Chapter 38
NARRATOR | Judah Avellino, District 2
TIME | Day 6
TRIBUTES REMAINING | 13
Corbin and I stand silently, our faces to the sky as the Fallen Tributes are revealed to us. Declan, the boy from Four, is first. Not a surprise; he seemed weak from the start, and his District partner treated him like a baby. I expect her to be next - they were always together - but I'm surprised to see someone completely different: Eddie from District Eleven.
"Whew," Corbin breathes, glancing over at me. "Wasn't expecting that."
"You can't expect anything in here," I shrug.
"What do you think happened?" Corbin asks, following me as I continue our trek through the forest. "Did the two alliances clash?"
"They must've," I think aloud. "The cannons were back to back. Still, the fact that there were only two deaths is suspicious."
"Well, I think it's something to be grateful for," Corbin smiles. "Who knows if any of them are injured. We're both doing fine so far."
"Right," I mutter. So far.
Really, I don't see anything to be grateful for in this whole situation. Violet has clearly emerged from this scenario unscathed, especially if Eddie is dead, and she's the star of the show now. The Capitol audience is probably glued to the screen watching their two favorite alliances battle it out while Farm Boy and I sit on the sidelines, walking around the Arena with nothing to do.
This wasn't my plan, to fall into the background and waste the days away. I wasn't trained this way; I was trained to hunt, to kill. But nothing goes as expected in these Games... Even with thirteen tributes left, it seems almost impossible to find any of the other tributes. We haven't seen another person since the Bloodbath.
And so the question finally presents itself. The question that everyone watching the Games is probably asking: why doesn't he kill Corbin? Why am I walking around the Arena with one of my biggest threats when I could take him out with one blow?
To put it simply, I've been saving Corbin for the right moment. He is my secret weapon, the very thing I need to get the Capitol on my side, and I've had to save him for the perfect moment. That perfect moment is now - with the tide turning in Violet's favor, I have to use this last piece of leverage to remind the Capitol of who's really in charge of this Arena.
The only issue with my plan is that it needs to be dramatic. I can't simply stab Corbin in the back with my sword, even though it's tempting - he has his whole body turned away from me right now - because that would be boring. The Capitol has seen that thousands of times already; it would be forgotten by morning. No, I have to kill him in a way that they'll never forget. The only question is how.
I hear the faint pinging sound of an approaching parachute, and I let out a sigh of relief when I see a plastic case marked 2. My mentor, Atticus, must know what I'm thinking right now. This is his way of reassuring me. Don't worry, Judah, the sponsors haven't forgotten about you.
I pull open the casing to reveal a small prize. Inside is a set of four suction cups.
"For climbing," I grin, showing Corbin the cups. "If we use four each, we can make it up to the top of the cliffs!"
"Great," Corbin smiles, but his smile doesn't extend to his eyes. "I'll take your old ones, then."
This couldn't have come at a better time... Atticus really knows me better than I thought. He didn't have to leave me a note for me to know what he wants me to do. All I have to do is lead Corbin up to the clifftop, and then he will be sent plummeting to his death.
"Do you feel that?" Corbin asks, breaking me from my thoughts. He raises his hand in the air, and I feel a cool drop of water hit my face.
Shit.
"Let's get under one of the big trees," Corbin suggests, and I drag my feet as I follow him through the forest. The rain grows heavier as we walk, and we're nearly soaked by the time we find a proper cover.
Nothing is ever easy in these Games, is it? As soon as I have the tools to make my move, it's pulled even further from me. With rain slicking the face of the cliff, we'll be unable to climb, and I'll be stuck with Corbin even longer.
Even as we look for shelter, Corbin keeps his back exposed to me. My hands twitch on the hilt of my sword - now would be the perfect time - but I can't kill him yet. I have to remember my training and be patient. Rushing into any situation will get you killed; Safira forgot that, and she was killed on the first day.
"Bummer about those suction cups," Corbin says as we settle down for the night, but he doesn't look very bummed. "We'll just have to save them for later, I guess."
I know Corbin doesn't trust me, and I know that Corbin doesn't want to scale the cliffs surrounding the Arena. He doesn't have a choice, though. I am his only hope in this Arena, and I will lead him to his death as soon as I can. With him out of the way, I'll be the king of this Arena.
You know what? Let the Capitol adore Violet. Let them drool over Verity and her genius plans; she's probably the reason that most of her allies are alive right now. Soon enough, they'll all realize why I should never be underestimated. I've been playing nice so far in these Games - I've had no other choice, especially after Safira's death - but things are about to get ugly. I didn't go through years of Training to pick flowers... it's time to show everyone why I was chosen to be here.
A/N - This is the first time we've heard from Judah since Chapter 5 so I hope you enjoyed this little check-in. Happy Leap Day everybody!
~S