The 150th Annual Hunger Games

Death Toll (Day Three)

Fate Greenridge's P.O.V. (D10)

I trudge aimlessly through the jungle while the arena grows ever darker as the night crawls in. The jungle itself seems to become almost more alive when the moon starts to climb the sky. Crickets and millions of other insects chirp nonstop, accompanied by the squeals from exotic birds and the growls of I don't even want to know what. It was kinda calming to hear at first, but now it's become quite a nuisance.

I wonder which unfortunate tributes those canons belong to from earlier today. At least it isn't me...yet. It's an awful thought, but I can't help it. It's like I'm just waiting for everyone else in the arena to just kill each other and hope none of them run into me. I know that's impossible. Eventually the Gamemakers will find a way to draw everyone together if nobody is dying. They usually shrink the arena somehow or use mutts, or a feast or something like that. They can be pretty creative sometimes in order to make things more interesting for the spectators.

At home, I usually tried my best not to watch the Games, but we sometimes were forced to go to the Square to watch the important parts, like the Bloodbath or the Feast, if there was one. I only watched if someone I knew was in the arena. That's only ever happened once or twice. Unfortunately, neither of them won. I didn't actually know them well, but we still talked at least once before they were reaped.

I find that I'm close to the beach when I feel the ground beneath me becoming softer. I soon realize that I'm walking on sand, but I'm still surrounded by the forest. I intend to stay within the tree line anyways, since I saw tributes headed for the beach earlier today.

I then hear some voices coming from the beach and I instinctively duck behind a bush. I find a good hiding spot between a tree and the bush and calmly watch and listen to the tributes on the beach, trying to identify them.

"I think we should just stay here for the moment. I don't think those guys from earlier will come. If they were, they probably would've been here by now," a girl's voice states.

"Yeah...too bad we couldn't make any kills today..." a boy's voice replies quietly.

"Oh please! You've already made one kill, Geo," another boy says, "Remember the trap you made? You got that guy from Ten."

My eyes go wide at what he said. They killed Jordin?

If one of those tributes is Geo, I can only assume the girl is Jada and the other boy is Clark. My breathing becomes more rapid and I can feel my heart racing. It sounds so loud thumping in my ears, that I feel like it might give my position away.

I need to get out of here. As far as possible. If they killed Jordin, they'll kill me too! Besides, Geo sounded pretty disappointed that they hadn't made any kills today. I would be an easy one for all three of them.

I am about to make a break for it when the sky suddenly lights up, and I can see the reflection of the Capitol seal on the calm, ocean waters. I glance at the three tributes on the beach, whose attention has been drawn to the sky. I can now see each of them perfectly clearly thanks to the little light given off from the seal. They all look in good condition, except Geo, who has a bandage around his right elbow. Deep red bloodstains are on either side of the bandage. Something must've gone the whole way through his elbow. It must really hurt too, because he seems to be trying his best to not move his arm.

I suddenly become aware that the anthem is playing and I remember that the Death Toll is still going.

I look up just in time to see Gwen Reading's face disappear. I think I saw Harper Coyle's name up there too, so I guess he must've killed her. Weird, Gwen was from District Four, and so is Harper.

The only other face to illuminate the sky belongs to Myx Averice from District Six. Kara Windfield's name claims Myx's death. Why am I not surprised? That little girl has always given me the creeps. Something about the way she looked at me, at everyone really. I don't know if it made me feel intimidated, or just plain freaked out.

Just the thought of her makes chills trickle down my spine. Well, it's either that or the fact that the temperature is dropping at a rapid pace. I can actually feel it growing colder by the second. Even the tributes on the beach break out the jackets, except Geo.

"Geo, where's your jacket?" Clark asks.

"Probably at the bottom of the ocean," he replies with a shrug, "It was pulling me under the water, so I took it off. I didn't think it would get this cold after how hot it was that day."

"Well, that was stupid," Clark says, "How do you know the Gamemakers won't decide to change the arena back to that frozen tundra from before?"

"Whatever. Maybe a sponsor can send me something. I did make a kill, after all," Geo points out. And with that, they all settle down for the night.

A short spurt of anger surges through me when I hear Geo's last sentence. I hate being reminded that Jordin died. That I'm alone and vulnerable. I hate this!

I calm myself down and inwardly remind myself that there was nothing I could do, and that I just need to forget about it and move on. I can do this. For Tate. Yes, think of Tate. Think of winning this to be back with her. Think of how happy she'll be to see me. Think of how I volunteered for this, so that means I have to give it my all. That's right. I'm giving it my all, and it's going to be enough. I'm sure of it.

I don't even realize it, but I fall asleep while I'm giving myself my inner pep-talk, completely forgetting about the three tributes on the beach and about my earlier thoughts of getting away from here.

I don't care about that anymore right now. Sleep seems more important than anything right now, and nothing else seems to matter, so I allow myself to drift off into a deep sleep, feeling that tomorrow will be full of excitement.

~~~~~

Hewo again! It is I, the author! Hope you enjoyed this extremely long and unedited Death Toll chapter. Please correct mistakes or misspells of any kind! Always love dat.

~MK out.