Marjoram Donell, 14
District 12 Female
A cool mist hit my face as my pedestal rose into the arena. I swayed on my feet, but managed to keep my balance. But I thought I was going to throw up from nervousness. It was happening. I was officially in the arena. Claudius Templesmith's voice welcomed us to the 66th Hunger Games, but I barely heard him over the buzzing in my ears.
The arena was a spooky place. Looking around, I saw that we were in a grassy field dotted with tombstones, though the area around the black Cornucopia was clear. Low stone walls had collapsed in places surrounded the field, and beyond them was a smudge of pine trees. The air was foggy, but for some reason, there was no wind. I could faintly see the outlines of mountains beyond the tail of the Cornucopia.
I had Jay from 6 directly to my right and Anastasia from 5 on my left. Jay wasn't a threat and I didn't think Anastasia was either. But I couldn't be certain. Brielle was four pedestals to my right. I tried to catch her attention but she was more focused on the supplies scattered across the field.
5… 4… 3… 2… 1!
The gong rang and I staggered forward. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Brielle dash into the fray. If she could be brave, so could I. I remembered Brielle saying she could handle a crossbow and my eyes widened when I saw one sitting on a crate near the Cornucopia mouth. If Brielle had a weapon, we'd be much safer!
I sprinted towards it, fueled by purpose. I heard someone scream for Jay to stay put. And I sensed someone rushing past me, but they didn't stop. Despite the distractions,I kept my gaze on the crossbow, completely focused on my prize.
And suddenly Aurelius was standing next to it. He was wearing a belt of throwing knives and had a blade in each hand. Our eyes met and I tried to retreat in panic. No! He was going to kill me!
I desperately tried to turn around as metal flashed through the air. But unfortunately, I was too slow. The knife buried itself deep in my chest and an ache like I'd never known spread through me. My head slammed against the ground as I frantically tried to suck in air. Everything hurt. Tears stung behind my eyelids.
'I'm sorry, grandma and grandpa. I love you', I thought. 'And Rosie, I love you too. Goodbye'.
And then everything went black.
Becky Sloan, 18
District 1 Female
I glanced around eagerly as my pedestal rose, only to growl in disappointment. The arena was foggy and creepy and looked like it would have lots of places for the other tributes to hide. And my pedestal was on the far right of the semicircle, next to Lotus. I wanted to start the bloodbath with a cool kill, but I couldn't kill my ally! At least, not yet.
5… 4… 3… 2… 1!
I sprang forward and sprinted toward the Cornucopia. A rack of swords was set up just outside the mouth. That was my target.
Lotus disappeared from my view as I dashed across the patchy grass. I arrived at the weapons right as Aurelius did. He grabbed a belt of throwing knives while I lifted a sharp, gleaming steel sword.
Turning around, I surveyed the battlefield. Tributes were rushing around, grabbing supplies. Lotus was racing toward the blind boy from 6. And the boy from 10 was shoveling cans into a sack. I ran towards him.
He looked up in terror as I reached him. He tried to scramble away but I was quicker. My blade sank deep into his chest as he choked on a groan. With a shake of my arm, his body slumped off my weapon and onto the ground.
Nearby, Aurelius was pulling a knife out of the chest of the girl from 12. Two were down.
Someone screamed and my head whipped toward the sound. Lotus had just smashed zeir elbow into Jay's temple. The young boy fell to the ground as Leona charged. She'd been the one to scream.
I watched as Leona leapt onto Lotus's back and began to claw at zeir face and neck with her nails. Lotus yelped in pain and tried to pry Leona off, but the girl's grief and anger made her strong. She grabbed Lotus by the ponytail and yanked.
I was about to run forward to help when Taffeta appeared out of nowhere. She had a long, slim knife in her hand and plunged it deep into Leona's back. Her mouth fell open and she dropped to the ground. Lotus, who was panting, turned to see Taffeta behind zem. Then zey offered zeir hand for a handshake.
I smiled. We were dominating.
Artemis Shale, 16
District 2 Female
The first thing I noticed was the mist. It hung and thick and heavy over the clearing of patchy grass, but it was bone-dry. District 2 was often covered in fog, but it was dense and wet. This was odd, and it put me on edge.
I'd never taken much time to consider the arena. I just assumed it would be a natural landscape, probably forested, with a few streams and fields. Or a tropical jungle, like Finnick's arena last year. But this was different.
But I didn't have time to dwell on it. The countdown had begun and I needed a plan. Crash was on the podium to my left and Taffeta was on my right so I had no easy kills close to me. Unless I went after Taffeta…
I was sorely tempted to do it. Taffeta was stuck to Donquixote like glue and her death would rattle him. But Crash and Lotus seemed to like the girl from 8. And Crash was right next to me. Xey would see me kill her and report it to Don. I would have to wait.
5… 4… 3… 2… 1!
I ran towards the Cornucopia at top speed, my eyes on a rack of axes set up just outside the mouth of the horn. A girl screamed something about Jay but I didn't bother to listen or look back.
I grabbed a throwing axe in one hand and hefted a melee axe in the other. I turned just in time to see Lotus throw Jay onto his pedestal. His neck snapped at an awkward angle and his sister started to scream. She threw herself onto Lotus's back and began to claw fiercely at zeir face and neck.
Then I heard the clang of metal and whipped in its direction. Brady of District 9 was pulled a spear off of a rack. He had a large backpack on and I could see his allies waiting for him near the pedestals. Brady was a strong contender and a perfect first kill.
I threw my axe with deadly accuracy. It sank deep into Brady's chest and he fell back. A wild scream filled the air and my eyes met Mac's. Her hands were clenched into fists and she looked ready to charge. I took up a fighting stance.
But Mac was suddenly pulled back. Saigon had a grip on her hood and was wrestling her toward the trees. I was about to follow when a flurry of footsteps came from behind me. Without pausing, I swung my axe to the side, where it thudded deep into someone's chest.
I turned quickly to see the boy from 5 on the ground, gasping pathetically. I wrenched my weapon out of his chest and looked around for a new target. But just before I went after Calceus, the girl from 7 threw herself onto Don. They both fell to the ground and began to wrestle.
Can she kill him? I wondered. It didn't seem likely and I didn't dare step in to help. As much as I hated Donquixote, I knew I couldn't split the Career Pack so early. And Don was quickly gaining the upper hand. He finally managed to slam Aspen's head into the dirt and slit her throat. She tilted her head back and smiled as blood poured from the wound. Don got up and dusted off his pants before looking over at me.
I just nodded to him.
Arawn Giedroyc, 18
District 12 Male
My hands shook slightly as my pedestal rose into the foggy arena. The dry mist obscured the surrounding landscape but I could see mountains in the distance, and what looked like a waterfall.
My pedestal was near the middle of the semicircle; just a few podiums off to the left. Leona was on my right and Freya, the girl who scored a 12, was to the left of me. I wasn't sure if I should be wary of her. I was much taller and supposedly stronger than her, but she scored a 12!
Freya's eyes were set on a metal water bottle about two meters from us. I wasn't planning on going into the bloodbath but I was tempted to venture in for the water bottle. It could serve as an improvised weapon too, if needed.
5… 4… 3… 2… 1!
Freya and I leapt forward as Leona yelled something to her brother. I quickly outpaced her and snatched up the bottle. Hearing her right beside me, I swung the bottle on instinct. It didn't connect, but I didn't wait to see what happened to her. I just turned and ran towards the pines.
I hopped over the crumbling stone wall and dashed through the maze of graves. Despite the situation, I couldn't fight back a small smile. A graveyard clearing was an interesting choice. The Gamemakers must have had a blast coming up with it.
I reached the line of trees and stopped. A girl screamed and for some reason I felt compelled to look back. The girl from 9 began to charge forward but her ally, the kid from 11, jerked her back. They dragged her in my direction as she kicked and screamed. Several other tributes were fleeing and bodies littered the ground.
I turned and began to run.
Aspen Hayes, 15
District 7 Female
My heart was pounding furiously in my chest as my pedestal settled into place with a click. The arena looked forested, which was what I was hoping for, but I was too frightened to appreciate my luck.
Our plan for the bloodbath was to coordinate the direction we wanted to run in, grab some supplies, and then get the hell out of there. But I was dizzy with fear and my brain felt as foggy as the air around me. And I couldn't see Birch anywhere.
5… 4… 3… 2… 1!
I staggered off my pedestal and fell forward. My hands and knees hit the patchy grass and I sat there for a moment, my chest heaving as I hyperventilated. But out of the corner of my eye I saw Isaac running towards a pile of supplies.
Get. Up. I told myself. Slowly, I got to my feet and looked around. There was a backpack about ten feet away and no one was near it. I stumbled forward and grabbed a strap.
Suddenly a girl screamed. I looked over to see Mac stagger as Brady collapsed with an axe in his chest. My eyes darted to Artemis, who'd thrown it. And then I saw Isaac standing behind her. His eyes were flicking back and forth between Artemis and Becky, who was stalking toward him with a sword in her hand. He had nowhere to run.
"No," I suddenly whispered. I could tell what he was going to do by the desperate look in his eyes. He was going to try to get past Artemis! My heart felt like it was in my throat as he tried to sprint by her. But in one fluid motion, Artemis lashed out and sank her axe into Isaac's chest.
Tears began to trickle down my cheeks as I turned away. I had to find Birch and get out of here. I frantically dashed the tears from my eyes and then gasped in horror when I spotted my other ally.
Donquixote had a firm grip on Birch and was holding a knife to his throat. But as I watched Birch slammed his head back into Donquixote's nose and then elbowed him in the gut. The boy from 2 dropped to one knee as Birch began to run. But Donquixote had trained for years. His reflexes were unmatched. He slashed his blade across the back of Birch's calf and he fell too.
Anger filled me; making my hands shake and my breath come in heavy gasps. As Donquixote started to get up, a knife in his hand, I swung my backpack against his shoulder. He fell sideways and I jumped on him, knocking him to the ground.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and clung on tightly. All I wanted to do was keep him down and away from Birch. He bucked beneath me and then flopped over, crushing me beneath him. I gasped for air as his heavy form pressed me into the dirt.
I tried to kick him but he swatted my leg aside and pressed his knee onto my torso. He grabbed me by the ponytail and slammed my head against the ground. Earth-shattering pain crackled through my skull and I saw the flash of Donquixote's knife. There was pressure on my throat and then a wet sucking sound as I tried to draw in a breath. But my vision was fading and I couldn't get air. I tilted my head back to see Birch staggering away with the help of another tribute.
I saved him. I saved my ally. I closed my eyes, a smile on my face as I died.
Kairos Nakamura, 15
District 3 Male
I rose into the arena with my fists and jaw clenched. How much had changed since I hacked into the Gamemaker's systems? Would I be targeted? Did they even know I was the one who did it?
It seemed likely, based on where I was. Birch, the known rebel, was on my left and Donquixote, one of the strongest Careers, was to my right. I absolutely had to avoid him if I wanted to make it out of the bloodbath alive.
Glancing at Birch, I suddenly felt relieved. It was more likely he would be targeted by the Careers after his passionate speech during training. If I could slip between him and Donquixote, I could disappear amongst the chaos…
5… 4… 3… 2… 1!
Right as the gong rang I spotted a backpack with a tangle of wires sticking out of the top. I propelled my feet in its direction, doing my best to ignore the screams and bloodshed around me.
I was nearly to the backpack when another hand closed around its strap. I looked up and locked eyes with Robyn. She was pale and wide-eyed with fright and it made me hesitate. Could I really attack my district partner?
But Robyn made my decision for me. She picked up two silver cans and threw one at me. I dodged to the side to avoid it, smacking my knee against a stack of plastic tubs. Robyn used the moment to dash away from me.
A small mesh bag rested on top of a nearby crate and I grabbed it just as a girl screamed. I turned to see Jay crumple to the ground, his neck crooked at a horrible angle. Lotus was standing over him.
The scream came from Leona, who threw herself onto Lotus's back and began to claw and zeir face and neck. My eyes widened. I had to help her! But before I could come up with a plan the girl from 8 came up behind Leona and drove a long knife into her back. Leona slipped off of Lotus and onto the ground.
I looked around wildly. I had to get out of here. My allies were dead and the other tributes were beginning to flee. I took off in the direction of the pedestals, the drawstrings of my bag clenched tightly in my fist.
I sprinted past Birch just as he cried out in pain and fell to his knees. Against my better judgment I glanced back. Donquixote was on his knees and about to lunge at Birch, whose calf was bleeding. But then Aspen was there, slamming into the boy from 2 and knocking him down.
Birch began to crawl away, his fingers digging into the dirt as he forced his body to move quickly. My mind flashed back to his speech during training, and then to my goodbyes with Zoey and Sasha, and my other friends. I told them then that it was pointless to rebel. That we'd be killed before we could make a difference in anyone's life. But Aspen was wrestling a Career to save her ally. And Birch was still fighting, unafraid to show the world what he believed in.
I ran back to Birch and held out a hand.
"Come on," I hissed. "Take my hand." He looked up at me in surprise. "Hurry," I coaxed.
Birch narrowed his eyes but grabbed my hand. I hauled him to his feet with a strength I didn't know I had and let him sling an arm over my shoulder. Supporting his bad side, I dragged him into the pines. My bag hung from my shoulder and Birch had a backpack on. I had supplies and a new ally.
"We have to keep moving," I told him as we staggered through the woods. "I know a place where we'll be safe."
We did it. The bloodbath is here. I did my best to follow a timeline and make it clear what order the events happened it, and I hope it shows. I also tried to make each death realistic, so fingers crossed you think they are.
And again, I want to say thank you to everyone who has submitted and has been reading and/or reviewing. I have so much fun writing SYOTs and I'm happy you all want to be a part of mine. Also, I'm very sorry if your tribute died. I know it really sucks to lose your character, especially in the bloodbath, and I hope you can understand why I made the choices I did. And thank you to ShunKazamis-Girl for looking over this chapter and giving me some feedback.
Please please please leave a review and give me your thoughts!
(Fun Fact: This arena is loosely based off of one of the worlds in The Sims 4. If you're familiar with the game, which world do you think it is?)
Questions
1) Whose death were you most surprised by?
2) Whose death was the saddest?
3) Did the deaths feel realistic?
4) What sort of supplies do you want to see/think the tributes found?
Eulogies
24th: Marjoram Donell (killed by Aurelius Charmichael)
Marjoram was a sweet and realistic girl who dealt with too much awfulness in her short life. She never got the chance to grow up and discover who she was; as is the nature of the Hunger Games. But she was brave and loving until the very end. Thank you LadyCordeliaStuart.
23rd: Andy Waywell (killed by Becky Sloan)
Andy was a unique tribute with violent urges who also wanted a moral compass. And his family situation made him special too. In other circumstances he could have put on a spectacular show in the arena but I struggled to connect with him. I'm sorry he was outshined by the others. Thank you AlexFalTon.
22nd: Jay Zookeeper (killed by Lotus Amarin)
Jay was a tribute with a lot of potential and I wish I could have showed it off more. He was intelligent and pragmatic and was so much more than his blindness. Unfortunately he wasn't characterized as well as Leona (which is on me), and his submitter was okay with him going here. Thank you AmericanPi.
21st: Leona Zookeeper (killed by Taffeta Katz)
Leona was strong and fiery and an absolute joy to write. She didn't fit in but she still loved her family and would do anything to protect them. And her death was not in vain; she brought Holly home. Thank you AmericanPi.
20th: Brady Deere (killed by Artemis Shale)
I like to kill at least one strong tribute in the bloodbath and this time it was Brady who fell. He expected to die when he volunteered and hopefully he can find solace in knowing Mac is safe. Brady was flawed but real, and a joy to write. Thank you Kkstar47.
19th: Isaac Foster (killed by Artemis Shale)
Isaac was one of the first tributes I received for this story, and one of my favorites. He had so many sides to him but all he really wanted was to make a name for himself; to be known for something. He will live on in Juniper's memory, and is now safe with his mom and Skylar. Thank you simplynovaa.
18th: Aspen Hayes (killed by Donquixote Esperanza)
Aspen was another one of my favorite tributes and was on my list of potential victors for a long time. But I wanted a fairly big bloodbath and her submitter said it was okay if she died here. Aspen was spoiled but humble and she died bravely by saving a friend. Thank you 03ibradley.
Alliances
The Careers: Becky, Aurelius, Artemis, Donquixote, Crash, Lotus, Taffeta
The Rebel Boys: Kairos, Birch
Deranged & Confused: Calceus, Freya
The Power Couple (-1): Mac, Saigon
Loners: Robyn, Anastasia, Brielle, Arawn
Have a nice day, be kind to each other, and never stop reading!
- Fiona