Love Is the Deadliest Weapon

by sherazade96

The rebellion failed. All the districts were brought back; in addition, District 13 was forced to attend the Games. Now, 24 years later, a new Head Gamemaker, Venus Smith, has been appointed. Her goal? She's going to turn love into the deadliest weapon. Let the 99th annual Hunger Games begin! OPEN SUBMISSIONS for SPONSORS. Readers and reviewers are welcome (13/26 tributes alive)

38. Day4: Kyle's Decision

Fourth day in the arena

Christine "Christie" Harsh (14)- District 13 female tribute

The Protester

The sound of a cannon wakes me up. I instinctively straighten my back. This quick movement makes me dizzy and I realize that my neck, shoulders, arms, and legs ache, because I've slept on the cold ground. I place the palms of my hands on the ground, trying to restore my sense of balance. If only I had had my wool jacket to keep warm, but I used it stop Estrella's bleeding… Estrella! What if that cannon was for her? It can't be!

I immediately crawl to where Estrella is lying. Her body is still warm, but she doesn't seem to be breathing!

"Estrella…" I call her, alarmed. Since she doesn't answer, I start shaking her. "Estrella!"

I look at her wound. Her blood has smeared my jacket, soaking up into its fibres.

"No…" I whisper as tears start streaming down my face.

"She was screwed. That bitch stabbed her kidneys," comments Rebecca.

I turn to her: she is sitting cross-legged and has a sad expression on her face, but she's not crying.

"I-I d-didn't tie the jacket properly… I … it … wasn't tight enough… I…" I stammer, but Rebecca interrupts me: "Christine, it's not your fault. Stop blaming yourself! No use crying over spilt milk, anyway… the only thing we can do for Estrella is avenging her."

I frown in response. "Avenging her? How?"

"We must find the girl of District 6 and make her pay for what she did. You were fond of Estrella, weren't you?"

"Of course I was!"

"Then, we cannot let this crime go unpunished."

"But the girl could be anywhere," I point out.

"I know. We'll follow her traces. She ran in the mud, so we can find her footprints on the ground," she replies, self-confident.

"She stole our supplies. We cannot survive with just a bottle of water. Have you thought of that?"

Rebecca smirks. "She didn't steal all our supplies, actually."

She draws a knife from inside her hiking boot. "Hiding an extra weapon was a good idea, after all," she explains. "With this we can dig out edible roots, kill an animal… or a person."

I freeze at the thought. I know that these are the Hunger Games, so one has to kill in order to survive, but so far I've associated killing only with self-defence; I've never considered hunting down other tributes for real… that's what Careers- the lapdogs of the Capitol- do, but I'm not a Career! I'm not trained to kill, and I don't want to entertain Capitolites! Killing someone because they attacked you is one thing, but attacking someone on your own accord? It sounds like a suicide plan, especially if you're going to attack a girl who has received peacekeeper training like Alexa Steel has. Besides, what would Carol think of me, if I deliberately killed a tribute? I mean, like that, not to save my life but to avenge someone I barely knew and who had to die anyway. Would she be able to forgive me? Would I be able to forgive myself? Would my conscience be at peace, because I simply did what was necessary to come back to my beloved Carol? Yes, maybe I should see things this way: Estrella was my friend and she was cowardly stabbed to death, so she has to be avenged, and getting rid of her killer- a real threat, by the way- will bring me one step closer to home. I'm Carol's knight after all, and a knight should be ready to do anything to come back victorious to their lady, right?

Rebecca manages to find Alexa's traces. That's incredible! How could she get her bearings in a place that she doesn't know? How could she find the right spot, considering that she was there just once and during the night? There are no points of reference in this swamp. Maybe she can make it because she comes from a rural district, she's used to being in nature. On the contrary, Thirteen is just a grey city. Our tributes are usually good survivors, because we're taught to be frugal since childhood, but we don't know much about being in nature. Rebecca seems to be born for hunting. I admire her, but I feel intimidated by her at the same time. She's an amazing competitor, which makes her a threat as well. For the moment, we're allies and her capabilities come in handy, but what will I do when she becomes an enemy? I know she would never harm me, if it was up to her, but actually she has no say… we have no say. None of us would choose our ally's life over our own… seems natural, justifiable, right? I can only hope that this day will come as late as possible. I know I'm gonna miss her as much as I miss Estrella… or even more. I immediately empathized with Estrella because she suffered for love, but as for Rebecca… that's a whole other story. We have both a rebellious nature. Honestly, I would have liked to meet her under different circumstances.

"Looks like she's gone west," says Rebecca at some point.

We start following the girl's traces. I can't tell how much time we're spending like that, because the sky is too cloudy to see the sun, and one cannot make guesses about the time without the sun as a reference. It's an exhausting task. We repeatedly squat, trying to spot traces of mud, footprints or trodden shrubberies, but the more distance we put from the swamp, the harder the task is. The bushy ground makes it particularly difficult. Besides, we don't know whether other tributes or some animals came through here, so we might be following the wrong traces. In my opinion, it's an impossible task, but Rebecca goes on and on, and I'm pretty sure she's not going to falter. From time to time, we make a break to stretch and to eat the roots that she digs out along the way. We have only one sip of water at each break, since we've got only a bottle, and we haven't seen any water source for now. My head starts throbbing and my lips are parched due to dehydration. We wear Rebecca's wool jacket in shifts. She's advised me against taking my own with me, because the blood on it could lure predators.

I try to distract myself by thinking of Carol. I repeatedly grasp her red foulard around my neck in an attempt to stay strong. At some point, I look ahead of me, and I see it: a sort of blue line in the distance. Is that water?

"Rebecca…" I say with a hoarse voice.

"Yes?" she replies, looking up at me from her crouched position.

I simply point my finger ahead of me. She looks in the direction I'm indicating, but before she says something, I start running towards the blue line with renewed strength.

I hear her shout from behind my back: "Christine!"

But I don't stop. I keep on running towards the blue line, hoping that it won't disappear like a mirage. And it doesn't disappear. As I'm getting closer, I see that it's a lake. When I reach it, I immediately throw myself down and start drinking water with my hands. Oh, it's the most delicious thing I've had in my life! Rebecca imitates me.

When we're both hydrated, we start observing the surroundings. The ruins of a rectangular, stone building immediately draw our attention. It's a sort of castle. We explore it. There are no pieces of furniture. The ground floor is occupied by rubble fallen from the roof, which is completely collapsed, and the first floor. On the contrary, all the walls are still standing, but they are partially covered in ivy. A stone staircase with narrow, uneven steps leads to the first floor, a part of which is still accessible. Here, you can only find a barren room with rubble on the floor. An arch on the wall leads to a small, square terrace overlooking the lake.

"Well, looks like we've found a place to spend the night," comments Rebecca.

"And the girl from Six?" I ask her.

"We're both exhausted. We'd better gather supplies and have some rest. We can pick up tomorrow."

"So, you really want to stay here…"

"Yeah. What's wrong?"

"Dunno… this place is… a bit creepy, maybe?"

Rebecca rolls her eyes. "Listen, so far we've been outdoors, where they can attack us from any direction. Here, we can see them coming, at least. I know this place is not as comfortable as the Capitol, but it provides shelter, and that's enough for me."

I can tell by her tone that she doesn't want to discuss this decision. She's too tired. I'm tired as well, but the truth is that I don't feel at ease here. This place was designed by Gamemakers, and I don't think they did it just because they wanted to put something here. It's the same feeling I had in the swamp where Estrella died. I cannot explain it in words… it's a gut feeling… I can sense danger here.

…...

Tartan Dye (13)- District 8 male tribute

The Painter

I feel like I'm stuck in a dream and I can't wake up. I'd never have thought that being alone was so tiring. Some seclusion is okay, it gives you time to think, but I'm not used to being alone for days. The last time I saw another human being was four days ago, during the bloodbath, when everybody was either trying to run away or to kill someone. Back home, my days are usually divided between school and friends. Sometimes, routine is boring, but at least I have something to do and someone to do it with… I believed so, at least. As a matter of fact, none of my friends came to say goodbye after the Reaping. I know I'm not very sociable, but why did they abandon me like that? Maybe they thought I stood no chances and didn't want to say useless words of comfort. Maybe they preferred remembering me as the solitary, inspired painter of always rather than as another poor tribute doomed to die in the arena. Maybe they didn't care… but I'm not going to dwell on these sad things… I've already done it these days, and it's pointless.

I throw another stone in the lake, my eyes lingering on the concentric waves it creates in the water… one after another around the spot where I've just thrown the stone… and at some point, they quietly dissolve, and the lake is placid again. That's fascinating. Water is fascinating for painters and recreating it with paints and brushes is a challenge. The world reflects in water, which is always in motion, so the reflection can change very quickly, as if invisible fingers played with it and messed up with the colours and shapes you see… with your impressions. Impression… that's the key word… I still remember when a couple of years ago Mrs. Metisse- my art teacher- showed me a book about a group of artists of the ancient times.

"They were called impressionists," she explains with a smile. "You know why?"

I shake my head.

"Because they used art to stop the moment… a glimpse, an impression of the world in flux… like a photo. That's what art does: it stops the moment and preserves it forever."

And in that moment I realized I wanted to be an artist, I wanted to preserve moments, be it a landscape, a feeling, or an idea.

Suddenly, I hear a cannon. It's a rude awakening from my daydreaming, but maybe that's what I needed: another tribute died, while I'm dilly-dallying, but I'm in danger as well! I can't stay here forever. The lake is both a water and food source, but that's where the Careers are probably looking for tributes as well. The cannon may be for one of their victims, after all. If they're hunting right now, they can easily find me here; I'm too exposed out here. I need a good hiding place, but where can I find it? The hills near the lake are too close to the cornucopia- the Careers' headquarters- and I can see only shrubberies for the rest.

I gather my things. I've got still two fishes, and I stuff them in my backpack along with my blanket and flask, which is full of lake water. My pocketknife is my jacket pocket, where I can quickly grab it. I hold a makeshift spear in hand too. Better safe than sorry.

"Well, well, well… look who's here!" says a voice.

I look ahead of me and freeze: it's the boy of District 2! He's alone. He managed to get closer to me without being seen, while I was gathering my things. Instinctively, I point my spear at him.

"Stay away!" I shout, scared.

Hearing my own voice after days of silence is strange. Anyway, the boy smirks in response. He takes a step forward and I flinch.

"Stay away!" I repeat.

His smile fades. "No one can give me orders."

He grabs my spear. I try to hold it tighter, but he pulls it and throws it away. I try to grab my pocketknife, but he punches me. I fall. He takes me by the hair and drags me. I wriggle and free myself. I crawl along the ground until I reach water, desperately trying to flee. I'm tackled from behind, the boy's arms around my chest, and pulled further into the lake. He pulls my head underwater. I repeatedly try to raise it but in vain, his grip is too strong. I scream, but my voice is muffled by the water. My vision… my vision starts to blur… until… until everything... everything... goes dark.

…...

Kyle Whiteswan (17)- District 1 male tribute

The Empathetic

Victor and I left the thicket yesterday. Our plan was to come back to the cornucopia to treat his wound, but the truth is that we have been wandering around the heath since then. Apart from the hills we can see in the distance, there aren't any landmarks in the arena, and Victor's predicament forces us to frequent breaks. Looks like he can't walk long with that leg, and all these shrubberies covering the ground don't help. Venus and her team have definitely designed a tough arena for this year. A smile forms on my lips as I think of her, but I quickly suppress it. I met Venus at her birthday party five years ago, and I remember it like it was yesterday. I was a bit nervous that night, but she managed to put me at ease *. I didn't see her again until my private session, and I'm pretty sure she recognized me. Don't know why, but I can't see her being the brains behind this year's Games… not because I think she's incapable, just… she doesn't seem a heartless architect of death. But appearances may be deceptive, I suppose.

Victor is walking next to me, still limping, but his leg looks better than yesterday. Maybe his wound is less serious than it seems. Suddenly, his stomach starts growling, and I can't help chuckling.

"Looks like someone is hungry," I comment with a smile.

He groans in response. "Oh, you don't say! You feed me only with crackers and wild roots!"

"When we go back to the cornucopia, you'll eat whatever you want, but for the moment we have to be content with what we can find in the environment."

"We're armed! Why don't you go hunting for animals with your perfectly healthy legs? You're useless, Whiteswan!" he rebuts, annoyed.

I sigh. "Listen, first we find a place to have a break, and then I'll see what I can hunt, okay?" I offer.

"Do what you want!"

We find a pond with two rocks near the waterside. There's also a thicket not too far away. If that's the thicket we left yesterday, then we've lost our way. We have probably been wasting time all along. Anyway, Victor sits down, leaning against one of the rocks.

"We've found a place to have a break, but I don't see any food," he comments.

I roll my eyes. "You stay here," I simply reply.

I leave Victor alone and start exploring the surroundings. So far, I haven't noticed the presence of much fauna in this arena, apart from little rodents and some sort of wild rabbits, none of which is easy to catch. However, I'm not complaining, and I don't mind taking my time to hunt either. The truth is that Victor's continuous teasing is severely testing my patience, so- I know it sounds bad- I really need a break from him! I haven't done anything to him, yet he always seems to be mad at me for some reason. Anyway, going hunting is the perfect chance to be on my own for a while. I'm not an experienced hunter, though. As a matter of fact, Career training is mainly focused on weapons and combat skills, since Careers usually take control of the cornucopia and can count on the supplies that are stored there. Besides, they receive gifts from their sponsors. Guess you don't need hunting skills, when finding food is not an issue. But a little practice won't hurt. Anything may happen in the Hunger Games, right? Better safe than sorry.

The sound of a cannon drags me back into reality.

"Victor…" I whisper, alarmed.

Despite everything, we're still allies, and I can't help but worry about him. He's injured, after all; another tribute could take advantage of his predicament to attack him. I run back to where I left him, but he's not there. Where's the hell did he go? I told him to stay here! Luckily, I notice some trodden bushes on the ground. He must have gone that way. I follow his traces, which bring me to a lake. It's the lake near the cornucopia. I just need to walk along the waterside to reach our camp. But where's Victor? And then I see him. Luckily, he seems okay… but he's dragging someone out of the water!

I get closer. "Victor!" I say.

He turns to me with a sinister smirk on his lips. He throws his victim face up on the ground. With horror, I see that it's Tartan Dye, the boy of District 8. He's clearly dead, I cannot do anything to help him. I remember his story: he lost his brother in last year's Games, and eventually he met the same fate. His family lost both of them. I cannot even imagine the grief with which they're coping.

"What's up, Whiteswan? I didn't think you were the impressionable type…" says Victor, interrupting my thoughts.

I clench my fists. I need to keep calm! No use snapping at him! I look at Victor with a straight face. He seems amused, instead.

"We're in the arena to kill, or have you forgotten?" he goes on, tilting his head and smirking.

"Of course I haven't. How could I?" I reply.

"Then, wipe that sad expression off your face! I'm just doing my job… the job of Careers: getting rid of weak tributes so that the real competition can start!"

"Looks like weak tributes are the only ones you can kill."

I bite my lip: maybe I went too far. Victor looks annoyed, indeed.

"What do you mean?" he asks.

In for a penny, in for a pound…

"The little girl of District 5, and now the boy of District 8… you attack the youngest among us… easy preys… but will you be able to face an older, stronger tribute?"

Oh, how much I hate myself for what I'm saying! But I must keep up the act.

"Oh, maybe someone like you, Whiteswan? The girl of District 8 would have been mine, if you hadn't interfered! She was eighteen and the daughter of a victor, right?"

I don't say anything in response, but I hold his gaze.

"Oh, you're silent now! What could you say in your behalf, after all? Nothing, right? At least, I've made two kills, but what have you done apart from stealing my prey and criticizing me?" he goes on, enraged.

I roll my eyes, pretending to be bored. "If you're so eager to start with the real competition, you should make quick kills. No use torturing other tributes… many of them are here by force, isn't that enough?"

"I don't give a damn! And the Capitol doesn't neither!" – he points at the sky – "They want blood, period! Who do you think they like? A true Career like me or poor, compassionate Kyle Whiteswan? Your parents cannot save you!"

I hold my hands up in an act of surrender. "Okay, okay… I see that you're too annoyed to talk. We'd better go back to the cornucopia before you say something you'll regret. You've just spoken ill of the Capitol on live TV, I don't think they liked that…"

Victor seems to consider my words. He doesn't say anything in response, he just kicks a bush with his healthy leg. He hasn't calmed down yet, but maybe saying that he shouldn't speak ill of Capitolites will teach him to hold his tongue. Maybe he won't tease me for a while. I know he's right about the Capitol; for them, the Hunger Games are just a form of entertainment, but one cannot speak their mind too openly, right? That's Panem. I'm afraid, though. I know that I risk revealing my true colours and that being the son of two victors wouldn't save my life, if the Gamemakers realized that I'm not who I pretend to be. I'm not a Career for real, and I don't want to be like my allies neither. If it was for me, I wouldn't be a tribute… no one would. I would be at home, looking for ways to avoid next year's Games and to cope with my parents' disappointment. I don't think I'll be able to bear with what my allies do for much longer. I'm gonna snap sooner or later. How can I pretend that it's okay if it's not? But what choice do I have? What should I do?

…...

Scarlett Pearce (18)- District 2 female tribute

The Bloodthirsty

"Fuck!" I curse.

I bit the inside of my cheek while chewing the last piece of cracker. I've been eating nervously. I've been nervous for days… since Four took his own life and I lost track of the boy from Three. He entered that purplish forest and I… I don't know… the place looked strange… I didn't feel like following him, but now I regret it. I'm a coward! I hoped my prey would come out of there sooner or later, so I started skirting the forest… but I kept a safe distance. Better safe than sorry. The place doesn't look natural at all. It must be the work of some lunatic Gamemaker, so who knows what it hides? I've never seen such trees before. At the academy, we learn about different types of landscape and climate, their flora and fauna, their resources and their threats; we're given concrete examples by studying the arenas of past Games, but arenas are designed by human beings not by nature, and human beings can use technology to bend the natural laws to their will. The only limit is their fantasy. In the end, the Capitol is perfectly capable of making academy teachings useless… part of them, at least. The more unpredictable the Games, the greater their success, right? Sometimes, I wish things would go back the way they were in the first editions of the Hunger Games: a small arena, all tributes in, and may the best win. No parades and fluff, just bloodshed.

I finish eating and gather my stuff. The mere thought of bloodshed urges me to be back to action, but I must make a choice: I've run out of food and water, so I know I'd better go back to the cornucopia like we all agreed to do, but at the same time the lure of blood is too tempting to resist. I've already heard two cannons today, which means that someone is doing their job. I can do no less! Actually, there's a good compromise: I could keep on skirting the forest a little longer and then go back to the cornucopia to have some rest and gather supplies.

I resume walking. At some point, I hear human voices. I immediately squat. Now, I'm completely hidden by the shrubberies. A smirk forms on my lips: looks like I've made the right choice! I get closer to the voices, moving in the bushes and trying not to make any noise. I straighten up, but only a bit, just to see who these voices belong to. I see two people: the girl of District 3 and the little boy of District 6. I kneel down. I open my backpack and slowly pull a sheath with a machete out of it. I draw the machete and take a moment to admire its sharp blade. I've never killed anyone with this type of weapon. I took it from the cornucopia in case the low vegetation of the arena was too thick to walk, but I secretly wished to use it on tributes and not on plants. Looks like the time has come!

With a quick dash, I emerge from the shrubberies and run towards my preys with the machete in hand. The girl is the nearest. I don't give her the time to realize what's happening: I pounce on her, making her fall face down to the ground. She squirms and tries to free herself, but I use my legs and free arm to hold her.

"Please, don't!" she screams.

I grab her hair to lift her head, then I bring my machete closer to her neck. She screams again. She turns her head to me, her eyes full of terror, her body shaking like a leaf.

I smirk. "Good girl. Look at me, I want to be the last thing you see."

That said, I raise the arm with the machete. I roughly let go of her head, making it hit the ground, and then the blade comes down. It takes me two blows, but eventually the girl's head is chopped off. Her blood gushes out, smearing my pelvis, abdomen and chest, but I don't care. A cannon fires.

"Give my regards to District 3," I address the girl, as if she could reply. "I haven't caught your district partner yet, but I will, I promise."

Wait, it's the turn of the boy from Six first…

I look around but I can't see him. He must have fled as soon as I attacked his ally. Wow, what a reliable ally… ah! I don't have time for him right now, I must go back to the cornucopia.

Don't worry, Six, our meeting is just postponed…

I look up at the sky: luckily, the clouds cleared a bit, so I can see where the sun is. From its position in the sky, I can tell that it's early afternoon. The sun is slowly moving west of course, so the cornucopia, which is located east, is in the opposite direction. I resume walking. I don't know how much it took, but eventually I reach the lake near the hills. Finally, water! I drink the fresh water of the lake with both hands, and then I thoroughly clean the blade of my machete with it. My clothes are still smeared by the girl's blood, but I don't care; there are some spare clothes stored in the cornucopia, so I'm gonna change mine.

I climb uphill and reach the cornucopia, which glitters under the late afternoon's light. I immediately change clothes. The idea that the cameras might be on me right now, while I'm undressing, makes me feel uneasy, but my clothes are dirty, I need to change them. If some sexually unfulfilled Capitolite finds me sexy in this moment, I'll make sure to turn him into a eunuch! Anyway, the clothes I put on are identical to those I've worn so far: long-sleeved top, grey-green jacket, brown trousers. I take my old clothes and throw them outside the ring of plates: the blood on them could lure wild animals, but I can't leave them where we keep our food neither.

Talking about food…

At this stage, I hear some footsteps and chatter. Instinctively, I turn in the direction where this noise comes from. I immediately relax: it's just Victor and Kyle. Victor is limping. Kyle is carrying one backpack per shoulder.

"Hey, Whiteswan! Didn't know you were Victor's workhorse!" I say with a smirk.

In response, Kyle looks at me. He doesn't seem bothered by my comment, he's rather surprised. Clearly, he didn't expect to see me.

I address Victor, pointing at his wounded leg: "I'm still wondering how a true Career like you could be fooled by that brat from District 4…"

"Go to hell, Scarlett!" he shouts in response.

"Guess the cannons weren't your doing," I go on.

He smirks. "I made a kill, instead!"

"Who?"

"The other tribute of District 8."

I laugh. "That little boy!? Wow! I'm impressed!" I sarcastically comment.

"Better than nothing. And what have you done in the meantime?" he asks.

"I killed the girl of District 3," I answer.

"Tsk! Another weakling!"

"Better than a hopeless twelve-year-old."

"He was thirteen," Kyle chimes in.

We both look at him, baffled: does he really need to be such an old woman? What for? The boy was just another lamb to be sacrificed, and now he's dead, so who cares about his age?

"I'm just being precise," he goes on with a shrug. "Anyway, come with me, Victor, you know what we have to do…"

Victor snorts in response. Kyle places his backpacks on the ground and then enters the cornucopia.

"What do you two have in mind?" I ask my district partner, curious.

"Well, my nurse slash workhorse thinks I need a tetanus shot."

I frown. "Why?"

"My wound," he replies, pointing at his leg. "Whiteswan said that I might lose my leg. He's clearly overreacting, but, you know, better safe than sorry."

That said, Victor enters the cornucopia as well. I follow him. I'm hungry. I start rummaging in our supplies, looking for something that isn't dry food. I would probably kill for a steak or some fresh fruit! At some point, I look at Whiteswan out of the corner of my eye. He's acting strange right now: he's staring at a crate that contains bottles of water and seems… I don't know… he seems to be counting them.

"Whiteswan," I call him.

He startles and then turns to me.

"You won't find any drugs in there, it's just water," I tell him.

"Oh, yeah… you're right," he replies with a slight smile.

That said, he takes a bottle of water, opens it and takes a sip. He looks nervous, but why should he be nervous? We're allies, after all. It's the first time he's alone with me and Victor; certainly, he knows that we don't like him, but does he really think we would kill him so early in the Games? I watch him as he's going right, where the medicine supplies are stored. He looks back and our eyes meet, but it's just for a moment, he immediately turns away. Yeah, maybe he's nervous because he doesn't feel safe with us, or is there another explanation?

Kyle opens one of the medicine boxes and takes something- a vial and a syringe, I suppose- out of it, then he addresses Victor: "Let's do it outside, where there's more light."

They both get out of the cornucopia, while I'm still looking for something decent to eat.

At some point, I hear Kyle say: "Hey, have some water while I'm examining your wound."

"Do it quick!"

"Okay, okay. You drink it all, Victor, you look dehydrated."

Victor snorts. "Is this even water? It's got a strange taste."

"Of course it is… your tongue is parched; that's why it tastes like that."

"You… sure? I… feel dizzy…"

"You must be afraid of needles, then. Sorry, I didn't know that."

Victor doesn't say anything in response, and that's when I realize something's wrong. Victor would never keep quiet about such a comment! I rush out. My district partner is lying on the ground with his back against the cornucopia.

"Victor!" I shout.

Where's Whiteswan? But Whiteswan is quicker than my thought. I turn around. He sinks a needle into my neck. My body feels heavy. I look at him: his violet eyes are cold and vacant.

"Traitor…" I manage to say... before I keel over on the ground... and everything goes dark…

…...

Christopher "Chris" Terranova (12)- District 6 male tribute

The Explorer

I wonder if I made the right decision. Should I really trust him? Guess I have no choice at this stage. Everything happened so quickly…

"Uh… Chris…"

I look at Ambra, who has just woken up. Her long hair is a bit messy.

"What time is it?" she asks me.

"I haven't got a watch," I answer with a shrug.

She shakes her head. "No… I mean… how long have I been sleeping?"

"The whole morning… more or less. You kept waking up and drifting off… several times. Clearly, you didn't sleep last night."

"Chris! You should have woken me! What about our plan?"

I look down. "I… I didn't want to disturb you," I justify myself.

Ambra sighs in response. "Okay, that was kind of you, but we're in the arena of the Hunger Games, staying in one place too long could be dangerous."

"I'm sorry."

"Whatever. Let's grab a bite, but then we shall move, okay?"

I nod in response.

After we finish eating, we gather our stuff. We're ready to move, but that's when another tribute appears. It's the girl of District 2. She has popped out of the shrubberies like a wild beast… a bloodthirsty tigress whose eyes seems to be made of ice. She wants only one thing: our blood. She charges Ambra, who has barely the time to turn to her attacker. Before I can even realize it, my legs start running. I'm fleeing… I'm fleeing like a coward! But I can't help it.

At some point, I hear Ambra scream: "Please, don't!"

I cover my ears and keep on running. I run and run. Eventually, I reach a thicket. The lower branches claw at my face, but I don't care, I keep on running. At some point, I fall to the ground. I must have tripped over a root. I get up again. One of my knees is scraped and my trousers have a hole now, but I don't care, I start wandering among the trees with an unsteady pace. At some point, I reach a small glade. There are the traces of a campfire. I immediately recognize the place: that's where Ambra and I stayed the first night! I look up at the sky… just like I did that night. I saw the faces of the fallen tributes… and tonight I'll see Ambra's face. I sit down. People will think I'm weak, but I don't care, I can't hold it back any longer: I start crying like a baby. My face is covered in scratches; tears are salty, so they make it burn like hell, but I don't care. I abandoned Ambra… I left her alone with that monster, and now she's dead. That's unforgivable! Will Mary… or Gus… or Davis… will anyone talk to me again after this?

I look down. I try to wipe away my tears, but more and more tears are coming out. I'm so desperate that I don't realize that someone else has just arrived in the glade; I look up only when I hear a branch crack. My blood turns cold in my veins. It's the boy of District 1… another Career! I'm ready to die, but then something unexpected happens: he holds his hands up in an act of surrender.

"Don't worry. I don't mean to hurt you," he says.

That's what ignites me. It feels like waking up from a long dream. Anger starts seething within me, giving me strength.

I stand up. "Why should I believe you?"- I point my finger at him – "You're like her!"

He frowns in response. "Like her?" he echoes me.

"Don't act like you don't understand! You're like her! A Career! Like the girl from Two! She killed Ambra!"

He looks down, then he takes a deep breath before looking at me again. "Okay, I see."

He takes a step forward and I one backward.

"Listen, if I wanted to kill you, I would do it… I would already have done it, don't you think?" he says.

I frown. "What do you want from me, then?" I ask him.

"Nothing. To be honest, I didn't expect to find another tribute here. I was just looking for food," he answers with a shrug.

He sounds sincere, but I can't trust him, right? He's a Career!

"What has happened to you and Ambra?" he asks me.

Sorrow and shame hit me again. I look down.

"I'm sorry, I know it's none of my business… and that it's distressing. Believe me, Christopher, I understand…"

I interrupt him: "Oh, really? Have you ever abandoned your ally? Have you ever fled like a coward?"

"No, but I killed… it was an act of mercy; Victor was torturing her and I… I stopped her suffering, but it was murder, as a matter of fact. I'm no better than any other Career. I don't want to be like them, though."

I look at him again. "But you allied with them," I point out.

In response, he smiles bitterly. "You're right. That's what everyone expected from me, but this is no excuse, I know. It's not too late to make amends, though."

I frown.

He takes a deep breath. "Christopher… would you like to ally with me?"

"What?" I reply, shocked.

"I know it's crazy, but I can't pretend to be a Career any longer. Listen, you're not obliged to say yes, but accept my help, at least. You've got no supplies, but I can take some from the cornucopia. Then, we can part ways, if you don't want to ally with me. I can understand you; I wouldn't trust me neither."

"You want to go now?"

"Yes, but you can't come with me: I'm with the boy of District 2. He's injured, that's why we're going back to the cornucopia. I could knock him off."

"You… you want to kill him?"

"Victor is a bastard, but I'm not like him."

So, I'm here, waiting for the boy to come back with supplies. I don't know what he's going to do to his ex-ally, and maybe it's better for me not to know. I can't help but worry, though. If the boy is willing to betray his allies, what he's going to do to me? He sounded sincere; maybe he doesn't want to be a Career for real, and maybe he doesn't want to hurt me neither. But people can lie. Maybe I'm too naïve, and the time spent on the streets didn't teach me anything. But why didn't he kill me, then? He could have done it. He's better trained, so I wouldn't stand a chance. And what about his offer? Why does he want to ally with me? Maybe he pities me, and that's all. Anyway, he'd be a good ally. Maybe I should accept his offer.

My thoughts are interrupted but the sound of footsteps. I tense, but then I relax: it's the boy… and he has got two backpacks! He wants to help me for real!

"You okay?" he asks me with a tender voice. "I mean… I know…"

I interrupt him: "I'm fine."

"Okay."

I sigh. "What shall we do, ally?"

He smiles in response. His muscles relax… maybe too much, because the backpack shoulders slip down his arms and the backpacks fall to the ground with a thud. He'd like to hold them but doesn't have the time. I suppress a giggle.

"Okay… okay. We could start with your knee, what do you think?"

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So, here I am again… and what a chapter! 3 tributes died! Looks like the previous chapter was a prelude of death. 13 tributes died, 13 are left. As for their positions, let's move from east to west. Adam is still in the eastern part of the arena. Victor and Scarlett are at the cornucopia, but we don't know what Kyle did to them. You can make guesses in your reviews, if you want. Kyle and Christopher are in a thicket, which is located towards the centre of the arena. Henry, Cedric and Bella are in the enchanted forest in the heart of the arena. Rebecca and Christine have decided to chase Alexa, and they moved south-westward, where there's another lake and a castle ruin by it. Last but not least, Excelsa is looking for Yolanda in the hilly area in the western part of the arena.

Submitters can assign points to: Kyle (D1M), Scarlett (D2F), Christopher (D6M), Christine (D13F)

QUESTIONS

Kyle: what do you think of his attitude?

Scarlett: what did Kyle do to her?

Christopher: if you were Christopher, what would you do?

Christine: should she follow her gut feeling?

GROUPS IN THE ARENA

Careers: Excelsa (D1F), Victor (D2M), Scarlett (D2F)

We are rebel girls: Rebecca (D9F), Christine (D13F)

Fate brought us together: Henry (DM), Cedric (D7M), Bella (D7F)

Unexpected allies: Kyle (D1M), Christopher (D6M)

Loners: Alexa (D6F), Adam (D9M), Yolanda (D12F)

THE FALLEN

26th: Owen Coin (18), D13M, the Memory

25th: Cliff Wells (14), D5M, the Dam Worker

24th: Rhonda Hope (12), D5F, the Orphan

23rd: Timothy "Tim" Cunningham (18), D10M, the Rancher

22nd: Tobias Jackson (13), D11M, the Breadwinner

21st: Fabian Swift (15), D12M, the Gambler

20th: Maya Seeds (12), D11F, the Blossom

19th: Vivian "Vivi" Tide (18), D4F, the Mermaid

18th: Autumn Peachskin (18), D8F, the Actress

17th: Oliver "Ollie" Litore (15), D4M, the Distant Brother

16th: Estrella Sol (17), D10F, the Rejected- kidneys stabbed by Alexa Steel (D6F). Estrella was a poor soul who suffered for love… unrequited love. I think that more than a few can sympathize with her. After her beloved Timothy left her alone, she found other allies and became part of the rebel alliance. She wasn't a rebel girl for real, though. All things considered, Timothy's death was just too much to handle, and maybe she wasn't strong enough to live without him. RIP, Estrella.

15th: Tartan Dye (13), D8M, the Painter- drowned by Victor Blade (D2M). Tartan's story was very sad. He lost his brother Denim in the 98th Hunger Games, and eventually he had the same fate in the 99th edition. Let's say that things could have been different, but with such a surname… after all, "dye" and "die" are homophones. RIP, Tartan, you will be missed.

14th: Ambra Clares (16), D3F, the Tactician- beheaded with a machete by Scarlett Pearce (D2F). In the reviews, Ambra was described as the typical tribute of District 3, and having a character like her in these Games was precisely my intent. She had a pragmatic attitude, and all things considered she was a character with whom you could identity: a daughter of divorced parents with a complicated relationship with her younger sister… not that far from reality, don't you think? She will be missed… definitely by her sister, who loved her deeper down.

DISTRICTS' RANKING

13th: District 5- 25th, 24th

12th: District 11- 22nd, 20th

11th: District 4- 19th, 17th

10th: District 10- 23rd, 16th

9th: District 8- 18th, 15th

KILLS

Kyle: 1 (Autumn)

Excelsa: 1 (Cliff)

Victor: 2 (Rhonda, Tartan)

Scarlett: 3 (Owen, Timothy, Ambra)

Oliver: 1 (himself)

Alexa: 3 (Tobias, Fabian, Estrella)

Adam: 1 (Maya)

Yolanda: 1 (Vivian)

Thank you for reading. Please, leave a review!

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*See chapter 3 (D1 Reaping)