Here's the scheme of my next updates (I think you might find it useful, since my updates are not that frequent these days):
- 99th: D8 reaction
- 76th: interlude 1
- 76th: interlude 2
- 99th: day3
- 99th: night3
- 76th: sponsor chapter 1
Before we start, I'd like to say that new readers and possibly reviews are always welcome. Don't worry if the Games have already started, I can provide you with a summary, if you want to catch up more quickly. You just need to PM me.
And now, enjoy your reading :)
Second night in the arena
Oliver "Ollie" Litore (15)- District 4 male tribute
The Distant Brother
I lean my back against the cornucopia, right beside its mouth. I can feel the coldness of the metal even through my garments. It's not wet, though. Unlike the first day that was a bit foggy, today the weather has been drier. Tonight, it's extremely clear, and a full moon is now lighting the sky along with a myriad of stars, many of them forming a diagonal line shrouded by a sort of luminous mist. I've never seen so many stars before! I wonder if what I'm watching now is real… is it a real sky? Or just an illusion created by the Gamemakers? Probably the latter. In any case, it's an amazing spectacle to see… if only this was not the arena of the Hunger Games… if only this moment was not spoiled by those dreadful screams echoing through the cold air… is it me or are there more voices than last night?
I turn to Excelsa, Scarlett, and Victor, trying to ignore those screams. They're selecting the best weapons for the "great nocturnal hunt"… yeah, that's how they called it. They said that Careers should always be hunting and that the audience loves nocturnal hunts. That of the first night was fruitless, so they want to try again tonight… but we're all going hunting tonight, no one will stay here to guard the cornucopia this time.
At some point, Excelsa leaves the couple of Two alone and gets closer to me. She's playing with a short sword as if it was a fidget spinner. "You ready?" she asks me, unable to hide her eagerness.
I nod in response. In fact, I've already chosen to bring a spear with me, and a dagger is hidden inside my wool jacket.
"Where's Kyle?"
"He's still inside the cornucopia… sleeping, I think," I answer.
She rolls her eyes, clearly annoyed. "Well, wake him up. He has to hunt as well."
"Okay."
I enter the cornucopia. Kyle is sleeping on the floor, curled up in a corner like a cat. He's tossing in his sleep, and he's also mumbling something unintelligible while sleeping. He must be having a nightmare. To be sincere, he looks like a scared child at the moment… definitely not like a Career should appear… definitely not how you'd expect the son of two victors to look like. If we weren't in the Games, I'd imagine him asking his parents to sleep with them. I shake my head. Silly thoughts! If he knew what I thought, he'd probably kill me on the spot… wouldn't he?
I squat. I'm a bit hesitant, but I put my hand on his shoulder nonetheless and gently shake it. "Kyle?"
He wakes up out of a sudden, and he immediately gets up from his lying position as if he had just been jolted by a surge of electricity. "Autumn!" he shouts, but as soon as his violet eyes meet mine, he covers his mouth.
No, I'm not Autumn…
I bite my lip. What am I supposed to say? He clearly feels guilty about killing that girl, even though he probably meant it as an act of mercy. If he hadn't intervened, who knows for how long Victor would have tortured Autumn before finishing her off? I was hidden inside the cornucopia, unable to watch that awful scene. I heard her screams, though, but I didn't do anything… anything! Actually, Kyle was the only one who had the guts to stop that sadist Victor, whereas I acted like a coward. As things stand, I'm the one who should feel guilty, not Kyle. The truth is that I've got the impression that he's not a typical Career from the very beginning, even despite what he said during his interview. Deeper down, he doesn't want to be a Career… he doesn't want to be in the Games… like me, in the end. I'm in the pack just due to Thalas… I'm a Career, but my purpose is just to prevent my supposed allies from finding my sister and killing her. But is this worth the risk? Staying with these bloodthirsty Careers... ah! What if I had allied with Yolanda, instead? We could have escaped from the bloodbath together, and then…
"Erm… you wanted to tell me something?" Kyle asks me at some point, abruptly interrupting my thoughts.
I look at him. I realize that I woke him up without telling him why. Anyway, he has calmed down a bit, but he's still panting, and his eyes are slightly reddened due to his fitful sleep. He's alarmingly pale, as if he had just seen a ghost. The soft light coming from outside the cornucopia makes his skin glow. He's sweaty, and… wait… are those tears? I bite my lip again. I feel like I'm about to pile on a wounded puppy, but what choice do I have? My sister will be safer, if I behave like a Career, right? Hell! These are the Hunger Games! I should think only of myself! What Kyle feels is none of my business!
"Excelsa said that you should get ready for the hunt," I answer, speaking in monotone.
I get up without waiting for his reply, if any. I head to the entrance, but then I stop right on the threshold. I clench my fists. To hell with Careers! I cannot be that cold and merciless!
"Kyle?"
"Y-yes?"
I can feel his worried gaze on me. He's well aware that I caught him in a moment of weakness… or, rather, in what the majority of people would see as a moment of weakness. The tension in the air is palpable. It must be terrifying for him… I mean, showing his true nature without him wanting it and moreover when he's supposed to stay strong, because the eyes of the world are on him now.
I take a deep breath. "Compose yourself, please… you know, for your own sake… the others would not understand…"
My back is turned to him at the moment, but I can almost feel him relax behind me. I'm lighter as well. I cannot feel that stifling burden on my chest anymore, as if it had just disappeared by magic. When Kyle eventually emerges from inside the cornucopia, he seems a whole different person with his moonlit sword in hand: bold, resolute, ready to kill. I know it's just a facade, and yet I cannot help but admire how quickly he can wear that self-confident mask of his. I just wonder for how long he'll be able to put on the act.
Anyway, Kyle walks past the cornucopia without looking at me, as if I didn't exist. He joins Excelsa, Victor, and Scarlett, and I do it as well.
"So... where to?" he asks, while he's still getting closer to them.
"The plan is simple: we're exploring the valley, but without stopping at the lake. North-western direction. If... or, rather, when we find some tributes, we'll attack them, we don't need elaborate plans to do it, right? If something bad happens- but it won't- try to come back to the cornucopia, okay?" explains Excelsa.
We all nod in agreement. Strangely enough, Victor doesn't protest.
"Fine. Come on! It's time to make these Games more interesting!"
We all descend to the valley by coasting the lakeside. Each one of us has at least one weapon and a little rucksack with some supplies with them. We decided not to light torches, since the night is clear enough thanks to the full moon. I can see the shimmer signalling the presence of water on my right. We need to be careful not to get too closer to the water, because there's no shore, the lake just seems to pop up from the shrubberies and to engulf them. In some places, determining where the land ends and the water begins is extremely difficult, and you risk getting in the mud. These areas remind me of the swampy arena of last year and of its awful, crocodile-like mutts. Luckily, we haven't encountered any mutts so far, but hoping that the Gamemakers didn't include them this year is just wishful thinking. I look up at the sky. I wonder whether those screams are produced by mutts... some nocturnal creatures of sort, since you can hear them only by night. But what kind of beast can live in such a bushy wasteland? Well, one thing is certain: if a monster attacked us right now, we would see it only when it's too late, since it would be protected by both darkness and vegetation. Maybe Scarlett would see it with her night vision glasses, but everyone else certainly wouldn't. I freeze at the thought.
We pass by a thicket. Even though there are no life signs coming from there, Excelsa says that we'd better explore it to be sure. Indeed, we find the remains of a campfire. Kyle gets a little flashlight out of his rucksack and powers it. Excelsa squats to examine the remains closely.
"Umm... the embers are cold," she comments. "Whoever lit a fire here left hours ago, probably during the day."
"Maybe they didn't go that far away. If there are some traces, we could follow them," offers Scarlett.
"Can you see anything with your glasses?"
In response, Scarlett squats as well. She starts rummaging through the shrubberies, probably trying to look at the ground, but by the snorts of frustration that she emits, I can tell that everything is in vain.
"There are traces of trodden grass... here and there, no more than two people, but following them..." says Scarlett and then she punches the ground, clearly frustrated and disappointed.
"I see," replies Excelsa, who has managed to keep calm, instead. "It would take too much time... but it's still a hint, Scarlett. We could come here during the day, and maybe our tributes will be back. You know, when you find a good place to hide... but let's focus on something else for the moment!"
That said, she stands up. She turns to the rest of us. "Guys, we're leaving now, but we'll come back soon."
"You want to give up!?" replies Victor, unbelieving.
"The track is not that clear, we'd certainly lose it. Whoever did this, I'm pretty sure they'll come back sooner or later, but we're not going to hunt them down tonight, okay? We can find someone else instead of wasting time with traces that we cannot follow!"
"I think it's a good plan," Kyle chimes in.
"Oh, shut up, Whiteswan! Anything would be alright with you!"
Scarlett stands up. "I agree with Excelsa. The traces we found cannot be followed, not because they tried to erase them, but due to the bushes that hide the ground. We cannot crawl till we find someone!" she says, looking at Victor with her arms crossed.
"Oliver? What do you think?" asks Excelsa, addressing me.
The eyes of my allies are all on me now. How awkward!
"I'll stick to your plan," I answer with a shrug.
"Very well," she replies with a slight smirk. "Looks like they all agree with me. What about you, Victor? You'd better come with us, unless you want to hunt on your own, of course..."
He snorts in response. "Okay! I'll come with you... you, flock of sheep!"
We all leave the thicket, and Kyle turns off his flashlight. Victor is muttering to himself, but no one is paying attention to him now. We walk... I don't know for how long we've been walking this night, I don't know how far away we are from the thicket at the moment, I don't even know if we're moving forward in a straight line... but then it happens, I see it... I see the dark silhouette of another thicket and a light... a feeble, warm light coming from there, no more than a glimmer in the dead of night... someone has lit a fire there! I have a bad feeling. They say twins share a special connection; I don't know why, but I feel like I'm going to see my sister Yolanda tonight. My trot is very quick now. I start running faster and faster.
"Uh, uh... looks like Four has found a prey!" I hear Scarlett say from behind my back.
I'm nervous, hopeless, and scared. My heart is beating like crazy, leaving me almost breathless, but I'm not going to stop right now. I am afraid of knowing the truth, and yet I cannot help but run towards it. I am ahead of all my allies now. I enter the thicket, more nervous than ever. I reach a little glade, and an awful scene appears before my eyes: the boy of District 3 is sleeping beside the fire, and a figure is now emerging from the darkness... my sister. All my fears were reasonable, then: my sister is here, and there are the Careers too! She hasn't noticed me yet, she's taking something from what looks like a pile of roots... but she has no roots in hand now... no, she has taken a purple flower. A flower!? There are no flowers in the arena, so where did the boy find it? Is it possible that...? A sponsor gift? But why would they send a flower? Unless... no, it can't be! Is that flower poisonous? It's all a trap, then! The boy from Three wants to poison my sister by pretending that his flower is edible! That's why he put it in his pile of roots, and so in plain sight too! No, I cannot let my sister die... not like that!
"No!" I shout.
Yolanda turns to me, her blue eyes widened with terror. The boy of District 3 wakes up. Was he just pretending to sleep? That bastard!
"Don't eat that flower, Yolanda, it's poisonous!" I go on.
In response, she lets the flower fall to the ground, horrified. Unfortunately, the Careers join us. What should I do? My sister is in danger! How can I protect her? As soon as she sees my allies, she tries to run away, but Victor jumps in front of her, thus blocking the way.
"Where are you going, young lady?" he asks, smirking.
Before I can even realize it, my hands move as if they had a life of their own. I aim my spear at Victor and then let it fly. It hits his leg, but unfortunately it only nicks him. In fact, my spear flies past him and ends up on the ground. Victor screams in pain and starts cursing. He squats to put his hand on his wound and thus stop the bleeding. I grab my dagger from inside my jacket. I get between my sister and the Careers, my back turned to her. The boy of District 3 is still sitting on the ground, unable to move, but I cannot think of him right now.
"Yolanda, you run!" I shout.
"Traitor! I knew... I..." says Victor, turning to me with his eyes full of hatred.
"I cannot leave you here!" protests my sister.
"You run! I'll face them!" I insist, without looking at her.
I cannot afford to take my eyes off my ex-allies; one moment of distraction on my part, and my sister could die. Apparently, we hit a point of no return. I made a choice, I can no longer be a Career, but I have no regrets. Luckily, Yolanda decides to listen to me, and she runs away from the glade. I look straight ahead: Victor is still on the ground, but Excelsa and Scarlett are glaring at me, weapons in hand. Deeper down, I know that I cannot face them, especially if they decide to attack together. I'm doomed, but I'm not scared; on the contrary, I feel relieved and proud of myself. My sister is safe, that's what I wanted, in the end. Eventually, my eyes meet Kyle's. He's the only one who doesn't seem mad at me. There's concern and fear in his gaze, no trace of hatred. I smile. I know what I have to do. They won't have me! Good luck, Kyle… I silently address him, and then I use my dagger to cut my throat.
…...
Henry Almonds (14)- District 3 male tribute
The Chemist
The boy from Four cuts his throat with a dagger, and immediately a river of blood starts flowing out from the gash. I've never seen so much blood in my whole life. The boy is now gasping, desperately looking for oxygen, his blue eyes widened with terror, his hands wrapped around his blood-smeared neck. Looks like death is a frightening experience, even when you cause it. I wonder whether he has repented or not. One must have courage… I mean, killing oneself like that… or maybe it was just out of despair. In any case, it feels like time has stood still since he did it. He's slowly keeling over on the ground now, as if a part of him didn't want to give up and was fighting with his last strength in order to stay alive. Apparently, no one else is able to move; we're all watching him... we're watching him die... like the audience at home. Home... this word sounds estranged now that I'm in the arena, for there can be no home here. Home is the place you belong to, the place where you want to come back, and if I want to come back home, I must first of all put as much distance as possible between me and the remaining Careers. After all, they aren't paying attention to me, so this could be the right moment to flee... I mean, if they let the girl from Twelve run away, I can try as well...
I must be quick. I must leave all my supplies here. I bite my lip. Things were not that bad before the Careers arrived. I have no choice, however; either I flee, or I get killed, and life is much more important than a bunch of supplies, right? Now or never… the boy of District 2 cannot run, and the other Careers are still focused on their ex-ally, so I sprint in the direction they came, running away from the glade.
"Hey!" I hear one of them shout from behind my back.
Soon after, the sound of running feet… someone is chasing me now! I run faster… faster and faster, ignoring my lungs on fire, my burning cheeks, my heavy breathing, and my crazy heartbeat. Adrenaline is running through my veins. All I know is that I must run as far away as possible, no matter where. I repeatedly bite my lip till I taste blood. My plan failed- I had noticed that someone was stealing my food, so I thought of using my district token to get rid of them. But how could the boy know that my flower is poisonous? My flower… it was my parents' gift, and I wasted it! I wasted it!
I look ahead of me, alarmed, because I see something strange: a lilac light, a sort of iridescence. It cannot be neither a fire nor the moon. Honestly, I don't even know if it's something natural. I wonder if it's the prelude to some kind of punishment: Gamemakers certainly know what supplies are sent and to whom; as a consequence, they know also that my flower is neither something I found in the arena nor a sponsor gift. They may deduct that it's my district token, but certainly they cannot tolerate such a token. Maybe they would turn a blind eye, if I was a Career, but since I'm not a Career… Anyway, I'm closer to the strange light now, so I can see that it comes from a forest… a rather strange forest: its trees have tall, narrow trunks, they're purple- heart-shaped, purple leaves, and blotchy, purple-grey bark- and they glow in the dark! I've never seen such trees before, but they remind me of birches to some extent. I don't want to enter there, that forest makes me shiver, but maybe I'll manage to throw off my chaser among those strange trees. I run headlong into the forest. As soon as I enter it, the screams in the air stop. I can no longer hear them… or, rather, I can no longer hear anything but the rustle of leaves brought about by a gentle breeze. How is it possible? I look back. My chaser is nowhere to be seen, but I cannot see where I entered either! Eventually, I stop running, all sweaty and panting. I lean on a tree trunk. Where am I? I ask myself, taken aback by the sudden peace of the night and with the unpleasant feeling of being trapped.
…...
Yolanda Underwood (15)- District 12 female tribute
The Outsider
I hear a cannon fire. It may be his… no, it's definitely his. What was he thinking, after all? Did he really believe that he could face the Careers alone? Or did he just create a diversion so that I could flee to safety? Safety!? No one is safe in the arena! Oliver sacrificed for me, but it was his choice, in the end; I didn't ask him to do so, did I? I was even willing to fight by his side! How stupid I am! I should think only of myself! Today, the girl from Eight and the boy from Four died, which means that there are still sixteen tributes alive; fifteen of them have to die in order for me to win, that's it. I should focus only on my survival, but, deeper down, I know that I cannot be that cold. In fact, my eyes are wet… little tears wetting my cheeks and lips, enabling me to taste their saltiness… salty and bitter at the same time, since my heart is heavy now. I lost Fabian, and tonight I lost my brother as well… yes, I believe that he was my brother now; only a sibling could sacrifice for you the way he did… but it's too late… too late to tell Fabian how much I care about him, too late to hug Oliver and say that I believe him. I lost everyone who cared a bit about me. It's so cruel and unfair… I mean, why do you realize people's value only after losing them?
I look up at the sky. There's still someone who cares about me… maybe: Terry… well, this would be the right moment to send supplies. Luckily, I was prepared for a quick escape, so I've got still my backpack and spear with me, and yet something more wouldn't hurt. Deeper down, she preferred Fabian, I know it, and I cannot blame her: he was a social animal, in the end; he didn't suffer from asthma, and he was willing to form an alliance. All things considered, he stood more chances than me- I used to think the same myself- and yet he died, whereas I'm still alive. If District 12 wants a victor, I am its only chance now… not that I'd like to win to please my district. After all, it has never been my district for real, and it will never be. But it's still the place where I live, and having a house is better than nothing, so I'll fight with all my strength to come back. Once back in Twelve, I may even decide to change my last name. Probably, my name would have been Litore, if Oliver and I had been adopted together. Yolanda Litore… not bad, right? The result would have been the same, though; I would have cried for my dead brother in any case, but at least I would have some happy moments to think back of in nostalgic days. What have I got instead? Nothing.
THUD!
I startle. I have a quick look behind me: I glimpse a dark silhouette standing up from the shrubberies. Someone is chasing me, but they fell to the ground. They probably tripped over these odious bushes. I bite my lip. One kill is not enough for Careers, right? They want me as well! And I hadn't even heard my chaser before they fell! I speed up. The problem is that I cannot keep on running like that at length. I'm burned out. My limbs are heavy and sore, and I'm panting. If I had an asthma attack right now, it'd be the end. Luckily, I've got my inhaler with me. I should really tell Terry how thankful I am. As long as I have my inhaler, I can remove my asthma from the list of things that could kill me.
I look ahead of me. A smile forms on my lips. Maybe I know how to get rid of my chaser. There are a series of hills standing before my eyes, their sweet contours brought out by the full moon. They cannot be the same hills where there's the cornucopia, that's for sure. If I find a good hiding place, maybe I'll manage to throw off my chaser, and they might even decide to give up the hunt. I start climbing the first hill. The fact that my chaser fell gave me a head start, but I shouldn't lower my guard. Careers are usually well trained, so my chaser could catch up in no time. The slope begins to go down. I go to the right. At some point, I fall. Ouch! Nothing broken, but the shrubberies have scratched both my face and hands. I look around. The ground is uneven, with small cliffs, that's why I fell. The problem is that its irregularities are hidden by bushes, which seem to be higher and thicker in this area.
I start wheezing. No! An asthma attack! Please, not now! I put my hand on my mouth, trying to repress my wheezes. If my chaser hears me, I'll die. With the other hand, I start fumbling with my backpack. I try to unzip the pocket where I put my inhaler, but my hand is so sweaty that I cannot grab anything. Hell! There's no time to waste! My chest is heavier… and heavier, and I… I feel dizzy now. Eventually, I lose my senses…
…...
Kyle Whiteswan (17)- District 1 male tribute
The Empathetic
I can't believe my eyes! Oliver took his own life! And we all watched him do it, mesmerized. We didn't try to stop him… I didn't try to stop him. But as soon as he keels over on the ground with a thud, the spell is broken. It feels like you realize something out of a sudden: all the feelings linked to it engulf you all together, not softened by a gradual realization but with such a violent strength that you're overwhelmed in one blow. Unprepared, you cannot do anything but surrender, your feelings cannot be repressed. That's how I feel now. I'm engulfed by a mixture of grief and rage, and I have to resort to all my strength not to reveal anything.
The boy of District 3 takes advantage of this moment of dream-like stasis to run away, but Scarlett immediately darts off to follow him.
"Hey!" she shouts.
Similarly, Excelsa runs in the direction where Oliver's sister fled. Only Victor and I are still in the glade.
I get closer to Oliver's body. With a trembling hand, I roll it belly up. I look at his face, and my heart sinks. His parted lips are bathed in blood, which smeared even his nose and cheeks. His blue eyes are wide open, and… he blinks! He's still alive! I immediately kneel down, putting my hand on his gush, desperately trying to stop the bleeding.
"Oliver!" I call him.
He looks at me. He opens his mouth to say something, I think, but no sound can escape his slit throat, just another blood spatter that smears his face even more. Eventually, he manages to put on what must be a smile before his muscles relax, and life leaves his body, his blood still warm under my fingers and palm. I close his eyes with my clean hand. A cannon fires. Another life has gone forever… another innocent life taken for the amusement of Capitol City.
"Instead of rescuing a traitor, you should help me," Victor groans at some point.
In response, I raise my eyes to look at him. "So, you want my help now," I comment, unable to hide my scorn for him.
"Four doesn't need it, that's for sure," he replies with a smirk.
How can he be so heartless? But I'm not going to ask him, for he would certainly give a cliché answer. Careers are expected to be cold and merciless, after all. I should appear like that as well… in front of cameras, at least. But can I really do it? My thoughts go out to Autumn, and to what she told me during the second day of training:
"You don't need to play the strong Career with me, Mr. Whiteswan. I watched your Reaping; you didn't let that boy volunteer for you not because you wanted to be in the Games, but because you wanted to save his life. You're a good guy, in the end," she points out.
"If you know me so well, then call me Kyle. Mr. Whiteswan is my father. Apparently, you're good at reading people," I reply, smiling.
"I'm an actress, I can understand when people pretend. But don't worry, I won't say anything to your allies. I don't think they would believe me. Anyway, a little tip: when you play a character that is different from your true self, you need to play it fully. I mean, you cannot let your true feelings betray you, you need even to think as that character. Basically, you should be a different person while playing," she explains.
I can't believe she's dead! And it was me who killed her! I meant it as an act of mercy, I think, and yet…
"Wow! I can't believe I was able to silence the great Kyle Whiteswan!" says Victor, interrupting my thoughts.
I look at him again, but I don't know what to reply. His silly delusions of grandeur are just… well, silly. What's the point of getting angry? He'll never change.
"Oh, come on, Whiteswan! Don't tell me that you're sorry for a traitor…"
"Oliver was not a traitor."
"Then, how would you call a tribute who tries to kill their allies?"
"Oliver was not a Career for real, he just wanted to protect his sister. He stayed true to himself till the very end," I explain.
"Oh, and you can perfectly understand him, am I right?" he provokes me, but I won't fall for it.
I know what he's hinting at: I can understand what Oliver did, because I feel the same, and so I am a traitor by extension. The worst part of all is that Victor might be right, but I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of hearing me say it.
"Do you want my help or not?" I ask him, changing the subject.
"I'll take that as a yes," he replies.
I unzip my backpack. I've taken two bottles of water with me, so I open one of them to wash my blood-smeared hand. After all, I cannot treat Victor's wound with dirty hands. He can be annoying sometimes, he even tried to backstab me, but I'm not the vengeful type. I'm going to reach for the best in these Games… when possible, of course… I know where I am now, I know that my soul is already stained by blood, but trying to regain some sense of humaneness makes me feel better. The Capitol wants me to be a Career? Fine with me, I can be a Career… I can pretend, at least, as Autumn said… but I'm going to be a Career in my own way.
"Whiteswan… tell me that there's a first aid kit in your backpack," says Victor at some point.
I shake my head. "No, Excelsa has a kit, but since she's not here…"
He snorts in response. "You're useless!"
"Don't worry, I'll try to do my best."
"Oh, I really need an incompetent nurse!"
"Shut up, Victor, you're in no position to complain."
"Is that a threat?"
"A hearty suggestion," I correct him.
"I hate you," he replies, but his tone is not aggressive.
Looks like Victor doesn't know what to say any longer, but he can't still realize that acting tough won't help him. He's just making a fool of himself, but who am I to stop him? I know that he'd rather die than listen to me. Besides, should I really try to help a boy who wants to kill me with all his heart? I can help him with his wound, but that's it.
Suddenly, I hear an unmistakable tinkle. Everyone knows what such a tinkle means: you're to be sent a gift from your sponsors. I look up, and indeed I can see a silver parachute floating in the cold air. Eventually, it gets stuck in a nearby tree, but luckily among the lowest branches. I go fetch it. There's a square box attached to the parachute. By the red cross on the box cover, I can tell that it's a first aid kit… precisely what Victor needs.
"Looks like you've got good sponsors, Victor," I comment, looking back at him.
"Envious?"
"Why should I? Once your wound is treated, you'll probably stop complaining."
Despite himself, he laughs in response. I know, however, that I'd better not let my guard down with him. Even if I help him, he'll try to kill me again, sooner or later. After all, he has never hidden his dislike for me and Oliver, and he's not likely to mask his murderous plans either. I should be careful… even sleeping with him nearby might be dangerous… but how long can I keep doing all this? Isn't there a better solution? What if I found more reliable allies?
…...
Cinnamon Nicewarble (48)- Master of Ceremonies
I lean on the seatback of my swivel chair. I put my hands on my closed eyes, letting their warmth warm my eyelids. It's a useful exercise to relax your eyes after hours of prolonged exposure to bright screens. The Games season can be so stressful! It's true that Mircalla and I are not on air 24 hours a day, we even have substitutes, and yet…
"Cinnamon, you okay?" asks Mircalla at some point.
I look at her. She's watching me with a straight face, her red eyes half-closed, her full lips slightly parted, just a little frowning. I know that expression very well; it's not the expression of a person who wants to know if you're okay, but that of a person who's aware that their success depends both on their performance and on yours. Clearly, she wants to lord it over me. I'd like to roll my eyes in annoyance, but I'll hold back this time. Mircalla is always so focused, so task-oriented… but she could also relax sometimes, right?
"Just relaxing," I answer with a shrug.
"We only need to comment a bit on the second day. Then, you'll go home, if you want."
"I know what I have to do, but thank you for reminding me," I reply with a slight smile.
She nods in response.
"Now, back to the studio!"
I flaunt a wide smile. "Looks like the second night in the arena was kind of a mess. What do you think, Mircalla?"
"Well, I'm a bit disappointed… I mean, it's the second night that the Careers don't kill anyone during their hunts," she replies, shaking her head.
"But we had two surprising deaths today…. better than nothing," I point out.
"Small comfort, Cinnamon. I'm sure we all rooted for the Careers at the beginning, but their performance has been poor so far… I wonder whether we should keep on calling them Careers."
"Oh, don't be too dramatic, dear! There's a lot of pressure on them, considering that we haven't had a Career victor for years. I'm sure we won't be disappointed at the end. Today, Kyle Whiteswan made his first kill. He's the son of two victors and one of the favourites. What do you think of him?"
"I'd like to see a tribute like him win the Games, I admit it. He killed the other victor's child of this year, another favourite… he might have paved the way for his victory, but it's early to say."
"Looks like we found a tribute our hypercritical Mircalla really appreciates! Has he stolen your heart like he did with many others?" I tease her.
"Oh, don't be silly, Cinnamon! He could be my son!" she rebuts, giggling. Then, she adds: "But let's change the subject! I find Mr. Litore's death really really shocking. Do you agree with me?"
"Absolutely! But it was a heroic death, that's for sure. Sacrificing for your sister… an act of pure selflessness that you can rarely see in the arena. I've got goose bumps, look!" I say, showing my naked arm to Mircalla.
In response, she pretends to touch my arm and then she comments with a smile: "Oh, it's true!"
At this stage, the director thumps up, signaling that we're done.
"Why did you call me hypercritical?" Mircalla asks me as soon are the cameras are off.
She wanted to sound bored like when you make a random comment just to say something, but I won't buy it, I know that she's the kind of person who looks at every single detail.
"I was just teasing you, but, honestly, I think you were too harsh… I mean, we're here to comment, not to denigrate…" I reply.
"I just told the truth, and you know it," she retorts.
"I don't doubt it, I've been watching the Games as well, just…"
She interrupts me with a sigh: "Cinnamon, we cannot always praise tributes, otherwise it's boring. The audience will appreciate a critical eye, don't you think?"
Discussing with Mircalla is useless, since she believes she's always right, so I think I'd better give up. What a stubborn woman! But I've known her for years, so why am I surprised? Didn't I know that she would win a priori?
"Yeah, you're right."
"See? We don't need to discuss everything," she comments with a satisfied smile.
And another chapter is finished. I hope you liked it, especially the last POV, which shows that Cinnamon and Mircalla don't really get along as well as it seems on TV. Anyway, the second night was a bit chaotic, so let's recap it! Now, you have a better idea of how the arena is constructed: it's basically a valley enclosed eastwards and westwards by hills. In the middle, there's the strange forest where Henry ended up, chased by Scarlett. Yolanda and Excelsa are instead in the western part of the arena. The glade where Henry set his camp is located north. From now on, I'm going to update on the position of tributes, so that things are clearer.
As for submitters, they can assign points to: Kyle (D1M), Henry (D3M), Yolanda (D12F)
Specific questions about tributes:
Kyle: should he really leave the pack to find better allies?
Henry: any thoughts on the place where he ended up?
Yolanda: will she recover?
GROUPS IN THE ARENA
Careers: Kyle (D1M), Excelsa (D1F), Victor (D2M), Scarlett (D2F)
No longer a trio: Ambra (D3F), Christopher (D6M)
We are rebel girls: Rebecca (D9F), Estrella (D10F), Christine (D13F)
Siblings: Cedric (D7M), Bella (D7F)
Loners: Henry (D3M), Alexa (D6F), Adam (D9M), Yolanda (D12F)
SUPPLIES SENT:
Victor: first aid kit (category: medicines)
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- suicide by cutting his throat with a dagger. Oliver's story was one of the most interesting of this fanfic. It enabled me to introduce the Repopulation Project and its consequences. Oliver was not a Career for real, and it was clear, I think, that the strategy of staying with the pack just to protect his twin sister would not work long. At the end, he had to make a choice, and he chose Yolanda even over his own life, but will it be enough to guarantee her victory?
DISTRICTS' RANKING
13th: District 5- 25th, 24th
12th: District 11- 22nd, 20th
11th: District 4- 19th, 17th
KILLS
Kyle: 1 (Autumn)
Excelsa: 1 (Cliff)
Victor: 1 (Rhonda)
Scarlett: 2 (Owen, Timothy)
Oliver: 1 (himself)
Alexa: 2 (Tobias, Fabian)
Adam: 1 (Maya)
Yolanda: 1 (Vivian)
Thank you for reading!
