The 150th Annual Hunger Games

Day Eight (Afternoon)

Geofrey Santer's P.O.V. (D5)

I sprint through the trees, attempting to escape the view of my pursuers- Ace and Elsa. I can sense the gap closing between me and them.

I pull out my dagger as I continue running, hurdling over a log or two. Unfortunately, and typically, I miscalculate one of my jumps and my leg collides with the log, sending me flying forward. Ace and Elsa are on me in no time.

Elsa raises her sword above me, but I swing my leg, taking hers right out from under her. She lands flat on her back with a yelp as I scramble to my feet.

I don't make it far before I feel something sharp hit my side. I wince through the stinging sensation, but keep running. My side and leg is wet in seconds from what I can only assume to be my own blood. Which means I should try to get as much distance as I can between myself and them before I can't walk from blood-loss. I need to find somewhere safe so I can fix myself up.

Eventually, I pull out the object that was thrown into me, only because it was cutting in deeper as I run. As I suspected, it's a throwing-card. Specifically, the ace of clubs. I grit my teeth as I remember that Jada was also hit with an ace.

I can hear footsteps crashing on the leaves not far behind me, and I realize they're getting closer awfully fast because I'm slowing down.

I clutch my side and stumble into a tree, hugging the trunk. Somewhere back there, I dropped my knife and I lost my pack. Besides, I couldn't do much with my arm in a sling and blood pouring out of my side.

Ace reaches me and cautiously approaches. I breathe heavily, trying to fake looking worse than I am, seeing if I can get him closer. It works.

Ace creeps closer and closer, until he's finally in range. I let go of the tree and slam my fist into his jaw. Then I throw myself at him, tossing in a few more punches to his face.

The next thing Ace does takes me off guard and brings me to my knees. His hand latches around my arm injury and squeezes tighter than I could imagine. I let out a scream of pain as I feel the blood thumping in my arm under the pressure and my ears start ringing until I feel light-headed.

My good arm reaches up weakly, trying to push his hand off, but his grip is tight. My eyes are drooping from the blood-loss and the excruciating pain in my arm that feels like it's spreading through my whole body.

Ace's fist smashes into my temple as he releases my arm. I fall on my stomach, black spots appearing all over my vision, eating away at my surroundings.

I see Ace's feet in front of my eyes. I look up at his face, which is suddenly covered up by the bottom of his boot hitting my head.

BOOM!

Janice Senn's P.O.V. (D3)

The explosion of a canon ricochets off the cliffs causing a repeating echo. Two deaths already today...

Once the echo finally cuts off, we are left in a moment of dead silence. Then a low rumbling sound starts to build up in the distance. I look at Harper, who looks at me with an equally curious expression. He steps forward and pushes a branch aside, peering into the horizon.

"What do you see?" I ask.

"Not sure, but I think the arena is changing," he answers as the rumbling amplifies.

"Again?!" I exclaim, "I was just starting to get used to this!"

Harper's assumption is proven to be correct when a glowing, white wall materializes and commences it's sweep over the arena, heading toward us.