Day One, Night

"Men who fear demons see demons everywhere."

Markus Zusak

Tear Nikuya, District 9, 16:

Luke and I barely interacted ever since we initiated our alliance. I couldn't help but think about the Bloodbath; the death, Liz, the screams and the weapons... They continued to flash before my eyes and I couldn't think of anything else. I couldn't think about the future. All I could think about was the brutality of the Bloodbath which had been... How many hours ago now? Eight? Nine? Maybe even ten? The Bloodbath was around seven or eight AM, and it was getting dark outside the windows, so I assumed it had been ten hours.

Ten hours walking in silence. Liz should've been the shellshocked ally next to me. But in her stead was Luke. His dark eyes surveyed the corridor we walked through; I even glanced around it quickly. There was a grandfather clock which ticked away in a taunting manner, a few doors. Compared to every other room in the palace this one seemed to dull and modest – I couldn't see any silk, gold, or jewels. The walls were bare with no paintings. The only thing I noticed was a small piece of string with a bell attached outside of each door and what looked like scribbled rules pinned against the wall in a foreign language.

"Wonder what it says," I said, my finger tracing the foreign inscription. They used our numbers and alphabet, but the words were completely alien to me. I heard Luke ring one of the bells inquisitively, its tinkle filling the air. "Looks like rules..." My finger moved from the yellowing parchment as Luke opened the door.

I could see a slice of the room through the doorway. Like the corridor, it was monotonous and dreary. There was no carpet, only floorboards. The plastered walls were undecorated and unpainted. I could only see a small wardrobe, wide open to reveal what looked like servants attire. The opened door had a mirror, and in its reflection I could see a single bed with boring, well made sheets covering it. Luke stepped into the room and I followed, observing the room and noting that there wasn't anything else.

"We haven't been here," Luke said. I had learnt that one good thing about Luke was that he had a great memory. He didn't seem as smart as Liz, but he could navigate and memorise the Palace better than I could hope.

"I guessed," I said. "Everywhere else is so regal and well decorated. But this is so bland. It's almost like the people who lived here were..."

"Servants," Luke said. "The rich people in District Twelve have them, although they don't have so many. There must be how many bedrooms – fifty, one hundred? Maybe more... Cooks, cleaners, maids, butlers, nannies, chamber maids..."

"Do you think?" My stomach growled. I had some food but every time I picked into it and ate a berry I felt a twinge of guilt for eating on the very first day. "That considering this is where cooks and cleaners lived... This is close to the kitchen?"

"My sentiments exactly," Luke smiled, moving out of the room. I followed him down the corridor. There were the same identical doors with the bells by them. Luke peered into the rooms and found exact replicas of the room we had explored, about fifty of them, until we managed to reach a door at the end of the corridor. Upon opening it we only saw a rosewood bannister which trailed downwards with a large staircase.

"Bingo," I said, readying my knife. It may only be the first day, but I was preparing myself for the part of the Games where there'd be an enemy around every corner.

The stairs groaned under our weight as we rushed down the stairs, my hand sliding down the bannister as we treaded. There seemed to be three stairs of flights, and down the first stair of flights the humility of the previous rooms had been abandoned; a red carpet with gold embroidery guided us down the stairs, the walls displayed grand tapestries and a plumb woman in a portrait who seemed to glare at us austerely. We eventually managed to reach the bottom of the stairs, our feet touching cobblestone and our body being met with chills.

The walls were made out of stone, so were the floors. There was no doorway, only an arch that seemed to signify the ending of the servant's quarters and the beginning of the royal domain of the Palace. To our left we could see what looked like a pantry, though it was fifty times bigger than the pantry in my house. Stocks of food galore on display for us. Looks like I wouldn't have to worry about starving... Ever. I could see baguettes, cheeses, what looked like salted meat, poultry and fish. The cupboards of the pantry bulged whilst many stocks of food were hung up. There seemed to be a doorway through the pantry; undoubtedly the kitchen.

We stepped through the stone archway, the ground beneath us once again switching from stone to wood. There were four entrances from either side of us.

"Go into different rooms," Luke said to me.

"Cool," I nodded. I felt bad; I had a knife. If I was attacked I had some defence. Luke had nothing.

I moved into one of the doorways and realised that I was in a kitchen. Tiles of black and white were beneath. Then I noticed all of the crockery – enough to supply an army. It was all stored above. Cupboards filled with plates and cups. The room I was in was big enough, and that was as far as I could see. The kitchen seemed to be titanic at a conservative estimate. Walking past a bubbly sink filled with plates, I realised that the creepiest thing about this arena was that it wasn't rotting. Most Gamemakers threw you into an abandoned arena that was evidently abandoned and falling apart; but the pristine kitchen, with food left on the cutting board and tinned room safely stored gave me the impression that everyone in the mansion — the Kings and the servants – had randomly disappeared without a trace.

... Where were they?

That was a stupid question. I reminded myself that they didn't exist.

"Tear!" I jumped, readying my knife and turning around. Luke's first shout seemed shocked but now he seemed happy. "Come and take a look at this!"

I scurried into the room Luke had entered, the one parallel to the kitchens. I paused; my gaze wasn't on the lit, candelabras crafted from pure gold and silver with glistening wax. It wasn't one the large French windows with curtains of satin. It wasn't the intricate tapestries, the artworks on the walls which were amongst the most beautiful I had ever seen. It was on the dining table of oak with towering chairs that were fit for royalty – literally. The finest porcelain and shining, clean cutlery didn't catch my eye. But the steaming hot food on the table did; fresh poultry and fish, gravy boats that could fill a swimming pool, vegetables and wine glasses... Champagne... It was all perfection. The growling in my stomach suddenly grew extremely loud.

"It's a feast," Luke said, picking up a square cardboard piece.

"Poison," I said, skeptically, moving to one of three wine bottles. "When do Gamemakers just give out this much food as an evening treat?"

"'Good evening to the tributes that find this, and congratulations,'" Luke read out the words: "'The Gamemakers have rewarded you with a steaming hot feast – however, it will become stale very quickly so we suggest you eat it all within the next twenty-four hours. Our treat!'"

"Wow," I said, immediately grabbing the chicken and cutting a piece out of it with my own blade. It hadn't even been twenty four hours, but after everything nothing felt better than cramming it into my mouth. "It tastes so good."

Luke smiled at me. "I'm doubting the whole Hunger Games title."

"Lets not complain and just eat," I said, sitting down and cutting more slices of chicken, loading it onto my plate. The atmosphere the candles gave off were lovely. Considering Luke and I weren't massively injured, though his face was lightly bruised, our clothes seemed to be in near pristine condition. It felt like we were formal guests or – more disturbingly – Capitolites, devouring meals which could fill a town whilst many starved.

Before anything could be said I heard the national anthem blaze.

"Where will they show the faces?" I asked.

"Sky, as usual?" Luke replied. "I'll look out the window. Cut some of the beef for me. With potatoes," he looked at the steaming potatoes hungrily. "Vegetables... A lot of gravy. And also some wine."

"Have you had wine?" I asked condescendingly as he approached the window and moved the thin fabric of the curtain away, giving him a view. Rita and I would sometimes sneak out and share alcohol together; the first time we had cheap wine it was awful, but eventually we got used to it. I began to cut into some beef with a large, serrated knife.

"No..." Luke admitted. "Miners always buy cheap stuff but that looks like the real wine you always read about. I want to try."

"You won't like it," I said, moving the beef onto a large plate and dumping roast potatoes onto it. "Hey, there are some impressive knives here. You're weaponless so how about we keep them all for survival purposes?" I looked up and saw Luke glancing out the window wistfully. "What's up?"

"Nothing is up," he said, looking out of the window. "Just... The first face in the sky... It was... Liz..." I can tell referring to her by name was weird when he only knew her as the 'District Three girl.' I tried to say something but regret replaced the hunger in my stomach. I merely grabbed a bottle of wine, pouring it into what looked like crystallised glass without saying a word.

"District Four boy... That was a bit of a shock..."

"Probably killed by a Career. They don't keep their loyalties close," I said, pouring another glass of the wine for myself. Goodness knows I'd need it to forget about my ally's death. Before I could say anything else I looked at an interesting note on one of the three wine bottles. "Hey..."

"What?" Luke turned towards me.

"There's a note here saying that this wine bottle is special," I said, reading it. "Apparently it has to be saved until last."

"Last?" His eyes hadn't drifted back to the window. "What do you think it is?"

"Don't know, but we should store it," I said, stuffing it into my bag. Luke's gaze trailed towards the window again and he sighed. "District Six girl dead, her face just disappeared."

"Three confirmed deaths?" I said, dumping a mountain of food onto my own plate and finally sitting down. "Who next?" Before I dug into my own food I noticed Luke go pale. He looked into the sky for another second and suddenly collapsed. "Luke?"

I didn't know Luke, but I was already showing signs of caring for him – kind of ironic considering I had almost killed him. He slumped against the wall, turning away from the window and burying his head into his hands. At least he wasn't dying. I heard the screech of my chair as I pushed it back, rushing towards him and crouching down.

"Luke?" I paused.

"She's dead..."

"Who?"

"Connie..."

I paused. Luke had hoped to meet up with his lost ally. Seemed like that wasn't going to happen. "Oh my god. Luke... I... I don't know what to say... I'm sorry."

"I just hope it was quick. She deserved a humane death at the very least."

He'd already seemed to get over it. Like me, Luke knew death happened and while we couldn't hide the pain we just had to move on. He brushed a lone tear, it glistened on his thumb before he stood up and glanced out of the window again. I saw a familiar face in the sky instead of Conifer's; dark hair, thick browns, toughened features, olive skin, a slight stubble and those unforgettable eyes. I briefly remembered every conversation I had with Giovanni, particularly me telling him that he needed to go home to his dad and prove him wrong.

Giovanni's death was another kick in the gut. I needed a few drinks to get through tonight, it seemed.

"Did you know him?"

"Yeah..." I said, trying to keep my voice from trembling as the smiling District Ten boy took his place. The Ten boy looked so happy and energetic in the picture the Capitol had taken of him – it was weird to think that he too was just a corpse. "He was my District Partner, as you know. We went through a lot together..."

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice vacant of expression.

The only person whose face filled up the sky was the District Twelve girl's face. She had a cocky smirk, and then my last glimpse of her ever faded as her picture sunk back into a sky of stars; trumpets blazed the anthem one last time and then that was it. Day one was over. My very first taste of the Games... And it was already difficult. It was already brutal. It already hurt. I stared out of the window in silence, but I couldn't think clearly. I could only think about Elizabeth, hunched against the wall and dead. I could only think of Giovanni... God knows what happened to him...

"Lets go and enjoy that dinner," I smiled at Luke warmly, patting his shoulder. "We'll need it."

"There were eight cannons..." Luke said, still glancing at the sky. "But only seven faces? What does that mean?"

I paused. "I don't want to know."

Magnus Carmine, District 5, 17:

I glanced at the blood splattered against my hands. My knuckles continued throbbing. I lay against the wall, feeling disgusted at what I had done. The first time I had killed... It had gotten me locked up in a brutal, slimy jail for the rest of my life. But this time hurt a lot more. I had killed someone with my own bare hands, beat them into pulp and left their corpse there to rot. The memory of it grew stronger in my mind and I had to hold some vomit down. I just... Couldn't believe I did that...

"Hey, you alright?" Leda glanced away from the window at me. Her mint dress fell down to her knees, untainted with blood. Bar the dry blood on my knuckles I was also clean. I had a bad feeling that many tributes couldn't say the same – their attire would be covered in smudges of dirt, splatters of blood, tears or sweat... In a few days time the same would happen to Leda and I.

"Yeah," I stood up shakily. We were in a small corridor. Gold painted leaves plastered the wall for decoration and there was a single, small window in the corner – from which you could see the moon, which was like an eye that constantly observed us. An eye that saw the pain and the carnage. "Anyone die?"

"Well obviously. Seven people, apparently," Leda said, walking down the corridor and slinging her satchel over her shoulder. I followed after her, worrying for my mental state. I hadn't hallucinated since the Bloodbath... And I didn't feel any alter ego of mine begin to take over... Maybe I could fight this before Rayann sent the pills. Where the hell where those pills? Did I not have enough sponsors? I needed them soon...

"Who did I kill?" I asked, the words strange in my mouth.

"Huh?" Leda frowned. "It was all so fast I didn't see. Three girl? Four boy?" I snorted with disbelief at her last suggestion. "Six girl? Seven girl? Nine boy? Ten boy? Twelve girl?"

"No idea..." I mumbled. "It's probably better that way."

"Well we can forget about it and I can continue to just annoy you," Leda chirped, opening a door into a much larger corridor – unlike the corridor we were in, it wasn't dark. It was dazzled by light. Candelabras were held tight to the wall by solid gold, all lit and sending flickers of clarity into the soft ground beneath us. Grand windows lay opposite to each of the elm crafted doors, bound by silk curtains. The corridor was empty of any furniture, except a single armchair that was pressed against the wall. Decor continued to dash against the ceiling, this time the ceiling painting was of Angels and Fairies dancing above a sleeping, golden haired boy. Somehow this room was more comforting and more uneasy than any room I had seen.

"That painting..." I said, glancing upwards. Leda also looked up. "Kind of suggests that there are bedrooms close by."

"A corridor full of bedrooms," Leda ran towards the nearest door. "I'm coming for you, sleep! I've been waiting for you all day!"

I laughed at her words, and laughed even harder when she slammed into the door. It barely budged under her wait and she landed on her rear, grumbling and standing up as I moved towards the door. As she dusted herself off, I grabbed the brass doorhandle and pulled it downwards, pushing the door open and revealing a pink room which seemed both comfortable and warm.

"This is how you open a door," I smirked at Leda.

"Yeah yeah," she rolled her eyes, walking in. I suddenly noticed why she looked so happy. "Oh my god, look, it's a master bed!"

I paused as she ran to the bed, launching herself onto it. It had pink sheets, extremely large bed posts and a frame which spun pink curtains, which were tied back. After jumping onto the bed, the energy of her jump making her bounce once more before she rested, Leda smirked, relaxing onto the pillow and sighing with content. I didn't move. It just seemed weird to me that the Gamemakers threw us into an arena which embodied the lap of luxury. Sure, we would still have to search for food and water, but generally we weren't exposed to the elements... We were surrounded by nice decoration and comfortable decor everywhere we went... It just didn't seem right.

Leda put her sickle and pouch onto the bedside cabinet beside her. I watched the sickle wink in the light set off by a single burning lamp; its rose coverings set off a pink, atmospheric light throughout the grand bedroom. I stood at the doorway awkwardly while Leda rolled onto her side.

"If anything creeps up on you at night..." I knew it wouldn't happen on the very first night, but Leda could be naïve and foolish. "Just grab the sickle. Don't think. Just stab."

"Aye aye, captain," Leda did a mock salute. "Kind of weird that I'm sleeping with a knife beside my bed instead of... I don't know, I'd say water, but we weren't given that much by the District... Not enough to just leave at night..." Leda frowned. I knew what it was like to live a mundane existence, only given the minimum amount of required food and water.

Leda began to unbutton the bodice of her dress, which was seized tightly around her, but then she looked at me with some accusation. "You have another bedroom to sleep in!"

"Right, I'm sorry," I said, turning around as she moved to untie the ribbon. As I turned I heard the pink canopy skid across the railings, and as Leda relaxed into her bed I slowly closed the door behind me and glanced out into the well lit corridor again. Deciding it be most practical that I sleep in my room next to Leda, I moved towards the nearest doorway and slowly began to open it. I noticed that it was locked, though there was a conveniently placed key left in keyhole.

As I grabbed the key and started to twist it a chilling gust of wind appeared out of nowhere, its howl making me jump and making the key drop to the floor. As the howl faded the flickering candles were exterminated, leaving me in total darkness. Parts of the corridor were lit by weak moonlight, but the darkness near me, the darkness underneath me, meant I couldn't see the key I had dropped. I groaned and fumbled for my supplies, managing to find the matches. As I managed to retrieve them another cold blast of wind sent goosebumps across my skin. All the windows were tight shut. Where could this chill be coming from?

I swiped my match across the rough of the matchbox, the friction immediately birthing a flame that only send smell patches of light around me. Basking in said light was the golden key that I was looking for. I bent down, grabbing it and noticing how cold it felt in my hands. I cursed when a minor gust of wind struck, almost extinguishing the small flame I had produced. I straightened up and paused with curiosity at the sight I saw.

At first it was only a vague outline of a person in the darkness. As I squinted it seemed to grow clearer. A tall woman with pale skin... They were the first things I noticed. Her hair, black as night, covered her face – a face which was tilted towards the floor. She wore nothing but a dirty looking gown. She just stood there, not even moving as I stared at her. The goosebumps the cold gave me felt ever so more prominent. I desperately slotted the key into the lock, turning away from her and quickly twisting it.

When I glanced towards her I noticed she was moving. Slowly, gracefully, making no noise, but she still seemed to glide towards me, her head not even moving as she went into motion. With some curiosity I noticed that as she went into a slash of moonlight through the window she had disappeared. The matter that was her wasn't there. Did I need my meds? Was this a hallucination? Not knowing what was real and what wasn't, I twisted the key further until I heard a satisfying click.

With horror I noticed that she had reappeared, on the other side of the light, ever so closely near me. Acting on instinct I swiped the burning match against the wicks of the dripping candles in the nearest candelabra, immediately roaring light towards her. As the light soaked her she once again vanished noiselessly. I paused in fear for a second. I was worried she'd go into Leda's room, but she had passed that room. She must have not known Leda was in there.

I rushed into the bedroom; it seemed like Leda's, but more modest in it's maroon and grey colouring. As soon as I crossed the threshold I locked the door tightly with the key, pocketing it and hurrying towards the extremely large bed. Not even noticing how comfortable it felt, I slid underneath the blankets and closed my eyes shut, staying still and shivering a little for what felt like hours. Outside there only seemed to be silence, occasionally interrupted by wailing wind and – more terrifying – the sound of nails raking against the door.

Alexandria Tarsus, District 1, 15

You're alive. That's all that matters. You're alive.

I held the golden hem of my dress, one that was supposed to trail behind me, as I walked down a grand staircase that led my down an eery entrance hall. After running from the Bloodbath I had wanted to just keep running – and I did keep running. I wanted to get away from those Careers as soon as possible. I heard the screams that echoed above me as I ran from the Bloodbath... I knew what happened in the Games... For now, if I kept on running, they couldn't happen to me...

Right?

There were two problems. Or three, if I had to be honest with myself. The first was that I didn't run as much as I wanted to... The tiredness had crept up to me and when I passed a bed with purple velvet sleeps, I knew I had to nap for a few hours. The second problem was one I had woke up to: Ross was dead. I saw his face as I looked out of the heart shaped window, his cockiness showing one last time before he was gone completely. I knew Honora killed him. Ross was the closest thing I had to an ally. He was someone who was willing to protect me from Honora. In a way, he had died in the process.

The sound of my footsteps sounding behind me in the dark, marble room, I gripped the brass handles to an extremely large door and opened it; the gust of wind that hit my face was so extreme I felt my tears get forced off my cheeks, the tracks they left feeling frozen on me. I contemplated my third, worst problem: I was hungry. I was thirsty. I had no weapons. How the hell did I win the Games now, with nothing? What if Pullox's advice was designed to ensure I died slowly and painfully?

I contemplated that sadly as I stepped into what seemed to be a courtyard. Across me, another wing of the Palace was behind a white stone wall and large doors. But my attention drifted to the trees with apples hanging off them... To the white horse inside the stable which neighed at me in apparent welcome. When I saw the water trough, ignoring any sense of dignity, I sped towards it and dunked my head into it. The cold water washed over my head, knocking a sense of alertness and freshness into me as I hungrily sucked in large gulps of water. I withdrew from the trough breathing in sharply and hoping that this was a bad dream.

No. Still a bad dream; but it could be worse I guess... Considering I now had water, food and – even if it reeked of manure – some kind of shelter that wasn't a big, eerie Palace that was impossible to navigate. The only horse in the relatively large stables poked its head out curiously, snorting. Tentatively I moved towards it, not knowing how to handle horses. You didn't get them in District One very often. Not knowing if it was a mutt, I approached it very carefully.

"Hey, don't bite, right?" I approached it and it didn't flinch. Smiling when I reached it, I stroked it lightly and smiled. "That's good, hey?" It seemed to approve. "It's nice to have company, it's been a long day..."

That was true. Despite my nap, despite dunking my head in water, I just desperately wanted to sleep; it was dark, maybe even close to midnight. I should be asleep in my own comfortable bed... My stomach shouldn't be growling so unpleasantly... I had never been much of an eater, in District One it seemed nobody ate too much, but my mother always made sure we had a hearty meal. In the Games there were no hearty meals. There was only a constant, unwavering hunger...

... And this was the first day.

"It'll be okay, at least I'm alive," I muttered as I patted the horse again. Before I continued talking to it the horse made me jump back and almost stumbled to the ground; it screeched loudly, indignantly, lifting itself onto its back legs and waving its hooves around. I almost screamed, scared that the thing was a mutt – but soon I realised the horse was more terrified than I was. It retreated into the depths of the stable, out of sight, as I turned and looked for whatever could provoke it. I couldn't see anything; just the cobblestone pavement, visible in the moonlight while the shadows of crooked apple trees danced, the wind their puppeteer.

"Hello?" I said lightly to myself before cursing. Calling out was kind of like inviting someone to kill me.

The wind rustled the trees a little harder harder. The shadows so close to me rustled vehemently, their tendrils warping on the cobblestone. And yet something seemed... Off. I couldn't put my finger on it. Suddenly feeling scared and uneasy. Turning, I tried to open the stable doors only to find they couldn't budge. I gripped the edges of the doors, finding it difficult to stabilise my hands on them as the violent wind budged them to and fro. With the hem of my dress slowing me down, I shakily tried to get a heeled boot onto the top of the stable doors. Once I was in there I'd be in some kind of shelter.

I turned around and screamed when the shadows, or whatever had camouflaged in them, had leapt out with a chilling shriek. As the shadows soared towards me I jumped to the side, watching a blob of shadows missile themselves into the stable door as I desperately ran towards the doorway, back towards the mansion. But I knew that whatever it was, it was behind me. I could hear it sliding closer and closer.

Before I reached the doors the dark pool of shadows slid around my leather boots, totally covering them and seeming to hiss. I shook my leg desperately, shrieking out loud as it stubbornly clung to my boot. I tried to kick it off of me desperately, foolishly and violently shaking my leg before falling onto the stone floor. The fall was painless and sent the creature leaping off me, tensing once and then screeching at me nastily, poised to jump on my face.

And then a knife came my way. I screamed as it jammed in the centre of the creature. It didn't scream; it only dissolved into a congealed pool that slipped into the cracks of the pavement and formed dark rivers. It was dead, right? I stood up once, looking at the liquified corpse once, trying to hold in my shock. The knife that clattered against the stone floor let off silver beads of liquid where it had been melted. When I looked at the boot that the creature had clung too, I noticed they had also dribbled out liquid.

"You must have some tough boots," I barely saw the District Eleven boy's face as he looked down on me. "Because I had to fight those things. They're living acid. And they're damn nasty."

I tried not to gawp.

So sorry for my late update! And for the chapter not being edited. And for not replying to your reviews :( I will reply to PM's though.

My laptop broke at the most convenient time so I decided to destroy my thumbs by using my iPhone notes as a chapter writer. Yep. Not good.

~Toxic

Capitol Commentator Question: An alliance that doesn't exist, but you'd like to see happen?

Interview Question: Would you rather me update weekly & have the chapters be unedited & your reviews be unreplied to, or are you prepared to wait 2 weeks and have all of those?