Chapter Twenty - The Fallen
For the rest of the day, we spend time carefully taking stock of the Cornucopia. Apparently they have mountains and snow in the winters of District One, giving Shine and Gray an unfortunate advantage, but Gray is kind enough to tell us the uses of some of the things we find in the Cornucopia, and Shine agrees unhappily.
The long poles apparently go with the even longer flat sticks that Gray and Shine call "skis", which are used for quickly getting down a mountain. A "snowboard", something else we found in there, has the same use, but is just one giant plank that attaches to both of your feet instead of two planks like the skis.
"Oh wow." I hear Cass' voice come from the back of the Cornucopia. "What's this?"
We all come over to look at what Cass has found. It's a giant machine sort of thing, with handles and seat.
Gray gives a gasp of shock. "That's a snowmobile. We used to have one back home. It can get you up and down a mountain faster than anyone could ever run."
Translation: I think to myself. This is the thing you want to make your getaway in when you leave these guys.
I have been thinking about how and when to leave since we got in the arena. I don't mind Tiana too much, she doesn't seem as awful as most Careers normally are, but I don't think Shine will put up with me for too much longer, even if I did kill three people in the bloodbath, something I have been trying to push out of my mind ever since it happened, which was just hours ago.
We all decide, after setting up tents and a watch schedule, and also donning much warmer winter coats, that we should have a quick ski and snowboard lesson. Gray and Shine just shrug, both saying they want to get some sleep before their watch, which is first. I'm guessing what they both really want is to keep their advantage as much as possible, but I don't argue. I grab a snowboard while Cass and Tiana get some skis and we all head out onto the side of the mountain.
There's a cleared area just above the Cornucopia where we can keep watch and practice at the same time. It's pretty steep, but so is the rest of the mountain, so it isn't going to get much better than this.
I can tell Tiana is wary of both me and Cass, after all, we're district partners, we're bound to want each other alive more so than her, so I give her as much space as she wants. I already have Shine as an enemy, I don't need her too.
Snowboarding is much harder than I thought it would be, but I've always had pretty good balance, and soon enough I can get down our little section of the mountain probably just as fast as I could run it, but using less energy, which is definitely important. I decide to try for more speed tomorrow and retire to watching Cass and Tiana struggle on their skis, laughing every time Cass falls, which is quite a lot, surprisingly. I guess spending my life on the sea and not in the gym was good for something; real life experience.
Soon, the sun is going down and we all head back to the camp to wake up Shine and Gray, which we do quite effectively by shaking each of their tents. When Shine emerges from her tent, hair ruffled and sticking out strangely and very angry with Tiana and me for our methods of waking her, Tiana catches my eye and gives me her first smile I've seen in this whole Game. I grin back, maybe she isn't so bad.
The sky darkens quickly and the anthem begins to play, signalling the start of the death recap. I steel my nerves and look up at the sky, face emotionless, for now.
The Fallen, it reads.
The first person to show is Demetri. Tiana face somehow darkens in the night and she looks away. I guess she knew him well before the Games.
Next is Pascale. I can only imagine what Jayden must be thinking now. I hope they're all okay. I haven't heard any cannons since the bloodbath, but you never know what state they might be in.
Both Darryn and Jane from District Five are shown, which also shows that both me and Cass are okay, for now. I feel a try slip off my cheek when Darryn's smiling face is projected, but I keep my eyes on the sky.
District Eight is next, which means that both 6 and 7 are okay. It's the tribute that Shine killed, or, rather, one of the tributes Shine killed.
Next is Shine's other victim, Heather. I want to cry again when I see her smiling and happy, nothing like what she would be now. Both Spencer and Jayden have lost their district partners on the first day.
After Heather disappears again, we see two of my victims, Blake from Ten, and Cara from Eleven. I make myself watch it, it isn't fair to them to do anything but that, and I feel Cass' hand squeeze my shoulder comfortingly as the sky turns black once more, fake starts twinkling in the sky above us.
I ended up getting the shift after Tiana's, and by myself. I wish I had been able to talk to him, but I didn't want to seem suspicious.
Night watch is, unsurprisingly boring, so I decide to go through my backpack once more to make sure I have everything I might need in case something happens to camp, which I'm sure it will.
Flashlight, sunglasses, rope, food, water, extra clothes, two knives, a net, sleeping bag, matches, and a first aid kit fill the huge backpack, while a snowboard, two spears, and one trident are strapped to the outside. It's super heavy, but nothing I can't handle. I've also slipped two extra knives on a belt holster around my waist as well as the keys to the snowmobile into my pocket. Can't be too careful, can you?
Just to be clear,
THE FALLEN
Demetri, District Two Male, killed by Titus (D6) in the Bloodbath
Pascale, District Three Female, killed by Gray (D1) in the Bloodbath
Jane, District Five Female, killed by Alexis (D4) in the Bloodbath
Darryn, District Five Male, killed by Cara (D11) in the Bloodbath
Nico, District Eight Male, killed by Shine (D1) in the Bloodbath
Heather, District Nine Female, killed by Shine (D1) in the Bloodbath
Blake, District Ten Male, killed by Alexis (D4) in the Bloodbath
Cara, District Eleven Female, killed by Alexis (D4) in the Bloodbath
Total: 8 - BB, 16 Remaining
(And those remaining are...)
Shine D1
Gray D1
Tiana D2
Jayden D3
Cassius D4
Alexis D4
Kya D6
Titus D6
Willow D7
Ash D7
Jasmine D8
Spencer D9
Avery D10
Aaron D11
Damien D12
Camille D12