Tilson Rye's POV (Flashback to the 83rd Hunger Games) District Nine Mentor
Sweat pours down my face as I flee through the forest. There were only two of us left, me and the District Four female, Shellisha Delphini. The two of us were fleeing for our lives, but not from each other, even though she had a definite upper hand. No, we were fleeing from a monster. A mutt, too be exact.
The seventh night of the 83rd Hunger Games began peacefully. I was sitting in a large oak tree, watching as the faces of the fallen tributes flash by. The District One female, Opal Gemma, is the first face to appear. Her curled red hair is pinned in an updo and her blank hazel eyes were dull and emotionless. Next up is the District Four male, Blight Triton, who's pale skin glowed in the hologram. Blight was followed by the District Six girl, Laureen Honeysuckle, who's death I had witnessed from this very tree. She was slain with a sword by Opal, who must have died later that day. Next up was the blond haired District Eight boy, who's name I didn't remember. Lastly, my ally and only friend's face appears, Gracie Noble.
The two of us were friends back home, for she was my next door neighbor. The two of us were practically raised together. In the summer, the two of us would run in the fields without a care in the world. Her long dark brown hair would fly behind her in the breeze. We would run for hours amid waves if grain. Two years ago, when we were fourteen, our childlike friendship became more. The two of us fell in love and dated for two years. We would do the typical boyfriend girlfriend things, like me buying her flowers or if I had saved enough money, I would get her a necklace or a pair of earrings. Our life was like a blissful dream, until that day. Reaping day.
The two of us made a pact. If one of us is chosen, the other is to never, under any circumstance, volunteer. Not that the promise would matter. The odds simply weren't in our favor.
As our escort, who's name I forgot, strutted up to the podium, Gracie and I locked hands, beginning internally to not be chosen. But no one listened to us.
"Gracilyn Noble!" The escort announced into the microphone.
Gracie gazed at me with tears in her eyes. The look on her face was heartbreaking.
"Tilson," she whispered, her big blue eyes glistening, "I will see you again. I love you."
I was too shocked to speak as she is dragged up to the stage by a white uniform clad peacekeeper. I was devastated that my true love and long time best friend would be going into the games. But nothing prepared me for what happened next.
"And now for the boys! Tilson Rye!"
I was doomed. At least one of would die, if not both. At that moment, I knew exactly what I was going to do. I would protect Gracie from everything that would be in the arena. I won't win without her.
But on the seventh day of the games, tragedy struck. We were looking for berries in the woods without a care in the world. We were talking and giggling, not knowing that we were being watched by Shellisha from District Four. She emerged soundlessly from behind a bush, took her trident, and in seconds, Gracie was dying on the ground.
My world goes silent, I hear screaming and I was pretty sure it was coming from me. The insane cackling of Shellisha fills my ears.
"You're next, Nine," she growls at me, "you'll end up just like your little girlfriend." In a blink of an eye, she's gone into the woods.
I crumpled to the ground beside Gracie, tears streaming down my face. I knew that she is gone. But I was wrong. At least not yet.
"Tilson..." She wheezes, the quickly draining from her eyes.
"Yes, my love," I respond.
She looks up at me with her icy blue eyes, "Win this for me. I- I know you can."
With that, she slips into an eternal sleep and a cannon fires. Gracie's cannon. Yes, I will win, in the memory of Gracie Noble.
Later that night, I found a large oak tree, which I slowly climb up and spend the night. It was from that tree where I witnessed the death of the District Six girl.
After the faces of the dead disappeared from the sky, I slip into a restless sleep.
-oOo-
BOOM!
A cannon firing disturbs me from my slumber as I awake with a jolt. I looked down to see Shellisha running for her life in the distance. This means that the District Twelve boy was dead, leaving just me and Gracie's murderer.
I jump down from the tree and hit the ground with a soft thud, only to come face to face with a monstrous creature.
The first thing I notice about the creature is its size. Each of its legs and arms are at least two yards long and its skin is a pasty cream. Its long bony fingers reach out to me. But the worst part was his face. The mutt's head was tiny compared to the rest of its body. The monster's mouth was smiling with two crooked rows of sharp teeth. Its eyes glowed a deep red with a dark baggy circles around them. The mutt lashed its teeth at me and made a deep growling noise.
Without wasting another second, I spring up on my feet and run as fat as I can. I soon pass by Shellisha who tries to jab me with the same trident she used to end Gracie's life. But I evade and rush forward. This chase couldn't last forward. Either Shellisha is going to kill me or the mutt will.
As we're sprinting through the forest for our lives, I can only think of one way that I can escape this peril.
I noticed a tall birch tree with a few limbs coming out the side. It wasn't the best tree for what I had planned, but it would have to work.
Not thinking twice, I launch myself at the nearest branch, which hits me in the gut, momentarily knocking the wind out of me.
Shaking the pain off, I scramble up to the top of the tree. Shellisha tries to follow me up, but she's not quick enough. A shrill scream echoed through the air as I knew that the worst was happening. I shut my eyes as tight as I can, not wanting to see her being eaten by the mutt, even though she is my enemy. Finally, a cannon booms and everything goes silent.
I slowly open my eyes to see that both the mutt and Shellisha are gone. I jump from the tree and look around. The forest is so peaceful, there is no evidence that twenty three kids were murdered here. There is only me and the woods.
Suddenly, the sound of trumpets filled the air and the host, Caesar Flickerman, announces victoriously,
"Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the 83rd Hunger Games, Tilson Rye!"
A hovercraft appears above me and I'm brought on board. The entire experience was a blur. I didn't really remember those moments after my victory. I was too guilty about about the loss of Gracie. There was no no blood on my hands, for I didn't kill anybody, but it doesn't feel that way. I would have given anything to have lost the games.
A/N
Thank you Peeta6in6real6life for submitting Tilson! Don't forget to check out the updated fan favorite poll!
Trivia: What mutt did the careers have to fight in District Eight?
Thanks and don't forget to review!
Angelofmusic4ever