In the morning, I wake up refreshed. The frustration that chained me down last night has loosened, and I slip out of my tree to start my day. Up until now, I've had a morning routine, and I only now realize how adjusted I've become to living in this place. Most of my morning activities revolve around the lake, or the river before it, so there's not much left for me to do but wander the Arena. Still, I've started to feel accustomed to this grove, as if I've finally become a natural part of it.
Before I begin my search for Sienna, I lean back against another tree, examining my wound from yesterday. A small hole remains in my foot from the thorn I stepped on, but other than that, it looks nearly healed. I hope it won't get infected; I tried to keep it off the ground after it was injured, but I can't afford the luxury of staying off-ground today. I need to start looking for food and a new source of water.
Just as I'm about to head out, a booming sound shatters the serene mood of the grove. Above me, a flock of birds flies overhead, squawking at the unexpected noise.
"Hello, tributes!" A cheery voice calls, echoing across the Arena. I recognize that voice - it's Ross Carmichael, the Host of the Games. I freeze as he begins his announcement; whatever he has to say, it must be important.
"Congratulations on surviving past the halfway point of these Games," Ross continues. "To celebrate, the Gamemakers are offering each of you a very special gift. Inside the Cornucopia placed at the center of the Arena, one bag has been left for each of you. These bags contain personalized gifts that could be vital to help each of you survive until the end of the Games."
My heart soars at this news. The possibilities are endless - food! Medicine! Even a picture of my brother could give me the strength to survive a little longer.
"Any sibling pairs still remaining in the Games will share one bag," Ross announces. "These bags will contain a small bonus gift as a reward for surviving this far into the Games. Tributes are prohibited from taking any bag other than their own. Good luck, tributes, and may the odds be ever in your favor."
Before Ross is even done talking, I'm running through the grove. Sienna... Sienna will be at the Feast...
Only after a few seconds do I remember that I have no idea where I am. Like a rabid animal, I wildly claw my way up a tree, my eyes locking on the Cornucopia. I practically jump from the top of the tree, sprinting in the right direction.
My heart races as I run. This is it... after days of waiting, I'll finally be reunited with Sienna. Not to mention, the Gamemakers have left us gifts that can help us make it to the end. Hope is not lost after all.
Finally, the Cornucopia comes into view. The last time I was here, I almost got Damien and I killed when I ran out into the Bloodbath defenseless. This time, I have one knife to protect me, but I don't feel any safer than I did then. If I'm not careful, the Careers will make quick work of me.
The thought of the Careers makes me shudder. My mind was so focused on Sienna that I forgot that the other tributes would be here too. I've had so many nightmares of Midas, and I may have to face him again today, whether I like it or not.
I'm broken from my thoughts by a movement in my peripheral vision. I glance over to see a girl sprinting toward the Cornucopia. It's the girl from Ten, the one whose brother just died. She glances behind her as she runs before turning back to face the Cornucopia, ducking into its wide-lipped mouth. A few seconds later, the girl re-emerges, her black curls bouncing down her back as she sprints away.
Suddenly, the girl from Ten stops in her tracks, slipping to the ground as she attempts to change her course. Scrambling to her feet, she drops her bag and sprints in the opposite direction. She's too late, though; I watch as Midas and Amanda enter the clearing behind her. Amanda reaches back, rearing her spear and launching it at the other girl. The girl from Ten screams as the spear embeds itself in her back, and she falls to the ground. A few seconds later, a cannon shot booms. Midas cheers, wrapping Amanda in an embrace before allowing her to pull her bloody spear from her victim's back.
I try to calm myself at the sight of Midas, but I can already feel a cold sweat covering my body. That boy killed my brother, and he's going to kill me.
Midas and Amanda approach the Cornucopia, grabbing their gifts. Their bags are noticeably larger than the one dropped by the other girl, even from a distance. I wonder what the Gamemakers could've put in there.
I try to think about who else is left - the bags must be at the back of the Cornucopia, so I can't see how many are left. I haven't seen Colby yet, or Russell from Four. Obviously, Sienna is still absent. I wonder if any of them were able to grab their gifts and flee before I even got here.
The area surrounding the Cornucopia is silent, but it's not the peaceful silence that's filled the Arena so far. The air is completely still around me, and the trees don't rustle like they usually do. Even the birds are silent today.
Time ticks slowly by as I wait for someone else to show their face. I can't be the next to go into the Cornucopia - what if the Careers are still around here, watching like I am?
Finally, after what must be about twenty minutes, someone else appears. Her identity is unmistakable - that's Sienna's signature hair, no mistake about it. I break out into a sprint as I follow my friend to the Cornucopia.
Sienna ducks into the mouth of the metal horn, and I follow close behind. She lunges at the table, which I can now see at the back of the Cornucopia. The table holds four black bags, each labeled with a number. Sienna's bag, marked with a 7, is the biggest; she grabs it, turns, and runs straight into me.
Sienna screams as we tumble to the ground. I try to catch her, but we both end up falling to the ground in a tangled mess.
Luna shoves me off of her, scrambling to her feet. She turns to run but hesitates when she sees my face. "Luna?" she asks, her face frozen in disbelief.
"Great to see you too," I joke, rising from the ground. I turn to the table, grabbing my bag and slinging it over my shoulder. It feels good to have a bag on my back again, even if it probably only has one thing in it right now.
"I've been looking everywhere for you," I pant, turning back around to face my friend. "You need to tell me everything."
"There's nothing to tell," Sienna says, watching me warily. She's not smiling. In fact, she's backing slowly away from me and towards the exit of the Cornucopia. "We told them, Luna. And I know you would've done the same if Damien had told you-"
"What?" I interrupt, my heart dropping. I search Sienna's face for the trace of a joke. "You told them what?"
Sienna pauses, as if in disbelief that I don't know what she's talking about. "The Careers," she says after a few seconds. "We told them where you were. But Luna, it was Clay's idea, I promise-"
My mind goes completely blank, almost unable to even process this information. Sienna, my best friend, has betrayed me. Sienna, the girl who I loved the moment I saw her for the first time. The girl who, when I needed her most, turned her back on me and my brother.
Sienna and Clay didn't get attacked by the Careers in the forest that night. They found the Careers themselves, and they sold Damien and me out. For what, though?
"You saw how Clay and Damien fought at the end, Luna," Sienna says, her eyes shrouded in shadow. "It was a matter of time. Clay told me it was time to leave, and we did. I should've never let him, though. The Careers couldn't be trusted."
"The Careers couldn't be trusted?" I seeth, finally finding my voice. "You mean they couldn't be trusted more than Damien or me, the people who would've given our lives for you?"
"Drop the act, Luna," Sienna says, shaking her head. "We all know that alliance was temporary. Damien only hooked the two of us in to appease your mentor, didn't he? Wasn't it all just to get sponsors? The two strong boys and their cute little sisters, having a picnic by the river. The Capitol would've loved us."
"They probably did, before you got my brother killed," I spit. I still can't even believe that Sienna and her brother deliberately betrayed me; my mind can't even comprehend it.
Sienna takes another step back, and I march around her, blocking her path out. She winces, taking a step back. "Luna, I was only doing what Clay wanted me to do-"
"I don't give a shit what Clay wanted," I say, jabbing my finger into her chest. She takes another step away from me; we're nearly against the table at the back of the Cornucopia.
"I gave you everything,"I choke. "What happened to that promise we made in Training? That we'd always look out for each other? You told me, you told me, that we would be together until the end. I just spent a week searching for you, and you didn't even want to be found, did you? Why would you do that?"
Sienna looks taken aback at my outburst. "Luna, you don't have to act so hurt," she says, holding her hand up at me. "We both know you were playing just as many games as me."
I can't help but laugh. Sienna must be going crazy. Is this all some sort of dream or some kind of joke?
"The promise I made to you was real," I tell her. "We were going to be together until the end, Sienna. I can't believe that you would turn your back on me like that! What games have I been playing, huh?"
Sienna glances over my shoulder, but I notice it a moment too late. I reach for the knife in my pocket, ready to turn and face whoever's approaching, but I don't get the chance to draw it. A strong, muscular arm wraps itself around my neck, holding me in place and squeezing tightly. I gasp for air as my assailant presses tighter against my neck.
"Did you really think that Casper wouldn't tell us everything about your little plan?" Sienna says with a laugh. She glances up at the boy behind me with a smile, offering him a wink, and my heart drops.
"When you tried to get Casper to break us apart, he ran back to the District Nine suite and told us everything," Sienna says, her voice dripping with resentment. "You wanted us apart so I'd have nobody to protect me, huh? I'm not the only one with schemes, Luna. You're just too afraid to admit it."
I struggle against Colby's grip, but it's no use. "I did it because I cared about you, Sienna," I sob, tears streaming down my face and onto Colby's arm. "And I wanted to have you all to myself. I was jealous, okay? Is that what you want to hear?"
Sienna sighs, breaking our eye contact and glancing down at her feet. "Okay," she mutters with a chuckle. "Clearly, this isn't going anywhere. If what you're saying is true, you're pathetic, Luna. You attached yourself to a brother who didn't even like you, and you tried to ruin my relationship for your own selfish reasons. And now you're going to pay for it."
"You promised," I gasp; I'm starting to feel lightheaded. "You said you would be there until the end."
"That was a long time ago, Luna," Sienna says with a small smile. "Everybody lies in these Games. Some are just better at hiding it than others."
"Let's go, Sienna," Colby rumbles from behind me. "It's dangerous to stay around here."
Sienna nods at Colby, and his grip on my throat loosens. It's quickly replaced with the cool feeling of sharp metal. And then it hits me: I am going to die. Colby is going to kill me, and Sienna's not going to do anything. She's not just going to stand there, she's going to enjoy watching me die.
"Bye, Luna," Sienna says softly. "Don't forget, you threw the first stone. Not me."
I take my last breath, waiting for Colby to finally end my suffering. My whole world has been shattered; I have nothing left to live for. Truly, it is my time to go from this world.
Sienna's eyes widen as she looks behind me. She opens her mouth, but she never gets the chance to speak. An arrow embeds itself in her chest, and she crumples to the ground.
A/N - The Games are heating up y'all! Finally getting over that hill of Luna's mental distress and into this part of the Games has got me re-inspired, so I'm hoping to blaze through this story and get started on the next one. The next one is a treat, I promise, and I'm super excited about it!
Also, thoughts on Sienna's behavior in this chapter? Did y'all ever suspect that she betrayed Luna and sold her out to the Careers? We'll see how Luna feels about this in the next chapter...
~S