"After interest in the Games drops to an all time low, President Snow is determined to regain the once amazing popularity. Twelve tributes. One 'arena.' And one game-changing twist. Welcome to the 80th Hunger Games, the Rebirth."

~ The Rebirth Games ~

Chapter Nine:

The Bloodbath(?) Part 1

My heart pounds fast in my chest as I scurry towards the group. My hands are glued with blood and I pull them apart, watching as sticky strings connect from one to the other. They all look at me in horror, but I can't say anything. No matter how hard I try, the words just won't come out. No matter how much pain I feel, words still refuse to come out. But after minutes of them assuring me everything would be alright and that I need to speak up, words finally do come out.

"Who could have done this?"

14 HOURS EARLIER:

Waking up was probably the worst moment of my life. Finnick arrives with a plain black t-shirt and a pair of pants for me to wear and tells me it is for the arena. "Probably not a desert. The black colors would scorch everyone alive.. Gamemakers aren't that stupid," he says. "Probaby not a winter theme. You'd all be frozen alive within minutes without thick layers over you."

"So your guess is?"

"I'm not sure."

Tren and I both have chocolate pancakes for breakfast at the table smothered in some sort of strawberry sauce. But it isn't long after that Finnick and Beetee guide us into an elevator outside our room. We are zipped up to the roof within ten seconds where we are met with a huge hovercraft. Peacekeepers stand silent in lines on either side of us loaded with heavy white guns.

We walk across the stone stretch, up a huge ramp lowered from the side of the hovercraft and into a large room filled with chairs. But these chairs aren't empty. Instead they are filled with each mentor and tribute from the Games. Finnick and Beetee seperate from us to the aisle with the mentors while Tren and I take the two spare seats across from two strangers. One girl with ashen skin and long, curly black hair sitting beside a tiny boy with tight brown hair.

"How are y'all a'doing?!" the girl squeals at us. I am taken aback instantly by her loudiness and so are the others. I see Are and Mara slightly jump in their seats diagonally to the left. "My name is Destiny. I'm from the 11th District of Panem, uh-huh!"

"Nice to meet you, Destiny.." whispers Tren. "What about you?" she nods to the small boy who squeezes his eyes shut. "What's your name?" The boy doesn't answer, and even though he looks as if he's asleep, he's definitely not. His breath is low and he looks like he's in a meditiation trance, but definitely awake.

"Don't mind him!" says Destiny. "He's crazy! I haven't heard him speak a word since I first met him! He's completely cuckoo! And that's why I call him Crazy." I anything, it's Destiny that is crazy. Firstly, she is way too loud. Secondly, she acts as if he's not here and she continues to speak about him negatively.

"So.. his name is Crazy?" I ask.

"Well, for me it is!" she yells. "We're definitely not gonna call him 'that boy' or somethin', you know what I'm saying? Hmm.."

"Yeah, I know what you sayin', uh-huh.. hmm..." I mock her in a whispered tone. Tren punches me in the shoulder and giggles, but luckily Destiny doesn't hear. Instead she hums some sort of song to herself while she looks around the room.

A woman begins walking down the aisle, injecting something into everyones' arms. I look to the left and watch as Obedience's arm glows a bright blue as the syringe stabs through his flesh. And that's when the girl to my left stares at me.

"What are you looking at?" she asks in a bitter tone.

"I don't know," I say. "Something ugly.

"Well then obviously you're looking into a mirror!" she says, twirling her long blonde hair in her fingers.

"Well of course you're a mirror. You are fragile and I can break you easily."

She lets out a distressed sound. "Uh.. uh-! Shut up!"

I grin and turn to Tren as she angrily taps her foot away. "I think that's Livvy," I whisper. "Seems like it," Tren replies. "She seems like a right idiot too-"

I hear a gut-wrenching scream and turn to see the syringe injected into Livvy's arm. She panicks, wriggling in her seat as tears flow down her rosy cheeks. "Get it out! Stop it! It hurts! Please!"

"It's just your tracker," the woman says to her as she yanks it out. "Give me your arm," she says to me and I hold it out. I feel the thin metal pierce through my skin with little pain. Clearly Libby is an overreactive baby. Destiny, 'Crazy' and Tren all get the trackers, and after about a minute I feel a rumble shoot through the floor. The walls vibrate as Tren latches onto my arm. I feel her shaking and I twist my head to look at her. I can see through her eyes; she's scared. "Don't worry," I whisper. "We'll be safe." I hear a tut come from down the aisle and I turn to see Celia with her arms crossed, faking a gag at us both. Ignoring idiots like her is only the best thing to do.

The flight only takes about ten minutes, at least that's what I'm guessing. By then, the ramp falls open and Peacekeepers bring us out one by one. Finnick and I are both guided out into a gigantic grey room through one of the small grey doorways. Inside, I see a timer on the wall counting down sixty seconds and a glass tube in the corner. It's finally time, and I know there's not another minute to spare. There's no more preparation, no more fun. Now it's time for the Games. And of course, it's my last time to get answers, so I ask FInnick the same question again.

"Before I go, can you tell me what Maris was talking about in the Justice Building?" I turn my back to him, staring at his reflection in the glass tube just as a woman's voice calls out over the intercom 'fifty seconds.'

He sighs, his head held down to the ground. After a long pause, he answers. "I can't."

I spin on my heels and glare at him. "Tell me right now."

"Forty seconds."

"I told you, I can't, Danix."

"What is so secretive about it, Mr. Odair?" I ask. "Why was she scared? She was fearful about something. What are you hiding?"

"Thirty seconds."

"I'm hiding nothing!" Finnick says, his voice loud and full of rage. He tilts his head up and I get a full view of his face, veins popping in his neck. "I told you this already, Danix! Maris wasn't there at all! It was just a dream!"

"Just a dream?" I say. "Then why did you say 'I can't' just seconds ago? You 'can't' what then? What can you not do?!"

"Twenty seconds."

"Danix, just let it go," he continues. "If you don't want anyone to suffer pain, just drop it..." I'm about to speak when I stop myself instantly. Something about the words he spoke and something about the way he said it made me feel like he was worried about something. What does he mean about 'suffering pain'? I don't know what on earth he's talking about, but I have no time left.

"Ten seconds."

I step forward into the glass tube and watch as he walks over to me. "Good luck, but now I have a question to ask you..." I hear noises throughout the walls and a glass door begins to shut in front of me.

"...What secrets do you have?"

The door closes just as his words register in my head. He asked me that just before I saw Maris warn me about him. Beetee asked me it. The same question over and over again. It's all just a big tease and the evil smile on his face makes that clear. No longer is he angry or somber. Now he looks like a villain. He knows something and his acting skills aren't the finest. I feel the anger build up inside me as the plate beneath my feet rises. He steps backwards into the darkness of the room giving me a sarcastic wave, almost like he's happy that I'm being sent to my death. My fist forms and I slam against the glass. The wall vibrates as I continue to punch it, but soon enough I'm past the ceiling, his face is gone and I'm sealed into darkness.

I take deep breaths as my head begins to rapidly spin. The only sign of light is the gentle shimmer of glass around me. I see my face in reflections as I spin my body around. My feet tumble over one another as I see a faint light up ahead. I don't feel a huge gush of wind or the climate changing at all. Instead I feel the same. The plate stops and I take a look at my surroundings. I see dusty boxes, cobwebs, plush toys, baseball bats- there's nothing deadly or dangerous looking. I press my hands against the wall and realize that I'm in a much smaller place than I thought I was. About a square-meter large room and that's it. Then I see the golden door knob in front of me.

" Let the eightieth Hunger Games begin, and may the odds be ever in your favor! Ten, nine, eight..."

I hear the voice echo outside of the walls and I know that there's more to this place than I think. I get down onto my hands and knees, peeking under the door to see a small bit of light, but nothing much.

"Seven, six, five..."

I stand up, place my hand on the knob and prepare myself for the next moments of my life.

"Four, three, two..."

I stay completely silent, my back arched and in a sprinting position, ready to run away from death. And then I hear the gong blast.

"One..."

Author's Note:

Oh. My. GOD!

Hello everybody! Welcome to Chapter Nine of The Rebirth Games, The Bloodbath(?) Part 1! And obviously there's going to be a reason for that small (?) at the end of 'Bloodbath.' It's finally time for some ANSWERS in this story! Are you excited?! ;D

Oh boy, from now on it's going to be super fun... We have got Igenous, Obedience, Celia, Mara, Are, Fern, Livvy, Destiny, 'Crazy,' Danix, and Solly who I have yet to introduce correctly. xD

Which character - apart from Danix - is your favorite so far? Let me know in the poll that I have just posted on my profile! In no way will it affect the deaths that are going to happen, but it will affect possibly HOW deaths happen and how featured the characters are. If there is one character leading the vote, I'll probably feature them in the story more. :)

So... just one more chapter until some answers are revealed! It's going to be exciting. ;)

That's all I can say for now without giving any spoilers... xD

Whether you liked this chapter or not, please feel free to leave a review if you'd like to! :D

Thank you all so much for reading, byeeeee! :D