Day Ten (Part Two):
Harvest Anson (D9 F 18)
The two career girls freeze as Cornucopia Island tumbles down into the mist. While they stare at it, I seize my chance. Without a second thought, I sprint towards the table in the center of the clearing. I can see plenty of goodies on the tables: food, water, weapons, and supplies are everywhere. However, those aren't what interests me. I can see a couple of bags scattered around the table. Those could hold anything. I've got plenty of the other stuff, so the bags are what I'm going to try to get.
As I reach the table, I see the career girls out of the corner of my eye. They've spotted me at the table and are running towards me, their weapons raised. I need to grab these bags and leave as quickly as I can. I'm outnumbered- especially if the boy from District Two decides to show up. Reaching across the table, I grab two of the bags. As I pick them up, I notice that they're kind of heavy. Hopefully, that means there's something good in them.
I flinch as a knife skims past my cheek, drawing blood. I stare up at the girl from District Two, a look of aggravation on her face. She's sprinting towards me, and I know that as soon as she gets closer, her knives won't miss. The girl from District One fires an arrow at me, but I duck and it flies over my head. I really need to get out of here. I whip around and gasp when I run into something solid.
I fall to the ground and look up at the towering form of the boy from District Two. "Going somewhere?" he asks. Instead of responding, I thrust my spear upwards, and it punctures his leg. Unfortunately, it wasn't a good enough jab to inflict some major damage, but I have caught him off guard enough to scramble out from underneath him. I begin to stand up, thinking I can escape, but something sinks itself into my back with a thud. I fall back down to the ground, and hear a happy shout from the District One girl. She's hit her target, but I'm not dead yet.
Wincing, I pull the arrow out of my back and stand up again. I actually run a whole two steps before I'm tackled from behind. The strong arms of the boy from District Two shove me down, and my face lands in the dirt, the wind knocked out of me this time. My whole body screams in pain as the boy holds me down. Because of the blood pounding in my ears, I can't hear or see what he's doing. All I can do is lie helplessly as he pushes something long and sharp through the skin under my left shoulder. In no time at all, the pain fades away, and I feel myself drifting off, away from the world.
Mason Riley (D2 M 18)
"Boom."
The girl from District Nine goes limp and I pull my spear out of her back. I stand up and turn around to look at Jessie and Alexandrite. They look upset- probably because I just made a kill that could have been theirs if they had aimed properly. Jessie breaks the silence. "What now?" she asks. "Should we settle this once and for all?"
"No," I say. "There's still one more tribute out there. We can't let her win."
"So do you want to just divy up the supplies evenly and leave?" Alexandrite asks.
"Sure," I reply. "We don't want the District Ten girl getting any of this stuff." I look down at the girl I just killed. There's two bags on her back, the ones she grabbed at the feast table. I pull them off of her. Surprisingly, they're kind of heavy. "Now let's see what great stuff this girl risked her life for." I rip open one of the bags and nearly gasp when I see what's inside. Once the shock has left, I fall to the ground and begin to laugh. Tears stream down my face as Jessie and Alexandrite look at me, clearly confused.
Alexandrite grabs one of the bags and peers inside. "It's a ten-pound weight," she says, giggling as she pulls out the heavy, black sphere.
Jessie grabs the second bag, grinning. "There's another weight in here too," she says, letting out a laugh as well.
I sit up and wipe my eyes. "I love the Gamemakers," I say. "I can't believe that girl fell for their tricks." I grab one of the weights and hurl it over the side of the island. "Well, I guess we should split up the supplies now."
The three of us head for the table and begin sorting through everything. We throw all of the weights into the mist since they're worthless, and we use the bags the weights were in for holding our stuff. As we work in silence, I remember something that I've been wanting to ask the girls. "Hey guys?" I say. "There's something I've been wondering about. Why did you guys try to kill me when we were allies?"
"You're stronger than me and Jessie," Alexandrite says. "We knew it would be easier to win if you were out of the picture. Take it as a compliment."
"Okay," I say, not so sure that attempted murder could be taken as a compliment.
"By the way," Jessie begins, "how did you find out about that?"
"I got a sponsor gift from my brother," I say. "It was a note that warned me of you guys and told me to leave."
"What?" Jessie says. "I didn't know that was allowed? How is that fair?"
I grin. "I guess anything's possible if you've got enough money."
Jessie rolls her eyes, and Alexandrite stares at me, looking annoyed as well. "I agree with Jessie on this one," she says. "That should be against the rules."
"Rules?" I say. "There are no rules in the Hunger Games, except for the stepping off the platform before sixty seconds one." I throw my pile of food, water, and supplies into my bags and hoist them up onto my back. "Now if you guys don't mind, I'm going to leave before you can lecture me about something else." I turn around and begin to walk back towards the forest. I can't believe those girls are talking to me about unfairness when they're the ones who betrayed me. It doesn't matter, though. They'll be dead in a matter of days.
Once I reach the treeline, I stop and look over my shoulder. I want give one last sarcastic smile to Jessie and Alexandrite before we become bitter enemies. When I look at them, though, my eyes focus on only one thing- the throwing knife hurtling towards my forehead.
Swirl Winters (D10 F 13)
It's been boring, sitting up in this tree, away from all of the action, but I think my opportunity to step in is finally approaching. As the boy from District Two walks towards the forest, I see his district partner looking at him. She's clenching a knife pretty tightly in her hand, and there's a look of cold determination on her face. Right as the boy passes under my tree, the girl holds up her knife and prepares to throw.
Seizing my chance, I leap down from my tree right as the girl throws her knife. I land right in front of the boy from District Two and feel the knife sink into my left shoulder. Ignoring the pain, I look up at the three tributes and see the expressions of shock that cover their faces. Excellent- I've got their attention, and probably most of Panem's as well. "People of Panem!" I shout at the sky. "I have an important message for you brought all the way from District Ten!" I pull the sign of my bag and point it directly at the sky.
Judging by the expressions on the careers' faces, I've done my job well. I'm definitely going to be remembered- by them and by Panem as well. I can only hope that they'll also remember my message. It didn't take a lot of time to come up with. It's only three words long.
It takes a few seconds, but the careers finally regain their composure. As they all raise their weapons, I continue to raise my sign. I barely notice as an arrow flies into my arm, a spear hits my left shoulder, and a knife lands right over my heart. Whoever threw the knife will get credit for my death; they hit the kill spot. I fall to the ground, my sign still held tightly in my hand. I know I will die holding this sign. My vision is already being consumed by a number of large black dots that are growing larger and larger. I close my eyes, and smile as I repeat my message over and over in my head like a mantra. I notice that it sounds an awful lot like, "Duck the clavicle."
Alexandrite Dazzle (D1 F 17)
"Boom."
I watch as Jessie sprints into the forest. Mason bounds after her, looking furious. She's in trouble now. I can't believe she tried to kill Mason when his back was turned. It's not something I would do, but I wasn't about to stop her. The two of them disappear into the trees, leaving me alone on the edge of the island.
I'm still in shock because of what that District Ten girl did. Why did she jump in front of Mason like that? She seemed to be on a suicide mission, but I can't imagine why. And the note she had written on that giant leaf was unbelievable. It's a good thing Mason, Jessie, and I all shot at her so quickly. If we hadn't, I bet bombs would have rained down from the sky and we'd all be dead.
Once I'm sure that Mason and Jessie are gone, I begin to gather up my pile of new belongings. Jessie left most of her stuff here, so I'm going to have plenty. This'll keep me alive for a few more days. Along with the food, water, and supplies, I pack up something else that neither Jessie or Mason wanted- one of the weights. I may be going slightly crazy, but I think these weights have more use than the others thought. It's not like the Gamemakers to just toss something into the arena that the tributes can't use. I'm thinking that there might be a way to open the weight to reveal something inside. I'll make sure to play around with it once I've gotten settled down later today.
Now that I'm all set, I begin my hike into the rainforest. I don't plan to go too far from the clearing. The Gamemakers will probably force us all back here tomorrow or the next day anyways. I don't want to be too close, though, just in case Mason comes back and decides to set up camp. He's the type of person who would hide out in broad daylight. However, he's out chasing Jessie right now. That could take forever. Jessie is a pretty quick girl, but I don't think Mason will give up so fast.
After walking for about twenty minutes, I decide I've gone far enough. I begin to search for a tree to climb up into. It's been a while since I've gone tree climbing, but it was part of my training back in District One. I eventually find a nice-looking tree, and thankfully, I'm able to pull myself up into a branch. Once I've set down my bags, I eat a quick snack, and then pull out the weight. I guess now would be a good time to fiddle around with it.
Jessie Harte (D2 F 14)
My lungs feel like they're going to burst, but I continue to jog away from Mason. I can still hear him crashing through the forest behind me. I had hoped to outrun him, but I'm finally realizing that that might not be an option. I don't think I can run for much longer. I'm going to have to trick Mason somehow. I need to find a place to hide.
My first thought is to climb up into a tree, but I don't think I can climb fast enough. Besides, I'd have nowhere to go if Mason waited at the bottom. As I attempt to brainstorm new ideas, I see something up ahead- the stream. Maybe I could put my feet in the water and hide behind the bank. Mason would run right over me. The only way he could see me would be if he turned around after jumping over the stream. Since he probably won't do that, I decide to go through with this plan.
I give one final burst of speed to make sure I'm far enough ahead of Mason. It's a good thing that this jungle is packed densely with trees, vines, and bushes, or he'd definitely be able to see me. Once I reach the stream, I jump down into it and curl myself into a ball. I place my back up against the dirt, and try to silence my heavy breathing. I'm glad that this stream is tiny. My feet are soaked, but the rest of my body remains dry.
As I hear Mason's heavy steps get closer and closer, I hold my breath and cross my fingers. If he hears or sees me down here, I'm dead meat. Mason gives a loud grunt and leaps over me, landing on the other side of the stream. Seeming unphased, he continues to jog through the forest. I continue to watch him, not letting out my breath until his footsteps fade and his giant form disappears into the trees.
I stay in the stream for a few minutes, breathing deeply and feeling extremely relieved that Mason didn't spot me. Then, I remember my wet feet and bolt out of the water. I slosh around on the dirt, my feet feeling like they're ten pounds heavier. Having wet shoes is going to be miserable, but it's worth it since I was able to throw Mason off of my tail.
Mason Riley (D2 M 18)
I haven't heard Jessie's footsteps for a few minutes now. I think she finally managed to outrun me. I stop jogging and lean against a tree, huffing and puffing. I can't believe how exhausted I am. Back in District Two, I'd go on thirty-minute runs three days a week as part of my training. I never got extremely tired during them, but here I am, nearly ready to puke my guts out. I guess that's just what the Games do to you. I can't wait to get out of here.
Once I've caught my breath, I begin to walk around, wondering what to do with myself. I've never been much of a tree-climber, so that's out. If I get more than ten feet off of the ground, the branches always break under my weight. I don't want to camp out in the open, so all I can do is hope I find some sort of cave. I hike my bags onto my back and start searching for anything that could conceal me through the night.
While walking, I remember something: I killed the girl from District Nine at the feast. That means I have five kills. Glint only had four; I've officially pulled ahead of him. That should help out my sponsorship situation. Plus, it feels great to finally beat Glint. He hasn't worked as hard as I have, and it's really showing. Hopefully, I'll show him up one more time by winning the Hunger Games.
Suddenly, I notice something up ahead. The trees are thinning out, and the sky is becoming more and more visible. After walking for a few more seconds, I discover that I'm on the edge of the land mass. I stop for a while and just look out at the mist. The arena the Gamemakers made this year is pretty impressive. There's a lot of mystery involved; I can't decide if we're really high up or if the mist is just an illusion. I guess it really doesn't matter. If someone falls down into it, they're dead either way.
Turning back into the rainforest, I soon find a pretty big bush. It won't hide me completely, but it's the best thing I've found. Besides, I doubt Alexandrite and Jessie will come this deep into the forest. Really, the only way I could be attacked is if a mutt came. I don't think the Gamemakers will send mutts just yet, though. They'll wait at least another day for the finale. They need to give time for people to place their bets. Also, it's more exciting if the tributes are well rested because it means they'll be in perfect fighting condition when it's time to battle. I pull a blanket out of one of the bags and lie down. It'll be dark in another hour or so, so I might as well just wait to hear the anthem.
Alexandrite Dazzle (D1 F 17)
I slam the weight onto the ground, feeling extremely frustrated. I haven't figured out any way to open it. I've tried everything; I've tried to pry open the crevices with an arrow, I've tried banging it up against the tree, and I've even tried setting it on fire. Nothing has worked. All I've accomplished is making the weight a dented, scorched, scratched mess. Maybe I was going slightly crazy by believing something was hidden inside the weight. It was a stupid idea. I've embarrassed myself in front of all of Panem, and I've completely wasted the whole day.
I scamper down from the tree, pick up the weight, and climb back up with it in my hand. Even though I've almost given up on the weight, I'm still going to keep it, just in case. Hopefully, I'm merely missing a piece of the puzzle. I know that every puzzle has a solution, and even if this weight turns out to be hollow, I'll still walk away knowing that I tried.
Without warning, the anthem begins echoing through the arena. The first face displayed in the sky belongs to the girl from District Nine. She was certainly the strongest non-career this year. I do have respect for her since she managed to make it this far, but I'm still glad that she's dead.
The second face in the sky is the girl from District Ten. Unlike the District Nine girl, I'm very surprised that this girl made it so far. She was only thirteen, and she didn't look particularly strong or smart. She did manage to get a pretty high training score though. She probably showed the Gamemakers how feisty she is, just like she did when she saved Mason's life and displayed her message to the Capitol. I will remember her, but only because of the outrageous message she had.
The anthem ends, and the sky becomes bathed in blackness. I guess I should get some sleep now. Anything could happen tomorrow, and I need to be prepared for whatever 'anything' is. I set myself up in a sturdy-looking branch and close my eyes. It doesn't take long for my exhaustion to take over, and I drift off to sleep.
The Fallen (2):
Harvest Anson (D9 F 18)
Killed by Mason. After being tackled to the ground, a spear was shoved through her back and into her heart.
Swirl Winters (D10 F 13)
Killed by Jessie. After displaying her message to the Capitol, she was shot at by all three careers, taking a knife to the heart.
Remaining Tributes (3):
D1:
Alexandrite Dazzle (D1 F 17)
{Annabeth-TheTributeThatLived}
D2:
Jessie Harte (D2 F 14)
{ImSoCutee00}
Mason Riley (D2 M 18)
{Jms2}
Kills:
Mason: Ryland, Peter, Nylah, Eridan, Harvest
Glint: Misty, Cobalt, Tadalynn, Lukas
Jessie: Jarvis, Aria, Cherry, Swirl
Alexandrite: Jennette, Rory, Mapelle
Sheldon: Marina, Osborn
Harvest: Sheldon, Glint
Swirl: Peyton
Alliances:
Alexandrite
Jessie
Mason
Hey guys, this is TheTributesWhoLived34 broadcasting from Tennessee! School ended yesterday, and now I'm on vacation attempting to use the crappy hotel WiFi. I'm going to be in Tennessee for a week, so don't expect another update until after I get home.
So anyways, sorry for the late update. :-( I've been really busy studying for finals, so I've had trouble trying to find time to write. But now school's over, so yay!
Congrats to all three tributes/submitters who have made it to the final three! Harvest and Swirl were great tributes, but unfortunately, it was their time to go. :-( There's a final three poll up, so please go vote for your favorite tribute!
Thanks for reading! :-)