Chapter 53
NARRATOR | Wyatt Aldridge, District 12
TIME | Day 17
TRIBUTES REMAINING | 5
The Panem anthem plays its usual tune, the somber music filling the dark forest around me. Ansel mutters the lyrics as we stare through the treetops, waiting for the fallen tributes.
And when you raise the cry
The brave shall heed the call
And we shall never falter...
The little girl from District Three appears first, and I'm not surprised. It was obvious by the way she looked at the Feast that she wouldn't last much longer.
I cross my fingers as the girl fades away, hoping to see one of the stronger tributes. Violet, Corbin, even Verity...
But, of course, it's the boy from Nine. None of the stronger tributes are going that easily.
"Final five," Ansel sighs next to me, his eyes pointed to the sky. He glances over at me, grabbing my shoulder and giving it a shake. "Three left, Wyatt. Violet, Verity, Corbin. Done."
I offer Ansel a smile, but it's a fake one. It's hard to be excited at a time like this when every decision we make matters. There's a good chance one of us could survive this mess, and everything we do in the next few days will be crucial.
It's Ansel's turn to sleep first tonight, and I prepare myself to keep watch. "Wake me up early if you start falling asleep," he tells me before quickly dozing off.
With Ansel finally asleep, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. The weight of my future is suffocating me, and I need time to myself to think everything through.
I don't remember anyone from Twelve making it this far as long as I remember. Most of our tributes are too frail to survive long in the Arena, and the ones who do always seem to be the victims of the Gamemakers' cruel muttations.
It does make me smile to think about people's reactions back in Twelve. I wasn't well-liked, that's for sure, but I know it will still mean a lot to my District that one of us can make it this far. After everyone counted me out, after I almost died on the first day, here I stand on day seventeen with a legitimate chance of surviving this mess.
I remember having a conversation with Ashlyn about making it this far, back when she was still trying to heal my leg. I told her that my Capitol-assigned mentor, Petrus, didn't even mention the end of the Games to me, because we both knew I wouldn't make it that far.
"Nothing is guaranteed in the Hunger Games," Ashlyn reminded me. "You've given it some thought, haven't you?"
"Of course," I'd said, but I knew it was no use. That girl could see right through me.
"Well, at least hear me out," Ashlyn smiled. "I plan to make it to the end, and I'm expecting you to be there with me."
I still didn't believe I'd make it far enough to use any sort of strategy, but I'd listened to Ashlyn for her sake. She explained that most alliances don't make it to the end of the Games, but the ones who do have two options: to stay together, or to separate.
"The end of the Games is all about avoiding risk, so the more successful strategy is to separate," she'd said. "At the end of the Games, the Gamemakers will throw everything they can at us, so one of us is more likely to survive if we're not together."
"I don't know about that," I remember telling her. "If one of those crazy muttations attacks me, I'd feel a lot better knowing I was fighting it alongside you. Two is always stronger than one."
It's funny how single-minded we were back then, thinking that we'd be together until the very end. It goes to show that you should never assume anything in this Arena.
Since that moment, I've thought a lot about the end of the Games. It's not something I ever thought I'd reach, but it's right in front of me, approaching by the second. Both arguments have taken over my mind, and I've struggled with which path I should take.
My instincts are screaming at me to stay with Ansel, to stick together. We've grown inseparable, and I can't imagine being in the Arena without him. We've helped each other so much since Ashlyn's death that I can't imagine how it could benefit us to be apart.
But then the doubts start to creep in. I've seen what the Gamemakers are capable of, and I have no doubts that one of their muttations could take out Ansel and me in one sweep. A few years ago, I remember watching a massive gorilla smash two tributes into each other, killing them both.
I'm not stupid, and there's no denying the obvious facts. The Gamemakers target tributes from Twelve, and they always have. It's possible that I'm only alive because they didn't want Ansel, their Golden Boy, to be caught in the crossfire. If I leave him behind, I could be killed with the press of a button.
I know how crazy it sounds, but the gorilla scenario, the scenario where Ansel and I are killed together, seems so much worse. With both of us out of the way, I'd put my money on Violet to win. The girl who tried to kill me and left me for dead, outliving Ansel and me... even the thought makes my heart rate spike.
But if I leave and the Gamemakers kill me, Ansel still lives. If I die, he still has a chance to fight against Violet... and with Corbin and Verity still in play, it could be anybody's game to win.
Ansel shifts slightly, muttering something under his breath. I can't make out the words, but the sound stirs something in me. Guilt, maybe. Or fear. It's hard to tell anymore; emotions blur together in the Arena. I know that this will hurt him; just like Ashlyn, just like Eddie and Safira, I'm abandoning him, and I know how hard he took the deaths of his friends. This is different, though. This is a choice I have to make, and it's for his own good. I hope he'll be able to see that.
The sky is beginning to lighten; I can tell that the sun will rise any minute now. Making a quick decision, I rise to my feet, grabbing my bag. Ansel and I split our supplies evenly after the Feast, so he should have enough supplies to last the next few days.
I stare down at my friend, his sleeping body blissfully peaceful. I want to wake him, to say my goodbyes, but I know what he'll say. Stay, please, we'll be stronger together...
I reach into my bag, fishing out the only valuable thing I have left. When Ansel wasn't looking, I took it from Ashlyn's body... her pendant.
If I ever die, I want you to keep this... Carry a little piece of me with you, okay?
I told her I would, and I selfishly hid it from Ansel. But I know the truth: Ansel knew Ashlyn before I ever did. I'll have a piece of her with me regardless.
I leave the pendant next to Ansel's body. He'll know what it means when he wakes up.
The sun has finally come up, and Ansel will wake up any minute. I look down at him one last time, and think about how far we've come. At one point, I wanted him to die more than anything else. Now, I'm so glad he didn't.
"Thank you," I whisper to him, turning away and leaving him behind.
Every step away from Ansel feels like a betrayal, but I push the feeling away. This isn't about loyalty anymore; it's about survival. If Ansel and I stay together, we're just making ourselves bigger targets. Even if it costs my life, I have to do this for both of us.
A/N - Sorry this chapter took so long, I was sick and the new school year hit me like a train!
Our last alliance in the Games has finally dissolved, and all five tributes are on their own. We'll see if this was the right move for Wyatt and Ansel soon enough!
PS - this story is officially one year old! Hopefully it won't be much longer until it's finished!
