Chapter Nine

Drake

Gaia motions us all to the entrance of the Cornucopia as night falls in the arena. We stand in a circle at the mouth and Gaia, as usual, starts to talk.

'So we're down to the final eight. There are four of us and four somewhere out there,' her cold eyes sweep the edge of the forest, 'We have to assume that the two from Seven are allies-'

'Yeah, that Sam guy and his fat, dyke girlfriend,' I sneer. Gaia shoots me a poisonous look before continuing.

'As for the other two, we don't know. But, tonight we'll find out. Get your weapons. It's time to hunt them down and kill them all.' Gaia smiles and I let out a whoop. Even Caine doesn't argue.

The four of us spread out to collect weapons to bring with us for the night. I'm about to head back to join the others when I hear a tinkling noise and look up. A Sponsor's gift floats gently down in front of me to land at my feet. I bend down curiously, pick up the package and open it. Inside, looped into the shape of a circle is a deep red whip, the colour of dried blood. I let the mace drop to the ground. By the time I've unwound the whip gently, the other three have gathered around me. I slide my hand over the smooth handle and down the taut wire of the whip itself, getting the feel of my new weapon. Finally, a snort breaks the silence.

'You about done there, Drake?' Gaia asks sarcastically. 'Do you need a room?'

I flick the whip with a satisfying crack and grin.

'Oh yeah, I'm ready.'

Caesar Flickerman, Host of the Hunger Games

I speak in a hushed voice, both to the camera and microphone in front of me, as well as to Claudius Templesmith, announcer of the Games, who sits by my side, as we both look at a screen showing the Careers heading into the darkening forest;

'As we can see now, the four Career tributes left in this year's Games have just entered the arena's forest, hunting down the other four remaining tributes. I have a feeling blood will be spilt tonight, what do you think Claudius?'

'Yes, Caesar, I think the Careers are certainly a formidable force. The other tributes best be on there guards tonight...'

Sam

I hear Brianna's scream and wake suddenly. My hand shoots out to wake Dekka, but she's up and alert. I place my finger to my lips and we both shimmy hurriedly down the tree. We just reach the bottom when Brianna bursts into the clearing. A question is about to leave my lips when four other tributes crash into the clearing behind her. I recognize them as the Careers. Dekka and I pull out our axes as Brianna skids to a halt beside us, throwing knives already drawn. We face each other, all seven of us tributes frozen, waiting for another to make a move. Then the girl from Four, Penny I remember her name is, shrieks and runs forward, knife in hand. She doesn't get far as Dekka's axe flies through the air and buries itself in her chest. The spell is broken and the fighting begins.

Dekka

Sam's axe leaves his hand not long after mine and whips towards the boy from One. It hits his forhead with a thump and the boy stops suddenly, his last smirk still etched on his face as he falls forwards to the ground. I turn away and run over to the body of the girl I killed seconds ago. My stomach churns as I roll her onto her back and pull the axe slowly from her chest. I look down at her once more before turning back to the fight. I breathe deeply, let out a bellow and charge straight back in.

Drake

Caine shoots me a challenging smirk as the fight begins, sword casually raised in his hand for defence. Out of nowhere an axe flies through the air and hits his forehead, and another hits Penny square in the chest. Two cannons fire and my mouth drops as my gaze sweeps the clearing until I see Sam and Dekka, the two from Seven, arms still raised from throwing the axes.

Huh. I'm almost impressed. Then I realise that they've already managed to kill two of us and that we're actually outnumbered. I calm down and get serious. I run for Sam, who is now weaponless, whip ready. He turns to face me as I flick the whip, wrapping it around his left leg and bringing him crashing to the ground. I raise the whip again and bring it down on his body. As he screams in pain, I laugh, forgetting about the battle behind me, revelling in his agony. I whip again and again, until finally I casually flick the whip to wrap around his neck, like I've done countless times while training.

'Sorry Sammy boy, show's over,' I grin and tighten the hold, squeezing the life out of him.

Gaia

Three cannons have fired already in only a few minutes; one for Penny, Caine (I always knew he was weak) and for the boy from Seven. I grind my teeth, we've already lost two Careers but they've only lost the Sam boy. I raise my bow, arrow notched and my sight set on the small red-head from Nine. I inhale, aim and fire, shooting her straight through the heart. I lower the bow, smile briefly as her cannon booms and turn to find the last ally. Suddenly the air is pierced with a furious scream. I'm tackled viscously from behind and the girl from Seven knocks me to the ground. Her face is twisted in a hateful expression as she raises her axe. I manage to block the attack with my arm and feel a sharp pain as my skin is sliced shallowly from wrist to elbow. I scream and wriggle furiously. Caught off guard, she topples sideways off me. I rest for a minute, glancing at my cut arm and I growl in anger and pain. However, I leave it to long, she's already standing above me. I scream for Drake but she's already gotten to him. He's lying on the ground, knocked out I think, because I didn't hear a cannon. Seven stands over me, thankfully her weapon has been knocked out of her hand, but instead she kicks me in the head and I fall into blackness.

Dekka

I stand over Gaia, wishing I had a weapon, because for the first time in my life I want to deliberately kill someone. But I don't have enough time to look for my axe. I have to get to Brianna before they take her away. Sam is already gone. I leave Gaia and run to Brianna. I fall to my knees beside her and cradle her head in my hands, tears dripping onto her motionless face. She never had a chance, the arrow lodged itself right in her lioness heart. I snuffle into my sleeve and wipe my tears so I can see her face clearly. I've only known her a few days but it feels like I've known her forever. I had mixed feelings until now, and finally I know. I lean forward and kiss her softly, then carefully close her eyes.

'There,' I whisper, 'sleep tight.'

I stand up and walk over to where Gaia lies on the ground. I find my axe and slide it numbly into the waistband of my trousers. I am done with death. I'm so sick of it I can't even bring myself to kill Gaia or her ally, who I also knocked out by kicking him in the back of the head. Too late for Sam, though. I swallow hard, look back once at Brianna's small figure and turn and walk away.

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