Chapter 6 – Another's Eye

D6 Citizen - Via Tracks - 16

I roll out of bed and look over to where Levi sleeps.

His bed's empty.

Yet again the realisation hits me that I'll never see the most important person in my life again.

Levi's gone forever.

I go into our - my small living room and switch on the old TV. The cameras are still focusing on Jemima's body, it's horrific, from what I can imagine she's just been lying broken on the ground all night. Groaning every now and then.

She was in my class (back when I still went to school) and although we never really knew each other people often said we should get to know each other. I think we were too similar to be friends and now I'm glad I thought that way, I couldn't imagine losing my best friend and my little brother…

Not much is happening today, mostly just tributes trying to find food and water so they're repeating last night when the girl from 7 (who I think is called Teagan) pushed Jemima out of the tree.

Funny the Capitol seemed to edit it to make Jemima look bad, I guess they just don't want anger about child murder from the Capitol.

Weird seeing as that's what the Hunger Games are.

D4 Citizen - Nathaniel Kaimana - 53

After last night all of the attention has been on the crazy kid from 7 and the crybaby from 6. Doesn't the Capitol realise that my Damian is much more interesting than some stupid children who are never gonna win?

I go through to our living room and realise that I left the TV on overnight, so I sit down and start trying to pay attention to what's happening on the screen.

After about 2 hours of various shots of some little kids catching fish, the tributes from 10 each hunting for food, the careers failing to find anyone and Damian sitting guarding the cornucopia with the girl from 2 - Carlotta - things are getting quite boring.

I get up to grab some food when I hear the girl from our district (Marina) say something to Sapphire.

'Can you believe that bitch Damian?' She exclaims to the district 1. 'Yeah bringing up your dead boyfriend isn't cool' Sapphire replies. 'Doesn't he understand that the whole reason I'm in the games is to avenge Alon?' The girls continue their conversation when Sapphire says cautiously 'Well maybe the fact that Damian does understand that you're here because Alon died is what's making him bring it up…'

'What?' Marina says - confused.

'He's here to win right?'

'Obviously.'

'And so by making you feel uneasy and forcing you to think about your dead boyfriend could be his game plan!' Sapphire shouts getting gradually louder as she says this.

'Oh my goodness that's so smart! Saph where did you learn to think like that?'

The district 1 shrugs and starts walking away when suddenly a loud scream pierces the air.

D10 Citizen - Eria Sable - 18

Blake and Austin are huddled around the tiny television and as I try to rock Fawn to sleep the room is suddenly filled with screams coming from the TV. Austin immediately starts trying to turn the volume down but Fawn soon starts wailing. After about a minute of static, the screen jerks over to the commentators in the Capitol.

'So what would you say is going on here?' Says the small woman with green hair. 'Well this Flavia is exactly what was happening to our good friend Matt-'

Matt…

'Basically, Marina here is listening to engineered screams mimicking her loved one, for Matt this was his daughter Fawn-'

I look down and see my baby girl safe in my arms…

'And for Marina, it's her fallen boyfriend!' Finishes the large pink-haired man.

'But Cassius, those screams sound just like the District 4 boy from last year - Alon Finbar!'

'Yes! Believe it or not, Marina dated the runner-up from last year - until he got overpowered by last year's Victor Mika Logan!'

I think back to the winter when the first district 11 Victor in a long time visited 10, we cheered loudly partly because of the peacekeepers flanking us and partly because of hope, 10 and 11 are very similar really. We're both farmers, both outer districts and both make food just for it to be taken away from us.

Because of the hope - because of the feeling that if they did it we can too.

Last year the poor kids didn't stand a chance, a twelve and thirteen year old. One died in the bloodbath the other on the second day but this year maybe…

Just maybe…

We finally stand a chance, only half the tributes are left and two of them are from 10.

Twelve tributes left and Matt is one of them.

Matt is one of them.

D9 Citizen - Terrey Dagan - 19

I trudge through the door to our little home and see Mam curled up on the floor, almost hugging our beaten-up television. 'You 'kay Mam?' I say, overly cheerful.

She doesn't respond.

'Look I know you miss Casper, I do too, but you have to understand: that boy - however much we love him - isn't coming home.' I feel a tear roll down my cheek. I just said it. The thing we'd all been thinking - that no one was ready to say.

Casper's going to die.

I put my cheery voice back on and say to Mam 'I'm going to check on Maudlin!' And start walking towards the rickety stairs that lead up to our little upstairs room where my little sister is sleeping. I suddenly find myself waiting on the second step and turning around slowly when I hear a quiet voice saying:

'Casper? Casper? Casper is that you? Have you come home?'

It always shocks me how bad she is at remembering who I am, when we said our goodbyes I remember Casper saying that she struggled to know who people were, but I really thought this didn't extend to her firstborn child.

'No Mam, it's just Terrey, your son Terrey.' I sigh and turn away, her struggling was the reason I left this place when I was 16.

Was it unfair to leave my 10-year-old brother to deal with his insane Mam and baby sister on his own? Yes.

But did I offer to take him with me? Obviously yes.

But my brother cared too much about the crazy woman who just happened to birth us.

'Terrey, no not Terrey, it's not Terrey it's Casper!' I look back over my shoulder and realise she's pointing at something on the TV. 'It's Casper! It's Casper!' She starts yelling and, sure enough, my little brother is on the screen.

The room suddenly fills with Mam's screams. Coming from the television?

They die down after a loud crack and a shift to the Capitol.

'Flavia, is it round three?' The fat pink man says - holding up three fingers.

'Oh Cassius yes! Here we have Casper listening to his mother's screams, even though she's safe in District 9!'

Safe is a strong word.

'And Flavia, we've had a few questions from the audience about if the other tributes can hear these cries?'

'Well Cassius by using jabberjays to record the computer-engineered sound of their loved one's screams all the tributes can hear the jabberjay's song but only one person will react to it in this way!'

Mam's screeches have started up on screen again and now she's decided to mimic them in real life. I realise that there's no way I'm getting through to her now so I open the rickety door to the outside and take a step outside.

D10 Citizen - Tilda Bullock - 14

The picture on the screen is terrifying, it's an image of a boy about my age (maybe a year or so younger) trying to cover his ears to block out the sound of his Mother's screams. He's crying and kicking as his ally tries to calm him down.

'Mam! Mam! Who hurt you?! Mammy!' He wails. His ally - a girl his age called Celina - is trying to convince him to be quiet but it isn't working. 'Mammy! Mammy! WHO DID THIS TO YOU!' The screams just seem to get louder the more he shouts.

'Tilda I know you don't want to but you have to eat something…' I hear Papi say as he puts some tesserae bread in front of me. 'Papi, what if do this to Arabella?' I say tearfully, 'Tilda she's strong, they won't do this to her and even if they did she'd make it throu-'

He's cut off as the boy cries out 'MAMMY WHO DID THIS TO YOU! I'LL KILL THEM MAMMY! MAMMY! Mammy! Mammy! Mam…' the screams of his ma seem to stop and his shouts develop into sobs. Celina is trying to comfort him but unexpectedly there's the sound of a voice behind them.

D2 Citizen - Tiberius Bridge - 49

The camera pans up as the girl from 5 turns around with a look of horror.

'I swear I'm not gonna hurt you.' Says the boy from 10 - Matt. The 5 girl seems not to have got this memo and kicks poor Matt's face with about as much force as she has.

'Fu- I'm NOT Gonna Hurt you!' He yells, trying to stem the flow of the blood from his nose. He abruptly grabs both the kids and pulls them behind a rock formation, covering the little boy's mouth when he tries to scream.

After a few minutes of watching and waiting we see them. Victor the district 1 and my little boy.

Carlos.

I still don't understand why The Academy made Carlos volunteer. I understand Carlotta volunteering a year early, I mean there's no denying her skill and after the recent failures we've had I completely agree with them choosing Carlotta.

But Carlos?

On the screen I see Victor and Carlos creeping around. They edge closer to where the three outliners are hiding. Matt and the 5 are being as silent as possible but the kid from 9 is still struggling and trying to reach for his mother. Unexpectedly the boy grabs the knife out of Matt's hand and starts hurling himself forward.

'Victor! Vic!' Carlos cries out because the 9 has stabbed his arm. However, while Carlos is rocking his injured arm Victor is trying to chase down the boy that did it. The 9 drops his weapon as Victor corners him and puts his sword up to the boy's neck.

'How DARE you attempt to attack MY ally!' How dare you attempt to attack my son I think. 'You really thought you stood a chance?' With that Victor takes the back of his sword and shoves it into the kid's stomach. The 9 winces in pain but Victor isn't done. He gets the sharp end of his weapon and as the boy tries to escape cuts the top of his leg.

All of a sudden Victor feels something pull him back. Matt is standing above him, quickly disarming Victor but without a weapon himself. He directs the 5 girl to grab both the sword and knife and hold them to Carlos's neck to 'make sure our friend doesn't get any ideas' and then quietly says to Victor 'You can leave now, weaponless, but with your life or we can kill your friend first,' he looks over to Carlos 'and slit your throat second.' Victor looking scared whisperers 'We'll go okay. Just don't do ANYTHING to us.'

We'll do unto you as we'd want you to do unto us.' Matt says - smiling. Victor looks very confused with that answer but after Matt released him he seemed satisfied and after pulling up Carlos made sure to keep watch behind them as they ran away.

While the camera stays focused on Matt and the girl tending to the 9's wounds I can't help but worry about Carlos. I mean he got injured by a thirteen-year-old - what's he gonna do when the career pack breaks up?

At least I know that Carlotta will protect him. But it hurts knowing that you will only see one of your babies again.

D1 Citizen - Chrysoberyl Medura - 10

I get home from training and make my way to the living room couch immediately. 'Mommy, has Sapphire won yet?' I ask. 'Not yet Chrys but she was showing her smarts earlier' she replies as she scoops me up into a hug. 'Mommy I'm ten now!' I say as I struggle to get out of her grip. 'I've got some bread from the bakers, you can have some with your dinner!' She says - finally letting me go. I smile at her as she walks out of the room, and start paying attention to what's happening on the television.

It's time for the list of the dead, and recap so I came in at a good time. There are no dead today but the Capitol keep on replaying the scene where Matt from 10 scares Victor and Carlos. It's a bit worrying that the Careers this year (especially the district 1!) can be scared by some stupid weaponless outliner. Still, at least I know that Sapphy wouldn't be scared by someone as dumb as Matt and his allies who can't be much older than me. They also give us some clips of Arabella and Tegan hunting and Jemima lying at the bottom of a tree, covered in blood and bruises. Funny, I'd almost forgotten about her, I mean after school today and then Training as well I understand why. I guess I just assumed she'd be dead by now.

The camera focuses on Sapphire and Marina, as Victor explains what happened. Of course, it's entirely fabricated. In his version of the story, he and Carlos were ambushed by Matt, Casper and Celina, who were each holding knives and immediately grabbed his and Carlos's weapons. Then Victor and Carlos (but mainly Victor) were miraculously able to fight off the attackers and escape. Sapphy whispers to Marina 'He's lying you know - I've known him since we were 5 years old and his ears always turn red at the top when he lies.' I think about what she says for a second. She really knows Victor. Will she miss him when he dies? Will I miss my district partner when he dies? As I snap back to reality I hear Marina say 'That's pretty cute you know…' and as Sapphire looks at her in disgust she quickly covers up by saying 'You know how as the leader of the Career Pack I expected him to be more serious, this makes him seem more… human-like' Sapphy nods and then says 'I guess he's always seemed human to me. We grew up together, we were in the same class at school, the same group at Training and always paired up. I assume that was because they knew we would both end up volunteering but I think part of me wishes they didn't. I think I would prefer to have a district partner that meant nothing to me - not a fellow tribute that I know and care about…'

Sapphy and Marina both look over in the two's direction, where Carlotta is gently tending to the cut on Carlos's arm. I think they're thinking the same thing as me:

How could anyone go into the Hunger Games with their sibling?

D7 Citizen - Jack Palmer - 16

I think back to the Tegan I knew. She wasn't like this. Or maybe she was, sure I might be the person who knows her best but clearly, that doesn't mean I know her at all.

The screen is pretty scary still. There keep on being these shots of Tegan's 'ally' lying beneath a tree. Still hanging on for dear life, I think Tegan knows what the gamemakers want her to do, what at this point Jemima wants her to do. They want her to just finish off the 6. To let her die. But turns out that's not what Tea wants.

The Camera shifts over to where the 10 girl (Arabella?) is sleeping. I wonder why for a second but as I see a bird fly past and screams start I understand what's happening.

'Tilda! Tilda! No! No! NO! NOT TILDA! DON'T HURT HER TOO! TILDA!' As the shrieks of her best friend get louder, Arabella starts crying out. 'TILDA… Tilda… Tilda… Tilly…'

This is where it gets slightly less painful to read. I wrote this about a month ago so it should be better than the past chapters, although thats not exactly hard.