Roman Euroka, 16, District 9
Kikimora - Island A - 1130
It's been quiet since they lost Tamin.
Roman tries to think of something to say, but any time he opens his mouth he's met with silence. What could he say that would suffice? What could he possibly do to lessen Davidson's grief?
He hears the light cries and sniffles from his friend and all he can do is stick with him and keep moving.
Roman's exhausted. He can't remember the last time he was this tired. Even late nights in the pits, getting hit in the face over and over again were not as exhausting as what he feels now.
He was fueled by adrenaline then. Now? Now the only thing he sees when he closes his eyes is his brother.
"Ermias?" Roman could feel it in his heart that the boy who stands in front of him is not his brother. Logically it's impossible. Roman is the one in the Hunger Games, he volunteered to take Ermias' place and so Ermias isn't here because he's at home with the rest of the Euroka family, where he belongs.
Where I belong too, Roman's thoughts land on. None of this does anything to lessen the fear of Ermias standing in front of him. Roman doesn't know what's worse: knowing he's in danger or knowing that his sacrifice might be for nothing if he can't save him.
Ermias takes off running and Roman's feet take off before his brain contemplates his actions. Leaves thrash against his cheeks and he's certain anyone in a half a mile radius can hear them both.
"Ermias!" he shouts, crossbow held tightly to his chest. It's dark and the fog does nothing to help him keep sight of his brother.
The whole area around him looks so familiar Roman is convinced he's running in circles, and he has no sight of his brother. He slows to a stop and glances in all directions.
It's all the same.
"Ermias!"
Silence.
"Dad!" It's not his brother's voice, but the voice of his ally that drags his attention now.
Ermias isn't here! Snap out of it! Roman doesn't feel any comfort in his thoughts, but he has no choice but to return to his allies, who are here and are experiencing something similar to what he is.
What did he experience? What's happening?
"Roman!" Roman's heart drops and he breaks back into a sprint towards the scream. His brother's scream.
He thinks he's going to puke when the cannon fires. When he first sees his ally with a knife embedded in his brother's corpse, his only reaction is to pull the trigger.
He doesn't know what stops him.
Davidson doesn't know this, of course, and Roman hasn't found a way to bring it up. He doesn't think he can. What could he even say?
'Hey, don't feel bad for killing Tamin because I almost killed you because I thought Tamin was my brother'?
Roman prefers silence to that.
He does have to wonder if the rest of the island experienced what they did. A second cannon fired much later to Tamin's, and Roman can't imagine who it belongs to.
Until he hears the panicked footsteps.
"Hide!" he grits his teeth in a whisper as he pulls Davidson down behind the bushes. Panting and rushed footsteps rush in their direction, getting louder with each passing second. Roman can just barely make out the boy as he ungracefully tumbles into a thick brush. Roman only begins to put the pieces together when seconds pass and more footsteps get closer.
Careers.
"Where did he go!" a girl's voice echoes through the trees.
"This way!" a boy's voice follows. Roman can't make out who the Careers are, not without fear of revealing himself. Instead, he and Davidson stay down as the group of Careers scours the area, hurling various insults and accusations at one another.
Maybe they'll do us all a favor and kill each other, Roman can't stop the thoughts from coming, nor can he decide if he regrets them.
(He should regret them. Roman of a few days ago certainly would.)
He can't tell how long they remain crouched behind the bushes before the Careers finally disperse. Even then, Davidson and Roman remain in hiding for a few more minutes before even attempting to stand.
They do so at the same time as the boy running from the Careers. He doesn't notice them, not for a bit. When he does, the look he gives Roman is one he's seen before on the face of his sparring opponents. One of defeat.
"We'll leave you be if you do the same for us. We don't want trouble," Roman speaks up before either Davidson or the strange boy can act first.
The last thing he wants is another fight, and he's not sure Davidson can cope with another kill on his hands.
The boy seems so relieved that Roman can relax. He watches the boy dry his sweat with his sleeve.
Not just sweat, Roman realizes. He sees the redness on his cheeks and the swelling of his eyes. Coupled with the cannon not that long ago, he can only draw one conclusion.
"They killed your ally?" he asks. The boy jumps at the question as if the memory itself pains him.
Roman knows that feeling.
"Yes," is all the boy says. Roman doesn't know what else to say. He'd tell the boy he's sorry, but it doesn't feel genuine. What would he even be sorry for?
Sorry that you almost killed him. Roman shuts the voice out.
"Come on," Roman whispers to Davidson, and his ally obliges. Roman identifies the direction the Careers didn't go in and they start on their way. They don't make it far before the boy speaks up.
"I was going back to the other island tonight. There are three boats left. I think…I think they're on a schedule," he says. Roman looks at Davidson, then over at the boy.
"What's on the other island?" Roman asks. Whatever the boy answers with, he has high hopes it can't be any worse than the fog that cursed them the previous night.
"We didn't explore a lot, but we didn't see anyone else. I…I wanted to try gaining control of the boat before it brought us back over here on its own," he explains.
Another island, Roman's thoughts run wild with possibilities. Part of him knows the island wouldn't be any safer than the one they're currently on, not in the Hunger Games.
(But part of him doesn't think Ermias will appear on that island, and right now, that's all he wants to ensure. If he sees his brother die again…
He might not be able to stop himself from pulling the trigger.)
"Show us the way," Roman says. Davidson glances at him, having been so quiet this entire conversation, Roman feels bad for not discussing it first. Yet Davidson only offers a slight nod of agreement.
"Okay," the boy says. "I'm…Ozzy."
"Roman. This is Davidson."
"Thanks for…not killing me," Ozzy says with an awkward laugh.
Roman nods, and the duo follows closely behind their new, strange ally.
It'll be alright, Roman tells himself with the little confidence that remains.
As long as Roman doesn't see Ozzy stabbing his brother, his hopes remain higher than they were at the start of the day.
Moriko "Mori" Ostrya, 12, District 12
Azhdar - Island B - 1210
It's so hot.
Mori and Aizen are lucky to have found a water source or they would not have survived the morning. Mori doesn't remember it being this hot when the boat got here. It certainly wasn't this hot overnight.
Now it's nearly unbearable.
They didn't stray too far from the beach. Earlier, Mori heard one of the boats leave as soon as dawn approached, yet the one they came on remained still. It leaves Mori to assume the boats only move with a tribute on it.
Assuming the pair left together, Mori believes they're alone. It's…almost reassuring.
Her eyes fall to Aizen as he cups his hand into the pond to wash his face of the sweat that accumulated in the few hours that have passed. She contemplates their options, and despite wanting nothing more than to keep him safe, she simply cannot land on the safest option.
Maybe the beach will offer them cooler temperatures, but that would bring them away from their water source. Mori doesn't know if she wants to risk it.
(Truth is, Mori doesn't know what the best options are to keep him safe. She doesn't know if switching islands was the best choice. She doesn't know if staying would've been, either.
She just doesn't know anymore.)
She closes her eyes for a minute, a minute to decompress. Cannons have continued to fire, and they don't belong to him. She's doing well, as well as anyone could expect from her.
So why doesn't it feel like enough?
Will it ever?
She opens her eyes and she feels like the temperature around her has risen another five or ten degrees. She doesn't know how much hotter it could possibly get. The position of the sun tells her it's noon, so in theory, it should get cooler, but what if it doesn't? What if their only option is to return to the first island, surrounded by Careers and others who would happily see Aizen dead to secure their own way home?
Mori won't have it. She has to keep him safe.
And all he wants is to find Exa. Every cannon that fires is another cannon Aizen believes belongs to her. Mori understands why it makes him sad, she really does. She just wishes she could convey to him how important it is to keep him safe.
(Moriko has never been good at explaining things to the people she cares about.)
…What's that smell?
Mori stands up, her heart racing against the walls of her chest. Her eyes dart around, looking for something, anything to explain away the scent.
"What?" Aizen asks as she stands. She doesn't answer. She just looks.
That's when she sees it in the distance. Fear settles in first, but it's anger that holds Mori.
How she wishes she could claw the Gamemakers' eyes out.
"Fire. Come on," she says, hoping the shaking in her voice is less obvious to him than it is to her.
"What?" his panicked voice does nothing to slow her down. She almost forgets to grab their limited supplies. Her brain is a fog and she can only focus on the danger.
The god damned fire.
She can barely suppress the panic as she determines the safest way to go. A million thoughts race through her mind, but she tries to only focus on the facts. The heat is from the fire. The fire is coming from one direction. The ocean will be safe. They can board the boats.
She can keep Aizen safe. She has to keep Aizen safe.
Why does it have to be fire?
She takes his arm and pulls him away from the danger. She ignores his questions, she knows he knows she can't answer them. She doesn't know what started it.
(It wasn't her fault.)
She doesn't know where it's spreading.
(It shouldn't have spread that fast.)
She doesn't know why.
(She's not who they think she is.
…..is she?)
"Mori!" Mori slides to a stop and whips her head around to see Aizen, panic glaring from his eyes. She can see the wall of fire making distance on them and it drives her crazy to be standing still.
(She will not abandon him – she will not leave him – he will not die.)
"We have to go-" she begins before his arm raises and points towards the beach she is so desperate to escape to.
Except when she turns to look, the ocean water is cut off by a wall of ever-growing flames.
He can't die I won't let him die it's my fault he's here it's my fault-
"Mori, this way," Aizen says as he gently pulls her in the only flameless direction.
I should be leading him pull yourself together Moriko-
With no other choice, they dash towards the last bit of safety they have, with Mori promising herself she will find a way back to the safety of the beach.
For him.
The flameless path they travel is linear, almost too linear for Mori to feel safe. It all feels too mechanical like the flames are just a sick Gamemaker trick to lead them into the real danger. Like they're nothing more than cattle the Gamemakers are ready to slaughter.
She hates it.
…she has no other choice.
"Watch out!" Aizen stumbles to a stop but Mori's momentum keeps her going and she slips out of his grasp. A loud CRACK forces her eyes up. And the flames rain down.
She jumps so far forward that she scrapes every limb against the dry ground. She pushes herself back up to her feet and searches desperately for Aizen.
She can't see anything past the fallen tree engulfed in flames.
"Aizen!" she screams before moving to jump over the tree despite the fact it's half her height and despite the flames that reach at least six feet over her head.
Another CRACK, another tree comes down. This one falls on the other side.
On Aizen's side.
Mori doesn't know if the tears are a result of the smoke burns or the guilt.
It's not my fault it's not MY FAULT-
"Aizen!"
She can't stay here.
She can't leave.
Another CRACK.
She has no choice.
She didn't have a choice in Twelve either.
He had a choice. She took it away from him.
She screams his name again. She doesn't know if he responds.
Exa Behrens, 14, District 6
Mount Mshai - Island A/B - 1650
Exa is tired and terrified.
It doesn't have anything to do with the visions she saw the previous night, either.
(She didn't like watching her brother die over and over again. She didn't like the vision's implication she could have saved him. She didn't like any of it.)
Knowing Owain saw…similarly horrible visions helped keep her grounded, she thinks. At the very least, it helps her pretend to be grounded. They have much more real issues to worry about.
Like Owain's leg.
The longer Exa looks at it, the worse it seems to get. She's unsure if that's also part of the vision, but based on Owain's worsening expressions, she thinks it's not.
It wouldn't be that easy, would it?
Despite it all, they continue to push across the island. Exa wants to stop, more for Owain's sake than her own, but he refuses to rest longer than a few minutes. She managed to fasten a shitty splint out of branches and torn fabric and the mediocre anti-inflammatory meds that were sent a few hours ago have been helping them keep a decent pace. They reach the edge of the mountain before darkness engulfs them.
Exhaustion threatens to take over, but fear of more foggy visions keeps Exa moving.
"I think I see an opening," Owain says through pained gasps. Exa glances in the direction he's facing, and he's right. She sees where the rock bends in.
She wonders if it's a good idea to go inside a claustrophobic space, but one look at Owain reminds her that sitting out in the open isn't any safer.
Not that anywhere here is exactly safe.
She lets him use her shoulder as a crutch and together they find themselves in the mountain. It's wider than she initially thought, with at least three different paths to chose from. She heads in the direction that leads to the second island, hoping to both find a connecting passageway and to put as much distance between them and the Careers as possible.
The stone is off-white, decorated with dark-colored speckles across. The cave systems have tall ceilings and passageways wide enough for her and Owain to stand side by side yet still comfortably move within them. Every dozen or so feet comes another passageway they could take if they wanted. Even though Exa expects to be surrounded by complete darkness eventually, it never comes. Something about the color of the stone and the light itself reflects just well enough to let them see a few feet ahead of them at all times.
It all feels unnatural, but Exa tries not to dwell on it.
What unnerves her most is how many options present themselves to her, how many different passageways they could explore. She knows Owain wouldn't be able to explore them all, nor does she know if she'll find supplies or more danger. Of course, there's always the threat of a cave-in.
All of it pales in comparison to the imminent threat of Owain's injury. Exa can tell he's feigning his strength. Anton did the same when he fell ill. At some point, Owain won't be able to hold himself upright, and Exa isn't strong enough to keep carrying him around indefinitely. She won't abandon him, but she can't fix him.
(She couldn't fix Anton either.)
She hopes more sponsors come their way. The medicine will keep for another day or two, but then what? Should they find a secure spot in the mountains for him to hide while she hunts and gathers? Should she stand in front of a camera and beg for medicine? Should they send her out to gather herbs and plants until she can create a concoction strong enough to stabilize him?
(She knows how outlandish it sounds, yet that's what desperation does to a person.)
She wishes he would give her more guidance. The little she learned from him in training was enough to tell her how experienced he is with these sorts of things. She doesn't understand where his silence stems from now. In training, he seemed eager to teach her the things he knew, the things she was dying to learn. What makes it different now that he's the patient?
Owain trips over a loose rock and Exa is barely able to keep him steady enough from completely tumbling to the floor. She helps him gently sit down, gritting her teeth as his pained noises echo off the cave walls.
"It got hot," he says with the release of a breath. Is the infection getting to his brain? Exa wants to smack some sense into him to make sure it's not, but then she notices the sweat building above his brow.
Huh. It is hot in here.
Exa glances in the direction they were traveling and realizes how much brighter that section of the cave seems.
"Let me check it out," she says, setting down everything they've been carrying except the knife. Owain tries to convince her not to, but she doesn't stop. "I just want to make sure it's safe. I won't go far." Her words don't seem to ease him, but he can't exactly stop her.
She's careful about her movements as she gets closer to the bright light. It only takes a few steps to see through the opening to the other island. Then, she notices the smoke.
It's not a surprise she didn't notice it, as it seems to be bouncing off of an invisible door in the mountains opening, keeping it away from Exa and the cave system. She reaches her hand out to see if it's a translucent door, but her hand swings through it.
We can pass through, but the smoke can't, Exa concludes. She wonders if the same is true for the fog on the other island, and she has no reason to assume it wouldn't be. The thought calms her.
Where did the smoke come from?
A scream makes her jump back from the cave opening. She's about to instinctively run towards her ally, but the name the voice called wasn't her own. Nor was the voice one even similar to Owain's.
Yet it is a voice she recognizes.
And once she registers what the name was, she puts two and two together.
She pushes into the smoke, keeping one foot back inside the mountain and she calls out to him.
What is he doing here?
He calls out the other girl's name again but this time Exa can tell he's getting closer.
"Over here!" she yells, knife out despite little intention to use it.
"Mori!" he screams, crashing through the trees until he stumbles in front of Exa. Exa's glad she didn't prepare to use the knife. If she did, she might have sent it straight through the creature.
"M….Mori?" his voice is his but the body that speaks it doesn't look like the boy she met in training.
He's covered from head to toe in black soot. Exa doesn't know where his clothes end and his skin starts. The only color comes from the whites of his eyes. The ends of his hair are singed.
He looks mortified.
"I have to find her," he whimpers, looking back out into the equally singed forest, where heat still lingers through the branches. Exa reaches out to grab his arm, which she realizes immediately at what a mistake that is when he jumps six feet back with a nearly inhumane screech.
"Let's clean you up and make sure you're not injured. Then..then we can look. Owain is in the caves, he can help us," Exa says. She doesn't mention Owain's injury, she doesn't think Aizen can handle hearing anything not related to Mori.
She's out there… Exa reminds herself. Out there, where fires seem to have ravaged everything. Fires that must have started after the fog ended.
She thought this island would be safer for them, and allow Owain a chance to heal, yet as the thoughts wash over her she realizes how stupid that assumption was. She's angry, angry at herself, angry at the Gamemakers, angry at the damn Capitol for letting this happen.
How can they look at Aizen's condition and justify it?
A movement in the sky catches her attention, despite the fact it's aiming for Aizen, she's the one that catches the bottle.
"Here, see, your mentor wants the same. Come on. I promise we'll find her," Exa says.
(She knows she shouldn't make promises she doesn't know if she can keep, but she doesn't know what else to say to the boy.)
Tears continue to fall but he allows Exa to lead him to the river to wash off. He allows himself to sip some of the water.
(And yet, it doesn't comfort either of them.)
Eleanora Darzky, 17, District 5
Kikimora - Island A - 1930
Eleanora hopes the cannon that fired earlier was Astel's.
She won't know for sure for a few more hours, but it's all she can hope for.
She doesn't know why she stuck around so long, and that alone makes her angrier than she'd care to admit. She tried, she tried so fucking hard to prove herself to the damned Careers, and she would've even succeeded if it weren't for fucking Dahlia.
She picks up a rock that lines the beach and she throws it into the water. She's impressed with how far it goes. She packs a few in the small satchel she took with her. Other than her sword, which is secured to her belt, she has nothing.
Nothing except rocks.
It's all she needs.
The grumbling in her stomach tells her otherwise.
She walks the coastline of the four harbors, noticing that one of them is missing a boat. She walks all the way down until she reaches the last boat. She jumps on it, scanning it for any signs of life. As she expects, there aren't any.
The boat itself isn't a bad place for her to stay. She could hear tributes on the beach before they know she's here, and the cabin leaves an interesting choke point for a fight. So she stays.
Maybe she'll be safe from the visions here.
(Safe from her father.)
She opens her eyes and she expects to be in the forest with Astel in the middle of the Hunger Games, but where she's transported to is so much worse.
It's her kitchen. A place that most families find refreshing. A place of gathering, of good times and good food.
Eleanora always that that was bullshit. Nothing about her family is refreshing. No moment in her house is a good moment.
She'd rather be back in the Hunger Games.
Her father materializes in the kitchen, hand wrapped around the handle of a knife. Blood pools under his feet, and it takes Eleanora a moment to realize that the blood is coming from the knife.
"Where's mom?" Eleanora asks, taking a step back. Her back finds the wall.
She's trapped.
"Don't worry. You'll see her soon," his voice completely unsettles Eleanora in a way he never has before.
Somehow she's prepared for the strike before it comes. She ducks and tries to reach for her sword but it's stuck in her belt.
She dodges the next strike but barely, as the blade gets caught in the fabric of her jacket. She panics and pulls back, falling to her back.
She can only lay there helplessly as the blade comes across her face.
Remembering what she saw the previous night makes her scar ache. Eleanora grits her teeth.
Even with thousands of miles in between them, he's still tormenting her.
She slams her fist down on the tiny table in the cabin. She imagines it's her father's face instead. It brings up her spirits.
A light thud on the top deck of the boat catches her attention. Maybe a bird landing? Eleanora doesn't remember seeing any birds in the arena thus far. Regardless, she decides to check it out, removing her sword from her belt before a fight can start.
She hasn't made it this far by being careless.
In the center of the boat sits a small bag, slightly bigger than the satchel she has. Inside the front pocket, a piece of paper sticks out.
She looks around before approaching. There's no one around, which makes her believe it's a sponsor gift. She reads the note first.
(She wishes she didn't.)
'Took you long enough to leave that useless girl. Stay alert. Come home. You're Five's last hope. Don't disgrace us.'
…Fucker.
Eleanora rips up the note and throws it in the water, yet that doesn't stop her from seeing red.
How dare he? Eleanora picks up the bag and dumps the contents out on the ground. Some food, water, and basic medicine. At this early in the Games, Eleanora can't imagine it cost him much. Certainly cheaper than a meal out in the market.
This is what I'm worth to him? Eleanora rattles her mind for an explanation. He never supports her, not when she was at home, and certainly not now while she's in the arena. What would make him shift?
She thinks about the note. 'You're Five's last hope.'
She thinks about the cannon.
It starts to click.
And it makes her sick.
He doesn't care about her. He never has. He never will, yet if what he said is true, and the cannon did belong to Tamin…
He's just trying to protect his precious district. He's trying to keep his image. Eleanora picks up the supplies and without missing a beat it all ends up in the ocean.
The boat shifts and Eleanora almost falls to the ground. It takes her too long to realize it's just the boat moving.
Just the fucking boat.
She rests her palms against the edge of the boat watching the land slowly move away from her. She hears something rattle in the motor of the boat for a few seconds. She hopes its the supplies.
She's made it this far without support from the man who would dare call himself her father. She made it this far despite Astel's questionable alliance with the Careers. She made it this far despite the Careers themselves doing everything they could to take her out.
They've all failed and they will continue to fucking fail. Eleanora glances to her right at where the other boats were sitting. She doesn't know what surprises her more, the fact that one of the three boats remains stationary in the dock, or the fact that the one after that is also moving.
She won't pretend to understand what it all means. As long as she stays alert, she can tackle anything that comes her way.
So when the trees start to part and faces start to appear, Eleanora can only find it in herself to cackle.
Caliadne "Cali" Karpathos, 18, District 4
Kikimora - Island A - 2005
Night falls over the Cornucopia as the Careers continue to pack their supplies. The hunting team returned a few hours ago with one kill under their belt, and despite Amatus' insistency to go back out and hunt some more, Klara reminded them of the possibility of the fog returning. That does enough to keep him quiet to let them silently pack.
And pack, Cali does participate in. If anyone paid attention to her, they would notice how she carefully selects what she packs with the larger supplies. They would notice how she has to glance over her shoulder before placing a small amount of supplies in a separate bag.
Everyone's too preoccupied with themselves to notice, yet the action still makes Cali nervous. She knows Ronan and Vitali are packing supplies as well, yet she also knows they're too close to others to do more. Cali is the forgettable one. Cali is the one no one deems a threat, so Cali is the one who can get away with this.
(Cali doesn't know how that makes her feel.)
"Are you almost done?" The familiar voice does nothing to stop her from jumping. Ronan realizes his mistake as soon as the words finish leaving his mouth, and he mouths an apology to her.
She tries to be mad at him, but the gesture comforts her. It makes her feel like they're back on the roof of the training quarters, watching the sunset with little more than their words to share.
She hasn't forgotten what happened during their time in the Capitol, but she can see the effort he's making, the promise that he's keeping. After the nightmares the fog induced upon her, she needs that more than ever.
(Don't rely on it.)
She doesn't want to remind herself of that.
"Yes. I think these are the last large bags. There are a couple of full water bottles in the back, I believe," she tells him, hoping her voice carries to the rest of the Careers.
She really needs them to see the supplies she is leaving, rather than the ones that are conveniently going missing.
She grabs the remaining bow and quivers as Ronan goes to the back. She hears him searching crates and moving lids rather loudly.
"No, there's nothing back here. You got it all." He offers her a proud smile, one he would give her back in training at home.
She doesn't smile back. She knows she should try. She knows how hard he's trying, but that's not what's on her mind.
I know we had some back there, she thinks to herself. She secured the cornucopia during the bloodbath, and they kept plenty of spare water bottles at the front of the supplies for easy access. She racks her brain for answers, trying to dig out a memory or a reason for someone to pull out the supplies from storage.
Nothing comes to her, and she knows she didn't take from that pile.
They do a last glance around the cornucopia, and other than Choux packing three small bags, they've done well to clear out.
"Well, help me with these bags then," Cali says before following the pack out through the woods and onto the beach. Ronan stays close to her.
"When?" he whispers in between the snapping of branches under his boots. Cali shakes her head.
"After people are asleep. Maybe….after the fog passes. If there is fog." Cali glances over her shoulder, hoping to be proved wrong.
(She doesn't know if she can see her parents again. She doesn't know if she can watch Ronan leave her with them again.)
(She knows how fake it all was. She knew it was fake when it was happening. Her parents' voices were almost like strangers in her ear, and the sparkle in Ronan's eyes was missing entirely.
Yet the idea that he would leave her, it felt too real, and she hasn't been able to shake that damn feeling away.)
She hopes being away from the drama of the Career pack will help. Maybe they can swim across to the other islands just to put more distance between them all. She briefly wonders if Vitali can even swim.
She has to remember he's not her priority. She is.
Ronan is.
She is her biggest priority.
She sees a large fallen tree a few feet from the clearing that turns into the rocky beach. She glances over her shoulder and when she sees no one, she tucks the small bag with extra supplies under the trunk. As she passes, she makes sure to kick leaves and debris over it.
"Tonight?" Ronan asks in a whisper. Cali shakes her head.
"I don't know," she answers truthfully. She wants to leave now. She wants to put plenty of distance between herself and those around her.
She can't do so without putting herself in unnecessary danger.
(The funny thing is, danger has a way of finding Caliadne Karpathos whether she's prepared for it or not.)
"GET BACK HERE!" A familiar voice snaps Cali back into the reality of her situation. The tree line has become sparse, and she can see the beginnings of the rocky beach coming into view.
Her eyes catch on Dahlia who runs across the rocks at full speed with a spear in her hand. Cali's eyes follow her and she can't comprehend what's happening until she sees the boat two dozen feet away from the shoreline, a second one even further out in the distance. It leaves only one left for the Careers to board.
So the boats do move. The thought is almost enough to reinvigorate Cali, except when she remembers what she found when exploring with Vitali.
Nothing. No controls, no wheel, and no way to start the ignition. And now there's only one left, which Amatus has already boarded.
(She should've expected nothing less from him.)
Cali loads the bow and takes a few steps closer to the water. She doesn't know what Dahlia is yelling about until a voice from the boat yells back.
"Come get me!" The voice, followed by a cackle, is recognizable to Cali.
"Leave her!" Amatus yells. Dahlia doesn't hear or simply doesn't care, as she runs along the beach. As soon as she's able, she releases her spear into the side of the boat Eleanora is on.
At first, Cali thinks the girl simply missed her throw, but as she watches the spear skewer the side of the boat's wooden panel, she knows it's a completely intentional shot. Water slowly licks the opening, and she watches Eleanora disappear into the boat's cabin.
"Hope you can swim!" Dahlia cackles. Her enjoyment is short-lived as Amatus walks over to her and shoves her.
"How could you give her a weapon of ours?" he shouts, his face red. Dahlia doesn't hesitate to shove him back.
"Don't fucking touch me." Cali sees her eyes lock into a rock on the ground.
Oh no, Cali's thoughts send her into a frozen panic. They're going to kill each other right now.
It's all falling apart around her and she can't stop it.
"Hey! Let's fucking chill!" Klara shoves herself between the pair. "Let's get our supplies on the last boat here, and we can figure out how to start it. Okay?"
Silence fills the air as Amatus and Dahlia seem to contemplate the options in front of them. Somehow, it feels like all sound has come to a stop around them, and she can only equate the scene in front of her to a pack of wild animals.
Because at the end of the day, that's all they are out here. Animals waiting for the right moment to strike.
"Come on," Ronan gently pulls Amatus away and onto the boat. "Let's see if we can figure out how this shit works!"
Cali stifles her laughter. How can he be so calm right now?
Cali glances at Vitali. He also seems relieved at the conflict they avoided.
She knows it's only going to get much worse when they leave. Her ideal plan would be to take the last boat to the other island, but as Amatus sets up supplies around the cockpit, she knows that'll be impossible. They'll have to leave when the time is right.
Cali moves the supplies she's carrying over to the boat, alongside Choux. She watches Choux carefully place the two small bags she's been carrying since they left the cornucopia.
Two?
Cali's mind rattles to remember if it had always been that way.
No. There was a third.
…Right?
Choux offers her a smile as she hops back off the boat, but Cali's body doesn't respond to movement. She thinks about the last two days in the arena. The pacing. The supplies secretly dwindling away.
She thinks further back to training. The way Choux slinked around. Cali thought she saw her talking to more than one outlier.
And things start to settle in Cali's mind and as much as she doesn't like it, she cannot deny it.
I have to talk to Ronan.
Choux Macbeth, 18, District 1
Kikimora - Island A - 2130
Choux isn't oblivious.
She also isn't an idiot.
She's seen the trio unsubtly preparing to leave for the last day. She's seen the supplies dwindling down faster than the alliance is using them.
Sloppy. At least the supplies she's taking haven't been noticeable. She's strategic about what she gives Astel. Little things that the pack won't notice missing until it's too late. Things that some people would struggle to find use in.
That's the beauty of appearances sometimes. Sometimes the things that look the most inconspicuous are the sharpest.
She herself planned to join Astel and Eleanora at her next bag drop. The instability surrounding her is too much for her to bear. With the seed planted in Klara's head at who Choux wants them to see as the traitor, her work here is nearly done.
At least, that's what she thought. Her surprise was genuine when she saw Eleanora on the boat in the distance. For a moment, she wrongfully assumed Astel was there with her.
She was pleased to see that was not the case. Considering she left a bag of supplies tucked away in the cornucopia for her, she would've been irate at the waste. She's a little annoyed at being taken off guard, but all things considered, it's not the worst thing to be a surprise to her.
It'll be the last.
Yet with no sign of Astel on the boat, she has to assume the girls separated. Frankly, that's okay with Choux. Eleanora is too much of a loose cannon for Choux. Astel is much more rational.
And much easier to keep wrapped around her finger.
She has the perfect plan for slipping away, depending on if the fog returns. Choux doesn't think it will. How scared would the tributes be if they were exposed to the same vision a second night in a row?
(It doesn't mean she wants to face it a second time though.)
Besides, she can afford patience. Especially with everyone distracted by the obvious loose cannon, she can afford to bid her time.
She has one loose end to tie up before she leaves.
Klara stands at the edge of the boat alone. Everyone appears to be staying alone. Amatus finds himself alone in one of the two rooms in the boats cabin, Dahlia paces the edge of the beach, and the boy who calls himself Vitali leans against the opposite end of the boat.
Everyone's alone except the Fours, who have disappeared into the woods to gather, or whatever they claimed.
First things first.
Choux saunters over to Klara, whose eyes are trained on Choux's district partner.
"Everyone's falling apart," Choux says in a low whisper. Klara doesn't flinch.
"It's too soon," Klara says.
"The Games know no timeline. If you want to come out alive, you'd be smart to strike sooner. Trust me."
Klara doesn't respond for a while, and Choux's confidence at her success starts to wane.
"How do we know it's him?" Klara asks, eyes never leaving Val.
"You have seen how little he fights. How eagerly he sits back while we put our lives in danger. He would quietly allow you to believe the louder killers are the ones to look out for while in reality, he's the danger." Choux gestures towards the forest, a realization washing over her.
Some would be angry, but in anger is where Choux finds opportunity.
"And he's enlisted the Fours. Where do you think they are, now? Preparing to strike while we're all distracted?" As soon as Choux's words leave her lips, she watches Klara's head move towards the forest.
"Where are they?" they ask. Choux doesn't provide an answer. She knows silence is the only answer she can give Klara right now.
Amatus first. The most unpredictable one. Then Dahlia. Valerian will fall with a single cut. Then…
"Thank you for sharing your vision with me," Choux says, knowing she needs to keep Klara pulled in. "Had you not shared it, we might not have seen the truth."
Klara holds their tongue, but Choux can see the melancholy that's taking over.
"It almost doesn't feel true. Why would the Gamemakers show me something real like that?" Klara rubs the front of her head.
"Because they know who will keep their Games a success, and who won't. It's lucky they found us to be the former."
Klara's doubt does little to sway Choux from her goal, her grandfather's promise. All Choux has ever wanted is a life of silence. A life to her books. Her grandfather promised that and more, at the price of Victory in the Hunger Games.
And that? That is proving to be nothing Choux can't handle.
The trees rustle with movement, but before anyone can prepare to strike, Cali and Ronan emerge.
Choux doesn't pretend not to notice how their eyes lock onto her.
"They're going to strike," Choux whispers to Klara. Choux searches for the closest weapon, realizing how much sooner they returned than she expected.
No matter. She has Klara prepared.
"We shouldn't-" Klara starts before something about the Fours catches her eye. Something Choux didn't notice at first.
"You forgot this!" Ronan yells up at Choux on the boat, dropping a bag satchel at his feet.
The bag Choux left for Astel. She grits her teeth.
They're clever, she thinks to herself.
Good thing I'm more experienced.
She hears footsteps and Amatus appears out from the boat's cabin.
"Stop yelling," he grumbles. He looks around the scene that's unfolding in front of him.
"My mistake," Choux butts in. "I must've forgotten it."
"Bullshit. You left it. Just like you've been leaving other supplies around," Ronan's words grab everyone's attention. Klara's eyes fall back and forth from those on the beach to those on the boat. Valerian backs up as far as he can, while Amatus inches closer to the action.
Strike hard and fast, Choux.
Don't let them ruin this for you.
"What?" Dahlia asks, having stopped her pacing on the beach. She goes through the bag, revealing all the things Choux left behind still remain.
"You left this behind?" Amatus takes a few steps closer to Choux. Choux, who wields no weapon, still stands her ground.
She's tired of being looked down on by people who think they're so much fucking better than her.
Choux looks at Klara, yet where she expects to see resolve and support, she just sees confusion.
Choux knows that look. It's one she's seen before. One that falls upon people who are connecting too many dots.
"Who was the bag for?"
The question doesn't surprise Choux. It's who it comes from that surprises her.
(Some people would feel fear. Choux doesn't have that luxury.
She can only act and not lose everything she's worked so damn hard for.)
something something cliff hanger
no deaths but things are heating up!
see u in two weeks :D
Careers: Val, Choux, Amatus, Klara, Cali, Ronan, Dahlia
Not careers: Eleanora
Choux's bestie: Astel
Bro alliance: Roman, Davidson, Ozzy
Reunited!: Vetiver, Chaffinch
Hiding in mountains: Owain, Exa, Aizen
lost in the fire: Mori