you're relevant is because you won the rankings last minute right? I didn't even know your name until then." says Carmen with a smirk.
"Good one." she says. "Those your last words?" she asks Carmen as she holds up a knife in her general direction.
"Do we have to fight?" says Caius. "This is troublesome."
We all stand still. This is the first alliance our group has yet to run into, it's a little complicated on how to handle it. Will we look like a jerk if we strike first? Will they turn around and walk away, and let the mutts do their job?
"Well, I guess since you're not moving." says Caius as he gets up and walks over to the middle of the space between the two groups. "Let's go." he says egging us on. He holds his spear perched and ready for a brawl.
No one on my side has fought Caius before. We don't know his strengths or weaknesses. Vera grabs the sword out of my hand and steps into the middle. She has a determined look on her face, that I've yet to see on her before.
Caius is the first to make his move and jabs the spear into the air near Vera. She quickly sidesteps it and slams the sword down on top of the spear. The sound of metal hitting wood is all that is heard. Caius takes his spear again and lunges it Vera with it. She grabs the stick and pulls it towards her. Caius steps back, not wanting to get too close to Vera without his weapon.
Vera uses the awkward position that he is in and sweeps a kick at his ankle. He falls to the ground, but then I'm also on the ground.
"Hello, Arty." says Sylvia as she sits on top of my with a knife in her hand. She is tracing the outline of my lips with her knife, when all of the sudden I have a face full of a blood. Sylvia begins to slump down as I see Carmen standing over her. One of the tomahawks we got from the bloodbath is sticking out of her head.
"Honestly, you'd think that they'd be smart enough to at least try and take on both of us." says Carmen as Sylvia's cannon sounds.
A scream makes everyone turn and look at the middle of the space. Jade, Sashen, and Hazel are backed up against a wall. Jade has a look of fury in her eyes as she sees her best friend lying dead on the floor. She is trying to run at us, but Hazel is pulling her back.
"You're bound to make more mistakes. Don't do this while you're upset." says Hazel.
Caius and Vera are still in the heat of battle, and Sashen is trying to coax him into running away from it.
"Caius, you don't have anything to prove!" she keeps saying over and over again.
Caius again tries to ram his sword into Vera, which she sidesteps again. He stumbles over himself a little bit, and Vera takes the opportunity to ramp a sword into his head. Caius falls to the ground, and then his cannon sounds.
Sashen, Jade, and Hazel turn and sprint away from where we are. Here I thought we were going to have some fun.
Vera returns back to us looking triumphant but hurt. She's walking with a limp, and I notice that Caius stuck her in the leg.
"He was very close to a major artery, Vera." I say shocked.
"I think that was his plan." she responds as she fights off tears that are welling up.
A package flies from the sky and it lands on the ground. It's a small silver container, and when we open it up it contains a single pill.
Eat this, V
Xoxo A fan
Vera places the tablet in her mouth and swallows. She looks around at us for several minutes, and then suddenly she starts to scream out in pain. We are trying to figure out what's wrong when we notice that the hole in her leg is closing. Skin is stretching across her thigh.
When the hole is fully closed she relaxes a little bit and breathes.
"Well, that was inherently annoying, and at the same time wonderful." she says.
Mother said straight ahead
Not to delay or be misled.
I should have heeded her advice.
Jade VanBelle, 18
Capitol Female Tribute
I'm fuming. How could this happen?!
There was so much death today. Four cannons shot off. One of them belonging to my best friend. I didn't even stay and fight. I just stood there like a little bitch.
We arrive where the carousel used to be, and I am a mix of anger and confused right now.
"WHERE THE HELL IS THE UGLY ASS CAROUSEL." I say as I throw my fist in the air, and begin to flail my body.
Why is this so hard. Everything is wrong. How could they do this to us?! HOW COULD THEY?!
In the midst of my temper tantrum, the carousel begins to appear back in sight. A clear glass tube hosting Keanu, Kat, and Ellie appears on the ground. We have an awkward stare down, and I look at Hazel.
"Hand me your knife. I'm in the mood." I say.
The carousel finally locks into its base, and door to the carousel opens. Katarina, Keanu, and Ellie all stand there poised and ready to fight.
"Hasn't there been enough bloodshed today?"
"They want fights?" I say. "We might as well give it to them. I'm tired of being helpless. I'm ready to get out of here."
"Hazel grabs hold of her machete and braces herself for a fight. As well as Sashen. Keanu is the first tribute to respond and he runs at me. We collide with metal, and he kicks me in the stomach. I fall down, and he gets on top of me. I look over to my right and see Hazel is on top of Ellie, and Sashen is fighting Katarina.
"You still have a chance to walk away." says Keanu.
"Not a chance." I say as I kick him off. We circle each other, and I watch as Hazel shoves her machete into Ellie's stomach. Sashen and Katarina pause, and Kat runs over to Ellie. She falls to the ground, as Hazel and Sashen back away.
"Go on." I say. "I'll meet u-"
The sword makes contact with my chest, and I fall to the ground taking in a sharp breath of air. Sashen and Hazel try to run at towards me, but my last words to them are, "run."
Ellie's cannon goes off, and the last thing I see is Katarina walking over to my body and raising her boot high into the air over my face.
This chapter had more death than I was anticipating. Don't write Hunger Games when you're mad.
Alliance Update:
Frat/Srat- Ava/Ares/Wyatt
Numb- Hazel/Sashen
PowerPuff Girl- Vera/Carmen/Artemis
Vixens- Katarina/Keanu
Congrats to my top 10.
Eulogies
16th Place: Julian Octavian Maximus (Killed by worm mutt)- Julian was one of those characters that I wanted to have a deeper meaning for, but I just couldn't find it. I wanted him to go far, and I just couldn't find the place that he would fit in. I'm sorry Misty. He was fun.
15th Place: Honora Cashmere Flloyd(Killed by Worm Mutt/Indirectly Kat/Ellie/Keau)- Cloe, I'm so sorry that Honora died. When I got her form, and when I started arcing, she was always going to get 15th. There was no way around it. Honora was the strongest tribute I got, but I was scared that if I made her go super far she would be considered a sue, and I didn't want that for her. I'm sorry friend.
14th Place: Sylvia Hadley (Killed by Carmen Diego)- Megan, I'm sorry friend. This came down to the simple fact of reviewing/reading. I love Sylvia. You know I do. She also technically won Journey to the Top. Her winning here would be weird IMO…
13th Place: Caius Sevara (Killed by Vera Naylor)- Ansley, this honestly pisses me off. Caius was my victor since I got his form. He was so cool from the tributes that you sent before. People were mad because I didn't have any boy victors, and Caius was my perfect solution. The problem is the fact you didn't review, and when you did review you said the story bored you. You're my pal, and I appreciate you man, but I don't want to keep someone in the story that is bored with it. He was a good character. Thanks for sending him in.
12th Place: Ellie Zwiegle (Killed by Hazel Patch)- Haley, boo, I'm sorry. I was upset and got a little carried away writing the deaths...Ellie was always planned for twelfth. I just wasn't planning on getting here for another couple of chapters, but honestly, things are a bit rushed due to my current travel situations. Thanks for subbing to me after a long period of not subbing. It hasn't gone unnoticed, and I really appreciate you, friend.
11th Place: Jade VanBelle (Killed by Keanu Hargrave)- Jenna bae, I'm so sorry that I killed Jade. She wasn't a victor, though. I think we both knew that. She was impulsive, and egotistic, and hella funny. She wasn't a victor, though. I appreciate your support of all my writing from the beginning. Best friend I could ask for.
Well, that's my chapter. Sorry if you hate me now. My other stories are more spaced out, but I'm on a time crunch I wasn't aware I was going to be on when I started the story. I expect this story to go on for 25 chapters.
Submit to Thunder and Lightning. Jenna and I are starting when I get back, and it's gonna be GREAT!
Keep it classy,
Caleb