Saigon Kane, 17

District 11 Tribute

Dragging Mac away from the Cornucopia was nearly impossible. She was screaming and thrashing, desperately trying to pull out of my grip. But I kept my hand firmly wrapped around her forearm as I marched us deeper into the misty pines.

My sword was heavy in my other hand but I didn't dare put it down to pull Mac along faster. I wouldn't lose the weapon I risked my life getting. But if my wailing ally didn't quiet down, the Careers would find us and we'd be dead anyways.

I came to a sudden stop and let go of Mac's arm. She stumbled and dropped to her knees as I whirled around to face her.

"You have to stop crying," I snapped. "Someone is going to find us."

Head hanging down, Mac dug her fingers into the dirt and clenched her fists. Then she whipped her head up and stared me down.

"My husband just died," she growled. "Are you really that heartless?"

"We're in the Hunger Games!" I hissed. "Only one person lives! And if you keep bawling like a baby it won't be either of us!"

She sat back and crossed her legs, keeping her hands folded in her lap. I sighed. Maybe I was a bit harsh…

"Are you hurt?" I asked. She shook her head.

"That's good. What supplies did you manage to grab?"

Mac wordlessly opened the belt bag she had around her waist. She pulled out two packets of jerky and a blue plastic box with a cross on the front.

"A first aid kit," I said. "Good find."

I leaned my sword against a tree and opened my own backpack. An empty orange water bottle was on top, with four bags of dried meals underneath. There was also a bottle of white tablets labeled "iodine", a spare pair of socks, and a thin blanket that was folded up tiny.

I slung my backpack on again and picked up my sword.

"We've got some decent supplies," I said to Mac. "Now, let's get moving."

"No."

"What?" I looked back at her. She was still sitting on the ground, clutching her first aid kit tightly.

"No," she repeated. "I don't want to go with you. Brady wanted allies, not me. And he's gone. I don't care about you anymore."

Anger bubbled up in my chest and I was yelling before I could stop myself.

"You don't care about me? Perfect! Because I don't give a damn about you either. Go! Go ahead and die for all I care. You're useless anyways. Even Brady could handle a weapon."

"Don't you dare say his name," she screeched, leaping to her feet and throwing a packet of jerky at me. "Don't you dare!"

"I'll do whatever I want," I shouted back. I clenched my fists and took a step forward, itching to punch her in the face.

"You're heartless," Mac whispered. She shoved her first aid back into her bag and looked me straight in the eye. "You're heartless and I hope you die painfully and alone." Then she whirled around and stalked away.

I gripped the handle of my sword and ground my teeth as she walked away. I could kill her so easily. Just slip up behind her and sink my blade into her back. But as furious as I was, there was something about killing her that felt so low. I could practically see my brother Oliver shake his head at me.

I cursed under my breath and began to stomp away. I wouldn't be so forgiving next time. If our paths crossed again, I would kill her.

Anastasia Willows, 17

District 5 Female

Adrenaline was still pulsing through me as I jogged deeper into the pines. After getting my supplies, I chose the foggiest part of the arena to hide in. Hopefully it would make me harder to track.

It was a miracle I got out of the bloodbath unscathed. And I probably had the biggest haul out of any of the outlier tributes! The pair from 1 were so focused on their targets they didn't see me slip past them and stuff a backpack full of rations. I also managed to snag a belt of throwing knives from right behind the boy from 1.

I held one of my knives in my hand as I ran. I would have to stop soon, as I was getting tired, but I wanted to be as far from the Cornucopia as possible before I was completely out of energy. And I was going to be prepared for anything.

A little while ago, seven cannons had fired. Seven people had died. The only ones I saw were the girl from 12 and the boy from 10. And Isaac. I only saw my district partner's death from the corner of my eye as I ran, but it seemed brutal. Artemis showed no mercy.

It was strange knowing that he was gone. We weren't close, but he was from home. He watched the same sunrises and went to the same school as my cousin Evie. They were even in the same grade.

Tears pricked at the corner of my eyes as I thought of Evie. Besides my Grandma Jess, Evie was the person I loved most of all. She was small and sweet and innocent and I wanted her to be safe. Before she started high school, I scared every bully straight so they'd leave her alone. Would she be okay if I wasn't there?

I brushed the tears away, suddenly angry. What was wrong with me? I never got this emotional. It must have been the stress of the day - of watching my fellow tributes die.

I grit my teeth to steady myself and then peered through the mist. I could faintly make out the outline of a small building; a shed of some sort. So I made my way towards it.

It turned out to be a small lean-to propped up against a large pine. There was only a plastic tarp in place of a door and the inside was barely big enough to fit me. But it would make for a good shelter.

I sat down with my back against the sturdy pine and opened my backpack. The protein bars and duct tape I stuffed in were on the top, but I also had a couple bags of dried fruit and jerky, a handheld first aid kit, gloves, a water bottle, a jar of iodine tablets, and a thin black blanket made of some sort of thermal material. I grinned. I was set!

I pulled the blanket out and began to unfold it when something fell out with a clatter. I picked it up and examined the odd metal contraption. It was a small metal rectangle with a shaped wire on the top. One side had a square of wire held down by a hook and the other had a flattened piece of metal in the center. It was like a spring on a platform. I'd seen something like it in Otis's basement before but I couldn't quite remember what it was. Still, it had to have some use if it was in my backpack…

Water would be my next objective. My water bottle was empty but I had a way to purify any water I found. And I was definitely thirsty. But my legs were tired, and right now my top priority was relishing the fact that I survived.

Crash Derosches, 18

District 4 Tribute

I twirled my sword in my hand - a fancy maneuver I learned to win a bet against Lotus - and grinned at Becky, who was standing the closest.

"Good time, huh?" I asked. She sent a withering stare my way before stalking towards Aurelius.

Don was still on his knees, staring in the direction the boys from 3 and 7 went. I jogged over to him and offered my hand. Looking somewhat dazed, he accepted the help and let me pull him to his feet. Dirt smudged his face and clothes and he had a deep frown on his face.

"You okay?" I asked, putting a hand on his shoulder. Don startled, as if being woken up.

"I'm fine," he growled. He shoved my hand away and stomped towards the mouth of the giant metal horn.

"Alright, gather around," he yelled. We all made our way over to him. Artemis was still carrying a bloody axe.

"Who killed who?" she asked. "I got the boys from 5 and 9.

"The pair from 6 are gone," Taffeta said. She looked down at the knife in her hand. "Lotus and I took them out."

"I killed the weird kid from 10," Becky said. "And Aurelius got that shrimpy girl from 12."

"The 7 girl is dead too," I said. "Don got her."

"So, seven deaths in total," Lotus summarized.

As soon as zey finished speaking, long metal limbs descended from the sky. Each one ended with a claw, which picked up a corpse and rose back up, presumably into a hovercraft. We all watched in silence as the bodies disappeared into the mist.

A weird queasy feeling washed over me. I grit my teeth and swallowed hard, fighting back the sudden nausea. I looked over at Lotus, but zey were talking quietly with Taffeta and not paying attention to me. I saw the slit throat of the girl from 7 in my head and mentally shook myself. I needed a distraction.

"Lotus," I said, reaching out to grab my best friend's wrist. "Your neck is covered in scratches."

"I guess Leona had claws like a lion," Aurelius laughed.

"Apparently so," I said, unable to fight back the smile from the ridiculous pun. "But we should find some disinfectant cream or something."

"No, we should go out hunting," Becky said as I started to look through the pile of supplies. "The others can't have made it very far yet. We should catch up to them."

"Maybe some people stay here to organize the camp and some people go out hunting?" Aurelius proposed. Don nodded.

"We'll do that," he said. "Artemis, take the 1s and go that way." He pointed to the right of the horn. "Crash and I will go towards the mountains. Taffeta and Lotus can set up camp."

"Aye aye captain," I said, giving Don a mock salute. He didn't even glance at me, but Lotus and Aurelius smiled. At least some people appreciated my humor.

Everyone took the time to gather fresh weapons and a few water bottles. I added a bag of nuts and dried fruit to my pack as well before following Don off into the mist. We passed the broken stone wall and weaved through the headstones. Most of them were so old and moss-covered that I couldn't see the names, and it didn't feel right to look closer.

Beyond the field of graves was flat and grassy. The line of pine trees started further than I thought and the mountains peeked ominously through the fog. There was something off-putting about the arena. And it got instantly darker when we crossed the treeline.

"Spooky arena, huh?" I said, nudging Don's shoulder with my own.

"What makes you say that?" he asked. "Are you scared?"

"Terrified," I said with a wink. "I'm shivering in my boots."

Don scoffed at that but didn't keep up the banter. But after a few minutes of silence he spoke up.

"When I win, I'm going to completely change up the Training Academy," he said. "Trainees will actually be pushed to their limits. We won't have any more wimps like the two kids from last year."

Last year, District 2 produced two volunteers who died before the Final 8. It was the first time in years that they'd lost so badly and the proud district took it hard. I could see why Don might've taken it personally.

My mind suddenly flashed back to the way the District 2 tributes from last year died. The male tribute was stabbed by the girl from 1 and his district partner sat down and sobbed instead of fighting back. Would I react that way if Lotus died?

Stop it, I told myself. You're fine and Lotus is fine. You'll cross that bridge when you get there. And if–

"Look," Don hissed, quickly bringing me out of my head. "Fire."

I looked in the direction he was pointing. Sure enough, the light of a flame was flickering in the darkness.

"We come up on both sides and strike," Don said. "Be silent." Then he slipped away from me. I adjusted my grip on my sword and began to tip-toe closer.

Then I leapt out from behind a pine, sword raised, only to freeze in shock. A gargoyle was reaching forward, face contorted in a snarl, while candles flickered on its stone base. I looked over as Don came to stand beside me.

"Weird," I whispered.

"What the hell is that?" he asked.

"A gargoyle," I said. "This might be some sort of altar."

Before I could stop him, Don leaned down and blew out the candles. I grabbed his shoulder and tried to pull him back… but the candles didn't go out. The flames flickered but stayed lit.

Don tried again a few more times with the same result. I could tell he was getting frustrated so I pulled him.

"It's some weird Gamemaker thing," I told him. "Just leave it."

"Fine," he grumbled. "Let's just keep looking."

We spent another hour scouring the forest, but we had no luck. Don was getting grumpier and grumpier, and I finally decided to call it.

"We're finding no one and it's getting even darker. Let's go back, get some food, and go out early in the morning."

Don glared at me and for a second I thought he would argue. Then he just shrugged one shoulder and began to stomp back the way we came. I looked around the forest again before following him. There was definitely something creepy about this place.

Robyn Seiwald, 15

District 3 Female

Based on the position of the faint sun, I was heading north. The bloodbath began shortly after noon and now the spot of light was moving towards the distant mountains. They were the only landmark in the misty arena. Every other direction looked the same. I just picked one and ran.

I'd been lucky in the bloodbath. I wasn't near any Careers and a bag bursting with wires was within reach. I beat Kairos to it by seconds. For a moment I thought he would attack me, but he didn't. I was still clutching the can of beans I'd been prepared to throw at him.

My pace had gradually slowed from a run to a jog to a walk. Earlier, seven cannons fired, signaling the end of the bloodbath. The Careers would be out hunting soon and I needed to be far away.

The arena was a strange and monotonous place. The pine trees were almost in uniform rows and there was hardly any undergrowth. Occasionally, bushes with bright purple flowers would pop up in the fog, but I avoided them. I wasn't going to die by admiring some weeds.

As I walked further, the undergrowth began to thicken. I recognized some blackberry bushes but refrained from picking the fruit, just in case. The fog was getting heavier too, but there was no dampness in the air. It wasn't natural.

A crow cawed loudly in a tree above me and I jumped, nearly knocking my shoulder against a nearby tree. The bird flew down to one of the bushes and pecked at a berry. It was the biggest crow I'd ever seen; easily reaching past my knee.

I watched it eat until it turned to look at me with one beady black eye. I froze as it took a few hops closer.

"Shoo," I hissed, waving a hand at it. It cocked its head. "Leave me alone."

It ruffled its feathers, looking annoyed, but flew up to the branch of a tree. I felt its eyes on me as I continued deeper into the trees. I was glad when it was far behind me. That bird was likely some sort of mutt and I wanted nothing to do with it.

The trees and bushes thinned again as I stepped into a clearing. The fog was denser than ever but I could see a small wooden shack at the far end of the grassy patch. It had a metal roof, no windows, and a rickety door that stood ajar.

I crept closer, moving as silently as I could. It was like I was treading through the back alleyways of home again. I could be jumped at any moment. But this time I was unarmed.

But nothing came for me. I peeked through the open door to see a tiny room covered in dust. There was a cot with a metal locker at the end of it on one side of the room and a wooden stool on the other. The door creaked when I pushed it open and several spiderwebs tore apart and drifted down onto my head. Annoyed, I brushed them away.

There was one window in the shack; on the back wall directly across from the door. The glass was grimy and warped with age, like the wooden walls. I went over to the cot and sat down. It squeaked, but it held my weight. This would be a good place to rest.

I set my backpack and can down and went to look at the locker. It was unlocked and had a thin pillow and a sleeping bag inside. They seemed to be in much better condition than the rest of the building. I spread them out on the cot and then turned to my supplies.

A flashlight and a water bottle were the first two items I dug out. Everything was tangled in wires of multiple colors and lengths. I smiled as I extracted the water bottle. It looked like I had a good haul.

There were another two cans, these ones containing soup, and a small cylindrical tin. It was unlabeled, but I opened it to reveal a dozen matches. I looked back at the wires, and then the can of beans. I had matches. I had wires. I had cans. I had everything I needed… except for shrapnel.

I glanced over at the window. The glass was old and not too thick. It was perfect.

Calceus "Cal" Monson, 16

District 8 Tribute

It felt like Freya and I had been walking for hours. We probably had been. But my ally was showing no sign of exhaustion, so I kept my mouth shut. If a 13-year-old could hike through the creepy arena with no issues, I could too.

The pines in this section of the arena were huddled close together. Our footsteps were silent on the forest floor, which was carpeted with needles. I had no idea where we were. All I could do was trust in my ally.

My meager supplies were getting awkward to carry. I managed to grab a handful of protein bars, which I shoved in my pockets, and a rolled-up sleeping bag. I had it tucked under my arm but my shoulder was starting to ache. I switched arms, fiddling with the drawstring on the bag. I didn't notice Freya had stopped until I bumped into her.

"Sorry!" I gasped, leaping back. But Freya just shushed me and pointed. I followed her finger through the mist and felt my jaw drop. In the clearing ahead of us there was a graveyard.

A dozen graves stuck out of the grass in the small clearing. Some were mossy and crooked and others looked polished and new. There was no fence and no organized rows, as if someone had just plopped the headstones down and decided it was good enough.

"Wait, what are you doing?" I hissed as Freya crept forward. She held her knife out in front of her, but she seemed calm otherwise.

"I want to see the names on the graves," she said. "This guy is also named Cal."

"What?"

"Well, Calvin. Not Calceus. Come see."

It was the most Freya had ever spoken to me, so I came forward. That, and I couldn't deny my slight curiosity. I peered over her shoulder at the headstone. Sure enough, it read 'Calvin Gillies'.

"I wonder who he was?" I whispered.

"Maybe an old tribute?" Freya guessed. She'd wandered over to another grave already and was brushing away the dirt covering the name.

"This one is Caleb Vatore."

"Sounds fancy," I said. "He'd be from District 1."

"Probably," Freya agreed. "Oh, here's another Vatore. Lilith Vatore. Maybe they were twins? Like Gloss and Cashmere?"

"Maybe," I murmured. It felt so strange to be casually discussing the dead. I didn't want to think about death, or past tributes, or killing. I really didn't want to think about killing. I wasn't sure if I had it in me to take a life. But I didn't want to die either.

"Can we keep moving?" I asked. Freya looked up from the gravestone she was examining and the curious light in her eyes faded almost instantly.

"Yes," she said, going back to her withdrawn self in a flash. I shuddered. Her interest in death was frightening.

We walked for another half hour before we came across a small stream. The water splashing across the rocks was the only sound in the forest, besides our breathing. The silence was eerie. But there were little silver fish darting around beneath the surface and a blackberry bush just downstream from us.

"We can camp here," Freya decided. She set her backpack down and then sat down beside it. "What supplies did you get?"

"Protein bars," I said, pulling three of the crinkly packages out of my pocket. "And a sleeping bag."

Freya nodded as she opened her bag. Her knife was on the ground beside her and I briefly wondered if I should have tried to get more from the bloodbath. My supplies were pathetic next to hers.

My ally put two cans of soup on the grass, and then two water bottles. This was followed by a plastic container of white tablets labeled 'iodine' and a thin black blanket. Freya picked up her knife and a can of soup and looked me in the eye.

"Calceus?" she asked. I swallowed hard, suddenly afraid of her.

"Would you like some cold soup?"

Hi everyone! Here is the first proper arena chapter! It's time for everyone to find their feet and figure out a plan. This arena is going to be very interesting and I'm excited for the upcoming surprises. Also, I wanted to talk about my rules for sponsoring. I will allow readers to sponsor a tribute one life-saving item and a couple of common items. You can sponsor any tribute, not just your own. But don't send anything Games-breaking and just try to be reasonable. Also, I am allowed to veto any sponsor gift. Please don't be mean about this because it makes me feel sad that I can't say yes, but sometimes I have to say no. You can PM me what you want to sponsor or you can leave it in the reviews. Or message me on Discord. Anything works.

Before I get to the questions, I have two announcements to make. One is that I'm working on a collaborative SYOT with Gomex! It's called Blood & Bones and can be found on his profile. Most of the slots are open so if you're interested, please head on over and submit a tribute or two! And my second announcement is that I am setting up a Hunger Games RP Discord server! I have a basic dice and rules system drawn up but it's nothing too complicated (and we're focusing on the story over the exact math). If you're interested in joining, please PM me or message me on Discord. It's going to be really fun!

Questions

1) How do you think Mac will do on her own?

2) What was the contraption in Anastasia's backpack?

3) What is Robyn planning?

4) Who do you think will die next? Who do you want to die next?

5) Who do you want to hear from next chapter?

6) Any predictions so far?

Alliances

The Careers: Becky, Aurelius, Artemis, Donquixote, Crash, Lotus, Taffeta

The Rebel Boys: Kairos, Birch

Deranged & Confused: Calceus, Freya

Loners: Robyn, Anastasia, Mac, Brielle, Saigon, Arawn

Have a nice day, be kind to each other, and never stop reading!

- Fiona