Chapter 55

NARRATOR | Ansel Voltaire, District 7

TIME | Day 18

TRIBUTES REMAINING | 5

I groan as I crack my eyes open, light flooding in immediately. I haven't adjusted to sleeping in the trees, and I doubt I ever will. It's my only option, though, with nobody left to watch over me.

I untie my bag from a nearby branch, reaching for the small bag of berries at the bottom. Wyatt and I always started the day with a small breakfast, even if we could only spare one nut or berry each. Without him here, though, it barely feels worth it to go through our usual rituals.

I'm proud of how well I've handled Wyatt's departure - if something like this had happened to me at the start of the Games, I wouldn't have taken it as well as I have. I'm sure everybody remembers the way I acted when Safira died. But these Games have forced me to come face-to-face with the thing I feared most - abandonment - time after time again. This time, I'm finally strong enough to stand on my own.

But that doesn't mean it's been easy. I've grown so close to Wyatt, and it feels like my energy is slowly draining away the longer I'm away from him. Having a friend in here, someone who has your back, is the greatest gift you could have. I know why Wyatt had to leave, and I understand that it's the best thing for both of us, but I still wish I had him by my side. I'm alone in this Arena for the first time in eighteen days, and I've started to feel the paranoia creep up on me.

I'm not very hungry, but I still retrieve a small breakfast from my bag. Somewhere in the forest around me, I know Wyatt is probably doing the same thing.

Only once I finish chewing my meager meal do I realize how quiet my surroundings are. It feels like the Arena is holding its breath around me; without the usual rustling of leaves or chirping of birds, it feels like something is very wrong.

And then I hear a purring sound, so quiet that I barely notice it. I glance to the ground below me, quickly spotting the source of the noise. A small animal sits at the base of my treetop hideout, pawing gently at the tree's trunk.

I can't help but smile as I realize what I'm looking at - it's a cat, one of the last animals I'd expect to see all the way in the Arena.

In Training, I spent a day with Ashlyn learning about the Gamemakers' favorite plants and animals. Most of the common muttations are based on rare animals only found in the Capitol's zoo. On that day of training, we never learned about cats; they're not zoo animals, from what I know, but people in the Capitol prefer to keep them in their homes. Instead, I was forced to learn about them from my Capitol escort, Carina, who bored me to death with pictures of her cat before I came to this Arena. I never expected that strange encounter to be worth something in the Hunger Games, but anything is possible in here. What is a household cat doing in the Arena, though, and why do I feel like it's calling out to me?

The cat looks harmless enough, but I can't be too sure; still, I doubt the Gamemakers would use something like a cat to kill me given how adored they are in the Capitol. People have these creatures in their homes, so I doubt they'd want to see them killing people.

I carefully climb towards the ground and extend a finger out to the animal, my other arm still firmly wrapped around the tree in case I need to flee. I've never seen a cat in person, but I doubt it could do much harm. The small creature bumps its damp nose against the tip of my finger, offering it a lick.

"Okay, buddy," I murmur under my breath. "Why are you here?"

The cat glances up at the sound of my voice, its eyes locking with mine. Its eyes are the brightest blue I've ever seen... the way they glimmer in the sunlight makes them look exactly like two huge sapphires, and I know it was intentional. The Gamemakers couldn't just move on from that damn sapphire, could they?

Suddenly, the cat pulls away, bounding across the clearing with a clear goal in mind. It glances back at me before taking a few more steps. I can tell that it wants me to follow... the only question is, do I want to see whatever it has to show me?

After a few seconds, I realize that I don't have a choice. I'm at the mercy of the Gamemakers whether I like it or not; if they are trying to force me to follow this animal, I don't have the option of refusing with my life on the line.

I swing my bag of supplies over my shoulder, securing my sword at my hip before following my new companion. I have no idea what lies ahead of me, but I have to be prepared. With only five of us left, this could be the end of the Games for all I know.

Our walk is a short one; the cat is eager, seemingly desperate to reach our destination, but it still waits patiently for me to catch up. We weave through the trees, across the forested Arena. I notice that we're walking along the direction of the cliffs, meaning we're not heading to the center of the Arena... that might mean that the end of the Games hasn't arrived just yet.

Finally, my guide stops, staring back at me with its unsettling blue eyes. I stare back, expecting it to keep going, but its paws are firmly planted in the ground. I glance around, trying to find the significance of our destination...

And then I see him. A few feet ahead of us, there's a boy lying on the ground, his eyes closed. For a moment I think he's dead - that's where my mind goes in this Arena - but I can see his chest rise and fall gently.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out who I'm looking at, even though he looks much different than he did two weeks ago. There's only one boy left in these Games outside of Wyatt and me, and that's Corbin from District Ten.

The last time I saw Corbin was back in the Bloodbath. Eddie nearly killed him, but I intervened before it was too late. I saved Corbin for two reasons: because I didn't want to see Eddie become a killer, and because I knew that Corbin was the only person who had a chance of defeating Judah. It seems I was right: Corbin's here, living and breathing, and I'd nearly forgotten about Judah until now.

I glance instinctively to the ground in front of me, expecting to see my new companion, but I'm met with a patch of empty grass. It looks like this was its final destination.

Suddenly, everything clicks into place. I understand now - the Gamemakers sent that little creature to bring me here, to find Corbin, and to kill him. Or fight him, at least.

My hand trembles as I pull my sword from its sheath. Killing Corbin is one of the last things I want to do, but what choice do I have? If the Gamemakers are giving me this opportunity, I have to take it. My life could depend on it.

I take a deep breath, stepping gently across the clearing to avoid waking the boy. He's sat up straight against the trunk of a tree, his belongings strewn on the ground around him. It's clear that he didn't intend to fall asleep here, but in the Games, one small mistake can be the one that kills you.

I stand over Corbin, watching him as he sleeps peacefully. I try to push against my instincts, but something still holds me back. I want this boy to die - one less competitor - but at the same time, I don't want to be responsible. The people I've lost in my past have haunted me to this day, and I'm sure Corbin has people in this world who love him.

It's crazy to think that I've lasted eighteen days in these Games without ever having to kill. It's the most famous aspect of the Hunger Games, but I haven't had to utilize it until this point. Tributes have won the Games without killing before, but it's so rare that I can't think of an example in recent years.

With the strong group of tributes left in the Arena, I'm probably the only one who hasn't had to kill. Now, the message from the Gamemakers is clear: time's up. Do I have what it takes to become the Victor, or will I let the other tributes trample me over? With no risks, no competition, am I able to take out one of the other tributes to improve my odds?

I stare down at the peaceful expression on Corbin's face as he sleeps. My heart is pounding so loudly that I can hardly hear anything else. I can feel the weight of the entire nation on my shoulders... every person in the Capitol is watching me right now, and they all want me to kill this boy.

I take a shaky breath, stepping closer to Corbin and placing the tip of my sword against his chest. My hand trembles as I try to force myself to push down, to finally face what I've been avoiding for eighteen days.

Corbin suddenly stirs, his eyes flickering open. He inhales sharply, his eyes locking with mine as his body goes rigid. For an instant, the two of us stare at each other silently. The terror in his eyes is almost too much for me to bear.

Corbin's eyes flicker down to my blade, and I can tell that he knows it's over. Why is my heart breaking when I'm not the one who's about to die?

I expect Corbin to break down into tears, to beg for mercy, but he just sits in silence, staring up at me in anticipation.

"Well?" Corbin asks, his voice hoarse. His eyes are bloodshot, and it looks like he almost wants this to be over. "Come on."

"I don't-" I hesitate. This was so much easier when Corbin was asleep, but staring down into his eyes is too much for me to handle. I can't kill him, but I know that the Gamemakers are watching...

"I don't want to do this," I whisper, my hands still shaking. This is so wrong, so horrible that I have to be in this position...

"It's okay," Corbin sighs. The fear in his eyes is gone, replaced by something else I can't identify. "You showed me mercy once, Ansel. I don't know if you remember it, but I do. Most people don't get second chances, but you gave me another shot to do the right thing. I wanted so badly to set a good example, to be someone my sisters could be proud of, but I failed..."

I can't believe what I'm hearing. Is Corbin asking me to kill him?

"I'm a monster," Corbin whispers, tears spilling down his face. "The things I've done in this Arena... I'll never be able to redeem myself. My family, my District, will never forget. I'm a murderer; I killed the boy from Three, I killed Judah, and now the boy from Nine, all for this..."

Corbin reaches into his back pocket, revealing the sapphire bracelet. The sight of the bracelet makes my blood run cold, but it sends a jolt through my body for a completely different reason. This could change everything.

"I want you to have this," Corbin says, lifting the bracelet for me to grab. "After the things I've done in this Arena for it, I don't deserve it. The Gamemakers wanted this - they wanted us to backstab, stalk, and kill each other for it, and I fell right into their trap. Well, I'm not going to play their game anymore. I want you to take it as a sign of my respect, not because you killed me for it."

I wince at that word - killed - but Corbin is saying exactly what I want him to. I reach down with a grimace, plucking the metal ring from his hand.

"You have set a good example, Corbin," I tell him. "It's not your fault that we're stuck in here, and twenty-three of us have to die. It's just the way it is."

Corbin just stares up at me, a bittersweet look in his eyes as his tears begin to dry across his face.

"I don't want to kill you, Corbin," I finally tell him. "And I'm willing to make a trade. I'll keep the sapphire, and I'll spare you for it. But, I want to work together. The end is coming soon, and I know that Verity will be coming for me harder than anybody."

"I'll protect you," Corbin gasps, his eyes widening at the thought. "I want you to win the Games, Ansel, and I'll help you do it. I've made mistakes in the past, but I want my family to see me fighting for what's right. You deserve to go home. I'll protect you until we're the last two left, I can promise you that. You'll have to be willing to kill me then."

"Deal," I nod. I extend my hand for a shake, and he grabs ahold of it, squeezing it tight. All I can do is hope that our agreement entertains the Capitol enough to appease the Gamemakers; they brought me here to kill Corbin, and I failed.

"Thank you," he whispers.

Eighteen days into these Games, and I've found a new ally. With the end approaching, I'll need all the help I can get... But I can't run from my fears any longer. I'm running out of chances to avoid the inevitable. When I'm forced to face the other tributes again, I'll have to kill if I want to make it out of here alive.

A/N - FINALLY it's here, this chapter took me like a month to sit down and write! I actually wrote the next chapter before I wrote this one, so expect it to come out soon!

And on the topic of the next chapter - I can't believe it, but next chapter is going to be the end of the Games! We'll get the chance to hear from all five of our tributes as the 98th Games come to a chaotic end! I can't waittt so stay tuned (and also FYI there will be several more chapters after the Games featuring the Victor so this story is still not quite over!)

Thanks to everyone who's been reading, love u all :)

~S