Deceived: The 500th Annual Hunger Games

Chapter 16 - The Arena: Day 2

TOPAZ PATCHOULI'S P.O.V

The bodies had been cleared. We had stripped them of all their possessions, leaving us with a mountain of goodies.

During the night, on my guard shift, I engraved the names of our dead tributes into the muddy pink snow around us. I hope it snows soon, I hate seeing this bloody snow everywhere. There was also a cannon sometime during the night. Someone probably froze to death.

This morning, Zak had woken up screaming Velorum's name. He wasn't taking the death too well. Didn't he realise this is what happens in the Hunger Games? One out of 108 tributes at the end of this survives.

I cradled him all the same. I looked over at Roxen and Septimus sleeping in the cornucopia. I had bandaged Roxen's lower back from where the axe had hit her. I could've put the wrong medicine on her and killed on the spot, but I have a feeling that Septimus would kill me. Maybe I have to kill Septimus first?

It was Zak's turn to take guard now. I think he fell asleep sometime during the night. When we woke up, things from the cornucopia had disappeared.

I had sat with Septimus, trying to work out what had gone. We knew that some axes, a dagger, an array of swords and a few backpacks had disappeared. Still, we have enough to carry on.

It was now nearing midday, Septimus could tell because of the position on the sun.

The speakers blared. "Tributes," Fione Lickprivick's voice boomed. "This year, the Capitol's first 'Capitol Catch' is being placed in the arena. Enjoy out little friends."

Friends? This meant it had to be a living thing. A man eating plant? An animal? Another human?

Out of nowhere, an black and white flying animal swooped out of the sky. The bird like creature was really ugly up close. A deformed Mockingjay.

The bird pierced Septimus in the eye. He roared in pain. I tossed him his sword and he sliced the neck of the bird. Blood seeped everywhere.

"Stay still," I ordered. I searched through the medical pack. I recovered some gauze and bandage and wrapped it around his head to form a makeshift eye-patch.

The ugly birds started appearing from everywhere. Maybe we shouldn't have killed it.

"Run!" Roxen screamed. We sprinted for our life, grabbing as much of our belongings as we could. Roxen led the way with her daggers slicing at bushes. Septimus was at the back, flinging his sword around, killing every animal in sight. A few squirrels and rabbits flew forward after coming into contact with our weapons. I picked them up. This will be our dinner later.


I dived under a bush. This is the end for me. I'm going to die.

Roxen and Septimus dived under with me. Where was Zak?

I heard him scream. I couldn't yell for him. It'd give away our position.

BOOM!

I peeked out of a small gap in the bush. Zak's lifeless body was being torn apart by these creatures.

"Dinosaurs." Septimus whispered.

"What?" Roxen asked.

"Dinosaurs," Septimus repeated. "Pterodactyls to be precise. They've been disguised as Mockingjays. Once they hear a noise, instead of copying it, they follow it."

We saw a hovercraft in the distance, struggling to reach a body. I wonder how long that hovercraft had been there. A blue body was slowly lifted into the sky. The last time we'll ever see her is tonight when face is reflected off of the dome.


JED PAISLEY'S P.O.V

I walked along silently, the snow crunching between my feet. Yarrow has frozen to death during the night.

I heard rustling in the bushes. Roxen's head popped out.

"Guys," she said, smirking, "we found one."

Septimus appeared, his sword reflecting the sunlight. He had an eyepatch over his right eye. Topaz appeared, red eyed. She had been crying.

A hovercraft flew above us about 10 feet away. Zak's bloody body was lifted into the air.

Roxen held her dagger up to me.

I ran. I knew what danger was. My fingers were freezing and I was tired from continuously crying over Yarrow's death.

I heard footsteps behind me. Two pairs. Someone wasn't chasing me.

I looked behind me. Roxen was swinging her dagger, inches away from missing my back.

I turned a corner and tripped over a branch. I tumbled down a steep hill. The Careers stopped at the top of the hill.

"We will get you, Paisley," Septimus yelled.

I continued to roll. When I came to an abrupt stop, a pair of feet were by me.

"Well well," the voice laughed. It was unmistakable. "You came back quickly. Did you kill Yarrow?"

"No," I said. "She died this morning. From the cold."

"Shame you won't be dying from the cold."

I looked up through a swollen eye. Maxwell held his shuriken and smiled. "Don't kill me," I begged. "Let's ally. Brothers until the end."

"You're not the person that I knew a week ago." Maxwell stared into the distance. "I knew you'd come running back to me once Yarrow was gone. I'm not stupid."

"I wasn't using Yarrow!" I screamed. "I loved her."

"Loved?" A voice said. "I will always love her. Dead or alive."

Keelan emerged from the bush. I didn't know what to do.

Suddenly, Maxwell pounced on top of me, smacking me with his fists. Keelan kicked me in the gut before Maxwell used the tip of his shuriken to carve markings into my body.

I traced the bloody word going up my body. Traitor. I'm not going to live.

Maxwell smiled. I couldn't believe this.

"Maxwell," It hurt to talk. "Put my name in the books. If you make it."

As if on cue, a knife flew out of nowhere and stabbed Maxwell in the back. He fell to the floor beside me. I looked up at him. "I'm not going to make it either."

"You should've trusted me!" I screamed.

"No I shouldn't have. It's not my fault I'm dying on the floor next to you."

Who even threw that knife?

Alisma stood up in a tree. She was laughing. Tansy stood next to her, with a pair of spiky gloves. The last thing I saw was Maxwell reaching up to Keelan to say goodbye.

BOOM! BOOM!


TANSY SPENS' P.O.V

I looked at Alisma. That was a good throw. Keelan had fled before we could reach him. I laughed.

"So, our next plan is to find the Careers?" I asked.

"Yeah, if you want," Alisma smiled. She retrieved the knife from Maxwell's back and headed off. "We also need to kill Chester. He has every other throwing knife."

I took off my claws and pulled out some meat from my bag. We managed to stab a rabbit along the way. Alisma had cooked it and said it looked fine.

She had started to dig into the rabbit. The rabbit oozed a weird pink liquid. "Is that normal?" I asked, unsure about eating it.

"It tastes okay, and I feel fine, so yeah." She replied, tearing the meat from its leg.

I wasn't reassured. I pulled out the last of my bread and ate that instead. She continued to gnaw on the rabbit.

After we were done, we walked for absolutely ages. I was on the listen for noises. I'm desperate to find the Careers.

After walking for what felt like eternity, we found a blood marking on the floor. Blood everywhere. Quite fresh.

Topaz sticker her head out of the bush, holding one of the rabbits from the arena. The pink oozing goo was everywhere. Maybe they are safe to eat...

"Where are your other Careers?" I asked, advancing towards her.

"They chased a Paisley brother."

"Funny, we killed Maxwell." I laughed.

"I killed Maxwell," Alisma pointed out.

"Oh. Did they kill Jed then?" Topaz asked. She wasn't lying.

"Maxwell killed Jed." I told her.

We stood in silence for a few minutes. At the same time, Alisma and Topaz slid to the ground.

"Hahaha," a voice laughed. Fione. "Tributes, everyone within an alliance has eaten a rabbit and fallen into what we called a 'poison coma.'" Fione announced. "There are only 3 antidotes, meaning someone will die."

"The alliances are Topaz, Roxen and Septimus from District 1, Wade from 5 and Ovid from 9, Tansy and Alisma from District 5, Ivory and Yohan from District 9, and the new alliance of Chester from 1 and Keelan from 9."

"The antidotes will be at the cornucopia at midnight tonight. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favour."

I grabbed my bag and claws and raced to the cornucopia to get that antidote for Alisma. Topaz can die. I'm not teaming or helping any Career. I knew the rabbits were bad.


FIONE LICKPRIVICK'S P.O.V

"Good evening Panem!" I chimed. Phillipe was sat to me left, smiling at the camera. He's perfect. "Today, we had 4 deaths."

"Our first death was Yarrow Fairbain from District 9. She unfortunately passed away from the cold during the early hours of the morning." Phillipe said. One criminal down, one to go.

"Our next death belonged to Zak White from District 1. The 'Capitol Catch' today was Pterodactyl Mockingjays. The dinosaurs pecked him to death. He will be missed by the audience." I announced. Zak was a cool tribute.

"Our last two deaths belonged to the Paisley brothers from District 9, Maxwell and Jed." Phillipe smoothed his hair down. "Maxwell deeply carved the word 'traitor' into Jed's body, causing him to bleed to death. Alisma from District 5 threw a knife in his back."

"That's all the deaths for today. Our most voted 'Capitol Catch' was acid rain!" I announced. "We are unsure if there will be a Day 4 at this rate, but with the rain and the antidote feast I'm sure we'll have a great number f deaths. If we reach Day 4, then trust me, our amazing gamemakers will do something to please you citizens. I've been Fione Lickprivick."

"And I've been Phillipe Honeyman. Goodnight Panem, stay tuned for the antidote feast. May the odds be ever in your favour."