Chapter 17

The next day rolls around far too quickly.

Not that I'm scared. I just want more time to bask in my fame.

I remind myself that – though I can't see them – my devoted fans will be watching from the other sides of their TV screens.

I am standing on my pedestal, waiting to rise into the arena. My PS6 is cradled under one arm, the monitor under the other, and two controllers strung around my neck by their wires. My token is heavier than I expected, but nothing a strong man like me can't handle.

All the tributes have been dressed in the same ash-grey thermal tops and track-suit bottoms. Mildly unflattering, but I know I can pull off anything.

Anomaly stands with her leg in a full plaster cast. She leans on a pair of crutches.

I would much rather have Haymitch here than some random stylist. He's my mentor and my dad, technically.

I want one last chance to make him feel guilty for letting me be sent off to battle.

Anomaly says, "So, what's the first thing you do when the Games start?"

"Easy! I'll rock the bloodbath and stand atop a mound of corpses!"

Anomaly tries to face-palm, drops her crutch and goes sprawling on the ground.

"Ugh." She says, "Don't you remember what Haymitch said?"

"Tidy up my dirty underwear from the living room?"

"What? Why were your… Never mind. He told you to run away from the bloodbath until the Careers have come out on top. Then it'll be safe for you to re-join them."

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't fight with them." I say.

The glass tube starts to rise around me.

Anomaly says, "Er, because you are utterly-"

Glass rises between us and her voice becomes muffled.

"See?" I say, even though she can't hear me, "I don't hear a good reason."

Gradually, I begin to rise.

When the pedestal halts, I almost fall off. I just about catch my balance, avoiding the mines around my feet.

I can see where the explosives have been buried by the cracks in the concrete.

Concrete? What kind of arena is this?

I look around.

We are in what appears to be some kind of courtyard, or communal space. The sky above us is as grey as the concrete under our feet, and full of dark clouds.

What used to be buildings stand around us, now derelict and half torn-down. There is a U-shaped three-story building behind me, and a smaller one across the courtyard. Concrete paths extend in different directions; escape routes from the bloodbath – which I shall not be using, thank you very much, Haymitch.

All twenty-four tributes stand on pedestals, in a ring equidistant from the centre of the courtyard.

There are jagged pieces of rubble scattered about, which may have once been stone benches. In the centre sits the cornucopia – a giant horn filled with goodies, just for the Careers. I can see weapons, food, backpacks, sleeping bags… Everything we will need to win.

Scattered around the cornucopia are other survival items, for the cowards to pick up before they dash up a tree to hide.

A countdown blares over a loudspeaker.

"The Hunger Games will commence in sixty, fifty nine, fifty eight…"

I turn to my left, delighted to see that Rubis is on the pedestal next to me. He looks ready to dash into the middle for a weapon.

I copy his stance.

Then I notice that DJ is standing on the other side of Rubis. He also looks pleased with the positioning. There is bloodlust in his eyes.

On my right, Verona clears her throat loudly.

She suddenly shouts over the speaker.

"Hey Capitol! Make sure your hidden mics pick this up, ok?"

She stares about, defiantly.

"You think you can put twenty-four kids in an arena and have them kill each other? It's sick! And sure, they do kill each other every year, and they will this year as well. But we don't do that because we're monsters! We do it because society forces us to. Because society makes us monsters!

"We spend the formative years of our lives competing with each other, navigating the social jungle of high-school, only to be forced to murder for sport! And you say it's for the good of society?!

"I said I'd do something to put an end to the games. A petition would never work, but you know what would?"

The countdown continues.

"Twenty-five, twenty-four…"

Verona shouts, "They can't have a Hunger Games without any tributes! I choose to be a martyr, not a piece in your games!"

With that, she leaps off of her pedestal.

She lands feet-first on the concrete.

Nothing happens.

Verona glances about in confusion.

Then, BOOM!!!

A blast loud enough to rock the rubble around us sends pieces of Verona Sewers hurtling in every direction.

A blue high-heel – foot still inside – smacks me in the face. I nearly topple off my own pedestal, but just about stay upright.

DJ yells, "VERONA!!"

Corvid shouts from across the circle, "Did she expect us to follow suit?"

"Cringe!" Yells Minx.

We have ten seconds to go.

DJ says, "Verona… No… Please don't leave me alone… You were all I could trust… I can't take it alone… Still, I will if I-"

The horn sounds.

Tributes scatter in every direction.

Some grab backpacks from the ground and run away. I see Eugene pulling Elsie by the hand, and Anita fleeing at full-pelt, without even picking anything up from the ground.

Others rush into the middle. Corvid and Izzie make a beeline for the weapons, shoving past Tuna on their way. She hardly seems to notice.

The tributes from One and Two are first to reach the cornucopia. They snatch up weapons and run straight back to Tardi, who is lumbering away all to slowly, having picked up a hefty lance.

My allies surround the mammoth, just as planned.

It's up to me and Rubis to defend them while they take him down.

I leap off of my pedestal to rush to the centre. The swords are calling my name.

With my token weighing me down, I trip and fall flat on my face. Concrete scrapes my chin and my eyes water.

Frantically, I sit up and check for cracks in my monitor.

No damage. Phew.

When I look up, Bretta is standing above me with a huge carving knife.

Honestly, you'd think she of all people would go for the weakest competitor first! If I wasn't already on the ground-

She swipes at me with the knife and I am only saved when a familiar freckled face yanks her backwards.

"Rob!" I shout, gratefully.

Rob pulls Bretta away from me and smacks her in the head with a surfboard.

Why he has a surfboard, I have no idea.

He says quickly, "Dude, that PlayStation is a radical token, but you gotta get somewhere safe with it!"

He points with his board at a chunk of stone bench.

That's right; I'm not a coward. I won't run away like Bretta just has, up a path between the rubble. I'll stay secure and watch the bloodbath, like a real champion.

Rob gives me the thumbs up as I crawl behind the rough hunk of stone. I peep over the top to see him running to join the careers.

Greg, Jess, Sugar, Salto and Rob surround Tardi, weapons drawn. Salto tosses Rob a trident, which he aims, menacingly.

By the cornucopia, Izzie and Corvid stand back-to-back. Both have grabbed axes from the pile of weapons. Corvid fends off Carni, who needs no weapon with his razor claws. Izzie is occupied with Blaze, who already looks exhausted.

I scan about for my precious Rubis.

There. Fighting DJ.

DJ has what looks to be a club, and is pressing Rubis against the wall of the cornucopia. Rubis pushes back with a thick-handled mace.

DJ snarls, "It's your fault! You drove her to jump!"

"She did that herself." Grunts Rubis.

"You know, you are everything I hate about society. You're sadistic."

"Well done for noticing."

DJ fumes, "You don't even care! I'll kill you!"

He strains to push his club against Rubis' throat.

At the last second, Rubis twists and wrenches himself from DJ's grip He smashes DJ's face into the wall of the cornucopia again and again until he crumples.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Blaze fall in a bloody heap, blood streaking from Izzie's axe. She spins to help Corvid with Carni.

Rubis wears a satisfied expression. He stamps on DJ's crumpled form for good measure.

While he is busy, the Goths manage to catch Carni's tail and sling him in Rubis' direction.

This lizard is on him in a flash.

The Goths look around for more opponents.

Minx stands in front of them with a backpack over one shoulder.

She says, "Team?"

Before they can respond, Mace charges her with a ginormous hammer.

Minx yelps and dashes towards a wooded area. Mace gives chase.

Suddenly, I hear the sound of soft, Rubis-scented fabric ripping.

Carni rakes his claws across Rubis' chest. Rubis has discarded his mace and instead loops a noose around Carni's neck. The lizard is not perturbed.

"Get away from Rubis!" I yell bravely from behind my boulder, "Only I get to touch his chest!"

Carni's head snaps in my direction.

He hisses and launches himself towards me.

"No! I didn't say you could attack me!"

He is stopped short by the rope around his neck. He collapses, hissing and spluttering.

Rubis raises his mace to finish him off.

The Goths appear behind him. Corvid and Izzie simultaneously swing their axes down onto Rubis' broad shoulders. His arms fall to the ground.

Carni seizes the opportunity and flees, trailing rope behind him.

The Goths pick up one perfectly-tanned arm each and run up a wide path into the distance, whooping with excitement.

"Rubis!!!"

My voice cracks as I run to his side.

"What have they done to you?! Now you won't be able to use your hands for anything!" I weep.

"How sad." He murmurs weakly, "You're probably more upset about that than I am."

He collapses to the ground.

I kneel beside him as his eyes roll up into his head.

I throw my head back and scream.

"NOOOOOO!!!!!"

I sob so loudly that I barely register somebody calling my name.

"Midnight! Stop whining and help me, dumbass!"

It's Pinty.

The weedy shrew from Five has her in a headlock. Both are unarmed.

Yucky says, "Do not worry! I do not wish to harm you. You are a small girl, after all."

Pinty growls, "I'll shank you up, for real!"

She elbows him in the stomach, but Yucky only smiles.

Pinty glares at me.

"Are you gonna kill him or what, fam?" she snaps.

"Err…" I say.

I wouldn't want to patronise Pinty by killing her assailant…

In the end, I toss her a backpack from the ground. She tears into it with her teeth and retrieves a switchblade from inside.

Pinty sneers and promptly stabs Yucky in the side.

He wails and drops her. She boots him in the face and runs away as fast as her little legs will carry her.

She calls to me over her shoulder, "Cheers, fam! Man won't be returning the favour!"

I can barely process her words through my grief for Rubis.

I shake myself. I have to help my team-mates! We must rule this arena, for Rubis!

I rush over to where Tardi is surrounded, bruised and bloody on the ground.

"Fear not, allies! I'll save you all!" I announce.

I pummel the downed ogre with all my might.

Eventually, I realise that the sound of fighting has stopped.

"They're dead, you idiot." Says Sugar.

I look around. Greg is smirking, while Sugar and Salto roll their eyes. Rob gives me his usual grin.

I stand and dust myself off.

"I was just making sure." I say.

I try to change the subject.

"Weren't there five of you?"

"There's the fifth." Says Sugar.

She points casually at the cornucopia.

Jess' body is plastered to its side, about a meter off the ground.

I say, "How on earth…?"

Greg chuckles, "She got thrown, how'd you think? Shame we're down a Career, but whatever; less for me to beat."

I say, "She could still be alive…"

Jess's body peels away from the wall and flops to the ground. A Jess-shaped dent remains in the metal, with blood and brain-chunks smeared in it.

"Ew." Says Salto, "That's a lot of red water."

"Eh, I've seen worse." Says Rob.

"I've caused worse." Says Sugar.

Suddenly, I double over and vomit.

Rob bounds over and holds my hair out of my face.

"You ok, dude?" he asks.

"Y-yeah…" I turn red, "I'm not grossed out. It's just… Rubis…"

I burst into tears.

Rob hugs me to him as I ball my eyes out.

Now that the bloodbath has ended, five cannon blasts ring out across the arena.

Everyone looks around at the five bodies and several chunks of Verona scattered around the cornucopia.

"That doesn't add up." Says Salto. He counts on his fingers, "Verona, Blaze, Tardi, Jess, DJ and Rubis. That's six."

"Guess they're not counting Verona, then." Rob shrugs, "She did die before the Games even started."

Greg says, "Alright. Let's see what booty we've got to work with."

He glances at the cornucopia and rubs his hands together.

"Sure." says Rob, "You dudes go nuts. I'm gonna search the bodies first. You never know, man – one of them might've picked up something useful before they died."

With that, Sugar, Salto and Greg head into the mouth of the cornucopia to investigate.

I follow Rob to Rubis and DJ's bodies. He crouches down beside DJ.

"Wow." He says sarcastically, "Dude's token was a photo of his chick. She was literally in here with him!"

I start to wish that I had bought a photo of Rubis in with me. Then I could remember him forever.

When Rob moves to search Rubis, I say, "Um, could I search Rubis instead? That's what he would have wanted."

Rob replies, "I see your point, dude… But I think Rubis would rather you remembered him as the tough, handsome guy he was, instead of a corpse, man."

"I- I suppose…"

Rob says, "And I reckon the others might be getting the best weapons right now. You should make sure you get what you want, man."

That's true. Rob is the only one who uses a trident, so he doesn't have to worry. But the others might take the weapon I want!

I hurry into the cornucopia.

"Nobody touch the cool-ass swords! Only I am skilled enough-"

"Chill, bro." Says Greg, "We've put the perfect weapon aside for you."

He gestures to a sword leaning against a crate of food.

"Yes!"

I punch the air before rushing to the sword and swooshing it around me like a samurai.

I say, "Great length, perfectly balanced, and it looks super cool. I am gonna slay with this."

Sugar murmurs, "Is anyone going to tell him that it's plastic?"

"Nah." Says Salto.

The sword looks super awesome. It's silver, with orange flames painted along the blade and skull patterns on the hilt.

Better still, it has its own high-calibre sheath, made of a light-weight, flexible material.

"They must have made this just for me!" I say.

"Again," says Sugar, "it's plastic."

I scoff, "Of course it isn't. It's a high-tech Capitol substance that they invented so I can show off my true awesomeness in this arena."

"Or so you don't accidentally hurt yourself with it." Says Salto.

"Tomato tomahto." I shrug.

Rob pokes his head in.

"Sweet! Chocolate!"

Rob shoves past me to the crate my sword was leaning against. I catch a whiff of sea-salt and surfboard varnish.

Sugar shrugs on a coat she has found. Dozens of knives are strapped to the inside lining.

I hear the whirring of the hovercraft outside. Now that we are all in the cornucopia, the Capitol will collect the bodies of the fallen tributes and send them back to their families.

I'm struck with an idea.

I run outside, shouting at the hovercraft, "Hey! I deserve to bury Rubis' body in the Capitol, so I can be close to him when I move there!"

But it's too late.

The hovercraft groans as it lifts Tardi's body into the sky in its claws. The other bodies have already been taken.

Only a pool of blood remains where Rubis was lying.

My one true love, gone. Never shall I feel his tender lips on mine.

I walk back to the cornucopia, hoping Rob will comfort me with his fresh, beach scent.